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(CNN) -- Werder Bremen continued their continued their domination of SV Hamburg with a 2-0 win which dents their northern neighbors' hopes of Champions League football next season.
A dejected Paolo Guerrero and Ivica Olic walk off after Hamburg's defeat.
The defeat leaves Martin Jol's men sixth in the Bundesliga, five points behind leaders Wolfsburg with only three games remaining and four adrift of third-placed Hertha Berlin.
It was the second meeting of the two teams in four days, with Werder winning a thrilling second leg 3-2 to go through to the UEFA Cup final on Thursday on away goals.
Werder also put Hamburg out of the German Cup and their win came after a pair of goals by Hugo Almeira.
In Sunday's other match, Borussia Moenchengladbach boosted their Bundesliga survival hopes with a 1-0 win at home to Schalke 04.
Substitute Roberto Colautti scored in the last minute to spare the blushes of teammate Marko Marin, who had seen a penalty saved by Manuel Neuer in the first half.
The win lifted Borussia out of the relegation zone into 15th place, but it is still tight with Arminia Bielefeld and Energie Cottbus only below them on goal difference.
Schalke, who will have current Wolfsburg boss Felix Magath in charge next season, were suffering a second straight defeat to stay seventh.
Wolfsburg were beaten 4-1 by Stuttgart on Saturday to throw open the title race with champions Bayern Munich joining them on 60 points with Hertha one point back and Stuttgart on 58.
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744e9a9d62b44b76ba7c5e03a5f0767a
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How many times did Hugo Almeira score?
|
[
"a pair of goals"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Expanded testing across India in the past three years shows a 2,000 percent jump in the number of HIV cases among children, the country's health minister announced Wednesday.
An HIV-positive Indian child at a government treatment center. More than 14,000 children get free care.
In November 2006, health authorities counted 2,253 children in India with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, Ghulam Nabi Azad told parliament. The number went up to a "cumulative total" of 52,973 in May this year, he said.
The huge increase in the number of confirmed cases may be due to the expanded testing for the virus. India, home to more than a billion people, currently has 217 facilities for HIV/AIDS treatment and 5,155 counseling and testing centers.
The minister insisted that overall, HIV prevalence had decreased in India from 0.45 percent in 2002 to 0.34 percent in 2007.
At present, 758,698 HIV-positive patients are being treated under the country's AIDS control program, Azad said.
More than 232,908 AIDS patients, including 14,474 children, are receiving free treatment at the designated facilities, he added.
Authorities say mother-to-child transmission is a major source of infection among children.
Last year, 19,986 pregnant women among more than 4 million tested were found to be HIV-positive, said Azad.
Of them, 10,179 received treatment to prevent transmission to their babies.
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e2bd9f9d2c2f44b5abe74ba7d44b0f50
|
Where was testing done?
|
[
"across India"
] |
NewsQA
|
Paris, France (CNN) -- Former French President Jacques Chirac has been placed under investigation for allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris, his office said Friday.
A judge in Nanterre, near Paris, questioned Chirac Friday morning over the employment of seven people who were hired by the city of Paris in the early 1990s. The suspicion is that the employees were working for Chirac's right-wing political party, RPR, which no longer exists, while on the city payroll.
Chirac, 77, was mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995, the year he became president.
The case in Nanterre is similar to but separate from another investigation in Paris, in which Chirac is accused of using 21 city employees to work on his presidential campaign.
In a statement released by his office Friday, Chirac pointed out that he had "already answered all the questions related to this investigation regarding the seven jobs in July 2007 and that no new facts have surfaced since then."
Chirac could face a five-year sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros ($107,500) if found guilty of using the employees to work for his party.
The former president denies the accusations.
"On the investigation itself, President Chirac repeats that no such 'system' has ever existed in the Paris city hall," the statement said. "He is determined to demonstrate this through the procedure which was started by being placed under investigation."
The former French head of state also said he "wishes the investigation to progress as quickly as possible to establish once and for all that he is beyond reproach."
Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe was already sentenced in December 2004 for his role in the affair, but Chirac benefited from presidential immunity at the time. After Chirac left office in May 2007, he made it known he was available to answer any questions on the matter.
Current Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had no comment about the investigation, according to officials with the city of Paris, which lodged the initial complaint against Chirac.
The former president remains popular in France. A survey released Thursday, conducted by the opinion research company IFOP for Paris Match magazine, showed that 78 percent of French people have a positive opinion of Chirac -- making him the highest-rated politician since the survey began in November 2003.
CNN's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report.
|
096fd48b43744a6b86e01e95f70ef5f0
|
How many years is Chirac facing?
|
[
"five-year sentence"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended two air traffic controllers over last week's collision of two aircraft over the Hudson River that killed nine people, a spokeswoman said.
The wreckage of a plane that collided with a helicopter is lifted this week from the Hudson River.
A controller at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport handling the flight of a Piper airplane carrying three people "was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said in a statement Thursday.
A source with knowledge of the investigation said the controller was on the phone with his girlfriend "after he cleared the pilot for takeoff; he was still on the phone at the time of the crash."
In addition, "the supervisor was not present in the building as required," Brown said.
"While we have no reason to believe at this time that these actions contributed to the accident, this kind of conduct is unacceptable, and we have placed the employees on administrative leave and have begun disciplinary proceedings," she said. Watch amateur video of the moment of impact »
"These are serious violations of the FAA regulations," said Mary Schiavo, former inspector general for the Transportation Department.
The union for air traffic controllers urged caution.
"We support that any such allegation is fully investigated before there is a rush to judgment about the behavior of any controller," said a statement from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
The National Transportation Safety Board is working with the FAA in investigating Saturday's collision of the Piper, which had taken off from Teterboro, with a sightseeing helicopter that was carrying five Italian tourists and a pilot.
No one aboard either aircraft survived the crash.
The NTSB has said the pilot of the small plane was cleared electronically and handed off to Newark, New Jersey, air traffic controllers, a standard procedure.
However, Newark's control tower never got a verbal response from the pilot of the small plane.
The controller put on leave was described as a longtime employee, the source said.
He and the supervisor face disciplinary action that could include their firing.
Also Thursday, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said the agency may reissue advisories to pilots using the busy airspace over the Hudson.
Pilots are urged to use a radio frequency dedicated to traffic in that corridor, fly no faster than 140 knots and turn on their lights as they enter that airspace.
Babbitt made the comments at an event at the agency's research facility in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
|
b9bec503a63541a2b1f2cf59626f49d5
|
How many people were on the plane?
|
[
"three"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- Simon Cowell's stranglehold on the British Christmas record charts looks as though it might be coming to an end.
The talent show judge's latest protege and winner of British TV talent show "The X Factor," Joe McElderry is currently lagging behind heavy-rock group Rage Against The Machine in the battle for the UK Christmas number-one slot.
With just over two days to go before the winner is announced, Rage Against The Machine's re-release of their 1992 song "Killing in the Name" is narrowly beating "The Climb," McElderry's cover of a Miley Cyrus hit.
The winner of "The X Factor" -- which Cowell produces and judges -- has held the top spot over the festive season in the UK for the past four years.
The popularity of the talent show -- this year's final was watched by around 20 million viewers -- has meant the race to the number-one slot in recent years has been, in effect, a non-contest because of the publicity the "X Factor" winner has enjoyed.
But a campaign on the social networking site "Facebook" to make the U.S. rock group number-one ahead of "The X Factor" winner has received massive support from the British record buying public who have been snapping up "Killing in the Name" in their thousands.
Whoever ends up on top of the UK charts this Christmas, the Rage/Cowell battle has enlivened what has become a rather dull and predictable procession to the top of the charts by the winner of the UK talent show.
In an appearance on BBC radio station "5 live" Thursday, Rage's front man Zach De La Rocha swore several times during a live performance, forcing the BBC to issue an apology to listeners.
And on Friday, Sir Paul McCartney, came out in support of the U.S. rock group, despite performing on the final show of "The X Factor" this year. Speaking to Sky News McCartney said: "It would be kind of funny if Rage Against The Machine got it."
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell has been raging against, well, just about anyone in defense of McElderry telling the UK tabloid newspaper "The Sun" that "musical snobs have ganged up against Joe." He also called the Facebook campaign "a huge hate mob" -- a claim which the Facebook group have denied.
All will be revealed this Sunday when the final UK singles chart before Christmas is announced. Will the talent judge be celebrating his fifth "Christmas Cowell" in a row or will he be overcome by Rage? We'll have to wait and see.
|
3e73d55ca64e4f74bd43e2e5b5869cfd
|
Who is number one in the UK?
|
[
"Rage Against The Machine"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly displaying hangman's nooses from the back of a pickup truck during a civil rights march last year in Jena, Louisiana.
A photo taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love shows a noose hanging from a pickup in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Jeremiah Munsen, 18, of Grant Parish, repeatedly drove slowly past a group of marchers gathered at a bus depot in Alexandria, which is near Jena, as they awaited buses to return them to Tennessee, federal authorities said Thursday.
As many as 20,000 marchers had taken part in the huge protests in Jena. Authorities there had been accused of injustice in the handling of racially charged cases, including the hanging of nooses in a tree after a group of black high school students sat in an area where traditionally only white students sat.
The noose incident at Jena was the beginning of months of racial tension that included the beating of a white student, allegedly by six black classmates. The black students were prosecuted, but the three white students responsible for the nooses in the tree were not.
Munsen and an unnamed conspirator had attached nooses to their pickup on September 20 and driven to Alexandria specifically to threaten and intimidate the marchers, the authorities said. View a series of photos of the truck »
A juvenile passenger was apprehended with Munsen, according to the arresting officer's report.
The juvenile told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan and that he had "KKK" tattooed on his chest, the police report said. He also said that he tied the nooses and that brass knuckles found in the truck belonged to him, the report said.
"This indictment accuses the defendant [Munsen] of conduct that constitutes a federal civil rights conspiracy violation and a federal hate crime," said U.S. Attorney Donald Washington.
Washington and Grace Chung Becker, acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, announced the indictment, issued by a grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana.
A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by I-Reporter Casanova Love, 26, who said he is in the U.S. military. He was visiting his family in Louisiana and said he witnessed the event.
Love added, "If the police had not stepped in, I fear what might have happened." E-mail to a friend
|
be4b3e87b5b94c75948f5f7a3e466dbd
|
what is the name of felon?
|
[
"Jeremiah Munsen,"
] |
NewsQA
|
MOSCOW, Russia -- Zenit Saint Petersburg have clinched their first Russian title in the post-Soviet Union era with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Ramenskoye on Sunday.
Zenit captain Anatoly Timoshuk kisses the Russian Premier League trophy after their victory at Ramenskoye.
The win means Zenit finish top of the table with 61 points, two points ahead of second-placed Spartak Moscow, who beat city rivals Dynamo 2-1. CKSA Moscow finished third on 53 points.
Zenit went ahead in the 15th minute when Radek Sirl's shot from the edge of the box deflected off a Ramenskoye defender and beat goalkeeper Antonin Kinski.
After the interval, the hosts poured forward seeking an equalizer and created several chances -- but Zenit held firm to secure their first championship since 1984 and make a hero out of Dutch coach Dick Advocaat.
Nine-times champions Spartak took the lead midway through the first-half.
Russian international striker Roman Pavyuchenko netted the opening goal in the 24th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the six-yard box after a mix- up in the Dynamo defence.
Brazilian striker Soares Welliton made it 2-0 seven minutes after halftime, heading home Pavlyuchenko's precise cross. Dynamo reduced the arrears in the 71st minute, when Spartak midfielder Radoslav Kovac scored an own goal.
Meanwhile, Rostov and Krasnodar were relegated fronm the Premier League. E-mail to a friend
|
1917225063f7484cbfe7dda88089e766
|
who won the title?
|
[
"Zenit Saint Petersburg"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Turkey launched another round of airstrikes against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Sunday, an Iraqi official said.
File photo from 2007 of Kurdistan Workers Party fighters at the Mahsun Korkmaz Academy in Northern Iraq.
Turkish warplanes and artillery units bombed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in villages near Amadi in Iraq's Duhuk Province, a provincial security official told CNN.
The official said the Turkish military operation started at 5:30 p.m. and lasted an hour and a half. There were no reports of casualties.
Turkey said it was the sixth time in the past week it attacked the PKK in response to clashes that left at least 15 Turkish troops dead in the Turkey-Iraq border region last weekend.
The central Iraqi government has labeled the PKK a terrorist organization, banning its activities and closing its offices in the country two years ago. The United States and the European Union also consider the PKK a terrorist group.
It was the second round of Turkish strikes on northern Iraq this weekend. Late Friday and early Saturday, Turkish warplanes hit 31 targets in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq before returning. They "successfully completed the operation [and] safely returned to their bases," the Turkish military said.
A spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces said Turkish warplanes and artillery units bombed the region from around 11 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Saturday. The spokesman, Jabbar Yawer, said there were no reports of casualties.
Turkish artillery shells also hit border villages in the Zakho area, targeting PKK positions for about an hour on Saturday afternoon, Yawer said.
Though the Iraqi government opposes the PKK, the organization continues to operate in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq bordering Turkey and Iran. The separatist faction has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey.
The Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces provide security for Iraq's Kurdish regional government.
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
|
c7f34fd51d524732a3fd573bc0f112bb
|
No casualties reported in what?
|
[
"airstrikes"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods was forced to pull out of the final round of the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday with a neck injury.
Woods lasted until the seventh hole before calling it a day. He was two-over for the round and two-under for the prestigious tournament, but trailing the leaders, when he quit.
South African Tim Clark eventually won the 'fifth major' with a superb five-under-par 67 to close on 16-under 272.
"I've been playing with a bad neck for a while," Woods told gathered reporters.
"I might have a bulging disk. They want me to get a picture on it next week.
"I've been playing through it. I can't play through it any more," he said. "I know playing doesn't help it," he added.
Woods revealed he had been troubled by the pain before last month's Masters, where he finished tied for fourth.
It was his first tournament of the year after a self-imposed exile following his revelations of marital infidelities.
The world number one was in action again at the Quail Hollow tournament in North Carolina last week where he easily missed the cut after two sorry rounds.
"I'm having a hard time with the pain," Woods said.
"There's tingling down my fingers, just the right side. Setting up over the ball is fine but once I start making the motion, it's downhill from there."
Woods is under pressure for his world number one spot from Phil Mickelson, who won the Masters and has been in tremendous form on the PGA Tour.
The 34-year-old last pulled out of a tournament in 2006 at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles when he had flu.
If the injury proves long-standing it could affect his build to the second major of the season, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in mid-June.
Mickelson could have leapfrogged Woods if he had won the Players, but he shot a closing 74 to tie for 17th.
England's Lee Westwood led going into the back nine on the final day, but a series of lapses, including a double bogey on the notorious short 17th, ended his hopes.
Clark, who was winning for the first time on the PGA Tour, charged through the field to set the clubhouse target, with Australian Robert Allenby finishing second, one shot behind, after failing with birdie attempts on the final two holes.
|
826c01ca9c8c42119027b8b3dbfd53c6
|
Where is Tim Clark from?
|
[
"South African"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Police in Zimbabwe Monday failed to bring to court an opposition activist who was scheduled to become a government minister on Friday but was arrested instead.
Zimbabwe police officers at Mutare Magistrates Court where Roy Bennett's scheduled appearance was postponed.
Roy Bennett of the Movement for Democratic Change was supposed to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister last week under a power-sharing agreement between the MDC and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.
Bennett was charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, sabotage and banditry. Police added another charge, contravening the Immigration Act, on the day he was scheduled to appear in court. They accuse Bennett of attempting to leave the country illegally.
His party has decried the charges as "trumped up."
His lawyer said Monday's court proceedings were canceled because prosecutors were unable to make it from the capital Harare to the court where the proceeding was to take place, in Mutare, 132 miles (213 km) away. It is unclear why local prosecutors are not being used.
Bennett's lawyer Trust Maanda says he hopes his client will appear on Tuesday.
"He is doing fine considering the conditions of the cells he is being kept in," Maanda said. "There is no food or running water, sanitation facilities are not working, the cells are overcrowded and there are no blankets."
Bennett was arrested on Friday while on his way to South Africa, where he has been living for three years.
Bennett, who is also the MDC party's treasurer, was pulled from an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, the MDC said.
Police accuse him of funding the acquisition of weapons to commit the crimes he is charged with.
Bennett, a white coffee grower, is an old foe of Mugabe's government.
His farms were seized during the country's controversial land reform program. He has previously been jailed for assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in parliament.
The arrest happened the same day that other MDC ministers in the new unity government took their oaths of office.
The power-sharing agreement came into effect only after months of on-again, off-again negotiations between Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
Under Mugabe's government, the country has gone from being one of the breadbaskets of Africa to dire poverty.
A cholera epidemic is raging, much of the population lacks adequate food and water, many public sector workers are on strike, and the country suffers such severe inflation it recently knocked 12 zeroes off its currency.
--CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.
|
495f5051c7624cd3a0aa7f308417acfd
|
What was going to happen to Roy Bennett before he was arrested?
|
[
"be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A 28-year-old Oregon woman has been charged with murder after the body of a new mother was found in the crawl space of her home.
Police released a photo of Korena Roberts, who is charged with murder.
Rescue crews first went to Korena Roberts' home in Washington County on Friday in response to a call of a newborn in distress. They found Roberts' boyfriend unsuccessfully trying to revive the baby using first-aid techniques.
Roberts told deputies the baby was hers, the county sheriff's office said. Medics noticed a lot of blood at the home, and sent Roberts and the baby to a hospital.
"Doctors at the hospital were not able to revive the baby," said Sgt. David Thompson of the Washington County Sheriff's Office in a news release. "They also discovered that Ms. Roberts had not delivered a child at anytime in the recent past."
Deputies returned to the home, where they found the body of 21-year-old Heather Snively in the crawl space under the kitchen, Thompson said.
Authorities learned Snively had been pregnant at the time she was attacked, and they determined she was the mother of the infant.
An autopsy will now determine how the baby was delivered, and whether he died before or after birth, Thompson said.
The outcome could result in another murder charge for Roberts, deputies said.
Residents in the woman's Mill Creek Drive neighborhood said Roberts had told them she was expecting a child, according to CNN affiliate KPTV.
"She didn't appear to be pregnant to us," neighbor Doug King told KPTV.
|
32d083f8ead44005b7bb5d5d7394bbe4
|
What were the rescue workers called to the house for?
|
[
"a call of a newborn in distress."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Seven people, including a toddler, died when fire roared through a three-story home in southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday night, fire officials said.
Firefighters work to put out a fire at a town home Friday night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Six of the victims -- three adults, a teen and two children -- were found in the townhome's basement, huddled together, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said.
A 2-year-old boy who was pulled from the burning house by firefighters was later pronounced dead at Children's Hospital, Ayers said.
Eleven people, all of Liberian nationality, lived in the basement of the home, he said. Two were rescued by firefighters and two escaped on their own, Ayers said. Watch firefighters at work on the blaze »
There were no stairs from the basement to the upper level and there was only one door leading out, he said.
Early clues suggest a kerosene heater may have started the blaze, but the fire marshal has not officially determined a cause, Ayers said.
"We found serious issues in the house," he said.
