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(CNN) -- A white tiger mauled a zookeeper to death at a New Zealand wildlife park Wednesday as a group of tourists watched in horror, police say.
The zookeeper at Zion Wildlife Gardens in New Zealand could not be saved by other staff.
The attack took place at the Zion Wildlife Gardens near Whangarei, about three hours north of Auckland.
Two zookeepers had gone in to clean an enclosure at the park, when one of two white tigers inside lunged at a keeper, said Sarah Kennett, spokeswoman for Northland Police.
The second keeper and other zoo staff tried to pull the tiger off the man but failed. He died shortly after, Kennett said.
The tiger was put down, the park said. Watch park officials, visitors react »
A group of eight tourists who were on a guided tour of the park witnessed the Wednesday morning attack, Kennett said.
"This is an incredibly sad day," the park said in a statement, adding that it would provide counseling to its employees.
The Zion Wildlife Gardens is home to several endangered tigers and lions. It is best known in New Zealand as the setting for the popular television series "Lion Man."
In February, an employee needed surgery after he was attacked by a white tiger, according to local media reports.
Last year, the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry released documents to CNN affiliate TVNZ that said animals at the park were kept in crowded, unsanitary conditions.
Inspectors were so concerned about the conditions that they considered having 40 cats put down, the documents said.
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d01ed8d1f0d141bea0312e0a4b33545a
|
Who did the attack happen in front of?
|
[
"of tourists"
] |
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|
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- European leaders agreed Friday to send an 1,800-strong security force to maintain stability in Kosovo, although they stopped short of backing independence for the province.
French soldiers at the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo last month.
Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia early in the new year.
Serbia, however, insists the region should remain autonomous within its borders.
Speaking at the end of a one-day summit of European heads in Brussels, Jose Socrates, the Portuguese prime minister currently holding the European Union presidency, said that sending the security mission was a "political decision."
The police and security force is expected to be deployed to the Balkan state ahead of an announcement of independence.
"This is the clearest signal that the EU could possibly give that it intends to lead on the whole issue of Kosovo's future, its status and its role in the region," Socrates said.
According to CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels, European leaders are trying to balance an obvious readiness to back Kosovan independence with incentives to Serbia, which is seeking membership of the EU.
EU leaders are deeply conscious of their failure in the early 1990s to move early enough to prevent the bloodletting in the Balkans over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, he said.
Although most EU leaders support Serbia becoming a member state to boost stability in the Balkans, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that Serbia's membership is dependent on it recognizing Kosovo's independence and handing over war criminals.
Socrates confirmed to CNN that any fast-tracking of Serbia into the EU could only be considered if it agreed to hand over Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general wanted at the The Hague for suspected war crimes.
Two years of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo ended in failure earlier this week, when talks mediated by Europe, the United States and Russia ended without an agreement.
The disputed province is dear to the Serbs, Orthodox Christians who regard it as Serbian territory. But it is equally coveted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, Muslims who have a 90 percent majority.
Since 1999 the United Nations has been running the province with NATO peacekeepers, who still number 16,000.
Oakley said the EU mission to Kosovo would help to ease the handover from the U.N. to local authorities. E-mail to a friend
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929e3853bfa14ebfb9bbe0a9db739616
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Where will Kosova declare indpendence from?
|
[
"Serbia"
] |
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A high court in northern India on Friday acquitted a wealthy businessman facing the death sentence for the killing of a teen in a case dubbed "the house of horrors."
Moninder Singh Pandher was sentenced to death by a lower court in February.
The teen was one of 19 victims -- children and young women -- in one of the most gruesome serial killings in India in recent years.
The Allahabad high court has acquitted Moninder Singh Pandher, his lawyer Sikandar B. Kochar told CNN.
Pandher and his domestic employee Surinder Koli were sentenced to death in February by a lower court for the rape and murder of the 14-year-old.
The high court upheld Koli's death sentence, Kochar said.
The two were arrested two years ago after body parts packed in plastic bags were found near their home in Noida, a New Delhi suburb. Their home was later dubbed a "house of horrors" by the Indian media.
Pandher was not named a main suspect by investigators initially, but was summoned as co-accused during the trial, Kochar said.
Kochar said his client was in Australia when the teen was raped and killed.
Pandher faces trial in the remaining 18 killings and could remain in custody, the attorney said.
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d64cbb90e5134081acfa83d3e702408c
|
The court aquitted Moninder Singh Pandher of what crime?
|
[
"rape and murder"
] |
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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China surpassed the United States in 2008 as the world's top user of the Internet, according to a government-backed research group.
Nearly 91 percent of China's Internet users are surfing the Web with a broadband connection.
The number of Web surfers in the country grew by nearly 42 percent to 298 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Center's January report. And there's plenty of room for growth, as only about 1 in every 4 Chinese has Internet access.
The rapid growth in China's Internet use can be tied to its swift economic gains and the government's push for the construction of telephone and broadband lines in the country's vast rural areas, the report says.
The Chinese government wants phone and broadband access in each village by 2010.
Nearly 91 percent of China's Internet users are surfing the Web with a broadband connection -- an increase of 100 million from 2007. Mobile phone Internet users totaled 118 million by the end of 2008.
While China's Internet usage has been growing in leaps in bounds, the government limits the Web sites its citizens can visit. Learn more about China's Internet censorship »
Earlier this month, China released a blacklist of 19 major online portals and Web sites, including Google and Baidu, that it claims provide and spread pornographic or obscene content. The move came as several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security, launched a month-long campaign to clean up the Web, according to the state-run Xinhua news service.
China has come under criticism for restricting Web access to ordinary citizens as well as on local and foreign media covering last year's summer Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. State Department noted in a 2008 report that China had increased its efforts to "control and censor the Internet, and the government had tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the domestic press" and bloggers.
In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria in September 2008, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said, "the freedom of Internet in China is recognized by many, even from the West."
"Nonetheless, to uphold state security, China, like many countries in the world, has also imposed some proper restrictions. That is for the safety, that is for the overall safety of the country and for the freedom of the majority of the people."
CNN's Yuli Yang contributed to this report.
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44501f301d9c4989a44591e1b69cc7ed
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Which country was the top user?
|
[
"China"
] |
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(CNN) -- Pakistan cricketers have been told they will not be allowed to appear in the highly-lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) this coming season because of fears over security.
Danish Kaneria, in action against India last December, was hoping to play in the Indian Premier League.
Stars from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and, for the first time, England will be competing in the action that starts on April 10.
Several Pakistan stars had also signed for IPL franchises while another five, including leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, were scheduled to appear at a players' auction to be held in Goa, India, on Thursday.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said players would not be allowed to play in the IPL this coming season on government advice.
"We have informed the IPL and Indian board that our players can't take part in the IPL this year," PCB chief operating officer Saleem Altaf told Reuters.com.
The decision follows concerns for players' safety because of the tense relations between Pakistan and India after the Mumbai militant attacks in November.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who plays for Delhi, said the players would abide by the directives of the government and PCB.
Meanwhile, another former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq is among several top Pakistan players who have successfully challenged a domestic ban imposed following appearances in the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Provincial Sindh High Court on Monday suspended the 2007 action taken by the PCB which must appear in court later this month to explain their action.
Players affected by the 2007 ruling also include Mohammad Yousuf, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Sami and Azhar Mahmood who along with Inzamam, played for Lahore Badshahs. Last year, the Badshahs named after a Pakistani city and with a number of Pakistani players won the ICL 20s Indian championship.
"The honorable court has suspended this relevant clause of the PCB rules and allowed the players to appear in domestic cricket with immediate effect," Zahid Fakhruddin Ibrahim, the legal counsel for the players, told Reuters.com.
Lahore coach Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain, said the suspension of the ban was good for Pakistani cricket.
"Some of the ICL players can still play for Pakistan and when they play in domestic cricket, youngsters will learn from them," Khan commented. "The ban had hurt the players financially as well as cricket-wise, so it's a great decision."
|
356218e944164cac9f8c3adb8a2347ad
|
because of what did pakistan miss the IPL
|
[
"fears over security."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- A judge ordered mediation Thursday for all parties wanting access to videos showing the death of a SeaWorld trainer, court documents say.
Florida Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Kirkwood last week granted a temporary injunction against release of the footage, which was captured on February 24 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. It was not immediately clear for how long the injunction would last.
Trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, was interacting with an orca named Tilikum when it grabbed her ponytail and pulled her underwater in front of shocked onlookers at Shamu Stadium. She died of multiple traumatic injuries and drowning, authorities said.
Jon Mills, the attorney for Brancheau's family, argued that their right to privacy outweighs other concerns.
"The potential harm to this family is incredibly severe," Mills said. "There is no constitutional right to voyeurism and there is a constitutional right to privacy, and the court is being asked to balance those."
Coverage from CNN affiliate WKMG
Court mediation will weigh privacy concerns against the public's right to know under Florida law. One potential agreement during mediation could allow the parties in the case to view the videos, but not have copies of them, a court document says.
Interested parties have until April 5 to request to join the mediation. No date has been set for the mediation. The Orlando Sentinel, The Tampa Tribune, The Lakeland Ledger and WFLA-TV have filed in the case.
Parts of last month's incident were captured on two cameras at the park -- one that shows a view from underwater and another from the park's Sky Tower, according to the family's complaint.
"The underwater view does not show Mrs. Brancheau until after she had entered the water. The overhead camera was not aimed at the scene until after the incident had begun," the complaint says.
"Significantly, neither camera shows what occurred in the moments prior to and including Mrs. Brancheau being pulled into the water and offer no insight into the cause of this tragic event."
Brancheau's family filed the complaint against the Orange County Sheriff Office and District Nine Medical Examiner's Office, which possess the footage.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has joined the lawsuit filed by Brancheau's family.
"This is a video of someone's death," Mills said last week. "There's nothing you can learn from the video other than what a tragic, horrible, traumatic attack it was."
An attorney for the sheriff's office has said it does not take a position about any video release, but it needs to keep copies so that its case file is complete.
|
29d78337b07a49b8a3a6bb6f060e89e5
|
The death of who was caught on camera at Seaworld Orlando
|
[
"Dawn Brancheau,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Edward Markey on Monday challenged the assertion by oil giant BP's chief executive that no underwater oil plumes have formed because of the Gulf of Mexico spill.
In a letter to BP, Markey, D-Massachusetts, said scientific evidence showed such plumes have formed and he asked for BP CEO Tony Hayward to provide evidence to back up Hayward's claim Sunday that the spilled oil had gone to the surface.
On Sunday, Markey, who heads the House Energy and Environment subcommittee, had accused BP of issuing false statements about the oil spill.
"BP in this instance means 'Blind to Plumes,'" Markey said in a statement Monday.
There was no immediate response from BP.
Markey's letter to BP said "the confirmation of the presence of large quantities of oil sub-surface could help to inform clean-up and response efforts, and it is vital that there is unfettered access to all relevant data or analysis."
The letter noted that University of South Florida researchers recently reported finding a 22-mile-long plume of dispersed oil.
In a separate letter Monday to BP, Markey called for complete transparency regarding video feeds of the company's underwater operations. BP is launching a new effort to cut an opening to the leaking equipment so that a containment dome can be lowered on it.
"There cannot be any delay or gaps in our understanding of this situation, given that thousands of barrels of oil are spewing forth each day into the Gulf, with catastrophic long-term consequences," said Markey's letter to BP America head Lamar McKay, later adding: "BP should not be controlling the view the American public has of this disaster in our ocean."
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30e4c3b6ffe443cbbbf95cb1ba4171ea
|
What is the subcommittee that Edward Markey is head of
|
[
"the House Energy and Environment"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Three teenagers and a 4-year-old were among the eight deaths in a Virginia shooting, state police said Wednesday.
Christopher Speight, 39, is being held without bond at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Lynchburg, Virginia, after being charged with a single count of first degree murder, police said, adding that further charges are pending.
Speight surrendered peacefully early Wednesday morning after an overnight manhunt left him hiding in the woods surrounded by a several-square-mile perimeter set up by authorities, Appomattox County Sheriff O. Wilson Staples said.
Speight was wearing a bulletproof vest but had no weapons when he surrendered, Staples said.
State police identified the victims of Tuesday's shooting as Ronald I. Scruggs II, 16; Emily A. Quarles, 15; Karen Quarles, 43; Jonathan L. Quarles, 43; Dwayne S. Sipe, 38; Lauralee Sipe, 38; Joshua Sipe, 4; and Morgan L. Dobyns, 15. All were from Appomattox except Scruggs, who was from Dillwyn, about 25 miles away.
Police did not say how the victims were related nor did they describe a motive for the shootings. Earlier, they said that Speight lived at the Appomattox home where seven of the eight were found, that he co-owns it and adjoining land and that he was acquainted with all the victims.
Police were alerted to the incident Tuesday after noon when a person was discovered badly wounded in the middle of Route 703. That person later died at a hospital.
When police arrived at the scene they heard gunshots, authorities said. Authorities established a perimeter around the area, including dogs and helicopters. One of the helicopters was hit at least four times by bullets but "was able to make an emergency landing in a field near the scene," state police said.
A search turned up the remaining seven bodies in and around the home, which is about 75 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia's capital.
On Wednesday, a search of the home turned up explosive devices, Molinar said. He said authorities were safely detonating the devices but he did not describe them.
|
3d97a5a46edd4a86b65d8b2d59910fd2
|
Who shot and hit a helicopter?
|
[
"Christopher Speight,"
] |
NewsQA
|
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.
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5df1b4fa9e454d3ebc9e75c224a7008a
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Who has first pole of the season?
|
[
"Valentino Rossi's"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man police say was driving drunk when he ran a red light and struck a car, killing a Major League Baseball pitcher and two others has been charged with murder.
Fans gather around a memorial for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart on Friday.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, was charged with three counts of murder, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime, the Orange County district attorney's office announced Friday.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among those killed in the crash in Fullerton, California, early Thursday morning. Adenhart was beginning his first full season in the majors and had pitched his fourth Major League game hours earlier.
Gallo, whose blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit, according to police, faces up to life in prison if convicted on all charges.
According to the DA's office, Gallo was driving a minivan 65 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 12:35 a.m. Thursday. He was on probation and his license had been suspended after a previous drunk-driving charge. Watch Adenhart's agent describe his friend »
Authorities say he ran a red light and hit the car Adenhart was in, killing the pitcher, 20-year-old California State University student Courtney Stewart and law student Henry Pearson, 25.
A fourth victim, 24-year-old John Wilhite, a former baseball player at California State, remained in critical condition Friday. A driver in a third car suffered minor injuries.
Adenhart died at UC Irvine Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, according to spokesman John Murray.
The Angels' game Thursday night with the Oakland A's was postponed at the direction of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.
"Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others," Selig said in a statement that accompanied the announcement. "Nick was just 22 years of age, with a wonderful life and career ahead of him."
After the wreck, Gallo fled the scene, according to the district attorney. He was captured about 30 minutes later.
Adenhart pitched in a game against the Oakland A's Wednesday night in Anaheim, California, making what was characterized as a "brilliant effort" despite the Angels' 6-4 loss, according to Major League Baseball's Web site, MLB.com.
In his fourth major league start, Adenhart pitched a scoreless six innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today," Tony Reagins, the team's general manager, said in a written statement. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends, loved ones and fans."
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4f06d31b801a402f85d8bcad8dd3b29d
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The age of Adenhart is?
|
[
"22 years of"
] |
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|
Beijing, China (CNN) -- Chinese officials blamed poor management and inadequate precautions for an explosion at a mine that killed 104 people, state-run media said Monday.
In addition to those killed, 60 miners remained hospitalized from Saturday's morning blast at the Xinxing coal mine in northeastern Heilongjiang province.
Most were being treated for injuries such as carbon monoxide poisoning and burns, CCTV reported. Six were in critical condition with severe burns.
Four other workers were still trapped underground in the mine shaft, the Xinhua news agency said.
The accident started with a gas leak in one of the shafts, officials said. But because of poor ventilation, gas poured into the main tunnel and triggered an explosion that shook 28 of the 30 mining platforms in operation.
About 530 miners were working in the mine at the time.
Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, told Xinhua that the mine's management was to blame for not evacuating workers when they detected a high gas density in the pit.
State regulations stipulate that miners have to evacuate if gas density exceeds 2 percent. The density in the pit was more than 10 percent, authorities said.
"The mine has too many mining platforms in operation and has sent to many workers down the pit to increase output," said Zhao Tiechui, deputy head of the work safety agency.
The mine is owned and operated by the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Holding Group. Unlike most small- and mid-size collieries, Xinxing produces 12 million tons of coal a year.
The blast took place during a five-day inspection of work safety conditions in Hegang, local media said.
Immediately after the blast, the mine's director, deputy director and chief engineer were fired.
Mine accidents are common in China. Last year, 3,200 people were killed in such accidents, state media said.
The latest blast is the deadliest since December 2007, when 105 miners were killed in Shanxi province.
The deadliest mine blast took place in August 2007 when two collieries flooded in Shandong province, killing 181 miners, Xinhua said.
Chinese officials said they will pay at least 250,000 yuan ($36,600) to each of the families of the miners who died.
|
297c6c8a84c04d5da4522b116ca0c353
|
What did Chinese officials blame?
|
[
"poor management and inadequate precautions"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. schoolchildren still have work to do when it comes to mathematics, the secretary of education said Wednesday.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says U.S. schools need to be better equipped to teach math.
Arne Duncan, releasing a report on the Department of Education's latest examination of how well American children are doing in mathematics, said no one should be satisfied with what it found.
"Today's results are evidence that we must better equip our schools to improve the knowledge and skills of America's students in mathematics," he said. "More must be done to narrow the troubling achievement gap that has persisted in mathematics, and to ensure that America's students make greater gains toward becoming competitive with their peers in other countries."
Fourth- and eighth-grade students from more than 7,000 public and private schools nationwide were tested by the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the report, titled "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009."
Massachusetts students had the highest marks at both grade levels. Other high-performing states were Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
The area with the lowest marks in both grades was the District of Columbia, though the report showed that the district -- along with Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- had improved its scores since the last tests were taken in 2007.
The average scores were categorized at each grade level into four groups: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced.
According to the Department of Education, some of the skills required to achieve a basic level of understanding of mathematics at the fourth-grade level include performing simple computations with whole numbers; showing understanding of fractions and decimals; and solving simple real-world problems.
To achieve a basic level of understanding at the eighth-grade level, students must be able work with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages; be able to solve word problems and use diagrams, charts and graphs; and be able to solve simple algebra and geometry problems.
Scores were slightly higher in the 2009 report than they were in 2007, but Duncan said more needs to be done.
"Our students need to graduate high school ready to succeed in college and the workplace," he said. The National Assessment of Educational Progress results "are a call to action to reform the teaching and learning of mathematics and other related subjects in order to prepare our students to compete in the global economy."
|
3c5cc32b3ccb49d899de2055a9fa822c
|
What does the Department of Education take a look at?
|
[
"how well American children are doing in mathematics,"
] |
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|
BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Colombia will freeze prices for gasoline and other petrofuels through March, the government has announced.
