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(CNN) -- Somalian supermodel Waris Dirie has graced the pages of glossy magazines and starred opposite 007 as a Bond Girl. Face for change: Dirie is a tireless campaigner against FGM. But her glamorous appearances on catwalks and in magazines and films belies the personal battles Dirie has had to overcome. Dirie is a leading voice against forced circumcision and female genital mutilation (FGM) and struggled to overcome her own circumcision at the age of five. The forthcoming film, "Desert Flower", based on her biography, tells her story. Yet it is through her charitable foundation that Dirie hopes that the practice still common in traditions in parts of Africa, the Middle East, South American and Asia will not create more cases similar to her own. Growing up with a nomadic family in Somalia she was one of 12 children. She fled to the London, where one of her uncles was working in the Somali embassy, to avoid an arranged marriage with an older man. She was just 13-years-old at the time. After working as a housemaid and in a McDonald's restaurant she was spotted by chance by fashion photographer Terrance Donovan and became the covergirl for the 1987 Pirelli calendar. Becoming the face of beauty products and design houses, her successful modeling career has given her a life far removed from her childhood. Yet for Dirie more importantly it has created a platform to campaign against FGM. In 2002 she created the Waris Dirie Foundation and has been given a number of honors in recognition of her work. | [
"What did she suffer from at age five?",
"Who was the supermodel discovered by in the UK?",
"Which year was the Waris Dirie Foundation set up?",
"Where did she flee to from Somalia?",
"What does the Waris Dirie Foundation do?",
"Who is a Somalian supermodel and human rights activist?",
"When was the Waris Dirie Foundation established?",
"What nationality was the supermodel?"
] | [
[
"forced circumcision and female genital mutilation (FGM)"
],
[
"Waris Dirie"
],
[
"2002"
],
[
"London,"
],
[
"campaign against FGM."
],
[
"Waris Dirie"
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[
"2002"
],
[
"Somalian"
]
] | Somalian supermodel and human rights activist .
Campaigns against female genital mutilation; suffered circumcision age just five .
Fled from Somali to UK as a teenager; spotted by fashion photographer .
Set up Waris Dirie Foundation in 2002; received numerous award for her work . |
(CNN) -- Somalis forced to flee war and drought are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at home and in neighboring countries, including in Kenya and Ethiopia, an aid agency said Thursday. Somali refugees in Kenya queue to find out about a move to a displacement camp. Somalia has seen a rise in fighting between government forces and the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab, which wants to implement a stricter form of Sharia law or Islamic religious law. The clashes have left scores dead in recent months. The country in the Horn of Africa is also going through the worst drought in 10 years, international agency Oxfam said. "Somalis flee one of the world's most brutal conflicts and a desperate drought, only to end up in unimaginable conditions in camps that are barely fit for humans," said Robbert Van den Berg, a spokesman for Oxfam International in the Horn of Africa. "Hundreds of thousands of children are affected, and the world is abandoning the next generation of Somalis when they most need our help. Why does it seem like you matter less in this world if you are from Somalia?" The international community has failed the refugees, who have little access to basic services such as water and medicine, Oxfam said. About 8,000 Somali refugees flock into the Dadaab camp in northern Kenya every month, the aid agency said. The camp, which has facilities for about 90,000, has 280,000 refugees who have no access to basic necessities, including clean water, Oxfam said. "The Kenyan government has repeatedly promised to provide more land to ease the overcrowding, but has so far failed to do so," Van den Berg said. "More pressure from the international community is needed to make it happen." Kenyan officials decried the criticism. "It is wrong to say we are not doing anything," said Francis Mwaka, a federal communications official. "The Kenya government is aware of the problem and is working on a solution." Several government departments that deal with refugee issues are planning to meet next week, Mwaka said. "During this meeting, they will discuss the possibility of having another camp for refugees in the country or relocating some of the ones in Dadaab to another camp," he said. Mwaka confirmed Oxfam's report that the Dadaab camp was built to host 90,000 refugees. In Ethiopia, the Bokolmayo camp has about 10,000 people. At least 1,000 people arrive there every month, but the facilities are not adequate enough to handle the influx, Oxfam said. Meanwhile, in Somalia, insecurity has hindered international aid agencies from reaching the 485,000 people who have fled the capital, Mogadishu, to nearby Afgooye, Oxfam said. The displaced are getting help from Somalis, who do not have enough resources, it added. "In all three locations -- Afgooye, Dadaab and Bokolmayo -- the services being provided to vulnerable and desperate people are far below international standards," Van den Berg said. About 1.4 million people have been displaced in Somalia and 500,000 more have fled to countries in the region, according to Oxfam. The transitional government has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. Government officials have struggled to establish authority amid challenges by Islamist groups that have seized control of some cities. | [
"Clashes between government forces and islamic militant group has killed how many?",
"Who have there been clashes between?",
"where is the drought?",
"What do refugees live in?",
"Where are the refugees from?",
"What is the name of the camp in Ethiopia?",
"who are the clashes between?",
"How many refugees live at the camp?"
] | [
[
"scores"
],
[
"government forces and the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab,"
],
[
"the Horn of Africa"
],
[
"overcrowded and unsanitary conditions"
],
[
"Somali"
],
[
"Bokolmayo"
],
[
"government forces and the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab,"
],
[
"280,000"
]
] | Somali refugees living in unsanitary conditions at home and in neighboring countries .
Clashes between government forces and Islamic militant group has killed hundreds .
Somalia also suffering from worst drought in ten years, according to Oxfam .
The Bokolmayo camp in Ethiopia is home to about 10,000 refugees . |
(CNN) -- Some 220 square miles of ice has collapsed in Antarctica and an ice shelf about seven times the size of Manhattan is "hanging by a thread," the British Antarctic Survey said Tuesday, blaming global warming. Scientists say the size of the threatened shelf is about 5,282 square miles. "We are in for a lot more events like this," said professor Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Scambos alerted the British Antarctic Survey after he noticed part of the Wilkins ice shelf disintegrating on February 28, when he was looking at NASA satellite images. Late February marks the end of summer at the South Pole and is the time when such events are most likely, he said. Watch aerial footage of the area » "The amazing thing was, we saw it within hours of it beginning, in between the morning and the afternoon pictures of that day," Scambos said of the large chunk that broke away on February 28. The Wilkins ice shelf lost about 6 percent of its surface a decade ago, the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement on its Web site Another 220 square miles -- including the chunk that Scambos spotted -- had splintered from the ice shelf as of March 8, the group said. "As of mid-March, only a narrow strip of shelf ice was protecting several thousand kilometers of potential further breakup," the group said. Scambos' center put the size of the threatened shelf at about 5,282 square miles, comparable to the state of Connecticut, or about half the area of Scotland. See a map and photos as the collapse progressed » Once Scambos called the British Antarctic Survey, the group sent an aircraft on a reconnaissance mission to examine the extent of the breakout. "We flew along the main crack and observed the sheer scale of movement from the breakage," said Jim Elliott, according to the group's Web site. "Big hefty chunks of ice, the size of small houses, look as though they've been thrown around like rubble -- it's like an explosion," he said. "Wilkins is the largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula yet to be threatened," David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey said, according to the Web site. "I didn't expect to see things happen this quickly. The ice shelf is hanging by a thread -- we'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be." But with Antarctica's summer ending, Scambos said the "unusual show is over for this season." Ice shelves are floating ice sheets attached to the coast. Because they are already floating, their collapse does not have any effect on sea levels, according to the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey. Scambos said the ice shelf is not currently on the path of the increasingly popular tourist ships that travel from South America to Antarctica. But some plants and animals may have to adapt to the collapse. "Wildlife will be impacted, but they are pretty adept at dealing with a topsy-turvy world," he said. "The ecosystem is pretty resilient." Several ice shelves -- Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, Larsen B, Wordie, Muller and Jones -- have collapsed in the past three decades, the British Antarctic Survey said. Larsen B, a 1,254-square-mile ice shelf, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island, collapsed in 2002, the group said. Scientists say the western Antarctic peninsula -- the piece of the continent that stretches toward South America -- has warmed more than any other place on Earth over the past 50 years, rising by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit each decade. Scambos said the poles will be the leading edge of what's happening in the rest of the world as global warming continues. "Even though they seem far away, changes in the polar regions could have an impact on both hemispheres, with sea level rise and changes in climate patterns," he said. | [
"What is protecting the shelf from further breakup?",
"what are floating",
"what did scientist say",
"Where is the Wilkins ice shelf?",
"what happened in antarctica",
"What are ice shelves?"
] | [
[
"narrow strip of"
],
[
"Ice shelves"
],
[
"the size of the threatened shelf is about 5,282 square miles."
],
[
"Antarctica"
],
[
"220 square miles of ice has collapsed"
],
[
"sheets attached to the coast."
]
] | A large chunk of the Wilkins ice shelf in Antarctica broke away last month .
Only a narrow strip of ice is protecting the shelf from further breakup .
"I didn't expect to see things happen this quickly," scientist says .
Ice shelves are floating ice sheets attached to the coast . |
(CNN) -- Some 5,000 residents in eastern Pennsylvania were allowed to return to their homes Saturday afternoon, some 12 hours after they were evacuated when a tractor-trailer carrying 33,000 pounds of toxic hydrofluoric acid overturned after the driver tried to avoid a deer, authorities said. Traffic is backed up Saturday after a truck spilled hydrofluoric acid in eastern Pennsylvania. State police identified the driver as Raymond Leblanc, 54, of Harrow, Ontario, Canada. Leblanc, who initially was trapped in the truck, was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released. Police said a passenger in the truck was unhurt. No other injuries were reported. The truck flipped over on its side and slid along northbound State Road 33, which was closed in both directions from Belfast to Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, from the time of the early-morning accident until about 6 p.m. Saturday. Most of the acid in the tank was in the form of pressurized gas, but there also was some water, said Northampton County spokesman John Conklin. State and federal hazardous materials experts stopped the leak by noon. The wreck occurred at 3:30 a.m. near Wind Gap. Conklin said many evacuees -- those living within a mile of the accident site in Plainfield Township -- went to a shelter set up at nearby Pen Argyl High School in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania. A dispatcher with the Northhampton County Division of Emergency Management said residents were allowed to begin returning to their homes about 3:45 p.m. Saturday. Hydrogen fluoride is a hazardous chemical compound used mainly for industrial purposes such as etching glass, and is extremely corrosive. It also is an ingredient in high-octane gasoline, refrigerants, aluminum and light bulbs. Contact with concentrated solutions can cause severe burns, according to medical authorities. Inhaling the gas causes respiratory irritation, severe eye damage and pulmonary edema. | [
"What type of corrosive fluid leaked?",
"When will the evacuees be able to go home?",
"What did a driver report trying to avoid?",
"What caused the evacuation?",
"Where was the location of the acid spill?",
"What substance was leaking?",
"What was the number of evacuees?",
"What was leaking?"
] | [
[
"hydrofluoric acid"
],
[
"afternoon,"
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[
"a deer,"
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[
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[
"eastern Pennsylvania"
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[
"toxic hydrofluoric acid"
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[
"5,000"
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[
"hydrofluoric acid"
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] | 5,000 evacuees able to go home 12 hours after evacuated because of acid spill .
Canadian driver tried to avoid hitting a deer, flipped tractor-trailer .
Leak of highly corrosive hydrofluoric acid stopped . |
(CNN) -- Some Americans visiting or working in Haiti have not been heard from since Tuesday's earthquake, but loved ones back home are trying to remain optimistic as good reports come in from others.
CNN iReporter Cynthia Kivland of Prairie Grove, Illinois, spent a sleepless night trying to get in touch with her 30-year-old daughter, Chelsey.
Chelsey Kivland has lived in Haiti for more than two years and speaks fluent Creole; she just returned there from a visit home in December. The Fulbright Scholar at the University of Chicago is finishing her doctoral dissertation in anthropology.
"She's just a beautiful person," said her mother, who contacted the State Department and the university for help.
Help the Kivlands find their daughter
There are about 45,000 Americans in Haiti, the U.S. State Department estimates.
A 15-member group from Trinity United Methodist Church of Hackettstown, New Jersey, turned up after going missing for about 18 hours after the quake. The group was believed to be at an orphanage in Bon Repos, 15 miles north of Port-au-Prince, when the earthquake struck.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, a church member said the group contacted the church via a CNN satellite phone in Haiti.
A message on the church's Web site said that a two- to three-day lag in communication is not unusual after natural disasters.
Skip Conover of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, said a 21-member team of congregation members from his church, Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton and Kingdom Church of Ewing has been out of contact.
"We have heard absolutely nothing from our group," he said. "If everything was on schedule, the team should have landed three hours before the earthquake in Port-au-Prince. Our fingers are crossed that if there were no holdups in customs and no stopgaps, the team should have been up the mountains and reached the village of Thoman before the quake happened."
Thoman is a two-hour drive from Port-au-Prince, and phone communication is not good from there, he said.
Are you looking for loved ones?
Two Americans with another church were rescued from the rubble of their mission house.
Jillian Thorp and Charles Dietsch of the Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, were pulled from the remains of the three-story house after a night of digging by four mission workers, Thorp's father said.
"It was heroic. I think that's the only word for it," said the father, Clay Cook, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
Watch Cook tell the story
"Jill couldn't really do anything for herself, except she did have her cell phone, so she was able to talk to people and tell them where within the house she and this other gentleman, Chuck Dietsch, were located, so they didn't have to look through the whole pile of rubble."
Thorp's husband, Frank, arrived after driving all night from another town, "and he literally lifted her out of the hole when they finally got her free," Cook said.
When he spoke to her less than an hour later, "she was a little shaky," Cook said. "She spent about 11 hours buried in concrete, listening to the earth shake around her, so being a little shaky is probably pretty good."
At a news conference later, Cook and his wife, Karen, asked reporters to turn their attention to those who are still suffering and grieving.
"It's a beautiful country, and they're a beautiful people, and they need a lot of help right now," he said.
He said his daughter does not want to leave Haiti in its hour of need.
"Our baby is safe, but there's so many babies that aren't safe," a tearful Karen Cook said.
The pastoral staff at Free Chapel, a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Georgia, used Skype on Tuesday night to reach Bobby and Sherry Burnette, the couple who run the church's permanent mission in Haiti, | [
"What does the New Jersey mission group use?",
"Who was pulled from the rubble?",
"What group are still unaccounted for?",
"Who hasn't mother heard from?",
"Who's phone did the group use?",
"Who has the woman not heard from?",
"How many were pulled from the rubble?",
"What group is unaccounted for?"
] | [
[
"CNN satellite phone"
],
[
"Two Americans"
],
[
"a 21-member team of congregation members from his church, Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton and Kingdom Church of Ewing has been out of contact."
],
[
"30-year-old daughter, Chelsey."
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"her 30-year-old daughter, Chelsey."
],
[
"Two Americans"
],
[
"Americans visiting or working"
]
] | NEW: New Jersey mission group uses CNN satellite phone to contact church .
Another New Jersey church group still unaccounted for .
Mother hasn't heard from Fulbright Scholar daughter .
Two with Catholic mission pulled from rubble after night of digging . |
(CNN) -- Some Democrats had dubbed the possibility of a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton pairing last year as a "dream ticket," though the notion that the two once-bitter primary rivals would team up always seemed far-fetched. But then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was more seriously considering picking Clinton as his running mate than any of his senior aides realized, according to a forthcoming book by former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. Yet in the end, it may have been her husband President Clinton -- who had made headlines for his outbursts on the campaign trail during the primary season -- that ultimately scuttled the possibility. In the book, excerpts of which are running in the new issue of Time magazine, Plouffe said Obama took both him and senior aide David Axelrod by surprise when he insisted on including Clinton on the initial list of potential picks for the No. 2 spot on the ticket. "Obama was clearly thinking more seriously about picking Hillary Clinton than Axelrod and I had realized," Plouffe writes. "He said if his central criterion measured who could be the best VP, she had to be included in that list." While Obama continued to consider picking Clinton throughout the summer of 2008, he ultimately eliminated her name from the list in early August, fearing, Plouffe writes, that there "were just too many complications outweighing the potential strengths." "I think Bill may be too big a complication," Plouffe quotes Obama as saying. "If I picked her, my concern is that there would be more than two of us in the relationship." The new book, "The Audacity to Win," hits book stores November 3. | [
"What is David Plouffe's book called?",
"What is the date of the release of the book?",
"What was an Obama-Clinton pairing seen as by Democrats?",
"What is the former manager saying?",
"What was seen as a dream?",
"What is the title of the book?",
"When is David Plouffe's book released?",
"What was he serious about?"
] | [
[
"\"The Audacity to Win,\""
],
[
"November 3."
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[
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[
"then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was more seriously considering picking Clinton as his running mate than any of his senior aides realized,"
],
[
"Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton pairing"
],
[
"\"The Audacity to Win,\""
],
[
"November 3."
],
[
"picking Clinton as his running mate"
]
] | Obama-Clinton pairing was deemed a far-fetched dream ticket by Democrats .
Obama: "I think Bill may be too big a complication," former campaign manager writes .
Obama was more serious about picking Hillary Clinton for VP than aides realized, book says .
David Plouffe's book "The Audacity to Win," hits book stores November 3 . |
(CNN) -- Some Democrats say they fear their party's method of picking a nominee might turn undemocratic as neither presidential candidate is likely to gather the delegates needed for the nomination. The Democrats' superdelegate system is supposed to avoid turmoil at the party's conventions. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running neck and neck toward the party's August convention in Denver, Colorado. Most projections show neither getting the necessary 2,025 delegates in the remaining nominating contests before then. Party rules call for the votes of superdelegates -- 800 or so party officers, elected officials and activists -- to tip the balance. The party instituted the system to avoid the turmoil that a deadlocked race would create at a convention. But even some superdelegates are questioning the system, as the party heads toward the conclusion of a race in which they might determine the outcome. "It's not the most democratic way of doing things," said Maine superdelegate Sam Spencer. Watch the scenario for a "civil war" in the Democratic Party » At least two organizations have launched petition drives to reflect how the vote went in primaries and caucuses. MoveOn.org, which has endorsed Obama, is trying to get 200,000 signatures this week and plans to run an ad with its petition in USA Today. And Democracy for America, headed by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's brother Jim, said it will deliver signed petitions to all the superdelegates. While pledged delegates are allocated with the understanding they'll vote the way their state went in its primary or caucus, superdelegates are free to vote however they want. And even if they pledge their support to a candidate, they're free to change at any time. Clinton already has 234 superdelegates and Obama has 157. But Obama has a sizable lead in pledged delegates, 1,096 to 977, and is on a roll, having won all eight nominating contests since Super Tuesday. See which states pledged delegates come from » If the superdelegates were to tip the balance against the popular vote, the turmoil would last long beyond the convention, longtime Democratic Party strategist Tad Devine said. "If a perception develops that somehow this decision has been made not by voters participating in primaries or caucuses, but by politicians in some mythical backroom, I think that the public could react strongly against that," Devine said. "The problem is [if] people perceive that voters have not made the decision -- instead, insiders have made the decision -- then all of these new people who are being attracted to the process, particularly the young people who are voting for the first time, will feel disenfranchised or in some way alienated," he said. Superdelegates were established in 1982 to bring more moderate Democrats back to conventions, where their attendance had been dropping since the 1950s, and to relect the party's mainstream more accurately. "[Superdelegates] are the keepers of the faith," said former San Francisco, California, Mayor Willie Brown. "You have superdelegates because this is the Democratic Party. You don't want the bleed-over from the Green Party, the independents and others in deciding who your nominee will be." Devine was part of the first campaign to benefit from the roles of superdelegates -- that of former Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984. Mondale's 1984 campaign went into the party convention with too few delegates to secure the nomination against the campaigns of former Sen. Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson. Mondale had received more votes, but Hart had won more states. Mondale was able to line up the superdelegates going into the convention and avoid a fight on the convention floor. Each campaign actively is trying to encourage the unpledged delegates to pledge to their side. Jason Rae, a 21-year-old Wisconsin superdelegate, said he's gotten calls from former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright from Hillary Clinton's camp, and Obama's wife, Michelle, visited with him during a campaign stop Tuesday in Wisconsin. Rae said he hasn't yet decided how he'll vote in Wisconsin's primary on Tuesday. Crystal Strait, a | [
"What number of superdelegates was there?",
"What do some people fear?",
"Who can superdelegates vote for?",
"Do superdelegates get to choose their vote?",
"What number of superdelegates are there?",
"What is the difference between delegates and superdelegates?",
"What is the number of superdelegates?",
"What can superdelegates do?",
"What is the number of superdelegates for the Democrats?"
] | [
[
"800 or so"
],
[
"their party's method of picking a nominee might turn undemocratic"
],
[
"superdelegates are free to vote however they want."
],
[
"however they want."
],
[
"800 or so"
],
[
"are allocated with the understanding they'll vote the way their state went in"
],
[
"800 or so"
],
[
"tip the balance."
],
[
"800"
]
] | Democrats' system includes about 800 superdelegates -- party officials, leaders .
Unlike elected delegates, superdelegates can vote for any candidate they choose .
Some says they fear superdelegates could tip balance against the popular vote .
If such a thing happens, some say voters will feel alienated, disenfranchised . |
(CNN) -- Some Iranian-Americans, watching the post-election unrest in Iran, say the tug-of-war between the people and their hardline government has come to a head after three decades. Crowds demonstrated in Los Angeles, California on Monday, June 15 over the Iran election results. "I am absolutely convinced that what we are witnessing is a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic," said Dr. Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City. "Even if the Islamic Republic survives this crisis, it will no longer be as it used to be," added Dabashi. The contentious election results between conservative incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist challenger Mir Hossein Moussavi sent many Iranians protesting in the streets, while others celebrated Ahmadinejad's apparent victory. Kaveh Afrasiabi, who has taught at Tehran University and Boston University and identifies himself as an independent, told CNN that Ahmadinejad's widespread support in rural areas and small towns was the reason for his win. In results announced hours after the polls closed, Ahmadinejad received more than 62 percent of the vote, a figure hotly disputed by Moussavi's supporters. With the credibility of Friday's election under scrutiny, how the Islamic Republic of Iran overcomes it and reclaims its legitimacy in the eyes of some of its own citizens and the international community remains to be seen. "There is good reason to believe that many if not most of the pro-Moussavi demonstrators are gladly taking an opportunity to safely protest something bigger: their enormous discontent with the entire system as it stands," said Shirin Sadeghi, a Middle East analyst for the Huffington Post. The unstable political, social and economic climate has some scholars questioning the future of the Islamic Republic. "They are either going to crack down severely or they are going to cave in -- it could go either way," Dabashi said of the conservatives who now dominate Iran's government. Many Iranian-Americans say they see this as their opportunity for change. "This is the best chance Iranians have to evolve to a better situation," said Dr. Ali Nayeri, a professor at the University of California at Irvine. That chance has sparked an unprecedented wave of spontaneous demonstrations not only within Iran but also thousands of miles away from Tehran --- scenes unparalleled since the 1979 revolution. "Thirty years ago we had the war with Iraq. Now we have an internal war with our president and the fundamentalists," said Reza Goharzad, a political analyst who worked with Moussavi when he was prime minister of Iran. Goharzad, of Southern California, was among thousands of voters to cast an absentee ballot. "This was the first time I voted in 30 years," said Goharzad. The enthusiasm that drove record numbers of Iranian-Americans to the voting booths was overshadowed by disappointment when a shortage of ballots prevented hundreds from voting. In addition, the election results were announced before many of the voting booths in the U.S. had closed. Alex Vatanka, senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's, a provider of defense and security information, said Iran's supreme ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may have miscalculated the mood of the country when he endorsed Ahmadinejad's victory before the country's election authority made the final call. Khamenei has since asked the authority, the Guardian Council, to recount some of the votes. But Moussavi is asking for fresh elections. Goharzad, like many other voters, questions the legitimacy of the election. He wants to know where his vote went. A student activist in Dallas, Texas, echoed that sentiment. "The election volunteer at my voting location said that they had 500 ballots, which was not enough for the thousand or so people that turned out to vote," said the activist, who wanted to remain anonymous because he plans to visit Iran soon. For the first time, Iranian-Americans say, the post-revolution generation has seen the power of their unity unfold in masses. They say this has given Iranians at home and abroad hope that | [
"What are people hoping for?",
"what is reason for unrest?",
"What could be a reason for the unrest?"
] | [
[
"change."
],
[
"voters, questions the legitimacy of the election."
],
[
"the tug-of-war between"
]
] | Some Iranians-Americans believe the Islamic Republic possibly is eroding .
Protests in Iran continue after disputed presidential election .
Tensions between Iran's clergy could be a reason for the unrest, analyst says .
Iranian-Americans say they hope more freedom is result of unrest . |
(CNN) -- Some found it shocking when Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber granted convicted double-murderer Gary Haugen a reprieve Tuesday, setting aside Haugen's scheduled December 6 execution. Haugen, who killed another prisoner while serving a life sentence for a previous murder, had waived all appeals.
In a previous term as governor, Kitzhaber allowed two men to be executed, and he explained Tuesday that "I simply cannot participate once again in something that I believe to be morally wrong." A medical doctor with an active license, the governor also referred to his oath as a physician to "do no harm" as he announced Haugen's reprieve and a moratorium on executions for the remainder of his term in office. Notably, in issuing a reprieve (or delay) rather than commuting Haugen's sentence, Kitzhaber left open the possibility of Haugen's execution under a future governor.
As the news spread, many people reacted with anger. Kitzhaber has been called a coward and worse. This wave of anger, though, should not distract from two important truths: first, that Kitzhaber's actions are within, not without, the basic rules of our democracy; second, that Kitzhaber is a proxy for the thousands of people in this country who have had to live with doubt and even regret because they were thrust into the death penalty process while doing their civic duty as jurors, judges or lawyers.
In 1984, Oregon voters chose by referendum to reinstate the death penalty. The legislature formulated rules for capital punishment. Prosecutors elected, as they could, to pursue the death penalty against Haugen. A jury heard the evidence, and 12 Oregon citizens voted to have Haugen put to death.
The courts that heard Haugen's appeals (up to the point he dropped them) found the process fair. Then, after all of this, Kitzhaber chose not to finish this expensive and consuming project. Kitzhaber's choice is anti-democratic, it does frustrate the will of prosecutors, it must be confounding to those 12 jurors, and it constitutes a tremendous exercise of power based on just one person's sense of morality. It is also wholly within the genius of American government.
Oregon and other states have incorporated executive clemency into their systems of criminal law, drawing on the example laid out in the United States Constitution. The framers of the Constitution chose intentionally to give the executive that power, knowing full well that it would necessarily run contrary to popular will.
If you are angry with Kitzhaber for using that power, also direct your anger at Alexander Hamilton, who was a driving force behind the institution of executive clemency in the United States. Here is part of what Hamilton said about it in Federalist Paper 74: "Humanity and good policy conspire to dictate, that the benign prerogative of pardoning should be as little as possible fettered or embarrassed. ... On these accounts, one man appears to be a more eligible dispenser of the mercy of government, than a body of men."
The anti-democratic institution of clemency that is generating such anger is contrary to the voters of Oregon, yes. However, we should not forget that that same institution is ancient, principled and an integral part of the broad scheme of justice that wiser men than I have constructed.
A second buried truth is revealed within the tortured way in which Kitzhaber announced his decision. During a prior term as governor, in 1997, he had allowed two executions, and it seems clear that he was deeply troubled by his role in those killings. How could he not be? It is a heavy responsibility to participate in a deliberative process that identifies a citizen to be put to death by the state. However, Kitzhaber is just the exposed tip of an iceberg of human emotion. Beneath him are thousands of others who have been forced by the institution of capital punishment to live with their role in an intentional death.
Among that group are lawyers, witnesses and judges, but perhaps most sympathetic of all are the jurors. They are plucked from their daily lives by the government and suddenly thrust into the most important role of all -- they must vote, unanimously | [
"What is part of Oregon law",
"what state is Kitzhaber governor of?"
] | [
[
"death penalty."
],
[
"Oregon"
]
] | Mark Osler: Oregon governor drew some angry reactions to convict's execution reprieve .
But executive clemency part of Oregon law, Osler says, an act of principle, not cowardice .
Osler: It's right to resist process that pulls prosecutors, jurors, families into flawed system .
Gov. Kitzhaber should go further and commute death row sentences, Osler says . |
(CNN) -- Some issues, it seems, still transcend America's increasingly bitter partisan divide. Ex-President George H.W. Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates smile during Obama's speech Friday. President Obama attended a community service forum at Texas A&M University on Friday hosted by one of his Republican predecessors, former President George H.W. Bush. Obama took the opportunity to emphasize that, regardless of partisan politics, the government can only do so much with the challenges facing Americans. "We face threats to our health, our climate and, of course, our security that have left many of our young people wondering what kind of future they will be leaving for their own kids," Obama told the audience, which including the former president and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. "Anyone here thinks that our government always has the solutions, President Bush and I will be the first to tell you that you'll be sorely disappointed." "The government can build the best school, with the best teachers, but we can't run the PTA ... we can pass the most comprehensive health care reform bill, but Congress can't be on the ground in our communities caring for the sick and helping people lead healthy lives." The two leaders met at Bush's presidential library to celebrate almost two decades of work from the Points of Light Institute, which was founded with Bush's encouragement in 1990 to "encourage and empower the spirit of service," according to the group's Web site. The Institute takes its name from Bush's 1989 inaugural address, where he referenced "a thousand points of light ... all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the nation, doing good." Obama lauded the former president's lifetime of service -- from his enlistment at 18 to his community work during retirement -- noting that Bush was the first president to create a White House office devoted to promoting volunteer work. The president said Bush's legacy of service affected the life of his own family. "It's a vision that's changed lives across this country, including that of a young woman who went to work for an organization called Public Allies to prepare young people for public service careers -- an organization initially funded by the Bush administration," Obama said. "Her experience there inspired her to devote her own life to serving others, and that young woman happens to be my wife, Michelle Obama." Obama latched onto the community service theme during last year's presidential campaign. He signed a measure in April designed to strengthen national community service efforts by boosting federal funding for thousands of volunteers in fields ranging from clean energy to health care and education. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, renamed to honor the late senator's sponsorship of the measure, will more than triple the number of positions in the AmeriCorps program, from 75,000 to 250,000, by 2017. "Our government can help to rebuild our economy ... [but] we need Americans willing to mentor our eager young children, or care for the sick, or ease the strains of deployment on our military families," Obama said when signing the bill into law. The law created four national service corps and launched several other initiatives, including, among other things, a "Summer of Service" program to spur greater community outreach by middle- and high-school students. Older Americans were encouraged to volunteer more through the creation of a "Silver Scholars" program, under which individuals 55 and older who perform 350 hours of service receive a $1,000 award. The law increased the existing AmeriCorps educational stipend offered to volunteers to $5,350 -- the same amount as the maximum Pell college grant. Some critics have contended the measure, expected to cost roughly $6 billion over the next five years, is fiscally irresponsible in light of the current economic downturn. They also argue that the concept of volunteerism is undermined by providing financial compensation for community service. Points of Light Institute CEO Michelle Nunn, however, praised the legislation for encouraging people to "volunteer their time and talents to positively impact the nation's largest problems." CNN | [
"what did obama say?",
"What did he say of the expectation on the government to solve all problems?",
"Who was the forum hosted by?",
"who spoke at the forum?",
"Who is Obama's wife?",
"Who hosted the forum?"
] | [
[
"\"We face threats to our health, our climate and, of course, our security that have left many of our young people wondering"
],
[
"you'll be sorely disappointed.\""
],
[
"former President George H.W. Bush."
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"Michelle Obama.\""
],
[
"former President George H.W. Bush."
]
] | NEW: Obama speaks at forum hosted by ex-President George H.W. Bush.
NEW: 44th president praises 41st for "thousand points of light" ethic .
NEW: Obama: It "changed lives across this country," including Michelle Obama's .
Obama: "You'll be sorely disappointed" expecting government to solve all problems . |
(CNN) -- Some legendary names in music and art are voicing their support for the Occupy movement, with a music compilation record called "Occupy This Album," the album producers say.
David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Devo, Third Eye Blind, Yo La Tengo, Lloyd Cole, The Guthrie Family and filmmaker/activist Michael Moore have signed on to the project, the producers said in a press release.
The album was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement and will "provide an anthem and rallying cry for the protesters involved in the uprising," producers say.
Graham Nash, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and former member of the band Crosby, Stills and Nash has also signed on to help with the project, according to the press release.
"The Occupation movement is really the voice of the people, it's an idea that's been a long time coming. I fully support their non-violent protests against a system that is carefully crafted in favor of the rich one percent," Nash is quoted as saying.
Producers of the album say all of the proceeds will benefit the Occupy movement. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Occupy Wall Street General Fund. The other half of money generated will be distributed evenly among the major occupations across the country, according to Jason Samel of Music for Occupy, who is producing the album.
According to the press release, "Occupy This Album" is supposed to be released this winter. | [
"who are some of the artists on the record",
"Proceeds from the record will be distributed to who?",
"what inspired the album",
"What are the names of two of the artists involved with the record?",
"Name an artist who will be on the record?",
"Which movement is the inspiration for the album?",
"The album is inspired by who?"
] | [
[
"David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Devo, Third Eye Blind, Yo La Tengo, Lloyd Cole, The Guthrie Family and filmmaker/activist Michael Moore"
],
[
"the Occupy Wall Street General Fund."
],
[
"the Occupy Wall Street movement"
],
[
"David Crosby, Jackson Brown,"
],
[
"David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Devo, Third Eye Blind, Yo La Tengo, Lloyd Cole, The Guthrie Family"
],
[
"Occupy"
],
[
"the Occupy Wall Street movement"
]
] | Occupy This Album will be a music compilation record .
The album is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement .
David Crosby, Graham Nash and Jackson Brown are a few of the artists who will be on the record .
All proceeds from the record will be distributed to the Occupy movement . |
(CNN) -- Some of the $85 million in hurricane relief supplies given away as federal surplus will be sent back to Louisiana and given to nonprofit agencies for distribution, the state's hurricane recovery office said Tuesday. Hand towels sit unused in Fort Worth, Texas. Goods ranged from cots to camp stoves to coffee makers. "Today we can report that we have been notified that some of the surplus property has been located in Texas and will be coming to the state of Louisiana for distribution by Unity New Orleans," said Paul Rainwater, the executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. A CNN investigation revealed last week that FEMA gave away the supplies as government surplus, even though agencies like Unity -- which works to resettle hurricane victims -- were still seeking the kind of supplies given away. After the disclosure, Rainwater's organization asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to return some of the extensive stockpiles of household goods that had been purchased as "starter kits" for people living in trailers after Hurricane Katrina. After CNN reported on the giveaway, other Louisiana officials also asked that the supplies be redirected to the state, which originally passed on them. John Medica, director of Louisiana's Federal Property Assistance Agency, told CNN he was unaware Katrina victims still needed the items because no agency had contacted his office. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, an outspoken critic of FEMA's response to the hurricane, told CNN the supply giveaway was "just a shame." "It's just another example of the failings of the federal bureaucracy," Landrieu said last week. She wrote Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to request an explanation. FEMA Administrator David Paulison on Sunday defended the agency's decision, telling CNN that Louisiana had been offered some of the stockpiles, but that state officials had declined the goods. Rainwater said state officials "will move to quickly get these supplies in the hands of those who need them." "Moving forward, we have made it clear that I am to be the point of contact for FEMA when supplies for Katrina and Rita victims are set aside for our state," he said. "We will also be informing nonprofits about how to access such supplies, so that we can all better serve our citizens who are struggling to rebuild their lives." CNN's Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost contributed to this report. | [
"Supplies were given away as government surplus by who?",
"What did the administrator defend?",
"Which company conducted the investigation?",
"What will some of the $85 million in supplies will be given to?",
"What did the investigation reveal?"
