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NewsQA
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- France is sending four state police units to its overseas department of Guadeloupe after a month of sometimes violent demonstrations, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Thursday.
French gendarmes face-off against Guadeloupe protesters.
"The pillaging ... the violence against people, are not tolerable and will not be tolerated," Alliot-Marie told the French radio station RTL. "It's no longer simply a question of containing the protests. ... This mission of honor will continue to be undertaken, but we also have to fight against the violence."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy planned to meet with elected officials from overseas departments, including Guadeloupe, Thursday afternoon, his office announced.
A general strike over low wages and living conditions in the Caribbean island has included demonstrations and clashes with police. At least one civilian has been killed in the riots, officials said.
Hospitals and emergency services continue to function and the main international airport is open, but petrol stations, schools, and most businesses -- including supermarkets and car rental offices -- are closed, the British Foreign Office said in a travel advisory.
Hotels are open, but the strike is causing daily cuts to electricity and water supplies, the Foreign Office said.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Thursday he is ready to approve a compromise that would give nearly a €200 ($254) monthly supplement to workers in Guadeloupe with low-paying jobs.
"This crisis is serious, and profound, but it's not new," Fillon said, adding that it's linked to "the lifelessness of the economy in the Antilles, aggravated by the global economic crisis."
Sending supplementary police forces is justified, Fillon said, because "we cannot accept what has happened" in the department.
He was referring to the attacks on businesses, the roadblocks in the streets and above all, the death of the civilian, who he said was a union leader.
Agence France-Presse identified the victim as union representative Jacques Bino. He was shot dead Tuesday night when he drove past a roadblock manned by armed youths in the city of Pointe-a-Pitre. His car was hit three times by shotgun fire, prosecutors told AFP.
Three police who accompanied emergency services trying to help the dying man were lightly wounded, officials said, according to AFP.
Speaking with RTL on Wednesday, one demonstrator denied he was fanning the flames of unrest.
"We have always called for calm," Elie Domota, leader of the Coalition against Exploitation, said.
"We have told the young people to go to their homes and continue to protest peacefully, but the police yesterday beat protesters and called them racist names, so the situation escalated."
CNN's Alanne Orjoux in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report
|
aec8796c2abd4d17b06d9714920b8d1f
|
where did the attacks occur
|
[
"Guadeloupe"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Beastie Boys canceled all scheduled concerts and delayed their next album release while member Adam "MCA" Yauch is treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland, Yauch says in a video statement to fans.
The Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch will be treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland.
"The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it's only localized in this one area and it's not in a place that affects my voice," Yauch says. "So, that's nice. That's convenient."
The cancer is in his left parotid gland and "also in a lymph node right in that area," he says.
He will probably have surgery next week and radiation treatments afterward, he says.
With band mate Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz sitting next to him, Yauch tells fans how he found out he had cancer.
"About two months ago, I started feeling this little lump in my throat, like you would feel if you have swollen glands or something like that, like you'd feel if you have a cold, so I didn't really think it was anything," he says.
His doctor sent him to a specialist who diagnosed the cancer, he says.
Yauch does not estimate how long the tour will be delayed, but he apologizes to "anyone who's made plans" to come to the shows.
The illness will also delay the release of the band's next album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," he says.
|
a4594e84b2464e5faccff84f908ea205
|
Will the tour be postpoed?
|
[
"canceled"
] |
NewsQA
|
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- One could say she has the determination ... but lacks the drive.
Driving agency estimates woman has spent more than $2,888 in exam fees.
A 68-year-old South Korean woman this week signed up to take her driving test once again -- after failing to earn a license the first 771 times.
The woman, identified only as Cha, first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005, said Choi Young-cheol of the Driver's License Agency in the southwestern city of Jeonju.
At the time, she made her living selling goods door-to-door and figured she would need a car to help her get around, Choi told CNN.
She failed the test. She retook the test the next day and failed again. And again. And again.
"You have to get at least 60 points to pass the written part," said Kim Rahn, who wrote about the unflappable woman in the Korea Times, an English-language daily. "She usually gets under 50."
In the beginning, Cha went to the license office almost every day. Now, she no longer works but still turns up once a week, Choi said.
The office estimates she has spent more than 4 million won ($2,888) in exam fees.
Cha's last failed attempt was Monday.
She tries for the 772nd time either Thursday or Friday.
-- CNN's Kathy Paik and Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.
|
fbcc8d38651543249a7d825bb6764d8b
|
From where is a women who signed up her 772nd driving test?
|
[
"South Korean"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- A trio of congressional Republicans passionately appealed to the Pentagon on Thursday to drop charges against three Navy SEALs accused of assaulting an Iraqi suspected of orchestrating the 2004 killing and mutilation of four U.S. contractors.
Flanked by about a dozen retired Navy SEALs at a news conference near the Capitol, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California; Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana; and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, insisted that the U.S. is sending the wrong message to its troops.
"These Navy SEALs were apprehending a terrorist murderer, and they are being accused of roughing him up? Give me a break! These men should be given medals, not prosecuted. These men are heroes," Rohrabacher said.
Burton agreed, saying, "These people are laying their lives on the line every day, and they can't go into a combat situation with kid gloves on."
The congressmen said they plan to present to Pentagon officials petitions signed by thousands of people supporting the SEALs.
The Iraqi suspect, Ahmed Hashim Abed, complained to investigators he was punched during his detention.
One of the three SEALs, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, 24, accused of assault, stood next to his attorney at the event Thursday. McCabe did not speak.
Gohmert said those who bring harm to Americans should not get the same judicial treatment as U.S. citizens.
"They get all their constitutional rights. Well, we've got heroes around who deserve the constitutional rights of an even better caliber. And yes, there are different levels of constitutional rights," he said.
In January, a military judge ruled that the trials of the two other SEALs should be held on a base in Iraq.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, 25, and Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, 28, are charged with dereliction of duty and impeding an official investigation surrounding the Iraqi's detention last September. Their trials are set to begin next month.
The case against the Navy SEALs has sparked outrage that the sailors are being tried at all for handling a suspect in the contractors' murders, one of the most notorious incidents in the Iraq war.
The killings got widespread news coverage when the burned bodies of two of the contractors were paraded through the streets of Falluja and hanged from a bridge as their captors cheered.
"In this case, we've turned logic upside down on its head," said Rohrabacher. "Our government is taking the word of a terrorist and attacking our defenders."
|
e35ff1d9436f41ea9cb33d705a521117
|
How many signatures are tehre?
|
[
"thousands"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Canada geese got into both engines of US Airways Flight 1549 and forced the plane to ditch into the Hudson River last month, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
Surveillance video shows passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 hurrying onto the plane's wings.
The flight crew of the Airbus A320 put the plane down gently on the river, which separates New York from New Jersey, after the bird ingestion caused both engines to lose power on January 15. All 155 people aboard survived.
Adult Canada geese weigh between 5.8 and 10.7 pounds, although birds from resident populations rather than migratory populations can be heavier.
The plane's CFM56-5B/P turbofan engines were certified in 1996 as being able to withstand bird ingestion of 4 pounds.
The NTSB said last week that both engines contained the remains of birds, confirming the pilots' report that the engines shut down after colliding with birds less than two minutes after taking off from from New York's LaGuardia Airport.
Material from both engines was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for identification of the bird species.
Investigators have not yet determined how many birds hit the jet's engines.
The plane's flight data recorder "revealed no anomalies or malfunctions in either engine up to the point where the captain reported a bird strike, after which there was an uncommanded loss of thrust in both engines," the NTSB said last week.
|
cd61af0e4b1b466abe65f080efed1fc9
|
How many passengers and crew members survived the landing?
|
[
"All 155"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The insistence that former Sen. John Edwards serve some jail time over allegations he broke campaign finance laws caused a collapse in plea negotiations between lawyers for the former presidential candidate and the Justice Department last week.
Edwards wanted to have as "minimal" impact on his two younger kids as possible, a source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to CNN Sunday. Edwards has a 10-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.
The Raleigh News and Observer, which first reported the story, said the Justice Department was insisting that Edwards serve six months in jail if he pleaded guilty.
After initially saying Edwards had to agree to plead guilty to a felony in earlier discussions, CNN is told prosecutors last week offered for him instead to plead guilty to some misdemeanors.
But the jail time was the breaking point.
"He did not want to have an extended period of time away from his kids," said the source, who would not speak on the record because the details of the plea discussions have not been made public.
After the breakdown in negotiations, a grand jury indicted Edwards, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee, on six felony counts.
In court on Friday, Edwards pleaded not guilty.
"I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused to others. But I did not break the law. And I never, ever thought I was breaking the law," he told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The News and Observer also reported that Edwards' lawyers were not confident they would be allowed to urge a judge to consider alternatives for incarceration such as a halfway house, weekend passes or home arrest in order to give him more time with his children. After the death of his wife, Elizabeth, Edwards is the primary caregiver for the two younger children.
|
d9b78a97b35a4636840be3d7da7df561
|
insists that John Edwards?
|
[
"serve some jail time"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly two decades after the first Gulf war and six years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power, Iraq still is subject to 73 United Nations resolutions.
A March 1991 photo shows burning oil wells in Kuwait damaged by Iraq military forces.
Now Iraq's foreign minister says his country "will not regain full sovereignty and independence without getting rid of these resolutions."
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hoshyar Zebari said Monday that Iraq has paid "billions" of dollars under Chapter 7 of the U.N. sanctions placed on Iraq as a result of the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait and subsequent war.
The U.N. Security Council is reviewing the sanctions, and Zebari said he had "intensive discussions" in New York with members of the Security Council. He said "I think the outcome is positive."
"We felt a great deal of good will that, really, time has come for Iraq to get rid of all these restrictions and to regain its international standing and position as a normal country."
The Iraqi foreign minister said bringing Iraq out of Chapter 7 is an "American commitment also" since Iraq signed the status of forces agreement with the United States, which governs the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, based on its understanding that the U.S. would help Iraq to come out of Chapter 7.
Foreign Minister Zebari said the sanctions impose a heavy burden on Iraq -- it continues to pay 5 percent of its oil revenues to Kuwait, down from the initial 30 percent.
Iraq's security forces, he told reporters, have "proven they are capable of defending themselves and the country." In the next six months, however, he said, the country faces some risks.
"What can be seen as problems could become crises unless this administration keeps its focus and support to push the situation forward; otherwise this overall strategy of responsible redeployment could be undermined."
If that happens, Zebari said, it "will impact what the U.S. is doing in the Middle East, in the Arab peace process, with Iran, even in Afghanistan because Iraq is such a crucial player in the region."
|
8dc3bae26e8747f6add19c1adf08ab26
|
What were held with Security Council members?
|
[
"\"intensive discussions\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The America's Cup is the oldest sporting trophy in the world, first held in 1851, forty-five years before the incarnation of the modern Olympic Games.
The "Auld Mug" as it is known in the sport of sailing has attracted some of the world's most powerful men to create teams and invest millions to try and get their hands on the trophy.
This month on MainSail, Shirley Robertson takes the viewer inside the world of the America's Cup, looking back to when it all started and meeting some of the major names associated with the Cup. This includes the two most successful skippers ever to compete, America's Dennis Connor and New Zealand's Russell Coutts.
She also has an exclusive one to one with U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison, the man in charge of the American team, BMW Oracle Racing, who is plotting and planning how to bring the Cup back to the U.S., the nation that won every edition of the Cup from 1851 to 1983.
The next America's Cup final is scheduled to be held in 2010, with Ellison and his team taking on the Defenders of the Cup, European team Alinghi. But this Cup has been a battle in the New York courts and all teams who want to compete have been locked out of the game until the head-to-head between the U.S. and Europe has been settled -- a compelling story even before the first match between the two teams has been held.
When the first match takes place, it will be in the two fastest, most extreme boats ever to have competed in the America's Cup. Having already sailed the European Alinghi entry, Shirley Robertson becomes the first person in the world to have sailed both boats, as she joins the BMW Oracle Racing team in San Diego on board their spectacular multihull, and heads out for a Pacific Ocean training session.
|
c725519d7f7c457eb7e4c573066ded12
|
Who is the presenter
|
[
"Shirley Robertson"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Most conservationists would agree that you should not interfere with mother nature. But there are exceptions to every rule.
Staff and tourists at Kapani Safari Lodge in Zambia were caught by surprise when a mother and baby elephant became trapped in mud.
Saying they couldn't just "stand by and watch them slowly die," what ensued was a dramatic rescue.
Together with the South Luangwa Conservation Society (SLCS) and the local wildlife authority, the team devised a plan to get the elephants out. The rest of the herd initially tried to help the screaming mother and baby escape, but they were stuck too deep.
Team managers from the conservation society slipped a rope around the baby and after a few attempts managed to pull her out of the muddy pit. The team says it took a lot of coaxing to get her out and on her feet though, adding that she "was terribly frightened and wouldn't leave her mum's side".
Getting the adult elephant out of the mud was a far more challenging task -- by the time the baby had been rescued, its mother was dehydrated and exhausted. But the SLCS team eventually pulled her out too, using a tractor and rope.
Staff at Kapani Lodge say it was "heart-warming to see how many local people joined in the efforts to free the two elephants... it was the happiest possible ending."
|
660c2d6898034395a1ded87ebce9495e
|
What get stuck in a mud at game lodge in Zambia?
|
[
"mother and baby elephant"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Re-elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel is eyeing a new coalition to replace the "grand coalition" her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party shared with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the previous parliament.
Angela Merkel has pledged to be "a Chancellor for all Germans".
If, as expected, Merkel forms a new coalition with the Free Democratic Party (FPD) it will have wide-reaching implications for Germans.
The FPD are more economically liberal than Merkel's previous partner, the SPD.
According to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, the FPD led by Guido Westerwelle will push for control of some key positions in the new government, including perhaps the finance ministry.
Pleitgen believes that economic policy is likely to change dramatically. "This means a whole lot more pro-business politics for Germany than in the past. You'll probably see tax cuts and it will probably mean smaller government than seen in the past four years," he said.
Speaking at a post-election news conference on Monday, Merkel said that the result is an opportunity to build a smaller government.
"If one looks at the majority relationships, we will be dealing with a smaller partner, the FDP," she said.
"We are happy to use this chance in very difficult economic times to secure jobs, create new ones and drive growth more decisively."
Merkel also pledged to be "a Chancellor for all Germans".
The election was disastrous for her rival, foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the SPD who saw their vote fall 10 percent from 34.2 percent in 2005 to 23 percent. The result is the SPD's worst result since World War II.
The results leave the CDU as the strongest party in the German parliament with 27.3 percent of the popular vote -- slightly down on the 27.8 percent it achieved four years ago.
Despite being the biggest party in the Bundestag, the vote marked one of the CDU's poorest showings in an election. But its traditional coalition with the Christian Social Union -- who won 6.5 percent of the vote -- means that the CDU/CSU bloc won 33.8 percent of the vote.
The biggest winners on election night were the Free Democratic Party (FPD) whose share of the vote rose nearly five percent from 9.8 to 14.6 percent.
|
ede811a3c0564cd7800b7e696faf4fd6
|
Who was elected chancellor?
|
[
"Angela Merkel"
] |
NewsQA
|
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices.
Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year.
"One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat," said Mark Smulders, an FAO economist.
The hunger report -- titled "The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008" -- said the world's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty.
The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices, with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty.
The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown, but last year's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are.
About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007, or 65 percent of the hungry, live in India, China, the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
Smulders said about 27 percent of the world's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China. The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world's total.
There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam, and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi, the report said.
Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year, but they are staying high compared to other years, the agency said. The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before.
"Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years," the FAO said.
The agency said the "rural and urban poor, landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices."
-- CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
|
b1d525898d6d4ad698ee951b80b4b6c9
|
Who issues estimates?
|
[
"The Food and Agriculture Organization"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Zambia's incumbent president bowed out with "grace and honor" Friday after election results showed his main challenger had won, his party said in a statement.
"The people of Zambia have spoken and we must listen," outgoing President Rupiah Banda said on the website of his Movement for Multiparty Democracy. "The time now is for maturity, for composure and for compassion."
Zambians voted Tuesday in the presidential election.
The incoming president, Michael Sata, will be sworn in Friday, party officials said.
Sata is the leader of the opposition Patriotic Front and a major critic of China's investment in the nation.
Ten candidates took part in the presidential race .
Zambia has remained relatively peaceful amid unrest in neighboring Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
|
8e2db8627f054fc0b5b070b3aa140ce1
|
how many candidates take place in the race
|
[
"Ten"
] |
NewsQA
|
MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- A moderately strong earthquake rocked Mexico City on Friday afternoon, shaking the earth in the sprawling capital.
People in Mexico City stream into the street as a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 5.7, and placed the epicenter near the city of Puebla, about 85 miles southeast of Mexico City. It hit at 2:24 p.m. local time.
The Mexican seismological service measured the quake at 5.9.
People in the city reported the earth and buildings shaking. Thousands of panicked people streamed into the streets as stopped cars snarled traffic. Parts of the city were without electricity Friday afternoon but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Earthquakes are a frightening experience for the 20 million residents of Mexico City, where thousands of people perished in a massive quake in 1985. The city, built on volcanic ash and clay, is particularly vulnerable to temblors.
Aldo Pontecorvo of the humanitarian agency World Vision said the shaking lasted about 20 seconds. It came out of nowhere and "without any warning," said Pontecorvo, who said he was in his office when the quake struck.
Earlier this month, a moderate earthquake was measured off the coast of Mexico's western Baja California peninsula.
|
b5dc854d577d4ccf8f83872322d3c0e3
|
which year was the quake
|
[
"1985."
] |
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.
|
180083e5ef5b4a34859dba9bf2f573d0
|
What right does eveyone have?
|
[
"to be happy,\""
] |
NewsQA
|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Vera Lynn, who made her name entertaining troops in World War II after recording her first song 70 years ago, has become the oldest living artist to have a number one album.
At 92, Vera Lynn is the oldest person to have a number one album.
The 92-year-old's album "We'll Meet Again -- The Very Best of Vera Lynn" took the top spot in the British charts on Sunday, even outselling much-hyped re-mastered versions of the Beatles' back catalogue, according to the UK's Official Charts Company.
