{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Filipino film `` Himala '' has been awarded the CNN APSA Viewers Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of all Time . `` The Screening Room '' presenter Myleene Klass arrives at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Queensland , Australia . Thousands of CNN viewers voted on `` The Screening Room '' Web site to honor Ishmael Bernal 's 1982 film with the accolade , which is jointly awarded by CNN and the region 's prestigious Asia Pacific Screen Awards -LRB- APSA -RRB- . `` The Screening Room 's '' Myleene Klass presented the award Tuesday in front of a crowd of over 700 film industry figures at a special ceremony on the Gold Coast , Queensland , Australia . Bernal 's austere tale of a young woman who goes on a healing crusade after seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary , which stars Filipino actress Nora Aunor , took the prize with 32 percent of the vote . It came in ahead of ahead of more widely known films like Japanese Akira Kurosawa 's `` Shichinin no samurai '' -LRB- `` Seven Samurai '' -RRB- , which took second place and `` Wo hu cang long '' -LRB- `` Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon '' -RRB- by Taiwan 's Ang Lee , which snared third . Other films in the shortlist included Chan-wook Park 's `` Oldboy '' from South Korea and Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki 's animated film `` Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi '' -LRB- `` Spirited Away '' -RRB- . `` Whatever the reason , I do feel we deserve this award , '' said `` Himala '' producer Bibsy Carballo , `` If only as a tribute to our people who in once a great while decide to come together as one , forget their petty squabbles and divisiveness , and make a declaration of support for this troubled nation , and its tremendously talented and good-hearted if unfortunate population . Long live ` Himala ! ' '' When it was first released in 1982 , `` Himala '' was picked for the official selection at Berlin International Film Festival , as well as a number of other festivals , and Nora Aunor was nominated for Best Actress . A total of 32 films representing 17 countries from Kazakhstan to Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran to India were finalists at this year 's Asia Pacific Screen Awards . Kazakh picture `` Tulpan , '' by director Sergei Dvortsevoy , which tells the story of a family of sheep and goat herders , took home the main feature prize . Other winners included Israeli director Ari Folman 's animated feature `` Waltz with Bashir , '' which took Best Animated Feature . Best Documentary was given to South Korea 's `` 63 Years On '' by Dong-won Kim and Achievement in Directing was awarded to Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan for '' \u00dc\u00e7 maymun '' -LRB- `` Three Monkeys '' -RRB- . The 2008 APSA International jury which presided over the shortlisted films was led by veteran Australian director , Bruce Beresford known for films like `` Driving Miss Daisy . '' Asia Pacific Screen Awards Chairman Des Power said : `` There is a growing fascination and respect for films from this diverse region . `` It is a tribute to the filmmakers that they now have a globally recognised award and the broadcast reach of CNN International to promote their work . '' Watch `` The Screening Room 's '' Asia Pacific Screen Awards show at the following times : Wednesday 26 November : 0930 , 1830 , Saturday 29 November : 0830 , 1900 , Sunday 30 November : 1730 , 1830 , Monday 1 December : 0400 -LRB- all times GMT -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations is calling on NATO to do more to stop the Afghan opium trade after a new survey showed how the drug dominates Afghanistan 's economy . Afghan villagers tend to opium poppies in Taliban-controlled Helmand province in April 2007 . The report from the U.N. 's Office on Drugs and Crime shows the export value of this year 's poppy harvest stood at around $ 4 billion , a 29 per cent increase over 2006 . Despite Afghan security forces ' efforts to curb the trade , 660 tons of heroin and morphine were trafficked out of the country in 2007 , the report said . Opium is derived from poppies , and the data on cultivation was collected by examining satellite images and by assessments on the ground . The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan 's gross domestic product in 2007 . InvestorWords.com defines GDP as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time , usually a calendar year . According to the U.N. survey , about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers . The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop , to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade . Antonio Maria Costa , executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime , urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the drug trade , which has increased dramatically since the American-led invasion to remove the hard-line Islamist government of the Taliban in October 2001 . `` Since drugs are funding the insurgency , NATO has a self-interest in supporting Afghan forces in destroying drug labs , markets and convoys , '' Costa said in a written statement to coincide with the release of the survey . `` Destroy the drug trade and you cut off the Taliban 's main funding source . '' James Appathurai , a NATO spokesman , said coalition forces were equally concerned by the rapid growth in the narcotics trade . `` We share the U.N. 's concerns , '' Appathurai told CNN . `` Drugs not only poison people , but they poison economies and governments , and it is in everyone 's interest to stop this proliferation . '' He said NATO forces were providing assistance to Afghan police through training and transport but he said there were no plans to deploy coalition troops to intervene directly . `` The issue of whether we can do more is certainly a live discussion for NATO , but at the moment this is a matter for the Afghan government , '' Appathurai said . Farming of opium poppies has been almost eradicated in the north and west of the country , Appathurai said . However , he said , in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand , poppy production was going on largely unchecked . According to the report , U.N. observers have noticed a proliferation of heroin labs in neighboring countries and along trafficking routes . Costa said the labs are dependent on precursor chemicals , like acetic anhydride , that must be smuggled into the region . He called for tighter controls in chemical-producing countries and stronger intelligence-sharing between Afghanistan and its neighbors . `` Drug trafficking is a transnational threat , and therefore national initiatives have their limitations , '' the U.N. drug chief said . Appathurai said the most effective way to curb the drug trade was tackling the insurgency head-on . He also said it was important to provide alternative work for poor Afghan farmers to encourage them to give up opium production . `` You can not have eradication in isolation . If we do n't give them the support to produce alternative crops , then by wiping out their opium fields , you are only creating enemies for the future , '' he said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Tiffany Wilson noticed a small growth on her left hip , she did n't think much of it . Tiffany Wilson , 41 , found a bump on her hip that she thought was a pimple . It turned out to be skin cancer . `` It was bizarre , '' recalled the 41-year-old salon owner from Minneapolis , Minnesota . `` I just thought it was a pimple . '' Wilson , who is African-American , ca n't say exactly what prompted her to point out the bump to her physician , but she said she remembered thinking the diagnosis would n't be anything serious . `` It never occurred to me that it was skin cancer , '' she said . But it was . She had basal cell carcinoma , the most common skin cancer . Wilson spent long hours as a child in the summer sun at Lake Nokomis in Minnesota and went to the tanning bed before visiting relatives in the Caribbean , she said . She also said she never wore sunscreen . `` Back then , I just do n't think people were aware of the effects -LSB- of the sun -RSB- , '' she said . Those may seem like obvious red flags to people who are sun-conscious , but they were foreign concepts to Wilson , which is why her diagnosis came as a shock . `` I just assumed , ` I 'm a person of color , I 'll be OK , ' '' she said . Dermatologists say they are concerned because skin cancer rates are increasing among minority groups in the United States . Like Wilson , many people of color often mistakenly believe skin cancer is not something they should be worried about . Pigmentation is no ` free pass ' The reasoning is not completely far-fetched : Darker-skinned people do benefit from the protective effects of skin pigmentation . In fact , some studies suggest that for the darkest skin tones , pigmentation cells provide a natural sun protection factor , or SPF , of about 13 . The problem is many dark-skinned people believe that means they are born with a natural immunity to skin cancer . `` Pigmentation does n't give you a free pass , '' said Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III , a dermatologist specializing in ethnic skin and the doctor who treated Tiffany Wilson . `` It does n't matter what color your skin is , everyone can get skin cancer . '' Bob Marley , for example , died of malignant melanoma , the most lethal type of skin cancer , that spread to his lungs and brain . All types of skin cancer are increasing among blacks and Hispanics , and their melanomas are more often fatal because they are usually caught later , according to the American Academy of Dermatology . Crutchfield pointed out that pigmentation may have sun-protective qualities but even for the darkest skin it falls short of the AAD 's recommendation of a daily SPF of at least 15 for everyone . Crutchfield feels many ethnic groups are missing that key part of the message , if they are getting the message at all . Blog : How to pick the right sunscreen Researchers acknowledge that many of the messages regarding skin cancer prevention have traditionally targeted fair-skinned people , a group 10 times more likely to develop melanoma . Now , dermatologists say , more needs to be done to encourage all groups to take precautions against sun damage . A Consumer Reports survey found only 27 percent of people with self-described darker skin applied sunscreen when they were in the sun for four hours or more , compared with 64 percent of people with self-described light skin . The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009 there will be more than 1 million unreported cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer -- most of them curable -- and that more than 68,000 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed . For melanoma , the key to a cure is early detection . That 's why dermatologists caution everyone to be vigilant and learn the risks for their skin type . `` Race is very important because not all skin is the same , '' said Dr. Susan Taylor of The Skin of Color Center , a dermatology group focusing on the needs of patients of color . According to Taylor , people with darker skin often get diagnosed at later stages because the cancers often appear in atypical locations . Melanomas in African-Americans and darker-skinned Hispanics and Asians develop more commonly on the palms , soles of the feet , toenails , fingernails and in mucus membranes like around the mouth and genitals , she said . In Caucasian and lighter-skinned Hispanics , melanomas more frequently appear on the back in men and on the legs in women . Also , the signs of melanoma may vary depending on skin tone . `` Skin hue can affect the way lesions look , '' Crutchfield said . `` Things that appear red in white skin often look completely different in skin of color . '' Historically , research and teaching was done on fairer-skinned people , making it more challenging for physicians to recognize suspicious moles on darker skin . While these differences present challenges , they are certainly not barriers . Experts say , the best thing to do is keep it simple . `` If you have any lesion or mole change at all , or if you have a spot that bleeds and does n't heal in three weeks , see a physician or a dermatologist , '' Dr. Crutchfield recommended . `` That 's something everyone can do . '' Visit the American Academy of Dermatology Web site to find free screening locations in your state Another piece of simple advice : `` All racial groups need to use sunscreens , '' Taylor stresses . The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both deep-penetrating UVA rays and burn-causing UVB rays . Not all sunscreens protect against both . Visit the Environmental Working Group 's Skin Deep cosmetic safety database Tiffany Wilson is heeding that advice . She said she 's learned that when it comes to prevention , the worst thing you can possibly do is nothing . `` I use extreme caution in the sun and make certain that I use a sunscreen , even on a cloudy day , '' she said . `` You should n't underestimate the rays of the sun . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury Friday acquitted W.R. Grace & Company and three of its former executives of having knowingly exposed mine workers and residents of Libby , Montana , to asbestos . The W.R. Grace plant in Libby , Montana , in an undated photograph . `` We at Grace are gratified by today 's verdict and thank the men and women of the jury who were open to hearing the facts , '' said Fred Festa , chairman , president and CEO of the company in a written statement . `` We always believed that Grace and its former executives had acted properly and that a jury would come to the same conclusion when confronted with the evidence . '' Festa said that during the time Grace owned and operated a vermiculite mine in Libby , `` the company worked hard to keep the operations in compliance with the laws and standards of the day . '' The jury began deliberating Thursday and returned its verdict Friday morning . The Department of Justice 's response to the verdict , which came after a three-month trial , was measured . `` The jury has spoken , and we thank them for their service , '' said a written statement issued by the office of public affairs . `` We are refraining from further comment at this juncture because one individual awaits trial in connection with this case . '' Prosecutors plan to try another executive separately . Asked if the Justice Department plans to appeal , department spokesman Andrew Ames said , `` I would n't want to comment on that . '' Federal prosecutors had accused the mining company and its executives of exposing Libby 's 100,000 residents to asbestos for decades , resulting in more than 200 deaths and 1,000 illnesses . The product covered patches of grass , dusted the tops of cars and drifted through the air in a hazy smoke that became a part of residents ' daily lives . `` There 's never been a case where so many people were sickened or killed by environmental crime , '' said David Uhlmann in an April interview . He helped spearhead the case when he was the Justice Department 's top prosecutor of environmental crimes before stepping down in 2007 . During the trial , those who lost loved ones testified at the federal courthouse in Missoula , about 130 miles southeast of Libby , that residents had been kept in the dark about the dangers . Until 1990 , W.R. Grace & Company operated a mine in Libby that produced vermiculite , a substance used in all sorts of products , from insulation to fertilizers . The vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite asbestos -- linked to numerous illnesses including mesothelioma , a cancer that can attack the lining of the lungs , abdomen or heart . The government 's indictment alleged that W.R. Grace conspired to `` knowingly release '' the asbestos . It said the company tried to hide the dangers from employees and residents , leaving them `` in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury . '' `` It was a purpose of the conspiracy to conceal and misrepresent the hazardous nature of the tremolite asbestos contaminated vermiculite , thereby enriching defendants and others , '' the indictment read . The indictment also said W.R. Grace tried to `` defraud the United States and others by impairing , impeding , and frustrating '' the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies once they launched an investigation in 1999 . The 10-count indictment included charges of wire fraud and obstruction of justice . Had it been convicted , the company could have faced criminal fines of up to $ 280 million , which is twice the value of its profits from the mine . Grace executives , who were named as defendants , could have faced prison time . The company did not deny that asbestos emanated from its plant . Nor did it question that some people had been sickened and killed , though a definitive number of deaths linked to the vermiculite plant probably will never be known . But W.R. Grace denied any kind of conspiracy . In fact , the company said , it acted responsibly and took appropriate steps . It said it had voluntarily paid millions of dollars in medical bills for 900 Libby residents . In the courtroom , defense attorneys noted that the asbestos problem dates back to about 1920 , long before W.R. Grace took over the mine in 1963 . The attorneys said that , as information about the asbestos came to light , the company took numerous steps to mitigate the dangers and were open about it . Defense attorney David Bernick said he was not surprised by the verdict . `` The evidence showed that what was going on internally with the company was anything but conspiratorial , '' he told said . `` It was responsible . '' However , some townspeople did not share Bernick 's view . `` I do n't see how they could have gotten out of it , '' said Steven Schnetter , who worked at the mine for 17 years until it closed in 1990 . Shortly afterward , Schnetter was diagnosed with asbestosis , a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos fibers . The 60-year-old retiree said he told his managers in the late 1980s that he was concerned to find that tremolite is a form of asbestos . `` They said , ` Oh , yeah , but it 's the short-fiber type that wo n't hurt you , ' '' he said . Schnetter settled with the company for a `` small amount , '' he told CNN Friday in a telephone interview . When asked about his frequent coughing , he said , `` I do that all the time . ... My lungs wo n't expand right . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Atlanta -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ryan Brunn , the man who this week was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murdering a Georgia girl , apparently killed himself in his prison cell Thursday , a corrections spokeswoman said . Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kristen Stancil said that Brunn was found unresponsive at 4:15 p.m. in his cell at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson . Brunn was pronounced dead at a hospital at 5:37 p.m. due to an apparent suicide , she said . The case since has been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation , according to Stancil . Brunn had entered a guilty plea Tuesday at a hearing in a Cherokee County courthouse , during which he described in detail how he enticed , molested and killed 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera . He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole , avoiding a potential death sentence by lethal injection . The girl 's father , Ricardo Galarza , told CNN en Espanol that news of Brunn 's death partly made him `` feel good but , on the other hand , it does n't because my daughter will never be with me again . '' Galarza said that he felt that a lifetime of Brunn being watched after , `` eating three times a day -LRB- and -RRB- sleeping with air conditioning '' while in prison was not enough . `` What I wanted was for them to put him in the electric chair and burn him , '' the father said . `` I would have taken him there myself and prepared it , so he would burn . '' Jorelys ' mangled body was found in a trash compactor three days after she went missing on December 2 from an apartment complex in Canton , about 40 miles north of Atlanta . According to the indictment , Jorelys was severely beaten and stabbed repeatedly in the face , neck and chest . Brunn , 20 , who worked as a maintenance man at the same apartment complex , was arrested on December 7 and charged with the crime . Last week , Brunn was indicted on 13 counts including murder , aggravated assault , cruelty to children , aggravated child molestation , enticing a child for indecent purposes , false imprisonment , abandonment of a dead body , making a false statement and sexual exploitation of children . He told the court Tuesday that he had never talked to Jorelys before the day of her murder . He said he devised a plan after he found one of her skates . Brunn took a picture of the skate and approached her with it , asking if the skate was hers . She said yes , and Brunn promised to take her to it . Instead , he took her to an empty apartment and instructed Jorelys to pull down her pants . He then put tape over her face and cut her throat with a razor . At this point , she was still alive , he told the court . He said that he then took Jorelys to the bathroom and beat her to death with the skate . He said he did not have sex with the girl . Increasingly , Brunn told the court , he grew concerned about what he had done . So he took a receipt , wrote on the back of it , `` She is in the trash can , '' and taped it to the compactor . He admitted lying to investigators who had questioned him about the case . Brunn said he knew right from wrong , adding he `` never had an idea of killing a child in my life . '' `` I 'd like to apologize for everything I 've done , and I do deserve everything that you 're about to give me , '' he said in court .","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The storm called Hanna weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Tuesday morning as maximum sustained winds eased down to 70 mph , the National Hurricane Center said . This satellite image from Monday shows Hanna over the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands . Despite the downgrade , Hanna dropped torrential rain on the eastern Bahamas , the Turks and Caicos Islands , and Haiti . Hurricane warnings remained in effect . Hanna 's path and strength remain uncertain , but the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center predicts it still could make landfall as a major hurricane on the southeastern U.S. coast by Friday evening . Hanna 's path early Tuesday appeared to be a `` meandering '' loop across Turks and Caicos , but atmospheric changes over the western Atlantic are expected to steer the storm northwestward over the next two or three days , according to forecasters . As of 5 a.m. ET , Hanna was a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of 80 mph -LRB- 129 kph -RRB- and gusts of up to 100 mph . iReport.com : Watch Hanna lash Turks and Caicos Islands Three hours later , it was downgraded to a tropical storm as winds fell below the 74 mph threshold for hurricane status . It could return to hurricane status later Tuesday or on Wednesday , forecasters said . Hanna 's line of fire could include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami , Florida , to Massachusetts , according to the hurricane center 's long-range forecast map . Charleston , South Carolina , appears in the middle of this `` cone of uncertainty , '' with Hanna potentially making landfall there Friday . `` It appears that the center has been meandering , '' forecasters said . The history of hurricanes that have been where Hanna is now might argue against its heading toward the southeastern United States . None of the September storms that passed within 200 miles of Hanna 's current location has gone there , with most heading into the Gulf of Mexico and others going to New England or Nova Scotia . Still , forecasters said , `` the model guidance is remarkably well clustered '' in support of its forecast path for Hanna . Meanwhile , forecasters were keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Ike , which was gaining strength in the mid-Atlantic and appeared headed for the Bahamas later in the week . It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Tuesday morning .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Health care reform advocates inched closer to victory Wednesday as a high-profile liberal Democrat switched his position and announced his intention to vote for a sweeping $ 875 billion plan under consideration in the House of Representatives . Rep. Dennis Kucinich , D-Ohio , said he believes `` health care is a civil right . '' He had previously characterized the bill , which cleared the Senate in December , as little more than a boondoggle for private insurers . Kucinich was publicly lobbied for his vote by President Barack Obama during the president 's visit this week to Kucinich 's congressional district in Ohio . He told reporters he 's had four meetings with Obama to discuss the bill . `` The president 's visit to my district ... underscored the urgency of this vote , '' Kucinich said . `` I have doubts about the bill ... -LSB- but -RSB- I 've decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation . '' He said he ultimately had `` to make a decision on the bill as it is , not on the bill as I 'd like to see it . '' Kucinich is a backer of a single-payer health care system under which the government would fund all costs billed by doctors and hospitals . Kucinich 's decision to change his vote is `` a good sign , '' Obama told reporters in the Oval Office . `` I told him thank you . '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , said she thought Kucinich 's switch would make a difference with a large number of liberal activists . `` He 's been a supporter of health care for all Americans for a long time , '' she said . `` He has a constituency , and many of those people still do n't understand why there is n't a public -LSB- option -RSB- . '' Pelosi has repeatedly expressed confidence that she will have enough support to pass the bill when it comes to the floor for a final vote . Read more about how votes are lining up Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer , the No. 2 House Democrat , indicated Wednesday the vote could come at some point this weekend . He said the leadership is still waiting for final cost estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on a package of changes to the measure . Asked if the release of the CBO numbers was imminent , Pelosi said , `` I would have said ... half an hour ago , hopefully any minute . I think it 's going to take a little more time . '' She said she had no explanation for the delay . `` I do n't know the calculation , '' she said . `` I do n't know how they do it . Whatever it is , they 're the gospel and we have to live by it . '' Later , Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said that the CBO estimates would not be released Wednesday night . Since the Democrats have said the bill will be available for reading for 72 hours before a vote , the vote can take place no sooner than Sunday , provided the CBO numbers are posted Thursday . Pelosi needs 216 votes from her 253-member caucus to pass the Senate bill . No Republicans are expected to back it . A number of House Democrats have refused to state their voting intentions publicly . Twenty-seven House Democrats , however , have indicated they will join Republicans in opposing the Senate plan . That puts opponents of reform 11 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority . Meanwhile , GOP leaders continued to pound away at the legislation on Wednesday , slamming House Democratic leaders for considering the use of a controversial legislative maneuver to pass the Senate bill . Pelosi may try to help House Democrats unhappy with the Senate bill by allowing them to avoid a direct vote on the measure . She is considering pushing for a vote on a rule that would simply `` deem '' the Senate bill to be passed . The House then would proceed to a separate vote on the more popular package of changes to the Senate plan . `` I 've never seen anything like the plan that House Democrats hatched this week to jam their health care bill through Congress , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , said Wednesday . `` Historians will remember this as a new low in this debate , the week that America was introduced to the ` scheme and deem ' approach to legislating . They 'll remember this as the week that Congress tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the public in order to get around their will . '' House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , said Tuesday that Republicans will try to block the procedure . They will try to force a vote on a resolution requiring the Senate health care bill to be brought to an up-or-down vote . Boehner has called the maneuver -- also known as a `` self-executing rule '' -- the `` ultimate in Washington power grabs . '' House Republicans sent a letter to the Democratic head of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday asking her to move an upcoming hearing on the health care bill to a larger room to account for overwhelming public interest in the issue . The committee is responsible for deciding whether the full House will have a chance to pass the Senate bill using the self-executing rule . `` While C-SPAN may decide to cover the hearing , that does not satisfy the need for the maximum amount of transparency and openness needed to give the American people faith in this process , '' the letter said . `` By moving the hearing to a larger room , we can ensure more Americans will have the opportunity to participate in our proceedings and not be turned away at the door . '' Where does health care reform stand ? If enacted , the Democratic reform proposal would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago . The plan is expected to extend insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans . The Senate bill also would reduce federal deficits by about $ 118 billion over 10 years , according to CBO estimates . Top Republicans contend the plan amounts to an ill-conceived government takeover of the country 's health care system . They have said it would do little to slow spiraling medical costs . They also argue it would lead to higher premiums and taxes for middle-class families while resulting in deep Medicare cuts . Public opinion polls indicate a majority of Americans have turned against the administration 's health care reform plan , though individual elements of the proposal remain widely popular . CNN 's Dan Lothian , Charles Riley , Alan Silverleib , Jeff Simon , Deirdre Walsh and Robert Yoon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Chief curiosity officer '' and the architect of the Plastiki voyage , David de Rothschild is only worried about sea sickness but will be armed with a copy of `` The Complete Sailor '' on the journey . Read the rest of David 's CNN quiz answers , below . CNN : What did you want to be when you were young ? de Rothschild : A pirate CNN : What 's the one characteristic that has led you to where you are today ? de Rothschild : Being curious and not taking no for an answer . CNN : Who inspires you ? de Rothschild : Family , friends and Buckminster Fuller . CNN : What 's the most important lesson you 've learned about yourself from the Plastiki project ? de Rothschild : Nobody is as smart as everybody . CNN : What 's your biggest hope for the expedition ? de Rothschild : To capture the imagination of as many people as possible in order to inspire , engage and activate them ! CNN : At what point would you define the Plastiki a success ? de Rothschild : When we no longer produce and carelessly throw away single-use plastics . CNN : What is your favorite sea creature ? de Rothschild : Sharks and seahorses . CNN : When is the last time you personally used a plastic bottle ? de Rothschild : A month ago . CNN : What do you most value about nature ? de Rothschild : Everything , especially how humble , inspiring and raw she is ! CNN : What 's the one creature comfort you 'll miss most when you 're at sea ? de Rothschild : A fresh water shower . CNN : Name 3 books you will bring with you on the expedition . de Rothschild : `` Blessed Unrest '' by Paul Hawken ; `` The World Is Blue : How Our Fate and the Ocean 's Are One '' by Sylvia A. Earle and Bill McKibben ; `` The Complete Sailor '' by David Seidman . CNN : If you had to choose a theme song for the expedition , what would it be ? de Rothschild : `` Message in a Bottle '' by Sting . CNN : What 's your favorite adventure film \/ book ? de Rothschild : `` The Lorax '' by Dr Seuss ; `` Swallows and Amazons '' by Arthur Ransom . CNN : What 's your green motto ? de Rothschild : Green is just a color that 's really only salving the consciousness ! It 's now time to focus on acting on the solutions in front of us ! CNN : What 's the most important thing you 've done to prepare for life at sea ? de Rothschild : Spend time with Jo Royle and David Thomson . CNN : What 's the main emotion you 're feeling right now days ? de Rothschild : Ready to leave ! CNN : What 's your biggest fear for the expedition ? de Rothschild : Sea sickness . CNN : What 's the first thing you 'll do when you reach Sydney ? de Rothschild : Have a long sleep !","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a dramatic break from previous policy , the United States will join direct talks between U.N. and European powers and Iran over Tehran 's nuclear program , the State Department announced Wednesday . Wednesday 's announcement is the latest step by the Obama administration to engage Iran diplomatically . The Obama administration has asked the European Union 's international policy chief , Javier Solana , to invite Iran to new talks with the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany , State Department spokesman Robert Wood said . `` If Iran accepts , we hope this will be an occasion to seriously engage Iran of how to break the logjam of recent years and work in a cooperative manner to resolve the outstanding international concerns about its nuclear program , '' Wood said . Iran so far has refused Security Council demands to halt its production of enriched uranium , which it has said will be used to fuel nuclear power plants . The United States has accused Tehran of concealing efforts to develop a nuclear bomb , and the U.N. 's nuclear watchdog agency said it has failed to resolve questions about the aim of Iranian program . Watch how U.S. policy on Iran is changing '' The Bush administration had insisted that Iran first stop its nuclear program before any talks with the United States or its allies could go forward . Wednesday 's announcement is the latest step in the Obama administration 's efforts to engage the Islamic republic diplomatically after nearly three decades without formal ties . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , briefly addressing the administration 's decision Wednesday , told reporters that `` pursuing very careful engagement on a range of issues that affect our interests and the interests of the world with Iran makes sense . '' `` And there 's nothing more important than trying to convince Iran to cease its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon , '' Clinton said at the State Department , where she was meeting Panama 's foreign affairs minister . Her comments came in response to a reporter 's question about engaging Iran . Washington , which has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980 , has participated in previous talks only as an observer . Wood would not speculate about whether a meeting involving Iran and the rest of the group might lead to direct one-on-one meetings of U.S. and Iranian officials . `` It 's a little early to talk about that right now , '' he said . Iran has so far responded coolly to the American overtures . In a statement carried on Iranian state television Wednesday evening , Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Washington '' has no right to suggest how other nations should live . '' `` Those who have nuclear bombs are backward nations , because the time for threats is over , '' Ahmadinejad said . And in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency , Ahmadinejad said Iran was `` ready to cooperate '' toward nuclear disarmament , as long as those efforts did not create obstacles for countries that wish to produce nuclear fuel for civilian power . No date has been set for the next meeting of the `` P-5 plus 1 '' group , which includes the five Security Council permanent members -- the United States , Britain , France , Russia and China -- as well as Germany . But Wednesday 's announcement comes amidst a variety of signals from both sides that a major diplomatic shift was in the winds . In March , President Obama delivered a televised message to the Iranian people offering new diplomatic engagement . And Clinton sat down with an Iranian official at a recent conference in the Netherlands on Afghanistan , but the two diplomats had no one-on-one contact . During his presidential campaign , Obama called for talks with Iran without pre-conditions -- a proposal sharply criticized by Clinton , then his chief opponent for the Democratic nomination , among others . Big obstacles to a U.S.-Iranian thaw remain , including reports from Tehran on Wednesday that Iranian authorities have charged an American journalist with espionage . Clinton told reporters that the the U.S. had asked the Swiss -- who represent U.S. interests in Iran -- for up-to-date information about Roxana Saberi , who has been jailed for nearly three months . During the March 31 meeting in the Netherlands , the United States delivered a note to Iran that asked for a response on the status of Saberi and American citizens detained or missing in Iran . U.S. officials say they are still awaiting a response from the Iranians to the note . CNN 's Charley Keyes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The French National Assembly announced Tuesday the creation of an inquiry into whether women in France should be allowed to wear the burka , one day after President Nicolas Sarkozy controversially told lawmakers that the traditional Muslim garment was `` not welcome '' in France . A woman wears traditionnal Muslim dress n Venissieux , near Lyon . A cross-party panel of 32 lawmakers will investigate whether the traditional Muslim garment poses a threat to the secular nature of the French constitution . They are due to report back with their recommendations in six months . Last week 57 lawmakers -- led by communist legislator Andre Gerin -- signed a petition calling for a study into the feasibility of legislation to ban the burka in public places . On Monday Sarkozy declared in a keynote parliamentary address that the burka , which covers women from head to toe , is `` not welcome '' in France . Watch why burkas are such a controversial issue in France '' `` The problem of the burka is not a religious problem . This is an issue of a woman 's freedom and dignity . This is not a religious symbol . It is a sign of subservience ; it is a sign of lowering . I want to say solemnly , the burka is not welcome in France , '' Sarkozy told lawmakers . The right of Muslim women to cover themselves is fiercely debated in France , which has a large Muslim minority but also a staunchly secular constitution . Should Muslim women in France be banned from wearing the burka ? Sound Off below In 2004 , the French parliament passed legislation banning Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in state schools , prompting widespread Muslim protests . The law also banned other conspicuous religious symbols including Sikh turbans , large Christian crucifixes and Jewish skull caps . Last year , France 's top court denied a Moroccan woman 's naturalization request on the grounds that she wore a burka . Some lawmakers have called for burkas to be banned completely , claiming they are degrading to women . They also include housing minister Fadela Amara , a Muslim-born women 's rights campaigner , who has called the garment `` a kind of tomb for women . '' `` We can not accept in our country women trapped behind a fence , cut off from social life , deprived of any identity . This is not the idea that we have of a woman 's dignity , '' Sarkozy said Monday . But French Muslim leaders say that only a small minority of women wear the full veil and had previously criticized calls for the issue to be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry . `` To raise the subject like this , via a parliamentary committee , is a way of stigmatizing Islam and the Muslims of France , '' Mohammed Moussaoui , the head of the French Council for the Muslim Religion , told AFP last week . `` We are shocked by the idea parliament should be put to work on such a marginal issue . '' According to CIA estimates , between 5 and 10 percent of France 's 64 million population are Muslim . The country does not collect its own statistics on religion in accordance with laws enshrining France 's status as a secular state . France is not the only European Union country to have considered banning the burka . Dutch lawmakers voted in favor of a ban in 2005 , although the government of the time was defeated in elections before it could pass legislation to outlaw the garment .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attackers in a Taliban-controlled area of Pakistan shot and tried to behead a Pakistani journalist on Wednesday , according to his employer GEO TV . Mosa Khankhel was reporting for GEO TV when he was killed . The slain correspondent , Mosa Khankhel , had been covering the recent peace deal between the Pakistani government and Taliban militants in Swat Valley when he was killed , GEO TV managing director Azhar Abbas said . `` He is the first martyr of this peace deal , '' Abbas said , adding that he believes it is unlikely the deal will end the campaign of violence that has centered in Swat . Khankhel was traveling in a caravan with Sufi Mohammed , who was leading the peace deal negotiations for the Taliban , when he went missing , Abbas said . His body was found about an hour later . He had been shot three times and his killers had attempted to cut off his head . Abbas called on Pakistan 's government to fully investigate the killing of Khankhel , who was the network 's correspondent based in North West Frontier Province as part of GEO TV 's Peshawar bureau . His death comes a day after Pakistan 's government recognized the Taliban 's interpretation of sharia , or Islamic law , in the entire Malakand Division , which includes Swat and its surrounding district . Watch questions raised by Khankhel 's death '' The agreement marked a major concession by Pakistan in its attempt to hold off Taliban militants who have terrorized the region with beheadings , kidnappings , death threats , and the destruction of girls ' schools . The regional government in the Swat valley struck the deal to allow sharia law , in return the Taliban agreed to a 10-day cease fire . The Taliban control of Swat -- which is about 100 miles northwest of Islamabad -- is the deepest advance by militants into Pakistan 's settled areas , which are located outside its federally administered tribal region along the border with Afghanistan . The peace deal is the latest attempt by Pakistan 's civilian government -- which took power last year -- to achieve peace through diplomacy in areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein . But analysts as well as critics within the establishment have warned that Pakistan 's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground . Khadim Hussain , a professor Bahria University in Islamabad who studies Pakistani politics , said the government has set the stage for two contradictory , parallel states in North West Frontier Province . `` If you leave them like that and you give ... a semblance of peace in a particular area , what does that mean ? '' Hussain said . `` It means you 're capitulating . It means you 're surrendering the state to them . It means your submitting the state authority to them because they are running a parallel state . '' He said the government 's decision amounts to a marriage of convenience made under duress . Swat has been overrun by forces loyal to Maulana Fazlullah 's banned hardline Islamic group , Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi -LRB- TNSM -RRB- which has allied itself with Taliban fighters . TNSM was once led by Sufi Mohammed , Fazlullah 's father-in-law , who is leading the latest negotiations . Sufi Mohammed was released from jail last year by Pakistani authorities after he agreed to cooperate with the government . He was jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan . Fazlullah took over TNSM during Sufi Mohammed 's jail stint and vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region . Last May , Pakistan 's government announced it reached a peace deal with militants in Swat Valley . In the months that have followed , the Taliban have seized control of the region and carried out a violent campaign against government officials , including local politicians . The head of the secular Awami National Party -- which represents the region -- was forced to flee to Islamabad amid death threats from the Taliban . Pakistan is under enormous pressure to control the militants within its borders , blamed for launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan where U.S. and NATO forces are fighting militants . The United States -- using unmanned drones -- has carried out several airstrikes inside Pakistan on suspected militant targets , including one on Monday that killed at least 15 people , Pakistani sources said . Such airstrikes , which sometimes result in civilian casualties , have aggravated tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan . Pakistan 's military operation in the region is unpopular among Pakistanis , but efforts to deal diplomatically with militants have not worked in the past . Pakistan 's previous leader , Gen. Pervez Musharraf , reached a cease-fire deal with militants in South Waziristan in 2006 which was widely blamed for giving al Qaeda and Taliban a stronger foothold in the region . CNN 's Stan Grant contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Afghan employee of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan who opened fire at a CIA annex there worked as part of a local guard force , a U.S. official said Monday . Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall said the lone gunman killed a U.S. citizen and wounded another in the shootings Sunday . The wounded American was evacuated to a military hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening . Security personnel used a flash-bang round to stun the shooter and then killed him , according to another U.S. official who earlier provided details of the incident . The gunman shot indiscriminately , and he is not believed to have targeted the victims , the second U.S. official said . One or two civilians suffered minor wounds as people went running for cover , the official added . The American killed was a CIA employee , according to a third U.S. official . The official said the gunman fired toward the building but never entered it . All the sources spoke on condition of not being identified . The FBI is investigating the attack , along with other U.S. agencies and local authorities , a U.S. official said . Another official said the FBI is the lead agency in the investigation . CIA and diplomatic security officials also are involved . The first U.S. official said the shooter `` is believed to have worked as part of the local guard force '' and added that no motive has been established . Investigators are looking into whether the shooter was a disgruntled employee or whether he was inspired by militants . All Afghan employees go through a background security check and must pass through a metal detector each time they enter the Embassy , the second official said . `` We have no information as to whether the individual was authorized to carry a weapon or if he seized a weapon , '' the official said . Afghan troops guard the outer perimeter of the Embassy , while embassy contractors and members of the U.S. military guard the inside . The CIA building is several hundred yards from the Embassy compound and has its own entrance and security , according to another U.S. official . Embassy personnel usually travel in armored cars for meetings in the CIA facility . `` It 's not possible to stop everything from happening . You can only limit it , make it highly unlikely , '' said the official , who also spoke on condition of anonymity . `` The job of soldiers and diplomats and spies is to be amongst the people , getting work done . You have to have some level of trust to get anything done . '' `` There is a calculated risk '' for U.S. personnel working in countries like Afghanistan , the official said . The annex area is known as a place where Embassy personnel both live and work , some in intelligence operations . A CIA spokeswoman declined to comment on the attack . Afghanistan has been the site of several high-profile attacks of late , including strikes at the NATO headquarters and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani . Rabbani had been leading efforts for reconciliation talks . The latest shooting is not believed to be related to any other recent attacks in Kabul , U.S. officials said . In December 2009 , a Jordanian informant detonated a suicide bomb at a CIA base in Khost , Afghanistan , killing seven CIA employees and two others . A CIA review of the incident found that some people within the CIA and the Jordanian intelligence service were skeptical about the attacker 's reliability , but those concerns had not been passed on to officers on the base . CNN 's Barbara Starr , Nick Paton Walsh , Carol Cratty and Pam Benson contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BOGOTA , Colombia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Preliminary DNA tests indicate a 3-year-old foster child is the son of a woman being held captive by leftist rebels , Colombian officials announced Friday . Clara Rojas appears in a video released by the kidnappers in July 2002 . `` There is a very high probability that Juan David belongs to the family of Clara Gonzalez de Rojas , '' Mario Iguaran Arana , the country 's chief federal prosecutor , said at a news conference . The boy , known as `` Emmanuel , '' has been at the center of a hostage drama that raised hopes the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia would liberate some of their hostages . The rebel group , known as FARC for its Spanish acronym , had agreed to release three hostages as part of a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez . FARC said it would release Emmanuel along with his mother , Clara Rojas , and another woman , Consuelo Gonzalez , but the mission to free the captives fell apart December 31 , when the rebel group said it could not release the hostages because of Colombian military operations in the area , according to a FARC statement Chavez read on Venezuelan television . Colombian President Alvaro Uribe denied the group 's assertion , saying there were no combat operations in the area near the rebels , and he said the rebels could not release the three hostages because they did not have Emmanuel in custody . He raised the possibility that Emmanuel , who was born in captivity to Rojas , was living in a foster home in the Colombian capital of Bogota . Authorities in Colombia suspect the FARC duped child-welfare authorities by presenting the boy as a child in need of foster care in 2005 , he said . On Friday , Iguaran Arana said initial DNA results will be checked against tests being done in European labs to verify the child 's identity . There was no immediate response from Venezuela after the announcement concerning Emmanuel 's DNA . However , a statement on the Venezuelan government 's Web site from earlier Friday said the Colombian government had not allowed Venezuela to participate in the DNA testing . Established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party , FARC is Colombia 's oldest , largest , most capable and best-equipped Marxist rebel group , according to the U.S. Department of State . The United States , the European Union and Colombia classify it as a terrorist group . FARC has justified hostage-taking as a legitimate military tactic in a long-running and complex civil war that also has involved right-wing paramilitary units , government forces and drug traffickers . Fighting has waned , but not stopped , in recent years . Among the group 's hostages are three American contractors who were captured when their plane went down in 2003 during a drug-eradication flight , and Ingrid Betancourt , a French-Colombian independent presidential candidate who was kidnapped in 2002 . Rojas was kidnapped in 2002 while she managed Betancourt 's campaign . Betancourt is perhaps the best-known captive in Colombia , a country plagued by kidnapping . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A key Senate negotiator said Sunday that President Obama should drop his push for a government-funded public health insurance option because the Senate will never pass it . President Obama at a town hall meeting earlier this week pushing his health care reform plan . Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota said it was futile to continue to `` chase that rabbit '' due to the lack of 60 Senate votes needed to overcome a filibuster . `` The fact of the matter is there are not the votes in the United States Senate for a public option . There never have been , '' Conrad said on `` Fox News Sunday . '' His comment signaled a shift in the health care debate , with Obama and senior advisers softening their support for a public option by saying final form of the legislation is less important than the principle of affordable coverage available to all . At a town hall meeting Saturday in Colorado , Obama said the public option is just one of many issues critical to successfully overhauling the ailing health care system . `` All I 'm saying is ... that the public option , whether we have it or we do n't have it , is not the entirety of health care reform . This is just one sliver of it , '' the president said . Asked Sunday if Obama would accept a bill lacking a public option , White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president insists on more competition in the health insurance marketplace to offer consumers better choices . `` The bottom line ... is : Do individuals looking for health insurance in the private market have choice and competition ? '' Gibbs said on the CBS program `` Face the Nation . '' `` If we have that , the president will be satisfied . '' Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius echoed Gibbs , telling CNN 's `` State of the Union '' on Sunday that a final health care bill will include competitive choices for consumers in one form or another . `` There will be a competitor to private insurers , '' she said . `` You do n't turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing . We need some choices and we need some competition . '' Opponents of overhauling the health care system argue the Democratic proposals under consideration by Congress go too far and will lead to a government takeover of the health care system . `` We have the best health care system in the world , '' Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama told `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` We need to expand it . We do not need to destroy it . '' At issue is how to provide coverage for an estimated 46 million uninsured people while reversing a climb in health care costs . Democratic proposals passed so far by House and Senate committees include a public insurance option , mandates for people to be insured and employers to provide coverage , and an end to insurance companies refusing to cover pre-existing conditions . Most Republicans oppose the public option and requirements for employers to provide coverage . They also call for limits on medical malpractice lawsuits -- something Democrats generally do n't favor . However , the two parties generally agree on a number of provisions contained in the Democratic bills , including increased efficiency in Medicare and Medicaid and focusing on preventive health programs . Conrad is one of six Senate Finance Committee members -- three Democrats and three Republicans -- who are negotiating a compromise health care bill that would be the only bipartisan proposal so far . Instead of a public option , the negotiators are considering a plan proposed by Conrad to create nonprofit health insurance cooperatives that could negotiate coverage as a collective for their members . Conrad said such cooperatives would provide the competition sought by Obama and Democratic leaders to force private insurers to hold down costs and improve practices . The government would put up initial funding to provide required reserves but would have no other role , he said . `` It 's not a public plan at all in terms of government running it , '' Conrad said . Shelby called the cooperative idea a `` step in the right direction '' and `` a far cry '' from other proposals , adding that Obama and Democratic leaders have `` read the tea leaves '' from town hall meetings around the country . However , Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas told CNN it would be `` very , very difficult '' to support a bill that lacked a public health insurance option . `` Without the public option , we 'll have the same number of people uninsured , '' Johnson said in a `` State of the Union '' interview . `` If the insurance companies wanted to insure these people now , they 'd be insured . '' She added that `` an option that would give the private insurance companies a little competition '' is `` the only way '' to be sure that insurance is available to low-income people and people without employer-provided coverage . Meanwhile , leaders of organizations representing America 's doctors and senior citizens defended the proposed health care overhaul that their groups had opposed in past years . Dr. J. James Rohack , president of the American Medical Association , and John Rother of AARP -- formerly the American Association of Retired Persons -- told `` Fox News Sunday '' a comprehensive overhaul sought by Democrats was necessary . `` There are some moving parts that if you just do one and do n't do the other , you 're going to have unintended consequences , '' said Rohack , head of the nation 's largest doctors ' advocacy group . Rother , executive vice president of policy and strategy for the largest senior citizens ' advocacy group , said properly addressing excessive health care costs and waste requires addressing both health insurance coverage and how health care treatment is delivered . Both men rejected accusations that a health care overhaul would bring rationing of health treatment based on bureaucratic measures such as cost and economic productivity of patients . `` There 's a myth that rationing does n't occur right now , '' Rohack said , noting that some companies currently deny coverage for pregnancy as a pre-existing condition . `` That 's why this bill is so important , '' Rohack said . `` It gets rid of rationing happening right now '' and leaves decisions to patients and doctors . Rohack also condemned claims by some Republicans that a provision in one House bill would lead to so-called `` death panels '' encouraging euthanasia of senior citizens . `` That 's absolutely wrong , it 's a falsehood , '' he said , adding that the provision was intended to provide government support for consultations between patients and their doctors . Spreading of the `` death panel '' rumor by some conservative commentators and some Republican politicians prompted emotional opposition at town hall meetings across the country . Senate negotiators on a compromise bill say they have dropped the provision from their proposal due to potential misinterpretation of the intent .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first-ever pictures of planets outside the solar system have been released in two studies . The box shows a planet orbiting the star Fomalhaut . The dot shows the star 's location . Using the latest techniques in space technology , astronomers at NASA and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used direct-imaging techniques to capture pictures of four newly discovered planets orbiting stars outside our solar system . `` After all these years , it 's amazing to have a picture showing not one but three planets , '' said physicist Bruce Macintosh of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore , California . `` The discovery of the HR8799 system is a crucial step on the road to the ultimate detection of another Earth , '' he said . None of the planets is remotely habitable , scientists said . Both sets of research findings were published Thursday in Science Express , a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science . A team of American , British and Canadian astronomers and physicists , using the Gemini North and Keck telescopes on the Mauna Kea mountaintop in Hawaii , observed host star HR8799 to find three of the new planets . Scientists estimate that HR8799 , roughly 1.5 times the size of the sun , is 130 light years from Earth in the constellation of Pegasus . The individual planets in this planetary family are estimated to be seven to 10 times the mass of Jupiter . Astronomers say the star is too faint to detect with the human eye , but observers could probably see it through binoculars or small telescopes . `` This discovery is the first time we have directly imaged a family of planets around a normal star outside of our solar system , '' said Christian Marois , the lead astronomer in the Lawrence Livermore lab study . About the same time , NASA astronomers using the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope surprised the space community by locating a fourth planet . NASA 's newly discovered planet , Fomalhaut b , is estimated to be roughly three times Jupiter 's mass and 10.7 billion miles from its host star , Fomalhaut . NASA 's images show Fomalhaut b orbiting the bright southern star Fomalhaut , which is said to be 16 times brighter than our sun and 25 light years away in the constellation Piscis Australis -LRB- Southern Fish -RRB- . `` Our Hubble observations were incredibly demanding . Fomalhaut b is 1 billion times fainter than the star , '' Hubble astronomer Paul Kalas said . `` We began this program in 2001 , and our persistence finally paid off . '' Previous planet-hunting efforts have relied on the traditional Doppler , or `` wobble , '' technique , which works by measuring the gravitational influence a planet exerts on its host , or parent , star . By studying these gravitational `` tug-of-wars , '' astronomers have been able to study a star 's velocity or brightness to infer the presence of a planet . iReport.com : Are you an aspiring astronomer ? Share your photos of space To determine whether the faint objects orbiting HR8799 were indeed planets and not other stars , astronomers studying the three newly discovered planets -LRB- HR8799b , HR8799c and HR8799d -RRB- compared images from studies conducted in different years . In all the documented pictures , the three objects were found to be orbiting in a counter-clockwise direction around HR8799 , proving that they were planets and not just background objects coincidentally aligned in the image . According to the the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia , there have been 322 planets found outside our solar system . The latest findings bring that total to 326 . The extrasolar planets found have mostly been gaseous in their composition . Both studies indicate that direct-imaging techniques can only aid our efforts in one day finding an Earth-like planet .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After Friday night 's presidential debate , former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger defended Sen. John McCain 's attack against Sen. Barack Obama for Obama 's willingness to meet with the Iranian president `` without precondition . '' Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says he is not in favor of negotiations with Iran at the presidential level . Immediately after the debate , the McCain campaign released a statement from Kissinger backing the Republican nominee 's sentiments on structuring any talks with Iran . `` Sen. McCain is right . I would not recommend the next president of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the presidential level , '' Kissinger said in the statement . `` My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Sen. John McCain . We do not agree on everything , but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality . '' McCain and Obama sparred during the debate over how to best handle relations with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , who has repeatedly threatened Israel . Both candidates referenced Kissinger 's comments from a CNN forum last week in which former secretaries of state discussed several topics , including Iran , and the presidential candidates disagreed over what Kissinger had said . The exchange started with McCain criticizing Obama for stating in two previous debates that he would sit down with Ahmadinejad , Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Ra\u00fal Castro `` without precondition . '' McCain , the Republican nominee , said that in the past , U.S. presidents such as Ronald Reagan refused to meet with adversaries until a Cabinet member , such as the secretary of state , had several talks . `` Look , I 'll sit down with anybody , but there 's got to be preconditions , '' McCain said . Watch the candidates debate policy in Iran '' Obama responded by claiming that Kissinger , `` along with five recent secretaries of state , just said we should meet with Iran , guess what , without preconditions . '' McCain denied the claim : `` Dr. Kissinger did not say that he would approve a face-to-face meeting '' with Ahmadinejad . `` He did say there could be secretary and lower-level meetings . '' Obama defended his stance , explaining , `` Look , Sen. McCain keeps on using this example that suddenly the president would just meet with somebody without doing any preparation , without having low-level talks . Nobody 's been talking about that . Sen. McCain knows it . That 's a mischaracterization of my position . '' He also said , `` I reserve the right as president of the United States to meet with anyone at the time and place of my choosing if I think it 's going to keep the American people safe . '' He added that those talks would come after `` preparations , starting with low-level diplomatic talks . '' The forum last week -- `` The Next President : A World of Challenges '' -- was co-sponsored by CNN and hosted former secretaries of state Warren Christopher , Kissinger , Madeleine Albright , James Baker and Colin Powell . During the forum , Albright , who served in the Clinton administration , said , `` I believe we need to engage with Iran . '' Kissinger , who served in the Nixon and Ford administrations , echoed the sentiment . He said he is `` in favor of negotiation with Iran '' at the secretary of state level . `` I always believed that the best way to begin a negotiation is to tell the other side exactly what you have in mind ... what the outcome is that you 're trying to achieve so that they have something that they can react to , '' Kissinger said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Chicago , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A body found Monday in the Chicago River is that of Michael Scott , president of the Chicago Board of Education , police said . A medical examiner has ruled Scott 's death a suicide , Police Superintendent Jody Weis said , but authorities have not completed their investigation . There was a gunshot wound to the head , police said . Scott 's family had reported him missing about midnight , and his body was found about 3:20 a.m. , Weis said . He was last seen about 6:30 p.m. Sunday , Weis said , but he would not disclose where , saying that may be part of the investigation . Scott 's wife told police that it was `` very unusual '' for him not to be home by midnight , Weis said . The gunshot entrance wound was on the left side of his head , police said . A weapon was found either under or alongside his body , Weis said , and Scott 's car was in the immediate area . The police investigation will include ballistics evidence and analysis of surveillance cameras in the area , Weis said . It is too early for police to draw conclusions , he added . `` Mr. Scott was a strong advocate for education , '' Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said in a written statement . `` His contributions to the minority communities of Cook County will be sorely missed , in particular , his love for the upward mobility of residents from Chicago 's West Side , where he spent his life . '' In Washington , U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan also mourned Scott 's death , saying he was `` shocked and saddened by the sudden death '' of his `` friend and colleague . `` Michael cared passionately about public education and made many courageous decisions as president of the board . He gave his time , energy and talents to improving the life chances of children . `` Chicago has lost a great leader , and the city 's school children have lost a devoted champion . '' Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago school system from 2001 to 2008 . The Rev. Jesse Jackson recalled first meeting Scott about 30 years ago . `` We 're just stunned and shocked , '' he said . `` Michael was so effervescent , so full of life . '' Scott had been appointed to the Chicago Board of Education three times , twice as president . He most recently was appointed in February . Previously , Scott was board president for five years , until July 2006 . Scott disclosed in early August that he had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating how students were chosen for admission to some of Chicago 's most elite public schools . He denied using his influence during two stints as board president to help any student into a selective-enrollment school . Scott , who was a developer , also was criticized in August when it was revealed that he had quietly arranged to develop city-owned land near a park that would have been used in the 2016 Summer Games . The move would have positioned Scott to cash in , had Chicago been awarded the Olympics . The 2016 Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . CNN 's Mark Bixler contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain on Saturday demanded the release of Gilad Shalit as the Israeli soldier marked his 24th birthday in Hamas ' captivity . `` The thoughts of many in Britain are with Gilad Shalit and his family , '' the Foreign Office said . `` His detention is unjustifiable and unacceptable . The British Government demands his immediate and unconditional release . '' Shalit has been held captive since June 25 , 2006 , when Palestinian militants from Gaza captured him . The militants had tunneled into Israel and attacked an Israeli army outpost near the Gaza-Israel-Egypt border , killing two soldiers in the assault . Israel immediately launched a military incursion into Gaza to rescue Shalit , then 19 , but failed to free him . Since being imprisoned by Hamas , Shalit has not been allowed any contact with the outside world , nor any visits by the Red Cross . Details of his incarceration and physical condition remain unknown . In October 2009 , Hamas released a tape of Shalit as a proof of life , in which he urged the Israeli government to do more for his safe release . Shalit 's family has been working to free the soldier and ramped up their efforts during the current holy month of Ramadan . Noam Shalit , the soldier 's father , recently appealed directly to Palestinians in Gaza to put pressure on their Hamas leadership for a prisoner swap during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which ends September 9 . The father has repeated his stance that the Israeli government should release 1,000 prisoners , including 450 whose release Hamas has demanded in exchange for his son . He has been holding a vigil outside the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since early July , when he led a march to his doorstep to support a prisoner exchange as a way to release his son . This Ramadan is different than the previous four , Shalit said , because there is now a deal that was put on the table at the beginning of the year by a German mediator . `` If the two sides of the conflict show some flexibility , it will be possible to make an agreement , '' Shalit said . Such an agreement , Shalit said , would benefit thousands of Palestinian families who would have their fathers and sons back to celebrate the festival of Ramadan . `` I would welcome any release of Palestinian prisoners , but I would welcome the release of one Israeli prisoner , '' said the emotional Shalit , raising a solitary finger . The issue of Shalit came up after British Prime Minister David Cameron issued tough talk about the Palestinian territory of Gaza during a visit to Turkey , comments seen as criticism of Israel . `` Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change . Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions . Gaza can not and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp , '' Cameron said . He also referred to the territory as a `` prison camp . '' Residents of Gaza say they have suffered greatly under an Israeli goods blockade implemented since Hamas took control of the territory after elections in 2006 . But Israel says its tough measures are necessary to stop weapons from reaching Hamas militants intent on destroying Israel . Ron Prosor , Israel 's ambassador to Britain , reacted quickly to the prime minister 's remark , saying that Hamas is responsible for the misery in Gaza and raised the issue of Shalit 's captivity . `` We know that the prime minister would also share our grave concerns about our own prisoner in the Gaza Strip , Gilad Shalit , who has been held hostage there for over four years , without receiving a single Red Cross visit , '' Prosor said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With Congress on its August recess , lawmakers are back in their home districts to meet with their constituents . Voters are confronting lawmakers with tough questions on health care at town hall meetings across the country . Across the country , members of Congress are holding town hall meetings where voters are encouraged to voice any questions or concerns about what 's happening on Capitol Hill . Health care reform has dominated the conversation at the meetings . President Obama has called on Congress to pass legislation this year , but lawmakers are hearing from their constituents that they want more specifics on what reform will mean for them . In addition to taking questions , lawmakers are trying to set the record straight and put an end to the spread of misinformation . Many town hall meetings are open to anyone . If you 're interested in attending one , you 're not alone . More than 70 percent of people say they are either very likely or somewhat likely to attend a town hall on health care , according to a recent CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey . To find a meeting near you , determine who your senators and representatives are . You can find this information on the House and Senate Web sites . Some lawmakers have information about their town hall meetings clearly listed on their Web sites . Democratic Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado , for example , has an `` events '' section detailing the time and location of his upcoming meetings . Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has a section called `` listening sessions . '' It links to a map that shows where the meetings are by county . Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa lists his August meetings under the `` latest headlines '' section of his Web site . Not all of the lawmakers keep their Web sites up to date , and some do n't have their town hall meetings listed online . If that 's the case , you also can call your senator or representative 's office to get more information on upcoming events . It 's a good idea to call their office to confirm the time and location , even if the details are online . Meetings are often rescheduled or relocated , and it never hurts to double-check . Find out what time the doors open , and ask whether registration is required . You can also keep track of your senators and representatives on Twitter . Some lawmakers send messages about their upcoming events . Tweetcongress.org has a list of members of Congress who use Twitter .","question":""}
{"answer":"Seattle , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in Sunday 's fatal shooting of four police officers was shot and killed early Tuesday by an officer after the suspect approached him and `` reached into his waist area , '' authorities said in a statement . Although the medical examiner has not formally identified the man shot and killed in south Seattle about 2:45 a.m. , detectives recognized him as Maurice Clemmons , sought in the killings of four Lakewood , Washington , police officers shot Sunday at a coffee shop , Seattle police said in the written statement . Pierce County Sheriff 's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said earlier Tuesday that Clemmons was carrying a weapon taken from one of the slain officers and had been shot in the abdomen in Sunday 's shooting at the Forza Coffee Company in Parkland , Washington . He had had stuffed gauze and cotton into the wound and put duct tape over it , Troyer said Tuesday . Clemmons had been the subject of an intense manhunt for two days . Two people accused of helping Clemmons evade authorities , brothers Eddie and Douglas Davis , appeared in court Tuesday . Both are charged with rendering criminal assistance , a felony . A man who police believe is the getaway car driver was also in custody , along with a second man . Neither has been charged . The men accused of trying to help Clemmons provided medical aid , housing , a cell phone and money and were trying to get him out of the state , Troyer said earlier Tuesday . They also called in false leads to police to divert investigators . Early Tuesday , a patrol officer saw an unoccupied car in south Seattle that was running and had its hood up , police said . He determined the car was stolen and was doing paperwork in his vehicle when he saw a man approach his patrol car from behind on the driver 's side , the statement said . The officer got out of the car and ordered the man to stop and show his hands , but the man refused , the statement said . Follow local coverage on CNN affiliate KIRO-TV `` As the officer was drawing his gun , the suspect reached into his waist area and moved , '' the police statement said . `` The officer fired several times , striking the suspect at least twice . '' He was pronounced dead at the scene . The officer is a four-year member of the Seattle police force and is a military veteran , police said . He will be placed on administrative leave , which is standard procedure after a shooting involving an officer . Authorities said they regretted the shooting death but are glad the two-day ordeal is over . `` Right now , it 's just a feeling of relief , '' said Jim Pugil , the assistant Seattle police chief . `` Another tragic time has come upon us , and we 're just happy that it 's over . '' Additional arrests in the case are likely , Troyer said Tuesday . `` I am thankful the suspect in this horrible crime is no longer a threat to our community , '' Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a statement . `` I hope this provides some closure for the families and colleagues of our fallen officers . ... We should now focus our attention on providing comfort and support to those who have lost a loved one . '' Clemmons had made comments before Sunday 's shootings that he was going to kill some officers -- comments that were not reported to authorities until after the shootings -- but officials believe he was the lone gunman . `` We do n't think anyone helped him plan this murder , '' Troyer said . The manhunt for Clemmons began Sunday after the four Lakewood officers -- three men and a woman -- were gunned down while meeting at the coffee shop before their shifts began . Clemmons was an ex-convict with a long rap sheet in Washington and Arkansas , according to authorities and documents . Clemmons slipped away from a home in Seattle 's Leschi neighborhood Sunday night before police surrounded the residence for about 12 hours . He was not found in the home when investigators moved in Monday morning , Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel said . Officials said Tuesday that they missed him by mere minutes . Clemmons was accused of child rape and assaulting a police officer in May . He had been released on $ 150,000 bail five days before the shootings , according to court records . After his arrest , Clemmons ' sister told police that he `` had not been himself lately '' and that his behavior was `` unpredictable and erratic . '' `` He had said that the Secret Service was coming to get him because he had written a letter to the president , '' an affidavit quoted her as telling investigators . In addition , neighbors had complained that he had been throwing rocks through their windows . Clemmons ' wife told deputies that she and her husband had argued over a `` newly discovered child , '' and she suggested that was why he went on his rock-throwing spree , according to an arrest affidavit . In 2000 , then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted a prison sentence for Clemmons , according to documents from the Arkansas Department of Community Correction . Clemmons was sentenced to 95 years , to be served consecutive to time he was already serving from previous convictions , according to the documents . In all , he faced a total of 108 years , Arkansas officials said . He returned to prison in 2001 and was paroled in 2004 . Sunday 's shooting was the first for the Lakewood Police Department , which was created five years ago for the town of nearly 60,000 . The slain officers were identified as Sgt. Mark Renninger , 39 ; Officer Ronald Owens , 37 ; Officer Tina Griswold , 40 ; and Officer Greg Richards , 42 . All of them were parents and had been with the department since its inception . `` My worst nightmare has come true , '' said Tiffany Ryan , Griswold 's sister . `` I ca n't tell you how painful it is to lose my sister . '' Police said the gunman walked past the officers to the counter as if to order but then pulled a gun out of his coat and began shooting at 8:15 a.m. Two of the officers were `` executed '' as they sat at a table , Troyer said . Another was shot when he stood up , and the fourth was shot after struggling with the gunman all the way out the door , Troyer said . Officials said Tuesday they know which officer shot him but were withholding that information pending conclusive confirmation . CNN 's Patrick Oppmann , Dan Simon , Dave Alsup , Dina Majoli and Matt Smith contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MINNEAPOLIS , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal grand jury has indicted two Minnesota men in connection with the recruitment of Somali immigrants to fight with Islamic insurgents in their home country . Jamal Bana is one of several missing Somali-Americans believed to have fought with an Islamist insurgency . Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse are charged with one count each of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill , kidnap , maim or injure people overseas , the indictment states . The recruiting effort took place between September 2007 and December 2008 , according to the charges . Ahmed also is charged with two counts of making false statements to investigators . According to the indictment , he told FBI agents that he had traveled alone on a flight to Somalia when , in fact , he and another person were going together `` so that they could fight jihad in Somalia . '' Ahmed was arrested Saturday , FBI Special Agent E.K. Wilson told CNN . Isse had been in custody for some time , said Omar Jamal , the head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis . Both were from Minnesota and in their 20s , Jamal said . Jamal said Ahmed and Isse were '' foot soldiers '' carrying out the work of others , and that he expected more indictments `` in a week or two . '' The FBI has been investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by the al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States . More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months , and at least three have been killed in Somalia , community leaders have said . The latest , Jamal Bana , was confirmed dead over the weekend , his family said Sunday . The same day , Somalia 's president -- a former member of the Islamist movement himself -- issued a plea to Somali-Americans not to join the fight in his country . `` I am saying to those young men from abroad : ` Your families fled your home to America because of insecurity . You should not return here to foment violence against your people , ' '' President Sheik Sharif Ahmed said . Al-Shabaab has ties to al Qaeda and has recruited foreign fighters to join its battle to overthrow the Somali government , U.S. officials said . It remains entrenched in the northeast and in sections south of Somalia 's capital , Mogadishu , after fighting that has uprooted more than 200,000 people since early May , according to the United Nations . Wilson said the number of missing men believed to be in Somalia is `` in the 10s , '' but their recruitment is `` a significant concern and one that we 're giving our highest priority . '' In October , Shirwa Ahmed , 27 , a Somali-American believed to have been radicalized by al-Shabaab , traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others . It was the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen , and it raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI . Burhan Hassan , a 17-year-old Somali-American high school student in Minneapolis , went missing eight months ago , around the same time as Bana . Last month , his family learned that he was killed in Somalia . Neither family has any idea why the young males left the United States , where they came as young boys , and Bana 's family believes he was being held against his will , said Omar Jamal , head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis . `` Only one time he placed a phone call -LSB- in mid-November -RSB- , he did n't say much , '' Jamal said . `` He spoke as if he was being held hostage . He could n't be speak freely . They asked him to cut the conversation short . '' Hassan 's uncle , Abdirizak Bihi , said a fourth man -- 30-year-old Zakariya Maruf -- was killed Friday , but Jamal said Maruf may only be injured . Maruf was the first of the missing Somalis to head overseas , said Bihi , who has become a spokesman for the families of the missing men . Bihi called him a `` leader '' whom the others consulted on travel plans . Many of the missing Somali-Americans are believed to have left for Somalia when Ethiopian forces were still on the ground . Ethiopia invaded Somalia to push the Islamists out of Mogadishu in December 2006 , but their presence in the country was an outrage to most Somalis and became a rallying cry for al-Shabaab . Ethiopian troops left Somalia this year , leaving Ahmed 's weak transitional government to battle the insurgents . CNN 's David McKenzie and Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of a leading Russian human rights group accused the presidents of Russia and Chechnya of complicity in murdering their top activist in Chechnya . Natalya Estemirova , pictured in 2007 , had been openly critical of Chechnya 's president , Ramzan Kadyrov . `` I am confident about who killed Natalya Estemirova . We all know this person . His name is Ramzan Kadyrov , President of the Chechen republic , '' Oleg Orlov , the chairman of the Russian human rights group Memorial said on the group 's Web site Thursday . `` Ramzan was intimidating and insulting Natalya , and considered her his personal enemy . We do n't know whether it was him personally who ordered her -LSB- murder -RSB- or it were his aides who wanted to please their boss . As far as -LSB- Russian -RSB- President -LSB- Dmitry -RSB- Medvedev is concerned , it seems that he does n't mind having a murderer as head of one of the Russian regions . '' Estemirova , 50 , was kidnapped outside her home in Chechnya Wednesday , Orlov said , citing eyewitnesses , and found dead in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia later the same day . Her body was riddled with bullets , Russian prosecutors said -- several shots to the abdomen , and one to the head . The winner of three international human rights awards , she was a leading activist in the North Caucasus area who had been openly critical of Kadyrov and his methods . Kadyrov vowed Thursday that he would personally oversee the investigation and assure her killers were punished . `` She could n't have had enemies among reasonable people , '' he said in a statement on the Chechen government Web site . `` Those who took away her life have no right to be called humans , they do n't deserve any mercy , and should be punished as the most cruel criminals . `` I have no doubts whatsoever that those who ordered and conducted this crime will face trial , '' he said . `` That is the very least that the government and society must do in commemoration of Estemirova . '' Medvedev said Thursday the murder was `` a very sad event , '' adding it was `` absolutely clear ... her murder is linked to her professional activities . `` Her type of professional activity is needed by any normal state . She did very useful things . She spoke the truth . She openly , sometimes harshly assessed some types of processes that occurred in our country , and this is the value of human rights workers , even if they are not comfortable , '' Medvedev said Thursday on a visit to Germany . His host , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , warned the killing could affect Russian-German relations . `` This is an unacceptable event , and especially if we want to intensify the relations between our two countries , it can not remain unsolved , '' she said in a joint appearance with Medvedev . Medvedev had earlier condemned the murder and said her killers should punished to the full extent of the law , his office said . Estemirova shouted that she was being kidnapped , as she was forced into a white Lada automobile that had stopped on the road in front of her house on Wednesday morning , Orlov said . An unidentified man grabbed her and shoved her into the car , Orlov told CNN . Estemirova had spent years investigating human rights abuses in Chechnya , the restive Russian republic where Russian forces have fought two conflicts against separatists since 1991 . Russia officially ended its military mission in Chechnya in April of this year . The activist told CNN in 2007 she was investigating dozens of abductions and murders that had become the norm in Chechnya , where security forces were fighting a dirty war against separatist rebels . She joins a growing list of journalists and activists killed after criticizing the Russian authorities , many of whose murders remain officially unsolved . Top United States and European officials condemned the murder of Estemirova and demanded that the killers be brought to justice . `` Such a heinous crime sends a chilling signal to Russian civil society and the international community and illustrates the tragic deterioration of security and the rule of law in the North Caucasus over the last several months , '' U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement . `` How many more Natalya Estemirovas and Anna Politkovskayas must be killed before the Russian authorities protect people who stand up for the human rights of Russian citizens ? '' Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis demanded , referring to the Russian investigative journalist who was killed in 2006 . The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a written statement that Estemirova had `` uncovered massive , ongoing human rights violations in Chechnya by the federal and regional authorities . '' `` The killers of this courageous reporter , one of the few left in Chechnya , must not be allowed to walk free like so many before them , '' CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said . She won three international awards for human rights activities -- including the inaugural Anna Politkovskaya Award , named for the murdered journalist with whom she often worked . Estemirova was Politkovskaya 's `` most frequent companion during travel and investigations in Chechnya , '' the organization Reach All Women in War said in announcing the prize for Estemirova . `` They investigated a number of cases together -- about which Anna wrote for -LRB- the newspaper -RRB- Novaya Gazeta and Natalya wrote for Memorial 's Web site and for local newspapers . '' Estemirova studied history at Grozny University , then taught history before turning to journalism and human rights in 1998 , Memorial said . She joined the organization in March 2000 . CNN 's Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance , Maxim Tkachenko and Mike Sefanov in Moscow , Russia , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama returned to the United States on Monday morning after an unannounced visit to Afghanistan , where he met with his Afghan counterpart and reiterated the need to wipe out terror networks . Obama slipped into Bagram Air Base near Kabul under the cover of darkness Sunday . He met with about 2,000 troops at the U.S. base and told them their work is significant to security at home . `` I know it 's not easy , '' he said . `` If I thought for a minute that America 's vital interests were not served , were not at stake here in Afghanistan , I would order all of you home right away . '' The United States has made progress in the fight against al Qaeda and its allies , Obama said . `` All of that makes America safer , and we are going to keep them on the run , '' he said . `` Because that is what is going to be required in order to ensure that our families back home have the security that they need . '' Earlier , Obama met with President Hamid Karzai to discuss progress by the Afghan government in strengthening its ability to run the country and provide security for its people . After the 30-minute meeting , Obama said he wanted to send a `` strong message '' that the partnership between the nations would continue . Related : Afghanistan Crossroads Karzai thanked the United States , pointing out that American taxpayers have helped rebuild his country . During his trip , the president made clear that the visit was to encourage the roughly 80,000 U.S. troops in the country . `` The United States of America does not quit once it starts on something . ... We keep at it , '' he told the troops . `` We persevere . And together , with our partners , we will prevail . I am absolutely confident of that . '' Before his departure , Obama also met with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the commander of allied troops in Afghanistan . The trip began in secrecy , with the president leaving his Camp David retreat . He flew to Afghanistan on Air Force One , landing at Bagram Air Base at 7:24 p.m. Sunday . Obama then flew on a helicopter to the Presidential Palace to meet with Karzai . The U.S. president landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland shortly before 9 a.m. ET .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California legislators plan to keep trying to find consensus on a controversial proposal that would release at least 27,000 inmates from state prisons . California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , right , and officials tour a prison last week in Chino after a riot there . The California Assembly on Monday delayed a possible vote on the plan . Lawmakers likely will take up the proposal Wednesday or Thursday , said Shannon Murphy , a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Karen Bass . `` When we arrive at a responsible plan that can earn the support of the majority of the Assembly and make sense to the people of California , we will take that bill up on the Assembly floor , '' Bass , a Los Angeles Democrat , said in a statement . Bass said legislators continue to meet with each other and law enforcement authorities to try to craft a plan that increases public safety , improves the state corrections department and reduces costs . As part of the negotiations , a provision that would set up a 16-member sentencing commission -- which would put new sentencing guidelines in place by 2012 -- was stripped from the bill , Murphy said . But `` it 's not as if we 're giving up on that notion , '' she said . The sentencing commission is a priority for Bass , she said , but the speaker believes she will have more success if she introduces a separate bill to create it . A panel of three federal judges has ordered California to reduce its prison population by about 40,000 by mid-September . The judges acted on the grounds that overcrowded prisons violate inmates ' constitutional rights . The state Senate voted 21-19 Friday to release several thousand inmates early . That vote came after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg , a Sacramento Democrat , assured senators the public would be protected from the most violent offenders . `` Of course , we want to keep violent criminals off our streets and out of our communities , and this reform package is a necessary step to do that because it concentrates our incarceration efforts on the violent criminals and ensures that nonviolent offenders have more contact with parole officers , '' Steinberg said Friday . All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the bill , arguing that it undermines public safety . Democrats control both houses of the California Legislature . `` California 's prison system is in a state of crisis , '' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week while touring the California Institution for Men in Chino . Some 250 inmates were injured this month at the facility in a riot that officials said was ignited by racial tension . Fifty-five inmates were taken to hospitals with serious injuries , including stab wounds and head trauma . Schwarzenegger said the riot was `` a terrible symptom of a much larger problem . ... Our prisons are overcrowded and endangering the staff and the inmates . '' The governor noted he had signed a budget that mandates $ 1.2 billion in cuts to the state corrections system . `` We must be measured and smart about how we go about and create those reductions , '' said Schwarzenegger , a Republican . `` We must find a way to cut costs and relieve overcrowding but without sacrificing public safety . '' Steinberg said the bill under debate would save the financially strapped state some $ 524.5 million . Coupled with budget revisions made in July , the savings would total the entire $ 1.2 billion , he said . Republicans said the bill would lead to the release of about 27,000 prisoners , while Democrats estimated it would reduce the prison population by 27,300 in the 2009-10 fiscal year and 37,000 during fiscal year 2010-11 . But Steinberg said the measure also would reduce the ratio of parolees to parole officers to 45-to-1 . Currently , one parole officer is responsible for about 70 parolees , many of whom commit new crimes and return to custody ; the state has a 70 percent recidivism rate .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four groups that advocate for immigrant rights said Thursday they will challenge Arizona 's new immigration law , which allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency . The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund , the American Civil Liberties Union , the ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center held a news conference Thursday in Phoenix to announce the legal challenge . `` The Arizona community can be assured that a vigorous and sophisticated legal challenge will be mounted , in advance of SB1070 's implementation , seeking to prevent this unconstitutional and discriminatory law from ever taking effect , '' said Thomas A. Saenz , president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund , known as MALDEF . `` This law will only make the rampant racial profiling of Latinos that is already going on in Arizona much worse , '' said Alessandra Soler Meetze , executive director of the ACLU of Arizona . `` If this law were implemented , citizens would effectively have to carry ` their papers ' at all times to avoid arrest . It is a low point in modern America when a state law requires police to demand documents from people on the street . '' Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law last week . It goes into effect 90 days after the close of the legislative session , which has not been determined . Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve racial profiling or any other illegal acts . `` Racial profiling is illegal , '' Brewer said after signing the bill Friday . `` It is illegal in America , and it 's certainly illegal in Arizona . '' The National Coalition Of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders said Sunday it also planned legal action . `` Our churches and pastors in Arizona are outraged about the significant threat this anti-immigrant law will have in the lives of Arizona 's Latinos , '' said the Rev. Miguel Rivera , the group 's chairman . `` This policy violates the rights of American citizens , particularly the fast-growing Latino population of Arizona , by eliminating the basic right of due process , which we are certain that the courts will agree , '' Rivera said . The law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect they 're in the United States illegally . The measure makes it a state crime to live or travel through Arizona illegally . It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them . In addition to signing the law , Brewer also issued an executive order that requires training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling or discrimination . `` This training will include what does and does not constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is not legally present in the United States , '' she said . Some officials in Arizona have expressed their displeasure with the measure . Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said Thursday that he is `` very disappointed . '' He said he is concerned that calls to boycott Arizona businesses and tourism will harm the state . `` I 'm very incredulous that our state leaders -- our so-called leaders -- have allowed our state to be split when we 're suffering economic hardships , '' Gordon told CNN . Other critics say the bill is unconstitutional and will trample residents ' civil rights . `` Quite simply , this law is a civil rights disaster and an insult to American values , '' said Mary Bauer , legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center . `` No one in our country should be required to produce their ` papers ' or demand to prove their innocence . What kind of country are we becoming ? '' But a national Republican leader said Thursday that Arizona is just filling a void left by the federal government . `` I think the people of Arizona have a right to pass their laws under the 10th Amendment , '' House Minority Leader John Boehner said . `` I think it is clearly a result of the federal government 's failure to secure our border and to enforce our laws . '' Gordon said the real solution is comprehensive immigration reform that would allow more immigrants to legally enter the United States . `` This law does n't accomplish that , '' he said . `` It does n't do anything on that . '' President Obama has called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform law this year . CNN has learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democratic senators will unveil the outlines of that legislation late Thursday . But Boehner said at a briefing Thursday that `` there 's not a chance '' that Congress will approve the measure this year , especially after the recent passage of a health care reform bill . `` I 've been out here for a little while and know that in the middle of an election year , after we 've had bills like health care shoved down our throats and the process twisted , tortured , pressured , bribed , you can not do a serious piece of legislation of this size , with this difficulty , in this environment , '' he said . `` And it 's nothing more than a cynical ploy to try and engage voters , some segment of voters , to show up in this November 's elections . '' The Arizona measure has drawn sharp criticism from the Mexican government , which issued an advisory to its citizens this week . The secretary general of the Organization of American States and some member states also expressed concerns about the law Wednesday . `` This is an issue of concern to all citizens of the Americas , beginning with the citizens of the United States , a country with a very rich tradition of immigration and respect for immigrants who have come to lead a better life , '' OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said . `` The rich tradition we all admire , of recognizing immigrants in the United States , has been harmed , undermined . '' The uproar caused by the law has even spread to the nation 's pastime . Protesters plan to demonstrate against the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team Thursday outside Wrigley Field in Chicago , Illinois . In Arizona , two popular singers also will voice their opposition . Grammy Award-winning Colombian singer Shakira is scheduled to meet with Gordon on Thursday evening . Singer-songwriter Linda Ronstadt , an Arizona native of Mexican and German descent , also attended the Thursday afternoon rally with the immigrant rights groups . `` What Gov. Brewer signed into law last week is a piece of legislation that threatens the very heart of this great state , '' Ronstadt said . `` We must come together and stop SB1070 from pitting neighbor against neighbor to the detriment of us all . '' Federal officials estimate there are about 10.8 million illegal immigrants in the United States , of which about 6.6 million come from Mexico and 760,000 from the rest of Latin America . About 1 million come from Asia . Arizona , which is on the Mexican border , has about 460,000 undocumented immigrants , the federal government says . At least five other states , including California , with 2.6 million , have more undocumented immigrants , the government says . The other states with more illegal immigrants than Arizona are Texas , Florida , New York and Georgia . A Pew Research Center survey late last year found that Americans believe Latinos are discriminated against more than any other major racial or ethnic group in American society . The Pew survey also indicated that about one-third of the nation 's Latinos say they or someone they know has experienced discrimination . About 9 percent said they had been stopped by police or other authorities and asked about their immigration status in the year before the survey . Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed said they worried that they , a family member or a close friend could be deported .","question":""}
{"answer":"SEATTLE , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 16-year-old girl was found dead and another girl was found unconscious in an Army barracks at Fort Lewis near Tacoma , Washington , during the weekend , a base spokesman said Monday . `` Neither of the two women had any outward signs of trauma on them , '' said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek . He said that an Army solider who was `` allegedly an acquaintance '' of the two 16-year-olds was questioned by investigators , but no arrests had been made . The spokesman said the name and rank of the soldier who had been questioned was not being released . According to an Army news release , the names of the two girls `` are not being released due to their ages , their civilian status , and the nature of the ongoing investigation . '' The Fort Lewis Criminal Investigation Division is trying to determine why the two girls were in the barracks , where soldiers live , and what led to their conditions when they were found . Emergency personnel from the base responded to a 911 call about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and found the two girls in one of the barracks . A doctor declared one of the girls dead on the scene , and the second girl was transported to Madigan Army Hospital , where she was in stable condition Monday . The Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy , Piek said , and it will be at least a week before results are complete . Both girls are from the nearby South Puget Sound area but were not related to anyone living on base , Piek said . Both girls ' families had been notified , he said . Although Fort Lewis is not open to civilians , they can be escorted in by a soldier living there if they have identification and a reason for coming onto the facility . The circumstances of how the girls came unto the base are under investigation , Piek said , but there was no evidence that security had been compromised . About 30,000 military personnel are based at Fort Lewis . Barracks where soldiers live are usually split into rooms for one to three soldiers , Piek said . Details about the barracks where the girls where found were not released .","question":""}
{"answer":"Orlando , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An autopsy report released Wednesday confirmed that a SeaWorld trainer killed after a 12,000-pound killer whale pulled her underwater died of drowning and traumatic injuries to her body , including her spine , ribs and head . Dawn Brancheau , 40 , was working with a whale named Tilikum in knee-deep water at SeaWorld in Orlando on February 24 when the animal grabbed her by the ponytail and pulled her underwater in front of shocked onlookers at the park 's Shamu Stadium . The autopsy report by the Orange County , Florida , medical examiner 's office says Brancheau 's spinal cord was severed , and she sustained fractures to her jawbone , ribs and to a cervical vertebra , in addition to the drowning . Rescuers were not immediately able to reach Brancheau because of the `` whale 's aggressive nature , '' the county sheriff 's office said . SeaWorld staff members recovered Brancheau after Tilikum was coaxed into a smaller pool and lifted out of the water by a large platform on the bottom of the smaller tank , authorities said . Video shows Tilikum performing before attack A source at SeaWorld told CNN in February that after seizing her , the whale dove deep underwater . Brancheau 's body was recovered about 40 minutes later . Tilikum has been linked to two other deaths . He and two other whales were involved in the drowning of a trainer at a Victoria , British Columbia , marine park in 1991 . The trainer fell into the whale tank at the Sea Land Marine Park Victoria and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched . In 1999 , Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld , the apparent victim of a whale 's `` horseplay , '' authorities said then . The Orange County Sheriff 's Office said the man apparently hid in the park until after it closed , then climbed into the tank . Because of Tilikum 's history , as well as his size , trainers did not get into the water with him and specific procedures were in place for working with him , SeaWorld officials have said . Two days after Brancheau 's death , the head of SeaWorld said Tilikum `` is a wonderful animal '' and `` will remain an active and contributing member of the team despite what happened . '' `` He 's a very special animal that requires special handling , '' said Jim Achison , president of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment . `` Obviously , the procedures that we 've had in place are something we 're revisiting at this point . '' Tilikum 's size and weight -- 12,000 pounds , compared with 6,000 to 9,000 pounds for the facility 's other killer whales -- were one reason separate procedures were in place for him at the Orlando facility .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Americans appear to actually thrive on adversity , according to a study published this week that reached the conclusion after researching the nation 's biggest economic downturn . This sculpture at the FDR Memorial in Washington depicts men waiting in a Great Depression bread line . Life expectancy during the peak years of the Great Depression increased 6.2 years -- from 57.1 years in 1929 to 63.3 years in 1933 -- according to University of Michigan researchers Jose A. Tapia Granados and Ana Diez Roux . The increase applied to men and women , whites and non-whites . The team crunched data from the federal government and concluded that `` population health did not decline and indeed generally improved during the four years of the Great Depression , 1930-1933 , with mortality decreasing for almost all ages , and life expectancy increasing by several years in males , females , whites , and non-whites . '' For most age groups , `` mortality tended to peak during years of strong economic expansion -LRB- such as 1923 , 1926 , 1929 and 1936-1937 -RRB- , '' they wrote in the `` Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . '' `` The finding is strong and counterintuitive , '' said Tapia Granados , the lead author of the study . `` Most people assume that periods of high unemployment are harmful to health . '' The researchers used historical life expectancy and mortality data to examine the association between economic growth and population health from 1920 to 1940 . Though population health improved during 1930-1933 and during the recessions of 1921 and 1938 , mortality -- the death rate -- increased and life expectancy fell during times of economic expansion , such as 1923 , 1926 , 1929 and 1936-1937 , they wrote . The researchers looked at mortality rates due to six causes of death that made up two-thirds of total mortality in the 1930s : cardiovascular and kidney diseases , cancer , influenza and pneumonia , tuberculosis , motor vehicle injuries and suicide . Only suicide went up during economic downturns , they said , citing the recession years 1921 , 1932 and 1938 , but suicides accounted for less than 2 percent of total deaths . Those years were marked by high unemployment ; the nation experienced its highest unemployment rate of 22.9 percent in 1932 , they wrote . Yet from 1920 to 1940 , life expectancy increased 8.8 years . The authors speculated about possible explanations for why population health tends to improve during recessions but not expansions . `` During expansions , firms are very busy , and they typically demand a lot of effort from employees , who are required to work a lot of overtime , and to work at a fast pace , '' Tapia Granados said . `` This can create stress , which is associated with more drinking and smoking . '' In addition , new , inexperienced workers may be more likely to become injured ; workers may sleep less and adopt less healthy eating habits , he said . Further , boom times may translate into more industrial pollution , which can take a toll on populations ' health , he said . During recessions , with less work to do , employees may work slower , sleep longer and spend more time with family and friends , he said . With less money , they may spend less on alcohol and tobacco . The researchers pointed out that their work looked at the relationship between recessions and mortality on a macro level and was not predictive for any one person . The findings may apply to others , too . Tapia Granados , 53 , whose work was self-funded , said he has carried out similar studies that looked at Japan , Spain and Sweden . `` In the three of them , it was the same , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka ordered an end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country 's north , the president 's office said Monday . But the rebels accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians . Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard next to a tank captured from the Tamil Tigers . `` Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy-caliber guns , combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties , '' according a statement from the Presidential Secretariat . A rebel Web site , Tamilnet.com , immediately accused the government of violating its own order and `` deceiving the international community . '' `` Two Sri Lanka air force fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets in Mu ` l'li-vaaykkaal after the announcement by the Sri Lankan forces that it would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks , '' Tamilnet said , citing S. Puleedevan , director of the Tamil Peace Secretariat . `` Obviously we need to see what that means in practice , '' John Holmes , the head of U.N. humanitarian operations , said about the government announcement to end combat operations . `` But , on the face of it , I think it 's good news . '' The military will now concentrate on `` saving '' and `` rescuing civilians , '' who have been caught in the fighting between government forces and rebel fighters , the presidential statement said . The government 's decision followed an unscheduled meeting of the National Security Council called by President Mahinda Rajapaksa . The session included the commanders of the army , navy and air force . The developments came a day after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels , warning instead that government troops would continue a new offensive until the group surrendered , a senior government official told CNN . `` The government is firm that -LRB- the rebels -RRB- lay down their arms and surrender . We do not recognize this so-called offer , '' said Lakshman Hulugalle , director of Sri Lanka 's Media Center for National Security . The Tiger leadership had asked the international community to `` pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate '' on the cease-fire offer . The United States , the United Nations , the European Union and India have called for a cease-fire . The foreign ministers of three nations are due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday -- David Miliband of the United Kingdom , Bernard Kouchner of France and Carl Bildt of Sweden . The rebels ' proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- . Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday , according to Sri Lankan army sources . A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday . Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country 's northeastern coast . Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area , but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of `` fresh displacement '' now exceeds 100,000 people . Watch civilians describe what they are experiencing '' Fifty metric tons of relief supplies -- which landed in Colombo on Monday -- will be sent by UNICEF to the north to help displaced residents . UNICEF , which called the situation in the north a `` catastrophe for children , '' said the displaced lack food , water and basic medical supplies . The rebels estimate the number of civilians still located in the territory at more than 160,000 . The Sri Lankan military said it `` freed 3,254 civilians from LTTE clutches '' in operations Sunday . The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka 's northeast since 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began , and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries , including the United States and the European Union .","question":""}
{"answer":"GAZA CITY , Gaza -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A truce between Israel and Gaza 's Hamas leaders will take effect Thursday and last for six months , Hamas officials said Tuesday . Palestinian Hamas security men stand to attention at a training academy in Gaza City last week . Israeli officials , however , stopped short of confirming that a cease-fire agreement has been reached . `` It 's still early to announce an agreement of calm , '' Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement . `` When it starts , if it starts , it 's hard to say how long it will last . The test will be how it 's implemented . '' Hamas senior official Mahmoud Zahar and Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya announced the Egyptian-brokered agreement at a news conference in Gaza . They said it will begin at 6 a.m. Thursday -LRB- 11 p.m. Wednesday ET -RRB- . On Sunday , Israel gradually will start to open its border crossing terminals , the Hamas officials said . Asked about initial reports of a cease-fire , one Israeli official would not confirm whether an agreement had been finalized but said any truce would involve a sequential process . Watch what truce may mean in Gaza '' The official said Israel would reopen some of its terminals along the Gaza border after calm had been established . He said Israel is still calling for the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit as part of a broader cease-fire . Gaza militants kidnapped Shalit in June 2006 . Egypt has been trying to broker a truce between Hamas and Israel for months . Militants in Hamas-controlled Gaza have pummeled Israel with thousands of rocket and mortar attacks , prompting Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory . Referring to the Egyptian mediation efforts , Barak said , `` It 's important to exhaust the possibility . `` The IDF -LSB- Israel Defense Forces -RSB- is prepared for any developments , but it is important to attempt to achieve a period of calm to bring back the peace and quiet for the -LSB- Israeli -RSB- people who live around Gaza in Sderot and Ashkelon and to try and renew negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit . '' Militants in Gaza have launched more than 2,300 mortars and rockets since the start of 2008 , more than the 2,000 launched in all of last year , according to Israeli military figures . While most of the attacks do not result in casualties , three Israelis have been killed in rocket and mortar strikes in recent weeks . The Israeli military responds to the attacks by carrying out airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza that target militants , but many times lead to civilian casualties -- further inflaming the Palestinian leadership . Israel also has restricted supplies of gasoline , diesel and electricity to Gaza , limited the amount of food and other goods entering the strip and made it virtually impossible for manufacturers and farmers in Gaza to export anything to the outside world . Hamas seized control of Gaza last year after routing Palestinian security agencies under the control of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement . The ouster forced Abbas to dissolve the Fatah-Hamas unity government , but Fatah still controls the West Bank . Representatives from the rival factions met recently in Senegal for talks aimed at restoring the political and territorial split . Earlier this month , Abbas called for `` national unity '' talks with Hamas with the goal of producing new elections for the Palestinians , who elected a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government in a U.S.-backed vote in 2006 . Meanwhile , Abbas ' Western-backed government is working toward a peace agreement with Israel . The Bush administration has said it wants the two sides to reach an agreement by the end of the year . CNN 's Shira Medding contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- India are poised to build a handy first-innings lead over South Africa after Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries on the second day of the second cricket Test in Kolkata . The home side , needing to win to level the series and retain their No. 1 ranking in the five-day game , reached 342-5 when bad light halted play early on Monday , having bowled the Proteas out for 296 in the morning session . Opener Sehwag smashed a scintillating 165 off only 174 balls faced , hitting 23 boundaries and two sixes as he added 249 for the third wicket with Tendulkar . The veteran Tendulkar extended his world record of Test tons to 47 as he took on the junior role , facing 206 deliveries for his 106 . Sehwag , who was dropped by J.P. Duminy on 47 , had threatened South African Jacques Kallis 's record for the fastest half-century but suffered a brief lull in run flow before passing the mark in just 41 deliveries . He and Gautam Gambhir put on 73 for the first wicket in just 9.2 overs before the latter was run out for 25 , then paceman Morne Morkel had Murali Vijay caught behind by stand-in wicketkeeper A.B. De Villiers for seven . India reached lunch at 97-2 and Sehwag raced to three figures in only 87 balls for his 19th Test century as the duo batted through the middle session , going to tea at 232-2 . They both fell late in the day as part-time bowler Duminy removed Tendulkar and fellow spinner Paul Harris dismissed Tendulkar , then paceman Dale Steyn bowled Subramaniam Badrinath for one . V.V.S. Laxman -LRB- 9 -RRB- and nightwatchman Amit Mishra -LRB- 1 -RRB- survived until stumps as India extended their lead to 46 . South Africa had resumed on 266-9 after a late collapse on Sunday , and tailenders Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell added another 30 runs for a final-wicket stand of 35 . Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan finally ended their resistance , trapping Parnell leg before wicket for 12 in his first over of the day to finish with figures of 4-90 . Spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed three wickets on Sunday . Meanwhile , New Zealand reached 258-5 on a rain-hit opening day of the one-off Test against tourists Bangladesh in Hamilton . The Kiwis slumped to 66-3 after Monday 's start was delayed by an hour due to wet conditions , but Martin Guptill then added 60 with Ross Taylor -LRB- 40 -RRB- and an unbroken 100 with Brendon McCullum to guide the home team safely to stumps . No. 3 batsman Peter Ingram crashed 42 off 47 deliveries before becoming the second of Rubel Hossain 's three victims , but it was Guptill 's more measured Test best score of 80 that anchored the innings . The big-hitting McCullum kept the score ticking over as he celebrated his 50th Test with his 16th half-century , ending the day on 58 from 71 deliveries .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lawmakers in Ukraine scuffled with each other , throwing punches and eggs , as parliament met Tuesday to ratify a treaty with Russia that extends the latter 's navy presence in the Ukraine 's Crimean peninsula until 2042 . The ruling Regions party eventually ratified the treaty but not before howls of protest from the opposition . Someone set off a smoke bomb inside the building , while Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn sought refuge behind an umbrella as he was pelted with eggs . During a rally attended by thousands on Saturday , opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko -- the former prime minister who lost to Viktor Yanukovych in the presidential election run-off in February -- said the ratification must be prevented at all costs . She claimed that Yanukovych is `` selling out '' Ukraine , has `` openly embarked on the path of destruction of -LRB- Ukraine 's -RRB- national interests , and has actually begun the process of eliminating the state 's sovereignty . '' The deal was signed last week by Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . Tymoshenko said it violated part of the Ukrainian Constitution , which forbids the country from hosting foreign military bases after 2017 . The deal extends Russia 's lease of a major naval base in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol for an additional 25 years , in exchange for a 30 percent cut in the price of natural gas that Russia sells to Ukraine . The agreement may bring an end to years of disputes over natural gas prices , which culminated in Russia turning off the pipeline to Ukraine . The dispute affected not only Ukrainians , but many Europeans who depend on Russian gas pumped through Ukraine . The two countries had been at odds ever since the `` Orange Revolution '' swept Yanukovych 's fiercely anti-Russian predecessor Viktor Yushchenko to power in 2005 . Throughout his time in office , Yushchenko repeatedly threatened to expel Russia 's Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol . The Russian military lease there was scheduled to expire in 2017 . Yanukovych said the new deal added a `` concrete and pragmatic dimension '' to centuries of relations between Ukrainians and Russians . Opposition groups in Ukraine , however , were quick to denounce the agreement . Yuschenko 's `` Our Ukraine '' party said the treaty would lead to the `` Russification '' of Ukraine .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama on Monday blamed lobbyists , special interests and `` an ethic of irresponsibility '' in Washington for the financial crisis that has swept the country in recent weeks . Sen. Barack Obama said Monday there needs to be more oversight in Washington . The senator from Illinois sided with congressional Democrats , who say a government bailout of the financial sector must include government oversight . `` We can not give a blank check to Washington with no oversight and accountability , when no oversight and accountability is what got us into this mess in the first place , '' Obama said . President Bush 's top economic advisers this weekend presented a $ 700 billion plan to Congress to take control of `` illiquid assets , '' including bad mortgages . Bush urged Congress to pass the plan as is , but Democrats on the Hill already are circulating a counterproposal . Sen. John McCain , Obama 's Republican rival for the presidency , said Monday that the government 's proposal puts too much power into the hands of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson . In a conference call Monday with reporters , McCain 's top campaign officials refused to say how the senator from Arizona would vote on the plan because it is not yet clear what the final version will contain . At a campaign event Monday in Green Bay , Wisconsin , Obama laid out the reforms he would pursue as president to avoid another economic crisis . Watch Obama talk about the crisis on Wall Street '' First , Obama said that he would reform `` our special interest-driven politics . '' He said members of his administration would not be able to use their position as a steppingstone for lobbyist careers . Watch what Obama says about McCain 's role in the situation '' Obama said he would make the government `` open and transparent '' and put any bill that ends up on his desk online for five days before he signs it . Secondly , Obama said he would `` eliminate the waste and the fraud and abuse in our government . '' He pointed to fixing the health care system and ending the war in Iraq as ways to cut costs . Obama also said that he and his running mate , Sen. Joe Biden , would crack down on excessive spending from both parties and close loopholes for big corporations . Obama said he would pursue `` updated , common-sense regulations '' in the financial market . Earlier Monday , McCain told voters he was `` greatly concerned '' about the government 's proposed rescue plan . `` Never before in the history of our nation has so much power and money been concentrated in the hands of one person , '' McCain said at a town hall meeting in Scranton , Pennsylvania . The Republican candidate said that while he admires and respects Paulson , `` this arrangement makes me deeply uncomfortable . '' McCain said a high-level oversight board should be created to shepherd the government 's proposed $ 700 billion bailout plan . McCain criticized Obama for not putting up a plan to address the financial situation . `` At a time of crisis , when leadership is needed , Sen. Obama has simply not provided it , '' he said . Watch what McCain says about Obama 's leadership '' Obama has said several times since the recent Wall Street crisis that , in meeting with top economists , he was encouraged to not roll out a specific plan for fear of overly politicizing the work of Congress on a government bailout of financial firms . He has , however , offered ideas for the plan -- including limiting pay for executives of businesses that are bailed out by the government and making sure the effort includes a specific plan for the money to be repaid . McCain on Monday proposed creating a bipartisan oversight board that would be able to `` impose accountability and establish concrete criteria for who gets help and who does n't . '' The Republican presidential candidate said the board should be made up of `` qualified citizens who have no agenda . '' He pointed to Warren Buffett , former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as potential board members . Buffett , chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway , supports Obama . Romney backs McCain , and Bloomberg is an independent . McCain also called for `` transparency and accountability '' on Wall Street and urged Congress to act quickly . The Bush administration 's proposal to bail out the financial system is the centerpiece of what would be the most sweeping economic intervention by the government since the Great Depression . The plan would allow the Treasury to buy up mortgage-related assets from American-based companies and foreign firms with a big exposure to these illiquid assets . The aim is for the government to buy the securities at a discount , hold onto them and then sell them for a profit . The government 's rescue plan follows a week of roller-coaster activity in the financial markets . In the lead-up to Bush 's proposal , the country saw the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers , a Bank of America buyout of Merrill Lynch and a government bailout of insurer American International Group Inc. . CNNMoney.com staff contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brooke Mueller has reconsidered her decision to undergo at-home drug rehab . Instead , Charlie Sheen 's ex-wife has checked into an in-patient treatment center , her spokesman said Tuesday . Mueller was arrested in Aspen , Colorado , on December 3 and charged with assault and cocaine possession , police said . Mueller 's publicist told CNN Monday that she would `` take a different approach to deal with her addiction '' with a daytime rehab program and around-the-clock supervision at home . `` After further reflection and consideration , Brooke has decided to remove herself from the media spotlight and has entered a long-term in-patient treatment center where she can focus on her recovery without distraction , '' spokesman Steve Honig said Tuesday . Mueller , 34 , checked into the rehab facility before the announcement was made , he said . `` Brooke 's goal is to maintain her sobriety and she believes this is the best option to reach that goal , '' Honig said . The 2-year-old twin sons she shares with Sheen `` will remain in their home and familiar surroundings and be under the care of their longtime nanny , '' he said . `` Charlie and Brooke 's parents fully support her decision and everyone recognizes the importance of maintaining the children 's normal routine , '' he said . The incidents in Aspen began when a woman at the Belly Up -- a bar and performance venue there -- complained that Mueller had been `` the aggressor '' in an assault , Aspen police said . Mueller was found and arrested after midnight at another bar , Escobar , police said . She was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute , which is a felony , and third-degree assault , which is a misdemeanor . She was released after posting an $ 11,000 bond , Aspen police said . A court date is scheduled for Monday . Mueller has appeared as an actress in several movies , including 2004 's `` A Love Song for Bobby Long , '' according to IMDb . But she is more widely known as the ex-wife of Sheen . The twin sons and Mueller were part of Sheen 's volatile public fall-out with CBS earlier this year as he left his starring role on the network 's `` Two and Half Men . '' She claimed in March that he 'd threatened to kill her , saying , `` I will cut your head off , put it in a box and send it to your mom , '' according to a declaration made in a restraining order against Sheen . The revelations led to a court order removing the 2-year-old boys from Sheen 's home . The actor called the allegation `` colorful '' and described the quote attributed to him as fabricated in an interview with NBC 's `` Today Show . '' Mueller has sought help for substance abuse and stress-related issues in the past . Last December , her attorney , Yale Galanter , said that she entered a sober living facility . Earlier , in April 2010 , Mueller had checked into a treatment facility for help with stress management to prevent a `` return to old problems , '' her representative said . She was in substance abuse rehab earlier in 2010 `` to get her health in order , '' Galanter said at the time . The couple was involved in an alleged domestic dispute in Aspen on Christmas Day 2009 that resulted in felony charges against Sheen . CNN 's Jack Hannah contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The murder trial of American student Amanda Knox in the death of her housemate two years ago resumed Monday in Italy after a summer break . The trial of American college student Amanda Knox , 22 , resumes Monday , September 14 . Knox , 22 , and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also face charges of sexual assault . They are accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher , Knox 's housemate in Perugia , a scenic university town north of Rome . Kercher , 20 , died in what prosecutors called a `` drug-fueled sex game . '' She was found half-undressed in bed , with a stab wound to her neck on November 2 , 2007 . Knox and Sollecito were both present at Monday 's court session , Kercher 's attorney Francesco Maresca said . Sollecito 's defense attorneys requested the annulment of DNA analysis , which investigators say shows Sollecito 's genetic material on the clasp of the victim 's bra . The judge rejected the request . The next hearing is scheduled on Friday , Maresca said . Knox , from Seattle , Washington , took the stand in June and testified that she was not at the girls ' villa the night her roommate died , which authorities think was the evening of November 1 . She said she was visiting her then-boyfriend , Sollecito , at his home , where the two watched a movie , smoked marijuana , had sex and went to bed . On her return to their villa the next morning , Knox said , she noticed `` strange things , '' such as the front door left open , dried blood in the bathroom sink and a locked door to Kercher 's room . When Knox returned to Sollecito 's house , he suggested they call police in case the house had been burgled , she said . Police found Kercher 's body in the house . Prosecutors say evidence places the defendants at the scene . They also said the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died . Knox said she gave conflicting answers at the interrogation on November 6 because of police pressure and her confused state . `` When I would say that I was with Raffaele , they would say , ` You are a liar , ' and they repeated this , '' she said in June , speaking about the police . '' ` You will go to prison for 30 years . ... You must remember . ' '' During the trial , she said police had slapped her on the head during questioning , a charge she had made before . The case has attracted worldwide media attention . During her testimony in June , cameras were barred from the courtroom because the prosecutor said he wanted to avoid sensationalism . A third person , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede , was convicted of murder in the case in October and was sentenced to 30 years in prison . He is appealing his conviction .","question":""}
