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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An audio message attributed to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest ranking former member of Saddam Hussein's regime still at large, salutes the "People of Palestine" and calls on them to fight back against Israel in Gaza.
A 1999 file image of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who served under Saddam Hussien's regime and who is still at large.
"We say to the people of Gaza, give more resistance and we will be with you in the field, and know that our victory in kicking out the invaders is your victory as well, because the main assailant on the nation and on Palestine is the American imperialism," the recording said.
"A salute to the martyrs of the massacre, and our condolences to their families."
Al-Douri's recording follows reports of a similarly defiant message from al Qaeda's deputy chief a day earlier. Ayman al-Zawahiri reportedly vowed revenge for Israel's air and ground assault on Gaza and called Israel's actions against Hamas militants "a gift" from U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
Israel is in the 12th day of a military operation against Hamas militants, who have been firing rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.
Al-Douri's 30-minute recorded message was broadcast Wednesday on al-Raei Iraqi satellite television over an old picture of al-Douri, wearing his Iraqi military uniform.
CNN has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the voice on the tape.
This is not al-Douri's first purported audio message. There have been at least four others over the past three years in addition to a statement attributed to him.
Al-Douri, 66, served as vice-chairman of Hussein's Revolutionary Command Council. He remains at large nearly six years after the war in Iraq began.
He has previously been reported killed and captured, although those reports later turned out to be erroneous.
He was the King of Clubs (No. 6) on the U.S. military's card deck of most wanted regime officials.
The U.S. military says he has helped finance the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq with Iraqi funds he transferred to Syria before Hussein's government collapsed in April 2002. But it says his influence has waned while he has been in hiding.
U.S. officials say al-Douri played key roles in the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988 and in putting down Kurdish and Shiite revolts after the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
|
5f4c0945684b4837a6f87be61ce4dd64
|
how long was the recorded message?
|
[
"30-minute"
] |
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|
(Mashable) -- Facebook is working with HTC to develop a phone that has a much deeper integration with the social network than any previous "Facebook phone." That's according to a report from All Things D, which says the phone is probably 12 to 18 months away from hitting store shelves.
Codenamed "Buffy" after the vampire slayer of the same name, the phone will run a modified version of Google's Android, but Facebook is reported to be tweaking the system "heavily."
HTC is known for modifying Android on its phones with its HTC Sense interface, and both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have created tablets with highly customized versions of the Android, so it's possible that Facebook is adopting a similar strategy.
Part of the package would be serving up Facebook apps via HTML5 support. This would allow users to play games like Farmville and Poker directly from the Facebook app. While most developers offer their apps as separate downloads from Facebook, that prevents them from tapping into active Facebook users, while cutting Facebook off from potential revenues. Buffy would presumably bridge the gap.
Buffy will be far from the first Facebook phone. Earlier this year INQ Mobile released two phones, the Cloud Touch and Cloud Q that put the service front and center. Then HTC took it a step further with the Status, which came to the U.S. on AT&T this summer and featured a prominent dedicated Facebook button. Finally, Facebook released an app designed specifically for the iPad in October.
Apple, however, hasn't played as nice with Facebook as the service might have liked, however. When Apple unveiled iOS 5, the latest major update to the software on iPhones and iPads, it featured deeper integration with Twitter -- letting users share photos directly from the phone's camera app, for example. An option for sharing to Facebook was noticeably absent.
Both HTC and Facebook told Mashable that they don't comment on rumor and speculation, though the Facebook spokesperson added, "Our mobile strategy is simple: we think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social. We're working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world."
The collaborative picture Facebook paints is a far cry from the ultra-competitive war among mobile platforms with Google, Apple, Facebook, and others vying for consumers' hearts and minds. Perhaps the most telling aspect of the rumored phone is the codename. With a name like Buffy, the Facebook phone's mission is clear: slay all comers.
See the original story on Mashable.com
© 2011 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.
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d42eae03d9a2486fabd5715bf8920269
|
What is the brand?
|
[
"HTC"
] |
NewsQA
|
For a city of its size, Copenhagen has a remarkable range of shops that ooze class and individuality.
The Georg Jensen store has some exquisite silver jewelry.
The city's main shopping hub is Strøget, a collection of pedestrianized streets that lead from Rådhuspladsen to Kongens Nytorv; you can easily spend hours, and a small fortune, browsing its boutiques and chain stores.
Don't miss Illums Bolighus (Amagertorv 10), with its four floors of contemporary Scandinavian design. Once you've got a taste for stylish home accessories, make your way to Normann Copenhagen (Strandboulevarden 98) or Hay Cph (Pilestraede 29-31) for a masterclass in simplicity and elegance.
When you've finished kitting out the house you might want to work on your wardrobe. Kronprinsensgade is full of hip boutiques, among them Bruuns Bazaar (Kronprinsensgade 8-9), with its collection from the ever-so-trendy, and suitably pricey, Bruuns label. Nearby, Designers Remix (Pilestraede 8) offers sophisticated styles for women, while Könrøg (Hyskenstræde 11) has cutting-edge fashions from a collective of Danish designers.
For something more traditional, but no less beautiful, head to the Georg Jensen store in Amagertorv, for silverware that ranges from intricate jewelry to timeless tableware. If that's not exclusive enough for you, Peter Hertz in Købmagergade is jeweler to Danish royalty.
Pick up something for the kids at Aniel (Frederiksberg Allé 70), which has too-cute baby grows, children's clothes and wooden toys made from organic and natural materials. Frydendahl (Store Regnegade 1) has some unusual hand-knitted toys among the selection of homeware strewn along the pavement outside.
If your eyes are bigger than your wallet, then you might be interested in the flea market held on Saturdays in Israels Plads, where high-street stores are said to unload the goodies they can't sell in their shops. If it's raining you might prefer Det Blå Pakhus (113 Holmbladsgade), the city's biggest indoor flea market and a treasure trove of bargains begging to be hunted.
......................
Copenhagen city guide:
Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop
......................
Do you agree with our Copenhagen picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.
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39c7bb7b58b04b0ba80a8948dfd28f07
|
What type of design is featured here?
|
[
"contemporary Scandinavian"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Myanmar's Supreme Court rejected Friday an appeal by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to overturn her house arrest.
A diplomat who attended the hearing and spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the appeal was unsuccessful.
Suu Kyi, 64, has one final avenue for appeal to a special court in Myanmar's new capital, Naypidaw.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate's house arrest was extended by 18 months last August after an incident in which uninvited American John Yettaw stayed at her lakeside home. Myanmar's ruling military junta accused Suu Kyi of breaching the terms of her house arrest.
She has been imprisoned or under house arrest for much of the past two decades, since her party the National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990. The junta has never recognized the results, but has promised to hold fresh elections this year, although no date has yet been set.
Suu Kyi is disqualified from standing because she was married to a foreigner. The NLD has still to clarify whether it will participate in the vote.
CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.
|
5d088e1a440342d3bd4fbe309aa8544b
|
What does Myanmar's Supreme Court reject?
|
[
"an appeal"
] |
NewsQA
|
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan election officials on Monday disqualified opposition party leader and former former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from participating in January parliamentary elections.
Election officials say Nawaz Sharif's previous convictions bar him from standing for reelection.
A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN Monday that Sharif had been barred by the election commission because of a previous criminal conviction.
Sharif filed paperwork for his candidacy last week, although he had left open the possibility that he would boycott the election in protest of a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf.
Sharif, an outspoken critic of Musharraf, who ousted him from power in 1999, had said he wanted to keep all options open.
Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He had first returned in September, but Pakistani authorities deported him within hours of his arrival.
Sharif was convicted of terrorism, hijacking and tax evasion after Musharraf seized power in 1999.
He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics.
Musharraf, who quit as military leader and took office for a third term last week, has pledged to lift the state of emergency by December 16.
He was criticized of using the emergency to crack down on political rivals and to purge the judiciary of those likely to block the approval of his reappointment as leader. E-mail to a friend
-- CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.
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6e0a3962e1df4112a7004d2b5f37ddb1
|
who was rejected
|
[
"Nawaz Sharif"
] |
NewsQA
|
(EW.com) -- What mischief is Phil about to get into now?
EW has learned exclusively that Kevin Hart ("Little Fockers") has signed on for a guest-starring role on "Modern Family."
He'll play Andre, a new neighbor of Phil Dunphy who happens to be a physician. The 32-year-old comedian will see a familiar face when he begins production on the ABC comedy: He co-starred opposite Sofia Vergara in the 2004 movie "Soul Plane."
Recently, Hart and his Hartbeat Productions notched an unexpected victory at the box office with his debut standup film "Laugh at My Pain," which follows his recent national tour run and a stop in his hometown of Philadelphia. It debuted inside of the box office top 10 ranking and pulled in nearly $2 million, in just 97 theaters, for an impressive per-location gross of $20,619. The film only cost $750,000 to make.
Hart has appeared in several Comedy Central specials and hosted the 2011 BET Awards. His other film credits include the movies "Krod Mondoon" and the "Flaming Sword of Fire," "Death at a Funeral," and "Epic Movie."
See the 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.
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00abcf8b811348b0a9457b8a70f02bdd
|
What year was Soul Plane released?
|
[
"2004"
] |
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|
Washington (CNN) -- President Obama announced Thursday that the federal government will spend $8 billion developing a nationwide high-speed train system -- an investment the White House says is needed to help spur long-term economic growth.
The investment, to be made through a series of state grants, will be funded through the government's $862 billion economic stimulus package.
Overall, projects and planning involving the rail corridors will take place in 31 states, according to a White House statement.
The program "will help accelerate job growth in an economy that is already beginning to grow," Obama said at a town hall at the University of Tampa in Florida.
"There is no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can't," Obama said.
More than 30 rail manufacturers have agreed to establish or expand U.S. operations if they are hired to work on the high-speed rail network, the administration said.
The president first mentioned the program in his State of the Union speech Wednesday night. The administration initially released an outline for a national high-speed rail network last April.
Each of the corridors identified by the administration last year are between 100 and 600 miles long.
The program is "a long-term venture in which states will need to plan projects, purchase and lay track, build and assemble equipment, and construct or upgrade train stations, tunnels and bridges," the statement said.
In addition to the $8 billion mentioned by Obama, the plan also includes $1 billion a year for five years in the federal budget "as a down payment to jump-start the program," the White House said.
Train corridors in the program include:
-- San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo in California
-- Oakland-Sacramento in California
-- Portland-Eugene in Oregon
-- Seattle-Portland in Washington and Oregon
-- Chicago-St. Louis in Illinois and Missouri
-- St. Louis-Kansas City in Missouri
-- Minneapolis/St. Paul-Madison in Minnesota and Wisconsin
-- Madison-Milwaukee in Wisconsin
-- Milwaukee-Chicago in Wisconsin and Illinois
-- Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati in Ohio
-- Detroit/Pontiac-Chicago in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois
-- Tampa-Orlando in Florida
-- Raleigh-Charlotte in North Carolina
-- Washington-Richmond in the District of Columbia and Virginia
-- Raleigh-Richmond in North Carolina and Virginia
-- New York City-Albany-Buffalo in New York
-- New York City-Montreal in New York and Quebec, Canada.
-- Boston-New York-Washington in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia
-- Brunswick-Portland in Maine
-- Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania
-- Springfield-East Northfield in Massachusetts
-- New Haven-Springfield in Connecticut and Massachusetts
|
83d13442af8b4ca1b5ea3792ec9915f6
|
how much is the stimulus package?
|
[
"$862 billion"
] |
NewsQA
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Two people were killed and about a dozen others were injured when a bomb exploded in a Catholic church in Kathmandu on Saturday morning, police said.
The damage inside the church in Kathmandu following Saturday's bomb blast.
The explosion in the Nepalese capital killed a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman.
"The bomb exploded inside the church when the explosion happened," senior police officer Kedar Man Singh Bhandari told CNN over the phone.
About 100 people were in the church when the bomb exploded, police said.
Manish Amatya, who was injured, said the blast interrupted their prayers. "There was a loud explosion while we were praying and all of us ran out screaming," he said.
Investigations are under way to determine who planted the bomb, which damaged the church.
CNN's Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report.
|
b75e102b3902424888da42e090b58c70
|
What is under way
|
[
"Investigations"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A car bomb attack in Algeria has killed three people and wounded 23, the Algerian Press Service reported.
An Algerian policeman stands in front of destroyed buildings in Thenia.
The attack occurred Tuesday near an office housing judicial police in the city of Thenia, about 50 km (31 miles) east of the capital of Algiers, the agency said.
The blast destroyed about 20 houses, and a commission has been appointed to look after the victims, the press agency said.
Islamic extremists in Algeria and other North African countries have struck several times in recent years.
An al Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility last year for the deadliest attack in Algiers in 10 years, a bombing that destroyed the prime minister's headquarters and a police base, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 220.
Al Qaeda also took responsibility for a January 2 bombing that killed four and wounded 20 at a building housing security forces in Naciria, a city about 50 km (31 miles) east of Algiers. E-mail to a friend
|
d1c76ed1e0b94082a892c4580453c371
|
the blast destroy how many house?
|
[
"destroyed about 20 houses,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- U.S. and NATO forces are engaged in a futile war against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, Canada's prime minister said.
Canadian leader Stephen Harper says he backs President Obama's "renewed commitment to Afghanistan."
"We are not going to ever defeat the insurgency," Stephen Harper told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday. "Afghanistan has probably had -- my reading of Afghanistan history -- it's probably had an insurgency forever, of some kind."
Harper's blunt assessment comes as nearly 2,800 Canadian forces are fighting in Afghanistan. The country's parliament has voted to pull them out by 2011.
Harper spoke with Zakaria last week after a visit by President Obama, who made Canada his first foreign trip since taking office in January. Obama has said Afghanistan is the central front to the U.S.-led war on terror.
The Pentagon is in the process of sending an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total there to 55,000.
Harper told CNN that he supports Obama's "renewed commitment to Afghanistan" but said he would not recommit any more Canadian troops until there is a clear plan for leaving Afghanistan.
"What has to happen in Afghanistan is, we have to have an Afghan government that is capable of managing that insurgency and improving its own governance," Harper said.
"If President Obama wants anybody to do more, I would ask very hard questions about what is the strategy for success and for an eventual departure."
|
bab12cf8e1b44931b1635d6781db52e3
|
Harper said he would only commit troops on what grounds?
|
[
"until there is a clear plan for leaving Afghanistan."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The flu has forced an early end to Billy Bob Thornton's musical tour of Canada, his publicist said Saturday.
Thornton's publicist says Boxmasters band member, crew, have flu; will rejoin tour on Tuesday.
The news was reportedly greeted with loud applause at a Friday night show in Montreal after Thornton called Canadian concert-goers "mashed potatoes with no gravy" in a radio interview Wednesday.
The Boxmasters' final Canadian dates -- in Montreal and London, Ontario -- were canceled because "one of the band members and several of the crew have the flu," said Thornton publicist Arnold Robinson.
Thornton's electric hillbilly band will rejoin Willie Nelson's tour when it returns to the United States for a show in Stamford, Connecticut, on Tuesday, after they have "a few days off to recuperate," Robinson said.
The trio was the opening act for Nelson until they were loudly booed in Toronto, a day after the actor-musician's bizarre interview with a CBC radio host.
Ironically, the comments that offended Canadians included Thornton's assessment that they were "very reserved" and "it doesn't matter what you say to them."
"It's mashed potatoes with no gravy," Thornton told CBC host Jian Ghomeshi.
"We tend to play places where people throw things at each other and here they just sort of sit there," he said. Watch Thornton's interview »
The audience at Thursday night's show in Toronto loudly booed the Boxmasters, with some shouts of "Here comes the gravy!" The Toronto Star newspaper reported.
Thornton's remarks about Canadians came near the end of his controversial interview with on the CBC's "Q" program, which began with the host's brief mention that, in addition to being the Boxmaster's lead singer and drummer, Thornton was an "Oscar-winning screenwriter-actor-director."
Thornton, apparently upset with any reference to his movie career, was unresponsive to Ghomeshi's questions until the men finally declared a truce to talk about music. Watch more about the controversy »
He "simply elected not to engage with the interviewer because of the direction of the interview from the outset," Robinson told CNN.
Video of the interview, which has been viewed by millions online, may leave the audience wondering whether this was a controlled performance by Thornton or a public breakdown that revealed true anger over a perceived insult of his music.
Thornton promotes a mythology that his "cosmic cowboy" music came together years ago after a fight over coleslaw at a Los Angeles chicken restaurant.
His long and successful career as an actor, director and screenwriter does not fit with his struggling musician story he tells in interviews about the Boxmasters.
|
488cc8fa432e43e4a41e62c0b0156a86
|
who will rejoin tour?
|
[
"Thornton's electric hillbilly band"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A man who told Maryland State Police that his wife was killed by a carjacker early Friday morning has been charged in her death.
Ryan Holness, 28, was charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Serika Dunkley Holness, 26, according to Maryland police.
Her body was found about 6 a.m. Friday in a field in Crumpton, Maryland, police said.
Holness was arrested after inconsistencies surfaced in his story, according to investigators.
Holness said that he and his wife were carjacked by a man armed with a knife and a gun on the New Jersey Turnpike while returning to Maryland from New York on Thursday night, police said.
"He told investigators that he was assaulted by the suspect and forced to drive to Crumpton," said Gregory Shipley of the Maryland State Police. "He said the suspect bound his feet and hands with duct tape before attacking his wife who had tried to flee the scene."
Police interviewed various people and launched a nationwide search for the carjacker and Holness' 2007 blue Honda Accord, Shipley said.
"Information provided by Holness throughout the day Friday did not match information developed through witnesses and evidence at the scene," Shipley said.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, Holness' car was located by a D.C. police officer on a Washington street.
"Maryland State police homicide detectives have taken custody of the car," Shipley said.
State police are not yet sure how the car got to Washington.
|
60f010c884294de7a24f29de654df3d3
|
Who did the police arrest?
|
[
"Ryan Holness,"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fashion photographer Rankin took time out from his career to take powerful pictures of people from Congo.
One of Rankin's images.
He visited a refugee camp with the charity Oxfam and his work is now being exhibited in London.
The photos are posed like a fashion shoot and different to the regular images coming out of conflict zones.
"I wanted to make the people who saw the photos look at the people and see them as people, not see them as victims," Rankin told CNN.
Oxfam says 10 million people have died in the last 10 years in the Democratic Republic Of Congo. In the last few weeks, a fragile cease-fire has broken down.
The conflict is complicated by outside forces and a variety of armed groups fighting both the government and each other.
Rankin said the people he photographed just "wanted the thing to stop."
|
649e465591b54d7eb21bd56a659e9cdb
|
What did Rankin say?
|
[
"\"I wanted to make the people who saw the photos look at the people and see them as people, not see them as victims,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force is grounding more than 100 planes used to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan because of fatigue cracks in the wings, Air Force officials said Friday.
Aircraft like this A-10 Warthog provide close support to ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The officials said 127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, including some used in the United States, will be grounded until they are each inspected for the cracks.
"The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking, specifically with thin-skin wings. This risk is of great concern to the Air Force and is representative of a systemic problem for our aging Air Force fleet," the Air Force said.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the "Warthog" because of its unique un-aerodynamic look, is one of the Air Force's older aircraft, having first been delivered to the service in 1975. The average age of the A-10 fleet is now 28 years, but the entire Air Force fleet has an average age of 25 years, according to Air Force statistics.
The Air Force has more than 400 A-10s in its fleet. The cracks in the older A-10 A-models and A-10 C-models were discovered at Hill Air Force Base in Utah during routine maintenance.
