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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to a spokeswoman for the airport.
Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was used in the movie "Dangerous Minds."
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was taken to the Van Nuys Division station for booking, the spokeswoman said.
A source at the airport's public relations division confirmed the arrest but declined to be named.
Coolio is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit "Gangsta's Paradise."
Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful.
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b3d3d8a3f3eb42919860c6009d3f72c6
|
What is the Grammy winner's best known song?
|
[
"\"Gangsta's Paradise.\""
] |
NewsQA
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LONDON, England -- Chelsea are waiting on the fitness of John Terry ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Valencia, but Frank Lampard has been ruled out.
John Terry tries out his protective mask during training for Chelsea on Tuesday.
Center-back Terry suffered a broken cheekbone during Saturday's 0-0 draw with Fulham, and Chelsea manager Avram Grant will see how he fares during training on Tuesday before making a decision on his availability.
Terry trained at Valencia's Mestalla stadium with a face mask on after surgery on Sunday.
"John Terry wants to play which is very good. Now we need to wait for training and then we will speak with the medical department and decide," said Grant.
Grant has confirmed that Lampard will definitely sit the game out though as the midfielder continues to recover from his thigh injury.
Midfielder Michael Essien, who scored a last-minute winner for Chelsea to knock Valencia out of last season's Champions League, has also been battling a leg injury but he took part in training on Tuesday and is expected to play. E-mail to a friend
|
4ea84034312d4c76a7e4f808d8556638
|
Who trained in a mask?
|
[
"John Terry"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A year ago Thursday, I-Report was born.
CNN.com launched its I-Report initiative August 2, 2006, in an effort to involve citizens in the newsgathering process.
Numerous milestones later, I-Report has grown and developed its ability to be an integral component of the network's coverage.
Mark Lacroix photographed the collapsed bridge from his apartment window.
On the eve of its anniversary, I-Reporters responded to yet another major news event: the deadly collapse of a bridge over the Mississippi river in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mark Lacroix sent photos of the scene immediately after the disaster. As the story developed, he provided information about the situation to viewers live on television.
Lacroix's photos were among the more than 450 I-Report submissions sent to CNN within the first 24 hours of the bridge's collapse -- the biggest response in one day to a single news event in I-Report history.
CNN.com readers have long been submitting photos and video, as well as speaking with CNN reporters, during major breaking news events. (Check out our timeline of I-Report milestones) »
On April 16, Jamal Albarghouti sent cell phone video of the Virginia Tech shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia, as the dramatic events were unfolding.
More recently, when fireballs began exploding from an industrial gas facility in Dallas, Texas, in July, I-Reporters wasted no time in recording video as smoke and debris rose into the air.
Justin Randall was in a convertible during the incident and tried to drive around blast debris on a highway. He sent video of the explosions, showing flames rising high into the air.
During a steam pipe explosion in New York, Jonathan Thompson sent video of a powerful surge of steam rising from the ground and rescuers scrambling to secure the area.
He followed up later that month by sending footage of repairs being made to the crater left behind. E-mail to a friend
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45d3aefe10b2411a814c9fdcf4e5d820
|
When did the I Report initiative launch?
|
[
"August"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Pilots were warned of potential danger at least eight times in about 30 seconds before a Polish jet crashed in Russia in April, killing President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others.
A transcript that the Polish government released Tuesday shows that an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times before the Tupolev-154 crashed in western Russia.
"Pull up. Pull up," a warning system advised pilots. "Terrain ahead. Terrain ahead."
The April 10 crash killed Kaczynski, his wife, top Polish military officials, the head of Poland's national bank and other dignitaries.
The president had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn. Some 20,000 Polish officers were executed there during World War II.
|
f7d69e516ece4c1997cd0ef487d7126e
|
Who was warned of danger?
|
[
"Pilots"
] |
NewsQA
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(CNN) -- Mount Redoubt, the Alaskan volcano expected to erupt at any time, is getting a bit more edgy.
Dark areas show a mudflow from the peak of Mount Redoubt earlier this week.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory said in a statement Friday "volcanic tremor" has increased in "amplitude."
The activity on the 10,197-foot peak is "more energetic than that of the previous several days. However, it is still less vigorous than that observed last weekend," the observatory said.
Peter Cervelli, a research geophysicist with the observatory, told CNN that "every indication is that we're heading toward an eruption."
Cervelli said scientists don't know exactly when it will happen, but if it does happen, it could be days or weeks -- or even hours.
"I would not be surprised to see it erupt at anytime," Cervelli said. "We're going to know it when we see it." Learn more about Redoubt and its history »
Scientists raised the alert status Sunday to a "watch" level, the second-highest, based on seismic activity detected January 23.
The peak is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city.
Mount Redoubt last erupted nearly 20 years ago, in December 1989, and that eruption lasted until April 1990. Geologists think there could be an eruption "similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90." PopSci.com: Predicting eruptions
That eruption spread ash in Kenai and Anchorage, where it disrupted air traffic operations. Cervelli said the ash plumes caused engine failure on a jet.
The 1989-90 eruption also spurred volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that flowed east down the Drift River. The ash fall was seen as far away as Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border. PopSci.com: Prehistoric explosions wiped out ocean life -- and created petroleum
The observatory has set up a Web camera near the summit of the volcano and another within Cook Inlet. It plans to do continuous visual surveillance, measure gas output and analyze satellite and weather-radar data.
|
5fd96b70c3ef4973b2b6c6a4a46791f7
|
What size is the mount?
|
[
"10,197-foot peak"
] |
NewsQA
|
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- Germany's richest woman has said a former lover has threatened to release pictures of them together if she does not pay him millions of euros (dollars), according to her spokesman.
Susanne Klatten holds a 12.5-percent stake in BMW.
Susanne Klatten's spokesman Joerg Appelhans told CNN Tuesday that the BMW heiress alerted police in January this year that she was the victim of fraud and blackmail by a man he identified as Mr. S.
Appelhans said the man had been threatening since autumn 2007 to release pictures of their "meetings" together.
Klatten "came to the conclusion that the relationship with Mr. S. was of a solely criminal nature," Appelhans said. Some German media reports say Klatten is one of four rich German women who have been preyed on by the same gang.
"His goal was from the beginning to con her and to blackmail her into giving him money. She rigorously notified authorities even in light of the uncomfortable public repercussions this would have for her. The ensuing criminal investigation led to the arrest of the perpetrator," Appelhans added.
"The blackmailing with pictures of the meetings they had began in the fall of 2007. First, the blackmailer demanded a loan of several million euros. Later, he attempted to solicit a much larger sum."
Anton Winkler, from the Munich state prosecutor's office, confirmed that an investigation has been opened and that a man called Helg Scarbi was arrested in January and is in custody in Munich. He declined to give further details.
Rome daily La Repubblica, quoting documents German investigators sent to Italian prosecutors, has reported that the suspect allegedly tried to obtain €40 million ($51 million) from Klatten, according to The Associated Press.
Klatten, the daughter of the late BMW chief Herbert Quandt, holds a 12.5-percent stake in the German carmaker and a 51.1-percent share of chemical company Altana.
In 2007 Forbes magazine listed her as the world's 68th richest person, with a personal fortune of $9.6 billion.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report.
|
ac1393a8a18e4cab9dd725091651326b
|
What company is Germany's richest woman associated with?
|
[
"BMW."
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Norway has condemned the ransacking of the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo by Tamil demonstrators.
The entrance to Sri Lanka's embassy in Oslo on Sunday.
Video posted on Norway's TV 2 Web site showed demonstrators smashing through re-enforced glass at the embassy on Sunday. The aftermath showed embassy offices that had been trashed, with furniture, artwork and potted plants dumped on the floor. Countertops had been bashed and splintered.
"Please help the Tamils. Stop the massacre of Tamils," a sign carried by one of the demonstrators said.
The foreign ministry said it has requested that police tighten security at the embassy, which is located in an office building.
"I deeply deplore the fact that unauthorized persons unlawfully forced their way into the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo and caused extensive damage," said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store. "This is a violation of Norwegian law and an action that is totally unacceptable."
Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lanka's foreign affairs minister, called for authorities to "seek immediate arrest of the perpetrators of this serious act of terror" during a CNN interview in New Delhi, India.
The attack came as Sri Lanka's president ordered military troops to restrict their offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels while the nation celebrates the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The two-day celebrations began Monday.
The order was meant to allow the thousands of Tamils trapped by the fighting to travel for the New Year, said a statement from the office of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Troops are in the midst of an intense military push in northern Sri Lanka, where they have snatched back large swaths of land from the Tamil rebels.
The rebels have fought for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983. The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead.
A statement on the Sri Lankan defense ministry Web site called on Norway to "bring the perpetrators to justice immediately."
"The perpetrators can be readily identified on the CCTV recording which has been made available to the authorities," the statement said. "The demonstrations, which had been building up in intensity in the past few days, provide an indication that something was being planned."
CNN's Harmeet Singh and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report
|
8f1bcac6d7134040af29b5fdd562fcd0
|
Since when have Tamil rebels fought for an independent homeland?
|
[
"1983."
] |
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|
SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- Nearly 100 former Chilean soldiers and secret police will be prosecuted on charges they tried to cover up the disappearance and deaths of 119 people during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a judge ordered Monday.
Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet, pictured in 2000.
The disappearances occurred between 1974 and 1975, during what was known as "Operation Colombo," which targeted Pinochet's opponents. Chile's military government published information outside the country to make it seem that the victims had died fighting guerrillas.
Chilean magistrate Victor Montiglio based his order on an investigation that says 60 victims were illegally arrested by the Office of National Intelligence (DINA) and kept in detention centers before they disappeared.
DINA's former director, retired Gen. Manuel Contreras, has already been sentenced to 250 years in prison in other cases involving human rights violations. He found out about Montiglio's ruling in his prison cell.
Minister of Justice Carlos Maldonado said the former soldiers will be taken to military compounds after they appear before Montiglio on Tuesday. The civilian suspects will be jailed in the Santiago Uno and Punta Peuco penal facilities, which are outside Santiago, he said.
A U.S. backed-coup toppled democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973, after which Pinochet took power.
In March 2008, a court in Chile sentenced 24 former police officers for their roles in kidnappings, torture and murders that happened just after the coup, Chile's Judicial Authority said. Thousands of Chileans were victims of the national crime wave.
Pinochet, whose reign lasted from 1973 to 1990, was widely blamed for encouraging subordinates to kidnap, torture and kill people with suspected leftist ties, such as journalists and union members.
Years after he left power, courts indicted Pinochet in two human rights cases, but judges threw out the charges on the grounds that he was too ill to stand trial.
Pinochet died in 2006.
CNN's Alberto Pando contributed to this report.
|
1677ab5901044789ad425a282a44534c
|
Where is the court the suspects have to appear?
|
[
"Chile"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Michael Jackson may soon return to the stage, at least for a "special announcement."
Pop star Michael Jackson has been the subject of recent rumors about his health and about a comeback.
The pop star has scheduled a news conference Thursday at London's O2 arena, the same venue where Prince sold out 21 nights in 2007, according to London's Outside Organisation.
Although the short statement announcing Jackson's news conference did not reveal any details, Britain's Sky News reported Wednesday that the 50-year-old King of Pop has agreed to a series of summer concerts at the O2.
Rumors have circulated for years about a possible Jackson concert comeback, just as speculation has abounded about his physical and financial health.
Jackson's reclusive lifestyle -- and a photo last year of him being pushed in a wheelchair -- created fertile ground for health rumors.
When a London tabloid reported in December that Jackson was battling a potentially fatal disease that required a life-saving lung transplant, his publicist responded that he was "in fine health" and that the story was "a total fabrication."
Jackson's financial troubles in the past year have included the near-foreclosure of his Neverland Ranch in California, which he later sold.
Jackson has not lived at Neverland since June 2005, after a Santa Barbara County jury found him not guilty of child molestation charges.
|
6585c0bbd0454983b012ec21f5062fa4
|
What has been subject to rumours
|
[
"Michael Jackson"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Embattled former Detroit, Michigan, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was released from jail early Tuesday.
Kwame Kilpatrick appears for his sentencing October 28, 2008, in Detroit, Michigan.
Kilpatrick, his beard overgrown and bushy, was escorted out of Michigan's Wayne County jail as he dodged a crowd of reporters before getting into a car and was driven away, according to television footage from CNN affiliate WXYZ.
Kilpatrick spent 100 days in jail as part of a plea agreement connected to a sex scandal that rocked Detroit and caused the city council and governor of Michigan to push to impeach him.
Kilpatrick also agreed not to run for public office during his five years of probation.
He was expected to immediately leave the state for a job interview, WXYZ reported.
Kilpatrick pleaded guilty in September to two felony counts of obstruction of justice stemming from his efforts to cover up an extramarital affair.
He also pleaded no contest to charges of assaulting a police officer attempting to serve a subpoena on a Kilpatrick friend in that case.
He was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up the affair.
|
bac0a315c6034be9b130f0503722b3a6
|
What did Kilpatrick plead
|
[
"guilty"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Sudan's government and rebels from its troubled Darfur region signed a confidence-building agreement Tuesday in Qatar, a step toward ending a six-year conflict that has killed about 300,000 people, the emirate's state news agency reported.
A member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stands guard near the Sudan-Chad border in 2007.
Detailed talks between the government and the Justice and Equality Movement are scheduled to begin in two weeks after Tuesday's signing, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabr al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister, told the SUNA news agency.
Roger Middleton, an Africa specialist at the British think-tank Chatham House, said Tuesday's agreement deals mostly with prisoner releases.
But he said the two parties' decision to hold further talks "is an important move forward, which there hasn't necessarily been in the past."
"It is certainly a step in the right direction," he said. "But a lot more needs to be done if we're going to see a full cessation of fighting in Darfur."
Other rebel groups are not included in the pact, and "many, many things" could cause the talks to fail, he said.
"It is a start, but it's very fragile, and we mustn't get overexcited just yet," Middleton said.
In November, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir agreed to an immediate, unconditional cease-fire in Darfur, but JEM was not included in the talks.
Sudan's Culture Minister Amin Hassan Omar and Jibril Ibrahim, a top rebel official, signed Tuesday's agreement.
Qatar has been mediating talks between the two sides in the Darfur conflict, which erupted in 2003 after rebels began an uprising against the Khartoum government.
The government launched a brutal counter-insurgency campaign, aided by government-backed Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations.
Al-Bashir is under pressure to end the fighting, particularly because he was charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court last year for the government's campaign of violence in Darfur.
In the past six years, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed through direct combat, disease or malnutrition, the United Nations says. An additional 2.7 million people fled their homes because of fighting among rebels, government forces and allied militias.
|
0be9e4d26879435fb59ba1682441e39d
|
How many have died in the six-year conflict?
|
[
"about 300,000"
] |
NewsQA
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday.
Bush is scheduled to have the medical procedure, expected to take about 2 1/2 hours, at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, Snow said.
Bush's last colonoscopy was in June 2002, and no abnormalities were found, Snow said.
The president's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years.
The procedure will be supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Snow said.
A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer, rectal cancer and polyps, small clumps of cells that can become cancerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Small polyps may be removed during the procedure.
Snow said that was the case when Bush had colonoscopies before becoming president.
Snow himself is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that began in his colon and spread to his liver.
Snow told reporters he had a chemo session scheduled later Friday. Watch Snow talk about Bush's procedure and his own colon cancer »
"The president wants to encourage everybody to use surveillance," Snow said.
The American Cancer Society recommends that people without high-risk factors or symptoms begin getting screened for signs of colorectal cancer at age 50. E-mail to a friend
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ca094dad73744e5998c94ce65076a991
|
Where will his powers be transferred?
|
[
"Vice President Dick Cheney"
] |
NewsQA
|
(PEOPLE.com) -- Sixteen days after her December 8 Las Vegas wedding to boyfriend Barry Herridge, Sinead O'Connor is ending the marriage, the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer announced Monday on her website.
"Dear friends," O'Connor 45, writes, "I had for reasons u will all understand, wished to keep this private but have been told today it is to be leaked in the next few days despite my best efforts. So I must now leak it myself so as the record is straight."
She blames pressures placed upon him by "certain people in his life" not to be with her based on press reports about her.
"Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behaviour of certain people in my husband's life. And also by a bit of a wild ride i took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don't drink," she writes. "My husband was enormously wounded and very badly effected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage. It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear."
She adds, "A woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So.. U love someone? Set them free."
She also says, "He is a wonderful man. I love him very much. I'm sorry I'm not a more regular woman. I truly believe though it is painful to admit, we made a mistake rushing into getting married, for altruistic reasons, and weren't aware or prepared for the consequences on my husband's life and the lives of those close to him. He has been terribly unhappy and I have therefore ended the marriage. I think he is too nice to do so. And too nice to trap."
O'Connor, who has four children from her previous relationships, wed music producer John Reynolds in 1989 and journalist Nicholas Sommerlad in 2001. This past April, she split from longtime friend and collaborator Steve Cooney.
See the full article at PEOPLE.com
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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df302ccc571c4889a07fbe1109ca6203
|
She writes: I'm sorry I'm not a more regular what?
|
[
"woman."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A massive dust storm swept through parts of Australia on Wednesday, bathing the city of Sydney in a reddish haze.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is seen on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia.
Susan Paget marveled at the eerie red view from the balcony of her apartment in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, and said she took the day off work to avoid the dust storm mess.
"It just feels dirty and rusty," Paget told CNN. "It was totally bizarre to wake up around 5:30 a.m. and see such a red bizarre sky."
A video Paget submitted to CNN's iReport showed thick haze, which made it difficult to see her neighbors' homes. Watch Paget's updated iReport
Health officials in Sydney warned residents to stay in indoors if possible, especially if they had asthma or heart and lung conditions.
"Avoid spending too much time outdoors due to the high particle levels and hazardous air quality," the New South Wales Department of Heath Web site said. See images of the dust storm »
The Ambulance Service of New South Wales said the dust storm had kept it busy with emergency calls.
"We have already seen an increase in calls to people suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems," the agency said in a statement. Watch a news report on the haze »
iReporter Mark Clarke told CNN he woke up earlier than usual with a stuffy nose and cough at his home in Stanmore, a suburb of Sydney. iReporter: "It was like Mars"
He pulled the curtains back and saw a "strange red orangish glow coming from outside."
"It feels and smells like a vacuum cleaner exploded," he said. Watch Clarke's iReport
The country's bureau of meterology attributed the red haze to strong north-westerly winds which blew the dust overnight to Sydney and regions west of the capital.
During the day, the dust blanket moved north onto the Queensland capital of Brisbane.