{"answer":"DENVER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Hillary Clinton introduced herself as a `` proud supporter of Barack Obama '' at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday as she called on her party to rally behind her former rival . Sen. Hillary Clinton , with daughter Chelsea , receives a standing ovation from the Democratic delegates . `` Whether you voted for me , or voted for Barack , the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose . We are on the same team , and none of us can sit on the sidelines . This is a fight for the future . And it 's a fight we must win together , '' she said . Leading up to her address , there was a lot of speculation about what she would say and whether she would make a strong enough call for unity . But she made a very strident case for Obama 's candidacy . `` No way . No how . No McCain . Barack Obama is my candidate . And he must be our president , '' Clinton said . Her speech , which was the last of the night , followed a line up of other Democrats who used their time at the podium to attack President Bush 's record and McCain 's policies . Appearing strong and energized , Clinton thanked her voters for supporting her historic campaign as a female candidate and reached out to those wary of Obama by telling them they were n't in this for her , but for her cause . That cause , she said , is the same thing that Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party are fighting for . Watch Clinton 's entire speech '' Many analysts said the speech would end speculation that Clinton has not fully embraced Obama as her party 's candidate . Clinton mentioned Obama by name more than twice as many times as she mentioned the party as a whole . Analysts weigh in on the night 's speakers '' `` I thought she was a class act , '' said political analyst David Gergen , who worked in the Clinton administration . `` I think it could well be said that nothing has so become her campaign as the way she has ended it here tonight . '' Clinton also praised Obama 's newly tapped vice presidential candidate , Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware . The former first lady called Biden `` pragmatic , tough and wise . '' Watch Clinton talk about the Obama-Biden team '' Clinton was met with a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience . Only a few pockets of the standing-room only convention center were n't on their feet cheering for her . Observers said she had the biggest reception of the evening . As soon as the speech ended , the McCain campaign issued a statement implying that Clinton did nothing to dispel her previous criticism of Obama . `` Sen. Clinton ran her presidential campaign making clear that Barack Obama is not prepared to lead as commander-in-chief . Nowhere tonight did she alter that assessment , '' McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said . `` Nowhere tonight did she say that Barack Obama is ready to lead . Millions of Hillary Clinton supporters and millions of Americans remain concerned about whether Barack Obama is ready to be president . '' The McCain campaign has stepped up its effort to woo disaffected Clinton supporters , running ads highlighting Clinton 's criticism of Obama during the primaries . Obama called Clinton after the speech and thanked her for her support and said she could not have done a better job . Earlier , former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner appealed across party lines in his keynote address . Obama has been campaigning hard to win Virginia , which has n't voted for a Democratic president since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 . Watch Warner make his case for Obama '' According to CNN 's electoral map , the state is a toss-up going into the general election . In order for Obama to take the state 's 13 electoral votes , he would need to win over some of Virginia 's independent and Republican voters . Instead of tearing into the current administration , Warner talked about ideas -- highlighting science and technology . `` I know we 're at the Democratic convention , but if an idea works , it really does n't matter if it has an ` R ' or 'D ' next to it , '' Warner said . `` Because this election is n't about liberal versus conservative . It 's not about left versus right . It 's about the future versus the past . '' His words echoed Obama 's own keynote speech of four years ago when the then little known senator from Illinois spoke of what united rather than divided Americans . In 2004 , before John Kerry was nominated for president , Obama said to delegates : `` There is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America . There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there 's the United States of America . '' Republican strategist Alex Castellanos said Warner 's address could do for him what Obama 's address did four years ago . Watch Warner 's entire speech '' `` It 's a very powerful speech . He 's going to come out of this convention the way Barack Obama came out of the last convention -- as the rock star , as the next guy , '' he said . `` It was an important speech because if this election is about experience and strength , McCain wins . But if this election 's about the past versus the future , Republicans have a much tougher job . '' Warner 's most blunt criticism of President Bush was that he has kept the country from living up to its potential . Tuesday 's other speakers played up Obama 's message of change and tore into McCain , saying he would only bring about more of the same . Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Casey Jr. at one point feigned shock at the idea that the Republican Party was asking for four more years in the White House , promising the party of President Bush and McCain `` not four more years , but four more months . '' In response , the delegates jumped to their feet shouting , `` Four more months ! Four more months ! '' Audience members also waved signs that said `` McCain more of the same . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon , Pentagon officials said Thursday . A file image of the USS Cole , which the U.S. Navy moved to the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon . The deployment comes amid a political standoff over Lebanon 's presidency , but the Navy would not say whether the events are linked . `` It 's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our Navy do , the presence is important , '' Adm. Mike Mullen , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Thursday . `` It is n't meant to send any stronger signal than that , '' he said . `` But it does signal that we 're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity , and that 's a very important part of the world . '' The Cole was badly damaged by an al Qaeda bombing during a port call in Yemen in 2000 , killing 17 sailors . It returned to service in 2002 . The destroyer and two support ships are close to Lebanon but out of visual range of the coast , Pentagon officials said . Another six vessels , led by the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau , are close to Italy and steaming toward the other three , the officials said . Mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president , which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week . But he said the vote was `` important , '' and Washington was waiting for it to take place . And a Bush administration official told CNN the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringSyria that `` the U.S. is concerned about the situation in Lebanon , and we want to see the situation resolved . '' `` We are sending a clear message for the need for stability , '' said the official , who was not authorized to speak for publication . The ships `` should be there a while , '' the official added . Lebanon 's pro-Western majority in parliament and the pro-Syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years . The country has been without a president since November , when pro-Syrian leader Emile Lahoud 's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement . Despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman , disagreements over how to share power in a future Cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote . Parliament speaker Nabih Berri 's office announced Tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to March 11 . Berri 's office said the Arab League needed more time to break the deadlock . Lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , whose supporters blamed Damascus for his killing . The resulting outcry eventually drove Syrian forces out of Lebanon , where they had been stationed since the 1970s . E-mail to a friend CNN Correspondent Zain Verjee contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Twenty-eight suspected pirates were taken into custody Friday by the European Union Naval Force after a handful of failed attacks on fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean , the EU mission said . In the first incident , the mission intercepted a mother ship and two skiffs early Friday in the southern Indian Ocean between the Seycelles and Mombasa , Kenya . The mission said the suspected pirates were in an area where an earlier attack had occurred . A helicopter from the French warship FS Nivose then tracked the vessels and saw the suspects throwing things overboard , the mission said . When a French team arrived at the scene , it found 11 suspected pirates and `` pirate paraphernalia '' in the skiffs : a rocket launcher , grappling hooks and several fuel barrels . The forces destroyed the pirate ship and a skiff and took the suspected pirates into custody . The fate of the second skiff was not immediately known . Soon after , pirates tried to attack a French fishing vessel near two other fishing boats , said Cmdr. John Harbour , spokesman for the EU Naval Force . The French fishing vessel collided with the suspected pirates ' vessel and sank it , Harbour said . Six suspected pirates were picked out of the water by the EU force , he said . It was not immediately clear if they had been transported to the FS Nivose , although that had been planned , he said . Later , pirates tried to attack a Spanish fishing vessel , Harbour said . The boat alerted the EU Naval Force , and air and naval units intervened , he said . Eleven suspected pirates were taken into custody and were on board the Nivose , Harbour said . Harbour said an increase in pirate attacks was likely over the next few weeks as the monsoon season was ending and the ocean was becoming calmer , he said . `` The pirates have been preparing for it . ... We are prepared as well , '' he said . On Thursday , pirates on two skiffs in the Indian Ocean attacked the Spanish fishing vessel Albacan , the EU Naval Force said . The pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade , which exploded on the Albacan 's deck and burst into flames , force said . Armed guards on the Albacan fired shots at the skiffs and repelled the attack , it said . No crew members were injured , and the small fire was extinguished . The EU mission tries to deter and stop piracy off Somalia , which has been mired in chaos since the early 1990s . It escorts vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean carrying World Food Program humanitarian aid to displaced people in Somalia . It also seeks to protect `` vulnerable vessels '' in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast , according to the mission 's Web site .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Switzerland defender Philippe Senderos is in talks to leave Arsenal and join English Premier League rivals Everton , according to the Liverpool-based side . Philippe Senderos is seeking to leave Arsenal to keep his World Cup hopes alive . The 24-year-old has been out of favor with the London club for the past year or so , and spent last season on loan with Italy 's AC Milan . The center-back made only 15 appearances in his injury-hit stint with the Rossoneri , and returned to Arsenal where he has a year left on his contract . Everton chairman Bill Kenwright confirmed that talks were underway , but said that no deal had been done despite an earlier claim by the Swiss Football Federation . `` We have been negotiating with Arsenal for the transfer of Philippe . Nothing has been concluded yet but talks are on going , '' Kenwright told Everton 's official Web site on Tuesday . Everton face the possible departure of England defender Joleon Lescott , the subject of two bids from big-spending EPL rivals Manchester City . Transfer gossip : City to bid again for Lescott . Manager David Moyes has rejected both offers and is determined to keep the player , who has been ruled out of recent pre-season friendly action due to a hip injury picked up on the tour of the United States . Moyes needs cover for injured center-back Phil Jagielka , who is not expected to return to action until November . The Swiss Football Federation had said on its official Web site on Monday that Senderos had agreed to join Everton because he needed regular first-team action ahead of next year 's World Cup finals in South Africa . Switzerland are level on points with Greece at the top of Group Two after six of 10 games , with the winner qualifying directly and the runner-up hoping to go into one of the four play-offs . Senderos joined Arsenal in the summer of 2003 from Swiss club Servette , and established himself in the first team alongside Kolo Toure when regular Sol Campbell was injured . However , he missed the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona due to his own injury , with England defender Campbell returning in his place to score the opening goal of the 2-1 reverse . Senderos missed the start of the 2006-07 season after suffering a shoulder problem at the World Cup finals , and subsequently struggled to break back into the Arsenal team . Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a wealth of central defensive resources despite selling Toure to City last month , having brought in Belgium international Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in June . William Gallas , Johan Djourou , Mikael Silvestre and Alex Song are also competing for first-team places .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Millard Fuller , who founded Habitat for Humanity International along with his wife , has died , officials said Tuesday . He was 74 . Millard Fuller appears with President Bush at a Habitat for Humanity event in Tampa , Florida , in 2001 . Fuller died early Tuesday `` after a brief illness , '' said a statement on the Web site of the organization he currently headed , Fuller Center for Housing , in Americus , Georgia . `` Family and friends are mourning the tragic loss of a great servant leader and a genuine heart , '' the statement said . Fuller had suffered from chest congestion for three to four weeks , said Holly Chapman , spokeswoman for the Fuller Center . He died about 3 a.m. en route to a hospital , she said . With his wife , Linda , Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976 . The Alabama native rose `` from humble beginnings '' to become a `` young , self-made millionaire , '' according to his biography on Habitat for Humanity 's Web site . He and a college friend began a marketing firm while still in school , `` but as his business prospered , his health , integrity and marriage suffered , '' the biography said . `` These crises prompted Fuller to re-evaluate his values and direction . His soul-searching led to reconciliation with his wife and to a renewal of his Christian commitment , '' it said . The Fullers sold all their possessions , gave money to the poor and began searching for a new direction . They found Koinonia Farm , a Christian community near Americus in rural southwest Georgia , the biography said . Along with Koinonia founder Clarence Jordan and a few others , the couple initiated several enterprises , among them a housing ministry that built modest homes on a no-interest , nonprofit basis and made them affordable to low-income families . Homeowner families were expected to use their own labor to help defray costs on their home as well as homes for other families . Money to build homes was placed into a revolving fund , enabling more to be built , according to the biography . In 1973 , the Fullers moved to Africa to test their housing model , the biography said . Their project was launched in Zaire -- now the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- and was a success . `` Fuller became convinced that this model could be expanded and applied all over the world , '' the biography said . When Fuller returned to the United States three years later , he met with a group of associates to create Habitat for Humanity International . According to its Web site , Habitat has provided shelter for more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities . `` I see life as both a gift and a responsibility . My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need , '' Fuller once said , according to Habitat 's Web site . Former President Carter , a key Habitat supporter , fellow Georgian and a close friend , issued a statement Tuesday saying Fuller `` was one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known . '' `` He used his remarkable gifts as an entrepreneur for the benefit of millions of needy people around the world by providing them with decent housing , '' Carter said . `` As the founder of Habitat for Humanity and later the Fuller Center , he was an inspiration to me , other members of our family and an untold number of volunteers who worked side-by-side under his leadership . '' See celebrities working on Habitat projects '' In 1996 , President Clinton awarded Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the nation 's highest civilian honor , calling Habitat `` the most successful continuous community service project in the history of the United States . '' Fuller left Habitat for Humanity in 2005 amid a dispute with the organization 's board . Habitat said in a statement at the time his termination culminated `` several months of differences between the Fullers and the board over allegations of inappropriate personal behavior of Millard Fuller toward a now-former female employee , '' according to an article in the February 2005 edition of Christianity Today magazine . The organization noted there was insufficient evidence to corroborate the complaint , according to Christianity Today , but said Fuller engaged in `` a pattern of ongoing public comments and communications ... that have been divisive and disruptive to the organization 's work . '' For his part , Fuller told the magazine he feared the board used the controversy to push him out to find a `` high-paid bean counter '' instead of someone with `` strong Christian commitment . '' `` We 've overloaded the board with ` money ' people , all of whom are nominal Christians , but many of whom are not spiritually grounded , '' he told the magazine . `` Some seem put off by my overt declaration of Jesus . '' After his departure , Fuller founded the Fuller Center for Housing , which its Web site describes as `` a nonprofit , ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide . '' The center was founded after Fuller `` set out to expand his missionary vision '' by returning to his roots at Koinonia Farm , a cooperative community dedicated to peace and service . A new mission statement was issued at Koinonia dedicating the Fuller Center as `` a Christ-centered , faith-driven organization witnessing the love of God by providing opportunities for families to have a simple , decent place to live , '' according to the site . Funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday , said Chapman , the Fuller Center spokeswoman . Fuller will be buried at Koinonia Farm , according to the center 's Web site . CNN 's Hank Bishop contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The credit crisis has transformed the global financial landscape , bankrupting established names and prompting unprecedented interventions by governments and central banks to save others from collapse as they buckle under the weight of `` toxic debts . '' This timeline charts the key moments in that process . 2007 Feb. 7 : HSBC announces losses linked to U.S. subprime mortgages . May 17 : Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said growing number of mortgage defaults will not seriously harm the U.S. economy . A trader at the New York stock exchange reacts to the fall of global stock markets June : Two Bear Stearns-run hedge funds with large holdings of subprime mortgages run into large losses and are forced to dump assets . The trouble spreads to major Wall Street firms such as Merrill Lynch , JPMorgan Chase , Citigroup and Goldman Sachs which had loaned the firms money . Aug. : French bank BNP Paribas freezes withdrawals in three investment funds . Sept. : Crisis-hit UK bank Northern Rock admits financial difficulties as it asks Bank of England for assistance . Share prices fall as customers queue up to withdraw their money . Oct. 1 : Swiss bank UBS announces losses liked to U.S. subprime mortgages . Oct. 5 : Investment bank Merrill Lynch reports losses of $ 5.5 billion . Oct. 15 : Cititgroup announces $ 6.5 billion third quarter losses . Oct. 24 : Merrill Lynch announces losses to be over $ 8 billion . 2008 Jan : Swiss bank UBS announces fourth quarter losses at $ 14 billion . Jan. 11 : Bank of America pays $ 4 billion for Countryside Financial . Jan. 15 : Citigroup reports $ 18.1 billion loss in fourth quarter . Jan. 17 : Merrill Lynch reports $ 11.5 billion loss in fourth quarter . Washington Mutual posts losses . Feb. 13 : UK bank Northern Rock is nationalized . March : UK hedge fund Peloton Partners and U.S. fund Carlyle Capital fail . March 16 : Bear Stearns , the U.S. 's fifth largest investment bank , collapses and is taken over by JP Morgan . April 1 : German Deutsche Bank credit losses of $ 3.9 billion in first quarter . April 13 : U.S. bank Wachovia Corp. reports big loss for quarter . May 12 : HSBC writes off $ 3.2 billion in the first quarter linked to exposure to the U.S. subprime market . July 22 : WaMu reports $ 3.3 billion loss for second quarter . Aug. 31 : German Commerzbank AG takes over Dresdner Kleinwort investment bank . Sept 7 : Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac effectively nationalized by the U.S. Treasury which places them into `` conservatorship . '' Sept. 9 : Lehman Brothers shares plummet to lowest level on Wall Street in more than a decade . Sept 14 : Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy . Stock markets plummet ; Central banks inject billions of dollars into money markets . Bank of America agrees to buy Merrill Lynch . Sept. 16 : AIG Corp , the world 's biggest insurer , bailed out by the U.S. Federal Reserve . Morgan Stanley and Wachovia enter merger talks . Sept. 17 : Halifax Bank of Scotland -LRB- HBOS -RRB- to merge with UK bank Lloyds TSB in an emergency rescue plan . Sept. 18 : Federal Bank and other central banks inject billions into global markets to help ease the crunch . Sept. 22 : Japan 's Nomura Holdings buys Lehman 's Asian operations for up to $ 525 million . Sept. 25 : WaMu sold to JP Morgan . Sept. 27 : HSBC announces 1,100 job cuts worldwide . Sept. 29 : - U.S. Congress rejects $ 700 billion plan to bail out the U.S. financial system . - UK 's Bradford & Bingley nationalized . Santander to buy deposits for $ 38.2 bn - German bank Hypo Real Estate to be bailed out by banks and government . - Citigroup , the world 's largest bank , says it will buy Wachovia . - Belgian giant Fortis is bailed out by Netherlands , Belgium and Luxembourg . - Royal Bank of Scotland shares lose a fifth of their value . - Iceland part-nationalizes Glitnir , one of its biggest banks . Sept 30 : - Belgian bank Dexia bailed out by France , Belgium and Luxembourg . - Swiss bank UBS announces small profit in third quarter . - Irish government guarantees safety of bonds , debts and deposits . Oct 1 : US Senate passes amended $ 700 billion bail-out plan . Oct 3 : - US Congress passes $ 700 billion bail-out , President Bush signs it into law . - Swiss bank UBS to cut 2000 jobs . - Dutch government nationalizes banking and insurance activities of Fortis . Oct 4-6 : - Proposed Hypo Real Estate bailout collapses . - Chancellor Angela Merkel announces new plan for Hypo bailout worth $ 69bn . - Merkel also announces guarantee of deposits in German banks . - UK raises limit on guaranteed bank deposits from # 35,000 - # 50,000 . - EU leaders meet in Paris for emergency summit to discuss financial crisis . - Battle rages between Citigroup and Wells Fargo over purchase of Wachovia . - French bank BNP Paribas takes 75 % stake in Fortis Oct 6 : - Danish government announces plan to guarantee bank deposits - Wells Fargo and Citigroup agree to legal standstill in battle for Wachovia . - Bank of America reports 68 % profit drop , stock sale to raise $ 10bn . Oct 7 : Icelandic bank Landsbanki nationalized ; Icesave , Landbanki 's internet bank , freezes UK customers ' accounts . Oct 8 : - UK Treasury freezes assets of Landsbanki in the UK ; threatens legal action - UK Treasury announces # 500 billion bank rescue package . - U.S. , UK , China , Canada , Sweden , Switzerland and ECB cut interest rates . - IMF forecasts `` Major global downturn '' . Oct 9 : Iceland nationalizes its biggest bank Kaupthing . Oct 10 : Black Friday - G7 finance ministers meet in Washington and issue a five-point plan . - Nikkei falls almost 10 % , biggest drop in 20 years . - FTSE falls more than 10 % , closes at 8.85 % ; worst daily fall since 1987 . - Oil prices fall to $ 80 a barrel . - Dow crashes nearly 700 points before regaining some lost ground . - Icelandic bank Kaupthing is nationalized . Oct 11 - 12 : - The Fed rubberstamps Wachovia takeover by Wells Fargo . - 15 EU leaders meet in Paris for emergency summit on crisis . - Gordon Brown urges them to adopt similar measures to UK bank rescue plan . - Leaders agree to guarantee loans between banks until end of 2009 . - Germany , France and Italy to announce individual plans Monday . - Australia agrees to guarantee deposits for next 3 years . - New Zealand guarantees bank deposits for 2 years . Oct 13 : - EU stock markets bounce back in response to EU leaders ' bailout announcements . - UK bails out 3 banks : RBS , HBOS and Lloyds TSB at cost of $ 63 billion . - Bank of England loans $ 174 million to Icelandic bank Landsbanki to help repay UK depositors . Oct 14 : - Iceland in talks with Russia to negotiate emergency loan of $ 5.44 billion after bank collapses . - U.S. follows UK lead by part-nationalizing banks . Oct 15 : - European and Asian stock markets fall after initial upswing . - Southeast Asian nations agree to start fund to provide financial support to countries in crisis ; World Bank commits $ 10 billion to the planned fund . - Russian stock market posts losses as RTS Index falls below 800 points . Oct 16 : - Global markets fall on fears of global slowdown . - Citigroup delays merger of its Japanese brokerage units due to costs involved . - Swiss government bails out UBS with $ 59.2 billion . - Credit Suisse posts 1.3 billion-franc third quarter loss ; raises $ 8.7 billion from investors . - Hungarian central bank gets cash injection from ECB to value of $ 6.7 billion . - EU leaders at Brussels summit call for complete overhaul of international financial system .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Computer technicians have recovered about 22 million Bush administration e-mails that the Bush White House had said were missing , two watchdog groups that sued over the documents announced Monday . The e-mails date from 2003 to 2005 , and had been `` mislabeled and effectively lost , '' according to the National Security Archive , a research group based at George Washington University . But Melanie Sloan , executive director of the liberal-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , said it could be years before most of the e-mails are made public . `` The e-mails themselves are not what we 're getting , '' Sloan said . Documents related to the handling of e-mail under the Bush administration and subsequent information regarding how White House e-mails are currently archived will be released under a settlement with the Obama administration , which inherited a lawsuit the groups filed in 2007 . But the National Archives must sort out which documents are covered by the Freedom of Information Act and which ones fall under the Presidential Records Act , which means they could be withheld for five to 10 years after the Bush administration left office in January , Sloan said . `` The National Archives will sort this out , '' she said . The e-mail controversy dates back to the Bush administration 's 2006 firing of the top federal prosecutors in nine cities . After congressional committees demanded the administration produce documents related to the firings , the White House said millions of e-mails might have been lost from its servers . Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive sued over the issue in 2007 , arguing the Bush administration violated federal laws that require presidential records to be preserved . Court records have shown that the Bush administration knew about the e-mail problems as far back as 2005 and did nothing to fix them , Sloan said . `` They never made an effort to restore them , '' she said . But Scott Stanzel , a former deputy press secretary in the Bush White House , said the group `` has consistently tried to create a spooky conspiracy out of standard IT issues . '' `` We always indicated that there is an e-mail archiving system and a disaster recovery system , '' Stanzel said . `` We also indicated that e-mails not properly archived could be found on disaster recovery tapes . There is a big , big difference between something not being properly archived and it being ` lost ' or ` missing , ' as CREW would say . '' Monday 's settlement allows for 94 days of e-mail traffic , scattered between January 2003 to April 2005 , to be restored from backup tapes . Of those 94 days , 40 were picked by statistical sample ; another 21 days were suggested by the White House ; and the groups that filed suit picked 33 that seemed `` historically significant , '' from the months before the invasion of Iraq to the period when the firings of U.S. attorneys were being planned . Also requested were several days surrounding the announcement that a criminal investigation was under way into the disclosure of then-CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson 's identity . That investigation led to the conviction of White House aide I. Lewis `` Scooter '' Libby on charges of perjury , obstruction of justice and lying to federal agents investigating the leak . Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington represented Wilson and her husband , former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson , in a lawsuit over her exposure , which they argued was in retaliation for his accusation that the Bush administration over-hyped the intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq . A federal judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds in 2007 , but Sloan said the missing e-mails raise the `` strong possibility '' that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald never received all the documents he requested during the leak investigation .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An American lawyer has been holding secret negotiations with Iran for the release of an Iranian-American being detained for two years . Reza Taghavi , a retired businessman from Orange County , California , has been held in Iran 's notorious Evin prison since his arrest in May 2008 without ever being charged , his lawyer said . Los Angeles-based attorney Pierre Prosper told CNN he has been talking to the Iranian government since September 2009 and traveled to Tehran in December to seek the release of Taghavi , a retired businessman accused of supporting an anti-regime group . Taghavi , 71 , traveled frequently to Iran to visit family and friends without incident , according to Prosper . In April 2008 , he went to Tehran with his wife . Before he left , he was asked by an acquaintance in Los Angeles to take $ 200 for a friend in Tehran `` who was down on his luck . '' Los Angeles has a large Persian community . Taghavi did not know the individual to whom he was asked to deliver the money , Prosper said . He handed over the money and two weeks later was detained by Iranian authorities , after the recipient of the money was arrested on charges of association with an anti-regime group called Tondar . The group , which seeks to restore the monarchy in Iran , claimed responsibility for the April 12 , 2008 , bombing of the Hosseynieh Seyed al-Shohada mosque in the city of Shiraz . Prosper declined to name the man , who he said has since been tried and convicted . Taghavi has a rag-to-riches story , his 36-year old daughter , Leila Taghavi , told CNN . He brought his family to the United States in 1979 , before the revolution , and stayed on in California to keep his family safe . Leila Taghavi said her father taught himself English , started a video game company in his garage and grew it into a successful corporation , which he handed over to his son when he retired 10 years ago . `` His life was the American dream , '' Leila said . `` He learned everything the hard way , sacrificed for his children and taught us to be grateful for the good things . He is wonderful , honest and generous , the kind of father every daughter would want . '' Taghavi 's family was silent for more than a year about his arrest , fearful his arrest would be politicized in Tehran and Washington by getting the American government involved . `` It was blind faith , really , '' Leila said , explaining the silence . `` Not knowing it would take this long , and fear of the system . There was never a doubt of his innocence . '' In September 2009 , with no movement on the case and losing hope he would be released , they hired Prosper to contact the State Department and initiate a dialogue with the Iranian government . Prosper said he contacted the State Department about seeking a consular visit by Swiss diplomats , which was denied because Iran does not recognize the dual citizenship of Iranian-Americans . The United States and Iran do not have formal relations , and Switzerland serves as the `` protecting power '' for the U.S. in Tehran . A U.S. State Department spokesman urged Iran to allow Swiss diplomats to be granted consular access to Taghavi . `` We are adamant that we believe he should be released on humanitarian grounds along with all the Americans who are unjustly held there , '' Mark Toner , a State Department spokesman , told CNN Wednesday . A senior government official who met with Prosper said the lack of information makes it difficult to help Taghavi . `` As far as we are concerned , there are no facts in the case , '' the official said . `` Our concern is that he should get due process . '' Taghavi is one of several Americans in prison in Iran . American hikers Josh Fattal , Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd were detained on July 31 , 2009 . According to their families , they accidentally strayed across an unmarked border into Iran while on a hiking trip in Iraq 's Kurdistan region . They are being held on espionage charges . Kian Tajbakhsh , an Iranian-American scholar who spent four months in jail in 2007 , was arrested in July after the disputed presidential election and sentenced to 15 years in jail for spying . His sentence was later reduced by an appeals court to five years , and a State Department official tells CNN he has been released for two weeks from jail to celebrate the Persian New Year . The United States has no information about Robert Levinson , a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran almost three years ago . After being hired by Taghavi family last September , Prosper said he contacted the Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations and was granted a meeting with the ambassador , who eventually put him in touch with Iran 's foreign ministry . After several months of weekly contact with Iranian officials in New York and Tehran , Prosper was invited to Iran in December for talks about Taghavi 's case . Prosper said he was briefed on the Iranian view of the case but was told the authorities were still investigating the matter . `` It 's still not clear what the accusations actually are , '' he said . Prosper left Tehran without being allowed to see Taghavi , but he was taken to visit victims of the 2008 mosque bombing by Tondar in an Iranian effort to show him the threat the regime says it 's facing from `` terrorist groups '' being financed from sources abroad . `` I think they had me meet with victims and survivors of the bombing to let it be known that they , too , in their eyes had experienced terrorism , '' Prosper said . It is unclear why the Iranian government invited Prosper , who served as the ambassador-at-large for war crimes under the Bush administration and as a prosecutor for the Rwanda tribunal at the Hague , for talks in Iran . Beyond talking about the case and attacks at the hand of the Tondar group , Prosper said his Iranian hosts made no effort to broaden the discussions to include the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West or the Obama administration 's offer of engagement . The facts of the case remain a mystery . Taghavi 's family maintains he is innocent and has never been involved in political activism against the Iranian regime . Prosper acknowledged the case has been a challenge to investigate because of his inability to question people in Iran and the lack of information from the government or Taghavi 's Iranian lawyers in Tehran , who do n't speak English . But based on his discussions with the family and his own `` due diligence , '' Prosper said he believes Taghavi is an innocent man , whose only crime is guilt by association . As a former prosecutor , Prosper said he believes if the Iranians had a case against Taghavi , they would have already tried him . He 's seeking a humanitarian release for Taghavi , who suffers from diabetes and whose health is deteriorating in prison , according to his family . The political upheaval in Iran after the disputed presidential election and subsequent violent crackdown on demonstrators has complicated his efforts , the lawyer said . `` It casts a shadow over our efforts , '' Prosper acknowledged . `` What I 've been doing to my best ability is to cut through that , cut through the fog that has been created , focus on Mr. Taghavi and work with the Iranian authorities on the substance of what happened in 2008 . '' Leila Taghavi traveled to Iran last year and was allowed a brief visit with her father in prison . `` I saw him behind a window , '' she said , choking back tears . `` It was painful to see your father , an innocent man , behind a window . '' `` We are chipping away at this , '' Prosper said . `` I want to give them credit for the dialogue , but the proof will be in the results . We are holding out hope because that is the only thing we can do . ... Effectively his life is at stake . '' Leila spoke with her father by phone Wednesday morning and said he sounded tired and anxious . `` My biggest hope is that this message reaches people and somebody can do something , '' Leila added . `` Not just for my father , but for the many people that are trying to get their loved ones out of Iran . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chelsea moved a step closer to breaking Manchester United 's stranglehold on the English Premier League title with a controversial 1-0 victory at home to Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night . Nicolas Anelka headed the only goal against his former club just before halftime to put the London side four points clear of three-time defending champions United with four matches to play . Third-placed Arsenal can leapfrog United into second place with victory over London rivals Tottenham on Wednesday and be three points adrift of Chelsea . Bolton , just five points above the relegation zone , were angry after not being awarded a penalty in each half for alleged handball by Didier Drogba and John Terry -- but were lucky not to concede more goals as Chelsea dominated late in the match . `` They were n't claims for a penalty , '' Bolton boss Owen Coyle told match broadcaster ESPN . `` They were stonewall penalties . I knew it at the time . `` Didier Drogba is a world-class player , but looking at this replay he could be a world-class volleyball player . `` I 've asked the linesman about -LSB- the Terry incident -RSB- after the game but he 's said it hit his shoulder . He needs to take another look at that . '' Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti chose not to comment on the incidents . `` It is not my job to judge the work of the officials , '' the Italian said . `` It is a difficult job , sometimes they make the right decisions , sometimes they make bad decisions . `` We have to maintain this level . We are doing well , we are very focused and in a very good position , but we have a very difficult game on Saturday against Tottenham and we have to do our best to win that game . '' Chelsea were less impressive in the first half , and it took until the 43rd minute before France striker Anelka broke the deadlock with a close-range header from Drogba 's left-wing cross for his first goal since January . Bolton striker Kevin Davies had told reporters before the match that his former teammate Anelka was unhappy playing with Drogba , but the duo combined well to end Wanderers ' stubborn resistance . The recalled Salomon Kalou should have made it 2-0 in the 54th minute but goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen blocked the Ivory Coast forward 's shot with his legs . Davies was booked for a crude tackle on Jon Obi Mikel in the 77th minute , and Frank Lampard hit the post soon after with a fierce low shot after a clever dummy by Kalou 's replacement Joe Cole . England midfielder Cole gave Chelsea fresh impetus , with Michael Ballack heading his cross tamely at Jaaskelainen . Terry drove a shot just wide from a corner but soon after was beaten in the air at the other end by Bolton substitute Johan Elmander -- however , the Swede 's header went wide . Cole should have doubled the lead in injury-time , but somehow stumbled over Yuri Zhirkov 's low cross when it seemed easier to score . Meanwhile , Inter Milan moved into the final of the Italian Cup with a 1-0 victory away to Fiorentina on Tuesday night , winning 2-0 on aggregate . Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o scored the only goal in the 57th minute to keep Jose Mourinho 's team in the hunt for three trophies this season . The Champions League semifinalists , who drew 2-2 with Fiorentina at the weekend , will face either new Serie A leaders Roma or Udinese in the title match . Also on Tuesday , Cagliari sacked coach Massimiliano Allegri after the Sardinian team 's slump to 12th in the Italian top flight following a haul of just two points from nine matches . Allegri was voted Serie A coach of the year by his peers for guiding Cagliari to ninth place last season , but became the 16th to be dismissed this campaign .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian energy monopoly Gazprom on Wednesday said it would stop natural gas deliveries to Ukraine over a dispute about payments . Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller accused Ukraine of using the issue as `` a political bargaining chip . '' Gazprom chief Alexey Miller said talks with Ukraine have been `` unproductive '' and accused Ukraine of using the issue as `` a political bargaining chip . '' `` The talks with Ukraine have n't brought any concrete result ... Gazprom has n't received any money from Ukraine as payment for the supplies of Russian gas , '' Miller said in a statement on the Gazprom Web site . The state-controlled Gazprom said supplies to its other European customers would not be affected by Ukraine 's cut-off , which the company said would take place at 10 a.m. Thursday -LRB- 2 a.m. ET -RRB- . Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko also assured the European Union that there would be no disruptions in deliveries , the Kiev Post reported . Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko called `` for every effort to be made for the earliest possible signature of an agreement with Russia , '' Yuschenko energy security commissioner , Bohdan Sokolovsky , told the Russian news agency Interfax on Wednesday evening . Watch a report on Gazprom 's threats to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine '' It is the second time in three years Gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine . The company made good on its threat on January 1 , 2006 , but turned the spigots back on a day later . Russia , the world 's biggest producer of natural gas , supplies Europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via pipelines that cross the former Soviet republic of Ukraine . Ukraine owes Gazprom about $ 2 billion for past natural gas deliveries . Ukraine 's state-controlled energy company , Naftogaz Ukrainy , initially denied it owed the payment to Gazprom , but later retreated from that claim . The Kiev Post reported Tuesday that Naftogaz said it had paid $ 1.5 billion toward the debt , but Gazprom said it had not received the payment . Also at issue is Gazprom 's contract for 2009 deliveries . Gazprom had wanted to more than double Ukraine 's payments , but on Wednesday offered a much lesser payment of $ 250 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas . Ukraine , which currently pays about $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters , balked at that figure . `` We have heard a negative reply to the offers from the Russian side on the favorable terms of gas supply to Ukraine in 2009 , and we are getting the impression that there are political forces in Ukraine which have a strong interest in the gas standoff between our two countries , '' Miller said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mayor of Portland , Oregon , publicly apologized Tuesday for lying about a sexual relationship he had with an 18-year-old male in 2005 , and for asking the teen to lie about it . `` This was a serious error that happened about four years ago , '' Portland Mayor Sam Adams tells reporters . `` I want to apologize to the people of Portland for my dishonesty and for embarrassing them , '' Mayor Sam Adams , a Democrat , said at an afternoon news conference . But the mayor -- who is openly gay and whose election last year possibly made Portland the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor -- said he has no plans to resign . `` This was a serious error that happened about four years ago , '' Adams said . `` My job now is to come clean -- I mucked it up -- and to press forward . '' Adams returned to Portland from Washington , where he had planned to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama , to hold the news conference . A day earlier , Adams issued a statement saying : `` In the past , I have characterized my relationship with Beau Breedlove as purely nonsexual . That is not true . Beau Breedlove and I had a sexual relationship for a few months in the summer of 2005 after he turned 18 years of age . '' Adams issued the statement Monday after a local newspaper , the Willamette Week , published a story about the relationship between Adams , who was a city commissioner in 2005 , and Breedlove , then a legislative intern . During the mayoral campaign , questions had emerged about whether Adams and Breedlove had a sexual relationship . Adams said he had lied about the relationship during the campaign , and had asked Breedlove to lie , because of `` untrue rumors being circulated saying that I had broken the law regarding sex relations with a minor . '' `` The allegation coming at me was ` sex with a minor , ' '' Adams said . `` But still , I should have told the truth at the time and taken the consequences . '' The relationship was consensual and `` although inappropriate , was legal , '' Adams said . `` I 'm the one that should be held accountable . I 'm the older adult , '' he said . Adams was 42 and Breedlove was 17 when the two met , according to the Willamette newspaper . Adams emphasized that what he called a `` romantic '' relationship with Breedlove did not begin until after Breedlove was 18 . Adams said the two had `` maybe three or four dates '' over two or three months in 2005 before the relationship ended . The mayor apologized to Breedlove for asking him to lie , and to Portland 's gay community `` for embarrassing them . '' It was not clear whether Breedlove was in attendance at Tuesday 's news conference . Adams said that `` this is fundamentally an issue of a public official lying . '' `` I do n't think this fundamentally is an issue about sexual orientation , '' he said . `` Other people can debate that but , for me , it 's about an error in judgment and then seeking to make amends for that and being very up-front about the mistake and then carrying on , '' he said . Asked by a reporter if he lied to get elected , Adams said : `` I definitely lied to avoid what I thought was another lie that I could n't overcome . So , in a way , yes . '' Asked if he had thought he could get away with lying , Adams responded : `` I think that 's going to be up to my colleagues and the people of Portland . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Louisiana teenager whose 2006 arrest in the racially charged `` Jena 6 '' assault case drew thousands of protesters tried to commit suicide days after a separate arrest last week , a police report says . Mychal Bell was released in September 2007 and later agreed to a plea deal in the beating of a classmate . Mychal Bell , who was arrested last week after allegedly stealing clothes worth $ 370 from a department store , told investigators he shot himself Monday evening `` because he was tired of all the media attention , '' the report says . The high school senior 's mother and his grandmother also told an investigator that he 'd indicated `` he did not feel like he could live anymore '' because of media coverage of the shoplifting allegations , according to the report . Earlier , Bell 's attorney , Carol Powell-Lexing , told CNN that Bell 's family told her he 'd accidentally shot himself while cleaning a gun . According to the police report , however , an officer responded to a 911 call from his grandmother 's Monroe , Louisiana , home , where Bell lives . The grandmother , Rosie Simmons , told the officer that she had hidden the gun after the shooting `` for Mychal 's safety so he did not try to shot -LSB- sic -RSB- himself again , '' according to the report . Bell , 18 , suffered a wound to the upper right chest , the report says . Powell-Lexing told CNN that Bell had surgery Monday night , and Monroe police Sgt. Cassandra Wooten said the wound was not life-threatening . Bell was being treated Tuesday at a hospital in Shreveport , Louisiana . In December 2006 , Bell was one of a half-dozen black teenagers who faced felony charges in the beating of a white classmate in the town of Jena , Louisiana , an incident that followed months of racial tensions in the community of about 3,000 people . The case of the `` Jena 6 '' drew national attention from civil rights groups that said the charges were excessive , and an estimated 15,000-plus people turned out for a September 2007 rally in Jena on the youths ' behalf . Bell eventually pleaded guilty to battery in a juvenile court and later moved to Monroe , about 70 miles north of Jena . On Christmas Eve , Bell was arrested at the Pecanland Mall in Monroe and charged with shoplifting , simple battery and resisting arrest , Monroe Police Lt. Jeff Davis said Tuesday . Bell was released on $ 1,300 bond , and the case was assigned to city court . Watch CNN 's Sean Callebs report on the case '' On Monday , Simmons and Bell 's mother , Melissa Bell , told investigators they heard a gunshot from the teenager 's room and found him on the bed , according to the police report . `` Rosie and M. Bell stated Mychal had made comments over the past two days that because of the current media attention he had because of a shoplifting arrest he did not feel like he could live anymore , '' the police report says . Monroe police Lt. Jeff Harris said investigators do not know whose gun Bell used . Bell 's Christmas Eve arrest came after security guards at the shopping center were told Bell and a male friend were seen stuffing clothing into a bag in a menswear section of Dillard 's , according to the investigative report . Once spotted , the men split up , police said . Bell , chased by security guards , ran from the store to a parking lot , where he tried to hide under a car , Davis said . As a store security officer tried to pull Bell out , `` Bell swung his arms wildly '' and hit the guard with his elbow , the report says . Davis said the guard was hit in the face . Bell admitted to the thefts , which police said included four shirts and a pair of jeans , Davis said . The merchandise was photographed by store security and returned to stock , he added . Bell was taken to jail and booked . Davis said the second man escaped . Powell-Lexing told CNN her client went to the mall with someone to return a shirt , for which he had a receipt . The person with Bell did the shoplifting , and Bell was caught in the middle , the attorney said . Powell-Lexing said Bell has been trying to stay out of trouble since the Jena arrest , and that he has been on the verge of getting a college football scholarship . Bell attends a Monroe high school , but has not been allowed to play high school football since his arrest in Jena , where he was a running back . In April , after his move to Monroe , Bell told CNN that he wanted to keep his life on the straight and narrow in part because of the support he received during the Jena case . `` I feel like -LSB- after -RSB- all the people came down and supported me -LSB- and -RSB- gave money to the defense fund , I feel like ... if I would do something now , I would let the whole country down , '' he said . CNN 's Sean Callebs and CNN Radio 's Amanda Moyer contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before Monday , Eliot Spitzer was a rising star in the Democratic Party -- his squeaky-clean image as a corruption buster led to his being mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate and possibly even a future White House contender . New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer arrives with his wife Monday for a press conference . Now , after federal investigators have linked the New York governor to a top-dollar prostitution ring , political advisers are split over whether Spitzer has any political future at all . `` There 's no way he can survive it , '' said Ed Rollins , a Republican political consultant and adviser to former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee . `` All the facts are n't out there , but as they 're being reported , there 's no way you can survive . `` Not only is he a hypocrite , he may also end up being a charged felon . '' On Monday , Spitzer publicly apologized for an undisclosed personal matter . He did not specifically mention the prostitution sting , nor did he resign . Watch Spitzer 's apology '' The apology came four days after federal prosecutors announced the arrests of four people in an international prostitution ring that charged clients up to $ 5,500 an hour . A source with knowledge of the probe said that wiretaps in the case identify Spitzer as an unnamed client who met a prostitute on February 13 at a Washington hotel . Many political professionals said they were stunned by Monday 's developments regarding Spitzer , a man who once made a name for himself going after organized crime and Wall Street corruption as New York 's attorney general . `` Obviously , the facts are going to come out in the next several days and the story will be told , '' said Robert Zimmerman , a political adviser and Democratic National Committee member . `` But if the facts are as we suspect , it 's very hard to imagine him staying in office . '' But James Carville , a CNN political analyst and onetime adviser to former President Bill Clinton , said Spitzer could hold on to his position if the scandal remains strictly about sex -- or if it 's revealed that his political enemies were responsible for leaking the story . Carville mentioned other high-profile politicians who have weathered sex scandals , including Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho , who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after his arrest in a men 's room sex sting , and his own former client , President Clinton . `` All of us remember the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the immediate rush to judgment , '' he said . `` A lot of people said , ` How could Bill Clinton survive a scandal like that ? ' Yet , he managed to survive . `` If it 's not a financial or monetary thing involved , I do n't know . '' Watch a discussion of Spitzer 's political future '' On a more personal level , Dina Matos , the estranged wife of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey -- who resigned after an alleged affair with a male political aide -- said Spitzer should step down whether he thinks he can salvage his political career or not . McGreevey , who announced he is gay and is now attending an Episcopalian seminary , and Matos are in the midst of divorce proceedings . Matos said `` was very difficult for the family '' when her husband tried to hang on to the governor 's office for several months after stories about the relationship with the aide surfaced . `` I thought Gov. Spitzer was going to announce his resignation today , '' Matos told CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' `` By not doing so , he 's only prolonging the pain and and anguish and humiliation for his wife and family . '' Watch responses to the question : Will Spitzer have to resign ? '' If Spitzer resigns , Lt. Gov. David Paterson would complete his term in accordance with the New York state constitution . Paterson , 53 , is the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York state . Paterson , who is legally blind , is a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday , in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I. Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11 , 1918 . Depending on where it is celebrated , the day is alternatively known as Armistice Day , Remembrance Day , Poppy Day or Veterans Day . In Britain , Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey , a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders . The day has special resonance because the last remaining veterans , William Stone , Henry Allingham and Harry Patch , all died this year . The dignitaries joined people around the country in observing the traditional two-minute silence . The Very Rev. Dr. John Hall , dean of Westminster , began the service by talking about the moment when the guns fell silent in Europe 91 years ago . `` We remember , with grief , the gas and the mud , the barbed wire , the bombardment , the terror , the telegram ; and , with gratitude , the courage and sacrifice . Never again , they said ; the war to end all wars . With resolution we remember , '' Hall said . In Paris , French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe . Australians observed one minute silence at 11 a.m. , in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation 's wars and armed conflicts . `` Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war . Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone , '' Gen. Peter Cosgrove , chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial , said Wednesday . `` But they also know that , when all else fails , it is necessary to fight against the tyrannies that threaten liberty . That cause transcends the ages , and it is a noble one . '' U.S. military forces , especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan , also were to observe Veterans Day , keenly aware of the costs of war . In the United States , the sacrifices of the military in the raging war in Afghanistan and the winding-down war in Iraq stand front and center in the nation 's consciousness . President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation 's wars , as well as to the men and women who currently serve . `` There 's no tribute , no commemoration , no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice , '' he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery , on a rainy , overcast Veterans Day . Earlier , the president had laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns . Millions were killed in World War I , which lasted from 1914 to 1918 . France , Britain and the United States defeated Germany and its allies , such as Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire .","question":""}
{"answer":"MINNEAPOLIS , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Somali teen who left Minnesota to return to his native country last November has been reported killed . The 17-year-old , who was not named , was reportedly killed Friday in artillery fire in the violence-ravaged nation 's capital of Mogadishu , said the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The center is asking federal officials for help in bringing the teen 's body back to the United States for burial , executive director Omar Jamal said . The teen was among a group of young Somali-American men who left Minneapolis last year and were feared recruited by the extremist group , al-Shabaab , that has ties to al Qaeda , according to the U.S. State Department . Al-Shabaab is blamed for a surge of violence in Somalia , as insurgents group fight the government to implement sharia , a stricter form of Islamic law . The rebel group has said it has recruited many fighters in its battle . Al-Shabaab , also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement , was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008 . In October , Shirwa Ahmed , 27 , a Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota , traveled to Somalia and blew himself up and 29 others . The incident , the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen , raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community . Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers after the U.S. intervention in Somalia 's humanitarian crisis in 1992 . The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis ; Columbus , Ohio ; Seattle , Washington and San Diego , California . The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by `` a number of factors that come together when a dynamic , influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men , '' Andrew Liepman , deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center , said earlier this year . Many refugees , he said , `` lack structure and definition in their lives '' and are `` torn between their parents ' traditional tribal and clan identities , and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society . '' CNN 's Chris Welch in Minneapolis contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Nevada man was found guilty Thursday of raping and strangling a 19-year-old student in a string of attacks that rattled the university community in Reno two years ago . A Washoe County , Nevada , jury convicted James Michael Biela , 28 , of first-degree murder and sexual assault in the death of Brianna Denison . He was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault for attacks on two other women . He was also convicted of one count of kidnapping related to one of those attacks . The father and former construction worker faces the death penalty . Denison , a sophomore at Santa Barbara City College in California , was last seen alive on her friend 's couch on January 20 , 2008 . Three weeks later , her body was found in a field near her friend 's home . She had been sexually assaulted and strangled . A pair of panties that did not belong to Denison were found near the body , in what police said was a `` calling card '' that helped them connect Biela not only to Denison , but also to the other assaults . From the witness stand in Biela 's capital murder trial , one of the women recounted how she was attacked on the University of Nevada-Reno campus . She said her assailant threatened her with a gun , raped her and took her panties as a souvenir . The defense challenged the identification because she earlier told a friend she could not describe her attacker to police . The second woman , a student at the university , testified she was abducted outside her apartment and driven to a dark area and raped in the attacker 's vehicle . The woman testified that her assailant asked for her panties and took them with him . The trial began with emotional testimony from Denison 's mother , her boyfriend , and a video showing her with friends at a diner just a few hours before she was abducted . Denison was visiting friends in her hometown of Reno . After they attended a concert , she slept on the living room couch in a friend 's off-campus apartment . While she slept , someone crept into the apartment and snatched her , police and prosecutors said . Her case triggered a flurry of national media coverage and thousands of tips , including the one that led to Biela 's arrest . Police released a photo of the panties near Denison 's body and a description of the pickup truck . A friend of Biela 's girlfriend saw the photo of the panties , and thought she recognized the truck police described . She told investigators a friend 's boyfriend had a truck similar to the description , and that her friend had seen women 's panties inside it . Detectives immediately followed up on the tip and , with permission from the girlfriend , took DNA samples from Biela 's 4-year-old son . Lab tests showed that the boy 's father -- Biela -- was almost certainly a match for the DNA found on the doorknob and at the crime scene , police said . DNA obtained from the other victim 's rape kit matched Biela 's , according to testimony . Biela 's defense attorneys challenged the DNA testing method , claiming it was not accurate . CNN 's Rupa Mikkilineni contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attorneys for a `` high-value '' terror suspect who says he was tortured while being held at secret CIA prisons have requested that a judge bar the agency from destroying evidence of the alleged torture . One of 14 `` high-value '' detainees held at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , alleges he was tortured . The motion , filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights attorneys on behalf of Majid Khan -- who is being held at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba -- is dated November 29 . That is a week before CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged the agency destroyed videotapes it made in 2002 of interrogations of al Qaeda suspects using newly approved `` alternative '' interrogation techniques . Khan -- a native of Pakistan who attended high school in Baltimore -- was held for more than three years at the secret CIA prisons and `` subjected to an aggressive CIA detention and interrogation program notable for its elaborate planning and ruthless application of torture , '' attorney Gitanjali S. Gutierrez claims in the court documents . Details of Khan 's torture claims are redacted in the filing -- a whole page is blacked out -- but Khan 's attorneys say he suffers `` severe physical and psychological trauma from which he is unlikely ever to recover fully '' as a result of his ordeal . Asked about Khan 's claims , CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano told CNN , `` CIA 's terrorist interrogation effort has always been small , carefully run , lawful and highly productive . Fewer than 100 hardened terrorists have gone through the program since it began in 2002 , and of those , less than a third required any special methods of questioning . The United States does not conduct or condone torture . '' Khan 's attorneys claim he was taken into custody in 2003 and `` forcibly disappeared '' before his transfer to Guantanamo , `` where he remains imprisoned without charge or trial . '' He filed a legal challenge to his detention in September 2006 and appeared before a Combatant Status Review Tribunal in April , the court documents said . He was found to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant , but filed a challenge to that on August 14 . He was not allowed to meet with an attorney , however , until October , the document said . The Bush administration contends Khan was an operative working for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , mastermind of the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . Khan researched how to blow up gas stations and poison reservoirs in the United States , the administration has said . He is among 14 `` high-value '' detainees held at Guantanamo . Gutierrez and another CCR attorney , Wells Dixon , also released declassified notes of their meetings with Khan , saying he has been on hunger strikes while in Guantanamo , is `` painfully thin and pale '' and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder . In detention , he has been able to communicate with Abu Zubayda , an alleged lieutenant for Osama bin Laden , they said in the notes . A government official with knowledge of the destroyed CIA tapes has said that Zubayda was one of the two al Qaeda suspects whose interrogations were videotaped . While undergoing interrogation and torture by the CIA , `` Khan admitted anything his interrogators demanded of him , regardless of the truth , in order to end his suffering , '' the documents said . Without a court order requiring the preservation of evidence , `` there is substantial risk that the torture evidence will disappear '' and that may affect the challenge to his detention , the attorneys claim . The motion was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit . Hayden has said the CIA stopped videotaping in 2002 , while Khan was not taken into custody until the following year . `` The careful , professional and lawful questioning of hardened terrorists has produced thousands of intelligence reports , revealed exceptionally valuable insights on al Qaeda 's operations and organization , foiled terrorist plots and saved innocent lives , '' Gimigliano said . `` The information developed by the detention and interrogation program has been irreplaceable , and the program has operated in strict accord with American law . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gary Nurenberg contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Chatham Borough , New Jersey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The janitor charged in the slaying of a priest answered a call from a 911 operator and said , `` Everything 's fine , '' according to police . Jose Feliciano stabbed the Rev. Ed Hinds 32 times with a knife after the two got into an argument on Thursday , Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said . The Roman Catholic priest 's body was found in the rectory of at St. Patrick 's Church on Friday morning . Feliciano , 64 , has been employed with the church for 17 years , Bianchi said . Feliciano also faces two weapons charges , Bianchi said at a news conference . It was not immediately known whether the janitor had retained legal counsel . When the janitor was interviewed Saturday , after waiving his Miranda rights , he `` confessed to the murder of Father Hinds , '' an arrest affidavit said . The priest 's body was discovered Friday morning in the rectory kitchen by Feliciano and others , according to the affidavit . An autopsy had concluded that Hinds died of `` multiple sharp force injuries . '' Hinds had stab wounds to his upper torso and the back of his head , Bianchi said . The priest also had defensive wounds on his hands and contusions and bruises to his face , he said . Hinds called 911 from his cell phone at 5:11 p.m. Thursday , saying he was being attacked and asking for help , Bianchi said . The call was cut off and the 911 operator called back , Bianchi said . He said Feliciano answered the phone . The operator could n't send authorities because the calls were made from a cell phone and could not be traced , Bianchi said . Feliciano `` made a half-hearted attempt to do CPR in front of police . They said it was bizarre . He made about two or three compressions and said something like , ` he 's dead , ' '' Bianchi told CNN . The affidavit said authorities discovered that Hinds ' cell phone had been used in Easton , Pennsylvania , about 40 miles west of Chatham . Further investigation led them to a garbage can in a park there , where a T-shirt and rags `` saturated with what appeared to be blood '' were found , the affidavit said . The garbage can was about 50 yards from Feliciano 's home , it said . Feliciano told police that he entered the rectory around 5 p.m. Thursday , where he and the priest argued , the affidavit said . The two men got into an argument `` over Feliciano 's continued employment , '' Bianchi told CNN . He said Feliciano `` beat him up first , there was also bruising on his face , '' said the prosecutor . Feliciano left Hinds on the kitchen floor and went into the church to get a kitchen `` steak or paring '' knife , and returned and stabbed the priest , the prosecutor said . After the slaying , Feliciano said he cleaned up the blood with rags and paper towels and put them in a black bag , which he put in the trash can , the affidavit said . Feliciano also said he threw away the knife after returning home and destroyed Hinds ' cell phone . Bianchi said the suspected weapon was found in a field near Feliciano 's home . Hinds also oversaw the church 's Catholic grade school . `` When you 're the sole pastor and you do most of the baptisms and weddings and funerals , people end up loving you . This will be a big loss for the parish and a big loss for the diocese , '' said the Rev. Paul Manning from the Archdiocese of Paterson , New Jersey . CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- InStyle.com -RRB- -- We asked five stars for their innermost thoughts on perfume , then chose the season 's best new scents Beyonce : `` I 'll stick with one scent for five or six years . I 'll wear it all the time . '' Beyonc\u00e9 What was your first perfume ? 273 by Fred Hayman . I wore it when I was a teenager . My mom used to wear it , and I stole it . -LRB- Fred Hayman 273 , $ 55\/2 .5 fl . oz. ; fragrancenet.com -RRB- What images would pop into your head if you smelled it now ? Getting ready , curling my hair , putting my makeup on , going out to a party . And my mother , my childhood , my house . What does your house smell like ? Vanilla . Warm and sweet . I have a lot of Diptyque candles around the house . Even when I 'm away , I have someone burn them . I like having the scent in my pillows . -LRB- Diptyque Opopanax candle , $ 55 ; bergdorfgoodman.com -RRB- You 're the face of Emporio Armani Diamonds , which has rose and raspberry notes . What 's it like ? Soft , sweet and comforting . Yesterday I had a day off , which is rare , and I took a long bath . When I got out , I was by myself and knew I would be all day , but I still sprayed it on . -LRB- Emporio Armani Diamonds , $ 50\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; at Macy 's -RRB- What other scents do you like ? My favorite scent is my mother 's cooking : her yams and her soul food . They smell like love , like being full and happy . How about men 's cologne ? I like -LSB- anything by -RSB- Creed . -LRB- Creed Original Santal , $ 110\/1 fl . oz. ; neimanmarcus.com -RRB- Emmy Rossum What fragrance did your mom wear while you were growing up ? Lanc\u00f4me Tr\u00e9sor . It still reminds me of watching her get ready to go out at night . -LRB- Lanc\u00f4me Tr\u00e9sor , $ 81\/3 .4 fl . oz. ; lancome-usa . com -RRB- What was your first perfume ? I got Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds for my sixth birthday . I felt so sophisticated ! I 'd put my mom 's red lipstick on my lips and cheeks , wear her high heels and spray the fragrance all over myself and the house . -LRB- Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds , $ 65\/3 .3 fl . oz. ; perfumania.com -RRB- Which kind of fragrances are you usually drawn to ? I like ones that are clean , feminine , and not so famous that they are immediately recognizable . I -LSB- rarely -RSB- tell anyone what scent I wear -- it 's a woman 's most precious sensual secret . Can you let us in on some of your all-time favorites ? My favorite is Miss Dior Ch\u00e9rie . It 's classic and feminine , but flirty . I wear it to lunch , to dinner parties , to the beach , skiing and to big occasions like the Oscars , when I want to feel especially glamorous . -LRB- Miss Dior Ch\u00e9rie , $ 65\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; at Nordstrom -RRB- What men 's scent do you like ? Angel Men . It 's masculine and very appealing without being too strong . -LRB- Thierry Mugler Angel Men , $ 102\/3 .4 fl . oz. ; bloomingdales.com -RRB- Which kind of smells are you attracted to for soaps , shampoos , lotions and home fragrances ? I like traditional Johnson 's No More Tears baby shampoo and K\u00e9rastase products . I like vanilla and pomegranate for soaps . My favorite candle is Jo Malone Wild Fig & Cassis . Do you wear perfume when you 're acting ? Always , especially during intimate kissing scenes ! I wear something that is sensual but not too obvious . Sarah Jessica Parker How is your new fragrance , Covet , different from Lovely , the first one you helped create ? Lovely is very polite . It 's the girl you marry , and Covet is the girl you date , you know ? Covet is fun , slightly wanton , desperate . It 's for a stop-at-nothing-to-get-what-you-want kind of a girl . -LRB- Sarah Jessica Parker Covet , $ 52\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; macys.com -RRB- What was the first scent you wore ? Love 's Baby Soft . -LRB- Love 's Baby Soft body spray , $ 12\/1 .5 fl . oz. ; at drugstores -RRB- If you got a whiff of it right now , what memories would it trigger ? It would be seventh grade and not having enough disposable money . It would be Fiorucci , a shirt tied in a knot at the waist , and the Yankees . It would be fighting with my brothers and sisters before school and my mother yelling at me , and not finishing my homework on a Sunday night . Do you wear fragrance every day ? Without question . For some women , it 's lip gloss or mascara or covering a blemish . I can do without all of that . But the idea of not putting on perfume is shocking to me . Where do you apply it ? I love walking into a closet and smelling lingering aroma , so I always spray my clothes . And at the end of the bottle , when the atomizer no longer reaches the tiny little dribble that is left , I unscrew the top and pour the remainder onto a T-shirt or my dress . What 's your favorite men 's scent ? I really love Old Spice and Guerlain Vetiver for men . -LRB- Guerlain Vetiver , $ 74\/4 .2 fl . oz. ; saks.com -RRB- What home fragrance do you love ? There 's nothing better than a blue Rigaud candle . -LRB- Rigaud Ch\u00e8vrefeuille candle , $ 75 ; gracioushome.com -RRB- Do you have a favorite flower or fruit scent ? I love a peony when it 's really in season , and I love lemons . Gwyneth Paltrow Do you wear perfume every day ? Not if I 'm just in sweatpants around the house . But if I go out , I always squirt something on . It completes the look . Are you always attracted to the same kind of scents ? It depends on my mood . -LSB- Sometimes -RSB- I like things that are a little more spicy . I really like Black Orchid , Tom Ford 's perfume . Something a bit sexy . Tom Ford Black Orchid , $ 65\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; neimanmarcus.com . You 're the face of Est\u00e9e Lauder Pleasures . How would you describe that fragrance ? It 's floral and feminine , a sitting-in-your-garden kind of scent . -LRB- Est\u00e9e Lauder Pleasures , $ 45\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; at Macy 's -RRB- What perfume did your mom wear when you were a kid ? She wore Quadrille by Balenciaga , and they do n't make it anymore . I always go online trying to find bottles -LSB- stashed -RSB- in someone 's basement to give to her as a present because she 's almost out of it . Has your taste in scents changed since you became a mom ? No , but when I was pregnant I could n't tolerate the smell of anything , whether it was garlic , orange juice or perfume . Now do you avoid scents that might overwhelm little noses ? I just do n't overdo it . A little spritz goes a long way . What are some other , non-perfume fragrances you love ? I love the smell of lilies and paperwhites . I also burn these tea-scented candles from Mariage Fr\u00e8res . The best shampoo I 've ever found is Japanese -- it 's called Molto Bene B : Oce . It 's so good for dry hair like mine . -LRB- Mariage Fr\u00e8res Th\u00e9 Rouge candle , $ 65 ; aedes.com ; Molto Bene B : Oce Shampoo SE , $ 16\/8 .1 oz . -RRB- What scent do you love on men ? Ocean water . I like natural scents . Victoria Beckham How would you describe Intimately Beckham ? It 's a white-flower fragrance with a lot of tuberose , which is my favorite flower . It 's fresh and sexy in a fashion-y way . I think it 's a happy smell . -LRB- Intimately Beckham , $ 42\/1 .7 fl . oz. ; ulta.com -RRB- Does it remind you of anything ? White flowers remind me of my grandmother : timeless and gorgeous . Everything I wear I would like to think of as timeless as well . I still wear dresses I bought 10 years ago . So you like florals ? I love rose , tuberose and orange blossom . I 'm a real girlie girl -- I love perfume , makeup and hair products . I think I know how girls want to smell . Do you wear different scents for different moods ? For me it 's more about the weather and what you 're wearing and who you 're with . Intimately Beckham is light , and perfect for warm weather . That 's why we came up with Intimately Beckham Night -LRB- coming next year -RRB- , which is slightly heavier . How involved was David in creating the fragrance ? He was hands-on . He 's masculine , but he 's in touch with his feminine side too . He loves clothes and beauty products and aftershave . Which men 's scents does he like ? David and I both love Miller Harris . -LRB- Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac , $ 120\/3 .4 fl . oz. ; bigelowchemist.com -RRB- What was your first fragrance ? Coco Chanel . If I smelled it today , it would take me back to being 14 , just when I was first really getting into fashion . -LRB- Chanel Coco , $ 110\/3 .4 fl . oz. ; at Nordstrom -RRB- What scent did your mom wear ? Poison by Christian Dior . It was so distinctive . It instantly reminds me of the eighties -- all that hair and those big dresses . -LRB- Dior Poison , $ 43\/1 fl . oz. ; drugstore.com -RRB- Any other favorites ? I love Jo Malone 's grapefruit smells . And I have to say , nothing looks better in the bathroom than a bottle of Chanel No. 5 -- that 's the ultimate . E-mail to a friend Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright \u00a9 2008 Time Inc. . All rights reserved . Additional Reporting By Kwala Mandel ; Alysia Poe ; Suzanne Zuckerman","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The most compelling action during Michigan 's primary Tuesday will be on the Republican side . The Democratic Party has stripped the state of its delegates for moving up its primary date so early , and top-tier Democratic candidates have taken their names off the ballot , except for Sen. Hillary Clinton . The struggling auto industry has been a drag on Michigan 's economy . In many ways , the Republican battle for Michigan will be similar to last week 's New Hampshire contest . The primary is open , and any registered voter -- including independents and Democrats -- can participate . Sen. John McCain won New Hampshire with the help of independent voters , and he is campaigning hard to re-create that success in Michigan . In 2000 , McCain defeated then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the Michigan primary . In that vote , more than half -- 52 percent -- were either independents or Democrats . Among Republican voters , McCain lost to Bush 29 percent to 66 percent . In that contest , almost three out of every 10 voters identified themselves as members of the religious right . Overall , Michigan is a swing state , producing narrow margins of victory for presidential candidates and statewide officeholders . However , voting trends favor the Democrats . Michigan 's governor , Jennifer Granholm , is a Democrat , as are the state 's two U.S. senators -- Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow . The Democratic presidential nominee has carried Michigan in the last four elections . Sen. John Kerry , the Democrats ' 2004 standard bearer , won Michigan 51 percent to 48 percent over President Bush . The state 's economy is powered by the automotive industry , which has experienced its fair share of struggles . Michigan 's unemployment rate , 7.4 percent , is higher than the national average of 5 percent . Region by region Wayne County , in the southeastern corner of the state , contains the economically depressed Detroit , Michigan 's largest city . Detroit is predominantly black and solidly Democratic . North of Wayne County are the more-affluent suburban counties of Oakland and Macomb , which have grown in population in the last two decades . These two counties have been the state 's central political battleground in recent elections . West of Wayne is the `` university belt , '' home to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Michigan State University in East Lansing . The area also includes the industrial cities of Saginaw and Flint , where unions remain strong , as well as Jackson and Bay City . The state 's capital , Lansing , and the sparsely populated upper peninsula are also part of this region . The southwest part of the state is dominated by Grand Rapids , Michigan 's second-largest city . Grand Rapids is traditionally Dutch-American and has many Christian conservatives and generally votes Republican . The area also contains smaller industrial cities and farming communities . The economy of the sparsely populated north and northwest is based on agriculture , tourism and timber . It traditionally votes Republican . Endorsements The Detroit Free Press has endorsed McCain . `` While the Free Press differs with McCain on a number of issues , the Arizona senator is a smarter , more tested and pragmatic leader who has shown since 2000 that he knows how to build bipartisan alliances around issues , '' the newspaper said in an editorial . The Detroit News also endorsed McCain , citing his fiscal conservatism and command of military and foreign affairs , over Michigan native Mitt Romney . `` Other GOP contenders , most notably former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney , are capable figures with impressive resumes and a solid grasp of the issues . But McCain 's longtime presidential ambitions are at last aligned with the needs of the nation , '' the newspaper said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Idaho man accused of trying to assassinate President Barack Obama by shooting at the White House pleaded not guilty , as expected , in federal court Tuesday . Oscar Ortega-Hernandez will remain in custody until his trial , a date for which has not yet been scheduled . He appeared in a dark blue prison jumpsuit at his brief arraignment hearing before Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson . He was indicted last week on 17 criminal counts . Prosecutors say Ortega-Hernandez fired a Romanian-made assault rifle out of the window of his car the evening of November 11 . After allegedly sending a number of rounds toward the White House , he sped away toward a bridge leading to the Virginia suburbs , but crashed his vehicle and fled on foot , officials say . A court document says Ortega-Hernandez 's fingerprints were found on ammunition magazines left in a 1998 Honda , but not on the weapon itself , which also was left in the car . Neither the president nor his family was at home at the time of the incident . Ortega-Hernandez said nothing at Tuesday 's hearing , but appeared alert , nodding and smiling at the judge as the hearing concluded . He wore a heavy beard and was not in restraints . An FBI agent had testified at an earlier hearing that bullets found embedded in the White House residence came from Ortega-Hernandez 's assault weapon . The 21-year-old man claimed after his arrest that he had been car-jacked by a man with a gun on the day of the crime , and said his assailant must have been responsible for the shooting , according to court filings . He also allegedly told the officers he never owned a gun , but the government cited two witnesses from Idaho confirming the rifle left in the car belonged to Ortega-Hernandez . A federal public defender representing Ortega-Hernandez had previously claimed inconsistent witness statements raised doubts about whether he was the shooter . Attorney David Bos cited one witness who said the shooter was driving a yellow van . Police had said Ortega-Hernandez was driving a dark-colored sedan . Bos did not object Tuesday when the magistrate ruled the defendant would continue to be held behind bars . Another hearing is scheduled for next month . Ortega-Hernandez was captured at a Pennsylvania motel days after the incident . He told police he hitchhiked and walked from the District of Columbia . Another federal judge previously ruled him competent to stand trial . Ortega-Hernandez has been interviewed at least once by a psychologist , and the doctor said he is able to understand the allegations against him and to aid in his defense . In court documents , prosecutors argue Ortega-Hernandez is dangerous and planned out his alleged crime over a period of months . If convicted of attempting to assassinate the president , Ortega-Hernandez would face a maximum sentence of life in prison .","question":""}
{"answer":"Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- United Nations-backed nuclear inspectors on Sunday visited a newly disclosed Iranian nuclear facility near the city of Qom , Iranian media has reported . `` IAEA inspectors today visited the ... nuclear installation , '' the semi-official Mehr news agency said , referring to International Atomic Energy Agency staff . `` The IAEA inspectors arrived Saturday night and are scheduled to inspect the ... site several times . The inspectors will leave Tehran Tuesday . '' Tehran sent shock waves through the international community in September by revealing the existence of the previously secret nuclear enrichment facility near Qom . The IAEA announced Saturday its inspectors were leaving for the much-anticipated inspection . The agency declined to give more details on Sunday . `` It is our policy not to comment on the itinerary of our inspectors , '' a spokesman for the U.N. nuclear watchdog told CNN . The inspectors will visit the installation to make sure it is being used for peaceful purposes , said Ali Akbar Salehi , the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran , according to the Islamic Republic News Agency . The inspection comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities . That proposal calls for low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to be sent abroad for further enrichment and then returned for use in medical research and treatment . Tehran is studying the draft proposal and will have an answer next week , Iranian diplomat Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on state-run Press TV . Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is `` considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light , but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response , '' according to an IAEA statement . Delegations from Iran , France , Russia , the United States and the IAEA met in Vienna this week to work out details of the tentative deal reached in early October . France , Russia and the United States have indicated their approval of the arrangement . `` The Director General hopes that Iran 's response will equally be positive , since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation , '' the IAEA statement said . After the current inspection , but before the end of the month , Iranian officials are expected to meet with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain , China , France , Russia and the United States -- plus Germany to further discuss Tehran 's nuclear program . Iran 's leaders maintain that their nation 's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes , but many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities . Low-enriched nuclear fuel can be further enriched into weapons-grade material . CNN 's Per Nyberg contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations , the United Nations reported Tuesday . People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso , last week . The worst hit have been Burkina Faso , Senegal , Ghana and Niger , said Yvon Edoumou , a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , or OCHA , in the Senegalese capital , Dakar . So far , 159 people have died , he said . Sierra Leone has also been hard hit , according to the U.N. Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority , but powerful pumps are in short supply . `` Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters , '' he said . The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases , but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or , worse , cholera . The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people , mainly in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital , schools , bridges and roads -- has been damaged . The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years , WFP said . Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP , but those rations were lost in the floodwaters , the U.N. reported . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away , leaving them hungry and destitute , '' WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said . Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger , the U.N. reported . In Agadez , Niger , a town about 458 miles -LRB- 738 km -RRB- north of the capital , Niamey , close to 988 acres -LRB- 400 hectares -RRB- of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away . Herve Ludovic de Lys , head of OCHA in West Africa , said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty . `` The situation is very worrying , '' he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday . The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September . In 2007 , 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms . This year , fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas . Despite the misery , Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture . The harvest this year will be more bountiful , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- If anybody had a reason to doubt whether Tyler Perry has become one of the most bankable brands in all of movies , be skeptical no longer . The domestic dramedy maestro 's latest release , Tyler Perry 's `` Madea Goes to Jail , '' ran away with a big victory on the typically slow Academy Awards weekend , grossing a hefty $ 41.1 million , according to early estimates from Media by Numbers . That opening sum is the biggest of all time for a Tyler Perry film , besting the $ 30 million debut of 2006 's `` Madea 's Family Reunion . '' Too , it 's the top bow in the history of indie studio Lionsgate , improving upon all the Tyler Perry and `` Saw '' flicks that came before it . The movie 's per-theater average of $ 20,236 ranks in the top 40 for all wide openers ever . And , no surprise , `` Madea Goes to Jail '' achieved all this success with a solid A CinemaScore grade from a crowd that included mostly older women . Watch Tyler Perry talk about his success '' Second place went to `` Taken , '' which added another $ 11.4 million to its four-week tally , bringing said total to $ 95.2 million . Fellow strong holdover `` Coraline '' -LRB- No. 3 -RRB- was next with $ 11 million . `` He 's Just Not That Into You '' -LRB- No. 4 -RRB- declined a sharp 56 percent to bank $ 8.5 million on its third weekend . And Best Picture favorite `` Slumdog Millionaire '' rounded out the top five with $ 8.1 million -- a sum that brings its domestic total to $ 98 million . Reigning champ `` Friday the 13th '' suffered one of the biggest drops ever , a stunning 81 percent , to finish in sixth place with $ 7.8 million . And this weekend 's other major new release , the cheerleader comedy `` Fired Up ! '' -LRB- No. 9 -RRB- , grossed a weak-but-expected $ 6 million . The film garnered an okay CinemaScore grade of B from a crowd comprised of mostly younger ladies . Overall , the weekend was up nearly 30 percent over the same frame a year ago , when `` Vantage Point '' led the way . Eight of the past nine weekends have improved upon the previous year 's grosses . And I 'd be remiss if I did n't take a quick peek at the main Oscar contenders , for whom the box office report is mixed headed into the ceremony . `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button '' leads the way with $ 124.2 million . The aforementioned `` Slumdog Millionaire '' should clear the $ 100 million mark in the next several days , whether it wins the top prize or not . Then it 's a big jump down to `` Milk '' -LRB- $ 28.2 million -RRB- , `` The Reader '' -LRB- $ 23.2 million -RRB- , and `` Frost\/Nixon '' -LRB- $ 17.4 million -RRB- . And let 's not forget multiple nominee `` The Dark Knight , '' which may not be up for Best Picture , but did finally become the fourth movie ever to cross the $ 1 billion mark at the worldwide box office . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Consumers who bought `` Caylee Sunshine '' dolls and Michael Vick dog toys were misled into believing that a portion of their purchases would go to charity , according to a lawsuit filed this week . The `` Caylee Sunshine '' doll cost $ 29.99 before Showbiz Promotions halted its production . The Florida Attorney General 's Office filed a lawsuit Thursday against Showbiz Promotions and its owner , Jaime Salcedo , seeking $ 10,000 in penalties for each violation under the state 's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act . But Salcedo denies the allegations , saying he has been trying to resolve the disputes and compensate charitable organizations . The Jacksonville-based entrepreneur claims he has been working with the attorney general 's office for more than one year to settle the issue . The suit also asks that Salcedo stop running the Web site , www.cayleedoll.com , his short-lived vehicle for selling dolls that critics said were modeled after slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony . Salcedo says the doll was not meant to be Caylee , but rather a tribute to her memory . The dispute began with the attorney general 's investigation into complaints about dog chew toys in the likeness of suspended NFL star Michael Vick , who is serving a federal prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation . Consumers said they ordered and paid for merchandise from the company but did not receive the items , according to the lawsuit . The lawsuit also claims that Showbiz Promotions told consumers that a portion of the proceeds would go to local animal shelters , another promise Salcedo allegedly never made good on . `` Defendant Salcedo began cooperating with the Attorney General and made attempts to either make delivery on consumer orders for the Vick Dog Chew Toy or to provide refunds . However , numerous consumer complaints remain unresolved , '' the complaint alleges . But Salcedo claims the scope of the damage is less extensive . Of 200 complaints that he says the attorney general 's office received , all but 10 were resolved . `` Those people purchased on PayPal , so the only way I had to get in touch was going though e-mail . If they do n't respond , then I ca n't help them , '' he said in a telephone interview Friday . Salcedo also insists that his company made donations to animal shelters in forms of merchandise , including Vick chew toys , T-shirts and hats . `` They 'd rather have $ 100 in toys because they can sell them or auction them off , '' he said . `` We said they could have either and every time they said they wanted the toys . '' The suit also addresses Salcedo 's promotion of the Caylee Sunshine Doll and other members of the Sunshine Doll Collection , including Gracie Sunshine and Hope Sunshine . The dolls set off a firestorm of controversy with its launch in January , drawing allegations that Showbiz Promotions was attempting to profit off the death of Caylee Anthony , whose mother is facing trial for her murder . Members of the public , media pundits and the Anthony family called for production of the dolls to be halted . One month later , Showbiz Promotions pulled the plug on the Sunshine Collection , citing high manufacturing costs and tepid consumer response . The company had fulfilled just five orders and provided refunds for 20 , according to Salcedo . The lawsuit alleges that the product 's Web site , www.cayleedoll.com , falsely claimed that `` 100 % of the profits '' from the Sunshine Doll Collection would go to charity , accusing Salcedo of fabricating a donation receipt and posting it on the site so visitors could view `` the first donation '' made to charity . The receipt -- a purported screen grab from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 's Web site -- shows an `` online credit card donation confirmation '' for $ 5,000 in the name of Showbiz Promotions , according to the lawsuit . Salcedo says he never posted any such image on the site . The alleged receipt is attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit , along with another purported receipt in Salcedo 's name that the attorney general 's office says is the only existing NCMEC donation associated with Salcedo or Showbiz Promotions . See exhibits attached to the lawsuit `` The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that their records showed that a donation was made by Jaime Salcedo on March 12 , 2009 at -LSB- 5:28 p.m. -RSB- in the amount of $ 10 , '' the lawsuit states . `` The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that they had no record of a donation from Showbiz Promotions in any amount or any additional donation from Jaime Salcedo . '' Salcedo insists that the receipt for $ 5,000 is not real -- and says his company had nothing to do with it . `` They 're saying this was posted on our Web site and clearly it was not . That is clearly something that someone made and sent to them and they 're jumping the gun , '' he said . Furthermore , he does not deny making a $ 10 donation to NCMEC out of his own pocket . `` We had nothing left to give to charity apart from what I give every year , which is $ 10 , '' he said . `` If giving $ 10 every year to charity is a crime , then I 'm guilty . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in Cleveland , Ohio , brought in cadaver dogs Wednesday to search the childhood home of a registered sex offender accused in the deaths of 11 women . `` We 're just trying to cover all our bases , '' said Scott Wilson , spokesman for the FBI , which is assisting local detectives in the case . Anthony Sowell , 50 , was arrested in October after authorities serving a search warrant in a rape case discovered six bodies in and around his current home . Subsequent searches turned up five more bodies , all African-American women . Authorities have said they are looking at the unsolved murders of three women in East Cleveland to determine whether they share any similarities with the remains found at Sowell 's home . Wednesday 's search comes a day after Sowell was indicted on 85 counts -- including aggravated murder , rape and kidnapping -- in the killings . In addition , Sowell is charged with `` brutalizing '' three other women and raping two of them , Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason said Tuesday . Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sowell , Mason said . He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday . Sowell is now charged with 11 counts of aggravated murder with a `` mass murder specification , '' meaning multiple people were killed in a similar fashion , Mason said . He also is charged with abuse of a corpse , kidnapping and tampering with evidence . The indictment also alleges that Sowell assaulted women on December 8 , 2008 , and on September 22 and October 20 of this year . The September and October victims were raped , and the other woman was punched and choked before she escaped , Mason said . Sowell 's charges in those incidents include attempted murder , rape or attempted rape , kidnapping , robbery and felonious assault . Sowell already faced charges in the September 22 rape and has pleaded not guilty . On October 20 , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of his house . Firefighters responded and later notified police . But the woman told officers that she fell off the roof while she was at the home `` partying , '' police said earlier . No charges were filed at the time . Sowell threatened his victims and warned them not to contact police , Mason said . It 's possible there are other victims , he added , and urged anyone who has not come forward to do so . Sowell `` knew what he was doing was wrong at the time he was doing it , '' the prosecutor said . As of last month , Sowell was on suicide watch at the request of his public defender , Kathleen DeMetz . She had said a psychiatric evaluation had been ordered but was unlikely to happen until after an indictment was filed . Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid said Tuesday that Sowell has been a `` model prisoner , '' is kept in an isolated unit and has declined visitation requests . Most of the victims were strangled by ligature -- which could include a string , cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand , officials said . Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks . All that has been found of one woman is a skull that was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the home 's basement . Sowell served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape and was released in 2005 . He was required to register as a sex offender . After the 11 victims were found , police used thermal imaging in mid-November in an attempt to see whether any additional human remains were on the property , and they dug certain areas by hand . No more were found .","question":""}
{"answer":"Mexico City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shootouts between drug suspects and the military in the Mexican northeastern border state of Tamaulipas have left seven dead and 11 wounded , the government reported . One of the dead and the 11 wounded were Mexican military who were ambushed while on patrol late Thursday night in the cities of Miguel Aleman , Mier and Valadeces , the Notimex news agency reported , citing the nation 's National Defense Department . The cities are along the U.S. border , near McAllen , Texas . The cities also are near Reynosa , Mexico , where the United States closed its consulate Thursday because of recent increased drug violence . The U.S. Consulate also issued a warning `` to advise U.S. citizens of recent gun battles in Reynosa , Mexico , and cities surrounding Reynosa in the last week . '' Thursday night 's firefights were the latest in a string of confrontations that some residents say have been going on for at least 10 days . Earlier this week , local news reports said , gunmen in as many as 20 vehicles clashed with members of the Mexican military and municipal police in Ciudad Mier , just west of Reynosa . The daytime gun battle Tuesday reportedly resulted in the abduction of 10 municipal police officers . Video from the scene showed abandoned police sport utility vehicles with bullet holes and broken windows . Shattered glass covered the street against a backdrop of palm trees . A damaged red truck with the insignia CDG -- the Spanish acronym for the Gulf Cartel -- was shown being towed from the shooting scene . In Reynosa , residents told CNN on Thursday that banners purportedly placed throughout the city by the rival Los Zetas drug cartel announced there would be a gunfight at 8 p.m. Residents reported hearing gunshots as early as 7:30 p.m. . After Thursday night 's gunfire , officials say they confiscated 14 vehicles , 29 firearms , 10 hand grenades and more than 1,700 rounds of ammunition of various caliber . On a tour of the border cities , Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez Flores sought to reassure residents that the government is committed to controlling the mayhem . Violence throughout Mexico has exploded since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels shortly after assuming office in December 2006 . More than 16,000 people have been killed in drug violence since then . Ciudad Juarez , across the border from El Paso , Texas , is the most violent city in Mexico and one of the deadliest on earth . The rival Juarez and Sinaloa cartels are fighting for control of the lucrative drug routes into the United States as well street sales within Ciudad Juarez . The cartels also are fighting the Mexican army and federal , state and local police . Mexican officials point out that most of the deaths involve criminals ; few civilians have been killed . In Juarez earlier this month , however , 10 teenagers and five other people were gunned down at a party . Officials said the gunmen belonged to the Juarez cartel and mistakenly believed the partygoers were members of a gang affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel . CNN 's Mariano Castillo and Nick Valencia contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal investigators will declare the 2001 anthrax case solved on Wednesday , when they make public their case against government researcher Bruce Ivins , a government source familiar with the case told CNN on Tuesday . Ex-Army scientist Bruce Ivins , seen here in 2003 , died from an apparent suicide last week . But the case will not be considered closed , because administrative details remain incomplete , said the source , who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing . Before making the information public , the FBI is expected to share the evidence of Ivins ' involvement with survivors and relatives of victims in the anthrax attacks , the source said . A lawyer for Maureen Stevens , the widow of Bob Stevens , the first victim of the 2001 attacks , said she was invited to the session and will attend . The tabloid photo editor died after inhaling anthrax that investigators believe was in a letter sent to American Media Inc. , the publisher of the Sun and National Enquirer tabloids , at its offices in Boca Raton , Florida . Another source familiar with the investigation said Tuesday that in the fall of 2001 , Ivins borrowed a machine that can convert wet anthrax , the kind used at Fort Detrick , into dry powder , which was found in the anthrax letters . Such machines , called lyophilizers , are not usually used at Fort Detrick , where Ivins worked , though they are easy to obtain . Experts said the report may have no significance . `` I would n't necessarily make the conclusion that , just because he had access to a lyophilizer and used a lyophilizer , that that provides a smoking gun , that he must be using this for sinister purposes , '' said Peter Hotez , chairman of microbiology at George Washington University in Washington . Richard Spertzel , a former biodefense scientist who worked with Ivins at the lab at Fort Detrick , said there was `` no way '' a lyophilizer could have created the fine anthrax spores used in the 2001 letters . Spertzel said a more advanced machine would have been needed , and that no one working at a U.S. government lab could have produced such high quality anthrax in secret . Ivins , who is expected to be blamed for the mailings of the toxin , which killed five people and sickened more than a dozen others -- died July 27 at a hospital in Frederick , Maryland , from an apparent suicide attempt two days earlier . No charges have been made public . He became a suspect after investigators found DNA evidence from the 2001 anthrax mailings on a flask used in his laboratory at the U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases , said a source who is familiar with the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly about the case . Ivins had worked for decades in the biodefense lab at Fort Detrick , where he was trying to develop a better vaccine against the toxin . The FBI had traced the anthrax used in the attacks to the lab by using a new technology , a U.S. official familiar with the investigation said . Authorities were looking at whether Ivins may have released anthrax to test a vaccine he was working on , another official said . Some of the anthrax-laced letters , written in crude block letters , included the words , `` Take penacilin -LRB- sic -RRB- now , '' according to photographs released by the FBI . Since Ivins ' death , suspicions about his involvement in the anthrax attacks have surfaced alongside questions about his sanity . At the time of his death , the 62-year-old scientist was under a temporary restraining order sought by a social worker who had counseled him in private and group sessions . She accused him of having harassed , stalked and threatened her with violence . The woman told the court in her complaint that Ivins had been treated at a mental health facility . Steven Hatfill , another government scientist who was named by the Justice Department as a `` person of interest '' in the attacks , was never charged . He sued the department , which settled the case in June . The skepticism in scientific circles about the strength of the case against Ivins heightens the importance of the government 's unveiling of its evidence against the scientist , a former prosecutor said . `` I think the public and the survivors of the anthrax attacks are entitled to see the evidence before the grand jury , '' said Andrew McBride . `` And if there was a draft indictment and they were ready to indict Mr. Ivins , they ought to see that as well . '' CNN Producer Kevin Bohn contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury in Manhattan found the son of Brooke Astor and one of his lawyers guilty Thursday of scheming to bilk millions of dollars from the late philanthropist 's estate . Anthony Marshall was convicted of bilking millions of dollars from the estate of his mother , Brooke Astor . The verdict , returned on the 12th day of deliberation , ended a six-month trial that featured as witnesses a Who 's Who of New York 's social elite . Anthony Marshall showed no visible reaction as he was found guilty of 14 of the 16 counts against him . His wife , Charlene , who many believed fanned his greed and instigated his mistreatment of his elderly mother , also did not seem to react . Marshall was convicted of the most serious charges -- first-degree grand larceny and scheming to defraud . One of the most serious convictions involved Marshall giving himself a $ 1 million-a-year raise for handling his mother 's affairs , said Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann . Marshall 's former lawyer , Francis Morrissey , was convicted of all five counts against him , including forgery and scheming to defraud Astor . Watch Marshall 's attorney vow to appeal '' `` These defendants , two morally depraved individuals , preyed on a physically and mentally ill 101-year-old woman to steal millions of dollars -- dollars that she had intended to go to help the lives of ordinary New Yorkers , '' Seidemann said , echoing his closing argument to the jury . Astor , who had Alzheimer 's disease , was 105 when she died in August 2007 . The prosecution called nearly 70 witnesses -- Henry Kissinger , Graydon Carter , Barbara Walters , Vartan Gregorian and Annette de la Renta among them . Prosecutor Seidemann called the case `` disturbing , '' and said the trial told the story of `` how a son , an only son , would stoop so low to steal from his own mother in the sunset years of her life in order to line his own pockets and the pockets of his wife . '' Marshall , who is free on $ 100,000 bail , faces a maximum 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 8 . Morrissey faces up to seven years in prison . Author Meryl Gordon , who has followed the Astor story for years , was in the courtroom when the jury returned its verdicts . `` It was an incredibly bad , intense time , '' she said from her cell phone before hopping on a subway . `` I was a little surprised that Charlene did not get visibly teary . I guess she was braced for it . '' Marshall , Astor 's only child , was indicted on criminal charges in 2006 . The case kicked off a tabloid feeding frenzy that fostered headlines such as `` Bad heir day , '' `` Mrs. Astor 's disaster '' and `` DA 's kick in the Astor . '' Through her late husband 's Vincent Astor Foundation , Brooke Astor is credited with giving New York , where the Astors made their fortune , about $ 200 million . The Astor Foundation gave millions to New York cultural jewels -- including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Public Library -- as well as lower-profile programs . Astor was often quoted as saying , `` Money is like manure ; it 's not worth a thing unless it 's spread around . '' `` Mrs. Astor stood in New York as a symbol of generosity . And this trial stands as a landmark for the nefarious impact of money and greed , '' said her longtime friend , Vartan Gregorian , president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York . `` It will in many ways tarnish her memory , '' he said . `` It 's a sad day , but at the same time , one good thing that will come out of this -- that Mrs. Astor would approve of -- is that the elderly can not be abused . '' The case began when Marshall 's son , Philip , filed a petition in 2006 asking the court to appoint a guardian for his grandmother . The court documents alleged `` elder abuse '' and were intended to remove Anthony Marshall 's control of her affairs and transfer care to Astor 's dear friend Annette de la Renta . He reacted to the verdict in an e-mail : `` I hope this brings some consolation and closure for the many people , including my grandmother 's loyal staff , caregivers and friends , who helped when she was so vulnerable and so manipulated , '' Philip Marshall wrote . `` I sincerely hope these sad circumstances contribute to the recognition of elder abuse and exploitation as a growing national problem . '' CNN 's Ann O'Neill contributed to this story","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Thursday sent a civil nuclear agreement with the United Arab Emirates to the Senate for ratification , but its passage remains uncertain , thanks to a recently disclosed video . Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan allegedly tortured a business associate on videotape . Senior U.S. officials said lawmakers critical of the deal could use the video , which shows a member of the UAE government 's royal family torturing a man , to argue the United States should not have such nuclear cooperation with a country where the rule of law is not respected and human rights violations are tolerated . The senior officials said the Obama administration deliberately held off sending the deal to Congress for ratification because of fears some lawmakers would try to use the video to undermine the agreement . But the administration felt comfortable sending the agreement to Congress at this time , officials said , given that there has been little reaction to the release of the video except for a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this month from U.S. Rep. James McGovern -- the Massachusetts Democrat who co-chairs the congressional Human Rights Commission . Watch how the video came to light '' McGovern expressed `` outrage and concern '' and asked Clinton to `` place a temporary hold on further U.S. expenditures of funds , training , sales or transfers of equipment or technology , including nuclear , until a full review of this matter and its policy implications can be completed . '' He issued a statement Wednesday after Obama signed the agreement , saying he would not support the deal until the UAE addresses his `` very grave concerns '' about its human rights record . In the video , an Afghan grain dealer is seen being tortured by Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan , a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi , one of the UAE 's seven emirates , whose leaders also run the federal government . The government has since arrested the sheikh , pending a full investigation . The video emerged in a federal civil lawsuit filed in Houston , Texas , by Bassam Nabulsi , a U.S. citizen , against the sheikh . The men , former business partners , had a falling out , in part over the video . In a statement to CNN , the sheikh 's U.S. attorney said Nabulsi is using the videotape to influence the court over a business dispute . The U.S.-UAE pact is similar to one the United States signed last year with India . Under it , Washington would share nuclear technology , expertise and fuel . In exchange , the UAE would commit to abide by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency inspection safeguards . The small oil-rich Gulf nation promises not to enrich uranium or to reprocess spent nuclear fuel to extract plutonium , which can be used to make nuclear bombs . A statement issued Thursday by the State Department said the deal will `` serve as a model for responsible nuclear energy development '' in the Middle East . `` The UAE agreement contains the strongest nonproliferation conditions of any negotiated by the United States , '' the statement said . Of special note , it said , is the UAE 's commitment to obtain nuclear fuel from reliable and responsible suppliers rather than pursue indigenous uranium enrichment and reprocessing , fuel cycle activities that pose the most serious proliferation risks . This commitment `` is reflected within the agreement as a legally binding obligation on the part of the UAE , '' the State Department said . The civil nuclear agreement was signed in January by the Bush administration , but had to be recertified because it was not approved before Obama took office . The deal is part of a major UAE investment in nuclear energy , and the government has already signed deals to build several nuclear power plants . UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba said his country will `` seriously consider '' U.S. companies to implement the program . The United States already has similar nuclear cooperation agreements with Egypt and Morocco , and U.S. officials said Washington is working on similar pacts with Saudi Arabia , Bahrain and Jordan . The United States has praised the UAE 's development of nuclear energy , a stark contrast to criticism of Iran , which is suspected of attempting to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb . But UAE 's ties to Iran have caused concern . Iran is among the UAE 's largest trading partners . In the past , the port city of Dubai has been used as a transit point for sensitive technology bound for Iran . Dubai also was one of the major hubs for the nuclear trafficking network run by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan , who admitted spreading nuclear technology to Iran , North Korea and Libya up until the year 2000 . He was eventually pardoned by the Pakistani government . Such ties contributed to stiff opposition in Congress to the failed deal for Dubai Ports World to manage U.S. ports . Some in Congress have expressed concern that the new deal could fuel an arms race and proliferation in the region . Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen , R-Florida , the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee , has said she was `` deeply disappointed '' the United States signed a `` flawed agreement . '' `` Transferring nuclear technology and know-how to this unproven partner is inconsistent with the administration 's expressed commitment to the pursuit of stronger nonproliferation controls , '' Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement after Obama signed the agreement . `` The UAE 's long history as a conduit for Iran 's nuclear weapons program , its failure to fully implement effective export controls , and the danger of expanding nuclear facilities and expertise in the Middle East make this agreement a dangerous precedent . '' She introduced legislation earlier this year that would prevent the agreement from going into effect until the president certifies that the UAE has met a number of conditions regarding export controls and terrorist financing .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. President Barack Obama met Monday night with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan , the White House announced . It was the ninth meeting of the president 's war council to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan , as requested by the U.S. commander on the ground there . The White House made no statement after the meeting ended at 10 p.m. ET -LRB- 0300 GMT -RRB- . The meeting included Vice President Joe Biden , Defense Secretary Robert Gates , Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen , Afghanistan commanding Gen. Stanley McChrystal , U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and other senior officials , the White House said earlier . At the last war council meeting -- on November 11 , Veteran 's Day -- Obama pushed for revisions in proposed plans for troop increases to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government . Obama would seek answers to the questions he posed on November 11 about `` not just how we get people there , but what 's the strategy for getting them out , '' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said before the meeting . No matter what happened at the meeting , Gibbs said , Obama will not announce a decision on troop deployment until at least next week . One option calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country , with other options involving variations of that plan , sources told CNN . Before the November 11 meeting , Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East , told CNN that the decision-making process was approaching completion . Petraeus emphasized the need to focus on the mission of ensuring that Afghanistan `` does not once again become a sanctuary or safe haven for al Qaeda and the kind of transnational extremists that carried out the 9\/11 attacks . '' The Obama administration has expressed concerns about Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai 's viability and has ratcheted up pressure to end corruption in order to combat an intensifying Taliban insurgency . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , on a trip to Afghanistan last week to attend Karzai 's inauguration after his recent re-election , reiterated the U.S. concerns in a dinner meeting with Karzai and encouraged him to seize the `` clear window of opportunity '' before him at a `` critical moment '' in Afghanistan 's history . The United States and other countries are increasing their civilian presence in Afghanistan to bolster efforts to stabilize the country , the the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan , Richard Holbrooke , told reporters on Monday . Asked about the corruption problem , Holbrooke noted that some Afghan government ministers have `` extraordinary records '' of accomplishment . The United States will work with those ministers , while recognizing that years of civil war and social woes have weakened overall leadership capabilities in Afghanistan , he said . `` This is one of the main reasons we 're increasing our civilian role , '' Holbrooke said . `` And it 's extremely delicate to get the mix right . We want to help the Afghans help themselves . We do not want to replace a sovereign government with internationals . '' Republican opponents are pushing Obama to quickly agree to McChrystal 's reported request for up to 40,000 additional troops in Afghanistan as part of a counterinsurgency strategy . `` This wo n't be perfect or easy , but it will allow America 's fighting men and women to leave Afghanistan with honor , and it will enable Afghans to build a better , more peaceful future , '' said a letter to Obama from 10 Republican senators sent on Veteran 's Day .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Washington Wizards player Javaris Crittenton Monday became the second member of the NBA team to plead guilty to a weapons charge following a gun-toting locker-room incident . Crittenton , 22 , pleaded guilty in Superior Court in the District of Columbia to a misdemeanor count of possession of an unregistered firearm . He will avoid jail time . Judge Bruce Beaudin sentenced Crittenton to one year of unsupervised probation . The judge also ordered him to perform community service with a children 's organization in Washington and through the NBA 's Haiti project . `` Possessing a firearm unlawfully in the District of Columbia can lead to nothing but trouble and can have serious consequences , '' said U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips . `` We commend Mr. Crittenton for accepting responsibility and hope he fully appreciates the gravity of his actions , '' Phillips said . The Wizards said in a statement that the charges and Crittenton 's plea were `` another disappointing development in what has already been a long and frustrating process for the team , the NBA and , most importantly , our fans . '' `` Javaris clearly used very bad judgment in this situation and will now face the consequences of his actions , '' the statement said . Crittenton , who is currently listed as inactive on the Wizards ' roster and has not played a game all season , agreed with prosecutors that the incident stemmed from an angry exchange with teammate Gilbert Arenas following arguments over a card game . The argument led to shooting threats , according to documents submitted to the court . Prosecutors say Arenas threatened to burn or blow up Crittenton 's car when they came to practice the following Monday . `` According to Crittenton before he left his home in Virginia for practice that day , Crittenton placed a lawfully owned unloaded handgun into his backpack because he believed that Arenas would carry out his threat to shoot him that day , '' prosecutors said . Authorities say Crittenton displayed the weapon to Arenas , but did not aim it at him or load the weapon . Arenas had placed four of his own guns at Crittenton 's locker and told him to `` pick one , '' authorities said . Authorities say Crittenton had been cooperating with them after the incident , and had voluntarily surrendered his weapon , a 9 mm semi-automatic Taurus , to law enforcement officials . Arenas , a former NBA all-star , pleaded guilty to a more serious felony charge and faces potentially six months in jail , and has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA . His sentencing is set for March 26 .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Criminal charges will not be filed against the owner of a chimpanzee that mauled and blinded a Connecticut woman earlier this year , according to Connecticut State 's Attorney David Cohen . At a news conference Monday , Cohen explained that criminal prosecution against Sandra Herold , 77 , was not warranted because she was not aware of the risk her pet posed . On February 16 , Herold had called her friend Charla Nash , 55 , for help in getting her pet chimpanzee Travis back inside her house after he used a key to escape . When Nash arrived at the Stamford home of her friend , the chimp , who had been featured in TV commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy , jumped on her and began biting and mauling her , causing serious injuries to her face , neck and hands . Police shot Travis to halt the attack and he later died of gunshot wounds . Cohen explained that the dangers of keeping a pet chimpanzee were never fully explained to Herold by the Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection . While the agency was aware that the chimpanzee was living with Herold , there is no evidence that they ever reached out to her to detail why the primate posed a threat to her and others in the community . Furthermore , Herold had never had any problems with Travis in the past . Although Travis had escaped once before in 2003 and `` wreaked havoc '' on the streets of Stamford for a couple of hours , the chimp had never exhibited any violent behavior , especially towards Nash , with whom he had interacted with regularly . Nash , Cohen stated , had specifically been called that day because Herold thought she could help in controlling the escaped chimpanzee . In the state of Connecticut , criminal prosecution would have to determine that Herold acted recklessly , disregarding the risk that Travis would attack and cause serious injuries to another person . Because of the chimp 's familiarity with Nash , his previously placid behavior and the lack of contact by the Department of Environmental Protection , Cohen determined that Herold would not be held criminally responsible for the attack . `` This does not in any way minimize the horror that we all feel with what occurred and with the horrendous injuries suffered , '' he said . `` Our prayers go out to the family and to the victim . '' In March , shortly after the attack , the family of Charla Nash filed a lawsuit seeking $ 50 million in damages from the owner of the primate . The court papers , filed in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut , alleged that the owner was liable for the attack , negligent and reckless in her ownership of a wild animal . Following the attack , Nash was transported to the famed Cleveland Clinic , where the nation 's first face transplant was performed . In a written statement the Cleveland Clinic said that Nash had lost her nose , upper and lower lips , eyelids and both her hands in the attack , as well as the `` bony structures in her mid-face . '' The attack has raised questions about whether exotic animals should be kept as pets . Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has stated that primates and crocodiles should be added to a state list of animals citizens are not allowed to own . When asked if there was anything to be learned from the attack , Cohen said , `` I think the public will have to draw their own lessons from what was a very tragic incident . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BURBANK , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Laura Ling on Wednesday expressed the shock she and Euna Lee felt when former President Clinton showed up in Pyongyang , North Korea , to help secure the two journalists ' release . The families of Euna Lee , left , and Laura Ling greet them Wednesday in California . `` We feared at any moment that we could be sent to a hard labor camp , and then suddenly we were told we were going to a meeting , '' a tearful and emotional Ling said at a news conference Wednesday morning in California shortly after arriving by plane with Lee and Clinton . She spoke minutes after the two women were reunited with their families at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank outside Los Angeles . They had been detained in North Korea since March . North Korea pardoned Ling , 32 , and Lee , 36 , after Clinton 's brief trip Tuesday to Pyongyang . `` We were taken to a location , and when we walked through the doors , we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton , '' Ling said , with Lee standing beside her . Watch the emotional return at the airport '' `` We were shocked , but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end . '' She expressed her and Lee 's `` deepest gratitude '' to Clinton and his `` wonderful , amazing '' team . Watch as Ling says , `` We could feel your love '' '' `` The past 140 days have been the most difficult , heart-wrenching time of our lives , '' Ling said . `` We are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea , and we are so happy to be home . '' She said that she and Lee are looking forward to spending `` some quiet , private time '' with their families . iReport.com : Share reaction to the freed journalists Former Vice President Al Gore also spoke to the throngs of journalists at the news conference . He expressed his gratitude to Clinton and President Obama and his administration who `` have been deeply involved in this humanitarian effort . '' Watch Gore pay tribute to the people involved in the effort '' Lee and Ling are employed by Gore 's California-based media company , Current TV . The women were arrested in March while reporting from the border between North Korea and China . In June , they were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . On Wednesday morning , Lee bowed as she walked down the steps of the plane into a private hangar , and Ling raised her fists into the air . The women hugged their families , who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs . Lee 's 4-year-old daughter , Hana , clung tightly to her tearful mother . Watch as the women reunite with their families '' Clinton walked off the plane minutes later but did not address the crowd . `` I am very happy that after this long ordeal , Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now home and reunited with their loved ones , '' Clinton said in a statement . `` When their families , Vice President Gore and the White House asked that I undertake this humanitarian mission , I agreed . I share a deep sense of relief with Laura and Euna and their families that they are safely home . '' Journalist Lisa Ling said she never gave up hope that she would see her sister again . `` We always maintained our hope and knew in our hearts that we would see Laura again ; we just did n't know when , '' Lisa Ling said outside her home in Los Angeles , California . `` We are just thrilled beyond words that the day has finally arrived . '' She said her sister was looking forward to eating fresh fruit and food for the first time in four months , after many meals of rice that often contained rocks . `` I can tell she has gone through a lot , '' Ling said . `` My sister has an amazing , amazing spirit , and she 's a little bit weak right now , so I think it 's going take a little time for her to gather up her wits and be able to talk about what she experienced . '' At the White House , Obama applauded the release of the two journalists , saying , `` We are very pleased with the outcome . '' Their release is a `` source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country , '' he said . Watch as Obama says , `` We are relieved '' '' Obama also thanked the former president and Gore for their roles in winning the women 's release . `` I think that not only is this White House ... extraordinarily happy , but all Americans should be grateful to both former President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their extraordinary work , '' he said . Clinton made the trip to North Korea after the women 's families asked him to travel there , a senior administration official said . Doug Ling , Ling 's father , earlier reacted to the news of his daughter 's release outside his home in Carmichael , California , saying it was `` one of the best days in my life . '' `` I figured , sooner or later , they 'd be back , '' he said . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also expressed her relief that the two women were released . She spoke from Nairobi , Kenya , where she is taking part in a multination visit to Africa . `` I spoke to my husband on the airplane , and everything went well , '' she said . `` It is just a good day to be able to see this happen . '' In July , Ling and Lee spoke to their families and told them that the North Koreans were willing to grant them amnesty if a high-level envoy , such as former President Clinton , were willing to travel to Pyongyang , the administration official said on condition of anonymity . North Korea said Clinton `` expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il '' for the journalists ' actions , but the administration official said he knew nothing about an apology . He said Clinton met for three hours and 15 minutes with the North Korean leader but said he did not know what issues were discussed . But he said Clinton 's views on a verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are well-known . North Korea 's state-run Korea Central News Agency said Clinton conveyed a message from Obama `` expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries . '' But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said before the announced agreement that Clinton was not carrying any message from Obama . Gibbs added the former president last spoke with Obama during a White House visit in March . He described Clinton 's trip as a `` solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans . '' Clinton 's mission came as the United States and its allies in the region are seeking to persuade North Korea to return to the stalled nuclear disarmament talks . North Korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test in May and has held several missile tests since then . The United Nations has responded by increasing sanctions on the nation . North Korea and the United States had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over Pyongyang 's nuclear program . North Korea agreed then to halt the development of nuclear weapons but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 . Clinton had considered visiting North Korea in 2000 , near the end of his second term as president . His secretary of state , Madeleine Albright , had gone to Pyongyang in 2000 to meet with Kim . She was the last high-ranking American official to do so before this week . CNN 's Elaine Quijano , Charlie Moore and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tibetan exile leaders , meeting in northern India to debate a potential new approach to Tibet 's decades-long struggle for autonomy , have voted to stay with the Dalai Lama 's current `` middle way approach , '' according to a spokesman for the spiritual leader . Some have sought Tibet 's independence from China , but the Dalai Lama has sought autonomy . `` The majority of the people have spoken and have requested his holiness the Dalai Lama to continue with his middle way approach , '' said spokesman Tenzin Taklha . The meeting was called after the Dalai Lama acknowledged he had failed in his efforts to convince China to restore the territory 's autonomy . He did not attend the week-long conference in Dharamsala , a town in the hills of north India where he lives in exile . He called the meeting , he said , to offer the exiles an opportunity to discuss `` the best possible future course of action '' for Tibet . Takhla said the Tibetans demonstrated that the Dalai Lama was their undisputed leader , and they hoped China would recognize him as such and negotiations toward a realistic solution could be held . There was a small minority who said they wanted to demand Tibet 's independence , Takhla said . The `` middle way '' approach with Beijing is one in which Tibetans want a level of autonomy that will allow them to protect and preserve their culture , religion and national identity . In exchange , China could continue to claim Tibet as part of its territory . Some in Tibet have advocated independence from China , but the Dalai Lama has long called for genuine autonomy . Tibet is technically autonomous from the central Chinese government , but the Dalai Lama and others have said they favor real autonomy and resent the slow erosion of their culture amid an influx of Han Chinese , the largest ethnic group in China . Learn about Tibet 's history of conflict '' The resentment spilled over in March , when Buddhist monks initiated peaceful anti-Chinese protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa . The demonstrations began March 14 , the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Beijing 's rule that sent the Dalai Lama into exile . The protests soon turned violent , with demonstrators burning vehicles and shops . Some protesters advocated independence from China , while others demonstrated against the growing influence of the Han Chinese in Tibet and other regions of China with ethnic Tibetan populations . The subsequent crackdown left 18 civilians and one police officer dead , according to the Chinese government . Tibet 's self-proclaimed government-in-exile put the death toll from the protests at 140 . China blamed the Dalai Lama and his followers for the March riots -- a charge he has consistently denied .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta , Indonesia , warned Thursday of an indication of an attack to Bali on New Year 's Eve . The Embassy said the warning initially came from the Bali governor , Mangku Pastika , and that it passed on his alert verbatim . The governor , however , said there was no information about a new terrorist threat . `` We never release -LRB- d -RRB- any warning related to terror on New Year 's Eve , '' the governor 's office said in a statement after the Embassy released the warning . `` We however encourage both domestic and foreign tourists to be cautious , '' the governor 's office said . `` The terrorists hit Bali twice . Who knows what they will do next . '' Pastika 's office said there was only a general alert on the island because of the holiday . Terrorist groups , including Jemaah Islamiyah , have carried out repeated attacks in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2002 . The Embassy did not elaborate on the governor 's message , but the United States has a standing warning to U.S. citizens in Indonesia that extremists may target both official and private interests , including hotels , clubs , and shopping centers . `` In their work and daily living activities , and while traveling , U.S. citizens should be vigilant and prudent at all times , '' the U.S. State Department warning states . `` We urge U.S. citizens to monitor local news reports , vary their routes and times , and maintain a low profile . U.S. citizens must consider the security and safety preparedness of hotels , residences , restaurants , and entertainment or recreation venues that they frequent . '' Unknown attackers shot at foreigners in Banda Aceh , in northern Sumatra , last month , wounding a European development worker , the Embassy said . The attackers also targeted a house occupied by American teachers , but no U.S. citizens were hurt , it said . The most major recent attack was in July , when suspected Jemaah Islamiyah elements bombed two western hotels in Jakarta . The blasts at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels killed nine people -- including at least two presumed suicide bombers -- and wounded more than 50 , including U.S. citizens . Also in July , armed assailants in Papua killed several people , including security personnel and one Australian national , the Embassy said . Jemaah Islamiyah , said to have links to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda terrorist network , is blamed for the 2002 Bali bomb attacks in which 202 people , mainly foreign tourists , were killed . More than 300 people -- many of them young Australians on vacation -- were wounded by the massive blasts in the town of Kuta . Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or blown to pieces . The bombing was blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah . The group was also said to be behind an attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 in which nine people died , and an attack on the same Marriott hotel that killed eight the same year . -- CNN 's Atika Shubert in Bali and Andy Saputra in Jakarta contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military formally handed authority over Baghdad 's `` Green Zone '' to Iraqis on Thursday as new pacts governing the mission of international troops replaced a U.N. mandate . An Iraqi honor guard parades outside the former palace of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on Thursday . Iraqi troops took over checkpoints around the heavily protected district , formally known as the International Zone , which houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. Embassy . Saddam Hussein 's Republican Palace , which served as U.S. headquarters in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion that ousted Iraq 's longtime strongman , was among the facilities handed over in Thursday 's ceremony . `` This day is a great day in the history of the Iraqi people , '' Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta said . Maj. Gen. David Perkins , a U.S. military spokesman , noted the significance of turning over the former Republican Palace . Watch what goes on in the `` Green Zone '' '' `` The palace was handed back to the Iraqi people , significant as symbol of the head of the government and a sign for increased sovereignty , '' he said at a news conference with Atta . Thursday marked the first day of a U.S.-Iraqi pact that allows U.S. forces to remain in the country until 2011 , under tighter restrictions . Similar agreements have been signed with other coalition countries that remain in Iraq . A U.N. mandate that authorized international forces in the country expired Wednesday . Perkins said American troops will continue to fight alongside Iraqis -- `` but the Iraqis will be in the lead . '' `` When you come up to a checkpoint , the Iraqis will check your identification . They will make the decision if you come in or go out , '' he said . `` We will continue to be there to provide some technical capacity , to provide some mentoring , but you will see less and less American forces and more and more Iraqi forces -- and they will have the majority of the responsibility for making those key decisions which determine the security of the capital . '' Iraq 's three-member Presidency Council ratified the new pact in December . Under the deal , U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraqi cities and towns by June 30 , and all American troops will leave the country by the end of 2011 , more than eight years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Hussein . The agreement authorizes the `` temporary assistance '' of U.S. forces but severely restricts their role . It requires Iraqi approval for all military operations and gives Iraqi courts the right to try U.S. troops and contractors for `` grave premeditated felonies . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dangerous cocktails of prescription drugs were pumped into Anna Nicole Smith `` almost to the point of stupefaction '' and eventually led to her death , California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Friday . Anna Nicole Smith 's boyfriend Howard K. Stern was among those charged Thursday . Brown called Smith 's longtime partner and attorney Howard K. Stern the `` principal enabler '' in a conspiracy with two doctors for giving the `` known addict '' thousands of prescription pills . Stern and a doctor were jailed on charges of conspiring to furnish drugs before her death in 2007 , authorities said . `` Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor were arrested and later released from a Los Angeles County jail Thursday night after each posted a $ 20,000 bond , a police spokesman said . Dr. Khristine Eroshevich also faces charges and is expected to turn herself in Monday , authorities said . The doctors and Stern devised a plan to use fake names so Smith could be prescribed `` thousands of pills , '' Brown said . Her doctors knew she was addicted and gave her drugs `` excessively , '' Brown said . `` The quantity of the drugs , the variety of the drugs , the combination at any given point and her continuing to use that ; that , to a professional , is clear evidence of addiction , '' Brown said . `` These cocktails of methadone and antidepressants and sleeping pills and Xanax , you put all that into a cocktail , it explodes and can cause death , injury and permanent morbidity and disability , '' he said . Watch Brown speak to the media '' Brown said he hoped the charges send a loud and clear message . `` Doctors do not have a license to pump innocent and often vulnerable people full of dangerous chemicals , '' he said . Smith , 39 , was pronounced dead February 8 , 2007 , after being found unconscious in her hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood , Florida . The former Playboy playmate and reality TV star died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs , a coroner said . Several prescription medications -- both in Smith 's and Stern 's names -- were found in the room after her death . Officials said prescription and over-the-counter drugs were found in Smith 's system , including three antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs . Also found in toxicology testing was human growth hormone and chloral hydrate , a sleep medication , officials said . Stern and Kapoor , both 40 , and Eroshevich , 61 , each were charged with eight felonies , including conspiring to furnish controlled substances , unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and obtaining fraudulent prescriptions from June 2004 to January 2007 -- only weeks before Smith 's death . Kapoor and Eroshevich also were each charged with obtaining a prescription for opiates by `` fraud , deceit or misrepresentation . '' And each was charged with one count of obtaining a prescription for opiates by giving a false name or address , according to the Los Angeles District Attorney 's Office . Smith was buried in the Bahamas on March 2 , 2007 , next to the grave of her son , Daniel , who had died in September 2006 , days after the birth of her daughter , Dannielynn . Brown said his office will aggressively target California doctors who over-prescribe dangerous drugs . `` People think those drug dealers on the street corners are the only threat , '' he said . `` As a matter of fact , people in white smocks and pharmacies and with their medical degrees are a growing threat , and we aim to curtail it and curb it in the best way we can . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNNMoney.com -RRB- -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Sunday that it is buying troubled Wall Street firm Bear Stearns , amid deepening fears that Bear 's demise could have sent shockwaves across already shaky financial markets . The deal to buy Bear Stearns is worth an estimated $ 236 million . The deal values Bear Stearns at $ 236 million , or just $ 2 a share . Shares had closed at $ 30 on Friday , down 47 percent that day . `` Effective immediately , JPMorgan Chase is guaranteeing the trading obligations of Bear Stearns and its subsidiaries and is providing management oversight for its operations , '' said a statement released Sunday by JPMorgan . Shareholders must approve the deal , which is expected to close by the end of June . JPMorgan is taking immediate responsibility for Bear 's trading obligations and assuming `` management oversight '' of the firm 's operations . The deal has already been approved by the Federal Reserve and other regulators , according to the statement . The Fed is providing special emergency financing for up to $ 30 billion in Bear Stearns assets . `` JPMorgan stands behind Bear Stearns , '' said Jamie Dimon , chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan . `` Bear Stearns clients and counterparties should feel secure that JPMorgan is guaranteeing ... risk , '' he continued . The fast-track deal is expected to close by the end of June , the statement said . Bear Stearns was on the brink of financial collapse Friday when JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said they would provide the brokerage a short-term loan . Bear was dealing with a classic `` run on the bank . '' The firm 's short-term creditors refused to lend the firm any more money and simultaneously demanded repayment of outstanding debt . The one-two punch overwhelmed Bear 's cash position . With the global credit crisis worsening , the Fed -- along with officials from the Treasury Department and other government agencies -- took the dramatic action to prevent the investment bank from going under and igniting widespread panic through the financial markets . Watch a discussion on the impact on global markets '' Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Sunday that talks about how to rescue Bear had continued throughout the weekend . He defended the Fed 's bailout on Friday as `` the right decision '' and said the Bush administration was ready to take other actions to bring stability to the financial markets . He would not say what might have happened had the government failed to step in . `` I 'm not going to speculate about what-ifs , '' he said . `` I 'm just going to say our clear priority right now -- our number one priority , everything we 're doing in the economic arena -- is to minimize instability , minimize spillover into the real economy . '' Bear Stearns has approximately 14,000 employees worldwide . The deal marks an inglorious chapter for 85-year-old Bear Stearns , a storied Wall Street firm the unraveling of which has been fast and furious . Rumors that Bear Stearns was on the verge of collapse started buzzing around Wall Street trading desks last Monday . Chief Executive Alan Schwartz -- who took over as CEO in early January from longtime chief Jimmy Cayne -- appeared on television on Wednesday afternoon to reassure the markets that the firm was stable . But by Thursday night , Bear was in a severe crunch . Some firms that trade with it effectively stopped offering it credit because they feared that Bear was running short of short-term funding , or liquidity . `` The past week has been an incredibly difficult time for Bear Stearns , '' said Alan Schwartz , president and CEO of Bear Stearns . `` This transaction represents the best outcome for all of our constituencies based upon the current circumstances . '' White House spokesman Tony Fratto told CNN on Sunday that Paulson has briefed U.S. President George W. Bush on the Federal Reserve 's role in helping to facilitate the purchase . `` We appreciate the actions taken by the Federal Reserve this evening , '' said Fratto . `` Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke are actively engaged in addressing issues affecting our financial markets . Secretary Paulson has kept the President briefed on recent developments . '' Shares of Bear Stearns opened last week at $ 69.75 and traded as high as $ 159 last year . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"San Diego , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When is wearing a T-shirt with the American flag on it considered provocative ? Answer : When you wear it to a high school with a dress code that explicitly prohibits `` any clothing or decoration which detracts from the learning environment . '' And when the high school , where 20 % of the 1,300 students are English-language learners and 18 % come from low-income families , has been described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having `` an ethnically charged atmosphere . '' And when , despite concerns about potential violence , you and some of your friends make your patriotic wardrobe choices on , of all days , Cinco de Mayo . Last week , Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Ware said as much when he dismissed a lawsuit by a group of students and their parents against the Morgan Hill Unified School District in North California . The plaintiffs had alleged that , on May 5 , 2010 , the students ' rights to freedom of speech were violated when Live Oak High School Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez ordered them to remove or turn inside out T-shirts bearing the American flag . The students refused , and two of them were sent home . Under ordinary circumstances , wearing a T-shirt with the American flag on it would probably not be a big deal . But this high school is no ordinary place , especially not on Cinco de Mayo . It 's a cultural powder keg . The previous year , in 2009 , a group of Mexican students marked the holiday by walking around campus holding a Mexican flag . A group of white students responded by hanging a makeshift American flag from a tree and chanting `` USA . '' According to the Chronicle , tensions flared and the two groups faced off with profanity and threats . Little wonder that when some students showed up at school wearing T-shirts with American flags on them administrators decided to err on the side of caution . Meanwhile , the judge did the right thing in dismissing the case and declaring that administrators had the right to take preventive action if there was a `` reasonable fear '' of violence . Score one for common sense . Can you imagine where we 'd be if the court had gone the other way and stripped school officials of the power to maintain order ? It 's easy for conservative radio talk show hosts and other right-wing commentators to criticize the administrators , but they were n't there . They 're speaking from ignorance . They do n't have even the most basic understanding of the mood at the high school or the events of previous years . Conservatives are confused . For the last four decades , they have chipped away at the idea that students ' free speech rights should trump every other consideration . The Supreme Court established those rights in 1969 in a case called Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District . In that case , a group of high school and junior high school students were suspended when they wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War . The high court declared that students do n't `` shed their constitutional rights to free speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate . '' But since Tinker , and at the urging of conservatives , the Supreme Court has curtailed First Amendment rights of students , especially when the expression of those rights is disruptive , obscene or might lead to violence . It did so in three other cases : Bethel School District v Fraser -LRB- 1986 -RRB- , in which the high court held that a high school student 's speech during an assembly -- filled with sexual innuendo -- was not protected ; Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier -LRB- 1988 -RRB- , in which the justices held that schools can regulate the content of student newspapers ; and Morse v Frederick -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , in which the Court held that school officials can restrict student speech at a school-supervised event even if it takes place off-campus . That 's the new legal reality , and it 's one that conservatives helped create . Now they have to live with it . The other problem is the parents , who did their offspring no favors by encouraging them to play the victim and call a lawyer . They were so eager to sue and teach their kids to stand up for their rights that they neglected to teach them that , in our system , rights come with responsibilities . Like this one : Americans have the responsibility to treat one another , and one another 's cultures , with respect . Just because someone shows cultural pride -- St. Patrick 's Day , anyone ? -- does n't mean it 's an expression of anti-Americanism . Quite the opposite . America is all about coming together as one , while preserving the cultural attributes that make us unique . There 's the rub : The students who brought the lawsuit against school officials claim to be proud of the American flag . But it 's obvious they do n't have the foggiest idea what it represents . And , when they had the chance , their parents failed to teach them . Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter for more views on the news The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr. .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five security guards from Blackwater Worldwide have been indicted on charges related to a 2007 shooting in which 17 Iraqis were killed in a Baghdad square , two sources said Friday . An Iraqi woman looks at a blood-stained car of two women killed in the 2007 Nusoor Square shooting . A sixth security guard is in plea negotiations , the sources told CNN . The exact charges handed up by a federal grand jury were not revealed . The sources requested anonymity because the indictment remains under court seal . It is expected to be made public by Justice Department officials as early as Monday . The Justice Department had no comment on the development , and defense attorneys for the men could not be reached for reaction . The State Department , which employed Blackwater to protect U.S. diplomats and other employees , also had no comment . Blackwater said it would n't comment until there 's an official announcement . Iraqi authorities accused Blackwater guards of killing 17 civilians and wounding nearly 30 in the September 2007 shootings in Nusoor Square in western Baghdad . Blackwater said its guards were protecting a U.S. diplomatic convoy when they came under attack from armed insurgents . The guards returned fire , Blackwater said . But an Iraqi investigation called the killings `` premeditated murder '' and accused the guards of firing on civilians indiscriminately . The first U.S. soldiers to arrive on the scene also told investigators they found no evidence the guards were fired upon , sources told CNN . The complex legal case has been dogged by difficulties and may present a major challenge to federal prosecutors . Among the potential problems is the uncertain limit of a law passed by Congress that prevents prosecution of military personnel or others working for the military and leaves open the question of those working for other U.S. government departments and agencies abroad . The incident heightened tensions between U.S. and Iraqi government officials and contributed to a protracted debate over the extent of immunity that U.S. military personnel and civilian contractors have from Iraqi laws . Security contractors have had immunity from Iraqi law under a provision put into place in the early days of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq . But starting next year , under a U.S.-Iraq security agreement that Iraq approved Thursday , Iraq will have the `` primary right to exercise jurisdiction '' over U.S. contractors and their employees . The State Department renewed Blackwater 's contract this year over strong objections from the Iraqi government .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Irrawaddy , one of the world 's rarest species of freshwater dolphins , have been found in surprisingly large numbers deep in the waterlogged jungles of Bangladesh . The Irrawaddy is considered to be one of the world 's rarest species of freshwater dolphin . Conservationists thought the Irrawaddy had dwindled in number to just a few hundred , but they have now counted almost 6,000 of them in the Sundarban mangrove forests and the adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal . The forests of the Sundarban -- Bengali for `` beautiful forest '' -- lie at the delta of the Ganges and two other rivers on the Bay of Bengal . Until now , little mammal research had taken place in the area . `` Every time we had done a study to look into the population -LRB- elsewhere -RRB- , they came out critically endangered , '' said Brian Smith of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society , who led the study . `` It was a very pleasant surprise and a shock to find that Bangladesh supports such a large number -LRB- of dolphins -RRB- . '' The discovery is noteworthy because scientists do not know how many Irrawaddy dolphins remain . The next step , they say , is to ensure the mammal 's survival . One rare dolphin species -- the Yangtze River dolphin , or baiji -- is extinct . Another , the Ganges River dolphin , is critically endangered . Some of the threats affecting the Irrawaddy are man-made . The construction of dams has reduced the flow of fresh water in many parts of Bangladesh . And the population is dwindling because the dolphins sometimes get caught in fishermen 's nets . The dolphin , which has a large , rounded head , can grow up to 8 feet in length and is related to the orca , or killer whale . It is found in large rivers , estuaries and freshwater lagoons in south and southeast Asia . In Myanmar , the dolphins help herd schools of fish toward fishermen 's boats and nets . In Bangladesh , fishermen hold them in high regard , Smith said . `` There is no market for dolphin products , '' he said . `` In a country like Bangladesh , with protein deficiency and where food is scarce , there is a real cultural prohibition against harming them . It gives us hope because it means fishermen are very receptive to working with us . '' The results of the study were shared Wednesday at a conference for marine mammal protected areas in Hawaii , and published in the winter issue of the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management . Conservationists are now working with the Bangladesh government to establish a protected area for the dolphins . `` There are so many bad news -LRB- stories -RRB- coming out of the conservation community that this is a real sort of positive story , '' Smith said .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two newlyweds are fighting for the dismissal of the justice of the peace who refused them a marriage license because they are of different races . A Louisiana justice of the peace refused to perform a marriage for Beth and Terence McKay . `` We 've retained an attorney , and we 're in the process of taking the next steps in order to make sure that -LRB- the justice of the peace -RRB- loses his job , '' Beth McKay told CNN 's `` American Morning '' on Monday . She and her husband , Terence McKay , stepped into the national spotlight when Keith Bardwell , a justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish 's 8th Ward , refused them a license . They ultimately got a marriage license from another justice of the peace in the same parish . Despite a national uproar and a call by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for him to lose his license , Bardwell , 56 , said he has no regrets . `` It 's kind of hard to apologize for something that you really and truly feel down in your heart you have n't done wrong , '' he told CNN affiliate WAFB on Saturday . He insisted he is not racist and does not treat black people differently . He said he does not perform mixed-race marriages because he is concerned about the children of such marriages . Bardwell did not return calls from CNN . Beth McKay , 30 , said she was speaking with Bardwell 's wife by phone about getting a marriage license and was `` shocked '' to be asked whether they are an interracial couple . Watch how justice 's decision shocked couple '' `` She said , ` Well , what 's the deal ? Is he black , or are you black ? ' And so I answered her question , and then she just said , ` Well , we do n't do interracial marriages . ' '' Terence McKay , 32 , told CNN , `` Everyone is entitled to their own opinions , but he 's absolutely wrong on all aspects of his stance . '' McKay added , `` If it was n't for interracial couples today , we would n't have our president . So for him to take that outlook , that 's still like 1800s or something . '' `` A lot of people have come up to us and said , ` You know , we 're in interracial relationships as well , ' not just black and white , and just encouraged us to stand up for our rights and to speak out against things like this , '' Beth McKay said . The incident `` caught us completely off guard , '' said Terence McKay , `` and we 're just trying to live our lives . '' The National Urban League called for an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department 's Civil Rights Division , saying in a statement that Bardwell 's actions were `` a huge step backward in social justice . '' The U.S. Supreme Court tossed out race-based limitations on marriage in the landmark 1967 Loving v. Virginia case . In the unanimous decision , the court said that `` Under our Constitution , the freedom to marry , or not marry , a person of another race resides with the individual and can not be infringed by the State . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama reached out to citizens of the world Tuesday , saying in an op-ed piece that ran in 31 newspapers around the globe that there is an urgent need for worldwide economic cooperation . President Obama will discuss the economic downturn with other world leaders next week at the Group of 20 meeting . Obama 's move comes ahead of next week 's Group of 20 meeting in London , England , in which leaders of the world 's richest nations will discuss the global economic downturn . `` My message is clear , '' Obama wrote . `` The United States is ready to lead , and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose . Much good work has been done , but much more remains . '' The president is scheduled to hold his second prime-time news conference at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday . In the op-ed , Obama spoke about the upcoming G-20 meeting , saying that world leaders have to work together . Watch as the White House press secretary outlines Obama 's economic strategy '' `` We are living through a time of global economic challenges that can not be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation , '' Obama said . `` Now , the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold , comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery , but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again . '' The president also pointed out that although the United States is separated by two oceans from most of the rest of the world , a global economy renders those geographic distinctions moot . `` Once and for all , we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy , '' Obama said . `` There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond . '' Next week 's G-20 summit will be Obama 's first meeting as president with many of the world 's leaders . He will meet many of the Western Hemisphere 's leaders at the Fifth Summit of the Americas next month in Trinidad and Tobago .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Hillary Clinton on Thursday sharpened her attacks on Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama as she faces what even her supporters admit are must-win situations in Texas and Ohio in the weeks ahead . At a campaign stop at a General Motors Corp. plant in Youngstown , Ohio , the senator from New York accused Obama of caving in to special interests . `` My opponent says that he 'll take on the special interests , '' she said . `` Well , he told people he stood up to the nuclear industry and passed a bill against them . But he actually let the nuclear industry water down his bill -- the bill never actually passed . '' Clinton was referring to a 2006 bill that Obama drafted after an Illinois nuclear power plant was found to have released radiation into surrounding groundwater . Obama 's original bill would have required power plants to notify the public and government officials when any radiation was released , but subsequent versions had less stringent reporting requirements , The New York Times reported . The bill was never voted on by the full Senate . Clinton also accused Obama of supporting `` billions of dollars of breaks for the oil industry '' by voting for an energy bill she opposed and said he did not support the workers of a Maytag Corp. plant that closed in his home state of Illinois . Watch Clinton attack Obama '' Reacting to Clinton 's charges , Obama spokesman Bill Burton said his candidate `` does n't need any lectures on special interests from the candidate who 's taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any Republican running for president . '' `` Sen. Clinton may have said that attacks and distortions are the ` fun ' and ` exciting ' part of the campaign , but they 're exactly what everyone else in America is tired of , '' Burton said . In recent days , Clinton has challenged Obama 's ability to deliver on his rhetoric . `` There 's a big difference between us -- speeches versus solutions , talk versus action , '' she said . `` Speeches do n't put food on the table . Speeches do n't fill up your tank or fill your prescription or do anything about that stack of bills that keeps you up at night . '' Her remarks in Ohio echo statements she made a day earlier in McAllen , Texas , when she said , `` I am in the solutions business . My opponent is in the promises business . '' Clinton was set later Thursday to hold events in Dayton and Columbus , Ohio . Obama was to be in his hometown of Chicago , Illinois , and had no public events scheduled . CNN contributor and Clinton supporter James Carville said the senator must do well in the March 4 Ohio and Texas primaries if she is to stop Obama 's momentum . Carville said he thought Clinton could still win the nomination . `` You know , this thing is close . Not all the Democrats have been heard from . ... If anybody can do this , I think she can , '' said Carville , a major force behind President Clinton 's successful 1992 campaign . Clinton 's aggressive stance may be in reaction to Obama 's momentum after he won eight contests in a row -- including victories by wide margins in Tuesday 's primaries in Maryland , Virginia and the District of Columbia . Watch how the so-called Potomac primaries put Obama on a roll '' In those contests , Obama also outpolled Clinton among demographic groups she had carried earlier -- women , lower-income voters and Latinos . Clinton is banking on those groups to carry her to victory in Texas and Ohio . The wins in the Potomac primaries gave Obama a lead over Clinton in the delegate count for the first time -- 1,253 to 1,211 , according to CNN calculations . `` In my neighborhood , you know , you had to win games if you wanted to brag , '' said Jamal Simmons , a Democratic strategist and Obama supporter . `` And I think right now , Barack Obama is ahead in delegates . He 's ahead in states . He 's ahead in the popular vote . He 's winning . `` Sen. Clinton has got to win some of these contests , you know , to get to the finals . '' Neither Clinton nor Obama is likely to pick up the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination outright before the primary season ends in June , mainly because Democrats divvy up each state 's delegates in proportion to the candidates ' share of the popular vote . Watch an outlook of the Democratic race '' The Democratic nomination likely will be decided by the roughly 800 superdelegates , which include party officers , elected officials and activists . Obama 's camp argues the superdelegates should support the candidate with the most popular support , as indicated by a majority of pledged delegates going into the convention . Clinton 's campaign , on the other hand , says the superdelegates should support the candidate they think will be the best nominee in the general election as well as the best president . Watch how the campaigns are fighting for superdelegates '' MoveOn.org , an influential liberal activist group , on Thursday said it would launch a petition drive calling on the superdelegates not to go against the popular vote . `` The worst thing for the party and democracy is if all these new voters feel like the nomination was brokered in a backroom somewhere . The superdelegates have got to let the voters decide , '' MoveOn.org Executive Director Eli Pariser said in a statement . MoveOn.org has endorsed Obama . In a possible indication that Clinton is going to fight for every delegate , her camp on Thursday announced that daughter Chelsea Clinton would be dispatched to Hawaii to campaign before the state 's primary Tuesday . Watch how each campaign is fighting for delegates '' However , Chelsea Clinton may face an uphill battle there since Hawaii is Obama 's native state . Bill Clinton on Thursday was scheduled to campaign in Wisconsin , which also holds its primary Tuesday . Recent polls in that state have shown a tight race between the two Democrats . A Strategic Vision survey conducted February 8 through Sunday finds Obama ahead of Clinton 45 percent to 41 percent , a lead outside the poll 's margin of error of 3 percentage points . Carville said Clinton could recover from a loss in Wisconsin . `` It certainly would be preferable for her to win Wisconsin , but I do n't put it in the same category as I would put Texas and Ohio on March 4 , '' he said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Peter Hamby and Chris Welch contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BEIRUT , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saad Hariri is poised to follow in his father 's footsteps and become Lebanon 's next prime minister , a position he said he `` will not shy away from . '' Saad Hariri said he will discuss taking the position of Lebanon 's prime minister with his allies . `` I will discuss it with my allies , '' the pro-U.S. Sunni lawmaker told CNN . `` You know , I did n't win this election by myself . My allies had a big role to play in winning for the 14th of March -LRB- coalition -RRB- . And I think it will only be fair and obvious that we talk , me and my allies ... and then after that , if I have to do it , I will not shy away from it . '' Hariri is the head of the `` March 14 '' coalition , which retained its control over Lebanon 's government this week despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance . Hariri said he hopes to accomplish what his father , former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , never had a chance to do before he was killed in 2005 . `` He accomplished in his assassination the sovereignty of Lebanon , the independence of Lebanon , '' Hariri said . `` And I want to accomplish what he always dreamt of Lebanon being . `` I think he would want me to do what 's good for Lebanon , do what would unite the Lebanese people , and ... concentrate on the economy and the security and stability of Lebanon . '' The elder Hariri was killed in a massive bombing in February 2005 that also left 22 others dead . An ongoing United Nations investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement in the assassination of the popular statesman , but Syria has denied any role . His death triggered massive protests that eventually led to the withdrawal of Syrian forces , ending Syria 's occupation of Lebanon . Saad Hariri said Sunday 's vote `` was about Lebanon '' and not its precarious position between its alliances with Western countries and its Arab neighbors . `` The people who went on the 7th of June voted for Lebanon first , '' he said . `` It 's not about the West ; it 's not about Iran ; it 's not about Syria . It 's about we as Lebanese , what we want from this new parliament and from this new government that 's going to come . '' Hariri ruled out an independent peace track with Israel , sticking by his previous assessment that Lebanon will be the last country to sign a peace deal with the Jewish state . `` We will follow after the Arab initiative , '' he said . `` You see , the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process , and Lebanon will come as we see fit . '' Israel fought a war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the Shiite militia , which claimed victory in the six-week conflict . Some analysts had feared that a Hezbollah victory in this week 's parliamentary elections would have heightened tensions in the Middle East , particularly because of the estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon , all under the control of Hezbollah militants . Hariri met Tuesday with President Carter , who is in Beirut with more than 200 international observers monitoring the election . Shortly before that meeting , Hariri said the United States will play a key role in the effort to attain peace in the Middle East . `` I think the biggest turning point in this peace process is what the United States will do , '' he said . `` The United States has a big role to play , and if it plays it in the right way , if it plays its role like it should play it , then we will have peace in the region . They should pressure both sides to move forward -- whether the Palestinians and the Israelis , whether the Syrians and the Israelis -- and I 'm sure we 'll get there . '' After the victory of Hariri 's coalition , the next step for Lebanese lawmakers will be to elect a speaker of the parliament . Then , Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will ask someone -- presumably Hariri -- to form a government . In Lebanon , the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians , the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim , and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim . That system was created to balance power among Lebanon 's three main religious groups .","question":""}
{"answer":"JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday stressed the need for a two-state solution in the quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace , a position out of step with the current Israeli government . U.S. envoy George Mitchell says Israel and the United States will remain close allies . It was one of several key issues both sides must emphasize if they are to take advantage of the current `` historic period '' and achieve peace , Peres told visiting U.S. envoy George Mitchell . `` Nobody knows whether it will recur and nobody will forgive himself if we miss the opportunity to make peace , '' Peres said , according to a release from his office . In their meeting , Mitchell said U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking a prompt resumption of the stalled Mideast peace talks and played down tensions that have arisen between the U.S. and Israel in recent days -- particularly over Israel 's recent settlement expansion . `` Israelis and Palestinians have a responsibility to meet their obligations under the road map , '' Mitchell said . `` And we all share an obligation to create the conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations . '' The 2003 road map is a peace plan that calls for an independent Palestinian state with a secure border with Israel , and the implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who took office in March , has stated his opposition to an independent Palestinian state , and his opposition has cast doubt on the future of the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process . Peres was elected president during the term of Netanyahu 's predecessor , Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , who supported a two-state solution to achieve peace . Peres won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts as foreign minister to secure peace , along with Israeli President Yitzak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat . But in his discussions with Mitchell , the 85-year-old president stood firm on Israel 's current settlement policy , despite the road map 's provision for Israel to halt building settlements in occupied territories . `` There is agreement in Israel regarding the evacuation of illegal outposts and not to build new settlements , '' Peres told Mitchell . `` However , the issue of natural growth in the settlement blocs must continue to be discussed intensively in order to reach agreement . '' In recent days , the Obama administration has repeatedly called on Israel to stop construction of settlements . In a speech to the Muslim world Thursday in Egypt , Obama said his country `` does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements . '' So far , Netanyahu has refused U.S. calls to stop them , and said he will deliver a major speech Sunday in which he will lay out his plan for the country 's peace and security . `` Let me be clear . These are not disagreements among adversaries , '' said Mitchell , who was dispatched to the region to try and kick-start the negotiating process . `` The United States and Israel are and will remain close allies and friends . '' Peres , too , tried to calm the diplomatic waters . `` I think -LRB- Obama 's -RRB- address was extremely sensitive , touching , concerning all sides without trying to play one against the other , paying compliments when it was justified , criticizing when it was necessary in the most honest way , '' he said after last week 's speech . Watch a review of Obama 's visit to the Mideast , Europe '' He told Mitchell that the Obama administration 's focus on `` a single issue ill-serves the wider diplomatic process which is supposed to set the agenda for Israel and its neighbors . '' Mitchell also met Tuesday with Israel 's Defense Minister Ehud Barak , and is expected to meet with Netanyahu , Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas . Meanwhile , the State Department announced that Mitchell will spend two days in Syria this weekend as part of the Obama administration 's vision for comprehensive peace in the region . Before heading to Damascus , Mitchell plans to visit Ramallah , the seat of the Palestinian Authority , and Lebanon , State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters in Washington . `` This is a very high priority , '' Kelly said . U.S.-Syrian ties have been strained in recent years over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , the war in Iraq and the ongoing political struggle between pro- and anti-Syrian factions in Lebanon . The United States has not had an ambassador in Damascus since 2005 . CNN 's Elise Labott contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lindsay Lohan must start serving a 30-day jail term next week after admitting that she violated her probation on a necklace theft conviction , a Los Angeles County judge ordered Wednesday . `` It 's possible she could be booked in and booked out '' the same day , Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said Wednesday afternoon . `` It depends on the fluctuations of the day , what 's going on in the jail , '' Whitmore said . After that , the actress must work at least 12 days a month at the county morgue until she completes the 53 remaining days on her court-ordered community service and she must attend 18 psychotherapy sessions , Judge Stephanie Sautner told her . If Lohan misses any of those goals , she will be returned to jail for another 270 days , the judge ruled . `` This is what we really call putting the keys to the jail in the defendant 's hands , '' Sautner told Lohan . The actress , who admitted violating her probation during a hearing Wednesday , must report to the Los Angeles County jail by November 9 , the judge said . `` You are not to get house arrest or early release , except for that required by the law , '' Sautner said . Whitmore said that the early release program is part of the law , meaning Lohan would likely get out quickly due to overcrowding . When Sautner sentenced Lohan to 120 days in jail last May , she ended up serving 35 days of home confinement instead , due to jail overcrowding and state rules that give prisoners credit for good behavior . It was not immediately clear how many days Lohan will actually serve this month , if she ends up getting credit for good behavior . Prosecutors said Lohan missed 12 of 20 scheduled workdays at a downtown Los Angeles women 's center , part of the court-ordered community service imposed in May when she pleaded guilty to stealing a necklace from a Venice , California , jewelry store . Lohan , 25 , was already on probation for two drunken driving convictions from 2007 . She also canceled 14 of 19 scheduled appointments for court-ordered psychotherapy , they said . `` From what I see of you , you need a structure , '' Sautner told Lohan Wednesday , instructing her to return to court each month , starting December 14 , to show she is complying with the schedule . If the actress stays on track , her probation would be eased on March 29 , 2012 , Sautner said . If she does n't keep up with the requirements , she will serve the additional 270 days behind bars , the judge said . The full sentence imposed Wednesday was 150 days for the necklace theft probation violation and 150 days for violating probation on the 2007 drunk driving conviction in Beverly Hills . While the original sentence included 360 hours of community service at a downtown Los Angeles women 's center , the judge said she did not want to put the Skid Row charity through the pain of Lohan again . When the judge called The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women , the charity refused to take Lohan on as a worker `` saying you were a bad example , '' Sautner said . But Lohan seemed to find a good fit with her work at the Los Angeles County morgue , where Deputy Chief Coroner Ed Winter said she worked four days in the past two weeks cleaning up . Lohan reports for morgue duty `` So , the morgue is willing to keep you , '' the judge said . All of her community service work has been transferred there , she said . Two weeks ago , the actress ' father , Michael Lohan , told HLN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell '' program that his daughter should n't be in jail , but in rehab . Last week , Michael Lohan was arrested twice in two days for violating a court order to stay away from his former girlfriend . CNN learned Wednesday that he is now in an `` administrative confinement '' cell in the infirmary section of Orient Road jail in Tampa , Florida , where he 's awaiting trial . Michael Lohan arrested Lindsay Lohan 's legal woes , which began four years ago with two drunk driving arrests , have been compounded by her failure to attend counseling classes , and alcohol and drug test failures . Her probation is scheduled to end within a year unless Lohan breaks any laws before then . It has been extended several times because of violations , including the failed alcohol and drug tests . `` It 's possible she could be booked in and booked out '' the same day . '' CNN 's Michael Martinez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Ike grew from a Category 1 into a menacing Category 4 storm in about six hours Wednesday as it fed on the warm waters of Atlantic , the National Hurricane Center said . An infrared image from a NOAA satellite shows Ike swirling in the Atlantic on Wednesday night . `` Ike is an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane '' with 135-mph sustained winds , the center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory . Although it is likely to lose some strength during the next few days , Ike is forecast to regain Category 4 status by Monday , the center said . `` It is too early to determine what , if any , land areas might be affected by Ike , '' the hurricane center said . But the center 's potential four - to five-day track for Ike puts it anywhere from north of Jamaica to the coast of South Florida on Monday . iReport.com : Are you in Ike 's path ? At 11 p.m. ET Monday , Ike was moving west-northwest through the Atlantic Ocean . The storm will be over open water for two days , forecasters said . Earlier Wednesday , Ike intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season when its winds reached 80 mph . But before Ike can reach into the Caribbean or threaten Florida , Tropical Storm Hanna was getting more organized in the Bahamas , according to the hurricane center . At 2 a.m. , Hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas , with winds of 65 mph . Hanna was drenching the Bahamas and Haiti with torrential rains . Haitian officials put the nation 's death toll in the wake of Hanna and Hurricane Gustav at 61 , said Abel Nabaire , the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service . Eight of the country 's 10 departments underwater , he said . More rainfall , up to 15 inches in some places , was possible in the Caribbean , the hurricane center said . Hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by Friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern U.S. , with landfall predicted on the South Carolina or North Carolina coast late Friday or early Saturday . `` A hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern United States coast early Thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of Hanna , '' the hurricane center said . Florida could begin seeing rainfall from Hanna on Friday , forecasters said . Watch as Florida also keeps an eye on Hanna '' Swells from Hanna are expected to bolster the number of rip tides along the southeastern U.S. coast this week , the hurricane center said . iReport.com : Hanna makes waves in Bahamas Hanna passed over the northern Haitian city of Gonaives on Tuesday night , leaving water more than 12 feet deep in some places , an official said . See Hanna 's impact on Haiti '' Many people were still cut off amid floodwater . `` It 's a very grim picture , '' Dr. Jean Pierre Guiteau of the Red Cross said Wednesday . `` We ca n't reach those people ; they are standing on rooftops , waiting for help . '' In line behind Ike in the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Josephine , with top winds near 50 mph , the hurricane center said . Josephine was about 425 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands off western Africa .","question":""}
{"answer":"Warsaw , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The body of Polish President Lech Kaczynski , who was killed in a plane crash in Russia over the weekend , returned to tributes in his homeland Sunday afternoon . Soldiers in perfect step carried the casket from the plane that transported onto the tarmac , where mourners were waiting . Catholic priests recited prayers at the military airport before Kaczynski 's daughter and twin brother , followed by others , took turns kneeling before the flag-draped casket . People lined up along the streets along where Kaczynski 's body would pass on its way to the presidential palace . Tens of thousands of Poles across the country observed a two-minute-long moment of silence to remember their president and 95 others killed in the plane crash . iReport : Mourners ' candles a ` spot of light ' Meanwhile , investigators said they found the aircraft 's flight data recorders in good condition and began deciphering them Sunday , the independent Russian Interfax news agency reported . Residents flocked to central Warsaw , the site of the presidential palace , to mourn Kaczynski . They left wreaths and lit candles . By Sunday , the numbers grew to about 100,000 by some estimates . Many cried openly . Others stared blankly at the sky . On Monday , the country begins a week-long period of mourning . The plane carrying Kaczynski crashed Saturday morning while trying to land at an airport near Smolensk in Russia . Biography : Lech Kaczynski Kaczynski 's wife and several top military officials were also killed in the crash . Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski took over as acting president and declared it `` a time for national mourning . '' Kaczynski , 60 , had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the Russian massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn . About 20,000 Poles , including soldiers and civilians , were executed there during World War II . The Polish military plane carrying Kaczynski originated in Warsaw , the Polish Defense Ministry said . It was just a few miles east of Katyn when it crashed around 10:50 a.m. -LRB- 2:50 a.m. ET -RRB- on the outskirts of the town of Pechorsk , close to Smolensk , the Investigation Committee of the Russian prosecutor 's office said . World leaders pay tribute to Kaczynski Late Saturday night , Kaczynski 's twin brother , Jaroslaw , visited the site of the crash . As others around him prayed , he silently knelt down on pile of rubble where mourners had propped up flowers . Authorities do not yet know what caused the crash . Russia has emphasized that there is no evidence it was responsible . The Investigation Committee said the plane , a Tupolev-154 , was trying to land in heavy fog . A Russian military official said that air traffic control in Smolensk had tried to divert the plane to another airport because of inclement weather . `` The air traffic control officer gave several orders to divert but the plane continued with its descent , '' said Alexander Aleshin , a top Russian air force official . `` Unfortunately , this ended in tragedy . '' Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appointed Putin to head an inquiry commission . On Sunday , the Russian state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported that the crash was not caused by technical problems , citing investigation officials . The plane carrying Kaczynski was refurbished and repaired last year , according to Alexei Gusev , general director of Aviakor Factory , the company that performed the service . `` Speaking openly , we believe that this tragedy could not have been caused by equipment failure , '' he said . Kaczynski had been president since December 2005 , after he defeated rival Donald Tusk in the second round of voting . Elections must now be held within 60 days . Other Polish officials killed in the crash include Aleksander Szczyglo , the head of the National Security Office ; Jerzy Szmajdzinski , the deputy parliament speaker ; Andrzej Kremer , the deputy foreign minister ; and Gen. Franciszek Gagor , the army chief of staff , according to Kaczynski 's Law and Justice Party . What does crash mean for Polish politics ? The party also said that Slawomir Skrzypek , head of the National Bank of Poland , was killed . Putin spoke Saturday at the crash site , where charred pieces of the airplane were strewn through a wooded area . Some pieces , including one of the wheel wells , were upside down . `` As our first priority , we must establish the causes of this tragedy , '' he said . `` As a second priority , we must do everything in our power to assist the families and relatives of the deceased . '' CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen in Warsaw , Poland , and Nic Robertson in Smolensk , Russia , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling capital punishment in California an `` empty promise , '' the father of murdered teen Chelsea King said he supported a deal to take death off the table for his daughter 's killer in order to bring closure to the community . `` We stand here because of a despicable evil act committed against our beautiful daughter , Chelsea , committed against our family and committed against our community , '' Brent King said in a news conference Friday . `` While our unequivocal first choice is the death penalty , we acknowledge that in California that penalty has become an empty promise . '' San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said the family 's blessing contributed to a plea deal with registered sex offender John Gardner III in Chelsea 's death and two other cases . Gardner , 31 , pleaded guilty Friday to the murder of King , the murder of Amber Dubois , and assault with intent to commit rape of a third person . King , 17 , was last seen alive leaving Poway High School in suburban San Diego on February 25 . Her car , with her cell phone inside , was found at Rancho Bernardo Community Park , where she was known to run on the trails . Her disappearance sparked a massive search that ended a few days later with the discovery of her remains in the park . Dubois , 14 , disappeared in February 2009 while walking to school in Escondido . She was considered a missing person for more than a year , until her remains were found in March . Prosecutors revealed in court Friday that Gardner led authorities to Dubois ' body in exchange for assurances that it would not be used against him in court . In exchange for his guilty pleas , Gardner is to be sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole . He also waived his right to appeals , ensuring that he will die in prison , Dumanis said at the news conference . Superior Court Judge David Danielsen accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for June 1 . A gag order is in place until then . The surprise change of plea came during a hearing Friday , after prosecutors charged him with murder with a special circumstance of rape for Dubois 's death . Gardner was facing the death penalty on one charge of murder with a special circumstance of rape for King 's death . Dressed in dark blue jailhouse garb , his wrists chained , Gardner nervously responded `` yes '' several times to the judge 's questioning of whether he understood his rights and was entering his plea willingly . He cast his gaze downward as the judge read brief descriptions of how he raped and murdered Dubois and King . Gardner made no statement . According to court documents , on February 13 , 2009 , Gardner abducted Dubois and brought her to a remote area of Pala , where he raped and stabbed her , and buried her in a shallow grave . Gardner admitted to attacking King while she was running and dragging her to a remote area , the documents said . He raped and strangled her , and also buried her body in a shallow grave . Gardner also admitted to attacking another female on December 27 , 2009 , while she was running . In a news conference after Friday 's hearing , Dubois ' father , Moe , expressed gratitude over the case 's resolution . `` As you can imagine , this turn of events in the case came as a surprise to all of us when we were informed about the details yesterday , '' he said . `` As a parent I am thankful -LSB- for -RSB- the work put forth by the district attorney 's office and the defense team in coming forth with a resolution in the case and allowing us to have justice and closure for Amber 's case . '' Without the plea deal , Dumanis said her office did not have enough evidence to charge Gardner in the death of Dubois . Her remains were not found until Gardner led authorities to her body , three days after he was charged in King 's death , Dumanis said . `` The only promise made to him in exchange for this information was that we could not use it against him in court . This was a somber decision , '' the district attorney said in a press conference after Friday 's hearing , surrounded by tearful family members . `` To end the anguish of the unknown for the Dubois family and to bring Amber home , we agreed we would not use this information against Gardner in court . '' Further efforts to collect evidence linking Gardner to Dubois ' death were unsuccessful , Dumanis said , leaving her office otherwise unable to pursue charges against him -- until he offered to plead guilty . `` Accepting this plea has been an extremely difficult decision . We have the evidence to pursue a murder charge against the defendant for Chelsea 's murder , but not for Amber 's murder , '' she said . `` By accepting this guilty plea , we are obtaining a conviction for the murder of Amber that we otherwise would not have been able to obtain . '' The prosecutor also echoed the sentiments of King 's father on the death penalty in California , where 13 executions have been carried out since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976 . `` Most of us realize a death sentence at this time is a hollow promise in California . Even if death was imposed , Brent , Kelly and their family would have to endure a preliminary hearing , a trial , decades of appeals and the pain of reliving the murder over and over again , '' she said . `` In addition , as parents they realized what Amber 's parents were facing . Her case would have no legal closure . '' A resolution for the Dubois family also figured into the King family 's decision to support the plea , Brent King said . `` We find ourselves in a position to help give another grieving family a measure of closure . The Dubois family has been through unthinkable hell the past 14 months . We could n't imagine the confession to Amber 's murder never seeing the light of day , leaving an eternal question mark , '' he said . `` There 's nothing , nothing satisfying about this moment . It 's only one more unbearably painful day that we 'll have to carry in our memory as long as we live . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Central Intelligence Agency hired the private security firm Blackwater USA in 2004 to work on a covert program aimed at targeting and potentially killing top al Qaeda leaders , according to a source familiar with the program . CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the covert program this year when he learned of its full scope . The existence of the program , which began in 2001 , came to light earlier this year when CIA Director Leon Panetta canceled the effort , but it is only now that Blackwater 's involvement has become known . That development was first reported Thursday in The New York Times . The program was part of a broader effort inside the CIA to develop the capacity to conduct training , surveillance and possible covert operations overseas , according to the source . The program was outsourced to contractors to `` put some distance '' between the effort and the U.S. government . By mid-2006 , Blackwater 's involvement in the program had ended , according to a U.S. official . Other contractors were brought in for other parts of the program , another source said . The total program cost `` millions , '' a U.S. official said . It is not known how much Blackwater was paid . The company -- now known as Xe -- did not return CNN 's calls seeking comment . `` The program ebbed and flowed . There were different phases to it . There may have been different folks involved , '' the source said . U.S. officials have previously acknowledged that Panetta canceled the entire program this year when he learned of its full scope . At the time of the cancellation , officials said , renewal of the program was being considered . At that point , it had been brought to the new CIA director 's attention . Panetta canceled the effort in part because Congress had not been notified about it , officials said . Also , some in the intelligence community were worried there could be a diplomatic disaster if contractors were caught performing such work in foreign countries . Former CIA Director Michael Hayden , who ran the agency from 2006 to 2009 , downplayed the program during a speaking engagement in Washington . `` This was not a very prominent thing during my time as director , '' Hayden said . `` What you had were three separate efforts under three different directors to deal with an issue that everyone understood was a problem in a capacity that everyone agreed we should have . '' A spokesman for the CIA would not comment on the details of the still-classified program . `` Director Panetta thought this effort should be briefed to Congress , and he did so , '' spokesman George Little said . `` He also knew it had n't been successful , so he ended it . Neither decision was difficult . This was clear and straightforward . `` Director Panetta did not tell the committees that the agency had misled the Congress or had broken the law . He decided that the time had come to brief Congress on a counterterrorism effort . '' Blackwater 's extensive involvement in U.S. operations overseas , particularly in Iraq , has been controversial . The Iraqi government says that in a shooting in September 2007 , Blackwater security guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians . Blackwater says its employees were returning fire after they were attacked by armed insurgents , but an Iraqi investigation concluded that the guards randomly fired at civilians without provocation . The incident led to the Iraqi government 's refusal to renew the firm 's operating license in the country when it expired in May . Although it lost the Iraq contract , the company , which changed its name to Xe earlier this year , continued to get multimillion-dollar contracts from the U.S. government for work in Afghanistan .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Aftershocks rattled southern Taiwan in the hours after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the island , but left it relatively unscathed . Thursday morning 's quake was followed by more than 15 aftershocks , the largest reaching 4.8 . Taiwan 's interior ministry reported 12 minor injuries -- nine in Kaohsiung county , two in Jia Yi county and one in Tainan county . The quake struck about 8:20 a.m. -LRB- 7:20 p.m. Wednesday ET -RRB- in a mountainous region about 25 miles northwest of Taitung , on the southeast coast , and 40 miles east of Tainan and Kaohsiung on the southwest coast . The region includes Taiwan 's Maolin National Scenic Area and is still recovering from a direct hit by Typhoon Morakot that killed hundreds in August . The typhoon dumped more than two feet of rain , causing serious mudslides in the south , including one that buried the village of Shiao Lin under 50 feet of mud . Shuo Hong , an orthopedic surgeon in Taipei , about 155 miles away from the epicenter , felt the earthquake during a meeting at a hospital . `` We were debating whether or not to run for shelter , but the hospital is safe , '' he said `` It is built to resist a 7.0-magnitude earthquake . `` It was shaking for about 20 to 30 seconds , shaking more than what we expected , '' Hong said . Were you there ? Did you feel it ? The Taiwan Ministry of Interior and the National Fire Agency said electricity was cut off in parts of Kaohsiung county , Jia Yi city and Jia Yi county . Taiwan 's official news agency reported that a fire broke out in Jia Yi city . Residents in southern Taiwan reported cracks in some buildings and major bridges . Train service was also disrupted in some areas , Taiwanese media reported . Two small hotels near the epicenter that were contacted by CNN reported no damage , though the buildings shook for a few seconds during the quake . Albert Yu , communications manager of the humanitarian organization World Vision , told CNN he was about half-way through a 90-minute trip via high-speed train from Taipei to Tainan when the quake struck . Passengers did not feel the quake , he said , but operators stopped the train and announced what had happened before inspecting the tracks for stability . During the delay , Yu said people were calm , `` opening laptops ... and chatting with people around them . '' Yu said World Vision `` has already been on high alert responding to the quakes in Haiti and Chile , so we 're closely monitoring reports in the earthquake in southern Taiwan . '' Residents in Taipei , the capital , also felt the shaking . Earthquakes are far from uncommon on the nearly 14,000-square-mile island -- about the size of the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware combined -- which sits across the juncture of the Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plates . A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the same general region in December . The island took a double hit on December 26 , 2006 , when earthquakes of 7.1 and 6.9 magnitude hit eight minutes apart . The largest recorded quake to strike Taiwan was an 8.0-magnitude quake in 1920 , but the worst earthquake disaster stemmed from a 7.1-magnitude quake in 1935 that killed more than 3,200 people -- followed by a 6.5-magnitude quake that killed more than 2,700 people three months later . More recently , a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,400 people in 1999 . CNN 's Christine Theodorou and Journalist Andrew Lee contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"SYDNEY , Australia -- Eamon Sullivan regained the 50-meter freestyle world record with a 21.41 seconds swim at the Australian Olympic trials in Sydney . Sullivan had lost his 50m freestyle record to Frenchman Alain Bernard four days ago . He took the record back from Frenchman Alain Bernard , who recorded 21.50 seconds at the European championships four days ago . Sullivan had held the record with 21.56 , set in Sydney in February . After missing out on Bernard 's 100m record late on Wednesday , Sullivan said he hoped to improve his 50m time in Friday 's final . `` I came in a bit more relaxed tonight , having got the 100m final out of the way last night and getting into the team for Beijing . `` It 's sweet to get the record back off Alain after missing out on the 100m world record last night and after he broke the 50m record so quickly after I did it . `` I know I have another swim left so there 's always another chance . I hope I can go faster in the final , but I like to think I can take a couple of a hundredths of a second leading into a final , so we 'll see . '' Sullivan missed Bernard 's 100m world record by just two-hundredths of a second in qualifying in 47.52 seconds for the Olympics . Libby Trickett broke the women 's 100m freestyle world record with a 52.88 seconds swim . Trickett , formerly Libby Lenton and competing for the first time under her married name , beat the 53.30 mark set by Germany 's Britta Steffen in Budapest on August 2 , 2006 . It is the second time Trickett has broken the 53-second barrier , but her previous time of 52.99 at the Duel in the Pool in Sydney last year was not ratified by FINA because she was swimming against American superstar Michael Phelps . `` I ca n't tell you how much I wanted to break that record ever since doing it in the Duel in the Pool in April last year . I just wanted it so badly , '' Trickett said . `` To see it officially up there on the scoreboard is just amazing . All my events are very important to me , but the 100m freestyle holds a special place in my heart and to know that four years ago I was going 0.8 seconds off , that is just awesome . '' `` I 've come so far , it 's been an amazing journey , but I am just so happy to be part of this team . We have some fantastic girls coming through and it 's going to be great for our relay team . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Roger Federer takes on Robin Soderling , who knocked out tournament favorite Rafael Nadal in a fourth-round stunner , in the men 's final of the French Open on Sunday . Roger Federer screams in joy after beating Juan Martin del Potro to reach the French Open final . A victory in Roland Garros would give Federer 14 Grand Slams , tying his career wins to American Pete Sampras . The second-seed Federer lagged at first , but beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro on Friday to make the final . Soderling advanced over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez . Federer , 27 , has a 9-0 record over the 24-year-old Swede going into the final . The Swiss star has suffered emotional defeats recently . At England 's Wimbledon last year , he lost to Rafael Nadal after a five-year reign . The game , which ran about seven hours with a few rain breaks , was the longest-ever Wimbledon men 's final . Nadal also beat Federer in the Australian Open earlier this year . Soderling stunned the top-seed Nadal by handing him a loss in the fourth round of the French Open . The 23rd-seed Soderling was a rank outsider against the world number one who had never lost a match on the clay at Roland Garros and was a short-priced favorite to win a record fifth straight title . In women 's tennis , number one Dinara Safina was beaten Saturday in straight sets by fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the French Open at Roland Garros . Safina , who has reached the top of the world rankings despite not having a major title to her name , looked completely out-of-sorts against her compatriot , who secured a comfortable 6-4 , 6-2 victory in just over an hour . The defeat was a crushing blow to Safina , 23 , who has long had to contend with the accusations that she is not a worthy world number one -- and this third grand slam final defeat will do nothing to silence the doubters . It was the second straight year she has lost in the final here , after going down in straight sets to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia last year . It was also her second successive grand slam final defeat , having lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The city councils in two of Arizona 's largest cities have voted to file suit over the state 's controversial new immigration law , which allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency . The Tucson City Council voted 5-1 to file suit , and the city council in Flagstaff approved a similar measure 7-0 . Both votes occurred Tuesday . Members of the Phoenix Suns basketball team , meanwhile , plan to wear jerseys that say `` Los Suns '' in a playoff game Wednesday as `` a way for our team and our organization to honor our Latino community , '' managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement . Opposition to the law continued Wednesday , with some civil rights and labor organizations saying they will announce a boycott Thursday . Joining in Thursday 's announcement will be the National Council of La Raza , which bills itself as the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States ; the Asian American Justice Center ; the Center for Community Change ; the Service Employees International Union ; and the United Food and Commercial Workers , the groups said in a release . Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the immigration measure April 23 . It is scheduled to go into effect this summer . Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling . Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve racial profiling or any other illegal acts . The city councils said they passed the measures because of concerns over enforcement costs and negative effects on Arizona 's tourism industry . Opponents of the immigration law have called for a boycott of Arizona tourism and urge that no one engage in any commerce with businesses located in the state . In Tucson , council member Regina Romero introduced a motion for `` the city attorney to bring a legal challenge '' because the immigration bill is `` a bad law , which could cost the city millions of dollars in lawsuits and is unconstitutional . '' `` This bill opens the door to racial profiling , and it puts Latinos in Arizona in automatic suspect mode , '' Romero said . Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup said up to 38 percent of retail sales in the city come from legal Mexican visitors . The state immigration law threatens those businesses , Walkup said , just when `` the city is just beginning to recover from the economic downturn . '' The Mexican government issued an advisory to its citizens last week to avoid travel in Arizona . The Organization of American States expressed its concern about the law last week , and presidents of South American countries meeting in Argentina for a gathering of the Union of South American Nations condemned the law Tuesday . Well-known Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes recommended this week that dark-skinned people , men with mustaches , women who use shawls , or anyone who does not speak English well should not go to Arizona because the state has `` officially declared itself racist , '' the government-run Notimex news service reported Wednesday . The Phoenix Suns basketball team also criticized the new law . `` The frustration with the federal government 's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law , '' managing partner Sarver said . `` However intended , the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question , and Arizona 's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a 41-year-old Southern California man charged Friday with murder in this week 's mass shooting at a hair salon , Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said . Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach , California , allegedly shot his ex-wife and seven other people to death at the Salon Meritage in the small coastal community of Seal Beach , Rackauckas said Friday . A ninth person was wounded . Prosecutors formally filed eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder against Dekraai on Friday . The first-degree murder charges carry the special circumstance of multiple murder , the prosecutor said . Dekraai and his ex-wife , Michelle Fournier , 48 , were in a custody battle over their 8-year-old son , and the dispute was the motive in the shooting , Rackauckas said . The prosecutor called Dekraai `` a methodical and merciless killer . '' On Friday afternoon , Dekraai appeared before Orange County Judge Erick L. Larsh , who , at the request of attorneys , rescheduled Dekraai 's arraignment to November 29 . Dekraai is not taking his antipsychotic medication , and his attorney asked the court to make the drugs available to Dekraai while he is being held in jail without bail . The judge said he would order a medical team to evaluate Dekraai and , in a response to another defense request , would see if Dekraai 's current wife could deliver his spinal cord implant stimulator , which is needed because of a 2007 accident Dekraai experienced . Balding and with a salt-and-pepper goatee , Dekraai appeared calm inside the courtroom 's detainee cage . One person in the gallery shouted `` You coward ! '' Then , as he exited the courtroom , a sobbing woman uttered `` I hate you ! I hate you ! '' Dekraai 's attorney , Robert Curtis of Long Beach , told the court that he 's considering a change of venue . Earlier Friday , authorities held a press conference and recounted how Dekraai 's ex-wife , a hair stylist at the salon , was working near the entrance and was among the first two people shot . On the morning of the shooting , which occurred Wednesday , Dekraai and Fournier got into an argument about child custody , authorities said . `` We 're sort of guessing . We believe that the custody battle was n't going well for him . We do n't know the contents of their conversation or anything , '' Rackauckas said . Hours later , the gunfire rampage at the salon , just blocks from the ocean , unfolded around 1:20 p.m. , authorities said . `` He also considered the people who were friends and who worked with his ex-wife were enablers , and he did n't have much use for them either , '' Rackauckas said . He was armed with three guns -- a 9 mm Springfield , a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum , and a Heckler & Koch .45 -- and was wearing body armor during the shooting rampage , Rackauckas said . He used at least two of those guns , the prosecutor said . Rackauckas summarized the mass shooting , saying Dekraai `` walked through the salon shooting anyone close enough to hit . He stopped to reload during this spree , and he continued gunning people down . He was not satisfied with murdering his intended target , his ex-wife . For almost two minutes , Dekraai shot victim after victim , executing people by shooting them in the head and chest . `` He shot eight people inside the salon . But he was not done . He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim , a male , who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover . The reason for this rampage : revenge , '' he said . `` We believe that the defendant committed this unimaginable act of violence because he wanted to kill his ex-wife over a custody dispute concerning their 8-year-old son . He was willing to end any life in his path , and he did . Clearly this two-minute murder spree could not have been about loving his son , '' the prosecutor said . While Dekraai allegedly carried out the mass murder , his son was sitting alone in the principal 's office at school , waiting for his mother or father to pick him up , authorities said . `` That little boy is also a victim . He is now left to mourn the murder of his mother and grow up with the knowledge that his father -LRB- allegedly -RRB- committed a mass murder , '' Rackauckas said . `` What sick , twisted fatherly love is this ? '' In addition to Fournier of Los Alamitos , the people killed were salon employee Victoria Ann Buzzo , 54 , of Laguna Beach ; David Caouette , 64 , of Seal Beach , who was in the vehicle outside the salon ; salon employee Laura Lee Elody , 46 , of Huntington Beach ; salon owner Randy Lee Fannin , 62 , of Murrieta ; salon client Michele Daschbach Fast , 47 , of Seal Beach ; salon client Lucia Bernice Kondas , 65 , of Huntington Beach ; and salon employee Christy Lynn Wilson , 47 , of Lakewood , authorities said . Dekraai allegedly shot Caouette , who was in the parked vehicle , in the head through a closed front passenger side window , authorities said . The ninth victim , Harriet Stretz , 73 , of Los Alamitos is in critical condition . She was at the salon getting her hair done by her daughter , Laura Elody , who was among the victims . `` We do know that the victims were shot multiple times each , '' Rackauckas said . About 20 people were inside the salon during the shooting , and many of them were `` playing dead , hiding in backrooms , trying to get back behind things , just trying to stay out of his way , '' Rackauckas said . Added Seal Beach Acting Police Chief Tim Olson : `` Scott Dekraai is a coward . He armed himself with three handguns and body armor because he did n't want to be shot by police . '' Police arrested Dekraai without incident as he was trying to leave the scene in a vehicle two blocks from the salon , police said . Dekraai was in possession of the three guns and `` a significant amount of ammunition in his truck , '' prosecutors said . In the past several months , Fournier complained to Seal Beach police about Dekraai picking up their son from school earlier than the court-ordered mandate , Olson said . That matter was forwarded to family court , and Olson said he did n't know of the complaint 's disposition . In 2007 , in Long Beach , Dekraai 's father-in-law applied for a temporary restraining order , but there was no follow-up , Rackauckas said . An online search of Orange County court records shows the couple filed for divorce in 2007 , with activity in the case continuing through this week . A child custody evaluator was appointed by the court in April , records show . Fournier claimed in court papers that Dekraai was mentally unstable , had threatened to kill himself or someone else and `` was almost manic when it comes to demanding absolute right to control our son , '' CNN affiliate KTLA said . The couple was in court the day before the shooting , and a judge had kept custody between them equal , KTLA said . In 1994 , Dekraai filed for bankrupcy , according to court records . The Salon Meritage is located on the Pacific Coast Highway in Seal Beach , which residents describe as a small and `` fairly intimate '' coastal town . `` We have multiple years with zero homicides , so this obviously is an unusual and tragic circumstance , '' Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles said . The shooting is the deadliest in Orange County history , KTLA said . In 1976 , Edward Charles Allaway shot nine people , killing seven , at California State University Fullerton . CNN 's Traci Tamura , Gabriel Ramirez , Ashley Hayes and Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An early goal from Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a vital 1-0 victory over Udinese in the first leg of their Champions League final qualifying round tie at The Emirates . England international Walcott timed his run into the area perfectly to volley home Aaron Ramsey 's fourth-minute right-wing cross from close range , to give Arsene Wenger 's side a vital advantage to take into the second leg in northern Italy next week . Arsenal came into the match on the back of a trying week , which saw captain Cesc Fabregas leave for Barcelona and more rumors surface of Samir Nasir 's impending transfer to Manchester City . What now for Arsenal and Fabregas ? The Gunners had to field a make-shift side with Nasri and new captain Robin Van Persie both suspended and key midfielder Jack Wilshere injured . To compound matters , Wenger himself had to watch from the stands because of a one-match UEFA ban . But despite a few nervy moments , primarily when Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale struck the crossbar with a long-range strike , Arsenal held on . And Walcott nearly added a second goal late on , forcing a superb save from goalkeeper Samir Handanovic . There were four other matches played on Tuesday evening , with Lyon coming from behind to beat Russian side Rubin Kazan 3-1 at the Stade de Gerland . Rubin are looking to reach the group stages for a third successive year and they took a third minute lead when Vladimir Dyadyun turned in Bebras Natcho 's right-wing corner . However , the French side levelled seven minutes later when Bafetimbi Gomis got in between two defenders to finish a Michel Bastos cross . And they went ahead five minutes before half-time when a Gomis cross-shot from the left found the net off defender Saba Kvirkvelia . Lyon sealed their victory 19 minutes from time when Jimmy Briand headed home a Kim Kallstrom corner . Meanwhile , an entertaining match in the Netherlands saw FC Twente draw 2-2 at home to Benfica , a result that leaves the Portuguese giants favorites to reach the group stage . Luuk de Jong fired the hosts in a sixth minute lead , but Benfica leveled when Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo curled home a superb equalizer . Benfica led at the break after a fine flowing move saw Nolito score from close range but , with 10 minutes left , Bryan Ruiz headed home for Twente as the match finished all-square . The other two matches saw BATE Borisov of Belarus draw 1-1 at home to Austrian side Sturm Graz , while Czech champions Viktoria Plzen secured a superb 3-1 win at FC Copenhagen of Denmark .","question":""}
{"answer":"Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers broke out Monday , a day after Israel announced it would include two West Bank religious shrines as part of a larger list of 150 Zionist heritage sites . About 100 protesters were throwing stones and burning tires in the West Bank city of Hebron , the Israeli military said . Palestinian eyewitnesses reported that several protesters had been injured by tear gas and rubber bullets . The clashes come in the wake of a special Sunday Cabinet meeting held at one of the `` national heritage '' sites where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined a plan to invest more than $ 100 million on national heritage infrastructure . `` People must be familiar with their homeland and its cultural and historical vistas , '' he said . `` This is what we will instill in this and coming generations , to the glory -- if I may say -- of the Jewish people . '' Included in the list of sites are Rachel 's Tomb in Palestinian city of Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the city of Hebron . A top United Nations official said the inclusion of sites in the West Bank raised concerns because they were `` in occupied Palestinian territory . '' The Tomb of the Patriarchs -- known to Palestinians as Ibrahimi mosque -- is in Hebron , a West Bank city that houses about 500 Jews heavily guarded by Israeli soldiers , who live among about 170,000 Palestinians . The tomb is revered by Jews and Muslims as holy and has been a point of frequent conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians for years . In 1994 , an Israeli settler entered the tomb and opened fire on the Muslim worshippers , killing 29 before he was beaten to death . Rachel 's Tomb is known to Palestinians as the mosque of Bilal . The Palestinian reaction after the announcement was fast and furious . A statement by the Revolutionary Council of Fatah , the political faction in charge of the Palestinian Authority , called the Israeli plan a move to `` consolidate the occupation '' and an effort at `` judaizing '' Palestinian land . Dr. Hamdan Taha , an official at the Palestinian Authority 's Ministry of Tourism , said the the two sites were `` an integral part of Palestinian culture '' and that if the Israeli government persisted in its efforts , `` Palestinians will feel free to nominate sites inside the green line in their heritage list . '' Green line refers to the border before Israel occupied the West Bank . Nationalist and right wing parties in Israel praised the government move and called for the inclusion of more West Bank locations to the list of heritage sites . Robert H. Serry , the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process , also expressed concern . `` These sites are in occupied Palestinian territory and are of historical and religious significance not only to Judaism but also to Islam , and to Christianity as well , '' he said in a statement . `` I urge Israel not to take any steps on the ground which undermine trust or could prejudice negotiations , the resumption of which should be the highest shared priority of all who seek peace . '' Nationalist and right-wing parties in Israel praised the government move and called for the inclusion of more West Bank locations to the list of heritage sites . Mark Regev , a spokesman for Netanyahu , said no one could deny that the two West Bank locations were of historical and religious significance to the Jews . He said the danger of their inclusion on a list of sites to the peace process was overstated .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Blake Mycoskie was traveling in South America when he saw , for the first time , hundreds of children without shoes . TOMS founder and entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie says he wanted to make money and do good at the same time . `` I had never met anyone who did n't have shoes , '' the veteran entrepreneur told CNN . That visit to a village in Argentina inspired the creation of a socially responsible footwear company that blends philanthropy and business . Mycoskie called the company TOMS : Shoes For Tomorrow -- a name that reflects his desire to provide shoes for disadvantaged children in a sustainable way . Mycoskie , now 32 , said he realized he could make money and do good at the same time with TOMS . The company 's mission is uncomplicated : It gives a free pair of shoes to a child in need every time it sells a pair . Santa Monica , Calif.-based TOMS gave away 10,000 pairs of shoes in the first six months after its launch in 2006 . This year the company is on track to donate 200,000 pairs . The stylish slip-ons , which Vogue magazine declared `` cool shoes for a cool cause , '' have become a must-have item among fashion elite and received the People 's Design Award from the Smithsonian 's Cooper-Hewitt Museum last year . By the time he launched TOMS , Mycoskie already had four start-ups under his belt . But he did n't always have his sights set on the business world . Growing up , his aim was to play professional tennis . He trained hard and earned a scholarship to Southern Methodist University , where he studied philosophy and finance . But an injury sidelined him his sophomore year . That 's when he got the idea for his first venture , a college laundry service . Within one year , the business , Easy Laundry , had 40 employees , had expanded to three schools and was generating nearly $ 1 million in sales . That 's when Mycoskie realized he was born to be an entrepreneur and dropped out of school . `` I realized I loved doing this . I realized I loved the idea of creating something out of scratch and seeing it work and seeing the benefits of that , '' he said . Mycoskie eventually sold the company and began other ventures , including an outdoor advertising company and a 24-hours-a-day , 7-days-a-week reality TV channel , which he launched after appearing on the second season of `` The Amazing Race '' with his sister . They finished the competition in third place -LRB- missing out on the million-dollar prize by just four minutes -RRB- , but the experience exposed Mycoskie to the astounding amount of poverty in the world -- a problem that TOMS is tackling today , one pair of shoes at a time .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite Hillary Clinton 's landslide victory in Kentucky , Barack Obama has won a majority of pledged delegates in the race for the Democratic nomination . Clinton won Kentucky by more than 30 points , but Obama 's share of the state 's 51 delegates was enough put him over the threshold , according to CNN estimates . Obama is expected to pick up at least 14 delegates in Kentucky , and by CNN estimates , that will give him 1,627 of the 3,253 pledged delegates at stake in all of primaries and caucuses . Obama will also pick up a win in Oregon , CNN projects , giving him the larger share of the state 's 52 delegates . Obama 's top strategist , David Axelrod , said getting the pledged delegate majority was an `` important milestone , '' but not the end of the trail . Neither candidate is expected to reach the 2,026 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination . That means the race is likely to be settled by `` superdelegates '' -- party leaders and officials who will cast votes at the Democratic convention in August . Speaking in Iowa , where he won the first-in-the-nation caucuses , Obama told supporters , `` it was in this great state where we took the first steps of an unlikely journey to change America . '' Watch Obama say he 's in reach of the nomination '' `` The skeptics predicted we would n't get very far . The cynics dismissed us as a lot of hype and a little too much hope . And by the fall , the pundits in Washington had all but counted us out . But the people of Iowa had a different idea , '' he said . Obama continued to look to the general election , focusing his attacks as he has for the past week on Sen. John McCain , while commending Clinton for `` her courage , her commitment and her perseverance . '' Obama said McCain 's policies do n't represent change . `` This year 's Republican primary was a contest to see which candidate could out-Bush the other , and that is the contest John McCain won , '' he said . McCain 's camp accused Obama of launching `` the tired old political attacks of a typical politician , not the ` new politics ' he 's promised . '' `` Without a doubt , Barack Obama is a talented political orator , but his naive plans for unconditional summits with rogue leaders and support for big tax hikes on hardworking families expose his bad judgment that Americans can ill-afford in our next president , '' spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement . After Kentucky 's results came in , Clinton thanked her supporters for handing her a win `` even in the face of some pretty tough odds . '' `` Tonight we have achieved an important victory , '' she said in Louisville . `` It 's not just Kentucky bluegrass that 's music to my ears . It 's the sound of your overwhelming vote of confidence even in the face of some pretty tough odds . '' Watch Clinton vow to keep going '' Clinton beat Obama across all age groups , income groups and education levels in Kentucky . Eighty-nine percent of Tuesday 's voters in Kentucky were white , according to the exit polls . Among them , Clinton won 72-22 percent . Nine percent of the voters were African-American and they overwhelmingly broke for Obama , 87-7 percent . The exit polls from Kentucky also suggest a deep division among Democrats . Watch how Clinton 's win could affect the race '' Two-thirds of Clinton 's supporters there said they would vote Republican or not vote at all rather than for Obama , according to the polls . Forty-one percent of Clinton supporters said they 'd cast their vote for McCain , and 23 percent said they would not vote at all . Just 33 percent said they would back Obama in the general election , according to the polls . Those numbers are even worse for Obama than in West Virginia one week ago , where 36 percent of Clinton voters said they would back him in the fall . Obama on Tuesday downplayed the idea that his party will have trouble unifying once there is a nominee . `` Some may see the millions upon millions of votes cast for each of us as evidence that our party is divided , but I see it as proof that we have never been more energized and united in our desire to take this country in a new direction , '' he said . `` More than anything , we need this unity and this energy in the months to come , because while our primary has been long and hard-fought , the hardest and most important part of our journey still lies ahead . '' Obama leads Clinton in the number of states won and in the popular vote in the primary and caucus contests this campaign season , but he has been careful not to declare victory in the Democratic contest . Obama does n't have enough delegates to capture the nomination outright ; Clinton still has a chance , if a slight one , to win the nomination if enough of the roughly 800 superdelegates were to back her . `` I 'm going to make -LSB- my case -RSB- until we have a nominee , but we 're not going to have one today , and we 're not going to have one tomorrow , and we 're not going to have one the next day , '' Clinton said Monday in Kentucky . She argues that she leads in the popular vote , but her argument is debatable . For Clinton to claim such a lead , primary states but not caucus states -- which Obama mostly won -- would only be counted , plus the popular vote totals in Florida and Michigan . Florida and Michigan were stripped of their delegates for scheduling their primaries too early , in violation of Democratic Party rules . Obama 's name was n't on the Michigan ballot , and he received no votes in that state 's contest . Clinton also argues that she 's won the states that she contends would stack up stronger against McCain in the general election . `` The states I 've won total 300 electoral votes . If we had the same rules as the Republicans , I would be nominee right now , '' she said . `` We have different rules , so what we 've got to figure out is who can win 270 electoral votes . My opponent has won states totaling 217 electoral votes . '' CNN 's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama affirmed his support for a woman 's `` right to choose '' on Thursday , the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that led to the legalization of abortion , as thousands of anti-abortion activists descended on the National Mall to challenge his position . President Obama issued a statement defending Roe v. Wade for protecting `` women 's health and reproductive freedom . '' Roe v. Wade `` not only protects women 's health and reproductive freedom , but stands for a broader principle : that government should not intrude on our most private family matters , '' Obama said in a statement . The landmark 1973 decision held that a woman 's right to abortion was protected by the right to privacy under the Constitution 's 14th Amendment , voiding most state laws against abortion at the time . Nellie Gray , who helped organize the anti-abortion March for Life on the Mall , invited Obama to speak at the rally . `` America needs your strong leadership as president of all the people to stop the intentional killing of an estimated 3,000 pre-born boys and girls each day and the brutalizing of mind , heart and body of pregnant mothers . '' Kim Gandy , president of the National Organization for Women , said she believes that while abortion should remain an option , increasing the availability and affordability of birth control and reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies is the real solution . `` I think what everyone ought to be interested in doing , whether they are or not , is reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies , '' Gandy told CNN . `` Because if we reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies , it will by definition reduce the number of abortions and reduce a lot of the pain and despair that has befallen women in these economic times , who can not afford to enlarge their families when they do n't have a job and they do n't have a way to put food on the table for the kids that they have now . `` If we could all work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies , it would dramatically change the debate on this issue . '' Obama has so far not struck down rules reinstated by the Bush administration eight years ago , prohibiting U.S. money from funding international family planning groups that promote abortion or provide information , counseling or referrals about abortion services . The `` Mexico City policy '' was initially put in place by President Ronald Reagan and suspended during Bill Clinton 's presidency . Its opponents refer to it as the `` global gag order . '' About 20 anti-abortion rights lawmakers spoke at the rally Thursday , pushing for a renewed effort to overturn Roe v. Wade . `` At what instant does life begin ? '' asked Rep. Steve King , R-Iowa , focusing on younger crowd members who answered , `` Conception ! '' `` And the next question is , '' he continued , `` President Obama , when did your life begin ? '' Other legislators detailed their plans to keep the issue on the table in Congress and on the minds of voters . Rep. Jean Schmidt , R-Ohio , told the crowd she plans to introduce what she calls the `` Juno Bill , '' referencing the hit 2008 film of the same title in which a high school teenager gives her baby up for adoption . `` It will provide a tax credit to those women , just as we allow abortions to be tax deductible , it will provide a tax credit so that they can carry out their pregnancy , give that baby to a loving arm and not have to worry about the consequences or the costs involved , '' she said . Throughout the rally , speakers urged bold action for their cause . Gandy said the fight will also continue on the pro-abortion rights side . `` There 's no question we have a pro-choice president now , but he ca n't do it alone , '' she said . `` He ca n't pass legislation . He ca n't stop what 's going on at the state and local level and so the battle rages on ... at the congressional level , at the state and local level and certainly at the Supreme Court . '' She said the number of unwanted pregnancies is rising , as congressional action has increased the cost of contraception for college students and low-income women , `` something we hope this administration will reverse . '' Two pieces of federal legislation are pending , she said . The first will expand accessibility and availability of birth control , and the second , the Freedom of Choice Act , is a codification of Roe v. Wade . NOW will continue pursuing both at the congressional level , she said , but noted that even though Congress has a Democratic majority , it does not have a pro-abortion rights majority . `` So that will continue to be an uphill battle , '' she said CNN 's Paul Courson and Mary Grace Lucas contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ten Americans detained last week while trying to take 33 Haitian children out of the country were charged Thursday with kidnapping children and criminal association , a government official said . Information Minister Marie Laurence Lassegue 's announcement came shortly after the five men and five women left a hearing at the prosecutor 's office . Under Haitian law , anyone accused of kidnapping a child is not eligible for bail , the attorney general 's office said . Conviction on the kidnapping charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison ; the criminal association charge carries a penalty of three to nine years , according to a former justice minister . Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Thursday night that the judge in the case has three months to decide whether to prosecute . `` We hope that he will decide long before those three months , '' he said . `` He can release them , he can ask to prosecute them . '' If a decision is made to prosecute , the case would be heard before a jury , he said . Told that the families of the detained Americans had pleaded for him to intervene , Bellerive said he could not . `` Those people are not in the hands of the government ; they are in the hands of justice , '' he said . `` We have to respect the law . It is clear that the people violated the law . What we have to understand is if they did it in good faith . '' Bellerive said the Haitian government was open to the possibility of the case being transferred to a U.S. court but said the request would have to come from the United States . `` Until now , I was not asked , '' he said . He expressed gratitude for the work of the vast majority of Americans who have helped in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that he said killed at least 212,000 people . The Americans were turned back Friday as they tried to take the children across the border into the Dominican Republic without proper documentation . They said they were going to house them in a converted hotel in that country and later move them to an orphanage they were building there . `` We can confirm that the 10 American citizens remain in custody in Haiti , '' said State Department deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid . `` We continue to provide appropriate consular assistance and to monitor developments in the legal case . '' The Americans have said they were just trying to help the children leave the earthquake-stricken country . Some of the detained Americans have said they thought they were helping orphans , but their interpreters said Wednesday that they were present when group members spoke with the children 's parents . Some parents in a village outside Port-au-Prince said they had willingly given their children over to the Americans , who promised them a better life and who said they could see their children whenever they wanted to . Government approval is needed for any Haitian child to leave the country , and the group acknowledged that the children had no passports . Some members of the group belong to the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian , Idaho . One of the church 's ministers asked for privacy and would not discuss the matter . `` I know you have many questions but we do n't have answers right now , '' Drew Ham , assistant pastor , said in a note to reporters . P.J. Crowley , a spokesman for the U.S. State Department , has said that U.S. officials have been given unlimited consular access to the Americans and that U.S. and Haitian authorities are `` working to try to ascertain what happened -LSB- and -RSB- the motive behind these people . `` Clearly , there are questions about procedure as to whether they had the appropriate paperwork to move the children , '' he said Wednesday . CNN 's Karl Penhaul in Port-au-Prince , Dan Simon in Meridian , Ohio , and Jill Dougherty in Washington contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations , the United Nations reported Tuesday . People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso , last week . The worst hit have been Burkina Faso , Senegal , Ghana and Niger , said Yvon Edoumou , a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , or OCHA , in the Senegalese capital , Dakar . So far , 159 people have died , he said . Sierra Leone has also been hard hit , according to the U.N. Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority , but powerful pumps are in short supply . `` Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters , '' he said . The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases , but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or , worse , cholera . The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people , mainly in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital , schools , bridges and roads -- has been damaged . The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years , WFP said . Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP , but those rations were lost in the floodwaters , the U.N. reported . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away , leaving them hungry and destitute , '' WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said . Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger , the U.N. reported . In Agadez , Niger , a town about 458 miles -LRB- 738 km -RRB- north of the capital , Niamey , close to 988 acres -LRB- 400 hectares -RRB- of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away . Herve Ludovic de Lys , head of OCHA in West Africa , said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty . '' The situation is very worrying , '' he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday . The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September . In 2007 , 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms . This year , fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas . Despite the misery , Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture . The harvest this year will be more bountiful , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Lakewood , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whoever fatally shot four police officers Sunday in a coffee shop outside Tacoma , Washington , may have been wounded by one of the victims , police said . Authorities are trying to determine who killed four Lakewood police officers in the shop in neighboring Parkland on Sunday morning . Investigators are checking with area hospitals to determine whether the gunman sought treatment after the shooting , Pierce County sheriff 's spokesman Ed Troyer said . `` There 's ... evidence that a Lakewood officer fired some shots , and we hope he hit him , '' Troyer said . Troyer said authorities are seeking Maurice Clemmons , 37 , of Pierce County as a `` person of interest . '' He did not identify Clemens as a suspect . Authorities identified the victims as Sgt. Mark Renninger , 39 ; Officer Ronald Owens , 37 ; Officer Tina Griswold , 40 ; and Officer Greg Richards , 42 . The officers were sitting in the coffee shop before the start of their shifts when a gunman shot them at about 8 a.m. PT , Troyer said . The shop is a place where area law enforcement officers regularly gather to share information , he said . The attacker walked to the counter as if to order coffee before he pulled a gun out of his coat and fired , Troyer said . Two of the officers were `` executed '' as they sat at a table , another was shot when he stood up , and the fourth was shot after struggling with the gunman all the way out the door , Troyer said . `` After , we believe , some of the officers were shot , one of them managed to fight his way with the suspect ... all the way out the the doorway until he was shot and died of a gunshot wound , '' Troyer said . Sunday 's incident was the first time the Lakewood police department lost any officer to a shooting . Two employees of the coffee shop and other customers inside Forza Coffee Company were unharmed , Troyer said . One employee fled through the back door when she saw the shooter pull out his gun , he said . `` As you can imagine , they are traumatized , '' he said of those inside the coffee shop . `` Some are in shock . '' Investigators have not come up with possible motives , police said . Families of the officers have been notified , Troyer said . All of the officers were in uniform , wearing vests and had marked patrol cars parked outside , he said . Police are looking for one man in connection with the attack , though authorities are not ruling out the possibility that a second person was involved , Troyer said . A $ 10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest , he said . Surveillance tapes from multiple location are being reviewed . Authorities were conducting searches in numerous locations , and dogs had been brought in to attempt to track the shooter , Troyer said . Investigators believe Clemmons , the person of interest , `` is intentionally avoiding us , '' Troyer said . Clemmons has `` extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas , including aggravated robbery and theft , '' the sheriff 's department said in a statement . He also was recently charged in Pierce County in connection with the assault of a police officer and the rape of a child , according to the statement . According to a local prosecutor in Arkansas and past articles published by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette , a repeat offender named Maurice Clemmons had his 95-year prison sentence commuted in 2001 by then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee . Huckabee cited Clemmons ' young age -- 17 at the time of his sentencing -- when he announced his decision , according to newspaper articles . `` It was not something I was pleased with at the time , '' Larry Jegley , who prosecuted Clemmons for aggravated robbery and other charges in Pulaski County , Arkansas , told CNN Sunday . `` I would be most distressed if this is the same guy . '' Jegley said he was told Sunday by `` media and police agencies '' that the former Arkansas inmate was the same man being sought in Washington state . Some tips have come in , and investigators were following leads , one of which turned out to be `` an unfortunate hoax , '' Troyer said . A Tacoma man called `` multiple people '' claiming to be the gunman , though authorities determined the man was lying . The man was arrested and now faces obstruction charges , Troyer said . A couple of blocks surrounding the coffee shop were cordoned off . Several other police agencies were on scene to assist . Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire , in a statement , said she was `` shocked and horrified '' at the shootings . `` I offer whatever support is needed to the Pierce County Sheriff in their search for the perpetrator , '' Gregoire said . Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma . See a map of where the shootings took place Bystanders gathered outside the Forza Coffee Company , some of them in tears as they spoke to CNN affiliate KING . The coffee shop is on the edge of McChord Air Force Base . Spokesman Bud McKay said the base was not shut down , but security was ramped up around the perimeter as a precaution . The military has offered assistance to police , he said , but it has not been requested . CNN 's Patrick Oppmann , Samira Simone , Dave Alsup and Dina Majoli contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ST. BERNARD PARISH , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` We were a normal red-blooded American family , '' recalls Rudy Aguilar . `` And ... it took -LSB- one day -RSB- to wipe us out . '' Liz McCartney moved to St. Bernard Parish to help residents rebuild their homes after Katrina . A lifelong resident of St. Bernard Parish , a community just east of New Orleans , Aguilar lost everything during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 . Nearly three years later , like many in his area , Aguilar is still struggling to get back on his feet . But now he has help . From her home 1,000 miles away in Washington , Liz McCartney was haunted by images of the storm 's destruction and stories of people like Aguilar . In February 2006 , she and her boyfriend , Zack Rosenburg , went to New Orleans to volunteer . The experience changed their lives -- so much that they quit their jobs and moved to St. Bernard Parish . Now they 're dedicated to helping people rebuild and move back into their homes . Watch McCartney describe how the St. Bernard Project is rebuilding homes '' McCartney said that when she first arrived in St. Bernard Parish , she was stunned . `` We just wanted to pitch in and help out , '' McCartney , now 35 , recalls . `` I naively thought that six months later , you 'd see all kinds of progress . -LSB- But it -RSB- looked like the storm had just rolled through . '' St. Bernard Parish was once home to 67,000 residents , but Katrina left nearly all of the area 's homes uninhabitable . As McCartney got to know the locals , she was reminded of her parents and grandparents . `` These were people who worked their whole lives , put their kids through college , and had never had to receive -LSB- help -RSB- before , '' she says . That 's when she decided to do more to help the community recover . By June 2006 , the couple had left Washington and moved to St. Bernard Parish . Neither knew anything about construction , but both felt they could use their experience raising money and organizing volunteers to help with the rebuilding effort . Local residents , touched by the couple 's leap of faith , taught them basic construction . Within two months , McCartney and Rosenburg opened the nonprofit St. Bernard Project , which focuses on helping those they consider most in need -- senior citizens and families with children . The formula is straightforward : With donations , volunteers and skilled supervisors , homes get rebuilt -- and people move home . `` It 's not rocket science , '' McCartney says . `` The problems in this community are widespread , but the solutions are really simple . '' Yet this simple equation yields impressive results . The St. Bernard Project can transform a gutted house into a livable home in just eight to 12 weeks for an average cost of $ 12,000 . For residents like Aguilar , the St. Bernard Project has been a lifesaver . In the years since Katrina , he lost his job and struggled with health problems . `` I was so beaten down , '' he says . `` I was gon na blow myself away . '' When the Saint Bernard Project agreed to rebuild his home , the relief he felt was palpable . `` They saved my life . '' Watch Aguilar describe his own Katrina experience '' To date , more than 6,000 volunteers have worked with the St. Bernard Project , enabling more than 120 families to move back into their homes . McCartney says every house her group rebuilds has an impact on the community as a whole . `` Once you get one family back , other families are willing to come back as well , '' she says . `` There 's a very nice ripple effect . '' McCartney and Rosenburg plan to keep working until all the homes in St. Bernard Parish are rebuilt . `` We 're here until we work ourselves out of a job , '' she says . Watch McCartney describe her turning point while volunteering in New Orleans '' For Aguilar , McCartney is n't just rebuilding homes -- she 's restoring a sense of hope to the community . `` Little by little , one house at a time , we 'll be back , '' he says . `` I feel it . I know it . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tens of thousands of people turned out on Washington 's National Mall on Sunday to support the Obama administration in its next big battle , a renewed effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws . Speaking by video to the crowd , President Obama said he would do `` everything in my power '' to get a bipartisan deal within the year . `` You know as well as I do that this wo n't be easy , and it wo n't happen overnight , '' Obama said . `` But if we work together across ethnic , state and party lines , we can build a future worthy of our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws . '' Obama 's appearance was followed by comments from Gustavo Torres , executive director of the Baltimore-based immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland . Torres told the crowd , `` Mr. President , we are going to hold you accountable . '' Though overshadowed by the historic debate on health care taking place in the nearby halls of Congress , Sunday 's rally set the stage for a revival of efforts to reshape U.S. immigration law . The issue has been largely sidelined since a similar push by the Bush administration failed in 2007 . `` You are a spectacular sight , '' Ali Noorani , chairman of the coalition that organized the demonstration , told the crowd . Noorani said the rally had drawn more than 150,000 people `` from across the country , and we are demanding comprehensive immigration reform now . '' Noorani 's figure could not be verified immediately . The crowd packed more than two blocks of the Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument . Then-President George W. Bush supported a bipartisan effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws four years ago , proposing to set up a path to legal status for the estimated 11 million people in the United States without authorization . But those measures were criticized as establishing amnesty for illegal immigrants , and legislation Bush supported died with a Senate filibuster -- one led by members of his own party but joined by more than a dozen Democrats . Sunday 's event followed last week 's publication of a new plan backed by Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York , and Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina . The plan would create a `` tough but fair '' path to legalization , as well as a temporary worker program and tighter border controls , the sponsors wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece Friday . Obama called the senators ' plans promising and said it should be the basis for moving forward . He called on Congress to act on that plan at the earliest possible opportunity . Obama 's push on immigration also helped secure a key vote for his health care bill . Rep. Luis Gutierrez , D-Illinois , announced his support for the bill after receiving a commitment to move forward on immigration `` as soon as possible . '' `` The wait is over . The time is now , '' Gutierrez told Sunday 's rally . `` We 're ready to turn our hope into victory . '' CNN 's Sandra Endo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A terrorism suspect -- whose 2008 escape from Singapore launched a global manhunt -- has been arrested in Malaysia , according to authorities there . An public alert posted at a supermarket for Mas Selamat Kastari on March 1 , 2008 , in Singapore . Mas Selamat Kastari , suspected leader of the Islamist militant group Jemaah Islamiyah 's Singapore arm , was arrested April 1 in Johor state in Malaysia , near the border of Singapore , Malaysian police said . Authorities have interrogated him and are sharing the information with police in the region , Malaysian law-enforcement officials said . `` It 's very good he 's been caught , but it 's important to remember there are many other fugitives still at large , not -LRB- the -RRB- least , Noordin Moh Top , '' said Sidney Jones , South East Asia director for the International Crisis Group . Noordin is a Malaysian thought to be behind the region 's most recent major attacks . He belongs to a small splinter group of Jemaah Islamiyah that espouses the use of large-scale terror attacks to push for the establishment of Islamic states in the region . Noordin is a one-time officer , recruiter and bomb-maker for Jemaah Islamiyah , who police say has narrowly escaped their dragnets for years . In the case of Mas Selamat , thousands of security forces fanned out across Singapore after he escaped in February 2008 . Interpol , the organization that helps facilitate cooperation among police agencies around the world , later issued a worldwide security alert for him . Mas Selamat had been arrested in Indonesia and turned over to Singapore , on suspicion of plotting to crash a plane into the country 's airport . Jemaah Islamiyah is thought to have links to al-Qaeda and is suspected of being behind the 2002 nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed more than 200 mostly Western tourists . Singapore is a strong U.S. ally and one of the world 's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links . Mas Selamet fled the southeast Asian country in 2001 after authorities cracked down on Jemaah Islamiyah and arrested dozens of its members . To retaliate , Mas Selamet plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Singapore 's main airport , Changi , the Home Affairs Ministry said . The plot was not carried out . He also is suspected of being behind plans to attack the U.S. Embassy and a government building . Indonesian authorities arrested Mas Selamet on immigration violation charges in 2003 . Three years later , he was deported to Singapore , the Home Affairs ministry said . He was being held under Singapore 's Internal Security Act , which allows authorities to indefinitely detain someone without trial . Mas Selamet slipped away from a detention center in Singapore after asking to use the toilet before a visit with his family , Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told lawmakers in parliament 2008 . Journalist Baradan Kuppusamy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"KFAR CHABAD , Israel -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of mourners and emissaries from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement poured into an Israeli village Tuesday for the funerals of two people killed in the Mumbai terrorist attacks . Israeli girls mourn Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah , who were killed in the Mumbai attacks . There was a feeling of pain and anger at the funeral in Kfar Chabad , a village of 900 families just outside Tel Aviv . Speeches at the funeral said the gunmen sought out the Chabad House in Mumbai and targeted the victims because of their faith . The two people laid to rest Tuesday were Chabad House directors Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife , Rivka . They lived and worked at the house in Mumbai , which served as both a home and Jewish center -- a place open to anyone who wanted a place to pray , eat kosher food , or celebrate Jewish holidays . Three former Israeli prime ministers were at the funeral : Ehud Barak , who is now the defense minister ; Shimon Peres , currently the Israeli president ; and Benjamin Netanyahu , leader of the Likud Party . Watch Israeli funerals for those killed in Mumbai \u00c2 '' After the funeral , the bodies of the Holtzbergs were buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem . Another victim from Chabad House , kosher supervisor Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum of New York , was buried there earlier . Separate funerals were held for Teitelbaum and another kosher supervisor at Chabad House , American-Israeli Rabbi Bentzion Kruman . They died in the siege along with Israeli grandmother Yocheved Orpaz and Mexican citizen Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich . The building , also known as the Nariman House , was the local headquarters of the Chabad community , a Hasidic Jewish movement . The Holtzbergs had two children , one of whom was in the house when terrorists stormed in . A woman who worked as a nanny and cook at the house managed to escape with the 2-year-old boy , Moshe . Watch report about nanny saving infant \u00c2 '' The couple 's other son was not in Mumbai at the time , according to Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky , chairman of the educational and social services arms of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement . The child has Tay-Sachs , a terminal genetic disease , The Associated Press reports . In an emotional scene before flying from India to Israel on Monday , the boy repeatedly cried for his mother at a memorial ceremony at a Mumbai synagogue . His cries were played repeatedly on Israeli TV stations . `` You do n't have a mother who will hug you and kiss you , '' Rabbi Kotlarsky said , adding that the community would take care of the boy , AP said . `` You are the child of all of Israel . '' The only other surviving member of the family , Moshe 's brother , has Tay-Sachs , a terminal genetic disease , and is institutionalized in Israel , AP added . The Holtzbergs ' eldest son died of the disease . The Holtzbergs went to Mumbai five years ago to serve the city 's small Jewish community and the thousands of Israeli visitors and business people who frequent the area , according to Chabad.org , the ultra-Orthodox group 's Web site . About 5,000 Jews live in India , according to the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise . About 3,000 of them live in Mumbai , The Jewish Press reported . iReport.com : Share tributes to those who died The Holtzbergs operated a synagogue and taught Torah classes . The rabbi also conducted weddings for local Jewish couples . Gavriel Holtzberg , 29 , was born in Israel and moved to Brooklyn , New York , when he was 9 . He studied in New York and Argentina and traveled to Thailand and China as a rabbinical student . His wife , Rivka , 28 , was a native of Israel . In Mumbai , they ran the headquarters of the Chabad community , a Hasidic Jewish movement . The center , in a building known as the Nariman House , was open to anyone who wanted a place to pray , eat kosher food or celebrate Jewish holidays . In footage filmed two years ago by the Chabad movement , Gavriel Holtzberg said anybody who visited the center was welcome . His wife said its doors were always open and that it was not unusual to have 30 people for dinner . The Chabad-Lubavitch movement was formed more than two centuries ago in Russia . The organization says 4,000 full-time emissary families now direct more than 3,300 Chabad institutions around the world . Kruman was in India to help Teitelbaum supervise a mushroom packing plant under kosher certification , the Chabad Web site said . He grew up in Israel and in the past year had visited China once a month to supervise food packaging plants there . Kruman often visited the Chabad House in Beijing , the organization said , and survived the May earthquake in China 's Sichuan Province . He leaves behind a widow and three children . CNN 's Paula Hancocks contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Members of the nation 's oldest black sorority have accused the organization 's president of using her sorority credit card for personal items and its board of directors of spending too much on her . Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority President Barbara McKinzie denies the claims in the lawsuit against her . The suit alleges that the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority 's board of directors signed off on spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on President Barbara McKinzie and commissioned an expensive wax figure of her . McKinzie denied the allegations , saying they are `` without merit . '' The most `` outlandish representation '' in the lawsuit , she said , is the allegation that the sorority spent $ 900,000 on a wax figure of her . Two wax figures -- one of McKinzie and one of the sorority 's first president , the late Nellie Quander -- were purchased by the hostess chapters of the sorority 's centennial convention last year , not the national AKA organization , for a total of $ 45,000 , McKinzie said . The lawsuit says the sorority 's board of directors approved the use of $ 900,000 for the wax likeness of McKinzie ahead of the centennial celebration . Edward W. Gray Jr. , an attorney representing the plaintiffs , acknowledged that the sorority disputes the lawsuit 's account of the statue 's price tag . However , he said , `` we have no way of knowing what the actual number was . We hope that it was as little as they say . '' He added that $ 45,000 is still a large amount of money , although , `` certainly , it 's a lot better than $ 900,000 . '' He called the alleged conduct `` shocking and bordering on illegal . '' The wax figures are to appear in the National Great Blacks in Wax museum in Baltimore , Maryland , according to AKA . The museum said they are on a traveling exhibit . The lawsuit , filed last month in a Washington superior court , also accuses McKinzie of using her sorority credit card for `` designer clothing , lingerie , jewelry , gifts and other excessive and inappropriate expenses of a personal nature . '' It demands that the sorority fire McKinzie and the board of directors and that the alleged damages be repaid . The lawsuit says that by using her credit card for personal purchases , as well as for `` properly reimbursed expenditures , '' McKinzie amassed American Express points , which she then redeemed for a 46-inch television and gym equipment . It also says that the sorority 's board of directors had agreed on compensation for McKinzie without the approval of the sorority 's policy-making body . The compensation , it says , included a $ 4,000-a-month stipend that McKinzie is to receive for four years after she leaves office . The board of directors also voted to buy a $ 1 million life insurance policy for McKinzie , a purchase that was also not approved by the policy-making body , the lawsuit says . McKinzie denied the accusations . `` Allegations about personal use of AKA funds are false and unsupported by the organization 's audited books , '' she said . The `` malicious allegations leveled against AKA by former leaders are based on mischaracterizations and fabrications not befitting our ideals of sisterhood , ethics and service . '' The lawsuit also blames McKinzie and Betty James , the executive director for the organization 's corporate office , for financial decisions they made for the sorority . The sorority 's claimed deductions on its federal tax returns in 2006 and 2007 were `` unreasonably large and inappropriate , thus exposing the sorority to potential IRS claims and obligations , '' the suit says . Furthermore , the sorority 's policy-making body has not approved McKinzie 's investment philosophy , which `` has caused the shifting of several million dollars of the sorority and foundation funds from cash and cash equivalents to stock and bond investments . '' McKinzie said in her statement that under her leadership , `` accounting and budgetary practices have been tightened , erasing past IRS liabilities and cost overruns . '' In addition to McKinzie , James and the sorority , the lawsuit names other members of the board of directors and the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation Inc. as defendants . AKA was founded in 1908 and is based in Chicago , Illinois . CNN 's Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The company that produced the peanut butter linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak said late Tuesday that it was voluntarily recalling all products made in its Blakely , Georgia , plant . Salmonella bacteria are transmitted to humans by eating contaminated foods . The Peanut Corporation of America , a peanut processing company , made the peanut butter sold by King Nut company . Health officials in Minnesota have said that salmonella they linked to an open container of King Nut peanut butter was the same strain of bacteria responsible for the apparently ongoing outbreak , which has infected at least 434 people in 43 states . However , the King Nut product is unlikely to be responsible for the entire outbreak , since it distributes its peanut butter only to food service companies in just seven states : Ohio , Minnesota , Michigan , North Dakota , Arizona , Idaho and New Hampshire . So , the Peanut Corporation of America said it was voluntarily recalling all peanut butter produced in its Blakely plant `` out of an abundance of caution . '' Some of it is distributed to another company . What you need to know about food poisoning '' `` We deeply regret that this has happened , '' company president Stewart Parnell said . Over the past few days , Food and Drug Administration inspectors visited the Blakely plant , where they took hundreds of samples for testing , Parnell said . The salmonella outbreak has been spreading across much of the country since September . Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium played a role in the deaths of an elderly person from southwestern Virginia and an adult from northern Virginia . The third death was a nursing home resident in her 70s in Minnesota . All three of the patients who died had underlying illnesses that could have contributed to their deaths , state officials said . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , in a written statement , has called peanut butter `` a likely source '' of the infections . But it said that no association had been found with common brand names of peanut butter sold in grocery stores . The first cases of salmonella were reported September 3 , but most occurred between October 1 and January 6 , the CDC said . About 18 percent of cases were hospitalized as a result of their illness , and patients have ranged from 2 months to 98 years of age . CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said a preliminary analysis suggests peanut butter as a likely source of the outbreak . No cases connected to the outbreak have been reported in Montana , New Mexico , Louisiana , Mississippi , South Carolina , Florida or Alaska . Very young people , older people and those with compromised immune systems are most vulnerable to severe side effects of salmonella infection , including death , health officials have said . CNN 's Miriam Falco contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House of Representatives passed a $ 3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night , capping off weeks of acrimonious partisan debate and a long day of voting marked by the defeat of several alternative plans . The U.S. House passed a $ 3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night . The House version of the budget passed by a margin of 233-196 in a virtual party-line vote . All but 20 House Democrats supported it ; no House Republican voted in favor . In London , England , where he has been attending the Group of 20 summit , President Obama lauded the House vote . `` Tonight , the House of Representatives took another step toward rebuilding our struggling economy , '' he said in a statement . `` And by making hard choices and challenging the old ways of doing business , we will cut in half the budget deficit we inherited within four years . With this vote comes an obligation to pursue our efforts to go through the budget line-by-line , searching for additional savings . Like the families we serve , we must cut the things we do n't need to invest in those we do . '' The Senate plans a vote on its $ 3.53 trillion version of the budget later Thursday night . That vote , too , is expected to fall on party lines . Moderate GOP Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine , who voted in favor of Obama 's stimulus bill last month , intend to vote against what is essentially the blueprint of Obama 's economic policies going forward . The House budget largely tracks Obama 's initial proposed spending plan , with the exception of a decision to drop his $ 250 billion request for potential future bailouts of struggling financial institutions . Watch more on Obama 's budget details '' Fiscally conservative House Democrats , known as Blue Dogs , also negotiated with House Democratic leaders to cut $ 7 billion from the president 's $ 540 billion request for nondefense discretionary spending . Under the House Democrats ' plan , the federal government will run an anticipated deficit of $ 1.2 trillion in the next fiscal year . Their plan promises to cut the deficit by more than half by 2013 . House Democrats agreed to extend the middle class tax cut that was included in the recently passed economic stimulus plan , but failed to specify how the cut would be paid for after 2010 . They also included language that allows for the controversial procedure called `` budget reconciliation '' for health care , a tool that would limit debate on major policy legislation . Senate Democrats did not include reconciliation in their version of the budget . The matter is guaranteed to be a major partisan sticking point when the two chambers meet to hammer out a final version of next year 's spending plan . If it passes , it would allow the Senate to pass Obama 's proposed health-care reform without the threat of a Republican-led Senate filibuster . Sen. Mike Enzi , R-Wyoming , speaking for most of his GOP Senate colleagues , warned Tuesday that if a health-care `` reconciliation winds up in the budget bill , it 'll be like a declaration of war . ... I hope that that wedge does n't get thrown in there . '' Both the House and the Senate version of the budget allow former President George W. Bush 's tax cuts for couples who make more than $ 250,000 to expire in 2010 , and both plans let Obama 's signature tax cuts -- $ 400 for individuals and $ 800 for couples -- expire as well , unless the White House finds a way to pay for them . Under the House plan , the cuts would expire in 2010 ; in the Senate plan , they would expire in 2012 . Key differences between House and Senate include deficits and nonmilitary discretionary spending . The House budget would reduce the deficit from $ 1.7 trillion in 2009 to $ 598 billion in 2014 , House Democrats said , while the Senate Democrats say their plan would bring the deficit down an additional $ 80 billion . The House rejected an alternative proposal put forward by the GOP leadership , which called for $ 4.8 trillion less in overall spending over the next decade , in part through a five-year freeze in most non-defense discretionary spending . `` House Republicans were united in the desire to find reasonable solutions for middle-class families , focused directly on creating jobs , tax relief and empowering small businesses to survive and grow , '' said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor . `` The Republican budget was crafted to help those Americans worried about their jobs , their health care , their financial security , and their real fears that Washington is spending and borrowing money that America does not have . Republicans offered a comprehensive budget that provides the American people with the ideas , energy and common-sense solutions they are looking for . '' Among other things , the House GOP 's version of the budget would have repealed the entire $ 787 billion economic stimulus package except for an extension of unemployment insurance benefits . It also would have rolled back a recently passed 8 percent spending boost in the budget for the remainder of the current fiscal year . Watch more on the GOP budget alternative '' Thirty-eight Republicans voted against their own leadership 's bill in that vote , while two Democrats voted in favor of it . The final vote was 293-137 against the GOP proposal . Overall , the Republican version of the budget called for $ 3.6 trillion less in borrowing over the next 10 years . CNN 's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pregnant women in Peru are dying at scandalous rates , according to the author of an Amnesty International report into maternal mortality in the South American country . Vertical births where women are kneeling or crouching and holding on to a rope are common in Peru . The report , `` Fatal Flaws : Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru '' found that hundreds of poor , rural and indigenous pregnant women are dying because they are being denied the same health services as other women in the country . It also concluded that the government 's response to tackling the problem was inadequate . Peruvian government figures state 185 in every 100,000 women die in child birth , but the United Nations says the number is much higher at 240 , which makes it one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Americas . In wealthy developed nations , only nine women die for every 100,000 births . The five main causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Peru are hemorrhage , pre-eclampsia , infection , complications following abortion and obstructed birth , according to Peru 's Ministry of Health figures . Amnesty 's Peru researcher Nuria Garcia said in a statement : `` The rates of maternal mortality in Peru are scandalous . The fact that so many women are dying from preventable causes is a human rights violation . `` The Peruvian state is simply ignoring its obligation to provide adequate maternal healthcare to all women , regardless of who they are and where they live . '' Garcia added : `` Health services for pregnant women in Peru are like a lottery : if you are poor and indigenous , the chances are you will always lose . '' Amnesty 's report highlighted the case of Criselda , a 22-year-old indigenous woman from the country 's Huancavelica Department , one of the poorest regions of the country . While seven months pregnant , she fell and hurt herself , and after feeling pains , she went to the health post for a check-up . The doctor said she was fine and sent her away but she miscarried two days later , according to the report . The report found that so many women are dying because they face a number of barriers , including a lack of health staff who speak indigenous languages like Quechua -- a native Andean language spoken by some five million people in Peru . However , the vast majority of Peruvian doctors only speak Spanish , as they rarely come from areas or communities where indigenous languages are spoken . Criselda told researchers she believes the doctor may not have picked up her symptoms accurately because she could not understand her , and interpreters were not available . Transport problems are also a contributing factor to the high mortality rate among Peruvian indigenous women , as most of them usually have to travel long distances to a health center to get attention , the report found . Criselda 's husband Fortunato said in the report : `` There is no ambulance when there is an emergency . To go from here it takes us two or three days and sometimes they die right here because there is no vehicle or ambulance . '' According to the report , 27 percent of deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes occurred during pregnancy ; 26 percent occurred during the birth itself ; and 46 percent during the first six weeks after giving birth . Amnesty has urged the Peruvian government to allocate resources to maternal mortality and reproductive health , prioritizing the regions with the highest mortality ratios . The organization also recommends an increase in training , particularly in indigenous languages .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama 's two daughters had another reason to high-five their dad 's election to the presidency Tuesday night : they 're getting a puppy . President Bush 's dog Barney walks in the White House Rose Garden in 2007 . `` Sasha and Malia , '' Obama said in his victory speech at Chicago 's Grant Park , `` I love you both so much , and you have earned the new puppy that 's coming with us to the White House . '' The new White House pet will follow in the paw-steps of a menagerie of animals that have had the run of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the years . The Bush family shared their eight years at the White House with a cat , a feisty English springer spaniel and two Scottish terriers -- all of whom have their own pages on the president 's Web site . The Clintons ' Washington stay included a cat , Socks , who did not get along with their chocolate Labrador retriever , Buddy . And Millie the springer spaniel 's canine view of life in the White House -- as `` told to '' then-first lady Barbara Bush -- became a best-seller that outsold the memoirs of President George H.W. Bush . While many presidents took to heart President Harry Truman 's admonishment -- `` If you want a friend in Washington , get a dog '' -- first pets have come in all shapes , sizes and species . Thomas Jefferson kept two grizzly bears in a cage on the White House lawn , while John Quincy Adams is said to have let his alligator use a bathtub inside . Calvin Coolidge walked his raccoons on a leash . Theodore Roosevelt 's sons escorted their pet pony onto the White House elevator to cheer up a sick sibling . And perhaps the strangest of all : Martin Van Buren briefly owned two tiger cubs , a gift from the Sultan of Oman . Pets have sometimes been a boon to a president 's image . But some have also taken a bite out of their popularity . Animal lovers howled in protest when Lyndon B. Johnson picked up his beagles , Him and Her , by the ears to provide photographers a better view . On the other hand , Richard Nixon -- running for vice president and accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions -- successfully defended himself in his famous `` Checkers Speech . '' The only gift he ever accepted was `` a little cocker spaniel dog '' that his daughter named Checkers , Nixon said . `` And I just want to say this , right now , that regardless of what they say about it , we are going to keep it , '' he added . Come January , the Obamas will make history by becoming the first African-American family to move into the White House . But if Malia , 10 , and Sasha , 7 , get what they 've been promised , the new tenants will keep one long-standing tradition alive ... and wagging .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monica Conyers , Detroit 's embattled City Council president pro tempore , pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit bribery , a federal court representative in Michigan told CNN . Detroit City Council member , Monica Conyers , admits accepting bribes to sway a $ 1.2 billion contract vote . Conyers , 44 , admitted accepting bribes in exchange for her vote to sway the City Council to approve Synagro Technologies Inc. 's $ 1.2 billion contract in 2007 . It 's unclear when Conyers , the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers , began her relationship with Synagro , but court papers say she received money from Synagro until December 2007 . Conyers voted in favor of the wastewater treatment contract on November 20 , 2007 , the same day she received an envelope filled with cash from Detroit businessman Rayford Jackson , court papers say . Jackson pleaded guilty to providing Conyers with the money . He had been a paid consultant of Synagro . On December 4 , 2007 , Conyers received another envelope of cash from Jackson in a McDonald 's parking lot , said Terrence Berg , the U.S. attorney from the eastern district of Michigan . `` She was the swing vote in this deal , '' Berg said . `` She used her power to get the deal done , and she acknowledged that . '' The mood was somber at Conyers ' office on Friday , an official there told CNN . A few office workers cried . They found out about the developments through news reports , said Denise Tolliver , Conyers ' deputy chief of staff . `` We 've been going through this for a while , '' Tolliver said . `` Reporters would ask us questions about anonymous sources , and we just did n't believe them . '' Office workers were preparing for an afternoon meeting with City Council President Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. later Friday . According to state law , Conyers will have to forfeit her seat , Tolliver said . Cockrel said there 's language in the law that makes it unclear whether she needs to forfeit her seat immediately or after sentencing `` It hurts the City Council 's image , for sure , '' Cockrel said . `` But we need to remember , this is only one member of the council . You ca n't paint the entire council with the same brush . '' For a seven-month period in 2008 , Cockrel replaced former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing justice . During that time Cockrel terminated the city 's contract with Synagro because of rumors circulating about bribes , he said . Conyers faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison , according to prosecutors . Synagro would not comment on Conyers ' plea , but a spokeswoman said , `` We have cooperated fully with the federal investigation and will continue to do so . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Georgia man who spent a year in jail for nonpayment of child support -- despite the fact he has no children -- has been cleared of the debt , his attorney said Tuesday . Frank Hatley was ordered to make back payments even after he learned a teenager was n't his son . Frank Hatley , 50 , spent 13 months in jail for being a deadbeat dad before his release last month . A judge ordered him jailed in June 2008 for failing to support his `` son '' -- a child who DNA tests proved was not fathered by Hatley . Last week , Cook County Superior Court Judge Dane Perkins signed an order stating , `` defendant is no longer responsible for paying any amount of child support . '' The order permits the state 's Office of Child Support Services to close its file on Hatley . `` We 're satisfied with the result for Mr. Hatley , but still troubled by the state 's monumental lapse of judgment in this case , '' attorney Sarah Geraghty with the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights told CNN in a written statement . Hatley did not immediately return a call from CNN Tuesday . His story dates back to 1986 , when Hatley had a relationship with Essie Lee Morrison , who gave birth to a son . According to court documents , Morrison told Hatley the child was his , but the two ended their relationship shortly after the child was born . The couple never married and never lived together , the documents said . When the child turned 2 , Morrison applied for public support for the child . Under Georgia law , the state , can recoup the cost of the assistance from a child 's non-custodial parent . For 13 years , Hatley made payments to the state until learning in 2000 that the boy might not be his . A DNA test that year confirmed the child was not fathered by Hatley , court documents said . He returned to court and was relieved of any future child support payments , but was ordered to pay more than $ 16,000 he owed the state before the ruling . Since 2000 , Hatley paid that debt down to about $ 10,000 , Geraghty said . Court documents showed he was jailed for six months in 2006 for falling behind on payments during a period of unemployment , but afterward he resumed making payments , continuing to do so even after he lost another job and became homeless in 2008 . But last year he became unable to make the payments and was jailed . The argument for keeping Hatley liable for the back payments , according to the attorney who represented him in 2000 , was that he signed a consent agreement with the Office of Child Support Services . The court agreed that Hatley had to comply with the consent agreement for the period he believed the child was his son , said attorney Latesha Bradley . But many , including Cook County Sheriff Johnny Daughtrey , did n't think Hatley 's incarceration was fair , given that the child was not his . `` I knew the gentleman 's plight and did n't know how to help him , '' Daughtrey told CNN last month . When the Southern Center for Human Rights visited the jail earlier this year , Daughtrey told them about Hatley 's case . Hatley was released from jail last month after Perkins ruled he was indigent and should not be jailed for failing to make the payments . The Georgia Department of Human Services , which includes the Office of Child Support Services , plans to propose legislation in the next session of the state Legislature that would prevent similar situations in the future , said agency spokeswoman Dena Smith . Two things still remain to be cleared up for Hatley , Geraghty said -- lifting the child-support holds on his driver 's license and his income tax . It remains unclear whether he will be reimbursed for the $ 6,000 in payments he made since 2000 , she said -- so far , he has not been . Cook County , Georgia , is in the south-central part of the state , about 200 miles south of Atlanta .","question":""}
