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NewsQA
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(CNN) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will decide this week whether to allow gays and lesbians who are not celibate to serve as clergy members and lay leaders, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Current Evangelical Lutheran Church policy allows gay and lesbian clergy, lay people to serve only if celibate.
Spokesman John Brooks said the church's 1,045 voting members, who are at a weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will vote Friday on whether to change its policy regarding gay clergy members.
The policy allows gays and lesbians to serve as clergy members and lay leaders if they are celibate, Brooks said. Heterosexual clergy are allowed to have sex within marriage.
The new policy would allow gays and lesbians in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships," to serve as clergy and lay leaders, according to the proposal.
Lay leaders are people other than clergy members who are on the professional rosters of the church.
A simple majority will decide the vote, Brooks said. He said there is a "wide range of opinions" on changing the policy.
The body is also scheduled to vote Wednesday on a social statement on sexuality that has been eight years in the making, he said.
"It's important for us because it informs the basis for policy," he said.
According to its Web site, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 4.6 million members.
The church is not the only denomination that has dealt with the issue of gay clergy.
Last month, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops voted by a wide margin to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops, Episcopal Life reported.
In April, the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted against allowing openly gay pastors to serve, according to the Presbyterian News Service.
|
feee4bdc49c34996a59d2db238db6b3a
|
How many members will vote to decide the issue?
|
[
"1,045 voting"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities have issued sketches of three people sought in connection with the spate of eastern Texas church fires.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released the drawings Friday at a news conference in Tyler, Texas.
We have a serial arsonist out there," said Robert Champion, special agent in charge of ATF's Dallas, Texas, office. "We need help from the public."
There have been a total of 11 church fires so far this year, 10 of them found to be deliberately set.
There is no clear theme linking the fires, which have struck churches of different denominations, including Baptist, Methodist and Church of Christ Scientist, on different days of the week and at different times of the day.
While the churches are located in small towns, not all of them are in remote locations.
Police patrols have been stepped up near churches, and in some cases church members are staying at their churches to protect them or patrolling around the churches themselves.
"I think maybe I would characterize the mood of our people as perplexed," Randy Daniels, mayor of Athens, Texas, told CNN earlier this week. Athens, a town of about 12,000 people, has had three of its church set on fire.
In Tyler, Texas, the Tyland Baptist Church was among those set ablaze. Pastor David Mahfood told CNN on Wednesday there was nothing left from the January 16 fire -- "not a Bible, not a hymnal. We've got some bricks. That's it."
At another destroyed church, Russell United Methodist Church in Wills Point, Texas, members are trying to salvage what they can from the ashes.
A large brass cross that hung over the church's choir loft was recently found, church member Kay Crosby told CNN. "It was kind of twisted, but we're going to have it restored," she said.
|
647d15d38042433ba583a81bb98df76d
|
how many people released?
|
[
"three"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Several thousand barrels of North Slope crude oil spilled into a containment area along the Alaska pipeline Tuesday when an open valve at a pump station allowed oil to overflow a tank, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company said.
Alyeska said the incident took place about 10:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. ET) during a planned pipeline shutdown while the company was conducting fire command and valve leak testing at the pump station.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said a battery failed to control the valve when power was switched from the main grid during Alyeska's tests. The valve has been closed, shutting off the flow, the department said, but the pipeline remains shut down.
The department said the next steps would be to clean up the oil in the containment area, determine the cause of the problem and restart oil flowing in the pipeline. No oil has been reported outside the containment area.
Mark MacIntyre, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency in Seattle, Washington, said two EPA coordinators would arrive on the scene from Anchorage on Wednesday and have a report in the afternoon.
The pump station is near Delta Junction, about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. Ayleska said the lined containment area that took the spill has a capacity of about 104,500 barrels.
Ayleska also said there were no injuries and the pump station was evacuated. An incident management team and other responders were dispatched.
CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
|
375be3002c90477e9a85079302c35bd9
|
How much oil overflowed?
|
[
"thousand barrels"
] |
NewsQA
|
Los Angeles (CNN) -- "Easy Rider" actor Peter Fonda found a body while driving down Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades community of west Los Angeles on Wednesday, police said.
Fonda, 70, noticed that a car had been parked on side street off Sunset Boulevard for two days, so he stopped to check it out, according to Los Angeles Police Homicide Detective Allen Shubert.
"He looked in the vehicle and saw a body in there and called the fire department," Shubert said.
A man who had committed suicide several days before was slumped over the wheel of the sedan, he said.
The man's identity has not been made public, but he was not a celebrity, he said.
|
2be36495088542ee84e2d4ffe786cb55
|
What was in the car?
|
[
"a body"
] |
NewsQA
|
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Suspected Taliban militants blew up a government-run school Monday in Pakistan's violence-plagued Swat Valley, bringing to 183 the number of schools destroyed since fighting began in the area six months ago, officials said.
Students gather outside a destroyed school on January 17 in Kundar in Pakistan's Swat Valley.
A day earlier, radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah threatened to kill more than four dozen government officials if they did not appear before him for opposing the Taliban.
Local newspapers on Monday printed the list of 50 government officials and tribal elders whom Fazlullah has threatened with death.
The boy's high school that was destroyed was located in Mingora, the valley's main city, said Sher Afzal Khan, an education officer for Swat. The attack occurred early Monday and no one was wounded.
Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province, was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. It is situated near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles (300 km) from the capital city of Islamabad.
The valley boasted the country's only ski resort and was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts until it was overrun by militants, led by Fazlullah. He has launched a violent and deadly campaign to enforce Taliban-style fundamentalist Islamic laws throughout the province.
The militants want to require veils for women and beards for men, and to ban music and television.
The central government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants.
As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban has carried out a series of deadly bombings, and has said the attacks will continue until the troops pull out.
Elsewhere in the North West Frontier Province, a blast killed five people and wounded 15 others Monday morning, officials said.
The bomb, planted on a bicycle, went off in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, said Mohammad Riaz of the province's police force. It killed shopkeepers and pedestrians, added the town's police chief, Abdul Rashid.
CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.
|
b326fe216bdf4a4cab81cd8133c87aa1
|
Where was the boy's high school?
|
[
"Mingora,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai police said Tuesday that they would seek court permission to extend the detention of a Lebanese man they have charged with illegal possession of explosive materials.
The move comes amid tension after the United States and Israel warned their citizens in Bangkok on Friday of the possibility of an imminent terrorist attack.
The police charged the man, Atris Hussein, on Monday after finding "initial chemical materials that could produce bombs" in an area just outside Bangkok. The police said Hussein, who also holds a Swedish passport, led them to the location.
The authorities are accusing Hussein of trying to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists and say he is believed to belong to Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization.
Hussein will be brought to the criminal court Tuesday, so that the police can request authorization to continue to hold him as they pursue their investigation, said Piya Uthayo, a police spokesman. The charges of illegally possessing explosives carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Thai authorities said Sunday they were still looking for another suspect of Middle Eastern origin in the case, providing a sketch of his face.
The materials found Monday in Samutsakorn, southwest of Bangkok, included 400 boxes of fertilizers weighing a total of more than 4,000 kilograms and 1,500 liters of liquid ammonia nitrate, together with 400 electric fans, according to CNN affiliate MCOT.
They were found in a shop house, a type of store common in Southeast Asia that gives onto the sidewalk and also serves as the owner's residence.
Based on comments from Hussein, the authorities believe that "Thailand is only a transit point to send these initial explosive materials to other regional countries," said Police General Priewpan Damapong.
A U.S. Embassy statement on Friday spoke of "foreign terrorists" who may be planning attacks "in the near future." It urged U.S. citizens to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok. Israel issued a similar alert later Friday.
Thailand is a highly popular tourist destination, and Bangkok serves as a major transport hub for the Southeast Asian region.
The country has undergone periods of unrest in recent years. It experienced a spate of political violence during anti-government demonstrations in 2010.
And Muslim separatists in southern Thailand have long battled government forces in a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist, with a number of bombings taking place last year.
|
d59e315c8185412bad089ef40ee09593
|
What is the mans name?
|
[
"Atris Hussein,"
] |
NewsQA
|
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- A rebel group that has been attacking oil pipelines in southern Nigeria claimed responsibility on Monday for another strike and said it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting that followed the sabotage.
A fire burns following an attack on a pipeline in Nigeria in December 2006.
The Nigerian military confirmed an attack on an oil pipeline and an explosion, but called the claim that 11 soldiers were killed a "lie" and "pure propaganda."
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, issued a statement saying it "successfully sabotaged another major trunk pipeline" belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company in the country's Rivers State.
"Minutes after the sabotage, our fighters encountered a military gunboat which opened fire blindly on the advance guard. We flanked them in a counter-attack and killed in close combat all the drunken soldiers numbering eleven, collecting their weapons, ammunitions and bullet-proof vests before using dynamite to sink the gunboat with its dead occupants," MEND said.
MEND also said they found two "traumatized, adolescent girls" who were gang-raped by Nigerian soldiers. "They were dropped off in the neighboring village by our men who have since returned safely to camp," the statement said.
The military had no immediate response to that claim.
Analysts say that one reason for record high gas prices in the United States is a spate of attacks on oil pipelines in Nigeria, the fourth largest supplier of oil to the United States.
Exxon and Shell are two of several companies that had been extracting two million barrels of oil a day in Nigeria. Yet rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut overall production by roughly 10 percent -- meaning 200,000 fewer barrels of oil on some days.
The rebel group hopes to secure a greater share of oil wealth for people in the Niger Delta, where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.
MEND has bombed pipelines and kidnapped hundreds of foreign oil workers, typically releasing them unharmed, sometimes after receiving a ransom payment.
The Nigerian government has proposed a peace summit to find a solution to the region's problems, but an immediate resolution does not appear in sight.
|
ab59eda84fc94b0595839702615693b2
|
what does MEND stand for?
|
[
"Movement"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Altovise Davis, the widow of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., has died. She was 65.
Altovise Davis, in a 2008 photo, married Sammy Davis Jr. in 1970.
Davis died Saturday at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, said her publicist, Amy Malone. She had been admitted two days earlier after suffering a stroke.
Davis, a dancer and actress from Brooklyn, New York, met Sammy Davis Jr. on the set of the musical "Golden Boy" in London in 1967. The couple married three years later.
It was Sammy Davis Jr.'s third marriage. The couple remained together until he died of throat cancer in 1990.
The couple had an adopted son.
Funeral services will be held in Burbank, California, with the date and time to be announced later.
Sammy Davis Jr., himself a musician, was famous for being part of the Rat Pack, which included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.
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6fdfe2a715a74603a3fcd5f03804dd7b
|
In what city did Altovise Davis die?
|
[
"Los Angeles, California,"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- The five remaining defendants in the racially charged "Jena Six" case will appear in court Friday and are expected to enter a plea, a spokesman for the district attorney's office said.
Protesters converged on the small Louisiana town in September 2007 after the "Jena 6" were charged.
Bill Furlow, spokesman for LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters, declined to say whether the defendants will plead guilty.
"It's not a done deal until it's a done deal," he said.
In December 2006, six African-American teenagers were charged with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy in the beating of a white classmate.
The incident followed months of racial tension in the community of about 3,000 people.
Jena, Louisiana, is about 140 miles southeast of Shreveport in the north-central part of the state.
The case drew national attention from civil rights groups, who argued that the charges were excessive.
An estimated 15,000-plus demonstrators turned out for a rally on behalf of the teens: Carwin Jones, Jesse Ray Beard, Robert Bailey Jr., Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and Mychal Bell.
The charges were eventually reduced.
Bell pleaded guilty to battery in a juvenile court and moved to Monroe, Louisiana. In January, Bell said he had attempted suicide the month before by shooting himself in the chest but was recovering.
Friday's hearing is set for 1:30 p.m.
|
5788b00cf3fe4313af4b9287c37d5802
|
what happened before the incident took place
|
[
"months of racial tension in the community"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A federal grand jury indicted a man arrested last week in connection with a mysterious case of exposure to the deadly biological agent ricin, prosecutors said.
Authorities found ricin, weapons and an anarchist manual in Roger Von Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room.
Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, was indicted on charges of possession of a biological toxin, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, said Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bergendorff was hospitalized for two months with suspected ricin poisoning, and was discharged before his arrest.
His initial court appearance was last week, Collins said, and he did not enter a plea. An arraignment is scheduled for May 2.
Bergendorff was hospitalized in February complaining of breathing difficulties. Two weeks later, Thomas Tholen, a cousin who went to Bergendorff's Las Vegas hotel room to recover his belongings, discovered what turned out to be ricin.
Authorities also said a search of the room found four guns, the book "Anarchist's Cookbook," a collection of instructions on poisons and other dangerous recipes and castor beans, syringes and beakers. Ricin is extracted from ground-up castor beans.
Tholen was charged earlier in April with failing to report the commission of a crime. A federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly concealing the knowledge that production and possession of a biological agent -- a felony -- was being committed.
Bergendorff previously lived in Tholen's home in Riverton, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. After the ricin was discovered, the FBI searched that home as well as storage units Bergendorff used in Utah.
Authorities said FBI agents searching the storage units found castor beans, chemicals used in the production of ricin, a respirator, filters, laboratory glassware, syringes and a notebook on ricin production.
If convicted as charged, Bergendorff would face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. E-mail to a friend
|
e629cb84078b48958d4a1721a3c03fbf
|
What did authorities find in Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room?
|
[
"ricin, weapons and an anarchist manual"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Investigators have found the bodies of three small children and the father who allegedly abducted them from their home in Columbus, Georgia, two weeks ago, the FBI said Wednesday.
Eddie Harrington threatened to kill his children before disappearing with them, police say.
"It is my sad duty to report that deceased bodies of these children and Eddie Harrington were located this afternoon," said FBI Special Agent Gerald Green.
A coroner would confirm the identities, he added.
The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Columbus by a person walking nearby, Green said. Watch the FBI say the bodies were in a car »
Eddie Harrington, 28, whom police described as depressed, took the children March 5, police said.
Before he left, Harrington sent a letter indicating his intent to kill his twin 23-month-old girls, Aliyah and Agana Battle, and his son, Cedric Harrington, 3, officials said.
The day before Wednesday's grisly discovery, the children's mother told CNN's Nancy Grace that Harrington had threatened them before.
"He's just told me he'll do anything to keep me at that time, and he said that he was going to take them and ... kill himself and the kids," Agena Battle said.
"But then later on, he told me that it was just to prove to me that, you know, what he'll do for me."
Battle also described the moment earlier this month when she knew something was wrong.
"I got home and I realized that the kids weren't there, and Eddie wasn't there either, and when I looked on the dresser and read the note, that's when I realized that my kids are in trouble," she said.
A week ago, a tearful Battle publicly begged her boyfriend not to harm the children.
"I am asking the public to please help me. I want my children home where they belong, with me," she said at an FBI news conference.
"Please, if you see Eddie, the car or the children, please call 911. Please help me and keep them in your prayers." Watch the mother's tearful plea »
A child abduction alert was issued in Georgia after the children disappeared. "We have great concern for the safety of these children," Green said at the time. It was unclear what sparked Harrington's decision to take the children, authorities said. E-mail to a friend
|
7145c60d7b6449a180e507ba1d5539e9
|
Who threatened the kids before?
|
[
"Eddie Harrington"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Liverpool want to avoid playing on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and UEFA president Michel Platini says he will "do his utmost" to make it a reality.
Liverpool fans had to be treated on the pitch as the tragedy unfolded at Hillsborough in 1989.
The anniversary falls on April 15, one of two dates set aside for the second leg of this season's Champions League quarterfinal ties, the other being the previous day.
European governing body UEFA issued a statement from Platini, rejecting reports that they had snubbed the appeal by Liverpool.
"We are aware of the huge significance of the April 15 date for both Liverpool FC and their fans, and that is why we will do our utmost to make sure that the club does not have to play its UEFA Champions League second leg quarterfinal match on that day," Platini said.
"This being the 20th anniversary of that tragic disaster in 1989 makes it even more relevant and we will take this into account."
Ninety six people died when Liverpool supporters were crushed at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough on April 15, 1989, before the start of their team's FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest.
A cousin of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was among the dead, and the England midfielder has urged UEFA to be sympathetic to the club.
Gerrard told Press Association at the weekend: "We're still waiting to see whether UEFA will make us play on the day. That would be far from ideal given all the emotion that always surrounds the club on that day."
Liverpool have never played a game on the anniversary of the tragedy.
The Champions League quarterfinal draw takes place on Friday with four English clubs in the draw and no seedings in place.
Liverpool reached the quarterfinals with a superb 4-0 home win over Real Madrid last week and followed it up with a 4-1 thumping of Manchester United to revive their Premier League title hopes.
|
288332a363674c44a3cf723ad50d105b
|
What date is the quarterfinals?
|
[
"April 15,"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The largest mass transit project in the country got under way Monday with the help of federal stimulus dollars, as public officials broke ground on a second passenger rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River.
Work on the country's largest mass transit project began Monday.
The new tunnel will link New Jersey with New York and eventually will double capacity on the nation's busiest rail corridor, running from Washington to Boston, Massachusetts, officials said.
Officials participated in the groundbreaking for the $8.7 billion project as commuter trains passed behind them in North Bergen, New Jersey, before entering the existing train tunnel, which went into operation in 1908.
"As we start digging this tunnel, I think that what really it means, we are digging our way out of an economic crisis," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey. "As we're getting under way, we're seeing the dividends of the Recovery Act being paid right now."
The Department of Transportation announced Monday that it will commit $3 billion to the project over its lifespan. Of that, $130 million is coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the department said..
It is the largest commitment to any transportation project anywhere in the United States in the history of the Department of Transportation, according to administrator Peter Rogoff of the Federal Transportation Administration.
"This is what President Obama means by recovery. It means putting people back to work now to improve the lives of so many others for years to come," Rogoff said.
The project -- known as ARC, for Access to the Region's Core -- is expected to create 6,000 design and construction jobs.
"This is going to promote mobility, reduce commuter congestion, staunch carbon emissions, enhance regional competitiveness and lay a foundation for an extraordinary expansion of mass transit in the most densely populate state in the nation, New Jersey," New Jersey Gov. John Corzine said.
New Jersey Transit says 170,000 passengers now travel through the existing train tunnel beneath the Hudson River to New York each day. When completed, the second tunnel will enable that figure to increase to 255,000 passenger trips. The additional passengers will disembark at a new concourse to be built at Penn Station in New York, 150 feet below street level.
|
26e1ac862036449aa84eed22eb23cc87
|
What will link New Jersey and New York?
|
[
"passenger rail tunnel"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration on Monday announced a 20-year ban on new mining claims on more than 1 million acres of public land near the Grand Canyon, a move meant to protect the iconic landmark from new uranium mining.
Previously approved operations will be allowed to continue, as will new projects on valid existing claims.
"People from all over the country and around the world come to visit the Grand Canyon. Numerous American Indian tribes regard this magnificent icon as a sacred place and millions of people in the Colorado River Basin depend on the river for drinking water, irrigation, industrial and environmental use," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
"We have been entrusted to care for and protect our precious environmental and cultural resources, and we have chosen a responsible path that makes sense for this and future generations," he added.
The administration said the move will give officials more time to monitor the impact of uranium mining on the vital watershed, and in the mineral-rich area in general.
Conservation groups cheered the decision, which was slammed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Sen. John McCain.
"This is a great day for Grand Canyon National Park and all those who care about the park and the surrounding public lands and waters," said Sandy Bahr, Grand Canyon chapter director of the Sierra Club, a California-based environmental organization. "Today's decision protects not only the area around the Grand Canyon, but water that helps feed the Colorado River, which provides drinking water for millions of people downstream."
