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(CNN) -- Personal computer maker Lenovo, expecting to report a loss for the third fiscal quarter ending December 31, announced it would cut 2,500 jobs as part of a restructuring expected to save $300 million.
A woman walks past a Lenovo advertisement at a computer shop in Hong Kong.
The cuts comprise about 11 percent of the Chinese computer manufacturer's global workforce.
"Although the integration of the IBM PC business for the past three years was a success, our last quarter's performance did not meet our expectations," Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's chairman of the board, said in a statement. "We are taking these actions now to ensure that in an uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future."
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index suspended trading of Lenovo shares Wednesday, anticipating the announcement. The trading is to resume Thursday.
The job cuts, to occur during the first quarter, will include management and executive positions and also affect finance, human resources and marketing divisions, the company said.
In addition, the "resource redeployment plan" included executive compensation reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent, including bonuses, and the consolidation of its China and Asia-Pacific organizations into a single business unit to be called Asia Pacific and Russia .
The company, ranked as the world's fourth-largest PC maker, anticipated taking a pre-tax restructuring charge of approximately $150 million.
As part of its restructuring, the company said it was relocating call center operations from Toronto, Canada, to Morrisville, North Carolina, the company's North America headquarters in order to "better leverage its investment in real estate and facilities." | [
"What will the cuts include?",
"How much is the restructuring charge?",
"How much will Lenovo's restructuring charge be?",
"What products or services does Lenovo provide?",
"What is the company ranked?",
"Where does the company rank in the world of PC makers?",
"Who is the world's number 4 pc maker?",
"What jobs will Lenovo cut?",
"What will jobs cuts include?"
] | [
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"management and executive"
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"approximately $150 million."
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"approximately $150 million."
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"world's fourth-largest PC maker,"
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"world's fourth-largest PC maker,"
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"Lenovo,"
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"11 percent of the Chinese computer manufacturer's global workforce."
],
[
"positions and also affect finance, human resources and marketing divisions,"
]
] | Chairman of the board cites last quarter's below-expectations performance .
Job cuts to include management and executive positions .
Company is ranked as the world's No. 4 PC maker .
Lenovo anticipates taking pre-tax restructuring charge of approximately $150 million . |
(CNN) -- Peru declared a state of emergency in parts of the country after weeks of protests against a mining project, the Andina news agency reported.
The state of emergency, which begins Monday, which will last for 60 days in four areas of Cajamarca department, according to Andina. President Ollanta Humala Tasso announced the decision, described as an attempt to re-establish peace in the area, Andina reported.
The announcement Sunday came after protests against the construction of a $4.8 billion gold mining project called Conga. The decision came as union leaders refused to stop ongoing protests, Andina reported.
Eighteen people were hurt, several by gunshots, following protests on Wednesday, the department's director of health said.
The protests took place despite an announcement Tuesday by U.S.-based Newmont Mining Corp. that work on the project would be suspended.
Newmont, which is based in Denver, Colorado, and describes itself as one of the world's largest oil companies, said it had suspended construction on the project "for the safety of employees and community members."
It noted that operations there and at the nearby Yanacocha mine "have experienced intermittent work stoppages as a result of ongoing protests in the region."
The protests began when anti-mining activists expressed concern about the possible impact of the project on the local water supply, the company said in a statement on its website. "The Conga Environmental Impact Assessment was approved in 2010 after extensive review by the Peruvian government, which included significant engagement and consultation with local communities," it said.
Critics say the mining project would adversely affect the area's ecosystem and would leave cattle in the zone without access to water.
CNN's Helena DeMoura and journalist Maria Belaunde contributed to this report. | [
"how many people were injured in protests?",
"What do critics say would be affected by the project?",
"How many protestors were injured last week?",
"when were the people injured in protests?",
"How many people were hurt?",
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"What do critics say?",
"what is the name of the gold mining project?"
] | [
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"Eighteen"
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"leave cattle in the zone without access to water."
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"the mining project would adversely affect the area's ecosystem and would leave cattle in the zone without access to water."
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] | The state of emergency comes after weeks of protests against a gold mining project called Conga .
At least 18 people were injured in protests last week .
Critics say the project would affect the area's ecosystem and would leave cattle without access to water .
The mining company says an impact assessment was approved and included the input of communities . |
(CNN) -- Peru's ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu should reopen April 1, more than two months after rain stranded hundreds of tourists at the popular spot, the government said.
Heavy rain in January unleashed mudslides that cut off roads and blocked a rail line between Machu Picchu and the nearby city of Cusco.
Water levels at the Vilcanota River have receded enough to allow repairs to the rail line, said Martin Perez, head of Peru's Ministry of Exterior Commerce and Tourism.
"We expect that starting April 1, we will start to receive the millions of tourists who always have come," he said Tuesday.
Peruvian officials were forced to use helicopters to evacuate more than 1,000 stranded tourists last month.
Authorities estimated that 10,000 people were affected by the rain and 2,000 homes were ruined near Machu Picchu. At least seven deaths were reported. | [
"when will machu pichu reopen?",
"what were the consequences of heavy rain in January?",
"How many people were evacuated?",
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"who officials evacuated more than 1,000 stranded tourists?"
] | [
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"April 1,"
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] | Peru's ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu should reopen April 1, tourism official says .
Heavy rain in January unleashed mudslides that cut off roads and blocked a rail line .
Peruvian officials evacuated more than 1,000 stranded tourists . |
(CNN) -- Peruvian authorities say they have arrested four members of a gang that specialized in selling to European labs fat obtained from dead humans. Officials are investigating the disappearance of at least 60 people they believe were killed by gang members in two mountainous states in central Peru, lead prosecutor Jorge Sanz Quiroz said Friday. The four suspects have been charged with murder in the September slaying of a Peruvian man, the prosecutor said. "They killed to obtain human fat because there were European laboratories that would pay them," Sanz Quiroz said. The suspects told authorities they were paid $15,000 for a liter (about 1 quart) of human fat. Officials did not disclose what possible use laboratories could have for the human fat, but fat can be a component of cosmetics and is used in reconstructive or cosmetic surgery. The use of human fat for any purpose is extremely rare, however, physicians say. Other suspects, including the Peruvian ringleader, have eluded capture, Sanz Quiroz said. Authorities have the names of two Italian suspects who are being sought by Interpol, the 188-nation worldwide police agency, the prosecutor said. He declined to reveal their identities. Sanz Quiroz acknowledged the uniqueness of the allegations. "We are not making this up," he said. "They have confessed to this. That's what's coming out now." One of the suspects told officials he had been committing the murders for five years. According to a criminal complaint Sanz Quiroz filed November 18, officials discovered on September 22 a small container containing a fat-like substance that had been stored at the Bella Durmiente bus station in Lima, Peru's capital. On November 3, the complaint says, suspect Serapio Marcos Veramendi Principe was arrested after he retrieved three bottles from the Estrella Polar bus station. The bottles contained a substance authorities believe is human fat, the complaint says. Lab tests are being performed to determine what the substance is. Authorities identified the three other suspects as Elmer Segundo Castillejos Aguero, Hilario Cudena Simon and Enedina Estela Claudio. The suspects identified each other for police in photo lineups, the complaint says. In addition to murder, Veramendi Principe and Castillejos Aguero face weapons charges. Castillejos Aguero, Veramendi Principe and Estela Claudio also face drug charges, authorities said. They are accused in the September 16 killing of Abel Matos Aranda, the criminal complaint says. Authorities believe the substance found at the bus stations is body fat obtained from Matos Aranda. Officials unearthed a partially buried male body November 13 in Huanuco state. They believe it was Matos Aranda. Sanz Quiroz referred to the suspects as "brujos," the Spanish word for witches. He noted that the suspects are part of an Andean mountain culture that believes bodies can be used to ward off evil and prevent disasters. For example, he said, bodies are often buried at the entrances to mine shafts and bridges in the belief they will keep the structures from collapsing. Authorities are calling the suspects "pishtacos," which are Andean mythological creatures. In his 1996 book "Death in the Andes," Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa mentions pishtacos extensively, saying they are half-white ghouls who live in caves, lurk along dark isolated roads and suck the fat out of anyone careless enough to travel Andean roads at night. Andean myth holds that the fat is used to make soaps, lubricants, healing potions and cosmetic creams. Until the arrests, few believed that anything resembling pishtacos existed. "It's an Andean myth that we've now been able to prove," said Miguel Jimenez Torres, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office. Some physicians say human fat is used in some medical procedures, but a few products were taken off the market because they were considered unsafe. The longevity of implants that use human tissue often is not as good, said Atlanta cosmetic surgeon Harold Brody. Nor is there any advantage, he said, to using human fat in cosmetic creams or lotions. "They're a little behind the times," Brody said. "It makes | [
"Where did the human fat come from?",
"What was the gang selling?",
"What number of people have disappeared?",
"What evidence was found with the suspects?",
"How many suspects were arrested?",
"How many people disappeared?",
"How many people are believed to have disappeared?",
"What was in the plastic container?",
"How many people are missing?",
"How many suspects were arrested",
"What are the gang selling?",
"What type of authorities are they?",
"Who investigating disappearances?"
] | [
[
"dead"
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"fat obtained from dead humans."
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"60"
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"human fat,"
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"four"
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"at least 60"
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"60"
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"four"
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"fat obtained from dead humans."
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"Peruvian"
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"authorities"
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] | Peruvian authorities reported to have arrested gang who are selling human fat .
Officials investigating disappearances of at least 60 people .
Two suspects arrested with a plastic container with human fat in it . |
(CNN) -- Peruvian soccer star Paolo Guerrero has been punished with a record fine by his German club Hamburg for throwing a water bottle into the face of a fan who he claimed had insulted him.
The striker made a public apology on Monday, but could face further disciplinary action from the German Football Association on Tuesday.
The incident happened at the end of Hamburg's 0-0 draw with relegation-threatened Hannover on Sunday, a result which dented Guerrero's team's hopes of qualifying for European competition next season.
"I had a blackout," the 26-year-old told Hamburg's official Web site. "I was insulted and I over-reacted. "I am incredibly sorry. I hope that I get the opportunity to apologize personally to the spectator concerned.
"I have already done so to HSV. Of course I will accept any punishment from the club. I made a big mistake."
Chairman Bernd Hoffmann said Guerrero's behavior was "absolutely unacceptable."
"Something like that is not allowed to happen. Paulo will be heavily fined by us. He has assured us believably how sorry he is."
The amount of the fine has not been disclosed, but Hoffman told German football magazine Kicker that it would be "the like of which there has never been in the club."
Ralf Bednarik of the Hamburg Supporters' Board told the club's Web site that fans should accept Guerrero's apology.
"Players have to deal with criticism," he said. "But Paolo Guerrero has apologized for his behavior. Now it's up to us all to reappraise the things and to jointly look into the future."
Guerrero has played 24 times for his country, but missed many of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers after suffering injuries and being handed a six-game suspension for abusing a referee. Peru finished bottom of the South American group.
He moved to Hamburg in 2006 after beginning his Bundesliga career at Bayern Munich, and played as a second-half substitute against Hannover after recently returning to action following seven months on the sidelines with a knee injury. | [
"who apologizes for the reaction?",
"Peruvian striker apologizes?",
"Paolo Guerrero hit with record fine?",
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"What action triggered the fine?"
] | [
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] | Paolo Guerrero hit with record fine for throwing a water bottle into the face of a fan .
His German club Hamburg acted after incident at end of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Hannover .
Peruvian striker apologizes for reaction after claiming he abused by supporter .
Guerrero may face further disciplinary action from German Football Association . |
(CNN) -- Pet owners know that their furry friends can add a little something extra to the spring cleaning chores. CNN spoke with "the Queen of Clean," Linda Cobb, a New York Times best-selling author and television personality. Cobb, who owns three cats, knows a thing or two about getting the best of pet messes. CNN: What can pet owners do about pet hair? Cobb: You can use what's called a soot and dirt removal sponge. You simply run it over a lampshade [or the] upholstery on your furniture, and it actually pulls the hair right off. You can also use a damp sponge. Another good thing to use is rubber gloves. Dip them into water -- keep a bucket of water near you -- shake off the excess water and rub that over the upholstery, and the hair will collect on the rubber gloves. It does a great, great job. The other thing you need is a really good vacuum cleaner. I have found that I prefer one that has a bag in it. I use an Oreck XL. If you're using a canister vacuum, you have to take it out and then shake it into the trash, which puts all of that dust and that dander and that cat hair and everything else back up into the air. Another good vacuum that is newer to the market is the Halo [UXV Ultraviolet Vacuum Cleaner]. That's the one with the ultraviolet light that kills germs and bacteria as you vacuum. Now, you have to vacuum correctly and go back over the area of the carpet enough times, but that's a very good vacuum too. If you have someone in the house that is sensitive to cats, has an allergy from them or something like that, there is a product called Allerpet that you can actually just spray on to your pet, and it neutralizes the enzymes in the saliva, which is what people are usually allergic to. This is something that even if the cat licks itself, it won't hurt it. CNN: What about pet accidents? Cobb: If you've got a hairball, or spaghetti didn't agree with the dog, accident on the carpet, the first thing you do is scream and run to get the paper towels and start trying to pick it up, which drives it down into the carpet fibers. Instead, reach for your baking soda. Sprinkle on a really heavy coat, and I mean heavy, so that it's completely covering it totally. Walk away. The baking soda will pull the liquid, the bile, the acids from the accident up into it away from the carpet. Once it's dry, you take the suction hose from your vacuum and simply vacuum that up, and many times you can't even tell there was an accident there. For pet urine, the first thing you want to do is put a very heavy, heavy pile of paper towels on it, stand on it, draw all the urine you can away from the carpet. Then pour on club soda and do the same thing. Then you can go in to neutralize it with about a half a cup of water quarter cup of white vinegar. [Then] blot that dry. If you have any odor, you want to use an odor eliminator to remove that. Now, that's not a spray that smells like lavender or oranges or flowers. An odor eliminator has no odor. A really, really fine one is Odorzout. It's all-natural, so it can't hurt the pet. The man who invented it powdered his grandson's little butt with it when he changed his diaper, that's how natural it is. If there's a larger accident and you have a bowel movement on the floor, as long as it's not diarrhea-like, you can pick that up with a paper towel. I recommend that you immediately treat that with Odorzout, because if your pets can smell what they've done, they'll go back to that area because they think it's OK. CNN: What about the | [
"what should you do if you're allergic to cats?",
"What can you use to get rid of pet hair on furniture?",
"What can you spray your cat with if you're allergic?",
"what sort of cleaning products should be used around pets",
"what product is best if you are allergic to cat",
"what should you use?",
"what should you use for pet hair?"
] | [
[
"there is a product called Allerpet that you can actually just spray on to your pet,"
],
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"soot and dirt removal sponge."
],
[
"Allerpet"
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[
"soot and dirt removal sponge."
],
[
"Oreck XL."
],
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"soot and dirt removal sponge."
],
[
"soot and dirt removal sponge."
]
] | Use rubber gloves to attack pet hair on furniture .
Reach for the baking soda in case of wet pet messes .
Allergic to cats? Spray the cat down with Allerpet .
Use natural cleaning products to protect your pets . |
(CNN) -- Peter Gathungu walks more than a mile to a shopping center, where he pays a sizable sum to charge his cell phone. The solar phone is expected to be a great success in Kenya. That's because electricity is nonexistent in Gathungu's hometown of Njoro, in northwest Kenya. Landlines and other forms of communication are not as efficient, so Gathungu and millions of others in emerging nations rely on mobile phones. Charging the phones can be a headache in towns and villages where electricity is scarce. Gathungu's troubles may soon be over, though. Kenya's biggest mobile phone company, Safaricom Ltd., launched the nation's first solar-charged phone this month. The handset comes with a regular electrical charger and a solar panel that charges the phone using the sun's rays, company CEO Michael Joseph told CNN by telephone. Retailing at about $35, the phones were manufactured by Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp. Safaricom plans to make an initial supply of 100,000 phones available. "People are excited about these phones," Joseph said. "I expect to be sold out in a week." Eco-friendly phones have been touted by several companies at global trade shows, but most have not been launched yet. Samsung unveiled a solar-powered phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year and introduced its first sun-powered phone in India in mid-June. The company expects its Solar Guru model to perform well in India, another country where electrical supply can be erratic. Unlike many technological innovations, the solar phone is making its big splash in developing nations, where the need is the greatest. After the Solar Guru is in circulation in India, Samsung said, it plans to launch similar phones in other Asian markets, Europe and Latin America. For the time being, Kenyans are happy to serve as early adopters. "The power crisis here has been going on for ages," Joseph said, adding that the Safaricom phone's solar panel is small and portable, unlike charging devices some Kenyans now use. Only about 1.3 million of Kenya's 37 million people are connected to the national electrical grid, said Migwi Theuri, a spokesman for Kenya Power and Lighting Co. The east African nation, which gets most of its energy from hydro-generation, has been undergoing power rationing after a three-year drought. Despite the limited availability of power, Kenya has one of the most vibrant cell phone markets in Africa, analysts say. An estimated 17 million Kenyans use mobile phones. Some charge phones on bicycle-run generators, Joseph said. Or like, Gathungu, they pay businesses in major cities to charge their phones, sometimes waiting an entire day. "There's an enormous need for a device like this," Joseph said of the solar phone, which can charge during talk time, as long as there are rays. "They will continue to charge on natural light, even on cloudy days," he added. Gathungu plans to buy one of the new environmentally friendly phones. For him, it's a matter of money and convenience. He earns 4,000 Kenya shillings ($53 dollars) a month as a waiter. Charging his phone for 50 shillings (70 cents) a week adds up. The solar phone would pay for itself, Gathungu said. Until he buys one, he'll keep making the trek to the shopping center every Sunday afternoon after church. He wouldn't go into further detail about his mobile phone woes, not wanting to waste his battery charge on the call. | [
"Who launched its solar cell phone in June?",
"how much cost the solar cell phone?",
"Which cell phone was launched in Kenya?",
"Who expects its initial supply of 100,000 ?",
"How much does each handset cost?",
"where is samsung going to launch the solar cell phone?",
"Who launched its solar cell phone in India?",
"where was launched the solar cell phone?"
] | [
[
"Safaricom Ltd.,"
],
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],
[
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"Safaricom"
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"about $35,"
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"Kenya."
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"Safaricom Ltd.,"
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[
"Kenya."
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] | Solar cell phone launched in Kenya this month, retailing at $35 per handset .
Country has one of the most vibrant cell phone markets but has energy rationing .
Safaricom expects its initial supply of 100,000 solar phones to sell out .
Samsung launched its solar cell phone in India in June . |
(CNN) -- Pharmaceuticals giants Merck and Schering-Plough are planning to merge their operations under the name Merck in a deal worth $41.1 billion. Merck chairman and CEO Richard T. Clark will head the combined company. Under the terms of the agreement, Schering-Plough shareholders will receive just over half a Merck share and $10.50 in cash for each Schering-Plough share they own. Each Merck share will automatically become a share of the combined company. Merck shareholders are expected to own approximately 68 percent of the combined company, and Schering-Plough shareholders are expected to own approximately 32 percent. Merck Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Richard T. Clark will lead the combined company. "We are creating a strong, global healthcare leader built for sustainable growth and success," Clark said in a media statement Monday. "The combined company will benefit from a formidable research and development pipeline, a significantly broader portfolio of medicines and an expanded presence in key international markets, particularly in high-growth emerging markets. "We look forward to joining forces with an outstanding partner we know well and that shares our commitment to patients, employees and the communities where we work and live." Merck added that its 2009 outlook has not changed, and it is committed to keeping its annual dividend at its current level of $1.52 per share. Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected quarterly results in early February, but announced steep job cuts. On a conference call with investors on February 3, Clark said the drug-maker was open to a takeover of a large pharmaceutical company. | [
"where Merck shareholders expected to own around 68 percent",
"what Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected?",
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"where SP shareholders to get over half a Merck share and $10.50?",
"What will SP shareholders receive?",
"What is the amount that Merck shareholders are expecting to own??",
"Were the drug-makers' results better or worse than expected?",
"What is the amount per share SP shareholders will receive?",
"What percent of the combined company will Merck shareholders own?",
"What is the amount that SP shareholders are going to get?",
"Who reported better-than-expected quarterly results in February?",
"What drug-makers reported promising quarterly results?",
"What percentage of the company are Merck shareholders expected to use?"
] | [
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"approximately 32"
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"Both drug-makers"
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"68"
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] | SP shareholders to get over half a Merck share and $10.50 in cash per share .
Merck shareholders expected to own around 68 percent of combined company .
Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected quarterly results in February . |
(CNN) -- Phil Donahue has rarely shied away from controversy. On his long-running syndicated talk show, he debated issues including abortion and the death penalty, and his MSNBC show was canceled in 2003, he maintained, because of his antiwar stand. Phil Donahue, right, made "Body of War" about disabled veteran Tomas Young, seated. Now the former talk show host has co-directed and co-produced an independent film, "Body of War," about a disabled Iraq war veteran, Tomas Young, who questions the conflict's rationale. Young joined the military after the September 11 attacks and was sent to Iraq. After less than a week there, he was shot in the spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. "Body of War" is the story of his coming home and adjusting to his new reality. The film has earned excellent reviews and was named best documentary of 2007 by the National Board of Review. It airs on The Sundance Channel on Tuesday night. Watch Donahue talk about politics and war » Donahue talked about "Body of War" and the recent presidential election on "American Morning" with CNN's Carol Costello. CNN: What did you hope to prove by [making "Body of War"]? Phil Donahue: Well, this work by ... Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue is our attempt to show the harm in harm's way. In the middle of the most sanitized war of my lifetime, nobody sees this pain. These people are all below the radar. What you see in our film is a drama taking place behind the closed doors of thousands of homes in this country. I'm telling you, less than 5 percent of us have sacrificed, and the American people are not seeing this. I think this is a shame. CNN: Well, let's see some of that. We're going to show a clip right now. (Begin video clip) Tomas Young: When I made the phone call on September 13, it was because I saw the pictures of [President Bush] standing on top of the pile, saying that we were going to smoke the evildoers out that did this to us. All that had to happen so I could fly 10,000 miles away to not shoot around, because all I saw were women and children running away from gunfire, before I took a bullet myself. (End video clip) CNN: Got a lot of wonderful reviews already. I just want to ask you what your hope is for when Barack Obama takes office for veterans of the Iraq war. Donahue: Well, he will stop the pretense. He will stop it immediately. Oh, the troops, the troops, we love the troops ... [but] the troops come home and the V[eterans] A[dministration] doesn't call them back. We have to stop all this. We think if we say it, it's true. So, I see Barack Obama as -- first of all, the smile alone is going to restore this nation to the world's family of nations. ... They're going to be fascinated with the guy, and he is going to exploit this special attention to the benefit of this nation. I am pumped. CNN: The bar is high for him. Donahue: Yes. CNN: He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. Phil Donahue, thank you for joining us. Donahue: Thank you, Carol. | [
"What does the film concern?",
"Who is Tomas Young?",
"What is the film about?",
"What war was Tomas Young in?",
"What happened to Tomas Young?",
"What injury did Tomas Young suffer?",
"What did Donahue help direct and produce?",
"Who is the subject of the movie?",
"What did Phil Donhue co-direct and produce?",
"What media was Phil Donahue involved with?"
] | [
[
"a disabled Iraq war veteran, Tomas Young,"
],
[
"disabled Iraq war veteran,"
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"disabled veteran Tomas Young,"
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"Iraq"
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"shot in the spine,"
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"shot in the spine, paralyzing him from the waist down."
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"independent film, \"Body of War,\""
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"Tomas Young,"
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"\"Body of War\""
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"syndicated talk show,"
]
] | Phil Donahue co-directed, co-produced "Body of War"
Film concerns Tomas Young, Iraq war veteran paralyzed by bullet to spine .
Donahue: "Nobody sees this pain. These people are all below the radar" |
(CNN) -- Philanthropist and billionaire businessman Ted Turner will receive 88 disease-free bison from Yellowstone National Park, Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed Tuesday.
The bison, which were facing slaughter, will be transferred for breeding to Turner's "Green Ranch," west of Bozeman, Montana, from a quarantine facility.
"The Green Ranch emerged as the best option we have for these bison right now," said Ken McDonald, said the state agency's wildlife bureau chief in Helena, Montana. "It gives us time to evaluate the social and biological factors that will come into play as we begin to plan for the future of bison management in Montana."
For several years, the bison were quarantined and spared from slaughter after concerns about brucellosis disease, an infectious disease caused by contact with animals carrying the bacteria called brucella.
All quarantined bison delivered to Turner's property, along with 25 percent of their offspring, will be returned to the state wildlife agency at the conclusion of the agreement, which will last up to five years, the release said.
Turner Enterprises' Green Ranch proposal describes 12,000 acres of suitable habitat, excellent handling facilities, years of experience with bison and secure living space for the animals. The ranch also will participate in continued disease testing and monitoring conducted by state and federal officials, the release said.
According to the Turner Enterprises Inc. Web site, Turner, who founded CNN in 1980, is the largest individual landowner in North America with an estimated 2 million acres. His Western properties consist of 15 ranches in seven states. His bison herd is about 50,000 animals, making it the largest private herd in the world, his Web site said. | [
"How many will he get?",
"What were the concerns about?",
"Who has the largest private herd in the world?",
"What has been quarantined?",
"Who has the largest bison herd in the world?",
"How many bison does Turner have?",
"How many bison will Turner get?"
] | [
[
"88"
],
[
"brucellosis disease,"
],
[
"Ted Turner"
],
[
"The bison,"
],
[
"Ted Turner"
],
[
"88"
],
[
"88"
]
] | Turner will get 88 disease-free bison to use for breeding .
Yellowstone bison had been quarantined after concerns about brucellosis .
Turner has 50,000 bison, making it the largest private herd in the world . |
(CNN) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted martial law in the country's south, which she declared after the massacre of 57 people last month, Philippine news outlets reported Saturday.
The order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) and CNN affiliate ABS-CBN said.
Military troops will remain in Maguindanao province to keep the peace despite the move, said Victor Ibrado, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, PNA said.
Arroyo imposed martial law December 4 but lifted it Saturday after deciding it had achieved its objectives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said, according to PNA.
Local government was now back in power and the justice system was functioning again, he said.
Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated attempt to keep an opponent of the politically powerful Ampatuan family from running for governor.
Thirty journalists were among those killed.
The martial law allowed arrests without warrants, and at least six members of the Ampatuan family -- including a local mayor -- were arrested, according to ABS-CBN.
Authorities raided a warehouse and ranch belonging to the family last weekend and confiscated firearms, ammunition and vehicles, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the eastern Mindanao command, told CNN.
Ermita said Saturday that three charges of multiple murders were filed in court, and that 24 people were charged with rebellion. The Philippine National Police has referred nearly 900 other cases to the Department of Justice, he said.
Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media.
The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself.
Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation. | [
"What is Maguindanao part of?",
"When was the massacre?",
"What day was the massacre in Maguindanao province?",
"Order lifting martial law was due to be effective at what time?",
"how many member are involved",
"Maguindanao is in what region?",
"When is the law due to be effective?"
] | [
[
"autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao,"
],
[
"November 23"
],
[
"November 23"
],
[
"9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday,"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"Philippines."
],
[
"9 p.m."
]
] | Reports: Order lifting martial law was due to be effective at 9 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Saturday .
Authorities have said the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao province was a politically motivated .
At least six members of politically-powerful Ampatuan family in the area were arrested .
Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao . |
(CNN) -- Philippine authorities on Sunday raised the alert status of the country's most active volcano to level 4 and established an extended danger zone around it, saying an eruption is imminent.
The status change at the Mayon volcano "means that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days," according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Earlier Sunday, the institute said the central Philippine volcano continues "to exhibit a high level of activity," adding that 222 volcanic quakes and tremors have been recorded in recent days. One was "an explosion-type earthquake" that launched a cloud of ash about 1,640 feet (500 meters) into the air, according to an institute statement.
The institute recommended extending already-established danger zones of nearly five miles (8 kilometers) south of the summit and 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) north of the summit.
In addition, "areas just outside of this extended danger zone should prepare for evacuation in the event explosive eruptions intensify," the institute said.
More than 30,000 people fled their homes last week ahead of an expected eruption, and authorities were attempting to evacuate about 50,000 people living around the 8,077-foot volcano.
People in surrounding Albay province have flocked to town centers to catch a glimpse of glowing lava cascading down the slopes of Mayon since the mountain began oozing fiery lava and belching clouds of ash last week.
The volcano, about 310 (500 kilometers) south of the Philippine capital of Manila, has erupted 49 times since its first documented eruption in 1616.
The Philippines is situated in the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In 1814, Mayon had its most violent eruption, killing more than 1,200 people. Its last major eruption was in 1993. Since then, it has remained restless, emitting ash and spewing lava. | [
"What did the Philippine authorities say?",
"When was the last major eruption of Mayon volcano?",
"Was there an evacuation?"
] | [
[
"an eruption is imminent."
],
[
"1993."
],
[
"authorities were attempting to evacuate about 50,000 people"
]
] | "Hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days," Philippine authorities say .
More than 220 volcanic quakes and tremors have been recorded in recent days .
More than 30,000 people fled their homes last week ahead of an expected eruption .
Last major eruption of Mayon volcano was in 1993 . |
(CNN) -- Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared martial law beginning Friday night in the southern province of Maguindanao, where 57 people were killed last week, an army spokesman told CNN Saturday. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said martial law -- under which police can make arrests without a warrant -- went into effect at 9 p.m. Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days. Brawner said the measure was invoked to impose peace on the region after the unrest, which led to troops being mobilized. "Life is to resume normally and martial law is established to prevent new violence, with troops on the ground monitoring any possible violence breakout," he said. "But the civilian government will be running the affairs of the province, not a military governor." Military police have detained three brothers and their father on suspicion of involvement in the unrest: Akmad Ampatuan, the vice governor of Maguindanao; Anwar Ampatuan, the mayor of Sherif Auguak, Maguindanao's capital; and Zaldy Ampatuan, governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch, became ill and was hospitalized after he too was taken in. "Local government will function, it will prevent armed groups from wreaking havoc ... and it will allow the officials to search and find the guilty parties," Brawner said. Security forces on Friday searched the home of Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay and son of the provincial governor of Maguindanao, according to Brawner. Authorities say Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed the November 23 politically motivated killings. Weapons were found in the house, Brawner said. On Tuesday, Philippine authorities charged Ampatuan and other suspects with 25 counts of murder in the killings. Still more suspects were taken into custody Friday. The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well, Brawner said. The National Bureau of Investigation has moved a third witness to Manila for questioning, the Philippines News Agency reported Thursday. "At the moment, we are interviewing the witness, so that we would know what he knows about the incident in Maguindanao," NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said. The witness claimed to have been at the site during the massacre. "He is very vital," Mantaring said. "From what I know ... he knows a lot of information regarding the incident." Among the victims in the massacre were the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan, the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Witnesses and local officials have blamed the younger Ampatuan, a longtime ally of the Philippines president and a known warlord. They said the killings were an attempt to block Mangudadatu from challenging him in the May gubernatorial election. Also killed were a dozen journalists who had accompanied the women. Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation. Suspicion fell on Ampatuan after a government construction vehicle was found at the hastily dug mass grave that held the bodies of the massacre victims. CNN's Talia Kayali contributed to this report. | [
"how many people killed?",
"What was invoked to impose peace?",
"What do the authorities say?",
"Whose home did they search?",
"What has been imposed there?",
"Who allegedly directed the November 23rd killings?",
"What number were killed last week?",
"what was invoked?"
] | [
[
"57"
],
[
"martial law"
],
[
"Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed the November 23 politically motivated killings."
],
[
"Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay"
],
[
"martial law"
],
[
"Andal Ampatuan Jr."
],
[
"57 people"
],
[
"martial law"
]
] | NEW: Martial law invoked to impose peace on the region after unrest .
Measure follows killings of 57 people last week in province of Maguindanao .
Security forces search the home of Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay .
Authorities say Ampatuan Jr. directed the November 23 politically motivated killings . |
(CNN) -- Philippines authorities Tuesday started evacuating about 50,000 people living around the island nation's most active volcano after it oozed fiery lava and belched clouds of ash.
A large-scale eruption was forecast as imminent.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level up a notch on Monday night to level 3. Scientist Alex Baloloy told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that under level 3, "a full-blown eruption is expected to take place within weeks to days."
He said seismic instruments detected 83 volcanic quakes, a majority of which were tremors associated with rockfalls.
People in Albay province, about 466 kilometers (290 miles) south of the capital, Manila, flocked to town centers to catch a glimpse of glowing lava cascading down the slopes of Mayon. The volcanic mountain soars 2,464 meters (8,077 feet) into the sky and has erupted 49 times since the first documented eruption in 1616.
Ash fell on the town of Guinabatan, prompting its mayor to predict an unwanted sort of white Christmas, PNA said.
Provincial Gov. Joey Salceda ordered mandatory evacuation for residents of 45 towns and cities within a radius of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) around Mayon, including Legazpi, Ligao, Tabaco, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Santo Domingo.
The Albay Public Safety Emergency and Management Office said 9,946 families or 47,285 people were expected to be moved to safer ground within 72 hours, PNA reported.