No A-10 has had an accident because of the cracks just discovered, according to Air Force officials.
The inspection of the 127 planes will give priority to the planes in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of battle, officials said.
The plane was designed as a tank killer, with a front-mounted Gatling gun that fires 30-mm armor-piercing ammunition capable of destroying a tank.
The planes are now primarily used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations, flying low and slow and with the ability to target individuals hidden on mountainsides or rooftops.
Last year, the Air Force grounded hundreds of F-15 fighter jets after one fell apart during a training mission.
The culprit was a fatigued longeron, a part that holds the fuselage together. Numerous F-15s flying in Iraq and Afghanistan also were grounded until they were inspected, forcing the service to fly other aircraft in their place. The Navy was also asked to help cover the F-15 missions during the weeks they were grounded.
|
855b97960fbc494b8cd0e54a7684643a
|
what caused the cracks
|
[
"fatigue"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities have seized $1 billion worth of marijuana plants and have arrested 82 Mexican nationals with ties to drug cartels in the first week and half of an effort to eradicate marijuana fields from California's Fresno County, the county sheriff's office said Wednesday.
The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels.
Operation Save Our Sierra began July 13 and involves local, state and federal agencies working together to remove marijuana growing operations, investigate and arrest drug traffickers, and remove infrastructure on public lands in Fresno County, a news release said.
"This is a high-intensity drug trafficking area," U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske said in a phone interview. "I think what should be highlighted here is the local authorities' work to reclaim the land from the drug traffickers."
The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels, local authorities said, though they did not release further details.
Eastern Fresno County, where the seizures have been made, is mountainous and sparsely populated. Growers exploit the area's streams, rivers and lakes to create elaborate drip lines for their plants. A mature plant can be worth $4,000, said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.
"Fresno County is roughly the size of Connecticut, and the drug traffickers target these areas because they know there is not that significant of a law-enforcement presence," Mims said. "The chances of getting caught are slim."
"The bottom line is our public lands are being destroyed by foreign drug trafficking and heavily armed Mexican cartels," George Anderson of the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday at a news conference highlighting the seizures.
The operation is the largest in Fresno County history and one of the largest in California, Mims said.
"What makes this operation unique is the approach: prevention, enforcement, eradication and reclamation," she said.
Intelligence gathered for the operation began in February, with community presentations about prevention. The effort is now focused on shutting down the at least 70 marijuana farms identified by local authorities.
The operation is expected to continue into November, when colder weather makes marijuana growing more difficult.
At least 330,000 marijuana plants have been seized, Mims said.
"This shows what can be accomplished at the local level when agencies work together," Kerlikowske said.
Kerlikowske, who flew to Fresno County on Wednesday and toured a marijuana farm, said his office is one of the primary sponsors of the operation.
|
f2fead62bc734bbf8a74ad18d49630e2
|
Who are suspects linked to?
|
[
"Mexican drug cartels."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Researchers with a Malaysian university said they have uncovered evidence of an iron industry that dates to the 3rd Century, A.D., and proves that ancient civilizations in Southeast Asia were more advanced than once thought.
The archaeologists from the Universiti Sains Malaysia found the remains of an iron smelting site, tools to pump oxygen into the iron smelting process, rooftops of buildings, beads and pots, said Mokhtar Saidan, a professor and leader of the team.
The discovery was made after a month of excavation at Lembah Bujang, a historical site in Malaysia.
"This is the first discovery of the earliest iron industry in Lembah Bujang and has been dated conclusively. This date also adds on to the facts and data on the early history of Southeast Asia," he said.
He said coal from the site was sent to a laboratory in Florida that said elements in the coal dated to the 3rd Century.
The professor said the discovery confirms that human civilization in the area was more advanced than thought and the site probably was a place for exporting iron in the 3rd Century.
|
aa51a7b833a7445fb894e34509af2e7e
|
Where was the iron industry?
|
[
"Lembah Bujang"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 38 people have died in mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira, which was hit by heavy downpours overnight, an official told CNN on Saturday.
Pedro Barbosa, the vice president of the Civil Protection Agency in Madeira, told CNN that an unknown number of people were missing -- perhaps dozens, he said.
The mudslides and flooding caused substantial damage to roads and homes in the capital, Funchal, and in Ribeira Brava, which are both on the southern portion of the Atlantic island, which lies about 600 miles southwest of Portugal, Barbosa said.
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Interior Minister Rui Pereira arrived on the island on Saturday, according to CNN affiliate Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP).
Socrates told RTP that "the situation is under control" and the government is offering all its support to regional authorities. The country's president, Cavaco Silva, expressed his condolences to the people of Madeira in a televised statement and promised to do everything to help "during this difficult time."
Pedro Ramos of Dr. Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Funchal, told CNN that 68 wounded people were hospitalized from the mudslides and flooding. Three were critical, he said. The vice president of Madeira's regional government had tallied 68 victims with injuries, according to the official Lusa news agency.
The floodwaters overturned cars and knocked down trees, Barbosa said. Authorities have evacuated hundreds of people to military and civil protection facilities in Funchal, he said.
Search and rescue teams have been reinforced, but haven't been able to reach every area, according to the Civil Protection Agency.
The Portuguese military has dispatched five teams to help with search and rescue efforts, it announced on its Web site. The military is also ready to shelter up to 130 people where 50 people are already staying, it said.
Barbosa said weather conditions have substantially improved, with the rains winding down.
Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is a popular resort destination. There have been no reports of any dead or missing tourists.
CNN's Umaro Djau contributed to this report.
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b2507c43efad4907b7338bdce103ac5c
|
who dispatched five teams
|
[
"The Portuguese military"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Khloe Kardashian and her new husband, basketball player Lamar Odom, have found themselves a newlywed love nest.
Kardashian, star of the E! network's reality show "Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami" and Odom, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, have purchased a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion in Tarzana, California, for nearly $4 million.
The pair, who married after a two-month-long courtship, have been looking for a place to call their own since their September 27 wedding.
Finding a home was one of the stipulations Kardashian, 25, wanted met before the couple started thinking about growing a family.
"I would be over the moon if I was having a baby, but right now, our focus is on finding a house. They say it's a buyers' market, but no one is selling, and I think it would be very stressful to have a baby in a condo downtown," Kardashian told CNN earlier this month.
When asked by talk show host Chelsea Handler earlier this month if Khloe is pregnant yet, Odom, 30, responded, "Soon." And when Handler pushed and asked, "You planning on having a baby soon? You want to do that right away?" Odom responded, "I do."
Kardashian was even more candid with CNN, saying, "We are not planning to have a baby, but we're not doing anything to not have a baby right now."
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d0c2f6e9f57d4ed0ad8faad00e325ded
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how many bedrooms and bathrooms are in the mansion?
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[
"seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom"
] |
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(CNN) -- Ferrari have unveiled their new car, the F10, which the Italian manufacturer hopes will see them return to the front of the Formula One grid.
Last season saw Ferrari struggle to keep up with Brawn GP, McLaren and Red Bull and team boss Stefano Domenicali told the BBC that he believes the new car will be far more competitive than the 2009 version.
"We are coming off a season that was not competitive and this should mark a turning point. We want to win the world title once again," said Domeniciali.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso's move to Ferrari was one of Formula One's worse-kept secrets but, now his move has been confirmed, the Spaniard admits he cannot wait to get started.
"This is my first presentation with a Ferrari and it's very exciting," he told the official Ferrari Web site. "I want to thank the team for their great work, but also the sponsors and everybody else."
Alonso will partner Brazilian Felipe Massa, who has now fully recovered from his life-threatening crash in Hungary last July, and chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo believes both drivers will compliment each other superbly.
"They know how to race for a team and not for themselves. I'm expecting a lot from them. Felipe is strong, stronger than he has ever been. In Budapest I told him: 'you'll be back even stronger'' and he has."
Formula One rules changes have been taken into account when constructing the new F10 and Luca Marmorini, head of engine and electronics, commented: "From a technical point of view reducing the consumption was one of the most interesting things this year. Consumption means performance.
"There won't be any refuelling anymore so consuming less means less petrol on board and therefore better lap times. Whoever consumes less will be faster on the track."
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72b8a00ac5874f14a5c622d4afa7ccab
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Who manufactured this car?
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[
"Ferrari"
] |
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(CNN) -- Seven members of the environmental group Greenpeace were arrested Monday after protesting at a private ship that the group says is scheduled to depart for Alaska this summer as part of a drilling mission.
The group said it was sending a message to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to ban new drilling in the Arctic or any U.S. waters. The ship was docked at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, near the site of the massive BP oil spill that for more than a month has been gushing thousands of barrels of oil daily into the Gulf of Mexico.
Photos from the scene show two protesters repelling off the side of Harvey Explorer, a 240-foot supply vessel, with one holding a sign reading "Salazar: Ban Arctic drilling." The activists also smeared messages -- "Arctic next?" -- on the boat in raw crude from the BP spill in the Gulf.
The seven arrested, between ages 24 and 32, face unauthorized entry charges of a critical infrastructure and an inhabited dwelling, according to the Lafourche Parish County Sheriff's Department. They could face additional charges pending an investigation into the incident, authorities said.
The protest comes as the Obama administration has decided to establish a presidential commission to investigate the disaster and look into federal oversight of offshore oil drilling, safety aboard rigs and environmental protection. Permits to drill offshore were suspended last month pending an Interior Department safety review after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drill rig.
Still, the government is under pressure to issue new permits for offshore drilling as early as next week. The safety review is due this Friday, and the Obama administration will use it to help decide when and how drilling should resume.
The Harvey Explorer is a vessel contracted by Shell for offshore operations off the Alaskan coast that had been scheduled for July.
"The safety and security of this contracted vessel and its crew are a top priority," Shell said in a statement Monday. "While we welcome discussions regarding Shell operations, we are disappointed in the approach taken by Greenpeace today."
Greenpeace and other environmental groups argue there should be no new drilling until the investigation into the disaster is complete, which will take months.
"As long as we continue to rely on dirty and dangerous fossil fuels and offshore drilling, we can't prevent future disasters from destroying our oceans and the industries and wildlife that depend upon them," said John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for Greenpeace.
"Pulling the plug on plans to drill in the Arctic would be a first step towards a comprehensive ban on all new drilling in the United States," he said.
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1a4cdb883330480faf0f351dde01d24d
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who used crude from BP spill to write messages on boat?
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[
"members of the environmental group Greenpeace"
] |
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(CNN) -- As part of an effort to share the best practices of modern business among organizations across the globe, CNN is talking to some of the world's top executives.
In line with this, CNN will be hosting three events looking at modern strategies in today's business arena.
The first of these master classes will be based at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai and will be aired November 10 and 11.
One of the guests at the event will be Howard Schultz, chairman of the international coffee shop chain Starbucks. He will be part of a live discussion at the master class and will take questions that you, the CNN audience, put to him.
As the head of a coffee empire that now boasts over 12,000 stores and recorded revenues in 2006 of $7.8 billion, Schultz is well equipped to tackle questions on the best ways to succeed in today's business world.
The CNN Boardroom Master classes will take place in the homes of the world's largest stock markets -- Shanghai, New York and London. It airs on November10 at 2115 and November 11 at 0115 & 1615 HKT. E-mail to a friend
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23cd61379afb4cb2adf0c89425707e2d
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What will happen?
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[
"be hosting three events looking at modern strategies in today's business arena."
] |
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(CNN) -- Radovan Karadzic's arrest after a decade-long hunt is the equivalent of catching Europe's Osama bin Laden, the U.S. diplomat who brokered peace in Bosnia says.
Radovan Karadzic, seen here in 1995, has been arrested after a decade-long hunt.
Richard Holbrooke, who negotiated the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, led the chorus of congratulations from around the globe telling reporters it was "a historic day."
"One of the worst men in the world, the Osama bin Laden of Europe, has finally been captured. A major, major thug has been removed from the public scene."
"He was at large because the Yugoslav army was protecting him. But this guy in my view was worse than Milosevic [Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic]... he was the intellectual leader," Holbrooke told CNN. Watch Holdbrooke talk about the arrest »
David Miliband, Britain's Foreign Secretary, said it would "pave the way for a brighter, European future for Serbia and the region."
The White House released a statement congratulating the government of Serbia, and thanked the people who arrested Karadzic on a bus in Belgrade for their "professionalism and courage."
Paddy Ashdown, the former international administrator in Bosnia, told the BBC that it was a "longed hoped for day."
"The four years that I was working with NATO to try and catch him were peppered by rumors of where he was -- in this cafe, on that mountain, in this valley." Watch Karadzic's lawyer slam arrest »
Ashdown also told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper that it was a "major breakthrough for the Balkans region."
"Karadzic was accused of being the architect of the worst war crimes that have been perpetrated in Europe since the Nazis.
"It is a major credit to Serbia and at last brings the prospect of justice for Bosnia," Ashdown said.
The arrest brought Serbia's hopes of joining the EU one step closer to realization, EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana lauding the news.
"This ... gives us immense satisfaction. The new government in Belgrade stands for a new Serbia, for a new quality of relations with the EU."
Vuk Jeremic, Serbia's Foreign Minister, said the arrest was proof Serbia was "serious when it comes to her European fate."
However, Serb Radical Party Secretary General Aleksandar Vucic said it was "horrible" news and that the country was "on its way to disappear."
Karadzic, 63, is accused of leading the worst acts of brutality Europe has seen since the Nazi campaigns of World War II.
He is wanted over he deadly siege of Sarajevo, which left an estimated 10,000 people dead, and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica.
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a881e0f2e6e9434aa7e10b43f7a46048
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What continent is Balkans on?
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[
"Europe"
] |
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(CNN) -- Former first lady Barbara Bush was moved out of the intensive care unit of a Houston, Texas, hospital into a regular room Thursday after surgery to repair and seal a perforated ulcer, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Ex-first lady Barbara Bush has been moved out of ICU and into a regular room.
Bush, 83, was in good spirits and was joking with hospital staffers, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman said. She was being fed intravenously.
Her doctor said earlier she will be allowed no food by mouth for about a week, to avoid possibly stretching her abdominal area.
The former first lady showed up at Methodist's emergency room Tuesday night complaining of severe abdominal pain, Dr. Patrick Reardon, who performed the surgery, told reporters Wednesday.
Doctors determined Bush had a perforated ulcer in her duodenum, the first portion of the small intestine after the stomach, he said.
In the operating room, doctors thoroughly cleaned her abdominal cavity of any contaminants that had leaked through the hole, described by the hospital as being one centimeter in diameter.
Then, doctors repaired the ulcer and sewed a piece of the fat tissue in the abdomen, on top of it to seal it, Reardon said.
Bush's husband, former President George H.W. Bush, was with her Thursday morning, but was leaving to attend Thanksgiving dinner with his son Neil, the Methodist Hospital spokeswoman told CNN.
The ulcer was biopsied and is benign, Reardon said Wednesday. He suggested it might have been caused by anti-inflammatory medications.
CNN's Sean Callebs contributed to this report.
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cee5b01a543a46fb8eada3f536d521bd
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How old is Barbara Bush?
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[
"83,"
] |
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(CNN) -- North Korea vowed Wednesday that it "will take every necessary measure to protect its sovereignty" in the midst of 12-day U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.
South Korean soldiers move into a building during a joint military exercise with U.S. troops in Pocheon Tuesday.
"These war exercises were kicked off by the U.S. and the South Korean puppet war-like forces across South Korea at a time when the inter-Korean relations have reached the worst phase and the situation has grown so tense that a war may break out (at) any moment due to the reckless policy of confrontation pursued by the South Korean conservative authorities," North Korea's official KCNA news agency said.
Referring to "war maneuvers" and "nuclear war exercises," a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said they were "designed to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) in terms of their scale and contents from A to Z," according to KCNA.
South Korea has defended the joint exercises.
"We have said several times that the U.S.-South Korean military exercises are annual defensive exercises," said Kim Ho-nyun, a Unification Ministry spokesman, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Monday.
"We again urge North Korea to maintain the agreed stance of mutual respect and to stop its verbal attacks and actions that are raising tensions on the Korean peninsula," he said.
Tensions have ramped up in recent days, as North Korea threatened retaliation in the event of an interception of its "satellite" launch.
U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile, the Taepodong-2, under the guise of launching a satellite into space. The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers), which -- if true -- could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii.
On Saturday U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth said he wanted dialogue with North Korea, but he also spoke against North Korea's move to go forward with a launch, saying it would be "ill-advised."
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1dcec6136e214f849d278a774aaac29c
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Retaliation is threatened in the event of what?
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[
"of an interception of its \"satellite\" launch."
] |
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(CNN) -- A multiagency search is under way for the killers of two U.S. citizens in northern Mexico, according to Chihuahua state officials.
A girl stands at the coffin of Mormon church leader Benjamin LeBaron in Chihuahua State.
Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home in Galeana on Tuesday morning.
The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems to be connected to local drug lords, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office.
Sandoval said a note was found on LeBaron's body, but he could not confirm the contents.
Local media reported that the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town.
LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed after a week. The incident prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand.
"There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother, Julian LeBaron, told CNN television affiliate KINT in El Paso, Texas. "If they kill my brother another three will take his place, and if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way."
The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the Municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons.
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1fac0d94454948eca096a8307f3ccdea
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What did the case seem to be tied to?
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[
"local drug lords,"
] |
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(CNN) -- The first person ever convicted in Idaho of knowingly spreading the HIV virus is facing new charges for the same offense, authorities said Thursday.
An Ada County, Idaho, grand jury on Tuesday returned an indictment charging Kerry Thomas, 45, with seven counts of knowingly transferring the HIV virus, Jean Fisher, Ada County deputy prosecutor, told CNN.
In 1990, Thomas was charged with four counts of HIV transmission and two counts of statutory rape, Fisher said. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty only to the rape charges.
According to Fisher, Thomas received a 12-year sentence and had to serve three years before being eligible for parole. He was later granted early release.
In 1996, however, Thomas was again charged with one count of HIV transmission, and a jury convicted him, Fisher said. He received a 15-year sentence with a seven-year minimum.
Now out on parole, Thomas faces possible life in prison on the new charges because prosecutors are seeking his designation as a "persistent violator."
It was not immediately known whether Thomas was in custody Thursday. He was not listed online among the inmates in the Ada County Jail.
Asked why Thomas would continue to spread the virus, which causes AIDS, Fisher said, "That's the $64,000 question, for a person who has been to prison twice."
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f95d2840e9c4492c93484aa98a9f0cb5
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What is the likely sentence?
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[
"possible life in prison"
] |
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In few other arenas is man's never ending quest for the next frontier more evident than in sailing.
The pioneering spirit, which first sent the human race out to sea to explore what lay beyond the horizon, still exists today as man strives to go faster, further, and in constant pursuit of the next extreme.
Forever changing, constantly progressing, sailing is a sport driven by many factors.
In today's modern world, developments in technology and yacht design give sailors an ever changing arsenal of tools, as competitors drive each other to new heights of innovation. For the ground breaking sailor, the next frontier is always just out of reach.
This month on CNN MainSail, Shirley Robertson takes a look at speed -- what drives one particular breed of sailor to be the fastest on the planet?
At the America's Cup in Valencia, winners BMW Oracle Racing's Head of Design explains how the Americans' revolutionary wing sail gave them the edge, and Shirley takes to the skies in a glider to see the roots of this new innovation in action.
In Cowes, UK, Paul Larsen and his team of engineers skulk in the shadows of the boat building shed, as the speed record enthusiast turns his latest wild idea into reality.