Hernan Martinez Torres, in a photo from September, says gas prices will be frozen in Colombia through March.
The freeze takes effect Thursday and sets prices at December levels, the minister of mines and energy said Monday.
The measure will be funded through a $170 million Fund for the Stabilization of Prices for Combustibles, which goes into effect January 1, a release on the Colombian president's Web site says.
"All this is being done to give consumers a clear signal of stability," Minister of Mines and Energy Hernan Martinez Torres is quoted as saying in El Pais newspaper.
Gas prices also will not decrease, although there has been a significant drop in crude oil prices in the past few months, Martinez said.
The price freeze pertains to gasoline, biogasoline (oxygenated gasoline), a product called ACPM (combustible oil for motors), and the mix of ACPM and biodiesel.
For the time being, El Pais said, only propane will see a decrease in price, with the price going down 25 percent. It's the second price drop for propane, which decreased 10 percent in November.
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03c06884c8de4adeab67dc71171acca5
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What is the point of the gas freeze?
|
[
"to give consumers a clear signal of stability,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith is confirming the latest buzz: She's been laid off from the New York Post.
Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith, 86, has been a fixture of New York tabloids for more than three decades.
Confronted with "economic gales," New York Post Editor Col Allan said in a letter sent to Smith that the newspaper would not renew her contract, which expires at the end of the month.
"The Post is grateful to have been able to publish Liz Smith's legendary column for so many years. We wish her the very best for the future," Allan said in a statement Tuesday.
In an interview with CNN affiliate WABC-TV in New York, Smith noted that Friday "will be the first time in 33 years that there hasn't been a Liz Smith column in a New York paper."
"That hurts my heart. I would hate to see another newspaper fail. ... When I came to New York, there were nine newspapers. I've worked for seven of them. They just disappear out from under you," she added.
Often referred to as the "Diva of Dish," the 86-year-old Smith has been a presence in New York tabloids for more than three decades. She's written for the New York Post, New York Daily News and Newsday.
Smith was also a fixture on local television, appearing on WNBC-TV for more than 10 years. In 2000, she published a memoir, "Natural Blonde," and wrote a nonfiction work in 2005 combining food and gossip, "Dishing."
Though her titillating and often penetrating look at the New York social scene may be gone from tabloid pages, Smith will continue to publish, writing five times a week for wowOwow.com, an online community created and run by women for women.
In an online statement, WowOwow.com co-founder Joni Evans said that Smith will begin posting next week.
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915ea74930854b82981fe07f88af670b
|
Smith will write for what website?
|
[
"WowOwow.com"
] |
NewsQA
|
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Miami rapper Brisco lost $40,000 in jewelry and his luxury SUV when armed robbers stormed the barber shop where he was getting a trim, but the artist says the hold up may help his creativity.
Security camera video showed Brisco, whose real name is British Mitchell, sitting in a barber chair when four armed men rush into the Miami, Florida, business, fire a few shots and order everyone, including the rapper, to the floor.
"He went to a barber shop to get his hair cut," Miami Police Officer Jeffery Giordano told Miami TV station WSVN. "They took a little bit more off the top than expected."
Brisco's gold watch, bracelet, chain and pendant were taken from him, along with the keys to his Range Rover. The vehicle was later recovered, Giordano said.
"For a rapper to have his bling stolen, they might as well stolen that man's heart," Giordano said.
Brisco, known for his songs about ghetto street life, said he was still alive and looking at the bright side.
"I'll get bigger jewelry and still go hard," Brisco said. "It's great material for my next album."
Music fans also know Brisco by his other nickname, the Opa Locka Goon, a reference to his south Florida hometown.
The armed robbery took place July 29 in Miami's Model City neighborhood.
|
a8941a72f98949c3b9daa881cec83fcf
|
What was stolen?
|
[
"gold watch, bracelet, chain and pendant were taken from him, along with the keys to his Range Rover."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Video of a fresh-faced Susan Boyle confidently singing a Barbra Streisand track to a room full of football fans in 1984 has been unearthed.
Susan Boyle as she looked during a performance filmed at a Scottish football club in 1984.
The "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation, looking trim and a bit like Abba's Anni-Frid Lyngstad, is invited on to the stage at Motherwell FC's Fir Park Social Club to take part in a singing competition between rival fans by a man wearing a checked coat and bow tie.
Boyle, who had to wait 25 more years to be catapulted into the spotlight via her television appearance in front of Simon Cowell last month, quickly chats with the band before they launch into a low-key, lounge-style version of Streisand's "The Way We Were."
Boyle, her hair style a classic 1980s perm, confidently looks down the barrel of the camera, giving meaningful expressions as she moves slowly round the stage. Watch latest Boyle video
At one point she even takes the hand of a pearl-necklace wearing middle-aged woman in the front row and sings directly to her. Watch how things have changed in Boyle's hometown »
When she finishes, the crowd breaks into rapturous applause and Boyle gets a peck on the cheek from the MC before slipping quietly back to her table in the smoke-tinged room.
The video became public Friday after it was handed to Scotland's Daily Record newspaper.
Gerry McGuinness, 61, who watched Susan sing live that night and kept the video, told the Record that he remembered the evening clearly. Watch Boyle sing on Larry King »
"I can remember that she was a shy young girl, but also very attractive back then -- she turned a few heads when she came into the club.
"Even back then, I don't think anyone expected too much from her because she was so shy, but when she began singing people took notice."
The 47-year-old Boyle's appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," where she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables," has now been viewed more than a 100 million times on YouTube. Watch Larry King interview Susan Boyle »
She famously told the show's hosts that she had never been kissed and lived alone with her cat in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland.
The world's media beat a path to her home, from where she even appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Boyle has been installed by bookmakers as the favorite to win the show which, as part of the first prize, includes the right to perform in front of the queen.
|
b33a7da28f464802bd6985412014687a
|
Who is Susan Boyle?
|
[
"\"Britain's Got Talent\" singing sensation,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- On a scenic Hawaiian beach, a sailor found a message in a bottle that was sent about five years ago by a sixth-grader in Japan.
Petty Officer Jon Moore spotted the bottle Thursday during a beach clean up project near the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai.
Moore was among a group of sailors plucking cigarette butts and food wrappers from the beach when he spotted it.
"I looked over and saw the bottle. I jokingly thought it would have a treasure map inside, but it actually had a message," Moore said.
Inside the bottle were four origami flowers and a letter signed by student Saki Arikawa.
There was also a picture of Arikawa's class from Kagoshima, a city in Japan's southern island of Kyushu.
The letter was dated March 25, 2006 and Arikawa's note asked that whoever found the bottle to write back.
Somehow the bottle had traveled some 4,000 miles and reached Moore.
Moore said he immediately thought of home.
Even though he was born in Guyana, South America, he said Japan feels like home because his wife and son live there. The sailor said he plans to visit Kagoshima on his next trip home to visit his family.
And he also has a letter to write.
"I'll definitely respond. I want to write back to the school and get their thoughts," Moore said.
|
138dca6a5fc0492a95fb65bd521b4f59
|
The letter was sent by a sixth-grader how many years ago?
|
[
"five"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Former Italian international striker Christian Vieri has left Serie A side Atalanta by mutual consent, blaming constant jeering from the club's fans for his decision to leave.
Veteran striker Vieri scored twice in nine appearances for Atalanta this season
The 35-year-old, back at his third stint with the Bergamo-based side, has failed to make an impression this season, and has become the focus of fans' frustrations after scoring just two goals in nine appearances.
"I want to thank Atalanta for the way they have dealt with me throughout the season and throughout my previous experiences wearing the black and blue shirt," said Vieri in a statement on the club's official Web site.
Atalanta president Alessandro Ruggeri revealed the club had wanted the former Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan striker to stay but that his mind was made up.
"I'm disappointed as I'm sure everyone who loves football is. I don't know what he will do now, whether or not he will continue to play after this experience with Atalanta," said Ruggeri.
"I haven't spoken to him yet but my colleagues have and he was adamant, I don't think there was any way to make him stay."
Vieri has changed clubs 13 times since beconing a professional in 1991, playing for Italy's three biggest teams as well as Atletico Madrid in Spain and Monaco in France.
His best season was in 2002-03, when he scored 24 goals in 23 league appearances for Inter.
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aa9e52ed0c00405badba9caa8854575d
|
When was Vieri's professional debut?
|
[
"1991,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Mexico City (CNN) -- A Mexican mayor campaigning for the president's sister in a gubernatorial race was fatally shot in the southeastern state of Michoacan, the state attorney general's office said.
The killing of La Piedad Mayor Ricardo Guzman Romero on Wednesday is the latest in a number of mayoral killings dating to last year. According to CNNMexico, 18 mayors have been killed in 2010 and 2011.
But Guzman's death garnered extra attention because he was killed in President Felipe Calderon's home state, and because he was campaigning for the president's sister, gubernatorial candidate Luisa Maria Calderon. She is running as a candidate for the National Action Party, or PAN, the same party to which the president belongs.
The attack came just 11 days before the state elections, where in addition to a governor, 40 lawmakers and 113 mayors will be chosen.
Guzman was elected mayor in 2008, and his term was to end in January.
"At the moment, the federal authorities and military are in charge (of the case)," Michoacan attorney general's office spokesman Armando Soto La Marina said.
According to authorities, Guzman was participating in a campaign event, walking down one of his town's boulevards, when a black vehicle approached and a gunman shot from inside.
The shooter escaped, and the mayor was taken to a hospital, where he died, authorities said.
Luisa Maria Calderon said she was saddened by the killing, but that "we're not going to stop our fight for Michoacan."
Michoacan has long been a center of drug cartel violence. It was where President Calderon initiated his campaign against the cartels in 2006.
Last year, the PAN and an allied party declined to run candidates in at least 20 mayoral races in Michoacan because of insecurity.
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13aba991dec848dfb5c327c9dccfb14a
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Since 2010 how many mayors have been killed
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[
"18"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Five members of Liverpool's backroom staff have followed manager Rafael Benitez in committing their long-term futures to the Premier League title challengers.
Rafael Benitez's backroom staff have followed his example in signing new contracts with Liverpool.
Benitez signed a new contract with the club last week, following months of speculation, keeping him at Anfield until 2014.
Now the Spaniard's lead has now been followed by assistant manager Sammy Lee, first-team coach Mauricio Pellegrino, goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero, fitness coach Paco de Miguel and chief scout Eduardo Macia -- all of whom have agreed contract extensions of at least two years.
"I said when I signed my own deal recently that it was a priority to sort out the future of the technical staff," Benitez told PA Sport.
"We work extremely well as a team, and continuity is essential if we are to build on the progress we have made this season and move the club further forward. I am delighted we have been able to sort out the contracts," he added.
The news caps a remarkable month for the club, who have thrashed Manchester United and Aston Villa to re-enter the Premier League title race and also crushed Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
|
8d2de58a47f44027bbe11bfff89872a3
|
Who signed new contracts?
|
[
"Rafael Benitez's backroom staff"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- American driver Robby Gordon won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally by just one second from Stephane Peterhansel, who extended his overall lead to more than seven minutes in South America on Tuesday.
NASCAR star Gordon claimed his first victory of this year's race, and his third overall, as he snatched the quickest time on the shortened 163 kilometer stage from Fiambala in Argentina to Copiapo in Chile. It was cut by 40km as some competitors arrived late following Monday's leg.
He clocked one hour, 40 minutes and 21 seconds in his Hummer to head off BMW's Peterhansel, who has won three car titles and six on bikes.
The Frenchman now leads Carlos Sainz by seven minutes and 36 seconds, with the former world rally champion finishing fourth behind Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah.
Defending champion Giniel De Villiers gave Volkswagen with three drivers in the top five, but is still way back in 20th due to his problems on Monday.
Gordon was left eight overall, more than an hour off the pace, while his compatriot Mark Miller is fourth in another Volkswagen after placing sixth on Tuesday.
"Today's special stage was perfect for us with a lot of camel grass. It's on this type of terrain that the Hummer is doing great," Gordon told the race's official Web site.
"I am glad we managed to recover from yesterday. I got stuck twice yesterday and the engine overheated. We lost one hour. It's sad but the race is still long. We've only had four days of raid so far. A stage victory means nothing to us. It's the final victory we are in for."
In the bikes, defending champion Marc Coma bounced back from losing moer than 40 minutes over the last two days to win the stage.
The Spaniard was left in sixth overall, 38 minutes and 50 seconds behind Frenchman Cyril Depres, who was third on the stage also riding a 690cc KTM machine.
His compatriot David Casteu, riding a smaller 450cc Sherco machine, was runner-up to retain second overall -- almost nine minutes behind with 10 stages left.
|
45d26b68561147df8040e849c0002d7a
|
Who leads by almost nine minutes?
|
[
"David Casteu,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Robert Pires is confident Villarreal -- nickname 'the Yellow Submarine' -- can torpedo the Champions League dreams of former club Arsenal in Tuesday's quarterfinal first leg clash in Spain.
Robert Pires made his final apearance for Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final defeat against Barcelona.
"We can beat them, for sure," said the former French internationa\. "We would not come on the pitch if we were not convinced that we are good enough to go through.
"I would say that I expect a spectacular game between two teams that look like each other a lot. Hopefully we will see many goals."
The 35-year-old spent six successful seasons at Highbury, and made his last appearance for the Gunners in the 2006 Champions League final when he was substituted in an early tactical change following the sending off of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Such an exit was not the way Pires wanted to bring the curtain down on an Arsenal career which had seen him help guide Arsene Wenger's side through an unbeaten Premier League campaign in 2003/2004.
"I have always had a tremendous relationship with the Arsenal fans and these games will be the occasion for me to say goodbye to them," Pires told www.setanta.com. "Not having been able to say goodbye to them is a pain to me.
"I wanted to have the chance to thank the Highbury public for their support, but I could not do it because my last game was the Champions League final with Barcelona.
"Then I announced my departure to Villarreal three days later and did not see them again. Sincerely, this draw is emotional to me, and fills me with nostalgia as well, that is for sure."
Pires was sent off in the 3-0 weekend defeat at Almeria that saw midfielder Santi Cazorla break an ankle in a match that left Manuel Pellegrini's team in fourth place.
Spain international midfielder Marcos Senna is, though, expected to be fit to face the Gunners.
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie misses the trip to Spain with a groin injury, but Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott have been passed fit for the clash at El Madrigal after a virus and knee injury respectively.
Manager Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his players on arrival in Spain and maintained that he is "confident" of a positive outcome over the two legs.
Midfielder Andrey Arshavin is ineligible having played for Zenit St Petersburg during the group stages. Striker Eduardo (groin) and midfielder Abou Diaby (thigh) remain sidelined, while long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky continues his recovery.
|
200384461c4b41248623b3cc334ff78c
|
Who believes Villarreal can upset Arsenal?
|
[
"Robert Pires"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A federal appeals court in Argentina has ruled that a grandmother must stand trial for growing two marijuana plants in her backyard.
Argentina allows personal consumption of marijuana, and a federal judge had issued a stay against prosecuting the unnamed woman, who swore she used the marijuana solely for herself, the government's Judicial Information Center said last week.
But the public prosecutor's office appealed the ruling, and a federal appeals court overturned the previous decision because the woman lives with her two sons and a grandchild. She could not prove the marijuana was solely for personal consumption, the three-page appeals court ruling said.
Argentina's Supreme Court ruled in August it is unconstitutional to punish an adult for private use of marijuana -- as long as the use doesn't harm anyone else.
The unanimous ruling made Argentina the second Latin American country within a one-week span last year to allow personal use of a formerly illegal drug.
Mexico also enacted a law in August that decriminalized possession of small quantities of most drugs, including marijuana, heroin, cocaine and LSD.
Earlier last year, a Brazilian appeals court ruled possession of drugs for personal use is not illegal.
|
9168a82d63bf4a439c4266d24d5dc4d8
|
Appeals court says the woman couldn't prove the marijuana was what?
|
[
"solely for personal consumption,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- They wore feathers. They wore fancy hats. And of course, they wore fur.
Never mind the human -- the dog in haute couture was the fashionistas' focus during Pet Fashion Week.
But the models strutting down the runway were of the four-legged variety. The glamorous pooches were accompanied by human models -- but the furry ones were getting all the attention.
It was Pet Fashion Week New York and these canines were not wearing the boring plaid raincoats that have sold for years. They were wearing one-of-kind design creations.
The show last weekend was aimed at owners of sophisticated canines who may be willing to pay for their pup's own stylist.
Booths at the annual event features couture clothing, jewelry and other accessories for the well-dressed doggie -- all part of the $40 billion pet industry. E-mail to a friend
|
b1f1463bbd084f189632c161836ab020
|
Who ruled during the week?
|
[
"the dog"
] |
NewsQA
|
Peshawar, Pakistan (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Pakistani boy has taken his school to court, challenging his expulsion after he got married.
Gherat Khan, a 7th grader at Peshawar Model School, filed a petition with the High Court in the northwest Pakistani city saying the school's principal sent him packing after she found out about the wedding.
Gherat said his wife is 16, although CNN could not independently verify her age.
Pakistan has no clear guidelines prohibiting underage marriage.
Civil law says boys must be 18; girls 16. But Islamic law says a couple can marry if both have reached puberty and if their parents approve.
"I am young but our family had problems," Gherat said, explaining why he tied the knot at such an early age.
His father had passed away and his mother was sick, he said. The family had fallen on hard times. So his relatives, including his grandfather, decided to find him a bride who could help the family with housework
Gherat said he loves his wife and does not regret his family members' decision.
The school, however, felt differently.
Principal Beatrice Jamil said the decision to expel Gherat was taken after consulting with the school's directors.
His file said the school removed Gherat because his parents removed him.
But Jamil admitted that wasn't the real reason.
Gherat, she said, was told to leave because the school worried he'd share intimate details of married life with classmates.
"It's prohibited. It's almost taboo," she said.
Gherat said he was upset when he found out he could no longer attend classes.
If the school deems something inappropriate, he won't talk about it with his friends, he said.
All he wants is to finish his education so he can become a doctor, Gherat added.
"I want to go to this school," he said.
For her part, Jamil wishes Gherat well -- but doesn't want him back.
"Especially now that it's publicized," she said.
|
5b795773b489461fa6a0bf90f7007691
|
What is the principal worried about?
|
[
"he'd share intimate details of married life with classmates."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Personal computer maker Lenovo, expecting to report a loss for the third fiscal quarter ending December 31, announced it would cut 2,500 jobs as part of a restructuring expected to save $300 million.
A woman walks past a Lenovo advertisement at a computer shop in Hong Kong.
The cuts comprise about 11 percent of the Chinese computer manufacturer's global workforce.