Brewer similarly stressed the significance of the park, but argued the move will needlessly cost Arizona jobs and stall economic growth.
"The 20-year ban comes at the expense of hundreds of high-paying jobs and approximately $10 billion worth of activity for the Arizona economy," she said. "Nobody wants to see it (the Grand Canyon) harmed. But I believe that environmental protection and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. We could and should have both."
The Grand Canyon National Park is a major tourist attraction in Arizona; close to 5 million people visit it each year.
McCain, speaking Sunday before the ban's official announcement, said he had expected the decision and was disappointed.
"It's clearly another victory for the radical environmental community," he said.
|
38d467bbb3a7499887e3d976167b8615
|
What resource is the area rich in?
|
[
"uranium"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the "biggest prize ever" -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world's major religions.
The TV show offers converts to Islam the chance to visit Mecca.
The show, called "Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor," or "Penitents Compete," features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk.
If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians.
Ahmet Ozdemir, deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T, which will air the show from September, said the program aimed to "turn disbelievers on to God."
"People are free to believe anything they want. Our program does not have a say," he said, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
Contestants will be judged by a panel of eight theologians and religious experts prior to going on the show to make sure their lack of faith is genuine.
But the show has been condemned by Turkish religious leaders. The head of the country's supreme council of religious affairs, Hamza Aktan, told CNN Turk that it was "disrespectful" to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings.
"To do such a thing for the sake of ratings, not only with Islam but with all religions is disrespectful," said Aktan. "Religion should not be the subject of this type of program."
Although Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and culture, religion is a sensitive subject because of the country's staunchly secular constitution which outlaws most displays of faith in public life.
Last year the Islamist-influenced government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with the country's constitutional court when judges overturned the efforts of Erdogan's AK Party to lift a ban on female students wearing headscarves at public universities.
Aylin Yazan at CNN Turk contributed to this story.
|
5129bce7c8d04095829ed328479a2ebf
|
What do critics say about the show?
|
[
"\"disrespectful\" to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama should reach out to Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi as tensions in Iran over the disputed presidential elections continue to heighten, a former Bush administration official told CNN Sunday.
Paul Wolfowitz was the deputy defense secretary in the Bush administration.
"I would certainly find out if he (Moussavi) wants a conversation," former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "If he doesn't, I certainly wouldn't push it. But I would make it clear that the phone is an open line."
Obama on Saturday issued a written statement on the bloodshed across the streets of Tehran as demonstrators protest the election outcome, saying, "The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost.
"We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."
However, Obama has been criticized by some lawmakers and analysts who say he should vocalize a stronger stance on the clashes. Watch the latest videos being leaked out of Iran »
"I understand the concern about meddling in a way that seems to label the opposition as American tools, but the opposition made it very clear they want support from the world," said Wolfowitz, a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led war in Iraq and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen added that, "It would be useful for the president to show more forceful leadership internationally on this issue."
He noted the graphic images emerging from Iran, including the fatal shooting of a young female protester identified as Neda, saying the violence calls for "some kind of humanity from the West."
Gergen and Wolfowitz said the United States should rally with other Western nations and even countries in the region -- including Afghanistan and Turkey, which have recognized incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner of the June 12 election -- to support the Iranian people.
Ahmadinejad's victory was declared by Iran's election authority, the Guardian Council, spurring massive protests last week, with many demonstrators proclaiming their support for Moussavi.
Moussavi and candidate Mehdi Karrubi have rejected the election as fraudulent and demanded a new one.
Wolfowitz called Moussavi a "very brave man," saying, "He is resisting. He is putting his life at risk."
|
3ef0c2f76e1a495483c3ac8450d448b9
|
Who says Obama should show a more forceful relationship?
|
[
"CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen"
] |
NewsQA
|
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Militants set fire to a hotel at Pakistan's only ski resort Thursday, as security in the Swat Valley continued to deteriorate despite a month-old peace deal.
Pakistani soldiers on patrol in the Swat Valley, which is home to the country's only ski resort.
Militants forced their way into the state-run hotel in the northwestern tourist valley early Thursday morning, ransacked it and set it on fire, said Sardar Rehim Shahzad, district coordinator for Swat police.
The hotel, the only one at the Malam Jabba ski resort, sustained significant damage, he told CNN.
The resort is located near the Afghanistan border and about 300km (186 miles) from the capital city of Islamabad. It was shut down last summer after militants overran the area, keeping tourists away, Shahzad said.
Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. Aside from the ski resort, it was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area.
In recent months, however, militants bent on imposing fundamentalist Islamic law, or Sharia, have unleashed a wave of violence across the NWFP which has claimed hundreds of lives, many of them security personnel.
The militants want women to wear veils, beards for men and to ban music and television.
After months of bloody battles, the government in May reached a peace deal with fighters loyal to the banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM).
It is the latest attempt by Pakistan's new government -- headed by the party of the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- to achieve peace through negotiations in the lawless tribal areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein.
Ahead of the peace pact, Pakistan's government released TNSM's former leader Sufi Mohammed, who had been jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
He was freed after agreeing to cooperate with the government. Under the terms of his release, TNSM was also expected to lay down its arms and forgo violence.
But his son-in-law Fazlullah, who took over TNSM during his jail stint, vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region.
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3f80dd7df30844cbb50d020285fb6ec5
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How far is the resort from Islmabad?
|
[
"about 300km (186 miles)"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A cop killer and child molester who has been on the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most-wanted fugitive list for nearly four years was captured early Wednesday, authorities said.
Paul Clouston, 73, was taken into custody at a men's group home in Merced, California, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Kevin Connolly.
Agents with the fugitive task force "observed a man resembling Clouston seated in a chair and reading a newspaper," said the Marshals Service in a statement.
"He provided a false name three times before he said, 'I'm Paul Clouston and I'm tired of running,' " Connolly told CNN.
"We always say we go after the worst of the worst, and it doesn't get much worse than this type of predator, " Connolly added. "We're happy he's off the streets."
Connolly said a viewer tip to the TV program "America's Most Wanted" led agents to the killer.
Clouston murdered a police detective in Buena Park, California, in 1972. He was convicted a year later. After serving 10 years in prison for the slaying, Clouston was released in 1982.
In 1991, he was indicted on 17 counts of sexually abusing children in the Williamsburg, Virginia, area, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Clouston pleaded guilty to the charges and was sent back to prison. He was paroled in 2005 but was placed on the fugitive list after he failed to register as a convicted sexual offender in Virginia.
"The capture of Paul Clouston is a testament to the effectiveness of our 15 most wanted list and the partnerships we maintain with other law enforcement agencies," said John F. Clark, director of the U.S. Marshals Service in a statement. "It also speaks volumes to the value of someone doing the right thing and reporting a suspicious individual."
|
58387e2a50044dc08c5d26c50b073daa
|
What age is the fugitive?
|
[
"73,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- China is continuing to speak out against a multibillion-dollar U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, with the Chinese foreign minister telling U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday that the Obama administration should reconsider the deal.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Clinton in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is in session, according to a senior State Department official who spoke on background.
Yang "was making very serious representations to Secretary Clinton, asked the Obama administration to reconsider this decision and indicated that it would harm the trust and confidence that was established between the two sides," the official said.
Chinese officials "have indicated that they're going to suspend or to cancel or postpone a series of ... military-to-military engagements," the official said.
Clinton "responded very clearly" that the United States has a strategic interest in stability in the region, and that the Taiwan Relations Act "provides for a strong rationale for the provision of defensive capabilities and weapons to Taiwan as part of a larger context to preserve that peace and stability," the official said.
Clinton also told Yang that the United States supports improved relations between mainland China and Taiwan.
The $5.3 billion arms package includes upgrades to Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet, a five-year extension of F-16 pilot training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and spare parts for the upkeep of three different planes currently in use by the Taiwanese, according to the State Department. The deal is part of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.
China voiced strong opposition to the deal when it was announced last week, with the state-run Xinhua news agency quoting China's vice foreign minister, Zhang Zhijun, as saying, "The wrongdoing by the U.S. side will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas."
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. Taiwan began as the remnant of the government that ruled over mainland China, until a Communist uprising proved victorious in 1949.
The Taiwan Strait separates the mainland from the island.
In 1979, the United States carried out its "one China" policy by switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. But the Taiwan Relations Act obligates the United States to help defend the island if needed. The United States also is Taiwan's main arms supplier.
Beijing broke off military contacts with Washington last year to protest another arms sale to Taiwan. The sale included more than $6 billion in Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment, which Taiwan said it needed for self-defense.
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928769b8335a45909e2f0b1529b76e8b
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Who voiced strong opposition to the deal?
|
[
"China"
] |
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|
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A 23-year-old medical student pleaded not guilty Monday to an indictment alleging first-degree murder charge in a killing tied to Craigslist.
Philip Markoff is charged with killing a woman and robbing another in Boston hotels in April.
Philip Markoff is accused in the the fatal shooting of one woman and the robbery another in Boston hotels earlier this year.
A Massachusetts grand jury late last week indicted him on seven counts, including first-degree murder.
Markoff is charged with the April 14 fatal shooting and attempted robbery of Julissa Brisman, 25, and the armed robbery of a 29-year-old Las Vegas woman on April 10. Investigators have linked both crimes to ads on the popular Web site Craigslist.
He is also charged with "the armed and forcible confinement" of the two women, as well as two counts of unlawful firearm possession, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said. Watch Markoff in court »
The grand jury returned the indictment late Thursday, and it moves the case from Boston Municipal Court to Suffolk Superior Court, where Markoff entered his not guilty plea on Monday. He previously had pleaded not guilty in the city court and is being held without bail.
Markoff's attorney, John Salzberg, had no comment on the new indictment.
Prosecutors said Brisman, a model from New York who advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist, was shot three times at close range and suffered blunt head trauma at the Marriott Copley Place hotel.
The Las Vegas woman was robbed of $800 in cash and $250 in American Express gift cards at the Westin Copley Place hotel, police reports said.
Markoff, a second-year medical student at Boston University's School of Medicine, also has been charged in a nonfatal hotel assault in Rhode Island.
He has been charged with assault with the intent to rob, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a handgun and use of a firearm while committing a crime of violence, stemming from an April 16 robbery attempt at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, Rhode Island.
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f288537c0fb6405b8a87004acf40b933
|
What was he guilty of?
|
[
"first-degree murder"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Paul McCartney has come to New York and he wants to shout it from the rooftops.
Paul McCartney performs Wednesday on the roof above the marquee of New York's Ed Sullivan Theater.
To promote his concert at Citi Field this Friday, the former Beatle performed Wednesday afternoon on the roof above the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee before his appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," which is taped in the theater.
Wednesday's performance began at 5:30 p.m. ET and included a set of classics including "Get Back," "Band on the Run," "Helter Skelter" and "Back in the USSR." Sporting a pink button-up shirt and suspenders, McCartney played to a huge crowd that blocked off traffic near the intersection of 53rd Street and Broadway.
McCartney occasionally waved to occupants of nearby buildings as they gathered at their windows to listen to the concert.
McCartney will be the first music act to play at Citi Field, and that concert will kick off his summer U.S. tour. The Ed Sullivan Theater, named for the late variety-show host, has special meaning for McCartney as it was the site of the Beatles' historic televised performance in 1964.
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6964cc15dad0476e893f1ac60309dea7
|
Who performed songs before appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman"?
|
[
"Paul McCartney"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Buy a $175,000 package to attend the Oscars and you might buy yourself trouble, lawyers for the Academy Awards warn.
The 81st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.
The advertising of such packages -- including four tickets to the upcoming 81st annual Academy Awards and a hotel stay in Los Angeles, California -- has prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to sue an Arizona-based company.
The Academy accused the company Experience 6 of selling "black-market" tickets, because tickets to the lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold.
Selling tickets could become a security issue that could bring celebrity stalkers or terrorists to the star-studded event, says the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in the Central District of California.
"Security experts have advised the Academy that it must not offer tickets to members of the public and must know identities of the event attendees," the lawsuit says.
"In offering such black-market tickets, defendants are misleading the public and the ticket buyers into thinking that purchasers will be welcomed guests, rather than as trespassers, when they arrive for the ceremony."
Experience 6 did not return calls from CNN for comment. On Tuesday morning, tickets to the event were still being advertised on the company's Web site.
The Oscars will be presented February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.
The Academy Awards broadcast will air on ABC. Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host.
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95874ff42c554c3389474527a5c11c49
|
Who was sued by academy?
|
[
"the company Experience 6"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Fernando Torres rediscovered his scoring touch with a double at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea romped to a 5-0 win over Genk in their Champions League Group E match Wednesday.
The Spanish international striker had not scored in European club football for over two years, but looked dangerous throughout and might easily have had a hat-trick.
The Belgian visitors were up against it from the start and after Torres hit the post, Raul Mereiles scored with a thumping shot from outside the penalty area.
Torres was soon on the score sheet with a neat side foot effort and added his second with a well-placed header from a Mereiles cross.
Branislav Ivanovic headed home from a Florent Malouda free kick for the fourth just before halftime.
Torres, who was rested at the weekend, looked sharp as he went in search of his third and he was denied by Genk keeper Laszlo Koteles only for Salomon Kalou to grab the fifth from the rebound.
Chelsea lead Bayer Leverkusen by a point after the German side beat Valencia 2-1 in the other Group E match.
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack was the inspiration for Leverkusen, who fell behind to a goal from Brazil striker Jonas.
But they hit back through goals by midfielders Andre Schuerrle and Sidney Sam after the break, with ex-Germany captain Ballack setting up the winner with a superb defense-splitting pass.
Meanwhile in Group F, Arsenal made sure it was a good night for English Premier League sides with a last-gasp victory over Marseille in the Stade Velodrome.
The game was headed for a 0-0 draw when substitute Aaron Ramsey cropped up for the precious winner as Arsenal go top of the group by a point from their French opponents.
Olympiakos of Greece beat German champions Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the other match in the group to keep alive their hopes of qualification for the knockout stages.
Jose Holebas, a German player of Greek descent, headed the opener for the home side after just eight minutes.
Dortmund deservedly leveled through Polish striker Robert Lewandowski midway through the first half, but five minutes before the break Rafik Djebbour restored the Olympiakos lead.
With the visitors pressing, Olympiakos broke upfield to win a free kick and defender Francois Modesto headed home from Ariel Ibagaza's delivery to seal the victory.
|
344e3cdf12d1417e903d5fc2ac80ffad
|
Which team defeated Genk?
|
[
"Chelsea"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- About 13,000 employees at state-run Air India walked off the job for two hours Friday after the airline failed to pay their monthly wage.
A man walks past the Air India building in Mumbai. Staff staged a strike to protest against unpaid wages.
The strike was the last resort for some employees who say management failed to keep a promise to pay them Friday, said J.B. Kadian, the general secretary of the Air Corporation Employees Union.
There have been strained talks between management and three unions -- that includes everyone from the cabin crew to sweepers -- after Air India told the bulk of its employees their pay would be delayed by two weeks.
The unions said 13,000 employees participated in the strike but Air India did not provide a number.
The walkout comes after management did not follow through on its latest verbal agreement to pay the lowest paid employees by July 3, employees say. Employees normally get paid on the last day of the month.
The lowest paid unionized employees make less than $100 a week.
Employees said they were angered that their pay was delayed at a time when the airline has continued to buy new planes.
Air India's spokesperson J. Bhargava told CNN: "We will not tolerate any strike. Striking employees will be subject to loss of wages and productive incentives."
Air India is in deep financial trouble. It lost about a billion dollars last year alone.
It says it is in a fight for survival due to lower volumes of passengers, the high cost of employing about 31,000 employees as well as the current world financial downturn.
Analyst Kapil Kaul from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said Air India's problems may stem from bad business decisions rather than the global financial downturn.
"We have seen Air India continue to get planes when they have no money to pay salaries," Kaul said. "At the present time the airline does not have a well structure and realistic business case."
Air India has asked the government to bail it out. It also said it has avoided layoffs unlike other struggling airlines around the world.
|
be469f10b2d94a59a0a04b46393363de
|
who stages flash strike
|
[
"Staff"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Three people died Thursday when a medical helicopter crashed in western Tennessee, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The helicopter had dropped off a patient in Jackson, Tennessee, and was returning to Brownsville, Tennessee, about 30 miles west of Jackson, when the crash was reported, said FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford. Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt said the crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m.
Three people were initially reported to be on board the helicopter, Lunsford said. All three were believed to be fatalities, as the aircraft -- a Eurocopter AS350 -- was burned, he said.
Investigators were en route to the scene of the crash, a field near Brownsville, Lunsford said.
CNN affiliate WMC-TV said the helicopter was operated by Hospital Wing. The organization identifies itself on its Web site as the Memphis Medical Center's air ambulance service.
Hospital Wing said in a statement, reported by WMC-TV, that the crash occurred just east of Brownsville, and that three crew members and no patients were on board. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating, the statement said.
"Nothing like this has ever happened in our history," Allen Burnette, Hospital Wing's director and chief operating officer, said in the statement.
"A weather report said there were thunderstorms in the area, but that they had passed, Lunsford said. "The big weather system moving through had stopped a few moments before."
Officials believe the helicopter was operating under a visual flight rules plan and not communicating with air traffic controllers, he said. Visual Flight Rules, or VFR, mean a flight is conducted under visual conditions.
"There are operating guidelines in any aviation operation, but ultimately the pilot is responsible for (the) safety of (the) aircraft and deciding whether to go forward or not," Lunsford said.
Hospital Wing was founded in 1985, the group's statement said, and is a nonprofit air medical transport service with direct alliances with the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Baptist Memorial Hospital, The MED, St. Francis Hospital in Memphis and Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis, Arkansas.
CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.
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ce78b8e650404a498896be5b476c42d2
|
What did the helicopter drop off?
|
[
"patient"
] |
NewsQA
|
PARIS, France (CNN) -- Interpol on Monday took the unprecendented step of making a global appeal for help to identify a man from digitally reconstructed photos taken from the Internet that it said showed him sexually abusing underage boys.
This moving image shows how police used software to unscramble the image. (Source: Interpol)
The man's face was disguised by digital alteration, but the images were capable of being restored, according to a bulletin from Interpol -- the international police agency based in Lyon, France.
Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the pictures have been on the the Internet for several years, but investigators have been unable to determine the man's identity or nationality.
"We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens," Noble said.
He said there is "very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children."
Interpol has determined the photos were taken in Vietnam and Cambodia.
"The decision to make public this man's picture was not one which was taken lightly," said Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's Trafficking in Human Beings Unit.
The suspect's photo and more information can be seen online at Interpol's Web site. E-mail to a friend
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126808b0765746609cf81a8ec00696c4
|
Where did the man abuse boys?
|
[
"in Vietnam and Cambodia."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unveiled further details Monday of a 26 billion-euro ($33 billion) business stimulus package which his government hopes can stall falling growth and prevent the country joining other major European economies in recession.
Up to 1,000 projects will benefit from the package, which was first proposed by President Nicolas Sarkozy in December and approved by French lawmakers last week.
Around 20 billion euros of the total amount will be spent over the next 12 months. Businesses will receive 11.4 billion euros while the same amount will be invested in public projects with social housing identified as a priority. The final 4 billion euros will be spent on improving France's transport, energy and postal service infrastructure.
The package is expected to stimulate economic growth of around 1.3 percent, Fillon said. France has so far avoided the worst of the recession that has gripped many of its western European neighbors, including Germany and the UK.
But unemployment rose by a further 45,000 in December after surging by 64,000 in November, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said Monday, adding that she would be "very surprised" if France experienced positive growth in 2009.