Salceda, who canceled a planned trip to Denmark for the global climate conference in Copenhagen, said he will meet with the provincial disaster coordinating council Tuesday to discuss emergency measures in case of an eruption, according to PNA.
The Philippines is situated in the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Mayon's most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns. Its last major eruption was in 1993.
Since then, it has emitted ash and spewed lava but remained restless. | [
"When was Mayon's most violent eruption?",
"When is the eruption expected to take place?",
"What did authorities order?",
"What is expected to take place?",
"When was the last major eruption?"
] | [
[
"1814,"
],
[
"within weeks to days.\""
],
[
"mandatory evacuation"
],
[
"\"a full-blown eruption"
],
[
"1993."
]
] | Scientists: Full-blown eruption is expected to take place within weeks to days .
Authorities order mandatory evacuation for residents within a radius of 6 km .
Mayon's most violent eruption in 1814 killed more than 1,200 people .
Last major eruption was in 1993, since when it has emitted ash, spewed lava . |
(CNN) -- Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy, met while he was in a federal prison serving time for abducting a different woman from South Lake Tahoe, California, and holding her captive in a storage unit, Nevada probation and parole officials said Friday. Phillip and Nancy Garrido face 29 felony charges relating to the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Durgan. Details of Phillip Garrido's past began to emerge after he and his wife were charged with crimes relating to the abduction of 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 and her captivity in a hidden shed-and-tent compound in the couple's backyard in Antioch, California. Phillip Garrido, 58, and Nancy Garrido, 54, face 29 felony charges relating to Dugard's kidnapping. They both pleaded not guilty. Garrido's record as a registered sex offender began with a 1977 conviction on charges of kidnapping and rape of a South Lake Tahoe woman, the Nevada Department of Public Safety's Division of Parole and Probation said in a press release. The victim was found with Garrido inside a mini warehouse, a type of small storage facility, in Reno. Nevada, according to court documents from Garrido's appeal. She was raped inside the storage unit, according to the documents. The woman, a 25-year-old casino worker, picked up Garrido at a supermarket near Lake Tahoe on Nov. 22, 1976, after he asked her for a ride. The documents state that when she stopped the car to drop him off, Garrido handcuffed her, bound her legs and neck with a leather strap, and drove off with her to Reno. Watch more about the psychological effects of being held captive » Garrido, then 25, "told the victim it wasn't intentional that he had taken her, but that it was her fault because she was attractive," according to the documents. Garrido served 11 years of a 50-year sentence in Levenworth, Kansas. Parole officials said he met his wife, Nancy, while he was in prison, but they didn't give details. Garrido's life began to spiral downward in high school, his father, Manuel Garrido, told CNN. "He had a motorcycle accident and got on LSD and he's not in his right mind," Manuel Garrido said. "He was in a bad accident and hit his head and then got on LSD in high school. That was the end. He went to selling dope. He went crazy." Though he hasn't spoken to his son for 20 years because they "didn't get along" and has never been to the home where his son is accused of holding Dugard, Manuel Garrido said he wasn't surprised to hear about accusations. "I wasn't surprised because I know he's out of his head for God's sakes," he said. "He was an angel when he was young and it's a damn shame." Phillip Garrido's father also said his son believes "he talks to God and he can do things." And Garrido apparently maintained a blog where he discussed talking to God and also claimed he could control sound with his mind. Watch more about the blog » The blog now has profanity-laced responses from people outraged over Phillip Garrido's alleged actions. Garrido's blog entries are posted by "THEMANWHOSPOKEWITHHISMIND." He refers to "God's Desire," which is a church based out of his home in Antioch, according to CNN affiliate KCRA of Sacramento. In a post on August 14, he writes that during a "powerful demonstration" in July in Pittsburg, California, "the Creator has given me the ability to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world." "You too can witness what the world believe's [sic] is impossible to produce!" he writes, providing an e-mail address. "DON'T MISS OUT!" Several news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported on the blog since the case | [
"What did officials say?",
"What did the man maintain?",
"When did Garrido and his wife Nancy meet?",
"What was Garrido convicted of?",
"What was Phillip Garrido convicted of?",
"When is Garrido accused of abducting the girl?",
"what kind of person was this man"
] | [
[
"Garrido"
],
[
"a blog"
],
[
"while he was in a federal prison serving time for"
],
[
"kidnapping and rape"
],
[
"charges of kidnapping and rape"
],
[
"1991"
],
[
"a registered sex offender"
]
] | Phillip Garrido was convicted of abducting woman, keeping her in storage unit .
Officials: Garrido and his wife Nancy met while he was in federal prison .
Phillip Garrido's dad not surprised about charges: "He's out of his head"
Man accused of abducting girl, 11, in 1991 apparently maintained blog . |
(CNN) -- Phillip Garrido was registered as a sex offender, regularly visited by parole officers and fitted with an ankle bracelet to track his movements -- but nothing prevented him from being around children, according to a victims' advocacy group. Phillip Garrido, a registered sex offender, was arraigned in California on Friday. Garrido is charged with kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991, when she was 11, and raping her over the course of years. Police say Dugard lived in a huddle of tents and outbuildings hidden behind Garrido's home, and gave birth to two daughters, now 11 and 15, fathered by Garrido. Garrido and his wife Nancy were arrested last week. Both have pleaded not guilty. "Here we have a guy who is essentially under every kind of supervision we allow. Law enforcement had every tool available to them, and [the tools] failed," said Robert Coombs, spokesman for the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Gordon Hinkle, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said a parole officer visited Garrido at his home, sometimes unannounced, twice a month. Garrido was also required to go to the agent's office once or twice a month, Hinkle said. Garrido wore a GPS anklet, and his movements were tracked passively, Hinkle said, meaning parole officers checked his location after the fact, as opposed to active monitoring, which involves watching parolees' comings and goings in real time. Despite the tight supervision, Garrido "was technically allowed to be around minors," Coombs said, because his parole stemmed from the November 1976 rape of Katie Callaway Hall, who was 25 at the time of the assault. He was sentenced in 1977 to 50 years at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, for kidnapping, because he abducted Hall in California and transported her across the state line to Reno, Nevada, where he raped her in a warehouse, according to court documents. A Nevada court separately sentenced him to five years to life for the rape conviction, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. While in prison in 1978, Garrido sent a handwritten letter to Judge Bruce R. Thompson, saying he was recovering from seven years of LSD use and progressing well. "I am so ashamed of my past. But my future is now in controle [sic]," he wrote. Court documents show Garrido requested that his 50-year sentence be reduced to 25, making him eligible for parole in eight years, "where he could be released to the state of Nevada as an educated person and being a rehabilitated person." According to a 1978 court transcript, attorney Willard Van Hazel Jr. told a judge, "Without the influence of any of this drug involvement, I think Mr. Garrido would pause before carrying out sexual fantasies." After more than a decade at Leavenworth, Garrido received a federal parole but was sent to Carson City, Nevada, in January 1988 to serve his rape sentence. However, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal, he was automatically eligible for state parole because of the time served in federal prison. The Nevada Offender Tracking Information System indicates he appeared four times before the parole board, which granted his request in August 1988, about 11 years after he was incarcerated. He moved to Antioch, California. Three years later, 11-year-old Dugard was abducted from her home in South Lake Tahoe, California, about 100 miles northeast. "He served about 20 percent of his sentence, and it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out if he served only one-third of his sentence, Jaycee Dugard doesn't end up in the predicament that she's in," said Andy Kahan, a crime victims' advocate in Houston, Texas. Citing revised federal sentencing guidelines, Kahan and Illinois defense attorney Stephen Komie concur that this is not something that could happen today. "If he got 50 years, say, he would have 600 months. He would only get 50 months off. He would do 550 months," Komie said. "So this would not be repeated in the | [
"What person was released early from prison?",
"Who was released from prison early?",
"What did Garrido have under control?"
] | [
[
"Phillip Garrido,"
],
[
"Phillip Garrido,"
],
[
"my future is now in controle"
]
] | NEW: Parole officer may have seen "false backyard," suspected nothing, official says .
NEW: Spokesman: Deputy didn't call parole officer after 911 calls about Garrido .
Garrido was released from prison early after saying he had drug use under control .
Garrido likely became lower priority as time since his crimes passed, expert says . |
(CNN) -- Phillip Garrido, who is accused of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old and then holding her captive for 18 years, apologized in a jailhouse letter sent to a television station, the California station said Thursday.
But prosecutors responded, saying Garrido was attempting to manipulate public perceptions of the case.
In the handwritten letter this week to CNN affiliate KCRA, Garrido seemed to address the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard.
"First off I want to apologize to every human being for what has taken place," KCRA said the letter states.
The second sentence of the letter appeared to refer to what Garrido has described as a religious transformation that cured him of his sexual deviancy.
It says: "People all over the world are hearing testimony that through the spirit of Christ a mental process took place ending a sexual problem believed to be impossible."
Prosecutors charged that Garrido was being manipulative -- and not for the first time.
"It appears once again that Mr. Garrido seeks leniency due to claims of religious transformation and alleged personal change," retorted a statement released by the El Dorado County district attorney's office.
"Our office fully intends to hold Mr. Garrido legally accountable for his actions and see that he is punished to the full extent of the law," the statement said, noting that the assertion was "eerily similar to what Mr. Garrido told the judge who sentenced him in 1977 and the parole board when he duped them into releasing him from prison after serving only 11 years of a 50-year federal sentence ... "
Garrido's letter, which is the third sent to KCRA, also addressed other issues, but the station declined to release more details.
"We are not releasing the entire letter at this time based on consultations with our attorneys," said Anzio Williams, news director at KCRA. "We will tell the story and reference the letter."
Read earlier letter from Garrido to KCRA (PDF)
Garrido and his wife, Nancy, face multiple felony charges in the 1991 kidnapping of Dugard from South Lake Tahoe, California.
Authorities say he and his wife held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home in Antioch, California, for 18 years. The Garridos have pleaded not guilty.
Dugard now lives in seclusion with her mother, Terry Probyn, and Dugard's two daughters, who police say were fathered by Garrido.
In September, an attorney for Dugard's family said it had been a difficult transition for her and her daughters, who are now 11 and 15, given that her captivity spanned more than half her life and was the only world she knew for so long.
"But there is no question that she knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her and that those people must be held accountable," McGregor Scott said.
Dugard will testify against the Garridos, Scott said. He also acknowledged that Dugard would have to relive the trauma in court by sharing the "very, very sordid tale." | [
"Where was Garrido's letter sent?",
"What are Garrido and his wife being accused of?",
"Who wrote an apology jailhouse letter?"
] | [
[
"a television station,"
],
[
"raping an 11-year-old"
],
[
"Garrido,"
]
] | NEW: Prosecutor disputes Phillip Garrido's jailhouse apology letter .
Garrido's letter sent to TV station claims religion cured him of sexual deviancy .
Garrido and wife are accused of kidnapping, raping Jaycee Dugard .
Dugard now lives with mother, two daughters who police say were fathered by Garrido . |
(CNN) -- Pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins have been published for the first time after a magazine bidding war which news agencies claim topped $14 million. Hola! magazine, the Spanish sister publication to Hello!, has also published images of the Jolie-Pitt twins. Hello! magazine, which won international rights to the images, and People magazine, which took U.S. rights, published the photographs in their latest editions, which hit newsstands Monday. The two publications, which have previously secured image rights to the couple's elder children, are believed to have shared the costs, The Associated Press reported over the weekend. The agency quoted an unnamed source, not authorized to speak about the deal, as saying the pictures had fetched $14 million. The images show the couple, newborns Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline and the rest of the Jolie-Pitt family -- Maddox, 7, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, 2. The twins were born by Cesarian section at the Lenval hospital in the French Riviera resort of Nice on July 12. Hello! magazine, which heralds its coverage as the "biggest exclusive of the year," devotes 17 pages of coverage to the twins' arrival. In an interview published in the magazine, Jolie says: "Wanting a big family is one of the things that brought Brad and I together." Pitt adds: "When Ange and I were told we were having twins we burst into hysterics... We didn't see this one coming." Watch why the photos went for so much money » Larry Hackett, the managing editor of People said that it was "thrilled" to have carried the images. People, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner. Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images, which organized the photo shoot, said that all the proceeds would go toward the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which earlier this year donated $1 million to help children in Iraq. | [
"what did the magazine publish?",
"What do the magazines publish images of?",
"When were they born?",
"what the amount of bid by Hello?",
"what are their names",
"when did twins birth",
"who has twins?",
"Whose images were published?",
"The $14M was a joint bid by which magazines?",
"when was vivienne Marcheline and Know leon born?",
"What was the joint bid?"
] | [
[
"Pictures"
],
[
"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins"
],
[
"July 12."
],
[
"$14 million."
],
[
"Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline"
],
[
"July 12."
],
[
"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's"
],
[
"Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins"
],
[
"Hello!"
],
[
"July 12."
],
[
"$14 million."
]
] | Magazines publish images of Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt twins for the first time .
AP: Rights to images secured after $14M joint bid by Hello! and People magazines .
Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon born July 12 in Nice, southern France . |
(CNN) -- Pig farmers threw rocks at police officers in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday as health workers gathered the farmers' herds for slaughter in what the government says is a precaution against the spread of swine flu, an interior ministry official told CNN. The Egyptian government required all pigs in the country be killed, citing a need to prevent the spread of swine flu. Brig. Gen. Hani Abdel-Latif said 50 to 60 protesters gathered in Cairo's Manshiyet Naser slum because they were upset with the health ministry's decision to slaughter all pigs in the country. But local media reported the number of farmers clashing with police on Sunday was in the hundreds. Experts have criticized the Egyptian government's move, announced last week, to slaughter all pigs regardless of whether they are infected. There have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Egypt. And according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans cannot get the swine flu virus, known to scientists as the H1N1 virus, by eating pork. The CDC says human infection from pigs most likely occurs when people are in close proximity to sick animals, such as in pig barns. But Egyptian officials cite how avian flu still exists in the country because, they say, the government did not take sufficient protective measures when that disease was first discovered there in 2006. Most Egyptian pig farmers are Coptic Christians, a group that makes up about 10 percent of the 80 million people in the mostly Muslim nation. Coptic Christians do not observe the Muslim ban on eating pork, and historically they have coexisted peacefully with the Muslim majority in Egypt. The farmers also work in the garbage industry and use their daily collections to feed their herds, which number about 300,000 animals in the country. With the government-mandated slaughter under way, Egypt's Health Ministry declared Saturday that "Egypt is free of the swine flu." Dr. Hamid Samaha, head of the country's Public Institute for Veterinary Services, said that starting Sunday the government will compensate pig farmers by paying as much as $45 for a disease-free pig and about $5 for diseased ones. The health ministry told CNN its workers are freezing all the disease-free meat and plan to give it back to its owners once the ban on pigs is lifted. But according to Egypt's state-run al-Akhbar newspaper, ministry sources said the country does not have enough facilities to store the frozen meat. Ministry spokesman Dr. Abdel-Rahman Shaheen said the government will open two new slaughterhouses in two provinces near Cairo, al-Alioubiya and al-Giza. Shaheen also announced Saturday that the ministry has enlisted 100 additional doctors and nurses to help in health quarantines at Cairo Airport, where travelers are being questioned if they have been to Mexico recently. And more are expected to be hired to help at Alexandra's main seaport, where the government declared a state of emergency last week. CNN's Housam Ahmed in Cairo contributed to this report. | [
"What animals were taken to slaughter?",
"when did thsi happen?",
"What country mandated the slaughter of pigs?",
"Who clashed with the police?",
"There have been no confirmed cases of what in Egypt?",
"Have there been any confirmed cases of swine flu in Egypt?",
"Which grouping clashed with police in Cairo",
"How many cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Eqypt",
"Are there any confirmed cases of swine flu in Egypt?",
"What did Egypt mandate?",
"What did Cairo farmers do?",
"Where have there been no confirmed cases?",
"For what reason where the pigs put to slaughter",
"Who clashed with police?"
] | [
[
"pigs"
],
[
"on Sunday"
],
[
"Egypt,"
],
[
"farmers"
],
[
"swine flu,"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"farmers"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"The Egyptian government required all pigs in the country be killed,"
],
[
"threw rocks at police officers"
],
[
"Egypt."
],
[
"precaution against the spread of swine flu,"
],
[
"farmers"
]
] | Farmers in Cairo clash with police as health officials take pigs to slaughter .
Egypt mandated slaughter of pigs in country over news of swine flu .
There have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in Egypt . |
(CNN) -- Pilots were warned of potential danger at least eight times in about 30 seconds before a Polish jet crashed in Russia in April, killing President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others.
A transcript that the Polish government released Tuesday shows that an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times before the Tupolev-154 crashed in western Russia.
"Pull up. Pull up," a warning system advised pilots. "Terrain ahead. Terrain ahead."
The April 10 crash killed Kaczynski, his wife, top Polish military officials, the head of Poland's national bank and other dignitaries.
The president had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn. Some 20,000 Polish officers were executed there during World War II. | [
"When was the crash that killed the Polish President?",
"What president was killed in the crash?",
"Where is the delegation headed to?",
"On what day did the crash occur?",
"When did the plane crash?",
"People on the crashed plane were heading were?",
"Who was warned of danger?",
"What does the transcript show?",
"What did the transcript show?"
] | [
[
"April,"
],
[
"Lech Kaczynski"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"The April 10"
],
[
"April,"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"Pilots"
],
[
"an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times before the Tupolev-154 crashed in western Russia."
],
[
"an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times"
]
] | Transcript shows pilots warned of danger several times in seconds before crash .
April 10 crash killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others .
Delegation headed to Russia for 70th anniversary of massacre of Polish prisoners of war in World War II . |
(CNN) -- Piracy is expected to pick up in the high seas off Somalia after a lull caused by monsoon season, maritime officials warned Monday. Suspected Somali pirates sit behind bars during the first hearing in their trial at Aden port court on July 15. The Combined Maritime Forces urged crews to take up safety measures, including using recognized transit corridors in the Gulf of Aden and reporting to the European Union's security center before transit. "The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever," said Rear Admiral Caner Bener of the Combined Task Force. International forces made up of more than 30 ships and aircraft from 16 nations will continue patrolling the waters to help fight pirates, according to officials. "While our ability to deter and disrupt attacks has improved over time, we are constantly adapting the way we do our business as the pirates adapt and modify their tactics," Bener said. The waters off Somalia are rife with pirate activity, despite increased measures by military forces and shipping companies to ward off attacks. Heavily armed pirates have struck the busy Indian Ocean shipping lanes and the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. They have captured dozens of vessels and hundreds of hostages, making off with millions of dollars in ransom. It was unclear whether a ransom was paid. The Gulf of Aden, off northern Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. | [
"Where is the Gulf of Aden?",
"Where is the Gulf of Aden located?",
"Where is the Gulf Of Aden?",
"What is the Gulf of Aden known for?",
"Which area has the highest risk of piracy?",
"Where has the highest risk of piracy in the world?",
"Where were the pirates from?"
] | [
[
"off northern Somalia,"
],
[
"off northern Somalia,"
],
[
"off northern Somalia,"
],
[
"the highest risk of piracy in the world."
],
[
"the high seas off Somalia"
],
[
"The Gulf of Aden, off northern Somalia,"
],
[
"Somalia"
]
] | Earlier this month Somali pirates release German ship held since May .
Its crew was unharmed, NATO says .
Gulf of Aden, off northern Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world . |
(CNN) -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia has more than doubled this year, threatening to make international trade more expensive and offering terrorists a new source of income, says a report released Wednesday. A photo from the destroyer USS Howard shows Somali pirates in small boats hijacking the MV Faina last week. As of late September, 60 ships had been attacked in 2008, said the report by Chatham House, a London-based institute that analyzes international issues. The report comes amid a standoff between officials and pirates demanding a $20 million ransom for the release of a Ukrainian ship captured off the coast of Somalia last week. Money from the $18 million to $30 million in ransoms paid this year is helping finance the war in Somalia, the report says. One of the groups reportedly receiving ransom money is Al-Shabaab, which the United States listed as a terrorist organization this year. Asked to rank the problem on a scale of one to 10, report author Roger Middleton said it's middle range but could quickly deteriorate. "At the moment, it's a five-six problem with the potential to be seven or eight," Middleton said. "You're looking at a nine, 10 if it starts to be co-opted by international terror organizations." About 16,000 ships a year navigate the Gulf of Aden, which, as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, is one of the most important trade routes in the world. The ships mostly transport oil from the Middle East and goods from Asia to Europe and North America. Having to change routes would add weeks of travel time and increase fuel consumption, driving up the cost of shipping. Insurance premiums for the Gulf of Aden have already increased tenfold, says the report, "Piracy in Somalia: Threatening global trade, feeding local wars." Additionally, pirates are hampering relief efforts in Somalia. "As a result of piracy," the report says, "the World Food Programme has been forced to temporarily suspend food deliveries to drought-stricken Somalia. Canada is now escorting WFP deliveries but there are no plans in place to replace their escort when it ends later this year." Somalia's ambassador to Russia made the same point Wednesday. "This has been a great problem for the Somalian government," Ambassador Mohamed Handule said. "This hinders humanitarian aid a lot. The Somalian people are not getting it." Middleton noted that French officials are talking about offering a U.N. Security Council resolution to increase international presence in the area. "This new move by the European Union to put more ships into the Gulf of Aden could be quite positive," he said. "Some form of U.N.-sponsored coast guard might start to chip away at this. ... If America, Europe and Russia cooperate, it can be made much safer." He noted that France, Denmark, Netherlands and Canada offered escorts for World Food Programme ships that had been unable to enter Somali ports this year. "A more general approach has focused on Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), a coalition naval task force covering the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Indian Ocean," the report states. "CTF 150's primary responsibility is to assist in the 'war on terror,' so piracy is lower on its list of priorities. However, some of the roughly 15 ships making up CTF150 have been involved in deterring pirate attacks." In addition, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1816 on June 2, giving foreign warships the right to enter Somali waters "for the purposes of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea" by "all necessary means." But none of these measures has stemmed the problem. "Piracy has been a problem in Somali waters for at least 10 years. However, the number of attempted and successful attacks has risen over the last three years," Middleton's report says. "With little functioning government, long, isolated, sandy beaches and a population that is both desperate and used | [
"When did the attacks take place?",
"Where was a Ukrainian ship captured?",
"What kind of pirates?"
] | [
[
"last week."
],
[
"off the coast of Somalia"
],
[
"Somali"
]
] | Sixty ships had been attacked by pirates in 2008, according to institute report .
Pirates want $20 million to release Ukrainian ship captured off Somalia .
Institute says piracy has halted flow of much-needed food into Somalia . |
(CNN) -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia rose nearly 200 percent in 2008 compared to the year before, with bolder attacks over greater distances, an international piracy monitor said Friday. The French military on patrol in the Gulf of Aden. Somalia and the Gulf of Aden were the worst areas for piracy in 2008, according to the annual report from International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center (PRC). It said 42 vessels were hijacked there and 815 crew members taken hostage -- more than any place else in the world. The increased ability of pirates to sail farther out to sea, coupled with the inability of the Somali government to respond, led to what the report called an "unprecedented" rise in piracy in the area. The problems off the Somali coast contributed to a global rise in piracy, which was up 11 percent in 2008 from the year before, the report said. "The 2008 statistics surpass all figures recorded by the PRC since it began its worldwide reporting function in 1991," said IMB Director Captain Pottengal Mukundan. Worldwide in 2008, a total of 49 vessels were hijacked and 889 crew members taken hostage, the report said. Eleven crew members were killed and 21 others are missing and presumed dead. The pirates are targeting every kind of vessel and are better armed and prepared to assault and injure the crew, the report said. Incidents involving guns nearly doubled from 72 in 2007 to 139 last year. Pirate attacks last year included the hijacking of the largest ship ever taken by pirates, an oil supertanker called the Sirius Star. Attackers seized the giant ship and its 23-man crew in November and only released it last week after receiving a $3.5 million ransom payment. The carrier's crew was released unharmed. Last year's uptick in hijackings off East Africa has already spurred a number of international navies to patrol the Gulf of Aden. Mukundan said he hoped that more governments would authorize their naval forces to patrol the region. "International navies are the only ones capable of effective response against piracy in the region and can help to secure the safety and security of this major maritime trade route," Mukundan said. Nigeria ranks second in world piracy with 40 reported incidents last year, including five hijackings and 39 crew members kidnapped. The main difference between the East and West African pirate activities is that almost all the incidents in Nigeria are conducted within its territorial waters, whereas most of the incidents along the East coast of Africa and the Gulf of Aden occur on the high seas, the report said. That means vessels in the Gulf area have a much harder time staying away from pirate-infested waters. The motives for the attacks are also different. In Somalia the motives are financial while in Nigeria they are at least partly political, the report said. Under-reporting of piracy in Nigerian waters is also a problem for the International Maritime Bureau, the report said. While 2008 appeared to be a bad year for piracy, the report noted declines in other areas of the world, especially in Indonesia. Mukundan said sustained anti-piracy efforts by Indonesian authorities have resulted in declines every year. More than 121 attacks were reported there in 2003 but only 28 were reported last year, most of which were opportunistic, low-level attacks, Mukundan said. Only two attacks happened last year in the Malacca Straits, which lie between Indonesia and Malaysia, compared to seven the year before, the report said. Farther south, the Singapore Straits saw a slight rise in incidents, going from three to six, the report said. "This welcome reduction has been the cumulative result of increased vigilance and patrolling by the littoral states and the continued precautionary measures on board ships," the report said. "With the world economy in its present uncertain condition, there is a possibility of piracy increasing. Navies and coast guards must continue therefore to maintain their efforts against pirates." | [
"What place is the worst for piracy?",
"Which area was confirmed as worst for piracy?",
"What did the Piracy Reporting Center say?",
"How many hijackings were in the region?",
"Who is capable of an effective response?",
"How many hijackings occurred there in 2008?",
"What did the PRC say was the only ones capable of effective response?",
"What was confirmed as the worse area for piracy in 2008?",
"What groups are the only ones capable of an effective response?"
] | [
[
"Somalia and the Gulf of Aden"
],
[
"Somalia and the Gulf of Aden"
],
[
"in 2008,"
],
[
"42"
],
[
"\"International navies"
],
[
"42 vessels were hijacked"
],
[
"\"International navies"
],
[
"Somalia and the Gulf of Aden"
],
[
"\"International navies"
]
] | Somalia, Gulf of Aden confirmed as worst area for piracy in 2008 .
42 of 49 hijackings in 2008 were in the region, says Piracy Reporting Center .
PRC says international navies are the only ones capable of effective response . |
(CNN) -- Pirates attacked a Japanese cargo ship off the coast of Somalia on Sunday, a Japanese Transportation Ministry official said. A french navy helicopter watches over a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden earlier this year. A pair of small pirate vessels fired on a ship operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines about 4 p.m. Somali time (9 a.m. ET), damaging the front of the ship, but not seriously, according to Masami Suekado. There were no injuries. The exact number and makeup of the crew were not immediately known, although none of the crew members is Japanese, Suekado said. Pirating off Somalia has increase over the past four or five years as fishermen from Somalia realize that pirating is more lucrative. The crime, which is hard to prevent, has raised concerns internationally. In 2008, pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau. In response, a number of countries have deployed ships from their navies to the region, including the United States, China and Japan. Two Japanese destroyers set sail earlier this month on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, the Japanese defense ministry said. | [
"how many vessels were attacked in 2008",
"who did they fire on",
"were there any injuries",
"what did pirates attack",
"when was the vessel hijacked",
"The ship got damaged how?",
"who attacked the japanese cargo ship"
] | [
[
"100"
],
[
"Japanese cargo ship"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"a Japanese cargo ship"
],
[
"Sunday,"
],
[
"pair of small pirate vessels fired on a"
],
[
"Pirates"
]
] | Pirates attack Japanese cargo ship off the coast of Somalia .
A pair of small pirate vessels fire on ship operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines .
Front of ship damaged but not seriously; There are no injuries .
In 2008, pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 off Somalia . |
(CNN) -- Pirates captured a Belgian ship and said they were taking it to the coast of Somalia after the vessel was reported missing early Saturday, NATO and pirate sources told CNN. The Dutch frigate De Zeven Provincien tracked seven pirates Saturday back to their mother ship. The Pompei, a Belgian-registered ship believed to have a mostly Belgian and Croatian crew, was one of two vessels that came under attack near the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles on Saturday, the sources said. The second ship escaped the attack after a brief exchange of gunfire with pirate vessels, the pirate source added. Meanwhile, Dutch naval forces captured seven pirates and freed 20 captive fishermen after tracking the pirates to their "mother ship" in the western Gulf of Aden on Saturday, a NATO maritime spokesman said. The Belgian government tried to communicate with the Pompei "without success" before the ship was confirmed to have been hijacked, according to an official. See an interactive map of 2009 pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa » "This morning we received two different channels, a silent alert, that there was a problem on the boat, which is a Belgian boat on its way to Seychelles," Belgium Government Crisis Center spokesman Peter Martens told reporters. "We tried to have a contact with the ship but without success until now." The archipelago where the attack occurred is roughly 800 miles off the Somali coastline. "Somali pirates are getting wilder and out of control," pirate spokesman Ali Sugulle said on April 11. "They go too far away from the Somali [coast] and go to the Kenyan coast even." The European Union, NATO and the United States have been patrolling the waters off Somalia since an upsurge in piracy in the region last year. No NATO vessels were in the region at the time of the attack, said Cmdr. Chris Davies from NATO's Maritime Component Command Headquarters in Northwood, England. Meanwhile, the Dutch rescue operation happened after pirates launched an unsuccessful attack on petroleum tanker MT Handytankers Magic, NATO Cmdr. Chris Davies told CNN. The Dutch frigate De Zeven Provincien was with the NATO fleet patrolling the region. After the Dutch disarmed the pirates, they released them, Shona Lowe, a spokeswoman from the maritime headquarters, told CNN. Because the crew was on a NATO mission, they lacked the jurisdiction to hold them, according to reports. The MT Handytankers Magic is part of a fleet belonging to Handytankers, a company that distributes petroleum products in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the United States, according to the company's Web site. Last week pirates attacked a U.S.-flagged ship, the Maersk Alabama, off the Somali coast. The crew regained control of the ship but the captain was taken hostage and held for five days on a lifeboat. The crisis ended when U.S. Navy sharpshooters shot and killed three of the pirates who were holding the captain. Journalist Mohammed Amiin contributed to this report. | [
"Where was the attack?",
"What is the Belgian ship called?",
"What was the name of the attacked vessel?",
"Who caught the Pirates?",
"Who was captured?",
"where did the attack occur",
"How many captives were freed?",
"what did the dutch naval forces capture",
"Where were the island located?",
"How many vessels were attacked?"
] | [
[
"near the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles"
],
[
"The Pompei,"
],
[
"the Pompei"
],
[
"Dutch naval forces"
],
[
"Belgian ship"
],
[
"Seychelles"
],
[
"20"
],
[
"seven pirates"
],
[
"Seychelles"
],
[
"two"
]
] | NEW: The Pompei, a Belgian-registered ship, was one of two vessels attacked .
NEW: Islands where attack occurred are roughly 800 miles off Somali coast .
Dutch naval forces captured seven pirates and freed 20 captive fishermen .
Pirates were disarmed and freed because crew lacked jurisdiction to hold them . |
(CNN) -- Pirates have hijacked two European-owned chemical tankers off the coast of Somalia in the past 24 hours, the European Union Maritime Security Center said Thursday. The 23,000-ton Norwegian-owned and Bahamian-registered M/V Bow-Asir was captured 250 miles east of the southern Somali city Kismayo on Thursday morning, the security center said in a release. The M/V Nipayia, a 9,000-ton Greek-owned and Panamanian-registered vessel with 19 crew members, was attacked approximately 450 miles east of Kismayo on Wednesday afternoon, the security center said. Officials have issued an alert site notifying all vessels in the area to be aware of the increase in pirate activity. | [
"Who hijacked two European-owned chemical tankers?",
"How much does the M/V Nipayia weigh?",
"How much did the ship weigh?",
"What other vessel was taken?",
"How much did the Greek ship weigh?",
"What did the pirates hijack?",
"What was captured?",
"What was the size of the tanker hijacked?"
] | [
[
"Pirates"
],
[
"9,000-ton"
],
[
"23,000-ton"
],
[
"M/V Bow-Asir"
],
[
"9,000-ton"
],
[
"two European-owned chemical tankers"
],
[
"two European-owned chemical tankers"
],
[
"23,000-ton"
]
] | Pirates hijack two European-owned chemical tankers off the coast of Somalia .
23,000-ton Norwegian-owned M/V Bow-Asir captured .