"Although the integration of the IBM PC business for the past three years was a success, our last quarter's performance did not meet our expectations," Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's chairman of the board, said in a statement. "We are taking these actions now to ensure that in an uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future."
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index suspended trading of Lenovo shares Wednesday, anticipating the announcement. The trading is to resume Thursday.
The job cuts, to occur during the first quarter, will include management and executive positions and also affect finance, human resources and marketing divisions, the company said.
In addition, the "resource redeployment plan" included executive compensation reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent, including bonuses, and the consolidation of its China and Asia-Pacific organizations into a single business unit to be called Asia Pacific and Russia .
The company, ranked as the world's fourth-largest PC maker, anticipated taking a pre-tax restructuring charge of approximately $150 million.
As part of its restructuring, the company said it was relocating call center operations from Toronto, Canada, to Morrisville, North Carolina, the company's North America headquarters in order to "better leverage its investment in real estate and facilities."
|
5662c35336274a2e923600965f231d8e
|
Where does the company rank in the world of PC makers?
|
[
"world's fourth-largest PC maker,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Recent headlines focusing on the rash of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia should instead focus on the humanitarian crisis driving Somalis to commit crimes on the high seas, an international aid group said Thursday.
Somalia's population have suffered from a lack of the most basic services.
An estimated one-third of Somalia's population desperately needs emergency aid, the international agency Oxfam said, as donors to Somalia met in Brussels, Belgium.
"Without economic opportunities offering alternatives to criminality, and without law and order to curb these activities, then the massive economic returns of hijacking ships will continue to drive piracy," Robert Maletta, policy adviser for Oxfam, said in a news release.
"The international community must urgently focus their attention on finding ways to assist the millions of people in desperate need," Maletta said.
Somalia, which is racked by poverty and conflict, has not had a fully functioning government since 1991, when its president was overthrown in Mogadishu, the capital. Drought and rising food prices have added to the nation's problems, according to Maletta.
"Families are finding it difficult to meet their most basic needs, as prices for basic food items are at record high levels," he said.
Not only do civilians need emergency aid, they also need protection from military abuses, aid groups said.
"Since Somalia's security forces have committed so many violent abuses against civilians, efforts to strengthen them also need to make them more accountable," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director for Human Rights Watch.
The combination of security and humanitarian assistance is necessary to curb piracy in the region, which borders the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, aid groups said.
The April 8 hijacking of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama made headlines worldwide when its American captain, Richard Phillips, was held hostage by four Somali men.
Phillips was rescued four days later, after U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three pirates. The fourth suspect, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, was brought to New York to face federal piracy charges.
Ships with aid supplies destined for countries in the region, including Somalia, also have been hijacked in the Indian Ocean.
Pirates held a ship carrying U.N. food aid for 100 days in June 2005. Two years ago, a cargo ship and crew delivering U.N. aid to Somalia were held and released after 40 days.
The Maersk was going to the coastal town of Mombasa, Kenya, to deliver relief supplies intended for various countries in the region, including Somalia.
|
42c83f0652a4485f9ca14f12c2f7c027
|
What year did Somalia last have a fully functioning government?
|
[
"1991,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Three women who were seized along with six other foreign workers in Yemen have been killed, Yemeni government officials said Monday.
South Korean officials discuss the kidnappings Monday. A South Korean woman reportedly was killed.
"It is with profound sorrow that the Yemeni government reports finding three bodies," according to a statement from Mohammed Albasha, a spokesman for Yemen's Embassy in the United States.
The statement said the dead were identified as a South Korean teacher and two German nurses in training, all in their 20s. They were found in the Noshour Valley in Safrah district in the province of Saada.
The women were abducted Sunday along with five other Germans, including three children, and a Briton, according to Yemen's state-run SABA news agency. Earlier, the Yemen Post said seven of the nine hostages were killed, citing the country's interior ministry.
But SABA reported later Monday the remaining six were believed to be alive, and security forces were searching for them
Albasha said the nine foreigners left the city of Saada without police escorts that are required due to the "heightened security situation" in the area.
"This event was a heinous crime and constitutes not only a violation against the peaceful principles of Islam, but also the precepts of humanity," the embassy spokesman said. "Moreover, it does not reflect the good traditions and culture of Yemen."
The Germany Foreign Ministry said it is in close contact with the German Embassy in Yemen but couldn't confirm any details at this stage.
Initial official statements said the group was apparently seized by Houthi rebels, Shiite militants who have been fighting the government for years, according to SABA. The militants are hoping to derail the peace and reconstruction process in Saada, which has been rocked by war in the past year, according to SABA.
However, the news agency later reported Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of abducting the group and killing the three. In addition, SABA said a spokesman for the rebels accused regional tribes of being behind the kidnappings and slayings.
Sunday's abduction was the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreign workers in Yemen this year. All the previous hostages had been released unharmed, including 24 medical workers whom armed tribesman seized last week in Yemen's Amran province.
CNN's Caroline Faraj, Diana Magnay and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.
|
1b649a2e75174c4c9fbe57efeefb9f09
|
Who blames drug cartels and regional tribes?
|
[
"Houthi rebels"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 33,000 items of old denim -- jeans, hats and jackets -- were sent to Washington in a recycling effort that will benefit disaster-struck homes, officials said.
Erek Hansen donated five pairs of his own outgrown jeans to the cause and collected almost 1,700 pairs.
National Geographic Kids magazine encouraged readers to donate their old denim instead of throwing it away.
The resulting 33,088 pieces of denim clothing set a world record, verified Wednesday by a representative from Guinness World Records, according to the magazine's blog.
The thousands of pairs of jeans, which are on display at Union Station for two weeks, will be turned into housing insulation for homes affected by natural disasters. According to the magazine, there will be enough material to provide insulation for 60 houses.
The jeans will be turned over to Cotton Inc., which collects used denim for natural fiber insulation made without carcinogens or chemical irritants. Paula Rosario, vice president of consumer marketing for the company, said that the new record "certainly attests to the civic-mindedness of today's children."
The ceremony unveiling the denim display also honored 9-year-old Erek Hansen, who collected nearly 1,700 jeans. The elementary school student from Curtice, Ohio, said that his friends and classmates "were happy to help the environment."
Hansen donated five pairs of his own outgrown jeans. The display also includes a pair from actor Ben Stiller.
|
789835d0f21545a687cb96df3e968ca6
|
Who collected almost 1,700 pairs of jeans?
|
[
"Erek Hansen"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Swedish diplomat in Iran was arrested and accused of participating in Iranian protests during observances surrounding the Muslim holy day of Ashura, two semi-official news agencies reported Sunday, citing members of Iran's parliament.
Sweden denies that the diplomat was involved in the protests.
Swedish officials and the Mehr news agency reported that the diplomat was subsequently released.
"Based on the law and international norms, diplomats cannot be detained or arrested," Alaedin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliamentary National Security Committee, told Mehr. "But since this person was among those who were disturbing the peace, he was initially arrested but then he was released when it was determined he was a diplomat."
The Swedish Foreign Office confirmed the arrest, but said the diplomat -- who was not named -- was not taking part in demonstrations.
"A Swedish diplomat was arrested in Tehran about two weeks ago and detained overnight for between 10 and 20 hours before being released," said Anders Jorle, spokesman for the Foreign Office. "He was arrested after he was found to not be carrying ID, which is not required but is recommended in Iran."
"He was not taking part in a protest," Jorle said. "He was passing one of the places where a protest had taken place, but the protest was not ongoing at the time of the arrest.
"In hindsight, we would say that he should have been carrying ID," Jorle said. "As far as we're concerned, the matter is closed and there is nothing further to say."
The Fars news agency quoted Zohreh Elahian, a member of the security committee, as saying the Swedish chargé d'affaires was arrested on the day of Ashura, December 27. He was arrested by Iranian officials who considered his presence at the demonstration to be an interference in international affairs, Elahian told Fars.
"According to witnesses and evidence, several foreign embassies in Tehran played a role behind the scenes and were represented [on the scene on that day] by their chargés d'affaires and other diplomats," Elahian said.
Ashura is the major Shiite Muslim holy day. It marks the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, as a martyr. Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein each year, climaxing on Ashura, after a 40-day mourning period.
Its observance in Iran was marked by anti-government protests. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad downplayed the reports, calling them "a theater play by the Zionists and the Americans," according to state media.
An Iranian media blackout made it difficult to verify accounts of that weekend's violence, but videos that found their way west depicted bloodied and, in some cases, apparently dead protesters.
CNN's Jonathan Wald contributed to this report.
|
04a2199533c546b1b72d82dbf4ca3f08
|
Protests over what issue?
|
[
"observances surrounding the Muslim holy day of Ashura,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Christopher Lloyd picked through the charred remnants of his Montecito, California, home Monday morning, resigning himself to the fact it cannot be rebuilt.
Christopher Lloyd's $11 million home in Montecito, California, was destroyed by the "Tea Fire."
The "Back to the Future" and "Taxi" star showed ABC's "Good Morning America" what remained of his $11 million home in the exclusive celebrity neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.
"Boy, look at that," Lloyd said as he approached the rubble. "All this happens in a couple of minutes."
Lloyd's home was among dozens of homes lost in wildfires in Southern California.
The "Tea Fire" which started at the privately owned Tea Garden Estate, about a mile north of Santa Barbara's Westmont College, ripped through an area that Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, Rob Lowe and other celebrities call home.
Lloyd told "Good Morning America" that it was "just sort of sinking in" that his home was gone for good.
"It's amazing, its just gone," Lloyd told "Good Morning America." "Rebuilding would be -- it's too much. You can't rebuild that."
The home's windows were blown out, entire sections demolished, and piles of concrete, ashy trees and shrubbery were scattered across the property.
"You watch TV, you see these kinds of incidents happening here and there, but you look with a kind of detachment because it's happening ... elsewhere," he told "Good Morning America." "But suddenly to be in the midst of it -- it's a very different awareness."
Lloyd joked that he had been planning on organizing and storing memorabilia from the home, but never got around to it.
"Kind of don't have to worry about that now," he said.
|
45897075c30f465887aca569ec0a1629
|
Having home destroyed brings a different awareness according to who?
|
[
"Christopher"
] |
NewsQA
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how an international flight into Atlanta's major airport landed on a taxiway instead of a runway early Monday.
The pilots of the plane that landed at the Atlanta airport have been relieved from flying duties pending probes.
FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Delta Flight 60, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, was cleared to land about 6:05 a.m. Monday on Runway 27R but landed instead on Taxiway M, which runs parallel to the runway. The flight had 194 passengers and crew aboard, according to CNN affiliate WXIA.
No other aircraft were on the taxiway, and there was no damage to either the taxiway or the plane, a Boeing 767, Bergen said.
A runway or taxiway collision, particularly with one plane preparing to take off and carrying a full fuel load, would be catastrophic.
Bergen said she isn't sure whether or when other aircraft have ever landed on the taxiway at Hartsfield.
Both Runway 27R and Taxiway M are 11,890 feet long, Bergen said, but the runway is marked with white lights while the taxiway is marked with blue lights.
Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline is cooperating with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation, as well as conducting an internal investigation. The pilots of the flight have been relieved from active flying pending the completion of these investigations, Black said.
Bergen and Black said a medical emergency was reported on the plane, but neither offered any details.
The incursion came just two weeks after the FAA announced that serious runway incursions were down 50 percent from the year that ended September 30, 2008, over the year ending on the same date this year.
The FAA said there were 12 serious incursions in 2009 and 25 in 2008. Only two of the serious incursions involved commercial airliners in 2009, compared with nine in 2008.
The FAA defines a serious incursion as one in which a collision is narrowly avoided, or there was a significant potential for collision that resulted in the need to take quick corrective action.
|
e394d4c2c0f1492981c01f2e8d18d1f0
|
Was the aircraft damaged?
|
[
"no damage"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Australia's prime minister Friday slammed those engaged in human trafficking after an explosion aboard a boat carrying Afghan refugees killed three people and injured more than 40 others near Ashmore Reef, off Australia's northwest coast.
"People smugglers are engaged in the world's most evil trade and they should all rot in jail because they represent the absolute scum of the earth," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters.
"We see this lowest form of human life at work in what we saw on the high seas yesterday. That's why this government maintains its hardline, tough, targeted approach to maintaining border protection for Australia. And that's why we have dedicated more resources to combat people smuggling than any other government in Australian history."
The boat was carrying 49 refugees, officials said. In addition to the three killed, two others were missing.
Rudd would not comment on the cause of the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation.
The prime minister acknowledged that human smuggling was an increasing problem exacerbated by "global factors" but defended his government's border security policies.
"Our staff, our naval staff, our coast watch staff, our aerial surveillance staff and others, our police, are doing a first class job backed up by our intelligence officers as well, also in collaboration with partners across the region," the prime minister said.
"Because it is a global phenomenon and we are finding push factors operating from around the world, our active partnership with international governments and international agencies like the UNHCR is equally critical. This is a fight on many fronts. It is a fight which we have been engaged in for some time and a fight which other governments around the world are equally engaged in with us."
Rudd said the refugees' requests for asylum "will be treated under the normal provisions of the law through the examination of each of their individual cases."
|
2387de9066764acdb10e8e7ac875f8d3
|
What did Rudd refuse to comment on?
|
[
"the cause of the explosion,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea reacted to a South Korean anti-submarine exercise early Thursday by saying it would meet "confrontation with confrontation" and war with "all-out war," according to North Korean state-run media.
"Now that the puppet group challenged the DPRK [North Korea] formally and blatantly, the DPRK will react to confrontation with confrontation, and to a war with an all-out war," according the KCNA news agency.
The news agency referred to South Korean leaders as a "group of traitors" and said they would experience "unheard of disastrous consequences" if they misunderstand North Korea's will.
The response comes amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula, after Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the sinking in March of a South Korean warship. An official South Korean report has accused the communist North of firing a torpedo at the ship, killing 46 sailors.
Explainer: Why are the two Koreas so hostile?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, visiting Seoul on Wednesday, called the sinking "an unacceptable provocation by North Korea" and said the international community should respond.
Also Thursday, the general staff of North Korea's military -- the Korean People's Army, or KPA -- said it was enacting new measures to deal with any "all-out confrontation."
The steps would "retract all measures for providing military guarantees for the North-South cooperation and exchange, and the promise of a physical strike.
"The KPA will make a prompt physical strike at the intrusion into the extension of the Military Demarcation Line under our side's control in the West Sea of Korea," the army said, according to the KCNA news agency.
|
6a99e3af5aea48c4b777bd6de8997235
|
What does Seoul blamed Pyongyang for?
|
[
"the sinking in March of a South Korean warship."
] |
NewsQA
|
Paris, France (CNN) -- A French judge has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis for allegedly hacking into the computer system of the French anti-doping agency's laboratory, the agency's president said Tuesday.
Investigating Judge Thomas Cassuto issued the warrant January 28 for the alleged hacking of the lab's computer system in 2006, said Marie-Christine Daubigney, the assistant prosecutor of the tribunal in Nanterre, near Paris.
It was not immediately clear why the judge was issuing the warrant after more than three years.
Landis, 34, was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win and suspended from cycling for two years after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone, a banned male sex hormone.
Oscar Pereiro of Spain inherited the 2006 title after Landis was disqualified. Landis appealed, maintaining the French laboratory made errors in his case.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which handles international sports disputes, upheld the ban and the decision to strip him of his title in June 2008. The warrant relates to the computer system of the AFLD, the French anti-doping agency that conducted drugs testing at the Tour, said AFLD President Pierre Bordry.
The International Cycling Union, which governs the sport worldwide, has dropped the AFLD as the anti-doping agency for this year's Tour de France, though the decision has nothing to do with the Landis case, union spokesman Enrico Carpani told CNN.
The decision had to do with comments Bordry made after the 2009 Tour, Carpani said. A new anti-doping agency has yet to be chosen for the 2010 race, he said.
|
a0e3dd5d509543feba2a6376a64e11eb
|
Who inherited 2006 title from Landis?
|
[
"Oscar Pereiro of Spain"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday will launch three days of hearings into the circumstances surrounding the US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on New York's Hudson River.
In January, passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 had to be rescued out of the Hudson River after a bird strike.
Looking into several issues from the January 15 incident -- from migratory birds to why a rear door opened after the landing -- the NTSB panel will hear testimony from key witnesses, including Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot; and Billy Campbell, the only passenger scheduled to testify.
On Monday, the NTSB corrected remarks made by board member Robert Sumwalt, who was quoted by The Associated Press as saying Campbell was being called to contradict statements made by flight attendant Doreen Welsh, who has said a panicked passenger opened the rear door.
The NTSB said Sumwalt, who will lead the three days of hearings, was mistaken and that Campbell's written statement does not suggest Welsh opened the rear door.
NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said the board asked Campbell to testify because he had the most detailed statement of those people in the cabin at the time of the crash.
"Safety Board investigators interviewed 145 passengers, each of whom provided their own perspective on what happened," the NTSB said Monday night. "Some of the passenger reports conflicted with the accounts of other passengers, including accounts of how the rear door was opened."
"What was consistently reported by those inside the plane was that the water entered the aft section of the cabin immediately while everyone was still seated," the statement said, adding that the NTSB will focus on how the water gushing "affected the ability of the passengers and the crew to evacuate the aircraft since two of the four slide-rafts were in the rear of the plane, on each of the rear doors, and they could not be used."
Sullenberger was the pilot in command during the flight, which lost power in both engines after hitting a flock of Canada geese. Bird detection, and standards for engines to handle bird strikes, are among subjects to be covered in the hearing.
Other topics include pilot training for ditching and forced landings on water, and cabin-safety training, emergency procedures and equipment.
CNN's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.
|
71f71f9ab76748edac1074f15a4e6d5a
|
What made the plane crash?
|
[
"bird strike."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Armored cars patrolled the streets of Zimbabwe's capital and residents flocked to banks Thursday after limits on cash withdrawals were lifted in the inflation-ravaged African nation.
With prices rising even more than once a day, shopping is a mathematical proficiency test for Zimbabweans.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars -- about 25 U.S. cents, and about a quarter of the price of a loaf of bread. But faced with mounting chaos in a country already in economic free fall, the bank decided last week to raise that limit to 100 million dollars ($50 U.S.) per week.
Soldiers were deployed to all banks in anticipation of throngs of people lining up to withdraw money Thursday, when the increase took effect. Wednesday, police chased depositors away and arrested union leaders who planned to protest the limits.
Zimbabwe's inflation rate of 231 million percent is the world's highest. In addition, the country is faced with a growing outbreak of cholera that its government declared a national emergency Thursday.
The outbreak has killed at least 565 people and sickened more than 11,000, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office said. Medical professionals blame the resurgence of the water-borne disease on the lack of safe water in many parts of the country.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said 69 people were arrested across the country during Wednesday's demonstrations. Amnesty International has demanded to know the whereabouts of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, whom it said was abducted at dawn Wednesday by armed men in plainclothes posing as police.