Speaking to CNN this weekend at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Lagarde, defended the case for public spending in the face of fears that stimulus packages amounted to storing up unmanageable debts for future generations.
"When the house is on fire we don't look at what can be built, Lagarde said. "We need to kick start (the economy) and we need to restore confidence."
|
967a404af70e49c18612c60590059889
|
By how much did unemployment rise in France in December?
|
[
"45,000"
] |
NewsQA
|
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- A rebel group that has been attacking oil pipelines in southern Nigeria claimed responsibility on Monday for another strike and said it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting that followed the sabotage.
A fire burns following an attack on a pipeline in Nigeria in December 2006.
The Nigerian military confirmed an attack on an oil pipeline and an explosion, but called the claim that 11 soldiers were killed a "lie" and "pure propaganda."
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, issued a statement saying it "successfully sabotaged another major trunk pipeline" belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company in the country's Rivers State.
"Minutes after the sabotage, our fighters encountered a military gunboat which opened fire blindly on the advance guard. We flanked them in a counter-attack and killed in close combat all the drunken soldiers numbering eleven, collecting their weapons, ammunitions and bullet-proof vests before using dynamite to sink the gunboat with its dead occupants," MEND said.
MEND also said they found two "traumatized, adolescent girls" who were gang-raped by Nigerian soldiers. "They were dropped off in the neighboring village by our men who have since returned safely to camp," the statement said.
The military had no immediate response to that claim.
Analysts say that one reason for record high gas prices in the United States is a spate of attacks on oil pipelines in Nigeria, the fourth largest supplier of oil to the United States.
Exxon and Shell are two of several companies that had been extracting two million barrels of oil a day in Nigeria. Yet rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut overall production by roughly 10 percent -- meaning 200,000 fewer barrels of oil on some days.
The rebel group hopes to secure a greater share of oil wealth for people in the Niger Delta, where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.
MEND has bombed pipelines and kidnapped hundreds of foreign oil workers, typically releasing them unharmed, sometimes after receiving a ransom payment.
The Nigerian government has proposed a peace summit to find a solution to the region's problems, but an immediate resolution does not appear in sight.
|
5c39c28021eb43c9ad0de6320dec1758
|
Who claimed responsibility another strike on a gas pipeline?
|
[
"A rebel group"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities in South Dakota and Nebraska on Friday suspended a search for a missing Nebraska family after a relative told authorities he spoke to his kin and said they are doing well.
The Schade family of Creighton, Nebraska, is not missing, a relative says.
Law officers still don't exactly know the location of Matthew Schade of Creighton, Nebraska; his wife Rowena, and their two children -- a daughter, 11, and a son, 8.
But authorities think they might be in Nebraska because officials received a tip that a brush truck they suspect the couple stole from a volunteer fire department in South Dakota has been found abandoned in Antelope County, Nebraska. A brush truck is a type of small fire truck.
The family was last seen on March 20 in Knox County, where Creighton is located. Knox Sheriff James Janecek said the family had gone missing after an officer went to their house on a domestic abuse complaint.
Matthew Schade had been on probation for burglary and is wanted for violation of probation and failure to report a change of address, Antelope County Attorney Michael Long told CNN.
Schade's father, Chet Schade, contacted the Knox sheriff's office on Thursday afternoon. He confirmed he had spoken with all four family members and said they were alive and well.
The Knox County sheriff's office is urging the couple "to contact authorities immediately to resolve the situation."
"They could only help themselves by giving us a call," Janecek said.
Searchers had been searching for the family in South Dakota's Black Hills until it was determined the couple possibly made their way back to Nebraska.
"The investigation clearly shows the Schade family is no longer in the Black Hills area," said the sheriff's office in Pennington County, South Dakota.
Investigators think the Schades might have gone camping on U.S. Forest Service property in the Black Hills. Schade had visited the area in the past, and law officers found the family's Ford Taurus on Tuesday in Silver City, South Dakota.
CNN's Kara Devlin and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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da09f7a66a084b30bb13deccb5b4d80f
|
Where was the car abandoned?
|
[
"Antelope County, Nebraska."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Ten days later and despite an $11,000 reward, police have not found a missing 5-year old Arizona girl.
Jahessye Shockley wandered out of her Glendale, Arizona home on October 11, unnoticed by her older siblings who were supposed to be watching her. Her mother called police after returning home from an errand.
In the first three days after the girl went missing, Glendale police wrapped up a grid search of her neighborhood and moved into the second phase of their investigation where they are following up on tips they receive from the public.
Family members have begged for information on Jahessye's whereabouts.
"Please bring my baby back... Her safe return is all I want," Jahessye 's mother, Jerice Hunter, said last week. "She belongs to this family... She's somebody's child. Mine. Please bring my child home."
Shirley Johnson, the girl's grandmother, said she is wondering why the national media hasn't spread the word on the case.
"I want the national media to pick it up... I won't stop til they do. I don't know why it's not national now," Shirley Johnson, Jahessye's worried grandmother, told CNN affiliate KPHO Thursday. "They have the ability to make sure someone from across the nation knows what's going on."
Jahessye 's case has been mentioned in the Washington Post and the Huffington Post in recent days. But it has not received much national television coverage compared to cases like Baby Lisa, the 11-month-old missing Missouri girl. That case has received daily national news coverage and has been featured on the cover of People magazine.
Retired police officer and child advocate Paul Penzone told KPHO that he noticed the lack of national media coverage.
"I don't know what's missing or why, but in our community this is a big deal," said Penzone. "Continued coverage absolutely is critical. The eyes of the community are going to be biggest tool for law enforcement if this little girl is somewhere where she can be seen and recovered."
On the day she disappeared Jahessye was left home with her 13-, 9- and 6-year-old siblings, police said. The children have been interviewed separately by experts and have maintained that they do not know what happened to her, Glendale police Sgt. Brent Coombs has said.
Ann $11,000 reward has been offered in the case.
Jahessye is described as a black female about 3 feet 5-inches tall, 55 pounds with black hair in a ponytail and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jean shorts and pink sandals.
Anyone with information about Jahessye's disappearance is asked to call the Glendale Police Department at 623-930-HELP (4357).
|
6d3830e614bc425dbd0b0c47d0a078ac
|
when was Jahessye Shockley last seen
|
[
"October 11,"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly displaying hangman's nooses from the back of a pickup truck during a civil rights march last year in Jena, Louisiana.
A photo taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love shows a noose hanging from a pickup in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Jeremiah Munsen, 18, of Grant Parish, repeatedly drove slowly past a group of marchers gathered at a bus depot in Alexandria, which is near Jena, as they awaited buses to return them to Tennessee, federal authorities said Thursday.
As many as 20,000 marchers had taken part in the huge protests in Jena. Authorities there had been accused of injustice in the handling of racially charged cases, including the hanging of nooses in a tree after a group of black high school students sat in an area where traditionally only white students sat.
The noose incident at Jena was the beginning of months of racial tension that included the beating of a white student, allegedly by six black classmates. The black students were prosecuted, but the three white students responsible for the nooses in the tree were not.
Munsen and an unnamed conspirator had attached nooses to their pickup on September 20 and driven to Alexandria specifically to threaten and intimidate the marchers, the authorities said. View a series of photos of the truck »
A juvenile passenger was apprehended with Munsen, according to the arresting officer's report.
The juvenile told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan and that he had "KKK" tattooed on his chest, the police report said. He also said that he tied the nooses and that brass knuckles found in the truck belonged to him, the report said.
"This indictment accuses the defendant [Munsen] of conduct that constitutes a federal civil rights conspiracy violation and a federal hate crime," said U.S. Attorney Donald Washington.
Washington and Grace Chung Becker, acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, announced the indictment, issued by a grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana.
A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by I-Reporter Casanova Love, 26, who said he is in the U.S. military. He was visiting his family in Louisiana and said he witnessed the event.
Love added, "If the police had not stepped in, I fear what might have happened." E-mail to a friend
|
d7692cc15abe4b3a89349ae24e18e1ae
|
did something happen to the driver?
|
[
"indicted on federal charges"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Manchester City have confirmed that absent Brazilian striker Robinho will be back in time for the Premier League side's return to training next week.
Robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his British-record transfer to Manchester City last August.
City manager Mark Hughes told the club's official Web site that Robinho, who cost mega-rich City a British record fee of £32.5 million ($45m) when he signed from Real Madrid in August, will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a Tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to Brazil to attend to a family matter.
Hughes told mcfc.co.uk: "Robbie left without permission, he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to.
"He made the decision to leave the camp, and go back to Brazil. That was not with my permission, and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights, so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in Manchester at the first available opportunity.
"Once he is back, I will sit down with him and explain my feelings, and decisions will be made after that. He has rung me, and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will. Then we will move on.
Robinho's decision to fly to Brazil came on the same day that City announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for AC Milan star Kaka, a Brazilian team-mate of Robinho. However. Hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated.
Robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to Manchester last year.
He was dropped by his former Madrid coach, and now England national coach, Fabio Capello, who questioned his attitude and Robinho's eventual departure from the Spanish club was acrimonious.
In fact, in October 2007, Robinho failed to return to Madrid after appearing for Brazil in an international match, claiming he had missed his flight.
Local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular Rio de Janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club.
|
c7ddd3b3a9df42b89821da257103c2cc
|
He fly to Brazil for what?
|
[
"to attend to a family matter."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Kawasaki have announced they will run Marco Melandri in a one-bike team in the 2009 MotoGP world championship.
Italian Melandri will be the sole Kawasaki rider in the 2009 MotoGP championship.
The news comes just weeks after the Japanese manufacturer confirmed it was to end its MotoGP activities due to the economic downturn.
A statement confirmed the team's return to the sport comes in the wake of "constructive talks between Kawasaki, MotoGP organisers and other involved parties".
"This decision was made after negotiations that followed Kawasaki's January 2009 announcement to suspend its MotoGP activities due to the economic crisis," the statement continued.
"The rider for the new MotoGP team will be Marco Melandri. The team will be equipped with Kawasaki motorcycles and supporting materials.
"That Kawasaki have come to this new team approach is the result of, on the one hand, the need for a strong reduction of MotoGP racing investments and, on the other hand, the necessity to come to constructive solutions for all related parties."
Melandri moved to Kawasaki from Ducati at the end of what was a dismal 2008 season for the Italian, but shortly afterwards was told his new team would not be on the grid in 2009.
While the 26-year-old has earned a welcome reprieve, the man who would have been Melandri's team-mate this season, American John Hopkins, appears set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
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ae32f99274e1427190d8bb18deb9e4f2
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What is the name of the event?
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[
"2009 MotoGP"
] |
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(CNN) -- Australian authorities have declared several coastal areas near Brisbane disaster zones after a massive oil spill earlier this week, according to the Queensland government.
Large stretches of Queensland's coastline are being affected by the oil.
"This is a very serious situation," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said, according to a news release on Friday. "It appears the volume of oil involved is much greater than originally reported by the Pacific Adventurer. And the effect of the oil spill is more widespread."
The Pacific Adventurer sustained damage early Wednesday when Cyclone Hamish struck the waters of eastern Australia with more than 125 kph (77 mph) winds. The cargo ship lost 30 of its 50 containers of ammonium nitrate about 13 kilometers (8 miles) off the coast of Cape Moreton. Those containers are still missing.
The damaged ship also spilled a large amount of oil that is covering at least 60 kilometers (37 miles) of beach in and around Brisbane, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Watch sludge washing up on shorelines »
The ship's owner, Swire Shipping, initially said no more than 42,000 liters (11,100 U.S. gallons) of oil escaped from the ship, but now says that "substantially more oil was spilled," ABC reported Friday.
The ship is currently in the custody of Australia's Maritime Safety Authority in Brisbane, as the investigation into the spill continues.
A massive clean-up effort is also under way. So far, 13 oil-covered birds have been recovered, according to the Queensland government.
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36ebde5d5b07478289cef943c2f8e348
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who detained the ship
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[
"Australia's Maritime Safety Authority"
] |
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(PEOPLE.com) -- Don't mess with Gina!
That's the lesson Gina Carano's costars learned while they were filming Steven Soderbergh's "Haywire." After all, Carano isn't just another new face in a Hollywood action thriller. She's a former mixed martial arts star, who is making her movie debut in Soderbergh's latest flick, which opens Friday.
"I got to be physical with some of the hottest guys in Hollywood," Carano, who tussles with Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender in the film, told PEOPLE at the BlackBerry-sponsored Cinema Society screening this week.
Fassbender, in particular, was the recipient of a vase to the face when the two were filming a fight scene and he accidentally KO'd Carano.
"When Fassbender slammed my head into the wall, that's the only time I went black," Carano, 29, said about the shoot, during which she also reportedly knocked out a stuntman. "And then I slammed a vase right into his face when he wasn't expecting it."
"He didn't get cut," Carano clarified, before adding, "maybe a little bit."
McGregor, for his part, said he also emerged "sore" from his scenes with Carano but called the fight scenes "good fun."
But Tatum, whom she describes as "like a bro," is one actor Carano says she wouldn't want to fight in real life. "I'd probably want to choke him out real quick," she said. "Because he's actually very athletic."
Return to MMA?
Carano has officially retired from MMA but says she hasn't ruled out a return. To prepare for the role as a Black Ops agent in "Haywire," she worked with a Hollywood stunt crew and attended a two-month training camp with a former Israeli intelligence operative.
According to Soderbergh, it was his intention to have Carano -- who is a 5-feet 8-inches tall and 143 pounds. -- rather than one of her male costars, be the toughest character in the film.
"There was something transgressive about having the woman being the one who is attacked first," Soderbergh recently told Sports Illustrated.
"There's sort of, in movie terms, a popular conception that women are weaker than men and that the only way that they can triumph in a hand-to-hand situation is if they somehow have an advantage from the beginning. ... [Carano's character] is attacked in an unprovoked manner and has to work her way back into winning the fight. With someone like Gina, you can pull that off and have it be believable. She can really break you in half."
See the full article at PEOPLE.com.
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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624f48b359614583963713c6528511e9
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after retirement from MMA what did Carano say
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[
"\"I got to be physical with some of the hottest guys in Hollywood,\""
] |
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Atlanta rapper DeAndre Cortez Way, better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or just Soulja Boy, was charged with obstruction after running from police despite an order to stop, a police spokesman said Friday.
Rapper Soulja Boy was arrested in Georgia after allegedly running from police.
The 19-year-old singer was among a large group that had gathered at a home in Stockbridge, 20 miles south of Atlanta, said Henry County, Georgia, police Capt. Jason Bolton.
Way was arrested Wednesday night along with another man, Bolton said. Police said Way left jail Thursday after posting a $550 bond.
Bolton said officers responded to a complaint about a group of youths milling around the house, which appeared to be abandoned. When police arrived, they saw about 40 people. Half of them ran away, including Way, Bolton said.
The ones who remained told officers they were at the home to film a video. Way was arrested when he returned to the house to get his car, Bolton said. He said the house was dark inside and looked abandoned.
"He just ran from the police, and then he decided to come back," according to Bolton.
The second man who returned for his vehicle was arrested after police found eight $100 counterfeit bills inside, according to the officer.
Way broke into the music scene two years ago with his hit "Crank That (Soulja Boy)." The rapper also describes himself as a producer and entrepreneur.
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15c2348ae72c4ef49046088fbdb0137e
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To what did officers respond?
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[
"a complaint about a group of youths milling around the house,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Georgian leaders may be blaming Russia for the conflict raging in South Ossetia, but former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said Thursday "there is no doubt" that Georgia provoked the clash.
Mikhail Gorbachev told CNN's Larry King that Russia called extra troops into Georgia to stem violence.
Gorbachev told CNN's Larry King that Russia moved additional forces into South Ossetia in response to "devastation" in the South Ossetia city of Tskhinvali.
"This was the use of sophisticated weapons against a small town, against a sleeping people. This was a barbaric assault," said Gorbachev, the last president of the former Soviet Union.
But Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who also appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday, said he was "profoundly shocked" that Mikhail Gorbachev would use a television appearance "for basically vindicating lies and deceptions."
Last week, Georgia said it launched an operation into South Ossetia after a cease-fire was broken with artillery fire from Russian separatists that killed 10 people including civilians and peacekeepers. It accused Russia, which also has peacekeepers in the region, of backing the separatists.
Hours later, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that Russian authorities said 10 Russian peacekeepers had been killed and 30 wounded in an attack by Georgians.
"Western television didn't show what happened in Tskhinvali," Gorbachev said. "Only now they're beginning to show some pictures of the destruction. So this looks to me like it was a well-prepared project. And with any outcome, they wanted to put the blame on Russia." Watch Gorbachev discuss "barbaric assault" »
He called Georgia's claims that Russia is attempting to dismantle its democracy "all lies from beginning to end."
In response, Saakashvili expressed disappointment with the sentiments from Gorbachev, who he said he once respected.
"This is the man, Mr. Gorbachev, who helped to, you know, bring down KGB kingdom. And he is the one who is, you know, justifying what the KGB people are doing right now in my country," Saakashvili said.
"Shame on him. Shame on you, Mr. Gorbachev, for perpetuating the very regime you helped to defeat and you fought against as the head of the Soviet Union."
Gorbachev also said the United States is jeopardizing its fragile relationship with Russia by backing Georgia. Watch Gorbachev discuss U.S.-Russia relations »
"There is a chance for our two countries to develop a new agenda for cooperation so as to promote both U.S. and Russia interests, and the interests of other countries, and the interests of stability, particularly in the hotspots in different continents," said Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Peace Price in 1990.
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b63a2403acbf4ffa93b0d0f21ad1a48f
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What happens if the US backs Georgia?
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[
"jeopardizing its fragile relationship with Russia"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor was found strangled Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner said Friday.
Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 party marking his 90th birthday.
Felix Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, escaped death for a year while he was in the Nazis' Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz concentration camps. Five times he had been slated for the gas chambers, but each time he used his fluency in German to talk his way out.
After the war ended, he was stunned to discover that his wife, who had also been shipped to Auschwitz, was alive and well in Poland.
The Brinkmanns immigrated to America, where Felix spent years in the bar and nightclub business, co-founding in 1971 Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan.
In recent years, he had served as the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, working "seven days a week, without fail," said his son Rick Brinkman, who spells his last name differently than his father.
On Thursday, the building's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up to work. He notified Brinkmann's son and received permission to enter the father's apartment, where he had lived alone since his wife died last year.
Brinkmann's body was found lying face down in his bedroom, his hands bound, his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds, police said. Brinkmann's blue 2009 Honda Civic may have been stolen and a safe in his apartment tampered with, police said.
A police spokesman said authorities were looking for "a man and a woman" in connection with the homicide.
Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random in nature. "Anybody who knew him really liked him," the son said. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies."
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dc1977a8bb3a4c9eb73d257b8d9be170
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What is Brinkmann's first name?
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[
"Felix"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Diane Sawyer will take over nightly news anchor duties for ABC when Charlie Gibson retires from "World News" at the end of this year, a network spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer worked together on "Good Morning America."
Sawyer, 63, will be the second woman to be the solo host of an evening newscast for an American broadcast TV network.
Sawyer will take the chair in January, ABC's Jeffrey Schneider said.
Gibson, 66, and Sawyer worked together for years on ABC's morning show -- "Good Morning America" -- before Gibson was promoted over Sawyer to anchor ABC's "World News" in May 2006.
Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff co-anchored the newscast before Gibson. That duo came to an end after Woodruff was seriously wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Maria Brennan, president of the Washington-based American Women in Radio and Television organization, called the announcement a "watershed moment" and said Sawyer was the "obvious choice" to take over ABC's anchor chair.