M/V Nipayia, a 9,000-ton Greek-owned vessel also seized . |
(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a British-owned bulk carrier Saturday in the Indian Ocean, but NATO forces stopped an attack on another vessel in the Gulf of Aden hours earlier, NATO maritime authorities said. 11 pirates are arrested by Yemeni security forces in an operation last month. The UK cargo ship, the MV Ariana, was carrying 35,000 tons of soya about 250 nautical miles (287 miles) northwest of the Seychelles when it was seized around dawn. The crew members are Ukrainians and they are not believed to harmed, NATO said. It is unclear how many crew members were aboard the vessel and how it came to be attacked. NATO said it was unaware of ransom demands or any threats against those aboard. NATO said a European Union Protection Aircraft has been deployed to monitor and track the MV Ariana, which is making its way toward Somalia -- the epicenter of the pirate industry. The Seychelles is a republic consisting of a group of islands off East Africa. On Friday evening, a NATO operation conducted by a Portuguese warship disrupted a pirate attack on a Bahamas oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker, the MV Kition, broadcast an emergency alert when a pirate-filled skiff approached. NRP Corte-Real, the closest NATO ship, and its helicopter responded and intercepted the pirates. Portuguese Navy special forces boarded a pirate mother-ship. They found and destroyed four AK-47s, a rocket-propelled grenade and four explosives. They seized 19 suspected Somali pirates but released them after consulting with Portuguese national authorities. Piracy has been soaring off the coast of eastern Africa -- particularly Somalia, which has not had an effective government since 1991. Somali pirates have defied foreign navies patrolling the waters and have collected large ransoms from shipping companies. Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. Journalist Ashleigh Nghiem contributed to this report. | [
"Somalia has not had a stable government since when?",
"Where do NATO forces stop an attack?",
"When did Somalia have a stable government?",
"Who stopped them?",
"Who stopped the attack on another vessel?",
"Who hijacked the ship?",
"Pirates hijacked what in the article?",
"Which country owns the bulk carrier?"
] | [
[
"1991."
],
[
"Gulf of Aden"
],
[
"1991."
],
[
"NATO forces"
],
[
"NATO forces"
],
[
"Pirates"
],
[
"a British-owned bulk carrier"
],
[
"British-owned"
]
] | Pirates hijack British-owned bulk carrier in Indian Ocean .
NATO forces stop attack on another vessel in Gulf of Aden hours earlier .
Piracy is a major problem in the waters off Somalia .
Somalia has not had a stable government in place since 1991 . |
(CNN) -- Pirates off Somalia have hijacked two more vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the European Union naval force said Saturday -- the third and fourth vessels they have captured this week.
The British-flagged Asian Glory was seized off Somalia late Friday, the naval force said. The nationality of the pirates was unclear, because the hijacking happened outside of the force's operations area, it said.
The British Foreign Office would not confirm the hijacking, but said no British nationals were aboard.
Also Friday, Somali pirates seized the Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker M/V Pramoni, also in the Gulf of Aden, the naval force said. The 20,000-ton chemical tanker was carrying a crew of 24 and was heading to Kandla, India, when attacked, the naval force said.
The crew consists of 17 Indonesians, five Chinese, one Nigerian and one Vietnamese, the naval force said. The ship's master reported all the crew were well after the hijacking, the naval force said.
The ship was heading toward Somalia after the hijacking, the naval force said.
The Asian Glory is owned by London-based Zodiac Maritime Agencies, according to Lloyd's Register of Ships. Zodiac also owns another vessel that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, the British-flagged chemical tanker St. James Park, according to the company's Web site.
The St. James Park has a crew of 26, consisting of Bulgarians, Filipinos, Georgians, Indians, Poles, Romanians, Russians, Turks and Ukrainians, the EU naval force said.
The vessel had arrived at the Somali port of Hobyo, a pirate stronghold, the naval force said Saturday.
Monday, pirates also hijacked the Greek-owned carrier Navios Apollon, the naval force said.
It had been heading for Thailand, but was on its way to the Somali coast after the hijacking, it said.
CNN's Per Nyberg in London, England, contributed to this report. | [
"How many British Nationals were aboard?",
"what says uk foregin office",
"What kind of flag is on the Asian Glory?",
"name of chemical tanker",
"Who seized the chemical tanker?",
"Who seized Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker?",
"Who owned one of the other two vessels?"
] | [
[
"no"
],
[
"no British nationals were aboard."
],
[
"British-flagged"
],
[
"M/V Pramoni,"
],
[
"Somali pirates"
],
[
"Somali pirates"
],
[
"Zodiac Maritime Agencies,"
]
] | UK Foreign Office: No British nationals aboard British-flagged Asian Glory .
Somali pirates seized Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker M/V Pramoni Friday .
Two other vessels -- one British-flagged, the other Greek-owned -- taken in past week . |
(CNN) -- Pirates seized control of a cargo vessel near the Seychelles Thursday, one of two attacks that took place within minutes of each other off the coast of east Africa, according to the European Union Naval Force. The International Maritime Bureau say attacks off the east coast of Africa have increased this year. The EU maritime patrol responded to the early morning attacks, along with the Seychelles Coast Guard. The crew of the Panama-flagged MV Al Khaliq said two pirates had boarded the vessel before communication was cut off with the crew. The EU force confirmed that six pirates have boarded the 180-meter long bulk carrier, with two attack skiffs in tow. They hoisted the "mother skiff" onto the vessel with a crane, the EU force said. A second attempted hijacking took place at approximately the same time, but the Italian-flagged cargo ship evaded the attack, the EU said. Armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, pirates opened fire on the MV Jolly Rosso about 460 miles (740 km) east of Mombasa, Kenya. A Belgium warship, part of the EU force, responded to the attack, which caused no casualties. The 200-meter MV Jolly Rosso continued its voyage. Pirate attacks off the coast of east Africa have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors. The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported on Wednesday. From January 1 until September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia. Out of those attacks, Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages. Eight others were wounded, four more killed and one is missing, the bureau said. On Monday, pirates hijacked a Chinese merchant ship and its 25-member crew about 630 miles (1,000 km) northeast of Seychelles. The pirates appeared to be heading toward Somalia, the European Union Naval Force said. China plans to make "every effort to rescue" the crew members, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu, told reporters. The bulk carrier De Xin Hai is one of four ships that Somali pirates are holding for ransom with 80 crew members as hostages, the International Maritime Bureau said Wednesday. Maritime authorities say two recent trends have led to a rise in piracy: access and opportunity. As global commerce picks up, more and more of the world's fuels, minerals and other crucial commodities travel by ship. Ninety-five percent of America's foreign trade, for instance, moves by water, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. That cargo is an easy target for robbers in countries that lack the resources to secure their shorelines, such as Somalia. Somalia's transitional government, which has a tenuous grip on power, has been unable to stop the pirates -- many of whom are based in the country's port cities. This has prompted Europe and other Western countries to step up maritime patrols. "In the Gulf of Aden, the number of attacks have gone up. But because of the presence of naval vessels, the success rate of the pirates have decreased," said Cyrus Mody, manager of the International Maritime Bureau. "The navies are responding very very effectively." Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms. Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. With the ransoms they collect, pirates can earn up to $40,000 a year, analysts say. That's a fortune for someone from an impoverished country. Some analysts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the piracies. "Yes, the ransoms have probably caused the | [
"who have taken control",
"What has happened to pirate attacks this year?",
"Where are security forces",
"what says EUNF",
"How many pirates boarded the carrier?",
"What have pirates taken control of?"
] | [
[
"Pirates"
],
[
"off the east coast of Africa have increased"
],
[
"Gulf of Aden,"
],
[
"The pirates appeared to be heading toward Somalia,"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"a cargo vessel"
]
] | Pirates have taken control of cargo vessel near the Seychelles off east cost of Africa .
European Union Naval Force say six pirates boarded 180-meter long carrier .
A second attempted hijacking took place at approximately the same time .
Pirate attacks off east African coast have increased this year . |
(CNN) -- Pitcher Derek Holland restricted St. Louis Cardinals to just two hits in eight and a third innings to help Texas Rangers record a 4-0 win Sunday night to level the World Series at 2-2.
The Cardinals had hit 16 runs in a comprehensive victory in game three on Saturday, with Dominican Albert Pujols smashing three home runs, but Holland was instrumental as the Rangers scored a shut-out success.
"Our pitcher was in complete control of the game," Rangers designated hitter Michael Young told Major League Baseball's (MLB) official website. "That was the story of the game.
"Every game in the postseason is huge -- every game is massive, and rightfully so -- but Derek pitched a great game tonight."
Young's view was echoed by the Cardinals' designated hitter, Lance Berkman, who conceded Holland had been the difference between the two teams.
"He was on," said Berkman, 35. "The story of the game, for me, is Derek Holland was better than the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. He just was. He was great."
The Rangers' manager Ron Washington was full of praise for the left-hander, saying the 25-year-old showed his game-winning quality.
"We needed him to go out there and pitch well and he did," Washington said. "He showed the world what he's capable of doing."
The Rangers' first run came at the bottom of the first, with Elvis Andrus running in from first base to score off the batting of Josh Hamilton.
The game's deciding moment came at the bottom of the sixth, when Mike Napoli went deep off pitcher Mitchell Boggs to score three for Texas and cement their winning lead.
The Rangers are searching for the first World Series triumph with Game Five in the best-of-seven series Monday night in Texas.
Game Six is at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium Wednesday. | [
"What was the score between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis CArdinals?",
"What is at Texas monday?",
"What was texas rangers record?",
"When is game five?",
"Who restricted the cardinals?"
] | [
[
"4-0"
],
[
"Game Five in the best-of-seven series"
],
[
"a 4-0 win"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"Derek Holland"
]
] | Texas Rangers record a 4-0 win over St. Louis Cardinals to level World Series 2-2 .
Pitcher Derek Holland restricts Cardinals to two hits in eight 1/3 innings .
Game Five of the best-seven-series is at Texas Monday . |
(CNN) -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Monday he won't appeal the six-game suspension imposed by the National Football League and apologized to his teammates and fans for a night out that left him under a Georgia prosecutor's microscope.
"Missing games will be devastating for me," Roethlisberger said in a statement issued through the team.
"I am sorry to let down my teammates and the entire Steelers fan base. I am disappointed that I have reached this point and will not put myself in this situation again."
Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to Super Bowl titles in 2006 and 2009, faced the threat of criminal charges after a woman accused him of raping her in a Milledgeville, Georgia, bar during a night of drinking in March.
The quarterback's lawyer said no sexual assault took place, and prosecutors decided earlier this month that they could not prove a crime had been committed.
But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell slapped the quarterback with a six-game suspension for "conduct detrimental to the NFL" last week, ordering him to undergo a "comprehensive behavioral evaluation by medical professionals," follow their recommendations and "avoid situations that can cause legal or other problems."
If Roethlisberger complies, the suspension could be cut to four games, or it could be extended if he doesn't, the league said.
In his statement, Roethlisberger said the suspension imposed last week "speaks clearly that more is expected of me," and he promised to "make the necessary improvements" in his behavior.
"Though I have committed no crime, I regret that I have fallen short of the values instilled in me by my family," he said. "I will not appeal the suspension and will comply with what is asked of me -- and more."
The 28-year-old quarterback owns a home at a lake near Milledgeville, Georgia, about 115 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Fred Bright, the district attorney in Milledgeville, told reporters at a news conference announcing the decision that Roethlisberger should "grow up." But he added, "We do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes." | [
"Who apologized to his teammates and fans?",
"Who won't appeal the six-game suspension?",
"Who is not pursuing charges, saying \"we do not prosecute morals.\"",
"What is the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback being accused of?",
"Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback?"
] | [
[
"Ben Roethlisberger"
],
[
"Ben Roethlisberger"
],
[
"Fred Bright,"
],
[
"raping"
],
[
"Ben Roethlisberger"
]
] | Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback won't appeal six-game suspension .
Ben Roethlisberger also apologizes to his teammates and his fans .
Woman had accused him of raping her in a Milledgeville, Georgia, bar .
DA on not pursuing charges: "We do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes." |
(CNN) -- Playboy magazine issued an apology Monday for the cover of its Mexican edition, which features an Argentine model in what many observers say is meant to be a depiction of the Virgin Mary. Playboy issued an apology after outrage erupted over this cover of the magazine's Mexican edition. Playboy Mexico has said the cover was not meant to portray the Virgin Mary, despite being printed just days before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- both Catholic holidays centering on the Virgin Mary. CNN's Rick Sanchez sat down with CNN Español's Glenda Umana and Father Albert Cutie, a Radio La Paz host, to discuss the reaction among Mexicans and Catholics. The transcript has been edited for clarity. Rick Sanchez: What is going on in Mexico and how big a deal is this? Watch the controversy over the Playboy cover » Glenda Umana: ... there has not been a lot of publicity. It's very interesting, but certainly it has been very, very offensive, not only for the Catholics in Mexico, but all Catholics worldwide. As we can see, this Mexican version of Playboy magazine shows the cover of a model as you were explaining -- María Florencia Onori from Argentina -- posing like the Virgin Mary. This was published last week on the exact date, Rick, when millions of Mexicans celebrate the festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Very important, not only for Mexicans but for all Latino-Americans. Sanchez: So the timing is interesting here. Let me read to the viewers, because we contacted the magazine... Umana: You have a reaction from them, right? Sanchez: We do. It's right here. This is from the publisher of the magazine, Raul Sayrols. He says, "The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe," -- which is the Virgin Mary -- "The intent was to portray a renaissance-like mood on the cover." Interesting. Let me bring in somebody for whom this hits home. He's one of the best known priests in the United States. His name is Father Cutie. I worked with him in Miami many times, has his own show -- actually he's got his own book out now. It's called "Real Life, Real Love." Bestseller, by the way. Father, are we as Catholics just too sensitive when it comes to this kind -- after all, it's a beautiful woman being shown to represent what is, in our minds, to all of us, a beautiful woman. Father Albert Cutie: Listen, there's no doubt that she's a beautiful woman. But a stained-glass window and the veil that looks like that, certainly there's a reference to Mary. Whoever tells you there isn't is simply being hypocritical or not very honest. And that's what I don't like about the statement from Playboy magazine. I think that they timed it not only with the Virgin of Guadalupe, as Glenda was saying, but also with the month of December. How many nativity scenes are out there this time of the year? How many times is Mary a central figure in this whole celebration? And this is offensive. This is very offensive. It's blasphemous. Sanchez: As a matter of fact, Father -- Cutie: It's wrong. Sanchez: Father, we got one statement from him. But let me read you the entire statement he had put out earlier in the day, "The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure." He goes on to say -- "or any other religious figure." Now, on its face, as you look at this picture, that looks like a bald-faced lie, doesn't it? Cutie: No, and not only that, this is someone who obviously has no scruples. And I'm not talking about the model -- whoever assigned this whole thing. First of all, we don't adore Mary; we adore God, only God | [
"What did Playboy say about the cover?",
"What magazine featured Onori on the cover?",
"Who was featured on the cover?",
"Which month hosts several religious holidays honoring the Virgin Mary?",
"Which model was featured on the cover of Playboy with the caption \"We adore you, Mary?\"",
"Which magazine caused controversy with the caption \"We adore you, Mary?\"",
"What is offensive to a billion Catholics?"
] | [
[
"was not meant to portray the Virgin Mary,"
],
[
"Playboy"
],
[
"María Florencia Onori from Argentina"
],
[
"December."
],
[
"María Florencia Onori"
],
[
"Playboy"
],
[
"depiction of the Virgin Mary."
]
] | Model María Florencia Onori featured on cover above caption, "We adore you, Mary"
December plays host to several religious holidays honoring Virgin Mary .
Priest: "It's totally offensive to a billion Catholics in the world"
Playboy says cover was never meant to portray any religious figure . |
(CNN) -- Police and FBI agents are investigating the discovery of an empty rocket launcher tube on the front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home, FBI spokesman Sean Quinn said.
Niranjan Desai discovered the 20-year-old AT4 anti-tank rocket launcher tube, a one-time-use device, lying on her lawn Friday morning, police said.
The launcher has been turned over to U.S. Army officials at the 754th Ordnance Company, an explosive ordnance disposal unit, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Army officials said.
The launcher "is no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety," police said, adding there was no indication the launcher had been fired recently.
Army officials said they could not determine if the launcher had been fired, but indicated they should know once they find out where it came from.
The nearest military base, Fort Dix, is more than 70 miles from Jersey City.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force division of the FBI and Jersey City police are investigating the origin of the rocket launcher and the circumstance that led to its appearance on residential property.
"Al Qaeda doesn't leave a rocket launcher on the lawn of middle-aged ladies," said Paul Cruickshank of New York University Law School's Center on Law and Security.
A neighbor, Joe Quinn, said the object lying on Desai's lawn looked military, was brown, had a handle and strap, and "both ends were open, like you could shoot something with it."
Quinn also said the device had a picture of a soldier on it and was 3 to 4 feet long.
An Army official said the device is basically a shoulder-fired, direct-fire weapon used against ground targets -- a modern-day bazooka -- and it is not wire-guided.
According to the Web site Globalsecurity.org, a loaded M136 AT4 anti-tank weapon has a 40-inch-long fiberglass-wrapped tube and weighs just 4 pounds. Its 84 millimeter shaped-charge missile can penetrate 14 inches of armor from a maximum of 985 feet. It is used once and discarded. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Carol Cratty, Dugald McConnell, and Mike Mount contributed to this report. | [
"Who said weapon not capable?",
"Who picked up the anti-tank weapons from New Jersey?",
"Where did the empty anti-tank weapon turn up?",
"What did experts say about the weapon?",
"What did the experts say?",
"What was handed to the army?",
"To which group was the device handed over to?",
"Is the weapon active?",
"Where did they fined the anti-tank weapons?",
"To whom was the device handed over to?",
"Where did the weapon turn up?",
"What kind of weapon was found in front of a New Jersey home?",
"What do experts say about the weapon?",
"What kind of device was found in front of a New Jersey home?",
"Can the weapon found be reloaded?",
"What did they do with the device?",
"Who checked the device",
"What turns up in front of New Jersey home?",
"Where did the weapons turn up?",
"Who took control of the device?",
"Was the weapon re-loadable?",
"Where was an empty nti-tank weapon found?",
"What happened in New Jersey?"
] | [
[
"police"
],
[
"U.S. Army officials"
],
[
"front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home,"
],
[
"\"is no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety,\""
],
[
"\"Al Qaeda doesn't leave a rocket launcher on the lawn of middle-aged ladies,\""
],
[
"20-year-old AT4 anti-tank rocket launcher tube,"
],
[
"U.S. Army officials"
],
[
"\"is no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety,\""
],
[
"front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home,"
],
[
"U.S. Army officials"
],
[
"on the"
],
[
"rocket launcher"
],
[
"they could not determine if the launcher had been fired, but indicated they should know once they find out where it came from."
],
[
"20-year-old AT4 anti-tank rocket launcher tube,"
],
[
"anti-tank rocket launcher tube, a one-time-use device,"
],
[
"The launcher has been turned over to U.S. Army officials at the 754th Ordnance Company,"
],
[
"U.S. Army officials at the 754th Ordnance Company,"
],
[
"20-year-old AT4 anti-tank rocket launcher tube,"
],
[
"front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home,"
],
[
"U.S. Army officials at the 754th Ordnance Company,"
],
[
"It is used once and discarded."
],
[
"front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home,"
],
[
"discovery of an empty rocket launcher tube"
]
] | Empty anti-tank weapon turns up in front of New Jersey home .
Device handed over to Army ordnance disposal unit .
Weapon not capable of being reloaded, experts say . |
(CNN) -- Police are examining grainy hotel surveillance video and following up on new leads, including a reported sighting, in the case of a 17-year-old girl who traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for spring break last week and then disappeared.
Brittanee Marie Drexel's mother says she thought her daughter was at a beach in New York, not South Carolina.
The possible sighting of Brittanee Drexel was on a bus Wednesday morning in the Myrtle Beach area, according to police, who later showed photos of her to passengers.
As investigators try to build a timeline of the events leading to Brittanee's disappearance Saturday night, they are also scrutinizing hotel security video for signs of a young woman in distress, or other clues.
Brittanee's mother, Dawn Drexel, told HLN's Nancy Grace that she had forbidden the Rochester, New York, high school junior from going to Myrtle Beach, a popular destination for high school and college students on spring break.
Although they stayed in touch by phone and spoke on Saturday, Drexel said she believed the girl was in Rochester when she actually was in Myrtle Beach.
"I didn't have any idea that she was going to do this," Drexel said. "I do trust my daughter, and she needed to cool down a little bit because she was upset that I wasn't going to let her go."
Drexel said her daughter rode there in a car with several friends. She thinks Brittanee used money she had earned and borrowed to finance her trip. | [
"What is the girl's name?",
"What did police do?",
"What did police show the bus passengers?",
"when Brittanee Drexel, 17, went to Myrtle Beach, S.C?",
"Who is Brittanee Drexel?",
"Where did Brittanee go without her mothers permission?"
] | [
[
"Brittanee Drexel"
],
[
"examining grainy hotel surveillance video"
],
[
"photos of her"
],
[
"last week"
],
[
"17-year-old girl"
],
[
"Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,"
]
] | Police show girl's photo to bus passengers after reported sighting .
Brittanee Drexel, 17, went to Myrtle Beach, S.C., without mother's permission .
Rochester, N.Y., high school junior last seen on Saturday night . |
(CNN) -- Police are examining grainy hotel surveillance video and following up on new leads, including a reported sighting, in the case of a 17-year-old girl who traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for spring break last week and then disappeared. Brittanee Marie Drexel's mother says she thought her daughter was at a beach in New York, not South Carolina. The possible sighting of Brittanee Drexel was on a bus Wednesday morning in the Myrtle Beach area, according to police, who later showed photos of her to passengers. As investigators try to build a timeline of the events leading to Brittanee's disappearance Saturday night, they are also scrutinizing hotel security video for signs of a young woman in distress, or other clues. Brittanee's mother, Dawn Drexel, told HLN's Nancy Grace that she had forbidden the Rochester, New York, high school junior from going to Myrtle Beach, a popular destination for high school and college students on spring break. Although they stayed in touch by phone and spoke on Saturday, Drexel said she believed the girl was in Rochester when she actually was in Myrtle Beach. "I didn't have any idea that she was going to do this," Drexel said. "I do trust my daughter, and she needed to cool down a little bit because she was upset that I wasn't going to let her go." Drexel said her daughter rode there in a car with several friends. She thinks Brittanee used money she had earned and borrowed to finance her trip. | [
"whose photo was shown",
"when was she last seen alive",
"who did police show the photo to",
"What is Myrtle Beach known for?",
"where was she last seen",
"where did drexel go"
] | [
[
"Brittanee Drexel"
],
[
"Wednesday morning"
],
[
"passengers."
],
[
"high school and college students on spring break."
],
[
"Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,"
],
[
"Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,"
]
] | Police show girl's photo to bus passengers after reported sighting .
Brittanee Drexel, 17, went to Myrtle Beach, S.C., without mother's permission .
Rochester, N.Y., high school junior last seen on Saturday night . |
(CNN) -- Police are searching for any other alleged victims of a Sunday school teacher accused of raping and killing an 8-year-old girl from Tracy, California. Melissa Huckaby is charged with killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was a friend of her own daughter. "We are asking the public if they have any indication that any of their children may have had inappropriate contact with [the suspect] to contact us," Tracy Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said Tuesday evening. "There has been no indication that this has happened. But she is a Sunday school teacher and did have contact with children, so that is why we are asking." Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested and charged with killing and raping 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, a friend of her 5-year-old daughter. Huckaby, wearing red jail scrubs over a white T-shirt, was in court Tuesday for an arraignment. She was charged with murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14 and rape by instrument. If convicted, Huckaby would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, San Joaquin County District Attorney James Willett told reporters after the hearing. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made later, he said. Huckaby did not enter a plea or speak during the court hearing, although she flinched when Sandra Cantu's name was spoken, and she cried at times. Sandra's body was found April 6, stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a dairy farm. Huckaby was arrested Friday night after questioning by police. Sandra was last seen alive March 27 in the mobile home park where she lived with her family -- the same mobile home park where Huckaby lives with her daughter. The two children were close friends and played together frequently, police said. Huckaby is the granddaughter of Clifford Lane Lawless, pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church near the mobile home park, and she taught Sunday school at the church, police have said. The church was searched as part of the investigation into Sandra's disappearance and death. Before her arrest, Huckaby acknowledged to a newspaper reporter that she owned the suitcase that contained Sandra's body. But Huckaby said the suitcase had been stolen. Willett declined to comment on any of the evidence or allegations in the case, saying evidence would be presented in court. A memorial ceremony is scheduled for Sandra at 1 p.m. Thursday at a high school in Tracy, police said. -- CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report. | [
"What is the age of Sandra?",
"Who was arrested?",
"What are the police looking for?",
"What is Huckaby's age?",
"Who is Sandra?",
"What did Melissa get charged with?",
"What did the police do?"
] | [
[
"8-year-old"
],
[
"Melissa Huckaby,"
],
[
"any other alleged victims of a Sunday school teacher accused of raping"
],
[
"28,"
],
[
"8-year-old girl from Tracy, California."
],
[
"killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu,"
],
[
"are searching for any other alleged victims of a Sunday school teacher accused of raping"
]
] | Police comb community for other possible victims .
Melissa Huckaby was arrested and charged with killing and raping Sandra Cantu .
Sandra, 8, was friends with Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter . |
(CNN) -- Police are seeking a pair of suspects in a Sunday church service shooting in Richmond, California, that left two teenagers injured, though authorities are still looking for a motive in what they say was a targeted operation.
Police believe they have identified at least two of the three hooded men who entered New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Amid a congregation of about 100, one of them opened fire.
"We're hoping we can make an arrest sometime in the near future," Richmond police spokeswoman Sgt. Bisa French told CNN.
Police are withholding the suspects' names. French said they're in their late teens or early 20s and live in Richmond, about 12 miles north of Oakland.
Church officials say the two congregants injured on Sunday, age 14 and 19, are brothers. "We're not sure if those two victims were targeted, but someone definitely in that general area where the victims were was targeted," French said.
The victims are expected to make full recoveries, police said.
Officials at the church said they are determined to continue operating as normal. Hours after the shooting, a Sunday Bible study was held as planned, with about 15 people attending.
"I'm sure there's some fear and shock, but we're not running," said Ezekiel Wallace, the church deacon. "We are going to be doing what we always do: Pray and have church."
"We're not scared, but we're sort of mystified because this is God's church," said Earl Young, a church member since 1967. "We refuse to let the devil make us run and hide because that's probably what they want us to do."
CNN's Dan Gilgoff and Nick Valencia contributed to this report. | [
"where Police have no motive for the church attack?",
"where Police think they identified two of three gunmen who opened?",
"where did this happen",
"Who was shot at New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ?",
"what was the motive",
"What does the police not have?",
"Where did the gunmen open fire?"
] | [
[
"Richmond, California,"
],
[
"Richmond, California,"
],
[
"Richmond, California,"
],
[
"two teenagers"
],
[
"authorities are still looking for a"
],
[
"a motive"
],
[
"New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ"
]
] | Police think they identified two of three gunmen who opened fire at Richmond, California church .
Two teens shot at New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ .
They are expected to make full recoveries .
Police have no motive for the church attack . |
(CNN) -- Police arrested 46 people Saturday morning after they swept through a downtown city square in Boston, Massachusetts, evicting "Occupy" protesters encamped there since late September, officials said.
CNN affiliate WCVB broadcast images of handcuffed demonstrators being led away by police, who first offered the group the option of leaving before making arrests, according to police spokesman Eddy Chrispin.
"The city is in the process of clean-up and trying to restore Dewey Square to its prior state," said Chrispin. "For the most part, it was nonviolent."
By late Saturday morning, an "Occupy Boston" twitter feed was abuzz with news of the eviction.
"Occupy Boston is NOT done! You can't evict an idea! :) The camp may be gone but the people, ideas & passion isn't," read one post.
Another post promised to offer "details about the plan as soon as we know."
"For now, get some rest. It will be a big afternoon!"
On Wednesday, a judge ruled that demonstrators' First Amendment rights do not extend to seizing and holding areas on which they sit.
Authorities are "obligated by law to preserve Dewey Square as a space open to the public," wrote Superior Court Judge Frances A. McIntyre.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who in the past appeared to tolerate his city's chapter of the nationwide movement, later signaled that the area could be a safety hazard as winter weather rolled in, imposing a Thursday deadline for the group to clear out or face eviction.
By Friday, however, protesters remained firmly entrenched in more than 100 tents.
Saturday's arrests was the city's second large-scale action against demonstrators since the movement began there in late September.
In October, 129 people were arrested during a march in which protesters allegedly blocked traffic and refused to disperse.
The movement, which first sprang up in a Lower Manhattan park, seeks to highlight what it sees as corruption and growing income disparities between the nation's richest 1% and the rest of the country.
CNN's Dan Verello contributed to this report | [
"Where were they?",
"What did a judge rule?",
"Who did the police arrest?",
"All together, how many police has been arrested?",
"How many people were arrested?",
"What were the people charged with?"
] | [
[
"in Boston, Massachusetts,"
],
[
"First Amendment rights do not extend to seizing and holding areas on which they sit."
],
[
"46 people"
],
[
"46"
],
[
"46"
],
[
"blocked traffic and refused to disperse."
]
] | Police arrested 46 people Saturday morning in Boston .
"Occupy" protesters have been encamped there since late September .
"Occupy Boston is NOT done! You can't evict an idea! :)," read one Twitter post .
A judge ruled that protesters' First Amendment rights do not extend to seizing and holding areas . |
(CNN) -- Police have arrested a 33-year-old man accused of killing his brother and five other people, including two children, at a Memphis, Tennessee, home. Jessie L. Dotson, who was recently released after serving 14 years in prison for murder, was captured Friday night. He faces six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cecil Dotson, his 30-year-old brother; Hollis Seals, 33; Shindri Roberson, 20; Marissa Rene Williams, 26; and two children, said Memphis Director of Police Larry A. Godwin at a news conference Saturday. Dotson will also be charged with the attempted murder of three other children -- ages 7, 4 and 10 months -- who received stab wounds and blunt force trauma, Godwin said. Dotson's brother Cecil was the father of all the children, The Associated Press reported. Those who survived the attack were under police custody at a hospital, according to the AP. The March 2 killings followed an argument between Jessie and Cecil Dotson, Godwin said. Jessie Dotson shot his brother dead and went on to kill the others to try to cover up the crime, he said. "[Dotson] thought everyone in the home was dead," Godwin said. "But as we all know, by the grace of God, three children had survived." Prosecutors said they are considering seeking the death penalty against Dotson. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who faces 6 counts of murder in the first degree?",
"How many people died?",
"How long was Dotson in prison?",
"What penalty are prosecutors considering?",
"What was Dotson in prison for?",
"What penalty are prosecutors contemplating?",
"How many years did Dotson serve?",
"What charges does he face?",
"How many children survived?",
"Who was recently released from prison?",
"What punishment are prosecutors seeking?"
] | [
[
"Jessie L. Dotson,"
],
[
"killing his brother and five other"
],
[
"14 years"
],
[
"death"
],
[
"murder,"
],
[
"death"
],
[
"14"
],
[
"six counts of first-degree murder"
],
[
"three other"
],
[
"Jessie L. Dotson,"
],
[
"the death penalty"
]
] | Jessie L. Dotson was recently released after serving 14 years in prison for murder .
He was captured Friday night and faces six counts of first-degree murder .
Four adults and two children were found dead; three children survived .
Prosecutors say they are considering seeking the death penalty . |
(CNN) -- Police have arrested a man in the killing of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk, who died this week, according to the Auburn, Alabama, assistant police chief. Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Alabama, is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery, and capital murder during an attempted rape, Tommy Dawson said Saturday. The Phenix City Police Department took Lockhart into custody on Friday, police said. Phenix City is about 35 miles southeast of Auburn. Burk, 18, from Marietta, Georgia, was found shot on North College Street, a few miles north of campus, on Tuesday night. She died later at a hospital. Minutes after police responded to the call reporting an injured person and found Burk, they found a car -- which turned out to be Burk's -- on fire in a campus parking lot. Dawson told reporters Friday that authorities think gasoline or another accelerant was used to ignite Burk's car, and police were investigating whether a gas can found in downtown Auburn was connected. Police want to investigate every possible lead, Dawson said. Authorities were still on patrol in the east Alabama campus, he said. The university's Web site said a campus-wide memorial service will be held Monday. The site carried a message from Burk's father, James, which said: "The Burk family was so proud to have Lauren as an Auburn University student. We want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for Auburn University, the city of Auburn and the Auburn Police Department. We feel very close to your community. We appreciate what everyone is doing for us and Lauren." Also on Friday, police released pictures of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's car. Authorities asked anyone who thinks they might have seen the car on Tuesday to contact them. Police are continuing to interview people, Dawson said. A student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill -- Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Georgia -- was also shot to death this week, on early Wednesday. Authorities in Chapel Hill said Friday they had been in contact with Auburn police but did not believe the two cases were connected. Watch CNN's Nancy Grace discuss the two killings of college women from Georgia » Burk's family, in a statement read Friday to reporters by family friend Kathy Singleton, expressed their gratitude for the thoughts and prayers offered, but asked for privacy "so that they may grieve for their loss as well as celebrate Lauren's life." Those wishing to honor Burk could do so by donating to her favorite charities, Singleton said -- The Invisible Child and the American Kidney Foundation. Donations can be made at any Wachovia Bank to the Lauren Burk Memorial Fund. E-mail to a friend | [
"whose car was found",
"What is Courtney Larrell Lockhart charged with?",
"What happened to Lauren Burk?",
"what did she do?",
"What age is Courtney Larrell Lockhart?",
"what was courtney larrel's age",
"What happened to Burk's car?",
"What was Burks car like when it was discovered?",
"who died at the hospital",
"When was Lauren Burk found shot?",
"what happened to burks car",
"Who was shot and killed?",
"Where was Burk's car found?",
"Who is charged with murder?",
"Who's car was found later?",
"Where did Lauren Burk die?",
"Who is charged with capital murder?",
"Who was found shot?",
"What was the car's condition?"