{"answer":"Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration 's first high-level direct talks with North Korea yielded no promise by Pyongyang to return to six-party negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear program , but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday nonetheless called the meeting `` quite positive . '' In Washington , Clinton said she agreed with special envoy Stephen Bosworth that the talks were `` very useful , '' adding , `` It does remain to be seen whether and when the North Koreans will return to the six-party talks , but the bottom line is that these were exploratory talks , not negotiations . '' North Korea has refused to return to the talks conducted by the United States , Russia , China , South Korea and Japan , insisting that it wants to talk directly with the U.S. . In April , Pyongyang declared the talks `` dead '' in anger over international criticism of its nuclear and missile tests this year . Clinton previously said the United States was willing to meet bilaterally with North Korea but only within the framework of the six-party talks . She also has warned the United States will not normalize ties with Pyongyang or lift sanctions unless North Korea takes irreversible steps toward dismantling its nuclear program . Of his three-day visit , Bosworth said , `` My purpose ... was to facilitate the resumption of the six-party talks and to reaffirm the goal of fully implementing the September 2005 joint statement . '' Holding a news conference Thursday in Seoul after his visit to North Korea , Bosworth said , `` I communicated President Obama 's view that complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a fundamental undertaking of the six-party process ... and that the absence of progress on denuclearization is an obstacle to improving our relations . '' As Obama `` has made it clear , the United States is prepared to work with allies , partners in the region to offer ... North Korea a different future , '' he said . Bosworth said he held talks with North Korean officials , but not President Kim Jong Il , because `` we did not ask '' for a meeting with the leader . He said they did not make plans for a future meeting . Many observers are wondering what 's behind the North 's latest moves , and some said Bosworth 's trip is a positive . `` The visit gives North Korea a lot of ` face , ' a sense of importance , '' said Wenran Jiang , political science professor at the University of Alberta in Canada . Some analysts said North Korea might be trying to buy time . Earlier reports in Seoul claimed that North Korea is in the final stages of restoring its Yongbyon nuclear plant , which Pyongyang had begun to disable before walking away from the six-party talks . Given the secrecy of the North , those reports could not be verified . Analysts said North Korea also is desperate to break out of its diplomatic isolation and ease its economic pain , especially after the U.N. Security Council imposed tougher sanctions on the country in response to Pyongyang 's nuclear and missile tests . A joint statement issued by the six-party nations in September 2005 said North Korea had `` committed to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs . '' CNN 's Jill Dougherty contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States should use the `` utmost caution '' as it makes the Asia-Pacific region a key focus of its newly announced military strategy , China 's state-run Xinhua news agency said in a commentary published Friday . On Thursday , President Barack Obama and top defense officials unveiled a new U.S. defense strategy that focuses heavily on the Asia-Pacific region , a fast-growing economic powerhouse with numerous potential flashpoints that the administration has identified as crucial to U.S. interests . While resulting in a leaner force , the new strategy also calls for the U.S. to increase its military 's `` institutional weight and focus on enhanced presence , power projection , and deterrence in Asia-Pacific , '' Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday . While welcoming a peaceful U.S. role in the region , Xinhua 's commentary Friday warned the United States against acting like a `` bull in a china shop . '' `` The U.S. role , if fulfilled with a positive attitude and free from a Cold War-style zero-sum mentality , will not only be conducive to regional stability and prosperity , but be good for China , which needs a peaceful environment to continue its economic development , '' the Xinhua editorial said . `` However , while boosting its military presence in the Asia-Pacific , the United States should abstain from flexing its muscles , as this wo n't help solve regional disputes . '' The new defense strategy , which still lacks many specifics , is meant to pare U.S. defense spending by at least $ 487 billion over the next decade and drops a long-standing doctrine calling for the ability to fight to simultaneous ground wars . The result will be a more `` agile , flexible , ready-to-deploy , innovative and technologically advanced '' force prepared to counter terrorists , rogue states and the threat of nuclear weapons worldwide , Panetta said Thursday . Gen. Martin Dempsey , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said the focus on the Asia-Pacific region is crucial . `` The strategy talks about a shift to the future , '' he said Thursday . `` And all of the trends -- demographic trends , geopolitical trends , economic trends and military trends -- are shifting toward the Pacific . '' With U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down , the focus on the Asia-Pacific region has become a key theme of the administration 's foreign policy commentary in recent months . In November , Obama toured the region to highlight its economic and strategic importance to U.S. interests and announced plans to eventually station a task force of up to 2,500 Marines in Australia `` The United States is a Pacific power , and we are here to stay , '' he said at the time , pledging that the coming defense cuts would not affect the country 's military posture in the region . He reiterated that pledge Thursday . `` As I made clear in Australia , we will be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific , and budget reductions will not come at the expense of that critical region , , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A female marketing executive is suing the chief executive officer of a famous toy manufacturer , accusing him of sexually harassing and assaulting her . Steiff CEO Martin Frechen denies all the allegations . Both the company , known as the makers of the original Teddy bears , and another executive named in the lawsuit also deny the allegations in the lawsuit . The plaintiff , Jane Collins , now 32 , joined Steiff as a temporary receptionist in 2000 . She became Frechen 's executive assistant in 2002 , when he was named CEO of Steiff North America . Collins ' lawsuit , filed Monday in New York state Supreme Court , contends that the harassment began in fall 2004 , shortly before Frechen was to leave for Germany . After Collins rebuffed Frechen 's advances in a hotel room and parking lot , he asked for her assistance in moving his wife 's car to a storage unit , where he raped her , Collins alleges in her court filings . Collins ' attorney , Chris Brennan , said his client was afraid that reporting the assault could jeopardize her job . She did not call police . `` I was a single mom at the time , and I simply could n't afford to lose this job , '' Collins said in a statement issued by her attorney . The suit alleges that Frechen 's unwanted advances continued after the assault , until as recently as February 2009 . `` I had put it out of my mind , because I thought there was nothing I could do , '' she said . Brennan said , `` The company had in place no policies and procedures to inform her otherwise . `` This is a company that makes millions a dollars a year here in North America , and they did n't invest a dollar in training or educating their employees on sexual harassment policy . '' Collins is seeking $ 80 million in damages . In addition to the allegations against Frechen , the suit alleges that the company , Margarete Steiff GmbH , Steiff North America Inc. and the company 's head of U.S. operations , James Pitocco , are culpable for failing to take appropriate measures to stop Frechen 's harassment after Collins reported his behavior . `` Steiff North America is committed to providing a safe and comfortable working environment for all of its employees . It does not comment on pending litigation . However , Steiff North America , Margarete Steiff and James Pitocco resolutely deny the allegations in Ms. Collins ' complaint and will vigorously defend the claims made by her in court , '' David Rosenthal , an attorney for the company , said in a statement . `` They are confident that when all of the facts and circumstances relevant to this case are revealed during this litigation , Ms. Collins ' claims will fail . '' Michael Rosen , attorney for Frechen , issued a similar statement on behalf of his client . `` Mr. Frechen believes the plaintiff 's claims are entirely without merit , '' he said . `` He intends to vigorously defend himself against these claims and believes he ultimately will prevail . '' Founded by German seamstress Margarete Steiff , the Steiff toy company produced its first plush animal , a felt elephant pincushion , in 1880 . In 1902 , Theodore Roosevelt was president when Steiff launched the plush bear that would become the company 's signature . Quickly dubbed `` Teddy 's bear , '' 3,000 Steiff bears -- now collectors items -- were sold worldwide that year . Collins , a mother of two , continues to work for Steiff as an assistant marketing manager .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face `` certain death '' if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike 's arrival , the National Weather Service said Thursday night . Texans sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic Thursday on a highway from Galveston County into Houston . The unusually strong wording came in a weather advisory regarding storm surge along the shoreline of Galveston Bay , which could see maximum water levels of 15 to 22 feet , the agency said . `` All neighborhoods ... and possibly entire coastal communities ... will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide , '' the advisory said . `` Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one - or two-story homes will face certain death . '' The maximum water level forecasts in nearby areas , including the shoreline of Matagorda Bay and the Gulf-facing coastline from Sargent to High Island , ranged from 5 to 8 feet . But authorities warned that tide levels could begin rising Friday morning along the upper Texas coast and along the shorelines of the bays . The advisory summoned memories of the language used to describe 2005 's Hurricane Katrina , which devastated parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast . `` Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks ... if not longer , '' an advisory issued at the time said . `` The vast majority of native trees will be snapped or uprooted . Only the heartiest will remain standing . '' The Ike advisory follows comes on the heels of similarly urgent messages earlier Thursday from federal authorities , who warned of a `` massive storm '' that could affect roughly 40 percent of the U.S. Gulf Coast . `` Do not take this storm lightly , '' Michael Chertoff , secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , said Thursday afternoon . `` This is not a storm to gamble with . It is large ; it is powerful ; it carries a lot of water . '' Chertoff and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said their efforts were focused on evacuations as Ike moved northwest at 12 mph across the central Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph . Track the storm '' Chertoff also urged people not to succumb to `` hurricane fatigue , '' referring to concerns that authorities were overestimating Ike 's potential impact . `` Unless you 're fatigued with living , I suggest you want to take seriously a storm of this size and scale , '' he said Thursday . Houston Mayor Bill White said he 's heard that people who live in areas under a mandatory evacuation order say they plan to stay in their homes . He strongly urged against it . `` If you think you want to ride something out , and people are talking about a 20-foot wall of water coming at you , then you better think again , '' White said . At 5 p.m. Thursday , the National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect between Morgan City , Louisiana , and Baffin Bay , Texas . A warning means hurricane conditions are likely within 24 hours . Ike 's forecast track was through Galveston and the Houston metro area as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph . Currently a Category 2 storm about 700 miles across , Ike could make landfall near Galveston Island as early as Saturday morning . Watch CNN meteorologists track Hurricane Ike '' At 11 p.m. ET , the National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles from Ike 's center , and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 275 miles . The storm was centered 445 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi , Texas , and about 340 miles east-southeast of Galveston , and was moving west-northwest at near 10 mph . Watch : National Hurricane center predicts Ike 's path '' Roughly 3.5 million people live in the hurricane 's potential impact zone , FEMA Administrator David Paulison said Thursday . In Galveston , Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas told the island 's 60,000 people that they should leave . By 7:30 ET , the city had finished evacuating to Austin thousands of residents who needed assistance leaving because of age , disability or lack of reliable transportation . Mandatory evacuations remained in effect for low-lying coastal areas northeast and southwest of Galveston , in Chambers , Matagorda and Brazoria counties . Some Brazoria County residents said they did n't want to leave but realized it was in their best interest to do so . `` You do n't have a choice when you have kids , '' Deborah Davis of Freeport told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston . Farther inland , about 100,000 residents in low-lying areas surrounding Houston began evacuating Thursday afternoon as Ike headed for the Texas coast , officials said . Watch Gov. Rick Perry warn residents of Ike 's potential '' But the remaining 4 million residents were told they could stay home , even as government offices and schools prepared to close Friday in Houston in anticipation of the hurricane . `` We are only evacuating areas subject to a storm surge , '' said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett , the county 's chief executive officer . `` Yes , we know you will lose electricity . But you 're not in danger of losing your life , so stay put . '' Ships in port were told to leave , said Port of Houston spokeswoman Linda Whitlock . The area 's two major airports , George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby , also halted all commercial flights . More than 1,300 inmates from the Texas Correctional Institutions Division 's Stevenson Unit in Cuero were being evacuated to facilities in Beeville and Kenedy , Perry 's office said , and 597 were transferred from the substance abuse Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego , in south Texas , to Dilley . CNN 's Mike Mount contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Philippine government convoy was ambushed by gunmen Thursday in the same province that saw the bloody massacre of 57 people last month , a Philippine military spokesman said . The convoy was on its way back from a raid on the compound of former governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. in Maguindanao province , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang said . No one was injured in the attack , he said . `` They were about to take the evidence to General Santos City when they were ambushed in the same municipality -LRB- where -RRB- the massacre took place , '' Cabangbang said . `` The convoy was able to return fire and the gunmen scampered , '' he added . The attack occurred at 7:30 p.m. local time -LRB- 6:30 a.m. ET -RRB- and Philippine military personnel were still in the area conducting search operations several hours later , he said . `` We surmise that these are men who are still loyal to the governor trying to recover what we took from the governor 's compound , '' Cabangbang said . Thousands of rounds of ammunition and several firearms were recovered from the compound , Cabangbang said . Maguindanao province is the same place where 57 people , including 30 journalists , were massacred on November 23 . That attack , authorities have said , was an apparent attempt to keep a political opponent of the Ampatuan clan from registering to run for governor . Philippine police say that at least two people who were at the scene of the massacre have implicated a mayor as being involved in the killings , state media reported Thursday . The two are among 161 suspects in the killings in the southern province . Some of the suspects are in custody ; others are being sought , the Philippines News Agency said . Immediately after the killings , suspicion fell on Andal Ampatuan Jr. , the mayor of Datu Unsay municipality and the son of the powerful governor of Maguindanao . Authorities have recommended that Ampatuan be charged with 25 counts of murder . `` We have two -LRB- witnesses -RRB- . Because they were in the crime scene , these two have direct testimony linking the mayor to the crime , '' the country 's National Police Director Raul Castaneda was quoted as saying by the news agency . Also on Thursday , 75 civilians , including children , were kidnapped in the region where the massacre took place , authorities said . Several rebel groups there are fighting for different causes . Seventeen children and an adult were freed soon after , and negotiations continued to secure the release of the rest , said Army Capt. Enrico Ileto . The abductions took place Thursday afternoon in Prosperidad , the capital of Agusan del Sur province . The November 23 massacre took place on the other side of the island . There are no indications that the two incidents are related . Alongside Muslim separatist groups that have been fighting for an independent Islamic state in the region , communist rebels are engaged in a 40-year insurgency there . The Philippine Congress met Thursday for a second day in a joint session as lawmakers questioned President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 's Cabinet members about a martial law that was imposed on the province Friday . The martial law allows arrests without a warrant . The army has said it is necessary to impose peace following what has been called a politically motivated massacre . Critics contend that it sets a dangerous precedent . Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation . CNN 's Nick Valencia , Joyce Joseph and Sarita Harilela contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates will unveil the Pentagon 's plan to prepare for repealing the controversial `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' law regarding gay soldiers at a committee hearing Tuesday , a Pentagon spokesman said . `` The Defense Department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan and the secretary will have more to say about this next week , '' Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said on Thursday . President Obama said in his first State of the Union address Wednesday night that he would work with Congress and the Pentagon this year to repeal the law that prohibits military members from acknowledging openly that they are gay . According to the Senate Web site , the Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduled an hour to discuss the issue at Tuesday 's hearing on the fiscal year 2011 defense budget , which Gates will attend . The committee revised its schedule for the hearing , announcing that Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will testify on the budget , as planned , as well as the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' issue . Gates and Mullen are not expected to offer a specific legislative proposal to repeal the law , but rather to detail some of the preliminary steps that need to be taken inside the military in advance of formulating a legislative plan . Gates will discuss options for more `` humanely '' implementing the current ban , for example , according to a senior Pentagon official . The secretary asked his general counsel 's office for options six months ago including how to possibly not expel personnel whose homosexuality is revealed by third parties , the source said . The 1993 law bars gay men and lesbians in the military from revealing their sexual orientation , and prevents the military from asking about it . Another military official familiar with the discussion said some of the issues to be considered include the cost of implementing a new policy , benefits for gay spouses , potential hate crimes , and even logistical questions such as the possible need to renovate barracks to separate straight and gay troops . According to the official , the idea of separate housing or showers was not considered a serious possibility , but would be discussed in order to rule it out . Previously , Gates has said the transition from the existing law should be done gradually and `` very , very carefully . '' `` The president has been clear about where he wants to go and what he thinks needs to be done , '' Gates said in April at the Army War College when asked about changing the law . `` But I think that he is approaching this in a deliberate and cautious manner , so that if we do go down that road , we do it right and we do it in a way that mitigates any downsides , problems that might be associated with it . '' At least one member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- Gen. James Conway , commandant of the Marine Corps -- has expressed reservations in the past about repealing the law . In November , Conway said through a spokesman : `` Our Marines are currently engaged in two fights , and our focus should not be drawn away from those priorities . '' Some Congressional opposition already is clear . Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , a former Navy pilot , released a statement after Wednesday night 's State of the Union address saying `` it would be a mistake '' to repeal the law . `` This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years , and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels , '' McCain 's statement said , later adding : `` At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield , now is not the time to abandon the policy . '' Others support the change . Gen. John Shalikashvili , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said it was time to repeal the law . `` As a nation built on the principal of equality , we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military , '' Shalikashvili said in a letter sent to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-New York , who supports repealing the policy . The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network , an organization that works with those affected by the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' law , praised Obama 's call for repeal . `` We very much need a sense of urgency to get this done in 2010 , '' the group said , later adding : `` The American public , including conservatives , is overwhelmingly with the commander in chief on this one . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bayern Munich stayed level on points with German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in Saturday 's late match . Unbeaten Leverkusen had defeated defending champions Wolfsburg 2-1 earlier in the day , but Bayern joined them on 48 points after 22 matches as Bayern came from behind with a victory that left the two teams separated by just one goal on for-and-against differential . Third-placed Schalke will seek to reduce their six-point deficit on the leaders with victory at home to Cologne on Sunday . Leverkusen took the lead three minutes after halftime at their BayArena ground as Stefan Reinartz pounced to score after veteran goalkeeper Andre Lenz spilled a free-kick by Toni Kroos . The hapless 36-year-old handed Leverkusen a second goal 20 minutes later in unfortunate circumstances as home striker Eren Derdiyok 's header from another Kroos set-piece hit the bar , rebounded onto Lenz 's leg and into the net . Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko pulled a goal back in the 79th minute but his side could not force an equalizer , and have now slumped to 14th place -- 23 points behind the leaders . Borussia Dortmund took a fifth-minute lead against Bayern Munich as Egypt 's Africa Cup of Nations winner Mohamed Zidan profited from a mistake by defender Daniel Van Buyten . Bayern could already have been 2-0 down at that stage as Martin Demichelis and Mark Van Bommel cleared two shots off the line by Sven Bender . Van Bommel leveled in the 21st minute as the Dutch midfielder beat Dortmund goalkeeper Marc Ziegler from 20 yards , then compatriot Arjen Robben made it 2-1 five minutes after halftime when he was set up by France playmaker Franck Ribery , making his first start this year following injury problems . Ribery was again the provider as striker Mario Gomez sealed Bayern 's ninth successive league victory in the 65th minute , cutting in from the left to beat Ziegler on the angle . Hamburg went three points clear of Dortmund in fourth place with a 3-1 win at Stuttgart as new signing Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored his first goals for the club . The veteran Dutch striker came off the bench in the 65th minute with the score at 1-1 to make his second outing since arriving from Real Madrid , scoring two typically opportunist efforts in three minutes as Stuttgart boss Christian Gross suffered his first defeat since taking the job in December . Sixth-placed Werder Bremen crushed third-bottom Hannover 5-1 away , scoring four times in the first half , while Bochum moved eight points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 win at home to mid-table Hoffenheim . Basement side Hertha Berlin came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to eighth-placed Mainz , but are still four points behind second-bottom Nuremberg , who lost 2-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday night .","question":""}
{"answer":"ALGIERS , Algeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of the United Nations headquarters in Algiers hoping to find survivors after a powerful bomb ripped off the building 's facade and leveled nearby U.N. offices . Rescuers and bomb experts search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building . It was one of two suspected car bombs that struck Algiers within 10 minutes of each other . The death toll is unclear : the official government count is at least 26 , but hospital sources in Algiers told CNN affiliate BFM-TV that 76 people were killed in the two blasts . A statement from the United Nations said 45 people were reported killed . Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni blamed a militant Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda for the attacks , which also targeted a building housing Algeria 's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court . In a posting on an Islamist Web site , the group al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility . CNN could not immediately corroborate that claim , but the Web site is known to carry messages , claims and videos from al Qaeda and other militant groups . In the posting , the bombers were identified as Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Othman and Abdel Rahman Abu Abdel Nasser al-Asimi . It said two trucks were filled with `` no less than 800 kg -LRB- 1,763 pounds -RRB- of explosives . '' The group called the operation `` another successful conquest and a second epic that the knights of faith have dictated with their blood , defending the wounded Islamic nation and in defiance to the Crusaders and their agents , the slaves of America and the sons of France . '' At least 10 U.N. staffers were among those killed , according to U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe . The offices of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees -- located across the street from the U.N. headquarters -- were leveled by a blast that struck about 9:30 a.m. -LRB- 3:30 a.m. ET -RRB- Tuesday . `` Our offices are basically destroyed now , nothing works , '' UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said from its Geneva headquarters . Watch his full interview He said rescuers are working into the night trying to get to the trapped U.N. workers . `` It 's a very serious situation still with the U.N. in Algiers , '' he said . In a strongly worded statement , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned what he called `` an abjectly cowardly strike against civilian officials serving humanity 's highest ideals under the U.N. banner . '' `` The perpetrators of these crimes will not escape the strongest possible condemnation -- and ultimate punishment -- by Algerian authorities and the international community , '' Ban said in the written statement . He said he has sent senior advisers and other top U.N. officials to head to Algiers to assist in the investigation and rescue effort . Most of those killed in the coordinated attacks were victims of the first suspected car bombing near the Constitutional Council -- which oversees elections -- and Supreme Court in the Algiers neighborhood of Ben Aknoun , according to the state-run Algeria Press Agency . That blast struck a bus outside the targeted building , killing many of those on board , the news agency reported . One man said he heard the first blast then the second exploded in front of him . `` I saw the trees falling and the glass shattering in front of me . I had to run away from the car , '' he said . Zerhouni said the attack was the work of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat -LRB- GSPC -RRB- , the same group that took responsibility for an attack in April in downtown Algiers that killed 33 people . That group also uses the name al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb after merging with al Qaeda earlier this year . It abandoned small-scale attacks in favor of headline-grabbing blasts after it joined with al Qaeda . CNN International Security Correspondent Paula Newton said the merger combined the expertise of Algerian guerrillas with the operational ability of al Qaeda in North Africa , enabling the group to penetrate the usually extensive security in high-profile areas of Algiers . She said the group 's goal is to destabilize countries like Algeria , Morocco and Tunisia , which it sees as enemies of the Islamic state . Zerhouni said police interrogations of GSPC members arrested in the wake of the April attack revealed that Algeria 's Constitutional Council and Supreme Court were on a list of GSPC targets . Algeria , which has a population of 33 million , is still recovering from more than a decade of violence that began after the military government called a halt to elections which an Islamist party was poised to win . Tens of thousands of people died in the unrest . Although the country has remained relatively peaceful , recent terrorist attacks have raised fears of a slide back to violence . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Key Illinois Democratic legislators are circulating a letter urging support for the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich , who was arrested this week on federal corruption charges relating in part to the selection of President-elect Barack Obama 's successor as a U.S. senator . Barack Obama says he has never spoken with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the vacant Senate seat . State Rep. John Fritchey , head of the House Civil Judiciary Committee , sent the letter Thursday asking Democratic colleagues to say by Friday whether they support a move for impeachment and would like to be added as a co-sponsor of legislation . Blagojevich also is a Democrat . `` Faced with a significant budget shortfall , a national recession , and a vacant United States Senate seat , we can not afford to allow Illinois to operate without effective leadership in the -LSB- Illinois -RSB- executive branch , '' said the letter , also signed by Reps. Thomas Holbrook , David Miller and James Brosnahan . `` Simply put , it is imperative to replace Gov. Blagojevich as soon as is practicable . '' The letter said the impeachment filing was being prepared , and the lawmakers said they expected the process -- the state House would bring charges against Blagojevich and he would be tried by the state Senate -- would take `` a matter of weeks rather than months . '' The lawmakers ' move coincided with increasing calls for Blagojevich 's resignation . President-elect Barack Obama called again Thursday for Blagojevich to step down , saying the embattled governor can no longer effectively serve the people of Illinois . Watch as Obama says Senate seat belongs to the people '' `` I hope that the governor himself comes to the conclusion that he can no longer effectively serve and that he does resign , '' Obama said , speaking before announcing his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle . Obama said he was as `` appalled and disappointed as anyone '' by the allegations against the Democratic governor , and said he was confident his staff was not involved in the alleged scandal . Federal officials said Blagojevich was looking to sell or trade Obama 's open seat in the U.S. Senate . Obama said he had never spoken to the governor on the subject , adding he was confident that `` no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat . '' He had asked his staff to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor 's office about the vacancy , he said . `` This Senate seat does not belong to any politician to trade . It belongs to the people of Illinois , and they deserve the best possible representation , '' he said . `` They also deserve to know that any vacancy will be filled in an appropriate way so that whoever is sent to Washington is going to be fighting for the people of Illinois . '' Earlier Thursday , Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said she is prepared to go to the Illinois Supreme Court to have Blagojevich declared unfit to serve if he does not resign . Explainer : Federal complaint against Blagojevich '' `` Obviously the easiest way for us to move on in the state of Illinois is for Gov. Blagojevich to do the right thing for the people and to resign , '' she told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' She added , `` If he fails to , the two other options are obviously the Legislature moving forward on impeachment , or I have the opportunity to actually go to our Illinois Supreme Court and ask them to declare , basically , that our governor is unable to serve , '' she said . In that case , Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn , a Democrat , would become acting governor , she said . Madigan said she wo n't wait long to take action . `` We would like a signal from the Legislature if they 're going to move forward on impeachment proceedings . ... I think there are obviously numerous members of the Legislature calling for impeachment proceedings , '' she said , noting that the Legislature , which is adjourned , will meet Monday to discuss the possibility of holding a special election for Obama 's successor . Fritchey , in the letter to Democratic lawmakers , commended Madigan 's willingness to go to the Supreme Court , but said `` both the duration as well as the outcome of such a proceeding are inherently uncertain and speculative . '' Watch what was in the complaint against Blagojevich '' `` We would also note the comments of the attorney general indicating her support of impeachment proceedings as an appropriate course of action at this time , '' the letter said . Quinn said at a news conference earlier Thursday that the governor had lost the confidence of the people . `` I think the governor has one duty right now and that 's the duty to resign , '' he said . Should he became governor , Quinn indicated he might lean toward appointing a successor to Obama 's seat , saying an election would be expensive and time-consuming . `` Time is of the essence for all of us in America right now , to make sure we get our economy on the straight path to recovery , '' he said . Blagojevich -- who is free on his own recognizance -- returned to work Wednesday , his 52nd birthday . He has not commented on the charges , but his lawyer , Sheldon Sorosky , told reporters Tuesday night that his client `` feels he did n't do anything wrong . '' Sorosky said , `` He hopes the people of Illinois have faith in him , because he will be vindicated . '' White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Thursday that President Bush believes the governor 's arrest marks a `` very serious situation , '' and he believes the charges are `` astounding . '' Some details of the alleged scandal became clearer Wednesday , as a law enforcement official close to the investigation identified Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. as the person referred to in the federal criminal complaint as Senate Candidate 5 . Of the six candidates mentioned in the complaint , Candidate 5 is the only one whom Blagojevich said engaged in discussion through an emissary about possibly raising money for the governor in exchange for the Senate position . Jackson firmly denied wrongdoing at a Wednesday news conference . `` I reject and denounce ` pay to play ' politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing , '' he said . `` I did not initiate or authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to Gov. Blagojevich on my behalf . I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer , to plead my case or to propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat . Period . '' The law enforcement official said there was no evidence -- other than the governor 's taped remarks -- that Jackson or others on his behalf ever approached the governor in an improper way . The official also emphasized that no conversations with Jackson were picked up on bugs or wiretaps , and there is no evidence that he was aware of anything improper . According to the complaint , Blagojevich and his chief of staff , John Harris -- who was also arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges -- were `` conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits '' for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a U.S. senator to replace Obama . Federal investigators also allege the two were trying to have Chicago Tribune editorial board members fired by leveraging state assistance to the parent company of the newspaper , the Tribune Company , in its sale of Wrigley Field . Explainer : Illinois governor is in hot water '' The governor and his chief of staff are also accused of sullying other areas of state business : trying to rescind $ 8 million of state funds to Chicago 's Children 's Memorial Hospital because the hospital 's chief executive officer had not contributed $ 50,000 to Blagojevich , and expecting a highway contractor to raise $ 500,000 in contributions in exchange for money for a tollway project . `` Because of the unimaginable allegations that were in the federal complaint , it really calls into question absolutely everything that the governor has authority to do , '' Madigan said Thursday on CNN 's `` Situation Room . '' She said she had spoken to the governor only once this year , and perhaps not at all last year . Watch whom Blagojevich has considered '' `` That sounds incredible , because I do serve as attorney general , so I 'm the lawyer for the state , but we 've been well aware for years that there are problems with this governor and so I have n't had anything to do with him , '' she said . She did not elaborate . Quinn said earlier this week that he had not spoken to the governor since summer 2007 . Blagojevich and Harris are each charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery , authorities said . iReport.com : Do you trust your leaders ? The count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison , while the count of solicitation of bribery carries a maximum sentence of 10 years . CNN 's Ed Henry and Ed Hornick contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For three years , family , friends and her college sorority sisters have been looking for Jennifer Kesse , wondering what happened to her . Jennifer Kesse would be 26 now . She has been missing since January 24 , 2006 . Last week , on the third anniversary of Kesse 's disappearance , an inmate in a Florida prison said he might have the answer . David Russ , a convicted killer being held at the Seminole County Jail , spoke last week with the missing woman 's father , Drew Kesse , claiming he had information that could lead to a break in the case . Details are being withheld from the public . In a jailhouse phone call with CNN , Russ hinted he 'd eavesdropped on other inmates . He also was outspoken about his skepticism toward investigators . `` The investigators have messed this case up from the beginning and can not be trusted , '' he said . That 's why he asked to speak directly with the missing woman 's father , he said . Orlando police are just as skeptical of Russ . They said he provided information they already had . `` His information is not some big break in the case , '' said Sgt. Barbara Jones of the Orlando Police Department . `` We are still hoping for new tips that could lead us to finding Jennifer Kesse . '' The 24-year-old financial adviser was just back from a Caribbean vacation with her boyfriend and was getting back into her routine . She went to work at her new job , came home to her new condominium and called her parents . Watch an update on the case '' At 10 p.m. , she called her boyfriend , who lived in Fort Lauderdale , Florida . Then , her family believes , she went to bed . The next morning , she got up and showered for work . Her clothes were neatly laid out on her bed , her family says , suggesting she may have tried on a few outfits before deciding what to wear to the office . Then , she disappeared , her family said . She did not show up for work that Tuesday morning and her employer reported her missing . Police found Kesse 's Chevy Malibu two days later . It was parked in a gated lot about one mile down the road from the condominium complex where she lived . Inside the vehicle , police found some of Kesse 's personal items , but her purse , wallet , two cell phones and briefcase were missing . The car doors were locked and the car keys were not found . Police later released a video surveillance tape of the car being parked in the lot by someone other than Kesse . The grainy video partially shows a person walking away from the car , past a parking lot gate . Police are uncertain if this person of interest is a man or a woman , because the image is partially obscured by the gate . The person is described as 5 feet 4 inches , with a short haircut , wearing light-colored clothes and dark shoes . The video is time and date-stamped at noon on the day Kesse disappeared . Forensic tests on the vehicle came back inconclusive , Sgt. Jones said . No blood or other trace evidence was found to show that Kesse had been injured in the vehicle . Drew Kesse said that every Tuesday , landscapers worked at the condo complex near his daughter 's parking space . The landscapers said they did n't see Kesse leaving her apartment and getting into her car , which she did every weekday morning between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. `` The only theory we could come up with is that she walked out her front door and was kidnapped somewhere between her front door and the parking lot where her car was . We think since the landscapers did n't see her , she must not have even made it out of the hallways or stairwells of the condo complex , '' Drew Kesse said . He added that there were n't any surveillance cameras in the hallways or stairwells at the time his daughter was living there . Sgt. Jones said investigators have developed forensic evidence from Kesse 's car that could someday match with a person of interest and identify a suspect . Police have also released a photo of a green clover tattoo on Kesse 's left hip . Anyone with information leading to Jennifer Kesse or the person responsible for her disappearance is asked to call the tip line at 1-800-423-TIPS . The reward is $ 10,000 . Kesse would be 26 years old and has blonde hair , green eyes , is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself , according to Pope Benedict XVI . Pope Benedict XVI looks at the tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome in 2007 . `` Tiny fragments of bone '' in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating , showing they `` belong to someone who lived in the first or second century , '' the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television . `` This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul , '' Benedict said in Sunday 's announcement . The tomb also holds `` traces of a precious linen cloth , purple in color and laminated with pure gold , and a blue colored textile with linen filaments , '' the pope said . The tests were carried out by inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus , `` which had not been opened for many centuries , '' the pontiff said . The probe `` also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone . '' Separately , archaeologists have uncovered an image of St. Paul which `` could be considered the oldest icon of the apostle known to date , '' the Vatican 's official newspaper reported Sunday . The painting , in the St. Tecla Catacomb , is `` among the oldest and best-defined figures from ancient Christianity , '' according to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology , L'Osservatore Romano reported . St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in Christianity . Originally a persecutor of early Christians , he became a follower of Jesus after seeing a vision on the road to Damascus , according to Christian tradition . `` Saul , Saul , why are you persecuting me ? '' the vision of Jesus asks Paul , using the apostle 's birth name , in the Acts of the Apostles . Saul then took the name Paul and became a missionary . His letters , or epistles , to early Christian communities around the Mediterranean form a significant portion of the New Testament . Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities sometime between 65 and 67 A.D. , according to the Catholic Church . He was buried a few miles away , and when the Roman Empire stopped persecuting Christians some 250 years later , the Emperor Constantine had a basilica built over his grave . It currently lies under a marble tombstone bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART -LRB- Apostle Paul , martyr -RRB- , according to the Web site of the basilica . A papal altar stands over the tombstone , which is visible through a window-like opening , the Web site says . Monday marks the end of a year of celebration in honor of the 2,000 th anniversary of St. Paul 's birth . It also happens to be the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Football League has indefinitely suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick without pay , officials with the league said Friday . NFL star Michael Vick is set to appear in court Monday . A judge will have the final say on a plea deal . Earlier , Vick admitted to participating in a dogfighting ring as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Virginia . `` Your admitted conduct was not only illegal , but also cruel and reprehensible . Your team , the NFL , and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions , '' NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to Vick . Goodell said he would review the status of the suspension after the legal proceedings are over . In papers filed Friday with a federal court in Virginia , Vick also admitted that he and two co-conspirators killed dogs that did not fight well . Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Vick 's admissions describe actions that are `` incomprehensible and unacceptable . '' The suspension makes `` a strong statement that conduct which tarnishes the good reputation of the NFL will not be tolerated , '' he said in a statement . Watch what led to Vick 's suspension '' Goodell said the Falcons could `` assert any claims or remedies '' to recover $ 22 million of Vick 's signing bonus from the 10-year , $ 130 million contract he signed in 2004 , according to The Associated Press . Vick said he would plead guilty to one count of `` Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture '' in a plea agreement filed at U.S. District Court in Richmond , Virginia . The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison , a $ 250,000 fine , `` full restitution , a special assessment and 3 years of supervised release , '' the plea deal said . Federal prosecutors agreed to ask for the low end of the sentencing guidelines . `` The defendant will plead guilty because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense , '' the plea agreement said . In an additional summary of facts , signed by Vick and filed with the agreement , Vick admitted buying pit bulls and the property used for training and fighting the dogs , but the statement said he did not bet on the fights or receive any of the money won . `` Most of the ` Bad Newz Kennels ' operations and gambling monies were provided by Vick , '' the official summary of facts said . Gambling wins were generally split among co-conspirators Tony Taylor , Quanis Phillips and sometimes Purnell Peace , it continued . `` Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights . Vick did not receive any of the proceeds from the purses that were won by ` Bad Newz Kennels . ' '' Vick also agreed that `` collective efforts '' by him and two others caused the deaths of at least six dogs . Around April , Vick , Peace and Phillips tested some dogs in fighting sessions at Vick 's property in Virginia , the statement said . `` Peace , Phillips and Vick agreed to the killing of approximately 6-8 dogs that did not perform well in ` testing ' sessions at 1915 Moonlight Road and all of those dogs were killed by various methods , including hanging and drowning . `` Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace , Phillips and Vick , '' the summary said . Peace , 35 , of Virginia Beach , Virginia ; Phillips , 28 , of Atlanta , Georgia ; and Taylor , 34 , of Hampton , Virginia , already have accepted agreements to plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences . Vick , 27 , is scheduled to appear Monday in court , where he is expected to plead guilty before a judge . See a timeline of the case against Vick '' The judge in the case will have the final say over the plea agreement . The federal case against Vick focused on the interstate conspiracy , but Vick 's admission that he was involved in the killing of dogs could lead to local charges , according to CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin . `` It sometimes happens -- not often -- that the state will follow a federal prosecution by charging its own crimes for exactly the same behavior , '' Toobin said Friday . `` The risk for Vick is , if he makes admissions in his federal guilty plea , the state of Virginia could say , ` Hey , look , you admitted violating Virginia state law as well . We 're going to introduce that against you and charge you in our court . ' '' In the plea deal , Vick agreed to cooperate with investigators and provide all information he may have on any criminal activity and to testify if necessary . Vick also agreed to turn over any documents he has and to submit to polygraph tests . Vick agreed to `` make restitution for the full amount of the costs associated '' with the dogs that are being held by the government . `` Such costs may include , but are not limited to , all costs associated with the care of the dogs involved in that case , including if necessary , the long-term care and\/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of those animals . '' Prosecutors , with the support of animal rights activists , have asked for permission to euthanize the dogs . But the dogs could serve as important evidence in the cases against Vick and his admitted co-conspirators . Judge Henry E. Hudson issued an order Thursday telling the U.S. Marshals Service to `` arrest and seize the defendant property , and use discretion and whatever means appropriate to protect and maintain said defendant property . '' Both the judge 's order and Vick 's filing refer to `` approximately '' 53 pit bull dogs . After Vick 's indictment last month , Goodell ordered the quarterback not to report to the Falcons training camp , and the league is reviewing the case . Blank told the NFL Network on Monday he could not speculate on Vick 's future as a Falcon , at least not until he had seen `` a statement of facts '' in the case . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Mike Phelan contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea accused the United States and South Korea of sending spy planes on about 200 missions near the isolated communist nation ahead of a North Korea rocket launch scheduled for early April . Pyongyang claims reconnaissance aircraft , including the high-altitude U-2 spy plane , have flown spy missions . `` The U.S. imperialists and the South Korean puppet military warmongers perpetrated intensive aerial espionage against the DPRK -LRB- North Korea -RRB- in March by massively mobilizing strategic and tactical reconnaissance planes with various missions , '' a military source said , according to a report from North Korea 's state-run news service , KCNA , on Tuesday . Pyongyang said the United States committed 110 cases of `` aerial espionage and the South Korean puppet forces at least 80 cases , '' during March , KCNA reported . The source said the missions utilized six types of reconnaissance aircraft , including the high-altitude U-2 spy plane . `` The U.S. imperialist warmongers had better bear in mind that ... spy planes perpetrating espionage against the DPRK are within the range of its strikes . '' The Pentagon was not immediately available to comment on the story . The North Korean government says it will launch a commercial satellite atop a rocket sometime between April 4 and April 8 . Satellite imagery taken on Sunday appears to show a rocket at the Musudan-ri launch site in northeastern North Korea . U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday there is little doubt that the planned rocket launch is designed to bolster North Korea 's military capability . He also indicated that the U.S. military could be prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile if the rogue regime develops the capability to reach Hawaii or the western continental United States in a future launch . Watch analysis of Pyongyang 's planned rocket launch '' Both the United States and Japan have mobilized missile defense systems ahead of the launch . North Korea has threatened to start a war if Japan were to shoot down its rocket . Tokyo said the move is aimed at shooting down any debris from the launch that might fall into Japanese territory . U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles have been moved to the Sea of Japan , a Navy spokesman said . The United States generally has a number of ships equipped with powerful Aegis radar in the Sea of Japan because of North Korean threats to launch rockets . The ships are designed to track and , if needed , shoot down ballistic missiles . The United States has no plans to shoot down the North Korean rocket , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week , but will raise the issue with the U.N. Security Council if Pyongyang carries out a launch .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mississippi voters Tuesday rejected a controversial amendment that would have defined life as beginning at conception while Ohio voters repealed a law that limited the collective bargaining rights of public workers , CNN projects . The two ballot measures had national implications as Americans voted in an off-year election . The Mississippi amendment would have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state and hampered the ability to get the morning-after pill or birth control pills that destroy fertilized eggs . Disposing of unused fertilized eggs could also have become illegal , making in vitro fertilization treatments more difficult . National right to life groups opposed the measure and the Catholic Church in Mississippi called it extreme . The Ohio law limited the bargaining rights of police , teachers , firefighters and other public workers over salaries , workplace conditions and hours . It prohibited strikes and promotions based on seniority only , and required public workers to contribute at least 10 % of their income toward their pensions and at least 15 % to pay for their health care insurance . The Republican-controlled legislature passed the bill Republican Gov. John Kasich signed it into law in March but a successful petition drive kept it from being enacted and placed it on the November ballot . Kasich said Tuesday night that it was clear that the people had spoken . `` Part of leading is listening to and hearing what people have to say to you , '' he said . The vote was seen as a victory for unions and Democrats , but CNN projects that Democrats are taking a loss in Ohio in a measure that exempts Ohioans from compulsory participation in the mandatory health care coverage portion of President Barack Obama 's health care reform law passed last year . Since the measure is a state one and the health law is a federal one , it is unclear what impact it might have and it is seen as largely a protest vote . In other elections around the country : \u2022 CNN projects that Mississippi 's governor 's seat will stay in Republican hands as Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant appeared to be on his way to victory over Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree , who would have been the state 's first African-American governor . DuPree , who was elected the first black mayor of Hattiesburg in 2001 , was expected to spark a stronger than usual turnout in the African-American community . Bryant will succeed Republican Gov. Haley Barbour , who was barred by term limits from running again after serving two terms . \u2022 In Arizona , the state senator who wrote the controversial immigration law lost to a charter school superintendent in a recall election widely seen as a referendum on tough measures against illegal immigrants . The recall petition pitted Russell Pearce against fellow Republican Jerry Lewis . Lewis led with 53.4 % of the vote with all precincts reporting while Pearce got 45.3 % . \u2022 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear will win a second term , CNN projects , easily beating Republican state Sen. Steve Williams in a race that centered on jobs and the economy . Williams frequently criticized Beshear 's record on creating jobs and balancing the state budget . Beshear kept a tally of the number of jobs that companies were bringing to the state on his website . \u2022 While the abortion ballot initiative in Mississippi got the most attention , another constitutional amendment that CNN projects to pass will require voters to submit a government-issued photo ID . Mississippi will be the 15th state to require photo IDs to vote . Such laws have become popular with Republicans , who say they are trying to reduce voter fraud . Democrats argue that Republicans are trying to suppress voter turnout , especially among people who tend to vote for Democrats . CNN 's David Ariosto , John Helton , Ashley Killough , Kevin Liptak , Paul Steinhauser and Robert Yoon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- ESPN says it has severed its relationship with singer Hank Williams Jr. . `` We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams Jr. . We appreciate his contributions over the past years , '' the network said in a statement released Thursday . The success of ` Monday Night Football ' has always been about the games and that will continue . '' Williams , the 62-year-old son of the legendary country singer Hank Williams and a widely popular entertainer himself , compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler , a remark that prompted controversy and resulted in `` Monday Night Football '' pulling his popular musical introduction from this week 's game . The song `` All My Rowdy Friends '' had been the `` Monday Night Football '' theme on both ABC and ESPN since 1991 . Williams issued a statement giving a very different version : `` After reading hundreds of e-mails , I have made MY decision . By pulling my opening Oct 3rd , You -LRB- ESPN -RRB- stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech , so therefore Me , My Song , and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE . It 's been a great run . '' In an appearance on Fox News ' `` Fox and Friends '' on Monday morning , Williams referred to a June golf game in which Obama and House Speaker John Boehner were on the same team , against Vice President Joe Biden and Ohio Gov. John Kasich , as `` one of the biggest political mistakes ever . '' Asked what he did n't like about it , Williams said , `` Come on , come on . That 'd be like Hitler playing golf with -LRB- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin -RRB- Netanyahu . OK . Not hardly . '' When one of the Fox News interviewers later pointed out that Williams invoked `` one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe ... the president , '' Williams responded : `` That is true , but I 'm telling you like it is , you know . That just was n't a good thing . It just did n't fly . So anyway , like Fred Thompson said , you do n't want to ask me a question because I 'm going to give you too straight of an answer . So talk about something else . '' The singer apologized on Tuesday , saying , `` My analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point . `` I have always been very passionate about politics and sports and this time it got the best or worst of me . `` The thought of the leaders of both parties jukin ' and high fiven ' on a golf course , while so many families are struggling to get by , simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement , and I am very sorry if it offended anyone . I would like to thank all my supporters . This was not written by some publicist , '' Williams wrote . The Anti-Defamation League condemned Williams ' comments on Tuesday and praised ESPN for pulling his `` Are You Ready for Some Football ? '' musical recording that has opened `` Monday Night Football '' for years . `` The Holocaust was a singular event in human history , and it is an insult to the memory of the millions who died as a result of Hitler 's plan of mass extermination to compare the Nazi dictator to any American president , '' said Abraham H. Foxman , the league 's national director and a Holocaust survivor . `` Hank Williams Jr. should know better . He owes an apology to Holocaust survivors , their families , and the brave American soldiers who gave of themselves to fight the Nazi menace during World War II . The last thing we need is to enter another election cycle on a sour note tainted with inappropriate , tired and over-the-top analogies to the Nazis , '' he said . Williams has criticized Obama in the past , when the Democrat was running for the presidency . In 2008 , Williams was even mentioned in some media outlets as saying he was considering running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican in the next election cycle , but those plans never materialized . Williams , who supported the Republican ticket in 2008 and even penned a song called `` McCain-Palin Tradition , '' said during that campaign that candidate Obama did n't like the national anthem . The `` McCain-Palin Tradition '' song , which is a riff on the Williams tune `` Family Tradition , '' included a line suggesting that Obama has `` terrorist friends . '' . Williams was born May 26 , 1949 , and his iconic father nicknamed him `` Bocephus '' after a ventriloquist dummy used by Rod Brasfield , a country comedian , Williams ' website says . He debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville , Tennessee , at age 11 . In addition to `` All My Rowdy Friends , '' his other hits include `` Long Gone Lonesome Blues , '' `` Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound , '' `` Old Habits , '' `` Born to Boogie , '' and `` A Country Boy Can Survive . '' The bearded Williams , who wears a hat and sunglasses during performances , suffered facial and head injuries in a 1975 mountain climbing accident . `` Those familiar with Hank Jr. 's legend know it has n't been an easy road . Every life and career has its peaks and valleys , but Williams has had more than his share . When he sings `` A Country Boy Can Survive , '' there 's an authority in his voice , because he 's done just that . He literally fell from a mountain top , yet lived to tell the tale . He 's battled his own demons and now on the other side of 50 , it 's obvious he has been the victor , '' his website bio says .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early penalty as Manchester United earned a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal at Barcelona 's Nou Camp stadium on Wednesday night . Cristiano Ronaldo sent his penalty attempt wide as United failed to take an early lead at the Nou Camp . The Portugal winger , the top scorer in this season 's competition , spurned the chance to net for the 39th time overall this campaign and give United a vital away goal . The 23-year-old hit the stanchion high outside goalkeeper Victor Valdes ' left-hand post in the third minute after Gabriel Milito handled his header from a Paul Scholes corner . It was United 's best chance in a game dominated by the home side , who had the best of possession with some silky moves but failed to find the killer pass in the final third of the pitch . United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made a string of saves , especially in the second half , but was not often seriously tested . Barcelona were boosted by the return of Argentina forward Lionel Messi , who started alongside Samuel Eto'o up front , with Thierry Henry on the bench after also being cleared following an illness . Messi picked out Samuel Eto'o in the 13th minute only for midfielder Scholes -- making his 100th Champions League appearance -- to make a vital interception . Barcelona pressed forward again in the 21st minute and Rafael Marquez got clear of his marker but his header failed to trouble Van der Sar , who was back in the side following a groin injury . Then Yaya Toure showed good skill for the home side and sent a good cross into the area that was turned away by Van der Sar . Ronaldo felt he should have had another penalty in the 30th minute when he was bundled over by Marquez after Xavi had carelessly lost possession , but Swiss referee Massimo Busacca allowed play to continue . Eto'o rattled in a shot after 34 minutes but Wes Brown -- who passed a late fitness test to replace the ill Nemanja Vidic in central defense -- made a vital block . Brown partnered Rio Ferdinand , with England midfielder Owen Hargreaves operating as a makeshift right-back . Deco , starting his first game for Barcelona after two months out with injuries , then failed to test Van der Sar with a free-kick in the 38th minute . Marquez was booked in the 44th minute after tripping Ronaldo as he attempted to surge forward , meaning the Mexican is suspended for next Tuesday 's second leg at Old Trafford . Ronaldo sent his effort from an acute angle wide of the post . After the break , Messi saw his effort blocked in the 47th minute and then Van der Sar tipped over defender Gianluca Zambrotta 's long-range effort . Messi beat three United players but Ferdinand cut out his low cross from the right , then he played in a superb ball for Eto'o -- who lashed his shot against the side-netting . Deco tested Van der Sar with a low drive , then the Dutchman easily dealt with a 20-yard effort from Xavi . Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard took off Messi in the 62nd minute , replacing him with teenager Bojan Krkic , who scored the winner in the first leg of the quarterfinal against Schalke . A foul on the Serbian-born Spaniard drew a yellow card for Hargreaves in the 73rd minute , then United boss Alex Ferguson bolstered his midfield by bringing on Nani for England forward Wayne Rooney -- who had started up front with Carlos Tevez . Rijkaard responded by replacing Deco with Henry in the 77th minute , and the French forward forced a scrambled save by Van der Sar with a long-range shot on 83 . Ferguson brought on veteran winger Ryan Giggs for Tevez soon after , then Van der Sar denied Andres Iniesta and also dived to comfortably save Henry 's free-kick from 35 yards . Barcelona continued to press until the final whistle , but still could not create a clear-cut opportunity . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Liz McCartney , selection as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 could not have come at a better time . Anderson Cooper will host `` CNN Heroes : An All-Star Tribute , '' to air on Thanksgiving at 9 p.m. ET . `` With the recent storms in Texas and southwest Louisiana , we have experienced a sudden drop in volunteers , '' said McCartney , whose St. Bernard Project helps Hurricane Katrina survivors rebuild their homes just outside New Orleans , Louisiana . `` While other areas need help , this recognition is letting the American people know that the New Orleans area still matters , '' McCartney said . The diverse group of honorees includes a Cambodian activist who offers free schooling to children who work in Phnom Penh 's trash dump ; a Georgia prosthetist-orthotist who provides limbs and braces to hundreds of people in Mexico ; and a Virginia woman who tapes video messages from incarcerated parents for their children . CNN 's Anderson Cooper announced the 10 honorees Thursday on `` American Morning . '' `` Our Top 10 CNN Heroes are proof that you do n't need superpowers -- or millions of dollars -- to change the world and even save lives , '' Cooper said . Watch Anderson Cooper name the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 '' CNN launched its second annual global search for ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds in February . The network has aired weekly CNN Hero profiles of those people , chosen from more than 3,700 nominations submitted by viewers in 75 countries . A panel made up of world leaders and luminaries recognized for their own dedication to public service selected the Top 10 . The Blue Ribbon Panel includes humanitarians such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu , Jane Goodall , Kristi Yamaguchi and Deepak Chopra . `` What an incredible group of people and how difficult it was to select only 10 , '' said Rabbi Shmuley Boteach , a panel member . Archbishop Tutu added , `` They all deserve to win . Thanks for saluting these remarkable human beings . '' Each of this year 's Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive $ 25,000 and will be honored at `` CNN Heroes : An All-Star Tribute , '' airing from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on November 27 . Hosted by Cooper , the Thanksgiving night broadcast will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year , selected by the public in an online poll that began Thursday morning . iReport.com : Tell us about your hero Continuing through November 19 , viewers can log on to CNN.com \/ Heroes to participate in the poll . The person receiving the most votes will receive an additional $ 100,000 . In alphabetical order , the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 are : Tad Agoglia , Houston , Texas -- Agoglia 's First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters . In a little over a year , he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States , free of charge . Yohannes Gebregeorgis , Addis Ababa , Ethiopia -- Moved by the lack of children 's books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia , Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads , bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children . Carolyn LeCroy , Norfolk , Virginia -- After serving time in prison , LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents . She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children . Anne Mahlum , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania -- On her daily morning jogs , Mahlum used to run past homeless men . Today , she 's helping to transform lives by running with them , and others as part of her `` Back On My Feet '' program . Liz McCartney , St. Bernard Parish , Louisiana -- McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes . Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free . Phymean Noun , Toronto , Ontario -- Growing up in Cambodia , Noun struggled to complete high school . Today , she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh 's trash dump a way out -- through free schooling and job training . David Puckett , Savannah , Georgia -- Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions -- PIPO -- to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico . Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people , free of charge . Maria Ruiz , El Paso , Texas -- Several times a week , Ruiz crosses the border into Juarez , Mexico , to bring food , clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families . Marie Da Silva , Los Angeles , California -- Having lost 14 family members to AIDS , the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi -- where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease . Viola Vaughn , Kaolack , Senegal -- The Detroit , Michigan , native moved to Senegal to retire . Instead , a group of failing schoolchildren asked her to help them pass their classes . Today , her `` 10,000 Girls '' program is helping hundreds of girls succeed in school and run their own businesses . `` It is very rewarding to be able to honor these amazing , often unheralded individuals who are making a tremendous difference in their communities and beyond , '' Jim Walton , president of CNN Worldwide , said . `` These stories of selfless achievement deserve to be told , and our multiple platforms around the world allow us to do that . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- India is on high alert after a series of near-simultaneous explosions killed at least 60 people and wounded 150 others in a top tourist spot , government and local officials told CNN-IBN . An injured man rests at Swai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur . Bicycles and rickshaws were strewn about the streets , with pools of blood nearby , in the northwestern city of Jaipur . Motorcycles , pieces of which were found at nearly every bomb site , appear to have been used in the attacks , said Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria . There was no immediate claim of responsibility , but Indian government officials -- including Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash Jaiswal -- were quick to label it a terrorist attack . The eight explosions started at about 7:30 p.m. -LRB- 1400 GMT -RRB- and detonated within 12 minutes of each other , police said . The bombs exploded within about 500 meters -LRB- 0.3 mile -RRB- of each other in Jaipur 's old city , which is frequented by tourists . See the aftermath of the explosions . '' An ninth bomb was defused , according to H.G. Raghavendra , a Jaipur city official . He described all the bombs as `` medium intensity . '' `` There is no reason to panic , '' he told CNN-IBN . `` Everything is under control . '' One blast struck near Hanuman Temple , which was crowded with Hindus worshipping Hanuman , the religion 's monkey god . Another struck near a market area inside Jaipur 's walled city where tourists and locals frequent restaurants and shops . Jaipur , known as the `` pink city , '' is about 260 kilometers -LRB- 160 miles -RRB- southwest of India 's capital , New Delhi . Many of the casualties were taken to SMS Hospital , the largest government hospital in Jaipur . People gathered outside the hospital to hear news about friends and relatives ; the hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations . The state of Rajasthan , where Jaipur is located , was placed on alert , local officials said . Delhi police officials said they too were on high alert after the blasts and were receiving regular updates from Jaipur on developments in the investigation . The Deputy Chief Minister for the state of Maharashtra , R.R. Patil , said the entire state was also on high alert . Mumbai is in the state of Maharashtra . The attack was immediately condemned by the United States . U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the attacks were `` quite clearly an act intended to take innocent lives . '' He told reporters at his daily briefing that Washington was still collecting information , and could not `` offer insight into who may be responsible . '' According to the U.S. State Department , India ranks among the countries where terrorism is most common . `` The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir , attacks by extreme leftist Naxalites and Maoists in eastern and central India , assaults by ethno-linguistic nationalists in the northeastern states , and terrorist strikes nationwide by Islamic extremists took more than 2,300 lives this year , '' the agency said . It said India 's counterterrorism efforts `` are hampered by outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems , '' and described the country 's court system as `` slow , laborious , and prone to corruption . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jerry Sandusky 's attorney said Wednesday that a young man at the heart of cover-up allegations against Penn State University officials told him he was not a victim and had no sexual contact with the former assistant football coach . Defense lawyer Joseph Amendola told CNN contributor Sara Ganim that the young man , who was described in a grand jury report as being about 10 years old in March 2002 , was in Amendola 's office several weeks ago and said he believed he was the boy called `` Victim 2 . '' The young man said nothing sexual occurred with Sandusky in the shower , according to Amendola . `` He said he had turned all of the shower heads on ... and water was running on the floor . He said he was surfing , going from one end to the other to slide across the shower floor , '' Amendola said . First lawsuit filed against Sandusky The lawyer said that three , perhaps four , of eight alleged victims mentioned in the grand jury report have either maintained friendships with Sandusky or visited him . `` Victim 2 '' had dinner last summer with Sandusky , Amendola said . According to grand jury documents , a graduate assistant told then-Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno in 2002 that he had seen Sandusky performing anal sex on a young boy in a football complex shower . Paterno told Athletic Director Tim Curley , who told Gary Schultz , a university vice president , according to the grand jury report . Curley and Schultz were each charged with one count of felony perjury and one count of failure to report abuse allegations about Sandusky . According to Amendola , Sandusky contends that Curley told him that a person reported seeing the coach and a young boy in the shower . Curley described the incident as `` horseplay '' and that it made the witness uncomfortable . Sandusky 's `` make-believe world '' Sandusky gave Curley the boy 's name and phone number and said that nothing inappropriate had occurred , Amendola said . That graduate assistant has been identified as assistant coach Mike McQueary , who has been placed on administrative leave . Neither the boy in the shower nor Sandusky reported seeing McQueary , Amendola said Wednesday . Sandusky , 67 , is free on $ 100,000 bail . He is charged with 40 counts related to the alleged sexual abuse . He allegedly met the victims through The Second Mile , a charity he started . A preliminary hearing for Sandusky is scheduled for December 13 . According to Amendola , Sandusky has seen McQueary at charitable events , including those of Second Mile . There was never any tension between the two , the lawyer said . Sandusky has maintained he did not commit the crimes and has not discussed a possible plea deal . Amendola said Sandusky has defenses to all the allegations . `` Right now he 's presumed to be innocent , these are alleged victims , '' Amendola told Ganim . `` The media has done Jerry a disservice by continuously referring to them as victims . '' Amendola said he 's told Sandusky that giving a bear hug to a youth in a shower was not a good idea . People who know him well call Sandusky a `` big overgrown kid , '' the lawyer said .","question":""}
{"answer":"NASSAU , Bahamas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- John Travolta testified Wednesday that would-be extortionists threatened to go the media with stories implying `` the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable somehow . '' John Travolta 's son died of a seizure in January at the age of 16 . Travolta testified for the second time in a case against paramedic Tarino Lightbourne and former Bahamian Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater . The defendants are on trial , accused of plotting to extort $ 25 million from Travolta after 16-year-old Jett Travolta died from a seizure in the Bahamas in January . Travolta and his wife , actress Kelly Preston , entered the downtown Nassau courthouse Wednesday morning surrounded by security personnel . The actor took the stand appearing nervous , and he took a long , deep breath before beginning his testimony . Travolta told the court a longtime employee of his became upset after learning someone was demanding money of the actor in the wake of his son 's death . The employee learned through the family attorney , Travolta said , that it was `` in regards to a paper I signed in the Bahamas . '' In earlier testimony , one of Travolta 's lawyers , Allyson Maynard-Gibson , said Bridgewater approached her in the days after the January 2 death of Jett , saying she had a legal client who had a document Travolta might want . Bridgewater gave her copies of the papers , which included ambulance dispatch reports and a paper signed by Travolta releasing the ambulance company from legal liability , Maynard-Gibson testified . Watch In Session 's Ashleigh Banfield discuss case '' The paramedic expected Travolta would pay millions to prevent publication of the documents because `` he would not want his name tarnished in media , '' Maynard-Gibson said . Bridgewater told Travolta 's lawyer that her client believed the documents could suggest that Travolta was negligent by wanting to take his unresponsive son to his private jet for a flight to a Florida hospital , instead of going directly to a local hospital , she said . In testimony last week , Travolta said a nanny found Jett unresponsive at the home on the island of Grand Bahamas , where the family was spending their New Year 's holiday . Travolta said he initially told the ambulance driver to rush them to an airport where his private jet was parked . Travolta , who is a pilot , said he wanted to fly his son to a West Palm Beach , Florida , hospital instead of driving him to one in Freeport . The paramedic , however , asked Travolta to sign a statement releasing the ambulance company from liability . `` I received a liability of release document . I signed it . I did not read it . Time was of the essence , '' Travolta testified last week . Travolta said that while he and his wife were riding in the ambulance with their son , they decided to divert to the hospital . At the hospital , Travolta was told his son `` was n't alive , '' he said . On Wednesday , Travolta testified that he learned of a demand for $ 25 million or `` stories connected to that document would be sold to the press . '' `` The stories would imply the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable somehow , '' Travolta said . An attorney representing Bridgewater and Lightbourne asked Travolta if the defendants ever contacted or threatened him directly . Travolta said they did not , that he heard specifics about the situation through his attorneys . Travolta 's testimony lasted only a short time . He was excused and is not expected to return to the witness stand . One of the actor 's attorneys , Michael McDermott , took the witness stand Wednesday afternoon and began testimony about a videotaped meeting between him and one of the defendants . The video is expected to be played Thursday for the jury .","question":""}
{"answer":"YANGON , Myanmar -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the stand for the first time Tuesday and told a Myanmar court that she did not violate her house arrest when she offered temporary shelter to an American man who swam to her lakeside home . People of Myanmar living in Japan protest for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi on May 24 , 2009 in Tokyo , Japan . `` She was very confident , very firm , very clear , '' said Mark Canning , the British ambassador to Myanmar , who was among diplomats and journalists allowed to watch the proceedings . `` In a strange way , she commanded the courtroom , '' he said . Suu Kyi , who is being tried on subversion charges , said she did not learn immediately that John William Yettaw swam nearly two miles and snuck into her crumbling , colonial-era bungalow on May 3 . She was told about the visitor the next day by one of two housekeepers who are her sole companions in the heavily guarded residence , where she was under house arrest . Suu Kyi 's two helpers are also on trial , as is Yettaw . `` I did n't know , '' she said . `` I was upstairs . '' Under questioning by a judge for half an hour , Suu Kyi said she provided Yettaw food but allowed him only to `` stay temporarily . '' Yettaw left late May 5 , she said . `` He walked to the lakeside . But I do n't know which way he went , because it was very dark , '' Suu Kyi said . The Nobel Peace Prize laureate also acknowledged that Yettaw , a 53-year-old former military serviceman from Falcon , Missouri , had visited her once before last November . `` Did you report to the authority about his arrival ? '' the judge asked . `` No , '' she replied . Suu Kyi had earlier told supporters that she did not tell authorities about the latest intrusion because she did n't want Yettaw or anyone else to get in trouble . But it is this silence that the Myanmar 's military junta is trying her for . The government said Yettaw 's presence violated the conditions of Suu Kyi 's house arrest . The country 's regime rarely allows Suu Kyi any visitors , and foreigners are not allowed overnight stays in local households without government permission . Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years -- a confinement the military junta has regularly extended . Watch the U.N. secretary general explain what he is doing for Suu Kyi '' Her latest round of home detention -- after five years of confinement -- expires Wednesday , according to her supporters at home and abroad . Last week , the military began prosecuting Suu Kyi on allegations of subversion at a prison compound near Yangon . Her supporters say the move is meant to keep her confined even longer -- beyond the general elections that the junta has scheduled for next year . If convicted , Suu Kyi , 63 , could be sentenced to three to five years in prison . Before the proceedings got under way at the Insean Prison compound Tuesday , the junta said Suu Kyi 's house arrest did not expire for six more months . And though the government said it considered releasing her at the end of the term , it said it had no choice but to try her after she met with Yettaw . `` As Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Gen. Aung San , the leader of our country , we were deeply thinking whether to extend her detention or not , '' Police Brigadier General Myint Thein told reporters Tuesday . `` Unfortunately , a U.S. citizen entered her house for two days . She allowed and made conversation with him , gave him food . `` These kind of actions broke the law , '' he added . `` This is why we have no way but to open a case . And we are very sad about this case . '' Gen. Aung San played an instrumental role in bringing about the country 's independence from British colonial rule . He was assassinated in 1947 and is still revered in Myanmar . Suu Kyi 's lawyers rejected the junta 's explanation , saying the United Nations had already deemed the opposition leader 's continuing detention unlawful under Myanmar 's state protection laws . `` The U.N. has said her house arrest expired a year ago , '' said Jared Genser , her U.S.-based lawyer . `` They are out of time , and they can not detain her any longer under their own law . '' Thein told reporters that the pro-democracy advocate had actually been under house arrest for four-and-a-half years . The official said Suu Kyi 's house arrest officially went into effect on November 28 , 2004 . That gives the government six more months to restrict her movement , he said . Genser countered the government 's account , citing the conclusion of the U.N. Human Rights Council . The law is unclear whether detention begins from the time a person is arrested or when a detention order is issued , the council said . `` This would suggest an interpretation that you start counting from the day you begin to detain her , '' Genser said . In Suu Kyi 's case , she was put under house arrest in May 2003 . `` You ca n't issue an order months later and use that as your starting point . That creates an unfair period of detention , '' he said . After Suu Kyi 's testimony Tuesday , the court asked the diplomats and journalists to leave . It denied a defense request to consult with Suu Kyi privately . The court then questioned Yettaw . He is charged with violating immigration laws and trespassing . The charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison . A lawyer selected by the U.S. Embassy is representing him . According to Yettaw 's testimony in court Friday , he made the unauthorized trip because he had a vision that Suu Kyi would be assassinated and he wanted to warn her . He muttered to himself during the proceedings , including utterances that Suu Kyi is innocent , said Nyan Win , spokesman for Suu Kyi 's National League for Democracy . Suu Kyi 's prosecution has prompted international criticism , with nine Nobel laureates -- including Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa -- calling it a `` mockery . '' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the charges against Suu Kyi `` baseless '' and accused the junta of `` continuing resistance to a free and open electoral process . '' The Nobel laureate has been the face of Myanmar 's pro-democracy movement and the focus of a global campaign to free her . Her party won over 80 percent of the legislative seats in 1990 . But she was disqualified from serving because of her house arrest , and the military junta ignored the results . The government has said next year 's scheduled elections will reintroduce democracy in Myanmar . But its plan includes a clause that forbids citizens who bore children with foreigners from running for office . That makes Suu Kyi ineligible . She married a British man and has two sons with him . CNN 's Kocha Olarn in Bangkok , Thailand , and Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A huge aid effort is under way in a remote area of South Sudan to help an estimated 60,000 people who fled their homes to escape roaming fighters , the United Nations said . Some 6,000 armed men from the Lou Nuer tribe marched on an area of Jonglei state , which is home to the rival Murle tribe , attacking the town of Pibor last weekend . Although the Lou Nuer fighters have left , following negotiations with U.N. peacekeepers and the South Sudan authorities , help is urgently needed for those who fled , the U.N. Mission in South Sudan -LRB- UNMISS -RRB- said Friday . The special representative for the U.N. Secretary-General in South Sudan , Hilda F. Johnson , is traveling to Pibor on Saturday to see the situation , UNMISS spokesman Kouider Zerrouk said . The South Sudan government has declared Jonglei a `` humanitarian disaster area '' and appealed for international help . Aid workers estimate that 60,000 people are in need of assistance and the U.N. World Food Programme voiced concern Friday that food shortages in the area `` could reach crisis levels . '' It has already made emergency food deliveries . U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande said some of the people who fled into the bush to escape the fighters are starting to return to their homes , according to a statement . U.N planes are also trying to find other families still hiding out in the bush , she said . `` But there are a number of villages that were burned completely to the ground , for example , Likuangole , and in that case people are not coming back and that 's because there is nothing to come back to , '' she said . Ethnic tensions in Jonglei state have flared as tribes fight over grazing lands and water rights , leading to cattle raids and abduction of women and children . Government officials have urged the two ethnic groups to return women and children abducted in the spate of violence . The violence in Jonglei state is the latest to rock South Sudan , which officially gained its statehood in July after separating from neighboring Sudan to the north . U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres is also in South Sudan this weekend , to see other areas affected by conflict . Among them will be a refugee site in Mabaan , where tens of thousands of refugees have sought help since fleeing fighting across the border in Sudan 's Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States . U.N. flights have delivered thousands of tents , kitchen sets , blankets , jerry cans , plastic sheets , sleeping mats , mosquito nets and other essential items to Mabaan and another refugee camp at Malakal in the past two-and-a-half weeks . Decades of civil war between the north and south , costing as many as 2 million lives , ended with a U.S.-brokered peace treaty in 2005 . But before South Sudan gained independence in July , human rights monitors expressed concerns that long-standing grievances could end in violence consuming the region again . The United Nations estimates that more than 1,100 people died and 63,000 were displaced last year by inter-communal violence in Jonglei state , not taking into account the latest clashes . U.S. President Barack Obama gave his approval Friday for the sale of weapons and defense services to South Sudan . The decision could open the door to South Sudan acquiring air defenses . It has accused Sudan of carrying out aerial bombardments on its territory . The White House condemned air raids by the Sudan Armed Forces on South Sudan in November , saying : `` These provocative aerial bombardments greatly increase the potential for direct confrontation between Sudan and South Sudan . The memorandum sent by Obama Friday to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the `` furnishing of defense articles and defense services to the Republic of South Sudan will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace . '' CNN 's Laura Smith-Spark and Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manchester United returned to the top of the English Premier League with a 3-1 victory over in-form Tottenham on Saturday but the champions ' title hopes suffered a blow with the news that top scorer Wayne Rooney may miss the rest of the season . The England striker sat out the home win , which put United two points clear of Chelsea , with a groin injury suffered in training and he may miss the final two matches of the season . England coach Fabio Capello will be hoping that United take no risks with the 34-goal forward , who will be one of his key players at the World Cup in South Africa starting in mid-June . `` I think he 'll probably take two to three weeks to recover , '' United manager Alex Ferguson told match broadcaster Sky . `` We 'll try to get him back , he 'll obviously be desperate to get back himself . We 'll just have to wait and see . '' Earlier this month , Rooney made a sooner-than-expected return from an ankle injury to play in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich , then missed the 0-0 draw with Blackburn before a below-par outing in the 1-0 win over Manchester City that kept his side in the title race . United face mid-table Sunderland and Stoke in the climax to the season as the club seek a fourth successive league crown , while Chelsea hosts Stoke on Sunday before a trip to Liverpool and a home clash with lowly Wigan . Tottenham , who upset third-placed Arsenal and Chelsea in the two preceding matches , have not beaten United since 1989 and have not defeated one of the `` big four '' away from home in 66 matches . Harry Redknapp 's team still retained fourth place in the table as Manchester City drew 0-0 at Arsenal in Saturday 's late match . The Londoners looked like matching United at Old Trafford when defender Ledley King equalized in the 70th minute , but Portugal midfielder Nani snatched victory for the hosts with a delightful chip on 81 and then won a penalty for Ryan Giggs ' second spot-kick of the game five minutes later . The 36-year-old Giggs had never scored a penalty in his near 600-game career for United , but coolly took over Rooney 's duties in the 58th minute after Benoit Assou-Akotto brought down Patrice Evra in the box . United lost Evra to the lingering effects of his pre-match illness and winger Antonio Valencia went off with injury , while Spurs rallied with the return of England midfielder Aaron Lennon from long-term injury as a substitute . Defender King headed in Gareth Bale 's corner as United fullback Rafael strayed from his position on the post and could not clear the ball to give the visitors hope of a point . But Nani raced onto substitute Federico Macheda 's pass to beat goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes with an exquisite finish , and the Brazilian was again beaten by Giggs after a clumsy challenge from behind by Wilson Palacios . Manchester City trail Tottenham by a point in the battle for the fourth Champions League place , with the two teams to meet in their penultimate game of the season on May 5 . City boss Roberto Mancini surprisingly left Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench after the Togo striker 's ill-advised goal celebrations in front of his former club 's fans when the teams last met in the league in September . Adebayor made an impact when he came on in the second half , but the match was most notable for a season-ending shoulder injury suffered by City 's Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given that allowed Gunnar Nielsen to become the first Faroe Isander to play in the Premier League . The 23-year-old was largely untested as Arsenal 's faint title hopes were finally extinguished , with the Londoners now seven points behind United with two matches left . Nielsen may have to fill in for the rest of the season , with Given 's deputy Stuart Taylor injured and England international Joe Hart on loan at Birmingham . City next take on sixth-placed Aston Villa , who can keep their own Champions League hopes alive with victory at home to Midlands rivals Birmingham on Sunday . West Ham moved six points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Wigan that keeps Gianfranco Zola 's team in the top flight for another season . Captain Scott Parker struck a 77th-minute winner from long range as West Ham recovered from an early own-goal by United States defender Jonathan Spector , with Brazilian striker Ilan and Czech midfielder Radoslav Kovac putting the London side 2-1 up at halftime . Colombia striker Hugo Rodallega leveled seven minutes after the interval with a bundled effort as Victor Moses flicked on a cross from first-goal provider Ben Watson , but Kovac headed against the bar before midfielder Parker celebrated his return from suspension with a fine winner . The result sent third-bottom Hull down to the second division after the Yorkshire side lost 1-0 in an ill-tempered home clash with Sunderland that saw both teams reduced to 10 men . Darren Bent put Sunderland ahead in the seventh minute from close range after strike partner Kenwyne Jones headed Alan Hutton 's cross into his path for the England World Cup hopeful 's 25th goal this season . Hull should have leveled after the club 's former defender Michael Tuner brought down Geovanni , but Jimmy Bullard hit the post with his penalty attempt . Hutton was sent off just before halftime following an ugly exchange with Hull striker Jozy Altidore , which saw the Scot receive a headbutt after throwing the ball in the face of the United States international , who was also red-carded . Wolverhampton Wanderers will be safe for a second season in the Premier League if fellow promoted side Burnley fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday , having moved eight points clear of the second-bottom side with a 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn . Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute , with the New Zealand defender diverting in Morten Gamst Pedersen 's corner , but substitute Sylvain Ebanks-Blake headed an 81st minute equalizer from Stephen Ward 's cross . Relegated bottom club Portsmouth came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Bolton , as Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane netted a second-half double for the FA Cup finalists to cancel out first-half efforts by Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The expulsion of a U.N. official from Sri Lanka is final and he has to leave the country by September 21 , the government has told the agency . James Elder , spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka has until September 21 to leave the country . Officials with the United Nations Children 's Fund met with Sri Lankan officials on Monday in hopes of keeping James Elder inside the country . But Sri Lanka stood firm in its decision , and has issued UNICEF an expulsion notice for Elder , said Sarah Crowe , the agency 's spokeswoman for South Asia . The Sri Lankan government has accused Elder of spreading propaganda supporting Tamil rebels . Ann Veneman , UNICEF 's executive director , said the agency was `` extremely concerned and disappointed '' with the decision . `` Through Mr. Elder , UNICEF has consistently spoken out against the suffering of children on both sides of the intense hostilities earlier this year and called for their protection . UNICEF unequivocally rejects any allegation of bias , '' she said in a statement Monday night . Elder has often spoken to the media about the agency 's concerns about children caught up in the country 's civil war and the conditions they endure at camps for the displaced . `` Mr. Elder 's role for UNICEF was to reflect how the conflict gravely impacted upon children , '' Crowe said . `` He did this based on concrete information that the United Nations attained and verified . '' Crowe called Sri Lanka 's allegations regarding Elder `` outrageous '' and `` contradictory . '' `` They are bordering on the ludicrous , '' she said . The Sri Lankan military finally defeated the Tamil Tigers earlier this year , after a conflict that began in 1983 . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- were waging war for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka . As many as 70,000 people were killed in the conflict . In February , Elder told CNN that children as young as 4 months old were being treated in hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other wounds of war . The fighting created a `` nightmarish '' situation for civilians in the conflict zone , Elder said at the time . CNN 's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man charged in the beheading death of his seatmate on a Greyhound Canada bus last summer is not criminally responsible because he is mentally ill , a judge ruled Thursday , said CNN affiliate CBC News . The ruling means that Vince Weiguang Li will be hospitalized at a psychiatric facility until he undergoes a review by Manitoba 's Criminal Code Review Board in 90 days , CBC said . `` The goal of criminal law is to punish criminals , not persons who have a severe mental illness , '' Manitoba Court of Queen 's Bench Judge John Scurfield wrote in the ruling , CBC reported . However , the ruling angered relatives of Tim McLean Jr. , 22 , who died on the bus July 30 . `` The bottom line is , he is getting away with murder , '' Vana Smart , McLean 's sister , told CBC . Watch how the verdict angers the victim 's family '' Prosecutors told reporters Thursday they had no choice but to ask the judge to find Li not criminally responsible . `` This was justice because the correct conclusion was reached , '' prosecutor Joyce Dalmyn said , according to CBC . `` Mr. Li is a schizophrenic . Mr. Li had a severe mental disease . Mr. Li , in my opinion and in the opinion of the psychiatrists , had no idea what he was doing was wrong . '' Li , 40 , was charged with second-degree murder in McLean 's death . A witness on the bus , which was headed from Edmonton , Alberta , to Winnipeg , Manitoba , said a passenger repeatedly stabbed and then decapitated McLean as horrified passengers watched . Just before his death , the victim had been sleeping with his head leaning against the window . `` There was a blood-curdling scream . I was just reading my book and all of a sudden I heard it , '' Garnet Caton , who was sitting in front of the two men , told Canadian TV at the time . She said the knife-wielding man shouted at the other passengers to get off the bus , and they did . `` Me and a trucker that stopped and the Greyhound driver ran up to the door to maybe see if the guy was still alive or we could help or something like that , '' Caton said . `` And when we all got up -LRB- to the door -RRB- , we saw that the guy was cutting off the guy 's head . '' Thirty-four passengers were on the bus . Police said at the time it was unclear what prompted the attack . Witnesses said Li 's weapon was a large butcher knife . Li was arrested after an hours-long standoff , during which he remained in the bus with McLean 's body . Police said he was seized after he broke a window and attempted to jump from the bus . `` Mr. Li is also a victim here , '' said Ruth Ann Craig of the Canadian Mental Health Association , according to CBC . `` What 's going to happen to Mr. Li is not a cakewalk . '' He will be housed in a locked psychiatric ward , Craig said , while he undergoes assessment and treatment to determine whether he is a risk to himself or society . But Tim McLean 's mother , Carol deDelley , said she will fight to change the law regarding these types of crimes . `` I 'm going to do everything I can to make a change here , '' she said , CBC reported . McLean 's father said he is also disappointed with the ruling . `` We 've all lost a family member , '' he told CBC . `` This is n't the right result . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Carrie Prejean has filed a lawsuit against Miss California USA officials who stripped her of her title , accusing them of libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage . Carrie Prejean was stripped of her Miss California USA title earlier this year . `` We will make the case that her title was taken from her solely because of her support of traditional marriage , '' her attorney , Charles LiMandri , said in a news release . Prejean stepped into controversy at the Miss USA pageant in April when , in response to a question from a judge , she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage . Prejean finished as first runner-up . The complaint was filed in Superior Court of California against Miss California USA officials Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler , as well as publicist Roger Neal . It alleges that Prejean suffered because of `` libel , public disclosure of private facts , religious discrimination , intentional infliction of emotional distress , and negligent infliction of emotional distress . '' LiMandri had threatened to file a defamation lawsuit if Lewis did not retract statements he made about the former beauty queen . LiMandri 's letter to Lewis ' attorney also accused Lewis of setting Prejean up to be fired because of her statements opposing same-sex marriage . When Prejean , 22 , was dethroned in June , Lewis said it was for `` contract violations , '' including missed public appearances . He said then it was n't one thing Prejean did , but `` many , many , many things . '' `` She came to us and said I 'm not interested in your input ; I 'll make my own decision what I 'm going to do , '' Lewis told CNN 's Larry King in June . `` You know , when you have a contract , when you 're working for someone , you have a responsibility to follow through on what that requirement is . '' Lewis said it was clear `` she was not interesting in upholding the title or the responsibilities . '' After that interview , LiMandri penned a letter to Lewis ' attorney saying , `` Carrie Prejean 's good name has been tarnished by your client 's false and defamatory accusations . '' `` Please view this letter as a last opportunity for Mr. Lewis to retract the defamatory statements made against my client and to seek to restore her good name , '' LiMandri wrote . He denied any contract violations by Prejean , calling those claims a `` complete and utter pretext '' for her firing . The list Lewis gave to reporters of Prejean 's missed appearances was `` an outright fraud , '' he said . `` She did not think it was appropriate for her to accept Mr. Lewis ' invitation to attend a gay documentary in Hollywood promoting same-sex marriage , '' he said . `` It was not my client 's job , as Miss California , simply to help your client promote his personal or business interests as a Hollywood agent and producer , or gay activist . '' Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump announced in May that Prejean could keep her title despite a controversy over topless photos , missed appearances and her statements against same-sex marriage . Trump later reversed himself . `` I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA organization , and I gave her the opportunity to do so , '' Trump said . `` Unfortunately , it just does n't look like it is going to happen , and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A blossoming of cinematic creativity has swept Argentina in recent years , bringing about a second golden age of film . Pablo Trapero 's latest movie `` Lion 's Den '' stars Martina Gusman -LRB- left -RRB- and was in competition at Cannes . In Argentina , the renaissance marks a return to form for a cinematic tradition that was prolific and highly successful until creativity was stifled by a succession of military regimes that began with the ascendancy of Juan Peron in the 1940s . A revival occurred after the country returned to democracy in 1983 as filmmakers focused on life under the military dictatorship -- Luiz Puenzo 's `` The Official Story '' -LRB- 1985 -RRB- won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film . But an economic malaise ensued , turning off the taps to film financing . An economic boom in the 1990s quickly turned unstable , resulting in a crippling financial crisis earlier this decade that plunged Argentina into its worst recession ever . Out of the chaos , a new group of Argentina filmmakers emerged . The leaders of the so-called `` New Argentine Cinema '' have become critical contributors to the wider Latin American film movement that has captivated international critics and audiences alike . What 's fueling New Argentine Cinema ? Argentina 's economy has recovered remarkably since its collapse in 2001 , and the national film institute , Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales -LRB- INCAA -RRB- , has been keen to foster the industry 's development . The combination of cheap production costs and a flourishing artistic community has made Buenos Aires a hub of creativity . Already one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South America , the city is attracting everyone from local bohemians to big Hollywood names . Francis Ford Coppola , the most recent notable to tap into the vibrant scene , opened an Argentine unit of his Zoetrope production company last year to film his Buenos Aires-set family drama `` Tetro , '' which is anticipated to be released next year . What movies are creating buzz ? Pablo Trapero 's `` Lion 's Den '' about a woman who gives birth and raises her child in prison was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year . Trapero is best known for his depiction of ordinary people . He gained acclaim with `` Crane World '' -LRB- 1999 -RRB- -- a gritty look at Argentina 's working class -- and is widely considered one of Argentina 's leading directors . Also in competition at Cannes this year was `` The Headless Woman '' from the ever subtle Lucrecia Martel . The film focuses on a woman 's guilt after a hit-and-run accident and like Martel 's other works , offers up a dose of social criticism . Martel burst on the scene with her first movie `` The Swamp '' -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , winner of the Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival . Lucia Puenzo stirred debate with `` XXY '' -LRB- 2007 -RRB- , an exploration of adolescent sexuality centered around the life of a teenage hermaphrodite . The daughter of award-winning Luiz Puenzo , Lucia took home the Critic Weeks Grand Prize at Cannes last year . Are you excited about Argentine cinema ? What is your favorite movie or director ? Enough with the dramas -- who makes Argentines laugh ? Daniel Burman has cited Woody Allen as one of the auteurs he most admires , and the influence is quite clear in his work , in which his identity as a Jew in Argentina figures prominently . `` Waiting for the Messiah '' -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , `` Lost Embrace '' -LRB- 2004 -RRB- and `` Family Law '' -LRB- 2006 -RRB- make up the trilogy of films about fatherhood for which he has gained praise . The young director 's latest film `` Empty Nest '' -LRB- 2008 -RRB- takes a touching and comedic look at married life . What 's this I hear about a Hollywood in Argentina ? You 're referring to Palermo Hollywood . No , it 's not a Las Vegas casino but rather a neighborhood in Buenos Aires where many film and TV studios are based . A bohemian spirit distinguishes the neighborhood from its more polished cousin to the south , Palermo Soho . Once occupied by desolate factories and warehouses , the area is now humming with activity . An abundance of hip lounges , cafes and trendy restaurants keep the buzz going all day and through the night . How does Argentina figure in the Latin American film scene ? As the Latin American film renaissance has gained stride , filmmakers across the region have become more interested in collaborating on projects . The end of military dictatorships which ruled Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s `` created really interesting national cinemas that blossomed a little bit everywhere but also created a correlation between directors from different countries , '' Brazilian director Walter Salles told CNN earlier this year . Salles works frequently with Argentine directors . He co-produced Trapero 's `` Lion 's Den '' and Julia Solomonoff 's `` Sisters '' -LRB- 2005 -RRB- . Meanwhile , Eduardo Constantini Jr , of the philanthropic Constantini family in Argentina , recently launched a fund with the Weinstein Co. aimed at backing Latin American movies . He is also behind The Auteurs , an `` online movie theater '' where Web users can watch and discuss film . Is this boom going to run out of steam ? The renaissance in Argentina has been building for some time , but it 's only just hitting its stride now . Earlier films were mainly art house successes but now with the spotlight shining on Latin America cinema , Argentine films may start to connect more with international audiences . The country continues to attract productions , and there is a vast pool of talent that is being groomed to lead the next generation of auteurs . More than 12,000 undergraduates are currently studying film directing , scriptwriting and technical production , according to the INCAA . Five other must-see Argentine films 1 . `` The Night of the Pencils '' -LRB- Hector Olivera , 1986 -RRB- 2 . `` Nine Queens '' -LRB- Fabian Bielinsky , 2000 -RRB- 3 . `` Son of the Bride '' -LRB- Juan Jose Campanella , 2001 -RRB- 4 . `` The Dog '' -LRB- Carlos Sorin , 2004 -RRB- 5 . `` The Holy Girl '' -LRB- Lucrecia Martel , 2004 -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of accused swindler Bernard Madoff pulled $ 15.5 million out of a Madoff-related brokerage firm in Massachusetts in the weeks before his arrest , authorities there disclosed Wednesday . Bernard Madoff is under 24-hour house arrest in his Upper East Side luxury apartment . The withdrawals by Ruth Madoff took place in November and December , according to a complaint filed by state regulators against Cohmad Securities , a firm they said was `` intertwined '' with Madoff 's New York-based company . The regulators say Cohmad has refused to provide information about its ties to Madoff , who is accused of running a Ponzi scheme that may have cost investors up to $ 50 billion . Daily wire transaction reports show Cohmad was aware of transfers to and from Madoff-related accounts , the filing states . `` For example , the few reports produced by Cohmad show that Ruth Madoff withdrew $ 5.5 million on November 25 , 2008 and withdrew $ 10 million on December 10 , 2008 , '' investigators said . Bernard Madoff , 70 , was arrested December 11 and is currently under house arrest in his Manhattan luxury apartment . He faces one charge of securities fraud in connection with an international scheme that has cost some investors their life savings and could face up to 20 years in prison and a $ 5 million fine if convicted . In January , prosecutors tried to revoke his $ 10 million bail after he mailed more than $ 1 million worth of diamond-studded jewelry to friends and family , a move they said showed he was trying to move assets out of government hands . But a judge ruled Madoff was neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk . Prosecutors and Madoff 's lawyers have agreed for a second time to push back the deadline for an indictment or probable cause hearing for the former investor , sources close to the case said Wednesday . The previous deadline of Wednesday -- which was itself a delay -- has now been moved back another 30 days . Madoff and the Securities and Exchange Commission already have agreed to a partial civil judgment against the disgraced investment manager , one that could eventually force him to pay fines and return investors ' money . Under the terms of the deal , Madoff will keep a previously reached agreement to freeze his assets and not to violate any other securities laws , but it does not require him to admit or deny any allegations . CNN 's Allan Chernoff and Amy Sahba contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A narrowly passed committee measure that recommends the United States recognize the 1915 killings of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide will likely not get a full vote in the House of Representatives , according to a senior State Department official . The official said Friday that the State Department has an understanding with House leadership on the issue , and , `` We believe it will stop where it is . '' The measure passed 23-22 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday . In response , Turkey ordered its ambassador to the United States home for `` consultation , '' Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told CNN . The nearly century-old issue has placed both Congress and the White House in the middle of a political minefield , balancing moral considerations with both domestic and international concerns . The Obama administration had urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee not to pass the resolution , warning it could damage U.S.-Turkish relations and jeopardize efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and its neighbor Armenia . The two do not share formal diplomatic relations . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Friday that `` the Obama administration strongly opposes the resolution that was passed by only one vote in the House committee , and we 'll work very hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor . '' State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters ahead of the vote that the United States was concerned about the impact the vote could potentially have on U.S.-Turkish relations . Turkey , among other things , is considered a strong American ally and is home to a critical U.S. air base . Armenia 's foreign minister , Edward Nalbandian , said his country highly appreciates the committee 's vote . `` This is another proof of the devotion of the American people to universal human values and is an important step toward the prevention of the crimes against humanity , '' he said . The Armenian National Committee of America said the passage of the measure shows that `` Turkey does n't get a vote or a veto in the U.S. Congress . '' Turkish officials vehemently oppose the measure . `` Turkey is saddened by the bill that has been accepted in the Foreign Affairs Committee today -LSB- Thursday -RSB- , '' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's Web site said . `` We condemn this bill that accuses the Turkish nation of a crime it has not committed . The people who support this bill have adopted a wrong and unfair attitude , ignoring the differences of opinion of expert historians and historical facts . The bill has been prepared with tangible historical mistakes regarding the 1915 incidents and with a completely subjective attitude , '' the statement said . A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman recently issued a public warning that passage of a resolution labeling the World War I killings as genocide `` would harm U.S.-Turkish relations . '' Turkish officials have also warned that passing the resolution could hurt a historic agreement aimed at normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia , and efforts to reopen their long-closed border . `` It would harm the normalization process , '' spokesman Ozugergin said . `` And it is wrong . The substance is also wrong . '' Turkey officially denies a genocide took place in the last days of the crumbling Ottoman Empire . Ankara instead says that Muslim Turks and Christian Armenians massacred each other on the killing fields of World War I. Historians have extensively documented the Ottoman military 's forced death-march of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians into the Syrian desert in 1915 . Every April 24 , Armenians worldwide observe a remembrance day for those killed . The killings decimated the Armenian population in what is modern-day eastern Turkey . The government in the Armenian capital of Yerevan and influential Armenian diaspora groups have been urging countries around the world to formally label the events of 1915 `` genocide . '' `` I do n't pretend to be a professional historian , '' Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman , D-California , said ahead of Thursday 's vote . `` But the vast majority of experts ... agree that the tragic massacres of the Armenians constitute genocide . '' Rep. Gary Ackerman , D-New York , acknowledged that Turkey is an `` important , strong -LSB- and -RSB- necessary ally of the United States . '' But `` overriding all of that , '' he said , `` is the issue of justice and the issue of history . ... History has to be righted . '' Opponents of the resolution had expressed sympathy toward the victims of the 1915 killings , but said current political concerns took priority . Rep. Mike Pence , R-Indiana , praised the committee 's `` sincere effort '' to illuminate `` a dark chapter in history , '' but said the committee should not pass the measure . `` I do not minimize the horror that took place , '' he said . But `` now is not the time for this committee of the American Congress to take up the measure that is now before us . '' Turkey is a strategic partner of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan , he said . Furthermore , the logistical support provided by the U.S. base in Incirlik , Turkey , is a `` staple '' of American power in the Middle East , he asserted . `` In a time of war , '' the United States should not `` take the relationship -LSB- with Turkey -RSB- for granted . '' Rep. Gerry Connolly , D-Virginia , argued that Congress should not do anything to undermine the Turkish government , which is a `` secular alternative model for the Muslim world . '' `` I hate this vote , '' he said . `` The United States has a great deal at stake in the Turkish relationship . '' Congress should n't `` pontificate on this issue '' and then pretend `` there will be no consequences , '' he warned . Last year , the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia signed a series of protocols aimed at establishing embassies in Ankara and Yerevan . The U.S. - , European - and Russian-backed agreement also called for the creation of an international committee of historians to examine archives and `` restore mutual confidence between the two nations . '' In October 2009 , Armenia 's president traveled to Turkey to attend a historic soccer match between the two countries ' national teams . Despite this round of `` football diplomacy , '' the diplomatic overture between the two capitals has slowed in recent months . A previous resolution recognizing the Armenian `` genocide '' was approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee In 2007 . The Turkish government protested by temporarily recalling its ambassador from Washington . The resolution did not make it to the House floor . CNN 's Ivan Watson , Elise Labott and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Should he stay or should he go ? Manchester United insist Cristiano Ronaldo will still be wearing a red shirt next season but the Portuguese winger , courted by Real Madrid , has refused to rule out a move to Spain . Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to commit himself to Manchester United . Football Fan Zone presents five reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo should stay at Manchester United and five reasons why he should move to Real Madrid . Let us know what you think below . Stay : Loyalty : Manchester United took a huge risk when they signed Ronaldo as an unproven 18-year-old for what seemed a vast sum of $ 25 million in 2003 . Since then , under the tutelage of Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz , Ronaldo has developed from a raw talent more famous for his stepovers into the most effective and consistent player on the planet . United also stood by Ronaldo when he was widely blamed in England for getting his club mate Wayne Rooney sent off during the 2006 World Cup . At 23 , Ronaldo owes his best years to United , the club that has helped him fulfil that potential . He has almost four years left on a contract worth $ 240,000 a week -- making him United 's best paid player -- and he should honor it . Glory : Having dominated the English Premier League for the past two seasons and won last season 's Champions League , Manchester United are a club in the ascendancy . With a young team boasting the attacking talents of Ronaldo and Rooney , outstanding young prospects such as Anderson and Nani and a solid defense built around Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic , United could be the preeminent force in European football for seasons to come . If football is primarily about winning trophies , rather than money or lifestyle , then Ronaldo should stay where he is . The Premier League : The English Premier League is the most watched football tournament on the planet and increasingly the stage on which the world 's best players want to showcase their talents . It was no coincidence that three of last season 's four Champions League semifinalists came from the EPL . This week the current world footballer of the year , Kaka , has been linked with a big money move to Chelsea . Real Madrid may be the Spanish champions and one of the world 's most famous clubs , but United are currently the biggest club in the biggest league in the world . Continuity : Leaving a club is always a risk and there is no guarantee that a player will settle successfully into a new set-up in a different country , as Thierry Henry has discovered at Barcelona . At Old Trafford , Ronaldo is the undisputed star with a system built around him and teammates working for him . At Real Madrid he would be one ego among many . Real 's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has already warned that Ronaldo 's arrival on a massively inflated salary would not be welcomed by other squad members : `` It would be bad for the dressing room if he gets a much higher salary than the rest of the squad . It 's not important to me but I know other teammates would not like that at all . '' Injury : Having been carrying an ankle injury since March , Ronaldo finally went under the knife earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until at least October -- long after the summer transfer window has closed . Ronaldo should be concentrating on getting back to full fitness as quickly as possible rather than worrying about a possible transfer . A move to a new club would also likely put him under more pressure to play before he has made a full recovery . Go : A fresh challenge : Ronaldo has achieved everything he can in English football after two near perfect seasons at Old Trafford , winning back-to-back English Premier League titles and player of the year awards and a European Champions League winner 's medal . If the 23-year-old is to continue developing he needs to find new challenges ; what bigger challenge than joining Real Madrid -- the club of the `` Galacticos '' -- for a world record transfer fee ? Carlos Queiroz : The former United assistant manager was a big influence on Ronaldo 's career and an important mentor figure . With Queiroz departing to coach the Portuguese national side , will Old Trafford hold the same appeal for his protege ? Ronaldo has said he is prepared to `` upset '' Alex Ferguson and admits he has not spoken to the United manager in weeks while apparently taking advice from former national team coach Luis Felipe Scolari -- now managing United 's biggest rivals Chelsea . Money : Real Madrid are apparently prepared to make Ronaldo the most expensive and best paid player in the world . A transfer fee of around $ 140 million would smash the $ 92 million Real paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001 . On top of that , Ronaldo could command wages of up to $ 400,000 a week . By comparison , United have said they are not prepared to renegotiate Ronaldo 's current deal worth $ 240,000 a week . In an industry driven by money , Ronaldo should go where he can command the highest wages . Lifestyle : It 's a long way from the sun-drenched beaches of Ronaldo 's home island of Maderia to the dreary gray skies of the northwest of England . Madrid may not have any beaches either but at least the weather and the food are more familar and it 's a lot closer to home . As a city , Madrid is far better suited to Ronaldo 's southern European temperament than Manchester . Real Madrid : Manchester United may be big but Real Madrid are in a league all of their own . With nine European Cups and 31 Spanish titles to their name , Madrid 's achievements are unrivalled . Having written himself into Manchester United folklore , Ronaldo has the opportunity to do the same on the Bernabeu pitch once graced by the likes of Francisco Gento , Alfredo di Stefano and Fernec Puskas . Ronaldo may already have done enough to win this year 's world footballer of the year award but a move to Madrid would likely seal that honor : in recent years Luis Figo , Zinedine Zidane , Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Fabio Cannavaro have all won the honor while wearing the most famous white shirt in sport .","question":""}
{"answer":"Khartoum , Sudan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the heels of international condemnation of the bombing of a refugee camp , a satellite monitoring group said Friday that Sudan is enhancing its airstrike capabilities along its border with South Sudan . The U.S.-based Satellite Sentinel Project said that since taking control of the border town of Kurmuk on November 2 , the Sudanese Armed Forces appear to be upgrading military facilities . It said Sudan has started fortifying the airstrip and positioned armor nearby . Digital imagery , analyzed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative , showed four new helicopter landing pads , three helicopter gunships and an Antonov , a plane often used in Sudanese bombing campaigns , on a newly improved airstrip in Blue Nile state 's capital of Damazin . The satellite project also reported a new 250-meter expansion of the Damazin airstrip . The project 's co-founder , John Prendergast , said the buildup is alarming . `` The airfield improvements suggest Sudan 's readiness to widen its aerial bombing campaign in its border areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile , as well as neighboring South Sudan , '' he said . `` If this buildup and bombing campaign is n't countered aggressively by the international community , it appears likely that Khartoum 's actions will plunge Sudan even more deeply into internal war as well as ignite a full-scale war with South Sudan . '' Charlie Clements , head of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard 's Kennedy School , said the analysis of the images underscored an `` urgent threat to human security on both sides '' of the border . Conceived by actor George Clooney , the Satellite Sentinel Project combines satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google 's Map Maker technology to provide an early warning system to deter the resumption of war between north and south in Sudan . The two sides fought a bitter , bloody civil war that cost as many as 2 million lives . Before the independence of South Sudan in July , human rights monitors expressed concerns that long-standing grievances could end in violence consuming the region again . The United Nations human rights chief called Friday for an investigation into the bombing Thursday of the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan 's oil-rich Unity state . `` The camp at Yida , which is close to the border with Sudan , is housing thousands of civilians , including women and children , '' said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay . `` While the number of casualties is not yet clear , I understand that five or six bombs were dropped on the camp , and that at least one fell close to a school , '' she said , calling for an `` independent , thorough and credible investigation to establish the precise circumstances of this aerial bombing . '' The camp houses about 20,000 refugees who have fled the violence in the states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile . Southern Kordofan , Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountain region straddle Sudan and South Sudan 's ethnic and political lines . Although these territories are geographically part of Sudan , the population has faced `` exclusion , marginalization and discriminatory practices that have resulted in their opposition to the Sudanese government , '' according to the U.N. human rights office . Sudanese Armed Forces began launching aerial attacks against rebels in the region shortly after the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir ordered the dismantling of joint units that had integrated South Sudanese and Sudanese military fighters within Southern Kordofan . Fighting between the Sudanese army and rebel groups has flared in border areas in the months since South Sudan became the world 's newest nation . Friday , the Sudanese state news agency SUNA reported that the Sudanese army had repelled an attack by the Sudanese People 's Liberation Movement\/Army-North in the South Kordofan town of Talodi . Last month , hundreds of rebels were killed in fighting , according to government officials . The SPLM\/Army-North once represented the northern chapter of the SPLM , which now governs newly independent South Sudan . Many of its members come from the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile . The rebels , however , said they were successful in thwarting a Sudanese attack . `` The fighting in Talodi is an extension of a government offensive everywhere in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state , '' said Yasser Arman , secretary general of the SPLM\/Army-North . CNN 's Moni Basu reported from Atlanta and journalist Isma'il Kushkush reported from Khartoum , Sudan .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For most Americans , mosquitoes are pests whose bites leave behind itchy bumps . But in other parts of the world , mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria that kills more than a million people each year . Mosquitoes , especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa , may transmit malaria to humans . A new malaria vaccine that 's about to begin human clinical trials is dependent on mosquitoes -- a whole lot of them . Bioengineers have been growing millions of mosquitoes in a sterile environment , letting them feed on malaria-infected blood , irradiating the bugs , extracting the disease-causing parasites and storing them for use in vaccines . The announcement of the Food and Drug Administration 's approval for clinical trials comes just days before World Malaria Day , which is Saturday . Check out the World Health Organization 's site about malaria goals worldwide The vaccine is unique among other candidates in that it uses the entire parasite and not just parts of it , said Dr. Stephen Hoffman , chief executive and scientific officer at Sanaria Inc. , the Maryland-based biotechnology firm developing the vaccine . This technique was first shown to be effective in the 1970s , but the technology did n't exist to mass-produce it for the millions of people who need it , said Dr. Kirsten Lyke , principal investigator in the clinical trial site at the University of Maryland School of Medicine . At that time , people were immunized by being bitten by the irradiated mosquitoes . `` That is the only effective vaccine that anyone has ever really developed that works and does complete protection , '' said John Dame , chair of Infectious Diseases and Pathology at the University of Florida , who is not involved with the Sanaria trials . The vaccine takes the same basic approach as standard vaccines in use for diseases such as measles and polio . In those vaccines against viruses , weakened bacteria is injected , creating an immune response without causing illness . In the Sanaria vaccine , the body recognizes the malaria parasite as a foreign material , Lyke said . It goes to the liver , where a lot of the immune response is generated , but does not develop into a disease because the mosquito was irradiated , she said . Clinical trials will begin in May , Hoffman said , and will include 80 immunized individuals and 24 controls . About 3,000 mosquitoes were used to produce the vaccines for the first clinical trials , he said . If these trials are successful , researchers will initiate trials on adults in Africa , and then children . Among other vaccines in clinical trials currently , the one that is furthest along is RTS , S , developed by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. . The company announced in December that this vaccine , based on a recombinant protein that uses part of the malaria parasite , was safely administered to African infants , with an efficacy of 65 percent in a three-month follow-up . Both the Sanaria and the GlaxoSmithKline projects receive support from the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative , a program at the nonprofit PATH established through an initial grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . Dame , who used to be involved with the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine , said he would guess the Sanaria vaccine will be more effective , but clinical trials will provide more information . He also noted that mass distribution to developing countries would require appropriate infrastructure , and may be more difficult depending on how long the immunization lasts . Each year , 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Most people who die from the disease are young children in Africa south of the Sahara . Symptoms of malaria include fever , chills and flu-like illness , the CDC said . Although preventive measures exist , such as insecticide-treated nets and medications , there is no licensed vaccine on the market . Moreover , effective treatments are largely too expensive for the people who need them in poor countries . The parasite has become resistant to cheaper treatments , Lyke said . `` Individuals living on $ 1 or $ 2 a day ca n't even afford $ 8 medication , '' Lyke said . The U.S. military also has a keen interest in a malaria vaccine . The antimalaria drugs available have side effects such as stomach aches , said Dr. Tom Richie , director of the Navy component of the U.S. military malaria vaccine program , who provides oversight to the clinical trials . `` Malaria has been one of the most significant infectious threats to our military personnel when we deploy to tropical areas , '' Richie said . The disease was the leading cause of casualties in the South Pacific theater during World War II , and also a major problem in the Vietnam War , he said . There are five species of the malaria parasite known to infect humans . One called Plasmodium falciparum causes the vast majority of cases . Malaria was eliminated in the United States in 1951 , but there are still cases in the country , mostly from people who acquired it in high-risk countries . In 2002 , there were 1,337 cases of malaria in the U.S. , and all but five had been acquired abroad . An international team at the Malaria Atlas Project recently published what researchers say is the most comprehensive map ever illustrating global malaria risk . Researchers told CNN the map offers hope that it is possible to eradicate the disease in many parts of the world . Hoffman , former head of a U.S. Navy malaria vaccine team , started the Sanaria effort himself in the breakfast room of his house in 2003 . The company now has a more official corporate headquarters in Rockville , Maryland . `` I thought that the world needed a malaria vaccine , there was no question this was the best way to make one , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Experts said Thursday that the alleged child sexual abuse scandals at Penn State University and another at The Citadel in South Carolina underscore the frailty and inconsistency of the legal system intended to protect children , while some lawmakers called for changes in reporting such crimes . `` As parents , as members of the community , as leaders of organizations , we need to ask ourselves what we can do to prevent the next Penn State , '' said Stop It Now ! , a group that seeks to end child sexual abuse , in a commentary on its website . `` Because , unfortunately , it will happen again , unless something fundamental changes . '' In the Citadel case , a former cadet-turned-camp counselor faces a series of charges , including three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of lewd act on a minor , according to Mount Pleasant , South Carolina , police . The school 's president said this week that the university is `` profoundly sorry '' for not reporting allegations against the counselor in 2007 . In the Penn State case , Pennsylvania 's attorney general has charged a former Penn State football coach , Jerry Sandusky , with 40 counts in what authorities allege was the sexual abuse of eight boys . In addition , two Penn State officials are charged with failing to inform police of the allegations , and questions have been raised about the university 's response . Child-welfare advocates are not alone in their calls for reform . The senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee asked Thursday that the chairman call a hearing to determine whether federal laws intended to protect children and students should be changed . `` Potential weaknesses in specific laws designed to keep children safe have come to light in the wake of the alleged sexual crimes committed on the campuses of the Pennsylvania State University and the Citadel , '' wrote Rep. George Miller , D-California in his letter to Chairman John Kline , R-Minnesota . `` Our inquiry should not seek to parallel , replicate , or interfere with those efforts ; rather , we must examine the ongoing operation of the underlying federal laws to identify any vulnerabilities and better ensure against future risks to children . '' Miller cited two federal laws : The Clery Act requires higher educational institutions to collect information about and report on crimes that occur on campus . The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act requires states to develop laws mandating that child abuse be reported . In a statement , Education and the Workforce Committee communications director Alexandra Sollberger said , `` The committee is monitoring the situation at Penn State carefully and will assess the need for congressional action after the Department of Education concludes its investigation into the matter . '' One state has already moved to tighten reporting requirements . Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday issued an executive order requiring `` all public or vocational school , community college , college or university professors , administrators , coaches and other school employees to report child abuse or neglect within 24 hours of observing an incident of child abuse or neglect . '' The report must be made to child welfare authorities and police . Changes should include tightening requirements among the states about who must report suspicions that a child is being sexually abused , said Lisa Fontes , a lecturer at University Without Walls at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and author of `` Child Abuse and Culture -- Working with Diverse Families . '' For example , Pennsylvania has an unusually narrow category of mandated reporters . The Department of Health and Human Services ' website says that , in Pennsylvania , professionals `` required to report include , but are not limited to : licensed physicians , osteopaths , medical examiners , coroners , funeral directors , dentists , optometrists , chiropractors , podiatrists , interns , nurses , or hospital personnel , Christian Science practitioners or members of the clergy ; school administrators , teachers , school nurses , social services workers , daycare center workers , or any other child care or foster care workers ; mental health professionals ; peace officers or law enforcement officials . '' `` It does n't include many people who have regular contact with children , such as school bus drivers , children 's barbers , athletic coaches , '' said Fontes , who has a doctorate in psychology . Under `` Reporting by other persons , '' the law appears to leave it up to the individual : `` Any person who has reason to suspect that a child is abused or neglected may report , '' it says . And the requirements of professionals are limited to what they learn on the job , and do not apply to cases where a professional learns about suspected child abuse outside of his or her work , Fontes told CNN in a telephone interview . Some states , like Indiana , are stricter . Professionals required to report include `` any staff member of a medical or other public or private institution , school , facility , or agency . '' And the onus in Indiana also falls on non-professionals . `` Any person who has reason to believe that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect must report , '' the law says . Such variation `` makes no sense to me , '' said Fontes . `` Mandatory reporting is not the be all , end all of preventing child abuse , but it certainly is an important part of making authorities aware of children at risk , '' she said . Variation also extends to laws covering other behaviors , such as age of consent , which ranges from 16 to 18 in the United States , with some states having age-gap provisions under which sexual relations are legal as long as both parties are within a certain age range . Children from poor families tend to be particularly vulnerable to child predators , said Fontes , who noted that the alleged victims were from The Second Mile , a program founded by Sandusky for at-risk youths . Poor families tend to have fewer options for after-school care ; poor communities tend to lack public libraries and safe parks ; and their schools are less likely to be staffed with adequate guidance counselors and school psychologists who might notice if a child 's behavior has changed , Fontes said . In addition , children from poor families may be more vulnerable to offers of gifts , as Sandusky is alleged to have made , she said . In the Penn State case , the grand jury report led to the firing last week of head football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier . Assistant coach Mike McQueary -- who , according to the grand jury report , witnessed Sandusky raping a child in 2002 -- has been placed on administrative leave . Gary Schultz , who was the university 's senior vice president for finance and business at the time of the alleged assault , and former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failing to alert police . Curley requested and was granted administrative leave , while Schultz -- whose responsibilities also included oversight of Penn State campus police -- has retired . Sandusky told NBC 's Bob Costas on Monday that he has been falsely accused , saying that he only `` horsed around '' with kids in the shower after workouts . Sandusky denied being sexually attracted to boys , and his lawyer , Joe Amendola , told CNN Monday night that showering with children does not equate automatically to sexual assault . In the NBC interview , Sandusky denied one of the charges in the grand jury report , i.e. , that McQueary had walked in on him in the school 's locker room raping a boy about 10 years of age . Sandusky was arrested on November 5 after the release of the grand jury report detailing crimes that he allegedly committed between 1994 and 2009 . He is free on $ 100,000 bail . Authorities have said they are checking into more than a dozen calls from people who have said they were victimized by Sandusky . Several other alleged victims are considering coming forward after seeing Sandusky 's Monday interview , two State College attorneys told the Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , Patriot-News . `` I spent about half the day in kitchens and living rooms , speaking with victims of Sandusky 's molestation and processing with them the effects of Jerry Sandusky being on television and Jerry Sandusky denying wrongdoing , '' attorney Andy Shubin told the newspaper . `` And what I found was that these folks are being re-traumatized . '' He said many of the alleged victims were n't sure whether they would contact police , as some cases may be too old to prosecute . One case dates back to the 1970s , the newspaper reported . Lawyer Jeff Anderson told CNN he is representing one alleged victim and has received calls from more than 10 other people who said they , too , were victimized . `` In every instance , Sandusky used his position of trust and power and his caring ways as a coach and mentor to groom the families and the children , '' Anderson said . `` And after he did , he would in some way act out on them -- either at the schools , at the events , on trips , at a variety of locations . And in some instances , he raped or assaulted them . '' He added , `` This is about an institutional failure by many over decades to heed the warning signs and to protect the kids and , instead of protecting the kids , many , many adults chose to protect the reputation . '' Attorney Ben Andreozzi , who represents one of Sandusky 's alleged victims , said in a statement issued after Sandusky 's television interview that his client `` fully intends to testify that he was severely sexually assaulted by Mr. Sandusky . '' The lawyer said more information would be forthcoming . Washington civil rights law firm Katz , Marshall and Banks issued a statement Thursday saying it is working with Shubin and Seth Kreimer , a law professor , to formulate a civil case against Penn State . Earlier this week , Sandusky 's attorney told CNN he was expecting other people hoping to take advantage of the situation to come forward with claims . During an investigation into the allegations , authorities found that Second Mile records , including travel and expense reports , were missing from about 2000 to about 2003 , The New York Times reported Thursday , citing two sources with knowledge of the case . The records were supposed to be stored at an off-site facility , it said . Records from one of the years were later found after apparently having been misfiled , the Times said . `` It could be that they were just lost , but under the circumstances it is suspicious , '' one law enforcement official told the newspaper . The alleged rape witnessed by McQueary , who was then a graduate assistant , was detailed in the grand jury report . According to the report , McQueary told Paterno ; Paterno then alerted his boss , Curley . The grand jury report also indicates that McQueary talked to Schultz and that Schultz never presented the information to university police . Preliminary hearings for Curley and Schultz were set for December 6 in Dauphin County Magistrate Court . CNN 's Mary Snow , Jason Carroll and Sarah Hoye contributed from State College . CNN 's Ashley Hayes reported from Atlanta .","question":""}