Asked about the significance of two out of three network nightly news anchors being women -- the other being CBS' Katie Couric -- Brennan said, "It comes with some excitement and some glee for groups like ours, who have worked for years to ensure that women have parity with their male counterparts."
"When we get to a point in time when we don't even notice the gender, we can really celebrate," Brennan said.
Sawyer worked for President Richard Nixon in the 1970s, first in his White House press office and later helping him write his memoirs after his resignation.
After a stint with CBS News -- including five years as a "60 Minutes" correspondent -- Sawyer joined ABC News in 1989.
She worked on news magazines for ABC -- including "Primetime Live" and "20/20" -- before being assigned to co-host "Good Morning America" with Gibson in 1999.
CNN's Albert Lewintinn contributed to this report.
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When will Gibson retire?
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"at the end of this year,"
] |
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(CNN) -- R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass died Wednesday evening, his former publicist said. He was 59.
Pendergrass, known for smash love ballads such as "Turn Off the Lights" and "Love TKO," died after a long illness, according to Lisa Barbaris, who described herself as a close friend and his last publicist.
He died at a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was born.
His family did not reveal details about his illness, but said it was related to complications from a 1982 car accident, Barbaris said.
"His beloved family surrounded him. The world has lost one of its greatest voices and performers," a statement from Barbaris said.
"His family is devastated. He has three children and, even though it was expected, it still hurts," she said. Gallery: The amazing Teddy Pendergrass
The crooner, who many affectionately knew as just "Teddy," started in music with a group called the Cadillacs in the late 1960s and was still with the group when it merged with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, according to his official Web site.
He started as a drummer, but soon began to sing lead after the group heard his powerful voice.
In 1972, Pendergrass's baritone could be heard on the classic Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes song "If You Don't Know Me by Now."
The song became a No. 1 hit across the country and led Pendergrass to many other hits and accolades.
After going solo, Pendergrass received several Grammy nominations, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award and an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, Barbaris said.
In 1982, Pendergrass was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed. But Pendergrass returned to the studio in 1984 in his wheelchair to record an album.
Before his death, Pendergrass was working on a musical documenting his life, called "I Am Who I Am."
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11f9300d58c44eafb16719022c7dbfab
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In what year was Pendergrass involved in a car accident?
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"1982"
] |
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(CNN) -- An oil tanker bound for the United States was hijacked off Somalia with a crew of 28 aboard, maritime authorities said.
The M/V Maran Centaurus was commandeered about 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, on its way to New Orleans, Louisiana, according to the Maritime Security Center.
The crew consists of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian, said the security agency, which is run by the European naval force.
The 300,000-ton tanker, which started out from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was seized Sunday. It had changed course westward, toward Harardhere or Hobyo, along Somali's central-western coast.
Somali pirates have turned high-seas kidnappings into a lucrative business.
Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 12, including the fishing vessel Alakrana, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon said recently.
Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors.
The first nine months of this year have seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported on October 21.
From January 1 through September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia.
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515dc34bfe7a49649605849b51ea73b5
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Who was on the crew?
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"16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian,"
] |
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Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Thousands of people marched through Athens Thursday as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest further austerity measures by the embattled government.
The strike began at midnight and caused all government-run institutions -- including schools, airports, trams, subways, and most buses -- to close down. Banks and the media were also shut, meaning no broadcast news Thursday and no newspapers Friday.
There were small clashes with police and protesters threw two petrol bombs at officers in Constitution Square, in front of the Parliament building. Police fired some tear gas and pepper spray in return, but otherwise the march was relatively calm.
Sixteen people were arrested and two police officers were injured, police told CNN. Many people appeared to be suffering from the tear gas.
The protesters are angry about further government measures aimed at cutting Greece's massive deficit. They oppose the cutting of benefits and salaries, and the raising of taxes, and want more of the measures to be aimed at the wealthy.
The government says Greece has to modernize its tax structure as the country suffers from tax avoidance and other structural impediments to job growth.
But younger workers say they already pay high taxes, have little job security and make less money than older generations.
Some of the same measures prompted large demonstrations and some violence two weeks ago, but polls at the time still showed the majority of Greeks backing the government plans.
Since then, government has introduced a third round of austerity measures in Parliament amounting to $6.5 billion of cuts and tax increases, and that has caused support for the government to slip -- polls now show only a bare majority in favor of the government's actions.
The Greek government revealed late last year that its budget deficit was 12.7 percent of its gross domestic product, far exceeding the European Union limit of 3 percent. Countries participating in the EU must agree to that condition and other economic goals.
Greece aims to reduce that deficit to 8.7 percent this year and reach the EU target by 2012.
Thursday's strikes were rescheduled from March 16, when European Union officials plan to go to Athens and assess Greece's financial pledges to Europe. Protesters moved the strikes to Thursday in order to maximize disruption, because both public and private sector workers would be able to strike.
The Greek government has said it will not back down in the face of strikes.
CNN's Jim Boulden contributed to this report.
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52e1de676c6a4c1f8eb10ddac4f7e828
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Who were angry about the measures
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[
"The protesters"
] |
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested four men in connection with the suicide truck bombing of a Marriott Hotel last month in Islamabad that killed more than 50 people, officials said Friday.
More than 50 people died in last month's attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.
The men appeared Friday before a magistrate in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, police and Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency investigators said.
Although they have not been charged, the magistrate is allowing police to hold them for a week while the investigation continues.
The magistrate ordered them back to court on October 31.
Authorities have not said how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing.
The men -- one of whom is a doctor -- were arrested at different times in different places, authorities said, but gave no additional details.
They identified them as: Dr. Muhammad Usman and Tehseen Ulla Jaan, both from Peshawar; Ilyas Rana Muhammad, from a village near Faiselabad in Pakistan's Punjab province; and Hameed Afzal Muhammad, from Toba Taik Singh district, also in Punjab province.
In addition to the dozens killed, some 250 people were wounded in the suicide truck attack, which sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins.
The hotel, located near the diplomatic section of Islamabad, had been popular among tourists visiting Pakistan. It was crowded the night of the bombing.
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5e662af360b34ae0822379242d3bd151
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How many were arrested on suspicion of involvement" in hotel blast in Pakistani capital?
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[
"four men"
] |
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(CNN) -- Toyota reported a first-ever annual net loss of $4.4 billion on Friday, the latest automobile maker to be battered by the credit crisis.
The top executives for Toyota at a press conference in January.
Net revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31 was down nearly 22 percent, with total sales of 7.6 million vehicles -- 1.3 million fewer than the previous year. The company dividend will be reduced to 100 yen per share, down from 140 yen per share last year
The appreciation of the yen against major currencies, rise in raw material costs and the collapse of the auto market in Europe and North America led to the company's annual loss, said Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota president, at a press conference.
The firm expects sales to decline even further to 6.5 million units this year. The company, however, will be further expanding it environmentally friendly line of automobiles. Watch more about the results »
"It appears to take some more time before the financial markets in the U.S. and Europe normalize and the global economy recovers," Watanabe said. "However, in the 2010 fiscal year, we plan to accelerate our profit improvement activities including the expansion of our hybrid vehicle line-up such as the next generation Prius in May and the Lexus' HS250h in July."
Toyota plans to launch four hybrid models in Japan and three models overseas in the next year. The new Prius model will be more compact and reduce production costs by 30 percent, Watanabe said.
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e45a57ff90dc458ca1c2bedec9702f3f
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What net loss did Toyota report?
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[
"$4.4 billion"
] |
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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe urgently needs to form a new government in order to address a food crisis in the nation and prevent starvation, newly designated Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told reporters Saturday.
At least 80 percent of the population of Zimbabwe are living below the poverty line.
Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said there was a "deepening food insecurity" in the country.
"We need to respond to this crisis with utmost urgency," he said. "It is therefore imperative that a government be formed in the next few days and begins to implement plans to insure that our people have food and do not die of starvation."
Zimbabwe industries are operating at about 10 percent of capacity, and the food and manufacturing industry will not be able to deliver sufficient food supplies to markets.
Tsvangirai signed a power sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe on September 15 but the two have not yet agreed on the distribution of Cabinet posts.
Earlier this week, Mugabe told the press that only four posts were still to be agreed on. But Tsvangirai said in response, "I think to minimize the remaining issues to only four issues, it is to underplay the whole process. The issue is that the negotiation must be concluded I think the matter will be solved once all the principals are back in the country."
Mugabe has been in the United States for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. He is expected back in the country after Saturday.
Zimbabwe has been facing a collapsing economy for nearly a decade, and is plagued with high unemployment, food shortages and at least 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line.
This has been accompanied by dizzying levels of inflation -- now officially at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world.
Once an exporter of food, Zimbabwe has been a net importer of food since 2000, when Mugabe's government embarked on a controversial and violent land reform program that displaced some experienced commercial farmers, most of them of European origin.
Tsvangirai said he has consulted with food security experts and was told the country needs to import 800,000 tons of maize (corn) to avoid starvation until the next harvest in April.
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f77d4cccffcd4b51a4bdc5751b0483d7
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What does Zimbabwe urgently need?
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[
"to form a new government"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actress Kelly Preston, whose son Jett Travolta died earlier this year, will talk publicly in October about how she and her husband, actor John Travolta, have dealt with their grief.
Kelly Preston is going to speak on a panel titled "Grief and Resilience" in October.
Preston, 46, will appear on a panel titled "Grief and Resilience" at a conference hosted by California first lady Maria Shriver, according to a conference spokeswoman.
Jett, 16, was found unconscious on January 2, while on vacation with his family in the Bahamas' West End. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, local police said.
The Travolta family has not spoken publicly about the exact cause of Jett's death, but employees of the funeral home that handled the remains said in January the death certificate listed "seizure" as the cause of death.
The family has remained out of the public eye since his death, only issuing a few written statements.
When his latest movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123," was released last month, John Travolta did not take part in the publicity tour to promote the movie, instead issuing a short statement saying his family needed "additional time to reconcile our loss."
Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Sen. John Edwards, and actress Susan St. James will also be on the panel, conference spokeswoman Marissa Moss said. Both women have mourned the loss of sons.
The Women's Conference will be in Long Beach, California, in late October, according to its Web site.
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6db24cac9c264cb384df9bda18c74e57
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Who is addressing the conference on grief?
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[
"Kelly Preston,"
] |
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- France is sending four state police units to its overseas department of Guadeloupe after a month of sometimes violent demonstrations, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Thursday.
French gendarmes face-off against Guadeloupe protesters.
"The pillaging ... the violence against people, are not tolerable and will not be tolerated," Alliot-Marie told the French radio station RTL. "It's no longer simply a question of containing the protests. ... This mission of honor will continue to be undertaken, but we also have to fight against the violence."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy planned to meet with elected officials from overseas departments, including Guadeloupe, Thursday afternoon, his office announced.
A general strike over low wages and living conditions in the Caribbean island has included demonstrations and clashes with police. At least one civilian has been killed in the riots, officials said.
Hospitals and emergency services continue to function and the main international airport is open, but petrol stations, schools, and most businesses -- including supermarkets and car rental offices -- are closed, the British Foreign Office said in a travel advisory.
Hotels are open, but the strike is causing daily cuts to electricity and water supplies, the Foreign Office said.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Thursday he is ready to approve a compromise that would give nearly a €200 ($254) monthly supplement to workers in Guadeloupe with low-paying jobs.
"This crisis is serious, and profound, but it's not new," Fillon said, adding that it's linked to "the lifelessness of the economy in the Antilles, aggravated by the global economic crisis."
Sending supplementary police forces is justified, Fillon said, because "we cannot accept what has happened" in the department.
He was referring to the attacks on businesses, the roadblocks in the streets and above all, the death of the civilian, who he said was a union leader.
Agence France-Presse identified the victim as union representative Jacques Bino. He was shot dead Tuesday night when he drove past a roadblock manned by armed youths in the city of Pointe-a-Pitre. His car was hit three times by shotgun fire, prosecutors told AFP.
Three police who accompanied emergency services trying to help the dying man were lightly wounded, officials said, according to AFP.
Speaking with RTL on Wednesday, one demonstrator denied he was fanning the flames of unrest.
"We have always called for calm," Elie Domota, leader of the Coalition against Exploitation, said.
"We have told the young people to go to their homes and continue to protest peacefully, but the police yesterday beat protesters and called them racist names, so the situation escalated."
CNN's Alanne Orjoux in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report
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d4aa4c90f2a1464c8cbb2dce290d3875
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where are French police reinforcements being posted to?
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[
"Guadeloupe"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a Beverly Hills pharmacy Friday in connection with the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson, an agency spokesman said.
Dr. Arnold Klein denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs.
The agents executed a federal search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill, and were expected to seize pharmacy records, said DEA spokesman Jose Martinez.
The pharmacy is in the same building as the office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Shortly before his death, Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein.
The store remained open for business, giving journalists who chose to dine at its lunch counter an unusually close look at the searchers at work.
Several DEA agents crowded behind the pharmacy counter, shuffling through paper documents, while pharmacy employees stood by to answer questions.
Jackson had been sued by the pharmacy, which claimed the pop singer had not paid a $100,000 bill, but the dispute was later settled.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office visited Klein's office. "We wanted some additional information and they provided it," said Ed Winter, coroner's spokesman. He said Klein's staff and attorneys cooperated with the requests.
The coroner's office said more than a week ago that a "thorough and comprehensive" report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete, but police have requested that it not yet be released because of the ongoing criminal investigation.
The coroner's office said it would abide by the request that "the cause and manner of death remain confidential," and referred all questions to Los Angeles police.
The DEA search did not involve detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, although Martinez said the federal agents would share their findings with them.
Jackson's June 25 death is also the focus of an investigation by Los Angeles police and the state attorney general's office.
Klein, who treated Jackson for decades, denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs.
CNN's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report.
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fecdc4e720294bad976d63eebfa7213b
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What investigation did the DEA search?
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[
"the death of Michael Jackson,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal made light work of his heavy schedule and a recurring foot problem to reach the last 16 of the French Open on Friday.
Rafael Nadal inspects his blistered foot during his third-round victory against Jarko Nieminen.
The world No. 2 crushed Finnish 26th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1 in his fourth successive day of action on the Paris clay, following frustration this week with bad weather.
He will play fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after his 7-6 5-7 7-6 6-1 win over 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.
Third seed Novak Djokovic was also untroubled in a later third round match to see off Wayne Odesnik of the United States 7-5 6-4 6-2.
Nadal will be hoping for some time to let his blistered foot recover, needing treatment during the match against Nieminen for a problem that saw him beaten in the second round of the Rome Masters earlier in the claycourt season.
He is bidding to become the second man after the legendary Bjorn Borg to win four successive titles at Roland Garros, but has already vented his anger at the ATP Tour for scheduling four top-level clay events in as many weeks. Watch Nadal talk about his tournament hopes »
Nadal showed little signs of tiredness as he cruised past Nieminen in less than two hours to extend his winning record at the tournament to 24 matches.
His opening victory against Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci took two days due to torrential rain, then on Thursday he saw off another qualifier in straight sets when he beat Frenchman Nicolas Devilder.
In other third round action on Friday, Spain's Nicolas Almagro again showed his clay court pedigree with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 7-5 win over Britain's 10th seed Andy Murray.
Almagro, who has won two titles on clay this season, was made to work hard by Murray, but recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the third set to win seven games in row and take command.
He will now play 145th-ranked Frenchman Jeremy Chardy who ended the run of 30th seed Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in straight sets.
Latvia's Ernests Gulbis continued his fine run as he defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3 7-5 6-2 to set up a clash with home hope Michael Llodra who beat Italy's Simone Bolelli in straight sets.
In second-round action, France's Florent Serra completed a hard-fought 6-4 6-3 6-7 7-6 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania and will next face American Bobby Ginepri.
|
5a0523e9195d48898d7fbb7673306bee
|
What three time defending champion is into the last 16 of the French Open?
|
[
"Rafael Nadal"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hailed his side's rollercoaster 4-3 victory over neighbors Manchester City at Old Trafford as the "best derby of all time."
Ferguson and substitute Gary Neville celebrate Owen's late winner.
Ferguson made the claim while ruing his side's sloppy defensive play which allowed City to claim three equalizing goals before Michael Owen's clinical winner deep into injury time on Sunday.
"It could have been an embarrassment, 6-0 or 7-0, if we defended our proper way," claimed the legendary Scot.
"We could have won by a big score but by making mistakes, which was the essence of the game, we probably were in the best derby game of all time.
"What do you choose? Win the best derby game of all time or win 6-0? I'd probably pick 6-0." Was this the greatest derby ever?
The build-up to the match had been marked by a war of words between Ferguson and City manager Mark Hughes, who has been handed a massive transfer budget by his side's Abu Dhabi owners.
Ferguson had branded them "cocky" and did little to dampen down the rivalry with his post match comments.
Blog:Should referees also keep time?
"Sometimes you have a noisy neighbor. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy," he said.
"You just have to get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder.
"Today the players showed their form. That is the best answer of all."
By contrast, City manager Mark Hughes was furious with referee Martin Atkinson for the amount of added time played, with Owen scoring in the 96th minute.
"We need an explanation because I don't know why the referee has added that amount of time on," said Hughes.
"We just feel a little bit aggrieved that they were given that time."
It was a heartbreaking finale for his team with Bellamy's magnificent second goal after a mistake by Rio Ferdinand appearing to give his up and coming side a share of the spoils.
"We're disappointed, we put in a hell of a shift today," said Hughes. "Craig Bellamy scored two magnificent goals. He didn't deserve to be on the losing side," added Hughes.
Ferguson, who has used free transfer signing Owen sparingly this season, said the England striker showed his true quality.
"His positional play, first touch and finish were absolutely superb. World class."
The victory took United to second place in the English Premier League behind pacesetting Chelsea with City suffering their first defeat of the season.
|
7488fb74f402461081de8d73ac48c4be
|
Who is the Manchester United manager?
|
[
"Alex Ferguson"
] |
NewsQA
|
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Terrorism groups are using Facebook and other social networking sites to recruit Israeli citizens as spies, the Israeli government warned Monday.
Israel says its citizens have been targeted by terrorist groups seeking to recruit spies on Facebook.
Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, issued a statement warning Israelis about the dangers of trading confidential information for money.
"The Shin Bet has gotten many reports about cases where terrorist elements are using the Internet to get in touch with Israelis with proposals to enlist in terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment," the statement said.
Not only could the leaked information hurt Israeli security, citizens traveling to other countries to exchange the information for money "might lead to them being kidnapped by terror organizations," Shin Bet said.
The government did not reveal any examples of Israelis becoming spies through Facebook, but it did describe one attempt.
"Lately, an Israeli citizen contacted the Shin Bet and complained about a request in Facebook from a person that presented himself as a Lebanese merchant, who asked him to give him classified information for money," the statement said.
Shin Bet said this was just one example "among many incidents that were identified by the security services."
"It is initiated contacts, concrete and direct to Israeli citizens, with emphasis on the social networks, that offers them to enlist to terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment," it said.
Shin Bet said terror groups are combing Facebook and other networks "for business or personal matters like names, addresses, Internet addresses and phone numbers that are being used to find and contact Israeli citizens in Israel and also abroad."
CNN's Michal Zippori and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.
|
fc54e89f8d6147e082f830b10320a6b6
|
What are subjects offered?
|
[
"to enlist to terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The body of a woman was found near her car Wednesday, the apparent victim of an ammonia leak from a nearby plant in Swansea, South Carolina, police said.
The leak occurred at the Tanner Industries plant as a hose had been connected from a delivery trailer containing anhydrous ammonia (purified ammonia) to a storage tank in the facility, said David Binder, director of quality safety and regulatory affairs for Tanner Industries.
