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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief presidential campaign strategist is quitting his post amid criticism of his public relations firm's contacts with the Colombian government over a pending free-trade deal, Clinton's campaign announced.
Mark Penn will continue to advise Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Mark Penn and his political consulting firm will continue to advise the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid, but Penn will give up his job as chief strategist, campaign manager Maggie Williams said.
"After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign," Williams said.
Clinton did not answer reporters' questions about Penn's exit during a campaign stop in New Mexico on Sunday.
Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller and is president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, his political consulting firm.
Friday, he acknowledged he had met with the Colombian ambassador to the United States earlier in the week in his role as Burson-Marsteller's chief to discuss the pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton has criticized on the campaign trail.
Penn called the meeting "an error in judgment that will not be repeated," and apologized. That prompted Colombia's government to fire the company Saturday, calling the remarks "a lack of respect to Colombians."
Clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival Democrat Barack Obama in February when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a Canadian official that Obama was not as supportive of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail.
Penn said Friday that Clinton's opposition to the U.S.-Colombia pact, which the Bush administration is trying to push through Congress, "is clear and was not discussed" during his meeting with the ambassador. And Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Penn's meeting was "not in any way done on behalf of the campaign."
But Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell -- a key Clinton backer in his state's April 22 primary -- suggested Sunday that Penn needed to go.
"I think you've got to make it very clear for someone who is a consultant, who you are representing and who you are not representing, and I would hope that Mr. Penn, when he talked to the Colombians, made that clear. And it doesn't sound to me like he did, and that's something the campaign should take into question," Rendell told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Sources in the Clinton campaign said that Penn realized this weekend that he needed to step aside, and that Clinton was disappointed that he had met with the Colombians. E-mail to a friend
|
d7611b0dfc974165b1226e01789216d1
|
Who did Penn meet with?
|
[
"Colombian ambassador"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- The X-ray machine was Wednesday named the most important scientific invention, in a poll marking the centenary of the Science Museum in London.
Almost 50,000 people voted in the museum or online on a shortlist of ten discoveries and inventions from past centuries in science, technology and engineering.
The X-ray machine, which was discovered in 1895 and revolutionized how doctors detected disease and injury, struck a chord with most voters who singled it out for having made the greatest impact on the past, present and future.
It gathered one fifth of the votes( 9581 votes) followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure.
Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, told CNN that she was "pleasantly surprised" with the results, saying she "wondered whether the therapeutic benefit of penicillin might just edge in front -- or perhaps the Apollo 10 capsule as visitors find space travel so inspirational as the ultimate test of technology."
Maggs attributed the X-ray machine's popularity to the wide impact it has on people's everyday life, from the very first steps of a medical diagnosis to security control at airports.
"People are just fascinated with seeing inside their bodies --- even today. It has fundamentally changed the way we see and understand our world -- but particularly our bodies.
"But I also think visitors are aware of the immense and various benefits x-rays have brought -- revolutionizing medical diagnosis and therapy but also astronomy and material and chemical science -- it was x-rays that enabled us to discover the structure of DNA after all!"
X-rays were discovered in November 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen.
The Science Museum also houses the Reynolds machine, which was built by a father and son John and Russell Reynolds, months after Röntgen announced his discovery. They were so inspired by the news that they started constructing the equipment in their own home.
|
6a27f81a1ad14cf393a651bea7cf33df
|
Which machine was voted the most significant invention by the Science Museum in London?
|
[
"The X-ray"
] |
NewsQA
|
YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Courts in Myanmar have sentenced a blogger, a poet and several dissidents to several years in jail for anti-regime activities, a court official told CNN Tuesday.
Young people at an Internet cafe in Myanmar.
The verdicts were announced Monday and Tuesday, the court official said.
Blogger Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to more than 20 years in jail for his illegal Internet activities, the court official said.
The blogger was a "major source of information for the outside world" when the military junta used force last year to suppress anti-government demonstrations, said The Irrawaddy, an online newspaper published by exiles from Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.
The government exercises strict controls over media outlets in the southeast Asian country. Dissidents often turn to the Internet to disseminate information.
In the second case, poet Saw Wai received a two-year jail sentence for a poem he wrote for Valentine's Day that contained a veiled jab at the junta's leading figure, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
The first words of each line in the eight-line poem, "February the Fourteenth" spelled out the message: "Senior General Than Shwe is crazy with power."
On Tuesday, the government handed down prison sentences to about a dozen members of a pro-democracy group known as the '88 Generation Students.
Irrawaddy said the members were each sentenced to 65 years in jail, but CNN could not independently confirm the figure.
Members of the group took part in the anti-government demonstrations that ended with the death of as many as 100 people last year after security forces clashed with thousands of protesters. The dead included 40 Buddhist monks.
Witnesses said the violent crackdown in September 2007 came as hundreds of monks defied a military ban on public assembly.
Until then, demonstrations led by the monks -- who are highly respected in the predominantly Buddhist country -- had gone largely unchallenged by the military, which has ruled the country since the 1960s.
The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government, and quickly escalated. The action was informally dubbed the "Saffron Revolution" because of the maroon robes with saffron sashes that the monks wore.
|
23119f52a075490f9dffc31f73549b2f
|
What person went to jail?
|
[
"Nay Phone Latt"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Pirates have released a Greek-owned vessel and its crew of 22, months after hijacking it off Somalia, authorities said.
The MV Filitsa was released Monday after the shipping company that owned it paid a ransom, said Michael Battzoglou, a security officer and spokesman for the owner, Order Shipping Co. He did not say how much had been paid.
"All are well and safe," he added.
The Greek coast guard also said no one had been killed or injured on the vessel.
The European Union's anti-piracy task force NAVFOR issued a statement confirming that the ransom had been paid and the ship freed. It did not say how much money changed hands.
The Filitsa was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, where it and its crew were to be checked over, then will continue to Durban, South Africa, Battzoglou said. Its progress will be monitored by NAVFOR, the task force said
The bulk carrier was hijacked on November 11 off Somalia, near the islands of Seychelles, and was held at the pirate stronghold of Hobyo, on the Somali coast, the EU said.
It was en route from Shuaiba in Kuwait to Dubai when it was hijacked.
It flies a Marshall Island flag and is crewed by 19 Filipinos and three Greeks, the EU added.
The EU mission's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid for the World Food Programme, to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.
The coast off lawless Somalia has become a hub for piracy in the past several years. Three ships have been attacked in the region this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. There were dozens there last year, the agency said.
The pirates normally seek payment to release the ships.
|
486caff266b449d68aed679e566a8297
|
What is the anti-piracy force called?
|
[
"NAVFOR"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Virginia judge on Tuesday approved an $11 million settlement from the state to the families of victims killed or injured in last year's Virginia Tech shootings.
Parents of wounded Virginia Tech students comfort each other on Tuesday.
The 24 victims included in the settlement were among the 32 killed by Seung-Hui Cho's April 16, 2007, shooting rampage. The settlement also compensates 18 people injured.
"The commonwealth has endeavored to meet the needs and concerns of the victims, including family members, through both monetary and non-monetary provisions," said Chief Deputy Attorney General William C. Mims.
Of the remaining eight deceased victims, families of two chose not to file claims and two other claims are unresolved. The other four will be brought forward at a later date, Mims said.
The settlement also includes provisions that allow the families to occasionally meet with the governor and Virginia Tech officials to review legislation and improvements made at the campus in response to the tragedy.
The families had pursued wrongful death and personal injury claims against the state after an August 2007 report by an independent panel concluded that more timely and more specific information from university officials might have saved lives.
University officials were criticized for not immediately warning students and staff after two students were found dead in a dormitory at 7 a.m. on the day of the killings.
Police said they initially believed the two had been involved in a romantic dispute, but later determined they were Cho's first victims. It was almost 9:30 a.m. before authorities sent an e-mail to students and staff notifying them of the shootings and warning them to be cautious.
About 9:50 a.m., Cho, 23, began shooting people in Norris Hall, an engineering and classroom building.
While criticizing the university response, the panel -- which included former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge -- also said quicker action by school officials may not have made a difference.
The report also noted that campus and state agencies might have taken a different approach to Cho had his middle- and high-school records followed him to Virginia Tech.
Problems with Cho reportedly began to surface well before the shootings. The records detailed his mental health issues, including a tendency to react to depression with violence.
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41b45bd93dfc4d8cbbb3f70aca9c69d7
|
Who chose not to file claims?
|
[
"families of two"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A South Carolina sheriff's office is investigating whether Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps smoked marijuana on the University of South Carolina campus.
Michael Phelps is facing a criminal investigation into whether he smoked marijuana on a college campus.
Authorities will file criminal charges if the investigation determines that they are warranted, a spokesman said Tuesday.
"If someone breaks the law in Richland County, we have an obligation as law enforcement to investigate and to bring charges," Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement.
"The Richland County Sheriff's Department is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law. If he did, he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else. The sheriff has a responsibility to be fair, to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity."
Phelps admitted "regrettable behavior" on Sunday after a British newspaper published a photograph of him smoking through a bong. The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina, in Richland County.
Both university police and Columbia, South Carolina, police have said they would not pursue charges, according to The State newspaper in Columbia. It was unclear where the party took place, the paper said, or whether it was on the USC campus.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," said Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in a statement Sunday. See the photo on the cover of Star magazine »
"I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me," he said. "For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again."
The U.S. Olympic Committee also issued a statement that said in part, "Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions. We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion."
In 2004, Phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation. He also issued an apology after that incident.
Phelps is one of 12 Olympic athletes who have signed on to "My Victory," an initiative launched last year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency aimed at keeping competitive sports clean.
|
91d455a7e2824d94baf4362f5d6b41c6
|
From where is the photo published?
|
[
"British newspaper"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent was killed Saturday when he was struck by a car driven by a suspected narcotics smuggler, officials said.
Luis Aguilar, 32, who was assigned to the Yuma, Arizona, border patrol station, died Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner W. Ralph Basham said in a statement.
"Agent Aguilar's death serves as another stark reminder of the risks our front-line agents and officers face each day," Basham said.
Aguilar was trying to place spike strips in the path of two vehicles believed to have illegally entered the country from Mexico when one of the vehicles hit him, agent Michael Bernacke, a spokesman for the agency's Yuma sector, told The Associated Press.
Both vehicles drove back across the border into Mexico, the AP said.
The fatal incident occurred in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area near Andrade, California, Basham said. Andrade is just over the California state line from Arizona.
The area is popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts but also is frequently used by smugglers carrying people or drugs, the AP said.
Aguilar is survived by his wife and two children, along with his brother, who is also a border patrol agent, a Homeland Security Department statement said.
"I am outraged by this tragic loss," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Saturday. "I have spoken to the Mexican ambassador, who gives me both his condolences and deep assurance that their government will be resolute in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing them to swift justice."
Federal, state and local authorities are working with Mexican police and military authorities to apprehend the suspected killers, he said. E-mail to a friend
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f52b8874cfb84050b6ac01e32e38db49
|
Which state line did the incident occur over?
|
[
"California"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Utah is the nation's fastest growing state, increasing 2.5 percent from July 2007 to July 2008, according to new population estimates from the Census Bureau.
Barack Obama greets one of the newest members of the U.S. population this year on the campaign trail.
The main reason for Utah's growth is a "natural increase" -- births minus deaths -- said Census Bureau demographer Greg Harper.
"Utah has a strong rate of natural increase and domestic migration, where more people move into the state and [are] not moving out," he said.
"Second is Arizona," Harper said. "It grew by 2.3 percent, and the increase is due to domestic migration, meaning more people are moving into the state than moving out. Also, it's a natural increase, more people were born there than died."
Arizona is followed by Texas, North Carolina and Colorado, each with a 2.0 percent growth rate.
Texas added more people than any other state -- about 500,000 -- making it the third-fastest growing state. Because it has a larger population size, its percentage growth was less than Utah.
"Nevada was last year's fastest-growing state, but it fell to eighth," said Harper. "Overall, that state had been among the four fastest-growing states each of the past 23 years."
Only two states lost population: Michigan and Rhode Island, losing 0.5 and 0.2 percent respectively. Overall, Northeastern states are not growing as fast as other parts of the country, but they have been on the increase since 2005.
The South added the most people during the period, 1.4 million. But Western states, with a 1.4 percent increase, saw the fastest growth rate.
One state that has reversed its course of growth is Florida. A few years ago more than 250,000 people per year were moving there. But for 2007-2008, the state's 0.7 percent increase was below the nation's 0.9 percent overall increase.
According to the estimates, the United States had a net gain of just over 2.7 million people from July 2007 to July 2008.
|
0fa8547eecb54b17813f315735d467e4
|
How many more people does Texas add than any other state?
|
[
"about 500,000"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A British surgeon amputated the arm of a wounded teenager in Congo, Africa, with help from instructions sent to him by text message.
British surgeon David Nott, center, with two colleagues in a Congo field hospital where he carried out the operation.
David Nott texted his surgical colleague Meirion Thomas, who is one of only a handful of UK surgeons familiar with the difficult procedure of removing the collar bone and shoulder blade.
David Nott realized that teenager J, whose arms had been ripped off and who was now gangrenous, had only a few days to live.
"I knew that the only way to save this boy's life was to do a forequarter amputation, and I knew that Professor Meirion Thomas was really the expert," Nott said.
Nott, a vascular surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, who volunteers one month a year with humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, had never performed such an operation. Watch an interview with Nott »
Thomas replied almost immediately with 10 steps Nott should follow to carry out the procedure and then signed off with "Easy! Good luck."
David Nott followed his colleague's instructions step by step: "I felt I had like my guardian angel on my left shoulder showing me what to do. I just got on with it, and everything he told me, I just did".
Nott and his team embarked on the three-hour operation with just one pint of donated blood.
Teenager J is said to have made a full recovery while Nott stayed to keep an eye on his wounds.
Thomas said, "All I did was tell David the 10 steps, and I knew that he would follow them."
|
df0a2f2b51bf446b94a30705135761b6
|
What taught the doctor?
|
[
"instructions sent to him by text message."
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A Web designer in London was amazed to discover that Iranian election protesters are attacking the Iranian president's Web site using software he developed in his spare time, he told CNN Wednesday.
Ryan Kelly: "I suppose I am taking sides but I have no problems with it being used in this way."
With anti-government activists in Iran sidestepping official attempts to silence them on the Internet by posting photos, videos and blogs on sites like Facebook and Twitter, others are using a site that automatically refreshes a Web page every few seconds, potentially overloading the host server.
The page reboot software means that dissidents can "attack" sites with a barrage of hits -- known as a denial of service attack -- causing them to appear to users as "unobtainable."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Web sites was one of those displaying this message on Monday, according to Britain's Channel 4 News, although on Tuesday it was loading correctly.
The freely available page refresh site was partly developed by Ryan Kelly for use with sports results sites and eBay. He said he was unaware it was being used by Iranian protesters to stop the government from getting out its message until Tuesday when he received an email from an unknown source asking him to take the site down.
"Can you please shout (sic) down the website for few weeks. Currently they are using that website to attack other websites," stated the anonymous e-mail seen by CNN.
Kelly, who works for contract publisher Wardour, then discovered that hits on his own site had risen from 700 on a normal day to 41,000 on Monday.
"I was shocked when I heard my site was being used in this way," the 25-year-old told CNN.
"This exemplifies the power of the Internet that something happening in London can affect events thousands of miles away in Tehran. It's great it's being used in this way."
The heavy traffic forced Kelly to temporarily suspend his site, but only because it was exceeding the volume of traffic on his server. He said he later received dozens of e-mails requesting him to restore the site, and he did so.
One message seen by CNN said: "Please bring your site back up as fast as you can. We need your help in Iran against Ahmadinejad."
Kelly said he supported the protesters in their battle to have the results of the disputed presidential election overturned. "I suppose I am taking sides because I've put the site back up, but I have no problems with it being used in this way."
|
2af5a73c6fb44c09aa6dad438266dbc6
|
what forced ryan kelly to temporarily suspend it?
|
[
"heavy traffic"
] |
NewsQA
|
New York (CNN) -- A mother abducted her eight biological children from a New York foster care agency during an authorized visit, authorities announced Tuesday.
Shanel Nadal, 28, fled with her seven sons and one daughter from the Queens facility on Monday afternoon, police said.
The abducted boys are all apparently named after their biological father, Nephra Payne, 34.
They are Nephra Payne, 11; Nephra Ceo Payne, 10; Nephra John Payne, 9; Nephra Shalee Payne, 6; Nephra Rahsul Payne, 6; Nephra Umeek Payne, 5; and Nephra Yahmen Payne, 4.
The lone girl was identified as Nefertiti Payne, 11 months.
The New York Police Department said Nadal may be traveling with the children's biological father in a black 1996 Chevrolet Suburban with license plate number EXZ5896.
Despite the one-day lag between the abduction and the announcement, New York City's Administration for Children's Services assured the public it had been investigating the incident since it occurred.
"ACS and our foster care agency began working with the NYPD immediately after the mother absconded with the children from a visit at the foster care agency yesterday," the ACS said in a statement.
The statement made no mention of how Nadal escaped or why the children had been placed in foster care.
CNN's Dominique Dodley contributed to this report.
|
b304a251e5264c5ea57eaa4e0e17c44d
|
What name do the boys share?
|
[
"Nephra Payne,"
] |
NewsQA
|
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton became visibly emotional at a New Hampshire campaign event Monday after a friendly question from a voter.
Sen. Hillary Clinton's eyes welled with tears as she spoke in New Hampshire Monday.
At the close of a Portsmouth campaign stop, Marianne Pernold-Young, 64, asked Clinton: "How do you do it? How do you keep up ... and who does your hair?"
Clinton said she had help with her hair on "special days," and that she drew criticism on the days she did not.
Then she added: "It's not easy, and I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do.
"You know, I have so many opportunities from this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards," she said, her voice breaking a bit. The audience applauded.
"This is very personal for me, it's not just political, it's [that] I see what's happening, we have to reverse it," she said emotionally, adding that some "just put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds.
"But some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us really haven't thought that through enough."
"So as tired as I am and I am. And as difficult as it is to try and keep up what I try to do on the road, like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- I just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation. So I'm going to do everything I can and make my case and you know the voters get to decide." Watch Clinton become emotional as she's answering a question »
The New York senator is under pressure after some weekend surveys show opponent Barack Obama with a sudden almost double digit lead, with less than a day to go until the New Hampshire primary.
At a New Hampshire campaign event, presidential rival John Edwards told reporters he was unaware of Clinton's emotional reaction and would not respond to it.
But he did say, "I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are a tough business, but being president of the United States is also a very tough business.
"And the President of the United States is faced with very, very difficult challenges every single day, difficult judgments every single day." E-mail to a friend
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ea9c1f77f17a4012b6eef700e5ddebe6
|
Where was she on a campaign stop?
|
[
"Portsmouth"
] |
NewsQA
|
New York (CNN) -- Two men have been arrested in a bold and bizarre jewelry store robbery involving crooks who disguised themselves in Hasidic Jewish attire, complete with hats and false beards, police announced Tuesday.