And angry, unpaid soldiers clashed with foreign currency exchangers and some civilians Monday, three days after troops who had failed to get cash from their banks looted shops they suspected to be illegally dealing in foreign currency.
|
01dc028578e5413a907293d4773af60d
|
Residents flocked to where?
|
[
"banks"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Roma captain Francesco Totti scored two late goals as his side beat Cagliari 2-1 to ensure the Serie A title race goes down to the last week.
But treble-chasing Inter Milan edged out Chievo 4-3 to hold a two-point lead going into the final round.
Andrea Lazzari gave Cagliari the lead with a 73rd minute strike from a free kick but Tottie soon had Roma level in the Stadio Olimpico with a neat turn and shot.
An 83rd minute penalty from Totti wrapped up three points in a dramatic turnaround.
Inter also lived dangerously at the San Siro after a late Chievo fightback led to a nervy finish for Jose Mourinho's men.
Thiago Motta's own goal gave the visitors the lead before Andrea Mantovani also put through his own net to see Inter level.
Esteban Cambiasso, Diego Milito and Mario Balotelli then scored further goals for Inter who were in total command until late strikes from Pablo Granoche and Sergio Pellissier for battling Chievo.
Inter must now beat lowly Siena in their final match to wrap up the title as they bid for a Champions League, Italian Cup and Serie A treble.
"We have a true final at Siena," said Inter's top scorer Diego Milito. "We have two days to rest and then we will prepare for this game."
AC Milan's poor end to the season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at Genoa.
Giuseppe Sculli's 56th-minute goal settled the match while Milan, who will finish third, had Mathieu Flamini sent-off in the closing moments.
The battle for the fourth place and final Champions League spot will also go to the last weekend after fifth-placed Palermo and fourth-placed Sampdoria drew 1-1 in Sicily.
Samp went ahead against Palermo through a Giampaolo Pazzini penalty in the second half but Fabrizio Miccoli equalized from the spot as well with 20 minutes left.
Like Roma, they are two points adrift with a game remaining.
In other action on Sunday, Atalanta's relegation was confirmed with their 2-0 defeat at Napoli with two goals from Fabio Quagliarella.
Siena and Livorno were already down.
Juventus's 3-2 defeat at home to Parma continued their poor season with a record 14th Serie A defeat and the match was marred by crowd trouble.
The defeat ensures Juve will finish in seventh place and have to play in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League next season.
|
b0853569141a432cbaa7d0bb7b5c6daa
|
Which team did Inter Milan beat to stay top of Serie A
|
[
"Chievo"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Nearly two years into the recession, opinion about which political party is responsible for the severe economic downturn is shifting, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday morning indicates that 38 percent of the public blames Republicans for the country's current economic problems. In May, 53 percent blamed the GOP.
According to the poll, 27 percent now blame the Democrats for the recession, up 6 points from May, and 27 percent now say both parties are responsible.
"The bad news for the Democrats is that the number of Americans who hold the GOP exclusively responsible for the recession has been steadily falling by about two to three points per month," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "At that rate, only a handful of voters will blame the economy on the Republicans by the time next year's midterm elections roll around.."
Thirty-six percent of people questioned said that President Obama's policies have improved economic conditions, with 28 percent feeling that the president's programs have made things worse, and 35 percent saying what he's done has had no effect on the economy.
One reason for that, Holland said, may be the growing federal budget deficit: Two-thirds say that the government should balance the budget even in a time of war and recession.
The survey indicates that only 18 percent said the economic conditions in the country today are good, down 3 points from August. Eighty-two percent said economic conditions are poor.
"Some economic indicators may suggest that the economy has turned the corner -- but try telling that to the American people," Holland said.
The number of Americans who said the economy is in good shape -- a number that grew steadily through the spring and summer -- has now stalled, with fewer than one in five expressing a positive view of current conditions. More than eight in 10 say that economic conditions are in poor shape, with 43 percent calling them very poor.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
|
0b3bd15bc037497794518ab69d585257
|
How many people say economic conditions are good ?
|
[
"18 percent"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Muggles will have another opportunity to slip into Harry Potter's magical world at a new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal Parks CEO Tom Williams promises the planned Southern California attraction will be "every bit as spectacular" as the first Harry Potter park, which opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando in Florida. That successful Harry Potter theme park will be significantly expanded, Williams also announced Tuesday.
Hogwarts Castle, which houses the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry featured in the "Harry Potter" series, will be the Hollywood park's centerpiece, as it is in Orlando. Details on the timing of the new park and expansion have not been released.
The new California park is likely to bring millions of tourist dollars.
"It's a huge win for the Los Angeles tourism industry," said Mark Liberman, CEO of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, in a statement.
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. estimates the Harry Potter park will produce $147 million in spending in the county for every one million additional visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Orlando Harry Potter attraction's opening brought an immediate boost to Universal Orlando. Wizarding World's opening halfway through 2010 boosted overall paid admissions to Universal's Orlando parks by 20% in 2010 over 2009, according to financial documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
c52902bfd4ce40b9a45632821dbb300f
|
What is the theme of the new park in Univeral Hollywood?
|
[
"World of Harry Potter"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A Maoist group has claimed responsibility for the killing of a Hindu leader, whose death sparked a wave of Hindu-Christian riots in southern India.
Indian nuns protest against the recent violence which has seen Christians attacked.
Sabyasachi Panda, the head of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, told reporters of two private television stations that his group was behind the Hindu leader's death, the country's national news agency said Sunday.
The leader, Laxmananda Saraswati, preached the tenets of Hinduism to the tribal people of the state. And Panda said Maoists had earlier warned him to desist from "such works" or face consequences, PTI said.
Panda said the Maoists killed Saraswati because he was "spreading social unrest" in the tribal area, the news agency said.
The Indian government has consistently claimed the shooting death may have been the work of Maoist rebels.
But hardline Hindu groups blamed the state's Christian minority for Saraswati's death.
He and four others were killed in August when 20 to 30 gunmen barged into a Hindu school and began shooting.
Afterward, police arrested five Christians as suspects in the case.
The hardliners held up the arrests as proof of Christian complicity. They took to the streets in anger, rampaging through predominantly Christian neighborhoods, ransacking shops and torching houses.
A Christian orphanage was set on fire. A 20-year-old woman, who was teaching children inside, burned to death.
Christian resident fought back, and the clashes spread.
The communal violence left churches and temples razed to the ground. More than 20 people died, and hundreds were arrested.
Even after the Maoists' claim of responsibility, some fundamentalist Hindu groups blamed Christians for the death.
The hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council rejected the claim saying the communist group -- known as 'Naxals' -- did not have a religious agenda.
"Have the Maoists started fighting in the name of God now?" VHP leader Subansh Chauhan was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN, CNN's sister network.
The rebels, who claim to be fighting for the poor and the dispossessed, have been battling the government in an insurgency that has resulted in thousands of casualties since the late 1960s.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called Naxalism India's biggest security threat. Last year, more than 800 people were killed in Naxal-related violence across the country, according to local media reports.
CNN's Bharati Naik contributed to this report.
|
9aaba3e1933c4ca28644dbed17f3aac2
|
Where were the riots?
|
[
"southern India."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday.
Former Finland President Martii Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo.
"Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator," said Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
"Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts."
The committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in establishing Namibia's independence and his "central" role in solving the question of the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005. Watch as Finland celebrates the announcement »
Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo -- first in 1999 and again between 2005 and 2007. He also worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution to the problems in Iraq, the committee said.
Ahtisaari and his group, Crisis Management Initiative, also contributed to resolving other conflicts in Northern Ireland, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, the committee said.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements," Mjoes said.
The committee awards the peace prize annually according to guidelines laid down in the will of its founder, Alfred Nobel. He specified the prize should go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
The prestigious prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) in prize money.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared last year's prize with the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.
The committee plans to award the prize to Ahtisaari on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway.
The peace prize is one of five Nobel prizes awarded annually. The others -- for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature -- were announced this week and will be awarded in Stockholm, Sweden later this year.
|
e717a49bf25642329a9a1ec66101d192
|
who did committee site
|
[
"Ahtisaari's"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Warren Township, Ohio, man faces charges of felonious assault after authorities say he fired his rifle at two teens who were attempting to deface his McCain presidential campaign yard sign.
Police say the man's sign is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs.
Kenneth Rowles, 50, pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday, according to CNN affiliate WBNS.
Bail was set at $10,000.
Rowles told police he was sitting on his porch Saturday when a tan SUV pulled up and a black youth jumped out and ran toward his house, screaming, "This is for Obama."
He said another male was hanging out of the passenger window screaming the same thing.
Rowles said he went inside, got his rifle and fired three shots to scare the youths away, according to a Warren Township police report.
He told officers he believes that the men "were the same two that have been destroying his McCain sign."
Just hours before the shooting, Rowles called police and said that a car had stopped in front of his house and that a black male "ran up and said something about Obama," according to the report, and "damaged his sign again."
One of the youths, 17-year-old Kyree Flowers, was shot in the arm, according to a police report. He and the second youth, Patrick Wise Jr., 16, told police they were in the car attempting to leave when Rowles fired at them.
"Kyree stated that he witnessed the homeowner trying to shoot Patrick but he was having trouble chambering a round," the police report said.
The teens admitted that they had defaced the McCain sign several times, Warren Township police Lt. Don Bishop told CNN.
Rowles' is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs, he said.
Bishop said the teenagers probably will not be charged -- and are unlikely to damage campaign signs again, as the incident scared them.
Warren Township is in Trumbull County not far from Cleveland, Ohio.
|
32e5a176547440af8011a72128fab0b6
|
Who pleaded not guilty to an assault charge?
|
[
"Kenneth Rowles,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Fireworks continued to erupt between Bolivia and Peru over a costume worn at this year's Miss Universe pageant.
Last week, during the national costume part of the competition, Miss Peru, Karen Schwarz, wore an Andean-inspired outfit featuring a headpiece with large horns based on the costume used in the traditional Diablada, or deviled, folk dance.
In wearing the outfit, Schwarz unwittingly set off a firestorm in Bolivia, whose culture minister Pablo Groux threatened to go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to claim that the Diablada belongs to Bolivia's culture and no one else.
Bolivia sent a letter to the Miss Universe organizers, citing evidence that the dance has its roots in Bolivia and distinctly belongs to the country, Bolivia's state-run news agency ABI reported.
Bolivia dancers showcased the Diablada at events in Washington and Panama, and Bolivia's ambassador to France summed up the country's stance, according to ABI: "We ask that urgent, adequate, opportune and pertinent measures be taken to protect Bolivian cultural patrimony and the respect of the origin of our customs and ancient traditions."
Peruvian officials have said that the Diablada folk dance has its roots in both countries.
Bolivia has no grounds to claim the dance in the international court, countered Peru's director of its National Institute of Culture, Cecilia Bakula told the newspaper El Comercio.
"This issue should stop because we can't lose tolerance or respect between both countries over things like this," Schwarz said in an interview with Bolivian media. "We have a dance that unites us because the Diablada is danced in Bolivia and Peru."
The cultural dispute comes at a time of political disagreement between the countries relating to maritime access at the border between Chile and Peru.
Peruvian President Alan Garcia has accused Chile and land-locked Bolivia of negotiating an under-the-table deal that would leave Peru out.
On Monday Peru said it was taking its own case to the International Court of Justice over the maritime dispute.
|
7197badff8f041e595cf2c3c900980f9
|
what says Cultural Director?
|
[
"Bolivia has no grounds to claim the dance in the international court,"
] |
NewsQA
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Four U.S. service members were killed in fighting Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.
An Interior Ministry official said the victims of a suicide bomb blast at Kabul airport were all civilians.
The deaths took place in Kunar province in what a spokeswoman called an "ongoing event."
Troop deaths have mounted in Afghanistan this year as American and other international forces have stepped up their fight against the Taliban.
August was the deadliest month for the U.S. military in the nearly eight-year-old war, with 52 fatalities. The four deaths on Tuesday bring the number of U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan to 13 in September.
Elsewhere, a suicide bomber killed two people and wounded six others Tuesday morning in the Kabul airport's military section, Afghan officials said.
U.S. and Belgian nationals were among the wounded, a Western diplomatic official told CNN. The victims were all civilians, the Interior Ministry official said.
The blast occurred near a gate at Kabul International Airport, said Zamari Bashari, a representative of Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior.
NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan and other government organizations use the military side of the airport.
In Pakistan, eight tankers carrying fuel for NATO forces over the border in Afghanistan were attacked near Quetta, according to Quetta police. People on motorcycles fired shots at the tankers when they were parked at a rest area, but they did not catch fire, police said.
CNN's Atia Abawi contributed to this report.
|
cca2e457a70e413e84ba374fcccb1e89
|
how many members died?
|
[
"Four"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Two tractor-trailer trucks crashed and burst into flames Thursday on a bridge between the United States and Mexico, shutting a key border crossing and killing four people, police said.
Police look at the aftermath of a fiery crash on a bridge linking Reynosa, Mexico, and Pharr, Texas.
The collision on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in Texas triggered a chain-reaction accident with three other vehicles, said Lt. Lupe Salinas with the Pharr Police Department.
A pickup flipped off the bridge, killing three people. Another person died in a vehicle that struck one of the tractor-trailers. Six others were injured.
Pharr Emergency Management Coordinator Elsa Sanchez told The Associated Press the pickup truck had Texas license plates, and the two 18-wheelers and a minivan involved in the wreck appeared to have Mexican plates. Watch aftermath of fiery crash »
The accident happened around 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. ET). The bridge was closed for the rest of the evening.
The bridge reopened on Friday morning after Texas Department of Trnasportation engineers inspected it, according to CNN affiliate KRGV.
The bridge is normally open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is closed overnight.
The 3.2-mile-long bridge connects U.S. 281 in Pharr, Texas, to the city of Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, according to the city of Pharr's Web site. On an average day, the site says, 5,800 vehicles cross it. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Ed Payne and Jessica Jordan contributed to this story.
|
7ee8852ebf414ac9a93d081c94957908
|
What started the crash?
|
[
"tractor-trailer trucks"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Hours after a security breach forced the closure of a terminal at the Newark, New Jersey, airport Sunday, authorities were still searching for a man who went the wrong way through a checkpoint exit.
The incident happened at about 5:20 p.m. at Terminal C, when an individual walked from the public side to the secure "sterile" side for passengers who had cleared screening, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
No flights were allowed to leave from Terminal C Sunday evening and thousands of other travelers who had reached the sterile area after going through checkpoints were moved back to the public area to be re-screened, the TSA said.
Authorities are reviewing video from airport cameras. They are not sure whether the man was once on the sterile side and went back, or if he never went through screening, TSA spokeswoman Anne Davis said.
Watch more about the situation in Newark
The incident caused arrival delays and mainly affected Continental Airlines, which is the airport's largest tenant.
CNN's Alina Cho, who arrived at the airport Saturday night on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, described the hectic scene: "For the people who are hoping to fly out of Newark this evening, there is not a lot of movement."
She said many passengers who had already boarded outgoing flights had to get off planes to be re-screened.
"I just saw one woman pleading with a gate agent, saying that she had two small children and a heart condition -- that she simply could not take this," Cho said. "But of course, there will be no exceptions."
Flying Continental? Important company notice
Newark Liberty International Airport, which is about 15 miles from Manhattan, is the second-largest hub for Continental.
The airport handles about 35 million passengers a year.
CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.
|
996e1c76a5f9489080778f8a66a6d608
|
Were flights allowed?
|
[
"No"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- France has awarded its highest decoration to veteran CNN correspondent Jim Bittermann.
CNN's Jim Bittermann at the special ceremony in Paris where he was made a chevalier.
At a special ceremony presided over by the Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris Tuesday, Bittermann was presented with the "chevalier" (knight) of the National Order of the Legion of Honor.
Bittermann, CNN's senior European correspondent based in Paris, said: "For the past 30 years, I've been explaining France and the French to the rest of the world."
During his career with CNN in Paris Bittermann has covered the death of Princess Diana, the last days of Yasser Arafat, the French triumph at the 1998 World Cup and the Concorde air disaster.
He joined CNN from ABC News, where he was a Paris news correspondent from 1990-1996; before that Bittermann was a European correspondent for NBC News. He began his career in broadcast journalism in 1970 in Milwaukee.
Founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to recognize outstanding accomplishment, the chevalier is given annually to around 3,500 Frenchmen and women -- but few non-nationals.
Of the 13 honorees this year from outside France, two are American. Previous non-French recipients include former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, fillm legends Charles Chaplin and Orson Welles and Norman Schwarzkopf, who led allied forces against Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War.
Apart from his work for CNN, in recent years Bittermann has been a featured speaker at journalism events such as the International Diplomacy Institute, as well as lecturing and moderating panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In 1999 Bittermann was appointed a professor at the American University of Paris, teaching courses broadcast news, writing and production and politics and media among others.
|
8f5b0bb07f2546ae962284dcf11f3ad7
|
Are any Americans set to be awarded the rank of chevalier this year?
|
[
"two"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An ancient race that lived 2,700 years ago in the Gobi Desert may have been among the first to use cannabis for medical or religious purposes.
Researchers believe an ancient Gushi shaman may have consumed or burned pot for medical or religious purposes.
Nearly two pounds of the plant was found stashed in the tomb of a Gushi shaman. It was high in the chemical compounds that provide its psychoactive properties.
"It had evidence of the chemical attributes of cannabis used as a drug," said Dr. Ethan Russo, an author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany. "It could have been for pain control. It could have been for other medicinal properties. It could have been used as an aid to divination."
The Gushi people were a Caucasian race with light hair and blue eyes who likely migrated thousands of years ago from the steppes of Russia to what is now China. A nomadic people, they were accomplished horsemen and archers.
Chinese archaeologists excavating a network of 2,500 tombs near the town of Turpan in the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region unearthed the shaman's grave, which contained the cannabis, along with a trove of artifacts such as bridles, archery equipment and a rare harp.
The shaman is thought to have been about 45 years old when he died. Many of the bodies recovered in the area were found in an incredibly well-preserved, almost mummified condition. The shaman, however, was a skeleton.
"The deceased was laid out on the bottom of this tomb on a little bier," Russo said. "This individual seemed to be very high status because of the variety and quality of the grave goods, including the equestrian equipment, the archery equipment and the large amount of cannabis."
Russo said no pipe for smoking the cannabis was found in the shaman's tomb. Researchers think he might have eaten the cannabis or possibly put it on a burning fire to create fumes.
They don't think it was used to make hemp clothing or rope, as some other early cultures did. Genetic analysis of the plant suggests it was cultivated rather than gathered from the wild.
This find is not the first or the oldest example of ancient people using cannabis, but it may be the best studied.
