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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Bill weakened Friday afternoon to a Category 2 hurricane, with its maximum sustained winds at 105 mph, forecasters said. Hurricane Bill is expected to pass between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast over the weekend. As of 11 p.m. Friday, Bill's center was about 180 miles west-southwest of Bermuda, and about 545 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Its forward speed had increased to about 20 mph as it continued moving north-northwest, forecasters said. The storm was expected to gradually turn toward the north late Friday and into Saturday. See Bill's projected path » If the storm follows its current track, it should pass over the open water between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, forecasters said. Earlier Friday, Bill's outer bands began producing rain in Bermuda as the storm neared the British territory, the hurricane center said. Forecasters expect Bill to pelt Bermuda with 1 to 3 inches of rain, although up to 5 inches is possible. iReport.com: Bermuda's preparations The storm also was beginning to affect the U.S. East Coast, where dangerous rip currents and battering waves were developing, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Rip currents form as wind and waves push water against the shore, where it is caught behind an obstacle such as a sandbar until it breaks free, sending a strong channel of water flowing away from the shoreline. The large swells are expected to affect most of the U.S. East Coast within the next couple of days, the hurricane center said. There were reports of waves at the center of the storm as high as 54 feet, Jeras said. With Bill advancing, the Bermuda Weather Service forecasts the storm tide will raise water levels by as much as 3 feet along the coast and produce large, battering waves. Large swells were affecting Puerto Rico, the island of Hispaniola and the Bahamas to the south, the agency said. Bermuda remained under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch. The warning means winds of at least 39 mph are expected within 24 hours, while the watch indicates winds of at least 74 mph are possible within 36 hours. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 85 miles from the center and storm-force winds outward as much as 275 miles, the hurricane center said. Forecasters advised people along the New England coast and in the Canadian Maritime provinces to monitor Bill's progress. | [
"How much rain is Bermuda expected to receive?",
"What category was Hurricane bill when it was downgraded?",
"Where is Bill expected to pass?",
"What part of the U.S. coast are battering waves developing?",
"What happened in the US east coast?",
"What was Hurricane Bill downgraded to?"
] | [
[
"1"
],
[
"2"
],
[
"between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast over the weekend."
],
[
"East"
],
[
"Hurricane Bill"
],
[
"Category 2"
]
] | Hurricane Bill downgraded to Category 2 storm .
Hurricane expected to pelt Bermuda with 1 to 3 inches of rain .
Battering waves developing on parts of U.S. East Coast .
Bill is expected to pass between Bermuda and East Coast . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Ike grew from a Category 1 into a menacing Category 4 storm in about six hours Wednesday as it fed on the warm waters of Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center said. An infrared image from a NOAA satellite shows Ike swirling in the Atlantic on Wednesday night. "Ike is an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane" with 135-mph sustained winds, the center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory. Although it is likely to lose some strength during the next few days, Ike is forecast to regain Category 4 status by Monday, the center said. "It is too early to determine what, if any, land areas might be affected by Ike," the hurricane center said. But the center's potential four- to five-day track for Ike puts it anywhere from north of Jamaica to the coast of South Florida on Monday. iReport.com: Are you in Ike's path? At 11 p.m. ET Monday, Ike was moving west-northwest through the Atlantic Ocean. The storm will be over open water for two days, forecasters said. Earlier Wednesday, Ike intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season when its winds reached 80 mph. But before Ike can reach into the Caribbean or threaten Florida, Tropical Storm Hanna was getting more organized in the Bahamas, according to the hurricane center. At 2 a.m., Hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas, with winds of 65 mph. Hanna was drenching the Bahamas and Haiti with torrential rains. Haitian officials put the nation's death toll in the wake of Hanna and Hurricane Gustav at 61, said Abel Nabaire, the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service. Eight of the country's 10 departments underwater, he said. More rainfall, up to 15 inches in some places, was possible in the Caribbean, the hurricane center said. Hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by Friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern U.S., with landfall predicted on the South Carolina or North Carolina coast late Friday or early Saturday. "A hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern United States coast early Thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of Hanna," the hurricane center said. Florida could begin seeing rainfall from Hanna on Friday, forecasters said. Watch as Florida also keeps an eye on Hanna » Swells from Hanna are expected to bolster the number of rip tides along the southeastern U.S. coast this week, the hurricane center said. iReport.com: Hanna makes waves in Bahamas Hanna passed over the northern Haitian city of Gonaives on Tuesday night, leaving water more than 12 feet deep in some places, an official said. See Hanna's impact on Haiti » Many people were still cut off amid floodwater. "It's a very grim picture," Dr. Jean Pierre Guiteau of the Red Cross said Wednesday. "We can't reach those people; they are standing on rooftops, waiting for help." In line behind Ike in the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Josephine, with top winds near 50 mph, the hurricane center said. Josephine was about 425 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands off western Africa. | [
"When will Hanna occur?",
"When will Hanna reach U.S?",
"What was the predicted speed of Ike?",
"Who is pounding Bahamas?",
"Where is the storm right now?",
"When is the storm coming?",
"Wherein the US will it land?"
] | [
[
"late Friday or early Saturday."
],
[
"late Friday or early Saturday."
],
[
"135-mph"
],
[
"Tropical Storm Hanna"
],
[
"Atlantic,"
],
[
"early Thursday"
],
[
"Florida,"
]
] | NEW: Ike goes from 80-mph winds to 135-mph winds in six hours .
Hanna to pound Bahamas, could regain hurricane strength .
Hanna expected to make U.S. landfall by Friday or Saturday . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Omar became a major Category 3 storm Wednesday night as it barreled toward the Virgin and Leeward Islands in the West Indies, the National Hurricane Center said. A man watches waves crash into the shore Tuesday at Club Nautico in Falcon state, Venezuela. Omar is expected to continue gathering strength as it passes east of the Virgin Islands in the next few hours and makes its way to the northern Leeward Islands Thursday morning, the hurricane center said. At 11 p.m., Omar was moving northeast at about 20 mph with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. The hurricane's center was about 30 miles (45 km) southwest of St. Croix and about 105 miles (165 km) southwest of St. Martin. A hurricane warning --meaning winds of 74 mph and higher are expected within a day -- is in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the islands of Vieques, Culebra, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barthelemy, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla. See where Omar is headed » Puerto Rico is under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch, as are St. Kitts and Nevis, the hurricane center said. As Omar approached, Hovensa, a 500,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery on St. Croix, began shutting down all processing and auxiliary equipment "except those necessary to maintain power supply in the complex," refinery spokesman Alex Moorhead said in a statement. Watch Venezuelans try to save homes, dogs » The move was to ensure the safety of employees and the operation of the refinery, which is jointly owned by Hess Corp. and Venezuela's state oil company. The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Christiansted Harbor, where the refinery is located, on Tuesday, and it will remain closed until the order is lifted, Moorhead said. "Once Hurricane Omar has passed, we will conduct an inspection of our facilities as soon as it is safe to do so. If no damage is found that would impact safe operation of the refinery, the start-up of processing units will begin in sequential order," Moorhead said. Puerto Rico and some portions of the northern Leeward Islands, which includes the Virgin Islands, could get up to 20 inches of rain, according to the forecast. "These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center warned. Also, the storm could produce large swells affecting the western and southern coasts of the Lesser Antilles, the Caribbean islands that stretch from the Virgin Islands southward to the islands off Venezuela's coast. The swells could cause beach erosion and damage coastal structures, the hurricane center said. Antigua, Barbuda and Montserrat are under a tropical storm warning, meaning they could experience tropical storm conditions over the coming 24 hours. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Guadeloupe. The storm's forecast track shows it heading into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean after crossing over the Virgin Islands and sweeping past Puerto Rico, but hurricane tracks are subject to variation, and such long-range predictions can change. Omar formed Tuesday in the eastern Caribbean. It is the 15th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and ends November 30. | [
"What could see 20 inches of rain?",
"At what speed do winds have to blow to be considered a hurricane?",
"What does Omar become?",
"How many miles per hour is a Category 3 hurricane?",
"who shuts down Christiansted Harbor, where refinery is?",
"What does the coast gurad shut down?"
] | [
[
"Puerto Rico and some portions of the northern Leeward Islands, which includes the Virgin Islands,"
],
[
"74 mph"
],
[
"a major Category 3 storm"
],
[
"115"
],
[
"U.S. Coast Guard"
],
[
"Christiansted Harbor,"
]
] | NEW: Omar becomes Category 3 hurricane as it approaches Leeward Islands .
U.S. Coast Guard shuts down Christiansted Harbor, where refinery is .
Parts of Puerto Rico could see 20 inches of rain, mudslides, flash floods .
Omar is 15th named storm of hurricane season, which ends November 30 . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday after police said he struck an officer with a slow-moving Freightliner truck, according to a police report. Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday, according to police. Starks, 25, faces a charge of aggravated battery, according to the report. The arrest took place about 12:20 a.m. in Miami's South Beach area. Officers said they saw the Freightliner truck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on South Beach's Ocean Drive with some 13 people inside, including a woman sitting on the lap of Starks, who was driving. The truck's seating capacity is four occupants, the police report said. It was not clear from the police report whether the Freightliner -- normally part of a tractor-trailer -- was connected to a trailer. In the report, the officer recalled pursuing the truck on foot for about a half-block and pounding on the rear driver's-side window, but it kept moving. The officer caught up to the truck again, and it stopped after the officer pounded on the window again, the report said. "I slowly approached the side door and just as I reached it the vehicle accelerated and started moving forward and slightly to the left," the unidentified officer writes in the report. "The vehicle's path caused the driver's side of the vehicle to strike me in the chest pushing me back and pinning me against a vehicle stopped in traffic in the northbound lane." Meanwhile, a second officer was pounding on the passenger's-side window, the report said. The truck stopped, and Starks was arrested. A police check showed that the truck's license plate was not assigned to that vehicle, the report said, and Starks faces a charge for that as well. Starks was released from jail later Sunday, according to a records check. The Miami Herald newspaper reported earlier he was jailed on $10,000 bond. Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene told CNN the club was "only recently made aware of the situation. Since we are in the process of gathering information we have no comment." Starks is in his sixth NFL season and his second with the Dolphins. | [
"Who struck an officer?",
"What reports he was jailed on $10,000 bond?",
"What was the bond?",
"What did Starks do?",
"What did he do to a police officer?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Who is Randy Starks?",
"When Was Randy Starks arrested?",
"Who was arrested early Sunday morning?"
] | [
[
"Randy Starks"
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[
"The Miami Herald"
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[
"$10,000"
],
[
"he struck an officer with a slow-moving Freightliner truck,"
],
[
"with a slow-moving Freightliner truck,"
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[
"Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks"
],
[
"Miami Dolphins defensive end"
],
[
"early Sunday"
],
[
"Randy Starks"
]
] | Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday morning .
Police say Starks struck an officer with a slow-moving Freightliner truck .
Miami Herald newspaper reports he was jailed on $10,000 bond .
Starks is in his sixth NFL season and his second with the Dolphins . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Miami police issued a plea for information Saturday after at least one person with an assault rifle opened fire on a crowd of people on a streetcorner Friday night, killing two teens and wounding seven other people. Evidence markers dot the Miami street where nine people were gunned down with an AK-47 Friday night. "We need the community to come together, someone come forward and give us a tip," Miami Police Officer Kenia Alfonso told CNN. "There are a lot of people in that area. Someone must have seen something, someone must know who could've done this horrific crime." Alfonso said two teens, ages 16 and 18, died in the attack, which broke up a game of craps in front of a grocery store about 9:50 p.m. Friday in the city's Liberty City neighborhood. Five of the shooting victims were still in the hospital Saturday night, according to CNN affiliate WSVN. Others told WSVN that a masked man with an AK-47 burst onto the scene and ordered everyone to the ground. "Boy came round the corner; he was like, 'Get down,' and he just started shooting," 16-year-old victim Andrew Jackson told WSVN. Watch as resident describes scene as "war zone" » Six of the nine shot were current or former Northwestern Senior High School students, Alfonso said. "It was like a war zone," resident Joan Rutherford told WSVN. "I witnessed this guy laying there with his face, looked like it was completely tore off. His eyes was all I could see, and he had a grip on some money and gasping and trying to lift his head up to say something." Police Chief John Timoney said that at least one man with an AK-47 "discharged numerous rounds, then ran around the corner. There were some more rounds discharged there from an AK-47 and another weapon." One of those wounded was in critical condition Saturday and undergoing surgery, Timoney said. "We are convinced that because of the amount of people out here last night that there is somebody that knows the individuals or individual involved, and we need them to come forward," Timoney said, according to WSVN. "These are weapons of war, and they don't belong on the streets of Miami or any other street in America," Mayor Manuel Diaz said. Watch Miami residents call for stricter laws » Alfonso said police did not know the motive for the shooting and had no suspects. CNN's Patty Lane contributed to this report. | [
"How many people died in this incident?",
"What is \"WSVN\"?",
"Who ordered the students to the ground?",
"When was the crowd fired upon?",
"How many victims were students?",
"What did the teen tell WSVN?",
"How many are students?",
"What were the six victimes students at?",
"Who was fired at on Friday night?",
"What did the gunman order the victims to do?"
] | [
[
"two teens"
],
[
"CNN affiliate"
],
[
"a masked man with an AK-47"
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[
"Friday night,"
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[
"Six"
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[
"\"Boy came round the corner; he was like, 'Get down,' and he just started shooting,\""
],
[
"Six"
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[
"Northwestern Senior High School"
],
[
"crowd of people"
],
[
"ordered everyone"
]
] | NEW: Teen tells WSVN that masked gunman ordered victims to ground, opened fire .
"Someone must know who could've done this horrific crime," officer says .
Six victims are students, graduates of Northwestern Senior High School .
Crowd of people standing at streetcorner was fired upon Friday night, police say . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Police think it started with a dispute over an ex-girlfriend. Threats were made on social networking sites and via text messages. The suspects, clockwise from top left are: Lernio Colin, Angel Cruz, Peter MacDonald and Christopher Harter. A murder plot was hatched and, police say, in the early hours of last Saturday morning, a Florida man was gunned down in his car. But the suspects apparently killed the wrong man. Now four men are in custody, and will face charges of first degree premeditated murder and two counts of attempted murder. The four are Angel Cruz, 23; his brother from Oregon, Christopher Harter, 29; Peter MacDonald, 18; and Lernio Colin, 20. They have all appeared before a judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They have not entered pleas and are being held without bond, according to state prosecutors. Detectives are executing search warrants today, and much about the case is still not known. "The victim was with two other males, in the vehicle," said Mike Jachles of the Broward Sheriff's Office. "One of those men was the intended target," Jachles told CNN. Witnesses said multiple shots were fired, according to police. Henry Mancilla, 24 was sitting in the driver's seat of a gold Mitsubishi Galant at an intersection in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale. "They were exiting the vehicle when shots were fired, striking Mancilla," said Jachles. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Mancilla was with two other men in their early 20s, Tony Santana and Nick Pappas. One of them was the intended victim, but police are not saying who. "The four men acted in unison in planning and executing this murder. Mancilla was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he ended up the victim," said Mike Jachles. The three victims said they had been "jumped" earlier in the evening by the same four men and fled the scene in a red Chevy Impala, according to a sheriff's detective affidavit released Monday afternoon. Later, a blue Chevy Silverado pickup truck belonging to the defendant Cruz drove up to the three men, according to the affidavit. The victims say they armed themselves with a baseball bat and a walking cane, when the truck turned around and drove towards them. That's when the shots were fired. Christopher Harter told police he was in the vehicle at the scene, but said he left the vehicle and then heard four or five gunshots, according to the affidavit. Harter also told police he saw his brother, Angel Cruz, in possession of a semi-automatic pistol three weeks prior to the incident. "It could have been a case of mistaken identity, but our investigation will determine that," Jachles told CNN. Threats were posted on social networking sites and sent via cellular text messages by the suspects to the intended victim, said police. Police said they have not subpoenaed those records and are not releasing the names of those Internet sites. The Broward County State Attorney's office could seek the death penalty. | [
"Where was he sitting when shot?",
"what Four men in custody; police executing search warrants?",
"How many people are in custody?",
"Who is in police custody?",
"where Threats exchanged over the Internet?",
"Who was shot to death?",
"How many men are held in custody?",
"Who was the actual target?",
"What are police doing?"
] | [
[
"in the driver's seat of a gold Mitsubishi Galant at an intersection in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale."
],
[
"are Angel Cruz, 23; his brother from Oregon, Christopher Harter, 29; Peter MacDonald, 18; and Lernio Colin, 20."
],
[
"four men are in"
],
[
"Now four men are"
],
[
"on social networking sites and via text messages."
],
[
"Henry Mancilla,"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"\"One of those men"
],
[
"not saying who."
]
] | Henry Mancilla, 24, shot to death as he sat in his car with two others .
One of the other men was the target, police say .
Threats exchanged over the Internet, and murder plot was hatched, police say .
Four men in custody; police executing search warrants . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama told Florida's Cuban-American community Friday that his Cuba policy would be based on "libertad" and freedom for the island nation's people. Sen. Barack Obama speaks at a Cuban Independence Day event in Miami, Florida, on Friday. "My policy toward Cuba will be guided by one word: 'libertad,' " he said, using the Spanish word for liberty at an event celebrating Cuban Independence Day in Miami, Florida. "The road to freedom for all Cubans must begin with justice for Cuba's political prisoners, the right of free speech, a free press, freedom of assembly, and it must lead to elections that are free and fair," Obama said. "That is my commitment. "I won't stand for this injustice; you will not stand for this injustice, and together we will stand up for freedom in Cuba. That will be my commitment as president of the United States of America," he said. Watch Obama call for freedom in Cuba » Obama also said the policy for Cuba and the rest of Latin America would be guided by "the simple principle that what's good for the people of the Americas is good for the United States." "After eight years of the failed policies of the past, we need new leadership for the future," he said. "After decades of pressing for top-down reform, we need an agenda that advances democracy, security and opportunity from the bottom up." Obama called for looser restrictions on travel to Cuba so Cuban-Americans can visit family members relatives as well as allowing larger money transfers to the island, two positions that are popular within the Cuban-American community. Obama, however, may lose votes among Cuban-Americans if they think he is willing to talk with Raúl Castro, the president of Cuba who recently took over leadership of the island nation from his brother, Fidel Castro. Speaking in Miami on Tuesday, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, blasted Obama for changing his positions on normalization with Cuba and for wanting to "sit down unconditionally for a presidential meeting with Raúl Castro." "These steps would send the worst possible signal to Cuba's dictators: There is no need to undertake fundamental reforms; they can simply wait for a unilateral change in U.S. policy," McCain said. "I believe we should give hope to the Cuban people, not to the Castro regime. Watch McCain blast Obama's position on Cuba » "My administration will press the Cuban regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally, to legalize all political parties, labor unions and free media, and to schedule internationally monitored elections. The embargo must stay in place until these basic elements of democratic society are met," McCain said. But Obama said McCain had misrepresented his position. "John McCain's been going around the country talking about how much I want to meet with Raúl Castro, as if I'm looking for a social gathering; I'm going to invite him over and have some tea. That's not what I said, [and] John McCain knows it," he said. Obama also faulted McCain for pursuing what he called the failed Cuba polices of President Bush. "Now, I know what the easy thing is to do for American politicians. Every four years, they come down to Miami, they talk tough, they go back to Washington, and nothing changes in Cuba. That's what John McCain did the other day," Obama said. "He joined the parade of politicians who make the same empty promises year after year, decade after decade. "Instead of offering a strategy for change, he chose to distort my position and embrace George Bush's and continue a policy that's done nothing to advance freedom for the Cuban people. That's the political posture that John McCain has chosen, and all it shows is that you can't take his so-called straight talk seriously." Republicans have been able to count on the support of | [
"What should be based on liberty?",
"Who is the democratic front runner?",
"What will the Cuba policy be based on?",
"Who accuses Sen. McCain of distorting position?",
"Who says Cuba policy will be based on liberty for Cuban people?",
"Who argues for continuation of hard line policy?",
"Who called for looser restrictions on travel?"
] | [
[
"policy"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"\"libertad\" and freedom for the island nation's people."
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Sen. Barack Obama"
],
[
"John McCain,"
],
[
"Obama"
]
] | NEW: Sen. Obama says Cuba policy will be based on liberty for Cuban people .
NEW: Democratic front-runner accuses Sen. McCain of distorting position .
Obama calls for looser restrictions on travel, fund transfers to Cuba .
McCain argues for continuation of hard line policy against communist regime . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Sharon Long's work has earned her the nickname "Skull Lady." Sharon Long is a forensic artist whose job is to help identify the dead, often murder victims. She is a forensic artist whose job is to give faces -- and sometimes identities -- back to anonymous murder victims who have been robbed of both. Armed with sculptor's clay, glass eyes, wigs and research, Long creates a face from a human skull. When Fort Myers, Florida, police found eight sets of human remains in the woods in March, they turned to her -- anything to help identify the people who were so mercilessly left to rot amid the trees and mud. "[Police] have no other way. They have no fingerprints; they have no flesh. Usually, the last resort is building a face," Long said. See the "skull lady" at work » She hopes that when the faces of those killed get printed in newspapers or appear on TV or online, a friend or loved one recognizes them and says, "Gee, we haven't seen so-and-so for a while, and that kind of looks like him." "Then, at least, you have a lead, and then you can get DNA from people. And then [police] have something to go on." Long, 67, has made faces for the unknown victims of grisly homicides and solved historical mysteries. During her 20-year career, the forensics specialist from the University of Wyoming helped identify the crew of the H.L Hunley, a Confederate submarine sunk during the Civil War. She also created the first picture of the only explorer to have died on the Lewis and Clark expedition. When law enforcement asks for Long's assistance, it is almost always on a case that has gone very cold. And that was exactly the case in Fort Myers, where police were desperate for any information on the dead they found: eight men killed, their bodies discovered in a wooded area on March 23, 2007. Watch how bones can give clues to investigators » There were no witnesses, no leads and little evidence of killings other than the victims' bones. If Long could identify the victims of the crime, it might help to catch a serial killer. But before Long could create any likeness of the victims, she would have to do a lot of work -- hundreds of hours of it. Long first creates a mold of the skull and uses it to make a plaster replica. She puts eraser tips on points to mark tissue depth. Sculptor's clay fills in for skin and muscle. The faded gumline on the skull's teeth helps Long determine how thick the person's lips were. The victim's hair and eye color requires guesswork and research, Long says. Often while working on cases, she talks to people who lived in the same area as the victim or victims to find out the most common eye color and what hairstyles are in fashion. See how to decode a face » She spent two months on the Fort Myers skulls. "I start working, and 15 hours can go by, and I don't get up and move, and you don't realize how much time has gone by, and, well, that's how intense I get," she said. "It's like you get carried away in this life of somebody. I start trying to think of them as being an alive person and doing something and not getting killed." Eventually, publicity about the Fort Myers case would lead people with missing relatives to submit their DNA. Testing revealed that two of the men were Erik Kohler and John Blevins. Both men lived hardscrabble lives and had run-ins with police. Both disappeared in 1995. At a news conference last month where Fort Myers police unveiled Long's sculptures, investigators said they still need to identify the other six victims if they are to solve the case. Kohler and Blevins didn't closely mirror Long's sculptures of their faces, but there were some | [
"Of those found, how many were identified?",
"what does sharon long do",
"what did police find",
"Who were the identified remains?",
"Who creates art from skulls?",
"what happened in florida",
"Where is the forensic artist from?"
] | [
[
"two"
],
[
"forensic artist"
],
[
"eight sets of human remains"
],
[
"Erik Kohler"
],
[
"Sharon Long"
],
[
"police found eight sets of human remains in the woods in March,"
],
[
"the University of Wyoming"
]
] | Sharon Long is forensic artist who creates faces from skulls .
Fort Myers, Florida, police called her after they found eight sets of remains .
Only two of the eight remains have been identified . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an investigation into whether there is a connection between improperly sterilized endoscopy equipment and a veteran's positive HIV test.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, requested that the VA look into potential contamination at its facilities.
This comes after more than 10,000 veterans were possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis at three VA facilities while undergoing colonoscopies and other procedures with equipment that had not been properly cleaned. The VA sent letters to those veterans offering free testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
"The VA prides itself on being accountable, and we are extremely concerned about this matter, and as a result we have initiated an investigation," Dr. Michael J. Kussman, the VA's undersecretary for health, said in a news release Friday. "We have an obligation to provide those who have served and sacrificed for our Nation the care they deserve."
Along with the positive HIV test, the VA says 16 other veterans have tested positive for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at two VA facilities. Of all the 17 positive test results, 11 were at the VA's Murfreesboro, Tennessee, facility, and six were from the VA's Augusta, Georgia, hospital. Thousands of other veterans are being tested at the VA hospital in Miami, and the VA says it is waiting to verify results there.
So far, 3,174 veterans have been notified of their test results. VA officials decline to say where the veteran who tested positive for HIV was treated. Watch more on the contamination controversy »
Officials stress that the positive results don't necessarily mean the equipment is to blame. The VA is conducting an epidemiological investigation at the facilities to determine if the veterans who have tested positive for hepatitis have similar strains of the virus.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also calling for an investigation. In a letter last month to Gen. Eric Shinseki, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, requested that the VA Office of Inspector General "begin an investigation into the potential problems of contamination; whether any patient has contracted an infection from unsterilized equipment; and, most importantly, how we can prevent such problems from happening again."
The VA says it's reviewing procedures at other facilities. So far, it says, it has encountered no additional problems. In the meantime, the VA has brought in additional personnel to help with testing and counseling in Miami, Murfreesboro and Augusta. It has also set up a toll-free number that VA patients and their families can call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for additional information: 1-877-575-7256.
The VA says it will pay for treatment for the infected vets even if they didn't get hepatitis or HIV from the dirty equipment.
"We are making sure to take corrective measures to ensure veterans have the information and the care necessary to deal with this unacceptable development," Kussman said. | [
"Who were also tested positive for hepatitis?",
"What were they trying to link?",
"What was not cleaned properly?"
] | [
[
"veterans"
],
[
"improperly sterilized endoscopy equipment and a veteran's positive HIV test."
],
[
"endoscopy equipment"
]
] | Agency seeing whether veteran's AIDS infection, endoscopy equipment linked .
16 other vets at 2 VA facilities also test positive for hepatitis .
More than 10,000 vets possibly exposed to HIV, hepatitis while having procedures .
Equipment used in procedures at 3 VA facilities hadn't been properly cleaned . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement closed a sex-related criminal probe of former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley on Friday without filing charges, authorities said. "There is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges," said Gerald Bailey, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Authorities were investigating whether the Florida Republican, who resigned in September 2006, might have used congressional computers to engage or solicit minors in any illegal activities. Officials said they were hindered by refusal from Foley and the House of Representatives to allow inspection of the computers. "FDLE conducted as thorough and comprehensive investigation as possible considering Congress and Mr. Foley denied us access to critical data," Bailey said in a written statement. "Should additional information arise which is pertinent to this case, we will ensure it is appropriately investigated." Foley is "relieved" that no probable cause was found to charge him with a crime, his lawyer, David Roth, told reporters Friday evening. But in a statement Roth read on behalf of the former congressman, Foley added, "I however recognize that while my behavior was not illegal, it does not by any means make it proper or approriate. To the contrary, I am deeply ashamed of my conduct, which was wrong and without question inappropriate." Foley said he takes full responsibility for his actions and apologized, particularly to the recipients of the e-mails or instant messages. "I continue to pray for forgiveness from those I have disappointed" and emotionally harmed, Foley said in the statement. Foley entered treatment for alcoholism on October 1, 2006, he said in his statement, and has been clean and sober since the day he resigned from Congress. Roth has denied that his client engaged in sexual activity with minors. "He is absolutely, positively not a pedophile," attorney David Roth said previously. "He is apologetic for the communications he made while under the influence of alcohol, which he acknowledges are totally inappropriate." Those communications included scores of e-mails and instant messages that were given to investigators by former House pages. The exchanges -- in which Foley used the screen name MAF 54 -- were published in a House ethics committee report in December 2006. Roth told reporters Friday that Foley has no intention of re-entering politics and is focusing on his recovery. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement put the price tag for the nearly two-year investigation at about $37,800. Foley entered a treatment facility for alcoholism shortly after resigning, saying he is gay and was molested by a priest when he was between the ages of 13 and 15. A Catholic priest living in Italy admitted in a TV interview that he molested Foley when he was a teenager. "Once maybe, I touched him or so, but I didn't -- it wasn't -- because it's not something you call, I mean rape or penetration or anything like that, you know. We were just fondling," said the priest, Anthony Mercieca. The ethics committee's probe concluded that House GOP leaders were negligent in not protecting male teenage pages from possible improper advances by Foley. But the panel said there were no violations of the House Code of Official Conduct and decided no one would be reprimanded. A Justice Department report issued a month later said the FBI should have notified the House or other officials when members first learned of the inappropriate e-mails. The FBI acted within its "range of discretion" when it initially decided not to open a criminal investigation in the case, the Justice Department said. But the internal watchdog's investigation concluded that simply filing away the complaint from a public interest group was an inadequate response. The FDLE's investigative summary notes that the U.S. House's clerk of courts took possession of two computer hard drives from Foley's two district offices in Florida and the computer from his Washington office, along with backup material. The department said it did not seek a search warrant for the drives because it failed to turn up probable cause of a crime with a Florida connection. | [
"Who was accused of sending suggestive messages?",
"Will the Florida agency file charges?",
"What agency won't file charges against ex-rep. Mark Foley?",
"who was accused"
] | [
[
"U.S. Rep. Mark Foley"
],
[
"without filing"
],
[
"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement"
],
[
"U.S. Rep. Mark Foley"
]
] | Former lawmaker accused of sending suggestive messages to House pages .
Florida agency won't file charges against ex-Rep. Mark Foley, official says .
Foley, Congress blocked access to "critical data," agency says .
Foley did not engage in sexual activity with minors, his attorney says . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The storm called Hanna weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Tuesday morning as maximum sustained winds eased down to 70 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. This satellite image from Monday shows Hanna over the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Despite the downgrade, Hanna dropped torrential rain on the eastern Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Haiti. Hurricane warnings remained in effect. Hanna's path and strength remain uncertain, but the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center predicts it still could make landfall as a major hurricane on the southeastern U.S. coast by Friday evening. Hanna's path early Tuesday appeared to be a "meandering" loop across Turks and Caicos, but atmospheric changes over the western Atlantic are expected to steer the storm northwestward over the next two or three days, according to forecasters. As of 5 a.m. ET, Hanna was a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph) and gusts of up to 100 mph. iReport.com: Watch Hanna lash Turks and Caicos Islands Three hours later, it was downgraded to a tropical storm as winds fell below the 74 mph threshold for hurricane status. It could return to hurricane status later Tuesday or on Wednesday, forecasters said. Hanna's line of fire could include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami, Florida, to Massachusetts, according to the hurricane center's long-range forecast map. Charleston, South Carolina, appears in the middle of this "cone of uncertainty," with Hanna potentially making landfall there Friday. "It appears that the center has been meandering," forecasters said. The history of hurricanes that have been where Hanna is now might argue against its heading toward the southeastern United States. None of the September storms that passed within 200 miles of Hanna's current location has gone there, with most heading into the Gulf of Mexico and others going to New England or Nova Scotia. Still, forecasters said, "the model guidance is remarkably well clustered" in support of its forecast path for Hanna. Meanwhile, forecasters were keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Ike, which was gaining strength in the mid-Atlantic and appeared headed for the Bahamas later in the week. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Tuesday morning. | [
"what did the system demote to",
"where to is the tropical storm moving",
"What level could Hanna return to later in the day?",
"What could Hanna return to later in the day?",
"What happened to a system as sustained winds fell off?",
"Where is Tropical Storm Ike moving toward?",
"What areas could be included in Hanna's path?",
"Where can Hanna's path path lead to?",
"What tropical storm moved toward the Caribbean Sea?",
"what did the forecasters say"
] | [
[
"tropical storm"
],
[
"headed for the Bahamas"
],
[
"hurricane status"
],
[
"hurricane status"
],
[
"weakened from a hurricane"
],
[
"Bahamas"
],
[
"include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami, Florida, to Massachusetts, according to the hurricane center's long-range forecast map."
],
[
"U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami, Florida,"
],
[
"Hanna"
],
[
"atmospheric changes over the western Atlantic are expected to steer the storm northwestward over the next two or three days,"
]
] | NEW: As sustained winds fall off, system demoted to tropical storm .
NEW: Hanna could return to hurricane level later in day, forecasters say .
NEW: Tropical Storm Ike moving toward Caribbean Sea .
Hanna's path could include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami to Massachusetts . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed Saturday near the coast of Belize, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Tropical Storm Arthur could make its way across the Yucatan and re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm made its way over land and was expected to weaken, but the center said the storm could re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity Sunday. At 11 p.m., the center of Arthur was over the southern Yucatan Peninsula, about 80 miles (125 km) west of Chetumal, Mexico, and about 120 miles (195 km) south-southeast of Campeche, Mexico. It was moving west at about 7 miles (11 km) per hour. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (65 km/hr), with higher gusts, mainly over water east of its center. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 260 miles (415 km) from the center of the storm, forecasters said. The government of Belize issued a tropical storm warning for the nation's coast, and the government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning from Cabo Catoche south to the border with Belize. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area -- in this case, within the next six to 12 hours. The storm was forecast to dump up to 10 inches of rain over Belize, up to 15 inches in isolated areas, the hurricane center said. The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season begins Sunday. On Thursday, Tropical Storm Alma, the first one of the year in the eastern Pacific, formed near the west coast of Central America, according to the National Weather Service. The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression and dissipated over the high terrain of Central America. The federal government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted this month that the Atlantic season would be more active than normal, with up to 16 named storms and up to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or above. The noted Colorado State University hurricane forecasting team predicted this year that there would be 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. The team calculated a 69 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coast. A survey released this week found that 50 percent of 1,100 adults surveyed in Atlantic and U.S. Gulf Coast states did not have disaster plans or survival kits. "Nearly one in three said they would not prepare their home until a storm is within 24 hours of landfall," Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Thursday. "Now is the time to buy all that stuff," he said upon the release of the survey by polling firm Mason-Dixon. | [
"When did the storm originally begin?",
"If the storm re-emerged into the Gulf of Mexico could it regain intensity?",
"What was the approximate sustained winds brought by the storm?",
"What are the maximum sustained winds of the storm",
"Where will 10 to 15 inches of rain fall?",
"When is the storm expected to reappear?",
"what will happen if the storm re-emerges into gulf of mexico?",
"What number of inches or rain is the storm forecast to dump?",
"What was the storm's average wind speed?",
"What day does the hurricane season begin?",
"What speed will the storms maximum sustained winds reach?"
] | [
[
"Saturday"
],
[
"the center said the storm could re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity Sunday."
],
[
"near 40 mph"
],
[
"near 40 mph"
],
[
"Belize,"
],
[
"Sunday."
],
[
"regain intensity"
],
[
"15"
],
[
"40 mph"
],
[
"Sunday."
],
[
"near 40 mph"
]
] | NEW: Storm could re-emerge into Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity .
Storm's maximum sustained winds near 40 mph .
Storm forecast to dump up to 10 to 15 inches of rain over Belize .
2008 hurricane season begins Sunday . |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fay made landfall in southwestern Florida early Tuesday, coming ashore at Cape Romano just south of Marco Island, the National Hurricane Center said. Satellite image shows Tropical Storm Fay along Florida's southwest coast at 11 p.m. ET Monday. Forecasters immediately dropped hurricane warnings for the storm as it never reached the 74 mph threshold necessary for hurricane status. It was the third landfall for the storm, which came ashore in western Cuba Sunday night and then again over Key West Monday afternoon. Voluntary evacuations were urged Monday evening on Marco Island, a community of about 12,000 people near Naples on southwestern Florida's coast. However, a CNN crew reported many people seemed to be staying and few had boarded windows there. At of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, the storm was moving north-northwest at 9 mph (15 km/hr) and was on the Florida coastline at Cape Romano, or about 55 miles (90 km) south of Fort Myers. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph (95 km/hr), with higher gusts, and forecasters expected some strengthening prior to landfall. Tropical storm force winds extended up to 125 miles (205 km). iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video Fay is expected to continue in a north-northeasterly direction throughout the day, passing near Orlando, and entering the Atlantic as a tropical depression off the coast of northeastern Florida early Wednesday. Watch wind, rain batter Key West » A tropical storm warning wraps around the bottom of the Florida peninsula from Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast to Flagler Beach on the east. The Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge are also included in the warning. Rainfall amounts up to 10 inches are expected across portions of southern and east-central Florida, with 4 to 8 inches elsewhere along the storm's path. Isolated tornadoes are possible over the Florida Keys and the southern Florida peninsula, the center said. | [
"What came ashore in western Cuba Sunday?",
"When did the storm come ashore?",
"When did the hurricane make landfall?",
"What was dropped as Fay's winds never reached 74 mph?",
"What did winds never reach?",
"What made landfall at Cape Romano?",
"Where is Cape Romano?",
"Where did Fay make landfall?",
"Where did the storm come ashore?",
"When did the hurricane warnings drop?"
] | [
[
"Tropical Storm Fay"
],
[
"early Tuesday,"
],
[
"early Tuesday,"
],
[
"hurricane warnings"
],
[
"74 mph threshold"
],
[
"Tropical Storm Fay"
],
[
"just south of Marco Island,"
],
[
"southwestern Florida"
],
[
"Cape Romano just south of Marco Island,"
],
[
"Tuesday,"
]
] | NEW: Fay made landfall at Cape Romano just south of Marco Island .
NEW: Hurricane warnings dropped as Fay's winds never reached 74 mph .
It was the third landfall for the storm, which came ashore in western Cuba Sunday .