] | [
[
"FEMA"
],
[
"the agency's decision,"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"nonprofit agencies for distribution,"
],
[
"FEMA gave away the supplies as government surplus,"
]
] | Some of the $85 million in supplies will be given to state nonprofit agencies .
CNN investigation revealed FEMA gave away supplies as government surplus .
FEMA administrator has defended the agency's decision to give away items . |
(CNN) -- Some of the first accounts emerged Tuesday from eyewitnesses who were aboard several boats stormed by Israeli forces as they approached Gaza the day before.
Hanin Zoabi, a member of the Israeli parliament, was on board the Miva Marmara, the ship that was the scene of a confrontation between activists and Israeli soldiers. That clash left at least nine people dead.
The Israeli Navy fired on the ships five minutes before commandos descended from ropes that dangled from helicopters, Zoabi said during a press conference in Nazareth, Israel. She said passengers on board the ship were unarmed.
Were you there? Send us your story, images, video
Israel has said its forces found several weapons among the passengers on the Miva Marmara. Israel also has said that its forces started shooting after passengers on the Miva Marmara assaulted them.
Zoabi said the military operation lasted about an hour and that she saw five dead bodies in that time.
She urged Israeli authorities to investigate and to let the news media interview passengers who have been detained.
Zoabi said she believes Israel has video footage of how the ten passengers were killed, and she called on Israeli authorities to release that footage.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that of the six ships in the flotilla, the people prepared an ambush on one, a reference to the Turkish ship. But on the other five, "the people got off without a scratch."
Huwaida Arraf, one of the Free Gaza Movement organizers, told CNN Israeli troops roughed her up when they responded aggressively to her ship, a smaller one in the flotilla that was near the Turkish vessel where the casualties occurred.
"They started coming after our ship," she told CNN, "so we took off and they charged us also. Eventually, they overtook our ship and they used concussion grenades, sound bombs and pellets."
She said the people on her ship tried to keep them off. She said they were told the vessel was American and the people aboard were unarmed.
But, she said "they started beating people. My head was smashed against the ground and they stepped on my head. They later cuffed me and put a bag over my head. They did that to everybody."
Her account could not be independently verified. | [
"Who said shots were fired?",
"When were the shots fired?",
"How many dead bodies did Zoabi see?",
"What was placed over a witness's head?",
"How many dead bodies were there?",
"Whose forces started shooting?"
] | [
[
"Hanin Zoabi,"
],
[
"five minutes before commandos descended"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"bag"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Israeli"
]
] | Passenger says shots were fired before Israeli commandos boarded ship .
Israel says its forces started shooting after passengers assaulted them .
Zoabi said she saw five dead bodies during the hour-long military operation .
Another witness said a bag was placed over her head . |
(CNN) -- Some of the strongest support for health care cooperatives' place in the national effort to reform the nation's health care system comes from those who experience a co-op's care every day: doctors and patients. Co-op patient Norman Nistler says he didn't even realize he was a part of a health care co-op. Co-ops are non-profit organizations, so any money that is earned goes back to be used on patients and other costs. Patients also elect a governing board, which is in stark contrast to operations under private health insurance plan. Proponents point to two co-ops as evidence they are an alternative in the health care reform debate: HealthPartners in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Washington. HealthPartners has been in business for half a century and served more than a million people in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Some decades-long members said they didn't know they were with a co-op. "I watch a lot of it on television now. There's a lot of talking about co-ops, but I didn't realize this was a co-op," said patient Norman Nistler. The co-op was able to save millions, officials note, by switching to generic drugs and cutting tobacco use among its members by double the Minnesota state average because doctors help patients to quit. Darla Andrews, a patient at the co-op, said she and her doctor have easy access to her records. "It's all digital, so it works out good for me. It's more convenient." Dr. Eric Seaver, who works at Group Health. "We can communicate with patients through secure e-mail for routine questions or concerns that in the private world physicians often aren't able or won't do because there's just no motivation to do that. There's no reimbursement. ... Here with Group Health's model, it's all about providing patients the care that they need when they need it in a form that works best for them." Group Health lists Microsoft and Starbucks as organizations that use its system. "I have great contact with the doctors," said Group Health member Dave Jacobs. "I'm treated like a person, not a number." "My care has been absolutely exceptional. And that's because I believe I'm going to a private medical facility, dealing with doctors one-on-one and not a bureaucrat," he said. "Part of the great value in that structure is that our patients are actively engaged, not just in the organization and governance but actively engaged in finding ways to engage themselves in their care itself," said Scott Armstrong, president and CEO of Group Health Cooperative. "We all know that an engaged patient leads to a better health outcome. So much of health care is actually the responsibility of us as individuals." Aaron Katz, of the University of Washington Health Services, says the group health model could be viable nationally, but only if there are tougher restrictions on insurance companies. The reason co-ops are successful, he says, is because they employ their own doctors, specialists, pharmacies and can reduce the amount of tests and procedures that drive up costs. Seaver says his co-op emphasizes evidence-based medicine and making decisions in patient care based upon "the best evidence that we have available for what's effective and what is ineffective." "I think what we're finding in this model is doing the right thing for the patient is the best thing not just for the patient but also for the system as a whole," he said. "I feel like I'm able to practice medicine the way I had envisioned back in medical school." Working at Group Health "has been a breath of fresh air for my career," he said. CNN's Dana Bash, Ed Hornick, Lesa Jansen, Chris Welch and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report. | [
"What are co-ops?",
"What did the patient say?",
"What does the doctor say about co-ops?",
"what is a Co-op?",
"who elects a governing board?",
"What are often cited as successful plans?",
"what does the patient say?"
] | [
[
"non-profit organizations,"
],
[
"he didn't even realize he was a part of a health care co-op."
],
[
"\"We can communicate with patients through secure e-mail for routine questions or concerns that in the private world physicians often aren't able or won't do because there's just no motivation to do that. There's no reimbursement. ... Here with Group Health's model, it's all"
],
[
"non-profit organizations,"
],
[
"Patients"
],
[
"co-ops"
],
[
"he didn't even realize he was a part of a health care co-op."
]
] | Co-ops are non-profit organizations where patients elect a governing board .
HealthPartners and Group Health Cooperative are often cited as successful plans .
Patient: "I'm treated like a person, not a number"
Doctor says co-ops let him connect with patients using e-mail . |
(CNN) -- Some of the worst fighting to hit Somalia's capital city in recent months uprooted nearly 34,000 people in less than a week, according to a United Nations report released Monday. A young girl feeds her baby brother at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. Relief workers said the fighting between the Somali government and rebels over Islamic law has left Somali civilians with the choice of facing bloody battles or fleeing to squalid camps. The displaced people have found shelter in already overcrowded camps in and around Mogadishu, while others have fled into neighboring Kenya, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA said that an estimated 34,000 people were displaced by the fighting between insurgents and Somalia's government from May 8-14. Although Somalia's border with Kenya is officially closed, an estimated 5,000 displaced Somalis arrive every month in the U.N. refugee camps in the Kenyan border town of Dadaab, according to Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF. "The situation is simply scandalous," said Joke Van Peteghem, who heads the MSF mission in Kenya. "These refugees have risked everything to escape the fighting in Somalia. Now some are telling us they would rather take their chances in Mogadishu than die slowly here." One nurse called the refugee camps in Kenya "public health time bombs." "The refugees, many of whom are already suffering from serious war-related injuries or illnesses, are packed together without the bare minimum to survive," said Donna Canali, who worked for MSF at Dagahaley Camp. "After all these people have endured, how can their most basic needs continue to be so woefully neglected?" Nearly a quarter of the more than 90,000 refugees at Dagahaley suffer from acute malnutrition, according to MSF. MSF is calling on the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Kenya's government, and international donors to help alleviate the "dire living conditions" at the camps in Kenya which house more than 270,000 Somali refugees. More than 100 people have died in the latest fighting in Somalia, and hundreds more have been wounded in the bloody insurgency, government officials said last week. The violence stems from an interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law. Somalia's new president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, recently approved implementing sharia, but the al-Shabab rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form. On Sunday, al-Shabab seized control of Jowhar, the president's hometown about 55 miles (88 km) north of Mogadishu, according to a local journalist. The violence is exacerbating the already precarious humanitarian situation in Somalia, where an estimated 40 percent of the country's population -- more than 3 million people -- need humanitarian support, according to the U.N. The fighting erupted days after a mortar attack on Somalia's parliament that killed six people and wounded more than a dozen others on April 25. The fatalities included a soldier and three children who were killed when the rounds struck a nearby school, a police spokesman said. Members of parliament were meeting when the attack occurred, but none of them was injured, an official said. | [
"Where was the fighting?",
"How many people have died in the most recent fighting?",
"When did the fighting begin?",
"How many civilians were uprooted due to fighting in Somalia?",
"How many people had died?",
"When was the latest violence?"
] | [
[
"Somalia's capital city"
],
[
"More than 100"
],
[
"May 8-14."
],
[
"nearly 34,000"
],
[
"More than 100"
],
[
"in recent months"
]
] | Fighting in Somalia uproots 34,000 civilians in a week, report says .
Civilians have choice: Face bloody battles or be forced into squalid camps .
More than 100 have died in most recent fighting .
Violence stems from an interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law . |
(CNN) -- Some of the worst flooding the mid-South has seen in decades is thought to be responsible for at least 11 deaths in Tennessee, the Nashville and state emergency management offices said Sunday.
Five of the deaths were in Davidson County, which encompasses Nashville, according to the Nashville mayor's Office of Emergency Management.
The rains have closed interstate highways, displaced thousands from their homes, prompted evacuations of hotels and nursing homes and turned city streets and parking lots into raging rivers.
Parts of the state have been drenched with up to 20 inches of rain, with more expected.
iReport: Experiencing the Tennessee floods? Send photos, video
On Sunday night, multiple vehicles were trapped by water on Interstate 40 with water rising around them and with authorities working since the afternoon to get to the cars, according to the Office of Emergency Management.
Authorities have recovered bodies from a flooded house in Nashville and from an upside down vehicle floating on a flooded road, among other places, the mayor's office said in a release Sunday night.
Two young men who'd gone tubing on a flooded creek on Sunday evening were missing, the mayor's office said.
Also on Sunday night, authorities were working to evacuate more than 500 residents from the MetroCenter in north Nashville.
"All of our major creeks and the Cumberland River are near flood level, if not at flood level," Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said at a press conference Sunday, referring to the waterway that bisects Nashville. "The ground is entirely saturated, and the rain continues to fall. There's nowhere for the water to go."
The western two thirds of Tennessee has seen between 6 and 20 inches of rain since Saturday, with flooding spreading to Kentucky on Sunday.
In Nashville alone, more than 600 people were rescued from the water this weekend, Dean said.
Dean said Sunday that more rain has fallen in Nashville in the last 24 hours than has ever been recorded in the city.
Video: Nashville resident captures 'practically a class two rapids' on her neighborhood streets
"We are still at this point in rescue stage and will be until the water begins to subside," he said.
Dean urged residents to stay home Sunday and, if they could, to skip work on Monday, when Nashville schools will be closed and public transportation will be suspended.
Two of the three temporary shelters -- which can each house 200 people -- opened by the Nashville mayor's office had reached capacity by Sunday evening. The Red Cross reported approximately 400 people in 22 shelters throughout Tennessee.
The floods shut down parts of interstates 24, 40 and 65 around Nashville on Saturday and Sunday.
The floods left 36,000 houses around Nashville without power on Sunday, while all Davidson County residents were asked to use water for essential purposes only after flooding closed one of the city's water treatment plants.
Flooding also led to the evacuation of three area nursing homes, affecting more than 250 patients, Dean said.
Opryland Hotel expected to lose power Sunday night and staffers planned to ask their guests to evacuate, according to Janel Lacey, a spokeswoman for the Nashville mayor's office.
While some streams around Nashville were starting to recede on Sunday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was planning to release dammed upstream water Sunday night, which could cause more flooding around Nashville, city emergency management chief Stephen Halford said.
The water needed to be released to keep the Army Corps equipment safe, Halford said.
The National Weather Service issued a civil emergency message Sunday to central and western Tennessee, telling people to stay off roads because too many are closed and people are getting stranded.
The weather service also issued a flood emergency Sunday for much of central Kentucky -- where tens of thousands were trying to get home after this weekend's Kentucky Derby -- and in south central Indiana.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the National Turnpike and Gene Snyder Freeway were closed on Sunday.
In addition to flooding fatalities, one Tennessean died over the weekend in a tornado in Hardeman County, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency | [
"What was recovered from a flooded house and an upside down vehicle on a flooded road?",
"How many young men are missing?",
"Where are multiple vehicles trapped?",
"Who was missing?",
"Multiple vehicles were trapped by rising water on which Interstate?",
"What was trapped by rising water on Interstate 40?",
"What was issued Sunday for central Kentucky and south central Indiana?",
"What was recovered from a flooded house and an upside down vehicle on a flooded road?",
"Flood emergency was issued Sunday for which 2 areas?"
] | [
[
"bodies"
],
[
"Two"
],
[
"Interstate 40"
],
[
"Two young men"
],
[
"40"
],
[
"multiple vehicles"
],
[
"flood emergency"
],
[
"bodies"
],
[
"central Kentucky"
]
] | NEW: Bodies recovered from a flooded house and an upside down vehicle on a flooded road .
NEW: Multiple vehicles trapped by rising water on Interstate 40 .
NEW: Two young men who'd gone tubing on a flooded creek were missing .
Flood emergency issued Sunday for central Kentucky and south central Indiana . |
(CNN) -- Some people might call 17-year-old Joshua Hanson one the luckiest people on the planet. Others might call him crazy. I-Reporter Joshua Hanson offered a look at the Mark IV helmet from his "Legendary Limited Edition Halo 3." Hanson waited more than eight hours outside a Woodbury, Minnesota, video game store on Monday evening to be the first in his town to buy one of the most anticipated video games in history -- "Halo 3." Watch Hanson buying the game amid cheers » The final chapter in Microsoft's acclaimed video game series hit shelves at the stroke of midnight Monday in similar stores across the nation. The Xbox 360 game is expected to shatter entertainment sales records within its first 24 hours of release. Hanson is not alone in his loyalty to the game, and his belief in "Halo's" power to entertain and inspire. We asked other CNN.com readers for their take on "Halo 3." Some offered comparisons to "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter," while others discussed compelling new graphics and features. Below is a selection of their responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Curt Otto of Springfield, Virginia I waited in line for two-and-half hours to get this game at midnight. I purchased the Legendary Edition of this game at a hefty $130! Totally worth it! Although I haven't slept since yesterday and I'm currently at work and very tired, I would do it all over again for "Halo." This is the GREATEST game ever crafted by the hand of man. If you own a 360, buy this game. If you don't own a 360, buy one and go buy this game! The single player is incredible and the online multiplayer is MIND BLOWING! Totally worth $130!!! Tony Nash of Buffalo, New York I've been playing "Halo" since the very first game came out in 2001. After getting the brand new Box with a copy of "Halo" and throwing myself into the game, I quickly realized this wasn't a standard gaming experience. It was something much, much more. The game had a great attitude and unique art style. Along with great audio and environments that brought the worlds to life. It also had the most addictive, natural, and fun game play I've ever experienced. It also contained a well written, downright intriguing story. Getting together with friends to play the multiplayer portion of the game only cemented this title's epic status. Then came November 2004, when, of course, a friend and I were in the lines for the Midnight release of "Halo 2." It is no joke; "Halo" is more than just a game. Now, I plan on "finishing the fight" as soon as I leave work. I had "Halo 3" pre-ordered for about a month before it came out. Hey, after all, it's good to keep the kid inside you alive and well! Cody Chmelik of Clearwater, Florida "Halo 3" is the most anticipated event since the trial of O.J., but the only difference is that "Halo" isn't disappointing. "Halo 3" was the best game I have ever played. The levels are choreographed perfectly, the players look real and the game play is phenomenal. I recommend this game to players of all ages. Wayne S. of Colorado Springs, Colorado "Halo" is not just a game, it's a lifestyle, a booming culture of millions of Xbox fans who eat, sleep and live "Halo." "Halo" has jumped started the major league gaming industry and will continue to do so with "Halo 3." I will be getting my copy of "Halo 3" at midnight and plan on playing it for days straight. I have played the beta and let me tell you: This is the best video game of the year by far and will be played by the masses for years to come just like "Halo 2." Brian | [
"What achieved a milestone?",
"When did Halo 3 go on sale?",
"Who asked readers to share their early reviews of \"Halo 3\"?",
"What time did the game go on sale?",
"When did the game \"Halo 3\" go on sale?",
"What company asked readers to share early reviews?",
"What did CNN ask readers to share?"
] | [
[
"\"Halo 3.\""
],
[
"midnight Monday"
],
[
"CNN.com"
],
[
"stroke of midnight Monday"
],
[
"the stroke of midnight Monday"
],
[
"CNN.com"
],
[
"their take on \"Halo 3.\""
]
] | "Halo 3" achieved a milestone million pre-orders 2 months before its release .
The game, an Xbox 360 exclusive, went on sale Tuesday at midnight .
CNN.com asked readers to share their early reviews of "Halo 3"
I-Report: Share your own pictures, video and reviews of "Halo 3" |
(CNN) -- Some silver screen couples were just meant to end up together: Bogey and Bacall, Harry and Sally, Saturday matinees and ... a cup of low-fat yogurt?
If Sony executives get their way, U.S. moviegoers will have the option of healthier snacks with their flicks -- and they won't even have to smuggle them in.
In a recent speech at ShoWest -- the country's largest tradeshow for the movie theater industry -- Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton called upon concessionaires to supplement classic, high-calorie soda, candy and popcorn options with more healthy fare like fruit, granola, yogurt and vegetables with dip. It's "the right thing to do for our industry, for audiences and for our country," said Lynton
Lynton's colleague, Sony's Executive Vice President for Global Communications Jim Kennedy, attempted to combat the causes of child obesity in his previous post with the Clinton Foundation.
With this new intiative, he revisits that effort, telling CNN that Sony is asking theaters to accommodate the 60 percent of parents who feel that their overall moviegoing experience would be improved if there were healthier options available at the concession stand.
The poll, conducted by Nielsen, also revealed that two-thirds of all moviegoers and three-quarters of parents would be more likely to buy sensible snacks from concession stands (Kennedy says that savvy moviegoers are already sneaking in raisins and granola bars) if they were available for purchase.
So what does this means for lovers of king-sized Sno-Caps (400 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat in a 3.1-ounce bag) and fishbowl-sized sodas (400 calories and 26 teaspoons of sugar in a 44-ounce medium iced soda at Regal, or a large at AMC or Cinemark theaters) -- as well as the theaters thatsell popcorn for a 900 percent markup?
Kennedy, himself a fan of a popcorn and M&Ms combo ("I go back and forth between the sweet and the salt -- though I wish the M&Ms came in smaller bags.") says neither set will suffer.
"We're not asking theaters to stop selling sodas, and we know most moviegoers are unlikely to change their habits. It just makes sense to offer more choices."
"It's a new source of income for theaters. They've already innovated by adding digital technology and more comfortable seats. This is consistent with that level of innovation," he said.
Representatives for The National Association of Theatre Owners and several major chains were unavailable for comment, but according to a SmartMoney.com interview with Warren Miller, senior equity analyst for stock tracking service Morningstar, of every dollar spent at the concession stand, 85 cents is profit.
A CNN Money feature from earlier this year finds that a medium bag of popcorn at most chains costs 60 cents, but retails for $6. Theater owners may be slow to invest in fare with a flatter return rate.
And just how unhealthy is that much demonized "buttery" popcorn topping? According to a December 2009 dispatch from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one tablespoon of the non-hydrogenated soybean oil used by many chains adds an extra 130 calories, while the same amount of real butter topping pours on 9 grams of saturated fat -- or half a day's limit.
The corn itself packs a serious caloric pop. According to that same study, a medium (20 cup) bucket at a Regal theater weighs in at 1,200 calories, with 60 grams of saturated fat and 980 milligrams of sodium, and Cinemark's medium size (a mere 14 cups) serves up 760 calories, 3 grams of saturated fat and 1,240 milligrams of sodium.
To put that in perspective, recommended daily intake for an average adult is 2000 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium. While, according to Jim Kennedy, the average American visits their local theater four times a year and this might not make a major nutritional dent, many families with children attend nearly once a week.
But why are modern day moviegoers in the habit of sitting back and massively snacking in the dark, anyhow | [
"What does Sony movie execs want?",
"Who wants theater concessionaires to offer fruit, granola, yogurt?",
"How many moviegoers were likely to buy sensible snacks?",
"What amount of all moviegoers more likely to buy sensible snacks?",
"What is the cents of profit?",
"Of every dollar spent at the concession stand, what amount is profit?"
] | [
[
"healthier snacks"
],
[
"Sony executives"
],
[
"two-thirds"
],
[
"two-thirds"
],
[
"85"
],
[
"85 cents"
]
] | Sony movie execs want theater concessionaires to offer fruit, granola, yogurt .
Poll: Two-thirds of all moviegoers more likely to buy sensible snacks .
Expert: Of every dollar spent at the concession stand, 85 cents is profit . |
(CNN) -- Sometimes it seems like Barack Obama rules the Internet. President Obama speaks during a town hall meeting on health care in August. The president's Twitter feed is hugely popular, with more than 2 million followers. Funny White House photos of the first family wearing 3-D glasses went viral after the White House posted them to Flickr. And he's the first president who commonly addresses the nation on YouTube. Many pundits have argued Obama's mastery of online social networks and his image as a BlackBerry-addicted, tech-hip person helped win him the U.S. presidency in January. So if the Obama Administration is so Internet savvy, what's happening with health care? As the country's messy debate about health care reform continues, some online observers are starting to wonder if Obama has lost his grip on Internet discourse. They're also wondering if it's possible for any one person -- no matter how powerful -- to control public dialogue on a medium like the Internet, where conversations are driven by millions of users instead of TV pundits and heads of state. The health care fight is the first time the U.S. has had a major policy debate where all sides are represented and haggling openly online, said Joe Trippi, author of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything." Obama's success at mobilizing grass-roots support through online networks has inspired Republicans and interests groups to do the same, he said. That may give the impression that Obama is losing control of his online base, but it really means more people are conversing online, he said. "You're definitely seeing a diversity of voices and a diversity of opinions [online] that I think is due to Obama's success," said Trippi, a longtime Democratic campaign strategist. "It's the great awakening. People realized they need to do that too." Partly because of the vastness of opinion and discussion online, it's difficult for the Obama administration, or any single group, to control the health care debate, said David All, founder of TechRepublican.com. All said Democrats have made a number of "online gaffes" that have drawn attention away from their talking points. He said there is "so much noise" in the health care debate online that the party's missteps are overshadowing its message. For example, the White House raised privacy concerns after it asked people to send the administration e-mails and online writings that spread misinformation about health care reform, he said. Still, Obama remains active on many social networks -- from Twitter to Facebook to the video-sharing site Vimeo. And some people say he's still doing a fine job at being an up-to-date online communicator. Mark Milian, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times who has written about Obama and social media, said Obama's online communications fell off when he first took office. But he says the president has rebounded online during the health care debate and is doing a good job of reaching constituents through that medium. But that doesn't mean he's the only one talking online. In trying to get their message across, administration officials have "just as good a shot as some 20-year-old college student from Chicago," he said. "It's just they have more people behind that issue. They have a greater pull." Some have criticized the online community and Internet spin-masters for creating, and spreading, disinformation about proposals for health care reform. On the whole, though, the Internet conversation about the subject is healthy in part because so much information is available, said Bill Adair, editor of PolitiFact.com, a nonpartisan site that fact-checks political statements. "People have access now to more information than ever before and that's generally a very positive thing," he said. "Although the Internet can be used to spread a lot of false things, it's also never been easier for journalists like myself to debunk these things, you know? So on balance, the reality is | [
"What do people say about the Obama administration's use of technology?",
"Who is saying health care is the first policy to be debated online?",
"What are the jounalists saying about information?",
"What are some saying about the Obama administration?",
"What do some say about the Obama administration",
"What is the first policy issue to be debated online",
"Which policy issues have been debated online?"
] | [
[
"helped win him the U.S. presidency"
],
[
"Joe Trippi,"
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[
"\"People have access now to more"
],
[
"he's still doing a fine job at being an up-to-date online communicator."
],
[
"he's still doing a fine job at being an up-to-date online communicator."
],
[
"health care fight is the"
],
[
"health care"
]
] | Some say the Obama administration may be losing its Internet savvy .
Others argue that more interest groups are online now, resulting in more noise .
Author says health care is first policy issue to be debated online in big way .
Journalist says more information is better, but that people should check facts . |
(CNN) -- Sometimes, the effects of fame can ripple like a stone dropped in a pond. A YouTube video shows a Minnesota wedding party dancing down the aisle. Take the case of Minnesota residents Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson. The couple had a fun idea for their wedding party to do a nontraditional procession to a catchy tune, "Forever" by Chris Brown. The joyous video of the group busting their loosely choreographed moves down the aisle went viral after the newlyweds posted it on YouTube. Soon they were being deluged by the media and flown to New York to appear on national television. Since then, millions have watched the funky wedding march and helped transform Heinz and Peterson into instant celebrities. Amy Carlson Gustafson, a pop culture reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reported on the story that she said has not only stirred up the hometown folks, but also showed a different side of Minnesota. "I think people are loving it," she said. "It's really fun and it's especially fun in Minnesota where a lot of people think we are a bunch of uptight Scandinavians who sit around and say 'You betcha.' This video helps to debunk that a little bit." That sense of fun and whimsy has enchanted many and led to Heinz and Peterson being sought for interviews by everyone from their local publications to the major networks. Watch guests at the wedding discuss the experience » But they have apparently also learned quickly about the downside of fame. The New York Post reported the pair was caught in the crossfire of the battle of the morning shows. According to the newspaper, ABC flew Heinz and Peterson to the Big Apple after booking them to appear on "Good Morning America." Things soured, the paper's Page Six column reported, after ABC learned the couple had also taped a segment for the rival "Today" show, which aired before the couple's appearance on "Good Morning America." Adding fuel to the fire was a planned live re-creation of the dance by the wedding party scheduled for Saturday morning on "Today." When it appeared that Heinz and Peterson weren't adhering to the age-old "dance with who brung ya" rule, their ABC-sponsored hotel and flight home were canceled, the paper said. "We've been kicked out of our room," Heinz told the Post after the incident. "New York is cutthroat. That's what we've learned." "Today" reportedly stepped in and secured a new room and flight for Heinz and Peterson. Reporter Gustafson said she spoke with mother-of-the-bride Marge Peterson, who said her daughter and new son-in-law were done talking to the media. "They are not used to this type of publicity," Gustafson said. Shane Mercado can relate. The 27-year-old from New York posted a video last year of himself mimicking step-for-step Beyonce's dance moves from her "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" music video. Mercado said he did it at the suggestion of a friend and before he knew it, he was a YouTube sensation. "Once I did it I thought 'What did I just do?' " he recalled. "The response was overwhelming." Soon, Mercado was a minor celebrity being asked for autographs and dancing his routine on the "Bonnie Hunt Show." "Extra" even arranged for him to surprise Beyonce on the red carpet during the premier of her film "Cadillac Records" Not only did the superstar singer know who he was, Mercado said, but so did other celebs. "The actress Gabrielle Union knew who I was," Mercado said. "That just blew me away.' Mercado said he doesn't consider himself famous and finds the notoriety humbling. The loss of anonymity is challenging, he said. Suddenly, the number of people "in your business" dramatically increases. He said he can imagine how Heinz and Peterson are | [
"Where do the couple live?",
"Whose tune was featured on the video?",
"Who became instant stars?",
"What type of video is it?",
"What state is the couple from?",
"Which type of video went viral."
] | [
[
"Minnesota"
],
[
"\"Forever\" by Chris Brown."
],
[
"Kevin Heinz"
],
[
"YouTube"
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[
"Minnesota"
],
[
"Minnesota wedding party dancing down the aisle."
]
] | Minnesota couple instant stars after YouTube wedding video goes viral .
Dancing wedding party garners fans, draws media attention .
Fellow YouTube star says attention "can be a bit much to handle"
Popularity of video has also sparked interest in the Chris Brown tune featured . |
(CNN) -- Sonia Sotomayor, who rose from humble roots in a Bronx, New York, housing project to a high-powered legal career, was sworn in Saturday as the 111th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Sonia Sotomayor takes the judicial oath Saturday as her mother, Celina, holds the Bible. With friends and family looking on, the 55-year-old jurist took the judicial oath in the court's wood-paneled East Conference Room, pledging to "faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me." It was the first time such a ceremony was televised. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the 62-word oath required of all federal judges. In a private ceremony just moments before, Sotomayor took a separate, constitutional oath across the hall. Both oaths are necessary for her to assume her new duties. As her mother, Celina, held a ceremonial Bible, Sotomayor beamed as she waved to relatives and guests when she entered the room for the public ceremony. Among those in the room was her brother, Juan Sotomayor. Watch Sotomayor take the oath » Roberts made brief preliminary remarks, telling the audience of about 60 that after the swearing-in, Sotomayor can "begin her duties as an associate justice without delay." "Congratulations and welcome to the court," he said afterward. Sotomayor made no statements and did not answer questions. She hugged her mother and several people in the front row. The newest justice can begin moving into her chambers and preparing for the upcoming fall term. The other justices plan to return early from their three-month recess to hear a case September 9 on free speech and campaign finance laws. Sources close to Sotomayor say she has already begun reading up on the caseload, and will soon formally hire four law clerks. She also will have two secretaries and a messenger to assist her. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the only current Supreme Court member on hand for the swearing-in ceremony. David Souter, whom Sotomayor replaces on the bench, was not there. He has retired to New Hampshire. The Senate confirmed Sotomayor on Thursday in a 68-31 vote. President Obama, who did not attend the swearing-in, will welcome his first high court appointee to the White House for a reception Wednesday. Watch Senate vote » Obama, who selected Sotomayor on May 26, said Thursday he was "deeply gratified" by the Senate vote. "This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family, but I also think it's a wonderful day for America," he said in brief remarks. Sotomayor, who watched Thursday's final vote surrounded by friends and family at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, was confirmed after senators spent a final day of debate rehashing the main arguments for and against her. Democrats continued to praise Sotomayor as a fair and impartial jurist with an extraordinary life story. Many Republicans portrayed her as a judicial activist intent on reinterpreting the law to conform with her own liberal political beliefs. See how Sotomayor measures up to other justices » Sotomayor's confirmation capped an inspiring personal and professional journey. Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II. Her father worked in a factory and did not speak English well. She was born in the Bronx and grew up in a public housing project, not too far from the stadium of her favorite team, the New York Yankees. Her father died when she was 9. Her mother, whom Sotomayor has described as her biggest inspiration, worked six days a week as a nurse to care for her and her younger brother. Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and attended Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal. She worked at nearly every level of the judicial system over a three-decade career before being tapped by Obama. Her supporters touted her as someone with bipartisan favor and historic appeal. President George H.W. Bush named her a district judge in 1992. She had served as a judge on the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit | [
"Who is holding the bible?",
"When will Sotomayor start work?",
"Who is Sotomayor?",
"Who becomes the first Hispanic to serve on Supreme Court?",
"Which type of Bible?",
"Who is she sharing hugs with?",
"What is Sonia Sotomayor's mother called?"
] | [
[
"Celina, holds the"
],
[
"Saturday"
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[
"the 111th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court."
],
[
"Sotomayor,"
],
[
"ceremonial"
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[
"hugged her mother and several people in the front row."
],
[
"Celina,"
]
] | NEW: Sonia Sotomayor's mother, Celina, holds Bible for ceremony .
NEW: Sotomayor makes no remarks, shares hugs with loved ones .
New justice becomes first Hispanic to serve on Supreme Court, third woman .
Sotomayor will start work in September to hear challenge to campaign finance bill . |
(CNN) -- Sonia, a single mother with HIV in Brazil, travels four hours to reach a government-run health facility that provides her with free drug treatment. Brazil's response to the HIV/AIDS fight has been widely praised and adopted as a model around the world. The journey is long, she told CNN, but it's a small price to pay for the government-provided drugs that have helped keep her out of the hospital for the past 11 years. Sonia is just one of the many Brazilians who have benefited from the country's novel approach to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Brazil jolted the global health community in 1996 when it began guaranteeing free anti-retroviral treatment to HIV/AIDS patients. For Sonia, government-funded treatment comes in the form of 20 pills. Taken daily, the anti-retroviral medicine has helped keep her HIV at bay. Coupled with government-supported prevention efforts and aggressive public awareness campaigns, the so-called Brazilian response has been hailed as a model for developing countries. Watch a report on Brazil's pioneering response to HIV/AIDS » Prevention campaigns, which often take the forms of candid public awareness ads with slogans like "Be good in bed, use a condom," have resulted in widespread knowledge of HIV. According to a recent study conducted by the country's Ministry of Health, Brazil boasts one of the highest rates of knowledge globally when it comes to HIV avoidance and transmittal. Brazil was "the first country to realize there is no separation between prevention and treatment," Mauro Schechter, professor of infectious diseases at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told CNN. Schechter, who has studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 1989, said it took the rest of the global health community some 15 years to realize that the two go hand-in-hand. Other countries that have adopted the Brazilian model » The comprehensive response has extended the lives of tens of thousands of Brazilians and saved the government billions, researchers estimate. A recent study published by researchers from Brown University and the Harvard School of Public Health said that Brazil has saved $1 billion alone by producing its own generic versions of HIV/AIDS medicines and negotiating discounts for imported drugs. Those drug savings come on top of the estimated $2 billion the program has saved Brazil in hospital costs between 1996 and 2004. Brazil's efforts to reverse the tide of the AIDS epidemic have become the object of admiration in the global health community, but the trailblazer is encountering new challenges. When Brazil decided to guarantee free anti-retrovirals, there were 10,000 people being treated and it was organized as a program to treat a small amount of people for a limited amount of time, according to Schechter. Patients are living longer and oftentimes able to get their disease under control, thanks to combination therapies, better known as drug cocktails. But that means they also require drug treatment for a longer period of time. Furthermore, as HIV has evolved from an acute illness into a chronic disease, patients have also become vulnerable to other health risks and medical conditions. Valdileia Veloso is the director of the Institute of Clinical Research at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a public health research institution in Rio de Janeiro. She told CNN patients are presenting with complications of chronic HIV and AIDS, which requires new treatment. "It's a new challenge for us," she said. Heart disease is one of the big problems that doctors are encountering. While there's a system in place to prevent people from dying from HIV, preventable causes like heart conditions are causing deaths. "These people are dying from preventable causes," Schechter told CNN. While Brazil has shown that providing universal access to treatment can be achieved, it needs to modify its approach to treat the evolving disease, he said. "If the epidemic changes face, you need to adapt." | [
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"what country has been hailed as a leader in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic?",
"what happened in 1996",
"when did the Government start offering free anti-retroviral treatment to its citizens ?",
"what did the government start offering to its citizens in 1996?"
