story
stringlengths 117
4.55k
| questions
sequence | answers
sequence | summary
stringlengths 65
465
|
|---|---|---|---|
(CNN) -- They've sung his praises on social networking pages, calling him a "hero," "the greatest man of our time," "a legend." They've said he deserves to be knighted and should be decorated with medals. They've cried out for his amnesty and have even proposed serving time for him.
A Lebanese student in Beirut attends a December rally to support the shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist.
The man many hundreds of thousands of Facebook users honor is no other than Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for hurling his shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush.
The double-whammy size 10 shoe toss, neither of which hit Bush, took place in December at a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq. In many traditional Middle East circles, throwing shoes at someone is considered a grave insult.
To do this to an American president surrounded by Secret Service agents, no less, was as shocking to riveted viewers who watched the footage later as it was to the president himself. Watch video about the shoe thrower's sentencing »
"First of all, it's got to be one of the most weird moments of my presidency," Bush said later. "Here I am getting ready to answer questions from the free press in a democratic Iraq, and a guy stands up and throws his shoe. ... I'm not angry with the system. I believe that a free society is emerging, and a free society is necessary for our own security and peace."
Expressing their own freedom on Facebook, a worldwide fan base rose up to laud al-Zaidi's actions. They formed hundreds of fan pages and groups, big and small, serious and light. One is even called the "Shoe-Throwing Appreciation Society."
Mike Trainor, 28, was watching a football game when a news break brought footage of the incident across his TV screen.
"I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen," said Trainor, a Queens, New York, stand-up comedian behind "Guy Who Threw His Shoes at Bush," which has attracted nearly 270,000 fans.
The comedian may have created the post for laughs, but he quickly learned how loaded the issue was.
"It grew into this crazy thing," in which Bush supporters began to weigh in on message boards calling al-Zaidi supporters "a threat to America" and insults in reaction flew, he said. "It shows people have a lot of passionate feelings about it, that's for sure."
One message board on his page, titled "YOU GUYS HATE AMERICA," drew 384 posts in reaction. The creator started it with these words: "seriously you guys are all a**holes. why would you be happy about some freaking foreigner throwing his shoes at the leader of the free world? I don't care if he's dumb he's my president of my wonderful country [sic]."
And interspersed amid the groups of fans were those that spoke out against the al-Zaidi worship. "That shoe thrower is not a hero," attracted 94 members, many of them with Arabic names.
One London poster said the shoe thrower "did nothing but bring shame upon us iraqis [sic]," and another from Halifax, Nova Scotia added, "I dont care about bush but this guy was very disrespectful to the Iraqi Prime minister who was standing right next to him [sic]."
But the shoe-thrower fans, at least in the world of Facebook, seem to far outweigh those who decried his actions.
"This site is intended to express the appreciation of those who share the frustration and anger that you expressed when you blew Mr Bush those boot-kisses [sic]," reads the description on "Thank you Muntadhar al-Zaidi," a nearly 500-member page created by a teacher at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Protests of the journalist's arrest and now sentence brought Arab and Muslim demonstrators to the streets. But | [
"What is the name of the person who threw a shoe?",
"How long is his sentence?",
"Which president was the shoe thrown at?",
"Who threw shoes?",
"Where is the journalist from?",
"What do his actions lead to?",
"Who through his shoes at Bush?"
] | [
[
"Muntadhar al-Zaidi,"
],
[
"three years"
],
[
"George W. Bush."
],
[
"Muntadhar al-Zaidi,"
],
[
"Iraqi"
],
[
"three years in prison"
],
[
"Muntadhar al-Zaidi,"
]
] | Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at President Bush, gains cult-like following .
Hundreds of thousands of Facebook users join groups to praise the Iraqi journalist .
Fans extend beyond the Muslim and Arab worlds, politically and comically .
But seriousness of his actions leads to three-year prison sentence . |
(CNN) -- Thierry Henry scored twice as Barcelona booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 5-2 second leg victory against Lyon at the Nou Camp. Lionel Messi, left, and Thierry Henry celebrate as Barcelona reach the last eight of the Champions League. Former winners Porto joined them at the next stage after their return leg against Atletico finished goalless in Lisbon -- the 2-2 draw in the first leg in Madrid sending them through on the away goals. Spain's Primera Liga leaders Barcelona strolled into a 4-0 first half lead on their way to a 6-3 aggregate success with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o building on Henry's double. Jean Makoun pulled one back just before half-time and Juninho struck three minutes after the restart, but the French champions never looked like disturbing Barca's path to the March 20 draw. Lyon's hopes suffered another blow when Juninho was given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card in time added on and Seydou Keita took full advantage by snatching another in the final seconds. Having conceded an away goal in a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Stade Gerland, Lyon had to score to stand any chance of progressing. After a fairly even opening, a quickfire double from Henry dictated the outcome of the tie. After 25 minutes he latched onto a ball from Rafael Marquez, beating the offside trap to slide the ball under Hugo Lloris. Two minutes later Henry doubled the lead when he slid the ball in at the near post past the advancing Lloris. Messi showed his class in the 40th minute. The Argentina star collected the ball on the right touchline, before embarking on a mazy run past three Lyon defenders. He then exchanged a one-two with Eto'o, before firing a low shot home. Eto'o was desperate to get on the scoresheet himself as he stormed into the box from the left, only to see his shot saved by Lloris from point-blank range. Within a minute, though, he had made amends as he popped up in the box, side-stepped his marker and smashed the ball home. A minute from the break, Makoun made it 4-1 as he headed home Juninho's corner. And the former Brazil midfielder got on the scoresheet himself three minutes after the break following a cross from Cesar Delgado. Any thoughts of a comeback failed to materialise as Barca continued to create a raft of chances. As the game moved, into stoppage time, Juninho picked up a second booking for dissent and moments later Mali midfielder Keita made it five for Barca. | [
"Who did Barcelona beat in the Champions League match?",
"What did Lyon score in their match?",
"Number of times that Thierry Henry scored in the game?",
"Which player scored twice?",
"What was the score in the match between Barcelona and Lyon?",
"What was the final score of the Barcelona vs Lyon game?",
"What team does Thierry Henry play for?",
"What was the score of the Barcelona game?",
"What team did Porto play against?"
] | [
[
"Lyon"
],
[
"5-2"
],
[
"twice"
],
[
"Thierry"
],
[
"5-2"
],
[
"5-2"
],
[
"Barcelona"
],
[
"5-2"
],
[
"Atletico"
]
] | Barcelona beat Lyon 5-2 in second leg to reach Champions League last eight .
Thierry Henry on target twice as Spain's Barcelona progress 6-3 on aggregate .
Porto also through on away goals after goalless home leg against Atletico . |
(CNN) -- Third seed Roger Federer returned to winning ways after a 10-month title drought with a convincing straight sets victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori in the Swiss Indoors championship in Basel.
Former world number one Federer delighted his home fans by powering to a 6-1 6-3 success, his fifth in the last six Basel events.
The triumph also ended a relatively barren 2011 for Federer, whose only other ATP Tour title this season came in January's Qatar Open in Doha.
Nishikori, who had stunned world number one Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, had no answer to 30-year-old Federer, who was reaching his first final since losing to Rafael Nadal in the French Open at Roland Garros in June.
Federer, who was securing his 68th career title, told reporters: "It's great to win at home once again. It was a perfect match for me and now I have big hopes for Paris and London this month."
Federer continued: "I've known, ever since I hit with him as a teenager, that Kei could have a good future. He has had some injuries but he's playing well now. It was a good match and I'm very happy for the win."
Nishikori added: "I tried to fight, but Roger would not let me into the match. I'm very glad to have played the final, it has always been one of my goals to play Roger."
Meanwhile, Spain's Marcel Granollers defeated Argentina's Juan Monaco 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7/3) to win the Valencia Open on Sunday.
It was the 25-year-old's third career title and second this year following his victory over compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the Gstaad final in July. | [
"What was the victory score?",
"Who defeated Kei Nishikori?",
"How long was the drought?",
"Where was the title competition?",
"Who did Federer beat?",
"How many months was it since Federer had won the event in Doha?"
] | [
[
"6-1 6-3"
],
[
"Roger Federer"
],
[
"10-month"
],
[
"Basel."
],
[
"Kei Nishikori"
],
[
"10-month"
]
] | Third seed Roger Federer defeats Kei Nishikori to win the Swiss Indoors title in Basel .
Federer cruises to a 6-1 6-3 victory for a fifth triumph in his 'home' tournament .
The success ends a 10-month drought for Federer since winning event in Doha . |
(CNN) -- Thirty to 40 ships -- including several passenger ships -- were stuck Thursday in ice off the coast of Sweden, said a spokesman for the Maritime Search and Rescue Center in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The area of the Baltic Sea worst hit by the ice were the waters bounded by mainland Sweden, the Stockholm archipelago and the Finnish island of Aland, said Tommy Gardebring, press officer with the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The center identified one of the passenger ships as the Amorella, with 753 passengers and 190 crew members.
Several passenger vessels from Viking Line were stuck, he said. One of them had been freed.
"It has been a lot colder than normal in the southern parts of the Baltic sea, but in the north all is normal with normal levels of ice," Gardebring said. "However, in the worst-affected areas, the ice breakers that normally operate haven't been able to cope with the ice, which is why we are sending additional ice breakers."
The extra help was expected to arrive around midnight (6 p.m. ET), he said.
"There was never any danger for the safety of the vessels, but we have increased our preparedness, just in case, since the ice puts a lot of pressure on the sides of the ships," Gardebring said.
He predicted that most of the ships would be freed by Friday.
CNN's Per Nyberg and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this story from London, England | [
"What types of ships are trapped?",
"What does the spokesman expect?",
"What is being used to free the ships?",
"few ships trapped in the ice of the Sea?"
] | [
[
"passenger"
],
[
"that most of the ships would be freed by Friday."
],
[
"additional ice breakers.\""
],
[
"to 40"
]
] | Up to 40 ships trapped in iced Baltic Sea off Sweden .
Rescue center sending extra icebreakers to help free the ships .
Spokesman expects most of the ships will be freed by Friday . |
(CNN) -- Thirty years ago Wednesday, Iranian student revolutionaries climbed over the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and seized dozens of Americans, whom they ultimately held hostage for 444 days. The hostage crisis, coming in the aftermath of Iran's Islamic revolution, ended diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran -- a rift that persists to this day. Iran celebrates the embassy takeover as an official holiday, and tens of thousands showed up in Tehran on Wednesday to hear anti-American speeches. The anniversary was also an opportunity to reignite the anti-government protests that were sparked in June, following a disputed presidential election, and thousands of anti-government protesters ignored warnings from Iranian authorities to stay home. One of the leaders of the 1979 hostage-takers says the United States and Iran must not be hostages to history. "I am not willing to be a hostage of that historical event," Ebrahim Asgharzadeh said on CNN's "Amanpour," in an interview marking the anniversary. "Neither Iran nor the United States should be hijacked by that historical event," he said from Tehran, where he went on to become a reformist lawmaker and was himself jailed by the Islamic regime. He said the two sides need to be aware of the past without being imprisoned by it. "If they do not pay attention to ... history they will have an unstable future, an impermanent future," he said. Asgharzadeh said he and his fellow students had been offended that Jimmy Carter, then the U.S. president, had let the deposed Shah of Iran into the United States for medical treatment -- and said the actions of his compatriots had parallels in the United States. "We felt insulted -- our revolution, our people -- and so there was a rebellion," he said through a translator. "A measure was needed to be taken that was effective, that could impact the world public opinion. "We were not radical students. We were revolutionary students, in the sense that we were defending our country, our people, our nation," he said. "What the students did for the first two or three days, it was a student activity. It was meant to protest, something that American students did many times on the streets to protest the Vietnam War." But John Limbert, a former American hostage, is not convinced by the comparison. "Whatever they thought they were doing, whether it was a 1970s-style student sit-in, the results of it were very ... different," he told Christiane Amanpour. And it was not the American hostages who suffered most, he added. "They brought misery to the Iranian people. What happened to us was difficult. It was frightening. It was -- it was uncomfortable. But it lasted 14 months and was over," he said. "We certainly didn't expect it to last that long. They have said they didn't expect [it] to last that long. But what they did, in effect, was to create a climate of lawlessness and mob rule [of which] they and their compatriots are today the greatest victims," said Limbert, the author of "Negotiating with Iran, Wrestling the Ghost of History." The hostage crisis escalated beyond what any of the participants expected as Iran's new revolutionary government publicly backed the hostage-takers, Asgharzadeh and former Carter aide Gary Sick agree. "That way it became actually an act of the Iranian government, rather than a group of students who were acting potentially outside the law," said Sick, who was Carter's point man on Iran. "So basically, the situation got out of hand, in terms of being a student activity," Asgharzadeh said. "It became a societal issue backed by the leadership. "And every day that passed on, things got more complicated. The analysis got more complicated in the White House. They lost their cool. They didn't know what to do. And they faced a challenge by the Iranian revolution and this revolutionary thought. | [
"What did former hostage say?",
"Who were the hostages?"
] | [
[
"\"Whatever they thought they were doing, whether it was a 1970s-style student sit-in, the results of it were very ... different,\""
],
[
"dozens of Americans,"
]
] | One hostage-taker says 1979 embassy takeover was protest by angry students .
Former hostage says the event "brought misery to the Iranian people"
All sides tell CNN the legacy of the hostage crisis still affects U.S.-Iran relations .
Amanpour airs at 3 p.m. ET daily on CNN International and 2 p.m. ET Sunday on CNN USA . |
(CNN) -- This Veterans Day, like the nine that preceded it, does not come at a time of peace. We are no longer saying thanks to veterans of wars past such as our grandfathers, uncles or those guys who fly black POW/MIA flags twice a year. Now we are thanking our children, our friends from high school and our younger cousins.
Every day, someone new is introduced to the hardships of wartime military service or the horrors of combat.
These are wars with no clean victories. There are no sailors in New York waiting to grab a passing dame to celebrate victory with a kiss. In the way that people offer their thanks, there is an echo of guilt -- just an echo -- of our country's mistreatment of its Vietnam veterans, and that only a select few have borne this generation's burden of war. That awkwardness with which the thanks is delivered, coupled with some veterans' anxieties about what they have seen or done, can make Veterans Day seem like a show of empty patriotism -- or worse, a slim bandage slapped over a gaping wound of indifference, pity or guilt.
Our towns and cities throw parades on this day, often out of tradition and in an attempt to demonstrate anything but apathy toward their war fighters. Unlike parades past -- parades not held during wartime -- these gatherings do not celebrate victory. They directly celebrate service while indirectly celebrating survival.
Even that is a messy, ongoing process. A returning veteran stepping off a plane onto U.S. soil is not evidence that the veteran survived the war -- about 20% of all suicides in the United States are committed by veterans. For some returnees, simply making it through another day is their new objective. Life back home can seem remote, confusing or even pointless.
Now there is some discussion of restructuring the military pension system and raising the cost of health insurance for future service members to cut costs. That our country needs to get its fiscal house in order is not in question; what should be examined is the tendency of our government to view military service as something comparable to private-sector work. This perspective, when combined with a cynical political understanding that the military will accept any burden, puts additional strain upon our overtaxed fighting force.
Consider how our civilian population's experiences on this Veterans Day will contrast sharply with that of the military:
In the U.S., a man will wake up, make breakfast, pack his briefcase and walk to his car worrying about traffic jams. In Afghanistan, an infantryman will wake up, slug down the same food he has been eating for months, check his equipment and climb into his armored vehicle worrying about the road disintegrating beneath him.
In the U.S., a hardworking mother of three will cycle her children through the shower, make breakfast and send them off to school before she heads to work. In Iraq, a hardworking military police platoon leader will cycle her 20 soldiers through personal hygiene and the chow hall, and lead the convoy briefing before they go on patrol.
In the U.S., a man will work a part-time job in a warehouse, running a forklift and hauling merchandise throughout the night, impatient to reach home. At Bagram Air Field, a soldier waiting for his leave flight back to the States will draw extra duty. His detail will move dead bodies -- dozens of them -- throughout the night, storing them carefully inside of a transport plane. He will be impatient to be done with the solemn yet gruesome task, but when he is finished, he will have to be ordered to take leave.
With the images of the dead fresh in his mind, he will be disoriented and not even want to go home anymore. He won't be sure where to go, for that matter.
In the U.S., politicians propose cutting military pensions and health benefits. Overseas, veterans see the potential reduction of military benefits and conclude that their service and their sacrifices -- over many years and multiple deployments -- are not a priority to the very politicians (of both major parties) that sent them to war.
Like the | [
"What s Veterans day more about now",
"What do returning troops face?",
"What are being threatened with cuts",
"What holiday is Jonathan Raab talking about?"
] | [
[
"thanking our children, our friends from high school and"
],
[
"suicides"
],
[
"military pensions and health benefits."
],
[
"Veterans Day,"
]
] | Jonathan Raab: Veterans Day more about survival than victory for many of today's troops .
He says returning troops face long recovery even as budget woes raise threat of benefit cuts .
He says military service is much more taxing and traumatic than a civilian's work .
Raab: Americans should remember veterans' sacrifices after decade of war . |
(CNN) -- This is always a frightful time of year, but this year it got a bit scarier. You may have been prematurely spooked by an "illegal alien" costume threatening Halloween thrill seekers with an extraterrestrial countenance, orange prison garb and a green card. There's also a version with a baseball cap and droopy moustache. Frankly, I'm surprised the manufacturer, Forum Novelties, is not offering other stereotypical accessories, like low-rider flying saucers and glow-in-the-dark lawn mowers. The costume reflects ominous trends: the deterioration of the immigration debate, the rise of anti-immigrant hostility as a form of racism and the need for greater empathy to bridge the gap between those who view such attacks as harmless humor and those who are demeaned and hurt by them. According to a CNN.com article: "Political satire and Halloween often merge. Costumes depicting former well-known political figures are often seen alongside those depicting Batman or Wonder Woman." But what if the inspiration for the satire is a group of disenfranchised people? When is a costume clever and funny and when is it an expression of uglier truths inside us? The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, California, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens and the United Farm Workers of America in condemning the costume, calling on retailers to drop it. Target was among those stores that quickly stopped selling it, while others, including BuyCostumes.com, chose "trick" over "treat." "Wearing this costume shows poor taste and ignores the painful reality -- for millions of immigrants who must live through constant taunting, discrimination and now mocking," the Coalition's director of communications, Jorge-Mario Cabrera, told me. "The costume is a sign of the decaying dialogue on immigrants as a community in the U.S." Dreadfully, this costume contest also illuminates the evolution of discrimination in America. The Pew Research Center recently reported that 55 percent of adults say "there are 'very strong' or 'strong' conflicts between immigrants and people born in the United States" while "39 percent believe there are serious conflicts between blacks and whites." The Pew report concludes that: "Disagreements between immigrants and native-born Americans emerge as the most prevalent and serious type of social conflict." What we are witnessing this season is a metamorphosis of racism, from anti-black to anti-immigrant. It's like Darth Vader slipping into Voldemort gear. Still spine-chilling. But not all trick-or-treaters are repulsed by the specter of prejudice masquerading as freedom-loving, tongue-in-cheek revelry. William Gheen, of Americans for Legal Immigration, said he is buying the costume. "The only people getting upset are the hypersensitive, over-politically correct, pro-amnesty, illegal alien-supporting nuts." he said. "You can't attack people's freedom in this country." This reaction highlights the polarization of the immigration debate in America and the widely divergent views on discrimination among different social groups. According to the Pew survey, blacks, Latinos and women are significantly more likely than whites and men to say major conflicts exist between groups. Some of the widest perception gaps exist between blacks and whites on whether black/white conflict persists: 53 percent of blacks said "yes" compared with 35 percent of whites. Gaps also exist between Latinos and whites on whether conflict exists between immigrants and native-born Americans: 68 percent of Latinos said "yes" compared with 53 percent of whites. It's interesting that racism and immigration-related conflict is most perceived by those experiencing its negative effects rather than those either perpetrating the prejudices or simply floating through life oblivious to them. What may be dismissed as a non-issue or joke by some tastes bitterly like insult and injury to others. It depends on who wears the costume and who is the butt of the joke. So before people brandish their right to ridicule and belittle entire ethnic groups, before such frivolous freedoms help stoke anti-immigrant | [
"What are these costumes reflecting according to Ruiz ?",
"where these events occurred",
"What does he say the costume reflects?"
] | [
[
"ominous trends:"
],
[
"Los Angeles, California,"
],
[
"ominous trends:"
]
] | Rudy Ruiz: "Illegal alien" costume has alien's face, wears prison garb, carries green card .
Ruiz: Just because we have a right, we needn't demean people or mock their plight .
Says costume reflects the rise of anti-immigrant hostility as a form of racism .
Ruiz: If you're one of the people who are the butt of the joke, it's not so funny . |
(CNN) -- This is the summer of Auto-Tune. The Gregory Brothers have become a viral hit with their "Auto-Tune the News" videos. No matter how hard some people -- notably Jay-Z --have tried to kill the trend of musicians using computers to make their voices sound like whiny robots, Auto-Tune technology continues to ride a cultural high. Now the voice-altering effects are migrating from recording studios to YouTube and mobile phones. An iPhone app called "I Am T-Pain" lets people manipulate their voices to sound like the popular rapper and Auto-Tune advocate. The Gregory Brothers, a sibling band out of Brooklyn, New York, has become a hit on YouTube with a series of videos that Auto-Tune cable newscasts and political speeches. The group, which also tours as a low-fi soul band, started its series of videos called "Auto-Tune the News" during the 2008 presidential debates and has gained millions of fans in recent months. CNN spoke with Andrew Gregory, a 27-year-old member of the band, about the popularity of Auto-Tune -- the trademarked name for the popular pitch-correction software -- and the role of technology in music and society. The following is an edited transcript of our conversation: Why do you think your videos have taken off like they have? I think with any sort of viral video there's a little bit of luck involved. So we're counting our lucky stars that we've been lucky enough to have it take off like that. At the same time I think the novelty of seeing people like Katie Couric and Newt Gingrich sing has really captured peoples' attention. How do you make the videos? What actually goes into it? Michael likes to joke that there's a huge Auto-Tune lever that he hooks up to his computer and whenever he sees video footage he just pulls the lever, and anything that strikes his fancy is automatically Auto-Tuned. But there's a lot of technical stuff that goes into it. ... We scour a lot of footage to see what's going to work and what's not going to work. We try to find what people are going to tune well and what people won't tune well. ... Really, by the time the video gets made I'd say it's eight or 10 days of work that goes into one of these videos, between the four of us. What makes someone a good candidate for Auto-Tuning? An example of a great candidate for Auto-Tuning would be either Katie Couric or Joe Biden. Both Katie Couric and Joe Biden have just continued to astonish us with their unbelievable, almost hidden melodies in their speaking voices. A lot of it has to do with how they project their voice in terms of their soft palate. But it also has to do with how much of an oratorical fashion they speak. Joe Biden, in a lot of his speeches, is delivering them in a preacher sort of fashion that tunes really well. While someone who ended up tuning really poorly -- we thought he would tune really well! -- was Sean Hannity. We thought he'd tune really well just because Sean Hannity is always talking really loud. But it turns out that despite the fact that he was talking really loud, it was a nasal talking and it was a harsh and abrasive loud voice, so it ended up not tuning well at all. Does President Obama make for a good Auto-Tune? You know, what was great from Obama was the campaign speeches. His campaign speeches were excellent, because he was sort of using that almost gospel-preacher rhetorical style. Since he's been president, he's been so relaxed and sort of so laid back and cerebral and sort of intellectual. He's not been quite as excellent for Auto-Tuning because there's a lot more of a mumbly tone about him. A lot less of the "Yes we can!" and a lot more of the "Weeeeell, as we | [
"Who does not have a good Auto-Tune voice?",
"Can the technology which the Gregory brothers use alter voices of news-makers?",
"Who talked with Andrew Gregory?",
"Who did CNN talk with?",
"What is the name of one of the people behind \"Auto-Tune the News\"?"
] | [
[
"Sean Hannity."
],
[
"series of videos that Auto-Tune cable newscasts and political speeches."
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"Andrew Gregory,"
],
[
"Andrew Gregory,"
]
] | CNN talks with Andrew Gregory, one of the people behind "Auto-Tune the News"
The Gregory Brothers use the technology to alter voices of news-makers .
Gregory says Katie Couric has a good Auto-Tune voice, but Sean Hannity doesn't .
He plans to use the "I am T-Pain" Auto-Tune app in a live performance . |
(CNN) -- This month on Art of Life we feel the need for speed. From the world's first road-legal grand prix bike to a rock legend with a passion for aviation. Monita Rajpal samples the finest in Italian motorbikes Monita Rajpal meets the boys behind Ducati's motorbikes, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson explains why flying is his new source of adrenaline, and trance legend Paul Van Dyk takes us round his favorite haunt in the former East Berlin. Ducati: Riding in Style Ducati has long-been the ultimate name in luxury motorbikes, but just like its racers, the company has had to compete fiercely to defend its title. As a small Italian manufacturer, up against Japanese mega-plants, employing thousands of workers, Ducati's comparatively small family is driven by pride. CNN's Monita Rajpal visits the Bologna factory floor and talks to some of the men behind the company, meets Ducati's Moto GP champion Casey Stoner and takes a test drive of Ducati's Desmosedici racing replica, the world's first road-legal grand prix bike. Watch Monita's trip to the Ducati factory Bruce Dickinson: Rock star in the sky A leather-clad, long-haired pilot, donning a t-shirt with blood-spewing skeletons would be a nightmare for many uneasy flyers. Fortunately for passengers on Bruce Dickinson's plane, the lead singer of Iron Maiden has gotten a new wardrobe and a new day job. Art of Life meets up with the rock legend to find out why he has chosen to take to the skies and become a commercial airline pilot. Watch Dickinson take to the skies Paul Van Dyk: Guides us through Germany Paul Van Dyk, the legendary trance musician, DJ and producer has made his name well-known, even though his genre of music is typically associated with young ravers and more urban listeners. Watch as Van Dyk takes Art of Life on a tour of his hometown, the former East Berlin, and shows how he has drawn from the city's war-weathered rhythms to gain inspiration for his songs. Watch Van Dyk tour Berlin E-mail to a friend | [
"Who visits the Ducati factory in Bologna?",
"when Art of Life looks at motorbike, planes, DJs and Rock idols?",
"What is Dickinson passionate about?",
"Who talks about his passion for flying?",
"who will takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of Berlin?",
"Where is the Ducati factory?",
"What is Art of Life looking at this month?",
"who visits the Ducati factory in Bologna, meets Moto champ Casey Stoner?"
] | [
[
"Monita Rajpal"
],
[
"month"
],
[
"aviation."
],
[
"Bruce Dickinson"
],
[
"Paul Van Dyk"
],
[
"Bologna"
],
[
"the need for speed."
],
[
"Monita Rajpal"
]
] | This month Art of Life looks at motorbike, planes, DJs and Rock idols .
Monita visits the Ducati factory in Bologna, meets Moto champ Casey Stoner .
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson talks about his passion for flying .
DJ Paul Van Dyk takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of Berlin . |
(CNN) -- This month, Just Imagine focused on the future of nature and the ways in which it can inspire solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. A digital representation of the human genome. Yet as scientists gain a greater understanding of biological processes, they're also learning how to manipulate them, including the very essence of what makes us human -- our DNA. Biotechnology advances are already helping scientists find groundbreaking ways to create personalized medicine, detect illnesses and eradicate disease. And this, according to futurist Ray Kurzweil, is only the beginning. In the future, humans will be able to reverse the aging process, replace dying organs with younger ones grown from an individual's own DNA and even genetically engineer unborn children, he said. But some, like the UK-based group Human Genetics Alert, worry the ability to reprogram our biochemistry could lead mankind into unknown territory with dangerous ramifications for the future, including genetic discrimination and even a redefinition of what it means to be human. We want to hear your views. To what extent should we be able to alter our genetic makeup? Should there be a limit? And how should it be determined exactly what that limit is? Post your comments in the Sound Off box below. We'll publish the best. | [
"What might be able to expand human potential?",
"Who is Ray Kurzweil?",
"What did the Human Genetics Alert say it could lead to?",
"What did Human Genetics Alert say?",
"What type of discrimination might this lead to?",
"Human potential might be expanded by what?"
] | [
[
"Biotechnology advances"
],
[
"futurist"
],
[
"unknown territory with dangerous ramifications"
],
[
"worry the ability to reprogram our biochemistry could lead mankind into unknown territory"
],
[
"genetic"
],
[
"Biotechnology advances"
]
] | We ask, to what extent should we be able to alter our own DNA?
Ray Kurzweil: Reprogramming DNA could expand human potential .
Human Genetics Alert says could lead to genetic discrimination, social issues .
What do you think? Post your views in the Sound Off box below. |
(CNN) -- This month, Just Imagine has looked at the future of space, and the potential it holds for humanity. Should humanity aim for the stars ... The proponents of the NewSpace movement, like our featured commentator Bob Richards, hold that humanity must expand into space if we are to survive. They say that the limitless resources held by the stars will help humanity seek a bold new future. But some say that we should fix Earth's problems, especially the challenge of global warming, before we set our eyes on the stars. They say space travel is too expensive, and its carbon footprint too great, to be a priority for us right now. We want to hear your views. Should space be our next frontier? Or should we focus on fixing things here on Earth first? Post your comments in the Sound Off box below, and we'll publish the best. | [
"Who thinks we should be focusing on fixing issues on Earth first?",
"What do those in the NewSpace movement say?",
"What do others say we should focus on?",
"what do others say",
"Who says space is humanity's future?"
] | [
[
"some"
],
[
"that the limitless resources held by the stars will help humanity seek a bold new future."
],
[
"fix Earth's problems,"
],
[
"limitless resources held by the stars will help humanity seek a bold new future."
],
[
"The proponents of the NewSpace movement,"
]
] | We ask, should humanity expand into space?
Those in the NewSpace movement say space is humanity's future .
But others say we should focus on fixing issues on Earth first .
What do you think? Post your views and we'll publish the best. |
(CNN) -- This season on "American Idol," there's a huge question looming around Adam Lambert. Kris Allen, left, and Adam Lambert are battling it out to become the next "American Idol." No, not that one. The one about whether this season would have been as exciting had he not been a part of the show. Love him or hate him, Lambert has added an element to the competition that has been woefully lacking in seasons past: a contestant so unique that you can't wait to see what he will pull next out of his bag of tricks. Regardless on how the season concludes, with Lambert being named "American Idol" or losing the title to competitor Kris Allen, it's obvious that a star has been born, and we all got to watch. "I don't think there would be nearly the interest that there is if it weren't for Adam," said Brian Mansfield, who blogs about the show for USA Today. "Really, all season long it's been Adam and the rest of the field, and is there anybody in the rest of the field that can beat Adam." Read and watch the best "Idol" performances » Indeed, the talent level for "Idol's" 2009 edition has been fairly high. Once upon a time, the show plucked apparent unknowns from auditions and thrust them before millions of viewers for a ready-made career. Now, "unknown" has become a relative term as more contestants like Lambert, who toured with a production of "Wicked," have shown the polish of veteran professionals. But not everything has worked at a high level. The show's ratings have declined a bit from unbelievable to simply juggernaut. And then there's the tried-and-true format, which producers attempted to mix up a bit this season. Among the changes: more semifinalists -- and fewer semifinal performance shows. That meant viewers didn't have the opportunity to see the contestants perform more than once. At least a few felt cheated. "It's a situation where they get who they want to get, and they pimp those people, which takes away from some of the really good singers," said "Idol" fan Ricky Hoggard Hollman, who gained fame during season six for correctly guessing the top 24 semifinalists. This season's robust group of 36 contained some fine potential finalists, Hoggard said, but he believed it wasn't a level playing field partly because producers chose to focus more on back stories than talent. There was also the addition of a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, to the longtime triumvirate of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, which in the end added nothing but time. Producers also added a "judges' save," which became a throwaway. Much of the criticism has fallen on DioGuardi, a Grammy-nominated songwriter who was supposed to bring a fresh and informed perspective. Instead, she brought uninspiring critiques, some crazy costumes based on the week's theme and the magical ability to force Abdul into a few weeks of coherent comments. Even Cowell wasn't acting like the Simon we have come to alternately adore and want to shake a finger at. He engaged in juvenile antics with Abdul (at one point drawing on her face) and at times stared into space with such complete boredom that you wondered whether Susan Boyle's "Britain's Got Talent" performance had forever altered his state of consciousness. "Simon has shown a level of disinterest and a level disdain for the show that I think is kind of alarming," said Michael Slezak, who writes about the show for Entertainment Weekly. "We sort of expect Simon to speak for us as viewers. We expect him to be up-front and honest and the voice of reason, and he's just been completely disinterested. "I think it's disrespectful to the contestants, and I think even more so it's disrespectful to us as viewers," Slezak added. "For better or for worse, and crazy or | [
"What has Adam Lambert added to season eight?",
"Who is vying to win American Idol?",
"What has the addition of new judges drawn?"
] | [
[
"a contestant so unique that you can't wait"
],
[
"Allen,"
],
[
"Kara DioGuardi, to the longtime triumvirate of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, which in the end added nothing but time. Producers also added a \"judges' save,\" which became a throwaway."
]
] | Adam Lambert has added spice to season eight of American Idol .
Kris Allen and Lambert are vying to win "American Idol"
Show's producers tried new tactics this season to draw viewers .
Addition of new judge and antics at the judges' table have drawn fan ire . |
(CNN) -- This section of CNN Business Traveller aims to keep you up to date with the latest developments in the high flying world of the road warrior.
CNN's Richard Quest puts the Xshot through its paces with the help of a tourist in Basel.
Each show we check out new gadgets and give you our opinion on their usefulness.
The XShot
This month CNN's Richard Quest road tested the XShot, a telescopic stainless-steel rod that allows you to take pictures and videos while keeping yourself in the frame.
A camera is screwed in position on the end of the lightweight rod which extends by three feet. The mount fits all compact machines. Once in position all you need to do is hit the camera's self-timer or remote, hold the stick out and say "cheese."
This means you no longer have to be the martyr behind the lens on holiday snaps and you can save yourself the embarrassment of having to ask an unsuspecting member of the public to take a picture of you.
Of course, you might well feel just as self-conscious dangling a camera on the end of a meter-long metal stick but at least you'll be able to trust the photographer.
Quest tested the gadget against the beautiful alpine views from Mount Stanzahorn, near to the Swiss town of Lucern. After roping in a succession of tourists to try out the XShot, he decided it was easy to operate and compact, and worthy of a thumbs up from Smart Traveller. For more details visit xshotpix.com. | [
"The gadget was given a thumbs up by whom",
"What did Smart Traveller test this month?",
"What did CNN's Richard Quest give the gadget?",
"what was tested",
"what is xshot made of",
"How long is the Xshot telescopic stainless-steel rod",
"What is the Xshot?",
"what does xshot do"
] | [
[
"Smart Traveller."
],
[
"The XShot"
],
[
"a thumbs up"
],
[
"the XShot, a telescopic stainless-steel rod that allows you to take pictures and videos while keeping yourself in the frame."
],
[
"telescopic stainless-steel rod"
],
[
"three feet."
],
[
"a telescopic stainless-steel rod that allows you to take pictures and videos while keeping yourself in the frame."
],
[
"allows you to take pictures and videos while keeping yourself in the frame."
]
] | This month Smart Traveller road tested the Xshot in Basel, Switzerland .
The Xshot is a three-feet long telescopic stainless-steel rod .
A camera can be mounted on the end to allow you to take pictures of yourself .