The home did not appear to be equipped with smoke detectors, the fire commissioner said.
"We have not found any smoke alarms at all, which we are very saddened by," Ayers said.
Wade Lee, who lived in the same building, said the landlord had helped tenants work out fire evacuation plans.
Lee said the victims often brought his family fresh vegetables from their garden, and the children were a joy.
"Our wishes are with them right now, more so than for ourselves," he said. "Just hearing the children laughing, and not being able to hear that no more is grievous to us all."
|
73ca8da36339477cb11c2bb40b58575f
|
The home had how many smoke detectors?
|
[
"did not appear to be equipped with"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- High winds and heavy seas capsized a boat filled with African migrants heading for Europe off the coast of Libya Monday -- with more than 200 feared dead, the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, Switzerland, said Tuesday.
A group of 227 migrants sits on a fishing vessel in Malta last month after arriving from Somalia.
Jemini Pandya, IOM spokeswoman, said a boat carrying 250 people capsized north of the Libyan coast, with at least 20 confirmed dead and 23 rescued. Another boat with around 350 migrants was rescued.
She said the rescued migrants were taken to two centers in the Libyan city of Tripoli. They included Egyptians, Somalis, Ghanians, Nigerians, Tunisians, Eritreans, Algerians, and Moroccans.
There were also passengers from Asia -- Bangladeshis, Syrians, Indians, and Pakistanis, she said. She said there may be two other vessels in the Mediterranean carrying migrants.
The initial reports that two vessels capsized proved to be incorrect, Pandya said. Watch as migrants are feared drowned »
The vessels departed Sunday and were heading to southern Europe, Egypt's Middle East News Agency reported Monday.
The migrants were believed to be headed for the Italian island of Lampedusa, where 37,000 landed last year, according to IOM spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy, who said many African migrants converge on Libya en route to Europe.
Italian coast guards said an Italian tugboat working for an offshore oil companies in the Libyan seas picked up 350 people on Sunday and carried them to Libya with the help of the Italian military.
The U.N. refugee agency, aware of the reports, said they came at the "beginning of the smuggling season in the Mediterranean."
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said details remain sketchy about what happened, but one boat among several vessels leaving Libya for Italy went down and hundreds are reported missing. It said the mishap occurred near the Libyan coast. It said some Egyptian nationals were rescued and bodies were recovered and that those aboard included Africans from the northern and the sub-Saharan regions.
High Commissioner Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said that the tragedy reflects the desperation of people to escape poverty and persecution.
"This tragic incident illustrates, once again, the dangers faced by people caught in mixed irregular movements of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean and elsewhere which every year cost thousands of lives," the U.N. agency said.
|
c4c3ab1e299e40e39d75b49f54f752be
|
How many people were dead when boat capsized in Libya?
|
[
"20 confirmed"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Facetime with Saad Hariri, Leader of Future Movement
Saad Hariri is the leader of Lebanon's majority party, Future Movement.
Lebanon's economic growth may have slipped from an estimated 7 percent to 4 percent so far this year, but according to politician and businessman Saad Hariri, the country should largely escape the effects of the global slowdown.
The leader of Lebanon's majority party talks to MME about the credit crisis, its impact on remittances, and how he believes peace in the Middle East is the only way to bring political and economic stability to his country.
In focus -- The Land Grab
The Gulf might have oil, but it has a shortage of arable land. A year ago, food prices skyrocketed and there were shortages of all kinds -- even for basics, such as bread.
The shortage caught the region flat-footed, and now food security is a top concern for many countries. It has prompted the likes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to use their petro-dollars to buy farmland in Africa and Asia to feed their people.
In the long run, could this search for food security also develop sustainable agricultural businesses and local jobs in the process?
Watch the show this week at the times (GMT) below: Friday: 0815, 1945 Saturday: 0545 Sunday: 0715
|
7d4cb366e111484da2fe248546e5c775
|
What is the opinion of Hariri?
|
[
"the country should largely escape the effects of the global slowdown."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Allegations that Blackwater USA -- whose operations were suspended after 20 Iraqi civilians were shot to death last weekend -- was "in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities are baseless," the company asserted Saturday.
Blackwater employees patrol Baghdad by air in a February 2005 photograph.
Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that employees of Blackwater illegally purchased weapons and sold them in Iraq, according to U.S. government sources.
A U.S. government official has said the U.S. attorney's office in Raleigh, North Carolina, is in the early stages of an investigation that focuses on individual company employees, and not the firm.
Blackwater, which is based in Moyock, North Carolina, is a security firm hired by the State Department to guard U.S. staff in Iraq.
"The company has no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons," the Blackwater statement said. "When it was uncovered internally that two employees were stealing from the company, Blackwater immediately fired them and invited the ATF to conduct a thorough investigation." Watch a report on Blackwater's response to the allegations »
The first public hint that an investigation was under way came earlier this week in a statement from State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard after he was accused of blocking fraud investigations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Krongard said the State Department has been cooperating with the prosecutors in the Blackwater probe.
"In particular, I made one of my best investigators available to help assistant U.S. attorneys in North Carolina in their investigation into alleged smuggling of weapons into Iraq by a contractor," Krongard's statement said.
Blackwater resumed normal security operations in Iraq on Friday, the State Department said, after a brief hiatus following the lethal incident last Sunday.
The Iraqi government was outraged by the shootings and disputes the U.S. and Blackwater's claim that the guards were responding to an attack. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Elise Labott and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
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7dbc282024424c0b9226ad15e1aba53c
|
What company was investigated by Feds?
|
[
"Blackwater USA"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi is pregnant with her first child, her publicist confirmed to CNN on Thursday.
Padma Lakshmi will be eating for two on Bravo's "Top Chef."
Lakshmi, 39, has not identified the father. Her representative told US Weekly that the television personality conceived after a long battle with endometriosis.
"Model, author, and Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi confirms that she is carrying her first child after years of struggling with endometriosis, a cause for which she has co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America," the representative told the magazine.
Endometriosis is a medical condition where the uterus' lining grows in other areas of the body. The often painful condition can cause women to have irregular bleeding and possible infertility.
Lakshmi's publicist also told US Weekly that "As a result of her condition, this pregnancy has been referred to by her physician as nothing short of a medical miracle, and due to its delicate nature, we ask/implore the press to respect Ms. Lakshmi's privacy at this time."
Lakshmi is the ex-wife of famed author Salman Rushdie. She has hosted Bravo's hit show "Top Chef" since its second season and is herself a noted cookbook author.
|
769b90222b6d44bfbe9badd3bf5ce2dd
|
what former wife of Salman Rushdie, has not named the father?
|
[
"Padma Lakshmi"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Power-driven wheelchairs are costing Medicare and its beneficiaries nearly four times what suppliers pay for them, and competitive bidding could have reduced those costs, according to an inspector general's report released Wednesday.
Competitive bidding would have cut costs on a standard power wheelchair by nearly $1,000, the report says.
A standard power wheelchair costs the federal health insurance program for seniors an average of $4,018 to lease, compared with $1,048 for suppliers to buy, the Department of Health and Human Services' internal watchdog reported.
"Medicare and its beneficiaries paid suppliers an average of $2,970 beyond the supplier's acquisition cost to perform an average of five services and cover general business costs," the report found.
The difference was not as dramatic for more advanced wheelchairs used for physical rehabilitation patients, but at an average lease of $11,507, those chairs still cost Medicare about twice as much as the $5,880 paid by suppliers, the report found.
More than 173,000 Medicare beneficiaries received power wheelchairs in the first half of 2007, at a cost of about $686 million, the report said. The cost could have been reduced considerably had Congress not delayed a planned system of competitive bidding for what Medicare classifies as "durable medical equipment," such as wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, the report said.
Competitive bidding would have cut Medicare's average cost of a standard power wheelchair by nearly $1,000, the inspector general found.
"Medicare and beneficiary payments under the Competitive Bidding Acquisition Program would have decreased by an average of 26 percent across all included categories of [durable medical equipment], saving up to an estimated $1 billion annually," the report found. "However, Congress delayed the program and exempted complex rehabilitation power wheelchairs from future competitive bidding."
Medicare's annual budget for 2008 was $444 billion. In January, it cut its payments to suppliers by 9.5 percent to make up for what it thought competitive bidding would have saved taxpayers, according to the report.
In July, a CNN investigation found that a patient and taxpayers were billed about $1,200 over four years for a nonmotorized chair, while a nearly identical chair could be bought from the same supplier for $349.
The issue has become controversial as the Obama administration tries to overhaul the U.S. health care system and rein in the cost of Medicare.
Administration officials want to require competitive bids for items such as wheelchairs. But the American Association for Homecare, which represents many in the durable equipment industry, said the bidding program would reduce patient choice, limit access to home medical care and drive up Medicare costs by requiring more hospital stays.
|
ddda381e4e3a47ae9720fca81765e930
|
what does the industry say
|
[
"the bidding program would reduce patient choice, limit access to home medical care and drive up Medicare costs by requiring more hospital stays."
] |
NewsQA
|
New York (CNN) -- Spider-Man's alter ego cannot escape the harsh realities of the current economic times and will lose his job in an issue of the Amazing Spider-Man hitting stores this week.
Peter Parker, official photographer of the mayor by day and New York City crime fighter by night, is going to face new challenges, including unemployment.
"He's going to struggle with unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head," said Steve Wacker, Marvel Comics senior editor.
Parker has always been a grounded character with real-world problems, Wacker said. His aunt is frequently sick, he has girlfriend troubles, and he sometimes struggles to find work. In addition, Spider-Man story lines are often set against a backdrop of current events.
In the near future, Parker will have to juggle paying bills and buying "web-fluid" and other materials to fix his superhero costume in addition to keeping his dual identities under wraps.
Parker's work history includes photographer, assistant high school coach, science teacher and scientific researcher, according to his biography on the Marvel Web site. His education includes a college degree in biophysics and some postgraduate work in biochemistry.
It was at a science exhibit he attended as a teenager that he was bitten by a radioactive spider and acquired the creature's strength, agility and weaving ability, says Marvel Comics.
And although Parker has skills few other others can claim, he probably won't list these on his resume: superhuman strength, ability to cling to most surfaces, fast traveling ability aided by web-slinging and spider-sense danger avoidance system.
The Amazing Spider-Man comic was first published in 1963.
|
e402656c334a40ccb0310d5a7d358377
|
Who is Peter Parker?
|
[
"photographer"
] |
NewsQA
|
MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva has broken her own world record in the women's pole vault with a leap of 5.04 meters as she warmed up for her Olympic defense.
Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record on her third attempt in Monaco.
The record came at the Monaco Grand Prix on Tuesday on her third and final attempt at the height.
Her previous record of 5.03 meters was set in Rome on July 11.
Isinbayeva is the reigning Olympic and world champion.
Asafa Powell claimed his third 100 meters success inside a week when he raced clear in his season-best time of 9.82 seconds.
Powell shaved 0.06sec off his previous season-best of 9.88, set last Tuesday in Stockholm, where he saw off fellow Jamaican and world record holder Usain Bolt.
On Tuesday Powell was too hot for Davis Patton of the U.S. (9.98) and Nesta Carter of Jamaica (10.02), the fourth best time of the season all the more impressive given the calm conditions.
"I am very happy," said Powell. "I feel great, very fresh. I've got a world record in my legs. I am very confident. My goal is to be consistent."
A tough headwind had compromised Powell's attempts to have a tilt at Bolt's mark although he still cruised to a weekend victory at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace in 9.94sec.
Other Tuesday highlights saw Jamaica's Melaine Walker set a year mark in the women's 400m hurdles in clocking 53.48 sec.
Walker, who shattered her own personal best of 54.14 in the process, will hope her performance augurs well for the Beijing Games, where Aussie two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson will not be competing owing to a toe injury.
Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen also set a year best mark in the 1500m, crossing the line in 3 min 31.49sec to take 0.08sec off compatriot Augustine Kiprono Choge's June 1 showing in Berlin.
The 23-year-old's win tempered the disappointment of missing out on an Olympic berth.
Britain's Martyn Rooney also improved his personal best in the 400 meters for the second successive race, following up his win in the London Grand Prix with victory in 44.72 seconds.
The Monaco Grand Prix was the last major international track and field meeting before the Beijing Olympics which start on August 8.
|
ba48a9db4bdb48e693839046dc8e9fdf
|
Which Jamaican athlete won three 100 meters races?
|
[
"Asafa Powell"
] |
NewsQA
|
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Six Haitian orphans, seized by national authorities last week as they prepared to journey to the United States, will be able to leave the earthquake-devastated country Wednesday.
The U.S. Embassy retained custody of the children Tuesday and they were handed over to three American women who have been trying to escort them out.
The women had attempted to leave Saturday when angry Haitians demanded to see their paperwork. Police suspected that a key document the women were carrying -- a permission signed by Haiti's prime minister -- was a fake, something the women and U.S. officials deny.
There is no chance the paperwork is fake, said Sarah Thacker, one of the three women. Thacker, from Minnesota, was in Haiti to bring home her newly adopted son.
Police did not arrest the women, but temporarily placed the children under government custody at a local orphanage.
The women said Tuesday that they had been given permission to take the children to the United States. The women were staying with the children at a friend's house in Port-au-Prince.
Full coverage of Haiti earthquake
The incident came nearly a month after the arrest of 10 U.S. missionaries accused of trying to take 33 Haitian children out of the country without proper paperwork. Eight of them have been released on bail and have returned to the United States.
The question of Haitian children being removed from the country illegally came to the foreground after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake devastated parts of the country on January 12. Authorities feared that children left on their own -- because their parents died or they were separated from them -- would be targeted by child traffickers.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has backed Thacker's efforts.
"They have filled out all the paperwork," she said. "This is a legitimate orphanage that has brought other children to America. And I feel like these little babies are just caught up in this international dispute, and it's just not fair."
CNN's Gary Tuchman and Ismael Estrada contributed to this report.
|
50e9646ac589460b84daabf4ea557b5c
|
What had police suspected?
|
[
"that a key document the women were carrying"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A habitually violent young man was convicted Wednesday of the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox, who had starred in the latest "Harry Potter" film.
The father, brother and mother of Rob Knox pose together after the death of the young actor.
Karl Bishop, 22, attacked Knox and four friends with two kitchen knives outside a bar in Sidcup, south east London, last May. He stabbed them 10 times in less than two minutes, the Old Bailey court in central London heard.
Knox, 18, had rushed out of the bar after he heard that Bishop had threatened his younger brother Jamie but he ended up being stabbed five times, once in a main artery. He died in hospital later that night.
Bystanders said Bishop's face was "screwed up in rage" as he lashed out with the two knives, the Press Association reported.
Days before the attack, the actor had finished filming on "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince," due for international release in July, in which he played the role of Marcus Belby. He was set to reprise the part in future "Harry Potter" films.
Knox's father Colin told mourners at his funeral, including co-star Rupert Grint, that his son had been "living the dream," PA said.
Prosecutor Brian Altman told the court that the young actor's promising life was ended by a "habitual knife carrier" who believed stabbing people was an "occupational hazard" and had previous convictions for knife crime.
Bishop is due to be sentenced on Thursday.
Knife crime in Britain is a political hot topic due to a spate of recent killings of mainly young people in major cities. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged tougher sentences for those caught carrying knives. He told the Daily Telegraph last month: "By carrying a knife you are not only endangering the lives of others, but you are more likely to be killed, or end up in jail.
"We need to change the way young people think about knives, we need families and communities working together ... to get this message across and help stamp out knife crime and get weapons off our streets."
|
c1d0e3cc28b34a05a1a8d7363a0c2e05
|
Who was he murderer?
|
[
"Karl Bishop, 22,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Yahoo! announced Monday that the search is on for the Internet giant's next CEO.
Jerry Yang, Yahoo! co-founder, speaks at an electronics show in Las Vegas in January.
The new CEO will replace Yahoo! co-founder, Jerry Yang, who assumed the position in June 2007 and has since come under fire for failing to turn around the company.
Yang will step down when a replacement is selected.
Just two weeks ago at the Web 2.0 Summit, Yang was asked if he was the right guy to lead the battered portal.
Yang dodged the question by defending his passion for the company he co-founded 13 years ago.
"I didn't make the decision of being the CEO lightly," he said. "I wanted to make a change at Yahoo! that I believe I can make ... That's a dream that I felt I could achieve by being CEO and that's still the dream today."
Now, Yang plans to return to his former role as "Chief Yahoo" and will still have a seat on the board, Yahoo! said.
During his short tenure, Yahoo! has had two major rounds of layoffs and has seen its search market share shrink significantly while a series of reorganizations led to the departure of senior executives.
Wall Street and shareholders criticized Yang for falling short of reaching an agreement to sell the company to Microsoft.
Yang also was taken to task when Google pulled out of a controversial ad agreement earlier this month that would have boosted Yahoo's revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Yahoo! said the search for a new CEO will encompass both internal and external candidates.
"Over the past year and a half, despite extraordinary challenges and distractions, Jerry Yang has led the repositioning of Yahoo! on an open platform model as well as the improved alignment of costs and revenues," said Chairman Roy Bostock.
"Jerry and the Board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level."
|
b8f1c5870c6a4891a1fefe9665c78887
|
Who will resume his former role?
|
[
"Jerry Yang,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Pirates have hijacked a Norwegian tanker off the coast of Madagascar and are steering the ship toward Somalia, the ship's owner said.
The captain of the UBT Ocean called the technical director for Broevigtank, the company that owns the ship, and reported that pirates had come aboard Friday, said Svenn Pederson, CEO of Broevigtank.
Contact with the captain has since been lost. But the company has been tracking the vessel.
Pederson said the ship was carrying fuel destined for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and has 21 crew members aboard.
|
8fda442f07b4487c9b6cbf25ad712eaa
|
What was the ship carrying?
|
[
"fuel"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Ten million Americans a year are victims of identity theft. It's a growing problem in the United States, but fighting it doesn't appear to be a priority, a new report says.
A report by the Justice Department Inspector General released Tuesday cites the wide-ranging costs and dangers of ID theft. Although the report has no new numbers, the financial losses are believed to be substantially higher than the $15.6 billion documented in 2005.
Inspector General Glenn Fine found the effort to combat the problem, however, has lagged since the President's Task Force on ID Theft was established in 2007.
"We found that to some degree identity theft initiatives have faded as priorities," said Fine. He said the Justice Department has not developed a coordinated plan to combat ID theft and that some recommendations of the President's Task Force have not been addressed. No one has been appointed to oversee the efforts, the report says.
The report says "the specific crime of identity theft is not a top FBI priority." However, the report adds that the FBI often addresses the issue through the Cyber Division's criminal intrusion program, which is a priority of the agency.
Similarly, ID theft investigations are often part of larger federal criminal investigations into health care fraud, mortgage fraud and credit card fraud.
"Identity theft can also be a significant element of violent crimes, such as domestic abuse, and even terrorism, and a significant number of ID theft-related crimes originate overseas," the report said.
|
7e08debcbf2449389831852e98782c7a
|
What did the Inspector General say?
|
[
"\"We found that to some degree identity theft initiatives have faded as priorities,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has added his brother-in-law to a military board in a move analysts say paves the way for an heir, according to South Korea's state-sponsored Yonhap news agency.
Kim Jong-il has named his brother-in-law Jang Song Thaek to a top military board.