Track Fay with CNN's Hurricane Tracker . |
MIDDLESBROUGH, England -- Middlesbrough have confirmed that midfielders Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta and striker Dong Gook Lee have all been released. Middlesbrough have decided against taking up the option of re-signing Brazilian midfielder Fabio Rochemback. The Premier League club had an option to extend Brazilian Rochemback's deal by another two years, but manager Gareth Southgate has decided to let him go. "We both feel that the time is right for Fabio to have a fresh challenge," Southgate said. "He is a talented footballer and I think he's just had his best season for us, while it was fitting that he should bow out against Manchester City on Sunday with probably his best performance in a Middlesbrough shirt." The 26-year-old joined Boro from Barcelona in 2005 and played 91 games for the Teesside club. He signed off in style by scoring a thumping long-range free-kick in Sunday's 8-1 victory over City. Rochemback, who netted seven times for Boro, played a major role in helping the club reach the 2006 UEFA Cup final, a year after appearing in the final during a loan spell with Sporting Lisbon -- where he is expected to move back to this summer. Mendieta, 34, was one of football's costliest players when he joined Lazio from Valencia for 48 million euros in 2001, but he disappointed and joined Barcelona and then Boro on loan. The former Spain midfielder joined permanently on a free transfer in 2004, but has not played for the first team since December 26, 2006. "It was a difficult situation for a player of Gaizka's caliber to find himself out of the first team reckoning," added Southgate. "I made it clear to him that he did not figure in my plans but he decided to stay and try to get back into the first team. "That didn't work out but his attitude to training was always excellent and he was a good influence on some of our young reserve team players." South Korean international Lee joined Boro on a free transfer from Pohang Steelers in January 2007. He scored only twice in 11 starts and 18 appearances as a substitute and has not appeared for the first team since early February. Southgate is still hopeful of persuading goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to sign a new contract at the Riverside. The 35-year-old Australian joined Boro from Bradford City in a $3 million deal in February 1997 and has played nearly 450 games for the club. His deal runs out this summer and he has so far refused to sign an extension, prompting reports of interest from a host of European clubs. "We are talking to Mark. I'd like him to stay. His experience is important but he has real drive and determination that is still increasing," said Southgate. "He is the one in our dressing room that can truly say he has played at the highest level -- in World Cups, in Europe, in cup finals and so on. "We have to negotiate and see where we go, but players have to want to stay here and we have to want to keep them. "Mark has been here a long time so he has to decide if he needs a fresh challenge, whether what we are trying to do is going to excite him, whether he feels he is going to be appreciated here." Southgate also confirmed they have offered striker Tom Craddock and right-back Tony McMahon one-year extensions to their current deals, which run out this summer. Brazilian Rivaldo has changed his mind about retiring and says he will play for Greek club AEK again next season. The 36-year-old had decided to quit after AEK were denied the title because Olympiakos were awarded three points for a game they lost after the opposing team fielded an ineligible player. "The truth is that at the end of the championship, I felt great disappointment and a (sense of) injustice, but the love and support I have received from fans and the team have contributed to my final decision ... I have decided to stay at AEK next season," | [
"What did they not take up?",
"Who did nt take up the deal?",
"Who released midfielders Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta?",
"Who changed their mind about retirement?",
"Who has been released?",
"Who decided not to take up option on Rochemback's deal?",
"Who will continue at AEK next season?"
] | [
[
"the option of re-signing Brazilian midfielder Fabio Rochemback."
],
[
"Gareth Southgate"
],
[
"Middlesbrough"
],
[
"Brazilian Rivaldo"
],
[
"Mendieta and striker Dong Gook Lee"
],
[
"Middlesbrough"
],
[
"Rivaldo"
]
] | Middlesbrough release midfielders Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta .
The Premier League club decide not to take up option on Rochemback's deal .
Rivaldo changes mind about retirement and will continue at AEK next season . |
MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut (CNN) -- The suspect in the shooting of a Wesleyan University student is in police custody, police in Meriden, Connecticut, said Thursday. Police have arrested Stephen Morgan in the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich. A spokesman in Meriden said Stephen Morgan had been in custody there, but was transferred to police in Middletown, seven miles away. No other details were available. An arrest warrant was issued earlier for Morgan, charging him with murder in the death of Johanna Justin-Jinich at a Middletown bookstore on Wednesday. Justin-Jinich was shot Wednesday afternoon at the Red & Black Cafe in Broad Street Books, the campus bookstore, the university said. She worked at the cafe, the cafe said on its Web site. It said that her killing has left employees "devastated." Earlier Thursday, a law enforcement source told CNN that police spoke briefly to the suspect after her shooting death. Morgan was one of several people who gathered Wednesday afternoon outside Broad Street Books after the Wesleyan junior was shot, the source said. He gave his name to investigators who spoke with him, the source said. At that early stage of the investigation, the source said, police had no reason to suspect Morgan. Earlier Thursday, Morgan's sister had urged him to turn himself in to "avoid any further bloodshed." Diana Morgan told reporters in Marblehead, Massachusetts, that her family was "shocked and sickened by the tragedy in Middletown." She said her family did not know her brother's whereabouts, but issued a brief statement to him through the media: "Steve, turn yourself in right now to any law enforcement agency, wherever you are, to avoid any further bloodshed. We love you, we will support you in every way and we don't want anyone else to get hurt." She did not take questions. Before his arrest, police had been worried that Morgan may be targeting Wesleyan University and the town's Jewish residents. A statement from the university alleges that Morgan had written threats against "Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students" in his personal journals. Congregation Adath Israel, Middletown's lone synagogue, canceled all activities for the next day, said its president, Eliot Meadow. He said police told him that they do not think Morgan is part of a larger anti-Semitic organization. About 200 families attend the synagogue, Meadow said, and he added that Wesleyan, a private university with about 3,000 students, has a substantial Jewish population. While Justin-Jinich was a student at Wesleyan and was Jewish, according to the Middletown mayor, there was another connection between her and her alleged killer, authorities said. Watch how suspect and victim knew each other » In July 2007, the young woman filed a harassment complaint against Morgan while the two were taking the same six-week summer course at New York University, school spokesman John Beckman told CNN. The complaint, in which Justin-Jinich said she was receiving harassing e-mails and phone calls from Morgan, was filed with the university's public safety department toward the end of the course, Beckman said. The public safety department brought in the New York Police Department and after conversations with Morgan and Justin-Jinich, the young woman declined to follow up or press charges, Beckman said. Beckman said the two were not living in the same student residence house during the course. Additional details were not immediately available. Another law enforcement source also told CNN that in an excerpt from one of the e-mails sent to Justin-Jinich, Morgan wrote, "You're going to have a lot more problems down the road if you can't take any (expletive) criticism, Johanna." Watch the crime described as 'every parent's nightmare' » Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said the connection between Morgan and Justin-Jinich may "go back to Colorado." No further details were available. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report. | [
"Where was the shooting?",
"What did the suspect do in the bookstore?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Who was arrested in the university student's shooting death?",
"What did the suspect's sister urge him to do?"
] | [
[
"Red & Black Cafe in Broad Street Books, the campus bookstore,"
],
[
"shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich."
],
[
"Stephen Morgan"
],
[
"Stephen Morgan"
],
[
"turn himself in"
]
] | NEW: Stephen Morgan, 29, arrested in university student's shooting death .
Suspect's sister earlier urged him to turn himself in 'to avoid further bloodshed'
Suspect walked into bookstore near Wesleyan University campus, opened fire . |
MILAN, Italy -- European Super Cup winners Milan were brought back down to earth at the San Siro on Monday, as Fiorentina held them to a 1-1 draw in Serie A. Kaka (right) wheels away in celebration after scoring his penalty against Fiorentina. Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu earned the visitors a point with a 56th-minute header after Milan playmaker Kaka had scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute. Milan, who beat Genoa 3-0 in their opening league game, join Fiorentina as one of seven teams with four points in the league table. Mutu scored against the run of play from Mario Alberto Santana's cross. Earlier, Fiorentina defender Dario Dainelli had conceded a penalty when he tripped Massimo Ambrosini in the area. Filippo Inzaghi wasted a golden chance to win the match in the 71st minute when Kaka slid the ball across the front of Fiorentina's goal. However, the Italy forward somehow managed to miss the ball and an open net. Fiorentina could have won it late on but midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic hit the post. "I am always angry when we don't get the maximum points, but in this case we did everything we possibly could," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. "We tried to win and ran quite a few risks, but so soon after our last game it was understandable we had some difficulties." E-mail to a friend | [
"Who was the super cup winners?",
"Who gave Milan the lead?",
"Who won the Super Cup?",
"Who did AC Milan play against?",
"Who is Adrian mutu?",
"What was the final score?",
"Who does Adrian mutu play for",
"Who scored for Fiorentina?"
] | [
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Kaka"
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Fiorentina"
],
[
"Fiorentina striker"
],
[
"1-1 draw"
],
[
"Fiorentina"
],
[
"Adrian Mutu"
]
] | Super Cup winners AC Milan are held to a 1-1 home draw by Fiorentina .
Brazilian Kaka gave Milan the lead with a penalty after a foul on Ambrosini .
Adrian Mutu equalised for Fiorentina with a header from Santana's cross . |
MINGORA, Pakistan (CNN) -- Gen. Nadeem Ahmad swirls the helicopter over Pakistan's ground zero. Below is the Swat Valley of North West Frontier Province. A Pakistani soldier patrols a ruined street in Mingora. From the air, the valley in the foothills of the Hindu Kush looks undisturbed. Green fields amid clusters of drab houses. A closer look at Swat reveals how well the Pakistani Army fared in its military campaign to wipe out the militants. The cost of success: massive destruction that is sure to hamper the lives of already suffering residents just starting to trickle back to the homes they fled. A few months ago, ferocious battles between Pakistan's Army and Taliban fighters erupted here -- in Swat, Buner and Lower Dir districts. War's remnants serve as a constant reminder. A destroyed bridge. Pockmarked houses. Hotels that look like they've been abandoned for years. Nadeem maneuvers the chopper to circle Mingora, the largest city in the Swat Valley. From the hilltop Army sentry posts that come into view, soldiers survey the ground below, hard won from Taliban fighters. The militants, Nadeem says, have fled to nearby mountains. On the ground, he shows off a cache of weapons seized in the fighting. The soldiers are keen to boast their victory. Mingora remains on high alert. A curfew has been lifted for morning hours, although soldiers keep close watch on those who venture out. The city's pain is plainly evident on its scarred, deserted streets. Many shops are shuttered or destroyed. Watch Stan Grant tour the shattered streets of Mingora » The United Nations estimates that 375,000 Swat Valley residents fled their homes during the fighting. In all, 2.5 million Pakistanis were displaced in what was said to be one of the largest human migrations in recent history. About 260,000 people have been living in 21 refugee camps in neighboring Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Peshawar and Charssada districts, but the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees say the "vast majority" of internally displaced Pakistanis have been staying with host families, rented houses or in schools. The government plans to return people first from the camps and then focus on those living elsewhere. But this week, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that as many as 1 million people could remain displaced until December because of the widespread destruction in their home towns, such as Mingora. Relief agencies have reported dire humanitarian conditions in Mingora: hospitals without electricity that are inundated with patients, an erratic supply of water and natural gas. One resident, who identified himself only as Abdullah, told CNN that returning people are facing shortages in food, water and basic supplies for survival. Some displaced families also expressed concerns about schooling for their children, reported the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), the U.N. news agency focusing on humanitarian issues. Louis-Georges Arsenault, emergency office director for UNICEF, said 1 million children were at risk of not starting school by September, mainly due to the Taliban's widespread destruction of schools and that 4,000 existing schools continue to shelter displaced people. Businessman Muhammad Khan, 40, who recently returned to Mingora, voiced the despair of returning residents. He told IRIN that "everything is in ruins." "Everything is in ruins," IRIN quoted Khan as saying. "It will take months for life to return to normality." But that normality will no longer include the Taliban, Pakistani soldiers say. The fight was hard, but it was victorious, they say. They point to an area in the city where they say the Taliban displayed the bodies of their victims, some beheaded. It became known as "Slaughter Square." Slaughter Square's name may be outdated for the time being, but residents like Abdullah say it will be a long time before life in Mingora returns to what it once was. "I don't like army. I don't like Taliban," Abdullah says, standing among the ruins of what used to be a thriving market. "I only want peace." | [
"what were they victorious in",
"Who claim victory in fight against Taliban militants?",
"Who is trickling back into the region?",
"What does local businessman say?"
] | [
[
"The fight"
],
[
"Pakistan's Army"
],
[
"already suffering residents"
],
[
"\"everything is in ruins.\""
]
] | Pakistani forces in Swat Valley claim victory in fight against Taliban militants .
Refugees trickling back to the region find towns, bridges destroyed .
Up to 2.5 million Pakistanis estimated to have been displaced by conflict .
Local businessman: "Everything is in ruins. It will take months to return to normality" |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A federal grand jury has indicted two Minnesota men in connection with the recruitment of Somali immigrants to fight with Islamic insurgents in their home country. Jamal Bana is one of several missing Somali-Americans believed to have fought with an Islamist insurgency. Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse are charged with one count each of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure people overseas, the indictment states. The recruiting effort took place between September 2007 and December 2008, according to the charges. Ahmed also is charged with two counts of making false statements to investigators. According to the indictment, he told FBI agents that he had traveled alone on a flight to Somalia when, in fact, he and another person were going together "so that they could fight jihad in Somalia." Ahmed was arrested Saturday, FBI Special Agent E.K. Wilson told CNN. Isse had been in custody for some time, said Omar Jamal, the head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. Both were from Minnesota and in their 20s, Jamal said. Jamal said Ahmed and Isse were "foot soldiers" carrying out the work of others, and that he expected more indictments "in a week or two." The FBI has been investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by the al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months, and at least three have been killed in Somalia, community leaders have said. The latest, Jamal Bana, was confirmed dead over the weekend, his family said Sunday. The same day, Somalia's president -- a former member of the Islamist movement himself -- issued a plea to Somali-Americans not to join the fight in his country. "I am saying to those young men from abroad: 'Your families fled your home to America because of insecurity. You should not return here to foment violence against your people,' " President Sheik Sharif Ahmed said. Al-Shabaab has ties to al Qaeda and has recruited foreign fighters to join its battle to overthrow the Somali government, U.S. officials said. It remains entrenched in the northeast and in sections south of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after fighting that has uprooted more than 200,000 people since early May, according to the United Nations. Wilson said the number of missing men believed to be in Somalia is "in the 10s," but their recruitment is "a significant concern and one that we're giving our highest priority." In October, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, a Somali-American believed to have been radicalized by al-Shabaab, traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others. It was the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen, and it raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI. Burhan Hassan, a 17-year-old Somali-American high school student in Minneapolis, went missing eight months ago, around the same time as Bana. Last month, his family learned that he was killed in Somalia. Neither family has any idea why the young males left the United States, where they came as young boys, and Bana's family believes he was being held against his will, said Omar Jamal, head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. "Only one time he placed a phone call [in mid-November], he didn't say much," Jamal said. "He spoke as if he was being held hostage. He couldn't be speak freely. They asked him to cut the conversation short." Hassan's uncle, Abdirizak Bihi, said a fourth man -- 30-year-old Zakariya Maruf -- was killed Friday, but Jamal said Maruf may only be injured. Maruf was the first of the missing Somalis to head overseas, said Bihi, who has become a spokesman for the families of the missing men. Bihi called him a "leader" whom the others | [
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] | Two defendants were mere "foot soldiers," their legal advocate says .
Two charged with conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists .
FBI investigating Somali militants' recruiting effort in immigrant communities in U.S.
The militant group in Africa has ties to al Qaeda . |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A Somali teen who left Minnesota to return to his native country last November has been reported killed. The 17-year-old, who was not named, was reportedly killed Friday in artillery fire in the violence-ravaged nation's capital of Mogadishu, said the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The center is asking federal officials for help in bringing the teen's body back to the United States for burial, executive director Omar Jamal said. The teen was among a group of young Somali-American men who left Minneapolis last year and were feared recruited by the extremist group, al-Shabaab, that has ties to al Qaeda, according to the U.S. State Department. Al-Shabaab is blamed for a surge of violence in Somalia, as insurgents group fight the government to implement sharia, a stricter form of Islamic law. The rebel group has said it has recruited many fighters in its battle. Al-Shabaab, also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement, was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008. In October, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, a Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota, traveled to Somalia and blew himself up and 29 others. The incident, the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen, raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community. Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers after the U.S. intervention in Somalia's humanitarian crisis in 1992. The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington and San Diego, California. The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by "a number of factors that come together when a dynamic, influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men," Andrew Liepman, deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center, said earlier this year. Many refugees, he said, "lack structure and definition in their lives" and are "torn between their parents' traditional tribal and clan identities, and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society." CNN's Chris Welch in Minneapolis contributed to this report. | [
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] | 17-year-old who left Minnesota to return to Somalia feared killed in Mogadishu .
Group of Somali men left state in 2008, feared recruited by al Qaeda-linked group .
Somali Justice Advocacy Center asks feds for help to get body returned for U.S. burial . |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- Abayte Ahmed and her husband learned of their son's death in the most heinous fashion. A family acquaintance called and told them to click on an Internet site. There on the screen were photographs of their 20-year-old son -- the boy with the movie-star looks -- shot through the head thousands of miles away in Somalia. Jamal Bana died in Somalia. Several missing Somali-Americans are believed to have fought there. "He must have been somewhat disillusioned and indoctrinated, because he didn't have any clue about Somalia at all," his mother said, fighting back tears and barely able to speak about her eldest son. Jamal Bana had been missing for months from his Minneapolis home. His family is still grappling with the circumstances surrounding his death in a land they had fled -- an African nation wracked by chaos and violence. The FBI said Bana's death is part of a sweeping federal investigation into a recruiting effort in the United States by a Somali terrorist group called Al-Shabaab, which has ties to al Qaeda. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months. At least three, including Bana, have ended up dead in Somalia, community leaders say. Watch the harrowing saga of Jamal Bana » Bana was the kind of son a modest immigrant family pins its hopes on. He was the eldest of seven and studying engineering at local colleges. But last fall, his family said, he disappeared without any warning. A few days later, the phone rang. All that could be heard was a quick sentence. "I'm in Somalia," his mother quoted him as saying. He then hung up. Communication from then on was scarce. In calls or text messages, the family said, Bana was guarded, as though someone was watching or listening to him. On July 11, the family received the call telling them to look on the Internet. Bana's father broke down in tears when he saw the photos. One image was a close-up of his son's face, a bullet wound on one side of his head. Another showed the body being carried through the streets of Mogadishu on a stretcher. His parents said they believe their son was brainwashed and recruited to fight in the civil war between Somalia's unstable transitional government and Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab remains entrenched in northeast Somalia and in sections south of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after fighting that has uprooted more than 200,000 people since early May, according to the United Nations. The question immigrants in the United States want answered is: How have their youth ended up so far away? One of the missing youth, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, blew up himself and 29 others last fall in Somalia in what is believed to be the first suicide bombing carried out by a naturalized U.S. citizen. Ahmed had traveled from Minneapolis. The attack raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI. Just weeks ago, community activist Abdirizak Bihi lost his 17-year-old nephew, Burhan Hassan, in Somalia. Asked if his nephew had been kidnapped from Minneapolis, Bihi said, "They kidnap them in the sense of mental kidnapping, not physically. But they play a male role of mentor." Bihi and community leader Omar Jamal said they hold one place at least loosely responsible: the Abubakar as-Saddique Islamic Center, the largest mosque in Minneapolis. "All these kids missing, they all have one thing in common: They all participated in youth programs in that mosque," said Jamal. Jamal and Bihi said leaders of the mosque, at the very least, allowed people to come around their facility and recruit young men to fight in Somalia -- a charge the head imam denies. CNN was not allowed inside the mosque, but was granted an interview with the imam at a different location. "This is the baseless accusation really," said Sheikh Abdirahman Sheikh Omar Ahmed. "The mosque -- the mission of the mosque -- is to worship. | [
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] | Jamal Bana had been missing for months; family learns of his death via Internet .
Death is part of wider federal inquiry of terror recruiting by Somali group in U.S.
Imam of Minneapolis mosque says terror recruiters are not at his mosque .
Two men charged in U.S. with providing material support to terrorists . |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- David and Christina Macfarlane always dreamed of opening a restaurant. And with David's background as a White House chef, they certainly have the in-house culinary ability.
David and Christina Macfarlane in their Minneapolis restaurant, L'Ecosse.
But they never imagined they'd be doing it in one of the toughest economic times ever, and they wondered if it would even be possible.
"The banks were like, 'You're opening a restaurant now?' " Christina says. " 'Yeah, we're opening a restaurant now.' "
David was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but moved to the United States with his family in his early teens and soon found his passion for the palate. Soon after high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he ultimately spent years cooking -- two of which were spent in the kitchen at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a chef for President Clinton at the beginning of his first term in 1992.
Looking at a picture of himself and the former president, David describes a favorite memory.
"He said that was the best meal he ever ate. I was pretty geeked about that." See more about that favorite meal »
But the Macfarlanes wanted more time as a family -- something not suited to David's high-profile job. They moved a number of times before settling down in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, suburbs where, most recently, David worked for Fusion Culinary -- until his position was eliminated, that is.
Christina says that as dismayed as David was over the job loss, she saw it as "a blessing."
"I thought, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!' " she says, adding that she saw it as the perfect opportunity to follow through with their dream.
Now, despite the battered economy, the two stand behind the bar in their new restaurant, L'Ecosse, which, incidentally, is French for "Scotland."
However, they have a slightly different take on the menu than perhaps they would have had if times were perkier.
"We went to over a dozen restaurants looking at menus, pricepoints, [and] realizing the struggles in the economy," Christina recalls.
The two concluded that while people are still eating out, they aren't seeking "fancy" food -- in other words, they weren't seeking the type of fare one might typically associate with state dinners at the White House.
David says that's all a misconception anyway.
"Comfort food," he says. "That's what the president wanted most."
Some of the president's favorite foods, David says were nachos and salsa, tuna sandwiches, or just warm milk and cookies.
"[President Clinton] wasn't looking for any of the fancy frou-frou stuff. We did that for state dinners or we did that for dignitaries that would come in, but ... at lunchtime when the president would be in the Oval Office by himself, [he'd say] 'Lemme have a tuna sandwich.' "
At L'Ecosse, tuna and warm cookies are on the menu.
Keeping with his Scottish upbringing, David's menu also is largely UK-centric: meat pies and fish and chips are two of the specialties.
He does it all with fresh, local ingredients and says he can keep prices down because he does a lot of the work himself and with the help of a very minimal staff. Watch the chef talk about keeping it simple »
Everything on the breakfast and lunch menus is priced under $10, and the two say that when they expand to a full dinner menu once their liquor license is approved, they want to keep prices similarly low.
"The reason we did that was so nobody had sticker shock," David says. "They're very good items, but they're also inexpensive items and you're not going to break the bank."
"If you want to come in and get Bill Clinton's favorite, it doesn't have to be $15 | [
"Who has opened a restaurant?",
"Waht was the former president a fan of?",
"What will make the prices lower?",
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] | [
[
"David and Christina Macfarlane"
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"were nachos and salsa, tuna sandwiches,"
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[
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[
"\"Comfort food,\""
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] | Former White House chef opens restaurant to serve "comfort food"
Menu designed to take the "sticker shock" out of dining .
Former president was fan of salsa, tuna sandwiches, warm cookies and milk .
Owners say prices lower due to local ingredients, minimal staff . |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- Melissa and Jackson Brandts knew right away that the photo from their recent trip to Canada was a good one. Melissa and Jackson Brandts were taking a photo of themselves when the squirrel popped up. However, it wasn't until the world -- and National Geographic -- took notice that they realized exactly how good. Now, after submitting it to the magazine's online "Your Shot" contest, the Minnesota couple's photo is set to grace the pages of the magazine's November issue. It's appeared on the Web sites of news outlets around the world, and the squirrel -- now dubbed "Crasher Squirrel" -- even has its own Wikipedia entry of the same moniker. Melissa Brandts and her husband Jackson were hiking in Banff National Park the last week in May when they decided to set up their camera and use their wireless remote shutter for a few shots of the two of them. They were getting situated on the rocky shore near Lake Minnewanka when the now-iconic critter stopped by for a visit. "The little squirrel had been running around while we were getting the shot set up," Melissa Brandts said in a phone interview Tuesday. "I was joking with my husband that I hoped he was friendly because he was getting awful close and kind of scampering around our feet and stuff." Friendly? You might say so. It was also a bit timid and perhaps even indecisive because it soon scurried away and then, just as quickly, rushed back again. "Photogenic" might also be a good word to describe it. "All of a sudden he popped back up because he heard the shutter releasing, the clicking of the camera. The only thing we can figure is that he thought it was going to give him food or something," Brandts said. "He popped right up and looked right into the camera, and we were laughing so hard because we were like 'get it, get it!' and we were trying to get the remote to fire. So we got a couple of pictures -- took a couple of pictures with him there, and then he ducked down and proceeded to run away." The resulting image exceeded all expectations. "We didn't realize how good it was until we got back to the hotel that night and downloaded it to my husband's computer, and when we could see it on the full screen we were like, 'Whoa, are you serious?'" "We had no idea it was going to turn out exactly like it did with him being in perfect focus, us being out of focus, and then us just laughing in the background. We weren't sure if he'd be standing like in front of one of us or something like that." An international phenomenon Brandts said she and her husband showed the photo to their friends and family and were subsequently incessantly prodded to "do something" with it. For months the two weren't sure what that something could be. That changed, however, when the latest issue of National Geographic arrived in the mail. "I saw the 'Your Shot' contest, which of course I knew existed, but I had never thought of entering one of my own pictures into it," Brandts said. "I thought, 'This is what I'm going to do!'" Brandts said she submitted it on August 5 and by August 13 it was NationalGeographic.com's photo of the day. "Things just kind of spun out of control from there." The photo was soon published in the pages of two national Canadian newspapers, and Brandts received calls from a friend in South Korea who'd seen it on a local South Korean news Web site. The couple has since appeared on NBC's "Today" show as well as the Twin Cities' local affiliate KARE. And now that it's been selected for publication in the November issue of National Geographic, the attention hasn't subsided. As of this writing, Brandts has received Facebook messages from random fans in | [
"What did the couple set up?",
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] | [
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] | Couple had set up camera to take their photo with mountains as backdrop .
Squirrel pops up in front of camera, is snapped .
Photo appears all over the Web, will be in National Geographic .
On question of authenticity: "You can't make this stuff up," woman says . |
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- President Bush surveyed this week's bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and pledged the government would "eliminate roadblocks" and "cut through paperwork" to get it rebuilt.
"I bring prayers from the American people to those who have suffered loss of life as a result of the collapse of the 35W bridge in the Twin Cities. I bring prayers to those who wonder whether they'll ever see a loved one again," Bush said on his visit.
"I have met with the chief of police and the sheriff and rescue workers -- people who represent men and women working as hard as they possibly can to save life and to find life -- to go under these murky waters to find the facts. And it's going to take awhile."
Shortly after Bush left the site, a diver bobbed in the water and communicated with an attending boat with hand signals.
"I have been impressed not only by their determination but by their compassion," the president said. Watch Bush tour the disaster site »
"We want to get this bridge rebuilt as quick as possible. We understand that this is a main artery," Bush said. "People depend on this bridge, on this highway."
Bush was accompanied by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who pledged that she would do what she could to meet the needs of the city.
On Friday, the chief federal investigator said the south end of the bridge "behaved differently" from the rest of the structure during its catastrophic collapse.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker said, based on a video of the collapse and where the bridge debris lies, the southern end shifted 50 feet to the east.
"And when we compare that to what we've seen in the rest of the bridge, the rest of the bridge appears to have collapsed in place," Rosenker told reporters.
Rosenker cautioned that investigators' interest in the southern end does not mean they have found the cause of the bridge collapse.
"What we have is a step forward," he said.
"We believe that as the bridge began to fall, as it began to collapse, it shifted," Rosenker said. "I am not saying that the 50-foot shift created the fall. That is not what we believe. What we believe is whatever created the failure, we also saw a 50-foot shift in the southern end of the structure."
Rosenker would not offer any theories on what caused the collapse, saying that would come after the 19 investigators have completed their analysis. See which states have most troubled bridges »
The 1,907-foot bridge came down Wednesday in a cloud of dust and river water during the evening rush hour.
Divers searched the river throughout Friday, locating 12 submerged or partially submerged vehicles, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said. While no bodies were found, two of the vehicles were so badly crushed that divers could not check inside. Five people were confirmed to have died in the collapse. View photos from the disaster »
"I'm hopeful that the death toll will remain low, but I can't be absolutely certain," Stanek said. "I can only pray."
The Hennepin County medical examiner's office Friday identified a fifth victim as Paul Eickstadt, 51, of Mounds View, Minnesota, who was the driver of the tractor-trailer that was ablaze in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. The other four victims were previously identified. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report. | [
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] | NEW: President pledges to get bridge rebuilt "as quick as possible"
NEW: Transportation secretary promises help for city's transit needs .
Bush praises people who disregarded danger to help victims .
Federal investigator notes 50-foot shift of part of bridge . |
MODESTO, California (CNN) -- Some of the people hit hardest by this bad economy are the youngest. Almost 2 million children nationwide have had or will have their lives disrupted by home foreclosures, according to one study.
There are more empty desks in Suzell Tougas's fourth grade classroom after 10 students have stopped coming.
These are the children whose families have had to move, sometimes more than once. The youngsters are pulled out of school, often leaving their friends behind without even saying goodbye.
Nine-year-old Kenia, who is in the fourth grade at Fairview Elementary School in Modesto, California, said that is what happened to her. She is new to the school, having moved to the area just a few months ago. She said it is really hard and she misses her friends.
Her classmate Bethany said her best friend since kindergarten just left without saying goodbye.
Heather Sharp, the principal at Fairview, said her school has been the one most affected by the bad economy in the Modesto City School system.
"We have, over the last couple of months, 50 students coming new to the school and 50 students leaving," Sharp said.
It was so bad that the school conducted a door-to-door search for missing students, she said.
"We had our community aide going out to houses. And they were boarded up, windows boarded, yard brown. She had to go to neighbors to find out where the kids were."
In terms of raw numbers, California had the most foreclosures of any state from 2007 through January 2009. More than 57,000 homes entered foreclosure. Many of those were in Stanislaus County, where home prices have declined 65 percent since December 2005, according to the Modesto Bee.
Fourth-grade teacher Suzell Tougas said she has lost 10 kids from her class so far this year and is braced to lose more. She usually has a room full of children with every desk occupied. Now, it "looks empty ... it's like a "ghost town".
She said constant moving is hard on kids.
"Just having to start over and start over is really hard on a child," Tougas said. "It takes six weeks for a child to adjust ... at least."
While children are in that period of adjustment, she said, they aren't learning and their studies suffer.
"The biggest issue is that when [children have to move] when there are other stressors going on, we know it puts these kids at greater risk for being behind in their academics," said Pat Popp, a past president of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
That is borne out in a recent study by a nonpartisan group in Washington called First Focus. It said that children who move twice in one year are only half as likely as others to be able to read proficiently, and may have a greater chance of being held back. It also found that moving a lot reduces the student's chance of graduating from high school by half. Read the report here
The report, published in May, estimated that 1.95 million children will be affected by foreclosure over the next two years.
The number of homeless students is increasing dramatically. A study by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children reported that more than 450 school districts across the nation had an increase of at least 25 percent in the number of identified homeless students between the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years. Read the report here (pdf)
A student who moves "may hear the same information again that you learned in your previous classroom or miss information that has already been covered in your class but wasn't taught in your previous school," Popp said.
The fallout from the rash of foreclosures likely will have a long-term impact on education, especially in California. Schools get much of their funding from property tax revenues. Real estate values are spiraling downward and so is the revenue.
At Fairview Elementary, Principal Sharp worries about students like | [
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] | [
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] | California hit hard by foreclosures, falling home values, families moving .
Modesto 4th graders say they miss friends, some of whom left without goodbyes .
Study: Children who move twice in year are half as likely to be able to read proficiently .
Children are resilient, teacher says, but have hard time focusing on their studies . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- A roadside bombing in Somalia's capital killed 21 women who were cleaning rubbish from a southern Mogadishu street on Sunday morning, a hospital official said. Mogadishu residents gather around victims of the bomb attack along the city's Maka Al Mukarama Road. The bomb blast wounded another 46 people, most of them Somali women who had gathered to clean Maka Al Mukarama Road in southern Mogadishu's Kilometer 4 district, according to Medina Hospital director Dr. Dahir Dhere. "It suddenly turned the area into a carnage, scattering body parts of the street cleaners into a large area," said witness Asha Ise Gedi. "There were pools of blood everywhere. I have never seen such mass killing." "They were innocent poor mothers or sisters," Gedi said. "Why did they deserve this?" It is unclear who is behind the attack. Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Omar Habeb Mohamed Dhere, who was recently fired by the country's prime minister, blamed the Islamic Courts Union for waging the attack. But the head of the Islamist insurgent group, Abid Rahim Ise Adow, denied any involvement and blamed Somalia's government for orchestrating the attack. The victims were participating in a program that allows Somali women to work as street cleaners in exchange for food. The United Nations' World Food Program organized the program, which began last year and is administered by Mogadishu's regional authority. Mogadishu has been the site of violence in recent months between Ethiopian troops and Islamist fighters. Somalia's current transitional government is trying to maintain control of the capital, with the help of the better-equipped Ethiopian forces. On Saturday, two-thirds of the Somali government ministers announced their resignations, blaming Prime Minister Nur Hassan Nur Ade's "dictatorship," which they said included his firing of Mogadishu's mayor. Nur Ade said he suspects the mass resignations were aimed at weakening implementation of the peace agreement between Somalia's transitional government and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. He said he had no plans to resign. The peace agreement, signed June 9 in Djibouti, calls for a cease-fire between Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, an opposition group that includes members of the Islamist Court Union which overthrew the government in 2006. The ICU was ousted from power later that year by Ethiopian forces, with the support of Somalia's transitional government. If followed, the peace deal would pave the way for a withdrawal of Ethiopian troops -- a major sticking point for Islamist fighters who oppose their presence. The agreement calls on the alliance to dissociate itself from armed groups still fighting the government and for all sides to allow "unhindered humanitarian access and assistance" to all Somalis. A joint committee led by U.N. officials will monitor the agreement's implementation. Ethiopian forces became embroiled in an Islamist insurgency after the Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia in December 2006 to overthrow the ICU leaders and reinstall the transitional government. As guerrilla attacks mounted, efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered. Ethiopia's invasion had the blessing of Somalia's government and the United States, which accused the ICU of harboring fugitives from the al Qaeda terrorist movement. The conflict displaced hundreds of thousands of Somalis, further worsening a humanitarian crisis that dates back to the collapse of the country's last government in 1991. The situation has been exacerbated by drought, continual armed conflicts in central and southern Somalia, and high inflation on food and fuel prices. CNN's Alan Duke and journalists Mohamed Amin Adow and Abdi Nasir Mohamed contributed to this report. | [
"who blames islamists?",
"who is the mayor?",
"Who do islamist fighters blame for blast?",
"who is the prime minister?",
"Where is the site of violence between ethiopian troops and islamist fighters?",
"Where do they clean streets?",
"Who does the mayor blame for blast?",
"who are part of un program?"
] | [
[
"Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed Omar Habeb Mohamed Dhere,"
],
[
"Mohamed Omar Habeb Mohamed Dhere,"
],
[
"Somalia's government"
],
[
"Nur Hassan Nur Ade's"
],
[
"Mogadishu"
],
[
"southern Mogadishu"
],
[
"Islamic Courts Union"
],
[
"Mogadishu's regional authority."
]
] | NEW: Mayor blames Islamist fighters for blast; Islamist fighters blame government .
NEW: Women part of U.N. program in which they cleaned streets for food .
Mogadishu the site of violence between Ethiopian troops and Islamist fighters .
11 ministers resign Saturday, prime minister has refused to step down . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Gunmen attacked a convoy Sunday in Somalia and took several hostages, including two foreign aid workers from the group Doctors Without Borders. Medecins San Frontieres workers, shown here, were abducted and released in March in Sudan. Local staff said a three-car convoy was traveling from Rabbure to Hudur in southwestern Somalia, escorted by local bodyguards, when gunmen seized the group. The district commissioner of Rabbure said the only people released were elders accompanying the staff, with the local and international staff kept as hostages. Doctors Without Borders, widely known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres, did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of the hostages. MSF is an international medical group that works in more than 60 countries. It says it helps people "threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe." Michel Peremans, international coordinator for operational communications for MSF Belgium, which operates in the region, confirmed that the organization had lost contact with two of its staff in Somalia. Rabbure is in the Bakole region, which is under the control of the group al-Shabaab, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Al-Shabaab was once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. The United States says the group is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the U.S. backed an Ethiopian invasion that drove the ICU from power in 2006. The ICU's former leader, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, became president after Ethiopian troops withdrew in January. Al-Shabaab rejected the peace agreement that led to the Ethiopian withdrawal and is now fighting Sheikh Ahmed's government. Attacks on aid workers in the region are common, and U.N. staff came under attack this year. In Sudan, on the other side of Ethiopia, four workers from Medecins Sans Frontieres were abducted in March and released a few days later. All four -- an Italian doctor, a Canadian nurse, a French coordinator and a Sudanese guard -- worked for the Belgian section of the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres. Sudan last month ordered 13 major aid groups to leave the country after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity. CNN's Mohammed Amin and Carol Jordan contributed to this report. | [
"who has not released the names?",
"Workers from which organization were abducted?",
"who abducted the workers",
"what is common in the region?",
"Where did the gunmen seize the convoy?",
"who seized convoy?"
] | [
[
"Doctors Without Borders,"
],
[
"Doctors Without Borders."