"There may have been older finds of cannabis, but not with this level of scientific investigation attached to them," Russo said.
|
05e81f714b224a5c891ca732e41505d1
|
What was discovered in a shaman's tomb?
|
[
"cannabis"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- An Oscar-winning songwriter was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting women whom he would fly in to New York under the impression they were auditioning for movie roles, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Songwriter Joe Brooks is best known for writing "You Light Up My Life" and directing the movie.
Joseph Brooks, 71, faces multiple charges including rape, criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, forcible touching, assault, grand larceny and criminal mischief. The charges involve 11 women, authorities said.
Brooks won the Oscar for best original song for the 1977 song, "You Light Up My Life." He also directed the movie, which is about a director who has a one-night stand with an actress.
"I'm flabbergasted," said actress Melanie Mayron, who starred in "You Light Up My Life."
Mayron said she did not stay in contact with Brooks over the years but described him as a "lovely man."
In the indictment, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau alleges that Brooks would fly women in from California, Florida and Oregon for private auditions.
He would serve the women one or two glasses of wine, said Lisa Friel, assistant district attorney.
The women described feelings that suggest a date-rape drug was used, she said, but added that toxicology results were unclear.
Shawni Lucier, Brooks' personal assistant, was also charged with criminal facilitation in connection with arranging some of the encounters.
Brooks pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday. Bail was set at $500,000 bond or $250,000 cash.
The suspect agreed to the terms and left the courthouse. He is set to return Thursday morning and meet the bail agreement, said Jeffery C. Hoffman, his lawyer.
Hoffman said some of the women who made the accusations were trying out for a role in a screenplay Brooks wrote.
None of the girls was chosen for the part and may feel "upset about that fact," the lawyer said.
Hoffman said he is looking forward to proving his client's innocence.
"All I can say is, my client is anxious to clear his name of these false charges," he added.
|
78d9fcc9767346ddb40ff8ed6811ba02
|
Who wrote 'You Light Up My Life'?
|
[
"Joe Brooks"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Spanish underdogs Levante kept up their remarkable early-season form by beating Real Sociedad 3-2, their seventh successive victory, to stay top of La Liga.
Levante, a team that has played second fiddle to city rivals Valencia during their 102 year history and who have never finished higher than 10th, has remarkably fended off the attentions of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona with a quarter of the season gone.
But it took an injury time free kick by Ruben Suarez to make sure of all three points after Real Sociedad's Inigo MartÃnez had scored a late equalizer.
Sociedad had taken an early lead through Daniel Estrada before Nano Rivas and Valdo Lopes put Levante in front. But despite a late equalizer, Levante came back with Suarez's stunning free kick, which saw them leapfrog Barcelona into top spot.
Real Madrid did their best to keep up with Levante after blowing Villarreal away in the first half an hour at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Villarreal, perennial UEFA Champions League qualifiers in recent years, have endured a torrid start to the season, made worse when Karim Benzema scored an early goal. Kaka was then set up by Argentine international Angel Di Maria, who capped a fine half by scoring the third. The match petered out in the second half, finishing 3-0 and sending Real Madrid second above Barcelona.
In Italy's Serie A Udinese missed the chance of returning to the top of the league after losing away to Napoli 2-0. Two first half strikes from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Christian Maggio ended Udinese's unbeaten start to the season.
But the result of the night saw AC Milan score four goals in successive games after beating Parma 4-1.
Milan found themselves 3-0 down against Lecce last week before mounting a thrilling comeback. A second half Kevin Prince Boetang hat-trick secured an unlikely 4-3 victory and it was another three-goal haul that guaranteed all the points against Parma.
This time Antonio Nocerino was the hero. His first half double put Milan in control before Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the victory beyond Parma, who scored a late consolation before Nocerino completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute.
"Right now the important thing is to return to the top and we can do that," coach Massimiliano Allegri told AFP.
"This is an important result to give us consistency. The table is starting to get stretched and we must stay amongst the leaders."
|
aedb9ac33ed14c09bb92f523f7755b8d
|
Who beat Real Sociedad 3-2 to stay top of Spain's La Liga?
|
[
"Levante"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- One person was killed and four critically injured Tuesday in a series of highway pileups triggered by a dense dust storm on Interstate 10 in central Arizona, a state law enforcement official said.
The dust storm moved through the Pichacho Peak area, about 40 miles north of Tucson, at about 12:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m. ET) and caused "minimal visibility" on a stretch of Interstate 10 there, said Bart Graves, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
"We have two chain reaction crashes in the westbound lanes," Graves said. "All involve commercial vehicles and passenger cars. There is one confirmed fatality and two additional victims with life-threatening injuries."
Graves said 16 vehicles were involved in the chain reaction accidents at Pichacho Peak.
"We closed the eastbound lanes to allow emergency responders access to the scene," he said. "Due to the poor visibility, all patients were transported by ground ambulance to Tucson area hospitals."
"The dust continues to cause a major hindrance to DPS officers and other rescue personnel," Graves said.
Another pileup, this one involving eight vehicles, occurred about an hour and a half later, 20 miles to the south on I-10, Graves said.
Two people were critically injured in that incident, which occurred on the eastbound lanes of I-10.
Graves said he could not estimate when the interstate would reopen in either direction.
CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
|
e43215400f4741b29126f9aef247b892
|
The storm caused "minimal visibility" along which Interstate north of Tucson?
|
[
"10"
] |
NewsQA
|
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- Royal Dutch Shell said Tuesday that it may not be able to meet its oil supply obligations in Nigeria after an attack on its major pipeline.
Heavily armed Nigerian rebels pose a constant threat to oil pipelines in the country.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a rebel group, said "detonation engineers backed by heavily armed fighters" sabotaged two of Shell's pipelines early Monday.
After a helicopter flyover of the area, Shell confirmed that parts of its large Nembe Creek "trunk line" were damaged, company spokeswoman Caroline Wittgen said. The company shut down some production "to limit the amount of crude that will spill into the environment," she said.
Hours later, it declared "force majeure," a legal term meaning it could not meet its supply obligations in the region because of the attack.
"[Shell] is working hard to repair the line and restore production," Wittgen said.
Nigeria is the fourth-largest supplier of oil to the United States, and attacks by rebels have helped fuel the year-long spike in crude oil prices. It's one of many factors pushing up the price of gas in the U.S., where one in every 10 barrels of oil comes from Nigeria.
MEND -- the largest rebel group -- has targeted foreign oil companies since 2006. It has bombed pipelines and kidnapped hundreds of foreign oil workers, typically releasing them unharmed, sometimes after receiving a ransom payment.
MEND hopes to secure a greater share of oil wealth for people in the delta, where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.
Its attacks on oil facilities have taken a toll.
"Anytime a pipeline is affected, anytime any production gets shut down, you see oil prices jump up one or two dollars a barrel just because there is no slack in the system," said Jim LeCamp, a senior vice president with RBC Wealth Management, which manages assets for wealthy clients worldwide.
Exxon and Shell are two of several companies that have been extracting 2 million barrels of oil a day in Nigeria. Recent rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut overall production by roughly 10 percent -- meaning 200,000 fewer barrels of oil on some days.
That decrease in production comes at a time of increased demand from oil-hungry regions such as China, Russia and Latin America.
"Anytime there's a disruption there, it really affects the system," LeCamp said in a recent interview with CNN.
|
33c463f1716d4a249652f2d25b98eb89
|
Where did the attack happen?
|
[
"Nigeria"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Saddam Hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate Iran and prevent the country from attacking Iraq, according to an FBI agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture.
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in an unknown location in Iraq after his capture in 2003.
According to a CBS report, Hussein claimed he didn't anticipate that the United States would invade Iraq over WMD, agent George Piro said on "60 Minutes," scheduled for Sunday broadcast.
"For him, it was critical that he was seen as still the strong, defiant Saddam. He thought that (faking having the weapons) would prevent the Iranians from reinvading Iraq," said Piro.
During the nearly seven months Piro talked to Hussein, the agent hinted to the Iraqi that he answered directly to President Bush, CBS said in a posting on its Web site.
"He told me he initially miscalculated ... President Bush's intentions. He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack," Piro said. "He survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack."
"He didn't believe the U.S. would invade?" Correspondent Scott Pelley asked.
"No, not initially," Piro answered.
Once it was clear that an invasion was imminent, Hussein asked his generals to hold off the allied forces for two weeks, Piro said. "And at that point, it would go into what he called the secret war," the agent said, referring to the insurgency.
But Piro said he was not sure that the insurgency was indeed part of Hussein's plan. "Well, he would like to take credit for the insurgency," he said.
Hussein had the ability to restart the weapons program and professed to wanting to do that, Piro said.
"He wanted to pursue all of WMD ... to reconstitute his entire WMD program."
Hussein said he was proud he eluded U.S. authorities who searched for him for nine months after the U.S.-led invasion, Piro said.
"What he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us," Piro said. "He told me he changed ... the way he traveled. He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature."
Hussein was hanged in 2006. E-mail to a friend
|
e9c41fee23c344dba51839f0f821e1f9
|
What is the Iraqi dictator?
|
[
"Saddam"
] |
NewsQA
|
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
|
9432d4a63f6040829358896fcd794c83
|
What is the name of the capsule?
|
[
"Soyuz"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Sebastian Vettel is on track to become Formula One's youngest double world champion after topping the qualifying timesheets for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old headed off Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to claim his 11th pole position this season as he seeks a ninth victory from 14 races.
That would give him another championship crown -- the first was clinched at the last race of 2010, but this one would be with five to go as he seeks to build on his 112-point lead in the night event.
Vettel can beat the mark of second-placed Fernando Alonso, who was 25 when he won his second title with Renault in 2006.
But the Spaniard could delay Vettel's celebrations if he finishes fourth on a testing Marina Bay Street Circuit where he led from the start to win last year from Vettel and Webber -- and also triumphed with Renault in 2008.
How the F1 title can be won: Vettel on the verge
Alonso will have to improve on Saturday's qualifying, where he was fifth fastest ahead of Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner downplayed chances of the title being decided this weekend.
"The moon and stars have got to line up. We haven't booked anything for a party should we win. We're focused on the race," he told reporters in quotes carried by AFP.
Vettel set the pace in the first two sessions before clocking an unbeatable one minute 44.381 seconds in his only run of Q3 to give Red Bull a perfect record in qualifying this season.
Vettel fastest in Singapore practice
"I decided to abort my second run when I made a mistake because it is very easy to damage the car so I went wide," he said.
"I was quite happy with my first lap. I think the circuit ramped up at the end and I think it was possible to go faster, but I'm very happy. It's a very difficult track with such a long lap to get everything right. I think we learned from our mistakes that we made last year."
Webber then surged into second with 1:44.732 to push past McLaren's former world champions Jenson Button (1:44.804) and Lewis Hamilton (1:44.809).
Hamilton was unable to make a second run due to a fuel problem, and watched from the pits as his time was beaten.
Alonso timed 1:44.874 to be well clear of Massa (1:45.800) and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg -- whose legendary teammate Michael Schumacher failed to set a time along with Force India's Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta -- who both opted to conserve tires.
|
8320096265054b0cae25e11612ab7eba
|
Who won his 11th pole position?
|
[
"Vettel"
] |
NewsQA
|
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A 24-year-old Connecticut man affiliated with the Anonymous hacking group was arrested and charged Tuesday with electronically attacking the website belonging to Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, authorities said.
Kevin George Poe, of Manchester, Connecticut, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Hartford on Tuesday, and a judge ordered him released in lieu of a $10,000 bond, federal prosecutors said.
Poe is charged with two counts: conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, prosecutors said.
He was ordered to appear in federal court in Los Angeles at an undetermined date, prosecutors said. The servers to GeneSimmons.com, the website belonging to the KISS band member, are based in Los Angeles, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles.
Poe's federal public defender didn't respond to messages late Tuesday.
Using the screen name of spydr101, Poe joined other persons linked to Anonymous and allegedly conducted a "distributed denial of service" attack against Simmons' website during a five-day period in October 2010.
That attack allegedly involved sending tens of thousands of electronic requests designed to overload the website and shut it down, a prosecutor's statement said.
Poe allegedly used the computer program Low Orbit Ion Cannon -- "a favorite software tool of the Anonymous collective" -- to send a high volume of "packets" or requests in an effort to overwhelm the server, prosecutors said.
If convicted of both charges, Poe could face up to 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
|
fe45fb506cee4532a7fc9cf15f9505af
|
Who is Kevin George?
|
[
"man affiliated with the Anonymous hacking group"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have confirmed Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season, with Philipp Lahm named as vice-captain.
Bayern Munich captain Van Bommel will be hoping to lift more trophies for the Bavarian giants this season.
The Dutch midfielder was given the captain's armband by Jurgen Klinsmann last season after Oliver Kahn retired.
However, the arrival of Anatoliy Tymoschuk from Zenit St Petersburg seemed to suggest that Van Bommel's place in the Bayern team was no longer guaranteed, but new coach Louis Van Gaal has decided that his compatriot will indeed be one of the first names on his team sheet next season.
"We have been observing his behavior on and off the field over the last four weeks and the influence he has on the club and on the squad," explained Van Gaal's assistant Andries Jonker on Bayern's official Web site.
Tymoschuk must now fear for his place in the Bayern team after being told he is only second-choice behind Van Bommel.
And, since Van Gaal has made it clear that he wanted to choose a captain who will play every week, Tymoschuk may have to spend much of his first season in Bavaria sitting on the substitutes' bench.
"He cannot play in his best position in our system," admitted Van Gaal. "That is where Van Bommel plays. He could play on the right, but I have chosen Hamit Altintop for there. Every player is compared to his rivals and the coach makes the decisions."
Meanwhile, Bayern's French midfielder Franck Ribery has been declared fit to resume training after a summer spent battling tendonitis in his knee.
Ribery missed the pre-season Audi Cup tournament involving Manchester United, AC Milan and Boca Juniors and is not likely to make Saturday's opening Bundesliga home match against Hoffenheim.
But the France international, who was Monday called into his country's squad for the World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Isles in Torshavn on August 12, will be ready to train on Wednesday,
|
20aaf134d5ed4f0e91e191fe0814d58e
|
Where is Mark van Bommel from?
|
[
"Dutch"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A man authorities want to question in the slaying of a 7-year-old girl, whose body was dumped in a landfill, appeared in a Florida court Wednesday on child pornography charges after being extradited from Mississippi.
Jarred Harrell, 24, faces 29 counts of possession of child pornography in Clay County, Florida.
Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler has said Harrell is also sought for questioning in the abduction and murder of Somer Thompson, but has not said why.
Harrell was arrested in Meridian, Mississippi, by federal agents earlier this month, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to extradite him. The arrest followed a search of Harrell's residence, Clay County authorities said.
Somer Thompson was last seen in the Clay County town of Orange Park on October 19. Her body was found in a landfill in Folkston, Georgia, about 55 miles north of there. Authorities have not said how she was killed.
Somer's 10-year-old sister told police that Somer had been in a fight with another girl at school earlier that day and that she brought up the subject while she and her brother walked Somer home from school. Somer ran off, apparently upset. The sister said she lost sight of Somer in a group of other children leaving the school, according to a police report.
Police said in October that witnesses including several children reported seeing her that day on a sidewalk in front of a vacant house that was being renovated following a fire.
At Wednesday's hearing, a judge continued Harrell's $1 million bond.
|
26d5739b948e478cab1efbb1b8e7de70
|
Who was abducted in October?
|
[
"a 7-year-old girl,"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man at the center of a mysterious case of exposure to the deadly biological agent ricin has been arrested, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said Wednesday.
Ricin was found in a room in this Las Vegas, Nevada, extended-stay hotel in February, police say.
Roger Bergendorff was taken into custody Wednesday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kolko said.
Bergendorff, 57, was hospitalized with what was diagnosed as ricin exposure after the agent was discovered in his hotel room off the Las Vegas Strip.
Tests conducted by the FBI determined that the substance contained 2.9 percent active ricin. Its preparation was characterized as "crude," according to the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice office, a search of Bergendorff's hotel room turned up "an 'Anarchist's Cookbook,' a collection of instructions on poisons and other dangerous recipes, including instructions on the preparation of ricin," two semiautomatic pistols, a rifle and a pistol with a silencer.
"FBI searches of Salt Lake City [Utah] storage units rented by Von Bergendorff resulted in the discovery of castor beans, various chemicals used in the production of ricin, a respirator, filters, painter's mask, laboratory glassware, syringes and a notebook on ricin production," the Justice Department release said.
Bergendorff is charged with possession of a biological toxin, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted of all charges, he would face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $750,000.
Bergendorff is scheduled for an initial court appearance at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
It is illegal under federal law to possess a biological agent and toxin unless it is used for bona fide research or other peaceful purpose, U.S. Attorney Gregory Bower said in a written statement.
Bergendorff's cousin, Thomas Tholen of Riverton, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City this month, accused of failing to report production and possession of ricin.
Ricin is a poison that can be made from the waste of castor bean processing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can come in the form of a mist or pellet and can be dissolved in water or weak acid, the agency said.
Bergendorff was hospitalized February 14 in Las Vegas after he complained of difficulty breathing. He slipped into a coma and awoke March 14.
Bergendorff, 57, is an artist who neighbors said had lived in his cousin's basement before moving to Las Vegas. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Kevin Bohn, Karan Olson and Carol Cratty contributed to this report.
|
58d72c560172479db6e6192fdbf8b473
|
Who is charged?
|
[
"Roger Bergendorff"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- He's already served the time, but lawyers Thursday argued to clear his name as onetime U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Smith appeals a conviction for the torture of detainees once held at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Abu Ghraib prison was taken over by the Iraqi government after claims of abuse by U.S. troops.
Disturbing snapshots and video portraying sexual humiliation and physical intimidation against the detainees tarnished the image of the United States as it fought to stabilize Iraq after the American overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
A military panel found Smith guilty in March 2006 on allegations that he used his military working dog to illegally "terrorize and frighten" detainees as part of interrogation techniques at the U.S.-managed facility in Baghdad.
But his lawyer, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Potter, told a military appeals court Thursday that the conviction was based on faulty instructions to the jury.
"Nowhere in this case did the government establish that the use of the dog was illegal," the defense counsel said, noting that Smith "was not trained in interrogation techniques."
The military's prosecutor, U.S. Army Maj. Karen Borgerding, argued that Smith "would know it's unlawful" to use his unmuzzled dog to snarl within inches of a detained prisoner's face.
Smith was originally sentenced to 179 days confinement and received a bad conduct discharge.
Smith was not in the courtroom for the proceedings. Potter told CNN that he was not authorized to disclose his whereabouts but confirmed that his client remains on "appeal release" status after completing a three-month sentence.
If the appeal fails, the discharge stands. If the appeals court overturns the conviction, Smith could return to the military and may receive back pay, pension and other benefits. The judges did not indicate when they may rule after each side presented oral arguments Thursday.
At the 2006 court-martial, the jury found Smith guilty of charges that he used his military dog, Marco, to terrify prisoners, allegedly for amusement and in competition with other soldiers.