The addition of his kin to the powerful National Defense Commission also solidifies his standing, Yonhap said.
Kim was reappointed Thursday as chairman of the military board in his first major public appearance since a reported stroke in August. His brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, is considered his right-hand man, according to Yonhap.
Jang, who has been married to Kim's sister since 1972, currently serves as a director of the Workers' Party, Yonhap said.
"Kim wants to keep the military in check and secure loyalty to both the military and the party," Cha Doo-hyeogn, a North Korea expert, told Yonhap.
Kim also increased the number of members in the military agency to 13, from eight, Yonhap said.
"Overall, the power of the National Defense Commission was strengthened," Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesman, Kim Ho-nyoun, told Yonhap in a briefing.
There were no other major changes in the new parliament, which signifies that Kim, 67, is prepared to maintain the status quo as he readies someone to take over from him, analysts told Yonhap.
Kim's recent health problems and long absence from public functions have prompted speculation on whether he is ready to groom an heir to the world's only communist dynasty. But the secretive nation shields its internal affairs from international scrutiny.
Analysts told Yonhap that Jang may serve as caretaker for Kim's successor, who will possibly be one of his three sons.
|
f543f759347941f486cecf563671b2d5
|
Who is considered to be Kim's right-hand man?
|
[
"Jang Song Thaek,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 14 people were dead and four missing in the Philippines a day after Typhoon Mirinae roared through the heart of the country, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Sunday.
Mirinae was the fourth typhoon to affect the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands in a month. It quickly dissipated after Saturday's landfall, becoming a tropical storm. Mirinae was forecast to weaken further before hitting Vietnam on Monday, forecasters said.
The hardest hit areas were the Southern Luzon and Bicol regions, the Philippines News Agency reported. Civil Defense administrator Glenn Rabonza said more than 13,000 people were affected by the storm.
The storm brought at least 85 millimeters (3.3 inches) of rain to Manila. The city of Daet, on the eastern coast, received 149 millimeters (5.8 inches) of rain, and Virac, which sits on an island that juts into the Pacific, received 72 millimeters (2.8 inches) of rain.
The first of the four typhoons to threaten the Philippines happened in late September, when Ketsana drenched the island nation with its heaviest rainfall in 40 years. Eighty percent of Manila flooded and more than 420 people died.
Are you there? Share photos, video of the weather
Flooding from Ketsana has lasted well into October and tens of thousands of people are still in evacuation centers, according to the disaster coordinating council.
Typhoon Parma made landfall on October 3 in a rural region of fishermen and farmers in Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands. It destroyed 55,000 houses and killed more than 430 people.
Last week, a third typhoon, Lupit, narrowly missed making landfall, but brought lots of rain to the Philippines.
|
48795f18678948c0bc07e31ed8719863
|
How many people are missing because of the typhoon?
|
[
"four"
] |
NewsQA
|
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (CNN) -- A passenger train rumbling through the Czech Republic slammed into a collapsed overpass, causing the deaths of at least a half dozen passengers and the injuries of a few dozen more, according to a Czech News Agency account.
An areal view shows the scene of the train accident in Studenka, 360 kilometers east of Prague.
The EuroCity train, which was traveling about 140 kilometers, or 87 miles, an hour at the time of the accident, crashed around 10:30 a.m. near the Czech town of Studenka.
It had been headed from the Polish city of Krakow to the Czech Republic capital of Prague, and was carrying people who were planning to attend an Iron Maiden rock concert, the state-run news agency said.
Officials said the engine and its six passenger carriages derailed when part of a bridge under construction fell down as the train approached.
At least six people were killed and 41 others were injured, officials said. Initial estimates said 10 people were killed and around 100 were injured.
Zdenek Nytra, head of Moravian-Silesian firefighters, said rescuers extricated all survivors, according to the agency.
|
ac260aff295d443b88127e00df683909
|
What crashed into a collapsed overpass?
|
[
"passenger train"
] |
NewsQA
|
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- A bomb exploded Saturday at a private hospital in the tourist city of Agra, India, injuring three people.
The bomb went off at Jai Hospital's reception area, said Brij Lal, spokesman for Uttar Pradesh police. The hospital is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the famed Taj Mahal, India's most popular tourist destination.
The blast blew out window panes and damaged the hospital's waiting room, where the three injured people were, said P.K. Tiwari, the inspector general of police in Agra. One of them sustain burn injuries.
"It is difficult to say what the cause and motive of the blast were. But we know that this was not a sophisticated device and seems to have not created too much impact," Tiwari said. "My guess is this is a crude bomb."
Police at the scene said they spotted several unclaimed lunch boxes and bicycles near the blast site.
India's Home Ministry said it had dispatched commandos to Agra and was in the process of collecting evidence from the scene.
The Agra blast occurred a day after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned the nation's senior police officers about India's vulnerability.
"The security environment in the country continues to be uncertain," Singh said in remarks at a police conference Friday. "The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the grave challenges posed by terrorism to our national security."
India has suffered a spate of attacks in recent years, including the November 2008 siege of Mumbai that killed 163 people.
This month, a bomb inside a briefcase at the high court in the capital, New Delhi, killed 11 people and injured 74 others.
The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility for that attack in an e-mail to several TV news channels. Authorities have detained three suspects from the Kashmir region.
In July, 19 people were killed in three deadly blasts in Mumbai, India's largest city and financial hub. No one has been arrested yet.
CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report.
|
68ab090d199a44e5bca6c2edd079e5c8
|
Has anyone claimed responibilty?
|
[
"The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will leave her post by noon on January 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama is to be sworn in to office.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has resigned effective January 20.
In an e-mail to the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, outgoing HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt asked Gerberding and several other senior officials from his team to submit their letters of resignation.
"She did so, and it was accepted, and it is effective January 20," CDC spokeswoman Karen Hunter said.
Leavitt explained his move this way: "The next phase of Transition involves the departure of our team on January 20, and the arrival of President-elect Obama's team later that day," his e-mail said. "In order to create a clear path for leadership transition, I am attaching a list of senior leaders who will become the acting heads of their respective agencies and offices (or in some cases, remain as heads of their respective agencies and offices) until the new administration appoints individuals to various leadership positions."
In addition to the change at CDC, Assistant HHS Secretary Charlie Johnson will serve as acting secretary, Leavitt said.
CDC's Chief Operating Officer William H. Gimson III will take over as interim director at the agency until the next HHS secretary appoints a new one, the e-mail added.
Gimson and Gerberding were traveling and unavailable for comment.
|
ab5fb8f8c51e41f4878901199cec5148
|
Who is taken over?
|
[
"CDC's Chief Operating Officer William H. Gimson III"
] |
NewsQA
|
JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Charges against Bryant Purvis, one of the six black students accused of being involved in beating a white student, were reduced to second degree aggravated battery during his arraignment Wednesday morning.
Bryant Purvis says he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball.
Purvis, who was facing charges of second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy, entered a not guilty plea to the reduced charges in the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena.
Charges have now been reduced against at least five of the students in the racially charged "Jena 6" case. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile.
Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and five other teens accused of the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker.
After the arraignment, Purvis said he has moved to another town to complete high school. He said he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball, which he hopes to play in college.
Mychal Bell, 17, is the only one of the "Jena 6" teens still in jail. Although he was released in September after his adult criminal conviction for the beating was overturned, he was ordered two weeks later to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for a probation violation relating to an earlier juvenile conviction.
A district judge tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery, saying the matter should have been handled in juvenile court. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles, Louisiana, did the same with Bell's battery conviction in mid-September.
Prosecutors originally charged all six black students accused of being involved in beating Barker with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy. E-mail to a friend
|
7b1a88e725124d57a0104b908f4463e9
|
Who was charged?
|
[
"Bryant Purvis,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- When Kellogg's dumped its endorsement of Michael Phelps after a photograph surfaced of the Olympic gold medalist using a bong, the company was stuck with thousands of boxes of cereal featuring the swimmer's image.
Kellogg's ended its Michael Phelps endorsement, so it sent two tons of cereal with his face on it to a food bank.
No problem. The company, based in Battle Creek, Michigan, made short order of the already-printed and filled boxes, donating two tons of cereal to the San Francisco Food Bank late last month.
With food banks across the country reporting shortages of food, the donation was a welcome one, said the food bank's director of development, Christopher Wiley. It took only two weeks for about 3,000 boxes to move through warehouse.
"Thousands of families benefited from the donation" Wiley said. "It was a surprise to us. We were lacking a lot of cereal. It is a great product many low-income families really need."
"The real story for us was not the box but what's inside the box. The food is so valuable for the community. It's making good from bad," Wiley said.
The food bank has seen a 6 percent increase in its customer base since the beginning of the year, he said.
Phelps, 23, won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
He admitted "regrettable behavior" after a British newspaper published the controversial photograph in early February. The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
A bong is a device commonly used to smoke marijuana.
The Phelps box attracted considerable attention to the food bank. Administrators received several calls from people wanting to get the box as a novelty item. But, said Wiley, all the cereal went to food bank customers.
Kellogg's was the only one of Phelps sponsors to drop the athlete, although U.S.A. Swimming, the nation's governing body for competitive swimming, suspended him for three months, withdrew financial support and barred him from competition during the period of his "reprimand."
CNN's Jackie Castillo and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.
|
b73e96e2df05416a9f94d3eeb93fbd79
|
What did the director say?
|
[
"With food banks across the country reporting shortages of food, the donation was a welcome one,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Singapore's economy shrank by 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Thursday, as it forecast the economy would contract between 2 and 5 percent this year.
Boats ply under a bridge near the financial district of Singapore.
Compared to a robust growth of 7.8 percent a year earlier, the economy grew by 1.1 percent for the whole of 2008, the ministry added.
It called Gross Domestic Product growth prospects for 2009 "weak ... on account of the pessimistic global economic outlook."
All major sectors, except for construction, business services and information and communications, saw contractions, the ministry said.
The ministry cited a decline in private sector investments and private consumption expenditure for dragging down total domestic demand.
Declines in global demand for electronics products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals were also likely to weigh on the manufacturing sector.
|
9d26988784d446e7808b75e7bf3508f7
|
What are the government forecasts for the economy in Singapore for the future?
|
[
"would contract between 2 and 5 percent this year."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Much of the Central Plains and Midwest braced for another day of potentially severe weather as residents of Oklahoma cleaned up from a deadly outbreak of tornadoes this week.
The National Weather Service said severe thunderstorms were possible Wednesday across large sections of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, as well as parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, forecast an outbreak of powerful thunderstorms in the late afternoon and into the evening -- some with large hail.
The deadly storm system that swept through Oklahoma on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail. Two people died and more than 100 people were treated for various injuries, the state Department of Emergency Management reported.
Gov. Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon.
"I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw," Henry said. "Literally hundreds and, I think, thousands of homes have received damaged in these storms, and many, many of those homes have been destroyed.
"Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit, this storm really was a statewide event, and there is damage and destruction throughout the state," he said.
The governor said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him "that FEMA would act very, very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster (declaration) and federal aid."
iReport: Are you there? Share photos, video
State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage. Additionally, 43 businesses were destroyed.
|
1fb4c576d54f45bf98619fd9b152dd79
|
How many homes were damaged?
|
[
"thousands"
] |
NewsQA
|
(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.
|
b9cb21bd214b4d88b53878ea2e571e75
|
What type of trail was she on?
|
[
"a beginners'"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The reality television show personality who accused football player Shawne Merriman of choking her over the weekend has denied that she was drunk during the incident, her Twitter page said Monday.
Shawne Merriman is accused of restraining reality TV star Tila Tequlia as she tried to leave his home, police say.
"I am allergic to alcohol," said the posting for Tila Nguyen, 27, who goes by Tila Tequila.
"It has been publicly known for years. That is how I got the name Tila 'Tequila' cuz the irony. I can't drink."
The incident began at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, when authorities responded to a disturbance call from Nguyen, the San Diego (California) County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
"Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence," it said.
Merriman, 25, was taken into custody on suspicion of battery and false imprisonment, the statement said.
Deputies saw no physical injuries on Nguyen, who is described on her Twitter page as 4 feet, 11 inches tall and 93 pounds, but she asked to be taken to a hospital, said sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Caldwell. Watch Caldwell talk about the incident »
The San Diego Chargers linebacker released a statement Sunday noting that no charges had been filed and saying he had done nothing wrong.
"I was concerned about her welfare given the intoxicated state she appeared to be in and I encouraged her to stay until safe transportation could be provided," Merriman said. "I in no way caused any harm to Ms. Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported."
Merriman said he was looking forward to clearing his name of the "false accusations."
Merriman's lawyer, Todd Macaluso, said Sunday that more than a dozen other people were at the house at the time, and "witness after witness after witness will back up his story 100 percent."
In a statement posted on the Chargers' Web site Sunday, team General Manager A.J. Smith said, "It is disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman.
"We'll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course," Smith said.
The 6-foot, 4-inch 265-pounder is entering his fifth year with the Chargers. The team begins its 2009 NFL regular-season campaign September 14 in Oakland, California, for a game against the Raiders.
Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, recorded at least 10 sacks in each of his first three seasons, but he was limited to one game last season because of a knee injury that required surgery.
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0b9458a2faec42f6b8d2567dd4a4c29b
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Who says she was intoxicated?
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[
"Merriman"
] |
NewsQA
|
David C. Novak became chairman of the board at Yum! Brands on January 1, 2001, and chief executive officer on January 1, 2000.
Yum! Brands's CEO, David Novak talks to CNN's Maggie Lake in The Boardroom.
He also serves as president of Yum, a position he has held since October 21, 1997.
Mr. Novak previously served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer, KFC and Pizza Hut from August 1996 to July 1997, at which time he became acting Vice Chairman of Yum.
He is a director of J.P. Morgan Chase. Novak is a member of the Yum! Brands Executive committee.
In his spare time Novak is a keen golfer and has even played a round with golf legend Tiger Woods. E-mail to a friend
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c3501881540a4e11b33b6bb39d29cf8e
|
What company is he director of?
|
[
"J.P. Morgan Chase."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Asia's economic growth will tumble to the slowest pace since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released Tuesday.
Customers buy vegetables at a market in Quezon City in suburban Manila, Philippines, on September 16.
"The short term outlook for the region is bleak as the full impact of the severe recession in industrialized economies is transmitted to emerging markets," said Jong-Wha Lee, acting chief economist for the ADB.
The Asian Development Outlook 2009 forecasts that economic growth in developing Asia will slip to 3.4 percent in 2009, down from 6.3 percent last year and 9.5 percent in 2007. Growth could improve to 6 percent in 2010, if the global economy experiences a mild recovery next year, the report says.
"The concern for the region, and especially for the region's poor, is that it is not yet clear that the [United States], European Union and Japan will recover as soon as next year," Lee said.
The slowdown should prompt Asian countries to expand their economic base and not be as dependent on exports, according to the report.
Despite the downturn, the report says Asia is in a much better position to cope with the current crisis than it was in the late 1990s.
"Large foreign currency reserves and steadily declining inflation rates will provide policymakers with the necessary tools to nurse their economies through the hard times ahead," the report said.
A number of Asian governments, including China, Japan and South Korea, have already responded quickly to the global financial crisis with stimulus packages and changes in monetary policy, helping to stem some of the downturn.
In November, China announced plans to inject $586 billion (4 trillion yuan) into its economy to offset declines in industrial and export growth. That economic stimulus plan included the loosening of credit restrictions, tax cuts and massive infrastructure spending.
|
2d7b31583241453baa8e2fc4950f0284
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What could be an effect of this slowdown?
|
[
"prompt Asian countries to expand their economic base and not"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Peru declared a state of emergency in parts of the country after weeks of protests against a mining project, the Andina news agency reported.
The state of emergency, which begins Monday, which will last for 60 days in four areas of Cajamarca department, according to Andina. President Ollanta Humala Tasso announced the decision, described as an attempt to re-establish peace in the area, Andina reported.
The announcement Sunday came after protests against the construction of a $4.8 billion gold mining project called Conga. The decision came as union leaders refused to stop ongoing protests, Andina reported.
Eighteen people were hurt, several by gunshots, following protests on Wednesday, the department's director of health said.
The protests took place despite an announcement Tuesday by U.S.-based Newmont Mining Corp. that work on the project would be suspended.
Newmont, which is based in Denver, Colorado, and describes itself as one of the world's largest oil companies, said it had suspended construction on the project "for the safety of employees and community members."
It noted that operations there and at the nearby Yanacocha mine "have experienced intermittent work stoppages as a result of ongoing protests in the region."
The protests began when anti-mining activists expressed concern about the possible impact of the project on the local water supply, the company said in a statement on its website. "The Conga Environmental Impact Assessment was approved in 2010 after extensive review by the Peruvian government, which included significant engagement and consultation with local communities," it said.
Critics say the mining project would adversely affect the area's ecosystem and would leave cattle in the zone without access to water.
CNN's Helena DeMoura and journalist Maria Belaunde contributed to this report.
|
7567f8f2d12445fda258b1e8f71ecf9f
|
What do critics say?
|
[
"the mining project would adversely affect the area's ecosystem and would leave cattle in the zone without access to water."
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- The pilot who made a treacherous crash-landing on New York's Hudson River look like a routine maneuver got a hero's welcome Saturday in his California hometown.
Chesley B. Sullenberger was honored Saturday with a celebration in his hometown of Danville, California.
Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger put his US Airways jetliner down on the Hudson minutes after both engines failed, then walked the length of the drifting Airbus A320 twice to make certain that all 155 people on board got off safely.
He was greeted by several thousand cheering people gathered around the town square in Danville, California, for a celebration in his honor.
Mayor Newell Arnerich presented Sullenberger with a ceremonial key to the city, an upscale suburb near San Francisco. Sullenberger, who has avoided public comment since the January 15 incident, made very brief remarks.
He thanked the crowd for an "incredible outpouring of support."
"Circumstance determined that it was this experienced crew that was scheduled to fly on that particular flight on that particular day," Sullenberger said. "But I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do. Thank you." Watch Sullenberger address the crowd »
Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie, fought back tears as she spoke of her husband.
"I have always known him to be an exemplary pilot. I knew what the outcome would be that day, because I knew my husband," she said.
"Mostly for me, he's the man that makes my cup of tea every morning."
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board continue to piece together details from the double engine failure that hit the plane after it took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte, North Carolina.
The jet's left engine, which apparently tore away from the plane on landing impact, was raised from the bottom of the Hudson on Friday.
Sullenberger reported to air controllers that his plane had hit birds shortly before both engines shut down.
On Saturday, the NTSB said a preliminary examination of the left engine found evidence of "soft body impact damage," the same kind of damage reported on the right engine.
An NTSB spokesman said that there was no evidence of organic material such as a dead bird in the left engine but that was not surprising because the engine had been under water for a week.
Although the NTSB has not officially confirmed reports of a bird strike, the agency's findings and statements have not done anything to discount the bird-strike reports.
Both engines will be shipped to the manufacturer in Ohio, where NTSB investigators will tear them down completely for examination.
|
bb3c51ee414a41ce948ada140f63ac0d
|
Where was the pilot greeted?
|
[
"Danville, California."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The suspect in the September attack on a woman that led to the discovery of 11 bodies at his Ohio home pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he raped and choked the woman.