],
[
"Gunmen"
],
[
"Attacks on aid workers"
],
[
"in southwestern Somalia,"
],
[
"Gunmen"
]
] | Gunman seized convoy in southwestern Somalia, let elders go, abducted workers .
Doctors without Borders has not yet released the names of those abducted .
Attacks on aid workers are common in the region . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- An enraged crowd dragged the body of an Ethiopian soldier through the streets of Somalia's capital Thursday after gun battles with Islamic insurgents killed 19 people, witnesses reported.
In a brutal echo of a 1993 battle involving Somali militias in which the bodies of U.S. troops were dragged through the streets, crowds Thursday shouted "God is great" as they pulled the bruised, bullet-riddled corpse through a dusty Mogadishu neighborhood.
The body was bound hand and foot with wire and wrapped in a sheet of plastic when insurgents pulled it out of a car and left it with the crowd in the northern Mogadishu neighborhood of Suqa Holaha, witnesses reported.
Nine Ethiopians are reportedly part of the 19 dead.
Another battle broke out on the city's south side Thursday morning between Ethiopian troops and insurgents armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The fighting drove hundreds more people from their homes, on top of the tens of thousands aid agencies say have fled in recent weeks.
"Ethiopians will launch violent attacks on us, for some of their comrades have been killed today," said Rahma Nor Omar, an elderly woman in the capital. "They will be like wounded animals."
Witnesses put the death toll from the day's clashes at 19, including Ethiopian troops, insurgents and civilians.
Ethiopian troops arrived in Somalia in December 2006 to help a weak Somali government drive the Islamic Courts Union out of Mogadishu and restore a U.N.-backed transitional government after a decade and a half of near-anarchy. The Islamists responded by launching an insurgency against Somali government and Ethiopian troops that has lasted nearly a year.
The United States accused the ICU of harboring suspected al Qaeda figures, including three men wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and raised no objections to Ethiopian presence in Somalia.
Washington has long been concerned that Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists, but ICU leaders denied harboring al Qaeda suspects. E-mail to a friend | [
"What is Washington concerned with?",
"What is Washington concerned Somalia could turn into?",
"When was a U.S. soldier dragged through the streets of Mogadishu?",
"What did the incident recall?",
"Who was the soldier who was dragged?",
"What was the incident in Mogadishu in 1993 where a soldier was dragged?",
"Where was the Ethiopian soldier killed?",
"In what ways is Washington concerned that Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists?",
"Where was the battle?",
"When was the Ethiopian soldier dragged?",
"What was the soldier bound with?",
"What is the number killed by insurgents?",
"What country is Washington concerned about becoming a haven for terrorists?",
"What was the body bound with?",
"Where was the US soldier dragged?",
"What happened to the Ethiopian soldier?"
] | [
[
"that Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists,"
],
[
"safe haven for terrorists,"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"1993 battle involving Somali militias in which the bodies of U.S. troops were dragged through the streets,"
],
[
"Ethiopian"
],
[
"after gun battles with Islamic insurgents killed 19 people,"
],
[
"Somalia's capital"
],
[
"harboring suspected al Qaeda figures,"
],
[
"Mogadishu"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"wire"
],
[
"19 people,"
],
[
"Somalia"
],
[
"wire"
],
[
"through the streets,"
],
[
"The body was bound hand and foot with wire and wrapped in a sheet of plastic when insurgents pulled it out of a car and left it with the crowd in the northern Mogadishu neighborhood of Suqa Holaha,"
]
] | Ethiopian soldier dragged after battle with Islamic insurgents killed 19 people .
The body was bound hand and foot with wire and wrapped in a sheet of plastic .
Incident recalls 1993 dragging of U.S. soldier through streets of Mogadishu .
Washington is concerned Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- At least 39 civilians were killed in Somalia's capital Monday after a convoy of African Union peacekeepers was hit by a roadside bomb, causing the troops to open fire, officials and eyewitnesses said.
Islamist militia display weapons Monday in defiance of newly elected President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Maj. Ba-Huko Barigye, spokesman to the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISON), said an explosion targeted a contingent of Ugandan troops. At least one soldier was injured and one of the vehicles damaged, Barigye said.
Ahmed Dirie Ali, spokesman of Hawiye Traditional Elders -- a major group of local clan leaders -- condemned the civilian deaths. And Mogadishu's deputy mayor, Abdifatah Ibrahim Shaweye, accused AMISOM of killing innocent civilians deliberately during a "brutal attack," an allegation Barigye denied.
"The deputy mayor has got the wrong information," he said. "They are targeting AMISOM, but the people who have died are all Somali civilians, who have nothing, whatsoever to do with AMISOM."
Officials say the incident happened on Maka al-Mukarama road, which connects the presidential palace and the airport in southern Mogadishu. The incident occurred on the same day that the new Somali president, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, was attending an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia in 2006, to depose an Islamic government led by Ahmed that had taken control of Mogadishu. But at the summit, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged continued support for national reconciliation efforts in Somalia, which has been without an effective central government since 1991.
"It is important that these efforts should have a tangible effect in improving the security environment for the Somali people and humanitarian actors," Ban said in a statement released by his office. "The United Nations will provide strong logistical support to the African Union's AMISOM force and help develop Somali security forces."
He also encouraged AU leaders to consider a plan that will incorporate AMISOM into a larger U.N. peacekeeping force in the months ahead.
AMISOM was set up to take over from Ethiopian forces, which were supposed to be withdrawn soon after the December 2006 invasion that deposed the Islamic Courts Union, which Ahmed once led. But the Ethiopians and the country's U.N.-backed transitional government were soon battling Islamist guerrillas, including the militia al-Shabaab -- which the United States has designated as a terrorist group with links to al Qaeda.
The transitional government eventually signed a peace agreement with a new movement led by Ahmed, the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. But al-Shabaab has rejected the deal and continued fighting.
The militia overran the town of Baidoa, the seat of the transitional government, within hours of the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops last week. Ahmed was elected president Saturday by lawmakers in Djibouti, and many Somalis view him as a final hope to challenge the militia and its extremist ideology.
CNN's Amir Ahmed and Ahmednor Mohamed Farah for CNN contributed to this report. | [
"Whose deaths occurred on the road?",
"where did civilian deaths occurr",
"what does the deputy mayor say",
"Who is making the statement?",
"Where did the deaths occur?",
"what strikes African Union peacekeepers",
"Who did the bomb strike?"
] | [
[
"39 civilians"
],
[
"MOGADISHU, Somalia"
],
[
"accused AMISOM of killing innocent civilians"
],
[
"U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon"
],
[
"MOGADISHU, Somalia"
],
[
"roadside bomb,"
],
[
"of African Union peacekeepers was hit by a roadside"
]
] | Roadside bomb strikes African Union peacekeepers, AU mission says .
Officials: Civilian deaths occurred on road between presidential palace, airport .
Mogadishu deputy mayor, AU spokesman disagree over cause of civilian deaths . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Chaos and death on the streets of Mogadishu: unfortunately, it's nothing new in the Somali capital. Casualties are taken into Mogadishu's hospital on stretchers. Government forces are fighting against insurgents on this day in September in a bloody battle that leaves 30 dead. Dozens of wounded Somalis are taken out of the danger zone, some of them in the back of insurgents' pick-up trucks. One of the trucks races through the streets, zig-zagging to the echoing booms of the ongoing shelling. The truck comes to an abrupt halt, stopping at a rare sight in the Somali capital -- an ambulance, waiting at the heart of the chaos to ferry the dead and the injured to the hospital. The wounded are transferred onto the ambulance. People shout and run as the mortar attacks continue. One woman screams over and over for her son. The ambulance is one of seven medical vehicles paid for with donated funds from local and expatriate Somalis. Residents can simply call for the ambulances without charge, and the vehicles will be dispatched to the scene. "It is amazing," said Rufai Salad, one of the founders of the ambulance service in the Somali capital. "We have this toll-free number, 777, that you dial. Someone is giving you a free call and then coming and giving you free help. "People here find it hard to believe it is real." Life Line Africa, a local Somali charity, started its ambulance service in Mogadishu in December, bringing a small amount of order to the lawless country that is in the midst of a brutal Islamist insurgency. Apart from the short-lived rule of the Islamic Courts Union in 2006, there has been no genuine central authority in Somalia since the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's repressive regime in 1991. Now, the United States and other Western powers are propping the U.N.-backed transitional government forces in their attempt to fend off the insurgency, particularly Al-Shabaab -- a Somali militant group that has ties to al Qaeda. Watch Nima Elbagir's report on the humanitarian crisis in Somalia » Basic amenities in Somalia, like electricity, water and sanitation - and even luxuries such as wireless Internet facilities -- are provided by enterprising businessman, which is partly how the ambulance service came to life. In the Somali equivalent of a public-private partnership, clan elders and local businessman donated the money to fund the ambulance service, helping fulfill a crucial need. The ambulance drivers are well compensated, earning about U.S. $200 a month in a country where the average yearly income is $130, according to the United Nations. Life Line Africa's monthly budget for its Mogadishu ambulance service is $3,200, including fuel, running costs and the salaries of the 10 drivers. They hope to increase their driving staff to 14. Salad, 24, is an information technology officer for the Somali president's office, but volunteers his time to help keep Life Line Africa running. His enthusiasm about the ambulance service obscures the very real danger he and his drivers face. Part of the problem, he explains, is trying to stay neutral in a war zone. "We did have one driver killed by Al-Shabaab," he admits. "They told us that it was because we were carrying government soldiers to hospital. But I said to them that this is what we do - we are working for all of you." And it's not just the insurgents that Salad and his drivers fear. "We had to take the body of a Syrian ship captain who had been killed by pirates to the airport," he said. "The government and African Union soldiers opened fire on the ambulance. We were later told they'd received information that the insurgency was planning on using an ambulance to stage a suicide attack." "But what can you do?" he asks. "Our driver ran away and then later was allowed to come back for his ambulance." Salad says the relatively high pay is not the real reason | [
"How much do ambulance drivers earn?",
"What is national average annual salary?",
"Who is fighting?",
"What is the national average annual salary for ambulance drivers?",
"What did the volunteer ambulance ferry?",
"What do the volunteers do?"
] | [
[
"are well compensated, earning about U.S. $200 a month"
],
[
"$130,"
],
[
"Government forces"
],
[
"$200 a month"
],
[
"the dead and the injured to the hospital."
],
[
"help keep Life Line Africa running."
]
] | Volunteer ambulance service ferries wounded civilians and fighters to the hospital .
Drivers face problems from both sides of the conflict in the capital, Mogadishu .
Ambulance drivers earn $200 a month; national average annual salary is $130 .
U.N.-backed transitional government forces are fighting Islamist insurgents . |
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Ethiopian troops have not yet begun to withdraw from key positions in the capital of Somalia two days after they were supposed to do so under a peace agreement designed to end years of conflict.
Ethiopian troops are yet to leave the Somlai capital despite a peace agreement.
The Ethiopians had agreed to withdraw from some bases by Friday under an agreement signed last month by the Somali transitional government and a rebel faction known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia two years ago to expel Islamic forces who had conquered Mogadishu. Under the deal signed October 26, a cease-fire between the transitional government and the ARS went into effect November 5. The Ethiopians were to withdraw from from key positions in the capital on November 21, and leave the country entirely early in 2009.
Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has said that Ethiopian troops will withdraw as agreed.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate leader of the rebel ARS, told the local radio station Shabelle Saturday that the Ethiopian troops would pull out on schedule.
Insurgents clashed with Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies Friday, witnesses said, leaving at least 11 fighters dead.
The fighting started when armed insurgent fighters attacked the house of a local commissioner in Mogadishu's Wadajir district, sparking heavy fighting between the government troops guarding the house and the insurgents.
"I saw 11 men wearing red turbans on the heads dead on the ground," local resident Mohamed Haji Ali told CNN by phone from a house near where the clashes took place. Other residents provided a similar death toll.
The commissioner whose house was attacked, Ahmed Da'd, said that his soldiers killed 17 insurgents. He displayed what he said were some of the dead insurgents for the media.
It is not clear what will happen if the Ethiopian troops remain in Mogadishu despite the October 26 peace deal. Under that agreement, government and opposition members will form a 10,000-member joint police force to keep order, along with the African Union peacekeeping mission now in place and a U.N. force to be deployed later. Both sides will work toward establishing a unity government in Somalia, which has been riven by 17 years of strife since the collapse of its last fully functional government.
Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to install the transitional government in Mogadishu after a decade and a half of near-anarchy. The invasion had the blessing of the United States, which accused the Islamic Courts Union -- which captured Mogadishu earlier that year -- of harboring fugitives from al Qaeda. The Islamists responded with a guerrilla campaign against government and Ethiopian troops.
Efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered as the violence worsened, and heavy fighting in Mogadishu and other cities drove hundreds of thousands from their homes. The lawlessness also spilled on to the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms.
Journalist Abdinasir Mohamed Guled and CNN's Mohammed Amiin and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report. | [
"What was designed to end conflict?",
"What day did they agree to withdraw by?",
"Which country were Ethiopian troops occupying?",
"Ethiopian troops have yet to withdraw from where?",
"Where are the Ethiopian troops withdrawing from?",
"When will bases withdraw?",
"What did troops do?",
"What was the peace agreement designed to end?",
"When did these troops agree to move by?",
"When were the troops supposed to withdraw?",
"What nation were the Ethiopian troops fighting in?"
] | [
[
"a peace agreement"
],
[
"November 21,"
],
[
"Somalia"
],
[
"capital of Somalia"
],
[
"capital of Somalia"
],
[
"by Friday under"
],
[
"have not yet begun to withdraw"
],
[
"years of conflict."
],
[
"Friday"
],
[
"November 21,"
],
[
"Somalia."
]
] | Ethiopian troops yet begin to withdraw from key positions in Somali capital .
Ethiopians had agreed to withdraw from some bases by Friday .
They were supposed to do so under a peace agreement designed to end conflict . |
MONT TREMBLANT, Quebec (CNN) -- Natasha Richardson came to Mont Tremblant ski resort in eastern Canada last month for what was supposed to be a skiing getaway.
Actress Natasha Richardson died after suffering an epidural hematoma in a fall during a ski lesson.
But what she may not have known is some doctors have been arguing that if a person here is in need of urgent care at a medical trauma center, he or she may not be able to get there fast enough. The only way to get to the closest trauma center from here is to drive 2½ hours to Montreal. No helicopter medical service is available.
The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail obtained 911 recordings from Monday, March 16, when Richardson fell on a beginners slope on a sunny, clear day at the resort. The first request for help came in at 12:43 p.m., an urgent call that a woman had fallen on the slopes. That woman was Richardson. Seventeen minutes later, at 1 p.m., an ambulance arrived, but Richardson had been able to walk away from the fall and was headed back to her hotel room.
Ten minutes later the ambulance was told to stand down, the call canceled.
What Richardson couldn't have known is that she suffered an epidural hematoma. It's a condition where a blood clot forms between the skull and the outer layer of the brain. Too much pressure can cause brain damage and even death. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches and nausea.
"The person seems to be fine and walks it off, and that's one of the problems with an injury such as this," said Dr. Liam Durkan, a neurologist with the Montreal Neurology Institute. "Anytime there is any sort of process expanding in the skull, which is a closed space, once the symptoms are apparent, it can be a matter of 30 minutes to an hour to 90 minutes before there is a major deterioration."
Two hours after her initial fall, while Richardson was back in her hotel room, she was feeling the symptoms. The clock was ticking and she needed to get to a trauma center fast. With the closest trauma center 2½ hours away, time may have been running out on her. It's recommended that anyone with an epidural hematoma get to the trauma center within 30-90 minutes.
At 2:59 p.m., another ambulance was dispatched to the resort. This time, the paramedics went inside and worked on Richardson for 33 minutes before transporting her to the closest hospital an hour away, but it is not a trauma center. Inside the ambulance, Richardson drifted in and out of consciousness.
"It is a rapidly deteriorating situation and the distance might have been just too much by ambulance, road ambulance or air ambulance. It's difficult to say," said Durkan, who did not treat Richardson. Depending on the severity of the injury at the time, he said, even helicopter services may have been too late.
Some trauma doctors have argued for air transport here since the mid-1990s. They say the safest and fastest way to move anyone suffering a trauma injury such as Richardson's is by helicopter. Helicopter transport is common practice in the United States and other areas of Canada. But in the Quebec region, very few places have access to air transport.
In an open letter to the citizens of Quebec sent to the Montreal Gazette, Dr. Michael Churchill Smith, director of professional services at the Montreal General Hospital, said incidents like Natasha Richardson's should serve as a wake-up call to Quebec. "It is no longer morally acceptable for our citizens who, in the moment of their greatest needs, do not have access to a rapid transit system that gives them the best chance to not only survive, but to survive with a quality of life."
Daniel LeFrancois, director of Quebec's pre-hospital care, told the Gazette that cost is prohibitive when a one-hour flight costs $6,000. It's a question of resources and priorities focusing on "the biggest gain for the biggest need," he said.
Richardson was taken from Mont Tremblant to a hospital in | [
"For what reason did they have to drive Natasha Richardson to the trauma center?",
"Where was Natasha Richadrson injured?",
"What happened to Natasha Richardson?",
"With epidural hematoma, what is survival window without treatment?",
"What have some Canadian doctors been arguing about since the 1990's?",
"Was heliciopter medical service available?",
"What is the time frame for survival of epidural hematoma?",
"since when Canadian trauma doctors have argued for air transport?",
"where was Natasha Richardson injured?"
] | [
[
"after suffering an epidural hematoma in a fall during a ski lesson."
],
[
"Mont Tremblant ski resort"
],
[
"died after suffering an epidural hematoma in a fall"
],
[
"30 minutes to an hour to 90 minutes"
],
[
"air transport"
],
[
"No"
],
[
"matter of 30 minutes to an hour to 90 minutes before there is a major deterioration.\""
],
[
"the mid-1990s."
],
[
"Mont Tremblant ski resort"
]
] | Resort where Natasha Richardson was injured is 2½-hour drive from trauma center .
No helicopter medical services are available .
With epidural hematoma, survival window without treatment is about 90 minutes .
Some Canadian trauma doctors have argued for air transport since 1990s . |
MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva has broken her own world record in the women's pole vault with a leap of 5.04 meters as she warmed up for her Olympic defense. Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record on her third attempt in Monaco. The record came at the Monaco Grand Prix on Tuesday on her third and final attempt at the height. Her previous record of 5.03 meters was set in Rome on July 11. Isinbayeva is the reigning Olympic and world champion. Asafa Powell claimed his third 100 meters success inside a week when he raced clear in his season-best time of 9.82 seconds. Powell shaved 0.06sec off his previous season-best of 9.88, set last Tuesday in Stockholm, where he saw off fellow Jamaican and world record holder Usain Bolt. On Tuesday Powell was too hot for Davis Patton of the U.S. (9.98) and Nesta Carter of Jamaica (10.02), the fourth best time of the season all the more impressive given the calm conditions. "I am very happy," said Powell. "I feel great, very fresh. I've got a world record in my legs. I am very confident. My goal is to be consistent." A tough headwind had compromised Powell's attempts to have a tilt at Bolt's mark although he still cruised to a weekend victory at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace in 9.94sec. Other Tuesday highlights saw Jamaica's Melaine Walker set a year mark in the women's 400m hurdles in clocking 53.48 sec. Walker, who shattered her own personal best of 54.14 in the process, will hope her performance augurs well for the Beijing Games, where Aussie two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson will not be competing owing to a toe injury. Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen also set a year best mark in the 1500m, crossing the line in 3 min 31.49sec to take 0.08sec off compatriot Augustine Kiprono Choge's June 1 showing in Berlin. The 23-year-old's win tempered the disappointment of missing out on an Olympic berth. Britain's Martyn Rooney also improved his personal best in the 400 meters for the second successive race, following up his win in the London Grand Prix with victory in 44.72 seconds. The Monaco Grand Prix was the last major international track and field meeting before the Beijing Olympics which start on August 8. | [
"Which Jamaican athlete won three 100 meters races?",
"What did Powell win?",
"Who broke her own world record?",
"Who broke the record?",
"Whose record did she break?",
"Where was the record broken?"
] | [
[
"Asafa Powell"
],
[
"claimed his third 100 meters success"
],
[
"Yelena Isinbayeva"
],
[
"Yelena Isinbayeva"
],
[
"her own world"
],
[
"Monaco Grand Prix"
]
] | Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva breaks her own women's world pole vault record .
Leaps 5.04 meters on her third and final attempt at height at Monaco meeting .
Jamaican Asafa Powell wins third 100 meters race in a week in 9.82 seconds . |
MONTEREY PARK, California (CNN) -- Five men are accused of starting a massive Malibu wildfire at that destroyed more than 50 homes and forced about 15,000 people to evacuate. A firefighter works to contain a wildfire threatening homes in Malibu, California, on November 24. Authorities say the five, ranging in ages from 18 to 27, were drinking in a popular party spot in a cave at the park when they started the fire. All five are from the Los Angeles area and are being charged with three felonies -- including two arson-related charges. Each count carries a sentence of two to four years in prison. Baca said investigators traced the fire to the cave, then used receipts and surveillance camera footage from a nearby store to hunt down the men. Investigators would not comment on why the men started the fire. During the investigation, fire officials speculated that a campfire may have started the blaze -- which engulfed roughly 5,000 acres and destroyed 80 structures, including the 53 homes. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in the wake of the fire, which started on November 24. The blaze, which was fueled by dry Santa Ana winds and low humidity, followed a spate of California wildfires in October that charred more than 508,000 acres in several counties. Those fires forced 1 million people from their homes and left 14 people dead. The men are expected to make their first court appearance on Monday. E-mail to a friend | [
"All five are from where?",
"What were the men doing in the cave?",
"How many homes were destroyed because of the men?",
"How many acres were engulfed?",
"Where were the men partying?",
"Fire engulfed how many acres?",
"Where were the five from?",
"What helped investigators find the men?",
"Men were partying where?",
"How many felonies were the men charged with?",
"Number of acres the firest destroyed?"
] | [
[
"Los Angeles area"
],
[
"drinking in a popular party spot in a"
],
[
"more than 50"
],
[
"5,000"
],
[
"in a cave at the park"
],
[
"508,000"
],
[
"Los Angeles area"
],
[
"used receipts and surveillance camera footage from a nearby store to hunt down the"
],
[
"popular party spot in a cave at the park"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"5,000"
]
] | NEW: Men were partying in a cave .
All five are from the Los Angeles area and are being charged with three felonies .
Receipts and surveillance camera footage helped investigators find the men .
Fire engulfed about 5,000 acres and destroyed more than 50 homes last month . |
MORRISTOWN, New Jersey (CNN) -- Since the beginning of the year the family clinic at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey has seen an influx of young children coming in for flu shots.
New Jersey requires children from 6 months to 5 years old to get the flu vaccine to attend daycare or pre-school.
The rush for vaccinations is prompted by a new law that makes New Jersey the only state requiring children between 6 months and 5 years old to get the flu vaccine to attend a licensed daycare or pre-school. The deadline for the flu shot requirement was December 31.
Some parents are upset about the requirement. John General and Alnisa Bernabela brought their 4-year-old twins Jahmein and Jameir to the clinic last week for the flu shots.
"I'm really not okay with it because I think it should have been my choice," said Bernabela.
"By them forcing this, I feel like our rights have been violated," said General, holding his crying son Jameir being vaccinated.
Last fall, hundreds of parents with the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice challenged the flu shot requirement at a rally in Trenton, New Jersey. The NJCVC and parents interviewed by CNN, expressed concern about the safety of influenza vaccines and possible long-term effects on young children.
But the New Jersey Department of Health says the new law is for the public good citing Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention numbers showing an average of 20,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized nationwide each year because of influenza complications.
"Parents are certainly concerned about the health and safety of their children," says Dr. Christina Tan, state epidemiologist for the New Jersey Department of Health. "But it's equally important to understand that the flu vaccine is safe and effective in preventing illness, not only in children, but also among the community as a whole."
Many doctors support the decision, saying it helps protect a higher risk population. Some parents object to mandatory vaccines »
"Kids under the age of 5 are targeted by this recommendation because when they get the disease they get sicker than adults do. They also are the ones who are more likely to transmit the flu because they are in closed quarters," said Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, who heads the clinic at the Children's Hospital of New Jersey. She says influenza tends to peak in New Jersey towards the end of January through early February.
Jennifer Frank says she's committed to the public health goal but not on the state's schedule. Her 2-year-old son Caleb was hospitalized twice for extreme eczema as an infant. At one point, he was on a feeding tube, and she says he couldn't get vaccinated.
"There was literally no clear space to put a needle," says Jennifer Frank.
Caleb's doctors were stumped and couldn't make a diagnosis for his condition. Since then, the Franks with their pediatrician's approval, have Caleb on a delayed vaccination schedule. As a result, they didn't meet the state's December 31 flu shot deadline and now their local board of health has banned Caleb from pre-school.
"When he gets his shots, that same rash flares up," says Joshua Frank, the father of Caleb. "You know, it's frightening. It's very real. And for them to say, 'Well, we don't care, even though your doctors agree with you,' is outrageous."
The Franks have appealed the local board of health's decision all the way to the state level, but officials have not wavered. While New Jersey does offer medical exemptions for some children, the rules are specific, and eczema is not considered a valid medical reason for delaying the flu vaccine.
"By allowing broader exemptions this could potentially erode the very core of protection," says Tan.
But the Franks believe the new law should include an appeal procedure, especially for families like theirs that are willing to vaccinate their children.
New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk has been working on legislation to allow parents to decide which vaccines | [
"Are some parents against this new law?",
"who believes law protects higher risk population?",
"Is flu vaccine compulsory in New Jersey for children to attend pre-school or day care?",
"who requires flu vaccine for children?",
"Do many doctors believe the law protects a high risk group?"
] | [
[
"are upset about the requirement."
],
[
"Many doctors"
],
[
"from 6 months"
],
[
"New Jersey"
],
[
"population."
]
] | New Jersey requires flu vaccine for children to attend daycare, pre-school .
Some parents oppose new law; believe it should be their choice to vaccinate kids .
Flu vaccine is safe; many doctors believe law protects a higher-risk population . |
MORROW, Georgia (CNN) -- Jobless for nearly a year, Michael Rivers was about to walk out of his house a few weeks ago to catch the bus for another daylong employment hunt when a radio announcement stopped him. With Ludacris at her side, single mom Joya Montgomery, 26, proudly displays keys to her car Sunday. "This is Ludacris, and I'm giving away 20 free cars. ..." The famous rapper was pulling an Oprah in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. The rapper announced that if listeners were able to pay the taxes, registration, tags and insurance, they should go to his nonprofit Ludacris Foundation Web site and write 300 words about why they deserved new wheels. "And make it good," Luda warned. Watch Ludacris talk about his "stimulus" plan » Four thousand people took him up on his challenge, and in a few days, more than 2,000 essays poured into the Nissan South dealership in Morrow, Georgia, that had teamed with the rapper on the used-car giveaway. See and hear the winners tell their stories » Rivers' essay was among them. "I didn't even wait; I just continued out that door to the community center, sat at a computer and let all my emotions come out," he said. Rivers described riding the city bus with his 14-year-old daughter to make sure she arrived safely at school and how he recently celebrated the small victory of getting his 17-year-old autistic son, who can't tolerate crowds, to stand calmly for a few moments outside the bus stop. He doesn't live near a grocery store so he has to bring home the food he can carry on the bus. Rivers was laid off from his job as a court clerk in the summer of 2008, and making job interviews on time isn't easy when the bus is often late. But on Sunday afternoon, Rivers was giddy, slightly bouncing as he spoke. He stood shoulder to shoulder among the 20 winners and their friends and families waiting to see their cars. "I don't care what it is," Rivers said. "I'm grateful for any car with four wheels because it beats two heels." Winners received 30 days of free gas, which will be a big help to Joya Montgomery, a 26-year-old single parent of a 4-year-old, 8-year-old and 3-month-old. She has been waking before 5 a.m. and walking to the bus stop, while it's dark, with her children to begin a long journey to her job and to drop them off at school or a friend's home. "It was scary at times," she said. "You don't even know who's out there. I was always looking over my shoulder. "I just can't believe I won. I'm real happy." In the parking lot, the crowd was dancing. But the bass of Ludacris' latest single blasting from the dealership's loudspeakers was secondary inspiration for one Atlanta grandmother. Fifty-one-year-old Vermelle Jackson was so excited to have a 2005 Mercury Sable to drive around grandchildren, nieces and nephews that she swiveled her hips around and dipped it shockingly low to the ground. "Lord Jesus. ... He brought this car to me, baby!" she shouted, arms raised. "This is God's work!" Actually, the giveaway idea came from Chris White, the jovial, hand-shaking manager of Nissan South. "I knew someone who knew someone who knew Luda and, you know, we just made it happen," White said. The concept seemed like a winner for everyone. Like many dealerships, Nissan South has not yet been reimbursed for the money it spent upfront during the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program that allowed customers to trade in older cars for $3,500 or $4,500 credit. When the popular program ended August 24, the car dealer didn't want to turn away customers who kept streaming in, expecting to get the | [
"How many did he give away",
"who does Atlanta-raised celebrity gives used cars to?",
"how many essays have been received?"
] | [
[
"20"
],
[
"listeners"
],
[
"more than 2,000"
]
] | Some 4,000 essays received after dealership partners with rapper for giveaway .
Atlanta-raised celebrity gives used cars to single mom, laid-off worker, refugee .
Program also is way for dealership possibly to write off cars as charity . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian serial murderer dubbed the "Chessboard Killer" was given the maximum sentence of life in prison Monday and ordered to undergo psychiatric therapy for a string of at least 48 murders that terrorized Moscow for years. A Moscow jury convicted Alexander Pichushkin last week of 48 murders and three attempted murders. Pichushkin claimed he had actually committed 60 murders, though prosecutors were unable to find evidence to prove that. Pichushkin earned the nickname "Chessboard Killer" for saying he had intended to kill one person for each of the 64 squares on a chessboard. In ordering Pichushkin to receive compulsory psychiatric therapy, the judge said the defendant has a mental disorder but is still sane and cannot avoid responsibility for his crimes. Throughout his trial, Pichushkin gloated over his crimes and ridiculed the police case against him. "I was dismayed my work had been attributed to others," Pichushkin said. "In one week, I killed two people. If they hadn't caught me, I would have never stopped. Having caught me, they saved many lives." Watch video report on serial killer Alexander Pichushkin For years until his arrest in June 2006, Pichushkin kept Moscow on edge, stalking the heavily forested Bitsa Park on the city's southern outskirts and preying on the homeless and elderly. Pichushkin claimed to have committed all but one of his murders in the park. He lured his victims with the promise of alcohol and, after getting them drunk on vodka, he beat them to death and dumped their bodies in the park. It led Russian media to give Pichushkin his other nickname, the "Bitsa Maniac." Over the years, Russian police recovered dozens of corpses, some with sticks and vodka bottles rammed into their skulls. But the crucial lead came in 2005, when a woman Pichushkin worked with at a vegetable store was found dead. She had left a note at her home saying she was going for a walk with him. Pichushkin said he had been aware of the note but killed her anyway. E-mail to a friend CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance contributed to this report. | [
"Who was found guilty?",
"how long was the serial killer sentenced to?",
"Who was ordered to undergo psychiatirc treatment?",
"Who sentenced serial killer to maximum sentence?",
"What was Alexander Pichushkin found guilty of?",
"what does Alexander have to do in prison?",
"Who has been sentenced to maximum sentence of life in prison.",
"How many were killed?"
] | [
[
"Alexander Pichushkin"
],
[
"life in prison"
],
[
"Alexander Pichushkin"
],
[
"A Moscow jury"
],
[
"48 murders and three attempted murders."
],
[
"undergo psychiatric therapy"
],
[
"Alexander Pichushkin"
],
[
"48"
]
] | Moscow court sentences serial killer to maximum sentence of life in prison .
Alexander Pichushkin was found guilty of killing 48 people .
He was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment at the prison . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet nations has agreed to establish a rapid-reaction military force to combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies, Russian media reported Wednesday.
Russian navy soldiers stand guard during a military ceremony.
The decision came a day after reports that Kyrgyzstan is planning to close a strategically important U.S. military base that Washington uses to transport troops and supplies into Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan -- decided on the rapid-reaction force at a Kremlin summit, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.
The group's security council "spent a long time discussing the central issue of forming collective reaction forces and, generally, of rapid reaction to possible threats," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
"Everyone agreed that the formation of joint forces is necessary," he said.
Officials told Russian media that all the members had signed the agreement, though Uzbekistan submitted a special provision.
Uzbekistan doesn't mind contributing military units to the rapid-reaction force "but does not consider it necessary for the moment" to attach emergency responders, drug-control forces and other special services, organization spokesman Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax.
Russian media reported that the force will be used to fight military aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing military units.
On Tuesday, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced at a Moscow news conference that "all due procedures" were being initiated to close Manas Air Base, RIA-Novosti reported. The announcement was made after news reports of a multimillion-dollar aid package from Russia to Kyrgyzstan.
Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Afghanistan, was in Kyrgyzstan last month, partly to lobby the government to allow the United States to keep using the base. He said he and Kyrgyz leaders did not discuss "at all" the possible closure of the base and said local officials told him there was "no foundation" for news reports about the issue.
The United States is planning to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to halt a resurgence of the Taliban. Petraeus described Manas as having "an important role in the deployment of these forces" and in refueling aircraft.
The relationship between the United States and Kyrgyzstan was damaged when a Kyrgyz citizen was killed by a U.S. airman in December 2006. The airman was transferred out of Kyrgyzstan, and the dead man's family was offered compensation. Petraeus said in January that the investigation was being reopened.
As he announced the base closure Tuesday, Bakiyev said he was not satisfied with the inquiry into the accident and his government's "inability to provide security to its citizens" was proving a serious concern. Medvedev also weighed in on the issue Wednesday, saying the base closure shouldn't hamper anti-terrorism operations, according to Interfax.
"It would be great if their numbers meant there were fewer terrorists, but such action depends on other things as well," he said. | [
"Where will it be based?",
"What did the Russian media say?",
"How many nations came into agreement?",
"Who agreedto form rapid-reaction force?",
"Which media is responding?",
"What number of nations have agreed reaction?",
"What does the Russian media say?",
"What does Russia say",
"Where is US base",
"Which seven nations are invloved?",
"Where will it be based?",
"What was agreed"
] | [
[
"Russia"
],
[
"military force to combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies,"
],
[
"Tajikistan"
],
[
"A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet nations"
],
[
"Russian"
],
[
"Tajikistan"
],
[
"reported that the force will be used to fight military aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing military units."
],
[
"agreed to establish a rapid-reaction"
],
[
"Kyrgyzstan"
],
[
"Tajikistan"
],
[
"in Russia"
],
[
"to establish a rapid-reaction"
]
] | Seven nations agree to form rapid-reaction force .
Russian media say force will fight terrorism, respond to disasters .
It will be based in Russia under a single command .
Report comes after Kyrgyzstan says it will close U.S. base . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A passenger jet caught fire early Sunday, exploded and crashed into railway tracks in the central Russian city of Perm, killing all 88 people on board. Wreckage from the Aeroflot-Nord Boeing 737, which crashed near Perm, lies across a railway track. The exact cause of the pre-dawn crash is under investigation, but government spokesman Vladimir Markin said "a technical breakdown" was a likely cause. Markin said in televised remarks that the failure of one of the Boeing 737-500's two engines may have caused the plane to come down, The Associated Press reported. Airline officials have said there is no indication of terrorism. "We think it's very doubtful that it was the result of a terrorist attack, because at the scene, there were no traces of explosives as we know for now," said Lev Koshlyakov, Deputy Director General of Aeroflot. It took firefighters more than two hours to extinguish the blazing wreckage. When the sun rose, pieces of the Aeroflot jet were strewn about the railroad tracks. "It slammed in front of my house, and there was a huge flame," an unidentified woman in Perm told Russian state television. "It looked like fireworks." She said the impact of the crash "threw me across my sheets.... Then my daughter ran in from the next room and asked if a war had started." She and other witnesses said they saw the aircraft burning before it came crashing down. "It looked like a comet," she said. The jet was en route to Perm from Moscow when the pilots lost communication with air traffic control just before landing about 3:10 a.m. (2110 GMT), an Aeroflot official said. He described the weather at the time as "mediocre." The public safety minister for the Perm region said investigators were combing a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) area, including homes and railways. Watch more about the crash » "Right now, it's apparent that there was a fire on the plane at one kilometer in the air," Yuri Orlov said. "After that, all contact was cut off -- the plane exploded." The flight data recorder has been recovered and will be analyzed by the International Aviation Commission, Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said. The plane carried 82 passengers, including seven children, and a crew of six. At least 21 non-Russians were on board, including passport-holders from Azerbaijan, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Ukraine, said Lev Koshlyakov, Aeroflot's deputy director general. The U.S. Embassy confirmed that no Americans were on board the flight, even though one passenger was listed as a U.S. citizen. It is the second crash in the region involving a Boeing 737 in less than a month. An Iran-bound Boeing 737 with 90 people on board crashed on August 24 just outside the airport in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, killing 68. The 737 is a workhorse of the airline industry, with thousands of planes in service. Aeroflot said the one that crashed in Perm was manufactured in 1992 and was operated by its Aeroflot-Nord subsidiary. "This Boeing 737 has all the necessary certificates," Koshlyakov said. "We conduct audits and inspections of all the affiliate companies we work with in the realm of their effectiveness, safety and reliability of the airplanes." Airline safety in Russia and the former Soviet Union is among the worst in the world. Aviation experts say poor maintenance, inadequate pilot training and weak government controls are major factors. But Aeroflot is considered one of the safer airlines in the region. Sunday's crash is the first fatal accident for the airline since 1994, when a Russian pilot handed control of an Airbus to his 15-year-old son. It crashed, killing all 75 people on board. Russia's government has now ordered an inquiry into the latest incident, to find out how another routine flight could have ended in tragedy. The National Transportation Safety Board will send a team of investigators to Perm to look into the | [
"What did officials say about terrorism?",
"who is it operated by?",
"who was sent to investigate?",
"how many people died",
"Which U.S. team is being sent to investigate?",
"what did they investegate",
"what was the crash caused by?"