] | [
[
"response to the HIV/AIDS fight has been widely praised and adopted as a model around the world."
],
[
"Brazil's"
],
[
"Brazil"
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[
"1996"
],
[
"free anti-retroviral treatment"
]
] | Brazil has been hailed as a leader in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
Government started offering free anti-retroviral treatment to its citizens in 1996 .
As more people live longer with HIV/AIDS, Brazil faces new challenges .
Patients of the chronic illness susceptible to new health risks, doctors say . |
(CNN) -- Sonic booms and at least one fireball in the sky were reported in Texas on Sunday, less than a week after two satellites collided in space and a day after the Federal Aviation Administration asked U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris," authorities said. Video captured in Austin, Texas, shows a meteor-like object in the sky Sunday morning. There were no reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft in flight, FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said. Herwig told CNN the FAA received no reports from pilots in the air of any sightings but the agency recieved "numerous" calls from people on the ground from Dallas, Texas, south to Austin, Texas. Video shot by a photographer from News 8 TV in Austin showed what appeared to be a meteor-like white fireball blazing across a clear blue sky Sunday morning. The photographer caught the incident while covering a marathon in Austin. On Saturday, the FAA told pilots through its routine notification system that "a potential hazard may occur due to re-entry of satellite debris into the earth's atmosphere." The notice did not specify a time or location. Watch video of meteor-like fireball » Herwig said most of the reports the FAA received came in about midday Sunday in an area of Texas from Dallas south to Austin. iReport.com: Did you see the fireball? Send photos, video He said he was not certain where the information that sparked the FAA notification came from, but it was "probably from NORAD," or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which tracks man-made objects in space. Calls to NORAD headquarters in Colorado were not immediately returned. Lisa Block, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said her agency had received calls from residents surprised by sonic booms about 11 a.m. She said calls came from an area from Dallas to Houston. Last week, the Russian and U.S. space agencies said two satellites, one Russian and one American, collided about 496 miles (800 kilometers) above Siberia, Russia. The collision on Tuesday produced two large debris clouds, NASA said. The satellites collided at 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) per second, producing 500 to 600 pieces of space debris, the U.S. Strategic Command said. CNN's Monte Plott contributed to this report. | [
"what did the faa say",
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"What types of sightings were reported?",
"When was the video shot?",
"what collided in space?",
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] | [
[
"hazard may occur due to re-entry of satellite debris into the earth's atmosphere.\""
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"\"falling space debris,\""
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"booms and at least one fireball"
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"two satellites"
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[
"There were no reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft in flight,"
],
[
"Austin, Texas,"
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[
"\"falling space debris,\""
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] | Video shot in Austin, Texas, shows meteor-like object in sky Sunday morning .
Fireball sightings, reports of sonic booms come days after satellite collision in space .
FAA told U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris"
No reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft, FAA spokesman says . |
(CNN) -- Sooner or later, James Richter knows the rabbit-ear antennas on his old-fashioned television will listen for a signal and hear nothing. Old TV sets at a California recycling center last month. Many analog TV owners aren't ready to switch to digital. The 36-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, said he tried to convert his analog TV to digital but was turned down for a government coupon. He doesn't seem to mind. "With the economy, I don't have enough cash to do cable, so I'm just really debating whether or not I really want to make that switch to digital," Richter said. Richter will have four months longer to make up his mind after Congress voted Wednesday to delay the end of TV's rabbit-ears era. On June 12, analog TV signals will end and only digital signals will remain. Old televisions like Richter's won't accept the new form of broadcast. People with cable TV or satellite service will not be affected. The switch had been scheduled for February 17, but Congress delayed the conversion -- which had been planned for years -- to accommodate people like Richter who had not been able to update their TVs. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration offered a program to help people buy converter boxes that make old TVs work in the new era. That giveaway didn't meet demand, though, and as of late January, more than 3.2 million people were on the program's waiting list. More than 6.5 million U.S. households, or 5.7 percent, were not ready for the crossover last month, according to an estimate from the Nielsen Company. There's been little made of the people behind those numbers, though, as media reports largely have focused on the mechanics of the switch and the politics of when and how it will happen. Many of those who haven't bought converters are poor, older than 55, rural residents or racial minorities, according to Nielsen's estimates. Some of them told CNN they couldn't afford to pay for cable or satellite TV service. While a person can live without TV, some of the late converts to digital depend on television for information and companionship. "I live here by myself, so it will be a big deal for me," said Monica Lawson, a 42-year-old from rural Alto, Georgia. "Even just a couple hours a day of having that extra interaction, it's a stress reliever for me." Lawson said she got a coupon to buy the digital converter box for her analog television as soon as they became available. She's attached the box to her TV, but her signal got worse. "Basically I'm downgrading at this point," she said. "I'll go from having four or five channels I can watch on a regular basis to having one channel I can watch every now and then -- if at all." Lawson, who is a real-estate appraiser and practices kinesiology, said she can't afford satellite service because her business has dropped with the economy. She falls into a category of people who may lose their TV coverage with the switch to digital. It's likely the result of a phenomenon called the "cliff effect." While analog signals fizzle out over long distances, digital signals tend to stop completely at a certain falling-off point. "With digital, you get a great picture or nothing," said Mark Wigfield, spokesperson for the Federal Communications Commission. Some remote areas of the country could lose reception when analog signals stop in June, said Shermaze Ingram, spokesperson for the National Association of Broadcasters, an advocacy group that has been trying to inform people about the switch since 2006. On the whole, studies show more people will get TV signals than will lose them in the switch to digital, Ingram said. The National Association of Broadcasters supports delaying the change until June in part because it will cause fewer people to go without TV after the change. "There's no question that television is an important piece of the fabric | [
"Who can not afford to pay for cable?",
"who delayed the switch?",
"Who delayed a nationwide switch?",
"What was delayed?",
"what is the switch?"
] | [
[
"James Richter"
],
[
"Congress"
],
[
"Congress"
],
[
"the end of TV's rabbit-ears era."
],
[
"to digital."
]
] | Congress delays nationwide switch to digital TV until June 12 .
Some of those who haven't switched say they can't afford to pay for cable TV .
For some, TV is a companion and a source of comfort .
For others, television is an annoyance. One Atlantan may not switch to digital . |
(CNN) -- Soupy Sales, a comedian from the golden era of television, died Thursday. He was 83. The funny man seen many times on popular game shows died at a New York hospice, said Paul Dver, Sales' longtime friend and manager. "We have lost a comedy American icon," Dver said. "I feel the personal loss, and I also feel the magic that he had around him being gone. That's a much more severe loss than a loss of a friend." Sales was known for his long-running children's show "Lunch With Soupy Sales," which started in 1953 and began his trademark slapstick pie-throwing antics. The comedy show featured skits that culminated in Sales getting walloped with pies in the face. What are your memories of Sales? "Soupy was the last of the great TV comics when you talk about Ernie Kovacs, Red Skelton, right down to Howdy Doody," Dver said. "But it was bigger than that, because he used a children's format aimed at the kids and then he would forget he was doing a kids' show and do a wild, unrehearsed, wacky improv for a half-hour every day for 15 years." He could also inflame the authorities. One New Year's Day, upset at being asked to work, he asked his youthful audience to send him those "green pieces of paper" from their parents' wallets. Though he didn't receive much -- he told The New York Times he received only a few dollars -- he was suspended for a week for the prank. Later in his career, he was a regular on TV game shows, such as "Hollywood Squares," "To Tell the Truth" and "What's My Line?" Sales recently fell backstage at a local Emmy awards show in New York and developed serious ailments after that, Dver said. | [
"What was he known for?",
"What long-running children's show was Sales known for?",
"What was his trademark gag?",
"trashwhen did he die",
"Who was also seen on \"To Tell the Truth\" and \"What's My Line?\"?",
"what else was he famous for",
"What gag did fans of Sales' children's show anticipate?",
"What type of icon was Sales referred to by his friend and manager?"
] | [
[
"his long-running children's show \"Lunch With Soupy Sales,\""
],
[
"\"Lunch With Soupy Sales,\""
],
[
"slapstick pie-throwing"
],
[
"Thursday."
],
[
"Sales,"
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[
"\"Hollywood Squares,\" \"To Tell the Truth\" and \"What's My Line?\""
],
[
"getting walloped with pies in the face."
],
[
"comedy American icon,\""
]
] | "We have lost a comedy American icon," says comedian's friend and manager .
He was known for his long-running children's show "Lunch With Soupy Sales"
Fans of the show anticipated his trademark pie-in-face gag .
Sales also seen on "To Tell the Truth" and "What's My Line?" |
(CNN) -- South Africa looks back, 20 years after Nelson Mandela's historic release. Plus, Desmond Tutu reflects on the day his dream became a reality, and picturing Mandela - a South African cartoonist and his drawing tribute.
Remembering the Release
South Africa celebrates the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release from apartheid prison. Our Nkepile Mabuse has more on the defining moment and how it changed the course of a nation.
Prison Home
On multiple occasions, Nelson Mandela turned down early release, unwilling to renounce the cause he held so dear. It was an incredible sacrifice, but what was it like? Nkepile Mabuse toured the prison house where Mandela spent the end of his sentence.
Desmond Tutu Interview
It was the walk to freedom that ushered in democracy. Nelson Mandela's release from prison made the fight worthwhile for many anti-apartheid activists. Nkepile Mabuse sat down with one of the movement's leaders-- Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu. He shared his thoughts on Mandela's release, including his own initial reaction to the news.
Mandela Cartoons
A different look on Nelson Mandela. This time, caricatures, as we go inside the commemorative art exhibit from South African cartoonist Zapiro. | [
"who tours the prison house ?",
"where is the prison",
"who recalls own initial reaction to the news?",
"In South Africa the country looks back on what?",
"who shares thoughts on Mandela's release?",
"Who tours the prison house where Mandela spent the end of his sentence?"
] | [
[
"Nkepile Mabuse"
],
[
"South Africa"
],
[
"Desmond Tutu"
],
[
"20 years after Nelson Mandela's historic release."
],
[
"Desmond Tutu"
],
[
"Nkepile Mabuse"
]
] | In South Africa as the country looks back, 20 years after Nelson Mandela's historic release .
Nkepile Mabuse tours the prison house where Mandela spent the end of his sentence .
Desmond Tutu shares thoughts on Mandela's release, recalls own initial reaction to the news . |
(CNN) -- South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn ripped through India's batsmen on the third day of the first cricket Test in Nagpur, taking eight wickets as the hosts were forced to follow on. Steyn took a career-best 7-51 as India, resuming on 25-0 overnight, were skittled for just 233 to concede a massive first-innings deficit of 325 runs. The 26-year-old, whose previous best figures were 6-49, then took the wicket of first-innings centurion Virender Sehwag as India reached 66-2 at stumps on Monday. The haul took Steyn to 193 wickets in his 37th Test and gave South Africa a great chance of winning the two-match series against a side who usurped their No. 1 ranking in the five-day format late last year. He claimed five wickets in less than four overs after tea as India collapsed from 221-4. "We actually had the ball changed when we came out after tea because the seam had popped open on the old one," Steyn told reporters. "We hoped to get a bit of reverse swing -- it worked in our favor." Steyn's strike partner Morne Morkel set the tone when he had Gautam Gambhir caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher with his first delivery of the day, with the opener not adding to his overnight score of 12. Steyn then bowled Murali Vijay for four as the No. 3 failed to play a stroke, and he took the vital wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer in Test history, when he tempted the veteran to edge a drive to Boucher for just seven. The belligerent Sehwag then added 136 with debutant Subramaniam Badrinath as he smashed his 18th Test ton before giving away his wicket to Wayne Parnell with an easy catch to J.P. Duminy deep in the cover field. Sehwag hit 15 boundaries in 139 deliveries -- the same amount that the 29-year-old Badrinath faced in making 56, who took India safely to tea along with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But Dhoni fell to left-arm spinner Paul Harris in the first over of the final session, and Steyn had Badrinath caught at midwicket before running through the tail. Proteas captain Graeme Smith made the Indians bat again, despite Boucher not being able to take the field due to a back injury. Morkel again accounted for Gambhir as the opener misjudged an inswinger and had his castle wrecked after shouldering arms, and Steyn had Sehwag caught by Smith at slip for 16. Vijay (27) and Tendulkar (15) added 44 in the remainder of the 23 overs scheduled to be bowled before stumps, but will face a massive task to prevent India going 1-0 down in the series. Meanwhile, New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the one-day series against visiting Bangladesh, winning the second match by five wickets in Dunedin on Monday. The tourists managed only 183-8 in their 50 overs as Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored with 86, and the Kiwis reached their target from only 27.3 overs with Ross Taylor smashing 78 off in a 52-ball innings featuring five sixes. | [
"who is dale steyn",
"who takes eight wickets",
"New Zealand took what lead in the one day series?",
"from where come dale steyn",
"Paceman Dale Steyn is from which country?",
"What size lead did Steyna claim as a career best?"
] | [
[
"Africa pace bowler"
],
[
"Dale Steyn"
],
[
"an unassailable 2-0"
],
[
"Africa"
],
[
"Africa"
],
[
"career-best 7-51"
]
] | South Africa paceman Dale Steyn takes eight wickets on third day of first Test in Nagpur .
Steyn claims career-best 7-51 to skittle India for 233 to earn a huge lead of 325 .
He then dismisses first-innings centurion Virender Sehwag as India reach 66-2 at stumps .
New Zealand take unassailable 2-0 lead in one-day series against visiting Bangladesh . |
(CNN) -- South African Giniel De Villiers is the new leader of the Dakar Rally after he won Thursday's 12th special stage and Spaniard Carlos Sainz was forced to pull out following a dramatic crash. The stricken Volkswagen of Carlos Sainz after he careered down a ravine on stage 12 of the Dakar Rally. De Villiers, who was claiming his third stage triumph, brought his Volkswagen across the line in four hours, six minutes and 43 seconds -- over 16 minutes ahead of team-mate Mark Miller, who lies second overall. American Robert Gordon (Hummer) was third on the stage, the same as his overall position. The route from Fiambala to La Rioja was reduced by 30 kilometers, leaving the special stage at 223km, as organizers accepted the Argentinian authorities' request to shorten it because of the archaeological discoveries made a month ago in the Fiambala region of Catamarca province. Two-time world rally champion Sainz, who was leading after six stage victories, had his dream of winning his first Dakar ended when, 79km into the stage, his Volkswagen crashed into a dry riverbed. His co-driver, Frenchman Michel Perin, suffered a shoulder injury and both had to be evacuated by helicopter for medical attention. Perin told PA Sport: "We had made a small mistake in the first part. We took the wrong direction at a Y crossing but it was not too bad because we did end up on the right trail. We were tailing Giniel De Villiers, who had started about 10 minutes after us, so it was still sort of okay. There was a hidden way-point indicated as 'danger' -- but it should have been indicated as 'extremely dangerous'. "The car behind us, Nani Roma's car, would have fallen in the same hole as we did if we had not been there already. I'm okay, I just have something broken in my arm, but I'm all right." De Villiers said: "It was really a tough stage. In places we would go around in circles for 15 minutes to find the right trail. It was very dangerous and the sand was really soft. "We stopped one time to deflate our tyres, then a second time in a huge canyon with tons of boulders. My co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz had to get out of the car to find a way out. It was really a tough day." Miller added: "I can tell you that this was a very demanding stage. I cannot even imagine how the amateurs will make it to the finish today. It was not just difficult, navigation was almost impossible. "It was a long series of horror situations from start to finish. "These were the longest 200km in my life. The sun and the sand were so bright that I could not see anything." He added: "It's not good news to know that Carlos had to withdraw. He has an important place in the team." In the motorcycle class, title holder Cyril Despres (KTM) kept his hopes of winning his third crown alive after taking his third stage in a time of 3:57:37 to climb into second spot in the overall standings. However, Despres' Spanish team-mate Marc Coma did not make things easy for the Frenchman as he crossed the line 1:23 behind, to remain out in front with a 1:29:48 advantage. The 12th stage has been the most difficult since the rally began on January 3 in Buenos Aires, with competitiors struggling through sand dunes and rain in western Argentina. Sainz had held a commanding lead in the overall standings at the start of the day, having won six of 10 previous stages. | [
"Who has the race advantage?",
"Who was handed the race advantage?",
"How many kilometers was the Volkswagen going?",
"Who crashed out of the rally?",
"Who is Dakar leader?",
"What stage did he crash out of?",
"Who crashed out of rally?",
"What did he crash into?",
"How many kilometres into the stage did the volkswagen go?"
] | [
[
"Sainz"
],
[
"Despres' Spanish team-mate Marc Coma"
],
[
"79km"
],
[
"Carlos Sainz"
],
[
"Giniel De Villiers"
],
[
"12 of the Dakar Rally."
],
[
"Carlos Sainz"
],
[
"a dry riverbed."
],
[
"79km"
]
] | Dakar leader Carlos Sainz crashes out of rally during Thursday's 12th stage .
The Spaniard's Volkswagen careers into a ravine 79 kilometers into the stage .
Sainz's retirement hands the race advantage to South African Giniel De Villiers . |
(CNN) -- South African runner Caster Semenya will be allowed to keep the gold medal she won in the women's 800-meters at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany, in August, the country's sports ministry announced Thursday. In a statement on their official Web site the ministry added that Semenya had been found innocent of any wrongdoing but the widely anticipated results of gender tests conducted would not be made public. "We have agreed with the IAAF that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor," the statement read. "As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found. We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things." The world governing body for athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), have refused to comment on the announcement, only reiterating a statement published on their official Web site on Wednesday that the release of their gender-test findings would be delayed until "further notice." The IAAF had been expected to release its findings on February 20, but confirmed it had been in discussions with the South African Ministry of Sport and Recreation with a view to "resolving the issues surrounding Caster Semenya's participation in athletics." The IAAF went on to say that the medical tests on Semenya had still to be completed. "There will be no discussion of Semenya's case at the forthcoming IAAF Council Meeting to be held in Monaco on 20-21 November 2009. No further comment will be made on this subject until further notice," their statement read. Reports in two newspapers in September said the results of the tests showed Semenya has both male and female characteristics. The IAAF has declined to confirm those reports. The South African ministry added they had been unhappy with way the testing had been handled: "We have asked the IAAF to apologize at the way the whole Caster Semenya saga was dealt with. "Their response is: 'It is deeply regrettable that information of a confidential nature entered the public domain.' The IAAF is adamant that the public discourse did not originate with them. "We also cannot prove the contrary. It is our considered view that this chapter of blame apportioning must now be closed. The sport bodies must be allowed to deal with the rest of the investigations in terms of their own regulations," the statement added. The controversy over Semenya erupted after she crushed her rivals in the 800 meters and secured victory in one minute, 55.45 seconds -- the best women's time in the world this year. Semenya's masculine build and dominant performance fueled existing questions about her gender, and the IAAF -- which oversees the sport worldwide -- ordered tests to be carried out. | [
"Who is Caster Semenya?",
"What did the IAAF do?",
"Who will keep her gold medal?",
"Who will keep her gold medal?",
"What is the response of the IAAF?",
"Who has refused to comment?",
"What did the ministry say?",
"Who stated that the results of a gender test would not be made public?"
] | [
[
"African runner"
],
[
"February 20, but confirmed it had been in discussions with the South African Ministry of Sport and Recreation with a view to \"resolving the issues surrounding Caster Semenya's participation in athletics.\""
],
[
"Caster Semenya"
],
[
"Caster Semenya"
],
[
"'It is deeply regrettable that information of a confidential nature entered the public domain.'"
],
[
"the International Association of Athletics Federations"
],
[
"Semenya had been found innocent of any wrongdoing"
],
[
"sports ministry"
]
] | South African Olympic runner Caster Semenya will keep her gold medal, the country's sports ministry announced Thursday .
Ministry added in a statement that the results of a gender test would not be made public .
The world governing body for athletics, the IAAF, have refused to comment on the announcement . |
(CNN) -- South African teenager Caster Semenya won the women's 800 meters gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, just hours after the sport's governing body asked for the 18-year-old's gender to be verified. Semenya celebrates her gold, which came just hours after the IAAF called for a gender test on the athlete. Semenya crushed her rivals by streaking away to secure victory in a time of one minute 55.45 seconds -- the best time in the world this year. Defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya took the silver with Briton Jennifer Meadows claiming bronze. However, the race was run amid controversy following the announcement by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). Watch outrage over allegations » "The gender verification test is an extremely complex procedure," said IAAF spokesman Nick Davies -- who revealed the question of Semenya's gender was first raised after her astonishing African junior championship displays. "In the case of this athlete, following her breakthrough in the African junior championships, the rumors, the gossip were starting to build-up," Davies added to reporters. There have been precedents in such cases, the most famous being that of Polish athletics great Stella Walsh, who won Olympic gold in the 100 yards at the 1932 Olympics and silver in the same event in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. However, after she was shot dead during an armed robbery in 1980, the subsequent autopsy revealed she possessed male genitalia, although she also had female characteristics as well. Meanwhile, Yusuf Saad Kamel secured Bahrain's first-ever medal with a superb late surge to claim gold in the men's 1,500 meters. Kamel, who until 2003 competed for Kenya as Gregory Konchellah and is the son of former two-time world 800m champion Billy, won in a time of three minutes 35.93 seconds. Ethiopia's world indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen claimed a surprise silver with defending champion Bernard Lagat, also Kenyan-born but now competing for the United States, in bronze. ""It's amazing to win a world title just like my father. The only thing left for me to do is to beat his times and win more medals and get to the front of my family," Kamel told reporters. Olympic silver medallist Asbel Kiprop of Kenya could only finish fourth after leaving himself too much to do down the home straight. Elsewhere, sprint king Usain Bolt produced an effortless run to coast into the men's 200m final and remain on course to claim a world sprint double to add to his Olympic sprint double from Beijing. The 22-year-old Jamaican, who set a new world record of 9.58 seconds in winning the 100m on Sunday eased home to win his semifinal in 20.08 seconds and only injury looks like depriving him of gold. "I just try and get through and make it as easy as possible," Bolt told reporters. "I've been training for this for a long time now. I know what I have to do." There was more sprint joy for Jamaica when Bolt's compatriot Brigitte Foster-Hylton ran a season's best time of 12.51 seconds to finally claim gold in the women's 100m hurdles. The 34-year-old, who won world bronze in Helsinki in 2005 and silver in Paris in 2003, secured her first global title by edging out Canada's Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep. Another Jamaican, Delloreen Ennis-London, took the bronze medal. However, the biggest cheer of the night at an electric Olympic Stadium was reserved for Germany's Robert Harting, who dramatically won the men's discus gold with his sixth and final throw of 69.43 meters. Poland's long-time leader Piotr Malachowski won silver with a throw of 69.15m with defending world and Olympic champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia claiming the bronze with 66.88m. The victory was host nations Germany's second of the championships after Steffi Nerius claimed gold in the women's javelin on Tuesday. | [
"Who won Bahrain's first-ever medal?",
"who claimed gold in men's 1,500m?",
"Who did the IAAF ask to undergo a gender test?",
"What event did Caster Semenya win gold in?",
"What country got the first ever medal?",
"who asked for gender test?",
"Who won a women's gold at World Athletics Championships?"
] | [
[
"Caster Semenya"
],
[
"Yusuf Saad Kamel"
],
[
"Caster Semenya"
],
[
"women's 800 meters"
],
[
"Bahrain's"
],
[
"IAAF"
],
[
"Caster Semenya"
]
] | Caster Semenya wins women's 800m gold at World Athletics Championships .
South African secures victory after IAAF asked for gender test on the teenager .
Yusuf Saad Kamel claims Bahrain's first-ever medal with gold in men's 1,500m . |
(CNN) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency Thursday for a coastal county where a wildfire has consumed thousands of acres and destroyed dozens of homes. Scott Vereen sprays water on his family's home Thursday near Conway, South Carolina. "This has already proved to be a devastating event for Horry County, and it isn't over," Sanford said in a written statement. The county includes some of the state's most popular tourist spots, including the Myrtle Beach area. By late afternoon, however, officials in North Myrtle Beach said the fire there was mostly contained. "The fire is very contained on our end right now," said the city's director of public safety, William Bailey. "We have hot spots. I would say we're about 75 to 80 percent [contained]." But as he gestured toward the dark clouds behind him, he told people who had been evacuated: "As you see with the smoke and activity behind us, we still got some issues that we're concerned about. We're doing everything we can to get you home." Authorities began alerting people in the city's Barefoot Resort area early Thursday after the fire jumped a highway and began consuming some houses. As of about 6 p.m. ET Thursday, the fire had consumed 15,500 acres, destroyed 69 homes and damaged 100 others, according to the Horry County Emergency Operations Center. While no fatalities or injuries were reported, some 2,500 people have been evacuated, officials said. About 440 people were in two shelters at the House of Blues and at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic Center, the operations center said. Both the Barefoot Resort and the Pelican Bay subdivisions had been evacuated. In addition, three schools were evacuated because of heavy smoke. Eight vehicles had been destroyed as of Thursday afternoon, said Mayor Marilyn Hatley. Watch footage of coastal areas in flames » Bailey said authorities were hopeful the weather would continue to cooperate. Low humidity had persisted for most of the day. "We have the resources, we just need to get a weather break," he said. Authorities said the fire has been unpredictable. "When we got our last report [Wednesday], we had no idea that it would be crossing over into the Barefoot Resort area," Hatley said at the morning news conference. "The fire kind of created its own weather, and it just started the wind spinning." Nick Gentile, 64, told The Myrtle Beach Sun News that he left his Barefoot Resort home around 2 a.m. Thursday. "They came around with a police car with a loudspeaker," he told the newspaper, still wearing his blue-plaid pajamas. "You always read about stuff like this, but you never know when you are going to be in it." Helicopters were conducting water drops over portions of the area, Hatley said. The National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory for the county until 3 a.m. Friday. Thick plumes billowed high above buildings, prompting North Myrtle Beach school officials to close school Thursday, CNN affiliate WPDE-TV reported. Officials have not determined a cause for the fire, which began about noon Wednesday in Conway. CNN's Samuel Gardner contributed to this report. | [
"What did Sanford declare?",
"where No injuries are reported?",
"what Area is home to popular tourist spots?",
"Who declared a state of emergency?"
] | [
[
"South"
],
[
"Horry County"
],
[
"the Myrtle Beach"
],
[
"Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford"
]
] | Wildfire has consumed 15,500 acres in Horry County, South Carolina .
Area is home to popular tourist spots, including Myrtle Beach .
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declares state of emergency in county .
No injuries are reported, but fire damages dozens of homes . |
(CNN) -- South Carolina authorities have located a 555-pound teenager and his mother, who faces a charge of violating a custody order, police said Thursday. Alexander Deundray Draper, 14, "is possibly at a stage of critical health risk," social services said. Alexander Deundray Draper, 14, of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, and his mother, Jerri Althea Gray, were located at about 4:30 p.m. near a laundromat in Baltimore, Maryland, by the Baltimore County Sheriff's Office, said Matt Armstrong, a spokesman for the Greenville County Sheriff's Office in Greenville, South Carolina. "Draper was checked out by EMS [Emergency Medical Services] personnel and turned over to the Maryland Department of Social Services," Armstrong said. The South Carolina Department of Social Services will work with its Maryland counterpart to have the boy returned to South Carolina, he told CNN affiliate WYFF. The mother is being held in a detention center and will be extradited to South Carolina on an outstanding warrant, he said. Watch report on finding teen and his mother » "The understanding was that the individual was of the weight where it was decided by medical authorities that he needed treatment that was not being provided for by his mother," Armstrong said. Earlier in the day officials said the boy "is possibly at a stage of critical health risk." Gray was supposed to appear in family court Tuesday with her son and failed to do so, the sheriff's office said. During the family court hearing, the boy was ordered into state custody because of medical neglect, as well as his mother's failure to appear. The Department of Social Services then contacted the sheriff's office, authorities said. The warrant said Gray was served with papers Monday and told to report to court for a hearing in which the department would seek state custody of Draper. "The defendant has avoided the custody proceeding and has concealed the child," the warrant says. Travelers Rest is about 10 miles north of Greenville, South Carolina. CNN's Jackie Damico contributed to this report. | [
"Where was the boy found?",
"what was boys name?",
"the mother of the Teen was sought after what?",
"what is the name of the person whose the judge have ordered to get into custody because of medical neglect?",
"what were found near laundormat in Baltimore, Maryland?",
"What did the judge order?",
"what city was mother, son found?",
"how much did ten weigh?"
] | [
[
"near a laundromat in Baltimore, Maryland,"
],
[
"Alexander Deundray Draper,"
],
[
"of violating a custody order,"
],
[
"Alexander Deundray Draper,"
],
[
"Alexander Deundray Draper,"
],
[
"the boy was ordered into state custody because of medical neglect,"
],
[
"Baltimore,"
],
[
"555-pound"
]
] | NEW: Mother, boy found near laundromat in Baltimore, Maryland .
Teen weighing 555 pounds, mother were sought after missing court appearance .
Judge ordered Alexander Draper into custody because of medical neglect .
Boy "possibly at a stage of critical health risk," according to social services . |
(CNN) -- South Korea and the United States postponed joint anti-submarine military exercises due to an approaching tropical storm, U.S. Forces Korea said.
The exercises were scheduled to begin Sunday and run through Thursday, the forces said in a statement. Tropical Storm Malou is forecast to arrive in the region Monday.
Military officials said the exercise could have gone ahead despite the weather, but safety concerns prompted the postponement.
"Although the alliance is capable of operating in all weather conditions, this decision was made in the interest of safety for the participants," the U.S. military said in its statement. "Both high winds and heavy seas would have directly impacted the exercise area and the training objectives."
The exercises will be rescheduled but a new date has not been set, the statement said.
U.S. officials have said the naval exercises off the western coast of the Korean peninsula are in response to North Korea's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship last March.
"We said that we would continue a series of exercises that are defensive in nature, that are designed to send a clear message to North Korea," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said in August.
Tensions between North Korea and South Korea, as well as between North Korea and the U.S., have escalated since a May report from Seoul, South Korea, blamed the North for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
The report, whose findings have been endorsed by the U.S., alleged that a North Korean sub sank the Cheonan warship with a torpedo, killing 46 sailors.
North Korea denies it sunk the ship and has sharply criticized the military exercises, describing them as war games conducted under a false pretext.
"The U.S. forces side would be seriously mistaken if it calculates it can browbeat [North Korea] through large-scale war exercises," the state-run KCNA news agency said in July. "It should immediately stop the [anti-North Korean] nuclear war racket."
"[This] double-dealing attitude is a dangerous one of driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula to a war phase," KCNA said. | [
"who accused north korea of sinking its ships?",
"What prompted the two countries hold off on military training?",
"Who said that the planned maneuvers were conducted under a false pretext?",
"Which country had blasted the planned maneuvers as war games conducted under a false pretext?",
"What prompts the two countries to hold off on military training?",
"what hold off military training?"
] | [
[
"South"
],
[
"approaching tropical storm,"
],
[
"North Korea"
],
[
"North Korea"
],
[
"approaching tropical storm,"
],
[
"approaching tropical storm,"
]
] | An approaching tropical storm prompts the two countries to hold off on military training .
North Korea had blasted the planned maneuvers as war games conducted under a false pretext .
South Korea accuses North Korea of sinking one of its ships this year . |
(CNN) -- South Korea's Lee Jung-Su confirmed his reputation as the top men's short-track speedskater at the 2010 Winter Olympics with his second gold medal on Saturday night, while American Apolo Anton Ohno snatched a place in the history books with a last-gasp bronze.
That thrilling 1,000-meter final capped an action-packed ninth day of the Vancouver Games, as Swiss ski-jumper Simon Ammann made history with his second gold medal and Americans Lindsey Vonn and Shani Davis missed out on double titles in skiing and speedskating.
The U.S. still ended the day with a table-topping six gold medals, having failed to add to their tally, with Norway on five and South Korea joining Germany, Canada and Switzerland on four.
Lee Jung-Su followed up his victory from the 1,500m event in an Olympic record time of one minute 23.747 seconds, with his compatriot Lee Ho-Suk winning silver in 1:23.801 to earn some consolation after being disqualified for causing a crash on the final lap of the longer race.
Ohno (1:24.128 ) denied hosts Canada a medal when he surged past world record-holder Charles Hamelin (1:24.329 ) on the final lap to become the most decorated American Winter Olympian with a record-breaking seventh medal.
The 27-year-old overhauled Bonnie Blair as his country's top medal winner, having won silver in the 1,500m.
Hamelin's brother Francois finished last in the five-man final.
Ski-jumping
Ammann became the first ski-jumper to win four individual gold medals at Winter Olympics when he leaped to victory in the large hill event at Whistler to follow up his normal hill title and match his feat at Salt Lake City in 2002.
It was also the first time any ski-jumper has won both events twice, and made him Switzerland's most-decorated athlete in any Olympics, winter or summer.
The 28-year-old, dubbed the "Harry Potter of ski-jumping" after his 2002 heroics due to his likeness to J.K. Rowling's boy wizard, smashed the Olympic record of 141 meters when he set a distance of 144m in his first round in the afternoon for a points total of 144.7.
He then cleared 138m in the final round for a tally of 283.6 as he headed off normal hill silver medallist Adam Malyz of Poland by 15.3 points.
Austria's Gregor Schlierenzauer picked up his second bronze medal to ensure the podium remained unchanged from last Saturday's event, finishing on 262.2 points.
Alpine skiing
Andrea Fischbacher denied downhill champion Lindsey Vonn a double in women's alpine skiing speed events when she claimed a surprise victory in the super-G.
The 24-year-old Fischbacher won Austria's second gold medal at the Vancouver Games after beating Vonn's time, with Slovenia's Tina Maze then pushing the American into the bronze position.
Vonn, who crashed out super-combined, had gone top in the event -- which features gates spaced further apart than the giant slalom and slalom disciplines -- with a time of one minute 20.88 seconds.
But Fischbacher trumped that in convincing style with a sizzling 1:20.14 and Maze then claimed her first Olympic medal with 1:20.63.
Fischbacher had previously won only one World Cup event, a super-G two years ago.
"I was just thinking if I make a really good run and do my best I can beat her [Vonn]," she told reporters. "Everything was perfect and I skied really fast. It was a dream."
Vonn, the super-G World Cup champion for the past two seasons, indicated that she had been guilty of not going full-tilt for the entire run.
"I really attacked. I skied all those difficult sections really well. After I got passed those sections I kind of eased off the gas pedal," she said.
Speedskating
The 27-year-old Davis, who became the first man to defend the 1,000-meter title on Wednesday, had to again settle for silver in the 1,500m event on Saturday as the U.S. team failed to add to a leading tally of six gold medals in 2010. | [
"What is he top at ?",
"Where is he from ?",
"who claims his second gold",
"What did Jung-Su confirm?",
"what is his nationalty",
"Who claimed their second gold in skiing?",
"who is the top speedskater"
] | [
[
"men's short-track speedskater"
],
[
"Korea's"
],
[
"Lee Jung-Su"
],
[
"his reputation as the top men's short-track speedskater"
],
[
"Korea's"
],
[
"Korea's Lee Jung-Su"
],
[
"Lee Jung-Su"
]
] | NEW: Lee Jung-Su confirms his reputation as top men's short-track speedskater .