The previous oldest living artist to top the charts was Bob Dylan, who at 67 saw his album "Together Through Life" become number one in the UK earlier this year.
"I am extremely surprised and delighted, and a big 'thank you' to all my fans for putting me there," Lynn said, according the UK Press Association.
During the war, Lynn was known as the "Forces' Sweetheart" for hits such as "The White Cliffs of Dover" which struck a chord with British soldiers fighting overseas and audiences at home.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II awarded the veteran singer the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1959 and in 1975 made her a dame.
According to the Official Charts Company, the reissued Beatles albums took in the fifth, sixth, ninth, 10th, 21st, 24th, 29th, 31st, 33rd, 37th and 38th spots.
|
22bc94bf0d424c28aa49da163a1049ad
|
What songs did she sing?
|
[
"\"The White Cliffs of Dover\""
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Preliminary results of an investigation show that Tuesday's massive power outage in Florida was caused by human error, Florida Power and Light President Armando Olivera said Friday.
A field engineer was diagnosing a switch that had malfunctioned at FPL's Flagami substation in west Miami.
Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Olivera said.
"This was done contrary to FPL's standard procedures and established practices," he said.
Standard procedures do not allow the simultaneous removal of both levels of protection.
"We don't know why the employee took it upon himself to disable both sets of relays," he added.
A fault occurred during the diagnostic process, and because both levels of relay protection had been removed, the fault caused an outage ultimately affecting 26 transmission lines and 38 substations, Olivera said. Find out more about power grids and blackouts »
One of the substations affected serves three of the generation units at Turkey Point -- a natural gas unit and both of the plant's nuclear units.
Both the nuclear units automatically shut down due to an under-voltage condition, he said. Also affected were two other generation plants in FPL's system. The total impact to the system was a loss of 3,400 megawatts of generating capacity.
The error affected 584,000 FPL customers, Olivera said. Another 500,000 non-FPL customers also lost power.
That translates to about 3 million people. See photos of the blackout's impact »
The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues, he added.
"The employee realized something had gone wrong, but I think it's fair to say the employee didn't recognize the extent or magnitude of the problem," Olivera said.
The affected region ranged from Miami to Tampa, through Orlando and east to Brevard County, home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. See a map of the affected areas » E-mail to a friend
|
664391385f2f4cd2b0308b01b9557e9d
|
What did the field engineer disable?
|
[
"two levels of relay protection,"
] |
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.
|
4e2dbde1f4c0441f8171d6bc4f9ce796
|
Who is being blackmailed?
|
[
"Susanne Klatten"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- "Carlos the Jackal," once among the world's most wanted fugitives, has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a series of fatal bombings in the 1980s, a French court said.
The 62-year-old, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, was on trial for his role in the attacks on two trains, a train station and a newspaper office in France in 1982 and 1983. The bombings killed 11 and injured more than 100. He was sentenced late Thursday.
The Venezuelan-born revolutionary has been serving another life sentence in France since 1997, when he was convicted for the shooting deaths of two French secret agents and an informant in 1975.
Ramirez, who was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, first made headlines in 1975 when he led an attack on an Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' meeting in Vienna that took at least 60 people hostage, including 11 oil ministers.
He was nicknamed "Carlos the Jackal" by the press, a reference to the principal character and assassin in Frederick Forsyth's novel "The Day of the Jackal."
After two decades on the run, Ramirez was captured in 1994 in Sudan and taken to Paris in a sack.
The seven-judge terrorism panel ruled after the trial that began in November.
|
42928644682948b7be4a1272cd67b94c
|
When were the attacks?
|
[
"1982 and 1983."
] |
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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Roy Bennett, the former Zimbabwean opposition activist who was arrested Friday shortly before he was due to become a Cabinet minister, has been charged with conspiracy to commit banditry, sabotage and terrorism, his lawyer told CNN.
Roy Bennett, left, pictured with MDC leader Morgan Tzvangirai, is also the party's treasurer.
The Movement for Democratic Change nominated Bennett to be deputy minister of agriculture in a national unity government with President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which has ruled the country since independence in 1980.
Bennett was arrested on Friday while on his way to South Africa, where he has been living for three years. Bennett, who is also the party's treasurer, was pulled from an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, the MDC said.
Police accuse him of funding the acquisition of weapons to commit the crimes he is charged with. Bennett will appear in the Mutare magistrate's court on Monday, his lawyer Trust Maanda told CNN.
Bennett, a white coffee grower, is an old foe of Mugabe's government. His farms were seized during the country's controversial land reform program. He has previously being jailed for assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in parliament.
Hundreds of party members and supporters Friday surrounded the Mutare police station where Bennett was being held, the party said.
The incident happened the same day that other MDC ministers in the new unity government took their oaths of office. The swearing-in eventually took place but was delayed, the MDC said, because Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party wanted to appoint more ministers than they were allowed in the new government.
Under the power-sharing deal signed in September, the ruling ZANU-PF party gets 17 cabinet posts and the MDC gets 13.
Mugabe brought a "bloated" list of 22 Cabinet ministers to the swearing-in ceremony, but the MDC leadership insisted Mugabe stick to the 17 agreed Cabinet posts.
The stalemate lasted for more than an hour, until Mugabe's party agreed that only 17 of their proposed ministers take office.
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.
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67df9adada5543ebb688da1f752ebe23
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Who was pulled from what?
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[
"Bennett,"
] |
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(CNN) -- A monument to communism, the Palace of Culture and Science dominates Warsaw's skyline.
But soon the city's most prominent piece of architecture, a "gift" from Josef Stalin in the 1950s, will be joined by a building that will reflect the spirit of 21st century Poland.
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, Zlota 44 is the star architect's first project in the country of his birth.
Currently under construction the 54-story luxury apartment building that is supposed to resemble an eagle, Poland's nation symbol, is situated opposite the Palace of Culture and Science and close to one of the city's few synagogues that survived the Second World War.
Explore more with Eye on Poland
Many see it as a statement of the country's desire to continue its revival and redefine its identity.
"Now this world-recognized architect is coming back to Poland and building a symbolic structure in front of the Palace of Culture, a symbolic structure of communism," said Alicia Kosciesza of the Zlota 44 project.
Libeskind left Poland with his parents as an emigrant to the U.S. when he was 13, but he has seen his homeland transformed since his childhood.
"I grew up under the gray skies of communism, a depressed society, a totalitarian regime. A dismal period really." he said.
"I return now and it's a new country, it's a renaissance. Skies are blue, people have light in their eyes, there's energy."
Libeskind commonly accentuates the positives and transformative affects that buildings can have.
From the Jewish Museum in Berlin, to his role as Master Planner for the new World Trade Center buildings in New York, his structures have engaged and inspired many and made him one of the world's most sought-after architects.
"The re-building of Warsaw shows that despite the horrors (of the past) it's a beautiful city," he said.
"It wasn't rebuilt perfectly (after the Second World War), but it's a city that has always had the spirit of something positive."
Libeskind's Polish roots and formative years living in the U.S. as an immigrant are experiences that have shaped his attitude and were a direct inspiration for his plans for the World Trade Center.
"This is a place that needs to have a spiritual feeling, this isn't just a piece of real estate anymore," he said of the World Trade Center site.
"(When visiting 'Ground Zero') I looked South and I saw the Statute of Liberty and I saw myself arriving on that ship (when I was 13) and I thought, '"That's what America is like, that what this site is about.' It's how to connect that memory, that tragedy with the incredible city of New York."
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142e844aece6445eb371fb7a82903e04
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What do some people hope the building will be a symbol of?
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[
"spirit of 21st century Poland."
] |
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(CNN) -- A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the "biggest prize ever" -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world's major religions.
The TV show offers converts to Islam the chance to visit Mecca.
The show, called "Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor," or "Penitents Compete," features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk.
If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians.
Ahmet Ozdemir, deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T, which will air the show from September, said the program aimed to "turn disbelievers on to God."
"People are free to believe anything they want. Our program does not have a say," he said, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
Contestants will be judged by a panel of eight theologians and religious experts prior to going on the show to make sure their lack of faith is genuine.
But the show has been condemned by Turkish religious leaders. The head of the country's supreme council of religious affairs, Hamza Aktan, told CNN Turk that it was "disrespectful" to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings.
"To do such a thing for the sake of ratings, not only with Islam but with all religions is disrespectful," said Aktan. "Religion should not be the subject of this type of program."
Although Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and culture, religion is a sensitive subject because of the country's staunchly secular constitution which outlaws most displays of faith in public life.
Last year the Islamist-influenced government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with the country's constitutional court when judges overturned the efforts of Erdogan's AK Party to lift a ban on female students wearing headscarves at public universities.
Aylin Yazan at CNN Turk contributed to this story.
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5085bf279bbf4b5496f01219bd18fca0
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what does the tv show feature?
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[
"a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Security forces aboard a U.S. naval vessel fired warning shots toward two approaching small boats off the Somali coast Tuesday, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
The USNS John Lenthall is one of 14 fleet refueling ships operated by Military Sealift Command.
The rounds landed in the water, prompting the boats to turn around, and no casualties were reported, the military news release said.
It is unclear whether the boats were trying to attack the 41,000-ton USNS John Lenthall, the military said.
"It is clear they were not following the international rules of the road observed by mariners around the globe," it said.
The release noted that the location of the incident, the types of boats involved and the maneuvering were all "consistent with reports from previous attacks on merchant vessels in the region."
The USNS John Lenthall is one of 14 "fleet replenishment oilers" in the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, according to a U.S. Navy Web site. Oilers refuel Navy ships at sea and any aircraft they may be carrying.
Attacks by pirates have increased dramatically off the northern coast of Somalia in the past year, prompting the United States and other nations to step up patrols in the region.
In May, the U.S. Navy warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast. But the U.S. Maritime Administration warns that pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore.
The pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets, according to warnings from the agency.
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f54c0bb2424f4f3d9e446de349efd745
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Where were the pirates?
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[
"off the Somali coast"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- What recession? Christie's, the famed auction house, this week sold a nearly 36-carat diamond for $24.3 million, which it said was the highest price for a diamond sold at auction.
The 35.56-carat diamond dates back to the 17th century.
The previous record was a mere $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995, Christie's said.
"In the midst of these challenging times, we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond," said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie's Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday's sale.
The 35.56-carat Wittelsbach blue diamond, dating to the 17th century, was purchased by international jeweler Laurence Graff, the auction house said in a release. Graff was bidding against Aleks Paul of Essex Global Trading, a professional of Russian origin based in New York, Christie's said.
"Known as 'Der Blaue Wittelsbacher' since 1722, it is one of very few diamonds which can claim 17th century heritage, incredible rarity and exceptional beauty."
The diamond, mined in India nearly 400 years ago, has been privately owned since 1964. Until 1723, Christie's said, all diamonds worn by European royalty came from India.
The diamond has a royal lineage. Christie's traces it thus: King Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) selected the diamond in 1664 as part of a dowry for his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-1673). She had become engaged to Leopold I of Austria (1640-1705), who later became Holy Roman Emperor. When she died in 1673, her husband retained the diamond, which was passed on to his heirs.
In 1722, the diamond entered the Wittelsbach family when the Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (1701-1756) married the Bavarian Crown Prince, Charles Albert (1697-1745). It was worn by successive rulers until the abdication of King Ludwig III (1845-1921) in 1918.
The world's largest deep blue diamond is the "Hope Diamond," a 45.52-carat stone housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Diamonds apparently are recession-proof. Christie's reported jewelry sales of $226 million for the first half of 2008, calling it "the best jewelry season ever seen at auction." Sales for the first six months of this year marked a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2007, Christie's said.
According to Christie's, key diamonds the company sold in the first half of 2008 included a 13.39-carat fancy intense blue diamond that fetched $8.9 million in Geneva on May 14 and the pear-shaped potentially flawless 38-carat Onassis diamond, which sold for $7.1 million on June 11 in London.
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3d5b4e8c0b794ed8be6b6aadbde75fff
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What was the selling price?
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[
"$24.3 million,"
] |
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A three-vehicle crash north of New York killed eight people, including four children, state police said on Sunday.
One of the vehicles in the three-vehicle wreck was heading the wrong direction, police said.
A fifth child is being treated for injuries suffered in the crash near Pleasantville, about 30 miles north of New York. Police initially reported no survivors.
The crash happened when a minivan carrying the five children and one adult was heading the wrong way on a northbound lane of the Taconic State Parkway, police said. It crashed head-on into an SUV carrying three adults.
The minivan then careened into a third vehicle before rolling over and bursting into flames, state police said. Watch investigators examine wreckage »
The two adults in the third vehicle were being treated for minor injuries, police said.
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e2f42272f8304953a10983de2f2c39e6
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Where did the crash happen?
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[
"near Pleasantville,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Actor Edward Norton already wanted to be in better shape for his 40th birthday than he was on his 30th when the idea hit -- why not join members of an African tribe famous for its runners and run the New York marathon?
"Incredible Hulk" star Edward Norton, second from left, has trained for a marathon with Maasai tribesmen in Kenya
Before he knew it, the star of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Fight Club" had signed on to the effort, despite never having run a marathon before.
"The idea picked up traction pretty quickly," said Norton, who turned 39 in August. "Then, I was like, 'Wait a minute. What have I just done?'"
The run is a benefit for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, an organization working to promote sustainable development while protecting the east African grasslands that the Maasai tribe calls home. Both the traditional tribe's way of life and its environment have been threatened by rapid industrial development.
Norton discovered, and became a supporter of, the trust about 10 years ago during his first visit to Kenya, where he met founder Luca Belpietro.
"I was impressed at the way he was really genuinely working with the community to create value out of being good stewards of the land," Norton said.
Belpietro will be one of nearly 30 runners joining Norton on the Nov. 1 marathon. Also running will be magician David Blaine and three Maasai tribesmen.
The Maasai are at the heart of Kenya's long tradition of distance running. Norton said one of the runners, safari guide Parashi Ntanin, is so fast he could probably leave the rest of the group behind and run the race in less than 2½ hours.
Norton said he's run as much as 15 miles twice during his training for the 26.2-mile marathon and that despite some leg and knee pains, he's confident he'll finish the endurance race.
"I'm really enjoying it," he said after a workout Wednesday in New York. "I'm enjoying having a goal."
A competitive rower at Yale, Norton said he's experienced the so-called "runner's high" during his training, which fans can follow on his Twitter account, @EdwardNorton.
"Running in the park, I got a taste of what people say about the New York marathon. There were people of every shape and size out there," he said. "I really got a lift out of it."
Norton's latest film, the independently produced "Leaves of Grass," is set to premiere this week at the Toronto International Film Festival and his company's "By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama," a documentary about President Obama's historic campaign for the White House, debuts on HBO on November 3.
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3180f47b64664d1b86423086244a7f85
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What is the name of the actor?
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[
"Edward Norton"
] |
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(CNN) -- A Phoenix, Arizona, elementary school bus careened out of control for nearly a mile Wednesday evening, causing more than a dozen accidents and sending at least 26 people to the hospital.
A Phoenix, Arizona, school bus crossed over several lanes of traffic, crashing into several vehicles on Wednesday.
Phoenix police officer James Holmes told CNN the bus struck two cars at an intersection as it approached an overpass on Interstate 10. The bus later crossed into oncoming lanes, causing a chain reaction of collisions.
At least two cars overturned, and several passengers in the vehicles had to be cut out of the wreckage, authorities said.
Holmes said the bus carrying 45 students came to a stop a mile from the first accident scene. He said panicked children began jumping from the bus and fled into the neighborhood. Watch children describe frenzy of being on out-of-control bus »
Officers had to round up the students and used media reports to ask for help in looking for them. By late Wednesday, police thought they had located everyone. No injuries were reported to any of the children on board.
Police were interviewing the driver, trying to determine what caused the accident. CNN affiliate KPNX reports the bus driver lost consciousness before the crash.
Twenty-six passengers in the other cars, including several children, were being treated at hospitals. Some of the injuries were serious, but none was thought to be life-threatening.
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736efb00efe1486facb2b6b727e89522
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What did the children do after they jumped off the bus?
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[
"fled into the neighborhood."
] |
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Australia warned Israel Thursday of a possible diplomatic rift if Israel condoned the use of fraudulent Australian passports in the killing of a Hamas leader.
Israel's ambassador was given the warning after it was learned that three Australian passports were used by members of an alleged assassination crew connected to the recent slaying of a Hamas leader in a Dubai hotel room, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday.
"I made it crystal clear to the ambassador that if the results of that investigation cause us to come to the conclusion that the abuse of Australian passports was in any way sponsored or condoned by Israeli officials, then Australia would not regard that as the act of a friend, "Smith said Thursday. " We would not regard that as the act of a friend."
The stern statement from Smith is part of the growing international diplomatic tiff stemming from the January 20 killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas' military wing.
Al-Mabhouh was found dead in his hotel room January 20. Police believe he was killed the night before and suspect the Mossad, the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit, was behind his slaying.
A total of 26 suspects have been identified by Dubai police. The suspects are believed to have acquired faulty passports to arrive in Dubai for the killing and then fled to other far-flung locations, police said.
The 26 named suspects do not include two Palestinians previously arrested in Jordan and returned to the UAE.
Twelve of the suspects used British passports, police said. Six suspects used Irish passports and four suspects used French passports. Along with the three suspects who used Australian passports, another suspect used a German passport .
The European Union this week condemned the use of false EU passports in connection with the al-Mabhouh slaying.
Authorities have not said how he died, al-Mabhouh's family was told there were signs of electric shocks on his legs, behind his ears, on his genitals and over his heart. Blood on a pillow led police to believe he was suffocated, the family was told. The killers left some of al-Mabhouh's medicine next to his bed in an apparent effort to suggest his death was not suspicious, police said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said only "media reports" link Israel to al-Mabhouh's death.
CNN's Roya Shadravan contributed to this report.
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0a7c108793844be3b51c31141d7418fa
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On what date was Al-Mabhouh found dead?
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[
"January 20."