The bureau of meterology's senior forecaster Tony Auden told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the haze was likely to continue moving north.
"It should make its way up into the Sunshine Coast and into those Capricornia and central coast areas soon," he said. "For the south-east expect it to probably linger for the rest of today and hopefully settle out of the air overnight."
|
500150a60dfc4bee9f38c152da0cfa68
|
What causes this storm?
|
[
"strong north-westerly winds"
] |
NewsQA
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London, England (CNN) -- Procter & Gamble is recalling Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the United States, Britain and Germany after finding it contained bacteria, the company said.
Procter & Gamble said it announced the voluntary recall after finding the bacteria in a small amount of product made at a plant in Germany.
There have been no reports of illness from the bacteria, but it could cause serious infections for people with weakened immune systems or those with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Procter & Gamble said late Thursday.
The bacteria poses little risk to healthy people, the company said.
Cincinnati, Ohio-based Procter & Gamble said it detected the problem during routine quality control at the plant. Analysis so far shows the problem is limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product, which were sold only in the three countries affected by the recall, the company said.
In the United States, the recalled product is Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-hour Decongestant Ultra Fine Mist with lot number 9239028831.
In Britain, the company is recalling Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray with lot number 9224028832.
In Germany, the recalled product is Wick Sinex Schnupfenspray Dosiersystem with lot number 9224028833.
All recalled products are in the 15-milliliter size.
Lot numbers are listed on the outer carton and the bottle, the company said.
Consumers with the product should discard it, and they may call the company for a replacement coupon or refund, the company said. More information is at the company's Web site, www.pg.com.
|
98de0b8eaaa74aab8ec877e271741225
|
What was recalled?
|
[
"Vicks Sinex nasal spray"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Someone out there just leapt all comic book purchase price records in a single bound.
A near-pristine copy of Action Comics #1 -- better known as the first appearance of Superman -- sold at an online auction Wednesday night for a staggering $2.16 million.
The seller? None other than cash-strapped actor Nicolas Cage, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cage turned a super-sized profit, the Reporter noted. He bought the 1938 Man of Steel original 14 years ago for roughly $150,000.
The buyer has remained anonymous. But "he's an extremely passionate collector, and he treasures owning the best of the best," said Vincent Zurzolo, chief operating officer of New York-based ComicConnect.com, which conducted the auction. "In particular, he loves Superman."
When the comic book first went on the auction block November 12, the top bid was around $900,000, Zurzolo noted. The price rose to more than $1.5 million Monday and smashed the $2 million mark five minutes before the close of bidding.
The previous comic book sale price record? Roughly $1.5 million for another copy of Action Comics #1 in March of 2010.
"I've been involved in the comic book business for over 25 years," Zurzolo told CNN. Superman remains an "icon that represents the best of this great country."
Cage's copy of the all-American classic comes with a colorful back story. It was reported stolen in January 2000, according to the Reporter, and remained lost for more than 11 years before showing up last April in an abandoned storage locker in California's San Fernando Valley.
Comic book collectors' holy grails
If you're hoping to get your own original 1938 copy, don't hold your breath. There are only about 100 copies still believed to be in existence, according to ComicConnect.
About 100 copies of Detective Comics #27 -- better known as the first appearance of Batman -- are also still believed to be out there. The Caped Crusader made his inaugural appearance in 1939.
An original Depression-era Batman won't come cheap, however. One copy sold last year for a little over $1 million.
The good news: if you're willing to settle for a more modern incarnation of the two crime fighters, you can probably afford it. "All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold" went on sale last month for $2.99.
|
3df66addbb2844b4aae52b72016329f7
|
An original 1938 Superman comic sells at auction for how much?
|
[
"$2.16 million."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The United States successfully tested a sea-based component of its missile defense shield Thursday evening, intercepting a ballistic missile with a dummy warhead over the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said.
A dummy missile is launched from a ship during a 2008 test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program.
The exercise was the 19th successful test in 23 attempts of the system -- known as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program -- since 2002.
A target missile was fired from Hawaii about 5:40 p.m. (11:40 p.m. ET) and was tracked by Navy ships hundreds of miles away.
The USS Hopper, one of three Navy ships tracking the launch, fired an interceptor missile, which struck the target about 100 miles above the Earth. The process -- from launch to shoot-down -- took less than five minutes, according to the U.S. military.
The United States plans to use the sea-based system on Navy Aegis-class ships to protect against incoming short- to medium-range missiles fired from hostile countries. Eighty-six of the ships eventually will have the capability.
Another part of the missile defense protection -- ground-based midcourse defense -- is designed to strike at long-range missiles.
Both the sea-based and ground-based systems are part of the Pentagon's "layered" missile defense plan.
Much of the missile defense program is still under development, including lasers fired from a plane that the military hopes would destroy an enemy missile during launch.
Other parts of the missile defense would fire short-range missiles at incoming warheads that are close to hitting their targets.
Over the past seven years, the U.S. military has spent billions of dollars on the missile defense program. Pentagon officials have said that each missile defense test costs about $85 million.
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55e68e2c12da49418430de709528e9e2
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What will be equipped with the system?
|
[
"Navy Aegis-class ships to protect against incoming short- to medium-range"
] |
NewsQA
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(EW.com) -- How did the makers of "I Don't Know How She Does It" not know that there are two insurmountable problems with their bogus chick flick about the amusing travails of a working mother?
The first is that the movie is based on a 2002 novel by British journalist Allison Pearson, and we live in 2011. True, Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) is now an "investment manager" in Boston rather than a British hedge-fund shark.
Otherwise, Kate.2011 has the same accessories as Kate.2002, including a cute architect husband (Greg Kinnear), two kids who push Mommy's guilt buttons, and various male associates oblivious to commonplace 2011 workforce realities.
Into this time warp screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna ("Morning Glory," "27 Dresses") adds gratuitously bitchy stay-at-home gym-rat mothers and a boss (Kelsey Grammer) who blanches at the word mammogram. Pierce Brosnan plays a fairy-tale New York businessman as princely as he is single.
The second insurmountable problem is the difference between Parker's performance as a fortysomething banker, wife, and mother musing (in voice-over) at her computer and her previous performance as a single, thirtysomething girl-about-town in "Sex and the City": There is none. I don't know why she does it.
EW.com rating: D+
See the full story at EW.com.
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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9370414ba7d24b62abc91d393880f212
|
who is pierce brosnan
|
[
"a fairy-tale New York businessman"
] |
NewsQA
|
Baghdad (CNN) -- The last U.S. troops to occupy Camp Victory, once one of the largest and most high-profile American military bases in Iraq, left Friday afternoon as the Iraqi government assumed control of the sprawling complex near Baghdad's main airport.
The United States signed over control of the base on Thursday and it became effective on Friday, Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. Army spokesman said. No high-profile ceremony marked the transition, he said.
The last group of service members stationed at Camp Victory began moving off-base around 12 p.m., he said. Within two hours, no U.S. troops remained, he said.
The base -- formally known as Victory Base Complex -- once housed as many as 40,000 service members. It includes lavish palaces built by Saddam Hussein, some of which were used as barracks or dining facilities.
Hussein, the country's leader until the U.S. invasion in 2003 deposed him, was among prisoners held in a maximum security prison on the base.
The transition leaves the United States with five military bases in Iraq as it continues to draw down its forces there in preparation for a complete withdrawal by the end of the year.
President Barack Obama ordered U.S. forces out of Iraq in October after the two countries were unable to reach an agreement on a continued presence of troops.
|
90f063f85fb74ae3b45733a90c47574b
|
What is the name of the camp the US hands over to Iraq?
|
[
"Victory,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel declared himself impressed after road testing the new Pirelli tires that are to be used for the 2011 season.
The Red Bull driver was back at the Abu Dhabi circuit where he clinched his first ever drivers' championship crown last weekend, after edging out teammate Mark Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
The Yas Marina track played host to all 12 Formula One teams as they began a two-day tire test on the Pirelli rubbers, set to replace Bridgestone from next year. A total of eight sets of tires are available to teams during testing.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who finished a disappointing sixth in the drivers' standings, was quickest in the unofficial timings on Friday, with Vettel in second.
"I think the tires behaved well, better than expected given the short amount of time Pirelli have had and they've done a good job," Vettel told the official Formula One website.
"Pirelli are obviously in the middle of their development and what we used today is not what we will race with, but it was a good start."
Massa was three-tenths of a second faster than Vettel, and completed 94 laps of the circuit using two different types of tires.
"It was a positive start to begin to understand the behavior of the Pirelli tires. I felt at ease right from the start and there were no unpleasant surprises," Massa added.
"We acquired a lot of data which will be useful for the Italian company to develop the tires still further for the start of the 2011 season.
"On the harder tires, there were some difficulties over a long run while the softs worked well both on the very first lap and also after they had done a larger number of laps."
McLaren test driver Gary Paffett claimed third place while Kamui Kobayashi of BMW Sauber was fourth.
"We have to hand it to Pirelli, the tyres are already on a good level and we feel it was a very positive day," said BMW Sauber technical director James Key.
"We feel we learned a lot about the way the tyres are behaving and responding to different set-up changes."
|
5e7b9414373f4e7a9aad56eef7e93a07
|
what tires did Vettel test?
|
[
"Pirelli"
] |
NewsQA
|
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- About 200 people have been arrested in a flare-up of anti-Christian violence in Gojra that left seven dead, a government minister said Monday.
Christians in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday protest the slayings of seven Christians in weekend violence.
Rana Sana Ullah, Punjab's provincial law minister, told CNN that the paramilitary Rangers force was helping police and maintaining law and order.
Seven people were killed and 20 injured Saturday when Muslim demonstrators set fire to houses in a Christian enclave and fighting broke out, authorities said. Police said the Muslims were protesting an alleged desecration of pages in the Quran, the Muslim sacred text, at a Christian wedding.
At a news conference in Islamabad carried on local TV, Shehbaz Bhatti, federal minister for minorities, said an investigation determined there was no desecration of the Quran in village 95 Gill near Gojra City, and the allegations were baseless. He also said the government will rebuild all the burned houses.
Bhatti told CNN that four women, two men and a child, all Christians, were either shot to death or killed when their houses were burned. About 50 houses were burned down, and more than 100 were looted by the protesters, Bhatti said. The incident occurred in Gojra City, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southwest of Lahore.
Kamran Michael, Punjab provincial minister for human rights and minority affairs, who is a Christian, told CNN after meeting with Pakistan's Christian leaders in Gojra that a consensus had been reached to observe three days of mourning, from Monday to Wednesday, for the attack on the Christians.
On those three days, all schools, colleges, missions and educational institutions run by Christians will remain closed. Christian schools in Karachi, which were due to open for the new term Monday, remained closed. However, schools in most other areas of Pakistan are still on summer vacation.
Michael also criticized Pakistan's "law of offenses relating to religion," which has a penalty of life imprisonment for desecration of the Quran and even death for defiling the name of the prophet Mohammed. He called the law unjust and misused, and he strongly condemned it, demanding that it be amended because of its misuse against minorities.
Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report.
|
00d2dd18a5a842d4afbf48d44f00d368
|
What did the investigation determined?
|
[
"there was no desecration of the Quran in village 95 Gill near Gojra City, and the allegations were baseless."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The hefty last meal ordered but not eaten by an executed Texas inmate brought a complaint from a state senator and the end Thursday to the practice of special menus.
Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, wrote Thursday that he opposed the practice of providing a last meal of choice to the condemned.
"It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege. One which the perpetrator did not provide to their victim," Whitmire wrote.
The Democrat, who represents Houston and parts of north Harris County, said "enough is enough" after Lawrence Russell Brewer ordered two chicken fried steaks smothered in gravy with sliced onions, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet with other ingredients, a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup, three fajitas, a pint of Blue Bell ice cream and a pound of barbecue with a half-loaf of white bread.
The meal request also included a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts, a pizza and three root beers.
Brewer declined to eat the last meal Wednesday, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark.
Whitmire, in asking the state to stop special requests, said he would seek the change by law if necessary.
"I believe Senator Whitmire's concerns regarding the practice of allowing death row offenders to choose their last meal are valid," Brad Livingston, executive director of the Department of Criminal Justice, said in statement released Thursday. "Effective immediately, no such accommodations will be made. They will receive the same meal served to other offenders on the unit."
Brewer, 44, was executed for his involvement in the infamous racially motivated 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr.
CNN's Phil Gast contributed to this report.
|
0b714c615aaa4186be02460b639a7c4b
|
What Chief of criminal Justice department ordered?
|
[
"\"Effective immediately, no such accommodations will be made."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pet store expecting a shipment of exotic fish this week found itself with a man's dead body instead.
The man's widow told CNN that it might have been her husband's "last practical joke."
The body of Jon Kenoyer, a California man who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was being donated to an Allentown, Pennsylvania, research group, Life Quest Anatomical.
The shipment was handled by US Airways, which also has delivered imported fish from throughout the world to Pets Plus Pet Center for more than a decade, store manager Mike Mullarkey said.
On Tuesday, Mullarkey said, he received what he thought was an expected shipment of seahorses, anemones and corals from Vietnam via California. Before opening it, however, he discovered that the box's label indicated that it contained the remains of a man who had died four days before.
The Pets Plus people were "shocked to see that," he said.
Mary Kenoyer, Jon Kenoyer's widow, told CNN that she was initially startled by the news, but was able to see the comic side of it.
"At first, of course, you're upset and shocked. But then I realized it was just a mistake," she said.
Noting her husband had been afraid of flying during his life, she said, "He's just playing the last practical joke on me for putting him on a plane."
Kenoyer said she hopes news of the mistake won't discourage others from donating their bodies to science. "The casket wasn't opened and was treated with respect," she said.
Mullarkey said police supervised the return of the shipment to US Airways, which rerouted it to Life Quest.
"In all the years, I can understand a mixup," Mullarkey said. "But something like that, I think, should be handled a little more delicately."
US Airways issued a statement of apology: "Regrettably, there was an unfortunate mixup yesterday at the US Airways Cargo facility near Philadelphia International Airport. The mixup occurred due to a verbal miscommunication between a delivery driver and the cargo representative. We are working to rectify the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused."
A spokeswoman at Life Quest Anatomical declined to comment.
|
613a8512ae84432b8aae9ef14b557ab4
|
Where was the body of Jon Kenoyer delivered to?
|
[
"Pets Plus Pet Center"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities Tuesday recovered the body of an eighth missing snowmobiler buried in avalanches in southern British Columbia, a spokesman for the the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
Authorities found seven bodies a day after avalanches in British Columbia, Canada.
Sgt. Tim Shields said the body was recovered around 11:38 a.m.
The seven other bodies were recovered Monday.
Their identities were not immediately released. David Wilks, mayor of Sparwood, the small town where the snowmobilers lived, said all were men in their 20s.
The eight men, and three others who escaped, faced two avalanches Sunday about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Fernie, a town in the Canadian Rockies about 300 kilometers (190 miles) southwest of Calgary, Alberta.
The three survivors suffered minor injuries, and one was hospitalized overnight.
The men had been in an area called Harvey Pass, which police called "a popular backcountry snowmobile destination."
Police said an avalanche buried part of the group and, as others came to help them, a second avalanche buried them.
"Two of the buried riders managed to self-rescue within about 20 minutes. These two used their avalanche beacons to locate a third buried victim who they rescued after an additional 20 minutes of digging," police said.
The mayor described the snowmobilers as upstanding citizens, most of them working in coal mines or as businessmen.
"All were well aware of the dangers involved in snowmobiling. All are very cautious with what was going on," Wilks said.
The mayor said temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit in recent weeks had warmed up in the last two or three days to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
|
03acae0ca4cf465697c50f88761e1ae1
|
Whose bodies were discovered Monday?
|
[
"snowmobilers"
] |
NewsQA
|
(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.
|
6914551bbc4c4f3e991a86b78e4b7114
|
Who was shot in the head?
|
[
"Gabrielle Giffords,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Changing winter conditions are causing Scotland's wild Soay sheep to get smaller, according to a study that suggests climate change can trump natural selection.
Can't see me now: Climate change could be shrinking Soay sheep in Scotland.
The authors of the study published in "Science" believe that it highlights how wide-ranging the effects of global climate change can be, adding further complexity to the changes we might expect to see in animal populations in future.
"It's only in the last few years that we've realized that evolution can influence species' physical traits as quickly as ecological changes can. This study addresses one of the major goals of population biology, namely to untangle the ways in which evolutionary and environmental changes influence a species' traits," said Andrew Sugden, deputy and international managing editor at Science.
The researchers analyzed body-weight measurements and life-history data for the female members of a population of Soay sheep. The sheep live on the island of Hirta in the St. Kilda archipelago of Scotland and have been studied closely since 1985.
They selected body size because it is a heritable trait, and because the sheep have, on average, been decreasing in size for the last 25 years.
According to the findings lambs are not growing as quickly as they once did as winters have become shorter so do not need to put on as much as weight in the first months of life to survive.
The results suggest that the decrease is primarily an ecological response to environmental variation over the last 25 years. Evolutionary change, the report says, has contributed relatively little.
"Sheep are getting smaller. Well, at least the wild Soay sheep living on a remote Scottish island are. But according to classic evolutionary theory, they should have been getting bigger, because larger sheep tend to be more likely to survive and reproduce than smaller ones, and offspring tend to resemble their parents," said study author Tim Coulson of Imperial College London.
"Our findings have solved a paradox that has tormented biologists for years -- why predictions did not match observation. Biologists have realized that ecological and evolutionary processes are intricately intertwined, and they now have a way of dissecting out the contribution of each. Unfortunately it is too early to tell whether a warming world will lead to pocket-sized sheep," said Coulson.
|
27703e814660488faa10eaa7c53024c8
|
What can override the natural selection?
|
[
"climate change"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The French Navy captured 11 suspected pirates off the coast of Kenya Wednesday, the French Ministry of Defense announced.
The French frigate Nivose, pictured last year patrolling the Gulf of Aden.
The Navy tracked the pirates overnight after they attacked a ship called the Safmarine Asia. The French launched a helicopter from the frigate Nivose to head off the attack Tuesday night, then seized the suspected pirates Wednesday morning, the statement said.
Both the European Union and the United States have been patrolling the region since an upsurge in piracy off the coast of Somalia last year.
U.S. snipers killed three pirates holding a U.S. ship captain hostage Sunday. The captain, Richard Phillips, was held in a lifeboat for days after his ship, the Maersk Alabama, was seized last week
But pirates in Somalia vowed revenge, saying that an attack on another ship, the Liberty Sun, was a response to the killing of Phillips' captors.