] | [
[
"\"We think it's very doubtful that it was the result of a terrorist attack, because at the scene, there were no traces of explosives as we know for now,\""
],
[
"Aeroflot-Nord subsidiary."
],
[
"The National Transportation Safety Board"
],
[
"88"
],
[
"The National Transportation Safety Board"
],
[
"The exact cause of the pre-dawn crash"
],
[
"\"a technical breakdown\""
]
] | NEW: National Transportation Safety Board to send team from U.S. to investigate .
NEW: Crash likely caused by engine failure, investigator reported as saying .
Boeing 737 en route to Perm from Moscow was operated by Aeroflot Nord .
Officials have said there is no indication of terrorism . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A strong Russia is good for the United States, President Obama said in a speech in Moscow, where he is visiting in an effort to "reset" the countries' relations. President Obama meets with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday before heading to the G-8 in Italy. Obama delivered a commencement speech Tuesday at a Moscow graduate school. "America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia," he told a large crowd at the New Economic School. "This belief is rooted in our respect for the Russian people, and a shared history between our nations that goes beyond competition." He repeated the message in a meeting later with Russian business leaders, but also said Russia has to do more to fight corruption. "We have to promote transparency, accountability, rule of law on which investments and economic growth depend," he said. Watch Obama discuss thoughts on Kremlin visit » "We want Russia to be selling us goods and we want Russia to be buying goods from us," he said. "Total trade between our countries is just $36 billion. Our trade -- America's trade with Russia -- is only about 1 percent of all our trade with the world -- 1 percent -- a percent that's virtually unchanged since the Cold War." Watch Obama's full opening statement » Obama later met Russian opposition leaders, speaking of the importance for the country to "not simply tolerate dissenting voices but also to respect and recognize dissenting voices." Obama also spoke to civil society leaders, promising the United States will support universal values and human rights such as the rights of people to live as they choose, to have a free press and to speak their minds. On Monday Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and discussed a series of agreements -- including one on nuclear-arms reduction -- as part of an effort to strengthen ties between the one-time Cold War rivals. The two signed a deal on parameters for negotiations to replace the START agreement, with the goal of reducing nuclear weapons. START expires December 5. Watch Obama discuss arms control pact » Under Monday's agreement, Russia and the United States will reduce their strategic warheads to a range of 1,500 to 1,675, and their strategic delivery vehicles to a range of 500 to 1,100. The numbers would be a reduction from the expiring START, which allowed 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles. The two-day summit in Moscow was to help refocus a relationship that, according to Obama, "has suffered from a sense of drift" in recent years. The president reiterated that in his speech Tuesday. "That is why I have called for a 'reset' in relations between the United States and Russia," Obama said. "This must be more than a fresh start between the Kremlin and the White House, though that is important," he said. "It must be a sustained effort among the American and Russian people to identify mutual interests and to expand dialogue and cooperation that can pave the way to progress." Obama met with Medvedev again Tuesday and with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin before heading to Italy for the Group of Eight summit. The G-8 agenda is packed with issues, including Iran, the global financial crisis, climate change and eradicating world poverty. Putin said his meeting with Obama was "very good and substantive." "We also talked about how we will be improving our relations in the near- and medium-term. It was a very well-intentioned and substantial conversation in many concrete fields. We have many points we agree on," Russia's prime minister said. After his speech, Obama sat down with Ed Henry, CNN senior White House correspondent, for a brief interview. The president spoke about a wide range of issues, including how much his daughters were enjoying Moscow, his impressions of Putin, relations with Iran and Michael Jackson. On Iran, Obama reiterated recent statements about the post-election protests there. "Events in recent weeks have disturbed the world. | [
"What was said about the talks?",
"How long is the summit?",
"How long will the summit last?",
"Who signed the joint understanding?"
] | [
[
"\"very good and substantive.\""
],
[
"two-day"
],
[
"two-day"
],
[
"The two"
]
] | NEW: PM Putin: Much agreement in "well-intentioned, substantial" talks .
Obama cites respect for Russian people, shared history that transcends competition .
Obama is in Moscow for two-day summit with President Medvedev, Putin .
Obama, Medvedev sign "joint understanding" on cutting nuclear arsenals . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Any attempt to pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky -- once Russia's richest man, now its most famous inmate -- must follow standard procedure, including an admission of guilt, the nation's president said Sunday. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is imprisoned in a work camp 4,000 miles from Moscow. "Concerning the possibility of a pardon for someone, Khodorkovsky or anyone else, the procedure has to be carried out in accordance with our country's rules," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a transcript on his Web site. "In other words, a person must appeal to the president, plead guilty to having committed a crime and seek the appropriate resolution." The president dismissed talks of a pardon, saying, "at this point, there is nothing to discuss." Khodorkovsky once headed the Yukos oil company, once Russia's largest oil producer. He is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion. Medvedev described corruption as a "very serious Russian disease" and emphasized the need to fight it. "To this end, we have enacted a number of measures, including new legislation on corruption and special arrangements relating to government officials, their disclosures, declarations of income and so on," he said. "We are determined to continue this work, because we believe it is extremely important." The former oil magnate is incarcerated in a work camp near the town of Krasnokamensk, 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) from his native Moscow. He has been imprisoned since his arrest in 2003. Khodorkovsky had expressed a desire to run for office at the time and funded opposition political parties. He said the trial was part of a Kremlin campaign to destroy him and take the company he built from privatization deals of the 1990s. The Kremlin denied any role in his downfall. Yukos, which has since been crushed by a $27.5 billion back-tax bill, has been the object of a lengthy campaign by prosecutors and tax authorities. The court also ordered Khodorkovsky and his partner to pay about $600 million in back taxes. | [
"was he pardoned?",
"what did he do for a living?",
"What is former oil company head serving?",
"What did president say?",
"There will be no favoritism for whom?",
"Who is serving nine years for fraud?",
"What did Russian leader say?"
] | [
[
"The president dismissed talks of a pardon,"
],
[
"Khodorkovsky once headed the Yukos oil company,"
],
[
"nine-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion."
],
[
"\"Concerning the possibility of a pardon for someone, Khodorkovsky or anyone else, the procedure has to be carried out in accordance with our country's rules,\""
],
[
"Mikhail Khodorkovsky"
],
[
"Mikhail Khodorkovsky,"
],
[
"\"at this point, there is nothing to discuss.\""
]
] | There will be no favoritism for Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russian leader says .
Former head of Yukos oil company serving nine years for fraud, tax evasion .
President says talks of a pardon are premature . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Dozens of gay and lesbian rights activists planning a parade in southwestern Moscow Saturday have been detained, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. Gay and lesbian rights activists are detained in Moscow Saturday ahead of a planned march. The arrests included Nikolai Alexeyev, a prominent gay activist in Russia, and his associate Nikolai Bayev, Interfax said, adding that more people trickling into the location were being arrested without explanation. Officials of Moscow's gay community had announced earlier plans to rally at Novopushkinsky Park in central Moscow, Interfax said. The arrests came ahead of Saturday night's Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Moscow. The contest has a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Watch police break up the march » Journalists from various countries gathered at the scene, as police barricaded the park with metal bars. Trucks with soldiers onboard were parked on nearby streets, Interfax said. UK gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, in a statement on his Web site ahead of the march, said it was being held to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. "This parade is in defense of human rights. We are defending the often violated human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Russians. They want legal protection against discrimination and hate crimes. I support their cause. "Not all Russians are homophobic, but many are. Gay Russians suffer queer-bashing attacks, blackmail, verbal abuse and discrimination in education, housing and employment. This shames the great Russian nation." The Eurovision Song Contest, which began in 1956, sees singers and groups from a short list of European nations perform a specially written song before telephone votes from each nation decide the winner. In western Europe, the contest is regard as a light entertainment spectacular, with a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Many fans dress up, hold parties and gather round the TV to watch the three-hour-plus televised marathon. In recent years, however, eastern European nations, which take the contest much more seriously, have come to dominate. The contest is also known for its political edge, as nations either give zero points to traditional enemies -- or, if they are enjoying good relations, the maximum number of points, as a sign of friendship. The most famous winners of the contest were ABBA, who came to attention as the Swedish entry with "Waterloo" in 1974. In 1988, Celine Dion won the contest while singing on behalf of Switzerland. The dance show Riverdance first came to attention as an interval act when the contest was held in Dublin, Ireland, in 1994. The organizers of the contest estimate it is watched by 100 million people worldwide. | [
"When did ABBA come to attention?",
"Where are demonstrators due to meet?",
"Name the most famous winners of the contest",
"Name the contest being held in Moscow?",
"Where is the contest held?",
"where the demonstrations",
"Where are the demonstrators meeting?"
] | [
[
"1974."
],
[
"southwestern"
],
[
"ABBA,"
],
[
"Eurovision Song"
],
[
"Moscow."
],
[
"Novopushkinsky Park in central Moscow,"
],
[
"Novopushkinsky Park in central Moscow,"
]
] | News agency: Police barricade park where demonstrators due to meet .
Arrests come ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Moscow Saturday .
Most famous winners of the contest were ABBA, who came to attention in 1974 .
Contest is traditionally taken more seriously in eastern Europe . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Gas will resume flowing "in the next few days," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters following summit talks in Moscow aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Russia which has left many parts of Europe without natural gas.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was in Moscow Saturday for talks with Russian leaders.
Medvedev said the summit talks, which also involved Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, had raised a number of "interesting ideas," including loans and extensions of credit aimed at resolving the crisis. But he reiterated that no agreement had been reached.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said the meeting highlighted Russian efforts to enlist major European gas companies as a part of an international consortium that would subsidize Ukrainian payments to ensure gas deliveries from Russia.
"Preliminary willingness (to join the consortium) has been stated by Eni, which was the first to do so, then by Ruhrgas, Wingas, Gaz de France, OMV, and Gasterra," Kupriyanov told Russian news agency Interfax.
On Friday, Putin said Ukraine required about $730 million of "technical gas" to resume export deliveries from Russia.
It has now been 11 days since much of Europe was cut off from crucial supplies of Russian natural gas because of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine, which is in charge of pipelines carrying gas to the continent. The taps remain shut despite a deal signed in Brussels earlier this week.
The European Union has tried to pressure Russia and Ukraine into sorting out the matter, calling into question their reliability as energy suppliers.
Russia has said the dispute is not bilateral.
Tymoshenko said ahead of the trip that her top priority was to resume Russian natural gas transit to Europe in order to protect Ukraine's reputation as a transit country and prevent the empty pipelines from suffering damage as a result of being idle. Watch how a simple price dispute led to the crisis »
"The government takes full responsibility for resolving the crisis in relations with Russia, which was not initiated by us," Tymoshenko said in a statement on the government's Web site.
The prime minister said she would press for direct relations between Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's state-run gas company Naftogaz and "mutually beneficial prices" for gas and transit.
It was prices and cost that caused the problems in the first place. Russia cut off Ukraine's domestic gas supply at the start of the year, claiming nonpayment of debt, and the two sides failed to agree on the terms for a new contract.
Six days later, in a move each side blamed on the other, Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine were turned off as well. Watch how Slovakia has been affected by the gas row »
"There is the need to compromise in order to preserve friendly relations between Ukraine and Russia, and to uphold the reputation of both countries in Europe," Tymoshenko said. "I am sure that such compromise will be brokered."
CNN's Matthew Chance contributed to this report. | [
"What was summit aimed at?",
"What does Medvedev say?",
"what were the talks",
"When will the gas begin to flow again?",
"who hosted the talks",
"What countries are involved in the dispute?",
"In what way has the shutdown affected Europe?"
] | [
[
"resolving the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Russia"
],
[
"aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Russia"
],
[
"summit"
],
[
"\"in the next few days,\""
],
[
"Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko"
],
[
"Ukraine and Russia"
],
[
"without natural gas."
]
] | Russian President Medvedev says gas flow to Europe will resume in days .
Medvedev hosted summit talks Saturday aimed at resolving dispute with Ukraine .
Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko also attended talks .
Shutdown has left many European countries without natural gas . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Members of a Russian doomsday cult barricaded themselves in a cave to wait out the end of the world as the cult's leader underwent psychiatric exams Thursday, Russian media reported. The cult, which calls itself the "true Russian Orthodox Church," believes the world will end in May. The cult leader is in police custody awaiting proceedings on charges that he set up an organization "whose activity is associated with violence on citizens and instigation to refuse to perform their civil duties," according to the state-funded Itar-Tass news agency. Four children are among 29 cult members holed up in a ravine in Russia's Penza region, where they apparently dug a cave. One of the children in the cave is 18 months old, reported Itar-Tass. Temperatures in the cave are below 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius), the Russian news agency reported. The cult members have refused law enforcement requests to come out or release the children, and they have threatened to commit suicide if police resort to force, according to Russian state television. The cult, which calls itself the "true Russian Orthodox Church," believes the end of the world will come in May 2008. Prosecutors announced Thursday they are opening criminal proceedings against the cult's leader, Father Pyotr Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov, 43, is "under the supervision of investigators," Olig Troshin, a Penza prosecutor, told Itar-Tass. A law enforcement source in Penza told the Russian news agency Interfax that Kuznetsov "is being examined by psychiatrists." Several clergymen, police officers and agents of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations are outside the cave. "It is obviously some kind of insanity," Mitropolitan Kirill, a high-ranking Russian Orthodox Church official, told Russian television. "It is perhaps even a medical case. A very dangerous phenomena is happening in Russia's religious life." He added, "What we're seeing in Penza right now is a most vivid example of what could happen to a country, to a society, if this society is deprived of proper religious education." E-mail to a friend CNN's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report. | [
"When is the end of the world?",
"Who faces charges ?",
"What have the cult members threatened?",
"Who is holed up in a cave?",
"Who were holed up in the cave?",
"What does the cult think is coming in May?",
"Who believes it will be the end of the world?",
"Who threatened to commit suicide if police use force?"
] | [
[
"believes the world will end in May."
],
[
"The cult leader"
],
[
"to commit suicide if police resort to force,"
],
[
"Members of a Russian doomsday cult"
],
[
"29 cult members"
],
[
"end of the world"
],
[
"Members of a Russian doomsday cult"
],
[
"cult members"
]
] | Four children, one 18 months old, are among cult members holed up in cave .
Cult leader to face charges he set up a violent organization, news agency reports .
News agency: Cult members have threatened to commit suicide if police use force .
The "true Russian Orthodox Church" believes end of the world is coming in May . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian authorities are investigating the recent killing of a model-turned-bodyguard. Anna Loginova in a photo shoot for the Russian edition of Maxim magazine. Anna Loginova, a 29-year-old former successful model, ran a private security firm of female bodyguards, highly trained in martial arts, demanding high prices to protect Russian billionaires. One notable client was Russian boxer Kostya Tszyu. A carjacker pulled Loginova out of her Porsche Cayenne Sunday in Moscow. Loginova grabbed onto the door handle as the car picked up speed and she was dragged along the street before letting go as the car sped away. "An intruder just threw her out of the car" Russian police stated, "She grabbed the door handle, but when the car picked up speed, she let go." Her fearlessness proved fatal. Loginova died on the scene from serious cranial injuries. The vehicle was later found abandoned in southern Moscow. Luxury car theft is common in Moscow. Loginova told Maxim magazine in a recently taped interview that she fought off a car thief just four months ago. "I stepped out of my car and closed the door when I suddenly saw a young man near me. He grabbed me by the arm in which I was holding the car keys," she was quoted as saying. "By reflex, I used a jiu-jitsu technique. I twisted his arm and hit him on the face with my elbow. The guy obviously was not expecting such a reaction. He fell down on the rear windshield, which gave me enough time to grab my gun. He immediately jumped into his Honda and drove away," Those who knew her said she was never deterred by danger. For many Russians she was a feminine icon, bridging the glamorous world of modeling and the rough underbelly of Russian crime. "I think she was kind and sweet, not like a terminator, not like Sigourney Weaver in 'Aliens'" said Igor Cherski from Maxim magazine "but I feel that she was not afraid of anything, there was no fear in her eyes." E-mail to a friend | [
"Where was she killed?",
"Was she an icon?",
"Who was a feminine icon?",
"Who did Loginova fight off?",
"What did Loginova tell a magazine recently?"
] | [
[
"Moscow."
],
[
"For many Russians"
],
[
"Anna Loginova"
],
[
"a car thief"
],
[
"that she fought off a car thief just four months ago."
]
] | Russian model-turned-bodyguard Anna Loginova killed in Moscow during carjacking .
Loginova recently told a magazine that she fought off a car thief four months ago .
For many Russians she was a feminine icon, bridging glamorous and crime world . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The Somali government has asked Russia to intervene against pirates who have seized a Ukrainian cargo ship, the Somali ambassador to Russia said Wednesday. The U.S. Navy released this observance photo of the MV Faina, which is loaded with weapons and tanks. But the Russian navy issued a statement later in the day saying it had no intention of using force against the pirates, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. "The questions of freeing the ships and crew are being dealt with in line with the corresponding international practices," Interfax quoted Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo as saying. "For understandable reasons, the use of force would be an extreme measure because it could threaten the life of the international crew of the ship." The pirates took over the MV Faina last week off the coast of Somalia and are demanding a $20 million ransom for the ship's cargo of 33 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, tank artillery shells, grenade launchers and small arms. The ship is anchored within Somalia's 12-mile territorial limit. "The government and the president of Somalia are allowing the Russian naval ships to enter our waters, and fight against pirates both in the sea and on the land, that is, if they would have to chase them," Amb. Mohamed Handule said at a news conference in Moscow. "We think that this issue of piracy has exceeded all limits. It is very dangerous that pirates are now laying their hands on arms -- not just for Somalia, not only for the navigating, but for the entire region in general," he added. "Right now, pirates are controlling the sea in this area, but just imagine if they get control of the land too." The announcement raised concern among some officials monitoring the situation. Watch Russian warships move to confront pirates » "We may have bad news," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association. Mwangura said some of the Ukrainian crew's family members are concerned for their loved ones' safety and have called him to see if he can communicate with the pirates. He urged negotiations to continue. "For the safety of the crew members," Mwangura said, "let the ship owners talk with the pirates." Watch Mwangura talk about the rise in pirating » A Russian navy ship sailing toward the Faina is in the Atlantic Ocean and "still has a bit of water to get here," said U.S. Navy Lt. Stephanie Murdock, who is stationed in nearby Bahrain. "There is no estimated time of arrival yet." The U.S. Navy has several ships in the area monitoring the situation. "There have been no changes today," Murdock said. The Navy has not communicated with the Russian ship but will work out coordination when it arrives, Murdock said. The Russian ship Neustrashimy is headed to the region solely to protect Russian shipping, according to the Russian navy spokesman. "The navy command has been stressing that the Neustrashimy, from the Baltic Sea Fleet, has been given the task of arriving in the area of Somalia and guaranteeing for a certain time the safe seafaring of Russian ships in the area with a high risk of pirate attacks. The essence of the mission is to prevent the seizure of Russian ships by pirates," Dygalo said. Handule, the Nigerian ambassador, seemed to criticize the United States for not taking action. "Ships of more than 10 countries are now close to our shores, but we are not satisfied with the results of their activities," he said. Citing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1816, Handule said, "We are inviting all countries, all states who have possibility to support Somalia to fight against ... pirates. We are especially inviting Russia and giving special status to Russian warships to fight, to help Somalia." The latest developments came two days after three pirates were killed when they started shooting at each other, according to Mwangura, the Kenya maritime official. The shootout centered on a disagreement between moderate and radical pirates aboard the ship, Mwangura said. The moderates | [
"who wants russian to intervene?",
"who is fed up with inaction?",
"who captured the mv faina?",
"what does somalia want"
] | [
[
"Somali government"
],
[
"Somalia"
],
[
"pirates"
],
[
"Russia to intervene against pirates"
]
] | NEW: Somalia wants Russian warships to intervene; Russia rules out using force .
Pirates captured Ukrainian MV Faina, loaded with weapons, off Somalia's coast .
Officials fear weapons will get into terrorists' hands .
Ships from 10 countries, including U.S., in region; Somalia fed up with inaction . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Ukrainian general has been arrested in connection with the murder of a journalist nearly nine years ago, the country's president said Wednesday. Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko has labeled Georhiy Gongadze's killing the country's most important case. Gen. Alexei Pukach was detained Tuesday in connection with the killing of Georhiy Gongadze, who was abducted in September 2000 and later found decapitated. The Gongadze killing is the country's most important criminal case, President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement on his Web site. "To me, it's a question of honor to resolve the murder of Georhiy Gongadze. It's a question of whether or not good or evil prevails," Yushchenko said. Organizations ranging from the European Union to the Committee to Protect Journalists have demanded that Ukraine bring the journalist's killers to justice. Pukach had been on the run for years before he was seized Tuesday in a joint operation by the Security Service and the prosecutor general's office, Yushchenko said. He has already been interrogated once and is cooperating with the investigation, the president added. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the arrest, it said in a statement to CNN. "As the suspected organizer of the killing, Pukach could point the investigation to those who ordered the crime nine years ago," said Nina Ognianova, the organization's Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator. "Only with the masterminds behind bars would Ukrainian authorities be able to reverse the impunity in Gongadze's assassination," her statement said. Three former police officers were convicted last year of killing Gongadze and given jail sentences of 12 to 13 years, the Committee to Protect Journalists said at the time. There has long been suspicion that top Ukrainian government officials were involved in the murder. "Gongadze, the pioneer editor of critical Internet newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda (Ukrainian Truth), had long angered authorities with his highly critical reports detailing corruption in (former President Leonid) Kuchma's administration," CPJ said last year, when the three men were sentenced. Kuchma has long denied involvement in the killing. Pukach was a high-ranking interior ministry official at the time Gongadze disappeared. His former boss, Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko, was found dead at his country house in March 2005, days before he was to be questioned by prosecutors over the killing of the journalist. The Ukrainian security service, the SBU, suggested Kravchenko killed himself, and the dead man's successor quoted a suicide note, according to Russian media. "Please forgive me, I've become a victim of political intrigues of President Kuchma and his people. I'm leaving you without a twinge of conscience. Farewell," then-Interior Minister Yuli Luzenko quoted the note as saying. But Myroslava Gongadze, the slain journalist's widow, noted Kravchenko had two bullets in his head. "I think it has to be investigated," she said of the death. "He was the main player of my husband's murder ... he was the person who [took] the order and who gave the order," she told CNN at the time of Kravchenko's death. Kuchma had been implicated in the murder by critics who cited secretly recorded audio tapes in which the president allegedly ordered his staff to get rid of the journalist. Kuchma vehemently denied those charges. | [
"what day was the captured?",
"Who was abducted in 2000?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Who was on the run for years?",
"When was Gen. Alexei Pukach captured?",
"Who was abducted?",
"in what year abducted?"
] | [
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"Georhiy Gongadze,"
],
[
"Alexei Pukach"
],
[
"Gen. Alexei Pukach"
],
[
"detained Tuesday"
],
[
"Georhiy Gongadze,"
],
[
"2000"
]
] | Ukrainian general arrested in connection with murder of journalist .
Georhiy Gongadze abducted in September 2000 and later found decapitated .
Gen. Alexei Pukach, who has been on the run for years, was captured Tuesday . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A bear on ice skates attacked two people during rehearsals at a circus in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, killing one of them, Kyrgyz officials said Friday. In the incident, which happened Thursday, the 5-year-old animal killed the circus administrator, Dmitry Potapov, and mauled an animal trainer, who was attempting to rescue him. "The incident occurred during a rehearsal by the Russian state circus company troupe which was performing in Bishkek with the program, Bears on Ice," Ministry of Culture and Information director Kurmangazy Isanayev told reporters. It is unclear what caused the bear to attack Potapov, 25, nearly severing one of his legs while dragging him across the ice by his neck. Medical personnel were unable to save Potapov, who died at the scene. The 29-year-old circus trainer Yevgeny Popov, who attempted to rescue Potapov, was also severely injured, according to doctors. "The victim has sustained serious injuries - deep scalp lacerations, bruising of the brain, lacerations on his body. His condition is considered critical," Dr. Gulnara Tashibekova told reporters on Russian state television. After the incident, the circus was cordoned off by police and emergency service workers. Experts have been brought in to examine the bear, which was shot and died at the scene. Russia has a long-standing tradition of training bears to perform tricks such as riding motorcycles, ice skating, and playing hockey. Fatal attacks are unusual. | [
"Who was dragged across ice?",
"Who were preparing for \"Bears on ice\"?",
"What country has a tradition of training bears to perform tricks?",
"What is the name of the show for which the troupe was preparing?",
"From where does the circus hail?",
"What did the ice skating bear do?",
"What is the circus bear's talent?",
"Who was killed at the circus?"
] | [
[
"Potapov,"
],
[
"the Russian state circus company troupe"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"Bears on Ice,\""
],
[
"Bishkek,"
],
[
"attacked two people during rehearsals at a circus in Bishkek,"
],
[
"ice skating,"
],
[
"Dmitry Potapov,"
]
] | Ice skating bear kills man during rehearsals at Russian circus .
Bear dragged circus administrator Dmitry Potapov across the ice by his neck .
Russian state circus company troupe were preparing for "Bears on ice"
Russia has a long-standing tradition of training bears to perform tricks . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A cult member who spent several months holed up in a cave with dozens of other people anticipating the end of the world claimed Wednesday that two women died and were buried inside. An above-ground kitchen used by the doomsday cult in the Penza region during the summer. The former cave-dweller, Vitaly Nedogon, relayed his claims to Russian TV journalists, according to Anton Sharonov, a spokesman for the administration of Penza, a region southeast of Moscow. The official said Nedogon did not report the information to police or authorities. Once the rest of the apocalyptic sect leaves the cave, investigators will move in to try to confirm Nedogon's report, Sharonov said. Nedogon and others left the cave, said to be near the village of Nikolskoye, about 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Russian capital, about a week ago, after part of its ceiling collapsed. He claimed two women died at different times during the cult's seclusion, which began in November 2007. One woman died of cancer and the other from excessive fasting, he told the media. "However," Sharonov told the Russian news agency Interfax, "the Penza regional administration is of the view that these deaths must be proven legally, which is possible only if all the people leave the cave so that investigative officials can examine it." Sharonov said those who remain in the cave told Penza officials during negotiations that they would come out by the Russian Orthodox Easter, on April 27. He said officials believe 11 people are left in the cave, but only nine will be alive if Nedogon's report is true. According to Interfax, Penza Deputy Governor Oleg Melnichenko, who is leading the local effort to resolve the situation, said he was unaware of any deaths in the cave. The cave ordeal began when Kuznetsov, the group's leader, told his followers to hide themselves to await the end of the world, which he predicted would take place in May. They had threatened to commit mass suicide if authorities tried to intervene. Thirty-five sect members are believed to have entered the cave initially, Interfax said. E-mail to a friend From CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow. | [
"What month did the Russian cult leader tell the followers the world would end in?",
"Where was the cult?",
"Who claimed that a woman died from cancer?",
"When did they think the world would end?",
"What did the members threaten?",
"What is the name of the Russian cult leader?",
"What did sect members threaten to do?",
"Sect members threatened to commit suicide if authorities tried to intervene"
] | [
[
"May."
],
[
"the Penza region"
],
[
"Vitaly Nedogon,"
],
[
"May."
],
[
"to commit mass suicide"
],
[
"Vitaly Nedogon,"
],
[
"commit mass suicide"
],
[
"Thirty-five"
]
] | Claims that one woman died from cancer, another from fasting in cult's cave .
Russian cult leader told followers world would end in May .
Sect members threatened to commit suicide if authorities tried to intervene . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A leading human rights activist was abducted and killed in Russia Wednesday, the organization she worked for told CNN. Estemirova, pictured in 2007, had been openly critical of Chechnya's president, Ramzan Kadyrov. Natalya Estemirova, of the Russian human rights group Memorial, was kidnapped outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya, Oleg Orlov said, citing eyewitness reports. She was later found dead in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia, said Orlov, the head of the organization's Moscow office. Estemirova, 50, was a leading human rights activist in the North Caucasus area who had been openly criticizing Chechnya's authoritarian president, Ramzan Kadyrov, and his methods. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed indignation at the murder and said her killers should be punished to the full extent of the law, his office said. He expressed his condolences to her family, press secretary Natalya Timakova said. Estemirova shouted that she was being kidnapped as she was forced into a white Lada automobile that had stopped on the road in front of her house at 8:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. ET), Orlov said. An unidentified man grabbed her and shoved her into the car, he told CNN. "This is a kidnapping," she yelled, he said. Estemirova studied history at Grozny University, then taught history before turning to journalism and human rights in 1998, Memorial said. She joined the organization in March 2000. In a written statement, U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States is "deeply saddened" by the report of Estemirova's death. "We call upon the Russian government to bring those responsible to justice," he said. He described Estemirova as "uncompromising in her willingness to reveal the truth regardless of where that might lead. She was devoted to shining a light on human rights abuses, particularly in Chechnya." The Committee to Protect Journalists, in a written statement, demanded that the killing be thoroughly investigated immediately. "As she uncovered massive, ongoing human rights violations in Chechnya by the federal and regional authorities, Estemirova was often at odds with Chechen authorities, according to her colleagues," the advocacy group said. She won three international awards for human rights activities -- including the inaugural Anna Politkovskaya Award, named for the Russian investigative journalist who was herself murdered almost three years ago. Estemirova was Politkovskaya's "most frequent companion during travel and investigations in Chechnya," the organization Reach All Women in War said in announcing the prize for Estemirova. "They investigated a number of cases together -- about which Anna wrote for (the newspaper) Novaya Gazeta and Natalya wrote for Memorial's Web site and for local newspapers." "President Medvedev must make good on his promise to investigate this shocking killing by ensuring that the inquiry is thorough and transparent," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "The killers of this courageous reporter, one of the few left in Chechnya, must not be allowed to walk free like so many before them." CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow, Russia, contributed to this report. | [
"Whats the name of the woman killed?",
"Who had Estemirova been critical of?",
"Where did they find Estemirova's body?",
"Where was she from?",
"Where was Estemirova living?",
"Where did the kidnapping take place?",
"Where was the woman found dead?",
"What person was she critical of?"
] | [
[
"Natalya Estemirova,"
],
[
"Chechnya's president, Ramzan Kadyrov."
],
[
"Ingushetia,"
],
[
"Grozny, Chechnya,"
],
[
"Grozny, Chechnya,"
],
[
"Grozny, Chechnya,"
],
[
"in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia,"
],
[
"Ramzan Kadyrov."
]
] | Natalya Estemirova abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya .
Estemirova later found dead in neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia .
Estemirova openly critical of Chechnya's authoritarian president, Ramzan Kadyrov . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southern Kyrgyzstan late Sunday night killing an estimated 70 people and destroying more than 120 buildings, the government reported Monday.
The earthquake occurred near Kyrgyzstan's border with China.
Gulshat Kadirova, an official from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, told CNN that casualty figures were preliminary and could rise as rescue efforts progress.
The weekend quake, measured by the U.S. Geological Survey Report, rattled all of Central Asia; however destruction is concentrated in the remote village of Nura on Kyrgyzstan's border with China.
"The remoteness of the villages hit by the earthquake, the absence of means of communications and the destruction of roads are hindering assistance to the injured," the Kyrgyz Health Ministry press service told Interfax.
The Health Ministry of Kyrgyzstan has set-up a crisis center in the region, however rescue efforts remain difficult, according to a ministry official.
The Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Ministry also sent humanitarian aid to the region.
"Four helicopters have just left taking food and blankets to the people affected in the area," a ministry representative told CNN by phone.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent a letter of condolence to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, according to the Kremlin's Web site.
Medvedev noted Russia's readiness to offer assistance.
Bakiyev is scheduled to visit the destroyed region of Nura this week to monitor the search-and-rescue operations, Kadirova told CNN.
Temblors continued in Central Asia on Monday with two strong earthquakes striking part of Tibet within 15 minutes of each other. | [
"Who has set up a crisis center?",
"What agency established a crisis center?",
"Around how many people were estimated to be killed?",
"What was the estimated death toll?",
"What was the earthquake's magnitude?",
"How many were killed?",
"What was the magnitude of the earthquake?",
"How many buildings were destroyed?"
] | [
[
"Health Ministry of Kyrgyzstan"
],
[
"Health Ministry of Kyrgyzstan"
],
[
"70"
],
[
"70 people"
],
[
"6.6"
],
[
"an estimated 70 people"
],
[
"6.6"
],
[
"more than 120"
]
] | Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes southern Kyrgyzstan Sunday night .
Around 70 estimated killed, 120 buildings destroyed, government says .
Quake rattled large area of Central Asia; damage concentrated near China border .
Kyrgyz Health Ministry has sets up crisis center to coordinate rescue effort . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A team of experts gathered Friday on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to decide how to deal with marauding bears that reportedly have killed two people recently. As many as 12,000 bears live on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The bears are blamed for the deaths of two guards at a geological station near a platinum mine on the peninsula in far eastern Russia. Russian media reports cite local law enforcement officials as saying the remains of the two men had been "gnawed on." Groups of bears have been reported in the region since the deaths, and many people have refused to work at the mine, saying they are afraid. Three hunters and a representative of Koryakgeoldobycha, employer of around 400 people at the mine, will evaluate the danger and decide whether killing a few animals is necessary, said Vladimir Rudeyev of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry in Kamchatka. "All decisions are made locally," he told CNN. "No licenses [for shooting bears] have been issued yet. Reports came out that they were, but that's incorrect." Hunters might need to kill only the most aggressive bears, he said. Generally, bears are timid animals and need only to be scared off. Exterminating wild bears that are not afraid of humans is relatively common in Canada and the United States. Trouble in northeastern Kamchatka began when the two unarmed geological station guards were found dead July 17. More than 93 miles (150 kilometers) away, about 20 bears came into another station several days later. Then, dozens more wild bears were seen 25 to 50 miles (40 to 80 kilometers) away, around various stations and villages in the area. "Bears came out to where they used to live before," Rudeyev said. "It constantly happens on the Kamchatka Peninsula, on various rivers, places where people work." Humans are to blame because they attract the animals by leaving out trash or they frighten bear cubs, turning them into aggressive grown-ups, he said. Laura Williams, senior adviser for the World Wildlife Fund in Russia, also said it's the search for food that probably drives bears close to human camps. Kamchatka bears are used to feeding on salmon in the summer, but there have been fewer of the fish in local rivers this year because of overfishing, contamination or natural causes. "When [bears] don't have salmon, they go into some of the settlements, creating bad situations both for themselves and people," Williams said. "When you're in bear country, it's important to know how to act when you meet a bear." The Kamchatka Peninsula has long been known for its brown bear population, estimated at 8,000 to 12,000. In some areas of the peninsula, the population density is the greatest in the world. Human deaths from bears are rare, and Williams said it would be an overstatement to say the situation this year is out of hand. CNN's Mike Sefanov contributed to this report. | [
"Where were groups if bears seen?",
"how many guards were killed?",
"what is driving bears closer to humans?",
"what killed them?",
"What is driving bears into closer contact with humans?",
"What killed two guards?",
"Where were groups of bears seen?",
"When were two guards killed?"
] | [
[
"Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula."
],
[
"two"
],
[
"leaving out trash"
],
[
"bears are blamed for the deaths"
],
[
"the search for food"
],
[
"marauding bears"
],
[
"Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula."
],
[
"July 17."
]
] | Two guards killed July 17 near platinum mine, apparently by bears .
Groups of bears seen in other parts of Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia .
Official says it may be necessary to shoot some bears to protect people .
Experts say salmon shortage is driving bears into closer contact with humans . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- As I raised my hands toward the ceiling and then pointed them toward my head, I had to wonder: How would the 19th-century Russian writer Nikolai Gogol feel if he knew that a bunch of foreigners were dancing the YMCA at a nightclub named after him? The iconic St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square takes on a brighter, more colorful look at night. Gogol the man is considered the father of modern Russian realism, with works such as "Dead Souls." Gogol the cafe-club is considered a favorite hangout for Russians and expatriates alike, perfect for meals, coffee, fruity cocktails and music 'til everyone clears out around 2:30 a.m., when Moscow's "real" nightclubs heat up. Since the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Russia's capital city has progressed in many ways, breaking free of old social structures while struggling to maintain its cultural heritage. The city has preserved a lot of its old beauty, boasting monuments such as St. Basil's Cathedral and gorgeous landscapes such as Tsaritsino Park. At the same time, there are Internet cafes and 24-hour bookstores, and you'd be hard-pressed to meet someone who doesn't carry a cell phone. But, as an American studying abroad at Moscow State University, I sometimes felt perplexed in this immense modern metropolis that still makes certain familiar conveniences inconvenient. In Moscow, kiosks for adding money to your cell phone seem far more common than ATMs. Even nice restaurants with $40-minimum meals -- for example, the best beef stroganoff and fried cheese balls of your life -- accept only cash, no cards. After two weeks, I never figured out where to buy a nail clipper -- but I did see Vladimir Lenin's body, perfectly preserved since 1924. View more photos of Moscow » At the university, I had to present a special ID card to one set of guards at the entrance, a dorm pass to another crew, and then confront a third layer of hallway-based security before arriving at my room. I also needed written approval from my floor's "administrator" to take luggage out of the building. Then, there's money. Moscow, or "Moskva" in Russian, holds the distinction of the world's most expensive city, according to Mercer's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Be prepared for fees from your bank and the Russian bank whenever you use an ATM. Try to stay away from touristy restaurants for meals, and do your souvenir shopping at Izmailovsky Market (Metro: Izmailovsky Park) instead of in stores. The expatriates I encountered all echoed the sentiment that Moscow is a city of constant stress. Maybe that's why I will always love most the Moscow I experienced at night. The monuments that look mildly impressive by day suddenly come to life with light against the onyx sky. You can look out over Sparrow Hills and see the endless glittering skyline, or settle down somewhere like Gogol (Metro: Tverskaya) for vodka-enhanced beverages and music from around the world. And, as long as you know "Mozhna?" ("May I?") and "Spasiba" ("Thank you)," it matters less that few people speak substantial English. Café Bilingua (Metro: Chistye Prudy) is another cozy place to mingle with locals and ex-pats for hours on end -- you can have your coffee in the tiny two-story book shop, or take it up to the restaurant and performance section. Another bar I liked is Etage (Metro: Pushkinskaya), right off Pushkin's Square near a large neon-light sculpture of flowers (how would the great poet feel about that?). Nightclubs dedicated to too-many-people-to-move dance floors don't start up until well after midnight. Propaganda (Metro: Lubyanka), conveniently located near the headquarters of the KGB, spins all kinds of dance music -- go on a Thursday evening for a less crowded experience. Then there's The Real McCoy (Metro: Barrikadnaya), so packed with people that merely crossing | [
"Who's body was preserved?",
"Which market has the best souvenirs?",
"Whose body is on display?",
"What is the most expensive city?",
"Who has the best souvenir shopping ?",
"What has been named the most expensive city?"