CNN's Richard Quest gave the gadget the thumbs up . |
(CNN) -- This spring break, thousands of college students will ditch the bars and the beaches to do something more meaningful with their vacation time. Brad Vonck (bottom, left) and other student volunteers worked with the Cherokee Nation in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Brad Vonck is one of them. A sophomore at the University of Illinois, Vonck will travel to San Juan, Texas, in a group of 13 students to volunteer with La Union del Pueblo Entero, an organization that helps strengthen the communities and lives of farm workers and their families. "Learning about different cultures is very important to me," Vonck said. "I like to engage in different areas of life that I don't really understand." Every year, more and more college students, like Vonck, are choosing to spend their valuable time off from school participating in "alternative spring break" programs -- community service-based opportunities dealing with the most pressing issues of the day, including hunger and homelessness, disaster relief and global warming. "If you can name a social issue, then students are doing trips around it," said Jill Piacitelli, executive director of Break Away, an organization that trains and helps colleges across the United States promote alternative break programs. For the past six years, these programs have been growing in popularity among college students. Break Away estimated that this year, nearly 65,000 students will participate in its alternative break programs, an 11 percent increase from 2008. "It's a student-led social movement. ... This is a group that very much wants to be involved in the world around them," Piacitelli said of the volunteers. "They're solution-oriented. They want to innovate and lead and involve their peers." The average domestic trip costs around $250 or $300, Piacitelli said, which includes "housing, travel, social activities, food and often a donation to the community." Many university programs offer financial aid and the option to raise money to help pay for trips. "It is rare that anyone who wants to go on a trip cannot go," Piacitelli said. The affordability is part of the reason why so many students return for second or third trips. Nikunj Shah, a graduate of Arcadia University, has taken several alternative spring break trips volunteering in the United States and Mexico. This year, he will be traveling as an alumnus to Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, a city that has been largely ignored by disaster relief efforts in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita. "I've always had an interest in helping people. I've always been really involved in community service," Shah said. "So I saw this as an opportunity to go places I haven't been before, to get a feel for different cultures and to help people there that truly need help." In an effort to expand their alternative spring break options, universities across the United States partner with humanitarian organizations like the United Way of America. Randy Punley, director of corporate and media partnerships at the United Way, oversees the organization's Alternative Spring Break programs. After Hurricane Katrina, the United Way partnered with MTV to engage young people in the response effort. "We knew there was an interest and a passion in young people for the work we were trying to achieve," Punley said. Since then, the United Way has evolved and expanded, establishing chapters on college campuses. The organization has also developed an Alternative Spring Break Social Media Challenge, encouraging young people to be active in their communities and use social media Web sites, like Facebook or Twitter, to involve other people. "Whether it started with the first Gulf War, punctuated by the September 11 attacks and Katrina and the economic meltdown, young people have a very different perspective about what's going on in the world," Punley said. At the end of the weeklong trip, most students say it was the best week of their lives, Punley said. The increasing interest in these programs, Punley believes, speaks volumes about the attitudes of Generation Y | [
"What is becoming more popular among college students?",
"What does the average domestic trip costs around?",
"What does the average domestic trip cost?",
"What kind of \"alternative\" spring breaks are becoming popular with college students?",
"What do the programs center on?",
"What type of spring breaks are becoming more popular among college students?",
"What do the programs center on?",
"How much does the average domestic trip cost?",
"what may the trips address",
"What is becoming more popular among college students?",
"what is the average cost",
"What is the average domestic trip cost?"
] | [
[
"participating in \"alternative spring break\" programs"
],
[
"$250 or $300,"
],
[
"$250 or $300,"
],
[
"community service-based opportunities dealing"
],
[
"community service-based opportunities dealing with the most pressing issues of the day, including hunger and homelessness, disaster"
],
[
"community service-based opportunities"
],
[
"community service-based opportunities dealing with the most pressing issues of the day,"
],
[
"around $250 or $300,"
],
[
"the most pressing issues of the day, including hunger and homelessness, disaster"
],
[
"participating in \"alternative spring break\" programs"
],
[
"$250 or $300,"
],
[
"around $250 or $300,"
]
] | "Alternative" spring breaks are becoming more popular among college students .
The programs center on community service .
Trips may address hunger and homelessness, disaster relief and global warming .
The average domestic trip costs around $250 or $300 . |
(CNN) -- This week the world will reach 7 billion people. Understandably that raises concern about a soaring world population. But there is a good news story from the demographic data that is not often told. We -- or rather the poor women of the world -- are defusing the population bomb.
Women today are having half as many children as their mothers and grandmothers. The global average is now down to 2.5 children per woman, and it continues to fall.
This is not just a rich-world phenomenon. Much of Asia now has fertility rates below two, from Japan and Korea to China, with its one-child policy, through Taiwan, Vietnam, Burma, Singapore and much of southern India and parts of the Middle East. Behind the veil, the women of Iran have cut their fertility from eight to less than two in a generation.
The young people out on the streets demanding democracy during the Arab Spring are arguably far more politically active because they are not at home raising large families.
Falling fertility happens faster if countries get richer and if women are better educated. Similarly urbanization helps a lot. While even young children can be an economic asset on an African peasant farm, they are an economic liability in cities, where they require education before they can get a job. The teeming megacities of the poor world may look like symbols of overpopulation, but they are part of the solution, too.
But the real story is that rich or poor, Muslim or Catholic, secular or devout, socialist or capitalist, with tough government birth control policies or none, most countries tell the same story. Small families are becoming the new norm.
The reason, I believe, is very simple. Women are having smaller families because for the first time in history they can. In the 20th century, the world largely eradicated the diseases that used to kill off most children. Today, most kids get to grow up. Mothers no longer need to have five or six children to ensure the next generation. Two or three is enough, and that is what they are choosing to have.
There are holdouts, of course. In much of Africa, rural women still typically have five children or more. But if Africa follows Asia, then we can see an end to population growth. We are, I believe, likely to see "peak population" by about mid-century. Perhaps at around 9 billion people.
After that, on current trends of fertility falling to below replacement levels, we will see a falling world population.
And rapid aging. With longer life expectancy and fewer babies, this is all but inevitable. China will soon be aging faster than anywhere on Earth. Aging is set to be the dominant demographic phenomenon of the 21st century, just as the population boom dominated the 20th century.
What does this mean for the environment? Well, peak population is good news, of course. But don't hang the flags. It is a pervasive myth that it is all those extra people that are wrecking the planet. That's no longer the case.
Rising consumption today is a far bigger threat to the environment than a rising head-count. And most of that extra consumption is still happening in rich countries that have long since given up growing their populations.
According to Stephen Pacala, the director of the Princeton Environmental Institute, the world's richest half billion people -- that's about 7 % of the global population -- are responsible for half the world's carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of man-made climate change. Meanwhile the poorest 50 % of the world are responsible for just 7 % of emissions. So there is no way halting population growth in the poor world today would have more than a very marginal effect on climate change.
It is the world's consumption patterns we need to fix, not its reproductive habits. Every time we talk about too many babies in Africa or India, we are denying this fact.
The population bomb may be being defused by the women of the poor world. But the rich world has not | [
"What is the global average for children per woman?",
"What is the population milestone?",
"What is the new norm?",
"What is the global average of women having children?",
"What does Pearce say the problem is now?",
"what did fred say"
] | [
[
"2.5"
],
[
"7 billion people."
],
[
"Small families"
],
[
"per woman,"
],
[
"Rising consumption"
],
[
"Rising consumption today is a far bigger threat"
]
] | Fred Pearce says there's good news attached to the 7 billion population milestone .
He says woman are having far fewer children than their forebears; global average is 2.5 .
He says small families new norm as old reasons for having more children are gone .
Pearce: Problem now is smaller population has upped its consumption, environmental damage . |
(CNN) -- This week's shooting death and subsequent dragging of a black man in South Carolina are being investigated as a possible hate crime, the Newberry County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
Sheriff Lee Foster said the body of 30-year-old Anthony Hill was found early Wednesday on a road near an elementary school in the town of Pomaria, 35 miles west-northwest of Columbia.
Hill had a single gun shot wound to the head, his body was nearly nude and a rope was around his neck and upper torso, Foster said.
Foster said Hill's body -- which carried no identification -- was found around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday by a motorist, who called 911. Officers followed a trail of blood and human tissue nine miles to the trailer park where Hill's co-worker Gregory Collins lives, surrounded his trailer for nearly four hours and finally resorted to tear gas, Foster said. "He came outside and gave himself up," Foster added.
Collins, 19, who is white, is charged with murder. Both men worked in Newberry at the Louis Rich turkey processing plant, said Foster.
"They did know each other; they worked in the same industry, on the same shift but different divisions," said Foster. "Neighbors told us the two spent most of the day together Tuesday. They were seen on a porch drinking together."
Hill, an Army veteran who lived in the neighboring county of Fairfield, was estranged from his wife and had two children, Foster said.
Investigators have not concluded that the killing is a hate crime, but are looking at it as one, according to Foster. "We called the FBI out of an abundance of caution," he said. "We have no motive whatsoever as to why these two gentlemen would have been together, then one shoots the other in the head and drags him down the road. It's a horrific act of violence."
Collins, who is being held in the Newberry County Detention Center, has been assigned a public defender.
Funeral arrangements are pending. | [
"Where both man worked?",
"What lead officers to suspect's house?",
"where the man worked",
"Who was found on South Carolina road?"
] | [
[
"Louis Rich turkey processing plant,"
],
[
"a trail of blood and human tissue"
],
[
"Louis Rich turkey processing plant,"
],
[
"Anthony Hill"
]
] | Both men worked in a turkey processing plant .
30-year-old Anthony Hill's near-nude body found on South Carolina road .
Rope around neck and upper torso .
Officers follow trail of blood and human tissue to suspect's house . |
(CNN) -- This week, Giyen Kim, 34, reached a personal milestone: She has lost 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. Giyen Kim, 34, has lost 10 pounds since January 1. She said she feels like it will be easier to lose more weight. This progress feels slow, she said, in comparison with her previous weight loss attempts, which consisted of crash dieting. But she found that those diets weren't sustainable. This time, she's looking to find a lifestyle she can keep. CNN asked viewers to talk about their New Year's resolutions on iReport.com and upload photos and videos during their journeys of change. Kim, who lives in Seattle, Washington, is one participant who frequently updates the iReport community with video updates on her progress. iReport.com: Watch Giyen talk about losing weight Reaching this 10-pound milestone, from 190 to 180 pounds, makes her feel as if it will be easier to lose more weight, she said. "You feel definitely more motivated when you actually quantify it in a number that feels good," she said. Visit CNNhealth, your connection for better living She doesn't feel physically different, but she does notice a change from previous pictures of herself, she said. Her original goal for the year was to get closer to her pre-pregnancy weight of 120 pounds. Kim has had a hard time exercising recently because her uncle, 90, passed away, and the grieving process has been difficult. But she plans to resume working out soon and wants to take classes at her gym. She also eats one vegan meal every day. Kim felt frustrated earlier this month because her progress felt slow, losing a pound a week. Read about her weight loss journey Often, the initial weight loss will seem the easiest, and then the loss slows somewhat over time, said Tara Gidus, dietician for the Orlando Magic NBA team and owner of Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting in Orlando, Florida. Exercise is key in speeding things up when you've reached a plateau, she said. It's important to find a physical activity that you enjoy doing and to vary the exercise routine -- for example, raising the incline on a treadmill to step up the intensity, she said. Gidus usually recommends losing about 2 pounds a week, or about 5 to 8 pounds a month. At that rate, someone like Kim could lose 50 pounds in six months, she said. A pace faster than that -- such as 10 pounds per month -- would be hard to keep up, Gidus said. People with on weight-loss journeys should have encouragement from friends, family or people in support groups or online communities, she said. Kim certainly has people supporting her in the virtual world: A video she posted a few weeks ago after she'd lost 4 pounds had more than a dozen motivational comments from others on iReport.com. Watch her video Her next goal is to lose 15 more pounds -- for a total of 25 -- by her birthday, March 24, and reward herself with a digital single-lens reflex camera, which professional photographers use. "That's basically 2 pounds a week, plus 3 more," she said. "It's ambitious, but I really want that camera." | [
"How much weight is it healthy to lose?",
"What does this milestone make easier?",
"How much as Kim lost?",
"What the Dietitian said about weight loss?",
"How many pounds had lost Giyen Kim since January 1?",
"Who said \"Reaching this milestone makes losing more weight look easier\"?"
] | [
[
"2 pounds a week,"
],
[
"to lose more weight."
],
[
"10 pounds"
],
[
"slows somewhat over time,"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"Giyen Kim,"
]
] | Giyen Kim, 34, has lost 10 pounds since January 1 .
Reaching this milestone makes losing more weight look easier, she said .
Dietitian: Often, speed of weight loss slows down over time .
Share your journey to change with iReport.com . |
(CNN) -- This weekend some of the world's highest-paid sportswomen will battle for supremacy in Ireland, with the most prestigious team prize in their sport up for grabs.
Golf's Solheim Cup is the female equivalent of the Ryder Cup, but it has yet to garner such a big reputation, despite a rich history and intense competition over the years.
With this in mind, CNN gives the lowdown on a great sporting event that deserves your attention...
From humble beginnings:
To trace the origins of the competition, we need to go back to 1959 and a garage in Redwood City, California.
It was in this garage that a 48-year-old Norwegian engineer and golf lover, fed up with the putters he was using to play the game, decided to use his in-depth knowledge of science to manufacturer his own putters by hand.
From these humble beginnings, the world famous PING brand of golfing equipment was born.
That man was Karsten Solheim and it was he, alongside his son John and the U.S. and European ladies golf tours , who developed the concept of a women's team event between the two continents.
The inaugural tournament, bearing Solheim's name, was held in 1990 at the Lake Nona club in Florida. Two teams of eight players faced each other, with the American side running out comfortable winners 11 1/2 to 4 1/2.
In 1996 the tournament was increased to 12 players per side, a number that stands to this day and it has become the leading team event in women's golf, with players earning their place either through their own tour money lists, or as a captain's pick -- exactly the same as in the men's Ryder Cup.
There have been 11 tournaments in total, with the United States leading 8-3, but the European team have not won any of the six competitions played on American soil.
The football-loving legend:
No look at the Solheim Cup can be taken without mentioning Laura Davies. Quite astonishingly, the Englishwoman, who turns 48 next month, has appeared in all 11 previous tournaments and, once again, she is a member of the European team at Kileen Castle.
Davies is a phenomenon in women's golf. As well as her achievements on the course -- which include winning four majors amongst her 81 victories -- she has been a flag-bearer for promoting the game, most notably when, in 2004, she became the first woman to compete on the men's European Tour.
Davies is sports daft and is a keen racehorse owner as well as an avid follower of Liverpool Football Club. However, her love of football got her into trouble with tournament organizers in the 1996 Evian Masters, when she was fined for watching a match on a portable TV during the final round of that tournament.
It didn't seem to hamper her game -- she won that particular tournament by four strokes!
Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam appeared in eight Solheim Cups, winning 22 of her 37 matches, while compatriot Sophie Gustafson, another member of the current side, and European captain Alison Nicholas have also starred in eight tournaments.
As for the Americans, you have to look hard to find a bigger legend than Juli Inkster. Despite reaching the age of 51 to become the oldest-ever competitior, the Californian is once again facing the European side this year, her ninth appearance in the event.
Breaking the mould:
The Solheim Cup has never really seen a player like Christina Kim before. Not only is the 27-year-old Californian a lucky charm for the United States, appearing in the winning teams of 2005 and 2009 -- claiming five out of eight points in the process -- her infectious personality, undiluted enthusiasm, larger-than-life character and wacky dress sense has been a highlight of recent competitions.
Kim is known for her bawdy sense of humor and occasional bouts of bad language that occasionally land her in hot water with golfing authorities.
Describing her fist-pumping celebrations in the 2009 Solheim Cup, former LPGA star Dottie Pepper wrote in a column for Sports Illustrated: "I | [
"which is the name of the oldest competitor Solheim Cup?",
"Who is American Juli Inkster?",
"Who has been only player to compete in every Solheim Cup?",
"When will be Solhem Cup take the place?"
] | [
[
"Juli Inkster."
],
[
"the oldest-ever competitior,"
],
[
"Laura Davies."
],
[
"weekend"
]
] | The Solheim Cup takes place this weekend between Europe and United States .
It is the 12th edition of the biennial tournament with the U.S. leading 8-3 .
England's Laura Davies is the only player to compete in every Solheim Cup .
American Juli Inkster, 51, is the oldest Solheim Cup competitor . |
(CNN) -- This year's Forbes Rich List is notable for the absence of Bill Gates at the top. After 13 years as the world's richest man, he has finally been toppled by his friend Warren Buffett who has an estimate fortune of $62bn. The Middle East's richest man: Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud The list -- which is a run down of the 1,125 richest people on the planet -- estimates a person's total net worth in US dollars based on the closing stock prices of the stock exchanges on which their company is listed. The Middle East's richest man is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, the 51 year old Saudi who has an estimated net worth of $21bn. He ranks 19th in the list and is considered to be the most active and successful investor in the Middle East. He took his investment vehicle, Kingdom Holding, public on the Saudi stock exchange in July 2007. The company contains investments in well-known global companies such as Citigroup and News Corp. In the early 1990s, Alwaleed made a risky bet on Citigroup that paid off massively and has in recent years accounted for nearly half his fortune. Kuwaiti construction heir Nasser Al-Kharafi is the next richest in 46th place with an inherited fortune of $14bn. He heads M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons, one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the Arab world. Americana, the company's lucrative food division is extremely successful and has exclusive franchise rights in the region for Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays and other big global brands. Faiza, his sister was the first woman president of Kuwait University. Naguib Sawiris, the eldest son of telecoms billionaire and Orascom Telecom founder Onsi Sawiris ranks next in 60th place with a net worth of $12.7bn. In addition to Orascom Telecom, his assets -- via European holding company Weather Investments -- include Italian phone company, Wind and leading Greek telecom companies Wind Hellas and Tellas. His brother, Nassef is in 68th place, with an estimated worth of $11bn and his father Onsi who serves as chairman of Orascom comes in at 96th place with $9bn. E-mail to a friend | [
"Where does he rank?",
"Where does he rank in the Forbes Rich List?",
"Who is the middle east riches man?",
"What list does he rank 19th on?",
"Who is the richest man?",
"Where is he from?",
"Who is the richest Middle Eastern man?",
"Who is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud?"
] | [
[
"19th"
],
[
"19th"
],
[
"Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud"
],
[
"Forbes Rich"
],
[
"Warren Buffett"
],
[
"Middle East's"
],
[
"Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud"
],
[
"The Middle East's richest man:"
]
] | The Middle East's richest man is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud .
He ranks 19th in the world in the Forbes Rich List .
Seven other billionaires from the Middle East rank in the top 100 . |
(CNN) -- This year's Nobel Peace Prize is divided between three women, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, the Nobel committee announced Friday.
Since it was introduced at the beginning of the 20th century, the Peace Prize has become the preeminent award honoring individuals and organizations that work for peace, justice and financial and political stability, according to the Nobel Committee.
Here are some facts, figures and history behind the award:
The process
** Nominations come from lawmakers around the world, university professors, previous Nobel laureates and members of the Nobel committee.
** That committee -- made up of five distinguished Norwegians chosen by the country's parliament -- picks the winner.
** This year, a record 241 candidates were nominated. The winner is announced Friday, but the names of the other nominees won't be revealed for another 50 years.
The award
** The award consists of a medal, a personal diploma and a cash prize (10 million Swedish kronor, or about U.S. $1.4 million).
** The Peace medal has the inscription "Pro pace et fraternitate gentium," which means "For the peace and brotherhood of men."
** A person must be alive to be nominated. If they die during the consideration period, their name will be removed. Only if a person is announced as a winner and dies before the ceremony will a posthumous award be given.
The history
** The Nobel Peace Prize was created by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist, industrialist and inventor of dynamite.
** Ninety-one Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded 19 times, most notably during World War I and World War II.
** Sixty-two Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded to a single laureate; 28 prizes have been shared by two laureates. One time, the prize was shared between three people: Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.
Recent winners
** Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won last year but could not attend. The political activist and longtime critic of communist rule in China is serving an 11-year prison term for what the Chinese government calls "inciting subversion of state power."
** In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama won for what the committee called "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
** Martti Ahtisaari of Finland was the 2008 winner. It was his "important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades to resolve international conflicts" that got him the prize, according to the committee.
** The year before, Al Gore and the U.N.'s International Panel on Climate Change shared the prize for their "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change," according to the committee. | [
"How many were nominated?",
"how many people share the nobel peace prize",
"Who has last year's winner?",
"How many women share the prize?",
"how many candidates were nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize",
"how many women shared 2011 Nobel Peace Prize",
"who is The award is named for",
"what is the award named after",
"how many people were nominated"
] | [
[
"three women,"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Liu Xiaobo"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"three women,"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Alfred Nobel,"
],
[
"Alfred Nobel,"
],
[
"241"
]
] | Three women share 2011 Nobel Peace Prize .
A record 241 candidates were nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize .
The award is named for Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist and inventor of dynamite .
Last year's winner was Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo . |
(CNN) -- Thomas the Tank Engine, whose television adventures on the fictional island of Sodor have delighted children around the world for years, is now on a real-life mission to help kids with autism. Thomas the Tank Engine is part of a new online game to help autistic children recognize different emotions. The steam locomotive and his friends are the stars of a new game in Australia, designed to help autistic children recognize emotions. Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), a nonprofit that provides services to people diagnosed with the developmental disorder, unveiled the game on its Web site Tuesday. The game asks players to recognize which engine has a sad face, or which is happy or angry. Children with autism often have a difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions. Each time a child plays the game, he/she is presented with a different sequence of emotions. In doing so, the game takes advantage of the single-mindedness of autistic children to assist in their development. "It's a great way to help develop social and communication skills," said Anthony Warren of Aspect. A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that autistic children were far more fascinated by the television series, "Thomas and Friends," than they were with other fictional characters. The study, by the National Autistic Society, summarized that the show held such appeal because of the clear facial expressions of the characters, the pacing of the program and the easy-to-follow story lines. "We got those results down here, and we thought, how could we leverage that strength and give a little back to the community?" said Tom Punch with Haven Licensing, the company that handles licensing for the characters in Australia. Warren said one of the reasons Thomas is particularly stimulating and motivating for children with autism is that it's very predictable. "Children can understand the clear visual messages -- the big smile on the front of the engine," he said. "The messages it communicates are very concrete, not abstract. And the emotions are primary emotions. It's uncomplicated." Autism is a developmental disorder that affects physical, social and language skills. It usually appears before age 3, though the earliest signs are subtle. More doctors and researchers are referring to "autism" as "autisms," because each child's case is different, as are the causes, helpful therapies and potential treatments. The Australian nonprofit unveiled the game this month to coincide with Autism Awareness Month in that country. After all, as the show's theme song attests: "Red and green and brown and blue; They're the really useful crew." | [
"Which cartoon character do autistic children like more than other fictional characters, according to a UK study?",
"What do autistic children have difficulty distinguishing?",
"What does an online Thomas the Tank Engine game teach autistic children?",
"What fictional character are more autistic kids fascinated by?",
"What are the online game used for ?",
"What do autistic children have trouble distinguishing?",
"What kind of difficulty do the autistics kids encounter ?"
] | [
[
"Thomas"
],
[
"different facial expressions."
],
[
"recognize different emotions."
],
[
"\"Thomas and Friends,\""
],
[
"to help"
],
[
"different facial expressions."
],
[
"difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions."
]
] | Online game uses Thomas the Tank Engine to help autistic children .
Children try to recognize which engine has happy, sad, angry face .
Autistic children often have trouble distinguishing different facial expressions .
UK study: More autistic kids fascinated with "Thomas" than other fictional characters . |
(CNN) -- Those battling global warming by promoting biofuels may unintentionally be adding to skyrocketing world food prices, creating what one expert calls "a silent tsunami" in developing nations. The rising prices are "threatening to plunge more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations' World Food Program, said on the agency's Web site Tuesday. Sheeran is one of the experts attending a Food summit hosted Tuesday by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, aimed at determining ways to boost food supplies and identify deterrents. Also attending the meeting are scientists and representatives from the European Union and Africa. On the Web site, Sheeran said the increase in food prices is "a silent tsunami that respects no borders." "The world's misery index is rising ... as soaring food and fuel prices roll through the lives of the most vulnerable," she said Friday. The crisis is forcing the organization to look for cuts in aid to some of its recipients, she said. Soaring food prices have triggered violence in some developing countries, and biofuels are bearing at least part of the blame. Producing fuel from plant crops is supposed to be greener than drilling for oil, and biofuels generally burn cleaner, too. But the global biofuels industry now stands accused of a list of side effects that are said to be damaging lives, especially of the world's poorest people. "The drive for more biofuels means more investment is going into those crops, meaning less land and less investment going in for food crops, causing a massive conflict and resulting in rising prices, which is having a huge negative impact, especially on developing countries," said Clare Oxborrow, food campaigner for Friends of the Earth. See why tortilla makers are blaming biofuel for increasing food prices » Critics also say that in Africa, Asia and South America, people are being driven from their land and forests are being cleared to make room for the booming biofuel industry. The International Food Policy Research Institute says the use of cereals for industrial purposes like making biofuels has risen by a quarter since 2000. Brown said in an article posted on the 10 Downing Street Web site, "We now know that biofuels intended to promote energy independence and combat climate change are frequently energy-inefficient. "We need to look closely at the impact on food prices and the environment of different production methods and to ensure we are more selective in our support. If our UK review shows that we need to change our approach, we will also push for change in EU biofuels targets," he said. "We must also do more to explore the links between climate change and food, and particularly their impact on the livelihoods and vulnerability of the very poorest, who are likely to be most affected by climate change." The meeting he convened, Brown said, is a precursor to the G8 summit of industrial nations, to be held in July, and a special U.N. summit in September. He urged prompt action. "With one child dying every five seconds from hunger-related causes, the time to act is now," Brown stressed. The World Health Organization views hunger as the No. 1 threat to public health around the world, responsible for a third of child deaths and 10 percent of all disease. Douglas Alexander, Britain's International Development secretary, announced Tuesday that Britain has set aside a 455 million-pound [$900 million] aid package to address the food crisis. His agency manages Britain's aid to poor countries with the goal of eliminating extreme poverty. E-mail to a friend CNN's Phil Black contributed to this report. | [
"what did the expert say about biofuels?",
"What is the main threat to public health?",
"What is the main threat to public health according to the WHO?",
"What means people could go hungry?",
"What triggered violence in some countries?",
"What have soaring food prices trigger?",
"What is the main reason for violence in some developing countries?",
"What is the result of the high food prices?"
] | [
[
"means more investment is going into those crops, meaning less land and less investment going in for food crops, causing a massive conflict and resulting in rising prices, which is having a huge negative impact, especially on developing countries,\""
],
[
"hunger"
],
[
"hunger"
],
[
"rising prices"
],
[
"Soaring food prices"
],
[
"violence in some developing countries, and biofuels are bearing at least part of the blame."
],
[
"Soaring food prices"
],
[
"battling global warming by promoting biofuels"
]
] | Prices mean 100 million people could go hungry, U.N. official says .
Soaring food prices have triggered violence in some developing countries .
Expert says focus on biofuels means less focus on food crop .
World Health Organization views hunger as main threat to public health . |
(CNN) -- Those who knew Canadian folk musician Taylor Mitchell say her passion for her craft was matched by her affinity for nature. Fresh out of high school, she embarked upon a three-week tour of Eastern Canada earlier this month full of hope over her blossoming career and excited to explore the region with a new car and driver's license. The 19-year-old rising star was in between gigs when, according to a Nova Scotia Cape Breton Highlands National Park official, she was killed by coyotes during a hike on Tuesday afternoon. "If there can be any comfort at all, it is knowing that Taylor was doing two of the things she loved most, sharing story and song on the road and spending time in nature's fold," her manager, Lisa Weitz said in an e-mail. "She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity." Mitchell was a "seasoned naturalist" well versed in wilderness camping who wouldn't want the coyotes responsible for her death to be killed, her mother said Thursday. "When the decision had been made to kill the pack of coyotes, I clearly heard Taylor's voice say, 'please don't, this is their space.' She wouldn't have wanted their demise, especially as a result of her own. She was passionate about animals, was an environmentalist and was also planning to volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in the coming months," Emily Mitchell said in a statement Thursday. "Tragically, it was her time to be taken from us so soon," the mother said. When she was 15, Mitchell began vocal lessons with her future producer, Michael Johnston. "Taylor inspired and impressed everyone from her musical peers to members of the Canadian roots-music community who were two and three times her age," he said in a statement. "They saw in her the rarest of the gifts -- an ability to sing not only from the heart, but in a way that transcended her age and experience and became something universal." The Toronto-based musician's career began to take off earlier this year after the April release of her debut album, "For Your Consideration." She was nominated for Young Performer of the Year honors by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will be awarded in November. On her Facebook page, she detailed her busy summer performance schedule, describing it as her "craziest summer yet." In July, she said she took a Greyhound bus to perform in the Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, her first show west of Ontario, which featured acts including Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case and Elvis Costello. She played more shows in the Toronto area, relishing the airplay her album was receiving, and worked on songs for her next album, Weitz said. Yet she managed to return to nature with her aunt, mother and best friend at the family cottage in Owen Sound, Ontario, delighting in its simple joys. "Our cottage is on the shores of Georgian bay. It's 125 years old with three bedrooms that sleep two and one bedroom that sleeps four, plus a bunkhouse. It's old and creaky and absolutely beautiful. As I sit on my couch in my apartment, I'm homesick for the precariously slanted stairs, tennis courts, lake and wonderful memories," Mitchell said on her Facebook page. Before she set out eastward for her tour of the Maritimes, she shared her works in progress at the Ontario Council of Folk Music conference in Ottawa, impressing all those in attendance, Weitz said. "Taylor Mitchell's vocal style and consummate songwriting craft belied her vernal years. Indeed, her songs told the tales of a seeker, a sojourner with a sage wisdom atypical of most, let alone one of such tender years," Weitz said. On her Facebook page, she had begun counting down the days to her East Coast tour in September, saying in a September 18 status update that she was "feeling the pull of the road." In her | [
"What was Taylor Mitchell versed in?",
"Who earned the respect of the folk music community?",
"Who was a \"seasoned naturalist\"?",
"What did she earn the respect of folk music community for?",
"Where was she based?",
"Where was Mitchell touring?"
] | [
[
"wilderness camping"
],
[
"Taylor Mitchell"
],
[
"Taylor Mitchell"
],
[
"ability to sing not only from the heart, but in a way that transcended her age and experience and became something universal.\""
],
[
"Toronto-based"
],
[
"Eastern Canada"
]
] | Taylor Mitchell was a "seasoned naturalist" versed in wilderness camping, mother says .
She wouldn't want coyotes responsible for her death to be killed, Emily Mitchell says .
Mitchell earned respect of folk music community for talent that belied her age, producer says .
The Toronto-based musician was touring Eastern Canada when she died in coyote attack . |
(CNN) -- Though they support some federal action to help their states recover from the recession, several Republican governors said Sunday they plan to turn down a portion of what's offered in the stimulus bill that President Obama signed last week.
Gov. Haley Barbour said the stimulus bill would force Mississippi to raise taxes.
"If we were to take the unemployment reform package that they have, it would cause us to raise taxes on employment when the money runs out -- and the money will run out in a couple of years," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
The Republican governors of Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana expressed similar concerns. But one of their colleagues, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a message for them Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
When asked about broader complaints from lawmakers such as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford about the stimulus package leading to more debt, Schwarzenegger responded, "I am more than happy to take his money or [that of] any other governor in this country that doesn't want to take this money. I take it because I think California needs it."
Schwarzenegger said he does not foresee a need for a tax hike in the future to sustain the unemployment provisions.
In a separate interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Schwarzenegger said the complaints are "partially" right, but that using the money for now "cannot hurt." And another governor, Michigan Democrat Jennifer Granholm, told CNN, "We'll take it." Watch how stimulus package could affect your paycheck »
"South Carolina, I'll take your money. Louisiana, we'll take it," Granholm said in an interview recorded last week and broadcast Sunday on "State of the Union."
"We got plenty of work here, plenty of jobs that we would like to create here," Granholm added as she discussed the struggling auto industry and job losses in her state.
A leading Democrat, meanwhile, said he does see a potential problem.
"I'm not sure that we can, over the long run, cope with the high unemployment compensation standard that this mandates for states," Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, the head of the National Governor's Association, told "Fox News Sunday."
"But I don't care. My people are suffering," he added. "They need that extra money. And right now that's paramount in my mind."
At issue is a portion of the unemployment assistance stipulated by the stimulus bill, which provides federal dollars to expand unemployment insurance in the states. In exchange for accepting that, states would have to expand the number of people who are given jobless benefits.
In Louisiana, for example, that portion of the funds would total nearly $100 million, state officials said. Gov. Bobby Jindal, a rising GOP star, has announced plans to turn it down.
"The $100 million we turned down was temporary federal dollars that would require us to change our unemployment laws," he told NBC's "Meet the Press."
"That would have actually raised taxes on Louisiana businesses. We as a state would have been responsible for paying for those benefits after the federal money disappeared."
The law demands a "permanent" change to state law, Jindal said.
Jindal and the other governors do plan to accept other funds offered by the stimulus, including money to increase benefits for those who are receiving them. And even some governors who have expressed disappointment in the stimulus package are not shying away from any of the funding.
"I don't like this bill, but it is now the law. ... It's now our responsibility and opportunity to try to implement it," Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told "Fox News Sunday."
Calling his state "a major net subsidizer of the federal government," he said, "We're paying the bill either way -- we're going to take our share of the money." | [
"Who is for the plan?",
"What governor is for the plan?",
"Which governors raised concerns?",
"What did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger say about California?",
"What do they worray about?",
"Name of the governor of California?",
"Which states' governors raise other concerns?",
"States that the governors are from?",
"Governors of what states raise concerns?"
] | [
[
"Arnold Schwarzenegger,"
],
[
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,"
],
[
"of Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana"
],
[
"needs it.\""
],
[
"raise taxes on employment"
],
[
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,"
],
[
"California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,"
],
[
"Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana"
],
[
"Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana"
]
] | Governors of Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, others raise concerns .
They worry unemployment assistance compensation is too steep to maintain .
Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is for the plan, saying California needs help . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of Chileans may have to sleep in the streets Wednesday night after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the north part of the country, killing at least two people, injuring dozens and destroying hundreds of homes. Valentina Bustos shot this photo Wednesday of earthquake damage at a hotel in Antofagasta, Chile. "There are more than a thousand, 1,200 houses, at least, that were totally flattened, and others in bad shape," Tocopilla Mayor Luis Moyano said in an interview that aired on Radio Cooperativo. Tocopilla, Chile, north of Santiago, is about 35 km (21 miles) from the quake's epicenter. "Tonight, people are going to have to sleep in the street, because there are a great number of houses that are uninhabitable," said Moyano. Places that could be used as shelters, such as schools and gyms, were damaged in the quake, the mayor said. Moyano put the number of people without shelter at 4,000. Tocopilla's population is 24,000. Moyano described going through the damaged city and running into people asking, "Mayor, my house collapsed. What do I do? Mayor, I don't have water. What do I do?" "It gets to you," he said. Paula Saez with the aid organization World Vision told CNN she was on a treacherous drive attempting to reach Tocopilla. "There's no electricity and there's a lot of landslides" covering the road in spots, she said, and the highway was spotted with holes. Once in Tocopilla, Saez said, she was prepared to offer tents, blankets and medicine to citizens and assess additional needs. The government's Office of National Emergency reported that two women had died and others were injured in the city. Officials identified one of those killed as 54-year-old Olga Petronila Ortiz Cisternas. The other fatality was an 88-year-old woman. Watch what a 7.7 earthquake can do » Municipal official Ljubica Ukurtovic, in an interview with Chilean TV station TVN, said that "approximately 100 people" had sought treatment at a Tocopilla hospital. The quake collapsed a roadway tunnel, temporarily trapping about 50 construction workers. See where the quake struck » High-level government sources said the workers had been rescued. Repair work on the 793-meter (2,600-foot) Pedro Galleguillos tunnel, completed in 1994, began on October 1 and was to be finished early next year. Tocopilla is about 1,245 km (780 miles) north of Santiago and the quake was felt in Peru and Bolivia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor was centered at a depth of 60 km (37 miles), the USGS said. A tsunami warning was issued for the South Pacific coast after the quake hit, but was canceled within an hour. Chile has been the scene of hundreds of strong earthquakes throughout history, including the largest one of the 20th century on May 22, 1960. The quake that struck southern Chile that day registered a magnitude 9.5 and launched a tsunami that caused damage as far away as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. Nearly 6,000 people died as a result of the quake and its tsunami. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Chile on January 25, 1939, killed 28,000 people. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake in what was then southern Peru but is now northern Chile killed 25,000 people in 1868. E-mail to a friend | [
"What was damaged or flattened?",
"More than how many homes were flattened?",
"What was the number of flattened homes?",
"When did the quake happen?",
"What was the amount of freed workers?",
"What number of homes were flattened?",
"When did the earthquake take place?",
"Who was freed from collapsed roadway tunnel?",
"Where were dozens of workers freed from?"
] | [
[
"1,200 houses, at least,"
],
[
"1,200"
],
[
"1,200"
],
[
"Wednesday night"
],
[
"50 construction"
],
[
"1,200 houses, at least,"
],
[
"Wednesday night"
],
[
"50 construction workers."
],
[
"roadway tunnel,"
]
] | NEW: Tocopilla mayor: More than 1,200 homes flattened, shelters damaged .
Dozens of workers freed from collapsed roadway tunnel, officials say .
Chilean Navy is moving heavy equipment into the area to help with rescue .