] |
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(CNN) -- Switzerland's Lara Gut made history on Saturday when she became the youngest-ever winner of a women's World Cup race when claiming victory in the super-G at St Moritz.
Gut holds the Swiss flag aloft after becoming the youngest skier to win a women's World Cup race.
Cheered on by the local supporters, the 17-year-old finished ahead of compatriot Fabienne Suter with Italy's Nadia Fanchini -- the winner of the opening super-G in Lake Louise, Canada, finishing third.
Gut gave a clear indication of her immense talent on Friday when finishing fifth in the super-combined and she produced a near flawless run of 57.38 seconds to finish well clear of her rivals.
Suter, who finished third on Friday, moved up one place on the podium with a time 00.63 secs behind Gut.
World Cup leader Lindsay Vonn failed to finish on a piste that had been considerably shortened to deal with poor visibility caused by falling snow.
American Vonn, the defending overall champion, was one of many racers caught out by a bump in a fast section after a sharp right-hand turn.
Vonn said Gut's maiden win was not a surprise. "She has been skiing well all season so far," said the 24-year-old. "She has got a lot to learn still, but on a day like today, going first, it was a perfect chance for her. She definitely executed and seized the opportunity."
Gut added: "I was really nervous as I wasn't used to being the leader, but gradually I began to realise that in fact I had skied really well especially when I saw that Nadia and Fabienne were behind me."
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db9cbcf984444484a66b9df3b2d11caa
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Where is Lara Gut from?
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[
"Switzerland's"
] |
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(CNN) -- A pilot's sleep disorder and a string of early mornings helped cause the crew of a commuter jet to fall asleep during a flight over Hawaii in 2008, federal investigators reported Monday.
The pilot and co-pilot of a Go! Airlines jet failed to respond to calls from air traffic controllers for 18 minutes during the February 2008 flight from Honolulu to Hilo and awoke to find they had overshot their destination by about 30 miles, the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The plane landed safely once the pilots awoke and resumed contact with controllers.
The 53-year-old pilot was later diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause daytime sleepiness.
"This condition likely caused him to experience chronic daytime fatigue and contributed to his falling asleep during the incident flight," according to the NTSB's report on the probable cause of the incident.
"In addition, the day of the incident was the third consecutive day that both pilots started duty at 0540 (5:40 a.m.)," the report continued. "This likely caused the pilots to receive less daily sleep than is needed to sustain optimal alertness and resulted in an accumulation of sleep debt and increased levels of daytime fatigue."
Go! is a subsidiary of Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa Air Group. The company had no immediate response to the findings.
The Hawaii incident and a 2007 runway landing accident in Michigan that investigators blamed on pilot fatigue prompted a call by federal safety experts to scale back the maximum workday allowed for airline pilots and implement other "fatigue management" programs.
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f71b9086755241e2bb90ec312cc7ffc7
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What did the federal investigators cite as a cause?
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[
"A pilot's sleep disorder and a string of early mornings"
] |
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(CNN) -- A Colorado woman is being pursued as a "person of interest" in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a Texas polygamist ranch, authorities said Friday.
Rozita Swinton, 33, has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the Texas raid.
Texas Rangers are seeking Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, "regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in San Angelo, Texas, in late March 2008," the Rangers said in a written statement.
The raid of the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a "spiritual marriage."
The release said a search of Swinton's home in Colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch, run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The possibility exists that Rozita Swinton, who has nothing to do with the FLDS church, may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named Sarah," CNN's Gary Tuchman reported.
Swinton, 33, has been charged in Colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody. Police said that arrest was not directly related to the Texas case.
Authorities raided the Texas ranch April 4 and removed 416 children.
Officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl, referred to as Sarah, who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls. FLDS members have denied the girl, supposedly named Sarah Jessop Barlow, exists.
Some of the FLDS women who spoke with CNN on Monday said they believed the calls were a hoax.
While the phone calls initially prompted the raid, officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound.
In court documents, investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant, records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13.
A court hearing began Thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch. E-mail to a friend
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b75f6e152e0e4dd4b473a5945c9c3e5d
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Who do the Texas Rangers pursue?
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[
"Rozita Swinton"
] |
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New York (CNN) -- Protesters rallied in downtown New York City Thursday to voice their anger over what they perceive as the roles Wall Street and big banks played in America's economic crisis.
Marching from City Hall to Wall Street, the protesters chanted "good jobs for all," and held signs with messages including "Hold banks accountable," "Make Wall Street Pay," and "Reclaim America."
The AFL-CIO organized the rally, and union President Richard Trumka addressed the crowd, saying, "How long will we allow the spirit of greed to continue to drive us into economic holes?"
The National People's Action, a group that was involved in organizing the protest, said in a news release that demonstrators represented unemployed workers, foreclosure victims and community activists.
Protester Gerard Pettine said he just wants Wall Street to be held accountable for its involvement in the economic collapse.
"They need to have some integrity and some honor and do the right thing," Pettine told CNN.
Protester Elizabeth Soto, who came with her brother to the rally, was concerned about the lack of job creation.
"We are here to say Wall Street's got to help Main Street," she said. "We supported the stimulus bill, which bailed out Wall Street, but we expected the jobs to come back to Main Street."
The New York Police Department estimated that 6,000 people participated in the rally.
Earlier Thursday, as part of a larger "day of action" against Wall Street, protesters descended upon the headquarters of two New York City banks -- JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo -- leaving letters for the banks' chief executive officers.
The letters, according to the news release from the National People's Action, said that the banks have an opportunity "to step up to the plate and be leaders in rebuilding the American economy."
JP Morgan spokesperson Mike Fusco declined to comment on the letter, but said that there were a "couple dozen" protesters who were in the building for less than a half hour.
Fran Durst of Wells Fargo said that about 100 protesters flooded their building's lobby and tried to deliver their letter to the bank's CEO. Durst said the event didn't cause a major disruption to the bank.
Other protests were scheduled in San Francisco, California; Kansas City, Missouri; and Charlotte, North Carolina, according to the National People's Action news release.
CNN's Mary Snow, Jennifer Rizzo, Cassie Spodak, and Kristen Hamill contributed to this report.
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fbe1475ec760414da8bb4c18d7997da6
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where did they protest
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[
"downtown New York City"
] |
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(CNN) -- An employee at a New Jersey chocolate processing plant died Wednesday after falling into a vat of hot chocolate, according to a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's office.
Vincent Smith II, 29, was dumping raw chocolate into the vat for melting when he fell in from a nine-foot high platform. He suffered a fatal blow to the head from the vat's agitator, a paddle-like mechanism used for stirring the chocolate.
According to the Camden County prosecutor's office, three other people were on the platform at the time. One was able to shut the machinery off quickly, but it was too late to save Smith.
The facility, owned by Cocoa Services Inc., is managed and operated by by Lyons and Sons.
The rectangular vat, which was 8 feet deep, 14 feet long and 6 feet wide, was churning a batch of chocolate for Hershey's when the accident occurred, the prosecutor's office said.
CNN's Jesse Solomon contributed to this report.
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8a1c4fafd70a4c68b72a95886a8ed4dc
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What killed Vincent Smith II?
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[
"he fell in from a nine-foot high platform. He suffered a fatal blow to the head from the vat's agitator, a paddle-like mechanism"
] |
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(CNN) -- Congolese rebels seized a major military camp and a spacious gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting that sent thousands fleeing, according to the United Nations and park officials.
Young gorillas play in Congo's Virunga Park, which was taken over Sunday by rebels fighting army forces.
The fighting comes after a tenuous week-old U.N. brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces fell apart Sunday.
Fighting between the rebels under renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda and Congolese army regulars in the eastern province of North Kivu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaced thousands of civilians, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux.
The rebels also seized the headquarters of Virunga National Park in eastern Congo after intense fighting with the Congolese army, according to a statement by park officials.
The rebels have used Virunga Park as a base but have never seized its headquarters before.
The 3,000 square mile (7,800 square kilometer) park has a gorilla facility and is home to 200 of the 700 endangered mountain gorillas in existence.
"Over 50 rangers were forced to flee into the forests and abandon the park station, in fear of their lives," the park statement said.
"They have seized the entire gigantic infrastructure [of the park headquarters] which is stategically very close to the main road heading north into Goma," said park spokeswoman Samantha Newport by phone from Goma, about 40 kilometers from the fighting.
"The situation is eastern Congo is very dangerous," she said. "It's the first time they've [rebels] ever had the audacity" to take over the park. Watch as park ranger describes the violence as it explodes behind him »
Newport said the rebels have set up roadblocks so the rangers are making their way through woods south to safety.
She said the gorillas and other wildlife in the park are in danger of getting caught in the crossfire.
A park ranger described the takeover.
"When the rebels started approaching the park station we thought we were all going to be killed," said Park Ranger Bareke Sekibibi, 29, who spoke by cell phone from the forest earlier as he fled, according to the park statement.
" We are not military combatants, we are park rangers protecting Virunga's wildlife."
Although the civil war in the Congo officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and rebels has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes
The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of some 5.4 million people since 1998, and that 45,000 people continue to die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January.
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b4145180f21047a8ac2a12626ad61fd6
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how many casualities
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[
"The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of some 5.4 million people since 1998, and that 45,000 people continue to die there every month,"
] |
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Guangzhou, China (CNN) -- In a new book, the half brother of President Obama claims the father they shared was often drunk and physically abusive.
"My father beat me," Mark Obama Ndesandjo told reporters in China, where he lives. "He beat my mother. You just do not do that. I shut these thoughts in the back of my mind for many years."
Ndesandjo, who took the last name of the man his mother remarried, has dodged the media in the year since his half brother was elected U.S. president. However, he spoke out Wednesday regarding his semi-autobiographical book, "Nairobi to Shenzhen."
An engineer by trade, Ndesandjo moved to Shenzhen, China, after losing his job in the United States seven years ago. He owns a small chain of restaurants in Shenzhen and teaches piano to orphans.
Watch as the president's half brother instructs kids on the piano
He said that he struggled with the name Obama for years, telling few about his family.
But he said something happened to change that after he watched Obama's victory celebration in Chicago, Illinois' Grant Park following the 2008 election. His own despair turned into hope, he said.
"I saw millions of people who loved or supported my brother Barack, and in the process, in some weird way, I came to terms with many things that I had shut out of my life, including the Obama name," he said.
In his book, "Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," Obama writes that he grew up in Hawaii, raised by his mother and her parents, after his father, Barack Obama Sr., returned to Africa. He recalls a monthlong visit with his father when he was 10 and going to Kenya after the elder Obama's death. In the book, Obama acknowledges his father was an alcoholic.
There was no immediate reaction from the White House to Ndesandjo's comments.
Ndesandjo said he has met with Obama infrequently over the years but said he would like to introduce his half brother to his Chinese wife when Obama makes his first official visit to China this month.
Presidential brothers, such as Billy Carter and Roger Clinton Jr., historically have not had an easy ride. However, Ndesandjo said he wants to live his life and tell his own story, not have others tell it for him.
CNN's John Vause contributed to this report.
|
f25f743eef1d4fc9b59a19f2e07e7d11
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Who is Obama's half brother?
|
[
"Ndesandjo"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Search teams have found the flight data recorder from the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed off the Comoros Islands in June, killing 152 people, the chief investigator said Friday.
Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands in July.
An operation to retrieve the recorder has begun, said a statement from investigator Ali Abdou Mohamed.
The Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean, carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members. It originated in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and went down just miles from Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Islands.
One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived.
The recorder could contain information to help determine what caused the crash.
The plane had tried to land at the airport in Moroni, then made a U-turn before it crashed, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident.
A French official said that country had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007, but Yemenia Airways was not on the European Union's list of banned airlines.
Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens, 54 Comorians, one Palestinian and one Canadian, according to Yemeni and French officials. The crew was made up of six Yemenis, two Moroccans, one Ethiopian, one Filipino and one Indonesian.
The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar.
|
3ddd915e3f404392a00749eeae2dea43
|
Who was the only survivor?
|
[
"One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived."
] |
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(CNN) -- Premier League big-spenders Manchester City are set to fine record signing Robinho for his training ground walk-out in Tenerife last week.
Manchester City have confirmed Robinho will be fined following his Tenerife walk-out last week.
The 25-year-old striker made an unscheduled departure, flying home to Brazil without telling City manager Mark Hughes that he had to attend to some "urgent family business".
It was expected that Hughes would fine the £32.5 million ($46m) striker approximately two weeks wages, which would be touching £200,000 ($283.5m), but there have also been suggestions that the City manager would not impose a punishment at all.
However, Hughes has denied that allegation, confirming that Robinho will be punished.
"I've had a talk with Robinho," Hughes told the UK's Press Association. "I have read some of the things that have been said this morning but nothing could be further from the truth.
"I have told Robby about the situation and our intention is to fine him. But there is a disciplinary procedure that has to be gone through and that is what we are doing at the moment. But what I would like to say is that he will be treated no differently to any other member of the squad."
Robinho returned to Manchester from South America at the weekend and trained yesterday. It is expected he will line-up alongside new arrivals Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong when City entertain Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.
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f860db0885774f6ca5f2760a946b69c7
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What was Robinho's punishment going to be?
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[
"fine"
] |
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|
LONDON, England (CNN) -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell.
The YouTube video of Susan Boyle's performance has had more than 5 million hits.
Susan Boyle, from West Lothian in Scotland, appeared on the television show "Britain's Got Talent" last weekend with an inauspicious start.
Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair, Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath. She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single, she lived with her cat, Pebbles, and she had never been kissed.
"I'm trying to be a professional singer," Boyle asserted, as the audience laughed. "I'm going to make that audience rock."
When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige, who's been called the "first lady of British musical theater," some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes.
But after Boyle sang the first few notes of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables," the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause, and two of the three judges' jaws dropped.
The applause lasted the length of her performance, which ended with the crowd on its feet.
Cowell, who also serves as a judge on "American Idol" and who's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent, said Boyle's performance was fantastic.
"I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary," he proclaimed.
His fellow judge, Piers Morgan, said it was "the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show."
"When you stood there, with that cheeky grin, and said, 'I want to be like Elaine Paige' everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning. An incredible performance," Morgan said, adding he was reeling from shock.
Amanda Holden, the third judge, had tears in her eyes and described Boyle's singing as "a privilege to hear."
A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits, and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story.
Boyle said after the show that she felt "bloody fantastic."
Each of the three judges voted "yes" to Boyle's return to the actual competition round of the show. The performance this weekend came during the auditions.
|
cedc10b5f61240d8aeb682a9fea8ccff
|
Who is on you tube?
|
[
"Susan Boyle,"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- A "faulty" flight instrument contributed to the crash of a Turkish plane last month in the Netherlands, an accident that killed nine people and injured more than 60 others, Dutch safety authorities said on Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines workers carry the coffins of four staff who died in the crash.
On February 25, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 from Istanbul to Amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at Schiphol Airport, shattering into three pieces in a muddy field.
Pieter van Vollenhoven, head of the Dutch Safety Board, said the instrument was one of the plane's two altimeters, which measure altitude.
Because of the "faulty" left altimeter, the plane on automatic pilot reacted as if it were lower than it was and started to behave as if it was touching down.
The plane was at 700 meters but the instrument indicated that it was at ground level. This caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down, leading to a loss of speed.
The plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed. Van Vollenhoven said there had been misty weather and if it were clearer then the pilots might have noticed how far up they were.
He said that if such instruments don't function, automatic pilots should not be used for landings. Investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights but the pilots were able to land.
Van Vollenhoven said that the pilots realized the problem but failed to appreciate what had been happening until it was too late.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash investigators said the plane fell almost vertically to the ground indicating the aircraft did not have enough forward speed.
The plane crash less than 500 yards short of the runway.
Passengers described feeling the plane suddenly drop before impact, and at least one passenger said he heard the pilot trying to give more power to the engines before it went down.
Four of the crew and three Boeing employees were among the nine people killed in the crash.
Turkey's flagship airline is well-rated internationally for its overall safety record and the Boeing 737-800 has a good safety record.
The last previous fatal incident at the Amsterdam airport happened in April 1994 when a KLM aircraft crashed as it tried to return to Schiphol shortly after takeoff.
|
62f9fb29c59e44b991c16bd1c559058b
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Which Turkish Airlines flight crashed at Schiphol Airport?
|
[
"1951"
] |
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|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In a dramatic reversal, the Florida state attorney's office announced Monday it will seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony, the 23-year-old woman charged in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.
Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of her daughter Caylee, 2, Trial is set for October.
The state had previously said it would not ask for the death sentence for Anthony.
The development could have a major impact on how the case plays out at trial, including whether defense attorney Jose Baez can stay on the case.
Baez has not been certified by the court to defend capital punishment cases.
Prosecutors announced their change in strategy in a letter of intent. Read the letter of intent (pdf)
Meanwhile, Anthony's defense filed a motion on Friday with Orange County Circuit Court, seeking more phone records from a dozen people involved in the case. The motion asks for any and all records for "phone calls, text messages, P2P communications, Internet usage, WAP usage, and cell tower pings."
The defense wants records from the defendant's parents, George and Cindy Anthony; her former fiancé, Jesse Grund; her brother, Lee Anthony; a friend, Amy Huizenga; and Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found Caylee's remains in December of last year.
Kronk had called authorities as early as last August to report he had seen a suspicious bag in the area.
Other names on the list include several former boyfriends, two private investigators, a volunteer searcher and Richard Cain, an Orange County Sheriff's deputy.
Cain was fired after an internal investigation found he failed to respond to repeated calls from Kronk about the suspicious bag. Cain has refused to leave the job and is awaiting an appeal.
"Various cell phone service providers are in possession of certain items which are material to the preparation of the defense in this cause,'' the motion says, adding, ''the items sought by this application cannot be obtained through normal discovery."
The motion says the release of these records could lead to admissible evidence in Anthony's trial, which is set to begin in October. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder of Caylee, whose remains were found in woods near her grandparents' home in Orlando.
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326590b709484f18918e622efe8ddfdc
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What does the motion ask?
|
[
"seeking more phone records from a dozen people involved in the case."