"During that operation, a hole burst in the hose," he said. "That released ammonia gas."
The leak from the plant, located about 24 miles south of Columbia, was reported to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department shortly before 8 a.m., said Maj. John Allard, a public information officer for the department.
Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes at the plant, where they saw a large, light-colored, dense plume, and closed area roads to traffic, he said.
The ammonia hovered first over U.S. 321, then moved into a wooded area, blackening its foliage, Allard said.
Public safety personnel searched the vicinity for any people or animals affected by the leak, and -- at 9:30 a.m. -- found the woman's body next to her vehicle, which was parked on the side of U.S. 321, he said.
Officials were speculating that the woman had been driving north when she encountered the plume and tried to turn around, but her car stalled.
She apparently got out of the vehicle and was overcome by the fumes, Allard said. An autopsy has been ordered.
The woman's name was not released pending notification of her family.
Seven people were taken to Lexington County Medical Center in stable condition with respiratory problems, none of which was life-threatening, Allard said. Five were plant workers; the other two were nearby residents.
The road was reopened at 2 p.m., after the plume had dissipated, he said.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board -- an independent agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents -- announced it is deploying an investigation team to the site of the ammonia release.
Tanner's Binder described the occurrence as "tragic," adding that nothing similar had occurred in the plant's more than 13 years of existence. "This is just heart-wrenching," he said, adding that there were no immediate plans to reopen the plant.
Ammonia, a strong irritant that affects the respiratory system, is used in a variety of industries, including the manufacture of fertilizers and in commercial refrigeration systems.
CNN's Anna Rhett Cobb contributed to this story
|
885e0e56083a457d984ac999e276cd56
|
What did public safety officials find?
|
[
"woman's body"
] |
NewsQA
|
Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Al-Shabaab, a hard-line Somali rebel group that is on the U.S. government's terror watch list, has threatened to attack neighboring Kenya, according to an online audio recording.
On an Al-Shabaab Web site, men chant in Kiswahili, the national language of Kenya, saying, "We will reach Nairobi. When we arrive, we will hit until we kill." A taped message in Arabic follows, thought to be by Abu Zubeyr, Al-Shabaab's commander in Somalia. The speaker of the message threatens those he calls infidels, throughout the world.
It would not be the first threat by Al-Shabaab toward Kenya. Many analysts say Kenya is vulnerable to attack by the Islamic group, which is trying to overthrow the weak transitional government.
The threat follows heightened tensions between the Kenyan government and Somalis living in Kenya over the past month. Kenya recently rounded up and arrested several hundred Somali immigrants and refugees living in a mostly Somali neighborhood. And earlier this month, Muslim protesters clashed with police after Friday prayers, leading to one death and extensive property damage.
Muslim human-rights groups in Kenya have called for protests in support of cleric Abdulah Ibrahim el-Faisal, whom Kenya declared an unwanted person and deported earlier this month. The Jamaican-born Muslim cleric was previously jailed in Britain for inciting murder and racial hatred. But Kenya's efforts to deport him failed. He was then arrested on return to Kenya, further outraging some Muslim leaders.
Alfred Mutua, Kenya's government spokesman, has since said that el-Faisal has successfully been deported. However, the government has given mixed signals as to whether he has actually left.
|
38ac503b6f32463d86694b1f7331279e
|
between who are tensions?
|
[
"Kenyan government and Somalis living in Kenya"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The crew of an Italian ship seized by pirates on Monday was freed Tuesday thanks to an operation by U.S. and British troops working with the Italian military, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Eleven pirates who hijacked the Montecristo surrendered to the troops operating under NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, the ministry said in a statement.
All crew members are safe, the ministry said.
They barricaded themselves in the engine room after throwing a message overboard in a bottle and putting up a cardboard sign to let rescuers know where they were.
They were able to retain control of the ship's steering, even though the pirates destroyed the ship's communications equipment, a NATO officer said.
The USS De Wert was the first ship to arrive on the scene, and monitored the hijacked vessel until the British ship HMS Fort Victoria arrived with a boarding team, Lt. Gwenn Laine of NATO told CNN.
The pirates threw their weapons into the sea as the boarding team closed in, and stood on deck to surrender once they boarded, Laine said.
He praised the crew for following "best maritime practices," saying that by barricading themselves in a safe place they probably avoided violence.
The pirates are in NATO custody, said Laine, who works with the alliance's Operation Ocean Shield.
The captain sent a message Monday indicating that the vessel had been attacked by a ship with five armed people on board, the D'Alesio Group said in a statement.
The captain immediately activated security procedures, the statement said.
The ship was about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of the Somali coast at the time.
The crew includes 23 people from Italy, Ukraine, and India, the D'Alesio Group said.
Their rescue came shortly after Italy said it would start putting military guards on ships traversing the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa is signing an agreement Tuesday with the confederation of Italian shipowners to put military guards on board vessels in the area of the Indian Ocean at risk from Somali pirates, his ministry told CNN.
Both NATO and the European Union have naval missions dedicated to protecting ships in the region, but hijackings remain common.
As of late September there were some 400 hostages held by Somali pirates, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
There have been 24 successful hijackings this year to date and 194 incidents. The number of incidents is up from last year, but the number of successful hijackings down, according to the IMB.
CNN's Richard Allen Greene, Chris Lawrence, Claudia Rebaza, Gisella Deputato, Laura Perez Maestro and David McKenzie contributed to this report.
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2d2f59eb9f7d47b1bfd30c9dea62dd1a
|
how many hostages are held
|
[
"400"
] |
NewsQA
|
LYON, France -- Inter Milan have agreed to the transfer of Italian World Cup winning defender Fabio Grosso to six-time French champions Lyon.
Grosso made 23 Serie-A appearances for Inter Milan last season.
"The player arrived late on Friday evening and passed his medical test before signing his contract with the club on Saturday morning, all three parties involved are in agreement," said Olivier Blanc, communications director of the French club.
The 29-year-old Italian will be present at a ceremony at Lyon's Town Hall to launch the French champions 2007-08 season.
Grosso is Lyon's highest-profile summer signing and will come as much sought after relief by a club who saw the departure of France international left back Eric Abidal to Barcelona.
Lyon, chasing a record seventh consecutive League One title, have also signed Nadir Belhadj from French first division rivals Sedan and Mathieu Bodmer and Kadar Keita both from Lille.
The Italian League champions Inter Milan decided to release Grosso after a below-par season and just one year at the club.
The imposing defender played 23 matches in the league last term, scoring two goals.
He will be bitterly remembered in France for scoring Italy's winning penalty in the final shootout that denied France their second World Cup success.
Grosso will be the third Italian to play for the club since it was founded, following Orenzo Dito and Aridex Caligaris in the 1950s. E-mail to a friend
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d0ac186329564ce5bc3c537b8d800804
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When did Grosso sign his contract?
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[
"on Saturday morning,"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- About 13,000 employees at state-run Air India walked off the job for two hours Friday after the airline failed to pay their monthly wage.
A man walks past the Air India building in Mumbai. Staff staged a strike to protest against unpaid wages.
The strike was the last resort for some employees who say management failed to keep a promise to pay them Friday, said J.B. Kadian, the general secretary of the Air Corporation Employees Union.
There have been strained talks between management and three unions -- that includes everyone from the cabin crew to sweepers -- after Air India told the bulk of its employees their pay would be delayed by two weeks.
The unions said 13,000 employees participated in the strike but Air India did not provide a number.
The walkout comes after management did not follow through on its latest verbal agreement to pay the lowest paid employees by July 3, employees say. Employees normally get paid on the last day of the month.
The lowest paid unionized employees make less than $100 a week.
Employees said they were angered that their pay was delayed at a time when the airline has continued to buy new planes.
Air India's spokesperson J. Bhargava told CNN: "We will not tolerate any strike. Striking employees will be subject to loss of wages and productive incentives."
Air India is in deep financial trouble. It lost about a billion dollars last year alone.
It says it is in a fight for survival due to lower volumes of passengers, the high cost of employing about 31,000 employees as well as the current world financial downturn.
Analyst Kapil Kaul from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said Air India's problems may stem from bad business decisions rather than the global financial downturn.
"We have seen Air India continue to get planes when they have no money to pay salaries," Kaul said. "At the present time the airline does not have a well structure and realistic business case."
Air India has asked the government to bail it out. It also said it has avoided layoffs unlike other struggling airlines around the world.
|
76a9882cf4fd4a34bc223f2126fe90d6
|
when were they told they will paid
|
[
"their pay would be delayed by two weeks."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An international footballer who played for the United Arab Emirates, and who became an internet sensation after scoring a backheeled penalty, has died following a car accident near the country's capital, Abu Dhabi.
Theyab Awana, a 21-year-old winger for local club Bani Yas, was one of the country's brightest prospects after winning the 2008 AFC Under 18 Cup and was instrumental in the UAE reaching the quarterfinals of the 2009 FIFA Under 20 World Cup.
"Theyab Awana has passed away on Sunday night after a horrible traffic accident on Sheikh Zayed Road in Abu Dhabi," the UAE Football Association confirmed in a statement on Monday.
"God blesses his soul and wholehearted condolences to his family, friends and fans."
Last year he won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games after the UAE reached the final and had been picked for both senior and Olympic national teams.
But it was his actions during a friendly against Lebanon in July that brought him international recognition.
With the UAE leading 5-2, Awana stepped up to take a penalty.
Instead of conventionally striking the ball he twisted around and backheeled the ball into the corner of the net.
He was immediately substituted by then coach Srecko Katanec, who was angry at what he saw was a lack of respect for the opposition.
Yet the fans didn't agree. Instead the YouTube clip of his penalty went viral. More than 1.2 million people have since viewed it.
"On behalf of AFC and the Asian football family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the UAE football community, family and friends of Awana," the Asian Football Confederation's acting president Zhang Jilong said in a statement.
Awana's death comes soon after another young Emirati player Saeed al Nooby, who played for second division side Al Dhafra, also died in a car accident.
"We had just returned last night with the club officials and players after visiting the family of Saeed al Nooby and paying our condolences," Bani Yas' Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira told the Dubai-based newspaper the Gulf News.
"An hour later I got a call from the club's manager informing me of the accident and I rushed to the hospital but Awana had died.
"It will take some time for the club and his teammates to get over Awana's death. We have lost a man, a player and a boy and it will be hard to replace him."
|
ee3ad2c8c4b24774b5ca4a0025ac966c
|
How many people viewed the video on YouTube?
|
[
"1.2 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- He never told a lie, as the story goes. So maybe if he were alive today, President George Washington could tell a New York City library what he did with two books he checked out 221 years ago.
The two books -- weighty discourses on international relations and parliamentary debates -- were checked out on October 5, 1789.
They were due on November 2, 1789, but weren't brought back.
Since then, they've been steadily collecting a fine of a few cents each day, adding up to more than $4,000 by the New York Society Library's informal estimate.
"I'm sorry, math is not my thing at all," said Jane Goldstein, the assistant head librarian when asked to hazard a guess.
The fine at the time was 2 pence a day. Now, it's 15 cents -- "It's really gone up, hasn't it?" she quipped.
One of the librarians, Matthew Haugen, guessed the fine to be in the region of 3,000 British pounds, or about $4,577.
"He stuck with the pence concept," Goldstein said.
The library first learned of the missing books when it discovered a yellowed ledger in its basement
It listed all the people who had checked out books from the city's oldest library between July 1789 and April 1792.
Next to the works "Law of Nations" and the 12th volume of "Common Debates" was the name of the person who checked them out: "President."
At the time, New York was the capital of the United States, and the library was the only one in town.
Soon after, the capital was relocated to Philadelphia and then Washington D.C.
The New York library, a subscription library that was New York's first library open to the public, has known about the missing books since the 1930s. The matter came up again recently because the library is capturing the ledgers in digital form to preserve the records.
Library officials cross-checked the books mentioned in the ledger with the ones in their collection.
"Volume 12 (of "Common Debates") was still missing," as was the other book, Goldstein said.
The library is not so concerned about the fine as it is about each book.
"We don't know where it is," she said. "We have tried to find it and we can't," she said.
|
9293c24a86f641b7940a12be9099079f
|
what was never returned?
|
[
"two books"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a British-owned bulk carrier Saturday in the Indian Ocean, but NATO forces stopped an attack on another vessel in the Gulf of Aden hours earlier, NATO maritime authorities said.
11 pirates are arrested by Yemeni security forces in an operation last month.
The UK cargo ship, the MV Ariana, was carrying 35,000 tons of soya about 250 nautical miles (287 miles) northwest of the Seychelles when it was seized around dawn.
The crew members are Ukrainians and they are not believed to harmed, NATO said. It is unclear how many crew members were aboard the vessel and how it came to be attacked. NATO said it was unaware of ransom demands or any threats against those aboard.
NATO said a European Union Protection Aircraft has been deployed to monitor and track the MV Ariana, which is making its way toward Somalia -- the epicenter of the pirate industry.
The Seychelles is a republic consisting of a group of islands off East Africa.
On Friday evening, a NATO operation conducted by a Portuguese warship disrupted a pirate attack on a Bahamas oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
The tanker, the MV Kition, broadcast an emergency alert when a pirate-filled skiff approached. NRP Corte-Real, the closest NATO ship, and its helicopter responded and intercepted the pirates.
Portuguese Navy special forces boarded a pirate mother-ship. They found and destroyed four AK-47s, a rocket-propelled grenade and four explosives.
They seized 19 suspected Somali pirates but released them after consulting with Portuguese national authorities.
Piracy has been soaring off the coast of eastern Africa -- particularly Somalia, which has not had an effective government since 1991.
Somali pirates have defied foreign navies patrolling the waters and have collected large ransoms from shipping companies. Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions.
Journalist Ashleigh Nghiem contributed to this report.
|
b008128c6c5c49aa97374c6b53a00821
|
Who stopped them?
|
[
"NATO forces"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The toddler whose body washed ashore in Texas last month has been tentatively identified as a 2-year-old girl, and her mother and a man identified as her boyfriend were arrested Saturday, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday.
Police believe two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers may be "Baby Grace."
Investigators believe the child they dubbed "Baby Grace" is actually 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday.
DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm that identification.
The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said.
The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston.
Their bonds were set at $350,000 each.
The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said.
Deputies and FBI agents plan to release more information at a news conference Monday, Galveston County Sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.
The girl's grandmother, Sheryl Sawyers, of Cleveland, Ohio, told CNN affiliate WKYC that Riley Ann has been missing since June. Watch Sawyers family describe their fears before child was identified »
On October 29, a fisherman discovered the body in a blue Sterilite plastic container on an uninhabited island in Galveston's West Bay.
Police dubbed the dead girl "Baby Grace," and asked the public for help in identifying her.
A medical examiner said the child's skull was fractured, and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years.
In composite sketches, the girl is wearing a pink skirt and matching top -- clothing authorities said she was wearing when she was found. The other sketch, a close-up rendering of the child's face, shows a fair-skinned toddler with long blond hair.
"She is more to us than just a case number, more to us than just an unidentified body. She is very much a human being," Tutoilmondo said last month. "She is someone's child, someone's grandchild, someone's cousin, someone's best friend, and to us, that is the most important part about this case."
"We have adopted the name of Baby Grace because, there again, that is part of the emotional part of this case for us," he said, holding a tiny sneaker identical to one of those the child was wearing when she was found. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Hank Bishop contributed to this story.
|
2e383ab2e98148c99d42205a6ee6c08b
|
Who is the child?
|
[
"Riley Ann Sawyers may be \"Baby Grace.\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Six-year-old Makayla Sitton didn't get to act in The Nutcracker Ballet. The night before she was to go on stage, she was shot to death with three others in a home in Jupiter, Florida.
"I do not know how we're ever going to recover from this, but we know where she is. She is in heaven," her father, Jim Sitton, told CNN affiliate WPTV-TV of West Palm Beach, Florida.
"God has blessed us with this beautiful girl, and he just took her home a little bit earlier than we wanted," he said, struggling to hold back tears.
Police were searching Friday for a suspect in the deaths of Makayla and three others: twins Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, 33, and Raymonde Joseph, 76, police said.
Patrick Knight and Clifford Gebara were wounded in the shooting, police said.
Officers were looking for Paul Michael Merhige, 35, who is thought to have left the area armed, said Jupiter police Sgt. Scott Pascarella. The dead were Merhige's twin sisters, his aunt and 6-year-old cousin.
Interviews with family members suggest that Merhige "had ongoing resentment" for some of his relatives, said Sally Collins-Ortiz, a spokeswoman for Jupiter police.
One of the victims -- Knight -- was pregnant, Collins-Ortiz said Friday. The U.S. Marshals have joined the search for Merhige, she said.
The shooting occurred about 10 p.m. ET Thursday. Pascarella said he did not know the motive.
Merhige is thought to have driven away in a blue 2007 Toyota Camry with Florida license plate number W42 7JT, the officer said.
CNN's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.
|
c4de1eb584f649049a86283376b0659d
|
where in florida was this at
|
[
"in a home in Jupiter,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, who has enjoyed Apple's products along with millions of other Americans, Wednesday night hailed Steve Jobs as one of America's greatest innovators, a man "brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it."
"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented," the president said in a statement.
Praising Jobs' breadth and the impact of his work from personal computers to iPhones to movie production, the president added, "Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: He changed the way each of us sees the world."
This week, Obama, known for his affection for the BlackBerry, revealed he actually was a recipient of an advanced copy of the iPad 2 directly from Jobs.
"Steve Jobs actually gave it to me, a little bit early," he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "Yeah, it was cool. I got it directly from him."
In March, CNN photographed the president holding an iPad.
The president and Jobs met several times, including at a dinner in San Francisco in February with Silicon Valley executives and last year when they discussed issues revolving around technology and the economy.
Many politicians also praised Jobs as the truest example of the American dream, an icon.
House Speaker Rep. John Boehner, who also uses an iPad, tweeted: "Steve Jobs changed the world for the better w/his innovations and genius."
House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, tweeted, "There is not a day that goes by, and often not an hour, that a Steve Jobs invention does not better my family's life. Thank you Steve."
Fellow Californian Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, called Jobs "a visionary who changed the way we live, an innovator whose products brought joy to millions, a risk-taker who wasn't afraid to challenge the status quo," and also said in a statement, "His sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle. His courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many."
CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh contributed to this story.
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127ae63f50d84264a1eb79657fa6353c
|
What did Obama say about Steve Jobs?
|
[
"a man \"brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.\""
] |
NewsQA
|
ZURICH, Switzerland (CNN) -- As I watched Cristiano Ronaldo receive the FIFA World Player of the Year award in Zurich, I couldn't help feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, as the 23 year-old Portuguese international once again proved all his doubters wrong.
Cristiano Ronaldo shows emotion after being named the FIFA World Player of the Year for 2008.
Especially the ones in England.
In the days leading up to the awards ceremony, there were various rumors circulating that the Manchester United star was going to be pipped by Leo Messi on Tuesday night.
I was asked several times in London whether I really thought Ronaldo was going to win. Whether he really deserved it.
It was as if many in the British press didn't want him to take home another award.
Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo is shown enough respect? Tell us in the Sound Off box below.
The fierce attack on his lifestyle by the tabloids after he crashed his Ferrari last week just accentuated the fact that in the UK, he still has earned little respect.
Never mind that he was about to become the first Premier League Player to win this prestigious award. Never mind he has been the competition's biggest ambassador and promoter overseas. Too many in the English media, he was still a diver on the field, and a petulant rock star off it.
Now I am not going to sit here and say that my compatriot Cristiano is perfect. He isn't and he makes mistakes. But the same can be said about Wayne Rooney or any of the other English internationals.