And in Dubai at the Month World Sailing Championships, Shirley takes to the water to experience hydrofoil sailing -- this is the innovation to which the French Hydroptere team attribute their world speed record which Larsen so badly wants to take from them.
Finally Shirley meets Cameron Lewis, crew member on the first boat to sail round the world in less than 80 days -- the current Jules Verne record stands at much less than that, a target which Franck Cammas and his Groupama team are currently trying to better; Shirley talks to them via satellite phone to find out what drives them on their quest.
Will this incessant pursuit of the next frontier ever fade, and what will be the next innovation to come over the horizon?
This month on CNN MainSail we try to find out.
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41fcdd64ecd8403ca66e43fe43abbabc
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what gives the America's Cup winners an edge?
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[
"revolutionary wing sail"
] |
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DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- Texas terrorism suspect Hosam Smadi recorded a seven-minute video message for al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden before his arrest on charges of plotting to blow up a Dallas building, an FBI agent testified Monday.
Hosam Maher Husein Smadi said through his lawyer that he understood the charges Friday.
No details of the message were provided in court. But FBI Special Agent Thomas Petrowski said the video was recorded in a hotel room with the assistance of undercover FBI operatives and Smadi intended for it to be delivered to or seen by bin Laden, the fugitive leader of the terrorist network behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian living in the United States illegally, is charged with plotting to set off a bomb at the base of the 60-story Fountain Plaza office tower in downtown Dallas. He was arrested September 24 after federal agents said he tried to trigger an improvised bomb attached to a vehicle at the base of the building.
At a brief hearing in Dallas on Monday, Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez ordered Smadi bound over for future hearings. Peter Fleury, the public defender representing Smadi, told reporters that his client remains held under immigration law, with no bail set.
Fleury called his client "a scared 19-year-old kid held away from his family," who could face additional charges from a grand jury. Prosecutors don't have to share the evidence against Smadi until after a grand jury acts, so lawyers don't know the full extent of the case against him, Fleury said.
"We have got a lot of work to do," he said. "They have had the case since March. We just got the case. We're way behind them."
Friends in the town of Italy, Texas, about 45 miles south of Dallas, said Smadi was outgoing and friendly -- but one told CNN last week that the teen started showing signs of depression about six months ago, around the same time the FBI started believing he was serious about carrying out a bomb plot.
CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report.
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6f9a162a8aac4a32984afe596c37ca0b
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Who is accused of plotting to bomb Dallas skyscaper?
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[
"Hosam Smadi"
] |
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(CNN) -- A fire at a house in Connecticut early Christmas morning killed two adults and three children, fire officials said.
Two other people made it out alive.
"It is a terrible, terrible day for the city of Stamford," said Mayor Michael Pavia, briefing reporters about the "horrible tragedy."
"There probably has not been a worse Christmas Day in the city of Stamford," he said.
Multiple calls came in shortly before 5 a.m., fire officials said.
The first firefighters on the scene attempted rescues within the home, but "were pushed back by intense flame and heat," said Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte.
The cause remains under investigation. Due to the condition of the building, it will be days before investigators can determine what happened, Conte said.
Seven people lived in the house, Conte said. He had no immediate information on their identities or the conditions of the two who came out alive and were taken to the hospital.
The home is in Stamford's Shippan Point neighborhood, just in from the Long Island Sound, fire officials said.
CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report.
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aed02d1a4e71431489449954e0d5104a
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Who can determine what happened?
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[
"investigators"
] |
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(CNN) -- An A380 superjumbo bound for Sydney came loose from a tow truck and partially rolled onto grass at Singapore airport.
Singapore Airlines was the first carrier in the world to operate the double-decker aircraft.
No-one was injured in the incident involving the world's biggest airliner, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said, but passengers were taken off so the plane could be repositioned and inspected for any damage.
A truck being used to push back the plane in preparation for the flight "experienced some form of failure" causing it disconnect from the aircraft, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said.
"As a consequence of the failure on the truck, the aircraft ... came into contact with the grass verge off the airport tarmac. The aircraft was not under its own power at the time," he said.
"It is too early at this time to know the cause of the incident but Singapore Airlines will investigate this quickly, and is filing reports with the appropriate Singapore authorities," the spokesman said.
An airline spokesman told CNN's Richard Quest that four wheels had ended up on the grass. All four tires had now been replaced. "As far as Singapore Airlilnes is concerned, the plane is ready to fly again," Quest said.
The airline made arrangements for as many customers as possible to continue on their journey from Changi Airport to Sydney aboard a Boeing 747-400.
Most passengers departed for Sydney on a new flight early Friday morning, while some others flew to alternate destinations such as Melbourne and Brisbane on existing flights.
"The remaining customers, about 10 of them, have left, or will be leaving, for Sydney today," the spokesman said.
Singapore Airlines received its first A380 in October last year to become the first carrier in the world to operate the double-decker aircraft, which it is currently using for the Singapore-Sydney route.
Changi Airport, which is home to the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet, has declared itself ready to handle the plane. It widened and lengthened existing runways and widened runway shoulders to allow the plane to maneuver.
Airports around the world have had to make changes to accommodate the A380, such as enlarging runways and gates and bringing in vehicles which can tow the plane and lift high enough to reach its upper decks. E-mail to a friend
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1c1e6341fe724062871627c7513ee48c
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Which Airlines was first?
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"Singapore"
] |
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(CNN) -- Cholera has already killed almost 3,000 Haitians. Now it is threatening to cause misery in another vital way.
A chunk of Haiti's rice harvest will probably be lost because of farmers' fears of cholera contamination, the United Nations said Wednesday. On top of that, consumers are afraid to buy rice grown in areas affected by the cholera outbreak.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the Haitian Ministries of Agriculture and Health are providing hygiene information to farmers who are reluctant to step into rice paddies, fed by rivers and canals, to harvest the crops.
The U.N. food agency, concerned that lost crops may lead to food shortages, urged more outreach and hands-on training in rural communities.
The effects of the cholera outbreak were magnified by floods in November caused by Hurricane Tomas.
"Without a timely response to the damage caused by floods and cholera to Haitian agriculture, food security could plunge, worsening the effects of last January's earthquake on the poor rural population," the FAO said in a statement.
Cholera has sickened more than 130,000 people in Haiti and 2,761 have died. But those numbers from the Haitian health ministry are from December 18.
Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF or Doctors Without Borders), which has been operating cholera treatment centers throughout Haiti, warned that the disease is still spreading.
Symptoms of the acute, bacterial illness, which is caused by drinking tainted water, can be mild or even nonexistent. But sometimes they can be severe: leg cramps, profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause rapid loss of body fluids and lead to dehydration, shock and death.
Some aid groups, including MSF, have criticized the cholera response in Haiti as woefully inadequate, given the fact that about 12,000 aid groups operate within the country.
"I recently went to Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, and found my Medicins Sans Frontieres colleagues overwhelmed, having already treated more than 75,000 cholera cases," MSF International President Unni Karunakara wrote in a commentary published this week in a British newspaper, the Guardian. "In the 11 months since the quake, little has been done to improve sanitation across the country, allowing cholera to spread at a dizzying pace."
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5ab81c00686f43329ff42254efdb0663
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Which could lead to food shortages?
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[
"lost crops"
] |
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Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- An anti-whaling activist jumped aboard a Japanese security ship on Monday in a bid to make a citizen's arrest of its skipper over the sinking of their boat, an animal rights group said.
Pete Bethune was captain of the "Ady Gill" boat, which sank after a Japanese whaler rammed into it in January, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which owned the boat, said on its Web site.
The New Zealander climbed aboard the Japanese ship "Shonan Maru 2" in the middle of the night from a jet ski to arrest its skipper, the animal rights group said.
"His first attempt failed when he fell into the frigid waters," the group said. "But despite this, the crew of the 'Shonan Maru 2' failed to see him and he successfully boarded the whaler without detection."
After the incident, Bethune complained of a minor injury to his thumb, according to Japan's ministry of fisheries.
The 20 crew members of the Japanese ship were not harmed and their vessel was not damaged, the ministry said.
Japanese authorities called the incident the latest "publicity stunt" from the animal rights group and said they have not decided what to do with the activist.
Two years ago, Sea Shepherd activists boarded another Japanese ship and handcuffed themselves to the vessel with plastic ties, according to the Institute of Cetacean Research, a branch of Japan's fisheries ministry that deals with whaling.
At the time, an Australian vessel helped return the two activists back to the Sea Shepherd, ICR said.
Sea Shepherd has accused the Japanese ship "Shonan Maru 2" of destroying their vessel during the skirmish in the Southern Ocean -- a term used to describe parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans that surround Antarctica.
However, Japanese authorities deny their ship intentionally hit the catamaran and have said the activists were harassing their whaling fleet.
The incident highlights an ongoing feud between Japanese whaling fleets and conservation agencies -- especially Sea Shepherd.
CNN's Kyung Lah contributed to this report
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254bdb9bc36241d49252ab18b036ad9a
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Where did the New Zealand man try to make a citizen's arrest?
|
[
"Japanese ship \"Shonan Maru 2\""
] |
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(CNN) -- Space shuttle Discovery is set to launch next week on a mission to the international space station, NASA's Flight Readiness Review team said Wednesday.
The space shuttle Discovery is brought by crawler to its pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 4.
Launch is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. ET Tuesday, NASA said. However, launches often are delayed because of inclement weather or technical concerns.
Discovery will carry a crew of seven astronauts as it ferries equipment to the space station. One of the astronauts, Nicole Stott, will remain on the space station as a flight engineer, replacing astronaut Timothy Kopra, who will return home aboard Discovery as a mission specialist, according to the NASA Web page for the mission.
Discovery will also be carrying the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT) to the space station. The treadmill is named for fake newsman Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."
Earlier this year, NASA conducted an online poll to name the space station's newest compartment, asking voters to choose one of four given options or offer their own suggestion. Colbert urged his viewers to suggest "Colbert," which won.
But Colbert and the space agency compromised to give the moniker to the treadmill instead. The new module was given the name Tranquility.
"I'm so proud my treadmill will be going into space to help trim down those famously fat astronauts. Lay off the Tang, Chubby!" Colbert said in a statement.
The mission will be Discovery's 37th to space, and the 30th shuttle mission dedicated to assembly and maintenance of the space station, NASA says.
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224f9571f7d34ae5b813f03cc9e2d12f
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Who is the flight engineer?
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[
"Nicole Stott,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Christie's is the world's leading art business with global auction sales in 2007 that totalled $6.3 billion, marking the highest total in company and in art auction history.
A Christie's employee holds the painting 'La Surprise' at Christie's auction house in London on July 4, 2008.
Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for unique artworks as well as international glamour.
Christie's offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, cars and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million.
Christie's has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Most recently, Christie's has expanded initiatives in emerging markets such as China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Dubai, Mumbai and Russia.
Christie's also offers its clients worldwide access to its sales through its real-time online bidding service Christie's LIVE.
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4c21030416cd4bbbb5c637173969617e
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What did sales total?
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[
"$6.3 billion,"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Ten-man Ghana overcame Brazil 4-3 on penalties in the Under-20 World Cup final in Cairo to become the first African side to win the tournament.
Daniel Addo (left) is sent off but Ghana still became the first African side to win the U-20 World Cup.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu scored the winning penalty after Brazil's Maicon had fired over the bar when a successful spot-kick would have handed Brazil the title for a record fifth time.
In a match of few chances, Ghana, who are also African champions, defied the odds to take the trophy out of Europe and South America for the first time ever after Daniel Addo was sent off in the 37th minute for a late tackle on Alex Teixeira.
Goalkeeper Daniel Aygei kept Ghana in the game earlier in extra-time with a point-blank save from Maicon, who had been teed-up 10 yards out by Alex Teixeira's cut-back.
Douglas Costa twice went close in the additional 30 minutes, while Aygei was also called into action to save from Wellington Junior.
Meanwhile, penalties were also needed to separate Hungary and Costa Rica in the third place playoff earlier in the day, but it was the European nation who eventually triumphed after the match ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.
Despite being outplayed for the majority of the game, Costa Rica went ahead with nine minutes remaining when Marcos Urena was allowed to run at the Hungarian defence before cutting inside and firing a right-footed shot which left goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with no chance.
However, with the match entering injury time, Hungary were awarded a penalty when Jose Mena fouled Krisztian Nemeth in the box.
Vladimir Koman made no mistake from the spot to take the match into a shoot-out.
Liverpool's Gulacsi was the hero of the hour -- keeping out efforts from Cristian Gamboa, Esteban Luna and Adam Simon while Nemeth and Roland Varga both scored to hand Hungary a 2-0 victory on penalties.
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72247b18b9b644d9b7a64226cb8005d0
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Who took third place after defeating Costa Rica?
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"Hungary"
] |
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(CNN) -- Israel was founded on democratic principles with the Jewish state's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the "complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex." It has remained a continuous democracy ever since.
The 120-seat Knesset is the Israeli seat of government.
The seat of Israeli government is the Knesset, the country's national parliament, located in Jerusalem, which Israel claims as its capital. The Knesset's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote.
Knesset seats are divided according to each party's proportion of the overall vote. But parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat.
Participation in elections, including among Arab Israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population, has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout, according to Israeli government figures. Israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters.
Israel usually holds national elections every four years. But this year's poll on February 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by Israeli President Shimon Peres following the resignation of prime minister Ehud Olmert amid allegations of corruption and his Kadima Party successor Tzipi Livni's failure to form a coalition. Olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim.
Coalitions of two or more parties are common in Israel; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself. Those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition.
Thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections, including major parties such as Kadima, Likud and Labor and also three Arab parties.
The task of forming and leading a government is charged by Israel's president to the Knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition.
The prime minister-designate then has 28 days, extendable by 14 days, to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 Knesset members.
Officials results are due to be published on February 18 with the new Knesset convening on March 2.
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ab6fad80a8154509a05e958139e09f76
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How many eligible voters does Israel have?
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"5.3 million"
] |
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(CNN) -- Somalia needs international help to fight Islamist extremists battling for power in the lawless Horn of Africa nation, the country's moderate Islamist president said Monday.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was recently appointed Somalia's transitional president.
"I am calling on the international community to help Somalia defend against foreign militants who have invaded the country," President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said.
Speaking at a news conference in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, Ahmed called several times for international help in fighting foreign militants whom he claims are the same fighters who have fought the "international community" in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Wherever they come, they fuel violence," the president said. "The Somali people cannot and should not accept that their countries should be a launching pad for these militants to attack."
Ahmed told local journalists that he feared these foreign fighters would turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan, where U.S.-led forces are fighting Islamic extremist groups.
He also praised local militias in the two regions of Hiiran and Middle Shabelle for struggling against the foreign militias.
Last week, al-Shabab militants advanced to the presidential palace in Mogadishu, sparking sporadic fighting and shelling in the Somali capital. The recent fighting has killed more than 40 civilians and wounded about 150 others, according to sources at the scene.
Al-Shabab -- once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union -- has been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, which says it is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network.
Ahmed participated in seizing control of Mogadishu in 2006 along with the Islamic Courts Union before it was ousted by Ethiopian forces later that year.
He has since split from Somali jihad movements and was recently appointed Somalia's transitional president through a process shepherded by the United Nations.
Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.
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52e920c5a15a411a82416fcbb8dc5575
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Fighting in 2 days killed how many?
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"40 civilians"
] |
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(CNN) -- Venus Williams' latest tennis outfit -- a revealing black-lace corset dress with bright red straps -- has caused controversy since she wore it for her first round match at the French Open.
But this is not the first time the wardrobe choices of Venus and her younger sister Serena have come under the spotlight.
Ever since the pair appeared on the WTA Tour in the 1990's -- complete with multi-colored braided hair -- they have been setting, and sometimes destroying, trends with their extroverted dress sense.
From Serena's denim skirt and boot combo to Venus's designer dresses, there isn't much that the sisters have not tried to wear on the court.
However, not all their outfits have been popular with the critics, least of all Venus's lace number and the skin-colored shorts that she wears underneath, which has caused quite a stir in Paris.
Whatever you think of their fashion there is no doubt the Williams sisters eye-catching ensembles bring some much needed glamor to the women's game.
CNN takes a look back at the best and worst of the sisters' fashions over the years.
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"straps"
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Naoma, West Virginia (CNN) -- Staking out for news at the site of the mine explosion here, I remembered what I miss most about Appalachia -- the people.
Their stories are what drew me up here in 2006 as a correspondent for the Associated Press. Their hardships, struggles, passions, faith and quirks shaped hard-hitting stories about a region that few give much thought to these days.
I covered a mine disaster back then, too -- the explosion at Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1 that killed five coal miners -- and found myself marveling at the strength of the families and the community. And, despite their pain, they were hospitable, allowing a green reporter without a signal to use their living room phone, rest on their front steps and ask a few questions about their fears and worries.
I left after more than two years of sharing their stories, and hoped to return someday to catch up with my mountain neighbors and the families who allowed me to walk into their homes and share their lives with the world.
Instead, I returned for tragedy.
Not much has changed this time around as I help cover the latest disaster for CNN -- this time four miners unaccounted for and at least 25 dead.
I'm still amazed by the teachers who have allowed us reporters to use their classrooms as impromptu work areas, the nearby residents who insist on making sure we eat during the long days, the miners who bravely re-enter the mines just a day after losing some of their closest friends, and the victims' families, who remain patient as they wait for news.
I don't know how they do it, how they stay so composed, so strong in the face of such a horrific disaster felt miles away. And through it all, they accept our presence with a dignified grace. I can't imagine them handling it any other way.
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dcd242840975458fbd50b5ea228d0326
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where was it reported from
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"Appalachia"
] |
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(CNN) -- A 7-year-old boy from El Paso, Texas, was gunned down across the border in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office told CNN Tuesday.
Raul Xazziel Ramirez had been visiting his father in Juarez on Friday evening when unknown gunmen fired on their vehicle at a roundabout, spokesman Arturo Sandoval said.
At least 18 rounds from a 9 mm weapon were shot at the white 2000 Geo Tracker driven by Ramirez's dad, Sandoval said.
The father, Raul Ramirez Alvarado, 35, died in the driver's seat.
The younger Raul escaped from the vehicle, but was apparently shot in the back, Sandoval said. The boy's body fell forward in front of the vehicle.
The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Friday. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday, the spokesman said.
Raul Xazziel Ramirez was a third-grader at Glen Cove Elementary School in El Paso, Ysleta Independent School District spokeswoman Patricia Ayala told CNN.
"It's a senseless tragedy that we're trying to come to terms with," she said.
According to El Paso County records, Raul was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday when he was killed.
The boy lived with his aunt and uncle in El Paso, Ayala said. It was the first semester that Raul was registered with the district.
Raul's classmates were spared the details of his death, but the school was nonetheless shocked at the boy's passing. Grief counselors were made available for both students and teachers, Ayala said.
More than 2,200 killings have been recorded this year in Ciudad Juarez, out of a population of approximately 1.5 million people.
A bloody turf war between warring drug cartels that started last year has made the city one of the most violent in the world.
According to statistics from local prosecutors, Ciudad Juarez records about 10 murders a day. The bloodiest month this year has been September, with 476 killings reported.
The violence has not spilled over significantly across the border to El Paso, but as Friday's shooting showed, the pain of one of the sister cities is shared by the other.
Because of the ongoing investigation, Sandoval declined to say whether drug cartel activity was suspected in the killings of Raul and his father, but added that at least 90 percent of the city's homicides are drug-related.