] | [
[
"Burk,"
],
[
"capital murder"
],
[
"was found shot on North College Street, a few miles north of campus, on Tuesday night. She died later at a hospital."
],
[
"died"
],
[
"23,"
],
[
"23,"
],
[
"on fire in a campus parking lot."
],
[
"on fire"
],
[
"Lauren Burk,"
],
[
"Tuesday night."
],
[
"on fire"
],
[
"Lauren Burk,"
],
[
"on fire in a campus parking lot."
],
[
"Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Alabama,"
],
[
"Lauren Burk,"
],
[
"at a hospital."
],
[
"Courtney Larrell Lockhart,"
],
[
"Lauren Burk,"
],
[
"on fire"
]
] | Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, charged with three counts of capital murder .
Auburn University student Lauren Burk found shot Tuesday, died at hospital .
Burk's car found minutes later engulfed in flames in campus parking lot . |
(CNN) -- Police have identified the man whose shooting of another man outside a store in Naples, Italy, was captured by a surveillance camera, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Saturday. The announcement came two days after police released the video of the brazen daylight shooting in hopes it would lead someone to come forward. Police did not release the man's name. The video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing jeans, a dark jersey and a baseball cap, walking into the store and looking around, turning and walking back out. Passersby appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift up the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see if she knew him; a man steps over the body. Police said they had been without any clues before the release of the video. A source who was not identified publicly said the killer was a man in his 30s from Naples' northern Sanita district who had recently left the city. A third man seen in the video was thought to have been an accomplice, but he told Il Mattino newspaper that he had nothing to do with the killing. "I am the man of the film, but I have never been a lookout, and now I am afraid," the 39-year-old man said. "I was taking a breath of air, waiting for my daughter to go shopping." The man said he had been living "in terror" since acquaintances called him from Germany to tell him they had seen him on the video. Police said they knew of no motive for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra, the name for organized crime in Naples, is strong. The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said. A police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county. | [
"Where did the man shooting another man occur?",
"video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video?Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video?Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video?lease the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video? Why did the police release the video?",
"What video shows man shooting?",
"Who released the video?",
"Where was the shooting?"
] | [
[
"outside a store in Naples, Italy,"
],
[
"in hopes it would lead someone to come forward."
],
[
"surveillance"
],
[
"police"
],
[
"outside a store in Naples, Italy,"
]
] | Surveillance video shows man shooting another man outside a store in Naples, Italy .
Police released the video in hopes it would lead someone to come forward .
Release of the video provided clues, police say; source says killer is a man from Naples .
Third man in video was thought to be accomplice, but he tells newspaper he wasn't involved . |
(CNN) -- Police have made an arrest in the home invasion slaying last year of a Southern California couple in their beach house, authorities said Monday.
Joshua Graham Packer, 20, of Ventura is facing charges including three counts of murder and two counts of robbery, Capt. Ross Bonfiglio of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department said.
Packer is accused of murdering Brock Husted, his wife, Davina Husted, and her fetus. The Husteds, who were both 42, were stabbed to death in their seaside home in Faria Beach, California, on May 20.
Chief Gary Pentis of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department said it appeared the suspect targeted the victims. "My personal opinion? This was not a random act," Pentis said at a news conference Monday.
Until the couple's slaying, the gated community of luxury homes had not recorded a homicide in 15 years, police said.
According to investigators, the Husteds were home with their two young children on the night of the slaying. Their daughter was asleep in bed, and their son was watching "American Idol" in the living room.
About 10:30 p.m., the suspect entered the home through French doors that face the ocean, police said.
The killer was dressed in dark clothing and wore a motorcycle helmet, authorities said. He walked past the child who was watching television and stabbed the Husteds.
Davina Husted was four months pregnant.
The home was not ransacked, and the alleged murder weapon was left at the scene, Bonfiglio said.
A sample of Packer's DNA taken after an arrest in Santa Barbara matched the genetic material found at the Husted crime scene, said Pentis the sheriff's department chief. He added that items from the victims' house were found at the suspect's home.
Scott Husted, the brother of Brock Husted, thanked the sheriff's department for solving the killings. "This is a milestone, a very huge milestone in this process," he said. "We're very grateful for the work the Ventura County sheriff's department has put in this case."
"This in no way takes away the loss our family has had. Brock was our baby brother."
Packer is being held on $2.2 million bail at the Ventura County Main Jail. | [
"What was Joshua Packer arrested for?",
"What age is Packer?",
"Who were the stabbing victims?",
"When did the stabbings take place?",
"What is Joshua Packer's age?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Joshua Packer was arrested for what crime?"
] | [
[
"three counts of murder and two counts of robbery,"
],
[
"20,"
],
[
"Brock Husted, his wife, Davina Husted, and her fetus."
],
[
"May 20."
],
[
"20,"
],
[
"Joshua Graham Packer,"
],
[
"three counts of murder and two counts of robbery,"
]
] | 20-year-old Joshua Packer arrested in stabbing deaths .
Man, pregnant wife stabbed to death in California home in May .
Couple's two young children were left unharmed; home not ransacked . |
(CNN) -- Police hunting for a New Zealand couple who fled the country after a bank mistakenly paid them $NZ10 million (US$6 million) believe they traveled to Hong Kong. Westpac bank paid the couple 1,000 times the amount they asked for. New Zealand authorities have sought help from Interpol in locating the couple who disappeared May 7, two days after an employee error at Westpac bank paid them 100 times the amount they asked for. TVNZ, a CNN television affiliate, named the couple as Leo Gao and his girlfriend Cara Young. Gao owned a petrol station in Rotorua, a lakeside tourist town famous for its hot water springs and bubbling mud pools. Police said Friday that the couple were believed to have traveled to Hong Kong. "Enquiries to locate those individuals are continuing through Interpol in Hong Kong and official channels in Beijing," said Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey. Watch as 'millionaires' go on the run » Police were not confirming the identities of those involved but they were working with the family of one of the individuals named in the media, Harvey said. The family were shocked at their name being associated with the case, he added. TVNZ said the couple applied for an overdraft from Westpac worth up to NZ$100,000 (US$61,000). However, on or about May 5, the bank erroneously put NZ$10 million (US$6.1 million) into their bank account. What would you do in this situation? The next day, the service station closed its doors. And the day after, the couple went missing. TVNZ said Westpac had confirmed that a customer had attempted to unlawfully transfer amounts totaling around $6.7 million (US$4.1 million). Nearly NZ$3 million (US£$1.85 million) had been recovered and the bank was continuing to vigorously pursue the outstanding amount, Westpac Media relations manager Craig Dowling told the station. | [
"where did the couple flee from",
"what do police believe",
"Where do police believe the couple flew to?",
"Who does the New Zealand police seek help from?",
"who's help are the authorities seeking",
"How much did the bank mistakenly pay the couple?",
"Who are the New Zealand authorities looking for?"
] | [
[
"New Zealand"
],
[
"the couple were believed to have traveled to Hong Kong."
],
[
"Hong Kong."
],
[
"Interpol"
],
[
"Interpol"
],
[
"$NZ10 million (US$6 million)"
],
[
"Leo Gao and his girlfriend Cara Young."
]
] | Manhunt for couple who fled after bank mistakenly paid them NZ$10 million .
New Zealand authorities seeking Interpol's help to locate the couple .
Police believe the couple flew to Hong Kong . |
(CNN) -- Police in Allendale, South Carolina, are investigating whether a funeral home fit a 6-foot, 5-inch man into his coffin by severing his legs. The wife of James Hines reportedly said the funeral home told her that her husband's coffin was long enough. A former Cave Funeral Services employee has alleged since James Hines' death from skin cancer in 2004 that Hines was too tall for his coffin and that the funeral home took extreme measures to make him fit, Allendale County Coroner Hayzen Black told CNN. Officials exhumed Hines' body Tuesday, Black said, and a fair amount of "undesirable evidence" was found, although he could not comment further. The coroner's office handed the case over to law enforcement officials for a criminal investigation, he said. Allendale Police Detective Donnie Hutto told CNN affiliate WJBF-TV that he could not comment on the condition of the body. A Cave Funeral Services employee had no comment when asked about the matter. But Ruth Hines, widow of the dead man, told WJBF that the allegations and exhumation of Hines' body are difficult for her. "I'm just going through quite a bit," she said. "It's like starting all over again, and it's left me with hurt and numbness." "According to the measurements on the casket, and the funeral director, we asked him, 'Was this suitable for his length?' and he said, 'Yes that will be perfect,'" Ruth Hines said. Hines told WJBF that her family has used Cave Funeral Services for a number of years, and she isn't sure what the family will do in the future if the allegations are true. | [
"What was the former employee says?",
"What did the county coroner says?",
"When was body exhumed?",
"Who was too tall for coffin?",
"Name of the funeral home?"
] | [
[
"no comment"
],
[
"that Hines was too tall for his coffin and that the funeral home took extreme measures to make him fit, Allendale County Coroner Hayzen Black"
],
[
"Tuesday,"
],
[
"James Hines"
],
[
"Cave"
]
] | At 6'5'', former employee says James Hines was too tall for coffin after death in 2004 .
Employee told authorities that funeral home took extreme measures to make him fit .
Officials exhume body Tuesday, find "undesirable evidence," county coroner says .
Cave Funeral Services employee would not comment . |
(CNN) -- Police in Boston, Massachusetts, are searching for a man suspected in the murder of one woman and the armed robbery of two others, all of whom, they say, he may have met through their Craigslist ads for personal services.
Julissa Brisman, 26, was described as "a really sweet, goofy, energetic kid."
Officers discovered New York resident Julissa Brisman, 26, unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel on Tuesday night. She was transferred to Boston Medical Center, where she died shortly afterward.
Police said Brisman, a model, offered massages via Craigslist, a popular online classified ad service.
The confrontation between Brisman and her killer seems to have begun as an attempted robbery, police said.
"It appears that there was a struggle between the victim and the suspect in the threshold of the hotel room immediately prior to the shooting," the Boston Police Department said in a statement on its Web site.
Police speculate the man may also be responsible for the recent robberies of two other young women who offered personal services via Craigslist.
Four days before Brisman's slaying, a 29-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint at a Westin Hotel in Boston. Police spokesman Joe Zanola would not disclose the details of her Craigslist ad but said she and Brisman were "involved in similar professions."
On Thursday night at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, Rhode Island, a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement, according to Warwick's police chief, Col. Stephen McCartney.
The robbery was interrupted when the woman's husband entered the room. After pointing his gun at the husband, the suspect fled, according to McCartney.
He said that no conclusions could be made but allowed that the incident "may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area."
Matthew Terhune, a photographer who met Brisman when he took pictures of her for a calendar last year, described her as "just a really sweet, goofy, energetic kid."
He added that she was enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous and was contemplating counseling fellow recovering addicts. He had been unaware of her side job as an Internet masseuse.
Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was murdered showed a tall, clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker leaving the property, said the Boston Police Department, which is asking the public's help in identifying the man.
Representatives from Craigslist did not respond to a request for comment. | [
"What caused her death?",
"Who died on Tuesday?",
"What did she offer on Craigslist?",
"What did she post online?",
"Whose help are the police seeking?",
"What are Boston police seeking?",
"Where did a 26 year old die?"
] | [
[
"multiple gunshot wounds"
],
[
"Julissa Brisman,"
],
[
"massages"
],
[
"Craigslist ads for personal services."
],
[
"the public's"
],
[
"a man suspected in the murder of one woman"
],
[
"Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel"
]
] | 26-year-old died after attack at Boston hotel on Tuesday .
Police say she posted Craigslist ad offering massages .
Man may be behind two recent robberies, they say .
Boston police seek public's help identifying man on video . |
(CNN) -- Police in Boston, Massachusetts, are searching for a man suspected in the murder of one woman and the armed robbery of two others, all of whom, they say, he may have met through their Craigslist ads for personal services. Julissa Brisman, 26, was described as "a really sweet, goofy, energetic kid." Officers discovered New York resident Julissa Brisman, 26, unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel on Tuesday night. She was transferred to Boston Medical Center, where she died shortly afterward. Police said Brisman, a model, offered massages via Craigslist, a popular online classified ad service. The confrontation between Brisman and her killer seems to have begun as an attempted robbery, police said. "It appears that there was a struggle between the victim and the suspect in the threshold of the hotel room immediately prior to the shooting," the Boston Police Department said in a statement on its Web site. Police speculate the man may also be responsible for the recent robberies of two other young women who offered personal services via Craigslist. Four days before Brisman's slaying, a 29-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint at a Westin Hotel in Boston. Police spokesman Joe Zanola would not disclose the details of her Craigslist ad but said she and Brisman were "involved in similar professions." On Thursday night at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, Rhode Island, a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement, according to Warwick's police chief, Col. Stephen McCartney. The robbery was interrupted when the woman's husband entered the room. After pointing his gun at the husband, the suspect fled, according to McCartney. He said that no conclusions could be made but allowed that the incident "may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area." Matthew Terhune, a photographer who met Brisman when he took pictures of her for a calendar last year, described her as "just a really sweet, goofy, energetic kid." He added that she was enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous and was contemplating counseling fellow recovering addicts. He had been unaware of her side job as an Internet masseuse. Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was murdered showed a tall, clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker leaving the property, said the Boston Police Department, which is asking the public's help in identifying the man. Representatives from Craigslist did not respond to a request for comment. | [
"Who died after Boston hotel attack?",
"Where was the hotel?",
"What other crimes did the man commit?",
"What did the ad offer?",
"Who posted offers on Craiglist?",
"Where was the victim when attacked?",
"What was the age of the victim?",
"Who seeks help identifying man on video?",
"What are police trying to identify?"
] | [
[
"Julissa Brisman,"
],
[
"in Boston."
],
[
"and the armed robbery of two"
],
[
"massages"
],
[
"Julissa Brisman,"
],
[
"Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel"
],
[
"26,"
],
[
"Boston Police Department,"
],
[
"a tall, clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker"
]
] | 26-year-old died after attack at Boston hotel on Tuesday .
Police say she posted Craigslist ad offering massages .
Man may be behind two recent robberies, they say .
Boston police seek public's help identifying man on video . |
(CNN) -- Police in California say that with the arrests of 23 people this week, they are getting closer to those responsible for a string of brazen attacks against officers in a gang task force.
The booby trap-style attacks believed to be targeting the Hemet Police Department began in December when, police say, a natural gas line was rerouted into the task force's headquarters, risking an explosion. The most recent incident occurred in March, when four city code enforcement trucks were set ablaze in the Hemet City Hall parking lot.
None of the 23 suspects arrested Tuesday face charges directly related to the four attacks, but police are hopeful that they will lead them to the people responsible, Hemet Police Capt. Dave Brown told CNN.
"Tuesday's operation produced an enormous amount of property and evidence. The 23 people arrested were detained and interviewed, producing leads, and those leads are being followed up," Brown said.
The suspects were arrested throughout Riverside County on a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges -- from possession of weapons and stolen property to outstanding warrants and narcotics. Local and state law enforcement agencies participated in the raids, in which 35 locations were searched and evidence, including 16 weapons, was seized.
Read the names of the suspects
Some of those arrested have gang affiliations, Brown said, but it's still unclear whether the attacks are gang-related. A motive is still not known.
"Motive has been a missing piece, but once the suspects are identified, we believe a motive will follow," he said.
"Sometimes, in gang cases, the motive is clear from the beginning. But in this case, we're not even sure it's a gang case, and if so, we're not sure if one gang is operating independent of others or if there's some sort of cooperation between the gangs."
Hemet is one of eight local, state and federal agencies that make up the Riverside County Gang Task Force, which was formed in 2006 to address the growth of criminal street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs.
As the county expanded and its population grew, so did the presence and reach of organized crime. Since 1997, the number of gangs in Riverside County has grown from 266 to 391, according to the task force's website, and total gang membership has grown to 10,620 people countywide.
Authorities believe the attacks could be related because of their close timing and identical targets, John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said last month.
On New Years Eve, the unmarked headquarters of the Hemet Gang Task Force was filled with deadly natural gas. Two task force members detected the gas, backed away and reported it.
On February 23, a task force member at the Hemet headquarters opened a security gate outside the building, which launched a homemade zip gun attached to the gate. The weapon fired, missing the officer's head by inches.
The headquarters has since been moved to an undisclosed location, where extra security precautions are being taken, Hall said.
On March 5, criminals targeted a task force member who had parked an unmarked police car in front of a convenience store in Hemet. The officer found what appeared to be a homemade pipe bomb hidden underneath the vehicle.
The attacks have drawn the attention of state and federal law enforcement, which have contributed manpower and money to a $200,000 reward offered in the case.
The Hemet Police Department has set up a confidential tip line for anyone with information: 951-765-3897. People can also e-mail tip to: [email protected]. | [
"How many locations were searched?",
"What kind of attacks?",
"How many did authorities arrest?",
"Who was attacked?",
"Is the motive for the attacks clear?"
] | [
[
"35"
],
[
"brazen"
],
[
"23"
],
[
"officers in a gang task force."
],
[
"A"
]
] | Authorities arrest 23, search 35 locations in Riverside County in probe of attacks targeting police .
Police hope sweep will lead to information about those responsible for the attacks .
Four booby trap-style attacks against Hemet Gang Task Force have occurred since December .
Attacks could be gang-related, but motive unclear, Hemet police captain says . |
(CNN) -- Police in Glendale, Arizona are investigating the stabbing deaths of a husband and wife who were found dead on the grounds of Luke Air Force Base.
Their bodies were found Sunday night inside a post office on the base, according to Glendale police Detective Jeff Doukas, who said more details are expected to be released Monday morning.
A knife was found at the scene, said Capt. Carla Gleason, a base spokeswoman. "There is no indication that there is a threat to any military personnel or families," said. | [
"Who were found at the Air Force Base?",
"Where was a man and woman stabbed to death?",
"What was found at the scene?",
"Who said there is no threat to military personnel?",
"A knife was found at the scene?",
"What weapon was found?"
] | [
[
"husband and wife"
],
[
"Luke Air Force Base."
],
[
"A knife"
],
[
"Capt. Carla Gleason,"
],
[
"the"
],
[
"A knife"
]
] | A man and woman are found stabbed to death at Luke Air Force Base .
A knife was found at the scene .
There's no threat to military personnel, a base spokeswoman said . |
(CNN) -- Police in Houston, Texas, say they have busted a prostitution ring that may involve more than 1,500 clients, including professional athletes, doctors and lawyers. Investigators were scouring computers files and credit card records on Monday, trying to verify a large client list that could ignite scandals throughout the city, CNN affiliate station KHOU reported. Police arrested alleged ringleaders Deborah Turbiville and her husband, Charlie, as part of a two-year investigation, the affiliate reported. Turbiville called herself the "Heidi Fleiss of Houston," referring to a woman who was dubbed the "Hollywood Madam" for providing call girls to famous and wealthy clients, police said. Turbiville, who reportedly recruited prostitutes through the online site Craigslist, was in court Monday on a charge of promotion of prostitution. Investigators said the women met their clients in upscale hotels and charged about $350 an hour, the affiliate reported. Clients also met prostitutes in a luxurious three-bedroom apartment, police told the affiliate. | [
"what was the price",
"Who is \"Heidi Fleiss of Houston?\"",
"What does the police use to verify client lists?",
"How much did the women charge?",
"Who is Heidi Fleiss?",
"what does police do",
"How much did women charge their clients?"
] | [
[
"$350 an hour,"
],
[
"\"Hollywood Madam\""
],
[
"computers files and credit card records"
],
[
"$350 an hour,"
],
[
"\"Heidi Fleiss of Houston,\" referring to a woman who was dubbed the \"Hollywood Madam\" for providing call girls to famous and wealthy clients, police said."
],
[
"in Houston, Texas, say they have busted a prostitution ring"
],
[
"$350 an hour,"
]
] | Alleged ringleader dubbed "Heidi Fleiss of Houston"
Investigators say women met clients in upscale hotels, charged about $350 an hour .
Police scour computer files and credit card records to verify a large client list . |
(CNN) -- Police in Milwaukee are working to track down a serial killer linked to at least seven unsolved homicides dating back more than two decades, authorities said. Five victims (clockwise from top left): Debora Harris, Joyce Mims, Tonya Miller, Quithreaun Stokes, Sheila Farrior. Law enforcement officials in the Wisconsin city have matched the unknown man's DNA with seven women -- six prostitutes and a runaway involved in the drug trade. The deaths occurred between 1986 and 2007. "Six of the victims were women who were working as prostitutes -- high-risk behavior that makes them vulnerable to crime," authorities said. Police believe the killer had sex with the runaway, but she was killed by someone else. The developments have prompted officials to form a local, state and federal task force to investigate the homicides. A state lab is working to determine whether the DNA of at least 23 other slain prostitutes matches that of the killer. "In the past, we might have linked some of these homicides through their method of operation, but theory has given way to technology," said Edward Flynn, the Milwaukee police chief. "Within the last couple of weeks, we have been able to confirm a link." Flynn, who described the killer as an "unknown suspect who conducts his business in secret," said the investigation would require tips from the community. "This suspect has been able to avoid and evade law enforcement for these last 23 years. He has never been arrested for a felony as he does not appear in any DNA database," Flynn said. Police said 42 prostitutes were killed between 1986 and 2007, and that 31 percent of the cases have been solved. There has been a higher clearance rate -- 78 percent -- in other homicides. Of the seven killed, two were in 1986, three in 1995, one in 1997 and one in 2007. The runaway was one of the three killed in 1995. Flynn said there have been "patterned homicides" discovered across the country as a result of advanced DNA technology, citing investigations in Los Angeles, California; Mesa, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada. However, he said there is no link with the Milwaukee cases. In discussing advances in DNA technology, Flynn said there were no matches in 1990s, two around 2000 and the seven have been linked in recent weeks. "We already have determined that five suspects in murders of other prostitutes -- completely unrelated to this investigation -- have been identified because their DNA match open homicide cases. Three of them already are in prison for cleared homicides of prostitutes," police said in a statement Tuesday. CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report | [
"How many of the victims were prostitutes?",
"How long has the suspect has avoided arrest ?",
"What police chief said,Investigation will require tips from the community ?",
"Is the suspect in the DNA database?",
"how many people did he kill?",
"Who matched unknown man's DNA with seven slain women ?",
"what is the victims name?",
"How many women were slain?"
] | [
[
"six"
],
[
"23 years."
],
[
"Edward Flynn,"
],
[
"database,\""
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"Law enforcement officials in the Wisconsin city"
],
[
"Debora Harris, Joyce Mims, Tonya Miller, Quithreaun Stokes, Sheila Farrior."
],
[
"seven"
]
] | Police in Milwaukee match unknown man's DNA with seven slain women .
Six of the victims were prostitutes and the seventh a runaway .
Suspect has avoided arrest for 23 years and is not on any DNA database .
Investigation will require tips from the community, Milwaukee police chief says . |
(CNN) -- Police in San Bernardino, California, released pictures of two suspects in the abduction of a 3-year-old boy who was taken at gunpoint from his home last weekend. Authorities say these men purchased tape from a store and used it 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez's abduction. Briant Rodriguez has been missing since May 3, when two Hispanic males armed with handguns burst into the home, tied him up, along with his mother and four siblings. They ransacked the home before leaving with Briant, a small amount of cash and some personal property, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Cindy Beavers said. A motive for the abduction is still unclear, and the authorities have not received a demand for ransom, Beavers said. Investigators traced samples of the tape used to tie up the family to a home improvement store where they believe the suspects purchased the tape the Friday before the abduction. The unidentified store's surveillance camera captured two men who matched the description of the kidnappers given by Briant's mother, purchasing tape believed to have been used in the abduction, Beavers said. The home improvement store's exterior surveillance cameras also caught a green Ford Bronco believed to have been used in the abduction, Beavers said. The same car was later seen driving past a convenience store near Briant's home about three minutes after his mother called police on Sunday to report the abduction, Beavers said. Authorities distributed screen grabs of the footage on Friday showing the suspects and the vehicle in an effort to draw more tips, which have been coming in steadily since an Amber Alert was issued earlier this week. "You've got two men that resemble the description given by Briant's mother, they're buying tape that matches the tape used to tie them up, then they leave the store in this green Bronco and then on Sunday, just a few minutes before the emergency call for help, the same vehicle is seen leaving the victims' neighborhood," she said. "Detectives put these two incidents together, and they're confident that these are the suspects and that was the vehicle used," she said. Both suspected kidnappers are Hispanic males -- one 5-feet, 5 inches tall, between the ages of 18 and 20 with a thin build, unknown hair and eye color, last seen wearing a black baseball hat, blue jeans and green T-shirt. The other is 5-foot-10, around age 24 with a thin build, black boots, a black shirt and a bandanna. Neighboring law enforcement agencies are on alert, and the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol are assisting in the investigation. The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department have both put up $25,000 rewards for Briant's return. The FBI has also established a Facebook page with the latest information in the case. "We became involved in the beginning and that's customary in kidnapping cases because of the potential for cases to go out of state or out of the country," FBI Spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. Despite early speculation that the abduction was related to Mexican cartel violence, both spokeswomen said they were unaware of specific evidence suggesting the family had ties to the drug trade. "We've seen an escalation nationwide in south-of-the-border-related kidnappings, whether it be drug cartels exacting revenge or carrying out violence in exchange for drug debts, or in another type of scenario, Americans who do business in Mexico being targeted for ransom," Eimiller said. "Of course that's being looked at as a scenario here, but we have no conclusive evidence suggesting that's the case just yet." Briant is described in the Amber Alert as a Hispanic male who was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with blue sleeves and blue-striped shorts with two different colors of blue. The boy's hair is longer than shoulder length. | [
"Who was abducted at gunpoint?",
"Who was aducted at gunpint last weekend?",
"What leads police to the store where suspects seen purchasing item ?",
"Who was abducted at gunpoint in armed robbery last weekend ?",
"When was Briant Rodriguez, 3, was abducted at gunpoint ?",
"What lead police to a store the suspects used?",
"What type of vehicle was seen?",
"What used in abduction helped police?"
] | [
[
"3-year-old boy"
],
[
"a 3-year-old boy"
],
[
"samples of the tape"
],
[
"3-year-old Briant Rodriguez's"
],
[
"May"
],
[
"samples of the tape"
],
[
"green Ford Bronco"
],
[
"the tape"
]
] | Tape used in abduction leads police to store where suspects seen purchasing item .
Police: Surveillance footage also captures green Ford Bronco used in kidnapping .
Briant Rodriguez, 3, was abducted at gunpoint in armed robbery last weekend .
For tips in case call the FBI: 1-866-346-7632 . |
(CNN) -- Police in Texas used a Taser on a 42-year-old pastor and pepper spray to disperse members of his church after police said the pastor interfered with a traffic stop. Jose Moran was arrested early Wednesday morning after interfering with the duties of a public servant in the parking lot of a Webster, Texas, building that is being remodeled for the Iglesias Profetica Peniel Church, Webster police said in a written statement. Moran's son, Omar, said his father had been trying to help. He added that his father has heart problems. Moran approached an officer who was handling a traffic stop in the church's parking lot on Wednesday morning, police said. Moran identified himself as the church's pastor and began yelling at the officer, police said. The officer told Moran to leave several times, but Moran did not, police said. The officer then tried to arrest him. But Moran pushed the officer and ran into the church building, police said. Moran's son said after his father asked the officer if he could help, the officer began yelling. The son said his father went back inside the church. The officer followed him and kicked in the church door, he said. The pastor came outside, and a second officer used his Taser twice on the pastor, the younger Moran said. The son's account differs from the police version of events. Police said Moran emerged from the church building with dozens of other people who subsequently surrounded the officer. The officer used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, the statement said. Police said Moran pushed a second officer, who had arrived for backup, when the officer was trying to arrest him. The officer used a Taser to subdue him, police said. Omar Moran said his father remains hospitalized, although police said he had been treated and released. Webster Police Chief Ray Smiley said the Taser was only used once on Moran, but that the tool causes two marks. The driver who had been pulled over was issued two citations and released, police said. | [
"who interfered with the stop",
"who gave different acounts",
"What do the police say Moran did?",
"Who surrounded the officer?"
] | [
[
"the pastor"
],
[
"The son's account differs from the police version of events."
],
[
"interfering with the duties of a public servant"
],
[
"Moran emerged from the church building with dozens of other people"
]
] | Police, pastor's son give differing accounts of Taser incident .
They don't agree on whether Jose Moran is still hospitalized .
Police say Moran interfered with a traffic stop .
Police say church congregation surrounded officer . |
(CNN) -- Police in Zimbabwe Monday failed to bring to court an opposition activist who was scheduled to become a government minister on Friday but was arrested instead.
Zimbabwe police officers at Mutare Magistrates Court where Roy Bennett's scheduled appearance was postponed.
Roy Bennett of the Movement for Democratic Change was supposed to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister last week under a power-sharing agreement between the MDC and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.
Bennett was charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, sabotage and banditry. Police added another charge, contravening the Immigration Act, on the day he was scheduled to appear in court. They accuse Bennett of attempting to leave the country illegally.
His party has decried the charges as "trumped up."
His lawyer said Monday's court proceedings were canceled because prosecutors were unable to make it from the capital Harare to the court where the proceeding was to take place, in Mutare, 132 miles (213 km) away. It is unclear why local prosecutors are not being used.
Bennett's lawyer Trust Maanda says he hopes his client will appear on Tuesday.
"He is doing fine considering the conditions of the cells he is being kept in," Maanda said. "There is no food or running water, sanitation facilities are not working, the cells are overcrowded and there are no blankets."
Bennett was arrested on Friday while on his way to South Africa, where he has been living for three years.
Bennett, who is also the MDC party's treasurer, was pulled from an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, the MDC said.
Police accuse him of funding the acquisition of weapons to commit the crimes he is charged with.
Bennett, a white coffee grower, is an old foe of Mugabe's government.
His farms were seized during the country's controversial land reform program. He has previously been jailed for assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in parliament.
The arrest happened the same day that other MDC ministers in the new unity government took their oaths of office.
The power-sharing agreement came into effect only after months of on-again, off-again negotiations between Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
Under Mugabe's government, the country has gone from being one of the breadbaskets of Africa to dire poverty.
A cholera epidemic is raging, much of the population lacks adequate food and water, many public sector workers are on strike, and the country suffers such severe inflation it recently knocked 12 zeroes off its currency.
--CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report. | [
"What was delayed?",
"The Movement for Democratic Change says the charges are what?",
"Who was arrested on Friday?",
"Who says the conspiracy charges are trumped up?",
"Who was arrested on Friday, the same day he was supposed to be named a government minister?",
"What was going to happen to Roy Bennett before he was arrested?",
"How far was this court from Harare?",
"How far is the court from Harare?",
"What organization didn't agree with the conspiracy charges?",
"What did the Movement for Democratic Change say?"
] | [
[
"Roy Bennett's scheduled appearance"
],
[
"\"trumped up.\""
],
[
"Bennett"
],
[
"Movement for Democratic Change"
],
[
"Roy Bennett"
],
[
"be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister"
],
[
"132 miles"
],
[
"132 miles"
],
[
"Movement for Democratic Change"
],
[
"supposed to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister last week"
]
] | Court proceedings against arrested Zimbabwe opposition activist delayed .
His lawyers said prosecutors could not make it to the court 132 miles from Harare .
Roy Bennett arrested Friday, the day he was due to be made a government minister .
Movement for Democratic Change says the conspiracy charges are trumped up . |
(CNN) -- Police in the Northern California town of Tracy are pursuing hundreds of possible leads in the disappearance of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, a police spokesman said Wednesday. Sandra Cantu, 8, disappeared on Friday, according to police in Tracy, California. Police have received 477 tips since she disappeared Friday, 100 of them on Tuesday alone, Lt. Jeremy Watney of the Tracy Police Department told reporters. "We're following up on all of them," he said. "It's extremely frustrating. We want her back safe. That's the bottom line. "At this point, everything is still open." Authorities Tuesday afternoon impounded and searched a car -- the fourth one to be seized -- that was parked near the mobile home park where Sandra lives and was last seen. On Monday night, Tracy police and FBI agents searched six locations, some in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park and some in Tracy. All of the places were connected to two men who live in the mobile home park, officials said. Watch CNN report on Sandra's disappearance » Authorities have not called the men suspects and have not named them publicly. They did not say how or if they might be related to the case. On Friday afternoon, Sandra came home from school, kissed her mother and left to play with a friend who lives a couple of homes away. A short time later she left that home to go to another friend's home, a spokeswoman for her family said Tuesday. The girl, who was wearing a pink Hello Kitty T-shirt and black leggings, has not been seen since, said the spokeswoman, Lisa Encarnacion. Her parents reported her missing about 8 p.m. Friday. Officials said surveillance camera footage recorded the girl playing in the park. A dozen agencies are involved in the search. The number of searchers swelled over the weekend, and a similar effort is likely Saturday and Sunday, Watney said. Police have said they doubt she ran away. The mobile home park has fewer than 100 units. There are about 80 registered sex offenders living in a five-mile radius around it. Tracy is about 60 miles east of San Francisco, California. | [
"when Police say they've received 477 tips -- 100 on?",
"what was searched for clues",
"what did the police say",
"Sandra Cantu played with one friend on what day?",
"for what A fourth car near mobile home park is searched?",
"How many tips did they receive on Tuesday?"