But all was not as it seemed, according to police. The heist was actually an elaborate inside job set up by the store's owners, who were $1 million in debt and six months behind on their rent, police said.
The New York Police Department announced Tuesday that Atul Shah, 43, and Mahaveer Kankariya, 43, both of New Jersey, have been arrested on charges of grand larceny, insurance fraud and falsifying business records.
The two men, co-owners of the Dialite Imports jewelry store in Manhattan's diamond district, are in custody, authorities said.
The costumed robbers connected to the crime remain at large.
According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, two armed men casually walked into the commercial office building where Dialite Imports was located on the afternoon of December 31, 2008. They were dressed in traditional looking Orthodox-style clothing and quickly gained access to the store's safe, spray-painting two security cameras in the process.
The two thieves appeared to make off with about $4 million in diamonds and other jewels.
Immediately after the robbery, Shah told the New York Post that his insurance company had instructed him to refrain from commenting about the heist. "They told me I cannot say anything right now," he said at the time.
But police said Tuesday that investigators became suspicious of the incident when it was discovered that Shah and Kankariya got a new insurance policy just before the apparent robbery.
The owners of the jewelry company hired the two men "to play the armed robbers and dressed them up as Hasidic Jews to avoid causing suspicion," Browne said.
The robbery and security camera footage of the two supposed orthodox outlaws gained particular attention because of the similarities between the staged robbery and the 2000 movie "Snatch," in which diamond thieves donned similar outfits for their burglary.
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c2ed722b865e4d27be8aad6f6991e97d
|
What were the people disguised as?
|
[
"Hasidic Jewish"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Canada's House of Commons voted Thursday to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO send reinforcements to the volatile Kandahar province.
Canadian soldiers walk along a track at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan last month.
Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar as part of the NATO-led mission to stabilize the war-torn country.
Their presence has sparked controversy in Canada, with the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democratic Party calling for an immediate troop withdrawal.
Supporters of the mission argued that Canadians have made progress in providing schools, health care and clean water for thousands of Afghans.
They said the improving conditions would be impossible without troops ensuring a secure environment for aid workers and local residents.
"The military needs to be there," said Harold Albrecht, a conservative member of Parliament. "The military provides the civil order we would expect from police here."
The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February. It has claimed the lives of 80 soldiers and a diplomat, according to The Associated Press.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has endorsed a panel's recommendation to keep troops in place only if another NATO nation dispatches additional troops to Kandahar.
Canada wants a minimum of 1,000 reinforcements, The Globe and Mail reported.
Thursday's motion, passed with a 198-77 vote, brought Harper's Conservative party and the opposition Liberals together on the issue.
Other parties, however, noted that the cost of maintaining a troop presence in Afghanistan has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public.
"We must provide clarity to the Canadian people," said Nathan Cullen of the New Democratic Party. "We believe it to be wrong for our country." E-mail to a friend
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808ec36d32c241e3a0c54da370ea3b7b
|
What year are troops supposed to stay until?
|
[
"2011,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The search continued Tuesday for as many as 67 people missing after a boat carrying about 200 Haitians capsized, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted this crowded boat last week and repatriated its occupants to Haiti.
The boat overturned Monday off Turks and Caicos, a British territory about 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.
Searchers aboard boats and aircraft have rescued 118 passengers and found 15 bodies, said Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, on Tuesday morning.
The Coast Guard described the boat's occupants as migrants from Haiti. The overcrowded vessel was believed to have set sail from the Haitian port of Cap Haitien, the Turks and Caicos Sun newspaper reported.
The search resumed at dawn Tuesday after being suspended because of darkness Monday night, Johnson said.
The Coast Guard is contributing one boat, the 210-foot cutter Valiant, and three aircraft to the search, Johnson said. The aircraft are a Falcon jet out of Miami, an HH-60 helicopter and a slow-flying C-130 cargo plane out of Clearwater, Florida. Watch Coast Guard rescue Haitians after boat capsizes »
"If the weather and conditions are right, [the C-130] can fly really low," Johnson said. "It makes a fantastic search aircraft."
Turks and Caicos authorities are using small boats in the search, she said.
About 70 people were plucked Monday from a reef near the island group, authorities said. Four other bodies were found, though it was unclear which authorities located them.
A nurse at Myrtle Rigby Hospital in the Turks and Caicos said that about 70 people were brought there, including four who had died.
Five people were admitted to the hospital, and the others had minor injuries, the nurse said.
The Coast Guard said it intercepted another "grossly overloaded" boat, with 124 Haitians aboard, late last week in the same region. Those migrants were returned to Cap Haitien on Monday.
Overloaded vessels can quickly lose stability and capsize, sending migrants into the water, a Coast Guard release said.
CNN's Jim Kavanagh and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report.
|
096d95478f1f4ff58b4d9244a50a1743
|
How many people are missing?
|
[
"as 67"
] |
NewsQA
|
PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award.
Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes.
His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award
The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign.
The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third.
"This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said.
"It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins."
At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively.
He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica.
He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final.
He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend
|
bbc7d7d045f5498aa6d047c5f8338581
|
What Brazilian players won European player of the year.
|
[
"Kaka"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- David Beckham believes the furore that followed his return to the LA Galaxy from his loan spell with AC Milan earlier this year has galvanized the team.
The Galaxy won the MLS Western Conference Championship with a 2-0 win at home to Houston Dynamo on Friday night, Beckham setting up Gregg Berhalter's 102nd-minute opener.
They will face Real Salt Lake, who upset the favored Chicago Fire 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the Eastern Conference title on Saturday to reach the MLS Cup final in Seattle next Sunday.
Beckham had been subjected to abuse by his own fans after missing the start of the MLS season when he was in Italy, while Galaxy captain Landon Donovan questioned his commitment to the LA franchise.
However, the England midfielder -- who missed Saturday's 1-0 friendly defeat by Brazil in Qatar to play for his club -- thinks the situation helped bring the team together.
"There's nothing wrong with a bit of controversy in a club, it brings players and teams together and it's done that," Beckham told ESPN in a post-match interview.
"I don't have to say anything about myself, I leave that down to other people to decide.
"I love playing soccer. I work hard for my teammates, myself, my manager, the fans and I hope that's enough for people."
Beckham joined the Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007 but they struggled to make an impact during the Englishman's time with the team until the arrival of former USA national team coach Bruce Arena.
Beckham, who returns to Milan in January as he bids to win a place in England's World Cup squad, believes this season's achievements have already gone some way for making up for the previous two seasons.
"We want to win next week but reaching it is the biggest thing," he told the UK Press Association.
"We've done that, done the hard work and this team deserves it."
|
b0b816c1ca7d4d7c9f514715728ce694
|
Which team won?
|
[
"LA Galaxy"
] |
NewsQA
|
Beijing, China (CNN) -- The death toll from an explosion at a northeastern China coal mine rose to 104 Monday morning, according to state-run media.
Another four workers were still trapped underground in the mine shaft as of 7:20 a.m. (6:20 p.m. ET Sunday), the Xinhua news agency said. A buildup of toxic gases was hampering rescue efforts, according to CCTV.
Sixty miners remained hospitalized Monday for injuries ranging from carbon monoxide poisoning to burns, CCTV reported. Of those, six had sustained severe burns that left them in critical condition.
About 530 miners were working in the mine when the blast occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday (1:30 p.m. ET Friday). The Heilongjiang Longmei's Xinxing mine is operated by the Hegang company.
A preliminary investigation indicates the blast was a gas explosion, Xinhua reported.
|
83d9504b0d5c4af28d46f194f1796495
|
What kind of workers were trapped?
|
[
"miners"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A key investor with convicted swindler Bernie Madoff drowned in his swimming pool Sunday afternoon, police said.
Jeffry Picower, 67, was found unconscious in his pool at his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Palm Beach police said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said they are investigating his death using "standard operating procedure in any drowning."
Picower invested with Madoff, who was convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme and defrauding thousands of investors. Madoff pleaded guilty in March to 11 counts, including fraud, money laundering and perjury, and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
Prosecutors have said it was the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single person, totaling billions in losses to investors.
Picower's Picower Foundation of Palm Beach announced it was shutting down early this year because of Madoff losses, CNN Money reported. Picower's 2007 tax return valued its portfolio at $955 million.
But there were also suggestions that Picower benefited from Madoff's swindle. Citing an unnamed source, Fortune magazine said in April that Frank DiPascali, the chief lieutenant in Madoff's secretive investment business, was "prepared to testify that he manipulated phony returns on behalf of some key Madoff investors," including Picower.
Picower also allegedly "extracted billions of dollars from Madoff's fund before it collapsed," according to Forbes magazine.
|
0b3375ca20104ca1a6cd0e63989fef36
|
What did the foundation announce?
|
[
"it was shutting down early this year because of Madoff losses,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities in Azerbaijan recently uncovered a radical Islamic terror plot against the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Baku, prompting the facility to close its doors to the public Monday, Azerbaijan and U.S. officials told CNN.
The Bibi Heybat Mosque, just outside the capital Baku.
As a precaution, Britain also shut its embassy in Baku to the public on Monday "following security concerns nearby," Britain's Foreign Office said.
The terror plot was unraveled after a weekend raid outside Baku that netted several suspected members of the radical group, two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified and a spokesman for Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry told CNN.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the details "are still unfolding," and the threat "may or may not be" linked to the Saturday raid.
"There were some specific and credible threat information concerning the embassy and plans by militants to in some way do harm to individuals in and around the U.S. Embassy there," McCormack said, noting that no specific individuals were targeted.
Several days ago, an Azerbaijani army officer who had connections to a radical Islamic group seized four assault rifles, a machine gun and 20 hand grenades from his military unit and hid them in the outskirts of Baku, the ministry spokesman and U.S. officials said.
Government security forces tracked down the group and arrested several members during a sweep on Saturday in the village of Mastaga, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Baku, the spokesman said.
One suspected member of the militant group resisted arrest and was killed in the sweep, the spokesman said. Several others are still at large, he added.
He said the terror plot also targeted Azerbaijani government buildings.
The U.S. Embassy in Baku issued a warden message warning Americans in Azerbaijan to take precautions.
"While there is no information at this time that other American or Western interests in Azerbaijan are being targeted, the U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security," it said.
Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic that borders the Caspian Sea, and lies just north of Iran.
McCormack said U.S. authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Baku and will determine when normal embassy operations will resume. He said he expects the embassy to limit its operations on Tuesday, as well. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Igor Malakhov in Moscow, Zain Verjee in Washington and Roger Clark in London contributed to this report
|
2a07cd58d72349559ebb6d33edb86d49
|
When will the embassy shut down?
|
[
"Monday,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations, the United Nations reported Tuesday.
People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, last week.
The worst hit have been Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana and Niger, said Yvon Edoumou, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. So far, 159 people have died, he said. Sierra Leone has also been hard hit, according to the U.N.
Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority, but powerful pumps are in short supply.
"Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters," he said.
The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases, but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or, worse, cholera.
The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims.
WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people, mainly in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital, schools, bridges and roads -- has been damaged.
The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years, WFP said.
Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP, but those rations were lost in the floodwaters, the U.N. reported.
"It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away, leaving them hungry and destitute," WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said.
Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger, the U.N. reported. In Agadez, Niger, a town about 458 miles (738 km) north of the capital, Niamey, close to 988 acres (400 hectares) of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away.
Herve Ludovic de Lys, head of OCHA in West Africa, said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty.
"The situation is very worrying," he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday.
The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September. In 2007, 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms.
This year, fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas.
Despite the misery, Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture. The harvest this year will be more bountiful, he said.
|
39d1c9f8c5e84a999ba416c66a410c57
|
How many does the U.N. say have died?
|
[
"159"
] |
NewsQA
|
Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides in Mexico increased Tuesday to 41, a government agency announced.
Most of the deaths -- 30 -- have occurred in eastern Michoacan state, on the central Pacific coast. The state attorney general's office released a list of the deceased Tuesday.
Another 12 people are missing after mudslides from two large hills, Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy said Tuesday.
The remaining 11 deaths resulted from a mudslide Saturday near the small town of Temascaltepec in neighboring Mexico state.
Interior Secretary Fernando Francisco Gomez Mont has declared a state of natural disaster for the Michoacan cities of Angangueo, Ocampo, Tiquicheo de Nicolas Romero, Tuxpan and Tuzantla. The declaration makes those cities eligible for money from the federal natural disaster fund.
The death toll in Michoacan had been 27 until three additional bodies were discovered Tuesday.
Godoy said officials are focusing on three tasks: searching for anyone who is alive, recovering bodies and removing boulders and downed trees. Officials are under pressure to act quickly, he said, because another cold front with more possible rain is expected within the next few days.
More than 3,500 Michoacan residents are homeless, the state government said on its Web site.
In addition to Michoacan and Mexico states, unusually heavy rain in the past week also flooded parts of Mexico City, the nation's capital.
Up to 37,000 people nationwide have been affected, government officials said.
On Sunday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon toured Valle de Chalco, another city in Mexico state on the eastern outskirts of the Mexico City metro area.
National Water Commission Director Jose Luis Luege said Tuesday that contaminated water from a sewage network there that overflowed Friday will continue to flood the town for at least another 48 hours. The break in the sewage pipe had been fixed, but it burst again.
Officials also built two dikes to contain the sewage but were unable to use them out of concern that they would burst under the intense pressure from the floodwaters, Luege said.
"It's a very complicated operation," he said.
More than 3,000 homes in Valle de Chalco were flooded.
Mexico state is bordered on the west by Michoacan and adjoins Mexico City on three sides -- north, east and west.
|
01902f6d77d44296a72ab24a7ef17bb7
|
Where was most of the deaths
|
[
"eastern Michoacan"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Reigning Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal was forced to retire hurt from his quarterfinal match against Andy Murray in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The Spaniard, who suffered injury trouble for much of last season, was 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 3-0 down to the 22-year-old Scot when he pulled out of the match after struggling with his right knee for much of the third set.
Murray spoke of his disappointment regarding the manner of his progression but was pleased with his standard of play.
"I've known Rafa since I was 13, he's my favorite player to watch so I was gutted for him," Murray told reporters after the game.
"I came through a few tough moments at the start of the match but I thought I found the right tactics to win, I played really well tonight.
"I had to go for my shots and when the big points come keep them short, as you don't want to play long points against Rafa."
Murray's victory sets-up a semifinal clash with Croatian Marin Cilic, who underlined his growing reputation by hitting 20 aces and 63 winners to consign seventh seed Andy Roddick to defeat.
A win that has Murray keenly anticipating his next challenge: "Nerves will be there about making my first Australian final but I lost to [Cilic] in straight sets at the U.S. Open so there is a bit of revenge to be had there."
Cilic, 21, toppled Roddick 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, after the American battled with a shoulder injury for a large part of the grueling five-set, four-hour marathon match.
Roddick hit back with 15 aces and 47 winners but Cilic, who took the scalp of U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the previous round, sealed his 10th win from 10 matches of 2010 to reach his first grand slam semifinal.
World number one Roger Federer faces Russian Nikolay Davydenko in tomorrow's other quarterfinal while Novak Djokovic of Serbia will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.
|
26017904e5d049e185b37f935a3e3ff0
|
whois rafeal nadal
|
[
"Australian Open champion"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The driver of a charter bus that overturned on a Minnesota freeway, killing two women, may have had a medical emergency, a spokesman for the State Patrol said Thursday.
"One factor being considered is whether the driver suffered a medical episode while behind the wheel," Patrol Capt. Matt Langer said.
The driver, 52-year-old Edwin Erickson of Elgin, was hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said. Langer said he had a valid driver's license.
The women who died, both from Minnesota, were identified Thursday as Rhonda Hill, 52, of Plainview and Pamela Holmquist, 56, of Kasson.
The accident happened Wednesday after the bus left a casino in Rochester, Minnesota, headed for Northwood, Iowa, Langer said.
Watch video of tour bus crash site
Erickson and 21 passengers were injured when the bus went out of control outside Austin, Minnesota, authorities said. They said two people were in critical condition, and one person was unhurt.
Andy Skoogman, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said the bus was eastbound on Interstate 90 when it veered across a median and westbound lanes before overturning and landing in a ditch on the side of the road. The wreck happened three miles west of Austin.
No other vehicles were involved.
Authorities said weather conditions didn't appear to be a factor in the accident.
|
ab9d6bc2e2b345ed93098ebf5a3dbf06
|
How many women get killed?
|
[
"two"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Swimming legend Michael Phelps struggled in his attempt to adapt to the old-style racing suits at the World Cup short-course event in Sweden on Tuesday.
The 14-time Olympic gold medal winner qualified for finals in only one of three events in Stockholm, his best result being seventh of eight to go through in the men's 100 meter medley.
Racing for the first time since winning five golds and a silver at the world championships in July, the American missed out on the 100m freestyle after qualifying in 16th of 23 competitors.
His time of 47.77 seconds was 1.84 seconds slower than the leading mark set by Sweden's Stefan Nystrand.
The 24-year-old, who was disqualified in the 100m backstroke, set a time of 53.13 seconds in the medley. The fastest man, South African Darian Townsend, came home in 52.48.
Phelps was one of the few swimmers to revert to the old-style suits, which will become mandatory after January 1 as world ruling body FINA seeks to rein in the high-tech costumes which have sent records tumbling at an incredible rate in the past two years.
He will swim in the 100m butterfly and 200m medley heats on Wednesday, and then head to the next leg of the World Cup in Berlin at the weekend.
In Stockholm on Tuesday, Chinese swimmer Jing Zhao set a new world record in the heats of the women's 50m backstroke, clocking 26.08 seconds.
She beat the mark of 26.17 posted by Australia's Marieke Guehrer in the previous meet of the series in Moscow on November 6.
In the men's 50m butterfly, South Africa's Roland Schoeman was first in a new World Cup record of 22.29.
|
bfe9c9321e184ae1865759cb3fcf4a11
|
Phelps had two more events on Wednesday before heading where?
|
[
"Berlin"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The trial of an Iraqi journalist charged with throwing his shoes at U.S. President George Bush has been postponed, Iraq's Council of Ministers and one of the journalist's lawyers said Tuesday.
Amman protesters support Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist held for throwing his shoes at President Bush.
Muntadhir Al-Zaidi was due to go on trial Wednesday, but the Criminal Court postponed it pending an appeal filed by his lawyers with the Federal Court of Appeal, a spokesman for the Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul Sattar Bayrakdar, said.
Dhiya al-Saadi, who leads Al-Zaidi's 25-member legal team, confirmed the postponement.
Al-Zaidi threw both of his shoes at Bush two weeks ago during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad.
Neither shoe hit the president, and others in the room quickly knocked Al-Zaidi to the ground before security officials arrested him.
Many Iraqis hail Al-Zaidi, who faces a prison term if convicted, as a hero. More than 1,000 lawyers have volunteered to defend him, al-Saadi said.
The lawyers' appeal asked the Federal Court to change Al-Zaidi's case from assaulting Bush to insulting him. If Al-Zaidi is convicted of the former, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, al-Saadi said.