Raul was not the youngest victim slain this year. In early 2009, a 3-year-old girl was killed together with her father inside a vehicle that was targeted, Sandoval said.
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What happened after the boy escaped the vehicle?
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"shot in the back,"
] |
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NYON, Switzerland -- Celtic have been fined $50,800 by UEFA and AC Milan's Dida has been banned for two matches after the incident which saw a pitch-invading supporter approach the Brazilian goalkeeper in last week's Champions League match at Celtic Park.
Dida's theatrical over-reaction has resulted in UEFA suspending him for two matches.
The incident occurred when the Scottish side beat Milan 2-1 in Glasgow. A fan ran onto the field in the 90th minute, soon after the home side scored their winning goal, and made what appeared to be minimal contact with Dida.
The Milan goalkeeper turned to chase the supporter before dropping to the ground. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and replaced.
Dida's theatrical over-reaction has cost him severely -- but Celtic may choose not to complain about their own punishment, with half of their fine suspended for two years.
UEFA did have the power to change the result of the match, although that was always unlikely.
UEFA's control and disciplinary body found Celtic guilty of charges of "lack of organisation and improper conduct of supporters", while Dida was found to have breached UEFA's "principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship".
Milan have pledged to appeal against the punishment, which as it stands means he will miss the club's Champions League games against Shakhtar Donetsk.
"It's a suspension that is absolutely excessive," said Milan lawyer Leandro Cantamessa. "It seems to us a very, very unbalanced sentence. It turns Dida into the protagonist of the incident, whereas the protagonist was someone else, and that's not right from a logical point of view."
Celtic acted swiftly to punish the 27-year-old supporter, who turned himself in and has since admitted a breach of the peace in court and will be sentenced next month.
The club banned the fan for life from all their matches, home and away.
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "As a club we feel this penalty is proportionate to the incident in question and a fair outcome." E-mail to a friend
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7aa94f77e39049faa8abe9d5ebeeaddc
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Who have been fined $50,800 for allowing the fan to run onto the field of play?
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"Celtic"
] |
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SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- Software giant Microsoft apologized Wednesday for the apparent bad judgment that led to the head of a black model being swapped for that of a white model in an online advertisement.
A black man in an online Microsoft ad was replaced with a white man, bottom, on the company's Polish Web site.
The ad -- which showed three business people, one Asian, one white and one black -- was altered on Microsoft's Web site for Poland to place the head of a white man on a black man's body.
"We apologized, fixed the error and we are looking into how it happened," said Lou Gellos, a Microsoft spokesman.
He said that because the company was still reviewing how the swap occurred he could not comment further.
On Microsoft's official page on the social network site Twitter, a posting calls the swap "a marketing mistake" and offers "sincere apologies."
The episode drew widespread criticism on the Internet after Engadget, an influential tech blog, published news of the gaffe Tuesday.
The business Web site CNET.com wrote that the change in models may have been made with the "racially homogeneous" Polish market in mind. CNET is a CNN.com content partner.
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9a8ccf2c7ebe4c11b94e3ffa5a4dcb93
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What company apologized?
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"Microsoft"
] |
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(PEOPLE.com) -- Melissa McCarthy is no longer just a bridesmaid. She's the bride.
The "Mike & Molly" Emmy winner and "Bridesmaids" scene-stealer has some big plans on her plate -- from launching her own plus-size fashion line to getting hockey's prized Stanley Cup (for a movie) -- during what is already a stellar year for her.
But none of her professional plans can top her favorite pastime, being mom to her two daughters with actor-husband Ben Falcone: Vivian, 4, and Georgette, 1½. McCarthy tells the Hollywood Reporter that being a mother actually helps her feel less insecure about her looks.
"The stupid stuff like what I wear or how I look I can't control, so I just try not to give too much energy to it," she says, calling her body a work in progress after giving birth to Georgette. "At 20, I would have been like: 'Don't they like me? Was it my hair?' At 41, I think the things that define me, I hope, are a lot more than those kinds of petty things."
As for those red-carpet moments, "Trying to find stuff that's still fashion-forward in my size is damn near impossible. It's either for like a 98-year-old woman or a 14-year-old hooker, and there is nothing in the middle," McCarthy wisecracks. Case in point: trying to outfit herself for the Emmys, which required sifting through "nine million dresses with taffeta or shiny bows."
The final result was McCarthy's own line that she is co-designing with couturier Daniella Pearl.
Hosting SNL This Weekend
Fans needn't fret, however -- she'll still be doing comedy, including hosting this weekend's "Saturday Night Live." She psyched for this, too, admitting to having an emotional reaction when the producers invited her to do it.
"I went into such an embarrassing, weird, inappropriately loud cry," says McCarthy. "I'm bent over, literally, in the rug section of Living Spaces, wailing."
Also ahead: starring in and co-writing a movie with "Bridesmaids" scribe Annie Mumolo, which is about hijacking the Stanley Cup to cheer up her sick husband; costarring with Jason Bateman in a movie comedy (still in the talking stage); and appearing in Judd Apatow's as-yet-untitled "Knocked Up" spin-off -- and that, reportedly, is only for starters.
See the full article at PEOPLE.com.
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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396a2fc09b954c038c755dc66810d44c
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What McCarthy says about being a mother?
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"her looks."
] |
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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease, the fifth such death in Spain since 2005, the Ministry of Health said in a statement late Friday.
The victim died in January in the northern city of Santander, according to the statement, which did not provide further details.
The victim was a woman who was hospitalized last fall, according to Juan Jose Badiola, director of Spain's national research center for mad cow disease.
The ministry reiterated that there is no danger from eating meat in Spain.
"The appearance of these sporadic cases is within the predictions that were made at the European level more than nine years ago," the ministry statement said.
Ten years can pass between eating contaminated tissue and the appearance of the human form of the disease also called variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, health officials say.
The steps to avoid the disease, taken after the first cases of mad cow disease appeared in the United Kingdom, include isolating infected animals and prohibiting cattle feed of animal origin or with animal proteins, the ministry said.
Three of Spain's five deaths from the disease were in the northern province of Leon. The city of Santander is in the nearby Cantabria province.
Last September, officials reported the death of a woman from the human form of mad cow disease. Officials also said her son had died earlier from the same disease.
It was believed to have been the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from the disease, Badiola told CNN at the time.
The mother, in her early 60s, died in August 2008. Her son, 41, died in February 2008, Badiola said.
Badiola said it was the mother and son likely contracted the disease before stricter controls against mad cow disease began in Spain in 2001.
The mother and son had similar eating habits, Badiola said, which included eating animal organs, such as kidneys and livers, and they may also have eaten animal brains.
The mother and son were from a village in Leon province. The third fatality in that province was a woman, 50, a local government worker, who died in December 2007.
The first confirmed death from mad cow disease in Spain was in 2005, when a young woman died near Madrid.
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a4d0b08ff9cb4b5facfd49f3a9bc2341
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The Ministry of Health reported what?
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"A Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease,"
] |
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(CNN) -- A British man convicted of having sex on a Dubai beach was re-arrested as he prepared to board a flight back to the UK, according to media reports.
File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September.
Vince Acors, 34, from London, was due to fly to Heathrow Monday following his deportation from the Gulf state. But he was detained at Dubai Airport and returned to jail as his flight confirmation was allegedly "not in order," the British Press Association said.
Acors and fellow Briton Michelle Palmer, 36, were initially given three-month jail terms for unmarried sex and public indecency, but these were suspended on appeal.
Acors had been due to return last Friday but a hold-up in the deportation process meant he was unable to board a UK-bound plane and spent the weekend in jail, PA said.
His lawyer Andrew Crossley said: "The return of Vince Acors has been delayed yet again and he will not be returning to the UK. The situation is close to becoming farcical and Vince is severely disappointed.
"After having booked and confirmed his return flight on three separate occasions through the course of the day Vince was re-arrested at Dubai Airport, as his flight confirmation was allegedly not in order. He has been returned to jail, his precise return is now unknown."
Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Police charged them with illicit relations, public indecency, and public intoxication. A court found them guilty in October and fined them 1,000 dirhams ($367) for the charge of public indecency.
Both denied they had intercourse. And during the trial, Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges, though he said both tested positive for liquor.
The United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules.
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9e8adb4b78564a15abf274864b228ee0
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"illicit relations, public indecency,"
] |
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Beijing (CNN) -- Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has confirmed Russia is close to sealing an energy supply agreement with China worth $1 trillion.
"It's fair to say that we're very close to reach an agreement on the natural gas deal," Putin told the journalists at a joint press conference after meeting with Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.
Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit. He also met with President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders on Wednesday.
The negotiations over the natural gas supply had stalled for more than a year due to disagreements over price.
If an agreement can be reached, the deal would see Russia supply China with up to 68 billion cubic meters of gas every year.
"The trade volume will increase significantly, and this will change the fact that the economic cooperation between the two countries lags behind the political cooperation," said Zhao Huasheng, director of the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies at Fudan University.
"Together with cooperation in other economic fields, China and Russia will become real strategic partners in economic terms," he added.
Recent years have seen a steady increase in trade between the two countries.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade volume in the year to July increased by 37.4% to a record $42.2 billion. The ministry forecasts that this will reach a new record in 2011-- possibly in excess of $70 billion.
"The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has reached to an unprecedented level," Putin said in an interview with the state-run Xinhua agency.
But energy cooperation stands out as the main focus between Russia, a major energy exporter, and China, the world's biggest energy consumer, according to a 2010 report from the International Energy Agency.
Putin has also brought along a group of 160 Russian business leaders for the visit, including the CEOs of Russian energy giants Gazprom, Rosneft and aluminum producer UC RUSAL.
During Putin's visit, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan also met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin to discuss energy needs.
"We're discussing opening new energy transportation routes," explained Putin at the joint press conference.
On January 2011, China and Russia opened an oil pipeline from Daqing, northeast China, to Skovorodino in eastern Russia.
The line is 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and aims to provide 15 million metric tons of oil annually to China.
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What amount is the agreement worth?
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"$1 trillion."
] |
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(CNN) -- A Colorado woman is being pursued as a "person of interest" in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a Texas polygamist ranch, authorities said Friday.
Rozita Swinton, 33, has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the Texas raid.
Texas Rangers are seeking Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, "regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in San Angelo, Texas, in late March 2008," the Rangers said in a written statement.
The raid of the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a "spiritual marriage."
The release said a search of Swinton's home in Colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch, run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The possibility exists that Rozita Swinton, who has nothing to do with the FLDS church, may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named Sarah," CNN's Gary Tuchman reported.
Swinton, 33, has been charged in Colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody. Police said that arrest was not directly related to the Texas case.
Authorities raided the Texas ranch April 4 and removed 416 children.
Officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl, referred to as Sarah, who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls. FLDS members have denied the girl, supposedly named Sarah Jessop Barlow, exists.
Some of the FLDS women who spoke with CNN on Monday said they believed the calls were a hoax.
While the phone calls initially prompted the raid, officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound.
In court documents, investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant, records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13.
A court hearing began Thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch. E-mail to a friend
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14e1d714719d41068cc815a700a505a7
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what did the police do to the woman?
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"pursued as a \"person of interest\""
] |
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexico has announced plans to raise tariffs on almost 90 U.S. exports, Mexican and U.S. officials confirmed Monday.
Mexico's state-run news agency says tariffs are in retaliation for cancellation of a U.S. trucking project.
The new trade measures are in retaliation for the cancellation earlier this year of a U.S. commercial trucking project and will target U.S. industrial and agricultural products delivered to Mexico, Mexico's state-run news agency said.
Mexico's Economic Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Mateos called the cancellation of the program a breach of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the agency said.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the trucking project was killed in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill, but President Barack Obama has asked his administration to create a new program.
"Congress has opposed the project in the past because of concerns about the process that led to the program's establishment and its operation," Gibbs said.
The project allowed a small number of Mexican trucks to enter the United States beyond the normal commercial zones, and allowed some U.S. trucks the same privilege in Mexico.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, warned that the Mexican action would harm American businesses.
"Unfortunately, this is a predictable reaction by the Mexican government to a policy that now puts the United States in clear violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and was inappropriately inserted into the omnibus appropriations bill," McCain said after learning of the Mexican government's plans.
McCain said Washington "must take steps to prevent escalation of further protectionist measures -- actions that only serve to harm American business during these tough economic times when these businesses need a worldwide marketplace to prosper."
"This is another reason why the president should have vetoed the omnibus spending bill," McCain added.
Mexico's intentions to raise tariffs on U.S. goods "is an absurd overreaction to the shutdown of the unsafe cross-border trucking pilot program," Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said.
"The right response from Mexico would be to make sure its drivers and trucks are safe enough to use our highways without endangering our drivers," Hoffa said in a statement issued by the union. "The border must stay closed until Mexico holds up its end of the bargain."
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fb68cdd7905243a79ae0a3495f8baa89
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What country is imposing the tariffs?
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[
"Mexico"
] |
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(CNN) -- Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil outside a San Diego, California, church in honor of a teenage girl missing since Thursday.
The vigil was held just hours after authorities said they found human remains in an area where they had been searching for 17-year-old Chelsea King.
"There is strong likelihood that we have found Chelsea," San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference.
The remains were found in a shallow grave along the shoreline of a tributary south of a lake in Rancho Bernardo Community Park, authorities said.
Searchers have been combing the edge of Lake Hodges for any clue into the disappearance of King, a cross-country runner who often ran along the park's trails.
The last reported sighting of the high school senior was at school Thursday, according to sheriff's department spokeswoman Susan Plese. Her car, with her cell phone inside, was found at the park, Plese said.
Police arrested 30-year-old John Albert Gardner III on Sunday in connection with the disappearance.
Gardner is being held in the San Diego Central Jail on rape and first-degree murder charges, according to jail records available online Tuesday night.
Gardner is due to appear in court later Wednesday.
Follow local coverage on KGTV
Gore said the body was found in a heavily wooded area not visible from nearby homes. A shoe had been found earlier in the same area.
He said King's parents have been informed of the discovery.
"They were holding out hope as we all were that we would find Chelsea alive," he said. "This is our worst fears that we would find her as we did today."
At Tuesday night's vigil, friends and family were expected to speak about King and play some of her favorite songs.
Gore said he expected to have positive identification of the body by Wednesday.
Gardner, a registered sex offender, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, according to San Diego County district attorney's spokesman Steve Walker.
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dc0d195fb4104657b4b77255d1fe47a1
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"in honor of a teenage girl missing since Thursday."
] |
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(CNN) -- Landslides unleashed by tropical depression Parma across the Philippine province of Benguet have killed at least 122 people and left 31 missing, officials said Friday.
A boatman transports three empty wooden coffins on the edge of Laguna Lake east of Manila on Thursday.
Four people had been found alive in debris, and at least 22 had been injured by landslides that started Thursday afternoon and continued all night, affecting several municipalities, said Elmer Foria, police senior superintendent.
Parma, which had been downgraded from a typhoon, poured more rain onto sodden and already weakened ground.
Flooding had inundated 32 towns and two cities, Dagupan and Urdaneta, according to Rocky Baraan, provincial administrator of Pangasinan. Some 35,000 people had fled to evacuation centers, the official Philippines News Agency reported, citing the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council.
The worst-hit areas included Bayambang, Alcala and Basista, the news agency reported.
People clambered onto rooftops as floodwaters rose, calling and texting for help. Rescue trucks were hampered by floodwaters that reach the roofs of single-story houses, Baraan said. About 16 rubber rescue boats had been deployed.
Since the rains started in central Luzon, three dams in the Pangasinan area have been releasing vast amounts of water -- up to 10 million cubic meters per hour at one dam, dam officials said.
Water passing through the three dams -- the Ambuklao, the Binga and the San Roque -- is rushing into the Agno River, which has been swollen since Thursday and affects seven towns in eastern Pangasinan, dam officials said.
Water released from the San Roque dam has contributed to the flooding in eastern Pangasinan, acknowledged Alex Palada, division manager for flood forecasting and warning of the National Power Corporation. Dam officials had no choice but to maintain safe water levels, he added, noting that he alerted Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino. The governor started to evacuate residents Thursday when the Agno River started to rise, Palada said.
In the last several days, water has become the Philippines' biggest enemy, as Parma, locally known as "Pepeng," dumped as much as 36 inches (91.4 centimeters) of rain in some parts of the nation of islands, compounding misery in areas already flooded by earlier storm Ketsana.
Parma was forecast to have winds of no greater than 39 mph (63 kph) by Friday.
The U.S. Navy was expected to join rescue operations in Pangasinan, according to the agency.
Journalist Lilibeth Frondoso and CNN's Judy Kwon contributed to this report.
|
2755eaa302bd4c83bf6bc3f72bf21ad8
|
How many dams are in Pangasinan?
|
[
"three"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's lower house of parliament elected a woman as its speaker Wednesday, a first in the male-dominated chamber's history.
Meira Kumar was nominated by the ruling Congress party.
Meira Kumar is also a member of the "untouchable" Dalit class, the lowest rung in the centuries-old caste system in the country.
The speaker conducts the proceedings of the house. She will preside over 543 elected members, of which 58 are women.
Kumar, 64, was elected to the position unopposed. She was nominated by the ruling Congress party but also had the backing of the alliance led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Women play a prominent role in the politics of India, the world's largest democracy. The South Asian country of 1.1 billion people has a female president, Pratibha Devisingh Patil.
And four of the country's political parties, including the Congress Party, are led by women.
Hindus believe there are five main groups of people. The last group is the Dalits. They're considered impure and are often forced to work in menial jobs. They drink from separate wells and use different entry ways to come and go from buildings.
Dalits number about 250 million in India, about 25 percent of the population, according to the Colorado, U.S.-based Dalit Freedom Network.
India's constitution outlaws caste-based discrimination, and barriers have broken down in large cities. Prejudice, however, persists in some rural areas of the country.
CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
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960bcc094ac74b6591cb85e65991f8fe
|
Meira Kumar is a member of what class?
|
[
"Dalit"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A wicked opportunity is brewing at Wookey Hole Caves in western England.
Aspiring witches audition for the job Tuesday at Wookey Hole Caves in England.
Applicants are flocking to the town of Wells in Somerset Tuesday in the hopes of being selected as the caves' new resident witch.
With the promise of £50,000 ($82,000) per year, and a spacious cave to boot, more than 2,000 candidates are stashing their wart remover and grabbing their broomsticks to persuade a panel of judges to choose them.
The winner will portray the notorious witch that is said to have haunted the caves in the Dark Ages. The witch lived in the cave with goats until an abbot threw holy water on her, turning her to stone, legend says.
Locals say her frozen figure can still be seen in the caves today.
Legend has it that the witch cursed crops, caused disease and soured milk in the area, audition organizers say.
Today, the caves at Wookey Hole are part of a tourist attraction with rides, a circus, theme parks and restaurants. The company that runs it, Wookey Hole Ltd., pays the witch's salary on a year-long contract.
The would-be witches have one minute to perform for the panel Tuesday, employing their best cackle and whatever props they can carry, organizers say.
The position won't necessarily go to a woman; male and transgender witches are also invited to apply. Applicants are told they must, however, be knowledgeable in the history of witchcraft, be willing to travel, sleep overnight in caves, and cannot be allergic to cats.
Organizers say they've had applications from men, women and 230 mothers-in-law.
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307ea8abf9ec4694a518770c6e3f1d90
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What is the salary?
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[
"£50,000 ($82,000) per year,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Fate, police say, saved baby Grace from being tossed out with the trash.
Baby Grace was born aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa.