"It was a revenge," Hassan Mohamud told a Somali journalist. "The U.S. ship escaped by a matter of chance."
|
2f10697383c0442f9473e16e905d4f9b
|
What did the ministry say?
|
[
"The"
] |
NewsQA
|
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Pirates have hijacked a Thai cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast, the Kenya Seafarers Association said Thursday.
The ship, the MV Thor Star, was hijacked Tuesday with 28 Thai crew members on board, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for the association, which acts on behalf of merchant vessels in the region.
The Thai-flagged ship is owned by Bangkok-based Thoresen Thai Agencies.
Pirate attacks are frequent in the waters off Somalia, a notoriously unsafe area for unescorted vessels.
Earlier this month, Canada announced it was dispatching a warship to the area to protect U.N. aid ships after more than two dozen reported pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia this year.
|
8053377a66fd4881a55463de58f9aac4
|
What was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden?
|
[
"Thai cargo ship"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The operation on Ronaldo's injured left knee "went well" but the Brazilian striker faces a lengthy rehabilitation as he bids to save his football career.
Ronaldo leaves the field in agony after suffering his latest injury blow against Livorno.
Ronaldo had surgery in Paris on Thursday, the two-hour operation perfomed by Dr. Eric Rolland with Dr. Gerard Saillant, who carried out a similar repair to his right knee in 2000, in attendance.
"The operation went well," said Saillant. "The intervention was of the same type as the one in 2000. The healing period should last nine months," he said in sports paper L'Equipe.
Ronaldo was injured playing for AC Milan in a 1-1 draw with Liverno on Wednesday night and teammate Clarence Seedorf gave CNN a graphic description of the incident.
"It was like a film I already saw," said the Dutch star who was on the pitch when Ronaldo suffered his previous serious injury.
"I saw his reaction, I was frozen by the reality, a bad, bad thing. My heart went out to him because it was his second injury. I hope he has the will to come back," added Seedorf.
Ater the two-hour operation at Pitie-Salpetriere hospital, the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year is likely to need about 10 days of physical therapy, L'Equipe said.
Ronaldo, 31, has battled serious injuries throughout his career, and has played sparingly since joining Milan from Real Madrid in January 2007.
Wednesday's match was only his fifth in Serie A this season after injuring his thigh during preseason training on July 31. He returned in November, but has been in and out of the team due to a series of recurring problems. E-mail to a friend
|
221ce90fb0fa4c099f9321e6fc42b4e7
|
Who is recovering in Paris?
|
[
"Ronaldo's"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The space shuttle Discovery was waved off from its first chance to land Friday afternoon because of unstable weather near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said.
The space shuttle's landing in Florida was delayed Thursday, shown. A first attempt Friday was called off, too.
The shuttle will make another orbit of Earth, while NASA mission managers watch to see if extreme moisture and lightning threaten a safe landing.
The next opportunity to land in Florida would come at 7:23 p.m. ET; however, Mission Control told the shuttle crew the forecast for that time "looks about the same."
Crews have been activated at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert in case NASA decides to land the shuttle there, where the weather is not considered an issue. There are two chances to land Friday evening in California.
The space agency, however, usually exhausts all landing windows in Florida before sending the spacecraft to California. A landing on the West Coast adds a week to the turnaround time before the shuttle can be ready for another mission and it costs several million dollars.
The landing could be delayed until Saturday when there are two more chances to land in Florida or California.
Discovery initially was scheduled to return to Earth on Thursday, but poor weather in central Florida also forced a delay.
The seven astronauts are wrapping up a 13-day mission to the international space station, where the crew made repairs and delivered supplies. The crew executed three spacewalks and dropped off a Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or Colbert treadmill. It was named after comedian Stephen Colbert.
Weather and technical problems delayed Discovery's launch three times before blastoff.
|
7cfded56761a407fa0262a276e2fb689
|
where is the shuttle attempting to land on friday
|
[
"in Florida"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Famed boxer Manny Pacquiao prepared to square off Saturday against Juan Manuel Marquez, hoping to retain his championship and affirm his supremacy after controversy surrounded their first two bouts.
Pacquiao, who also serves as a representative in the Filipino Congress, is regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and has won 53 of his 58 career fights.
Marquez, though, insists he should have been declared the winner in their two clashes to date.
The two look to settle the score Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Filipino entered the bout having won 10 titles at eight different weight divisions in his glittering career, from flyweight (for boxers between 108 and 112 pounds) up to super welterweight (148 to 154 pounds).
The Ring magazine, among other publications, ranks Pacquiao as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.
That said, there's some doubt about his supremacy over Marquez. The first bout in 2004 was scored as a draw, while Pacquiao won a split decision in the rematch four years later.
The Mexican has been seen sporting a T-shirt that says "Marquez beat Pacquiao twice!!" and claims he will put the record straight when they step into the ring for the third time.
"Everyone, including many of my countrymen, believe he (Pacquiao) really won those fights," Marquez said through an interpreter.
Pacquiao though, said prior to Saturday's contest that the third chapter will resolve the debate once and for all.
"He kept on saying he got robbed in the first two fights. This fight will answer all the doubts and all the questions," he said at a news conference in Las Vegas.
If Pacquiao defeats Marquez, the next big fight for the General Santos City native could be a long awaited showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other superstar of his boxing generation.
|
6fc7482f78c244f4b827995dae0b118b
|
Who won the first match?
|
[
"Manny Pacquiao"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The White House on Friday began releasing the names of visitors as part of a Barack Obama campaign promise to run a more transparent administration.
Last month, Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, said records of White House visitors would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis beginning in December.
"We will achieve our goal of making this administration the most open and transparent administration in history not only by opening the doors of the White House to more Americans, but by shining a light on the business conducted inside it," he said. "Americans have a right to know whose voices are being heard in the policymaking process."
As part of that initiative, he offered to look back at records from before the announcement.
Eisen said Friday that 110 disclosure requests from September have been processed, yielding nearly 500 visitor records that have been posted on the White House Web site. Since the release covers only those records that are at least 90 days old, the first records cover January 20 to July 31.
"This first release is only the latest in a series of unprecedented steps by the president to increase openness in government," Eisen said.
Given that up to 100,000 people visit the White House each month, the names published Friday included people with some very familiar names -- including William Ayers, Michael Jordan, Michael Moore, Jeremiah Wright and R. Kelly -- that did not belong to their more famous counterparts, he said.
"The well-known individuals with those names never actually came to the White House," Eisen said.
The names can be seen at www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/visitor-records
|
763c5140b3954b05836af83a6417cd6f
|
How many people visit the White House each month?
|
[
"up to 100,000"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- When opposition rugby teams line up against the New Zealand All Blacks, there's a common game plan: Get Carter.
New Zealand rugby player Dan Carter is on course to be the country's top points scorer.
Playing as number 10 in the fly half position, Carter is the All Blacks' creative talisman and the one player that can catch the eye with his skill and control a match with his reading of the game.
He made his debut for the All Blacks in 2003 at just 21-years-old, but really burst onto the international scene in 2005 during the British Lions tour of New Zealand.
It led his opposite number, English fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who won the World Cup with England in 2003, to call Carter the most complete player in that position, combining great natural talent with an excellent work ethic.
As well as the accolades from journalists and fellow players he also picked up the International Rugby Board's Player of the year award in 2005.
Growing up around Christchurch on New Zealand's south island, he's been an integral member of the Crusaders team since 2002 and helped to make them the most successful team in the Super 14 competition, the southern hemisphere's top club league.
Having been courted by numerous British club sides for years, he's now taking the opportunity to play on pastures new, but with French club Perpignan.
He'll be in the Catalan city for six months, and regardless of how well he does on the field, he'll set new records by becoming the best paid player in club rugby.
He's set to earn an estimated $50,000 per game, which in a sport that lags far behind football or American sports in terms of finance is big money.
Find out what he thinks about playing his club rugby abroad for the first time, his view on the All Blacks and what it's like to be a rugby-playing pin-up on Talk Asia this week.
|
6dc0c765ae5e434099a5a53cd14b3f94
|
Who is the Blacks second highest point scorer?
|
[
"Dan Carter"
] |
NewsQA
|
(WIRED) -- Forget relying solely on touch to control your Apple device. On future iPads, you may be able to control your tablet from across the room using 3-D gestures, such as a swirl or swipe of the hand.
As suggested by a newly uncovered Apple patent, you would be able to manipulate and control graphical elements on your display, such as icons, media files, text and images. The gestures themselves could take many forms: geometric shapes (e.g., a half-circle or square), symbols (like a check mark or question mark), the letters of the alphabet, and other sorts of predetermined patterns.
One interesting application the patent highlights is video annotation and editing via a gesture-based toolbar. The toolbar would provide pre-set options for beginners, but would also allow more advanced users to customize their own gestures.
A previously discovered patent indicates that Apple could be working on an integrated projector for iDevices that would incorporate physical gestures as a method to manipulate a projected image. This newer patent, however, focuses more on the gestures themselves and other ways they could be used to control onscreen images and video. There's no mention of Siri or combining voice control with physical gestures.
The 3-D gesture-capturing method would employ a device's front-facing camera. The iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S all include a front-facing camera, so if Apple, say, decided to integrate this feature in an upcoming version of iOS, it's possible that legacy iDevice models could employ the technology as well.
That said, the patent does suggest that older iPhones may not have enough processing power for the gesture-capturing workload, as it shows a way to transfer video from the iPhone to an iPad for more advanced editing options.
The patent pre-defines a number of gestures, such as ones for facial recognition, a selection gesture and a pointing gesture (to identify a specific section of an onscreen image).
The patent was originally filed in mid-2010.
Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
|
66edf32e8fc5457c90b7ca689cdd9d90
|
would this process work on an older iphone?
|
[
"may not have enough processing power"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least nine people were killed in Somalia's war-torn capital Mogadishu when mortars slammed into a home for disabled veterans, according to journalists and witnesses.
Al Shabaab fighters display two bodies of Somali police officers during a battle August 12 in Mogadishu.
At least 27 people were wounded in the Friday night incident, when Muslim militants fired mortars toward Mogadishu's port and struck a residential area. The mortars hit a home for former national army officers who were disabled in a late-1970s war with Ethiopia, the sources said.
Insurgents from the Al-Shabaab militant group have been fighting to topple Somalia's government. Its fighters have frequently shelled the city's airport and seaport, which are controlled by the African Union and government forces.
The United States is supporting the Somali government's fight against the insurgents, including providing weapons to government forces. Al Shabaab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
The United States is concerned that Somalia's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency, as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year.
|
f0dc0996b4c24cd8afe3c42c90690180
|
What hit home for disabled?
|
[
"mortars"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores in India's western Gujarat state for bogus drugs and recycled syringes after a hepatitis B outbreak left 32 people dead, officials said Saturday.
Hepatitis-B patient Mahir Husain, center, is comforted at The Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Wednesday.
Five medical practitioners were also arrested for violations, said Malayappan Thennarasan, the top administrator of the state's Sabarkantha district.
One of those arrested is being held for allegedly reusing injection syringes, Thennarasan said.
Health authorities have recorded 111 cases of hepatitis B infection in the district over the past two weeks, he added.
"Of them, 32 have died," he said.
Health officials have launched an awareness campaign in the district, Thennarasan said this week.
Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis B virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It usually spreads through blood, semen, or other bodily fluids, often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person, the CDC says.
The disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death, according to the CDC.
|
5f5d59546372423cb4981923f89bc6c0
|
where The victims died in the state of Gujarat in western?
|
[
"The Civil Hospital,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Washington Wizards player Javaris Crittenton Monday became the second member of the NBA team to plead guilty to a weapons charge following a gun-toting locker-room incident.
Crittenton, 22, pleaded guilty in Superior Court in the District of Columbia to a misdemeanor count of possession of an unregistered firearm. He will avoid jail time.
Judge Bruce Beaudin sentenced Crittenton to one year of unsupervised probation. The judge also ordered him to perform community service with a children's organization in Washington and through the NBA's Haiti project.
"Possessing a firearm unlawfully in the District of Columbia can lead to nothing but trouble and can have serious consequences," said U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips. "We commend Mr. Crittenton for accepting responsibility and hope he fully appreciates the gravity of his actions," Phillips said.
The Wizards said in a statement that the charges and Crittenton's plea were "another disappointing development in what has already been a long and frustrating process for the team, the NBA and, most importantly, our fans."
"Javaris clearly used very bad judgment in this situation and will now face the consequences of his actions," the statement said.
Crittenton, who is currently listed as inactive on the Wizards' roster and has not played a game all season, agreed with prosecutors that the incident stemmed from an angry exchange with teammate Gilbert Arenas following arguments over a card game. The argument led to shooting threats, according to documents submitted to the court.
Prosecutors say Arenas threatened to burn or blow up Crittenton's car when they came to practice the following Monday.
"According to Crittenton before he left his home in Virginia for practice that day, Crittenton placed a lawfully owned unloaded handgun into his backpack because he believed that Arenas would carry out his threat to shoot him that day," prosecutors said.
Authorities say Crittenton displayed the weapon to Arenas, but did not aim it at him or load the weapon. Arenas had placed four of his own guns at Crittenton's locker and told him to "pick one," authorities said.
Authorities say Crittenton had been cooperating with them after the incident, and had voluntarily surrendered his weapon, a 9 mm semi-automatic Taurus, to law enforcement officials.
Arenas, a former NBA all-star, pleaded guilty to a more serious felony charge and faces potentially six months in jail, and has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA. His sentencing is set for March 26.
|
62a2ec409d48467aa34d186547f3876b
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what player from the Washington Wizards pleads to misdemeanor court?
|
[
"Javaris Crittenton"
] |
NewsQA
|
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- As General Motors heads toward insolvency, the company that was once the biggest on the planet is still riding high in the world's most populous country.
China is one bright spot in GM's dismal fortunes, but U.S. consumer activists have raised concerns.
As the storied American company prepares to financially dismantle its operations between good and poor performing assets, GM China is becoming the crown jewel in the company's operations.
"If there's a good GM and a bad GM, China is definitely going to be in the good GM side," said Michael Dunne, an auto analyst and managing director of J.D. Power and Associates China.
But the company's build-up in China is raising concern for U.S. consumer advocates and members of the U.S. Congress. Of particular concern are plans to build cars for the U.S. market in China after thousands of GM workers were laid off at U.S. plants.
"Do we really want the United States of America to export its auto industry paid for by the taxpayer, and un-employ workers to a dictatorship to a country like China?" said consumer advocate Ralph Nader. "Where's our self-respect as a nation?"
Adds U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio: "That cannot be a part of their restructuring of this company. Their business plan cannot include more outsourcing of jobs while taking taxpayer money."
Industry analysts say the decision is a simple matter of dollars and cents: GM is now the third-biggest car manufacturer in China, which has recently overtaken the U.S. as the world's largest car market.
"Our business is run as separate joint-ventures here in China in partnership with SAIC ... so we're profitable, we fund our own investment and we would be largely independent of any action that took place in the US," said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of GM China.
"It seems as though they have enough going on out here that they will remain insulated from the bankruptcy back home," adds Dunne. "I see GM weathering the storm in Asia and holding on to what they've accomplished here and being able to ride it out here."
CNN's Andrew Stevens and Jim Acosta contributed to this report
|
e3ddd20a9c7e48dc8b21c256aa458b01
|
the third largest manufacturer in China
|
[
"General Motors"
] |
NewsQA
|
(Sunset) -- The old warehouses of Portland's Pearl District are home to increasingly cool cultural diversions. Spend a weekend browsing the neighborhood's art galleries, snack on a pumpkin-pie cupcake and enjoy dinner and a show.
The Gerding Theater at the Armory has been transformed after its $36 million eco-renovation.
Take it home
If prices in the Pearl's posh galleries put a damper on your holiday gift giving, head to the Pacific Northwest College of Art for its annual student-art sale. Future famous artists sell surprisingly sophisticated gifts reflecting their fields of study: one-of-a-kind monotypes and screen-printed cards, jewelry with semiprecious stones, gorgeous oil paintings and thought-provoking metal sculptures.
Catch a show
The once-vacant, castlelike Gerding Theater at the Armory has been transformed after its $36 million eco-renovation. For people-watching, sip wine in the loft overlooking the lobby, then settle in for Portland Center Stage's one-man play "R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe." Sunset.com: Life in the Pearl
One-stop gallery hop
Who cares if it's raining when you have the DeSoto Building/Museum of Contemporary Craft -- four fine art galleries and an innovative museum under one roof? Hit the museum's Holiday Shoppe (December 3-January 4) for funky felt rings and handcrafted ornaments.
Great Pearl eats
Wild rice-smoked duck breast is steps from the Gerding Theater at Ten 01. Or try Isabel; we like the brown rice and tofu bowl with peanut sauce. Then there's 50 Plates, a casual bistro serving all-American classics. Sunset.com: Green in Portland
A twist on pumpkin pie
Warm up for T-Day with a luscious pumpkin pie cupcake filled with pumpkin cream at Cupcake Jones, a grab-and-go bakery. (Then place your order for Thanksgiving dessert.)
WANT MORE ENTERTAINMENT? (Portland's got it)
For budding theater buffs
Kids will eat up the juicy Oregon Children's Theatre production of Roald Dahl's classic "James and the Giant Peach," while you'll get a kick out of the high-flying special effects and dry humor.
For small-stage premieres
See classics and local playwrights' works on one of Artists Repertory Theatre's two intimate stages. Get some comic relief during the hectic holidays with Marc Acito and C.S. Witcomb's "Holidazed," a humorous look at modern families coping with old-fashioned Christmas traditions.
For indie-film fans
The Northwest Film Center presents themed series, retrospectives and annual film festivals. The Portland International Film Festival, held in February, features nearly 100 films from more than 30 countries.
Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com
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b5cf488f66f44803bbd55e1aa039f2c5
|
Where is the art sale located?
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[
"Pacific Northwest College of Art"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Fifteen employees were fired for improperly accessing medical records of Nadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets, a Kaiser Permanente spokesman said Monday.
Nadya Suleman has been the subject of much curiosity since she gave birth to octuplets.
"We always provide training on the importance of patient privacy and confidentiality," said Jim Anderson, the hospital spokesman.
"We knew from the time she (Nadya Suleman) was admitted to the hospital in December, this case would attract attention.
"Numerous training sessions were held to remind people of the need to keep the information confidential."
Eight other employees of the Bellflower, California hospital were disciplined for accessing Suleman's files, Anderson said.
Anderson said there's no indication that any of the information was distributed outside the hospital to the media.
Suleman, a resident La Habra, California, and already a single mother with six young children, gave birth to the octuplets through in-vitro fertilization, fueling controversy.
News of her collecting public assistance for some of her children also outraged many taxpayers.