] |
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- If you're interested in actor Marlee Matlin, you'll want two questions answered before deciding whether to read her memoir, "I'll Scream Later":
Actress Marlee Matlin appears on CNN's "Larry King Live" to talk about her sexual abuse.
1. What does she say about her relationship with William Hurt, her former lover and costar in "Children of a Lesser God," for which Matlin won a Golden Globe and an Oscar in 1987?
2. Why does she want to scream?
The answer to the first is easy: Yes, yes, good Lord, yes, Matlin can't stop talking about Hurt and their passionate, turbulent, at times violent relationship.
For instance, "We made amazing, mind-blowing love. And we fought." Good to know. And also, "No matter what triggered our fights, they were made far worse by his drinking and my drug use."
Got it. Mr. Hurt no doubt sends his regards.
The answer to the second is more complicated -- something to do with Matlin's being deaf in a hearing world, and being headstrong and wild, and receiving news of her Oscar nomination while dealing with drug addiction (at the age of 21) at the Betty Ford Center.
This memoir, dutifully wrestled into order by L.A. Times film critic Betsy Sharkey, is more ramble than holler, but Matlin clearly enjoys making some noise.
EW Grade: C+
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
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4b314aafde034ab580aaea2dd120278b
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What grade did the book get?
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[
"C+"
] |
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(CNN) -- Pennsylvania police have arrested a woman who authorities say fled Washington state 11 years ago with her two sons against a court order instructing her to return them to their father, police said.
Jill Haugen was arrested at her home in Milton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, days after she had contacted police saying she didn't want to take care of her sons any longer, Milton Police Chief Craig Lutcher told CNN.
Police in Spokane, Washington, said a felony warrant for first-degree custodial interference was issued for her in 1998. The Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, district attorney's office said she has been charged with being a fugitive from justice and is awaiting an extradition hearing. It was not immediately clear if she had retained legal representation.
Police made two trips to her house after her Saturday phone call, Lutcher said, and the sons, now ages 15 and 16, were placed into foster care after the second visit, on Sunday.
A caseworker discovered through an Internet search that there was a warrant from Washington state for Haugen's arrest and told police, Lutcher said.
Police said Haugen had provided them with two different names on two different occasions.
Haugen, who was known as Jill Connington when she was married to Bill Connington, did not win primary custody of the couple's children in 1998 after the two had divorced, police in Spokane said.
"They were with her on a visitation and she never brought them back," Spokane police Lt. Dave McGovern said.
When she disappeared, according to police, the felony warrant for first-degree custodial interference was issued for her, police said.
Bill Connington told CNN that he was a "little overwhelmed with everything."
"I've had thoughts of possibly never seeing [his sons] again but never gave up hope I would," he said.
He said he was speaking with caseworkers about getting the teenagers to Washington.
As she was escorted by police, Haugen told media she was a domestic abuse survivor and that her two sons were sexual abuse survivors. It was not immediately clear against whom she was leveling the sexual abuse accusations.
"We've been in this state since 2000," she said. "We are legal residents."
McGovern said a sexual abuse allegation was filed in 1995 on behalf of the children, but authorities were not able to substantiate anything from it.
Asked about the abuse, Connington denied any wrongdoing and said he had offered during the custody hearings to do whatever he needed to prove his innocence.
CNN's Shirley Zilberstein contributed to this report.
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39cbb71323a245c4b94611f0f6c446d7
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Who was accussed of illegally leaving Washington?
|
[
"Jill Haugen"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 82nd birthday Saturday with a parade and military ceremony known as "Trooping the Color."
Britain's Queen Elizabeth attends the Derby Festival at Epson Downs horse race course on June 7.
The queen's birthday is actually April 21, but she officially celebrates it every year on a Saturday in June when good weather is more likely, according to Buckingham Palace.
During the ceremony, which is open to the public, the queen inspects the troops. They then march past the queen, who rides in a carriage back to the palace.
The Royal Air Force then conducts a colorful fly-past over Buckingham Palace while the queen and her family watch from the balcony.
The queen has attended Trooping the Color every year of her reign except for one -- 1955, when a national rail strike canceled the event, the palace says.
The ceremony gets its name from a tradition where colors of the battalion were carried, or "trooped," down the ranks so they could be seen and recognized by the soldiers, Buckingham Palace says.
|
300f581152864a04863bd2b1af44b6f4
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when's queen's birthday celebrated?
|
[
"every year on a Saturday in June"
] |
NewsQA
|
Editor's Note: The following story contains spoilers regarding the show "House." If you'd rather not know what happens, stop reading now.
Kal Penn, left, with Peter Jacobson on "House," is joining the Obama White House.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When Dr. Lawrence Kutner killed himself on the latest episode of "House: MD," it was the beginning of a new career for actor Kal Penn.
The demise of Penn's character cleared the way for the actor to move on to another "House," the White House.
Penn, 31, will be an associate director for the Obama administration's Office of Public Liaison.
"It seemed like something I would enjoy doing," Penn said. "I figured it was something to do."
He's not retiring from acting, just pursuing a longtime desire for public service that was rekindled when he campaigned for Barack Obama's election, Penn said.
Penn played a teen terrorist on Fox's "24" before joining the network's "House" two years ago. He's also known as Kumar Patel in the "Harold & Kumar" movie series.
The White House job likely ends his Kumar roles, he said. In fact, he will not consider any acting jobs until he leaves the Obama administration, he said.
Penn will take a big pay cut to work for the government, but he has committed to at least one or two years in the job, he said.
His focus will be as a liaison for the arts community and the Asian-American community, he said. He filled a similar role in the Obama presidential campaign, he said.
"We want to make sure that everyone's concerns are heard and they are familiar with the president's plans and proposals," he said.
Penn said he spoke briefly with Obama after the election about "trying to find the right fit" for him in the administration.
He said he has bittersweet emotions as he leaves Hollywood to search for an apartment in Washington next week.
The writers' decision to have Dr. Kutner commit suicide ensures Penn will not return to the show, although he said he leaves on good terms.
He felt "more than a little bit of shock and loss" to learn that his character would die in his final episode.
Even though he spoke no lines in the episode -- and only his legs are seen when his body is found -- he was on the set for the filming, he said.
CNN's KJ Matthews contributed to this story.
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b5d637599a18406bb435a6e5afa100ad
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What is Penn joining?
|
[
"the Obama White House."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An 11-year-old boy is facing adult charges in the shooting death of his father's pregnant girlfriend, authorities said Saturday.
Police say Kenzie Marie Houk's daughter found her shot to death in her bed on Friday.
Police say the boy shot Kenzie Marie Houk, who was eight months pregnant, once at point-blank range in her farmhouse in western Pennsylvania.
The boy, whose name was withheld by CNN because he is a juvenile, was charged with one count each of criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child in the death of Houk, 26, Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo told CNN.
Houk's 4-year-old daughter found her in her bed Friday, according to police. The child alerted landscapers working near the home, who then called authorities. Watch a community in shock »
"This is something that you wouldn't even think of in your worst nightmare, that you'd have to charge an 11-year-old with homicide," Bongivengo said, according to CNN affiliate WTAE. "It's heinous, the whole situation."
Under Pennsylvania law, anyone over the age of 10 accused of murder or homicide is charged as an adult. If convicted, the boy faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, Bongivengo said.
Authorities said the boy is the son of the victim's live-in boyfriend at the home in Wampum, about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
"At this point, we don't believe it's accidental," Bongivengo said.
The weapon was a youth model 20-gauge shotgun, designed for use by children, that belonged to the boy, according to investigators.
Bongivengo told reporters the household has no history of child abuse, but that an investigation is ongoing.
Calls to the boy's public defender, Dennis Elisco, went unanswered Saturday.
CNN's Chloe Melas and Kristin Hamill contributed to this report.
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4c8de7c19041418ca17a44b1698a1bbc
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Who did the child find shot to death?
|
[
"Kenzie Marie Houk,"
] |
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Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- For the first time in more than 40 years, dawn in Libya rose on Friday without the dictator and his shadow.
Libyans awoke to empty Friday streets, typical for the holy day of the Muslim week, and engaged in somber reflection about Moammar Gadhafi's life and death. That solemnity followed a wave of unbridled joy Thursday as people exulted over the news of Gadhafi's death and fired their guns in celebration.
After Friday prayers at the Salahaddin Mosque in Tripoli, worshippers said their imam had given thanks during his sermon for Gadhafi's downfall.
"Today is a special day at the mosque," said Sala Mersal after prayers. "Since 42 years, we cannot say anything. ... Nobody could say anything inside the mosque. Today it is free, and anybody can say anything they want."
A small crowd gathered outside the mosque, with bullet casings littering the streets, and chanted "God is great" and "One, two, three ... Libya is free!"
Amid the smiles and victory signs, Hisham Boaishi conceded that he did not approve of the "un-Islamic way" that Gadhafi was killed.
"We would have liked to take him to court and have his judgment," said Boaishi, 33, an information technology specialist who sported a long beard. "But not this way. We are Muslims; we don't support this way."
Not all residents of Tripoli welcomed Gadhafi's bloody death.
One young man, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from anti-Gadhafi forces, said he was "ashamed" at the way the former dictator died. He said his mother cried in front of the television Thursday night upon seeing images of the bleeding leader.
"He should have been taken to court," the man said.
"I'm not ashamed. I'm proud that we captured him ... no matter how many soldiers he hired," said Mohamed Saya, a member of the media committee for Libya's new governing National Transitional Council.
NTC officials insist shortly after his capture by rebel forces, the ousted leader was killed in a crossfire between pro- and anti-Gadhafi fighters.
With Gadhafi dead, Saya said Libya's de facto government was preparing to hold a "Liberation Day" celebration in the eastern city of Benghazi this weekend. Benghazi was the launching point of Libya's uprising in February.
In the meantime, some Libyans continued to hold their own smaller festivities.
On one Tripoli street, fighters and residents gathered beneath the tri-color banner of Libya's anti-Gadhafi flag next to a camel they planned to slaughter in honor of the dictator's death.
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2292bde57c824e4d9a94f9267c41e8ed
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where was the mosque?
|
[
"Tripoli,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Arsenal and Hull City were charged with failing to control their players by the English Football Association (FA) on Wednesday after their fiery Premier League match on December 19.
The match at the Emirates Stadium, won 3-0 by title-chasing Arsenal, became heated just before halftime when Arsenal's Samir Nasri clashed with Hull's Richard Garcia.
Stephen Hunt then had a confrontation with Nasri and a mass brawl ensued, with home goalkeeper Manuel Almunia running the length of the field to get involved.
Referee Steve Bennett had to battle to get things under control and then showed yellow cards to both Hunt and Nasri.
The clubs have until January 13 to launch any appeal.
In other Premier League news on Wednesday, Liverpool could give Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani his full debut for the crucial Boxing Day clash with Wolves.
Aquilani, a big summer signing from AS Roma, has yet to start a league game for Liverpool, having battled to recovery from an ankle injury.
Manager Rafael Benitez has been criticized for his reluctance to play Aquilani, but with the player recovering from a calf injury which kept him out of last weekend's match all the indicators are that he will take his place at Anfield.
Premier League champions Manchester United have been clearance to play Senegal striker Mame Biram Diouf after he was granted a work permit.
United signed Diouf from Molde in July before loaning him back to the Norwegian club.
He scored 16 goals in 29 games in Norway and with Senegal failing to qualify for the African Cup of Nations, United have pressed to get him the proper clearances.
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70a3c62a0e43438a958ca8d1676b21a7
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who will face an fa charge?
|
[
"Arsenal and Hull City"
] |
NewsQA
|
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- More than 100 people were killed and several dozen wounded when an overturned petrol tanker exploded in Kenya early Sunday, authorities said.
The blast is the second multi-fatality incident in the east African country in four days. A supermarket fire in Nairobi on Wednesday killed at least 27 people, with another 57 still missing.
The tanker explosion occurred near Molo, a small town in the Rift Valley Province -- about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the capital, a spokesman for the Kenyan police said.
The tanker overturned along a highway spilling gallons of gas which hundreds of residents rushed to scoop up, said Titus Mung'ou of the Kenyan Red Cross.
"People were lining up trying to get the fuel," he said. "They were siphoning off petrol for over an hour. Some people had drilled holes in the tanker and were charging a fee for the assembled crowd."
The vehicle exploded about an hour later, apparently after one of the residents lit a cigarette or started a fire at the crash site, Mung'ou said.
Four policemen, who were trying to control the crowd, were believed to be among the victims, Mung'ou said.
Another 117 people were wounded in the blast, police said. The figures are expected to rise, officials said.
The Red Cross sent more than 80 people to help with rescue efforts. Those who were seriously wounded were flown to a hospital in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, the death toll from last week's Nairobi supermarket fire rose to 27 on Sunday, the Red Cross said.
Rescue workers found the latest victims as they searched through the rubble of the scorched structure in downtown Nairobi.
The fire ignited Wednesday afternoon during a somewhat busy hour in the 24-hour Nakumatt supermarket.
Police launched a criminal investigation to look into allegations that security guards locked people into the burning building. Employees of the supermarket refused to comment on the allegations.
The fire angered Kenyans for what they perceived as a lack of disaster preparedness.
Emergency numbers failed to work and water ran out during attempts to put out the fire, said Mung'ou of the Kenyan Red Cross.
"There is the need to strengthen the capacity in handling fires," Mung'ou said.
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e79d82b7f2604cf9b2c3ffe962743969
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When did the explosion happen?
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[
"Sunday,"
] |
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(CNN) -- Rescue teams on Friday found the wreckage of a plane that crashed Thursday night in the mountains of Venezuela, but none of the 46 people aboard survived, a searcher said.
"The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverized," firefighter Jhonny Paz told Globovision, a privately owned Venezuelan television station. "There are no survivors."
There was no word on the cause of the crash.
Witnesses saw the Santa Barbara Airlines plane go down, according to Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's national director of civil protection.
Harsh weather and rough terrain in the Andes Mountains likely will make the job of emergency workers difficult, Rivero said on a state-run television station.
The plane went missing while flying from Merida to the international airport near Caracas, an official said.
The pilot did not check in with controllers 20 minutes into the flight, as scheduled, suggesting the plane encountered problems shortly after takeoff.
Nelson Marquez, chief of civil defense for Merida, said the plane was carrying 43 passengers and three crew members.
Media reports said the Santa Barbara Airlines plane was supposed to land about 7 p.m. local time Thursday. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Guillermo Arduino and Adrian Criscaut contributed to this report.
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8506762a77e54312ab0e14a5f6c01340
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what did the searcher say
|
[
"none of the 46 people aboard survived,"
] |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A habitually violent young man was convicted Wednesday of the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox, who had starred in the latest "Harry Potter" film.
The father, brother and mother of Rob Knox pose together after the death of the young actor.
Karl Bishop, 22, attacked Knox and four friends with two kitchen knives outside a bar in Sidcup, south east London, last May. He stabbed them 10 times in less than two minutes, the Old Bailey court in central London heard.
Knox, 18, had rushed out of the bar after he heard that Bishop had threatened his younger brother Jamie but he ended up being stabbed five times, once in a main artery. He died in hospital later that night.
Bystanders said Bishop's face was "screwed up in rage" as he lashed out with the two knives, the Press Association reported.
Days before the attack, the actor had finished filming on "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince," due for international release in July, in which he played the role of Marcus Belby. He was set to reprise the part in future "Harry Potter" films.
Knox's father Colin told mourners at his funeral, including co-star Rupert Grint, that his son had been "living the dream," PA said.
Prosecutor Brian Altman told the court that the young actor's promising life was ended by a "habitual knife carrier" who believed stabbing people was an "occupational hazard" and had previous convictions for knife crime.
Bishop is due to be sentenced on Thursday.
Knife crime in Britain is a political hot topic due to a spate of recent killings of mainly young people in major cities. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged tougher sentences for those caught carrying knives. He told the Daily Telegraph last month: "By carrying a knife you are not only endangering the lives of others, but you are more likely to be killed, or end up in jail.
"We need to change the way young people think about knives, we need families and communities working together ... to get this message across and help stamp out knife crime and get weapons off our streets."
|
d5ae48fce0d24e51ad5ece579650c8dc
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Who was convicted of murder?
|
[
"Karl Bishop,"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- When it comes to the sport of wrestling, longtime adversaries Iran and the United States are friendly enemies.
Andy Hrovat, right, seen wrestling Reineris Salas of Cuba, is among the U.S. wrestlers touring this winter.
A U.S. freestyle men's wrestling team will go to the Islamic republic -- where the sport is widely popular -- for a prestigious tournament in March.
Nine American wrestlers will take part in the Takhti Cup competition, scheduled for March 12-13, according to state Iranian media and USA Wrestling -- the national governing body for Olympics wrestling in the United States.
"In Iran, wrestling and soccer are the two major sports," said Gary Abbott, director of communications for USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "They know their wrestling as well as anyone in the world. They treat our athletes like kings."
Relations between the United States and Iran ended after Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held Americans hostage there for 444 days.
More recently, the two countries have been at odds over Iran's nuclear ambitions and have been sharply critical of each other's policies and actions in the Middle East.
But Abbott said there has been a history of U.S. and Iranian wrestling exchanges despite the politics. Both sides are always looking for opportunities to compete.
Abbott said Iran is one of the top wrestling powers in the world, along with countries such as the United States, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. Competing in a wrestling-crazy society like Iran is special to Americans, who look forward to getting on the mats before large crowds in sold-out arenas.
"For the common citizen, an American wrestler in Iran is like Michael Jordan going over there," Abbott said, referring to the world-famous American basketball legend.
USA Wrestling said the trip is one of several overseas events this winter for American wrestlers.
U.S. teams also will also be competing in Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Cuba, Bulgaria, Belarus, Turkey, Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia. The team going to Iran includes four men who have represented the United States in the Olympics.
|
d9eb0180fe0c444e8b1083d5a857dc49
|
what did the US officials say
|
[
"\"They know their wrestling as well as anyone in the world. They treat our athletes like kings.\""
] |
NewsQA
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan is postponing its presidential elections until August 20 due to security and logistical concerns, the country's election commission said Thursday.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's five-year term is coming to an end this year.