Were it not for a cleaning lady who chanced upon the newborn waving a feeble arm from a blue trash bag in an airplane bathroom, Grace would have met the fate her mother apparently intended for her, authorities said.
On Wednesday, police in New Zealand charged the 29-year-old woman with abandonment and assault -- for giving birth to the child on an international flight and then leaving her, without alerting anyone, in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels.
The woman, whose name was not released, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The case has made headlines in the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
The woman is a kiwi fruit picker who was returning from Samoa when she walked off a Pacific Blue flight in Auckland on Thursday, reported the New Zealand Press Association, a cooperative of the country's newspapers. Watch more on incident
About 20 minutes later, a cleaning lady discovered the baby in a restroom inside the Boeing 737. Her fellow custodians wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her to authorities.
About the same time, police spotted the mother in the airport, "looking pale and bloodstained" after she said she had mislaid her passport, said TV New Zealand, a CNN affiliate.
Su'a William Sio, a Kiwi lawmaker of Samoan descent, said cultural stigma and the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock were two reasons why a mother might abandon her child.
"This is mostly derived firstly by fear," he told the New Zealand Herald newspaper. "Fear that they've done something wrong and fear of shame of the 'unmarried' mother bringing to the family."
Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage, police told reporters. She is in the care of government officials who are looking at long-term arrangements that would be best for her.
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fdace9981a5a46c3a0cc34689cc11ad9
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what left her?
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[
"mother"
] |
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|
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Travelers to China who display flu-like symptoms may be randomly quarantined over concerns of the swine flu virus, the U.S. State Department warned.
A child traveling with his parents wears a face mask after they arrive at the Beijing, China, airport.
There have been cases of children being separated from parents after either tested positive for the virus, also known as H1N1, a travel alert said Friday.
Chinese officials may give medications to minors in such cases without consulting their parents, according to the alert.
"Although the proportion of arriving Americans being quarantined remains low, the random nature of the selection process increases the uncertainty surrounding travel to China," the alert said.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs transmitted to humans and caused by type A influenza virus. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing.
There have been about 48,000 confirmed cases worldwide, including 519 in China, according to the World Health Organization.
The Chinese government has taken measures to stop the spread of the virus. They include placing passengers who have fever or flu-like symptoms on a seven-day quarantine, the alert said.
Others facing quarantine include those sitting close to travelers with symptoms, those with elevated temperatures and those from areas where virus outbreaks have occurred.
A 15-year-old from Topeka, Kansas, told CNN on Monday that she was quarantined in Beijing for a week.
"Apparently, I was sitting too close to a man who had a fever on the 14-hour plane ride," Kaitlin Hannigan said, adding that she initially thought she had a fever, but her temperature was fine when officials checked it.
A day after she arrived in Beijing with an educational group, government officials showed up at her hotel.
"They were wearing quarantine suits, goggles and masks and, like, full body suits and gloves, and said I had to be quarantined for seven days because I came in contact with that guy," Hannigan said.
Earlier in June, New Orleans, Louisiana, Mayor Ray Nagin was quarantined in Shanghai after possible exposure to the virus.
Nagin was headed to Australia on an economic development trip when he was quarantined for four days after sitting beside a passenger who was being treated for suspected swine flu symptoms. Nagin showed no signs of illness.
State officials warned Americans traveling to China that they have to follow local quarantines procedures.
"The U.S. Embassy will be unable to influence the duration of stay in quarantine for affected travelers," the statement said.
The travel alert expires in September.
|
2005726b37f5439caed7923f6500bbc3
|
What are Chinese government officials trying to control?
|
[
"stop the spread of the virus."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A college student in Nigeria has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for scamming an Australian woman out of $47,000 online by pretending to be a widowed white businessman desperately in love with her.
A court in Ikeja in southwest Nigeria ruled that Lawal Adekunie Nurudeen will also have to pay back the 56-year-old woman, even if it meant selling the two plots of land and the Honda Prelude he bought with her money.
Nurudeen was an engineering student when he met the woman online in 2007, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria's anti-corruption police.
The woman lamented that she was looking for a husband but had been disappointed in the men she had met.
"The convict, who is married with three children, instantly applied and told the victim that she had met Mr. Right," the commission said in a statement.
Nurudeen pretended to be a 57-year-old British engineer working with a multinational company in Nigeria. He told her his wife and only child had died in a road accident in Lagos, the former capital of the country.
"He sent the picture of a white man to the victim to foreclose any suspicions," police said. The woman agreed to marry him.
A few weeks later, Nurudeen called the woman pretending to be a doctor. He told her that her fiance had been in an accident and needed money for treatment.
The woman obliged, the commission said.
Nurudeen let two weeks pass. He then called the woman again, thanking her profusely for her kindness and telling her that he would like to visit her in Australia. He asked her for airfare, cash for customs clearance and other incidentals, police said.
Authorities did not say how Nurudeen was caught. But he duped the woman of $47,000 before his arrest, the commission said.
Scammers in Nigeria have gained a reputation for using the Internet to con foreign nationals out of money. Some of the scams have earned the name "419" after the clause in the Nigerian criminal code that deals with obtaining property under false pretense.
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0eade6a94e53480cbbb5ed170c298c4e
|
Where was Nurudeen pretending to work?
|
[
"British engineer working with a multinational company in Nigeria."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- One of America's top World War II fighter pilots, an African-American who took on Nazis abroad and racism at home, was laid to rest Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, died last month in New York at the age of 90. Archer, who once shot down three German fighters in the span of only a few minutes, went on to become a corporate executive and venture capitalist.
His life came to be seen as an example of the potential of any individual, regardless of skin color or background, if given a fair opportunity.
Lee Andrew Archer Jr. was born in 1919 in Yonkers, New York. An aviation enthusiast from childhood, he left New York University in 1941 to join the Army. Despite passing a pilot's test, he was assigned as a communications specialist in Camp Wheeler, Georgia.
But several months later, after the United States declared war on the Axis powers, Archer was selected to join a training program for potential black pilots at Alabama's Tuskegee Army Air Field.
Archer graduated first in the program in July 1943 and, after receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, was deployed to Italy as part of the 332nd Fighter Group.
On October 12, 1944, while piloting a P-51 Mustang, Archer downed three Luftwaffe fighters in the sky over Nazi-occupied Hungary. He also was credited with shooting down a fighter over Germany earlier in the year.
U.S. military officials could not confirm a fifth downing by Archer in summer 1944. If they had been able to do so, he would have become the only Tuskegee Airman to be officially designated as an ace.
By the end of World War II, Archer had flown 169 combat missions, providing cover and escorting U.S. bombers in over 11 countries, according to the Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Archer remained in the military through 1970, witnessing its desegregation during the Truman administration and serving in several capacities. Among other things, he became a diplomatic officer at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and was chief of headquarters at the U.S. Air Force Southern Command in Panama.
He received special citations for his service from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.
After retiring from the military, Archer became an executive at General Foods and started Archer Asset Management, a venture capital firm.
Archer's wife, Ina, died in 1996. He is survived by three sons.
|
2a0a338fb4664312b0f5ccd80a9fa823
|
Who shot down three fighters
|
[
"Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer,"
] |
NewsQA
|
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Any attempt to pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky -- once Russia's richest man, now its most famous inmate -- must follow standard procedure, including an admission of guilt, the nation's president said Sunday.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is imprisoned in a work camp 4,000 miles from Moscow.
"Concerning the possibility of a pardon for someone, Khodorkovsky or anyone else, the procedure has to be carried out in accordance with our country's rules," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a transcript on his Web site. "In other words, a person must appeal to the president, plead guilty to having committed a crime and seek the appropriate resolution."
The president dismissed talks of a pardon, saying, "at this point, there is nothing to discuss."
Khodorkovsky once headed the Yukos oil company, once Russia's largest oil producer. He is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion.
Medvedev described corruption as a "very serious Russian disease" and emphasized the need to fight it.
"To this end, we have enacted a number of measures, including new legislation on corruption and special arrangements relating to government officials, their disclosures, declarations of income and so on," he said. "We are determined to continue this work, because we believe it is extremely important."
The former oil magnate is incarcerated in a work camp near the town of Krasnokamensk, 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) from his native Moscow. He has been imprisoned since his arrest in 2003.
Khodorkovsky had expressed a desire to run for office at the time and funded opposition political parties. He said the trial was part of a Kremlin campaign to destroy him and take the company he built from privatization deals of the 1990s. The Kremlin denied any role in his downfall.
Yukos, which has since been crushed by a $27.5 billion back-tax bill, has been the object of a lengthy campaign by prosecutors and tax authorities.
The court also ordered Khodorkovsky and his partner to pay about $600 million in back taxes.
|
c52a108762ca40af90eae556b62cce49
|
what did he do for a living?
|
[
"Khodorkovsky once headed the Yukos oil company,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, whose "People Power" movement pushed out longtime strongman Ferdinand Marcos less than three years after her husband's assassination, has died at age 76, her family announced Saturday.
"She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy," said Ray Donato, the nation's consul-general in Atlanta.
Aquino, the first woman to lead the Philippines, had been battling colon cancer since March 2008 and died of cardio-respiratory arrest at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (3:18 p.m. Friday ET), said Mai Mislang, a spokeswoman for her son, Philippine Sen. Benigno Aquino III.
Funeral arrangements were being set up, Mislang said. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has also announced a 10-day mourning period for the former president, said Ray Donato, the country's consul-general in Atlanta.
"She was the agent of change in Philippine democracy, and almost all the Filipinos I know revered her during her presidency," Donato said.
Aquino had been born into a wealthy family and was educated in the United States. She had not been involved in politics before her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was gunned down at Manila's airport in August 1983 as he returned from exile.
The political novice took over the leadership of her husband's movement after his death and challenged Marcos in a 1986 election, making a yellow dress her trademark and bolstered by the support of the country's Roman Catholic churches.
Marcos had been backed by the United States, the former colonial power in the Philippines, for two decades as a stalwart anti-communist. He and his wife Imelda were friends of then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. But widespread allegations of electoral fraud and a mutiny by the country's military led the Reagan administration to withdraw its support, and Marcos went into exile in Hawaii.
Aquino took office in a country with a $28 billion debt, widespread poverty and a persistent Marxist insurgency. She put in place a U.S.-style constitution that limited presidents to a single six-year term and survived seven coup attempts -- including one that was supressed with American help.
She also oversaw the closure of the major U.S. military bases in the country before leaving office in 1992. The bases had been a bulwark of American power in the Pacific since the early 1900s and employed nearly 80,000 Filipinos, but Aquino's opponents argued the country was too dependent on the United States. Aquino announced in 1990 that it was time to begin negotiating the "orderly withdrawal" of U.S. forces.
|
a1956fc5a54d4c83aa9ec955d9e278df
|
What is being set up?
|
[
"Funeral arrangements"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The founder of the Free Burma Coalition accused Myanmar neighbors China and India on Thursday of failing to do their share of "heavy lifting" in aiding victims of the Myanmar cyclone.
A young survivor waits for relief supplies by a makeshift house in Bogaley.
Maung Zarni, a visiting research fellow at Oxford University, said both nations could do more in trying to persuade the Myanmar junta to allow international aid workers and equipment into the country.
Zarni also slammed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for the same reason.
"The latest episode involving the junta's handling of the cyclone victims in Burma really calls into question the meaning and the usefulness, the value of ASEAN," he added.
The organization of 10 nations promotes economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region.
"China isn't doing its share of heavy lifting, and the same can be said about India as well," Zarni said.
"China is a country on the rise, and it can really repair its tarnished reputation around Tibet if it puts pressure on the regime and says, 'This is unacceptable, even to Chinese standards.'"
Zarni was referring to critics of last fall's Chinese crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, led by Tibetan monks.
He directed most of his criticism toward Myanmar's military rulers, who he said are solely concerned with their own security and political ambitions, while neglecting the cyclone victims.
The government has been bitterly criticized for being too slow in responding to the May 2 disaster, then blocking large-scale, international emergency aid. The government has relented somewhat in the past few days.
The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis rose Thursday, with Myanmar state television reporting more than 40,000 fatalities. Many believe the toll will be much higher. Watch scenes of widespread destruction »
Referring to Myanmar's 75-year-old top leader, Than Shwe, Zarni complained, "His major number one concern is his own personal and family security, and also other officers who are caught in a system where fear and rewards are manipulated to whip them in line."
The government's response to the cyclone is complex, and has "psychological, institutional and personal dimensions," which have produced an "institutionalized madness," Zarni said.
The Irrawaddy newspaper, which covers Myanmar and Southeast Asia, said a team of ASEAN experts would arrive in Yangon on Thursday to assess the scale of the disaster and requirements for aid.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said Wednesday that the Myanmar government had agreed to grant visas to an "emergency rapid assessment team."
The Myanmar government also agreed to accept 160 relief workers from India, China, Bangladesh and Thailand, the newspaper said.
|
34a2921b8a62425b88ec285c35967d59
|
What does Maung Zarni question?
|
[
"the meaning and the usefulness, the value of ASEAN,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- About 80 people were arrested on the eighth day of protests in New York on Saturday, the greatest number since demonstrations started near Wall Street.
Earlier arrests in the week totaled about 20 on previous days for similar charges, according to New York City Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne.
The latest arrests include disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and assaulting a police officer, according to Browne.
The protests started September 17 in lower Manhattan and are aimed at drawing attention to the role powerful financial interests played in America's spiraling economy.
"We've got a whole bunch of people sitting in Washington that can't figure it out," said organizer Bill Csapo.
The mission is for " 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up beds, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months," the official "Occupy Wall Street" website read.
By Saturday, the site had a series of updates on arrests, including the exact location of a police van holding arrestees. One was described as having a "very bad concussion, possibly life threatening" and urged participants to demand medicare care for those affected.
"It's just letting people know that it's going on," Csapo said on the website. "We need to call the police and tell them to let these people go."
CNN called police officials, but they declined to comment further on the extent of injuries or specific use of force. But descriptions by the website and some protesters present affirm the use of mace and Tasers.
One midtown resident, Ryan Alley, claims he wasn't aware of the protests until he found himself among them. He said he was penned in by police while standing near a group of protesters, pushed against a wall and nearly arrested.
"They turned our backs, put us against the wall," Alley said. "They're being very aggressive ... half the people here have no idea what's going on ... I'm actually very ashamed to be a New Yorker."
One woman with bloody lips stood with her hands zip-tied behind her back.
"I wasn't doing anything and I was punched!" she called out to spectators.
Csapo says the organization is worried about NYPD activity after nightfall.
Despite the concerns, the "resistance continues," the group says.
"We're occupying that square. We're not going anywhere," Csapo said about their new Liberty Plaza location near the former World Trade Center.
|
eace24334bed41b8af6d3d7c1d58c7b0
|
When the the protests first start?
|
[
"September 17"
] |
NewsQA
|
DINGLE, Ireland (CNN) -- Fewer tourists and relatively warm temperatures may be reason enough to put Ireland on your list of winter travel destinations, especially Dingle Peninsula, once ranked by National Geographic Traveler as "the most beautiful place on Earth."
Winter offers tourists a chance to explore Ireland's west coast unhindered by bothersome crowds.
The peninsula, on Ireland's west coast, includes the oceanside town of Dingle, which boasts more than 1,000 full-time residents.
Winter visitors will avoid the area's hundreds of thousands of summertime tourists.
Boats crowd Dingle's popular marina, bringing fresh seafood catches of the day.
Some of the marina vessels also will ferry visitors to see Fungie, a locally famous dolphin who has lived in the waters outside town since 1984. See breathtaking photos of Dingle »
Outside Dingle, numerous vacation cottages are available to rent, including homes in the village of Dunquin. In winter, rates are drastically cut, and rental period dates may be more flexible.
Most shops and restaurants have shorter hours during winter, and traditional music is found in some of the pubs on the weekends.
As with most of Ireland, pubs abound, even in the smallest villages. A beer (preferably Guinness) and some hearty pub grub are a perfect way to cap a day of exploring the wintry sights of the peninsula.
Because Ireland sits near the warm waters of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, the Emerald Isle has an average temperature of 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) during December, January and February.
But pack smart and bring layers of clothing, including warm sweaters and jackets, because winter weather often means rain on Ireland's western shore.
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d752570c3d9549e9b42584615000ea87
|
When are cottage rentals cheapest?
|
[
"winter,"
] |
NewsQA
|
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The Iranian government has blocked access to the social networking site Facebook amid political jockeying for the June 12 presidential elections, according to the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency.
Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad like Mir Hossein Mousavi are using technology to reach voters.
Reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi -- a former prime minister considered a threat to current hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- created a Facebook page for his campaign that has more than 5,000 supporters on the site.
Those attempting to visit Facebook received a message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible," according to CNN personnel in Tehran.
ILNA reported the Masadiq Committee, made up of representatives from Iran's intelligence ministry, judiciary and others had ordered the action.
After a few hours, the blockage was lifted, but was then reinstated, ILNA said. No reason was given for the block.
"We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
"We believe that people around the world should be able to use Facebook to communicate and share information with their friends, family and co-workers. It is always a shame when a country's cultural and political concerns lead to limits being placed on the opportunity for sharing and expression that the Internet provides."
Ahmadinejad's challengers are increasingly turning to new technology to spread their message, according to a May 13 article in the Financial Times newspaper.
Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million by July 2009, according to the CIA World Factbook -- has a median age of 27. The Financial Times, which put the country's population at 70 million, said 47 million Iranians have cell phones and 21 million have Internet access.
"We are using new technologies because they have the capacity to be multiplied by people themselves who can forward Bluetooth, e-mails and text messages and invite more supporters on Facebook," Behzad Mortazavi, head of Mousavi's campaign committee, told the Financial Times.
At a Mousavi rally at a stadium Saturday, the Facebook blockage was a topic of conversation among reporters. Many said they had accessed Facebook on Friday night and believe the site was blocked Saturday morning.
|
05d68d9c0c904018ba1ec37ef484a512
|
Who created the campaign?
|
[
"Mir Hossein Mousavi"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A football team from southern Italy is hoping for entry into the Guinness World Records because all their players have the same surname, according to a media report.
The entire squad of Team De Feo, an amateur side from the town of Serino, have "De Feo" as their surname -- as does the coach, doctor and club secretary and sponsors, British newspaper The Independent reported.
The club's ground even sits on Via Raffaele De Feo. A tourism Web site for Serino shows that the mayor's name is Gaetano De Feo.
According to The Independent, the team was established by former Serie A player, Maurizio De Feo, who says he founded the team in a bid for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. The name De Feo is very common in the region.
A Guinness World Records spokesman told CNN there did not appear to be any active categories that the team's identical surnames would fit in to -- but that new ideas were always welcomed.
If the team was to submit a claim to Guinness World Records, the idea would be considered and a new category could potentially be created, the spokesman said.
|
97ba3f2426674cad8feeb5219a1fa47e
|
What is the football team called?
|
[
"De Feo,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Virginia judge on Tuesday approved an $11 million settlement from the state to the families of victims killed or injured in last year's Virginia Tech shootings.
Parents of wounded Virginia Tech students comfort each other on Tuesday.
The 24 victims included in the settlement were among the 32 killed by Seung-Hui Cho's April 16, 2007, shooting rampage. The settlement also compensates 18 people injured.
"The commonwealth has endeavored to meet the needs and concerns of the victims, including family members, through both monetary and non-monetary provisions," said Chief Deputy Attorney General William C. Mims.
Of the remaining eight deceased victims, families of two chose not to file claims and two other claims are unresolved. The other four will be brought forward at a later date, Mims said.