7.7 quake north of Tocopilla happened at 12:40 p.m. (10:40 a.m. ET) |
(CNN) -- Thousands of Opel workers went on strike in Germany on Thursday in protest at the decision by U.S. parent General Motors to abandon the sale of the automaker. GM shocked German public officials when it announced earlier this week its decision to keep its European Opel and Vauxhall units and cancel a planned sale to Canadian firm Magna. If Magna had bought GM's European operations thousands would have lost their jobs in Spain and at Vauxhall plants in Britain. After the announcement there were celebrations in Britain but fury in Germany, where thousands of workers fear they will face the axe. "We want Opel to continue to exist," Hesse state Premier Roland Koch -- one of the biggest lobbyists for a sale to Magna and its Russian partner Sberbank -- told rallying workers at Opel headquarters in Ruesselsheim on Thursday, according to Reuters.com. "We will have to fight again with the goal of saving jobs." GM announced a restructuring plan for Opel that would include cuts of as many as 10,000 jobs at the European subsidiary. About half of Opel's 50,000 workers are based in Germany. The U.S. car giant confirmed in a statement to CNN that its revised viability plan for Opel "will likely include cuts in that range." Jürgen Rüttgers, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where GM proposes closing a factory, told the Financial Times: "General Motors' behaviour shows the ugly face of turbo-capitalism. That is completely unacceptable." German Opel workers reject GM's restructuring plan for the company, which they believe will see a drain of vehicle development from Germany to the United States, Lorenz said. Employees in Germany are not only unwilling to accept pay cuts moving forward, but they will also demand to be paid for concessions they have made, like giving up a scheduled pay rise in May, their 2008 Christmas bonus, and vacation pay for 2009, Lorenz said. GM promised to work with all the European labor unions on a plan for Opel's restructuring. The GM board of directors said an improving business environment over the past few months and the importance of Opel and its British brand, Vauxhall, to GM's global strategy were reasons to retain Opel. The board said it would begin restructuring its European operations "in earnest" instead, according to a news release issued late Tuesday. GM's decision is a setback for Magna, which agreed to purchase Opel and Vauxhall in September in a deal brokered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. General Motors said in March that it wanted to sell Opel after it reported an annual loss of $30.9 billion for 2008. Opel, together with Vauxhaull, is the fourth-largest car brand in Europe after Volkswagen, Ford, and Renault. It is also GM's largest-selling brand in Europe by far, representing more than 70 percent of GM's European sales. While GM's decision may still mean layoffs as it restructures its European businesses, it may safeguard jobs in the short-term. Employees at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port, England, welcomed the news. "I think it's a good idea, really, because a lot of people will have jobs," one employee told Sky News. "We've had a three-day week now for ages," said another man. "We've lost money, so now we're going to start getting some back." The head of the Unite union, which represents Vauxhall workers, said he was "absolutely delighted" that GM will retain ownership of the brand. "GM was once the biggest company in the world and we have no reason to believe that it cannot restructure itself to address its present difficulties," Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley said. "My worry is that they would be forced to spin off their UK business to Magna, which simply does not have the expertise to run a global car company." CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Berlin, Germany, contributed to this report | [
"Where did the Opel workers strike?",
"GM's plan could eliminate how many jobs?",
"What did the GM say?",
"What caused GM to want to sell Opel?",
"How many jobs could be eliminate by the restructuring plan?",
"For which reason did the workers a strike?"
] | [
[
"Germany"
],
[
"10,000"
],
[
"it announced earlier this week its decision to keep its European Opel and Vauxhall units and cancel a planned sale to Canadian firm Magna."
],
[
"after it reported an annual loss of $30.9 billion for 2008."
],
[
"10,000"
],
[
"by U.S. parent General Motors to abandon the sale of the automaker."
]
] | Opel workers in Germany strike Thursday over GM's decision to abandon sale of automaker .
GM's Opel restructuring plan could eliminate as many as 10,000 jobs .
U.S. parent company says improving business environment behind its decision not to sell Opel .
GM said in March it wanted to sell Opel after reporting losses of $30.9 billion . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of inmates rioted at the Reeves County Detention Center in Texas on Saturday, the second disturbance at the prison facility in the last two months. As many as 2,080 inmates from two of the center's three buildings began fighting in the prison yard about 4:30 p.m. CT, said county Sheriff's Office Dispatcher Anna Granado. Authorities from several law enforcement agencies responded to quell the violence. However, officials had not brought the unrest under control as of 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the sheriff's office. Officials said they do not know what prompted the riots. Three inmates were hospitalized, including one with a severed finger, the sheriff's office said. On December 12, inmates took two workers hostage and set fire to the recreation area at the center in Pecos, located about 430 miles west of Dallas. The inmates, who had made several demands, surrendered later that night. The prison is a 2,400-bed, low-security facility, operated by Geo Group Inc. It houses federal prisoners as well as inmates from other states. CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. | [
"Who said they do not know what sparked latest riot?",
"What started the latest riot?",
"When was the last riot there?",
"Who have been hospitalized?",
"What is happening in a Texas prison?",
"How many inmates have been injured?"
] | [
[
"Officials"
],
[
"they do not know"
],
[
"December 12,"
],
[
"Three inmates"
],
[
"of inmates rioted"
],
[
"Three"
]
] | NEW: Inmate unrest at Texas prison enters second day .
NEW: Authorities: Three inmates have been hospitalized; one has severed finger .
Prison was site of another inmate riot in December .
Officials say they do not know what sparked latest riot . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of people across the globe took to the streets on Saturday in annual demonstrations for May Day, the annual event marked by demonstrations demanding better working conditions.
Known as International Workers' Day, the holiday draws thousands to peacefully protest. Others, as in Athens, Greece, clashed with police amid growing anger over the government's stiff plans to grapple with the country's debt.
About 12,000 people in Athens were on the streets, waving red flags and at times surging toward a line of police, who wore helmets and carried riot shields. Those disturbances led to injuries and arrests. A satellite truck was torched and two ATMs, the glass frontage of a bank and a car were damaged.
In Russia, more than 2.5 million people participated in traditional May Day celebrations in 900 cities and towns, the country's trade union federation said. The largest gatherings took place in Krasnodar, Yakutsk, Vladivostok, Izhevsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg. The people spoke out in favor of decent salaries and stable employment.
Watch May Day demonstration in Paris, France.
According to CNN sources and state-run news reports, there were many demonstrations.
Turkey:
For this first time in 30 years, tens of thousands of union members and leftist political activists gathered for the first legally sanctioned May Day celebration in Istanbul's central Taksim Square.
Germany:
Several protesters were detained after clashes with police in Hamburg. Seventeen police officers were reportedly injured when confronting demonstrators who they said were throwing rocks and setting garbage cans on fire.
Cuba:
A throng marched through Revolution Plaza in Havana. Crowds are usually big in Cuba on International Workers' Day but government officials said the turnout was a signal to Washington that the country is unified and supports its leaders.
United States:
Several dozen cities braced for protests against Arizona's controversial new immigration law.
Asia:
Thousands gathered in several Asian cities for its annual May Day demonstrations. They demanded improved working conditions and wage increases. Clashes between police and protesters were seen on TV.
Iran:
Protests popped up at the Labor Ministry, where demonstrators clashed with police and shouted "Death to the dictator."
CNN's Diana Magnay, Ivan Watson, Yesim Comert, Azadeh Ansari and Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report | [
"what is the number of participans in may day celebration in Russia?",
"where was the truck torched?",
"How many people celebrated may Day celebrations?",
"What draws thousands of demonstrators?",
"What happened to the truck?",
"What happened in Athens?",
"What is happening in Arizona?",
"what are the protests about?"
] | [
[
"2.5 million"
],
[
"Athens"
],
[
"Thousands"
],
[
"International Workers' Day,"
],
[
"was torched"
],
[
"annual demonstrations"
],
[
"Several dozen cities braced for protests"
],
[
"better working conditions."
]
] | International Workers' Day draws thousands of demonstrators annually .
Truck torched; ATMs, front of bank and car damaged in Athens, Greece .
More than 2.5 million people participated in May Day celebrations in Russia .
In the U.S., several dozen cities braced for protests against Arizona's new immigration law . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of people gathered Tuesday in Marrowbone, Kentucky, to lay to rest nine people who were killed in a crash in central Kentucky last week.
John and Sadie Esh were killed when a tractor-trailer crossed the median on Interstate 65 and smashed into their van as they traveled to Iowa for a wedding. Four of the couple's children -- Leroy, Rachel, Rose and Anna -- were also killed, according to the Rev. Leroy Kauffman with the Marrowbone Christian Brotherhood. Leroy's wife, Naomi, and a baby the couple adopted were also killed, as was Rachel's fiance, Joel Gingerich, he said. A family friend, also in the van, was killed as well. The driver of the tractor-trailer also died.
Two boys, age 3 and 5, whom Leroy and Naomi adopted, survived.
"They have lived their lives, God seemed fit to take them home, and we rest in that," said Michael Kauffman, a member of the Mennonite community. He said family and friends had traveled from all over the United States to attend the funeral.
CNN affiliate WBKO, quoting a media liaison at the services, said about 3,000 people attended.
"The amount of people who came is overwhelming to say the least," Kauffman said. "We have been very blessed with the amount of people who are here."
The nine were to be buried in a grassy spot where John and Sadie's son Johnny was buried. He died while on a mission trip in the Ukraine three years ago, Leroy Kauffman said last week.
"I have not been to the grave site, but I feel like it's the way it should be," Michael Kauffman said.
The family was traveling to the wedding of a woman who was on the mission trip with Johnny, Leroy Kauffman said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. No cause has been given. | [
"Who survived the crash?",
"How many people survived the accident?",
"Where was the van headed?",
"Where was the wedding located?",
"What hit the van?",
"How many family members were in van?"
] | [
[
"Two boys,"
],
[
"Two boys,"
],
[
"Iowa"
],
[
"Iowa"
],
[
"tractor-trailer"
],
[
"nine"
]
] | 9 family members, friend were in van driving to wedding in Iowa .
Tractor-trailer crossed median and hit van; its driver also died .
Two boys, age 3 and 5, survived . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of people turned out Saturday in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt for the funeral of politician Joerg Haider, a popular but polarizing figure who led right-wing Austrian politics for decades. Harald Scheucher, mayor of Klagenfurt, speaks in front of the coffin of Joerg Haider Saturday. Among those attending the service at the town's central Neuen Platz square were Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Haider's widow sat in the front row with her two daughters, all of them dressed in black. "Many people expected things of Joerg Haider that they themselves weren't able to fulfill, and he too expected things of people that he wasn't able to fulfill," Gusenbauer said at the funeral. "Therefore his death, and the end of his life, may be a time to think about whether death's only consolation is that we can now reconcile things that seemed irreconcilable during his lifetime." Haider's coffin was draped in the yellow, red and white flag of the southern state of Carinthia, where he was governor, and topped with red roses. Haider, 58, died last Saturday in a car accident while driving out of Klagenfurt, the state capital. He had just passed another car on a highway when his car hit a concrete post and rolled over several times, police said. His spokesman said this week that Haider was drunk at the time of the crash. Besides being Carinthia's governor, Haider was also head of the right-wing BZO party (Alliance for the Future of Austria), which he founded in 2005 after years with the conservative Freedom Party. Haider came to prominence in 1986, when he became head of the Freedom Party while still in his 30s. A politician who projected youth and style, Haider appealed to many working-class Austrians, promising to cut their taxes and give money to those with children. Some older Austrians responded to his demands for strict law and order. But he drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad for his anti-immigrant stance and remarks considered anti-Semitic, and in 1991 he publicly praised Nazi Germany's employment policy. Asked in 2000 about the statement, Haider told CNN the quote was taken from a long speech and that he never praised the Third Reich. He called the remarks a mistake and publicly denounced Nazism. But Haider continued to draw attention for his controversial remarks. They included an address to veterans of the Waffen S.S., Adolf Hitler's elite soldiers, in which he praised their character. The address created an uproar after it was broadcast on German television. Haider said he had simply been speaking to elderly citizens of Carinthia who included some former Waffen S.S. members. Despite the controversy, Haider said he was not racist: "You will not find any anti-Semitic position in our party program, and you will not find any anti-Semitic speech or statement by me." The policies of the Freedom Party drew international attention during the elections in 1999. Party campaign posters urged voters to stop the flood of immigration and used the term "over-foreignization," the same word used by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933 to criticize what he called Jewish influence in Germany. Haider told CNN he favored restricting immigration simply because of Austria's small size, but that he wanted to keep an open border for refugees. It was his family background, Haider said, that kept singling him out for criticism. Haider's parents were activists in the Nazi Party long before Austrian-born Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938. Haider's father, Robert, volunteered for the S.A., the notorious brown shirts who terrorized Jews and others before the war. He then served in the German army. His biographer, Melanie Sully, said Haider felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents and those in the war generation. "He feels that what they sacrificed after the war in rebuilding Austria in very difficult circumstances needs to be honored and that they weren't all criminals," Sully told CNN in 2000. Under Haider's leadership, | [
"How did the person die?",
"How did Haider die?",
"Where was Joerg Haider's funeral held?",
"Who was the funeral for?",
"Where was the funeral?",
"Where did Haider get in a car accident?",
"What was Haider criticized for?",
"Where was Joerg Haider's funeral?"
] | [
[
"car accident"
],
[
"car accident"
],
[
"southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt"
],
[
"politician Joerg Haider,"
],
[
"southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt"
],
[
"Klagenfurt,"
],
[
"his anti-immigrant stance and remarks considered anti-Semitic,"
],
[
"Klagenfurt"
]
] | Thousands attend the funeral of right-wing politician Joerg Haider in Austria .
Chancellor: Many people expected things of Haider they themselves could not fulfill .
Haider died last Saturday in a car accident, spokesman confirms he was drunk .
Haider drew support from many but criticized for his praise of some Nazi policies . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of protesters in cities across the United States waved American flags as they rallied Saturday against Arizona's tough new immigration law and pushed for national immigration reform.
"Si se puede," "Yes we can" and "Boycott Arizona" were common refrains for groups protesting from Los Angeles, California, to New York City.
May 1 is traditionally a rallying day for supporters of immigration reform. But protesters across the country said they were galvanized by Arizona's recent passage of a law cracking down on illegal immigration.
The new Arizona law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect they are in the United States illegally. Critics say it will lead to discrimination and racial profiling.
But Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has said the law is necessary because the federal government has failed to enforce border security with Mexico, allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to move into the state. She said changes to the law she approved Friday, which clarify that police could only stop suspected illegal immigrants while enforcing some other law or ordinance, should eliminate concerns about racial profiling.
But criticism of the law was clear among tens of thousands of protesters flooding the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday, where organizers said they hoped to send a strong message with the number of people turning out.
"Does my face look illegal?" one sign read.
Karen Rayner, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, said 50,000 people marched at the demonstration's peak. Rayner said the rally was "very peaceful" and no one was arrested.
Police arrested about 20 protesters -- including a U.S. congressman -- at Saturday's rally in Washington.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, was among a group of protesters who were arrested for blocking the sidewalk outside the White House in what they said was a planned act of civil disobedience. The protesters wore T-shirts that read "ARREST ME NOT MY FAMILY" and "ARREST ME NOT MY FRIENDS."
A smaller group of about 200 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Phoenix, protesting the new law and asking the federal government to step in to stop it.
About 1,000 people gathered in New York City's Union Square on Saturday afternoon.
Cesar Mack, an international studies student at City College of New York, told CNN he was an undocumented immigrant from Peru.
"I've been living in this country six years and I'm still fighting for immigration reform," he said.
CNN iReporter Julio Ortiz-Teissonniere said he saw signs in Arabic, French, Spanish and English at the New York rally. One sign in the crowd particularly caught his eye: "Todos somos Arizona" -- "We are all Arizona."
"They were trying to convey that message that it's a city and nation based on immigration. Everybody came from somewhere else," he said.
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Ted Rowlands, Ione Molinares and Casey Wian contributed to this report. | [
"who was arrested during a rally",
"How many people gathered in New York City's Union Square on Saturday afternoon?",
"Where were rallies held",
"What were Gutierrez and other protesting?",
"Where was Gutierrez and others protesting?",
"Who was arrested during a rally in Washington?",
"how many people gathered"
] | [
[
"Rep. Luis Gutierrez,"
],
[
"1,000"
],
[
"cities across the United States"
],
[
"Arizona's tough new immigration law"
],
[
"sidewalk outside the White House"
],
[
"Rep. Luis Gutierrez,"
],
[
"Thousands"
]
] | Rallies unfold in cities across the U.S. against Arizona's new immigration .
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, was arrested during a rally in Washington .
Gutierrez and others were protesting outside the White House on Saturday .
About 1,000 people gathered in New York City's Union Square on Saturday afternoon . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of taxpayers across the country aren't getting their refund or stimulus checks because criminals have stolen their Social Security numbers in an identity theft scam, CNN has learned. Some victims don't learn about identity theft until the IRS questions them about income in their name. "We see a lot of activity right now, because clearly folks who are trying to perpetrate a fraud have to get their claims in early before a true taxpayer files their return," said Nina Olsen, the national taxpayer advocate for the Internal Revenue Service. Olsen, whose independent office is set up to help taxpayers, said her office fielded several thousand complaints this year connected to the scam. The Federal Trade Commission reported that approximately 50,000 taxpayers complained about tax fraud and employment-related identity theft during 2006, compared with 18,000 in 2002. "It's a huge nightmare," Olsen said. "Basically, their life can be taken over by just about every approach, trying to prove that they are who they are and other people are not. And when you think about how central the Social Security number is to banking, to credit, to school applications, for financial aid, just for everything you can think of -- plus your taxes -- it has a significant impact on a person's life." That's what happened to Brenton King, a 25-year-old father and student from Orem, Utah. King said he was 17 when someone stole his wallet at a ski resort. Over the past four years, at least five people have used his Social Security number to report income. And since the criminals earned income on his number and never paid taxes, he and his wife, Jennifer, can't get any tax refunds from the IRS or their government stimulus check even though he reported the theft several years ago to police and the IRS. Under the government's economic stimulus plan, 130 million people were supposed to received tax rebate checks from $300 and up last year. "We want to put that money in the bank," Jennifer King said. "We want to be able to put money down on a home." The Kings said the ordeal has been frustrating because they know when they file their tax return every year that they won't get the money back that they are owed. Initially, they said, it was difficult dealing with the IRS, which they said made Brenton feel as if he were the criminal. "The fear is it will happen for the rest of our lives," Brenton King said. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, said it takes the IRS an average of about a year "to sort out who is the real taxpayer." "In the meantime, the victim's tax accounts get frozen," Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a written statement. "The IRS issues no refund. The money that the taxpayer was planning on doesn't come. The taxpayer waits in tax limbo, for months and months." Baucus, who led a hearing into the issue in 2008, said other taxpayers don't learn that they are victims of identity theft until years later. "Victims first realize that other people are using their identities when the IRS contacts them. The IRS asks them why they did not report the income that appears on W-2 forms with their names on them," he said. And Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on Baucus' committee, said the IRS doesn't do enough to combat tax-related identity theft. He said the IRS does not prosecute, "and that's not very helpful. It sends a signal that you get a free pass if you're using IRS instruments." But IRS spokesman Dean Patterson called preventing identity theft "a top priority" for federal tax collectors and said, "we are committing significant resources to address the challenges posed in protecting taxpayers' identity information." "We have established a special unit dedicated to resolving tax issues incurred by identity theft victims and special tracking codes to monitor returns and prevent further | [
"where Tax fraud reports jump between 2002 and 2006?",
"What is a priority?",
"what Senator says it can take a year for IRS?",
"How long does it take?"
] | [
[
"across the country"
],
[
"preventing identity theft"
],
[
"Max Baucus, D-Montana,"
],
[
"the IRS an average of about a year \"to sort out who is the real taxpayer.\""
]
] | Tax fraud reports jump between 2002 and 2006, FTC reports .
Senator says it can take a year for IRS to sort out identity theft .
Agency says that preventing such fraud is a priority . |
(CNN) -- Thousands of women demonstrated Monday in front of Yemen's foreign ministry in the capital, Sanaa, demanding U.N. intervention in the ongoing unrest in the Persian Gulf nation, residents and eyewitnesses said.
The protest comes a day after the first woman was killed in a demonstration against the government, according to opposition activists.
The women called for sanctions against President Ali Abdullah Saleh and asked that he be tried by the International Criminal Court.
They also alleged that snipers were on the rooftop of the foreign ministry Sunday.
The protests came hours after gunfire and loud explosions reverberated throughout the capital early Monday.
Medics in Change Square said at least four people were killed and another 26 injured after government forces raided parts of the capital. Another eight people died and 20 were injured in government raids on civilian property, said Abdulqawi al-Qaisi, a prominent opposition leader and head of the Sadeq Ahmar media office.
"The death toll is expected to rise as a number of the injured are in critical condition," he said.
According to eyewitnesses, government security forces clashed with tribesmen loyal to Hashid tribal leader Sadeq Al-Ahmar in the Hasabah neighborhood in northern Sanaa. Government forces attacked the tribal leader's family residences, al-Qaisi said.
"The government attacks against innocent civilians and the Ahmar family continued for hours and hundreds of explosions were heard throughout the morning, causing fear throughout the capital," he said.
Residents and witnesses also reported that the Republican Guard was bombarding the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division, loyal to Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, who withdrew his support for Saleh in March.
The embattled Saleh said Sunday that "strong documentation of the cooperation" between al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood indicate a military coup that is destabilizing the country. He described the opposition as "insane people, who can't sleep and only want to take power."
"The international community must stop Saleh from killing his own people," al-Qaisi said Monday. "If no intervention takes place, he will continue killing and the casualties will rise."
On Sunday night, three people died in Sanaa when a rocket-propelled grenade hit bystanders, medics said.
Earlier Sunday, Yemeni security forces opened fired on demonstrators gathering for a planned march in the capital, killing five people and injuring 54 others, according to a medic on the scene.
In a separate demonstration in the city of Taiz, a government sniper killed a woman with a shot to the head, medics and eyewitnesses said.
Medics identified the woman as Aziza Othman Kaleb. Snipers also injured four others who were next to the woman in the march, the sources said.
Opposition activists said the slain woman was 20 and said she was the first female to be killed while marching against the government. CNN could not independently confirm that claim.
Activist Atiaf Alwazir called the shooting of a woman "a sign that the government security forces will not really stop shooting, even if there are women."
"Women may have been beaten, arrested at times -- but never directly shot at and this is a scary escalation," she said.
The crackdown in Sanaa was also bloody, doctors said.
"The injured are entering the hospital by the minute. We need help. We call on people to donate blood for the injured," said Mohammed Al-Qubati, who works at a field hospital in Change Square.
Five of the wounded are in critical condition, he said from the square that has become the center of protests against Saleh.
Protesters carried signs with slogans including: "Saleh kills and the world watches. Is this the justice the West preaches?" according to witnesses and activists.
Others carried flowers or signs that said: "We are not armed, Don't attack us with gunfire," witnesses said Sunday.
CNN has not independently confirmed the details of casualties in Sanaa or Taiz, and the government has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Saleh, meeting Sunday with Yemeni leaders, said members of the U.N. | [
"What has been reported in the capital of Yemen?",
"who is saleh from yemen",
"Who is asking for sanctions against the Yemeni President?",
"Who is the Yemeni President?",
"what was happend in yemen",
"How many people are dead in Yemen?"
] | [
[
"that the Republican Guard was bombarding the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division,"
],
[
"The women called for sanctions against President Ali Abdullah"
],
[
"women"
],
[
"Ali Abdullah Saleh"
],
[
"women demonstrated"
],
[
"five"
]
] | NEW: At least 12 people are dead in Yemen, officials say .
Women protesters ask for sanctions against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh .
Heavy gunfire and explosions are reported in the capital of Yemen .
Protesters have been calling for Saleh to step down for months . |
(CNN) -- Three Americans rescued last week from captivity in the Colombian jungle left a medical center for their homes Saturday, hoping for some time out of the spotlight as they reconnect with loved ones. Left to right, Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves address reporters before flying home Saturday. Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- hostages of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for more than five years -- left the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. "There's family members that are waiting for us, and just imagine if you hadn't seen your family in 5½ years," Stansell said, asking the media to allow the former captives some space. "Let us go home and be family men again." "We're going to come out and we're going to talk, but right now, what we want to do is rest," Gonsalves said. All three were headed home to Florida, and Stansell and Howes flashed their new Florida driver's licenses before they boarded a plane. The three men had been undergoing a reintegration process at the medical center. FARC had held the three U.S. government contractors since February 2003 after their plane went down in a remote region of the South American country. They and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt were among 15 hostages rescued on July 2 in a Colombian military operation. The three Americans arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center later that day. The three Americans urged the media not to forget the hundreds of other hostages still held by FARC. "Don't forget the people that are still there," Stansell said. "There are fellow hostages that are still there. Some have 10 years [as a hostage]," he said. "Right this minute, they're in chains, looking for food, and they're on the run. And their families haven't seen them in 10 years." It is estimated that FARC holds some 750 hostages. The leftist rebel group took up arms in 1964 and grew from a rag-tag band of 48 fighters to a self-styled "people's army" of more than 21,000 combatants in 2001, according to Colombian government figures. The government now estimates the FARC fighting force has dwindled to around 8,000 after a wave of desertions. On Saturday, the rescued Americans talked of looking forward to spending time with their relatives. "We're going to go home now. We're going to rest, we're going to unwind for about a month and a half," Gonsalves said. | [
"What do they want to do?",
"What do the men ask of the media?",
"What are the freed men asking for?",
"what freed men ask for?",
"what ex farc hostages leave?",
"What does FARC stand for?",
"Where is Columbia?",
"Who do the freed men want to spend time with?",
"When did the hostages leave the Texas medical center?"
] | [
[
"reconnect with loved ones."
],
[
"to allow the former captives some space."
],
[
"the media to allow the former captives some space."
],
[
"\"Let us go home and be family"
],
[
"Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes"
],
[
"Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia"
],
[
"South American country."
],
[
"family members"
],
[
"Saturday,"
]
] | Ex-FARC hostages leave Texas medical center 10 days after rescue .
Freed men ask for privacy, saying they want to spend time with relatives .
Men ask media to not forget about hostages who still held in Colombia . |
(CNN) -- Three Disney monorail workers have been placed on paid leave just days after two monorail trains crashed at the Orlando, Florida, theme park, killing one of the train's operators, according to a Disney spokeswoman. Train operator Austin Wuennenberg, 21, was killed in Sunday's monorail crash. Walt Disney World spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said the action was "part of an investigative process, not a disciplinary action." The three workers were a monorail maintenance shop member, the monorail pilot of one of the trains and a transportation manager. Disney would not name the employees. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the Sunday morning accident, is expected to be at the park for several days. "To this point in the investigation, no anomalies or malfunctions have been found with the automatic train stop system or with any mechanical components of the switch or with either trains," the NTSB said in a statement. The crash killed operator Austin Wuennenberg, 21. The operator of the other train was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released. Additionally, six passengers on Wuennenberg's train were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Wuennenberg was piloting the "Purple" train. The other train, known as the "Pink" train, was operated by one of the employees who has since been placed on leave. The Pink train was instructed to go back through a track switch that would take it from the monorail's Epcot loop to the Magic Kingdom loop. "For undetermined reasons that are currently under investigation, the switch had not changed position needed to allow the Pink train to be routed to the Magic Kingdom loop," putting the Pink and Purple trains on a collision course, the NTSB statement said. NTSB investigators believe that Wuennenberg attempted to put his train into reverse before the collision, attempting to avoid the crash. The Orange County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating Wuennenberg's death, would not comment, citing the ongoing investigation. | [
"What day did the crash take place?",
"Workers are what?",
"Who or what is NTSB?",
"What organization is investigating?",
"When was the crash of two trains that killed one driver?",
"When was the train crash?",
"Who is investiating the incident?",
"Who is investigating the incident?",
"What is the NTSB investigating?",
"What is NTSB doing?",
"What is action a part of?",
"What did spokeswoman say?",
"What killed a driver?"
] | [
[
"Sunday's"
],
[
"have been placed on paid leave"
],
[
"National Transportation Safety Board,"
],
[
"The National Transportation Safety Board,"
],
[
"Sunday's"
],
[
"Sunday's"
],
[
"National Transportation Safety Board,"
],
[
"The National Transportation Safety Board,"
],
[
"monorail crash."
],
[
"investigating the Sunday morning accident,"
],
[
"investigative process,"
],
[
"Disney monorail workers have been placed on paid leave"
],
[
"crash."
]
] | Action is "part of an investigative process," spokeswoman says .
Workers are maintenance shop member, pilot and transportation manager .
Sunday morning crash of two trains killed one driver .
NTSB is still investigating incident . |
(CNN) -- Three Pakistan international cricketers have been banned from the sport for the next five years after being found guilty at an anti-corruption hearing on Saturday.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found to have been involved in "spot-fixing" -- a practice involving illegal gambling during matches.
Butt, 26, was banned for 10 years with half of that suspended on certain conditions while Asif, 28, received a seven-year ban with 24 months suspended.
Amir, 18, was given a straight five-year penalty for his involvement in incidents during the Test series against England in August 2010.
They have 21 days to appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The International Cricket Council announced the punishments following an independent tribunal's hearing in Qatar.
It came a day after Britain's Crown Prosecution Service charged the trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat.
Amir and Asif were accused of deliberately bowling no-balls -- deliveries which incur a scoring penalty and cannot dismiss batsmen -- to the instructions of Majeed, who received money from a third party, while Butt was said to be aware of the arrangement.
The conditions of the reduced sentences require Butt and Asif to refrain from further breaches of the anti-corruption code and to participate in an education program run by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Pakistan trio to face criminal charges
The independent tribunal resumed its hearing on Saturday after adjourning on January 11.
It dismissed a charge that Butt had agreed to bat out a run-less (or "maiden")over in the match played at London's Oval ground from August 18-21, but said the player failed to disclose to the ICC's anti-corruption unit that Majeed had approached him with such a request.
The main charges stem from the following match at Lord's, the final Test of the series.
"The tribunal found that the charges under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that (respectively) Mr Asif agreed to bowl, and did bowl, a deliberate no-ball in the Lord's Test match played between Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August 2010, Mr Amir agreed to bowl, and did bowl, two deliberate no-balls in the same Test, and Mr Butt was party to the bowling of those deliberate no-balls, were proved," it said in a statement on the ICC website on Saturday.
Amir is the youngest bowler to claim 50 Test wickets, six of which came at Lord's as Pakistan lost to England by an innings and 225 runs.
Butt has played in 33 Test matches since making his debut for Pakistan in 2003, and scored 1,889 runs. He became captain of the side in 2010 and led his country in a Test series against Australia as well as the tour of England before being replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq in the wake of the scandal.
Asif has twice tested positive for steroids, resulting in year-long bans, and in 2008 was detained for three weeks after being found in possession of illegal substances at Dubai airport. | [
"Who deliberately bowled no-bowls?",
"Who was found guilty of \"spot-fixing\"?",
"Who was the former captain?",
"Who was found guilty of spot-fixing?",
"Who was Salman Butt banned with",
"What former captain was banned?",
"what did gthe tribunal say about Butt"
] | [
[
"Amir and Asif"
],
[
"Mohammad Amir"
],
[
"Salman Butt"
],
[
"Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir"
],
[
"Mohammad Amir"
],
[
"Salman Butt"
],
[
"the player failed to disclose to the ICC's anti-corruption unit that Majeed had approached him with such a request."
]
] | Former captain Salman Butt banned along with Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir .
Pakistani cricketers found guilty of "spot-fixing" during Test series in England .
Asif and Amir said to have deliberately bowled no-bowls under instruction from agent .
The tribunal said that Butt was aware of this illegal arrangement . |
(CNN) -- Three Palestinians, including two sick children, have died recently while waiting for resettlement from Iraq, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday.
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie visits the Al Waleed refugee camp in August.
About 2,000 Palestinian refugees are stranded in camps along the Syrian border and face difficult living conditions, including limited medical care, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said.
The agency has appealed for the resettlement of "vulnerable and sick" children in Al Waleed refugee camp at the Iraqi-Syrian border.
One of those who died in the camp was a 3-year-old Palestinian boy who was suffering from rickets and pneumonia. He died a few days ago in a Ramadi hospital and then was buried in Al Waleed. The other was a 14-year-old suffering from Hodgkin's disease who died in Baghdad last week.
A 50-year-old man who was waiting to be resettled died earlier this month in Al Waleed.
The agency says seven people, including three children, have died at the camp since refugees fleeing attackers began arriving at the border in March 2006.
About 30 to 40 people arrive at the Al Waleed camp each week, the UNHCR reports.
The agency has been pursuing medical resettlement.
"UNHCR has helped resettle one family of eight with several sick children from this camp to Norway last August. Another 11 medical cases submitted for resettlement are awaiting approval," the agency said, which is working to identify other medical cases.
And it is urging the resettlement of the entire group.
"UNHCR has sought solutions for the whole group since last year and has only received positive indications from Sudan and Chile," the agency said.
Thousands of Palestinians have lived in Iraq, with some going there when Israel was formed and others born there.
The UNHCR notes that some got "preferential treatment" under the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But they have been the targets of violence since he was toppled. E-mail to a friend | [
"What did the U.N. agency appeal for?",
"Who said 30 to 40 refugees arrive at border camps each week?",
"Who appeals for medical resettlement of Palestinians in Iraq camps ?",
"What did UNHCR say?",
"Where did Palestineans camp?",
"U.N appeals for what?",
"What's the number of Palestinians in camps in Syria?",
"What is the number of refugees arriving in camps?",
"Amount of refugees in camp?",
"what boarder are the camps along",
"who camps along border",
"Who has about 2,000 Palestinians in camps along Iraq-Syria border?"
] | [
[
"the resettlement of \"vulnerable and sick\" children in Al Waleed refugee camp at the Iraqi-Syrian border."
],
[
"UNHCR"
],
[
"U.N. High Commissioner"
],
[
"About 30 to 40 people arrive at the Al Waleed camp each week,"
],
[
"Syrian border"
],
[
"the resettlement of \"vulnerable and sick\" children in Al Waleed refugee camp at the Iraqi-Syrian border."
],
[
"2,000"
],
[
"30 to 40 people"
],
[
"About 2,000"
],
[
"Syrian border"
],
[
"Palestinian refugees"
],
[
"Al Waleed"
]
] | U.N. agency appeals for medical resettlement of Palestinians in Iraq camps .
About 2,000 Palestinians in camps along Iraq-Syria border .
30 to 40 refugees arrive at border camp each week, UNHCR says . |
(CNN) -- Three Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, police officers became the first department fatalities since 1995 Saturday morning while responding to a domestic dispute call, Police Chief Nathan Harper said. Law enforcement from several jurisdictions respond to a shooting standoff at Pittsburgh home Saturday. "We have never had to lose three officers in the line of duty at one time at one call," Harper said. Suspect Richard Poplawski surrendered around 11 a.m. outside the Stanton Heights home he shares with his mother after a standoff that lasted nearly four hours and left two more officers injured. Wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with an AK-47, a long rifle and a pistol, Poplawski fired about 100 rounds during the standoff, Harper said. Watch officers respond at the scene » Poplawski was taken into custody after surrendering to law enforcement. He is expected to face charges of homicide, aggravated assault and other related offenses, Harper said. Officer Paul Sciullo III was the first to approach the home after responding to the scene around 7:05 a.m. He was shot in the head as he entered the doorway. When Officer Stephen Mayhle tried to help his fellow officer, he too was shot in the head, Harper said. Officer Eric Kelly, who rushed to the scene on his way home after finishing his shift, was fatally shot as he attempted to assist his fallen colleagues, Harper said. The shootings triggered a standoff between Poplawski, who was shooting from his bedroom window, and law enforcement agencies from several jurisdictions, Harper said. Poplawski opened fire at an Army SWAT vehicle that arrived around 8:30 a.m., preventing them and medics from reaching the wounded policemen. Officer Timothy McManaway also was shot in the hand, the chief said. Another officer, Brian Jones, broke his leg while trying to get over a fence while securing the rear of the house, he said. Some neighbors were evacuated during the standoff. Neighbors reported that the family had caused trouble before and Harper said police had responded to calls from the home two or three times. | [
"what Suspect was wearing bulletproof vest?",
"what Third officer killed was on his way home after?",
"What were they responding to?",
"What was the suspect wearing?",
"Who was killed on his way home?",
"How many officers were killed?",
"Where were the officers responding to a call?"
] | [
[
"Richard Poplawski"
],
[
"Eric Kelly,"
],
[
"a domestic dispute call,"
],
[
"a bulletproof vest"
],
[
"Eric Kelly,"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,"
]
] | NEW: Suspect was wearing bulletproof vest, armed with AK-47, police chief says .
NEW: Third officer killed was on his way home after finishing shift .
Officers were responding to domestic call in Stanton Heights area of Pittsburgh .