] | [
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"a car"
],
[
"\"It's extremely frustrating. We want her back safe. That's the bottom line."
],
[
"Friday"
],
[
"Sandra Cantu, 8,"
],
[
"477"
]
] | NEW: Police say they've received 477 tips -- 100 on Tuesday .
A fourth car near mobile home park is searched for clues .
Sandra Cantu played with one friend on Friday, left for a second friend's house .
It's not clear whether she ever got to the second house, family says . |
(CNN) -- Police say they believe they know who killed a 31-year-old Southern Illinois woman and her two young sons, but are waiting for prosecutors to build a strong forensic case against the suspect before disclosing his identity. Chris and Sheri Coleman are shown with their two boys, Garret and Gavin. "We don't have a warrant for his arrest at this time, so we don't feel it would be prudent to give his name out until the state's attorney determines whether or not there's enough to charge him," said Maj. Jeff Connor of the Major Case Squad. Connor heads the squad that is part of the St. Louis, Missouri, homicide task force. He made the comments during an appearance on HLN's Nancy Grace. Police found the bodies of Sheri Coleman and the children, Garret, 11, and Gavin, 9, in the bedrooms of their two-floor home in the St. Louis suburb of Columbia, Illinois, on the morning of May 7. Indications were they had been strangled. The killings shocked the suburb of about 10,000 residents. The Monroe County, Illinois, state's attorney's office is awaiting forensic test results, more interviews, documents and reports, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Watch Nancy Grace on the case » Connor said threatening messages were found on the walls inside the home, but he would not disclose the exact wording. According to Connor, Christopher Coleman -- the boys' father and Sheri Coleman's husband -- left the house at 5:43 a.m., and drove to a gym to work out. "Shortly thereafter he started calling his house, realized that nobody was answering and on his way back at around 6:50 is when he made the phone call to the Columbia Police Department," Connor said. Connor said Coleman told police he started calling his house shortly after leaving it because he "was making sure the kids were getting up for school." | [
"Where were the bodies found?",
"Who will decide whether to file charges?",
"What did the police find inside the house?",
"Where did the murder take place?",
"What was found on walls?",
"Where was the woman's husbands during slayings?",
"What is the number of bodies found last week?",
"What were found inside home?",
"Where did he go?",
"where were the bodies found?",
"what city did slayings occur in?",
"What was on the walls of the home?",
"Who will decide whether to file charges?",
"Where did the husband say he was?"
] | [
[
"in the bedrooms of their two-floor home"
],
[
"state's attorney"
],
[
"the bodies of Sheri Coleman and the children, Garret, 11, and Gavin, 9,"
],
[
"the bedrooms of their two-floor home in the St. Louis suburb of Columbia, Illinois,"
],
[
"threatening messages"
],
[
"a gym"
],
[
"of Sheri Coleman and the children, Garret, 11, and Gavin, 9,"
],
[
"bodies"
],
[
"drove to a gym"
],
[
"the bedrooms of their two-floor home"
],
[
"St. Louis,"
],
[
"threatening messages"
],
[
"state's attorney"
],
[
"gym to work out."
]
] | Bodies of woman and her two children found in Southern Illinois home last week .
Police: State's attorney to decide whether to file charges against certain person .
Threatening messages found on the walls inside the home, police say .
Woman's husband says he left home for gym before slayings, police say . |
(CNN) -- Police seized approximately 150 birds and arrested 19 people in a Connecticut home Sunday in an investigation of alleged finch and canary fighting, the Shelton Police Department said. Police seized cash, canaries, finches and bird cages from a home in Shelton, Connecticut. In addition to the 150 birds -- mainly saffron finches -- police seized their cages and $8,000 in cash from a home in Shelton, said police Sgt. Robert Kozlowsky. The 19 people, all originally from Brazil, are being charged with animal cruelty and illegal gambling, Kozlowsky said. The homeowner, Jurames Goulart, 42, was additionally charged with interfering with officers. Shelton Police say they've never seen or heard of this kind of bird fighting before. "This is new to us," Kozlowsky told CNN. "Finches are much easier to keep under the radar than roosters because they make less noise and they wouldn't arouse suspicions if someone had a lot of them." Watch police haul away the birds » Kozlowsky said police obtained a search warrant after a monthlong investigation and raided the home after receiving tips that an illegal fight was scheduled to take place. Wayne Kasacek of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, which helped remove the birds, said that at least four of the finches have eye injuries. Saffron finches are canary-size birds native to South America. | [
"How many people were arrested in the Connecticut home?",
"How much cash seized ?",
"What did the police say?",
"How much money was seized?",
"How many people were arrested?",
"What charges were made against the arrested people?",
"How many people arrested?",
"What are the charges?",
"What type of fighting is more difficult to conceal?"
] | [
[
"19"
],
[
"$8,000"
],
[
"they've never seen or heard of this kind of bird fighting before."
],
[
"$8,000"
],
[
"19"
],
[
"charged with animal cruelty and illegal gambling,"
],
[
"19"
],
[
"animal cruelty and illegal gambling,"
],
[
"roosters"
]
] | 19 people arrested, $8,000 in cash seized at a Connecticut home .
All arrested, originally from Brazil, being charged with animal cruelty, illegal gambling .
Police call such fighting unusual, say it's easier to conceal than rooster fighting .
Police say that raid came after tips and that some of the birds have eye injuries . |
(CNN) -- Police violated the rights of a man charged in the death of a Little Rock, Arkansas, anchorwoman by interviewing him twice without his lawyer present, defense attorneys said in a motion. Anne Pressly spent five days in the hospital before she died from her injuries. The motion requests a judge bar police from "interviewing, interrogating or otherwise communicating with" Curtis Lavell Vance. In their response, however, prosecutors note that Vance initiated both interviews with police and waived his right to have an attorney present. A hearing is scheduled Tuesday on the issue, according to the Pulaski County court clerk's office. Vance, 28, is charged with capital murder, rape, residential burglary and theft in the death of Anne Pressly. Pressly, 26, was found unconscious in her home October 20 and died five days later at a hospital. She was the morning news anchor for KATV, a CNN affiliate. Authorities have said Vance is linked to Pressly's death through DNA testing. Little Rock Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings and prosecutor John Johnson declined comment to CNN Monday, citing a gag order imposed in the case. However, in Johnson's response to the motion, he notes Vance initiated both of the interviews. In the defense motion filed earlier this month, Vance's public defenders wrote they notified the court in December that he intended to assert his right to remain silent and communicate only through his counsel. A judge issued an order directing that police provide sufficient notice to defense counsel before transporting Vance. However, the defense alleges Little Rock Police transported Vance to a police station and interviewed him without notifying them in December and again in February. In December, the attorneys said they were notified by jail staff that Vance had been taken for a police interview. They went to the jail and waited at the inmate entrance in hopes of seeing him as he arrived but police "deviated from normal practice and took him through an entrance on the opposite side of the building from that which is ordinarily used, thereby avoiding the possibility that Mr. Vance would see his attorneys." They said in December, police did not allow them to speak with Vance. In February, they claim in the motion, Vance was not notified of their request to speak with him during the police interview. Although police claim that both of the interviews were initiated by Vance, "the detectives' lack of candor with Mr. Vance during the interviews violates his Sixth Amendment right to counsel," the defense motion said. "LRPD detectives have engaged in subterfuge and have violated both the meaning and the express language of a standing court order in their successful attempts to interrogate Mr. Vance outside the presence of counsel." But, prosecutors point out in their response, a defendant is allowed to initiate contact with authorities, even if represented by counsel. "The only issue here is whether the defendant waived his Sixth Amendment right to counsel by initiating contact with the police, and clearly he did," Johnson wrote. They also said defense attorneys were notified in December that Vance was being transported from the jail -- by the jail staff. And in February, they said, police could not have violated the district court order in the case because the district court lost jurisdiction over the case when it was filed in circuit court -- as spelled out in the order itself. Prosecutors also note that despite requests by the defense to speak to Vance, "As counsel knows ... law enforcement is under no obligation to allow an attorney access to their client under these circumstances unless the defendant asks for the attorney." Vance's trial has been set for September 9, according to court documents. | [
"What right did Vance waive?",
"What did the prosecuter say Vance waived ?",
"What said Little Rock Police interviewed suspect twice without lawyers ?",
"Who is accused of raping, murdering KATV anchorwoman Anne Pressly ?",
"Who is Curtis Vance accused of raping and murdering?",
"How many times did Little Rock Police interview the suspect?",
"did the suspect ask for a lawyer?"
] | [
[
"to have an attorney present."
],
[
"his right to have an attorney present."
],
[
"defense attorneys"
],
[
"Curtis Lavell Vance."
],
[
"Anne Pressly"
],
[
"twice"
],
[
"communicate only through his counsel."
]
] | Motion says Little Rock Police interviewed suspect twice without lawyers .
Curtis Vance, 28, is accused of raping, murdering KATV anchorwoman Anne Pressly .
Prosecutor says Vance initiated interviews, waived right to have attorney present . |
(CNN) -- Political and anti-war activists in the Midwest said they were the target Friday of searches the FBI called part of an investigation into the "material support of terrorism."
Warrants led to the search of five residences and one office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said FBI spokesman Steve Warfield, who said there were no arrests. Two other searches were conducted in Chicago, Illinois.
Activist Tom Burke in Chicago said he and others in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan were served subpoenas to testify before a grand jury. He also said computer hard drives were taken from locations in both cities, as well as a cell phone in Minneapolis.
Warfield would not comment on that statement or provide details of the searches.
He also would not discuss the investigation, other than indicating it is the work of a joint task force on terrorism.
The Minneapolis searches were concluded by mid-afternoon Friday, Warfield said. Burke said many agents were still at a Chicago location Friday afternoon.
A coalition of groups represented on the Fight Back website released a statement condemning the raids as "harassment."
"We see them as a way to impair our freedom of speech," said Burke, a member of the Colombia Action Network. "We've done nothing wrong."
The coalition came together after a large anti-war protest at the Republication National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul in 2008, Burke said.
"We agree the U.S. should treat neighbors in peaceful ways," said Burke, pointing to conflict in the Middle East and Colombia. "We think they [the FBI] are on a fishing expedition."
Among the groups the activists are involved with are the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, and Students for a Democratic Society, which was active during the Vietnam War.
One of the apartments searched in Minneapolis belongs to Mick Kelly, an anti-war and government protestor, CNN affiliate KARE reported. Kelly said the search warrant indicated agents were looking for evidence of his travels to Latin America and Palestine.
Jessica Sundin of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee told CNN agents took a hard drive, paper files, photos, a cell phone and her passport during a search of her Minneapolis residence Friday.
Denying any wrongdoing, Sundin said she was given a subpoena to appear next month before a grand jury in Chicago. She said she will not cooperate with federal investigators, but will talk to lawyers before deciding whether to appear.
Sending American weapons and troops abroad is not the solution to international problems, Sundin said.
"We've been unapologetic in our opposition to U.S. intervention," she said.
The task force carrying out the raids comprised a number of local and federal agencies, KARE said.
CNN's Katherine Wojtecki contributed to this article | [
"Who said hard drives were taken",
"Where did FBI search homes?",
"Where is the office?",
"Who searched homes and offices",
"Who says hard drives were taken during the searches?",
"What is part of the probe",
"What was taken during the searches?",
"Who searches homes?",
"What did the the FBI say?"
] | [
[
"Activist Tom Burke"
],
[
"Minneapolis, Minnesota,"
],
[
"Minneapolis, Minnesota,"
],
[
"FBI"
],
[
"Tom Burke"
],
[
"anti-war activists in the Midwest"
],
[
"computer hard drives"
],
[
"FBI"
],
[
"Warrants led to the search of five residences and one office in Minneapolis, Minnesota,"
]
] | FBI searches homes, office in Minneapolis and Chicago .
The searches are part of a joint task force probe of terrorism, the FBI says .
An activist says hard drives were taken during the searches . |
(CNN) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs tried to hang himself earlier this year while he was in jail awaiting trial, according to court documents unsealed by a Utah judge on Tuesday.
Sect leader Warren Jeffs arrives in court to hear the verdict against him September 25 in St. George, Utah.
Jeffs, the leader and so-called prophet of the 10,000-member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is now awaiting sentencing after being convicted on two counts of being an accomplice to rape.
The documents, released by Fifth District Judge James Shumate at the request of the media, also indicate that Jeffs confessed to "immorality" with a "sister" and a daughter more than 30 years ago.
Among the documents is a competency report on Jeffs completed in April, in which social worker Eric Nielsen wrote that throughout the month of January, Jeffs refused food and drink and developed ulcers on his knees from kneeling in prayer for hours.
On January 28, the report said, he attempted to hang himself in his cell. In the days following the suicide attempt, while he was on suicide watch, Jeffs on separate occasions threw himself against the wall and banged his head on the wall.
Jail transcripts show that Jeffs' suicide attempt came three days after a visit with his brother, Nephi, in which he said, "I am not the prophet. I never was the prophet, and I have been deceived by the powers of evil ... I ask for everyone's forgiveness." Jeffs also told his brother: "Farewell forever."
The day before that, Jeffs told a follower in a phone conversation that he was "covered with immorality with a sister and a daughter when I was younger." In the FLDS, members call adult women "sister," and Jeffs' meaning was unclear.
Jeffs' defense attorneys, who argued against the release of the documents, said in a motion opposing the unsealing of the statements that Jeffs recanted them the following month. Defense attorneys claim Jeffs' medical condition influenced his state of mind when the statements were made.
They presented Shumate with a letter from another Jeffs attorney, arguing that the statements' release could influence an Arizona jury when Jeffs stands trial in that state.
Jeffs, 51, was convicted in September of being an accomplice to rape. He was accused of using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marriage to her 19-year-old cousin. He faces a sentence of up to life in prison when he is sentenced November 20.
The FLDS -- which is not affiliated with the mainstream Mormon church -- is based in the side-by-side border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. Jeffs, a former school headmaster, is the son of the sect's previous president and "prophet," Rulon Jeffs, who died in 2002.
Jeffs was on the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives list when he was arrested in August 2006 outside Las Vegas, Nevada.
Critics say that inside the FLDS, marriages are arranged for girls as young as 13, and competition for brides may be reduced by exiling male teens and young men. If male followers are excommunicated, critics claim, wives and children can be reassigned.
During Jeffs' trial, defense attorneys claimed authorities were persecuting Jeffs because of his religious beliefs, including practicing polygamy as the way to heaven.
If Jeffs disavowed being the prophet of the FLDS, it could cause upheaval within the secretive sect. However, two of his followers who spoke to CNN -- although FLDS members usually do not talk to reporters -- said they do not believe he made the statements.
"He is a perfectly priestly man," said a woman who identified herself as Cathy. "He is a man of God, and we will always love him. Once a prophet, always a prophet."
Her husband, Patrick, told CNN, "It's hogwash. I don't believe it ... I will always consider him my prophet." E-mail to a friend
CNN's Gary Tuchman contributed | [
"what did attorneys say?",
"Jeffs confessed to what?",
"Who had a suicide attempt?",
"Which prophet is he?",
"Who attempted suicide?",
"What did Jeff confess to?",
"What did Jeffs confess to?",
"Does Jeffs believe he is \"the prophet?\"",
"what did Jeffs after suicide attempt?",
"When will Jeffs be sentenced?",
"when is he due to be sentenced?",
"What is Jeffs' charge?",
"What did he do after suicide attempt?",
"What caused his suicide?",
"What is the charge Jeffs is due to be sentenced on?",
"What do his attorneys say about him?",
"When is Jeffs due to be sentenced?",
"What did Jeffs repeatedly bang on cell wall?",
"What charge does he face?",
"When is Jeffs de for sentence?",
"What did Jeffs do after his suicide attempt?"
] | [
[
"claim Jeffs' medical condition influenced his state of mind when the statements were made."
],
[
"\"immorality\" with a \"sister\" and a daughter more than 30 years ago."
],
[
"Jeffs'"
],
[
"sect leader Warren Jeffs"
],
[
"Warren Jeffs"
],
[
"\"immorality\" with a \"sister\" and a daughter more than 30 years ago."
],
[
"\"immorality\" with a \"sister\" and a daughter"
],
[
"\"I am not the prophet."
],
[
"on separate occasions threw himself against the wall and banged his head on the wall."
],
[
"September 25"
],
[
"November 20."
],
[
"two counts of being an accomplice to rape."
],
[
"threw himself against the wall and banged his head"
],
[
"being convicted on two counts of being an accomplice to rape."
],
[
"rape."
],
[
"statements' release could influence an Arizona jury when Jeffs stands trial in that state."
],
[
"November 20."
],
[
"his head"
],
[
"followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marriage to her 19-year-old cousin."
],
[
"sentenced November 20."
],
[
"threw himself against the wall and banged"
]
] | Documents say after suicide attempt, Jeffs repeatedly banged head on cell wall .
Transcripts say Jeffs confessed to "immorality," said he is not "the prophet"
Jeffs' attorneys say he has recanted statements .
Jeffs due to be sentenced November 20 on accomplice to rape charge . |
(CNN) -- Pop star David Cassidy filed suit on Wednesday against Sony, claiming he was not paid for his image on merchandise from the hit television show, "The Partridge Family," in which he starred.
"For nearly 40 years, defendants have swindled Mr. Cassidy out of his rightful share of the profits from The Partridge Family, and when Mr. Cassidy has inquired as to the matter, have lied to him so as to continue to conceal their deception," said the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
"Mr. Cassidy has reason to believe, and does reasonably believe, that defendants have been perpetrating a scam" and "will continue to go to any and all lengths necessary, no matter how despicable, to avoid upholding" his contract, the suit said.
Named as defendants are Sony Pictures Entertainment, and subsidiaries Screen Gems Inc. and CPT Holdings Inc.
The suit, which alleges fraud and breach of contract, demands "in excess of millions of dollars, in amount to be determined at trial."
A Sony spokeswoman said the company does not comment on matters involving litigation.
In an interview with CNN, Cassidy, 61, said he simply wants what's owed to him.
"It's just a matter of being fair, and doing the right thing," Cassidy said. "I have no other alternative if Sony is not going to be reasonable."
He told CNN that his former manager told him he has only been paid about $5,000 for merchandise.
"I'm going to let a jury decide if David Cassidy is entitled to his fair share," he told CNN.
Under his 1971 contract with Screen Gems, Cassidy was supposed to get 15 percent of net merchandising revenues for the use of his image, voice or likeness, and no more than half of that for items in which that if other cast members appeared.
"Mr. Cassidy quickly became a teen idol," the suit, filed by attorneys Kenneth Linzer, Rachael Shinoskie and Elisha Weiner, states. "At the height of the show's success, he received an average of 30,000 letters from fans a week; having the largest fan club in the world in its day, surpassing even Elvis Presley and The Beatles."
The suit said the show, which aired from 1970 to 1974, was one of the first -- if not the first -- to be merchandized on a worldwide scale with board games, magazines, coloring books, paperbacks, posters, pillow cases, toy guitars, dollars, lunch boxes, beach towels, pencil cases, comic books, children's' clothing, and music sales.
"All of which, it has been reported by knowledgeable news sources, generated nearly $500 million for defendants," the suit said.
Despite promises in his 1971 contract to provide financial statements for merchandising, Sony has "either never provided such accountings and reports, or provided such accountings and reports only begrudgingly, inconsistently, inaccurately and fraudulently."
In a letter sent to Sony in May, Cassidy's attorney Craig Marshall, requested a full accounting of the merchandise.
"We are formally requesting an accounting and payment for any and all sale, exploitation, or other use of Cassidy's name, likeness, voice or other exercise of such merchandising rights," states the letter to Gregory Boone, executive vice president of legal affairs for Sony Pictures Television. "In that regard, we also request a prompt and full accounting and payment of proceeds for any merchandise that was sold, exploited or otherwise used subsequent to the rights period set forth in the agreement."
Boone responded in a letter that Sony "could not (and so far as we know did not) enter into any new merchandising licenses" using Cassidy's "name, voice and likeness rights" after the show went off the air.
"We have searched for copies of the merchandising net proceeds rendered to Mr. Cassidy in the 1970s, but have been unable to locate them," the letter said. "However, we did find some correspondence...showing that Mr. Cassidy | [
"A spokeswoman from which company had no comment?",
"David Cassidy was a pop icon when?",
"What age is David Cassidy?",
"Who did Cassidy file against?",
"What is the \"Partridge Family\"?",
"What did the lawsuit allege?"
] | [
[
"Sony"
],
[
"1970s,"
],
[
"61,"
],
[
"Sony,"
],
[
"hit television show,"
],
[
"fraud and breach of contract,"
]
] | 1970s pop icon David Cassidy filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Sony .
The lawsuit claims Cassidy has been 'swindled' out of merchandising profits .
Cassidy, 61, says he has only received $5,000 from Partridge Family merchandise .
A Sony spokeswoman had no comment . |
(CNN) -- Pop star Madonna and her adopted son met with the young boy's biological father in Malawi as the singer awaited a court decision on whether she could adopt a girl from the same country, her publicist said Tuesday.
Madonna holds her adopted Malawian son, David Banda, in 2007.
Liz Rosenberg said in a statement that Madonna and her son David met Monday with David's birth father, Yohanne Banda, for the first time since the young boy was adopted in 2006.
"Madonna is committed to maintaining an ongoing relationship with David's Malawian roots," Rosenberg said.
The publicist also confirmed, in the first public acknowledgment of what has been reported for weeks, that Madonna has filed an application "to adopt Mercy James, a 3-year-old girl Madonna met two years ago in an orphanage that she visited."
A spokeswoman for Malawi's attorney general told CNN that the singer appeared Monday in court in that country, one of the poorest nations in the world, for a hearing on whether she would be allowed to adopt the girl.
Madonna is to return to court Friday to hear the judge's decision in the matter, spokeswoman Zione Ntaba said.
The child's family will have to give their permission for the adoption to proceed, according to Martin Geissler, a reporter for the ITN television network who is in Malawi.
Madonna has been involved with Malawi for several years. She made a documentary, "I Am Because We Are," which highlighted poverty, AIDS and other diseases devastating that country's children. She also helps run a nonprofit, Raising Malawi, which implements initiatives to help the needy in the southeastern African nation. | [
"What will the judge rule on?",
"Was David Banda adopted?",
"Who did he reunite with?",
"Who is adopting Mercy James?",
"Whose adoption is sought?",
"Who will rule on whether adoption can go forward Friday?",
"Who will the singer adopt?"
] | [
[
"whether she could adopt a girl"
],
[
"2006."
],
[
"biological father"
],
[
"Madonna"
],
[
"Mercy James,"
],
[
"judge's decision"
],
[
"Mercy James, a 3-year-old girl"
]
] | David Banda reunited with dad for first time since his adoption .
Publicist confirms singer's application to adopt Mercy James .
Judge will rule on whether adoption can go forward Friday . |
(CNN) -- Pop star Michael Jackson will avoid foreclosure on his Neverland Ranch property with a new loan, a Jackson insider told CNN Wednesday. Michael Jackson owes millions of dollars on his sprawling property in the Santa Ynez Valley in California. Documents show that Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California, is scheduled for a public auction on March 19 at Santa Barbara's downtown courthouse. But the Jackson source said that won't happen. "Michael Jackson's ranch is not going to be auctioned off at the courthouse," the Jackson insider said. "The financing is all being worked out." "There are plenty of lenders willing to work with him. The real estate market is very bad right now and Jackson is being affected just like many other Americans," the source said. The Santa Barbara County Recorder's Web site lists a "notice of trustees sale" by Jackson and his property lenders, Financial Title Company, filed Monday. In California, title companies typically represent lenders in foreclosure cases. A notice of trustees sale cannot be posted earlier than 90 days after a notice of default is filed. That notice is not filed unless a loan is in substantial default, sometimes six months or more past due. A real estate source inside Santa Barbara County said the trustees filing is only the first step in a long process that could drag on for months. The real estate source said other options are available to Jackson, including selling the ranch directly to another party or making a payment on his $24.5 million Neverland debt that would satisfy the trustee. The recorder's Web site also reveals there was a release of lien on Jackson on February 4, showing he paid off all or part of delinquent taxes to the state of California. "It seems unlikely that someone would pay off back taxes, only to let the ranch go up for auction a few weeks later," said the real estate source. Jackson has not lived at Neverland since June 2005, after a Santa Barbara County jury found him not guilty of child molestation charges. E-mail to a friend | [
"When did he last live at the Ranch",
"When is public auction being held",
"How much does Jackson owe on the property",
"How long has Jackson not lived at Neverland Ranch?",
"When is the public auction?"
] | [
[
"June 2005,"
],
[
"on March 19"
],
[
"millions of dollars"
],
[
"since June 2005,"
],
[
"March 19"
]
] | A public auction has been set for March 19, according to court documents .
Jackson owes $24.5 million on the property .
Jackson insider: "The financing is all being worked out"
The singer has not lived at Neverland Ranch since June 2005 . |
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI ended 2009 much as he began it -- with a major gaffe that angered Jews. He started the year by welcoming a Holocaust-denying bishop back into the fold, and ended it by putting the controversial World War II-era Pope Pius XII one step closer to sainthood. Both caused uproars. "It seems that the pope doesn't always know what's going out under his name, or the impact of what's going out under his name, which is very strange to observe because John Paul II was so media-savvy," said Ruth Ellen Gruber, a Jewish journalist and author who has long been based in Rome. The Pius XII episode "seems to be yet again a case where they didn't estimate what the response would be," Gruber said. In both cases the pope quickly found himself having to explain and clarify. He lifted the decades-old excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson in January, part of an effort to reconcile an ultra-conservative movement with the Vatican. Three other bishops associated with the Society of St. Pius X were un-excommunicated at the same time. The excommunications were not related to Williamson's Holocaust denial. But it was Williamson who caused outrage, not only among Jews but also among German Catholic bishops and politicians, because the bishop had been filmed denying that the Nazis systematically set out to murder Jews in the Holocaust. The video was freely available on YouTube -- and by March, the pope was admitting the Vatican should have Googled Williamson before letting him back into the church. The excommunication's remission caused "a discussion more heated than any we have seen for a long time," Benedict XVI wrote in an open letter to bishops in March. "I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on," the pope acknowledged. "I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news." He made his first visit as pope to Israel in the wake of the controversy -- a visit planned long before the Williamson uproar erupted -- and delivered a clear message: "Every effort must be made to fight anti-Semitism wherever it is found." But fresh controversy blew up this month when he issued a decree proclaiming the "heroic virtues" of Pope Pius XII. Pius, who reigned from 1939 to 1958, is perhaps the most controversial pope of modern times, accused by detractors of not speaking out against the Nazi persecution of Jews. (John Cornwell titled his book about Pius XII "Hitler's Pope," just to make his point perfectly clear.) Israel Meir Lau, a former chief rabbi of Israel and himself a Holocaust survivor, said it would "shame" the Vatican to declare Pius XII a saint. "Especially not now, when many survivors are still alive. It will hurt them deeply to know that the man who could save [them], could do much more and did not do it," he said. "It is not a good education for generations to come." Even as the Holocaust was going on, the United States was pushing Pius XII to act. "At the time of the Holocaust, questions about Pius XII's public silence were raised by Myron Taylor, the U.S. representative to the Vatican, and Taylor's assistant, Harold Tittman, who requested that the Holy See speak out on the issue," the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said Monday. "The opening of the post-1939 archival material is essential to a proper assessment of Pius XII. Only then will a sound and accurate portrait of his moral leadership during the Holocaust be possible," the museum argued. Benedict's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, called Pius XII an "important pope that we know was guiding the church in very difficult times." The Vatican has long argued that Pius did more behind the scenes to help Jews than he gets credit for -- but has not produced proof. It | [
"Who was angry with Benedict in January?",
"What did Pius do?",
"What is Pius accused of?",
"What is Pius accused of by critics?",
"Who angered Jews?",
"Who is in trouble for praise of World War II-era Pope Pius XII?",
"Who is in trouble for praising Pope Pius?"
] | [
[
"Jews."
],
[
"not speaking out against the Nazi persecution of Jews."
],
[
"denying that the Nazis systematically set out to murder Jews in the Holocaust."
],
[
"detractors of not speaking out against the Nazi persecution of Jews."
],
[
"Pope"
],
[
"Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Benedict XVI"
]
] | Pope Benedict XVI in trouble for praise of World War II-era Pope Pius XII .
Pius is accused by critics of failing to speak out against Nazis and Holocaust .
Vatican says Benedict was just agreeing with panel considering Pius for sainthood .
Benedict angered Jews in January with support for Holocaust-denying bishop . |
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI is expected to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday, the first meeting between the religious leaders since a Catholic overture to disaffected Anglicans that some commentators compared to a hostile takeover on Wall Street. Rowan Williams, the nominal head of the world Anglican Communion, threw down a theological gauntlet to the pope in a highly challenging speech in Rome in the run-up to their meeting. He laid out a series of questions suggesting that decades of hard-won apparent reconciliation between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations might have weak foundations. He also proposed that a truly universal Christian church might have to be structured more like the Anglican Communion -- with no central authority laying down the law -- than like the Catholic Church, with the pope on his throne. "Is there a mechanism in the church that has the clear right to determine for all where the limits of Christian identity might be found?" Williams asked. "Is the integrity of the church ultimately dependent on a single identifiable ministry of unity to which all local ministries are accountable?" The meeting comes in the wake of a Vatican move that some say will shatter more than 40 years of efforts to reconcile the Catholic and Anglican churches. The Vatican announced in October that it had worked out a way for Anglicans who are dissatisfied with their church to switch allegiance en masse to Rome. The process will enable groups of Anglicans to become Catholic and recognize the pope as their leader, yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites, Vatican officials said. The move comes some 450 years after King Henry VIII broke from Rome and created the Church of England, forerunner of the Anglican Communion. The number of Anglicans wishing to join the Catholic Church has increased in recent years as the Anglican Church has welcomed the ordination of women and openly gay clergy, said Cardinal William Joseph Levada, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in announcing the move in October. Williams was said to have been taken by surprise by the move, which critics described as an end run around a long-established Catholic-Anglican dialogue. "The Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion," Levada said. Levada said "hundreds" of Anglicans around the world have expressed their desire to join the Catholic Church. Among them are 50 Anglican bishops, said Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia of the Congregation for Divine Worship. Catholic and Anglican theology and rites are broadly similar, but Anglicans have long allowed priests to marry and have children. In recent decades, the Anglican Communion has allowed women to become priests. The Episcopal Church, the United States branch of the Anglican Communion, has ordained an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, and appears to be on the verge of ordaining more. Those developments have caused controversy within the communion, with more conservative parishes setting up alternative structures of authority. Pope Benedict hinted clearly when he last met Williams in Rome almost exactly three years ago to the day that Rome did not look kindly on the Anglican moves. "Recent developments, especially concerning the ordained ministry and certain moral teachings, have affected not only internal relations within the Anglican Communion but also relations between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church," the pope said in November 2006. "We believe that these matters, which are presently under discussion within the Anglican Communion, are of vital importance to the preaching of the gospel in its integrity, and that your current discussions will shape the future of our relations," he added. There are about 77 million Anglicans worldwide, and about 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. | [
"who has welcomed ordination of women, openly gay clergy?",
"who is going to meet?",
"The Anglican church has welcomed two things, what are they",
"who has recently opened door to disillusioned Anglicans wanting to join Catholic Church?",
"Who is to meet with Anglican head to discuss ideologies"
] | [
[
"the Anglican Church"
],
[
"the Archbishop of Canterbury"
],
[
"the ordination of women and openly gay clergy,"
],
[
"Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Pope"
]
] | Pope Benedict XVI, Anglican head to meet, discuss ideologies .
Vatican recently opened door to disillusioned Anglicans wanting to join Catholic Church .
Anglican Church has welcomed ordination of women, openly gay clergy . |
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI refused Wednesday to soften the Vatican's ban on condom use as he arrived in Africa for his first visit to the continent as pope.
Cameroonian President Paul Biya, left, walks with Pope Benedict XVI at the airport in Yaounde, Tuesday.
He landed in Cameroon, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Angola.
Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region of the world, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization. There has been fierce debate between those who advocate the use of condoms to help stop the spread of the epidemic and those who oppose it.
The pontiff reiterated the Vatican's policy on condom use as he flew from Rome to Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said.
Pope Benedict has always made it clear he intends to uphold the traditional Catholic teaching on artificial contraception -- a "clear moral prohibition" -- Allen said. But his remarks Tuesday were among the first times he stated the policy explicitly since he became pope nearly four years ago.