The settlement also includes provisions that allow the families to occasionally meet with the governor and Virginia Tech officials to review legislation and improvements made at the campus in response to the tragedy.
The families had pursued wrongful death and personal injury claims against the state after an August 2007 report by an independent panel concluded that more timely and more specific information from university officials might have saved lives.
University officials were criticized for not immediately warning students and staff after two students were found dead in a dormitory at 7 a.m. on the day of the killings.
Police said they initially believed the two had been involved in a romantic dispute, but later determined they were Cho's first victims. It was almost 9:30 a.m. before authorities sent an e-mail to students and staff notifying them of the shootings and warning them to be cautious.
About 9:50 a.m., Cho, 23, began shooting people in Norris Hall, an engineering and classroom building.
While criticizing the university response, the panel -- which included former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge -- also said quicker action by school officials may not have made a difference.
The report also noted that campus and state agencies might have taken a different approach to Cho had his middle- and high-school records followed him to Virginia Tech.
Problems with Cho reportedly began to surface well before the shootings. The records detailed his mental health issues, including a tendency to react to depression with violence.
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1c494c4cdea24c85a7f0e24c055813de
|
What number of victims chose to file claims?
|
[
"two"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least three Tunisian government officials resigned Monday and Tuesday, the country's official news agency reported, in the wake of the resignation of the prime minister on Sunday.
Popular protests in the North African nation led to the resignation of the longtime president in January, prompting a wave of unrest across the Arab world.
But the flight from Tunisia of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali did not end the protests there, and Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi quit on Sunday.
The minister of higher education and scientific research, Ahmad Ibrahim, and the higher education secretary, Faouzia Farida Charfi, both quit on Tuesday, Tunis Afrique Presse reported.
Mohamed Nouri Jouini, the planning and international cooperation minister, resigned on Monday, the agency said.
The country's stock market is due to reopen on Thursday, after shutting down Monday, TAP reported.
Tunisia's interim president tapped Al-Baji Qa'ed Al-Sebsi as the country's new prime minister Sunday after Ghannouchi resigned, state-run media reported.
Ghannouchi told reporters Sunday that he was "resigning today because I am not willing to be a person that takes decisions that could cause casualties." Three people were killed during protests in the capital, Tunis, on Saturday.
He also questioned "why a lot of people considered their main target to keep attacking the government, although a lot of its members agreed to join in this critical time."
In addition to the three killed, nine others were injured during the mayhem in Tunis, according to an Interior Ministry statement cited by Tunis Afrique Presse.
More than 100 people were arrested in the area around Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the city's center, and accused of "acts of destruction and burning," the ministry said.
Protesters had gathered in the area to demand that the interim government step down and the current parliament be disbanded.
Demonstrators also were asking for suspension of the current constitution and the election of an assembly that can write a new one, as well as organize the transition to democracy.
Protests in Tunisia erupted late last year. Fed up with corruption, unemployment and escalating prices of food, people began demonstrating en masse after the self-immolation suicide of a fruit cart vendor in December.
By January 13, Ben Ali -- who had ruled Tunisia since 1987 -- had turned executive power over to his prime minister and fled the country.
CNN's Tracy Doueiry and Jack Maddox contributed to this report.
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179e13b46bf04e16be8dd24bee14031a
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Who quit on Monday and Tuesday?
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[
"three Tunisian government officials"
] |
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(CNN) -- Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has launched a stinging attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong after returning as a hero to his native town of Pinto near Madrid.
Lance Armstrong (right) looks on after Alberto Contador is handed the Tour de France trophy in Paris.
Contador told a news conference that relations between the two riders were tense throughout the race, making the atmosphere very difficult for the team as a whole.
Although not giving specific reasons why, Contador admitted the situation has affected his relationship with the American.
"My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will," the 26-year-old Spaniard admitted.
"It was a delicate situation, very tense, the two riders who had most weight on the team did not have an easy relationship and that puts the rest of the technical staff and the riders in an uncomfortable position," he added.
The Spaniard, who also won the Tour in 2007, compared the situation with that of Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren when they were colleagues.
"That situation in some way illustrated what I have experienced. But I knew that if we kept a cool head everything would be OK," he added.
With Armstrong and Astana team chief Johan Bruyneel both leaving the team at the end of the season, Contador's future also remains unclear. "We will have to see what happens. I do not know where I'll go, but I am clear that it will be a team that is 100 per cent behind me."
Contador eventually finished the race over four minutes clear of Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, with American Armstrong -- who was riding in his first Tour since completing the last of his seven wins in 2005 -- a remarkable third.
It was Contador's fourth successive grand tour victory, after he also won last year's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta Espana following the Tour organizers' decision not to invite the Astana team to the race.
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3b85eef2f88b4216952d655cb0e391fc
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Who launched an attack?
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[
"Alberto Contador"
] |
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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- For Pittsburgh International Airport, the Group of 20 summit is like the Sunday after Thanksgiving: the busiest flying day of the year, with world leaders instead of holiday travelers.
Officials greet Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, left, on Wednesday at Pittsburgh International Airport.
After weeks of logistics and planning, the airport and the adjacent Air Force Reserve Base will see 23 heads of state arrive in the space of a few hours.
President Obama is hosting the G-20 summit -- a two-day meeting of representatives of the world's largest economies -- Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh.
"This is unprecedented," Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said. "We've never seen anything like it."
The county runs the airport and coordinated the arrivals along with the White House, U.S. State Department and law enforcement officials.
The arrivals will take place away from the commercial passenger terminals on the huge airport property. With different areas being used, some of the presidents and prime ministers will show up at the same time. Watch Pittsburgh's security preparations for protesters »
"It is all scheduled. No one will be sitting out" on the tarmac waiting, Onorato said.
There are no welcoming ceremonies planned at the airport. The leaders quickly will get into separate motorcades and be whisked to downtown Pittsburgh.
A formal greeting will take place Thursday evening at a conservatory in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.
The heads of state invited to Pittsburgh include the leader of the European Union and the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Many leaders are bringing hundreds of delegates and support staff with them as well. At least two countries are bringing jumbo jets into the airport. Members of Saudi Arabia's delegation landed Wednesday evening.
The leaders are arriving from New York, where they attended the U.N. General Assembly.
Airport officials say the VIP landings will not mean delays for passengers, though they warn trips to and from the airport could take extra time because of road closings for motorcades.
It's Obama's second trip to Pittsburgh in nine days. He addressed the AFL-CIO Convention on September 15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where the G-20 summit also is being held.
This time, Air Force One will have plenty of company.
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d2ffa14ba4ee46fd81e58101d7ff0552
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Who is meeting in Pittsburgh?
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[
"Group of 20"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A technical snafu left some Visa prepaid cardholders stunned and horrified Monday to see a $23,148,855,308,184,500 charge on their statements.
Josh Muszynski noticed the 17-digit charge while making a routine balance inquiry.
That's about 2,007 times the size of the national debt.
Josh Muszynski, 22, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was one Visa customer aghast to find the 17-digit charge on his bill. Adding insult to injury, he had also been hit with a $15 overdraft fee.
He noticed that his debt exceeded the world GDP while making a routine balance inquiry on his online Bank of America account. According to his statement, he had spent the profound sum in one pop at a nearby Mobil gas station -- his regular stop for Camel cigarettes.
"Very, very panicked," he jumped in his car and sped to the station.
Had they perhaps noticed any "outrageous" charges come across their books recently, he inquired of the cashier there. She checked the records. They had not. Watch the story of an astounded customer in Memphis, Tennessee »
Muszynski wondered aloud what he might possibly have asked to purchase for such an astronomical price. "Can I buy Europe on pump 4?"
He next called Bank of America, the issuer of his Visa prepaid debit card. The bank kept him on hold for two hours, during which time he contemplated the impossibly bleak financial future that might await him. He also felt a stab of fear that he had saddled all his unborn grandchildren -- and their grandchildren -- with a lifetime of debt. "Down the generational line, nobody would have any money."
Finally, a bank representative told him that the $23 quadrillion charge -- and the $15 overdraft fee -- would be stricken from his account.
Muszynski compared the giant debt reprieve to receiving "an amazing Monopoly card that says, 'Bank error in your favor.' "
In a statement, Visa said the rogue charges affected "fewer than 13,000 prepaid transactions" and resulted from a "temporary programming error at Visa Debit Processing Services ... [which] caused some transactions to be inaccurately posted to a small number of Visa prepaid accounts."
The company assured customers that the problem has been fixed and that all falsely issued fees have been voided. "Erroneous postings have been removed ... this incident had no financial impact on Visa prepaid cardholders."
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4f77d619bf0e4dcd906a5a1b6eab92f9
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What is the reason behind the charge and fee?
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[
"\"temporary programming error at Visa Debit Processing Services"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- All the news that's fit to print -- the motto of The New York Times -- does not necessarily apply to photos.
The newspaper published an editor's note Thursday stating that pictures used in a photo essay in its most recent Sunday Magazine were digitally manipulated without the paper's knowledge.
The Times commissioned Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins to shoot a Sunday magazine color photo essay titled "Ruins of the Second Gilded Age" to capture physical evidence of the real estate bust that took place across the United States.
In the text that preceded the six photos that were published, the magazine stated that while the photographer "creates images with long exposures," he does so without digital manipulation.
"A reader ... discovered upon close examination that one of the pictures was digitally altered, apparently for aesthetic reasons," the Times editors wrote.
"Editors later confronted the photographer and determined that most of the images did not wholly reflect the reality they purported to show. Had the editors known that the photographs had been digitally manipulated, they would not have published the picture essay, which has been removed from the NYTimes.com," the note concluded.
Numerous attempts by CNN to reach Edgar Martins by phone and e-mail were unsuccessful.
The newspaper's decision to withdraw the photos left a publisher of Martins' book "Topologies" released in 2008, intrigued and surprised.
"I think he's a great artist and we're very proud to have published his prior works," said Lesley Martin, publisher of Aperture books.
She said that Martins' prior works frequently verge on abstract landscapes, including forests ravaged by fire and nighttime beaches. "His work has a certain visual effect. A distinct look and feel to it."
However, Martin said she understands the newspaper's decision.
Aperture books, which publishes a variety of photographic styles, including photojournalism, "would not have published this work in a strict journalistic context had we known there would be manipulation used," she said.
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47a8e09b43ee4679b80f739921841758
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What did the New York Times admit?
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[
"one of the pictures was digitally altered,"
] |
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Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Friday night's broadcast.
CNN's Campbell Brown praises Mark Felt, the Watergate case's "Deep Throat."
(CNN) -- Cutting through the bull. It's hard to think of anyone who gave those words more meaning than Mark Felt.
The man we all came to know as "Deep Throat" died Thursday at his California home after a life in the shadows.
His willingness to risk everything -- career, family, and even his safety -- helped bring down President Richard Nixon in disgrace.
Felt was the No. 2 man at the FBI. And yes, it's fair to say he had an ax to grind after being snubbed for the top job. Watch Campbell Brown's commentary »
But that didn't make his information less accurate or crucial. And even after taking that huge risk, he gave up all kinds of chances to cash in on his secret identity.
Imagine the book deal "Deep Throat" would have gotten or the movie rights to a blockbuster like "All the President's Men"?
What millions did he lose by not spending years on the lecture circuit?
No, Felt's willingness to keep Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward pointed in the right direction as Woodward and Carl Bernstein flushed out the greatest political scandal in American history had its roots in the integrity that no one else would show back then.
We remind you of this because the timing of Felt's death is not lost on us.
Just this month, we've watched a governor accused of redefining crooked politics in Illinois.
We're in the final days of a White House that pushed the limits of the Constitution and never appeared eager to share information with the American people.
And just this week, the president-elect, who talks of change, tried to stop a journalist from finishing a question at a news conference.
Now, as ever, we need people like Woodward and Bernstein to keep asking questions.
But more importantly, we need people brave enough to give the answers.
People like Mark Felt. A man whose name you never heard until he finally surfaced near the end of his life.
By then, he was a quiet, meek-looking person who changed our country forever -- by cutting through the bull.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.
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2967e534a7e049fe9fd41ee45e803713
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Who had just died?
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[
"\"Deep Throat\""
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make: He hates his hair.
Jon Hamm poses with his partner, Jennifer Westfeldt, at the premiere of "The Day the Earth Stood Still."
That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor, whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on "Mad Men" -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama.
In the new movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm sports a slightly different 'do, with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye. It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration.
"It's the bane of my existence. Goofy hair," he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN. "It never looks good ... It's a pain."
Hamm says he's always worn his hair long, but had to cut it for AMC's TV series, in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive. He says stylists on the show, armed with hair spray and blow dryers, mold his coiffure into a hard shell. Helmet hair has come in handy at work.
"I've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair didn't move," he said. "I had seven stitches in my head and my hair didn't move. That's impressive."
Whether it's his hair, good looks, acting chops or a combination thereof, Hamm's star is on the rise in Hollywood. Apart from his co-starring role in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery "The Boy in the Box." He hosted "Saturday Night Live" this fall, he's due to play Tina Fey's love interest on "30 Rock" and he continues to receive accolades for his work on "Mad Men" (nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far).
How does that make Hamm feel?
"Exciting is the right way to say it. It's been a good year. It's very exciting," he said. "I get to read a lot more scripts. I get to meet interesting people. I get to work with interesting people ... It's fun to be sort of invited to the party."
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46fc2144acb64ea0a647338c21c958e7
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What is John Hamm currently appearing in?
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[
"\"The Day the Earth Stood Still.\""
] |
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(CNN) -- The son of a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander was found dead in a Dubai hotel room -- with his father's website calling the death "suspicious," though police insisted it was not.
Numerous Iranian media on Sunday reported the death of Ahmad Rezaie inside Hotel Gloria, a four-star hotel in the coastal United Arab Emirates city.
Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, head of the Dubai police's criminal investigations department, said there is no criminal suspicion surrounding the man's death. Al Mansouri, quoting the dead man's brother, added that Ahmad suffered from epilepsy.
Yet Tabnak, a website owned by the dead man's father, Mohsen Rezaie, claimed that Ahmad "was killed under suspicious circumstances."
The same site noted that the death was "concurrent with the martyrdom of Mohsen Rezaie's comrades in arms" on Saturday, referring to an explosion at a military base near Tehran.
At least 17 people were killed in that incident, after a munitions depot accidentally caught fire, lawmaker Hossein Garousi told state media. Lt. Gen. Ramezan Sharif reiterated Sunday that the blaze was accidental and dismissed the possibility of sabotage.
The Tabnak report did not elaborate on what connection, if any, existed between Ahmad Rezaie's death and the deadly explosion.
Shahram Gilabadi -- a spokesman for Iran's Expediency Council, of which Mohsen Rezaie is secretary -- told Tabnak, "The death is currently being investigated."
The semi-official Mehrs News Agency reported that Ahmad Rezaie died from an electric shock.
Mohsen Rezaie served for years as head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard. In 2009, he ran -- unsuccessfully -- as a conservative candidate along with others against incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He continues to play a leading role with the Expediency Council, which mediates between the parliament and the non-elected Guardian Council led by Ayatollah Khamenei.
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75957f41582844f7bfda240d4b78c30b
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Ahmad Rezaie was found
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[
"dead"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- In focus: The business of education
We talk to Pnina Rosenblum, the founder of the cosmetic company Pnina Rosenblum Lt.
With rising unemployment, the MENA countries are investing more into education than any other emerging region. And Western universities are cashing in. Over 40 prestigious schools have set up alliances and campuses in the Middle East. For the universities it means higher revenues. For the students, it means a premier education close to home.
Facetime: Pnina Rosenblum, Pnina Rosenblum Ltd
From a poor upbringing to a beauty queen, millionaire cosmetic mogul and member of the Knesset. Pnina Rosenblum has been an Israeli icon for decades. In 1989 Pnina launched a cosmetics company that generates $8 million a year. MME spent the day with Pnina to find out how she fought her way to fame and fortune.
Watch the show this week at the times (GMT) below: Friday: 0815, 1945 Saturday: 0545 Sunday: 0715
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5856bc1a9bc541ed9f333f6d9ccc7355
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Number of Mme's that have set up campuses?
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[
"Over 40"
] |
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(CNN) -- Evander Holyfield failed in his bid to become the oldest heavyweight champion when he lost on points to giant Russian Nikolai Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday.
Holyfield struggles to escape the reach of seven-foot Russian world champion Valuez in Zurich.
One judge scored the bout a draw while the others had Valuev winning 115-114 and 116-112 thus denying 46-year-old Holyfield the heavyweight title for the fifth time.
American Holyfield will take time to consider whether to return to the ring after his defeat.
"I will go home and think about the future," he said. "But I knew I could still do it.
"I fought very well and won the fight but I did not get the decision. I think I showed tonight that I still can box and that age does not matter."
Valuev said it was an honor to fight a legend like Holyfield. "I am proud to have been in the same ring with him," he said.
"He was very fast and hard to hit. I can only advise people not to get hit by him. I expected a tough fight and that is what it was. Holyfield is a great fighter and he proved it tonight."
With Valuev controlling the centre of the ring in the opening rounds, Holyfield danced around his opponent, hitting with occasional single shots.
He did well to stay away from Valuev´s long left jab and hit him with a big left in the fourth, but the Russian answered with a strong right uppercut.
Much to the delight of the crowd, the fifth was a good round for Holyfield who first landed a right-left combination to the body and later connected with a big left hook to the head.
Both men were on target during a mid-round exchange in the sixth, but Valuev´s left jab looked more effective. In the seventh, the crowd raised the roof when Holyfield fired in a combination to the head.
Valuev´s corner urged him to be more aggressive and he eventually landed a strong right in the eighth when Holyfield seemed to tire a little.
The seven foot Russian remained on the front foot as there was a big exchange during the ninth, and in the 10th Holyfield landed a strong right-left combination. Valuev finished better and pushed his opponent in the corner in the 12th .
After the final bell, both men hugged each other, with either fighter claiming the win. When the scorecards were read, boos rang out as the crowd favorite's narrow defeat was confirmed.
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107a543af03e477992170d0231f41796
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who did he lose to
|
[
"giant Russian Nikolai Valuev"
] |
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(CNN) -- Actress Natasha Richardson was hospitalized after she fell on a ski slope at a Quebec resort, a resort spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday.
Actress Natasha Richardson was transferred Tuesday to an undisclosed location in the United States.
Richardson was taken to a hospital near Station Mont Tremblant before she was transferred to Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal following her fall on Monday, according to the statement. However, she was transferred Tuesday to an undisclosed location in the United States, according to Michelle Simard, spokeswoman for Hopital du Sacre-Coeur.
Simard said she had no further details.
Richardson fell on a beginners' trail Monday during a ski lesson at Station Mont Tremblant, said the statement from the resort, located about 80 miles northwest of Montreal. She was not wearing a helmet, the resort said.
At the time, Richardson was accompanied by a veteran female ski instructor, who called the ski patrol, the statement said. The ski patrol members examined her and found no visible sign of injury, according to the statement.
"As standard protocol, the ski patrol insisted that Ms. Richardson be transported to the base of the hill in a rescue toboggan," the resort statement said. Once at the base of the hill, staffers advised Richardson to seek additional medical attention, but she declined.
Accompanied by the instructor, Richardson went to her hotel, where she was again advised to see a doctor, the resort said. As a precautionary measure, the instructor stayed with her, the statement said.
The statement offered no details on Richardson's condition or injuries, but said resort staffers and police were providing support to Richardson's family and friends.
Richardson, 45, has appeared in many television, film and stage roles, including the movies "Nell" and "The Parent Trap." She won a Tony award in 1998 for her performance as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret." She is married to actor Liam Neeson and is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave.