When Rooney charges down the referee and shouts obscenities in his face without even being booked, as was the case in last weekend's match against Chelsea, is he called arrogant or petulant? No. When he goes seven or eight matches without a goal, is he suddenly branded overrated? No.
So all I am asking for here is a little respect. If Ronaldo was English, I am sure in the eyes of the British press he would be virtually untouchable, but although he's not, just give him a break. After all, he had an incredible 2007/2008 season which saw him score 42 goals in 49 matches and win virtually every major trophy on offer.
And he's a great ambassador for the game.
Pedro Pinto is a CNN sports correspondent based in London.
|
eb1f1008c3d141b58f50b0dee6b19c99
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What did Pedro Pinto say about Rolando?
|
[
"he's a great ambassador for the game."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- A bit of music history was lost Friday morning when flames gutted the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia.
The Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia, smolders after firefighters put out a morning blaze.
The 19th-century building was a cornerstone in the alternative rock music scene that gave the world the B-52s, R.E.M. and the Indigo Girls, said Doc Eldridge, president of the local Chamber of Commerce.
The theater, in downtown Athens near the University of Georgia campus, suffered heavy damage from the fire, which was discovered at 7 a.m., according to Athens-Clarke County government spokeswoman Sandy Turner.
"The facade is still there, but it's very bad," she said.
"From the big names to the no names, countless of musicians and groups have left their mark on the Athens music scene from the stage of the Georgia Theatre," Eldridge said. iReport: Photos of theater burning
Sheffy McArthur was a University of Georgia student when he and two friends converted the movie theater into a music venue in 1978.
"The B-52s paid us to play there, imagine that," McArthur said.
Sea Level, a blues-jazz-rock group that grew from the remnants of the Allman Brothers Band, played the first show in the theater in January 1978, McArthur said.
It became the place "for alternative music, instead of cover-type stuff for real artists to play," he said.
Wilmont Greene took over the theater five years ago and began renovations.
R.E.M., which formed in Athens in 1980 and became one of the first popular alternative bands, played in the 600-seat theater in the group's early days.
In recent years, the theater served as host for album release parties and benefit shows by R.E.M., which is based in a building just down the street.
"All of us here certainly wish Wilmont Greene and his staff the best of luck and Godspeed in their efforts to rebuild the Athens landmark," an R.E.M. statement said.
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25aa2c0fbd224d5b8a541f2b1b7c0aa5
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What notable bands have played at the theare?
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[
"B-52s, R.E.M."
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Real Mallorca's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dented by a 1-0 defeat away to Spanish strugglers Tenerife on Monday night.
Gregorio Manzano's islanders dropped out of the top four following the weekend's games, and Nino's early goal for relegation-threatened Tenerife meant they stayed fifth, two points behind Sevilla.
Tenerife moved up to third from bottom, still a point away from safety as they seek to avoid an immediate return to the second division, after doubling their points tally earned from the previous eight matches.
Last season's top scorer Nino netted his sixth goal of the 2009-10 campaign in the 14th minute as he ran onto Mikel Alonso's pass and buried his shot from the edge of the area despite claims of offside from the visitors.
Nino missed a chance from a similar position soon after, and in the second half he was denied by Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate, who also did well to save Julian Omar's rising shot.
Mallorca substitute Pierre Webo headed wide with 12 minutes to go as his team, who have a 100 percent home record, extended a poor away run of just one win in 12 trips.
Champions Barcelona lead Real Madrid by two points following Sunday's shock defeat by Atletico Madrid, while Valencia are third a further 10 points adrift.
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fa58f598b9424b8b86a758605cb35961
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What are Mallorca's hopes?
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[
"qualifying for the Champions League"
] |
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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Four militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel, killing dozens of people Friday -- most of them children, the military said.
The attack is the latest to shake the garrison city since this year's launch of strong military offensives against Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan. Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani army.
Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Friday's assault killed 36 people and wounded 75.
Among the dead were 17 children, according to the military's Web site. Also killed were an army general and eight other military officials, six of them of senior rank. The remaining fatalities were adults.
"As soon as the mosque's security staff checked me, there was a blast and then a finger hit me, then there was another," Ishtiaq, a driver for a military officer, told GEO TV.
Ishtiaq, who uses only one name, was attending midday prayers.
Rawalpindi is near Islamabad, and the mosque is near national army headquarters. It is located inside a walled residential compound where many military families have homes.
A witness told GEO TV there were up to 300 worshippers at the mosque at the time of the attack.
The militants hurled grenades before opening fire, Rawalpindi Police Chief Aslam Tareen told CNN. He said all the militants died, but he doesn't know how.
"These are not militants," Abbas said. "These are terrorists who killed innocent worshippers."
Retired Gen. Muhammad Yousaf was killed in the attack, said Col. Baseer Haider, a military spokesman. He said Yousaf was a former vice chief of army staff who was second in command during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf.
Abbas said two of the attackers were suicide bombers who blew themselves up inside the Parade Lane mosque; the other two were shot and killed by security forces outside the mosque.
Several explosions were heard inside the mosque around 1:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. ET), followed by gunfire, Abbas said. The militants entered the compound by climbing over a wall, Tareen said.
This is the first attack in Rawalpindi since a suicide bomber targeted a bank on November 2.
On October 10, militants stormed army headquarters in Rawalpindi, taking several people hostage before security forces killed them.
CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.
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bed6ca59599545b4b501cf043fd3ff08
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How many people were killed in the attack?
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[
"36"
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Wednesday hailed the election of Barack Obama as "a triumph of the American story."
"Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday," President Bush said Wednesday.
Obama's rise to become the nation's first black president is "a testament to hard work, optimism and a faith in the enduring promise of our nation," Bush said in the White House Rose Garden.
"No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday," said Bush, whose second term in the Oval Office will end when Obama is sworn in on January 20.
Bush said he had called Obama and had also spoken to his opponent, Sen. John McCain.
"I congratulated [McCain] on a determined campaign that he and Gov. [Sarah] Palin ran," the president said. Watch Bush praise presidential candidates »
Bush said turning over the White House to Obama "will be a stirring sight."
"I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited for for so long," Bush said.
Moving toward Obama's January 20 inauguration, Bush promised the president-elect he can count on "complete cooperation" as he makes the transition to the White House.
Speaking later at the State Department, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said her department "will do everything that we can" to ensure a smooth transition. Watch Rice pledge a smooth turnover at the State Department »
Rice, an African-American like Obama, also called Tuesday's election "an extraordinary step forward" in the nation's history.
"I am especially proud because this is a country that's been through a long journey in terms of overcoming wounds, and making race not the factor in our lives," Rice said.
Bush warned America's enemies not to expect any letup in national security during the transition.
"The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility, protecting the American people," Bush said.
On Thursday, Obama is expected to receive his first top-secret intelligence briefing, similar to the one Bush gets every day, according to U.S. officials familiar with the process.
In a message to CIA employees obtained by CNN, CIA Director Michael Hayden says Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell will lead Obama's first briefing.
Bush pledged to fulfill his duties as president until the final day of his presidency.
"I will continue to conduct the people's business as long as the office remains in my trust," the nation's 43rd president said.
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ecd456a2e4c24eb481f2791befa8cf50
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Who is to get top secret intelligence briefing on Thursday?
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[
"Obama"
] |
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(CNN) -- A bus hopped a highway median and crashed into a pickup truck before being broadsided by an 18-wheeler, Arkansas police said, killing the pickup driver and two bus riders.
Two passengers were found dead inside the bus, said Arkansas State Police.
Forty people were hurt in Sunday night's crash, which shut down a 13-mile stretch of Interstate-40 east of Forrest City, Arkansas, said state police spokesman Bill Sadler.
The bus was westbound en route from Chicago, Illinois, to Dallas, Texas.
The driver of the pickup truck -- identified as 30-year-old Danny Okurily of Hot Springs, Arkansas -- died at the scene of the accident, Sadler said. Bus driver Felix Tapia, 28, of Brownsville, Texas, and tractor-trailer driver David Rice, 45, of Mars Hill, North Carolina, suffered minor injuries, according to The Associated Press.
Two passengers were also found dead inside the bus, he said. Their names were not released because authorities have not yet notified relatives, Sadler said.
Several dozen injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Forrest City, Memphis and West Memphis, said police.
The bus, which listed 44 passengers on its manifest, was owned and operated by the Tornado Bus Line, which is based in Dallas, Texas, Sadler said.
The crash happened just after 10 p.m. CT about 10 miles east of Forrest City and about 40 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, Sadler said. E-mail to a friend
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b80516597c1043bf9d2c989922fb71a9
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Who reports that there was a 3-vehicle crash?
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[
"Arkansas police"
] |
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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Police used pepper gas and water cannons to disperse crowds of demonstrators who took to the streets Tuesday to protest a meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
A protester fires a catapult at police during demonstrations in Istanbul.
Some protesters broke shop windows in and around Taksim Square before scurrying for cover as police armored cars hosed them with water.
Taksim Square, in downtown Istanbul, is blocks from the site of the IMF meeting.
Delegates are in the city to discuss ways to battle poverty and to strategize ways to prevent a repeat of last year's global economic crisis.
Though Turkey is one of the world's 20 wealthiest economies, a huge income gap exists. The latest government statistics show that nearly one in five Turks lives below the poverty line, despite the country's economy enjoying steady growth for much of the past decade. Watch CNN reporter overwhelmed by tear gas »
Over the past year, the economic crisis has pummeled Turkey's export-driven industries, pushing unemployment to record highs. See images of protests »
The downturn has hit everyone from Istanbul's garbage pickers, who say there is less useful trash to scavenge, to Istanbul's cabbies, who complain that fewer customers can afford rides. iReport: Send your photos, videos
On Thursday, a protester threw a shoe at the IMF director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, at the end of a question-and-answer session Thursday at a university in Istanbul. The shoe missed.
Other demonstrators at Bilgi University unfurled a banner and chanted, "Go away, IMF. You're stealing money."
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c193d5e7785f41ef959b9552db688081
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Where did the protesters break windows?
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[
"in and around Taksim Square"
] |
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(CNN) -- A French Mirage 2000 jet fighter collided with a Lithuanian plane during a training mission Tuesday in Lithuania, the French Defense Ministry said.
No one was hurt during the training exercise at an air force base in Siauliai, Northern Lithuania, military officials from both countries said.
Two French jet fighters and and a Lithuanian jet trainer were in the air when one of the jet fighters collided with the Lithuanian plane, officials said.
Both pilots of the Lithuanian L-39 Albatross ejected and are safe. Their plane crashed.
The French jet landed, Lithuanian officials said.
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4355801c77e44a58b9b282136517e674
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Was anybody hurt?
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[
"No one"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The A&E network quickly backed away from an earlier assurance that Michael Jackson's three children "are not part of" a reality show it is taping with four of the pop star's brothers.
Before their father's death, Michael Jackson's children, Paris, Prince and "Blanket" were not often seen in public.
The network said late Wednesday it was "entirely possible" that "other members of the Jackson family" could appear on the show, but it is too soon to know.
US Weekly magazine quoted an unidentified source as saying that despite a sharp division in the Jackson family over the matter, Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7, would be included in the show.
"The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," which focuses on the lives of four of the Jackson brothers -- Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon -- was in the works before the singer's June 25 death.
"Filming is taking place right now," A&E said in the late Wednesday statement. "As production moves forward, it is entirely possible that the brothers' paths will intersect with other members of the Jackson family, who may or may not be included in the finished series. However, we cannot at this point definitively know who else may make an appearance in the series."
Earlier Wednesday, however, the network had seemed to rule out their appearance, saying, "They are not part of the series."
Jackson went to great lengths for years to keep his children out of the public eye, including covering their faces with masks and scarves.
It was only at the public memorial service for Jackson that the world got a close look at them -- and began learning about their personalities.
The magazine's source is quoted as saying that the oldest Jackson sister, Rebbie, "feels Michael would spin in his grave if he knew his kids would be on this show."
The public relations firm hired by the Jackson family soon after Michael Jackson's death issued a short statement Wednesday morning that did not dispute the US Weekly report.
"We are not going to comment," the statement said.
The decision would be left to Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, according to the lawyer appointed in August to represent the children in the probate of their father's will. Katherine Jackson was given guardianship over the children by a Los Angeles judge.
The reality show is tentatively set to begin airing in December.
CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report.
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3dc9eea03c914218ab00aa7b4a613dd7
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What is A&E going to broadcast?
|
[
"\"The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- When it comes to the sport of wrestling, longtime adversaries Iran and the United States are friendly enemies.
Andy Hrovat, right, seen wrestling Reineris Salas of Cuba, is among the U.S. wrestlers touring this winter.
A U.S. freestyle men's wrestling team will go to the Islamic republic -- where the sport is widely popular -- for a prestigious tournament in March.
Nine American wrestlers will take part in the Takhti Cup competition, scheduled for March 12-13, according to state Iranian media and USA Wrestling -- the national governing body for Olympics wrestling in the United States.
"In Iran, wrestling and soccer are the two major sports," said Gary Abbott, director of communications for USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "They know their wrestling as well as anyone in the world. They treat our athletes like kings."
Relations between the United States and Iran ended after Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held Americans hostage there for 444 days.
More recently, the two countries have been at odds over Iran's nuclear ambitions and have been sharply critical of each other's policies and actions in the Middle East.
But Abbott said there has been a history of U.S. and Iranian wrestling exchanges despite the politics. Both sides are always looking for opportunities to compete.
Abbott said Iran is one of the top wrestling powers in the world, along with countries such as the United States, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Competing in a wrestling-crazy society like Iran is special to Americans, who look forward to getting on the mats before large crowds in sold-out arenas.
"For the common citizen, an American wrestler in Iran is like Michael Jordan going over there," Abbott said, referring to the world-famous American basketball legend.
USA Wrestling said the trip is one of several overseas events this winter for American wrestlers.
U.S. teams also will also be competing in Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Cuba, Bulgaria, Belarus, Turkey, Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia. The team going to Iran includes four men who have represented the United States in the Olympics.
|
95d9ab52606e41a69d67f3108fd5d459
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is wrestling popular
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[
"widely"
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Allegations that Blackwater USA -- whose operations were suspended after 20 Iraqi civilians were shot to death last weekend -- was "in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities are baseless," the company asserted Saturday.
Blackwater employees patrol Baghdad by air in a February 2005 photograph.
Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that employees of Blackwater illegally purchased weapons and sold them in Iraq, according to U.S. government sources.
A U.S. government official has said the U.S. attorney's office in Raleigh, North Carolina, is in the early stages of an investigation that focuses on individual company employees, and not the firm.
Blackwater, which is based in Moyock, North Carolina, is a security firm hired by the State Department to guard U.S. staff in Iraq.
"The company has no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons," the Blackwater statement said. "When it was uncovered internally that two employees were stealing from the company, Blackwater immediately fired them and invited the ATF to conduct a thorough investigation." Watch a report on Blackwater's response to the allegations »
The first public hint that an investigation was under way came earlier this week in a statement from State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard after he was accused of blocking fraud investigations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Krongard said the State Department has been cooperating with the prosecutors in the Blackwater probe.
"In particular, I made one of my best investigators available to help assistant U.S. attorneys in North Carolina in their investigation into alleged smuggling of weapons into Iraq by a contractor," Krongard's statement said.
Blackwater resumed normal security operations in Iraq on Friday, the State Department said, after a brief hiatus following the lethal incident last Sunday.
The Iraqi government was outraged by the shootings and disputes the U.S. and Blackwater's claim that the guards were responding to an attack. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Elise Labott and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
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5d56d288c143480894603fac581ed360
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What did the company say?
|
[
"\"in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities"
] |
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(CNN) -- The Texas attorney general sued a hotel and a motel Thursday, accusing them of price gouging during September's exodus of more than 1 million Gulf Coast residents ahead of Hurricane Ike.
Attorney General Greg Abbott filed suit against the Hotel Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches and the Super 8 Brookshire Motel near Katy, accusing them of illegally raising room rates after Gov. Rick Perry had issued a declaration of disaster on September 8.
"Although Texas law clearly prohibits profiteering during declared disasters, these defendants are charged with increasing room rates for evacuees during Hurricane Ike," Abbott said in a news release. "The law imposes strict penalties on vendors that attempt to increase their profits after the governor issues a disaster declaration.
"Despite today's price-gouging charges, the vast majority of Texas businesses complied with the law and are to be commended for working with authorities to provide crucial assistance to hurricane victims."
In Texas, the state attorney general can sue, but not file criminal charges. A district attorney would need to file any such charges.
An estimated 1.2 million Gulf Coast residents heeded officials' recommendations that they move inland until the storm had passed.
Hotel Nacogdoches, located north of Houston along a major evacuation route, charged evacuees more than double its usual rate, the statement said, citing complaints from guests whose receipts showed the hotel charged $99.99 for a room that had cost $49.99 two days before Ike.
It told a similar tale about Super 8 Brookshire Motel, west of Katy, which also housed evacuees. The motel charged up to $125 for a room that ordinarily cost $99, the statement said.
The businesses also charged state and local hotel and motel taxes, even though the governor had issued a declaration waiving them, according to the statement.
The office of the attorney general is seeking civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation and up to $250,000 per violation for victims over the age of 65.
Managers from neither hotel immediately returned calls seeking comment.
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58e65419ac614442a0a3461456c41ccf
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What are a hotel and motel accused of doing as evacuees fled?
|
[
"price gouging"
] |
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(CNN) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will decide this week whether to allow gays and lesbians who are not celibate to serve as clergy members and lay leaders, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Current Evangelical Lutheran Church policy allows gay and lesbian clergy, lay people to serve only if celibate.
Spokesman John Brooks said the church's 1,045 voting members, who are at a weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will vote Friday on whether to change its policy regarding gay clergy members.
The policy allows gays and lesbians to serve as clergy members and lay leaders if they are celibate, Brooks said. Heterosexual clergy are allowed to have sex within marriage.
The new policy would allow gays and lesbians in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships," to serve as clergy and lay leaders, according to the proposal.
Lay leaders are people other than clergy members who are on the professional rosters of the church.
A simple majority will decide the vote, Brooks said. He said there is a "wide range of opinions" on changing the policy.
The body is also scheduled to vote Wednesday on a social statement on sexuality that has been eight years in the making, he said.
"It's important for us because it informs the basis for policy," he said.
According to its Web site, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 4.6 million members.
The church is not the only denomination that has dealt with the issue of gay clergy.
Last month, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops voted by a wide margin to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops, Episcopal Life reported.
In April, the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted against allowing openly gay pastors to serve, according to the Presbyterian News Service.
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b98ed419ba824bd7a9789d4b5aa2d1b4
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What would the new policy allow?
|
[
"lesbians who are not celibate to serve as clergy members"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Software giant Microsoft is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of hackers behind a powerful computer virus that could lead to millions of PCs being hijacked.
Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm.
Experts have so far been baffled by the true purpose of the Conficker or Downadup virus, but have described its spread as one of the most serious infections ever seen.
The worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, then -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it opens a link back to its point of origin, meaning it can receive further orders to wreak havoc.
Microsoft has issued a patch to fix the bug, however if a single machine is infected in a large network, it will spread unchecked -- often reinfecting machines that have been disinfected.
The threat from the virus prompted Microsoft in collaboration with other technology industry names to this week announce a $250,000 reward for information to track down those behind Conficker.
"As part of Microsoft's ongoing security efforts, we constantly look for ways to use a diverse set of tools and develop methodologies to protect our customers," said George Stathakopoulos, of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group.
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure says the true scope of the virus is not known, but in the past 24 hours his company monitored Conficker signals from two million Internet protocol addresses.