The balloting was originally scheduled for late May, but the independent election commission laid out several reasons for the delay.
Security is a factor, the commission said. It also cited a lack of trained staff, incomplete voter registration and the weather.
It is difficult to campaign or distribute ballots during the rough winter months in the rugged landscape.
The elections are a critical moment for Afghanistan as President Hamid Karzai's five-year term ends. He was elected in December 2004 in largely peaceful polling.
But since then, the Taliban militant movement has regrouped, international troop deaths have increased and there has been an increase in terror attacks, mostly in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has already registered 3 million voters and is holding voter drives to register more.
The United States will deploy additional troops in coming months to provide much-needed security in the run-up to the election.
The country expects to hold parliamentary elections in 2010.
Meanwhile on Wednesday coalition forces fighting in southern Afghanistan killed four militants, the U.S. military said.
Coalition soldiers were targeting a Taliban leader in the Zabul province when militants fired on them, according to a military statement. Soldiers returned fire, killing the four militants. Soldiers then searched their compound and confiscated several assault rifles.
This operation comes as the U.S. military is contemplating adding three brigades to the war effort in Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that the troop build up could happen by this summer.
CNN's Atia Abawi contributed to this report
|
7a672fdbb4434fb2b9022c4c139a02cc
|
How many registered voters are there?
|
[
"3 million"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- The chief financial officer of India's Satyam Computer Services Ltd. was arrested Saturday, the third person taken into custody in a scandal that began when the company's chairman admitted inflating profits with "fictitious" assets and non-existent cash.
Satyam founder B. Ramalinga Raju is shown Saturday being sent to prison in Hyderabad.
Vadlamani Srinivas will appear Sunday before a special court, said A. Sivanarayana, additional director general of police in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, told CNN.
Company founder B. Ramalinga Raju and his brother, Rama Raju, Satyam's managing director, were arrested Friday in connection with the scandal. In a letter written to investigators, B. Ramalinga Raju admitted that he and his brother were responsible for cooking the books at Satyam, according to CNN's sister network, CNN-IBN.
Satyam, India's fourth-largest software-services provider, serves almost 700 companies, including 185 Fortune 500 companies, and generates more than half its revenues from the United States. It employs some 53,000 people and operates in 65 countries.
B. Ramalinga Raju resigned Wednesday and confessed to padding company balance sheets. The practice began several years ago to close "a marginal gap" between actual operating profit and one reflected in the company's accounting books, he said, but continued for several years.
"It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten," B. Ramalinga Raju said in a letter to the company's board of directors.
He said no board member was aware of what he was doing and he did not profit from the inflated accounts.
The deception came to light after he tried to plug the hole by getting Satyam to buy his son's construction companies. The acquisition was "the last attempt to fill the fictitious assets with real ones," he wrote in his letter.
The deal would have cost Satyam $1.6 billion -- but the company's board vetoed it. Stocks fell following the botched deal. Soon afterward, B. Ramalinga Raju came clean, saying he was doing so "with deep regret, and tremendous burden that I am carrying on my conscience."
After his confession, stocks of the Hyderabad-based company fell more than 70 percent, causing India's major stock index, the BSE SENSEX, to fall 7.3 percent Wednesday. The BSE SENSEX on Thursday deleted Satyam Computer Services from its indices.
The company's interim chief executive officer said Thursday the company's immediate goal is to continue its operations uninterrupted.
CNN's Bharati Naik and Harmeet Singh contributed to this report.
|
e3f8ee772ef74894ae97a97d9daaeea3
|
What is balance sheet padding
|
[
"marginal gap\" between actual operating profit and one reflected in"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Investigators released photographs Wednesday showing a man wanted in the case of a slain woman and her missing 7-year-old daughter.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation released images taken by a security camera of 37-year-old Tonya Hobbs and her estranged husband, Lester Williams Hobbs, as they shopped for food just hours before Tonya Hobbs was killed.
Police have charged Lester Hobbs with murder in his estranged wife's death. They also have charged him with kidnapping Tonya Hobbs' daughter, Aja Daniell Johnson, the bureau said Wednesday.
"These new pictures show the suspect car that is now missing as well as what the suspect, Lester Hobbs, looks like and the clothes he may be wearing now," a bureau spokeswoman, Jessica Brown, said in a statement.
Investigators have asked anyone with information about Hobbs or Aja to call a new hotline number at 1-800-THE-LOST.
The images released Wednesday were taken about 5:15 p.m. Saturday at a store in Lawton, Oklahoma. Shortly after that, the couple and Aja apparently went to the home of Lester Hobbs' sister to eat, police said.
Hobbs was found dead in a parked RV the next day in Geronimo, Oklahoma. Her daughter has been missing since then.
"We've got to find that little girl," Special Agent Ray Homer of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said this week.
The girl has a medical condition that requires medication, police have said, though they declined to elaborate.
Lester Hobbs, 46, and Aja are presumed to be in Hobbs' car -- a white 1992 Toyota Paseo with an Oklahoma tag number 577-BPW, police said.
Police have searched for them in Oklahoma and Texas.
Lester and Tonya Hobbs were separated, but apparently Tonya Hobbs was visiting her estranged husband in an attempt to reconcile, Richard Goss, agent in charge of the state bureau of investigation's Lawton, Oklahoma, office, told reporters this week.
Lester Hobbs is not Aja's biological father, police said. He has an extensive criminal history, Goss said, without elaborating.
Aja's biological father was awarded emergency custody of her in November, according to Oklahoma County District Court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KWTV of Oklahoma City.
At a hearing, Tonya Hobbs -- identified as Tonya Dunkin in the documents -- and the girl's father, John Johnson, agreed that she would have supervised visitation with Aja and keep the girl away from Lester Hobbs, the documents said.
|
d8d35db6e153462dab10890691065730
|
who are on store security photo before her death?
|
[
"Tonya Hobbs"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Pitcher Derek Holland restricted St. Louis Cardinals to just two hits in eight and a third innings to help Texas Rangers record a 4-0 win Sunday night to level the World Series at 2-2.
The Cardinals had hit 16 runs in a comprehensive victory in game three on Saturday, with Dominican Albert Pujols smashing three home runs, but Holland was instrumental as the Rangers scored a shut-out success.
"Our pitcher was in complete control of the game," Rangers designated hitter Michael Young told Major League Baseball's (MLB) official website. "That was the story of the game.
"Every game in the postseason is huge -- every game is massive, and rightfully so -- but Derek pitched a great game tonight."
Young's view was echoed by the Cardinals' designated hitter, Lance Berkman, who conceded Holland had been the difference between the two teams.
"He was on," said Berkman, 35. "The story of the game, for me, is Derek Holland was better than the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. He just was. He was great."
The Rangers' manager Ron Washington was full of praise for the left-hander, saying the 25-year-old showed his game-winning quality.
"We needed him to go out there and pitch well and he did," Washington said. "He showed the world what he's capable of doing."
The Rangers' first run came at the bottom of the first, with Elvis Andrus running in from first base to score off the batting of Josh Hamilton.
The game's deciding moment came at the bottom of the sixth, when Mike Napoli went deep off pitcher Mitchell Boggs to score three for Texas and cement their winning lead.
The Rangers are searching for the first World Series triumph with Game Five in the best-of-seven series Monday night in Texas.
Game Six is at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium Wednesday.
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669e2ca7c8f3479e8451a8a61b316bd9
|
What was texas rangers record?
|
[
"a 4-0 win"
] |
NewsQA
|
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A sixth U.S. service member died Friday from injuries sustained when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northeastern Italy on Thursday, the U.S. military in Europe said.
The helicopter, carrying 11 U.S. military personnel, crashed Thursday afternoon about 22 miles from Aviano, Italy. Four people were killed and seven were injured in the crash, and two of the injured later died, the U.S. military said.
Treviso fire officials said one of the dead was a woman, and said no one on the ground was hurt.
The U.S. military said the helicopter was an Army H-60 Black Hawk attached to the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment.
The military was not releasing the names of those killed, pending notification of the victims' families.
Police and fire officials said the craft crashed in an open area near the Piave River north of Treviso, between the towns of Maserata Sul Piave and Santa Lucia Di Piave. Watch scenes of the crash site in northern Italy »
The helicopter appeared crumpled and charred in photos from the crash.
Italy's ANSA news agency said the helicopter crashed near the bridge of a major highway and the road was closed as a precaution.
ANSA said the helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air Base, but fire authorities could not confirm whether it was leaving or returning to the base.
The Black Hawk is considered the workhorse of the military's helicopter fleet. It is used in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry troops and equipment.
The military has employed Black Hawks for about three decades. The helicopter's first combat mission was about 25 years ago. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Hada Messia and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
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0abf728e3c14444bb0d244c6fc5815ae
|
Where did the helicopter leave from?
|
[
"Aviano Air Base,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Yemen told outside powers Wednesday to stay out of its battle with a Shiite rebel group in its northwest amid concerns that Iran and Saudi Arabia are being drawn into the conflict.
The statement, carried by the state news agency Saba and attributed to a Foreign Ministry source, followed a statement of concern for Yemen's "national unity and territorial integrity" by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday.
"We welcome what Mottaki affirmed about Iran's position towards Yemen's unity and stability, and Yemen reaffirms that it definitely rejects the interference in its internal affairs by any party," the statement said. It said Yemen's battle with the Houthi, a Shiite Muslim rebel movement, is "an internal Yemeni affair, and Yemen can solve its issues without any interference from others."
Battles between Yemeni government forces and rebels have raged intermittently for five years, and government troops launched a new offensive in late summer. Saudi Arabia, Yemen's northern neighbor, turned its air force against suspected Houthi rebels last week after it said the rebels had crossed into Saudi territory.
The Houthi claimed that the airstrikes occurred within Yemeni territory, a claim both the Saudi and Yemeni governments denied.
The persistent fighting has raised concerns that Yemen -- where U.S. officials say al Qaeda is attempting to establish a new foothold in the region -- could be the stage for a proxy struggle between Shiite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-led Saudi monarchy. Yemen says the conflict is about reasserting government authority and is not a sectarian war.
Yemen has accused Iran of supporting the rebels. A Yemeni government official told CNN on Tuesday that Yemen's navy was "on the highest state of alert" after an Iranian boat was captured near Yemeni and Saudi territorial waters last week.
In Washington, however, a senior State Department official told CNN that although the U.S. government is concerned about the Yemeni conflict it does not see any sign of an Iranian hand in the Houthi revolt.
The State Department has been in touch with the Yemenis and Saudis about the need to reduce tensions but is yet to be convinced that Iran is involved in Yemen, the official said.
The United Nations has expressed alarm over the fighting and said there has been a "significant increase" in the number of people displaced in recent weeks. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates as many as 175,000 people have been affected by the conflict since 2004, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom and Elise Labott contributed to this report.
|
b07f597095fc4a59a16701380c86f254
|
Who has launched airstrikes against rebels?
|
[
"Saudi Arabia,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Israel's Shahar Peer continued her superb run at the Dubai Open by beating Li Na of China to reach the semifinals of the WTA Tier One tournament on Thursday.
Peer progressed to a match-up with Venus Williams as Li, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, retired with a back injury when trailing 5-7 0-3.
Peer, who was refused entry to the United Arab Emirates for last year's tournament, is posing a security problem for organizers, who have scheduled her matches on an outside court with restricted access.
With tensions high after last month's assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai, placing Peer on the 5,000 capacity Center Court for her last four clash is a step they may be unwilling to take.
Peer, who has been in fine form in 2010, beat top seed Caroline Wozniacki to reach the quarterfinals and said after the match that despite the controversies in the past she was receiving a good reception.
"I get really amazing treatment here and they are so nice to me, all the people around me that are taking care of me," she told the official WTA Tour Web site.
Against world number 10 Li, she was always on top as she headed for her fourth straight win in the tournament and her first over the highly-rated Chinese player.
Defending champion Venus Williams showed her liking for the venue with a straight sets 6-3 6-4 win over promising young Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in their quarterfinal later on Thursday.
In other quarterfinal action, seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland saw off Russian qualifier Regina Kulikova in three hard-fought sets, 3-6 6-4 6-3.
She will play fourth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belaus who brushed aside Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-3 to reach the last four.
|
cd1963727060472fa49a11ee6c2c3a73
|
Who reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championship?
|
[
"Shahar Peer"
] |
NewsQA
|
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Monday night's broadcast.
CNN's Campbell Brown says nonemergency legislation needs time to be read by the public and Congress.
(CNN) -- Whether by omission or commission, both the White House and Congress get a dose of blame for not living up to the new era of transparency promised by President Obama.
The president's old campaign Web site still has this commitment there for all to see:
"As president, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days."
Well, the president broke that promise barely a week after taking office when he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Bill dealing with equal pay for men and women.
A good bill, and certainly one that could have survived a five-day comment period. So, maybe the White House folks just forgot?
But then there is Congress and the Stimulus Bill. How fast could you get through it?
According to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation, lawmakers had just 13 hours to read 1,100 pages of material that would cost the American taxpayer $787 billion.
That's less than a minute and a half per page, with no time for bathroom breaks. No wonder so many of our lawmakers didn't seem to notice that last-minute exemption clearing the way for bailed-out companies like AIG to pay out big bonuses.
So, the House tried to clean up the mess last week by rushing through another bill -- a tax on AIG bonuses. That bill was just 11 hours old before it went on the floor to be argued and then quickly approved.
And the list goes on well before the president took office.
The bank bailout got all of 29 hours, the rescue of Fannie and Freddie was only available for 19 hours. This is how bills could literally become, to borrow a phrase, too big to fail -- and too fast to stop.
The Sunlight Foundation is calling on Congress to allow the American people three days, 72 hours, to read a nonemergency bill online before debate begins. We strongly agree.
And yes lawmakers, you can have three days to read it over, too, before taking a stand. As for President Obama's promise of a five-day public review once a bill leaves Capitol Hill headed for his desk, it would be nice if he kept his word on this going forward.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.
|
107684e4440840298f03006773469084
|
Legislation for what?
|
[
"equal pay"
] |
NewsQA
|
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.
|
d36359d5d3ee40639311c67968baed78
|
in whta way did he film Andrews ?
|
[
"through hotel peepholes"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The Wiggles have been officially wiggling for 17 years now, entertaining children with music, television, videos and films that have become modern classics.
The Wiggles have been entertaining children with colorful, clean-cut songs since 1991.
In Australia, their annual end of year national tour sells over 120,000 tickets, while their U.S. fans include John Travolta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, John Fogarty, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Rock, Courtney Cox-Arquette and Cate Blanchett.
And since 2003, in addition to their native English, they also wiggle in Mandarin and Spanish, reaching out to the Taiwanese and Latin American public, respectively.
Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page met at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where they were studying early childhood education and writing children's songs.
Together with fellow musician Jeff Fatt, who played with Anthony in the popular 1980s band The Cockroaches, they formed The Wiggles and released a self-titled album on ABC Music in 1991.
Fifteen years and 27 DVD releases later, they had been awarded with 17 Gold, 12 Platinum, 3 Double Platinum and 10 Multi Platinum Awards for sales of over 17 million DVDs and 4 million CDs worldwide. They have also been awarded with Highest Selling Children's Video Sales in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999 at the ADSDA Awards.
The Wiggles made their U.S. debut at the famous Wall Mart in June 1999, while performing in shopping mall parking lots. In 2003 they performed 12 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City and performed to over 250,000 people in November 2005.
That year also initiated a series of amusement-park openings, from Wiggles World at Dream World on the Gold Coast of Australia, to a second Wiggly Play Centre to be launched in Dallas, Texas, USA.
|
653bc8730fce497b83464707dd3c985c
|
What did they entertain children with?
|
[
"television, videos and films"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has revealed he is set to miss the entire Major League Soccer (MLS) season with the Achilles injury that ended his 2010 World Cup dream.
The former England captain has said he will not be able to start running on his ankle for another three months, and is now targeting a November return.
"I won't be running for another three months so I won't be playing again until probably November," Beckham told American broadcaster ABC.
With the U.S. season set to reach its conclusion on November 21, it looks unlikely that the 34-year-old will feature for the Galaxy this term.
While Beckham accepts his injury needs time to heal, he admitted there is a temptation to push along his recovery.
"This is an injury that's going to take time to heal," he said to MLSsoccer.com.
"I started therapy 10 days ago and I'm just doing that everyday. I kind of want to push it, but with this kind of injury you can't. You just have to wait for it to heal and move on."
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star also spoke of his frustration at having to wear a protective boot, or use crutches, at all times.
"If I haven't got the boot on, which I didn't today for a few interviews, I have to use crutches," said Beckham.
"It's either one or the other at the moment, which is a pain. It's not easy moving around but I have to protect it."
Beckham sustained the injury last month while playing on loan for Italian giants AC Milan, shattering his hopes of playing in a fourth consecutive World Cup finals for England.
It led to speculation that the former Manchester United star would retire, but he clearly remains determined to return to action after having surgery on the injury.
|
9dfb593e6e024467a78fd03aa47df78d
|
Who suffered an Achilles tendon injury ?
|
[
"David Beckham"
] |
NewsQA
|
For a city of its size, Copenhagen has a remarkable range of shops that ooze class and individuality.
The Georg Jensen store has some exquisite silver jewelry.
The city's main shopping hub is Strøget, a collection of pedestrianized streets that lead from Rådhuspladsen to Kongens Nytorv; you can easily spend hours, and a small fortune, browsing its boutiques and chain stores.
Don't miss Illums Bolighus (Amagertorv 10), with its four floors of contemporary Scandinavian design. Once you've got a taste for stylish home accessories, make your way to Normann Copenhagen (Strandboulevarden 98) or Hay Cph (Pilestraede 29-31) for a masterclass in simplicity and elegance.
When you've finished kitting out the house you might want to work on your wardrobe. Kronprinsensgade is full of hip boutiques, among them Bruuns Bazaar (Kronprinsensgade 8-9), with its collection from the ever-so-trendy, and suitably pricey, Bruuns label. Nearby, Designers Remix (Pilestraede 8) offers sophisticated styles for women, while Könrøg (Hyskenstræde 11) has cutting-edge fashions from a collective of Danish designers.