He has, however, assembled a panel of scientists and theologians to consider the narrow question of whether to allow condoms for married couples, one of whom has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
It is still not clear how the pope will rule on the matter, said Allen, who is also a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.
The Catholic Church has long been on the front line of HIV care, he said, adding that it is probably the largest private provider of HIV care in the world.
More than 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, according to a 2008 UNAIDS/WHO report. Nine out of 10 children with HIV in the world live in the region, which has 11.4 million orphans because of AIDS, the report said, and 1.5 million people there died of the disease in 2007. | [
"What made him choose Cameroon?",
"Who is visiting Cameroon?",
"What did he do in Africa?",
"What is he visiting?",
"Where did AIDS and HIV hit the hardest?",
"What is the current AIDS and HIV rate?",
"What is the name of the Pope?",
"Where did he arrive?"
] | [
[
"AIDS and HIV"
],
[
"Pope"
],
[
"reiterated the Vatican's policy on condom use"
],
[
"Africa"
],
[
"Sub-Saharan Africa"
],
[
"Nine out of 10 children"
],
[
"Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Africa"
]
] | Pope Benedict XVI refuses to soften the Vatican's ban on condom use .
He made comments as he arrived in Africa for his first visit to the continent as pope .
He is visiting Cameroon, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Angola .
Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region . |
(CNN) -- Pope John Paul II used to beat himself with a belt and sleep on a bare floor to bring himself closer to Christ, a book published Wednesday says.
The late pope had a particular belt for self-flagellation and brought it with him to his summer residence, according to the book, "Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul II."
"As some members of his own entourage were able to hear with their own ears, both in Poland and in the Vatican, Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself," the book says, using the name the pope was given at birth.
"In the closet, among the cloaks, a particular pant-belt hung from a hook, which he utilized as a whip and one which he always had brought to Castel Gandolfo," the book says.
The book was written by a Vatican insider, Slawomir Oder, with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta of the Catholic weekly Christian Family. Oder is head of the Vatican committee investigating whether John Paul II should be declared a saint. John Paul died in 2005.
The evil albino monk in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" may be the best-known example of self-flagellation these days, but the practice is not unusual in Catholicism -- or nearly as extreme as it is shown in the movie.
"When members or former members [of Opus Dei] see the monk go at it in the movie, they just burst out laughing, it's so nutty," said the Rev. Michael Barrett, a priest of the Catholic Opus Dei sect.
In actual Catholic self-flagellation, "there is no blood, no injury, nothing to harm a person's health, nothing traumatic. If it caused any harm, the Church would not allow it," he wrote on Opus Dei's Web site when the movie came out in 2006.
"This voluntarily accepted discomfort is a way of joining oneself to Jesus Christ and the sufferings he voluntarily accepted in order to redeem us from sin. 'The Da Vinci Code's' masochist monk, who loves pain for its own sake, has nothing to do with real Christian mortification," Barrett said.
Mother Teresa is among famous Catholics who self-flagellated in some way, Barrett said.
Catholics are not alone in choosing to inflict pain on themselves for religion reasons. Some Shiite Muslims lash themselves until they bleed when marking the mourning period of Ashura, while fasting is practiced by people in several religions, including Jews on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.
David Gibson, a journalist who worked for Vatican Radio when John Paul II was pope, pointed out that the pontiff wrote an apostolic letter -- essentially a papal position paper -- on suffering in 1984.
"Christ did not conceal from his listeners the need for suffering. He said very clearly: 'If any man would come after me ... let him take up his cross daily,' " the pope wrote, quoting the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus, the pope wrote, "suffered in place of man and for man. Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished.
"In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ," says the letter, Salvifici Doloris, On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering.
"John Paul was a product of a very Old World Polish Catholicism," said Gibson, who now writes on religion for Politics Daily.
"He was a very disciplined man and a very rigorous man in his personal spirituality," he said.
The authors of the new book clearly approve of any whipping the pope did of himself, he added.
"Even though it's going to weird people out, it's obviously seen by his postulators as a sign of his holiness," he said, using the technical term for the person | [
"what Pope used to beat himself?",
"who \"a particular pant-belt\" to beat himself, book says?",
"who says \"Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul II\"?",
"what did he do",
"what pope is this",
"when John Paul wrot a apostolic letter on suffering?"
] | [
[
"John Paul II"
],
[
"Pope"
],
[
"Slawomir Oder,"
],
[
"used to beat himself with a belt and sleep on a bare floor"
],
[
"John Paul II"
],
[
"1984."
]
] | "Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul II" also says he slept on a bare floor .
Pope used "a particular pant-belt" to beat himself, book says .
John Paul wrote an apostolic letter on suffering in 1984 .
Journalist compares flagellation to fasting or other forms of self-sacrifice . |
(CNN) -- Portugal declared three days of national mourning Monday amid fears the death toll from devastating floods and mudslides on the island of Madeira could rise above 42.
Search teams have been working to find more victims after floodwaters caused by heavy rains swamped the capital Funchal, unleashing a torrent of mud that swept away homes, roads and trees. At least 120 people were injured.
Rescuers were trying to drain a two-story undergound car park at a shopping center where many people are thought to have become trapped.
Rescuers feared were that when rains started on Saturday many people may have rushed to retrieve their cars, but ended up trapped in the car park, CNN's Portuguese affiliate, RTP state TV, reported.
Flags were flying at half staff on government buildings in Lisbon in respect of the victims. European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso was due there later Monday to give a news conference describing what assistance the European Union can offer to Portugal.
Madeira-born footballer Cristiano Ronaldo also paid tribute to the victims as his team Real Madrid played Villarreal on Sunday. He lifted his jersey after scoring a goal to reveal a white T-shirt with "Madeira" written on it.
Ronaldo wrote on his blog later that he was "incredulous, shocked and dismayed" by the disaster, and offered his assistance.
The mayor of Funchal, Miguel Alburquerque, has warned it was "very probable" the toll will rise.
"Our main concern is for the damaged and flooded homes, the cars buried and swept away by water, where we fear we will find new bodies," he told the Jornal de Madeira newspaper, according to Agence France-Presse.
Rescuers were still hunting for other people believed missing in the deluge as efforts to clear up got under way.
Authorities said about 250 people had been evacuated to military bases and other safe locations.
Pedro Barbosa of the Civil Protection Agency told CNN all the damage occurred in just a few hours Saturday morning due to "very concentrated, very intense" rains that sparked flooding and mudslides.
The mudslides and flooding damaged roads and homes in Funchal, and in Ribeira Brava, which are both on the southern portion of the Atlantic island.
Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is a popular resort destination. There have been no reports of any dead or missing tourists.
Barbosa said Saturday's heavy rains were the worst in Madeira since 1993, when a storm killed eight people.
Madeira is one of the Madeira Islands, an archipelago about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) southwest of the Portuguese mainland.
CNN's Al Goodman contributed to this report. | [
"How many were injured?",
"Who paid tribute to the victims?",
"What number of people were injured?",
"What number of people were killed?",
"What did Portugal announce?",
"Who paid tribute to victims?",
"Who also paid tribute to victims?",
"Who announced three days of mourning?",
"What island had floods?"
] | [
[
"At least 120"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"120"
],
[
"could rise above 42."
],
[
"three days of national mourning"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Portugal"
],
[
"Madeira"
]
] | Portugal announces three days of mourning to victims of floods on island of Madeira .
Madeira-born footballer Cristiano Ronaldo also paid tribute to victims .
At least 42 people killed, 120 injured in disaster .
Hundreds of residents were evacuated to military bases and other safe locations . |
(CNN) -- Portugal have confirmed that captain Cristiano Ronaldo will not be fit for the World Cup playoffs against Bosnia-Herzegovina, thus ending a growing club-versus-country row. The Portuguese Football Federation had insisted that the world's most expensive player travel home to be assessed, despite his Spanish club Real Madrid insisting that he could not play due to his ongoing ankle problems. Coach Carlos Queiroz had selected the forward in his squad for Saturday's match in Lisbon and the return leg in Zenica four days later despite the objections of the Spanish club. Real at first refused to release the 24-year-old, having sent him to see Dutch specialist Niek van Dijk, but relented on Tuesday to allow the Portuguese medics to make their own verdict. "After clinical evaluation and imaging, it was concluded that the player is not physically able to integrate the preparation stage of the national team for these games," read a statement on the Portuguese FF's Web site on Tuesday night. "The Portuguese Football Federation wish the player a good and quick recovery." Ronaldo has been sidelined since October 10, when he aggravated an ankle problem playing for Portugal in a qualifier that he had suffered on club duty the previous month. Real do not expect him to be fit for at least another two weeks, but Portugal had hoped he could help them qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Queiroz defended his decision to make Ronaldo travel home to be assessed. "Based on the rules and principles governing clubs and associations, we have put Cristiano in the squad," he said. "I was coach of Real. The club deserves respect. I know the medical team, president and CE,. I have every respect for that club. This fact cannot compel me to put any club below or above the others. All clubs and players deserve equal treatment." | [
"Who will not be fit for the Wold Cup playoffs?",
"Who traveled to Portugal?",
"Which coach selected Ronaldo?",
"How many years old is Cristiano Ronaldo?",
"who selected him?",
"Of which team is Cristiano Ronaldo the star?",
"Who is the coach who selected Cristiano Ronaldo?"
] | [
[
"captain Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Carlos Queiroz"
],
[
"24-year-old,"
],
[
"Coach Carlos Queiroz"
],
[
"Spanish club Real Madrid"
],
[
"Carlos Queiroz"
]
] | Real Madrid's injured star forward Cristiano Ronaldo will not be fit for World Cup playoffs .
The 24-year-old was named in Portugal squad for matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina .
Coach Carlos Queiroz selected him despite Real's objections due to his ankle problems .
Real let Ronaldo travel to Portugal for tests, where it was confirmed that he could not play . |
(CNN) -- Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been unveiled as Real Madrid's new number 9, in front of 80,000 passionate fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, after his world record $130 million move from Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo is paraded in front of 80,000 passionate supporters at a packed Bernabeu stadium. The event marked the culmination of a two-year pursuit of the player by the Spanish club, which defied the global downturn with exorbitant spending to capture the man voted the world's best footballer by world governing body FIFA. "I have made my childhood dream a reality -- to play for Real Madrid," Ronaldo told the packed stands. "I am just so happy to be here," he said to a rapturous reception from the gathered thousands. "I really didn't expect a jam-packed stadium -- this is truly impressive." Watch tens of thousands greet Ronaldo » Ronaldo is the fourth major signing of the close season by Real, as the club, fueled by the financial muscle of returning president and property magnate Florentino Perez, aims to recapture the glory that has seen them win more European Cups than any other side. The transfer of Brazil's Kaka and defender Raul Albiol was followed by the arrival of French striker Karim Benzema from Lyon on Thursday, as Perez assembles a second wave of "galacticos," following his previous success with big-names such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. Benzema's transfer fee is reported to be in the region of $60 million, taking Madrid's spending to an astonishing $300 million this in recent months. Perez claimed Monday's event "might not have a precedent." "We are very satisfied to know that you made the firm decision to play for Real Madrid," Perez said. He told Ronaldo what to expect from his new adoring fans, adding: "They will ask of you the very best, but will also give you their all." The attendance at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium swamped the estimated 55,000 that watched Kaka's unveiling last Tuesday, and is believed to be the biggest turnout for a presentation since a reported 75,000 saw the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli from Barcelona in 1984. Watch fans line up before Ronaldo's unveiling » Earlier, Ronaldo successfully completed his medical with Madrid after landing in the Spanish capital just after midday. Carlos Diez, Real Madrid's medical chief, told teh club's Web site: "(Ronaldo) is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible." Ronaldo had already undergone initial medical tests with the Spanish giants while on holiday in Portugal last month, which the player claimed at the time had gone "perfectly". Diez added: "He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity. We have complemented everything that we already did in Portugal and done all the specific tests. "Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance. For him (Ronaldo), it's a dream, and this dream starts to convert into reality from now." The number nine jersey was recently vacated by Argentine striker Javier Saviola who joined Portuguese side Benfica last month. | [
"What club has unveiled Cristiano Ronaldo as the new No. 9?",
"who was unveiled as real madrids new no. 9?",
"Who is unveiled as Real Madrid's new No.9?",
"who paid manchester united a world records?",
"Who paraded in front of thousands of supporters?",
"How many supporter were at the Santiago Berbabeu?",
"How much did Real Madrid pay Manchester United?"
] | [
[
"Real Madrid's"
],
[
"Portugal"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"Real Madrid's"
],
[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
],
[
"80,000"
],
[
"$130 million"
]
] | Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is unveiled as Real Madrid's new No. 9 .
Ronaldo paraded in front of thousands of supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu .
Real Madrid have paid Manchester United world record $130 million for player . |
(CNN) -- Portugal will face Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place in Euro 2012 after the pair were drawn together in the playoffs to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Portugal, coached by former international midfielder Paulo Bento, qualifed for the 2010 World Cup finals courtesy of a playoff success against Safet Susic's Bosnia Herzegovina, and the Euro 2004 hosts and finalists will have to repeat the feat over two legs.
Portugal will have home advantage for the second leg on November 15, with the first leg set to take place on November 11 or 12.
Three other ties were drawn at the ceremony in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, with Croatia set to face Turkey in a repeat of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal.
Denmark seal Euro 2012 spot after beating Portugal
Turkey, now coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, claimed a penalty shootout victory when the two sides met in Vienna four years ago before losing to Germany in the semifinals.
Estonia will have to overcome Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland if they are to qualify for their first major soccer championship.
Ireland will be making their sixth appearance in a major tournament playoff, having missed out on last year's World Cup when a controversial William Gallas goal, after an apparent handball from Thierry Henry, condemned them to defeat against France.
The final playoff pits Euro 1996 runners-up Czech Republic against Montenegro, who are bidding to reach their first tournament since gaining independence in 2006.
There are 12 teams already assured of their place in the competition, with co-hosts Poland and Ukraine being joined by reigning world and European champions Spain and 1988 winners Netherlands.
The other eight teams who have already qualified are Germany, England, Italy, Russia, France, Greece, Denmark and Sweden.
The draw for the group stage of the four-yearly tournament will be made on December 2, ahead of the competition's first match on June 8 2012. | [
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"What is Portugal trying to qualify for?",
"What country will Croatia play?",
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"who will face Bosnia Herzegovina for a place at Euro 2012?",
"Montenegro will play against who?",
"Turkey will play who in Thursday's playoff draw?",
"who is paired in Thursday's playoff draw?"
] | [
[
"Bosnia and Herzegovina"
],
[
"a place in Euro 2012"
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[
"Turkey"
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[
"Poland and Ukraine"
],
[
"Portugal"
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[
"Czech Republic"
],
[
"Croatia"
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[
"Bosnia and Herzegovina"
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] | Portugal will face Bosnia Herzegovina for a place at Euro 2012 .
Croatia and Turkey also paired in Thursday's playoff draw .
Republic of Ireland and Estonia to face each other .
Czech Republic go head-to-head with Montenegro . |
(CNN) -- Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho caused outcry this week when he substituted Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari due to his low-energy levels -- which were a result of fasting. Muntari is a practicing Muslim who, like many of the same faith around the world, is currently not eating during the hours of daylight to mark the Ramadan holy period. The midfielder is not the only high-profile player who will be fasting, check out Fanzone's First XI of Islamic stars.. | [
"What religion is the Ghanaian midfielder?",
"Who else is a high-profile jihadist?",
"Who did Jose Mourinho substitute?",
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"Sulley Muntari"
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] | Jose Mourinho substituted Sulley Muntari because he had been low energy .
The Ghanaian midfielder is a Muslim and had been fasting during Ramadan .
France international Franck Ribery is another high-profile Muslim . |
(CNN) -- Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho, ever the headline creator, has caused further outcry this week after he substituted Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari from his Inter Milan side during their Italian Serie A clash with Bari. Inter midfielder Sulley Muntari was substitued Jose Mourinho for his low-energy levels as a result of fasting. Taking a tired player from the field of play was hardly breaking news, at least it wasn't until Mourinho revealed the move had been prompted because the player's perceived "low-energy levels" were as a result of fasting. Muntari is a practicing Muslim who, like many of the same faith around the world, is currently not eating during the hours of daylight to mark the Ramadan holy period .Should fasting footballers be dropped by their managers? Sound Off below. A discipline that clearly irked Mourinho who said in a post-match press conference: "Muntari had some problems related to Ramadan, perhaps with this heat it's not good for him to be doing this (fasting). Ramadan has not arrived at the ideal moment for a player to play a football match." Muslim leaders in Italy have criticized the opinions of the coach known as the "Special One", but Mourinho did not rule out the possibility of dropping the player for the Milan derby between arch rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan this weekend for the same reason. Click here to see our gallery of the top 10 Muslim football stars » Elsewhere in Italy, fellow Muslim and Siena striker Abdelkader Ghezzal added to the debate by revealing he cannot fast and play at the same time. "I've always observed Ramadan but I have had to change my habits for health reasons from the first year that I became a professional. Before that I played at Crotone [while fasting] but after two weeks I felt ill and had to stop." Egypt's Under-20 football squad passed up the chance to break the Ramadan fast to help them prepare for the forthcoming World Youth Championship which they host at the end of September. The Egyptian Football Association confirmed that the Dar al-Ifta, the country's institution which clarifies religious principles and issues edicts, had given specific permission for the players to legitimately avoid fasting. It is not just Ramadan which has caused issues between Muslim players and their clubs. The beliefs of Sevilla striker Freddie Kanoute have conflicted with the demands of his professional career. Kanoute taped over the logo of the Sevilla club's shirt sponsors - internet gaming company 888.com -- in 2006 because he said Islam forbade the promotion of gambling. So is Mourinho right to take account of how religious practices may affect his players' performance? Is it wrong to drop a fasting footballer whose energy levels may be lower than his teammates? Should Mourinho contemplate that a player of faith may perform better in a period of self-enforced discipline? Were the Egyptian players right to carry on fasting even though they were given permission to break the fast? If Kanoute right to bring his religious beliefs into his place of work? And can sport and religion ever be separated in a satisfactory way?Let us know your thoughts in the Sound Off box below. | [
"Where is Sulley Montari from?",
"Who turned down the opportunity to break the fast?",
"What opportunity did Egypt's national youth team turn down?",
"Where is Sulley Muntari from?",
"What is the name of the maanger?",
"Who did Jose Mourinho substitute?",
"Who was subtituted in the game?"
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"chance to break the Ramadan fast to help them prepare for the forthcoming World"
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[
"Jose Mourinho"
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"Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari"
],
[
"Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari"
]
] | Jose Mourinho substituted Sulley Muntari because he had been low energy .
The Ghanaian midfielder is a Muslim and had been fasting during Ramadan .
Egypt's national youth team turned down the opportunity to break the fast .
Let us know if fasting footballers should dropped in the Sound Off below . |
(CNN) -- Powered by the same energy produced by a toaster, this weekend 39 solar-powered cars are preparing to race across the Australian outback reaching speeds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) along the way.
Setting off from Darwin on Saturday, many of the cars taking part in the biennial, 3,021-kilometer (1,877-mile) Veolia World Solar Challenge to Adelaide look more like ping-pong tables on wheels rather than conventional cars.
However, the spirit of adventure and quest for more energy efficiency is what drives the teams of volunteers, university students and organizers.
"We think about it in terms of the land-based version of ocean yacht racing," says Chris Selwood, the event director.
"Really it's about how much you can do with how little. We're looking for the ultimate efficiency in electric cars."
This year is the 11th race and Selwood is happy to point out that while most of the cars don't resemble anything else that will be rumbling down the Australian highways this weekend, some of the innovations pioneered by the vehicles over the years have made it into the mainstream.
Energy-efficient, "low-rolling resistance" tires that are on the market now were used by Michelin in World Solar Challenge events of the early 1990s, and since the inaugural event in 1987 the electric motors have improved in efficiency by at least 30%, says Selwood.
Some of the motors being used by teams have been engineered to work at 98% efficiency in turning electricity into motor power.
"That could drive a washing machine, ceiling fan or even electric vehicle," says Selwood. "There are many uses for a motor like that in our daily lives across a range of applications."
For the top teams, though, the aim is to get to Adelaide first and worry about the legacy of the technology later.
Nuon Solar Team's Nuna6 car is one of the favorites to win this year's competition.
As winners of the events from 2001 to 2007, Nuon Solar Team, made up of students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, hope to claim back the crown they lost in 2009 to Japan's Tokai University's team.
To aid their attempt, Nuna6 is made of a carbon fiber also used by some Formula 1 cars, making it 10% lighter than its predecessor in 2009.
And like Formula 1, strategy is expected to be important in giving each team the edge. Each team has to extract enough power from a battery with just 5 kilowatt hours of capacity (10% of the power competitors are anticipated to need to complete the race), while also judging when to charge it up for the next day.
"The biggest challenge is to drive non-stop, but we've got a good chance," says Nuon Solar Team's Nadine Rodewijk.
For others, making a solar car more appealing to the public is a greater priority than seeing the checkered flag first.
To highlight that solar cars are getting closer to the real thing, Bochum University in Germany's SolarWorldGT has shunned the sleek, aerodynamic design seen by Nuna6 and others in favor of something more recognizable with two doors and two seats.
That the SolarWorldGT can still effectively compete the race is thanks in part to improvements in solar and motor technology in recent years, and a new competition rule that has reduced the solar panel capacity allowed on each car by 25% compared to 2009.
"They've got to use that energy wisely to get up hills and get out from under clouds," says Selwood.
"By keeping some reins on some of these keys factors, we're seeing some very clever ways in addressing them."
But for all the goodwill and innovation on offer, when the rubber hits the road it will still be a race.
"Our aim as a team is to win," says Nadine Rodewijk from Nuon Solar Team. "Although personally, for each of us, it's about the experience and adventure, learning and preparing for the future. | [
"which speed will reach cars",
"what is highlighted",
"what powered car race",
"how many teams are compeiting"
] | [
[
"in excess of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour)"
],
[
"that solar cars are getting closer to the real thing,"
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"39"
]
] | Solar-powered car race from Darwin to Adelaide .
Aim is to highlight the ultimate in renewable energy-efficiency .
Teams from 21 countries compeiting in the 11th competition .
Cars will reach speeds over 100kmph using same power that runs a toaster . |
(CNN) -- Prague has not been nicknamed "Zlata Praha" or "Golden Prague" for no good reason. The well-deserved eponym is a tribute to this city that mixes architecture, history, art and beauty like no other.
While not forgetting its more somber communist past, Prague has been one of the first East European cities to get a luxurious makeover. Designer shopping malls, exclusive restaurants and trendy nightclubs abound.
But it is the mystical atmosphere of a Prague of past eras that leaves many visitors craving to come back. Largely untouched by the ravages of WWII, Prague is arguably the only European city with so many century-old buildings left intact for people to enjoy.
All more impressive than the others, these are the historical sites you should not miss in Prague.
Wenceslas Square: In 1348, King Charles IV of Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) founded the town of Prague. The King built several open areas for markets, including Wenceslas Square, previously known as the Horse Market.
Named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech state, the square is the largest in the city and was at the center of much of Prague's history, including the Nazi occupation, the Soviet invasion, and the Velvet Revolution.
In 1969, Prague student Jan Palach set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. And in 1989, during the Velvet Revolution that overthrew the Communist regime, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered here to protest.
Today the square has become one of the trendiest and busiest in the country. Lining Wenceslas Square are fashion stores, cafes, bars and kiosks. Above the square is Prague's Museum of Natural History, which was shot at by Communist troops when they mistook it for the Parliament building.
Prague Castle: Kings, Roman Emperors and Presidents have lived in this legendary castle that overlooks the city. The castle is the largest medieval castle complex in Europe and arguable Prague's prime tourist attraction. First built in the 9th century, Prague Castle has survived wars, fires and opposing political powers.
The castle complex consists of the Saint Virtus Cathedral, viewing towers, a monastery, museums and art galleries. The Czech crown jewels are also held here.
After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, the castle became the seat of the President of the new Czech Republic.
Charles Bridge: This magnificent 14th century gothic bridge over Prague's Vltava river is lined with a series of large stone statues that represent important religious figures and icons.
Its construction started in 1357 under King Charles IV and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. Until the 19th century, the bridge was the only way to cross between the Old Town and adjacent areas, also known as the "Lesser Town."
During the day, thousands of people traverse the bridge to watch the views of the city and enjoy the numerous street performers.
Dancing House: A masterpiece of modern architecture, Dancing House was named after dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Dancing House is also sometimes nicknamed "Drunk House" for its wavy curves.
The building was constructed between 1992 and 1996 by Czech architect Vlado Milunc and world-renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The top floor houses one of the city's most exclusive restaurants, Celeste.
Old Town Square: Located in the heart of the Old Town, this square included Prague's gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn, the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 meters high and topped by small golden spires.
Another fixture of the Old Town Square is the baroque-style St. Nicholas Church.
In the center of the square is a large statue of Jan Hus, a Catholic priest who was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church for heresy in 1415.
But the most popular attraction for visitors of the square is the famous Astronomical Clock.
Astronomical Clock: Built in 1410, the Astronomical Clock still functions and provides accurate data on a number of astrological events, such as the | [
"What is Pragues nickname because the city mixes history and beauty?",
"What is largely untouched by WWII?",
"Have Prague's many century-old buildings been left intact during WWII ?"
] | [
[
"\"Zlata Praha\" or \"Golden Prague\""
],
[
"Prague"
],
[
"Largely untouched by the ravages of"
]
] | "Golden City" is a well-deserved eponym for a city that mixes history and beauty like no other .
Largely untouched by WWII, Prague's many century-old buildings have been left intact .
CNN takes you through the top historical sights not to be missed in Prague . |
(CNN) -- Preakness Stakes favorite Rachel Alexandra lived up to her billing Saturday, thundering past an all-male field of competitors and becoming the first filly to win the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924. Saturday's victory for Rachel Alexandra, who raced from the 13th and furthest stall, was the filly's fifth straight win. "She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life," jockey Calvin Borel said after the race. "She did not handle the track 110 percent and still won." Long-shot Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird fell short in his improbable bid to compete for horse-racing's Triple Crown, but showed his Derby victory was no fluke -- charging hard to finish second. Musket Man finished third. Rachel Alexandra's win was historic for multiple reasons and capped a run of five straight victories that included a blowout of the field in the all-filly Kentucky Oaks. She became the first horse to win from the race's 13th stall -- the furthest from the inside of the track. Borel became the first jockey to ride a winner in the Kentucky Derby -- he steered 50-1 underdog Mine That Bird to the win -- and then choose to ride another horse in the Preakness. Watch why Preakness was viewed as battle of sexes » She ran at the front of the mile-and-one-sixteenth race for almost the entire time. Mike Smith, Mine That Bird's jockey on Saturday, said Borel gave him advice on how to run the undersized champion on Saturday. The two chatted after a finish in which less than a single horse-length separated the two. "I said if I'd had that rail trip, it might have been a different outcome," said Smith, who'd hoped to take Mine That Bird to the inside of the track just as Borel did in the May 2 Derby. "They knew I was going to do it so everybody was just sticking on it." | [
"Who is the Jockey?",
"Which jockey is the first to ride separate horses to victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness?",
"Which filly is the first to witn the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924?",
"Calvin Borel said what of his horse Rachel Alexandra?",
"What did jocket Calvin Borel say about Rachel Alexandra?",
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] | [
[
"Calvin Borel"
],
[
"Calvin Borel"
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[
"Rachel Alexandra"
],
[
"\"She's the greatest"
],
[
"\"She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life,\""
],
[
"Rachel Alexandra"
]
] | Rachel Alexandra is first filly to win the Triple-Crown's second jewel since 1924 .
"She's the greatest horse I've ever been on in my life," jockey Calvin Borel said .
Borel first jockey to ride separate horses to victory in Kentucky Derby, Preakness . |
(CNN) -- Preliminary results of an investigation show that Tuesday's massive power outage in Florida was caused by human error, Florida Power and Light President Armando Olivera said Friday. A field engineer was diagnosing a switch that had malfunctioned at FPL's Flagami substation in west Miami. Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Olivera said. "This was done contrary to FPL's standard procedures and established practices," he said. Standard procedures do not allow the simultaneous removal of both levels of protection. "We don't know why the employee took it upon himself to disable both sets of relays," he added. A fault occurred during the diagnostic process, and because both levels of relay protection had been removed, the fault caused an outage ultimately affecting 26 transmission lines and 38 substations, Olivera said. Find out more about power grids and blackouts » One of the substations affected serves three of the generation units at Turkey Point -- a natural gas unit and both of the plant's nuclear units. Both the nuclear units automatically shut down due to an under-voltage condition, he said. Also affected were two other generation plants in FPL's system. The total impact to the system was a loss of 3,400 megawatts of generating capacity. The error affected 584,000 FPL customers, Olivera said. Another 500,000 non-FPL customers also lost power. That translates to about 3 million people. See photos of the blackout's impact » The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues, he added. "The employee realized something had gone wrong, but I think it's fair to say the employee didn't recognize the extent or magnitude of the problem," Olivera said. The affected region ranged from Miami to Tampa, through Orlando and east to Brevard County, home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. See a map of the affected areas » E-mail to a friend | [
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"What was the number of people that lost power yesterday",
"What happened to the employee?",
"When did the power cut happen?",
"Will the suspended employee still be paid",
"what happenend on tuesday to 3 million people",
"what did the employee do that caused him to get into trouble",
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] | [
[
"two levels of relay protection,"
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"about 3 million"
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[
"suspended with pay"
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"massive power outage"
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[
"Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection,"
],
[
"was caused by human error,"
]
] | A field engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Florida Power and Light says .
FPL: Actions were contrary to standard procedures and established practices .
The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues .
About 3 million people lost power Tuesday . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were dancing their way through 10 official inaugural balls after a day of pomp and circumstance that saw his first presidential address and excitement about her inaugural dress. Michelle Obama, dressed in Jason Wu, and President Obama at the Home State Ball Tuesday night. The Obamas were serenaded by Beyoncé during their first dance at the Neighborhood Ball Tuesday night. Beyoncé sang Etta James' "At Last," from her role in the movie "Cadillac Records" as the couple laughed and took their first spin around the dance floor. Before the dance, Obama addressed the crowd, which erupted in applause when he entered the room. "First of all, how good-looking is my wife?" Obama joked. Watch the Obamas at the first ball of the night » All eyes certainly were on Michelle Obama, who had kept her choice of a designer and dress style a secret until the moment she entered the dance floor. The first lady was clad in a long white gown designed by up-and-coming designer Jason Wu, 26. The gown made especially for the first lady is made of ivory silk chiffon, embellished with organza and Swarovski crystal rhinestones and silver thread embroidery, according to one of Wu's publicists. Wu told CNN he didn't know that she had chosen his gown until her first ball appearance Tuesday night. "It's thrilling. ... For a young designer, I couldn't ask for any more than this," said Wu, whose design style combines modern lifestyle dressing and haute couture, according to his Web site. He designed and delivered the dress at the request of Michelle Obama's aides in December, according to fashion expert Mary Alice Stephenson, contributing editor at Harper's Bazaar. Wu -- who has been in the business for three years, according to InStyle.com fashion director Joe Berean -- said he intended the gown to stand for everything that she and President Obama are about. Listen to Berean critique Michelle Obama's inauguration outfits » "It's about hope. It's about newness," he said. "It's all a little dreamlike, and we're making history, and I wanted to really reflect that." The Neighborhood Ball, a first of its kind and one of the balls open to the public, was the first of 10 official balls that the Obamas were scheduled to attend. For the new president, the first was particularly important. "I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work and this campaign was organized neighborhood by neighborhood," he said. For that reason "this ball is the one that captures best the spirit of this campaign," Obama said. The Obamas then moved to their second ball -- the Home State Ball, for Illinois and Hawaii -- at the Convention Center. After greeting the crowd by saying "Aloha," the president thanked many in the crowd who he said were old friends who had been part of the couple's lives for awhile. "This is a special ball because it represents our roots," he said. The couple laughed and embraced as they danced. President Obama even let loose after his long day, twirling his wife around in a circle -- a move the crowd cheered. Time: See the glamour of past balls Next, the Obamas made their way to the Commander-in-Chief Ball, attended by many members of the military, including wounded veterans. "It is wonderful to be surrounded by some of the very best and bravest Americans," Obama said. "Your courage, your grace and your patriotism inspire us all." Obama told the crowd that there is "no greater honor or responsibility than serving as your commander in chief." Watch the Obamas as the Commander-in-Chief Ball » Obama then introduced members of the military from Illinois stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. After thanking them, Obama took time for lighter banter, polling the members of the military about whether they were Chicago Cubs or Chicago White Sox baseball | [
"What is Michelle Obama wearing?",
"What was the ball for?",
"Who said there is \"no greater honor\" than being commander?",
"what wears Michelle Obama?"
] | [
[
"Jason Wu,"
],
[
"inaugural"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"white gown designed by up-and-coming designer Jason Wu,"
]
] | Obama thanks youth for helping inspire, energize "improbable journey"
Obama says at military ball there is "no greater honor" than being commander .
Michelle Obama wears silk chiffon Jason Wu gown with crystal rhinestones .