"That's a lot," he told CNN. "And one IP address here does not mean one infected computer, it means at least one infected computer.
"Many of those IP addresses are obviously company proxies or firewalls, hiding hundreds of more infections behind it. Unfortunately this also makes it impossible to estimate the total count of infected systems.
"So it's still big. Very big."
Microsoft has previously paid out similar rewards to informants who helped identify the creator of Sasser, another notorious worm let loose in 2004. The perpetrator was tracked to Germany, where he was sentenced a year later.
|
dcb62b079f35471e817c9b0aa6fea082
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What could this virus allow?
|
[
"PCs being hijacked."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The commander of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Hampton has been relieved of his command amid an inquiry into misconduct by crew members, the U.S. Navy said Friday.
The USS Hampton appears in an undated photograph.
Cmdr. Michael B. Portland lost his post "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," the Navy said in a statement. Cmdr. William J. Houston will replace Portland.
The crew neither maintained inspection records nor conducted the required inspection of chemical levels associated with the cooling system of the ship's nuclear reactor, Navy officials said. The crew then went back and falsified existing records to make it appear the work had been done.
"There is not, and never was, any danger to the crew or the public," the Navy said.
Portland's demotion brings to 10 the number of people relieved of duty on the submarine in the wake of the misconduct probe.
Six personnel have been punished for forging inspection records for the cooling system, the Navy officials said Monday. Those six -- one officer and five enlisted personnel -- received a "nonjudicial punishment" after other Navy personnel discovered their actions, the officials said.
The Navy said Friday that one officer and two enlisted crew members have been temporarily reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11. Portland also will be temporarily reassigned to that squadron.
The misconduct was discovered September 17 but not made public until after completion of an initial inquiry.
A fact-finding investigation is under way, and further action against Navy crew members is possible, a Navy official said.
The Hampton remains in port in San Diego, California. In all, the $900 million vessel's crew includes 13 officers and 116 enlisted personnel. E-mail to a friend
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e2a2ba6f38604b2b9472bdb17c77a52a
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What was the reason for the crew members discipline?
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[
"misconduct by"
] |
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(CNN) -- Security forces patrolled deserted streets in Gabon's capital as citizens of the west African nation awaited official presidential results amid growing fears of violence, witnesses told CNN on Thursday.
Police block supporters of opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou in Libreville, Gabon.
Voters in the oil-rich nation went to the polls Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo, who died in June after more than four decades in office.
Bongo, 73, was Africa's longest-serving ruler. His son, Ali Bongo, a candidate for the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party, was one of the main contenders.
Local media reports indicated that the younger Bongo had won, but CNN was unable to confirm those results.
"The Gabonese have come out of 42 years of dictatorship; they don't care who will be the next president, as long as it is not Bongo," Andriankoto Ratozamanana told CNN by phone from the capital, Libreville. "They want change. They don't want Bongo, because he is his dad's son."
Libreville was deserted because residents had fled to villages for fear of post-election violence, Ratozamanana said.
"The citizens won't accept if Ali Bongo wins, because that will mean the government stole the vote," Ratozamanana said.
The younger Bongo, a former defense minister, was one of 23 politicians originally in the ballot. Several candidates pulled out a few days before the vote to support the opposition, said Archippe Yepmou, a media activist.
Bongo, main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou and former interior minister Andre Mba Obame have all claimed victory.
The elder Bongo took power in 1967, seven years after the country's independence from France.
He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country's first president, who died in office. He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991, but his party retained its grip on the government despite that.
The nation of about 1.5 million has a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Despite its wealth, which also comes from timber exports, a large percentage of its population lives in poverty because of poor financial management and a huge gap between the rich and the poor.
CNN's Umaro Djau contributed to this report.
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b36d2ff7566446ce95af7bf437037dd2
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When did voters go to the polls?
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[
"Sunday"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- In a dramatic reversal, the Florida state attorney's office announced Monday it will seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony, the 23-year-old woman charged in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.
Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of her daughter Caylee, 2, Trial is set for October.
The state had previously said it would not ask for the death sentence for Anthony.
The development could have a major impact on how the case plays out at trial, including whether defense attorney Jose Baez can stay on the case.
Baez has not been certified by the court to defend capital punishment cases.
Prosecutors announced their change in strategy in a letter of intent. Read the letter of intent (pdf)
Meanwhile, Anthony's defense filed a motion on Friday with Orange County Circuit Court, seeking more phone records from a dozen people involved in the case. The motion asks for any and all records for "phone calls, text messages, P2P communications, Internet usage, WAP usage, and cell tower pings."
The defense wants records from the defendant's parents, George and Cindy Anthony; her former fiancé, Jesse Grund; her brother, Lee Anthony; a friend, Amy Huizenga; and Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found Caylee's remains in December of last year.
Kronk had called authorities as early as last August to report he had seen a suspicious bag in the area.
Other names on the list include several former boyfriends, two private investigators, a volunteer searcher and Richard Cain, an Orange County Sheriff's deputy.
Cain was fired after an internal investigation found he failed to respond to repeated calls from Kronk about the suspicious bag. Cain has refused to leave the job and is awaiting an appeal.
"Various cell phone service providers are in possession of certain items which are material to the preparation of the defense in this cause,'' the motion says, adding, ''the items sought by this application cannot be obtained through normal discovery."
The motion says the release of these records could lead to admissible evidence in Anthony's trial, which is set to begin in October. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder of Caylee, whose remains were found in woods near her grandparents' home in Orlando.
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c6600a81497742a49c99773a7185629b
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Whose defense motioned for more phone records?
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[
"Anthony's"
] |
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|
Beijing (CNN) -- Money rewards are coming in for a woman who rescued a bleeding toddler left for dead last week by multiple passersby in southern China.
Two hit-and-run drivers rammed into Wang Yue, 2, one after another, as she walked on a narrrow street in Foshan.
More than a dozen people walked, cycled or drove past as she lay bleeding in a busy market, sparking a global outcry on the state of morality in a fast-changing society.
Wang is in critical condition, her brain showing little activity despite earlier subtle movements in the lower body, said her mother, Qu Feifei.
But despite the many villains in the story, it has also turned the spotlight on an unlikely hero: A 58-year-old scavenger.
In the video that has sparked outrage globally, Chen Xianmei moves the baby to safety, becoming an instant symbol of understated decency in a nation analysts say is obsessed with climbing the economic ladder.
"I didn't think of anything at the time," Chen said Sunday. "I just wanted to save the girl."
Two government offices in Guangdong province, where the hit-and-run occurred, offered the Good Samaritan a total of 20,000 yuan (US $3,135), according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
Wang's mother has said she does not understand the behavior of the passersby, but wants to focus on the positive.
"Granny Chen represents the best of human nature," she said of her daughter's rescuer. "It's the nicest and most natural side of us."
On Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, the story continued to be the No. 1 topic after generating more than 4.5 million posts along with a "stop apathy" online campaign.
As the outrage over morality continues, a steady procession of well-wishers pours in, offering gifts, money and support to the toddler's family.
|
b13afa36696a41d0bc2e3ad43600d092
|
What does she say she wanted to do?
|
[
"to save the girl.\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- When news breaks, D.L. Hughley will be ready to mock it.
D.L. Hughley starred in "The Hughleys" and "The Original Kings of Comedy."
CNN announced Wednesday that it will premiere a new, "unconventional" weekend show hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," as the show is currently titled, will feature Hughley's humorous take on the week's events.
It will also include interviews with newsmakers and reporters, according to the network. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" is scheduled to debut Saturday, October 25.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the network that I have watched for a very long time, and that to a large extent, has shaped my comedic view," Hughley said in a press release. "CNN offers the perfect blend of news and information on a local, national and international level. What more can a comedian ask for?"
"D.L. is a news junkie who is bursting with things to say about what is going on in the world -- most of them funny, all of them thoughtful, none of them predictable," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh -- and that time will be Saturday nights at 10 on CNN."
The show will resemble the late-night talk shows of Jay Leno and David Letterman more than Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," according to Hughley.
Hughley is known for his acting and his standup performances. The comedian spent four seasons on his own sitcom, "The Hughleys," and was one of the stars of Aaron "West Wing" Sorkin's series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
The performer was also one of the "Original Kings of Comedy," along with Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer.
CNN and CNN.com are units of Time Warner.
|
7baabd0c0cc0497a99eab841e52a5238
|
What premieres on CNN?
|
[
"\"D.L. Hughley Breaks the News,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- World No. 2 Dinara Safina has been forced to pull out of next week's Dubai Tennis Championships due to her ongoing back problems.
The Russian announced on her Web site that she had been suffering from the injury since last year.
"Unfortunately, I will not be able to play the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships this year because of the back injury that's been bothering me since the end of last season," the 23-year-old said.
"I wish the tournament the best of success on its 10th anniversary and hope to be back next year, as it's one of my favorite events."
Safina lost her No. 1 ranking for the second time after retiring hurt during her first match at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Qatar in October, and revealed then that she had been struggling with the problem for three months.
Forced to withdraw from her scheduled opening event of 2010, the Brisbane International, Safina was then beaten by compatriot Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals in Sydney.
She had to retire in the fourth round of the Australian Open in the first set of her clash with another Russian, Maria Kirilenko.
Dubai organizers expect the rest of the world's top-10 players to play, including Australian Open winner Serena Williams and her sister Venus, the defending champion.
World No. 1 Serena pulled out of this week's Paris Indoor Open due to a leg injury, leaving Dementieva as the highest-ranked player.
The world No. 7, last year's runner-up to Amelie Mauresmo, has a first-round bye and will begin her title bid against Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic or fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who meet on Tuesday.
In Monday's action, eighth seed Elena Vesnina crushed Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1 6-4
Hungary's Agnes Szavay walked into the second round when Olga Govortsova of Belarus retired hurt while trailing 6-3 1-0, and will face third seed Yanina Wickmayer in the second round if the Belgian beats Croatian wildcard Petra Martic.
Defending champion Vera Zvonareva of Russia is top seed for this week's other WTA Tour event, the Pattaya Open in Thailand.
|
49d417ef804f4381a1bcce8fdbccc825
|
What did she have to withfraw from because of the problem?
|
[
"Dubai Tennis Championships"
] |
NewsQA
|
(PEOPLE.com) -- As if you couldn't tell by that massive rock taking up residence on her ring finger, Kim Kardashian is a big fan of bling. And the reality-star-turned-fashion-designer continues to channel her sparkly aesthetic as her Belle Noel jewelry collection -- created in collaboration with designer Pascal Mouawad -- enters into its third season.
"I love to accessorize. I think more is more when it comes to fun accessories," the newlywed (in Milly) tells WWD of her taste in jewelry, which she describes as "both glitz and glam, polished and put together."
But just because Kardashian likes her ice doesn't mean she never goes without it. "I don't wear it to work out," she admits. "I see women coming to the gym with earrings on. I can't do it." Same goes for bedtime, she says. "For some reason I need it all off, though people do ... sleep with their earrings on."
While she's enjoyed collaborating with her sisters on items like their book, "Kardashian Konfidential," and their "Kardashian Kollection" clothing line for Sears, the star admits she does love having a jewelry line to call her own.
"It's something I do independently from my sisters. That's kind of rewarding when they see pieces and really like it and want it," she shares. "It's all mine."
See full article at PEOPLE.com.
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
|
4d551146141f4f5391c7410d043c29b3
|
Who likes her ice
|
[
"Kim Kardashian"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Captain Graeme Smith ground out a potentially match-winning century to put South Africa on top in the third cricket Test against England at Newlands on Tuesday.
The left-hander was unbeaten on 162 at stumps on the third day, having added a record 230 for the second wicket with Hashim Amla (95) as the home side reached 312-2 in Cape Town's intense heat.
England struggled from the outset, losing two wickets in the day's opening over and added just 32 runs to their overnight total of 241-7.
That gave the Proteas a first-innings lead of 18 runs, and it looked like the home side might also find batting difficult when makeshift opener Ashwell Prince continued his miserable series, falling leg before wicket to spinner Graeme Swann for 15.
But Smith and Amla set about the English attack, who gained no profit from a controversial incident when seamer Chris Broad stood on the ball with his studded boots before lunch when it was still relatively new.
Smith survived a series of close calls and decision referrals as the duo set a new Test highest mark for the second wicket at the venue.
The opener thought he was out soon after reaching his 19th century in the five-day format, but England wicketkeeper Matt Prior admitted that the edge off seamer Graham Onions had not carried.
Amla finally fell to a bat-pad catch by Alistair Cook off Swann, falling five runs short of his eighth Test ton as he hit 14 boundaries off 156 deliveries.
First-innings centurion Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 20 at stumps, with Smith having plundered 22 boundaries in his 243 balls at the crease.
Earlier, Morne Morkel (5-75) took two wickets in two balls to put England on the back foot, with Swann caught at slip by Smith for five from a fierce rising delivery and James Anderson following in identical fashion.
Prior, who was 52 overnight, hit out to get England close to parity before dragging a short ball from Dale Steyn (4-74) onto his wicket to be last out for 76.
England coach Andy Flower said Wednesday's morning session would prove vital for his side, who lead 1-0 after winning the second Test.
"We have got to attack with the new ball. We have seen wickets fall early on all the days so far. We have definitely got to attack early," the former Zimbabwe international player said.
"The first two days produced very difficult batting conditions, today was easier. We don't know what sort of conditions are going to arrive tomorrow. If it plays as easy as it has today, we have got a chance."
|
0c0f4b4428f549379f8b45437f13f599
|
What was the hosts' score?
|
[
"312-2"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 15-year-old boy remained in a psychiatric facility Tuesday after Monroe, New York, police arrested him in connection with a plot to attack his former high school on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, police said.
Police say the boy targeted Monroe-Woodbury High School, although he was no longer a student there.
He was charged as a juvenile and faces two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon, Monroe Police Chief Dominic Giudice said.
Police withheld the name of the teen, who was arrested Monday after police executed a search warrant at his residence.
There they found four bottles filled with gasoline, a torch, machete, black trench coat, three propane tanks, two computers, items that could be used as fuses and several other electronic devices, according to a Monroe Police Department press release issued Tuesday.
The supplies were found in the garage, Giudice said, but the teen's parents had been unaware of their son's intentions until he told police what he had planned to do.
Police also discovered the teen had actively been seeking a military assault-type weapon that could "hold as many rounds as possible."
The boy told police investigators he had been bullied by fellow students and had been told that he resembled Columbine shooter Eric Harris, the press release said.
A detective on the case told Giudice that the teen appeared to be composed during the interview, as if he were just having another conversation.
Police said the plot was planned for April 20 at Monroe-Woodbury High School, which is the anniversary of the Columbine shooting in Colorado, in which 12 students and a teacher were killed. The date also is Adolf Hitler's birthday.
"He said that he had a lot of hatred toward a lot of the kids who attend that school," the press release said.
The boy had attended the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District but recently began attending another school, police said.
In a statement released by the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District today, superintendent Joseph DiLorenzo indicated that students had come forward with information that may have averted the alleged plot.
"We are working closely with law enforcement to do everything possible to keep our children safe," he said.
|
483a91c37d89422f9c8d03d72a6368fa
|
Who did the teen resemble?
|
[
"Columbine shooter Eric Harris,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith is confirming the latest buzz: She's been laid off from the New York Post.
Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith, 86, has been a fixture of New York tabloids for more than three decades.
Confronted with "economic gales," New York Post Editor Col Allan said in a letter sent to Smith that the newspaper would not renew her contract, which expires at the end of the month.
"The Post is grateful to have been able to publish Liz Smith's legendary column for so many years. We wish her the very best for the future," Allan said in a statement Tuesday.
In an interview with CNN affiliate WABC-TV in New York, Smith noted that Friday "will be the first time in 33 years that there hasn't been a Liz Smith column in a New York paper."
"That hurts my heart. I would hate to see another newspaper fail. ... When I came to New York, there were nine newspapers. I've worked for seven of them. They just disappear out from under you," she added.
Often referred to as the "Diva of Dish," the 86-year-old Smith has been a presence in New York tabloids for more than three decades. She's written for the New York Post, New York Daily News and Newsday.
Smith was also a fixture on local television, appearing on WNBC-TV for more than 10 years. In 2000, she published a memoir, "Natural Blonde," and wrote a nonfiction work in 2005 combining food and gossip, "Dishing."
Though her titillating and often penetrating look at the New York social scene may be gone from tabloid pages, Smith will continue to publish, writing five times a week for wowOwow.com, an online community created and run by women for women.
In an online statement, WowOwow.com co-founder Joni Evans said that Smith will begin posting next week.
|
fb38ba4e7f3045448dfb43b7165069c3
|
What happened for the first time in 33 years?
|
[
"there hasn't been a Liz Smith column in a New York paper.\""
] |
NewsQA
|
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian government plans to participate in the international troop buildup in Afghanistan by sending 1,000 more troops there next year.
The Italian Defense Ministry confirmed the troops would be deployed in the second half of 2010, a complement to the nearly 2,800 Italians already in the western part of the country.
Italy is one of 43 countries serving under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
Based in Herat, the Italian military is the lead nation in ISAF's Regional Command West. 22 Italian service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict.
The Italian escalation would be part of the troop buildup of 5,000 extra non-U.S. service members ISAF intends to commit to the country.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that new troop pledges could be announced at a conference of NATO foreign ministers Thursday and Friday in Brussels, Belgium, where the alliance is based.
There are currently 42,000 non-U.S. NATO troops in Afghanistan at present. 28 NATO allies and 15 non-NATO members are contributing to the U.S.-led coalition.
The added NATO troop deployment would complement the nearly 100,000 Americans expected to be in the fight once the 30,000 troops U.S. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday night are in place.
|
e114a2921c5a4556ac9a4db9192ee7f3
|
How many non-U.S. NATO troops are in Afghanistan at present?
|
[
"42,000"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Mourners packed into a church in Illinois Monday to remember a woman whose death made headlines worldwide.
At the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in Chicago, a funeral was held for Dawn Brancheau, a SeaWorld trainer who died last week after a killer whale dragged her underwater at Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
A memorial service for the 40-year-old will take place in Orlando, Florida, at a future date, according to the Blake Lamb Funeral Home.
Brancheau had wanted to be an animal trainer from the time she visited SeaWorld as a 9-year-old, her sister Diane Gross said last week.
"It was her dream job," Gross said. "She loved the animals like they were her own children. ... She loved what she did."
Brancheau was pulled underwater Wednesday at SeaWorld Orlando, when a 6-ton killer whale named Tilikum grabbed her ponytail. A source at SeaWorld said the whale dove deep underwater after seizing Brancheau. Trainers had to wrangle the animal into a smaller pool before they could retrieve her body about 40 minutes later.
The same whale was linked previously to two other human deaths.
Tilikum and two other whales were involved in the 1991 drowning of a trainer at a marine park in Victoria, British Columbia. The trainer fell into the whale tank at Sealand of the Pacific and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched.
In 1999, Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld, the apparent victim of the whale's "horseplay," authorities said then.
Labor Department spokesman Mike Wald said the safety and health agency is looking into whether Occupational Safety and Health Administration workplace standards were violated in Brancheau's death. The agency will complete a report within six months, he said.
If workplace infractions are found, OSHA will propose financial penalties, Wald said. If that happens, the company could accept the penalties and make needed workplace changes or appeal the penalties before an OSHA review commission.
Inspectors also are looking into the incident from an animal-welfare perspective, said David Sacks, an Agriculture Department spokesman.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants to know whether federal standards were violated in the exhibiting of warm-blooded mammals.