] | [
[
"Vladimir Lenin's"
],
[
"Izmailovsky"
],
[
"Vladimir Lenin's"
],
[
"Moscow,"
],
[
"Izmailovsky Market"
],
[
"Moscow,"
]
] | The preserved body of Vladimir Lenin is on display in Moscow's Red Square .
Moscow has been named the world's most expensive city .
Izmailovsky Market has the best souvenir shopping at reasonable prices .
iReport.com: Show us your travel snapshots . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Natalia Vodianova is the Russian supermodel and philanthropist described by designer Tom Ford as "the most beautiful woman in the world." Natalia Vodianova: "I think protecting your family and giving to them is the most important achievement." Natalia, 27, is a mother of three and has set up her own children's charity. The woman nicknamed "Supernova" tells My City_My Life about her tough childhood, her love of Moscow and why Russian vodka is the best. CNN: How would you describe Moscow? Natalia Vodianova: It's a city of contrasts. You have this great culture and traditions that are very normal, calm and established. And then you have explosions of emotion, craziness, art, and young people who are so proud to be Muscovites and really trying to be individuals. Moscow is a huge inspiration for me. I love what I find here, I love being here. CNN: What would you change about Moscow given the chance? NV: Definitely the way it's treated at the moment, the way the government wants to renovate the old buildings. To me it's a little bit sad because in the West people have a very different mentality about renovating buildings, keeping them as intact as possible. Watch Natalia Vodianova take CNN on a tour of Moscow. » CNN: What's the fashion in Moscow? NV: You see women in jeans wearing very high heels and a short puffy jacket. It's really funny! CNN: Tell me about your childhood NV: I was born in Nizhny Novgorod to a very poor family and unfortunately my father and mother separated when I was very little. She was a single mum and had two more girls. It was a struggle but we all worked really hard and stood up for each other. My mum was amazing; she never drank, she never smoked -- she lived for us. I appreciate what she has done for me and the way she raised me. CNN: Is family very important to you? NV: I think protecting your family and giving to them is so important. It's the most important achievement. CNN: How did your modeling career take off? NV: I went to Paris when I was 17. I was lucky because my career kind of gradually built up over two years -- I always had good work but I wasn't a star straight away. In fact, my agency thought that I might never do shows because I was a bit shorter and not skinny enough, but when I gave birth to my first son I was 19 and I lost a lot of weight. I guess the stress on the body was extreme and I suddenly just turned into this stick -- just the way designers love models. My career took off after Lucas was born because I opened a lot of shows on the runway and that's where a lot of stars are made in my industry. See Natalia Vodianova's Moscow in photos. » CNN: If you weren't a model, what would your life be like? NV: It's very hard to say what my life would be like if I hadn't gone to Paris. People say I didn't change very much but I don't think that's true. I'm a happy person and even if I thought that I was happy then, I had so much baggage to carry with me: my background, people's expectations, the fact that I wasn't a perfect student and I wasn't going to school all the time -- I didn't live a normal life at all. That's not with me anymore, because of my success. It really doesn't matter because I know I have learned so much more than a lot of other girls who have had perfect childhoods. CNN: Tell us about the charity and what you are trying to achieve with it? NV: I started my foundation in 2005, after the Beslan tragedy [the 2004 school siege in which at least 339 hostages were killed]. I was in Moscow | [
"Where is Natalia Vodianova from?",
"What is Natalia Vodianova's occupation?"
] | [
[
"I was born in Nizhny Novgorod"
],
[
"supermodel"
]
] | Natalia Vodianova is a Russian supermodel and has started a children's charity .
"Moscow is a huge inspiration for me. I love what I find here," she says .
She says she had a tough childhood but learned from the experience .
"I want to fulfill my dream of building 500 play parks in Russia," says Natalia . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia expressed interest in using Cuban airfields during patrol missions of its strategic bombers, Russia's Interfax news agency reported "There are four or five airfields in Cuba with 4,000-meter-long runways, which absolutely suit us," Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev told Interfax. Zhikharev, who is the chief of staff of the Russian Air Force's long-range aviation, said, "If the two chiefs of state display such a political will, we are ready to fly there." Zhikharev also told Interfax that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has offered a military airfield on La Orchila island as a temporary base for Russian strategic bombers. "If a relevant political decision is made, this is possible," he said, according to Interfax. Zhikharev said he visited La Orchila in 2008 and can confirm that with minor reconstruction, the airfield owned by a local naval base can accept fully-loaded Russian strategic bombers. | [
"who offered a miliary airfeld",
"who is hugo chavez",
"what did russian air force say",
"what did russian air force offical say",
"Who is Venezuelan president?",
"Where are Russia trying to fly to?",
"how many fields does cuba have",
"How many fields are suitable for Russia?"
] | [
[
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez"
],
[
"Venezuelan President"
],
[
"\"If the two chiefs of state display such a political will, we are ready to fly there.\""
],
[
"\"If the two chiefs of state display such a political will, we are ready to fly there.\""
],
[
"Hugo Chavez"
],
[
"Cuban airfields"
],
[
"four or five"
],
[
"four or five airfields"
]
] | "We are ready to fly there," Russian Air Force official says .
Cuba has four or five fields that suit Russia, military official says .
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also has offered a military airfield . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia is planning a "comprehensive rearmament" of its military, President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. A Russian T-90 tank rolls through Red Square during 2008's Victory Day parade. The announcement comes amid concerns in Moscow over the performance of its forces during last year's invasion of Georgia, an expert on the Russian military told CNN. Christopher Langton, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said the campaign against the former Soviet republic had revealed significant weaknesses within Russia's armed forces. "The Georgia thing was a wake-up call on a number of fronts," said Langton, a former British military and defense attache in Russia. "Things they expected to perform well didn't -- communications, the air force. It took five days, which is quite a long time, to suppress another country's air defenses, quite a small country's." Medvedev said the "most important task is to re-equip the [Russian] Armed Forces with newest weapons system," in televised remarks to defense ministry officials. He said the process had already begun and would accelerate through 2011. Medvedev insisted that falling prices for oil and gas -- which contribute significantly to Moscow's budget -- would not force him to scale back on plans to modernize the military. The defense budget has "virtually remained the same as was planned," Medvedev said, "despite our current financial problems." The country will aim for 70 percent of its weaponry to be "modern" by 2020, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said, according to RIA-Novosti, the state-run news agency. Russia invaded Georgia, to its south, in August of last year -- the first time Russian military forces had engaged in an offensive outside their borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The conflict strengthened the hand of Medvedev, who favors reform, against generals who oppose it, Langton, the military analyst, told CNN. "It gave Medvedev a chance to reply to opponents in Ministry of Defense: 'We need much more mobile forces, better weaponry,'" Langton said. But Langton pointed out that Russia has been talking about modernizing its army almost since the end of the Cold War nearly two decades ago. Former President Boris Yeltsin announced in the early 1990s that Russia would replace its conscript army with a professional force by 2010, Langton said -- a target it has come nowhere close to meeting. Modernization foundered on Russia's need to bring in money by exporting arms, rather than using the products of its military-industrial complex itself; opposition from entrenched interests in the Ministry of Defense, which opposed downsizing; and in the face of a national security strategy that focused on conflicts like the two Chechen wars. Former President Vladimir Putin staked his popularity in the late 1990s on winning the second war with the restive Chechnya, Langton observed. Medvedev, too, wants to promote pride in the country's military, the analyst said, but has a "more nuanced approach" than his predecessor, who remains influential as prime minister. Langton said Medvedev believes Russian forces should be capable of operating alongside Western forces. But, he added, "Some of the generals don't agree with him." | [
"What Russia planning about the military?",
"When does Russia aim to have 70% of its weaponry \"modern\" by?",
"What is Russia planning for its military?",
"What percentage of its weaponry does Russia want modernized?",
"When is rearmament set to begin?",
"What did last year's invasion of Georgia reveal?",
"What Dmitry Medvedev said about the issue?"
] | [
[
"\"comprehensive rearmament\""
],
[
"2020,"
],
[
"a \"comprehensive rearmament\" of"
],
[
"70 percent"
],
[
"the process had already begun and would accelerate through 2011."
],
[
"significant weaknesses within Russia's armed forces."
],
[
"Russia is planning a \"comprehensive rearmament\" of its military,"
]
] | Russia planning "comprehensive rearmament" of its military, Moscow announces .
Analyst: Last year's invasion of Georgia revealed Russian military weaknesses .
"Large-scale rearmament" to begin in 2011, President Dmitry Medvedev says .
Russia aiming for 70 percent of its weaponry to be "modern" by 2020 . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia's president launched a verbal volley at Georgia's leaders on Monday, as Georgia hit back with renewed accusations that the Russian invasion was premeditated. Russian soliders on patrol outside the Georgian city of Gori on Monday. President Dmitry Medvedev said: "The world has seen that even today, there are political morons who are ready to kill innocent and defenseless people in order to satisfy their self-serving interests, while compensating for their own inability to resolve complicated issues by using the most terrible solution -- by exterminating an entire people. "I think that there should be no mercy for that. We will do our best not to let this crime go unpunished." He was speaking at a visit to the military headquarters at Vladikavkaz, near the Russian-Georgian border. Each side accuses the other of "ethnic cleansing" during the conflict over South Ossetia, which erupted August 7. In Washington, Georgia's ambassador to the United States said the Russian push into Georgia the following day had been long planned. "You just don't move more than 1,200 tanks and 15,000 soldiers into a country within 12 hours without previous planning," Ambassador Vasil Sikharulidze said. The conflict began more than a week ago when Georgian troops entered the breakaway territory of South Ossetia to attack pro-Moscow separatists. Russia responded by invading the country on August 8, prompting heavy fighting with Georgian forces that spread to another breakaway territory, Abkhazia. The Georgian troops withdrew and Russian forces took control of several areas -- prompting an international outcry. After diplomatic efforts led by France on behalf of the European Union, Georgia and Russian signed a cease-fire. France is the rotating EU head. Russia's military says its withdrawal from Georgia has begun, but a senior Pentagon official told reporters Monday evening that there has been little evidence of Russian troops pulling out. The official did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. Watch more on Russian withdrawal » "We're talking about pulling our troops away to the borders of South Ossetia. They will not be on Georgia territory," Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Russian armed forces deputy chief of staff, said Monday. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Russia needs to start pulling back "without delay," saying the "Russians have committed to withdrawing, and they need to withdraw. And so that is what we are looking for." A Georgian Interior Ministry official said there have been "no signs" of a Russian troop withdrawal despite Russia's pledge to start moving back on Monday. News footage showed Russian tanks pushing away Georgian police cars about 20 miles (32 km) south of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. Watch tanks deal with the police car » Witnesses said Georgian police cars had been blocking the road and the police told Russian tank commanders that they were carrying out orders. The tanks proceeded to plow ahead, damaging the police cars in the process. The Georgian Foreign Ministry said a Russian armored column had been seen moving a bit deeper into Georgian territory, traveling south from Kashuri to Borjomi. Kashuri is about 10 miles (16 km) south of South Ossetia. Another column was moving north from the Kashuri area to Sachkhere. Nogovitsyn told reporters Russian troops were leaving Gori on Monday, the Interfax news agency said. He did not say how many troops were withdrawing or how many would return to South Ossetia or Russia. However, CNN journalists in Gori, near South Ossetia, said it was still under Russian control and there was no evidence the Russians were pulling out. Also, Russian tank and artillery positions were seen extending nine miles (15 km) south of Gori. Nogovitsyn said Russia was not yet moving vessels in the Black Sea from their positions near Georgia, but they would return to Sevastopol after the settlement of the conflict. He said Russia's deputy foreign minister had presented the U.S. ambassador to the country with a timetable of the events that led to Russia's actions and clearly indicated Georgia's responsibility. He said a prisoner exchange involving the | [
"what did witnesses say",
"What did Russian tanks push through?",
"There is little evidence that Russian troops are leaving where?",
"where are the russian troops",
"What pushed through a road block?"
] | [
[
"Georgian police cars had been blocking the road and the police told Russian tank commanders that they were carrying out orders. The tanks proceeded to plow ahead, damaging the police cars in the process."
],
[
"Georgian police cars"
],
[
"Georgia"
],
[
"outside the Georgian city of Gori"
],
[
"Russian tanks"
]
] | NEW: Pentagon official: Little evidence that Russian troops leaving Georgia .
Russia begins Georgia troop "pullback," military chief says .
Russian tanks pushed through a Georgian police road block, witnesses say .
Human Rights Watch: This conflict has been a disaster for civilians . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian and British ships repelled a pirate attack on a Danish ship in the Gulf of Aden, the Russian navy said Wednesday. Pirates have caused havoc off the coast of Somalia, hijacking 33 ships this year. Elsewhere, pirates hijacked a Turkish-flagged ship carrying 4,500 tons of chemicals and 14 crew off Yemen's coast. The pirates hijacked the ship, Karagol, near Yemen as it traveled to Mumbai, India, semi-official news agency Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing a written statement from the Turkish Maritime Agency. Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the Russian patrol ship Neustrashimy and a British frigate, HMS Cumberland, successfully rebuffed pirate attempts to seize the Danish ship Powerful off Somalia. The British and Russians used helicopters to counter-attack the pirates, who had opened machine gun fire on Powerful and twice tried to seize it, Dygalo said. It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred. When asked about the incident, the British Ministry of Defense said a crew from the Cumberland had boarded a small boat on Tuesday that "they ... believe had been involved in an attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful earlier in the day." Ahead of boarding the small boat, or dhow, the British crew members tried several ways to stop it, "but they were unsuccessful," the Ministry of Defense's statement said. The Cumberland then launched boats to circle the dhow, in another attempt to halt it. People aboard the dhow opened fire at these boats, and the Cumberland's crew members returned fire, the statement said. Two alleged pirates were killed during the shooting. A third person, a Yemeni national, died later from injuries, despite care from the Cumberland's doctor, the Ministry said. "It is unclear whether his injuries were as a result of the firefight or a previous incident." The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, has become a treacherous stretch for ships, particularly along the Somali coast. There have been 84 attacks and 33 successful hijackings off Somalia's coast this year. Meanwhile, the Karagol is owned by Istanbul-based Y.D.C. Denizcilik, A.S. The company confirmed its ship had been hijacked, but could not provide any details. The Karagol is the second Turkish ship in two weeks to be hijacked. On October 29, pirates in the same area off Yemen commandeered the Neslihan, a Turkish-owned freighter, carrying 77,000 tons of iron ore from from Canada to China, the ship's owner, Ya-Sa Shipping Industry and Trading, S.A., said. CNN's David McKenzie and Andrew Carey contributed to this report. | [
"What number died?",
"What are countries doing about the pirates?",
"who repelled the attacks",
"what size was the crew",
"What did the ships do?"
] | [
[
"Two"
],
[
"used helicopters to counter-attack the"
],
[
"Russian and British ships"
],
[
"14"
],
[
"repelled a pirate attack"
]
] | Russian and British ships repel pirate attack on Danish vessel .
British say three pirates died after an exchange of fire .
Elsewhere, a Turkish ship with 14 crew has been hijacked off Yemen . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian energy monopoly Gazprom said Thursday it has cut off supplies of natural gas to Ukraine after a payment deadline expired. A gas-compressor and gas-holder station in Mryn, Ukraine. Gazprom said it had cut supplies to Ukraine Thursday. Gazprom had been threatening the move, saying months of negotiations with Ukraine had failed to resolve the issue of outstanding payments. The company says Ukraine owes about $2 billion for past natural gas deliveries. Ukraine also disputes the new price set by Gazprom for 2009 deliveries, which was initially more than double the price from 2008. Gazprom has reassured the rest of Europe that its natural gas supply, which runs through Ukraine, will not be affected by the dispute with Kiev. Thursday, a Gazprom spokesman said on Russian state television the company had actually increased the deliveries to the rest of the continent. "Gazprom will continue supplying gas for its consumers in Europe at full volume," the company's chief executive, Alexey Miller, said. "We have an effective transit contract." Without natural gas, some Ukrainians could be in for chilly days and nights. The temperature at midday Thursday in Kiev was 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 degrees Celsius), with a forecast high of only 32 F (0 C) and snow predicted overnight. Watch a report on Gazprom's threats to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine » Ukraine's state-controlled energy company, Naftogaz Ukrainy, said Thursday it is ensuring domestic natural gas needs are covered by taking gas from underground storage facilities. "All of Ukraine's consumers are fully secured," the company said in a statement. In Washington, the White House urged a resolution Thursday. "The United States would like to see a restoration of normal deliveries," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. "The parties should be resolving their differences through good-faith negotiations, without supply cutoffs." The frigid weather is of particular concern, the White House said. "We urge both sides to keep in mind the humanitarian implications of any interruption of gas supply in the winter," Johndroe said. Naftogaz Ukrainy also disputed Gazprom's claim that it owes for past deliveries, saying Thursday it has paid its debt to Gazprom in full, though it declined to give a figure. Another part of the dispute centers on Gazprom's price hike for 2009 gas deliveries. Gazprom had wanted to more than double Ukraine's payments, but Wednesday it offered a lower price. Ukraine, which currently pays about $100 per 1,000 cubic meters, balked at the figure offered, saying it simply can't afford to pay the new price. It is the second time in three years Gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine. The company made good on its threat on January 1, 2006, but turned the supply back on a day later. Russia is the world's biggest producer of natural gas and supplies Europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via the pipelines through Ukraine. Naftogaz said in its statement Thursday that it would ensure the uninterrupted flow of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine, but only under existing arrangements. It indicated some gas deliveries to Europe could be halted in Ukraine if Naftogaz fails to reach a new agreement with Gazprom. Although gas is still flowing to Europe, there are also concerns in Russia that the amount could be reduced if Ukraine siphons off some of the gas headed to the west. Naftogaz said it will continue negotiating with Gazprom to address the issues. | [
"What country does Gazprom claim owes it $2 billion for past natural gas deliveries?",
"How long did Gazprom cut off the supply of natural gas to the Ukraine?",
"What amount does the company say that Ukrain owes?",
"How much does Ukraine owe?",
"What is the name of the company that monopolizes Russia's gas supplies?",
"When were supplies cut by Gazprom?",
"What is the name of Russia's energy monopoly?",
"What did Gazprom say?",
"Who cut off gas supplies?",
"Who cut off gas supplies to Ukraine?",
"What does Ukraine owe?",
"What country had its gas supply cut off?"
] | [
[
"Ukraine"
],
[
"a day"
],
[
"$2 billion"
],
[
"$2 billion"
],
[
"Gazprom"
],
[
"January 1, 2006,"
],
[
"Gazprom"
],
[
"it had cut supplies to Ukraine Thursday."
],
[
"Russian energy monopoly Gazprom"
],
[
"Gazprom"
],
[
"$2 billion"
],
[
"Ukraine"
]
] | Russia's energy monopoly Gazprom cuts off gas supplies to Ukraine .
Company says Ukraine owes it about $2 billion for past natural gas deliveries .
Gazprom says supplies to other European customers won't be affected .
Gazprom cut supplies on January 1, 2006, but turned supply back on a day later . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian officials on Monday located a Russian cargo ship that has been missing for more than two weeks after it was believed to have been hijacked, a top official said. The Arctic Sea had been missing since July 31. The Arctic Sea was located 300 miles (483 km) from Cape Verde, an island nation a few hundred miles from the coast of western Africa, said Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. The crew "is alive and well," he said. "The crew members have been moved to our anti-submarine warfare ship Ladny where they are answering questions," Serdyukov said. "The questioning aims to clarify all circumstances of how the ship disappeared and why did it not send any [emergency] signals." The Arctic Sea, which sails under a Maltese flag, had not been heard from since July 31. It was carrying a 6,500-ton cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria when it reported trouble on July 24 off the coast of Sweden. It was scheduled to arrive in North Africa on August 4. On Friday, the ship was reported to be in international waters north of Cape Verde. The news came from Portugal's state news agency, which quoted Cape Verde's defense director, Pedro Reis. The U.S. military also had a report last week that the ship had been seen a few hundred miles from Cape Verde, two military sources told CNN, but the United States had no independent verification of those reports. The U.S. military was not involved in the search. At the time, Russia's ambassador to Cape Verde, however, denied that the Arctic Sea had been spotted near the island nation. On July 24, the ship's 15-member crew had told authorities that eight to 12 people armed with guns and pistols boarded the vessel about 3 a.m. that day, masked and wearing uniforms with the word "police" written on them, the Malta Maritime Authority said. "During [the attackers'] stay onboard, the members of the crew were allegedly assaulted, tied, gagged and blindfolded and some of them were seriously injured," the maritime authority said in a written statement. Swedish police reached the ship by phone on July 31 and spoke with someone they believe to be the captain, police spokeswoman Maria Lonegard said. It was the last known communication with the vessel, which was believed to be off the coast of France at that time. On Saturday Finnish police told CNN that a ransom demand had been issued to the ship's owners, Solchart Management, for the return of the vessel. | [
"Where was the crew transferred to?",
"On what date was the ship believed to have been hijacked?",
"What was the ship carrying?",
"What is the name of the ship?",
"What was the name of the cargo ship which was found weeks after disappearing?",
"What was the cargo ship carrying from Finland to Algeria?",
"was the crew hurt"
] | [
[
"anti-submarine warfare ship Ladny"
],
[
"July 24,"
],
[
"6,500-ton cargo of timber"
],
[
"Arctic Sea"
],
[
"The Arctic Sea"
],
[
"of timber"
],
[
"\"is alive and well,\""
]
] | Missing cargo ship Arctic Star found weeks after disappearing .
Crew safe, transferred to Russian naval vessel, ship's owners tell CNN .
Ship was carrying timber cargo from Finland to Algeria .
Ship believed to have been hijacked off Swedish coast on July 24 . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian space officials say the crew of the Soyuz space ship is resting after a rough ride back to Earth. A South Korean bioengineer was one of three people on board the Soyuz capsule. The craft carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan on Saturday, 260 miles (418 kilometers) off its mark, they said. Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew -- South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko -- was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry. Search helicopters took 25 minutes to find the capsule and determine that the crew was unharmed. Officials said the craft followed a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to gravitational forces of up to 10 times those on Earth. Interfax reported that the spacecraft's landing was rough. This is not the first time a spacecraft veered from its planned trajectory during landing. In October, the Soyuz capsule landed 70 kilometers from the planned area because of a damaged control cable. The capsule was carrying two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut. E-mail to a friend | [
"What was the capsule carrying?",
"What did the capsule contain?",
"What country was the capsule from?",
"Where did the Soyuz capsule land?",
"What is the name of the capsule?",
"Who was the capsule carrying?",
"Where did the Soyuz capsule land?",
"What distance from the target was the capsule?",
"What happened during the first landing?",
"What was the capsule carrying?",
"what is soyus caplsule",
"Where did it land?",
"who is south korean first astronaut"
] | [
[
"two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut."
],
[
"South Korea's first astronaut"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"northern Kazakhstan"
],
[
"Soyuz"
],
[
"two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut."
],
[
"northern Kazakhstan"
],
[
"260 miles (418 kilometers)"
],
[
"landed in northern Kazakhstan on Saturday, 260 miles (418 kilometers) off its mark,"
],
[
"two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut."
],
[
"Soyuz space ship"
],
[
"northern Kazakhstan"
],
[
"Yi So-yeon,"
]
] | Soyuz capsule lands hundreds of kilometers off-target .
Capsule was carrying South Korea's first astronaut .
Landing is second time Soyuz capsule has gone awry . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The Russian Orthodox Church enthroned a new leader Sunday at Moscow's spectacular Christ the Savior Cathedral in a ceremony attended by Russian leaders and Christian delegations from around the world.
Patriach Kirill is the first new leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the collapse of communism.
Patriarch Kirill, 62, becomes first new leader of the church since the fall of communism, and the first enthroned in the Cathedral since it was rebuilt at the end of the 1990s.
Russian first lady Svetlana Medvedeva was the first person to receive the Eucharist from the new Patriarch, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
Russian Orthodox Church leaders chose Kirill Tuesday to replace Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December.
Kirill, who became acting head of the church after Alexy died, is seen as a modernizer. He chaired the church's department for external relations starting in 1989.
Kirill becomes the 16th Patriarch since the position was created in 1589. The appointment is for life.
He met Pope Benedict XVI recently, one of the highest-level meetings between Roman Catholic and Orthodox leaders since the two churches split more than 1,000 years ago.
The late Pope John Paul II was repeatedly denied permission to visit Russia.
Kirill said before he was elected Tuesday that the Russian Orthodox Church should work with other Christian faiths to support "those partners who are ready to oppose, together with us, the marginalization of religion, to speak out for believers' rights and to build one's life according to one's own principles, to defend the underlying meaning of morality in the life of an individual and society."
Alexy, 79, died December 5 after 18 years at the head of the church. He is credited with reviving the denomination after years of communist rule. | [
"Who has Kirill met ?",
"Who is the new leader?",
"Who became first new leader of church?",
"When did Alexy II die?",
"Date that Alexy 2 died?",
"When did Patriarch Alexy II die?",
"What economic system is mentioned?",
"Who became the first new leader of church since fall of communism?",
"Who did he meet?",
"Which Pope did Kirill meet with?",
"Who has Patriarch Kirill met?",
"Who died after 18 years as head of the church?"
] | [
[
"Pope Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Patriach Kirill"
],
[
"Patriach Kirill"
],
[
"December."
],
[
"December 5"
],
[
"December 5"
],
[
"communism."
],
[
"Patriach Kirill"
],
[
"Pope Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Pope Benedict XVI"
],
[
"Patriarch Alexy II,"
]
] | Patriarch Kirill becomes first new leader of church since fall of communism .
Kirill is seen as a modernizer and has met Pope Benedict XVI .
Patriarch Alexy II died December 5 after 18 years as head of the church . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The head of a leading Russian human rights group accused the presidents of Russia and Chechnya of complicity in murdering their top activist in Chechnya. Natalya Estemirova, pictured in 2007, had been openly critical of Chechnya's president, Ramzan Kadyrov. "I am confident about who killed Natalya Estemirova. We all know this person. His name is Ramzan Kadyrov, President of the Chechen republic," Oleg Orlov, the chairman of the Russian human rights group Memorial said on the group's Web site Thursday. "Ramzan was intimidating and insulting Natalya, and considered her his personal enemy. We don't know whether it was him personally who ordered her [murder] or it were his aides who wanted to please their boss. As far as [Russian] President [Dmitry] Medvedev is concerned, it seems that he doesn't mind having a murderer as head of one of the Russian regions." Estemirova, 50, was kidnapped outside her home in Chechnya Wednesday, Orlov said, citing eyewitnesses, and found dead in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia later the same day. Her body was riddled with bullets, Russian prosecutors said -- several shots to the abdomen, and one to the head. The winner of three international human rights awards, she was a leading activist in the North Caucasus area who had been openly critical of Kadyrov and his methods. Kadyrov vowed Thursday that he would personally oversee the investigation and assure her killers were punished. "She couldn't have had enemies among reasonable people," he said in a statement on the Chechen government Web site. "Those who took away her life have no right to be called humans, they don't deserve any mercy, and should be punished as the most cruel criminals. "I have no doubts whatsoever that those who ordered and conducted this crime will face trial," he said. "That is the very least that the government and society must do in commemoration of Estemirova." Medvedev said Thursday the murder was "a very sad event," adding it was "absolutely clear... her murder is linked to her professional activities. "Her type of professional activity is needed by any normal state. She did very useful things. She spoke the truth. She openly, sometimes harshly assessed some types of processes that occurred in our country, and this is the value of human rights workers, even if they are not comfortable," Medvedev said Thursday on a visit to Germany. His host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, warned the killing could affect Russian-German relations. "This is an unacceptable event, and especially if we want to intensify the relations between our two countries, it cannot remain unsolved," she said in a joint appearance with Medvedev. Medvedev had earlier condemned the murder and said her killers should punished to the full extent of the law, his office said. Estemirova shouted that she was being kidnapped, as she was forced into a white Lada automobile that had stopped on the road in front of her house on Wednesday morning, Orlov said. An unidentified man grabbed her and shoved her into the car, Orlov told CNN. Estemirova had spent years investigating human rights abuses in Chechnya, the restive Russian republic where Russian forces have fought two conflicts against separatists since 1991. Russia officially ended its military mission in Chechnya in April of this year. The activist told CNN in 2007 she was investigating dozens of abductions and murders that had become the norm in Chechnya, where security forces were fighting a dirty war against separatist rebels. She joins a growing list of journalists and activists killed after criticizing the Russian authorities, many of whose murders remain officially unsolved. Top United States and European officials condemned the murder of Estemirova and demanded that the killers be brought to justice. "Such a heinous crime sends a chilling signal to Russian civil society and the international community and illustrates the tragic deterioration of security and the rule of law in the North Caucasus over the last several months," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement. " | [
"who was abducted outside her home in Grozny?",
"who condemned the murder?",
"Who was abducted?",
"Who is said the be involved in murder?",
"What condemn in Russia and Chechnya?",
"who says Chechen president was involved in murder?",
"Where Estemirova was kidnapped?"
] | [
[
"Natalya Estemirova,"
],
[
"Medvedev"
],
[
"Estemirova,"
],
[
"Ramzan Kadyrov,"
],
[
"human rights abuses"
],
[
"Natalya Estemirova,"
],
[
"Chechnya"
]
] | Estemirova was abducted outside her home in Grozny, Chechnya .
Rights group Memorial says Chechen president involved in murder .
Leaders of Russia and Chechnya condemn the murder . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Two satellites, one Russian and one American, have collided some 800 kilometers (500 miles) above Siberia, the Russian and U.S. space agencies, said Thursday.
Debris from the collision poses no threat to the International Space Station.
The collision on Tuesday produced two large debris clouds, NASA said. The satellites collided at 10 kilometers (6 miles) per second, producing 500-600 new pieces of space debris, the U.S. Strategic Command said.
That debris is not believed to pose a threat to the International Space Station as long as the clouds continue moving in a lower orbit, according to NASA and the Russian federal space agency, Roscosmos.
"There is some elevated risk, but it is considered to be very small to the ISS and to the other satellites that NASA has in orbit," NASA spokeswoman Beth Dickey told CNN. She said experts were still assessing the effects of the debris.
Mikhail Martirosov, from Russian mission control center, told Interfax news agency that the real threat from the debris will become obvious next week, once experts can calculate the trajectory of the fragments' descent.
"We have not received a warning of the possible danger to the ISS. The fragments may descend to the ISS orbit in several years, although I do not rule out that some fragments may go down within several days," Martirosov said.
The Russian satellite was launched in 1993 and had been out of service at the time of the collision, Roscosmos said.
The U.S. satellite was part of the Iridium global mobile communications system and is owned by a consortium headed by Motorola, the space agency said. It was launched in 1997.
Iridium said in a statement Wednesday it "expects to implement a network solution by Friday," and will "move one of its in-orbit spare satellites into the network constellation to permanently replace the lost satellite" within the next 30 days.
CNN is "one of the larger non-government users" of Iridium, said Arnie Christianson, operations manager for CNN Satellites and Transmission.
"We do rely on it for communication in high-risk areas like Iraq, Afghanistan, and other remote locations," he said.
"Because of this collision, there may be a slightly longer hole in the coverage from one satellite to the next, but only in a very small area and for a very small amount of time. This is a collision, not an internal failure of the satellite or the system."
The satellite crash may result in "brief, occasional outages" that may slightly disrupt service, Iridium said in the statement, adding "this event is not the result of a failure on the part of Iridium or its technology."
Christianson questioned how U.S. government, which tracks all space junk larger than a football, didn't see this coming. But he said the system will continue to work without any noticeable problems.
A representative of Iridium could not immediately be reached for comment.
NASA's Dickey said a collision like this one is very rare.
"This is the first impact between two intact satellites traveling at hypervelocity," she said. "There have been some other occasions when things have accidentally collided in space, but they have been parts of rockets or parts of satellites and (produced) a very small cloud."
Major Regina Winchester, of the U.S. Strategic Command, said: "Space is getting pretty crowded. The fact that this hasn't happened before -- maybe we were getting a little bit lucky."
Winchester said Strategic Command tracks more than 18,000 pieces of manmade objects in space every day.
"Any time there's an event that creates more debris, it's a concern," she said. "All countries who have assets in space are going to be concerned simply because when there's more debris, there's a higher chance it's going to hit something."
CNN's Yuri Pushkin in Moscow and Melissa Gray in London contributed to this report | [
"what says NASA?",
"How much debris was there?",
"What collided?",
"what was collied?",
"What was the frist of its kind?",
"What is believed to be the first of its kind?",
"Where did the satellites collide?"
] | [
[
"The collision on Tuesday produced two large debris clouds,"
],
[
"500-600"
],
[
"Two satellites,"
],
[
"Two satellites,"
],
[
"impact between two intact satellites traveling at hypervelocity,\""
],
[
"impact between two intact satellites traveling at hypervelocity,\""
],
[
"800 kilometers"
]
] | One Russian and one U.S. satellite collide at 10 km per second .
Collision is believed to be the first of its kind .
NASA spokesman quoted as saying crash produced massive debris cloud .
Wreckage from collision expected to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere . |
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Two sentences inscribed above the refurbished entrance hall of Moscow's Kurskaya metro station are causing great agitation for survivors of Russian labor camps.Yuri Fidelgoldsh, who had five ribs removed after imprisonment six decades ago, is one of the offended survivors. This slogan at a Moscow metro station has stirred controversy: "Stalin reared us on loyalty to the people." "Stalin reared us on loyalty to the people," says the inscription above the pristine marble floors of the metro station. "He inspired us to labor and to heroism." Fidelgoldsh, now 82, doesn't use the metro station much, but he has been there to see the restoration. When he invokes the name "Stalin," he gets angry. "For people who were imprisoned, punished and whose parents were killed, this is still in their hearts," Fidelgoldsh says. Kremlin critics are outraged by the restored motto at the station. They say it's the latest attempt by the government to rehabilitate the image of Joseph Stalin, the late Soviet leader largely responsible for the division of Europe, the deaths of nearly 20 million people and the creator of the Eastern Bloc. "I have no positive emotions towards Stalin," Fidelgoldsh adds. "He's a college dropout who went into politics and became a leader of a party which fit his needs. He didn't exactly impress me with his 'great' mind." Watch report on the rehabilitation of Stalin's image » The phrase at the metro station came from the original Soviet national anthem, written in 1944 by Sergey Mikhalkov. During the de-Stalinization process that began under Nikita Khrushchev after Stalin's death in 1953, statues and other vestiges of his immense cult of personality were removed. In 1977, Mikhalkov rewrote the anthem to delete references to Stalin, and the metro station removed the original inscription of his words. The entrance hall to the station underwent extensive renovation over the past year, complete with new columns and polished marble floors. It's located on the main metro line around the city's center, through which tens of thousands of commuters pass every day. On a recent day, a woman named Nadia said she had no problem with the slogan honoring Stalin. She grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union and during the prosperous Putin years. "I think we shouldn't be ashamed because this is a part of our history. We have to somehow accept the history," said Nadia, who didn't want to give her last name. The Kremlin declined comment for this story. Pavel Suharnikov, the press director for Moscow Metro, said, "We do not wish to discuss this matter anymore, but I will say that I don't see any political motivation behind the restoration of Kurskaya." Travelers at the metro station first saw the words hailing Stalin at the start of 1950, when the station opened as one of the grand post-World War II constructions. It was contracted by Stalin himself. "This metro station was built by prisoners of gulags who were in there for no reason, just because. They were the ones building this station. I think all of this is simply wrong," says Valeri M. Shevchenko, a musician, whose father suffered at the hands of Stalin's regime. "They came in the morning, Stalin's police, took everyone outside and shot my grandfather in front of his family. My grandmother and her eight children, including my father who was 8 at the time, were sent to work camps. Only three children survived." As Shevchenko looks around the metro station today, he shakes his head. Irina Sherbakova, Moscow director of the Russian-based International Memorial Society, says this new "re-Stalinization" is a step back for democracy in Russia. "It's clear that our nation has declined to accept democracy and individual freedoms, as a principle." The Memorial Society is a community of dozens of human rights organizations in different regions of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Georgia that formed in 1990. | [
"what is the reasoning for this",
"Which subway station was restored?",
"Who does the slogan hail?"
] | [
[
"\"This metro station was built by prisoners of gulags who were in there"
],
[
"Moscow's Kurskaya"
],
[
"\"Stalin"
]
] | Newly restored slogan at Moscow metro station hails Stalin, draws criticism .