Two more officers were injured in the nearly four-hour standoff that ensued . |
(CNN) -- Three U.S. researchers have won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for solving "a major problem in biology," the Nobel Committee announced Monday. Jack Szostak, from left, Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn will share the $1.4 million prize. Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak are credited with discovering how chromosomes are protected against degradation -- a field that could shed light on human aging and diseases, including cancer. "The award of the Nobel Prize recognizes the discovery of a fundamental mechanism in the cell, a discovery that has stimulated the development of new therapeutic strategies," the committee said in a news release. The three will share the $1.4 million prize. It is the 100th year the prize will be awarded, and the first time that any Nobel in the sciences has gone to more than one woman. The work that won them the prize took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It centers on structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres and an enzyme that forms them, called telomerase. As cells divide, chromosomes need to be replicated perfectly. Work by the researchers determined that telomeres protect DNA from degradation in the process, and that telomerase maintains the telomeres. Though there had been some speculation that the three scientists were being considered for the Nobel, the committee keeps its work top secret -- and all three researchers said they were surprised. Szostak told CNN he got the news in "that classic early morning phone call from Stockholm." He described it as "surprising and exciting" -- perhaps particularly for him because he has not worked on the subject for the past 20 years. "I've been working on other things," he said. "It started off as a collaboration with me and Liz [Blackburn] -- Carol [Greider] was a student of hers." The work began as "a long-standing puzzle that we were interested in solving," he said. "It was only over later years that it emerged, through the work of many people, that this was probably important for aging and cancer." How it might help fight such diseases is not yet known, Szostak said. "It will take a while yet for that to be figured out." Blackburn and Greider did not immediately return calls from CNN. In a telephone conversation with the editor-in-chief of the Nobel Prize Web site nobelprize.org, Greider said she had been attracted to the field of research because "it seemed like the unanswered question." She also said telomere research has a higher proportion of women than other fields because in its early days, the lead researchers brought women into the field. She called it a situation in which "you have someone that trains a lot of women and then there's a slight gravitation of women to work in the labs with other women." She added, "I think actively promoting women in science is very important because the data has certainly shown that there has been an underrepresentation. And I think that the things that contribute to that are very many ... subtle, social kinds of things." Blackburn, in a separate conversation posted on the Web site, said the proportion of women in telomere research is "fairly close to the biological ratio of men and women." "It's all the other fields that are aberrant," she added, laughing. The field of study intrigued her because "it's so intricate and complicated, and you want to know how it works," she said. Blackburn was Greider's supervisor at the University of California, Berkeley. Now Blackburn is at the University of California, San Francisco. Greider is a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Szostak was previously at Harvard Medical School and is currently professor of genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Married with two children, he told CNN he has "no idea" what he'll do with his portion of the monetary prize -- about $467,000. CNN asked | [
"Winners studied structures at the end of chromosomes called what?",
"What problem did they solve?",
"How much money will the winners share?",
"Who will share the $1.4 million prize?",
"What does their research relate to?",
"Who solved \"a major problem in biology\"?"
] | [
[
"telomeres"
],
[
"discovering how chromosomes are protected against degradation"
],
[
"$1.4 million"
],
[
"Carol Greider"
],
[
"discovering how chromosomes are protected against degradation"
],
[
"Elizabeth Blackburn"
]
] | NEW: Nobel Committee says prizewinners solved "a major problem in biology"
Winners studied structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres .
Their research relates to understanding aging, diseases including cancer .
Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak will share $1.4 million prize . |
(CNN) -- Three attacks were made on Royal Dutch Shell oil facilities in Nigeria on Sunday, according to a company spokesman who said details were not immediately available. Investigating the attacks will be difficult because they happened in remote areas, Royal Dutch Shell says. The attacks were against pipelines in the eastern part of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, said the spokesman, Rainer Winzenried. "Shell is investigating the impact on facilities, the environment and the production capabilities," he said. The attacks happened in remote areas, making investigations difficult, he said, adding that the company would not send in investigators until it was certain the area was secure. It was not known whether there were any casualties, he said. The pipelines are part of a Shell joint venture that provides oil to several companies, Winzenried said. Shell runs the venture, and Nigeria is the operator. Winzenried refused to speculate on who was behind the attacks, but Nigeria's main militant group -- the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND -- said it had attacked an offshore facility earlier Sunday and that "the structure is ... engulfed in fire." Winzenried had no information about that claim. MEND, which demands a fairer distribution of Nigeria's oil wealth, claimed Friday that it destroyed a pipeline owned and operated by the Italian gas company Agip, but Agip has not confirmed that report. Earlier in the week, MEND claimed to have destroyed Royal Dutch Shell's main trunk line in Bayelsa state and a Chevron oil station in the delta region. Shell confirmed an attack on that pipeline and said it had shut it down to avoid an environmental impact. Chevron, which halted its onshore operations in the region last month, said it was investigating. Last month, the militant group declared an "all-out war" on the government after what it said was a deadly bombing raid on civilians. It is not the first declaration of war by MEND, which demands that more of Nigeria's oil wealth be invested in the region instead of enriching those whom the militants consider corrupt politicians. The militant group declared war against the government in September for what it said were unprovoked attacks. At that time, MEND destroyed several oil facilities, forcing Nigeria to cut its oil exports by as many as 1 million barrels of oil per day, or 40 percent. | [
"who attacked the pipelines?",
"Who would run the investigation?",
"where is the pipeline?",
"Where were the Pipelines attacked?",
"who claimed responsiblity?",
"What group took responsibility for attacking an offshore facility?",
"Who attacked the eastern part of Nigeria's Niger Delta?",
"what did the company say",
"What group said they attacked a facility?",
"What happened to the pipelines?",
"who claimed the attack",
"What did MEND claim to attack?",
"what did Royal Dutch Shell say"
] | [
[
"Winzenried refused to speculate on"
],
[
"Royal Dutch Shell"
],
[
"eastern part of the Niger Delta in Nigeria,"
],
[
"Niger Delta in Nigeria,"
],
[
"the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND"
],
[
"the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND"
],
[
"MEND"
],
[
"attacks were made on Royal Dutch Shell oil facilities in Nigeria on Sunday,"
],
[
"the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND"
],
[
"attacks"
],
[
"MEND"
],
[
"had attacked an offshore facility earlier Sunday and that \"the structure is ... engulfed in fire.\""
],
[
"Investigating the attacks will be difficult because they happened in remote areas,"
]
] | Royal Dutch Shell: Pipelines attacked in eastern part of Nigeria's Niger Delta .
Few details available; company says remote area will make investigation hard .
Company won't speculate on who was behind attacks .
Militant group MEND claimed it attacked an offshore facility earlier Sunday . |
(CNN) -- Three crew members died in a fiery Navy helicopter crash near Corpus Christi, Texas, a military spokesman said, and a fourth is hospitalized in critical condition. The Navy MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter crashed in a field about four miles south of Corpus Christi on Wednesday just after 8 p.m. It caught fire after impact, said Ed Mackley with the Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command. Copter wreckage came to rest near guide wires of a 1,000-foot TV tower for Public Broadcasting System affiliate KEDT, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Authorities refused to tell The Associate Press whether the Sea Dragon collided with the tower. A witness reported a huge fireball and booming noise shortly after the crash. Rescuers found bodies of three crew members about 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, Mackley said. Watch smoke and flames after the crash » Witness J.D. Batten told the Caller-Times he was walking on his property about two miles from the crash site when he heard a helicopter overhead. "I saw a red-glowing fireball shoot hundreds of feet up into the air," he told the paper. "I heard a giant boom a second later. It was then dead silent, and I couldn't hear the helicopter anymore." A fourth crew member was in critical condition at Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, Mackley said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families," Mackley said. Authorities did not immediately identify the victims. The aircraft was part of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, a military spokesman told the Caller-Times. The Caller-Times quoted a Navy spokesman who said the aircraft was on a training mission and the crash occurred during heavy fog. A military investigation will try to determine what caused the crash, Mackley said. First responders to the crash site were hindered by downed power lines, according to the Caller-Times report. The paper said firefighters and a busload of military personnel searched the muddy area surrounding the crash site for hours. E-mail to a friend | [
"Was the fog really dense?",
"what happened to teh chopper",
"What height is the tower?",
"How many people were killed?"
] | [
[
"heavy"
],
[
"crash"
],
[
"1,000-foot"
],
[
"Three"
]
] | NEW: Chopper reportedly went down near 1,000-foot TV tower .
Crash took place during heavy fog, reports Caller-Times newspaper .
Fourth victim in critical condition at Texas hospital, military says .
Three killed when MH-53 Sea Dragon crashed in field near Corpus Christi . |
(CNN) -- Three days after a consumers' group called for a meat boycott, the head of Argentina's beef industry said Thursday prices will fall by week's end.
Gustavo Valsangiacomo, president of the Argentina Beef Industry Union, declined to say the boycott was responsible for the price drop. But he acknowledged that demand for beef is falling, the official Telam news agency said.
"There are a sum of factors," Valsangiacomo told Telam. "I don't want to take importance away from the boycott, but it will be analyzed by the end of the week. Nonetheless, we undoubtedly believe that prices reached a point that the public cannot and does not want to accept."
On Monday, an Argentinean consumer group called for a one-week beef boycott in an attempt to lower prices in a nation that eats more beef than anywhere else in the world.
The price of beef has increased 40 percent to 50 percent since December, said the Association of Free Consumers, which called for the boycott.
The group cited success in a similar recent boycott of tomatoes, which also had risen in price. Within a few days of the tomato boycott, prices dropped, the consumer organization said.
Valsangiacomo said the beef industry had reached a particular point in which cattle growers have cheap feed but have tried to maximize their profits.
"There has to be an equilibrium between their costs and what consumers are paying," the industry chief said.
Argentina -- a nation of nearly 41 million residents and 51 million head of cattle in 2007, the latest year comparison figures are available -- has faced a crisis as cattle supplies have dipped to their lowest levels in 45 years, according to the Argentina Farm Federation.
The Association of Free Consumers cites three possible reasons for the decline in cattle stock: a significant increase in the number of slaughtered livestock; an acceleration in the cultivation of soy, with more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) converted from livestock to soy production; and more Argentineans buying beef.
Drought also has decreased the size of available pasture land.
Argentineans eat more beef than any other nation in the world -- 68 kilograms (150 lbs) per person annually, the Farm Federation said. Despite the high consumption, that's a significant decrease from the 80 kilograms (176 lbs) per person per year in the 1970s, the farmers' group said.
Argentinean beef is considered among the best in the world, and the nation is the third-largest exporter in the world, behind Brazil and Australia. But the drastic decline in beef cattle has led some Argentineans to worry the nation eventually could have to import beef to keep up with the high demand. | [
"What percent has price of beef risen?",
"What length of boycott is the consumer group calling for?",
"What is the trend for the public demand for beef?",
"The price of beef has risen how many percent since December?",
"What did costumer group do?",
"What did the Argentina Beef Industry president decline to say?",
"What won't Argentina Beef Industry Union president say?",
"What did consumer group call for to try to lower prices?"
] | [
[
"40"
],
[
"one-week"
],
[
"falling,"
],
[
"40"
],
[
"called for a meat boycott,"
],
[
"the boycott was responsible for the price drop."
],
[
"the boycott was responsible for the price drop."
],
[
"meat boycott,"
]
] | Consumer group called for one-week beef boycott to try to lower prices .
Argentina Beef Industry Union president won't say if boycott responsible for likely price drop .
Price of beef has risen 40 percent to 50 percent since December, group says .
Industry chief tells news agency public demand for beef on decline . |
(CNN) -- Three faculty members were killed and three other school employees were wounded Friday in a shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a school spokesman said.
A female shooting suspect was in custody and a second person was detained, "not arrested," spokesman Ray Garner told reporters.
Huntsville Police Chief Henry Reyes left open the possibility that more than one person had been detained. "We have a suspect and possible persons of interest," he said late Friday. "Until we go through everything, we're not going to say exactly how many or who we have."
He said police were questioning the suspect, whom he would not identify.
Of the wounded, two were faculty members and the third was a staff member, he said.
Garner said the incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. in Shelby Hall. Police arrived at 4:01 p.m.; residence halls were locked down at 4:10 p.m.; the building was secured by 5:45 p.m., he said.
The suspect was taken into custody outside the building, said Reyes. No weapon has been recovered, he said.
The 6-year-old, $60 million facility houses the chemistry department and is named for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama and his wife, Annette Shelby.
Garner identified the dead as Gopi Podila, chairman of the biological sciences department; Maria Davis, associate professor of biology; and Adriel Johnson, associate professor of biology.
He identified the injured as Joseph Leahy, associate professor of biology, in critical condition; Luis Cruz-Vera, assistant professor of biology, in stable condition; and Stephanie Monticello, staff assistant, also in stable condition. The wounded were taken to Huntsville Hospital.
Classes and athletic events are to be canceled February 15-19, he said.
Asked why students had not been alerted for more than an hour after the shootings, Reyes said, "I can't comment on that part." | [
"What university did the three killed faculty members work at?",
"What time did the shooting occur?",
"What were they killed by?",
"Who is the hall named after?",
"Was more than one person detained?"
] | [
[
"of Alabama"
],
[
"shortly before 4 p.m."
],
[
"shooting"
],
[
"U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama and his wife, Annette Shelby."
],
[
"a second"
]
] | Three killed were faculty members at University of Alabama in Huntsville .
Police leave open the possibility that more than one person has been detained .
Shooting occurred about 4 p.m. in Shelby Hall, which is named for senator . |
(CNN) -- Three former guerrilla leaders -- who helped command what one activist called "one of the most brutal rebel movements in modern days" -- were sentenced Wednesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for crimes against humanity.
Amputee victims of Sierra Leone's civil war take part in football training at a beach in Freetown.
The U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone found the men guilty in February of crimes that included murder, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages stemming from a civil war that lasted from March 1991 to January 2002. They were arrested in March 2003, said Peter Anderson, spokesman for the U.N. court.
The rebels -- former leaders in the Revolutionary United Front guerrilla movement -- were known for hacking off civilians' hands and feet during the war, which stood out for its viciousness even on a a continent that has suffered many horrific conflicts.
Presiding Judge Pierre Boutet of Canada read the sentences.
Former Revolutionary United Front "interim leader" Issa Hassan Sesay was sentenced to 52 years in prison, former commander Morris Kallon to 40 years, and former chief of security Augustine Gbao to 25 years.
Sesay and Kallon had been found guilty on 16 counts, and Gbao was found guilty on 14.
The former rebels received credit for the six years each already has served in prison, Anderson told CNN.
He said they will be imprisoned in another country, maybe Rwanda, because the prisons in Sierra Leone do not meet the standards of the U.N. court.
Kallon was the only one of the three to express sorrow at his sentencing, Anderson said.
"He really had made a genuine expression of remorse," which is considered a stronger statement than regret, the court spokesman added.
The court noted several mitigating factors at the sentencing, but "in view of the gravity of the crimes, their impact was limited," a statement from the court said.
The court noted that the crimes "were committed upon a massive scale across several districts of Sierra Leone" and that "the impact of all these crimes upon the Sierra Leonean society has been enormous."
"The Chamber concluded that the inherent gravity of the criminal acts for which Sesay, Kallon and Gbao have been convicted is exceptionally high," the statement said.
Corinne Dufka, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch's Africa division, had called the verdict "very significant."
"The RUF were renowned for leading one of the most brutal rebel movements in modern days. Everyone knows about the signature atrocity of limb amputation, but there was also horrific sexual violence, abductions, use of child soldiers and forced marriages," she told CNN by phone from Senegal in West Africa.
Eight people have been convicted of war crimes connected with the conflict -- some on the rebels' side and some on the government's.
The U.N. Special Court's mandate is to try only "those who bear greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone."
The trial of Sesay, Kallon and Gbao lasted nearly five years. The three had pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The Special Court cannot impose the death penalty.
The Revolutionary United Front seized most of Sierra Leone from the government and fought international and African peacekeepers. International forces retook the capital, Freetown, in 2000.
The trial of the three former leaders was the last of three to be held at the Special Court.
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is on trial separately at an international court in The Hague, Netherlands, for his role in the conflict. The prosecution rested in the Taylor case in January after a year of presenting its arguments.
Sierra Leone is known for its diamond wealth, but 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Sierra Leone government. It is mandated to bring to justice those most responsible for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after November 30, 1996. | [
"When were men found guilty",
"what was the convictions",
"what were the men convicted of?",
"who was sentenced?"
] | [
[
"February"
],
[
"of crimes that included murder, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages"
],
[
"crimes that included murder, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages"
],
[
"former guerrilla leaders"
]
] | Three rebels in Sierra Leone sentenced for crimes against humanity .
U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone found the men guilty in February .
Men convicted of crimes such as murder, rape, sexual slavery, forced marriages .
Charges stem from civil war that lasted from March 1991 to January 2002 . |
(CNN) -- Three former leaders of Sierra Leone's brutal Revolutionary United Front guerrilla movement were found guilty Wednesday of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages, the Special Court for Sierra Leone announced.
The RUF rebels were notorious for brutality.
The charges stemmed from a civil war in the diamond-rich West African nation that lasted more than 10 years and stood out for its viciousness, even on a continent that has suffered many vicious conflicts.
It led to tens of thousands of deaths and more than 2 million people fleeing their homes in the country of 6 million.
The RUF rebels were known for hacking off civilians' hands and feet during the war, which lasted from March 1991 until January 2002.
Former RUF "interim leader" Issa Hassan Sesay, former RUF commander Morris Kallon and former RUF chief of security Augustine Gbao each faced 18 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, attacking U.N. peacekeepers, and recruiting and using child soldiers.
Sesay and Kallon each were found guilty on 16 counts, while Gbao was found guilty on 14, the court announced.
They were charged with "extermination, murder, rape, sexual slavery, forced marriages and physical violence" as well as enslaving civilians, mutilating people, and pillaging.
They were convicted on all counts except two specifically related to the kidnapping of international peacekeepers in May 2000.
Gbao was also found not guilty of two other charges related to an attack on peacekeepers, although Sesay and Kallon were convicted of those crimes.
Human Rights Watch senior Africa researcher Corinne Dufka called the verdict "very significant."
"The RUF were renowned for leading one of the most brutal rebel movements in modern days. Everyone knows about the signature atrocity of limb amputation, but there was also horrific sexual violence, abductions, use of child soldiers, and forced marriages," she told CNN by phone from Senegal in West Africa.
She lived Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2004, documenting atrocities. "It was difficult to find someone who hadn't been a victim of or a witness to a war crime," she said. Watch Jim Clancy's report on the battle for Sierra Leone »
Amnesty International also welcomed the convictions, but said much more needs to be done to bring hundreds of other perpetrators to justice.
The group called it a "positive, but still insufficient, step in the fight against impunity" in the country, and said "many others -- numbering perhaps in the several hundreds -- must be investigated in Sierra Leone."
Eight people have now been convicted of war crimes connected with the conflict -- some on the rebel's side and some on the government's.
The Special Court's mandate is to try only "those who bear greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone."
Sesay, Kallon and Gbao had pleaded not guilty on all counts in a trial that lasted nearly five years.
They are due to be sentenced within a month. The Special Court cannot impose the death penalty.
The RUF seized most of Sierra Leone from the government and fought international and African peacekeepers. The capital, Freetown, was retaken by international forces in 2000.
The trial of the three former leaders was the last of three to be held at the Special Court, a unique joint project of Sierra Leone and the United Nations.
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is on trial separately at an international court in The Hague for his role in the conflict. The prosecution rested in the Taylor case last month after a year of presenting its arguments.
The Leonardo DiCaprio movie "Blood Diamond" is set in Sierra Leone during the civil war. Despite the country's diamond wealth, 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
In the days of the slave trade, the West African country was the departure point for thousands of captives bound for the Americas. Freetown was founded in 1787 as a home for repatriated former slaves. | [
"What did the rebels do to civilians?",
"did the civil war last long",
"where was this event",
"what was the rebels reputation",
"How long did the civil war last?",
"what did human rights group do",
"Which group welcomes the convictions?"
] | [
[
"murder, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriages,"
],
[
"more than 10 years"
],
[
"Sierra Leone"
],
[
"notorious for brutality."
],
[
"more than 10 years"
],
[
"welcomed the convictions, but said much more needs to be done to bring hundreds of other perpetrators to justice."
],
[
"Amnesty International"
]
] | NEW: Human rights groups welcome convictions of three Sierra Leone rebel leaders .
Convictions are for war crimes, crimes against humanity, child soldier use .
Civil war last more than 10 years and left tens of thousands dead .
RUF rebels were known for hacking off civilians' hands and feet . |
(CNN) -- Three gone (Gadhafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali), two holding on in the face of daily protests (al-Assad, Saleh), two more (Kings Abdullah of Jordan and Mohammed of Morocco) trying to stay ahead of the curve of protest: After 10 months of the Arab Spring, the region is still in the throes of a heady and unpredictable transformation.
Moammar Gadhafi's demise, after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, means that three rulers in power collectively for 95 years are gone. Scholar and author Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, says that 2011 "is to the Arabs what 1989 was to the communist world. The Arabs are now coming into ownership of their own history and we have to celebrate."
Protesters in Yemen and Syria may be re-energized by the pictures from Sirte, Libya, showing the almost pathetic end of a ruler whose flowing robes and uniforms had long given him an aura of invincibility. Demonstrators in Syrian cities celebrated Gadhafi's death and warned President Bashar al-Assad that he would be next. As one Syrian activist told CNN: "The clear fate of all who kill his people is to end up under the feet of the nation."
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (no friend of the Syria regime) said: "Any Arab citizen, watching the course of events in Libya, cannot but think of the popular revolutionary movement that is taking place in Syria."
There has been one refrain common across the Arab world this year -- from the dusty streets of Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia, where it all began, to the barricades that litter Homs in Syria today: "The fear is gone, the people have put away their fear." Those words, spoken by Tunisian activist Sana Ben Achour in January, have echoed across the region ever since. It was quickly followed by a chant: "The people want the downfall of the regime."
Even so, it took U.N. resolutions and thousands of NATO sorties to degrade Gadhafi's forces. And that's unlikely elsewhere. The United States and Western Europe are applying economic sanctions against the Syrian regime but have persistently discounted military intervention. President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen seems impervious to outside pressure and even his own injuries as he maneuvers back into the game. And in a majority of Arab countries, the power of the state remains formidable if not overwhelming.
In 1989, the people of Eastern Europe shared a continent with developed democracies; they had a model to copy -- and considerable help in shaking off the legacy of communism.
The Arab states, which did not even draw their own borders, each have different dynamics. Explosive sectarian and regional divides have enabled authoritarian rule in Syria, Yemen and Libya. Like the Gulf states, Jordan and Morocco are monarchies and their kings at least have the legitimacy of succession. Egypt and Tunisia have by Arab standards a large and capable middle class; Yemen does not. The Gulf states are enriched by massive oil and gas reserves; countries such as Jordan have little or none. The attitude toward women's rights varies widely; Islamists are stronger in some countries than others.
Perhaps most importantly, security forces are in some places loyal to the flag, in others bound to the regime, or split down the middle. The military in Tunisia and Egypt would not defend leaders who became liabilities; the military in Syria has remained cohesive and loyal to al-Assad.
But one of the few characteristics Arab states have long shared is the "freedom deficit," the product of decades of authoritarian rule. A landmark report on Arab societies by the U.N. Development Program in 2002 concluded: "This freedom deficit undermines human development and is one of the most painful manifestations of lagging political development."
The situation changed little in the following decade, but other forces were at work. The pan-Arab satellite television networks -- so different from the sclerotic state broadcasters -- gave Arabs a new window on the world. The educated young began to harness the power of the | [
"The overthrow of how many leaders doesn't change the dilemmas that Arab world faces?",
"How many leaders were overthrew?",
"What power remains formidable in Arab countries?",
"Scholar says 2011 \"is to the Arabs what 1989 was to which other region?"
] | [
[
"Three"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"of the state"
],
[
"communist world."
]
] | Scholar says 2011 "is to the Arabs what 1989 was to the communist world"
U.N. resolutions, NATA sorties helped in Libya but are unlikely elsewhere .
The power of the state remains formidable in a majority of Arab countries .
The overthrow of three leaders doesn't change the dilemmas that Arab world faces . |
(CNN) -- Three law enforcement officers patrolling a remote stretch of northern California woods shot dead a double-murder suspect whom authorities had been hunting for 36 days, a sheriff said.
Aaron Bassler was wearing black clothing and carrying a large backpack, a fanny-pack and assault rifle when three Sacramento sheriffs spotted him early Saturday, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said.
From about 40 yards away and at an elevation 25 feet higher, they fired about seven rounds into his upper torso.
Allman said Bassler didn't fire a shot, and there was no verbal exchange between the parties. The suspect raised his weapon -- which was loaded and not on safety -- from the ground toward law enforcement officers.
It is believed to be the same weapon used to kill one of his victims, officials said.
The suspect was considered "armed and dangerous," and was believed to have engaged in a gunfight with three other law enforcement officers from Alameda County two days earlier.
There was no "shoot-to-kill" order in effect, Allman said.
"I fully support the manner in which this happened," the sheriff said, responding to inquiries that the suspect was killed without any warning or having fired a shot. "There will be no more lives endangered by Aaron Bassler."
Authorities wanted Bassler for the killing of Jere Melo on August 27 just east of Fort Bragg on the northern California coast 10 miles north of Mendocino.
Melo, 69, was an Army veteran as well as a former mayor and then-councilman in Fort Bragg at the time of his death.
A witness saw a gunman open fire and later identified the suspect, according to Allman.
He has also been identified as the suspect in the August 11 slaying of Matthew Coleman in Westport, just north of Fort Bragg. Allman said Saturday that DNA evidence linked him to Coleman's death.
For over a month, more than 40 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have teamed up to look for him.
In the process, he has been a suspect in several burglaries in which he kicked in locked doors and made off with food and guns, said Allman.
One such incident occurred between Thursday and Friday in a garage-shop about two miles from where Bassler was eventually found. A police bloodhound tracked his scent, helping steer authorities in the direction that they believed the suspect might be -- and leading to the operation Saturday.
The officers who gunned down Bassler were among about 15 three-person teams brought in from around the state for the search.
Bassler's family was "not happy" when a law enforcement official contacted them Saturday about the death because the press had already put out the news, according to the sheriff.
"I do have some feelings for the Bassler family, they suffered a loss today," Allman said. "(But) I assure you, that the other two losses that we felt in this county were something that law enforcement remembered every day."
A $30,000 reward for information leading to Bassler had been offered. There was no indication Saturday that anyone will receive it.
CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | [
"More than how many law enforcement agents have been involved in the hunt for him?",
"who were patrolling remote forest area?",
"He is shot dead by who?",
"Who was hunting for him?",
"Who shot Bassler?",
"Who was wanted in two murders in August in Mendocino County?",
"who was wanted?",
"What is Aaron Bassler accused of?"
] | [
[
"40"
],
[
"law enforcement officers"
],
[
"three Sacramento sheriffs"
],
[
"authorities"
],
[
"law enforcement officers"
],
[
"Aaron Bassler"
],
[
"Aaron Bassler"
],
[
"double-murder"
]
] | Aaron Bassler was wanted in two murders in August in Mendocino County .
More than 40 law enforcement agents have been involved in the hunt for him .
He is shot dead by a team of sheriff officers patrolling remote forest area .
The suspect was not warned and didn't fire, but was considered "dangerous" |
(CNN) -- Three members of a U.S. Navy helicopter crew were killed after their helicopter went down in the waters off San Diego, California, a Navy spokeswoman said Wednesday. Rescuers are still searching for the two remaining crew members from the helicopter, which went down late Tuesday night, U.S. Navy spokeswoman Karin Burzynski said. No further details concerning the deaths were immediately available. Burzynski said the helicopter was operating from the USS Nimitz. The Navy received word that the helicopter went down around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, she said. It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast, the Navy said. Coast Guard spokesman Henry Dunphy told CNN earlier that Coast Guard helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies, were helping in the search. | [
"Who did the Coast Guard search for?",
"Where did the crash occur?",
"How many people are missing after the crash?",
"What are the Coast Guard using to search?",
"Where did the copter crash?",
"How many people are still missing?",
"Who is using helicopters?",
"What day did the crash occur?"
] | [
[
"the two remaining crew members"
],
[
"the waters off San Diego, California,"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies,"
],
[
"It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast,"
],
[
"two remaining crew members"
],
[
"U.S. Navy"
],
[
"11:30 p.m. Tuesday,"
]
] | NEW: Rescuers still searching for two people missing from Tuesday night crash .
Coast Guard using helicopters and boats to search ocean for crew .
Copter was doing training off coast of Mexico, near San Diego, when it crashed . |
(CNN) -- Three men were sentenced to prison for forcing an African-American man out of a South Carolina convenience store, threatening him with a chainsaw and stealing his car, an incident the Department of Justice said was fueled by hate.
Thomas Blue Sr., 49, owner of the convenience store, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison in the 2007 incident. A second man, Judson Hartley Talbert, was sentenced to nine years, the department said. Blue's son, Thomas Blue Jr., 29, was sentenced to three years.
The three pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to deprive and depriving Dahndra "Ervin" Moore of his right to engage in a federally protected activity -- entering the convenience store -- and also to conspiring to carjack and carjacking his car, authorities said. The elder Blue also pleaded guilty to depriving two other people, both white, of their right to engage in a federally protected activity and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence against those two.
The defendants admitted that the elder Blue "forcibly escorted" Moore out of a Marlboro County, South Carolina, store known as the Stop and Shop after he entered to use the restroom, the statement said.
"Once outside, the elder Blue forced the victim to the ground and Blue Jr. threatened the victim with a chainsaw while a small crowd watched," according to the Department of Justice statement.
While the attack was occurring, Talbert stole Moore's car, authorities said. Later, the elder Blue used a pistol to threaten two white men who he thought were trying to help the victim, including one who showed up to retrieve Moore's car.
All three men waived their right to appeal, according to court documents.
The elder Blue's attorney, Jack Swirling, called the incident "most unfortunate" and "totally unacceptable." His client, he said, is very remorseful, adding that the incident would not have occurred but for Blue's heavy drinking that day.
Kirk Truslow, the younger Blue's attorney, said his client had apologized to Moore and his family and "wishes this never would have happened." The case "went a long way in making some changes in the area," he said.
"I think it really made an impact," Truslow said. "Everyone in this area took notice."
Talbert's attorney, Morgan Martin, called the incident "regrettable" and said his client is sorry it happened.
"This case is a reminder that violent acts fueled by bigotry and hate continue to happen all too frequently in our nation, even in 2010," said Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's civil rights division.
"This senseless, terrifying assault was quite simply the product of hate," said Kevin McDonald, acting U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina. "I expect others tempted to act out in violent racism to take note of this prosecution and the sentences imposed." | [
"Who was convicted ?",
"what do the defendants admit",
"Where had the victim stopped ?",
"who is convicted of the attack",
"Was a gun used ?",
"when was the attack"
] | [
[
"Thomas Blue Sr.,"
],
[
"conspiring to deprive and depriving Dahndra \"Ervin\" Moore of his right to engage in a federally protected activity"
],
[
"the Stop and Shop"
],
[
"Thomas Blue Jr.,"
],
[
"the elder Blue"
],
[
"2007"
]
] | 3 convicted for the 2007 attack at a store in South Carolina .
Victim had stopped at the store to use the restroom, according to court documents .
Defendants admitted taking him outside and threatening him with a chainsaw .
One man stole his car, pulled gun on men he thought were helping the victim . |
(CNN) -- Three more members of a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs are facing sexual assault charges, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Tuesday. The latest charges come two months after Warren Jeffs and five followers were indicted in Texas. On Tuesday, a Texas grand jury indicted the three male members of Jeffs' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints compound outside Eldorado, Abbott said. Each faces one felony count of sexual assault of a child. Two of them also face felony bigamy charges. The identities of the men were not released because they had not been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon. In July, the Schleicher County grand jury indicted Jeffs and four of his Texas FLDS followers on child sexual assault charges. Jeffs was charged with sexually assaulting a child under 17. A fifth follower was charged with failure to report child abuse. The charges stem from a state and federal investigation into the sect's Yearning for Zion Ranch. In April, child welfare workers removed more than 400 children from the compound, citing allegations of physical and sexual abuse. After a court battle, the Texas Supreme Court ordered the children returned in June, saying that the state had no right to remove them and that there was no evidence to show the children faced imminent danger of abuse on the ranch. Jeffs, 52, is the leader and "prophet" of the estimated 10,000-member FLDS, an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church. The FLDS openly practices polygamy at the YFZ Ranch and in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line: Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. Jeffs, who is facing a sentence in Utah of up to life in prison and is awaiting trial in Arizona, could face another life sentence in Texas if convicted on the latest charge. In Utah, he was convicted on accomplice to rape charges for his role in the marriage of a sect member to a 14-year-old. He faces similar charges in Arizona. His attorney in Arizona, Michael Piccarreta, has questioned the motives of Texas authorities. He said in July that the state's investigation into Jeffs and his followers is an effort "to cover themselves up on the botched attack on the ranch in Texas." | [
"what members of FLDS face?",
"when did this occur",
"who the grand jury indicted?",
"who is Warren Jeffs?"
] | [
[
"one felony count of sexual assault of a child."
],
[
"Tuesday,"
],
[
"three male members of Jeffs' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"
],
[
"leader and \"prophet\" of the estimated 10,000-member FLDS,"
]
] | Three members of a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs indicted .
Texas attorney general: Members of FLDS facing sexual assault charges .
Each faces one felony count of sexual assault of a child .
In July, a grand jury indicted six other members of the sect . |
(CNN) -- Three people connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were killed in two drive-by shootings, a senior White House official told CNN Sunday.
Two of the victims were an American employee at the consulate and her U.S. citizen husband. Their 1-year-old child, who was in a vehicle with the couple at the time of the shooting, survived the incident, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
The American couple were found dead inside a white Toyota RAV4 with Texas license plates, according to the Chihuahua state attorney general's office.
The woman was shot in the neck and left arm, while the man had a bullet wound near his right eye, officials said.
"We know that the U.S. citizens were targeted," Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz told CNN, saying a police officer witnessed a car shooting at the Americans' car. "We know they were chasing them. We know they wanted to kill them."
The Americans were identified as Arthur Redelfs, 34, and Lesley Enriquez by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, where Redelfs worked as a detention officer.
Redelfs was a 10-year veteran of the department, according to Jesse Tovar, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.
"On behalf of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office, I would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family during this difficult time," said Sheriff Richard Wiles. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them."
Authorities retrieved only one shell casing, from a 9 mm weapon.
About 10 minutes before authorities received the call, they were alerted to a body inside a 2003 Honda Pilot. Inside was the husband of the Mexican employee, identified as Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, 37. Reyes said the victim was a state police officer who was married to a Mexican employee at the U.S. consulate.
Two children, 4 and 7, were injured in that shooting and transported to the hospital, the attorney general's office said.
Police recovered two shells at that scene from an assault rifle, authorities said.
"The president is deeply saddened and outraged by the news of the brutal murders of three people associated with the United States Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez," National Security Council Spokesman Mike Hammer said in the statement Sunday. "He extends his condolences to the families and condemns these attacks on consular and diplomatic personnel serving at our foreign missions. In concert with Mexican authorities, we will work tirelessly to bring their killers to justice."
In response, the U.S. State Department authorized the temporary relocation of employees' families working in border-area consulates.
"These appalling assaults on members of our own State Department family are, sadly, part of a growing tragedy besetting many communities in Mexico," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Sunday night. "They underscore the imperative of our continued commitment to work closely with the Government of (Mexican) President (Felipe) Calderón to cripple the influence of trafficking organizations at work in Mexico."
The families of employees at U.S. consulates in Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros, are allowed to leave for a period of 30 days "in response to an increase in violence along the Mexican side of its border with the U.S.," State Department spokesman Fred Lash told CNN.
After 30 days, the authorization can be renewed, depending on a review, Lash said, adding that this was not a mandatory evacuation.
The announcement was part of a warning to American citizens regarding travel to Mexico.
The warning urges U.S. citizens to delay nonessential travel to parts of the states of Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua, where Juarez is located, because of recent violent attacks. U.S. government employees are restricted from traveling to all or parts of these three states.
The attacks include the kidnapping and killing of two resident U.S. citizens in Chihuahua, the warning states.
"Some recent confrontations between Mexican authorities and drug cartel members have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades," | [
"How many people were killed in the attack?",
"what does juarez mayor say?",
"What did the mayor of Juarez say?",
"What did the mayor say?",
"What did the State Department do?"
] | [
[
"Three"
],
[
"\"We know that the U.S. citizens were targeted,\""
],
[
"\"We know that the U.S. citizens were targeted,\""
],
[
"\"We know that the U.S. citizens were targeted,\""
],
[
"authorized the temporary relocation of employees' families working in border-area consulates."
]
] | 1-year-old child of two of the victims survives the attack .
Juarez mayor: "We know that the U.S. citizens were targeted"
Drive-by shootings kill U.S. employee at consulate and 2 others in Ciudad Juarez .