The lawyers are trying to persuade the appeals court that Al-Zaidi did not want to harm Bush by throwing the shoes, but simply wanted to insult him. By tradition, throwing a shoe is the most insulting act in the Arab world.
Al-Saadi said he met with his client several days ago but was having difficulty meeting with him again. He did not give the reason he was not allowed to see Al-Zaidi but said many lawyers have trouble meeting with detainees in Iraqi or U.S. custody.
It will take at least two weeks for the court to set a new date for Al-Zaidi's trial, legal expert Tariz Harab said.
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
|
d323114c49e24bb7919b60f9afa727fd
|
Who faces jail if convicted?
|
[
"Muntadhir Al-Zaidi"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Disney stunt performer died Monday night after suffering an injury during a rehearsal, company and local officials said.
A performer was injured during rehearsal for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said the performer was injured while performing a tumbling roll for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney's Hollywood Studios, part of the Orlando, Florida, theme park.
It was the third fatal incident at the park in less than two months. Earlier this month, a performer was injured in a pirate show and later died. In July, two monorail trains collided, killing a driver.
"'We feel a sense of loss for these valued cast members," Suarez said. She said a review would be conducted on each incident. Performers receive extensive training, she said.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the performer in the latest incident as Anislav Varbanov, 30, and said he had been pronounced dead at a hospital. Watch a report on the incident »
Security personnel at Hollywood Studios called 911 Monday evening to say a cast member had suffered a head injury during the rehearsal, the sheriff's department said. No other details were given.
The sheriff's department said the incident is under investigation.
CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.
|
d755efc181394b4cb6af24982b634993
|
What happened during rehearsals for the Indiana Jones stunt show at Hollywood Studies?
|
[
"performer died"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The death toll from severe storms in northern Arkansas has been lowered to one person, emergency officials said early Saturday.
Officials had initially said three people were killed when the storm and possible tornadoes walloped Van Buren County on Friday.
The number of injuries in the county was also less than previously reported, said Rene Preslar, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
There were 10 people injured in the county instead of the 25 previously reported, Preslar said.
"We are still looking at a number of damages, but fortunately the human impact is lower than previously thought."
A total of 23 people were injured statewide, Preslar said.
CNN's Patty Lane contributed to this report.
|
f8e21a4f4e5c4d5a9cff7dc1154bc12d
|
Where was the person killed Friday?
|
[
"Arkansas"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Police say they believe they know who killed a 31-year-old Southern Illinois woman and her two young sons, but are waiting for prosecutors to build a strong forensic case against the suspect before disclosing his identity.
Chris and Sheri Coleman are shown with their two boys, Garret and Gavin.
"We don't have a warrant for his arrest at this time, so we don't feel it would be prudent to give his name out until the state's attorney determines whether or not there's enough to charge him," said Maj. Jeff Connor of the Major Case Squad.
Connor heads the squad that is part of the St. Louis, Missouri, homicide task force. He made the comments during an appearance on HLN's Nancy Grace.
Police found the bodies of Sheri Coleman and the children, Garret, 11, and Gavin, 9, in the bedrooms of their two-floor home in the St. Louis suburb of Columbia, Illinois, on the morning of May 7. Indications were they had been strangled.
The killings shocked the suburb of about 10,000 residents. The Monroe County, Illinois, state's attorney's office is awaiting forensic test results, more interviews, documents and reports, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Watch Nancy Grace on the case »
Connor said threatening messages were found on the walls inside the home, but he would not disclose the exact wording.
According to Connor, Christopher Coleman -- the boys' father and Sheri Coleman's husband -- left the house at 5:43 a.m., and drove to a gym to work out. "Shortly thereafter he started calling his house, realized that nobody was answering and on his way back at around 6:50 is when he made the phone call to the Columbia Police Department," Connor said.
Connor said Coleman told police he started calling his house shortly after leaving it because he "was making sure the kids were getting up for school."
|
e494758e802146f4a3de78d5103f127b
|
What did the police find inside the house?
|
[
"the bodies of Sheri Coleman and the children, Garret, 11, and Gavin, 9,"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Air India took two pilots and two cabin crew off-duty over allegations that they had a fist fight during an international flight with 106 passengers aboard, the state-run airline said Monday.
Faced with tough competition from private carriers, Air India has struggled with financial and image crises.
The scuffle allegedly took place on flight from the United Arab Emirates to New Delhi, while the plane flew over Pakistan.
An investigation had been launched into what Air India spokesman Jitender Bhargava called "charges and counter-charges."
In a police complaint made on landing Saturday, a 24-year-old flight attendant alleged a molestation attempt.
But pilots Ranbeer Arora and Aditya Chopra alleged that the molestation claim was an attempt to deflect attention from misbehavior by a male purser. Have you ever experienced poor crew behaviour on a flight?
"All the four have been de-rostered and an inquiry committee is examining versions of each of them," Bhargava said.
Faced with tough competition from private carriers, Air India has struggled with financial and image crises.
Rats have been spotted on two Air India international flights in less than a month, according to news reports.
An investigation in May revealed that the carrier had loaded a flight three passengers beyond capacity. Several employees were de-rostered as a result.
"Privatize Air India before it's too late," warned a column in the Hindustan Times newspaper Sunday.
"As long as the government runs Air India, it will continue to strangle it," columnist Vir Sanghvi wrote.
|
c0fa204a9ed841599957462bb8bde016
|
What air carrier has struggled with financial and image crises?
|
[
"India"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The attorney for a man whose wife's wrong-way accident killed eight people on New York's Taconic Parkway in July says he will ask authorities to exhume her body to prove she wasn't drinking at the time of the accident.
On CNN's "Larry King Live" Tuesday night, Daniel Schuler said his wife, Diane, was not an alcoholic.
Dominic Barbera, attorney for Daniel Schuler, told CNN's "Larry King Live" he believes Diane Schuler may have suffered stroke-like symptoms and that a fire after the accident could have turned blood sugar into alcohol.
"I read from the medical autopsy report that there was charring of the body because there was a fire," Barbera said. "And I found -- my doctors found numerous cases where you can actually have sugar in the blood turn into alcohol."
Barbera said Schuler may have had a Transient Ischemic Attack, which produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Watch why husband believes wife wasn't drunk »
The Westchester County medical examiner's office found that Schuler, 36, had a blood alcohol level of .19 percent -- more than twice the legal limit -- and had marijuana in her system when she drove a minivan the wrong way on the parkway and ran head-on into an SUV.
Three adults in the SUV were killed in the July 26 crash, as were Schuler and four children she was carrying in the minivan -- her daughter and three nieces. A fifth child, Schuler's son, survived.
A spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, Donna Green, said that the office stands "by the findings of the medical examiner's report."
But Daniel Schuler said he believed the report was wrong.
"I know the truth, what happened, with my wife," he said. "She is not an alcoholic and doesn't drink. She is an outstanding mother."
Barbera and Schuler said they wanted to have the body exhumed for further examinations to prove that the accident was not caused by a drunken driver.
Attorneys for the family of Daniel Luongo, 73, one of the victims in the SUV, rejected the Schuler family's contention.
"The scientific evidence indicates that Diane Schuler was intoxicated and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash," they said in a statement.
"Any claims denying her responsibility for this tragedy are wholly unsubstantiated, and the Luongo family finds these claims appalling, offensive and hurtful. They have lost a loved one to a senseless tragedy, and these claims do nothing but add insult to injury."
|
1ea1081aefff465aae78925af23f6e71
|
What is the attorney's claim in the Schuler case?
|
[
"may have suffered stroke-like symptoms and that a fire after the accident could have turned blood sugar into alcohol."
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Thirty-eight years ago, Joseph McGinty Nichol was a boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, playing with toy robots.
Many of the robots in "Terminator Salvation" are real machines, which increased realism, the cast says.
Today "McG," as he is better known, builds and blows up real robots.
The prominent filmmaker is the driving force behind one of the season's summer blockbusters, "Terminator Salvation," which is filled with very expensive and very explosive robots. The choice to use real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), was deliberate, McG said.
According to the director and the film's stars, the decision to use real machines was a testament to the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can "feel" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing.
It was also done in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar winner Stan Winston ("Jurassic Park," the other "Terminator" films), who passed away during filming last year. Watch the robots in action »
The director and three of his cast members -- Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anton Yelchin -- took a time out with CNN to explain why gravity and singed eyebrows both played a role in "Terminator Salvation."
Bryce Dallas Howard: That was something that was really important to McG ... when an audience member sees this film, that they can actually feel what's occurring.
I think that audiences are very savvy now. We can feel when something is CGI and that's no disrespect to CGI -- we couldn't do this movie without it -- but, whenever possible, in the tradition of Sam Winston, he wanted to build the robots. So a lot of what you see is real.
McG: And if you drop something, we've spent our whole lives watching physics in play, and if you say, just have the CGI do that, people can tell something's off, and it releases you from being involved in the picture. So, we built all the robots, we built all the sets, we blew them up for real, a great many of us lost our eyebrows!
Christian Bale: It was kind of comical at times because something that's meant to be so intimidating was actually surrounded by five guys with these kind of puppet rods I had to blank out or I would start laughing. But, the end result is something really formidable and you know, really iconic in movie history.
Anton Yelchin: Now I'm obsessed with the robots! I'm so [annoyed] that this guy or whoever it is that's in charge of it wouldn't let me have one!
|
7b41d7fd23c94fa2900409face8d2a79
|
What prompted the decision not to use CGI?
|
[
"the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can \"feel\" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing."
] |
NewsQA
|
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- Concerns were growing Wednesday for a polar bear born last month at a German zoo after its twin died and was possibly eaten by its mother.
One year ago Vera gave birth to Flocke, pictured here playing in her enclosure in April.
The young polar bear died Monday, less than two weeks after it was born, Nuremberg Zoo said.
The surviving twin was doing well, the zoo said, but added that it was concerned the mother may not be able to care for it properly.
Zookeepers watching a video feed from the bears' enclosure said they had noticed the baby bear looking thinner and weaker. They saw the bears' mother, Vera, nudging the dead bear with her nose and observing it -- and as of Wednesday, they said, the dead bear was nowhere to be seen.
"It is very, very sad," said zoo director Dag Encke. "it is unfortunately frequently the case that with twins, one of the animals doesn't survive."
Zookeepers had kept their distance from Vera and her babies, watching them only on camera so as not to make the mother feel threatened. Polar bears are known to eat their young if they sense any danger or interference.
"We have to worry more about the surviving young animal and take care that the polar bear with her baby is not disturbed," Encke said. "So far, Vera is caring for the surviving baby in an exemplary way."
One year ago Vera gave birth to Flocke, who became an instant celebrity across Germany. Flocke's first birthday is Thursday.
|
c443d3faf8814d7cbee864484c689f33
|
Which city is the zoo located in?
|
[
"Nuremberg"
] |
NewsQA
|
UNITY, New Hampshire (CNN) -- The day began with a kiss.
Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama leave Washington on Friday for a rally in New Hampshire.
Sen. Barack Obama, on the tarmac at Reagan Washington National Airport, reached out to shake Sen. Hillary Clinton's hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
It went on from there. Wearing a tie that matched her suit, he put his hand on her back, guiding the way up the plane steps.
They sat side-by-side for the flight up to Manchester, New Hampshire, chatting amiably. One overheard conversation was about the plane. Clinton had used it during the primary season.
They hopped on a souped-up bus for the 1½-hour ride to Unity, New Hampshire.
The honorary mayor of Unity introduced the pair, admitting that he was a Republican who voted for John McCain in the primary. He didn't seem so sure about the general election.
They walked onstage to the tune of "Beautiful Day."
Arms around each other's waists, they smiled and waved at the crowd.
Every camera angle had UNITY signs, big and little, in the backdrop.
She said she wants to help elect him president. He gave an ode to Hillary: "She rocks." Watch more from Unity »
One woman stood at the back, periodically yelling, "Hillary for VP!"
A few others, older women, stubbornly held up tattered Hillary For President placards.
But the vast majority cheered her, "Thank you, Hillary!" and him, "Yes, we can!"
They held new signs for the new times: "UNITY FOR CHANGE."
As the dynamic duo glowed onstage, a Clinton staffer circulated through the press corps with word that Hillary and Bill Clinton had gone online to give the maximum contribution allowed by law to the Obama for President campaign.
It was the picture-perfect day of togetherness that Barack Obama had wanted.
It was not entirely believable, but politics is the art of pragmatism.
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238b64dc00fd4dfca0551492d9e86906
|
where clinton and obama hold a unity rally in?
|
[
"New Hampshire."
] |
NewsQA
|
(PEOPLE.com) -- And baby makes three!
"Bones" star Emily Deschanel and her husband, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"'s David Hornsby, welcomed their first child Wednesday, a baby boy named Henry Hornsby, Deschanel's rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.
Deschanel, 34, and Hornsby were married in 2010. The actress maintained a vegan diet throughout her pregnancy.
The new mom's "Bones" co-star TJ Thyne took to Twitter to share the happy news. "CONGRATULATIONS EMILY D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he Tweeted Wednesday. "Yay yay yay!!! :o)"
But he's surely not the only one celebrating Henry's arrival.
In April, shortly after her sister Emily announced her pregnancy, Zooey Deschanel could hardly contain her excitement, Tweeting: "I am super excited to be an aunt!"
See the full article at PEOPLE.com.
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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f8f567454d6f405da3fd03a91b8a1539
|
What is the baby called?
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[
"Henry Hornsby,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- What can 40 goats and 20 cows buy a Kenyan man? Chelsea Clinton's love, if you ask Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor.
Hillary Clinton says she would let her daughter Chelsea know about a Kenyan man's unique marriage offer.
The Kenyan man first offered the dowry nine years ago to then-President Bill Clinton in asking for the hand of his only child. He renewed it Thursday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about the proposal at a Nairobi town hall session.
CNN's Fareed Zakaria, the session's moderator, commented that given the economic crisis at hand, Chepkurgor's dowry was "not a bad offer."
However, Clinton said her daughter was her own person.
"She's very independent," she said. "So I will convey this very kind offer." Watch Clinton's response to dowry offer »
The audience laughed, but Clinton's comments were no joke to Chepkurgor, who described the younger Clinton as a "beautiful, disciplined and well-natured woman."
"Of course I have never met her, but I like her family and how they stick together," Chepkurgor told CNN. "I've waited for a long time. I'm still waiting to meet her and express my love for her."
Chepkurgor operates a small electronics and computer shop in Nakuru, a major city northwest of Nairobi. He may still be waiting for Chelsea, but he's not exactly single. He married his wife Grace, a college classmate, in 2006.
"My wife has no problem with this," he insisted. "She listened to the answers given by Hillary and did not complain."
Polygamy is legal in Kenya, so Chelsea would be Chepkurgor's second wife.
"Is that allowed in your side of the world?" he laughed.
In Kenya, a man proposes with dowry for the prospective bride, Chepkurgor explained. He said he stands by his initial livestock offer until someone makes a counteroffer.
Chepkurgor, now 39, first made his intentions known when all three Clintons visited East Africa in 2000. He wrote a letter to the former president, offering himself as his only child's suitor. He said he had not expected the secretary of state to address the issue during her visit to Kenya this week.
However, he admits his chances might be rather slim.
"Unfortunately, I don't have their contact information," he said.
"I just want to convey my message of goodwill to the Clintons," he said. "And to all of America."
|
e0814e9598804fb8b4c01eae1329a1a0
|
What did a Kenyan man offer for Chelsea Clinton's hand in marriage?
|
[
"40 goats and 20 cows"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The small Baltic nation of Estonia is ending its nearly six-year military operation in Iraq by not replacing its platoon of 34 troops.
Estonian soldiers on patrol near Baghdad in 2004.
Estonia's Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said the country will not deploy its next infantry platoon to Iraq, according to a statement from the ministry.
Platoon ESTPLA-18 was ready to replace the previous 34-man platoon which returned to Estonia from Iraq in late December, The Baltic Times reported.
The Estonian defense ministry announced Thursday it had failed to reach an agreement with Iraq's government about the troops' legal status.
Aaviksoo said the absence of a legal agreement "specifying the legal status of our soldiers" was one of three reasons Estonia ended its military operation in Iraq.
He said the other two reasons were the improving security situation in Iraq and the Iraqi government's desire to "continue bilateral cooperation in forms other than battle units."
A bilateral agreement spelling out future defense-related cooperation between Iraq and Estonia is still being hammered out, Aaviksoo said.
Estonia will continue to participate in a NATO-led training mission in Iraq, with three staff officers, he said.
The Estonian defense ministry said Aaviksoo will soon visit Iraq to formally terminate the Estonian Defense Forces' operation and discuss future defense-related cooperation with his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Al-Qadir Jassam.
In late December, Iraq's Presidency Council approved a resolution allowing non-U.S. troops to remain in the country after a U.N. mandate expired at the end of 2008. The resolution authorized Iraq to negotiate bilateral agreements with the countries, including Estonia.
If that resolution had not been approved by the end of the year, those countries would have been in Iraq illegally.
The United States concluded a separate agreement in November with the Iraqi government authorizing the continued presence of its troops.
U.S. combat forces plan to pull back from population centers in Iraq by July 2009 and to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.
The British government says its forces will complete their mission of training Iraqi troops by May 31, 2009, and withdraw from the country by July 31, 2009. Britain has 4,100 troops in Iraq, the second-largest contingent after the United States with 142,500.
Australian troops also plan to be out of the country by the end of July.
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69e459ec5ec842d88b0c23c0b5c3f8e8
|
Who expects their troop to be out by the end of July?
|
[
"The British government"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The British are coming, the British are coming -- to Brooklyn? By subway?
Barclays has paid $300 million for the naming rights to the New Jersey Nets arena.
New York's struggling Metropolitan Transportation Authority has sold the naming rights to the second-busiest subway stop in Brooklyn. The Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street Station will now have the name of a British bank, Barclays, added to it.
Several subway riders are outraged that Barclays has purchased the naming rights to this subway stop, which sees about 10 million people go through it each day.
One straphanger said, "A London Bank shouldn't be the name of this train station; it's something that belongs to the public domain."
Another said, "It's just everywhere we go, everything we do, it's just branding, branding, branding. It's America now."
Renaming the Atlantic-Pacific Station is tied to the construction of Barclays Center, the new sports arena for the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets.
Barclays is paying developer Forest City Ratner $300 million for naming rights to this arena. Ratner, in a separate deal, will be paying the Metropolitan Transportation Authority $200,000 a year for the next 20 years to rename this commuter hub.
Authority Press Secretary Jeremy Soffin said, "Like transit systems all over the U.S. and around the world, we are facing budget deficits."
In an effort to bridge the authority's $1 billion deficit, the transit giant that oversees the operation of the city's subways, buses and rail lines wants to follow the Barclays example with stations throughout the system.
Though the Atlantic-Pacific subway station is the first in New York for which naming rights have been sold, across the country, there have been several cases of public transportation systems using naming rights to increase revenue.
In 2003, the Las Vegas monorail system signed a 12-year, $50 million deal with Nextel to put its name on the station in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Cleveland Bus System sold station names to two hospitals for $1.1 million a year.