Gulag survivor: "For people ... whose parents were killed, this is still in their hearts"
Group says 40 percent of Russians are in favor of rehabilitation of Stalin's image .
"That means people don't care about what was happening to their ancestors" |
MOSCOW, Russia -- President Obama arrived in Moscow on Monday for a summit with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aimed at trying to "reset" the U.S.-Russian relationship. But he also may have a less publicized goal: figuring out who's really in charge here. President Obama, right, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walk by an honor guard in Moscow on Monday. When Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, engaged in his first summit with his Russian counterpart, things took an odd turn. Bush said -- now infamously -- that he looked into then-President Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw into his soul, and basically found he was a good guy that Americans could do business with. Oops. The Bush-Putin relationship ended up getting pretty chilly, which is why the new U.S. president is now trying to warm things up. Obama gets his first shot at literally looking into Putin's eyes Tuesday, when he has a sitdown with the man who is now prime minister of Russia, a post that many international analysts believe allows Putin to continue to pull the strings behind the scenes. Obama's outreach to Medvedev started sooner, their first meeting coming back in April at the G-20 summit in London, and it's been bearing some fruit for Obama. Russia recently signed on to sanctions against North Korea, and this week both sides will officially announce that Russia has agreed to let U.S. military equipment headed for Afghanistan fly over Russian territory. Watch Obamas arrive in Russia » Both sides are also hoping to announce significant cuts in nuclear arms, though there are still major hurdles to clear, such as Russian suspicions about U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. In an interview with The Associated Press late last week, Obama seemed to be trying to work through the sticking points by driving a bit of a wedge between Medvedev and Putin. "The old Cold War approaches to U.S.-Russia relations is outdated and that it's time to move forward in a different direction," said Obama. "I think Medvedev understands that. I think Putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new." Ouch. If he wants to accomplish some key goals in Moscow, such as winning Russian cooperation in dealing with Iran's nuclear program, why would Obama fire a rhetorical shot like that at Putin -- if, in fact, he's really in charge here? It could be that Obama is trying to flex his muscles a bit for American domestic political consumption to show he's not rolling over to Russia, amid Republican charges that he's soft on foreign policy. It's a move Putin knows well, having perfected the art of flexing his muscles at then-President Bush as a way of asserting Russian nationalism in recent years. Watch Russian students talk about Obama's visit » Whatever the intention of Obama's words, the back and forth with Putin is a reminder of the high stakes here. Of course, the president's second stop in Italy for the G-8 summit will be important too, with a packed agenda including Iran, the financial crisis, climate change and eradicating world poverty. The first African-American president's third and final stop at the end of the week in Ghana will also get wide international attention. But it's this first stop where Obama will get a big diplomatic test as he juggles, among many issues, who's really in charge here. | [
"Who will President Obama be meeting with on Monday?",
"who is dimitry medvedev",
"Where will the meetings take place?",
"who meets president obama",
"Obama meets with whom on Monday?",
"Where will Obama be traveling?"
] | [
[
"Dmitry"
],
[
"Russian President"
],
[
"Moscow"
],
[
"Dmitry"
],
[
"Medvedev"
],
[
"Moscow"
]
] | President Obama meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday .
Tuesday, he meets Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who some say is really in charge .
Obama seems to be driving a bit of a wedge between the two, says CNN's Ed Henry .
Moscow meetings will be a big diplomatic test for Obama, Henry says . |
MOSCOW, Russia -- UEFA have confirmed that Slovakian referee Lubos Michel will take charge of Wednesday's Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow. Michel refereed the 2003 UEFA Cup final when Jose Mourinho's Porto beat Celtic. Michel, 40 last week,is remembered by Chelsea fans for controversially awarding a goal to Liverpool against the Londoners in the semifinals of the 2005 competition. Chelsea's manager at the time Jose Mourinho always insisted that Luis Garcia's shot did not cross the line. Michel is regarded as one of the top referees in the world and officiated at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, including the tense Germany v Argentina game in the first knock-out round. He also refereed the 2003 UEFA Cup final when Mourinho's Porto triumphed over Celtic. Michel speaks English, Russian, German and Polish as well as his native language. Michel will be supported at the Luzhniki Stadium by the assistant referees who have partnered him at major tournaments - Roman Slysko (34) and Martin Balko (36). The fourth official will be Vladimir Hrinak (44), also from Slovakia. Meanwhile, senior police officers from Manchester traveled to Moscow on Monday to help prevent fan violence from marring the final. Manchester police will serve in an advisory role as Russian authorities prepare for Wednesday's match. "A number of my officers and I have flown out to Moscow to meet local police and help draw up arrangements to police the fixture," said chief superintendent Janette McCormick. "Although GMP officers have no powers of arrest abroad and ultimate responsibility for policing the game lies with the Russian authorities, we have been gathering intelligence on potential and known troublemakers and GMP officers will be in Moscow in an advisory role," McCormick added. As Manchester United flew out on Monday, plain-clothed intelligence officers were stationed at Manchester Airport to target known or potential troublemakers from heading to the Russian capital. Ban orders imposed on fans with soccer-related convictions will be rigorously enforced in the next two days to prevent them from flying to Moscow. "As with all operations like this, we are sending out a clear message to people intending to travel to commit violence to think again," said police chief inspector Robert Tinsley, who is based at the airport. The airport is expecting 20,000 more passengers than usual to be flying to Moscow. The British embassy in Moscow have announced that their consular section will stay open on May 21 and 22 to help English fans arriving for the final. "The consular department will extend their working hours on Wednesday and Thursday to support English citizens coming here to watch the Champions' League final," the embassy press service said. The press service report added that a 24-hour telephone "hot line" would be organized by the embassy. | [
"Who will be the fourth official at the Manchester Utd v Chelsea clash?",
"What is the referee's name who will referee the Champions League final match in Moscow on Wednesday?",
"what lubos michel will referee?",
"what will lubos michaels do at the finals",
"Who is the fourth official at the Manchester Utd v Chelsea clash?",
"Who are the two assistants?",
"who Vladimir Hrinak is?",
"what Fellow-Slovakians Roman Slysko and Martin Balko will be?",
"what will roman slysko do",
"Who is Lubos Michel?",
"what will vladimir hrinak be doing"
] | [
[
"Vladimir Hrinak"
],
[
"Lubos Michel"
],
[
"Champions League final"
],
[
"referee"
],
[
"Vladimir Hrinak"
],
[
"Roman Slysko"
],
[
"The fourth official"
],
[
"assistant referees"
],
[
"be supported at the Luzhniki Stadium"
],
[
"Slovakian referee"
],
[
"referees"
]
] | Lubos Michel will referee Wednesday's Champions League final in Moscow .
Fellow-Slovakians Roman Slysko and Martin Balko will be his two assistants .
Vladimir Hrinak will be fourth official at the Manchester Utd v Chelsea clash . |
MOSCOW, Russia -- Zenit Saint Petersburg have clinched their first Russian title in the post-Soviet Union era with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Ramenskoye on Sunday.
Zenit captain Anatoly Timoshuk kisses the Russian Premier League trophy after their victory at Ramenskoye.
The win means Zenit finish top of the table with 61 points, two points ahead of second-placed Spartak Moscow, who beat city rivals Dynamo 2-1. CKSA Moscow finished third on 53 points.
Zenit went ahead in the 15th minute when Radek Sirl's shot from the edge of the box deflected off a Ramenskoye defender and beat goalkeeper Antonin Kinski.
After the interval, the hosts poured forward seeking an equalizer and created several chances -- but Zenit held firm to secure their first championship since 1984 and make a hero out of Dutch coach Dick Advocaat.
Nine-times champions Spartak took the lead midway through the first-half.
Russian international striker Roman Pavyuchenko netted the opening goal in the 24th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the six-yard box after a mix- up in the Dynamo defence.
Brazilian striker Soares Welliton made it 2-0 seven minutes after halftime, heading home Pavlyuchenko's precise cross. Dynamo reduced the arrears in the 71st minute, when Spartak midfielder Radoslav Kovac scored an own goal.
Meanwhile, Rostov and Krasnodar were relegated fronm the Premier League. E-mail to a friend | [
"who won the title?",
"Who clinched the Russian Premier League title?",
"What was the score of the match at Ramenskoye?",
"What was the score at Ramenskoye?",
"Who won the russian premier league?",
"What was the score?",
"What player clinched the league title?",
"When did they last win the league?",
"since when the zenic did win a title?",
"when was Zenith;s last win?",
"What year did Zenit win the first title?",
"which team was beaten 1-0?",
"When was Zenit's last title?"
] | [
[
"Zenit Saint Petersburg"
],
[
"Zenit Saint Petersburg"
],
[
"1-0"
],
[
"1-0"
],
[
"Zenit Saint Petersburg"
],
[
"1-0"
],
[
"Radek Sirl's"
],
[
"1984"
],
[
"1984"
],
[
"1984"
],
[
"1984"
],
[
"Ramenskoye"
],
[
"1984"
]
] | Zenit Saint Petersburg clinch the Russian Premier League title on Sunday .
They secure the title ahead of Spartak Moscow after a 1-0 win at Ramenskoye .
The title success is Zenit's first since 1984 and the first in the post-Soviet era . |
MOUNT KENYA, Kenya (CNN) -- For as long as anyone cares to remember, the pastoralists of Kenya's Rift Valley have fled with their herds to the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya when times are tough. Hundreds of dead cattle litter the slopes of Mount Kenya, fatally weakened by long treks to the region. When the rains failed this year they set off once again in search of water and pasture -- but they found only despair. "I could have stayed home, or I could have come here, but it is all the same. All that you find is death," said Peraguan Lesagut, an aging pastoralist who came five months ago with his herd. After years of persistent drought Lesagut left his two wives and 16 children and drove 200 cattle to the foothills of Mount Kenya -- Africa's second highest summit. Now, only 40 are left; the rest succumbing to cold, disease and exposure. Across the folds of this mountain everyone has the same story. Hundreds of dead cattle dot the forests, young herdsmen try to coax ailing calves onto their feet, knowing that if they don't get up, they will die. "I am hopeless because I have seen almost all of my animals die," Lesagut said. "If the rains are delayed for even another week two, then I will lose everything." Millions of Kenyans are facing the same stark reality. The World Food Program (WFP) says that, together with the Kenyan government, they will need to feed 3.8 million people across the country. Successive years of failed crops, drought and erratic rains caused by climate change have all had an impact. Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti all face similar crises. Despite this, the U.N. agency says that its emergency programs are facing massive shortfalls. "We are facing a really difficult situation. We realize that the world economic crisis has affected the amount that countries can give to us," says WFP spokesperson Gabrielle Menezes, "But at the same time we are seeing an awful situation in Kenya. If we don't start feeding people now, things are only going to get worse." For many Kenyan farmers, the situation is already bad enough. Eunice Wairimu has seen four successive crops fail. This is harvest time in Kenya but her corn plants barely reach her knees and she will have to use her meager harvest as animal feed. "I don't even like to go to my farm because I become very upset," she said. "There is nothing for me to get there for my family." Wairimu used to sell her surplus, but now she depends on food rations. She accepts them grudgingly. "According to our tribal culture, we aren't used to being given food. We have always been willing to work hard. If it is the will of God to bring rain, he will bring rain. But he also brings drought." | [
"Who warns situation will get worse?",
"What are countries face starvation?",
"what countries also face similar crises?",
"Who also faces similar crisis?",
"What is the warning from the WFP?",
"Who is at risk of starvation?"
] | [
[
"WFP spokesperson Gabrielle Menezes,"
],
[
"Somalia, Ethiopia"
],
[
"Somalia, Ethiopia"
],
[
"Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti"
],
[
"If we don't start feeding people now, things are only going to get worse.\""
],
[
"Millions of Kenyans"
]
] | Millions of rural Kenyans at risk of starvation because of drought, crop failure .
Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti all face similar crises, World Food Program says .
Hundreds of dead cattle dot landscape, driven in search of pasture by herdsmen .
WFP warns situation will get worse unless shortfalls in resources addressed . |
MUGELLO, Italy -- Italian Valentino Rossi's resurgence continued on Saturday, as the five-time MotoGP champion took pole position at his home race in Mugello. Rossi gives the thumbs up after taking his first pole position of the season at his home race in Mugello. The 29-year-old has struggled since winning his last title in 2005 but is back at the head of the field this season on his Fiat Yamaha and has won the last two races. A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds was enough to see him take his first pole position of the season ahead of Dani Pedrosa in second and fellow-Italian Loris Capirossi in third -- the 50th pole of his career and 40th in MotoGP. "For sure we will try to keep this winning streak going. I was quite worried after practice because we had some problems but the team modified the bike and it is faster now," said Rossi. "My last pole position was a long, long time ago -- I can't even remember when it was, so I am very happy. Loris is behind me and with two Italians on the front row the crowd will be very special here." Rossi is three points ahead of Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo going into Sunday's race with reigning champion Casey Stoner a further 28 points back on his Marlboro Ducati. Rossi's time bettered the previous record pole time by Spaniard Sete Gibernau by more than 0.8 seconds, and that marker was posted two years ago on a more powerful bike. In fact, the top seven finishers all beat Gibernau's lap, achieved on a 990cc bike as opposed to the 800cc versions of today. | [
"What lap time did Rossi get?",
"What was his time?",
"Who has first pole of the season?",
"Who claims the pole position?",
"Who claimed pole position at Italian MotoGP?",
"Who is Rossi three points ahead of?",
"Where is the MotoGP?",
"Who is ahead of Dani Pedrosa in standings?"
] | [
[
"one minute 48.130 seconds"
],
[
"one minute 48.130 seconds"
],
[
"Valentino Rossi's"
],
[
"Valentino Rossi's"
],
[
"Valentino Rossi's"
],
[
"Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo"
],
[
"MUGELLO, Italy"
],
[
"Valentino Rossi's"
]
] | Valentino Rossi claims pole position for Sunday's Italian MotoGP in Mugello .
A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds enough to give Rossi first pole of season .
Yamaha rider Rossi three points ahead of Honda's Dani Pedrosa in standings . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- In the U.S., the film "Slumdog Millionaire" barely escaped going straight to video before it caught the eye of moviegoers and critics alike, becoming a sleeper hit and best picture nominee. It's viewed by many observers as the film to beat at the 81st annual Academy Awards.
Danny Boyle, left, celebrates with actor Anil Kapoor, right, at the Mumbai premiere of "Slumdog Millionaire."
In the city where the movie was shot, Mumbai, India, the recognition came much quicker and more enthusiastically.
The Mumbai premiere had all the makings of a scene from a Bollywood blockbuster: Musicians banged on traditional Indian drums as the cast and crew broke into dance on the red carpet in recognition of the 10 Academy Award nominations the film received Thursday.
"It feels like a million nominations," said director Danny Boyle, who earned one of the nominations. Watch scenes from the Mumbai premiere »
Bollywood legend Anil Kapoor, who stars as the host of the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" in the movie, said he was with Boyle when the nominations were announced. "Danny had tears in his eyes, and I couldn't control myself," Kapoor said. Watch Kapoor rave about the film »
But not everyone was celebrating.
The film, about a Mumbai orphan seeking fame and love through the "Millionaire" game show, has stirred strong emotions among some Indian critics. They found the word "slumdog" in the title insulting and complained that the movie romanticizes poverty in India.
Film critic Meenakshi Shedde said she was disappointed with the movie. "What saddened me and annoyed me about the film is that it's a laundry list of India's miseries," she said. "The poverty, the child labor, the beggary, the prostitution, that part of it was just banal, I thought."
According to the Press Trust of India, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan -- who once hosted the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" -- recently cleared the air with Boyle regarding Bachchan's reported criticism of the Golden Globe-winning film.
Such negativity was forgotten at the Mumbai premiere, which was attended by several Bollywood celebrities. They said the event marked a proud day for Indian cinema.
Loveleen Tandan, who was the film's casting director, said the entire cast was exhilarated by news of the Academy Award nominations.
As for her whether she believed "Slumdog Millionaire" had a chance at the Oscars, she expressed confidence.
"Now I can say it openly, I have high hopes," she said. "I am sure there's a statue waiting for A.R. Rahman [who composed the film's music and received three nominations] to bring home."
CNN's Mallika Kapur contributed to this report. | [
"Who was a specific person associated with the movie mentioned in the reading?",
"How many Academy Awards awards was the movie, Slumdog Millionaire, nominated for?",
"What are some in India crictical of about the film?",
"What film premiered in Mumbai?",
"What film debuted in Mumbai?",
"What movie did the cast and crew celebrate the Mumbai premiere of?",
"What country is the movie based from?",
"What is the movie's subject?",
"What movie got the most Oscar nominations?",
"Amount of Oscars the film Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for?",
"In what country did people criticize \"Slumdog Millionaire\"?",
"How many Academy Awards was \"Slumdog Millionaire\" nominated for?"
] | [
[
"Danny Boyle,"
],
[
"nominations"
],
[
"They found the word \"slumdog\" in the title insulting and complained that the movie romanticizes poverty in India."
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire\""
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire\""
],
[
"India,"
],
[
"a Mumbai orphan seeking fame and love through the \"Millionaire\" game show,"
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"10"
],
[
"India."
],
[
"10"
]
] | Cast and crew celebrate Mumbai premiere of "Slumdog Millionaire"
Film nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture .
Some in India critical of film's subject matter . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor has been catapulted into the global spotlight for his award-winning performance as creepy quiz show host Prem Kumar in the smash hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire." Anil Kapoor: "Slumdog Millionaire is like my story." Kapoor talks to CNN's "My City, My Life" about "Slumdog", his hometown of Mumbai, his own rags to riches rise to stardom and how the recent terror attacks affected the city. CNN: - Did you grow up in Mumbai? Anil Kapoor: I was born in Mumbai, in a suburb named Chembur. In my neighborhood the kids never wore shoes, we always had bare feet. I remember my parents asking me to wear shoes to go and play, but usually I would forget. Usually kids say they want to be doctors or engineers, pilots or businessmen, but I just wanted to be an actor. My father was an assistant director for an Indian film maker and then from being an assistant he became a secretary to one of the big stars. In my childhood I was surrounded by films, actors, film makers, directors and film talk. I would bunk school to watch movies, old English films and Hindi films -- that's how I spent my childhood. And playing cricket! CNN: Mumbai is the home of Bollywood movies -- was that an influence? Anil Kapoor: The influence of the film industry is tremendous over here. Every kid dreams of becoming either an actor or a cricketer. In India, we love film and everybody wants to get into films. "It's in our bloodstream -- film making, songs, music, everything connected with cinema -- people just love it. "It's the cheapest form of entertainment and recession or no recession, people just flock to the theaters to watch our movies." CNN: Tell me about "Slumdog Millionaire." Anil Kapoor: Slumdog is like my story. I also started from scratch, went from rags to riches. I started in Chembur and I slowly climbed -- God has been kind in that way. CNN: Do you think the film is an accurate portrayal of Mumbai? Anil Kapoor: It's a fairytale -- the story is basically a love story, but shot in a very realistic way and it is very authentic. If there is a traffic jam, he [Danny Boyle] has not created a traffic jam, he has actually shot the traffic jam. If he has gone into the slums it is not choreographed at all. The film is very natural -- whatever you see in "Slumdog" is very real -- nothing is exaggerated and nothing is downplayed. Watch Anil Kapoor take CNN on a tour of Mumbai. » CNN: Is the portrayal of the slums realistic? Anil Kapoor: It is -- you'll see from the way "Slumdog Millionaire" has been shot, it's not portraying misery. You see there is a lot of hope in the kids, a lot of fun and a lot of innocence. There's not a single portion where you feel it has been sensationalized. There is nowhere in the film where you feel they are trying to show misery or poverty. Mumbai is growing and it's a commercial city and you can see that things are changing. These are the realities and we have to face it. We are confident enough to face it, we are not ashamed. CNN: What reaction have you had from family and friends? Anil Kapoor: People are very proud of this film. Generally, the public is happy, the whole country is very happy. It's an Indian story with Indian content and it's great. There are a lot of friends from Britain and USA who want to come to Mumbai, after seeing this film. I happened to talk to Tom Cruise at the Golden Globes and he is very keen to come to Mumbai and visit India. CNN: How have the terror attacks affected the city? Anil Kapoor: The whole country was stunned. Mumbai was coming to | [
"In what movie did Anil Kapoor play quiz show host Kumar?",
"Which actor played the quiz show host in Slumdog Millionaire?",
"What movie did Anil Kapoor play a quiz show host?",
"Who went from rags to riches?",
"Who said that \"Slumdog Millionaire\" is a real story?",
"Who played Kumar?",
"Who lives in Mumbai?",
"In what city does Anil Kapoor live?",
"Where does Kapoor live?",
"Who said slumdog is real?",
"What is exaggerated or downplayed in the film?",
"Kapoor says what about Slumdog Millionaire?",
"What was Kapoor's role in Slumdog Millionare?",
"Where does Anil Kapoor live?",
"Who says that Slumdog is like his story?",
"Who played the quiz show host?"
] | [
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"Anil Kapoor"
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"Anil Kapoor:"
],
[
"Anil Kapoor:"
],
[
"Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor"
],
[
"Anil Kapoor"
],
[
"Mumbai,"
],
[
"Mumbai,"
],
[
"Anil Kapoor"
],
[
"nothing"
],
[
"\"Slumdog"
],
[
"creepy quiz show host Prem Kumar"
],
[
"Mumbai,"
],
[
"Anil Kapoor:"
],
[
"Anil Kapoor"
]
] | Anil Kapoor played quiz show host Kumar in hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire"
"Slumdog is like my story. I also went from rags to riches," says Kapoor .
He lives in Mumbai: "The city is pulsating, like a roller coaster" he says .
Kapoor says: "Slumdog is very real -- nothing is exaggerated or downplayed" |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Bollywood's recent financial growth has been as dizzying as the swirling dancers, colorful costumes and pulsating music that typify the industry's films. Mumbai's once booming flamboyant Hindi-language film industry is hit hard, as overseas investment dries up. Foreign money has poured into Mumbai's flamboyant Hindi-language film industry, which churns out more than 1,000 films each year. Twice as many films as Hollywood -- and for a fraction of the cost. But a financial drama has arrived on the movie sets and production suites of India's largest city courtesy of the world economic downturn and a producer's strike -- fewer films are being made; less tickets are being sold and money is suddenly tight. "It's become more difficult now to green light films; to be able to think of developing films," Nikhil Advani of People Tree Films who works as both a producer and a director told CNN. "Today you think twice how you're going to be able to put that thing together before you commit any money to it." It's the new reality: Money that was gushing into the market from abroad to finance films a year and a half ago is now just trickling in. Production of Bollywood movies has only just resumed, having ground to a halt for seven weeks due to a producer's strike. The strike is finally over, but money is still tight and this is affecting the number of films going into production. "The number of movie projects has come down by almost 30 percent," Farokh Balsara, a partner at business consultants Ernst & Young told CNN. Balsara heads Ernst & Young's media and entertainment division in Mumbai and looks at trends in the market. What's more, after several years of fast-rising film revenues due to India's exploding middle classes who were willing to spend, Bollywood finds itself back on a budget. If you don't have a solid financial plan these days, getting funding for a film is nearly impossible. Throwing around a known filmmaking family name and getting a star signed up won't cut it anymore. "The easy finance is a thing of the past," Balsara told CNN. Some producers are asking big name talent to take a cut in their pay or at least get paid on the "backend." In other words, waiting until the movie releases -- if it does well you get a piece of the pie; if not, you eat it. In some cases, accountants are actually on movie sets crunching numbers daily to make sure the budget is on target. "They are getting into daily audits," Balsara said. The thought of an accountant on set might make some producers shudder, but many believe the slowdown has done Bollywood a favor. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" says Advani of the changes the slowdown has forced on the way he produces upcoming films. "I think it's a very good [thing]." He currently has several in the works: an animated film in post-production called "Ab Dilli Door Nahin" and a gritty action-packed thriller "Basra," named after the Mumbai street term for heroin. The slowdown has made Bollywood focus on making better, not more movies, according to Advani: "I don't call it a credit crunch, I call it a credit correction. "I think what has happened is it's corrected itself, because I think Bollywood or the Indian film industry was going absolutely crazy last year." Mairi Mackay contributed to this story. | [
"What is happning to money going into the Mumbai film industry?",
"Where is foreign money pouring into?",
"What factors have hit Bollywood financially?",
"What are accountants doing daily?",
"What are some producers saying about Bollywood?"
] | [
[
"is now just trickling in."
],
[
"Mumbai's flamboyant Hindi-language film industry,"
],
[
"overseas investment dries up."
],
[
"are actually on movie sets crunching numbers"
],
[
"\"It's become more difficult now to green light films; to be able to think of developing films,\""
]
] | The economic downturn and a producer's strike have hit Bollywood financially .
Foreign money pouring into Mumbai's film industry a year ago is now trickling in .
It's harder to get funding for films, and accountants are on set auditing daily .
Some producers are positive, saying Bollywood needs to make fewer, better films . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Dressed in fancy clothes, she applies eye liner, dabs her nose with a powder puff and the director shouts, "Silence, rolling!" Avika Gor, who plays child bride Anandi in the popular but controversial show. On cue, the star of the show delivers her lines. Meet Anandi, the main character of "Balika Vadhu," an Indian television serial. Twelve-year-old Anandi is a child bride who was married off at the age of eight. She now lives with her husband and in-laws, bound by customs and traditions in their home. The daily soap is just over a year old and already one of India's most highly rated TV shows. An estimated 74 million people watched it in July. The CEO of Colors, the channel the show airs on, says viewers love it because it's based on reality. Rajesh Kamat said: "There is enough research on child marriage, the evils of child marriage. We've based our storyline on that." Kamat added the concept the show was based on is very much real and most of the incidents depicted in the program still happen in parts of India. Even though the Indian legal age for marriage is 18 for girls and 21 for boys, the law is often ignored. Since it's an illegal act, it's very hard to find a record of how many child marriages take place -- but according to UNICEF, 40 percent of all child marriages in the world take place in India. Critics of "Balika Vadhu" say the premise -- that child marriage takes place in India -- is the only real aspect of the show. The driving force behind child marriage is poverty, says Puja Marwaha, of the children's charity Child Rights and You. She says child brides are often illiterate, malnourished, considered a burden on their parents -- and their lives bear no resemblance to the glossy images seen on TV. According to Marwaha, the serial glorifies child marriage. "To show it as harmless, is a problem." "Poverty is not pretty so the child is not going to be wearing party frocks and looking pretty, contented and happy because that's not what really happens. What really happens is the child is forced into adult responsibilities too early. Whether it's the responsibility of motherhood or whether it's linked to abuse, as is the case many times." That, according to Marwaha, is the reality of child marriage. The people behind the show say its goal is not to glamorize child marriage -- but to highlight its dark side. Kamat said: "Have we depicted it in a way that is entertaining? Yes. Is the evil of child marriage highlighted? Yes. Are the evils associated with it highlighted? Absolutely." In between takes on the set of the show just outside Mumbai, Avika Gor, who plays Anandi, does her part to educate the audience. "I feel very bad about what's happening to Anandi. Child marriage is very, very, very, very, very, very, very bad." Some Indian lawmakers argued the show violated the Indian Constitution and demanded the show be banned. The government looked into it and gave it a clean chit, so the cameras continue to roll on the sets, and the show goes on. | [
"What are the India's most watched TV shows?",
"what is one of indias most watched shows?",
"What is the legal age for marriage in india?",
"What is soap's central character?",
"What is the legal age for marriage?"
] | [
[
"\"Balika Vadhu,\""
],
[
"The daily soap"
],
[
"boys,"
],
[
"Anandi,"
],
[
"18"
]
] | Soap with child bride as central character is one of India's most watched TV shows .
Critics says the show glosses over the brutalities of India's real child brides .
Executive defends show, says it does highlight evils of child marriages .
Child brides problem is widespread in India despite 18 being legal age for marriage . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Inside the blacked-out Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, hallways were littered with bloodied bodies. A commando in disguise give details of what went down in the Taj hotel when commandos went in. Terrorists were still holding 200 people 33 hours after the assault began. Knowing next to nothing about what they might encounter in the dark recesses of the hotel, Indian Army commandos decided to go back in -- and were met by terrorists firing mercilessly, throwing grenades and continuously switching positions. The sound of gunfire and explosions reverberated throughout the hotel's atrium, making it impossible to pinpoint the origin of the shots. Through it all, the commandos walked down pitch-black halls, trying to navigate the damaged hotel without knowing the layout. A commando spokesman, his face and hair swathed in a black scarf and wearing dark glasses to hide his identity, revealed these details of the mission inside the Taj at a news conference Friday. At 6:30 a.m. Friday, the battle at the Taj came to a head with a final firefight at the room holding the 200 hostages, he said. Watch what it was like inside the hotel for commandos » When the gunfire stopped, commandos -- known as the Black Cats -- entered the room and freed all 200 hostages. Their difficulties had been apparent from the beginning, he said. "We did not know the layout of the hotel," the commando told reporters. "There was one person on the hotel staff who was helping to guide us around." They entered the hotel for the first time essentially blind to what was ahead. They had no idea what kind of people they would encounter, what kind of weapons might be pointed at them, and whether they might be blown up by explosives. Learn more about the Taj's past and future » "Then we heard gunshots on the second floor and we rushed toward the fired shots," he said. "While taking cover we found that there were 30 to 50 bodies lying dead. At that point we also came under fire. The moment they saw us, they hurled grenades." When the shots stopped, the commandos moved toward the source of the gunfire. See the first photos from inside the Taj Mahal hotel » "At that time, they vanished ... they had gone elsewhere," the commando said. The attackers had a clear advantage, commandos said, because it was apparent from their movements they knew the hotel's layout. Some tourists rescued from the hotel said the building's large dome and a massive atrium made the sounds of gunfire and explosions reverberate endlessly. It was impossible to pinpoint where the shooters were. Because of the darkness, commandos could not tell how many terrorists were there -- were there many, or only a few who continued to change positions? At one point, commandos believed some of the terrorists were hiding on the eighth floor. As the commandos approached one of the rooms, attackers opened fire at them and said all the people in the room were dead. "We fired at them and they fired at us, but because the room was absolutely dark and we had just gotten [inside] it made it difficult for us," the commando said. Watch commandos talk about fighting the attackers » During the fight, two commandos were shot. They decided to flush out the terrorists by blocking entry and exit routes. But the attackers knew all the doors, he said. When they made it inside the room, the terrorists had disappeared again. Inside that room, commandos found AK-47 ammunition rounds, including seven magazines fully loaded, and 400 other rounds for other weapons. They found grenades, credit cards, U.S. notes, foreign money and bags of dried fruit, which they believed helped sustain the attackers during the siege. During the three-day assault, the attackers fired indiscriminately. But the commandos were forced to use caution. "Let me tell you one thing," the commando said. "Within the first exchanges of fire, we could | [
"How many people were rescued from Tah Mahal Hotel?",
"According to the commando, what did rescuers enter?",
"How many people were rescued from Taj Mahal Hotel?",
"What did the attackers know well?",
"How many were rescued from a hotel by commandos?",
"How many people did the commandos rescue?",
"How many hours after the sieged were they rescued?",
"How many people did commandos rescue?",
"Which hotel did the commandos save the people from?",
"How long after the siege did the resuce occur?",
"Amount of people rescued from the Taj Mahal Hotel?",
"Where were the people rescued from?",
"How many people did the commandoes rescue"
] | [
[
"200"
],
[
"Taj Mahal Palace Hotel,"
],
[
"200"
],
[
"layout of the hotel,\""
],
[
"200"
],
[
"200"
],
[
"33"
],
[
"all 200 hostages."
],
[
"Taj hotel"
],
[
"33 hours"
],
[
"200 hostages."
],
[
"Taj Mahal Palace Hotel,"
],
[
"200"
]
] | Disguised commando tells reporters rescuers entered unknown layout in the dark .
Commandos had to avoid hurting civilians, convince them they were not terrorists .
Attackers knew layout well, moved around frequently, commando says .
33 hours after siege, commandos rescued 200 people from Taj Mahal Hotel . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- On Sunday night, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali were in Hollywood, California, getting celebrity treatment as eight Oscars were awarded to the movie they starred in, "Slumdog Millionaire."
Rubina Ali, who starred in "Slumdog Millionaire," is greeted by crowds in Mumbai, India, on Thursday.
Thursday night, the two children were sleeping at home in Mumbai, India. Azharuddin sleeps under a plastic sheet in a shantytown beside a railway track, where the smell of urine and cow dung lingers in the air. Rubina sleeps with her parents and siblings in a tiny shack beside an open drain.
The slum they live in put on a Bollywood-style welcome for the two young stars. There were music, dancing, sweets, garlands, security -- tears and tantrums -- and paparazzi.
Mumbai's Garib Nagar area, which translates literally into "poor district," put on a robust show for two of its own. Watch the children get happy, chaotic reception »
Rubina and Azharuddin have lived in a Mumbai slum all their lives. They were handpicked by the producers of "Slumdog Millionaire" for parts in the movie, which tells the rags-to-riches tale of a young boy who grew up in a Mumbai slum.
Following the film's spectacular success around the world, the producers decided to include the two young actors in the movie's Oscar experience.
The children made their first journey on a plane when they were flown to Los Angeles, California, to attend the awards ceremony. "The plane was so big," said Rubina. "I'd only seen [planes] in the sky earlier and it used to look so small."
"America was just fantastic," Rubina gushed, visibly excited after she made a dramatic entry into the slum on her father's shoulders on Thursday afternoon. "I was so excited to be on stage at the Oscars. Everyone was crying."
Red-carpet formalities done, the children were given a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles. The highlight -- a trip to Disneyland. "I loved all the rides, especially the fast ones," said Rubina.
The trip to the United States did have some drawbacks though. "The food is different over there," said Rubina. " I didn't like it. I missed Indian food."
They'll have plenty of that now that they're back home. The first thing Azharuddin did when he returned to Garib Nagar was to dig into a plate of biryani, a traditional Indian meal of meat and rice, at a restaurant. His mother, who accompanied him to Los Angeles, spoke to reporters at home -- a makeshift shelter under a tree, with a torn plastic sheet for a roof. See where the children live »
She said she hoped the "Slumdog Millionaire" experience would change things. "It would be nice to get a proper home." She says she has heard rumors the government may provide her family with one, but no one has confirmed any plans for a new home. "I've been praying for a new home for so long. It's all up to Allah now."
Returning to their slum, Azharuddin and Rubina were excited -- and exhausted -- by media attention that was sometimes a little overwhelming. Azharuddin burst into tears while eating lunch, leaving his biryani unfinished, his every move caught on camera.
Hoping to secure a future for Azharuddin and Rubina, the film's producers have enrolled them in a school and set up a trust fund to ensure their welfare.
"We thought long and hard about how best can we benefit them and we decided to put in place an education plan for them," said Danny Boyle, the movie's director. iReport.com: One iReporter's personal 'slumdog' experience
"We put them in school, a very good school, which they're paid for to stay in until they're 18. If they stay in school until they're 18, a substantial sum of money is released to them then | [
"Where were the child actors from?",
"What did Rubina say?",
"Where did the child actors who attended the cermony return home to?",
"What film earned 8 Oscars?",
"What did Rubina dislike?",
"Who directed \"Slumdog Millionaire\"?",
"What is the name of the film that won eight Academy Awards?",
"Which child actors returned to India?",
"Who else was in the movie alongside Rubina Ali?",
"How many Academy Awards did \"Slumdog Millionaire\" win?"
] | [
[
"Mumbai, India."
],
[
"\"America was just fantastic,\""
],
[
"Mumbai, India."
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"\"The food"
],
[
"Danny Boyle,"
],
[
"\"Slumdog Millionaire.\""
],
[
"Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali"
],
[
"Azharuddin Ismail"
],
[
"eight Oscars"
]
] | "Slumdog Millionaire" won eight Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday .
Child actors who attended Oscars ceremony return home to India .
Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail greeted by crowds, celebration, paparazzi .
Rubina says she loved Disneyland rides, but didn't like American food . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Shweta Gupta knows exactly what kind of groom she wants: he should be educated, well settled and live in a good location --- one that must be in India. Indian brides and grooms from the Adivasi tribe take part in a mass marriage ceremony. Love may be recession proof in India, but arranged marriages are not. One of the casualties of the global economic slowdown is the Non Resident Indian (NRI) groom. They were once considered premium marriage material. After all, these were the men who had typically studied hard, gotten top jobs in the West, earned big bucks and could whisk their wives away to better opportunities in the West. Not anymore. "Yeah, I hate to say it but the NRI man seems to be out of favor with the Indian woman," said Gaurav Rakshit of Shaadi.com, a matrimonial search engine used by 14 million people globally. He has seen demand for NRI grooms drop by around 20 to 30 percent since the recession hit. Why? Shweta Gupta, a 23-year-old student, has an answer. "Many Indians working abroad have come back due to recession hitting foreign countries and I don't think recession has affected India that much," said said. She believes there is greater job security in India, so would prefer her husband to be based here. Her mother, who is involved in finding a suitable man for her daughter, agreed. "Suppose there is no job security, then again he would have to come to India, then again he would have to find a job for himself, so I would prefer both of them to be here. Plus, I want my daughter to be close to me," said Shraddha Gupta. Arranged marriages are still the norm in India and parents play an active role in choosing a life partner for their children. Traditionally, parents will let friends know that they are on the lookout for a partner for their child. Sometimes, they go to a marriage broker -- a middleman who keeps a stash of resumes and photos of eligible men and women whose families have registered with them. As Indians get more tech savvy, more people are taking their search for partners online. Matrimonial Web sites are popular since they offer a much bigger pool of potential life partners. Shweta Gupta is currently pursuing an MBA in Mumbai and is confident of getting good job offers in India --- another reason she would not want to risk that by going abroad. "As the woman finds her voice in Indian society, a part of the trend is defined by her unwillingness to compromise on where she grew up, the kind of person she wants to be with, the value system she wants to associate with," Rakshit said. Women in India are comfortable with the opportunities they have at home and don't feel they need to go abroad to have a better life. As a result, NRI men are out. So, who is in? Well, government employees, who are typically thought to hold more stable jobs. Shaadi.com said demand was up around 45 percent since last year for men with these jobs. Also in favor now: working wives --- a departure from the tradition of Indian men choosing only homemakers. Anish Sapra, 27, has been looking for a bride for around ten months --- and he wants a working woman. "It will be a help -- more than a help -- to have a working partner," he said. "Not just for financial reasons," he added noting that he believes he would have more in common with such a wife. A wife with a job could help pay off some of the wedding bills, too. Indian marriages are typically large and flamboyant affairs, though the slowdown means they are somewhat subdued these days. That is one tradition Shweta Gupta won't give up. She is holding out for a grand wedding with lots of singing and dancing -- she just has to find Mr. Right. "My marriage should be fun, it should be remembered by all people, | [
"Arranged marriages are still the norm in which country?",
"What kind of marriages are still norm in India?",
"What are still the norm in India?",
"What are women in India more comfortabe with?",
"Who was considered good marriage material to Indian families?",
"Who are more comfortable today with opportunites at home?",
"what are still the norm in India?",
"what is hitting the West hard?",
"What is the norm in India?",
"What are still a norm in India?",
"who was typically good marriage material?",
"Who are sought as good marriage material/"
] | [
[
"India"
],
[
"Arranged"
],
[
"Arranged marriages"
],
[
"the opportunities they have at home and don't feel they need to go abroad to have a better life."