The Montreal Gazette reported that Richardson's two sons with Neeson were skiing with her at the time of her fall, and that Neeson flew to Montreal from a Toronto film set to be with her at the hospital.
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b0986d2108484518a8fc8a1c49cd1a85
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Where did she fall?
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[
"on a ski slope at a Quebec resort,"
] |
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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- The California Supreme Court has cleared the way for Californians to vote in November on whether to ban same-sex marriages in the state.
A gay couple is married in California in June. Voters could void same-sex marriages in the state in November.
The court on Wednesday denied a petition to remove the initiative from the state's general election ballots. The unanimous decision was handed down without elaboration.
Hundreds of marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples since mid-June, a month after the court overturned the state's laws against such unions.
However, on June 2, opponents of same-sex marriage filed for a ballot initiative that would ban such marriages in the state's constitution. Such a ban would overturn the court's May ruling.
Equality California, a Sacramento-based activist group, filed a petition against the initiative -- Proposition 8 -- arguing that it involves a constitutional revision that can't be adopted through a ballot vote.
The group also contended that petitions circulated to qualify the proposition for the ballot contained material that misled readers about the measure's effects.
Jennifer Kerns, a spokeswoman for the proposition, called Wednesday's decision "a huge victory."
"We believe it deals a strong blow to our opponents and sends a strong message that they won't be able to keep the ballot initiative away from the people of California," she said.
Calls Wednesday to Equality California were not immediately returned.
If the proposition is approved, it would be the second time same-sex marriages have been voided in California.
In February 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom -- who is considering a run for governor -- challenged the state's laws against same-sex marriage, ordering city officials to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
Those unions were voided by the California Supreme Court, though the justices sidestepped the issue of whether banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, allowing legal cases to work their way through the lower courts.
Several gay and lesbian couples -- along with the city of San Francisco and gay-rights groups -- sued, saying they were victims of unlawful discrimination.
A lower court ruled San Francisco had acted unlawfully in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, the state Supreme Court's ruling in May struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.
That decision made California the nation's second state, after Massachusetts, to legalize same-sex marriage. Four other states allow civil unions.
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ea11f971316749aa804d49159b12a422
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Who sought to block the initative?
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[
"Equality California,"
] |
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London, England (CNN) -- Reports that Iran has sentenced a British embassy employee to four years in prison are "deeply concerning," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Thursday.
Hossein Rassam "is a hardworking embassy official" who was "doing work that was wholly within the boundaries of diplomatic work," Miliband said at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium.
The reported sentence is "wholly unjustified and represents further harassment of embassy staff for going about their normal and legitimate duties," Miliband had said earlier, in a statement issued Wednesday.
Rassam is one of several British embassy employees arrested in the wake of Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the official results declaring President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner.
Iran accused Britain and the United States of fomenting the unrest.
Rassam was put on trial in August. The European Union, France and the United Kingdom denounced the proceeding.
Rassam's lawyer has not officially been informed of the embassy worker's sentence, and he does not know where Rassam is, he told Iranian media.
Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told the Fars News Agency that the terms of Rassam's bail did not prevent him from leaving the country. He said Rassam had been in Iran recently, but he did not know his current whereabouts.
He said he could not express an opinion on the verdict before the court officially informs him of it, which he said normally happens after it is issued.
The European Union condemned the reported verdict as "unjustified and harsh," and urged "the Iranian authorities to overturn it swiftly," the Swedish presidency of the 27-nation bloc said in a statement Thursday.
"Any action against one EU country (a citizen or member of embassy staff) is considered an action against the entire EU, and will be treated accordingly," the statement said.
France also condemned the sentencing of Rassam.
Miliband said he understood the sentence could be appealed and urged "the authorities to conduct this quickly and overturn this harsh sentence."
"This will be seen as an attack against the entire diplomatic community in Iran," he said in a statement late Wednesday.
The Foreign Office summoned the Iranian ambassador to London, and Britain's envoy in Tehran spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister, Miliband said.
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6969f74a87914741875ed2c5d09acc45
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Who is one of several UK embassy employees?
|
[
"Hossein Rassam"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A tsunami advisory announced shortly after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Ryukyu Islands early Saturday has been canceled, Japan's Meteorological Agency reported.
There was no tsunami damage "though there may be slight sea level changes from now on," it said, referring to the areas affected by the advisory -- the Okinawa Islands, the Amami Islands and the Tokara Islands.
The quake was centered 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep and struck at 5:31 a.m. (3:31 p.m. ET Friday) about 85 kilometers (53 miles) from Okinawa.
The quake was felt on Okinawa, with shaking that lasted about 15 seconds, said Lt. Col. Daniel King of the U.S. Pacific Command. He told CNN that commanders in Japan and Hawaii were trying to get damage and casualty reports from U.S. military stations on Okinawa, but had heard nothing in the immediate aftermath.
About 20,000 U.S. troops -- mostly Marines, along with Navy and Air Force personnel -- are stationed on eight bases on Okinawa, he said.
Are you there? Send photos, video
iReporter Kristina Donaldson, who lives in central Okinawa, said the quake "seemed to last longer than other ones we have experienced here."
"We felt the quake pretty good this morning," she said, but life there was largely unaffected.
"I just walked down to the coastline and the kids are walking to school as they always do. No sirens, or any destruction from where we are."
Okinawa resident Eric Shepherd said his grandmother-in-law described it as the strongest quake she had felt in her 90 years on the island.
"It felt like some really bad airplane turbulence," Shepherd said, adding that one of his two children slept through what seemed like a minute-long "rumble."
"I had no problem walking to the kids' room to check on them" during the quake, he said.
CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report.
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0fe211adf545499b9fc3870e93023990
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Which agency cancelled the tsunami advisory?
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[
"Japan's Meteorological"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi plans to form a new political party aimed at reining in the power of the Islamic Republic's leadership, a leading reformist newspaper reported Sunday.
Mir Hossein Moussavi is reportedly seeking to form a new political party in Iran.
Moussavi told supporters the party will be focused on upholding "the remaining principles of the constitution," according to Etemad-e Melli, a newspaper aligned with fellow opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi.
He is expected to file papers with Iran's Interior Ministry to establish the party before hard-line incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sworn in for a new term, the newspaper reported.
The announcement comes after weeks of protests over Iran's disputed presidential election and an attempted clampdown by Iran's clerical leadership.
The clerical leadership has declared Ahmadinejad the winner of that vote. Moussavi, a former prime minister, was the leading challenger to Ahmadinejad in the June 12 balloting.
The official results showed Ahmadinejad winning with more than 62 percent of the vote. Moussavi and Karrubi have consistently rejected those results as fraudulent and demanded a new vote.
Their supporters turned out in crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands to demand the results be overturned.
Iran's Guardian Council, which oversees the elections, has declared the official count will stand.
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895400f3d5ae4bcd9fedea22cf75a92e
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What did Moussavi's loss lead to?
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[
"form a new political party"
] |
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New York (CNN) -- As the world mourns the untimely conclusion of professional famous person Kim Kardashian's marriage to professional tall person Kris Humphries, how are you coping? Probably not very well, particularly if you watched their televised $20 million wedding (for which they allegedly spent $0 -- various sponsors took care of the costs for this impoverished but hardworking young couple) on August 20. They were so in love.
Sports fans and sex fans alike have shed countless tears over the breakup of a man who bounces a ball for living and a woman who once videotaped herself making sexy time with Brandy's little brother. But while we all acknowledge that Kim and Kris are the greatest living beings on Earth or any other planet, we may not all agree on what lessons to take from this sad state of affairs. Fortunately, as the Voice of My Generation, I'm available to explain the five most important things you and your friends ought to learn from Kim and Kris' impending divorce.
1. Providing $400,000 of Perrier-Jouët at one's wedding does not ensure the success of a marriage.
You need Cristal for that.
2. Fish and relatives stink after three days, but spouses can last 24 times as long.
Have you ever been stuck in a car with your beloved family for more than three hours? It's awful, and you probably love them more than any other folks in the world. Kim and Kris made it work for 72 whole days. That's 1,728 hours of uninterrupted togetherness! Rather than tear them down, let's salute them for their longevity. Considering that they probably ran out of new words after the first day, it's pretty amazing they lasted as long as they did.
3. Contrary to popular belief, it's a bad idea to marry a dude with the same first name as your mom.
Especially when Mom describes herself on Twitter as "MOM, MANAGER, MOMAGER, LOVER OF LIFE, LOVER OF CHRIST."
4. If at first you don't succeed ... you'll probably also fail the second time.
Like many other members of her generation, Kim fell in love and launched a starter marriage that didn't last so long. I'm talking, of course, about her first marriage -- she married producer Damon Thomas when she was 19 and divorced him four years later. Just remember, third time's a charm. Maybe.
5. One's posterior-to-waist ratio does not correlate to one's marriage-to-divorce ratio.
'Nuff said.
And now, let the healing begin.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sara Benincasa.
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770a056ee0a34b578a8a95c12c003e3c
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What couple split up?
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[
"Kim Kardashian's"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The disabled young son of UK opposition leader David Cameron has died.
David Cameron leaves the family home after the death of his 6-year-old son on February 25.
Ivan Cameron, six, passed away early Wednesday, the UK's Press Association reported a Conservative Party spokesman as saying. "It is with great sadness that David and Samantha Cameron must confirm the death of their six-year-old son Ivan," the spokesman said according to the agency. The spokesman said that Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, was taken ill overnight and died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, central London early Wednesday morning. "David and Samantha would ask that their privacy is respected at this terribly difficult time," the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, the queen sent a private message of sympathy to the Camerons, Buckingham Palace said.
Prime minister Gordon Brown said the "thoughts and prayers of the whole country" would be with the Conservative leader and his family, The Guardian newspaper reported, while prime minister's question time -- which offers Cameron a weekly opportunity to grill Brown in parliament -- was cancelled at Brown's suggestion.
The prime minister, together with other senior British politicians, instead offered their condolences in the parliament chamber. "I know that the whole house will want to express their sorrow at the death of Ivan Cameron," Brown told lawmakers, according to The Guardian.
"He brought joy to all those around him. Every child is precious and irreplaceable. The death of a child is an unbearable sorrow no parents should have to endure."
Brown and his wife Sarah lost their first child, Jennifer Jane, in 2001 after she was born prematurely and died 10 days later. They have two sons, John and Fraser, who suffers from cystic fibrosis.
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0d9bc48e3f664b699c3fb1a8515f4a8f
|
What did Ivan suffer from?
|
[
"cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy,"
] |
NewsQA
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A plane carrying California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made an emergency landing Friday evening after the cockpit filled with smoke, his office said in a statement.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called his plane's emergency landing "a little adventure" on Twitter.
Schwarzenegger confirmed the incident with a tweet on the social-networking Web site, Twitter. He also included a photo of the jet on the tarmac.
"A little adventure just now when my plane made an emergency landing. All's OK, though," he posted.
The governor was on his way to the Santa Monica airport after a speech in Mendota, California, about the drought affecting the state.
The jet was diverted to Van Nuys Airport after the pilot reported "smoke emanating from the instrument panel in the cockpit," Schwarzenegger's office said, adding that there were no visible signs of a fire.
The pilot made a "quick, steep, but safe landing," his office said. No one was injured.
Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to update what they are doing using 140 characters or less.
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9f6c4d3e39264630abe014d3cd51b908
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Upon landing what did Schwarzenegger do?
|
[
"tweet on the social-networking Web site, Twitter."
] |
NewsQA
|
Moscow (CNN) -- Two policemen were killed by a suicide car bomber in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the Dagestani Interior Ministry said on its website Monday.
The ministry said the officers were patrolling the town of Kizilyurt in a minivan around midnight when an unidentified bomber sitting in a parked Lada car set off an unidentified explosive device in his car as the police minivan was passing by.
The explosion left a crater 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) deep, the ministry said. The police minivan was burned out, the ministry said.
Dagestan has been hit by a series of deadly attacks recently, including fatal bombings and shootings.
It is the largest and most volatile of the five Northern Caucasus regions. Rebels continue to stage frequent attacks on security forces, police and civilians.
In August, the head of the Federal Security Service Alexandr Bortnikov told the Russian president that in the first six months of this year, 169 terrorist acts were committed, of which 110 took place in Dagestan.
In recent years, Dagestan has faced ethnic friction, spillover from the discord in neighboring Chechnya and attacks on government officials by militant Islamists, the International Crisis Group has said.
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8650f1d7d9484f95b12f03f3741ca326
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who is the largest and most volatile of the five Northern Caucasus regions?
|
[
"Dagestan"
] |
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(CNN) -- Former first lady Nancy Reagan has been released from a hospital after fracturing her pelvis during a fall at home last week, a spokeswoman said Friday.
Former first lady Nancy Reagan is shown at an event in the nation's capital in September.
Reagan, 87, returned to her Bel Air, California, home, spokeswoman Joanne Drake said.
Doctors expect a full recovery, prescribing a regimen of daily physical therapy and a reduced public schedule, Drake said in a written release.
The former first lady admitted herself to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday after experiencing what Drake described as "persistent pain." Tests revealed a fractured pelvis and sacrum, the triangular bone within the pelvis.
She also was hospitalized for two days in February after a fall.
President Reagan died in June 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Since his death, Nancy Reagan has remained involved with the national Alzheimer's Association and its affiliate, the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute in Chicago, Illinois. However, she has appeared in public only rarely in recent years.
Reagan expressed her thanks in the release Friday to all those who prayed for her and sent cards, flowers, phone calls and e-mails.
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5b583a2d96524c178434e60452e91e15
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When was she previously hospitalized?
|
[
"February"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Eight men plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes heading towards the United States in mid-flight in the name of Islam, a British court heard Tuesday.
The eight men deny conspiracy to murder by plotting to blow up transatlantic aircraft.
Prosecutors told London's Woolwich Crown Court the men planned to make the explosives from household objects to resemble drinks bottles, batteries and other items to be carried onto aircraft in hand luggage, the UK's Press Association reported.
The foiling of the alleged plot in August 2006 triggered the imposition of strict new security measures at international airports around the world, restricting the quantity of liquids passengers can carry on to aircraft.
The measures, which led to massive delays and scores of canceled flights when they were imposed overnight, remain in place at many airports.
Prosecutor Peter Wright described two of the men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, and Assad Sarwar, 28, as ringleaders of an Islamic fundamentalist conspiracy, according to PA.
"It was an interest that involved inflicting heavy casualties upon an unwitting civilian population all in the name of Islam," he said.
"These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful. To them the identities of their victims was an irrelevance by race, color, religion or creed.
"What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact."
Wright said the bombs were to be carried onto flights to the United States by suicide bombers as part of a plot hatched in Britain and Pakistan, according to PA.
He said a computer memory stick seized at the time of the defendants' arrests listed details of flights operated by three carriers -- American Airlines, United Airlines and Air Canada -- between August and October 2006.
"If each of these flights were successfully blown up the potential for loss of life was considerable," Wright said.
Ali, Sarwar and six others including Tanvir Hussain, 27, Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, Waheed Zaman, 24, Umar Islam, 30, and Donald Stewart-Whyte, 22, deny conspiracy to murder. The trial is expected to last 10 months.
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b5492bb9f7344e9db8141315a5aabba5
|
What were eight people accused of?
|
[
"plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes"
] |
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|
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Twenty-nine people convicted of various crimes, ranging from murder to being a public nuisance while drunk, were hanged in Iran, state TV said.
A convicted Iranian drug dealer is hanged from a crane in the southern city of Shiraz in September.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported earlier that 30 people would be put to death. It was not immediately clear if the last person's life was spared.
The Iranian judiciary's statement said that all 30 were convicted of various crimes, which included: murder, murder in commission of a crime, disturbing public safety and security, being a public nuisance while drunk and being involved in illegal relationships -- relationships between men and women who are not married to each other.
Kidnapping and using weapons while committing a crime were also among the charges.
The statement also said that 20 of the convicts were convicted of drug and alcohol dealing, armed robbery and smuggling arms.
The judiciary statement said that the convicts had their cases tried by the highest judicial authorities and were found guilty of the charges brought against them. The verdicts were final with their sentences carried out on Sunday.
The judiciary said the hangings should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating committing such crimes, the agency reported.
The statement also said that several other individuals are currently awaiting trial and their sentences will be carried out as soon as the verdicts are pronounced by the courts.
According to Amnesty International, Iran executed 317 people last year, second only to China's 470.
Iran's government launched a campaign March 20 to increase public security and bring the crime rate down.
Police cracked down on alleged drug dealers, whom they called criminal gang members, and alleged habitual criminals who use guns in the commission of their crime. Alleged weapons smugglers and people who break social and religious laws, including adulterers, were also targets.
National television showed scenes of what were described as criminals being paraded publicly in chains as a deterrent to others. The wave of arrests has now subsided, as officials are now prosecuting the alleged criminals and sentencing those convicted.
Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report.
|
ed874a4c64a34fb5951b358c3094ac0d
|
What happened to 29 convicts?
|
[
"hanged in Iran,"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered a full review of security measures at UK airports following the attempted Detroit plane bombing on December 25.
In a statement published Friday on the prime minister's official Web site, Brown said the UK government will be working with the U.S. to "examine a range of new techniques to enhance airport security systems beyond traditional measures, such as pat-down searches and sniffer dogs."
These new measures might include using "explosive trace technology, full body scanners and advanced x-ray technology."
Writing on the first day of a new decade, Brown issued a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by international terrorism.
"The new decade," he said, "is starting as the last began -- with al Qaeda creating a climate of fear. These enemies of democracy and freedom... are concealing explosives in ways which are more difficult to detect."
The Detroit incident highlighted an "urgent" need to tighten airport security measures, Brown said.
"The UK," Brown said, "will continually explore the most sophisticated devices capable of identifying explosives, guns, knives and other such items anywhere on the body."
The alleged plane bomber, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is believed to have concealed explosives in his underwear.
The 23-year-old Nigerian is thought to have linked up with an al Qaeda group based in Yemen after attending the UK's University College London.
Brown said the plot was a reminder of al Qaeda's increasing influence away from "better-known homes of international terror such as Pakistan and Afghanistan."
Yemen is becoming "a major new base for terrorism" which highlighted the need for "enhanced cooperation" between nations in the fight against international terrorism, he said.
Brown added that the UK government is already supporting the government of Yemen's efforts to tackle terrorism and pledged further support.
"By 2011 our already announced commitment to Yemen will exceed £100 million ($160 million), making the UK one of its leading donors," he said.
It was also announced Friday that Brown had invited "key international partners" to a meeting in London at the end of January to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
"We have already updated our counter-terrorism strategy to include further measures to disrupt al Qaeda's leadership and frustrate its attempts to recruit, train and direct a new generation of terrorists or to find a new haven for those leaders displaced by the efforts of our Afghan and Pakistani allies."
The key to tackling terrorism was "vigilance" Brown said, but the Detroit incident was "a wake-up call...not just for security against terror but for the hearts and minds of a generation."
|
e5834fcc2c5741cbbb4687adb8ea9773
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Which PM ordered a full review of security?
|
[
"Gordon Brown"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- The suspect in the killing of a University of Virginia student was arrested in a 2008 incident in which he threatened a police officer and was shocked with a stun gun, according to a police statement.
George Huguely, 22, was arrested on suspicion of murder Monday, hours after a roommate found Yeardley Love's body in her off-campus apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Huguely, who was also a UVA student until resigning after his arrest, and Love played on the men's and women's lacrosse teams, respectively.