State Department warns Americans of danger of traveling to three Mexican states . |
(CNN) -- Three people were killed and 10 wounded when a hospital treating victims of Sri Lanka's civil war was shelled for a fourth time in two days, the International Committee of the Red Cross told CNN Tuesday. A civilian, injured during fighting in rebel territory, lies on a bed at a hospital in Vavuniya on January 16, 2009. Artillery shells slammed into the hospital in the northern district of Mullaittivu on Monday evening. Strikes on the hospital on Sunday -- including one that hit the pediatric ward -- left 11 people dead, including some children, according to an aid worker who spoke to witnesses. Government forces and Tamil rebels are locked in a battle for the remaining rebel strongholds in northern Sri Lanka, where the the country's ethnic Tamil minority has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983. Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area. The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead. International humanitarian aid agencies have asked for increased access to the region, calling conditions in northern Sri Lanka a "nightmarish situation." Sarah Crowe of UNICEF told CNN Monday that aid from the United Nations was getting into the war zone only every few days. Watch video an aid group says shows civilians suffering » "We need open access," she said. "These children and families need to be protected and they need to get out fast." Hundreds of civilians, including children, have been wounding in fighting since the end of last week. Government officials have accused aid organizations and foreign media of sensationalizing civilian casualties. "It looks as if it's convenient for certain agencies to exaggerate the numbers so that this can be converted to a humanitarian crisis in the public eye, " Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dr. Palitha Kohona told CNN. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to "continue with the military offensive until we liberate the remaining area under LTTE (the rebel group's) control," according to Sri Lanka's state-run news agency. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised to allow safe passage to trapped civilians and urged the Tamil Tigers, as the rebels are commonly known, to promise the same. A handful of U.N. staff are working round the clock to save a growing number of children caught in the crossfire, a U.N. spokesman said Saturday. Children as young as 4 months old were being treated in area hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other wounds of war, spokesman James Elder told CNN. "There is just intense fighting in a small area where children and other civilians are," Elder said. "The space [where conflict is taking place] is shrinking and the fighting is augmenting." Last Thursday, U.N. aid workers rescued 50 critically injured children and 105 adults, he said. "We are trying to get as many people out of there as we can," Elder said. CNN's Sara Sidner contributed to this report. | [
"How many people were injured?",
"Who is fighting the battle?",
"What needs increased access?",
"Who wants access to Sri Lanka?",
"How many people were dead?",
"Who is locked in battle?",
"Who wants to call for increased access?",
"How many were killed?",
"What was shelled for the fourth time?"
] | [
[
"10"
],
[
"Government forces and Tamil rebels"
],
[
"humanitarian aid agencies"
],
[
"humanitarian aid agencies"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Government forces and Tamil rebels"
],
[
"humanitarian aid agencies"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"a hospital treating victims of Sri Lanka's civil"
]
] | 3 dead as hospital treating Sri Lanka's civil war victims shelled for fourth time .
Government forces, Tamil rebels locked in battle for last rebel strongholds .
Humanitarian aid agencies call for increased access to northern Sri Lanka .
More than 200 civilians injured in past 3 days of fighting, says relief worker . |
(CNN) -- Three police officers -- shot to death after responding to a domestic argument call -- will lie in repose at Pittsburgh's city-county building later this week, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl told reporters Monday.
A statue at Pittsburgh's police memorial is decorated with a bouquet after the deaths of three officers on Saturday.
The public will be allowed to view the officers -- Stephen Mayhle, Paul Sciullo III and Eric Kelly -- from 4 p.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday, Ravenstahl said.
City offices will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed Thursday, he said, adding that city offices were already closing for the Good Friday holiday.
Following the viewing, the officers' bodies will be taken in a procession to an event center, where a public ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Ravenstahl said. Individual funerals will be held for the officers later.
A fund for the officers' families has been established at a local police credit union, Ravenstahl said. Watch mayor tell of plans to honor slain officers »
The three officers were shot to death Saturday after arriving at a Pittsburgh home in response to a 911 call about an argument. Court papers said the argument was triggered by a urinating dog.
Richard Poplawski, 22, is in custody in connection with the shootings. He was hospitalized over the weekend after he was shot in the leg during a four-hour police standoff; his whereabouts were unclear Monday. Police said Saturday that he would be charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and other charges.
Details of the incident were included in the police complaint seeking an arrest warrant for Poplawski. The complaint says Margaret Poplawski called 911 about 7 a.m. Saturday to report that her son was "giving her a hard time."
She told police she awoke to discover that "the dog had urinated on the floor," and awakened her son "to confront him about it."
The two had an argument, and Margaret Poplawski told her son she was calling police to remove him from her home, according to the complaint. When Mayhle and Sciullo arrived, she opened the door and let them in.
"Mrs. Poplawski reported that as the officers entered approximately 10 feet into the residence, she heard gunshots, turned and saw her son about six feet away with a long rifle in his hands, at which point she fled downstairs after asking him, 'What the hell have you done?'" the complaint said.
Margaret Poplawski reported she stayed in the basement during the standoff, and heard her son yell, "Yeah, I've been shot," and "I'm standing down, come in and help me," according to the complaint.
Kelly was a 14-year veteran of the department, Police Chief Nathan Harper has said, while the other two had worked there for two years each. Watch officers respond at the scene »
The chief said Sciullo was the first to approach the home, and was shot in the head as he entered the doorway. When Mayhle tried to help his fellow officer, he also was shot in the head. Kelly arrived at the scene and was shot before he could aid the other two officers, Harper said.
Harper said the suspect fired from a bedroom window, shooting at an armored vehicle carrying a SWAT team -- preventing those officers and medics from reaching the wounded policemen.
Two other officers, Timothy McManaway and Brian Jones, were injured. McManaway was shot in the hand and Jones, who was trying to secure the rear of the house, broke his leg trying to get over a fence, Harper said.
Autopsies showed that Kelly died of gunshot wounds to the trunk and lower extremities, Sciullo died from gunshot wounds to the head and trunk, and Mayhle was shot in the head, the complaint said.
"We have never had to lose three officers in the line of duty on one call," Harper, the police chief, said. "They have paid the ultimate sacrifice."
Authorities believe Poplawski, wearing a bullet-proof vest, aimed more than 100 | [
"what is the mayor doing?",
"who describes plans for procession for fallen officers?",
"which call they were responding?",
"which day they were shot?"
] | [
[
"plans to honor slain officers"
],
[
"Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl"
],
[
"domestic argument"
],
[
"Saturday"
]
] | Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo III were shot to death on Saturday .
They were responding to 911 call about an argument at a Pittsburgh home .
Suspect Richard Poplawski is in custody; his whereabouts unclear on Monday .
Mayor describes plans for procession for fallen officers, lying in repose . |
(CNN) -- Three women who were seized along with six other foreign workers in Yemen have been killed, Yemeni government officials said Monday. South Korean officials discuss the kidnappings Monday. A South Korean woman reportedly was killed. "It is with profound sorrow that the Yemeni government reports finding three bodies," according to a statement from Mohammed Albasha, a spokesman for Yemen's Embassy in the United States. The statement said the dead were identified as a South Korean teacher and two German nurses in training, all in their 20s. They were found in the Noshour Valley in Safrah district in the province of Saada. The women were abducted Sunday along with five other Germans, including three children, and a Briton, according to Yemen's state-run SABA news agency. Earlier, the Yemen Post said seven of the nine hostages were killed, citing the country's interior ministry. But SABA reported later Monday the remaining six were believed to be alive, and security forces were searching for them Albasha said the nine foreigners left the city of Saada without police escorts that are required due to the "heightened security situation" in the area. "This event was a heinous crime and constitutes not only a violation against the peaceful principles of Islam, but also the precepts of humanity," the embassy spokesman said. "Moreover, it does not reflect the good traditions and culture of Yemen." The Germany Foreign Ministry said it is in close contact with the German Embassy in Yemen but couldn't confirm any details at this stage. Initial official statements said the group was apparently seized by Houthi rebels, Shiite militants who have been fighting the government for years, according to SABA. The militants are hoping to derail the peace and reconstruction process in Saada, which has been rocked by war in the past year, according to SABA. However, the news agency later reported Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of abducting the group and killing the three. In addition, SABA said a spokesman for the rebels accused regional tribes of being behind the kidnappings and slayings. Sunday's abduction was the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreign workers in Yemen this year. All the previous hostages had been released unharmed, including 24 medical workers whom armed tribesman seized last week in Yemen's Amran province. CNN's Caroline Faraj, Diana Magnay and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report. | [
"What does Yemen say?",
"Who was found dead?",
"Houthi rebels blame who?",
"What do initial reports cite?",
"Who blames drug cartels and regional tribes?",
"Who was reported initially as responsible for the abductions?"
] | [
[
"\"It is with profound sorrow that the Yemeni government reports finding three bodies,\""
],
[
"two German nurses"
],
[
"drug cartels"
],
[
"the group was apparently seized by Houthi rebels, Shiite militants who have been fighting the government for years,"
],
[
"Houthi rebels"
],
[
"Houthi rebels, Shiite militants"
]
] | South Korean teacher, two German nurses in training found dead, Yemen says .
Initial reports cited Shiite militants in abductions .
But Houthi rebels blame drug cartels and regional tribes, news agency says . |
(CNN) -- Three years after the killing of Mexican journalist Armando Rodriguez, his colleagues said they are more determined than ever to write about the nation's drug cartels despite the risks.
"Those who ordered the killing of Armando were wrong because those who are left are more seasoned and we are working," said Luz del Carmen Sosa, a reporter for El Diario de Juarez newspaper who took over Rodriguez's crime beat after his death. "Those who believed we were going to take step back, they were wrong."
On November 13, 2008, Rodriguez -- called "El Choco" by his colleagues because of his chocolate skin tone -- was about to take his two young daughters to school when a man approached the garage of his house and fired 11 shots into his chest. His daughters, one of whom witnessed the attack, have not spoken publicly since the incident and did not attend a memorial event for their father on Sunday. Rodriguez's wife declined an interview request from CNN.
His colleagues believe he was targeted because of his coverage of drug cartels in the border town of Ciudad Juarez.
Before his death, Rodriguez was among the first journalists to write at length about the violent shift in the city. He was a high-profile reporter for the most-read paper in the city, covering a dangerous beat. It was a job his friends believe cost him his life.
Local reporters now look at the killing as the first of many targeting journalists for their work.
Since 2000, 74 journalists have been killed in Mexico -- 14 since 2010.
On the third anniversary of his death, his newsroom colleagues gathered Sunday to pay tribute and "remember Choco ... friend, journalist, family man and a great man," the paper's editorial assistant Pedro Torres said at the public event.
His colleagues criticized the investigation into his unsolved killing, saying it is an example of the hundreds of unsolved murders throughout the city -- widely considered to be one of the most violent in the world.
Sandra Rodriguez Nieto, an El Diario reporter, said she believes that someone is "hiding those responsible" for Rodriguez's death.
It's a charge prosecutors with the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office have denied. Early in the investigation they announced the detention of a suspect in the shooting, but never released details about who they held. The lack of information led to speculation among El Diario's newspaper staff that there was a cover up.
Making matters more complicated were attacks on the investigators working on the case.
In July 2009, a convoy carrying José Ibarra Limón, the first federal prosecutor designated to Rodriguez's case, was riddled with bullets by unknown assailants. The following August, Pasillas Paul Fong, the secretary of the Seventh Agency who would inherit the case, was executed. Days later, a third investigator took the case, only to flee Juarez soon afterward.
"This is a situation that hurts, an unacceptable situation," Torres said.
Of the five publications in Juarez, El Diario de Juarez is the most popular paper in terms of circulation and has made a reputation for aggressively covering drug violence.
In September 2010, two of the paper's photographers were attacked -- one was killed. A clear motive was never established, but investigators at the time did note the car carrying the two young journalists was registered to the son of the inspector of the State Human Rights Commission, Gustavo de la Rosa Hickerson. Some believe the journalists were not the intended targets of the attack.
On the same day friends and family buried the slain photographer, the newspaper published an open letter to the drug cartels operating in Juarez. The letter, written by the editorial staff, pleaded for an end to violence against journalists.
No newspaper in Juarez had ever published an editorial directly addressed to the cartels; and no other paper has done so since.
"You are, at present, the de facto authorities in this city," the letter said, "because the legal institutions have not been able to keep our colleagues from dying."
In the | [
"What year did Armando Rodriguez die?",
"How many journalist have been killed?",
"When did Rodriquez die?",
"What nationality was Rodriguez?",
"where did the journalists die",
"how many journalists have died",
"What do journalists continue to report on?",
"How many journalists have been killed since 2000?"
] | [
[
"2008,"
],
[
"74"
],
[
"November 13, 2008,"
],
[
"Mexican"
],
[
"Mexico"
],
[
"74"
],
[
"the nation's drug cartels"
],
[
"74"
]
] | Since 2000, 74 journalists have been killed in Mexico -- 14 since 2010 .
Mexican journalist Armando Rodriguez dies in 2008 .
There are questions about the investigation of his death .
Other journalists pledge to continue to report about drug cartels . |
(CNN) -- Three years ago, the film based on Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" was the focus of protest and controversy, with a Vatican archbishop calling for a boycott and Catholics at many levels refuting plot points. From left, actors Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer and Ewan McGregor join director Ron Howard at the film's premier. But when it comes to the new film based on a Brown novel, "Angels & Demons," star Tom Hanks says talk of controversy is much ado about nothing. "Everybody is looking for some scandal whether a scandal exists or not," Hanks said of the film. "I think a kind of natural reaction is now that somehow because it's the second Robert Langdon mystery that there is some degree of controversy over it. And there is really not." The movie ventures into similar waters as its predecessor, "The Da Vinci Code," with Hanks reprising the role of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbology expert, and conspiracy theories galore. Watch Hanks talk aboout the controversy » It also reunites the Academy Award-winning actor with director Ron Howard, who helmed "Da Vinci," and teams Hanks with actor Ewan McGregor and Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer. While "The Da Vinci Code" centered on the complex investigation of a murder in the Louvre and the theory that a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene produced descendants, the new film features a murder at the Vatican and a secret and powerful society known as the "Illuminati." McGregor, known for his role as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films, said that while "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons" are inextricably linked, the latter can stand on its own. "If I thought [Angels & Demons] was pinned to 'The Da Vinci Code' in some way then it would've been a lesser script to read and it wasn't," McGregor said. "It's a standalone movie ... it's not relevant whether you've seen 'Da Vinci Code' or not." Both films, like the Brown novels they're based on, have been met with criticism for their melding of history and storytelling. "I have a strong objection to the genre of mixing fact with fiction," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League. "You've got [Dan] Brown, [Ron] Howard and [Tom] Hanks in the movie all alleging that the Illuminati was this secret society which was brutalized by the Catholic Church in the 1600s." "It's all a lie," Donohue said. "[The Illuminati] never even existed until May 1, 1776, but they have to pitch it back into the 1600s so they can trot out their favorite victim, Galileo. What happens is you get the audience thinking 'Well, maybe it's not all true, but probably some of it is true.' " Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide and the Christian Film & Television Commission, first issued an advisory alert about the film in April and reiterated it days before the movie's May 15 release. "Now that we've previewed 'Angels & Demons,' Movieguide has decided to keep in effect our caution alert," Baehr said. "Faith is often denied throughout the movie." Director Howard wrote in the The Huffington Post that he believes Donohue is on a mission "to paint me and the movie I directed, 'Angels & Demons,' as anti-Catholic," a claim Howard emphatically denies. The director told CNN that he attempted to reach out to the Catholic Church regarding the film, but had no success. He also downplayed reports that Rome and the Vatican tried to hinder filming. Hanks said shooting the movie in the ancient city was complicated given the vibrancy of Rome. At one point, Hanks said, make-believe collided with one woman's fairy tale. "We had a lady showing up who was getting married at the Pantheon and she had to get married and we | [
"Who stars in \"The Da Vinci Code\"?",
"What is the name of the other actor?",
"What is the name of the lead actor in the movie?",
"The president of which body said \"It's all a lie\"?",
"Which actor starred in both movies?",
"Who is Tom's famous cast mate?",
"What was siad by the Catholic League president?",
"Angels & Demons was the sequel to which other film?"
] | [
[
"Ewan McGregor"
],
[
"Ayelet Zurer"
],
[
"Tom Hanks"
],
[
"the Catholic League."
],
[
"Tom Hanks"
],
[
"Ewan McGregor"
],
[
"\"I have a strong objection to the genre of mixing fact with fiction,\""
],
[
"\"The Da Vinci Code\""
]
] | Tom Hanks stars in "Angels & Demons," a sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"
Fellow cast mate Ewan McGregor says latest film is a standalone .
Like earlier film, "Angels & Demons" has been attacked for mix of fact and fiction .
Catholic League president: "It's all a lie" |
(CNN) -- Three years ago, the film based on Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" was the focus of protest and controversy, with a Vatican archbishop calling for a boycott and Catholics at many levels refuting plot points. From left, actors Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer and Ewan McGregor join director Ron Howard at the film's premier. But when it comes to the new film based on a Brown novel, "Angels & Demons," star Tom Hanks says talk of controversy is much ado about nothing. "Everybody is looking for some scandal whether a scandal exists or not," Hanks said of the film. "I think a kind of natural reaction is now that somehow because it's the second Robert Langdon mystery that there is some degree of controversy over it. And there is really not." The movie ventures into similar waters as its predecessor, "The Da Vinci Code," with Hanks reprising the role of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbology expert, and conspiracy theories galore. It also reunites the Academy Award-winning actor with director Ron Howard, who helmed "Da Vinci," and teams Hanks with actor Ewan McGregor and Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer. While "The Da Vinci Code" centered on the complex investigation of a murder in the Louvre and the theory that a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene produced descendants, the new film features a murder at the Vatican and a secret and powerful society known as the "Illuminati." McGregor, known for his role as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films, said that while "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons" are inextricably linked, the latter can stand on its own. "If I thought [Angels & Demons] was pinned to 'The Da Vinci Code' in some way then it would've been a lesser script to read and it wasn't," McGregor said. "It's a standalone movie ... it's not relevant whether you've seen 'Da Vinci Code' or not." Both films, like the Brown novels they're based on, have been met with criticism for their melding of history and storytelling. "I have a strong objection to the genre of mixing fact with fiction," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League. "You've got [Dan] Brown, [Ron] Howard and [Tom] Hanks in the movie all alleging that the Illuminati was this secret society which was brutalized by the Catholic Church in the 1600s." "It's all a lie," Donohue said. "[The Illuminati] never even existed until May 1, 1776, but they have to pitch it back into the 1600s so they can trot out their favorite victim, Galileo. What happens is you get the audience thinking 'Well, maybe it's not all true, but probably some of it is true.' " Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide and the Christian Film & Television Commission, first issued an advisory alert about the film in April and reiterated it days before the movie's May 15 release. "Now that we've previewed 'Angels & Demons,' Movieguide has decided to keep in effect our caution alert," Baehr said. "Faith is often denied throughout the movie." Director Howard wrote in the The Huffington Post that he believes Donohue is on a mission "to paint me and the movie I directed, 'Angels & Demons,' as anti-Catholic," a claim Howard emphatically denies. The director told CNN that he attempted to reach out to the Catholic Church regarding the film, but had no success. He also downplayed reports that Rome and the Vatican tried to hinder filming. Hanks said shooting the movie in the ancient city was complicated given the vibrancy of Rome. At one point, Hanks said, make-believe collided with one woman's fairy tale. "We had a lady showing up who was getting married at the Pantheon and she had to get married and we had to get our shot," Hanks | [
"What movie is Angels and Demons a sequel to?",
"Who stars in Angels and Demons?",
"What is the name of the Da Vinci Code sequel?",
"What does the fellow cast mate say?",
"What is a sequel to \"The Da Vinci Code\"?",
"What has the film been attacked for?",
"What did the Catholic League president say?"
] | [
[
"\"The Da Vinci Code\""
],
[
"Tom Hanks"
],
[
"\"Angels & Demons,\""
],
[
"while \"The Da Vinci Code\" and \"Angels & Demons\" are inextricably linked, the latter can stand on its own."
],
[
"\"Angels & Demons,\""
],
[
"their melding of history and storytelling."
],
[
"\"I have a strong objection to the genre of mixing fact with fiction,\""
]
] | Tom Hanks stars in "Angels & Demons," a sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"
Fellow cast mate Ewan McGregor says latest film is a standalone .
Like earlier film, "Angels & Demons" has been attacked for mix of fact and fiction .
Catholic League president: "It's all a lie" |
(CNN) -- Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal made light work of his heavy schedule and a recurring foot problem to reach the last 16 of the French Open on Friday. Rafael Nadal inspects his blistered foot during his third-round victory against Jarko Nieminen. The world No. 2 crushed Finnish 26th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1 in his fourth successive day of action on the Paris clay, following frustration this week with bad weather. He will play fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after his 7-6 5-7 7-6 6-1 win over 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia. Third seed Novak Djokovic was also untroubled in a later third round match to see off Wayne Odesnik of the United States 7-5 6-4 6-2. Nadal will be hoping for some time to let his blistered foot recover, needing treatment during the match against Nieminen for a problem that saw him beaten in the second round of the Rome Masters earlier in the claycourt season. He is bidding to become the second man after the legendary Bjorn Borg to win four successive titles at Roland Garros, but has already vented his anger at the ATP Tour for scheduling four top-level clay events in as many weeks. Watch Nadal talk about his tournament hopes » Nadal showed little signs of tiredness as he cruised past Nieminen in less than two hours to extend his winning record at the tournament to 24 matches. His opening victory against Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci took two days due to torrential rain, then on Thursday he saw off another qualifier in straight sets when he beat Frenchman Nicolas Devilder. In other third round action on Friday, Spain's Nicolas Almagro again showed his clay court pedigree with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 7-5 win over Britain's 10th seed Andy Murray. Almagro, who has won two titles on clay this season, was made to work hard by Murray, but recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the third set to win seven games in row and take command. He will now play 145th-ranked Frenchman Jeremy Chardy who ended the run of 30th seed Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in straight sets. Latvia's Ernests Gulbis continued his fine run as he defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3 7-5 6-2 to set up a clash with home hope Michael Llodra who beat Italy's Simone Bolelli in straight sets. In second-round action, France's Florent Serra completed a hard-fought 6-4 6-3 6-7 7-6 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania and will next face American Bobby Ginepri. | [
"What did Nicolas Almagro put out?",
"Who does Spanish world No. 2 crush?",
"What three time defending champion is into the last 16 of the French Open?",
"Where was the fourth round played?",
"Who did Fernando Verdasco beat?",
"Who beat Mikhail Youzhny?",
"Which 10th seed of Britain did Nicolas Almagro put out?",
"What third seed will join Nadal in the forth round",
"Who put out 10th seed Andy Murray?"
] | [
[
"6-3 6-7 6-3 7-5 win over Britain's 10th seed Andy Murray."
],
[
"Jarkko Nieminen"
],
[
"Rafael Nadal"
],
[
"Paris"
],
[
"Mikhail Youzhny"
],
[
"Fernando Verdasco"
],
[
"Andy Murray."
],
[
"Novak Djokovic"
],
[
"Spain's Nicolas Almagro"
]
] | Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal into last 16 of the French Open .
Spanish world No. 2 crushes Finnish 26th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1 .
Second seed next faces Fernando Verdasco who beat Mikhail Youzhny .
Third seed Novak Djokovic later joins Nadal in the fourth round at Roland Garros .
Nicolas Almagro of Spain puts out 10th seed Andy Murray of Britain . |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods admits his personal problems are affecting his game, but the world's top golfer refused to blame media intrusion on his life for his disastrous return to the PGA Tour this week.
Woods defied expectation when he tied for fourth on his comeback last month at the Masters, one of golf's four major events, but struggled at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina as he missed the halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional.
On Friday, he slumped to a seven-over-par 79 that saw him miss the weekend rounds by eight shots -- and a massive 17 behind leader Billy Mayfair.
It was his second-worst single-round score behind the 81 he carded at the 2002 British Open, and his highest 36-hole total meant he missed the cut in a non-major for the first time since 2005.
The 34-year-old, who took a five-month break from playing following the scandal over his admitted marital infidelities, admitted he was feeling pressure due to continued questioning about his private life.
"Well, I get asked every day. Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn't go away. Even when I'm at home, paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around," Woods told reporters in quotes carried by his personal Web site.
"Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that."
Woods will hope to address problems with his game ahead of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida starting next Thursday.
"It'll be interesting because I'll probably get home and hit balls on the range, and I'm going to have to get up there to Ponte Vedra a little early to putt because Isleworth is all torn up," he said.
"My short game was terrible. I three-putted there twice back-to-back, and you can't do that. I didn't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven. Those shots, you're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that.
"You have to let it go. It's like baseball, you go 0 for 4 two days in a row like I did, you've got a whole new tournament next week, which is great."
While Woods struggled at Quail Hollow, the 43-year-old Mayfair shot his second successive 68 to claim a one-shot lead from Argentina's Angel Cabrera.
Last year's Masters champion, who played his first two rounds with Woods, fired a 67 featuring an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.
Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson also carded 68 to be in a tie for third another shot back on 138 along with fellow Americans J.P. Hayes (64), Dustin Johnson (65) and Paul Goydos (70).
Meanwhile, England's Mark Foster will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open in Seville.
The world No. 363, seeking his second victory on the European Tour, carded a three-under-par 69 in his third round on Saturday.
Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros (67) and Carlos Del Moral (70) were tied for second along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (71). | [
"The top golfer missed out on PGA tour event for the first time since when?",
"who is tiger woods?",
"what did he miss?",
"What has Woods missed?",
"What is affecting Woods golf?",
"Which chamionship will Woods line up at again next week?",
"Who has admitted tat that personal problems are affecting his golf?"
] | [
[
"2005."
],
[
"the world's top golfer"
],
[
"halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional."
],
[
"the halfway cut"
],
[
"personal problems"
],
[
"PGA Tour"
],
[
"Woods"
]
] | Tiger Woods admits personal problems are affecting his golf, but refuses to blame media .
World's top golfer misses cut at a U.S. PGA Tour event for first time since 2005 .
He shot seven-over-par 79 at Quail Hollow, the second-worst score of his career .
Woods will line up again at the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra next week . |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods announced that he is taking "an indefinite break" from professional golf, according to a statement posted on his Web site Friday.
"I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children," the statement says. "I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try."
The 33-year-old golfer, who tops the sport's world rankings, has been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion late last month. The crash prompted authorities to cite him for careless driving and fine him $164.
Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck, and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions.
In the week following the crash, Woods apologized for "transgressions" that let his family down, on the same day that gossip magazine US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods, who is married to Elin Nordegren, had an affair with a 24-year-old cocktail waitress named Jaimee Grubbs.
US Weekly's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess -- an assertion the hostess vigorously denied, according to The New York Post. See the statement on Woods' Web site
It was not immediately clear how Woods' hiatus would affect his sponsorships, though Nike, his main sponsor, issued a statement saying Woods "and his family have Nike's full support."
"He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era," Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said in the statement. "We look forward to his return to golf."
The statement did not elaborate on whether Woods' announcement would impact his business relationship with the sports equipment and clothing company, which has worked with him for more than a decade.
Woods' other sponsors include Gillette, Gatorade and Electronic Arts.
The Professional Golfers' Association Tour said it supports Woods and looks forward to his return to the game.
"We fully support Tiger's decision to step away from competitive golf to focus on his family. His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family's request for privacy," the PGA Tour said in a statement Friday. "We look forward to Tiger's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him." | [
"What is he deeply aware of?",
"What caused Woods to be asking for forgiveness?",
"Who is supporting Wood's and his family?",
"What was Nike's statement about?",
"Who issued a statement?",
"What does Woods ask for?",
"What did Wood's ask for?",
"What did Wood's say?"
] | [
[
"the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children,\""
],
[
"infidelity"
],
[
"Professional Golfers' Association Tour"
],
[
"full support.\""
],
[
"Woods"
],
[
"forgiveness."
],
[
"forgiveness."
],
[
"he is taking \"an indefinite break\""
]
] | NEW: Nike issues statement saying Woods and family have company's "full support."
No word on how hiatus will affect lucrative sponsorships .
Statement: "I am deeply aware of the ... hurt that my infidelity has caused"
Woods' statement: "I am profoundly sorry and ... ask forgiveness" |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods has been told to go on television to try to finally end the controversy that has forced the world's No. 1 golfer to take an "indefinite break" from the sport.
The American superstar announced on his Web site on Friday that he was taking time out to resolve the issues caused by his "infidelity" to wife Elin, having been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion late last month.
Since then, several women have come forward to claim having had liaisons with Woods.
Woods' compatriot and fellow golfer John Daly, who has battled gambling and alcohol addiction and also been married four times, believes the 33-year-old should tell all on a television program such as the Oprah Winfrey Show, the UK Press Association reported.
"It's tough and it's going to be tough on him, but if I was him and Elin, I would go to Oprah, get on a show, get this thing aired out, tell the truth," former major winner Daly said.
Blog: Woods cannot erase this stain.
"And then it doesn't matter what the media says anymore because it's all out in the open and it would be a big sigh of relief for both of them."
British publicist Max Clifford, whose clients have included the likes of magician David Copperfield and television mogul Simon Cowell, agreed that Oprah would provide the best platform.
"Hopefully he can go on something like Oprah, maybe even with his wife, to show that they're making a real go of it," Clifford said. "The clever move would be for him to say, 'I'm coming back when Elin tells me the time is right.' That would be the masterstroke.
"The golf world will miss him more than he will miss them because you're taking the world's top player out, the biggest attraction, the one that everyone wants to see way, way above everybody else.
"That will encourage all of his fans to say, 'Come on Tiger, when are you coming back?' The demand for him to come back will get greater and greater."
Former European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie, who was second behind Woods at the 2005 British Open, believes that the 14-time major winner now seems a little less perfect.
"He is suddenly, I hate to say, more normal now," the Ryder Cup captain told the BBC Web site. "There is a mystique which has been lost now and let's hope that golf isn't damaged by that, and it shouldn't be.
"There was an aura, and that wall has been split slightly, so there are cracks and I feel that it gives us more opportunity of winning these big events now." | [
"Max Clifford believes the sport need Woods more than what?",
"Who advised Tiger Woods to go on television?",
"What does Max Clifford believe?",
"What does Daly believe?"
] | [
[
"he will miss them"
],
[
"John Daly,"
],
[
"agreed that Oprah would provide the best platform."
],
[
"the 33-year-old should tell all on a television program"
]
] | John Daly advises Tiger Woods to go on television with his wife Elin to end controversy .
Daly believes it is best for world's top golfer to "get this thing aired out, tell the truth"
Publicist Max Clifford believes the sport needs Woods more than he needs it .
Former European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie says the American seems "more normal" now . |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods said Sunday that he is focused on "living a life of amends" after "living the life of a lie" in one of his first interviews since a November car crash outside his home unleashed a media frenzy amid rumors of extramarital affairs.
The brief, five-minute interview on ESPN was one of two the professional golfer granted Sunday afternoon at the Isleworth golf club near his home outside Orlando, Florida. The Golf Channel simultaneously aired its similarly brief interview with Woods on Sunday night.
Woods credited inpatient and outpatient therapy for helping him start the process toward making amends.
"It was tough," he told ESPN's Tom Rinaldi of the therapy. "To look at yourself in a light that you never want to look at yourself, that's pretty brutal. ... I saw a person that I never thought I would ever become."
Woods said two of his lowest points in the past four months came when he had to tell his wife, Elin Woods, and his mother about his affairs.
"Those are the two people in my life who I'm closest to, and to say the things that I've done, truthfully to them, is ... honestly ... was ... very painful," he said.
Woods told The Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman that his mentor and father, the late Earl Woods, "would be very disappointed in me."
"I wish I could have had his guidance through all of this," he told Tilghman. "Have him help straighten me up. I know he would have done it."
Despite the open nature of the interviews -- both Rinaldi and Tilghman weren't restricted on the questions they could ask -- the notoriously private Woods declined to go into detail about the night of the November car crash, telling Rinaldi that "it's all on the police report."
"Beyond that, everything is between Elin and myself, and that's private," Woods said.
He also declined to specify what treatment he has been seeking, but did say it will continue despite his announcement last week that he will return to golf at the Masters next month.
"I'm excited to get back and play," he told Rinaldi. "I'm excited to get to see the guys again. ... I miss competing. But still, I still have a lot more treatment to do, and just because I'm playing, doesn't mean I'm gonna stop going to treatment."
When asked about what reaction he expects from the fans, Woods said: "I don't know. I'm a little nervous about that to be honest with you. ... It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there. But I also hope they clap for birdies, too."
In closing her interview, Tilghman asked Woods about a bracelet he was wearing.
"It's Buddhist," he said. "It's for protection and strength. And I certainly need that." | [
"What tv station did he give his interview?",
"What was a low point?",
"Who had an affair?",
"Who will have therapy?",
"Where is Wood's home located?",
"Where does the interview take place?",
"What was Woods' low point?",
"Where is Woods's home?",
"Who did Wood tell about his affair?"
] | [
[
"ESPN"
],
[
"when he had to tell his wife, Elin Woods, and his mother about his affairs."
],
[
"Woods"
],
[
"Woods"
],
[
"Orlando, Florida."
],
[
"at the Isleworth golf club near his home outside Orlando, Florida."
],
[
"when he had to tell his wife, Elin"
],
[
"outside Orlando, Florida."
],
[
"mother"
]
] | Telling wife, mother about his affairs were low points, Woods tells ESPN .
"To say the things that I've done, truthfully to them, is ... very painful," Woods says .
Woods gives interviews to ESPN, The Gold Channel near his Florida home .
Woods says therapy will continue, but declines to say what type he's received . |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods' former caddy Steve Williams has issued an apology after apparently making racially tinged remarks at an awards dinner in Shanghai, China.
Williams -- who was fired by Woods in July -- was being presented with a satirical award for "celebration of the year" for comments he made after his new boss, golfer Adam Scott, beat Woods at the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio a month later.
According to media reports, when asked about those comments during his acceptance speech Friday night, Williams said: "I wanted to shove it up that black ---."
Should Williams be punished for Tiger remarks?
Shortly afterward, the New Zealander issued an contrite statement on his website.
"I apologize for comments I made last night at the Annual Caddy Awards dinner in Shanghai. Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun.
"I now realize how my comments could be construed as racist. However I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to Tiger and anyone else I have offended."
Woods is in Australia preparing for the President Cups teams event in Melbourne starting November 17.
His agent Mark Steinberg said in a statement: "I was with Tiger when the story broke. We were obviously not there, but if all the reports are accurate, it is regrettable. Really nothing more to say."
In several interviews after his dismissal, which brought to an end a 13-year working relationship, Williams let it be known that he was disappointed and shocked and also brought up Woods' sex scandal.
Interviewed after Scott's Bridgestone victory, Williams called it the "greatest week I've had in my career."
Scott and Williams are at Sheshan, near Shanghai, to take part in the HSBC Champions golf tournament and the Australian was reportedly among the audience at the awards dinner.
The row over Williams' remarks has led to media speculation that the partnership may not last much longer.
However, Scott told reporters that he would not be taking any action.
"Steve issued a statement and apologized, and he did the right thing. That's all there is to say about that from my side of things," said the 31-year-old, who was in third place at the Chinese tournament ahead of Sunday's final round, three shots behind Swedish leader Fredrik Jacobson.
"It's not an issue for me. I think everything in that room last night was all in good spirits and a bit of fun, and I think it probably got taken out of that room in the wrong context.
"Anything with Tiger involved is a story. I value Steve's contribution to my game and while he's caddying I hope he can caddy for me.
"There was a lot of language used last night and it's just this was reported. I don't really think that stuff has ever left the room before and it's probably good reasons why. I think it's probably all very unnecessary."
It is not the first time Williams has had to apologize for inappropriate remarks.
Three years ago he made derogatory comments about Woods' great rival Phil Mickelson at a charity event in New Zealand and was later forced to back down by his employer.
Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell told the UK Press Association that he did not believe Williams had intended to make a racial remark.
"The comments were surprising, yes. These are racially sensitive times, especially in sport. It's unfortunate because it was a very sticky situation," the Northern Irishman said.
"I don't think Stevie Williams was trying to be racial. I don't think it was a racial comment. I think he was trying to be funny and make a joke of it.
"It was an embarrassing situation that he was put in. He was up in front of his peers and colleagues and it came out wrong."
Scott shot three-under-par 69 in Saturday's third round to be on 13-under 203 at the tournament, which offers more than | [
"Which golfer does he now caddy for?",
"What was a comment Williams made at the awards dinner?",
"Which awards dinner did he make comments at?",
"Who does Williams now caddie for?",
"How long were Williams and Woods together?",
"Who did steve williams apologize to?",
"To whom did Steve Williams apologize?",
"What did woods agent say?",
"What is the age of Adam Scott?"
] | [
[
"Adam Scott,"
],
[
"\"I wanted to shove it up that black ---.\""
],
[
"Annual Caddy"
],
[
"Adam Scott,"
],
[
"13-year"
],
[
"Tiger and anyone else I have offended.\""
],
[
"Tiger and anyone else I have offended.\""
],
[
"\"I was with Tiger when the story broke. We were obviously not there, but if all the reports are accurate, it is regrettable. Really nothing more to say.\""
],
[
"31-year-old,"
]
] | Steve Williams: "I sincerely apologize to Tiger and anyone else I have offended"
The New Zealander was sacked by Tiger Woods in July after 13 years together .
He now caddies for Australian golfer Adam Scott, who says he will not sack him .