],
[
"(NRI) groom."
],
[
"Women in India"
],
[
"Arranged marriages"
],
[
"recession"
],
[
"Arranged marriages"
],
[
"Arranged marriages"
],
[
"One of the casualties of the global economic slowdown is the Non Resident Indian (NRI) groom. They were once considered premium"
],
[
"government employees,"
]
] | Arranged marriages are still the norm in India .
Typically families sought Indians working overseas as good marriage material .
With recession hitting the West hard, Indians are looking inward for suitors .
Women in India are more comfortable today with the opportunities they have at home . |
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- The lawyer for the main suspect in last year's deadly terrorist attack in Mumbai was removed Wednesday, delaying the high-profile trial that was set to begin.
Soldiers patrol in Mumbai on the eve of the trial of a key suspect in last year's attacks in the Indian city.
The trial start for Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is expected to be moved to Thursday as officials scramble to settle the lawyer issue. Kasab is thought to be the only one of 10 gunmen to survive the three-day siege, which killed more than 160 people in November.
As the trial was to begin, the judge removed attorney Anjali Waghmare because she also was representing a witness in the case. Waghmare argued that she had no idea that the person was a witness in the terror case, and she was representing this person in a different case. But the judge declared that it was a conflict of interest.
An Indian court appointed Waghmare two weeks ago to represent Kasab, and it was unclear who would replace her.
Kasab demanded that his attorney be replaced with a Pakistani lawyer. But the judge denied that request and said that a Pakistani lawyer may be able to be brought in as a consultant from outside the courtroom.
Kasab, a Pakistani national, faces more than a dozen charges, including murder, conspiracy to wage a war against the nation and terrorism.
During the proceedings Wednesday Kasab seemed relaxed and smiled many time at the large crowd of journalists in the courtroom. Kasab also requested newspapers to be brought in so that he could see what the media was writing about him.
Prosecutors last month accused him of trying to delay the trial by insisting that the 11,000-page document detailing the charges against him -- which was written in English and the local Marathi language -- be translated into Urdu, the official language of Pakistan. The court rejected his request.
Wednesday's trial was to take place in a makeshift court set up in a jail where Kasab -- who has been communicating with the judge via videolink -- is being held.
Indian authorities have long blamed the Mumbai attacks on Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistan-based militant outfit, but the group has denied responsibility. The violence initially heightened tensions between the two nuclear states.
India has urged Pakistan to destroy what it calls terrorist infrastructure in that country. The two nations are longtime rivals that have fought three wars since their independence from the British, and conducted countering nuclear weapons tests in 1998.
CNN's Sara Sidner contributed to this report. | [
"what age is Mohammed Ajmal Kasab",
"What is the age of the accused?",
"when will the trial start",
"In what month did the attacks occur?",
"How many victims?",
"Will Kasab be charged ?",
"What day does the trial start?",
"Who does the lawyer represent?",
"Who is being accused?",
"What month was the siege in?",
"When was the trial due to start?",
"When did the siege take place ?"
] | [
[
"21,"
],
[
"21,"
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"November."
],
[
"160"
],
[
"faces more than a dozen charges, including murder, conspiracy to wage a war against the nation and terrorism."
],
[
"Thursday"
],
[
"Mohammed Ajmal Kasab,"
],
[
"Mohammed Ajmal Kasab,"
],
[
"November."
],
[
"Wednesday,"
],
[
"November."
]
] | Main suspect's lawyer removed as she represents a witness in the case .
Trial was to start Wednesday, unclear when court proceedings will resume .
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is accused of being the only gunmen to survive siege .
The November siege targeted victims at Mumbai hotels, hospitals, railway stations . |
MUMBAI, India (Reuters) -- A newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived, doctors said on Wednesday, despite a cracked skull and exposed intestines. The baby boy, who doctors said was aged between one and two days, was discovered soaked in blood at a garbage dump in India's financial capital of Mumbai on Tuesday, they said. His intestines were hanging out from a deep wound on his back and he had dirt and garbage stuck on him. "When he was brought in he looked pale from blood loss," said Ramesh Hatti, a doctor at a city hospital. "He is still in a lot of pain but is now stable." Police have not been able to trace the baby's parents or establish a reason for the attack. Babies are sometimes abandoned by unwed Indian mothers, who fear severe social repercussions for having a child out of wedlock. E-mail to a friend | [
"who survived stabbing?",
"What part of the baby was fractured?",
"How many stab wounds did the baby suffer?",
"what did doctors say",
"How many days old was the baby?"
] | [
[
"A newborn Indian baby"
],
[
"cracked skull"
],
[
"26"
],
[
"newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived,"
],
[
"between one and two"
]
] | A newborn Indian baby found abandoned with 26 stab wounds has survived .
The baby boy also suffered a cracked skull and exposed intestines .
Doctors said he was aged between one and two days .
Babies are sometimes abandoned by unwed Indian mothers . |
MUNICH, Germany (CNN) -- Alleged Nazi camp guard John Demjanjuk had no choice but to bring Jews to their deaths in extermination camps, Demjanjuk's defense argued Monday as his long-awaited trial got under way.
Demjanjuk, 89, faces charges of being an accessory to about 27,900 murders during World War II.
But his defense attorney, Ulrich Busch, said Monday the court was imposing a "moral and judicial double standard."
The retired auto worker from Cleveland, Ohio -- a native Ukrainian -- was a prisoner of war during the conflict, and would have been killed had he not done what the Nazis ordered, the defense team argued.
The defense line that Demjanjuk was forced to help the Nazis represents a change for the defendant, who has denied in the past that he was a camp guard.
The guards forced to help the Nazis were "victims, not culprits -- survivors, not murderers," defense lawyer Busch said.
Higher-ranking German SS officers in a similar situation have been found not guilty of war crimes, the defense argued.
The Munich state prosecutor brought the charges against Demjanjuk for his alleged role at the Sobibor death camp in Poland, where the Nazis and their accessories killed at least 167,000 people, according to the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum.
About 30 relatives of victims have joined the prosecution case. In Germany it is possible for the families to join the prosecution case as co-plaintiffs, representing named individuals who died in the death camps.
If Demjanjuk is found guilty, it will not be only for 27,900 anonymous murders, but for the murders of victims specifically named by the co-plantiffs.
There are very few remaining survivors of Sobibor.
Demjanjuk's defenders say he was a Soviet prisoner of war at the Trawniki camp, where Nazis trained prisoners to assist with the extermination of about 2 million Jews in occupied Poland. Those prisoners of war had no choice but to assist, the defense said.
Demjanjuk was brought into the court in a wheelchair, accompanied by medical personnel and a German-Ukrainian translator. He did not speak in the opening phase of the trial, and had his eyes shut most of the time.
The trial is expected to last until May of next year.
He was deported in May from the United States to Germany.
The German court originally accused him of complicity in about 29,000 murders. The prosecutor's office said it revised the number because some of those who had allegedly died in the camp when Demjanjuk was there were already dead during the transport to Sobibor.
Demjanjuk lost a U.S. Supreme Court case against his deportation. His lawyers had asked the high court to consider their claims that he was too ill and frail to be sent overseas. They also raised human rights and other legal issues.
The Munich State Court ruled earlier this year he was fit to stand trial.
But doctors have restricted the time he can be tried each day to two sessions of 90 minutes each, said Anton Winkler, Munich state prosecutor.
The accusations against Demjanjuk date to the late 1970s, when the U.S. Justice Department accused him of being a Nazi guard known as "Ivan the Terrible." His U.S. citizenship was revoked in 1981, and he was extradited to Israel in 1986.
Demjanjuk was convicted in an Israeli court in 1988 and sentenced to death, but that conviction was overturned in 1993 amid evidence that someone else was "Ivan the Terrible."
A federal court restored Demjanjuk's citizenship, ruling the government withheld evidence supporting his case.
But his citizenship was revoked again in 2002 after a federal judge ruled his 1952 entry into the United States was illegal because he hid his past as a Nazi guard.
CNN's Diana Magnay contributed to this report. | [
"Who is Demjanjuk?",
"What does Demjanjuk claim?",
"what does he say he was during the conflict?",
"He says he was a prisoner of war, not what?",
"who denies any role in the Holocaust?",
"what does he say he was not during the conflict?"
] | [
[
"Alleged Nazi camp guard"
],
[
"he was too ill and frail to be sent overseas."
],
[
"prisoner of war"
],
[
"camp guard."
],
[
"John Demjanjuk"
],
[
"a camp guard."
]
] | Demjanjuk, a retired autoworker from Ohio, denies any role in the Holocaust .
He says he was a prisoner of war during conflict, not a camp guard .
Demjanjuk, 89, moved to Germany after losing legal fight against deportation . |
MUNICH, Germany (CNN) -- Juliane Koepcke is not someone you'd expect to attract attention. Plainly dressed and wearing prescription glasses, Koepcke sits behind her desk at the Zoological Center in Munich, Germany, where she's a librarian. Juliane Koepcke fell more than 3kms after the plane in which she was traveling broke up in midair. Yet this unassuming middle aged woman has one of the most exciting and unbelievable stories of tragedy and survival to tell. It was Christmas Eve, 1971, when Koepcke, then aged 17, and her mother boarded a Lockheed Electra turboprop for a flight from Lima, Peru, to Pucallpa in the Amazonian rainforest. Her parents, both famous zoologists, ran a research station in the jungle studying wildlife. The airline, LANSA, had already lost two aircraft in previous crashes. "We knew the airline had a bad reputation," Koepcke told CNN, "but we desperately wanted to be with my father for Christmas, so we figured it would be alright." The flight was supposed to last for less than an hour and for the first 25 minutes everything was fine, Koepcke recalled. "Then we flew into heavy clouds and the plane started shaking. My mother was very nervous. Then to the right we saw a bright flash and the plane went into a nose dive. My mother said, 'This is it!'" An accident investigation later found that one of the fuel tanks of the Lockheed Electra had been hit by a bolt of lightning which had torn the right wing off. "We were headed straight down. Christmas presents were flying around the cabin and I could hear people screaming." Watch Koepcke tell her dramatic survivor's story » As the plane broke into pieces in midair, Koepcke was thrust out into the open air: "Suddenly there was this amazing silence. The plane was gone. I must have been unconscious and then came to in midair. I was flying, spinning through the air and I could see the forest spinning beneath me." Then Koepcke lost consciousness again. She fell more than three kilometers (two miles) into the jungle canopy but miraculously survived with only minor injuries. Ninety-one other people aboard Flight 508 died. Koepcke says she is not a spiritual person and has tried to find logical explanations for why she survived. "Maybe it was the fact that I was still attached to a whole row of seats," she says. "It was rotating much like the helicopter and that might have slowed the fall. Also, the place I landed had very thick foliage and that might have lessened the impact." In any case she survived with only minor injuries. Her collarbone was broken, her right eye swollen shut, she was suffering concussion and had large gashes on her arms and legs. "I didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning. I know this because my watch was still working. So I must have been unconscious the whole afternoon and the night. When I came to I was alone, just me ... and my row of seats." Her ordeal was far from over. Rescue planes and search crews were unable to locate the crash site and Koepcke was stranded in the jungle alone. But she had spent years on the research station with her parents and her father had taught her how to survive in the rainforest -- she knew how to cope in that environment. ""He said if you find a creek, follow it because that will lead to a stream and a stream will lead to a bigger river and that's where you'll find help." The day after the crash she found a creek and started to wade down stream, but it was tough going. The only food she had was some candy she had found at the crash site and her wounds were quickly infested with parasites. "I had a cut on my arm and after a few days I could feel there was something in it. I took a look and a fly had laid her eggs in the hole. It was full of maggots | [
"What was the survivor's name?",
"how many dead there were",
"Who was the only survivor?",
"How far did Koepcke fall?"
] | [
[
"Juliane Koepcke"
],
[
"Ninety-one"
],
[
"Juliane Koepcke"
],
[
"3kms"
]
] | German girl, 17, was only survivor of 1971 plane crash in Peruvian rainforest .
Juliane Koepcke fell more than 3km into jungle attached to a row of seats .
Koepcke suffered minor injuries, survived for 10 days alone in rainforest .
Koepcke haunted by ordeal; especially when confronted with other air disasters . |
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A Zimbabwean court ordered a senior opposition politician back to jail Wednesday to await his trial, set to begin next week. Roy Bennett talks to the press in March 2009, a few moments after being released on bail. "I commit the accused to prison," Magistrate Lucy Mungwari said as she announced the ruling in Roy Bennett's case to a packed courtroom in Mutare, about 185 miles southeast of the capital, Harare. Bennett, a Movement for Democratic Change politician and an ardent critic of President Robert Mugabe's policies, was arrested on February 13 -- just before he was to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister in the new power-sharing government. He faces charges of possessing weapons for sabotage, banditry and terrorism. Initially he had been charged with treason. Immediately after the ruling, prison guards whisked away a visibly shocked Bennett, clad in khaki trousers, brown shoes and a checked shirt. "We are really worried by this development," said Bennett's lawyer, Trust Maanda. "We are trying all possibilities to have him released. We will be at the high court this evening to seek his liberty." State prosecutor Chris Mutangadura said the development was a "natural effect of the law." "It is procedural," Mutangadura said. "He had to be indicted to the high court, and that means he loses his liberty until the trial resumes." "If there is any defect in the process, the accused should raise it with the high court," said the magistrate, Mungwari. A spokesman for Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said the premier has tried to meet with Mugabe since hearing that Bennett was sent back to jail. Tsvangirai has not been granted access by Mugabe's employees, said spokesman James Maridadi. "The prime minister has suspended the council of ministers' meeting he chairs on Thursdays," Maridadi said. "... He is meeting his party leadership first thing on Thursday." The arrest of Bennett, a white coffee grower whose property was expropriated under the country's controversial land reform laws, came as other ministers where being sworn into the coalition government formed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai. The action almost derailed the power-sharing deal, which had been brokered by the regional Southern African Development Community after a hotly disputed election won by Mugabe last year. Bennett spent about a month in jail before the country's Supreme Court ordered him released on bail in March. Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa called Wednesday's ruling "a ridiculous and extraordinary development." He said it was a "serious abuse of the law, which will affect the coalition government," and added, "We are not going to sit and watch this abuse go on." | [
"What charges is Bennett facing?",
"He was arrested before he was going to be sworn in as what?",
"PM was trying to meet with who about the latest development?",
"Who is a Movement for Democratic Change politican?",
"What is Bennett's first name?",
"What kind of politician is Bennett?",
"In what country was he to serve as agriculture minister?",
"How many charges does he face?",
"What position was Bennett to be sworn into?"
] | [
[
"possessing weapons for sabotage, banditry and terrorism."
],
[
"deputy agriculture minister"
],
[
"Mugabe"
],
[
"Bennett, a"
],
[
"Roy"
],
[
"a senior opposition"
],
[
"Zimbabwean"
],
[
"possessing weapons for sabotage, banditry and terrorism."
],
[
"deputy agriculture minister"
]
] | Bennett is a Movement for Democratic Change politician .
He is arrested before he was to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister .
He faces charges of possessing weapons for sabotage, banditry and terrorism .
PM is trying to meet with President Mugabe about the latest development . |
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) -- After earning a reputation as a killer in Haiti, Tropical Storm Hanna amounted to little more than a windy rainstorm along the Atlantic Coast on Saturday. Water almost covers the dock at the Marine Corps Air Station marina near the New River in North Carolina. No states have "expressed any damage that they couldn't handle," said Glenn Cannon, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assistant administrator for disaster operations. He said there were some concerns about flooding near rivers and in low-lying areas. "We're monitoring Hanna, but it seems to be a heavy rain event," he said. According to the Associated Press, Hanna did cause one death in a traffic accident on Interstate 95 in Maryland. Many people in Huntington, Virginia, about 8 miles northwest of Virginia Beach, voluntarily evacuated Saturday afternoon because of concerns about flooding, Fairfax County public information officer Merni Fitzgerald said. The area, which has flooded in the past, was receiving heavy rain, she said. She could not provide an exact number of people who had evacuated. The storm drenched the Carolinas and Virginia with heavy rain pushed by 55-mph winds as it zipped northward near 30 mph (48 kph), the National Hurricane Center reported at 11 p.m. ET Saturday. At that hour, the center of the storm was 90 miles (145 kilometers) west-southwest of Long Island, New York, and about 135 miles (220 kilometers) southwest of Providence, Rhode Island. Hanna would travel the coast all the way up to Canada's Maritime Provinces by Sunday night, forecasters said. Hanna came ashore at 3:20 a.m. ET near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. It caused a surge of 1 to 2 feet of water along the shore and was expected to deliver 4 to 6 inches of rain, with some areas getting more. Flooding, wind damage and power outages were minor across the Carolinas, according to emergency officials. View a map of Hanna's projected path » "It's actually going fairly well, with some reports of minor flooding," said South Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Derrec Becker. About 10,000 South Carolina homes were without power Saturday morning, mostly in the Myrtle Beach area, Becker said. He also said 444 South Carolina residents were staying in 15 shelters. In North Carolina, nearly 12,000 homes had no electricity, mostly in the counties near where Hanna came in, said State Emergency Management spokesman Mark Van Sciver. See what impact Hanna had on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina » No deaths were reported, flooding was limited, and no highways were closed, Van Sciver said. Nearly 1,500 residents sought refuge Saturday in 49 emergency shelters in North Carolina, Van Sciver said. The storm snarled some travel plans. It triggered delays for arrivals to Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania and departures from Newark International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Delays at JFK airport averaged about four hours, the FAA said. Hanna's eye made landfall near Little River Inlet at the South Carolina-North Carolina line, according to CNN meteorologists. Watch wind whip a South Carolina beach » Pounding waves flattened some sand dunes on the beaches at Oak Island, North Carolina, just east of the storm's landfall. The island's Ocean Crest pier, rebuilt after Hurricane Floyd destroyed it nine years ago, held up under Hanna, but the American flag flying above it was in tatters and barely attached to its pole by sunrise. By Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center had discontinued a tropical storm warning southward from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A tropical storm warning covered much of the East Coast from Cape Hatteras to Merrimack River, Massachusetts, about 31 miles north of Boston. The warning included all of Chesapeake Bay, Washington, New York Harbor and Long Island Sound, as well as popular vacation islands Martha's Vineyard, Block Island and Nantucket. The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 | [
"Where were the residents evacuated voluntarily?",
"Residents of which city evacuated due to flooding?",
"What did FEMA say about help?",
"How much rain is expected to fall along the Atlantic Coast?",
"How many states did FEMA say requested help?",
"How much rain is expected on the Atlantic Coast?",
"What caused the residents to be evacuated?"
] | [
[
"Huntington, Virginia,"
],
[
"Huntington,"
],
[
"\"We're monitoring Hanna, but it seems to be a heavy rain event,\""
],
[
"4"
],
[
"No"
],
[
"4 to 6 inches"
],
[
"Tropical Storm"
]
] | Residents in Huntington, Virginia, voluntarily evacuating because of flooding .
FEMA says no states have requested help with damage from storm .
Little damage reported from storm in U.S. after at least 137 deaths in Haiti .
4 to 6 inches of rain expected all along Atlantic Coast . |
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) -- The top three Democratic presidential candidates face off in a Monday night debate in South Carolina, with the hearts and minds of African-American voters on the line. Sen. Barack Obama addresses Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina share the stage at Myrtle Beach's Palace Theatre as the nation honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday. The debate, put together by CNN and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, comes five days before the Democratic primary in South Carolina, where almost half of the Democratic primary voters are African-Americans. These voters will be crucial to the outcome of Saturday's primary in South Carolina. They now appear to be leaning heavily toward Obama, who if elected, would become the country's first black president. Having a debate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in South Carolina "is very fitting," said David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief, who is executive producer of the debate. "Perhaps a debate on Martin Luther King Day in South Carolina should be made a must-stop on the road to the White House every four years." A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Friday suggested that nearly 60 percent of black registered Democrats were backing Obama as the presidential nominee, with 31 percent supporting Clinton. That's a major shift from October, when African-Americans backed Clinton over Obama, 57 percent to 33 percent. What appears to have changed is Obama's electability. "There's been a huge shift among African-American Democrats from Clinton to Obama. African-American Democrats used to be reluctant to support Obama because they didn't think a black man could be elected. Then Obama won Iowa and nearly won New Hampshire. Now they believe," Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst, said. "Obama's lead over Clinton among black men is more than 50 points, and among black women, once a Clinton stronghold, Obama has an 11-point advantage," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. Entrance polls from Saturday's Nevada Democratic caucuses match what appears in the CNN poll. Eighty-three percent of black voters questioned before they entered the caucuses said they were backing Obama, with 14 percent supporting Clinton, who if elected, would become the country's first woman to win the presidency. These kinds of numbers could spell trouble in South Carolina for Clinton, who's coming off victories in the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses. But Clinton holds a special relationship with many in the black community, thanks to her efforts in support of civil rights and to the popularity of former President Clinton with African-Americans. Both Democratic front-runners were reaching out to African-American voters Sunday. Obama, who often refers to King in his speeches, spoke at Atlanta, Georgia's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late civil rights leader once preached. Watch Clinton, Obama reach out to black voters » Obama recalled the legacy of discrimination against African-Americans but challenged the audience at the historic black church to take a look at a few lingering prejudices among some within the community. "And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community," Obama said, citing homophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Obama told the congregation Sunday morning that if King could forgive his jailers, "surely we can look past what divides us in our time." Obama's visit to the city coincided with his endorsement Sunday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which cited his "appeal across many of the lines that have divided America," adding that "both Clinton and Obama would make very good presidents, [but] Obama is the person; this is his | [
"Who picks up pastor's endorsement at Harlem church?",
"Where was Hillary Clinton?",
"What is CNN hosting?",
"Whose church did Obama visit?",
"Where did Clinton go?",
"What city is the former church of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. located in?",
"Who is hosting the debate?",
"Where did Obama go?"
] | [
[
"Obama"
],
[
"South Carolina,"
],
[
"Monday night debate"
],
[
"Ebenezer Baptist"
],
[
"South Carolina,"
],
[
"Atlanta, Georgia's"
],
[
"David Bohrman,"
],
[
"Atlanta, Georgia's Ebenezer Baptist Church,"
]
] | Congressional Black Caucus Institute, CNN host Democratic debate tonight .
Front-runners vying for African-American voters ahead of South Carolina primary .
Sen. Barack Obama visits former church of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta .
Sen. Hillary Clinton picks up pastor's endorsement at Harlem church . |
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (CNN) -- No piece of equipment is more crucial to a soldier in the field than his rifle. And America's most elite troops are about to get a new series of rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions.
CNN was given an exclusive look at two new rifles for an elite group of U.S. troops.
"The difference is, I'm gonna have a weapon that's gonna fit the situation," an Army Ranger staff sergeant said.
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is about to start training its SEALs, Green Berets and other Special Operations troops in the use of Mark 16 and Mark 17 rifles.
Within a year, the new rifles should be in action against terrorists and insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan and hot spots the public may never hear about.
The usually secretive SOCOM gave CNN an exclusive chance to see and even fire the new weapon recently at its headquarters near Tampa, Florida. Watch a preview of the new weapons »
The contractors working with SOCOM to develop the weapon say it is more versatile and more accurate, jams less and lasts longer than the current rifle used by many Special Operations troops, the M-4.
The Mark 16 (Mk16) fires a 5.56 mm round, the same size used for decades in M-16s and M-4s. The Mk17 fires a larger 7.62 mm round that is used in some U.S. military machine guns, but it's not the same round as in the AK-47, the world's most widely used assault rifle.
Both of the new rifles are designed to kill regardless of the situation.
"Whether that's a soft target, a guy without body armor, or whether that's an enemy force within a vehicle that you need to shoot through a window or the side of the vehicle and you want to ensure that round is not deflected," said Tucker Campion, a retired Navy SEAL who now is a civilian contractor working on the new rifles. "We want a round that, when it hits the enemy soldier, provides the maximum amount of damage."
Even though they fire different-size bullets, each rifle is largely interchangeable with the other. By changing only a few parts, including the bolt and the barrel, a soldier can switch from a gun that fires the lighter 5.56 mm round to one that shoots the heavier 7.62 mm round in a matter of minutes.
That's just one example of the rifle's versatility. Each gun comes with three interchangeable barrels, and each gives the troops a specific advantage.
"If you were going to clear an urban environment, buildings, rooms, you'd probably throw the short barrel on there," the staff sergeant said.
CNN is honoring the Ranger's request not to identify him, because in battle, anonymity is crucial for Special Operations troops.
"If you're in Afghanistan and you're walking in the mountains and the hills and all that, and your distance is going to be a lot greater to the enemy, and you're probably going to want to throw the longer barrel on there so you get that extra reach," the Ranger said.
Even though the rifles fire the same bullets as existing weapons, they are designed to be much more accurate.
"If you look at a current inventory assault rifle, you get 350 to 400 meters," Campion said of their range of accuracy. "Put a long barrel in (the new rifle), and now you're at 6 to 7 (hundred meters). So we're extending the standoff between us and the enemy." A longer standoff means an American can shoot an enemy soldier from farther away; thus, the American is safer.
One of the main goals was to design a gun that lasts longer. Campion says the M-4 is designed to fire 6,000 rounds over five years. But the Mk16 and Mk17 were designed for Special Operations, who are likely to fire 6,000 rounds in less than one year. The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of use and last twice as long.
The design changes | [
"what will the military do",
"what does the elite group have?",
"What are the new rifles designed to handle?",
"what are The new rifles designed for",
"what type of rifles?",
"Who gave CNN an exclusive look at the situation?",
"What kind of rifles were designed for dangerous missions?"
] | [
[
"start training its SEALs, Green Berets and other Special Operations troops in the use of Mark 16 and Mark 17 rifles."
],
[
"a new series of rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions."
],
[
"the greater rate of use"
],
[
"unique and dangerous missions."
],
[
"Mark 16 and Mark 17"
],
[
"SOCOM"
],
[
"Mark 16"
]
] | Military will train an elite group of troops with versatile new rifles .
Mark 16, Mark 17 rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions .
Usually secretive Special Operation Command gave CNN an exclusive look .
The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of use and last twice as long . |
Macon, Georgia (CNN) -- Bettye Webb-Hayes won't ever forget the day her son posed a question that stopped her in her tracks. "Mom," the fourth-grader asked, "am I white?" It was a question she had never asked her own parents. It was something you didn't talk about in the days of the segregated South -- especially when your mom was white and your father was a mix of African-American and Native American. She went to the black schools of Macon, Georgia. Now, her son was asking probing questions. "Why would you ask me that?" she said. "Because everybody at school calls me a honky," said the young Cordell, a light-skinned African-American. Twenty-seven years have passed since that conversation. Bettye and her son recently traveled back to Macon to face something that's been omnipresent their whole lives: the coming together of white and black. They returned for a one-of-a-kind 50th high school gathering. The classes of 1959, once segregated by race as well as gender, sat down together for the first time in history. Ruby Dean Dupree Mayes arrived two hours early for the festivities. She didn't sleep the night before. "It's like waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. I'm so excited," said Mayes, who drove more than 330 miles from Tennessee to attend. Mayes went to Ballard-Hudson High, the city's black high school, whose most famous students include singers Otis Redding and Little Richard. She came this day "to celebrate and commemorate." "I could not pass this event up," she said. "I never dreamed of this moment -- just the realization of knowing that we had come together, at last." As the 1959 graduates arrived, they welcomed one another. Many first greeted people of their own race. Some hadn't seen particular classmates in the 50 years since they earned their diplomas. Gradually, they began mixing and mingling. There was a commonality -- a need to come together for their children, their grandchildren and the generations to follow. Discuss the past, while moving forward in the present. Separated now by 'personal choice' It sometimes takes a son to see things in a new light. The idea for the meeting began four years ago, when a son told his father: "Dad, think about how many friends you missed getting to know." Those were the words of Wyatt Johnson, a public school teacher in Santa Cruz, California. He and his father, Tom Johnson, were enjoying a father-son trip to Macon in 2005 to rediscover their roots. Tom Johnson is the former head of CNN and was once the publisher of the Los Angeles Times. He's traveled the world and left his own mark along the way. Yet despite all his accomplishments, there was something he'd never done: reach out to the African-Americans of Macon from 1959, the ones he never knew because of segregation. An idea was born. He wrote to graduates of the black school, Ballard-Hudson; the white girls' school, Miller; and the white boys' school, Lanier. "We all have deep personal memories of our high school experiences that will remain with us forever," he wrote. "We had lived in a separate black and white world in Macon. ... It is a different world today. We no longer are separated, except by personal choice." One white graduate responded with hate mail, a reminder that racism still exists. But on a day in early October, more than 200 people gathered at a Goodwill banquet hall. There was no shouting, none of the in-your-face name-calling seen in recent health care town hall meetings across the country. Here, there were tears, hugs and handshakes. Often, talk of grandkids took center stage at the 16 roundtables. They talked about race and the segregated past that prevented such | [
"Where did students from former segregated schools unite?",
"What did Ruby Dean Dupree Mayes say?",
"Who reunited in Macon, Georgia?",
"Who said \"I never dreamed of this moment\"?"
] | [
[
"Macon"
],
[
"\"It's like waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. I'm so excited,\""
],
[
"the 1959 graduates"
],
[
"Ruby Dean Dupree Mayes"
]
] | Students from former segregated schools of 1959 unite in Macon, Georgia .
"I never dreamed of this moment," says Ruby Dean Dupree Mayes .
Michael Cass: "I'm glad we've left the past behind"
The group hopes to set example for elders of other Southern cities . |
Madison, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Republicans retained four of the six state Senate seats that were in jeopardy in Tuesday's recall elections in Wisconsin, news media in the state reported.
Democrats won two seats but needed three to take control.
The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, which certifies election results, said official results will begin to come in Thursday and will be certified that day at the earliest. The unofficial results released Wednesday were collected by The Associated Press and distributed to newspapers, television and radio stations.
The recall election stems from the bitter battle last winter that saw pro-union protesters camping out in the state Capitol and Democratic senators fleeing the state in an unsuccessful attempt to halt legislation by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that some felt was anti-union.
Democrats were angling to win GOP-held seats to capture control of the upper chamber. Before the election, Republicans held a 19-14 majority in the state Senate. With a victory, Democrats had hoped to build momentum for a planned effort to recall Walker.
Walker, who was elected in November with strong support from tea party activists, can't be recalled until after he serves a year in office.
Republicans have countered with their own recall attempts against three Democrats. One of them survived a challenge in July, while two others will be on the ballot next week.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus applauded the results of the Tuesday vote.
"Today, Wisconsin voters rejected the reckless spending of Wisconsin Democrats and the downgrade-inducing policies of their Washington counterparts. They have given their seal of approval to Republicans' successful efforts to balance the budget and ensure a healthy economy," he said.
Priebus also said the vote was an affirmation of Walker's policies.
Walker set off a firestorm in January when he moved to curtail the collective bargaining rights of most state employees. With majorities in both houses of the Legislature, Walker and his GOP allies voted to limit raises for public employees except police and firefighters to the rate of inflation, bar unions from deducting dues from workers' paychecks and force them to hold a new certification vote every year.
Republicans insisted that the legislation was necessary to control skyrocketing public employee benefit costs and close a budget shortfall, while Democrats called it an attempt to gut public-sector labor unions, one of their core constituencies. The state Supreme Court upheld the legislation in June.
While Democrats would not have been able to roll back the union restrictions with control of only one chamber of the Legislature, they would have been able to block any of Walker's other initiatives.
Tea Party Express chief strategist Sal Russo said he was pleased about the vote.
"The importance of those achievements cannot be overstated," Russo said. "Wisconsin has set an example that the nation as a whole should follow."
CNN's Ted Rowlands, Gabriella Schwarz, Paul Steinhauser and Ashley Killough contributed to this report. | [
"What can't be overstated",
"What is an affirmation",
"Whose policies does the vote affirm",
"What did Tea Party Express member's say?",
"What reason were there for recalls",
"How many Republican senators faced recall votes on Tuesday?",
"How many senators faced a recall"
] | [
[
"importance of those achievements"
],
[
"the vote"
],
[
"Walker's"
],
[
"pleased about the vote."
],
[
"stems from the bitter battle last winter that saw pro-union protesters camping out in the state Capitol and Democratic senators fleeing the state in an unsuccessful attempt to halt legislation by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that some felt was anti-union."
],
[
"six"
],
[
"six"
]
] | NEW: Tea Party Express member: The importance of the vote can't be overstated .
RNC chair: Vote is an affirmation of Walker's policies .
Six Republican senators faced recall votes Tuesday .
The recalls stem from the winter battles over union rights . |
Madrid (CNN) -- Spain's royal family publicly revealed its finances for the first time Wednesday, as the nation faces an economic crisis and corruption allegations bring increased scrutiny to the monarchy.
King Juan Carlos receives 292,752 euros ($382,743) annually, the royal palace said in a statement. Prince Felipe, next in line to the throne, receives about half that amount
Queen Sofia, Princess Letizia, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina received a combined total of 375,000 euros for royal duties ($490,274) in 2011, the palace's statement said.
The announcement comes as a corruption investigation reportedly involving the king's son-in-law has fueled public criticism of the royal family.
Authorities are investigating whether a foundation headed by Inaki Undangarin improperly used public funds, according to media reports. No charges have been filed against Undangarin, a former Olympic handball player who married Infanta Cristina in 1997.
Urdangarin's attorney, in an interview with Europa Press earlier this month, said his client was innocent.
The palace pledged its commitment to austerity and transparency in its statement Wednesday.
Spain faces an economic crisis that has brought thousands of protesters to the streets and sparked sharp government austerity measures.
About 5 million people in the country are jobless. Spain has an overall unemployment rate of 21.5%, but it youth unemployment rate is a staggering 45%.
Conservative prime minister sworn in
Economic protests surged across Spain over the past year, fueled by young people known as "indignants," who criticized government officials and financial institutions.
When he took office last week, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said pulling the nation out of its deep economic crisis would be his top priority.
CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet, Ana Maria Luengo-Romero and Al Goodman contributed to this report. | [
"what is the king's income",
"what kind of crisis facing Spain",
"who is next in line to the throne?",
"what did the investigation report",
"what King Juan Carlos receives annually?",
"What research has been released by the Spanish media",
"how many euros receives annual",
"what is fueling criticism of the royal family?",
"who is next in line"
] | [
[
"292,752 euros ($382,743) annually,"
],
[
"economic"
],
[
"Prince Felipe,"
],
[
"Authorities are investigating whether a foundation headed by Inaki Undangarin improperly used public funds,"
],
[
"292,752 euros"
],
[
"Authorities are investigating whether a foundation headed"
],
[
"292,752"
],
[
"a corruption investigation"
],
[
"Prince Felipe,"
]
] | A corruption investigation widely reported in Spanish media is fueling criticism of the royal family .
Spain faces an economic crisis that has sparked sharp government austerity measures .
King Juan Carlos receives 292,752 euros annually .
Prince Felipe, next in line to the throne, receives about half that amount . |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish court Wednesday convicted five men accused of Islamic terrorist activities that included aiding fugitives from the Madrid train bombings of 2004 and planning other attacks.
The five men include three Moroccans, an Algerian and a Turk. Their sentences, on charges of collaborating or belonging to an Islamic terrorist group, range from five to nine years in prison, according to a copy of the court order viewed by CNN.
The court acquitted four other defendants, all Moroccans, on similar charges.
"During the years 2004 and 2005, the group provided cover and economic support and facilitated the flight from Spain for individuals who had roles" in the train bombings, the court said.
The group was based in a Barcelona suburb, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, before police made arrests in June 2005, officials said.
Some in the group also were involved in trafficking in weapons or explosives, or preaching violence for indoctrination of new militants, ruled a three-judge panel at Spain's high-security National Court.
The Madrid train bombings -- coordinated attacks on four morning-rush commuter trains -- killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800.
Spanish courts previously had convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the train bombings. Among them were four Spaniards convicted of trafficking in the explosives used in the attacks. | [
"Where were five men convicted?",
"How many people were killed in the Madrid train bombings?",
"How many years in prison are the 5 men sentenced to?",
"What number of people died in the bombing?",
"What are the five men convicted of?",
"When were the Madrid train bombings?",
"Which court convicted the men?",
"Where did the train bombing occur?",
"How many men were convicted?"