Internationally, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has been selling the naming rights of 23 metro stations.
However, not all naming rights deals are successful. In 2001, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority tried to raise $22 million by auctioning the naming rights to four historic "T" stations. It received no bids.
Reassuring the public that there are certain lines they won't cross when it comes to renaming stations of historical value, Soffin said, "It's a very clear line there, and we want to be as open as possible, but we're not sort of selling the shop here."
|
8cc03c8cb9a5470ab287689146950434
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Which is the second busiest station in Brooklyn?
|
[
"Atlantic Avenue-Pacific"
] |
NewsQA
|
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suspected U.S. missile struck a village Wednesday in Pakistan's tribal region, killing three Taliban militants and wounding four others, according to local officials and media reports.
People inspect the damage from a suspected U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan last month.
The strike is the 12th missile attack this year, compared with three attacks during the same period in 2008.
The missile -- fired from an unmanned drone -- was targeting a pickup truck carrying suspected militants near the town of Wana in South Waziristan in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, according to Nasim Dawar, an official with the South Waziristan administration.
Witnesses and intelligence sources said the drone was flying low and the militants fired at it before the missile strike, Dawar said. Two nearby shops were destroyed in the missile attack, he said.
The U.S. military in Afghanistan routinely offers no comment on reported cross-border strikes. However, the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones, which are controlled remotely.
Journalists Janullah Hashimzada and Nazar Ul-Islam contributed to this report.
|
6ba29bd392894ed1baf68f6ab3ddaf78
|
How many strikes did the US Military execute this year?
|
[
"12th"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper was suspended Wednesday for five days without pay following a highly publicized scuffle with a paramedic in Okfuskee County in May, according to the Highway Patrol.
This is an image from a video that captured an Oklahoma trooper's scuffle with a paramedic in May.
The incident, which was caught on dash-camera and cell-phone video, showed Trooper Daniel Martin pulling over a Creek Nation ambulance for a traffic-stop violation. During the incident, Martin is heard repeatedly using profanity and twice getting into a scuffle with one of the paramedics.
Both paramedics and family members of the patient in the ambulance informed Martin several times by there was a patient inside, but he did not allow the paramedics to continue to the hospital while the video continued.
In a news conference Wednesday, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Chris West said Martin "failed to recognize that it would have been more reasonable and appropriate to immediately allow the ambulance to continue to the hospital once he understood there was a patient onboard the ambulance." Watch the confrontation »
West also said Martin had "probable cause to make the traffic stop and justification to arrest the paramedic for obstructing a police officer" but that the incident "resulted in conduct unbecoming an officer."
Martin's attorney, Gary James of Oklahoma City, did not immediately return a phone call from CNN.
In a disciplinary letter sent to Martin, Oklahoma Public Safety Department Commissioner Kevin Ward, concluded that the "disregard for the welfare of the patient [justified] severe discipline."
Martin will also be required to take an anger assessment, West said. The trooper had no previous discipline action in his record, according to West.
On Tuesday, the paramedic involved in the scuffle, Maurice White, filed a lawsuit against Martin in federal court claiming his civil rights were violated.
CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report.
|
a647a8b9fcbd4c07899cf481f1a1283f
|
Who was heard using profanity?
|
[
"Martin"
] |
NewsQA
|
(Sunset) -- The old warehouses of Portland's Pearl District are home to increasingly cool cultural diversions. Spend a weekend browsing the neighborhood's art galleries, snack on a pumpkin-pie cupcake and enjoy dinner and a show.
The Gerding Theater at the Armory has been transformed after its $36 million eco-renovation.
Take it home
If prices in the Pearl's posh galleries put a damper on your holiday gift giving, head to the Pacific Northwest College of Art for its annual student-art sale. Future famous artists sell surprisingly sophisticated gifts reflecting their fields of study: one-of-a-kind monotypes and screen-printed cards, jewelry with semiprecious stones, gorgeous oil paintings and thought-provoking metal sculptures.
Catch a show
The once-vacant, castlelike Gerding Theater at the Armory has been transformed after its $36 million eco-renovation. For people-watching, sip wine in the loft overlooking the lobby, then settle in for Portland Center Stage's one-man play "R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe." Sunset.com: Life in the Pearl
One-stop gallery hop
Who cares if it's raining when you have the DeSoto Building/Museum of Contemporary Craft -- four fine art galleries and an innovative museum under one roof? Hit the museum's Holiday Shoppe (December 3-January 4) for funky felt rings and handcrafted ornaments.
Great Pearl eats
Wild rice-smoked duck breast is steps from the Gerding Theater at Ten 01. Or try Isabel; we like the brown rice and tofu bowl with peanut sauce. Then there's 50 Plates, a casual bistro serving all-American classics. Sunset.com: Green in Portland
A twist on pumpkin pie
Warm up for T-Day with a luscious pumpkin pie cupcake filled with pumpkin cream at Cupcake Jones, a grab-and-go bakery. (Then place your order for Thanksgiving dessert.)
WANT MORE ENTERTAINMENT? (Portland's got it)
For budding theater buffs
Kids will eat up the juicy Oregon Children's Theatre production of Roald Dahl's classic "James and the Giant Peach," while you'll get a kick out of the high-flying special effects and dry humor.
For small-stage premieres
See classics and local playwrights' works on one of Artists Repertory Theatre's two intimate stages. Get some comic relief during the hectic holidays with Marc Acito and C.S. Witcomb's "Holidazed," a humorous look at modern families coping with old-fashioned Christmas traditions.
For indie-film fans
The Northwest Film Center presents themed series, retrospectives and annual film festivals. The Portland International Film Festival, held in February, features nearly 100 films from more than 30 countries.
Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com
|
6723c66cdf9340949d97dcd1970fa5ef
|
Where is the annual student art sale held?
|
[
"Pacific Northwest College of"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- A woman's body was found in a river in Wales, police said Tuesday, the second death from severe flooding that has hit England and Wales since late last week.
The body of the woman, who was not named, was found in the River Usk near the village of Talybont, in mid Wales close to the coast, Brecon police said. Search teams had been looking for her since Sunday.
Talybont is about 250 miles south of Cockermouth, England, which has experienced some of the worst flooding seen in decades.
Friday, parts of Cockermouth were under several feet of water after heavy rainfall the night before. The town sits at the intersection of two rivers, the Cocker and the Derwent, both of which burst their banks and raged through the town.
By Tuesday, the flood waters had receded and the clean-up and damage assessment was well under way. But rain was still falling over the entire region, raising fears of further flooding in some areas.
Britain's Environment Agency said river levels across the county of Cumbria remained high but are unlikely to rise to levels seen last week.
Twenty road bridges in Cumbria were closed Tuesday, including seven that collapsed in the floods, Cumbria County Council spokesman Gareth Cosslett told CNN. Also shut were eight footbridges, which are an essential means of connecting residents in riverside towns.
In Workington, where Cumbria Police Constable Bill Barker died in the floods last week, the two sides of the town are cut off from each other because all bridges were either washed away or closed for safety reasons.
"We're hoping to get a temporary road bridge installed in Workington," Cosslett said, describing it as the council's first priority. "We haven't yet confirmed what we're going to do or when that's going to happen, but in all likelihood we're looking at a single-lane temporary bridge with traffic lights on either side."
Cosslett had no estimate on when the bridge could be complete, but he said such a project may take more than a month.
The worst weather Tuesday was in Cumbria, where the Met Office, the UK's weather service, predicted heavy and persistent rain and accumulations of 1.2 to 2.4 inches (30 to 60 millimeters).
Rain and strong gusts were also forecast for Wales on Tuesday, the Met Office said.
The rain was expected to move through the region by Wednesday, but more was set to return by Thursday, according to Met Office forecasts.
Sixty-eight flood watches and warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, the Environment Agency said.
|
30da5b75177e477ab2f1ff42fc750007
|
where was the body found
|
[
"in a river in Wales,"
] |
NewsQA
|
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Thousands of people celebrated Friday on crowded Copacabana beach as the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host played live over huge screens erected above the sand.
Thousands packed Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro after the city learned it will host the Olympics.
"It was a fantastic victory. We beat the big cities. Passion talked louder," said one man as he danced to live samba music in front of the stage.
Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to become the first South American city to host the Games, something President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva made clear during his pitch to the International Olympic Committee.
"It is a time to address this imbalance," he told committee members making the selection in Copenhagen, Denmark. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch after it was voted the happiest city in the world by Forbes magazine.
On Friday, thousands of people piled onto the beach wearing green and yellow, many with the Brazilian flag painted on their faces. Exuberant Rio de Janeiro is first South American city to host Olympics »
"I thought that more than to the people, we owe this victory to our President Lula," said a woman wearing little more than a bikini.
Rio also won points with an ambitious budget and new venues like the Joao Havelange Stadium, which opened for the 2007 Pan American Games.
Rio's jaw-dropping natural beauty helped the city pull ahead of the competition.
"Rio is full of all things quintessentially Brazilian: sun, sand, soccer, samba, sensuality," the editorial director of Fodor's Travel, Laura Kidder, wrote in an e-mail. "In Rio, it's about taking each day as it comes and living life to the fullest."
Erik Torkells, editor for TripAdvisor, the world's largest online travel community, also praised the city for its social scene before the selection was made.
"If the Olympic Committee wanted to be sure everyone had a good time, they'd go to Rio," Torkells said.
The selection also had its critics in Brazil.
"I don't think it's appropriate considering what our country is going through," said Orlando Pinto, a social worker. "We don't have good health services, education; we have transportation problems, housing problems, crime problems."
Security and traffic remain enormous challenges to overcome in Rio de Janeiro.
But it was all celebration on Friday as crowds continued to stream onto the beach after the announcement was made.
|
1f2e4f872823457aaf6b85768eeea30f
|
who is the president
|
[
"Luis Inacio Lula da Silva"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Conjoined Egyptian twin boys Hassan and Mahmoud, who were successfully separated in Saudi Arabia Saturday, are recovering and are expected to lead normal lives, officials said.
Conjoined twins Hassan, left, and Mahmud rest the day before separation surgery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"The twins' vital signs are good; they're doing excellent," said Sami Al-Shalan, spokesman for the King Abdulaziz Medical City facility in Riyadh where the surgery took place. "The twins still have about 24 hours before a progress report can be issued. The anesthesia consultants are happy with the progress of the children."
The boys are less than a year old and were brought to the kingdom on February 10. The delicate surgery took a little more than 15 hours.
"The twins' parents have visited them in the [pediatric intensive care unit], but they can't stay there long. They come and go," Al-Shalan said.
Separating the boys' urinary system was a major challenge, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the Saudi minister of health, told CNN. So was separating the siblings' local veins and arteries, he said.
"We had to identify the arteries and the blood veins between each baby," Al-Rabeeah said. Watch Al-Rabeeah explain the operation »
The procedure was the 21st of its kind to be performed in the kingdom.
The surgeries are performed free as part of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's philanthropic initiative.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.
|
069e1b6806bc40ff9bdca184700da7d1
|
Who declared the surgery successful?
|
[
"Sami Al-Shalan,"
] |
NewsQA
|
New York (CNN) -- Investigators suspect arson in a fire that killed five Guatemalan immigrants in Brooklyn, they said Monday.
"People are all concerned and very sad," said Maria Luz de Zyriek, the Guatemalan consul in New York. "This is a horrible tragedy."
Authorities continue to investigate and have not formally determined a cause, the Fire Department of New York said. The blaze damaged a restaurant and apartments in a three-story building in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman, has said.
Luisa Chan, a mother of two, died in the blaze, said Mario Alvarado, a member of Jovenes Cristianos -- Christian Youth, a church with about 200 members, most of them Guatemalan immigrants, on 17th Avenue in Brooklyn.
Chan usually attended services on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Alvarado said. The congregation mourned her on Sunday.
"The service was so quiet," he said.
Are you there? Share your story
Investigators have not publicly identified the victims, but the Guatemalan consul said they were all from the western part of the country. Two were from the state of Totonicapan and three were from the state of Quetzaltenango, she said.
After the fire broke out, Chan managed to get her 2-year-old son to safety, apparently by handing him to someone on the floor below, and threw her 2-month-old daughter toward a passerby, said Alvarado, who said he received that account from someone close to the family.
"Thank God they're safe," he said.
A 2-month-old baby was in critical condition, fire officials said, but the child was not immediately identified; three other people sustained injuries ranging from serious to minor.
Thirteen firefighters sustained minor injuries.
The fire started about 2:30 a.m. Saturday behind a door in one of the apartment units, Dwyer said.
"If somebody starts a fire there intentionally, that would certainly be looking to kill somebody, because there's no way for them to get out," Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said.
At Chan's church, members in mourning were waiting Monday for more information from authorities, Alvarado said. They also were getting ready for a memorial service and trying to comfort Chan's husband, who survived the fire, the consul said.
"The husband and wife belonged to that church. Everybody there knew them," said Luz, who went to the church during the weekend.
"Everybody there was so sad. Everybody was crying and praying for the husband," she said. "He's going to have to raise those two little kids now by himself."
CNN's Miguel Susana contributed to this report.
|
bd5912dc1ed940bc914369cc2e456466
|
how many firefighters and residents where injured?
|
[
"Thirteen"
] |
NewsQA
|
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- An evacuation order was lifted Wednesday morning for more than 500 California homes on hillsides vulnerable to mudslides, authorities said.
With the sun shining over much of Los Angeles, officials told people who live in the foothill areas of La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and Acton that they could return to their homes at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET).
Officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for those residents Tuesday morning as a precaution when heavy rains were predicted.
The dangerous mudslides did not develop, but this area was especially hit hard after a downpour Saturday unleashed a river of mud that damaged dozens of homes.
Several of the homes were declared uninhabitable.
A massive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest last summer burned hillsides where these homes are located.
|
224e485b44d24f3f89134b98032a7e11
|
What has damaged dozens of homes?
|
[
"mudslides,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Delaware pediatrician was indicted Wednesday on 58 additional counts of rape and other sexual offenses in the alleged child abuse of his patients, state Attorney General Beau Biden announced Monday.
Dr. Earl Bradley, 56, previously pleaded not guilty to 471 felony counts involving 102 girls and one boy.
Wednesday's indictment -- which includes charges of rape, unlawful sexual contact, continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation -- involves 24 girls he saw as patients from 1999 to 2009.
Biden has said the charges are based on "video and digital evidence" seized from Bradley's home and medical practice in December, when the doctor was arrested.
Bradley, whose practice was in Lewes, Delaware, also has medical licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. Authorities have said they have contacted officials in those states.
In a February 24 interview with CNN, Bradley's attorney said he would base his client's defense on mental health.
"Most of the evidence in this case comes from videotapes -- it's kind of hard to argue with videotapes," Eugene Maurer Jr. said. He added, "The issue in this case is going to come down to his mental health at the time."
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881f7505c5224efabe39bad8c00ab2ab
|
what did he do to the girls
|
[
"rape, unlawful sexual contact, continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation"
] |
NewsQA
|
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- More than 2,500 Nigerians caught in the fighting between Islamic militants and government forces have fled their homes in the northern part of the country, a Red Cross spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Mothers and their children take refuge this week at a police office in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri.
More than 400 people have been killed, and 150 bodies were lying in the general hospital at Maiduguri, according to Aliyu Maikanu, a Red Cross disaster officer in the northeast.
Most of the violence has been on the outskirts of the city, officials said.
"It's a terrible situation for me. It's a very serious battle -- something I have not seen in my life," Maikanu said.
She said only security personnel were free to move around due to the risks.
Up to 1,000 militants are holed up at their base of operations in Maiduguri, and police have cordoned off the area, she said.
National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said Wednesday that police were able to free 187 women and children whom they claim were being held in the compound of the Islamic militants' leader, Mohammed Yusuf.
Under the sect's strict form of sharia law, the group that was released was shielded from public view, Ojukwu said.
He said 100 arrests have been made across the north.
Shehu Sani, president of the Civil Rights Congress, a human rights organization based in northern Nigeria, said people were seeking refuge in police and military barracks and in hospitals.
The militants disagree with the government's teaching of Islam in the region, maintaining that the government allows itself to be influenced by Western values.
They have been targeting high-profile government institutions, police and Islamic clergy, Ojukwu said.
The operation to defeat the militants is ongoing, he said, and police have been deployed in all northeast and northwestern states.
There is a history of religious violence in central Nigeria, where majority-Muslim North Africa meets largely Christian sub-Saharan Africa.
Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 1,000 people were killed there in riots in 2001.
Last week the human rights organization alleged that police and soldiers killed at least 133 people during two days of riots last year between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. Most of the victims were young Muslim men, often unarmed, the group said in testimony before a state commission.
CNN's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report.
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1e7b4dbaf5bb42e7b47145098e6bea2a
|
How many people were killed in Nigerian violence?
|
[
"More than 400"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The New Zealand All Blacks secured a narrow 14-10 victory over France in Wellington on Saturday to square their rugby Test series at 1-1, but France still secured the Dave Gallaher Cup for the first time since it was introduced in 2000 by virtue of their five-point victory in Dunedin last week.
Ma'a Nonu goes over for New Zealand's only try in their narrow victory over France in Wellington.
Having been out-muscled and out-played 27-22 in the opening Test, the New Zealanders played with far greater intensity, physicality and urgency at a cold, wet and windy Westpac Stadium.
A Ma'a Nonu try midway through the first half opened the scoring for the host nation before Stephen Donald slotted home a penalty for an 8-0 advantage at the break.
The French reply was swift after the restart, with wing Cedric Heymans crossing the line with a superb solo effort and then Julien Dupuy's conversion getting them back into the game.
But another Donald penalty and one from substitute Luke McAlister edged the All Blacks further ahead before a late three-pointer from Dimitri Yachvili kept things interesting.
Meanwhile, a much-changed Australia side comfortably accounted for Italy 34-12 in Melbourne on Saturday.
Man-of-the-match Adam Ashley-Cooper, who started on the bench, finished with two tries, one in each half, after coming on initially when Peter Hynes was blood-binned, then as a replacement for James O'Connor at full-back.
Three first-half tries gave the Wallabies a 20-6 lead at the break and that was a fair reflection of the difference between the teams, but the hosts were held at bay for much of the second half before late tries by Lachie Turner and Ashley-Cooper.
Australian-born full-back Luke McLean landed four penalties for Italy for whom fellow-Aussie Craig Gower was effective and creative in his second start at fly-half.
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07f92b601c3e4f31b12c570691a50297
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which was the final score of the game?
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[
"14-10"
] |
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(CNN) -- Actor Gary Coleman, who had suffered from intracranial brain bleeding and was on life support in the intensive care unit of a Utah hospital, has died, a hospital spokeswoman said Friday.
Family members and close friends were at his side when life support was terminated, Janet Frank said.
Coleman, 42, fell ill at his Santaquin, Utah, home Wednesday evening and was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, the spokesman said in a statement released Friday.
He was then taken to another hospital -- Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo -- later Wednesday night, the spokesman said.