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b5a28a113750410aa4bb62472f89c256
|
Was there information distributed outside the hospital?
|
[
"no indication"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 15 people have been killed and more wounded after a weekend of heavy fighting in Somalia's capital, journalists and a hospital spokeswoman said Monday.
Artillery shelling from an area controlled by the government into an insurgent stronghold killed at least 15 and wounded 60 others Sunday in northeastern Mogadishu, journalists said after surveying the aftermath.
More than 120 people have been admitted to a hospital with wounds related to fighting since Friday, said Duniyo Ali Mohamed, head of the medical department at Medina Hospital.
The fighting comes after a militant Islamist group associated with al Qaeda attacked areas controlled by government troops and peacekeepers Friday, leaving 12 dead and at least 30 injured, witnesses said.
Two of the 12 were members of al-Shabaab, according to Sheik Ali Mohamud Raghe, a spokesman for the militants. Al-Shabaab is an extremist group that the United States considers to be a terrorist organization.
Somali government officials downplayed the offensive, calling it "small and careless."
Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. The transitional government has struggled to establish authority amid challenges by militants.
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2a3f27b8b77e4998a6f451bf9f534d7a
|
Who downplayed the offensive?
|
[
"Somali"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Jury selection in the case of a deadly 2007 Connecticut home invasion was postponed Monday because the suspect was hospitalized, his defense attorney said.
Steven Hayes was in intensive care, attorney Thomas Ullmann said.
Jury selection in Hayes' murder trial was delayed. A status conference was scheduled for Wednesday, Ullmann said.
"We have no idea how long this is going to take," the attorney added.
Hayes, 46, is one of two men charged with offenses including felony murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and arson in the July 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Prosecutors allege that Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky, 29, broke into the home of the Petit family. They say the two beat up Dr. William Petit; strangled his 48-year-old wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit; and set the home ablaze. The couple's two daughters, 17-year-old Hayley Petit and 11-year-old Michaela Petit, died from smoke inhalation.
Trial's start stirs painful memories in Cheshire
Ullmann said he did not know why Hayes was hospitalized, but the Hartford Courant, citing unnamed sources, said he apparently overdosed on medication he receives daily. Superior Court Judge Jon C. Blue said in court Monday that Ullmann told him Hayes was found unconscious in his cell and may be in a medically induced coma.
The University of Connecticut Medical Center referred questions Monday to the Connecticut Department of Correction. The department declined comment, citing a court-imposed gag order in the case.
Authorities allege that during the Petit home invasion, one of the attackers drove Hawke-Petit to a bank to withdraw money. She was able to alert a bank teller that the family was being held captive, and the teller alerted police, authorities said.
Media reports said that Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit were sexually assaulted during the seven-hour ordeal. Prosecutors have declined to confirm details because of the gag order.
The motive in the case remains unclear. Hayes and Komisarjevsky, who is set to be tried separately, could face the death penalty if convicted.
|
9c928f6e2e2a4cd78074652b9429068e
|
What is he accused of?
|
[
"felony murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and arson"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Andre Berto claimed the vacant World Boxing Council welterweight title when he halted Miguel Rodriguez in the seventh round in Memphis.
Berto took the WBC belt vacated when Floyd Mayweather retired.
Berto (22-0, 19 KOs) picked up the WBC belt that became vacant when Floyd Mayweather retired.
Rodriguez's record dropped to 29-3 with 23 KOs.
Berto floored Rodriguez with an uppercut in the seventh round and when Rodriquez went down a second time referee Lawrance Cole intervened at 2:13.
Dane Mikkel Kessler knocked out Dimitri Sartison in the 12th round in Copenhagen, to become World Boxing Association supermiddle champion .
Kessler (40-1) dominated throughout in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Brondby Hall.
Sartison, who was born in Kazhakstan but grew up in Germany, suffered his first loss after a 22-0 start in his pro career.
Kessler won the WBA title in November 2004 by stopping Manny Siaca of Puerto Rico.
He also lifted the the WBC super middleweight crown two years later when he knocked out Markus Beyer of Germany in the third round.
But he surrendered both belts when Joe Calzaghe of Wales ended his unbeaten run in Cardiff last November.
Britain's Amir Khan was floored before successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title with a fifth round stoppage of Michael Gomez in Birmingham.
Khan, who has won all 18 of his fights since turning professional after winning a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, knocked Gomez down in the first round but found himself on the canvas in the second in a brief but rugged contest.
Khan said: "This was one of my toughest fights but I learned from my mistakes. I will watch the video and work on them and continue my journey to the world title."
Khan was on target with a powerful right uppercut in the first round and a combination of punches floored Gomez, who retaliated in the second round.
A left hook over the top of a jab put Khan down and he had to take a standing count and looked unsteady on his legs for several seconds afterwards.
Gomez landed a damaging hook to the ribs in the fourth but early in the fifth Khan put his opponent down again with a powerful body shot.
Gomez began to take a lot of punishment and referee John Keane stopped the contest.
Gomez looked disappointed but appeared to be all but out on his feet.
|
70a6255041754a1ab77b9f776267f3b5
|
Who wins the vacant title?
|
[
"Berto"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Capitol Police arrested a man Friday after an officer spotted a rifle in his car when he stopped the officer to ask for directions two blocks from the Capitol building.
Police inspect the suspect's vehicle in Washington on Friday.
Christopher Shelton Timmons, 27, has been charged with carrying a deadly weapon, having an unregistered firearm and having unregistered ammunition, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said.
In addition to the rifle -- an AK-47 -- police found a grenade, a pistol, ammunition, loaded magazines "and several other items of concern to the police" in the Jeep Cherokee he was driving.
Authorities said Timmons was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon in March in Albemarle County, Virginia, and served a month in jail. In that incident, Timmons had two grenades in his car, said Albemarle Police Chief John Miller.
The pins had been removed and the grenades were filled with powder, authorities said. They had an adhesive on top to close them and a firecracker for a fuse.
Law enforcement sources said the grenades were similar to an item found in Timmons vehicle Friday. That device has been taken to the FBI facility in Quantico, Virginia.
Members of the joint terrorism task force are involved in the investigation, sources said, but so far no one is suggesting Timmons was planning an attack of some kind.
CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
|
bf97453892d349d1963b8a6f7c4cc9a4
|
What equipment did police say the suspect had?
|
[
"grenade, a pistol, ammunition, loaded magazines \"and several other items of concern"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An eruption may not be imminent after all for Alaska's Mount Redoubt, authorities said Thursday.
Fears that Alaska's Mount Redoubt would erupt have diminished.
"For the past two weeks or so, the seismic activity at Redoubt volcano has significantly decreased," said Michelle Coombs, a geologist for the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The status is now at a "yellow" level, meaning the volcano is "exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain, or eruption is underway with no or minor volcanic-ash emissions."
In late January, experts began paying close attention to the volcano and raised the alert to "orange," indicating that it could erupt at any time.
"We believe based on what we're seeing now, that if it were to erupt, that we would see enough increase in seismic activity to give us sufficient warning to go back up to orange," Coombs said.
Two other volcanoes in Alaska are also at the "yellow" status currently, and Mount Redoubt could remain at that level for months, Coombs said.
"There's a certain level of unpredictability," she said.
The 10,197-foot peak is located in southern Alaska, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city.
Mount Redoubt last erupted nearly 20 years ago, in December 1989. That eruption lasted until April 1990.
CNN's Robyn Sidersky contributed to this story
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ad7014d0c55e455cac0f17f5d2d94e7a
|
did it ever erupt in the past
|
[
"20 years ago, in December 1989."
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The "bongs" of London's Big Ben stopped on Saturday for up to six weeks as the clock's chimes were shut down for maintenance work.
The London landmark is undergoing maintenance work ahead of its 150th anniversary in 2009.
At 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) the bells of the landmark Westminster clock tower were silenced for the final phase of a program of work ahead of the clock's 150th anniversary in 2009.
An hour later, Londoners and tourists saw the unusual spectacle of workers abseiling down the south clock face to clean and repair it. Both hands of the clock were turned to 12.
An electric system will keep the clock moving while work takes place on the mechanism.
The stoppage will be the longest suspension of Big Ben since 1990. There were previous stoppages of both the hour and quarter bells in 1956 and 1934.
The 96 meter (315 ft) clock tower of Britain's parliament is popularly known as Big Ben, although the name actually refers to the 13.5 tonne Great Bell inside. E-mail to a friend
|
0f13a26b14184b2f9a6ccffc8797791c
|
What is meant by bong?
|
[
"clock's chimes"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An Islamic militia took over two strategic towns in Somalia Tuesday in a territory grab by the strengthening insurgency, a regional commander told CNN.
Islamist fighters from Al-Shabaab group in Somalia display their flag.
The al-Shabaab militia seized the cities of Bulo Marer and Quryoley from the U.N.-backed government and its Ethiopian allies. The move gives the group a strategic base in central Somalia, where it also controls Kismayo, the country's third-largest city.
Al-Shabaab is an offshoot of an Islamic party that ruled much of the country in the second half of 2006 and aims to impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia.
Nur Shekoy Jabril, the commander of government forces in Quryoley, said his troops withdrew from the two towns after they faced being overwhelmed by the al-Shabaab force.
He said al-Shabaab forces were moving toward Merka, another major town in the region where the Untied Nations uses an air strip to fly in supplies for the World Food Programme.
Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991, is in the throes of an Islamic insurgency which is battling for control of the country and the ouster of Ethiopian forces.
A cease-fire between the some of the Islamic fighters and the Somali transitional government takes effect on Wednesday.
The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and the African Union and signed late last month in Djibouti.
It calls for Ethiopian forces -- who are supporting the transitional government forces -- to withdraw starting on November 21.
It is unclear if the cease-fire will hold as it has already been rejected by Al Shabaab.
Somalia's lawlessness also spilled onto the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms.
|
1ecaedf7ed084875aa5ceb9b7b59f275
|
Which two cities did the militia seize?
|
[
"Bulo Marer and Quryoley"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A court has lifted a ban on identifying a man charged with one of a number of deadly wildfires that scorched southeastern Australia this month.
A dirt track runs through the burnt out forest in the Kinglake region of Victoria state.
The man, 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk, did not appear in Monday's hearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court, the Australian Associated Press reported. An order banning the publishing of Sokaluk's street address or his image remains in place.
Public passions are running high in the aftermath of the fires that have killed scores of people. One T-shirt says, "The bastards who lit Victoria's fires should: Burn in hell."
Sokaluk is suspected of lighting a fire on February 7. He was charged with arson causing death, intentionally or recklessly lighting a bush fire, and possessing child pornography, Victoria state police said last week. The fire Sokaluk is accused of setting killed at least 21 people in Gippsland. See map of fire-hit areas »
Sokaluk's identity had already been revealed on social networking sites before the court lifted the suppression order on his name.
There were 12 Facebook groups carrying details about Sokaluk, with one attracting more than 3,600 members. Watch more on arrest »
Robbie Shenton, who has joined one such group, told CNN: "The judicial system had no right to suppress his name or photograph."
Melbourne's Age newspaper reported Police had contacted Facebook seeking removal of Sokaluk's details.
The death toll in a string of fires across Victoria climbed to 189 on Monday, police reported. The number of fires burning had dropped to six, from about a peak of about three dozen, the Country Fire Authority said. Watch a survivor tell his story »
Meanwhile, more than 150 detectives were working on the arson investigation, authorities said. The fires have destroyed more than 1,800 homes and displaced about 7,000 people.
Priyanka Deladia contributed to this report.
|
df7cccd6697f42729d9587aa35d5bffb
|
What remains in place?
|
[
"An order banning the publishing of Sokaluk's street address or his image"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- The fashion brand created by Alexander McQueen is to survive despite the designer's suicide last week, the label's majority stakeholder Gucci Group has confirmed.
"I believe strongly in the Alexander McQueen brand and its future," Gucci Group CEO Robert Polet said in a statement carried on the Web site of Gucci parent PPR.
The future of McQueen's 11-store, 180 employee fashion house had been uncertain following the 40-year-old's death, with industry experts speculating it was not successful enough to endure without its figurehead.
PPR on Thursday revealed a company-wide net profit rise of 6.9 percent to €984.6 million ($1,328 million) but a 4 percent revenue fall to €16.52 billion. It did not break down figures to reveal McQueen's turnover, but reports speculate the brand is running at a loss despite heavy celebrity endorsements.
The Times of London reported on Thursday that the label had struggled to make a profit and analysis of recent accounts showed it had liabilities of more than £32 million ($49 million).
PPR boss Francois-Henri Pinault said in a statement: "Lee Alexander [McQueen] was a pure genius and a poet who was imaginative and original. His art went beyond the fashion world. The Alexander McQueen trademark will live on. This is the best tribute that we could offer to Lee."
McQueen's death last week shocked the world of fashion, with many in the industry paying tribute to a man they described as a unique talent capable of becoming a major name.
A coroner on Wednesday said McQueen hanged himself in his wardrobe and left a suicide note
McQueen, who had dressed stars from Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman to Rihanna and Sandra Bullock, killed himself nine days after the death of his mother. He expressed his devastation at her death on his Twitter account days before he died.
McQueen was born in 1970 in London's East End, the son of a taxi driver and trained in London's Savile Row, going on to study fashion at college before making his name with his own extravagant designs.
French luxury brand Gucci Group acquired a 51 percent stake in McQueen in 2001.
|
e5a1697fa70e4af6bb08ef497db0f75a
|
Who was found dead in London?
|
[
"Alexander McQueen"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller pointed Monday to recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India, and Somalia to highlight the FBI's concern that small groups or individuals could carry out such attacks on U.S. soil.
FBI Director Robert Mueller says he worries the Mumbai attack could be replicated in the United States.
In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mueller worried that the dramatic terror attack on hotels and other facilities in Mumbai potentially could be replicated in the United States.
"This type of attack reminds us that terrorists with large agendas and little money can use rudimentary weapons to maximize their impact. And it again raises the question of whether a similar attack could happen in Seattle or San Diego, Miami, or Manhattan," Mueller said.
He said he is increasingly concerned with "pockets of people around the world that identify with al Qaeda and its ideology" but who have little or no actual contact with al Qaeda.
Mueller cited the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen last October. A Somali native who had settled in Minnesota traveled back to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others.
The idea that Shirwa Ahmed, 27, was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the FBI.
"One pattern in particular concerns us," Mueller said. "The prospect of young men, indoctrinated and radicalized within their own communities and induced to travel to Somalia to take up arms -- and to kill themselves and perhaps many others -- is a perversion of the immigrant story. And it raises the question of whether these young men will one day come home and, if so, what they might undertake here."
Authorities have said as many as 20 young Somali men reported missing in Minnesota may have returned to Somalia to take up arms.
|
709c0c8134ca41b7ba82dd99582d23b3
|
What did the Mumbai attac show?
|
[
"concern that small groups or individuals could carry out such attacks on U.S. soil."
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- Police in London have reached a settlement with the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, whom officers shot dead in 2005, mistaking him for a suicide bomber.
The police offered "a further unreserved apology" for the death of de Menezes in 2005, plus an undisclosed compensation package, the police and the de Menezes family said in a joint statement.
"All litigation between them arising out of the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes has been resolved," the statement added.
De Menezes was killed on a London Underground train weeks after four suicide bombers struck on the London transport system on July 7, 2005.
The controversial shooting of the unarmed Brazilian man sparked a number of investigations, including one that found police acted illegally.
A jury found in 2007 that London's Metropolitan Police Service broke health and safety laws in the shooting. It did not examine the cause of death.
Jurors at a 2008 inquest found that the police who shot de Menezes did not shout a warning before firing at him. They also found that de Menezes did not advance toward armed officers on the subway train, which would have given them a reason to shoot.
But the coroner at the inquest, who acted as the judge, had told the jury members they could not return a verdict of unlawful killing.
They returned an open verdict in the case, meaning the jury was unable to establish a cause of death. De Menezes' family called the proceedings a "whitewash" because jurors were not allowed to consider a verdict of unlawful killing.
De Menezes was killed July 22, 2005, a day after four failed bombings aboard the London transit system. Two weeks earlier, four suicide bombers blew apart three London subway trains and a bus, killing 52 people and wounding 977.
The city was on edge as police sought the four failed bombers.
Officers staking out a home in south London saw and followed de Menezes, 27, believing he was one of the suspects. They trailed him as he traveled on a bus and into a subway station, where they chased him onto the platform and into a train, and shot him dead.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded in 2007 that de Menezes was innocent of anything that might have justified police action.
"We made a most terrible mistake," Acting Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said at the time, adding police needed to learn from the incident. "I am sorry."
The shooting was one of several issues that led to the resignation last year of Police Commissioner Ian Blair.
CNN's Melissa Gray in London contributed to this report.
|
11087cbba590443896373f186ae84c23
|
What made them think de Menezes was a suicide bomber?
|
[
"Officers staking out a home in south London saw and followed"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A former New York City bouncer was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for the brutal slaying of a graduate student from Boston, the Brooklyn district attorney's office said.
Darryl Littlejohn, 44, is already serving prison time for the attempted kidnapping of another student in 2005.
Darryl Littlejohn, 44, was convicted of first-degree murder last month in the 2006 death of Imette St. Guillen, 24, who had been studying criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Littlejohn, who is already serving 25 years to life for the October 2005 attempted kidnapping of a 19-year-old Queens college student, will serve out the sentences consecutively, said Sarah McNaughton of the Brooklyn district attorney's office.
During the trial, witnesses said they saw Littlejohn and St. Guillen leaving The Falls bar in lower Manhattan together early February 25, 2006.
Littlejohn was working as a bouncer at the bar.
Hours later, St. Guillen's nude body was found in an isolated lot in Brooklyn. Her face was covered with strips of packing tape, and a sock was stuffed into her throat.
She died of asphyxiation, and investigators determined she had been raped.
Littlejohn was charged with murder after investigators linked his DNA to blood found on plastic ties used to bind St. Guillen's hands behind her back.
Littlejohn's attorney, Joyce David, has filed an appeal on behalf of her client and maintains his innocence. She said that although Littlejohn has a long criminal record, he has no history of violence against women.
The horrific incident spread shockwaves through New York City nightlife, which relies heavily on unlicensed bouncers to keep order in the city's bars and nightclubs.
Littlejohn is being held at New York's Rikers Island maximum security facility.
CNN's Chris Kokenes and Kristen Hamill contributed to this report
|
3bcab02b7ca54db3a70f20c49463a026
|
who is leaving Manhattan bar?
|
[
"Littlejohn and St. Guillen"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A magazine photo spread of Taliban fighters posing in the uniforms of 10 French soldiers killed last month has sparked an angry response.