Smith also was found guilty of an indecent act involving his dog.
A female soldier testified on the first day of the court-martial that she had allowed Smith's dog to lick peanut butter she had placed on her bare chest as part of a dare from another soldier, who videotaped the stunt.
"It was foolish, stupid and juvenile," Smith said of the incident, reading from a statement. "There's nothing I can do to take it back. If I could, I would."
Smith did not specifically express regret for the wrongdoing involving detainees.
|
a008b09a6fbf4fd79fab07fcf3807063
|
Who served three months on a torture conviction?
|
[
"Sgt. Michael Smith"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Police have arrested a 33-year-old man accused of killing his brother and five other people, including two children, at a Memphis, Tennessee, home.
Jessie L. Dotson, who was recently released after serving 14 years in prison for murder, was captured Friday night.
He faces six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cecil Dotson, his 30-year-old brother; Hollis Seals, 33; Shindri Roberson, 20; Marissa Rene Williams, 26; and two children, said Memphis Director of Police Larry A. Godwin at a news conference Saturday.
Dotson will also be charged with the attempted murder of three other children -- ages 7, 4 and 10 months -- who received stab wounds and blunt force trauma, Godwin said.
Dotson's brother Cecil was the father of all the children, The Associated Press reported. Those who survived the attack were under police custody at a hospital, according to the AP.
The March 2 killings followed an argument between Jessie and Cecil Dotson, Godwin said.
Jessie Dotson shot his brother dead and went on to kill the others to try to cover up the crime, he said.
"[Dotson] thought everyone in the home was dead," Godwin said. "But as we all know, by the grace of God, three children had survived."
Prosecutors said they are considering seeking the death penalty against Dotson. E-mail to a friend
|
5985af15872148d78db64e672df30896
|
What penalty are prosecutors considering?
|
[
"death"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's former trade minister, who resigned this month amid accusations of corruption, was arrested by security forces as he was trying to leave the country, officials confirmed to CNN.
Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned as Iraq's trade minister under allegations of corruption.
Abdul Falah al-Sudani was aboard a flight to Dubai from Baghdad International Airport when police contacted the pilot and told him to fly back to the airport, Sabah al-Saedi, chairman of Iraq's parliamentary integrity committee told CNN.
Al-Sudani -- arrested on a warrant issued in Samawa on Saturday -- was seized after the plane landed, al-Saedi said.
Lawmakers and government officials have raised questions with al-Sudani about Trade Ministry issues: the importation of goods intended for distribution in government food rations but rejected as unsuitable for human consumption; missing shipments of food; a missing $39 million; and obstruction of justice.
Al-Sudani acknowledged that his ministry has had problems with corruption but denied he was personally involved.
Al-Saedi said al-Sudani didn't know that a warrant would be issued, but he was well-aware of the corruption accusations against him and had been told by lawmakers and officials not to leave Iraq.
|
5c1b338a654a4f928ae2093789ec9ace
|
What was Abdul Al-Sudani's job before he resigned?
|
[
"Iraq's trade minister"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities have seized $1 billion worth of marijuana plants and have arrested 82 Mexican nationals with ties to drug cartels in the first week and half of an effort to eradicate marijuana fields from California's Fresno County, the county sheriff's office said Wednesday.
The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels.
Operation Save Our Sierra began July 13 and involves local, state and federal agencies working together to remove marijuana growing operations, investigate and arrest drug traffickers, and remove infrastructure on public lands in Fresno County, a news release said.
"This is a high-intensity drug trafficking area," U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske said in a phone interview. "I think what should be highlighted here is the local authorities' work to reclaim the land from the drug traffickers."
The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels, local authorities said, though they did not release further details.
Eastern Fresno County, where the seizures have been made, is mountainous and sparsely populated. Growers exploit the area's streams, rivers and lakes to create elaborate drip lines for their plants. A mature plant can be worth $4,000, said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
"Fresno County is roughly the size of Connecticut, and the drug traffickers target these areas because they know there is not that significant of a law-enforcement presence," Mims said. "The chances of getting caught are slim."
"The bottom line is our public lands are being destroyed by foreign drug trafficking and heavily armed Mexican cartels," George Anderson of the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday at a news conference highlighting the seizures.
The operation is the largest in Fresno County history and one of the largest in California, Mims said.
"What makes this operation unique is the approach: prevention, enforcement, eradication and reclamation," she said.
Intelligence gathered for the operation began in February, with community presentations about prevention. The effort is now focused on shutting down the at least 70 marijuana farms identified by local authorities.
The operation is expected to continue into November, when colder weather makes marijuana growing more difficult.
At least 330,000 marijuana plants have been seized, Mims said.
"This shows what can be accomplished at the local level when agencies work together," Kerlikowske said.
Kerlikowske, who flew to Fresno County on Wednesday and toured a marijuana farm, said his office is one of the primary sponsors of the operation.
|
5091bb0168474d688bb54cd40feffc33
|
When is the operation expected to continue until?
|
[
"November,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Five people were detained off Somalia's coast Wednesday after pirates mistook a French ship involved in an anti-piracy operation for a commercial vessel, the French Defense Ministry said.
A German-flagged warship taking part in the EU's anti-piracy mission is pictured in this April 2009 file photo.
There were no injuries as a result of the attack on the BCR Somme, the ministry said. The pirates opened fire at midnight local time, about 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) off Somalia's coast, officials added.
An hour after the attack, the French command and supply ship chased down one of the pirates' skiffs, and detained five suspected pirates, it said. A second skiff involved in the attack got away.
The BCR Somme was carrying supplies off Somalia's coast to forces involved in the European anti-piracy operation, called "Atalante," the ministry said.
Europe and other Western powers have stepped up their maritime patrols off Somalia's coast following a spate of pirate attacks over the past year.
Somalia's transitional government, which has a tenuous grip on power, has been unable to stop the pirates, many of whom are based in Somalia's port cities.
Those who have tracked pirate activity say it started in the 1980s in Somalia, when the pirates claimed they were aiming to stop the rampant illegal fishing and dumping that continues to this day off the Somali coast.
Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms. Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions.
Some experts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the pirates.
|
864a820311f24ce5a112c656089fba4c
|
What was the ship involved in?
|
[
"anti-piracy operation"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Indian owners of car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have agreed to pump "tens of millions" of dollars into the luxury car brand to prevent a cash flow crisis, it was reported Monday.
Jaguar Land Rover was bought by the Indian company Tata earlier this year for $2.3 billion.
The moves comes as the British government ponders a public-funded bailout of the West Midlands-based automaker, the Financial Times newspaper said.
Tata, which bought JLR earlier this year, warned its support for the UK subsidiary did not negate the argument that the British government should provide bridging loans and credit guarantees to help the company and the car sector as a whole through the current financial difficulties, the FT said.
Last week, the ailing "big three" automakers in the U.S. were given a boost when the Bush administration agreed a $13.4 billion loan package. Now British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has come under pressure to come up with a similar package for UK manufacturers.
JLR employs 15,000 workers in Britain and is seen as a vital contributor to the West Midlands regional economy in particular.
However, the business secretary at the weekend reiterated that the state had to be a "lender of last resort," only after Tata has looked to its own resources, the FT reported. Any state support would be conditional on the due diligence on the Indian parent company being conducted by the government's City advisers, according to officials.
A spokesman for Lord Mandelson's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform told the British Press Association: "The Government doesn't have an open cheque-book to bail out ailing companies, but we are doing all we can to help businesses overcome the current challenges.
"Jaguar Land Rover have owners who are well resourced and have the first responsibility to sustain the companies they own."
According to the FT, accountancy firm KPMG and investment bank NM Rothschild have been called in to advise the UK government on the Indian group's complex finances and to assess demands from the car sector.
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9c6f2bbb06f34371a80d016f93cc868d
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What is the government pondering?
|
[
"public-funded bailout"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- One of America's top World War II fighter pilots, an African-American who took on Nazis abroad and racism at home, was laid to rest Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, died last month in New York at the age of 90. Archer, who once shot down three German fighters in the span of only a few minutes, went on to become a corporate executive and venture capitalist.
His life came to be seen as an example of the potential of any individual, regardless of skin color or background, if given a fair opportunity.
Lee Andrew Archer Jr. was born in 1919 in Yonkers, New York. An aviation enthusiast from childhood, he left New York University in 1941 to join the Army. Despite passing a pilot's test, he was assigned as a communications specialist in Camp Wheeler, Georgia.
But several months later, after the United States declared war on the Axis powers, Archer was selected to join a training program for potential black pilots at Alabama's Tuskegee Army Air Field.
Archer graduated first in the program in July 1943 and, after receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, was deployed to Italy as part of the 332nd Fighter Group.
On October 12, 1944, while piloting a P-51 Mustang, Archer downed three Luftwaffe fighters in the sky over Nazi-occupied Hungary. He also was credited with shooting down a fighter over Germany earlier in the year.
U.S. military officials could not confirm a fifth downing by Archer in summer 1944. If they had been able to do so, he would have become the only Tuskegee Airman to be officially designated as an ace.
By the end of World War II, Archer had flown 169 combat missions, providing cover and escorting U.S. bombers in over 11 countries, according to the Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Archer remained in the military through 1970, witnessing its desegregation during the Truman administration and serving in several capacities. Among other things, he became a diplomatic officer at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and was chief of headquarters at the U.S. Air Force Southern Command in Panama.
He received special citations for his service from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.
After retiring from the military, Archer became an executive at General Foods and started Archer Asset Management, a venture capital firm.
Archer's wife, Ina, died in 1996. He is survived by three sons.
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40bbd5bb3fab4262abdcb656e4762ec7
|
Where did he work after the military?
|
[
"Archer Asset Management,"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Spiritual leaders of New York's African-American Muslim communities lashed out Friday at a purported al Qaeda message attacking President-elect Barack Obama and, using racist language, comparing him unfavorably to the late Malcolm X.
Ayman al-Zawahiri said Obama was the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X.
The imams called the recorded comments from al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri "an insult" from people who have "historically been disconnected from the African-American community generally and Muslim African-Americans in particular."
"We find it insulting when anyone speaks for our community instead of giving us the dignity and the honor of speaking for ourselves," they said in a statement read during a news conference at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center.
The al Qaeda statement, an 11-minute, 23-second audio message in Arabic with subtitles in English, appeared on the Internet on Wednesday. Its authenticity has not been confirmed.
The message said Obama represents the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X. Watch al Qaeda official criticize Obama »
The speaker also said Obama, former and current Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice and "your likes" fit Malcolm X's description of "house slaves."
An English translation of the message used the term "house Negroes," Malcolm X's term for blacks who were subservient to whites. The term refers to slaves who worked in white masters' houses. Malcolm X said those slaves were docile compared with those who labored in the fields. iReport.com: Should Obama react to comments?
Malcolm X, the fiery African-American Muslim activist from the 1950s and 1960s, was an early member and leader of the Nation of Islam. He left that group in 1963 over disillusionment with its then-leader, Elijah Muhammed, but remained a Muslim.
After months of death threats, he was assassinated in 1965 by members of the Nation of Islam, who shot him 16 times at close range. The three men who were convicted of the crime have been paroled.
On Friday, Imam Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid, recalling Malcolm X's legacy, said that he "stood for human rights and the principle of self defense ... international law. He would have rejected, and we who are Muslim African-Americans leaders reject, acts of political extremism."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned Zawahiri's comments in a statement issued Thursday.
"As Muslims and as Americans, we will never let terrorist groups or terror leaders falsely claim to represent us or our faith," the statement said. "We once again repudiate al Qaeda's actions, rhetoric and world view and re-state our condemnation of all forms of terrorism and religious extremism."
|
66bbbf452f9a4f77b926ee040eda91a6
|
Who compared Obama to a house Negro?
|
[
"Ayman al-Zawahiri"
] |
NewsQA
|
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida high school student was killed Tuesday by another student during an altercation at the school, officials said.
One student was killed following an argument between first and second periods, police at the scene said.
The incident occurred just after 9 a.m. at Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, the officials said. The school was placed on lockdown after the incident.
Two students were arguing between the first and second period at the school, and one produced a weapon and killed the other, police at the scene told reporters.
Miami-Dade Public Schools identified the victim Tuesday afternoon as Juan Carlos Rivera, 17. The students involved were both males, the district said.
CNN affiliate WSVN reported the student was killed in the courtyard area of the school, where the 17-year-old was stabbed in the chest.
A suspect was taken into custody just after the incident and was being interviewed, officials said. His name was not released.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said students' parents were being contacted after the incident, and crisis psychologists were being made available to students, faculty and parents. Watch as bystanders gather at the Florida high school »
"I think we need to understand that whether it's Liberty City, Opa-Locka or Coral Gables, children are responding to everyday stressful situations in very negative ways," Carvalho said. "... Random acts of violence like the one we saw here today are almost not preventable."
Coral Gables is about 8 miles southwest of Miami.
CNN's Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.
|
7228bc8651964c6e82a21ad0ec242577
|
Where did murder take place?
|
[
"at Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An early goal from Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a vital 1-0 victory over Udinese in the first leg of their Champions League final qualifying round tie at The Emirates.
England international Walcott timed his run into the area perfectly to volley home Aaron Ramsey's fourth-minute right-wing cross from close range, to give Arsene Wenger's side a vital advantage to take into the second leg in northern Italy next week.
Arsenal came into the match on the back of a trying week, which saw captain Cesc Fabregas leave for Barcelona and more rumors surface of Samir Nasir's impending transfer to Manchester City.
What now for Arsenal and Fabregas?
The Gunners had to field a make-shift side with Nasri and new captain Robin Van Persie both suspended and key midfielder Jack Wilshere injured.
To compound matters, Wenger himself had to watch from the stands because of a one-match UEFA ban.
But despite a few nervy moments, primarily when Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale struck the crossbar with a long-range strike, Arsenal held on.
And Walcott nearly added a second goal late on, forcing a superb save from goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
There were four other matches played on Tuesday evening, with Lyon coming from behind to beat Russian side Rubin Kazan 3-1 at the Stade de Gerland.
Rubin are looking to reach the group stages for a third successive year and they took a third minute lead when Vladimir Dyadyun turned in Bebras Natcho's right-wing corner.
However, the French side levelled seven minutes later when Bafetimbi Gomis got in between two defenders to finish a Michel Bastos cross.
And they went ahead five minutes before half-time when a Gomis cross-shot from the left found the net off defender Saba Kvirkvelia.
Lyon sealed their victory 19 minutes from time when Jimmy Briand headed home a Kim Kallstrom corner.
Meanwhile, an entertaining match in the Netherlands saw FC Twente draw 2-2 at home to Benfica, a result that leaves the Portuguese giants favorites to reach the group stage.
Luuk de Jong fired the hosts in a sixth minute lead, but Benfica leveled when Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo curled home a superb equalizer.
Benfica led at the break after a fine flowing move saw Nolito score from close range but, with 10 minutes left, Bryan Ruiz headed home for Twente as the match finished all-square.
The other two matches saw BATE Borisov of Belarus draw 1-1 at home to Austrian side Sturm Graz, while Czech champions Viktoria Plzen secured a superb 3-1 win at FC Copenhagen of Denmark.
|
e1cd0839a3644521b0f995553f8867f2
|
Who scored winning goal?
|
[
"Theo Walcott"
] |
NewsQA
|
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Kenya needs $230 million over the next six months to feed millions affected by drought, the United Nations said in a new report.
Farmers carry food handouts from the World Food Programme at a distribution spot near Nanyuki.
The three-year failure of annual rains has reduced crop output, the main source of food for the country of 37 million. The drought has also affected water production and prompted power rationing in the east African nation. Kenya gets most of its energy from hydro-generation.
About 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid, and conditions are expected to deteriorate in the next few months, the United Nations World Food Programme said Wednesday.
The rate among children under 5 suffering malnutrition has gone from 15 to 20 percent in some cases, the report said.
"People are already going hungry, malnutrition is preying on more and more young children, cattle are dying -- we face a huge challenge and are urging the international community to provide us with the resources we need to get the job done," said Burkard Oberle, Kenya director of the World Food Programme.
The organization said it is helping about 2.6 million people in Kenya affected by drought while the government is supporting 1.2 million more until the end of October.
"In order to feed all 3.8 million people for the next six months, WFP and the Kenyan government will require strong support from donors in the weeks ahead," the report said.
More than 17 million people across the Horn of Africa need help from the United Nations, which is battling funding shortfalls.
Some of the most dire nations include Somalia and Uganda, which need $164 million and $96 million respectively.
|
0f4afe8c22d84d2a922d15afa0a8b553
|
How much money did the country need?
|
[
"$230 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Portugal will face Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place in Euro 2012 after the pair were drawn together in the playoffs to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Portugal, coached by former international midfielder Paulo Bento, qualifed for the 2010 World Cup finals courtesy of a playoff success against Safet Susic's Bosnia Herzegovina, and the Euro 2004 hosts and finalists will have to repeat the feat over two legs.
Portugal will have home advantage for the second leg on November 15, with the first leg set to take place on November 11 or 12.
Three other ties were drawn at the ceremony in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, with Croatia set to face Turkey in a repeat of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal.
Denmark seal Euro 2012 spot after beating Portugal
Turkey, now coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, claimed a penalty shootout victory when the two sides met in Vienna four years ago before losing to Germany in the semifinals.
Estonia will have to overcome Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland if they are to qualify for their first major soccer championship.
Ireland will be making their sixth appearance in a major tournament playoff, having missed out on last year's World Cup when a controversial William Gallas goal, after an apparent handball from Thierry Henry, condemned them to defeat against France.
The final playoff pits Euro 1996 runners-up Czech Republic against Montenegro, who are bidding to reach their first tournament since gaining independence in 2006.
There are 12 teams already assured of their place in the competition, with co-hosts Poland and Ukraine being joined by reigning world and European champions Spain and 1988 winners Netherlands.
The other eight teams who have already qualified are Germany, England, Italy, Russia, France, Greece, Denmark and Sweden.
The draw for the group stage of the four-yearly tournament will be made on December 2, ahead of the competition's first match on June 8 2012.
|
f8045bdf87964dc1b278dbd0392965b4
|
who is paired in Thursday's playoff draw?
|
[
"Bosnia and Herzegovina"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Two top Iranian opposition leaders have called on supporters to protest on February 11, the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, an opposition Web site reported.
According to The Green Way Web site, a meeting took place Saturday between opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi at Karroubi's home.
They discussed the two executions that happened last week and the cases of 16 protesters who went on trial Saturday, the site reported.
"The widespread arrests of political activists and university students, the silencing of the media, and the forced confessions of prisoners are against the principles of Islam and the constitution of Iran," the leaders said in a statement.
They also called for people to take to the streets on February 11 to demand their rights back as citizens of Iran, The Green Way reported.
Meanwhile, state-run Press TV quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday as saying that the nation will deliver a harsh blow to "global arrogance" on February 11.