Celebrities attending include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Faith Hill . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama announced recently that about 100 U.S. troops are being deployed to Central Africa to help "apprehend and remove" the elusive Joseph Kony and his top commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army.
It's not the first time the United States has gone in to help put an end to the marauding, murdering gang known as the Lord's Resistance Army -- LRA, for short.
The LRA has butchered, enslaved and displaced people in Uganda and Central Africa for two decades. Although its brand of terrorism doesn't target the United States, Washington has listed it as a terrorist group. The U.S. decision to help go after Kony is a strategic -- as well as a humanitarian -- one. Africa is a frontier for terrorism. Uganda is fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia -- which helps the United States -- so in turn, the U.S. is helping Uganda fight the LRA.
The Lord's Resistance Army began in northern Uganda in 1987 as an opposition force to leader Yoweri Museveni. Kony sees himself as a prophet who has said he wants to rule by following the Ten Commandments.
Instead, he has ruled -- and thrived -- by breaking a lot of those commandments. The Ugandan army -- with the help of the U.S. military -- has tried for years to take him and his leadership out. The International Criminal Court has had a warrant out for him since 2005.
The Lord's Resistance Army replenishes its ranks by abducting villagers -- men, women and children -- brainwashing them and forcing them to fight. Or to serve as sex slaves for commanders. LRA members survive by staying on the move constantly and stealing food and provisions. Last month, according to researchers, an LRA band raided a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo soon after the World Food Programme had distributed food supplies there.
So what is LRA leader Kony's secret? How has he evaded justice to operate his band of marauders and murderers with impunity for decades?
Here are five reasons some experts give:
1. He uses terror strategically.
You've probably seen photos of children whose noses or ears were cut off -- because they didn't obey the LRA's orders. He's forced children he's abducted to kill their siblings or parents. (More: Woman recalls harrowing tale of captivity)
"They use very carefully thought-through strategies to have the biggest impact," said Tim Allen, a professor at the London School of Economics and co-author of "The Lord's Resistance Army: Myth and Reality."
"In northern Uganda in 2004," Allen said, "they took some 20-odd women with their babies out of the displacement camp, laid them on the ground with their babies on their backs and smashed their brains in."
And they did it at the edge of the camp -- so that everyone in the camp would see.
"They didn't do that very often," Allen said. "But you don't have to do that sort of thing very often to have a large impact on a lot of people."
2. Kony exploits regional politics and borders.
He got support from the Sudanese government for years. And the LRA uses borders as a defense: It hasn't been in Uganda for years. That's made it hard for the Ugandan army to pursue Kony. The militia is split and is constantly moving between the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and southern Sudan.
3. Uganda's efforts to get Kony have flagged.
Uganda's army has been stretched to the hilt, fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia as part of an African Union force.
4. Kony is a smart strategist.
His band travels in small groups, and they're a moving target. And he has informants -- with cell phones. The last time the U.S. military helped Uganda go after Kony, in 2008, it used a traditional air and ground assault. Kony and his leaders escaped, then massacred hundreds of people in revenge. This time, the United States is bringing Special Forces (and probably other intelligence agents | [
"Who leads this group?",
"Where has Lord's Resistance Army terrorized people?"
] | [
[
"Joseph Kony"
],
[
"Uganda and Central Africa"
]
] | Lord's Resistance Army has terrorized people in Africa for two decades .
The group is led by the elusive Joseph Kony .
Experts point to Kony's strategies and politics as some reasons why he is still at large . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama headed to the Czech Republic on Wednesday night to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and sign an arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear stockpiles of both nations.
The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to be signed Thursday by the two leaders builds on a previous agreement that expired in December.
Obama has called the treaty the "the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades" and said it would cut the nuclear weapons of the United States and Russia by about a third.
After meeting with Medvedev and attending the signing ceremony in Prague, the Czech Republic capital, Obama will have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries -- Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The highlight of the two-day trip is the new treaty with Russia, which is another step in nuclear arms relations between the former Cold War adversaries. Its signing comes two days after the Obama administration announced a new U.S. nuclear weapons policy and four days before Obama convenes a summit of 47 nations on nuclear security issues.
"It significantly reduces missiles and launchers," Obama said of the new treaty, which lasts for 10 years. "It puts in place a strong and effective verification regime. And it maintains the flexibility that we need to protect and advance our national security, and to guarantee our unwavering commitment to the security of our allies."
Obama has made nuclear non-proliferation a major priority of his presidency, prompting criticism from conservatives who fear the president will weaken the U.S. nuclear deterrent against possible attack.
"We believe that preventing nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation should begin by directly confronting the two leading proliferators and supporters of terrorism, Iran and North Korea," according to a statement issued Tuesday by Arizona's two Republican U.S. senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl. "The Obama Administration's policies, thus far, have failed to do that and this failure has sent exactly the wrong message to other would be proliferators and supporters of terrorism."
According to information released by the White House, the new treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years" of its signing. One of the limits: 1,550 warheads.
"Warheads on deployed ICBMs (Intercontinental ballistic missiles) and deployed SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles) count toward this limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments counts as one warhead toward this limit," the White House said.
There also are limits on launchers.
The treaty also lays out a "verification regime" that includes on-site inspections, data exchanges and notifications, the White House said.
"The treaty does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities," according to the White House.
Obama said the agreement is part of the U.S. effort to "reset" the U.S. relationship with Russia.
"With this agreement, the United States and Russia -- the two largest nuclear powers in the world -- also send a clear signal that we intend to lead," the president said. "By upholding our own commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we strengthen our global efforts to stop the spread of these weapons, and to ensure that other nations meet their own responsibilities."
Negotiators have been working since April 2009 to wrap up the "follow-on" to the 1991 START agreement. Talks were difficult, with disagreements over verification, including on-site inspection of missiles that carry nuclear warheads.
A U.S. official with knowledge of the talks earlier said that negotiators had found "innovative" ways to verify what each side has. Verification will be a top issue politically because the U.S. Senate and the Russian parliament will each have to ratify any agreement.
Russian officials at one point objected to the Obama administration's plans to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe. Specifically, they were angered by news leaks from Romania that it had agreed to allow missile interceptors | [
"What will the Treaty limit?",
"What did Obama say?",
"What does the treaty do?",
"It is the most comprehensive arms control agreement in what time?",
"Who will the president have dinner with?",
"How many country heads will be there?"
] | [
[
"both nations to \"significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years\""
],
[
"\"the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades\""
],
[
"builds on a previous agreement that expired in December."
],
[
"nearly two decades\""
],
[
"heads of government from 11 countries"
],
[
"11"
]
] | Obama: "Most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades"
President will also have dinner with heads of government from 11 countries during trip .
Treaty limits both nations to "significantly fewer strategic arms" |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama made a previously unannounced visit Thursday to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, which is dealing with widespread flooding in the region.
Obama made the stop after a speech on health care reform in Portland, Maine, and before two fundraising appearances in Boston.
At the emergency agency's facility, Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a fellow Democrat and political ally, as well as local officials and workers combating flooding from recent storms. He spoke with workers coordinating the response to the flooding, saying at one point: "Sounds like at least with some sunshine and sandbags, we can hope for the best."
Family needs boat to get to front door
Later, he began his remarks at the fundraising events by thanking the government workers involved in the flood relief effort.
"It is worth reminding people at a time when folks who work in government don't get enough credit (that) when times are tough, when trouble arises, there are all kinds of civil servants out there who work 24/7," Obama said.
Patrick has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.
The worst flooding has occurred in neighboring Rhode Island, where more than 10,000 people were without power and officials said long-term recovery could take months.
See first-hand stories from the flood zone
A rainstorm soaked Northeastern states Tuesday, worsening the effects of a major storm that struck two weeks ago.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday to inspect flood damage and meet with state and local leaders to discuss response and recovery efforts.
In Connecticut, Gov. Jodi Rell said a state of emergency put in place for the earlier storm remains in effect.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the state. | [
"Who did the president thank?",
"How many fundraisers did the president attend?",
"Who met with Massachusetts Gov?",
"Who did the president thank at the fundraiser?",
"When will Napolitano visit Rhode Island?",
"Where did Obama meet the officials?",
"Who will visit Rhode Island on Friday?",
"Who did Obama meet with?"
] | [
[
"government workers involved in the flood relief effort."
],
[
"two"
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[
"Barack Obama"
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[
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[
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[
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[
"Janet Napolitano"
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[
"Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick,"
]
] | Obama met with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, local officials and workers .
At fundraisers, president thanked government workers involved in the flood relief effort .
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island on Friday . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday challenged Republicans to "fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate," telling a Pennsylvania crowd to push Congress to extend the payroll tax cut enacted a year ago.
Obama met with a family in Scranton, the birthplace of Vice President Joe Biden, then spoke at a nearby high school in what will be a battleground state in next year's presidential election.
Sounding the populist themes of his re-election bid so far, Obama complained that congressional Republicans were out of touch with mainstream American support for his jobs bill that included an extension of the payroll tax cut.
He noted Senate Republicans previously blocked debate on the plan, saying that "their actions lately don't reflect who we are as a people."
A loud cheer erupted when Obama described the Democratic proposal to extend and expand the reduced payroll tax rate by saying: "It is paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share."
Noting the hard-line Republican opposition in deficit reduction negotiations to any tax increases for the wealthy, Obama urged the audience to ask its elected representatives "are you willing to fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate?"
"Send your senators a message," Obama said to cheers. "Tell them don't be a grinch. Don't be a grinch. Don't vote to raise taxes on working American during the holidays."
Economists say the payroll tax cut -- part of a congressional spending deal negotiated last December -- has contributed to the nation's economic recovery.
Congressional Republicans have indicated support for extending the lower payroll tax rate for another year, but differ with Obama and Democrats on covering the more than $200 billion price tag.
A Democratic bill under consideration by the Senate would assess a 3.25% tax on income above $1 million a year to cover the cost.
Republicans reject any tax increases and offered their alternative later Wednesday, calling for a freeze of federal salaries, reducing the federal workforce and preventing millionaires from getting food stamps and unemployment benefits.
"Republicans will put aside their misgivings and support this extension, not because we believe as the President does that another short-term stimulus will turn this economy around ... but because we know it will give some relief to struggling workers out there who continue to need it nearly three years into this presidency," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday on the Senate floor.
The Democratic surtax would hit wealthy Americans who create jobs, McConnell added, arguing such a strategy made no sense.
The debate, he said, is about "whether we should help those who are struggling in a bad economy by punishing the private sector businesses that the American people are counting on to help turn this economy around."
The White House pushed back against the Republican argument.
Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama to Pennsylvania that the White House was open to Republican ideas on the legislation. At the same time, Earnest noted that Republicans have defended Bush-era tax cuts for millionaires but now raised questions about helping ease the tax burden of working-class Americans.
On Tuesday, the new chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Alan Krueger, told reporters that the proposed surtax on incomes above $1 million "would hit very few small businesses."
"The vast majority -- one figure I saw was 99% of individuals with small business income -- would not be affected by this," Krueger said.
According to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 121 million families have benefited from the payroll tax break, with an increase in take-home pay of $934 for the average worker.
Moody's Analytics estimated in August that letting the tax cut expire would reduce growth by as much as 0.5%. It called extending the cut one of the "most straightforward" ways to "reduce some of the coming fiscal restraint."
The Democrats' bill would extend and expand last year's tax | [
"What do republicans propose?",
"What are Republicans proposing?",
"What do democrats propose?"
] | [
[
"helping ease the tax burden of working-class Americans."
],
[
"surtax on incomes above $1 million"
],
[
"to extend and expand the reduced payroll tax rate"
]
] | NEW: Republicans propose spending, benefit cuts to pay for payroll tax cut extension .
A Democratic proposal would tax millionaires to pay for expanding the payroll tax cut .
Republicans oppose such a surtax and offer an alternative plan .
Failure to extend the payroll tax cut will cost average families about $1,000 a year . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama used the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to renew his pitch for alternative energy Wednesday, arguing that the unfolding environmental disaster "gives you a sense of where we're going" without comprehensive reform.
The federal government is "going to bring every resource necessary to put a stop" to the spill, the president said during a visit to a solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. "We will not rest until this well is shut, the environment is repaired, and the cleanup is complete."
But, he added, "a lot of damage has been done already. The spill in the Gulf, which is just heartbreaking, only underscores the necessity" of seeking alternative fuel sources.
A failure to enact comprehensive energy reform, he argued, would pose a threat to national security and the economy, as well as the environment.
Obama's remarks came two weeks after Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, introduced a sweeping energy and climate change bill intended to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while reshaping the energy sector.
The House passed its own energy bill last year, and Obama has said he backs the efforts by Kerry and Lieberman to move the issue forward in the Senate. The president asked for Senate GOP cooperation on the issue during a closed-door meeting Tuesday with Republicans on Capitol Hill.
However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has indicated he wants immigration reform to take priority, and the politics of midterm congressional elections in November raises questions about the the possibility of gaining final approval this year of such major legislation as energy reform.
Reid's position caused a potential Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to drop out of the talks with Lieberman and Kerry on drafting the proposal.
The proposal addresses a range of energy issues, including expanded nuclear power production, incentives for the coal industry to seek cleaner methods, money to develop alternative energy sources and programs to help U.S. industry in the transition to a low-carbon system.
On climate change, the measure seeks escalating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades that match the levels set as goals by the Obama administration and contained in the House bill. Among other things, the proposal calls for emissions reductions from 2005 levels of 17 percent by 2020, 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050.
The Senate proposal includes expanded offshore oil drilling as part of a strategy to increase domestic production. However, provisions strengthening the ability of states to prevent more drilling off their coasts were added in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
CNN's Tom Cohen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | [
"What raises doubts about bill's future?",
"What was Obama promoting in California?",
"What did Bill include?",
"What did key senetors introduce?",
"What did Reid's emphasis on immigration reform do?"
] | [
[
"politics of midterm congressional elections"
],
[
"alternative energy"
],
[
"expanded offshore oil drilling as part of a strategy to increase domestic production. However, provisions strengthening the ability of states to prevent more drilling off their coasts were added in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill."
],
[
"a sweeping energy and climate change bill"
],
[
"caused a potential Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to drop out of the talks"
]
] | Obama cites Gulf oil spill while promoting alternative energy in California .
Obama's remarks came two weeks after key senators introduced energy reform bill .
Sem. Harry Reid's emphasis on immigration reform raises doubts about bill's future .
Bill includes expanded offshore drilling but gives states more leeway . |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will make his first overseas trip since taking office at the end of this month, visiting England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, the White House said Thursday. President Obama wil travel with first lady Michelle Obama to four European nations in the coming weeks. The trip is scheduled from March 31-April 5. Obama, who will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama, will first visit London, where he will attend a summit with other world leaders. He is to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 3. Obama will also attend NATO summit meetings in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, then travel to Prague, Czech Republic, to meet with Czech leaders and leaders of other European Union nations. His first trip outside the United States was to Canada last month. | [
"Where will the NATO meetings be held?",
"Who is going to London?",
"When is the trip scheduled?",
"What will he join in France and Germany?",
"What org will join Obama in France and Germany?",
"Where does Obama head first?",
"Dates scheduled for the trip?"
] | [
[
"Strasbourg, France,"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"March 31-April 5."
],
[
"NATO summit meetings"
],
[
"NATO"
],
[
"London,"
],
[
"March 31-April 5."
]
] | The trip is scheduled from March 31-April 5 .
Obama first heads to London, where he will attend a summit of world leaders .
He will also join NATO meetings in France and Germany .
His first trip outside the United States was to Canada last month . |
(CNN) -- President Bush had a "relaxed" and "friendly" meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday, a White House spokesman said.
President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday.
"The president and the president-elect had a long meeting, described by the president as good, constructive, relaxed and friendly," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect, and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration."
Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation. Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House's living quarters, including the Lincoln bedroom.
Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office, while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence.
The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together. They briefly waved to reporters along the way.
Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting.
The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour. When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election, the two talked for nearly two hours.
Monday's meeting was a historic formality, but it was also a time for serious talks. It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office. Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House »
Bush and Obama "had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic and security challenges," said Stephanie Cutter, spokeswoman for Obama's transition team.
"President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition, and for his and first lady Laura Bush's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House," Cutter said.
A day earlier, a leader of Obama's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy.
"It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," transition team leader John Podesta told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday.
Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact "at least part" of an economic package before he takes office in January, but said the problems Americans face need short- and long-term approaches.
The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq. Go inside the Oval Office
Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition. iReport.com: What's your message for Obama?
"When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory, I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House. Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said in his radio address this weekend.
Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been "excellent" since Tuesday's election. Watch more on the transition to power »
Obama said he was "gratified by the invitation" to meet with the president and his wife.
"I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president," he said at a news conference Friday.
"I'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all | [
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"What did Laura Bush do?",
"Who gave Michelle Obama a tour?",
"What did Bush and Obama disucss?",
"What did President Bush call the meeting?",
"What did Obama call Bush's policies?",
"What did Bush discuss?",
"Obama campaigned against what?"
] | [
[
"President-elect Barack Obama"
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[
"welcomed their successors to their future home"
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[
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],
[
"\"failed policies\""
],
[
"national and international issues"
],
[
"Bush's \"failed policies\""
]
] | NEW: President Bush calls meeting with President-elect Obama "constructive"
Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour while president, Obama met .
Bush and president-elect were expected to discuss "broad range of issues"
Obama campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" |
(CNN) -- President Bush had a "relaxed" and "friendly" meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday, a White House spokesman said. President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday. "The president and the president-elect had a long meeting, described by the president as good, constructive, relaxed and friendly," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect, and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration." Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation. Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House's living quarters, including the Lincoln bedroom. Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office, while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence. The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together. They briefly waved to reporters along the way. Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting. The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour. When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election, the two talked for nearly two hours. Monday's meeting was a historic formality, but it was also a time for serious talks. It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office. Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House » Bush and Obama "had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic and security challenges," said Stephanie Cutter, spokeswoman for Obama's transition team. "President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition, and for his and first lady Laura Bush's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House," Cutter said. A day earlier, a leader of Obama's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy. "It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," transition team leader John Podesta told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday. Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact "at least part" of an economic package before he takes office in January, but said the problems Americans face need short- and long-term approaches. The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq. Go inside the Oval Office Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition. iReport.com: What's your message for Obama? "When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory, I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House. Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said in his radio address this weekend. Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been "excellent" since Tuesday's election. Watch more on the transition to power » Obama said he was "gratified by the invitation" to meet with the president and his wife. "I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president," he said at a news conference Friday. "I'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all recognize the | [
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"What did they disucss?",
"Who gave Michelle a tour?",
"What did Bush call the meeting?",
"What did Bush say about the meeting with Obama?",
"What did Laura Bush do while President Bush met with Obama?",
"What are they expected to talk about?",
"What were Bush and Obama expected to discuss?",
"When did Bush and Obama have a \"constructive\" meeting?",
"What did President Bush say about the meeting?",
"Who gave Michelle Obama a tour?"
] | [
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"President-elect Barack Obama"
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[
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[
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[
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],
[
"Monday,"
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[
"good, constructive, relaxed and friendly,\""
],
[
"President Bush and Laura Bush"
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] | NEW: President Bush calls meeting with President-elect Obama "constructive"
Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour while president, Obama met .
Bush and president-elect were expected to discuss "broad range of issues"
Obama campaigned against what he called Bush's "failed policies" |
(CNN) -- President Bush is "a disgrace, frankly," film director Oliver Stone said Wednesday, two days before the release of his biopic on the 43rd U.S. president. Director Oliver Stone says he believes the timing was right for his upcoming film, "W." Stone, who has endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, seems to thrive on controversy, and his latest foray into filmmaking, "W.," will likely hold true to form. In an interview with CNN's Kiran Chetry, Stone discussed the rationale behind the release date, his troubles securing financing for the film, and why he thinks President Bush's relationship with his father, President George H.W. Bush, played a role in the decision to invade Iraq. Kiran Chetry: We had a chance to see the screening of this movie and I want to ask you a little bit about the timing. This is coming out three weeks before our 2008 presidential election. Why did you want to it come out now? Oliver Stone: Those events are beyond my control. We made the movie as fast as we could starting last May. If I couldn't have completed it, it would have come out in January perhaps for the inauguration. It's not about this election. It's about the last eight years with one man, George W. Bush. It's his story, how he became the man that he is, how we elected him -- basically, if you start to think about it, where we are now as a country. Watch Stone discuss why he finds Bush "fascinating" » Chetry: Is it an anti-war movie? Stone: Of course it's an anti-war movie, because I happen to be an anti-war person. That's not to say I'm a pacifist. I believe you fight for the right reasons. This man has us in three wars right now -- Iraq, Afghanistan, and basically, the war on terror. We have a foreign policy which is a very preventive one, a pre-emptive one. It's a Bush doctrine. It's a very dangerous place. Whoever wins the election, Obama or McCain, I think is going to live in the shadow of the events of these last eight years. This man ... will be around, his influence will be felt for 20 years, 40 years. Chetry: What did you want viewers of your movie to come away with? Stone: ... I can't control that. We made the movie to make people think, to make themselves feel, to walk in the shoes of George Bush and to understand him. This is not a job done with malice. This is a fair portrait of the man. I think it's empathetic. You care for him and your feelings for him. An activist said, "I never thought I could feel something for George Bush. I came out of this movie feeling compassionate for him, and even more important, feeling compassion for our country and where we are now." Chetry: You had trouble getting financing because people felt it was too, I guess, sympathetic for the president. Stone: Not for that reason. No, I think that the issues that we had with the American corporations were essentially that it was an inconvenient subject. They thought, he's gone from office, and they don't want to know, and he's controversial, and blah, blah, blah. These are corporations -- large corporations. They're not going to take risks like this. So, the movie business you've got to make movies with risks, and unfortunately, America's moving away from that in all forms, not just movies. Chetry: It's very interesting. You had a soliloquy, a great monologue, by the character playing Vice President Dick Cheney ... about the rationale for Iraq. It was very detailed and it's safe to say you didn't have Dick Cheney's cooperation. Where did you compile some of these scenes, some of these dialogues from those scenes? Stone: [Writer] Stanley Weiser | [
"Who produced the movie?",
"Who says he is anti-war?",
"Who does bush have a rivalry with?",
"What does the Director insist?",
"What is the movie called?",
"What man does W present?"
] | [
[
"Oliver Stone"
],
[
"Oliver Stone"
],
[
"his father, President George H.W."
],
[
"timing was right for his upcoming film, \"W.\""
],
[
"\"W.\""
],
[
"President"
]
] | Director insists "W." presents "a fair portrait of the man," is empathetic .
Bush's "rivalry to be stronger than his father" helped prompt Iraq war, Stone says .
Stone says he is anti-war, has concerns about torture, "stripping of liberties"
"W.," a biopic of President Bush, hits theaters Friday . |
(CNN) -- President Hugo Chavez on Thursday ordered the nationalization of the Banco de Venezuela "to put it at the service of Venezuela" after denying approval for its sale.
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela says the banks owners aren't interested in selling but he's buying anyway.
The leftist president said in a televised address to the nation that he heard "a few months ago" that the bank's Spanish owner -- Grupo de Santander -- was planning to sell the bank, which was privatized a few years ago, to a Venezuelan banker.
The banker had asked the Venezuelan government for permission needed to complete the deal, Chavez said.
"I sent a message to the Spaniards: No. And to the Venezuelan banker: No," Chavez said. "Now the government wants to buy the bank, wants to recover it, because it's called the Bank of Venezuela, to put it at the service of Venezuela."
Chavez said he was told Wednesday that the owners now were no longer interested in selling.
"So now I am telling them I am interested in buying. We are going to nationalize the Banco de Venezuela."
In a written statement issued Friday, Banco de Santander said it had planned to sell the bank to a Venezuelan private investors group, but "found afterward that the Venezuelan government was interested in [acquiring] Banco de Venezuela, and conversations are under way to that effect." | [
"who asked for permission first",
"What did he ask for permission for?",
"what will the Bank now be",
"What did Chavez do?",
"What happens to the bank now?"
] | [
[
"The banker"
],
[
"to complete the deal,"
],
[
"put it at the service of Venezuela.\""
],
[
"ordered the nationalization of the Banco de Venezuela"
],
[
"nationalization"
]
] | Banco de Venezuela's Spanish owner asked for permission to sell, Chavez says .
Chavez refused prospective buyer and seller's request for sale .
Bank now will be "at the service of Venezuela," Chavez says . |
(CNN) -- President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday held their first face-to-face meeting since each took power, confronting a range of potentially divisive issues. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama visit at the White House on Monday. At a pivotal moment in the Middle East peace process, the two leaders met at the White House to discuss, among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran. The issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions became an increasingly urgent one in recent months. Netanyahu wants a time limit for negotiations relating to such ambitions, with the threat of military action if no resolution is reached. Obama is seen as unlikely to provide a timetable. Both Israel and the United States believe Iran is seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program; Tehran denies the accusation. Israeli leaders have pointed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for the end of Israel as a Jewish state and argue that quick action is needed. At an Oval Office news conference, Obama again refused to commit to an "artificial deadline" for Iranian negotiations. But he also warned that he would not allow such talks to be used as an excuse for delay while Iran develops a nuclear arsenal. Obama said he expects to accelerate such talks after the June Iranian elections. "I firmly believe it is in Iran's interest not to develop nuclear weapons, because it would trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and be profoundly destabilizing in all sorts of ways," Obama said. It "is important ... to be mindful of the fact that we're not going to have talks forever. We're not going to create a situation in which the talks become an excuse for inaction while Iran proceeds with developing ... and deploying a nuclear weapon." He said the United States is not "foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious." Netanyahu emphasized that although "the common goal is peace ... the common threat we face are terrorist threats and organizations that seek to undermine [that] peace and threaten both our peoples." The prime minister called Iran the biggest threat to peace in the region. "If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, it could give a nuclear umbrella to terrorists, or worse, could actually give [them] nuclear weapons. And that would put us all in great peril," he said. The divide between the two leaders -- Obama is considered to have a more conciliatory approach to the Arab world than Netanyahu -- was dramatically illustrated shortly before their meeting by Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot. A number of families evacuated from Gaza are now being resettled in Maskiyot; several are living in temporary housing. A government spokesman said the construction's start date and the timing of Netanyahu's trip are a coincidence. Obama wants such outposts dismantled, along with an immediate freeze on settlement expansion. Netanyahu wants to allow natural growth in Jewish settlements in the West Bank -- for example, allowing children who grow up in a settlement to build a home alongside that of their parents. Obama also supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Netanyahu has not endorsed the idea, arguing that Israel needs security guarantees and a clear Palestinian partner for peace talks. "I want to make it clear that we don't want to govern the Palestinians. ... [If] Israel's security conditions are met and there's recognition of Israel's legitimacy -- its permanent legitimacy -- then I think we can envision an arrangement where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in dignity, security and in peace," Netanyahu said. Pressed on the question of a two-state solution, the prime minister said he thinks "the terminology will take care of itself if we have the substantive understanding." Netanyahu and his Cabinet were sworn in March 31. A day later, Israel's new hard-line foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, distanced himself from the Annapolis process | [
"who met for first time?",
"What illustrates the divide between the two?",
"Who will discuss approach to Mideast peace?",
"what illustrated the divide between two?",
"Who discuss approach to Mideast peace?",
"What did they touch on?",
"Who will meet for first time as national leaders?",
"what did the two leaders discuss?",
"What illustates the divide?"
] | [
[
"President"
],
[
"meeting by Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot."
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Israel's decision to begin construction at the West Bank outpost of Maskiyot."
],
[
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama"
],
[
"to discuss, among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran."
],
[
"Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu"
],
[
"among other things, the endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran."
],
[
"endorsement of a two-state Palestinian solution and relations with Iran."
]
] | President Obama, Israeli prime minister meet for first time as national leaders .
Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu discuss approach to Mideast peace .
Leaders also touched on Iran's nuclear ambitions .
Israeli settlements illustrate divide between the two . |
(CNN) -- President Obama authorized the killing of an American citizen because he had declared war on the United States and encouraged others to bring harm to America. Whatever Anwar al-Awlaki's wrongs -- and there were many -- when America kills its own without a trial, it not only demeans itself but it hands over a propaganda victory to its enemies.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's leader since the death of Osama bin Laden, will chide this great country again for abandoning its values and principles. The White House's authorization of this killing also tells American Muslims that a precedent has been set by their government to kill American citizens abroad without trial if they oppose their country.
This cannot be right -- and is counterproductive to defeating terrorism in the long term because it demolishes the very values that America stands for: the rule of law and trial by jury.
It is abandoning these very same principles of human dignity, underpinned by free and fair trials that led to al-Awlaki's decisive shift after being released from a Yemeni prison in 2007: From being anti-American rabble-rouser, he went to advocating direct violence against the United States. Prison experiences in the Arab world -- being arrested and detained without legal representation and exposed to the worst forms of torture at the hands of fellow Muslims -- change nonviolent extremists to violent extremists. Al-Awlaki's transformation from extremism to violence comes in this context.
His alleged links to 9/11 terrorists were not as significant as some argue. If he was known to be involved in the 9/11 attacks, why was he a guest of the Pentagon, of all places, in 2002?
Al-Awlaki is not alone. Before him, al-Zawahiri was tortured in Egyptian prisons, and during his trial in 1982, he addressed a gallery of Western journalists in English and declared, "So where is democracy? Where is freedom? Where is human rights? Where is justice? We will never forget!"
Without a doubt, al-Awlaki and al-Zawahiri were already radicalized before prison, but the tipping point toward violence came with their prison experiences. And before al-Zawahiri, the intellectual framework for al-Qaeda's destructive worldview was put in place by Syed Qutb in Mazra Tora in prison in Nasser's Egypt. Again, it was torture and the absence of humane treatment that led to Qutb declaring war on the Egyptian government. Qutb's prison writings have inspired every jihadist movement around the globe.
This same movement sees al-Awlaki as a lightweight, not least because he never set foot on the battlefield and his scholarly credentials are open to question. In Egypt or Pakistan, al-Awlaki is not well-known. Little wonder, then, that Al Jazeera Arabic is not as excited by al-Awlaki's killing as Western media outlets.
Al-Awlaki was important among Muslims in the West -- from Yemen, he used the Internet to reach this constituency. But even before the launch of his blog in 2008, al-Awlaki was popular among Muslims in England, Canada and America because of his audiotapes about the history of early Muslim personalities. These tapes were, and many still are, in circulation in mosques and bookshops.
Al-Awlaki could have been discredited before his prison experiences or, now, his perceived martyrdom. By killing al-Awlaki, his message gains new life as words from an American Muslim martyr, the first to join the iconography of underground Muslim culture since Malcolm X.
An easier, cheaper and more effective way of discrediting al-Awlaki and countering his message would have been to disclose his three arrests for the solicitation of prostitutes in San Diego and the Washington, D.C., area between 1996 and 1997. He had even pleaded guilty to the 1997 charge, and was subsequently sentenced to three years' probation and a fine. Among his socially conservative Muslim following in Europe and America, immediately after 9/11, such information would have been dynamite.
The United States cannot kill its way out of terrorism. Just as with the Cold War, the challenge from Islamist extremism and jihadist violence urgently | [
"Which person was killed?",
"What action demolishes American values?",
"Which country ordered the killing?",
"What demolishes American values",
"What can the United States not kill its way out of?",
"What cannot the United States kill its way out of",
"Who could have been discredited before being radicalized?"
] | [
[
"American citizen"
],
[
"authorized the killing of an"
],
[
"United States"
],
[
"The White House's authorization of this killing"
],
[
"terrorism."
],
[
"terrorism."
],
[
"Al-Awlaki"
]
] | Ed Husain: Killing Anwar al-Awlaki demolishes the values that America stands for .
The killing also gives a propaganda victory to America's enemies, he says .
Husain: Al-Awlaki could have been discredited before he radicalized .