Woods' agent says Williams' comments at awards dinner were "regrettable" |
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods' popularity has plummeted -- but most Americans will still be rooting for him to win when he tees up at the Masters tournament in April, a new national poll suggests.
Nearly 60 percent of those who answered a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey said they wanted the embattled golfer to win the event at Georgia's Augusta National course, which would be his fifth victory there.
Twenty percent said they did not want him to win and another 20 percent said they did not care.
The Masters will be Woods' first time back in professional golf since his November car crash outside his home and the media frenzy about his extramarital affairs.
And even though Woods has taken a hiatus from playing, 52 percent of those polled said they think Woods will win the Masters, the first of the golf season's four major tournaments which runs from April 5-11.
An overwhelming majority of those polled, 75 percent, thought it was appropriate for Woods to return at the Masters and that he did not have to wait longer.
But still, a majority of those polled, 45 percent, had an unfavorable view of Woods. Forty-three percent had a favorable view.
These numbers are in striking contrast to 2005 when about 85 percent of those polled had a favorable view of Woods.
Woods' public woes began with an early-morning crash November 27 outside his Orlando-area home, when he suffered minor injuries after striking a fire hydrant and a tree with his Cadillac SUV.
Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions. Eventually, he was cited for careless driving.
The accident occurred days after the tabloid National Enquirer named Woods as having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess. The woman has denied the allegation, but several others have come forward to claim that they had sexual relationships with Woods, who has two children with his wife, former model Elin Nordegren.
In a carefully-managed March statement, delivered to a small, hand-picked crowd, Woods said he was in inpatient therapy for 45 days from the end of December to early February for "issues," which he did not explain.
The controversy prompted several major sponsors to suspend or drop their relationships with Woods, who also apologized to his business partners for his behavior. | [
"Who's popularity plummeted after media publized his affairs?",
"When will the top golfer make his appearance this season?",
"what happened to Tiger Woods' popularity?",
"How many people thought it was time for his return?",
"Do Americans want him to win the title ?",
"When will his first appearance this season be?",
"what will the World's top golfer do at Augusta in April?",
"What made Tiger woods popularity plummet?"
] | [
[
"Woods'"
],
[
"at the Masters tournament"
],
[
"has plummeted"
],
[
"75 percent,"
],
[
"to"
],
[
"April,"
],
[
"tees up"
],
[
"his extramarital affairs."
]
] | Tiger Woods' popularity has plummeted since media frenzy about his extramarital affairs .
But a national poll suggests most Americans still want him to win Masters title .
The world's top golfer will make his first appearance this season at Augusta in April .
Three-quarters of people polled thought it was the right time for him to return to action . |
(CNN) -- Tim Masters squarely blames Fort Collins, Colorado, police and prosecutors for his inability to land gainful employment and for his not having a wife and kids at this stage in his life.
Tim Masters, left, stands with attorney David Wymore, right, before Masters' release from prison last year.
In 1987, Masters became the prime suspect in the slaying of Peggy Hettrick, a 37-year-old found in a field near his house. Among the reasons police said they focused on Masters was that he failed to report the body after he found it and his childhood drawings and stories suggested he was fixated on death.
Masters was convicted of murder in 1999, but a judge last year threw out the conviction and released him from prison, citing new evidence that did not implicate Masters. Masters now has a lawsuit pending against several police officers, ex-prosecutors and the city.
The city of Fort Collins has asked a federal judge to dismiss the case.
Now 37, Masters sat down for a phone interview with a CNN reporter who covered his case and subsequent release. He said he still holds a grudge against the police and prosecutors who put him behind bars. Watch Masters the day after his 2008 release »
He's living in Greeley, Colorado, and doesn't get back to Fort Collins much, but he does love traveling. Most notably, he's traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to appear on a talk show with Richard and Selma Eikelenboom, the Dutch forensic scientists who discovered the DNA evidence that ultimately freed Masters.
Things can be tough sometimes, but anything is better than prison, Masters said of his first year as a free man since being imprisoned.
CNN: How have things been in the year since your release?
Masters: It's a struggle to earn enough money to pay my bills and everything, make a living. Other than that, life is good.
CNN: Do you have a job?
Masters: I buy stuff at auction and I sell it on eBay.
CNN: Do you have trouble finding a job because of your time in jail?
Masters: Yeah, I think that has a lot to do with it. The first thing that comes up on a background check is "charges dismissed -- first-degree murder." Watch Masters thank those last year who worked to free him »
CNN: How else have you been keeping yourself busy?
Masters: Pretty much work. That's it.
CNN: Describe a typical day.
Masters: The big challenge is, first of all, you've got to find out where the auctions are. Once you get that down, then you go to the auctions. Another disadvantage I have is I'm a little outdated on the prices of things, so I'm thinking things are worth a lot less than what they're going for. So I have to learn what things are worth now. I go to the auction, and I bid on stuff. I try and buy it cheap enough that I can make a profit on it, load it into the truck, bring it back to the house. I have shelves all in my basement full of just odds and ends. I put it all on the shelves. I do research on the computer and find out which ones I can actually make a profit on, and I list those. You list the item on eBay and let it run its course through the auction for usually seven days. If it sells, you pack it and ship it off. If it doesn't sell, you can either re-list it as an auction item, re-list it as a store item or throw it in the trash.
CNN: What kind of money do you make in a typical week?
Masters: Not enough.
CNN: What do you enjoy doing most that you weren't able to do in prison?
Masters: Travel. I've been to see my sister about four times since I've been out. She's in California. I have an uncle | [
"Who relies on eBay for income?",
"Who says he's still getting used to cell phones?"
] | [
[
"Masters"
],
[
"Tim Masters,"
]
] | Tim Masters relies on eBay for income because record still mentions murder charge .
Masters says he's still getting used to cell phones, the current prices of things .
City of Fort Collins asking federal judge to dismiss Masters' lawsuit .
Wrongful conviction leaves Masters anxious when he sees police, he says . |
(CNN) -- Tim Russert, who became one of America's leading political journalists as the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," died Friday, the network said. He was 58. Tim Russert established himself as the face of NBC's political journalism as host of "Meet the Press." The network said the award-winning journalist collapsed at work Friday. He was taken to Washington's Sibley Memorial Hospital, where he died, the hospital confirmed. Colleague and former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw broke the news on the network Friday shortly after 3:40 p.m. Russert had just returned from a family vacation in Italy with his wife, journalist Maureen Orth, and son, Luke, to celebrate his graduation from Boston College, Brokaw said. "I think I can invoke personal privilege and say this news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice," Brokaw said Friday. "He will be missed as he was loved -- greatly." Watch Brokaw break the news » Friends and colleagues remembered Russert on Friday not only as one of the country's most respected and influential political journalists, but also as a friend, a devout Catholic and an avid sports fan, especially when it came to his home team, the Buffalo Bills. Watch politicians, journalists pay homage to Russert » "I just loved the guy. He had this enthusiasm about all of the things that life brings to you," said James Carville, who often attended Washington National games with Russert. "My wife and I are in a complete state of utter shock." Watch as Carville describes his friendship with Russert » Russert was born May 7, 1950, in Buffalo, New York. His parents were Timothy John Russert Sr., or "Big Russ," a newspaper truck driver and sanitation worker, and Elizabeth Russert. Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown ordered that all flags on city property be lowered immediately to half-staff in Russert's honor. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia, according to a biography on CNBC.com Before joining NBC, Russert served as press secretary for former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and as chief of staff to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Russert joined the network in 1984 and quickly established himself as the face of the network's political coverage, eventually becoming senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC news. His career at NBC was marked by a number of milestones. In 1985, Russert supervised live broadcasts of the "Today" show from Rome, Italy, negotiating an appearance by Pope John Paul II -- a first for American television. He was also the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including an Emmy in 2005 for his coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. His rise to prominence coincided with his success as the best-selling author of two books, 2004's "Big Russ and Me" and 2006's "Wisdom of Our Fathers," which documented his journey from blue-collar beginnings to law school to Washington powerhouse. Watch Russert talk about lessons he learned from his father on CNN's Larry King Live » The memoirs, both of which were New York Times best sellers, transformed the award-winning journalist into the son of Big Russ, a Buffalo Bills fanatic, and finally, a husband and father. Watch Russert talk about his son's first tattoo » "Tim was a true child of Buffalo and the blue-collar roots from which he was raised," Brokaw said Friday. "For all his success, he was always in touch with the ethos of that community." Russert credited his upbringing with helping him keep his ego in check as he became the man who interviewed presidents and important politicians of the day. iReport.com: Send your memories of Russert "If you come from Buffalo, everything else is easy. Walking backwards to school, for a mile in the snow, grounds you for | [
"What is Russert known for?",
"Who ordered flags to fly at half staff?",
"Who is the mayor of Buffalo?",
"The mayor of Buffalo, New York ordered what?",
"What veteran journalist collapsed on the job?",
"Where did the veteran journalist collapse?",
"What was Russert best known for?",
"Who collapses at work?",
"What is Russert's most familiar role?"
] | [
[
"face of NBC's political journalism as host of \"Meet the Press.\""
],
[
"Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown"
],
[
"Byron W. Brown"
],
[
"that all flags on city property be lowered immediately to half-staff in Russert's honor."
],
[
"Tim"
],
[
"at work"
],
[
"journalist"
],
[
"Tim Russert"
],
[
"host of \"Meet the Press.\""
]
] | Veteran journalist collapses at work, according to NBC .
Russert best known as host of NBC's "Meet the Press"
Russert just returned from trip to Italy with family .
Mayor of Buffalo, New York, orders flags to fly at half-staff . |
(CNN) -- Tiny diamonds found in the soil are "strong evidence" a comet exploded on or above North America nearly 13,000 years ago, leading to the extinction of dozens of mammal species, according to a study.
Diamonds found in North American soil suggest a comet led to the extinction of dozens of mammal species.
The scientific report also suggests the cataclysm also reduced the population of the earliest people to inhabit the region and triggered a 1,300-year-long cold spell that stretched around the world.
The heat generated by the extraterrestrial impact likely melted much of a glacier that once covered the Great Lakes region, sending a massive flood down the Mississippi River, the study said.
According to the report, the cold waves of glacial runoff into the Gulf of Mexico shifted Atlantic Ocean currents, changing climate patterns throughout the world in a cooling period known as the Younger Dryas.
"A rare swarm" of comets rained over North America about 12,900 years ago, sparking fires that produced choking, leading "to the extinction of a large range of animals, including mammoths, across North America," the report said.
The study was conducted by a group of eight archaeologists and geologists from the universities of Oregon and California, Northern Arizona University, Oklahoma University and DePaul University. Their findings were published Friday in the journal Science. iReport.com: Have you ever seen a comet? Show us
The prehistoric humans known to have inhabited the continent at the time of the event -- hunters and gatherers dubbed the Clovis culture -- suffered a major decline in population in the aftermath, the scientists said.
The scientists studied layers of sediment dated to 12,900 years ago at six North American locations, including one directly on top of a Clovis site in Murray Springs, Arizona. Each layer was rich in nanodiamonds, which are produced under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions created by cosmic impacts, the report said.
"The nanodiamonds that we found at all six locations exist only in sediments associated with the Younger Dryas Boundary layers, not above it or below it," said University of Oregon archaeologist Douglas Kennett. "These discoveries provide strong evidence for a cosmic impact event at approximately 12,900 years ago that would have had enormous environmental consequences for plants, animals and humans across North America."
The other sites studied were in Bull Creek, Oklahoma; Gainey, Michigan and Topper, South Carolina, as well as Lake Hind, Manitoba; and Chobot, in the Canadian province of Alberta. | [
"What was the impact of the comet's heat?",
"What is the likely cause of the glacier melting?",
"where diamond was found",
"who was suffered"
] | [
[
"likely melted much of a glacier that once covered the Great Lakes region,"
],
[
"The heat generated by the extraterrestrial impact"
],
[
"North American"
],
[
"dozens of mammal species."
]
] | Study: Diamonds found in North America links comet to climate change, extinction .
Prehistoric humans also suffered decline in population due to cosmic event .
Heat from comet's impact likely melted glacier that once covered Great Lakes region . |
(CNN) -- To be a Texas Rangers baseball fan doesn't compare to the prestige of growing up in the shadows of Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park or Wrigley Field. The pinstriped jerseys, classic uniforms and ball caps of those Major League Baseball teams are timeless and have become iconic touchstones in pop culture.
It's easy to be a baseball fan if you root for teams with rich history like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and both Chicago teams, the Cubs and White Sox.
Baseball purists must have cringed back in 1972 when the Rangers unveiled the team logo of a baseball wearing a 10-gallon cowboy hat.
Calling the Rangers your team meant you truly loved baseball.
What's the power of a good luck charm?
The Yankees spent decades playing in the "House that Babe Ruth Built" while the Rangers spent most of my childhood playing in an uninspired location. The "stadium" was a converted minor-league field that looked like an open-air county arena better suited for rodeos than baseball games. But it was our Ebbets Field.
Just hours before Opening Day in 1975, a helicopter was brought in to hover over the wet field to dry out two days worth of rain. The result? The chopper crashed and gashed the field just beyond third base.
It would take another 20 years for the Texas Rangers to taste the playoffs. But the "Curse of the Rotor Blade" doesn't have the same mystique as the Red Sox's "Curse of the Bambino" or the Cubs' "Curse of the Billy Goat."
The Rangers team was a collection of misfit has-beens and never-would-bes who made every kid think, "If these guys can be ballplayers, surely I can be one, too."
April 12, 1991, was my chance to impress the Rangers scouts. Before the game, I was invited to play in a fly-ball catching contest. After hearing the stadium announcer call my name, I trotted out onto the hallowed grass of Arlington Stadium. A pitching machine launched the first two fly balls toward me, and with thousands of people watching, I snagged both balls.
One more catch and the entire stadium would be rewarded with a free medium soft drink from Wendy's. This is where I learned never to underestimate America's love for winning free stuff no matter how trivial it might be. The crowd came to its feet and erupted into the loudest cheers I think I've ever heard.
The machine launched a major league pop fly that seemed to take forever to come down. As I started to fall over I put my glove up and felt the ball smack the leather webbing. I got up, looked into the glove and it was still there. That was the first time I was able to scream, "Free drinks for everyone!" I ran off the field in glory. I still have that ball. I had all my buddies with me that day autograph it, just like real ball players do.
Chicago has its "Lovable Losers" in the Cubs. Rangers fans needed Lone Star beer to love its losers. Even the most fanatic baseball fan is hard-pressed to name the players who we called our own. Pete O'Brien, Larry Parrish, Oddibe McDowell, Jeff Russell, Gary Ward. Who? We watched a guy named Charlie Hough throw 50 mph knuckleballs and then puff on cigarettes in the dugout between innings.
We went to the stadium and bought $4 outfield seats. All for the privilege of watching terrible baseball in the scorching Texas heat, suffering third-degree burns from sitting on the metal bleacher seats.
In those early years, the season of hope was usually short-lived. You could count on the Rangers to be out of playoff contention by the end of May, which was fine. We had bigger things to focus on, like the Dallas Cowboys packing their bags for training camp. The losing kept the bleacher seats cheap, which was fine for most fans.
One of the best days of my life was witnessing the Rangers battle the Red Sox | [
"How many years have they been a beleaguered team?",
"who is about to win the world series"
] | [
[
"20 years"
],
[
"Texas Rangers"
]
] | The Texas Rangers are on the brink of winning their first World Series .
The Rangers have been a beleaguered team for more than 20 years .
Ed Lavandera: Calling the Rangers your team means you "truly loved baseball" |
(CNN) -- To hear Spc. Alexis Hutchinson tell it, the Army forced her to make an agonizing choice between serving her country and taking care of her son.
The Army, however, takes issue with the soldier's story and Hutchinson could now be facing serious charges for desertion.
When her unit deployed to Afghanistan earlier in November, Hutchinson was missing from the plane. Her lawyer said she refused to go because there was no one to take care of her 10-month-old son, Kamani, and she feared he would be placed in foster care.
The Army said the young mother had plenty of time to sort out family issues and has been confined to her post at Fort Stewart, Georgia, while an investigation unfolds.
Before shipping overseas, every soldier must sign military Form D-A 53-05, which states that failure to maintain a family care plan could result in disciplinary action.
Hutchinson had agreed to such a plan and her mother, Angelique Hughes, took in Kamani in a month before Hutchinson's deployment date.
But after a week with the infant, Hughes, who cares for ailing relatives and runs a day-care out of her home, said she felt so overwhelmed that she backed out.
"It was that hard, because he's a very busy baby," Hughes told CNN affiliate WTOC in Savannah, Georgia. "You have to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day."
Hutchinson's attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said the soldier informed the Army that her family care plan had fallen through and that there was no one to take care of Kamani.
Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson said Hutchinson's unit had known for months about its pending deployment and that it wasn't until the last minute that Hutchinson notified the Army of her child-care woes.
Like all soldiers who face similar circumstances, Hutchinson received a 30-day extension back in August and September, Larson said.
That's "plenty of time," he said, "to work out another care plan."
On the eve of her unit's departure, Hutchinson was ordered to be on the plane.
"That's when it put her in this horrible situation of having to choose between abandoning her child or disobeying her superiors," Sussman said.
"The sense I got from her and the reason I think why she was scared enough to not go and get on her plane was because they would take her child from her."
Less than 24 hours after her fellow soldiers took off from Hunter Army Airfield, Hutchinson turned herself in and was arrested by military police. No charges have been filed.
More than 30,000 single mothers have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to a new report compiled by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Former Air Force JAG Officer Michelle McCleur said Hutchinson is not likely to win a legal battle with the Army.
"When soldiers are ordered to deploy, and single soldiers included, they have to have a family care plan in place ... and they need to implement that," she said.
CNN's Brian Todd and Campbell Brown contributed to this report | [
"What did the Army say about Hutchinson's situation?",
"Who refuses deployment?",
"who refuses delpoyment",
"What did Hutchinson claim fell through?"
] | [
[
"said the young mother had plenty of time to sort out family issues and has been confined to her post at Fort Stewart, Georgia, while an investigation unfolds."
],
[
"Alexis Hutchinson"
],
[
"Spc. Alexis Hutchinson"
],
[
"her family care plan"
]
] | Spc. Alexis Hutchinson refuses deployment orders to stay with son .
Hutchinson claims plans for mother to take care of her child fell through .
Army says Hutchinson had plenty of time to come up with alternate plans . |
(CNN) -- To hear leaders of the "Draft John Mellencamp for Senate!" Facebook group tell it, this is a story about "insider" politicians, "street-level voters" and whether a likeable rock star with strong grass-roots appeal will run for the U.S. Senate.
The "movement," as the group calls it, was born less than three weeks ago with Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's stunning announcement he would not not run for re-election. The next morning, Gabrial Canada, 21, was at home watching cable news reports about a Facebook page aimed at bringing Mellencamp, 58, into the race.
"After I saw that I went right to the Facebook group," Canada said Wednesday from his home in Indianapolis. "By then it had only been a matter of hours and it had already gotten a thousand members. It was incredibly exciting to see that catching hold." He contacted the group's founder and from then on he was hooked. So far, the group has garnered more than 7,000 members in 16 days.
"There's all this faux populism out there -- people who get paid millions of dollars to generate campaigns that look like they're supporting the people," said Canada, a self-described community ambassador for a local PBS TV station. "When you have the prospect of somebody as genuine as Mellencamp campaigning as someone people can relate to, it's unique, it's something you can't replace."
But there's another turn in this twisted tale. Because Bayh waited until February 15 to announce his decision, he essentially forced the party to choose its candidate instead of leaving it up to voters in the state's May 4 primary.
According to party rules, Indiana's 32-member Democratic Central Committee will vote by secret ballot to decide who will run. The committee chairman said members won't consider anyone who hasn't officially declared themselves a candidate.
"I don't think [Mellencamp's] going to declare," said chairman Dan Parker.
For his part, Mellencamp continues to issue nothing but a terse "no comment," through a spokesman.
The idea that Indiana Democrats would not hold a primary to choose their Senate candidate felt like a "punch in the face" said Canada. It's "anti-democratic."
"I don't think that the decisions of insiders are necessarily reflective of the popular political will," he said. Through meetup.com, Canada is organizing the first of a statewide series of planned rallies set for Friday at a 1950s-era hangout on Indianapolis' folksy South Side.
At Edwards Drive-In, home of the "Jumbo Tenderloin" and 99-cent root beer floats, Canada hopes to attract a dozen Mellencamp supporters, whom he'll ask to sign a petition to be submitted to Indiana newspaper editors. In the coming days, Canada plans a much larger rally in the Democratic stronghold of Bloomington -- right in the small-town rocker's own backyard.
The fact that his Facebook campaign comes during an election cycle influenced by a larger, grass-roots Tea Party movement -- with polar opposite political views -- isn't lost on the Facebook page founder John Patterson. "The end result of moving out the status quo in favor of new faces is probably the same goal," he said with a laugh.
The Draft Mellencamp campaign is racing against a deadline. The state's Democratic committee will hold its vote as early as May 15, and any candidate, including Mellencamp, must officially declare 72 hours prior, according to Parker -- that would be noon May 12.
As for Mellencamp himself, he's "never expressed overt interest in running for anything," said the musician's longtime publicist, Bob Merlis, by phone from his California office.
Much has been written in the past few weeks about Mellencamp's 2008 campaign performances for presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as his years of public support for family farmers and his opposition to the Iraq war.
"I don't think it's a crazy idea," Merlis said about the | [
"What does the group plan?",
"Who is organizing the effort to elect Mellencamp?",
"Who is John Mellencamp?",
"Has Mellencamp said he would like to serve in the senate?",
"Who is being drafted for Senate?",
"who says it is not a crazy idea?",
"how many members did the facebook page win?"
] | [
[
"bringing Mellencamp, 58, into the race."
],
[
"Facebook group"
],
[
"rock star"
],
[
"\"never expressed overt interest in running for anything,\""
],
[
"John Mellencamp"
],
[
"Merlis"
],
[
"7,000"
]
] | Facebook page to draft John Mellencamp for Senate wins 7,000 members in 16 days .
Organizer excited by movement's momentum; group plans statewide rallies .
Mellencamp's longtime publicist says it's not a "crazy idea"
Indiana Democratic officials say Mellencamp can't run unless he declares . |
(CNN) -- To hear some Guatemalans tell it, three coordinated attacks that killed four prison officials in five hours Monday hardly raised anyone's pulse. Police arrests two suspects in one of the three attacks. They're used to this level of violence, said Fernando Carrera Castro, director of the Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies in Guatemala City. Although what happened is normal in Guatemala, Carrera said, that's not to say that citizens are not concerned. "We're as scared as ever," he said Tuesday. Heather Berkman, a Central America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm, also has come to expect the violence. "What else is new?" she said when asked about the killings. Samuel Logan, an expert on Latin American gangs, said all of Central America is under attack from organized crime cartels because the region is pinched between Colombia and Mexico, the two biggest sources of drugs in the area. U.S. interdiction efforts that have targeted the flow of drugs through the Caribbean Sea also have forced cartels to travel through the Central American isthmus, Logan said. Within Central America, he said, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have the worst problems. Among those three nations, Guatemala stands out. "When you talk about a country being hollowed out by organized crime, Guatemala is at the top of the list," Logan said. There are two main reasons, he said: geography and an incompetent and corrupt government. "Guatemala bunches right up against Mexico," Logan said. "Any spillover effect is almost certainly going south." Said Berkman, "The narcos are coming down from Mexico." In addition, Logan said, the federal government is not able to control large segments of the country. For example, Peten state in northern Guatemala, bordered on two sides by Mexico, is lawless, he said. Berkman made the same point. "The narcos control about 40 percent of the territory down there, which is pretty amazing," she said. Berkman also pointed out that the government has reduced anti-crime spending in the 2010 budget because of the nation's dire economic situation. "If you don't have resources, you can't pay for troops and supplies and intelligence," she said. Logan, who just wrote a book on the Mara Salvatrucha gang of Central America, said there are two main criminal elements in Guatemala: drug cartels that deal in large-scale exportation and street gangs that sell drugs at the retail level and are involved in other crimes, such as robbery and extortion. In some cases, they work together. When those criminals get arrested, they continue their activities on the inside. "The prisons, in general, are centers of corruption," Carrera said. "From inside prison, they direct kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking." Monday's attacks on the prison officials resulted from efforts to weed out corruption in the nation's prisons, Carrera said. Officials have been clamping down on what goods inmates can receive and the use of cell phones within prison walls. They also are transferring some top-level criminals to high-security prisons. "What happened is a reaction from gangs who want control of the prisons," Carrera said. "They're trying to show strength through force. To generate fear." Interior Minister Raul Velasquez was quoted in several newspapers Tuesday as saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons. Two arrests have been made in Monday's shootings and the investigation continues, said Rudy Esquivel, spokesman for the Guatemalan prison system. "This was a very structured job; very well-defined," Esquivel said from Guatemala City, the nation's capital. Killed were a prison assistant director, a warden and two guards. One guard and a shooting suspect were wounded, as were three citizens. One of the wounded was a woman in the eighth month of pregnancy, news accounts said. According to published reports in the Prensa | [
"How many people were killed in the attacks?",
"who starred attacks",
"What are two big sources for drugs?",
"How many attacks took place?",
"What did the newspaper say?",
"Who got the blame for the attacks?"
] | [
[
"four"
],
[
"Fernando Carrera Castro,"
],
[
"Colombia and Mexico,"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"saying the attacks were in retaliation for the recent transfer of several gang leaders to high-security prisons."
],
[
"organized crime cartels"
]
] | Four killed in three orchestrated attacks, local papers say .
Analysts blame attacks on flow of drugs through country .
Guatemala on route from Mexico to Colombia, two biggest sources of drugs in area .
Analysts also blame Guatemalan government they say is incompetent and corrupt . |
(CNN) -- To offset carbon dioxide, a Japanese airline is asking its passengers to go to the toilet before boarding. All Nippon Airways is asking passengers to use the restroom before flying to reduce weight. The unusual request by All Nippon Airways (ANA) is part of its "e-Flight" promotional program to reduce the amount of carbon expelled on 38 domestic routes and its twice daily international flights to Singapore. "Asking passengers to go to the toilet (before boarding) is just a small part of the program," said spokeswoman Megumi Tezuka, which includes using recycled paper cups and plastic bottles instead of glass. "We are making these items lighter -- and making the passengers lighter, a little bit," Tezuka said. The airline estimates that if 50 percent of passengers relieved themselves before boarding, it would reduce carbon dioxide by 4.2 tons a month. Flights will also show educational films on the environment. The month-long trial program, which began October 1, will be evaluated and may be extended if successful, Tezuka said. In true Japanese fashion, the encouragement to eliminate is more suggested than explicit. This is what is announced before boarding the flights: "This flight is a so-called 'eFlight.' The idea behind the operation is to think about the Earth in the sky above. Fuel reduction by lightening the weight of the aircraft will lead to restrain the carbon dioxide emission, which is one of the causes of global warming. Thank you for your understanding." So no mother-like admonishments to use the toilet before leaving? "No, it's more subtle than that," Tezuka said. People are also encouraged to pack lighter for the flights, although no additional weight restrictions apply. The program comes as the airline industry in Japan is struggling. The nation's largest carrier, Japan Airlines, is seeking a government bailout and forecasts $700 million in losses this year. This week, ANA's stock price hit a 52-week low in trading Wednesday. | [
"What is Nippon airways asking?",
"What are struggling?",
"How much CO2 could be reduced?",
"What does Nippon Airways ask?",
"How much reduction would there be?",
"When should the passengers go to toilet?"
] | [
[
"passengers to use the restroom before flying to reduce weight."
],
[
"airline industry in Japan"
],
[
"4.2 tons a month."
],
[
"passengers to use the restroom before flying to reduce weight."
],
[
"4.2 tons a month."
],
[
"boarding."
]
] | All Nippon Airways is asking passengers to go to toilet before flights .
Airline estimates that four tons of carbon dioxide a month would be reduced .
Comes as Japanese airlines are struggling in the weak economy . |
(CNN) -- To say that "Real Housewives of New York City" star Ramona Singer is busy would be an understatement. Between her different businesses -- wine, jewelry and skin-care products -- and the time she spends filming the Bravo reality show, Singer is hardly ever in the same location for very long.
But Singer's passion remains with New York City, where she still manages to spend most of her time. A busy lifestyle doing what she loves suits Singer just fine, and New York is the best place for her.
The buzz of the city is what Singer loves most. "You can be all by yourself and you walk out on the street and then you're not alone, but surrounded by tons of people. It just has such great energy."
Here, Singer shares some of her favorite locations in New York City.
Where to eat
T-Bar Steak & Lounge 1278 Third Avenue
A swanky spot on the Upper East Side, T-Bar is known for its flair and of course, its steaks. Grabbing a cocktail here is an easy way for Singer to unwind.
"I love this restaurant and it's in my neighborhood. It's a place I can go by myself and get a bite to eat. I can go with girlfriends, I can go with my husband, they have a great area where you can just hang out and have drinks and appetizers or a whole meal. It just has a nice vibe, a nice local place."
The Standard Grill 848 Washington Street
With a wide variety of menus from breakfast to "late night," The Standard Grill offers items from a $1 "good pickle" to the $95 porterhouse steak for two. The restaurant is at the bottom of the trendy Standard Hotel, under the High Line Park.
Singer makes tracks to the hotel's 18th floor, where the Top of the Standard lounge (also known as the Boom Boom Room) offers a fun mix of decadence and hip 70s throwback atmosphere.
"I can go on top and have drinks at the Boom Boom Room -- very art deco, chic, a must-see place. The view is floor-to-ceiling glass, absolutely beautiful. It's breathtaking."
Where to shop
Bergdorf Goodman Fifth Avenue
A store with history and designer finds unlike any other, Bergdorf Goodman is like a one-stop shop for Singer, who has little time for shopping. The variety and helpful sales staff makes this one of her top places in New York.
"They have great sales and a great selection. And unlike something you buy in one of the boutiques, you can return it -- because once in a blue moon, I do make a mistake. I love the Sixth floor, they have all of the contemporary designers, like Milly, Rebecca Taylor, Theory.
"I'm always on the go: traveling, running, doing, multi-tasking. I need a place I feel really comfortable, where I get great service and has a great selection."
Michael Kors 790 Madison Avenue
A jewelry designer, Singer can appreciate affordable, fantastic fashion. Michael Kors' new line of accessories is a favorite of Singer and her daughter, with a wide range of watches for about $250.
"I'm in love with their watches, they're oh-so-unbelievable. People ask me and I tell them, 'It's not a Rolex, it's a Michael Kors.' They also have great shoes and handbags."
Favorite spot in Central Park
The Central Park Boathouse East 60th Street
When Singer needs an escape, she visits the Boathouse for its relaxing scenery, good eats and recreation.
"It's the best-kept secret in New York, beyond stunning and gorgeous. It's on the water, so you can have lunch or dinner outside along the waterfront. You can also ride bikes there or grab a bite from a concession stand." | [
"What are the dining costs?",
"what are the dinner spots",
"Where is the boathouse",
"What makes this area so great?"
] | [
[
"$1 \"good pickle\" to the $95 porterhouse"
],
[
"T-Bar Steak & Lounge 1278 Third Avenue"
],
[
"East 60th Street"
],
[
"The buzz of the city"
]
] | Ramona Singer doesn't always have time to shop, but she loves Bergdorf Goodman .
The Central Park Boathouse provides relaxing scenery for the ever-busy Singer .
The Standard Grill and T-Bar are fun, swanky dinner spots in New York City . |
(CNN) -- To some, she was a lifelong role model. Others call Pakistan's former prime minister and the first female prime minister of any Muslim nation a source of inspiration to women everywhere. One I-Reporter acknowledges, "I never was a political supporter of Benazir Bhutto but now after her death I feel that her loss is a loss for Pakistan, not just her political supporters." Anthony G. Moore photographed Benazir Bhutto with her husband Asif Ali Zardari in New York in 2006. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during a suicide bombing on December 27, 2007, and I-Reporters from all over the world responded with their memories and condolences. Below are selections, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Farhad Sethi of Lahore, Pakistan Breathing in the air of grief and sadness, the nation suffers the loss of our beloved leader Benazir Bhutto, an institution in herself withstanding pressures at times when suicide bombing has become an unstoppable enigma. A sniper pierced a bullet through her neck and our enthusiastic leader couldn't even make it to the hospital, her last words God knows what were they but her face and inspirational personality will always be remembered. A woman who grew up with politics in her backyard is no longer with us, she was a graduate from Harvard and Oxford universities and seeing her go down in a wooden casket was a sight bringing down tears in every eye. We all have to go down the ground one day but being assassinated like this is not something we would want for even our worst enemies. She has left a space that will never be filled in the hearts and minds of the nation. She has enjoyed the position of being the first Muslim woman to lead a country as Prime Minister, but this is over she's gone, may Allah (swt) have mercy on her soul and she rests in peace in a better place. Ameen. Al Alston of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Benazir Bhutto's gifts to Pakistan and the world far outweigh the charges made by her adversaries. I will never forget how she led Pakistan in its unwavering support for the African National Congress during the misery of the apartheid days. Her presence at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela left an indelible impression on me. I remain an admirer of her nation because of this critical alliance. I will keep her family and nation in my prayers. Mickin Sahni of Stone Ridge, Virginia As a first generation Indian-American, I have heard from my parents the turmoil on the subcontinent as their parents were forced to India while their friends were forced to Pakistan. Bhutto's effort to reconcile the differences between the two countries was one of her main missions. Indians throughout the world remember her as a peaceful link between the two nuclear superpowers and could only sympathize with Pakistanis grieving throughout the world. Hopefully her efforts were not in vain. Sandra Rios of Aberdeen, Maryland Benazir Bhutto loved her country and people so much that despite an assassination attempt in Oct and continuous death threats she remained unshaken. As a Women and a Former US soldier I admire her bravery. Russ Bonny of Golden, Colorado I haven't had the raw emotions I am feeling right now since September 11, 2001. The death of Mrs. Bhutto is a loss for the entire world and a grim reminder of how tirelessly we must fight extremists. Whitney Anderson of Irving, Texas I never really got the chance to know much about this woman. I'm still a teen, trying to figure out this mess we call our own democracy. But I can say this. For anyone to be slaughtered is a shame. It's crazy to think young adults like myself have had to grow up in a time where planes are flown into buildings, wars are dragging on and dragging us down, and now a revered and respected woman is dead, only because she was trying to better the world. I can only hope my future children don't have to live like this, and that the only time they hear of things like this is in a history book. Shima of Tehran, Iran All Persians know what her | [
"Who is the former Pakistani Prime Minister?",
"Name the Pakistani Prime Minister who was assassinated?",
"Who was assassinated?",
"Which country was Benazir Bhutto Prime Minister of?",
"Who offered their condolences?",
"What agency said to share memories, etc of Benazir Bhutto?",
"What was Bhutto's former title?"
] | [
[
"Benazir Bhutto"
],
[
"Benazir Bhutto"
],
[
"Benazir Bhutto"
],
[
"Pakistan's"
],
[
"I-Reporters from all over the world"
],
[
"I-Reporters"
],
[
"prime minister"
]
] | Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated .
I-Reporters from around the world offer condolences, memories .
"We Pakistanis are proud to acknowledge her," says one I-Reporter .
I-Report: Share your memories, condolences, photos of Benazir Bhutto . |
(CNN) -- To the litany of challenges that confront India's path to a better life, we can now add subdued economic growth as a result of the global financial crisis. A banana vendor stands on a flooded street as he waits for customers in Amritsar, India, on August 13. After three spectacular years of 9 percent-plus annual growth, India will reach just 6.3 percent next year, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund in early November. The Reserve Bank of India is forecasting a more optimistic 7.5 to 8 percent. While 7.5 percent may still sound a good result, it is barely enough for the economy to keep pace with the 10 million-plus young people who will join the Indian job market in 2009. India's major shortcomings in infrastructure, education, health care and environmental protection are well known, as are the constant problems of corruption, poor governance, rural poverty, communalism, domestic terrorism, child labor, discrimination against women and natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. But at least in recent years India could point to a strong economy as the platform on which it was making its push for higher living standards, social modernization and economic reform. Since May 2004, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram took on the reins of government, India's economy has had a charmed run. Strong growth in business sectors such asinformation technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, financial services and retail have coincided with a better performing agricultural sector, and a housing and consumption boom driven by easier credit. India's young working men and women -- more than half the country's 1.15 billion people are aged 25 or less -- have shown a much greater propensity to spend, compared to their thrifty, risk-averse parents and grandparents. This willingness to go into debt rather than save has seen a massive rise in sales of consumer goods such as mobile phones, flat screen TVs, refrigerators, household utensils, motorcycles and cars. The same goes for spending on services, from tourism to healthcare to self-improvement. Now the halcyon days appear to be over, as the international credit crunch flattens demand everywhere. Already the downturn is seeing job losses in sectors such as aviation, financial services, retailing and export industries, as companies tighten their belts and put expansion plans on hold. The government admits things will get tougher, with Singh telling the nation on October 20 that "we must be prepared for a temporary slowdown in the Indian economy." Earlier that day, the Reserve Bank of India cut its key repurchase (short-term lending) rate by 100 basis points to 8 percent, saying it needed to ease the pressure on India's credit markets and maintain financial stability. It followed that with another cut to 7.5 percent on November 1. RBI Governor Dr. D. Subbarao noted the global downturn could be deeper and the recovery might take longer than earlier expected. "Consequently, the adverse implications through trade and financial channels for emerging economies, including India, have amplified," he said. Economists and analysts have welcomed the central bank's moves, which have included a 350-basis point reduction in the cash reserve ratio -- the amount of money Indian banks must keep on hand -- between July and November. Tushar Poddar, head of Asian economic research at investment bank Goldman Sachs, said the RBI's October 20 action was "well ahead of market expectations" and showed a bias towards growth and financial stability, against inflation. Goldman Sachs had earlier cut its growth outlook for the 2009-10FY to 7 percent and has warned the figure could go lower if the international financial turmoil continues over the next few months. But Poddar believes that India's export drive -- which has seen exports triple since 2003 to about $163 billion in 2007-08FY -- may not suffer too greatly. In a recent study, he found that about two-thirds of India's exports go outside the United States and the European Union (the two trade areas most affected by the downturn) to China, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Africa. While Indian | [
"What are the young population willing to do?",
"What do economists predict will slow in 2009?"