Bail for registered sex offender Anthony Sowell was set at $1 million on the rape charges. Bail had already been set at $5 million on five murder charges related to the grisly discovery of the bodies at his home in Cleveland.
"I don't think a $1 million bond is unfair under the circumstances," Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John O'Donnell said at Friday's hearing.
Sowell was arraigned Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on multiple charges, -- including attempted murder, rape and kidnapping -- connected to the September 22 assault on the 36-year-old woman.
Sowell said he could not afford a lawyer, and O'Donnell appointed one.
The victim encountered Sowell while walking in his Cleveland neighborhood, and he took her back to his home, where he became violent and raped her, Cuyahoga County prosecutors said.
"While raping her, he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness," the prosecutors said in a written statement. "When she regained consciousness, he led her out of the house."
Police investigating that case searched Sowell's home and yard, finding the 11 bodies.
Sowell, 50, is charged with five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with those deaths.
He served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape. He was released in 2005.
Neighbors and police have told CNN that other women were seen at Sowell's home from time to time, and that he would offer them beer and other alcohol. Police say he also might have offered them drugs.
Neighbors on October 20 reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of the home. Firefighters and police responded and later notified police. But the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home "partying," and no charges were filed.
CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
|
77ec51a0551649979ae6d735446412da
|
What was discovered at Sowells home?
|
[
"11 bodies"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 24 people were killed in cities across Syria during a government crackdown Saturday against those in opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, according to a U.K.-based human rights group.
Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the western Syrian city of Homs, as residents contended with fuel shortages and power outages throughout the day, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
CNN cannot independently confirm accounts from the ground in Syria because the government has not provided access to Western media.
Also Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that al-Assad had passed the "point of no return -- no way that he will resume his authority or legitimacy over his people."
"I think that the world response ... these are real signals that there is acceleration toward the end of this regime," he said, citing the responses of the Arab League and Jordan.
The clashes come the same day as a deadline set by the 22-member Arab League to put forth a peace plan meant to stem violence against protesters which has resulted in months of bloodshed.
Earlier this week, Syria accepted "in principle" the alliance's plan to permit observers into the country to verify whether the regime has taken measures to protect civilians, a senior Arab diplomat said Friday.
Originally, 500 observers were believed to be destined for Syria. But on Friday, Arab Doctors Association Head Ibrahim Zafarani said he received an email from Arab League officials that indicated only 40 names would be submitted.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday afternoon that the proposed number had been reduced to 40.
Last week, the league's 22 nations voted to suspend Syria's membership, but later gave Damascus three days to implement a protocol to allow observers to enter the nation.
International pressure has since been mounting against al-Assad over his regime's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, amid concerns that violence in Syria is escalating.
CNN's Yasmin Amer contributed to this report.
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52f72d783ad74712a10945db733992df
|
What did the Israeli minister say about Bashar al Assad?
|
[
"al-Assad had passed the \"point of no return -- no way that he will resume his authority or legitimacy over his people.\""
] |
NewsQA
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "vast right-wing conspiracy" that attacked him during his presidency has been weakened, but continues to operate against President Obama, former President Clinton said Sunday.
Former President Clinton said Republicans won't see a 1994-like surge at the polls in 2010.
On NBC's "Meet the Press," Clinton was asked about the term his wife Hillary Clinton, now secretary of state, famously coined. "Is it still there?" host David Gregory asked.
"Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was," the former president replied.
"I mean, they're saying things about him [Obama] -- you know, it's like when they accused me of murder and all that stuff they did," Clinton said, in an apparent reference to conspiracy theories surrounding the suicide of White House deputy counsel Vince Foster.
"It's not really good for the Republicans and the country, what's going on now," Clinton said. "I mean, they may be hurting President Obama. They can take his numbers down, they can run his opposition up. But fundamentally, he and his team have a positive agenda for America."
The nation needs "a credible debate about what's the right balance between continuing to expand the economy through stimulus and beginning to move back to fiscal balance," Clinton said. "We need a credible debate about what's the best way to get to universal [health care] coverage."
Clinton was asked whether he is concerned that the 2010 midterm elections could resemble those of 1994, when Republicans took control of the House and Senate two years into his first term.
"There's no way" that could happen, Clinton said, adding that "the country is more diverse and more interested in positive action." Also, he said, Republicans had control of Congress for several years under President George W. Bush, "and they know the results were bad."
And, he said, "the Democrats haven't taken on the gun lobby like I did."
"Whatever happens, it'll be manageable for our president," Clinton said.
|
f0c804fce7344753b2ea3eba750ed36c
|
Who said consspiracy not as strong as it once was
|
[
"former President Clinton"
] |
NewsQA
|
(Mashable) -- Social media management company Vitrue released a free tool Thursday, the Social Page Evaluator, designed to help marketers get a better understanding of a Facebook page's value.
Just submit a Facebook page URL and the app will come up with a valuation based on factors like number of fans, number of posts per day, number of interactions and so forth.ssss
It's a cool -- if not completely scientific -- way to gauge the potential value of your Facebook page to advertisers. The formula used by the Social Page Evaluator is related to the formula that Vitrue released last month to estimate the relative value of Facebook Fans to big brands.
The tool, which was built over 63 hours in a Startup Weekend-style project, is adjustable and interactive. For instance, the base rate of Earned Media Value (or CPM in more traditional terms) is $5, but this can be adjusted to a higher or lower value depending on the brand in question.
Likewise, there is a "Fan-tasize" section that lets you manipulate other features like number of posts per day, engagement level and Fan count to see how that affects the valuation.
You can also compare a Facebook Page with up to three other brands at a time and view a Page's value history. In addition to the valuation data, there is also a list of best practices for getting the most out of your Facebook Page.
So how accurate is this tool? It's difficult to determine, as it is based on a formula that, while derived from a study of large brands, is obviously not going to be applicable to all companies.
Still, it's a fun, easy way to get an idea of the factors that impact a Facebook Page valuation. It's also a good stepping stone for marketers to start thinking about the potential advertising power of a Facebook Page.
What do you think of the tool? Let us know!
© 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.
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8c52db3cbae84c4880cb5ca4b427f810
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What helps marketers?
|
[
"Evaluator,"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Maria Sharapova returned to competitive singles after a near 10-month absence on Monday as she bids to prove her fitness for the forthcoming French Open in Paris.
Maria Sharapova is hoping to prove her fitness ahead of the French Open in Paris starting on Sunday.
The Russian defeated Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-1 6-7 6-3 to book her place in the second round of the Warsaw Open claycourt tournament
Sharapova's world ranking has slumped from No.1 to No.126 during her absence from the court because of a shoulder problem that saw her miss three Grand Slam tournaments.
The 22-year-old had to sit out last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open and also failed to recover in time for the 2009 Australian Open.
She has had to shelve comeback attempts but did appear in one losing game in the doubles tournament at Indian Wells in March.
Sharapova, who has three majors to her name, broke her Italian opponent four times in a row in the opener, dropping her own serve once en route to the set.
Garbin offered stiffer resistance in the second set although Sharapova wasted four match points at 5-3 and 40-0 up in the ninth game -- a seventh double-fault in the subsequent tie-break giving her rival a set point that she converted.
Sharapova, playing with a bandage on her right shoulder, hit back from 3-1 down in the decider to seal victory in two hours and 35 minutes.
The French Open begins in Paris on May 24.
|
0181aefd33634812a99689e5d5a9482d
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What does Maria Sharapova hope to prove?
|
[
"her fitness for the forthcoming French Open in Paris."
] |
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Editor's note: How would you rate President Obama's first 100 days? You'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days, CNN's Bill Schneider says.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senior White House adviser David Axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an "odd custom, the journalistic equivalent of the Hallmark holiday.'' But where did the notion of a president's "First 100 Days" originate?
With Franklin D. Roosevelt, another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis.
Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal, his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work.
Democrats had just won huge majorities in Congress and were ready to do the president's bidding.
But, should Congress fail to act, Roosevelt would ask for "broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were, in fact, invaded by a foreign foe," he warned in his inaugural address. Watch what FDR's First 100 Days were like »
Congress gave Roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days, including the Emergency Banking Relief Act, the Public Works Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Congress also approved the Beer-Wine Revenue Act that anticipated the end of Prohibition.
A White House adviser remarked that members of Congress had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats.
Comedian Will Rogers joked at the time that, "Congress doesn't pass legislation any more. They just wave at the bills as they go by."
Nothing since has equaled FDR's first 100 days.
But as Obama nears the symbolic benchmark, he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since FDR.
Still, Congress has passed only a few major bills, including the $787 billion economic stimulus package, the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children's health insurance.
So what has changed?
Presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation FDR got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis.
|
afa152f38e1446afa83b55f7265c0592
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what did roodevelt
|
[
"Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal,"
] |
NewsQA
|
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales on Monday accused a U.S. diplomat of contacting opposition groups, declared him "persona non grata" and ordered he be expelled.
"Francisco Martinez, a Mexican-U.S. citizen, was in permanent contact with opposition groups during the whole era of conspiracy," the leftist president said. "He was the U.S. embassy person who contacted ex-police officers," Morales told reporters, according to The Associated Press, whose tape of the speech was broadcast on CNN en Espanol.
"The times of the colony will end in Latin America," Morales vowed to reporters. "We are in profound transformation."
Martinez was identified in media reports as the second secretary at the embassy in La Paz, Bolivia's capital.
Heidi Bronke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department's Western Hemisphere Affairs bureau, acknowledged the move, but said it had not been communicated through diplomatic channels.
"We reject the accusations made by the government of Bolivia," she said. "This decision is unwarranted and unjustified. It is inconsistent with recent statements by the government of Bolivia expressing a desire to improve bilateral relations."
Morales' move comes six months after he declared U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg persona non grata for allegedly having encouraged anti-government demonstrators to violence.
Goldberg denied the charge.
Journalist Gloria Carrasco contributed to this story from Santa Cruz, Bolivia
|
f590a53afecd4d858e24749b601ae728
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who was identified?
|
[
"\"Francisco Martinez,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The 9-year-old boy who was the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed 103 people in Libya plans to return to the Netherlands on Saturday, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said Friday.
He is scheduled to leave Tripoli, Libya, at 10 a.m. Saturday and fly home with an aunt and uncle, as well as a doctor, the ministry said in a statement.
Ruben van Assouw suffered multiple fractures to his legs and underwent surgery at Al Khadra Hospital, said a doctor who declined to give her name.
Both of Ruben's parents and a brother were killed in the crash, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Acting on a request from the boy's relatives, authorities do not plan to say where the plane will land, and the media will not be present when it does, the ministry statement said.
"His relatives have appealed to the media to exercise restraint and to leave Ruben and his family in peace at this difficult time," it said.
Authorities said Ruben was the only survivor after an Afriqiyah Airways plane crashed at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The boy's aunt and uncle arrived in Tripoli to visit him Thursday.
Saif al Islam Gadhafi, the second eldest son of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi, visited the boy in the hospital along with airline chairman Capt. Sabri Shadi, according to a statement on Afriqiyah Airways' website.
More than two thirds of the passengers killed in the plane crash were Dutch, the foreign ministry said. Passengers from Libya, South Africa, Belgium, Austria, Germany, France, Zimbabwe and Britain were also among the victims, the airline said on its website.
The plane, an Airbus A330-200, departed Johannesburg, South Africa, and was at the end of its nearly nine-hour flight when it crashed.
Officials recovered the plane's flight data recorder, but investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash.
CNN's Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.
|
22feb97035da45a8a0840ee2058ca938
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What are investigators trying to determine?
|
[
"caused the crash."
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- This section of CNN Business Traveller aims to keep you up to date with the latest developments in the high flying world of the road warrior.
CNN's Richard Quest puts the Xshot through its paces with the help of a tourist in Basel.
Each show we check out new gadgets and give you our opinion on their usefulness.
The XShot
This month CNN's Richard Quest road tested the XShot, a telescopic stainless-steel rod that allows you to take pictures and videos while keeping yourself in the frame.
A camera is screwed in position on the end of the lightweight rod which extends by three feet. The mount fits all compact machines. Once in position all you need to do is hit the camera's self-timer or remote, hold the stick out and say "cheese."
This means you no longer have to be the martyr behind the lens on holiday snaps and you can save yourself the embarrassment of having to ask an unsuspecting member of the public to take a picture of you.
Of course, you might well feel just as self-conscious dangling a camera on the end of a meter-long metal stick but at least you'll be able to trust the photographer.
Quest tested the gadget against the beautiful alpine views from Mount Stanzahorn, near to the Swiss town of Lucern. After roping in a succession of tourists to try out the XShot, he decided it was easy to operate and compact, and worthy of a thumbs up from Smart Traveller. For more details visit xshotpix.com.
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2a8a34949dc04b1b885ef25e6ca53878
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What did Smart Traveller test this month?
|
[
"The XShot"
] |
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Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Army on Wednesday will report that while the number of suicides in the active-duty force declined in 2010, the number of suicides in the Army Reserve and National Guard increased, a senior Army official said.
The increase in Reserve and National Guard suicides is among troops who are in the United States and not activated for duty. The senior Army official said more than half of those troops were never deployed to a war zone.
The official said one possible explanation for the increase in suicides is economic pressure and rising unemployment, but he emphasized that the Army simply does not have answers.
The official noted that for Guard and Reserve personnel who live as civilians back in their communities, the Army is not able to provide the same type of suicide awareness and prevention programs that are available to active-duty personnel.
The decline in active-duty suicides, even though slight, may be initial evidence that those awareness and prevention programs are helping, the official said.
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b6f5da4b15af4446ba74b86a5a9c8636
|
Who doesn't have any answers?
|
[
"the Army"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Thirty people joined National Park Service rangers Saturday in climbing to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, the first tourists to go into the landmark's crown since the 9/11 attacks.
Chris Bartnick, 46, and daughter Aleyna, 8, of Merrick, New York, look out from the statue's crown on Saturday.
The New York Harbor monument was closed after the terrorist assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon for safety and security reasons, the Interior Department said.
"Once again, Americans can climb to Lady Liberty's crown and gaze out over New York Harbor, where so many of our ancestors first saw the New World and first breathed the fresh air of freedom," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said as he welcomed visitors back on the Fourth of July holiday. "This is a celebration of America and the joy of being an American."
Visitors on Saturday were grateful they could go inside the landmark.
"It's just basically safety for our country and at least they opened it," visitor Ira Semapadilla told CNN affiliate NY1 before the visit. "That's one thing that I was like, wow, I'm never going to experience it. ... They ruined it for us.
"Now that it's going to open again I'm excited, and I'm just really looking forward to being in there." Watch as CNN's Susan Candiotti treks to top »
Gov. David Paterson, D-New York, Gov. Jon Corzine, D-New Jersey, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Salazar at the reopening ceremony.
Even with the reopening of the monument, only a rare few will get to scale the 354 steps to the crown.
Only 10 visitors are permitted to ascend the steps at any one time, meaning about 240 people can make the climb during the park's 8:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. hours of operation.
The opportunity to climb Lady Liberty will end again in two years, when work will begin on further safety and security upgrades.
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f5f37cd8b2b14ed68444b35c16d2c0cf
|
When was it closed?
|
[
"after the terrorist assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon"
] |
NewsQA
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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNN) -- He's no Julia Child, but Honduran President Manuel Zelaya showed Tuesday he can attack a cantaloupe and U.S. government claims in a single motion.
President Manuel Zelaya chews on a slice of Honduran melon to demonstrate its safety.
"It's not in our fruit," he said about last week's report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that some Honduran cantaloupes may be contaminated with salmonella. "It's not true what they are saying. Logically, we believe it is an error."
Then, the 55-year-old father of four asked the viewers of CNN en Español to indulge him as he engaged in a show-and-tell demonstration. "Permit me a second," he said as he stretched his left arm across the tabletop and outside the view of the camera, then pulled into view a box of fruit.
"Here I have the box of melons that we are exporting to the United States; here are the protective bags," he said.
Zelaya lifted a cantaloupe from the box, placed it in front of him, then grabbed a knife and a fork.
"Permit me to make a demonstration," he said, then cut open the fruit, sliced off a chunk, put it in his mouth and chewed vigorously.
"I eat this fruit without any fear," he said with his mouth full. "It's a delicious fruit. Nothing happens to me!"
Though the symptoms of salmonella infection -- nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps -- typically do not occur for several hours after eating tainted food, the point was made.
The demonstration came three days after the FDA said it had linked 50 cases of salmonella in 16 states and nine in Canada to melons from Agropecuaria Montelibana, a grower and packer in San Lorenzo, Honduras.
Though there have been no reports of fatalities, 14 people have been hospitalized in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, the FDA said.
While the company has continued exporting to Europe and Central America and has received no reports of illness, the daily export of 45 containers of melon to the United States has halted, a company official said Monday.
As a result, some 1,500 workers have been laid off, most of them single mothers, and company losses have exceeded $3 million, company officials said.
The FDA alert advised U.S. grocers, food-service operators and produce processors to remove from their stock any cantaloupes from the company.
The agency also recommended consumers throw away any cantaloupes determined to be from the company. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Elvin Sandoval contributed to this story.
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51386faeaae34b05a8ca411ed77861f3
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who was laid off
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[
"1,500 workers"
] |
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CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- An Egyptian real estate mogul and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Saturday to the murder of a rising Lebanese pop singer who was found slain in her United Arab Emirates apartment.
Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim was found slain in her apartment in Dubai in July.
Prosecutors allege that Hisham Talaat Moustafa, a Parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party, paid Muhsen el Sukkari $2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim.
Both have denied the charges.
Tamim, 30, was found in her Dubai apartment in July with her throat slit.
Moustafa's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer, but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected.
Polygamy is legal in Egypt, and it not unusual for men -- such as Moustafa, a married father of three -- to take on additional wives.
The prosecutors say the murder was a "means of taking revenge" but have not elaborated. Watch report on murder trial »
"It did not happen and I have presented all the evidence that I am not guilty," Moustafa said in the courtroom Saturday, according to Reuters.
"It did not happen," Sukkari said, according to Reuters. "By Almighty God, my blood is innocent of her."
Although Tamim was killed in the United Arab Emirates, the Egyptian judiciary is trying the case in Cairo because Egyptian law does not allow its citizens to be extradited for trials in other countries.
The defendants appeared Saturday in cages -- as is typical in Egypt -- before three judges in a crowded downtown courtroom.
Heavy security surrounded the building, amid a crush of reporters and onlookers.
The case, with its high-profile victim and defendant, has captivated Egypt and the region.
After his arrest in September, Egyptian authorities indicted Moustafa, stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and jailed him pending trial.
He also resigned as chairman of Talaat Moustafa Group -- a conglomerate with construction and real estate arms that was founded by his father, Talaat Moustafa.
Moustafa's brother, Tarek Talaat Moustafa, now chairs the company.
The case will resume on November 15. The defendants will remain jailed until then.
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d0291bd7ce77450dba9a990b3e2c717d
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who was killed in a dubai apartment?
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[
"Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim"
] |
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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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7011b01af9754f699c3008a4415ecccf
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Where is the center of the earthquake?
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[
"approximately 175 miles west of the city of Vancouver and nearly 50 miles underground."