{"answer":"ST. POELTEN , Austria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A verdict in the case of Josef Fritzl , the Austrian man accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children , could come as early as Thursday , a court official told reporters Monday . Josef Fritzl expects to spend the rest of his life in prison , his attorney has said . As his trial began behind closed doors Monday Fritzl pleaded guilty to incest and other charges , but denied charges of murder and enslavement -- the most serious charges against him . He pleaded `` Partly guilty '' to multiple charges of rape , but did not elaborate . `` Partly guilty '' is a plea option in Austrian courts . Franz Cutka , a spokesman for the Landesgericht St. Poelten court , said the `` partly guilty '' plea might mean that Fritzl contends he is not guilty of all the individual rape charges or that the violence used was not as severe as rape . Cutka was not in court for the plea and does not speak for the defendant . Fritzl 's attorney was not immediately available to explain what he meant . Fritzl arrived at the courthouse in St. Poelten covering his face with a blue binder to shield himself from reporters , television cameras and photographers and escorted by a phalanx of police officers . Watch Fritzl arrive in court '' Fritzl faces six charges at a closed-door trial in St. Poelten , 45 miles -LRB- 70 km -RRB- east of Amstetten , where Fritzl lived . Cameras were removed from the court The trial is scheduled to last five days , but his attorney Rudolph Mayer said it could be shorter . Fritzl was charged in November with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter , Elisabeth , over a 24-year period . But he was also charged with the murder of one of the children he fathered with her , an infant who died soon after birth . State Prosecutor Gerhard Sedlacek said Michael Fritzl died from lack of medical care . In an opening statement , prosecuting attorney Christiane Burkheiser handed damp-smelling items from the cellar where Elisabeth and her children had lived to jurors to give them an idea of the conditions in which they were allegedly locked up . In all , Fritzl is charged with : murder , involvement in slave trade -LRB- slavery -RRB- , rape , incest , assault and deprivation of liberty , Sedlacek 's office said . He could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of murder . Mayer said Sunday that Fritzl expected to spend the rest of his life in prison . `` This man obviously led a double life for 24 years . He had a wife and had seven kids with her . And then he had another family with his daughter , fathered another seven children with her , '' said Franz Polzer , a police officer in Amstetten , the town where Fritzl lived , at the time of his arrest . The case first came to light in April 2008 when Elisabeth 's daughter , Kerstin , became seriously ill with convulsions . Elisabeth persuaded her father to allow Kerstin , then 19 , to be taken to a hospital for treatment . Hospital staff became suspicious of the case and alerted police , who discovered the family members in the cellar . Fritzl confessed to police that he raped his daughter , kept her and their children in captivity and burned the body of the dead infant in an oven in the house . Elisabeth told police the infant was one of twins who died a few days after birth . When Elisabeth gained her freedom , she told police her father began sexually abusing her at age 11 . On August 8 , 1984 , she told police , her father enticed her into the basement , where he drugged her , put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room . Fritzl explained Elisabeth 's disappearance in 1984 by saying the girl , who was then 18 , had run away from home . He backed up the story with letters he forced Elisabeth to write . Elisabeth Fritzl and all but three of her children lived in the specially designed cellar beneath her father 's home in Amstetten , Austria , west of Vienna . The other three children lived upstairs with Fritzl and his wife ; Fritzl had left them on his own doorstep , pretending the missing Elisabeth had dropped them off . Under Austrian law , if Fritzl is convicted on several offenses , he will be given the sentence linked to the worst crime . The charges he faces are : \u2022 Murder : The infant who died in 1996 died from a lack of medical care , the state prosecutor said . The charge carries a sentence of life in prison . \u2022 Involvement in slave trade : From 1984 until 2008 , prosecutors allege , Fritzl held his daughter , Elisabeth , captive in a dungeon , abused her sexually and treated her as if she were his personal property -- in a situation similar to slavery . If he is convicted , the sentence could range from 10 to 20 years in prison . \u2022 Rape : Between August 30 , 1984 , and June 30 , 1989 , Fritzl `` regularly sexually abused Elisabeth , '' according to the prosecutor . The sentence could be from five to 15 years in prison . \u2022 Incest : Parallel to the rape charge . It carries a sentence of up to one year . \u2022 Withdrawal of liberty : Three of the children Fritzl had with Elisabeth were illegally held captive in a dungeon with no daylight or fresh air , according to prosecutors . That charge carries a sentence of one to 10 years . \u2022 Assault : Between August 28 , 1984 , and April 26 , 2006 , Fritzl repeatedly threatened Elisabeth and their three children with gas and booby traps as warnings in case they tried to escape , authorities allege . The sentence would range from six months to five years . CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen and Melissa Gray contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded , state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday , telling Congress the bill `` moves our country 's health care system in the wrong direction . '' In his veto message , President Bush calls on Congress to extend funding for the current program . In his veto message , Bush said the bill is almost a duplicate of the proposal he spiked in October . `` Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed , I must veto this legislation , too , '' he said in a statement released by the White House . The bill would have expanded the State Children 's Health Insurance Program by nearly $ 35 billion over five years , the same as the measure Bush vetoed October 3 . Track recent and historical presidential vetoes '' The president had proposed adding $ 5 billion to the program and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded , state-run program . Democratic leaders said the new version addressed Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits , capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits . Though the measure had strong bipartisan support , it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed to override a presidential veto in the House and Senate . House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , said Democrats were more interested in scoring political points with the veto than in reaching a compromise with Republicans . `` We could have resolved the differences in his program in 10 minutes , if the majority had wanted to resolve the differences , '' Boehner said . `` This has become a partisan political game . '' The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who ca n't afford private insurance . Democrats wanted to extend the program to another 4 million , paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes . `` What a sad day that the president would say that rather than insuring -LSB- millions of -RSB- children , ' I do n't want to raise the cigarette tax , ' '' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi . She called for a January 23 vote on whether to override the veto . Meanwhile , Bush called on Congress to extend funding for the current program to keep the 6 million now covered on the rolls . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo 's Portugal must qualify for Euro 2012 through the playoffs after losing 2-1 to Denmark Tuesday night in Copenhagen . Portugal needed only to draw the Group H game to reach the finals after five straight wins , but came up short against Morten Olsen 's men . The Danes scored through Michael Krohn-Dehli and Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner with Ronaldo grabbing a consolation goal in injury time . It was a massive setback for Portugal , who have also missed out on qualification as the best runners-up spot . That honor has gone to Sweden , who beat Group E winners the Netherlands 3-2 in Stockholm . Goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Dirk Kuyt put the Dutch 2-1 ahead into the second half before Sebastian Larsson scored from the spot after a penalty was awarded following a handball by Joris Mathijsen . Almost straight from the kick off Ola Toivonen put Sweden back in front and they held on to inflict the first defeat on the Dutch since they lost the 2010 World Cup final to Spain . Bosnia Herzegovina came close to an upset against France in the Stade de France after Manchester City 's Edin Dzecko scored with a superb curling shot just before halftime . But Laurent Blanc 's France , who needed only a draw to seal their qualification from Group D , leveled through a late Samir Nasri penalty after he had been fouled . Bosnia now go into the playoffs . Elsewhere , reigning World and European champions Spain ended Scotland 's slim hopes of a playoff spot as they rounded off their Group I qualifying campaign with a 3-1 home win . David Silva put Spain ahead after six minutes and added a second just before the break to sink the Scots . The Czech Republic won 4-1 in Lithuania to claim the playoff spot . Traditional powerhouses Germany made it 10 wins from 10 games in Group A as they ended Belgium 's hopes of the playoff spot with a 3-1 home win . Real Madrid 's Mesut Ozil with a superb opener , then Andre Schuerrle and Mario Gomez scored for Joachim Loew 's rampant side . Marouane Fellaini headed a late consolation for Belgium who lost out as Guus Hiddink 's Turkey claimed second place with a 1-0 home win against Azerbaijan . 2004 champions Greece qualified for the finals after beating Georgia 2-1 to top Group F but it took two late goals to seal their place . Having beaten main rivals Croatia 2-0 last Friday , they fell behind to a David Targamadze goals in the 19th minute . But the visitors equalized 11 minutes from time through second-half substitute Georgios Fotakis and scored the winner in the 85th minute thanks to evergreen Angelos Charisteas - scorer of the goal that secured that Euro 2004 title over Portugal . Russia are also through after beating thrashing Andorra 6-0 in their final Group B match while the Republic of Ireland will go into the playoffs after they beat Armenia 2-1 . Slovenia beat Serbia 2-1 in Group C to leave Estonia in second place behind group winners Italy who rounded off their campaign with a 3-0 home win over Northern Ireland .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kyrgyzstan 's president signed a bill Friday to close an air base that the U.S. military uses as a route for troops and supplies heading into Afghanistan , the president announced on his Web site . Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan serves as a U.S. supply route for troops and supplies into Afghanistan . The news came as two other central Asian nations -- Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- reportedly agreed to let U.S. cargo pass through their countries on the way to Afghanistan . Such deals , if confirmed , could help fill the void left by the closing of the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan . The Kyrgyz order became effective on Friday when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reportedly signed legislation that the parliament in Bishkek backed on Thursday , the Pentagon said . Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry on Friday officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek that a 180-day withdrawal process is under way . Embassy spokeswoman Michelle Yerkin told CNN the United States hopes to retain the base . Officials in Washington and Bishkek signed a deal three years ago allowing the United States to renew the arrangement annually through July 2011 . `` We do remain in contact with the government of Kyrgyzstan , '' Yerkin said . `` The Manas Air Base continues to operate under existing agreements , as per the coalition 's efforts in Afghanistan . '' U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday the United States will continue to work with Kyrgyzstan on keeping the base open . Watch why Kyrgyzstan wants to close the base '' `` I continue to believe that this is not a closed issue and that there remains the potential at least to reopen this issue with the Kyrgyz and perhaps reach a new agreement , '' Gates said at a NATO meeting in Krakow , Poland . `` If we are unable to do that on reasonable terms then , as I have suggested , we are developing alternative methods to get resupply and people into Afghanistan . '' The Manas Air Base outside Bishkek is the only U.S. base in Central Asia and is a major resupply hub for the war in Afghanistan . Its closing could deal a significant blow to the U.S. military effort there , especially following President Barack Obama 's announcement of additional troops to halt a resurgence of the country 's former Taliban rulers . The United States pays $ 17.4 million a year to use Manas , a major logistical and refueling center that supports troops in Afghanistan , the Pentagon said . About 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo reportedly move through Manas monthly , it said . The air base currently employs more than 1,000 servicemen , 95 percent of whom are Americans , Russia 's Interfax news agency reported . `` This is an important facility , it has been an important facility , but it 's not irreplaceable and , if necessary , we will find other options , '' Whitman said . How far is Manas from Afghanistan ? View our map '' Tajikistan and Uzbekistan , two other Central Asian nations that border Afghanistan , have agreed to allow U.S. cargo to be transported to Afghanistan through their countries , the Russian news agency Interfax reported Friday . The agency said Rear Adm. Mark Harnitchek , U.S. transportation command director for strategy , policy , programs and logistics , held a meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Kharokhon Zarifi , after which he said he had also secured Uzbekistan 's consent . A Tajik government statement said only that the two sides discussed the issue , but a spokesman for the Tajik foreign ministry told CNN that `` practically all issues '' to allow U.S. cargo transit through the country have been resolved . If confirmed , success would still depend on how much access the United States would have to those countries for flights and cargo , and even then , it may not totally replace the capacity lost in Kyrgyzstan . U.S. General David Petraeus , who oversees the war in Afghanistan , was in Uzbekistan this week for talks on Afghanistan and other regional issues . A Pentagon spokesman told CNN that his discussions included the regional supply network into Afghanistan . The U.S. military leased a base in Uzbekistan after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on the United States . But after Uzbek troops were accused of killing at least 150 people during a demonstration in 2005 , the autocratic government of President Islam Karimov came under criticism from Washington and severed most of its military ties with the United States .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Carradine 's wife and his manager disputed suggestions that the actor 's death was a suicide , while rescue workers and police in Bangkok , Thailand , said the actor 's neck and genitals were found bound with rope . David Carradine was the star of the 1970s TV series , `` Kung Fu , '' and appeared in more than 100 films . After Carradine 's body arrives back to the United States this weekend , an autopsy ordered by Carradine 's family will be conducted , according to the actor 's co-manager . `` They 're doing everything possible to get to the bottom of what really happened , '' said Carradine 's co-manager Tiffany Smith . Carradine , 72 , became famous in the 1970s when he portrayed the traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series `` Kung Fu . '' Bangkok police said Carradine was found hanging by a nylon rope in a Bangkok hotel room closet Thursday morning . `` Our preliminary assumption is that the cause of death was suffocation , because there was a rope tied to his neck , '' said Bangkok police spokesman Somprasong Yenthuam . Autopsy results will not be available for three or four weeks , said a high-ranking Thai police source who asked not to be identified . The actor 's body was released to the U.S. Embassy for a Saturday flight home after a judge signed the death certificate Friday , the police source said . A member of the emergency crew who was called to the hotel after a maid found Carradine told CNN that a yellow nylon rope was tied around the actor 's neck and a black rope was around his genitals . Police later confirmed that information . The same emergency crew source said Carradine 's hands were not tied , contrary to some media reports . Smith , the co-manager , also said media reports quoting the actor 's management saying the hands were tied were untrue . `` I do not know if you want to call it accidental , '' Chuck Binder , Carradine 's manager , told CNN 's Larry King on Thursday . He said Carradine 's career was on a roll . Binder said a producer of the movie , `` Stretch , '' which Carradine was to act in , called him from Thailand to tell him what was happening there . `` I do not want to get in the middle of this whole investigation , but this guy said to me for sure there was foul play , '' Binder said . Watch Carradine 's friends discuss loss '' Actor Michael Madsen told King that the one thing Carradine 's wife , Annie Bierman , wanted everyone to know is , `` David was not suicidal . '' Investigators found no sign of a forced entry into Carradine 's room , Bangkok Police Lt. Colonel Pirom Chanpirom said . Smith would not confirm Friday that Carradine 's family had hired private investigators to look into his death , but she did say a private autopsy would be done . Modern audiences may best know Carradine as `` Bill '' in Quentin Tarantino 's `` Kill Bill '' films . He earned a 2005 Golden Globe nomination for his role in the second movie in the two-part saga . Tarantino , also appearing on `` Larry King Live , '' called Carradine one of `` Hollywood 's great mad geniuses . '' `` He was a rock star at the time ` Kung Fu ' came out , '' Tarantino said , holding up a vintage metal lunch box with an image from the popular show . Watch Carradine discuss `` Kung Fu '' role '' `` I 'm in shock , '' he said . Carradine 's career included more than 100 feature films , two dozen television movies and theater work , according to the Internet Movie Database . `` He was clearly an actor who followed his own path , '' said Leah Rozen , movie critic for People magazine . See photos of some of his notable roles '' `` He was never a guy who talked a whole lot . You knew , as an actor , the characters he played , you knew they had a past , you knew there was probably some unhappiness there , but he was n't going to talk about it . '' Carradine was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as folk music legend Woody Guthrie in the 1976 movie `` Bound for Glory , '' according to a biography on his official Web site . He also made appearances in television series such as `` Gunsmoke '' and `` Alfred Hitchcock Presents . '' His first starring role in a series was as the title character in `` Shane '' in 1966 . iReport : Share memories of David Carradine Carradine was married five times and divorced four , according to People magazine . He was the son of John Carradine , a character actor who appeared in hundreds of films , plays and television episodes . `` David 's career as an artist did not begin on the stage , though some of his early career was on and off Broadway . His earliest work was as a sculptor and painter , '' Carradine 's official Web site says . The site also includes an `` Art Bio , '' in which the actor opened up about his life . `` I 've always had an especially hard time with everything I 've tried to do , '' Carradine wrote . `` I 've made it pretty big as an actor in spite of being terminally shy . ... Invariably , I had huge obstacles to overcome in anything I tried . Had to work against my genes to achieve my dreams . '' CNN 's Jack Hannah , Kocha Olarn and A. Pawlowski contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Singapore -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. President Barack Obama , on his first Asia trip since taking office in January , arrived Saturday in Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum . In addition to the meetings with the APEC heads of state , Obama planned to hold three bilateral meetings -- with the leaders of Russia , Indonesia and Singapore . APEC 's 21 member nations represent more than half of the world 's economic output . The forum sees its goal as `` facilitating economic growth , cooperation , trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region . '' Obama will become the first U.S. president to take part in a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -LRB- ASEAN -RRB- economic alliance . The formal meeting is Sunday . Earlier Saturday , Obama told a packed house at Tokyo 's Suntory Hall that all Americans should know that what happens in Asia `` has a direct effect on our lives at home . '' The president leaves Sunday for Shanghai , China . The trip , which lasts more than a week , is Obama 's first to Asia since taking office in January . In his Tokyo speech , Obama touted himself as America 's `` first Pacific president , '' and pledged a renewed engagement with Asia Pacific nations based on `` an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan . '' He touched on nearly every part of the Asia Pacific region during his speech , and talked about a boyhood visit to Japan with his mother , his birth in Hawaii , a childhood spent partly in Indonesia and the United States ' position as a Pacific nation . `` There must be no doubt : as America 's first Pacific president , I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world , '' he said . He emphasized that the United States was not interested in containing the emerging economic growth in China . Obama also called on Myanmar to make more definitive moves toward democracy , including releasing all political prisoners . He urged North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks so the reclusive nation can be reintegrated into the world stage and pledged America 's support for eliminating nuclear weapons and efforts to reduce the global effects of climate change . In China , Obama will continue efforts to define and strengthen the United States ' relationship with the world 's largest emerging economy , which has a growing influence in Asia , said Jeffrey Bader , the National Security Council 's senior director for East Asian affairs . Bader cited North Korea 's nuclear weapons program , the economy , climate change , human rights and Afghanistan as among the top issues for the China swing . On human rights , Bader said Obama is likely to address `` freedom of expression , access to information , freedom of religion , rule of law and , certainly , Tibet . '' Obama will make clear to Chinese President Hu Jintao that he intends to meet with the Dalai Lama , the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader , Bader said . China , which rejects Tibetan aspirations for autonomy , opposes such high-level contacts with the Dalai Lama .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fighting in the volatile Sudanese region of Darfur has sparked another wave of refugees into Chad and left a Red Cross employee dead , according to international agencies . Refugee camps in eastern Chad house about 300,000 people who fled violence in the Darfur region of Sudan . The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said on Monday that more than 12,000 people have fled militia attacks over the last few days from Sudan 's Darfur region to neighboring Chad , still recovering from a recent attempt by rebels there to topple the government . `` Most of the new arrivals in Chad had already been displaced in Darfur in recent years . They are really tired of being attacked and having to move , '' said UNHCR 's Jorge Holly . `` All the new refugees we talked to said they did not want to go back to Darfur at this point , they wanted to be transferred to a refugee camp in eastern Chad . '' This latest influx of refugees in Chad aggravates an already deteriorating security situation across this politically unstable region of Africa . Before the latest flight into Chad , the UNHCR and its partner groups `` were taking care of 240,000 Sudanese refugees in 12 camps in eastern Chad and some 50,000 from Central African Republic in the south of the country . '' Up to 30,000 people in Chad fled the country for Cameroon during the rebel-government fighting . The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday that one of its employees was killed in western Darfur last week during fighting . The victim is a 45-year-old Sudanese national and father of six children . He was killed in the area of Seleia , one of the three towns where reported government-backed Janjaweed militia attacks on Friday left around 200 people dead . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week deplored the acts , urged all parties to stop hostilities , and said `` all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law , which prohibits military attacks against civilians . '' The United Nations says `` more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 among government forces , rebel groups and allied militia groups known as the Janjaweed . '' The recent fight between Chad 's government and rebels is seen as a proxy war over Darfur . Sudan 's government believes Chad is supporting rebels in Darfur . Chad 's government believes Sudan is supporting the rebels that moved on Chad 's capital of N'Djamena . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. John McCain played offense against Sen. Barack Obama during much of the final presidential debate as he challenged his rival on his policies , judgment and character . Obama said he is the candidate who can bring `` fundamental change '' to the country and continued to try to link McCain to President Bush . In one of the more forceful moments of the debate , McCain turned to Obama and said , `` I am not President Bush . '' `` If you want to run against President Bush , you should have run four years ago . I 'm going to give a new direction to this economy and this country , '' the Arizona senator said . Watch McCain say he 's no Bush '' McCain aides said they had been working on him to be more explicit in drawing a distinction between himself and Bush . With less than three weeks before the election , it was one of several jabs McCain took at his opponent , who is leading the race in most national polls and has an 8-point lead in CNN 's average of national polls . A CNN\/Opinion Research poll of people who watched the debate found 58 percent said Obama did the best job while 31 percent said McCain did . Watch entire debate : Part 1 '' | Part 2 '' | Part 3 '' The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points , and the sample of debate-watchers in the poll were 40 percent Democratic and 30 percent Republican . McCain touted what he called his `` long record of reform '' and said to Obama : `` You have to tell me one time when you have stood up with the leaders of your party on one single major issue . '' Obama said he has a `` history of reaching across the aisle '' and pointed to his support for charter schools , pay for performance for teachers and clean coal technology . See scenes from the debate '' `` Sen. Obama , your argument for standing up to the leadership of your party is n't very convincing , '' McCain said . The third and final presidential debate took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead , New York , and was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News . Analysts weigh in on the debate '' As McCain tried to put the pressure on Obama , he told the Illinois senator that voters need to `` know the full extent '' of his relationship with Bill Ayers , a former 1960s radical who belonged to the Weather Underground . `` Mr. Ayers is not involved in this campaign , he has never been involved in my campaign , and he will not advise me in the White House , '' Obama said . McCain 's campaign has charged that Obama 's association with Ayers should cause voters to question his judgment . Ayers was a founding member of the radical Weather Underground , a group that was involved in bombings in the early 1970s , including attacks on the Pentagon and the Capitol . Obama said Ayers had committed `` despicable acts '' 40 years ago , but pointed out that he himself had been 8 years old at the time . Watch what Obama says about Ayers '' Obama said Ayers has become the `` centerpiece '' of McCain 's campaign and said the fact that McCain keeps bringing Ayers up `` says more about your campaign than it says about me . '' The Republican nominee also brought up comments made last weekend by Rep. John Lewis and pushed Obama to repudiate them . Lewis on Saturday compared the feeling at recent GOP rallies to those of segregationist George Wallace . `` I think Congressman Lewis ' point was that we have to be careful about how we deal with our supporters , '' Obama said . `` I do think that he inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening there and what had happened during the civil rights movement , and we immediately put out a statement saying that we do n't think that comparison is appropriate , '' he said . As the candidates butted heads over tax policy , both made frequent mention of `` Joe the plumber . '' Watch voters react when ` Joe ' comes up '' Last weekend , while Obama was canvassing for support in Holland , Ohio , the Democratic nominee ran into a man since dubbed Joe the plumber . In that exchange `` Joe '' asked Obama if he believed in the American Dream -- he said he was about to buy a company that makes more than $ 250,000 a year and was concerned that Obama would tax him more because of it . Obama explained his tax plan in depth , saying it 's better to lower taxes for Americans who make less money , so that they could afford to buy from his business . At the debate Wednesday , McCain characterized Obama 's plan as trying to `` spread the wealth around . '' Watch the candidates debate tax plans '' `` We 're going to take Joe 's money , give it to Sen. Obama , and let him spread the wealth around . I want Joe the plumber to spread the wealth around , '' McCain said . He added , `` Why would you want to increase anybody 's taxes right now ? Why would you want to do that to anyone , anyone in America , when we have such a tough time ? '' Obama countered that both he and McCain want to cut taxes , but that his plan would cut taxes for `` 95 percent of American families , '' more than McCain 's plan . On spending , Obama promised as president he would `` go through the federal budget page by page , line by line , and cut programs that do n't work , '' echoing a vow his rival has made repeatedly . McCain in turn promised an `` across the board spending freeze . '' He said he would balance the federal budget in four years , and went on to name specific programs including subsidies for ethanol when Schieffer pressed both candidates to identify specific budget cuts they would make . The candidates also talked about abortion rights , a topic not addressed in the previous presidential debate . Watch the candidates debate abortion '' McCain refused to commit to nominating only judges who opposed abortion , saying he would `` never impose a litmus test '' on court nominees . But he qualified the statement a moment later , saying he would base his nominations on `` qualifications '' -- and that he did not believe a judge who supported Roe v. Wade , the case that legalized abortion , `` would be part of those qualifications . '' McCain hammered Obama on abortion , accusing him of `` aligning himself with the extreme aspect of the pro-abortion movement in America . '' Obama rejected the charge out of hand , saying : `` Nobody is pro-abortion . '' He advocated sex education as a way of reducing the number of unintended pregnancies that result in abortions . `` We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth , communicating that sexuality is sacred and they should not be engaged in cavalier activity , '' he said . At the conclusion of the debate , Schieffer signed off with a line borrowed from his mother : `` Go vote now . It will make you feel big and strong . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday she is `` praying '' that President Bush has a change of heart and does not veto a bipartisan children 's health insurance bill that he has labeled an unwarranted expansion of government-run health insurance . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi applauds after signing the State Children 's Health Insurance legislation Friday . `` The tide is going a different way than a presidential veto would reflect , '' Pelosi , a California Democrat , said . `` It was with great friendship that I reached out to the president this morning to say that I was still praying that he would have a change of heart and sign this legislation . '' `` I think I have to pray a little harder , but I will not give up , '' Pelosi said . Pelosi 's comments came a day after the Senate voted 67-29 for the measure , which would expand the State Children 's Health Insurance program by up to 4 million children . White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Friday said Bush still intends to veto the bill when it arrives at his desk . Perino also said the disagreement between Congress and the White House was a simple policy difference , not `` about who cares about children more than the other . '' `` The president is saying , ` Let 's take care of the neediest children first , let 's not put scarce federal dollars toward a program that was meant for the poorest children and let it creep up to middle-income families with incomes up to $ 83,000 a year , ' '' Perino said . Bush and many Republicans contend that the program 's original intent -- to give parents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy private insurance coverage for their children -- would be changed under the current bill , prompting parents to wind up dropping private coverage their children already have to get cheaper coverage under the bill . Perino also objected that the rhetoric surrounding the SCHIP bill has become too heated . `` I think it is preposterous for people to suggest the president of the United States does n't care about children , that he wants children to suffer , '' Perino said . The bill enjoys bipartisan support . Eighteen Republican senators Thursday night joined all the Democrats in voting for expanding the popular program from its current annual budget of $ 5 billion to $ 12 billion for the next five years . Four senators -- Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas and Democrats Joseph Biden of Delaware and Barack Obama of Illinois -- did not vote . With the current program scheduled to expire Saturday , the White House encouraged Congress to send the president a continuing resolution extending the program . `` We should take this time to arrive at a more rational , bipartisan SCHIP reauthorization bill that focuses on children in poor families who do n't currently have insurance , rather than raising taxes to cover people who already have private insurance , '' Perino added . Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah was among those Republicans who split from the president . `` It 's very difficult for me to be against a man I care so much for , '' he told his colleagues on the Senate floor prior to the vote . `` It 's unfortunate that the president has chosen to be on what , to me , is clearly the wrong side of this issue . '' Though 67 votes in the 100-person chamber would suffice to overturn a veto , the House version , which was approved Tuesday , fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA officials and a Jordanian military officer last week in Afghanistan was a Jordanian double-agent , a former U.S. intelligence official told CNN Monday . The bomber was a source who came to the base camp in Khost near the Pakistan border for a meeting on December 30 , a senior U.S. official also confirmed . The man had been used by both countries ' intelligence services in the past , and had provided information about high-value targets , the senior U.S. official said . `` Yes , it was a joint U.S.-Jordanian source who had provided over the period of his cooperation a lot of very detailed good information that was of high interest at the most senior levels of the U.S government , '' the former U.S. intelligence official said . The security breach occurred because the bomber was met off-base by U.S. intelligence officials who failed to search him before they put him in a car and drove him onto Forward Operating Base Chapman , the former intelligence official said . Both the Jordanian and U.S. intelligence services believed the man was loyal , according to the former intelligence official . `` Clearly there is a lot of soul searching '' at CIA headquarters in Virginia , according to the former intelligence official . The bomber was identified as Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi , from the Jordanian town of Zarqa , also home to the late Abu Musab al Zarqawi , the one-time leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq , the former intelligence official said . Both the Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed al Balawi had been rehabilitated from extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al Zawahiri , the second-ranking al Qaeda official to Osama bin Laden , the former intelligence official said . Jordanian intelligence services have long covertly cooperated with the United States , specifically in the hunt for al Zawahiri and bin Laden , because of the ability of Jordanian agents to blend into the al Qaeda organization , noted the former intelligence official . Also killed in last week 's attack in Afghanistan was Jordanian Army Captain Sharif Ali bin Zeid , a cousin of King Abdullah of Jordan . The Jordanian government has not publicly commented on the specific circumstances of bin Zeid 's death , but U.S. sources confirmed bin Zeid was present and was the Jordanian operative working closely with al Balawi . The CIA refused to comment Monday , saying the matter was under investigation . The bodies of the seven CIA employees were flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to a private ceremony attended by CIA Director Leon Panetta , other agency and national security officials , and friends and family . A Jordanian official who did not want to be identified said bin Zeid `` was killed on Wednesday in the line of duty as he was taking part in a humanitarian mission carried out by the Jordan Armed Forces in Afghanistan . '' The Jordanian official added : `` Jordan 's position in the war on terror is clear ; we are fully committed to fighting al Qaeda , which is a threat to Jordan as it is a threat to the United States . We are also committed to continuing our cooperation with the United States and the international community in the fight against terror and in defeating al Qaeda . '' In a posting on its Web site last week , the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed the bomber was an Afghan National Army soldier . On Sunday , however , Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in an e-mail that `` we claim the responsibility for the attack on the CIA in Afghanistan . '' `` The suicide bomber was a Jordanian national . This will be admitted by the CIA and the Jordanian government '' the message said . The attack occurred at a forward operating base , which a U.S. intelligence official acknowledged was a crucial CIA post and a `` hub of activity . '' The main purpose of CIA forward operating bases in Afghanistan , officials have noted , is to recruit informants and to plan and coordinate covert operations , including drone surveillance and targeting . The attack was `` a huge blow , symbolically and tactically , '' because it eliminated such a large number of CIA officers , who can require years to become ingrained in the region , said Reva Bhalla , director of analysis for STRATFOR -- an international intelligence company . In addition , the attack showed the ability of the Taliban to penetrate perhaps the most difficult of targets -- a CIA base , she said . Former CIA official Robert Richer called it `` the greatest loss of life for the Central Intelligence Agency since the Beirut Embassy bombing '' in 1983 , which killed eight agents . An American intelligence official vowed last week that the United States would avenge the attack . Two of those killed were contractors with private security firm Xe , formerly known as Blackwater , a former intelligence official told CNN . The CIA considers contractors to be officers . On Sunday , a local administration official and an intelligence official told CNN that two guided missiles struck a compound in the Pakistani village of Musaki in North Waziristan suspected of being a gathering place for local and foreign militants . The attack killed Sadiq Noor , a teacher ; his 9-year-old son ; and three people from outside the country , according to the sources , who said the missiles were believed to have been fired by an unmanned drone . There was no immediate U.S. confirmation of the missile attack .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter extended their lead at the top of Serie A to nine points after beating AC Milan 2-1 in a thrilling San Siro derby on Sunday , dealing a fatal blow to their city rivals ' Serie A title hopes in the process . Dejan Stankovic celebrates scoring Inter 's second goal in the superb 2-1 victory over city rivals AC Milan . Jose Mourinho 's side , who were the home team in the 150th league meeeting between the two Italian giants , should have taken an 18th minute lead when a fine flowing move resulted in Esteban Cambiasso crossing from the left for Dejan Stankovic to score . However , the Serbian midfielder just delayed his shot on goal , allowing Masssimo Ambrosini to come back and produce a goal-saving challenge in the area . Inter did eventually take the lead in the 29th minute , but the goal was shrouded in controversy . Maicon 's cross from the right was met by the head of fellow-Brazilian Adriano , but the effort clearly brushed off the striker 's arm before finding its way into the net . Milan were struggling to cope with the pace of Inter 's attacks and it was no surprise when the league leaders doubled their advantage two minutes before half-time . A long free-kick out of defense was headed down by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dejan Stankovic was on hand to crack home a superb shot on the half-volley . Inter were inches from making it 3-0 in the 47th minute when Milan again failed to deal with a long ball . Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze slipped over when trying to deal with the danger , allowing Adriano a free run on goal . However , the striker fired just wide with Ibrahimovic unmarked in the area begging for the ball . David Beckham had a quiet match for Milan and the England midfielder was eventually substituted in the 55th minute for Filippo Inzaghi , seemingly holding a hamstring injury . The chances kept coming for Inter . On the hour mark the superb Ibrahimovic was denied by a brilliant reflex save from goalkeeper Christian Abbiati . However , against the run of play , Milan gave themselves hope with a 71st minute strike . Ronaldinho produced some Brazilian magic to lay a delightful ball through for Marek Jankulovski on the left -- and the Czech layed a simple pass square for Alexander Pato to find the corner of the net . That goal brought Milan to life . Inzaghi had a shot well saved by goalkeeper Julio Cesar and the same player then headed home a Pato cross , but the linesman correctly flagged for offside . The longer the game went on , Pato began to have more influence , and the teenager nearly levelled for Milan in the 78th minute but Cesar did well to save with his feet . Then , in the final minute , Inzaghi again went desperately close , producing another fine save from Cesar as Inter held on for a classic and vital victory . Meanwhile , Juve 's title hopes were dealt another blow as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sampdoria -- meaning Claudio Ranieri 's side have now won just one of their last four matches . The visitors took a 10th minute lead when Giampaolo Pazzini was left unmarked to score from a pass from Antonio Cassano . The home side dominated proceedings but could only score once when Amauri headed home a Sebastian Giovinco cross in the 62nd minute . Despite plenty of chances , the hosts could not find the winning goal , with Pavel Nedved -LRB- twice -RRB- and Alessandro Del Piero hitting the woodwork . Elsewhere , Fiorentina held on to fourth spot and the final Champions League qualifying position as they remarkably came back from 3-0 down at Genoa to snatch a 3-3 draw with Adrian Mutu 's equalizer deep into injury time . Roma , who had won 10 of their previous 13 matches , drop to sixth after they were well beaten 3-0 at Atalanta , for whom Cristiano Doni scored twice .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Hillary Clinton received the most votes in two pivotal Democratic primary contests Tuesday , scoring wins in Texas and Ohio that were considered critical to keeping alive her White House hopes . Sen. Hillary Clinton is the winner in Ohio and Texas primaries , but trails in the Texas caucuses . With 99 percent of precincts reporting in Ohio , Clinton had 54 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Sen. Barack Obama . The race was closer in Texas where , with 99 percent of precincts in , Clinton had 51 percent to Obama 's 48 percent . A complicated formula in Texas that weighs delegates more heavily in highly populated areas and includes a caucus that was still being tallied Wednesday afternoon meant the delegate count there remained unclear . Obama was leading Clinton in the caucus vote 56 percent to 44 percent with 38 percent of the state counted , party officials said . The party will split 67 delegates between the candidates in proportion to the final caucus results . Watch an I-Report video from a Democratic caucus '' A final tally was not expected until Thursday afternoon , officials said . Regardless , the two wins were crucial for Clinton , who would have found it difficult to continue the race if Obama won big Tuesday . `` For everyone across America who has been counted out but refused to be knocked out , for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up and for everyone who works hard and never gives up , this one is for you , '' Clinton said to a cheering crowd in Columbus , Ohio . Watch Clinton thank backers '' After a month of losses to Obama , Clinton had been expected to do well in Ohio -- where the blue-collar workers who have consistently supported her throughout the campaign make up a large chunk of the Democratic base . But with polls showing the Ohio contest neck-and-neck in the days leading up to the primary , Clinton got a boost from female voters and those who only recently made up their minds . According to CNN exit polling , 59 percent of the voters in the state 's Democratic primary were women . Those female voters favored Clinton over Obama , 58 percent to 40 percent . In the past week , Clinton sharpened her attacks on Obama -- questioning whether he has enough experience to lead the nation and attempting to cast doubt on his opposition to international trade agreements that many in Ohio feel have led to job losses . Poll results suggest it may have worked . Among those polled , 64 percent of those who decided their vote in the last three days chose Clinton . Clinton was believed to need strong performances in Tuesday 's contests in Ohio and Texas to halt Obama 's momentum in the race and stay alive in the hunt for the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination . As early returns were counted Tuesday , Obama ran a string of consecutive victories to 12 with a lopsided win in Vermont . With 99 percent of precincts reporting , he led Clinton 59 percent to 39 percent . But Clinton snapped that streak in Rhode Island . With 98 percent of precincts reporting , Clinton had taken 58 percent of the vote to Obama 's 40 percent . Speaking in San Antonio , Texas , Obama told supporters he expected to hold a similar delegate lead over Clinton after Tuesday 's races to the one he held before . `` We know this -- no matter what happens tonight , we have nearly the same delegate lead we had this morning and we are on the way to winning this nomination , '' he said to cheers and chants of his trademark phrase , `` Yes we can . '' Watch an excerpt of Obama 's speech to supporters '' With Texas ' delegates still to be awarded , Clinton had picked up 22 delegates after results in Ohio , Rhode Island and Vermont were tallied . Obama entered the day holding a lead of just over 100 delegates , with 1,369 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton 's 1,267 , according to CNN estimates . In Ohio , harsh weather and balloting problems stretched the polling well into the evening . With polls slated to close at 7:30 p.m. , state elections officials decided to extend voting until 9 p.m. in northern Ohio 's Sandusky County . The area was hit by freezing rain for much of the day , and ballot shortages were reported in the Cleveland and Columbus areas -- also causing the polls to be open until 9 p.m. Texas , with its 193 Democratic delegates , and Ohio , with 141 , were the biggest prizes in Tuesday 's contests . There were 15 Democratic delegates at stake in Vermont and 21 in Rhode Island . ` Texas two-step ' Texas ' results may not be as easy to measure as counting votes . In what pundits have been calling the `` Texas two-step , '' the state 's Democratic Party held a primary election , in which 126 delegates were awarded , and a post-election caucus in which another 67 are at stake . It 's possible for the loser of the primary to win more delegates with a strong showing in the caucuses . Texas ' method of awarding delegates in the primary -- with more delegates coming from large population centers like Houston , Dallas and Austin -- further complicates the matter . As polling places closed Tuesday , Texans reportedly lined up in bigger-than-expected numbers for the caucuses -- in some places lining up in parking lots and overflowing buildings where caucuses were held . Party officials Wednesday said 1.1 million voters participated in the caucuses . A CNN I-Reporter in Houston said there were hundreds of people at his polling place -- he said he waited more than an hour just to sign in . At an Austin caucus , about 800 people showed up -- far outstripping expectations and causing organizers to stand on tables and yell to organize caucus-goers , one voter said . Clinton supporters had said a strong performance would keep her campaign alive . Weeks ago , former President Clinton predicted his wife would need wins in Texas and Ohio to stay in the race . `` If Hillary Clinton gets out a small win in Ohio and Texas , it will be like Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow , '' said political adviser and Clinton supporter Paul Begala , referring to the six more weeks of winter the groundhog is said to predict . The Obama campaign , however , said the arithmetic of the delegate count will make it difficult for Clinton to overcome Obama 's lead . `` They 've had a really bad run and they have to rationalize continuing , '' said Obama spokesman David Axelrod . `` We 've won more popular votes and more delegates , and they have to give some rationale for staying in this race . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She lived the life of a little girl 's dream . From the time she visited SeaWorld as a 9-year-old , Dawn Brancheau was hooked . From then on , her family said , she was determined to be an animal trainer when she grew up . `` It was her dream job , '' Brancheau 's sister , Diane Gross , said Thursday . `` And our family got to ride along with her in her dream . '' But on Wednesday , Brancheau , 40 , died at the Orlando , Florida , park after a killer whale named Tilikum -- a whale she trained and cared for -- grabbed her ponytail and dragged her underwater in front of stunned onlookers . The Orange County medical examiner determined that she probably died from `` multiple traumatic injuries and drowning , '' the Orange County Sheriff 's Office said Thursday . `` She loved the animals like they were her own children , '' Gross said . `` She went to work every day . She loved what she did . '' Brancheau was the youngest of six children , born in Cedar Lake , Indiana . She attended Andrean High , a small Catholic school in Merrillville , Indiana , where she was a cheerleader , on the golf and track teams , and student council president . `` She was so involved with the different clubs . She was the homecoming queen , the prom queen ; she was pretty much everything , '' said Dave Pishkur , the school 's alumni director . Pishkur said Brancheau always talked about working with animals one day , and when she returned to Merrillville in 2007 for her 20th high school reunion , he remembers her being very attached to her whales . `` When we asked her if she had kids , she said , ' I do n't have time for a family now . My kids are my whales , ' '' Pishkur recalled . `` It 's devastating to think about what occurred , '' he added . Brancheau had worked at SeaWorld for 17 years , according to a SeaWorld spokeswoman Leigh Andrus . `` She was one of our most experienced killer whale trainers , '' Andrus said . Gross said her sister `` loved her whales . She loved her family , and she will be dearly missed . She was a wonderful sister and daughter and aunt to many nieces and nephews . '' She also leaves behind a husband , Scott . In a 2000 interview with CNN affiliate WESH-TV , Brancheau talked about the need to stay physically fit in order to deal with the physical exertion needed to work with the orca whales . She said she ran marathons , cycled and lifted weights to stay in the best condition possible . `` You want to prevent any injury and stay in great physical fitness so you can stay strong out there in the water with the animals , '' she said . `` Anything to keep you in shape for what we 're doing out there . '' She also said trainers have to get to know the animals ' behavior . `` We work with them day in and out , teaching them basic things as well as the more complicated moves that you see . '' SeaWorld has halted killer whale shows in all of its parks -- in Orlando ; San Antonio , Texas ; and San Diego , California -- until it can evaluate its safety protocols to provide the safest environment for its trainers . `` We will not move forward until that can happen with the trainers , '' Chuck Tompkins , SeaWorld 's curator for zoological operations , said on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` And out of respect for Dawn and her family , we want to take time to respect her , and that 's why currently we are not doing shows at SeaWorld , and we need to assure ourselves that we have the safest environment , '' he said . Dealing with a wild animal carries inherent risks . Tilikum has been linked to two other deaths . He and two other whales were involved in the drowning of a trainer at a Victoria , British Columbia , marine park in 1991 . The trainer fell into the whale tank at the Sea Land Marine Park Victoria and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched . In 1999 , Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld . Tompkins said that because of Tilikum 's size and his history , trainers did not get into the water with him . iReport : Photo shot moments before Sea World incident No funeral arrangements for Dawn Brancheau have been announced . Her family must now deal with the shock and sadness of losing their wife , sister and friend , who had lived a little girl 's dream . `` To me , she had the most awesome job in the world , and she was the best , '' Gross said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Palestinian Liberation Organization 's leadership reiterated its push for recognition as an independent state by the United Nations and condemning Israel 's latest proposal for new settlements on disputed territory , state-run media reported . Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas led the meeting in Ramallah on Thursday to discuss the official position , according to the official WAFA news agency . The U.N. Security Council 's admissions committee is set Friday to review the Palestinian application for statehood . Last week , the Middle East Quartet -- made up of the United States , the European Union , the United Nations and Russia -- called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within a month and set the end of 2012 as the deadline for their completion . But no such direct talks have taken place . Abbas has said repeatedly that the Palestinians would not return to negotiations until Israel halted all settlement construction and accepted 1967 border lines as a basis for the return to talks . Israel has maintained that negotiations should begin with no preconditions . Besides calling for negotiation , the Quartet also called on both sides to `` to refrain from provocative actions '' -- in part a veiled reference to Israeli settlement-building in land Israel occupied as a result of the 1967 Mideast War . This week , the Israeli Interior Ministry announced this week that a district planning committee had approved the construction of 1,100 homes in a southern Jerusalem neighborhood that was seized by Israel in 1967 . That decision will be open for public comment for the next 60 days , the ministry added . Yasser Abed Rabbo , secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization 's executive committee , read a statement after the meeting Thursday criticizing the Israeli move . Palestinians , who want the land Israel now occupies in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be part of a future Palestinian state . A day earlier , Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayyeh said the action suggests that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are not serious about making peace . `` He said at the United Nations he was giving his hand in peace , but actually , he is digging in the land to build more settlements , '' Shtayyeh said . He further called Israel 's move `` a slap in the face of the Quartet and the whole international community , which is saying ` stop settlements . ' '' In an interview with the daily Jerusalem Post , Netanyahu defended Israel 's right to build in Jerusalem . `` We plan in Jerusalem , we build in Jerusalem . Period . The same way Israeli governments have been doing for years . '' The Israeli move drew international criticism , with British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemning it while U.S. officials expressed disappointment . `` Settlement expansion is illegal under international law , corrodes trust and undermines the basic principle of land for peace , '' Hague said in a statement . `` We call on the government of Israel to revoke this decision . '' White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the United States was disappointed by Israel 's announcement , and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called it `` counterproductive to our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties . '' As for possible U.S. government criticism of the move , Netanyahu declared that the Americans `` know this -- they have followed this a long time . There is really nothing new . '' In the interview , Netanyahu also said Israel would not initiate another settlement freeze to get talks started again . `` We already gave at the office , '' he said , referring to a 10-month freeze enacted by his government last year .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spanish Primera Liga side Atletico Madrid have got one foot in the Champions League group stage after claiming a crucial 3-2 success at Greek side Panathinaikos in a tough qualifying round first leg encounter on Wednesday . Maxi Rodriguez celebrates scoring the opening goal in Atletico Madrid 's 3-2 win in Greece . The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute when Diego Forlan set up Maxi Rodriguez who took the ball around Panathinaikos goalkeeper Mario Galinovic to score . Panathinaikos levelled in the 47th minute when Dimitris Salpingidis , who had an earlier goal disallowed , flicked the ball over Atletico keeper Sergio Asenjo . However , Forlan restored the Spaniards ' lead in the 63rd minute when he followed-up Rodriguez 's blistering drive which had come back off the post . In-demand Argentine striker Sergio Aguero made it 3-1 in the 70th minute but Panathinaikos substitute Sebastian Leto closed the gap four minutes later to give the Greek side some hope . In the night 's other matches , French side Lyon stormed closer to a 10th successive group stage appearance with a tumping 5-1 victory over Anderlecht . The Ligue 1 outfit had the match sewn up before half-time with Miralem Pjanic , a Lisandro Lopez penalty , Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis giving them a four-goal cushion . Anderlecht , beaten in Champions League qualifying for the last two seasons , pulled one back through Matias Suarez in the 58th minute , but Claude Puel 's Lyon side restored their four-goal advantage inside five minutes with Gomis grabbing his second of the night . Swiss side FC Zurich took a giant step closer to playing in the competition for the first time in 28 years by claiming a 3-0 lead at Latvian side Ventspils . Goals from Johan Vonlathen , Sylvan Aegerter and Dusan Djuriuc look almost certain to put Zurich into the last 32 of the competition . Debrecen edged closer to becoming Hungary 's first Champions League group stage participants since 1996 when they claimed a 2-1 advantage at Levski Sofia in Bulgaria . Laszlo Bodnar gave the Hungarians the lead but Levski levelled at the start of the second period with a fine strike from Cedric Bardon . However , 14 minutes from time , Peter Czvitkovics claimed Debrecen 's winner . Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa were also winners on the road with a goal six minutes from time from substitute Shlomi Arbeitman earning a 2-1 win at Salzburg . Georgian striker Vladimer Dvalishvili headed Haifa in front before Alexander Zickler equalized on 57 minutes for the Austrians .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Floyd Mayweather Junior has confirmed that he will fight WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 1 following the controversial collapse of his much-hyped showdown with Manny Pacquiao . The 38-year-old Mosley , a three-weight world title winner , had already signed up for the bout at the MGM Grand , which will take place under the Olympic-style random blood testing drug protocols that Pacquiao refused to accept . The undefeated Mayweather , a six-time world champion at five different weights and Pacquiao 's chief rival for the pound-for-pound bragging stakes , said in a statement that he was looking forward to taking on his fellow American . `` This one is definitely for the fans as I was n't going to waste anyone 's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately , '' the 32-year-old said . `` I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best . I think Shane is one of the best , but come May 1 , he still wo n't be great enough to beat me . Mosley had been due for a unification bout on January 30 with Andre Berto , who claimed the WBC title that Mayweather vacated when he retired in 2008 , but the fight was scrapped when his opponent lost family members in the Haiti earthquake . `` I have always wanted to fight Floyd , and now it is finally coming true , '' Mosley said . `` I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger , faster and better than he is . I will have no problem beating him . '' Mosley 's promoter Golden Boy took the chance to have a dig at Filipino star Pacquiao over his refusal to undergo blood testing in the lead-up to the planned fight with Mayweather . `` Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather , but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport , '' Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer said . Leonard Ellerbe , his counterpart at Mayweather Promotions , also weighed in on the matter . `` Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years , so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane . He ca n't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level , '' Ellerbe said . `` More importantly , he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters . '' Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Ghana 's Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13 before returning to politics as he seeks election in his local constituency .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad has announced he has pulled out of a peace deal in the violence-plagued Swat Valley , saying the government is not serious about implementing Islamic law , or sharia , in the region . Supporters of cleric Sufi Mohammad gather as they march during a peace rally in the Swat Valley . Mohammad brokered the cease-fire in late February between the Pakistani government and his son-in-law , Maulana Fazlullah , who commands the Taliban in Swat Valley . With the deal , the area would come under sharia law , which -- under the Taliban 's strict interpretation -- would prevent women from even being seen in public without their husbands or fathers . Mohammad has set up a protest camp at the headquarters of his son-in-law 's Taliban-aligned group , Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi -LRB- TNSM -RRB- , according to a police official . The headquarters are located in Batkhelah in the Malakand agency of North West Frontier Province . Speaking to reporters Thursday , Mohammad expressed frustration that President Asif Ali Zardari had not signed off on the peace deal . He blamed the Pakistani government for any bloodshed that might follow . Watch how peace talks have hit a hurdle '' Mohammad 's pullout does not automatically mean the deal is over . The Taliban , itself , has not announced whether or not it too is pulling out . A lawmaker with the Awami National Party -LRB- ANP -RRB- of the North West Frontier Province -- where Swat is located -- said he did not expect fighting to resume . `` God willing , there wo n't be anything that happens to take this -LSB- peace -RSB- out of our hands , '' said Hashem Baber of the ANP . The province 's government will send a contingent to meet with Mohammed and hear his complaints . `` We 'll meet and talk and if they have an complaints , we 'll try to push those away and solve the situation to get back to the peace deal , '' Baber said . Critics of the cease-fire have called it a major concession by the Pakistani government in an attempt to hold off Taliban attacks . Indeed , after the deal went into effect , Fazlullah proclaimed himself the Emir of Swat . Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan 's biggest tourist destinations . It is near the Afghanistan border and is 186 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- from the capital , Islamabad . The central government has long exerted little control in the area , but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants from areas of the North West Frontier Province As retaliation for the military presence , the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks , beheadings and destruction of girls ' schools . They also continued to gain ground , setting up checkpoints throughout the area . Sufi Mohammad was released from jail last year by Pakistani authorities after he agreed to cooperate with the government . He was detained in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan . Fazlullah took over TNSM during Sufi Mohammed 's jail stint and vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region . Last May , Pakistan 's government announced it reached a peace deal with militants in Swat Valley . In the months that followed , the Taliban seized control of the region and carried out a violent campaign against government officials , including local politicians . The head of the secular Awami National Party -- which represents the region -- was forced to flee to Islamabad amid death threats from the Taliban . Pakistan is under enormous pressure to control the militants within its borders , blamed for launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan where U.S. and NATO forces are fighting militants . The United States -- using unmanned drones -- has carried out several airstrikes inside Pakistan on suspected militant targets , including one on Wednesday that killed three suspected Taliban militants in the tribal region . Such incursions have infuriated many Pakistanis and their leaders . Pakistan 's military operation in the region is unpopular among Pakistanis , but efforts to deal diplomatically with militants have not worked in the past . Pakistan 's previous leader , Gen. Pervez Musharraf , reached a cease-fire deal with militants in South Waziristan in 2006 which was widely blamed for giving al Qaeda and the Taliban a stronger foothold in the region . CNN 's Zein Basravi contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Citing security concerns , the U.S. State Department has revoked the visas it recently issued to three Gaza students who were awarded Fulbright scholarships to study in the United States . Sari Bashi , who advocates freedom of movement for Palestinians , says their access to education is restricted . It marks the second time in two months that the United States has gone back on its offer to the Palestinian students to take part in the American government-sponsored scholarship program . The three students who had their visas revoked were sent a letter from the American Consulate in Jerusalem , dated August 4 . `` The Department of State has revoked your nonimmigrant visa '' because `` information has come to light that you may be inadmissible to the United States and ineligible to receive a visa under Section 212 -LRB- A -RRB- -LRB- 3 -RRB- of the Immigration and Nationality Act , which prohibits issuance of a visa to aliens for security and related grounds , '' the letter said . The letter did not elaborate on what the security concerns were . A State Department official told CNN that the agency could not disclose any information about the reason for the visa revocation , but that the students would be allowed to reapply for a visa at some point in the future . The three students are among seven Gaza-based Fulbright scholars who made headlines when in May the State Department sent them e-mail notifications saying their scholarships could not be completed because the Israeli government would not issue them exit visas from Gaza . State Department spokesman Sean McCormack admitted that the U.S. authorities had not taken up the matter with Israel until after the matter became public . The scholarships were only reinstated after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed her unhappiness with the situation and the State Department spokesman admitted that a `` faulty decision-making process '' led to the communication . According to Sari Bashi , the executive-director of Gisha , an Israeli non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of movement for Palestinians and has been working closely with the students , four of the seven Fulbright students were cleared for travel out of Gaza by Israel , but the remaining three were prevented from leaving Gaza by the Israeli government , citing security concerns . In an unusual move , the American Consulate in Jerusalem processed the remaining three students ' visa applications with mobile fingerprinting equipment at the Israel - Gaza border and granted the visas three weeks later at the end of July . Bashi said on Tuesday that one of the three students , Fidaa Abed , had already left Gaza for the United States and upon arrival at the airport in Washington was informed that his visa had been revoked and was sent back to Amman , Jordan , with instructions to return to Gaza . The other two Fulbright students remain in Gaza . Bashi said that while the situation of the three students is one of `` tremendous concern , '' it only underscores what she says is the larger problem of lack of access to higher education for hundreds of Gaza students who have been accepted into universities outside of Gaza but are prevented from leaving due to Israeli restrictions . Bashi said that `` alongside the few students denied visas for procedural , technical , or undisclosed security reasons , there are hundreds of students with valid visas in danger of losing their places at foreign universities because Israel refuses to even consider their requests to leave Gaza . `` Denying talented young people their right to access education does not contribute to building a better future in the region , '' Bashi said . Israeli government officials have long maintained that its restrictions on allowing students to travel outside of Gaza are based only on security considerations . `` We do act to facilitate students wishing to study at Western universities where they are exposed to liberal and democratic values , '' an Israeli government official said on Tuesday . But , the official said , Israel distinguishes between students wanting to study in the West and those wanting to study in places like Pakistan , Saudi Arabia or Syria or the West Bank . In the case of the West Bank , the official said Hamas could use this as a way of strengthening its activist base in the West Bank , which would be detrimental to Israel 's security . `` There is no reason why we should do that , '' the Israeli official said . On the matter of the three students , the official said : `` The process of Israeli-American contacts on the matter did not cease , and more specific information was provided . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama addressed Congress shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday , but a casual viewer might have believed it was actually morning in America . President Obama takes a page from Ronald Reagan 's playbook in his speech to Congress . `` Morning in America '' was the theme of Ronald Reagan 's 1984 re-election campaign , and it was front and center in Obama 's most critical event since Inauguration Day . The president who has pledged to reverse much of Reagan 's economic revolution took a page from the 40th president 's playbook in his 52-minute speech , striking a defiantly optimistic tone that belied the nation 's sour mood and rebutted critics who have accused him of intentionally talking down the economy for short-term political gain . `` Though we are living through difficult and uncertain times , tonight I want every American to know this : We will rebuild , we will recover and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before , '' Obama declared to a thunderous round of applause from a packed House chamber . See video highlights of the speech , issue by issue '' Delivered against a backdrop of dismal economic news and with polls showing overwhelming majorities of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track , Obama 's first speech to Congress amounted to a political tour de force . He proposed what many claim is a complete overhaul of the country 's economic foundation while ripping his conservative predecessors for transferring `` wealth to the wealthy '' and gutting regulations `` for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market . '' And he did it while employing some of Reagan 's favorite rhetorical tools . Obama stuck to a fairly short list of priorities while invoking traditional American values of responsibility , hard work and thrift to pound home a back-to-basics message . iReport.com : ` Obama just replaced Reagan ' `` A generosity , a resilience , a decency and a determination that perseveres ; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity ... Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure , '' he said . It is time , he declared , to `` summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit . '' Ideological differences aside , the nation 's 44th president has made no secret of his admiration for his Republican predecessor . `` Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not , and a way that Bill Clinton did not , '' Obama argued at the start of last year 's Democratic primaries . Reagan , Obama said , knew that Americans `` want clarity . We want optimism . We want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that -LSB- has -RSB- been missing . '' Tuesday night 's speech featured all of those elements . `` The answers to our problems do n't lie beyond our reach . They exist ... in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth , '' Obama said . What did you think of the speech ? Rate it through our CNN report card '' The president 's agenda as defined in his address to Congress may have been the most ambitious in a generation or even two , but it was also easily boiled down to a few bullet points : restore financial stability , strengthen education and promote energy independence and health care reform . It was , in many ways , the mirror image of 1981 , when a newly inaugurated Reagan used the combination of stagnating economic growth and skyrocketing inflation to promote an equally ambitious , simple agenda : cut taxes , shrink government and build up the defense budget . `` You never want a serious crisis to go to waste , '' White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said shortly after the election in November . In fact , Obama 's team believes that their boss has already trumped both the Great Communicator and Obama 's immediate Democratic predecessor . Reagan did n't get his economic agenda passed until summer 1981 , a senior White House official noted before the speech Tuesday . And when then-President Bill Clinton delivered his first speech to a joint session of Congress in 1993 , he had only passed the Family and Medical Leave Act and was struggling politically because of the gays-in-the-military flap . In contrast , Obama has already signed into law a sweeping $ 787 billion economic plan , an expansion of children 's health insurance coverage and pay equity legislation . The senior official boasted that Obama has `` gotten more done in 30 days ... than any modern president . '' When he took office in 1981 , Reagan said , `` Government is not the solution to our problem ; government is the problem . '' Obama 's response came Tuesday night : `` I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves , that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity . '' It is morning in America again . A new day has clearly dawned .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Back in his native South Korea , the Korean Foreign Ministry nicknamed him `` Ban-chusa , '' meaning `` the Bureaucrat '' or `` the administrative clerk . '' U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments . While Ban Ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill , he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors , while the Korean press called him `` the slippery eel '' for his ability to dodge questions . But on October 13 , 2006 , South Korea 's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was elected to be the eighth Secretary-General by the United Nations General Assembly . Following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side , Ban surprised the audience of a UN Correspondents ' dinner that December by singing `` Ban Ki-moon is coming to town '' on the melody of `` Santa Claus Is Coming to Town . '' Ban was born on 13 June 1944 . He received a bachelor 's degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970 , and a master 's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985 . He and his wife , Yoo -LRB- Ban -RRB- Soon-taek , whom he met in high school in 1962 , have one son and two daughters . In addition to Korean , Ban speaks fluent English and is studying French . Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea from January 2004 to November 2006 . His tenure included postings in New Delhi , Washington D.C. and Vienna , while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as Foreign Policy Advisor to the President , Chief National Security Adviser to the President , Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs . Throughout this service , his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula , playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world . Ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations . In 1992 , as Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister , he served as Vice Chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula . In September 2005 , as Foreign Minister , he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula with the adoption at the Six Party Talks of the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue . In January 2007 Ban succeeded Kofi Annan and has since pushed the Sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in Darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Millions of poor American children have untreated tooth decay , some of them because they can not find a dentist willing to treat them , a federal report issued Tuesday said . Only 1 in 3 children in Medicaid received any dental care over a year time span , according to a new report . `` Dental disease remains a significant problem for children aged 2 through 18 in Medicaid , '' the U.S. Government Accountability Office report concluded , referring to the federal\/state health program for poor people . According to the report , which used data from 1999 to 2004 , about 6.5 million children enrolled in Medicaid had untreated tooth decay in 2005 and were nearly twice as likely as children with private health insurance to have untreated tooth decay . The GAO report was ordered after widespread publicity of the case of Deamonte Driver , a 12-year-old boy boy who died last year in suburban Washington when an untreated infected tooth led to a brain infection . Driver `` had extensive dental disease and his family was unable to find a dentist to treat him , '' the report said . The report said 14.8 percent of Medicaid recipients said their children had not gotten necessary dental care because their dentist refused to accept Medicaid , which typically pays providers less than private insurers . `` Clearly , the oral health care system failed this young man , '' said Dr. Jane S. Grover , first vice president of the American Dental Association in testimony Tuesday to the Committee on House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy . `` All of us -- practitioners , payers , parents and policymakers -- need to come together and make the system work for the most vulnerable among us , '' she said . The report found that , nationwide , only one in three children in Medicaid had received any dental care in the year before the survey was carried out , and one in eight reportedly had never seen a dentist . In comparison , more than half of children with private health insurance had gotten dental care during the prior year . `` Fundamental changes to the Medicaid program are long overdue to prevent the possibility of future tragedies like Deamonte and to ensure that all low-income children have the same access to oral health care services enjoyed by the majority of Americans , '' Grover said . Efforts are under way to fix the problem . She cited plans to open eight dental schools in addition to the 57 currently in existence and said a new job -- community dental health coordinator -- has been created . The coordinators will be trained to work in clinics and schools to ensure emergency care is provided to children , she said . `` If there had been a CDHC in the school that Deamonte Driver attended , we believe this tragedy could have been prevented , '' she said . `` Through a routine exam , a CDHC could have spotted a simple cavity , filled the cavity with a temporary filling , and made arrangements for care by a dentist , '' she said . The CDHC will also help families enroll in Medicaid and get transportation to appointments , she said . But even if the numbers of dentists increase , Congress must act to increase fees for those participating in Medicaid to match private rates , she said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has selected captain Michael Essien and defender John Mensah in his preliminary 29-man World Cup squad despite the duo still recovering from injuries . Midfielder Essien has not played for his English club Chelsea since December , when he suffered a hamstring injury before breaking down with a knee problem at the Africa Cup of Nations the following month . Mensah , who also plays in England on loan with Sunderland , has been sidelined with a calf injury arising from a physical complication which has plagued him in recent years . Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng , who also plays in England , was named by the Serbian coach on Tuesday despite still waiting for his nationality switch to be approved . Blog : `` Dynamite '' Drogba will explode at World Cup The Portsmouth player was born in Germany , who he has represented at under-21 level , but has a Ghanaian father and his uncle has played for the Black Stars . Rajevac has recalled Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari , who was dropped for the Africa Cup of Nations in January after deciding not to play in a friendly against Angola . New Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson named a predictably talent-laden 30-man squad , with his side favored to be the continent 's best prospect in South Africa . The Elephants , who face Brazil , Portugal and North Korea in Group G , can call upon the English Premier League 's top scorer Didier Drogba and his teammate at champions Chelsea , Salomon Kalou . The midfield ranks include Barcelona 's Champions League winner Yaya Toure , Hamburg 's Guy Demel and Cheick Tiote of Dutch champions FC Twente . Former England and Mexico coach Eriksson , who took over from Vahid Halilhodzic after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign , also has England-based defenders Emmanuel Eboue , Kolo Toure , Abdoulaye Meite and Steve Gohouri . Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen has given Rigobert Song the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup after naming the 33-year-old defender in his 30-man squad . Veteran midfielder Geremi , who also plays in Turkey , may play at his second tournament while Benoit Assou-Akotto is recalled after missing the Africa Cup of Nations through injury and his fellow Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong is included too after being omitted for the Angola event by the Frenchman . Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o will continue as captain , having replaced Song when Le Guen took charge last year . South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira named Benni McCarthy in his 29-man squad after the striker was dropped by predecessor Joel Santana and has struggled with injury since moving to English club West Ham in January . The Brazilian picked 10 Europe-based players , including captain Aaron Mokoena and midfielders Kagisho Dikgacoi and Steven Pienaar , but Nasief Morris of Spanish club Racing Santander missed out . Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback has given Nwankwo Kanu the chance to earn his third World Cup appearance despite the 33-year-old striker 's limited opportunities with English club Portsmouth this season . Kanu 's clubmate John Utaka has been recalled in the 30-man squad after being dropped by the Swede 's sacked predecessor Amodu Shaibu , while midfielder Jon Obi Mikel is included despite missing the end of Chelsea 's season due to minor knee surgery . Goalkeeper Bassey Akpan and Peter Suswan were the only Nigeria-based players selected . Algeria coach Rabah Saadane had yet to name his squad .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rina was almost a Category 3 hurricane as it careened near Honduras and Belize Wednesday before heading towards Cancun . The storm was packing 110 mph winds early Wednesday morning and moving at 3 mph , according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center . That is 1 mph away from a Category 3 hurricane . Forecast models show Rina strengthening into a Category 3 hurricane before approaching the Yucatan . The projected path shows Rina back at Category 2 intensity when it takes aim at Cancun on Thursday . Residents and worried travelers in Cancun stocked up on supplies Tuesday to prepare for the storm to hit the popular Mexican resort city . Carla Bautista bought bread , water and canned tuna . `` It 's my first hurricane . This is new . ... I 'm a little afraid , because I do n't know what to expect , '' said Bautista , 28 , who moved to Cancun two months ago from Mexico City . Mexican officials issued a hurricane warning for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from north of Punta Gruesa to Cancun as the Category 2 storm strengthened . Similarly , U.S. officials issued a travel alert , advising U.S. citizens in the area to prepare themselves for the possibility of a hurricane . Some tourists decided not to take any chances . `` We wanted to get out of there . ... We were on vacation and just did n't want to be stressed , '' said Kathy Davis , 57 , an American with a timeshare in Cancun . She said she and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the airport while waiting to catch a flight . In Cancun 's hotel area , crews were securing boats and clearing palm fronds and debris . Kelly McLaughlin moved her 6-year-old son 's toys inside and trimmed tree branches around her home . `` I 'm just checking everything to make sure there 's nothing loose , '' said McLaughlin , a Canadian who 's lived in Cancun for eight years . McLaughlin , 40 , said preparing for storms has become routine since Hurricane Wilma devastated the area in 2005 . `` My friends that are fairly new to Cancun are a lot more nervous and starting to get a little stressed , '' she said . `` I 'm just trying to keep everyone calm . '' Lines at supermarkets and gas stations were long , residents said . As of 2 a.m. ET Wednesday , the center of Rina was about 240 miles east-southeast of Chetumal , Mexico , and 250 miles southeast of Cozumel , Mexico . It was moving west at 3 mph , but was expected to gradually turn northwest and speed up over the next two days , forecasters said . CNN 's Catherine E. Shoiche and journalist Brisa Munoz of CNNMexico.com contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A crew member on a U.S.-flagged cargo ship captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia is suing his employers , claiming they sent him into pirate-infested waters without adequate protection , his attorney said Monday . Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse has been charged with piracy in federal court in New York . Richard Hicks of Royal Palm Beach , Florida , a crew member on the Maersk Alabama , filed suit Monday against Waterman Steamship Corp. and Maersk Line Limited , according to the attorney , Terry Bryant . A spokeswoman for Mobile , Alabama-based Waterman Steamship Corp. said she did not know about the suit and did not immediately comment . A spokeswoman for Maersk Line Limited did not immediately return a call from CNN seeking comment . The Maersk Alabama was hijacked by pirates April 8 . Hicks , working as chief steward and preparing food for other crew members , heard over the loudspeaker that pirates were on board , and he and other crew members gathered in the ship 's engine room for nearly 12 hours , according to a news release from Bryant . `` The engine room was dark and hot , maybe 130 degrees , '' Hicks said in the news release . `` We were all cramping up with heat stroke symptoms when we were able to take a pirate hostage and tried to negotiate the return of our captain . '' The pirates promised to exchange Capt. Richard Phillips for the pirate hostage , but reneged on that agreement , the news release . Phillips offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the freedom of his crew . He was held on a lifeboat until U.S. Navy snipers on a nearby ship fatally shot three pirates , rescued Phillips and arrested a fourth pirate . The ship 's owners -- the two companies -- knowingly exposed their employees to danger and took no steps to provide appropriate security and safety for the crew , Bryant alleges . `` Waterman Steamship Corp. and Maersk Line Limited chose to rely on the United States military and taxpayers to provide after-the-fact rescue operations , '' Bryant said in the news release . `` This choice caused substantially more cost and risk to human life than what would have been incurred by defendants had they provided appropriate levels of security in the first place . '' Hicks is seeking at least $ 75,000 , and `` reserves the right to amend this pleading for a certain amount in the future , as it is too early to determine the maximum amount of plaintiff 's damages , '' according to the suit . Hicks is still suffering from injuries as a result of the incident and is afraid to return to work , the news release said .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The remains of two U.S. contractors who were kidnapped in Iraq have been found , FBI officials said Monday . The bureau identified the two as Ronald Withrow of Roaring Springs , Texas , abducted on January 5 , 2007 , and John Roy Young of Kansas City , Missouri , who was captured on November 16 , 2006 . Withrow worked for Las Vegas , Nevada-based JPI Worldwide Inc. , and Young worked for Crescent Security Group . The FBI said it had notified the families of the contractors . Meanwhile , four U.S. soldiers died Sunday night in a roadside bombing in Iraq , military officials reported , bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war to 4,000 deaths . The four were killed when a homemade bomb hit their vehicle as they patrolled in a southern Baghdad neighborhood , the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq said . A fifth soldier was wounded . The grim milestone comes less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the start of the war . `` No casualty is more or less significant than another ; each soldier , Marine , airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic , '' said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith , the U.S. military 's chief spokesman in Iraq . `` Every single loss of a soldier , sailor , airman or Marine is keenly felt by military commanders , families and friends both in theater and at home . '' Of the 4,000 U.S. military personnel killed in the war , 3,263 have died in attacks and fighting and 737 in nonhostile incidents , such as traffic accidents and suicides . Eight of those killed were civilians working for the Pentagon . The numbers are based on Pentagon data counted by CNN . Check out a company that makes headstones for fallen U.S. troops '' President Bush made remarks about lives lost in Iraq at the State Department on Monday . `` One day , people will look back at this moment in history and say , ` Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve , because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come , ' '' he said . `` I have vowed in the past and I will vow so long as I 'm president to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain ; that , in fact , there 's an outcome that will merit the sacrifice that civilian and military alike have made . '' Also Sunday , at least 35 Iraqis died as the result of suicide bombings , mortar fire and the work of gunmen in cars who opened fire on a crowded outdoor market . Nearly 100 were wounded in the violence . Estimates of the Iraqi death toll since the war began range from about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands . Watch an Iraqi family talk about faith in a war zone '' Another 2 million Iraqis have been forced to leave the country , and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes within Iraq , according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees . Many of the Iraqis and U.S. troops killed over the years , like the four soldiers slain Sunday in Baghdad , have been targeted by improvised explosive devices -- the roadside bombs that have come to symbolize Iraq 's tenacious insurgency . Watch how the bombs have become a deadly staple '' The Pentagon 's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has been developed to counter the threat of roadside bombs in Iraq as well as Afghanistan . The group calls such bombs the `` weapon of choice for adaptive and resilient networks of insurgents and terrorists . '' Nearly 160,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq , and the war has cost U.S. taxpayers about $ 600 billion , according to the House Budget Committee . Senior U.S. military officials are preparing to recommend to Bush a four - to six-week pause in additional troop withdrawals from Iraq after the last of the so-called surge brigades leaves in July , CNN learned last week from U.S. military officials familiar with the recommendations but not authorized to talk about them . The return of all five brigades added to the Iraq contingent last year could reduce troop levels by up to 30,000 but still leave about 130,000 or more troops in Iraq . Also Monday , the U.S. military said six people killed in a weekend attack were `` terrorists '' and not members of an American-backed militia , as initially reported . Those first reports suggested the area of Saturday 's helicopter strike may have been a Sons of Iraq checkpoint . Such groups are generically referred to as Awakening Councils -- largely Sunni security forces that the U.S. military have recruited . A police official in the north-central city of Samarra said the helicopter mistakenly hit a Sons of Iraq checkpoint , killing the six . But the U.S. military said that it believes those killed were not part of the Sons of Iraq . `` I can tell you that two of these individuals were fiddling with something on the side of the road and trying to hide themselves under a blanket when they heard the helicopter , '' said Maj. Bradford Leighton . `` The location of the checkpoint was not at or near any known Sons of Iraq checkpoint . '' A joint Iraqi-U.S.-led coalition force is investigating the deaths . Other developments CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Kelli Arena contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thailand and Cambodia have called for dialogue as tensions continued to escalate over an ancient border temple on disputed land . Cambodian soldiers stand guard near Preah Vihear temple , close to the Thai border . The countries agreed to meet Monday even as each side deployed more troops to the site of the Preah Vihear temple , the national Thai News Agency reported Thursday . Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the 11th century temple , which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side . The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 , but the 1.8 square mile -LRB- 4.6 sq. km -RRB- area around it was never fully demarcated . Last week , the United Nations approved Cambodia 's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- places the U.N. says have outstanding universal value . The decision re-ignited tensions , with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple . Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government , which initially backed the heritage listing . Watch Thai villagers block anti-government demonstrators '' A Thai court overturned the pact , prompting the resignation of Thailand 's foreign minister , Noppadon Pattama . He had endorsed the application . Cambodia , meanwhile , is preparing for general elections on July 27 . And Prime Minister Hun Sen , who has been in power since the mid-1980s , has portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph . The current flare-up began Tuesday , when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area . Once they were let go , the trio refused to leave the territory , the Thai News Agency said . The Cambodian state-run news agency , AKP , said that Thailand sent troops to retrieve the men and gradually built up their numbers . Thailand denies the charge , saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory . The standoff continued Thursday , with each side asking troops to withhold fire unless they are fired upon , the news agencies said . Thailand has put its Air Force on standby to evacuate its nationals from Cambodia if tensions worsen , TNA said . So far , the only casualty has been a Thai soldier who was injured Tuesday by a landmine -- possibly left over from the time the Khmer Rouge occupied the area . The Khmer Rouge , a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 , won power through a guerrilla war . It is remembered for the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Cambodians .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Football dignitaries gathered in Sheffield , northern England , on Wednesday to kick off the 150th birthday celebrations of Sheffield FC -- the sport 's oldest club . FIFA chief Blatter was among those in Sheffield to kick off the 150th birthday celebrations of football 's oldest club . Guests of honor at a service at Sheffield Cathedral included Sepp Blatter , president of football world governing body FIFA , and Massimo Moratti , president of Italian giants Inter Milan who are scheduled to play a friendly against Sheffield FC next month . Other guests attending a dinner in the club 's honor included Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon and England and Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton . Pele -- widely recognized as the greatest footballer ever to play the game -- is also due in town next month to attend Sheffield FC 's clash with Inter . Blatter was unveiling a bust of the club 's co-founder William Prest -- one of two cricket fans who founded Sheffield FC , then known simply as Sheffield Club , on October 24 , 1857 after deciding they needed a new sport to keep them active during the winter . Many more football clubs soon sprung up and by 1862 there were said to be 15 in and around the Sheffield area . The Football Association -- which codified the basic rules of the modern game -- was established in London the following year . Sheffield FC was instrumental in developing set rules for the game . The club studied existing rules and laid down a code of laws , which formed the foundation of the first commonly-accepted set of rules for the sport , according to the Sheffield FC Web site . The team was also responsible for several innovations in the game -- including heading , which was unheard of until 1875 , when Sheffield traveled to London for a game . According to the team 's Web site , the sight of the Sheffield players using their foreheads in addition to their feet reduced the London crowd to hysterics . Other innovations attributed to the team include the solid crossbar on the goal , corner kicks , free kicks for fouls , and playing a match under floodlights . Despite its celebrated place in the history of the world 's most popular sport , Sheffield FC has never played at a professional level . The club currently competes in the Unibond League 's First Division South , seven divisions beneath the English Premier League . The city of Sheffield has two professional clubs -- United and Wednesday -- who both currently play in English football 's second tier , the Coca-Cola Championship . Sheffield FC 's proudest achievement on the pitch came in 1904 when the team beat Ealing 3-1 to win the FA Amateur Cup in front of 6,000 people . But 100 years later in 2004 , Blatter presented Sheffield FC with FIFA 's `` Order of Merit '' -- an honor previously awarded only to the nine-time European champions Real Madrid . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A bronze statue of Helen Keller was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers praised her as a trailblazer and an inspiration for those with disabilities . The Helen Keller statue depicts the moment when Anne Sullivan spelled `` W-A-T-E-R '' into the child 's hand `` Some are still dismissed and cast aside for nothing more than being less than perfect , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , said at the unveiling ceremony . `` The story of Helen Keller inspires us all . '' The statue shows Keller -- who lost her sight and hearing to illness when she was 19 months old -- standing at a water pump as a 7-year-old , a look of recognition on her face as water streams into her hand . It depicts the moment in 1887 when teacher Anne Sullivan spelled `` W-A-T-E-R '' into one of the child 's hands as she held the other under the pump . It 's the moment when Keller realized meanings were hidden in the manual alphabet shapes Sullivan had taught her to make with her hands . `` W-A-T-E-R , '' said Alabama Gov. Bob Riley . `` Five simple letters that helped rescue 7-year-old Helen Keller from a world of darkness and a world of silence . `` It is this defining moment that we celebrate today . And in time , this moment so vividly depicted by this statue helped the world to understand that all of us , regardless of any disability , have a mind that can be educated , a hand that can be trained , a life that will have meaning . '' Keller learned to speak and earned a degree from Radcliffe College and the women 's branch of Harvard University . She traveled the world as an adult , wrote 12 books and championed causes including women 's suffrage and workers ' rights . Carl Augusto , president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind , told the crowd he thinks Keller , who worked for the foundation for the last 44 years of her life , `` would have loved this impressive statue of herself and the symbolism attached . '' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , and others assisted Augusto as he ran his hands over the statue . The foundation , Augusto said , still considers Keller `` our guiding light . She embodies the American spirit of limitless possibility ... her biggest desire was to leave the world a better place than she found it , and ladies and gentlemen , that 's the legacy she leaves all of us . '' More than 40 of Keller 's descendants attended the ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda . Students from the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind sang a medley of patriotic songs . The statue , said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , will `` always remind us that people must be respected for what they can do rather than judged for what they can not . '' The statue is also the Capitol 's first depicting a child , Riley 's office said . Since 1864 , each state has been allowed to place two statues in the Capitol . In 2002 , Congress changed the law to allow states to change their statues . Riley , then a U.S. representative , suggested the state place a statue of Keller , and the state Legislature passed a resolution asking Congress to accept a statue of Keller as a gift . A committee with Alabama first lady Patsy Riley serving as honorary chairwoman raised private donations and selected Utah bronze sculpture artist Edward Hlavka to create the piece . The 600-pound statue is made of bronze with a base of Alabama marble , Riley 's office said . In 1997 , a Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial that opened near the National Mall drew complaints from disability advocates because the statue of the president , who suffered from polio , did not show him in a wheelchair . In 2001 , President Clinton unveiled an addition to the memorial including a new statue of the four-term president sitting in a wheelchair . `` By placing this statue in the Capitol , we appropriately honor this extraordinary American , and will inspire countless children who will come to understand that with faith and with courage , there truly are no limits on what can be accomplished , and there is no obstacle that ca n't be overcome , '' Riley said . Keller 's statue will replace one depicting Jabez Curry . Curry , who has represented Alabama in the Capitol since 1908 , was a Georgia native who served as president of Howard College , which later became Samford University in Birmingham . The Curry statue is being sent back to Alabama for display at the university . The other statue representing Alabama is of Joseph `` Fightin ' Joe '' Wheeler , a Confederate general during the Civil War who , three decades later , volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War at age 62 and attained the same rank in the U.S. Army , the only one of 425 Confederate generals to do so , according to a biography of him posted on the Fort Sam Houston Museum 's Web site . His statue was donated by the state in 1925 , Riley 's office said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five suspected pirates went on trial Tuesday in the Netherlands in what is thought to be the first trial in Europe of pirate suspects . The trial of the five Somali men opened in Rotterdam District Court and is expected to last five days , said Wim de Bruin , a spokesman for Netherlands National Prosecutor 's Office . The five were captured by the Dutch Navy in January 2009 in the Gulf of Aden , off Somalia , after a cargo ship with Dutch Antilles flag was attacked , de Bruin said . '' The ship of the pirates was destroyed by the Danish Navy , and the pirates were captured and handed to the Dutch authority . They 're being tried for sea robbery , and if convicted the maximum sentence will be 9 to 12 years , '' he said . The men are Ahmed Yusuf Farah , 25 , Jama Mohamed Samatar , 45 , Abdirisaq Abdulahi Hirsi , 33 , Sayid Ali Garaar , 39 , and Osman Musse Farah , 32 , he said . A different suspected Somali pirate is awaiting sentencing in the United States , where he pleaded guilty earlier this month to hijacking and kidnapping . Prosecutors say Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse led an attack on a U.S.-flagged vessel , the Maersk Alabama , off the coast of Africa last year . He pleaded guilty May 19 in a New York federal court to felony counts of hijacking maritime vessels , kidnapping and hostage taking , for his role in the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean on April 8 , 2009 . Muse faces a maximum sentence of almost 34 years behind bars when he is sentenced October 19 . The suspects being tried in the Netherlands spent four weeks aboard the Danish navy ship after their capture before being taken to the Netherlands , the spokesman said . They were held in pre-trial custody while the court interviewed witnesses from the Danish Navy and seamen on the Dutch Antilles cargo ship that was under attack , he said . Five Dutch defense lawyers are representing the suspects , he said . He did not know what plea , if any , the suspects had entered . Germany will soon try 10 suspected pirates who were captured in the Gulf of Aden earlier this year . They were arrested after their attempt to board a German cargo vessel , but the Danish Navy ended the hijacking and handed them over to the Dutch authorities , de Bruin said . They have since been held in the Netherlands , and Germany requested their extradition about two months ago . CNN 's Eileen Hsieh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man dubbed `` the Field Marshal '' by one advocacy group for alleged third-world arms dealing has been arrested on charges that he conspired to illegally export U.S. F-5 fighter jet engines and parts to Iran . An Iranian F-5 fighter jet lands in southern Iran during a military exercise on June 23 , 2009 . Jacques Monsieur , 56 , a Belgium native who currently lives in France , was arrested Friday in New York , officials said . An indictment also charges Dara Fotouhi , 54 , an Iranian living in France , with participating in the alleged crime . Fotouhi remains at large , official said . Monsieur pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Wednesday in Mobile , Alabama , where he is being held . He and Fotouhi are charged with conspiracy , money laundering and smuggling , as well as violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act . According to the indictment and an affidavit filed in the case , both are experienced arms dealers who have been actively working with the Iranian government to procure military items . The F-5 Freedom Fighter , also called the Tiger , is built by Northrop and is used by the U.S. military for training . It is also sold overseas as a combat aircraft . The F-5 engine and parts are listed on the U.S. Munitions List and may not be exported from the United States without a license from the State Department , said John Morton , head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , and they can not be exported to Iran without a license from the Treasury Department . In a 2002 report by the Center for Public Integrity , a citizen advocacy group , Monsieur was nicknamed `` the Field Marshal '' for allegedly acting as a middle-man in numerous arms deals with war-torn countries . The center 's report said Monsieur is `` believed to be among the biggest arms traffickers in Europe '' and said he `` violated a United Nations embargo by shipping arms to Bosnia and Croatia during the long , bloody conflict in those countries , with the approval , he later claimed , of both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the ... French domestic intelligence service . '' Morton said his agency launched an investigation in February when Monsieur contacted an undercover federal agent and indicated he wanted to buy engines for F-5 or C-130 aircraft for export to Iran . In subsequent e-mails to the agent , Monsieur requested engines for F-5 jet fighters . Officials said the engines could be used as replacements in fighters sold to Iran by the United States before the imposition of sanctions in 1995 . In March , Monsieur met with the undercover agent in Paris and again requested engines and parts , the indictment alleges . They met again in May in London , where Monsieur introduced Fotouhi as a business associate and again discussed the export of F-5 engines to Iran , according to the indictment . During this negotiation , it says , Monsieur and Fotouhi asked the agent if he could use U.S. shipping or export authorization documents that falsely indicated the items were going to Colombia . In July , Monsieur and Fotouhi wired about $ 110,000 from a bank in the United Arab Emirates to one in Mobile , Alabama , the indictment says . `` The two believed the funds would be used for the purchase of F-5 aircraft parts , '' Morton said . Monsieur indicated he would deposit an additional $ 300,000 as a down payment for the purchase of two jet engines . `` This is part of our long-standing efforts to ensure that sensitive military equipment is not exported in violation of U.S. law and against the international interests of the United States , '' Morton said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday , according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux . U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma , Congo . U.N. helicopter gunships , supporting national army forces on the ground , fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba . CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People , a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda . The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp , just 12 1\/2 miles -LRB- 20 kilometers -RRB- north of the provincial capital , Goma , Bonnardeaux said . Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park , according to U.N. and park officials . The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January . On Monday , thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma . The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country , a U.N. spokesman told CNN . A U.N. spokesman said the U.N. 's mission in Congo was `` under attack '' on Monday . A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound , who did not want to give his name for security reasons , said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound . Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone . He said the attack had resulted in several deaths . U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday 's demonstrations . The assault died down later in the day , a U.N. spokesman said , but people continued to pelt the building . It was unclear who was attacking , but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP , a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday . Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting . Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings . Watch how refugees line roads to get away '' Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday , angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way , The Associated Press reported . Bertrand Bisimwa , a spokesman for the rebels , told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles -LRB- 11 kilometers -RRB- of Goma . The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces . According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback , thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails , angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence . `` The situation in Goma is very volatile , '' he said . `` But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation . '' Watch more about the fighting '' The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym , MONUC -- is in Goma , which is along Congo 's border with Rwanda . Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003 , recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes , according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux . Watch ranger describe the violence '' The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998 , and 45,000 people die there every month , according to an International Rescue Committee report in January . A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda , Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo . The official said all countries , especially Congo and Rwanda , `` need to work together '' to rein in `` militia groups and other negative forces . '' Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments to take action , the official said . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement Monday calling on all parties `` to make every effort to restore calm among the affected populations . '' The attacks also coincided with the resignation of the U.N. military commander in Congo , Lt. Gen. Vicente Diaz de Villegas y Herreria . A U.N. statement on Monday indicated he stepped down for `` personal reasons . '' CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Christine Levinson went to the United Nations on Monday to ask questions about her husband , Bob , a former FBI agent who vanished in Iran last year . Christine Levinson has sought help from Zalmay Khalilzad , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations . Levinson flew to New York with three of her seven children in hopes of meeting the one man she hoped could really get things moving -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , who is at the United Nations for a speech he is scheduled to deliver Tuesday afternoon . Ahmadinejad declined to meet with her . `` I 'm disappointed , '' she says . Levinson did meet , however , with the Zalmay Khalilzad , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations . `` He said he would do whatever he could to help me , '' she told CNN . Levinson went to the United Nations with her children -- Susan , 31 , Sarah , 28 , and Douglas , 14 . Her husband disappeared in March 2007 while on a business trip to the Iranian island of Kish . Bob Levinson is a retired FBI agent from Coral Springs , Florida . After leaving the agency , his wife says , he worked as a security consultant specializing in cigarette smuggling . Over the last year and half , Levinson says she has done everything she can to draw attention to her husband 's disappearance . She has given interviews , met with U.S. State Department officials , set up a Web site -- www.helpboblevinson.com -- and staged a rally . She even has offered a $ 5,000 reward , aimed primarily at Iranians who might have information about her husband . Has it yielded any tips ? `` No , '' Christine Levinson says . `` Nothing . '' Last year , she traveled to Iran to try to retrace her husband 's steps . Back then , Iranian officials told her they would investigate and report back to her . She says she has n't heard a word . `` They told me when they have some information , they will let me know and in the meantime will continue to search for Bob , '' Levinson told CNN . She has denied that her husband was doing business for the US government when he went missing -- she says she did n't believe so because he 's a private citizen . And the State Department and FBI have denied he was working for government . The State Department has demanded Iran free Levinson -- if it is holding him . Levinson says her husband suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure . She insists she is confident her husband is all right because `` I have n't heard anything bad . '' At times , she listens to his voicemail message , just to hear his voice . `` I still firmly believe he is alive , '' she says . `` Every day , I tell my children to take things one day at a time . `` I just want him to know I 'm still looking for him . I 'll never stop looking for him . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A rocket fired by Palestinian militants fell on a Gaza home and killed two children , Palestinian sources said Friday , the same day Israel opened three Gaza border crossings for the first time in 10 days . A truck carrying grain enters Gaza from Israel on Friday at the Karni crossing point , one of three Israel reopened . A third child was in critical condition . The children , all girls , were cousins -- the two who died were 7 and 12 , and the injured child is 5 , Hamas security and Palestinian medical sources said . The rocket struck a house north of Gaza City . In a separate development , the Israeli military said it allowed a Palestinian who was badly wounded by rocket fire Wednesday to enter Israel for treatment . The Palestinian entered Israel through the Erez Crossing between northern Gaza and Israel . Israel closed the crossing for all but humanitarian reasons because of rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel by Palestinian militants . But it opened three other crossings Friday , allowing fuel and commodities into the Palestinian territory for the first time in more than a week . About 80 trucks filled with commodities were expected to cross into Gaza . Among the goods were 400,000 liters of fuel and 120 tons of cooking gas . The decision to open the crossings at Kerem Shalom , Karni and Nahal Oz came after requests from international aid groups and Egypt , said Peter Lerner , a spokesman for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories . In addition , he said , Israel has no desire to hurt the civilian population in Gaza . Lerner said whether to keep the crossings open would be a daily decision . United Nations assistance programs in Gaza have run out of flour and several essential pharmaceuticals , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said . A tenuous six-month truce between the Hamas government in Gaza and Israel expired a week ago . Under the Egyptian-brokered deal , Hamas agreed to end militant attacks on Israel from Gaza , and Israel agreed to halt raids inside the territory and ease its blockade on humanitarian goods . In reality , the truce started breaking down two months ago . Rocket attacks by militants became more frequent , and Israel resumed airstrikes inside Gaza . Since then , dozens of rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants into Israel . Israel Defense Forces said about nine rockets have been launched from Gaza since midnight , pushing the three-day total to more than 110 . There are no reports of casualties in Israel . The crossings opened a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met in Cairo and Egypt expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza . Livni criticized Hamas after her meeting with Mubarak . `` Hamas needs to understand that Israel 's basic desire to live in a tranquil region does n't mean that Israel is willing to accept ongoing shooting at its population , '' she said , according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry . `` Enough is enough . We can not accept this situation , and the situation will change . '' Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has threatened to respond to the escalating violence . He warned Hamas again Thursday in an interview on the Al Arabiya television network and seemed to suggest that time was running out . `` We do not want to fight the Palestinian people , but we will not allow Hamas to strike our children , '' Olmert said . `` I did not come here to declare war , '' he continued . `` But Hamas must be stopped -- and so it will be . `` I will not hesitate to use Israel 's strength to strike at Hamas and Islamic Jihad . How ? I do not wish to go into details here . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man charged in the failed Times Square bombing was working with the Taliban movement in Pakistan , the U.S. attorney general said Sunday . `` The evidence that we have now developed shows the Pakistani Taliban directed this plot , '' Attorney General Eric Holder said , describing the investigation into suspect Faisal Shahzad during an appearance on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' `` We know that they helped facilitate it , we know they helped direct it , and I suspect we 're going to come up with evidence that shows they helped to finance it , '' Holder said . John Brennan , the assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the Pakistani Taliban -- also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban , or TTP -- is closely allied with al Qaeda . The group has pledged to carry out attacks outside of central Asia , including the United States , Brennan said Sunday . Shahzad has been charged in the May 1 attempted bombing in Times Square . He was arrested while trying to fly out of New York on Monday night , two days after he allegedly attempted to set off a car bomb in Times Square . The bomb failed to detonate . It was the second case in the past six months of a bungled terrorist attack in the United States , following the failed bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day . Brennan said U.S. counterterrorism efforts had degraded the ability of groups such as al Qaeda and the Taliban to launch successful attacks . `` They 're trying to find vulnerabilities in our defenses , '' Brennan said , noting the attempts have been `` unsophisticated . '' Shahzad , a Pakistani-American , had traveled to Pakistan several times in recent years , Brennan said . `` He was captured by the murderous rhetoric of al Qaeda and TTP , '' Brennan said of the suspect . Preventing attacks by individuals , especially American citizens such as Shahzad , is a `` very difficult challenge , '' Brennan said . The case raised new questions about whether terrorism suspects should be read the Miranda warning that advises them of their rights to remain silent and obtain legal representation . Critics have accused the Obama administration of losing interrogation opportunities by giving Miranda warnings to terrorism suspects , including the alleged Christmas Day airplane bomber and Shahzad . Brennan said Shahzad was interrogated for four hours under an exclusion to the Miranda warning involving public safety . Authorities then advised Shahzad of his rights , as required by law , Brennan told the `` Fox News Sunday '' program . `` It did not impede our ability to continue to acquire very important intelligence from him , '' Brennan said . `` It was , I think , a very good example that law enforcement , operating within ... the existing system , were able to leverage the opportunities that they had to get this information . '' Also on the Fox program , Republican Rep. Peter King of New York argued a change in the Miranda warning was necessary . `` If there 's another 10 , 15 , 20 plots out there , that to me is more important to get all the intelligence we can on that , '' King said . `` So I think we may have to work on revisions . '' One idea , King said , would set up `` separate system of justice dealing with American citizens who are allied with a foreign army or a foreign enemy . '' Holder also said Sunday that he was considering possible changes to the Miranda warning . Asked whether international terrorism made the current Miranda warnings too limited , Holder told the ABC program `` This Week '' that some adjustment may be necessary . The system is working so far , Holder said , but `` we also want to ... make determinations as to whether or not we have the necessary flexibility , whether we have a system that can deal with the situation that agents now confront . '' `` We 're now dealing with international terrorism , '' Holder said , adding that his department would work with Congress `` to come up with a proposal that is both constitutional , but that is also relevant to our time and the threat that we now face . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , world-renowned HIV\/AIDS researcher who has been on the forefront of battling the disease since it was discovered , previews his speech to this week 's International AIDS Conference . Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautiously optimistic that eventually some AIDS\/HIV patients will be cured . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week , more than 25,000 people from the global HIV\/AIDS community are in Mexico City , Mexico , attending the XVII International AIDS Conference . I am pleased to be among them . This is the first International AIDS Conference to be held in Latin America , a region hard-hit by the HIV\/AIDS pandemic , but also a place where exceptional scientific and public health advances have been made . The theme of the conference is Universal Action Now , which stresses the need for scientists , policymakers , activists and other concerned citizens everywhere -- in rich countries and poor ones -- to work even harder to defeat a scourge that already has claimed more than 25 million lives . We have made considerable progress against HIV\/AIDS , not only on the scientific front , but also with regard to the political will , funding and essential public health efforts on the ground that are delivering medicine , care and prevention services . However , much remains to be done , as 2.7 million people worldwide were infected with HIV in 2007 . Watch more on the International AIDS Conference '' In the United States , the rate of new infections continues at an unacceptably high level , especially in the African-American community . In my home city of Washington D.C. , a staggering 5 percent of the population is infected with HIV , a rate that rivals those in sub-Saharan Africa . Eighty percent of my infected neighbors in Washington , D.C. , are African-American . Throughout the United States , we are seeing a resurgence in HIV cases among men who have sex with men of all races , with African-Americans again hardest hit . Despite what you might hear , the AIDS pandemic is still raging . Many hundreds of presentations at the conference are dealing with important research on the basic biology of HIV and its disease-causing mechanisms ; the complex immune responses to the virus ; and advances in tools to diagnose , treat and prevent HIV . My talk on Wednesday , is called `` Looking to the Future : New Directions in HIV\/AIDS Research '' and will look at all these issues , and the many challenges -LRB- and opportunities -RRB- in AIDS science . But I hope to leave the audience with at least a tentative answer to an important question I get all the time : Will we ever have a cure or a vaccine for HIV ? Despite our considerable success in managing HIV infection and improving the length and quality of life for people living with HIV , there is no well-documented case of anyone being truly cured of HIV disease . This is because HIV is unlike virtually any other virus in its ability to hide from the immune system in protected cellular sanctuaries that we call `` latent reservoirs . '' We know that these reservoirs are established within days of infection , and even our most potent combinations of anti-HIV drugs are unable to purge the virus from these hiding places , even in people who have been on therapy for a decade or more . If you take a patient off his or her anti-HIV therapy , the virus hiding in these reservoirs springs back , and soon billions of viruses are renewing their assault on immune system cells and other organs . Photos chronicle AIDS treatment worldwide Our best hope for eradicating HIV from the reservoirs may be to diagnose and treat people aggressively very early in infection , before the reservoirs have become too large . Our laboratory and other groups are testing this approach with intensive regimens of new drugs that prevent the virus from entering cells or from inserting its genes into a cell 's DNA . Even if the virus is not completely eradicated , such early , intense treatment , perhaps with the help of immune-boosting drugs , might keep the reservoir small -- and the immune system strong -- thereby allowing a person to come off therapy . This would be a `` functional '' cure . Other approaches are being pursued as well . A cure is critical to our attempts to ultimately contain the pandemic . Currently , for every person put on therapy , two to three people are newly infected . As antiretroviral therapy is at present a lifelong commitment , it is extremely unlikely that we will have the logistical or financial capacity to reach and treat -- indefinitely -- everyone who requires antiretroviral therapy . As we search for a cure , we should of course continue our efforts to provide proven , lifesaving antiretroviral drugs to every person who needs them , regardless of where they live . Many promising avenues of prevention are being discussed in Mexico City , but none is more essential than an HIV vaccine . HIV vaccine development has been frustrating and challenging for a number of reasons , including the fact that the virus mutates rapidly , hides from the immune system , and targets and destroys the immune system cells that are successful in fighting and clearing most other viruses from the body . With HIV we will have to do better than nature if we are to develop a vaccine ; HIV is unlike the situation with other viral diseases such as measles and influenza , where we have been able to mimic natural infection and induce protective responses with vaccines . My institute and many other organizations around the world are working on this problem , and advances are being made . For example , we have made progress in identifying the structures on the virus to which infection-fighting proteins that can neutralize HIV -- so-called neutralizing antibodies -- bind . Now , our challenge is to turn these structures into vaccines , and conduct the clinical trials that prove they work in people . My complete talk will be available as a webcast at the conference Web site , but let me give you the quick bottom line : I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to cure some patients under certain circumstances , and I am also cautiously optimistic that we will develop a vaccine that will protect some people against HIV infection , or slow the progression of disease in some patients who do get infected . Meanwhile , we need Universal Action Now to accelerate the exceptional momentum of the past few years -- particularly during the past year -- in delivering proven tools of HIV prevention and therapy to communities around the globe . Anthony S. Fauci , M.D. , is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Guatemalan army stole at least 333 children and sold them for adoption in other countries during the Central American nation 's 36-year civil war , a government report has concluded . Around 45,000 people are believed to have disappeared during Guatemala 's civil war , 5,000 of them children . Many of those children ended up in the United States , as well as Sweden , Italy and France , said the report 's author and lead investigator , Marco Tulio Alvarez . In some cases , the report said , parents were killed so the children could be taken and given to government-operated agencies to be adopted abroad . In other instances , the children were abducted without physical harm to the parents . `` This was a great abuse by the state , '' Alvarez told CNN on Friday . Investigators started examining records in May 2008 for a period that spanned from 1977-89 , said Alvarez , the director of the Guatemalan Peace Archive , a commission established by President Alvaro Colom . Of 672 records investigators looked at , Alvarez said , they determined that 333 children had been stolen . The children were taken for financial and political reasons , he said . Alvarez acknowledges that many more children possibly were taken . Investigators zeroed in on the 1977-89 period because peak adoptions occurred during that time frame , particularly in 1986 . They will investigate through 1995 and hope to have another report ready by early next year , he said . A presidential ministry has determined that about 45,000 people disappeared during the nation 's civil war , which lasted from 1960 to 1996 . About 5,000 of those were children , the ministry said . Another 200,000 people died in the conflict between the leftist guerrillas and right-wing governments . The nation 's public ministry and attorney general 's office will determine whether anyone is prosecuted over the abductions , Alvarez said . Asked if he would like to see prosecutions , Alvarez answered , `` I hope so . '' Alvarez said he has attended several reunions of abducted children -- now adults -- and family members . `` I ca n't tell you how happy that makes me , '' he said . Adoption has served as a source of income in Guatemala for decades . The war just made it easier for abuses at the hands of soldiers to occur . Guatemala has the world 's highest per capita rate of adoption and is one of the leading providers of adoptive children for the United States . Nearly one in 100 babies born in Guatemala end up with adoptive parents in the United States , according to the U.S. consulate in Guatemala . Adoptions can cost up to $ 30,000 , providing a large financial incentive in a country where the World Bank says about 75 percent of the people live below the poverty level . Officials fear that often times mothers are paid -- or coerced -- into giving up their children . Some unscrupulous lawyers and notaries , who have greater power in Guatemala than they do in the United States , have taken advantage of the extreme poverty and limited government oversight over adoptions to enrich themselves . Alvarez said corrupt lawyers and notaries were the driving force behind many of the army abductions of children . The problem is confounded because many Guatemalan parents ca n't provide for their children . The United Nations ' World Food Programme says Guatemala has the fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean . Chronic undernutrition affects about half of the nation 's children under the age of 5 , the U.N. agency said . Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom Caballeros declared a state of national calamity this week because so many citizens do not have food or proper nutrition . Despite the nation 's problems , Alvarez hopes some good will come of the report , which was released Thursday . `` We have to tell the truth about what happened , '' he said . `` Guatemalan society must know what happened and must never allow it to happen again . '' CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"CIANJUR , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a day after a major earthquake jolted Indonesia 's Java Island , killing at least 57 people , there is still no word from remote villages along the coast , a relief worker told CNN Thursday . Soldiers try to dig out the body of a victim buried by a landslide caused by the earthquake . `` This earthquake has injured hundreds of people and -LRB- destroyed or damaged -RRB- thousands of houses , '' World Vision 's Katarina Hardono said . `` We worry that the number can be easily more because in many places , actually the coastal areas , we still -LRB- have n't gotten -RRB- any news . '' Rescuers are still searching for dozens of people feared trapped in a quake-triggered landslide in Cianjur in West Java . They pulled several bodies from the rubble Thursday bringing the death toll from the quake to 57 . `` The death count has been thankfully low , but we have to remember that tens of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed and children and adults are urgently in need of relief items , '' said Hardono , who spoke to CNN from the Indonesian capital , Jakarta . Rainfall Thursday hampered the rescue efforts in Cianjur , where the landslide buried at least 11 homes where 32 people live , local officials said . Watch description of the evacuation after the quake hit '' Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Cianjur , and vowed to free up nearly $ 500,000 -LRB- 5 billion rupiahs -RRB- for emergency response efforts , according to the state-run Antara news agency . He said there was no need for foreign assistance just yet . `` Until now the Indonesian government is still able to handle it by itself using existing national resources , '' he said , according to Antara . Rescuers in Cianjur used their hands and rudimentary tools to try to pry away the rocks , some that were bigger than cars . No heavy machinery could be brought in to help in the rescue effort because many roads in the area were blocked . The 7.0-magnitude temblor jolted the island on Wednesday shortly before 3 p.m. local time -LRB- 4 a.m. ET -RRB- . More than 400 people were injured . Watch how buildings swayed during quake '' The temblor rocked high-rise buildings in Jakarta , prompting a mass evacuation in the capital 's central business district . iReport.com : Swimming pool shakes during quake `` I was on the 13th floor of our office building , and you know we could feel the building -LRB- shake -RRB- from left to right , '' said CNN 's Andy Saputra . `` We all ran to the fire escape and escaped from there . '' Indonesia is no stranger to major earthquakes . It is located on the `` Ring of Fire , '' an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . In 2004 , an earthquake measuring at least 9.0 in magnitude struck off the coast of the northern tip of Indonesia 's Sumatra island , triggering a major tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries . About three weeks ago , a series of earthquakes -- ranging in magnitude from 4.7 to 6.7 -- struck off the western coast of Sumatra . At least seven people were injured and one building collapsed . CNN Radio 's Chris Chandler contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six U.S. troops were killed in Iraq on Monday , making 2007 the deadliest for the American military in the Iraq war . The grim record came despite lower death rates in recent months , which were not enough to offset death tolls that topped 100 during three months in the spring . Four soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in northern Iraq 's Tameem province ; another died in combat in Anbar province . A sailor was killed in Salaheddin province `` as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion while conducting operations , '' the military said . According to a CNN count of Pentagon figures , 853 U.S. service members have died so far in 2007 . The next highest death toll was in 2004 , when 849 were killed . The total number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq stands at 3,856 , including seven civilian contractors of the Defense Department . The high number of deaths this year corresponds with the U.S. troop buildup called the `` surge '' and a crackdown on insurgents in and near Baghdad . Monthly death tolls were highest in the first part of the year : 83 deaths in January , 81 in February and 81 in March . Numbers peaked in the next three months , with 104 deaths in April , 126 in May and 101 in June . The numbers have dropped from that level since -- with 78 in July , 84 in August , 65 in September , 38 in October and 12 so far in November . Civilian deaths have also dropped in recent months , U.S. and Iraqi authorities say . The Iraq war began in March of 2003 and in that year there were 486 U.S. military deaths . In 2004 , major offensives were responsible for many fatalities , including the massive operation in Falluja in November and fighting between U.S. troops and Shiite militants in Najaf . The number of deaths in 2005 was 846 and in 2006 it was 822 . The U.S. military also announced on Tuesday that it intends to release nine detained Iranians in Iraq `` in the coming days , '' a move that dovetails with the American hope that Iranian authorities are honoring a recent pledge to stop Iranian help to insurgents in Iraq . `` These individuals have been assessed to have no continuing value '' and do n't pose a `` further threat '' to Iraqi security , said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith . Two of them are from the `` Irbil 5 '' detained in January . Irbil is the largest city in the Kurdish area of Iraq . The U.S. military had accused the five Iranians arrested in Irbil of having links to Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force , a military unit accused of aiding insurgent activity -- including the distribution of roadside bombs . Smith said Tuesday that materials for roadside bombs `` do not appear to have arrived into Iraq after the Iranians have made their pledge to stop arming , funding and training extremists . '' `` We hope in the coming weeks and months to confirm that Iran has indeed honored its pledge through further verification that the flow of ammunitions and other lethal aid has indeed stopped , '' said Smith , who noted that Iran , Iraq and the United States plan to hold another round of security talks . Last month , Gen. David Petraeus , the top-ranking U.S. military official in Iraq , told CNN the Iranian ambassador had given assurances to his Iraqi counterpart that such training and supplying of insurgents would end . Meanwhile , a Kurdistan Regional Government official on Tuesday confirmed to CNN that two Iranian consulates had been established in the region , offices created in the wake of the arrests in Irbil . At the time of the arrests , Iran insisted the arrested officials were `` diplomats '' working in a diplomatic mission , while Iraq 's Foreign Ministry and the U.S. military said it was a `` liaison '' office which did not have diplomatic status . One of the new consulates is in a building in Irbil that had been closed down during the January raid , the Kurdistan official said . Also Tuesday , the U.S. military reported that U.S. and Iraqi troops found 22 corpses buried in Iraq 's Lake Tharthar region . The Iraqi Army and local security forces `` are investigating the mass grave to determine the identities of the deceased and the causes of death for notification of their families , '' the military said . Lake Tharthar is in both Anbar and Salaheddin provinces and northwest of Baghdad . U.S. and Iraqi troops have been conducting an operation in the same region since Sunday to target al Qaeda in Iraq . So far , they have found and destroyed two car bomb facilities and a number of weapons caches and detained 30 men . The military also said that coalition troops on Tuesday killed eight people described as terrorists and detained 10 suspects in operations targeting al Qaeda and foreign militant networks in central and northern Iraq . The military also said an operation involving Iraqi forces in the Tikrit area on October 30 led to the detention of 39 `` suspected insurgents '' and the discovery of a torture cell , a mobile hospital , car bombs , rocket-propelled grenades , machine guns and a Katyusha rocket . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jennifer Deaton contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before dying , 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was beaten with belts , picked up by her hair , thrown across the room and held under water , according to an affidavit from the Galveston County Sheriff 's Office . Police believe 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers is `` Baby Grace . '' The affidavit says the girl 's mother , Kimberly Dawn Trenor , described to police how her daughter died and was put in a plastic storage box that Trenor and her husband , Royce Zeigler , later dumped into a Galveston waterway . Trenor told police Zeigler tried to commit suicide the weekend before Thanksgiving , and wrote a note that said , `` My wife is innocent of the sins that I committed . '' The body of the then-unidentified toddler was found on October 29 . A fisherman found Riley 's body stuffed inside a blue storage container that washed up on an uninhabited island in Galveston 's West Bay . A medical examiner said the child 's skull was fractured , and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years . Police dubbed the child `` Baby Grace . '' A police artist 's sketch of her was widely circulated in the news media and prompted a call to Galveston police from Riley 's grandmother in Ohio , who had not seen the girl in months . On Saturday , police arrested Trenor and Zeigler on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence , the sheriff 's department said . Their bonds were set at $ 350,000 each . The affidavit , obtained by CNN , says when police interviewed Trenor on November 23 , she `` gave a voluntary statement on video with her attorney present in which she describes her involvement , with Royce Zeigler , in the physical abuse , death and disposal of the remains of her daughter , Riley Ann Sawyers . '' Trenor 's statement said on July 24 , she and Zeigler both beat the child with leather belts and held her head under water in the bathtub . She said Zeigler picked the girl up by her hair and also threw her across the room , slamming her head into the tile floor . After her daughter died , Trenor 's statement said , she and Zeigler went to a Wal-Mart that night and bought the Sterilite container , a shovel , concrete mix , and other supplies . The statement said the box containing the child 's body was hidden in a storage shed for `` one to two months . '' Then , Trenor said , she and Zeigler carried it to the Galveston Causeway and tossed it in , and she saw it drifting away . Riley Ann 's father , Robert Sawyers , on Monday tearfully remembered her as a `` fun-loving girl ... with a big imagination . '' Watch Riley Ann 's father describe the little girl '' Riley was `` very active , very hyper , but also very well-behaved , '' Sawyers told reporters in Mentor , Ohio . She would play `` with a water hose ... spraying the whole patio soaking wet until she was done with it , '' he said , as he sat behind two photographs of his daughter , a toddler with wispy blond curls . Robert Sawyers ' mother , Sheryl Sawyers , said the family was `` devastated '' to learn that police believe Riley is dead . `` It 's hard to think that I 'll never see her again , '' she said , clutching a red Elmo doll she had planned to give Riley for Christmas . Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo of the Galveston County Sheriff 's Department said Monday that authorities are `` fairly confident '' that the toddler whose body was found on October 29 is Riley Ann Sawyers . DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm the identification . The results will be available in two to three weeks , Tuttoilmondo said . Tuttoilmondo said Riley is originally from Mentor , Ohio , a Cleveland suburb , and that `` she and her mother came down to Texas earlier this year . '' The toddler was last seen in Texas `` three or four months ago , '' Tuttoilmondo said , although he did not know by whom . Tuttoilmondo said police did investigate whether Child Protective Services had taken Riley away , something the mother had reportedly alleged . Of that report , Tuttoilmondo said , `` What we believe is that is not what happened . '' The affidavit said Trenor admitted that after the body was found , Zeigler had her type up a fake letter from the Ohio Department of Children 's Services saying that Riley was to be taken away . Trenor left Ohio in late May , after filing an allegation of domestic violence against Robert Sawyers and reaching a joint voluntary agreement that gave her custody of Riley and gave Robert Sawyers visitation rights , the Sawyers ' family lawyer said Monday . `` She disappeared , '' Laura DePledge said Monday at the Ohio news conference with the Sawyers . Sheryl Sawyers said Monday that she saw widely distributed police sketches of `` Baby Grace '' and contacted Galveston police in November . The girl in the police sketches strongly resembles photos of Riley . `` No , I never did think it would end up like this , '' Sheryl Sawyers said Monday , eyes welling . `` I guess knowing is better than not knowing . '' The girl 's family in Ohio has been `` very helpful '' in this case , Tuttoilmondo said , adding that the FBI and a Galveston County police officer visited the family in Ohio on Sunday . DePledge said Riley was the product of a `` teenage pregnancy . '' Trenor and Robert Sawyers were together for two years as a result of the pregnancy , DePledge said , during which time they lived with Sheryl Sawyers . DePledge said Monday that the family , whose grief she described as `` simply overwhelming , '' wants Riley 's body returned to Ohio for a memorial service . `` What Riley needs is to be brought home , '' she said . `` I think this family needs some closure . '' Tuttoilmondo asked anyone who knew the child or her family to help detectives reconstruct the events of Riley 's short life . The toddler 's case has touched even hardened police officers , he said . `` Any way you look at it , we carry a piece of her with us , and we 'll always carry a little piece of her with us , '' he said Monday . He held up a small , pink-and-white shoe identical to those the child was wearing when she was found . `` That says it all . A little-bitty shoe . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Sean Callebs contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury Tuesday acquitted three men of charges that they helped the bombers who carried out the July 7 , 2005 , attacks on the London transportation system . Sadeer Saleem was accused of helping to plan the July 7 , 2005 bombings in London The four bombers died in the blasts , but Waheed Ali , Sadeer Saleem and Mohammed Shakil were accused of helping them by conducting reconnaissance and conspiring with them . Two of the men -- Ali and Shakil -- were convicted of a second charge of conspiracy to attend a place used for terrorist training . They will be sentenced Wednesday , London 's Metropolitan Police said . Tuesday 's verdicts came at the end of the men 's retrial at Kingston Crown Court in southwest London . A separate jury failed to reach a verdict in their first trial , which ended in August after three months . The bombings in 2005 killed 52 people in blasts on three subway trains and a bus . At least 900 people were wounded . Police arrested the three in March 2007 after piecing together what they called a `` complicated jigsaw with thousands of pieces . '' They were charged in April 2007 . Police said they analyzed more than 4,700 phone numbers and 90,000 calls . They discovered the three men had made a trip to London in December 2004 -- seven months before the fatal bombings -- which prosecutors claimed was a reconnaissance trip to scout potential targets . Prosecutors said that on December 16 , 2004 , the men traveled from the northern English city of Leeds to London , along with Hasib Hussain , one of the July 7 bombers . When they got to the capital , they met with Lindsay . Over the next two days , prosecutors claimed , the men visited tourist sites including the London Eye ferris wheel , the London Aquarium and the Natural History Museum , as well as underground train locations . Some of the spots , prosecutors said , were near where the July 7 bombs were eventually detonated . Police called it `` the first feasibility study '' for the London bombings -- and whether they were looking at tourist or transportation sites , the men were seeking out potential bomb targets , police said . The three men , who always denied the charges , acknowledged making the trip but said it was just an innocent outing to visit Ali 's sister in London . Saleem told the court that he had had `` no idea whatsoever '' about the plot . Traces of DNA linked all three alleged accomplices in some way to the bombers , police had claimed . Investigators found Ali 's fingerprints on evidence found at the bomb-making sites . Khan , Lindsay , Hussain and a fourth bomber , Shehzad Tanweer , set off a series of bombs the morning of July 7 , 2005 . They exploded on underground trains near Liverpool Street , Russell Square and Edgware Road and on a double-decker bus at Tavistock Square . Police have previously said they believe others with knowledge of the attacks remain at large . The jury found that in July 2001 , Ali went with Khan to Pakistan . In July 2003 , Shakil went with Khan to a camp in Pakistan , where the two undertook firearms training with machine guns , rocket-propelled grenade launchers , and AK-47 assault rifles , London police said . The jury found Ali and Shakil guilty of conspiring to attend a place used for terrorist training , knowing or believing that instruction or training would be provided for purposes connected with the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism , London police said . `` Mohammed Siddique Khan and Mohammed Shakil told other attendees that their aim was to fight in Afghanistan , '' said John McDowall , head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command . `` They were proficient in the use of and handling of terrorist weapons , and were certainly not enjoying a day out in a beautiful and mountainous area of Pakistan , as was suggested in court . `` Shakil himself accepted that the camp at Malakand was a serious business , whose purpose was to train willing volunteers to fight and kill in Afghanistan on behalf of the Taliban , a cause to which both he and Ali were , and remain , sympathetic , '' McDowall said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush had a `` relaxed '' and `` friendly '' meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday , a White House spokesman said . President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday . `` The president and the president-elect had a long meeting , described by the president as good , constructive , relaxed and friendly , '' White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement . `` The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect , and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration . '' Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation . Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House 's living quarters , including the Lincoln bedroom . Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office , while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence . The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together . They briefly waved to reporters along the way . Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting . The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour . When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election , the two talked for nearly two hours . Monday 's meeting was a historic formality , but it was also a time for serious talks . It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office . Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House '' Bush and Obama `` had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation 's many critical economic and security challenges , '' said Stephanie Cutter , spokeswoman for Obama 's transition team . `` President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition , and for his and first lady Laura Bush 's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House , '' Cutter said . A day earlier , a leader of Obama 's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss `` a broad range of issues , '' focusing on the economy . `` It 's clear that we need to stabilize the economy , to deal with the financial meltdown that 's now spreading across the rest of the economy . The auto industry is really , really back on its heels , '' transition team leader John Podesta told CNN 's `` Late Edition '' on Sunday . Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact `` at least part '' of an economic package before he takes office in January , but said the problems Americans face need short - and long-term approaches . The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq . Go inside the Oval Office Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush 's `` failed policies '' -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition . iReport.com : What 's your message for Obama ? `` When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory , I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House . Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office , '' Bush said in his radio address this weekend . Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been `` excellent '' since Tuesday 's election . Watch more on the transition to power '' Obama said he was `` gratified by the invitation '' to meet with the president and his wife . `` I 'm sure that , in addition to taking a tour of the White House , there 's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president , '' he said at a news conference Friday . `` I 'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all recognize the severity of the situation right now and want to get stuff done , '' he said . Given their drastically different views on foreign policy , Mark Preston , CNN 's deputy political editor , predicted an `` uncomfortable meeting at best . '' Watch CNN 's Mark Preston talk about the meeting '' `` Let 's not forget that Barack Obama ran against President Bush every day when he was taking on John McCain . While they will be cordial , I bet you it will be uncomfortable , '' Preston said . As the president and president-elect met in the Oval Office , Perino gave Robert Gibbs a tour of the White House press office . Gibbs was the communications director for Obama 's presidential campaign . He has not officially been named the incoming press secretary , but he is widely considered the top contender for the position . Cutter said that after Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour of the residence , the first lady and her successor discussed raising daughters in the White House . `` Mrs. Obama was honored to finally meet the first lady , who was a gracious hostess , '' Cutter said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal advisory board 's recommendation that women in their 40s should avoid routine mammograms is not government policy and has caused `` a great deal of confusion , '' Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday . `` My message to women is simple . Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer , and they still are today , '' Sebelius said in a statement . `` Keep doing what you have been doing for years : talk to your doctor about your individual history , ask questions and make the decision that is right for you . '' With her statement , Sebelius waded into the controversy over Monday 's announcement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that women in their 40s should not get routine mammograms for early detection of breast cancer . Sebelius ' statement is aimed at `` making it clear these recommendations are not ours , '' a White House source said . The report `` should n't be dismissed , '' Sebelius said on CNN 's `` The Situation Room . '' But she added , `` There are other groups who have disagreed with this information . '' The task force is `` making recommendations , not coverage decisions , not payment decisions . '' Government health programs such as Medicaid will continue to cover routine mammograms , she said . `` We will continue to recommend it , and the health plans have indicated that they will do the same , '' Sebelius said . `` If the health care provider recommends a mammogram for a patient , they intend to cover that payment . '' Though the Preventive Services Task Force is independent , the Department of Health and Human Services ' Web site calls the panel 's recommendations the `` gold standard , '' and insurance companies look to the panel for guidance on which preventive care practices they should cover . With the Obama administration fighting to push a sweeping overhaul of U.S. health insurance through Congress , Republicans quickly jumped at the chance to attack the mammography report . `` This is how rationing begins , '' said Rep. Marsha Blackburn , R-Tennessee . `` This is the little toe in the edge of the water . And this is where you start getting a bureaucrat between you and your physician . '' The White House disputes that , saying the recommendations `` can not be used to deny treatment '' on their own . Sebelius said the task force wo n't make coverage decisions . `` Mammograms have been a huge step forward for millions of American women , but we still have about 21 million women and girls in America who do n't have a doctor , who do n't receive any kind of mammogram screening on any kind of basis regardless of their age , '' she said . `` The health reform debate is about closing that gap . '' Criticism of the recommendation has come from quarters other than opponents of the Democratic health care bills . The American Cancer Society said it disagrees with the findings of the task force and continues to recommend annual screening , including mammograms , for all women beginning 40 and over . `` With its new recommendations , the -LSB- task force -RSB- is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives , just not enough of them , '' said Dr. Otis Brawley , the group 's chief medical officer . And Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz , D-Florida , who was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer at 41 , called the panel 's recommendations `` really disturbing '' and `` absolutely irresponsible . '' `` It 's a very patronizing attitude that these scientists have taken , '' she said . `` It 's pretty outrageous to suggest that women could n't handle more information . '' Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. , chairman of the House Energy and Commerce 's Subcommittee on Health , has announced that he will lead hearings into the advisory board 's recommendations . Wasserman-Schultz said those hearings `` will help us reach the appropriate policy conclusion , which I believe is that these recommendations should be set aside . '' Breast cancer is the most common cancer for U.S. women , with nearly 200,000 women expected to be diagnosed with the invasive form of the disease this year , according to the American Cancer Society . For women 50 to 74 , it recommended routine mammography screenings every two years . Risks and benefits for women age 75 and older are unknown , it said . While roughly 15 percent of women in their 40s detect breast cancer through mammography , data show that many other women experience false positives , anxiety , and unnecessary biopsies as a result of the test , according to the task force . The Preventive Services Task Force reviews medical data and bases recommendations on effectiveness and risks involved . It is composed of 16 health care experts , none of whom are oncologists , though a team of cancer experts presented its findings to the group . CNN 's Danielle Dellorto and Gloria Borger contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Prince Harry apologized through a spokesman Saturday after videos surfaced showing him using offensive language to describe people in his military unit . Prince Harry apologized for videos of him making offensive comments while on military duty in 2006 . In one clip , a voice said to be Harry 's calls a soldier a `` Paki . '' In another clip , the voice tells a soldier wearing a cloth on his head that he looks `` like a raghead . '' The British newspaper News of the World posted the videos on its Web site Saturday . It did not say how it obtained them . A spokesman for Prince Harry apologized in a statement released by St. James 's Palace Saturday . The spokesman said the prince -- who is third in line to the British throne -- `` understands how offensive this term can be , and is extremely sorry for any offense his words might cause . '' It is not the first apology for offensive behavior by Prince Harry . In 2005 , he was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform to a party . He said he was sorry for that incident . `` It was a very stupid thing to do and I 've learned my lesson , simple as that really , '' he said in a September 2005 interview with Britain 's Press Association , marking his 21st birthday . `` I 'd like to put it in the past now . What 's done is done . I regret it . '' The videos that surfaced Saturday were filmed by the prince himself during his military service in 2006 , according to the News of the World Web site . `` Ahh , our little Paki friend ... Ahmed , '' a voice says as the camera zooms in on a soldier from across the room . The video does not show Prince Harry 's face . The soldiers were waiting for their flight to Cyprus for a mission , according to the Web site . The Royal family said the ` Paki ' term was a nickname for a friend in his platoon . `` There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend , '' the St. James 's Palace statement said . The second video was filmed after arriving in Cyprus , according to News of the World , and shows a British soldier with a cloth over his head . A voice , which the News of the World claims to be Harry 's , is heard saying , '' -LRB- expletive -RRB- me , you look like a raghead . '' St. James 's Palace said , `` Prince Harry used the term ` raghead ' to mean Taliban or Iraqi insurgent . '' Dickie Arbiter , a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II , Prince Harry 's grandmother , urged people to take the prince 's words in context . `` Harry is not the same man as he was three years ago , '' Arbiter told Britain 's ITN network . `` You do n't think when you are shooting a video . '' And he pointed out that Harry was serving in the army , where language is not always delicate . `` It is quite common for names to be used in the military ... . He 's a serviceman first and foremost , but people see him as a prince first and he has to be careful of what he says . '' The British Ministry of Defense said it was not aware of any complaints against Prince Harry and would investigate the allegations of inappropriate behavior , according to a written statement released Saturday . `` Bullying and racism are not endemic in the Armed Forces , '' it said . David Cameron , the leader of Britain 's opposition Conservative Party , said Prince Harry 's remark was `` obviously a completely unacceptable thing to say . '' But he told the BBC 's Andrew Marr program that he saw no need for the prince to be disciplined . `` No , he has made an apology ... and I think that 's enough . '' -- CNN 's Katy Byron and Per Nyberg contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tea Party activists and other conservatives are planning rallies next month in support of Arizona 's tough new immigration law , which has come under attack from Democrats , Latino groups and some maverick Republicans . But a growing chorus of conservative evangelical leaders has broken with their traditional political allies on the right . They 're calling the Arizona law misguided and are attempting to use its passage to push for federal immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants . The group , which includes influential political activists such as Richard Land , head of the Southern Baptist Convention 's public policy wing , and Mathew Staver , dean of the Liberty University School of Law , will soon begin lobbying Republican leaders in Washington to support comprehensive immigration reform under President Obama . But a big part of their job is to first persuade rank-and-file evangelicals to get on board . `` There 's a misconception among people at the grass roots that the pathway to citizenship is amnesty , and it 's not , but we have to overcome that , '' said Staver , who heads the law school at the university founded by Jerry Falwell . `` There 's a lot of work to be done . '' Staver and Land have partnered with the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez , an influential Hispanic evangelical figure , and Rick Tyler -- former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 's longtime spokesman and head of Gingrich 's new values-based organization -- to try to draft a consensus evangelical position on immigration reform . `` After securing our borders , we must allow the millions of undocumented and otherwise law-abiding persons living in our midst to come out of the shadows , '' reads a recent draft of the document , which is still being finalized . `` The pathway for earned legal citizenship or temporary residency should involve a program of legalization for undocumented persons in the United States . ... '' Many conservatives say illegal immigrants should be forced to return to their home countries and start the process of legally coming to the U.S. from scratch . Rodriguez , who heads the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference -- which represents about 16 million Latino evangelicals in the U.S. -- says he 'll soon start presenting the document to Republican leaders like Gingrich , former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio in hopes that they sign on . `` If the conservative evangelical community looks to the Republican Party and says , ` We demand integration reform , we demand a just assimilation strategy , ' that may be the tipping point in getting substantial Republican support for comprehensive immigration reform , '' Rodriguez said . The conservative evangelicals pushing comprehensive immigration reform say that undocumented workers should have to pay fines , clear background checks , learn English and take a civics class before being granted citizenship . Many evangelicals say their push for immigration reform is biblically based , citing passages urging respect for civil laws and concern for migrants and the vulnerable . `` Discussion of immigration and government immigration policy must begin with the truth that every human being is made in the image of God , '' the National Association of Evangelicals said in a recent resolution backing comprehensive immigration reform . '' ... Jesus exemplifies respect toward others who are different in his treatment of the Samaritans . '' But evangelical leaders are also working to convince Republicans that the party will lose Hispanic voters -- a fast-growing bloc -- if they take a strident line on immigration . The Southern Baptist Convention 's Land said that Hispanics , like non-Hispanic white evangelicals , generally take a conservative approach to social issues like abortion and gay marriage , but that they often vote for Democrats because of the immigration issue . `` Hispanics are hard-wired to be like us on sanctity of life , marriage and issues of faith , '' said Land , describing political similarities between Hispanics and white Southern Baptists . `` I 'm concerned about being perceived as being unwelcoming to them . '' The last time Washington attempted immigration reform , under President George W. Bush in 2007 , the project failed , largely because many conservatives and Republicans said the plan 's inclusion of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. was tantamount to amnesty . Most major evangelical groups sat out the 2007 fight over immigration reform , but many , including the National Association of Evangelicals , which represents 30 million Americans , have since taken up the cause . Trying to apply the political lessons of 2007 , the evangelical leaders now pushing comprehensive immigration reform stress that the borders need to be secured as part of any reform package . `` I look at the Arizona law as a cry for help from a state that 's being inundated as a result of the federal government refusing to enforce its laws , '' Land said . But , he added , `` I think the Arizona law is the wrong way to attack the problem . '' Passed last month , the Arizona law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and allows police to question someone about their immigration status if they are in the process of enforcing some other law or ordinance . Critics of the law say it will lead to racial profiling , though supporters say a package of changes to the law signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer addressed those concerns . Many evangelical leaders promoting comprehensive immigration reform say the law 's passage gave new urgency to their campaign , which had been under way since last year . Rodriguez says he declined to join other Latino groups in calling for a boycott of Arizona because he thought it would alienate white evangelicals at a time when he 's trying to win their support . Still , Rodriguez and the handful of conservative evangelical leaders promoting comprehensive immigration reform have yet to persuade some of the country 's most powerful evangelical groups -- including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council -- to come on board . `` We 've been looking into this deeply but are n't ready to discuss our position , assuming we 'll get to one , '' Tom Minnery , vice president of public policy at Focus on the Family , said in an e-mail message last week . Even if such groups join their campaign , evangelicals backing comprehensive immigration reform may face another challenge : Persuading the White House to move forward with the plan after the bruising fight over health care reform .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican authorities on Saturday arrested four men in connection with last week 's shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in San Diego County , California , Mexico 's state-run news agency Notimex reported . U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas was fatally shot Thursday night in California , U.S. authorities said . Mexican federal police identified the men as human smugglers , and said they were in the act of transporting 21 immigrants when they were detained in the northwest state of Baja California , Notimex said . At a news conference , federal police identified two of the suspects as brothers Jose Eugenio Quintero Ruiz , 49 , and Jose Evodio Quintero Ruiz , 43 . The other two arrestees were taxi drivers Antonio Badallares Zepeda , 57 and Jose Alfredo Camacho Penuela , 34 , Notimex reported . Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas was shot and killed Thursday night while responding to a potential incursion into the United States in the Campo area in San Diego County , U.S. authorities said . The Mexican federal police did not offer specific evidence of the suspects ' role in the killing , but said intelligence reports indicated the group was responsible for kidnappings , rapes and murders of several people who tried to cross to the United States , Notimex said . The men were wanted by American authorities , police said . Notimex said that during his interrogation , Jose Eugenio Quintero told investigators the shooter was Ernesto Parra Valenzuela , a man arrested the day before by local police in Tecate , Mexico . Rosas , who is survived by his wife and two young children , had been a border agent for three years . Rosas was the ninth Border Patrol agent to be killed while on duty since 2006 , according to the agency 's Web site . Two agents died in a vehicle wreck in 2006 , and four died in 2007 , including two who died in vehicle wrecks , a third who drowned and a fourth who suffered a heart attack while pursuing undocumented immigrants . Two agents died on duty last year , the Border Patrol said . One died in a single-vehicle wreck ; another was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by a suspected smuggler , according to the agency 's Web site .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The pilot of a tanker that crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007 , causing a major oil spill , was under the influence of multiple prescription medications that impaired his judgment , federal officials said in a report Wednesday . The November 2007 crash left a gash in the tanker 's side and led to an oil spill that killed more than 2,000 birds . The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot of the Hong Kong-registered Cosco Busan , was `` medically unfit '' on November 7 , 2007 . That , and a master pilot 's poor oversight of his performance , were major factors in the crash that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay , the NTSB said . `` How a man who was taking a half-dozen impairing prescription medications got to stand on the bridge of a 68,000-ton ship and give directions to guide the vessel through a foggy bay and under a busy highway bridge is very troubling , '' said acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker . The pilot , John Cota , was charged with criminal negligence in federal court last year . He faces two misdemeanor charges that could result in up to 18 months in prison and $ 115,000 in fines . The 901-foot ship left Oakland , California , en route to South Korea when Cota gave orders that steered the ship directly toward a support tower on the bridge . While the ship avoided a direct hit , it hit a support system at the tower 's base , cutting a 212-foot gash in the ship 's side , the NTSB said . The board ruled that Cota and Chinese master pilot Mao Cai Sun never thoroughly discussed a plan before they took off on a foggy night when visibility was less than a quarter-mile . The oil spill killed about 2,500 birds of 50 different species , according to the report . The crash caused more than $ 70 million in environmental cleanup costs , $ 2 million in damage to the ship and $ 1.5 million in damage to the bridge . The report also blamed the ship 's operator , Fleet Management Ltd. , for not properly training crew members and the U.S. Coast Guard for not providing adequate medical oversight of the pilot . It said the Coast Guard should have revoked the pilot 's license , the pilot should have given a meaningful pre-departure briefing about plans for the voyage and the master pilot should have taken a more active role in ensuring the ship 's safety . `` There was a lack of competence in so many areas that this accident seemed almost inevitable , '' Rosenker said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A neighborhood in east London was getting back to normal Saturday after British Army engineers detonated a large World War II bomb unearthed this week on a building site , officials said . Army engineers covered the bomb with sand to minimise the risk of an explosion . An Army bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the 2,200-pound German warhead at 5:55 p.m. -LRB- 12:55 p.m. ET -RRB- Friday , London 's Metropolitan Police said . Video of the blast showed brown dirt , debris and black smoke shooting into the air when the bomb went off . There were no reports of any injuries or damage to surrounding property after the blast , the police and Ministry of Defense said . The public was allowed back into the industrial neighborhood by Friday night , authorities said . Two subway lines and a rail line in the area , which were shut down after construction crews discovered the bomb Monday , were running normal service Saturday , transportation officials said . London 's transit authority , Transport for London -LRB- TfL -RRB- , said the police and army gave permission for its engineers to check the tracks less than an hour after the controlled explosion . The tracks were clear of debris and damage and services resumed at 7:13 p.m. -LRB- 2:13 p.m. ET -RRB- , TfL said . Contractors preparing a waterway near the site of the future Olympic Park discovered the bomb Monday . The Ministry of Defense said the bomb , which measured four feet by two feet , was the largest one found in the capital since 1975 . The bomb was `` enormous , '' said Simon Saunders , a spokesman for the British Army 's London district . At one point during the week the bomb started ticking , which suggested a timing device , Saunders said . Disposal experts put strong magnets next to the bomb to shut down the clockwork and the ticking stopped , he said . It 's not uncommon for World War II-era bombs to be unearthed in Europe . In London , which suffered the aerial bombardment of the Blitz , bombs are uncovered two or three times a year , Saunders said . The London Blitz lasted from September 1940 until May 1941 . German bombers attacked the city every day or night for the first two months , but the worst night was the last -- May 10 , 1941 , when 3,000 people were killed in London , according to the Museum of London . Much of the Blitz focused on east London . In all , more than 20,000 people were killed in the Blitz , short for `` Blitzkrieg , '' the German word for `` lightning war . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The American accused of killing two Pakistani men is n't a diplomat , as U.S. officials have said , but rather a CIA contractor in the country providing security for CIA officers , a U.S. government official said Monday . The revelation that Raymond Davis was working for the U.S. intelligence agency when he shot two men -- one of them in the back , according to Lahore police -- is a dramatic twist in a case that has already inflamed hard-line clerics and an angry public that wants the American tried in a Pakistani court . In protests since Davis ' arrest last month , hard-line Pakistani clerics have condemned the shootings and demanded that the government not release the American . Despite the revelation of Davis ' true line of work , U.S. officials on Monday renewed their argument that he enjoys diplomatic immunity and must be released . U.S. officials notified Pakistan that Davis had been posted to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad in January 2010 , U.S. officials said . Pakistan 's only recourse under international law is to order Davis out of the country , according to a senior U.S. official who briefed reporters on background Monday . `` Any other form of action , including a judicial action or any other proceeding , is inconsistent with his status , '' the official said . Davis was jailed January 27 after fatally shooting two men who pulled up to him on a motorcycle in a bustling Lahore neighborhood . U.S. officials and Lahore police said Davis told them he shot the men in self-defense . Evidence showed the two men may well have been robbers , according to police who found cash and cell phones linked to a robbery reported earlier that day . But Lahore 's police chief , Aslam Tareen , has said witnesses told police that Davis kept firing , even when one of the men was running away . `` It was clear-cut murder , '' Tareen told reporters . That Davis was working for the CIA as a contract employee seems to explain the assortment of gear Lahore police reported finding in his rental car following his arrest . According to a Lahore police report , Davis ' car contained 9mm pistol , five ammunition magazines , two cell phones , an infrared light , a digital camera , a telescope , a long-range wireless set and a survival kit . While acknowledging that Davis is a CIA contractor , the U.S. official said that Davis is not a case officer or paramilitary officer . `` Davis is a protective officer , someone who provides security to U.S. officials in Pakistan . Rumors to the contrary are simply wrong , '' the official said . The U.S. official added `` any suggestions that he was conducting covert operations or personally leading efforts to target militant groups is wrong . '' But the official said Davis could have been providing security for CIA officers who were engaged in covert operations Davis is part of the agency 's `` global response staff , '' which is responsible for protecting the safety of CIA operatives in other countries . He was doing `` advance work , '' scouting areas of Lahore at the time of the shooting , the official said . Davis ' role required him to `` know the environment . '' He provided all facets of security for case workers including surveillance detection , route surveillance and protection in potentially hostile environments , said the official . The 36-year-old Davis is a former member of the U.S. Army special forces and had been employed by security firm XE Services , previously known as Blackwater . Davis began working for the CIA nearly 4 years ago . He was assigned to Pakistan in late 2009 . He was living with other security personnel at a safehouse in Lahore before the shooting incident . Until Monday , U.S. officials had described Davis only as an employee who was attached to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and who was working at the U.S. Consulate in Lahore at the time of the shootings . Formally , they continue to describe him only as a member of the `` technical and administrative staff '' of the embassy . The U.S. government has had ongoing conversations with Pakistan 's government about Davis ' security , State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday . `` Clearly , we hold the government of Pakistan fully responsible for his safety , '' Crowley said . A U.S. official said Davis is being held in a facility with 4,000 other prisoners , some of them militants . Pakistani officials have moved Davis to a separate part of the prison and taken away guards ' guns for fear one might kill the American , the U.S. official said . Dogs are even being used to taste and smell Davis ' food to ensure he is not poisoned , according to the official . Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , recently traveled to Pakistan in part to express `` our deepest sorrow for the loss of life '' and underscore Davis ' diplomatic immunity . Members of Congress have told senior Pakistani leaders that billions of dollars in U.S. aid are in jeopardy unless Davis is released . But Crowley said Monday no such action is currently being contemplated . The U.S. supplied more than $ 1.5 billion in nonmilitary aid to Pakistan in fiscal year 2010 . CNN 's Pam Benson and journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Toward the end of her marriage , Rabia Iqbal said she feared for her life . Robina Niaz said the Quran `` condemns '' abuse of women . `` If we witness injustice , we 're required to speak up . '' Iqbal was born in New York to parents who had immigrated to the United States from the tribal areas of Pakistan . She had a strict Muslim upbringing and when she was 16 , her parents arranged her marriage to a 38-year-old man . She claims her husband turned violent during their 10 years of marriage . When she finally left him , she did not know where to turn . Going home was n't an option , she said . `` My parents ... made clear that they would disown me , '' Iqbal said . `` My father even said ... ` You 're lucky you live in America because if you lived back home , you would have been dead by now . ' '' She was hiding out in her office at work when a friend put her in touch with Robina Niaz , whose organization , Turning Point for Women and Families , helps female Muslim abuse victims . `` It was such a relief ... to speak about things that ... I thought no one would understand , '' said Iqbal , who has received counseling from Niaz for more than two years and calls Niaz her `` savior . '' `` Robina understood the cultural nuances ... the religious issues , '' Iqbal said . Watch Iqbal tell her story '' A devout Muslim , Niaz stresses that there is no evidence that domestic violence is more common among Muslim families . `` Abuse happens everywhere , '' said Niaz . `` It cuts across barriers of race , religion , culture . '' But , she said , Muslims are often reluctant to confront the issue . `` There 's a lot of denial , '' she said . `` It makes it much harder for the victims of abuse to speak out . '' When Niaz launched her organization in 2004 , it was the first resource of its kind in New York City . Today , her one-woman campaign has expanded into a multifaceted endeavor that is raising awareness about family violence and providing direct services to women in need . Niaz said she firmly believes that domestic violence goes against Islamic teachings , and considers it her religious duty to try to stop abuse from happening . `` Quran condemns abusive behavior of women , '' she said , noting that the prophet Mohammed was never known to have abused women . `` Allah says , ` Stand up against injustice and bear witness , even if it 's against your own kin . So if I see injustice being done to women and children , I have to speak up . It 's my duty . '' Niaz 's mission began after a difficult period in her own life . Born and raised in Pakistan , she had earned a master 's degree in psychology and had a successful career in international affairs and marketing when she moved to the United States to marry in 1990 . `` It was a disastrous marriage , '' she said . As Niaz struggled to navigate the American legal system during her divorce , she said she appreciated how lucky she was to speak English and have an education . She realized that many immigrant women without those advantages might be more likely to stay in marriages because they did n't know how to make the system work for them . `` If this is how difficult it is for me , then what must other immigrant women go through ? '' she remembered thinking . After volunteering with South Asian victims of domestic violence , Niaz , who speaks five languages , got a job using those skills to advocate for immigrant women affected by family violence . But Niaz 's focus changed on September 11 , 2001 . `` I was no longer a Pakistani-American ... I looked at myself as a Muslim . '' Niaz said the backlash many Muslims experienced after the terror attacks made abuse victims more afraid to seek help ; they feared being shunned for bringing negative attention to their community . Watch Niaz explain the effects of 9\/11 on abused Muslim women '' `` Women who were caught in abusive marriages were trapped even more , '' recalled Niaz . In 2004 , Niaz used her savings to start Turning Point for Women and Families . Today , her work focuses on three main areas : providing direct services to abused women , raising awareness through outreach , and educating young women -- an effort she hopes will empower future generations to speak out against abuse . Crisis intervention services are a critical element of Niaz 's efforts . Through weekly counseling sessions , she and her team provide emotional support to the women while helping them with practical issues , such as finding homeless shelters , matrimonial lawyers , filing police reports or assisting with immigration issues . Niaz has helped more than 200 Muslim women . While most of Turning Point 's clients are immigrants , the group helps women from every background . While Niaz has support from many people in New York 's Muslim community , she acknowledges that not everyone appreciates her efforts . She keeps her office address confidential and takes precautions to ensure her safety . `` There have been threats ... but that comes with this work , '' she said . `` I know that God is protecting me because I 'm doing the right thing . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Turning Point for Women and Families and see how to help .","question":""}
{"answer":"Northampton , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three teens accused in the bullying of a Massachusetts high school student who committed suicide pleaded not guilty to related charges Tuesday . Sean Mulveyhill , 17 , Kayla Narey , 17 , and Austin Renaud , 18 , were not present at Hampshire Superior Court . They entered their pleas through their lawyers . Judge Judd Carhart upheld an agreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys that the defendants report to State Police barracks for booking before Friday . They must also stay away from the family of Phoebe Prince , the dead student . Terrence Dunphy , attorney for Renaud , did not comment on the status of his client , but told reporters that Renaud is innocent . The body of 15-year-old Phoebe was found hanging in the stairway leading to her family 's second-floor apartment in South Hadley on January 14 , Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel told reporters last month . Phoebe underwent what Scheibel described as a months-long campaign of bullying that led to her commit suicide . The girl was on the receiving end of `` verbally assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm ... on school grounds , by several South Hadley High School students , '' Scheibel said . In the indictments , returned last month , the Hampshire County grand jury charged Mulveyhill , of South Hadley , with statutory rape , violation of civil rights with resulting bodily injury , criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly . The indictments charged Renaud , of Springfield , with statutory rape . Kayla Narey , of South Hadley , was charged with violation of civil rights with resulting bodily injury , criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly . Charges against another three girls included violation of civil rights with resulting bodily injury ; two also were charged with stalking . South Hadley Public Schools Superintendent Gus Sayer defended school administrators ' handling of the matter , saying Phoebe had not alerted anyone to her situation . `` She did n't reveal to people what she was being subjected to and , unfortunately , until January 7 we were not aware of what she was being subjected to , so -LSB- there was -RSB- very little way we could have intervened in the bullying , '' he said . Sayer cited two incidents that occurred on January 7 , a week before Phoebe 's death . In one , a girl walked into a classroom and called Phoebe `` an Irish slut , '' he said . The name caller was taken to the principal 's office and disciplined , he said . In the other , a girl `` said something threatening about Phoebe '' to another girl , he said . A staff member overheard the comment and reported it to the principal , who took disciplinary action , Sayer said . He said it was school policy not to specify what disciplinary actions may have been taken against any individual student , though he said the latter case did not include expulsion and that the student returned to school . `` To our knowledge the action taken was effective in ending their involvement in any bullying of Phoebe , '' he said . Phoebe , who had recently moved to the area with her family from Ireland , also was harassed as she walked through the halls of the school on the day of her death and as she walked on the street toward her home , Scheibel said . The harassment that day , by one male and two females , `` appears to have been motivated by the group 's displeasure with Phoebe 's brief dating relationship with a male student that had ended six weeks earlier , '' she said . None of the six students identified in the indictment remains in school , Sayer said . CNN 's Brian Vitagliano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pea-sized seahorse , the world 's longest insect , a `` ghost slug '' and the world 's smallest snake were among the top 10 species discovered in 2008 , a committee of scientists said Friday . A tiny seahorse and the world 's longest insect were among the top 10 new species discovered in 2008 . These unusual critters were among thousands of species found last year , many in remote or tropical regions of the planet , that hint at the breadth of the Earth 's undiscovered biodiversity . `` Most people do not realize just how incomplete our knowledge of Earth 's species is , '' said Quentin Wheeler , director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University , which announced the top 10 new species list . `` We are surrounded by such an exuberance of species diversity that we too often take it for granted , '' Wheeler added . The ASU institute and an international committee of taxonomists -- scientists devoted to species exploration and classification -- compile the top 10 list of new species each year . Also on the 2008 list are a caffeine-free coffee plant , a snail whose shell twists around four axes , a palm that flowers itself to death and microscopic bacteria that live in hairspray . See photos of the new species '' Here 's the complete list : 1 . Pygmy seahorse : Classified by its Latin name , Hippocampus satomiae , this species measures about half an inch long and was found near Derawan Island off Kalimantan , Indonesia . 2 . A plant that kills itself : Found in a small area of northwestern Madagascar , a rare genus of palm -- Tahina spectablilis -- produces huge , spectacular flowers and then dies and collapses . Fewer than 100 have been found . 3 . Decaf , please : Known as Coffea charrieriana , this plant found in Cameroon is the first record of a caffeine-free coffee species from Central Africa . 4 . Spray-on species : An extremophile bacteria , Microbacterium hatanonis , was discovered in hairspray by Japanese scientists . 5 . A stick that moves : The world 's longest insect , with a body length of 14 inches -LRB- 22.3 inches including legs -RRB- , Phobaeticus chani resembles a stick and was found in Borneo , Malaysia . 6 . The Barbados Threadsnake : Leptotyphlops carlae measures only 4.1 inches long and is believed to be the world 's smallest snake . 7 . A pale `` ghost slug '' : Selenochlamys ysbryda was a surprising find in the densely populated area of Cardiff , Wales . 8 . A very limber snail : This unique species , Opisthostoma vermiculum , is found on a limestone hill in Malaysia and has a shell that twists around four axes . 9 . Damsel in the deep blue sea : Chromis abyssus is a beautiful species of damselfish found in deep-reef habitat off the coast of Ngemelis Island , Palau . 10 . Fossil mama : A fossilized fish , Materpiscis attenboroughi , is an extremely rare find from Western Australia and shows a mother giving birth 380 million years ago . Scientists are still classifying species found around the globe in 2008 , so final data for that year are not available . But on Friday , the taxonomists issued a State of Observed Species report card that states 18,516 species new to science -- about half of them insects -- were discovered and described in 2007 . The vast majority of the 18,516 species named in 2007 were invertebrate animals -LRB- 75.6 percent -RRB- , vascular plants -LRB- 11.1 percent -RRB- and vertebrates -LRB- 6.7 percent -RRB- . The report was compiled by ASU 's International Institute for Species Exploration in partnership with other scientists . `` Charting the species of the world and their unique attributes are essential parts of understanding the history of life , '' Wheeler said . `` It is in our own self-interest as we face the challenges of living on a rapidly changing planet . '' According to Wheeler , a new generation of tools is coming online that will vastly accelerate the rate at which humans can discover and describe species . The annual release of the top 10 new species list and State of Observed Species report commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus , who initiated the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications . An estimated 1.8 million species have been described since Linnaeus initiated the modern systems for naming plants and animals in the 18th century . Scientists estimate that there are between 2 million and 100 million species on Earth , though most set the number closer to 10 million , according to ASU . `` It is estimated that the approximately 1.8 million species named since 1758 represent no more than a fraction of the world 's species , '' the report states . `` Rapid environmental changes around the world highlight the urgent need to accelerate our exploration of Earth 's species , '' the report says . `` Millions of species -- the majority not yet known to science -- face an uncertain future . Among these species are keys to understanding the history of the origin and diversification of life on our planet . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A New York man suspected in the death of an elderly woman who was set on fire in the elevator of her Brooklyn apartment building over the weekend was arraigned Monday on charges of murder and arson . Jerome Isaac , 47 , is being held without bail , according to the Brooklyn District Attorney 's office , and is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday . He wore a white jumpsuit and did not speak during the arraignment . The left side of his face appeared to be badly burned . Isaac 's attorney requested his client receive medical attention and be placed in protective custody because of the `` publicity and the nature of the offense . '' Isaac is accused of attacking 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie . He told police Gillespie owed him $ 2,000 for work he claims he did for her , said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne . He turned himself in to police overnight Saturday or early Sunday morning . Neighbors said the woman was returning home to her fifth-floor apartment in Prospect Heights after a grocery store trip Saturday . A preliminary investigation showed Isaac standing outside the elevator on the fifth floor and attacked the woman as she was attempting to exit , authorities said . The incident was caught on surveillance cameras inside and outside the elevator , and police have the videotapes , Browne said . Authorities believe Isaac initially sprayed the woman with a flammable liquid , presumably gasoline , and continued to spray her as he followed her back into the elevator , Browne said . The woman was first sprayed in the face , he said . Then , using `` one of those long lighters that you would use for a grill , he lit a Molotov cocktail and used the burning leg on top of that to ignite her body , '' Browne said . The suspect stepped out of the elevator , threw the Molotov cocktail inside , then returned again to spray more liquid on the woman as she burned , he said . `` This is as bad as it gets , '' Browne told CNN 's Don Lemon . Authorities responding to a 911 call of a fire found the woman 's body inside the elevator . She was pronounced dead at the scene , according to police . Isaac lived about 10 minutes away from Gillespie 's apartment building , Brown said . After the incident , he apparently returned home and ignited the door to his own apartment , he said . He was concerned he had burned himself in the second incident , although no one else was injured , Browne said . He then hid out on a rooftop for a while and fell asleep , later going into a police station `` reeking of gasoline '' and telling officers he was responsible for a fire . During questioning , Browne said , he implicated himself in Gillespie 's death . CNN 's Jason Kessler contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kraft 's fresh bid for suffered a double blow Tuesday as the improved offer was dismissed by the British candy company and criticized by billionaire investor Warren Buffett who controls an influential stake in the U.S. food giant . Buffett said he had voted against Kraft 's plan to issue new shares as part of a cash and stock offer worth approximately $ 16 billion , warning it would hurt shareholders , Fortune reported . Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway company owns 138 million Kraft shares , making it the largest shareholder in the foodmaker with a 9.4 percent stake . But in a statement , he warned Kraft 's move for Cadbury risked undervaluing Kraft stock . `` Kraft stock , at its current price of $ 27 , is a very expensive ` currency ' to be used in an acquisition , '' Buffett said . `` In 2007 , in fact , Kraft spent $ 3.6 billion to repurchase shares at about $ 33 per share , presumably because the directors and management thought the shares to be worth more . '' Earlier , Illinois-based Kraft said it would use the proceeds from the sale of its U.S. pizza business to Nestle to increase the cash element of its Cadbury offer . Under Kraft 's offer of a partial cash alternative , Cadbury shareholders could receive cash as well as Kraft shares if they accept Kraft 's deal . `` Kraft Foods is doing this because of the desire expressed by some Cadbury security holders to have a greater proportion of the offer in cash , '' Kraft said in a statement . The maker of Jell-O , Cool Whip , Oreo cookies and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese also extended the Cadbury offer to February 2 . The original bid had expired Tuesday . Cadbury , which rejected Kraft 's previous two deals , rejected the new offer Tuesday . `` Kraft has once again missed the point , '' a Cadbury spokesman told CNN . `` Despite this tinkering , the Kraft offer remains unchanged and derisory , with less than half the consideration in cash . '' There had been rumors that Swiss firm Nestle , which already has a chocolate and confectionery unit , would step in and make its own offer for Cadbury . But Nestle put an end to those rumors Tuesday by issuing a statement saying it had no intention to make an offer for the British company . Instead , Nestle said it had bought Kraft 's frozen pizza business in the United States and Canada for $ 3.7 billion . The unit includes brands like DiGiorno , Tombstone , and California Pizza Kitchen . `` The acquisition brings leadership in the frozen pizza category , where Nestle only had a minor presence until now , and builds on Nestle 's existing pizza know-how and operations in Europe , '' Nestle said in a statement Tuesday . `` It is a natural fit with Nestle 's focus on delivering convenient , premium , wholesome and nutritious frozen food for consumers around the world . '' Nestle already had a presence in American frozen food aisles with ready-meal brands like Stouffer 's , Lean Cuisine , and Hot Pockets . The proceeds from the sale allow Kraft to offer more cash to Cadbury shareholders -- an additional 60 pence -LRB- 96 cents -RRB- per share , Kraft said . Kraft originally offered Cadbury shareholders 300 pence -LRB- $ 4.81 -RRB- and 0.26 Kraft shares for each share of Cadbury they own . Kraft said it will announce more detailed terms by January 19 .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A House panel voted Thursday to subpoena the White House for documents related to the solar energy company Solyndra . The House Energy and Commerce Committee 's subcommittee on oversight and investigations voted along party lines , 14 to 9 , in favor of issuing the subpoenas for internal documents regarding the decision to issue more than half a billion dollars in federal loan guarantees in 2010 to Solyndra , which later filed for bankruptcy . The decision followed a contentious debate among subcommittee members , with Republicans accusing the Obama administration of stonewalling , and some Democrats calling the subpoena resolution politically motivated . Rep. Cliff Stearns , the Republican chairman of the subcommittee , said the White House Office of Management and Budget earlier this year `` repeatedly failed to cooperate with our investigation and we agreed to put off a vote on that subpoena '' in hopes that engaging the White House could avoid the need for subpoenas . `` Only after repeated failed attempts to engage the White House did the committee notify the White House '' that it intended to discuss possible subpoenas , Stearns said . `` This finally got the attention of the White House counsel , '' who then met with lawmakers Wednesday , he said . `` Unfortunately , the White House was unable or unwilling to answer even the most basic questions . '' Democrats slammed the subcommittee 's move , though some acknowledged the White House could be more forthcoming with information in the case . Veteran Rep. John Dingell , D-Michigan , said after the vote : `` I 've never seen a procedure quite like this . '' `` We are protesting here a sweeping subpoena , '' he said . Since Republicans have `` been able to find nothing '' wrong in what they 've looked at so far , they have `` increased the size of the net and reduced the size of the holes in the net as they go about this fishing expedition . '' The White House accused the House panel of choosing `` a partisan route . '' `` This administration has cooperated extensively with the committee 's investigation by producing over 85,000 pages of documents , including 20,000 pages produced just yesterday afternoon , '' White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement . `` Administration officials have participated in multiple briefings and hearings , and the White House has also already provided over 900 pages of documents in response to requests we have received . And all of the materials that have been disclosed affirm what we said on day one : this was a merit-based decision made by the Department of Energy . '' Schultz called the subpoenas `` unprecedented and unwarranted . '' Federal analysts looking at the proposed Solyndra loan in 2009 warned then of possible problems , as well as pressure from the White House to speed up a decision , according to a memorandum released last month by congressional investigators . Approved in May 2010 , the Energy Department 's loan allowed Solyndra to build a factory in Fremont , California , to produce state-of-the-art solar panels . Solyndra filed for bankruptcy in late August and closed its doors , however , putting more than 1,000 people out of work after it received $ 535 million in loan guarantees . The bankruptcy leaves the federal government unlikely to get the loan money back . President Barack Obama touted the company in a widely publicized visit last year . A source familiar with the congressional investigation said the White House has provided e-mail communications with details about who at the White House was looped in on the deal while red flags were being raised about the financial soundness of the company . White House Chief of Staff William Daley announced last week that he is ordering a 60-day independent review of the state of the Energy Department 's loan portfolio . The review will include recommendations about how to improve the loan monitoring process . The review will be headed by Herb Allison , a veteran of both the Obama and last Bush administrations who oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program -LRB- TARP -RRB- , among other things . CNN 's Alan Silverleib , Tom Cohen , Josh Levs and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Tripoli , Libya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Libya 's interim leaders will declare liberation on Sunday and hold elections in the coming months as the war-torn country works toward building a new society in the post-Moammar Gadhafi era . Mahmoud Jibril , chairman of the National Transitional Council executive board , said elections `` should be within a period of eight months , maximum . '' He spoke at the World Economic Forum in Jordan . The first vote will be for a National Congress that will draft a constitution . After that , parliamentary and presidential elections will be held . Jibril said that oil-rich Libya is currently producing around 300,000 barrels per day , up from near zero during the depths of the conflict . The country should be back at its prewar output of 1.6 million barrels of oil per day within 15 months , he said . Gadhafi 's death Thursday solidified the power of the NTC , which will mark the country 's liberation on Sunday in the eastern city of Benghazi , where the uprising started . NATO , which launched an operation to protect Libyan citizens against the Gadhafi regime during the Libyan war , plans to ends its operations by October 31 . Speaking in his weekly address Saturday , Obama said Gadhafi 's death `` showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people , and helping them break free from a tyrant , was the right thing to do . '' `` Our brave pilots and crews helped prevent a massacre , save countless lives , and give the Libyan people the chance to prevail . Without putting a single U.S. service member on the ground , we achieved our objectives . Soon , our NATO mission will come to a successful end even as we continue to support the Libyan people , and people across the Arab world , who seek a democratic future . '' Questions persist about what would happen to Gadhafi 's body , which was on public display Saturday at a Misrata meat market cooler . Queues of people lined up to view the corpse , which appeared to have a bullet hole on the left temple . His family issued a statement Friday calling on the United Nations and Amnesty International to push Libya 's new leadership `` to hand over the bodies of the martyrs of their tribe so they can be buried according to Islamic rites , '' a pro-Gadhafi TV station reported . Libyan and world powers wanted to capture Gadhafi and prosecute him for war crimes . The U.N. human rights office and activist groups like Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have called for a probe into his death amid questions over the final moments of the late Libyan strongman 's life . They want to know whether Gadhafi was killed in crossfire or executed by fighters . `` There are at least two cell-phone videos , one showing him alive and one showing him dead . Taken together , these videos are very disturbing , '' human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva on Friday . `` We believe there is a need for an investigation and more details are needed to ascertain whether he was killed in the fighting or after his capture . '' Human Rights Watch , which is also calling for an internationally supervised autopsy and an investigation into the death , said it is unlikely that Gadhafi was killed in crossfire . Peter Bouckaert , the group 's emergencies director , told CNN that fighting had ended when Gadhafi was cornered in a drainage ditch . He said crowds beat Gadhafi in what was a `` humiliating end '' for the former dictator . `` When he left the area , he was very much alive , '' Bouckaert said . `` There 's no reason why he should have been subjected to this kind of mob justice . '' CNN 's Dan Rivers and Victoria Brown contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazilian playmaker Kaka was officially presented as a Real Madrid player , after being handed the number eight jersey in front of thousands of supporters and a huge media contingent at the club 's Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday evening . Kaka parades his new Real Madrid jersey after completing his $ 92 million transfer to the Spanish giants . An estimated 50,000-strong crowd , almost three times the anticipated number , turned up to watch the ceremony as Kaka was unveiled as Madrid 's latest addition by club president Florentino Perez and honorary president Alfredo di Stefano . Latest transfer gossip and rumors Kaka , who completed his medical earlier in the day having landed in the Spanish capital in the morning , has penned a six-year contract and has cost Madrid a reported $ 92 million . There had been speculation that Kaka would be handed the number five shirt that Zinedine Zidane had once worn for Madrid , but the new arrival will instead take up the number eight shirt formerly worn by Fernando Gago . The presentation took place on a stage erected on the Bernabeu pitch that also included Madrid 's record nine European Cup trophies , a giant screen and with a backdrop of four huge images showing club legends Raul , Juanito , Di Stefano and Zidane . The 27-year-old Kaka , who was named player of the tournament after helping Brazil win the Confederations Cup in South Africa over the last few weeks , told supporters : `` Today is a very happy day for me . `` I 'm very happy because this new stage of my career will be at Real Madrid . I hope to write my name into the history of this club with many victories and successes . '' Kaka was the first signing confirmed by Madrid after Perez returned to the club presidency at the start of June . Soon after bringing in the Brazilian , Perez also agreed a world-record 80 million euros fee with Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo . That deal was finalized on Friday night and will come into effect from Wednesday , with Ronaldo , who like Kaka will be tied to the Spanish giants until 2015 , being presented on July 6 . Aside from Kaka and Ronaldo , Madrid also struck a deal to sign Valencia defender Raul Albiol last week for a fee believed to be around 13 million euros , while the likes of Franck Ribery , David Villa and Xabi Alonso are all being linked with moves to the Bernabeu as Perez relaunches the famous ` galacticos ' policy that he presided over during his first tenure at the club . Then , while president from 2000-06 , Perez sanctioned the big-money signings of superstars such as Zidane , David Beckham , Luis Figo and Ronaldo , a policy that reaped indifferent rewards with Madrid winning seven trophies under Perez in total but none in his final three years .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Last year 's world champion Lewis Hamilton has claimed pole position for Sunday 's inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while his successor as Formula One 's top driver , Jenson Button , qualified fifth . Hamilton will be looking to end a disappointing year for McLaren with victory in the season finale at the new Yas Marina circuit , but even with a win can do no better than hold onto his fifth overall placing in F1 's first day-night event . The 24-year-old will start a race from the front of the grid for the 17th time in his career , and the fourth in the last seven races , after setting the fastest time in all three sessions . He clocked a best lap of one minute 40.948 seconds as the sun set on Saturday evening to head off the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber . Vettel , whose bid to prevent Button clinching the world title ended last time out in Brazil , timed 1:41.615 while Webber recorded 1:41.726 . `` The car is the best it has been all year . It was a smooth lap , and it just kept getting better and better , '' Hamilton told reporters . `` The place is just stunning . They all said it would be a great event , but it 's mind-blowing . It 's a great place to come to , a great country . The weather has been great and the people are so respectful and so welcoming . I hope we can put on a great show tomorrow . '' Button 's bid to ensure the first all-British front row since 1995 came to nothing as he was out-qualified by teammate Rubens Barrichello for the 10th time this season . The Brazilian is expected to be making his final race outing for world champions Brawn , who are expected to sign Nico Rosberg from Williams . The German , who announced during the week that he will be leaving the British team , qualified ninth as Toyota 's Jarno Trulli and BMW Sauber duo Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld took sixth , seventh and eighth places . Kimi Raikkonen , who will be making his final race appearance for Ferrari , finished outside the top-10 for only the third time this season , and will start in 11th behind Toro Rosso 's Sebastien Buemi . Heikki Kovalainen 's chances of keeping his drive with McLaren took a blow as he finished 15th after suffering gearbox problems . The Finn , fastest in Friday 's practice sessions , was just ahead of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso , who along with Renault teammate Romain Grosjean failed to make it beyond the opening 20-minute session . Alonso , at least , can look forward to joining Ferrari as Raikkonen 's replacement , but Frenchman Grosjean faces an uncertain future as he has failed to take his chance since taking over from the sacked Nelson Piquet Jr. . Former world champions Ferrari will prop up the grid as veteran Giancarlo Fisichella again struggled ahead of what could be the final race of his career as he will be the team 's reserve driver next year when the injured Felipe Massa returns .","question":""}
{"answer":"The mother of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor has died of a suspected heart attack , The Press Association reported Wednesday . Gloria Taylor outside London 's Central Criminal Court with Damilola 's older brother Tunde in 2006 . Gloria Taylor , 57 , collapsed while walking with her husband Richard in south-east London Tuesday , the agency reported . Efforts to revive her at hospital failed and she was pronounced dead moments later , according to London police headquarters Scotland Yard . Damilola , 10 , bled to death after being attacked on his way home from Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in November 2000 . He staggered 100 yards with blood pouring from a sliced artery in his leg after being stabbed . Nigerian-born Damilola had been in Britain for only a few months when he was attacked while walking home from an after school computer club . Damilola 's killing was front-page news in Britain , and prompted soul-searching on topics ranging from the deprivation of inner cities to school bullying . A year after their son 's death , the Taylors established the Damilola Taylor Trust , aimed at improving the lives of underprivileged young people . The trust offers scholarships for medical students from poor backgrounds , and also set up the Damilola Taylor Center , in Peckham , south-east London , which provides sports and community activities . At the time , Gloria said the trust aimed to provide hope and opportunities for Britain 's `` downtrodden and underprivileged youth '' . `` Damilola lost his life because of enormous problems in this society . Our son wanted to be a doctor . `` He was a leader , and we are sure he would have been extraordinary . We would like the trust to heal many of the ills faced by today 's youth , '' The Guardian newspaper reported her saying at the time . In August 2006 , two teenage brothers were convicted of his manslaughter and given eight-year youth custody sentences . Danny and Ricky Preddie , who were 12 and 13 at the time of the killing , were convicted at a retrial . The conviction came after three trials and two police investigations , parts of which were strongly criticized , The Guardian reported . PA quoted a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman as saying : `` Police were called at about 7.45 pm on April 8 by London Ambulance Service to reports of a woman taken ill on the street in Shooters Hill . `` Local officers and London Ambulance Service were in attendance and a woman in her 50s was taken by ambulance to hospital suffering a suspected heart attack and was pronounced life extinct at 8.29 pm . `` A post-mortem examination will take place in due course . `` The incident is being investigated by local borough officers and is currently being treated as non suspicious . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jennifer Schuett 's search for the man who snatched her from her bed when she was 8 , sexually assaulted her and left her for dead on top of an ant hill ended Tuesday with the arrest of a suspect . Jennifer Schuett , 27 , was abducted and left for dead at age 8 . A suspect was arrested Tuesday . Now begins another chapter in Schuett 's 19-year quest for justice . Standing in front of the television cameras , Jennifer Schuett blinked back tears . `` This is a huge day for me , '' she later told CNN over the phone . `` And I want to see this through the end . The rest will come out during the trial . '' Schuett , 27 , joined a multi-agency team of investigators in her hometown of Dickinson , Texas , as they announced the arrest earlier in the day of Dennis Earl Bradford , a 40-year-old welder , in Little Rock , Arkansas . The arrest came after new DNA testing and other evidence made it possible to identify Bradford as the suspect . Schuett 's boyfriend and two police investigators who kept the case alive stood beside her . Fighting tears , she thanked them for their support . `` Throughout this journey , I 've had two main goals , '' she said . `` And they were to find the man who kidnapped , sexually assaulted and attempted to murder me 19 years ago so that he could not hurt anyone else . And to use my voice in telling my story to as many people as I possibly could over the years in hopes that I may encourage other victims of violent crimes to stand up and speak out against criminals . '' Watch Schuett explain why she 's speaking out '' She continued , `` Today , I can say very proudly that I have accomplished both of these goals . '' Schuett spoke with CNN two weeks ago about her 1990 ordeal . CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assaults . But Schuett decided to go public with her story and her name to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker . Schuett was in her bed when a man crept in through a window on August 10 , 1990 . She remembers waking up in a stranger 's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot . She said he told her he was an undercover cop and knew her family . He drove her through the streets of Dickinson , pulling into an overgrown field where , she said , he sexually assaulted her . She passed out . When she regained consciousness , she was lying on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed and her voice box torn . She spent about 14 hours in the field before she was found and rushed to the hospital in critical condition . `` Three days after the attack , I started giving a description . The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again , but I proved them all wrong , '' Schuett said . She believes she got her voice back so she could tell her story . At the news conference , a driver 's license photo of the suspect was shown next to the 1990 sketch based on her description . There was a clear resemblance . Watch the sketch artist 's memories of Schuett '' Shauna Dunlap , a spokeswoman for the FBI 's Houston office , said Bradford lived in North Little Rock , with his wife and two children -- a boy , 12 , and a girl , 15 . He also has three adult stepchildren . Bradford worked as a welder for United Fence in North Little Rock . A company representative said Bradford had been working there for 10 years and was a `` good guy '' who had mended `` his old ways '' and `` changed his life . '' He would n't go into specifics about what those `` old ways '' were . Court documents give some indication . In 1996 , Bradford was accused of kidnapping , sexually assaulting and cutting the throat of a female victim . He was initially charged with attempt to commit first-degree murder , but prosecutors amended the charges to rape and kidnapping . A Garland County Circuit Court jury found him guilty of kidnapping but was not able reach a verdict on the rape charges . Arkansas corrections officials said he entered prison in March 1997 , facing a 12-year-sentence , and was paroled in February 2000 . Investigators also found Bradford lived slightly more than two miles from Schuett 's residence and just a mile and a half from where she was found , according to an affidavit released Tuesday . `` It 's truly a rare occasion when we have the opportunity to prosecute a case like this , '' said Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk . His office is charging Bradford with attempted capital murder . `` Jennifer has been a tremendous asset to this investigation from the beginning , an inspiration to all of us , and we are going to be very proud to have Jennifer by our side as we continue with our efforts to seek justice for you in the courtroom , '' said Sistrunk . The break in the case came after FBI agent Richard Rennison and Dickinson police Detective Tim Cromie persuaded the FBI 's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment -LRB- CARD -RRB- team to get involved . `` The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive , '' Rennison said . `` In cases of child abduction , it is rare that the child is recovered alive . Frequently , you recover a body . And most times , you never find them . '' In March 2008 , the investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago -- the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing , as well as a man 's underwear and T-shirt , which were found in the field where Schuett was left for dead . The clothes had been tested in 1990 , but the sample was n't large enough for conclusive results . But newer techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell . The FBI lab recently informed Rennison that the DNA in the man 's underwear matched Bradford 's DNA profile . He was entered into the database after the 1997 kidnapping conviction in Arkansas . Bradford was arrested on Tuesday morning on his way to work . He awaits extradition to Texas . CNN 's Mallory Simon contributed to this story","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Coalition forces can attain `` success '' in Afghanistan , but U.S. officials should wait until December 2010 before they can measure the progress of the troop surge , a top U.S. commander told a Senate committee Wednesday . Gen. David Petraeus , head of U.S. Central Command , predicted the surge will be met by an increase in violence in spring 2010 and a rise in `` security incidents '' in the summer . Turmoil within the Afghan government over the 18 months of the troop increase is also expected as corruption is rooted out , Petraeus said . That , combined with an expected backlash in the spring and summer , Petraeus cautioned , means officials and the public should wait until December 2010 to evaluate the progress of the U.S. military strategy . `` While certainly different and in some ways tougher than Iraq , Afghanistan is no more hopeless than Iraq was when I took command there in February 2007 , '' Petraeus told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . `` Indeed the level of violence and number of violent civilian deaths in Iraq were vastly higher than we have seen in Afghanistan , but achieving progress in Afghanistan will be hard and the progress there likely will be slower in developing than progress was achieved in Iraq . '' Petraeus ' appearance before legislators was the latest by top U.S. officials on Capitol Hill this week . Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan , testified before the Senate and House counterparts of the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday , joined by Karl Eikenberry , the U.S. ambassador in Kabul , who also testified Wednesday . Jacob Lew , deputy secretary of state for management and resources also testified Wednesday . McChrystal told CNN on Wednesday that U.S. , Afghan and NATO forces need to cut off the Taliban insurgency from the Afghan people by establishing `` security zones '' that will gradually expand to encompass more and more territory . `` At the end of the day , the insurgency needs access to the population to be effective , '' McChrystal said in an interview with CNN 's Christiane Amanpour . `` They need to be able to coerce the population , to tax the population , to recruit from the population , and to prevent the government from extending its governance into those areas . '' If Taliban fighters are forced to keep their distance from the Afghan population , then `` over time , they become irrelevant , and they , in fact , are defeated , '' McChrystal said . The generals and diplomats were called to testify before the congressional committees about President Obama 's new plan for the Afghan war , which involves the deployment of another 30,000 U.S. troops and a July 2011 date for the beginning of an American withdrawal . Part of stabilizing Afghanistan and fighting the Taliban will include supporting legitimate economies among Afghans , thwarting the chance that some would join the insurgency as a means of making a living , Eikenberry testified . About 80 percent of the Afghan people derive their income from agriculture and the United States plans to support agriculture among civilians while keeping farmers from growing heroin in the poppy fields , which can be lucrative for the Taliban , said Eikenberry . Also critical is a partnership with Pakistan , Eikenberry , Petraeus and Lew agreed . Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee , Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , articulated that fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan includes addressing the problem of militants who have sought shelter across the border in Pakistan . Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden , who has been at large since the September 11 attacks in 2001 , is widely believed to be hiding along the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan . While the withdrawal is set to begin July 2011 , Kerry said the United States will maintain `` engagement '' with the region and talks with Afghanistan 's neighbor , Pakistan . And Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday said that the country will need help financing their own military and police forces for the next 10 to 15 years . Worried about billions of dollars in costs and the longevity of the commitment to Afghanistan , Sen. Richard Lugar , R-Indiana , asked Petraeus to explain whether 15 years would be necessary and how much money it could cost . If Afghanistan attained the `` aspirational '' goal of 400,000 army and police members , it could cost about $ 10 billion a year to support , Petraeus said . `` There 's no question as President Karzai was highlighting yesterday that Afghanistan will require substantial international funding for years to come in a whole host of different areas , not the least of which is their security forces , '' Petraeus said . `` But I would submit that it is a lot cheaper to maintain a certain number of Afghan forces than it is to maintain the number of U.S. and coalition forces required to compensate for their absence . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ORLANDO , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida woman accused of killing her toddler daughter made a rare court appearance Thursday for a hearing regarding `` disturbing '' images of the scene where her daughter 's skeletal remains were found . Caylee Anthony , 2 , had been missing since June in a case that has received national attention . The hearing began without Casey Anthony , as defense attorney Jose Baez saying she waived her right to appear . But prosecutors objected , saying Anthony should be brought into court and questioned before waiving her appearance . Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland agreed , sending deputies to retrieve Anthony from jail but starting the hearing without her . She later was brought in , wearing navy jail scrubs . Answering Strickland 's questions in a clear voice , Anthony confirmed that she had waived her right to appear in court . Watch Casey Anthony appear in court '' Strickland , however , had her remain for the rest of the hearing . She sat expressionless , appearing to listen closely as prosecutors and defense attorneys hashed out routine discovery and evidentiary issues . Anthony , 22 , is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee , who was last reported seen in June . She was arrested in October and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses , even though Caylee 's body had not been found . The girl 's skeletal remains were found last month in woods about a half-mile from the home of Anthony 's parents , where Caylee and her mother had been living . Authorities have been unable to determine how the girl died but said she was the victim of a homicide . In Thursday 's hearing , prosecutors and defense attorneys wrangled over defense experts ' access to images from the scene where the body was found . Prosecutors said they did not want the defense to copy , print or send any photos or X-rays of Caylee to their experts , many of whom were outside Florida , out of concern they might wind up in the media 's hands . Because the experts are outside the jurisdiction of the Florida court , Strickland would have little recourse if the photos wound up `` displayed on some magazine at the checkout at the Publix , '' prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick said Thursday . The pictures `` are not necessarily gruesome , but they are disturbing , '' especially images of the child 's skull when it was found and removed from the woods , she said . Baez agreed he did not want the photos to be made public , and said he doubted his experts would jeopardize their reputations by leaking them , noting they have signed confidentiality agreements . The parties agreed that the defense would set up a secure Web site for its experts to evaluate the photographs . Strickland also ordered Baez not to copy the images or transmit them in any way . In an earlier hearing Thursday , another Orange County circuit judge ruled that a lawsuit filed against Anthony may proceed , but the judge is not requiring Anthony to submit to a deposition at this time . In questioning after Caylee 's disappearance , Anthony told police she had left the child with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez and had not seen her since . Checking out her story , authorities found that the apartment where Anthony said she left Caylee was vacant and located a Zenaida Gonzalez , who said she had never met Anthony . Gonzalez filed a defamation suit against Anthony , saying that as a result of Anthony 's statements , she has been suspected wrongly of involvement in Caylee 's disappearance . Her attorney , John Morgan , told the judge Thursday that Gonzalez lost her job because of those claims . Anthony 's defense attorneys asked that proceedings in the Gonzalez suit -- specifically , Anthony 's deposition -- be postponed until the criminal case against Anthony is resolved , because Anthony 's answers to questions in the deposition could potentially incriminate her , meaning she would have to invoke her Fifth Amendment right in refusing to answer . Circuit Judge Jose Rodriguez agreed that Anthony should not be compelled to undergo an oral deposition , but said Morgan could depose her with written questions and answers . `` No matter how much we want to separate these cases , they 're intertwined , '' Rodriguez said in issuing his decision . Morgan noted that Anthony has filed a countersuit against Gonzalez , and said Anthony can not duck a deposition at the same time that she is suing his client . `` They can not have their cake and eat it too , '' Morgan said , adding that Anthony `` ca n't sue someone and then say , ` You ca n't question me because of the Fifth Amendment . ' '' Anthony 's countersuit accuses Gonzalez of attempting to cash in on the high-profile case . A trial date has not been set for Anthony , who could face a sentence of life in prison if convicted of killing Caylee . Prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty against her .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thursday , January 21 8:44 p.m. -- Haitian police shot and killed a man they suspected of stealing rice in Port-au-Prince on Thursday , leaving his body on the sidewalk for hours as his family mourned . Witnesses said no one was looting at the time . A nearby shop owner said the five bags of rice the men were found with fell from a truck and passers-by picked them up . 8:30 p.m. -- Haiti 's orphanages have become targets for people desperate for food , water and medical supplies , aid workers said . On Wednesday night , Maison de Lumiere , an orphanage caring for 50 orphans , came under attack from a group of 20 armed men , aid workers told the Joint Council on International Children 's Services . A neighboring orphanage sheltering about 135 children has been robbed several times over the past few days , they said . 6:20 p.m. -- U.S. medical assistance teams have treated 7,000 patients in Haiti , the White House said in a statement . A total of 160 U.S. missions have been flown carrying 2,600 tons of relief supplies and more than 2,500 military and relief personnel into Haiti , and will be delivering 50,000 hand held radios to Haitians , the statement said . The U.S. has also evacuated approximately 10,500 people from Haiti so far , including 8,300 American citizens , the White House said . 5:59 p.m. -- The Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday that will allow taxpayers to deduct cash donations to Haiti earthquake relief on their 2009 tax returns instead of having to wait to file the claims next year . 4:37 p.m. -- Haitians are lining up in the streets for hours to try and receive wire transfers at the banks and wire services open in Haiti . Some Haitians said they have n't been able to eat because they do n't have cash to buy any food available at street markets . 3:34 p.m. -- The U.S. Southern Command conducted an air drop of food and water over Haiti on Thursday . A C-17 delivered water and 17,200 meals ready to eat , the military said in a statement . Thursday 's air drop was the second since the quake ; the first was Monday . 1:06 p.m. -- Soldiers at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , have set up tents , beds and toilets in anticipation of a possible influx of Haitian refugees , a military spokeswoman said . 12:55 p.m. -- A Dutch Navy ship , the Pelikaan , was docked at Port-au-Prince 's south pier Thursday , unloading 90 tons of humanitarian aid . Two other ships previously offloaded containers . 12:29 p.m. -- The USGS confirms a magnitude 4.8 aftershock occurred nine minutes after the magnitude 4.9 at 11:45 a.m. and 15 miles closer to the capital . 12:14 p.m. -- Twitter users in the Port-au-Prince area report multiple small aftershocks . 11:45 a.m. -- An aftershock shook the capital . The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 4.9 and located its epicenter 30 miles west of Port-au-Prince . 11:10 a.m. -- Gen. Douglas Fraser , head of the U.S. Southern Command , said 63 military helicopters and 20 ships are working in and around Haiti . The military has distributed 1.4 million bottles of water , 700,000 meals and 22,000 pounds of medical supplies , he said . 10:52 a.m. -- One of two piers at the port serving the Haitian capital has reopened , and a gravel road was laid off of it , clearing a major route for aid to come into Port-au-Prince , officials said . 10:21 a.m. -- Save the Children , World Vision and a unit of the British Red Cross called Thursday for an immediate halt to any new adoptions of Haitian children after last week 's earthquake , saying the focus must first be on tracing any family members the children may still have and reuniting them . 10:14 a.m. -- Louis Belanger of the charity Oxfam tweeted : `` Water : all @oxfam sites are operational today . No logistical problems reported . Good day in #Haiti so far . '' 9:35 a.m. -- Haitians need donations of cash -- not clothes , food , medicine , or other relief supplies , as well intended as they might be , aid groups said Thursday . Such `` in-kind '' donations take up valuable space in cargo shipments and waste aid workers ' time in sorting through the items , charities said . 9:19 a.m. -- The State Department says the campaign that allows mobile phone users to donate $ 10 to the Red Cross by texting `` Haiti '' to 90999 has surpassed $ 25 million , making it the largest mobile donation campaign to date . 8:18 a.m. -- About 100 aid flights are arriving daily at the Port-au-Prince airport , up from 25 a day just after the earthquake hit January 12 , a senior administration official says . How you can help 8:13 a.m. -- Ice and bread began appearing on the streets of Port-au-Prince this morning , for sale next to flattened and buildings and piles of rubble . Street vendors have been selling goods for days , but mostly nonperishables like crackers and candy . CNN crews spotted loaves of bread Thursday that appeared homemade as well as men and women carrying small blocks of ice in plastic bags . 2:48 a.m. -- The U.S. military will now station aid officials in the Port-au-Prince airport control tower to assess the contents of each flight , to prioritize landings and ease the flow of aid . The military also will provide security for U.N. relief teams , which had not been able to operate at night without protection . Share your earthquake stories 1:15 a.m. -- Any U.S. citizen who wants to leave Haiti on a U.S. military transport aircraft can do so simply by going to the airport and applying for voluntary departure at a State Department office placed on the tarmac . The service is available to U.S. citizens or anyone escorting a U.S. citizen who is a minor . iReport.com : Looking for loved ones 12:01 a.m. -- Electrical power was still out most places in Port-au-Prince , but traffic lights were functioning . Some banks , wire-transfer offices and a few stores reportedly were planning to reopen Thursday . Follow daily developments : January 12 January 13 January 14 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Move over Susan Boyle . A week after the Scottish woman became a global sensation following a barnstorming audition on `` Britain 's Got Talent , '' a 12-year-old Welsh boy with a Motown voice has been hailed for his `` life-changing '' performance on the TV show after earning a standing ovation from Simon Cowell . Jafargholi impressed the `` Britain 's Got Talent '' judges with a rendition of `` Who 's Loving You . '' Shaheen Jafargholi 's prospects looked bleak when the infamously hard to impress Cowell brought the audition to an abrupt halt just one verse into his rendition of `` Valerie , '' the Zutons ' song covered by Amy Winehouse . `` You 've got this really wrong , '' Cowell told him . `` What do you sing apart from that ? '' Jafargholi instead offered to perform `` Who 's Loving You , '' written by Smokey Robinson and performed by a young Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five , bringing screams of delight from the audience as he launched into a note-perfect rendition that brought a beaming Cowell and fellow judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden to their feet . `` This is how one song can change your life , '' Cowell told him . `` This may be the start of something special for you young man . '' Watch Shaheen Jafargholi perform on `` Britain 's Got Talent '' '' Writing in his blog for the show , Morgan said Jafargholi had been the stand-out act of the show and tipped him as a possible challenger to Boyle for the TV talent show 's # 100,000 -LRB- $ 146,000 -RRB- prize . `` Once Simon got him to sing the right kind of song for his voice , he was sensational . Like a young Stevie Wonder , '' Morgan said . In an interview for the show , Jafargholi said he had been singing since he was two years old . `` When I was a bit older my mum got me some singing lessons and my voice just got bigger and bigger , '' he said . `` Hopefully this is going to be my big break . '' Last week 's performance by Boyle , the 47-year-old with a Broadway voice who claimed to have never been kissed , brought the show global attention , with her version of the Les Miserables ' tune `` I Dreamed a Dream '' gaining more than 32 million hits on YouTube as well as earning her a string of U.S. media appearances , including on CNN 's Larry King Live . Jafargholi has some way to go to match Boyle 's success . By Monday morning a YouTube link to his performance had been watched just 330,000 times . Who do you prefer ? Susan Boyle or Shaheen Jafargholi ? Sound Off below","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil has confirmed 557 deaths caused by H1N1 flu , the highest total in the world , the nation 's Health Ministry says . A vaccine against H1N1 is being tested but is not expected to be available until at least mid-October . The United States has counted 522 fatalities through Thursday , and nearly 1,800 people had died worldwide through August 13 , U.S. and global health officials said . In terms of mortality rate , which considers flu deaths in terms of a nation 's population , Brazil ranks seventh , and the United States is 13th , the Brazilian Ministry of Health said in a news release Wednesday . Argentina , which has reported 386 deaths attributed to H1N1 as of August 13 , ranks first per capita , the Brazilian health officials said , and Mexico , where the flu outbreak was discovered in April , ranks 14th per capita . Brazil , Argentina , Chile , Mexico and the United States have the most total cases globally , according to the World Health Organization . The Brazilian Ministry of Health said there have been 6,100 cases of flu in the nation , with 5,206 cases -LRB- 85.3 percent -RRB- confirmed as H1N1 , also known as swine flu . The state of Sao Paulo had 223 deaths through Wednesday , the largest number in the country . In addition , 480 pregnant women have been confirmed with H1N1 , of whom 58 died . Swine flu has been shown to hit young people and pregnant women particularly hard . Many schools in Sao Paulo have delayed the start of the second semester for a couple of weeks , and students will have to attend classes on weekends to catch up . Schools also have suspended extracurricular activities such as soccer , volleyball and chess to try to curtail spread of the disease . Flu traditionally has its peak during the winter months , and South America , where it is winter , has had a large number of cases recently . The World Health Organization said this week that the United States and other heavily populated Northern Hemisphere countries need to brace for a second wave of H1N1 as their winter approaches . Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other U.S. health agencies have been preparing and said this week that up to half of the nation 's population may contract the disease and 90,000 could die from it . Seasonal flu typically kills about 64,000 Americans each year . A vaccine against H1N1 is being tested but is not expected to be available until at least mid-October and will probably require two shots at least one week apart , health officials have said . Since it typically takes a couple of weeks for a person 's immunity to build up after the vaccine , most Americans would not be protected until sometime in November . The World Health Organization in June declared a Level 6 worldwide pandemic , the organization 's highest classification .","question":""}
{"answer":"RALEIGH , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal authorities are searching for an eighth alleged member of a North Carolina group that authorities say plotted `` violent jihad '' overseas , prosecutors said Tuesday . Daniel Patrick Boyd , left , and Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan are two of the seven men charged . Robin Zier of the U.S. attorney 's office in Raleigh told CNN that the eighth person , whose name has been redacted from court documents , is a U.S. citizen . She added that U.S. Attorney George Holding had said federal authorities hoped to have the person apprehended soon , and the public should not be worried . The U.S. attorney 's office would not release further details . According to an indictment released Monday , the eighth suspect , described as a North Carolina resident , traveled to Pakistan in October 2008 to `` engage in violent jihad . '' It offered no other information . Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder abroad . Officials identified three of the men as U.S. native Daniel Patrick Boyd , 39 , and Boyd 's sons , Dylan Boyd , 22 , also known as `` Mohammed , '' and Zakariya Boyd , 20 . Daniel Boyd had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan . The four others are : Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan , also a U.S.-born citizen ; Hysen Sherifi , identified as a native of Kosovo who is a legal permanent resident of the United States ; and Hiyad Yaghi and Anes Subasic , both naturalized U.S. citizens . Watch why wife says they were in Mideast '' Officials did not immediately identify the native countries of Yaghi and Subasic . All seven are accused of engaging in weapons training and military tactics in North Carolina , the Justice Department said . Sabrina Boyd , the wife of Daniel Patrick Boyd and the mother of the two younger Boyds , said the charges had not been substantiated . `` We are decent people who care about other human beings , '' Sabrina Boyd said in a statement read on her behalf by Khalilah Sabra . `` I have raised my sons to be good people and we are a good family , '' she said , according to Sabra , the North Carolina director of the Muslim American Society 's Freedom Foundation , a civic and human rights group . Sabrina Boyd said in the statement that her husband had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan with the `` full backing '' of the U.S. government . Boyd went on to say in an interview with CNN that her family had traveled to the Middle East for peaceful reasons , including praying for a son who had died in a car crash . `` We all had agreed to go the Holy Land and pray for our son , '' Boyd said . `` It would be a positive action and it would help console us and it would be in a place where we felt , Islamically , we could do the most good for our departed beloved . '' According to the indictment , Daniel Boyd and his sons left the United States for Israel in June 2007 to `` engage in violent jihad , but ultimately returned to the United States after failing in their efforts . '' It said Yaghi and Hassan had also traveled to Israel in June 2007 , and that Daniel Boyd had lied to Customs and Border Protection agents at the Atlanta , Georgia , and Raleigh airports about intending to meet the two men in the Jewish state . The indictment also said Daniel Boyd had traveled to Gaza in March 2006 `` to introduce his son to individuals who also believed that violent jihad was a personal obligation on the part of every good Muslim . '' The indictment mentions mentions other trips -- by Yaghi to Jordan in October 2006 ; by Sherifi to Kosovo in July 2008 ; and by the unidentified defendant to Pakistan in October 2008 . All the trips were taken to `` engage in violent jihad , '' the indictment alleges , without providing details . The documents make no reference to a direct threat to individuals or property in the United States , but said the men had practiced military tactics in a North Carolina county that borders Virginia . The defendants , with a substantial cache of weapons , had `` practiced military tactics and use of weapons on private property in Caswell County , North Carolina , in June and July 2009 , '' the indictment said . Daniel Boyd , `` a veteran of terrorist training camps '' had `` conspired with others to recruit and help young men travel overseas in order to kill , '' according to a written statement from the Justice Department 's top counterterrorism official , David Kris . It was unclear whether the seven had hired lawyers , and the federal public defender 's office in Raleigh did not immediately return a phone call . CNN 's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"SRINAGAR , Indian-administered Kashmir -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir tendered his resignation Tuesday after he was accused of being involved in a 2006 sex scandal , his adviser said . Omar Abdullah denies any link to a prostitution ring , saying he has stepped down to clear his name . Omar Abdullah , 38 , delivered his resignation to the state governor after opposition member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh accused Omar of a connection to the prostitution scandal during a session of the state legislative assembly . Muzaffar served as the deputy chief minister in the previous government , when several top pro-India officials were arrested on charges they misused their authority to force girls and women into a prostitution ring in Kashmir . Omar denied being involved in the scandal , but said he could not `` continue in the office following the allegation '' and would not serve again until he is cleared of the charges . `` This is not an ordinary allegation , but a highly serious one . I can not continue in office until I am cleared , '' Omar said in the state assembly . He then drove to Raj Bhawan , the official residence of New Delhi-appointed governor N. N. Vohra , to deliver his resignation , according to Devender Rana , Omar 's political adviser . The governor is consulting constitutional and legal experts before deciding on the resignation . The chief minister refused to talk to journalists outside the governor 's residence . The Times of India newspaper Tuesday quoted highly placed sources in India 's Central Bureau of Investigation as saying that Omar 's name never came up in the prostitution probe . Omar came into office in January following elections in late 2008 that saw the highest voter turnout in the region in nearly 20 years , since the eruption of a secessionist insurgency . Voters went to the polls in large numbers , despite a separatist call for a boycott of the voting . Most recently , the chief minister has been working to defuse tensions that are still running high following the arrest of four police officers in the probe of the alleged rape and murder of two young Muslim women in May . Two people have died and many have been injured in more than 300 violent clashes between Muslim protesters and Indian security forces stemming from the case . The arrests included the former police chief of south Kashmir 's Shopian district and three of his subordinates , who are accused of `` destruction of evidence '' and `` dereliction of duty '' in connection with the deaths , which occurred in the town of Shopian . Kashmir has been in the throes of a bloody secessionist campaign for nearly two decades in which , according to official figures , 43,000 people have been killed . Various rights groups and non-governmental organizations here , however , dispute the official statistics -- claiming that the number killed during the last two decades is twice the official figure .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death of a Canadian soldier in battle-scarred Afghanistan on Thursday brings this month 's toll of international military fatalities in the war to 47 , the highest monthly tally so far , a CNN count of official statistics shows . Lt. Col Thorneloe was one of 15 British troops killed in action in Afghanistan this month . The Canadian soldier was killed while he was conducting operations in the Panjwayi District in Kandahar province , the Canadian military said . The previous monthly record was 46 , a mark reached twice last year , in June and August . The growing death toll , which only accounts for the first half of July , comes amid an uptick in fighting across Afghanistan , where international forces and Afghan troops have been battling the Taliban . The push , called Operation Khanjar , targets militants in Helmand province , a Taliban stronghold and poppy-growing region . The forces are trying to gain and hold ground in the perilous region ahead of national elections this August . Some of the deaths resulted from nonhostile incidents such as accidents , but most have occurred during hostilities . According to a CNN count of figures from various governments , the U.S.-led coalition and NATO 's International Security Assistance Force , the deaths in July have included 23 Americans , 15 Britons , five Canadians , two Turks , an Italian and a NATO-led soldier whose nationality has not yet been disclosed . The news coincides with another grim milestone for the British military , which has seen the number of troops killed in Afghanistan surpass the death toll in the Iraq War . An especially bloody 10 days in Afghanistan 's Helmand province , the staging ground for several major recent offensives , claimed the lives of 15 British soldiers in July , putting the number of the country 's dead in Afghanistan at 184 , the Defense Ministry said . The British military has lost 179 soldiers in Iraq . The 15 deaths in July also put the British military on track to be the deadliest month yet for British troops supporting Operation Enduring Freedom . Britain 's deadliest month in Afghanistan so far has been September 2006 , when 19 died -- 14 in a single incident , the crash of a Royal Air Force plane near Kandahar . Since the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001 , 652 U.S. troops have died in hostile and nonhostile activities throughout the country .","question":""}
{"answer":"SAN DIEGO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a dozen uncontained wildfires raged Monday across Southern California , threatening thousands of structures and forcing people to flee homes from San Diego to Malibu to Lake Arrowhead . This photo taken from space Monday afternoon shows smoke rising from the wildfires in Southern California . Fire officials said more than 265,000 people have been evacuated and nearly 4,900 firefighters are battling the fast-moving blazes , which began over the weekend . By Monday afternoon , the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention had reported 13 active wildfires have consumed more than 98,000 acres and destroyed or damaged at least 50 homes and businesses across six counties . The winds driving the flames are expected to stay strong , coming out of the northeast , at least through Tuesday , according to CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano . `` It 's a tragic time for California , '' California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said earlier Monday . He declared a state of emergency in seven counties and asked the National Guard to pull 800 soldiers from patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border to help battle the wildfires . Monday evening , Schwarzenegger asked U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to order delivery of all available Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems -LRB- MAFFS -RRB- to help fight the fires . Watch fires devour homes and land '' Citing the proliferation in the number of fires , Schwarzenegger wrote , `` Your immediate assistance is necessary to deploy Department of Defense aircraft located in Wyoming , North Carolina and Colorado to assist California in our firefighting effort . '' According to the White House , the federal Agriculture Department will provide fire crews , air tankers and helicopters to fight the fires , and the state will receive assistance grants to help pay firefighting costs . See where fires burn across Southern California '' Hardest hit was San Diego County , where 250,000 people have fled from five fires . One person was killed and 18 were reported injured in the county , including five firefighters . Local officials said the fire situation had worsened throughout the day , prompting new evacuations . `` We have a very dangerous , unpredictable situation , '' said Ron Roberts , chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors . `` We have some of the highest temperatures , some of the driest landscape conditions and some of the most powerful winds -- all the ingredients for a perfect firestorm . '' On one cul-de-sac in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Bernardo , five of six homes burned to the ground , leaving flames from gas lines flickering amid the ruins , according to a KGTV report . See photos of the fires '' Officials turned Qualcomm Stadium , home of the NFL 's San Diego Chargers , into an evacuation center . Residents of four housing areas at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in northern San Diego County were put on notice for possible evacuations and told to pack personal belongings as a precautionary measure . Earlier Monday , fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were grounded by the strong winds , officials said , making the jobs of fire crews on the ground even harder . Fires threatened the San Diego Zoo 's Wild Animal Park on Monday , causing the park to close . Some of the animals , such as endangered condors , are being moved to a safer location , according to zoo spokeswoman Yadira Galindo . Authorities are asking people to hold off on 911 calls unless there is a real emergency , saying clogged cell phone lines are hurting rescue efforts . The largest of the wildfires was the Buckweed blaze north of Los Angeles , which has consumed 27,500 acres and forced the evacuation of 15,000 residents from Santa Clarita and nearby communities , according to the state forestry department . About 4,000 structures were threatened , and the fire was moving toward the Magic Mountain amusement park . Two fires that erupted Monday morning in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres , said Loretta Benavidez , a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest . Several communities in the area , including Green Valley Lake , Arrowbear and Running Springs , were evacuated . And in Malibu Canyon , south of the Pacific Coast Highway , nearly 1,450 firefighters were battling a blaze that began Sunday afternoon and still threatened 900 structures in the area , which is home to many Hollywood luminaries , the state forestry department said . The Canyon fire is only 10 percent contained , an official said . The Pacific Coast Highway remains shut down in Malibu . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The father of a New Year 's Day baby pleaded guilty Thursday to killing the infant by violently shaking him . Camryn Jakeb Wilson was the first baby born in 2008 in Summit County , Ohio , arriving at 12:33 a.m. January 1 . Craig Wilson 's guilty plea in Akron , Ohio , to murder and child endangering charges ended a yearlong saga surrounding the death of Camryn Jakeb Wilson , the first baby born in Summit County , Ohio , in 2008 . `` This type of crime is always difficult to understand , but today I do hope that Camryn 's mother has some closure and that today is one step toward healing , '' Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said . Camryn 's mother , Crystal Wilson , had left the 10-week-old infant in his father 's care on March 12 , 2008 , while she attended a meeting . When she returned to their Cuyahoga Falls home she found Camryn in a baby swing , listless and breathing abnormally while her husband of 10 months sat on a couch . Doctors at Akron Children 's Hospital quickly determined that Camryn had suffered traumatic brain injuries and bleeding in his eyes that could only have been caused by violent shaking . Learn about shaken baby syndrome '' Camryn died in his mother 's arms , surrounded by other family members , on March 25 , 2008 , shortly after being removed from life support . Craig Wilson , 29 , confessed to police that he was frustrated after an argument with his wife over his ex-girlfriend and a child he had with her . He shook and squeezed Camryn before laying him in the swing but had n't intended to hurt the infant , he told police . The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome estimates that as many as 1,400 babies annually are injured or killed by shaking . Despite the confession , the case dragged on for a year after an autopsy showed Camryn had suffered broken ribs prior to the fatal shaking . The finding raised the possibility that another person had previously abused Camryn and perhaps contributed to his death , said Jonathan T. Sinn , Craig Wilson 's defense attorney . See photos of the family '' Craig Wilson 's trial was scheduled to begin Monday . Sinn had hoped to negotiate a plea deal with prosecutors that would send Craig Wilson to prison for a flat 20-year term , but in the end , prosecutors would n't budge . `` From the moment my client was arrested , he took responsibility for his actions and for the killing of his child , '' Sinn said . `` From a human perspective , that 's very admirable . From a defense perspective , it makes it difficult to mount a defense when somebody acknowledges completely their guilt . '' Judge Lynne Callahan sentenced Wilson to 15 years to life . He is unlikely to be paroled in less than 20 years , Sinn said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators have found `` elements of an explosive device '' at the site of the derailment of an express train in Russia and believe an act of terror caused the deadly incident . The derailment killed at least 26 people and injured about 100 , but there was no immediate word on who or what group might have been behind the action . `` One can say with certainty that that was indeed an act of terror , '' Vladimir Markin , spokesman for the investigative committee of the Russian prosecutor 's office , told CNN . He would not elaborate on exactly what kind of `` elements of an explosive device '' the investigators discovered earlier , but said the crater found beneath the railroad bed was `` 1.5 meter by 1 meter in size . '' Later Saturday morning , a second device went off on nearby tracks going the opposite direction , Vladimir Yakunin , head of Russian Railways , told Russian TV . He said no one was injured in the smaller explosion . Markin said investigators are `` studying the site of the accident , questioning the witnesses and conducting all kinds of forensic and technical examinations . '' Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov said , `` Criminology experts have come to a preliminary conclusion that there was an explosion of an improvised explosive device equivalent to seven kilos of TNT . `` Several leads are being pursued now . A criminal case has been opened under Article 205 -LRB- `` terrorism '' -RRB- and Article 22 -LRB- `` illegal possession or storage of weapons or explosives '' -RRB- of the Russian Criminal Code . '' Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said on TV that there are possible suspects in this crime . `` There are several people who could be involved in this crime , '' he said . One of them , he said , is a `` stocky-built man of about 40 years old , with red hair . '' `` There are some traces left at the crime scene which could help in the investigation , '' he said . `` We are getting a lot of information now , and I am very thankful for people who have responded to our requests to render their assistance in investigating this crime . '' A total of 681 people -- 20 of them employees -- were on the Nevsky Express as it traveled from Moscow to St. Petersburg on Friday night . The Nevsky Express is Russia 's fastest train , equivalent to a bullet train . The crash happened at 9:25 p.m. -LRB- 1825 GMT -RRB- when the train was 280 kilometers -LRB- 174 miles -RRB- from St. Petersburg , Russian state radio said . At least three carriages carrying more than 130 people derailed and turned on their sides , and emergency workers were working to free anyone who may still be trapped inside . Yakunin told Russian TV that the company will pay a compensation of 500,000 rubles -LRB- $ 17,240 -RRB- to the victims ' families and 200,000 rubles -LRB- $ 6,897 -RRB- to those injured . The crash happened 44 minutes after another high-speed train , the Sapsan , had successfully traveled from Moscow to St. Petersburg on the same rails , a representative of the Russian Transport Police said during a video conference call Saturday . In August 2007 , an explosion on the tracks derailed the Nevsky Express , injuring 60 people in what authorities called a terrorist act . About 27,000 passengers on 60 trains were facing delays Saturday as a result of the accident , Russian State TV reported . CNN 's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"ALLENTOWN , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal court Thursday struck down ordinances passed by Hazleton , Pennsylvania , that were intended to limit where illegal immigrants could live and work . Last year , Hazleton passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act Ordinance , which would have fined landlords who rented to undocumented immigrants and would have penalized companies that employed them . Under another law , tenants would have had to prove they were citizens or lawful residents , register with the city and pay for a rental permit in order to receive an occupancy permit . The ordinances were copied by other cities . The court ruled that Hazleton can not enact any ordinances dealing with illegal immigration because they conflict with the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution . `` Hazleton , in its zeal to control the presence of a group deemed undesirable , violated the rights of such people , as well as others within the community . Since the United States Constitution protects even the disfavored , the ordinances can not be enforced , '' U.S. District Judge James M. Munley wrote in the 206-page opinion . Mayor Lou Barletta , who spearheaded the opposition , said he will appeal the ruling . `` This fight is far from over , '' he told reporters outside the courtroom . `` Hazleton is not going to back down . ... We will take it all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to . '' Watch mayor decry `` injustice '' '' Barletta drafted the act last year after `` a high-profile murder , the discharge of a gun at a crowded city playground , and drug busts '' allegedly involving illegal immigrants , he wrote on his Web site , www.smalltowndefenders.com . `` Illegal aliens in our city create an economic burden that threatens our quality of life , '' he wrote . `` With a growing problem and a limited budget , I could not sit back any longer and allow this to happen . I needed to act ! '' Hazleton 's population was 23,000 in 2000 . Since then , it has risen to an estimated 30,000 to 33,000 , with many of the newcomers being Mexican immigrants , according to Munley . The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was among several groups that filed the suit on behalf of Hazleton residents , landlords and business owners . The groups contended that only the federal government has the right to regulate immigration or to deprive residents of the rights to equal protection . In addition , they said , the ordinances violated state and federal housing laws . The ordinances , Munley said , `` penalize landlords , tenants , employers and employees without providing them the procedural protections required by federal law , including notice and an opportunity to be heard . '' `` Our analysis applies to illegal aliens as well as to legal residents and citizens . The United States Constitution provides due process protections to all persons , '' he wrote , emphasizing `` all . '' The city exceeded its police powers by enacting unconstitutional ordinances , wrote Munley , whom President Clinton appointed to the federal bench in 1998 . Barletta said he would `` continue to fight for the people of this community and other cities around the country . '' `` It 's almost amusing to me that the judge would say we ca n't do what the federal government should be doing , when in fact the federal government is not doing their job , '' he told CNN 's Lou Dobbs . A spokesman for the ACLU of Pennsylvania expressed satisfaction with the ruling . `` Hazleton-type laws are designed to make life miserable for millions of immigrants , '' said Vic Walczak , legal director for the group and a lead attorney in the case . `` They promote distrust of all foreigners , including those here legally , and fuel xenophobia and discrimination , especially against Latinos . '' Anthony D. Romero , executive director of the ACLU , added , `` Political leaders , like Mayor Barletta , must stop scape-goating undocumented immigrants for all the problems we confront in our local communities . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalis forced to flee war and drought are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at home and in neighboring countries , including in Kenya and Ethiopia , an aid agency said Thursday . Somali refugees in Kenya queue to find out about a move to a displacement camp . Somalia has seen a rise in fighting between government forces and the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab , which wants to implement a stricter form of Sharia law or Islamic religious law . The clashes have left scores dead in recent months . The country in the Horn of Africa is also going through the worst drought in 10 years , international agency Oxfam said . `` Somalis flee one of the world 's most brutal conflicts and a desperate drought , only to end up in unimaginable conditions in camps that are barely fit for humans , '' said Robbert Van den Berg , a spokesman for Oxfam International in the Horn of Africa . `` Hundreds of thousands of children are affected , and the world is abandoning the next generation of Somalis when they most need our help . Why does it seem like you matter less in this world if you are from Somalia ? '' The international community has failed the refugees , who have little access to basic services such as water and medicine , Oxfam said . About 8,000 Somali refugees flock into the Dadaab camp in northern Kenya every month , the aid agency said . The camp , which has facilities for about 90,000 , has 280,000 refugees who have no access to basic necessities , including clean water , Oxfam said . `` The Kenyan government has repeatedly promised to provide more land to ease the overcrowding , but has so far failed to do so , '' Van den Berg said . `` More pressure from the international community is needed to make it happen . '' Kenyan officials decried the criticism . `` It is wrong to say we are not doing anything , '' said Francis Mwaka , a federal communications official . `` The Kenya government is aware of the problem and is working on a solution . '' Several government departments that deal with refugee issues are planning to meet next week , Mwaka said . `` During this meeting , they will discuss the possibility of having another camp for refugees in the country or relocating some of the ones in Dadaab to another camp , '' he said . Mwaka confirmed Oxfam 's report that the Dadaab camp was built to host 90,000 refugees . In Ethiopia , the Bokolmayo camp has about 10,000 people . At least 1,000 people arrive there every month , but the facilities are not adequate enough to handle the influx , Oxfam said . Meanwhile , in Somalia , insecurity has hindered international aid agencies from reaching the 485,000 people who have fled the capital , Mogadishu , to nearby Afgooye , Oxfam said . The displaced are getting help from Somalis , who do not have enough resources , it added . `` In all three locations -- Afgooye , Dadaab and Bokolmayo -- the services being provided to vulnerable and desperate people are far below international standards , '' Van den Berg said . About 1.4 million people have been displaced in Somalia and 500,000 more have fled to countries in the region , according to Oxfam . The transitional government has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting . Government officials have struggled to establish authority amid challenges by Islamist groups that have seized control of some cities .","question":""}