] | [
[
"A Spanish court"
],
[
"191"
],
[
"five to nine"
],
[
"191"
],
[
"Islamic terrorist activities"
],
[
"2004"
],
[
"Spanish"
],
[
"Madrid"
],
[
"five"
]
] | Spanish court convicts five men of Islamic terrorist activities that included aiding fugitives from Madrid train bombings .
Five men, including three Moroccans, an Algerian and a Turk, sentenced to between five and nine years in prison .
Madrid train bombings of 2004 killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800 . |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish court convicted 11 Islamic militants Monday of membership in a terrorist group, but acquitted them of a "specific" conspiracy to carry out an attack on Barcelona's metro subway system, as prosecutors alleged. The court instead said there was a more general decision by the group, linked to al Qaeda, to use explosives against Barcelona's metro, but that a specific date and place had not been determined, nor had a sufficient amount of explosives been assembled, according to a copy of the sentence viewed by CNN. The judges ruled the alleged Barcelona plot had "not advanced sufficiently" to constitute a crime of conspiracy under Spanish law. The alleged plot in January 2008 had raised alarm bells in Europe because Spanish authorities said there were to be a series of attacks, starting with suicide bombings on the Barcelona metro, and then other attacks in Spain, Germany, France, Portugal and Great Britain, if successive demands from a Pakistani Taliban leader and al Qaeda were not met. The trial against 10 Pakistani men and an Indian national was held last month. All proclaimed their innocence and many refused to answer prosecutors questions. The three-judge panel at the National Court ruled on Monday that all 11 belonged to a terrorist group. Two of the 11 also were convicted of possession of explosives, but nine others were acquitted on that charge. The 11 face prison terms of eight to 14 years. But Jose Maria Fuster-Fabra, a private prosecutor representing victims in the case, told CNN the sentence sets a precedent in Spain because the 11 defendants were convicted for terrorist group membership almost solely on the basis of a key police informant, known as F1 to protect his identity. F1 testified he was selected by the group's leader to be a suicide bomber, and that he quickly made a secretive call from a bathroom at a Barcelona mosque to warn a friend in France about an impending terrorist attack. Hours later, police swooped to make arrests in January 2008 in Barcelona. The protected witness denied on the stand that he worked for French or any other secret service. Defense lawyer Jacobo Teijelo, on the team representing all 11 defendants, said the sentence lacked judicial merit and he vowed to appeal to Spain's Supreme Court. About 30 members of Barcelona's large Pakistani community watched the trial almost daily in a bulletproof basement courtroom at the high-security National Court in central Madrid. A community leader told CNN the defendants were innocent and that the Pakistani community in Barcelona was hardworking and law-abiding. More than 300 suspected Islamic extremists have been arrested in Spain since the Madrid commuter train bombings that killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800 on March 11, 2004, Spain's interior minister has said. | [
"What did the judge rule?",
"How many militants were convicted?",
"Judges ruled alleged Barcelona plot what?",
"When did the plot occur?",
"What have 11 Islamic militants been convicted of?",
"What raised alarm bells in January 2008?",
"Courts convicts 11 Islamic millitants because of?",
"What raised alarm bells with Spanish authorities?"
] | [
[
"the alleged Barcelona plot had \"not advanced sufficiently\" to constitute a crime of conspiracy under Spanish law."
],
[
"11"
],
[
"\"not advanced sufficiently\" to constitute a crime of conspiracy"
],
[
"in January 2008"
],
[
"group,"
],
[
"The alleged plot"
],
[
"group,"
],
[
"The alleged plot in January 2008"
]
] | Court convicts 11 Islamic militants of belonging to terrorist group, but acquits them of conspiring to attack Barcelona's metro .
Judges ruled alleged Barcelona plot not advanced to constitute crime of conspiracy .
Alleged plot in January 2008 raised alarm bells with Spanish authorities fearing series of attacks across Europe . |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish fishing boat repelled an attack by suspected pirates Sunday morning in the Indian Ocean off the African coast, Spain's ministry of defense said.
The Spanish Ortube Berria fishing vessel was in waters southwest of the Seychelles when pirates aboard two skiffs opened fire on the ship with light arms and a grenade shot from a launcher, according to a defense ministry news release. The Seychelles are a group of islands located north of Madagascar and southeast of Somalia, whose coastal waters have become known for piracy.
The attack happened at about 5:40 a.m., the ministry said.
A private security company aboard the fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted the attack, the statement said.
No one was injured, and the ship did not suffer any material damage.
Following the attack, the Ortube Berria was sailing southward away from the area, the defense ministry said.
Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11, according to information from Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon.
Earlier this month, the crew of another Spanish fishing boat, the Alakrana, was released by Somali pirates after 47 days in captivity.
The Alakrana was hijacked off the coast of Somalia.
On Sunday, the commander of a European Union anti-piracy operation, deployed a Portuguese frigate based in the area toward the site of the attack, Spanish authorities said.
CNN's Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | [
"Who returned fire?",
"How many ships have pirates capture?",
"Where were the fishing boats from?",
"In what ocean did the attack occur?",
"Where was the attack?",
"How many ships have been captured?",
"From what nation was the fishing boat?"
] | [
[
"A Spanish fishing boat"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"Spain"
],
[
"Indian"
],
[
"Indian Ocean off the African coast,"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"Spain"
]
] | Spanish fishing boat repels attack by suspected pirates in Indian Ocean off African coast .
Private security company aboard fishing vessel returned fire and thwarted attack .
Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 11 . |
Malibu, California (CNN) -- Many people are struggling just to provide the basics these days. The big question is, how do you find joy and fulfillment during lean holiday times like these? For the answer, I look back upon the philosophy by which my mother, Mieke Frankenberg, led her life, through both its brightest and darkest hours. Her philosophy originated during World War II through her experiences as a prisoner of war in a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia. She had lived in that country with an abusive husband, whom she left before the war broke out and the Japanese captured her. Through the bleakest times, she reached out to her fellow prisoners to provide them with comfort and care. The lack of medical supplies meant care wasn't much more than holding someone's hand or sharing some of her starvation rations. While not a nurse, she gave of herself and drew a sustaining love in return. Returning to England after the war, my mother remarried and started a family, which grew to include me and my two sisters. With the camp behind her, my mother's philosophy remained to always keep an open heart. She volunteered with the Red Cross and regularly provided emotional support for friends. She found that when love flows with no boundaries from an open heart, love also finds its way back in. She gave and gave, and received love in return. This "open heart" philosophy has sustained me, as well, through the most difficult of times, including a painful divorce about 20 years ago that left me near penniless. At that point in my life, I attended a fundraiser for ChildHelp USA. I donated some of the last money I had, and in return, I secured a session where an artist drew a picture of my two children at the time. At that sitting, the artist saw potential in some finger paintings I'd made for my children and offered to give me free painting lessons. As I started painting, I discovered my emotional outlet. I began creating images of hearts that were always open, never closed. These hearts may have appeared unfinished in a way. But they brought me back to the lessons of my mother, a reminder to live as she lived -- openhearted. Soon, I changed from a frantic, terrified and angry person into someone who was able to let go of the past. I began to let other people into my life and to give back emotionally. Around that same time, I landed the TV role of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and was back on my feet. I now embody my mother's belief that only when you can love yourself and keep your heart open can you best give and receive love. My family continues my mother's tradition at Christmas, when we open our home to relatives, neighbors, my six children and even their friends -- extending our family to include those unable to head home for the holidays. Some years, there are as many as 50 people at the dinner table. Living with an open heart can be a path to rewarding holidays for many people this year, even if budgets tighten and troubles mount. The holiday table may be less bountiful. There may be fewer presents under the tree. But an open heart can bring a wealth of love, hope and inspiration. You might think these are shaping up to be your gloomiest holidays ever. But remember, as my mother taught me, someone is always worse off than you. Find a way to give, even if you're in need yourself. Find the place where you can provide comfort, care or love. Volunteer at a food bank or a shelter. Reach out to elderly neighbors to find out how you might make their lives a little easier. By opening your heart to others, good things will come to you, too. With that approach, I hope you'll find that 2009 could become the most fulfilling of holiday seasons. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jane Seymour. | [
"Who said \"People should find a way to give, even if they are in need themselves\"?",
"What philosophy leave Jane's mother?",
"What Jane Seymour says about her mother?",
"Who formed Jane Seymour's philosophy?",
"What allows love to flow freely between people?"
] | [
[
"Jane Seymour."
],
[
"always keep an open heart."
],
[
"someone is always worse off than you."
],
[
"Mieke Frankenberg,"
],
[
"an open heart."
]
] | Jane Seymour says her mother's spirit of openheartedness is instructive in lean holiday times .
Her mother formed her philosophy while helping other POW's in WWII, she says .
She says that open hearts allow love to flow freely between people .
Seymour: People should find a way to give, even if they are in need themselves . |
Managua, Nicaragua (CNN) -- Nicaragua's election officials have officially declared President Daniel Ortega's victory, but opponents are protesting the results.
A report from the Organization of American States indicated "irregularities in the elections," but supported official results saying that Ortega won re-election after garnering more than 62% of votes.
"A process is legitimate if the people feel that there wishes were respected, and that is what we are experiencing here," said Roberto Rivas, president of Nicaragua's election authority.
But protests and clashes throughout the country after the November 6 elections have left at least four people dead and dozens injured, police said.
According to a report presented by the Organization of American States' election observers, irregularities during elections included problems providing identification card to vote, problems in the accreditation of observers and imbalances in political parties present at polling stations.
For opponents of Ortega, the report shows evidence of fraud.
"Obviously here transparency is missing. They didn't take a series of legal steps that they should have," said Eduardo Montealegre, a representative from the opposition Independent Liberal Party.
The Organization of American States says its vote count echoes the official election results.
But one local pro-democracy group says the problems the organization identified would equally impact their own tallies.
"It's not that the results changed on the way (to be counted), it's that the absolute power of the councils overseeing the polls did not allow any challenges," said Roberto Bendana, president of We Make Democracy.
Last week U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland weighed in over reports of procedural irregularities and voter intimidation.
"Frankly, if the Nicaraguan government had nothing to hide, it should have allowed a broad complement of international monitors," she told reporters in Washington.
Disputes over the results have caused confrontations between protesters and authorities, said Marcos Carmona, executive secretary of Nicaragua's Permanent Human Rights Commission.
"We have reports from different citizens about aggression on the part of the National Police," he said, including the deaths of a father and two sons.
Last week a National Police spokesman said the three had died during clashes with supporters of Ortega's Sandinista party, adding that protesters had provoked clashes with police.
"As the National Police, we reiterate our call to the activists and directors of the different political parties, to not use violence and to express their positions through civic means, respecting, above all, the lives of others," police spokesman Fernando Borge said.
Ortega was first elected as Nicaragua's president in 1984, and ran unsuccessfully in 1990, 1996 and 2001 before being elected again in 2006.
He is known as an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and was a public supporter of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during the Libyan uprising.
But recently he has reached for the middle, making overtures to the business class and promising to lure foreign investors into the country.
His third term is scheduled to begin January 10. But opposition representatives say they plan to dispute election results before international organizations.
Journalist Samantha Lugo and CNN's Fernando del Rincon contributed to this report. | [
"Protests and clashes have left at least how many dead",
"By the officials, by what percentage Ortega won reelection?",
"What percentage of votes did Ortega win with?",
"What was Ortega's winning margin?",
"What Police said about damage and injuries at protests?"
] | [
[
"four"
],
[
"62%"
],
[
"62%"
],
[
"more than 62% of votes."
],
[
"least four people dead"
]
] | Official results say Ortega won reelection with more than 62% of votes .
Police say protests and clashes throughout the country have left at least four dead .
The Organization of American States reports irregularities, but ratifies the results .
A human rights representative says police are behind violence, but police blame protesters . |
Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Hours before the first primary vote of 2012, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney tried to recover from a potential stumble Monday as his presidential rivals intensified their attacks against him.
Voters in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary begin choosing their GOP candidates as early as 12 a.m. Tuesday in two small towns -- Dixville Notch and Hart's Location -- while polling stations in the rest of the state open at 6 a.m. and close as late as 8 p.m. ET.
The final day of campaigning saw Romney under fire for a comment about health insurance that quickly became fodder for criticism.
Asked about the issue in Nashua, New Hampshire, Romney said he wanted a person to be able to own his or her own policy "and perhaps keep it the rest of their life."
"That means the insurance company will have the incentive to keep you healthy. It also means if you don't like what they do, you can fire them," he said.
"I like being able to fire people who provide services to me," Romney added. "If someone doesn't give me the good service I need, I want to say I am going to get somebody else to provide that service to me."
Rival candidate Jon Huntsman immediately seized on the comment as an indication of Romney's political nature.
"It has become abundantly clear over the last couple of days what differentiates Gov. Romney and me," Huntsman said in Concord. "I will always put my country first. It seems that Gov. Romney believes in putting politics first. Gov. Romney enjoys firing people. I enjoy creating jobs."
The Democratic National Committee released a derisive Web video and called Romney "out of touch," while the campaign of Texas Gov. Rick Perry looped Romney's words to make a cell phone ring tone that quickly went viral.
Romney spent much of the rest of the day clarifying what he meant. At one point, Romney said he expected the comment to be taken out of context to try to hurt him, and his campaign issued a statement emphasizing he was talking about firing an insurance company, not people.
"Our opponents are taking Gov. Romney's comments completely out of context," said a statement by Gail Gitcho, the campaign's communications director. "Gov. Romney was talking about firing insurance companies if you don't like their service. That is something that most Americans agree with."
The latest twist in the GOP presidential race came on the eve of the first primary election a week after Romney won the Iowa caucuses by just eight votes over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
With Romney in front in polls in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the site of the first Southern state primary on January 21, rivals stepped up their attacks by questioning the former Massachusetts governor's business background and electability.
In Manchester, former House speaker Newt Gingrich tore into Romney's record in the private sector at the helm of Bain Capital.
Though Romney has said his work at the Boston-based private equity firm ultimately led to the creation of 100,000 jobs, Gingrich said Romney's pursuit of wealth exacted a huge cost.
"What you have to raise questions about is, somebody goes out, invests a certain amount of money, say $30 million, takes out an amount, say $180 million -- six to one return -- and then the company goes bankrupt," Gingrich said. "Now, you have to ask a question: Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of other people and walk off with the money? Or is that, in fact, a little bit of a flawed system? And so I do draw a distinction between looting a company, leaving behind broken families and broken neighbors, and leaving behind a factory that should be there."
Romney fired back that Gingrich and others were joining President Barack Obama in attacking the free enterprise system.
"As we'll find out, free enterprise will be on trial," Romney said. " | [
"who expects comment to be taken out of context?",
"what is the polling for?",
"who has to go negative?",
"Who is Mitt Romney?"
] | [
[
"Romney"
],
[
"GOP candidates"
],
[
"Mitt Romney"
],
[
"Republican front-runner"
]
] | NEW: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman moves up in latest poll .
Mitt Romney says he expects his comment on firing people to be taken out of context .
"Romney enjoys firing people, I enjoy creating jobs," rival Huntsman says .
Newt Gingrich says he has to go negative against Romney . |
Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Republican presidential candidates faced off twice in 11 hours on Saturday and Sunday in debates ahead of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. While both debates were staged in the Granite State, it was clear that the rivals intended for their messages to go beyond New Hampshire.
Here are five things we learned from the weekend.
Romney's debating skills on display
Neither debate did much to change the state of play in New Hampshire. Front-runner Mitt Romney's rivals went after him in both debates.
Even when other candidates slighted Romney -- Rick Perry referred to an "insider from Wall Street," and Gingrich went after Romney's private-sector record by repeatedly citing an article by The New York Times -- the jabs were either veiled or dispassionate.
And using The New York Times to back up an argument probably won't excite the conservative base.
Romney's opponents did step up their attacks between Saturday and Sunday, but then they seemed to back off. CNN.com Opinion contributor Todd Graham, an award-winning college debating coach, speculated that Romney's rivals dropped the direct attacks because they were "worried about overcorrecting, appearing rude, and alienating voters (Gingrich came close when he told Romney to 'drop the pious baloney') -- or in the heat of the moment, they forgot their coaching once the second debate was under way."
Graham concluded that between Romney's polished debating skills and sometimes poor debating by his rivals, he has only solidified his position.
Looking ahead to the general election?
Over the past few years, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement has made strides, and many question whether someone who is not a supporter of the movement could win a general election in 2012.
Such rights played a role in both debates. Rick Santorum, who has run on a predominantly social values platform, offered perhaps his strongest statement of homosexual support to date, saying he would not repudiate a son who told him he was gay.
He was careful, however, not to say that he would fight for gay individuals, instead saying he would be an advocate for "every person in America" and would make sure people are treated with "respect and dignity."
On the same topic, Romney said he has hired gay staffers in the past and would never discriminate against gays or attempt to take away their rights.
Are these two men looking ahead to a general election, where strong social conservative values may not play as well?
Social issues played a big role in Iowa and will do so again in South Carolina. Santorum's answer may have been a good middle-of-the-road response and a reminder of a phrase often used by Christian conservatives: Love the sinner, hate the sin.
That may be a message to which conservative voters in South Carolina can relate.
Message received?
Americans have made clear their disdain for Congress, partisan politics and theatrics bringing government to a standstill.
Both Gingrich and Romney touted their records of working with Democrats to hammer out legislative deals.
Gingrich, who is best known for battling President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, highlighted that he struck deals with the Democratic president even though he wanted to make him "a one-term president."
And Romney noted that when he was running Massachusetts, the state legislature was 85% Democratic but that he found "common ground," adding that he's proved he can "work with Republicans and Democrats who are willing to work together."
Santorum touted his ability to gain support among voters of both parties in his former Pennsylvania district, and Huntsman said that serving one's country should always trump party loyalty.
But before candidates can work on uniting the party, they will have to triumph over their rivals as the bruising GOP primary plays out this winter.
Huntsman's last stand?
Since former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is placing all his chips on a strong finish in New Hampshire's Tuesday primary, the debates were his last, best chance to make his case.
Saturday's lukewarm | [
"who stepped up their attacks over the weekend",
"who touted their bipartisan efforts",
"what will play a large role in South Carolina",
"Where will social issues play a large role?"
] | [
[
"Romney's opponents"
],
[
"Gingrich and Romney"
],
[
"Social issues"
],
[
"Iowa"
]
] | Romney's opponents step up their attacks over the weekend .
Social issues will play a large role in South Carolina .
Gingrich, Romney tout their bipartisan efforts .
Paul repeats harsh criticism to opponents' faces . |
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- A Filipino-American woman abducted in July in the Philippines was found Sunday on an island stronghold of the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf, police said.
Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, 43, was found at Suba Kampong township on the Philippine island of Basilan after her captors released her, said Bienvenido Latag of the Philippine National Police.
The U.S. Embassy in Manila on Monday confirmed Lunsmann's release in Basilan after she was held hostage by a still unidentified group of bandits.
Latag did not say why Lunsmann was released, but the mayor of the town where Lunsmann was taken after she was released said she was freed following negotiations between her husband and her abductors.
Mayor Cesar Lobregat, head of a Crisis Management Committee in Zamboanga City, declined to confirm whether officials paid a ransom.
Fourteen gunmen snatched Lunsmann in July while she was vacationing with her family on the island of Tictabon, authorities said. The gunmen also took hostage Lunsmann's 14-year-old son, Kevin, and her 19-year-old Filipino nephew, Romnick Jakaria, they said.
Authorities said the abductors forced Lunsmann and her family to board awaiting boats, which then sped off in the direction of Basilan.
It was not immediately known whether the captors are still holding Lunsmann's son and nephew.
Lunsmann was adopted by Americans when she was 9 and grew up in Virginia. She eventually married a German citizen. Both she and the son, Kevin, are U.S. passport holders.
Police at the time of the abduction said they suspected the son attracted attention because of his distinctive mixed-race looks in an area with few foreign tourists.
Basilan serves as a base for Abu Sayyaf, which wants to establish a separate state for the Philippines' minority Muslim population. The U.S. State Department considers the group a terrorist organization and says it is linked to al Qaeda. The Philippines government has been fighting to contain the militants.
Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for several terrorist attacks in the Philippines, including the bombing of a ferry in 2004 that left about 130 people dead, as well as past kidnappings. | [
"Was she abducted alone?",
"When was she abducted?",
"where were they abducted from?",
"when was she taken?",
"what island was she released on?",
"They paid ransom for the liberation of women?"
] | [
[
"The gunmen also took hostage Lunsmann's 14-year-old son, Kevin, and her 19-year-old Filipino nephew, Romnick Jakaria,"
],
[
"July"
],
[
"Philippines"
],
[
"July"
],
[
"Suba Kampong township"
],
[
"declined to confirm whether officials"
]
] | Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann was released on Basilan island .
Authorities are declining to confirm whether a ransom was paid for the woman's release .
Lunsmann was abducted in July along with her son and her nephew .
Lunsmann and her son, Kevin, are U.S. passport holders . |
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- A second typhoon in a week pounded the Philippines over the weekend, weakening Sunday only after prompting evacuations, causing severe flooding and contributing to one death.
Typhoon Nalgae, known locally as Quiel, had lost some strength by Sunday morning. But it still had maximum sustained winds of 130 kph (80 mph), with gusts recorded 30 kph stronger, according to a 4 a.m. Sunday advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration. At that point, its center was 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Baguio City.
The storm follows Typhoon Nesat, which left at least 52 people dead and caused damage in 34 provinces since it hit Tuesday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
The two typhoons will or have already affected about 3 million Filipinos, the nonprofit World Vision group estimated in a news release Saturday.
The second typhoon -- Nalgae -- made landfall in Dinapigue, in Isabela province, on Saturday morning, the disaster council said. It is expected to have moved past the east Asian island nation by Sunday, forecasters said, after having brought rain of 15-25 millimeters per hour (0.6-1 inch) in many locales.
Over the course of the weekend, the storm had made several roads impassable in the cities of Calasiao and Dagupan on Luzon island, according to the state-run Philippines News Agency. Affected residents are being evacuated from those communities and others, including Santa Barbara.
The disaster council, in a Sunday morning update, said that a 35-year-old man was killed and a 22-year-old woman injured in landslides triggered by the storm the previous day. At least 850 families, or roughly 3,500 people, in the provinces of La Union and Pangasinan have been directly affected by flooding, according to the council.
Also Saturday, the San Roque Power Corporation opened two gates at one of its dams along the Agno River in north Luzon, due to high waters there related to the storm, the news agency said.
Presidential spokesman Abigail Valte earlier Saturday urged residents of low-lying and mountainous areas that could be hit hard by the storm to evacuate, the state news agency said, citing an interview conducted on a government radio station.
World Vision, the Christian humanitarian organization, said Saturday that it had to postpone some of its relief efforts due to Nalgae, with two of three emergency teams set to deploy once the storm passes. Another team is in Bulcan province, most of which is "still submerged" because of Nesat.
The group is focusing its post-Nesat efforts on two communities in Manila and three in the northern Isabela and Zambales provinces. Vouchers are being distributed so people can buy needed items, some emergency supplies are being given out directly to citizens and 3,000 Manila children will receive school supplies.
Sherbien Dacalanio, a CNN iReporter in the Philippines, described one area of Manila as being devastated by Nesat.
"The damage is shocking. It's like a damage brought by earthquake and tsunami," Dacalanio said.
CNN's Ivan Cabrera and journalist Arlene Samson-Espiritu contributed to this report. | [
"At what speed are the winds of Nalgae blowing?",
"How many people died?",
"What was the name of the typhoon which killed at least 52?",
"What was the windspeed once the typhoon weakened?",
"Whats the typhoons name?",
"How many people were killed by Typhoon Nesat?",
"What is the number of people killed by the landslide?",
"Whar speed did the rain fall?",
"How many people were affected?"
] | [
[
"130 kph (80 mph),"
],
[
"at least 52"
],
[
"Nesat,"
],
[
"130 kph (80 mph),"
],
[
"Nalgae,"
],
[
"at least 52"
],
[
"one"
],
[
"15-25 millimeters per hour"
],
[
"about 3 million"
]
] | Heavy rains in latest typhoon cause a landslide that sweeps a van off a road, killing 1 .
Gates are opened at four dams that have reached maximum containment, officials say .
At least 52 people were killed by Typhoon Nesat, which hit earlier this week . |
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- The Philippines government has increased security in the southern region of Maguindanao after gunmen kidnapped and killed at least 22 people, according to military officials and the country's national news agency.
Some of the bodies were beheaded, according to Filipino media. The details suggest the daytime abductions were politically motivated, and the military said the gunmen were loyal to the province's incumbent governor.
Those killed include a gubernatorial candidate's wife and one of his sisters, according to two of his family members who spoke on local television. The death toll also included at least 12 journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders, a media freedom organization.
Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu wanted to run for governor of Maguindanao province in May but had received threats he would be kidnapped if he filed the candidate nomination papers himself. He sent his wife and sisters to file the papers, thinking "that women would have some protection," journalist Maria Ressa told CNN.
"It was supposed to be a media event," Ressa said, "[to] let the public know that this politician would run for governor."
Army officials said 100 gunmen surrounded the group of about 40 people -- many local journalists and women among them -- and ordered them out of their vehicles. They took the hostages to a mountainous region, officials said.
Some of the women were raped and tortured, according to media reports.
The military confirmed finding 22 bodies, some of them reportedly beheaded.
"Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day," Reporters Without Borders said of the 12 journalists reported dead.
The military has said the gunmen are loyal to Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan, who has held control of the area for the past decade and is a longtime ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Neither Ampatuan nor his advisers have commented on the allegation.
Maguindanao is a province in Mindanao, a Muslim autonomous region out of the control of the central government. The Philippines government said it increased security in the region after the attacks.
Jesus Dureza, an adviser to Macapagal-Arroyo, called the slayings "a gruesome massacre of civilians unequaled in recent history."
Dureza, Macapagal-Arroyo's adviser on Mindanao affairs, has asked the government to place Maguindanao province under a state of emergency.
Elections in the Philippines have long been marred by violence, but Monday's abductions and killings shocked the nation. Macapagal-Arroyo condemned the killings and ordered more Filipino troops to the region to bolster security, according to the Philippines News Agency.
She also ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines "to conduct immediate and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators [and] to secure the affected areas," the agency reported.
Military checkpoints are being set up as part of the security effort, state media reported.
Aid agencies operating in the region have long complained about a climate of fear in the region, where the government has little control and private armies operate freely.
Reporters Without Borders said it has been outspoken in criticizing "the culture of impunity and violence in the Philippines, especially Mindanao."
"This time, the frenzied violence of thugs working for corrupt politicians has resulted in an incomprehensible bloodbath," the organization said. "We call for a strong reaction from the local and national authorities."
Journalist Maria Ressa contributed to this report. | [
"What occurred in Philipines?",
"How many journalists are dead?",
"how many died?",
"Whose wife was killed?",
"Where did the kidnappings occur?"
] | [
[
"gunmen kidnapped and killed at least 22 people,"
],
[
"at least 12"
],
[
"at least 22 people,"
],
[
"gubernatorial candidate's"
],
[
"of Maguindanao"
]
] | NEW: Death toll rises; dead include at least 12 journalists .
Governor candidate's wife, sister among those killed, family members say .
Watchdog organization blames "frenzied violence of thugs" for deaths .
Kidnappings occurred in Philippines' Maguindanao province . |
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- The son of a Philippines provincial governor is voluntarily turning himself in for questioning in the massacre of at least 57 unarmed civilians, a CNN affiliate reported Thursday. Andal Ampatuan Jr. -- who is the mayor of Datu Unsay and the son of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan -- has agreed to face questioning, reported Patricia Evangelista of ABS-CBN. Ampatuan was not identified by authorities as a suspect in the killings in the southern Philippines, though victims' survivors and local media reports had done so. Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "is enraged by these barbaric acts," spokesman Cerge Remonde said. "She has literally thrown the full force of the law and has mobilized the security and police forces of the state to go after the perpetrators." Philippines authorities had disbanded a paramilitary force in the southern Philippines suspected of playing a role in the massacre, the country's state-run media reported Wednesday. Remonde said the deaths were the result of a political clan war, not Muslim secessionism in that troubled region of the country. "So far as this case is concerned, this is a limited clan political rivalry, which has been going on for some time now," Remonde said. The death toll grew Wednesday after 11 more bodies were recovered from a rural area of Mindanao and buried. Arroyo has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning. Arroyo's government is under intense pressure to find those responsible for planning and carrying out the abduction and killing of the group of about 60 politicians, lawyers and journalists -- and reportedly some bystanders. Suspicion has fallen on the Ampatuan family, key allies of the Arroyo administration in the Maguindanao region of the southern Mindanao province. Ampatuan family members have not commented on the slaying allegations. Remonde appeared to blame the Ampatuan clan, adding: "There is, however, a move now by the administration party to expel the suspected clan." Those killed include the wife and two sisters of a local politician who plans to run for the spot vacated next year by Maguindanao's governor, Andal Ampatuan. While the investigation is ongoing, a spokesman for the country's national police has said that Andal Ampatuan Jr. has been linked to the crime, according to local media reports. "According to the initial reports, those who were abducted and murdered at Saniag were initially stopped by a group led by the mayor of Datu Unsay," National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said, according to ABS-CBN News. The massacre is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippines history. On Monday morning, in daylight, a group of about 100 gunmen stopped a convoy carrying supporters and family members of local politician Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, witnesses and officials say. Mangudadatu had sent his wife and sisters to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao in May after he had been threatened and told not to file the papers himself. He said the threats came from allies of Governor Ampatuan. The number of people kidnapped and killed was still unclear, as recovery continued at the mass grave site in Maguindanao. A car traveling behind the convoy was mistaken for being a part of the politician's contingent, a local official told the Philippines GMA News Network. The car was instead heading to a hospital, according to Tom Robles, head of the Tacurong City Employees Union, who spoke to GMA News. The driver and four passengers -- including a government employee who had suffered a mild stroke and his wife -- were rounded up and killed along with the members of the convoy ahead of them, Robles said. A police official confirmed that the car and the bodies of three of the passengers were among those recovered at the grave site, GMA reported. The state-run Philippines News Agency said the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD (Christian, Muslim, Democrats) was to meet Wednesday to discuss whether to remove the Ampatuan clan members in Mindanao from the party as a result of the killings. "In our opinion, they were not able to fulfill their obligations to the party," said | [
"Was Ampatuan identified as a suspect?",
"Where did authorities disband force?",
"What did the mayor's group do?",
"Who did authorities not identify as a suspect?"
] | [
[
"by authorities as a"
],
[
"southern Philippines"
],
[
"has agreed to face questioning,"
],
[
"Andal Ampatuan Jr."
]
] | NEW: Authorities did not identify Ampatuan as a suspect .
Datu Unsay mayor led group that initially stopped civilians, police cite reports as saying .
Ampatuans hold leadership positions in Mindanao .
Authorities disband paramilitary force in the southern Philippines . |
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Washi moved away from the southern Philippines early Monday, but not before leaving behind a wake of destruction and at least 652 people dead, according to the Philippine Red Cross.
There were no public storm warnings for the East Asian island nation Monday morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Yet authorities and residents still had the considerable task of cleaning up from the devastation and mourning those killed by what the state-run Philippines News Agency noted was the 19th tropical system to hit the nation this season.
A report released Monday morning by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council noted that the storm had affected more than 135,000 people, nearly 47,000 of whom were in evacuation centers.
President Beningo Aquino plans to visit the region Tuesday.
The Red Cross noted that hundreds are missing after entire villages were swept away, suggesting the death toll could rise further. The stench of death permeated the air as aid workers scrambled to help survivors.
The disaster has left heartbreaking scenes of families with children looking for ways to get by during the festive Christmas season.
"Do we still have Christmas, mother?" one crying little girl asked her mother, according to the Red Cross. "Will I get my toys and my new pair of shoes you promised?"
"Of course you will," the mother replied. "Christmas will always be around."
Military and disaster officials said the vast majority of the dead were found in the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, many of them swept away as they were sleeping. Water-logged bodies from washed-away villages floated at the shoreline, on the northwestern coast of Mindanao island.
Five people were killed in a landslide, but virtually all the others died in flash flooding after Tropical Storm Washi, which is called Sendong locally.
Survivors in the hardest-hit areas are contending with no electricity or clean drinking water. One woman in Cagayan de Oro collected murky brown floodwater in a bucket, just meters away from where a destroyed vehicle was submerged.
Flash flooding overnight Friday -- following 10 hours of rain -- fueled the devastation. As much as 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain fell within 24 hours in some areas.
December generally brings about 60 millimeters of rain (a little over 2 inches) to the region, CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri reported.
Overflowing rivers and tributaries compounded the disaster for low-lying areas, and officials said floodwater reached roof-level in the middle of the night.
The destruction left cars, furniture and parts of houses in mangled heaps, partly immersed in squalid floodwater.
The storm moved into Cagayan de Oro -- a densely populated, urbanized city -- during the overnight hours when people were asleep. A half dozen vehicles there looked like littered toy trucks, with some on their sides or roofs.
Many people trudged through knee-high water and packed into evacuation centers.
An estimated 100,000 people are displaced, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The national disaster council noted that about 377 passengers -- on four ships -- were stranded as of Sunday night, due to the storm. In addition, nine sections of roads and bridges were seriously damaged.
While the tropical storm had passed off-shore, some unrelated thunderstorms threatened to dump even more water on the region, Javaheri said. The weather was warm, with temperatures of up to about 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit),
Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon will travel to the stricken region Monday to assess the damage, the organization said.
"Certainly this is a very severe humanitarian crisis going on," Gordon said Sunday.
Authorities have started distributing food rations for some 10,000 families affected by the storm, while also handing out thousands of blankets and mosquito nets, the Red Cross said.
The aid agency is appealing for drinking water, food and dry clothes, and officials have asked for volunteers to pack food to send to those who have been displaced.
Some Philippine residents called the disaster unprecedented. | [
"How many people are affected?",
"When will Aquino visit the region?",
"which tropical storm passed the Philippines?",
"Where has the tropical storm passed?",
"what did a crying young girl ask?",
"which person plans to visit the region on Tuesday?"
] | [
[
"more than 135,000"
],
[
"Tuesday."
],
[
"Washi"
],
[
"off-shore,"
],
[
"\"Do we still have Christmas, mother?\""
],
[
"President Beningo Aquino"
]
] | NEW: The tropical storm passes the Philippines .
NEW: The system has affected more than 135,000 people, a national agency says .
President Aquino plans to visit the region Tuesday .
"Do we still have Christmas, mother?" a crying young girl asks . |
Marietta, Georgia (CNN) -- In this tough economy, a steady paycheck is a big blessing. With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Americans are finding new ways to help each other out. For many, it's through their faith.
"We did say our prayers," Patricia Mulroney said. "I pray to St. Joseph even now. He is our patron of workers. I still pray to him every day."
Yet believers like Mulroney are doing more than praying. They're getting help in their job searches from houses of worship. And religious institutions are answering the call: Houses of worship nationwide have offered job-finding help.
Mulroney has looked for help in finding a job through a network created at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia, just outside Atlanta.
The church has reviewed résumés and arranged meetings between job-seekers and company representatives. It also has hosted speakers who have discussed financial planning and interview techniques.
Similar programs have received attention in places such as Arizona, California and Michigan.
St. Joseph's started helping unemployed members last year after a priest contacted Art Eyzaguierre, a parishioner with a background in career management.
Eyzaguierre says the priest told him, "we've been getting a lot of phone calls from people that are unemployed and really hurting ... and we'd like you to come to a council meeting to talk about what we should do."
By May of last year, St. Joseph's Career Community Network was born. "When you're helping people ... they're getting what they need," Eyzaguierre said. "They're getting jobs, the hope they need. ... I feel replenished."
Patrick Brennan, another founding member, found himself out of work in the early part of 2009. His involvement with the Career Community Network paid off, literally, with a job.
"It's through these different networking opportunities ... through your churches ... you get to meet people ... and potentially get positions," Brennan said. "That happened to me, where I was networking and actually found a position ... as a result of meeting people through the career network."
Brennan says church-based career networks like his reach out in both a spiritual and practical sense for the unemployed, the under-employed and those seeking to re-enter the work force.
"We offer review of résumés ... the opportunity to meet with department leaders or heads of companies ... discuss with them where individual career goals can go," he said. "We also have featured speakers who help with financial planning, retirement funds, health benefits and also interviewing techniques ... looking at different market shares."
Caroline Rittenhouse helps organize biweekly sessions. When she signed on, Rittenhouse was a stay-at-home mom looking to re-enter the work force. She's now employed and using her job skills in training and instructional design to help others find work.
"My motivation was seeing how tough the job market was and how many people across every industry, every income level, were feeling the job loss and the unemployment situation," Rittenhouse said.
She says networking opportunities, like those offered through St. Joseph's Career Community Network, are key, and houses of worship may offer a more comfortable environment. "There is something about going to a church," Rittenhouse said. "Personally, I feel like it's more welcoming."
Americans overwhelmingly support government funding for religious groups to provide social services like job training.
Nearly nine years after former President George W. Bush unveiled his faith-based initiative, 69 percent of Americans say they favor the idea, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Sixty-eight percent believe that people providing the services through houses of worship would be more caring and compassionate.
Mulroney not only supports the idea, she got involved a few months ago at St. Joseph's as both a volunteer and a job seeker.
"My last position, I was in for seven years and not really comfortable with networking, so I | [
"Where are unemployed getting help from in finding jobs?",
"Where in the Career Community Network?",
"More unemployed arr getting what?",
"Who has Career Community Network?"
] | [
[
"houses of worship."
],
[
"St. Joseph's Catholic Church"
],
[
"help in their job searches from houses of worship."
],
[
"St. Joseph's"
]
] | More unemployed are getting help in job searches from houses of worship .
St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Georgia has Career Community Network .
Network reviews résumés, connects job-seekers and companies, holds seminars .
Successful job seeker: Church is more welcoming . |
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