Press TV offered no details on or explanation of the statement.
Opposition protests were launched after the disputed June 12 presidential election that gave hardline Ahmadinejad a second term. The government denies accusations of fraud.
About 4,000 people have been arrested in the post-election crackdown. As of January 24, the government had confirmed the deaths of at least 37 people in the protests or in detention, seven of those deaths happening on the religious holiday of Ashura.
On Thursday, authorities hanged Mohammed Reza Ali Zamani, 37, and Arash Rahmanipour, 20, who had been convicted of being enemies of God and plotting to topple the Islamic regime.
The two were convicted in mass trials of opposition supporters in August, but Rahmanipour's lawyer said the young man was arrested two months before the election.
|
1b127ebb5383496798f2ad296e1bd49f
|
what are the demands
|
[
"their rights back as citizens of Iran,"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Members of the Screen Actors Guild overwhelmingly voted to approve a new two-year contract with studios and producers, the union announced Tuesday.
Alan Rosenberg, national president of SAG, calls the terms of the contract "devastatingly unsatisfactory."
"This decisive vote gets our members back to work with immediate pay raises and puts SAG in a strong position for the future," said David White, the group's interim national executive director.
The union endorsed the package 78 percent to 22 percent. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers hailed the vote, after a two-year-long negotiating process.
"The ratification vote by SAG members is good news for the entertainment industry," the alliance's Web site said. "We look forward to working with SAG members ... to emerge from today's significant economic challenges with a strong and growing business."
The actors had been working without a contract for nearly a year and the new contract did not immediately clear away the bad feelings.
"The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us, who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning, believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory," said Alan Rosenberg, the Screen Actors Guild national president.
"I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead."
Before the agreement, the two sides had been at odds mainly over the amount actors should be paid when their movies or TV shows are distributed on discs or through new media, such as mobile phones and the Internet.
The talks were tumultuous for Hollywood's biggest actors union. During the drawn-out process, SAG fired its executive director and named a new chief negotiator amid a bitter division among the actors over the question of calling a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
|
0529857b185a46fa91f23dd5492dfa12
|
What is the Screen Actors Guild?
|
[
"union."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Honduras suspended diplomatic relations with Argentina on Tuesday in retaliation for having its ambassador expelled from Argentina last week.
Riot police stand in front of marchers supporting ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday.
The move stems from tensions between the two countries over a June 28 military-led coup in which Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya was replaced by congressional leader Roberto Micheletti. When Honduran Ambassador Carmen Eleonora Ortez Williams, who had been appointed by Zelaya, did not protest the coup, Argentina took exception.
Most countries in the world -- as well as the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union -- have denounced the coup and demanded that Zelaya be restored to power. Those nations still consider Zelaya president and do not recognize any officials from Micheletti's government or any functionaries who support him.
Argentina asked Ortez to leave last week "for supporting the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti." On Tuesday, Honduras suspended relations with Argentina and asked the South American nation's diplomats to leave within 72 hours. Honduras' relations with Argentina will be "channeled" though the Argentine embassy in Israel, said a release issued in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital.
"With regards to Argentine personnel stationed in Tegucigalpa and who are finishing their functions in Honduras, they will be granted, based on the principle of strictest reciprocity, the same treatment, time and facilities that was conceded to Honduran functionaries accredited in Argentina," the Honduran release said.
The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution, despite the country's congress having outlawed the vote and the supreme court having ruled it illegal.
Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway but was ousted before the voting started. The congress named Micheletti provisional president shortly after Zelaya was detained by the military and sent into exile.
Micheletti said Zelaya was not overthrown in a coup, but rather removed from power through constitutional means.
|
5cceb2b16de9485593d847b1a3863d05
|
Who was ousted?
|
[
"Honduran President Manuel Zelaya"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Gennaro Gattuso has ended speculation over his future by signing a new AC Milan contract, the Serie A club have announced.
Gattuso has been linked with moves to the English Premier League in recent weeks as he was said to be unhappy with his first-team opportunities after battling injury.
But the club have confirmed he will be remaining in Milan for the next three years.
"Milan announce that Rino Gattuso has extended his contract with the club until 30 June 2012," said a statement on the club's official Web site.
Gattuso, who turns 32 next month, has spent the last decade with Milan after spells with Perugia, Glasgow giants Rangers and Salernitana early in his career.
He also has 70 caps for Italy and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad in 2006.
|
6600bb1a8db44390912514eab8075c59
|
Gattuso had been linked with moves to what League?
|
[
"English Premier"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Paolo Maldini and Luis Figo brought down the curtain on their remarkable careers as their Milan clubs both scored victories on the final day of the Serie A season.
Maldini was given a special presentation as he made his 902nd and final appearance for Milan.
The 40-year-old Maldini was playing his 902nd game for Milan who won 2-0 at Fiorentina while Portuguese international Figo helped champions Inter to a 4-3 home win over Atalanta.
Milan's victory helped them secure the third Champions League place in Italy and automatic qualification to the group stages.
Juventus, who beat Lazio 2-0 with Vincenzo Iaquinta scoring twice, finished level on points with Milan, while Fiorentina will go into the Champions League final qualifying round after finishing fourth.
Inter had clinched the title two weeks ago, with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic double making sure that they would round off their season in style, the Swede finishing Serie A's top scorer with 25 goals.
Figo has been with Inter since 2005 and has helped the club to four straight league titles to become a firm favorite with the fans who gave him a rousing farewell.
Former Italian international defender Maldini was completing an incredible 24 seasons at Milan.
Inter finished top with 84 points with Milan and Juventus on 74, with Fiorentina fourth with 68.
In the relegation dogfight, Torino joined Reggina and Lecce in making the drop from Serie A as they lost 3-2 at AS Roma.
Bologna beat Catania 3-1 to finish in the 17th place with 37 points, while Torino ended on 34.
Bari, Parma and the winner of the promotion playoff will be the newcomers in Serie A next season.
|
d686c086d6e94195b7382a7592876d1e
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Which club did AC Milan beat 2-0?
|
[
"Fiorentina"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- After 20 years of mega-success together, country duo Brooks & Dunn say they are done.
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have decided to call it quits as a country singing duo.
In a statement on their Web site, the pair said they will tour one last time next year as a goodbye to fans -- and then call it a day.
The decision to part was mutual, the duo said.
"If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time," the Web statement said.
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were successful singer-songwriters in their own right when they joined forces and scored their first hit as a duo with their 1991 debut CD, "Brand New Man."
Since then, they have released more than a dozen albums, had 20 No. 1 hits and won the Country Music Association's Vocal Duo of the Year award every year from 1992 until 2006 -- with their streak broken just once in 2000.
The duo will release a compilation, ".1's . . . And Then Some," on September 8.
"The Last Rodeo" tour will begin in 2010, but dates have not been announced.
|
b44e80b2bf0247d4a5d26502612db025
|
How many albums have they released?
|
[
"more than a dozen"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Fernando Verdasco denied fellow Spaniard David Ferrer a third successive final appearance at the Barcelona Open after coming from behind to win a tense last-four clash on Saturday.
Fifth seed Verdasco, the losing finalist last weekend in Monte Carlo, triumphed 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-1 to set up a title showdown with second seed Robin Soderling on Sunday.
Verdasco was a break down as he trailed 4-3 in the second set, but battled back to win in more than two and half hours in the claycourt event.
Ferrer had been hoping to make up for his past two final defeats against Rafael Nadal, who opted to rest this week after crushing Verdasco to win a record-equaling sixth title in Monte Carlo, but the eighth seed was soon 5-0 down in the decider.
Verdasco is through to his third final this year, having won the SAP Open tournament in San Jose in February.
The 26-year-old has won only once in five meetings with Soderling, who crushed young Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-1 6-4 in Saturday's second semifinal.
The Swede needed just one hour and 16 minutes to end the challenge of the 21-year-old, who fought back to make the scoreline respectable after trailing 4-0 in the second set.
De Bakker, who has risen to a career-high 67th in the world rankings this month, upset third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals to follow up his earlier win over clay specialist and former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
|
bba4f5bdd4d640ab9ac373316cfa0586
|
Who will Fernando Verdasco face in final?
|
[
"Robin Soderling"
] |
NewsQA
|
CARDIFF, Wales -- Former Wales and British Lions center Ray Gravell has died of a suspected heart attack aged 56, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has announced.
Gravell won 23 caps for Wales and played on the Lions tour of South Africa in 1980.
Gravell had been on holiday with his family in the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca at the time.
A WRU statement praised Gravell as being "a man who epitomized the passion, flair and dignity of his beloved Welsh nation."
Gravell made his debut for Wales against France in 1975, three years after helping his club side Llanelli to their famous win over the touring All Blacks.
In all he made 23 appearances for what was then a dominant Wales side, winning Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978, and played all four Tests on the Lions' tour of South Africa in 1980.
After retiring as a player in 1985, Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC and the Llanelli Scarlets. He also pursued a career as an actor and a respected rugby broadcaster.
Earlier this year, Gravell had his right leg amputated below the knee following complications linked with his diabetes but he had been recovering well.
WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: "We are all in total shock because Ray was so full of life even through the difficult health problems he suffered recently.
"He was a wonderful ambassador for rugby and for Wales and a great example of how the game can bring out the best in a man.
"As a player, he always gave a huge amount of respect to his opponents but never gave an inch of ground to anyone he faced on the field of play.
"It is a measure of the man that he forged rugby friendships which lasted long after his playing days up until the present day." E-mail to a friend
|
8083ed7de0bb48cdbe8d91f784927a23
|
What age was Ray Gravell at his death?
|
[
"56,"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- This month the U.S. government has introduced major changes that will affect millions of travelers to the U.S. who do not need a visa.
Instead of filling in the green visa waiver form en route, short-term visitors must register their details online at least three days before they depart.
The measure is designed tighten security and make it harder for terrorists who are citizens of the participating countries to easily obtain entry to the U.S.
The new system, known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), does not become compulsory until January 12, 2009. But travelers are urged to prepare for the new rules in advance.
ESTA applies to citizens from the 27 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries that includes most of western Europe in addition to New Zealand, Japan, Brunei and Australia.
Visitors are recommended to submit applications no later than 72 hours before departure in case further inquiry is necessary. But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured travelers that the system can handle last-minute and emergency requests.
Applications can be made at any time, even if travelers have no specific travel plans. And if itineraries change, information can be easily updated on the ESTA Web site.
Once travelers are authorized, they can travel for up to two years or until their passport expires, whichever comes first.
From mid-January, travelers who have not received approval may be denied boarding, delayed processing, or denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.
Passengers must submit the same information that is currently required in the I-94 immigration form. This includes biographical data, travel information as well as questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions.
Registration is possible through the U.S. government ESTA Web site. In most cases, eligibility for travel will be approved immediately. Applicants who receive an "Authorization Pending" response will need to check the Web site for updates. Applicants whose ESTA applications are denied will be referred to Travel.State.Gov for information on how to apply for a visa.
ESTA does not change the rules for citizens from countries that require visas. But the U.S. is due to extend the visa waiver program and has signed agreements with eight countries including the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Korea.
Travelers are advised that ESTA does not guarantee entry into the United States. The final decision rests with the immigration official at the port of entry.
|
6150b742f43f449ab810efeff2c1563e
|
When will the system become compulsory?
|
[
"January 12, 2009."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- The America's Cup is the oldest sporting trophy in the world, first held in 1851, forty-five years before the incarnation of the modern Olympic Games.
The "Auld Mug" as it is known in the sport of sailing has attracted some of the world's most powerful men to create teams and invest millions to try and get their hands on the trophy.
This month on MainSail, Shirley Robertson takes the viewer inside the world of the America's Cup, looking back to when it all started and meeting some of the major names associated with the Cup. This includes the two most successful skippers ever to compete, America's Dennis Connor and New Zealand's Russell Coutts.
She also has an exclusive one to one with U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison, the man in charge of the American team, BMW Oracle Racing, who is plotting and planning how to bring the Cup back to the U.S., the nation that won every edition of the Cup from 1851 to 1983.
The next America's Cup final is scheduled to be held in 2010, with Ellison and his team taking on the Defenders of the Cup, European team Alinghi. But this Cup has been a battle in the New York courts and all teams who want to compete have been locked out of the game until the head-to-head between the U.S. and Europe has been settled -- a compelling story even before the first match between the two teams has been held.
When the first match takes place, it will be in the two fastest, most extreme boats ever to have competed in the America's Cup. Having already sailed the European Alinghi entry, Shirley Robertson becomes the first person in the world to have sailed both boats, as she joins the BMW Oracle Racing team in San Diego on board their spectacular multihull, and heads out for a Pacific Ocean training session.
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c89049f8d983403aacc20515b1e296cc
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What is the name of Ellison's team?
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"BMW Oracle Racing,"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Packing on the pounds over the holidays? Adam Sandler can sympathize. He recently put on some weight himself.
Adam Sandler had to cope with more than just falling gumballs in his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories."
The comedian got buff for the movie "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" (in which he showed a lot of skin), but then he said he let himself go just a bit.
"[For 'Zohan'] I worked out like a madman," he told CNN. "And then I started getting fat again."
Concern over his physical conditioning led to an unintended consequence -- a broken bone.
"[One Saturday] I ate so much food, that I was laying in bed. I was fat as heck and I said, 'I better play some ball.' I went out and played basketball, broke my ankle. I said, 'Maybe I should have stayed fat.' "
The mishap occurred as he was filming his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories." In scenes that involved walking around, Sandler needed a body double.
"I'm shooting the movie with the cast on," he said. "We did about six, seven weeks of shooting. If I was standing here and I had to walk to the door, I would stand up [then the camera would cut to] a guy with my outfit on that took the walk."
Sandler is on the mend, but he said his ankle is still a little swollen.
"Bedtime Stories" opens Christmas Day.
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c284052607b94008a4359949cdd6bc87
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What did Adam Sandler wear while filming?
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"cast"
] |
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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- A 69-year-old who was previously convicted of torching a palace has been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed Namdaemun, South Korea's oldest wooden structure and a national treasure, authorities said on Tuesday.
People on Monday look at the debris of the Namdaemun gate in central Seoul after the fire.
Similarities between the Sunday night fire and the 2006 blaze led to the investigation of a man identified only as Mr. Chae, said Kim Young-Su, chief of police of the Namdaemun police station. Chae had served time in prison for the palace fire.
Police searched the home of Chae's ex-wife and found a can of paint thinner and a pair of leather gloves they believe were used in the fire, Kim said.
Chae confessed to starting the fire, saying he was upset by a land grievance that led him to start the 2006 fire and by the sentence he was handed in that case, Kim said.
Chae was free on a suspended sentence, Kim added.
Chae said he chose Namdaemun because it was easily accessible by public transportation and yet situated in a lightly populated area where the fire was unlikely to hurt people, according to police.
The fire burned for hours, and more than a hundred firefighters tried to save it. Watch the reaction to the Namdaemun's destruction »
Namdaemun was more than 600 years old and stood at the center of Seoul, having served as a main gate into the capital for centuries. The gate was considered a national symbol to Koreans around the world. E-mail to a friend
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f9d2c51371b54ff8ac64021467be3d33
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What was Mr Chae convicted of?
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"torching a palace"
] |
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Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- An elections board certified Kasim Reed on Saturday as the winner of the Atlanta mayoral runoff election by a margin of 620 votes.
Barry Garner, director of Fulton County's elections board, told CNN on Saturday that former state senator Reed was declared the winner of last Tuesday's runoff election against City Councilwoman Mary Norwood.
Garner said Reed received 42,348 votes compared with Norwood's 41,728.
Norwood has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a recount, Garner said. He said if a recount is requested, it will begin Wednesday morning.
In the initial vote among eight contenders, Norwood received 45 percent of the votes to Kasim Reed's 37 percent. Lisa Borders came in a distant third with 14 percent of the vote, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote to avert a runoff.
CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.
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1462b77e520a49dab21627af35c874d3
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Who was defeated by 620 votes?
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"Mary Norwood."
] |
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(CNN) -- The Kellogg Co. announced Wednesday it is recommending that consumers not eat its peanut butter crackers because they may be tainted with salmonella.
Salmonella bacteria are transmitted to humans by eating contaminated foods.
The products affected are Austin- and Keebler-branded:
-- Toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers. -- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers. -- Cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers. -- Peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers.
The Michigan-based maker of cereals and snacks posted the recommendation in a statement on its Web site.
Peanut butter produced by Peanut Corporation of America, one of several peanut butter suppliers to the company, has been linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning that has affected at least 434 people in 43 states, federal health officials said Wednesday.
"Kellogg Company's investigation has not indicated any concerns, nor has the company received any consumer illness complaints about these products," the Kellogg statement said.
"Nonetheless, Kellogg Company is taking precautionary measures including putting a hold on any inventory in its control, removing product from retail store shelves, and encouraging customers and consumers to hold and not eat these products until regulatory officials complete their investigation of PCA and Kellogg provides further information as to the resolution of this issue."
All of the company's peanut-butter crackers are made at its bakery in Cary, North Carolina, said spokeswoman Kris Charles.
Though consumers are urged "to hold the product until we have more information," Charles recommended anyone seeking a refund call 888.314.2060 for details about how to get one.
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56baafcc6573462fad02a2fd1b8505c7
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What have the crackers been linked to?
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"salmonella."
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the Marines shown in a famous World War II photograph raising the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima was posthumously awarded a certificate of U.S. citizenship on Tuesday.
The Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia depicts Strank and five others raising a flag on Iwo Jima.
Sgt. Michael Strank, who was born in Czechoslovakia and came to the United States when he was 3, derived U.S. citizenship when his father was naturalized in 1935. However, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently discovered that Strank never was given citizenship papers.
At a ceremony Tuesday at the Marine Corps Memorial -- which depicts the flag-raising -- in Arlington, Virginia, a certificate of citizenship was presented to Strank's younger sister, Mary Pero.
Strank and five other men became national icons when an Associated Press photographer captured the image of them planting an American flag on top of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945.
Strank was killed in action on the island on March 1, 1945, less than a month before the battle between Japanese and U.S. forces there ended.
Jonathan Scharfen, the acting director of CIS, presented the citizenship certificate Tuesday.
He hailed Strank as "a true American hero and a wonderful example of the remarkable contribution and sacrifices that immigrants have made to our great republic throughout its history."
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089e09ffd2e440538c5fe55a6fbf1a34
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When was the certificate given to his sister?
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"Tuesday."
] |
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(CNN) -- Authorities in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, have arrested a man whom they accused of having terrorized students, their parents and the administration of a grade school for three months.
Alberto Enrique Hernandez Magallanes, 62, is accused of making phone and written threats asking for money.
"There have been threats against several schools, but this is the first time we have been able to make an arrest," said Arturo Sandoval, Chihuahua State Ministerial Police spokesman, after police acted Tuesday.