Korean wins second gold in 1,000m event as Apolo Anton Ohno makes U.S. history .
Swiss ski-jumper Simon Ammann claims his second gold medal of Vancouver Games .
Andrea Fischbacher denies Lindsey Vonn a double Winter Olympic gold . |
(CNN) -- South Korea's new president has pledged to donate his salary to the underprivileged. South Korean leader Lee Myung-Bak says he would donate his salary to help the underprivileged. Lee Myung-Bak made the pledge during an unscheduled meeting with reporters Sunday in the press room of his presidential office, the state news agency reported. The president said he would donate his salary during his entire five-year term. Lee is a former CEO of an engineering and construction company with a vast personal fortune. As mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2004, Lee donated his salary to the children of street cleaners and firefighters. "I promised to spend my whole salary earned as a public official on public welfare," Lee told reporters. "My plan to donate the presidential salary to the underprivileged is an extension of that promise." The news agency did not say how much the president earns in a year. During the election campaign, Lee, 66, vowed to donate his entire personal fortune of more than 30 billion won ($30.2 million) to the poor. He said at the time he would keep only a retirement house in Seoul. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who will he donate to?",
"What kind of company was he the CEO of?",
"Who is the South Korean leader?",
"Who will donate his salary to help the poor?",
"What city was he mayor of?",
"who has he donated to before",
"what is lee a former ceo of",
"What position did Lee hold?",
"Who did he donate to while mayor of Seoul?",
"What will Lee Myung-Bak donate?"
] | [
[
"the underprivileged."
],
[
"engineering and construction"
],
[
"Lee Myung-Bak"
],
[
"Korea's new president"
],
[
"Seoul"
],
[
"children of street cleaners and firefighters."
],
[
"an engineering and construction company"
],
[
"CEO of an engineering and construction company"
],
[
"children of street cleaners and firefighters."
],
[
"his salary"
]
] | South Korean leader Lee Myung-Bak says he will donate his salary to help the poor .
While mayor of Seoul, he donated salary to children of street cleaners and firefighters .
Lee is a former CEO of an engineering and construction company . |
(CNN) -- Space shuttle Discovery docked with the international space station early Wednesday despite a broken antenna that knocked out radar tracking aboard the shuttle.
The shuttle docked with the space station at 3:44 a.m. ET. At the time of docking, both spacecraft were traveling 225 miles over the Caribbean sea near Caracas, Venezuela, NASA said.
Commander Alan Poindexter and his crew completed the rendezvous without the use of the shuttle's Ku-band radar, relying instead on other navigation tools to precisely track the space station, NASA said.
The Discovery's seven-person crew now joins the six-person space station crew for more than a week of work together.
It will mark the first time four women have been in space at one time.
Three women -- mission specialists Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Naoko Yamazaki -- comprise part of the Discovery's crew. NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson is already at the space station.
Discovery launched Monday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The shuttle's 13-day mission includes three planned spacewalks, replacing an ammonia tank assembly and retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station's exterior.
It is scheduled to return to Earth on April 18 at 8:35 a.m. ET.
There are only three shuttle missions remaining before the space shuttle fleet is retired. | [
"What did the space shuttle lose?",
"Who was on board for the first time?",
"What did the Shuttle Discovery do?",
"How many days is the mission?",
"What will the mission include?",
"How many women are onboard?",
"How long is the mission?",
"What did Discovery shuttle do?",
"How many women are on the spacecraft?"
] | [
[
"radar tracking"
],
[
"four women"
],
[
"docked with the international space station"
],
[
"13-day"
],
[
"three planned spacewalks, replacing an ammonia tank assembly and retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station's exterior."
],
[
"four"
],
[
"13-day"
],
[
"docked with the international space station"
],
[
"four"
]
] | Shuttle Discovery reaches international space station despite loss of shuttle's radar system .
Four women are aboard same spacecraft for first time .
13-day mission includes three spacewalks, replacement of ammonia tank assembly . |
(CNN) -- Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has followed his country's surprise 2-0 Confederations Cup defeat to the United States by hinting he could be ready to leave English Premier League club Arsenal because of their limited success. Is Cesc Fabregas paving the way for a move away from London-based club Arsenal? The 22-year-old star told British newspaper The Sun that the loss to the USA was not the prime factor contributing to his depressed mood, instead he focused on his club's inability to win silverware. "The absence of titles at Arsenal is what angers me the most. Cristiano Ronaldo said he's leaving Manchester United because he had nothing else to win. For me right now it is the exact opposite, seeing the impotence," the playmaker and club captain said. Check out the world's 20 most wanted players. Fabregas, who joined the north London club in 2003, has not won a major club trophy since Arsenal beat Manchester United in 2005 to lift the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's team have also not been crowned champions of the Premier League since 2004, a factor that has been increasingly of concern for the diminutive footballer. "This year we wanted [the title], we were giving everything - but we couldn't reach the level that everyone expected of Arsenal. When you win, you're well. But when you don't, everyone is in a bad mood. For four years now, we've needed a title to regain our belief in ourselves," he added. Fabregas signed an eight-year contract with the Gunners in 2006, a deal that should see him stay at the club until 2014, however, it seems he is already considering other destinations to ply his trade. "My seventh season is about to start. It's a lot when you're just 22. When you stop to think, you see that time flies. In football, you have to learn fast and take the best decisions for yourself and try to be happy. "If one day I'm not happy, I am the first who will tell the manager. I admire Arsene Wenger but each of us has his own life and looks after his own interests." The midfielder - who helped his national side win the European title in 2008 as well as guiding Arsenal to the semifinals of the Champions League in 2009 - hinted that the ambition shown by Real Madrid has attracted his attention despite descending from a family of Barcelona supporters. "Of course my family would understand if I signed for Real Madrid because they love me, they want me to be happy and what is best for me. They'd support me - whichever club I joined. My family will always be there for me - whatever decision I make. They're the ones who are always by my side." Since the re-election of president Florentino Perez, Real Madrid have embarked on a period of extravagant spending, buying Brazil's Kaka for $92 millions dollars from AC Milan and agreeing a $130 million transfer fee with Manchester United for World Player of the Year Ronaldo. Rumors have circulated that Fabregas could be a target for Los Merengues and the man himself speculated it would be a difficult choice to make if both Barcelona and Real were to bid for him. "At the moment it's not happened so I don't have to choose. For any player it gives great pride that those two clubs come to sign him. It would be a difficult choice," he added. Arsenal kick off the forthcoming season in England with an away visit to Everton on August 15. | [
"how long is the contract?",
"What contract did he sign?",
"how many years have the contract firmed by the midfielder?",
"What would the family support?",
"who signed a contract?",
"what position is fabregas?"
] | [
[
"Fabregas signed an eight-year"
],
[
"Gunners"
],
[
"eight-year"
],
[
"whatever decision I make."
],
[
"Fabregas"
],
[
"midfielder"
]
] | Cesc Fabregas has lamented Arsenal's "impotence" over recent years .
The midfielder signed an eight-year contract with the Gunners in 2006 .
"Family would support a move to Real" player tells The Sun newspaper .
Arsenal have not won the English Premier League title since 2004 . |
(CNN) -- Spain striker Fernando Torres faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the World Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the European soccer season.
Torres' English club Liverpool announced that the player was to have knee surgery on Sunday night and would be sidelined out for about six weeks.
That means the 26-year-old will miss the last four games of the English Premier League campaign, with Liverpool battling to qualify for next season's Champions League. He has scored 22 goals this season, but had a month out after a knee operation in January.
Top scorer Torres will also sit out both legs of the Europa League semifinal against Spanish side Atletico Madrid, with the second-tier European club tournament being Liverpool's only hope of winning a trophy this season.
"Fernando saw a specialist in Spain earlier today and it was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee," Liverpool's Web site reported on Sunday.
"This will be carried out later tonight. We cannot comment ahead of the operation, but as a guide, the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks."
The World Cup in South Africa kicks off on June 11, with Spain's first match against Switzerland five days later -- which gives Torres a two-week window to return to match fitness. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque must name his final 23-man squad by June 1.
European champions Spain will have pre-tournament friendlies in Austria against Saudi Arabia on May 29 and South Korea on June 3, then play Poland in Murcia on June 8.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's English Premier League title hopes are over after the third-placed London club conceded three goals in the last 11 minutes to lose 3-2 at struggling Wigan.
Arsenal led with goals by England winger Theo Walcott and French defender Mikael Silvestre either side of halftime, but Ben Watson pulled one back with 10 minutes to play and a howler by Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski gifted Titus Bramble a headed equalizer and Charles N'Zogbia curled in a superb injury-time winner.
It was Arsenal's second defeat in five days following the 2-1 reverse at fourth-placed Tottenham, and left Arsene Wenger's team six points behind leaders Chelsea with three games to play.
Wigan moved seven points clear of the relegation zone to almost guarantee another season in the top flight.
Aston Villa moved above Liverpool into sixth place with a 2-1 win at relegated Portsmouth as substitute Nathan Delfouneso scored the winner with his first touch after Norway striker John Carew leveled and then missed a first-half penalty.
In Spain, Real Madrid closed the gap on leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 victory at home to third-placed Valencia.
Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain coolly slotted his 25th league goal of the campaign after turning onto Guti's threaded pass in the 25th minute, while fellow top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo sidefooted home Marcelo's low cross with 12 minutes to play to also have 27 this season.
Real trail champions Barca by one point with five matches to play, while Valencia are another 24 points adrift.
Mallorca can move up to fourth place above Sevilla with victory at home to Osasuna on Monday.
In Sunday's other games, Athletic Bilbao stayed seventh after a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Zaragoza, third-bottom Tenerife won 3-2 against eighth-placed Getafe, Deportiva La Coruna drew 0-0 with Almeria, while Malaga were also held goalless by fellow relegation battlers Valladolid.
In Italy, Roma returned to the top of Serie A with a 2-1 victory against Rome rivals Lazio on Sunday.
Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic scored both goals, the second a fine free-kick, after Tommaso Rocchi's 14th-minute opener for Lazio as Roma went one point clear of champions Inter Milan with with games to play.
Lazio should have led 2-0 but Sergio Floccari missed a penalty just after halftime, while teammate Cristian Ledesma was sent off at the end.
Third-placed AC Milan lost 2-1 at | [
"who lost to wigan",
"What did Valencia score ?",
"who is ruled out for 6 weeks",
"How many weeks is he ruled out ?",
"What did the Arsenal's English lose by?",
"What did Wigan score ?",
"How long is he out for?",
"who beat valencia",
"Who needs operation on his knee?"
] | [
[
"London club"
],
[
"2-0"
],
[
"Fernando Torres"
],
[
"about six"
],
[
"3-2"
],
[
"seven points"
],
[
"about six weeks."
],
[
"Real Madrid"
],
[
"Fernando Torres"
]
] | Fernando Torres ruled out for about six weeks as he needs operation on his knee .
Liverpool striker will miss rest of European season and faces battle for World Cup fitness .
Arsenal's English title hopes suffer big blow with shock 3-2 defeat at Wigan .
Real Madrid close to within a point of Spanish leaders Barcelona, beating Valencia 2-0 . |
(CNN) -- Spain striker Fernando Torres has rejected accusations he put the World Cup before his club Liverpool after he was ruled out of action for six weeks.
Torres traveled from England to Barcelona by car to see a specialist, due to the ongoing disruption to flights caused by the ash emanating from a volcano in Iceland, for an operation on his knee.
The 26-year-old will miss the rest of the English Premier League season, as well as Liverpool's Europa League semifinal against his former club Atletico Madrid, after picking up the injury in a game against Portuguese side Benfica.
He now faces a race to be fit for Spain's opening game of the World Cup in South Africa against Switzerland on June 16.
He told his official Web site: "I picked up the injury in the second minute of the Europa League clash at home to Benfica, and I went onto to play for another 85 minutes with an injured knee.
"If I was only thinking about Spain and the World Cup, I would have asked the boss [Rafael Benitez] to have taken me off straight after the incident.
"We analyzed all the possibilities before finally choosing the last of them all: surgery. The meniscus was damaged and the doctors all agreed that I needed an operation on my right knee."
On the World Cup Torres said: "I have been waiting four years for this and, if all goes well, I do not anticipate missing it. My road to recovery has already started."
Torres expressed his disappointment at missing the European clash with his former club, Atletico Madrid, who he left to join Liverpool in 2007.
He added: "I was very excited about returning and playing against "Atleti". I wanted to be there again and greet the people, because for me this is a very endearing qualification round. I will have many more opportunities in the future."
Torres had to travel to Barcelona by car after his original flight was cancelled due to the fallout from the ash cloud that has grounded all European flights.
He said: "On Friday we knew that with the meniscus not quite right, we were facing a race against time.
"The flight we originally had booked was cancelled and we had to organize a trip out of nothing in just under 30 minutes. The journey was very long, but it was the only way of getting to Barcelona." | [
"where was this event",
"Who had an operation on his knee?",
"How much of the European season will he miss out on?",
"How long has Torres been ruled out?"
] | [
[
"Barcelona"
],
[
"Fernando Torres"
],
[
"six weeks."
],
[
"six weeks."
]
] | Fernando Torres insists he didn't put his country before his club .
Torres has been ruled out for six weeks after an operation on his knee .
Liverpool striker will miss rest of European season and faces battle for World Cup fitness . |
(CNN) -- Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo will miss the final race of 2011 MotoGP season in Valencia this weekend as he continues to recover from a finger injury.
The Yamaha rider required plastic surgery to repair a damaged ring finger on his left hand after a crash in Australia three weeks ago.
Lorenzo, 24, is guaranteed second place in the world championship due to the 48-point lead he holds over third-place Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso. Australian Casey Stoner has already secured this year's world championship.
Japanese test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga will replace the 2010 world champion for Sunday's race in the Spanish port city.
"Lorenzo continues to make good progress in recovery following plastic surgery to repair damage to the ring finger of his left hand sustained in Phillip Island three weeks ago," read a statement on the sport's official website.
"The Mallorcan's injuries require further recovery time to allow him to ride at a competitive level."
This weekend's race will be the first since Italian rider Marco Simoncelli was tragically killed in a crash in Malaysia on October 23.
A 16-meter wall bearing the 24-year-old's racing number of 58 has been erected at the circuit for fans to leave their own personal tributes to the Italian.
In addition, riders will gather on track prior to Sunday's season-ending race to their own tribute to Simoncelli -- who raced for the Honda team. | [
"What type of surgery did he have?",
"Which race will Jorge Lorenzo miss?",
"What is he recovering from?",
"Who will miss the final race?",
"What nationality is Lorenzo?",
"Who will miss the final race of the season?",
"Where is Sunday's race?",
"What is he still recovering from?",
"What is the first since the death of Marco Simoncelli?"
] | [
[
"plastic"
],
[
"the final"
],
[
"finger injury."
],
[
"Jorge Lorenzo"
],
[
"Spaniard"
],
[
"Jorge Lorenzo"
],
[
"Valencia"
],
[
"a finger injury."
],
[
"race"
]
] | Jorge Lorenzo will miss the final race of the 2011 MotoGP season .
The Spaniard is still recovering from plastic surgery on his finger .
Sunday's race in Valencia is the first since the death of Marco Simoncelli . |
(CNN) -- Spanish Primera Liga side Atletico Madrid have got one foot in the Champions League group stage after claiming a crucial 3-2 success at Greek side Panathinaikos in a tough qualifying round first leg encounter on Wednesday. Maxi Rodriguez celebrates scoring the opening goal in Atletico Madrid's 3-2 win in Greece. The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute when Diego Forlan set up Maxi Rodriguez who took the ball around Panathinaikos goalkeeper Mario Galinovic to score. Panathinaikos levelled in the 47th minute when Dimitris Salpingidis, who had an earlier goal disallowed, flicked the ball over Atletico keeper Sergio Asenjo. However, Forlan restored the Spaniards' lead in the 63rd minute when he followed-up Rodriguez's blistering drive which had come back off the post. In-demand Argentine striker Sergio Aguero made it 3-1 in the 70th minute but Panathinaikos substitute Sebastian Leto closed the gap four minutes later to give the Greek side some hope. In the night's other matches, French side Lyon stormed closer to a 10th successive group stage appearance with a tumping 5-1 victory over Anderlecht. The Ligue 1 outfit had the match sewn up before half-time with Miralem Pjanic, a Lisandro Lopez penalty, Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis giving them a four-goal cushion. Anderlecht, beaten in Champions League qualifying for the last two seasons, pulled one back through Matias Suarez in the 58th minute, but Claude Puel's Lyon side restored their four-goal advantage inside five minutes with Gomis grabbing his second of the night. Swiss side FC Zurich took a giant step closer to playing in the competition for the first time in 28 years by claiming a 3-0 lead at Latvian side Ventspils. Goals from Johan Vonlathen, Sylvan Aegerter and Dusan Djuriuc look almost certain to put Zurich into the last 32 of the competition. Debrecen edged closer to becoming Hungary's first Champions League group stage participants since 1996 when they claimed a 2-1 advantage at Levski Sofia in Bulgaria. Laszlo Bodnar gave the Hungarians the lead but Levski levelled at the start of the second period with a fine strike from Cedric Bardon. However, 14 minutes from time, Peter Czvitkovics claimed Debrecen's winner. Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa were also winners on the road with a goal six minutes from time from substitute Shlomi Arbeitman earning a 2-1 win at Salzburg. Georgian striker Vladimer Dvalishvili headed Haifa in front before Alexander Zickler equalized on 57 minutes for the Austrians. | [
"Who beat Anderlecht?",
"What league did Atletico Madrid beat Panathinaikos?",
"What did Zurich, Debrecen, and Maccabi Haifa get closer to?",
"Who beat Panathinaikos?",
"Who also edged closer to reaching group stage?"
] | [
[
"Lyon"
],
[
"Champions"
],
[
"the Champions League group stage"
],
[
"Atletico Madrid"
],
[
"Debrecen"
]
] | Atletico Madrid beat Panathinaikos 3-2 in Champions League qualifier first leg .
Lyon look poised for a 10th year in competition after thumping Anderlecht 5-0 .
Zurich, Debrecen and Maccabi Haifa also edge closer to reaching group stage . |
(CNN) -- Spanish giants Real Madrid have retained their position as the richest football club in the world -- according to an annual survey issued by accountancy firm Deloitte. Spanish champions Real Madrid remain the richest football club in the world. English and European champions Manchester United and Spanish league leaders Barcelona remain in second and third places respectively in the latest "Football Money League" report on the world's 20 biggest clubs ranked by revenue. Despite their lofty position in the list, United, along with the rest of the English Premier League clubs have been affected by sterling's recent fall in the money markets. "If the exchange rate value of the pound had not depreciated, there would have been nine, rather than seven English clubs in the top 20 and Manchester United would have topped the Money League ahead of Real Madrid," Dan Jones, partner in the Sports business group at Deloitte, told Reuters.com. The impact of the current economic downturn on club revenues was not measured in the report from the 2007-2008 football season. Fenerbahce became the first Turkish club to feature in the list, while German champions Bayern Munich climbed three places to fourth, reaching the top five for the first time in five years. Scottish champions Celtic, Spanish side Valencia and German club Werder Bremen all dropped out of the list which is comprised solely of clubs from Europe. World's wealthiest football clubs by revenue: 1. Real Madrid (Spain) 365.8m euros 2. Manchester United (England) 324.8m 3. Barcelona (Spain) 308.8m 4. Bayern Munich (Germany) 295.3m 5. Chelsea (England) 268.9m 6. Arsenal (England) 264.4m 7. Liverpool (England) 210.9m 8. AC Milan (Italy) 209.5m 9. Roma (Italy) 175.4m 10. Inter Milan (Italy) 172.9m 11. Juventus (Italy) 167.5m 12. Lyon (France) 155.7m 13. Schalke (Germany) 148.4m 14. Tottenham (England) 145m 15. Hamburg (Germany) 127.9m 16. Marseille (France) 126.8m 17. Newcastle (England) 125.6m 18. Stuttgart (Germany) 111.5m 19. Fenerbahce (Turkey) 111.3m 20. Manchester City (England) 104m | [
"What were the rankings?",
"Who is the Spanish champion?",
"What value fell?"
] | [
[
"1. Real Madrid (Spain) 365.8m euros 2. Manchester United (England) 324.8m 3. Barcelona (Spain) 308.8m 4. Bayern Munich (Germany) 295.3m 5. Chelsea (England) 268.9m 6. Arsenal (England) 264.4m 7. Liverpool (England) 210.9m 8. AC Milan (Italy) 209.5m 9. Roma (Italy) 175.4m 10. Inter Milan (Italy) 172.9m 11. Juventus (Italy) 167.5m 12. Lyon (France) 155.7m 13. Schalke (Germany) 148.4m 14. Tottenham (England) 145m 15. Hamburg (Germany) 127.9m 16. Marseille (France) 126.8m 17. Newcastle (England) 125.6m 18. Stuttgart (Germany) 111.5m 19. Fenerbahce (Turkey) 111.3m 20. Manchester City (England) 104m"
],
[
"Real Madrid"
],
[
"exchange rate"
]
] | Spanish champions Real Madrid are top of the latest Deloitte football rich list .
Manchester United and Barcelona are second and third in the annual rankings .
The fall in value of sterling has affected English clubs' positions in annual list . |
(CNN) -- Spanish leaders Barcelona gave Real Madrid hope of snatching the Spanish title after being held 0-0 at city rivals Espanyol on Saturday in a tense match that saw Daniel Alves sent off with half an hour to play.
Real can now cut the champions' league lead to just one point by winning at home to third-placed Valencia on Sunday night, after which there will be five rounds to play.
The stalemate was the first time Barcelona had failed to score in La Liga since October, and came ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg away to Inter Milan.
Should that match in Italy go ahead if European air travel resumes following the volcanic ash fallout from Iceland, Inter boss Jose Mourinho will have eagerly noted Espanyol's success in nullifying Barcelona's star-studded line-up.
Mid-table Espanyol lost 1-0 at the Nou Camp in December, but could have led at halftime in the first match between the two teams at the new Cornella-El Prat stadium.
Barcelona had hit the crossbar when winger Pedro's cross deceived goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, but the home side created the better chances and should have scored just before halftime but Victor Valdes pushed striker Osvaldo's shot onto the near post.
Alves was dismissed for a second booking in the 62nd minute after body checking Jose Callejon, but Espanyol could not take advantage of having an extra man.
Earlier on Saturday, fourth-placed Sevilla bounced back from the midweek defeat at struggling Valladolid to crush Sporting Gijon 3-0, who had two players sent off.
Mali striker Fredi Kanoute opened the scoring in the eight minute after his initial header was blocked, and 13th-placed Gijon lost Mate Bilic to a second yellow card on 32.
Kanoute's strike partner Luis Fabiano doubled the lead eight minutes after halftime with a header from Adriano's cross as the Brazilian made up for having an earlier effort ruled out for offside.
Jose Angel Valdes was sent off for a second booking with 10 minutes left after Alvaro Negredo went down clutching his face, and the Sevilla forward set up defender Cala from the resulting free-kick.
Villarreal claimed sixth place from Athletic Bilbao after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the late match.
Argentine defender Diego Godin diverted in a 21st-minute corner and Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi made Atletico pay for calamitous defending just before halftime.
Argentina forward Sergio Aguero ended his recent goal drought with his 19th of the season with a volley from Jose Antonio Reyes' pass in the 64th minute, but 10th-placed Atletico went down to a 15th league loss this season ahead of Thursday's Europa League semifinal first leg against English club Liverpool.
Bilbao can move back into the top six with victory at Zaragoza on Sunday, while fifth-placed Mallorca face mid-table Osasuna. | [
"How many players were sent off?",
"Real can reduce the gap with victory away to third-placed Valencia when?"
] | [
[
"two"
],
[
"Sunday night,"
]
] | Spanish leaders Barcelona held to frustrating 0-0 draw at city rivals Espanyol .
Daniel Alves sent off as Barca move four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid .
Real can reduce the gap with victory away to third-placed Valencia on Sunday .
Fourth-placed Sevilla win 3-0 at Sporting Gijon, who have two players sent off . |
(CNN) -- Spanish underdogs Levante kept up their remarkable early-season form by beating Real Sociedad 3-2, their seventh successive victory, to stay top of La Liga.
Levante, a team that has played second fiddle to city rivals Valencia during their 102 year history and who have never finished higher than 10th, has remarkably fended off the attentions of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona with a quarter of the season gone.
But it took an injury time free kick by Ruben Suarez to make sure of all three points after Real Sociedad's Inigo MartÃnez had scored a late equalizer.
Sociedad had taken an early lead through Daniel Estrada before Nano Rivas and Valdo Lopes put Levante in front. But despite a late equalizer, Levante came back with Suarez's stunning free kick, which saw them leapfrog Barcelona into top spot.
Real Madrid did their best to keep up with Levante after blowing Villarreal away in the first half an hour at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Villarreal, perennial UEFA Champions League qualifiers in recent years, have endured a torrid start to the season, made worse when Karim Benzema scored an early goal. Kaka was then set up by Argentine international Angel Di Maria, who capped a fine half by scoring the third. The match petered out in the second half, finishing 3-0 and sending Real Madrid second above Barcelona.
In Italy's Serie A Udinese missed the chance of returning to the top of the league after losing away to Napoli 2-0. Two first half strikes from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Christian Maggio ended Udinese's unbeaten start to the season.
But the result of the night saw AC Milan score four goals in successive games after beating Parma 4-1.
Milan found themselves 3-0 down against Lecce last week before mounting a thrilling comeback. A second half Kevin Prince Boetang hat-trick secured an unlikely 4-3 victory and it was another three-goal haul that guaranteed all the points against Parma.
This time Antonio Nocerino was the hero. His first half double put Milan in control before Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the victory beyond Parma, who scored a late consolation before Nocerino completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute.
"Right now the important thing is to return to the top and we can do that," coach Massimiliano Allegri told AFP.
"This is an important result to give us consistency. The table is starting to get stretched and we must stay amongst the leaders." | [
"What did Udinese miss?",
"Who beat Real Sociedad 3-2 to stay top of Spain's La Liga?",
"What did Levante do?",
"Who missed the chance to go top as AC Milan scored four?",
"who beat Real Sociedad?",
"Who scored deep in to injury time to secure victory?"
] | [
[
"the chance of returning to the top of the league"
],
[
"Levante"
],
[
"beating Real Sociedad"
],
[
"Udinese"
],
[
"Levante"
],
[
"Ruben Suarez"
]
] | Levante beat Real Sociedad 3-2 to stay top of Spain's La Liga .
Midfielder Ruben Suarez scored deep in to injury time to secure victory .
The team, from Valencia, has never finished higher than 10th .
In Serie A Udinese missed the chance to go top as AC Milan scored four . |
(CNN) -- Spec. Shaun Gopaul woke up at 4 a.m. on May 12, 2007, and waited at a battle position south of Baghdad for members of his company to pick him up. Sgt. Alex Jimenez, left, and Spc. Shaun Gopaul had served in the military together since 2005. One of those he expected to see was the larger-than-life figure of Sgt. Alex Jimenez, who cared so much about his fellow soldiers that he made sure every one was comfortable and who cared so much about the Iraqis he was fighting for that he learned Arabic on his own so he could talk with them. "He was a good guy, you know. He had a big heart," Gopaul said. But Jimenez and the other soldiers never came. While he was waiting, Gopaul heard on the radio that Sgt. Alex Jimenez -- the first person he met in the company and also his best friend -- and other members of his company had been ambushed and captured by insurgents in a section of Iraq known as the Triangle of Death. Gopaul said Friday that during the time Jimenez and other members of the company were missing, he tried to keep upbeat and hoped that his best friend would come home safely. But on Friday the military confirmed they found the bodies of Jimenez and 19-year-old Pvt. Byron W. Fouty and returned them to the United States. "In a way, I'm glad that he's home," Gopaul said. "It's just not in the way that we wanted." The body of a third soldier who was captured -- Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California -- was pulled from the Euphrates River in Babil province 11 days after the attack. After they began serving together in 2005, Gopaul said he and Jimenez were inseparable. When Gopaul arrived, Jimenez offered to let him bunk with him because many of the servicemen were younger than he. It was Gopaul's first tour in Iraq and Jimenez, who was on his second tour, took it upon himself to help new soldiers from Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Regiment -- nicknamed the polar bears -- learn the ropes. "He grabbed all the new guys and put us where we needed to be and showed us how to do our jobs," Gopaul said. "He saved our lives by showing us the right way to do things and where to be so we wouldn't be hurt." Jimenez, 25, even took it upon himself to start learning Arabic, Gopaul said. He studied the language until he eventually became fluent. Then, he taught the entire platoon and company so they would have an easier time talking to locals. "It was awesome, because if we didn't have an interpreter we had him to help out," Gopaul said. During their free time the two soldiers wrote and sang music -- often reggaeton -- sometimes about being in the Army. Above all, Gopaul said, Jimenez was known for his sense of humor and always being there for anyone who needed it. "I've been getting a lot of calls from a lot of people across different battalions who knew him and knew the size of his heart, Gopaul said. The last time he spoke to Jimenez, Gopaul was returning from time off and Jimenez called to let him know what was going on in Iraq and see how his good friend was doing. "I told him 'I'll see you in a couple days,' " Gopaul said. "But that was it. I never saw him again." Gopaul said he has taken a 14-day leave from service and will go to visit members of the Jimenez family who live in New York and Boston, Massachusetts. Black ribbons of mourning replaced the yellow ribbons around the Jimenez home Thursday afternoon. A POW/MIA flag that had been hanging from the home for more than a year was also replaced by a U.S. flag. "This has all been pretty hard," Gopaul said. "But one thing is for sure -- | [
"What did Jimenz show Gopaul to do?",
"What did he learn to teach others",
"WHo served in the military",
"What position did Jimenez hold?"
] | [
[
"showing us the right way to do things and where to be so we wouldn't be hurt.\""
],
[
"the ropes."
],
[
"Sgt. Alex Jimenez,"
],
[
"Sgt."
]
] | Shaun Gopaul, Alex Jimenez served together in military starting in 2005 .
Gopaul: "He saved our lives" by showing us what to do .
Bodies of Jimenez, another soldier found in Iraq after a year .
Jimenez learned Arabic and taught others so they could talk to locals . |
(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the
City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13) is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen | [
"How long ago did WAKA Kickball start?",
"How many adults are expected to compete in the 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest?",
"What will attract more than 150 adults this year?",
"what would attract more than 150 adults?",
"Where will the soapbox race be held?",
"who will wear costumes to race in portland?",
"Where is the soapbox race taking place?",
"Who said that childhood pastimes are becoming more acceptable for adults?",
"How many adults will the 2009 contest attract?",
"What kind of Kickball is now played in 33 states?",
"how many adults attends to the The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest?"
] | [
[
"1930s."
],
[
"more than 150"
],
[
"2009 World Yo-Yo Contest"
],
[
"The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida,"
],
[
"Portland"
],
[
"hundreds of adults"
],
[
"Portland"
],
[
"Tony Pehle,"
],
[
"more than 150"
],
[
"WAKA"
],
[
"150"
]
] | WAKA Kickball started more than a decade ago by a few friends is now in 33 states .
The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest will attract more than 150 adults this year .
Hundreds of adult soapbox racers will wear costumes to race in Portland, Oregon .
"Rejuvenile" author Noxon says childhood pastimes are becoming more acceptable . |
(CNN) -- Sports stars seem to have it all -- from seven-figure salaries to big endorsement deals. But lately, what some don't have is a good reputation. The NBA's Dwyane Wade started a foundation to help inspire kids in at-risk situations. With the steroids controversy in baseball and drug allegations against the world's greatest swimmer, many adoring fans may wonder, "Where are the good guys in sports?" Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat is one of those good guys. He stays out of the controversy and insists that his fame should be used to help others. CNN's Nicole Lapin talked to the NBA star about the foundation he started and his partnership with National Recess Week. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. Nicole Lapin: It feels like you're getting paid for recess now. You're 27 years old. Do you look at your paycheck sometimes and are like, "I get paid for this? Watch more of Nicole Lapin's interview with Dwyane Wade » Dwyane Wade: First of all, to do something that you love, and to get compensated for something that you love at a very, very great rate, is unbelievable. And it's something that a lot of kids dream of. They've just got to have somebody who believes in them. And that's something I'm trying to do with being the spokesman for this Recess Week. Y'all need to get back out there. We need to get back out there with the kids and help them believe in themselves. Lapin: Some people see you as the role model. Who was your role model growing up? Wade: You know, I had different role models growing up. Of course, I'm from Chicago, so when it comes to sports and when it comes to basketball, Michael Jordan. No question about it. But, you know, on a personal level, I always looked at people that were close to me that were doing things. My sister was always a role model to me, just because of the way that she always helped kids. And even though we didn't have much, she always helped the ones that were less fortunate than us. And it's something that just stuck with me. And it's something that I'm trying to do now. Lapin: So, as a role model, to take little kids wearing your jerseys and playing video games of you, do you take that seriously? Wade: It's still, you know, crazy to me when I see people wearing my jersey. I mean, just on a regular day. Not a game day. Just on a regular day walking down the street, see somebody with your name on their back. It's like, wow. Or when you see yourself on video games. All that to me is still, you know, mind-blowing. And the main thing, the only thing you can do is try to go out and talk to kids. You try and tell them the importance of being you. You try and tell them the importance of being a certain way. You try and give them the message that a lot of people gave you. Lapin: In 2003, you started Wade's World to help those kids, to talk to those kids. Because you were never talked to when you were growing up. Wade: Yes, yes. I never was. It may have helped me out; helped my drive out. But unfortunately, I've never had anyone come to the community I grew up in and give out that helping hand. And to give us hope, in our community, that we can do something special. I always heard that we couldn't or you know, it's one in a million or something like that. Well, our job and my job at the Wade's World foundation is to go out and let these kids know that we believe in them. And there's more than what you see out your front window or your front door that's in | [
"What did Dwyane Wade do to help kids?",
"Who wants to leave the world a better place?",
"Who started a foundation?",
"what says he wants to leave the world a better place?",
"What is the name of the NBA star in this article?",
"What is the name of the team Dwayne Wade plays for?"
] | [
[
"started a foundation"
],
[
"Dwyane Wade"
],
[
"Dwyane Wade"
],
[
"Dwyane Wade"
],
[
"Dwyane Wade"
],
[
"Miami Heat"
]
] | Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade started foundation to help at-risk kids .
Wade is national spokesperson for National Recess Week .
NBA star says sense of community and sportsmanship are pivotal for kids .
Says he wants to leave the world a better place . |
(CNN) -- Springwood teenagers Dean, Kris, Jesse, Nancy and Quentin are having trouble not sleeping: They're knocking back coffee, popping pills, anything to delay another date with their dream stalker (which may explain why these high school students look like college grads). When one of them does drop off, the bedsheets turn red.
Wes Craven's 1984 slumber party massacre started from scratch -- it was a low-budget item from what was then a genuine independent studio, New Line -- and became the iconic horror franchise of the decade.