One of the pictures in the French magazine Paris Match that has stirred controversy.
The latest edition of Paris Match includes photos of the Taliban fighters and their commander, "Farouki," wearing French uniforms, helmets and using French assault rifles and walkie-talkies.
Farouki, aged 30-35, claims in the accompanying story to have led his group in the August 18 ambush which killed 10 French troops and injured a further 21 in the Sarobi District, 40 miles east of Kabul. It was the French army's single highest death toll in 25 years.
He said the area was "our territory" and the attack was a "legitimate" part of its defense.
Farouki said it did not need a lot of planning, with the French soldiers only spotted a short time before the assault.
He said the soldiers had died for "[George W.] Bush's" cause and that if France did not return the rest of its troops home they would all be killed.
Farouki said they would continue fighting till the last man. See more on Paris Match's Web site
French Defense Minister Herve Morin accused the magazine of helping the Taliban.
"Should we be doing the Taliban's promotion for them?" he asked in the French daily newspaper Liberation.
Joel Le Pahun, father of one of the killed soldiers, told the newspaper the pictures were "despicable."
Green MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit called them "voyeurism."
However, Paris Match editor Laurent Valdiguie defended the publication, saying it was "legitimate" given the importance of the story.
The story's author, Eric de Lavarène, said only he and photographer Véronique de Viguerie met the group and he asked his questions via their "fixer."
|
9d87ba434a084a7faec50edaf8117ce9
|
who featured the photos?
|
[
"French magazine Paris Match"
] |
NewsQA
|
ZURICH, Switzerland (CNN) -- As I watched Cristiano Ronaldo receive the FIFA World Player of the Year award in Zurich, I couldn't help feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, as the 23 year-old Portuguese international once again proved all his doubters wrong.
Cristiano Ronaldo shows emotion after being named the FIFA World Player of the Year for 2008.
Especially the ones in England.
In the days leading up to the awards ceremony, there were various rumors circulating that the Manchester United star was going to be pipped by Leo Messi on Tuesday night.
I was asked several times in London whether I really thought Ronaldo was going to win. Whether he really deserved it.
It was as if many in the British press didn't want him to take home another award.
Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo is shown enough respect? Tell us in the Sound Off box below.
The fierce attack on his lifestyle by the tabloids after he crashed his Ferrari last week just accentuated the fact that in the UK, he still has earned little respect.
Never mind that he was about to become the first Premier League Player to win this prestigious award. Never mind he has been the competition's biggest ambassador and promoter overseas. Too many in the English media, he was still a diver on the field, and a petulant rock star off it.
Now I am not going to sit here and say that my compatriot Cristiano is perfect. He isn't and he makes mistakes. But the same can be said about Wayne Rooney or any of the other English internationals.
When Rooney charges down the referee and shouts obscenities in his face without even being booked, as was the case in last weekend's match against Chelsea, is he called arrogant or petulant? No. When he goes seven or eight matches without a goal, is he suddenly branded overrated? No.
So all I am asking for here is a little respect. If Ronaldo was English, I am sure in the eyes of the British press he would be virtually untouchable, but although he's not, just give him a break. After all, he had an incredible 2007/2008 season which saw him score 42 goals in 49 matches and win virtually every major trophy on offer.
And he's a great ambassador for the game.
Pedro Pinto is a CNN sports correspondent based in London.
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2f44dcd30bac4e24b7c8c9b2d57cd2a0
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Who won the FIFA award in 2008?
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[
"Cristiano Ronaldo"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Russian tanker carrying fuel arrived in the Alaskan town of Nome on Saturday night, the Coast Guard said, as officials started preparations on delivering the much-needed supplies.
U.S Coast Guard ice breaker Cutter Healy accompanied the fuel tanker Renda as it made its way through the frozen waters carrying 1.3 million gallons of petroleum products.
"The first step is to ensure the ice is safe for the personnel to walk on," said Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow. "Then they will work to connect the piping and check for leaks. Safety is our primary concern."
The cutter has broken through almost 300 miles of ice for the tanker on a journey that took them through southern Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
The voyage is the first-ever attempt to supply fuel to an Arctic Alaska settlement through sea ice.
A company in Nome contracted the Renda to deliver the fuel after ice formed over the Bering Sea following a ferocious November storm that prevented the last delivery of the season via barge.
The Coast Guard urged Nome residents not to go out on the ice to watch the operations, saying the behavior of the ice is unpredictable and ice conditions could change.
Nome is not in immediate danger of running out of fuel, said Coast Guard Capt. Craig Lloyd, who is coordinating the mission.
The town has enough fuel to last until about March, but the delivery was attempted now because it would have been more difficult then, he said.
Officials considered flying in fuel, but it would have taken more than 300 flights, each carrying 4,000 to 5,000 gallons, to meet the town's needs, said Jason Evans, chairman of Sitnasuak Native Corp.
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424a138e8f50455a81f54ed8bd2b3e05
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Alaska is trying to resupply fuel using what method?
|
[
"through sea ice."
] |
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|
MARANA, Arizona (CNN) -- I've been privileged in the past to witness Tiger Woods out on a golf course. And I can tell you, it's a painful, frustrating process.
Golf fans flocked to Arizona to see Tiger make his long-awaited return to the tee.
Not because the golf he produces isn't spectacular and at times utterly dazzling but it's the sheer volume of people he attracts that help convince me each and every time golf has to be one of the worst "out on the course" spectator sports going. That's just my opinion though.
Try telling that to the legions who got themselves to Arizona this week once they heard the world's top player was making his return to the game after more than eight months.
Woods' first competitive slice of action in the best part of a year wasn't due to get under way until around lunchtime here though judging by the fans already out on the course you'd have thought his tee-time was more like 7am. Even those jostling for position to catch a glimpse of him on the range or putting green were taking no chances and ensuring they arrived in plenty of time.
Remember all of this was before he even teed off!
The scene on that first hole was as expected bustling to say the least. The small gantries were packed anyway due to the whole array of talent on show through this week, but it got even more frenzied when the Woods-Jones match- up was announced.
Mayhem to say the least! Those seated in the stands were the lucky ones, it was the unfortunate spectators trying to stand and strain every sinew to catch a glance of that first shot from the world number one I felt for.
Even us media suffered! With seconds to go before the American struck his drive, one television camera crew, which really should have known better, blatantly blocked us from getting that prized shot. Only quick last-gasp thinking from our cameraman John saved the day.
In case you were wondering that Woods drive was just majestic and he would go on to win the first two holes in fine style.
When he strode off down the first fairway, there was a stampede with those looking to brave the soaring temperatures here in Arizona and follow him every step of the way. The Woods 'wow factor' is still very much alive and kicking. The question is will the so-called bionic knee hold up in the weeks and months to come?
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b3bc41e356af4baa9c05845074b1e58c
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What is still very much alive and kicking?
|
[
"The Woods 'wow factor'"
] |
NewsQA
|
Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- Heavy flooding in central Mexico in the past week has killed at least 33 people and left thousands homeless, the government said Monday.
Schools remained closed in five cities in Mexico's Michoacan state, where the flooding has killed at least 22 people and left more than 3,500 residents homeless, the state government said on its Web site.
Another 83 people still were missing Monday in Michoacan, a state in western coastal Mexico that has been beset by drug violence in the past few years.
A mudslide Saturday killed at least 11 people near the small town of Temascaltepec, in neighboring Mexico state.
Uncharacteristic heavy rain throughout Mexico also has led to flooding in the nation's capital, Mexico City.
Up to 35,000 people nationwide could have been affected, published reports said.
On Sunday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon toured Valle de Chalco, a city in Mexico state.
In Valle de Chalco, on the eastern outskirts of the Mexico City area, officials announced that contaminated water from a sewage network that overflowed Friday will continue to flood the town for at least another 48 hours. The number of affected houses in the city grew from 2,000 on Friday to about 3,000 on Monday, the government said.
Mexico state is bordered on the west by Michoacan and adjoins Mexico City on three sides -- north, east and west.
In Mexico City, officials announced the reopening Monday of 165 of the 174 schools that were closed Friday because of the heavy rain and flooding.
Calderon and other Mexican officials have vowed to help displaced families, including offering them food, medicine, shelter and cash allowances to buy new furniture.
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5bcc607591594c68a901af7d96589321
|
What number of schools closed?
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[
"174"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- What can 40 goats and 20 cows buy a Kenyan man? Chelsea Clinton's love, if you ask Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor.
Hillary Clinton says she would let her daughter Chelsea know about a Kenyan man's unique marriage offer.
The Kenyan man first offered the dowry nine years ago to then-President Bill Clinton in asking for the hand of his only child. He renewed it Thursday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about the proposal at a Nairobi town hall session.
CNN's Fareed Zakaria, the session's moderator, commented that given the economic crisis at hand, Chepkurgor's dowry was "not a bad offer."
However, Clinton said her daughter was her own person.
"She's very independent," she said. "So I will convey this very kind offer." Watch Clinton's response to dowry offer »
The audience laughed, but Clinton's comments were no joke to Chepkurgor, who described the younger Clinton as a "beautiful, disciplined and well-natured woman."
"Of course I have never met her, but I like her family and how they stick together," Chepkurgor told CNN. "I've waited for a long time. I'm still waiting to meet her and express my love for her."
Chepkurgor operates a small electronics and computer shop in Nakuru, a major city northwest of Nairobi. He may still be waiting for Chelsea, but he's not exactly single. He married his wife Grace, a college classmate, in 2006.
"My wife has no problem with this," he insisted. "She listened to the answers given by Hillary and did not complain."
Polygamy is legal in Kenya, so Chelsea would be Chepkurgor's second wife.
"Is that allowed in your side of the world?" he laughed.
In Kenya, a man proposes with dowry for the prospective bride, Chepkurgor explained. He said he stands by his initial livestock offer until someone makes a counteroffer.
Chepkurgor, now 39, first made his intentions known when all three Clintons visited East Africa in 2000. He wrote a letter to the former president, offering himself as his only child's suitor. He said he had not expected the secretary of state to address the issue during her visit to Kenya this week.
However, he admits his chances might be rather slim.
"Unfortunately, I don't have their contact information," he said.
"I just want to convey my message of goodwill to the Clintons," he said. "And to all of America."
|
8a9218147e53414aab4b070965c360b9
|
Is Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor married?
|
[
"He"
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Two men accused of failed car bomb attacks in London and a car bombing at Glasgow International Airport last year went on trial Thursday.
Mohammed Asha, a doctor, is accused of conspiracy to murder and cause explosions.
Bilal Abdulla and Mohammed Asha, both doctors, are charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions. Their trial at London's Woolwich Crown Court is expected to last up to 12 weeks.
The case stems from the discovery in June 2007 of two explosives-filled Mercedes sedans in central London. One of the cars was parked across the street from a packed nightclub near Piccadilly Circus and the other was towed from an underground car park at Hyde Park.
An ambulance crew notified police about the first car after they saw smoke coming from it. The second car was towed for a parking offense but drew suspicion because it smelled of gasoline.
Officials said both cars cars were filled with fuel, gas canisters, and nails. Police managed to defuse them.
The following day, with attention still focused on the averted attacks in the capital, a Jeep sped through the barriers outside Glasgow International Airport and slammed head on into the terminal. The Jeep, filled with propane gas, burst into flames and created a fireball.
The driver and passenger jumped out of the car. One set himself on fire and later died in the hospital; the other was identified as Abdulla, an Iraqi doctor who had been practicing medicine in Scotland.
Later that day, police arrested Asha as he was driving with his wife on a highway in Cheshire, England. Police said Asha, a doctor of Palestinian descent who grew up in Jordan, conspired with Abdulla to carry out the explosions.
The incidents happened just days after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown took office.
A third man charged in the case, Sabeel Ahmed, pleaded guilty in April to failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism. He was ordered to be deported to India.
|
85c68b50add144afbcd568e13f7760b5
|
Who were charged with conspiracy to murder?
|
[
"Mohammed Asha,"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Tennis officials reacted with disappointment on Wednesday to Andre Agassi's revelation that he had used a banned drug and then lied about it to avoid a ban.
Agassi's admission that he took the stimulant crystal meth in 1997 will come in a soon to be published autobiography which is being serialized by The Times of London.
He avoided a three-month suspension by claiming in a letter to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) that he failed a doping test because a drink had been 'spiked' with the crystal meth.
Under today's anti-doping rules, the American legend could have faced a two-year ban from the circuit.
The ATP issued a statement Wednesday in which it said that an independent panel would make the final decision on a doping violation.
"The ATP has always followed this rule, and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter," the statement read.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said they could not take retrospective action against the eight-time grand slam winner because of its eight-year statute of limitations, but demanded the ATP investigate fully.
"WADA would, however, expect the ATP, which administered its own anti-doping program at that time, to shed light on this allegation," Fahey said in a statement.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) took over responsibility for the ATP's doping program in 2006 and its president Francesco Ricci Bitti said that Agassi's revelations showed that a tough anti-doping program was needed.
Agassi did find strong support from Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swatch Group, for whom Agassi acts as an ambassador.
He told CNN that his company would stick with the 39-year-old Agassi in his current role.
"He's admitted a mistake and it's fine with us," he said.
|
9aa250101b44408f8e2ac82e26565283
|
what says ATP?
|
[
"an independent panel would make the final decision on a doping violation."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Nazi war crimes suspect John Demjanjuk was deported to Germany on Monday evening after he was removed from his Cleveland, Ohio-area home in the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers earlier in the day.
German officials claim John Demjanjuk was an accessory to 29,000 murders in a Nazi death camp.
An ambulance transported him to an airstrip at the Cleveland airport. The plane carrying Demjanjuk departed at 7:13 p.m.
Demjanjuk, 89, is wanted by German authorities for his alleged involvement during World War II in killings at Sobibor, a Nazi death camp in Poland.
His deportation closed a chapter in one of the longest-running pursuits of an alleged Holocaust perpetrator in history. It also sets the stage for what likely will prove to be an extraordinary German war crimes trial.
The Supreme Court last Thursday denied a stay of deportation for Demjanjuk. Justice John Paul Stevens without comment refused to intervene in the planned transfer from the United States.
Federal courts have all rejected his appeals, and the order from Stevens cleared the way for the Justice Department to move ahead with the deportation.
Demjanjuk's lawyers had asked the high court to consider their claims that he is too ill and frail to be sent overseas. They also raised human rights and other legal issues in their last-minute appeal.
A German court last Wednesday had also ruled against a request for a stay. Officials in Berlin have issued an arrest warrant charging Demjanjuk with being an accessory to the murder of about 29,000 civilians at Sobibor in 1943.
The native Ukrainian has long claimed he was a prisoner of war, not a death camp guard.
Immigration officers previously entered Demjanjuk's Cleveland-area home April 14, and carried him out in his wheelchair to a waiting van. He was held for a few hours and then returned to his residence after a federal appeals court ruled temporarily in his favor.
Demjanjuk had appealed unsuccessfully to the Supreme Court last year.
He was once accused by the United States and Israel of being a notoriously brutal S.S. guard at the Treblinka camp known as "Ivan the Terrible." After appeals, that allegation was eventually dropped by both countries, but later other allegations were made against him.
CNN's Terry Frieden and Bill Mears contributed to this report
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7b72f34d661542f79332929af69f40ba
|
What are his crimes?
|
[
"accessory to 29,000 murders in a Nazi death camp."
] |
NewsQA
|
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Moroccan man wanted for links to the Madrid train bombings in 2004 was brought to Spain from France on Wednesday, a Spanish police statement said.
A photograph showing Moroccan-born suspect Said Rehou.
The suspect, Said Rehou, 27, born in Casablanca, Morocco, allegedly held indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home, the statement said.
"Various individuals who participated in those meetings later were implicated directly or indirectly in the Casablanca attacks of 2003 and the March 11, 2004, attacks in Madrid," the statement said.
The Madrid train bombings -- coordinated attacks on four morning-rush commuter trains -- killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800.
Spanish courts have convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the Madrid bombings, along with four Spaniards, the latter for trafficking in explosives used in the attacks.
Seven other prime Islamic suspects killed themselves in an explosion as police closed in on their hideout in a Madrid suburb three weeks after the bombings.
The Casablanca bombings in May 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers.
Rehou is wanted in Spain for belonging to a terrorist group, and is thought to have formed part of a cell created in Spain in 2002, with the aim of recruiting fighters to carry out attacks in Morocco, Spain and other countries, the police statement said.
The meetings at his home lasted six to eight hours, with the screening of videos that included sermons and scenes promoting holy war, the statement said.
|
f9f9ca0352234fb1b191d5137f8360de
|
What have the Madrid bombings done?
|
[
"killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom has declared a state of national calamity because so many citizens do not have food or proper nutrition.
Sisters Vidalia, left, and Maribel Agustin, who suffer from malnutrition, sit at a shelter in Guatemala in August.
Speaking in a nationally televised address late Tuesday, Colom said his declaration will make it easier to get food to the thousands of Guatemalan families who are in dire need.
"This will help us access resources from the international community that are generously offered for this type of situation and to mobilize national resources more rapidly," he said.
The United Nations' World Food Programme says Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chronic undernutrition affects about half of the nation's children under the age of 5, the U.N. agency said.
Colom said the nation's food problems are the result of a drought this year, global warming and the effects of the international economic crisis. He also cited the Central American nation's "history of unfairness that has made Guatemala live since long ago with high and shameful poverty levels, extreme poverty and undernutrition."
According to the World Bank, about 75 percent of Guatemalans live below the poverty level, which is defined as an income that is not sufficient to purchase a basic basket of goods and basic services. Almost 58 percent of the population have incomes below the extreme poverty line, which is defined as the amount needed to purchase a basic basket of food.
"This is the cause of the food and nutritional crisis that this country is going through," Colom said. "There is food. What we don't have are the financial means so that those who are affected can buy the available food. ... Let's not wait until we have a famine to act."
Poverty is more pronounced among indigenous populations and those who live in rural areas. In the nation's highlands, where many indigenous people live, seven of 10 children under age 5 are malnourished, the World Food Programme says.
About 40 percent of the nation's more than 13.2 million citizens are indigenous Mayans, according to the CIA World Fact Book.
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456594e7879f405ea9768a190aaf78da
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What does Colom blame the problems on?
|
[
"a drought this year, global"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The venerable CBS soap opera "Guiding Light" will go dark in September after 72 years and 16,000 episodes, the network announced Wednesday.
Gina Tognoni is one of many performers who have appeared on "Guiding Light" over the years.
The daytime drama's declining viewership led to the decision, according to a CBS spokeswoman.
The show, which the Guinness Book of World Records lists as the longest-running television drama, first aired on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute serial, the spokeswoman said.