Alberto Enrique Hernandez Magallanes, 62, is accused of making phone and written threats asking for money in exchange for not hurting the children. Police said he sent school administrators notes in packages that included bullets.
Citing security concerns, police asked that the name of the school not be divulged. The spokeswoman for Chihuahua's state prosecutor, Daniela Gonzalez, described it as a private school with a student body drawn primarily from middle- to upper-class families.
"School administrators were anxious and afraid," Gonzalez said. "The letters were escalating in demands until they reached the $50,000 figure. They feared for their safety and the safety of the children."
Gonzalez said police helped her negotiate with Hernandez, who agreed to accept $10,000 and a sport utility vehicle.
After he collected the money, Hernandez ran to his home, half a block from the school, where he was arrested, Gonzalez said.
Police said they confiscated rifles, guns and ammunition.
Sandoval said investigators don't think Hernandez is linked to Mexico's drug cartels that have laid siege to Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas.
"He is a person that, because of the current insecurity climate in the city, has taken advantage of the situation," the police spokesman said.
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2ca1394d7696412189928014eeca3a7e
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Who arrested Alberto Enrique Hernandes Magallanes?
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[
"Authorities"
] |
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(CNN) -- A Sudanese journalist could receive 40 lashings after she was caught wearing trousers.
Lubna al-Hussein was arrested with 18 other women this month for wearing indecent clothes.
A Sudanese court began hearing Lubna al-Hussein's case Wednesday. It will continue the hearing August 4.
At the time of her arrest, she was wearing pants, a blouse and a hijab, she said. Police accused her of wearing trousers that were too tight and alleged that her blouse was too transparent, al-Hussein said.
Al-Hussein, who works for a newspaper and the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan, said she did nothing wrong. She has been released to her home in Khartoum.
The crime of wearing indecent attire has only one punishment under Sudanese law, a 40-stroke public flogging, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
"This case is the official retaliation against the reporter for her writings criticizing the Sudanese regime and extremists," the organization said in a statement.
Al-Hussein was arrested along with 18 others July 3 after Sudan's "discipline police" accused the women of wearing indecent clothes, al-Hussein said. Six were released, and 10 received the 40 lashes, she said.
Al-Hussein and two others fought the charges and hired attorneys, she said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke out against the decision Wednesday, saying he was "deeply concerned" and would take every effort to protect his staff member.
"The flogging is against the international human rights standards," he said. "I call on all parties to live up to their obligations under all relevant international instruments."
CNN's Umaro Djau, Talia Kayali and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report.
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e20920f2fb2b43968d5b782b819bd8da
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Whose case is scheduled to continue August 4?
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[
"Lubna al-Hussein's"
] |
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(CNN) -- A search is under way for a pregnant 20-year-old Marine who has been missing from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, since December 14.
Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she went missing on December 14.
Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach could give birth at any time, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told the Jacksonville, North Carolina, Daily News on Monday.
The sheriff's department said Lauterbach's mother said that her daughter, of Montgomery, Ohio, had witnessed an incident at Camp Lejeune and was to testify about it.
Sheriff's department officials said evidence causes them to be concerned about Lauterbach's disappearance, WITN reported.
The Marine's car was found Monday at Jacksonville's bus station, Brown told the Daily News, and her cell phone had been found at Camp Lejeune's front gate on December 20.
Her mother reported her missing on December 19, and told the sheriff's department "that she was very suspicious that something bad may have happened to her daughter," the department said in a news release. Watch Lauterbach's mom say what raised her concerns »
Investigators told the Marine Corps Times that a withdrawal from Lauterbach's bank account was made on December 14 and said there was "suspicious activity" on the account 10 days later. December 14 was also the last time Lauterbach's cell phone was used, authorities told the Marine Corps Times.
The Raleigh News and Observer, citing Brown, reported that the woman's mother said her daughter phoned home or her relatives up to 12 times a week and the mother became concerned when she did not hear from her daughter for five days.
A Facebook page established to help find Lauterbach says she was last seen December 14 in Jacksonville. "Call mom!!! You know the number," the page says. "All of us love you and we miss you. Please come home!"
The page contains pleas for contacts from fellow Marines and friends of Lauterbach in Ohio.
Lauterbach is a personnel clerk assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Marine Corps said. She joined the service on June 6, 2006. E-mail to a friend
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When is the Lance Corporal due to give birth?
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"at any time,"
] |
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- Score a personal best at the box office for Quentin Tarantino this weekend. "Inglourious Basterds," his revisionist take on WWII starring Brad Pitt, grossed an estimated $37.6 million, besting the reigning box office champ "District 9," and giving beleaguered studio The Weinstein Co. a little financial relief.
"Inglourious Basterds," a revisionist take on WWII starring Brad Pitt, grossed an estimated $37.6 million.
"Basterds'" opening far surpasses Tarantino's previous best opener, "Kill Bill Vol. 2," which brought in $25 million in April 2004. The critical question now is how "Basterds" will hold up during the next few weeks. Since Weinstein only has domestic rights to the movie -- Universal Pictures holds international -- a large overall gross stateside is mandatory for the company.
Warner Bros. had a much harder time with its release "Shorts" from auteur Robert Rodriguez. Opening to only $6.6 million, the PG-rated kid flick landed in a weak 6th place finish for its opening frame.
The only other new release to reach the top ten was Fox Searchlight's post-college flick "Post Grad" starring Alexis Bledel. Despite opening in 1,959 locations, the film grossed only an estimated $2.8 million for the three days.
Among holdovers, "District 9" did incredibly well considering Basterds was angling directly for its male audience. The $30 million sci-fi movie from newcomer Neil Blomkamp dropped a scant 49% to $18.9 million putting its total ten day gross at an impressive $73 million.
"G.I. Joe" also hung in for its third week in theaters. The high-octane actioner fell only 44 percent to $12.5 million. It's three-week cume now stands at $120 million. Female moviegoers helped keep "The Time Traveler's Wife" and "Julie & Julia" in the top five.
"Time Traveler" dropped only 46 percent to $10 million its second week putting its ten-day gross at $37.4 million while "Julie & Julia" fell only 25 percent, which is remarkable considering the movie is in its third week of release. Grossing $9 million for the three days, the Meryl Streep, Amy Adams two-hander has now earned $59 million total.
Thanks to the strong opening of "Basterds" and the solid hold of the incumbent films, the box office was up 26 percent compared to the same time last year. It's the third week in a row the box office was up after four weekends of unimpressive results. Next weekend's horror mash-up of "Halloween II" and "The Final Destination 3-D" should yield some positive results too.
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
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746c05a41c194439a0373038dd9b2fe1
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who had a much harder time?
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[
"Warner Bros."
] |
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(CNN) -- Brazil has confirmed 657 fatalities caused by the H1N1 flu, the highest number of deaths in the world, the nation's Health Ministry said.
Brazil registered 7,569 new cases of the virus also known as swine flu from August 25 to 29, the Health Ministry said. However, new cases of the virus had dropped in the past three weeks.
In terms of mortality rate -- which considers flu deaths in terms of a nation's population -- Brazil ranks sixth and the United States is 12th, the Brazilian Health Ministry said in a news release this week.
Argentina ranked first per capita, Brazilian health officials said.
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ee0f60587f5240439ec7041036548018
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What has dropped in the last three weeks?
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"new cases of the virus"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell.
The YouTube video of Susan Boyle's performance has had more than 5 million hits.
Susan Boyle, from West Lothian in Scotland, appeared on the television show "Britain's Got Talent" last weekend with an inauspicious start.
Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair, Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath. She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single, she lived with her cat, Pebbles, and she had never been kissed.
"I'm trying to be a professional singer," Boyle asserted, as the audience laughed. "I'm going to make that audience rock."
When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige, who's been called the "first lady of British musical theater," some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes.
But after Boyle sang the first few notes of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables," the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause, and two of the three judges' jaws dropped.
The applause lasted the length of her performance, which ended with the crowd on its feet.
Cowell, who also serves as a judge on "American Idol" and who's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent, said Boyle's performance was fantastic.
"I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary," he proclaimed.
His fellow judge, Piers Morgan, said it was "the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show."
"When you stood there, with that cheeky grin, and said, 'I want to be like Elaine Paige' everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning. An incredible performance," Morgan said, adding he was reeling from shock.
Amanda Holden, the third judge, had tears in her eyes and described Boyle's singing as "a privilege to hear."
A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits, and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story.
Boyle said after the show that she felt "bloody fantastic."
Each of the three judges voted "yes" to Boyle's return to the actual competition round of the show. The performance this weekend came during the auditions.
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b06b9dc2a84347c8b811b93f337d9762
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From where is Susan Boyle?
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"West Lothian in Scotland,"
] |
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(EW.com) -- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" features one of the more soul-destroying death orgies in Fantasy-lit history, with a whole cavalcade of Potter supporting players winding up as casualties in the climactic wizard battle.
The series never shrank from death -- Books 4 through 6 each end with a major character dying, and the whole saga begins with Harry as a newly orphaned baby. But in a new special feature on the "Deathly Hallows 2" DVD, author J. K. Rowling notes that she'd planned one fatality that would have probably scarred a generation of young readers.
As reported by the Guardian, Rowling says, "I did seriously consider killing Ron." Apparently, she briefly thought about killing off Harry's red-headed sidekick around the middle of the series, when she "wasn't in a very happy place."
It's an interesting piece of what-might-have-been trivia. In some ways, it reminds me a little bit of the mythic notion that Han Solo was supposed to die in Return of the Jedi -- an idea which was supported by original Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz and Harrison Ford. Kurtz told the Hollywood Reporter that Solo lived because George Lucas didn't want to kill off any of his main characters. It's hard to accuse Rowling of any such anxiety, given the "Deathly Hallows" bloodbath.
Still, it's fun to speculate on how such a major change would have altered the book series. Rowling doesn't specify in what context she was picturing Ron's death, but it's easy to imagine that he might have bit the dust relatively early. Lots of people were shocked when Rowling killed off Cedric Diggory in "Goblet of Fire," but Diggory was a minor character who, in hindsight, was always kind of a handsome readymade corpse -- think of how much freakier the latter Potters would have felt without good ol' Ron around to relieve the tension.
Conversely, imagine if Ron had sacrificed himself in Deathly Hallows' climax. It certainly would have changed the tone of the ending, which was a pretty upbeat Happily Ever After, all considering.
See the full article at EW.com.
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© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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3c6aa16b97a3463c8cb079c9b77acb7f
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what is easy to imagine?
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[
"he might have bit the dust relatively early."
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Last week's "balloon boy" incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency representative said Tuesday.
The Heene family -- including Falcon, second from right -- on CNN's "Larry King Live" last week.
Richard and Mayumi Heene, whose son Falcon was thought for several hours to have flown away in a homemade balloon, are facing a number of local charges, a Colorado sheriff said this week.
The Fort Collins couple could be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday. The family also probably will be charged with filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor, Alderden said.
Their lawyer, David Lane, said the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserves the presumption of innocence. Watch the Heenes' friends talk about the incident »
FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere confirmed Tuesday that the agency was "investigating the circumstances" of the incident, in which police and military scrambled to rescue the 6-year-old boy, who later turned out to be hiding in his family's attic.
A source familiar with the investigation said no record has been found indicating that Richard Heene called the FAA. The agency does not record all of its calls, and the search for a record of any call is continuing, the source said.
The Heenes may have violated FAA regulations barring people from flying balloons or kites within 5 miles of an airport, an FAA official said. The official declined to be named because the case is under investigation.
The giant silver balloon was apparently not visible on radar, the official said, and the FAA is relying on pilot reports to determine its approximate flight path during the roughly three hours it was aloft Thursday.
CNN's Mike M. Ahlers in Washington contributed to this story.
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0fcd94cb78f94d0abfbc57721e5220ce
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What did the lawyer say?
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"the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserves the presumption of innocence."
] |
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(CNN) -- The company was founded in 1985 by seven communications industry veterans -- Franklin Antonio, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and Harvey White.
One of Qualcomm's first products was OmniTRACS, introduced in 1988, which is currently the largest satellite-based commercial mobile system for the transportation industry.
Today, Qualcomm's patent portfolio includes approximately 6,100 United States patents and patent applications for CDMA and related technologies. More than 130 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide have licensed QUALCOMM's essential CDMA patents.
Qualcomm is among the members of the S&P 500 Index, Fortune 500, and a winner of the U.S. Department of Labor's" Secretary of Labor's Opportunity Award."
The company has been listed among Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for nine years in a row and the magazine's list of" Most Admired Companies."
Qualcomm's Annual revenue for 2006 was $7.53 billion, with a net income of $2.47 billion. E-mail to a friend
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d506f0acbe3047c2b90f49e4c5943ea4
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What has the company had happen?
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"been listed among Fortune's \"100 Best Companies to Work For in America\" for nine years in a row and the magazine's list of\" Most Admired Companies.\""
] |
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New York (CNN) -- The first two weeks of the NBA's regular season have been canceled, as basketball players and management have yet to reach a deal on a new labor agreement, Commissioner David Stern announced, according to NBA.com.
The two sides remain far apart, Stern said from the NBA meetings. He added that no further talks are scheduled.
Derek Fisher, the president of the NBA Player's Association, said the entire season may be in jeopardy. And the association's executive director, Billy Hunter, said the owners are more dug in than in the past.
The commissioner had warned last week that such a cancellation may well be coming, at which time Los Angeles Lakers' guard and NBA Players Association President Derek Fisher acknowledged the stakes.
"We know our backs are against the wall in terms of regular season games and what those consequences will be," he said then.
The league's owners began a lockout of its players in early July.
Stern has said that last season was not profitable for most of the league's 30 owners, who want cost-cutting help from players.
The league lost as much as $300 million in the 2010-11 season, according to the commissioner.
Less than a week ago, the NBA canceled its preseason, which meant the loss of about $200 million in revenue, Stern said.
One of the battles has focused on the owners' rejection of the players union's call for an average $7 million player salary in the sixth year of a new labor deal.
The current average salary is about $5 million.
Other big issues include a fight over a move by owners to get a bigger share of revenues and whether the NBA will strengthen its salary cap.
The last work stoppage occurred in 1998.
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ec804b2de2e1418a8b7c89093683976e
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Who began a lockout of its players in early July?
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"The league's owners"
] |
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Sirte, Libya (CNN) -- Mutassim Gadhafi, a son of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, was reported captured Wednesday after a four-hour firefight in Sirte, said Abdallah Naker, the head of the Tripoli Revolutionary Council, who cited field commanders in Sirte as his sources.
But two senior National Transitional Council spokesmen said the report was unconfirmed and a third reportedly denied the claim.
Col. Ahmed Bani, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said the capture had not been confirmed. And NTC spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah told CNN from Benghazi that the report had not been corroborated.
Abudlmolah said Hassan al-Droyee, NTC's Sirte representative who is currently in Tripoli, denied the report.
Mutassim Gadhafi and a number of aides were captured around noon in an area considered the center of operations for Gadhafi loyalists, Naker said. They were then taken to Benghazi, he said. The scion had been directing operations in Sirte, the hometown of his father, which had been surrounded since Tuesday night, Naker said.
CNN teams in Tripoli and Sirte heard celebratory gunfire ring out as reports of the capture spread. From Benghazi, National Transitional Council spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said there was massive celebratory gunfire there, too.
Anti-Gadhafi forces have previously reported captures of Gadhafi relatives that proved to be untrue.
CNN's Mohammed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this story
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ba4b2826d14044e59684d2ed776305a5
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Is the report confirmed?
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"unconfirmed"
] |
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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Twenty-nine people convicted of various crimes, ranging from murder to being a public nuisance while drunk, were hanged in Iran, state TV said.
A convicted Iranian drug dealer is hanged from a crane in the southern city of Shiraz in September.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported earlier that 30 people would be put to death. It was not immediately clear if the last person's life was spared.
The Iranian judiciary's statement said that all 30 were convicted of various crimes, which included: murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships -- relationships between men and women who are not married to each other.
Kidnapping and using weapons while committing a crime were also among the charges.
The statement also said that 20 of the convicts were convicted of drug and alcohol dealing, armed robbery and smuggling arms.
The judiciary statement said that the convicts had their cases tried by the highest judicial authorities and were found guilty of the charges brought against them. The verdicts were final with their sentences carried out on Sunday.
The judiciary said the hangings should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes, the agency reported.
The statement also said that several other individuals are currently awaiting trial and their sentences will be carried out as soon as the verdicts are pronounced by the courts.
According to Amnesty International, Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China's 470.
Iran's government launched a campaign March 20 to increase public security and bring the crime rate down.
Police cracked down on alleged drug dealers, whom they called criminal gang members, and alleged habitual criminals who use guns in the commission of their crime. Alleged weapons smugglers and people who break social and religious laws, including adulterers, were also targets.
National television showed scenes of what were described as criminals being paraded publicly in chains as a deterrent to others. The wave of arrests has now subsided, as officials are now prosecuting the alleged criminals and sentencing those convicted.
Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.
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763650f97e374ebd96ff0cfe41d278bc
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What were convicts found guilty of?
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[
"various crimes, ranging from murder to being a"
] |
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(CNN) -- "Movies aren't an actor's medium...actors are just color in other people's paintings," Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey told CNN's Talk Asia.
"I think there's almost any actor whose been around for a while who can say this with absolute conviction that sometimes you go and see a movie that you've made and you know you made a better movie than they cut."
He hasn't turned his back on his profession, but the versatile performer who won two Academy Awards for his roles in "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty," has happily embraced the other challenges that have come his way.
From reviving the fortunes of The Old Vic theatre in London to production credits on a number of films, acting has now become just one of Spacey's numerous professional guises.
His latest venture is appearing in a joint production in China called "Inseparable" featuring Daniel Wu and Chinese actress Gong Beibi.
"I think there's no doubt that China is the next place for film-- there's no doubt -- and that collaborations, this kind of exchange of a Western actor coming to make a Chinese film is a very exciting step," he said.
After his Chinese experience he'll be focusing on film until 2012 when he will then lead The Bridge Project, a transatlantic theatrical production company comprised of The Old Vic in London and Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. The company will be bringing "The Tempest" to Hong Kong and Singapore in March and April.
Longer term plans could see Spacey return to the stage, but as a singer. His 2005 biopic "Beyond the Sea" on 1950s crooner Bobby Darin was a labor of love where Spacey was able to perform the songs of one of his heroes. To promote the movie he even toured with a 20-piece big band across the U.S.
"I think it's great that actually Vegas wants to be able to bring back the headliner, and I think the nightclub act is one of the greatest things ever.
"But that to me would be to me kind of fun to do again at some point, because I love singing and I don't get a chance to sing as much as I'd like, so we'll see what happens."
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c959ff94f61743d0b27e12ca6749caae
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Who won Oscar and also director of The Old Vic in London?
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"Kevin Spacey"
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