With his battered fedora, a striped sweater, a razor-glove and a face like Sal's Famous, Freddy Krueger was the most personable boogie man Hollywood had come up with in a long time, so what if he was also a child abuser? A recurring nightmare who stalked teenagers as they slept, Freddy preyed on the defenseless and played fast and loose with physics: If Salvador Dali had created a slasher movie villain, he might have come up with someone like Freddy.
After eight movies, a TV series and a comic book, you might think Mr. Krueger had been done to death. It's been seven years since Freddy put Jason Vorhees in his place (in "Freddy vs Jason"). But you can't keep a good bad guy down, and at the rate Hollywood is cannibalizing its horror back catalogue, we'll be seeing remakes of the remakes any day now.
Directed by pop video director Samuel Bayer and written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer, the new "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is actually a lot like the old one. So much so, for a while you wonder why they didn't just re-release it. (You'll wish they had.)
Surprisingly, Bayer doesn't go the Michael Bay route and give it a high-gloss, ADD tempo, but in duplicating the most memorable bits from the original (the glove in the bath, for instance, and the face coming through the wallpaper), he fails to put his own stamp on it.
As Freddy, Jackie Earle Haley, who was Oscar nominated for playing a sex offender in "Little Children" (and who went on to play Rorschach in "Watchmen" and the battered psychopath Noyce in "Shutter Island") finds Robert Englund a tough act to follow.
Haley drops his voice an octave and comes on heavy -- this Freddy mostly keeps his quips to himself -- but he's significantly shorter than Englund, and the make-up suggests nothing so much as Ray Bolger in "The Wizard of Oz": the scarecrow who didn't even scare the crows.
iReporter gives new "Nightmare" an "A"
Branching out tentatively toward something new, the film toys with repressed memory syndrome and the intriguing suggestion that maybe Freddy was innocent; that he has every right to be angry about the lynch mob that incinerated him. I'll leave you to imagine how far the filmmakers go with that radical notion, but maybe a prequel would have been a more rewarding way to go?
The new "Nightmare" also proudly introduces a clinical-sounding term called "micro-naps," a side effect of sleep deprivation that handily justifies more shock effects even as the number of survivors is whittled down to two (gratifyingly, they're the least synthetic of the young cast members).
But is it scary? Barely. In the wake of "Paranormal Activity," Freddy's grandstanding theatrics seem pretty old hat. There is nothing about this redundant remake to give anyone sleepless nights, unless it's threat of yet more of the same old same old. Enough with the "re-imagining," Hollywood; just imagine! | [
"In wake of \"Paranormal Activity, who's theatrics seem pretty old hat?",
"What is Englund's first name?",
"What is the name of the Director?",
"When was the Wes Craven's original?",
"Who does Jackie Earle Haley play?",
"Who is a tough act to follow?",
"Jackie Earle Haley, as Freddy, finds who a tough act to follow ?",
"Freddy's theatrics seem pretty old hat in wake of what ?"
] | [
[
"Freddy's"
],
[
"Robert"
],
[
"Samuel Bayer"
],
[
"1984"
],
[
"Freddy,"
],
[
"Robert Englund"
],
[
"Robert Englund"
],
[
"\"Paranormal Activity,\""
]
] | Director Samuel Bayer struggles to put own stamp on Wes Craven's 1984 original .
Jackie Earle Haley, as Freddy, finds Robert Englund a tough act to follow .
In wake of "Paranormal Activity," Freddy's theatrics seem pretty old hat . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lanka ordered an end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, the president's office said Monday. But the rebels accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians.
Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard next to a tank captured from the Tamil Tigers.
"Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties," according a statement from the Presidential Secretariat.
A rebel Web site, Tamilnet.com, immediately accused the government of violating its own order and "deceiving the international community."
"Two Sri Lanka air force fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal after the announcement by the Sri Lankan forces that it would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks," Tamilnet said, citing S. Puleedevan, director of the Tamil Peace Secretariat.
"Obviously we need to see what that means in practice," John Holmes, the head of U.N. humanitarian operations, said about the government announcement to end combat operations. "But, on the face of it, I think it's good news."
The military will now concentrate on "saving" and "rescuing civilians," who have been caught in the fighting between government forces and rebel fighters, the presidential statement said.
The government's decision followed an unscheduled meeting of the National Security Council called by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The session included the commanders of the army, navy and air force.
The developments came a day after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels, warning instead that government troops would continue a new offensive until the group surrendered, a senior government official told CNN.
"The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security.
The Tiger leadership had asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and India have called for a cease-fire.
The foreign ministers of three nations are due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday -- David Miliband of the United Kingdom, Bernard Kouchner of France and Carl Bildt of Sweden.
The rebels' proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan army sources.
A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast.
Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" now exceeds 100,000 people. Watch civilians describe what they are experiencing »
Fifty metric tons of relief supplies -- which landed in Colombo on Monday -- will be sent by UNICEF to the north to help displaced residents.
UNICEF, which called the situation in the north a "catastrophe for children," said the displaced lack food, water and basic medical supplies.
The rebels estimate the number of civilians still located in the territory at more than 160,000.
The Sri Lankan military said it "freed 3,254 civilians from LTTE clutches" in operations Sunday.
The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union. | [
"what orders give him?",
"What is the name of the rebel group?",
"Where are the forces from?",
"What did fighter bombers continue to do?"
] | [
[
"end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels"
],
[
"Tamil Tiger"
],
[
"Sri Lanka"
],
[
"bomb civilians."
]
] | Tamil rebels say Sri Lankan forces ignoring orders to end military operations Sri Lanka: Forces ordered to cease use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft Rebels say fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets after announcement .
Developments come after Sri Lankan officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lanka ordered an end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, the president's office said Monday. But the rebels accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians. Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard next to a tank captured from the Tamil Tigers. "Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties," according a statement from the Presidential Secretariat. A rebel Web site, Tamilnet.com, immediately accused the government of violating its own order and "deceiving the international community." "Two Sri Lanka air force fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal after the announcement by the Sri Lankan forces that it would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks," Tamilnet said, citing S. Puleedevan, director of the Tamil Peace Secretariat. "Obviously we need to see what that means in practice," John Holmes, the head of U.N. humanitarian operations, said about the government announcement to end combat operations. "But, on the face of it, I think it's good news." The military will now concentrate on "saving" and "rescuing civilians," who have been caught in the fighting between government forces and rebel fighters, the presidential statement said. The government's decision followed an unscheduled meeting of the National Security Council called by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The session included the commanders of the army, navy and air force. The developments came a day after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels, warning instead that government troops would continue a new offensive until the group surrendered, a senior government official told CNN. "The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security. The Tiger leadership had asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and India have called for a cease-fire. The foreign ministers of three nations are due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday -- David Miliband of the United Kingdom, Bernard Kouchner of France and Carl Bildt of Sweden. The rebels' proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan army sources. A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" now exceeds 100,000 people. Watch civilians describe what they are experiencing » Fifty metric tons of relief supplies -- which landed in Colombo on Monday -- will be sent by UNICEF to the north to help displaced residents. UNICEF, which called the situation in the north a "catastrophe for children," said the displaced lack food, water and basic medical supplies. The rebels estimate the number of civilians still located in the territory at more than 160,000. The Sri Lankan military said it "freed 3,254 civilians from LTTE clutches" in operations Sunday. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union. | [
"What did the rebels say?",
"Which officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer?",
"What is the name of the country?",
"When did developments occur?",
"What do the Sri Lankan forces order?",
"What do Tamil rebels say?"
] | [
[
"accused the government of violating its own order and \"deceiving the international community.\""
],
[
"Sri Lankan"
],
[
"Lanka"
],
[
"after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels,"
],
[
"an end to combat operations"
],
[
"accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians."
]
] | Tamil rebels say Sri Lankan forces ignoring orders to end military operations Sri Lanka: Forces ordered to cease use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft Rebels say fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets after announcement .
Developments come after Sri Lankan officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's president declared Wednesday that the country's Tamil insurgents are on the verge of total defeat, saying their demise has helped unite the island nation on the 61st anniversary of its independence. Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa "We are today a nation that has defeated a powerful enemy that stood before us," Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his independence day speech. "Our entire nation is now united in the shade of the national flag." But in other parts of his speech, Rajapaksa indicated that the fight against the Tamil Tiger rebels was not over. "I am confident that in a few days we will decisively defeat the terrorist force that many repeatedly kept saying was invincible," he said. In another part of the speech, he said, government forces over the past two and a half years have "been able ... to almost completely defeat" the rebel forces. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa rejected calls Wednesday for a negotiated end to the fighting. He said there would be no political solution, the online edition of The Island reported. Some in the international community have suggested negotiations to give the rebels an opportunity to surrender. That idea is ridiculous, an angry Rajapaksa told The Island, emphasizing that nothing short of unconditional surrender of arms and cadres could end the offensive on the Vanni front. Government troops and Tamil rebels are locked in a battle for the remaining rebel strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka, where the the country's ethnic Tamil minority has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983. Watch a report on risks facing journalists in Sri Lanka » Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area where the fighting is taking place, and the onslaught has intensified as government forces have closed in on the rebels. Aid agencies have asked for increased access to the region, calling conditions in northern Sri Lanka a nightmarish situation. The fighting has forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region, the last functioning medical facility in the conflict zone. | [
"What are government troops and rebels battling for?",
"Number of civilians that are trapped according to aid groups?",
"How many civilians are trapped?",
"How many civilians are trapped, according to aid groups?",
"What country is being discussed here?",
"How long have the Ethnic Tamil minority been fighting?",
"How many civilians are trapped due to this conflict?",
"What do the Tamils want?",
"What happend to the last functioning medical facility in the zone?",
"Year the ethnic Tamil minority have been fighting since?",
"How long have the Tamil minority been fighting for independence?"
] | [
[
"strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka,"
],
[
"many as 250,000"
],
[
"as 250,000"
],
[
"250,000"
],
[
"Sri Lanka,"
],
[
"since 1983."
],
[
"as"
],
[
"an independent homeland"
],
[
"The fighting has forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region,"
],
[
"1983."
],
[
"an independent homeland since 1983."
]
] | Government troops, rebels battling for remaining rebel strongholds in north .
Aid groups say as many as 250,000 civilians are trapped in the area .
Last functioning medical facility in the conflict zone has closed .
Ethnic Tamil minority fighting for an independent homeland since 1983 . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's prime minister warned Saturday that his country "stands on the brink," as its soldiers cornered Tamil Tiger fighters in an assault that is trapping more than 50,000 civilians on a small plot of coastal land. Sri Lanka's defense ministry says this handout photo shows troops with a captured Tamil Tiger craft Thursday. The United Nations estimated the number of civilians, who were trapped on about 1.5 square miles (four square kilometers) of land. Government troops seized the last remaining coastal stretch under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels, the Ministry of Defense said Saturday, marking a possible end to more than 25 years of fighting in the island nation. The seizure marks the total capture of coastline territory previously controlled by the rebels, it said, after army divisions advanced from the north and south to link up. An army source told CNN that about two square kilometers in the region remain to be captured, and that military officials expect that to happen in a couple of days. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began. "Sri Lanka stands on the brink," Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake said in a written statement. Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka » "We have called repeatedly for the violence to cease. The humanitarian agencies must be granted access to civilians caught in the crossfire of a dreadful conflict. Watch iReporter Thileepan's footage of the "safe zone" » "We are backing U.N. efforts to secure an orderly end to the conflict. The LTTE must lay down its arms and allow civilians to leave. Sri Lanka must understand that there will be consequences for its actions." No formal declaration of victory is expected at least until Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns to the country from Amman, Jordan, where he is attending the World Economic Forum. In an address to the summit in Amman on Saturday, Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan armed forces had defeated the rebels. "I will be going back to my country Sri Lanka that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of terrorism of the LTTE. This freedom comes after 30 long years." "Our economic prosperity must essentially rest upon global peace and stability. Terrorism has for decades denied us this right. All eleven countries gathered here today have suffered the effects of terrorism, some more than others. "Terrorism has raised its ugly head in different forms from time to time and destroyed all development initiatives in most of our countries" he said. On Friday, the Navy arrested the wife of Soosai, a leader of Sea Tigers -- the ocean-going arm of the rebel group. His daughter and son-in-law were also arrested. Navy officials, quoting those who were arrested, said Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to be inside the area of the latest fighting. Other sources have said he has escaped. CNN's Iqbal Athas contributed to this report. | [
"What are rebels fighting for?",
"How long have rebels been fighting for?",
"what country are they talking about",
"What did the PM say about the country?",
"Where is Velupillai Prabhakaran believed to be?",
"who won the fight"
] | [
[
"an independent state"
],
[
"more than 25 years of"
],
[
"Sri Lanka"
],
[
"\"stands on the brink,\""
],
[
"inside the area of the latest fighting."
],
[
"Tamil Tiger rebels,"
]
] | No formal declaration of victory expected until President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns .
PM: Country is on the brink, we have called for violence to stop .
Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 .
Navy officials: Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran believed to be in area of fighting . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's quarter-century-long civil war is in its final phase, the government suggested Friday, as its troops pounded Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north. This picture, released by the Sri Lankan defense ministry, is said to be of a dead Tamil Tiger body captured after fighting on May 14, 2009. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the end of the current military push, which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission, is less than 48 hours away. He spoke from Jordan on Friday, where he's attending an economic summit. "The Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE in small area of land in the north would be rescued, and the Tamils would be saved from the threat of LTTE terrorism," Rajapaksa said. In a rapid military push, Sri Lankan forces have squeezed Tamil Tiger fighters into approximately 1.5 square miles (four square kilometers) of coastal land. The United Nations estimates that more than 50,000 civilians are trapped there. CNN's Paula Newton reports on the plight of trapped civilians » The chunk of land, known as the no-fire zone or civilian safety area, was under siege by government forces Friday, according to Tamilnet.com, a rebel Web site. "The entire safety zone area is in smoke ... as shelling by the Sri Lanka army was destroying all the structures within a narrow strip of coastal land, which is densely populated with tens of thousands of people," Tamilnet said. Humanitarian aid groups have reported mass civilian casualties in the fighting. "The government is moving forward in extremely difficult circumstances. After all, the ... Tamil Tigers are seeded amidst the middle of all these civilians. It's very difficult to weed out and identify who is a fighter and who is not," said Gordon Weiss, a U.N. spokesman. "It makes it very very dangerous for civilians, and it explains the very large toll on civilian life that we've seen at this point." Weiss called the fighting a "bloodbath" at the beginning of the week. The situation had worsened by Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. It suspended evacuation and medical rescue operations in the no-fire zone. Aid agencies had been stuck offshore, unable to deliver badly needed relief supplies and evacuate civilians. "Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, the Red Cross' director of operations. "No humanitarian organization can help them in the current circumstances. People are left to their own devices." The U.N. Security Council and U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for both sides to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid into the conflict zone. Watch frustration build at the United Nations » In a statement at the White House, Obama urged Sri Lankan government troops to halt the "indiscriminate" shelling of civilians trapped with the remnants of the country's Tamil Tigers. He also prodded the rebels to stop using civilians as human shields. Security Council members issued a statement demanding "that all parties respect their obligations under international humanitarian law." A Red Cross worker was killed Wednesday during shelling in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka -- the third aid worker killed in six weeks -- the Red Cross said. | [
"What do the red cross say?",
"What is the Red Cross saying about the situation?",
"how many civilians are trapped",
"what does the sri lankan president say",
"What does the president say?",
"Who are the Tamil Tigers?",
"When did the Tamil Tigers start fighting for an independent state?",
"According to the U.N., how many civilians are trapped?"
] | [
[
"The situation had worsened by Friday,"
],
[
"\"Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe,\""
],
[
"50,000"
],
[
"the end of the current military push,"
],
[
"the end of the current military push, which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission, is less than 48 hours away."
],
[
"rebels in the country's north."
],
[
"since 1983."
],
[
"50,000"
]
] | Sri Lanka president says end of current military push less than 48 hours away .
U.N. estimates more than 50,000 civilians trapped in area under siege .
Red Cross: "Staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe"
Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983 . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lankan cricketers have described for the first time how they feared some of their teammates had been killed during a deadly attack on the team bus by gunmen in Pakistan -- and paid tribute to the driver of the bus for saving their lives. Thilan Samaraweera is due to undergo surgery to have a bullet removed from his leg. Six police officers and a driver were killed in the ambush by around a dozen attackers armed with automatic weapons as the players made their way to Lahore's cricket stadium early Tuesday. Two players, Tharanga Paranavitana and Thilan Samaraweera, suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and leg respectively while six others suffered shrapnel wounds. But vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara told CNN he believed Paranavitana had been killed when he collapsed after being shot. "I was lying on the ground. I heard Thilan (Samaraweera) groan and I heard Tharanga Paranavitana say something. I turned around and a bullet whizzed past my head and hit the seat in front of me. And then I got hit in the shoulder by shrapnel," Sangakkara said. "Then I saw Tharanga Paranavitana get up and say 'I've been shot' and then he collapsed on the seat. I really thought he was seriously hurt or even dead." Read profiles of the wounded players » Describing the initial moments of the ambush, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said there had been an explosion "which someone said later was a rocket launcher that missed the bus and went over the top and hit somewhere in front of us." Watch footage of the gunmen staging their attack » He said two cars then pulled up in front of the convoy, blocking its path. Gunmen jumped out of the cars and started firing, sending bullets ripping through the bus. "By that stage everyone was on the ground," Baylis told CNN. "Surprisingly it was very calm. There was not a lot we could do except keep low as possible and hope for the best. Every now and then someone would just yell out and say 'I'm hit.'" Watch Bayliss talk about his experience » Sangakkara said someone at the front of the bus had shouted to the players to take cover. "Some of the guys looked up to see what was going on because the bus just swerved a bit and almost came to a stop," he said. "Suddenly we heard a couple of explosions getting closer. And then someone from the front of the bus shouted 'They're shooting at the bus -- get down!' That's when we just hit the deck and suddenly we heard bullets thudding into the bus. It kept going for about a minute." Watch Sangakkara describe how players ducked for cover » A Pakistani security official on the bus then shouted to the driver in Urdu to "go, go go!" Sangakkara said. "I think we owe our lives to him -- he just put the bus in gear and drove straight through the carnage straight to the ground," he said. "They tried to shoot the bus driver first and missed and the guy had the presence of mind to do what was needed to save all our lives." Baylis also praised the driver of the bus for his bravery. "He jumped back in his seat with all the bullets coming through the bus and he got us into the stadium. It wasn't until we got into the stadium that we could see how hurt some of the players were," Baylis said. Once inside the stadium the players received medical attention. "Everyone still seemed confused and shocked but the mood was quite upbeat," said Sangakkara. "A few jokes were being cracked, people were talking to each other, making sure everyone was ok, everyone made a great effort to keep the mood lighter than it could have been in that situation and that's helped a lot of the guys to get through it." Sangakkara said he'd had some of the shrapnel removed from his shoulder inside the stadium. He also underwent surgery to remove some more after arriving home in Colombo earlier | [
"Who attack vehicle?",
"where were they going",
"what Sri Lankan vice-captain feared teammate had?"
] | [
[
"gunmen"
],
[
"Lahore's cricket stadium"
],
[
"been killed during a deadly attack"
]
] | Sri Lankan vice-captain feared teammate had been fatally wounded .
Driver praised for getting bus to stadium as bullets ripped through vehicle .
Attack in Lahore killed driver, 6 Pakistani police, injured 8 Sri Lankan cricket players .
Match referee: Security forces left players, match officials to be "sitting ducks" |
(CNN) -- Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday, warning instead that government troops intended to continue a new offensive until the group surrenders, a senior government official said.
Tamil demonstrators call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka during a rally Saturday in Paris, France.
"The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security.
The proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the country's northern area. Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan Army sources.
A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast.
Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals.
"In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the U.N., EU, the governments of the USA, India and others, the (LTTE) has announced an unilateral cease-fire. All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," the rebel leaders said in a written statement issued earlier Sunday.
"We welcome the attempts by the U.N. and its agencies to assist the civilian population and are ready to engage and cooperate with them to address the humanitarian needs of the population. ... We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease-fire."
The Tiger leadership asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer.
The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union. | [
"What did the government do?",
"Where do the rebels control?",
"what says agency U.N?"
] | [
[
"new offensive until the group surrenders,"
],
[
"country's northern area."
],
[
"said Friday that a wave of \"fresh displacement\" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals."
]
] | Government says it will continue offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels .
Rebels control a dwindling swath of north Sri Lanka .
U.N. agency says 100,000 refugees have fled fighting . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday, warning instead that government troops intended to continue a new offensive until the group surrenders, a senior government official said. Tamil demonstrators call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka during a rally Saturday in Paris, France. "The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security. The proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the country's northern area. Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan Army sources. A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals. "In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the U.N., EU, the governments of the USA, India and others, the (LTTE) has announced an unilateral cease-fire. All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," the rebel leaders said in a written statement issued earlier Sunday. "We welcome the attempts by the U.N. and its agencies to assist the civilian population and are ready to engage and cooperate with them to address the humanitarian needs of the population. ... We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease-fire." The Tiger leadership asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union. | [
"who controls the strip",
"What are the rebels called?",
"how many dead there",
"How many refugees have fled the fighting?",
"where is this taking place",
"Country where fighting is happening?"
] | [
[
"the Tigers"
],
[
"Tamil Tiger"
],
[
"70,000"
],
[
"exceeded 100,000 individuals."
],
[
"Paris, France."
],
[
"Sri Lanka"
]
] | Government says it will continue offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels .
Rebels control a dwindling swath of north Sri Lanka .
U.N. agency says 100,000 refugees have fled fighting . |
(CNN) -- Sri Lankans went to the polls on Tuesday in the island nation's first peacetime presidential election in 26 years, despite explosions and mortar fire in the capital of Northern Province hours before polls opened. Once a stronghold for the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Northern Province city of Jaffna was a frequent battleground for the rebels and Sri Lankan government troops until a government offensive last year crushed the Tigers. While it wasn't clear what the explosions were, they were nothing new for Jaffnans, who have lived under military control for decades. More than 14 million Sri Lankans are expected to elect their sixth executive president to a six-year term. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seeking a fresh mandate for his government, but he faces a tough challenge from his one-time confidante and former Army commander, retired General Sarath Fonseka. Rajapaksa cast his vote in his ancestral town of Medamulana, near the southern town of Tangalle. "I am very confident of victory," he told journalists. Fonseka was expected to visit a polling booth in Colombo. Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns, election officials said. "I waited in a queue for 45 minutes before I could cast my ballot," said Damayantha Perera of the Colombo suburb of Maharagama. "I also had to wait for almost an hour," said W. Ramiah, a resident of Nugegoda, also of Colombo. Fonseka, who won wide acclaim for leading troops to military victory against the rebels, broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July after retiring as Army commander. After Fonseka announced his presidential bid, the main opposition parties -- with widely diverse political ideologies -- closed ranks behind him to make him their common candidate. "There has been abuse of power, corruption and nepotism. We want to abolish the executive presidency and make the parliament more answerable to the people. The best person to do this is the one who defeated terrorism," Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party, told CNN. Many of Rajapaksa's family members, including his brothers, hold key positions in the government: Chamal is a Cabinet minister, Gotabhaya is Defense Secretary, and Basil is a member of parliament and senior presidential adviser. Other members of the family hold important positions locally and in Sri Lanka's diplomatic missions abroad. The coalition of parties backing Fonseka includes a main opposition right wing party and a leftist Marxist outfit, as well as the Tamil National Alliance. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, said the situation in Sri Lanka, however, is "a picture of dysfunction and breakdown." There have been allegations of interference with mail-in ballots, according to the group. Most of the complaints have been against members of Rajapaksa's government, it said. There have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election, with at least four deaths reported, Saravanamuttu said. Sri Lankans are casting their ballots in more than 11,000 voting booths across the nation. Local leaders have urged a peaceful voting day amid the escalating violence, including the shooting deaths of two people -- one a supporter of the opposition and the other of the government. A contingent of 85,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order, said Mahinda Balasooriya, the inspector general of police. Each polling station has two to three police officers on duty, he said. The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the U.N. chief was "concerned about the growing violence in the lead-up to the presidential election." "The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long-term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," he added. CNN's Sara Sidner and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report. | [
"Queues were large where?",
"What was large outside of polling booths?",
"What does he face?",
"Where did President Rajapaksa cast his vote?",
"What did election officials say?",
"He faces a tough challenge from who?",
"What did President Rajapaksa do?",
"Who casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana?"
] | [
[
"outside most polling booths in Colombo"
],
[
"Queues"
],
[
"a tough challenge"
],
[
"Medamulana,"
],
[
"Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns,"
],
[
"his one-time confidante and former Army commander, retired General Sarath Fonseka."
],
[
"cast his vote"
],
[
"Rajapaksa"
]
] | NEW: Queues were large outside most Colombo polling booths, election officials say .
NEW: President Rajapaksa casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana .
He faces tough challenge from retired Gen. Fonseka .
Police: Contingent of 85,000 police officers deployed to maintain law and order . |
(CNN) -- Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda doesn't consider himself a hero, but passengers on a recent jumbo jet flight might beg to differ. Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda says he knew the plane he was riding in was losing fuel and videotaped the problem. One of 300 passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Tokyo, Japan, in April, Bachleda noticed white "smoke" billowing from the left side of the Boeing 747-400 jet on takeoff and then again at cruising altitude of over 30,000 feet. He said he was sure it was a leak, a big one that could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. Bachleda, 30, should know. He serves in an air refueling squadron in the U.S. Air Force. He videotaped the midair vapor from his window seat and tried to warn a flight attendant. But at first, she paid him no heed. "When I initially hit the call button, she thought maybe I wanted something, and she said, 'Sir, I'm handing out drinks, I'll be right back with you,' " Bachleda said. Undeterred, Bachleda called her back to his seat. "Ma'am," he said. "It's looking bad." He identified himself and showed the flight attendant his video. "I decided, if the captain doesn't know about this before we go oceanic -- meaning once we fly over the ocean -- and we're leaking this massive amount of fuel, this is going to be a bad day," said Bachleda, on a return trip back to Kadena Air Base in Japan, where he is stationed. This time the flight attendant took him seriously, immediately stopped serving drinks and alerted the flight crew. Watch more on the plane leak » United Airlines spokesman Jeff Kovick said the crew was already aware of the situation and was considering what action to take when Bachleda brought it to their attention. He said the captain would never have attempted a Pacific crossing. In Bachleda's estimation, the plane, which United said has a capacity of 373,000 pounds of jet fuel, was losing about 6,000 pounds an hour. Over the course of a 13-hour flight, the plane would have lost about 20 percent of its tank. But a former NTSB official said the plane still would have had to land because it lacked extra fuel to divert once it was over the Pacific or circle at its destination. The jet landed in San Francisco, California -- with all 300 passengers safe. | [
"Where did the jet land?",
"What did the passenger notice?",
"who fly to japan",
"Who videotaped the fumes?",
"What did the staff sgt. videotape?",
"What lands in San Fransico?"
] | [
[
"San Francisco, California"
],
[
"white \"smoke\" billowing from the left side of the Boeing 747-400 jet on takeoff and then again at cruising altitude of over 30,000 feet."
],
[
"300 passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago, Illinois,"
],
[
"Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda"
],
[
"He videotaped the midair vapor from his window seat and tried to warn a flight attendant."
],
[
"The jet"
]
] | Passenger notices white smoke billowing from plane's left side on flight to Japan .
Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda videotapes the fumes from seat on United Airlines flight .
Bachleda, who serves in air refueling squadron in U.S. Air Force, shows tape to crew .
Jet lands in San Francisco; United spokesman says pilots already aware of situation . |
(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said.
Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County.
A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet.
The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate.
No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison.
The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m.
The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley.
"The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said.
Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said.
The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida.
The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said.
CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report. | [
"Were any staff members injured during the brawl?",
"What did staffers have to do to break up the fight?",
"Who had to fire shots?",
"Who was hurt in the fight?",
"What is the name of the prison?",
"Who was wounded at a prison complex in Florida?",
"What did staff use to break up the fight?",
"Where did the fight take place?",
"Where did the fight happen?"
] | [
[
"No prison staffers"
],
[
"fired shots"
],
[
"Staffers"
],
[
"Eight inmates"
],
[
"Coleman Federal Correctional Complex"
],
[
"Eight inmates"
],
[
"fired shots"
],
[
"Coleman Federal Correctional Complex"
],
[
"Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida,"
]
] | NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say .
Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say .
Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard .
No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says . |
(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said.
Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County.
A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet.
The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate.
No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison.
The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m.
The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley.
"The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said.
Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said.
The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida.
The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said.
CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report. | [
"Where was this?",
"Where did it happen",
"What number of inmates were wounded?",
"Who fired shots?",
"Who had to fire shots?",
"How many wounded",
"How long did it last!",
"Where did the fight happen?"
] | [
[
"central Florida"
],
[
"a federal prison in central Florida"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"Staffers"
],
[
"Staffers"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"15- to 20-minute"
],
[
"Coleman Federal Correctional Complex"
]
] | NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say .
Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say .
Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard .
No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says . |
(CNN) -- Starbucks is closing more than two-thirds of its stores in Australia, days after announcing that hundreds of its American coffee outlets are also being shuttered. Starbucks announced plans to close 600 stores in the U.S. last week. The Seattle-based global coffee franchise said Tuesday that it will close 61 of its 84 locations in Australia by the weekend. The closures will mean that only 23 cafes will remain open in and around three major cities: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Earlier this month, the company announced it would close 600 company-owned stores in the United States. Starbucks, named after the first mate in Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick,' was founded in 1971. It has more than 8,000 company-operated stores and another 6,800 licensed cafes in 44 countries. Starbucks has seen rising competition from privately-held Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds recently, and welcomed founder Schultz back as CEO in January after a lackluster performance by the company in the latter half of 2007. | [
"where Closures follow news?",
"what's the amount of Starbucks cafes to close?",
"what will they do now?",
"where are they closing?",
"what does closures follow?",
"what is the reason for the closing?"
] | [
[
"Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney,"
],
[
"600"
],
[
"close 600 stores"
],
[
"Australia,"
],
[
"that hundreds of its American coffee outlets are also being shuttered."
],
[
"rising competition"
]
] | More than 60 Starbucks cafes to close by August 3 .
Closures follow news of more than 600 outlets to shut in U.S.
Move by Seattle company will end 685 jobs in Australia, reports say . |
(CNN) -- Stars at the legendary Glastonbury, one of the world's largest music festivals, have begun to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, who died Thursday. Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Somerset is the world's largest music festival. Singer Pharell Williams of U.S. group N.E.R.D acknowledged the music icon's legacy as his band played on the English festival's main stage, the Pyramid Stage. "The music was so incredible and what he and Quincy Jones did was change music and the way people looked at music," Williams was quoted as saying on the BBC's Glastonbury Web site. Teenage Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi was the first artist at the festival to pay tribute to Jackson, Friday, singing a few bars of song "Billie Jean" during her set. Organizer Emily Eavis wrote on her Twitter site: "So sad to hear the news about MJ. There will be tributes all over the site all weekend. "A truly great artist." Other artists are expected to honor the singer, who died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 50, throughout the 3-day festival weekend in southwestern England. Festival-goers woke to an unexpectedly somber first day of Glastonbury, Friday, as the news of Jackson's death began to sink in. See images of reactions to the star's death from around the world » Rumors of the singer's death had circulated the isolated 900-acre site the previous evening, but many fans had dismissed them as the hearsay and misinformation that thrives each year in the site which has no TV or Internet-access. Confusion quickly turned to shock for many, as Jackson's music played in festival bars and news of his demise spread by cell phone. "It's totally weird," Sally Anne Aldous, 29, told CNN on Thursday night. "People are just getting text messages saying 'Michael Jackson is dead. Michael Jackson is dead.'" With a laid-back focus on mainly alternative music, the Glastonbury festival -- expected to attract as many as 137,000 music-lovers -- is not a venue where people would normally expect to hear Jackson's music. Watch more reaction from Glastonbury » But few here deny the singer's influence. An impromptu memorial was held by mourning fans late Thursday at the "Stone Circle," a neolithic monument in the festival's grounds. Other headline acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Lady GaGa and Lily Allen, performing at the festival, are expected to pay tribute to Jackson. iReport: Share your memories of Michael Jackson Anouk Lorie contributed to this report | [
"What singer paid tribute to the music icon?",
"What group is Pharell Williams a part of?",
"What song did Gabriella Cilmi sing?",
"What singer paid tribute?",
"What day was the festival on when the news broke?",
"What news did festival goers awake to?"
] | [
[
"Gabriella Cilmi"
],
[
"N.E.R.D"
],
[
"\"Billie Jean\""
],
[
"Gabriella Cilmi"
],
[
"first"
],
[
"the news of Jackson's death"
]
] | Singer Pharell Williams of U.S. group N.E.R.D paid tribute to the music icon .
Earlier Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi sang a few bars of "Billie Jean"
Festival goers awoke to the news on an unusually somber day one of the festival . |
(CNN) -- Starting Tuesday, many "robocalls" from telemarketers will be illegal. A new ban on automated telemarketing calls goes into effect Tuesday. Businesses that try to push products on consumers with automated and unsolicited calls will face fines of up to $16,000 per call, according to the Federal Trade Commission. "American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a news release. Calls from politicians, public service announcements and "informational" calls will be exempt from the new rule. A call alerting a traveler that his or her flight has been delayed would still be allowed, for example. Banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations are also excluded from the ban, the FTC says. The FTC asks people to report questionable robocalls by visiting its complaint Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. "If consumers think they're being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them," Leibowitz said. The ban on many pre-recorded calls was approved by the FTC in August of 2008 and is the last of a series of amendments to go into effect, said Lois Greisman, the FTC's associate director of marketing practices. She said the ban applies only to pre-recorded calls and encouraged consumers to sign up for the federal "do not call" registry for additional protections. Robocalls to mobile phones already are illegal, she said. People still will be able to receive telemarketer calls if they give companies written permission to contact them. Nate Anderson, a blogger at Ars Technica, a technology site, cheered the amendments but said many calls are illegal even without the new amendments. "Most of the robocalls received by people in the office here are already illegal to do begin with -- pitches for time shares and bogus car warranties top the list of such calls," he wrote. | [
"When does the FTC ban on automated telemarketing calls start?",
"What is the fine for companies breaking the rule?",
"What is the fine for breaking the rule?",
"Who banned automated telemarketing calls?",
"What was the FTC ban on?",
"What are the exceptions to the FTC ban?",
"What calls are excepted?"
] | [
[
"August of 2008"
],
[
"$16,000 per call,"
],
[
"up to $16,000 per call,"
],
[
"the Federal Trade Commission."
],
[
"telemarketing calls"
],
[
"Banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations are"
],
[
"politicians, public service announcements and \"informational\""
]
] | An FTC ban on automated telemarketing calls starts Tuesday .
Companies breaking the rule face fines of $16,000 per call .