For something more traditional, but no less beautiful, head to the Georg Jensen store in Amagertorv, for silverware that ranges from intricate jewelry to timeless tableware. If that's not exclusive enough for you, Peter Hertz in Købmagergade is jeweler to Danish royalty.
Pick up something for the kids at Aniel (Frederiksberg Allé 70), which has too-cute baby grows, children's clothes and wooden toys made from organic and natural materials. Frydendahl (Store Regnegade 1) has some unusual hand-knitted toys among the selection of homeware strewn along the pavement outside.
If your eyes are bigger than your wallet, then you might be interested in the flea market held on Saturdays in Israels Plads, where high-street stores are said to unload the goodies they can't sell in their shops. If it's raining you might prefer Det Blå Pakhus (113 Holmbladsgade), the city's biggest indoor flea market and a treasure trove of bargains begging to be hunted.
......................
Copenhagen city guide:
Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop
......................
Do you agree with our Copenhagen picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.
|
0fb4a79570b64549a98df45de4ff76bd
|
How many floors does the Illums Bolighus have?
|
[
"four"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Wimbledon organizers have increased prize money for the men's and women's champions to £1 million ($1.53 million).
The All England Club has sanctioned the £150,000 rise to offset the effects of the falling value of the British pound against the US dollar and euro.
The total prize money for the event will be £13.725 million, an increase of £1.175 million on 2009.
The All England Club agreed to pay women the same prize money as men for the first time in 2007. The £1 million prize for the 2010 ladies singles' champion is more than double that of eight years ago.
"Wimbledon exists in a highly competitive global marketplace and it is the world's best players who create and drive the interest," said All England Club chairman Tim Phillips in a statement on the tournament Web site.
"It is important that we offer a level of prize money which is both appropriate to the prestige of the event and which gives the players full and fair reward."
Phillips also announced that this year's tournament, which runs from June 21 to July 4, will be a "World Cup-free zone", with football fans denied the chance to watch matches on the big screens at the All England Club.
"This is arguably the leading tennis tournament in the world and people come here to watch tennis," Phillips added.
"If people want to watch the World Cup they should go to South Africa or watch it on the TV."
Meanwhile, world number three Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Barcelona Open in order to rest an ongoing knee problem.
Nadal, who won the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, had been expected to attempt to win his sixth title in a row at him home tournament.
"I am really sorry not to be able to play in Barcelona, more than any other tournament, but this year after the win in Monte Carlo my body is asking me to rest," Nadal told his official Web site.
|
242eef901f334a48ad4dd33b176b34e8
|
Who pulled out of Barcelona Open?
|
[
"Rafael Nadal"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- United States accident investigators are probing two recent failures of airspeed and altitude indications aboard Airbus A330s -- the same type of plane that crashed into the Atlantic nearly a month ago.
Investigators are looking into incidents aboard two other Airbus A330s.
The planes landed safely and there were no injuries or damage, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. One flight was between the United States and Brazil in May and the other between Hong Kong and Japan in June.
The probes were launched in the aftermath of the June 1 crash in the Atlantic Ocean -- when Air France Flight 447 was flying to Paris, France, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All 228 people on board the plane, an A330, were killed.
Investigators are looking at the possible role of airspeed sensors known as pitot tubes, among other factors, as a possible cause of the Flight 447 crash.
That flight sent 24 automated error messages in the four minutes before it crashed, the head of the French accident investigation board, Paul-Louis Arslanian, has said. The error messages all indicate there were problems with on-board information about the plane's speed, which can cause some of the plane's instruments to stop functioning, Arslanian said.
Search teams are looking for the bulk of the plane's wreckage and for its flight data recorders.
The first of the two incidents being investigated by the NTSB happened May 21, when a TAM Airlines flight from Miami, Florida, to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in flight, the NTSB said.
"Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in indicated outside air temperature, followed by the loss of the Air Data Reference System and disconnections of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information," the NTSB said.
The flight crew used backup instruments and the primary data was restored in about five minutes, the NTSB said.
Another "possibly similar" incident happened June 23 on a Northwest Airlines flight between Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan, the NTSB said.
Investigators from the NTSB are gathering data recorder information, monitoring system messages, crew statements and weather information, the NTSB said.
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4015a3f1cfac4db0b77c457946e2b553
|
Did the other two planes land?
|
[
"landed safely"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A rumored rift between Iran's two most powerful leaders surfaced Sunday when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei overruled President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's acceptance of the resignation of the country's intelligence minister.
The Fars semiofficial state news agency reported that Ahmadinejad had accepted the resignation of Heydar Moslehi as the intelligence minister, who oversees the crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran. A later Fars report said Moslehi was reinstated by Khamenei "because the supreme leader opposed his removal from his post."
"Following the reports in news websites belonging to the government that said Moslehi's resignation had been accepted by the president, he will remain in his post because the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, opposed the resignation," according to Fars.
Under Iranian political tradition, the supreme leader appoints or approves the appointments of the ministers of intelligence, interior, defense and foreign affairs.
The first indications of a rift between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad came in 2009, when Khamenei forced the president to remove his first vice president, who also is the father of Ahmadinejad's daughter-in-law.
CNN's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this story.
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3c9dcddaa55d4065becf58426f1fc5ad
|
What is it about?
|
[
"Khamenei overruled President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's acceptance of the resignation of the country's intelligence minister."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Police in Houston, Texas, say they have busted a prostitution ring that may involve more than 1,500 clients, including professional athletes, doctors and lawyers.
Investigators were scouring computers files and credit card records on Monday, trying to verify a large client list that could ignite scandals throughout the city, CNN affiliate station KHOU reported.
Police arrested alleged ringleaders Deborah Turbiville and her husband, Charlie, as part of a two-year investigation, the affiliate reported.
Turbiville called herself the "Heidi Fleiss of Houston," referring to a woman who was dubbed the "Hollywood Madam" for providing call girls to famous and wealthy clients, police said.
Turbiville, who reportedly recruited prostitutes through the online site Craigslist, was in court Monday on a charge of promotion of prostitution.
Investigators said the women met their clients in upscale hotels and charged about $350 an hour, the affiliate reported.
Clients also met prostitutes in a luxurious three-bedroom apartment, police told the affiliate.
|
bbd5357cd05f45fca316f82b0c563939
|
Who is Heidi Fleiss?
|
[
"\"Heidi Fleiss of Houston,\" referring to a woman who was dubbed the \"Hollywood Madam\" for providing call girls to famous and wealthy clients, police said."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The election victory of Massachusetts Sen.-elect Scott Brown is expected to be certified Thursday, which could allow him to be sworn in as early as Thursday afternoon to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Brown's win stripped Democrats of their 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate and raised fears among many congressional Democrats about a potential GOP landslide in November's midterm elections.
Brian McNiff, spokesman for Massachusetts' secretary of state, said the final election returns from last month's special election were delivered to the governor's office Wednesday.
Brown had asked for immediate certification.
In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin, Brown's attorney says the Republican senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11, but he has been told that several Senate votes will be held before then.
"For this reason, he wants certification to occur immediately," attorney Daniel Winslow wrote.
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42c4c2b04df2411ab3b1dd8342902bd4
|
When will results be delivered?
|
[
"Thursday,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the "biggest prize ever" -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world's major religions.
The TV show offers converts to Islam the chance to visit Mecca.
The show, called "Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor," or "Penitents Compete," features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk.
If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians.
Ahmet Ozdemir, deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T, which will air the show from September, said the program aimed to "turn disbelievers on to God."
"People are free to believe anything they want. Our program does not have a say," he said, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
Contestants will be judged by a panel of eight theologians and religious experts prior to going on the show to make sure their lack of faith is genuine.
But the show has been condemned by Turkish religious leaders. The head of the country's supreme council of religious affairs, Hamza Aktan, told CNN Turk that it was "disrespectful" to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings.
"To do such a thing for the sake of ratings, not only with Islam but with all religions is disrespectful," said Aktan. "Religion should not be the subject of this type of program."
Although Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and culture, religion is a sensitive subject because of the country's staunchly secular constitution which outlaws most displays of faith in public life.
Last year the Islamist-influenced government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with the country's constitutional court when judges overturned the efforts of Erdogan's AK Party to lift a ban on female students wearing headscarves at public universities.
Aylin Yazan at CNN Turk contributed to this story.
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a6cfd94ce6204ef6bb0315ed4585234b
|
Religious leaders attempt to persuade who?
|
[
"10 atheists"
] |
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|
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Thousands of Christian Copts in Cairo protested outside the offices of the Egyptian state broadcaster, witnesses said on Friday.
It was the seventh day of protests over what they're calling the "marginalization and lack of representation" of their concerns in state media.
There have been longstanding tensions between Muslims and Copts in Egypt, and 13 Copts were killed in sectarian clashes last Tuesday.
That erupted after a family dispute between Christians and Muslims resulted in a church burning south of Cairo.
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132e2e2e5b6b45ee9a0ff6fb2df80dea
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Where did the protest occurre?
|
[
"Cairo"
] |
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|
(CNN) -- Yemen told outside powers Wednesday to stay out of its battle with a Shiite rebel group in its northwest amid concerns that Iran and Saudi Arabia are being drawn into the conflict.
The statement, carried by the state news agency Saba and attributed to a Foreign Ministry source, followed a statement of concern for Yemen's "national unity and territorial integrity" by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday.
"We welcome what Mottaki affirmed about Iran's position towards Yemen's unity and stability, and Yemen reaffirms that it definitely rejects the interference in its internal affairs by any party," the statement said. It said Yemen's battle with the Houthi, a Shiite Muslim rebel movement, is "an internal Yemeni affair, and Yemen can solve its issues without any interference from others."
Battles between Yemeni government forces and rebels have raged intermittently for five years, and government troops launched a new offensive in late summer. Saudi Arabia, Yemen's northern neighbor, turned its air force against suspected Houthi rebels last week after it said the rebels had crossed into Saudi territory.
The Houthi claimed that the airstrikes occurred within Yemeni territory, a claim both the Saudi and Yemeni governments denied.
The persistent fighting has raised concerns that Yemen -- where U.S. officials say al Qaeda is attempting to establish a new foothold in the region -- could be the stage for a proxy struggle between Shiite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-led Saudi monarchy. Yemen says the conflict is about reasserting government authority and is not a sectarian war.
Yemen has accused Iran of supporting the rebels. A Yemeni government official told CNN on Tuesday that Yemen's navy was "on the highest state of alert" after an Iranian boat was captured near Yemeni and Saudi territorial waters last week.
In Washington, however, a senior State Department official told CNN that although the U.S. government is concerned about the Yemeni conflict it does not see any sign of an Iranian hand in the Houthi revolt.
The State Department has been in touch with the Yemenis and Saudis about the need to reduce tensions but is yet to be convinced that Iran is involved in Yemen, the official said.
The United Nations has expressed alarm over the fighting and said there has been a "significant increase" in the number of people displaced in recent weeks. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates as many as 175,000 people have been affected by the conflict since 2004, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom and Elise Labott contributed to this report.
|
d19788923841419c824110921ed22bf9
|
Who has expressed concern for Yemen's territorial integrity?
|
[
"Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Microsoft may be a relative newcomer to in-store retailing, but it's getting the hang of this Black Friday thing.
The computing giant, with 14 retail stores across the U.S., is diving into the post-Thanksgiving shopping madness with a slew of substantial new discounts on laptops, phones, software, games and its Kinect gaming system for the Xbox 360 console.
The sale begins online Friday at 12:01 a.m. PT, when most Microsoft stores will open, and lasts through Monday. Some of the deals are just available in stores, while others are offered only at Microsoft's online store.
Among them:
-- Sony S137GX notebook: $599, normally $999 (online only)
-- Samsung RC512 laptop running Windows 7: $499, normally $799
-- Acer Iconia Dual-Screen Touchbook: $599, normally $999
-- Xbox Ultimate Gaming Bundle, which includes accessories, a game and a 90-day Xbox Live membership: up to $200 off
-- Kinect Sensor Holiday Bundle, which includes three games: $100, normally $150 (not available online)
-- A free Windows Phone with a two-year service agreement (the site doesn't specify the carrier)
-- Office Home and Student suite of software: $120, normally $150
Microsoft also is cutting prices -- in many cases by half -- on such recent popular Xbox games as "Assassin's Creed Revelations," "Battlefield 3" and "Madden 2012." See its Facebook page for an entire list.
These discounts are much deeper than those announced Wednesday by rival Apple, which is trimming prices on iPads, iPods and Macs by less than 10%.
|
61dd9c25995a478eb47996886a62bcad
|
Where are the discounts available?
|
[
"Microsoft stores"
] |
NewsQA
|
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three people were arrested Saturday after chaos broke out at an "America's Next Top Model" audition at a New York hotel, police said.
"American's Next Top Model" is hosted and produced by supermodel Tyra Banks.
Six people were injured, and two of them sought treatment at a hospital, authorities said.
Police said they didn't know what provoked the bedlam, which resulted in three people being charged with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot in connection to the incident at the Park Central New York hotel in Manhattan.
The audition was shut down after the incident, authorities said.
Calls to Park Central management were not immediately returned on Saturday.
The "Top Model" competition, hosted and produced by supermodel Tyra Banks and aired by the CW network, is in its 12th cycle.
|
434b8291213e4381827aa4c3f3784f24
|
Who is it hosted by?
|
[
"Tyra Banks."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer and defense contractor BAE announced Thursday an "amicable" end to their dispute.
Meyer filed a lawsuit in Texas in June claiming BAE, his former employer, had punished him for objecting to a weapons sale to Pakistan, and had prevented him from finding other work by portraying him as unstable and a problem drinker. The lawsuit against the company and his former supervisor has been dropped.
"BAE Systems OASYS and I have settled our differences amicably," Meyer said in a joint statement issued by the company, referring to the company by its full name. Meyer praised the defense firm's support for veterans and generosity to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
There were no details of any possible monetary settlement.
"During my time there I became concerned about the possible sale of advanced thermal scopes to Pakistan. I expressed my concerns directly and respectfully," Meyer said. "I am gratified to learn that BAE Systems OASYS did not ultimately sell and does not intend to sell advanced thermal scopes to Pakistan."
The company faced the difficult task of a potentially drawn-out legal battle against an American hero.
"We are pleased that we reached closure in this matter," the company said in its part of the joint statement. "BAE Systems has the highest respect for Sgt. Dakota Meyer, who exemplifies the qualities that make the men and women of our armed services the best in the world," the company said. "We owe him and the many thousands of others who have served and sacrificed for our country our deepest thanks."
According to the lawsuit, Meyer had objected to the sale of high-tech equipment to Pakistan, which he characterized as "giving to guys who are known to stab us in the back" and "the same people who are killing our guys."
Meyer was working on thermal optic equipment for snipers and detection of roadside bombs. In his lawsuit he claimed that on-the-job bullying and intimidation began after his criticism of potential sales to Pakistan.
President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Meyer, a former Marine Corps sergeant, in September. He was 21 and a corporal at the time of his heroic acts in Afghanistan in 2009.
"The story of what Dakota did next will be told for generations," Obama said, describing how Meyer returned again and again to the killing ground of a Taliban ambush, rescuing American and Afghan troops and retrieving the bodies of fallen comrades.
"You did your duty, above and beyond, and you kept the faith with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps that you love," the president said.
|
6fc38d59e4ae4538a141f9b031efa819
|
When did he get it?
|
[
"September."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A New Jersey teachers union is coming under fire after an internal memo included a veiled threat to Gov. Chris Christie.
The leaked memo, which was sent to union leaders in the New Jersey Education Association's Bergen County division, contains a closing paragraph written in the form of a prayer.
"Dear Lord," the letter reads. "This year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."
Bergen County Education Association President Joe Coppola said the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.
"It was inappropriate, it was in bad taste, and it was definitely in poor judgment," Coppola said.
But Christie is not taking the letter lightly and had some strong words for the teachers union.
"We can have honest disagreements about policy," the governor said at a news conference Friday. "But I am sure there are teachers all across New Jersey when they learn about this today who are going to be ashamed."
He added, "I wonder what the children of New Jersey will think when the leadership of the teachers union is praying for their governor to die."
The incident comes as Christie and the New Jersey Education Association are entrenched in a bitter struggle over funding for New Jersey's school system.
Seeking to address an $11 billion budget deficit, Christie, a Republican who was elected in November, has proposed severe cuts to the state's education system, with teachers being hit especially hard.
Barbara Keshishian, president of the New Jersey Education Association, issued an apology Friday condemning the letter.
"Language such as that has no place in civil discourse," she said. "Our ongoing discussion with Gov. Christie is centered on serious issues of significant importance to the state, and that must be the focus of all our conversation."
|
f9c52569cbca417fba7deb743fb74e4f
|
What does the union president acknowledge?
|
[
"the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke."
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- The peanut processing company at the heart of a national salmonella outbreak, Peanut Corp. of America, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in court Friday in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Peanut Corp. of America plants in Georgia and Texas came under scrutiny after the salmonella outbreak.
The documents were filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Virginia.
The bankruptcy papers were signed by Stewart Parnell, the president of Peanut Corp., who invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions this week in a congressional hearing.
Bacteria found in the company's Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant have been blamed for more than 600 cases of salmonella, including nine deaths. Watch how bankruptcy could affect case »
The Texas Health Department on Thursday ordered products from the company's plant in Plainview, Texas, to be recalled after discovering dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant. Watch what health inspectors found »
A call to the company's telephone number, which was working earlier this week, elicited a recording that said it was no longer in service.
"The long and the short of it is that we kicked the tires on reorganizing the company, and, frankly, they're just in a position now where they can't even conduct business," said Andrew S. Goldstein, a lawyer for the company. "They can't operate at all, and this just seemed like the inevitable course."
In a written statement, Consumers Union said Friday's declaration shows that Congress needs to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration and hike the penalties it can impose.
"It is unacceptable for corporations to put consumers' health at risk and then simply declare bankruptcy and go out of business when they get caught," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.