Coleman one of TV's brightest stars in '70s and '80s
The former child actor was "conscious and lucid" Thursday morning, but he "was slipping in and out of consciousness and his condition worsened," the spokesman said.
Coleman became unconscious and was placed on life support Thursday afternoon, the statement, which was released by the hospital, said.
Coleman is best known as the wisecracking youngster Arnold Drummond on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes" from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
"In recent years Gary Coleman has had difficulties, not only with health issues, but also with his personal and public life," his spokesman's statement said. "At times, it may not have been apparent, but he always has had fond memories of being an entertainer and appreciates his fans for all their support over the years. At this critical moment, we can only ask for your thoughts and prayers for Gary to make a speedy and full recovery."
CNN's Brittany Kaplan and Jack Hannah contributed to this report.
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bd5c4c7f05f84478b1c90ba41b04e6d0
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When did Coleman become unconscious?
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"Thursday afternoon,"
] |
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- The deafening roar of drums and horns rose as thousands of people took to the streets in Sri Lanka Friday for a victory parade marking the end of the decades-long civil war.
Sri Lankan youth celebrate on the street in Colombo on May 20, 2009.
Enthusiastic revelers danced in the street, carried yellow and red flags and some even carried hand-crafted puppets depicting the dead body of the leader of the rebel Tamil Tigers. Watch the victory parade »
Sri Lanka's government declared victory Tuesday in the country's 25-year civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels. The announcement brought celebrations to some parts of the country.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had been killed and local media released footage of the fallen leader's body.
But while thousands partied Friday, humanitarian organizations worried about the estimated 250,000 refugees the war created in northeast Sri Lanka. Many have had their homes destroyed are struggling for food, clean water, emergency health kits, cooking pots and school supplies, relief agencies say. Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka »
A U.N. spokesman has said the country's government has not adequately helped refugees and has started to restrict U.N. relief agencies from providing aid. Watch Sri Lanka dispell allegations »
"The process of national reconciliation we feel must be all inclusive so that in can fully address the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil as well as other minorities. It is important that the victory becomes a victory for all Sri Lankans," said Vijay Nambiar, a U.N. special envoy.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit the area this week.
CNN's Sara Sidner contributed to this story.
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f233748200bd4a2ca1ad2c2f066202fe
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What has the U.N. accused the government of?
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[
"not adequately helped refugees and"
] |
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Tibetan exile leaders, meeting in northern India to debate a potential new approach to Tibet's decades-long struggle for autonomy, have voted to stay with the Dalai Lama's current "middle way approach," according to a spokesman for the spiritual leader.
Some have sought Tibet's independence from China, but the Dalai Lama has sought autonomy.
"The majority of the people have spoken and have requested his holiness the Dalai Lama to continue with his middle way approach," said spokesman Tenzin Taklha.
The meeting was called after the Dalai Lama acknowledged he had failed in his efforts to convince China to restore the territory's autonomy. He did not attend the week-long conference in Dharamsala, a town in the hills of north India where he lives in exile. He called the meeting, he said, to offer the exiles an opportunity to discuss "the best possible future course of action" for Tibet.
Takhla said the Tibetans demonstrated that the Dalai Lama was their undisputed leader, and they hoped China would recognize him as such and negotiations toward a realistic solution could be held.
There was a small minority who said they wanted to demand Tibet's independence, Takhla said.
The "middle way" approach with Beijing is one in which Tibetans want a level of autonomy that will allow them to protect and preserve their culture, religion and national identity. In exchange, China could continue to claim Tibet as part of its territory.
Some in Tibet have advocated independence from China, but the Dalai Lama has long called for genuine autonomy.
Tibet is technically autonomous from the central Chinese government, but the Dalai Lama and others have said they favor real autonomy and resent the slow erosion of their culture amid an influx of Han Chinese, the largest ethnic group in China. Learn about Tibet's history of conflict »
The resentment spilled over in March, when Buddhist monks initiated peaceful anti-Chinese protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The demonstrations began March 14, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Beijing's rule that sent the Dalai Lama into exile.
The protests soon turned violent, with demonstrators burning vehicles and shops. Some protesters advocated independence from China, while others demonstrated against the growing influence of the Han Chinese in Tibet and other regions of China with ethnic Tibetan populations. The subsequent crackdown left 18 civilians and one police officer dead, according to the Chinese government. Tibet's self-proclaimed government-in-exile put the death toll from the protests at 140.
China blamed the Dalai Lama and his followers for the March riots -- a charge he has consistently denied.
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4cca9e9d15aa4feab21d519848afc861
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What does the Dalai Lama seek?
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"autonomy."
] |
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PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award.
Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes.
His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award
The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign.
The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third.
"This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said.
"It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins."
At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively.
He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica.
He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final.
He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend
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c7c73275ca43467daf69b0721c321900
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Who was able to beat Cristiano Ronaldo as player of the year?
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"AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka"
] |
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(CNN) -- The list of relatives Widline Germain has not heard from since Haiti's earthquake seems like a town population in itself.
"When you count our extended family -- the dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles -- there's several hundred of us in Haiti, and we don't know where most of them are," she said from her home in Binghamton, New York.
On January 11, the day before the magnitude-7.0 earthquake hit, the 25-year-old who recently graduated from SUNY Cortland returned to New York from an extended New Year's holiday in Haiti.
Drawing attention to a photo of the Haitian presidential palace lit up with Christmas lights, a tree decorated on its grounds, she said, "It's like I'm stuck in a horrible dream. The bed I was sleeping in the day before the earthquake is dust."
On Thursday, Germain went through the names of relatives -- she says she has about 400 in Haiti -- whom she and her parents are searching for and whom they know are gone.
Elise and Benson Germain and their son Junior Germain, missing.
Marie Nerla Nicolas and Wilkense Nicolas, missing.
"I lost a cousin on my father's side. My mother lost her sister and all four kids," she said. "There are 10 missing on my mother's side and eight missing on father's side."
Learn more about some of Germain's missing relatives
She described a mentally disabled uncle who reported being attacked by thugs in Port-au-Prince. Many of her family members live in Jérémie, a river town of about 31,000 that is largely isolated from the rest of the country.
"The ones in Jérémie, I don't think most rescuers are getting to the smaller towns," she said, pausing. "All my little cousins -- like ages 2 to 7 -- how are they ever going to be able to get over walking over dead bodies in the street?
"They were telling us on their cell phones that they don't have water. They have nothing," Germain said. "We are here, and we can't do anything for them. My family is there starving and thirsty, sleeping on the street -- elderly people sleeping on the street -- and I'm here with water and food. I can't stand this. It's wrong."
She and her father and their extended family in New York are prepared to take everyone in.
"It's going to be hard, but we have college degrees, jobs, a big house," she said. "We're going to manage, because they're family, and that's what you do."
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a4059352b2f643519efed8ab4d39baad
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When did Haitian-American return?
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"January 11,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Rem Koolhaas revolutionizes city landscapes with distinctive and cutting-edge buildings.
Seattle's Central Library is one of Rem Koolhaas' recent builds.
Responsible for the iconic CCTV headquarters in Beijing the Dutch architect was named one of "The World's Most Influential People" by Time magazine.
Similar to the man himself, his buildings are not afraid to make a statement.
"We felt it was very important for an entity like CCTV to make its presence felt... To generate a space and to define a space, that is the main thing," he told CNN at the opening of his "Transformer" building in Seoul, South Korea.
Koolhaas admits that the current economic climate is not particularly favorable to big and bold architectural plans, but from adversity comes creativity.
"Definitely there were a number of projects that we worked on put on hold, but on the other hand certain things were also accelerated because the price of construction is getting so cheap."
Despite these new parameters he remains optimistic that his profession will continue to invent and be relevant, "because it means kind of smaller, but more complex and kind of interesting things, kind of related to, not necessarily with commerce, but more connected to culture and to the social world."
His buildings have attracted worldwide fame and given Koolhaas himself a form of semi-celebrity status. Yet Koolhaas still feels a sense of unease being labeled a "Starchitect."
"I think it's a name that is actually degrading to the vast majority of people it is applied to. And it really is a kind of political term that for certain clients is important because they use star architects. My hope is that through the current complexity that title will exit discretely and disappear," he said.
He believes that by being able to respond to different demands architecture is evolving into something new.
"It is not possible to live in this age if you don't have a sense of many contradictory forces," he said.
"Each building has to be beautiful, but cheap and fast, but it lasts forever. That is already an incredible battery of seemingly contradictory demands. So yes, I'm definitely perhaps contradictory person, but I operate in very contradictory times."
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d24caa61bba84f1cb5894106b4b6b8a9
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What is the architect's name?
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[
"Rem"
] |
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(CNN) -- Cuba will pardon more than 2,900 prisoners, the government said Friday, though U.S. subcontractor Alan Gross is not among those who will be freed.
The decision to release the prisoners follows "numerous requests" from their family members and religious institutions, and is a humanitarian gesture, said Cuban President Raul Castro.
Among those who might be freed are prisoners over the age of 60, along with those who are sick, female or young with no previous criminal record. With some exceptions, prisoners convicted of spying, terrorism, murder and drug trafficking will not be released.
Those who will be freed have already served a "important" part of their sentences and exhibited good behavior, according to an official statement published on the state-run website Cubadebate.
The jailed American, Gross, will not be among those pardoned, the Cuban Interests Section in Washington said.
Gross was jailed in December 2009, when he was working as a subcontractor on a U.S. Agency for International Development project aimed at spreading democracy. Castro has accused him of importing satellite equipment to connect dissidents to the Internet, and this year Cuba's highest court upheld the 15-year sentence imposed on Gross for committing crimes against the security of the state.
He has maintained his innocence and said he was trying to help connect the Jewish community to the Internet.
Castro, speaking to the National Assembly, said that 86 prisoners from 25 countries would be among those released in coming days.
He cited the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI as one of the motivations behind the move, which he said showed the "generosity and strength of the revolution."
The pope has said he plans to visit Mexico and Cuba before Easter.
In 2010, Castro agreed to free prisoners arrested during the 2003 crackdown on political dissidents. The Caribbean nation has released many of them, as well as other prisoners jailed for "counterrevolutionary" activities, ranging from hijacking to arson.
CNN's Willie Lora contributed to this report.
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ac2599e831444b2688b680c2247384ef
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How much prisoners will be freed
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"more than 2,900"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A wicked opportunity is brewing at Wookey Hole Caves in western England.
Aspiring witches audition for the job Tuesday at Wookey Hole Caves in England.
Applicants are flocking to the town of Wells in Somerset Tuesday in the hopes of being selected as the caves' new resident witch.
With the promise of £50,000 ($82,000) per year, and a spacious cave to boot, more than 2,000 candidates are stashing their wart remover and grabbing their broomsticks to persuade a panel of judges to choose them.
The winner will portray the notorious witch that is said to have haunted the caves in the Dark Ages. The witch lived in the cave with goats until an abbot threw holy water on her, turning her to stone, legend says.
Locals say her frozen figure can still be seen in the caves today.
Legend has it that the witch cursed crops, caused disease and soured milk in the area, audition organizers say.
Today, the caves at Wookey Hole are part of a tourist attraction with rides, a circus, theme parks and restaurants. The company that runs it, Wookey Hole Ltd., pays the witch's salary on a year-long contract.
The would-be witches have one minute to perform for the panel Tuesday, employing their best cackle and whatever props they can carry, organizers say.
The position won't necessarily go to a woman; male and transgender witches are also invited to apply. Applicants are told they must, however, be knowledgeable in the history of witchcraft, be willing to travel, sleep overnight in caves, and cannot be allergic to cats.
Organizers say they've had applications from men, women and 230 mothers-in-law.
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89cde6a4d05f42c98032e2b55c5a2dc8
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How much is the salary per year?
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"£50,000 ($82,000)"
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The then-senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee urged the CIA in 2003 not to destroy videotapes it had made of the interrogations of terrorist detainees, according to the newly declassified letter.
Lawyers for several Guantanamo detainees say the government has defied orders to preserve evidence.
Rep. Jane Harman wrote in a letter dated February 10, 2003, that destruction of the tapes would "reflect badly on the agency."
The Democrat from California released the letter Thursday.
Last month, the CIA acknowledged videotapes were made in 2002 of two terrorist detainees but were destroyed in 2005. Some of the tapes showed the harsh interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.
In the case of Zubaydah, the tactics captured on videotape included waterboarding, which simulates drowning, a controversial technique that critics consider a form of torture.
Shortly after becoming the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee in 2003, Harman was briefed on the CIA's interrogation and detention program, and the existence of the videotapes. She was told of the intention to destroy the tapes once an internal inquiry into the program was complete.
Harman wrote her letter to the CIA's chief lawyer urging the agency to reconsider its plan.
"Even if the videotape does not constitute an official record that must be preserved under the law, the videotape would be the best proof that the written record is accurate, if such record is called into question in the future," she wrote.
The release of the letter comes a day after the Justice Department announced there is enough evidence to warrant a criminal investigation into the destruction of the CIA tapes. The inquiry will look into whether the CIA or other government officials committed crimes in the handling of the tapes.
Congressional oversight committees are independently investigating the tape destruction.
The House Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed Jose Rodriguez, the former head of the CIA covert service who sources say ordered the destruction of the tapes, to testify before the panel January 16.
CIA General Counsel John Rizzo, who opposed the tape destruction, has agreed to voluntarily appear before the committee. E-mail to a friend
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e840f96db72043feb049188793a778dc
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what does the tape show?
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[
"interrogations of terrorist detainees,"
] |
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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Three Japanese lawmakers were denied entry at a South Korean airport Monday after they announced they would attempt a visit to an island near disputed territory in what Korea calls the East Sea and Japan calls the Sea of Japan.
The lawmakers arrived at Gimpo International Airport near Seoul at 11:20 a.m. but were denied entry by the immigration service, according the Ministry of Justice.
The trio is expected to return to Japan on a later flight, but details were not yet available, the Ministry of Justice said.
The Japanese politicians announced they would visit Ulleung Island -- adjacent to the disputed Dokdo islets -- after the two countries clashed over a civilian aircraft running a test flight over the area.
The islets in the sea to the east of Korea, known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, have been a prickly issue for both countries. Japan has long claimed the islets as its territory, but Seoul said all Korean territory was returned after the country won independence from colonial rule by Japan in 1945.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry warned Friday that the government would not allow the three politicians to enter the country, saying it cannot guarantee the safety of the lawmakers and that the decision is out of consideration of bilateral relations.
Monday's visit is widely viewed as an act of protest by right-wing politicians after the two countries clashed over the islets last month.
The Japanese government issued a ban on flying with South Korea's flagship airline, advising Japanese officials to refrain from flying with Korean Air in July. Korean Air had conducted a test flight over the islets twice to celebrate the launching of its new aircraft in June.
Seoul demanded Tokyo withdraw the ban, but with no success.
South Koreans view the islets as a source of national pride and have taken various measures to reassert its ownership of the islets. The land is largely uninhabited with only seven registered residents.
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853d7590d0b142e6b7386cb43f1e8982
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what are islands known as?
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[
"Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Here's a tip for dairy farmers: If you want your cows to produce more milk, get to know them better.
Herdsman Paul Nelson of Eachwick Red House Farm, Newcastle, England, with Highlight the cow.
So says a study out of Newcastle University in northeast England, published online Wednesday in the academic journal Anthrozoos.
The researchers found that farmers who named their cows Betsy or Gertrude or Daisy improved their overall milk yield by almost 500 pints (284 liters) annually.
"Just as people respond better to the personal touch, cows also feel happier and more relaxed if they are given a bit more one-to-one attention," Catherine Douglas of the university's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development said in a news release.
"By placing more importance on the individual, such as calling a cow by her name or interacting with the animal more as it grows up, we can not only improve the animal's welfare and her perception of humans, but also increase milk production."
Douglas and her colleagues questioned 516 dairy farmers in the United Kingdom. Almost half said they called the cows on their farms by name and reported a higher milk yield.
A press statement from the university, touting the study, quoted Dennis Gibb, who co-owns a dairy farm outside of Newcastle, called Eachwick Red House Farm.
"We love our cows here at Eachwick, and every one of them has a name," Gibb said. "Collectively, we refer to them as 'our ladies,' but we know every one of them and each one has her own personality."
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15b9c54f431342f3a9fd9eb6519fbfbe
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How many farmers were questioned?
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[
"516"
] |
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(CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Friday to impeach a federal judge convicted of obstruction of justice while in office.
Judge Samuel Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office.
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of Texas pleaded guilty in February, admitting he lied to investigators about nonconsensual sexual contact with two employees in his courthouse. As part of a plea agreement, other counts alleging sexual misconduct were dropped.
Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office.
He has submitted his resignation, but made it effective June 1, 2010, meaning he would be paid for a year while in prison.
That drew a heated response among some members of Congress, and a House Judiciary Committee task force unanimously approved four articles of impeachment against Kent on the grounds of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and providing false statements to federal investigators.
Before the House vote, Judiciary Committee member Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, said to House members that Kent collecting a salary of about $174,000 while in prison constituted "an attempt to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the American people."
There were no dissenting votes.
The decision on whether to convict Kent will be made by the Senate. A conviction would mean he would lose his seat on the federal bench and his pension.
Kent, who turns 60 this month, was sentenced in May to 33 months in prison and began serving the sentence Monday. He was ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism while in prison.
An attempt to reach Kent's attorney for comment was unsuccessful Friday afternoon.
President George H.W. Bush nominated Kent, who took his seat on the bench of the Southern District of Texas on October 1, 1990. Kent is the 14th federal judge to be impeached by the House. The last impeachment -- on charges of lying to a federal grand jury -- was of Mississippi Judge Walter Nixon in 1989.
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a29919975cad4689a44a247243ec49d1
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when did thsi happen?
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"Friday"
] |
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Unheralded American Doug Barron has become the first player to be banned by the PGA Tour for taking performance-enhancing drugs.
The 40-year-old has been given a one-year suspension.
He is the first professional to fail a drugs test since the PGA and European Tours began their anti-doping programs in July 2008.
"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour and its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement on the PGA Tour official Web site www.pgatour.com.
"I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour."
In common with their policy, the PGA Tour did not release details of the drug taken by Barron to fail the test.
Barron, who turned professional in 1992, was a PGA Tour regular for eight seasons, with his best finish a tie for third at the Byron Nelson Classic in 2006.
He has won over $3 million but campaigned in recent seasons on the second-tier Nationwide Tour, playing just one event on the main tour this year. He is also reported to have had health problems.
The last time Barron captured the headlines was in very different circumstances at the 2006 Transistions Championship in Florida, where he removed his shirt to play a shot out of the water on the 16th hole at Innisbrook.
The incident was captured on television and was greeted with amusement by his fellow players.
Neither the PGA Tour or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have yet to comment further on the suspension.
Golf bowed to pressure from WADA to introduce drug testing in the sport last year.
PGA Tour testing is administered by The National Center for Drug Free Sport every week of the season, with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories.
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7b93b209a84a409d9b25114c7df3e4e3
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\What did Barron get?
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[
"one-year suspension."