] |
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(CNN) -- Researchers have discovered a previously unknown group of rare monkeys in the forests of Vietnam.
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys were so skittish, researchers captured a photo of only one: an adult male.
Several biologists caught fleeting glimpses of about 15 or 20 Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys in a remote area near the Chinese frontier, the wildlife conservation group Fauna & Flora International said Thursday.
The "bizarre-looking" monkeys -- on the brink of extinction -- were so skittish around people that researchers were able to snap a photo of just one of them: an adult male scampering through the trees.
The monkeys were "very sensitive to the presence of people, giving warning signs to one another and fleeing" whenever biologists approached, the group said in a statement.
"It was apparent that the monkeys associated humans with danger -- perhaps due to ongoing threats from hunters," the group said.
So few Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys have survived in the wild that scientists thought until recently that they were extinct. Now they estimate that roughly 200 remain, mainly in parts of northern Vietnam near the Chinese border.
Hunters with a taste for bush meat and the loss of habitat have pushed the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey toward extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
It classifies the primate as critically endangered "because its population size is estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals, with no subpopulation greater than 50 mature individuals, and it is experiencing a continuing decline."
Fauna & Flora said it is working with a variety of groups to improve the livelihoods and "reduce human pressures on the forest ecosystem" in an effort to safeguard the newly discovered group, which was spotted in a patch of forest in the Quan Ba district of Vietnam's Ha Giang province.
The sighting thrilled conservation biologist Le Khac Quyet, described by Fauna & Flora as "one of the few people in the world who can claim to be an expert on this mysterious species" and as the person credited with discovering the new group of that species.
"When I saw the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys ... I was overjoyed," he said in the Fauna & Flora statement.
"There is still time to save this unique species, but with just 200 or so left and threats still strong, we need to act now."
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1044b3ee5b994b06829594ce92f87578
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How many Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys were scene?
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[
"15 or 20"
] |
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(CNN) -- Brendon Pelser said he saw pure terror in the faces of his fellow passengers after an engine fell from a wing as it took off from Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday.
Men were sweating profusely, women were crying.
"There was fear on their faces," Pelser said. "Everyone started panicking."
But the pilot of Nationwide Airlines' Boeing 737 Flight CE723 was able to fly long enough to dump fuel and make an emergency landing at Cape Town International Airport.
Including crew, 100 hundred people were on the plane that departed at 3:50 p.m. on an hourlong flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. No one was injured.
The jet had only been in the air about 10 minutes before the engine fell.
"We heard something crash and bang, the plane veering left and right. A person on the right side said the engine was missing -- had broken clean off," said Pelser. Watch Pelser describe how the flight crew told passengers to "prepare for the worst" »
"They flew us in very slowly. We were all prepared for the worst. We went into the fetal position, head between the legs," he said. "Then we hit the runway."
"I did kind of pray. I didn't want to die. I'm not really ready to die," the 33-year-old said.
An object had been sucked into the engine as the nose wheel lifted from the ground and officials are trying to identify it.
The engine-to-wing supporting structure is designed to release an engine "when extreme forces are applied," to prevent structural damage to the wing, Nationwide said on its Web site.
The airline described the incident as a "catastrophic engine failure."
As the nose wheel lifted from the ground, "the captain heard a loud noise immediately followed by a yaw of the aircraft (sideways slippage) to the right," the airline said in a news release.
The flight instruments showed the No. 2 engine on the right side had failed, it said.
Pelser said he spent the night in Cape Town, then flew back to Johannesburg where he lives, on the same airline.
Nationwide said the engine had undergone a major overhaul in March 2005 at "an approved Federal Aviation Authority facility in the U.S.A." and had flown only 3,806 hours since then.
"These engines typically achieve 10,000 hours between major overhauls," Nationwide Airlines' press release stated. E-mail to a friend
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1e9a80e0afbb4ed893ed2a401ab0b0ef
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When did this event take place?
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[
"Wednesday."
] |
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(CNN) -- David Lance Arneson, who helped trigger the global phenomenon of role-playing games as co-inventor of "Dungeons & Dragons," has died at the age of 61.
A statement on the game's official Web site, wizards.com, said Arneson died Tuesday evening "after waging one final battle against cancer."
Arneson "developed many of the fundamental ideas of role playing: that each player controls just one hero, that heroes gain power through adventures, and that personality is as important as combat prowess," the statement said.
The game's co-creator, Gary Gygax, died last year.
In 1974, Arneson and Gygax created "Dungeons & Dragons," which allowed players to assume roles in a magical world. They could be fighters or wizards, elves or dwarfs.
"As characters journey through various lands, they search for hidden treasures while battling menacing monsters with their own brains and brawn," a description on wizards.com says.
Some games would last days or weeks -- or even longer. "Game campaigns are as limitless as the player's imaginations," wizards.com says.
What began as a hand-assembled print run of 1,000 games quickly sold out. Young people all over the world started buying up the game. By 1982, sales broke the $20 million mark.
Arneson filed a series of lawsuits against Gygax insisting he was not being given credit or proper royalties for his work creating the game. The suits were settled.
"Dungeons and Dragons" spawned video games, novels, a cartoon, and a movie. The franchise saw a surge this decade after "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" movies took off.
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a0225570071848209251bd9c9ea69cae
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David Lance Arneson was how old when he died?
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[
"61."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- The man Chilean authorities accuse of sparking a wildfire that has consumed more than 31,000 acres of a national park said Sunday that he is innocent.
"It is very important to me to say that this wasn't me (who started the fire). They dropped the case on me," Rotem Zinger told Israeli army radio.
The 23-year-old Israeli national said he was surprised by the way the case against him has unfolded.
"I was not explained what I was accused of. I did not give a testimony. I did not confess. Things rolled out the wrong way through mistranslation. I never intended to admit the blame," he said.
Zinger is accused of lighting a fire in a prohibited area of the protected Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile, regional prosecutor Juan Agustin Melendez said. Prosecutors also accuse him of making the situation worse by not reporting to authorities that the fire got out of his control.
If convicted, Zinger could face a fine and 41 to 60 days in prison, Melendez told CNN Chile. Zinger will be required to stay in the region during an investigation, the prosecutor said.
Authorities will be looking into what caused the wildfire for months, Melendez said. Fierce flames have kept investigators from reaching the location where the fire started, he added.
The wildfire has been burning since Tuesday. Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze, but authorities have said they don't know when the fire will be under control.
High winds stoke the flames for most of the week, though rains in the area Saturday gave firefighters some help.
"We could be talking about a week. We could be talking about a month or more," said Hugo Knockaert, chief of fire management for Chile's National Forest Corporation.
CNN's Guy Azriel, Claudia Dominguez and CNN Chile contributed to this report.
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4f9fe51040e04293a6c1f5924d3a0b24
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who did tell Israeli radio?
|
[
"Rotem Zinger"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Four of O.J. Simpson's accomplices in the 2007 robbery at a Las Vegas hotel were given suspended sentences Tuesday by Nevada District Judge Jackie Glass.
District Court Judge Jackie Glass sentenced four O.J. Simpson codefendants to probation on Tuesday.
The four -- Charles Cashmore, Charles Erlich, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander -- all turned on Simpson and cooperated in the case against him.
Simpson was sentenced last week to at least nine and as many as 33 years in prison in the case. Glass called him "arrogant" and "ignorant."
Before announcing the suspended sentences Tuesday, Glass said the actions of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander were "stupid but also criminal" when they accompanied the former football star to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino on September 13, 2007.
But she praised them for taking responsibility for their actions and for cooperating with the state's case against Simpson.
Should they violate the terms of their probation, the four could face prison time ranging from 12 months to 84 months, depending on the specific charges against them.
The four apologized to the state and the victims in the case before their sentences were read in court Tuesday.
Simpson, a former Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL running back, had enlisted the help of Cashmore, Erlich, McClinton and Alexander, along with Clarence "C.J." Stewart, in an effort to get sports memorabilia items that Simpson claimed belong to him from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley.
The six men confronted the dealers in a hotel room, brandishing weapons but not firing them.
Stewart received a sentence similar to Simpson's but will be eligible for parole in 7½ years. Watch how Simpson's conviction came down »
Glass ordered Fromong removed from the courtroom Tuesday after he made a comment during the sentencing of McClinton, who admitted brandishing a gun in the hotel room.
Glass still has to decide restitution in the case a schedule a hearing on that for Friday morning.
The four men sentenced Tuesday walked meekly from the courtroom to report to law enforcement officials and get details on their probation.
On Friday, Simpson was led from the courtroom in shackles. He'll remain jailed while an appeal is pending.
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a75f2beecabd4172aedd758d10576765
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What is the judge still deciding in the case?
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[
"restitution"
] |
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LONDON, England -- A mother is seeking to have the womb of her severely disabled daughter removed to prevent the 15-year-old from feeling the pain and discomfort of menstruation.
Doctors in Britain are now taking legal advice to see if they are permitted to carry out the hysterectomy on Katie Thorpe, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
But a charity campaigning for the disabled said on Monday the move could infringe human rights and would set a "disturbing precedent."
Andy Rickell, executive director of disability charity Scope, told the Press Association: "It is very difficult to see how this kind of invasive surgery, which is not medically necessary and which will be very painful and traumatic, can be in Katie's best interests.
"This case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people's human and reproductive rights. Watch why the surgery is so controversial »
"If this enforced sterilization is approved, it will have disturbing implications for young disabled girls across Britain."
Katie's mother Alison Thorpe, who lives in Billericay, southern England, said the operation was in her daughter's best interests.
"First of all, this is not about me. If it was about me, I would have given up caring for Katie a long, long while ago," she told GMTV.
"It is about quality of life and for Katie to not have the associated problems of menstruation adds to her quality of life. It means she can continue with the quality of life we can give her now.
"Katie wouldn't understand menstruation at all. She has no comprehension about what will be happening to her body. All she would feel is the discomfort, the stomach cramps and the headaches, the mood swings, the tears, and wonder what is going on."
Thorpe said an operation would be best for Katie, despite the initial pain it would cause.
She added: "The short-term pain and discomfort we can manage with painkillers. We will be able to manage that pain much better than menstruation once a month, when Katie cannot tell us 'I'm in pain.'" E-mail to a friend
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1eb7c65d797a4a86b9b0ccd5c2b1c1fd
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Who seeks permission to preform hysterectomy?
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[
"Doctors in Britain"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- An unusual exhibition is confusing and amusing tourists and locals in central Copenhagen this month.
Strange signs from around the world can be seen in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"Signspotting" is a collection of more than 100 signs found by travelers around the world and recreated by travel writer Doug Lansky.
"I wanted it to look as if we'd stolen the sign or someone with a professional camera had taken a really good picture of it," he told CNN. See pictures from Signspotting in Copenhagen. »
Lansky started his collection almost 17 years ago, encouraged by friends who found his photos of strange signs more compelling than his treasured holiday snaps.
As a travel columnist for the Chicago Tribune, he set about collecting photos of as many bizarre signs as he could. Interest in the project became so big that he eventually used them to replace the column itself.
Signspotting Weekly was taken up by six papers, and before he knew it people began to send him pictures of signs they'd seen, eventually enough to fill a floor-to-ceiling cabinet.
The photos filled two volumes of Signspotting books for Lonely Planet. Lansky chose the best for the first exhibition in Stockholm last year.
"I felt bad I hadn't seen them. I knew I wasn't going to go around the world to track it down so I thought I'd do it this way," he said.
Creating the exhibition took hours of painstaking work to digitally enlarge the photos so they looked like the real thing.
"When most of these people sent these signs in they were on a postcard-sized photo and the actual sign was about the size of a postage stamp. To blow them up to this size was tricky," he said.
The photos were then mounted onto real signs on metal poles standing in concrete bases.
The free exhibition opened in Copenhagen, Denmark last week and will move to Arhus, Denmark on July 1st. Lansky is currently building a second exhibition for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
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04ee7d905b2c47c6855f99f15f1dbb85
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Where did tThe "Signspotting" street exhibition open ?
|
[
"Copenhagen, Denmark"
] |
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(CNN) -- The body of a woman was found near her car Wednesday, the apparent victim of an ammonia leak from a nearby plant in Swansea, South Carolina, police said.
The leak occurred at the Tanner Industries plant as a hose had been connected from a delivery trailer containing anhydrous ammonia (purified ammonia) to a storage tank in the facility, said David Binder, director of quality safety and regulatory affairs for Tanner Industries.
"During that operation, a hole burst in the hose," he said. "That released ammonia gas."
The leak from the plant, located about 24 miles south of Columbia, was reported to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department shortly before 8 a.m., said Maj. John Allard, a public information officer for the department.
Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes at the plant, where they saw a large, light-colored, dense plume, and closed area roads to traffic, he said.
The ammonia hovered first over U.S. 321, then moved into a wooded area, blackening its foliage, Allard said.
Public safety personnel searched the vicinity for any people or animals affected by the leak, and -- at 9:30 a.m. -- found the woman's body next to her vehicle, which was parked on the side of U.S. 321, he said.
Officials were speculating that the woman had been driving north when she encountered the plume and tried to turn around, but her car stalled.
She apparently got out of the vehicle and was overcome by the fumes, Allard said. An autopsy has been ordered.
The woman's name was not released pending notification of her family.
Seven people were taken to Lexington County Medical Center in stable condition with respiratory problems, none of which was life-threatening, Allard said. Five were plant workers; the other two were nearby residents.
The road was reopened at 2 p.m., after the plume had dissipated, he said.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board -- an independent agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents -- announced it is deploying an investigation team to the site of the ammonia release.
Tanner's Binder described the occurrence as "tragic," adding that nothing similar had occurred in the plant's more than 13 years of existence. "This is just heart-wrenching," he said, adding that there were no immediate plans to reopen the plant.
Ammonia, a strong irritant that affects the respiratory system, is used in a variety of industries, including the manufacture of fertilizers and in commercial refrigeration systems.
CNN's Anna Rhett Cobb contributed to this story
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e3303d69d5584dd799a680e5fbc082d5
|
What do officials speculate?
|
[
"that the woman had been driving north when she encountered the plume and tried to turn around, but her car stalled."
] |
NewsQA
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Suspected Taliban militants blew up a bridge early Tuesday in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, suspending NATO supply lines.
A Pakistani policeman sits near a police check post in the tribal area of Khyber Agency on February 12, 2008.
The blast occurred about 6 a.m. Tuesday in the Khata Kushta area of Jamrod in the Khyber Agency in Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The bridge connected Landi Kotal and Jamrod. Transport has been suspended, and authorities are assessing damages.
Engineers also are on location and work is under way to open a temporary route. Details were unclear on the size of the blast, but most of the iron bridge was destroyed, local officials said.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.
Authorities are looking for alternate supply routes for NATO supply trucks and traffic going from Pakistan to Afghanistan, because the route is the main one between the two countries. All vehicles must cross the bridge when going from Peshawar toward the crossing point into Afghanistan.
This is the first time militants have targeted a bridge or roadway in efforts to disrupt NATO supplies, a local official said.
Previously, militants have targeted truck depots where supply convoys wait to cross into Afghanistan or have attacked trucks on their way through Pakistan and into the Khyber Agency.
On Monday, at least 35 suspected militants were killed as part of ongoing operations in the Swat Valley, the Pakistan military confirmed to CNN.
Government security forces engaged 70 to 80 suspected militants with artillery and attack helicopters about 11 p.m., after observing their movements in the Khwaza Khela District of the Swat Valley, the military said.
Though only 35 militants were confirmed dead, many more were injured in the attack and the death toll was expected to rise, the military said.
Also on Monday, a Taliban FM radio sermon announced that militants had killed 16 Pakistan army soldiers in the Swat Valley. Officials at the Swat media center said that report was false.
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3dbc7544c9c6493f9f0aef935233f488
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Where was the bridge blown up by Taliban militants?
|
[
"region between Pakistan and Afghanistan,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Beijing Tuesday, as the two countries agreed to bilateral economic and trade deals worth $4 billion, Chinese state media reported.
Wen hosted a welcome ceremony for Putin at the Great Hall of the People at the start of a three-day visit, before their private talks and a larger session involving ministers from both sides, Xinhua said.
"Russia and China have become genuine and comprehensive strategic and cooperative partners in recent years," Putin was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
Bilateral relations have become stable and mature since the forging of diplomatic ties 60 years ago and particularly the establishment of the Russia-China strategic cooperative partnership in 1996, Wen told reporters.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said the deals included two $500-million-dollar banking deals -- one involving Russia's Vnesheconombank (VEB) and the China Development Bank and the other between Russia's VTB bank and the Agricultural Bank of China, Agence France-Presse reported.
Chinese and Russian negotiators also met Tuesday "to exchange views on China-Russia energy cooperation," according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
In April, the two countries signed agreements on oil cooperation, while a memorandum of understanding on natural gas cooperation in followed in June.
But negotiations over the pricing of the gas have reportedly remained a major obstacle to a final deal, AFP said.
However, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, who met with Zhukov at a joint economic forum earlier Tuesday, told reporters that the China-Russia oil pipeline project was going smoothly and the loan China pledged to Russia had been implemented, Xinhua said.
The construction on the China section of an oil pipeline from Siberia started in May. The 1,030-kilometer (640-mile) pipeline runs from Skovorodino, Russia, to the city of Daqing in northeastern China.
It is expected to go into operation by the end of 2010 and carry 15 million tons of crude oil annually from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030, Xinhua added.
|
ed5162083c7e4f71a481f1a60ad49fb5
|
Who meets Vladimir Putin ?
|
[
"Wen Jiabao"
] |
NewsQA
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Navy is investigating how thousands of dollars went missing in the rescue of the captain of the Maersk Alabama in April, a Pentagon source told CNN.
The USS Bainbridge tows the lifeboat in which Capt. Robert Phillips was held for days.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service opened an investigation into how $30,000 disappeared after special forces snipers shot and killed three pirates, ending the multi-day siege and freeing the captain, who had been held hostage.
Investigators are talking to anyone who may have had contact with the money or knowledge about what happened to it, the source said, including military personnel on the warship, Navy SEALs who rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, and the crew of the Maersk Alabama.
The NCIS and the Maersk Line Ltd., which owns the Maersk Alabama, have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
In a criminal complaint filed against the one surviving alleged pirate, Abduwali Muse, the government contends the alleged pirate demanded money from the ship's captain and led him by gun point to the ship's safe. Watch CNN's Chris Lawrence on the investigation »
"The captain opened the safe and took out approximately $30,000 in cash. Muse and two other pirates then took the cash," the criminal complaint contends. It goes on to allege that Muse distributed some of the money to the other pirates who retreated to a lifeboat where they were holding the captain as a captive. See timeline of events that led to piracy case »
All three of the other pirates were killed by U.S. Special Forces snipers during the rescue but the complaint does not list any money recovered from the boat after the rescue. It only lists rifles, a hand gun, artillery, cell phones and handheld radios.
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1b6e05afaec54ca28f4d541cc0581cf7
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How many pirates were killed during the siege ?
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[
"three"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British bank Lloyds TSB has agreed to forfeit $350 million dollars to U.S. and New York authorities for criminally hiding information about prohibited dealings with Iranian and Sudanese customers.
Prosecutors said that the bank's misconduct took place between 1995 and 2007.