] | [
[
"go into debt rather than save"
],
[
"annual growth,"
]
] | India's economic growth will slow in 2009, most economists project .
Nation's young population has shown willingness to go into accrue debt to spend .
Infrastructure, corruption, health and education worries remain economic hurdles .
India faces political, social risk in 2009, according to Hong Kong-based group . |
(CNN) -- Togo may be allowed to take part in the next African Nations Cup after world soccer's governing body FIFA stepped in to mediate the row arising from the team's withdrawal from this year's event.
The Togo Football Federation was fined $50,000 and excluded from the 2012 and 2014 tournaments after pulling out ahead ahead of the start of the Angola edition in January due to a deadly gun attack on the team's bus.
National captain Emmanuel Adebayor decided to quit international football due to the trauma of the incident, which saw rebels fire on his players and kill three people.
Togo appealed the Confederation of Africa Football's decision to the Sport of Arbitration for Court, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter subsequently brought in to mediate the hearing.
As a result, the president of the CAF, Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, will ask the African ruling body's executive committee to lift the ban at its next meeting on May 15.
As part of the deal, the TFF admitted that it had not complied with CAF competition regulations when it withdrew the team, known as the Sparrow Hawks.
"I am very pleased that we have been able to find a solution which is satisfactory for both parties," Blatter said in a statement on Friday.
"Today marks a victory for the whole football family, particularly for African football. This shows that we can solve internal disputes within the football family for the benefit of all those who are involved in our game, and in particular for the players."
The CAS, an independent tribunal that deals with sports disputes, was also relieved that it had been able to broker a deal.
"Considering the emotional circumstances surrounding this case, it was very important for the parties to find a reasonable solution in order to put an end to their dispute," Secretary General Matthieu Reeb said. | [
"Who will ask for Togo's suspension to be lifted?",
"Who stepped in to mediate the row?",
"Who's team bud was attacked by rebel gunmen?",
"what was the suspension for",
"what is the tribunal for",
"Togo were banned for what?"
] | [
[
"Issa Hayatou"
],
[
"FIFA"
],
[
"Togo Football Federation"
],
[
"pulling out ahead"
],
[
"deals with sports disputes,"
],
[
"pulling out ahead ahead of the start of the Angola edition"
]
] | Confederation of Africa Football's president will ask for Togo's suspension to be lifted .
Togo were banned for next two Africa Cup of Nations events after January withdrawal .
Togo's team bus was attacked by rebel gunmen ahead of tournament in Angola .
World governing body FIFA stepped in to mediate the row, which went to a tribunal . |
(CNN) -- Togo, who pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer competition after a terrorist attack on their team bus, have been suspended from taking part in the next two competitions.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) also announced on Saturday that the team would be fined $50,000.
Why Togo ban rubs salt into open wounds
Three people were killed in the attack, which took place while Togo travelled to the team hotel two days before their opening match earlier this month.
Communications chief Stanislas Ocloo and assistant coach Abalo Amnalete were shot dead and goalkeeper, Kodjovi Obilale, was among the injured.
Togo, captained by Manchester City star Emmanuel Adebayor, wanted to continue despite the attack but quit on their national government's orders.
The attack raised fears about security for the World Cup, which takes place in South Africa later this year.
CAF has decided the decision to recall the team was political interference, leading to Saturday's suspension for the tournaments in 2012 and 2014.
CAF said in a statement: "The executive committee and its president renewed their sincere condolences to the families of victims involved in this tragic terrorist attack which happened January 8, 2010.
"The attack was condemned by CAF and also a total support was given to the Togolese team.
"At that time, CAF said they have understood perfectly the decision of players not to participate in the competition.
"Meanwhile, following a decision taken by players to participate in the competition, the Togolese government decided to call back their national team.
"The decision taken by the political authorities is infringing CAF and CAN (African Nations Cup) regulations.
"Therefore, a decision has been taken to suspend the Togo national team for the next two editions of Africa Cup of Nations, with a fine of U.S. dollars 50,000 handed to the Togolese national football association, in conformity with article 78 of Africa Cup of Nations Angola 2010."
Two men arrested over the attack were said to be members of the Forces for Liberation of the State of Cabinda, an armed wing of a separatist group that has claimed responsibility for the attack and has threatened to strike again.
Cabinda is a disputed oil-rich enclave in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was the site of eight matches in the African Cup of Nations tournament.
The Africa Cup of Nations tournament is one of the biggest sporting events in the world this year, and Angola's first since a 2002 peace deal ended decades of civil war in the southern African country. | [
"Who was suspended from next two Africa Cup of Nations?",
"Who decided to recall team?",
"for what was the team pulled out",
"Who hosted the competitions?",
"who was suspended",
"how many people were killed",
"who was suspended by caf",
"who suspended togo"
] | [
[
"Togo,"
],
[
"CAF"
],
[
"bus,"
],
[
"Democratic Republic of the Congo"
],
[
"Togo,"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Togo,"
],
[
"The Confederation of African Football (CAF)"
]
] | Togo suspended from next two Africa Cup of Nations competitions by CAF .
Team pulled out of tournament this month after terrorist attack on their bus killed three .
African governing body CAF decided decision to recall team was political interference . |
(CNN) -- Tokyo has a dynamic and varied nightlife, although, as with the city's restaurants, many of the best bars are tucked away off the beaten track.
Tokyo has a buzzing clubbing scene.
The ultra-stylish New York Bar is among the best rooftop bars in the world. Located on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt hotel (3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku) it offers spectacular views of the glowing, futuristic cityscape that is Tokyo after dark. There's fantastic food and live jazz, and as an added bonus, you may recognize it as the bar where Bill Murray first meets Scarlett Johansson in "Lost in Translation."
At Henry Good Seven it's the stunning interior that will catch your eye. At once kitsch, cozy and classy, it's a truly unique space by Tokyo design gurus Wonderwall. You'll find it tucked away on the seventh floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building (1-5-1 Marunouchi) right across the street from Tokyo Station.
If you manage to locate it, you'll discover that Kita Aoyama Salon (Yamahazi Building, B1F, 2-7-18 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku) is one of the city's coolest bars. Take the metro to Gaienmae, leave by exit 2 and turn right. An unmarked metal door will lead you to a barely-lit basement bar artfully kitted out in dark wood and antique furniture. It's open until 5 a.m. and manages to feel laid back and indulgent at the same time. Well worth seeking out.
Perennially popular with foreigners is the Roppongi area. Full of bars and restaurants, it's always lively -- and a bit tacky. Propaganda (Yua Roppongi Building 2F 3-14-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku) is an unfussy, affable shot bar with a good-value happy hour.
A world away from garish Roppongi is the Golden Gai area of Shinjuku. A ghetto of dark alleyways crammed with tiny ramshackle bars, Golden Gai evokes a bygone bohemian Tokyo of the 1960s. Some establishments aren't keen on foreign customers but La Jetee (1-1-8 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku) is a friendly little drinking den that's sure to offer a warm welcome.
A new arrival on the clubbing scene is the intimate Le Baron de Paris (Aoyama Center Building, Minami-Aoyama Minatu-ku), the Tokyo outpost of the Parisian night club. Designed in part by Marc Newson, it attracts a trendy and glamorous international crowd.
More established, and much less intimate, is Tokyo's finest superclub, Womb (2-16 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku). More like the interior of a spaceship than a nightclub, Womb has dazzling lighting and attracts top international House and Techno DJs.
Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop
......................
Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best | [
"Where can you enjoy jazz and cocktails?",
"What areas packed with ramshackle bars?",
"Where is it packed with ramshackle bars?",
"What are the views of?",
"What is Tokyo's finest club?",
"What is Tokoy's finest club?",
"Which is Tokyo's finest club?"
] | [
[
"New York Bar"
],
[
"Golden Gai"
],
[
"Golden Gai area of Shinjuku."
],
[
"the glowing, futuristic cityscape that is Tokyo after dark."
],
[
"Kita Aoyama Salon"
],
[
"Womb"
],
[
"Womb"
]
] | Enjoy jazz, cocktails and mind-blowing views at the ultra-stylish New York Bar .
If you can find Kita Aoyama Salon you deserve the beer that's waiting for you .
The Golden Gai area is packed with ramshackle bars - check out La Jetee .
The legendary Womb is Tokyo's finest club, featuring incredible lighting . |
(CNN) -- Tokyo may not be traditionally beautiful and it has few historic sights, but it is undeniably spectacular. You'll want to walk around the city, feeding off the incredible energy, rubbernecking at the skyscrapers and marveling at the sheer "Tokyoness" of it all. Get to Tsukiji fish market by 5 a.m. for an unforgettable experience. Ginza is the most stylish stretch of the city-- all flagship stores and pricey restaurants. It's a great place to window shop and tech-heads shouldn't miss the Sony Building, where they can get excited over the latest gadgets and marvel at a whole floor devoted to the PlayStation. For something more traditional, visit the Kabukiza Theatre. The ornate theater only dates back to 1949, but Kabuki plays have been around for at least 400 years. There are two performances a day and shows can last up to five hours, but you can buy tickets for a single act. Down by the Sumida River the Tsukiji fish market is an absolute must see -- unfortunately, you absolutely must see it at around 5 a.m. The early morning auction sees a rowdy crowd of restaurateurs battling to outbid each other for the best of the day's catch. Visitors aren't officially allowed, but as long as you don't get in the way and don't take any flash photos, your presence will be tolerated. Shibuya is the futuristic Tokyo that's inspired countless sci-fi films. The intersection in front of Shibuya Station is a sprawl of gleaming office blocks adorned with illuminated billboards and surrounded by relentless surging crowds. In the north of Shibuya, the Meiji Shrine Inner Gardens contain some 125,000 trees and shrubs, providing a suitably peaceful setting for the Shinto Meiji-jingu Shrine. Like Shibuya, Shinjuku is a bustling entertainment hub and virtually a city in itself. A world away from the bright lights of Nishi Shinjuku, and the red lights of Kabukicho, Golden Gai is an atmospheric ghetto of alleyways crammed with ramshackle bars, evoking a bygone Tokyo of the 1960s. Traditionally Tokyo's straight-laced business district, Marunouchi has recently developed into one of the city's most exciting areas, with swanky department stores, upmarket restaurants and sophisticated bars. You can find all of those inside the vast Shin-Marunouchi building. The glass and steel Tokyo International Forum is a glittering post-modern masterpiece that functions as a convention center and art gallery, housing various shops and eateries. Nearby, the Imperial Palace East Gardens are an immaculate oasis in the historic and geographical heart of the city. The gardens are open all year but the Imperial Palace itself is only open to the public on 2 January and 23 December, the Emperor's Birthday. If the streets of Tokyo aren't enough of an adrenaline rush, head to the Suidobashi area of Kanda, where Korakuen Amusement Park and La Qua boast high-octane thrill rides. La Qua's Thunder Dolphin is an unbelievable roller coaster that loops among rooftops and takes a short cut through the center of a Ferris wheel. For thrills of a more sophisticated nature, the Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower combines contemporary art with fantastic views, while Ueno Park is home to Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art, both highly recommended. Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop ...................... Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best. | [
"What is the fish market called?",
"Which place has flagship stores?",
"Who has quality restaurants?",
"When is the Tsukiji fish market in full swing?",
"What is the shrine called?",
"Where is the place to go for flagship stores?",
"What is a winning combination of modern art and stunning views?",
"Where is a winning combination of modern art?"
] | [
[
"Tsukiji"
],
[
"Ginza"
],
[
"Ginza"
],
[
"5 a.m."
],
[
"Shinto Meiji-jingu"
],
[
"Ginza"
],
[
"Roppongi Hills Mori Tower"
],
[
"Tokyo"
]
] | Stylish Ginza is the place to go for flagship stores and quality restaurants .
Get yourself to the Tsukiji fish market for 5 a.m. to see it in full swing .
The Meiji Shrine Inner Gardens provide a beautiful setting for the Shrine itself .
Mori Art Museum is a winning combination of modern art and stunning views . |
(CNN) -- Tom Cruise expounds on his beliefs in Scientology in a 2004 video that made its way onto the Internet this week. Tom Cruise appears with his wife, Katie Holmes, at a movie premiere earlier this month. "I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it's something you have to earn," Cruise says at the beginning of the video. Cruise says he's "driven ... by the opportunity to really help, for the first time, change people's lives. I'm absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that." The video was shown at a 2004 Scientology ceremony honoring Cruise for his humanitarian work. Church of Scientology officials said it can be viewed at any of its churches, but it created a stir this week when what the church calls a pirated and edited version appeared on YouTube. The video has since been taken off YouTube, but an interview portion remained available on the celebrity Web site gawker.com on Thursday. Watch snippets of Cruise video » "The Cruise Indoctrination Video Scientology Tried To Suppress" is the title of gawker.com's presentation. "You have to watch this video," the site says. "It shows Tom Cruise, with all the wide-eyed fervor that he brings to the promotion of a movie, making the argument for Scientology," which it calls "the bizarre 20th-century religion. Watch "Showbiz Tonight" discussion of Cruise video » Cruise talks over a repetitive guitar-riff soundtrack, and appears to be answering questions, though an interviewer is not seen or heard. A second part of the video, made available to CNN by the publisher of a new unauthorized biography of Cruise, shows Cruise accepting Scientology's Freedom Medal of Valor award and exchanging military-like salutes with Scientology chairman David Miscavige to audience applause. The publisher denies leaking other parts of the video to the Web. In the video by the publisher, Cruise also salutes a portrait of L. Ron Hubbard, cited on the church's Web site as the founder of "the only major religion founded in the 20th century." Hubbard's biography cites his accomplishments as everything from mariner and horticulturalist to author and humanitarian. In the video, Cruise puts emphasis on the latter role. A Scientologist "has the ability to create new realities and improve conditions," Cruise says. On its Web site, the Church of Scientology highlights its humanitarian work, from anti-drug campaigns in places from Minnesota to Taiwan to teacher training in India. The Web site defines Scientology as "the study of truth." Cruise embraces that in the video. "If you're a Scientologist, ... you see things the way they are," Cruise says. He also says he finds peace in the religion. "The more you know as a Scientologist, you don't become overwhelmed by it," according to Cruise. The unauthorized biography of Cruise is by author Andrew Morton. A Cruise spokesperson and the Church of Scientology have disputed the book, saying Morton did not seek their comment. "Accuracy and truth were not on Morton's agenda," according to a church statement. Morton denies that and says Cruise, who he calls "a towering figure on the international scene," and his faith are worthy of scrutiny. "Tom Cruise has done remarkable work for his faith over the past few years," Morton said. "If it wasn't for him the Church of Scientology would be a shadow of what it is today." E-mail to a friend CNN's Brad Lendon, David Mattingly and Don Lemon contributed to this report. | [
"What was Cruise honored for?",
"What is defined as \"study of the truth.\"",
"Does Cruise view the scientology membership as important?",
"What year was video from?",
"Did Cruise receive honor for his humanitarian work?",
"What the privilege that is earned?",
"Who was honored in the ceremony?",
"Who had a ceremony honoring Cruise?",
"What did the video honor?",
"What did Cruise say?",
"What was Scientology defined as?",
"What is Scientology defined as?"
] | [
[
"humanitarian work."
],
[
"Scientology"
],
[
"privilege"
],
[
"2004"
],
[
"2004 Scientology ceremony honoring"
],
[
"call yourself a Scientologist,"
],
[
"Cruise"
],
[
"Scientology"
],
[
"Cruise for his humanitarian work."
],
[
"\"I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it's something you have to earn,\""
],
[
"\"the study of truth.\""
],
[
"\"the study of truth.\""
]
] | Scientology membership a privilege that's earned, Cruise says .
2004 video part of ceremony honoring Cruise for humanitarian work .
Scientology defined as "study of the truth" |
(CNN) -- Toney Dixon's fascination with dead bodies goes back to her childhood, when she would sneak around her uncle's funeral home and watch him prepare bodies. The bodies on display are plastinated, a process that replaces bodily fluids and fat with plastic. "I found my heart racing," said Dixon, 67. "But instead of being taken aback and terrified, I wanted to know more." Years later, Dixon's curiosity drew her and her twin sister, Erlyene Toney-Alvarez, to Body Worlds, an exhibit that shows preserved human specimens bisected and stripped of skin. "It's like standing in the mirror and seeing yourself in a totally new way," said Dixon, the younger twin. The twins were so impressed that they signed up on the spot to donate their earthly remains to the exhibit, which is currently showing in the United States, Canada, England and Germany. With their signatures, the women joined a group of people who believe that having their bodies dissected, preserved and displayed will serve a greater purpose than burial or cremation. Body Worlds' donor program boasts about 800 people in North America and 8,600 worldwide. "I thought, since I like to think outside the box, this would be a really good way to preserve our bodies instead of the typical funeral," Toney-Alvarez said. "It's also something I can go to my death feeling good about, like I made a contribution to humankind." Individual Americans have had the right to bequeath their bodies to science since 1965, when the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act established the human body as property. With that law, a donor's wishes superseded those of the next of kin. But academics in the field of gross anatomy attribute recent increases in body donations to relaxed social mores, according to an article published by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Traditionally, medical schools have been the most common recipients of willed specimens in America. Then, in 1993, controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens emerged with an alternative. Von Hagens, a self-styled iconoclast who earned the moniker Dr. Frankenstein in Europe for performing a public dissection, invented plastination in the 1970s. See photos of the Body Worlds exhibit » He spent the next few years popularizing and refining the process, which replaces bodily fluids and fat with plastic, earning equal shares of admiration and infamy. In 1993, von Hagens founded the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, a research center that performs plastination and manages the Body Worlds exhibits. The Institute produces specimens for Body Worlds exhibits and academic institutions that pay anywhere from $200 to $60,000 for them. Von Hagens says he relies on donors not only as a source of specimens, but also as representations of Body Worlds' philosophy. "I feel it is in line with democratic principles that you can decide in your lifetime whether to go to the cemetery or put yourself on display in an exhibition to teach the next generation," von Hagens said in a recent telephone interview. Von Hagens says the Body Worlds donor program distinguishes it from similar exhibitions that have used bodies of questionable origin. In a settlement with the New York State Attorney General's Office, Premier Exhibitions admitted that the specimens used in "Bodies ... The Exhibit" might be victims of torture or execution from Chinese prisons. The settlement requires that Premier Exhibitions obtain proof of donor consent for specimens used in its shows. The company has also set up a fund to compensate visitors to its New York show. Legislation is pending in several states that would require shows like Body Worlds to prove donor consent before they open. Von Hagens has weathered similar allegations over the years. He insists that the specimens in Body Worlds exhibits come from donors. He has done some plastination work on bodies from China at the request of medical schools and universities, but these bodies were not put on display. "It is very, very important for the donors to know the purpose of the exhibit, that it is not entertainment, it is education and enlightenment | [
"How many people are on the donor list?",
"What did Toney Dixon say the exhibit was an alternative to?",
"What did von Hagens invent?"
] | [
[
"8,600 worldwide."
],
[
"burial or cremation."
],
[
"plastination"
]
] | Body Worlds was created by Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination .
Body donor Toney Dixon says the exhibit is a didactic alternative to burial, cremation .
About 800 people in North America are on donor list for Body Worlds .
Purpose of the exhibit is education and enlightenment, von Hagens says . |
(CNN) -- Top Democratic lawmakers called Tuesday for high taxes on the controversial AIG bonuses, as new details emerged on who got those bonuses. Congress is looking at ways to deal with the outrage surrounding AIG's controversial bonuses. "My colleagues and I are sending a letter to [AIG CEO Edward] Liddy informing him that he can go right ahead and tell the employees that are scheduled to get bonuses that they should voluntarily return them," Sen. Charles Schumer said on the Senate floor. "Because if they don't, we plan to tax virtually all of [the money] ... so it is returned to its rightful owners, the taxpayers." Schumer's comments came the same day New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo confirmed in a letter to Congress that AIG paid 73 employees bonuses of more than $1 million each. Cuomo also wrote that 11 of the employees no longer work for the company. The largest bonus paid was $6.4 million; seven other people also received more than $4 million each. "Until we obtain the names of these individuals, it is impossible to determine when and why they left the firm and how it is that they received these payments," Cuomo wrote to a congressional committee. AIG has been under fire for awarding seven-figure bonuses to employees while being kept afloat by more than $170 billion from the U.S. government's financial bailout. The company insists the payouts are needed to keep talented executives on the payroll, but public anger over the moves has prompted Congress and the Obama administration to seek some ways to reclaim the money. Watch Sen. Schumer vow to recoup the bonuses » Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced on the Senate floor Tuesday that the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee will pursue a legislative fix in such a way that the "recipients of those bonuses will not be able to keep all their money -- and that's an understatement." Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Montana, will propose a special tax within the next 24 hours, Reid said. "I don't think those bonuses should be paid," Baucus said Tuesday. The special-tax idea was first floated Monday by Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. "We have a right to tax," the Connecticut Democrat told CNN. "You could write a tax provision that's narrowly crafted only to the people receiving bonuses." Watch why Americans have a right to be angry » At an unrelated hearing Tuesday at which IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman was testifying, Baucus asked the nation's top tax official, "What's the highest excise tax we can impose that's sustainable in court?" Shulman did not respond directly, but Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, chimed in to suggest the tax could be as high as "90 percent." President Obama on Monday expressed dismay and anger over the bonuses to executives at AIG. "This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed," Obama told politicians and reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner were unveiling a package to aid the nation's small businesses. Obama said he will attempt to block bonuses for AIG, payments he described as an "outrage." See a snapshot of facts, attitudes and analysis on the recession » "Under these circumstances, it's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. I mean, how do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" Obama was referring to the bonuses paid to traders in AIG's financial products division, the tiny group of people who crafted complicated deals that contributed to the shaking of the world's economic foundations. Watch Obama say he's outraged by bonuses » The president said he has asked Geithner to "pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole." Obama said he would work with Congress to | [
"What amount of bonuses did AIG pay?",
"What company gave 73 million-dollar bonuses?",
"Who heads the Senate Finance Committee?",
"Who is investigating the bonuses?",
"What will the new law put a tax on?",
"Who is the senate majority leader?"
] | [
[
"more than $1 million each."
],
[
"AIG"
],
[
"Max Baucus,"
],
[
"Congress"
],
[
"AIG bonuses,"
],
[
"Harry Reid"
]
] | NEW: Sen. Schumer: We'll enact a new law that will "tax bonuses at a very high rate" AIG paid 73 people bonuses of $1 million or more each, New York AG reports .
Senate majority leader says Senate Finance Committee looking into bonuses .
Sen. Chris Dodd suggests tax provision crafted toward recipients of bonuses . |
(CNN) -- Top seed Dinara Safina battled from a set down to defeat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka at the French Open, but there was no escape for scheduled semifinal opponent Maria Sharapova who suffered a humiliating exit. Sharapova bowed out of the French Open after suffering one of her worst career defeats. Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in her last-eight match on Tuesday while fellow Russian Safina overcame 19-year-old Azarenka 1-6 6-4 6-2. It could have worse for former world number one Sharapova as Cibulkova had a match point to mark her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by dishing out the dreaded double bagel. Sharapova survived and she saved three more match points in the 12th game of the second set before her resistance crumbled completely with a netted forehand. It was her heaviest loss since she went down 6-1 6-1 to Serena Williams in the fourth round in Miami in 2007. Sharapova, playing only her second tournament since a 10-month lay-off because of a shoulder injury, was bidding to reach her second semifinal following a run to the 2007 last four. The Russian star, whose ranking slumped to 104 in the world during her time off the tour, had won both her previous matches against the pint-sized, 20-year-old Cibulkova and both were on clay. But Cibulkova was in complete control, breaking in the first, third and fifth games of the opening set. The Slovakian was then quickly 1-0 ahead before receiving a code violation for taking too long between points. It did not throw her off her stride and she was soon flat out on the dirt surface of Court Suzanne Lenglen in celebration. Safina was given the runaround in the first set and was at one stage being held at 4-4 in the second, but recovered her poise on Philippe Chatrier court. Ninth seed Azarenka had beaten Safina at Indian Wells earlier this year and had also won three titles in 2009, in Brisbane, Memphis and Miami. She played an almost perfect first set in just 23 minutes, but Safina then found the form that had seen her lose just five games in her run to the quarters opening a 4-1 lead in the second. Azarenka fought back to make it 4-4 but Safina rallied again to take the set -- and break in the opening game of the third. World number one Safina, who has yet to win a grand slam, finished the stronger to wrap up victory in an hour and 52 minutes. "I just didn't take the chances I had," said Azarenka. "Shedefinitely stepped it up and played some good points at key moments, which I have to give her credit for. It's all experience. Hopefully I'll do better next time." | [
"which tournament was it",
"What rank is Safina?",
"Victoria Azarenka was beat by who?",
"who beat azarenka",
"Where is Cibulkova from?"
] | [
[
"the French Open,"
],
[
"104 in the world"
],
[
"Dinara Safina"
],
[
"Dinara Safina"
],
[
"Slovakia's"
]
] | Dinara Safina battles from set down to beat Victoria Azarenka at French Open .
Maria Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova .
Cibulkova now faces semifinal with world No. 1 Safina who won 1-6 6-4 6-2 . |
(CNN) -- Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova tumbled out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Saturday, but two-time champion Kim Clijsters cruised into the third round.
Kuznetsova, who lost in the 2007 and 2008 finals, became the first top-ranked player at the Californian tournament to lose their opening match since Clijsters in 2002.
The Russian, who had an opening-round bye, lost 6-4 4-6 6-1 to unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro as she paid for her 69 unforced errors and seven double-faults.
"It's frustrating, because I know I have the game," the 24-year-old told the tournament's official Web site. "I feel great. I do practice, play unbelievable, and then get to the match and I don't do much.
"So my thinking is I just need more matches because as soon as I have matches, I keep going."
Suarez-Navarro will play Agnes Szavay in the third round, with the Hungarian 27th seed progressing after a 6-3 6-2 victory against Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan.
U.S. Open champion Clijsters avoided suffering the same demise as fellow Belgian and former world No. 1 Justine Henin, who lost to Argentina's Gisela Dulko on Friday.
Clijsters, seeded 14th in her first appearance at the tournament since winning it for the second time in 2005, thrashed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-1.
"I felt good out there today," Clijsters told the WTA Tour Web site. "Legs felt good, fresh. It's important in a match like this, to get through without wasting too much time, but also getting a good rhythm.
"I want to get the game I had when I was playing at the U.S. Open, where I played really well. I want to keep raising the bar."
Clijsters will next face Russian 23rd seed Alisa Kleybanova, who beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1.
Daniela Hantuchova, another two-time champion, was knocked out by Italy's Roberta Vinci.
The 21st seed was upset 6-3 7-5 despite battling back from 3-0 down in the second set, with Vinci earning a third-round clash with Belgian 13th seed Yanina Wickmayer.
Third seed Victoria Azarenka progressed with a 6-1 7-5 win over Austria's Sybille Bammer, and the Belarussian will next play Spanish 28th seed Maria Jose Martinez.
Australian eighth seed Samantha Stosur defeated France's Julie Coin 6-1 7-6 (7-4) to set up a clash with Russian 25th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Ninth seed Flavia Pennetta also went through with a 6-3 6-3 win over Czech Petra Kvitova, and the Italian will play Israel's 17th seed Shahar Peer in the third round. | [
"where is the top seed from",
"What nationality is Suarez-Navarro?",
"Who won in the second round on Saturday?",
"Who did Clijsters defeat?",
"Who is the top seed?",
"Who is the two-time champion?",
"what was the match score"
] | [
[
"Russian,"
],
[
"Spaniard"
],
[
"Kim Clijsters"
],
[
"Svetlana Kuznetsova"
],
[
"Svetlana Kuznetsova"
],
[
"Kim Clijsters"
],
[
"6-4 4-6 6-1"
]
] | Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova exits BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells .
Russian loses her opening match 6-4 4-6 6-1 to unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro .
Two-time champion Kim Clijsters cruises into third round, beating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova .
Third seed Victoria Azarenka also wins in second round on Saturday . |
(CNN) -- Torrential rainfall unleashed flooding and spawned a rare tornado warning in California on Tuesday as a series of storms moved through, with more expected Wednesday and Thursday.
Weather-related problems also affected Northern California, where Fresno's Yosemite International Airport lost the ability to send passengers through security because of a power outage.
Landings and takeoffs were not affected, because a backup system kicked in, said Vikkie Calderon, airport spokeswoman. However, the backup system for the lobby did not kick in.
Airlines were remotely checking passengers in Tuesday afternoon, but the outage prevented security screenings until power was restored, Calderon said. By midafternoon, security screenings had resumed.
In Southern California, a possible tornado was reported in Huntington Beach by the Orange County emergency manager, the National Weather Service reported. Boats in the nearby harbor and some buildings in the area were damaged, and a vehicle was flipped.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about 50 people were in the process of being evacuated from homes in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles because of severe flooding, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Gregory Baek. About 20 vehicle rescues took place in the same area, he said.
Video from CNN affiliate KCAL showed flooding in Long Beach, where a boater was using a raft to navigate flooded streets lined by cars with water up over their headlights.
Watch and read KCAL's reports
A rare tornado warning was issued Tuesday afternoon for southeastern Orange County, including the cities of Mission Viejo and San Clemente, and northwestern San Diego County, including the cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad. The National Weather Service said radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado.
A 93 mph wind gust was reported by lifeguards at the Newport Beach pier, the weather service said. Gusts of 72 mph and 73 mph were also measured.
Are you there? Send us your stories and images.
Piers in Orange County were closed because of high surf, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. There were some reports of damage and flooding, but no known injuries, officials said.
Forecasters warned the rainfall could trigger slides in recent burn areas and also warned about damaging winds. Some areas received as much as 3 inches of rain on Monday and could see an additional 2 inches Tuesday, the weather service said. Even stronger storms, with heavy rain and powerful winds, are forecast to hit the region Wednesday and Thursday.
Wind and rain prompted power outages Monday in Southern California, according to Southern California Edison.
CNN's Sara Pratley, Chad Myers, Rosalina Nieves and Lynn Lamanivong contributed to this report. | [
"what do people need to watch out for",
"Where was the warning issued for?",
"what is happening at the international airport?",
"How many people were evacuated?",
"is there a warning at southeastern Orage County?",
"how many people evacuated from los angeles?",
"when is the warning for",
"Where was there a power outage?"
] | [
[
"a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado."
],
[
"tornado"
],
[
"lost the ability to send passengers through security because of a power outage."
],
[
"50"
],
[
"A rare tornado"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"Fresno's Yosemite International Airport"
]
] | Warning issued for southeastern Orange County, northwestern San Diego County .
Fresno's Yosemite International Airport suffers power outage .
50 people evacuated because of Los Angeles flooding . |
(CNN) -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations, the United Nations reported Tuesday. People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, last week. The worst hit have been Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana and Niger, said Yvon Edoumou, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. So far, 159 people have died, he said. Sierra Leone has also been hard hit, according to the U.N. Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority, but powerful pumps are in short supply. "Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters," he said. The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases, but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or, worse, cholera. The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims. WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people, mainly in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital, schools, bridges and roads -- has been damaged. The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years, WFP said. Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP, but those rations were lost in the floodwaters, the U.N. reported. "It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away, leaving them hungry and destitute," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said. Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger, the U.N. reported. In Agadez, Niger, a town about 458 miles (738 km) north of the capital, Niamey, close to 988 acres (400 hectares) of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away. Herve Ludovic de Lys, head of OCHA in West Africa, said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty. "The situation is very worrying," he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday. The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September. In 2007, 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms. This year, fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas. Despite the misery, Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture. The harvest this year will be more bountiful, he said. | [
"What is the UN distributing?",
"What caused the 159 deaths?",
"What is even helping the poor?",
"How many does the U.N. say have died?",
"Which people suffer the most from floods?",
"What is a concern?",
"Cholera is a concern according to which official?",
"What is the number of people that have died?",
"how many people died due to flooding?",
"what the officer said?",
"What does the UN distribute?",
"how many died?",
"what is U.N. doing?",
"how many homeless"
] | [
[
"food"
],
[
"rains and flooding"
],
[
"World Food Programme"
],
[
"159"
],
[
"the poor and vulnerable"
],
[
"real threat exists of diarrhea or, worse, cholera."
],
[
"Yvon Edoumou,"
],
[
"159"
],
[
"159"
],
[
"\"The situation is very worrying,\""
],
[
"food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims."
],
[
"159"
],
[
"begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims."
],
[
"tens of thousands"
]
] | U.N. begins distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims .
U.N. says 159 have died due to flooding; key infrastructure damaged .
Waterborne diseases like cholera are a concern, U.N. official says .
"It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods," official says . |
(CNN) -- Tottenham moved up to third in the English Premier League as Emmanuel Adebayor helped welcome manager Harry Redknapp back to the dugout with both goals in Monday's 2-0 win against Aston Villa.
Redknapp had minor heart surgery three weeks ago, but returned earlier than expected to see his side edge above London rivals Chelsea and Newcastle on goal difference.
Tottenham now trail Manchester United by four points and Manchester City by nine, with a game in hand on both teams.
The victory extended Spurs' unbeaten league run to nine matches following two early defeats to the Manchester sides -- the club's best showing in the opening 11 games since the 1967-68 season.
"I enjoyed the way we played tonight, I think the fans enjoyed it as well -- they've seen lots of great teams over the years and they're enjoying the way this team's playing," Redknapp said.
"It's great to be back tonight - I wouldn't want to watch it at home again, that was nerve-wracking."
Adebayor's brace at White Hart Lane represented his first goals for Spurs since a double against Liverpool in his second league appearance for the club on September 18.
Rafael van der Vaart had netted in five successive games after that before missing the win over Fulham, and the Dutchman's return from a hamstring injury gave Tottenham too much potency for a Villa side which included former Spurs fullback Alan Hutton in right midfield to combat the threat of Gareth Bale.
But manager Alex McLeish's ploy failed to pay off as Welsh winger Bale caused constant problems, and it was from his scuffed shot after Villa failed to clear a corner that Adebayor acrobatically hooked home the 13th-minute opener.
The on-loan Manchester City forward, who made his international return for Togo last week, doubled the lead five minutes before the break when he forced in from close range after Villa defender James Collins failed to cut out Bale's teasing near-post cross.
Adebayor should have completed a hat-trick in the second half but Spurs could not convert their continued dominance into more goals.
Redknapp was able to bring off Van der Vaart with 20 minutes to play, allowing striker Jermain Defoe a chance to impress ahead of Saturday's trip to West Bromwich Albion.
Villa stayed eighth on 15 points after 12 games, but have yet to win away in the league this season after four draws and two defeats.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas earlier insisted that his job is safe despite Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Liverpool, the club's third in four league games.
The 33-year-old former Porto coach said his relationship with billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was still good.
"He didn't pay 15 million euros ($20 million) to get me out of Porto and another fortune to get me out of Chelsea," he said.
"It is not a question of the owner having patience. I have said we have set out to build something new at this club and the club is committed to what we are building for the future."
Malaga moved up to fifth in Spain with a 3-1 victory away to struggling Racing Santander on Monday.
Santander dropped to the bottom on goal difference below Real Sociedad and Granada, whose match against Mallorca on Sunday was called off when a linesman was hit by an object thrown from the crowd.
Visiting Malaga broke the deadlock three minutes after halftime through teenage midfielder Isco, and a 66th-minute own-goal by Alvaro Gonzalez doubled the lead.
Manuel Arana gave Santander hope four minutes later, but veteran Dutch substitute Ruud van Nistelrooy set up Uruguayan forward Seba Fernandez for a late volley. | [
"Who scored two goals against Aston Villa?",
"who scores both goals",
"who return to the dugout",
"what happen with harry redknapp",
"What is the manager's name?",
"In what place is Tottenham?"