] |
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(CNN) -- Actor Edward Norton already wanted to be in better shape for his 40th birthday than he was on his 30th when the idea hit -- why not join members of an African tribe famous for its runners and run the New York marathon?
"Incredible Hulk" star Edward Norton, second from left, has trained for a marathon with Maasai tribesmen in Kenya
Before he knew it, the star of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Fight Club" had signed on to the effort, despite never having run a marathon before.
"The idea picked up traction pretty quickly," said Norton, who turned 39 in August. "Then, I was like, 'Wait a minute. What have I just done?'"
The run is a benefit for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, an organization working to promote sustainable development while protecting the east African grasslands that the Maasai tribe calls home. Both the traditional tribe's way of life and its environment have been threatened by rapid industrial development.
Norton discovered, and became a supporter of, the trust about 10 years ago during his first visit to Kenya, where he met founder Luca Belpietro.
"I was impressed at the way he was really genuinely working with the community to create value out of being good stewards of the land," Norton said.
Belpietro will be one of nearly 30 runners joining Norton on the Nov. 1 marathon. Also running will be magician David Blaine and three Maasai tribesmen.
The Maasai are at the heart of Kenya's long tradition of distance running. Norton said one of the runners, safari guide Parashi Ntanin, is so fast he could probably leave the rest of the group behind and run the race in less than 2½ hours.
Norton said he's run as much as 15 miles twice during his training for the 26.2-mile marathon and that despite some leg and knee pains, he's confident he'll finish the endurance race.
"I'm really enjoying it," he said after a workout Wednesday in New York. "I'm enjoying having a goal."
A competitive rower at Yale, Norton said he's experienced the so-called "runner's high" during his training, which fans can follow on his Twitter account, @EdwardNorton.
"Running in the park, I got a taste of what people say about the New York marathon. There were people of every shape and size out there," he said. "I really got a lift out of it."
Norton's latest film, the independently produced "Leaves of Grass," is set to premiere this week at the Toronto International Film Festival and his company's "By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama," a documentary about President Obama's historic campaign for the White House, debuts on HBO on November 3.
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cfec9e9963a04786920476504dba241e
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What group will the actor's run benefit?
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[
"for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust,"
] |
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- It couldn't top its predecessors, but "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" still brought in quite a haul, grossing an estimated $87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season.
Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses, despite generating mixed reviews. The film fell $15 million short of 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood.
Matthew McConaughey's "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" generated an estimated $15.3 million for a second place bow.
It's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey's previous romantic outings including last year's "Fool's Gold" ($21.6 million) or 2006's "Failure to Launch" ($24.2 million). (Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend?) The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent.
Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles' "Obsessed." Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters, the thriller earned another $12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $47 million.
And Zac Efron's "17 Again" showed surprising stamina, too, grossing an additional $6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $48.4 million.
The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film "Battle for Terra." Opening on 1162 theaters, the Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace.
Dreamworks Animation's juggernaut "Monsters vs. Aliens" grossed another $5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings, while newcomer "Terra" couldn't muster more than $1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby.
Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend. Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with "Star Trek" hot on its heels next weekend, the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead.
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
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2aa758ed6bbb48c0937a50a3ede9eb9f
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What movie takes the top slot at the box office?
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[
"\"X-Men Origins: Wolverine\""
] |
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(CNN) -- A five-year-old British boy who was kidnapped in Pakistan earlier this month has been found safe and is back with his relatives, the British High Commission said Tuesday.
Sahil Saeed was released at a school in the Punjab province of Pakistan, said Assistant Chief Constable David Thompson of the Greater Manchester Police in England, near his parents' residence in Oldham.
From there, Sahil wandered into a field and was found by residents who looked after him until police arrived, Thompson said.
Regional Pakistani police said Sahil was found near the town of Danga in Punjab province, close to where he was abducted March 3.
Sahil was in good condition, said Aslam Tareen, the head of the regional police.
"He is with members of family in Pakistan and the Pakistani police, and there is also contact from the British High Commission," Thompson said. He added that Sahil had already spoken to his mother and father in England by telephone and that both parents were "clearly relieved" to speak to their son.
The High Commission issued a statement thanking police in Jhelum, another town in the eastern province of Punjab, for the boy's return.
"This is fantastic news that brings to an end a traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil and his family," said Adam Thomson, the British high commissioner to Pakistan.
Police arrested some of the kidnappers, said Rana Sanaullah, the provincial law minister.
Sahil, a British citizen of Pakistani descent, was on the last day of a two-week vacation in Pakistan before he was to return home to Oldham, in northern England.
Gunmen barged into Sahil's grandmother's home in Jhelum and took him. They reportedly demanded a ransom of 10 million rupees ($118,000).
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said the captors included someone close to the family.
"There is someone who is very close to the family because the way the situation happened, the way the entry was made," Malik told reporters.
But Tareen said Tuesday there is no evidence that any family member was involved. There was also no indication a ransom was paid, Tareen said.
Sanaullah, the law minister, said the kidnappers were part of a ring that operated in and out of Pakistan. He did not elaborate.
Thompson, of the Greater Manchester Police, could not comment on the possibility of arrests in England.
"At this stage there are no inquiries that we're carrying out in the UK that would lead me to contemplate that we'd make an arrest in the near future," he said.
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15ddfea9af8d457193ac49fc8d2cc45b
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how much was the ransom?
|
[
"10 million rupees ($118,000)."
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Investigators have heard a signal from the flight data recorders of the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed last week, they announced Sunday.
Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands Saturday.
"A signal was picked up from two acoustic transmitters from the plane's flight data recorders during a sea search to locate the data recorders this morning," the French air accident investigation agency, known as the BEA, said in a statement.
Commonly known as "black boxes," the data recorders should contain information to help determine what caused the crash.
The Yemenia Airways Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean early Tuesday, carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members. It originated in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and went down just miles from Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Islands.
One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived. Bahia Basari, who lives in Marseille, escaped with cuts to her face and a fractured collarbone. Watch teen survivor from crash »
The teen's father, Kassim Bakari, told a French radio network that his wife and daughter were flying to Comoros to visit relatives.
"When I had her on the phone, I asked her what happened and she said, 'Daddy, I don't know what happened, but the plane fell into the water and I found myself in the water... surrounded by darkness. I could not see anyone,'" Bakari told France Info.
The head of the rescue team in the Comoros told French radio RTL that the teenager beat astonishing odds to survive.
"It is truly, truly, miraculous," Ibrahim Abdoulazeb said. "The young girl can barely swim."
Another rescuer told France's Europe 1 radio that the girl was spotted in the rough sea, among bodies and plane debris in darkness, about two hours after the crash.
The Airbus 310 plane tried to land at the airport in Moroni, then made a U-turn before it crashed, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident.
A French official said the nation had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007.
"Since this check-up, we have not seen the plane reappearing in France," said Dominique Bussereau, the transport minister.
But Yemenia Airlines was not on the European Union's list of banned airlines, he added.
Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens, 54 Comorians, one Palestinian and one Canadian, according to Yemeni and French officials. The crew was made up of six Yemenis, two Moroccans, one Ethiopian, one Filipino and one Indonesian.
The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar.
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af25ffeacacf487c92bf738a38379cc1
|
who are helping to search for debris and bodies?
|
[
"parties"
] |
NewsQA
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A bomb attached to a car carrying an Iraqi army general exploded Saturday afternoon, killing the driver and wounding the general and a bystander, an Interior Ministry official said.
U.S. soldiers patrol the streets of Baghdad's central district on Saturday.
The official said Gen. Abdul Karim Jabbar was seriously wounded when the bomb went off between al-Firdous Square and al-Andalus Square.
The U.S. military refers to bombs attached to civilian vehicles without the driver's knowledge as "sticky bombs."
Separately, a civilian was killed and five were wounded in afternoon clashes between gunmen and Iraqi National Police in the al-Shaab neighborhood of northeastern Baghdad, the ministry official said.
In the same neighborhood, a roadside bomb exploded at an Iraqi army checkpoint Baghdad, killing a child, the Interior Ministry official said.
The blast also wounded four Iraqi soldiers.
Also Saturday, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and another was wounded when a roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad.
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934da95a9c644a4b97d3fedbad702278
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What parties were involved in the clash?
|
[
"gunmen and Iraqi National Police"
] |
NewsQA
|
Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab disappeared in Yemen for more than two months before he allegedly tried to bring down a Northwest Airlines jet with explosives concealed in his underwear.
Investigators want to know if, during that time, he heeded the call to prayer coming from the hills above Yemen's capital, where an Islamic university headed by a fiery cleric has helped the country earn its reputation as an incubator of extremism.
The students who pray at Al-Iman University now, two weeks after that failed Christmas Day attack, say the school has been made a scapegoat, and that what AbdulMutallab is accused of having done is wrong.
"It's against Islam," one says.
"The thoughts in their heads go against Islam," says another.
AbdulMutallab's alleged attempt to ignite explosives as the jet approached Detroit, Michigan, resulted in a fire on his lap -- and serious burns -- before passengers and flight crew subdued him and put out the flames.
Al-Imam's leader is Sheikh Abdel Majid al-Zindani, a provocative cleric with a flaming red beard. The United States considers him a terrorist, accused in 2004 of supplying weapons to al Qaeda.
But in Yemen, al-Zindani is a free and influential man.
Al-Zindani denied CNN's request for an interview but allowed the network to tape at the school he's built from the ground up since the early 1990s.
Every year, thousands of Islamic students from Yemen, Africa and around the world are cocooned in al-Zindani's compound, where they study their faith and are instilled with a strident defense of that faith.
Last year, al-Zindani made a public plea to recruit millions of young men to fight jihad against Israel.
But the students say they don't think AbdulMutallab was ever at the school, and investigators don't appear to have come to ask. Yemeni authorities, it seems, have taken a hands-off approach to the university.
"To my knowledge, no security, no investigation teams came here," political science professor Ismail al-Suhaili said. "Nobody thought that AbdulMutallab was here."
In Yemen, Al-Iman University is highly respected and its leader admired, making it difficult for investigators to find out for sure if the Christmas Day bombing suspect was ever there.
|
80a72dc455454a6a8d3bc080586044a5
|
What students say about terrorism?
|
[
"\"It's against Islam,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
Los Angeles (CNN) -- The father of actress Lindsay Lohan was arrested in connection with a domestic dispute, authorities said Tuesday.
Michael Lohan, 50, was arrested late Monday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's West Hollywood Station said in a statement.
Deputies arrested him on suspicion of inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant, false imprisonment and preventing the report of victimization, the statement said. All are felony charges.
Bail was set at $200,000, the statement said, but authorities said Tuesday afternoon Lohan had not been booked. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after he complained of "a medical condition not related to the incident" following his arrest.
He will remain at the hospital on observation for at least 24 hours before he is booked at the West Hollywood Station, police said.
The sheriff's department did not identify the alleged victim. But Kate Major, Lohan's former fiancee, told CNN she was the victim. "I can confirm but barely type," Major wrote in an e-mail. "No other comment."
The alleged victim suffered minor injuries but refused medical treatment, the sheriff's department said.
Lohan was arrested near West Hollywood Station following the incident when deputies saw him walking on Santa Monica Boulevard, the statement said.
The relationship between Michael Lohan and his 24-year-old daughter has been publicly strained for years, although the two did undergo family counseling together during her recent treatment at the Betty Ford Center.
Lindsay Lohan must decide by Wednesday if she will accept a plea deal that would send her to jail or move closer to a trial on a felony grand theft charge. She is accused of walking out without paying for a $2,500 necklace from Kamofie and Co., a jewelry store in Venice, California, on January 22.
If Lindsay Lohan decides to go to trial, a preliminary hearing will be held April 22. The judge at that time would also consider the matter of her probation violation; she faces possible jail time for violating her probation for a drunk-driving arrest because of the theft charge.
CNN's Brittany Kaplan, Carey Bodenheimer and Alan Duke contributed to this report.
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cc9ca14b23394c4bafac727d038e56c6
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When was he arrested
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[
"late Monday,"
] |
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(CNN) -- A Colorado woman is being pursued as a "person of interest" in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a Texas polygamist ranch, authorities said Friday.
Rozita Swinton, 33, has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the Texas raid.
Texas Rangers are seeking Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, "regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in San Angelo, Texas, in late March 2008," the Rangers said in a written statement.
The raid of the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a "spiritual marriage."
The release said a search of Swinton's home in Colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch, run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The possibility exists that Rozita Swinton, who has nothing to do with the FLDS church, may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named Sarah," CNN's Gary Tuchman reported.
Swinton, 33, has been charged in Colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody. Police said that arrest was not directly related to the Texas case.
Authorities raided the Texas ranch April 4 and removed 416 children.
Officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl, referred to as Sarah, who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls. FLDS members have denied the girl, supposedly named Sarah Jessop Barlow, exists.
Some of the FLDS women who spoke with CNN on Monday said they believed the calls were a hoax.
While the phone calls initially prompted the raid, officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound.
In court documents, investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant, records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13.
A court hearing began Thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch. E-mail to a friend
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b6f9a5a38e6946b4b126366b56ed3995
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What evidence is revealed?
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[
"phone calls"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Ten-man Ghana overcame Brazil 4-3 on penalties in the Under-20 World Cup final in Cairo to become the first African side to win the tournament.
Daniel Addo (left) is sent off but Ghana still became the first African side to win the U-20 World Cup.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu scored the winning penalty after Brazil's Maicon had fired over the bar when a successful spot-kick would have handed Brazil the title for a record fifth time.
In a match of few chances, Ghana, who are also African champions, defied the odds to take the trophy out of Europe and South America for the first time ever after Daniel Addo was sent off in the 37th minute for a late tackle on Alex Teixeira.
Goalkeeper Daniel Aygei kept Ghana in the game earlier in extra-time with a point-blank save from Maicon, who had been teed-up 10 yards out by Alex Teixeira's cut-back.
Douglas Costa twice went close in the additional 30 minutes, while Aygei was also called into action to save from Wellington Junior.
Meanwhile, penalties were also needed to separate Hungary and Costa Rica in the third place playoff earlier in the day, but it was the European nation who eventually triumphed after the match ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.
Despite being outplayed for the majority of the game, Costa Rica went ahead with nine minutes remaining when Marcos Urena was allowed to run at the Hungarian defence before cutting inside and firing a right-footed shot which left goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with no chance.
However, with the match entering injury time, Hungary were awarded a penalty when Jose Mena fouled Krisztian Nemeth in the box.
Vladimir Koman made no mistake from the spot to take the match into a shoot-out.
Liverpool's Gulacsi was the hero of the hour -- keeping out efforts from Cristian Gamboa, Esteban Luna and Adam Simon while Nemeth and Roland Varga both scored to hand Hungary a 2-0 victory on penalties.
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ee5b8d1d9a364c55b5e4f8671c10ece3
|
Who did Ghana beat 4-3?
|
[
"Brazil"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Whether you're a fan of any sport, or even just a keen music follower -- you've probably visited a major stadium.
The ugliest stadiums in the world? Have a look at our list and tell us what you think of the choices.
Like all buildings with any form of public use, stadiums tend attract more than their fair share of criticism.
It's hard to visit a massive venue that has possibly seen millions of dollars of taxpayer money poured into it, without forming an opinion.
While usability, safety, comfort for players and fans, and the ability to generate a steady income are probably the most important factors for modern-day stadiums, there is one other aspect that is sometimes forgotten: how they look.
We have scanned the world for some of the ugliest stadiums in the world, and we've drawn up a first XI of the less attractive venues.
The stadiums come from all corners of the globe and have been built under all types of budgets. Some of these structures may have been referred to by others as "ugly", they may be facing the threat of being torn down, or we may have just decided that they aren't so easy on the eye. See a photo gallery of ugliest stadiums in the world »
Some examples that made it into the list include the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was built in 1987 and lays claim to having the biggest stadium roof in the world. But sadly does not boast the most attractive structure.
The choice of Wembley Stadium in London, England, may be a controversial one, however, it was named in a list of Britain's ugliest buildings by Britain's The Times newspaper as "a bloated middle-aged office block with a pitch attached."
Do you agree with our list? Are there ugly stadiums we have missed? Tell us in the sound off box below.
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9980fcdf566340528e390210fa6e049c
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What was called ugly?
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[
"stadiums"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The world has a new alliance to save vanishing frogs, toads and salamanders.
A frog swims in a pond in Munich, Germany, in June.
A coalition of organizations established the Amphibian Survival Alliance this month to conserve species threatened by deadly fungus, habitat loss, pollution, pesticides and climate change. The scientists said amphibians are the world's most threatened group of animals.
Though they thrived on Earth for more than 360 million years, one in three of the 6,000 recognized amphibian species are now at risk of extinction and as many as 122 species have gone extinct since 1980, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's amphibian specialist group.
"The world's amphibians are facing an uphill battle for survival," said James Collins of Arizona State University, co-chairman of the group.
He said the new alliance, formed at the Amphibian Mini Summit at the Zoological Society of London, will focus efforts on the biggest threat to amphibians: infectious disease and habitat destruction. The group includes amphibian specialists working in the wild as well as those in zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens worldwide.
"Amphibians have so much to offer humans," said amphibian specialist Simon Stuart. "Many have an arsenal of compounds stored in their skin that have the potential to address a multitude of human diseases."
But as amphibians die out, so do opportunities to develop new medicines, he said. The southern gastric brooding frog, for instance, could have led to the development of a treatment for human peptic ulcers had it not gone extinct, Stuart said.
"We simply cannot afford to let this current amphibian extinction crisis go unchecked," he said.
Andrew Blaustein, who began documenting amphibian declines two decades ago, said the loss of species was part of an overall biodiversity crisis.
"Amphibians seem to have been hit the hardest of all vertebrate species," said Blaustein, a professor of zoology at Oregon State University. "The long-term ecological repercussions of their decline could be profound, and we have to do something about it."
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20d2125b2f544674a7a21b1398107107
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Whats the name of the group which wants to save endangered animals?
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[
"Amphibian Survival Alliance"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- NASA's Kepler space telescope has already made a discovery, and its science operations aren't even officially under way yet.
The planet used in the test is a giant gas planet about the size of Jupiter that orbits a star called HAT P-7.
NASA scientists who put the telescope through a 10-day test after its March 6 launch said this week that Kepler is working well. Its ability to detect minute changes in light has enabled scientists to determine that a planet orbiting a distant star has an atmosphere, shows only one side to its sun and is so hot it glows.
Kepler's ability to take measurements that precise at such a great distance "proves we can find Earth-size planets," William Borucki, Kepler's principal science investigator told reporters at a recent briefing.
The powerful scope is looking at thousands of stars in its vision field in the Milky Way on a 3½-year mission to find planets the size of Earth and to determine how common these planets are.
The planet used in the test, a giant gas planet about the size of Jupiter, orbits a star called HAT P-7 in just 2.2 days and is 26 times closer than Earth is to the sun, according to NASA. It is called an exoplanet because it orbits a star outside the solar system.
Kepler detected the planet's atmosphere, demonstrating the telescope's capabilities and giving astronomers what NASA says is "only a taste of things to come."