{"answer":"Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conflicting accounts of a botched NATO raid that killed five Afghans in February have led to a new investigation ordered by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan , a NATO military spokesman said Monday . Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale , a NATO spokesman , said Gen. Stanley McChrystal , who oversees all U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan , called for the review after receiving a briefing from Afghan officials in late March . On Sunday , NATO acknowledged that its troops killed five Afghans in the nighttime raid in February , after initially saying the civilians may have been the victims of an `` honor killing . '' Although civilian casualties at the hands of NATO troops have fallen off in recent months , such incidents have strained the relationship between Afghanistan and the Western nations that make up the International Security Assistance Force . According to two U.S. military officials , in the March briefing , Afghan officials from the Interior Ministry told McChrystal that after the incident , they visited the compound where the Afghans were killed and found evidence of bloodstained walls being washed down and bullets being dug out . McChrystal wants a thorough review now to see why U.S. and Afghan accounts differ so greatly , according to one of the sources , a senior U.S. official familiar with the briefing . The senior U.S. official said that by the time the Afghan investigators got to the compound , the people who lived there may have been attempting to clean it up . NATO officials believe the U.S. and Afghan troops may have dug some bullets out of the wall for purposes of the initial investigation , which is a common practice , the official said . In March , the International Security Assistance Force released a statement denying a report by a British newspaper that NATO had covered up the involvement of troops in the incident . U.S. officials continue to deny that there was any coverup of U.S. involvement . `` We have no evidence to date anything improper was done , '' the senior U.S. official said . At the time of the February 12 incident , NATO said its troops went to a compound in the village of Khatabeh in Paktia province , believing it to be a militant hideout . A firefight ensued , and several insurgents died , NATO said at the time . When soldiers entered the compound , they found the bodies of two men and two women who had been shot `` execution-style , '' a senior U.S. military official said then . `` It has the earmarks of a traditional honor killing , '' the official said , adding that the women were found bound and gagged . An honor killing is a slaying carried out by a family or community member against someone thought to have brought dishonor to them . The senior U.S. military official said that at the time , it was n't clear whether dishonor in the case stemmed from accusations of acts such as adultery or even cooperation with NATO forces . But on Sunday , NATO made an about-face from its earlier claims . `` International forces were responsible for the deaths of three women who were in the same compound where two men were killed by the joint Afghan-international patrol searching for a Taliban insurgent , '' NATO said in a statement . There was no explanation given for the cause of the third woman 's death or why it was n't mentioned previously . The two armed men whom troops killed were not insurgents , NATO said Sunday . `` The force went to the compound based on reliable information in search of a Taliban insurgent and believed that the two men posed a threat to their personal safety , '' the NATO statement said . `` We now understand that the men killed were only trying to protect their families . '' NATO said a lack of forensic evidence made it difficult to determine how or when the three women died . But it concluded that they were killed when troops fired at the men . As for the initial report about the women being found bound and gagged , the NATO statement said it stemmed from a cultural misunderstanding . `` The statement noted the women had been bound and gagged , but this information was taken from an initial report by the international members of the joint force who were not familiar with Islamic burial customs , '' the statement said , without elaborating . NATO troops who went to the scene after the raid may have misinterpreted burial rites . Muslims wrap their dead in clean white cloth before they are placed in the ground . NATO said it will apologize to the victims ' family members and offer compensation in accordance with local customs . The NATO admission follows the fatal shooting of five Afghan soldiers by troops in a friendly fire incident in northern Afghanistan on Friday . Afghan President Hamid Karzai has strongly criticized civilian deaths by international troops , and the deaths have bred resentment among many Afghans . The numbers have fallen off in recent months since McChrystal took over as U.S. commander in Afghanistan . `` It is better to miss a target than to cause civilian casualties , '' McChrystal said in December . `` We can always target enemy leaders later . We ca n't make up for the fact that we killed civilians . '' CNN 's Barbara Starr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JOHANNESBURG , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ten South African ministers and the deputy president have resigned as President Thabo Mbeki prepares to leave office . South African President Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation in a televised address Sunday . His replacement , African National Congress Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe , will be sworn in as South Africa 's president Thursday . Mbeki announced he was resigning on Sunday , prompting threats from several Cabinet members to follow suit -- but the outgoing president urged them to stay in office , government sources said . The resignations , which include Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota , will take effect Thursday when Mbeki steps down , a government statement said . `` All the ministers have expressed their availability to assist the incoming administration in the hand-over process and any other assistance that might be sought from them , '' the statement said . The finance minister 's assistant told CNN that Manuel is willing to serve in the new government , if needed . Three deputy ministers have also tendered their resignations , a government statement said . A spokesman for South Africa 's ruling party , the African National Congress , confirmed that it has named Motlanthe as its choice to succeed Mbeki . Motlanthe will stay in office until elections in the spring of next year , which ANC President Jacob Zuma is widely expected to win . Earlier this month , the ANC asked Mbeki to step down after a judge threw out the corruption , fraud and racketeering case against Zuma -- Mbeki 's political arch rival . The judge called the case invalid and accused Mbeki 's government of political interference . Mbeki -- who has been South Africa 's president for nearly 10 years -- spoke of some of his achievements when he formally announced his resignation on Sunday during a televised address . Watch the significance of Mbeki `` falling on the sword '' '' `` I depart this office knowing that many men and woman in South Africa have worked to achieve better lives for all , '' Mbeki said . Under his leadership the country has had the longest period of sustained economic growth in the South Africa 's history and has reached out to indigent people in an unprecedented way , Mbeki said . Mbeki said the country still has economic , corruption and crime challenges to face in the future . And he gave his vote of confidence to the country 's next leader without naming who that leader would be . Gwede Mantashe , secretary-general of the African National Congress , announced Saturday that the party -- which Mbeki has been involved with since his teens -- had asked him to leave before his term was up . Mbeki agreed to do so , he said . Mantashe said the ANC made the decision `` for the citizens of South Africa , so there could be stability within the country '' and so the ANC movement could remain `` stable and unified . '' The case against Zuma -- who replaced Mbeki as ANC president last year -- was thrown out in September 2006 , but the National Prosecuting Authority recharged him . Judge Chris Nicholson made no ruling on Zuma 's guilt or innocence , and he could be recharged . Political observers doubted that would happen because of Zuma 's popularity , particularly with the Communist Party and trade unions . Zuma has denied the charges . He said the case was politically motivated , and harmed his chances to become the ANC 's presidential nominee . He could have faced at least 15 years in jail if convicted of accepting bribes from a company that got a contract in a multibillion-dollar arms deal . He also faced charges of having a corrupt relationship with his former financial adviser , Schabir Shaik , who is serving a 15-year sentence for soliciting bribes for Zuma and using Zuma 's political influence to benefit his businesses . Mbeki , 66 , succeeded Nelson Mandela as South Africa 's president in June 1999 . Critics alleged he pushed for the corruption charges against Zuma . Mbeki recently brokered a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwe 's political rivals , who signed the agreement on Monday in an effort to put aside the violent past and end the crisis that has paralyzed Zimbabwe since disputed national elections in March . Under it , longtime Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe remains president , while his perennial rival , Morgan Tsvangirai , has become prime minister and the coordinator of government affairs .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Evidence consistent with human decomposition was found in the trunk of a car belonging to a Florida woman charged with killing her 3-year-old daughter , according to a forensic report released Friday . Caylee Anthony , 3 , disappeared in mid-June but was n't reported missing until a month later . `` Both odor analysis and LIBS results appear to be quite consistent with a decompositional event having occurred in the trunk of the vehicle , '' said the report from Tennessee 's Oak Ridge National Laboratory , noting that the results were preliminary . Testing indicates that the decomposition could be human , the report adds . Casey Anthony , who drove the car , was arrested this month and charged with first-degree murder and other charges in the disappearance of her daughter , Caylee . Caylee was last seen in mid-June , but Casey Anthony waited about a month before telling her family the child was gone . LIBS is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy , one of the techniques used in chemical analysis . Testing was conducted on air and carpet samples from the vehicle . The tests indicated `` the presence of the five key major compounds associated with human decomposition , '' the report said . The tests also found `` an unusually large concentration of chloroform '' in the trunk , according to the Oak Ridge report . Chloroform can be used to render someone unconscious . However , trace amounts of chloroform were also found on a control carpet sample , the report said . Watch Nancy Grace report on the chloroform discovery '' The report also says evidence of possible decomposition was found on a hair located among debris in the trunk . The hair is `` microscopically similar '' to one recovered from Caylee 's hair brush , the report said , but `` a more meaningful conclusion can not be reached as this is not a suitable known hair sample . '' The report was released by prosecutors as part of the case 's public record . Prosecutors said they would not comment further on them . Todd Black , a spokesman for Casey Anthony 's attorney , Jose Baez , said the evidence does not link Casey Anthony to any criminal behavior . `` There 's nothing in those reports that links Casey Anthony to any wrongdoing with her daughter , Caylee , '' he said . Casey Anthony was arrested October 14 in a traffic stop after a grand jury indicted her on seven counts of first-degree murder , aggravated child abuse , aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of providing false information to police . If convicted of the capital murder charge , she could face the death penalty or a life sentence . Police and prosecutors have said little about the case , but hundreds of pages of documents and investigative reports have been released . They indicate that Casey Anthony went to nightclubs , entered `` hot body '' contests and text-messaged her friends while her daughter was missing . Copies of cell phone and text records released to the public show that she hardly ever mentioned Caylee during the time just before and after the girl was reported missing . And in May , just before Caylee disappeared , her mother referred to the girl as `` the little snot head . '' Casey 's mother , Cindy Anthony , called the sheriff in Orange County , Florida , on July 15 , saying her daughter would n't tell her where Caylee was . Casey 's brother , Lee Anthony , also pleaded with his sister to tell him where Caylee was , according to police documents . She told him she had n't seen the child in `` 31 days . '' When questioned , Casey Anthony gave conflicting statements to police , including some that were later disproved , accounting for the charges of providing false information . She claimed that she dropped Caylee off with a baby-sitter , but when police checked out her story , they learned that the address Casey Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks . The woman Casey Anthony named as her baby-sitter told police she did not know her . Investigators have said cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Casey Anthony 's car and her parents ' backyard . A neighbor told police Casey Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel . Preliminary air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the trunk of Casey Anthony 's car , investigators previously said . Further analysis of Casey Anthony 's computer found that she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform , as well as Internet searches of missing children . CNN Headline News ' Natisha Lance contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hours after the sitting president was deposed by a military-led coup , a new president of Honduras was sworn in Sunday . Honduras President Jose Manuel Zelaya was detained and sent to Costa Rica , the government said . But the former president was not ready to give up his powers . The political developments that swept Honduras over the past weeks and led up to Sunday 's coup had the makings of a crisis , but the situation in the Central American nation of 8 million people was calm . Roberto Micheletti was sworn in as provisional president to the applause of members of Congress , who chanted , `` Honduras ! Honduras ! '' Outside the building , supporters of ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya protested , but their numbers were limited , and the streets remained mostly peaceful . Micheletti told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol Sunday evening that he has imposed an `` indefinite '' curfew . Micheletti , the head of Congress , became president after lawmakers voted by a show of hands to strip Zelaya of his powers , with a resolution stating that Zelaya `` provoked confrontations and divisions '' within the country . A letter of resignation purported to be from Zelaya was read to members before the vote . But the deposed president , Zelaya , emphatically denied in an interview with CNN en Espa\u00f1ol that he wrote the letter . Speaking from Costa Rica , where he was taken after the coup , he said he plans to continue exercising his presidential duties with a trip to Managua , Nicaragua , to attend a summit of Central American heads-of-state . Zelaya awoke to the sound of gunfire in his residence and was still in his pajamas when the military forced him to leave the country Sunday morning , he told reporters . He was flown to Costa Rica , where he has not requested political asylum . `` This was a brutal kidnapping of me with no justification , '' Zelaya said . He called the coup an attack on Honduran democracy . `` There are ways to protest without arms , '' Zelaya said . The coup came on the same day that he had vowed to follow through with a nonbinding referendum that the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled illegal . Watch details on `` curious situation '' in Honduras '' The coup was widely criticized in the region , in strongest terms by Zelaya 's leftist allies , including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez . A statement from Venezuela 's foreign ministry said Zelaya was `` violently expelled from his country by a group of unpatriotic , coup-mongering soldiers . '' The Bolivian government also condemned the coup , accusing Honduran troops of kidnapping Zelaya and violently expelling him from his country . Elsewhere , Jose Miguel Insulza , the secretary-general of the Organization of American States , strongly condemned the coup in a statement . And in Washington , President Obama said in a statement that he was `` deeply concerned '' by the news . `` I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms , the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter , '' Obama said . `` Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference . '' The president of the General Assembly of the United Nations , Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann , called the Honduran military 's intervention a `` criminal action . '' But in Honduras , the Supreme Court said in an official statement that the military was acting in accordance with a court order to put an end to Sunday 's scheduled vote , which the court 's justices had found illegal . Micheletti addressed the issue directly in his first remarks as provisional president . `` I did not reach this position because of a coup , '' Micheletti said . `` I am here because of an absolutely legal transition process . '' No other countries immediately recognized Micheletti as president . Zelaya , a leftist elected in 2005 , had found himself pitted against the other branches of government and military leaders over the issue of Sunday 's planned referendum . It would have asked voters to place a measure on November 's ballot allowing the formation of a constitutional assembly that could modify the nation 's charter to allow the president to run for another term . In various interviews Sunday , Zelaya characterized the vote not as a referendum , but as a survey to gauge receptiveness toward a constitutional assembly . He denied that he would have been the beneficiary of any future constitutional changes . Zelaya , whose four-year term ends in January 2010 , can not run for re-election under current law . The Honduran Supreme Court had ruled the poll illegal , and Congress and the top military brass agreed , but Zelaya had remained steadfast . In the end , it appeared the opposition to Zelaya was too great . The military confiscated the ballots from the presidential residence , in effect canceling the disputed vote . In separate appearances Sunday , Zelaya , Venezuela 's Chavez and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that the military had also detained Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas , further raising regional tensions . Speaking in Havana , Rodriguez said that the Cuban , Venezuelan and Nicaraguan ambassadors to Honduras had tried but were unable to protect Rodas from a group of masked soldiers who forcibly took her from their grasp . Further details regarding that incident were unclear . `` If they attack our ambassadors , they will be declaring a state of war , '' Chavez said . `` If they have weapons , then we have weapons , too . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A small , rural town in the hills of New Hampshire was jolted by a home invasion over the weekend that left a mother dead and her young daughter severely injured . Steven Spader , 17 , is accused of using a machete to kill a woman and injure her daughter . `` This type of murder does not happen very often , '' New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Will Delker said . `` This is something out of the ordinary . '' Four teenagers have been charged in connection with the incident early Sunday morning along an isolated dirt road in Mont Vernon , a town of about 2,000 . In a news release Tuesday , the New Hampshire Department of Justice identified the victim as 42-year-old Kimberly Cates . The medical examiner determined that she died from `` multiple sharp injuries to the head , torso , left arm , and left leg . '' The victim 's 10-year-old daughter sustained serious knife injuries that required hours of surgery . `` She 's still in the intensive care unit , '' Delker said . `` Her injuries were n't life-threatening , but you should n't minimize the severities of the injuries she suffered . '' Delker said Kimberly Cates ' husband was away on business at the time of the attack . Cates was a registered nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua , New Hampshire . `` She worked part time in our maternal and labor department and also in our emergency department , '' Sarah Ward , director of marketing and communications for the hospital , said Tuesday . `` The staff is pretty upset about it . They were pretty close to her . '' `` The people up here are n't used to this kind of thing , '' Don Himsel , senior photo editor for the Nashua Telegraph , said Tuesday . `` This never really happens . '' Himsel also said violent crime is extremely rare in Mont Vernon . `` I think we may have had one assault in town in the last 10 years . '' The Mont Vernon Congregational Church opened its doors Wednesday for people who want to grieve , pray and meditate . `` This is a way to come together peacefully ; that 's what we are trying to do , '' church official Jane Nilles said Wednesday . `` The church understands that there are people hurting on both sides . This is a time to pray and ask for God 's presence right now . It is a time to gather and to pray . '' On Tuesday , the state Department of Justice announced the arrests of the four teenagers accused of taking part in the crimes . Steven Spader , 17 , and Christopher Gribble , 19 , were charged with first-degree murder , attempted murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder . William Marks , 18 , and Quinn Glover , 17 , were charged with burglary , conspiracy to commit burglary and armed robbery . `` The allegations are that Spader wielded the machete and Gribble used the knife , and each of them struck the victims , '' Delker said . Delker , who described the case as being in its earliest stages , said prosecutors will evaluate whether additional charges will be brought or upgraded . `` Under New Hampshire law , anyone 17 and older is charged as an adult , '' Delker said . A probable cause hearing for the suspects will be held October 20 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Substitute Victor Obinna came off the bench to score twice as Nigeria beat Kenya 3-0 in Abuja , to claim their first victory in African World Cup qualifying Group B. Obinna scored a late second-half double to help Nigeria cruise to a 3-0 home victory over Kenya . The Inter Milan striker scored twice in the last 17 minutes , including one from the penalty spot , after Getafe 's Ikechukwu Uche had given the Super Eagles as early lead . The result sees Nigeria move up to second place in the table with four points from their two games , two points behind leaders Tunisia who beat Mozambique 2-0 on Saturday to have maximum points from their two matches . Kenya are bottom of the table , without a point , and it already looks like Tunisia and Nigeria will battle it out for top spot in the group and automatic qualification for the World Cup finals . Elsewhere in Africa , Cameroon are surprisingly bottom of Group A after a 0-0 home draw with Morocco in Yaounde . The two group favorites cancelled each other out , meaning they both have a point apiece from their two matches . Gabon are the shock group leaders -- and they followed up their opening victory in Morocco by thumping an Emmanuel Adebayor-led Togo 3-0 in Libreville on Saturday . That result means Gabon are on six points , with Togo second on three points . Meanwhile , in Group E , Ivory Coast made it two wins from two matches to go top of the group with a 2-1 victory in Guinea . Sevilla midfielder Christian Koffi Ndri scored the winning goal with 13 minutes remaining as Ivory Coast joined Burkina Faso on a maximum six points . The two teams already look to have the group between them , as Guinea and Malawi are both point-less from their two matches . Malawi lost 1-0 at home to Burkina Faso on Saturday . African champions Egypt prop up Group C after crashing 3-1 in Algeria where Karim Matmour -LRB- 60 -RRB- , Abdelkader Ghezzal -LRB- 64 -RRB- and Rafik Djebbour -LRB- 77 -RRB- were on target for the hosts . Algeria top their section on goal difference from Zambia after their weekend success in front of a sell-out crowd . Ghana , who reached their first World Cup finals in Germany three years ago , won 2-0 at Mali and lead Group D by three points from Benin . Kwadwo Asamoah and Matthew Amoah were on target .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House refused to indicate Monday whether President Obama will issue a posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson , the African-American boxing champion convicted in 1913 for dating a white woman . Jack Johnson 's 1910 defeat of Jim Jeffries , the `` Great White Hope , '' sparked riots . The House of Representatives on July 29 unanimously passed a resolution urging Obama to grant a pardon ; the Senate passed a similar measure by a voice vote on June 24 . The push for a rare posthumous pardon has been spearheaded for years by Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , and Rep. Peter King , R-New York , two of Congress ' top boxing enthusiasts . `` It is our hope that you will be eager to agree to right this wrong and erase an act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison , '' they wrote Friday in a letter to Obama . Johnson , the first African-American to win the heavyweight title , was convicted for violating the Mann Act , which outlawed the transportation of women across state lines for `` immoral '' purposes . He served 10 months in prison on charges `` brought forward clearly to keep him away from the boxing ring , where he continued to defeat his white opponents , '' McCain and King said . Almost a century after Johnson 's conviction , his compelling saga has continued to capture the interest of sports writers , civil rights activists and historians . It provides , they agree , a unique window into American politics and culture at a time when Jim Crow-style racism reigned supreme . Johnson was first arrested for breaking the Mann Act in 1912 , four years after winning the heavyweight crown . That case fell apart , but investigators soon after charged him with a similar offense involving a woman he had dated years earlier . Justice Department lawyers argued it was a `` crime against nature '' for him to have a sexual relationship with a white woman . Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis , later to become the first commissioner of Major League Baseball , set Johnson 's bail at $ 30,000 , the equivalent of more than $ 660,000 today . When a bail bondsman showed up , Landis jailed him , too , according to an account that filmmaker Ken Burns relays in his documentary `` Unforgivable Blackness : The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson . '' An all-white jury convicted Johnson in less than two hours . `` Mr. Johnson was perhaps persecuted as an individual , but ... it was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks , '' one of the prosecutors later said . Johnson 's real crime , in the eyes of many , was committed on July 4 , 1910 , when he successfully defended his boxing title against Jim Jeffries , a white boxer who came to be called the `` Great White Hope '' because many white fans saw him as the best chance to wrest back a boxing title from the African-American champ . Johnson beat Jeffries , who had come out of retirement for the fight , before a stunned , almost entirely white crowd in Reno , Nevada . Race riots followed . More than 20 people were killed and hundreds were injured . Most victims were black . So when they `` could n't beat him in the ring , the white power establishment decided to beat him in the courts , '' Burns said in his documentary . Johnson fled to Europe in 1913 while free on appeal . But after years of fights overseas , including the eventual loss of his title in Havana , Cuba , in 1915 , Johnson came home . He turned himself over to U.S. authorities at the Mexican border in 1920 and served 10 months in prison . He died in a car wreck in 1946 . `` Back then , if you were black and you were told that you did something wrong , you really had no recourse , '' Linda Haywood , Johnson 's great-niece , recently told CNN . `` You just accepted what was done because black people were basically powerless and voiceless . Jack may have been a rich boxer , but he could n't fight the system . '' McCain and King introduced resolutions calling for a presidential pardon in 2005 and last year . McCain , who says he made a mistake by once voting against a federal holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , sees the pardon as a way to right an old wrong . `` The Jack Johnson case is an ignominious stain on our nation 's history , '' he said on the Senate floor in the spring . `` Rectifying this injustice is long overdue . -LSB- The resolution recognizes -RSB- the unjustness of what transpired , and sheds light on the achievements of an athlete who was forced into the shadows of bigotry and prejudice . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seven years after devastating terrorist attacks brought death to New York 's World Trade Centers , the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field , the first permanent , on-site memorial is being dedicated Thursday at the Pentagon . An artist 's rendering shows the New York 9\/11 memorial , with the museum entry pavilion between two pools . Official memorials at the other two sites are still years away . In New York , construction has begun on a complex that will include a memorial with a tree-shaded plaza and reflecting pools , and an underground museum with an entry pavilion . It 's part of a bigger project , including new office towers and a transportation hub , whose target date has been repeatedly delayed . The goal is to open the memorial to the public by the 10th anniversary of the attacks , in 2011 , and the museum by the year after . New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed the importance of those dates and called progress `` frustratingly slow '' in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal . `` The memorial must be completed by the 10th anniversary , '' Bloomberg wrote . `` No more excuses , no more delays . '' Watch and listen to Thursday 's memorial services '' However , on CNN 's `` American Morning '' Thursday , Bloomberg said quality is more important than speed of construction . `` We want to make sure what we build is the right thing , that 100 years from now people will look back and say , ` They built it well and built the right thing , ' '' Bloomberg said . `` Nobody 's going to remember if it took five years or 10 years . I 'd like it to go faster . I 've recommended we reduce the level of bureaucracy , but that 's not our number one priority . '' Federal , state and local governments , as well as several agencies and private developers are involved in the planning and construction . `` It 's a complex site , and there was an extensive public process involved in determining the plans for the site , '' Lynn Rasic of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum said Wednesday . `` And I think what 's important now is that we look forward and do everything possible to meet the 10th anniversary date . '' iReport : How are you observing 9\/11 ? The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , which owns the trade center site , says it 's on board as far as the date for opening the memorial . Completion dates for the museum and pavilion are part of a review to be finished by September 30 , Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said . `` We do n't want to put any more false hopes , false dates out there in the public domain that ca n't be met . That 's why they want to make sure this thing is a thorough review and we have realistic and achievable dates that we come out with , '' he said . Coleman said the Port Authority has n't felt pressure from families of September 11 victims to speed up the process . `` What we 're hearing from family members is that they want to see it done right , rather than rushed , '' he said . The memorial will feature two huge reflecting pools , with waterfalls flowing down their sides , where the iconic twin towers stood , according to the memorial 's Web site . Engraved around the pools will be the names of those who died in the September 11 attacks as well as the victims of a 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center . Watch and listen to sights and sounds from 9\/11 '' The steel and glass entry pavilion will include two large steel columns salvaged from the twin towers . As visitors descend underground into the museum , they 'll see the slurry wall , the bedrock that held back the Hudson River when the towers collapsed . The Pennsylvania memorial is also scheduled to be completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks . It will center on the site where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers apparently wrested control of the plane from the hijackers . A plaza will surround the crash site , known as Sacred Ground . Plans call for a Tower of Voices , with 40 windchimes representing the 40 passengers and crew members who died . The Pentagon memorial , opening Thursday , includes a bench , a tree and a pool for each of the 184 people killed there when another hijacked airliner crashed into the building . Watch a victim 's family tour Pentagon memorial '' The areas are arranged in order of the victims ' ages , ranging from the youngest , 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg , to the oldest , John D. Yamnicky , 71 , according to a Defense Department Web site . `` When we learned that there were five children who lost their lives that day , that 's really what sparked the idea , '' designer Keith Kaseman said . To read the name of a person killed in the Pentagon , a visitor must look toward the building ; if the victim was on board the airplane , the name can be seen by looking up . After dedication ceremonies , the memorial opens to the public at 7 p.m. ET . `` This place is really all about the visitor 's thoughts , your interpretation , '' Kaseman said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush had a `` relaxed '' and `` friendly '' meeting with President-elect Barack Obama after he and first lady Laura Bush welcomed their successors to their future home Monday , a White House spokesman said . President Bush and Laura Bush welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House on Monday . `` The president and the president-elect had a long meeting , described by the president as good , constructive , relaxed and friendly , '' White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement . `` The president enjoyed his visit with the president-elect , and he again pledged a smooth transition to the next administration . '' Perino said the two discussed national and international issues but did not provide specifics of the conversation . Bush also gave Obama a tour of the White House 's living quarters , including the Lincoln bedroom . Bush and Obama held a private meeting in the Oval Office , while the first lady gave incoming first lady Michelle Obama a tour of the residence . The president and president-elect walked together along the Colonnade by the Rose Garden before entering the Oval Office together . They briefly waved to reporters along the way . Obama and Bush were not expected to speak on camera after their meeting . The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour . When President George H.W. Bush hosted President-elect Bill Clinton after the 1992 election , the two talked for nearly two hours . Monday 's meeting was a historic formality , but it was also a time for serious talks . It marked the first time Obama has visited the Oval Office . Watch Bush welcome Obama to the White House \u00c2 '' Bush and Obama `` had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation 's many critical economic and security challenges , '' said Stephanie Cutter , spokeswoman for Obama 's transition team . `` President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition , and for his and first lady Laura Bush 's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House , '' Cutter said . A day earlier , a leader of Obama 's transition team said the president and president-elect were expected to discuss `` a broad range of issues , '' focusing on the economy . `` It 's clear that we need to stabilize the economy , to deal with the financial meltdown that 's now spreading across the rest of the economy . The auto industry is really , really back on its heels , '' transition team leader John Podesta told CNN 's `` Late Edition '' on Sunday . Podesta said Obama will push Congress to enact `` at least part '' of an economic package before he takes office in January , but said the problems Americans face need short - and long-term approaches . The president and president-elect also were expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq . Go inside the Oval Office Despite the negative tone of the campaign season -- in which Obama frequently campaigned against what he called Bush 's `` failed policies '' -- Bush has pledged to do everything he can to make sure they have a smooth transition . iReport.com : What 's your message for Obama ? `` When I called President-elect Obama to congratulate him on his historic victory , I told him that he can count on my complete cooperation as he makes his transition to the White House . Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office , '' Bush said in his radio address this weekend . Podesta said cooperation with Bush administration officials has been `` excellent '' since Tuesday 's election . Watch more on the transition to power \u00c2 '' Obama said he was `` gratified by the invitation '' to meet with the president and his wife . `` I 'm sure that , in addition to taking a tour of the White House , there 's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president , '' he said at a news conference Friday . `` I 'm going to go in there with a spirit of bipartisanship and a sense that both the president and various leaders in Congress all recognize the severity of the situation right now and want to get stuff done , '' he said . Given their drastically different views on foreign policy , Mark Preston , CNN 's deputy political editor , predicted an `` uncomfortable meeting at best . '' Watch CNN 's Mark Preston talk about the meeting \u00c2 '' `` Let 's not forget that Barack Obama ran against President Bush every day when he was taking on John McCain . While they will be cordial , I bet you it will be uncomfortable , '' Preston said . As the president and president-elect met in the Oval Office , Perino gave Robert Gibbs a tour of the White House press office . Gibbs was the communications director for Obama 's presidential campaign . He has not officially been named the incoming press secretary , but he is widely considered the top contender for the position . Cutter said that after Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour of the residence , the first lady and her successor discussed raising daughters in the White House . `` Mrs. Obama was honored to finally meet the first lady , who was a gracious hostess , '' Cutter said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Unlike in the death of any other world leader , reactions from the international community to the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il were somewhat muted . Few countries issued statements in the hours immediately after Kim 's death was announced on North Korean state television . And some , like the United States , opted to focus on its relationship with South Korea . AUSTRALIA Kevin Rudd , Foreign Minister : `` It is at times like this that we can not afford to have any wrong or ambiguous signaling . This time also presents an important opportunity to the new North Korean leadership to engage fully with the international community . On how to improve their economy in order to properly feed their people and critically on how to deal with the outstanding problem of North Korea 's nuclear weapons program . '' CHINA Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs : `` We were distressed to learn of the unfortunate passing of the senior-most North Korean leader Kim Jong-il , and we express our deep grief about this and extend our condolences to the people of North Korea . Kim Jong Il is a great leader of North Korean people , and is a close friend of Chinese people . ... China and North Korea will make joint effort ... to consolidate and develop the ... friendship between the two countries ... and to maintain the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region . '' CUBA Cuban state-run newspaper Granma : `` The State Council of the Republic of Cuba has declared official mourning following the death of comrade Kim Jong II , Chairman of the National Defense Committee and Secretary General of the Labor Party of the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea , on the 20 , 21 and 22 of December . '' FRANCE Foreign Minister Alain Juppe : `` There is n't much hope . It is a completely closed off regime ... We are very cautious about the consequences of this succession . We hope that one day the North Korean people will find freedom . There are ongoing talks with North Korea ... and we need to keep on talking with China and other participants to make North Korea abandon its nuclear weapon . '' -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that France `` reaffirms its commitment to peace and stability in the peninsula and hopes the North Korean regime will evolve in a positive way . ... Our thoughts go to North Korean people who have been suffering for years from misery and lack of human rights . ... France will carry on its action for North Korean people , especially by supporting humanitarian programs ... '' GERMANY Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle : `` We hope that a window of opportunity will open for the people of North Korea , '' Westerwelle said during a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague . JAPAN Osamu Fujimura , Japanese chief government spokesman : `` We express our condolences on the news of the passing Kim Jong Il , the chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea . We wish the sudden news would not affect North Korea negatively . '' PHILIPPINES Department of Foreign Affairs : `` The Government and people of the Philippines convey our condolences to the Government and people of the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea -LRB- DPRK -RRB- on the death of President Kim Jong-Il . ... The Philippine Government values its relations with the DPRK and will continue to cooperate with them to intensify the promotion and maintenance of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region , including in the Korean Peninsula , to ensure the region 's continued prosperity . '' RUSSIA Sergei Lavrov , Russian Foreign Minister : Moscow expects that Kim Jong Il 's death wo n't affect friendly ties between Russia and North Korea , Russia 's Interfax news agency reported . SOUTH KOREA South Korean President Lee Myung-bak : `` For the sake of the future of the Republic of Korea , peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is more important than anything else . It should not be threatened by what has happened . We must make thorough preparations to maintain peace and stability and continue to work closely with the international community ... All citizens are asked to go about their lives without wavering so that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will not be hampered . '' -- South Korea 's presidential crisis management director said in a televised statement that Seoul `` will monitor North Korea very closely and will be fully prepared '' and will `` work closely with related countries . '' UNITED KINGDOM William Hague , British Foreign Secretary : `` The people of N Korea are in official mourning after the death of Kim Jong Il . We understand this is a difficult time for them . This could be a turning point for North Korea . We hope that their new leadership will recognize that engagement with the international community offers the best prospect of improving the lives of ordinary North Korean people . We encourage North Korea to work for peace and security in the region and take the steps necessary to allow the resumption of the Six Party Talks on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula . '' UNITED STATES The White House : The Obama administration had little to say about Kim 's death , noting it was `` closely monitoring reports . '' The White House said President Barack Obama spoke with his South Korean counterpart and had reconfirmed the U.S. commitment to the `` stability on the Korean peninsula , and to the freedom and security of our allies . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When President Obama called for a world free of nuclear weapons in Prague , Czech Republic , this spring , many dismissed this part of his speech as idealistic rhetoric . But the abolition of nuclear weapons is not an unrealistic fantasy . It is a practical necessity if the American people are to have a secure future . President Obama should use his Nobel speech this week to reaffirm his commitment to this essential and obtainable goal . It is essential because a world armed with nuclear weapons is simply too dangerous for us to countenance . Since the end of the Cold War we have tended to act as though the threat of nuclear war had gone away . It has n't . It is only our awareness of this danger that has faded . In fact , there are some 25,000 nuclear weapons in the world today ; 95 percent of them are in the arsenals of the United States and Russia . Just this past weekend , the START treaty limiting the number of U.S. and Russian warheads expired . Negotiators in Geneva , Switzerland , have not yet been able to work out the details of a follow-up treaty . We must hope they will be able to agree to deep reductions . A recent study by Physicians for Social Responsibility showed that if only 300 of the weapons in the Russian arsenal attacked targets in American cities , 90 million people would die in the first half hour . A comparable U.S. attack on Russia would produce similar devastation . Further , these attacks would destroy the entire economic , communications and transportation infrastructure on which the rest of the population depends for survival . In the ensuing months the vast majority of people who survived the initial attacks in both countries would die of disease , exposure and starvation . The destruction of the United States and Russia would be only part of the story . An attack of this magnitude would lift millions of tons of soot and dust into the upper levels of the atmosphere , blocking out sunlight and dropping temperatures across the globe . In fact , if the entire Russian and U.S. strategic arsenals were involved in the fighting , average surface temperature worldwide would fall 10 degrees Centigrade to levels not seen on Earth since the depth of the last ice age 18,000 years ago . For three years there would not be a single day in the Northern Hemisphere free of frost . Agriculture would stop , ecosystems would collapse and many species , perhaps even our own , would become extinct . This is not just some theoretical scenario ; it is a real and present danger . On January 25 , 1995 , we came within minutes of nuclear war when Russian military radar mistook a Norwegian-U.S. scientific rocket for a possible attack on Moscow . President Yeltsin , a man reportedly suffering from alcoholism and other major medical problems , was notified and given five minutes to decide how to respond . Then as now , both the United States and Russia maintained a policy of `` launch on warning , '' authorizing the launch of nuclear missiles when an enemy attack is believed to be under way . We do n't know exactly what happened in the Kremlin that morning , but someone decided not to launch Russian missiles and we did not have a nuclear war . January 25 , 1995 , was five years after the end of the Cold War . There were no unusual crises anywhere in the world that day . It was a relatively good day in a time much less dangerous than our own . And we almost blew up the world . That was 15 years ago and the United States and Russia still maintain more than 2,000 warheads on high alert ready to be launched in 15 minutes and to destroy each other 's cities 30 minutes later . Nuclear weapons are the only military threat from which U.S. armed forces can not protect us . It is urgently in our national security interest to eliminate these instruments of mass annihilation from the arsenals of potential adversaries . If we have to get rid of our own nuclear weapons to achieve this , it is a deal well worth making . Make no mistake , the elimination of nuclear weapons is an attainable goal . These bombs are not some force of nature . They are the work of our hand . We built them and we can take them apart . Some governments falsely see these weapons as safeguards of their security . It will not be easy to convince them that true safety requires that we abolish them . Nor will it be easy to design the verification regime needed to assure that the weapons are dismantled and that no new weapons are built . Yet national security experts in the United States and around the world say that it can be done and it must be done . If politics is the art of the possible , then statesmanship is the art of the necessary . And if ever there was a time that cried out for statesmanship it is now . There are many important issues that demand our attention -- health care reform , energy policy , creating more jobs -- but none is as urgent as eliminating the threat of nuclear war . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ira Helfand .","question":""}
{"answer":"SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California 's highest court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages Tuesday but allowed about 18,000 unions performed before the ban to remain valid . Protesters gather outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco on Tuesday . Supporters of November ballot initiative Proposition 8 hailed the ruling , but about 1,000 advocates of same-sex marriages who gathered outside the court building in San Francisco met the 6-1 decision with chants of `` Shame on you . '' Following the ruling , supporters of same-sex marriage took to the streets to protest . CNN affiliate KGO reported that after the opinion was made public lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender officers were brought in specifically to help manage the crowd . During those protests 159 adults and three juveniles were arrested and cited for jaywalking , San Francisco Police Department Sgt. Lyn Tomioka told CNN . Similar rallies were held Tuesday evening in Los Angeles , where 3,500 to 5,000 protesters took part , according to police estimates . There were no arrests , said Julianne Sohn of the Los Angeles Police Department . There were also reports of demonstrations in San Diego and some other California cities , as well as in major cities nationwide . iReport.com : Rally in San Diego Lisa Angelot and Karen Brandenberger were married when it was legal , but they said their own marriage is not enough , and told KGO they were prepared to be arrested to make the point . `` It will be my first time to be arrested , '' Angelot told KGO . Many supporters said it was most upsetting to have the right to marry yanked away from them after last year 's court ruling . `` It is impossible to square the elation that we felt just a year ago with the grief that we feel today , '' said Kate Kendell , head of the National Center for Lesbian Rights . `` And it is impossible to reconcile the court 's ruling from a year ago with its upholding of Proposition 8 today . '' The same court , dominated by Republican appointees , ruled in May 2008 that the state constitution guaranteed gay and lesbian couples the `` basic civil right '' to marry . Voters responded in November by approving the marriage ban by a margin of 52 to 48 percent . iReport.com : React to court decision and share photos , video Opponents of the ban argued that it improperly altered California 's constitution to restrict a fundamental right guaranteed in the state charter . Its supporters argued that Californians long have had the right to change their state constitution through ballot initiatives . Tuesday 's ruling found that the proposition restricted the designation of marriage `` while not otherwise affecting the fundamental constitutional rights of same-sex couples , '' as Chief Justice Ronald George wrote . In a dissenting opinion , Justice Carlos Moreno -- the court 's only Democratic appointee -- wrote that the decision `` is not just a defeat for same-sex couples , but for any minority group that seeks the protection of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution . '' Watch what was at stake '' The decision sparked protests in San Francisco , Los Angeles and San Diego . `` It 's nice that my marriage is still intact , but that 's not the point , '' said Kathleen White , who was among those awaiting the ruling in San Francisco . `` The point is that everybody should have the same civil rights across the board . '' But Miles McPherson , pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego , said the court `` did the right thing . '' Voters in 28 other states have approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriages , and none has been rejected , he said . `` God did n't create the family that way , '' McPherson said . `` You ca n't have a family with a mother and a mother , because -LSB- children -RSB- need a mother and a father to nurture their personality and their character . '' Tony Perkins , president of the conservative Family Research Council , said the ruling `` should encourage pro-family activists not only in California but across the country . '' But he said that by preserving marriages performed before the ban , the justices could have opened a door to a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court . It was unclear whether advocates had an avenue to appeal Tuesday 's ruling , however . And Dennis Herrera , San Francisco 's city attorney , said the fight for same-sex marriage rights would most likely go on `` in the electoral arena . '' `` Today we 're faced with a disappointing decision , '' Herrera said . `` But I think we also know it could have been worse . '' View reactions to the ruling '' A new effort , dubbed Yes on Equality , has begun working to place an initiative on the 2010 ballot that would repeal Proposition 8 . State justices left unaddressed whether same-sex marriages performed in other states before the ban was adopted would be recognized in California , and advocates would have to argue that the measure violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case . California took its first steps toward recognizing same-sex marriages in 2004 , when San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples . iReport.com : React to court decision and share photos , video Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , who opposed the initiative , praised the court for leaving the previous marriages intact and urged opponents of the decision to respond `` peacefully and lawfully . '' `` While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage , as governor of California , I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court , '' Schwarzenegger said in a written statement . Four states -- Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts and Iowa -- currently allow same-sex marriages . A Vermont law making such marriages legal will take effect in September . And the District of Columbia voted May 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere , though it does not itself give marriage licenses to same-sex couples .","question":""}
{"answer":"DERBY , England -- Substitute Emmanuel Adebayor struck his second hat-trick against Derby this season as Arsenal ran riot with a 6-2 Premier League victory at Pride Park . Arsenal players celebrate Robin Van Persie 's goal in their comfortable 6-2 victory over Derby . The Gunners , 5-0 winners at The Emirates earlier in the season , made sure of third place in the table with a rousing second-half display against relegated Derby , who move closer to being the Premier League 's worst-ever side . Arsene Wenger 's side led 2-1 at the break after goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie either side of a Jay McEveley effort . Theo Walcott was on target too , but the second half belonged to Togo international striker Adebayor , who struck three times to take his season 's tally to 30 in all competitions , with Rob Earnshaw grabbing a consolation for the hosts in this eight-goal thriller . Bottom side Derby , now 30 league games without a victory , began the more purposefully and Emanuel Villa only just failed to connect Tyrone Mears ' inviting low cross . Then Mile Sterjovski 's drive took a major deflection off Alex Song to wrong-foot goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski , making his first league start for Arsenal , only for the ball to creep past the right-hand post . The Gunners struggled to find their rhythm early on and were fortunate not to go behind when Villa 's bullet header flew just over . Derby were made to pay for those early misses when Darren Moore 's 25th minute mistake presented the ball to Niklas Bendtner , who played a one-two with Robin Van Persie before coolly slotting the ball into the left corner . However , Derby soon scored the equalizer they deserved . Robbie Savage 's inswinging free-kick landed on the six-yard line and Jay McEveley reacted first to hook the ball home . The home side 's joy was short-lived though , when Derby 's defensive frailties were exposed again as Van Persie as given all the time in the world to chest down Kolo Toure 's floated pass and volley home in style . Adebayor replaced Van Persie for the second-half and Arsenal immediately looked intent on adding to their goals tally . Twice Kolo Toure , playing at right-back , fired over , the second opportunity created by Cesc Fabregas ' brilliant backheel . There was nothing goalkeeper Roy Carroll could do to deny Adebayor Arsenal 's third goal . Walcott took advantage of Alan Stubbs ' slip to cut the ball back to Emmanuel Eboue , who gave Adebayor an easy finish . Walcott should have made it four when he was put through by Bendtner but the teenager fired wide with the goal at his mercy . By now it was looking all too easy for the Gunners as they toyed with home side , creating chances at will -- but against the run of play Derby reduced the deficit to just a single goal when substitute Robert Earnshaw stroked the ball home . Yet within a minute the two-goal cushion was restored , Gael Clichy pinging a pinpoint pass to Walcott wide on the left before the youngster cut inside and curled into the top-right corner . Adebayor grabbed another poacher 's goal , sliding to convert another Clichy assist with 10 minutes remaining before he wrapped up his hat-trick from an acute angle in added time . With two games remaining , Arsenal are four points behind Manchester United and Chelsea , still with an outside chance of lifting the Premier League title . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On a videotape released Sunday , American al Qaeda member Adam Yahiye Gadahn renounces his U.S. citizenship , destroys his passport and cites U.S. President Bush 's upcoming trip to the Middle East . `` American jihadist '' Adam Gadahn , originally from California , in a video released in September 2006 . The 50-minute tape -- titled `` An Invitation to Reflection and Repentance '' -- was released by As Sahab , al Qaeda 's video production wing and was provided to CNN by www.LauraMansfield.com , a Web site that analyzes terrorism . In it , Gadahn renounces his citizenship to protest the imprisonment of Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman , a blind Egyptian Muslim leader serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center ; and John Walker Lindh , the American Taliban who was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 , and others . Gadahn displays his passport to the camera , rips it in half and says , `` Do n't get too excited -- I do n't need it to travel anyway . '' Though Gadahn speaks mostly in English , he references Bush -- who is to travel this week to the Middle East -- only in Arabic . `` We raise an urgent appeal to our mujahedin brothers in the Muslim Palestine , the Arabian Peninsula in particular , and the region in general , to be prepared to receive the crusader butcher Bush on his visit to Muslim Palestine and the occupied peninsula at the beginning of January , '' he said . `` They should receive him not with roses and applause , but with bombs and booby-traps . '' The video also refers to the Annapolis Conference , indicating it was produced after last November 27 , when the conference was held . National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the U.S. president would not be deterred . `` His comments are indicative of an al Qaeda ideology that offers nothing but death and violence , '' Johndroe told CNN in a written statement . `` President Bush will travel to the region to stand with the mainstream governments who want liberty and justice for their people . '' The self-proclaimed American jihadist , also known as Azzam the American , is on the FBI 's Most Wanted List , with a reward of up to $ 1 million for information leading to his capture . Gadahn was indicted in 2006 on charges of treason and offering material support for terrorism , the first American charged with treason since World War II . Gadahn , who grew up in rural California , embraced Islam in the mid-1990s and moved to Pakistan . Since October 2004 he has appeared in at least eight al Qaeda videos in which he speaks in English and praises the terrorist network . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates in ships are searching for the lifeboat containing four pirates and their hostage -- the captain of a freighter they failed to hijack earlier this week -- according to a U.S. military official with knowledge of the situation . Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama is being held by pirates on a lifeboat off Somalia . The pirates are using ships they have already hijacked and larger ships from which they are launching skiffs , the official said Friday . One of the pirated ships is the German cargo ship Hansa Stavanger , seized April 4 off the coast of Somalia . The U.S. military has been monitoring communications between the pirates , the official said . The guided missile frigate USS Halyburton , with helicopter capabilities , has now joined the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge in the area . A third ship , the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer , which has a large medical facility on board , will be there within a day . Richard Phillips , the hostage , tried to escape from the pirates Thursday night by jumping out of the lifeboat , a U.S. official said Friday . Watch what it 's like inside a lifeboat '' Phillips was believed to be trying to swim to the USS Bainbridge , which is in communication with the four gunmen holding Phillips in the 28-foot boat off Somalia 's coast , the official said . Some of the kidnappers jumped into the water , recaptured Phillips , and returned him to the lifeboat , according to the official . Watch what happened when captain tried to escape '' The pirates fired shots , the military official said , but had no further details . A Defense Department official told CNN that Phillips appeared to be tied up by the pirates after the escape attempt . The U.S. official -- who did not want to be named because of the sensitive nature of the situation -- said the escape attempt is being viewed by negotiators as an `` optimistic sign '' that Phillips is in good health . He has been held since Wednesday , when the hijackers seized control of his U.S.-flagged ship , the Maersk Alabama . Watch expert talk about hostage escape attempts '' The captain 's wife Andrea Phillips thanked everyone for their support in a statement . `` My husband is a strong man and we will remain strong for him , '' she said . `` We ask that you do the same . '' Phillips ' 20-man crew regained control of the vessel , and they and the vessel are en route to Mombasa , Kenya , according to the father of one of the crew members . The ship 's owners -- the Norfolk , Virginia-based Maersk company -- would not say how the crew regained control . `` There will be time for due diligence and retrospective review once we have the safe return of all parties and the opportunity for a full debriefing , '' it said in a statement . For the U.S. Navy , the show of strength is more than just a means to resolve a hostage situation , said Chris Lawrence , CNN 's Pentagon correspondent . Attacks in the area have picked up so drastically in recent months that the Navy has to reposition some of its fleet to deal with the threats , he said . iReport.com : How should the U.S. respond ? The pirates have shown no signs of giving in . The Maersk Alabama was on its way to Mombasa , Kenya , with a cargo of food aid when it was attacked Wednesday . It was the first time in recent history that pirates had targeted an American ship . The ship was hijacked some 350 miles off Somalia 's coast , a distance that used to be considered safe for ships navigating in the pirate-infested waters . CNN 's Mike Mount and Barbara Starr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two men who worked as security contractors for the company formerly known as Blackwater have been charged with murder in the killings of two Afghan men , federal prosecutors announced Thursday . Christopher Drotleff and Justin Cannon are charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder each in connection with the May shootings in Kabul . The 12-count , 19-page indictment returned by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia also includes weapons charges against the two men . The indictment was returned Wednesday but unsealed Thursday . Both men were in Afghanistan working for the security company Paravant , a subsidiary of Xe , the military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide . FBI agents have arrested both men , the Justice Department announced . Drotleff , Cannon and two other contractors , Steven McClain and Armando Hamid , were involved in the May 5 , 2009 , shooting that left two Afghan civilians dead and another wounded . The men had been hired by Paravant to help the U.S. Army train Afghan troops . The contractors said they were driving their interpreters on a busy Kabul street called Jalalabad Road at around 9 p.m. when a car slammed into one of their two cars . `` I immediately thought we were under attack , '' McClain said in May . The contractors got out to help their colleagues , and the vehicle that had struck the car did a U-turn and headed back at them , the men said . The contractors fired at the oncoming vehicle . `` The car was coming at us , '' Cannon said in May . `` At that point we attempted to stop and immobilize the vehicle and we engaged it in small arms fire . And the car did n't stop , it just kept going . '' The incident spotlights the issue of the role and conduct of U.S. security contractors in Afghanistan . A similar issue arose in Iraq after a September 2007 confrontation involving then-Blackwater contractors that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead . Blackwater lost its contract there after Iraq 's government refused to renew its operating license . The company then changed its name to Xe , and it continues to receive multimillion-dollar contracts in Afghanistan . In the wake of the shooting , all four men lost their jobs with Paravant for violating the company 's alcohol policy . The contractors said they had not been drinking and had not had a drink since their arrival in November . `` We feel that Blackwater wanted to shift the blame from Blackwater itself to these men as if they were acting on a lark , '' attorney Daniel J. Callahan said in May . `` Off duty , with weapons , weapons of their own , and while drinking . And I think the intent is to use these men as scapegoats . '' Callahan , who has advised the men but has not been formally retained by any of them , did not immediately return a call Thursday seeking comment on the charges . In a written statement Thursday , Xe said it had `` immediately and fully cooperated with the government 's investigation of this tragic incident and terminated the individuals involved for violating company policy . '' Also Thursday , Xe announced it has settled seven lawsuits that accused it of crimes in cases not related to the Afghanistan shooting . The lawsuits accused Blackwater security guards of widespread illegal activity , including fostering `` a culture of lawlessness '' among its guards . A lawyer representing the plaintiffs , Susan Burke , said neither she nor anyone else involved in the settlement was allowed to discuss it publicly . It was not clear how much the settlement was for . One lawsuit , filed by Burke in 2007 on behalf of families of several Iraqis killed or wounded in the September 2007 shooting in Baghdad , Iraq , said that a quarter of Blackwater security guards in Iraq use steroids and other `` judgment-altering substances . '' The lawsuit also accused the company of war crimes , wrongful death , assault , negligent hiring and emotional distress . The plaintiffs included two wounded survivors of the Baghdad shooting and the families of five people killed in the incident . Blackwater denied the accusations . Last week , a federal judge dismissed manslaughter charges against five Blackwater security guards involved in the killings , finding that prosecutors wrongly used the men 's own statements against them .","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday after police said he struck an officer with a slow-moving Freightliner truck , according to a police report . Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday , according to police . Starks , 25 , faces a charge of aggravated battery , according to the report . The arrest took place about 12:20 a.m. in Miami 's South Beach area . Officers said they saw the Freightliner truck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on South Beach 's Ocean Drive with some 13 people inside , including a woman sitting on the lap of Starks , who was driving . The truck 's seating capacity is four occupants , the police report said . It was not clear from the police report whether the Freightliner -- normally part of a tractor-trailer -- was connected to a trailer . In the report , the officer recalled pursuing the truck on foot for about a half-block and pounding on the rear driver 's - side window , but it kept moving . The officer caught up to the truck again , and it stopped after the officer pounded on the window again , the report said . `` I slowly approached the side door and just as I reached it the vehicle accelerated and started moving forward and slightly to the left , '' the unidentified officer writes in the report . `` The vehicle 's path caused the driver 's side of the vehicle to strike me in the chest pushing me back and pinning me against a vehicle stopped in traffic in the northbound lane . '' Meanwhile , a second officer was pounding on the passenger 's - side window , the report said . The truck stopped , and Starks was arrested . A police check showed that the truck 's license plate was not assigned to that vehicle , the report said , and Starks faces a charge for that as well . Starks was released from jail later Sunday , according to a records check . The Miami Herald newspaper reported earlier he was jailed on $ 10,000 bond . Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene told CNN the club was `` only recently made aware of the situation . Since we are in the process of gathering information we have no comment . '' Starks is in his sixth NFL season and his second with the Dolphins .","question":""}
{"answer":"COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's government said Monday its forces had killed Tamil rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran as he attempted to flee , according to the country 's state-run news agency . The Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead . The Tamil rebel group , formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- , is aware of the government 's report but has yet to confirm Prabhakaran 's death or the deaths of its other leaders , according to a posting on the pro-rebel Web site , Tamilnet.com . It said `` initial reports indicate a determined massacre by the Sri Lanka Army . '' Prabhakaran was one of 19 senior LTTE leaders that the government has identified among the bodies found as its troops completed mop-up operations after routing the Tigers , the defense ministry said . The leaders include Prabhakaran 's eldest son , Charles Anthony , as well as Pottu Amman , LTTE 's intelligence leader , according to the ministry . Prabhakaran founded the rebel group , which has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries . It pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and , according to the FBI , invented the explosive suicide belt . It was also behind the assassination of two world leaders -- the only terrorist organization to do so . Watch more on the possible end of fighting '' Prabhakaran is accused of masterminding the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 in the Tamil-dominated Indian state of Tami Nadu as he campaigned for a second term . Sri Lankan authorities allege that Prabhakaran was avenging Gandhi 's decision to send Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka . Two years later a Tigers suicide bomber , allegedly acting under Prabhakaran 's orders , detonated explosives that killed Sri Lanka 's then-president , Ranasinghe Premadasa , during a rally . Over the weekend , the militants offered to `` silence '' their guns after an intense military offensive decimated their ranks , pushed them from their stronghold in the north and east of the country , and cornered the remaining rebels on a small stretch of land . If the rebels honor their pledge , it would potentially mark the end of the longest-running civil war in Asia . Prabhakaran 's supporters considered him a hero with a single-minded focus -- to fight for the rights of his people . The Sri Lankan government deemed him a war criminal with a disregard for civilian casualties . He was wanted by Interpol on charges including terrorism and organized crime . In the past it has been reported he wore a cyanide capsule around his neck -- to swallow and kill himself rather than risk capture . And he reportedly expected the same dedication from his troops . As a result , few Tigers have been captured alive . Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that `` military operations '' against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to parliament and country on Tuesday . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' The rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands . This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago , despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas . The project has reignited tensions between the two countries , who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 , with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law . Argentina says the natural resources around the islands , which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast , should be protected , and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area . Mexico 's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor . Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen , Calderon claimed Ecuador , Chile , Guatemala , Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina 's opposition to the drilling . `` We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina 's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom , '' he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials . Ecuador 's President Rafael Correa offered his country 's `` unconditional support '' to Argentina , while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said , `` We not only support our sister republic 's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations ' Special Committee on Decolonization . '' Venezuela 's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina . `` We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints , '' Chavez told reporters Tuesday , according to Reuters.com . `` That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America . '' A day earlier , Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II . `` Look , England , how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas ? Queen of England , I 'm talking to you , '' he said . `` The time for empires are over , have n't you noticed ? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people . '' On Monday , British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin , some 100 kilometers -LRB- 60 miles -RRB- north of the islands . Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having `` significant gas potential . '' The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days , a spokesman for the company told CNN . But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires . This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans , not just about sovereignty , '' Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week , adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands , but to any resources that could be found there . In a statement last week , the Falkland Islands government , which represents its 2,500 residents , said it had `` every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters . '' `` The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business , '' it said . `` The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia 's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing Tuesday , kicking off a two-day visit to China , his first state visit since announcing his intention to contest the Russian presidency next March . Aside from meeting his counterpart Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in the 16th Regular Meeting between the two Prime Ministers , Putin will also meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders . Talks are expected to include negotiations on a natural gas deal worth $ 1 trillion that has been stalled by disagreements over price . The deal would see Russia supply China with up to 68 billion cubic meters of gas every year . `` If the deal can be reached , the trade volume will increase significantly , and this will change the fact that the economic cooperation between the two countries lags behind the political cooperation , '' said Zhao Huasheng , director of the Center for Russia and Central Asia Studies at Fudan University . `` Together with cooperation in other economic fields , China and Russia will become real strategic partners in economic terms . '' Putin 's arrival in Beijing comes less than three weeks after he announced his bid to reclaim the Russian presidency next year . `` The fact that Putin may become next Russian president indeed adds some political color to this visit , and its impact on bilateral relation will definitely go beyond the impact of a regular state visit , '' Zhao said . `` The meeting to some extent will set the keynote for the China-Russia relation in future . It can be described as the start of China-Russia relation in ` new Putin era ' , '' he added . Experts say economic cooperation between the two countries will dominate the meeting agenda . `` Since this is mainly a meeting between the two premiers , this visit will be mainly about expanding the economic cooperation and improving trade structure , '' said Jiang Yi , vice director of Research Center for Russian Diplomacy at China Academy of Social Science , the country 's top think tank . Recent years have seen a steady increase in trade volume between the two countries . According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce , bilateral trade volume in the year to July increased by 37.4 % to a record $ 42.2 billion compared to the previous year . The ministry forecasts that the bilateral trade volume will reach a new record in 2011 , in excess of $ 70 billion . Among all the economic agendas , energy cooperation stands out as the main focus between Russia , a major energy exporter , and China , the world 's biggest energy consumer , according to a 2010 report from the International Energy Agency . According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry , during Putin 's visit , Chinese vice Premier Wang Qishan will hold an energy negotiation meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin . `` Chinese-Russian energy cooperation is an important part of the two countries ' strategic partnership , '' said Liu Weimin , spokesperson of Foreign Ministry , on Monday during a regular press conference . Putin brings with him to China a group of 160 business leaders , including the CEOs of Russian energy giants Gazprom , Rosneft and aluminum producer UC RUSAL .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick left a federal prison in Leavenworth , Kansas , early Wednesday , according to his publicist and the Federal Bureau of Prisons . Michael Vick , left , arrives at federal court with attorney Billy Martin in Richmond , Viriginia , in 2007 . He will serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia , his publicist Judy Smith said . He is a native of Newport News , Virginia . Vick , 28 , pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia . He will return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL , according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick 's 10-year , $ 140 million contract with the Falcons . Meanwhile , Vick 's attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm following his release , and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $ 600,000 . Last month , a federal bankruptcy judge denied a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan presented by Vick , urging him to offer the court another plan to emerge from bankruptcy . The plan called for Vick to come up with $ 750,000 to $ 1 million in cash to be paid to creditors , U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro said , but added he saw no evidence Vick could come up with that much . Santoro suggested Vick 's next plan not call for him to keep two houses and three cars , as did the rejected proposal . In testimony , Vick acknowledged committing a `` heinous '' act and said he should have acted more maturely . He said he has been earning 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor in prison . His Falcons salary , he said , was between $ 10 million and $ 12 million . He acknowledged failing to handle his money well . Watch a panel discuss his release '' Vick plans to work with the Humane Society of the United States on anti-dogfighting campaigns , Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN on Tuesday . Vick will work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting , and also on programs to assist young people who have already been involved in the blood sport . Pacelle said the Humane Society was approached by Vick 's representatives . He said he has traveled to Kansas twice to meet with the former quarterback , and during the second visit , the two discussed how Vick could use his sway over youths to discourage them from involvement in dogfighting , as well as help those who were apprehended in connection with it . Watch more about Vick 's dogs '' Details have not yet been hammered out , Pacelle said , but will be in the next couple of days . iReport.com : Does Vick deserve a second chance ? More attention has been paid to dogfighting as a result of Vick 's case , Pacelle said . The Humane Society , which offers rewards for tips involving dogfighting , has recently paid out $ 40,000 in five different cases , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to expand and tighten sanctions on North Korea after that nation 's recent nuclear test . The U.N. Security Council votes for a resolution imposing sanctions against North Korea on Friday . The 15-0 vote on U.N. Resolution 1874 imposes an embargo on the shipment of arms from the communist regime and broadens a ban on the import of weapons . `` This resolution provides a strong and united international response to North Korea 's test of a nuclear device , '' said U.S. Deputy Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo . The agreement comes amid rising tension surrounding North Korea , which recently conducted a nuclear test , fired test rockets and threatened U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters . The nuclear test and the firing of six short-range rockets occurred in late May . Pyongyang 's actions violated existing U.N. resolutions . The Security Council 's five permanent members had already passed a draft resolution Wednesday that condemned North Korea 's nuclear test `` in the strongest terms . '' The permanent members -- China , France , Russia , Britain and the United States -- reached the agreement in consultation with Japan and South Korea . The draft resolution reaffirmed that the `` proliferation of nuclear , chemical and biological weapons , as well as their means of delivery , constitutes a threat to international peace and security . '' That resolution provided a `` strong , very credible , very appropriate response to the provocative nuclear test that North Korea launched and its subsequent activities , '' Susan E. Rice , U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , told reporters at the time . `` And we think that the message that the council will send ... is that North Korea 's behavior is unacceptable , they must pay a price , they ought to return without conditions to a process of negotiations and that the consequences they will face are significant , '' Rice said . Provisions already existing in U.N. Resolution 1718 , passed in 2006 , are strengthened by the new measure , but others are new , Rice said . The new resolution requires states to `` exercise vigilance '' over the direct or indirect supply , sale or transfer to North Korea of small arms or light weapons . Nations would be required to notify the sanctions committee at least five days prior to selling , supplying or transferring small arms or light weapons to North Korea . The resolution calls on all states to inspect vessels suspected of containing contraband . If a ship refuses , it is to proceed to the closest port for a mandatory inspection . A new regulation would prohibit nations from providing bunkering services , such as fuel , to North Korean ships believed to be carrying contraband . The draft also broadens authority to prevent the flow of funds that could benefit North Korea 's missile , nuclear or proliferation activities . Late last month , two Defense Department officials said U.S. satellite imagery spotted `` vehicle activity '' at a North Korean ballistic missile facility . The officials said the images showed vehicles used to transport Taepodong-2 missiles , but no missile parts . The Taepodong-2 is a long-range missile North Korea tested in April . That test showed a significant improvement in range from North Korea 's initial long-range missile test in 2006 . This week , a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak on the record told CNN that Washington had `` indications '' that North Korea may be planning another test . The official would not provide any details , however . President Obama 's special envoy to North Korea , Stephen Bosworth , called `` simply groundless '' accusations by Pyongyang that its nuclear and rocket tests were in response to American aggression . Washington officials have said the United States ' goal is for North Korea to return to nuclear negotiations with the United States , China , South Korea , Japan and Russia , known as the six-party talks .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Health.com -RRB- -- An analysis of the sickest swine flu patients in Australia , Canada , Mexico , and New Zealand suggests that relatively healthy adolescents and young adults are among the most likely to get very sick after an H1N1 infection , a pattern similar to that seen in the 1918 influenza pandemic . The most important message is that children should get the H1N1 vaccination , Dr. Neil Schachter said . Almost all critically ill patients in the studies were sick for only a few days before rapidly progressing to more severe symptoms and respiratory failure , which required treatment with a breathing machine , according to three studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association . The mortality rate ranged from 14.3 percent to 41.4 percent , depending on the country . The findings may help shine some light on what the 2009 H1N1 flu season may bring , and who may be hit the hardest by the swine flu during the next few months . `` These studies are telling us that young people are at risk for bad complications of H1N1 and under usual circumstances , -LSB- seasonal -RSB- flu does not cause acute respiratory failure in younger people , '' says Dr. Neil Schachter , the medical director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center , in New York City , and the author of The Good Doctor 's Guide to Colds and Flu . The analysis of cases in Australia and New Zealand looked at people who developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome -LRB- a condition in which the lungs fill with fluid -RRB- and were put on a life-support system known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation -LRB- ECMO -RRB- . This artificial heart and lung machine system , which puts oxygen into the blood and then carries this blood to the body tissues , is considered risky and expensive ; as a result , it is not readily available in every hospital . The mortality rate was 21 percent for these patients , although it may have been higher without this treatment , the authors say . Health.com : 8 ways swine flu is changing society `` These studies provide important signals about what clinicians and hospitals may confront in the coming months , '' Dr. Douglas B. White , and Dr. Derek C. Angus , of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , write in an editorial accompanying the new studies . In young , healthy patients , H1N1 can quickly cause respiratory failure that ca n't necessarily be reversed with mechanical ventilation , although such patients are not currently a priority group for H1N1 vaccination , they note . In the Canadian study , about 30 percent to 40 percent of the patients had lung disease , were obese , or had high blood pressure , a history of smoking , or diabetes . Overall , 14.3 percent of 168 critically ill people with confirmed or suspected H1N1 died within 28 days . The mortality rate in the Mexican study was strikingly higher . In Mexico City , where the H1N1 pandemic was first reported , 41.4 percent of 58 critically ill people died within 60 days of developing the flu . Health.com : 10 best big cities for people with asthma Those people who died from H1N1 got sicker earlier in the course of their illness , had extremely low levels of oxygen in their blood , and had multiple organ failure . Their average age was 44 years old , and 54 of 58 patients needed mechanical ventilation . Other signs of more severe H1N1 included fever and severe trouble breathing . Health.com : 10 ways you put yourself at risk for swine flu -LRB- without realizing it ! -RRB- In the Canadian study -LRB- in which the average age was 21.4 -RRB- , the critically ill tended to be hospitalized within four days of developing flu symptoms , and there was about a one-day lapse between hospital admission to intensive care unit -LRB- ICU -RRB- admission . As in the Mexico City study , younger patients with low blood oxygen and multisystem organ failure were hardest hit . What 's more , the critically ill tended to require mechanical ventilation and rescue therapies to aid in breathing . Health.com : 8 causes of chronic cough In both countries , the H1N1 outbreak lasted about three months . `` It is not clear of hospitals ' need to invest in this ECMO technology because this has not proven very successful in other respiratory illnesses , '' says Schachter . `` We do know that treating H1N1 with antivirals such as Tamiflu -LRB- oseltamivir -RRB- and Relenza -LRB- zanamivir -RRB- did help improve mortality . '' The most important message is that children should get the H1N1 vaccination , which is safe , he says . `` The technology for making swine flu vaccine is no different than that used to make the regular flu vaccine , so in principle , there should be no differences in terms of safety , '' he explains . `` Recent surveys have shown that Americans are iffy about whether they will let their children receive this novel vaccine . '' Dr. James B. McAuley , the director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Rush University Medical Center , in Chicago , Illinois , notes that the studies focused on the sickest of the sick patients . Health.com : 7 surprising triggers of lung trouble `` The mortality rate can be high for a small subset of people , but the overall death rate is closer to seasonal flu than the severe acute respiratory syndrome -LRB- SARS -RRB- outbreak of 2003 , '' he says . `` This is a serious flu and there is mortality , but it is about the same as with the seasonal flu -- maybe a little worse . '' As to why younger people seem to be hit hardest , the current school of thought is that perhaps a similar virus circulated 50 or 60 years ago , so older people could have immunity to H1N1 . McAuley 's advice ? `` Definitely get the vaccine , '' he says . -LRB- He says his own children have already received the H1N1 vaccination . -RRB- The editorialists write that the burden is on the public health system to heed the warnings in the new studies and prepare for the coming flu season : `` Any deaths from 2009 influenza A -LRB- H1N1 -RRB- will be regrettable , but those that result from insufficient planning and inadequate preparation will be especially tragic . '' Such planning should include widespread availability of antivirals , antibiotics , and mechanical ventilation systems . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kyrgyzstan 's president signed a bill Friday to close an air base that the U.S. military uses as a route for troops and supplies heading into Afghanistan , the president announced on his Web site . Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan serves as a U.S. supply route for troops and supplies into Afghanistan . The news came as two other central Asian nations -- Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- reportedly agreed to let U.S. cargo pass through their countries on the way to Afghanistan . Such deals , if confirmed , could help fill the void left by the closing of the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan . The Kyrgyz order became effective on Friday when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reportedly signed legislation that the parliament in Bishkek backed on Thursday , the Pentagon said . Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry on Friday officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek that a 180-day withdrawal process is under way . Embassy spokeswoman Michelle Yerkin told CNN the United States hopes to retain the base . Officials in Washington and Bishkek signed a deal three years ago allowing the United States to renew the arrangement annually through July 2011 . `` We do remain in contact with the government of Kyrgyzstan , '' Yerkin said . `` The Manas Air Base continues to operate under existing agreements , as per the coalition 's efforts in Afghanistan . '' U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday the United States will continue to work with Kyrgyzstan on keeping the base open . Watch why Kyrgyzstan wants to close the base \u00c2 '' `` I continue to believe that this is not a closed issue and that there remains the potential at least to reopen this issue with the Kyrgyz and perhaps reach a new agreement , '' Gates said at a NATO meeting in Krakow , Poland . `` If we are unable to do that on reasonable terms then , as I have suggested , we are developing alternative methods to get resupply and people into Afghanistan . '' The Manas Air Base outside Bishkek is the only U.S. base in Central Asia and is a major resupply hub for the war in Afghanistan . Its closing could deal a significant blow to the U.S. military effort there , especially following President Barack Obama 's announcement of additional troops to halt a resurgence of the country 's former Taliban rulers . The United States pays $ 17.4 million a year to use Manas , a major logistical and refueling center that supports troops in Afghanistan , the Pentagon said . About 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo reportedly move through Manas monthly , it said . The air base currently employs more than 1,000 servicemen , 95 percent of whom are Americans , Russia 's Interfax news agency reported . `` This is an important facility , it has been an important facility , but it 's not irreplaceable and , if necessary , we will find other options , '' Whitman said . How far is Manas from Afghanistan ? View our map \u00c2 '' Tajikistan and Uzbekistan , two other Central Asian nations that border Afghanistan , have agreed to allow U.S. cargo to be transported to Afghanistan through their countries , the Russian news agency Interfax reported Friday . The agency said Rear Adm. Mark Harnitchek , U.S. transportation command director for strategy , policy , programs and logistics , held a meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Kharokhon Zarifi , after which he said he had also secured Uzbekistan 's consent . A Tajik government statement said only that the two sides discussed the issue , but a spokesman for the Tajik foreign ministry told CNN that `` practically all issues '' to allow U.S. cargo transit through the country have been resolved . If confirmed , success would still depend on how much access the United States would have to those countries for flights and cargo , and even then , it may not totally replace the capacity lost in Kyrgyzstan . U.S. General David Petraeus , who oversees the war in Afghanistan , was in Uzbekistan this week for talks on Afghanistan and other regional issues . A Pentagon spokesman told CNN that his discussions included the regional supply network into Afghanistan . The U.S. military leased a base in Uzbekistan after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on the United States . But after Uzbek troops were accused of killing at least 150 people during a demonstration in 2005 , the autocratic government of President Islam Karimov came under criticism from Washington and severed most of its military ties with the United States .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jury selection is set to start Monday in a trial pitting two children of Martin Luther King Jr. against their brother , whom they accuse of mishandling the late civil rights leader 's estate . Bernice King and her brother Martin Luther King III say Dexter King took funds from their father 's estate . Bernice King and Martin Luther King III sued their brother Dexter King in July 2008 , one month after accusing him of converting `` substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at Bank of America '' for his own use , according to the lawsuit . Also named as a defendant is the Martin Luther King Jr. estate , which is incorporated . Dexter King is the corporation 's president and chief executive , in addition to being the estate 's administrator . The three are the only shareholders in the corporation , and the plaintiffs hold at least 20 percent of its outstanding shares . The lawsuit contends Dexter King illegally and fraudulently converted estate funds and should be forced to repay the money and reimburse the plaintiffs ' legal costs . The document , which lists five counts , does not say how much he is accused of taking . Dexter King has denied the accusations . The lawsuit reveals a very public fissure in an iconic family that has always professed unity , particularly as questions have swirled around some of their financial dealings . The three are the only surviving children of Martin Luther King Jr. , who was assassinated in 1968 , and Coretta Scott King , who died in 2006 . Their oldest child , Yolanda King , died in 2007 . Bernice King administers her mother 's estate . In a countersuit , Dexter King has asked a judge to force Bernice King to turn over their mother 's personal papers , including love letters central to a now-defunct $ 1.4 million book deal . Martin Luther King III and Bernice King complained that Dexter King refused to hold shareholders meetings , which they said was another example of his lack of transparency in handling their father 's estate . There had been no shareholders ' meeting of the corporation since 2004 , something that Dexter King blamed on the distraction caused by the deaths of his mother and sister . Judge Ural D. Glanville ordered a meeting , which was held last week . In a hearing held in late September , Glanville , who will preside over the trial in Fulton County Superior Court , also expressed serious concern about governance of the King estate . The judge issued an order saying `` the court is extremely troubled . '' He noted that Dexter King , as the majority shareholder , wields significant power in the corporation because he holds 80 percent of its shares . He alone can constitute a quorum for transacting business , the order says . The judge warned all three Kings that any failure to comply with the Georgia Corporation Code could result in the dissolution of the corporation and the appointment of a receiver .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities at Pennsylvania 's Three Mile Island nuclear plant were investigating what caused a weekend radiation leak that resulted in 150 workers being sent home , officials said Sunday . An airborne radiological contamination alarm sounded about 4 p.m. Saturday in the Unit 1 containment building , according to a statement from Exelon Nuclear , which operates the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown , Pennsylvania . The unit had been shut down since October 26 for refueling , maintenance and steam generator replacement , the company said . `` A monitor at the temporary opening cut into the containment building wall to allow the new steam generators to be moved inside showed a slight increase in a reading and then returned to normal , '' the company said . `` Two other monitors displayed normal readings . '' Three Mile Island was the scene of the worst U.S. nuclear accident , a partial meltdown in 1979 that resulted in the plant 's second reactor being shut down permanently . Tests showed the contamination in Saturday 's incident was confined to the building itself , and none was found outside , Exelon said . There was no threat to public health and safety , but the workers were sent home because they could not continue until the area was cleaned , Bill Noll , Exelon vice president , said in the Saturday statement . One worker was found to have received 16 millirem of exposure , and others received lower levels of contamination . The annual occupational dose limit for workers at Exelon plants is 2,000 millirem , the statement said . Radiation exposure from a chest X-ray is about 6 millirem , according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . Although Noll said it was hoped work would resume at Unit 1 on Sunday , Exelon spokeswoman Beth Archer told CNN on Sunday it had not resumed , as the cause of the leak was still under investigation . Two radiation specialists from the NRC were scheduled to investigate Sunday . `` Numerous work activities were going on in the building at the time the alarm sounded , and Exelon engineers are working to determine the cause of the incident , '' the statement said . The March 1979 accident at Three Mile Island brought the nuclear industry to a standstill . The partial meltdown of Unit 2 's nuclear core resulted in no injuries to plant workers or nearby community members , but it triggered changes in nuclear power plant operations and emergency planning and led to tighter oversight of the industry by the NRC . The Unit 2 reactor is permanently shut down and defueled , the NRC said . In 2001 , FirstEnergy acquired it and contracted its monitoring to Exelon , which owns Unit 1 . The companies plan to keep Unit 2 in `` long-term , monitored storage '' until the Unit 1 operating license expires , at which time both plants will be decommissioned , the NRC said . A new generation of nuclear reactors is being considered in the United States as environmental concerns have intensified about coal-fired power plants . CNN 's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"GENEVA , Switzerland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. President Barack Obama called on Iran to provide the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency with `` unfettered '' access to the newly disclosed Qom uranium enrichment site , and Tehran 's nuclear negotiator said the country would cooperate with inspectors . President Obama said Iran must provide inspectors with `` unfettered '' access to the new site within two weeks . Iran says it plans to cooperate `` fully '' and `` immediately '' with the U.N. nuclear agency and will invite representatives of the body to visit its newly revealed uranium enrichment facility `` soon , '' said Javier Solana , the European Union foreign policy chief . The IAEA has confirmed a trip to Iran by Director General Mohamed ElBaradei would take place soon , but no specific date has been announced . A senior U.S. official speaking on background told reporters that ElBaradei 's trip to Tehran could come as early as this weekend . In an exclusive interview with CNN 's Christiane Amanpour on Thursday , Iran 's chief nuclear negotiator , Saeed Jalili , said `` transparency is not something new '' for the Islamic republic 's nuclear program . `` Iran has committed itself to follow all the obligations and the like , '' Jalili said , speaking through a translator provided by the Iranian delegation in Geneva . `` What I want to emphasize is that our cooperation with the agency and the way we look specifically regarding to nuclear energy is that we believe that nuclear warheads are illegitimate and no country should have these kind of weapons . '' He said nuclear energy for peaceful purposes `` is the right of every sovereign state and country . '' Watch more from the Jalili interview '' There were a number of developments at a meeting Thursday in Geneva between Iran and world powers over Iran 's nuclear program ; Solana said the meeting `` represented the start of what we hope will be an intensive process . '' `` I and all the representatives of the six countries were united in underlining the importance of fully transparency and of rebuilding confidence through practical steps . In the course of the day , we had both plenary meetings and bilateral discussions allowing for detailed exchanges on all issues , '' Solana said . The meeting occurred on the heels of the recent revelation that Iran was building a second uranium enrichment facility near the city of Qom , a dramatic development that jacked up tension between Iran and international powers . International powers have threatened more sanctions if the Islamic republic does n't change its ways . At a news conference Thursday after the talks , Solana said International Atomic Energy Agency experts are expected to visit the facility near Qom `` within the next couple of weeks . '' IAEA spokesman Gill Tudor said Director General Mohamed ElBaradei `` has been invited to Tehran by Iranian authorities . He will travel there soon to discuss a number of matters . '' Solana confirmed that world powers and Iran will hold another round of talks before the end of the month , but it is not known where or exactly when . `` An agenda for that meeting will be worked out through diplomatic channels . It will focus on nuclear issues , including proposals previously put forward by both sides . It will also deal with global issues that any of the parties wish to address , '' Solana said . Solana also said the world powers and Iran agreed in principle `` that low-enriched uranium produced in Iran would be transported to third countries for further enrichment and fabrication into fuel assemblies for the Tehran research reactor , which produces isotopes for medical applications . '' Details will be worked out at the next meeting , Solana said . The senior U.S. official told reporters that the enrichment would happen in Russia . `` The potential advantage of this , if it 's implemented , is that it would significantly reduce Iran 's -LSB- low-enriched uranium -RSB- stockpile which itself is a source of anxiety in the Middle East and elsewhere , '' the senior U.S. official told reporters in a briefing Thursday . Jalili , Iran 's chief nuclear negotiator , noted at a news conference Thursday that the parties hope to reach a framework for future talks . The Geneva talks also featured a proposal for Iran to send its enriched uranium to a third country for final processing to ensure that it would be used for medical purposes , rather than a nuclear weapons program . Of the third-party enrichment proposal , Obama said it might be `` a step towards building confidence that Iran 's -LSB- nuclear -RSB- program is , in fact , peaceful . '' The president said Thursday in Washington that he expected to see `` swift action '' by Iran on the steps outlined in the Geneva talks . Watch Obama demand transparency '' `` This is a constructive beginning , but hard work lies ahead , '' Obama said , noting that an `` intensive period '' of negotiations with Iran will be occurring . `` Talk is no substitute for action , '' Obama said in urging Iran to take the necessary steps to meet its obligations under international non-proliferation agreements . `` This is about the global non-proliferation regime and Iran 's right to peaceful nuclear energy , '' Obama said . Iran participated in the talks along with the EU , Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council : the United States , Britain , France , Russia and China . Top officials from the United States and Iran huddled on the margins of the Geneva talks on Iran 's nuclear program . Jalili met with William J. Burns , the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs who was leading the U.S. delegation , a senior U.S. official and a diplomatic source confirmed . The men discussed the nuclear program , a sit-down described as the first face-to-face meeting over the Iran 's nuclear program . The diplomatic source , who characterized the meeting as `` serious and frank , '' said world powers are pushing for a date for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to examine the nuclear facility in Qom . See a map of Iran 's nuclear sites '' They also discussed human rights issues , including detained Americans in Iran . Among those held in Iranian custody are three hikers who strayed from Iraqi territory into Iran . The sources would talk only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions with Iran . `` They certainly are historical talks , '' said David Albright , president of the Institute for Science and International Security and a former weapons inspector . `` For the United States and Iran to sit down finally and start to talk about the significant differences between the two countries is extremely important , and I think it 's long overdue . '' Watch commentators on concerns over Iran 's nuclear program '' The existence of the second uranium enrichment facility prompted Obama and the leaders of Britain and France to publicly chide the Islamic republic last week at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh and threaten further sanctions . Iran claims that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes , but many in the international community have accused the country of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability . CNN 's Andrew Carey , Matthew Chance , Christiane Amanpour and Elise Labott contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A top Zetas drug cartel leader -- who allegedly ordered the attack and arson at a casino that killed 52 -- has been captured , Mexican defense officials said Thursday . Carlos Oliva Castillo , alias `` La rana , '' or frog , was arrested Wednesday at a safehouse without a single shot being fired , the country 's Ministry of Defense said . Possibly the No. 3 man in the criminal organization , Oliva Castillo allegedly oversaw criminal operations for the cartel in three Mexican states . He was captured in Saltillo , Mexico . Though he was arrested without incident , the cartel tried to distract troops by attacking security forces in different parts of the city , the defense ministry said . The Zetas ' rescue ploy failed . According to officials , Oliva Castillo was `` the principal manager '' of the ruthless Zetas in the states of Coahuila , Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas . He was also described as a confidant of Zetas boss Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano . Oliva Castilo began working for the Zetas in 2005 in Tamaulipas , the defense ministry said , and rose through the ranks quickly . By 2009 he was in charge of the cartel 's finances in Nuevo Leon , before taking charge of all operations in that state , the ministry said . This year he assumed a wider role , the ministry said . The three northeastern states that Oliva Castillo allegedly oversaw are some of the Zetas ' strongest-held territory . Authorities say that much of the violence registered in these states is the result of the Zetas fighting rival groups such as the Gulf cartel and Sinaloa cartel , for access to lucrative smuggling routes . But the Zetas -- especially in their strongholds -- have branched out from drug trafficking and into extortion of businesses , kidnappings , and human smuggling . The deadly attack that Oliva Castillo is accused of ordering is the casino arson in the city of Monterrey where 52 people died . Officials allege that the attack happened because the casino owners did not comply with payments to the cartel . Last year , the bodies of 72 migrants from Central and South America were discovered at a ranch in San Fernando , located in Tamaulipas state . The Zetas have been blamed for the mass graves and for the deaths of the migrants .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Myanmar 's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is `` ready to cooperate '' with the government and is committed to pursuing a dialogue with the ruling junta , according to a statement the United Nations ' special envoy to Myanmar read Thursday on her behalf . Activists display a portrait of detained democracy leader , Aung San Suu Kyi , in Myanmar . `` It is my duty to give constant and serious considerations to the interests and opinions of as broad a range of political organizations and forces as possible , '' Ibrahim Gambari said , reading the statement from Suu Kyi . On Friday Suu Kyi was able to meet with three executive members of her National League for Democracy and a party spokesman -- the first time they have met in more than three years . Members of her party said Suu Kyi was `` very optimistic '' about prospects of the process for reconciliation , the Associated Press reported . The Nobel Peace Prize winner has said she will continue to be `` guided by the policies and wishes '' of the opposition political party she heads -- the National League for Democracy . In the statement , Suu Kyi also welcomed the appointment of Aung Kyi as the minister of relations , a position the junta created last month to be a liaison between government and Suu Kyi , whom the junta has under house arrest in Yangon . She has been confined to her home for the better part of almost two decades . Aung Kyi -- viewed as a moderate -- was appointed as the liaison officer amid international pressure following September 's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations . As many as 110 people are believed to have been killed in the violence , including 40 Buddhist monks . Video smuggled out of the country showed unarmed protesters being beaten by the military regime 's security forces , and one man -- believed to be a Japanese journalist -- was shot and killed at close range . The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government , and quickly escalated . Myanmar 's military junta said in mid-October that it had detained more than 2,900 people during the crackdown . Many of them are still believed to be in custody . Suu Kyi described her October 25 meeting with the liaison officer as `` constructive , '' said the statement read by Gambari . `` I look forward to further regular discussions . '' Gambari said he will return this week to New York to brief U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the five-day trip to Myanmar , also called Burma . The situation in the secretive Asian nation is not what it was `` a few weeks ago , '' said a U.N. statement released in conjunction with the end of Gambari 's trip . `` We now have a process going which would lead to substantive dialogue between the government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi , '' the statement said . `` The sooner such a dialogue can start , the better for Myanmar . '' During his trip , Gambari met with Myanmar 's prime minister , Gen. Thein Sein , and other government officials , as well as Suu Kyi , the United Nations reported . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hashim Amla compiled his first double century after Jacques Kallis again fell short of the landmark as South Africa continued to punish India 's bowlers on day two of the first cricket Test in Nagpur . Amla was unbeaten on 253 when the tourists declared on 558-6 in the final session on Sunday , then India safely reached stumps at 25-0 in a clash between the top two teams in the five-day format . It is the highest score made by a South African No. 3 batsman , and the highest by any from his country against India . Amla extended his third-wicket partnership with Kallis to a South African record of 340 before his senior partner fell for 173 , having added just 14 to his overnight tally in a subdued second part of his innings . It was the first time any pair have put on a triple century in any matches between the two nations . Kallis edged a delivery from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh onto his pads , and Murali Vijay took the catch at short leg to end a 351-ball knock that put the all-rounder into third equal on the all-time Test century-scoring list with 34 . Amla then added another 108 with A.B. De Villiers , who made a brisk 53 off 88 deliveries , and rode his luck as he was dropped twice on 149 , as they broke South Africa 's record for the fourth wicket in matches between the two teams . De Villiers fell to part-time bowler Virender Sehwag and then Harbhajan removed J.P. Duminy for just nine to have the Proteas 476-5 , but then Mark Boucher contributed 39 to a stand of 78 with Amla before becoming Zaheer Khan 's third victim , and captain Graeme Smith called the innings to a close with 40 minutes left in the day . India openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag survived four overs from pace bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel with some positive batting , and will start Monday 's play on 12 and nine respectively as they seek to make inroads into a massive first-innings deficit . They will do well to take the lead of Amla , who was steady throughout his 473-ball innings , hitting 22 boundaries and scoring 55 , 45 and 38 in Saturday 's three sessions . While India relied heavily on Harbhajan and Amit Mishra , who on a helpful pitch bowled only six maidens between them in 99 overs for combined figures 2-306 , Smith has only one specialist spinner in Paul Harris plus all-rounder Duminy , with the medium pace of Kallis backing up Steyn , Morkel and rookie fast bowler Wayne Parnell . Meanwhile , Australia crushed the West Indies by 113 runs in the opening match of their one-day series in Melbourne on Sunday . Batting first , the hosts reached 256-8 in their 50 overs as opener Shane Watson top-scored with 56 in his 100th match , while captain Ricky Ponting made 49 . All-rounder Kieron Pollard took 3-45 for the Windies , while seamer Ravi Rampaul claimed 2-43 . The tourists then slumped to 143 all out in just 34.2 overs as opening bowler Ryan Harris and spinner Nathan Hauritz claimed three wickets each . Doug Bollinger also snared two early victims , including the key scalp of big-hitting captain Chris Gayle , as the West Indies were left reeling on 12-3 . Pollard , signed for $ 750,000 in the Indian Premier League auctions last month , top-scored with 31 from 35 deliveries .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The venerable Smithsonian Institution , often dubbed `` America 's Attic , '' said no Tuesday to adding a piece of 1990s history to its collections . A day earlier , a California judge approved an agreement to donate the brownish-green suit O.J. Simpson wore the day in 1995 that he was acquitted of murder -- if museum officials wanted it . But they did n't . `` The curators feel that it does n't fit with the collections here at the National Museum of American History , '' Valeska Hilbig , spokeswoman for the museum , told CNN Radio Tuesday . The museum houses iconic memorabilia , such as a pair of Judy Garland 's ruby slippers from `` The Wizard of Oz , '' the hat Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated and a piece of a lunch counter from a Woolworth 's in Greensboro , North Carolina , that was the site of a civil rights sit-in . The museum on the National Mall in Washington is also home of the original `` Star Spangled Banner , '' which inspired poet Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics to what would become the national anthem . The agreement to donate the suit ended a years-long battled between Fred Goldman , the father of the man the ex-National Football League star was accused of killing , and Simpson 's former sports agent , Mike Gilbert , who has possession of the suit . But no one checked with the Smithsonian before making the announcement . Hilbig said there was no official offer to donate the suit and that officials learned of the potential deal on the Internet . With the Smithsonian 's rejection , the parties will look for another museum to take the suit , per the Los Angeles County Superior Court order on Monday . `` I suggested to go back to USC -LRB- the University of Southern California , where Simpson starred in college football -RRB- , even though they 've distanced themselves , or maybe the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum , '' said Simpson 's attorney , Ronald Slates , who said he was disappointed in the Smithsonian 's decision . `` We had worked six hours on Monday to reach the settlement , and to find the finest museum in America turning down what is truly a piece of highly controversial litigation in the United States -- it was very disappointing , '' he said . `` Of all the museums in the United States , this would be the one most open because it is our national museum , '' he said . `` It deals with the ups and downs of America . You do n't see the Smithsonian walking away from days of the Depression -- which were certainly horrible days in our history -- because it was so horrible . So , I thought this would be the museum to house this , even as controversial as it is . '' Simpson stood trial on charges of stabbing to death his ex-wife , Nicole Brown Simpson , and Fred Goldman 's son , Ronald , outside her luxury townhouse in Brentwood on June 12 , 1994 . The trial lasted more than nine months and ended on October 3 , 1995 , with a jury finding Simpson not guilty . Later , the families of Brown and Goldman took Simpson to civil court to seek damages for wrongful death . That jury found Simpson liable for the deaths and awarded $ 8.5 million in compensatory damages to the Goldman family and to Ron Goldman 's biological mother . Since then , Fred Goldman has been trying to collect the money . Simpson has consistently said he did not kill the two and should not have to pay . In 2008 , Gilbert appeared on the `` Dr. Phil '' television show , claiming he had the suit and pants Simpson wore on the day of the acquittal . He also said the `` acquittal suit '' -- as it came to be known -- was worth $ 50,000 . Monday 's decision , said Goldman , `` takes any option out of the killer 's hands or Gilbert 's hands to sell it and make money on it . '' Meanwhile , Simpson , 62 , is serving a nine-year sentence in Nevada after his conviction on robbery and kidnapping charges in an unrelated case . The case involved a botched attempt in September 2007 by Simpson to retrieve items that he said had been stolen from him by memorabilia dealers . CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama will take a break from campaigning Thursday so he can visit his ailing grandmother in Hawaii , an Obama spokesman said Monday . Sen. Barack Obama will take a break from campaigning so he can visit his ailing grandmother . `` Sen. Obama 's grandmother Madelyn Dunham has always been one of the most important people in his life , '' spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters . `` In the last few weeks , her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious . It is for that reason that Sen. Obama has decided to change his schedule on Thursday and Friday so that he can see her and spend some time with her , '' Gibbs said . The interruption will cause Obama to cancel Thursday events in Madison , Wisconsin and Des Moines , Iowa . He will do an event in Indianapolis , Indiana , Thursday morning before leaving and will return to the campaign Saturday , Gibbs said . Michelle Obama will fill in for her husband on Friday at previously scheduled events in Columbus and Akron , Ohio , his campaign said . Obama speaks about his grandmother often on the stump , describing her as an integral figure in his youth who struggled against the glass ceiling in to make a better life for him . `` She 's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life , '' he said in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August . `` She poured everything she had into me . And although she can no longer travel , I know that she 's watching tonight , and that tonight is her night as well . '' He and his family traveled to Hawaii in August to visit her . The Obama team made the announcement after a busy day of trading attacks with Sen. John McCain on the Democratic presidential hopeful 's readiness for office . Monday also marked the first time that Obama appeared with Sen. Hillary Clinton during the general election season . Clinton went to Florida , a state she won in the primary but whose delegates she could not claim , to urge her supporters to turn out for Obama on Election Day . Clinton called Orlando and central Florida `` the battleground of the battleground '' and practically begged the crowd to vote early . `` We are 15 days from the finish line and we can not falter , we can not stop , we can not take a single vote for granted , '' Clinton said Monday . `` I am asking you to work as hard for Barack as you worked for me . If you made phone calls for me , make them for Barack . If you walked streets for me , make them for Barack . If you talked to your friends and neighbors for me , do it again for Barack . We can not risk four more years of the same failed Republican policies . '' Earlier in the day , McCain told a crowd in Belton , Missouri , that the next president `` wo n't have time to get used to the office . '' He was addressing comments made Sunday by Obama 's running mate , Sen. Joe Biden , in which he said Obama would be tested within the first six months of his presidency . `` We do n't want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars , '' McCain said . `` What is more troubling is that Sen. Biden told their campaign donors that when that crisis hits , they would have to stand with them because it would n't be apparent Sen. Obama would have the right response . The Obama-Biden campaign released a pre-emptive response after reading McCain 's scheduled remarks . `` With our nation facing two wars and 21st century threats abroad , Sen. Biden referenced the simple fact that history shows presidents face challenges from day one , '' Obama spokesman David Wade said . `` After eight years of a failed foreign policy , we need Barack Obama 's good judgment and steady leadership , not the erratic and ideological Bush-McCain approach that has set back our security and standing in the world . '' Earlier Monday , Obama denounced the `` say-anything , do-anything politics '' of McCain 's camp , but said `` careless , outrageous comments '' wo n't distract him from addressing the nation 's ills . Obama added that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , McCain 's running mate , rejected some of the tactics when she spoke out against a flood of automated phone calls tying Obama to former radical William Ayers . The calls were reported in several battleground states . `` It 's getting so bad that even Sen. McCain 's running mate denounced his tactics last night , '' Obama said at a campaign event in Tampa , Florida . `` As you know , you really have to work hard to violate Gov. Palin 's standards on negative campaigning . '' Sunday night , Palin told reporters traveling with her that if she had her way , the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee would not be flooding battleground states with the automated phone calls , which she said the Obama campaign was using too . Over the next 15 days , Obama said Monday , he will continue his quest for the Oval Office while disregarding the divisive politics that he said McCain is endorsing `` to keep us from working together . '' The McCain campaign , meanwhile , continued its weekend assault on Obama 's tax plan , which it called an attempt to `` spread the wealth . '' iReport.com : Send your questions for Sen. John McCain Speaking at a campaign event in St. Charles , Missouri , a chorus of boos rang out as the Arizona senator described his take on the plan . `` He believes in redistributing wealth -- not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans . Sen. Obama is more interested in controlling who gets your piece of the pie than in growing the pie . '' In Colorado Springs , Colorado , Palin also continued her line of attack from the weekend , but softened her tone in that she did n't call Obama 's plan socialism . Watch Palin say Obama sounds like a socialist '' Over the weekend , Palin and Sen. Mel Martinez , a Cuban-American GOP senator from Florida , called Obama 's plan socialism . Martinez compared the plan to the tax structure in communist Cuba . McCain has taken a softer tone . On Sunday , he dodged a question from Fox News ' Chris Wallace about whether Obama was a socialist , but said his rival 's tax plan was an effort `` to spread the wealth . '' `` That 's one of the tenets of socialism , '' McCain said . Watch Obama defend his plan '' Obama 's tax plan calls for tax relief for 95 percent of workers and their families . Though nonpartisan tax policy organizations agree that 40 percent of Americans do n't pay income tax , many of those are lower-income earners who file payroll taxes through their employers . See the fact check After receiving an endorsement from Colin Powell , a former Republican secretary of state and retired Army general , Obama asked if Powell and billionaire Warren Buffett -- No. 2 on Forbes magazine 's 2008 list of richest Americans -- would have extended their backing if he was a socialist . Watch Obama explain Powell 's influence '' Obama said he simply wants to give the middle class a tax cut . Powell came to Obama 's defense after endorsing the senator from Illinois . Powell said he had grown tired of McCain 's negative campaigning and that the American people would prefer to focus on issues like education , infrastructure and the economy . He specifically slammed Palin 's allegation that Obama 's tax plan is socialist , calling it misleading . iReport.com : What do you think about Powell 's endorsement ? `` For us to say that makes you a socialist , I think , is an unfortunate characterization that is n't accurate . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two international journalists , along with their Somali colleague and a driver , were kidnapped Saturday , a journalists ' organization in Somalia said . A young fighter mans a gun on the beach of Kismayo . The photographer asked not be identified . Amanda Lindhout , a Canadian journalist , and Nigel Brenan , an Australian photojournalist , had been in the country just three days when militia men snatched them outside the capital city of Mogadishu , the National Union of Somali Journalists said Sunday . The kidnappers also took Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi , a Somalian photojournalist who was acting as the pair 's translator , and their driver , the journalists ' union said . The four were on their way back after conducting interviews at a refugee camp . Officials do not know if the journalists are being held for ransom and who is behind the abductions . `` No formal claim of responsibility was made , '' the journalists ' group said . `` As well , there have been no demands . '' Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991 , when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting . Somalia 's current transitional government is trying to maintain control of the capital , with the help of Ethiopian forces . On Friday , fighters from the Islamic group Al Shabab took control of the southern port town of Kismayo after three days of clashes . The fighting left at least 89 people dead , 207 wounded and displaced some 5,500 people , triggering a humanitarian crisis . Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to install the transitional government in Mogadishu after a decade and a half of near-anarchy . The invasion had the blessing of the United States , which accused Islamists of harboring fugitives from the al Qaeda terrorist movement . But the Ethiopian troops quickly became embroiled in an insurgency led by the Islamists . And as guerrilla attacks mounted , efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered . The conflict displaced hundreds of thousands of Somalis , further worsening a humanitarian crisis that dates back to the collapse of the country 's last government in 1991 . The situation has been exacerbated by drought , continual armed conflicts in central and southern Somalia , and high inflation on food and fuel prices .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President-elect Barack Obama 's transition team announced several key appointments to his communications team Saturday . Robert Gibbs will have one of the most highly visible roles in the Obama administration . Robert Gibbs , an Obama campaign spokesman who also has acted as spokesman for the transition , will become Obama 's press secretary , one of the most highly visible roles in the administration . Gibbs , an Auburn , Alabama , native who has worked for Sen. Fritz Hollings , the Democratic Senatorial Committee and Sen. John Kerry 's presidential campaign , was communications director and then a senior strategist for the Obama campaign . Ellen Moran , executive director of EMILY 's List , will serve as Obama 's communications director . Moran worked for the AFL-CIO , coordinating `` Wal-Mart corporate accountability activities , '' before returning to EMILY 's , an organization dedicated to helping Democratic women get elected to office . It had endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for president . See who 's on Obama 's short list for cabinet posts '' Dan Pfeiffer , current communications director with the transition team , will be Obama 's deputy communications director . He began work with the Obama campaign in January 2007 as traveling press secretary before returning to Chicago , Illinois , to work as communications director . Unlike Gibbs and Pfeiffer , Moran is not already on Obama 's communications team . `` These individuals will fill essential roles , and bring a breadth and depth of experience that can help our administration advance prosperity and security for the American people , '' Obama said in a written statement . `` This dedicated and impressive group of public servants includes longtime advisors and a talented new addition to our team , and together we will work to serve our country and meet the challenges of this defining moment in history . '' On Friday , sources indicated that some of Obama 's Cabinet posts were close to being filled . Two sources close to the transition team said New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner is `` on track '' to be offered the Treasury secretary post . Watch CNN 's Anderson Cooper discuss Obama 's choices '' Transition officials told The Associated Press on Saturday that Obama planned to announce Geithner 's appointment on Monday , along with that of Lawrence Summers as director of the National Economic Council . Summers is a former president of Harvard University and served as treasury secretary under Bill Clinton . Two sources said Friday that Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is a serious contender for commerce secretary but that he could be chosen for another senior post . Geithner has played a large role in the government 's efforts to wrangle the credit crisis , which has damaged markets and economies worldwide . Although a number of those efforts have been controversial , Geithner remains a well-regarded figure from Wall Street to Washington . Geithner began working with the Treasury Department in 1988 in the International Affairs division . In 1999 , he became under-secretary of the Treasury for international affairs . Geithner would be charged with restoring stability to the financial markets , the banking system and the housing sector through oversight of the controversial $ 700 billion financial rescue package , of which about half is still available for use at the discretion of the Treasury secretary . Watch CNN 's John King discuss the posts with panelists '' The Dow Jones industrial index staged a late rally Friday after traders heard news of Geithner 's possible appointment , rising by almost 500 points shortly before the market 's closing time . The two sources close to the transition team said they do not consider Richardson 's appointment to the Commerce Department to be a done deal . Richardson , 61 , was a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination . Currently in his second term as New Mexico 's governor , he served as ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration . Richardson is also considered to be a possibility for the secretary of state post . Also Friday , Sen. Hillary Clinton 's camp shot down reports that she had agreed to accept the secretary of state position . `` We 're still in discussions , which are very much on track , '' said Philippe Reines , Clinton 's senior adviser . `` Any reports beyond that are premature . '' The New York Times reported that Clinton would give up her Senate seat and accept the Cabinet post , citing two confidants , who said the decision was made after further consultation with Obama about the nature of her role and his foreign policy plans . A senior Obama aide told CNN there has been no development on a possible Clinton appointment since they informed CNN Thursday that she is `` on track '' to be nominated for secretary of state . Obama 's transition team also appears close to choosing a national security adviser to the White House . Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones has emerged as the president-elect 's leading choice for the position , two sources close to the Obama transition team say . The sources said Jones has been given the impression by Obama that the job is his if he wants it . But the officials said that private discussions are under way and that no final decision has been made . The discussions are focused on precisely how much power Jones will have in the staff job , since he is used to being in a command role . Among his many posts , Jones served for several years as the operational commander for NATO .","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe 's opposition leader called the cholera outbreak in his country a `` man-made crisis , '' as new figures released Thursday showed the death toll had soared to more than 2,700 . Morgan Tsvangirai tours a cholera ward at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare Thursday . Some 2,755 have died and 48,623 people are suspected to have been infected with cholera since last year , the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- said . Opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai , speaking to reporters , pointed a finger at the Mugabe government . `` Cholera in Zimbabwe is a man-made crisis . The problem we have here is coupled with -LRB- the -RRB- fact of negligence on the part of government to provide the necessary facilities . It shows the collapse of the health delivery system , '' said Tsvangirai . The Movement for Democratic Change leader 's comments came after he toured some of the worst affected areas in the country 's capital , Harare . Zimbabwe 's cholera epidemic , which started in August , has been aggravated by erratic water supplies , shortages of water purification chemicals , broken water and sewer pipes and uncollected garbage . Cholera is an intestinal disease cause by bacteria in contaminated water . The epidemic was followed a month later by a strike by doctors and nurses demanding a review of their salaries . They are demanding that archaic hospital equipment be replaced and that medicines be available in hospitals . The health emergency comes at a time when Zimbabwe is mired in the worst economic crisis it has faced since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1980 . Last week , the United Nations ' Children 's Fund -LRB- UNICEF -RRB- gave $ 5 million to Zimbabwe 's ailing health sector to help end the industrial action by health personnel . As Tsvangirai was visiting the cholera affected areas , some residents could be seen getting water from the wells and rivers . Most suburbs in Harare have had no water for close to two weeks , forcing residents to depend on shallow pits and rivers for drinking water . The Zimbabwe National Water Authority was quoted by the state-owned media Saturday attributing the dryness to a water pump which had broken-down . The areas particularly affected include the townships of Glen Norah , Glen View and Budiriro . `` I am here with my kids for the last two days , '' said Ennie Musararei , a mother of three at Budiriro clinic . `` It -LRB- cholera -RRB- just started after we drank water from a well . We thought it was safe to drink since it was covered by a metal sheet . '' President Robert Mugabe 's government have now declared cholera a national emergency , so that international organizations such as UNICEF , Doctors Without Borders and Red Cross can gain access . But death toll has continued to increase daily . `` This week alone has witnessed a sudden increase of patients , '' said a nurse at Budiriro clinic . `` I think it is mainly because of the rains and dryness of the suburbs over the past week or so . '' Earlier this month , Zimbabwe 's health minister , David Parirenyatwa , said the death toll was likely to increase as the country is in its rainy season . The meteorological office in Zimbabwe has predicted floods in some parts of the country .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Sure , you know these five creatures as stinging , biting merchants of death . But is n't it time we put aside our differences and embraced the positive ? A creepy crawler from this guy 's family could save your brain from cancer some day . 1 . Poison dart frogs : The heart-healthy choice It could kill you : You know an animal is bad news when its sweat was once considered a state-of-the-art military technology . Meet the poison dart frog , which secretes a highly dangerous neurotoxin , called batrachotoxin , through its pores . In fact , various Latin American tribes used to collect the stuff -LRB- carefully -RRB- to poison the tips of their arrows for hunting and warfare . Interestingly , however , the frogs do n't produce their own toxin . They get it from eating insects that most likely pick up the poison from the plants they consume . The same frogs , if raised in a laboratory rather than the rain forest , are n't poisonous at all . But it just might cure you : Before batrachotoxin stops your heart , it speeds it up . Consequently , medical experts believe it might be possible to tweak elements of the frog 's toxin to bring patients out of cardiac arrest and potentially save lives . And because it also deadens nerve endings , batrachotoxin has potential as an ingredient in anesthetics . Watch how gator blood may be become super drug '' Studies into other uses of the toxin are still in the early stages , but the frog 's medical benefits bolster the argument for preserving the rainforest . Most scientists believe we 've only just begun to grasp the pharmaceutical possibilities of some of the world 's rarest and deadliest creatures . 2 . Scorpions : Leading the battle against brain cancer It could kill you : For the most part , scorpions use their toxins to capture prey , ward off competitors during mating season , and defend themselves against larger predators . Unfortunately , humans count as larger predators . A sting by some species can leave you with any number of potentially deadly conditions , including heart and lung failure . But it just might cure you : Medical researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham -LRB- UAB -RRB- have discovered a new use for scorpion venom -- cancer medication . Each year , some 9,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant glioma , a form of brain cancer that kills about half its victims within a year of diagnosis . Glioma cells work a lot like cockroach muscle cells . And while that fact is pretty disgusting , it also got UAB researchers thinking about the giant Israeli scorpion , whose venom is harmless to humans but deadly to its cockroach prey . Doctors found that when they injected a drug derived from the venom of giant Israeli scorpions into cancer-infected human brains , the poison destroyed the glioma cells and left surrounding , healthy cells alone . The treatment is still in the early stages of development , but researchers remain optimistic . 3 . Cone shell snails : Little creatures tackling big pain It could kill you : Thanks to their unique colors and intricate patterns , cone shells look like they 'd make great beach souvenirs . But watch your fingers ; they 're actually home to one of the world 's deadliest creatures . Cone shell snails come equipped with an extendable `` arm '' -- complete with a sharp , venomous tooth -- that they use to immobilize and kill prey . And while the venom certainly helps the slow-moving hunters from going hungry , it can also paralyze , or even kill , victims . The good news : Death by cone shell is completely painless . But it just might cure you : Cone shell venom , called conotoxin , has incredible potential as a painkiller , with one added bonus : Unlike many current anesthetics , conotoxin is n't addictive . In 2005 , Ireland-based Elan Pharmaceuticals became the first company to market a drug made from the venom . Called Prialt , the drug is pumped into the fluid around a patient 's spine to relieve chronic pain and is believed to be up to 1,000 times more powerful than morphine . Meanwhile , at the University of Melbourne , a research team headed by Professor Bruce Livett is currently developing another conotoxin-based painkiller called ACV1 , which was first tested on humans in the summer of 2005 . Unlike Prialt , however , ACV1 does n't affect a patient 's blood pressure and can be injected under the skin , making it a lot less intimidating . Plus , ACV1 is believed to be as much as 10,000 times stronger than morphine . 4 . Vipers : Lowering your blood pressure since 1981 It could kill you : Most vipers are scary enough as is , but jararaca vipers are venomous to boot . But what 's truly fascinating is the unique way their venom works . Unlike a traditional toxin , viper venom functions by preventing the blood from clotting , meaning the snakes actually kill their victims by causing them to bleed to death . But it just might cure you : Lucky for us , slow-clotting blood is n't always a bad thing . Researchers have found that small doses of viper venom can prevent arteries from hardening , thus stopping the kinds of blood clots that commonly occur in cardiac patients . In fact , jararaca viper venom -LRB- or at least a synthesized version of it -RRB- is a key ingredient in most of today 's ACE inhibitors . Introduced in 1981 , ACE inhibitors work by slowing down the body 's angiotensin converting enzyme -LRB- ACE -RRB- . When left untreated , the enzyme can produce a peptide that causes muscle constriction around blood vessels . That kind of constriction can set off a chain reaction whereby a person 's blood vessels narrow and his or her blood pressure shoots through the roof , leading to greater risk of heart attack and other ailments . Because the ACE inhibitors can stop this domino effect , they 're frequently used to treat millions of men and women with high blood pressure . 5 . Gila monsters : Attacking type 2 diabetes It could kill you : One of only two species of venomous lizards , the Gila monster is native to southwestern United States and northern Mexico . Unlike other deadly critters , Gila monsters do n't inject venom directly into their victims . Instead , poison oozes from the lizard 's teeth into the open wounds of its prey , usually while the Gila monster is chewing . Because of this , human fatalities from Gila monster bites are rare , but a bite can cause intense pain , nausea , swelling , fatigue , dizziness , and chills -- none of which is particularly fun . But it just might cure you : In addition to causing all those nasty side effects , Gila monster venom stimulates insulin production and slows down glucose production , which is great news for diabetics . Byetta , a drug manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Company to treat Type 2 diabetes , uses a manufactured form of Gila monster venom as its main ingredient . Approved by the FDA in April of 2005 , Byetta is injected before meals to help their bodies produce the right amount of insulin at the right time -- the best part being that it does n't cause the mood swings often associated with traditional insulin regimens . E-mail to a friend For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three Americans rescued last week from captivity in the Colombian jungle left a medical center for their homes Saturday , hoping for some time out of the spotlight as they reconnect with loved ones . Left to right , Thomas Howes , Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves address reporters before flying home Saturday . Keith Stansell , Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- hostages of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for more than five years -- left the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio , Texas . `` There 's family members that are waiting for us , and just imagine if you had n't seen your family in 5 1\/2 years , '' Stansell said , asking the media to allow the former captives some space . `` Let us go home and be family men again . '' `` We 're going to come out and we 're going to talk , but right now , what we want to do is rest , '' Gonsalves said . All three were headed home to Florida , and Stansell and Howes flashed their new Florida driver 's licenses before they boarded a plane . The three men had been undergoing a reintegration process at the medical center . FARC had held the three U.S. government contractors since February 2003 after their plane went down in a remote region of the South American country . They and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt were among 15 hostages rescued on July 2 in a Colombian military operation . The three Americans arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center later that day . The three Americans urged the media not to forget the hundreds of other hostages still held by FARC . `` Do n't forget the people that are still there , '' Stansell said . `` There are fellow hostages that are still there . Some have 10 years -LSB- as a hostage -RSB- , '' he said . `` Right this minute , they 're in chains , looking for food , and they 're on the run . And their families have n't seen them in 10 years . '' It is estimated that FARC holds some 750 hostages . The leftist rebel group took up arms in 1964 and grew from a rag-tag band of 48 fighters to a self-styled `` people 's army '' of more than 21,000 combatants in 2001 , according to Colombian government figures . The government now estimates the FARC fighting force has dwindled to around 8,000 after a wave of desertions . On Saturday , the rescued Americans talked of looking forward to spending time with their relatives . `` We 're going to go home now . We 're going to rest , we 're going to unwind for about a month and a half , '' Gonsalves said .","question":""}