Exceptions include political calls, "informational" calls and bank calls . |
(CNN) -- State officials said Monday that they suspect a drug reaction or toxins killed 21 horses as they were prepared to compete in a Sunday polo match in Wellington, Florida. Blue tarps obstruct the view of horses that died at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida. State officials and local law enforcement also announced Monday that they are launching investigations into the deaths as scientists work to pinpoint what exactly killed the horses. Officials believe that the "very rapid onset of sickness and death" points to toxins or a drug reaction and also allows them to rule out other possibilities. "At this time, there is no evidence that these horses were affected with an infectious or contagious disease, as there are no other horses affected at this time," according to Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesman Terence McElroy. Officials are continuing to conduct tests, and Florida agriculture scientists are performing necropsies on the animals. "We'll be testing blood and tissue to see what the common denominator was here: Was it something injected? Was it bad water? And so forth," McElroy said. John Walsh, the Lechuza Caracas polo club president, said he was told that there was no contagious virus airborne or disease and that the incident was an "isolated" one. Watch Walsh talk about the devastating deaths » "This was a mistake of a combination of something, and whether the mistake was at the barn, whether the mistake was at the feed company, whether the mistake was at the vitamin company," Scott Swerdlin of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, who treated some of the horses, told CNN affiliate WPTV. "We don't know, but we're going to find out." James Belden, a veterinarian at the Left Bank Equine Clinic who also treated some of the horses, told WPTV that he and others don't suspect foul play. "I think this is an accident," he told WPTV. "A terrible accident." McElroy said that despite the early indications, he does not want to jump to conclusions about what happened. "Obviously, this is a tragic situation, and we are working hard to determine what happened," he said. "But it would be irresponsible to speculate on what may have killed the horses. We will wait until the facts are in before making any specific comments on the case." Officials in the state Agriculture and Consumer Services Department will investigate the case with the help of the department's Division of Animal Industry, the department's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies. The horses were part of the Venezuela-based Lechuza Caracas team and were being kept at the team's trailers on the grounds of the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Fifteen horses that seemed disoriented died before Sunday's match, said McElroy, and their bodies were sent to the state-run Kissimmee Diagnostic Laboratories near Orlando, Florida. Luis Escobar, a player on the opposing Team Blackwatch, was on the grounds when the horses began to fall ill. "I thought it was something temporary, and I saw a veterinarian and thought maybe it was one or two horses, and the vet was going to give something to help them out, and it was going to be done," he said. "But it wasn't." Two horses initially collapsed, and as veterinarians and team officials scrambled to revive them, five others became dizzy, Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the polo club, said Sunday. Watch as vets search for clues » Escobar said soon things got worse, and other horses started to get sick. Peter Rizzo, executive director of the United States Polo Association, was at the match and saw the horses drop. "It was surreal," he said, calling the deaths "unprecedented." "It is a horrible tragedy," he said. Some of the 15 horses died immediately, but some lingered for about 45 minutes, Swerdlin said Sunday, according to a report in the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. The clinic is the International Polo | [
"What did officials say?",
"How many horses died?",
"Who is investigating?",
"Where have a lot of horses died?",
"What have officials ruled out?",
"Where did the deaths occur?"
] | [
[
"that they suspect a drug reaction or toxins killed 21 horses"
],
[
"21"
],
[
"Officials in the state Agriculture and Consumer Services Department"
],
[
"Wellington, Florida."
],
[
"infectious or contagious disease,"
],
[
"Wellington, Florida."
]
] | 21 thoroughbred horses died at International Polo Club Palm Beach .
Officials say they have ruled out infectious or contagious disease .
Veterinarians say a mistake was made; they don't suspect foul play .
State and local officials are investigating . |
(CNN) -- State public health officials are contacting airline passengers after a woman with measles traveled through three airports earlier this week, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.
The woman traveled from an airport in Europe to Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Denver International Airport and, finally, to New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.
The woman, who traveled Tuesday, was diagnosed with the disease in New Mexico, he said.
Health departments in each area, using information from the CDC, are contacting those who may have been exposed to the viral disease. That may include flight crews and airport workers.
"That work is ongoing," said Skinner, who could not confirm the airline or airlines and the originating flight's location.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said people who were working or traveling through Concourse C at the Denver airport after 9 p.m. Tuesday should monitor themselves for any early symptoms of measles, especially fever, from Monday through March 12.
"People who develop a fever should contact their health care provider or their local or state health department. People with symptoms should not go to child care, school, work or out in public, as they might have the early symptoms of measles and might be contagious," the department said in a statement Friday.
Typically, health officials concentrate on passengers or crew who were five rows in front of or five rows behind an infected traveler, Skinner said. They are particularly mindful of small infants and children and people with underlying medical conditions.
People who had not previously been immunized may have a "small window" after being contacted to be vaccinated or given globulins to avoid developing symptoms, Skinner told CNN.
In a separate development, measles was confirmed in a 24-year-old woman who took a flight from France and two people in Boston were suspected of having the disease. Boston officials held a free measles vaccination clinic Friday.
"Most of the [U.S.] cases are imported into the country," Skinner said.
Measles is a very contagious viral disease that is easily spread through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. Measles develops generally seven to 14 days after a person is infected, according to the CDC.
A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and sore throat. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth.
Three to five days after the start of symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears. It may spread downward from the face and be accompanied by a temperature spike, the CDC says on its website.
CNN's Phil Gast contributed to this report | [
"Where was the woman in Boston from?",
"Where was a confirmed case of measles found?",
"What are Health officials doing?",
"Where did the infected passenger travel to?",
"who traveled from Europe to the US?"
] | [
[
"France"
],
[
"New Mexico,"
],
[
"contacting airline passengers"
],
[
"through three airports"
],
[
"a woman with measles"
]
] | The infected passenger traveled from Europe to the United States .
Health officials are contacting those who may have been exposed to viral disease .
A different confirmed measles case in Boston was woman who flew from France . |
(CNN) -- Stealth helicopters zoom toward a mystery compound in northern Pakistan, intent on capturing or killing the most wanted man in the world. Under cover of night they reach their target, but within moments one chopper is down and the mission is in jeopardy.
The daring raid against Osama bin Laden contained equal parts action, suspense, risk and bravery. In other words (from a purely literary standpoint), all of the elements of a great story.
So it should come as no surprise that Simon & Schuster has announced plans to publish a graphic novel about the secret mission, which co-author Jerome Maida describes as a "complex labyrinth of intrigue, danger and politics."
But it won't be the first graphic novel to recount Operation Neptune Spear (the military name for the raid). That distinction belongs to "Code Word: Geronimo" which hit bookstores and Amazon.com less than six months after bin Laden's killing.
"Code Word: Geronimo" is the work of Capt. Dale Dye, a retired Marine and frequent military consultant on Hollywood films, and his wife Julia Dye, who holds a Ph.D. in the anthropology of human conflict. The novel features the artwork of Gerry Kissell and Amin Amat.
CNN spoke with the Dyes about their book and the challenge of telling the story of the raid without divulging military secrets. What follows is an edited version of the conversation.
CNN: Why did you decide to tell the story in graphic novel form?
Dale Dye: We wanted to reach folks in a sort of 18-35 short attention span demographic and see if we could use the graphic novel to sort of reflect the capability and professionalism of the men and women who pulled this raid off, this Operation Neptune Spear... I think [graphic novels] are a coming thing. I don't know if it's good, bad or indifferent, but it is a venue for communicating and we'll take it.
CNN: As military stories go, this one is hard to beat.
Dale: I mean it was fantastic. It was nothing like Desert One [the failed attempt in 1980 to free American hostages in Iran] and the other special operations efforts in which we haven't done so well. This one was really almost perfect, and that's hard to say when you're dealing deep behind people's lines.
CNN: Tell me about the research you did for the book.
Julia Dye: The challenge in this case wasn't so much digging up the information, it's that there was too much information and often conflicting. So it's discernment, how do you decide what is the most appropriate, what is most likely, what is true from a variety of sources.
Dale: I was able to call some people in the special operations community that I have contacts with and draw on my own background and sort of fill in what gaps Julia left where we didn't know... There are some areas in which I like to say we used "SWAG", which is "Scientific Wild- A** Guesses".
CNN: Were you concerned at all about revealing sensitive information in the book?
Dale: We did a lot of talking, Julia and I did, "If we do this, if we say this, if we depict this, are we giving away the secrets to the bad guys?"
Julia: There are certainly operational concerns and we wanted to make sure the information that is in there was appropriate... and keep what should remain classified, classified and still tell a compelling story.
CNN: There are some panels in the graphic novel showing bin Laden in bed the night of the raid, without a turban. How did you decide the right way to depict his domestic life?
Dale: That's one of those "SWAG" things. Nobody really knows what his domestic life was about. So we put it together and we said, "Given what we know about him, or what we purport to know about him, what would his private life be like?" In large measure, | [
"What was the name of Dale Dye's wife?",
"Capt. Dale Dye and his wife Julia have written a graphic novel about what?",
"What is Capt Dale Dye's wife's name?",
"What did Dale Dye and his wife Julia write a graphic novel about?"
] | [
[
"Julia"
],
[
"the secret mission,"
],
[
"Julia"
],
[
"the secret mission,"
]
] | Capt. Dale Dye and his wife Julia have written a graphic novel about the raid .
The pair used Capt. Dye's contacts in the special operations world to do research .
Academy Award winning-director Kathryn Bigelow is planning a film on SEAL Team 6 . |
(CNN) -- Steve Bruce has become the first English Premier League managerial casualty of the season after being sacked by Sunderland on Monday following a poor run of recent results.
On Saturday, Sunderland relinquished a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at home to bottom side Wigan Athletic, with the winning goal coming in injury time.
That result left Sunderland 16th in the 20-team division -- just two points above the relegation zone -- despite an extensive recruitment drive in the close season which saw 11 players join the club.
The Wigan defeat also highlighted crowd dissatisfaction with Bruce -- with a number of banners calling for his removal -- and club chairman Ellis Short has decided to act after calling recent results "simply not good enough".
Ellis told the official Sunderland website: "This has been a difficult time for everyone at Sunderland and is not a situation that any of us envisaged or expected to be in.
"It is my job as chairman to act in the best interests of our football club at all times and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision I have taken lightly."
He continued: "Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is now right to make a change.
"Steve has acted with honesty and integrity throughout, which is testament to the character and commitment he has shown during his time at Sunderland.
"I would like to personally place on record my thanks to him for his significant contribution to our football club over the past two-and-a- half years and everyone here at Sunderland naturally wishes him the very best for the future." | [
"What position was Sunderland in the Premier League?",
"What happened to Bruce?",
"Who is Steve Bruce?",
"Who defeated Sunderland?"
] | [
[
"16th"
],
[
"sacked by Sunderland"
],
[
"first English Premier League managerial casualty of the season"
],
[
"Wigan Athletic,"
]
] | Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been sacked after Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Wigan .
That defeat left Sunderland 16th in the Premier League, just two points above the drop zone .
Bruce is the first manager to lose his job in the English Premier League this season . |
(CNN) -- Steven Spielberg led the FBI straight to a stolen $700,000 Norman Rockwell painting someone snatched from a Missouri gallery. It was in his collection in California. The original of this Norman Rockwell reproduction was found in the collection of Steven Spielberg last year. Spielberg wasn't the thief, and he doesn't know who took Rockwell's "Russian Schoolroom" -- an oil of 16 pupils looking at a bust of Lenin. All the A-list director knows is he paid about $200,000 for the 16 x 37 canvas in a legitimate purchase. The FBI says its just one example of how pilfered art lands in respectable places. And it was an uncommon ending for stolen art -- someone found it. Recovering masterpieces happens in less than 5 percent of cases, said Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, the FBI's Art Theft Program manager. Usually, expensive pieces go missing. No one knows who took them. No one gets prosecuted, and everyone wonders, "Why steal something you can't turn to cash quickly?" Art thieves do a simple risk versus reward evaluation, said Corine Wegener, associate curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Thieves know that "even if they receive only a fraction of the work's market value, the cash gained was at low risk of death or injury -- museums can be a relatively soft target," said Wegener, who's teaching a University of Minnesota class this month on art theft. But it could be years -- or never -- before the thief sees even a small payoff. In 1990, robbers took $300 million worth of certified masterpieces -- among them Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and Vermeer's "The Concert" -- from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. No one's seen them since. On Sunday, robbers made off with one of the biggest art hauls in European history, grabbing four paintings worth an estimated $163 million from the E.G. Buehrle Collection in Zurich, Switzerland. They took works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. See what robbers grabbed in Switzerland » "These paintings are extremely valuable on the open market, but they'll never go onto the open market. So at the same time they're both priceless and worthless," said Charles Hill, the former chief of Scotland Yard's art and antiques unit. "Some thieves may buy into the myth that a wealthy but unscrupulous collector will contact them and offer to take the art off their hands," Wegener said. "When this doesn't happen, the thieves often try to ransom the art back to the museum or the insurance company." One London art dealer, who said he has handled stolen works, told CNN on condition of anonymity that an insurance company would rather get art back at a fraction of its original price than pay the owner its insured value. Watch how art thieves operate » Ransoming art to an insurance company through an intermediary adds "up to 10 percent of the market value, which ... given the art market, is quite a lot of money," the dealer said. David Vuillaume, secretary general of the Swiss Museums Association, told Time magazine that ransom may be what the thieves behind the Swiss heist want. "We are thinking that maybe in a week or two there will be a ransom demand. But we just have to wait and see," Time quoted him as saying. The museum has offered $90,000 reward for information leading to their recovery, Time reported. Options for art thieves Julian Radcliffe, chairman of the Art Loss Register, which operates a database to help recover lost and stolen art, said ransom or reward are unlikely to bring results. "It is very seldom that people have been able to undertake a ransom," he said. "This gang might think that a reward has been offered, and that they'll get the reward." But in fact, "the reward won't be paid unless someone is arrested, or there is proper criminal intelligence," and | [
"What was found in Steven Spielberg's collection?",
"Is stolen art easy to find?",
"What are soft targets according to experts?",
"What did experts say about museums?"
] | [
[
"$700,000 Norman Rockwell painting"
],
[
"less than 5 percent"
],
[
"museums"
],
[
"can be a relatively soft target,\""
]
] | Stolen art can be lost for decades .
Soft targets like museums entice thieves, experts say .
Stolen Rockwell found in Steven Spielberg's collection decades after theft .
Nothing glamorous about art thieves, expert says . |
(CNN) -- Stewart Copeland and Sting get along great. Really. Stewart Copeland's background includes a wide range of musical influences, many of which emerged in the Police. OK, the Police's drummer and bassist may have argued from time to time. Perhaps even ferociously. And Copeland finds Sting's attempts to be a drum arranger annoying. OK, maybe infuriating. But, as he writes in his new book, "Strange Things Happen" (HarperStudio), "We have discovered that we can be good friends -- as long as no one mentions music." Besides, Copeland adds in an interview, both Sting and guitarist Andy Summers "are crap at drums." Watch Copeland dish on the band » Copeland may be best known for the hitmaking musical trio, but he hasn't let the Police define him. The son of a CIA officer, he grew up in the Middle East and has let his musical fascinations range widely. He's written operas and dozens of film and television scores and is currently working on a concerto for the Dallas Symphony. (He also plays polo.) Copeland took some time to talk about his relationship with the Police, the importance of percussion and the social niceties of West L.A. private schools. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: The pace of the book makes it seem like you've been living "A Hard Day's Night" for the last 30 or 35 years. Is it really that busy? Stewart Copeland: Oh, it's pretty busy, but if it wasn't busy, I'd be stressed and anxious. In fact, this week I've got some down time, and I'm looking at the walls. CNN: It's been inescapable that people are focusing on the part of the book involving you and your fellow Police members. You say that you have a great relationship with Sting until music gets involved. Copeland: We get along in every way until it comes to music. ... [But] both of them are crap at drums, so at least I don't have that to deal with. CNN: So Sting is not much of a drummer, despite the fact that he has all these ideas. Copeland: Actually, he can play a bit of drums, but he's much better arranging drums than playing them. And I think I'd rather have him as a drummer than as an arranger of drums, even though he's quite brilliant at [arranging]. CNN: Has there always been that friction in the band? Copeland: Yes. With Andy, there's no friction at all; we get along great. ... And by the way, he's not the man in the middle, either. He's not a mediator. He's his own little volcano. He's a very sharp point to the triangle. But this conflict ... when we did the reunion tour, it was like everything was different, but nothing had changed. From the first 16 bars, we were straight back into where we left off. CNN: With the Police, the friction seems -- for lack of a better term -- healthy. Copeland: Well, it's that musical dichotomy that makes the band what it is. If we didn't have those beautiful, sensitive songs, we'd be lost. Those beautiful, sensitive songs have an extra kick to them because there's a madman in the group. CNN: Does the madman change, or is it always Sting? Copeland: Actually, all three of us have our moments. CNN: You grew up in the Middle East. Do you see any reflections of that in the way you play the drums, in the way you feel the beat? Copeland: Absolutely. I grew up surrounded by Arabic music. The central element of Arabic music is the baladi rhythm, which is just Arabic for "country." And it has that drop on the three-beat. And it has that use of negative space. And it also has the very ornate | [
"What is the name of the book written by Stewart Copeland?",
"Who does Copeland say he gets on fine with when music isnt involved?",
"Where did Copeland grow up?",
"What Copeland and Sting said?",
"Who is the author of the book \"Strange things happen\"?",
"Copeland grew Where?"
] | [
[
"\"Strange Things Happen\""
],
[
"Sting"
],
[
"in the Middle East"
],
[
"\"We have discovered that we can be good friends"
],
[
"Copeland"
],
[
"the Middle East"
]
] | Stewart Copeland writes about his life in new book, "Strange Things Happen"
Copeland says he and Sting get along fine when music isn't involved .
Besides, he says, group's "sensitive" songs helped by "madman" in trio .
Copeland grew up in Middle East, says rhythms of region part of his roots . |
(CNN) -- Stocks on key Asian exchanges dropped modestly early Monday on what is likely to be an eventful day in world markets, following Standard and Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.
In early Tokyo trading, the Nikkei index fell 124 points, or 1.3%.
South Korea's KOSPI index slipped 1.6%. In Australia, the All Ordinaries index lost 0.7%. The Shanghai composite started 0.8% lower.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index tumbled 2.6% at the open.
Similarly, U.S. stock futures fell around 1.7% in early electronic trading Sunday.
The futures were the first U.S. gauge of investor sentiment following Friday night's downgrade, removing the United States' AAA status for the first time. They give an indication of how investors will react when regular-hours U.S. trading begins at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday.
Besides the U.S. downgrade, investors are concerned about the debt crisis in some European nations, though actions on the part of the G7 and the European Central Bank Sunday helped to allay some of those fears.
Financial representatives of leading industrial nations said they are committed to taking "all necessary measures to support financial stability and growth in a spirit of close cooperation and confidence."
They welcomed the "decisive actions taken in the U.S. and Europe" and "the additional policy measures announced by Italy and Spain to strengthen fiscal discipline and underpin the recovery in economic activity and job creation."
"We are committed to taking coordinated action where needed, to ensuring liquidity, and to supporting financial market functioning, financial stability and economic growth," G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a Sunday night statement.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had been expected to take part in a conference call with representatives of the other G7 nations to discuss the downgraded U.S. credit rating, a G7 official told CNN.
The G7 nations are the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States.
Similarly, the European Central Bank made a bid to calm markets Sunday. It said it would implement a bond-purchase program and welcomed announcements by Italy and Spain on new measures meant to reduce their deficits. It told the governments of those countries that a "decisive and swift implementation" of reforms is "essential."
The move represents an escalation in the official response to Europe's debt crisis, which is now more than a year old and until recently was contained to smaller economies like Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde cheered the announcements.
"I welcome the statements from the European Central Bank, from the leaders of Germany and France as well as from the G7, and their renewed commitment to take all necessary action in a coordinated way to ensure stability and liquidity in the financial markets. This cooperation will contribute to maintaining confidence and spurring global economic growth," she said in a statement.
Middle Eastern markets, the first to open since the downgrade, were sharply lower on Sunday. Israel's market temporarily halted trading at one point and finished down more than 6%, while the Dubai Financial Market General Index fell 3.7%.
The General Index on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was down more than 2.5%, while in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All-Share Index dropped nearly 5.5% in trading Saturday.
U.S. officials are talking to a "wide range of investors" about the downgrade by the credit agency to try to "mitigate" any short-term negative impact from Friday's announcement, a Treasury official told CNN.
Top Standard & Poor's officials said Sunday that the downgraded credit rating for the United States was both a call for political consensus on significant deficit reduction and a warning of possible further credit problems down the road.
"We have a negative outlook on the rating and that means that we think the risks currently on the rating are to the downside," said David Beers, the S&P global head of sovereign ratings, on "Fox News Sunday."
However, Beers said markets were reacting to the debt crises in some European countries and fears of a global | [
"whats Losses are modest in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai?",
"what happened in seoul",
"whose stock futures tumble around 1.7% in early electronic trading?",
"what happened in tokyo"
] | [
[
"Stocks"
],
[
"South Korea's KOSPI index slipped 1.6%."
],
[
"U.S."
],
[
"Nikkei index fell 124 points,"
]
] | Losses are modest in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai .
Investors are weighing both the downgrade and the European debt crisis .
G7 leaders say they are committed to taking "all necessary measures"
U.S. stock futures tumble around 1.7% in early electronic trading . |
(CNN) -- Stranded in the snowy California woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a Christmas tree, a father and his three children fashioned a "Help" sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road, according to the helicopter pilots who found them. Lexi and Joshua Dominguez exit a helicopter Wednesday, shortly after being found. The four sought shelter from the heavy snow in a culvert and removed their sodden socks in an effort to stay warm and dry while they waited for rescue, the pilots said. Frederick Dominguez said that during the three-day ordeal, he and his children slept inside a log for warmth and ripped apart their shirts to wrap their wet, freezing feet. "You just go to survival mode," he said. "Every parent would do that. You would do anything, sacrifice yourself, because these are your kids." Dominguez and his children -- Christopher, 18; Lexi, 14; and Joshua, 12 -- were reported missing Monday night by Dominguez's former wife and the children's mother, Lisa Sams, according to police in Paradise, California, a town of 27,000 people about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Watch the family talk about their "scary" ordeal » "I'm glad I'm home. Praise God," Dominguez told reporters after exiting a chopper at the search command post. "It was awful." Asked how he survived, he replied, "Jesus Christ." Dominguez said he used branches and sticks to spell out the word "Help" near the culvert, where the three slept the last two nights -- at times sleeping with their feet inside each other's shirts to help stave off frostbite. He said his daughter was the first to hear a California Highway Patrol helicopter overhead. He said he ran though several feet of snow barefooted to wave it down. "When they turned around, man, I was just praising God and saying, 'Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,' because I knew we had made it," he said. Police vehicles equipped with snow chains rumbled up mountain roads to help conduct the search, which also involved a snowmobile and dogs. More than 80 searchers scoured the woods Wednesday until the four were found about 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET). Officer Steve Ward said he was piloting the helicopter out ahead of bad weather when he spotted Dominguez coming out of the culvert and waving. "We were very lucky that we just saw this guy at the last second." Paramedic Flight Officer Dave White, who was with Ward, said that after the two shut down the helicopter and waved the family over, all four came running. "The little girl was in tears," he said. White said the family was found north of where ground crews were searching. The pilots could see the "Help" sign they had made with twigs on a nearby four-wheel-drive road, he said. Christopher Dominguez told CNN's Anderson Cooper the family got lost Sunday searching for a tree, which they had chopped down but later abandoned. He said they didn't have food, heavy coats or other provisions to help prepare for the cold nights. "We weren't prepared at all," he said. "We just thought we were going to go up to the mountains, get our tree and go back home. It didn't turn out that way." After the family failed to locate their vehicle, he said, snow and darkness began to fall. At that point, Lexi Dominguez said, "I started freaking out." "It was really, really scary," she said. "I just remember walking and walking and being like, we're not going to make it," Lexi said. And as they huddled for warmth, Christopher Dominguez said, his sister sang songs to help pass the time until help arrived. "We were all just happy, happy to be rescued," Christopher Dominguez said late Wednesday, huddled with his siblings under blankets in | [
"Who is happy to be home?",
"Who searched for them?",
"Where did a family seek shelter in snow?",
"What is Joshua's age?",
"What did the family seek shelter from?",
"Who went out to cut a tree with his children?"
] | [
[
"Frederick Dominguez"
],
[
"California Highway Patrol"
],
[
"a culvert"
],
[
"12"
],
[
"heavy snow"
],
[
"Frederick Dominguez"
]
] | NEW: Joshua, 12, "happy to be home. ... I didn't think we were going to make it"
Family sought shelter from snow in culvert, warmed each other's frostbitten feet .
Frederick Dominguez and his 3 children set out Sunday to cut Christmas tree .
More than 80 people searched for them Tuesday in heavy snow . |
(CNN) -- Stratfor, a global intelligence company, has been hacked but it was unclear Monday whether the breach and apparent release of credit card information was the work of the activist hacking group Anonymous.
A posting on the website Pastebin said that Stratfor subscriber data, including information on 4,000 credit cards and the company's "private client" list, had been released. The posting cited AntiSec, a Web-based collaboration with the activist hacking groups Anonymous and LulzSec.
U.S.-based Stratfor, which provides independent analysis of international affairs and security threats and describes itself as a publisher of geopolitical analysis, sent an e-mail Sunday to subscribers.
"On December 24th an unauthorized party disclosed personally identifiable information and related credit card data of some of our members," it said. "We have reason to believe that your personal and credit card data could have been included in the information that was illegally obtained and disclosed."
Allen Barr of Austin, Texas, told CNN he was victimized by the misuse of his private information that was hacked from the website before it was posted on websites on the 24th.
A week ago, unauthorized charges totaling $700 were billed to his Visa debit card, he said. The total was charged in increments to a number of charities over the course of about 30 minutes, he said.
But the company quickly identified the transactions as suspicious and called Barr's house, he said. In short order, he had canceled the card, but not before his credit union checking account had been debited, he said. Rectifying that required half a day spent filing police reports and affidavits, he said.
"Two days later, they said that they would credit back my funds, pending completion of the investigation," he added.
Stratfor said the claim that the data included the firm's "private clients" was wrong.
"Contrary to this assertion the disclosure was merely a list of some of the members that have purchased our publications and does not comprise a list of individuals or entities that have a relationship with Stratfor beyond their purchase of our subscription-based publications," CEO George Friedman said in an e-mail to members.
The firm provides intelligence reports to subscribers. A recent e-mail discussed political prospects for Iraq.
The information-sharing website Pastebin posted a news release it said was from Anonymous that said the group had nothing to do with the cyberattack on Stratfor.
"Stratfor is an open-source intelligence agency, publishing daily reports on data collected from the open Internet," the posting said. "Hackers claiming to be Anonymous have distorted this truth in order to further their hidden agenda, and some Anons have taken the bait."
"The leaked client list represents subscribers to a daily publication which is the primary service of Stratfor," it continued. "Stratfor analysts are widely considered to be extremely unbiased. Anonymous does not attack media sources."
Stratfor's Friedman said the company is working closely with law enforcement.
"Stratfor's relationship with its members and, in particular, the confidentiality of their subscriber information, are very important to Stratfor and me," he wrote on the firm's Facebook page.
"We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other web sites," the Austin, Texas, company said. "We are diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."
Asked about the hacking, Pentagon spokesman George Little said Sunday that "Initial indications suggest that there has been no impact" to the Department of Defense grid.
Stratfor's website was not functioning Monday. A banner read, "Site is currently undergoing maintenance. Please check back soon."
Weekend online postings regarding the Stratfor situation mentioned Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who served as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. He faces 22 charges related to the leak of nearly 750,000 U.S. military and State Department documents. Most of them ended up on the WikiLeaks website.
"While the rich and powerful are enjoying themselves with all their bourgeois gifts and lavish meals, our | [
"which of the companies is targeted",
"Which company is targeted?",
"What do the hackers have access to?",
"Who was involved",
"Which hacking group may have been involved?",
"Where was targeted",
"what was the information on the client list about",
"What was released"
] | [
[
"Stratfor,"
],
[
"Stratfor,"
],
[
"information on 4,000 credit cards and the company's \"private client\" list,"
],
[
"activist hacking group Anonymous."
],
[
"Anonymous."
],
[
"Stratfor's website"
],
[
"credit card"
],
[
"Stratfor subscriber data, including information on 4,000 credit cards and the company's \"private client\" list,"
]
] | The Austin, Texas, company Stratfor is targeted .
Hackers said they released credit card info, client list .
Conflicting information on whether activist group Anonymous involved . |
(CNN) -- Striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended by Manchester City after the furore surrounding his non-appearance from the substitutes' bench during the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
City manager Roberto Mancini slammed the Argentine international following his team's loss at the Allianz Arena, claiming Tevez had refused to take to the pitch and would consequently not play for the club again.
And, although Tevez subsequently released a statement denying the claims, City have now confirmed that the player will be suspended for the immediate future.
A statement on City's official website read: "Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks.
"The player's suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
"The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way."
Earlier on Wednesday, former Manchester United forward Tevez rejected Italian coach Mancini's claims and said the incident was a "misunderstanding."
"I would like to apologise to all Manchester City fans, with whom I have always had a strong relationship, for any misunderstanding that occurred in Munich," read the statement from Tevez.
Tevez tantrum is a disgrace to soccer
"They understand that when I am on the pitch I have always given my best for the club. In Munich on Tuesday I had warmed up and was ready to play. This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen. But I wish to state that I never refused to play.
"There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood. Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."
The statement is in contrast to Tevez's remarks immediately after the match, when he appeared to reaffirm his desire to leave City.
"I think it's Mancini's decision. I've been a professional throughout," he told British broadcaster Sky Sports through a translator. "I put my opinion through, that I wanted to leave for family reasons and I still played my best."
Gomez double gives Bayern 2-0 win
The fixture in Europe's premier club competition was set to be a landmark occasion for City; whose clash with four-time European champions Bayern represented their first away match in the tournament.
But the match unravelled for City, who won the English FA Cup last season, when Germany striker Mario Gomez grabbed two goals in the closing stages of the first half.
Tuesday's controversy is the latest development in a saga which has seen Tevez move close to an exit from the Etihad Stadium on several occasions.
The former Corinthians striker handed in a transfer request in December 2010, citing a breakdown in communications with the City board as the reason behind his decision.
It looked as if Tevez was set for a return to Sao Paulo-based Corinthians in July, but the four-time Brazilian champions claimed there was insufficient time to conclude the deal.
City have signed a host of attacking players in 2011, including the capture of Dzeko from Wolfsburg in January and the additions of Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid and France midfielder Samir Nasri from Arsenal in the last transfer window.
As a result, Tevez has struggled to break into City's starting line-up so far this season and has seen defender Vincent Kompany replace him as club captain.
"He wanted to leave last year," former Inter coach Mancini told a press conference on Tuesday. "I helped him for two years every time. He refused to play. I cannot accept this behaviour from him. I decide the substitutions, not Carlos.
"Do you think at Bayern Munich one player can play like this? Or Milan or Manchester United? No. There were 30 minutes to the end. There was time to change the game." | [
"who has been suspended for two weeks",
"Who is the coach of Manchester City?",
"what resulted in the suspension of carlos Tevez",
"Whats the name of the team coach?",
"who said Tevez will never play for the club",
"Who has been suspended?",
"What duration is the suspension for?",
"Which player has been suspended?"
] | [
[
"Carlos Tevez"
],
[
"Roberto Mancini"
],
[
"non-appearance from the substitutes' bench during the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich"
],
[
"Mancini's"
],
[
"Roberto Mancini"
],
[
"Carlos Tevez"
],
[
"maximum period of two weeks."
],
[
"Carlos Tevez"
]
] | Striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended for two weeks by Manchester City .
The suspension follows his non-appearance from the bench against Bayern Munich .
Tevez earlier issued a statement denying that he had refused to play when asked .
City coach Roberto Mancini has said Tevez will never play for the club again . |
(CNN) -- Striker Carlos Vela has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the English Premier League club have announced on their official Web site. The Mexican international signed for Arsenal after coming through the youth ranks at Guadalajara and has subsequently had loan spells at Spanish sides Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna. The 20-year-old made his Arsenal debut last season, bursting onto the scene with a Carling Cup hat-trick against Sheffield United in September 2008. Manager Arsene Wenger told the Web site: "We're delighted that Carlos Vela has signed a new long-term contract with the club. Carlos is a fantastic talent and we have already seen glimpses of this during his performances." The Frenchman continued: "Let's remember, he is still only 20-years-old, so there is still a huge amount to come from this boy. "We have invested a lot of time in Carlos, as we put him in Spain for two years to get some good experience. "Now he's back with us, we're working hard with him every day and he is a very exciting player. "We're looking forward to seeing Carlos score many goals in an Arsenal shirt for a long time to come." Vela said: "I'm very happy to sign a new contract and I'm very excited to be spending more years with Arsenal Football Club. "I just want to work hard and help this great club win trophies. I want to stay here for a long time and it's a great responsibility. I will keep working hard to show the boss and all the fans why I'm here." Vela played against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday but he was one of the biggest culprits as Arsenal squandered a number of chances. He is the 11th first-team player to commit his long-term future to Arsenal since the end of last season. Vela, Eduardo, Sanchez Watt, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere have all recently signed new long-term extensions with the club. | [
"Who has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal?",
"What position does Vela play?",
"What age is Vela?",
"when did this all happen?",
"Who did Vela sign with?",
"who else has done long term commitments?",
"What is the contract for?",
"How many years old is Vela?"
] | [
[
"Carlos Vela"
],
[
"Striker"
],
[
"20-year-old"
],
[
"September 2008."
],
[
"Arsenal,"
],
[
"Vela, Eduardo, Sanchez Watt, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere"
],
[
"Arsenal,"
],
[
"20-year-old"
]
] | Mexican striker Carlos Vela has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal .
The 20-year-old made his Arsenal debut last season, bursting onto the scene with a Carling Cup hat-trick .
He is the 11th first-team player to commit his long-term future to Arsenal since the end of last season. |
(CNN) -- Stringent restrictions remain in place Monday on about 100 soldiers at a large military base in Washington state after the theft of "sensitive" and valuable "military-grade" equipment.
Members of the Army Criminal Investigation Command are at Joint Base Lewis-McChord trying to find out who is responsible for the missing items, said Maj. Chris Ophardt, a spokesman for the U.S. Army's I Corps that is headquartered at the base and includes the affected unit.
"Hundreds of items" are missing from a vault that is inside a building on the base, the spokesman said. They include things such as scopes and night-vision goggles but no guns or ammunition.
"There are no weapons, and there's no danger to the public," Ophardt said.
After learning of the thefts, the Army decided on Wednesday to put members of the Army's 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division on lockdown, preventing soldiers from making phone calls or leaving the unit's barracks or unit office.
The unit has been home from Iraq since September 2010.
These measures were relaxed somewhat on Saturday, with some supervised visits allowed on a case-by-case basis to deal with personal issues and permission granted to eat at the base's dining facility. Division members, who live either on or off the base, still must sleep at the barracks.
There is no timetable as to when all the restrictions will be lifted, Ophardt said, adding that decision will depend on the investigation.
"(This will) go on as long as we can gain information about the person or persons involved in the theft," said Ophardt, noting no timetable has been set for when the restrictions will be lifted. "This is being taken seriously, so (the military) can get back the equipment that taxpayers paid for."
Military officials did their monthly inventory of the vault in December. They then did another after the holiday vacation and determined that "large amounts" of items were missing -- "immediately" precipitating the lockdown, said Ophardt.
A $10,000 reward has been offered by the Army in the case.