The United States cannot kill its way out of terrorism, Husain says . |
(CNN) -- President Obama built his push for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system on the premise that reform is essential for economic recovery. President Obama has said overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery. But with some economists saying the recession shows signs of ending, will that weaken Obama's argument? "If the economy is picking up, then more people are going to get jobs and more people are going to have health insurance, and so they are going to be less concerned with health care reform because they will figure, 'I'm taken care of,' " said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. But Julian Epstein, a Democratic strategist, said a recovering economy will help Obama's push for health care legislation because "it will be a huge shot in the arm for Obama's political capital." "It lessens people's anxieties that are being stirred up by the opponents of health care reform. It gives credibility to the argument that government has an appropriate role to play in solving the nation's problems," Epstein said. Obama ran on a campaign to fix the health care system, and since taking office, the president repeatedly has tried to show how this overhaul fits into his broader economic strategy. In a speech in June before the American Medical Association, Obama warned that inaction could have dire consequences. "Make no mistake: The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy. It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses. It is a ticking time bomb for the federal budget. And it is unsustainable for the United States of America," he said. While the president has said health care is his top domestic priority this year, the public seems to disagree. Eighty-three percent of people are satisfied with their current health care, and 74 percent are satisfied with their health insurance, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week. "Health care reform has not been the top priority for voters. No. 1 is jobs. No. 2 is the deficit and government spending. Health care is third," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. But Diana Owen, an associate professor of political science and director of American studies at Georgetown University, said the public isn't as concerned about the economics-driven case to overhaul health care. "I personally think that the vast majority of the public doesn't get that connection between the economy and health care. I think they're seeing it more as a personal issue -- something that could affect them, their families, their friends," she said, noting that because people have an emotional involvement in the debate, the public is not likely to let it drop. That personal anxiety has manifested itself at town hall meetings across the country, where, angry protesters and other citizens have showed up to voice their doubts to their lawmakers. Voters have asked their lawmakers what reform means for them -- and how they can be assured that Obama's proposals are good ideas. The August congressional recess, however, could end up being a blessing in disguise for Democrats, Epstein said. "It may persuade enough of them that they do need to be more moderate and incremental in the approach, and they may actually come up with a package that is even more popular than what would have otherwise been, had they tried to get the bill through before August," he said. If the economy recovers, plenty of Republicans and even a few Democrats will remind voters that Obama was wrong about the importance of reform to economic recovery, Schneider said. "What will Obama say? That the recovery cannot be sustained over the long term without health care reform." Obama sent a similar message in his radio address last weekend, citing the slightly better than expected job numbers as "a sign that we've begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us." "But we must do more | [
"Who points to some signs economy is recovering?",
"What economists say?",
"Who points to signs that the economy may be recovering?",
"Who says that health care and the economy go hand in hand?",
"What President Obama said?",
"What goes hand in hand?"
] | [
[
"Julian Epstein, a Democratic strategist,"
],
[
"the recession shows signs of ending,"
],
[
"economists"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery."
],
[
"economy and health care."
]
] | President Obama says health care overhaul, economic recovery go hand in hand .
Economists point to some signs economy is recovering .
Better economy may ease push to overhaul health care, some observers say .
Health care failed under President Clinton in '90s, took back burner on the agenda . |
(CNN) -- President Obama delivered the commencement address Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class, speaking to an audience of 30,000 that included a former presidential candidate and proud parent of one of the graduates in attendance.
Jack McCain shakes hands with President Obama at Friday's commencement ceremony.
John Sidney McCain IV, more commonly known as Jack, on Friday became the fourth McCain to graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy and the fourth with the same name.
"America, look at these young men and women. Look at these sailors and Marines. Here are the values that we cherish. Here are the ideals that endure," Obama told the crowd.
About midday at the academy's commissioning and graduation ceremony, McCain received a Bachelor of Science degree, taking the oath of office and being commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy 103 years after his great-grandfather did the same. Watch Obama hug John McCain's son »
With parents John and Cindy McCain watching, he shook hands with the president and then walked back into the crowd to applause and more hugs.
Joe McCain told CNN that his brother plans to join his father and great-grandfather as naval aviators.
"His grandfather, JSM Jr., was in submarines, commanding three different boats in World War II," he said.
That grandfather later became Adm. McCain and was commander of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War, when Jack's father, now Arizona Sen. John McCain, was being held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.
In an interview last year with GoMids.com, Jack McCain reflected on the advice his father gave him on the day he arrived at the Naval Academy.
"My dad told me there is one thing McCains are good at, and that is not giving in to pressure, and honor -- keeping our honor regardless of what happens," Jack McCain said. "He then said, 'Don't lie, cheat or steal -- anything else is fair game.' "
John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, frequently poked fun at his record at the Naval Academy while on the campaign trail, pointing out that he "stood fifth from the bottom" of his class and racked up dozens of demerits.
At a campaign event last October, McCain joked that Jack needed a "DNA check" because he had yet to receive a single demerit. (Jack McCain told GoMids.com that he did accumulate some demerits -- for wearing flip-flops outside and forgetting to shave).
McCain told Fox News on Thursday that his son is graduating "in better class standing than I had, which wasn't hard to do."
"I'm very proud of him," he said.
Meghan McCain, Jack's older sister, sent a message on Twitter Friday saying her younger brother, Jimmy, could not attend because he is serving overseas. McCain told Fox News he is returning home this weekend.
In his remarks to the students, Obama made a vow that he would not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary."
"It's a promise that as long as I am your commander in chief, I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," he said.
"This includes the job of bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end and pursuing a new comprehensive strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Obama also promised additional assistance to military families, vowing that "we will be with you every step of the way, increasing your pay, increasing child care and helping families deal with the stress and separation of war." And he said new laws will help ensure that veterans are well taken care of.
Obama's commencement address was his third and final of the year. He was also commencement speaker at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame. | [
"Where is he the fourth McCain to graduate from",
"Who shook Obama's hand?",
"What will McCains son do",
"Whose son graduated?",
"What did Obama deliver"
] | [
[
"Annapolis, Maryland, service academy"
],
[
"Jack McCain"
],
[
"graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy"
],
[
"John and Cindy McCain"
],
[
"commencement address"
]
] | Son of Sen. John McCain, the former GOP presidential candidate, graduates .
Jack McCain shakes hands with Obama, who delivers commencement address .
He is the fourth McCain to graduate from Naval Academy .
Obama vows to not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary" |
(CNN) -- President Obama delivered the commencement address Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy's graduating class, speaking to an audience of 30,000 that included a former presidential candidate and proud parent of one of the graduates in attendance. Jack McCain shakes hands with President Obama at Friday's commencement ceremony. John Sidney McCain IV, more commonly known as Jack, on Friday became the fourth McCain to graduate from the Annapolis, Maryland, service academy and the fourth with the same name. "America, look at these young men and women. Look at these sailors and Marines. Here are the values that we cherish. Here are the ideals that endure," Obama told the crowd. About midday at the academy's commissioning and graduation ceremony, McCain received a Bachelor of Science degree, taking the oath of office and being commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy 103 years after his great-grandfather did the same. Watch Obama hug John McCain's son » With parents John and Cindy McCain watching, he shook hands with the president and then walked back into the crowd to applause and more hugs. Joe McCain told CNN that his brother plans to join his father and great-grandfather as naval aviators. "His grandfather, JSM Jr., was in submarines, commanding three different boats in World War II," he said. That grandfather later became Adm. McCain and was commander of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War, when Jack's father, now Arizona Sen. John McCain, was being held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. In an interview last year with GoMids.com, Jack McCain reflected on the advice his father gave him on the day he arrived at the Naval Academy. "My dad told me there is one thing McCains are good at, and that is not giving in to pressure, and honor -- keeping our honor regardless of what happens," Jack McCain said. "He then said, 'Don't lie, cheat or steal -- anything else is fair game.' " John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, frequently poked fun at his record at the Naval Academy while on the campaign trail, pointing out that he "stood fifth from the bottom" of his class and racked up dozens of demerits. At a campaign event last October, McCain joked that Jack needed a "DNA check" because he had yet to receive a single demerit. (Jack McCain told GoMids.com that he did accumulate some demerits -- for wearing flip-flops outside and forgetting to shave). McCain told Fox News on Thursday that his son is graduating "in better class standing than I had, which wasn't hard to do." "I'm very proud of him," he said. Meghan McCain, Jack's older sister, sent a message on Twitter Friday saying her younger brother, Jimmy, could not attend because he is serving overseas. McCain told Fox News he is returning home this weekend. In his remarks to the students, Obama made a vow that he would not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary." "It's a promise that as long as I am your commander in chief, I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," he said. "This includes the job of bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end and pursuing a new comprehensive strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan." Obama also promised additional assistance to military families, vowing that "we will be with you every step of the way, increasing your pay, increasing child care and helping families deal with the stress and separation of war." And he said new laws will help ensure that veterans are well taken care of. Obama's commencement address was his third and final of the year. He was also commencement speaker at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame. | [
"how many McCain graduate from Naval Academy?",
"Who vows to not send McCain's son to war unless it is \"absolutely necessary?\"",
"Where did he graduate?",
"Obama Shakes hands with who?",
"When did the son graduate?",
"Who is the son of Sen. John McCain?",
"How many McCains have graduated from Naval Academy?"
] | [
[
"fourth"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Annapolis, Maryland, service academy"
],
[
"Jack McCain"
],
[
"Friday"
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[
"Sidney"
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[
"fourth"
]
] | Son of Sen. John McCain, the former GOP presidential candidate, graduates .
Jack McCain shakes hands with Obama, who delivers commencement address .
He is the fourth McCain to graduate from Naval Academy .
Obama vows to not send them to war unless it is "absolutely necessary" |
(CNN) -- President Obama has repeatedly stated, "We are tougher than the times we live in." Although the president may not have intended to signal a whole new approach to our future, the line has Churchillian implications. Speaking of tough times, he could call on Americans to recognize we face at least a decade of rough sledding, ask us to face the challenges and express confidence that we shall prevail.
The tough times approach differs radically from the prevailing wisdom that if we merely did X, Y or Z, we would be rolling in clover again. All we need to do is cut deficits, reduce taxes some more and lighten up on regulations, and the nation will be back on the right course.
Others foresee the bottoming out of the housing market, within two years or so, as the turning point to recovery. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff argues that intentionally inflating the dollar is the "the only practical way to shorten the coming period of painful deleveraging and slow growth."
In general, politicians prefer President Reagan's manner, which was oozing with optimism. And they are leery of sounding like President Carter, who spoke of malaise and called for sacrifices.
But times have changed. The American people must be prepared for what is coming, or they will lash out with even more anger against failed promises. Take the most elementary issue: Nobody reasonable, on the right or the left, denies that we lived beyond our means for decades, financing our indulgence by taking loans from the Chinese, Japanese and British, among others, as well as hocking the assets of our future generations. Now the time has come that we must pay back, and that means reducing the deficit.
Such payback means, by definition, that while we once could float a lifestyle that cost, say, 120% of what we earned, now we shall have to do with lifestyle that costs, say, 80% of our income, with the rest going to pay down what we owe.
After decades of indulgence and accumulating debt, our accounts cannot be settled in a few years. According to a report in NPR, using recent Congressional Budget Office projections, the debt could reach $13 trillion in 10 years. Even if we get the "grand bargain" and $2 trillion to $4 trillion is cut, that means the 10-year deficit could still remain between $9 trillion and $11 trillion. True, we do not have to bring it down to zero, but we still have quite a burden with which to contend.
If we must pay for that deficit by raising taxes, we will have less money. If we must cut services, such as health care, to pay down the debt, people will have to buy these services themselves. And we should pay down our personal debt for our own future and that of our children.
That means for the next decade or even longer, Americans will have to do with less, from buying new clothes to going on vacations.
I am hardly the only one who foresees a "lost decade." A recent Atlantic magazine article argues that even by 2011, 2012, even 2014, the employment rate may decline very little and describes the current economic climate as "a trauma that will remain heavy for quite some time."
Heidi Shierholtz of the Economic Policy Institute predicts that "many factors are pushing against a quick recovery. ... Things will come back. But it's going to take a long time."
Frustration to such shortfalls is mounting. A recent Bloomberg poll found that 72% of the people who responded think the country is on the wrong course economically. The president's approval rating is tanking, but that of Congress is even lower. A New York Times/CBS poll found that only a paltry 12% of respondents approved of Congress.
As I see it, "Washington" can do relatively little to spare Americans at least 10 years of austerity. But, public leaders can prepare people for what is coming and make a virtue out of doing with less, of paying back what we owe | [
"How long will the sacrifice need to last?",
"What is Obama quoted as saying about the times?"
] | [
[
"for the next decade or even longer,"
],
[
"\"We are tougher than the"
]
] | Amitai Etzioni: Despite promises and proposals, there is no quick fix for economy .
Obama's "We are tougher than the times we live in" should be a policy, he writes .
Etzioni: Americans will have to do with less and sacrifice for at least 10 years .
He says years of indulgence, living beyond our means will take years to redress . |
(CNN) -- President Obama introduced a health care plan that he says will bridge the gap between the House and Senate bills passed last year. His proposal is similar to the Senate bill, with a few nods to the House plan.
Here are some of the highlights of his plan, according to the White House.
Basics
The president says his health care proposal will help more than 31 million uninsured Americans get coverage. Obama says his plan includes the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history.
It establishes a health insurance market that would provide the same insurance choices that members of Congress have. Health insurance exchanges, as proposed in the Senate bill, would be created to make it easier for small businesses, the self-employed and the unemployed to purchase less expensive coverage.
There is no public option, an idea strongly backed by liberal Democrats but fiercely opposed both by Republicans and key Democratic moderates.
Like the House and Senate plans, Obama's proposal would bar insurers from charging higher premiums based on a person's gender or medical history or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
Key differences
Obama's plan eliminates the controversial proposal added to the Senate bill that exempts Nebraska from paying increased Medicaid expenses. It also provides additional federal financing to all of the states for the Medicaid expansion.
The president's proposal closes the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole." Under current Medicare limits, seniors must pick up the costs once their drug costs reach $2,830 and pay all costs out of pocket until they reach $4,550, at which point Medicare coverage kicks back in.
Obama's proposal eases the "doughnut hole" in the short term by providing a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who reach the limit in 2010. The plan closes the doughnut hole completely by 2020.
The plan also establishes a Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide an additional level of oversight of insurance premium increase at the federal level, giving the government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies.
Tax credits
The president's proposal increases federal subsidies to help people buy insurance.
New health insurance subsidies would be provided to families making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
Compared to the Senate bill, Obama's proposal lowers premiums for families making between $44,000 and $66,000, according to the White House. Compared to the House bill, it lowers premiums for families making between $55,000 and $88,000.
Obama's plan also provides more cost-sharing assistance than the House and Senate bills for families with incomes below $55,000. For families making about $55,000, the president's proposal matches the assistance in the Senate bill.
Penalties and fees
The House and Senate bills both require payments from individuals who choose not to get health care coverage. Obama's plan lowers the maximum penalty for individuals.
Obama's plan also provides $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses to help them provide health care options for their employees.
Like the Senate bill, the president's proposal does not mandate that employers provide insurance.
Under Obama's plan, companies with more than 50 employees would be required to pay a fee of $2,000 per worker if the company does not provide coverage and any of that company's workers receives federal health care subsidies. The first 30 workers would be subtracted from the payment calculation. As with the individual requirement, this represents a compromise between the House and Senate plans.
Obama's proposal delays the $67 billion assessment on health insurers, pushing it to 2014, when exchanges and the new health insurance market will be set up.
The president's proposal also increases the revenue drawn from the pharmaceutical industry to $23 billion over the next three years -- $10 billion more than the Senate bill. It delays the implementation of these fees to 2011.
Waste, fraud and abuse
The president's proposal includes a number of provisions to help eliminate waste and fight fraud.
Some of those provisions include establishing Medicare and Medicaid sanctions databases, increasing access to the health care integrity and protection data bank, | [
"what does the white house release?",
"What happened in the Senate last year?",
"Where is the public option?",
"there are public option?",
"When was a similar plan passed?",
"What is the President's Proposal?"
] | [
[
"a health care plan"
],
[
"bills passed"
],
[
"There is no"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"last year."
],
[
"a health care plan"
]
] | White House releases "The President's Proposal" for health care .
Plan similar to Senate version passed last year .
No public option; plan offers same insurance choices members of Congress have .
Questions remain over cost, funding, other sticking points . |
(CNN) -- President Obama is expected to sign the final health care legislation into law this week, but while the action wraps up on Capitol Hill, the heated debate over reform shows no sign of cooling down.
With lawmakers back in their districts for the spring work period, the conversation just moves to a different platform.
For Democrats, the two-week recess is an opportunity to highlight the immediate benefits of a law the public is not yet sold on. Democrats say the health care law provides all Americans with the opportunity to receive health care and prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to those who need it most.
For Republicans, it's a chance to rally support behind their efforts to repeal what they decry as a "takeover" of the health care system that will saddle future generations of Americans with debt.
What's the one thing you want to ask your representatives?
Republicans have made "repeal and replace" their battle cry, and Obama has said he welcomes the fight.
At an event in Iowa City, Iowa, last week, the president scoffed at the Republicans' strategy, saying, "My attitude is -- Go for it."
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann last week introduced a bill to repeal the health care legislation, as did other Republican lawmakers.
"We need to work together, whether we're Republicans, independents, Democrats, we all have to work together for whatever is in the best interest of the American people. And repeal most certainly is in the best interest of the people because this bill will lead to economic harm if it's left in place," Bachmann told CBS' "Face the Nation."
But Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he doesn't think efforts to knock down the legislation stand much chance.
"They may want to push forward on a repeal of health care, to tell small businesses you're not going to get tax credits to pay for insurance, to tell families you now can't keep children on your policy until [they]'re 26, to tell folks that you're now subject to these abuses of the insurance industry. I think they'd be unwise to do it. I think the American public will reject it," he told CBS.
Despite the opposing messages, both sides say the public supports them. Republicans say the public opposes the president's plan, but Democrats insist that people will eventually accept the plan now that it is finalized.
And so far, both sides have a point.
Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law, but that does not translate into majority support for the "repeal and replace" strategy, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday.
CNN Poll: Americans divided over repealing health care law
Meanwhile, polls from both CBS and Quinnipiac University suggest that there has been a slight uptick in approval of the legislation following the vote.
Another survey, a ABC/Washington Post poll released Sunday, indicated that the public's overall view of the health care plan has held steady, with 46 percent supporting it and 50 percent opposed. The percentage of people who said they strongly support the health care legislation, however, increased by 10 points since February, while the percentage who strongly opposed it stayed about the same.
"We'll find out in November who won or lost this battle," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, told CBS.
"What I do next is, I'm trying to replace those who voted for this bill. I want to repeal it. And I want to replace it with some real reform that puts patients in charge of their health care again," he said.
Echoing DeMint, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he was looking forward to an election in November "about whether this health care bill is a real fix or a phony political document trying to grow the government."
Calling the legislation a "giant Ponzi scheme," the Republican senator vowed that the fight "won't wind up just being in Washington."
Following a week of | [
"What did the poll show?",
"How long is the spring recess?",
"How long was the lawmaker's spring recess?",
"What do Republicans want to do?"
] | [
[
"Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law,"
],
[
"two-week"
],
[
"two-week"
],
[
"to repeal the health care legislation,"
]
] | Lawmakers back in their districts for two-week spring recess .
Republicans, Democrats trying to sell their points of view to their constituents .
Republicans want to "repeal and replace" health care legislation .
Polls show support for legislation up slightly since before last week's vote . |
(CNN) -- President Obama is not shy about showing off his jump shot on the basketball court, but on Tuesday night, it was his baseball skills that were put to the test. President Obama throws out the first pitch at the 2009 All-Star Game onTuesday in St Louis, Missouri. Obama, clad in a Chicago White Sox jacket and blue jeans, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in St. Louis, Missouri. His low pitch barely reached home plate and the mitt of St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols. Obama became the fifth president to throw out the first pitch at an All-Star Game, but the first in 33 years. He is following in the footsteps of Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford. Asked about plans to practice before the game, Obama said Tuesday, "I want to loosen up my arm a little bit." "The last time I threw a pitch was at the American League championship series, and I just wanted to keep it high," the president said of his opening pitch at the 2005 Chicago White Sox-Anaheim Angels game. Aiming high is a good strategy, says St. Louis Cardinals scout Matt Blood, but it takes more than on-point aim to make the perfect pitch. "Throw it with some force, don't lob it in there. Try to get a good downhill plane. Try to keep it in the strike zone," said Blood, who will be at the game Tuesday. HLN sports anchor Larry Smith, who has thrown out a few first pitches, says Obama has to be careful to "not try to overpower it." "There's no speed gun on this. Just make it a nice solid throw to the catcher," Smith said. "The one thing he doesn't want to do is bounce it home. Mr. Obama is pretty athletic, so I think he'll ace this." Overpowering it shouldn't be an issue for the president, who joked Tuesday that he'd be surprised if his 2005 pitch exceeded 30 miles per hour. The president also needs to make sure he uses his whole arm, Blood said. "You'll see a lot of people throw kind of out front. Their elbow will start out front and they'll never get their arm back behind their body, and won't get a full arm swing. It will be real short, and not very rhythmic," he said. Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton said Obama's at the top of his game, and he can "afford to take a few chances." "He should toss it a little further to the left. The righties are down by 15 runs in the ninth, they've got no team leadership. They're fighting with each other in the opposing dugout," he joked. All kidding aside, Obama should "just go with his instincts, like any good athlete," Bouton said. "You don't want to throw the ball into the ground or behind you, that's for sure." Obama also doesn't want to do what Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory did in his opening pitch for the Reds 2007 season. He missed home plate by 30 feet. Video of the Democratic mayor's embarrassing throw has been viewed nearly 2 million times on YouTube. But the opening pitch isn't always a light-hearted moment. President Bush described his opening pitch at Yankees stadium during the 2001 World Series as "the most nervous moment" of his presidency so far. The game came less than two months after the September 11 terrorists attacks. Bush wore an FDNY jacket to pay tribute to the New York City Fire Department. He stepped onto the pitchers mound, and before a cheering crowd of nearly 60,000, he threw a strike. The crowded erupted in chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A." Before the game Tuesday night, Obama and all of the living former presidents will appear in a | [
"What does the scout advise?",
"Who thows opening pitch?",
"When was the All-Stars game?",
"Who throws opening pitch?",
"Who threw th opening pitch at the All-Stars game?",
"What does scout advise?",
"Who had an embarrassing throw?",
"Who got lots of attention for his embarrassing throw?",
"Who is the Mayor of Cincinnati?"
] | [
[
"Aiming high is a good strategy,"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"2009"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"\"Throw it with some force, don't lob it in there. Try to get a good downhill plane. Try to keep it in the strike zone,\""
],
[
"Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory"
],
[
"Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory"
],
[
"Mark Mallory"
]
] | President Obama throws opening pitch at All-Stars game Tuesday .
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory got lots of attention for his embarrassing throw .
Obama should "turn the nervousness into positive adrenaline," scout advises . |
(CNN) -- President Obama on Monday strongly praised a decision by the nation's pharmaceutical industry to agree to a deal cutting drug costs for elderly Americans, calling it an example of the kind of compromise required for successful national health care reform. President Obama says the pharmaceutical industry announcement "marks a major step forward." The agreement discounts medications for Medicare beneficiaries facing high out-of-pocket expenses when their benefits reach a gap in coverage. "This is a significant breakthrough on the road to health care reform, one that will make the difference in the lives of many older Americans," Obama said at the White House. "Today marks a major step forward, but it will only be meaningful if we complete the journey. ... I have to repeat and revive an old saying we had from the campaign: Yes, we can. We are going to get this done." The nation's top drug manufacturers agreed over the weekend to at least a 50 percent discount for most beneficiaries for brand-name medicines purchased in the so-called "doughnut hole" gap in coverage, Obama noted. The gap involves medication costs of senior citizens between roughly $2,700 and $6,100 a year that are not covered by the Medicare part D plan. The deal will be part of an $80 billion reduction in Medicare drug costs for senior citizens over the next 10 years, according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Montana, who helped negotiate the agreement. Part of that $80 billion will go to closing the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole." Congressional staffers did not have precise estimates, but Finance Committee spokesman Erin Shields said they expect the $80 billion commitment to both cover the Medicare drug gap and leave additional money for other, still unannounced, programs. The American Association of Retired People, the nation's largest organization of senior citizens, has praised the pharmaceutical industry agreement as a step toward health care reform. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs noted Monday that AARP was opposed to health care reform during the first term of former President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s. "You've got the pharmaceutical industry and the largest group representing seniors in this country, who 16 years ago weren't at the table but were on the other side of the political debate," Gibbs said of groups expressing support Monday for health care reform. "I think that represents progress and important steps towards real reform." Overhauling health care is a top priority of Obama's administration, but the initial proposals to reach Congress last week received a rocky reception. The Congressional Budget Office determined that either of two similar bills written by Senate Democrats would cost more than $1 trillion, which was higher than expected. Republican opponents immediately slammed the measures, and the Senate Finance Committee delayed scheduled hearings on one of the bills. Hearings by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the other measure began amid intense partisan bickering, with hundreds of amendments proposed by Republican opponents. At least two more bills are expected from the House of Representatives, and a bipartisan group led by former Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle, Howard Baker and Bob Dole also has offered guidelines for a proposal. At issue is how best to reduce the cost and increase the reach of the current health care system, which officials say is increasingly draining personal, corporate and government budgets while leaving 46 million Americans without health insurance. Obama has warned that a failure to act soon will bring far worse economic difficulties than the costs of plans under discussion. Both parties in Congress agree on the need to slow the increase in health care costs while ensuring that all Americans can get health insurance, but they differ sharply on how to proceed. Democrats generally favor a government-funded "public option" to compete with private insurers. Republicans have said such a step would lead to a government takeover of health care, which they oppose. Republicans also accuse Obama and Democrats of trying to rush through what they say is flawed legislation in 2009 before the politics of midterm elections in 2010 and the 2012 presidential race | [
"By how much have Medicare drug costs been reduced for senior citizens?",
"What group of individuals are effected by the $80 billion reduction in Medicare drugs?",
"how much is the discount?",
"When can some individuals receive a discount on drugs if they are on Medicare?",
"For whom does the deal discount drugs?",
"to which is applied the discount?",
"Who is the president?"
] | [
[
"$80 billion"
],
[
"elderly Americans,"
],
[
"at least a 50 percent"
],
[
"their benefits reach a gap in coverage."
],
[
"elderly Americans,"
],
[
"Medicare beneficiaries"
],
[
"Obama"
]
] | Deal discounts drugs for some on Medicare when benefits reach gap in coverage .
Deal part of $80 billion reduction in Medicare drug costs for senior citizens .
Health care overhaul a priority for President Obama; early plans have had hang-ups . |
(CNN) -- President Obama on Saturday urged a thorough investigation into a deadly explosion at a West Virginia coal mine that killed 29 people, hours after rescue efforts at the mine gave way to an operation to recover the dead.
"This has been America's worst mining disaster in forty years, and the toll on all West Virginians has been immeasurable, " Obama said of Monday's blast at the Upper Big Branch mine. "We cannot bring back the men we lost. What we can do, in their memory, is thoroughly investigate this tragedy and demand accountability."
Obama's statement came just hours after rescue efforts came to a grim end after crews found the bodies of the last four miners unaccounted for in the explosion. Twenty-five people were previously announced dead.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who were lost in this tragic accident, and my gratitude goes out to the rescue teams who worked so tirelessly and heroically to search for the missing," Obama said in his statement.
The death toll makes the West Virginia mining disaster the worst in the U.S. since 1972, when 91 miners were killed in a fire at the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg, Idaho.
Of the 29 dead in the West Virginia blast, the bodies of 22 remain inside the mine.
The cause of the blast is unknown, and state and federal officials have pledged a full investigation.
The explosion has prompted renewed questions about mine safety.
Obama said Saturday that "all Americans deserve to work in a place that is safe, and we must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that all our miners are as safe as possible so that a disaster like this doesn't happen again."
Obama will meet next week with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and a Mine Safety and Health Administration official to hear their initial assessment of what caused the blast, along with their recommendations for steps the federal government should take to improve mine safety.
Richmond, Virginia-based Massey Energy Co., which owns the mine, said in a statement released Friday that it will conduct "extensive" reviews of the mine accident "to ensure that a similar incident doesn't happen again."
It said the mine has had less than one violation per day in inspections by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and added that that rate is "consistent with national averages."
Most of the blast victims were working in an area where long wall cutting was taking place. The technique uses a large grinder to extract the coal and creates large amounts of coal dust and methane gas, both of which are explosive.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said Saturday that even though it's not clear what caused the explosion, there needs to be a focus on better ventilation and on sensors to alert mine personnel when gas levels become dangerous.
"There was no way to protect them against this," he said. "You just have to prevent it and make sure it doesn't happen again." | [
"What is the death toll?",
"Who calls for thorough investigation into mine blast?",
"Who calls for a thorough investigation into the mine blast?",
"Where were most of the victims working?",
"How many people died in the coal mine explosion?",
"How many miners found dead?"
] | [
[
"29"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Virginia coal mine"
],
[
"29"
],
[
"29"
]
] | President Obama calls for thorough investigation into mine blast .
Four missing miners found dead; death toll in West Virginia coal mine explosion now at 29 .
Most of the victims were working in an area where long wall cutting was taking place . |
(CNN) -- President Obama on Thursday called on business leaders from the private sector to generate ideas that will "accelerate job creation" and stimulate investment in the United States. "While I believe that government has a critical role in creating the conditions for economic growth, ultimately, true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector," Obama told attendees of the at the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth. More than 100 CEOs, small-business owners, business leaders, mayors and academics attended. "We don't have enough public dollars to fill the hole of private dollars that was created as a consequence of the crisis. It is only when the private sector starts to reinvest again; only when our businesses start hiring again and people start spending again and families start seeing improvement in their own lives again, that we're going to have the kind of economy that we want," Obama said. The summit took place amid allegations from members of Obama's own party that the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership are not doing enough to help the unemployed. Critics called the summit nothing more than a publicity stunt, and some are threatening to organize a march on Washington of jobless Americans if efforts to get more aid fail. "Obviously, there's something that's not getting through to them," said Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois. "We'll get the American people involved. You know, I can see a day, unless we get some real cooperation and real help, I can really see a day where there will be a jobless march on Washington." Rush and Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and Candice Miller, R-Michigan, chair the new congressional Jobs Now Caucus, which is made up of 112 Democrats and 17 Republicans. Proposals being floated by members of the caucus include redirecting stimulus and TARP money to jobs programs and pressing for a new jobs bill, which they're careful not to call a "stimulus." The summit also fell on the eve of the release of the government's November unemployment report. The nation is expected to have lost another 114,000 jobs, with unemployment remaining at 10.2 percent, the highest in 26 years, according to a survey by economists. Yet Obama projected a positive tone as he recounted some of the day's discussions, on topics from clean energy and tax incentives to the export market, and the overlap among them. "When we were in the infrastructure session, there was a strong emphasis on needing to plan not just for existing road projects, but also, how do we think about the fact that, in the future, we need a cleaner transportation industry?" he said. "When we were in the clean energy session, there was an emphasis on how do we get small businesses and small contractors to get certified and get the financing needed to move forward and take advantage of these clean energy sector opportunities," he said. "There's a lot of overlap between all these different breakout sessions that we engaged in," he said. "We're going to have to figure out how to break out of these silos and integrate these strategies if we're going to be able to get the most bang for the buck." Coinciding with the jobs forum, organized labor and religious leaders in several cities sponsored events featuring unemployed and underemployed people to raise the public profile of the issue. Events were held in Dayton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; and Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday. CNN's Jessica Yellin and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report. | [
"what does Obama says about the true economic recovery?",
"Where did Obama say true economic recovery will come from?",
"on what state some threaten to organize the march?",
"the summit occurs amid allegations of what?",
"Who do forum attendees include?"
] | [
[
"is only going to come from the private sector,\""
],
[
"the private sector,\""
],
[
"Washington"
],
[
"of Obama's own party that the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership are not doing enough to help the unemployed."
],
[
"More than 100 CEOs, small-business owners, business leaders, mayors and academics"
]
] | "True economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector," says Obama .
Forum attendees include CEOs, small-business owners, mayors, academics .
Summit occurs amid allegations that White House is not doing enough to help unemployed .
Critics call summit a publicity stunt, some threaten to organize march on Washington . |
(CNN) -- President Obama said Thursday that watching the arrival of 18 flag-draped cases containing bodies of Americans killed in Afghanistan was a "sobering reminder" of U.S. sacrifice as he prepares to decide on sending more troops there. At a brief media appearance with visiting Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Obama was asked whether his unannounced appearance at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the pre-dawn dignified transfer of the bodies would influence his decision on troop levels in Afghanistan. "Obviously, it was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day," the president said. Obama said the burden of war on U.S. troops and their families will "bear on how I see these conflicts." "It is something I think about each and every day," he said. Also in attendance for the transfer of the bodies were Attorney General Eric Holder and Michele Leonhart, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The bodies included three DEA special agents and 15 U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan this week. The agents were killed Monday as they returned from a raid on a compound believed to be harboring insurgents tied to drug trafficking. Seven U.S. troops also died when their helicopter went down in western Afghanistan. The military transport that landed in Delaware also included the bodies of eight U.S. soldiers killed Tuesday when their vehicles were hit by roadside bombs in two incidents in southern Afghanistan. The soldiers were from the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Washington. The DEA identified the agents killed Monday as Forrest N. Leamon, 37, of Woodbridge, Virginia; Chad L. Michael, 30, of Quantico, Virginia; and Michael E. Weston, 37, of Washington. Leamon and Michael were members of the DEA's Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Teams, and Weston was assigned to the agency's Kabul office. CNN's Carol Cratty contributed to this report. | [
"Who were killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan?",
"How many soldiers die",
"Who were recently killed in helicopter crash?",
"What did the US troops die of?",
"What was on hand of Obama?",
"who was recently killed?"
] | [
[
"eight U.S. soldiers"
],
[
"18"
],
[
"Seven U.S. troops"
],
[
"hit by roadside bombs"
],
[
"\"sobering reminder\""
],
[
"three DEA special agents and 15 U.S. troops"
]
] | President Obama was on hand as bodies of soldiers who died in Afghanistan returned home .
DEA agents, U.S. troops were recently killed in helicopter crash .
Eight U.S. soldiers also killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan . |
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