It moved to television on the CBS network in 1952 as 15-minute drama. It later went to 30 minutes, and on November 7, 1977, it expanded to one hour and introduced the wealthy Spaulding family as foils to the show's middle-class Bauers, who were a mainstay of the show for much of its run.
In 1979, the show did a groundbreaking storyline when the character of Roger Thorpe (played by the late Michael Zaslow) raped his wife, Holly (Maureen Garrett).
The marital-rape story line reflected a significant real-life case in 1978 -- the state of Oregon v. John J. Rideout. It was the first time in modern U.S. history that a man was charged with raping his wife and then put on trial. It prompted national debate about whether a man had absolute sexual rights with his spouse. Rideout was acquitted.
Among the actors who went on to greater fame after roles on the show: Kevin Bacon, James Earl Jones and Taye Diggs.
The last episode is set to air on September 18, the spokeswoman said. The show is produced in New York.
|
1714c27185d7404c92643e8e72ac2fdb
|
When was the last episode?
|
[
"September 18,"
] |
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|
Florence's best buys tend to be leather goods, designer wear and food.
Roberto Cavalli's Florence store, just one of the city's many high-end boutiques
If money is no object, head to Via Tornabuoni, Florence's answer to 5th Avenue, and snap up Prada, Gucci, and local-born designers Cavalli, Ferragamo and Pucci.
If your budget doesn't stretch that far, head south to the city outskirts by car or taxi to the designer outlets where you can pick up luxury goods from Dolce and Gabbana and more at bargain prices (www.outlet-firenze.com.)
For hand-made cashmere or silk-lined leather gloves, try Madora ( Via Guicciardini 1/R; +39 055 239 6526). Some people travel all the way to Florence just to shop here.
If you have ever admired Sting's suits, you can buy one of your own from Piero and Franco Cisternino (Via del Purgatorio 22/R; +39 055 280 118) who make men's suits to measure.
One of the most beautiful shops in Florence is an ancient herbal pharmacy or apothecary, Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Via della Scala 16; +39 055 216 276), set in a 13th-century frescoed chapel. Its world renowned products include pomegranate perfume, orange blossom water and carnation milk soap.
Italians have typically been late adopters of vintage fashion but Elio Ferraro (Via del Parione 47/R; +39 055 290 425; www.elioferraro.com) was ahead of the game. A visit to his gallery/shop will unearth vintage Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Chanel from the 1930s onwards.
......................
Florence City Guide:
Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop
......................
Do you agree with our Florence picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.
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787957325d004684b7823a271daac16a
|
what is Florence is famous for?
|
[
"leather goods, designer wear and food."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Out-of-shape swimming superstar Michael Phelps again struggled as an unprecedented 16 records were set at the World Cup short-course event in Berlin this weekend.
Six new marks were set on Saturday and another 10 on Sunday, but the American could only manage a second in the 200 meters individual medley and a fifth in the 200m butterfly while failing to reach the final of the 200m freestyle.
The 14-time Olympic champion chose to wear an old-style suit as he did with a similar lack of success in the previous leg in Stockholm during the week, and took a back seat to those wearing high-tech outfits -- which will be outlawed from January 1.
"I prefer not to lose, but I knew coming in that it would be very, very hard to win anything," the bearded Phelps told reporters.
"I raced as hard as I could, I've gotten some racing under my belt, and that's what we set out to do. Maybe it's better for me that I lost today. It gives me better motivation for the future.
"I am pleased with the week as much as I can be, with how much training I've done -- which is little, and it shows."
He performed better on Sunday as he finished runner-up in the medley behind South Africa's Darian Townsend, who set a world-record time of one minute 51.55 seconds -- beating Phelps by 1.85 seconds.
On Saturday, his much-anticipated showdown with world 200m freestyle champion Paul Biedermann never eventuated as he finished 12th in the heats, while the supersuit-clad German set a new record in the final and also smashed Grant Hackett's seven-year-old milestone in the 400m freestyle.
Among the women's records to be broken, Australia's Liesel Jones followed up her two gold medals from the Beijing Olympics by setting a new mark on each day.
The 24-year-old won the 200m breaststroke on Sunday in a time of 2:15.42, shaving more than a second off the previous record, while the day before she topped her own leading time in the 100m breaststroke.
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9cad3f0cfeea477c8952f4676677588c
|
Where is the course held?
|
[
"Berlin"
] |
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|
Unheralded American Doug Barron has become the first player to be banned by the PGA Tour for taking performance-enhancing drugs.
The 40-year-old has been given a one-year suspension.
He is the first professional to fail a drugs test since the PGA and European Tours began their anti-doping programs in July 2008.
"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour and its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement on the PGA Tour official Web site www.pgatour.com.
"I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour."
In common with their policy, the PGA Tour did not release details of the drug taken by Barron to fail the test.
Barron, who turned professional in 1992, was a PGA Tour regular for eight seasons, with his best finish a tie for third at the Byron Nelson Classic in 2006.
He has won over $3 million but campaigned in recent seasons on the second-tier Nationwide Tour, playing just one event on the main tour this year. He is also reported to have had health problems.
The last time Barron captured the headlines was in very different circumstances at the 2006 Transistions Championship in Florida, where he removed his shirt to play a shot out of the water on the 16th hole at Innisbrook.
The incident was captured on television and was greeted with amusement by his fellow players.
Neither the PGA Tour or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have yet to comment further on the suspension.
Golf bowed to pressure from WADA to introduce drug testing in the sport last year.
PGA Tour testing is administered by The National Center for Drug Free Sport every week of the season, with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories.
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f07b8bca6c934dfd9c95fff6a7b76425
|
How much money did Barron win?
|
[
"over $3 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for a Florida woman charged with killing her missing 3-year-old daughter, according to court documents filed Friday.
Casey Anthony has been charged in an indictment with the premediated murder of daughter Caylee.
"It is not in the best interest of the people of the state of Florida to pursue the death penalty as a potential sentence," prosecutors concluded, according to the document.
"Therefore, the state of Florida will not be seeking the death penalty as to Casey Marie Anthony."
Anthony, 22, is charged with killing her daughter, Caylee Anthony, in a case that has received national attention. She was arrested last month and faces charges including first-degree murder in the disappearance of Caylee, who has been missing since June. Watch newly released jailhouse tapes »
She could face a sentence of up to life in prison.
Anthony waited about a month before telling her family that Caylee was gone. Cindy Anthony -- Caylee's grandmother and Casey Anthony's mother -- called the Orange County, Florida, sheriff July 15, saying her daughter would not tell her where Caylee was.
When questioned, Anthony gave conflicting statements to police, including some that were later disproved, according to hundreds of documents and investigative reports released in the case.
She claimed she dropped Caylee off with a baby sitter, but when police checked out her story, they learned that the address Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks. The woman Anthony named as her baby sitter told police she did not know her.
Investigators previously have said cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Anthony's car, as well as in her parents' backyard. They also said air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the trunk of Anthony's car.
A neighbor told police that Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel. Also, analysis of Anthony's computer found she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform, as well as Internet searches of missing children, according to information released in the case.
Last month, Florida 9th Circuit Judge Stan Strickland denied prosecutors' request to impose a gag order in Anthony's case, saying he could not state that continued publicity would pose a threat to her trial, or even that a gag order would stem the flood of media attention.
CNN's Rich Phillips contributed to this report.
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22b6173c9c004a41b7bd9e14449ec630
|
Caylee Anthony was missing for how long before her mother told anyone?
|
[
"about a month"
] |
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|
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A man accused of taping ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews in the nude through hotel peepholes and posting the videos online will plead guilty to a federal stalking charge, according to a court document filed Thursday.
Michael David Barrett, 48, will enter a plea on December 15, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in the Central District of California.
A criminal complaint filed in October accused Barrett of taping Andrews then making seven videos that he posted on the Internet.
Barrett's lawyer, David Willingham, issued a statement saying his client apologized to Andrews.
"Mr. Barrett accepts full responsibility for his conduct. He apologizes to Ms. Andrews, and expresses his deep regret for his conduct that caused her so much pain. It is his sincere hope that these events can now become an opportunity to make positive changes in his life," the statement said.
Barrett was arrested in Illinois but will appear in Los Angeles federal court, Mrozek said. Barrett is charged with interstate stalking, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
An Illinois judge released Barrett on bail in October.
Andrews, 31, is a sideline reporter for ESPN, traveling around the country covering college football games. According to the October criminal complaint, Andrews said that she became aware of the videos in July and that their posting has caused her distress, anxiety and trouble sleeping.
Her lawyer, Marshall Grossman, told CNN that Andrews is still shaken.
"She is a very strong young woman. Time is a good healer," Grossman said. "However, she continues to feel and experience the ramifications of what occurred every time she steps foot into a hotel room, and in her business, she lives in hotel rooms."
Andrews is now accompanied by additional security, Grossman said.
Grossman said he and Andrews are in the process of reviewing the evidence against Barrett and the plea agreement, and Andrews will speak before the court at the hearing next week.
He said Andrews wants "severe punishment" for Barrett.
The plea agreement filed Thursday alleges that Barrett recorded videos of Andrews while she stayed at hotels in Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The filing alleges Barrett made reservations at the hotels and altered the peepholes to shoot video of Andrews.
Barrett allegedly attempted to sell the videos to celebrity gossip site TMZ in January 2009. TMZ did not purchase the images, but employees of the Web site assisted in the investigation by providing information to Andrews' attorneys, authorities said.
Barrett posted the videos to other Web sites, Thursday's filing said.
CNN's Khadijah Rentas and Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report.
|
f410d8679dab47c0bad239fbe18ab7f5
|
Who did the client apologize to?
|
[
"Andrews."
] |
NewsQA
|
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Beginning December 1, Mexico City plans to hand out free medicine to elderly men with erectile dysfunction, the local government said.
Medications such as Viagra, Levitra or Cialis reportedly will be offered under medical supervision.
"Everyone has the right to be happy," said Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, governor of the federal district that encompasses the Mexican capital.
"We have to protect people -- senior citizens above all," he said in a statement Thursday. "Many of them are abandoned and lack money. They don't have medical services, and a society that doesn't care for its senior citizens has no dignity."
The government said it plans to offer Viagra, Levitra or Cialis -- medication used to treat erectile dysfunction -- under adequate medical supervision.
It cited figures saying that 70 percent of elderly men suffer from the condition.
To obtain the medicine, men must first undergo a "very, very detailed" medical check to screen for and possibly treat ailments such as hypertension and diabetes, the government said.
Centers in Mexico City also will offer a variety of treatment to elderly men and women.
|
2328798a53b0425b85b881b31877252d
|
What affliction are elderly men suffering from?
|
[
"erectile dysfunction,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Huge crowds assembled in Pyongyang on Thursday at a national memorial service for the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the second day of state-orchestrated ceremonies to mourn the dictator who died earlier this month.
The authoritarian regime used a mixture of somber music, hyperbolic speeches, booming artillery fire and blaring horns to honor the man who oversaw 17 years of despotic rule in the secretive nation.
The ceremony took place a day after a funeral procession for Kim spent three hours winding through the snow-laden streets of Pyongyang lined with thousands of wailing mourners.
Once again, the regime placed Kim Jong Un, the son and chosen successor of Kim Jong Il, at the center of proceedings, proclaiming him the "supreme leader" of North Korea -- a fresh indication that the leadership transition is progressing smoothly.
The footage broadcast Thursday by North Korean state television showed thick rectangular blocks of people gathered in the snowy expanse of Kim Il Sung Square -- named after Kim Jong Il's father, the founder of North Korea.
Kim Jong Un and other senior members of the regime stood solemnly on a viewing platform overlooking the square.
During the ceremony, a string of top officials took to the microphone to praise Kim Jong Il's life and reinforce Kim Jong Un's leadership credentials.
"Kim Jong Un is the supreme leader who has inherited Kim Jong Il's beliefs, leadership, courage and guts," said Kim Yong Nam, the president of the North Korean parliament.
Read about the funeral for Kim Jong Il
"Kim Jong Il's great achievements will shine forever," said Kim Ki Nam, a senior official in the powerful Worker's Party. "Following our party's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, we are converting our sadness to courage and we will achieve great things."
Under Kim Jong Il, the country suffered a devastating famine even as it built up its million-strong army, expanded its arsenal of ballistic missiles and became the world's eighth declared nuclear power.
He died on December 17, reportedly from a heart attack. News of his death, announced two days later, put the region on edge and set off speculation around the world about the country's stability and future direction.
For the time being, Kim Jong Un appears to be rallying support within the regime, despite his young age -- he is thought to be in his late 20s -- and relative inexperience.
After the speeches Thursday, a row of heavy guns fired off a salute. Then, a cacophony of horns and sirens went off, drawing the service -- and the last day of official mourning -- to a close.
CNN's Tim Schwartz contributed to this report.
|
41c0aba55b254a7486b603ad5d8526f4
|
What was blaring?
|
[
"horns"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- More than 40,000 Somalis have returned to the abandoned neighborhoods of Mogadishu in the past six weeks, despite some of the heaviest fighting in months, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Friday.
Violence continued this week in Mogadishu between Somali Islamist fighters and African Union soldiers.
They are part of more than a million residents who have been displaced by fighting, including 100,000 who fled to neighboring countries last year, according to the United Nations.
Most of those returning are families from Somalia's southern and central regions, areas that are suffering from drought and renewed fighting, according to UNHCR. They are now living in neighborhoods in northern Mogadishu that had been abandoned over the past two years of conflict, the U.N. agency said.
Part of the reason displaced Somalis may be braving the violence and returning to the war-torn capital city is because of the recent pullout of Ethiopian troops, who were blamed for indiscriminately killing civilians in Mogadishu, a Somali journalist said.
"The AU [African Union] and [Somali] government forces only defend in their positions, they don't move around," according to Mohammed Amiin Adow. "This may reduce the fear of the civilians that their homes may be raided.
"During the Ethiopian presence, it was different: When their bases were attacked, they used to come and carry out search operations in which civilians may be detained, killed or wounded."
Adow also said another reason refugees may be returning is the bad conditions at the camps for internally displaced Somalis.
"People had been living in very poor conditions in the makeshift camps on the road between Mogadishu and Afgooye for the last two years," Adow said. "So that is I think why people are returning."
Those returning to Mogadishu will have limited access to basic necessities, a problem that is compounded by the scarcity of international aid agencies, who have fled Somalia because of the violence, UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said Friday.
"UNHCR is not encouraging returns to Mogadishu at this juncture, as the security situation is volatile and the conditions are certainly not conducive," he said. "Nevertheless, we are preparing to help returnees or those who wish to return in the near future, in the hope that the security situation will improve."
|
b754fb6b3c9a43698a101bdcd8453de3
|
What groups were currently fighting in Somalia?
|
[
"Somali Islamist fighters and African Union soldiers."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An American human rights group documenting widespread sexual violence against Darfuri women in Sudan and Chad has called for "vigorous prosecution of rape as a war crime."
Sudanese women in a refugee camp in southern Chad in March.
Physicians for Human Rights, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, issued a report Sunday "documenting the scope and long-term impact of rape and other sexual violence" experienced by women who fled the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur and now live as refugees in neighboring Chad.
The report -- titled "Nowhere To Turn: Failure To Protect, Support and Assure Justice for Darfuri Women" -- is based on interviews with 88 female refugees living in Chad's Farchana refugee camp. The study was done with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
"Many Darfuri women refugees live in a nightmare of memories of past trauma compounded by the constant threat of sexual violence around the camps now," said Susannah Sirkin, the physician group's deputy director.
"Women who report being raped are stigmatized, and remain trapped in places of perpetual insecurity. There's no one to stop the rapes, no one to turn to for justice for past or ongoing crimes, and little psycho-social support to address their prolonged and unimaginable traumas."
Dr. Sondra Crosby, a Physicians for Human Rights consultant and expert in refugee trauma, said "the atmosphere of intimidation was palpable as we listened to women describing their profound suffering and fear, and their yearning to return safely and with dignity to their former lives."
Of those refugees interviewed, "32 reported instances of confirmed or highly probable rape" -- 17 in Darfur and 15 in Chad, the group said.
"Among the instances of rape reported in Chad, the vast majority (10 of 11 confirmed reports) occurred when women left the camps to gather firewood." And just over half of the 88 women interviewed -- 46 of them -- live in fear of sexual assaults around the refugee camp.
The group supports the issuing of International Criminal Court warrants against the Sudanese perpetrators.
The group also called for "legal reforms in Chad to end impunity for sexual violence," and for "effective psychosocial support to survivors." And it said increased protections are needed by police and peacekeepers, including "effective firewood patrols."
The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 after rebels in the western region of Sudan began attacking government positions. Sudan's government responded with a fierce military campaign that has led to some 200,000 deaths and forced 2 million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
|
296bf7e890c3464fb21a5d13887923ef
|
In what year did the fighting begin
|
[
"2003"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Incumbent leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term in office after a landslide victory in Algeria's presidential election, media reports said Friday.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrives to cast his vote at a school in Algiers.
Bouteflika's victory came despite calls from his political opponents for voters to boycott the polls. They claim the election was a charade, with the other presidential candidates -- from left-wing parties to Islamists -- standing no real chance.
The 72-year-old was elected with over 90 percent of the vote, Reuters.com quoted the official in charge of organizing Thursday's presidential election as saying.
"Bouteflika has won ... 90.24 percent of the votes cast," Interior Minister Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni told a news conference.
Algerian lawmakers, most of them loyal to the president, cleared the way for him to stand for re-election last year by abolishing constitutional term limits. Critics said that would allow him to serve as president-for-life.
Supporters of Bouteflika say he deserves credit for steering the North African country, an oil and gas producer, back to stability after a bloody civil conflict in the 1990s that killed an estimated 150,000 people.
But critics say he is using the threat of renewed violence from Islamic militants to mask the country's deepening economic problems.
"I continue to regard the restoration of civil peace as a national priority, as long as hotbeds of tension and pockets of subversion survive," Bouteflika, running for a third term, said in his final campaign speech on Monday, Reuters.com reported.
He has also promised to spend $150 billion on development projects and create 3 million jobs, his remedy for an economy in which energy accounts for about 96 percent of exports but where other sectors have been choked by red tape and under-investment.
|
badd0d69a5634e259f83fb8f16a0a743
|
who abolished term limits?
|
[
"Algerian lawmakers,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Grammy Award winners Alicia Keys and John Legend will perform at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," airing on Thanksgiving on CNN.
John Legend will sing "If You're Out There" from his just-released album "Evolver."
Hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper, the program honors the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The show will be broadcast globally on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español at 9 p.m. ET/PT November 27 (0200 GMT November 28).