"PCA's declaration of bankruptcy will, among other things, shield it from liability suits filed by consumers who became sick or whose loved ones died as a result of eating PCA's peanut products," she said.
|
d9665ad886614d5c9e4c91c1823d68fc
|
What was blamed on cases of salmonella?
|
[
"Bacteria found in the company's Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Colombia and the United States signed an agreement Friday that allows U.S. personnel to be stationed at seven military bases in the South American nation.
The United States says it needs the bases to help in its fight against terrorists and narcotraffickers, especially since the closure a few months ago of a U.S. base in Ecuador. The United States maintains similar "forward operating locations" in El Salvador and Aruba-Curacao.
Colombia's agreement to host the Americans has come under harsh criticism in Latin America, particularly from President Hugo Chavez in neighboring Venezuela.
Chavez has likened the agreement to an act of war and accuses the United States of wanting to stage military personnel nearby to destabilize his leftist government.
The U.S. forward operating location in Aruba-Curacao is off the northern coast of Venezuela.
The United States linked Colombia's agreement to a trade pact the South American nation wants. Colombia also stands to gain from U.S. help in the nation's 45-year-old war against Marxist guerrillas known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly called FARC.
Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez, Defense Minister Gabriel Silva and Interior and Justice Minister Fabio Valencia Cossio were joined by U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield in signing the document Friday in Bogota, the nation's capital.
|
64a285f1f36349e29d2c47717f069e8b
|
who may be stationed
|
[
"U.S. personnel"
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday extended permission for hundreds of pilots to carry firearms -- just hours before their certification to carry the weapons was to expire, according to an organization which represents the pilots.
"A few hundred" Federal Flight Deck Officers -- or FFDOs -- were to lose their certification to carry firearms effective midnight on New Year's Eve, said Mike Karn, executive vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association.
The loss would have come at a time of heightened concern about air security because of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
But Karn said the DHS's Federal Air Marshal program notified him Thursday afternoon that the pilots' certification would be extended.
A Transportation Security Administration official confirmed that certifications had been extended for six months "in light of recent events." The official said that "due to an internal miscommunication, scheduled notifications to these officers were prematurely issued," but he offered no further explanation.
FFDOs are commercial pilots who volunteer to undergo training so they can carry weapons to protect their aircraft. They undergo initial training at federal law enforcement training academies and must re-qualify with firearms every six months, and undergo a two-day recurrent training every three to five years.
"I'm grateful [for the extension] because that will keep the most cost-effective last line of defense [of aircraft] in place," Karn said. "But I'm still concerned that such a limited budget has been approved for this program, and volunteers who want to protect the American public will be turned away."
Karn said the budget for the program has not increased since 2003, effectively capping the number of armed pilots.
The exact number of FFDOs is classified, but government officials have said in the past the number greatly exceeds the number of federal air marshals -- plain-clothed officers who fly in the cabin of the plane to protect aircraft.
Several FFDOs contacted by CNN said DHS has made getting recurrent training onerous for pilots, limiting the number and sizes of classes. Pilots also must pay for their own hotels and food during training -- "our own time and our own dime," said one pilot -- placing a further burden on them.
Had the loss of certification occurred, it would not have affected the pilots' flight clearance, only their ability to carry weapons.
|
5ee283cc4e20465482b099aba8b5e29e
|
What number of months was the extension given?
|
[
"six"
] |
NewsQA
|
Editor's Note: The following story contains spoilers regarding the show "House." If you'd rather not know what happens, stop reading now.
Kal Penn, left, with Peter Jacobson on "House," is joining the Obama White House.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When Dr. Lawrence Kutner killed himself on the latest episode of "House: MD," it was the beginning of a new career for actor Kal Penn.
The demise of Penn's character cleared the way for the actor to move on to another "House," the White House.
Penn, 31, will be an associate director for the Obama administration's Office of Public Liaison.
"It seemed like something I would enjoy doing," Penn said. "I figured it was something to do."
He's not retiring from acting, just pursuing a longtime desire for public service that was rekindled when he campaigned for Barack Obama's election, Penn said.
Penn played a teen terrorist on Fox's "24" before joining the network's "House" two years ago. He's also known as Kumar Patel in the "Harold & Kumar" movie series.
The White House job likely ends his Kumar roles, he said. In fact, he will not consider any acting jobs until he leaves the Obama administration, he said.
Penn will take a big pay cut to work for the government, but he has committed to at least one or two years in the job, he said.
His focus will be as a liaison for the arts community and the Asian-American community, he said. He filled a similar role in the Obama presidential campaign, he said.
"We want to make sure that everyone's concerns are heard and they are familiar with the president's plans and proposals," he said.
Penn said he spoke briefly with Obama after the election about "trying to find the right fit" for him in the administration.
He said he has bittersweet emotions as he leaves Hollywood to search for an apartment in Washington next week.
The writers' decision to have Dr. Kutner commit suicide ensures Penn will not return to the show, although he said he leaves on good terms.
He felt "more than a little bit of shock and loss" to learn that his character would die in his final episode.
Even though he spoke no lines in the episode -- and only his legs are seen when his body is found -- he was on the set for the filming, he said.
CNN's KJ Matthews contributed to this story.
|
cb825e992bb84d1b921f6e91a741cc21
|
Penn will become part of which Office?
|
[
"of Public Liaison."
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year, according to U.S. military officials.
Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, with its high mountain terrain.
The troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade, the latest approved by Gates for the expected build-up of U.S. troops in Afghanistan throughout next year.
Earlier this year, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, requested at least 20,000 additional troops be sent there to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country.
The officials could not say what units are being tapped to go because those units are now being told of their deployment and the announcement has not yet been made public.
The aviation brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region.
Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies around the country.
There are more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan, the NATO command confirmed.
The soldier died in an improvised explosive device strike, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
"Our sincere condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this brave soldier, especially during this holiday season," said ISAF spokesman Capt. Mark Windsor Royal Navy.
"This soldier's death is an irreplaceable loss to all of us who fight for the peace and stability of Afghanistan. ISAF will continue to fight for the cause for which this brave soldier gave his life."
Eighteen Dutch troops have died in the Afghan conflict, according to a CNN count of casualty figures.
|
b96ea28673fc467780a53fa27e7f9d24
|
what will be part troops?
|
[
"combat aviation brigade,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A wildfire continued its rampage through the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California on Monday, but the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were gaining ground.
The Sheep Fire in Southern California has burned thousands of acres and left this bus a charred ruin.
"Firefighters have made very good progress against the Sheep Fire. It's currently at approximately 7,500 acres with 20 percent containment," U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Robin Prince said Monday.
The fire, which was reported Saturday afternoon in the Lytle Creek area, quickly grew to 3,500 acres by early Sunday and forced about 4,000 people in the community of Wrightwood from their homes.
"People are going to have to hold off on getting back to their homes until we get a little better containment lines on the fire, but things are looking really good," according to Prince.
More than 1,200 firefighters were battling the blaze, and numerous firefighting aircraft have dropped water and retardant on the wildfire. Back fires have been set to protect homes at the eastern edge of Wrightwood, authorities said.
The weather was cooperating Monday, unlike over the weekend when a high-wind warning remained in effect and gusty winds helped fan the flames.
"There's very little smoke. There's a few flare ups here and there, but if the winds pick up, we could still have some problems. So that's why we're holding off on letting people go back into the mandatory evacuated area," said Prince.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County on Sunday so the state can mobilize agencies and equipment to help fight the fire.
|
c31e5e887cd04dae8ac6de0df2541774
|
What is the containment range?
|
[
"20 percent"
] |
NewsQA
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A drunk passenger who tried to set the curtains of a Boeing 767 on fire during a trans-Atlantic flight is in custody in Vienna, Austria, the Transportation Security Administration said Thursday.
A drunk Delta passenger was placed in custody after he tried to light curtains on fire during a flight.
There was no apparent connection to terrorism, officials said.
Zoltan Lensky, 25, a Slovakian citizen, was on Delta Flight 40 from Atlanta, Georgia, to Vienna Wednesday night when flight attendants refused his request for more liquor.
According to TSA spokesman Christopher White, Lensky slapped a flight attendant on the hand, moved forward in the cabin, pulled out a lighter and tried to ignite the curtains around the flight attendants' rest area.
A federal air marshal on the flight arrested Lensky and put him in handcuffs, White said. Lensky was handed over to authorities in Vienna when the flight landed.
It is policy for air marshals never to fly alone. According to White, the other air marshal, or marshals, on the Delta flight remained undercover in case Lensky was being used as a diversion. However, "he was nothing but an intoxicated passenger," said White.
|
5565d3342740440c9e9cb2af39cf8e56
|
What type of plane was it?
|
[
"Boeing 767"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed, and an unknown number remained missing Wednesday, after a boat authorities believe was used for human smuggling capsized off the coast of Florida.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida.
Almost all of the victims are believed to be from Haiti and the Bahamas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard -- which said a dangerous number of people was packed onto a small pleasure cruiser.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 26 people from the boat, and searchers didn't know how many more people had been on the boat.
"You don't put 26 people on a small boat. It was way overloaded, completely unsafe," said Capt. Jim Fitton, the Coast Guard's sector commander in Miami, Florida. "With smugglers, you have the potential for this because smugglers aren't interested in people's welfare. They're interested in making money."
The boat capsized about 15 miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida, some time around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. The agency was notified more than nine hours later by someone who saw the boat.
There were women and children on the boat, Fitton said. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, while most of the victims remained onboard a Coast Guard cutter that was being used in the continuing rescue efforts, he said.
Only eight of the people rescued by Wednesday afternoon were wearing life jackets.
The Rev. Luke Harrigan, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pastor to members of the Haitian community who is working with the Coast Guard, said he is contacting family members of the victims who were killed.
"Most of them now didn't even know they were coming to the United States," he said. "Sometimes the person organizing the trip doesn't even tell them where they are going."
He said it's not uncommon for smugglers to charge people from the impoverished island nation as much as $4,000 for passage into the United States.
Coast Guard rescuers were continuing to search the area of the crash Wednesday evening.
|
859e577cca524694beef6f1a6739d8aa
|
How many miles east of Boynton Beach, Florida did the boat capsize?
|
[
"about 15"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An Air Force nurse has been charged with murdering three terminally ill patients by giving them fatal overdoses, the Air Force said Tuesday.
Capt. Michael Fontana is continuing to work at Wildford Hall Medical Center.
Capt. Michael Fontana, a nurse at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, also was charged Monday with conduct unbecoming an officer for changing a medical document.
"The charges are the result of an Air Force investigation that occurred after irregularities were discovered in Capt. Fontana's administration of medications which may have resulted in the death of an end-of-life patient," hospital spokesman David Smith told reporters.
The nurse was charged with three counts of violating Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "It is considered murder," Smith said.
After an Article 32 hearing, akin to a civilian grand jury proceeding, the commander will decide whether the case goes to court-martial.
The three deaths occurred in July, Smith said. He cited the privacy act in refusing to divulge the suspect's age and hometown.
He said he did not know the motive but was confident no other patients were victimized.
"We know that there are no other patients involved in this case," he said.
Fontana, an intensive-care unit nurse who has been working at the hospital since 2006, the year he joined the Air Force, has been released on his own recognizance and is continuing to work at the hospital, though he is no longer involved in patient care, Smith said.
"As far as we can tell, he has been an exemplary nurse," Smith said.
Fontana also served as a nurse at the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq, Smith said. His work there was investigated, "and there was nothing found," he said.
A call to a San Antonio phone number listed as belonging to Michael Fontana got a message that said, "Thank you for calling. Due to the ongoing investigation, I have no comment for you right now, but I do appreciate your call and will talk to you soon."
Relatives of the dead patients have requested privacy, the Air Force said.
Wilford Hall Medical Center is the Air Force's largest medical facility.
|
be65b9435f954ac3a78d63e8881d3583
|
Where did he work?
|
[
"Wildford Hall Medical Center."
] |
NewsQA
|
Washington (CNN) -- Americans overwhelmingly believe that the government is broken, according to a national poll released Sunday.
But the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey also indicates that the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what's broken can be fixed.
Eighty-six percent of people questioned say that the system of government is broken, with 14 percent saying no.
iReport: What one government program would you eliminate?
Of the 86 percent, 81 percent say that the government can be fixed, but 5 percent say it's beyond repair.
The percentage of Americans who believe the government is broken has increased by eight points since 2006.
Full results (pdf)
"That increase is highest among higher-income Americans and people who live in rural areas," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "Maybe it's just a coincidence, but those are the groups that make up the bulk of the Tea Party activists today."
Poll shows demographics of Tea Party activists
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted February 12-15, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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05b8c2001b904b258e1906811bb6379d
|
Who say the problems can be fixed?
|
[
"the public"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Portugal will face Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place in Euro 2012 after the pair were drawn together in the playoffs to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Portugal, coached by former international midfielder Paulo Bento, qualifed for the 2010 World Cup finals courtesy of a playoff success against Safet Susic's Bosnia Herzegovina, and the Euro 2004 hosts and finalists will have to repeat the feat over two legs.
Portugal will have home advantage for the second leg on November 15, with the first leg set to take place on November 11 or 12.
Three other ties were drawn at the ceremony in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, with Croatia set to face Turkey in a repeat of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal.
Denmark seal Euro 2012 spot after beating Portugal
Turkey, now coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, claimed a penalty shootout victory when the two sides met in Vienna four years ago before losing to Germany in the semifinals.
Estonia will have to overcome Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland if they are to qualify for their first major soccer championship.
Ireland will be making their sixth appearance in a major tournament playoff, having missed out on last year's World Cup when a controversial William Gallas goal, after an apparent handball from Thierry Henry, condemned them to defeat against France.
The final playoff pits Euro 1996 runners-up Czech Republic against Montenegro, who are bidding to reach their first tournament since gaining independence in 2006.
There are 12 teams already assured of their place in the competition, with co-hosts Poland and Ukraine being joined by reigning world and European champions Spain and 1988 winners Netherlands.
The other eight teams who have already qualified are Germany, England, Italy, Russia, France, Greece, Denmark and Sweden.
The draw for the group stage of the four-yearly tournament will be made on December 2, ahead of the competition's first match on June 8 2012.
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d680eeca49714b799691e31b53b1c2ee
|
Where will Portugal face Bosnia Herzegovina?
|
[
"Poland and Ukraine"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A magnitude 6.7 earthquake rattled Papua New Guinea early Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was centered about 200 miles north-northeast of Port Moresby and had a depth of 28 miles.
No tsunami warning was issued, according to the Tsunami Warning Center.
Papua New Guinea is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
|
5694e9794c0f473da3b904354889c239
|
where the Ring of Fire is?
|
[
"Papua New Guinea"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Asian champions Al Sadd have qualified for the semifinals of the Club World Cup after beating African champions Esperance of Tunisia 2-1 in Toyota, Japan, in a match marred by crowd trouble.
Esperance fans repeatedly clashed with police and stewards, with one supporter also running onto the pitch before being dragged to the ground, after their side had two goals disallowed for offside, and penalty appeals rejected, in an enthraling match.
Al Sadd's victory, the fifth successive time the Asian champions have beaten their African equivalent in the tournament, means the Qatari side have secured a dream last four clash with European champions Barcelona on Thursday.
Al Sadd went ahead in the 33rd minute when Khalfan Al Khalfan headed home a rebound after goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia failed to deal properly with Abdul Kader Keita's long-range drive.
And they doubeld their advantage four minutes after the break when Lee Jung-Soo headed a free-kick across goal for captain Abdullah Koni to knock in from close range.
Both teams were making their debut in the competition, and Esperance gave themselves hope on the hour mark when Ousama Darragi headed home a set-piece.
But, helped by a couple of contentious decisions, Al Sadd held on and will now pit their wits against tournament favorites Barcelona.
Meanwhile, in the other fixture played on Sunday, Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol beat CONCACAF champions Monterrey of Mexico on penalties, after their match had ended 1-1.
Ryohei Hayashi netted the winning spot-kick to see Kashiwa through 4-3 on penalties and seal a date with South American champions Santos of Brazil in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
|
a919df87e58e4f18a8922139e22b03b4
|
What team The Quatari side is to face in semifinals?
|
[
"Barcelona"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Authorities in Azerbaijan recently uncovered a radical Islamic terror plot against the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Baku, prompting the facility to close its doors to the public Monday, Azerbaijan and U.S. officials told CNN.
The Bibi Heybat Mosque, just outside the capital Baku.
As a precaution, Britain also shut its embassy in Baku to the public on Monday "following security concerns nearby," Britain's Foreign Office said.
The terror plot was unraveled after a weekend raid outside Baku that netted several suspected members of the radical group, two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified and a spokesman for Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry told CNN.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the details "are still unfolding," and the threat "may or may not be" linked to the Saturday raid.
"There were some specific and credible threat information concerning the embassy and plans by militants to in some way do harm to individuals in and around the U.S. Embassy there," McCormack said, noting that no specific individuals were targeted.
Several days ago, an Azerbaijani army officer who had connections to a radical Islamic group seized four assault rifles, a machine gun and 20 hand grenades from his military unit and hid them in the outskirts of Baku, the ministry spokesman and U.S. officials said.
Government security forces tracked down the group and arrested several members during a sweep on Saturday in the village of Mastaga, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Baku, the spokesman said.
One suspected member of the militant group resisted arrest and was killed in the sweep, the spokesman said. Several others are still at large, he added.
He said the terror plot also targeted Azerbaijani government buildings.
The U.S. Embassy in Baku issued a warden message warning Americans in Azerbaijan to take precautions.
"While there is no information at this time that other American or Western interests in Azerbaijan are being targeted, the U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security," it said.
Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic that borders the Caspian Sea, and lies just north of Iran.
McCormack said U.S. authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Baku and will determine when normal embassy operations will resume. He said he expects the embassy to limit its operations on Tuesday, as well. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Igor Malakhov in Moscow, Zain Verjee in Washington and Roger Clark in London contributed to this report
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4347a1c1040549298c96b0a7de8921cb
|
Who is the embassy in Baku shut to?
|
[
"the public"
] |
NewsQA
|
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A court has ordered pop singer Britney Spears to give up custody of her children effective Wednesday at noon.