"It learned that this planet is like 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is so hot. And it's 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit just on one side only. The other side would be closer to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, " said Sara Seager, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Kepler science team member.
"This particular planet showed an unusual change in brightness," she said. "As the planet is orbiting the star, it goes through phases just as the moon goes through phases as seen from Earth."
"Kepler learned something new about an old planet," she said. "The new discovery was that planet is extremely hot, very, very hot. And it's very, very hot on one side, compared to the other."
Borucki compared it to "an element in your toaster or stove."
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4b58ece7992842ec99a530cd245a6a0b
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Who said "Kepler learned something new about an old planet"?
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[
"Sara Seager,"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Marine commander on Wednesday warned of a "growing" insurgent threat in Afghanistan, but he said forces would have to be cut in Iraq to send more Marines to Afghanistan.
Marines could be pulled from Iraq's Anbar province, Gen. James Conway said Wednesday.
"To do more in Afghanistan, our Marines have got to see relief elsewhere," said Gen. James Conway in a briefing for Pentagon reporters.
Conway said the Corps' two regimental combat teams -- about 10,000 Marines -- in Iraq's Anbar province could be removed as there are only two or three insurgent attacks a day in what was once the hotbed of the Iraqi insurgency.
The U.S.-led coalition is scheduled to hand over security control in Anbar to Iraqi troops next week.
Despite the progress, Conway said, he doesn't expect any decisions on troop withdrawals until Gen. David Petraeus -- the head of the U.S. military in Iraq -- makes his recommendations on troop deployment in Iraq to President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
There are more than 3,000 Marines in Afghanistan, and Conway said that the Marine Corps would be willing to help bolster the fight against the Taliban in that country.
"I think that a battalion of Marines in Afghanistan count for more than a battalion of Marines in Iraq, if you will, just in terms of the impact that they can have," he said.
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e4c863ce281d49cfaec7d455e0f70db7
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Who would have a greater effect in Afghanistan?
|
[
"a battalion of Marines"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Pop singer Britney Spears must submit to random drug tests, a judge has ordered after finding she engaged in "habitual, frequent, and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
Kevin Federline and Britney Spears are in the middle of a bitter custody battle over their two sons.
The ruling by Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon provided no details and did not name any specific drugs, stating only that the findings were "based on the evidence presented."
Spears must also spend eight hours a week working with a parenting coach who will observe her interactions with her children, according to the ruling released Tuesday.
Efforts to contact the singer's lawyers, Marci Levine and Mel Goldman, were unsuccessful late Tuesday.
The ruling comes during Spears' custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
The documents underscore the bitter nature of the fight over their two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden. The two have split custody equally, but Federline is asking for the arrangements to be shifted to 70-30 in his favor.
After a closed hearing Monday, Gordon ordered Spears, 25, to undergo random drug tests twice a week. He told both parents to avoid alcohol or "other non-prescription controlled substances" 12 hours before taking custody of the children.
He also barred the exes from making "derogatory remarks about the other party and the other party's family or significant other" during the case, ordered them to go through "joint co-parenting counseling" and barred them from using corporal punishment on the boys.
Spears and Federline were married for two years before their divorce was finalized in July. Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told reporters on Monday he didn't see the custody battle being resolved before scheduled hearings in November and December.
Tuesday's order comes amid a career freefall for Spears, who has a new album due in stores November 13. Critics said her September 9 "comeback" performance on the MTV Video Music Awards was lackluster and said she appeared overweight in her sequined, two-piece costume.
Her former divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, resigned as her legal representative in the past few days after defending her outside the courthouse on Friday, telling reporters the singer "just wants to be a mom."
And Spears' management company, the Firm, has quit after representing the singer for a little more than a month.
"It saddens us to confirm media reports that we have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears," the company announced Monday. "We believe Britney is enormously talented and has made a terrific record, but current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job. We wish Britney the best." E-mail to a friend
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2057067b2d8b4a60af970b57eb6214f5
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What does Spears have to do twice a week?
|
[
"random drug tests"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 60 others wounded Thursday when a bomb ripped through a crowd waiting to see Algeria's president in Batna, east of the capital of Algiers, the Algerie Presse Service reported.
A wounded person gets first aid shortly after Thursday's attack in Batna, Algeria.
The explosion occurred at 5 p.m. about 20 meters (65 feet) from a mosque in Batna, a town about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Algiers, security officials in Batna told the state-run news agency.
The bomb went off 15 minutes before the expected arrival of President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika.
It wasn't clear if the bomb was caused by a suicide bomber or if it was planted, the officials said.
Later Thursday, Algeria's Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said "a suspect person who was among the crowd attempted to go beyond the security cordon," but the person escaped "immediately after the bomb exploded," the press service reported.
Bouteflika made his visit to Batna as planned, adding a stop at a hospital to visit the wounded before he returned to the capital.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing.
Algeria faces a continuing Islamic insurgency, according to the CIA.
In July, 33 people were killed in apparent suicide bombings in Algiers that were claimed by an al Qaeda-affiliated group.
Bouteflika said terrorist acts have nothing in common with the noble values of Islam, the press service reported. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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c8f355d3c60a40e8bc669304c7c3286a
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When did the blast went off
|
[
"5 p.m."
] |
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|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sasha and Malia Obama had front row seats for Monday night's Kids' Inaugural Concert, but jumped on stage when the Jonas Brothers invited them up.
Michelle Obama and her daughters pose with actress Keke Palmer at the Kids' Inaugural.
Their mother -- incoming first lady Michelle Obama -- declared the show "pretty cool."
Thousands of kids -- mostly children of military families -- danced and yelled in Washington's Verizon Center as Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bow Wow, the Jonas Brothers and others performed.
"Are we fired up in here?" Michelle Obama asked as she took the stage halfway through the two-hour show. "Are we ready to go?"
Obama called on the young people to play a part in their country's future now, in activities such as volunteering at shelters for the homeless, visiting elderly neighbors or writing letters of support to troops overseas.
"We all have something incredible to contribute to the life of this nation," she said, adding, "And kids, this means you, too, right?"
Sasha, 7, kept her camera ready, getting photos of her favorite teen stars.
While the Obama daughters have met many of the stars along the campaign trail in the past year, it was their first time to meet singer-actress Keke Palmer, a presenter at the show.
Palmer, 15, said Michelle Obama told her "she was really proud of me."
Most of their backstage talk was about Palmer's movies and TV show, she said.
Like the Obamas, Palmer is a Chicago, Illinois, native.
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692b1160e5cd4a0883673f99e90debd8
|
What artists are featured at the concert?
|
[
"Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bow Wow, the Jonas Brothers and others performed."
] |
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|
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Lined up next to Pittsburgh police officers protecting a downtown office building Thursday morning were officers who traveled a little farther to get to work.
Police officers from Tucson, Arizona, left, talk with a Pittsburgh officer Thursday outside the G-20 summit.
About 2,000 miles farther.
Thirty-six officers from the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department are in Pittsburgh as part of the G-20 security force. They were asked to assist by Pittsburgh officials as part of a Department of Homeland Security rapid response team.
Officers from departments in several cities, including Cleveland, Ohio; Miami Metro Dade, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and Chicago, Illinois, were sworn in as part of the massive security effort, but Tucson wins the prize for the greatest distance traveled. Watch how Pittsburgh has prepared for protests »
"There's a standardization in training," Tucson Lt. Paul Sayre said. Departments brought in to assist have undergone similar preparations in techniques and crowd control.
The Arizona officers were asked to come to Pittsburgh after taking part in the protection effort at the Republican National Convention in 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The downtown Pittsburgh street on a morning with temperatures in the 50s was nothing like a typical day for the officers. "It's a different environment," Sayre said -- but the job was the same. "We're excited to be here. It's a lot of fun."
"Our role is to support Pittsburgh," said Capt. Perry Tarrant, commanding the Tucson team.
The additional help protecting downtown locations "gives Pittsburgh the flexibility to send its officers where needed," Sayre said.
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649915c5e8b74542a54e7366e8897b2a
|
What are the departments involved?
|
[
"Cleveland, Ohio; Miami Metro Dade, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland;"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Bayer Leverkusen moved to within three points of German Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after a comfortable 4-2 home victory over Hamburg on Sunday.
A double from Stefan Kiessling helped Leverkusen on their way to another three points, leaving them clear in third, a point behind second-placed Schalke, with the top three now pulling away in the race for the title with just eight games left.
Kiessling opened the scoring after running onto Tranquillo Barnetta's through-ball and out-pacing two defenders before firing past goalkeeper Frank Rost.
But Ze Roberto volleyed home a 33rd-minute equalizer for Hamburg after a defensive mix-up involving Sami Hyppia and goalkeeper Rene Adler.
Eren Derdiyok restored Leverkusen's lead in the 55th-minute when heading home Daniel Schwaab's ball into the box -- and Kiessling quickly added a third with a simple tap-in after some great work from Renato Augusto.
Czech defender David Rozehnal gave Hamburg some brief hope when converting an 83rd minute Piotr Trochowski free-kick but the victory was confirmed just a minute later when Gonzalo Casto fired home from just inside the area.
Meanwhile, in the day's other match, Claudio Pizarro scored his 11th league goal of the season to give Werder Bremen a 1-0 home win over Hoffenheim.
The Peruvian striker lobbed goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand with just nine minutes remaining to leave Werder sixth in the table, one point away from a place in Europe.
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cdd3a2445d6647f7af69118f20133ce0
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Who scored twice for Leverkusen
|
[
"Stefan Kiessling"
] |
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(CNN) -- A Tampa judge denied bail Wednesday for a Florida man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 3-month-old child, who authorities say was thrown out of a moving car.
Police say infant Emanuel Murray died after his mother's ex-boyfriend threw him from a car on a Florida interstate.
Richard Anthony McTear Jr., 21, was arrested Tuesday, hours after a confrontation at his former girlfriend's apartment in which he snatched the infant, Emanuel Wesley Murray, the Hillsborough County sheriff's office said.
The child's body was found about 4 .am. Tuesday on the side of Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, by a local television photographer on his way to work. The photographer, WTVT's Jason Bird, said he stopped when he spotted something by the roadside
"It had to be a baby doll but it was too big to be a doll," Bird told CNN affiliate WFTS in Tampa. "I almost passed out, I started shaking," said Bird.
A preliminary autopsy determined the child died of blunt trauma to the head, the county medical examiner's office said.
Police were called to the apartment of McTear's former girlfriend about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday. The mother, Jasmine Bedwell, 17, told investigators that McTear had hit her several times and threatened "to kill the both of y'all," the sheriff's department said in a statement announcing the charges.
McTear threw a car seat containing the child across the room during the fight, causing the boy to fall onto the apartment's concrete floor, investigators said. He then picked up the boy and drove off in his blue Chevrolet Impala, throwing the child out while on the interstate, the sheriff's department said.
Video on CNN affiliate WFLA TV showed McTear being led out of a Tampa police squad car after his arrest. He ducked his head as TV cameras surrounded him on his walk into a police building.
When asked by reporters if he had thrown the child out of the car window, McTear answered, "It's a dirty game. A dirty game."
McTear is not related to the child, said sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter.
McTear is facing additional charges of burglary with battery, felony battery, aggravated child abuse and kidnapping, the sheriff's department said.
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ed1abf57565a4dc6b509fbfe78bb8d9a
|
Who found the child?
|
[
"Jason Bird,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Police in San Mateo, California, said Monday that "a potentially very drastic event" at a high school was averted when school personnel subdued a former student who walked into the school armed with pipe bombs, a chainsaw and a 2-foot-long sword.
At least 1,200 students and faculty were evacuated from the northern California school.
"It had the potential to be a catastrophic incident," said police Lt. Mike Brunicardi, describing the incident in which two pipe bombs exploded and at least 1,200 students and faculty were evacuated from the Northern California school.
No one was injured in the incident, police said.
Brunicardi said a 17-year-old former student wearing a nylon vest packed with 10 homemade pipe bombs entered Hillsdale High School in San Mateo about 8 a.m. Monday. He detonated two devices, with smoke setting off the school's fire-alarm system, before two teachers confronted him.
"The suspect was quickly wrestled down by a teacher who, with the help of the principal and another teacher, were able to hold him down until police arrived minutes later," Brunicardi said.
The suspect's intentions were not clear, police said.
"He's being interviewed right now, but we don't have his specific motives at this time," Brunicardi said, adding that while the explosive power of the pipe bombs was not immediately known, the teachers who subdued the suspect put themselves in jeopardy.
"We are relieved that no one was injured and it's fortunate that we were able to apprehend the student before he hurt himself or anyone else," said San Mateo School District Associate Superintendent Kirk Black said.
Authorities said the suspect, whose name was not immediately released, had been a student at the school in 2008.
CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
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c5b1412d3f654a63be04c02b30de65ff
|
How long was the sword?
|
[
"2-foot-long"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States temporarily closed its government facilities in South Africa on Tuesday after a "possible threat" to its embassy, the U.S. State Department said.
The U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, is among the American facilities closed Tuesday.
The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria and other government offices in South Africa will remain closed Wednesday as the security threat is being monitored, embassy spokeswoman Sharon Hudson-Dean said.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the action was a precaution.
"We are ... notifying the American community in South Africa to remain vigilant," Kelly said. "We are also maintaining close contact with South African authorities on this issue."
He had no further details on the "possible threat" to the embassy in Pretoria.
A note on the embassy's Web site said all U.S. government facilities in South Africa were temporarily closed following "information recently received" by regional security officials.
Kelly said the embassy's Emergency Action Committee met and is formulating an appropriate course of action.
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse and Elise Labott contributed to this report.
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7ef3b8b4f1d241bb84fa7d4659974049
|
What are the closing for ?
|
[
"\"possible threat\" to its embassy,"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military announced Wednesday that coalition forces recently killed al Qaeda in Iraq's "charismatic" senior leader in northern Iraq.
Abu Qaswarah was second only to Abu Ayyub al-Masri (pictured) in al Qaeda in Iraq leadership.
Abu Qaswarah, also known as Abu Sara, was killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5, the military said.
The Moroccan native was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, according to the military. He had "historic ties" to al-Masri's predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and senior al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the military said.
Abu Qaswarah -- who became AQI's senior leader in northern Iraq in June 2007 -- was the target of the military raid in Mosul earlier this month, the military said.
Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which "served as a key command and control location for AQI," according to the military.
"Upon entering the building, forces were immediately fired upon," the military said. "Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists. It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as Abu Qaswarah."
The U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a "charismatic" leader who rallied al Qaeda in Iraq's northern network after "major setbacks to the terrorist organization across Iraq."
Groups comprised mainly of former Sunni insurgents -- known as Awakening Councils or "Sons of Iraq" -- have turned against al Qaeda in Iraq, helping to diminish its presence in several parts of the country.
The U.S. military credits them with playing a key role in bringing about the nationwide drop in violence that coincided with the "surge" of U.S. forces.
Abu Qaswarah -- who trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan -- helped bring foreign terrorists into northern Iraq, where they carried out a spate of suicide attacks, according to the military.
He also organized and led AQI's attacks in Mosul, including the "failed attempt to destroy the Mosul Civic Center during the holy month of Ramadan," which took place in September, the military said.
That attack, the military said, "could have killed hundreds of innocent Iraqis."
The military said Abu Qaswarah's death "will significantly degrade AQI operations in Mosul and northern Iraq, leaving the network without a leader to oversee and coordinate its operations in the region."
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16adad7d988042cab3cf36773ddd7d3a
|
what was his position in al qaeda
|
[
"senior leader"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court's only black justice was the target of a racially motivated threat by an Ohio man who has been indicted in Cleveland, Justice Department officials announced Wednesday.
Racially motivated threats were made against Justice Clarence Thomas, according to a federal indictment.
An eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury charges David Tuason of Pepper Pike, Ohio, with making multiple threats against Justice Clarence Thomas and with threatening to blow up the Supreme Court building.
Tuason had made the threats in e-mails and mailed letters to the Supreme Court, as well as to Thomas personally, according to a source close to the case.
Tuason "engaged in an elaborate scheme of sending racially motivated threatening communications ... intended to threaten and intimidate with bodily injury African-American males known to affiliate with white females," said U.S. Attorney Frank Filiuzzi Wednesday in Cleveland.
"The indictment alleges that an associate justice of the Supreme Court, athletes, and entertainers received threatening communications," Filiuzzi said.
Thomas's wife is white.
"The indictment also alleges that at times, children of mixed racial parents were also targeted," the prosecutor said.
The indictment says that "Tuason, at times, threatened to blow up the facility or building in which the targeted victim was located."
If Tuason is found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison for the count targeting Thomas and five years imprisonment for each of the other counts. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Bill Mears contributed to this report.
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b345b381708e41d8bd5a69d0fbda09f9
|
Which children received threats?
|
[
"mixed racial parents"
] |
NewsQA
|
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Chinese girl tried to commit suicide because she wanted her family to donate her liver to her cancer-stricken father, state media reported Thursday.
The girl, Chen Jin, swallowed more than 200 sleeping pills after she discovered a medical note in her mother's purse that said her father was dying of liver cancer and had three months left to live, the news agency Xinhua said.
Jin's mother returned home after visiting her husband in the hospital to find the front door locked. The mother climbed in through a back window and found two empty bottles of sleeping pills.
"Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you any longer," read a note that the teen had left next to her. "Please give my liver to dad and save him after my death."
The incident occurred January 24 in Jiangsu province in east China. The teen was taken to the same hospital as her father, where she remains in intensive care, drifting in and out of consciousness, Xinhua said.
Doctors say that even if she pulls through, she will need surgery for burns she suffered from an electric blanket on her bed when she lost consciousness, the China Daily newspaper said.
According to Chinese media reports, the family -- whose monthly income is about 1,000 yuan ($146) -- has already spent nearly 100,000 yuan ($14,600) in medical expenses since the father was diagnosed with cancer more than a month ago. The mother, who is also in poor health, retired early more than eight years ago.
The woman told China Daily she is now trying to keep her husband from learning of their daughter's desperate act of love.
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07add579c83345b3acdba3f62e367a33
|
Exactly, how many sleeping pills girl swallowed after discovering about her father`s illness?
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[
"more than 200"
] |
NewsQA
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man who police say dressed as Santa Claus and killed nine people at a Christmas Eve party may have also had plans to kill his mother and his former wife's divorce attorney, police said Monday night.
Bruce Jeffrey Pardo went on a shooting rampage in a Los Angeles suburb on Wednesday, police say.
Prime suspect Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, who police said committed suicide hours after he went on a shooting rampage and started a raging house fire in the Los Angeles suburb of Covina, left a rental car with a gasoline canister outside the home of attorney Scott Nord, said Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department.
Police previously said that Pardo targeted his rampage at his former wife, Sylvia Ortega Pardo, and her family at the family's Christmas Eve party.
A divorce between the two was finalized in court on December 18 in a "somewhat contentious proceeding," Covina Police Chief Kim Raney said last week. Police believe Pardo planned to carry out a similar attack at Nord's house as he did at the shooting and house fire that claimed nine lives.