Each of this year's top 10 CNN Heroes will be honored in a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter.
Actors Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek, Forest Whitaker, Meg Ryan, Terrence Howard, Lucy Liu, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Selena Gomez are among the stars participating in the event. See photos of the presenters »
In addition, actor Hugh Jackman will present People magazine's 2008 Heroes Among Us award to six recipients honored by the magazine this year. People is partnering with CNN for this portion of the telecast.
Keys will perform "Superwoman" from her hit album "As I Am." Legend, backed by the Los Angeles-based Agape Choir, will sing "If You're Out There" from his just-released album "Evolver."
The evening will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year, chosen through a six-week online poll that generated more than 1 million votes.
Viewers were asked to select the CNN Hero who inspired them the most from among the top 10 CNN Heroes selected by a blue-ribbon panel.
The Hero of the Year will be awarded $100,000 in addition to the $25,000 that each of the top 10 CNN Heroes receives. Voting for the CNN Hero of the Year has now closed. Watch a close-up look at the CNN Hero Award »
Award-winning producer-director Joel Gallen returns to executive produce this year's program. Among his credits, Gallen produced telethon events supporting victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, winning an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for "America: A Tribute to Heroes."
Kodak Theatre is a 3,400-seat venue that opened in November 2001 and is best known as the first permanent home of the Academy Awards.
|
8fb5e43a911b453fac0cf6de084b9ab6
|
Who selected the 10 CNN Heroes?
|
[
"Viewers"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A 24-year-old gang member was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting at a Los Angeles bus stop in which eight people were wounded, city officials said.
Bystanders express shock after a shooting at a bus stop in Los Angeles Wednesday.
Billy Ray Hines is believed to have fired into a crowd of people at the bus stop. Hines was apprehended Thursday afternoon as he was walking down the street, about a half-mile from the scene of the shooting, Police Chief William Bratton told reporters.
Hines will face 10 counts of attempted murder -- one for each of the eight victims, and two more for what authorities believe to be his two intended victims, who were still being sought Thursday, Bratton said.
Authorities are also seeking the gun used in the incident, he said.
The shootings took place Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Central and Vernon avenues, in an area where police are concerned about gang violence.
Five of the victims were children. An 11-year-old girl was shot in the chest, and another girl, age 11, was shot in the right arm. Three boys were wounded -- ages 10, 12 and 14.
One was shot in the leg, one in the buttocks and the third in the ankle, police said. One man was wounded in the leg and another in the ankle, and a woman was shot in the face.
"While no one died yesterday, the bullets unleashed shot through the core of the entire community," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in announcing the arrest Thursday. "The decent people of this community responded with force." Watch mayor, authorities discuss arrest of gunman »
Witnesses came forward after the incident to identify the gunman as Hines, Bratton said. The shooting was believed to stem from a dispute between the gunman and the two intended victims, he said. E-mail to a friend
|
2a6e9e0cb71f4ec0b4b3ccc312d7e6b3
|
What number of people were shot?
|
[
"eight"
] |
NewsQA
|
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- So much for Southern hospitality.
The attack took place on April 27 at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, Georgia.
When Pearl Jam -- the Seattle, Washington-based grunge rock band -- was in the Atlanta area late last month, bass guitar player Jeff Ament and a band employee were mugged outside a recording studio, a police report shows.
According to the DeKalb County Police Department, Ament and Mark Anthony Smith were attacked shortly before noon on April 27 when they arrived at Southern Tracks Recording.
Southern Tracks is the home base of producer Brendan O'Brien, with whom the band has worked before. According to Rolling Stone, the band is recording a new album with the producer.
Three men reportedly emerged from a nearby wooded area wearing masks and brandishing knives. They smashed windows of the rented Jeep Commander, snatched a BlackBerry phone and other belongings, and demanded money, the police report shows. The suspects allegedly got away with more than $7,300 in goods and cash.
Ament jumped from the passenger side of the vehicle and started to run, but he was chased by a suspect and knocked to the ground, said Mekka Parish, a public information officer with the police department. Watch surveillance video of the attack »
She said he "suffered some lacerations" on the back of his head and was treated at the scene. His backpack was also snatched, she said, and included inside was Ament's passport.
"At this time detectives believe the victims were not specifically targeted," Parish said. "But they believe the suspects were familiar with the studio because of its isolated location."
Though surveillance cameras captured the incident, the masks worn by the attackers have made identifying suspects difficult.
Witnesses reported seeing the suspects flee through the woods and hop into a waiting black Maxima, Parish added. Anyone with leads on this case is encouraged to call 770-724-7850.
|
c55b454d0680410fbf679b902c157049
|
what did the masked men have
|
[
"knives."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- French fishermen suspended their blockade at three English Channel ports Thursday, allowing ferry traffic and freight to move through after two days of disruption, union leaders said.
French fishing boats blockade the port of Boulogne.
The French ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne were open again after French unions met Thursday and agreed to stop the blockade.
Union leaders have yet to agree on how the rest of their protest will develop, and whether the suspension will become permanent.
The fishermen began their blockade of the three ports Tuesday to protest European Union fishing quotas, which they say threaten their livelihoods.
The flotillas forced a halt to all cross-Channel traffic, including passenger ferries and freighters, stranding tourists on both sides of the waterway and causing a backlog of freight trucks.
P&O, the largest ferry operator on the Channel, said it had resumed running normal services to Calais.
"It is our hope that we'll be able to continue doing that throughout the day," spokeswoman Michelle Ulyatt said.
LD Ferries, which operates services to Boulogne, said it had canceled four sailings Thursday as a result of the dispute.
"We do not yet have any information on whether any of our services will be affected beyond 16th April," the company said in a statement.
French fishermen held four hours of talks with Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier in Paris on Wednesday, the French news agency Agence France-Press reported. Barnier offered the local industry €4 million ($5.3 million) in aid, but refused to budge on the fishermen's key demand that the European Union increase fishing quotas, AFP reported.
Both France and the European Union have ruled out any renegotiation, pointing out that French cod quotas have already been raised 30 percent since 2008, AFP said.
|
d49d568c16a24eabaa5b66118abbce7a
|
Who are protesting?
|
[
"French"
] |
NewsQA
|
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Police made a string of arrests across Europe Tuesday, detaining 20 people suspected of involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers, Italian police said.
Eleven of the arrests were in Italy, in the northern cities of Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bergamo, and San Remo, said. Lt. Col. Sandro Sandulli, the head of the Carabinieri special forces. One was already in custody, so authorities served him with a new arrest warrant which included new charges against him, Sandulli said.
Three arrests were in Britain, one in France, and one in Portugal, Sandulli said. The remaining arrests happened in European countries but Sandulli did not specify which ones.
Those arrested are suspected of forming Salafi Jihad terrorist cells which were recruiting suicide bombers and sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col. Mario Parente, deputy commander of the Carabinieri special forces unit.
Parente said that during the arrests, police found al Qaeda manuals for the production of explosives, detonation devices, and various poisons. He said the manuals also included details of guerrilla-style war operations.
Salafi is an extreme school of Islamic thought which developed in Egypt and began to have prominence with militant groups there in the late 1960s and has since been adopted by terrorist groups in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, said Sajjan Gohel, director of international security at the Asia Pacific Foundation in London.
"It's become the ideology of choice for transnational terrorism, including al Qaeda," Gohel said. "It's emerging as a very dangerous ideology."
The Madrid train bombers and various terrorist cells in Italy were part of the Salafi school of thought, he added.
Italian police said Tuesday's arrests were the result of an investigation, started in 2003, into some Salafi cells which were organized by Tunisians and Algerians. The main suspect in the operation is a Tunisian who was arrested in 2002 during a separate antiterrorism operation, police said.
The main terrorist cell was based in the northern Italian region of Lombardy and involved what investigators called a "long-term" jihadist program which provided military and ideological training.
Another cell, based in Reggio Emilia, had the goal of creating a grand Islamic "empire" stretching from Morocco to China, police said.
Parente said those arrested are also accused of producing false documents, facilitating illegal immigration, and covering up other individuals wanted for terrorism-related crimes. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Flavia Taggiasco in Rome contributed to this report
|
df548fdd5b6a4d919d8ee01f9aa0c84a
|
what was the total of people held
|
[
"20"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday.
Bush is scheduled to have the medical procedure, expected to take about 2 1/2 hours, at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, Snow said.
Bush's last colonoscopy was in June 2002, and no abnormalities were found, Snow said.
The president's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years.
The procedure will be supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Snow said.
A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer, rectal cancer and polyps, small clumps of cells that can become cancerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Small polyps may be removed during the procedure.
Snow said that was the case when Bush had colonoscopies before becoming president.
Snow himself is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that began in his colon and spread to his liver.
Snow told reporters he had a chemo session scheduled later Friday. Watch Snow talk about Bush's procedure and his own colon cancer »
"The president wants to encourage everybody to use surveillance," Snow said.
The American Cancer Society recommends that people without high-risk factors or symptoms begin getting screened for signs of colorectal cancer at age 50. E-mail to a friend
|
de14709abd304e9a8b96c235d99e9a61
|
What will President Bush have on Saturday?
|
[
"a routine colonoscopy,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An Alabama man whose wife died during a honeymoon scuba diving trip off the coast of Australia almost five years ago has been charged in her death.
Tina Watson, background right, lies motionless after she drowned in 2003 while diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
An Australian coroner ruled Friday that there was enough evidence to put Gabe Watson on trial for the death of Tina Watson, who was 26 when she drowned in October 2003 while diving around a historic shipwreck in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Watson, 31, told police that his new bride appeared to panic 45 feet underwater and that he "looked into her eyes and saw her eyes were wide open, but there was no response," Townsville Coroner David Glascow said in his inquest findings.
Glascow, however, cited what he said were inconsistencies in Watson's statements to investigators. The coroner said he was "unable to conclude that Tina's death was an accidental drowning." Watch Tina Watson's family demand justice »
The couple married just 11 days earlier in Birmingham, Alabama. They left their home in Hoover, Alabama, for their Australian honeymoon two days later, the coroner said.
As possible evidence for the husband's motive, Glascow pointed to a statement by the woman's father that Watson asked her to maximize her life insurance and make him the beneficiary shortly before the wedding.
The insurance company confirmed that Gabe Watson inquired about her life insurance policy after her death, the coroner said.
The coroner noted that Watson, through his lawyers, contended that police had made a judgment that he killed his wife before they began their investigation and that they tailored their investigation to fit their theory.
Glascow said he saw no evidence of police rushing to judgment.
"It appears certain that at some point in time, investigators considered some of Gabe's explanations lacked credibility, and it further appears to me that investigators gave Gabe the opportunity to clarify matters which may have caused concern," the coroner said.
The husband was an experienced diver, and his new wife was considered a novice, the coroner said.
They were diving on the Yongala shipwreck about 42 miles off the coast of Townsville in the state of Queensland, Australia.
|
50bff1030a8a4deaa98550bb2c943ff9
|
Who was unable to conclude that Watson's death was accidental?
|
[
"Coroner David Glascow"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Virginia prosecutors are asking a state court to set a November 9 execution date for John Allen Muhammad, convicted in a series of sniper-style shootings that terrorized the Washington area in 2002.
John Allen Muhammad was sentenced to death for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers.
In a letter dated Wednesday, Senior Assistant Attorney General Katherine B. Burnett said the November date "has been carefully coordinated with the governor's office to insure his availability for any clemency petition Muhammad may wish to pursue." Burnett enclosed a copy of a proposed execution order "for the court's convenience."
Muhammad's attorney said he will file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, and will ask the governor for clemency.
During a three-week period in October 2002, police say, Muhammad and his young protege, Lee Boyd Malvo, shot 13 people, killing 10. The two also are suspected in other shootings and murders in Tacoma, Washington, Montgomery, Alabama, and the Washington, D.C., area.
Muhammad, now 48, was convicted of murder in the death of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas, Virginia, filling station. Meyers was killed by a single bullet, which became the signature of the two-person sniper team.
Ultimately, Muhammad was convicted of the Meyers' killing and of one Maryland murder, which prosecutors there said was "insurance" in case the Virginia conviction was overturned.
Malvo was convicted of one Virginia shooting and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Muhammad's attorney, Jon Sheldon, released the prosecutor's letter Friday.
The letter, addressed to the chief judge of the Prince William County Circuit Court, says the court must hold a hearing within 10 days of receiving the letter, and must set an execution date no later than 60 days after the hearing.
Since Muhammad is not required to be at the hearing, Burnett asks that the court conduct the hearing by means of a conference call.
|
6af1b8da491e4b5eb81fddd56c904971
|
What will his lawyer seek?
|
[
"ask the governor for clemency."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The son of an infamous CIA double agent who is himself accused of spying was released from jail Friday in Portland, Oregon, pending trial after a federal judge ruled he did not pose a flight risk.
Nathaniel Nicholson, son of an infamous CIA double agent, faces his own spying charges.
Judge Anna J. Brown ordered that Nathaniel Nicholson, 24, can be freed provided he stay with family, not leave Oregon without permission from authorities and wear a GPS monitoring device.
Brown also ordered that he not have any contact with his father, the admitted spy Harold James "Jim" Nicholson.
The elder Nicholson pleaded guilty in 1997 to spying for Russia and is the highest ranking CIA officer ever to be sentenced for espionage. While serving a 23-year prison sentence, prosecutors allege, Jim Nicholson, 58, restarted his career as a double agent and enlisted his son Nathaniel in his efforts to collect money owed to him by the Russian spy services and to sell more secrets.
Both father and son were charged in January with acting as agents of a foreign government, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They have pleaded not guilty. Court appointed lawyers representing the men did not return CNN's calls for comment
According to the indictment, Nathaniel Nicholson made trips to California, Mexico, Peru and Cyprus, where he met with Russian government representatives who gave him payments totaling over $35,000 in cash.
At his father's request, Nathaniel Nicholson allegedly shared the money with his sister and grandparents. Nathaniel Nicholson had complained to his father that he and his sister were short of money to pay for college, prosecutors said. Jim Nicholson told his son that his alleged spying activities "were 'risky' but not 'illegal,'" the indictment said.
According to court testimony, Nathaniel Nicholson, who is a former U.S. Army paratrooper, initially told authorities that he had traveled overseas to visit "a battle buddy." The FBI agents informed Nicholson that lying to them was a federal crime and offered him a "mulligan," or a chance to change his story, according to the agent's testimony. At that point, FBI special agent John Cooney testified, Nicholson became more "forthcoming" about his meetings with Russians.
If convicted, Jim and Nathaniel Nicholson could face up to 20 years in jail.
|
197fc544f80240a7bdda4b8d04713f5b
|
who is facing spying charges?
|
[
"Nathaniel Nicholson,"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama pledged Monday to make good on his promise to transform the Department of Veterans Affairs and said he would "dramatically improve" mental health aid.
President Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, seen here last month, vow to increase aid.
Flanked by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the president said his budget calls for a $25 billion increase in funding for the VA over the next five years -- a commitment that will be tested by the needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"With this budget, we don't just fully fund our Veterans Affairs health care program, we expand it to serve an additional 500,000 veterans by 2013," he said.
He promised that the VA would "dramatically improve services" related to mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and he said homeless veterans would be targeted for support.
"Those heroes have a home," Obama said. "It's the country they served, the United States of America, and until we reach a day when not a single veteran sleeps on our nation's streets, our work remains unfinished."
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eb1ba9124cde4d5db1882c4813b28a05
|
will Homeless veterans will be targeted for support?
|
[
"would"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer made clear Tuesday she's not worried about a potential legal challenge from the Obama administration over her state's controversial immigration law.
"We'll meet you in court," Brewer told CNN' when asked how she would respond if President Barack Obama's Department of Justice decided to challenge the law. "I have a pretty good record of winning in court."
The American Civil Liberties Union is currently leading a court challenge. Attorney General Eric Holder, who met with a delegation of police chiefs from Arizona and elsewhere this week to discuss the law, has yet to indicate whether the federal government would file a legal challenge.
Obama, who has called the law "misguided," will meet with Brewer at the White House on Thursday, a White House official told CNN. It will be the first one-on-one meeting between the two since Brewer approved the law in April.
The new immigration law, implemented last month, allows police officers to check the residency status of anyone who is being investigated for a crime or possible legal infraction if there is reasonable suspicion the person is an illegal resident. Critics, including Holder, have said the law will promote racial profiling.
But Brewer said Tuesday the law does not target an individual's specific race. She also made clear driver's licenses are not sufficient to prove citizenship.
"It wouldn't matter if you are Latino or Hispanic or Norwegian," she said. "If you didn't have proof of citizenship and the police officer had reasonable suspicion, he would ask and verify your citizenship. I mean, that's the way that it is. That's what the federal law says. And that's what the law in Arizona says."
Brewer strongly defended the law, saying she would not suspend it even if Obama sharply increased the number of U.S. troops at the Mexican border.
iReport: Share your view on the Arizona law
The Arizona governor also said the White House has not adequately communicated with her about Obama's recently announced plan to dispatch 1,200 National Guard troops to the border.
"I'm sitting here with no good information. It would be very helpful, I might say, if somebody would give me something in writing telling me what they're sending to Arizona, how will it be distributed?" she said.
CNN's Alex Mooney and Ed Henry contributed to this report
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bc6e004829cb45bba60fff30991d8ff6
|
What did Brewer say she'll ask Obama to do?
|
[
"\"We'll meet you in court,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force is grounding more than 100 planes used to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan because of fatigue cracks in the wings, Air Force officials said Friday.
Aircraft like this A-10 Warthog provide close support to ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The officials said 127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, including some used in the United States, will be grounded until they are each inspected for the cracks.
"The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking, specifically with thin-skin wings. This risk is of great concern to the Air Force and is representative of a systemic problem for our aging Air Force fleet," the Air Force said.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the "Warthog" because of its unique un-aerodynamic look, is one of the Air Force's older aircraft, having first been delivered to the service in 1975. The average age of the A-10 fleet is now 28 years, but the entire Air Force fleet has an average age of 25 years, according to Air Force statistics.
The Air Force has more than 400 A-10s in its fleet. The cracks in the older A-10 A-models and A-10 C-models were discovered at Hill Air Force Base in Utah during routine maintenance.
No A-10 has had an accident because of the cracks just discovered, according to Air Force officials.
The inspection of the 127 planes will give priority to the planes in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of battle, officials said.
The plane was designed as a tank killer, with a front-mounted Gatling gun that fires 30-mm armor-piercing ammunition capable of destroying a tank.
The planes are now primarily used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations, flying low and slow and with the ability to target individuals hidden on mountainsides or rooftops.