He explained that every unit has its own vault, which in this case has two locks -- one on the vault, and another on the door to an abutting office. It has not been determined whether the missing items were stored properly or if someone was able to get into a properly locked vault and made off with the equipment.
"There are a zillion possibilities," Ophardt said of what might have happened.
The missing items could all "be bought on the civilian market, just one or two generations older," the spokesman said. He added that they have limited use to the public, given the challenges in knowing how to use them and having the right kind of weapon to attach them to.
The restrictions on the soldiers affect only a fraction of those at the expansive Joint Base Lewis-McChord, as none of the other roughly 50,000 people on the grounds about 13 miles southwest of Tacoma are directly affected. | [
"how much of a reward was offered for information",
"What is missing from a vault?",
"Stringent restrictions are in place where?",
"what item was confirmed missing",
"How much reward is being offered?",
"Stringent restrictions have been placed on soldiers at a base in what state",
"what was put in place at a base in washington state",
"what items were missing from a vault",
"what is the dollar amount of the reward for information"
] | [
[
"$10,000"
],
[
"\"sensitive\" and valuable \"military-grade\" equipment."
],
[
"in Washington state"
],
[
"scopes and night-vision goggles"
],
[
"$10,000"
],
[
"Washington"
],
[
"restrictions"
],
[
"\"Hundreds of items\""
],
[
"$10,000"
]
] | Stringent restrictions are in place on soldiers at base in Washington state .
Rules follow the discovery that valuable, "sensitive" items are missing from a vault .
The items include things such as scopes, but no weapons or ammunition .
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information on the case . |
(CNN) -- Stringer is dead. Omar is dead. And soon, "The Wire" will be, too. Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce and Dominic West discuss matters on the "Wire" finale. The show, broadcast by HBO, which -- like CNN -- is a division of Time Warner, created complex storylines weaving together the lives of Baltimore's cops, drug dealers, politicians, port workers, schoolchildren and educators and now journalists. It also created a devoted fan base, including CNN staffers Jo Parker, who coincidentally worked at The Baltimore Sun for 13 years, and Rachel Clarke. Both are veteran watchers of previous seasons who have lapped up this year's story, where events on the street and inside the murder squad become ever more entwined with politics and news, complicating everything they touch. Here, they talk about whether the keenly awaited finale matched expectations. Clarke: Were you satisfied? Parker: No. I expected "The Wire" to startle me and make me think right up until the series finale, but in the end it felt too networky. Yes, the storylines were completed and there was a resolution of sorts for each major character, but it all seemed to be too neatly tied ... red ribbon, anyone? Gallery: Get to know the characters of "The Wire" » Clarke: Yes, I'm all for schmaltz, but that's not why I watched "The Wire." In previous seasons, the show has had me sobbing (Bodie's killing), screaming blue murder (Bubbles' suicide attempt) and spiraling downward as I awaited the really bad things that had to happen (the parting of the ways between Stringer and Avon was never going to go well). This time, I had the familiar sinking feeling about some characters and plot lines as they played out, but this time, the writing didn't have the same killer instinct. Or maybe "The Wire" has just given me a really dark view of the world, of Baltimore, of humanity, and I should lighten up. Parker: I did experience one shocker during the finale involving a longer-term character. I'm surprised now that I didn't see it coming any more than the character did! Clarke: I know what you're talking about. Sure, there was a moment where I gasped. And there were other vintage "Wire" themes and moments. The questions over a moral code, how it's rarely if ever black and white and how real life and real people are just too complicated to fall into that simple "good or bad" template. "Good" people do bad things and "bad" people do good things. And circumstances and the bigger picture will often intervene to steer even the best from the path of the angels. But that's where this season as a whole hasn't matched the other four. The newspaper characters were simply good or evil. But you worked at The Baltimore Sun, so maybe that's true to life?! Parker: There were definitely some folks I'd consider good or evil at The Sun, but none who flat-out grew horns like Templeton, Whiting and Klebanow. (OK, maybe the Templetonesque dude.) I worked there for 13 years and left during "The Wire's" run. So I know creator David Simon peripherally and some of the situations he alludes to this season fairly well. I expected this season to be even more compelling to me, if that was possible. Instead, I found the new characters too one-dimensional. I didn't emotionally bond with any of them -- even though some bore the names of my real former colleagues -- so I really didn't care what happened to any of them in the finale. Clarke: Me too, but then I'm still mourning Stringer from season three when good and evil were mixed so well and you could happily cry over the comeuppance of a calculating, cold, murderous drug dealer. There are a lot of old memories from earlier seasons in the finale, but that just | [
"What is the name of the finale?"
] | [
[
"\"Wire\""
]
] | Finale of "The Wire" to air Sunday night .
This season hasn't measured up to previous ones, say CNN reviewers .
Final show has a couple of surprises, but is too neatly tied up . |
(CNN) -- Struck by lightning, caught up in the smell of gas, braving two-inch hail and relentless rain: None of it could stop hundreds of firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, National Guardsmen and more from heading into the devastation around Joplin, Missouri, in a desperate search for survivors.
Nor could the fact that many of the first responders searched through the rubble of buildings at the same time many of their own homes had been eviscerated. Amidst the struggles, there were victories: 17 people were rescued Monday, city manager Mark Rohr told CNN's Eliot Spitzer.
"They've lost their homes, but they have been out there for 40 hours saving lives," Richard Serino, deputy administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said from Joplin. "The work they have done ... to say it is to be commended is an understatement."
Not much more than 12 hours after the tornado touched down, Rohr said that between 400 to 500 firefighters, public works personnel and other municipal employees showed up Monday morning, unasked, hoping to help.
The city manager said that the turnout, and the fact many others who have pitched in in other ways, is no surprise in Joplin, a city of 50,050 residents in southwest Missouri.
"Joplin is a city of neighbors helping neighbors," he said. "And with this spirit, we will overcome the hardship."
Yet the continually confounding weather Monday proved a major challenge. Rohr said that two first responders were struck by lightning while looking through debris -- he did not detail the victims' conditions afterward -- with persistent thunderstorms prompting a temporary halt to the searches.
And even by Monday evening, a full day after the twister struck, Rohr said there were "gas leaks all over the city."
"When we drive around, we can smell the gas," the city manager said. "And there are wires down everywhere. You have just got to be careful, as you navigate through the city."
The challenge doesn't appear likely to get any easier Tuesday. The National Weather Service has said there is a 45 percent chance of another tornado outbreak between 4 p.m. and midnight Tuesday over a wide swath that includes cities like Dallas, Oklahoma City and -- yet again -- Joplin.
Those assisting in the rescue effort weren't just from Joplin. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon noted that some of the more than 1,000 first responders came from Kansas City and other locales. That doesn't include the 110 highway patrolmen and 250 National Guardsmen -- with another 450 on standby -- also on the scene.
Dr. Jim Roscoe told CNN that doctors, nurses and others rushed to help, after the tornado ripped through St. John's Regional Medical Center. Even with often impassible roads and treacherous weather, he said that, "within a matter of hours, we had almost more help than we could put to use."
"I just can't begin to tell you," said Roscoe, who is heading the hospital's triage unit as it treats and redirects patients coming in for help. "We've had people coming from several hundreds of miles away, grabbing their stethoscope and anything they could get, and threw it in their car and came."
Whether treating patients and searching for bodies, those on the frontlines in Joplin also face a significant psychological toll of dealing with devastation that most of them have never seen before. Nixon said they would likely have "very difficult shifts, (because) there are going to see things out there that are hard to see and hard to stomach."
Still, voicing a sentiment echoed by officials and residents in Joplin, the governor said it wouldn't prevent the first responders from heading out again, looking for survivors.
"We are going to cover every foot of this town, and we're going to make sure that every person is accounted for," Nixon said. | [
"What had many of the first responders lost?",
"How many hit the streets of Joplin?",
"Who came from far away",
"Where did doctors help?"
] | [
[
"their homes,"
],
[
"more than 1,000"
],
[
"1,000 first responders"
],
[
"St. John's Regional Medical Center."
]
] | Hundreds hit the streets of Joplin, despite thunderstorms, looking for tornado survivors .
A FEMA official notes that many of these first responders had lost their own homes .
Others came from far away, like doctors who rushed to help at a stricken hospital . |
(CNN) -- Stumped on a tough decision? New Web sites are there to help. Hunch, a site open to the public Monday, asks questions and helps people make decisions. Hunch, a site that launches for the public Monday, will consider your quandary by getting to know you, asking you a series of questions and then spitting out three decisions. Another site, Let Simon Decide, makes a similar attempt. Caterina Fake, co-founder of the photo-sharing community Flickr, says she created Hunch not because people need help with emotional decisions but because it's too tough to find smart information online. You often have to replicate someone else's research, which is a waste, she said. Tech bloggers seem to be pleased with the effort. "For the most part, I was impressed, though it quickly became clear that Hunch isn't capable of magically making up your mind for you," wrote Jason Kincaid, a reporter at TechCrunch, a technology blog. He called the site "very clean and unintimidating." Fake spoke with CNN about decision making, her nerdy past and the power of collective knowledge. The following is an edited transcript: CNN: Where did you get the idea for Hunch? Fake: It's a user-generated content site similar to Flickr, but the unit is not a photograph but a decision. And so it's sort of a similar thing in that way. We kind of built the system so people can contribute to it. They can ask questions on there and suggest questions. And then you sort of codify it into a decision tree. CNN: So you're answering questions about yourself? Fake: Well, there are two components. So you answer questions about yourself, and there's a little module that says things like, "Alien abductions: real or fake?" And what [Hunch] does is, it then puts together a profile of you, a taste profile. And then you can go into the system and ask it any question that's in the system. So it's things like, "What HD-TV should I buy?" or "Where should I go to college?" or, you know, "Where should I eat in San Diego on a Saturday night?" It could be just about anything. Once it kind of gets to know you, you can ask it questions, and then it gives an answer to you that it doesn't give to anyone else. CNN: What are the downsides? Fake: It depends on what the decision is. There is kind of an array of decisions that are too taste-oriented. Like, no matter how well we know you, we're not going to know that your backyard is like 25 feet by 10 feet, versus 10 feet by 10 feet [for a person looking to buy a backyard grill]. You know what I'm saying? There's no system that can get to know that. So what we try to do is narrow it down. So we ask you questions about your aesthetics or your beliefs or your politics or your demographic. CNN: What kind of decision-maker are you? Fake: It's really funny, because I think there's a mistake that's generally made with people asking about Hunch, and it's that it's solving people's emotional problems. And it's not. It's solving people's informational problems. I don't have any problems making any decisions. I've never had any problem making decisions, but when I go to Google and I'm looking for information, say, about trademarks. I have to do all this research, and somebody has already done this research. CNN: So you see Hunch as a kind of search engine, almost? Fake: No, it's not a search engine. The feel of it is nothing like a search engine. It's something new. CNN: How do you think collective knowledge online will change the way people live, or the way we interact with | [
"What asks you questions and then suggests answers?",
"What does the site work best aT?",
"Who talks with Caterina Fake?",
"Who did CNN talk with",
"What has fake founded?",
"Who says Hunch works best for informational problems?",
"What asks you questions"
] | [
[
"Hunch,"
],
[
"helps people make decisions."
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"Fake"
],
[
"Hunch"
],
[
"Caterina Fake,"
],
[
"Hunch,"
]
] | CNN talks with Caterina Fake, founder of a Web site that makes decisions .
Hunch.com asks you questions and then suggests answers .
Fake says Hunch works best for informational problems, not emotional dilemmas .
Fake's philosophy: "We know more in the collective than we do in the individual" |
(CNN) -- Substitute Victor Obinna came off the bench to score twice as Nigeria beat Kenya 3-0 in Abuja, to claim their first victory in African World Cup qualifying Group B. Obinna scored a late second-half double to help Nigeria cruise to a 3-0 home victory over Kenya. The Inter Milan striker scored twice in the last 17 minutes, including one from the penalty spot, after Getafe's Ikechukwu Uche had given the Super Eagles as early lead. The result sees Nigeria move up to second place in the table with four points from their two games, two points behind leaders Tunisia who beat Mozambique 2-0 on Saturday to have maximum points from their two matches. Kenya are bottom of the table, without a point, and it already looks like Tunisia and Nigeria will battle it out for top spot in the group and automatic qualification for the World Cup finals. Elsewhere in Africa, Cameroon are surprisingly bottom of Group A after a 0-0 home draw with Morocco in Yaounde. The two group favorites cancelled each other out, meaning they both have a point apiece from their two matches. Gabon are the shock group leaders -- and they followed up their opening victory in Morocco by thumping an Emmanuel Adebayor-led Togo 3-0 in Libreville on Saturday. That result means Gabon are on six points, with Togo second on three points. Meanwhile, in Group E, Ivory Coast made it two wins from two matches to go top of the group with a 2-1 victory in Guinea. Sevilla midfielder Christian Koffi Ndri scored the winning goal with 13 minutes remaining as Ivory Coast joined Burkina Faso on a maximum six points. The two teams already look to have the group between them, as Guinea and Malawi are both point-less from their two matches. Malawi lost 1-0 at home to Burkina Faso on Saturday. African champions Egypt prop up Group C after crashing 3-1 in Algeria where Karim Matmour (60), Abdelkader Ghezzal (64) and Rafik Djebbour (77) were on target for the hosts. Algeria top their section on goal difference from Zambia after their weekend success in front of a sell-out crowd. Ghana, who reached their first World Cup finals in Germany three years ago, won 2-0 at Mali and lead Group D by three points from Benin. Kwadwo Asamoah and Matthew Amoah were on target. | [
"What was the score?",
"What country is Victor Obinn playing for?",
"How many times did Victor Obinn score in the game?",
"Who leads group A?",
"What place is Nigeria in the table?",
"Who played in group A?",
"Who scored twice in the game?",
"What was the score of the game?",
"Which country moved up in the results?"
] | [
[
"3-0"
],
[
"Nigeria"
],
[
"twice"
],
[
"Gabon"
],
[
"second"
],
[
"Cameroon"
],
[
"Victor Obinna"
],
[
"3-0"
],
[
"Nigeria"
]
] | Victor Obinna scores twice as Nigeria defeat Kenya 3-0 in African Group B .
The result sees Nigeria move up to second place in the table with four points .
Cameroon and Morocco draw 0-0 in Group A and trail surprise leaders Gabon . |
(CNN) -- Such is the level of pressure heaped on football managers, it is unsurprising that now and then they might say or do something that gets them into trouble with someone. The latest incident has seen Manchester City boss Mark Hughes accusing Arsenal's Arsene Wenger of "not knowing how to behave" after the Frenchman refused to shake the Welshman's hand after the Gunners' 3-0 English League Cup defeat on Wednesday night. It is not the first time Wenger has made the headlines for the wrong reasons, but he is certainly not alone. Fanzone takes a look at football's top-five misbehaving managers. 1. Arsene Wenger In recent years, Wenger has been involved in touchline confrontations with Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Martin Jol and West Ham's Alan Pardew, and exchanged words with Jose Mourinho. But his most bitter rivalry has been with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. For about a decade, the two clubs contested for the English Premier League, with the two coaches engaged in a volatile war of words. The rivalry reached a peak in 2004 when United ended Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford. After the match both coaches and players exchanged words before a slice of pizza was allegedly flung into Ferguson's face -- the incident has been referred to as 'Pizzagate' or the 'Battle of the Buffet' ever since. Tensions have since subsided. 2. Alex Ferguson Ferguson's mind games over the past year have mostly been reserved for Liverpool's Rafa Benitez and referees. It was a stinging criticism of the latter that has arguably caused the Premier League's biggest controversy this season. After Manchester United grabbed a late equalizer at home to Sunderland, Ferguson in his post-match press conference proceeded to label referee Alan Wiley unfit in comparison to continental officials. After the threat of a lawsuit, Ferguson offered an apology -- albeit a fairly half-hearted one. 3. Luis Aragones In his native Spain, Aragones will likely be remembered for leading the country to their first major trophy since 1964 when they won Euro 2008. Elsewhere it might be for when, in a training session in 2004, he was filmed making a racially offensive remark about Thierry Henry in an attempt to motivate the Frenchman's then Arsenal teammate Jose Antonio Reyes. The comment caused a particular storm in England, with many in the media calling for Aragones' job. He was later fined $3,425. 4. Diego Maradona Maradona has been no stranger to controversy throughout his career, and has kept up that trend since becoming Argentina manager. In October he launched a scathing and foul-mouthed outburst at those who had criticized him during Argentina's qualifying campaign. The rant caused FIFA to ban him football for two months and fine him $24,603. 5. Jose Mourinho For all his success in football management, Mourinho is equally well-known for his brash and cocky manner, a trait that has caused fans to love and loathe him in equal measure. His penchant for speaking his mind has seen him accuse referee Anders Frisk of consorting with then Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard at half-time during a Champions League tie (the official later retired due to the aftermath, having received death threats). Also while in charge of Chelsea, he once labeled Wenger a "voyeur." Less verbally, he risked the ire of Liverpool fans when he proceeded to shush them during the 2005 League Cup final after Chelsea scored. The most memorable occurrence came during the London club's 2005 Champions League quarterfinal versus Bayern Munich. Banned from the game, it was reported that Mourinho was secretly wheeled in and out of the changing-rooms in a washing basket, and that during the game he fed information to fitness coach Rui Faria through an earpiece under his hat. | [
"What did Mark Hughes accuses Arsene Wenger of?",
"Who is angry at Wenger?",
"Who doesn't know how to behave?",
"For what is Arsene Wenger accused of?",
"Who had a fierce rivalry with Alex Ferguson?",
"In what kind of confrontations has Wenger been involved?",
"What were Wenger's previous confrontations about?"
] | [
[
"\"not knowing how to behave\""
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"Mark Hughes"
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"\"not knowing how to behave\""
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[
"Arsene Wenger"
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"touchline"
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[
"a slice of pizza was allegedly flung into Ferguson's face"
]
] | Mark Hughes accuses Arsene Wenger of "not knowing how to behave" after a defeat .
Wenger has been involved in confrontations with several managers before .
He had a fierce rivalry with Alex Ferguson which subsided with Arsenal's declining fortunes .
Jose Mourinho has achieved particular notoriety, especially while at Chelsea . |
(CNN) -- Sudan's government and rebels from its troubled Darfur region signed a confidence-building agreement Tuesday in Qatar, a step toward ending a six-year conflict that has killed about 300,000 people, the emirate's state news agency reported.
A member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stands guard near the Sudan-Chad border in 2007.
Detailed talks between the government and the Justice and Equality Movement are scheduled to begin in two weeks after Tuesday's signing, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabr al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister, told the SUNA news agency.
Roger Middleton, an Africa specialist at the British think-tank Chatham House, said Tuesday's agreement deals mostly with prisoner releases.
But he said the two parties' decision to hold further talks "is an important move forward, which there hasn't necessarily been in the past."
"It is certainly a step in the right direction," he said. "But a lot more needs to be done if we're going to see a full cessation of fighting in Darfur."
Other rebel groups are not included in the pact, and "many, many things" could cause the talks to fail, he said.
"It is a start, but it's very fragile, and we mustn't get overexcited just yet," Middleton said.
In November, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir agreed to an immediate, unconditional cease-fire in Darfur, but JEM was not included in the talks.
Sudan's Culture Minister Amin Hassan Omar and Jibril Ibrahim, a top rebel official, signed Tuesday's agreement.
Qatar has been mediating talks between the two sides in the Darfur conflict, which erupted in 2003 after rebels began an uprising against the Khartoum government.
The government launched a brutal counter-insurgency campaign, aided by government-backed Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations.
Al-Bashir is under pressure to end the fighting, particularly because he was charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court last year for the government's campaign of violence in Darfur.
In the past six years, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed through direct combat, disease or malnutrition, the United Nations says. An additional 2.7 million people fled their homes because of fighting among rebels, government forces and allied militias. | [
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"How many people estimated to have died in six-year conflict?",
"How many have died in the six-year conflict?",
"How many people died in the conflict?",
"What movement is holding further talks with the government?",
"What did the Darfur rebel group sign?",
"Where is Darfur?",
"When will there be additional talks related to these agreements?",
"How many people died in the conflict that was mentioned?",
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"government and rebels from its troubled Darfur region"
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"two weeks after Tuesday's signing,"
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[
"about 300,000"
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[
"agreement"
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] | NEW: Sudanese government, Darfur rebel group sign confidence-building deal .
NEW: Government, Justice and Equality Movement holding further talks in two weeks .
NEW: Analyst calls agreement "first step in the right direction"
Around 300,000 people estimated to have died in six-year conflict . |
(CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir asked Arab leaders meeting in Qatar on Monday to strongly reject an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Omar al-Bashir is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in Darfur.
Al-Bashir landed in Qatar on Sunday and met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. On Monday, he expressed his gratitude to the Arab League Summit.
"We appreciate your support for Sudan in many areas," al-Bashir said. "This support will, God willing, lead to issuing clear and unequivocal decisions -- rejecting the decision [the ICC arrest warrant]."
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also attended the meeting but avoided any confrontation with al-Bashir. The U.N. leader focused instead on efforts to have humanitarian aid workers allowed back into Sudan.
Sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the Darfur region after the ICC issued the arrest warrant.
The March 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. But the ICC has no arrest powers and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody. Qatar, site of the summit, is not a member of the tribunal.
Sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the ICC, and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court. Al-Bashir has called the charges an attempt by Western powers to recolonize Sudan.
The International Criminal Court accuses al-Bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government's campaign against rebels in Darfur, in western Sudan. The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict.
Qatar had been mediating talks between Sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions, who signed a confidence-building agreement in February.
At the State Department, deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid said leaders at the summit should deal with the situation in Darfur.
"We would hope that while [al-Bashir] is in Doha that the Arab League would focus on the immediate and urgent needs of the people on the ground in Sudan and address the humanitarian situation in Darfur and meet the priorities of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said. "The discussions should be on how to stop the violence and support the people.
"The presence of Bashir at this conference should be used as an opportunity to bring forth the international concern to what is happening in Darfur and southern Sudan."
In another development, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi walked out of the summit after a dispute over whether he would be allowed to talk.
"I am an international leader," Gadhafi said before leaving. "The dean of Arab rulers. The king of kings in Africa. The imam to Muslims. My international position does not allow me to be reduced. Thank you."
State Department spokesman Duguid declined to comment.
CNN's Stan Grant contributed to this report. | [
"What is the warrant for?",
"Who is the Sudanese president?",
"Who is the secretary general?",
"What were the charges against Omar al-Bashir?",
"What is al-Bashir accused of?",
"What is the name of the U.N. secretary general who attended the summit?"
] | [
[
"war crimes."
],
[
"Omar al-Bashir"
],
[
"Ban Ki-moon"
],
[
"war crimes."
],
[
"allaged war crimes in Darfur."
],
[
"Ban Ki-moon"
]
] | Sudanese president asks Arab League Summit to reject arrest warrant against him .
Omar al-Bashir is charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court .
Al-Bashir accused of crimes against humanity in his campaign against Darfur rebels .
U.N. secretary general attends summit, but avoids any confrontation with al-Bashir . |
(CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir landed in Qatar on Sunday for an Arab League summit, a move that could put him at risk of arrest on war crimes charges leveled by a U.N. tribunal. Omar al-Bashir is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in Darfur. Al-Bashir met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, after arriving in Doha, Qatar's capital. Earlier this weekend, al-Thani criticized the timing of the arrest warrant issued in early March by the International Criminal Court, arguing it has undercut his government's efforts to resolve the long-running conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. "We believe that peace and justice should go hand in hand to settle the conflict in Darfur, or for that matter, any other conflict," al-Thani told Arab League foreign ministers Saturday in remarks carried by the Qatar News Agency. "But we also believe that justice cannot be reached in the absence of peace." The March 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. But the ICC has no arrest powers of its own, and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody. Qatar is not a member of the tribunal. Sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the ICC, and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court. Al-Bashir has called the charges an attempt by Western powers to recolonize Sudan. The court accuses al-Bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government's campaign against rebels in Darfur, in western Sudan. The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict. Qatar had been mediating talks between Sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions, who signed a confidence-building agreement in February. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report. | [
"Where has the Sudanese President arrived?",
"Who issued the arrest warrant over the Darfur campaign?",
"What does the move put him at risk for?",
"Who issued arrest warrant over Darfur campaign ?",
"What does the move do?",
"Who arrived in Doha, Qatar?",
"What is he at risk of?",
"What has the International Criminal Court issued?"
] | [
[
"Qatar"
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[
"the International Criminal Court,"
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[
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[
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],
[
"President Omar al-Bashir"
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"arrest on war crimes charges leveled by a U.N. tribunal."
],
[
"arrest warrant"
]
] | Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives in Doha, Qatar .
Move puts him at risk of arrest for war crimes .
International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrant over Darfur campaign . |
(CNN) -- Sudanese billionaire and communications mogul Mo Ibrahim has issued a warning to African leaders clinging to power, saying people are no longer prepared to put up with bad governance on the continent.
Ibrahim says the face of Africa has changed and the Arab Spring has shown the world that the younger generation are not afraid to demand change.
"There's a lot of African people who are educated and well informed and that's a better generation than ours and those people wont take nonsense," he said.
"These are the people that went out in Tahrir Square, Tunis and Libya and bred havoc," he added.
The businessman's remarks come as his foundation awards its annual prize for good governance and leadership in Africa.
It has been two years since the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has awarded the accolade, which goes to candidates based on their "exercise of leadership and the performance of their country during their time in office," according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation website.
The committee, made up of former leaders and Nobel Prize winners, said that there had been no worthy candidates in the previous two years.
"They have a strict criteria, this is not a pension, this is a prize for excellence in leadership, it's not easy," said Ibrahim.
Former Cape Verde President, Pedro Verona Pires, who stepped down in August after 10 years in power, was recognized this year.
The group said that the leader had turned the cluster of islands off the West African coast into "a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity."
The chair of the prize committee, Salim Ahmed Salim, said. "Under his 10 years as president, the nation became only the second African country to graduate from the United Nation's Least Developed category and has won international recognition for its record on human rights and good governance."
The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership is one of the world's most valuable individual prizes. Ibrahim made a fortune in the cell phone industry, established the foundation bearing his name in 2006.
Previous winners include Mozambique's former President, Joaquim Chissano and Botswana's President, Festus Mogae.
The $5 million award is paid over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter. The Foundation will also consider funding good causes supported by the laureate.
Ibrahim says the prize is needed as leaders in African countries can sometimes be tempted to hang on to power for monetary reasons.
He says he had to start the foundation because leaders were not doing the job they were supposed to do.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and Angola's President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos are two of the longest running leaders in Africa. Both have been head of their respective countries for 32 years. While Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has been in power for 31 years since 1980.
The foundation uses an 84-criteria index to grade governance in Africa. The top-governed African nations, according to the index, are Mauritius, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Botswana and South Africa.
But while there may not have been an award in the previous two years, Ibrahim predicts the foundation will be giving out more money in the future.
"I think the quality of leaders coming to Africa now are really improving a lot and what is important in Africa is the rise in civil society," he said.
"The pressure from civil society, I'm sure is going to bring forward and produce more and more wonderful leaders for our future," he continued.
The hope of the foundation is to help the continent move towards greater democracy and peaceful transitions of power.
However, Ibrahim believes that the game is up for leaders who cling to power for 30 to 40-years. His cites Libya's former leader for 41-years, Moammar Gaddafi, as an example.
"The message is clear to all this kind of generation of leadership: gentlemen time is up," he said.
"Please retire, otherwise Tahrir square is coming to your country." | [
"Who is Pedro Verona Pires?",
"What did Mo Ibrahim warn that had changed?",
"Who won the prize of the year?",
"Who was the former president of Cape Verde?",
"What number of years ago was the prize awarded last?",
"What is Ibrahim Prize?",
"The Prize for Achievement in African Leadership had not been awarded for how many years?"
] | [
[
"Former Cape Verde President,"
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[
"Pedro Verona Pires,"
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[
"for Achievement in African Leadership"
],
[
"two"
]
] | Sudanese mogul Mo Ibrahim warns long-running leaders that continent has changed .
Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership was not awarded for two years running .
Former Cape Verde President, Pedro Verona Pires won prize this year . |
(CNN) -- Sugar lovers may have to face a bitter truth: The less sugar added to foods for typical people, the better are their blood-fat profiles and the lower are their cardiovascular risks, a study to be published Wednesday concludes.
"We found that the lower the amount of added sugar people ate, the better their good cholesterol and their blood triglyceride levels," said co-author Dr. Miriam B. Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and author of "The No-Diet Obesity Solution for Kids."
Unfortunately for dessert lovers, the converse is true. Increased sugars are associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to the report. The authors cited lower levels of HDL-C, which is sometimes referred to as the good cholesterol, and higher levels of triglycerides.
The study, to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, highlights a trend some nutritionists consider disturbing: In recent years, the typical American's diet has increasingly incorporated added sugars. The authors defined them as "caloric sweeteners used by the food industry and consumers as ingredients in processed or prepared foods to increase the desirability of those foods."
Data from the mid-1990s show that 15.8 percent of the typical American's diet was composed of added sugar -- 21.4 teaspoons or 359 calories per day. That's up from 10.6 percent in 1977-1978. Added sugars have been linked to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
The researchers studied 6,113 adults enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Interviewers called them and asked what they had eaten the previous day, then estimated the total added sugar in each person's diet.
Participants were then separated into groups: Those who got less than 5 percent of total calories from added sugar; 5 percent to less than 10 percent; 10 percent to less than 17.5 percent; 17.5 percent to less than 25 percent; and 25 percent or more.
Those in the highest-consuming added sugar group eat about 46 teaspoons of added sugar per day, the study said. Those who consumed more added sugar tended to be younger, non-Latino blacks with low income, it said.
The report says 18.5 percent of Americans get at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar.
The strongest relationship between added sugar and blood fats was found in values for HDL-C, which fell from 58.7 mg/dl for those who ate the least added sugar to 47.7 mg/dl for those who ate the most. A higher HDL-C level is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk.
Among some blood fats linked to higher cardiovascular risk, the converse was true: Triglyceride levels went from 105 mg/dl in the group that ate the least sugar to 114 mg/dl in the group that ate the most. The so-called bad cholesterol, LDL-C, went from 116 mg/dl for women who ate the least sugar to 123 mg/dl for women who ate the most. There were no significant trends for LDL-C among men.
The authors concluded that their data support dietary guidelines that aim to cut consumption of added sugar.
But those guidelines are all over the map. The Institute of Medicine recommends no more than 25 percent of total energy from added sugars; the World Health Organization recommends less than 10 percent; and the American Heart Association has recently advised no more than 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men, which works out to about 5 percent.
"What it really means is we have to go back to things like whole grains and vegetables and fruit and eat things in moderation in order to be healthy," Vos said. "Plus, a good healthy dose of activity."
But the study compiled data based on a single day's consumption, and it was not clear whether that day was representative of other days, she said.
"We don't know that all of the people had their usual diet the day before," she said. "There are always some weaknesses in that kind of data. | [
"What is added sugar associated with?",
"What is lower added-sugar consumption associated with?",
"What did those who ate more added sugar tend to be?",
"What are the demographics of those who tend to eat more added sugar?",
"Which journal will publish the study?"
] | [
[
"obesity, diabetes"
],
[
"better their good cholesterol and their blood triglyceride levels,\""
],
[
"are associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors,"
],
[
"younger, non-Latino blacks"
],
[
"of the American Medical Association,"
]
] | Added sugar is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, study finds .
Study: Lower added-sugar consumption linked to better levels of good cholesterol .
Study to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
Those who ate more added sugar tended to be low-income, younger non-Latino blacks . |
(CNN) -- Summer offers lots of things to do outdoors, which is good for the many television viewers who complain about the quality of programming then. Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" is one of the cable series providing a lift for summertime television viewing. It's not that there aren't things to watch. On network television, there are plenty of repeats, reality shows and final episodes of series that have been canceled. But summertime viewing on network television can be a wasteland, especially for bloggers and critics whose gig it is to write and report on TV, said Kath Skerry, founder and editor of the Give Me My Remote blog. "It's borderline depressing," Skerry said. "Between the onslaught of reality television and what I call filler TV -- shows that the networks may have under contract but they just feel the need to get out regardless of the quality -- it almost feels like [the networks] have given up." Variety, for many the bible of the entertainment industry, reported on the first four weeks of summer. It said viewership of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox was down 9 percent, according to Nielsen. Even more distressing for advertisers, viewership was down 15 percent in the 18-49 demographic and 18 percent in the coveted 18-34 demographic. Skerry isn't surprised. The most quality she said she felt she has gotten out of network television this summer has been ABC burning off the final episodes of the canceled series "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money." Otherwise, Skerry said, the great shows are happening on the cable networks. Joe Bua blogs at IAmATVJunkie.com and counts among some of his favorite summer shows HBO's "True Blood," "Torchwood Children of Earth" on BBC America and Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." "Nurse Jackie" and other shows such as "Mad Men" are luring viewers who want original quality programs. Fans are even showing up in big numbers for cable reality shows such as "Jon & Kate Plus 8" (currently on a break), and the "Real Housewives" franchise. Bill Gorman, editor of the TV rating and analysis site TvByTheNumbers.com, said the shift to cable has been a long time coming. "It's the continuation of a trend that's been going on since the early '80s," Gorman told AfterElton.com. "Viewers continue making the 30-year shift from watching broadcast to watching cable." Jonathan Storm, a TV critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, said the apparent ceding of summer to cable by broadcast networks is rooted in tradition and the history of how television started. "The car manufacturers came out with their new models in September, and the TV people said, 'We will give you new shows to advertise your cars on,' " Storm. "That was part of it and that started in the 1950s." Storm said there is also a type of "circadian rhythm" to television in that viewers are more inclined to tune in when the days are shorter and colder. Broadcast networks once were able to afford 39 episodes a year, he said. Now economics often dictate a 22-episode season. Storm said networks now trot out cheaper-to-produce reality shows -- something CBS hit the jackpot with several years ago after the runaway success of the summer-debuted "Survivor." "The networks just couldn't afford to make shows all summer long," said Storm, who will soon join his colleagues for one of their summer highlights -- The Television Critics Association's summer tour in Pasadena, California. "Now they've found the answer," Storm said. "They make all of these ridiculous Japanese game shows -- crash yourself into the red balls, 'Wipeout' show -- and several shows that come on and vanish before most TV critics and the general public even know they are there." Ronnie Karam, senior editor at TVgasm.com, said he has been doing what a lot of viewers do during summertime -- checking out television | [
"what shows are being aired?",
"What time of the year is a down time for TV?"
] | [
[
"\"True Blood,\" \"Torchwood Children of Earth\""
],
[
"Summer"
]
] | Summer seen as wasteland on broadcast TV for some critics and bloggers .
Networks often run repeats and launch reality shows during summertime .
Cable stations offer destination viewing for new, hot shows .