CNN affiliate WDBJ got a police statement recounting an encounter between an intoxicated Huguely and Lexington, Virginia, Police Officer R.L. Moss.
Affidavit: Lacrosse player killed in fight after breakup
According to the statement, Moss came across Huguely as he stumbled into traffic outside of a fraternity house at Washington and Lee University in Lexington.
After ignoring the officer's calls to stop, Huguely was approached by Moss who, after speaking with Huguely, decided to arrest him for public drunkenness, the statement says.
At that point, Huguely started making threats, including death threats, against the officer, according to the statement.
"He became more aggressive, more physical towards me, started to calling me several other terms that I'm not going to state now," she told WDBJ.
Moss got into a brief "tussle" with Huguely before resorting to her stun gun to get him under control, the statement says.
At a court hearing the next month, Moss wrote she was surprised to learn that Huguely was so intoxicated that he didn't remember being shocked with the stun gun or threatening the police officer.
Court records show that Huguely pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and public intoxication, WDBJ reported. He was given a suspended jail sentence and a fine.
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3bb95f8d2fa7449bb96a16918d5b5549
|
When was the criminal first arrested?
|
[
"2008"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Next time a friend of yours calls up asking for their spare key, they may be looking for a Facebook password.
On Thursday, Facebook began testing a tool called Trusted Friends. It lets a user specify between three and five pals on the social network (no more, no less) who can be counted on to pass along a special code if the user somehow gets locked out of his or her account.
It's essentially another way to regain access to your Facebook page if you forget your password. The option will show up on the "account settings" page for some of Facebook's 800 million users during the next few weeks, the company said in a statement.
When someone who has enabled the feature is unable to login using the normal means, they can click "forgot my password" and request that keys be sent to their specified friends via Facebook message. The user must then retrieve all the codes, or keys, and enter them into fields on Facebook's password-recovery page to log back in, a Facebook spokeswoman said in an e-mail.
This makes the process sort of like a scavenger hunt, although one with a less-than-exciting reward.
The Trusted Friends feature will not be mandatory. It joins other account-recovery features such as the ubiquitous "forgot my password" and security questions, as well as less conventional methods, like identifying friends' faces in pictures or recovering passwords via text message.
Facebook also began testing another security feature on Thursday for setting different passwords on each site that takes Facebook credentials.
|
ed58d5998ea8415ea2ff4c57df6f6545
|
Who can help Facebook user with account emergencies?
|
[
"Trusted Friends."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The 2009 snooker world champion John Higgins has said his "conscience is clear" following allegations of match fixing.
British newspaper The News of the World claimed the 34-year-old accepted a $398,000 bribe to throw frames in future matches during a meeting with undercover reporters in Kiev, Ukraine.
However, in a statement read out on the BBC, the Scotsman denied ever intentionally losing a match or taking a bribe at any point in his career.
"My conscience is 100 percent clear," said Higgins.
"I have never been involved in any form of snooker match fixing ... I have never deliberately missed a shot, never mind intentionally lost a frame or a match."
Snooker's governing body -- The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) -- announced through an official statement that Higgins had been suspended from future tournaments pending an investigation.
The same statement confirmed his manager, Pat Mooney, resigned from his position on the board of the WPBSA after he was alleged to have been at the meeting with Higgins in Kiev.
The three-time world champion claimed clearing his name will be the biggest challenge of his career and he will assist snooker authorities with the forthcoming investigation.
"Today is the start of the biggest match of my life. I will co-operate fully with the snooker authorities. I have built my reputation on honesty and integrity."
Higgins is one of the most successful snooker players in history and has won game's top prize on three occasions, taking last year's championship in addition to previous triumphs in 1998 and 2007.
This is not the first time controversy of this kind has hit the sport. In 2006 Australian Quinten Hann was given an eight-year ban from the sport when he was found guilty of breaking rules relating to match-fixing.
Match fixing in sport is frequently linked to illegal betting syndicates, where bribes are offered to influence the outcomes of sporting events.
Simon Clare, a spokesperson for British-based bookmakers Coral, believes worldwide regulations on gambling would prevent illegal betting.
"The sports betting market is absolutely immense, it's millions [of dollars] a week being bet. When there is those sums of money changing hands, if it's not a regulated betting market, if people aren't license holders, then there's more to gain for them" said Clare.
With the British betting market heavily regulated, Clare believes there would be no benefit for companies like Coral in taking these risks. It is in coutries where gambling is illegal that Clare says the problem lies.
"There's nothing to gain for a legal, licensed firm to be involved in corruption because it would be the end of a very lucrative business for them."
|
6b7dda4529ec4ec0b97abfce0a4c6f3c
|
What did a british newspaper claim?
|
[
"the 34-year-old accepted a $398,000 bribe to throw frames in future matches"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee are expected to ask a federal judge Monday to shut down Web sites they allege scam customers trying to buy Olympic tickets, according to court documents.
The Web site www.beijingticketing.com is accused in a lawsuit of scamming Olympic ticket buyers.
The IOC and the USOC filed lawsuits on July 22 against several Web sites -- primarily www.beijingticketing.com and www.beijing-2008tickets.com -- for illegally using Olympic trademarks to dupe customers into giving them credit card, passport and banking information.
Lawyers for the IOC and USOC are expected to petition U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White on Monday to permanently shut down several sites listed in the lawsuit. The lawsuit names the company XL & H Ltd, known as Xclusive Leisure & Hospitality Ltd. and six other Web sites believed to be fraudulent.
Several consumers who purchased tickets from the site contacted the USOC when they did not receive tickets, despite numerous calls and e-mails to the Web sites founder, according to a USOC press release.
The scam has hit Olympic fans in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Japan, China and Norway, according to media reports.
Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates told local media that relatives of the country's softball team had been victims of the site. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the New South Wales Government set up a hotline for those duped out of tickets. The hotline has received hundreds of calls from around the globe with consumers detailing losses as high as $57,000.
The IOC and USOC successfully secured a restraining order on July 23 in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, that shut down www.beijing-2008tickets.com, according to court documents. That site is now shut down and no contact information is available.
The site www.BeijingTicketing.com priced tickets for Friday's Olympic opening ceremony at about $2,000, with events such as swimming selling for between $300 and $500. The site is the first entry that comes up for a Google search for "Olympic tickets," second only to the authorized dealer of Olympic tickets, www.cosport.com.
The Web site ww.beijingticketing.com site lists a London phone number, which rang unanswered. The site lists an office address in Arizona.
The site boasts tickets for nearly every Olympic event, with some events showing sell-outs already. The site also looked to assure ticket buyers of its authenticity with a note at the bottom of the site.
"Beijing 2008 Ticketing is a well known tickets agent and a trusted market place for buyers to find book Olympic tickets," the note stated. "We assure 100% guaranteed tickets delivery."
|
67df3b1b14de491ea3d74a4a3b1b88d6
|
What did the fake ticket sites do as claimed by USOC and IOC?
|
[
"scam customers"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An archeological team is set to break new ground in its excavation of an Egyptian temple where doomed lovers Cleopatra and Mark Antony may be buried.
An excavation of an Egyptian temple my reveal where doomed lovers Cleopatra and Mark Antony are buried.
A ground-penetrating, radar survey of the temple of Taposiris Magna and its surrounding area, west of Alexandria, was completed in March, following three years of digging, according to a statement from Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Taposiris Magna is one of the ancient towns located on Lake Mariut, which is today called Abusir.
According to the council, the radar revealed three possible spots of interest where a tomb might be located. Recently, the team discovered a large, previously unknown cemetery outside the temple enclosure.
"The discovery of this cemetery indicates that an important person, likely of royal status, could be buried inside the temple. It was common for officials and other high-status individuals in Egypt to construct their tombs close to those of their rulers throughout the Pharaonic period," according to the council.
The expedition has so far turned up 27 tombs, 20 of them shaped like vaulted sarcophagi, and seven simple burial chambers that are reached by staircases. Inside these chambers, the team found 10 mummies, two of them gilded.
Other discoveries include an alabaster bust of Cleopatra, and 22 coins bearing her "beautiful" image, according to council Secretary-General Zahi Hawass. The discovery contradicts some recent reports that describe her as unattractive, he said.
"Among the most interesting finds is a unique mask depicting a man with a cleft chin. The face bears some similarity to known portraits of Mark Antony himself," Hawass said.
The love story of Antony and Cleopatra has been a favorite theme for writers and filmmakers. The 1963 Oscar-winning movie of the couple starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who themselves became star-crossed lovers.
Cleopatra ruled Egypt between 51 B.C. until her suicide in 30 B.C., following Mark Antony's naval defeat against Caesar's adopted son Octavian at Actium in the Mediterranean. Mark Antony, once a general in Caesar's army, killed himself before Cleopatra took her own life, after being falsely informed that Cleopatra already had died.
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acea7d94bb754c429115ac6c10037722
|
When did they commit suicide?
|
[
"30 B.C.,"
] |
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|
Madrid (CNN) -- Spain's royal family publicly revealed its finances for the first time Wednesday, as the nation faces an economic crisis and corruption allegations bring increased scrutiny to the monarchy.
King Juan Carlos receives 292,752 euros ($382,743) annually, the royal palace said in a statement. Prince Felipe, next in line to the throne, receives about half that amount
Queen Sofia, Princess Letizia, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina received a combined total of 375,000 euros for royal duties ($490,274) in 2011, the palace's statement said.
The announcement comes as a corruption investigation reportedly involving the king's son-in-law has fueled public criticism of the royal family.
Authorities are investigating whether a foundation headed by Inaki Undangarin improperly used public funds, according to media reports. No charges have been filed against Undangarin, a former Olympic handball player who married Infanta Cristina in 1997.
Urdangarin's attorney, in an interview with Europa Press earlier this month, said his client was innocent.
The palace pledged its commitment to austerity and transparency in its statement Wednesday.
Spain faces an economic crisis that has brought thousands of protesters to the streets and sparked sharp government austerity measures.
About 5 million people in the country are jobless. Spain has an overall unemployment rate of 21.5%, but it youth unemployment rate is a staggering 45%.
Conservative prime minister sworn in
Economic protests surged across Spain over the past year, fueled by young people known as "indignants," who criticized government officials and financial institutions.
When he took office last week, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said pulling the nation out of its deep economic crisis would be his top priority.
CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet, Ana Maria Luengo-Romero and Al Goodman contributed to this report.
|
1952cf1774c74870bddfc5890defe6f7
|
what kind of crisis facing Spain
|
[
"economic"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Pharmaceuticals giants Merck and Schering-Plough are planning to merge their operations under the name Merck in a deal worth $41.1 billion.
Merck chairman and CEO Richard T. Clark will head the combined company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Schering-Plough shareholders will receive just over half a Merck share and $10.50 in cash for each Schering-Plough share they own. Each Merck share will automatically become a share of the combined company.
Merck shareholders are expected to own approximately 68 percent of the combined company, and Schering-Plough shareholders are expected to own approximately 32 percent.
Merck Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Richard T. Clark will lead the combined company.
"We are creating a strong, global healthcare leader built for sustainable growth and success," Clark said in a media statement Monday. "The combined company will benefit from a formidable research and development pipeline, a significantly broader portfolio of medicines and an expanded presence in key international markets, particularly in high-growth emerging markets.
"We look forward to joining forces with an outstanding partner we know well and that shares our commitment to patients, employees and the communities where we work and live."
Merck added that its 2009 outlook has not changed, and it is committed to keeping its annual dividend at its current level of $1.52 per share.
Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected quarterly results in early February, but announced steep job cuts. On a conference call with investors on February 3, Clark said the drug-maker was open to a takeover of a large pharmaceutical company.
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4f69f7a2b03b4bc58de6f1ee7c06a2c9
|
Who reported better-than-expected quarterly results in February?
|
[
"Both drug-makers"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The wife of a Colorado father at the center of the "balloon boy" saga told authorities that the giant helium balloon was specifically created for a hoax to draw media attention, according to court documents released Friday.
The Heene family -- including Falcon, second from right -- on CNN's "Larry King Live" last week.
Mayumi Heene told Larimer County investigators that she and her husband, Richard Heene, knew that their 6-year-old son Falcon was hiding at their Fort Collins home the entire time, even as police and military scrambled to search for the boy, according to the documents.
The admission by Mayumi Heene was made October 17, just two days after the balloon was released, according to the documents.
The Heenes initially told authorities that they believed their child had flown away on the balloon, and when the balloon landed without him, they expressed concern that he may have fallen out of the device.
The couple hatched the plan about two weeks before the incident and "instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," according to the documents.
Their motive? To "make the Heene family more marketable for future media interests."
Calls to David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, and Lee Christian, Mayumi Heene's attorney, were not immediately returned Friday.
Richard and Mayumi Heene are each facing a number of local charges, including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday.
Lane told CNN earlier that the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserve the presumption of innocence.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.
Richard and Mayumi Heene met in a Hollywood acting school and pursued fame for their family in the world of reality TV, Alderden has said.
The Heenes have appeared on the ABC program "Wife Swap." Richard Heene also chases storms, brings his family along and takes videos. TLC, which produces the show "Jon & Kate Plus 8," said the Heenes had "approached us months ago" about a possible show, "and we passed."
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d0c346306316415a8c4f5b8790ba1b6d
|
Who told the children to lie to authorities?
|
[
"couple"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Sen. John Ensign of Nevada admitted Tuesday to an extramarital affair with a woman who had worked for him.
Sen. John Ensign of Nevada is considered a rising star in the Republican Party.
Ensign, 51, would not identify the woman but said she and her husband had been "close friends." Her husband, he said, also worked for him.
"Last year, I had an affair," the Republican senator said outside his office in Las Vegas. "I violated the vows of marriage. It's absolutely the worst thing I've done in my life.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. I know I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife, Darlene, my children, my family, friends, my staff and those who believed in me. And to all of them, especially my wife, I'm truly sorry," he said.
The senator's office also released a statement from Ensign's wife, saying, "Since we found out last year, we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends, our marriage has become stronger. I love my husband."
Ensign's spokesman, Tory Mazzola, said Ensign and a campaign staff member carried on the affair from December 2007 through August 2008. Her husband was an official Senate staff member for the senator.
Neither remained in Ensign's employ as of May 2008.
Ensign, a veterinarian, is considered a rising star within the Republican Party. A member of the party's Senate leadership, Ensign last year took over as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.
He was elected to the Senate in 2000 and comfortably won re-election in the midterm elections of 2006, when Democrats won back Congress. He is up for re-election in 2012.
This month, Ensign spoke to a conservative group in Iowa, stoking speculation that he might have interest in running for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
CNN's Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
|
4ec3bbf7376242a28f565b1fc0b399b0
|
How long ago was this?
|
[
"December 2007 through August 2008."
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Salvador Cabanas remains in a critical condition in hospital as doctors admit they are having difficulty treating the Paraguay international due to increased swelling on his brain.
The Club America striker was shot in the head in Mexico City during the early hours of Monday morning after an incident in a city bar.
Cabanas was transported to an intensive care unit at a local hospital and was rushed into theatre where doctors made an attempt to remove the bullet lodged in his skull before deciding it would be too dangerous.
Doctors revealed he showed favorable signs when they attempted to bring him out of an induced coma but have now been forced to increase the sedation as the swelling on his brain worsens.
"Salvador remains clinically stable, nevertheless we have had certain problems because the excess accumulation of water on his brain has grown," Ernesto Martinez Duhart, who operated on Cabanas, told reporters.
"We will have to keep him sedated a bit more to protect and improve cerebral function. It could get worse, he continues to be in the same serious condition. The risk of death has not yet passed."
Cabanas is one of Paraguay's top players and was part of their World Cup squad in Germany four years ago.
The 29-year-old is a prolific goalscorer and was expected to lead Paraguay's attack in South Africa this summer. He has scored over 100 times in the Mexican top flight and has netted 18 goals in 24 matches this season.
Around 10,000 Paraguayan fans gathered at the the Estadio Defensores del Chaco, the country's national stadium in Asuncion, to hold a vigil for Cabanas on Tuesday evening.
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5cc6793d08194198aee0b7204651c9b5
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What is the name of the Paraguay international striker?
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[
"Cabanas"
] |
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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A woman who survived last week's Spanair airline crash in Madrid left the hospital Tuesday, saying she was "born again" by the disaster.
Beatriz Reyes has been released from hospital after surviving the plane crash which killed 154 people.
Beatriz Reyes, 41, has been credited with saving two of the three children who survived the crash which killed 154 people.
She is the second survivor to be sent home, while 16 others remained hospitalized Tuesday.
The first to leave the hospital was a 6-year-old boy, apparently one of the children Reyes helped in the moments after the Spanair MD-82 airliner crashed on takeoff from Madrid's Bajaras airport Wednesday.
"I saw some kids and I got them out," Reyes said. "I think anyone would have done it."
All 18 who survived were seated in the front section of the plane, the only part not to catch fire. Reyes was in seat 5-D.
She said she remained conscious throughout the crash.
"I felt a strong blow and then my stomach went up and down," she said. "That's when I knew there was an accident."
She said it was ironic that she was treated in the maternity ward at Hospital Infanta Sofia in the Madrid suburb of San Sebastian de los Reyes.
"On the 20th of August, I have been born again," she said.
She was returning home from a vacation in Germany when she boarded the flight to the city of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
Reyes said she will continue to fly, a necessity for her job as a bank executive in the Canary Islands.
Going home to the Canary Islands, she said, will be hard since the bodies of many of the dead will be arriving there with her.
Initially, there were indications an engine might have caught fire as the plane was taking off, but a source familiar with the investigation said that an airport video showed the plane lifting off, veering sharply right, and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway. There is a cloud of dust, the source said, followed by a fireball.
The crash remains under investigation.
CNN's Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman contributed to this report.
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a53fa9eb971c4148b46ed2e70c9b65c2
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What was the death toll?
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[
"154 people."
] |
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(CNN) -- A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The center of the earthquake was approximately 175 miles west of the city of Vancouver and nearly 50 miles underground.
Many people on Vancouver Island felt the quake, especially those in high-rises, which swayed back and forth, said John Cassidy of the Geological Survey in Victoria, British Columbia. He described the quake as originating 30 miles offshore.
The shaking lasted 10 to 20 seconds, Cassidy said, and there were no reports of damage or injuries Friday afternoon.
Earthquakes of such magnitude happen every decade or so, he said.
There was no immediate danger of a tsunami as a result of the earthquake, authorities at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
CNN's Deanna Proeller and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.
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0592dc5a293e4291b7778c780e610493
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Who says there is no immediate danger
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[
"authorities at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center"
] |
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a career military officer, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry is familiar with sacrifice for his country and long stretches away from home.
Karl Eikenberry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee March 26.
But he apparently doesn't want any more separation from his wife, Ching Eikenberry.
If he is approved as the next U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan he wants her to come with him.
That could collide with State Department rules. Afghanistan is designated "an unaccompanied post" by the department because of the dangers of the war and terror attacks. That means family members are not allowed.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, who as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee was running Eikenberry's confirmation hearing last week, was in favor of the idea.
"I know you are hoping to take your wife there with you, and I think I certainly, and I think the committee is entirely supportive," Kerry said. "I think it would be a terrific message and a strong boost of morale for the Embassy, and obviously wherever possible we should try to encourage that. So I hope that will be facilitated."
Said Eikenberry, "Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for that support."
There was no immediate reaction from the State Department.
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e550e498df5544b5b3fadb5d796f32ac
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For what country might Karl Eikenberry become the next ambassador
|
[
"to Afghanistan"
] |
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