Last year, the Air Force grounded hundreds of F-15 fighter jets after one fell apart during a training mission.
The culprit was a fatigued longeron, a part that holds the fuselage together. Numerous F-15s flying in Iraq and Afghanistan also were grounded until they were inspected, forcing the service to fly other aircraft in their place. The Navy was also asked to help cover the F-15 missions during the weeks they were grounded.
|
55e8cbf831d64b31975bff3c7358ea44
|
What is the reasoning behind the grounding?
|
[
"fatigue cracks in the wings,"
] |
NewsQA
|
BREMEN, Germany -- Carlos Alberto, who scored in FC Porto's Champions League final victory against Monaco in 2004, has joined Bundesliga club Werder Bremen for a club record fee of 7.8 million euros ($10.7 million).
Carlos Alberto enjoyed success at FC Porto under Jose Mourinho.
"I'm here to win titles with Werder," the 22-year-old said after his first training session with his new club. "I like Bremen and would only have wanted to come here."
Carlos Alberto started his career with Fluminense, and helped them to lift the Campeonato Carioca in 2002.
In January 2004 he moved on to FC Porto, who were coached by José Mourinho, and the club won the Portuguese title as well as the Champions League.
Early in 2005, he moved to Corinthians, where he impressed as they won the Brasileirão,but in 2006 Corinthians had a poor season and Carlos Alberto found himself at odds with manager, Emerson Leão.
Their poor relationship came to a climax at a Copa Sul-Americana game against Club Atlético Lanús, and Carlos Alberto declared that he would not play for Corinthians again while Leão remained as manager.
Since January this year he has been on loan with his first club Fluminense.
Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart said on Sunday that they would sign a loan agreement with Real Zaragoza on Monday for Ewerthon, the third top Brazilian player to join the German league in three days.
A VfB spokesman said Ewerthon, who played in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund from 2001 to 2005, was expected to join the club for their pre-season training in Austria on Monday.
On Friday, Ailton returned to Germany where he was the league's top scorer in 2004, signing a one-year deal with Duisburg on a transfer from Red Star Belgrade. E-mail to a friend
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36a616f10c8648c18a311167732b5bf1
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When did FC Porto win the Champions League?
|
[
"in 2004,"
] |
NewsQA
|
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian government plans to participate in the international troop buildup in Afghanistan by sending 1,000 more troops there next year.
The Italian Defense Ministry confirmed the troops would be deployed in the second half of 2010, a complement to the nearly 2,800 Italians already in the western part of the country.
Italy is one of 43 countries serving under the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
Based in Herat, the Italian military is the lead nation in ISAF's Regional Command West. 22 Italian service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict.
The Italian escalation would be part of the troop buildup of 5,000 extra non-U.S. service members ISAF intends to commit to the country.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that new troop pledges could be announced at a conference of NATO foreign ministers Thursday and Friday in Brussels, Belgium, where the alliance is based.
There are currently 42,000 non-U.S. NATO troops in Afghanistan at present. 28 NATO allies and 15 non-NATO members are contributing to the U.S.-led coalition.
The added NATO troop deployment would complement the nearly 100,000 Americans expected to be in the fight once the 30,000 troops U.S. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday night are in place.
|
f044559656624f67b7afdf7da235de2a
|
How many countries are serving under the NATO-led ISAF contingent?
|
[
"43"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is asking parents to immediately stop using a series of inflatable floats for babies in swimming pools, announcing a voluntary recall of about 4 million floats Thursday.
The Squirtin' Tootin' Tugboat is among the floats covered by the recall.
The items -- which inflate to seat babies and toddlers as they float on water -- are manufactured by Massachusetts-based Aqua Leisure Industries.
The company has voluntarily recalled 14 models because the leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to slip into the water, posing a drowning risk, the commission said in a statement.
There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing, though no injuries have been reported, the commission said.
The floats were sold from December 2002 through June 2009 at retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
The commission is asking consumers to stop using the floats and to send them back to the company.
Aqua Leisure officials could not be immediately reached for comment, but the company's Web site has posted the commission's recall advisory.
CNN's Gerri Willis contributed to this report.
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e3e0ac7b80bf4732a1f435f42e49db5f
|
Where were the floats sold?
|
[
"Target, Toys \"R\" Us, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware"
] |
NewsQA
|
HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- New Orleans, Louisiana, Mayor Ray Nagin arrived in Cuba late Friday on a mission to learn about how to deal with storms, a spokeswoman said.
Mayor Ray Nagin watches President Obama speak in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Thursday.
"We understand we may have a lot to learn from the Cubans in terms of disaster preparedness and how they have dealt with hurricanes," spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said.
Cuba is internationally applauded for exceptional disaster management, according to a news release from Nagin's office.
In the Cuban capital, Havana, Nagin plans to meet with several officials, including some from the Latin American Medical Centers for Disaster. He will also learn about preparations the Cuba Defense Committee makes in advance of disasters.
Nagin's trip comes a day after President Obama held a town hall meeting in New Orleans, still reeling from the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"It has now been just over four years since that terrible storm struck your shores," the president said. "And [in] the days after it did, this nation and all the world bore witness to the fact that the damage from Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature but also by a breakdown of government, that government wasn't adequately prepared, and we didn't appropriately respond."
Since Katrina, New Orleans has adjusted its disaster response with new evacuation plans. As Hurricane Gustav threatened the city last year, officials evacuated more than 18,000 residents, the release said.
Three powerful hurricanes hit Cuba last year, damaging half a million homes and causing $10 billion in losses, according to the Cuban government. But only seven people died, thanks to a smooth evacuation plan.
Some aspects of the communist nation's response, including mandatory evacuations, may not be possible in a democracy. Still, some Americans believe that they can learn from their Caribbean neighbor. The mayor of Galveston, Texas, another city hit hard by Gulf of Mexico hurricanes, visited Cuba this year.
Nagin is the first New Orleans mayor to make an official visit to Cuba in 50 years. The State Department sanctioned Nagin's trip, Quiett said. He plans to return to New Orleans on Thursday.
CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report.
|
b87ee6702dbd4e9ebae493e7ee76ba63
|
Who meet Ray Nagin?
|
[
"several officials,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Hurricane Felicia had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph Thursday, but forecasters predicted the storm, which is heading toward Hawaii, would weaken in the Pacific later in the day.
Forecasters predict Hurricane Felicia will weaken as it moves over colder water.
The Category 4 storm's reduction in intensity was expected to come as it moved over cooler waters, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.
Felicia could reach Hawaii on Tuesday morning, according to forecast tracks, but by that time the storm will have weakened to a tropical depression with winds of about 35 mph, the center said.
As of 8 a.m. local time, Felicia's center was about 1,510 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California and 1,545 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. Hurricanes 101: How hurricanes are classified »
The storm was moving northwest near 10 mph, and a gradual turn to the west-northwest was expected over the next 48 hours.
"If anything, it will be a rain-making system over the (Hawaiian) islands," said Richard Knabb, deputy director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Knabb said there are no real storm preparations under way in Hawaii, but officials are keeping an eye on the storm "just in case."
|
109f2336955c4863b42316c7a8b69ee9
|
What is the Hurricane named
|
[
"Felicia"
] |
NewsQA
|
(PEOPLE.com) -- It's no secret that Kim Kardashian's personal life has recently taken a bumpy turn, but the reality star is still a big fan of marriage.
Asked whether she still considered marriage an attractive choice, Kardashian, who recently announced she's divorcing Kris Humphries, said, "Absolutely. I believe in love, always."
Looking fresh in Las Vegas at the opening of The Mirage Resort and Casino's Kardashian Khaos lifestyle boutique, Kardashian, 31, said she learned a lot of lessons in the past year and plans on being "a new me" in 2012.
One thing that she won't be having anytime soon: a copilot.
Asked whether she will find love again, she simply replied, "I'm not looking."
See the full article at PEOPLE.com.
© 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
|
3ab3525ba10846b8bcdee3d39da7b683
|
What age is Kardashian?
|
[
"31,"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will likely not seek re-election once his term ends.
Jalal Talabani says he will not run for Iraq's president again, but he plans to stay in the political arena.
Talabani, 75, has been president since April 2005. The ethnic Kurd was re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term.
Although he "has expressed his willingness not to seek another presidential nomination ... it does not mean that he will withdraw from the political and partisan arena," a message on Talabani's Web site said.
"President Talabani, on various occasions, sought to emphasize the importance and the need to devolve the power, tasks and responsibilities of leadership in the country to local authorities, especially at this stage when the country is going through political efforts by the parties to expand their bases," the statement said.
In Iraq, the prime minister wields most of the power. However, Talabani played an important role in maintaining the country's delicate ethnic balance.
The Iraqi parliament picks the president and two vice presidents, a Sunni and a Shia. All will leave office when parliamentary polls are held in December.
Talabani is the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party.
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
|
cba043c3a6124c37b8e30054c3865ec1
|
How long has he been president?
|
[
"since April 2005."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Hamburg have moved up to fourth place in the Bundesliga, only behind Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg on goal difference, after a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Energie Cottbus on Sunday.
Ivica Olic celebrates his opening goal for Hamburg as they remain in touch near the top of the Bundesliga.
Croatian striker headed Hamburg into a 32nd-minute lead while a free-kick from winger Piotr Trochowski seven minutes later secured the points for the home side.
The result lifts Hamburg above Hoffenheim onto 45 points, with leaders Hertha Berlin remaining top of the table on 49 points following their 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Sunday's other match saw Werder Bremen pick up their first league win of 2009 with a 4-0 victory over Stuttgart, the first defeat in 10 matches for new Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel.
Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg struck twice for the home side who lie 10th in the table, while Stuttgart remain sixth, 10 points behind leaders Hertha Berlin.
|
2f41be04ff684c28bec58deefb508430
|
Who did Stuttgart lose to?
|
[
"Werder Bremen"
] |
NewsQA
|
PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award.
Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes.
His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award
The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign.
The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third.
"This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said.
"It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins."
At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively.
He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica.
He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final.
He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend
|
77ac5e4aed9d498ea8811a3e185449ca
|
Who is chosen ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd?
|
[
"Kaka"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods' popularity has plummeted -- but most Americans will still be rooting for him to win when he tees up at the Masters tournament in April, a new national poll suggests.
Nearly 60 percent of those who answered a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey said they wanted the embattled golfer to win the event at Georgia's Augusta National course, which would be his fifth victory there.
Twenty percent said they did not want him to win and another 20 percent said they did not care.
The Masters will be Woods' first time back in professional golf since his November car crash outside his home and the media frenzy about his extramarital affairs.
And even though Woods has taken a hiatus from playing, 52 percent of those polled said they think Woods will win the Masters, the first of the golf season's four major tournaments which runs from April 5-11.
An overwhelming majority of those polled, 75 percent, thought it was appropriate for Woods to return at the Masters and that he did not have to wait longer.
But still, a majority of those polled, 45 percent, had an unfavorable view of Woods. Forty-three percent had a favorable view.
These numbers are in striking contrast to 2005 when about 85 percent of those polled had a favorable view of Woods.
Woods' public woes began with an early-morning crash November 27 outside his Orlando-area home, when he suffered minor injuries after striking a fire hydrant and a tree with his Cadillac SUV.
Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions. Eventually, he was cited for careless driving.
The accident occurred days after the tabloid National Enquirer named Woods as having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess. The woman has denied the allegation, but several others have come forward to claim that they had sexual relationships with Woods, who has two children with his wife, former model Elin Nordegren.
In a carefully-managed March statement, delivered to a small, hand-picked crowd, Woods said he was in inpatient therapy for 45 days from the end of December to early February for "issues," which he did not explain.
The controversy prompted several major sponsors to suspend or drop their relationships with Woods, who also apologized to his business partners for his behavior.
|
0082df0d6c8644bf86714e17f59dab8d
|
When will the top golfer make his appearance this season?
|
[
"at the Masters tournament"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- In a move that could improve security and keep airport lines moving, the Transportation Security Administration early next year will begin testing machines that match a traveler's boarding pass with his or her government-issued ID, while verifying that both documents are authentic.
The machines will assist the TSA "travel document checkers," who now conduct checks assisted only by ultraviolet flashlights and magnifying loupes.
In 2006, an Indiana University doctoral student created a website allowing people to create fake boarding passes to demonstrate how a known terrorist on the "No Fly" list could use a fake boarding pass to get past a checkpoint. Once on the other side, the terrorist could use a real boarding pass acquired under an alias to board a plane.
And in June, a Nigerian man was arrested after he flew across the country allegedly with a false boarding pass. Authorities said they found several other phony boarding passes in his luggage.
The new technology would authenticate government-issued IDs by comparing written information on the card with information encoded in the ID's bar codes, magnetic strip or computer chip. It would also match the ID to the boarding pass.
The system will alert screeners if either document does not pass validation. If the issue is easily rectifiable, such as misspelling of the passenger's name, the TSA may allow the person to proceed. If not immediately resolved, the passenger will be directed to a TSA supervisor.
"This technology will help facilitate risk-based security, while making the process more effective and efficient," TSA Administrator John S. Pistole said.
The TSA has awarded contracts of $79 million each to three companies: BAE Systems Information Solutions, NCR Government Systems and Trans Digital Technologies, LLC. Each company will provide 10 machines for testing at U.S. airports. The TSA has not disclosed which airports will get the machines.
In August, the TSA's chief privacy officer issued a report saying the machines have minimal privacy implications because only a limited amount of personal information is collected by the machines and because this information "is deleted after use."
A TSA spokeswoman said earlier versions of the technology were tested at two Washington-area airports in 2009.
|
13b42cb9e1cc4a1f8015982da3add5f0
|
What has not been disclosed?
|
[
"which airports will get the machines."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Air Force is returning F-15E Strike Eagle jets to service over Iraq and Afghanistan after grounding other F-15s, the Air Force said Wednesday.
The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C this month.
The F-15s were grounded after a crash earlier this month in Missouri of an older model that disintegrated in flight.
Each F-15E must pass an inspection of critical parts on the airframe before returning to flying missions, Air Force officials said.
All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection of hydraulic system lines, the Air Force statement said.
The longerons -- molded, metal strips of the aircraft fuselage that run from front to rear -- will also be inspected, according to the Air Force.
The straps and skin panels in and around the environmental control system bay will also be examined, officials said.
The Air Force would not say whether the parts being inspected were part of the problem on the aircraft that crashed.
The investigation into why that plane fell apart in flight is still ongoing and Air Force officials will not say what happened until the investigation is complete, an Air Force spokesperson said.
Air Force officials said the rest of the almost 500 F-15s -- older airframes than the F-15Es -- will remain grounded until the investigation offers a solution to what happened.
The E-model aircraft, the youngest and most sophisticated in the F-15 inventory, is heavily used by Central Command for ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is also used for the homeland security mission over the United States known as Operation Noble Eagle.
On November 3, the Air Force grounded all of its F-15s in response to a November 1 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C in Boss, Missouri.
The grounding forced Central Command to use other Air Force, Navy and French fighters to fill the gaps, though Strike Eagles did fly to support troops in battle in Afghanistan as an emergency measure while they were still under grounding orders, according to Central Command reports.
The plane that crashed, built in 1980, was one of the older F-15s in the fleet.
The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter, making it more versatile than other F-15 models, which are used for only air-to-air missions.
The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan and Iraq in its air-to-ground role, using its advanced sensors to drop bombs on targets. E-mail to a friend
|
26c0e37b8fab4accb71e1ea3d18e7cf8
|
What state did the f-15 crash in?
|
[
"Missouri"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The public may have seen the last video images of the failed blowout preventer from the BP oil well disaster, as authorities expressed possible security concerns.
The feed from a camera on board a salvage ship was discontinued Saturday after the apparatus was raised from the sea floor and placed on the vessel Q4000.
At his regular briefing with reporters Wednesday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said additional questions about the unit would now have to go to the U.S. Justice Department and the Joint Investigation Team.
When pressed about the video feed, Allen said, "We'll have to refer that to the Department of Justice. There were some constraints put on that videotaping based on the people that are looking at the blowout preventer and their identities and so forth, and I think there's, there may be some security issues associated with it."
Allen said the ship will carry the unit to shore, but that the timetable and other questions will no longer be something he can address as part of the disaster operations that he heads.
As of Wednesday, he said, "the blowout preventer is already up on deck on the Q4000. The lower marine riser package has been separated, and they're putting it on latching skids getting ready to move it closer to shore."
He said "exactly when it arrives and what the disposition would be, I would refer you to the Department of Justice, or the Joint Investigation Team," since "from this point out it doesn't involve the spill itself."
Allen said after the ship moves off-scene, "this will cease to be part of the national response that I'm coordinating as the national incident commander."
|
1ee0b8ad8dc44650b77c18cd1a0891be
|
what happend to the camera feed
|
[
"was discontinued"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- President Obama said in an interview aired Sunday that the hardest decision he's made since taking office was to send more troops to Afghanistan.
In a "60 Minutes" interview, President Obama said, "I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney."
Also in the interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," Obama defended his decision to shut down the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he countered criticism from former vice president Dick Cheney.
"I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney -- not surprisingly," Obama said. "I think that Vice President Cheney has been at the head of a movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the wrong lesson from history."
Obama was responding to comments Cheney made to CNN's "State of the Union" on March 15, when he said the president is making the nation less safe by closing the Guantanamo prison and ending interrogation practices that Bush administration critics consider torture for terror suspects.
Just a month into office, Obama ordered 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, the original front in the "war on terrorism" sparked by the September 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
"I think it's the right thing to do. But it's a weighty decision because we actually had to make the decision prior to the completion of the strategic review that we were conducting," Obama said.
Coming off a tumultuous week over the millions in bonuses paid out to employees of AIG, Obama said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's job is secure despite critics calling for his resignation.
Obama joked that even if Geithner were to tender his resignation, the president would tell him, "Sorry buddy, you've still got the job."
Geithner has come under fire over the $165 million in bonuses AIG paid its top executives after the insurance giant received more than $170 billion in federal bailout money.
A loophole in the recently approved economic stimulus bill, included at the behest of the Treasury, allowed AIG to pay the bonuses.
"It's going to take a little bit more time than we would like to make sure that we get this plan just right," Obama said.
The president also stressed that his administration won't endorse a House bill that would levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses paid out by companies that receive bailout money.
"As a general proposition, you don't want to be passing laws that are just targeting a handful of individuals," Obama said. "You want to pass laws that have some broad applicability ... you certainly don't want to use the tax code to punish people."
|
901245ede5ee4245aa7ce9e7654f4c4a
|
What did Obama say?
|
[
"hardest decision he's made"
] |
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