Blogger says "you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel" for shows . |
(CNN) -- Surviving economically in downtrodden Elkhart, Indiana, may require doing some things you don't want to do. Elkhart, Indiana, has become the poster child for the nation's economic downturn. "Here in Elkhart, I've never seen things as bad as they are," lifelong resident Yvonne Sell said Tuesday. "When you open the newspaper, unless you want to be a topless dancer, there's nothing." Elkhart became the poster child for the nation's economic downturn when President Obama visited there Monday and then mentioned it several times during his first White House press conference. Unemployment in the Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, area was 15.3 percent in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, the fourth highest of any U.S. metropolitan area. Elkhart's unemployment rate has spiked more than 10 percentage points in the past 13 months. But is it really that bad in Elkhart? According to Sell and several other business owners and workers, it is. Sell and her four co-owners are in the process of selling Blessing Music Co., which has sold, rented and repaired musical instruments for school bands since 1916. "We're not making money. It's just too tight," Sell said. The company has high overhead and a "considerable" high-interest loan, and credit continues to be a problem, she said. Sell said she isn't hopeful that any government plan will kick-start commerce in Elkhart or elsewhere. The banks, which started the mess, have already been bailed out, she said, but "I'm not seeing them loosening their purse strings." Small businesses as well as individuals need credit -- not government spending -- to keep the economy churning, she said. Take, for example, recreational vehicles, one of the town's knotted lifelines: Sell said she knows plenty of people willing to purchase RVs, but they can't without a bank loan. "People won't buy them because they're too scared," she said. "I don't personally see how spending the amount of money [Congress is] talking about spending is going to stimulate the economy." Robert Dunlop runs a different kind of business, but he agrees with Sell. "Unfortunately, when you drop a ton of money to pay billion-dollar bonuses on the East Coast, it kind of sucks on the Midwest," said Dunlop, president of J.A. Wagner Construction Co. in Elkhart. "If banks can free up a little bit of credit so that people can buy products and get people back to work, that would be good for this area." People in Elkhart who were interviewed said they don't have much confidence in the government's ability to resolve the crisis, though Dunlop said he thinks tax relief would help some. "Unfortunately, you still have to have a job to have relief from the tax burden, and a lot of these people are behind in house payments and, quite frankly, it's a vicious cycle: You don't have a job, you can't make your house payment, you're not out buying anything. Even if you reduce the tax burden to those people, they still need to have some sort of income. When that occurs, they start buying things, which creates more jobs, which then starts the cycle back up again." Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore echoes that view. He said people need jobs so they have money to spend and support industries such as RVs. The Democrat supports the stimulus plan Obama was touting in his town Monday because it will get residents to work quickly. "It's jobs, jobs, jobs," Moore told CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday. Watch what Elkhart's mayor says about the president's visit » "We have 16 shovel-ready projects ready to go ... These are not pie-in-the-sky items; they're not pork. ... These are projects we will have to do," Moore said. But gift shop owner Joanie Smith said she thinks government | [
"When was he there?",
"Who has doubts about it?",
"Where are they?",
"Where did President Obama visit?"
] | [
[
"Monday"
],
[
"People in Elkhart"
],
[
"Elkhart, Indiana,"
],
[
"Elkhart, Indiana,"
]
] | Elkhart, Indiana, entrepreneurs sweating out tough economic times .
Several express doubt the federal government can get commerce moving .
Loosening of credit would get people spending again, they say .
President Obama visited Elkhart on Monday, mentioned it during press conference . |
(CNN) -- Survivors of a deadly earthquake-triggered tsunami which hit the Samoan islands Tuesday have described how they watched the inrushing sea swallow up coastal towns and villages leaving devastation in its wake. iReporter Alden Tagarino captured this image of the damage caused by the tsunami in Pago Pago. At least 111 people are confirmed killed in Samoa, neighboring American Samoa and Tonga. But officials in the Polynesia region have expressed fears the toll will rise as rescue workers struggle to reach outlying villages submerged and flattened by the wave. American Samoa resident Frances Faumatu told CNN she had fled to Aoloau, the highest village on the island, as the earthquake shook her house. "All of a sudden we heard on the radio everybody had to run for safety," she said. "Right after the quake, the tsunami came." Faumatu and others stayed on the mountain for two or three hours until the warning was lifted, watching as the sea swallowed Pago Pago, island's capital, and then receded. At least 22 people are confirmed dead in the U.S. island territory. Cars, debris, and parts of buildings were randomly strewn over the landscape where the powerful waters dropped them. See iReporter images of the aftermath » But in some cases, the sea left nothing behind. "Other villages were taken to the ocean," Faumatu said. "I can't even compare the image. It's one thing to see a photo or footage, but just to be there in person is pretty dramatic," Maneafaiga T. Lagafuaina told CNN Wednesday. "American Samoa itself is experiencing a great loss." The 8.0-magnitude quake hit the small cluster of Samoan islands in the South Pacific early Tuesday. In Samoa, the death toll stands at 82, according to government minister Maulolo Tavita. But he said he feared the number of causalities would continue to rise. Around 220,000 people live on the two main islands which make up the nation of Samoa. The population of American Samoa is about 66,000. See a map of the affected region » Salamo Laumoli, director of health services at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center in Pago Pago, said he feared more fatalities would turn up as rescue workers strived to access parts of the island severed by damaged infrastructure. "I thought it was the end of the world," said Laumoli. "I have never felt an earthquake like that before." Patients at the hospital were briefly moved to higher ground, but they were soon brought back and the hospital is operating, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said. The airport in the capital of Pago Pago was also operational and being used for emergency flights, FEMA said. A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 cargo plane was scheduled to land Wednesday around noon Eastern time, which coincides with sunrise in the Pacific U.S. protectorate, said Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator. A second C-130 was scheduled to land around 5 p.m. ET. "The wave came onshore and washed out people's homes," said Cinta Brown, an American Samoa homeland security official working at the island's emergency operations center. The same happened on the hard-hit east and west sides of American Samoa, said Brown, who was standing in a parking lot when her sport utility vehicle began rocking left and right. She said she could hear the rattling of metal of a large chain-link fence around the lot. "It shakes you because you know something else is coming," she said. The British Foreign Office said one of the dead in American Samoa was a British national, but no other details were provided. In Tonga, Lord Tuita, the acting prime minister, said at least seven people had been confirmed dead on the northern island of Niuatoputapu. Three others were missing and four people were being treated for serious injuries, he said. "The hospital on the island is reported to have suffered major damage; telephone communications has been cut as a result of damage to equipment and facilities on the island; homes and government buildings have been destroyed; the airport runway has been severely damaged making it impossible for | [
"How many are dead in Samoan islands?",
"What do officials fear?",
"What was the magnitude of the quake that struck early Tuesday?",
"How many dead in Samoan islands after Pacific tsunami?"
] | [
[
"At least 111 people"
],
[
"the toll will rise"
],
[
"8.0-magnitude"
],
[
"At least 111 people are confirmed killed in Samoa,"
]
] | At least 111 dead in Samoan islands and Tonga after Pacific tsunami .
Officials fear death toll will rise as rescue workers reach outlying visitors .
Magnitude-8.0 quake strikes near Samoan Islands early Tuesday .
Hawaii National Guard troops being sent on relief operation . |
(CNN) -- Susan Atkins, a terminally ill former Charles Manson follower convicted in the murder of actress Sharon Tate, on Tuesday was denied a compassionate release from prison. Susan Atkins, Califorina's longest-serving female inmate, is shown in her most recent mug shot. Atkins, 60, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has had a leg amputated, her attorney said. In June, she requested the release, available to terminally ill inmates with less than six months to live. The California Board of Parole Hearings' decision -- posted Tuesday on its Web site -- came after a public hearing on Atkins' request. It means the request will not be forwarded to the Los Angeles Superior Court that sentenced Atkins. The court would have had the final say on Atkins' release. Her attorney, Eric P. Lampel, called the parole board's decision "unfortunate." "[The board] ignored the vast majority of evidence presented," Lampel said. "There was a huge amount of pro-compassionate release testimony from many witnesses. It apparently fell on deaf ears." Known within the Manson Family as Sadie Mae Glutz, Atkins and four others were convicted in connection with the deaths of five people, including Tate, in August 1969. According to historical accounts of the murder, Atkins stabbed Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and scrawled the word "pig" in blood on the door of the home the actress shared with director Roman Polanski. By her own admission, Atkins held Tate down and rejected her pleas for mercy, stabbing the pregnant woman 16 times. Atkins' request roused long-dormant memories of the two-day killing spree that terrorized Los Angeles and left seven people dead. It polarized those who were involved in the case -- and even those who weren't -- over whether she should die behind bars. Atkins told a 1993 parole board that Tate pleaded for her unborn child's life as she held her down. "She asked me to let her baby live," Atkins said. "... I told her I didn't have any mercy on her." Three of Tate's houseguests were also slain by the killers, as was a teenager visiting the home's caretaker in his cottage out back. Atkins was also convicted in the earlier murder of music teacher Gary Hinman. One of the first people Atkins confessed to was Virginia Graham, who shared a cell with her before investigators determined the Manson Family was responsible for the murders. Graham said last month she believed Atkins should die in prison. "She showed that poor woman absolutely no mercy, none," Graham said. "So why should anybody show her mercy at this time?" Sharon Tate's sister, Debra, has staunchly opposed Atkins' release. "She will be set free when judged by God," Debra Tate has said. "It's important that she die in incarceration." Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said Monday he was strongly opposed to the release, saying in a letter to the board it would be "an affront to people of this state, the California criminal justice system and the next of kin of many murder victims." Cooley noted in his letter that Atkins was initially sentenced to death, like others in the Manson Family, including its leader, Charles Manson. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison in 1972, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty laws as they were written at the time. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he was also opposed to releasing Atkins. "I don't believe in [compassionate release]," the governor told reporters. "I think that they have to stay in, they have to serve their time." Even if Atkins is dying, Schwarzenegger said, "Those kinds of crimes are just so unbelievable that I'm not for the compassionate release." Earlier, Suzan Hubbard, director of adult prisons in California, also recommended against granting Atkins' request. Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Atkins and other members of the Manson | [
"who was stabbed 16 times by atkins?",
"what happened to Atkins?",
"What is the condition of Susan Atkins?",
"What is she suffering from?",
"What age is Manson follower?",
"what is the expectation of manson follower?",
"Susan Atkins is bedridden, can barely speak",
"What did Atkins do to Sharon Tate?",
"how many times was the stabs",
"What is her condition now?",
"What number of murders did she commit?",
"who was stabbed",
"What is his life expectancy?",
"who is terminally ill",
"What is Atkins suffering from?",
"Who is terminally ill and expected to die?"
] | [
[
"Sharon Tate,"
],
[
"denied a compassionate release from prison."
],
[
"terminally ill"
],
[
"brain cancer"
],
[
"60,"
],
[
"denied a compassionate release from prison."
],
[
"diagnosed with brain cancer"
],
[
"murder"
],
[
"16"
],
[
"Atkins, 60, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has had a leg amputated,"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Sharon Tate,"
],
[
"less than six months to live."
],
[
"Atkins,"
],
[
"brain cancer"
],
[
"Atkins,"
]
] | Manson follower, 60, terminally ill, expected to die within six months .
Susan Atkins is bedridden, can barely speak .
Atkins stabbed pregnant victim Sharon Tate 16 times .
Atkins, who was convicted of five 1969 murders, has brain cancer . |
(CNN) -- Susie Levitt's and Katie Shea's feet had had enough. Walking around Manhattan sidewalks between classes in their high heels was getting unbearable. Katie Shea and Susie Levitt, founders of "CitiSoles," said walking around Manhattan in high heels was painful. Tal Raviv felt frustrated. While studying in Hong Kong in 2007, he found that adjusting to a new city was hard enough. Even more aggravating was trying to connect with friends on Facebook whose names were common. Jaun Calle and Adam Berlin were bored. Watching college football on television isn't as exciting as being there in person, they thought. Instead of just grinning and bearing it, all of these university students did something: They started their own businesses. Levitt and Shea created "CitiSoles," a shoe company that makes a foldable shoe for when the pain of high heels gets unbearable. Raviv created "DropCard" an e-business card that lets users send more contact information than is commonly found on a business card. Calle and Berlin formed "SEC Excursions" a travel company that provides busing, tailgate parties and hotel accommodations to college football games. The recession and lack of experience might stop most adults in their tracks, but these students weren't discouraged. "There is no better time [to start a business]," said Christopher Hanks, director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia. "During a depression or recession, innovation always increases." The dorm is the new garage While the founders of Google built success in their garages, these college students found it in their dorms. In addition to their course work, studying for midterms and balancing extracurricular activities, they wrote business proposals and figured out financing. "From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I am in chemical engineering classes, and from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., I work on DropCard, so I don't get much free time," said Raviv, 22. Levitt and Shea said launching their shoe business was essentially nonstop, and the work didn't end on Friday. And for Calle, the compromises in his academic and social life weren't a burden. "We enjoy ourselves," said Calle, 21. "We don't see it as a sacrifice." Hanks said these attitudes are typical of student entrepreneurs. They don't have the pressure of supporting themselves -- their living expenses are usually being paid for -- and they have a wide support system. "They certainly have their advantages ... their enthusiasm level is really high," Hanks said. "They don't know what they don't know." Hanks added that the excitement of creating a business revs up the students even more than the chance of getting rich. "They get excited about 'wouldn't it be cool if we did that' versus the money," said Hanks. "The journey is not as much as about the money as about the challenge." Figuring it out None of these students followed a set formula for starting their businesses. Levitt and Shea used Alibaba.com, an online trade portal, to pitch their idea to suppliers and dipped into their savings for start-up money. An investment firm helped Raviv, and Calle and Berlin found investors. Levitt and Shea, both 22, took "less than $10,000" from their savings to start CitiSoles in 2008. That covered the cost of the shoes and a Web site designer. From there, they worked with suppliers and factories in Asia to scope out which would be the best fit for their company. The pair conducted market research and found nothing similar sold in the United States. "It was all done online," Levitt said. "We became nocturnal." The shoes, made of imitation leather, come with a compact carrying case. A patent for the shoe is pending. When the first order for 1,000 pairs, weighing over 400 pounds, arrived at Shea's Long Island home unexpectedly, Levitt said they were overwhelmed. A few days later, an article about their company appeared in | [
"Who created SEC Excursions?",
"Who co-founded \"DropCard\"?",
"Who founded DropCard?",
"Who created \"SEC Excursions\"?",
"Who created Citisoles?",
"What is a foldable-shoe company called?"
] | [
[
"Calle and Berlin"
],
[
"Tal Raviv"
],
[
"Tal Raviv"
],
[
"Calle and Berlin"
],
[
"Katie Shea and Susie Levitt,"
],
[
"\"CitiSoles,\""
]
] | Susie Levitt and Katie Shea created a foldable-shoe company called "CitiSoles"
Tal Raviv co-founded "DropCard," a new take on the business card .
Juan Calle and Adam Berlin created "SEC Excursions," a travel agency .
"There is no better time" to start a business, an entrepreneur expert says . |
(CNN) -- Suspected Islamic insurgents fired mortar rounds at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president, but no one -- including Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed -- was harmed, a presidential spokesman said. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, pictured late last month during a visit to France. The attack happened while the plane was about to take off from Mogadishu's airport Sunday around 11 a.m. local time, spokesman Hussien Mohammed Huubsireb said. "Al-Shaabab has actually tried to harm to president, but thank God nobody was hurt," Huubsireb said. Al-Shaabab is an Islamic militia that is trying to seize control of Somalia. It is a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union, which ousted Somalia's transitional government in 2006. The ICU was deposed in December of that year following Ethiopia's military invasion. Bloody battles between Al-Shaabab and the Ethiopian-backed government forces in Mogadishu have forced residents to flee the capital. More than 40,000 displaced civilians have taken shelter in dozens of makeshift settlements west of Mogadishu, described by the United Nations as "precarious conditions." Sunday's mortar attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed. The president survived a car bombing in September 2006 outside Somalia's parliament in Baidoa that killed at least eight others. Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has been more frequently targeted by the Islamic insurgents seeking to destabilize the government. Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. Somalia's current transitional government is trying to maintain control of the capital, with the help of the better-equipped Ethiopian forces. But the presence of the Ethiopians has united various Islamic militant groups in Somalia, including Al-Shaabab, who are trying to oust the Ethiopian forces and gain control of Mogadishu. The United States classified Al-Shaabab as a terrorist organization in March, partly because of what Washington says is the group's close ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda militant group. | [
"What was used in the first attempt on Ahmed's life?",
"Were there injuries reported?",
"For how long has Somalia been in chaos?",
"Were there any injuries?",
"Rebels fired at a plane carrying what?",
"Since when is Somalia in chaos?",
"Somalia has been in chaos since when?",
"Who fire at a plane?"
] | [
[
"car bombing"
],
[
"was harmed,"
],
[
"1991,"
],
[
"no one"
],
[
"president,"
],
[
"1991,"
],
[
"1991,"
],
[
"Islamic insurgents"
]
] | Suspected Islamic rebels fire at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president .
Plane attacked as about to take off from Mogadishu, no injuries reported .
Attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed after car bomb in 2006 .
Somalia in chaos since 1991, when warlords deposed dictator Mohamed Siad Barre . |
(CNN) -- Suspected Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier Wednesday with 22 crew members aboard, according to the European Union's Naval Force for Somalia. MV Filitsa was seized in the early morning about 460 miles (740 kilometers) northeast of the Seychelles as it headed toward Durban, South Africa, according to a news release from EU NAVFOR Somalia. The Marshall Island-flagged carrier -- with three Greek and 19 Filipino crew members -- "has now turned around and is heading north," it said. The bulk carrier has a deadweight of more than 23,000 tons. There have been more than 100 pirate attacks and at least 39 hijackings off the east Africa this year, according to EU NAVFOR. In late October, Somali pirates seized a private yacht in the Indian Ocean, taking Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage. They have demanded a $7 million ransom for the British couple's release, but the government has refused to pay as a matter of long-standing policy. Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles, while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast. Pirates are still holding a Spanish fishing boat, the Alakrana, which they seized on October 2 off Somalia's coast. Days later, they transferred three of the fishing boat's 36 crew members to land. Two pirate suspects had left the Alakrana in a small vessel heading toward land, authorities said, and the Spanish military swooped in to stop them on the high seas. They were later brought to Madrid, where a judge has charged them with piracy and kidnapping. The pirates holding the crew have demanded Spain release the two suspects. Spain is part of the European Union task force against piracy in the Indian Ocean off Somalia. The Spanish parliament last January agreed to increase Spain's presence with up to 395 troops and assets, including a frigate and aircraft. CNN's Al Goodman contributed to this report | [
"How many pirate attacks have there been in the region?",
"how many crew were aboard?",
"Who says the ship is moving north?",
"where is the ship now heading?",
"How many crew onboard?",
"how many pirate attacks this year?",
"How many people on the crew?",
"What makes the coast of East Africa a dangerous place?",
"What is the number of crew aboard the MV Filitsa?",
"how many people aboard?",
"How many crew are in bulk carriers?",
"how many attacks off East Africa this year?",
"where the ship is heading to?",
"What direction is the ship headed, after changing directions?"
] | [
[
"more than 100"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"EU NAVFOR Somalia."
],
[
"headed toward Durban, South Africa,"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"100"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"There have been more than 100 pirate attacks and at least 39 hijackings off the"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"22"
],
[
"more than 100 pirate"
],
[
"north,\""
],
[
"north,\""
]
] | 22 crew aboard Greek-owned bulk carrier MV Filitsa .
Ship changed directions, now heading north European Union Naval Force says .
More than 100 pirate attacks off East Africa this year . |
(CNN) -- Swedish car manufacturer Saab, a fully owned subsidiary of General Motors, announced Friday that it will "file for reorganization ... to create a fully independent business entity." The Swedish car maker says a formal reorganization is the best way to create an "entity that's ready for investment." Under the Swedish court system, an independent administrator will be appointed to work closely with the Saab management team to formulate a reorganization proposal, which will be presented to creditors within three weeks of the filing. Saab said it will continue to operate as usual and in accordance with the formal reorganization process, with the government providing some support during this period. "We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal reorganization would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment," said Jan Ake Jonsson, managing director for Saab Automobile. "Saab has an excellent foundation for strong growth, assuming we can get the funding to complete engineering, tooling and manage launch costs. Reorganization will give us the time and means that help get these products to market, while minimizing the liquidity impact of Saab on GM." General Motors said this week that it plans shed tens of thousands of employees, close factories, cut product lines and wants billions of dollars in government funding to stave off bankruptcy. When all is said and done, GM said that by 2011 it could need a total of $30 billion, which includes the $13.4 billion in Treasury loans it has already received. In the near term, GM will most certainly need $9.1 billion in additional loans and could require an additional $7.5 billion in the next two years if auto sales don't improve. | [
"where Auto maker says plan considered to be the best?",
"What was an independent administrator appointed to do?",
"what company is involved",
"what is the plan",
"Of what company is Saab a fully owned subsidiary?",
"What is the purpose of the recent GM job cuts?"
] | [
[
"formal reorganization is the"
],
[
"work closely with the Saab management"
],
[
"Saab,"
],
[
"shed tens of thousands of employees, close factories, cut product lines and wants billions of dollars in government funding"
],
[
"General Motors,"
],
[
"bankruptcy."
]
] | Independent adminstrator appointed to form Saab reorganization plan .
Auto maker says plan considered to be the best way to attract future funding .
Saab is a fully owned subsidiary of ailing U.S. auto maker General Motors .
GM is fighting to stave off bankruptcy with job cuts, U.S. Treasury loans . |
(CNN) -- Swimming legend Michael Phelps struggled in his attempt to adapt to the old-style racing suits at the World Cup short-course event in Sweden on Tuesday. The 14-time Olympic gold medal winner qualified for finals in only one of three events in Stockholm, his best result being seventh of eight to go through in the men's 100 meter medley. Racing for the first time since winning five golds and a silver at the world championships in July, the American missed out on the 100m freestyle after qualifying in 16th of 23 competitors. His time of 47.77 seconds was 1.84 seconds slower than the leading mark set by Sweden's Stefan Nystrand. The 24-year-old, who was disqualified in the 100m backstroke, set a time of 53.13 seconds in the medley. The fastest man, South African Darian Townsend, came home in 52.48. Phelps was one of the few swimmers to revert to the old-style suits, which will become mandatory after January 1 as world ruling body FINA seeks to rein in the high-tech costumes which have sent records tumbling at an incredible rate in the past two years. He will swim in the 100m butterfly and 200m medley heats on Wednesday, and then head to the next leg of the World Cup in Berlin at the weekend. In Stockholm on Tuesday, Chinese swimmer Jing Zhao set a new world record in the heats of the women's 50m backstroke, clocking 26.08 seconds. She beat the mark of 26.17 posted by Australia's Marieke Guehrer in the previous meet of the series in Moscow on November 6. In the men's 50m butterfly, South Africa's Roland Schoeman was first in a new World Cup record of 22.29. | [
"What caused Michael Phelps to struggle?",
"Phelps has won how many Olympic gold medals?",
"Who struggles in the old-style racing suits?",
"Phelps had two more events on Wednesday before heading where?",
"Phelps has how many more events on Wednesday?",
"Who missed out on two of three finals in Stockholm?"
] | [
[
"the old-style racing suits"
],
[
"14-time"
],
[
"Michael Phelps"
],
[
"Berlin"
],
[
"100m butterfly and 200m medley"
],
[
"Michael Phelps"
]
] | Swimming star Michael Phelps struggles in old-style racing suits at World Cup short-course event .
The 14-time Olympic gold medal winner missed out on two of three finals in Stockholm .
He was one of the few to wear an old-style suit, which will be mandatory next year .
Phelps has two more events on Wednesday before heading to the next leg in Berlin . |
(CNN) -- Swiss police were scrambling Monday in search of three masked men who stole four Impressionist paintings worth about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs) Sunday in a heist police characterized as "spectacular." Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" was one of the famous paintings stolen by the armed robbers. The three men entered the E.G. Buehrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world -- in Zurich, Switzerland, at around 4:30 p.m. CET (8:30 a.m. ET), police said. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings -- Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil," Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters," Van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest" -- into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. Police said the men were wearing dark clothes and hoods, and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent. They were all of average height, police said. There is a reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. The Swiss art heist follows the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, a major art museum in Zurich, said. The 'dumbest' form of art crime » The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the paintings, the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend | [
"What amount are the stolen artworks worth?",
"what happened to picassos art",
"What country had other recent thefts?",
"what was stolen",
"what happened in zurich",
"What artists are included in the haul?"
] | [
[
"$163 million"
],
[
"stole"
],
[
"Switzerland"
],
[
"famous paintings"
],
[
"Swiss art heist"
],
[
"Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet"
]
] | Artworks worth $163M stolen in Zurich art heist .
Haul includes pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet .
Heist follows recent thefts in Switzerland of artworks by Picasso . |
(CNN) -- Swiss super-combined world skiing champion Daniel Albrecht was airlifted to hospital after a sickening crash on Kitzbuehel's Streif course on Thursday.
Albrecht nose-dives down Kitzbuehel's Streif course after crashing during training for a World Cup downhill.
Albrecht, who was said to have suffered concussion and bruising to a lung, was in training for the weekend's World Cup downhill at the Austrian venue when he lost control approaching the bottom of the run.
The 25-year-old received lengthy treatment on the slopes before being flown to hospital at St. Johann, where he regained consciouness before being put in an induced coma.
An induced coma puts the brain in hibernation so it can recuperate and allows swelling in the brain to ease.
Helmuth Obermoser, the official race doctor, said in a brief statement that Albrecht had bleeding on the brain and a lung contusion.
Albrecht took the season's opening giant slalom at Solden in October and scored a second victory and fourth of his career two months later in Alta Badia, Italy, where he became the first Swiss winner in 10 years.
Thursday's fall came on a similar section at Kitzbuehel that saw American Scott Macartney suffer head injuries in a crash last season -- an episode that led officials to make changes to the course. | [
"when Swiss Albrecht was airlifted to hospital?",
"Who was training for a World Cup downill competition?",
"Who is airlifted to the hospital after the accident at Kitzbuehel?",
"Where did Albrecht get lifted to?",
"Was he treated on the hill too?"
] | [
[
"Thursday."
],
[
"Daniel Albrecht"
],
[
"Daniel Albrecht"
],
[
"hospital"
],
[
"received lengthy treatment"
]
] | Daniel Albrecht is airlifted to hospital after a sickening accident at Kitzbuehel .
Super-combined world skiing champion was training for a World Cup downhill .
Swiss Albrecht was airlifted to hospital after lengthy treatment on the slopes . |
(CNN) -- Switzerland defender Philippe Senderos is in talks to leave Arsenal and join English Premier League rivals Everton, according to the Liverpool-based side. Philippe Senderos is seeking to leave Arsenal to keep his World Cup hopes alive. The 24-year-old has been out of favor with the London club for the past year or so, and spent last season on loan with Italy's AC Milan. The center-back made only 15 appearances in his injury-hit stint with the Rossoneri, and returned to Arsenal where he has a year left on his contract. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright confirmed that talks were underway, but said that no deal had been done despite an earlier claim by the Swiss Football Federation. "We have been negotiating with Arsenal for the transfer of Philippe. Nothing has been concluded yet but talks are on going," Kenwright told Everton's official Web site on Tuesday. Everton face the possible departure of England defender Joleon Lescott, the subject of two bids from big-spending EPL rivals Manchester City. Transfer gossip: City to bid again for Lescott. Manager David Moyes has rejected both offers and is determined to keep the player, who has been ruled out of recent pre-season friendly action due to a hip injury picked up on the tour of the United States. Moyes needs cover for injured center-back Phil Jagielka, who is not expected to return to action until November. The Swiss Football Federation had said on its official Web site on Monday that Senderos had agreed to join Everton because he needed regular first-team action ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. Switzerland are level on points with Greece at the top of Group Two after six of 10 games, with the winner qualifying directly and the runner-up hoping to go into one of the four play-offs. Senderos joined Arsenal in the summer of 2003 from Swiss club Servette, and established himself in the first team alongside Kolo Toure when regular Sol Campbell was injured. However, he missed the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona due to his own injury, with England defender Campbell returning in his place to score the opening goal of the 2-1 reverse. Senderos missed the start of the 2006-07 season after suffering a shoulder problem at the World Cup finals, and subsequently struggled to break back into the Arsenal team. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a wealth of central defensive resources despite selling Toure to City last month, having brought in Belgium international Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in June. William Gallas, Johan Djourou, Mikael Silvestre and Alex Song are also competing for first-team places. | [
"Who is in talks?",
"Who is in talks to leave Arsenal & join Everton?",
"What is Philippe Senderos in talks to do?",
"Who did Senderos spend an injury-hit loan spell with?",
"Where did Senderos have a loan spell last season?",
"When did Senderos join Arsenal from Servette?",
"When did he join Arsenal?"
] | [
[
"Philippe Senderos"
],
[
"Philippe Senderos"
],
[
"leave Arsenal and join"
],
[
"Italy's AC Milan."
],
[
"Italy's AC Milan."
],
[
"in the summer of 2003"
],
[
"summer of 2003"
]
] | Philippe Senderos in talks to leave Arsenal and join English rivals Everton .
Switzerland defender wants regular first-team action ahead of 2010 World Cup .
Senderos spent an injury-hit loan spell with Italy's AC Milan last season .
The 24-year-old joined Arsenal in 2003 from Swiss club Servette . |
(CNN) -- Switzerland's Lara Gut made history on Saturday when she became the youngest-ever winner of a women's World Cup race when claiming victory in the super-G at St Moritz. Gut holds the Swiss flag aloft after becoming the youngest skier to win a women's World Cup race. Cheered on by the local supporters, the 17-year-old finished ahead of compatriot Fabienne Suter with Italy's Nadia Fanchini -- the winner of the opening super-G in Lake Louise, Canada, finishing third. Gut gave a clear indication of her immense talent on Friday when finishing fifth in the super-combined and she produced a near flawless run of 57.38 seconds to finish well clear of her rivals. Suter, who finished third on Friday, moved up one place on the podium with a time 00.63 secs behind Gut. World Cup leader Lindsay Vonn failed to finish on a piste that had been considerably shortened to deal with poor visibility caused by falling snow. American Vonn, the defending overall champion, was one of many racers caught out by a bump in a fast section after a sharp right-hand turn. Vonn said Gut's maiden win was not a surprise. "She has been skiing well all season so far," said the 24-year-old. "She has got a lot to learn still, but on a day like today, going first, it was a perfect chance for her. She definitely executed and seized the opportunity." Gut added: "I was really nervous as I wasn't used to being the leader, but gradually I began to realise that in fact I had skied really well especially when I saw that Nadia and Fabienne were behind me." | [
"What does she now hold?",
"Where is Lara Gut from?",
"What nationality is Lara Gut?",
"What did Lara Gut win?"
] | [
[
"the Swiss flag aloft after becoming the youngest skier to win a women's World Cup race."
],
[
"Switzerland's"
],
[
"Switzerland's"
],
[
"women's World Cup race"
]
] | Swiss Lara Gut makes history by winniing the women's Super-G at St Moritz .
The victory makes Gut, 17, the youngest-ever woman to win a World Cup race .
Fellow-Swiss Fabienne Suter finished second with Italy's Nadia Fanchini third . |
(CNN) -- Switzerland's Massimo Busacca has been selected to referee Wednesday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Rome on Wednesday -- UEFA have confirmed on their official Web site UEFA.com Massimo Busacca refereed the 2007 UEFA Cup and one of the semifinals from Euro 2008. Busacca, 40, will be assisted by his compatriots Matthias Arnet and Francesco Buragina, while the fourth official will be Claudio Circhetta. Busacca has been an international referee since 1999 and has taken charge of 32 Champions League matches, including six this season. Among the top club matches he has overseen are this year's Champions League quarterfinal second leg between Porto and Manchester United and the 2007 UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol in Glasgow. On the international stage, Busacca was also in charge of the Euro 2008 semifinal between Germany and Turkey and the 2006 World Cup last 16 match between Argentina and Mexico. Meanwhile, authorities in Rome have enforced a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol as they attempt to stave off the threat of trouble between 67,000 Barcelona and Manchester United fans. In a bid to avoid incidents, local authorities have banned the sale of alcohol throughout the city and in airports and stations from 11pm on Tuesday until 6am on Thursday morning. "It will not be a militarised city," Rome authority spokesman Giovanni Pecorari told Press Association Sport. "All the necessary measures have been taken in order to give the best possible image of this city." | [
"What was the ban about?",
"When is the final game?",
"when is the final?",
"Witch is the name of the referee?"
] | [
[
"sale of alcohol"
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"Rome"
],
[
"Massimo Busacca"
]
] | Massimo Busacca selected to referee Champions League final on Wednesday .
40-year-old Swiss will be accompanied by team of three compatriots in Rome .
Busacca refereed the 2007 UEFA Cup final and one of Euro 2008 semifinals .
Rome authorities enforce a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol before the final . |
(CNN) -- Switzerland's largest city has permitted the use of controversial posters which call for a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques in the European country. The Federal Commission against Racism said the posters defame Switzerland's peaceful Muslim population. The posters are part of a campaign by the nationalist Swiss People's Party (SVP) and feature a veiled woman against a background of a Swiss flag pierced by several minarets resembling missiles. The cities of Basel and Lausanne have described the posters as racist and banned them in publicly-owned spaces. However, Zurich is among a clutch of cities that have chosen not to prohibit them. According to the SVP, the minarets symbolize ideological opposition to the country's constitution. Switzerland will hold a national referendum on the issue on November 29. According to Agence France-Presse, an opinion poll by the daily Tages-Anzeiger showed more than 51 percent of Swiss voters are against any ban on minaret construction. The Swiss government and all the other major political parties are recommending a "no" vote, while local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have joined forces to reject a ban, AFP added. The mayor of Zurich, Corine Mauch, told CNN that the decision on the poster was taken on the basis of political freedom of speech in the run-up to November's vote. "While we disapprove of the posters we took the decision after legal consultations. "We consulted the Federal Commission against Racism and spoke to Muslim communities in the city, but decided banning the posters from public spaces would draw more attention to the issue." Do you agree with the Zurich decision? However, the Federal Commission against Racism said in a statement Wednesday that the posters "defame Switzerland's peaceful Muslim population, feed prejudice, and portray the Muslim community as wanting to dominate Switzerland, oppress women and trample on fundamental rights." The SVP have courted controversy with their campaigns in the past. In 2007 they faced international criticism for leading an anti-immigration campaign during the federal election that featured a poster with a white sheep kicking a black sheep off a Swiss flag. Under party leader Christoph Blocher they went on to win the biggest share of the vote in the 200-member parliament, taking 55 seats. Earlier this year they issued a poster depicting crows pecking at a map of Switzerland, as the country prepared to vote on whether to support an extension of a free movement of labor deal with the European Union which would include new members, Bulgaria and Romania. | [
"What campaign are they for?",
"Who decided the ban?",
"What do the Swiss People's Party say they symbolize?",
"What do the posters call for a ban on?",
"Who is the camplaign by?",
"What is the ban against?",
"Where did Zurich decide against ban on posters?",
"What do the posters call for?"
] | [
[
"a"
],
[
"The cities of Basel and Lausanne"
],
[
"ideological opposition to the country's constitution."
],
[
"the construction of minarets"
],
[
"the nationalist Swiss People's Party"
],
[
"construction of minarets on mosques"
],
[
"public spaces"
],
[
"ban on the construction of minarets on mosques in the European country."
]
] | Posters call for a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques .
Posters are part of a campaign by the nationalist Swiss People's Party .
SVP says they symbolize ideological opposition to the country's constitution .
Zurich decides against ban on posters on freedom of speech grounds . |
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