SeaWorld shows with killer whales resumed on Saturday.
|
66388c3ea2174573aa56727565053fb2
|
who's funeral did mourners pack?
|
[
"Dawn Brancheau,"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Prince William is starting a two-month attachment with the Royal Navy on Monday, part of the future king's continued experience with various branches of the military, the Ministry of Defense said Saturday.
Prince William and his father, Prince Charles, at his graduation from the Royal Air Force in April.
William, 25, will spend the first part of his attachment on a basic sea safety course training in sea survival, firefighting and ship damage repair, according to the ministry.
If William passes the course, as expected, he will join the HMS Iron Duke in the Caribbean, the department said.
The ship's function is to support overseas British territories in the event of a hurricane and to carry out counter-narcotic operations.
The prince, who will be called Sub Lieutenant Wales in the Navy, is expected to spend time aboard a frigate, a mine hunter, a submarine and helicopters during his attachment, which ends August 1, the Ministry of Defense said.
William completed a four-month attachment with the Royal Air Force this year and received his pilot's wings upon graduating in April.
He learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as Flying Officer Wales within the RAF.
William is also a second lieutenant in the British Army, where he serves in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry.
The attachments are designed to provide the prince with military experience for when he becomes head of the armed forces as king.
"When he becomes king, he needs to know his armed forces -- instinctively be very familiar with them -- and so he is doing this visit to the Royal Navy," said Rear Adm. Bob Cooling, the assistant chief of naval staff.
William's father, Prince Charles, had a five-year career in the navy in the 1970s. Charles served on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and two frigates before qualifying as a helicopter pilot and joining a naval air squadron that operated from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.
Prince Charles spent his last nine months in the navy in 1976 in command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington.
William's uncle Prince Andrew served 22 years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, seeing active service during the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina in 1982.
Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, William's grandfather, spent more than 13 years in the Royal Navy. He saw active service throughout World War II and was in Tokyo Harbor when Japan surrendered.
|
a7aef75ca2a242c88dcf356210062a3a
|
Where is he second lieutenant in?
|
[
"in the British Army,"
] |
NewsQA
|
A Chinese court has sentenced four people to death for their roles in last year's deadly riots in the western city of Urumqi, state media said Tuesday.
The sentences for the defendants were to be carried out immediately. They were charged with "extremely serious crimes," said state-run Xinjiang Daily.
The newspaper said a fifth person, who was also sentenced to death, was granted a two-year reprieve.
Several others were given varying jail sentences, including life imprisonment. They were on trial for incidents of "vandalism, burning and serious violence," the newspaper said.
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, was shaken last July when long-simmering resentment between minority Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese erupted into riots and left more than 200 people dead.
The following month, a series of series of syringe stabbings added to the unrest.
|
44a9084003d64bf4b9790995a380d82f
|
How many were sentenced to death?
|
[
"four"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday extended permission for hundreds of pilots to carry firearms -- just hours before their certification to carry the weapons was to expire, according to an organization which represents the pilots.
"A few hundred" Federal Flight Deck Officers -- or FFDOs -- were to lose their certification to carry firearms effective midnight on New Year's Eve, said Mike Karn, executive vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association.
The loss would have come at a time of heightened concern about air security because of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
But Karn said the DHS's Federal Air Marshal program notified him Thursday afternoon that the pilots' certification would be extended.
A Transportation Security Administration official confirmed that certifications had been extended for six months "in light of recent events." The official said that "due to an internal miscommunication, scheduled notifications to these officers were prematurely issued," but he offered no further explanation.
FFDOs are commercial pilots who volunteer to undergo training so they can carry weapons to protect their aircraft. They undergo initial training at federal law enforcement training academies and must re-qualify with firearms every six months, and undergo a two-day recurrent training every three to five years.
"I'm grateful [for the extension] because that will keep the most cost-effective last line of defense [of aircraft] in place," Karn said. "But I'm still concerned that such a limited budget has been approved for this program, and volunteers who want to protect the American public will be turned away."
Karn said the budget for the program has not increased since 2003, effectively capping the number of armed pilots.
The exact number of FFDOs is classified, but government officials have said in the past the number greatly exceeds the number of federal air marshals -- plain-clothed officers who fly in the cabin of the plane to protect aircraft.
Several FFDOs contacted by CNN said DHS has made getting recurrent training onerous for pilots, limiting the number and sizes of classes. Pilots also must pay for their own hotels and food during training -- "our own time and our own dime," said one pilot -- placing a further burden on them.
Had the loss of certification occurred, it would not have affected the pilots' flight clearance, only their ability to carry weapons.
|
ad46fc2018e643fe8a180dd099396f69
|
Who was going to lose certification?
|
[
"Federal Flight Deck Officers"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Captain Graeme Smith ground out a potentially match-winning century to put South Africa on top in the third cricket Test against England at Newlands on Tuesday.
The left-hander was unbeaten on 162 at stumps on the third day, having added a record 230 for the second wicket with Hashim Amla (95) as the home side reached 312-2 in Cape Town's intense heat.
England struggled from the outset, losing two wickets in the day's opening over and added just 32 runs to their overnight total of 241-7.
That gave the Proteas a first-innings lead of 18 runs, and it looked like the home side might also find batting difficult when makeshift opener Ashwell Prince continued his miserable series, falling leg before wicket to spinner Graeme Swann for 15.
But Smith and Amla set about the English attack, who gained no profit from a controversial incident when seamer Chris Broad stood on the ball with his studded boots before lunch when it was still relatively new.
Smith survived a series of close calls and decision referrals as the duo set a new Test highest mark for the second wicket at the venue.
The opener thought he was out soon after reaching his 19th century in the five-day format, but England wicketkeeper Matt Prior admitted that the edge off seamer Graham Onions had not carried.
Amla finally fell to a bat-pad catch by Alistair Cook off Swann, falling five runs short of his eighth Test ton as he hit 14 boundaries off 156 deliveries.
First-innings centurion Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 20 at stumps, with Smith having plundered 22 boundaries in his 243 balls at the crease.
Earlier, Morne Morkel (5-75) took two wickets in two balls to put England on the back foot, with Swann caught at slip by Smith for five from a fierce rising delivery and James Anderson following in identical fashion.
Prior, who was 52 overnight, hit out to get England close to parity before dragging a short ball from Dale Steyn (4-74) onto his wicket to be last out for 76.
England coach Andy Flower said Wednesday's morning session would prove vital for his side, who lead 1-0 after winning the second Test.
"We have got to attack with the new ball. We have seen wickets fall early on all the days so far. We have definitely got to attack early," the former Zimbabwe international player said.
"The first two days produced very difficult batting conditions, today was easier. We don't know what sort of conditions are going to arrive tomorrow. If it plays as easy as it has today, we have got a chance."
|
e32c068c43834432b5eb7330a05b3aba
|
What score did Smith and Hashim Amla score for a record?
|
[
"230"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Juventus are back on top of the Italian Serie A table after a comfortable 3-0 home win over Palermo on Sunday maintained their unbeaten start to the season.
Goals from Simone Pepe, Alessandro Matri and Claudio Marchisio put Juve ahead of Lazio, who drew 0-0 at Napoli on Saturday, on goal difference -- with Antonio Conte's side also having a vital game in hand.
Pepe opened the scoring in the 20th minute when he was left unmarked to head home Giorgio Chiellini's cross.
Andrea Pirlo then hit the post with a curling effort before Matri doubled the advantage three minutes into the second half when finishing from a tight angle.
And the points were sealed in the 65th minute when Marchisio netted from close range after a smart dummy from Matri deceived the Palermo defense.
Although Juventus are back on top of the table, the race for this year's Scudetto promises to be the tightest for years with just one point separating the top four teams.
Champions AC Milan are third, a point behind the top two, after their goalless draw at Fiorentina on Saturday, while former leaders Udinese are now in fourth place -- level on points with Milan -- after losing 2-0 at Parma.
A Jonathan Biabiany header and a Sebastian Giovinco penalty gave Parma a victory that lifted them up to ninth place in the table.
Despite their defeat to Juventus, Palermo remain fifth, although they are five points behind Udinese.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, Marco Parolo scored seven minutes from time to give Cesena their first win of the season, 1-0 at fellow strugglers Bologna.
Despite that win, Cesena remain bottom on six points, one behind Novara who were beaten 1-0 at Genoa.
Two matches were played in the German Bundesliga, with Thorsten Fink collecting his first win as Hamburg coach with a 2-0 success at Hoffenheim.
Jose Guerrero and Marcel Jansen secured Fink's maiden success after three successive draws as Hamburg moved out of the relegation zone and into 14th place.
The day's other match saw Austrian striker Martin Harnik score both of Stuttgart's goals in a 2-1 win over bottom club Augsburg, who are three points adrift at the foot of the table.
The victory lifts Stuttgart up to sixth place in the table, seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich.
|
66284a6571b64aa7b78891d49f01880c
|
what is juventus on top of
|
[
"Italian Serie A table"
] |
NewsQA
|
(EW.com) -- She got you, babe.
Cher has taken to Twitter to defend her son Chaz Bono's decision to join "Dancing With the Stars" as the series' first transgendered contestant.
After becoming aware that Chaz was taking a lot of heat from transphobic Internet commenters, she encouraged her fans to voice support for him on blogs and message boards, and reminded everyone, "Mothers don't stop Getting angry with stupid bigots who fk with their children!"
Cher assures America: "bet VAST MAJORITY of People will LOVE CHAZ on 'DWTS' ! & it's took Fkg Guts 2! Chaz isn't exactly the 'Gotta Dance Gotta Dance' kinda Guy."
Is it possible Cher's perfectly crafted tweets are even more exquisite than her songs?
Dancing With the Stars: Get the latest news, photos, and more
Chaz wrote back: "Thanks for all your support mom. The haters are just motivating me to work harder and stay on 'DWTS' as long as I possibly can."
"DWTS" executive producer Conrad Green told ABC News he thinks people will relish getting to know Chaz better, and hopes that by the September 19 premiere, this will be a non-issue. "We're not going to be making a huge amount of issue out of people's sexuality," he said. "We never have on the show."
(This, of course, was a fluke. It was totally a theme night.)
See full article at EW.com.
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
|
5c1daa2e51ba48a1af973bc2fe038832
|
Who has taken to Twitter on Bono's behalf?
|
[
"Cher"
] |
NewsQA
|
MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Gunmen attacked a convoy Sunday in Somalia and took several hostages, including two foreign aid workers from the group Doctors Without Borders.
Medecins San Frontieres workers, shown here, were abducted and released in March in Sudan.
Local staff said a three-car convoy was traveling from Rabbure to Hudur in southwestern Somalia, escorted by local bodyguards, when gunmen seized the group.
The district commissioner of Rabbure said the only people released were elders accompanying the staff, with the local and international staff kept as hostages.
Doctors Without Borders, widely known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres, did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of the hostages. MSF is an international medical group that works in more than 60 countries. It says it helps people "threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe."
Michel Peremans, international coordinator for operational communications for MSF Belgium, which operates in the region, confirmed that the organization had lost contact with two of its staff in Somalia.
Rabbure is in the Bakole region, which is under the control of the group al-Shabaab, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
Al-Shabaab was once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. The United States says the group is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the U.S. backed an Ethiopian invasion that drove the ICU from power in 2006.
The ICU's former leader, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, became president after Ethiopian troops withdrew in January. Al-Shabaab rejected the peace agreement that led to the Ethiopian withdrawal and is now fighting Sheikh Ahmed's government.
Attacks on aid workers in the region are common, and U.N. staff came under attack this year.
In Sudan, on the other side of Ethiopia, four workers from Medecins Sans Frontieres were abducted in March and released a few days later.
All four -- an Italian doctor, a Canadian nurse, a French coordinator and a Sudanese guard -- worked for the Belgian section of the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres.
Sudan last month ordered 13 major aid groups to leave the country after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
CNN's Mohammed Amin and Carol Jordan contributed to this report.
|
b9ba304026da4b9e9b0704374987cb95
|
who seized convoy?
|
[
"Gunmen"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Residents of a Belleville, Illinois, neighborhood were still shaken Monday after a small plane crashed the day before, killing two aboard and destroying a house.
"I think everybody is still in shock," said Deah Bischoff, who lives near the site of the crash. "I think we're all just walking around and looking and trying to absorb what happened."
The single-engine plane crashed about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. No one on the ground was hurt, the FAA said.
The National Transportation Safety Board had no comment on its investigation into the crash before a news conference Monday afternoon.
The wreckage site is adjacent to an airstrip, but the pilot was heading for St. Louis Downtown Airport, about six miles away, according to the FAA.
Residents near the airstrip are accustomed to planes in the neighborhood. Many can park their private planes in hangars adjacent to their homes. They're like garages for cars, except they're hangars for planes, said Bischoff, who, along with her husband, owns a few antique aircraft.
But the familiar sound of a plane overhead this time was menacing.
Bischoff said she was eating dinner with her husband and children when she heard a loud screeching.
"It shook our house, and the next thing you knew, there was a large boom," she said.
The plane also hit the house's hangar, which sheltered two planes, Bischoff said. Explosions erupted, and they watched as flames shot into the air.
Bischoff's husband, Roy, ran out with other neighbors to check on the couple living in the crushed house, she said. The couple was out to dinner, she said.
Neighbors saved the three Labrador retrievers inside, Roy Bischoff said. But he wished he could have saved the two people aboard the plane, he said.
"There was almost nothing, there was no recognizable part of an airplane around," he said.
The crash could have been even worse, Deah Bischoff said. Of the houses close by, the neighbor's home was the only one with no people inside at the time of the crash, she said.
CNN's Khadijah Rentas contributed to this report.
|
40f99e31795843219d29273af188841d
|
How many people died?
|
[
"two"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Panathinaikos sacked Dutch coach Henk Ten Cate on Tuesday after the Greek side lost the league leadership to arch rivals Olympiakos.
Ten Cate took over at the Athens-based side last season as Panathinaikos looked to end the dominance of Olympiakos, who have won every Greek championship bar one since 1997.
They led the standings until a 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos saw the champions move one point clear of Panathinaikos after 13 games.
Panathinaikos are also still in the Europa League and Greek Cup, but this did not prove enough to save Ten Cate, who will be replaced by Nikos Nioplias, the coach of the Greece under-21 team.
Ten Cate, who was assistant manager at English Premier League side Chelsea, told the official Panathinaikos Web site that it had been an "honor" to be in charge.
"I have laid the groundwork for this team. I respect the fact that some people may not be happy with the general picture, but my assistants and I have given everything to succeed."
The 54-year-old was assistant at Chelsea under Avram Grant and was previously number two at Barcelona to Frank Rijkaard.
Panathinaikos was his first managerial position and he took them to the last 16 of last season's Champions League, but could not dislodge Olympiakos in the Greek title race.
He was on a two-year contract, which still had six months to run on his departure.
The 45-year-old Nioplias, was bullish in his official statement on taking charge.
"My aim is to achieve with the team as a coach what I have achieved as a player -- win titles."
He has an excellent record with the Greek age group teams, taking the under-19 team to the final of the European championship and leading the under-21 squad to the top of their European championship group.
On other managerial news, Sinisa Mihajlovic has taken charge of Catania after the Serie A side dispensed with Gianluca Atzori on Monday.
Former Bologna coach Mihajlovic has signed a two-year deal with Catania, who are second bottom of the Italian standings.
|
855b065c58d24b0cbb884f623ed81b58
|
who was fired from the team
|
[
"Henk Ten Cate"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- For most people life can be boiled down to a few major decisions and a list of truly memorable events.
Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams hope love conquers all in "The Time Traveler's Wife."
Typically, these are first words, first steps, graduations, births, weddings and -- of course -- marriage proposals.
More than a few of these milestone moments take place in the new romantic drama "The Time Traveler's Wife."
Of all of them, perhaps the most memorable is a scene in which Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) asks Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) to be his wife.
It's a complicated request because Henry, a kind man, also has the uncanny and often unfortunate ability to be transported suddenly and unexpectedly from one time period to another, leaving Clare on her own.
It's a peculiar set of circumstances that would give most women understandable hesitation when contemplating a marriage partner. But Clare is a woman in love, an emotion that tends to trump all others. Watch how Bana and McAdams found humor in the scene »
Bana and McAdams sit down with CNN to discuss this scene, its comedic elements and what it means to both their characters.
|
abac34ef5b6c443cafa3a8feea4434d1
|
Who does Bana ask to marry him?
|
[
"Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams)"
] |
NewsQA
|
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The world will soon see an "explosion" of swine flu cases as the H1N1 virus spreads rapidly around the world, a top World Health Organization official said Friday.
Spread of the H1N1 virus is entering an "acceleration period," WHO official says.
Spread of the virus is entering an "acceleration period" and it is certain that there will be more cases and more deaths, said Dr. Shin Young-soo, the organization's regional director for the Western Pacific.
"Most countries may see a doubling of cases every three to four days for two months until peak transmission is reached," he said at a symposium in Beijing, China. "At a certain point, there will seem to be an explosion in case numbers. I believe it is very likely that all countries will see community-level transmission by the end of the year."
More than 1,490 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged this spring, Shin said.
Swine flu is the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years. So far, it has caused mostly mild illness, but Shin warned "the virus has a sting in its tail" because it is very infectious and "has the potential to cause more serious disease."
Any widespread resistance to antiviral drugs, expected to be available this fall, could make the situation worse, he said.
The virus so far has shown itself to be unpredictable, Shin said, so the public needs to be prepared. He called for accurate and timely public health messages and early treatment of severe cases.
The public needs to comply with these health messages, and everyone needs to be able to recognize symptoms early and get timely medical care, he said.
"We will only be safe when we have applied these lessons in every country dealing with this virus," Shin said. "We need to learn quickly since, as I believe, it appears that this pandemic will get worse before the situation gets better."
|
9cd504668ad7498094302a4a930cb3c6
|
What period is the virus entering?
|
[
"\"acceleration period,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
ARNOLD, Missouri (CNN) -- On his 100th day in office, President Obama said Wednesday that he was "pleased with the progress we've made but not satisfied."
Obama marked his 100th day in office Wednesday with a town hall meeting and later a news conference.
"I've come back to report to you, the American people, that we have begun to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and we've begun the work of remaking America," the president said at a town hall meeting in a high school gymnasium in Arnold, a St. Louis suburb.
"I'm confident in the future, but not I'm not content with the present," he said. "You know the progress comes from hard choices and hard work, not miracles. I'm not a miracle worker," he said.
Obama acknowledged challenges of "unprecedented size and scope," including the recession. These challenges, he said, could not be met with "half measures."
"They demand action that is bold and sustained. They call on us to clear away the wreckage of a painful recession, But also, at the same time, lay the building blocks for a new prosperity. And that's the work that we've begun over these first 100 days," he said.
He responded to critics who say he is trying to do too much as he works to address the recession as well as health care, energy and education.
"There's no mystery to what we've done; the priorities that we've acted upon were the things that we said we'd do during the campaign," he said, prompting loud applause.
The president made an opening statement that lasted about 20 minutes before taking questions from the audience. The last question was from a fourth-grade girl who asked about the administration's environmental policies.
Later Wednesday, Obama will hold a prime-time news conference in the East Room of the White House.
Leading up to the date, White House aides had labeled the 100th day as a "Hallmark" holiday.
"They don't mean anything," quipped one aide, "but you have to observe them."
More than six in 10 Americans approve of the job Obama is doing as president, a recent poll of polls shows.
According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled early Wednesday, 63 percent say they approve of how Obama is handling his duties.
CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report.
|
fc607954576744af9fd61f40303d2d44
|
where was he speaking from?
|
[
"at a town hall meeting in a high school gymnasium in Arnold, a St. Louis suburb."
] |
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