Under a settlement reached in a federal court in Washington late Friday, Lloyds acknowledged criminal conduct and forfeited $175 million to U.S. authorities and an equal amount to New York authorities.
Court documents say for more than a decade Lloyds had been falsifying data which moved through U.S. institutions by "stripping out" of wire transfers any references to business deals involving customers in the two countries.
Lloyds officials acknowledged they feared if the U.S. had been aware of the deals they would likely have been blocked because of restrictions on commercial deals with Iran and Sudan.
"For more than 12 years Lloyd's facilitated the anonymous movement of hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S.-sanctioned nations through our financial system," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich.
"Lloyds stripped identifying information from international wire transfers that would have raised a red flag at U.S. financial institutions and caused such payments to be scrutinized," he said.
Although the money must be forfeited, under terms of the deal Lloyds will not presently be prosecuted because it accepted responsibility and has vowed to abide by the U.S. laws. After two years the U.S. will forego prosecution and formally drop the criminal charge.
In a statement, the bank said: "We committed substantial resources to a thorough internal investigation, the results of which were shared with U.S. investigators and regulators.
"We are committed to running our business with the highest levels of integrity and regulatory compliance across all of our operations and have undertaken a range of significant steps to further enhance our compliance programs."
In October, the British government agreed a deal with Lloyds TSB, HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland to make a multi-billion investment in the three to help them through what Prime Minister Gordon Brown described as the "first financial crisis of the global age."
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ad530144545d4d65a9b14995ff5476c8
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In what years did the violations occur?
|
[
"between 1995 and 2007."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Fighting has prompted thousands of people in the southern part of Sudan's Darfur region to seek security and shelter at a refugee camp in the northern part of the war-torn area, according to the United Nations.
A member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stands guard near the Sudan-Chad border in 2007.
The U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that fighting in Muhajeria and Shearia between Sudanese government forces, and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), drove over 15,000 people north to the Zam Zam camp.
The water supply to the camp is becoming strained with displaced people arriving there every day, OCHA said Wednesday.
The government of Sudan has waged a brutal counter-insurgency against militias for the past six years, a war that some international critics have characterized as genocide.
An estimated 300,000 people in the western Sudanese region have been killed through combat, disease or malnutrition, according to the United Nations. An additional 2.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of fighting among rebels, government forces and the violent Janjaweed militias.
Fighting continues in the region despite the JEM and local government signing a "goodwill and confidence-building" agreement earlier in February, according to the U.N.
The U.N.-African Union allied peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) will begin building a new community police center near Zam Zam in the next two weeks, the U.N. announced Saturday.
The violence in Darfur erupted in 2003 after rebels began an uprising against the Sudanese government. To counter the rebels, Sudanese authorities armed and cooperated with Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents there, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations. The militias targeted civilian members of tribes from which the rebels drew strength.
Last year, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court for the government's campaign of violence in Darfur.
Under pressure to end the fighting, Al-Bashir in November agreed to an immediate and unconditional cease-fire in Darfur. But the rebel Justice and Equality Movement was not included in the case-fire talks.
CNN's Katy Byron contributed to this report.
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f9cb87e0f70a4cb78451903848fff3d8
|
When did the violence erupt?
|
[
"2003"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- He's gone from being a backup dancer to the biggest thing in Asian pop culture, an actor and singer who has sold millions of albums.
The 27-year-old South Korean has even faced down U.S. comedian Steven Colbert in a spoof dance-off.
The comedy skit came about after Rain placed higher than him in Time Magazine's 2008 online poll of the 100 Most Influential People.
As well as a sense of humor and dance moves that shook Colbert out of his satirical posture to praise, Rain is also known as one of the hardest working men in the entertainment business.
Rain, real name Jung Ji-hoon, broke into the notoriously tough world of South Korean show business with JYP Entertainment when he was just 18 years old.
He made his first mark in Hollywood last year with a role in "Speed Racer" appearing alongside Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox.
As a singer with five albums to his name, he's faced thousands of screaming fans at concerts across the world, and recently he faced your questions. Watch the show and find out what makes Rain tick.
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849f0bb91e1a488f8271a60c35f12b2b
|
who will be answering questions?
|
[
"Rain, real name Jung Ji-hoon,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- German Bundesliga side Schalke have announced Huub Stevens as the replacement for recently-departed coach Ralf Rangnick, on the same day that former Danish international Michael Laudrup left his role as coach of Spanish club Real Mallorca.
Rangnick, 53, guided Schalke to the semifinals of the European Champions League last season but left the Veltins Arena earlier this month, citing fatigue as his reason for leaving the club.
Dutchman Stevens, 57, previously spent six years as Schalke coach between 1996 and 2002, guiding the Gelsenkirchen outfit to a UEFA Cup triumph against Italian giants Inter Milan in 1997.
Stevens, who has also had spells in charge of Hertha Berlin, Hamburg and PSV Eindhoven, has signed a two-year deal.
"Huub Stevens, who coached the Royal Blues from 1996 to 2002, has returned to his former stomping ground with immediate effect," read a statement on the club's official website. "Stevens has put pen to paper on a contract to 30 June 2013."
Schalke currently sit fifth in Germany's top division, having won four and lost three of their opening seven matches.
As Schalke appointed a new coach, Laudrup ended his one-year tenure in charge of Mallorca.
Laudrup, who represented Denmark on 104 occasions, announced his decision to leave the club at a press conference on Tuesday.
The former Spartak Moscow coach made the decision due to his relationship with club owner Lorenzo Serra Ferrer becoming damaged beyond repair.
"This situation cannot continue like this," Laudrup, 47, said. "From now on, Mallorca will be whatever it is Serra Ferrer wants."
Laudrup guided Mallorca to a 17th-place finish last season as the one-time Copa del Rey winners avoided relegation by just one point.
The club sold star midfielder Jonathan de Guzman to Spanish rivals Villarreal in August and Laudrup saw his assistant Erik Larsen sacked on Monday.
"Yesterday one of my assistants was fired," he said. "Once again, it is very difficult -- if not impossible -- to find the peace required to work here.
"The team is hurt by this situation. What we need is calm and I cannot go home every night, angry, disappointed. I have a family."
Laudrup's final game in charge was a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday, and his former charges travel to Osasuna on Saturday.
|
a7d7aaffc64a4aa691dda5ea9185a724
|
who has left Spanish outfit?
|
[
"Michael Laudrup"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- More than six hundred workers at Total's Lindsey oil refinery in Northern England have been told they no longer have jobs after staging what the company calls an "unofficial, illegal walk out."
Protesters gathered outside Total's Lindsey oil refinery on Friday, June 19, after hundreds of striking workers were sacked.
The steel workers started striking last Thursday after one contractor axed 51 jobs while another employer on the same site was recruiting.
Protesters gathered outside Total's Lindsey oil refinery Friday with placards calling for solidarity from fellow workers.
The dispute has prompted a number of wildcat strikes at power stations and oil refineries around the United Kingdom.
The workers' union GMB, which represents around half of the sacked workers, estimates that, as of late yesterday, up to 4,000 other workers at four power stations and three oil refineries had walked off the job in sympathy.
Early this afternoon, Total confirmed that negotiations had started between the workers' employers and ACAS, the British Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.
Earlier, in a statement posted on its Web site, Total announced that its contractors had started the process of ending employment contracts for 647 workers on the HDS-3 construction project.
The statement said the project has been temporarily shut down and that all employees had until 5pm on Monday to reapply for their jobs.
Phil Davies, national secretary and head of the manufacturing section at the GMB Union, told CNN the invitation to a job interview would only stoke workers' anger. "I think that would just humiliate people to be quite honest and it will put their backs up and make them more determined to win it," he said.
He said union representatives were in the process of gathering information to hold an official industrial ballot, a process that could take six weeks.
The British Press Association published one sacked Lindsey worker's appeal for support from fellow union members: "We are asking for support from workers across the country which I am sure will be given. Total will soon realize they have unleashed a monster."
Workers at the Lindsey oil refinery walked off the job for more than one week in early February to protest against the hiring of hundreds of foreign workers.
They returned to work after the unions and the company gave assurances that half the jobs would go to British workers.
|
f67c2f8df2664f62a286d4b8302d8a6e
|
how many workers were axed
|
[
"More than six hundred"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Two Americans and an Israeli were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for painstakingly mapping out the thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome -- work that paves the way for new antibiotics.
U.S. researcher Thomas Steitz is one of three scientists sharing the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Inside all animals, plants and bacteria are DNA molecules that contain the blueprint for life. Ribosomes are an organism's protein factories. They use the information in the DNA to make the tens of thousands of proteins that enable the organism to function properly.
These proteins include hormones, enzymes and hemoglobin, which transports oxygen.
From a medicinal standpoint, the ribosome is important because it is what antibiotics target.
In a bacterial strain, antibiotics bind to the ribosomes, preventing them from making the proteins the bacteria need to survive.
Americans Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas Steitz and Israeli Ada Yonath shared the $1.4 million prize for mapping the position of the thousands and thousands of atoms that make up ribosomes. Their three-dimensional models showed how different antibiotics bind to the ribosome.
"These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics, directly assisting the saving of lives and decreasing humanity's suffering," said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize.
Ramakrishnan, a U.S. citizen who was born in India, is a senior scientist and group leader at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, according to the Nobel Prize Web site.
Steitz is a professor at Yale University and an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Yale, the site said.
Yonath is a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and director of the Helen & Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure & Assembly at the Weizmann Institute, the Nobel site said.
The Nobel Prizes are being awarded this week and next. The medicine award was handed out on Monday and the one for physics on Tuesday.
The prize for literature will be awarded Thursday; the Nobel Peace Prize winner will be named on Friday, and the award in economics will be issued on Monday.
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b59eb00bbba7442584ff595a9c921015
|
When did they receive the prize?
|
[
"Wednesday"
] |
NewsQA
|
Ercis, Turkey (CNN) -- The death toll from the massive earthquake that shook eastern Turkey over the weekend rose to 535 Thursday, up from 471 the day before, but crews have been able to rescue 185 people alive from the rubble, Turkish officials said.
In addition, about 2,300 people were injured by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Sunday, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Relief Agency.
Meanwhile, crews rescued 18-year-old Imdat Padak alive from the rubble of an apartment building in Ercis almost 100 hours after the earthquake, the semi-official Anatolian new agency reported.
After teams from Azerbaijan retrieved him, Padak was taken to a hospital for initial treatment, and then was airlifted by helicopter to Van.
Padak appeared not to have any significant trauma, but was suffering dehydration. He is reported to be a student from the village of Kiziloren and was taking courses while preparing for university entrance exams.
Earlier in the week, crews pulled a 2-week-old baby, Azra Karaduman, alive from the debris.
The developments came as there were reports of a moderate earthquake in the country's south.
A 5.2 earthquake hit about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the center of Sunday's quake, near the border with Iraq, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
There were no immediate reports of damage from the latest quake.
Padak was the latest of several people found alive in the rubble days after Sunday's quake. On Wednesday rescuers pulled two people from collapsed buildings.
Britain has pledged emergency tents for more than 5,500 people whose homes were destroyed, Home Secretary Theresa May said during a visit to Turkey Thursday.
CNN's Diana Magnay, Yesim Comert and Michael Martinez contributed to this story
|
927037fe170c4fe085c09a7be442f299
|
What is the death toll?
|
[
"535"
] |
NewsQA
|
HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Former Cuban President Fidel Castro says he is open to the idea of meeting with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has largely been out of the political scene since falling ill in 2006.
"With Obama, one can talk whenever he wants, because we're not preachers of violence or war," the communist leader wrote in an essay published Thursday on a state-run Web site. "He must be reminded that the carrot-and-stick theory cannot be applied in our country."
Friday's missive marked the second time in recent weeks that a Cuban leader has said he is open to meeting with Obama.
In the latest issue of The Nation, actor Sean Penn writes of his recent conversation in Havana with Raúl Castro, who took over as president this year from his ailing brother.
According to Penn, Raúl Castro told him, "Perhaps we could meet at Guantanamo. We must meet and begin to solve our problems, and at the end of the meeting, we could give the president a gift. ... We could send him home with the American flag that waves over Guantanamo Bay."
Obama has called for the U.S. detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay naval base on the island of Cuba to be closed.
Despite the indications that the Cuban leadership is open to warmer relations with its neighbor to the north after 47 years of a U.S.-imposed trade embargo, some in Havana expressed skepticism that the impending change in leadership in the United States will translate in to a changed Cuban policy.
"Obama is a product of the American empire," Carlos Pose said.
But Elisany, a high school student, said she's hopeful. "We've got to wait and see. I hope things change."
|
c46454d075c840c88e89921a7234c1ba
|
Who are skeptical of U.S. policy?
|
[
"some in Havana"
] |
NewsQA
|
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Friday morning in Spain's northern Basque region, killing a police officer inside the vehicle, officials said.
Police investigate the vehicle destroyed by a car bomb in Spain's Basque region.
Spain's Prime Minister blamed the attack on the Basque separatist group ETA, although there was no warning call before the explosion, as often happens in ETA attacks.
The car exploded at 9:05 a.m. (3:05 a.m. ET) in an open-air parking lot in the Basque town of Arrigorriaga and damaged five other cars. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and police moved in to investigate.
The Spanish national police officer killed was Eduardo Puelles, said the new Basque regional president, Patxi Lopez.
"ETA showed us the road to pain," Lopez said on national TV. "We will show them the road to prison."
The officer was a senior figure in the fight against ETA and the explosion was caused by a limpet bomb placed underneath the car, officials told CNN partner station CNN+. A limpet bomb is one that is stuck to the underside of vehicle.
Arrigorriaga is about 30 miles south of the largest Basque city of Bilbao.
ETA's last fatal victim was a businessman who was shot dead in the same region last December.
"My stance to stop ETA is unbreakable, so that people in the Basque country and Spain can live in peace, to halt this barbarity," said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, after the attack.
ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its more than four decades of fighting for Basque independence. The European Union and the United States list it as a terrorist group.
ETA has threatened Lopez, who is a socialist and the first non-nationalist Basque president in 30 years. He has also vowed to stop the group.
There are about 600 ETA members or suspected members in Spanish jails and 150 others in French jails, authorities in both countries have told CNN.
|
16d11af93a47460d8b40abfb201bb85f
|
What type of bomb was it?
|
[
"A car"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- This month on Art of Life we feel the need for speed. From the world's first road-legal grand prix bike to a rock legend with a passion for aviation.
Monita Rajpal samples the finest in Italian motorbikes
Monita Rajpal meets the boys behind Ducati's motorbikes, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson explains why flying is his new source of adrenaline, and trance legend Paul Van Dyk takes us round his favorite haunt in the former East Berlin.
Ducati: Riding in Style
Ducati has long-been the ultimate name in luxury motorbikes, but just like its racers, the company has had to compete fiercely to defend its title. As a small Italian manufacturer, up against Japanese mega-plants, employing thousands of workers, Ducati's comparatively small family is driven by pride. CNN's Monita Rajpal visits the Bologna factory floor and talks to some of the men behind the company, meets Ducati's Moto GP champion Casey Stoner and takes a test drive of Ducati's Desmosedici racing replica, the world's first road-legal grand prix bike. Watch Monita's trip to the Ducati factory
Bruce Dickinson: Rock star in the sky
A leather-clad, long-haired pilot, donning a t-shirt with blood-spewing skeletons would be a nightmare for many uneasy flyers. Fortunately for passengers on Bruce Dickinson's plane, the lead singer of Iron Maiden has gotten a new wardrobe and a new day job. Art of Life meets up with the rock legend to find out why he has chosen to take to the skies and become a commercial airline pilot. Watch Dickinson take to the skies
Paul Van Dyk: Guides us through Germany
Paul Van Dyk, the legendary trance musician, DJ and producer has made his name well-known, even though his genre of music is typically associated with young ravers and more urban listeners. Watch as Van Dyk takes Art of Life on a tour of his hometown, the former East Berlin, and shows how he has drawn from the city's war-weathered rhythms to gain inspiration for his songs. Watch Van Dyk tour Berlin E-mail to a friend
|
ea77f36807304134a8915fd32dde13cf
|
Who visits the Ducati factory in Bologna?
|
[
"Monita Rajpal"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens is shelving plans to build the world's largest wind farm.
T. Boone Pickens says the capital markets will not support his plans to build the world's largest wind farm.
The chairman of BP Capital Management announced Tuesday that his plans for the Pampa Wind Project, designed to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity using thousands of wind turbines, is on hold.
"I had hoped that Pampa would be the starting point, but transmission issues and the problem with the capital markets make that unfeasible at this point," Pickens told CNN's Ali Velshi. "I expect to continue development of the Pampa project, but not at the pace that I originally expected."
The Pickens Plan was an attempt to wean the United States off foreign oil and switch to wind and natural gas. The project was to be set in four Texas Panhandle counties.
Pickens said he faced hurdles in routing the power from Texas to a distribution system. His plans were also stymied by a plunge in natural gas prices and a tightening credit market.
"The capital markets have dealt us all a setback, and I'm less aggressive with the Panhandle project than I have been," Pickens said. Watch Pickens respond to criticism that the U.S. can't shake it's oil addiction »
He said he was still committed to 667 wind turbines that he has already ordered and would find homes for them.
The Texas billionaire pushed The Pickens Plan in television commercials and lobbying efforts that started last summer. Pickens had hoped to complete his $12 billion plan in 2014 and provide enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes.
Renewable energy is the source of only a small portion of electricity used today, but in 2008, the United States became the world's leading provider of wind power.
Pickens, 81, made his fortune in oil production and trading and is listed in Forbes magazine as the 117th richest person in the United States with a net worth of about $3 billion in 2007.
|
b77e6a6c3e5f4e12a9cef5a959ee688d
|
How many homes would the wind farm have powered?
|
[
"1.3 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Manchester United came a goal behind and shrugged off the early loss of Michael Owen to injury to beat German champions Wolfsburg 2-1 for their second victory in Champions League Group B.
Giggis is congratulated by teammates after scoring his 150th goal for United.
Owen, looking to impress watching England manager Fabio Capello, survived for just 20 minutes at Old Trafford before going off with a groin strain.
His replacement Dimitar Berbatov proved highly effective but the enterprising visitors went ahead through a Edin Dzeko header in the 56th minute.
Ryan Giggs equalized just three minutes later with his 150th goal for the Red Devils, his deflected shot finding its way home.
The evergreen Giggs then set up Michael Carrick for the 76th minute winner as he curled home his shot from the edge of the penalty area.
United manager Alex Ferguson paid his own compliment to the Welsh wizard as he reflected on a hard-fought home victory.
"He's unbelievable, all the infinitives, all the praise over the years, I don't know if you can add to it. He's a marvellous player."
Ferguson also revealed that Owen would be out for between two to three weeks with his latest injury.
The three points leave United top of the group with two wins from two games after their eighth victory in a row in all competitions.
In the other Group B action on Wednesday, CSKA Moscow bounced back from their 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg in the first round of matches to see off Turkish champions Besiktas 2-1.
Midfielders Alan Dzagoev and Milos Krasic scored for the hosts either side of half time, with Besiktas, beaten in their first two games, pulling a goal back thorugh Ismail Koybasi.
In Group A, the heavyweight clash between Bayern Munich and Juventus ended in a goalless draw.