Kevin Federline and Britney Spears, here during happier times, have two children.
Spears' former husband, Kevin Federline, is to retain custody of their two sons "until further order of the court," according to a ruling by Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon.
It was not clear what led to Monday's decision awarding Federline full custody. A transcript of the court proceedings was ordered sealed.
Last month, a judge ordered Spears, 25, to submit to random drug tests after finding she engaged in "habitual, frequent, and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
That order, also by Gordon, provided no details and did not name any drugs.
The former couple has been embroiled in a bitter custody fight over their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden.
The parents had split custody 50-50, but Federline then asked for the arrangements to be shifted to 70-30 in his favor. Watch how Spears became user of -- and prisoner to -- fame »
In addition to ordering the twice-weekly drug tests, Gordon ordered Spears to spend eight hours per week working with a "parenting coach," who was to observe her interactions with her children.
Gordon also told both parents to avoid alcohol or "other non-prescription controlled substances" 12 hours before taking custody of the children.
He also barred the exes from making "derogatory remarks about the other party and the other party's family or significant other" during the case.
And he ordered the parents to go through "joint co-parenting counseling" and barred them from using corporal punishment on the boys.
Spears and Federline were married for two years before their divorce became final in July.
Monday's order comes amid a career freefall for Spears, whose new album is due to be released November 13.
After her September 9 "comeback" performance on the MTV Video Music Awards, critics derided her singing and dancing as lackluster and said she appeared overweight in her sequined two-piece costume.
Her former divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, resigned last month as her legal representative after telling reporters the singer "just wants to be a mom."
Spears' management company, the Firm, recently quit after representing the singer for little over a month. E-mail to a friend
|
0c9518e7ae47488384ccb9d8a0eaccac
|
Who has cutody of Britney Spears kids?
|
[
"Kevin Federline,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Tiger Woods was forced to pull out of the final round of the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday with a neck injury.
Woods lasted until the seventh hole before calling it a day. He was two-over for the round and two-under for the prestigious tournament, but trailing the leaders, when he quit.
South African Tim Clark eventually won the 'fifth major' with a superb five-under-par 67 to close on 16-under 272.
"I've been playing with a bad neck for a while," Woods told gathered reporters.
"I might have a bulging disk. They want me to get a picture on it next week.
"I've been playing through it. I can't play through it any more," he said. "I know playing doesn't help it," he added.
Woods revealed he had been troubled by the pain before last month's Masters, where he finished tied for fourth.
It was his first tournament of the year after a self-imposed exile following his revelations of marital infidelities.
The world number one was in action again at the Quail Hollow tournament in North Carolina last week where he easily missed the cut after two sorry rounds.
"I'm having a hard time with the pain," Woods said.
"There's tingling down my fingers, just the right side. Setting up over the ball is fine but once I start making the motion, it's downhill from there."
Woods is under pressure for his world number one spot from Phil Mickelson, who won the Masters and has been in tremendous form on the PGA Tour.
The 34-year-old last pulled out of a tournament in 2006 at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles when he had flu.
If the injury proves long-standing it could affect his build to the second major of the season, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in mid-June.
Mickelson could have leapfrogged Woods if he had won the Players, but he shot a closing 74 to tie for 17th.
England's Lee Westwood led going into the back nine on the final day, but a series of lapses, including a double bogey on the notorious short 17th, ended his hopes.
Clark, who was winning for the first time on the PGA Tour, charged through the field to set the clubhouse target, with Australian Robert Allenby finishing second, one shot behind, after failing with birdie attempts on the final two holes.
|
532d00f852e34eb6aef5587febc3695c
|
Who won the tournament?
|
[
"Tim Clark"
] |
NewsQA
|
London, England (CNN) -- A woman's body was found in a river in Wales, police said Tuesday, the second death from severe flooding that has hit England and Wales since late last week.
The body of the woman, who was not named, was found in the River Usk near the village of Talybont, in mid Wales close to the coast, Brecon police said. Search teams had been looking for her since Sunday.
Talybont is about 250 miles south of Cockermouth, England, which has experienced some of the worst flooding seen in decades.
Friday, parts of Cockermouth were under several feet of water after heavy rainfall the night before. The town sits at the intersection of two rivers, the Cocker and the Derwent, both of which burst their banks and raged through the town.
By Tuesday, the flood waters had receded and the clean-up and damage assessment was well under way. But rain was still falling over the entire region, raising fears of further flooding in some areas.
Britain's Environment Agency said river levels across the county of Cumbria remained high but are unlikely to rise to levels seen last week.
Twenty road bridges in Cumbria were closed Tuesday, including seven that collapsed in the floods, Cumbria County Council spokesman Gareth Cosslett told CNN. Also shut were eight footbridges, which are an essential means of connecting residents in riverside towns.
In Workington, where Cumbria Police Constable Bill Barker died in the floods last week, the two sides of the town are cut off from each other because all bridges were either washed away or closed for safety reasons.
"We're hoping to get a temporary road bridge installed in Workington," Cosslett said, describing it as the council's first priority. "We haven't yet confirmed what we're going to do or when that's going to happen, but in all likelihood we're looking at a single-lane temporary bridge with traffic lights on either side."
Cosslett had no estimate on when the bridge could be complete, but he said such a project may take more than a month.
The worst weather Tuesday was in Cumbria, where the Met Office, the UK's weather service, predicted heavy and persistent rain and accumulations of 1.2 to 2.4 inches (30 to 60 millimeters).
Rain and strong gusts were also forecast for Wales on Tuesday, the Met Office said.
The rain was expected to move through the region by Wednesday, but more was set to return by Thursday, according to Met Office forecasts.
Sixty-eight flood watches and warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, the Environment Agency said.
|
7686fb3c92794f15afd6cf3a81a5fd9a
|
What number of road closures?
|
[
"Twenty"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Peruvian soccer star Paolo Guerrero has been punished with a record fine by his German club Hamburg for throwing a water bottle into the face of a fan who he claimed had insulted him.
The striker made a public apology on Monday, but could face further disciplinary action from the German Football Association on Tuesday.
The incident happened at the end of Hamburg's 0-0 draw with relegation-threatened Hannover on Sunday, a result which dented Guerrero's team's hopes of qualifying for European competition next season.
"I had a blackout," the 26-year-old told Hamburg's official Web site. "I was insulted and I over-reacted. "I am incredibly sorry. I hope that I get the opportunity to apologize personally to the spectator concerned.
"I have already done so to HSV. Of course I will accept any punishment from the club. I made a big mistake."
Chairman Bernd Hoffmann said Guerrero's behavior was "absolutely unacceptable."
"Something like that is not allowed to happen. Paulo will be heavily fined by us. He has assured us believably how sorry he is."
The amount of the fine has not been disclosed, but Hoffman told German football magazine Kicker that it would be "the like of which there has never been in the club."
Ralf Bednarik of the Hamburg Supporters' Board told the club's Web site that fans should accept Guerrero's apology.
"Players have to deal with criticism," he said. "But Paolo Guerrero has apologized for his behavior. Now it's up to us all to reappraise the things and to jointly look into the future."
Guerrero has played 24 times for his country, but missed many of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers after suffering injuries and being handed a six-game suspension for abusing a referee. Peru finished bottom of the South American group.
He moved to Hamburg in 2006 after beginning his Bundesliga career at Bayern Munich, and played as a second-half substitute against Hannover after recently returning to action following seven months on the sidelines with a knee injury.
|
f659a8c6acc348838fdef6e8c0c29f31
|
Paolo Guerrero hit with record fine?
|
[
"has been punished"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A gay rights group is welcoming the likely appointment of the world's first openly gay prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir of Iceland.
Protesters in Reykjavik celebrate the prime minister's resignation on Monday.
Sigurdardottir, the country's 66-year-old minister of social affairs and social security, is on track to succeed Prime Minister Geir Haarde, who resigned Monday following the collapse of the country's main banks, currency and stock market.
Negotiations are underway between Sigurardottir's Social Democratic Alliance Party and potential coalition partners. If they succeed, she will become interim prime minister until Iceland next goes to the polls, which must happen by May.
"We really warmly welcome that," said Gary Nunn, a spokesperson for Stonewall UK, a British gay-rights group. "At a time when we've just seen a black man elected to the highest office in America, it gives us hope that we will see an openly gay prime minister here some day."
"It really does matter. It is helpful" to have an openly gay prime minister, Nunn said. "We are trying to foster the ambition that young people can be anything they want to be."
Britain has only one openly lesbian member of Parliament, Angela Eagle of the Labour party, Nunn said. The United States currently has three openly gay members of Congress -- Democratic Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Jared Polis of Colorado.
Stonewall considers it a higher priority to have significant numbers of openly gay lawmakers than an openly gay prime minister.
"For a head of state of to be gay is great and really encouraging, but it's really important for Parliament to represent the people it serves," he said.
Sigurdardottir has been a member of Iceland's Parliament for 30 years, and is in her second stint as minister of social affairs.
She started her career as a flight attendant for the airline that became IcelandAir. She was active in the flight attendants' labor union during her 11 years with the airline, according to her official resume.
Sigurdardottir briefly led her own political party, which merged with other center-left parties to form the Alliance party.
She would become Iceland's first female prime minister, although not the North Atlantic nation's first female head of state -- Vigdis Finnbogadottir became its fourth president in 1980.
Sigurdardottir lists author and playwright Jonina Leosdottir, 54, as her spouse on her ministry Web site. She has two children from an earlier marriage.
|
88deb1c0acd54da8bd5341534cca0e18
|
Who is the prime minister now?
|
[
"Johanna Sigurdardottir"
] |
NewsQA
|
OMAHA, Nebraska (CNN) -- Dozens of calls flooded the Omaha Police Department's 911 emergency line after a gunman opened fire inside the city's Westroads Mall, with witnesses calling in tones that ranged from almost matter-of-fact to near terror.
Police make their presence known at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday.
"I haven't seen anything. I'm hiding in a clothes rack," a woman said after a dispatcher asked her for a description of the shooter. "I mean, there's been like 50 gunshots."
In one of the recordings, provided to CNN by the police department, a rapid burst of three gunshots can be heard, followed by two more a moment later before the line goes dead.
A dispatcher asked one caller to move away from a woman shouting in the background.
"Oh Lord God help us," the woman can be heard screaming. Hear some of the 911 calls »
"She said there is a bunch of people shot," the caller says.
Robert Hawkins, 19, killed six employees and two customers of Von Maur department store on Wednesday before turning his AK-47 rifle on himself.
Two employees remained hospitalized Thursday, one with critical injuries and one in serious condition.
A woman who called 911 before ducking into a security office in the store said she heard the gunman demand that a vault be opened near the store's customer service area.
Police have not described the shooting as a robbery attempt, saying Thursday they don't know why Hawkins chose the store as a target.
The caller described the shooter as having "a very large gun" and said he came out of an elevator on the store's third floor and began firing shots into the air.
"I heard the gunshots and I got down as soon as possible because I've got kids," she said.
Later, she told the dispatcher she'd moved into the security office -- where she appears to have seen Hawkins' dead body on a surveillance camera.
"Oh my gosh! It looks like the gun is laying over by customer service -- it looks like he might have killed himself," she said, breaking into tears. "I see him laying by the gun!"
Police said Thursday that Hawkins had had "some mental health problems," including thoughts of suicide. He had lost his job and recently broken up with his girlfriend, according to a family friend. E-mail to a friend
|
1c9a634c2b8042da8570c82ab6c07814
|
where A rapid burst of gunshots?
|
[
"Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska,"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- An oil tanker bound for the United States was hijacked off Somalia with a crew of 28 aboard, maritime authorities said.
The M/V Maran Centaurus was commandeered about 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, on its way to New Orleans, Louisiana, according to the Maritime Security Center.
The crew consists of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian, said the security agency, which is run by the European naval force.
The 300,000-ton tanker, which started out from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was seized Sunday. It had changed course westward, toward Harardhere or Hobyo, along Somali's central-western coast.
Somali pirates have turned high-seas kidnappings into a lucrative business.
Pirates have captured more than 50 ships this year off Somalia and are currently holding 12, including the fishing vessel Alakrana, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon said recently.
Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors.
The first nine months of this year have seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported on October 21.
From January 1 through September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia.
|
e21f5f4918ea4190aa29e27f3dd20a39
|
How many Filipinos were there?
|
[
"16"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- A humanitarian plane carrying 17 people -- most of them relief workers -- has crashed during a storm in a mountainous region in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said Tuesday.
File image of a Beechcraft 1900 aircraft.
Search and rescue crews were not immediately able to land their helicopter in the area and determine whether anyone survived the crash in the east of the country, said Christope Illemassene, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the capital city of Kinshasa.
But Air Serv International, the relief group that operated the plane, said an aerial survey has indicated that all the occupants on the Beechcraft 1900 plane died.
The plane was on a routine flight from Kinsasha to the eastern city of Goma on Monday, with three stops, Illemassene said.
Air-traffic controllers lost contact with the plane when it approached Bukavu, the last of its three intermediate stops. The weather in the area was stormy at the time, Illemassene said.
Search and rescue crews spotted the plane's debris Tuesday, about 9.4 miles (15 km) northwest of the Bukavu airport, Illemassene said.
"We're anxiously waiting for results from the search and rescue operation," he said. "We're really hoping the peacekeepers are able to land near the site and confirm whether there are any survivors."
Air Serv International, based in the U.S. state of Virginia, is one of several groups that provides transport services to relief organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
|
1b811f966aeb4facbf245d174df423ae
|
what was the route of the plane?
|
[
"from Kinsasha to the eastern city of Goma"
] |
NewsQA
|
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A British couple convicted for having sex on a public beach in Dubai will not face jail after a judge suspended their prison sentences, their lawyer said Tuesday.
File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September.
The couple, Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors, had faced a three-month sentence, but they were freed on bail in October pending an appeal.
Hassan Mattar, one of their lawyers, said he was trying to get permission for Palmer -- who worked in Dubai -- to stay in the United Arab Emirates, and for Acors to travel back to Britain. Acors had been on a business trip to Dubai when he was arrested.
The United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules.
Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Police charged them with illicit relations, public indecency, and public intoxication. A court found them guilty in October and fined them 1,000 dirhams ($367) for the charge of public indecency.
Both denied they had intercourse. And during the trial, Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges, though he said both tested positive for liquor.
More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office.
The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations.
It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- the largest indoor snow park in the world.
-- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.
|
3f7a3dfc460441359a71ecaeec9f8694
|
what were the couple charge with?
|
[
"sex on a public beach"
] |
NewsQA
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq's Interior ministry said.
In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives, the official said.
The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after the victims.
On March 26, four additional men were fatally shot in the same city, the official said, adding that the victims had also been disowned by their relatives.
The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Witnesses told CNN that a Sadr City cafe, which was a popular gathering spot for gays, was also set on fire.
|
c252a9e003904d1794ed071f97fd396a
|
What is the name of the city?
|
[
"Sadr"
] |
NewsQA
|
(CNN) -- Former Olympic champion Angel Matos of Cuba faces a life ban after kicking a referee flush in the face during his taekwondo bronze medal match in Beijing.
Matos reacted in extraordinary fashion to being disqualified by Chelbat.
Matos, who took gold in Sydney in 2000, was winning 3-2, with just over a minute left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov.
Matos lay down, awaiting medical attention, but was then disqualified by referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden for taking too much injury time.
A furious Matos reacted by pushing a judge, then pushed and kicked Chelbat in the face.
It left the Swede with blood pouring from his lip while Matos spat on the floor and was then escorted out of the arena.
"We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said World Taekwondo Federation secretary general Yang Jin-suk.
"I am at a loss for words," he told the Associated Press.
Matos' coach, Leudis Gonzalez, is also in hot water for his angry reaction and claiming the Kazakhs had tried to fix the match.
"This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang added.
Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two.
It was not the only controversial moment in the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judging decisions.
Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner.
She was fighting Britain's Sarah Stevenson, who scored with a clear head kick -- worth two points -- in the final seconds of their bout.
That would have put Stevenson ahead and into the semifinals, but the judges ruled Stevenson's kick wasn't solid enough for points, and Chen was declared the winner 1-0.
After Britain protested, the result was changed to put Stevenson in the semifinal. She lost that to jeers from the partisan Chinese crowd, but later won a bronze medal match.
It was the first time a match result has been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport.
|
31042745bca34a789c4ff3c518d4ef5b
|
Who kicks referee in the face during bronze medal match?
|
[
"Former Olympic champion Angel Matos"
] |
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(CNN) -- Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Portugal's crucial final World Cup qualifier against Malta on Wednesday with an ankle injury and could be sidelined for up to a month.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds his ankle before going off in Portugal's win over Hungary.
Ronaldo played with the injury in Portugal's 3-0 home victory over Hungary on Saturday but lasted just 27 minutes before limping off.
Portugal, who have made a late charge in World Cup qualifying after looking set to make an ignominious exit, need to beat Malta in the home game to be sure of a place in the European playoffs.
The Portugal federation said they had allowed Ronaldo to leave the squad, while Spanish giants Real confirmed the bad news in a statement on Sunday.
"After a clinical examination and an MRI scan, it is confirmed the player has suffered a recurrence of his injury to his right ankle, a medial collateral sprain with inflammation in the bone," the club said.
"The estimated recovery time is three to four weeks."
Denmark have an unassailable lead in Group One after beating Scandinavian rivals Sweden 1-0 on Saturday.
The results almost certainly means the departure of Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who said on Sunday that he will resign if his team fail to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa.
Roland Andersson, Lagerback's assistant, has also signaled he will go if results go against them on Wednesday.
"Roland and I will resign depending on the result, either after the World Cup in South Africa, after the playoffs or after the (last) qualifier against Albania," Lagerback said.
The Swedes are now third in the group, a point behind Portugal, and face Albania in their final match.
They must hope that Portugal, missing Ronaldo, slip up against Malta, while beating Albania.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of England's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus with a calf strain.
Rooney picked up the injury in England's 1-0 defeat in the Ukraine. England have already qualified for the finals.
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6783fd4e007a4b2d886caeeba54dfd7a
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What has Ronaldo injured?
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[
"ankle"
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