] | [
[
"Emmanuel Adebayor"
],
[
"Emmanuel Adebayor"
],
[
"Harry Redknapp"
],
[
"minor heart surgery"
],
[
"Harry Redknapp"
],
[
"third"
]
] | Emmanuel Adebayor scores both goals in Tottenham's 2-0 win over Aston Villa .
Manager Harry Redknapp returns to the dugout following minor heart surgery .
Home win lifts Tottenham above Chelsea and Newcastle into third place on goal difference .
Malaga up to fifth in Spain's La Liga with 3-1 win at bottom club Racing Santander . |
(CNN) -- Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has been handed his first call-up to the France squad for their two World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania. Gignac has been rewarded for his superb form this season with a first call-up to the France squad. The 23-year-old forward is the top scorer in French Ligue 1 with 17 goals this season -- and has been selected by coach Raymond Domenech ahead of Paris St-Germain striker Guillaume Hoarau. Defenders Patrice Evra and Ladil Rami return, but fellow-defenders Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon) and Julien Escude (Sevilla) are all ruled out through injury. There is also no place in the squad for captain Patrick Vieira, who has struggled to find his best form for Inter Milan this season. France are currently third in European Group Seven with just one win to show from their first three matches. They trail Serbia and Lithuania by five points but have a game in hand on both nations. France initially face Lituania in Kaunas on March 28, with the return match at the Stade de France in Paris on April 1. France squad: Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cedric Carrasso (Toulouse). Defenders: Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Adil Rami (Lille). Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich). Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse). | [
"Will captain Patrick Vieira join Gignac on the French squad?",
"Who isn't in Domenech's squad?",
"Where is Andre-Pierre Gignac from?",
"Which Toulouse striker achieved his first call-up?",
"How many goals did Gignac score in Ligue 1 this season?",
"Who handed his first call-up to France squad?",
"How many goals did Gignac score?"
] | [
[
"no place in the"
],
[
"Patrick Vieira,"
],
[
"Toulouse"
],
[
"Andre-Pierre Gignac"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"Andre-Pierre Gignac"
],
[
"17"
]
] | Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac handed his first call-up to France squad .
Gignac named in 23-man squad after scoring 15 goals in Ligue 1 this season .
But there is no place for captain Patrick Vieira in Raymond Domenech's squad . |
(CNN) -- Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has launched a stinging attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong after returning as a hero to his native town of Pinto near Madrid. Lance Armstrong (right) looks on after Alberto Contador is handed the Tour de France trophy in Paris. Contador told a news conference that relations between the two riders were tense throughout the race, making the atmosphere very difficult for the team as a whole. Although not giving specific reasons why, Contador admitted the situation has affected his relationship with the American. "My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will," the 26-year-old Spaniard admitted. "It was a delicate situation, very tense, the two riders who had most weight on the team did not have an easy relationship and that puts the rest of the technical staff and the riders in an uncomfortable position," he added. The Spaniard, who also won the Tour in 2007, compared the situation with that of Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren when they were colleagues. "That situation in some way illustrated what I have experienced. But I knew that if we kept a cool head everything would be OK," he added. With Armstrong and Astana team chief Johan Bruyneel both leaving the team at the end of the season, Contador's future also remains unclear. "We will have to see what happens. I do not know where I'll go, but I am clear that it will be a team that is 100 per cent behind me." Contador eventually finished the race over four minutes clear of Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, with American Armstrong -- who was riding in his first Tour since completing the last of his seven wins in 2005 -- a remarkable third. It was Contador's fourth successive grand tour victory, after he also won last year's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta Espana following the Tour organizers' decision not to invite the Astana team to the race. | [
"Who launched an attack?",
"Who has Alberto launched an attack on?",
"Who did he beat to win the second tour?",
"What did the Tour de France winner announce?",
"who won their second tour?",
"who will never have admiration?"
] | [
[
"Alberto Contador"
],
[
"Armstrong"
],
[
"Andy Schleck,"
],
[
"\"My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will,\""
],
[
"Alberto Contador"
],
[
"Lance Armstrong"
]
] | Alberto Contador launches an attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong .
Tour de France winner admits he will never have admiration for the American .
Contador beat Andy Schleck by over four minutes to gain his second Tour win . |
(CNN) -- Toyota must start again, "from the bottom up," new president Akio Toyoda said Thursday. New Toyota boss Akio Toyoda says he will cut his salary by 30 percent. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, the grandson of Toyota Motors' founder said the company will focus on tailoring its product lines to customer demand in each region. Toward that end, Toyoda named an executive vice president to head each region. The company was not wrong to expand its business earlier this decade, Toyoda said, but he acknowledged that it might have overextended. Moving forward, the company's focus will be on products, rather than profits, he said. Taking responsibility for the company's $4.4 billion net loss in the most recent fiscal year, Toyoda said he would cut his salary by 30 percent. There are no current plans to close factories, a company executive said. Analysts say Toyoda must drastically cut costs, but he offered no hints as to how or even whether that would be done at his first news conference as president. The company board formally approved Toyoda, 53, for the job on Tuesday. He has been with Toyota for 24 years. His grandfather slightly altered the family name when christening the company "Toyota," which has eight brush strokes in Japanese -- a fortuitous number. | [
"What must cut costs drastically?",
"What do analysts say Toyoda must do?",
"What relation is Akio Toyoda is to Kiichiro Toyoda?",
"Who says will cut his salary by 30 percent?",
"Who has been with the firm 24 years?",
"How long has Toyoda been with the firm?",
"What has been in the firm for 24years?",
"Who is the grandson of company founder?"
] | [
[
"Toyota"
],
[
"drastically cut costs,"
],
[
"grandson"
],
[
"Akio Toyoda"
],
[
"Akio Toyoda"
],
[
"24 years."
],
[
"president Akio Toyoda"
],
[
"Akio Toyoda"
]
] | Akio Toyoda is the grandson of company founder Kiichiro Toyoda .
Toyoda has been with the firm 24 years, says will cut his salary by 30 percent.
Analysts say Toyoda must drastically cut costs -- he offers no hints as to how . |
(CNN) -- Toyota reported a first-ever annual net loss of $4.4 billion on Friday, the latest automobile maker to be battered by the credit crisis. The top executives for Toyota at a press conference in January. Net revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31 was down nearly 22 percent, with total sales of 7.6 million vehicles -- 1.3 million fewer than the previous year. The company dividend will be reduced to 100 yen per share, down from 140 yen per share last year The appreciation of the yen against major currencies, rise in raw material costs and the collapse of the auto market in Europe and North America led to the company's annual loss, said Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota president, at a press conference. The firm expects sales to decline even further to 6.5 million units this year. The company, however, will be further expanding it environmentally friendly line of automobiles. Watch more about the results » "It appears to take some more time before the financial markets in the U.S. and Europe normalize and the global economy recovers," Watanabe said. "However, in the 2010 fiscal year, we plan to accelerate our profit improvement activities including the expansion of our hybrid vehicle line-up such as the next generation Prius in May and the Lexus' HS250h in July." Toyota plans to launch four hybrid models in Japan and three models overseas in the next year. The new Prius model will be more compact and reduce production costs by 30 percent, Watanabe said. | [
"What did Toyota report?",
"what did the appreciation of the yen do",
"what will the company do now",
"What is the amount that Toyota will reduce its dividend to?",
"What net loss did Toyota report?",
"how much was toyota's first loss"
] | [
[
"a first-ever annual net loss of $4.4 billion"
],
[
"led to the company's annual loss,"
],
[
"be further expanding it environmentally friendly line of automobiles."
],
[
"100 yen per share,"
],
[
"$4.4 billion"
],
[
"$4.4 billion"
]
] | Toyota reports its first annual net loss of $4.4 billion .
Company will reduce dividend to 100 yen per share from 140 .
The appreciation of yen, increased costs and decrease in car buyers blamed . |
(CNN) -- Trains and text messages made a deadly combination when two locomotives collided head-on last year near Los Angeles, California, witnesses told an investigative panel this week. Firefighters and investigators inspect the wreckage a day after a train collision in California killed 25 people. Metrolink commuter train engineer Robert Sanchez missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend on September 12, leading to a collision with a Union Pacific freight train that killed Sanchez and 24 other people in Chatsworth, California. The accident injured 101 people and caused $10.6 million in damages, according to a report by federal investigators. One National Transportation Safety Board member worries other disasters loom on the nation's rail system. "One train, one day, one crew. It raises questions for me as to what the heck else is going on out there," said Kitty Higgins, chairwoman of a two-day NTSB hearing in Washington on the accident. Sanchez violated his employer's safety rules by even having a cell phone in the cab of the locomotive, a supervisor testified. Watch what investigators found » Phone records show Sanchez was not only texting a friend just 22 seconds before the collision, but he also had made plans to allow the same friend to actually operate the train. This was a text conversation four days before the crash: [Sanchez to friend]: "I'm REALLY looking forward to getting you in the cab and showing you how to run a locomotive." [Friend to Sanchez]: "OMG dude me too. Running a locomotive. Having all of that in the palms of my hands." [Sanchez to friend]: "I'm gonna do all the radio talkin'...ur gonna run the locomotive & I'm gonna tell u how to do it. " At the hearing, officials said Sanchez had been caught with a cell phone twice before. Once another employee turned him in, another time a manager called his phone to see if it was with him in the train cab. "The engineer's cell phone rang. It was in his briefcase on the other side of the train. I told the engineer that he was in violation of our policy," Rick Dahl, who was a safety manager with Metrolink at the time of the accident, told the NTSB investigative panel. Federal regulations do not cover cell phone use by train crews. Records also indicate Sanchez previously had allowed unauthorized people to ride in the cab, and one person even sat at the controls while the train was operating, investigators said. Phone company records indicate the Union Pacific freight train conductor, who was not named and who survived, also sent a text message about two minutes before the collision, but no other crew member sent or received any messages while on duty, investigators said. That train crew followed all signals and other procedures properly, according to an NTSB timeline. The Metrolink train stopped at a station for 57 seconds to allow passengers to exit and board the train, according to an animation of the timeline presented at the hearing. "The engineer is required to call all signals and indications via radio," Dahl testified. Sanchez did not call any of the last three signals before the crash, investigators determined. The freight train was supposed to move onto a siding to allow the Metrolink train to pass, but it never got there because the commuter train ignored a stop signal and intercepted it at a curve. The freight train was just emerging from a tunnel in the rugged Topanga Canyon, and the trains were visible to each other in the curve for only about five seconds, according to the report. At the time of impact, the Metrolink train was traveling about 42 mph and the Union Pacific train 41 mph. The freight train braked for two seconds before impact; the commuter train didn't brake at all, according to onboard data recorders. Investigators found no problems with the signals, the trains' brakes and radios or the tracks. The Union Pacific conductor's blood and urine tested positive for marijuana, but | [
"When did the crash occur?",
"what did the engineer miss",
"How many people were injured?",
"How many people died?",
"Engineer planned to let who operate the train?",
"What caused the crash?",
"when was the crash",
"What do railroad rules prohibit?",
"what prohibits cell phone use"
] | [
[
"September 12,"
],
[
"a stop signal"
],
[
"101"
],
[
"25"
],
[
"a friend"
],
[
"Robert Sanchez missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend"
],
[
"September 12,"
],
[
"having a cell phone in the cab of the locomotive,"
],
[
"employer's safety rules"
]
] | NTSB: Train engineer missed stop signal just before crash .
September crash in California killed 25, injured 101 .
Railroad rules prohibit cell phone use; federal regulations don't .
Engineer planned to let friend operate train, records indicate . |
(CNN) -- Travelers across the United States arrived en masse at airports, hit the roads and boarded trains Wednesday, a day before the Thanksgiving holiday.
"It's actually surprisingly not as much of a disaster as I thought it was going to be," said Rafi Samuels-Schwartz, 25, who was waiting at New Jersey's Newark International Airport to board a plane to Minneapolis, Minnesota -- a flight that was on time, he added.
"It wasn't pandemonium, it wasn't a scene from 'Independence Day,' " he said. "I thought it was going to be considerably worse."
The number of people traveling this holiday weekend is expected to increase slightly, compared with last year, although the number traveling by air is expected to decline, according to the American Automobile Association, a motorist and traveler organization.
The AAA, which surveyed 1,350 American households, projects that 38.4 million people will travel over the holiday weekend, up from 37.8 million last year.
However, the number traveling by air is expected to decline to 2.3 million, the automobile association said. In 2008, 2.5 million people traveled by plane for Thanksgiving.
See the FAA's flight delays map
AAA said the slight increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers from last year reflects improved consumer confidence as well as "a growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us."
Citing excess baggage fees and surcharges for jet fuel, along with delays and flight groundings, AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom said it's "not a very friendly environment this decade for the airline industry or the airline traveler."
David Ross, who was at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and four children to catch a flight to Cancun, Mexico, offered some advice.
"You have to be calm and collected when you come to this airport, especially on a day like today," Ross, from Libertyville, Illinois, told CNN affiliate WGN.
However, by 1 p.m. ET, delays at the country's airports appeared to be minimal, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's Web site. It reported that some arriving flights at the airports in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Newark, New Jersey, and at LaGuardia Airport in New York were delayed because of low cloud ceilings.
"So far, so good," traveler Andy Warman told CNN affiliate WABC at LaGuardia Airport.
"My flight's on time, so I'm pretty happy about that," added Warman, who was headed to Miami, Florida, to see family.
At Washington's Reagan National Airport, the morning lines seemed like those of any other day. "It's deserted," one woman told CNN affiliate WJLA. "There's nobody here."
Of course, the bulk of Thanksgiving travelers will be going by car, AAA said -- about 33.2 million.
"I'm going to probably end up sitting in traffic for five hours," said Jack DeManche, 21, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who plans on driving home Wednesday night to Uxbridge, Massachusetts. The drive is usually only about two hours from Amherst, but DeManche -- a resident adviser at the school -- won't be able to leave until he closes one of the student residence halls.
"I have to work until at least 6 p.m., and then I have to pack up," he said, adding that in years past, the drive has taken more than twice as long as it does on nonholiday weeks. But even so, he said, he'd rather brave the drive home Wednesday night than Thursday morning.
"I'd so much rather get home tonight," he said.
In Oklahoma, the state's department of public safety said multiple accidents had shut down Interstate 35 in both directions around Billings.
CNN affiliate KWTV said the closures occurred around 12:25 p.m.
In California, an accident on the Golden Gate Bridge prompted authorities to close the bridge for a time, snarling traffic. The bridge reopened shortly after noon (3 p.m. | [
"who predicts that 38.4 million Americans travel during this weekend",
"How many people is predicted to travel during the holiday weekend?",
"How many will decline?",
"who attributes slight increase to improved consumer confidence",
"What says AAA?",
"How much will people traveling by air decrease?"
] | [
[
"AAA,"
],
[
"38.4 million"
],
[
"2.3 million,"
],
[
"AAA"
],
[
"the number traveling by air is expected to decline,"
],
[
"2.3 million,"
]
] | AAA predicts 38.4 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend .
AAA attributes slight increase to improved consumer confidence .
Those traveling by air probably will decline to 2.3 million, from 2.5 million last year .
The bulk of travelers will be going by car, AAA says . |
(CNN) -- Travelers don't always have to fight the masses and schlep overseas to find exotic vacation thrills. Safari West near Sonoma, California, offers a taste of Africa in North America. If you know where to look, you can find destinations closer to home that offer relief from crowds and pricey travel arrangements. The right location can generate the makings of an African or European vacation -- without leaving North America. Along the same lines, wine-lovers yearning for a taste of the Napa Valley don't necessarily have to travel to California. Watch more about getaways with an exotic vibe » Africa-like safari If you've always wanted to take an African safari but don't have the time or money, Sarah Kantrowitz of Travel + Leisure recommends traveling to Sonoma, California, for a host of wild adventures. In the heart of wine country, Safari West offers a slice of Serengeti life with 400 acres of preserve. "You'll be able to visit almost 500 animals including cheetahs, zebra and wildebeest," says Kantrowitz. Climb aboard their Classic Safari Truck tour to observe over 80 species of wild animals in a natural habitat. Safari West's director of communications Aphrodite Caserta calls the tour a "don't miss experience." "Simply," she says, "it's a rare opportunity to experience an authentic African adventure without a passport and without the jet lag. And, without spending thousands of dollars." Safari West also offers private truck tours, educational animal presentations and overnight tent accommodations. They even offer many seasonal specials to make your stay more affordable. Check out http://www.safariwest.com/ for information on their Full Moon Madness package. You can save 50 percent off room rates on or around the full moon each month. Napa Valley-esque wine tastings If it's wine you want, find an alternative to Napa Valley in Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Here you'll discover more than 850 acres of land and more than 20 wineries for your choosing. The area offers tastings and gourmet meals, and Kantrowitz says, "The region is particularly known for its great pinot blancs." It also boasts plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities like scenic bike tours of the wine trails and camping on the lakeshore. Andrew MacFarlane, spokesperson for the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner's Association, considers Michigan wine country unique because the effects of the Great Lakes perfect the wine and the atmosphere. He says, "It's blue skies, no humidity. It's an absolutely beautiful place to come in any season." Check out Leelanau's and Old Mission's Web sites for winery lists, wine trail maps, special events and more. Pseudo-European getaways With the Euro still dominating the American dollar, try looking in your own backyard for European flair with a considerably smaller price tag. You can get a taste of France without breaking the bank in Quebec. Quebec City, the province's capital, offers an experience rich in cultural heritage. Settled about 400 years ago by French fur traders, the city hosts many examples of 18th and 19th century architecture and the distinction of being the only fortified city north of Mexico. "Consider walking the streets and exploring the wonderful shops that sell wine, cheese and delicious baguettes," says Kantrowitz. Visit http://www.quebecregion.com/e/ for Quebec City's calendar of events and recommendations for dining, shopping and lodging in the area. Here you can also find information on different tours and package deals. If it's Spanish culture that interests you, look no further than St. Augustine, Florida. The nation's oldest city was founded more than 400 years ago, and its Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum gives visitors the opportunity to see what life was like in the city when it was still an outpost of the Spanish empire. Through the state's preservation effort, many of the colonial buildings in St. Augustine have been restored to their original appearance. Kantrowitz suggests taking a pedestrian route through the city. She says, "Try a walking tour to see a lot of | [
"What is the only fortified city north of Mexico?",
"Where is good for wine?",
"Who offers Old World Spain without leaving North America?",
"Who has a slice of Africa's Serengeti?",
"What age is the city?",
"What animals are there?"
] | [
[
"Quebec"
],
[
"Napa Valley in Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas."
],
[
"St. Augustine, Florida."
],
[
"Safari West"
],
[
"400 years"
],
[
"cheetahs, zebra"
]
] | St. Augustine, Florida, offers Old World Spain without leaving North America .
400-year-old Quebec City is the only fortified city north of Mexico .
California has a slice of Africa's Serengeti: cheetahs, zebra and wildebeest .
Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas offer excellent wine tourism . |
(CNN) -- Treasure hunter Christian Hanisch told CNN Thursday that the hunt for Nazi Gold and possibly the legendary Amber Room will end Friday after the two men leading the expedition had a disagreement. Treasure hunters began drilling again Tuesday to try to locate the lost Nazi gold. Heinz-Peter Haustein, the other treasure hunter, told Germany's Bild newspaper that geophysicists will now re-evaluate the situation and that digging may resume in two weeks. CNN has so far not been able to reach Haustein for confirmation. "Haustein told me to get out of here immediately," an angry Hanisch told CNN in a telephone interview. He said Haustein, who is also the mayor of the village Deutschneudorf, where the digging is taking place, told him he wanted to make the expedition more credible by calling in the scientists. See photos from hunt for lost Nazi gold » "It can't get any more credible than now," said Hanisch, whose measurements had allegedly pinpointed the treasure. He said the drilling taking place at the site never focused on the exact coordinates he had provided. "They just always dug around there, but never at the exact location where I wanted them to dig," he said. The two treasure hunters had said geological surveying had revealed an underground cave holding large amounts of precious metal. They said it could be a holding area dug by the Nazis who used it to stash valuables in World War II. Haustein said he also believes the legendary Amber Room, an interior made of gold and amber that the Nazis had looted from a palace in St. Petersburg, after Adolf Hitler's forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, was also hidden somewhere in the mountains around Deutschneudorf -- and that finding a stash of gold could give clues as to the whereabouts of the Amber Room. Now Hanisch says he never believed in the Amber Room theory. "I never talked about finding the Amber Room anywhere here, that was all Haustein's idea," he said. Hanisch said that his father was one of the soldiers who helped transport gold and other valuables to the area around Deutschneudorf near the end of the Second World War and that when he died he left behind coordinates allegedly leading to a cave holding gold and other valuables. Haustein has been paying for the excavation. Watch hunt for Nazi gold at German mountain » Earlier this week, Haustein said digging at the site was stopped more than a week ago amid safety concerns, as German authorities and the treasure hunters feared that the shaft dug so far might collapse, and that the alleged cave may be rigged with explosives or poisonous booby traps. Deutschneudorf is in Germany's Ore Mountains, and the mountain where the treasure hunters were looking was a copper mine until the 19th century. Though the mine was shut down in 1882, geologists have found evidence that soldiers from Hitler's Wehrmacht -- the German armed forces -- had been there: machine guns, parts of uniforms and explosives that are on display at the town's museum. E-mail to a friend | [
"What do treasure hunters hope to find?",
"What is called off?",
"Where is the dig?",
"What may resume in two weeks?",
"Where is the location of the dig?",
"What do treasures hope to find?"
] | [
[
"lost Nazi gold."
],
[
"the hunt for Nazi Gold"
],
[
"Deutschneudorf,"
],
[
"digging"
],
[
"village Deutschneudorf,"
],
[
"Nazi Gold"
]
] | Digging in search of lost Nazi gold to be called off, one treasure hunter says .
Second hunter tells Bild it may resume in two weeks .
The dig is in the mountains around Deutschneudorf, Germany .
Treasure hunters hope to find valuables looted from Russia during World War II . |
(CNN) -- Tributes have been flooding in following the sudden death of Spanish Primera Liga side Espanyol's captain Daniel Jarque at the age of 26 on Saturday night. Espanyol fans have begun a memorial for captain Daniel Jarque following his sudden death on Saturday. Jarque passed away around 8pm local time when his heart stopped following a training session in Coverciano, Italy, where the squad are on a pre-season camp. Reports suggest Jarque was on the phone to his fiancee -- who is eight months pregnant -- at the time and she alerted two of his team-mates, who raced to his hotel room. Club doctors and Italian paramedics tried to revive Jarque, a product of the Espanyol youth system, but without success. Most Spanish clubs immediately expressed their condolences and leading footballing personalities have now done the same. Speaking on the official Real Madrid Web site, club captain Raul said: "As captain, and on behalf of the whole Real Madrid team, I want to express our sincere condolences. "We will support the player's family and the Espanyol family in any way possible during this very difficult time for everybody. "He was a great professional and sportsman and this has left us all very hurt. We offer our most sincere sympathies," added Raul. Jarque's death comes two years after that of Sevilla and Spain defender Antonio Puerta, who suffered multiple organ failure in hospital, three days after a cardiac arrest during a league match against Getafe. Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini added: "It is news that you wish wasn't true. It's terrible, it already happened a couple of years ago to Sevilla and the truth is these things have an impact." Joan Laporta, president of European champions Barcelona -- Espanyol's city rivals -- said on their official Web site: ""We are very shocked by this tragic event. "We are all in mourning and I wish to express in the name of FC Barcelona our heartfelt condolences to Espanyol on the painful loss of their captain Dani Jarque, and also to his family". Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12, making his debut in 2002, and was handed the captaincy this summer. Fans have been flocking to Espanyol's stadium since the news broke and have been in mourning outside gate 21 -- Jarque's squad number. Former Espanyol coach Ramon Moya, who handed Jarque his debut against Rayo Vallecano, was deeply shocked. "I feel like I have lost a son," he told reporters. "Jarque was a footballer, but he was also my friend. This situation is very difficult for a person. It was as if he was family. I knew him for many years. I gave him his debut and I shared many moments with him. It's very difficult to explain how I feel at the moment." Another former coach, Ernesto Valverde, insisted Jarque had never had any medical problems previously. "After hearing the news I still haven't taken it in," said the current Villarreal coach. "He was a player who was super strong, super healthy and very important in the dressing room. We got goosebumps when we heard the news. He was a very strong person but life is like that and it gives you terrible surprises. " Espanyol, who had been due to play Bologna in a friendly match on Sunday, suspended their pre-season tour of Italy and have flown back to Barcelona. | [
"What caused the singers death?",
"What age was he?",
"Who are tributes flooding in for?",
"How many years of age was Jarque?",
"Who died suddenly?",
"What was the cause of Jarque's death?",
"What happened to him?",
"When was his debut?"
] | [
[
"his heart stopped"
],
[
"26"
],
[
"Spanish Primera Liga side Espanyol's"
],
[
"26"
],
[
"Daniel Jarque"
],
[
"heart stopped"
],
[
"his heart stopped following a training session"
],
[
"2002,"
]
] | Tributes are flooding in following the sudden death of Espanyol's Daniel Jarque .
Jarque suffered a heart attack while in his hotel room during a club tour of Italy .
26-year-old made his debut in 2002 and was given the captaincy this summer . |
(CNN) -- Troops in Jamaica captured an armed man Monday who had barged onto a Canadian airliner, robbed passengers and held six crew members hostage, Jamaica Information Minister Daryl Vaz said. A hostage-taker commandeered a CanJet flight at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The crew members were not harmed, Vaz said. The hijacking suspect, described as a "mentally challenged" man in his 20s, had demanded that the Boeing 737 be flown to Cuba. The military captured him around 7 a.m. local time. The FBI helped Jamaican authorities handle the situation at the Jamaican government's request, a U.S. government source told CNN. The CanJet flight from Halifax, Canada, had made a scheduled landing at Sangster International Airport in the Jamaican resort city of Montego Bay and was scheduled to continue to Santa Clara, Cuba. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica, told reporters that he planned to travel to Montego Bay to meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Harper has been following the airplane security breach and may meet with the plane's crew later today. "The hijacking is that from a mentally challenged youngster and not anything that would be of concern in terms of an international incident," Vaz said. The suspect gained access to the plane Sunday night through the terminal in "a breach of security" that "will be investigated," Deputy Police Commissioner Owen Ellington told CNN. The gunman fired a shot in the boarding bridge as he entered, said CanJet Airlines Vice President Kent Woodside. No one was hit. CanJet Flight 918 was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, Woodside said. All the passengers were Canadian, he said. The suspect took an undisclosed number of passengers and crew members hostage before releasing all the passengers and two crew members, said Elizabeth Scotton, a spokeswoman for the company that manages the airport. Two of the six crew members who remained inside the plane Monday locked themselves in the cockpit, Vaz said. The suspect's father and Golding, who flew in by helicopter, were among those who negotiated with the gunman before his capture. The country's minister of national security also was at hand. The released passengers were taken to a hotel, and the airport was shut down for a time, Vaz said. The airport reopened shortly after the standoff, Woodside said. A CanJet airliner was on its way to Jamaica, he said, to take passengers on to Cuba or back to Canada. Christian Gosselin, a passenger on the flight, told his father that the gunman demanded cash from the plane's occupants. Vaz confirmed the account. "The guy wanted to have all their money," said Gosselin's father, Alphonse. "He [my son] told his girlfriend to take all the money and just take her passport and credit card and put it in her back pocket." Christian Gosselin was part of a 25-person wedding party headed to Cuba. He and his girlfriend were released by the hostage-taker, and they spoke to his father in New Brunswick, Canada, while waiting for another flight. "I didn't ask them too many questions; I was more concerned for their safety," the father said. "They were a bit shaken up. It was quite an experience." Another passenger, Brenda Grenier, called her husband and said the man apparently got aboard the plane as airport workers were loading bags. Grenier and her daughter were safe, her husband said by phone from his home in Nova Scotia, Canada. CNN's Joyce Joseph, Janet DiGiacomo, Jessica Jordan, Saeed Ahmed and Mike Brooks contributed to this report. | [
"who will be meeting with the jamaican pm?",
"what flight was boarded by an armed man?",
"What did the fbi help to do?",
"What is the flight number?",
"Where was the flight from?",
"Who is the PM going to meet?",
"who helped jamaican authorities to end hijack attempt?",
"What will the Canadian pm do?"
] | [
[
"Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper,"
],
[
"Canadian airliner,"
],
[
"helped Jamaican authorities handle the situation"
],
[
"CanJet"
],
[
"Halifax, Canada,"
],
[
"Prime Minister Bruce Golding."
],
[
"FBI"
],
[
"Prime Minister Bruce Golding."
]
] | NEW: FBI helped Jamaican authorities to end hijack attempt, U.S. source says .
Canadian PM says he'll be meeting with Jamaican PM .
Hostage-taker captured by military described as "mentally challenged"
Flight 918 flew in from Halifax, Canada, when armed man boarded plane . |
(CNN) -- Troops in the southern Philippines early Sunday took advantage of martial law to hunt down those believed responsible for last week's killings there. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in the southern province of Maguindanao after 57 people were killed in politically motivated violence. Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the Eastern Mindanao command, told CNN on Saturday that searchers have made arrests and recovered firearms and vehicles from a clan implicated in the killings. He said local residents welcome the deployment of the troops. "We need this because we do not want those who perpetrated the crime to slip out of the province. And we may be having a hard time catching them," he said. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said martial law -- under which police can make arrests without a warrant -- went into effect at 9 p.m. Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days. Brawner said the measure was invoked to impose peace on the region after the unrest, which led to troops being mobilized. "Life is to resume normally and martial law is established to prevent new violence, with troops on the ground monitoring any possible violence breakout," he said. "But the civilian government will be running the affairs of the province, not a military governor." Military police have detained three brothers and their father on suspicion of involvement in the unrest: Akmad Ampatuan, the vice governor of Maguindanao; Anwar Ampatuan, the mayor of Sherif Auguak, Maguindanao's capital; and Zaldy Ampatuan, governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch, became ill and was hospitalized after he, too, was taken in. "Local government will function, it will prevent armed groups from wreaking havoc ... and it will allow the officials search and find the guilty parties," Brawner said. Security forces on Friday searched the home of Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay and son of the provincial governor of Maguindanao, according to Brawner. Authorities say Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed the Nov. 23 politically motivated killings. Weapons were found in the house, Brawner said. On Tuesday, Philippine authorities charged Ampatuan and other suspects with 25 counts of murder in the killings. Still more suspects were taken into custody Friday. The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well, Brawner said. The National Bureau of Investigation has moved a third witness to Manila for questioning, the Philippines News Agency reported Thursday. "At the moment, we are interviewing the witness so that we would know what he knows about the incident in Maguindanao," NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said. The witness claimed to have been at the site during the massacre. "He is very vital," Mantaring said. "From what I know ... he knows a lot of information regarding the incident." Among the victims in the massacre were the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan, the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Witnesses and local officials have blamed the younger Ampatuan, a longtime ally of the Philippines president and a known warlord. They said the killings were an attempt to block Mangudadatu from challenging him in the May gubernatorial election. Also killed were a dozen journalists who had accompanied the women. Group: Philippines most dangerous country for journalists Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings, Cabangbang said authorities "were trying to build a case -- a tight case" against suspects. "But it is taking long to build a case, so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects, and allowed us to search, even without warrant. So we really need this declaration of state of martial law." Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, | [
"Who directed the killings?",
"How many were killed last week?",
"How many people were killed?",
"Members of which family were detained?",
"Members of what family were detained?",
"Who is accused of directing killings?",
"What is the clan implicated in?",
"What was recovered from the clan?",
"How many were killed?"
] | [
[
"Andal Ampatuan Jr."
],
[
"57 people"
],
[
"57"
],
[
"Ampatuan,"
],
[
"Akmad Ampatuan, the vice governor of Maguindanao; Anwar Ampatuan, the mayor of Sherif Auguak,"
],
[
"a clan"
],
[
"in the killings."
],
[
"firearms and vehicles"
],
[
"57"
]
] | Searchers make arrests, recover arms from a clan implicated in massacre .
Martial law follows killings of 57 last week in Maguindanao province .
Several members of powerful Ampatuan political family detained .
Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed killings, authorities say . |
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ana threatened the Caribbean on Saturday, but it was too early to know how much trouble the first named storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season might cause. Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Ana to hit the Leeward Islands on Monday. Ana formed overnight and was expected to gain strength as it moved west toward the Leeward Islands, where forecasters expect it to hit on Monday. The Dutch Antilles issued a storm watch for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected in the islands within 36 hours, according to the Miami, Florida-based National Hurricane Center. For now, the center has advised the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to monitor the storm's progress. As of 8 p.m. ET, Ana was about 730 miles (1,180 km) east-southeast of the Leeward Islands, according to the hurricane center. Ana, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), was moving west at about 17 mph (28 kph), the center reported. The storm is expected to turn west-northwest over the next few days, the center said. Ana may eventually hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but forecasters can't say whether Ana will strike the continental U.S. Further east in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Bill has developed and is expected to become a hurricane Wednesday. Forecasters say Bill could evolve into a Category 3 hurricane as it approaches the Leeward Islands by Wednesday or Thursday. Bill was about 820 miles (1,320 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands at 5 p.m. ET. | [
"What has Puerto Rico been advised to do?",
"How far away is Hurricane Ana from the Leeward Islands?",
"Which countries are advised to monitor storm's progress?",
"What are the storm's max sustainable wind speeds",
"What type of storm is Ana?",
"How far from leeward islands is Ana?",
"Where is Ana located?",
"What are the maximum sustained winds of the storm?",
"Which countries are advised to monitor storms progress"
] | [
[
"monitor the storm's progress."
],
[
"730 miles (1,180 km)"
],
[
"Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico"
],
[
"40 mph"
],
[
"Tropical"
],
[
"730 miles (1,180 km) east-southeast"
],
[
"the Caribbean"
],
[
"40 mph (65 kph),"
],
[
"Puerto Rico"
]
] | NEW: Ana is 730 miles east of Leeward Islands, moving west at 17mph .
Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico advised to monitor storm's progress .
Storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, hurricane center says . |
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Claudette is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle by early Monday, and the storm's outer bands already were pounding the area with heavy rain Sunday evening. Tropical Storm Claudette is seen off the coast of Destin, Florida, on Sunday afternoon. Claudette appeared on track to hit somewhere between Destin, Florida, and Panama City Beach, Florida, late Sunday or early Monday before moving through the panhandle and into southern Alabama, CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said. Heavy rain from Claudette was hitting some of the Florida Panhandle counties Sunday, and some coastal areas there had the potential for localized flooding, said John Cherry, spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "What we're just mainly asking is residents to stay off the roads tonight, and if you do approach a flooded area on a roadway, turn around," Cherry said. Shortly before 11 p.m. ET, the center of Claudette, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, was in the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles west of Panama City, Florida, and about 70 miles east-southeast of Pensacola, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving northwest at about 12 mph. A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Aucilla River. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the next 24 hours. The storm could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches, across portions of the Florida Panhandle, central and southern Alabama and extreme southwestern Georgia. Storm surges and isolated tornadoes also were possible across portions of North Florida. Authorities urged voluntary evacuations in the low-lying Alligator Point area of Florida's Franklin County because of concerns about possible flooding, said Mike Stone, spokesman for the Florida Emergency Operations Center. He said he knew of no other evacuations in the state. Mariners in the Panhandle and Big Bend areas of Florida should stay at harbor, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a statement. Meanwhile, two other severe storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. Tropical Depression Ana, which was downgraded from a tropical storm Sunday afternoon, was moving across the Leeward Islands late Sunday, while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana. iReport.com: Are you in Claudette's path? Ana was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Guadeloupe shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday. It was expected to enter the northeastern Caribbean Sea and weaken as it approaches the Dominican Republic on Monday, the center said. It was moving east near 26 mph, and its maximum sustained winds were close to 35 mph, the center said. Tropical storm watches were in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemey, and part of the Dominican Republic. Ana was expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain over the Leeward Islands, with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches possible over mountainous terrain, the hurricane center said. Tropical Storm Bill -- which is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday -- was in the Atlantic heading west-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm's center was about 1,320 miles (2,120 kilometers) east of the Lesser Antilles shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday. | [
"When will Claudette hit land?",
"where are evacuations",
"What speed are Claudette's winds?",
"Where are voluntary evacuations encouraged?",
"which it is the danger of this storm",
"what is expected to hit"
] | [
[
"early Monday,"
],
[
"Alligator Point area of Florida's Franklin County"
],
[
"50 mph,"
],
[
"Alligator Point area of Florida's Franklin County"
],
[
"possible flooding,"
],
[
"Storm Claudette"
]
] | Tropical Storm Claudette expected to hit land by Monday morning .
Storm's maximum sustained winds near 50 mph .
Voluntary evacuations urged in part of Franklin County, Florida, for flooding concerns .
Tropical Storm Bill forecast to become a hurricane Monday . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.