Munich had several chances in their home Allianz Arena, but failed to convert them although they do top the group with four points.
French champions Bordeaux are in second place on three points after a 1-0 home win over Israeli counterparts Maccabi Haifa.
Having drawn with Juventus in their group opener, Laurent Blanc's men had wait until the 83rd minute for a vital breakthrough as Michael Ciani headed home from Gregory Sertic's corner.
Juventus are third in the group after two draws, with Maccabi bottom after drawing blank.
|
2b572f7d0b704e1a9809f656b46ee6ea
|
Who scored the winning goal?
|
[
"Michael Carrick"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A suspected arms dealer accused of conspiring to sell weapons to Colombian guerrillas was extradited Friday from Spain to the United States, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Kassar is accused of conspiring to sell weapons to FARC rebels.
Monzer al Kassar had been wanted for decades before he was arrested in an undercover operation in Spain last year.
Justice Department officials say he has been a source of weapons and military equipment for armed combatants since the 1970s.
He left Spain aboard a private plane accompanied by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents and arrived in New York at 11:30 a.m. local time Friday (1530 GMT), a DEA spokesman said.
He is expected to appear before a federal magistrate in Manhattan before the end of the day.
Kasser was arrested in Madrid a year ago by Spanish police working with undercover DEA officers posing as members of the FARC.
The U.S. accuses Kassar and two other men of conspiring to sell millions of dollars' worth of weapons to FARC, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization.
The weapons included surface-to-air missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, thousands of machine guns, and millions of rounds of ammunition, according to a federal indictment.
A Spanish court last week approved his extradition on four counts, including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.
The two co-defendants, Tareq Mousa Al Ghazi and Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, were both previously extradited to New York from Romania to face the same terrorism charges.
All three could face life in prison.
Kassar had told journalists before he was arrested that he had retired from arms dealing, but the U.S. says he had been involved since the 1970s, providing weapons and military equipment to armed factions in Nicaragua, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and elsewhere.
CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden contributed to this report
|
c2f6281bb6a544b58a4843f49e042941
|
What is Monzer al Kassar accused of?
|
[
"conspiring to sell weapons to FARC rebels."
] |
NewsQA
|
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fay made landfall in southwestern Florida early Tuesday, coming ashore at Cape Romano just south of Marco Island, the National Hurricane Center said.
Satellite image shows Tropical Storm Fay along Florida's southwest coast at 11 p.m. ET Monday.
Forecasters immediately dropped hurricane warnings for the storm as it never reached the 74 mph threshold necessary for hurricane status.
It was the third landfall for the storm, which came ashore in western Cuba Sunday night and then again over Key West Monday afternoon.
Voluntary evacuations were urged Monday evening on Marco Island, a community of about 12,000 people near Naples on southwestern Florida's coast. However, a CNN crew reported many people seemed to be staying and few had boarded windows there.
At of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, the storm was moving north-northwest at 9 mph (15 km/hr) and was on the Florida coastline at Cape Romano, or about 55 miles (90 km) south of Fort Myers.
Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph (95 km/hr), with higher gusts, and forecasters expected some strengthening prior to landfall. Tropical storm force winds extended up to 125 miles (205 km). iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video
Fay is expected to continue in a north-northeasterly direction throughout the day, passing near Orlando, and entering the Atlantic as a tropical depression off the coast of northeastern Florida early Wednesday. Watch wind, rain batter Key West »
A tropical storm warning wraps around the bottom of the Florida peninsula from Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast to Flagler Beach on the east. The Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge are also included in the warning.
Rainfall amounts up to 10 inches are expected across portions of southern and east-central Florida, with 4 to 8 inches elsewhere along the storm's path.
Isolated tornadoes are possible over the Florida Keys and the southern Florida peninsula, the center said.
|
d89292fd464a428e9deca02d1644d72a
|
What was dropped as Fay's winds never reached 74 mph?
|
[
"hurricane warnings"
] |
NewsQA
|
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- In response to a spate of attacks allegedly by a drug cartel, Mexico more than tripled the number of federal police officers patrolling the state of Michoacan, a government spokeswoman said.
Drug violence is up in Michoacan state, shown by recent attacks on police in at least a half-dozen cities.
The government on Thursday dispatched 1,000 federal police officers to Michoacan state in southwest Mexico, increasing its presence to 1,300 total, Public Safety spokeswoman Veronica Penunuri told CNN.
At least 18 federal agents and two soldiers have been killed since the weekend in Michoacan, the home state of President Felipe Calderon.
The sudden spike in violence followed the arrest Saturday of Arnoldo Rueda Medina, whom authorities described as a high-ranking member of the drug cartel known as La Familia Michoacana.
Cartel members first attacked the federal police station in Morelia to try to gain freedom for Rueda, authorities said.
When that failed, drug gangs attacked federal police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacan cities, according to authorities.
The Michoacan cartel also is accused in the slaying of 12 federal police officers whose bodies were found Tuesday on a remote highway.
Video from the scene showed three signs, known as narcomensajes, left by the killers. They all stated the same thing: "So that you come for another. We will be waiting for you here."
Since Calderon went after the drug cartels shortly after coming into office in 2006, more than 10,000 people have died across Mexico, about 1,000 of them police.
The state of Michoacan, on Mexico's southwest Pacific coast, is not alone in the wave of violence sweeping the country.
The border city of Ciudad Juarez set a record this weekend when its toll of drug-related deaths for the year topped 1,000, a distinction the Mexican city did not reach last year until September.
|
e8fb8619f6294b80aed2c0c6b792cbd5
|
How many federal police officers were slayed?
|
[
"18"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The space shuttle Discovery is on pace for a Sunday launch after NASA engineers repaired a leaky gas venting system, officials said Saturday.
Space shuttle Discovery readies for launch, which now appears on pace for Sunday.
The leak had canceled a planned launch on Wednesday.
NASA hopes the seven-member crew can take off around 7:40 p.m. Sunday on a mission to the international space station, where they will deliver supplies needed to expand the station's crew to six people.
"The vehicle is looking real good ... ," lead shuttle flight director Mike Moses said. "Basically, I think I can sum this up by just saying we're good to go tomorrow and we're looking forward to getting the count going."
A leak in a hydrogen gas vent line forced Wednesday's delay. Repairs went smoothly, Moses said.
The line funnels flammable hydrogen away from the launch pad during takeoff.
The shuttle crew will be delivering the final parts needed for an expanded solar energy power system that will allow the station to double its crew to six people. The crew also will be dropping off Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will replace NASA's Sandy Magnus on the space station.
The shuttle also will carry a replacement for a failed unit in a system that converts urine to drinkable water, NASA said. Watch an explanation of why Wednesday's launch was scrubbed »
Kathy Winters, the mission's chief weather officer, said Sunday appears to offer only a 20 percent chance of weather that would scrub the launch.
The crew, led by commander Lee Archambault, is expected to board Discovery at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Officials said the crew has been training and resting for the mission since Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Magnus, station commander Michael Fincke and Russian engineer Yury Lonchakov had to take shelter in their Soyuz spacecraft -- a lifeboat of sorts -- when a piece of debris from an earlier mission hurtled uncomfortably close to the station.
The debris, moving about 20,000 mph, came within three miles of the station but caused no damage.
Wednesday's launch postponement was the latest in a series of delays for Discovery as it tries to make the 28th shuttle mission to the space station.
The launch had been delayed previously to allow time to check a "flow-control valve in the shuttle's main engines," NASA said last week. That resulted from damage being found in a valve on the shuttle Endeavour during its November 2008 flight. Three valves were cleared and installed on Discovery, it said.
CNN's Kim Segal and John Zarella contributed to this report.
|
a297788b336f4cfa8e7eb8ffecebdac6
|
what was leaking?
|
[
"gas venting system,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Charges of bribery against former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Halliburton by Nigeria's anti-corruption police may be dropped after an agreement to pay a $250 million fine.
"Discussions focus on the possibility of a plea bargain arrangement," said Femi Babafemi, a spokesman for Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
"Allowing the company and former officials to pay heavy fines in lieu of prosecution ... they would pay $120 million as fines and $130 million from bad money stored in Switzerland from the original deal -- so $250 million in total."
This month, the commission charged Cheney -- who ran Halliburton in the 1990s -- and nine others with "conspiracy and distribution of gratification to public officials."
The investigation is part of a long-running case involving Halliburton and a subsidiary firm, Kellogg, Brown and Root, over alleged bribes paid to Nigerian officials to secure $6 billion worth of contracts for a liquefied natural gas project in the Niger Delta.
The bribes are said to have amounted to $180 million between 1994 and 2004.
The firm pleaded guilty to foreign bribery charges in the United States last year and paid a $402 million criminal fine, the U.S. Justice Department said. KBR and Halliburton also paid $177 million to settle civil complaints related to the bribery, the Justice Department said.
Investigations in Nigeria, however, have been ongoing, and there are allegations that the bribes went all the way to the top, to aides, officials and possibly then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Many observers in Nigeria regard the move as a publicity stunt by the commission ahead of national elections in April and as a symbolic effort to display resolve against government corruption.
The agency has had limited success in getting successful prosecutions and hasn't charged any high-profile people since its top commissioner was removed from the body in 2007.
Cheney's atttorney has said that there is no reason to suspect that his client is guilty.
"This matter involves the activities of an international four-company joint venture (which included KBR, then a subsidiary of Halliburton) well over a decade ago," Terrence O'Connell said.
"The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated that joint venture extensively and found no suggestion of any impropriety by Dick Cheney in his role of CEO of Halliburton."
The latest discussions on reaching a settlement ended this weekend in London, Babafemi said.
The arrangement is now waiting for Nigeria's Minister of of Justice to officially agree to the deal, a decision that is expected by the end of the week.
|
c112e9dd5b1f43a0a96b64e3f3b4c1de
|
What amount is the payment of the plea deal?
|
[
"$250 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian space officials say the crew of the Soyuz space ship is resting after a rough ride back to Earth.
A South Korean bioengineer was one of three people on board the Soyuz capsule.
The craft carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan on Saturday, 260 miles (418 kilometers) off its mark, they said.
Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew -- South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko -- was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry.
Search helicopters took 25 minutes to find the capsule and determine that the crew was unharmed.
Officials said the craft followed a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to gravitational forces of up to 10 times those on Earth.
Interfax reported that the spacecraft's landing was rough.
This is not the first time a spacecraft veered from its planned trajectory during landing.
In October, the Soyuz capsule landed 70 kilometers from the planned area because of a damaged control cable. The capsule was carrying two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut. E-mail to a friend
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Who was the capsule carrying?
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"two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut."
] |
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(CNN) -- Starting Tuesday, many "robocalls" from telemarketers will be illegal.
A new ban on automated telemarketing calls goes into effect Tuesday.
Businesses that try to push products on consumers with automated and unsolicited calls will face fines of up to $16,000 per call, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
"American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a news release.
Calls from politicians, public service announcements and "informational" calls will be exempt from the new rule. A call alerting a traveler that his or her flight has been delayed would still be allowed, for example.
Banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations are also excluded from the ban, the FTC says.
The FTC asks people to report questionable robocalls by visiting its complaint Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.
"If consumers think they're being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them," Leibowitz said.
The ban on many pre-recorded calls was approved by the FTC in August of 2008 and is the last of a series of amendments to go into effect, said Lois Greisman, the FTC's associate director of marketing practices.
She said the ban applies only to pre-recorded calls and encouraged consumers to sign up for the federal "do not call" registry for additional protections.
Robocalls to mobile phones already are illegal, she said.
People still will be able to receive telemarketer calls if they give companies written permission to contact them.
Nate Anderson, a blogger at Ars Technica, a technology site, cheered the amendments but said many calls are illegal even without the new amendments.
"Most of the robocalls received by people in the office here are already illegal to do begin with -- pitches for time shares and bogus car warranties top the list of such calls," he wrote.
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Who banned automated telemarketing calls?
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"the Federal Trade Commission."
] |
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BURBANK, California (CNN) -- Jay Leno ended his 17-year reign as the host of "The Tonight Show" Friday with the children of people who met and started families while working at the long-running late-night show during his tenure, according to audience members who attended the taping.
Jay Leno stands with the children of people who met and started families while working on the show.
"Jay said that's what he wanted his legacy to be," said Kevin Anthony of Miami, Florida. "His staff members, from stage managers to runners, who met, got married and had kids joined Jay on the stage and he took a picture with the 70 kids of those parents."
"Jay also thanked his wife," said Kathy Young of Los Angeles, "Jay said, when these kids are asked what was the 'Tonight Show' about, I want them to say, my parents met while working on the show and they had me. And that's what the 'Tonight Show' was all about."
Others in the audience said the show was about celebration. "It was amazing," said Justin Herring from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "It was a celebration more than emotional," he said. "It didn't feel like a last show, more like a transition."
Rosa Moore from Denver, Colorado, said Leno became teary-eyed when James Taylor sang "Sweet Baby James."
"When James Taylor sang the line, 'I'm 10 miles from Boston with a thousand miles more to go,' Jay wiped his eye," said Moore. "Jay explained that when he left Boston for Los Angeles, he was just outside of Boston when he heard that line and it gave him the courage to keep going," she said. "It's like the song is Jay's personal soundtrack."
Leno will be back in the fall with a new prime time show, and he's taking most of his staff with him. The new show will have some of the same elements as "The Tonight Show" but with some new features.
Conan O'Brien, Leno's first guest Friday night, will be taking over "The Tonight Show" hosting duties beginning Monday.
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d534d0e502c84b48a9138563bd740d86
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Who will take over the show on Monday?
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"Conan O'Brien,"
] |
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(CNN) -- One thing Saudi people should not have to worry about is money.
Oil money is paying for Saudi Arabia's growth but it is also the main cause of rising prices
The kingdom is awash in cash which keeps pouring into the world's largest oil producer as prices rise. Last year alone, Saudi is estimated to have raked in about $200 billion from oil.
It is this influx of money which is paying for Saudi Arabia's economic growth -- but it is also the main cause of rising prices across the country.
"There is no free lunch. If you want to grow at that base, you have to swallow a price every once in a while in the form of high inflation," said Abdulrahman Al Harithi, CEO of investment bank, MENA Financial Group.
Saudi people are certainly paying the price. Inflation is currently running at 9.6 percent -- a 30-year high.
At the beginning of the year, rental costs went up nearly 17 percent. In March, the cost of fuel and water increased almost 16 percent and other everyday staples also saw double digit gains.
The kingdom's business community is also concerned about the adverse effects of inflation.
A recent survey of Saudi Arabia's business confidence by financial services company, SABB, found that while confidence remains robust, over half of respondents were concerned that inflation would lead to rising business costs.
Prices in the kingdom will continue their upward trend, according to the analysts at SABB.
What's more, there is not much the Saudi government can do to combat it. The riyal, like many other Gulf currencies, is pegged to the U.S. dollar and while the Gulf is booming, the U.S. is heading towards recession.
As the economic fortunes of the two countries continue to diverge it is hard to see what can be done to combat inflation.
The main problem is that whenever the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, like it did this week, the kingdom must follow suit.
In a booming economy like Saudi's, low interest rates push prices through the roof.
The government is studying whether remedies like a minimum wage could ease the pain but some in the kingdom, like Al Harithi, say there is no quick solution.
"Honestly, I don't' think there is an answer for such a question. I don't think there is a magical formula that could fix this issue," he told CNN. E-mail to a friend
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05fa2d33b28d492faa215314c5ee3c4f
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Inflation is running at what level
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"9.6 percent"
] |
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(CNN) -- Yemenia Airways is canceling all its flights between Yemen and the Comoros Islands after this week's crash on the same route, the airline said Saturday.
Bahia Bakari holds her father's hand as she lies on a stretcher in a plane after landing in France.
One more flight between Sanaa and Moroni is scheduled for Sunday, but all flights on the route are canceled after that, Yemenia said.
A Yemenia Airways Airbus 310 went down early Tuesday, carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members. It originated in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and went down just miles from Comoros' capital, Moroni.
One person, 13-year-old French girl Bahia Basari, survived for hours in the Indian Ocean clinging to the debris of the downed plane. She arrived home in France on Thursday, where she was reunited with her father. Watch teen survivor from crash »
She is the only known survivor from the crash, which killed her mother.
The Airbus 310 plane tried to land at the airport in Moroni, then made a U-turn before it crashed, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said.
The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar.
French and U.S. divers are helping to search for debris and bodies. The French military has detected a rescue beacon, but rescue workers say the wreckage is difficult to reach in deep waters.
The plane's data recorders have yet to be found, said Capt. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Qadir, a spokesman for Yemen's civil aviation department.
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7f297d716e954284ade5287b370cc10f
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Did anyone survive the place crash off Comoros?
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"One person, 13-year-old French girl Bahia Basari, survived for hours in the Indian Ocean clinging to the debris of the downed plane. She arrived home in France on Thursday, where she was reunited with her father."
] |
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(CNN) -- Peruvian President Alan Garcia left Singapore on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit after reports surfaced that an air force officer was accused of spying for the Chilean government, Peru's foreign minister said Saturday.
"We do consider, from the information that have received, that we need an explanation and sanctions to those involved," Foreign Minister Jose Antonio García Belaunde told CNN en Espanol Saturday.
He added that he does "not have all the elements of the story here in Singapore," but confirmed that the suspect is "under arrest and in the hands of the judicial power in Peru."
Garcia and his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet had planned to attend a workshop Saturday with other world leaders, but the Peruvian leader canceled his agenda to return to Lima. However, there were no plans for a bilateral meeting between leaders from both countries, Belaunde said, dismissing reports that there had been such a session scheduled for Sunday.
Belaunde said he has spoken to Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez Amunategui about the case, but that his counterpart would not have information until he returns to Santiago.
Meanwhile, a Chilean spokeswoman dismissed the espionage allegations.
"Chile does not spy," Carolina Toha, spokeswoman for Chile's Interior Ministry. "Chile takes international relations as a serious matter."
APEC's 21 member nations -- ranging from Thailand to United States, Chile to China -- represent more than half of the world's economic output. The forum sees its goal as "facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region."
Chile and Peru have a history of animosity, having fought in the War of the Pacific from 1879 to 1883. Hard feelings linger to this day.
The two nations nearly came to war in 1975 when left-wing Peruvian leader Juan Velasco, who was backed by Cuba, wanted to invade Chile, which was led by right-wing Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The invasion was called off and Velasco was deposed in a coup a short while later. Tensions rose again when Peru discovered a Chilean spy mission, but war was averted.
More recently, tensions between the two South American nations flared in December after the revelation that Peru's top army general said at a party that Chileans in neighboring Peru would be sent back in coffins or body bags.
At the time, Peruvian Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz said relations between the two nations will be repaired, calling the incident involving Peruvian Gen. Edwin Donayre "a bump in the road." Bachelet had made similar assertions.
Also last year, the World Court agreed to look at an issue concerning Peruvian claims to a disputed maritime area.
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0a4eb9328dc741bfaf9ba553cd89df8f
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What was the summit about?
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"Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation"
] |
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(EW.com) -- After ABC changed a new show's mildly profane title during development, upcoming comedy "Apartment 23" has now more-or-less reverted to its original head-turning name.