Another rented car that Pardo used to flee the scene was found booby-trapped after the shooting, police said. That car burned as the Covina bomb squad was trying to disconnect an explosive device in it, police said.
On Saturday, Covina police released the names of the nine people unaccounted for since the shooting and fire. Nine bodies were recovered from the rubble of the house, but authorities said that they are having to work with dental records to establish identities.
"The bodies were so badly burned they cannot be identified any other way," said Covina police Lt. Pat Buchanan.
The nine unaccounted for include Sylvia Pardo, her parents, her sister, her two brothers, both brothers' wives, and a nephew. Ages of the nine range from 17 to 80, police said.
On Monday night, police said Pardo's mother had also planned to attend the Christmas party, but didn't go because she was sick.
Pardo had a contentious relationship with his mother, according to Buchanan, because she attended the couple's divorce hearing and had sided with Pardo's ex-wife.
The shooting and fire left 10 children orphaned and three others lost one parent. An "Ortega Family Fund" has been set up at Nord's law offices.
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06af50c2eb3c447999df5e9bde26b0fe
|
Who was the original target?
|
[
"his mother and his former wife's divorce attorney,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The remains of a woman who disappeared 22 years ago in northern California have been found after the son of the woman's purported killer guided police to the site where her body was dumped, investigators announced Thursday.
The alleged killer's son told authorities that he watched his father kill 27-year-old Lysandra Marie Turpin in 1988 and that his dad forced him to help dispose of the body, the Humboldt County, California, Sheriff's Office announced.
Ernest Samuel Christie III, who was 16 at the time, told authorities that his now-dead father, Ernest Samuel Christie Jr., made him help dump Turpin's body in a ditch near their home in Fieldbrook, California, about 80 miles south of the Oregon border. Christie said his father forced him to help cover the body with tires, douse it in gasoline and set it on fire, Humboldt County Sheriff Gary Philp said in a statement Thursday.
Christie's dad had held and abused Turpin at his house for several weeks before killing her, Christie told the sheriff's office. She had been reported missing to Humboldt County law enforcement on April 8, 1988.
After Christie supplied the sheriff's office with a map of where the body had been dumped, a team of detectives, evidence technicians, and sheriff's deputies found teeth, clothing and charred bones. A forensic odontologist positively identified the remains as Lysandra Turpin on Wednesday, according to Philp.
Ernest Samuel Christie Jr. died in 2006, according to the sheriff's office. His son, now 38 and living in North Carolina, contacted the sheriff's office in February. He is not facing criminal charges, Philp said.
Christie told authorities that his father had abused other women, once holding a woman prisoner in a hollowed-out redwood tree stump. The woman escaped and declined to report the incident to law enforcement, the sheriff's office said.
Using a description provided by Christie, sheriff's personnel located the stump and found a carpet, plastic jugs, a hypodermic syringe and clothing there, Philp said Thursday.
Christie related other instances of his father -- who he said frequently used methamphetamine -- terrorizing women, Philp said.
Christie told authorities that his dad once took a woman on his fishing boat, tied her up and told her he was going to kill her. The woman managed to escape, and detectives were recently able to find her and corroborate Christie's account, Philp said.
|
69198cc1ab4c408cb2e943cbbc2be779
|
Who positively identify Turpin's remains?
|
[
"A forensic odontologist"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Honey has been used to treat wounds since ancient times, but recent years have seen a surge of medical interest in the sticky stuff.
Research has shown that honey has antibacterial properties.
Manuka honey has been the subject of particular interest, with the results of a study just published by Sydney University finding that it has powerful antibacterial properties, and is even effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Associate Professor Dee Carter, from Sydney University's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences said: "Our research is the first to clearly show that these honey-based products could in many cases replace antibiotic creams on wounds and equipment such as catheters. Using honey as an intermediate treatment could also prolong the life of antibiotics."
"Most bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one antibiotic, and there is an urgent need for new ways to treat and control surface infections."
She added: "We don't quite know how these honeys prevent and kill infections, but a compound in them called methylglyoxal seems to interact with a number of other unknown compounds in honey to prevent infectious bacteria developing new strains that are resistant to it."
Honey is a complex substance, containing up to 800 compounds and its complexity means it has been difficult to pinpoint exactly how it kills bacteria.
Manuka is a type of honey that is made by bees pollinating the flowers of the Manuka bush, a member of the Leptospermum family that grows naturally in New Zealand.
Now, an Australian company is claiming to have produced the world's most potent medical-grade antibacterial honey, made by bees pollinating the Australian jellybush, also a member of the Leptospermum family.
Australia's Medi Bioactive Honey Company claims its Berringa antibacterial honey has twice the antibacterial content of normal manuka honey, and has launched the product in the UK.
Dr Rose Cooper of the University of Wales Cardiff School of Health Sciences has researched honey's antibacterial action and has written a book called "Honey in Modern Wounds Management."
Cooper told CNN that there are many components in honey that contribute to its antibacterial nature. She says its high sugar content, low water content and low pH are all factors. Additionally, some honey produces hydrogen peroxide, which can kill bacteria.
Since 2004, Britain's National Health Service has licensed the use of manuka-honey wound dressings and sterilized medical grade manuka-honey creams.
|
0fea5fb94ce544d8acd32c8feb28e886
|
which contains antibacterial properties according to the research?
|
[
"honey"
] |
NewsQA
|
GLASGOW, Scotland -- Jean-Claude Darcheville and Nacho Novo both scored twice to fire leaders Rangers to a 4-0 win at Hearts, their 10th consecutive Scottish Premier League victory.
Jean-Claude Darcheville scored two first-half goals as Rangers cruised to a 4-0 victory at Hearts.
Hearts found themselves ripped apart by a rampant Rangers side, who sent out a clear message to rivals Celtic by maintaining their four-point advantage at the summit.
Darcheville claimed the opener after 25 minutes, cutting inside from the left and squeezing his shot inside the far post from a tight angle.
The same player added a second two minutes before the break, scoring from close range after a Barry Ferguson corner was not cleared.
Darcheville was withdrawn for Novo at the interval, but if Hearts thought the departure of the Frenchman meant some much-needed respite, they were sadly mistaken.
Novo was on the pitch for seven minutes when he helped himself to a goal of his own. Charlie Adam set up the shot with a low ball across goal and all that was required from the striker was to bundle home from close range.
The same two players combined again to supply Rangers with their fourth goal with 69 minutes gone. Adam was again the provider and this time Novo produced a cheeky back-heel finish from five meters.
Meanwhile, goals by Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras gave Celtic a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Australian international McDonald's 25th goal of the season right on the interval gave the champions the lead and his Greek team-mate bulleted an Aiden McGeady cross past goalkeeper Michael Fraser on the hour mark.
But the final minutes were needlessly fraught for Celtic after Caley striker Marius Niculae took advantage of Scott Brown's misplaced pass to pull a goal back in the 70th minute. E-mail to a friend
|
ffed1972b9724a28aa5df5f2d06a2044
|
what is the score of rangers
|
[
"4-0"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Four-time Fed Cup champions Russia edged Serbia 3-2 on Sunday to reach the semifinals of this year's competition where they will play the United States.
Russia owed their victory to the doubles partnership of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alisa Kleybanova, who beat Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic 6-1 6-4 in the decisive rubber in Belgrade
Earlier in the reverse singles, Kleybanova beat Ivanovic 6-2 6-3 while Jankovic scored her second victory of the weekend as she saw off Kuznetsova 6-3 4-6 6-3 to level the tie.
"We are really happy after this hard-fought victory," Kuznetsova told the official Web site www.fedcup.com
"We played the crucial doubles like real partners. Alisa was really good although she's a singles player."
The United States, missing both the Williams sisters, were still too good for France as they wrapped up a 4-1 win on an indoor clay court at the Stade Couvert Regional de Lievin.
Teenage star Melanie Oudin continued her heroics with a second singles victory as she beat Julie Coin 7-6 6-4 to give her side an unassailable 3-0 lead.
"I was a little nervous in the beginning," Oudin said. "She definitely stepped up her game when she came out on court and served some really great service games.
"There wasn't much I could do in the beginning, besides staying in there with her."
France restored some pride with Pauline Parmentier's 6-4 6-4 win over Christina McHale before Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber won the concluding doubles for the U.S.
Defending champions Italy are also in the semifinals after a convincing 4-1 win over the Ukraine.
Francesca Schiavone came from a set down to beat Kateryna Bondarenko to seal the victory after Flavia Pennetta had downed Alona Bondarenko on straight sets in the first reverse singles on Sunday.
They will play the Czech Republic who beat Germany 3-2 thanks to a decisive doubles victory.
Lucie Hradecka, who was making her Fed Cup debut as a late replacement for the injured Lucie Safarova, proved the final day star in Brno.
In the opening reverse singles she beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1 7-6 to give the home team a 2-1 lead.
Anna-Lena Groenefeld beat Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-3 6-2 to draw the Germans level, but Hradecka and Kveta Peschke saw off Groenefeld and Tatjana Malek 6-3 6-2 to seal a deserved passage to the last four.
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3f2c3dc0fa094eb1aa80ab7a01e7f24b
|
Who will play the US n the semi finals?
|
[
"Russia"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson, formerly coach of bitter rivals England, as the new national team boss.
Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland's struggling rugby side.
The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England, and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004, winning just nine of 22 matches.
Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007, and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden.
He had been part of Hadden's backroom staff, and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer. Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations, finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings.
Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage.
"With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world's best, and preparation for that starts now," he told the SRU Web site.
"I'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji, Australia and Argentina."
Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job.
Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment.
"Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team," he told the SRU's Web site.
"I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby, is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team."
Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful.
"Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years, including the 2011 World Cup," McKie said.
"He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby, with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons, and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes."
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4826347e81cc4027956d5f4a35184463
|
Who is Robinson replacing?
|
[
"Frank Hadden."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty.
These intravenous vitamin "drips" are part of the latest quick-fix, health fad catching on in Japan: the IV cafe.
Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern.
"I used to take vitamin supplements, but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly," a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN. She said she receives specific injections to get better skin, burn fat and boost her energy.
There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki. The "orange" variety touts anti-aging properties, loaded with antioxidants. The "placenta pack" is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness.
Prices range from $20 to $30 per injection, and nurses see about 30 to 40 people each day. Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building.
"I see a lot of businessmen who say they don't have time to sleep. They can't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy," a Tenteki nurse told CNN.
"Blue" is the most requested vitamin pack among these men: a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion.
Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki, but there's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims.
Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated.
"More is not necessarily better...some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses," particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A, D, E and K, explained Claire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation.
In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep, particularly vitamin B 12.
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours.
Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young. Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free.
According to Williamson, it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin. "At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream," she said.
Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods, nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods."
|
a9fc5760a6bc4a7ab95e1b67afd5ac44
|
What do vitamin injections target?
|
[
"a particular health ailment or beauty concern."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An emotional Nancy Reagan helped unveil a statue of her late husband, President Reagan, on Wednesday, calling the 7-foot figure "a wonderful likeness."
Nancy Reagan, with House Minority Leader John Boehner, wipes away tears at Wednesday's event.
"I know Ronnie would be deeply honored to see himself with a permanent home in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol and very proud to be representing his beloved California," Nancy Reagan said.
She appeared to battle emotions as she mentioned her last visit to the marbled hall for Reagan's memorial in June 2004.
"It's nice to be back under happier circumstances," she said. Watch Nancy Reagan unveil the statue »
The statue is one of two from California in the National Statuary Hall Collection donated by states to honor significant figures.
Nancy Reagan stood arm-in-arm with House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio to pull down the curtain from the statue. She thanked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California for making the event possible.
In her remarks, Pelosi noted that the former president's statue contains pieces of the Berlin Wall, "as a symbol of his commitment to national security and to his success." The wall was torn down shortly after Reagan left office.
"I'm so grateful to Californians for giving him this honor," Nancy Reagan said. "Artist Chas Fagan has captured his likeness so well, and I think the addition of the pieces of the Berlin Wall in the pedestal reflects my husband's commitment to freedom and democracy for everyone."
The former president is credited with polices that led to the break-up of the former Soviet Union and the dismantling of the wall that divided Berlin as a symbol of Cold War politics.
James Baker, a longtime Republican who served in the Cabinets of Reagan and President George H.W. Bush, recalled that Reagan inherited some major problems when he took office in 1981.
Citing the former president's trademark optimism, he quoted from Reagan's first inaugural address that "we are not, as some would have us believe, doomed to an inevitable decline."
Nancy Reagan attended a White House ceremony Tuesday marking Barack Obama's signing of legislation authorizing a Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission. The 11-member commission will plan activities marking Reagan's 100th birthday on February 6, 2011.
Reagan was president from 1981 to 1989.
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8bbe08e622d44b38b3bb437cca2bf82e
|
Which state donated the figure?
|
[
"California"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Three inmates were shot and wounded by guards Friday during an escape attempt at a Livingston, Texas, prison, officials said.
The incident started about 9 p.m. (10 p.m. ET) when inmates were leaving a church service at a gymnasium in the prison, said Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
While walking back from the church service, five inmates jumped an interior fence in an attempt to flee, officials said.
Guards opened fire, wounding three of the inmates. All five were captured and the wounded inmates were taken to a hospital, Clark said.
CNN's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.
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ab33a556f33d4f75bbd9327f0f6742bb
|
What were the inmates doing prior to trying to escape?
|
[
"leaving a church service at a gymnasium"
] |
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.
|
f59aa9edf02c44febb20cea65836593e
|
What did Tata do?
|
[
"pump \"tens of millions\" of dollars into the luxury car brand"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller died Wednesday night in Cleveland, Ohio, of acute leukemia, according to a statement from the Cleveland Indians. He was 92.
Feller was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in August and underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to implant a pacemaker in October. In mid-November, Feller was hospitalized with pneumonia.
The major leaguer was an icon for Indians fans.
"We in Cleveland have been blessed to have had him with us these many years," said Indians owner Larry Dolan. "To say he will be missed is such an understatement."
Feller spent 18 years in a Cleveland Indians uniform. He started 484 games, winning 266 of them. Feller had a lifetime ERA of 3.25, threw three no-hitters, including the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League Baseball history, on April 16, 1940. In 1946, he pitched 36 complete games.
"Since 1936 he has been with us. For 75 years he has been a contributing citizen, a model for all athletes, and friend of thousands," Dolan said. "As so it shall be in the larger sense, Bob will be with us always. Not at Opening Day, not at Fantasy Camp, not in the Press Box, but in our hearts."
Indians manager Manny Acta said Feller was a special person.
"There has never been a great one with such an affiliation to his original franchise," Acta said. "When you think Cleveland Indians, you think Bob Feller and vice-versa. He was a genuine patriot and a big-time Hall of Famer. Boy, he loved the Indians and we all loved him back."
|
8370680c4e8a4a70bd74df27306e476f
|
who pitched 18 years for the Cleveland Indians
|
[
"Bob Feller"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A broad band of severe thunderstorms Sunday sparked heavy rain and hail and prompted tornado warnings from Florida to Virginia, with multiple twisters reported in North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.
At least eight unconfirmed tornadoes were spotted along North Carolina's I-85 corridor between Charlotte and Greensboro, with overturned mobile homes, toppled trees and downed power lines left by the storms, the weather service said.
"It's been a very active evening for most of central North Carolina," said Julia Jarema, spokeswoman for North Carolina Emergency Management.
The storms caused scattered power outages throughout the state, but because of the multiple bands of storms "things are changing so rapidly we haven't been able to confirm numbers," Jarema said.
Video showed a portion of metal roofing was ripped off an industrial building in Belmont, North Carolina, west of Charlotte, littering nearby trees with clumps of yellow insulation.
Multiple mobile homes were overturned in Linwood, North Carolina, outside of Lexington, and at least three people were reported injured, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.
A video posted on YouTube purportedly showed flashes of snapping power lines as a huge funnel cloud loomed over High Point, North Carolina, near Greensboro. At least 20 homes were reported damaged in the area, the weather service said.
High Point emergency management officials were going house to house checking for possible injuries, according to a fire department spokeswoman.
News14: Tornado touches down in Charlotte
Local law enforcement reported another tornado north of Greensboro, North Carolina, the weather service said.
The storm was also producing 70 mph winds and hail as large as baseball or tennis-ball size, Jeras reported.
"As daylight comes we'll know really more about what kind of damage we are facing," Jarema said.
|
c09e93a7243b4b70ba6dc0377e6b0325
|
How many homes were damaged near High Point, North Carolina?
|
[
"At least 20"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England -- Savers at a leading UK mortgage bank lined up for a second day to empty their accounts Saturday, a day after the lender was bailed out by the Bank of England after heavily slashing profit forecasts.
Fearful customers line up to withdraw cash from a Northern Rock branch in southeast London on Friday.
Long lines formed before counters opened at the Northern Rock building society, one of the UK's top five lenders, as worried customers ignored reassurances from the bank and the government.
Customers are believed to have already withdrawn about £1 billion ($2 billion) since the bank's woes were revealed, prompting speculation that the global credit crunch made raising funds through commercial borrowing difficult.
Shares in Northern Rock dropped up to 30 percent in Friday trading, with problems spilling over the European banking sector
The British Bankers' Association has urged customers to "calm down," according to the UK Press Association.
It said: "Northern Rock is a sound and safe bank and there is absolutely no reason for either mortgage customers or savers to worry."
Meanwhile, finance minister Alistair Darling said the Bank of England had stepped in "to create a stable banking system".
He said: "People can use their accounts in the usual way, they can carry on making their mortgage payments in the usual way. Northern Rock will be able to carry on its business."
Northern Rock chief executive Adam Applegarth said yesterday that the bank had yet to draw on the emergency cash, which he called "a backdrop in case we need to use it", according to PA. E-mail to a friend
|
cb9845c7e7d94d2b98cadcc0e57f9bd3
|
What did savers do?
|
[
"lined up for a second day to empty their accounts"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- It's been 30,000 years since Neanderthals walked the earth, but now we can hear what they sounded like, according to a Florida anthropologist.
Neanderthal man apparently sounded like a frog croaking or a human burping when talking.
Robert McCarthy of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton reconstructed Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate their voice with a computer synthesizer.
The result is a single syllable that sounds strange and unremarkable: part croaking frog, part burping human. But McCarthy says that's because Neanderthals lacked the "quantal vowels" modern humans use.
"They would have spoken a bit differently," McCarthy said at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Ohio this month. "They wouldn't have been able to produce these quantal vowels that form the basis of spoken language."
New Scientist magazine discussed McCarthy's findings and linked to his vocal simulation on its Web site. Listen to Neanderthal man speak
McCarthy used 50,000-year-old fossils from France to make his reconstruction, New Scientist said. He plans to simulate an entire Neanderthal sentence, the magazine reported.
To reconstruct the vocal tracts, McCarthy teamed with linguist Phil Lieberman, who worked in the 1970s to deduce the dimensions of a Neanderthal larynx based on its skull. E-mail to a friend
|
b30961a8f04a44ce9b90ea0aabd5983b
|
What is the plan?
|
[
"simulate an entire Neanderthal sentence,"
] |
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