The official new title of the show is "Don't Trust The B----- in Apartment 23," dashing out the letters of the curse in an attempt to soften its impact (not entirely unlike how CBS solved buying short-lived "S**t My Dad Says" last season, substituting the non-word "$#*!").
The Disney-owned network has two upcoming shows that previously used the word "b**ch" in their title -- "Don't Trust the B**ch in Apartment 23" and drama "Good Christian B**ches." The former was shorted to "Apartment 23" right before the network's broadcast upfront presentation in May. The latter was change to "Good Christian Belles," and was then changed again to "GCB." ("Good Christian B**ches," in particular, was singled out by some culture critics who were ready to pounce on the show should it hit the air with its original title).
'Dancing with the Stars': Cher was there! (Not that Chaz Bono noticed)
In the case of "Apartment 23," the new title was rather anonymous; it didn't tell you anything about the show. The new version more clearly suggests the show's premise -- about a naive midwesterner (Dreama Walker) who moves in with a hardcore party girl (Krysten Ritter). And given that CBS' "2 Broke Girls" and Fox's "New Girl" have successfully launched girl-with-new-roommate(s)-in-the-big-city premises this fall, the cleverly written "Apartment 23" might likewise pop for viewers. The show does not yet have a premiere date, but is expected to debut sometime this season.
Although networks are wary about the swear word in a show's title, on-air use is fair game. According to a story in the New York Times a couple years ago, the use of the word "b**ch" in primetime tripled in the last decade, growing to 1,277 uses on 685 shows in 2007 from 431 uses on 103 prime-time episodes in 1998.
See full article at EW.com.
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© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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af2c725e66bd4a38b4c1e9f99815dbe9
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What was the title shortened to in May?
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"\"Apartment 23\""
] |
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Washington (CNN) -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday that the Obama administration will push legislation designed to overhaul and upgrade America's aging oil and gas pipeline network.
The initative is partly a response to a series of deadly pipeline explosions, including one last year in San Bruno, California, that killed eight people and destroyed 37 homes. A February pipeline explosion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, resulted in the deaths of five people.
San Bruno's faulty pipeline was installed in 1956; Allentown's was installed in 1928.
During a news conference in Allentown, LaHood called on the major pipeline companies to conduct a review of their oil and gas delivery systems to identify the lines with the highest risk. He also urged them to speed up the most critical repair work.
"People deserve to know that they can turn on the lights, the heat or the stove without endangering their families and neighbors," LaHood said. "The safety of the American public is my top priority, and I am taking on this critical issue to avoid future tragedies we have seen in Allentown and around the country."
Among other things, the administration wants to increase the maximum civil penalties for pipeline violations from $100,000 per day to $250,000 per day. It also wants to increase fines from $1 million to $2.5 million for a series of violations.
The administration also would like to boost the number of safety inspectors and improve data reporting to increase the likelihood of early identification of possible pipeline safety risks.
The Transportation Department is planning to convene a pipeline safety forum on April 18 in Washington.
The United States has more than 2.5 million miles of pipelines used for the delivery of oil and gas, according to the Transporation Department.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.
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a068d88da34840469ef4b0b9591136fb
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What has been announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood?
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"the Obama administration"
] |
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Driftwood, Texas (CNN) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry won his state's Republican gubernatorial primary outright on Tuesday, avoiding a potentially costly runoff election against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Hutchison called Perry to concede the race after returns indicated that the governor was cruising toward a resounding victory in the closely-watched primary.
"Now we must unite," she said. "We must win Texas for Republicans."
Perry's win ended a yearlong intra-party fight that was billed from the start as a clash of Texas political titans but ended with a whimper as Hutchison struggled to fight a tide of anti-Washington sentiment among conservatives.
The governor cast his victory as a warning shot to Washington in the mold of recent GOP wins in the Virginia and New Jersey governor's races and the Massachusetts special Senate election.
"I think the message is pretty clear," Perry told supporters at his election night party near Austin. "Conservatism has never been stronger than it is today."
Perry said the message to Washington was simple: "Quit spending all the money," he said. "Stop trying to take over our lives and our businesses."
He added: "Stop messing with Texas!"
Perry, the longest serving governor in Texas history, is seeking a third full term in Austin. His opponent in the general election will be Democrat Bill White, the former Houston mayor who dispatched six opponents in the Democratic primary.
With nearly two-thirds of precincts reporting, Perry maintained a 20-point lead over Hutchison and appeared to be on pace to cross the crucial 50 percent mark needed to avoid a six-week runoff election against the three-term senator, who began her gubernatorial bid as the prohibitive frontrunner but stumbled as Perry's campaign cast her as a big-spending Washington insider.
GOP activist Debra Medina, a conservative with strong support among Tea Party activists, looked to be headed for a third place finish.
White, the popular former three-term mayor of Houston, the country's fourth-largest city, predicted that Perry will try to nationalize the race and tie him to unpopular Democratic agenda items in Washington.
"He'll run against President Obama," White said in an interview. "That's probably for his own political career. I think he wants to run for president. I'm just running for the people of Texas. It shouldn't be about a party or who's doing what to whom in Washington."
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a57360b110054031ae92761618e6ec6f
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Who will Perry face in the general election?
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"Bill White,"
] |
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(CNN) -- The possibility of engine fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday.
The recall involves certain GM vehicles in which oil apparently can leak and ignite.
The recall covers certain mid- and full-size passenger sedans under GM's Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands.
The affected vehicles have naturally aspirated 3.8 liter V6 engines -- that is, engines that use atmospheric pressure rather than a mechanical blower to bring in air for combustion -- according to documents that GM filed with federal regulators last week.
On Friday, the federal government acknowledged the filing and agreed to the plan.
The problem involves a potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold during hard braking. When a car operates under normal conditions, the manifold can get very hot.
Oil that runs below the manifold's heat shield could ignite and spread to plastic channels that hold spark plug wires.
As a solution, the company recommends a change in the bracket that holds spark plug wires, which will be done free of charge.
Owners and dealers affected by the recall will be notified by letter next month with details.
The vehicles involved are: • 1997-2003 Buick Regals. • 1998-2003 Chevrolet Luminas, Monte Carlos and Impalas. • 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigues. • 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix.
GM issued a recall on a similar engine in 2008, according to the company's filing with the government. That problem was traced to a faulty gasket on the engine rocker cover.
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a0345ab0b1c44adfa1ac3fa69e659b50
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What was the recall for?
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[
"faulty gasket on the engine rocker cover."
] |
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(CNN) -- Shahid Afridi claimed six victims to pave the way for Pakistan to claim victory by four wickets in their opening one-day international against Australia in Dubai.
Career-best figures from Shahid Afridi helped steer Pakistan to victory in the first one-dayer against Australia.
The all-rounder secured career-best figures of six for 38 as Australia could only manage a paltry 168 in an innings that lasted just 38.5 overs.
The world champions again lost their way in the middle overs, losing eight for 27 at one stage as they wilted against Afridi's spin.
It could have been worse for the Australians who relied on a last-wicket stand of 46 runs between James Hopes (48 not out) and Ben Hilfenhaus (four) to give their score some respectability.
Pakistan's reply always looked on track with Kamran Akmal hitting 48 at the top of the order before Misbah-ul-Haq anchored the innings with an unbeaten 30 from 68 balls.
A near-capacity crowd filled the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium as the venue hosted international cricket for the first time.
The postponed series, which was originally due to be played last year, had been moved from Pakistan to neutral turf because of security concerns.
Meanwhile, a superb half-century from Adam Gilchrist set Deccan Chargers on their way to a 24-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League in Cape Town.
The Australian smashed a quickfire 71 and Rohit Sharma contributed 52 as Deccan reached 184 for six from their 20 overs.
Bangalore's reply never really got going with captain Kevin Pietersen managing just 11 before he fell to a teasing delivery from Pragyan Ojha and a smart stumping from Gilchrist.
Rahul Dravid gave them hope with a thumping 48 before holing out, and Virat Kohli posted 50, but with precious little support from their team-mates their efforts proved in vain.
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9dbe87c5621e4d4a873bce3fc7ba8508
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Who helped Deccan Chargers
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"Adam Gilchrist"
] |
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(CNN) -- Cleanup efforts unfolded Monday in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, after torrential monsoon rain over the weekend killed dozens, cut power to 15 million and broke a 32-year record.
Pakistanis push a stranded auto-rickshaw along a flooded street in Karachi on Sunday.
Officials combed the city looking for bodies. The health department confirmed 32 deaths and said it received reports of more.
"Most of them are either from drowning or they were deaths when the walls or roofs of their houses collapses," said Dr. A.D. Sajnani of the health department.
"The entire city is disrupted," said Muhammad Aly Balagamwala, a Karachi businessman. "Most places lost power for 28 to 30 hours, and some are still without power. The rain flooded offices. We lost water. Everything is shut down."
Many residents took to the streets to protest the massive power outage in the southern city. They threw rocks at the offices of the power company and burned tires.
"I guess there comes a point you just snap and you can't take it anymore," Balagamwala said. "To the credit of the government, a lot of cleanup work has been done since last night."
The rain began Friday night, and by Sunday the city had received almost 9 inches (22.9 cm), the most since 1977, said Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal.
Storm drains overflowed, water-logging streets and alleyways.
Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June to September. While they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and floods that sometimes claim dozens of lives.
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f806f43179e04325a3c36129c3bc9ac6
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How much rainfall did Karachi have?
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[
"9 inches (22.9 cm),"
] |
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(CNN) -- More U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan this year than in any year since the U.S. invaded the country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Soldiers at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on Thursday honor the victims of September 11, 2001.
According to numbers CNN has compiled from military statements, 112 American troops have died in Afghanistan in 2008, compared with 111 in all of 2007.
The death toll has sparked concern among the U.S. military and its allies.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional committee Wednesday that the U.S. is "running out of time" to win the war in Afghanistan.
Mullen said the U.S. needs better nation-building initiatives and a stronger cross-border strategy with Pakistan to ensure victory over Islamic militants in the poor Asian country.
"We can't kill our way to victory, and no armed force anywhere, no matter how good, can deliver these keys alone. It requires teamwork and cooperation," Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee.
In addition to those killed in Afghanistan, the military also includes troops who died outside the country if they were part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the war launched nearly seven years ago in and around Afghanistan.
The broader count includes two Americans who died in Djibouti in 2008. The 2007 count includes two Americans who died in Ethiopia, two in the Philippines, one in Mali, one in Pakistan and one at sea near the Horn of Africa.
According to CNN numbers, 585 Americans have died in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom, 506 of them in Afghanistan. The numbers include hostile and nonhostile incidents.
Both the U.S.-led coalition and the NATO command announced three more deaths Thursday -- a British soldier in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and two others in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday. The nationalities of the latter two have not been disclosed.
The British death brings the country's toll to 118. Other countries, including Canada, Germany, France and Spain, also have lost troops in Afghanistan.
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f0e5857ba0174e92b761019bb33f9882
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What was Operation Enduring Freedom?
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[
"the war launched nearly seven years ago in and around Afghanistan."
] |
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(CNN) -- Manny Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight title at the sold-out MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, defeating Juan Manuel Marquez by majority decision.
Both fighters went toe-to-toe throughout the 12-round fight Saturday night with neither getting knocked down on the canvas.
The fight went down to the Nevada judges' scorecards with Dave Moretti scoring it 115-113, Robert Hoyle 114-114 and Glenn Trowbridge 116-112.
After the decision, Marquez left the ring, apparently upset by the ruling.
This was the third clash between Pacquiao and Marquez. The first bout in 2004 was scored a draw, while Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch four years later.
SI: Crash Course: Pacquiao vs. Marquez III
In prior meetings, Pacquiao scored four knockdowns yet Marquez won the greater number of rounds.
To further stoke the fire between the fighters, in the days leading up to Saturday's fight, Marquez sported a T-shirt saying, "Marquez beat Pacquiao twice!!"
Pacquiao, who entered the bout having won 10 titles at eight weight divisions, is considered arguably the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.
Pacquiao opens wallet, heart to those in need
Now that Pacquiao has defeated Marquez, the next big fight most boxing fans are eagerly waiting for is a potential multimillion-dollar payday against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other superstar of his boxing generation.
Both fighters have openly said they want to face each other, but each time they try to consummate the fight, negotiations break down over blood and urine testing.
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2290789bf9a64c87bece4929fac867bf
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who is pacquiao
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[
"arguably the world's best pound-for-pound boxer."
] |
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OAKLAND, California (CNN) -- A former transit police officer charged with murder was released from custody Friday after posting a $3 million bail.
Video shows Johannes Mehserle shoot Oscar Grant III in the back as another officer knelt on him.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Oakland to protest the release of Johannes Mehserle, 27, charged with killing an unarmed man on New Year's Day. iReport.com: Watch the protest
The former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer's release funds came from unknown sources, Alameda officials told CNN.
Video taken by a bystander showed Mehserle pulling his gun and fatally shooting Oscar Grant III, 22, in the back as another officer kneeled on Grant.
Mehserle may have intended to draw and fire his Taser instead of his gun, according to a court filing by his attorney.
In January, protests turned violent after a judge decided to allow bail for Mehserle's release.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for March 23, authorities said.
CNN's Jackie Castillo contributed to this report.
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b9a0e2b88be648bba8b6451ee356e23b
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The bail was set at how much?
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"$3 million"
] |
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(CNN) -- U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, who was shot in the head in January, reads aloud a portion of her upcoming audio book, her office said Thursday.
Giffords has made what doctors call a miraculous recovery since the shooting at an Arizona supermarket, which left six people dead and 12 others wounded. After months of rehabilitation, she returned to the House floor in August and received a standing ovation.
She has otherwise stayed largely out of the spotlight.
Her book, "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," chronicles the relationship between Giffords and her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly. It's the story of her rise to become a Democratic U.S. representative, his stellar career from combat pilot to commander of the Space Shuttle Endeavor's final flight, and the tragedy that befell their lives when she was shot.
The couple wrote the book together with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow. Published by Scribner, the book is set for release November 15.
The audio book is scheduled to be released the same day by Simon & Schuster Audio. Kelly reads aloud the whole book except for the final chapter, which is read by Giffords, spokesman Mark Kimble said.
Illinois congressman's life threatened
The man charged in the shooting, Jared Loughner, is in mental health treatment and will be re-evaluated early next year to determine his competency to stand trial.
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bd3358b5c35b4540bb9fd1262ad55c81
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which is the title of the book?
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"\"Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope,\""
] |
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(CNN) -- Five members of a family were found slain in their Beason, Illinois, home, authorities said Tuesday, and they urged people in the area to be cautious until the killer is found.
Police officers stand patrol outside the Gee household late Monday evening.
"This was a brutal homicide against an entire family and we are determined to identify and arrest those responsible," Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said in a news conference.
He said authorities received a 911 call about a possible shooting at the home shortly before 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET) Monday. When law enforcement officials arrived, they discovered the five bodies, Nichols said.
He identified the dead as Raymond Gee, 46; Ruth Gee, 39; Justina Constant, 16; Dillon Constant, 14; and Austin Gee, 11.
One survivor, a 3-year-old girl, is in a hospital in Peoria, Illinois, he said. He did not identify the girl.
The sheriff did not release the manner of death, but said autopsies were under way Tuesday.
He warned people in the area to be cautious.
"Until we find this person, we would consider this person armed and dangerous," Nichols said. He did not release any further details, and it was not immediately clear if authorities had identified a suspect.
"Leads have been developed and are being vigorously pursued," he said, without elaborating.
Beason is about 45 miles northeast of Springfield, Illinois.
CNN's Kara Devlin contributed to this report.
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8fcd6e33eef94f8bbd8ab5726c9a463a
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Who is hospitalized in Peoria, Illinois?
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"One survivor, a 3-year-old girl,"
] |
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Thirty-eight years ago, Joseph McGinty Nichol was a boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, playing with toy robots.
Many of the robots in "Terminator Salvation" are real machines, which increased realism, the cast says.
Today "McG," as he is better known, builds and blows up real robots.
The prominent filmmaker is the driving force behind one of the season's summer blockbusters, "Terminator Salvation," which is filled with very expensive and very explosive robots. The choice to use real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), was deliberate, McG said.
According to the director and the film's stars, the decision to use real machines was a testament to the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can "feel" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing.
It was also done in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar winner Stan Winston ("Jurassic Park," the other "Terminator" films), who passed away during filming last year. Watch the robots in action »
The director and three of his cast members -- Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anton Yelchin -- took a time out with CNN to explain why gravity and singed eyebrows both played a role in "Terminator Salvation."
Bryce Dallas Howard: That was something that was really important to McG ... when an audience member sees this film, that they can actually feel what's occurring.
I think that audiences are very savvy now. We can feel when something is CGI and that's no disrespect to CGI -- we couldn't do this movie without it -- but, whenever possible, in the tradition of Sam Winston, he wanted to build the robots. So a lot of what you see is real.
McG: And if you drop something, we've spent our whole lives watching physics in play, and if you say, just have the CGI do that, people can tell something's off, and it releases you from being involved in the picture. So, we built all the robots, we built all the sets, we blew them up for real, a great many of us lost our eyebrows!
Christian Bale: It was kind of comical at times because something that's meant to be so intimidating was actually surrounded by five guys with these kind of puppet rods I had to blank out or I would start laughing. But, the end result is something really formidable and you know, really iconic in movie history.
Anton Yelchin: Now I'm obsessed with the robots! I'm so [annoyed] that this guy or whoever it is that's in charge of it wouldn't let me have one!
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2f5decbda03d4d0aa24c6bd936ba09b2
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What is Stan Winston famous for?
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[
"legendary special effects supervisor,"
] |
NewsQA
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Facing intense government pressure, Indian oil workers agreed to call off a three-day strike and go back to work, the Oil and Petroleum Ministry announced.
Long queues at gas stations have become a common sight across India in recent days.
The workers ended the strike Friday, after the government threatened to suspend, fire or arrest workers who did not return to their jobs.
The impact of the strike had been felt across all major cities in India, including Mumbai and New Delhi, where motorists waited in long lines to purchase fuel. Police had been called in to maintain order at many stations.
Power plants that rely on gas ran out, causing power cuts, and airlines were forced to delay flights.
Some 45,000 workers walked off the job at the government-controlled oil companies Wednesday after the government refused their demands for higher pay.
India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram had called on workers to end the strike immediately, saying it was "placing an intolerable burden on the people."
He had said the army could be called in if the crisis deepened.
Meanwhile, a separate nationwide strike by truck operators entered its sixth day, with some truck operators saying arrested strikers had to be released before talks could take place, the Press Trust of India reported.
Five All India Motor Transport Congress leaders were arrested Friday on charges of disrupting the supply of commodities, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.
"We will not give up our agitation and will not hold any talks with the government until we are released unconditionally," AIMTC Secretary-General S. Venugopal told the news service.
The AIMTC is demanding a reduction in diesel and tire prices, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.
On Saturday, the transport minister, Thiru T.R. Baalu, said the government was "ready to discuss" the truck operators' demands, the news service reported.
However, he warned the government could suspend or revoke workers' permits, according to a summary of his remarks released by the government.
-- CNN's Sara Sidner and Bharati Naik contributed to this report.
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3467a4fa323b4976a54403dfd2e71093
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Who were protesting?
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"Indian oil workers"
] |
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