{"answer":"PORT ST. LUCIE , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Fay , stalled near Cape Canaveral , Florida , soaked portions of east-central Florida late Wednesday , and the National Hurricane Center said it could dump 30 inches of rain in some areas of the state . Streets are flooded Wednesday in Port St. Lucie , Florida , in a photo from iReporter Bethany Schulstrom . As of 11 p.m. ET , the storm was just off the coast of central Florida about 35 miles southeast of Daytona Beach , the National Hurricane Center said . The storm was moving slowly but could make landfall again in northern Florida Thursday , the hurricane center said . It would be the fourth time the storm makes landfall . Fay has come ashore in Florida twice after making landfall in Cuba . NASA reported receiving 21 inches of rain from the storm Wednesday , said Craig Fugate , Florida 's emergency management director . Forecasters said they received an unofficial report of 22 inches northwest of Melbourne , Florida . Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has asked President Bush to declare an emergency in the state to free up federal funding . The storm `` is producing historic flooding across a large portion of Brevard County , '' Crist wrote in a letter to Bush . `` Fay has and will continue to produce copious amounts of rain over a large portion of northeast Florida as the storm turns westward on August 21 . `` Fay remains a significant threat , '' Crist continued , noting that tornadoes have touched down in seven counties . The governor pre-emptively declared a state of emergency last week . As of 11 p.m. ET , Fay the storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph -LRB- 95 km\/h -RRB- , and it was expected to move slowly toward the northwest overnight , according to a hurricane center advisory . `` This general motion is expected tonight with a gradual turn to the northwest and west-northwest on Thursday , '' the National Hurricane Center said . `` On this track , Fay is forecast to move very slowly across northern Florida on Thursday . '' Fay could make its fourth landfall Thursday along the Florida coast , possibly in the Jacksonville-Daytona Beach area , forecasters said . `` The storm continues to be a threat to this community , '' Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton said . `` Looks like the worst is still ahead . '' Peyton said Jacksonville had set up shelters should people need them . Storm tides of 1 to 3 feet above normal are possible along the Florida 's east coast , to the north of the center of Fay , the hurricane center said , adding that isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of northeastern Florida and southeast Georgia . The storm forced NASA to close for a second day because of `` potential wind threat , '' NASA said on its Web site . The agency was to announce Wednesday night whether it would also be shut Thursday . The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday afternoon that it was moving several ships and aircraft in anticipation of Fay 's arrival in northeast Florida . Naval Air Station Jacksonville has evacuated 24 P-3 Orion aircraft to bases in Maine and Ohio . On the southeast coast of Florida , Fay flooded hundreds of homes in St. Lucie County , authorities said . Rescuers were using airboats and other means Wednesday to pick up stranded residents . Earlier in the day , the county 's Public Safety Department said that as many as 8,000 homes might be affected in two low-lying areas but later scaled the number back . Crist announced the first known storm-related death . A 54-year-old man died from carbon monoxide fumes as he tested two gasoline-powered generators in his home in Highlands County , northwest of Lake Okeechobee in eastern Florida , Crist said , quoting the county 's medical examiner . Crist said he was n't sure when the man died , but the medical examiner received the body Monday . The severe flooding in St. Lucie County took authorities by surprise . Meg Defore said that the first floor of her home was 14 feet above ground but that water had reached the top of her doors . She left in a small boat . Near the north fork of the St. Lucie River , water gushed down streets and lapped at the doors of parked cars . iReporter Bethany Schulstrom , 16 , said water was up to people 's knees in the streets of Port St. Lucie . `` They sent a warning to everyone not to leave -LSB- their homes -RSB- because the snakes are coming out of their holes and there 's fish everywhere , '' she said . A tropical storm warning , meaning that tropical conditions and winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected within a day , was in effect from Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County north to Altamaha Sound in Georgia . A tropical storm watch , meaning that those conditions are expected within 36 hours , remained in effect from north of Altamaha Sound to the Savannah River . In Melbourne , where a 50-year-old rainfall record was shattered , residents have been warned of an alligator swimming in the streets , according to CNN affiliate WKMG-TV in Orlando . CNN 's John Zarrella and Barbara Starr contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama hammered away at each other 's judgment on the economy , domestic policy and foreign affairs as they faced off in their second presidential debate . Obama tried to tie McCain to President Bush 's `` failed '' policies , while McCain pushed his image as a `` consistent reformer '' at the debate , which took place at Belmont University in Nashville , Tennessee . The debate was set up as a town hall meeting , and the audience was made up of undecided voters . Obama and McCain fielded questions from the crowd , Internet participants and moderator Tom Brokaw of NBC News . The candidates spoke directly to each other at times , but at other times they spoke as if their opponent were not on the same stage , a few feet away . Debate report card In comparison to the first debate , Tuesday 's event -- which came on the heels of several days of increasingly aggressive attacks from both sides -- took on a more contentious tone . On foreign policy , McCain charged that Obama `` does not understand '' the country 's national security challenges . McCain said he knows how to handle foreign affairs and questioned Obama 's ability to do so . Analysts weigh in on the debate '' `` Sen. Obama was wrong about Iraq and the surge . He was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia . And in his short career , he does not understand our national security challenges , '' McCain said . `` We do n't have time for on-the-job training , my friends . '' McCain said the `` challenge '' facing a president considering using military force `` is to know when to go in and when not . '' `` My judgment is something that I think I have a record to stand on , '' McCain said . Video highlights of key moments '' Obama shot back and questioned McCain 's judgment in supporting the invasion of Iraq . `` When Sen. McCain was cheerleading the president to go into Iraq , he suggested it was going to be quick and easy , we 'd be greeted as liberators , '' he said . `` That was the wrong judgment , and it 's been costly to us . '' The candidates spent about 30 minutes of the debate focusing on foreign affairs . They spoke about the economy for about 45 minutes and spent 15 minutes discussing domestic issues . See scenes from the debate '' A national poll of debate watchers suggested that Obama won the presidential debate . Post-debate poll Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey released 30 minutes after the end of the debate said that Obama did the best job , while 30 percent said McCain performed better . The CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone with 675 adult Americans who watched the debate . All interviews were taken after the end of the debate . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points . iReport.com : Tell us who you think won round two At the start of the debate , Obama said the country is in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression . He blamed President Bush and McCain for the crisis , saying they had worked to `` strip away regulation . '' Bush : The elephant in the room McCain said the system in Washington `` cries out for bipartisanship '' and pushed his record as a reformer . He proposed having the government buy up and renegotiate bad home loans to stabilize the property market . He admitted the plan would be expensive but said it was necessary . Watch McCain talk about his plan for the economy '' The Arizona senator also hammered away at his rival 's tax policies , saying that `` nailing down Sen. Obama 's various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall . '' Watch McCain slam Obama 's tax plan '' McCain charged that `` Obama 's secret that you do n't know '' is that he would increase taxes on small business revenue , which he said would lead to job cuts . Fact check : Did Obama vote 94 times for higher taxes Obama shot back , saying `` the Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one . '' `` Let 's be clear about my tax plan and Sen. McCain 's , '' he said . `` I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans . '' Watch Obama talk about his plan for the middle class '' The candidates talked about their plans to revamp the health care system . Obama said the country has a `` moral commitment as well as an economic imperative '' to address the health care problem . The Illinois senator said health care is a `` crushing burden '' for small businesses and is `` breaking family budgets . '' Obama said health care was a `` right , '' while McCain said it was a `` responsibility . '' Watch the candidates debate health care '' Obama and McCain both proposed computerizing medical records to reduce costs and limit errors . Obama 's health care plan includes the creation of a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs . His plan does not mandate individual coverage for all Americans , but requires coverage for all children . McCain opposes federally mandated universal coverage . He believes competition will improve the quality of health insurance . McCain says he would reform the tax code to offer choices beyond employee-based health insurance coverage . McCain argued that Obama 's plan included fines for small businesses that did not insure their employees , while his was based on `` choice '' rather than `` mandates . '' Immediately after the debate , Obama 's campaign highlighted a moment when McCain sought to criticize Obama for supporting the 2007 Bush-Cheney energy bill : `` It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate , loaded down with goodies , billions for the oil companies , and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney , '' McCain said . `` You know who voted for it ? You might never know . That one . You know who voted against it ? Me . '' Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton immediately e-mailed reporters noting McCain 's seemingly peculiar reference to the Illinois senator . `` Did John McCain just refer to Obama as ` that one ? ' '' Burton asked . Obama campaign highlights ` that one ' McCain and Obama will face off for a third and final time next Wednesday at Hofstra University in Hempstead , New York .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Senate on Monday opened what is expected to be a lengthy and rancorous debate on a sweeping bill to overhaul the nation 's health care system . In statements laced with heated and conflicting rhetoric , Senate Democrats and Republicans outlined opposing positions on the 2,074-page Democratic measure that would provide health insurance to an additional 31 million people at a cost of almost $ 850 billion . Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada framed the debate as historic and said the bill would provide vital health insurance for almost all Americans , hold down spiraling costs that threaten the U.S. economy and instill needed reforms to ensure the long-term solvency of the government-run Medicare health program for senior citizens . `` In the greatest country on Earth , no American should die simply because they do n't have health insurance , '' said Sen. Max Baucus of Montana , one of the bill 's architects , while Reid said the bill `` saves money , saves lives and saves Medicare . '' Republicans countered that the bill was too big , too expensive and would cause more harm than good . Sen. John McCain of Arizona called it a `` sham '' and a `` 2,074-page monstrosity full of measures that would impair the abilities , particularly of our senior citizens , to keep the benefits they 've been promised . '' McCain immediately proposed sending the bill back to committee to remove all provisions intended to bring down the costs of Medicare . He cited proposed cuts to Medicare , including $ 118 billion in subsidies provided to private insurers for Medicare Advantage -- an enhanced benefits program for senior citizens . `` There is no math , old or new , that gets you to no change in the benefits they have under Medicare Advantage and yet cuts $ 120 billion , '' McCain said . A vote on McCain 's proposal was likely on Tuesday . The House has passed its version of a health care bill , and if the Senate passes its bill , the two measures would be merged by a congressional conference committee . Both chambers then would have to approve the revised bill before it could go to President Obama 's desk . On Monday , debate quickly bogged down in Republican procedural objections , causing Reid to lament : `` This is not a good way to start this debate . '' Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming challenged a motion by Reid that he said would unfairly cut off the proposal of amendments , including McCain 's planned Republican amendment to prevent cuts to Medicare . While Reid 's motion failed , Enzi labeled it a stunt . So far , Republicans unanimously oppose the health care bill . The Senate voted 60-39 to launch debate on the measure , overcoming a Republican filibuster through support from every member of the Democratic caucus . Reid also will need 60 votes to eventually close the debate , and his ability to secure that support remains uncertain . The debate will feature amendments intended to delete or change controversial provisions , including creation of a government-run public health insurance option to compete against private insurers , tax increases and provisions intended to prevent federal tax dollars from paying for abortion except in cases of rape , incest or danger to the mother 's life . For the most part , battle lines are clearly drawn . Liberal-minded senators such as Bernie Sanders of Vermont , an independent who sits with the Democratic caucus , favor a public option as the best way to force competition on private insurers to bring down costs , while fiscally conservative Democrats such as Nebraska 's Ben Nelson are concerned about the cost and scope of a government-run alternative . Nelson has said he would join a Republican filibuster against closing debate on the bill if it retains the current public option provision , which allows states to opt out of a national plan . Another Democratic caucus member , independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut , says he also will prevent a final vote if the bill contains any form of public option . On the Republican side , none of the 40 senators supports a public option , but one -- moderate Olympia Snowe of Maine -- has discussed a trigger mechanism that would automatically bring a public option if thresholds for expanded coverage and lower costs go unmet . The trigger idea is considered the lone chance of a compromise that could gain the support of any Republicans . For Democrats , each vote is crucial . Overcoming a filibuster requires support every member of the Democratic caucus , so if Lieberman or others oppose a public option , Reid would need a GOP senator to switch sides on the bill . Senate Democrats concede that some changes are necessary to get the health care bill passed . They contend their comprehensive approach is necessary to reform a system in which higher costs are draining the national economy and harming businesses and individuals . Republicans call for an incremental approach that they say would reduce the costs of health care without needing to create bureaucracies and raise taxes in a huge overhaul . Other risky issues for Senate Democrats include abortion and tax increases to pay for health care reform . The bill includes tax increases aimed at those earning more than $ 200,000 a year and insurers providing so-called `` Cadillac '' health plans worth more than $ 8,500 a year for individuals or $ 23,000 for families . It also would set a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery . In contrast , a separate health care bill narrowly passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month includes an income tax surcharge on individuals earning more than $ 500,000 a year and couples making more than $ 1 million . Republicans say any tax increase is bad in a struggling economy because it hinders growth and gets passed on to consumers , while Democrats argue the bill 's tax provisions would n't hit the lower or middle class and would create incentive for private insurers to lower the cost of policies . However , a key Democratic constituency -- organized labor -- opposes taxing the `` Cadillac '' health plans negotiated for workers in lieu of wage increases . On abortion , the House bill has more restrictive language regarding the use of federal funding , and some Senate Democrats say they oppose adding it to their chamber 's proposal . According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office , the Senate health care bill would reduce the federal deficit by about $ 130 billion over the next 10 years , through 2019 . Any effect on the deficit in the following decade would be `` subject to substantial uncertainty , '' but probably would result in `` small reductions in federal budget deficits , '' the budget office report said . It also reported that health insurance premiums would remain roughly the same for most people , with costs for lower-income Americans reduced due to subsidies under the plan . According to the budget office , more than 80 percent of Americans would remain in employer-based health plans . Both the Senate and House bills would require individuals to buy health insurance , with penalties for noncompliance . Unlike the House version , the Senate bill does not mandate that all employers offer health care . The two bills are virtually identical on a broad range of changes , including creating health insurance exchanges , expanding Medicaid , subsidizing insurance for low - and some middle-income families , and capping out-of-pocket medical expenses , while preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday deflected concerns that the state 's new immigration law will hurt economic development , saying many businesses have long wanted tougher action . The new law requires Arizona police to determine whether people are in the United States legally if there is a reason to suspect they are n't . Brewer signed the controversial legislation into law on Friday . `` The bottom line is that when I go about meeting with businesses that come into Arizona ... they want to know that we have a safe and secure environment into which to move their businesses here , '' Brewer said at an Arizona Town Hall event in Tucson . `` They want to know that their employees are going to have a quality of life that they 've had in the places where they 're moving from to move here . '' `` I believe it 's not going to have the kind of economic impact that some people think that it might , '' Brewer , a Republican , said . Would you boycott Arizona over immigration law ? The law , scheduled to go into effect 90 days after the close of the state 's legislative session , would require immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times . Previously , officers could check someone 's immigration status only if that person was suspected in another crime . Critics say the law could foster racial profiling and prompt businesses , conventions and tourists to stay away from the state . The bill has prompted rallies by opponents and supporters , and some prominent politicians in Washington and Arizona have criticized the measure , including Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon , who has said he 'll file a lawsuit to block the law . People have been protesting the bill outside the state Capitol since Friday , CNN affiliate KTVK reported . `` People are going to be stopped just because of the color of -LSB- their -RSB- skin . And it ai n't right , '' protester Jose Acosta told CNN on Sunday . `` Are they going to be looking for Europeans as well , or is it just the brown people ? '' Supporters say the measure is needed because the federal government has failed to enforce its own immigration laws . In Tucson on Monday , Brewer said she has written to the federal government five times about the issue in the past year and a half . '' -LSB- The letters -RSB- have been met with complete , total disrespect to the people of Arizona . I mean , we do n't even get an answer back from our letters in regard to securing our border , '' Brewer said . `` So , given that , I think it was time that Arizonans did step up , and that was one reason why I think that -LSB- the new state legislation -RSB- was signed . '' Brewer emphasized an executive order she issued last week to accompany the law will require additional training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling . `` I want you all to know that racial profiling is illegal . It 's the law , '' she said Monday . `` We are going to be very diligent , and we 're going to make absolutely sure that that law ... will be implemented properly and respectfully . '' Gordon , Phoenix 's mayor and a Democrat , said his office hopes the City Council will authorize the city to file a lawsuit Tuesday . `` Convention -LSB- and -RSB- tourist business groups have already gotten dozens of calls . We 're pleading with them not to boycott Phoenix or the state because of -LSB- the bill -RSB- , '' Gordon said Monday on CNN 's `` The Situation Room . '' `` There will be court challenges . I 'm confident that the federal courts will enjoin it at least until it is determined -LSB- whether it 's -RSB- constitutional and how to enforce it so that officers do n't get sued by individuals alleging civil rights violations . '' President Obama last week called the legislation `` misguided '' and said the federal government must act on the immigration issue . `` Our failure to act responsible at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others . That includes , for example , the recent efforts in Arizona , which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans , as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe , '' the president said in Washington at a naturalization ceremony for 24 members of the military . CNN 's Casey Wian contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"CLARENCE CENTER , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Friday praised Beverly Eckert , the widow of a September 11 victim and a prominent post-9 \/ 11 activist , who was one of the passengers who died in a plane crash outside Buffalo , New York . Sean Rooney and wife Beverly Eckert in an undated photograph . `` Beverly lost her husband on 9\/11 , '' Obama said , `` and became a tireless advocate for the families whose lives were forever changed on that September day . '' A resident of Stamford , Connecticut , Eckert was the widow of Buffalo native Sean Rooney , who died at the World Trade Center . Obama 's words underscored the shock and grief from friends , family and acquaintances over the news that Eckert was aboard the Continental Connection Flight 3407 . The turboprop plane crashed Thursday , killing all 49 aboard and one person on the ground . `` Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day . And one person who understood that well was Beverly Eckert , who was on that flight and who I met with just a few days ago , '' Obama said in brief remarks . Obama met Eckert at a gathering of September 11 victims ' families on Friday . Valerie Lucznikowska , a member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows , said she , Eckert and another woman traveled to Washington for the meeting . Lucznikowska said Eckert asked Obama whether the group would have ongoing meetings with his administration . Obama said there would be , even though they would n't necessarily be with him . After the 2001 terrorist attacks , Eckert co-founded Voices of September 11 , an advocate group for survivors and families . Eckert had a reputation as a strong campaigner of September 11 families , involved in protests leading to more land for a ground zero memorial , working on the September 11 Commission 's Family Steering Committee and pushing for a victims ' families compensation fund . She was traveling to Buffalo for a celebration of what would have been her husband 's 58th birthday . Eckert planned to take part in presenting a scholarship award at Canisius High School that was established in honor of her late husband , who was an alumnus , according to the school 's president , John Knight . Obama mentioned the scholarship plans in his remarks Friday . `` In keeping with that passionate commitment , she was on her way to Buffalo to mark what would have been her husband 's birthday and launch a scholarship in his memory . She was an inspiration to me and to so many others , and I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead , '' Obama said . Lucznikowska , whose nephew died in the World Trade Center attacks , said she was `` horribly saddened by this news . '' `` I would very much like to honor her . She was truly a wonderful person . She was someone who was trying to make society better . '' Eckert backed Peaceful Tomorrows ' effort to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and end the military commissions there , Lucznikowska said . The group elaborated on this stance in a signed letter to Obama , and Eckert gave a presidential aide a separate letter listing her own concerns , Lucznikowska said . Knight said Canisius High postponed the scholarship presentation , set to occur at noon Friday , for two students entering the high school next fall . He said Eckert also had been active in a capital campaign fundraising effort . `` She struck me as a wonderful , beautiful person who clearly wanted to do something to remember her husband in a way that would have an everlasting impact on our community , '' Knight said . Gordon Felt , president of the Families of Flight 93 Inc. , the plane that crashed near Shanksville , Pennsylvania , on September 11 , also expressed his grief . `` We note with deep sorrow the passing of Beverly Eckert in the Buffalo plane crash . She was a 9\/11 family member who brought to light issues of importance to all of us -- and to all Americans . We extend our condolences to her family and to all those who loved her . She will be missed . '' Jay Winuk , a September 11 organizational leader who lost his brother in the World Trade Center , said that although he did not know Eckert personally , `` it is clear that she was a terrific advocate for the 9\/11 family community . '' CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prince Harry paraded alongside his fellow British servicemen in Scotland Wednesday , as he attended a memorial to service members who have died in Afghanistan . Prince Harry takes part in a memorial parade and service for troops killed during his tour of Afghanistan . Harry , 23 , serves in the British Army and spent 10 weeks in Afghanistan earlier this year . He was withdrawn unexpectedly in March after news leaked out about his low-key deployment . The prince appeared in uniform alongside around 200 other sailors , soldiers , marines and airmen at the parade , which took place on Edinburgh 's famous Royal Mile . They made their way to St. Giles ' Cathedral for a private memorial and thanksgiving service for the fallen service members . Also attending the service was British Defense Secretary Des Browne , families of the fallen troops , and recovering wounded military personnel . Harry holds the rank of cornet , equivalent to a second lieutenant . He was deployed to Afghanistan 's Helmand province where he served as a forward air controller . His duties included calling in airstrikes and air support when necessary , guaranteeing the accuracy of bombing on the ground and guarding against incidents of friendly fire . The parade and memorial service took place on the same day Britain 's Ministry of Defense announced the deaths of four British soldiers in Afghanistan , and two days after Browne announced Britain will increase its presence in Afghanistan from 7,800 troops to 8,030 by next spring . Watch Prince Harry at the memorial '' Prince Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles , the heir to the British throne , and the late Princess Diana , who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 . Last year , the military ruled he could not be sent to Iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk . Shortly after the news of the prince 's deployment broke , several Islamist Web sites posted messages alerting their `` brethren '' in Afghanistan to be on the lookout for the royal soldier . Several members of the British royal family saw combat in the past century . Prince Harry 's grandfather , Prince Phillip , served aboard warships in World War II ; his great-grandfather -- the future King George VI -- took part in the World War I naval battle of Jutland ; and Prince Andrew , Prince Harry 's uncle , flew Royal Navy helicopters during Britain 's 1982 war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands . Prince Harry 's brother , Prince William , is also an army officer . But as second in line for the throne , he is specifically barred from combat .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Chinese government increased its harassment of religious minorities before the Olympic Games , according to a U.S. State Department report released Friday . A Tibetan Buddhist monk in southwest China 's Sichuan province . The State Department 's Annual Report on Religious Freedom singled out China , Myanmar , North Korea , Iran , Sudan , Eritrea , Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan to `` blacklist '' because they are `` countries of particular concern '' when it comes to religious oppression . Over the past year , `` repression of religious freedom intensified in some areas '' in China , including in the Tibetan region and in Xinjiang province , where the Uighur Muslims live . As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approached , some unregistered Protestant religious groups in Beijing reported intensified harassment from government authorities and said the government cracked down on home churches , the report says . The State Department found that over the past year , Chinese officials also detained and interrogated several foreigners about their religious activities , alleged that the foreigners had engaged in `` illegal religious activities '' and canceled their visas . The government also undertook a `` patriotic education campaign , '' which required monks and nuns to sign statements personally denouncing the Dalai Lama . As a result , the reports says , protests led to violence in Lhasa , Tibet , in March , and the government detained an unknown number of monks and nuns or expelled them from monasteries . In addition to its continued crackdown on groups such as the Falun Gong , which China considers a `` cult , '' the government harassed Uighur Muslims and confiscated some of their passports to prevent their taking part in the hajj , the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia . Once again , the U.S. criticized the government of Myanmar , saying its `` repressive , authoritarian military regime '' had `` imposed restrictions on certain religious activities and frequently committed abuses of the right to freedom of religion . '' Most followers of registered religions were permitted to worship as they chose , but the government infiltrated and monitored activities of virtually all organizations , including religious ones . The report says that although the North Korean constitution provides for religious freedom , `` genuine religious freedom does not exist , and there was no change in the extremely poor level of respect for religious freedom '' over the past year . In Iran , the report says , `` continued deterioration of the poor status of respect for religious freedom '' last year . `` Government actions and rhetoric created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shia religious groups , most notably for Baha'is , as well as Sufi Muslims , evangelical Christians , and members of the Jewish community , '' the report says . `` Government-controlled media intensified negative campaigns against religious minorities , particularly the Baha'is . Reports of imprisonment , harassment , intimidation , and discrimination based on religious beliefs continued . '' The State Department found some progress in Saudi Arabia . `` While overall government policies continue to place severe restrictions on religious freedom , there were incremental improvements in specific areas , '' the report says . However , the report goes on to note that `` Non-Muslims and Muslims who do not adhere to the government 's interpretation of Islam continued to face significant political , economic , legal , social , and religious discrimination . '' It also criticizes U.S. allies in Pakistan and Jordan for aggressiveness toward religious minorities . The governments of Iraq and Afghanistan were praised for endorsing religious freedom , but the State Department found that the war-torn countries have problems . In Afghanistan , `` the residual effects of years of Taliban rule , popular suspicion regarding outside influence of foreigners , and weak democratic institutions hinder the respect for religious freedom . '' In Iraq , `` violence conducted by terrorists , extremists , and criminal gangs restricted the free exercise of religion and posed a significant threat to the country 's vulnerable religious minorities . '' In releasing the report , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is `` concerned by efforts to promote a so-called defamation of religions concept , '' which has been the focus of numerous resolutions passed at the United Nations . She was referring to the Organization of Islamic Conference , a grouping of 57 Muslim states that does not recognize the right of individuals to freely change their religion and has prevented consensus on resolutions at the United Nations that would prohibit defamation of all religions , not just Islam . `` Despite a pretense of protecting religious practice and promoting tolerance , the flawed concept attempts to limit freedom of religion and restrict the rights of all individuals to disagree with or criticize religion , in particular Islam , '' the report says . `` Instead of protecting religion practice and promoting tolerance , this concept seeks to limit freedom of speech , and that could undermine the standards of international religious freedom , '' Rice said .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton met privately Thursday night at the Washington home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein , a key supporter of Clinton 's presidential campaign , Feinstein said Friday . Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama speak Wednesday at the AIPAC meeting . She left them in her living room with nothing other than water and comfortable chairs for what she called a positive meeting . No one else was in the room , and no one is giving details of what was discussed . `` They talked . I went upstairs and did my work , '' Feinstein said Friday . `` They called me when it was over . I came down and said , ` Good night , everybody ; I hope you had a good meeting . ' `` They were laughing , and that was it . '' The meeting began at 9 p.m. and lasted about an hour , Feinstein said . `` I think the opportunity to sit down , just the two of them , was positive , '' she said . It was the two Democratic candidates ' first meeting since Obama became the party 's presumptive nominee Tuesday . `` They talked about how to come together and how to unify this party and move forward because what we have at stake in November is so important , '' Robert Gibbs , the Obama campaign 's communication director , said Friday on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Watch Gibbs explain the secret meeting '' `` And what unites us as a party far exceeds what might divide either of these two candidates . '' A joint statement from the candidates said only , `` Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November . '' Gibbs would not say whether the senators discussed the possibility of Clinton becoming Obama 's running mate.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , a Democratic superdelegate from Nevada , said Friday that he told Clinton he intended to support Obama . But he did n't shed any light on whether Clinton would have a place on the ticket . `` Hillary is going to endorse Barack -LSB- on Saturday -RSB- , '' Reid said on `` American Morning . '' `` She 's a very good woman . She 's been a great senator . And she 's going to be a great help to us in this -LSB- election -RSB- , no matter what role she has in the campaign . '' On Thursday , reporters on Obama 's press plane learned that the candidate was not aboard when it departed Virginia , where he had been campaigning . Aides said staff members had `` scheduled him some meetings '' in Washington . The meeting originally was believed to be at Clinton 's Washington home . `` It was n't at her house , and it was not at Dick Cheney 's undisclosed location , '' Gibbs said jokingly . Also Thursday , Clinton thanked supporters in an e-mail and pledged to help Obama capture the White House after eight years of Republican control . Clinton also plans to thank supporters Saturday at a Washington event . `` I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Sen. Obama if he were the Democratic Party 's nominee , and I intend to deliver on that promise , '' the e-mail read . `` This has been a long and hard-fought campaign , but as I have always said , my differences with Sen. Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Sen. -LSB- John -RSB- McCain and the Republicans . '' Read Clinton 's message to supporters -LRB- PDF -RRB- Clinton plans to suspend her campaign within days , her campaign said . By suspending instead of dropping out , Clinton technically would remain a candidate , entitled to keep statewide pledged delegates and district-level delegates . Democrats nationwide have coalesced around Obama since he received enough delegates to win the nomination Tuesday evening . The New York Democratic congressional delegation embraced Obama 's candidacy Thursday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol . iReport.com : Should Obama pick Clinton ? On Friday , Democratic leaders in New York , including state legislators and City Council members , endorsed Obama at New York 's City Hall , sources said . Obama earned enough delegates Tuesday to clinch the nomination , but Clinton did not concede defeat that night . Instead , she asked supporters to visit her Web site and give her advice on how to proceed . Obama has named Caroline Kennedy , daughter of President Kennedy , and former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to a vice presidential selection team led by former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Candy Crowley contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Tampa judge denied bail Wednesday for a Florida man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 3-month-old child , who authorities say was thrown out of a moving car . Police say infant Emanuel Murray died after his mother 's ex-boyfriend threw him from a car on a Florida interstate . Richard Anthony McTear Jr. , 21 , was arrested Tuesday , hours after a confrontation at his former girlfriend 's apartment in which he snatched the infant , Emanuel Wesley Murray , the Hillsborough County sheriff 's office said . The child 's body was found about 4 . am . Tuesday on the side of Interstate 275 in Tampa , Florida , by a local television photographer on his way to work . The photographer , WTVT 's Jason Bird , said he stopped when he spotted something by the roadside `` It had to be a baby doll but it was too big to be a doll , '' Bird told CNN affiliate WFTS in Tampa . `` I almost passed out , I started shaking , '' said Bird . A preliminary autopsy determined the child died of blunt trauma to the head , the county medical examiner 's office said . Police were called to the apartment of McTear 's former girlfriend about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday . The mother , Jasmine Bedwell , 17 , told investigators that McTear had hit her several times and threatened `` to kill the both of y' all , '' the sheriff 's department said in a statement announcing the charges . McTear threw a car seat containing the child across the room during the fight , causing the boy to fall onto the apartment 's concrete floor , investigators said . He then picked up the boy and drove off in his blue Chevrolet Impala , throwing the child out while on the interstate , the sheriff 's department said . Video on CNN affiliate WFLA TV showed McTear being led out of a Tampa police squad car after his arrest . He ducked his head as TV cameras surrounded him on his walk into a police building . When asked by reporters if he had thrown the child out of the car window , McTear answered , `` It 's a dirty game . A dirty game . '' McTear is not related to the child , said sheriff 's spokeswoman Debbie Carter . McTear is facing additional charges of burglary with battery , felony battery , aggravated child abuse and kidnapping , the sheriff 's department said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The last British soldier to serve in World War I was buried Thursday , marking `` the passing of a generation , '' the British veterans minister said . The coffin draped in a Union Jack flag is taken away from Well Cathedral . Harry Patch died July 25 at the age of 111 , a week after fellow British World War I veteran Henry Allingham died at the age of 113 . A party of pallbearers escorting his coffin was made up of two Belgian , two French , and two German infantrymen , while his coffin was carried by six soldiers from a unit that incorporated the one he served in during World War I. Patch was buried in the cathedral in the city of Wells , southwest England , where he lived . He joined the army at the age of 18 and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres , Belgium , in 1917 . He was seriously wounded in the battle , in which more than 70,000 of his fellow soldiers died -- including three of his close friends . `` Today marks the passing of a generation , and of a man who dedicated his final years to spreading the message of peace and reconciliation , '' Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said . `` Active participation in the Great War is now no longer part of living memory in this country , but Harry Patch will continue to be a symbol of the bravery and sacrifice shown by him and those he served with , '' he said . `` In his passing we have lost our last living link to the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front and a member of a generation that stood firm in the face of extraordinary adversity and unimaginable suffering , '' said Gen. Richard Dannatt , the head of the British army . `` But today above all else we give thanks for the life of a brave and inspirational man whose message of reconciliation and peace has reached and touched so many , '' he said . The funeral was attended by the acting head of the British government and the wife of Prince Charles , among thousands of others , the Ministry of Defence said . Patch was the last British man living in the United Kingdom to have served in the trenches on the Western Front , the Ministry of Defence said . Born in 1898 , Patch became a plumber before being conscripted to the army in 1916 . His unit , The Duke of Cornwall 's Light Infantry , was rushed to the front-line trenches of Ypres , where soldiers were urgently needed to replace those who were wounded and dying by the thousands . He fought in the trenches between June and September of 1917 and was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war . In late September he was wounded when a light shell exploded above his head , bringing an end to his military service . He received battlefield treatment without anesthetic . After the war ended in 1918 , Patch returned to his work as a plumber and later became a sanitary engineer . He married Ada Billington , a young woman he met while convalescing after the battle . They married in 1919 and had two sons . In World War II , Patch joined the Auxiliary Fire Service and helped tackle the fires caused by heavy German raids on the English cities of Bath and Bristol . At one point he was sent to organize sanitary arrangements for soldiers at a camp near Yeovil , in southwest England , where he became friendly with some of the men . Patch remembered the shock of finding the camp deserted , with coffee still hot and meals half-eaten , on the morning that the soldiers had gone off for the invasion of France , the Ministry of Defence said . His wife , Ada , died in 1976 , and their two sons also later died . Patch remarried in 1980 , but he became a widower for the second time four years later . Patch did n't speak about the war until he turned 100 , the Ministry of Defence said . `` He tried to suppress the memories and to live as normal a life as possible ; the culture of his time said that he was fortunate to have survived and that he should get on with his life , '' a Ministry of Defence biography says . `` That suited Harry ; he could ` forget ' his demons , the memories of what happened to him and to his close friends . '' In 1998 , a television producer with an interest in the war talked to Patch , who then made the decision to speak of his memories , the ministry said . He took part in a documentary on the war and began gradually to open up . It was n't long before Patch became a spokesman for his generation , speaking about the horrors of the war as well as his own emotions and reactions , the ministry said . `` In speaking about his experiences , Harry began at last to come to terms with his war , and was at peace with himself and his memories , '' the ministry said . `` His thoughts then turned to reconciliation , to the long-term effects of suffering and coming to terms with that suffering . '' Patch returned to Belgium in 2002 , something he had said he would never do , and laid a wreath in honor of his battalion , the Defence Ministry said . Two years later , he met and shook hands with a German artilleryman from the Western Front , Charles Kuentz . Patch later laid a wreath at Langemark Cemetery for the German war dead . In his last years , Patch was honored at Buckingham Palace and the prime minister 's residence at 10 Downing Street . On his 101st birthday France awarded him the Knighthood of the Legion of Honor , and this year President Nicolas Sarkozy upgraded that to the rank of officer . Last year , King Albert II of Belgium made Patch a Knight of the Order of Leopold . `` Harry was delighted to receive these awards and wore the medals with great pride , but he always made it clear that he wore these medals as a representative of the selfless generation he had come to represent , '' the Ministry of Defence said . In 2007 , Patch wrote a book detailing his life , called `` The Last Fighting Tommy . '' The name referred to the slang term for British privates . `` While the country may remember Harry as a soldier , we will remember him as a dear friend , '' said Jim Ross , a close friend . `` He was a man of peace who used his great age and fame as the last survivor of the trenches to communicate two simple messages : Remember with gratitude and respect those who served on all sides , -LRB- and -RRB- settle disputes by discussion , not war . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Natalie Wood was terrified of the water . As an 11-year-old shooting `` The Green Promise , '' she was thrown off a bridge during a storm scene and nearly drowned . The incident scarred her for life . Thirty-two years later , Wood died after falling into the ocean off Catalina Island in California . Wood 's life is full of such curiosities . She was that rare child performer to make the transition to adult movie star , but her rise to success was marked by troubled relationships . She had beauty and talent , but she suffered from alcohol abuse and once tried to commit suicide . And then there 's her death , coming just as she was restarting her movie career . Wood , who died in 1981 , is back in the news after police reopened the case involving her drowning at age 43 . Police : Robert Wagner not a suspect in new probe of Natalie Wood 's death The story surrounding Wood 's death has long been one of Hollywood 's great mysteries . She was making a motion picture comeback in a highly touted science-fiction film , `` Brainstorm , '' and was on her yacht with her husband , Robert Wagner , and her co-star , Christopher Walken . Aspects of Wood 's life have only heightened the speculation . How could someone so young , with a good marriage and revitalized career , die just like that ? Captain describes Wood cover-up story Wood had been a top star for decades , both a box office draw and Oscar-nominated actress . Among her films were some of the biggest and most influential of the 1950s and '60s , including `` Rebel Without a Cause , '' `` West Side Story '' and `` Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice . '' `` It was as if she had movie star stamped on her birth certificate , '' Wagner once said . Indeed , she seemed fated for stardom from the beginning . Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko , daughter of Russian immigrants , in San Francisco in 1938 . The family later changed their last name to Gurdin . At age 4 , she had a bit part in 1943 's `` Happy Land '' after a production company spotted her in nearby Santa Rosa . Her mother , intent on her daughter making it in the movie business , moved the family to Los Angeles , and young Natalia , renamed Natalie Wood by the studio , soon earned a role in the 1946 Orson Welles film `` Tomorrow Is Forever . '' Welles was impressed with the scene-stealing youngster . `` She 's terrifying ! '' he 's said to have described her . -LRB- Wood 's sister , Lana , also did well , later playing Plenty O'Toole in the James Bond film `` Diamonds Are Forever . '' -RRB- From the late '40s until the mid - '50s , she was one of the most active child performers in the movie business , appearing in such films as 1947 's `` The Ghost and Mrs. Muir '' and 1950 's `` Never a Dull Moment . '' But for several years she was best known as the Santa Claus-believing child in 1947 's `` Miracle on 34th Street , '' opposite Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn . She later looked back at her childhood years with pain and a little fury . `` I spent practically all my time in the company of adults . I was very withdrawn , very shy , I did what I was told and I tried not to disappoint anybody . I knew I had a duty to perform , and I was trained to follow orders , '' she once said . Her relationship with her mother was often bitter . Glamour to spare It was n't until the groundbreaking `` Rebel Without a Cause '' -LRB- 1955 -RRB- , also starring James Dean and Sal Mineo , that she broke through into mature roles . The film featured Wood as the girlfriend of Dean 's angst-ridden Jim Stark in the role that made Dean a generational symbol . Wood was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance . But it was two 1961 films , the film version of the Broadway smash `` West Side Story '' and the romantic tragedy `` Splendor in the Grass , '' that made her a top-tier movie star . In `` West Side Story , '' a version of `` Romeo and Juliet '' set among New York 's gang culture , Wood played Maria , the ill-fated heroine . Though her singing voice was dubbed , her performance earned her good reviews in what became one of the most lauded movies of all time . `` Splendor in the Grass '' was no slouch , either ; for her performance opposite Warren Beatty , Wood picked up an Oscar nomination for best actress . The press paid attention . Wood had glamour to spare ; she was often touted , along with Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren , as one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood . She also had a photogenic marriage to the hunky Wagner , whom she had married in 1957 when she was 18 and he was 27 . The marriage was one of the most celebrated of its time . `` We drove a Corvette across the country . Radio stations would announce we had just passed through , and people would wait for us in every little town , '' Wood told People magazine in 1976 . But that marriage to Wagner did n't last ; the pair divorced in 1962 . She married her second husband , agent Richard Gregson , in 1969 . The two had a daughter , Natasha . There were some dark moments -- Wood attempted suicide in 1966 -- but on the whole she gained confidence as an actress in the '60s . -LRB- Hardcore psychoanalysis -- she went almost daily for several years -- did n't hurt . -RRB- She was named `` Star of the Year '' by theater owners in 1963 and appeared in a series of popular films , including `` Gypsy '' -LRB- 1962 -RRB- , `` Sex and the Single Girl '' -LRB- 1963 -RRB- and `` The Great Race '' -LRB- 1965 -RRB- . Though she turned down some challenging roles , including one in `` Bonnie and Clyde , '' she bounced back with the wife-swapping comedy `` Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice '' -LRB- 1969 -RRB- , for which she earned a reputed $ 3 million -LRB- thanks to shrewdly taking a cut of the profits -RRB- . However , except for a handful of roles , `` Bob & Carol '' also marked the end of a chapter in Wood 's film career . She divorced Gregson in 1972 and , having reconciled with Wagner , remarried him later that year . She told People that she had few qualms about putting her career on the back burner . `` If a woman decides to get married and have children , other parts of her life are just going to have to be put aside , '' she said . By many accounts , she and Wagner had a stronger marriage the second time around . They had a daughter , Courtney , and stood out as one of Hollywood 's power couples . Wood stayed busy with the occasional TV movie . Troubled production , mysterious end `` Brainstorm '' earned coverage not only for Wood 's casting -- it was just her third theatrical movie since `` Bob & Carol '' -- but also for its technological trappings . The director , Douglas Trumbull , was renowned for his special-effects work on `` 2001 : A Space Odyssey '' and `` Close Encounters of the Third Kind , '' and the movie was being shot in a special format . But `` Brainstorm '' was plagued by production troubles , and rumors started circulating about Wood and Walken 's relationship , as TCM.com notes in its writeup of the film . Wagner , who visited the North Carolina set during a break from his TV series `` Hart to Hart , '' had suspicions . `` The bell was n't exactly clanging , but I was aware that I did n't have her full attention , '' he wrote in his 2008 memoir . `` She was more involved with the movie than she was with her family , and the thought occurred to me that Natalie was being emotionally unfaithful . '' Filming continued in Hollywood , and during the Thanksgiving holiday , Wagner and Wood invited Walken to relax on their boat , Splendour , named for `` Splendor in the Grass . '' The rest is lost in the murky water off the California coast on November 29 , 1981 , when Wood died . At her funeral , her pallbearers included Frank Sinatra , Fred Astaire , Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck . The aftermath affected lives well away from the boat . The studio wanted to shut down filming ; Trumbull had to find other financing to complete the movie . Upon its 1983 release , `` Brainstorm '' was a box office dud , and Trumbull never directed another film . Dr. Thomas Noguchi , the Los Angeles County coroner , was demoted in 1982 after an investigation by the county board of supervisors over issues with his job , including publicity-seeking after the deaths of celebrities . Wagner mourned Wood 's death for years before marrying Jill St. John , one of Wood 's closest friends , in 1990 . Though her image has faded in comparison with some of her contemporaries , such as Taylor or Dean , she 's still looked up to by young actresses . Vanessa Hudgens , the `` High School Musical '' star , calls Wood her `` idol . '' Wood herself was blunt about her impact . `` Let 's face it , acting is not important . Einstein is important . Jonas Salk is important . I know they 're not going to send my latest movie up in a time capsule , '' she once said . What she desired , apparently , was more out of life . Some time before her death she gave an interview and was asked if she was satisfied . After all , she had two children , a terrific husband , fame , money and beauty . What more could she want ? She did n't hesitate : `` I want yesterday . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle , deposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya on Thursday started his journey from Managua , Nicaragua , to the country 's border with Honduras . Honduran soldiers block the road at the Honduras-Nicaragua border in Paraiso , Honduras . A caravan of Zelaya supporters and reporters headed north to the city of Esteli , close to the Honduran border . From there , Zelaya would finalize his plans to cross back into Honduras , he said at a news conference before departing . The ousted president stated his intention to return to his homeland this week , raising concerns about increased unrest . The days since the June 28 military-led coup that deposed Zelaya have been marked by mostly peaceful demonstrations by supporters and detractors of the government of interim President Roberto Micheletti . One notable exception was an attempt by Zelaya to return by plane on July 5 , only to be turned away by military vehicles blocking the airport 's runways . One man was killed in clashes between Zelaya supporters and police . When asked about Zelaya 's stated return , U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley called it `` unwise . '' `` Any step that would add to the risk of violence in Honduras or in the area , we think would be unwise , '' Crowley said . Zelaya told reporters he hopes that border guards in Honduras will recognize him as president and commander in chief , and put down their weapons when he attempts to cross as early as Friday . `` We go with a white flag , with a flag of peace , '' Zelaya said . Micheletti 's government , which has vowed to arrest Zelaya on charges of violating the constitution , announced on Thursday a curfew in the border area with Nicaragua from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. , the newspaper La Prensa reported . A less restrictive curfew remained in effect in other parts of the country , the paper said . The backdrop to the tensions following Zelaya 's caravan is a peace agreement offered Wednesday by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias , who mediated two rounds of unsuccessful talks between the two sides . The document , dubbed the San Jose Accord , calls for Zelaya 's return to power , the creation of a unity government , and early elections . The accord was very similar to an original plan suggested by Arias , but with more details and a creation of a truth commission to investigate the events that led to the crisis . It also included a timeline for its implementation , which placed Zelaya back in Honduras by Friday . But Zelaya seemed intent to return on his own timeline , as neither side has signed the agreement . Hopes were slim that the agreement would be signed , as the Zelaya camp publicly said it rejected the document , and Micheletti 's side said it would have to seek approval from the other branches of government before proceeding . The Honduran supreme court has said it would not accept Zelaya 's return under any circumstances . On Thursday , the United States and the Organization of American States expressed support for the San Jose Accord . `` A favorable response to this proposal opens a path of reconciliation , '' OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said at a news conference in Washington . `` A rejection of this proposal opens a path toward confrontation . And I want to say very frankly , we do n't want a path toward conflict . '' The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have opened the door to extending term limits by changing the constitution , even though the congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court ruled it illegal . Zelaya was removed from office June 28 in a military-led coup and replaced by congressional leader Micheletti a few hours later . The coup has drawn international condemnation , including demands by the United Nations General Assembly , the OAS and the European Union that Zelaya be reinstated . Micheletti has steadfastly rejected that a coup took place , saying Zelaya 's removal was a constitutional transfer of power .","question":""}
{"answer":"BOSTON , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Services for Sen. Edward Kennedy will be Saturday morning at a Boston church before his burial in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington , his office announced Wednesday . Sen. Ted Kennedy 's funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Boston , Massachusetts , at the Mission Church . President Obama , who called Kennedy an `` extraordinary leader , '' will deliver a eulogy at the funeral , according to several sources . Kennedy died Tuesday night at his home in Hyannis Port , Massachusetts , after being ill for 15 months with brain cancer . He was 77 . Obama , on vacation at Martha 's Vineyard , Massachusetts , said Wednesday that Americans knew Kennedy 's death was coming for some time , but have been `` awaiting it with no small amount of dread . '' `` The outpouring of love , gratitude and fond memories to which we 've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives , '' Obama said . `` His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity ; in families that know new opportunity ; in children who know education 's promise ; and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just , including myself . '' The `` extraordinary good that he did lives on , '' Obama said . Before the funeral , Kennedy 's body will lie in repose Thursday afternoon and Friday in the Smith Center at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston , said the source , who once worked closely with Kennedy 's office . A memorial service will be held Friday evening at the Smith Center , the source said . Learn about Kennedy 's funeral arrangements '' The funeral will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston 's Mission Hill section . The church is commonly known as the Mission Church . It is a short distance away from the Kennedy library . Watch bloggers talk about Kennedy 's life '' The burial will take place at 5 p.m. at Arlington , the senator 's office said . Kennedy is eligible for burial at Arlington because of his congressional service and his tenure in the Army from 1951 to 1953 . Army officials and members of Kennedy 's staff met at the cemetery a few weeks ago to discuss a plan for the burial , an official said . The plan was then given to the family by staff members . The proposed grave site is 95 feet south of the grave of Sen. Robert Kennedy , the official said . Robert Kennedy 's grave is , in turn , just steps away from the grave of their brother , President John F. Kennedy . The plot of land is currently covered with grass . At this point , U.S. military ceremonial units have not received orders for participating in a funeral , but military sources said a typical congressional funeral would include military personnel at the internment , a military team to carry the casket , a firing party for a gun salute and a bugler . Any arrangements will depend on the family 's wishes . CNN 's Barbara Starr , John King and Alec Miran contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- There are two good ways to buy your new car or truck at a reasonable low price and avoid all of the negotiating games and hassles : 1 . Buy through the Internet Buying your new or used car or truck through the Internet is the easiest and most hassle-free way to make the purchase . All you have to do is choose the vehicle brand and model you wish to purchase as well as provide some basic contact information such as your name and e-mail address . In return , you 'll receive - via e-mail - low bottom-line selling prices from dealerships in your area for the exact vehicle you want to buy . Compare the various selling prices and find the lowest one . Then , simply go direct to that dealership 's Internet Department , sign the papers and drive your new car home - no negotiating , no hassles . To begin the process , get your free price quotes from AOL Autos . It only takes a few minutes . This service is totally free and you are under no obligation or pressure to buy . AOL , like CNN , is a unit of Time Warner . Within 24 hours , you 'll receive your bottom-line selling prices from dealerships in your area . Once you 've compared the various prices and found the lowest one , you then have four good options : \u2022 You can go to the dealership that gave you the lowest price , sign the papers and drive your new car home -- no hassles , no negotiating . AOL Autos : Best deals of the month \u2022 You can try to negotiate the lowest price with the dealership in order to get the price even lower . There 's nothing that says you ca n't . AOL Autos : Aggressive car buying tactics \u2022 You can shop the lowest price around to other dealerships to see if any of them are willing to beat it . AOL Autos : Which dealers treat you best ? \u2022 You can do nothing . If you feel unsure or uncertain , then set it aside for a while . You are not obligated to buy anything you do n't want . By getting these low bottom-line selling prices via the Internet , you 're avoiding the car salesman 's entire negotiating game altogether . And you 're buying your car at about the same price you would expect after lengthy negotiations . It 's certainly the fastest and easiest way to beat the car salesman . AOL Autos : New rules to car buying 2 . Buy through the dealership 's Fleet Department Almost every dealership has a division called the `` Fleet Department . '' It usually consists of only a handful of salespeople who specialize in selling fleets of cars -- large orders of several vehicles direct to businesses . This department is authorized by the dealership to sell their cars at bottom-line non-negotiable prices . The prices they offer are about the same as you would expect from an online price quote or after lengthy negotiations . A secret of the car business is that many dealerships ' Fleet Departments also sell direct to the public . By the rules of the game , however , they ca n't advertise to the public since they do n't want to compete with the dealership 's retail sales team . So to buy from the Fleet Department , you have to specifically ask . To buy your vehicle direct from the dealership 's Fleet Department , simply call the dealership and ask to speak with the Fleet Manager . When you get him on the line , explain to him that you 're ready to buy a car and you 'd like to buy it from him . If he asks you what business you are associated with , tell him where you work . He 'll probably be happy to set up an appointment with you . When you arrive at the dealership , the Fleet Manager will show you the vehicle , allow you to test drive it , and then bring you to the office to discuss price . With absolutely no negotiations , he 'll offer you a reasonable bottom-line non-negotiable selling price for the vehicle . If the price he gives you falls within the pre-set limits of your buying goal and you 're satisfied with the deal , then you can buy the car . No pressure , no games , no hassles . If for some reason , you do n't want to buy the vehicle , you are under no obligation . Simply thank the salesman for his time and leave on good terms . Then , if you 'd like , you can visit -LRB- or call -RRB- the Fleet Departments of other dealerships to compare prices . The selling prices offered by the various Fleet Departments can vary depending upon their inventories . AOL Autos : Have a car shopping game plan","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mississippi has kept its U.S. heavyweight title for a fifth straight year , among both adults and children . Adult obesity rates went up in 23 states in the past year , a survey shows . The percentage of adults classified as obese went up in 23 states , but Mississippi , with 32.5 percent , stayed atop the latest annual rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America 's Health . The same survey put the state 's adult obesity rate at 31.7 percent in 2008 . In addition , 44.4 percent of Mississippi children ages 10 to 17 are classified as overweight or obese , the study found . Doctors have linked obesity to increased risks of a variety of conditions , including diabetes , hypertension , arthritis and heart disease . Wednesday 's study found the current U.S. economic slump could worsen the problem by putting more nutritious food out of the reach of struggling families . See a map of obesity in the U.S. '' `` At the same time , safety-net programs and services are becoming increasingly overextended as the numbers of unemployed , uninsured and underinsured Americans continue to grow , '' the report states . `` For many people , too , worries over the recession are triggering increased depression , anxiety and stress , which often can be linked to obesity . '' Dr. Ed Thompson , Mississippi 's state health officer , called the report -- which was drawn from state figures -- `` old data rehashed . '' But he said the state is taking steps to address what he called `` a multifaceted problem , '' targeting schoolchildren in particular . Thompson said teachers not only are trying to educate students about the importance of good nutrition and exercise , they are changing schedules to increase the amount of physical activity students experience in a day . In addition , lower-calorie , lower-fat foods are replacing some high-calorie , high starch lunchroom staples , he said . `` We ca n't tell our children to eat wise dietary choices and then provide them with little except for poor dietary choices in their school cafeterias , '' Thompson said . Rounding out the top five states among adults were West Virginia , with 31.2 percent of its population considered obese ; Alabama , 31.1 percent ; Tennessee , 30.2 percent ; and South Carolina 29.7 percent . At the bottom of the rankings , Colorado had the lowest percentage of obese adults , with 18.9 percent . It was followed by Massachusetts , at 21.2 percent ; Connecticut , 21.3 ; Rhode Island , 21.7 ; and Hawaii , 21.8 . Even in those states , the obesity rate grew by fractions of a percent since 2008 , according to the study . Thompson said most adults know they should eat less and exercise . `` The hard part is getting people to actually practice these things , '' he said . `` Our work lives require less physical exertion than they used to , '' he said . `` With less physical activity , we should have adjusted our dietary consumption downward . '' While deep-fried Southern cooking is legendary , Mississippi also ranks high in poverty statistics and low in education -- two factors commonly related to obesity . But Thompson said education appears to be more closely related to obesity than poverty . `` We do see obesity among people who are in lower socioeconomic levels , but we see it in higher socioeconomic levels as well , '' he said . `` Being poor does not not make you obese , and being rich does not make you thin . '' The survey used the Body Mass Index standards set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The CDC defines someone as obese if they have a BMI -- a figure based on a ratio of height to weight -- of 30 or more , while anyone with a BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight . Calculate your Body Mass Index '' Adult obesity rates went up in 23 states in the past year , with 31 states now reporting rates over 25 percent . By comparison , no state topped 20 percent in 1991 , the survey 's authors reported .","question":""}
{"answer":"MERRICK , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` This is a healthy 9-year-old boy . How in the world could his heart just stop ? '' Robbie Levine died at age 9 after running the bases at a Little League game . Standing in the emergency room the night of September 27 , 2005 , that 's the question Jill Levine kept asking herself . She 'd just gotten news that she found impossible to comprehend : Her eldest son , Robbie , a fourth grader , had died . About an hour earlier , Robbie had been running the bases at Little League practice near their home in Merrick , a suburb of New York City . Levine 's husband , Craig , who coached the team , was standing at first base when Robbie ran by him . `` I remember thinking I 'd never seen him run so fast , '' he recalled . But seconds later , he turned to see that his son had collapsed right on home plate . Craig Levine ran to Robbie 's side , realized that Robbie did n't have a pulse and began administering CPR . Several minutes passed before an ambulance arrived . Robbie was pronounced dead at the hospital . With two other young children , Jill Levine says she did n't give herself the option to become paralyzed with grief after her tragic loss . Instead , she took action . `` I knew that -LSB- Robbie -RSB- could have had a chance if there was a defibrillator , '' she says . So for the past 2 1\/2 years , Levine has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the need for these cardiac devices in youth sports , which she does through her Robbie Levine Foundation , co-founded with her husband . Automated external defibrillators -- also known as AEDs -- administer electrical shocks that can restore a heart to its normal rhythm . When used in conjunction with CPR , these machines can make the difference between life and death . The American Heart Association reports that after sudden cardiac arrest , every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival by 7-10 percent . More than 165,000 adults die from sudden cardiac arrest each year , according to the heart association . While statistics are n't kept regarding the number of children who experience such incidents , some states have laws requiring defibrillators in schools . Yet Levine believes that if an incident occurs on a playing field , even having a defibrillator in a nearby school building might not be enough . `` Literally every minute counts , '' she stresses . `` When you 're out using a field , it 's too far away . '' Watch Levine recall the personal tragedy that motivated her to take action '' Through her foundation , Levine works to convince youth sports leagues to buy defibrillators and get people trained to operate them . She spends her days sending out an educational DVD produced by her foundation and talking to parents and coaches . Since defibrillators cost between $ 1,200 and $ 1,600 , her foundation often donates one to a league that commits to starting a program . But even so , Levine often encounters resistance . `` The biggest obstacles that we face are people 's fears , '' she says . `` But I just keep repeating over and over again : ` If it 's not there , it ca n't help . ' '' Watch Levine and her husband describe some misperceptions about defibrillators '' Levine 's goal is to make defibrillators mandatory safety equipment for youth sports , like a batting helmet in baseball . To date , she has raised approximately $ 200,000 and has helped put more than 100 defibrillators on playing fields around the country . Watch Levine explain some ways to help keep young athletes safe '' For Levine , keeping other kids safe is the best way to honor Robbie . `` This horrific thing happened to us , '' she says . `` All I can do is make it so that no other family ever has to go through this . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- These are hard times in the United States . The government released its annual report on income , poverty and insurance coverage last week . The median income in the U.S. in 2010 was $ 49,445 , which is 2.3 % lower than it was in 2009 . But that 's just the median . To understand how bad things really are , we need to look at poverty . Let 's be explicit . To qualify as below the poverty line , you have to be really poor . A single person under the age of 65 has to earn less than $ 11,244 to be considered in poverty . That 's significantly less than a full-time minimum wage job . A single mother with a child has to make less than $ 15,030 to be considered in poverty . The percentage of people who met these criteria increased to 15.1 % in 2010 from 14.3 % in 2009 . It 's gone up steadily since 2007 when it was 12.5 % . What really hurts , however , is exactly who in America qualifies as living in poverty . Because of the social safety nets in place , relatively few people over 64 are very poor -LRB- 9 % -RRB- . Children , on the other hand , suffer greatly . About 22 % of Americans under 18 live in poverty . Let me say that again : More than one in five children in the United States is living in poverty . Children account for more than one-third of all such people in the U.S. right now . Think about that when we talk about how to save money in the future . I 'm a health services researcher , and incredibly invested in how we reform the health care system of this country . It 's why I 'd also like you to focus on the plight of the uninsured . In 2010 , the report said , the number of people in the United States who lacked insurance for an entire year was 49.9 million . This is the largest number of people without insurance since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid . Almost all of these people are below 65 . -LRB- Pretty much every American over 65 is on Medicare , after all . -RRB- It gets worse . The percentage of Americans who were covered by private health insurance decreased again -- to 64 % ; the number of people covered by employer-provided health insurance dropped to 55.3 % . Where did all of these people go ? Lots of them went to the government , as the number with Medicaid coverage increased to 15.9 % and those with Medicare coverage increased to 14.5 % . America is hurting . Unemployment is on the rise . Poverty is increasing . More people are losing or unable to get private insurance , and turning to our safety nets for coverage . Most of the benefits and improvements of the Affordable Care Act -- the large Medicaid expansion , the exchanges , the mandate , the subsidies -- wo n't go into effect until 2014 . -LRB- An early feature of the act that has already gone into effect has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people under 26 to remain on their parents ' insurance , and this group has fared better . -RRB- This is the truth we face as we talk about how to reform the health care system : Some claim we need to depend on the private market more and more , but it 's shrinking and unable to cover those who need it . Some want to cut Medicaid funding , but it 's responsible for covering more and more Americans . It 's important to face reality . Of the 75 million or so children in the United States right now , more than one third are covered by Medicaid ; an additional 10 % or so are uninsured . When we talk about cutting Medicaid funding , we 're talking about making things worse for these children . There 's no getting around that . I know that there 's a deficit problem , and I know that it 's important to get a handle on entitlement spending . But we ca n't ignore that right now Medicaid is one of the cheapest insurance programs around . People seem to have forgotten , but the reason the Affordable Care Act puts 20 million more people in Medicaid is that it was cheaper than putting them in the exchanges to get private insurance . Moreover , about 5 % of Medicaid enrollees account for more than 50 % of all Medicaid spending . That spending is almost all on elderly and disabled people . It 's unlikely these people will be cut from Medicaid . Poor children ? Poor adults ? Far more likely . There will be hard decisions ahead . No one can deny that entitlement spending , especially health care spending , is unsustainable on its current path . We must be able to look at the budget and talk about areas where we might spend less . That will inevitably lead to some groups getting less than they did before . Yet , as voting blocs and advocacy groups defend their piece of the pie , let 's not forget those who can not speak for themselves . The ranks of the poor are growing . They 're populated with children . And they depend on Medicaid for their health care in increasing numbers . Let 's not sacrifice their future while we 're trying to save it for the rest of us . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Aaron E. Carroll .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rep. Patrick Murphy , an Iraq war veteran , kicked off a push Wednesday to persuade Americans that the president should repeal `` do n't ask , do n't tell , '' the policy that prevents openly gay troops from serving in the U.S. military . Rep. Patrick Murphy , a veteran of the Iraq war , says it is time to end `` do n't ask , do n't tell . '' Murphy , D-Pennsylvania , appeared along with several gay , lesbian and straight service members to launch the initiative . `` We can not afford to wait any longer '' for the policy 's repeal , Murphy said at the National Press Club in Washington . `` Now is the time to change this , when our military is stretched so thin '' with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . A `` Voices of Honor '' tour , sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign , will travel across the country , sharing stories of gay , lesbian and straight servicemen and - women in hopes of garnering support for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act , which would repeal the law that established the policy . The act would allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military without concealing their sexuality . Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said in a statement , `` We must repeal this discriminatory policy and ensure that our military can recruit and retain the best and the brightest troops regardless of their sexual orientation . '' President Obama has said he wants Congress to repeal the law , but gay rights groups have been angered that the president has not done more to hasten the change . Since Obama took office , 287 service members have been discharged for being gay , according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network , which supports the repeal . The bill , introduced by Colin Powell in 1993 and signed into law by President Clinton , ended the protocol requiring service members to state their sexual orientation . But Powell now says the time has come to review whether the policy is still necessary . `` Sixteen years have now gone by , and I think a lot has changed with respect to attitudes within our country , and therefore I think this is a policy and a law that should be reviewed , '' Powell said . `` I am withholding judgment , because the commanders of the armed forces of the United States and the joint chiefs of staff need to study it and make recommendations to the president and have hearings before the Congress before a decision is made , '' he added . The military 's top uniformed officer , Adm. Mike Mullen , said Wednesday that it 's clear the president wants the law changed and that he is beginning to work with his staff on how a repeal would be implemented . But , he advised , with two wars ongoing , that the decision not be hurried . `` When I talk about looking at this in the future , we have a force that 's under extraordinary stress , and it 's a force that , you know , should this occur , I think we need to implement in a way that is -- that recognizes the challenges and the stress that we 're under right now , '' said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . `` But , if it does occur , when it does occur , you know , I 'll certainly lead it and carry it out . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said he is looking for ways to make the policy `` more humane , '' including letting people serve who may have been outed because of vengeance or a jilted lover . But there is plenty of opposition to the repeal . In the spring , more than 1,000 retired officers signed a letter organized by Flag and General Officers for the Military urging Obama to uphold the law . `` We believe that imposing this burden on our men and women in uniform would undermine recruiting and retention , impact leadership at all levels , have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service , and eventually break the all-volunteer force , '' the letter said . The recent shooting death of a sailor has also raised questions about acceptance of gays among troops . The family of Seaman August Provost of Houston , Texas , said they believe that he was killed because of his sexual orientation and his race . But a spokesman for Camp Pendleton , where the shooting took place , said there was no indication early in the investigation that the killing was a hate crime . Still , Genevieve Chase , a straight veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and the founder of American Women 's Veterans , said she believes that not much would change in the military if `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' were repealed . Chase appeared with Murphy at the event Wednesday in Washington . Calling them service members of a `` new era , '' Chase said , `` Gays have been and are already serving openly . ... Allowing discrimination and bigotry to continue is what disrupts cohesion . '' There is no clear timeline for when the bill will be debated in Congress . Obama has said he will sign the repeal if it comes to his desk .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Conrad Murray , the physician under investigation in the death of singer Michael Jackson , said in a video posted online Tuesday that he has `` faith the truth will prevail . '' In Dr. Conrad Murray 's video , posted on YouTube , he tells supporters he has been receiving their messages . Murray , who was with Jackson when he died , recorded the one-minute video in Houston , Texas , on Wednesday and it posted on YouTube Tuesday , the spokeswoman for his lawyer said . `` I have done all I could do , '' Murray said . `` I told the truth , and I have faith the truth will prevail . '' The video is the first public comment by Murray since Jackson 's June 25 death . `` I want to thank all of my patients and friends who have sent such kind e-mails , letters and messages to let me know of your support and prayers for me and my family , '' Murray said . Watch the statement from Jackson 's doctor '' `` Because of all that is going on , I am afraid to return phone calls or use my e-mail . Therefore , I recorded this video to let all of you know that I have been receiving your messages , '' he said . Murray , a cardiologist , owned and operated two medical clinics -- in Las Vegas , Nevada , and in Houston -- but he took a full-time job as Jackson 's personal doctor in May as the pop singer prepared for his comeback concerts scheduled to start in July . He was at Jackson 's Los Angeles home when the entertainer was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital . Investigators have searched Murray 's home and clinics for evidence related to the anesthetic propofol , according to documents filed in court . A source close to the investigation told CNN that Murray is believed to have administered the drug -- also known by the brand name Diprivan -- to Jackson within 24 hours of his death . Murray has been `` under siege '' by the media and targeted by death threats in recent weeks , according to the spokeswoman . `` I have not been able to thank you personally , which , as you know , is not normal for me , '' Murray said in the video . `` Your messages give me strength and courage and keep me going . They mean the world to me . Please , do n't worry . As long as I keep God in my heart and you in my life , I will be fine . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French investigators said they are looking into problems encountered by an Air France jet last month in nearly the same spot over the Atlantic where another Air France jet mysteriously crashed in June . Air France flight 445 was flying from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Paris , France , the night of Nov. 29 when it encountered the problems , the French accident investigation agency , BEA , said in a news release this week . It is the same route taken by Air France flight 447 when it went down in the Atlantic Ocean in stormy weather June 1 , killing all 228 people aboard . The investigation agency has not established the cause of the crash , and large parts of the plane -- including both flight recorders -- have never been found . `` The analysis of what happened could lead to complementary explanations about the accident of flight AF 447 , '' the investigation agency said . Flight 445 encountered `` severe turbulence '' about four hours after takeoff on Nov. 29 , forcing the pilots to descend , Air France said in a statement after the flight . The crew sent out an emergency radio message to indicate it had left its flight level , Air France said . The flight , with 215 people aboard , `` continued normally '' after half an hour of moderate to severe turbulence , the airline said . Air France declined to comment on the investigation agency 's statement this week . The BEA said the November flight was an Airbus A330-203 , the same model involved in the June crash , but Air France said the November incident involved an Airbus A330-200 . While French authorities have not yet determined what caused the June crash , tests have brought into question the performance of pitot tubes , which are used to measure the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air , and are part of a system used to determine air speed . Flight 447 sent out 24 automated error messages before it crashed that suggested the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through the thunderstorms , officials have said . The European Aviation Safety Agency -LRB- EASA -RRB- issued a directive in late August requiring airlines to replace pitot tubes manufactured by Thales Avionics on Airbus A330s and A340s . It said airlines should replace them with other Thales tubes and those manufactured by Goodrich . -- CNN 's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Peter Bergen , CNN 's national security analyst , is a fellow at the New America Foundation , a Washington-based think tank that promotes innovative thought from across the ideological spectrum , and at New York University 's Center on Law and Security . He 's the author of `` The Osama bin Laden I Know : An Oral History of al Qaeda 's Leader . '' Peter Bergen says Osama bin Laden is still alive and still significant eight years after September 11 . HELMAND , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eight years after September 11 , the `` war on terror '' has gone the way of the dodo . And President Obama talks instead about a war against al Qaeda and its allies . What , then , of al Qaeda 's enigmatic leader , Osama bin Laden , who has vanished like a wisp of smoke ? And does he even matter now ? The U.S. government had n't had a solid lead on al Qaeda 's leader since the battle of Tora Bora in winter 2001 . Although there are informed hypotheses that today he is in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province on the Afghan border , perhaps in one of the more northerly areas such as Bajaur , these are essentially guesses , not `` actionable '' intelligence . A longtime American counterterrorism analyst explained to me , `` There is very limited collection on him personally . '' That 's intelligence community shorthand for the fact that the usual avenues of `` collection '' on a target such as bin Laden are yielding little or no information about him . Those avenues typically include signal intercepts of phone calls and e-mails , as well as human intelligence from spies . Given the hundreds of billions of dollars that the `` war on terror '' has consumed , the failure to capture or kill al Qaeda 's leader is one of its signal failures . Does it even matter whether bin Laden is found ? Yes , it does . First , there is the matter of justice for the almost 3,000 people who died in the September 11 attacks and for the thousands of other victims of al Qaeda 's attacks around the world . Second , every day that bin Laden remains at liberty is a propaganda victory for al Qaeda . Third , although bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri are n't managing al Qaeda 's operations on a daily basis they guide the overall direction of the jihadist movement around the world , even while they are in hiding . Those messages from al Qaeda 's leaders have reached untold millions worldwide via television , the Internet and newspapers . The tapes have not only instructed al Qaeda 's followers to continue to kill Westerners and Jews , but some also carried specific instructions that militant cells then acted on . In March 2008 , for instance , the al Qaeda leader denounced the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper as a `` catastrophe '' for which punishment would soon be meted out . Three months later , an al Qaeda suicide attacker bombed the Danish Embassy in Islamabad , killing six . Some reading this may think : But what 's the proof that the al Qaeda leader is still alive ? Plenty . Since September 11 , bin Laden has released a slew of video and audiotapes , many of which discuss current events . After a nine-month silence , for instance , bin Laden released a 22-minute audiotape on March 14 , sharply condemning the recent Israeli invasion of Gaza . Are these tapes real ? Not one of the dozens of tapes released by bin Laden after 9\/11 has been a fake . Indeed the U.S. government has authenticated many of them using bin Laden 's distinctive voiceprint . And what about the persistent reports that he is ill ? In 2002 , Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said bin Laden had kidney disease , for which he required a dialysis machine , and was therefore likely dead . But the stories of bin Laden 's life-threatening kidney problems are false , judging by his appearance in videos that he released in 2004 and again in 2007 , in which he showed no signs of illness . On the 2007 tape , the al Qaeda leader had even dyed his white-flecked beard black , suggesting that as the Saudi militant entered his fifth decade , he was not immune to a measure of vanity about his personal appearance . In fact , bin Laden looked much better in those videos than he did in the video he released shortly after the battle of Tora Bora in late 2001 , where he had narrowly escaped being killed in a massive American attack . The situation is further complicated by the fact that bin Laden and al-Zawahiri are almost certainly hiding out in the tribal areas of Pakistan , on the Afghan border . Arthur Keller , a CIA officer who ran a spy network in Pakistan 's tribal areas in 2006 , told me the problems of working in the region : `` It 's an incredibly remote area . They 're hiding in a sea of people that are very xenophobic of outsiders , so it 's a very , very tough nut to crack . '' An additional factor operating in bin Laden 's favor is the personal popularity he has long enjoyed in Pakistan . Three years after the September 11 attacks , for instance , a Pew poll found that al Qaeda 's leader had a 65 percent favorability rating among Pakistanis . However , it is clear from the videos of bin Laden and al-Zawahiri that aired in the years since the attacks that they are not living in caves . In those tapes , both men 's clothes were clean and well-pressed . Caves generally do n't have laundry facilities . And the videos that they have released are well-lit and well-shot productions , suggesting access either to electrical outlets or to generators to run lights . Al-Zawahiri is often filmed in a library setting , and on one of his videos from March 2006 , there are curtains clearly visible behind him , suggesting that the tape was shot in a house . By early 2008 , the Bush administration had tired of the Pakistani government 's unwillingness or inability to take out al Qaeda 's leaders , and in July , the president authorized Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults in the tribal regions without the permission of the Pakistani government . But in the face of the intense Pakistani opposition to American boots on the ground , the Bush administration chose to rely instead on drones to target suspected al Qaeda and Taliban leaders . Bush ordered the CIA to expand its attacks with Predator and Reaper drones . Between July 2008 and this month , U.S. drones have killed dozens of lower-ranking militants and at least 10 mid - and upper-level leaders within al Qaeda or the Taliban . This strategy seems to have worked , at least in terms of combating the ability of al Qaeda to plan or carry out attacks in the West . Law-enforcement authorities have uncovered no serious plots against U.S. or European targets that were traceable to militants who had received training in Pakistan 's tribal regions after the drone program had been dramatically ramped up there . The increased pace of the American drone attacks in Pakistani 's tribal areas was motivated in part by the hope that it would increase panicked communications among the militants , which might help pinpoint the locations of the top leaders in al Qaeda or the Taliban , but that approach has not paid off when it comes to bin Laden . If killing bin Laden with a drone has proved difficult , so too will be capturing him alive . His former bodyguard Abu Jandal told Al Quds al Arabi newspaper , `` Sheikh Osama gave me a pistol . ... The pistol had only two bullets , for me to kill Sheikh Osama with in case we were surrounded or he was about to fall into the enemy 's hands , so that he would not be caught alive '' Should bin Laden be captured or killed , that would probably trigger a succession battle within al Qaeda . While al-Zawahiri is the deputy leader of the terror group and therefore technically bin Laden 's successor , he is not regarded as a natural leader . Indeed , even among his fellow Egyptian militants , al-Zawahiri is seen as a divisive force , and so he is unlikely to be able to step into the role of leader of al Qaeda and of the world jihadist movement that is occupied by bin Laden . By the law of averages , eventually , bin Laden will be captured or killed . Yet the ideological movement that he helped spawn -- `` Binladenism '' -- will live on long after he is gone . That is bin Laden 's legacy . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bergen .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former NBA star and TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley attended the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday and answered five questions for CNN.com at the CNN Grill . Former NBA star Charles Barkley says the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq . CNN.com : Why are you here in Denver ? Barkley : I just wanted to be here . I 'm just so excited . I never thought in my lifetime we 'd have a black man with a legitimate shot of being president . CNN.com : Are you a Barack Obama supporter ? Barkley : Barack has been a friend of mine for a long time . I met him when I was writing my last book , and he was running for Senate , and I got to know him , and we stayed in contact . I consider him a friend . I think he 'd make a fantastic president . I want to make it clear that if I did n't think he could do the job , I would n't vote for him . I think he 'd make a fantastic president . And I 'm not voting for him because he 's black . I think he 's a great person . CNN.com : What do you think the Democrats need to do here to win the White House ? Barkley : I think they 've got to just make sure to get those troops home from Iraq , that 's a big deal . But No. 1 , we 've got to give poor people a chance . America is divided by economics , and we as Americans , we 've got to do a better job of supporting poor people . CNN.com : How ? Barkley : We 've got to improve the public school system . If you 're born in this country poor , whether you 're white or black , you 're going to be born in a bad neighborhood ; you 're going to go to a bad school . It 's going to be very difficult for poor people to be successful . iReport.com : Are you at the DNC ? Share sights , sounds CNN.com : What are you doing in Denver for fun ? Barkley : I 'm going to the Hill Harper party tonight . Last night we just went out and had a real nice meal and just took it easy because I knew today was going to be a long day . I just want to be here . Plain and simple . CNN.com : Are you running for governor in Alabama ? Barkley : I 'm planning on running for governor . I ca n't screw up Alabama . Politics , it 's just so important , and I just want to do good things with my name , and I 'm just going to keep continuing to do that .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ted Haggard , the former megachurch pastor and former National Association of Evangelicals chief whose career was undone by a gay prostitution and drugs scandal in 2006 , plans to start a new church . Standing in front of his barn , Haggard and his family announced Wednesday that they are starting a church in Colorado Springs , Colorado , called Saint James . The church , which will not be affiliated with any denomination , will have its first gathering Sunday at the Haggard home . `` All are welcome . Whether you 're a Democrat , a Republican , gay , straight , bi - -LSB- sexual -RSB- , tall , short , addict , recovering addict . ... I believe Jesus ' arms are open to all , '' he said . In 2006 , Haggard acknowledged having received a massage from a Denver , Colorado , man who said that the prominent pastor had paid him for sex over three years . Haggard also admitted he had bought methamphetamine but said he threw it away . Those statements led the Board of Overseers at New Life Church to fire Haggard as senior pastor . The church 's independent investigative board said he was guilty of `` sexually immoral conduct . '' After the allegations were made public , Haggard resigned as president of the influential National Association of Evangelicals , an umbrella group representing more than 45,000 churches with 30 million members . As part of his severance package with New Life Church , Haggard was barred from speaking publicly for a year . After that time elapsed , he made various media appearances , including starring in a documentary on HBO about his life . Sunday 's service will mark his first return to the ministry in a full-time capacity . `` This is an emotional morning for me , '' he told reporters . Flanked by his wife Gayle and their children and grandchildren , he said the family members had prayed long and hard before deciding to start another church . `` While many believe I am not qualified , nor will I ever be because of what we 've been through , I may be qualified to help other people in need , '' Haggard said . `` I do n't expect to have another megachurch . I 'll be so pleased if a handful of people join with us . Something is better than nothing , and helping one is better than helping none . '' In response to a question , Haggard said he had no plans to perform gay marriages at the new church ; that the only marriages he will perform will be between a man and a woman . `` Those are the marriages we 'll do in our church , '' he said . `` As for society , that 's a different story . '' His wife said she backed the move . `` I was not willing to let the scandal be the last chapter in our lives , '' Gayle Haggard told reporters . In a statement , New Life Church said it `` will always be grateful for the many years of dedicated leadership from Ted and Gayle Haggard and we wish their family only the best . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another massive snowstorm barreled into the mid-Atlantic region Tuesday , as residents still reeling from a paralyzing weekend blizzard faced more of the same . Hundreds of flights were canceled , and airlines were waiting to see whether they would have to cancel more . No flights were expected to be operating Wednesday at Reagan National Airport or at Washington Dulles International , the Washington Airports Authority said . Federal workers and schoolchildren in the nation 's capital were told to stay home for a second consecutive day . The National Weather Service predicted another 10 to 20 inches of snow for northern Virginia , eastern Maryland and Washington beginning Tuesday afternoon and continuing through Wednesday . In last weekend 's blizzard , a record 32.4 inches of snow fell on Washington 's Dulles International Airport over two days , breaking the January 7-8 , 1996 , record of 23.2 inches . Are you there ? Share your winter weather photos , video If as severe as predicted , the new storm will be the third major snowfall to hit the nation 's capital and surrounding region in slightly more than seven weeks . In Washington on Tuesday , out-of-towners Susan Martin and Robert Travers told CNN affiliate WJLA they had just flown to the city for a conference , but learned when they arrived that the conference had been canceled . Flights that would take them home from Reagan National Airport had been canceled , too . `` We probably wo n't get a flight back out of here until Thursday . That 's what they 're telling us , '' Martin told WJLA . WJLA.com : People stranded at Washington airports , train stations It was not expected to begin snowing in some areas until Tuesday night or Wednesday . Forecasters said Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , could be slammed with 3 to 7 inches Tuesday and an additional 8 to 12 inches on Wednesday ; Washington , 4 to 8 inches on Tuesday night and another 3 to 7 inches Wednesday ; 5 to 8 inches Tuesday and 3 to 5 on Wednesday in Boston , Massachusetts ; and 2 to 4 inches Tuesday and 6 to 10 inches Wednesday in New York . Snow coverage from CNN affiliate WBAL Delays of 30 minutes were reported for some flights at Chicago , Illinois ' , O'Hare International Airport , where more than 600 flights were canceled . Most of the flights at Midway Airport also were canceled , according to Gregg Cunningham , spokesman for the Chicago Department of Aviation . Southwest Airlines was expecting to resume its normal schedule Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. , he said . Travelers should confirm the status of their flights by checking their airline 's Web site before departing for the airport , he advised . Delta Air Lines canceled 375 flights , including regional flights , in various locations Tuesday , spokesman Anthony Black said . He said a decision would be made Tuesday evening on any Wednesday cancellations . American Airlines canceled 80 flights into and out of Washington and Philadelphia , spokesman Tim Wagner said . American and Delta said they had pre-emptively canceled 120 flights for Wednesday for both cities . US Airways canceled 135 mainline flights and 307 US Airways Express flights systemwide , spokesman Andrew Christie said . He said the airline has canceled 380 mainline flights and 1,042 US Airways Express flights . Snow causes more headaches for travelers The storms were taking a financial toll on local governments . Alexandria , Virginia , spent more than $ 1 million for the massive snowstorm that hit the region in December , budget analyst Morgan Routt said , and the city was still cleaning up after last weekend 's storm . `` So , you can imagine , that 's costing even more , '' he said . `` We 've had people working around the clock . '' The city , whose fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 , generally budgets $ 790,000 annually for snow removal . That covers the costs of equipment , personnel , contractors , materials and supplies . For the 2009 year ending in July , Routt said , the city spent only $ 485,000 . Part of this year 's costs are reimbursable by the federal government because the governor declared a snow emergency , he added . All Washington National Guard full-time personnel were asked to report for duty Tuesday morning and expect to stay for two or three nights , helping with emergency response operations . Elsewhere , crews worked 24-hour shifts to clear roads and repair power lines , warning that it might take days to restore electricity to some customers from Pennsylvania to Virginia . In Mount Penn , Pennsylvania , about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia , many people were using the space between last week 's storm and the approaching one to fix snowblowers , CNN affiliate WFMZ reported . Dave Swope , who has worked at Leinbach 's Hardware in Mount Penn for 25 years , said Tuesday he has never seen so many people wanting to fix their snowblowers at the same time . `` We got people yesterday asking us how to start them , how to turn them on , '' Swope told WFMZ . `` They just have n't used them in years , and then the knowledge goes away . '' WFMZ.com : Snow blowers piled up for fixing before storm CNN 's Steve Kastenbaum and Sean Morris contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Santa Ana , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has postponed an arraignment hearing scheduled for a former Marine accused of fatally stabbing four homeless men in Southern California . The hearing for Itzcoatl Ocampo , 23 , was postponed Wednesday until February 17 after Judge Donald F. Gaffney granted a defense motion asking for more time . Ocampo , 23 , remains jailed without bail . He is in a protective `` suicide blanket , '' defense attorney Randall Longwith said . Longwith told reporters he asked for the delay because he had not been given enough time to meet with his client . Authorities only allowed him to talk with Ocampo for 15 seconds Tuesday , he said . `` There was no basis for a plea at this point . I do n't have enough information to even make a plea , '' he said . Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters Wednesday that Ocampo was a `` serious , vicious killer . '' `` He appears to be lucid , calm , intelligent , somebody who knows what he 's doing . And his acts are very intentional , '' Rackauckas said . Describing his brief conversation with Ocampo , Longwith painted a different picture . `` He looked at me . He answered when I asked him questions . It was a flat affect and a distant look in his eyes . ... He looked frightened in there , starry-eyed , '' Longwith said . The attorney said he did not know whether his client had been medicated . He said he hoped to have doctors examine Ocampo as soon as possible . Ocampo faces four charges of first-degree murder . He was arrested Friday night after he allegedly stabbed a transient to death , Anaheim Police Sgt. Bob Dunn said . Rackauckas said Tuesday that prosecutors had not decided whether they would seek the death penalty in the case . Attached to the 1st Marine Logistics Group at Camp Pendleton , California , Ocampo was a corporal and a motor vehicle operator , serving in the Marines from July 2006 until July 2010 , and was deployed to Iraq for six months in 2008 , according to Marine service records . He received an Iraq campaign medal with one star , a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a National Defense Service Medal , records showed . Ocampo 's family members watched Wednesday 's hearing on a video monitor at the courthouse , but did not speak to reporters . The arrest left those who know Ocampo confused . The suspect 's father , Refugio Ocampo , who is himself homeless , told the Orange County Register it was hard to believe his son could be involved in the killings . `` I saw him so many times giving the last money he had in his pocket ... to the homeless , to the people that -LRB- are -RRB- asking for some help . ... My son 's always been a role model , '' Refugio Ocampo said in a video interview posted on the newspaper 's website . Norberto Martinez , a family friend who lives with the veteran 's uncle , mother and two siblings in Yorba Linda , California , said family and friends were surprised to learn that the mild-mannered 23-year-old was a suspect in the slayings . Martinez said he watched ballgames on television and went on walks with Ocampo , but avoided talking about the war because it upset the veteran . `` I would n't talk to him about Iraq , '' Martinez said . `` Whenever he talked with me , he was normal . '' The four slaying victims are James McGillivray , 50 , who was killed December 20 ; Lloyd `` Jimmy '' Middaugh , 42 , who died December 27 ; Paulus `` Dutch '' Smit , 57 , killed on December 30 ; and John Berry , 64 , who was stabbed to death January 13 . CNN 's Linda Hall , Michael Martinez , Jaqueline Hurtado and Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man identified as the double agent who killed eight people at a U.S. base in Afghanistan was a Jordanian doctor recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence source , a senior Jordanian official said Tuesday . A former U.S. intelligence official identified the suicide bomber Monday as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi . The Jordanian official , speaking on condition of anonymity , said authorities in Jordan arrested al-Balawi more than a year ago `` for some suspicious information related to him '' but released him because of a lack of evidence . `` After few months , he got in touch with us through the Internet and sent us several e-mails that include very important and rather dangerous information that might affect the security and stability of the country , '' the official said . `` We kept in touch with him through e-mails in order to get more information and also trying to bring him over to be able to get more information . We shared and exchanged the information he gave us with some other friendly countries that are involved in countering terrorism . '' The official said Jordan could not confirm that al-Balawi was the bomber , `` because we are not on the ground . '' `` But we are not denying that if he is the one , then he is the Jordanian doctor , '' the official said . The December 30 blast at a U.S. base in Khost , in southeastern Afghanistan , killed seven CIA operatives including two from private security firm Xe , formerly known as Blackwater . The eighth victim was Jordanian Army Capt. Sharif Ali bin Zeid , a cousin of Jordan 's King Abdullah II . U.S. sources said bin Zeid was the Jordanian operative working closely with al-Balawi , who was from the same hometown as the onetime leader of al Qaeda in Iraq , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi . Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed that al-Balawi had been rehabilitated from his extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al-Zawahiri , al Qaeda 's No. 2 figure , the former intelligence official said . In a posting on its Web site last week , the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed that the bomber was an Afghan National Army soldier . On Sunday , however , Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in an e-mail that his arm of the Islamic movement carried out the attack , using a Jordanian national . Mehsud 's message predicted , `` This will be admitted by the CIA and the Jordanian government . '' The attack was `` a huge blow , symbolically and tactically , '' because it eliminated such a large number of CIA officers , who can require years to become ingrained in the region , said Reva Bhalla , director of analysis for the international intelligence firm STRATFOR . In addition , the attack showed the ability of the Taliban to penetrate perhaps the most difficult of targets : a CIA base , she said . Former CIA official Robert Richer called it the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut , Lebanon , which killed eight agents . An American intelligence official vowed last week that the United States would avenge the attack .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It is possible more U.S. troops could be added in Afghanistan if the new U.S. commander there needs them , but Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not expect a significant increase . U.S. Marines sweep for bombs in Afghanistan this week . During a visit to troops at Fort Drum , New York , on Thursday , Gates said he is waiting to hear what Gen. Stanley McChrystal recommends after he completes a review of operations in Afghanistan . McChrystal is expected to complete a classified report for Gates by the end of this month , assessing where the war stands , and what needs to be done . He will tell Gates whether he needs more U.S. troops to fight the escalating conflict , according to a senior U.S. military official . Gates asked McChrystal to `` state his requirements for resources , '' said the official -- who did not want to be identified because the report is not completed . The review is also expected to recommend that the number of Afghan troops be increased beyond the goal of 134,000 , other military sources said . During a speech and question-and-answer session with troops at Fort Drum , Gates acknowledged he would consider a recommendation to boost U.S. troops beyond the level of 68,000 already approved . `` We 'll see what Gen. McChrystal recommends , '' he said . `` But I think there will not be a significant increase in troop levels in Afghanistan beyond the 68,000 , at least probably through the end of the year . Maybe some increase , but not a lot . '' Gates has made clear in the past he is reluctant to approve additional major increases in troop levels , preferring to keep the U.S. at a lower profile in the nation . About 57,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan , with the other 11,000 to arrive by the end of this year . Gates has said he wants to see if that level of troops would be sufficient . Gates ' press secretary , Geoff Morrell , told CNN the Fort Drum comments `` are not necessarily a foreshadowing of what 's to come . '' He said Gates `` does n't want to impose an artificial troop cap on the commander , '' but does want to see if the strategy can be carried out with the approved troop levels .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shortly before his death , Sen. Edward M. Kennedy wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI asking for the pontiff to pray for him as he struggled with an aggressive form of brain cancer , it was revealed at his graveside service Saturday evening . Members of the Kennedy family gather at the gravesite Saturday evening . Kennedy , the youngest and last-surviving brother of a heralded Kennedy generation , was laid to rest on a hillside at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his slain brothers , the late President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy -- both assassinated more than four decades ago . Cardinal Theodore McCarrick read a recent letter from Kennedy to the pope at the private burial ceremony in Arlington , Virginia . `` I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines , '' McCarrick said , quoting from Kennedy 's letter . `` I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago , and although I continue treatment the disease is taking its toll on me . I am 77 years old , and preparing for the next passage of life , '' the cardinal read . Read excerpts from Kennedy 's letter to pontiff The burial service at dusk followed a eulogy by President Barack Obama in Massachusetts , a brief prayer service outside the U.S. Capitol and a procession through the crowd-lined street of Washington 's streets . Among the congressional colleagues greeting the Kennedy family at the Capitol was 91-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd , D-West Virginia , who has been out of the spotlight lately because of deteriorating health . Watch an overview of the day 's events '' Many who had gathered at the Capitol were visibly emotional and wiping tears from their eyes . Some held framed photos of Kennedy , and many held American flags that they waved during a singing of `` America the Beautiful . '' The Rev. Daniel Coughlin -- chaplain of the House of Representatives -- said a prayer and addressed the family . `` Here we are to pray with you , offer sympathy and thank you , '' he said . `` Thank you for sharing the senator . '' Coughlin also noted that Kennedy 's hopes were `` unquenchable , full of immortality . '' As Kennedy 's widow , Vicki , went back into the car , she waved to the crowd and mouthed , `` Thank you '' as the crowd erupted into applause . The late senator 's son , U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy , addressed those on the steps , saying how his father `` knew that he was only great because he had great people supporting him . '' `` He would be very proud to see you all out here today paying a final respect and tribute to his memory , '' he said . Earlier Saturday at the funeral in Boston , Massachusetts , Obama hailed Kennedy as `` a champion for those who had none ; the soul of the Democratic Party ; and the lion of the U.S. Senate . '' `` He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not , and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow , '' the president said . `` We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber , face reddened , fist pounding the podium , a veritable force of nature , in support of health care or workers ' rights or civil rights , '' Obama said , calling Kennedy `` the greatest legislator of our time . '' Watch President Obama 's full eulogy '' Kennedy 's son Ted Jr. delivered a tender , personal remembrance of his larger-than-life father . He said his father `` never stopped trying to right wrongs . '' Kennedy lived up to the ideals of three older brothers , all of whom died young -- Joseph in World War II , President John and Sen. Robert assassinated -- his son said . `` He answered Uncle Joe 's call to patriotism , Uncle Jack 's call to public service and Bobby 's determination to seek a newer world . `` Unlike them , he lived to be a grandfather , and knowing what my cousins have been through , I feel grateful that I have had my father as long as I did , '' Ted Jr. said . `` My father was not perfect , but he believed in redemption , '' he said . And he said Kennedy had made light of his failure to become president , despite the weight of expectations on him as a Kennedy . `` I do n't mind not being president , I just mind that someone else is , '' he quoted his father as saying , closing his remembrance with a line from Kennedy 's famous 1980 concession speech that ended his presidential ambitions : `` The work goes on , the cause endures , the hope still lives and the dream will never die . '' Watch as Ted Kennedy Jr. recalls his dad 's help when he lost his leg as a boy '' The funeral began with a hearse bearing Kennedy 's body through Boston rain from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library to Mission Church . A military honor guard carried the coffin through a sea of black umbrellas into the church . Watch as military honor guard carries Kennedy 's casket '' People lined the streets of Boston cheering for Kennedy as the service began , despite the rain . Local bars and restaurants were packed with people watching the live coverage on television inside . Former presidents Bill Clinton , George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter also came to honor the late legislator , known as the lion of the Senate . Vicki Kennedy accepted condolences from each of the current and former presidents before Holy Communion . The program concluded with an undated quote from Kennedy : `` For all my years in public life , I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all . There is no end to that journey , only the next great voyage . We know the future will outlast all of us , but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make . '' Many of Kennedy 's fellow senators past and present came to say a final farewell . Other mourners included Vice President Joe Biden and former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dan Quayle , all veterans of the Senate , where Kennedy served for 47 years . Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick , CIA chief Leon Panetta , and several Cabinet members also turned out to pay their respects . Watch as Mass for Kennedy begins '' Sen. John McCain , the 2008 Republican presidential candidate , chatted with Sen. Chris Dodd , a Connecticut Democrat , in the pews before the ceremony began . Honorary pallbearers at the service included Dodd , Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer , Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts -- his party 's 2004 presidential candidate -- and long-time Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey , also a Democrat . The actual pallbearers were Kennedy children , nieces and nephews . World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed two pieces during the service , and was joined by the tenor Placido Domingo for one of them . At the graveside service were a number of family members , as well as Vice President Joe Biden . Kennedy 's grave is 95 feet south of his brother Robert 's , which is just steps away from the burial site of another brother , former President John F. Kennedy . A single white , wooden cross will be placed at the head of the grave and a marble footmarker put in place . The footmarker reads : `` Edward Moore Kennedy 1932-2009 . '' The setup is identical to Robert Kennedy 's grave , Arlington cemetery spokeswoman Kaitlin Horst told CNN . Kennedy , the patriarch of America 's leading Democratic family for more than 40 years , died at the age of 77 on Tuesday , 15 months after being diagnosed with brain cancer . CNN 's Jessica Yellin , John King and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House insists that it was entirely former Sen. Tom Daschle 's decision to withdraw his nomination , but some observers say he did n't have a choice . Tom Daschle said Tuesday that he 's stepping aside as the nominee for secretary of health and human services . Despite the controversy over his tax records and his work in a field that some consider lobbying , Daschle was expected to be confirmed . His withdrawal shocked Capitol Hill , and Democratic colleagues expressed regret over his decision . `` I think one of the major factors had to be that the political climate has changed radically just in the last couple of weeks , '' CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry said . President Obama ripped Wall Street executives last week for their `` shameful '' decision to hand out $ 18 billion in bonuses in 2008 while accepting federal bailout money . The next day , news broke that Daschle had n't paid his taxes in full . Daschle said Monday that he was `` deeply embarrassed '' for a series of errors that included failing to report $ 15,000 in charitable donations , unreported car service and more than $ 80,000 in unreported income from consulting . Daschle recently filed amended tax returns and paid more than $ 140,000 in back taxes and interest for 2005-07 . `` That , in this political climate , really tripped up Tom Daschle because it looked awful politically for this White House , '' Henry said . In an interview with CNN 's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday , Obama said he made a mistake in handling the nomination of Daschle . `` I think I screwed up . And , I take responsibility for it and we 're going to make sure we fix it so it does n't happen again . `` Ultimately , I campaigned on changing Washington and bottom-up politics , '' Obama said . `` And I do n't want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards -- one for powerful people and one for ordinary folks who are working every day and paying their taxes . '' At a news conference Tuesday afternoon , press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted that the White House did not pressure Daschle to step down . Watch Gibbs answer questions about Daschle 's move '' Pressed on whether Daschle was given any sort of signal to resign , Gibbs said , `` I do n't know how much more clear I could be . The decision was Sen. Daschle 's . '' A Daschle ally familiar with his thinking said Tuesday that he was not aware of any White House pressure on the former Senate majority leader to withdraw his nomination . Asked whether Daschle was pushed , the source said , `` things do n't work that cleanly . '' The issue was not whether Daschle could `` survive '' ; it was what that process `` would do to Obama '' and his health care reform and economic agenda . It 's a question of the `` price of that confirmation , '' he said . The source said Daschle read the Tuesday New York Times editorial urging him to withdraw from consideration but would not say whether that might have played a part in his decision . `` Tom has been a politician for a very long time , '' the source said . `` He understands this town . He made a mistake ; he apologized , but timing matters . There was a critical mass building . '' Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said he thought Daschle made the decision Tuesday morning . `` I have to believe that Sen. Daschle having spent as many years as he has up here had a clear picture that there was going to be a delay , and I think he did n't want to contribute to that . In announcing his withdrawal , Daschle said it was an honor to be chosen to lead the reform of America 's health care system . `` But if 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything , it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people , and without distraction , '' he said in a statement . `` Right now , I am not that leader and will not be a distraction . '' Mark Preston , CNN 's political editor , pointed out that Daschle has a `` history of making 11th-hour decisions . '' Six years ago , Daschle made a last-minute decision not to run for president after he had been all set to go . `` I think that the Tom Daschle we saw yesterday was all set to go , and then the pressure started mounting ... and then he decided to pull out , '' Preston said . Although he was expected to be confirmed , it was also expected that he 'd have to undergo a bruising confirmation hearing that could have led to negative headlines for Obama . As news broke of the withdrawal , some senators said they were sad to see Daschle step aside , but others said it was the right thing to do . `` I 'm in shock . I did n't know that . I do n't know what happened , '' said Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-California . `` I talked to him ... the night before last , and he showed no signs of withdrawing . '' Feinstein praised Daschle as rare person who could get something like health care through the Senate and said she wishes he had not withdrawn . `` I have great faith in him . '' Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas , said Daschle `` did a service to President Obama '' by stepping aside . `` I think it really would have looked bad for the Senate to close ranks around a fellow member and sort of reinforce the idea that they were going to protect a member as part of the good ol' boys club , '' he said . Daschle has a lengthy history with members of Congress . He represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives for four terms , and he served in the Senate for three terms . He was the Senate majority leader from June 2001 to January 2003 and served as the minority leader before losing his re-election bid in 2005 . Sen. John Ensign , R-Nevada , said Daschle `` saved the president from being embarrassed '' by withdrawing . Watch Republicans weigh in on the move '' Sen. Max Baucus , chairman of the Senate Finance Committee , said he was `` a little stunned '' by Daschle 's decision . `` I thought he was going to get confirmed . I thought -- he 's a good man , and I thought he 'd be confirmed . I 'm surprised , '' said Baucus , D-Montana . Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , insisted that Daschle had owned up to his mistakes . `` He 's made his decision , I respect his decision , and we go on from there , '' Kerry said . Daschle 's resignation came hours after Nancy Killefer 's withdrawal as Obama 's chief performance officer , a new post in the administration . Officials said privately the reason for Killefer 's withdrawal was unspecified tax issues . The much-touted post was designed to scrub the federal budget . CNN 's Lisa Desjardins , Candy Crowley and Kristi Keck contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The highly fortified International Zone in Baghdad came under fire the same day that Vice President Joe Biden paid a surprise visit , an Interior Ministry official told CNN . Vice President Joe Biden talks to the media Tuesday in Baghdad 's fortified International Zone . Biden was not injured , according to CNN 's Chris Lawrence , who was traveling with the vice president . But at least one round seems to have landed in the U.S. Embassy grounds , U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill said . The zone houses the embassy and many government buildings . Lawrence said he heard the blasts but saw no damage . CNN 's Cal Perry said he heard four loud `` booms . '' Warning alarms were sounded , and security was stepped up in the International Zone , which is informally known as the Green Zone . It is not clear what weapons were fired or if Biden was near the location where the rounds hit . For security reasons , reporters traveling with the vice president are not allowed to report his location . Watch as Lawrence reports on the attack '' A U.S. military spokesman said he could confirm only that one round hit , and he said it did not land in the International Zone . `` Initial reports indicate one round of indirect fire impacted near the International Zone , not in it , '' Lt. Col. Phillip Smith , a spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad , told CNN . But Hill told reporters that some sort of projectile landed in the east end of the embassy complex . He said the projectile was the reason for a `` duck-and-cover '' alarm that journalists traveling with Biden heard during a briefing by top U.S. officials in Baghdad . The alarm sounded intermittently throughout almost the entire 35-minute briefing by Hill and the top U.S. general in Iraq , Ray Odierno , Lawrence said . Odierno and Hill did not seem concerned , he said . No one jumped up or tried to run out of the building . They paused if they were talking when the alarm sounded , and picked up when it stopped . There was an `` all-clear '' as the briefing ended . Hill said it is kind of unusual to get this type of attack now . He said they used to happen 10 to 12 times a day , but now are few and far between . Biden 's visit was widely reported on Iraqi television , Perry said . He is in Iraq to meet with the country 's leaders and visit U.S. troops , his office said . Journalists on the plane with the vice president were not told where they were going until after they were on the way . Biden was due to sit down with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , as well as Massoud Barzani , the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government , and other officials . He was greeted at the airport at dusk by Gen. Odierno , Ambassador Hill and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari . Watch Biden arrive in Iraq , greet troops '' He flew by helicopter to the International Zone . Biden , Hill , Odierno and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg , who is traveling with Biden , then went into a meeting . They did not speak to reporters . This is Biden 's third trip to Iraq this year , after visits in July and January . `` The president has asked the vice president to provide sustained , high-level focus from the White House on Iraq , and this trip is part of that mission , '' the White House said in a statement issued as Biden arrived . The United States is less than a year away from its goal of withdrawing all combat troops from Iraq . Hill has said the next 12 months are `` very critical '' to establishing security in Iraq , but the goal of withdrawing most U.S. troops by August 2010 is `` absolutely achievable . '' Biden said Odierno is `` optimistic '' that Iraqi forces will be ready in time to allow U.S. withdrawals to go ahead as planned , according to Lawrence . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mourners packed into a church in Illinois Monday to remember a woman whose death made headlines worldwide . At the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in Chicago , a funeral was held for Dawn Brancheau , a SeaWorld trainer who died last week after a killer whale dragged her underwater at Shamu Stadium in Orlando , Florida . A memorial service for the 40-year-old will take place in Orlando , Florida , at a future date , according to the Blake Lamb Funeral Home . Brancheau had wanted to be an animal trainer from the time she visited SeaWorld as a 9-year-old , her sister Diane Gross said last week . `` It was her dream job , '' Gross said . `` She loved the animals like they were her own children . ... She loved what she did . '' Brancheau was pulled underwater Wednesday at SeaWorld Orlando , when a 6-ton killer whale named Tilikum grabbed her ponytail . A source at SeaWorld said the whale dove deep underwater after seizing Brancheau . Trainers had to wrangle the animal into a smaller pool before they could retrieve her body about 40 minutes later . The same whale was linked previously to two other human deaths . Tilikum and two other whales were involved in the 1991 drowning of a trainer at a marine park in Victoria , British Columbia . The trainer fell into the whale tank at Sealand of the Pacific and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched . In 1999 , Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld , the apparent victim of the whale 's `` horseplay , '' authorities said then . Labor Department spokesman Mike Wald said the safety and health agency is looking into whether Occupational Safety and Health Administration workplace standards were violated in Brancheau 's death . The agency will complete a report within six months , he said . If workplace infractions are found , OSHA will propose financial penalties , Wald said . If that happens , the company could accept the penalties and make needed workplace changes or appeal the penalties before an OSHA review commission . Inspectors also are looking into the incident from an animal-welfare perspective , said David Sacks , an Agriculture Department spokesman . The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants to know whether federal standards were violated in the exhibiting of warm-blooded mammals . SeaWorld shows with killer whales resumed on Saturday .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Protests continued Friday in several California cities , including San Francisco , Palm Springs and Long Beach , over the passage of Proposition 8 , which outlaws same-sex marriage . The passage of California 's Proposition 8 , which bans same-sex marriages , has led to a number of protests . The ballot initiative , which passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent Tuesday , overturns a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions . In San Francisco , an estimated 2,000 protesters marched down Market Street toward Dolores Park . The march stretched out for at least three city blocks , and the protesters completely blocked Market Street 's westbound lanes and the eastbound lanes in places . `` I believe that politics and religion should be completely separate , '' protester Eric Rogers told CNN affiliate KGO-TV . `` This has been , actually , one of those lines that has been blurred by that . '' `` It really feels personal . It feels like why would someone not want us to live in love and respect , '' said protester Jayne Dean-McGilpin . A demonstration in Long Beach stretched out for five or six blocks . `` Hate is not hot , '' read a banner at the front of the marchers . About 2,000 demonstrators marched in a peaceful protest in Long Beach , and a few hundred remained in the streets around 10 p.m. -LRB- 1 a.m. ET -RRB- , said Sgt. David Marander of the Long Beach Police Department . Marander said Long Beach officers arrested three people after they tried to persuade others to leave the protest route that was described in a permit that organizers obtained for the march . At one point , demonstrators stopped at a street corner for a few moments to allow traffic to cross . Later , demonstrators congregated for about 20 minutes at the intersection of Broadway and Alameda Street , blocking traffic in all directions . The demonstrators then moved on before stopping at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and First Street , where many of them sat down in the street . After a few minutes , the demonstrators were on the move again . Police kept a watchful eye on the protesters but did not intervene . In Palm Springs , a crowd of several hundred gathered in front of the city hall , chanting `` Civil rights '' and `` Tax the Church . '' One sign read : `` We will not give up . '' iReport.com : Your thoughts on gay marriage ? Several protesters surrounded an elderly looking woman , an apparent Proposition 8 supporter , and shouted at her . No arrests were reported at any of the demonstrations . In Salt Lake City , Utah , about 2,000 demonstrators gathered at Temple Square to protest against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The Mormon church strongly supported Proposition 8 , which amends California 's constitution to define marriage as legal only between one man and one woman . Proposition 8 opponents say the Salt Lake City-based church donated a majority of the money raised in support of the measure . The LDS Church believes it should not be singled out when other groups also supported the proposition . `` It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election , '' the church said in a statement Friday . On Thursday , Roman Catholic and Mormon leaders said their efforts did not target any specific group . The coalition of religious communities and citizens who supported Proposition 8 wanted to preserve `` the bedrock institution of marriage '' between a man and a woman , said Cardinal Roger Mahoney , the Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles . `` Proposition 8 is not against any group in our society , '' Mahoney said in a written statement . About 2,000 protesters picketed Thursday afternoon outside the Los Angeles temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Several groups have petitioned the California Supreme Court to prevent the constitutional revision from taking effect . The American Civil Liberties Union , Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have filed a lawsuit contending the ballot initiative was `` improperly used . '' According to the three groups , `` such radical changes '' as outlawing gay marriage can not be made by ballot initiative , but must , `` at a minimum , go through the state legislature first . '' The groups also argue the measure takes away a `` fundamental right '' from lesbian and gay Californians . The three organizations filed the legal challenges on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday 's election , but would like to be able to wed now . The three groups contend that California must honor the marriages of the 18,000 lesbian and gay couples who have already married . Sunny Hostin , a CNN legal analyst , said Thursday it is unclear whether same-sex weddings that took place before Tuesday are still valid . Referring to those couples , she said , `` I think they really are in a legal limbo , a legal black hole . '' Voters in Arizona and Florida also banned same-sex marriages in ballot initiatives Tuesday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- Discussion Questions 1 . When is Black History Month observed ? When did Black History Month get its start ? Who was Dr. Carter G. Woodson ? What was his role in the establishment of Black History Month ? 2 . What are some significant events and milestones in U.S. black history ? Who are some of the individuals who have contributed to black history ? 3 . How does black history help to tell the story of what it means to be an American ? How have African-Americans enriched that story ? What lessons can be learned from the experiences of black history makers ? Learning Activities Use these activities to encourage your students to learn about and appreciate the history , culture and achievements of African-Americans . 1 . A Milestone in U.S. History Remind students that they have witnessed a truly historical event in their lifetime : the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president . What will they remember about this milestone ? What do they want future generations to know about it ? Challenge students to write letters to students who will be in their place 100 years from now , describing the event and its significance for all Americans . Combine the letters into a book or a Web site , or create a video of students reading their letters . Present the finished product to your school 's historian or media specialist for archiving . 2 . Covering Black History Ask students : What if CNN correspondents had been on the scene to record key moments in black history for the entire world to see ? Organize students into small teams of reporters , and have each team select a time period in American history and a key figure or event that helped to define that time period for African-Americans . Then , have students imagine that CNN was there to cover the historical figure or event . Ask : How do you think that CNN reporters might have covered these stories ? Encourage the teams to write scripts for news stories on their historical figures and events . After students have presented their scripts , have them compare their reports to eyewitness accounts and local newspaper reports that were written at the time . 3 . Harlem Renaissance Inform students that during the 1920s and 1930s , an African-American cultural movement occurred in the United States that was known as the Harlem Renaissance . It was a literary , musical and artistic explosion that was born in Harlem , New York , and it had a profound impact on African-American culture and on the U.S. as a whole . Have your class host a Harlem Renaissance cultural fair . Direct students to online resources to learn about some of the great artists , writers and musicians who were part of the renaissance and their contribution to this cultural movement . Have each student select one of these African-American artists and design a display that tells about the life and times of the artist and the importance of his or her work . Invite guests from your school and community to attend the exhibit . Have students serve as `` roaming curators '' to instruct and interest guests in the Harlem Renaissance and the creative works of these great African-Americans . 4 . Profiles in Black History Do your students show a personal interest in science , music , politics , theater , sports or education ? Inspire them to celebrate the contributions of African-Americans by having them write profiles of African-Americans in the categories that interest them . For example , a budding young scientist might choose to profile the inventor of the ironing board , the lawn mower or the space shuttle retrieval arm , all of whom were\/are African-Americans . Direct your students to online and print resources and have them conduct research on their chosen individuals . Then , encourage students to write proposals to have their selected persons commemorated in new postage stamps . Students should accompany their proposals with designs for the stamps . In their presentations , students should try to convince classmates why their profiled persons should have a stamp created in their name . Post the designs around the classroom . 5 . Local African-American History Valuable lessons in black history may be found just a few steps away in the stories and documents that can be found in local libraries , historical organizations , universities or colleges , and online . Encourage students to venture out into the community to investigate the history and contributions of black Americans in their city or town . Students might choose to use milestones in black history as a way to organize their research , gathering information on how those events impacted the community and its residents . They may also decide to profile influential black community members . Have students invite community members to a celebration of local black history . 6 . Black History Museum Celebrate black history by creating plans for a local Black History Museum . First , have students decide where the museum should be housed . Suggestions might include a school or local library , an exhibit in an existing history museum , or perhaps a virtual online museum . Next , discuss how the museum should be organized . Students may choose to categorize the content by theme , by specific time periods , by specific dates , by people or by local landmarks . Encourage students to include interactive elements and multimedia in their plans . Then , challenge students to consider what people , events or contributions to include in their Black History Museum . Ask : What messages or lessons do you want visitors to take away from the exhibits ? 7 . Not Just for February Inform students that , while Dr. Carter G. Woodson chose the month of February to recognize the accomplishments of African-Americans , black history can be celebrated all year long . Challenge students to create year-long calendars or timelines that highlight the contributions of African-American newsmakers , illustrate key events in black history , and encourage an ongoing celebration of black culture . Standards Social Studies II . Time , Continuity , and Change Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time . V. Individuals , Groups and Institutions Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals , groups , and institutions . The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/standards\/strands\/ are published by the National Council for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/ -RRB- . Resources CNN : Black in America 2 : http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/SPECIALS\/2009\/black.in.america\/ U.S. Census Bureau : Black -LRB- African-American -RRB- History Month : February 2010 : http:\/\/www.census.gov\/Press-Release\/www\/releases\/archives\/facts_for_features_special_editions\/014487.html","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Delaware pediatrician is facing numerous charges in the alleged sexual abuse of his patients , authorities said Wednesday , and there may be `` multiple victims . '' Dr. Earl Bradley , 56 , who has had a practice in Lewes , Delaware , for more than 10 years , is charged with eight counts of first-degree rape ; four counts of second-degree rape ; 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a child ; and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child , Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden told CNN . A prosecutor in Biden 's office estimated that Bradley may have had as many as 100 victims . Biden stopped short of that , saying only authorities think there may have been multiple victims , and the investigation is ongoing . As of Wednesday , seven victims had been identified , said Jason Miller , spokesman for the Delaware Department of Justice . CNN affiliate WBOC-TV reported Bradley is being held in lieu of $ 2.9 million bond . Read local coverage from CNN affiliate WBOC-TV He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday in the Sussex County Court of Common Pleas , but his attorney requested that it be continued until January 14 , Biden said . WBOC reported that concerns about Bradley 's mental health prompted the postponement and said the doctor is under suicide watch at Sussex Correctional Institution . The charges against Bradley , and any additional charges that are filed , will be presented to a grand jury `` at some point , '' Biden told CNN . He would not give specifics of how Bradley came to authorities ' attention `` over the course of recent months . '' Police believe the abuse goes back `` for several years , '' with victims as young as 2 , he said . Additional charges were filed earlier this week after `` preliminary forensic investigation of a computer '' seized by Delaware State Police , authorities said in a release . Police said they have seized photographic and video evidence showing Bradley abusing victims , WBOC said . Court documents provide graphic details about the evidence , the station said . Bradley also has medical licenses in Pennsylvania , New Jersey and Florida . Biden said authorities in those states have been contacted . Biden urged parents or others who have concerns regarding Bradley to contact his office , where a hot line is staffed with people who can provide information including counseling referrals . `` We 're taking this incredibly seriously , '' he said . CNN 's Devon Sayers contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Radical Islamist fighters seized control of the seat of Somalia 's U.N.-backed transitional government Monday , raiding the parliament building and demanding that several lawmakers publicly surrender , according to a journalist who witnessed the spectacle . Members of the Somali Transitional Federal Parliament are meeting in the neighboring country of Djibouti . Al-Shabab fighters took over the parliament building and the presidential palace in Baidoa , in the southwestern part of the country , a day after the Ethiopian troops who had backed up the transitional government left the country . The insurgents captured five members of parliament and paraded them through the city streets , with hundreds of residents looking on , the reporter said . The five were released after publicly surrendering . The situation left Somali lawmakers stranded in the neighboring country of Djibouti , where they often convene and where talks on forming a new government are under way . `` We have nowhere to return to , '' Parliament Speaker Aden Mohamed Nur told fellow lawmakers there . Somalia 's U.N.-backed transitional government took office after Ethiopian troops invaded the country at its request in December 2006 . The Ethiopian invasion ousted the Islamic Courts Union , an Islamist movement that had claimed control of the capital Mogadishu earlier that year . Ethiopia 's invasion had the blessing of the United States , which accused the Islamic Courts Union of harboring fugitives from al Qaeda . But various Islamist groups -- including the hard-line Al-Shabab , which the United States has designated a terror organization -- rejected the presence of Ethiopian forces and mounted an insurgent campaign against the Ethiopians and the transitional government . Ethiopia announced on Sunday that all its forces have left Somalia . Last week , as Ethiopian troops began pulling out of the Somali capital , forces from different Islamist groups -- including Al-Shabab -- took control of bases the Ethiopians abandoned around Mogadishu . The transitional government maintained very little control outside of Baidoa , even with the support of the Ethiopian forces . It has also been wracked by an internal power struggle between Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed , who resigned in December . In Washington , the State Department said U.S. officials are working to independently confirm the reports from Baidoa . But State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said members of one of the major Islamic factions , which signed a peace agreement in October in Djibouti , are already joining the transitional government . Duguid said the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia , another offshoot of the ICU , will choose up to 200 new members of the transitional parliament . Another 75 members will be drawn from other opposition groups , and the expanded parliament is expected to elect a new president soon . `` We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in southern Somalia , which continues to claim innocent lives , '' Duguid said . `` Lasting peace and stability in Somalia can only be established through the reconciliation process underway through the Djibouti Agreement and rejection of extremism . '' With Monday 's takeover of Baidoa , the transitional government only has control of the presidential palace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu and the road to the airport in the capital city , which it holds with the help of African Union forces . CNN 's Ben Brumfield and journalists Mohamed Amiin Adow and Omar Faruk Osman contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gertrude Baines , the world 's oldest person , has died in Los Angeles , California , at the age of 115 , according to the home where she lived and Guinness World Records said Saturday . Gertrude Baines said she attributed her longevity to not drinking or smoking . Gertrude Baines passed away at the Western Convalescent Hospital at 7:25 a.m. -LRB- 10:25 a.m. ET -RRB- Friday , Guinness World Records said . Born in 1894 , Baines became the world 's oldest person in January after the death of another 115-year-old , Maria de Jesus , from Portugal , Guinness World Records said . At her 115th birthday party in April , Baines shook her head in disbelief when presented with the certificate saying she was now in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world 's oldest person . `` She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord , that she never did drink , never did smoke , and she never did fool around , '' her doctor , Dr. Charles Witt , said in April . Baines , whose grandparents were slaves , worked as a maid in Ohio State University dormitories until her retirement , and lived at the Los Angeles convalescent home for more than 10 years . Last November , she became the oldest African-American to vote for President Obama and received a letter from him on her 115th birthday , Guinness World Records said . Witt said Baines planned to vote for Obama again in 2012 . Asked why she voted for Obama , Baines said it was because `` he 's for the colored people , '' according to footage from The Los Angeles Times . She said she never thought a black man could become president . `` Everybody 's glad for a colored man to be in there sometime , '' Baines said . `` We all are the same on the skin . It 's dark , and theirs is white . '' Baines had few complaints , her doctor said . She fussed about the bacon not being crisp enough and the arthritis in her knees , Witt said . The smooth skin on Baines ' face belied her 115 years , but she did n't attribute that to any anti-wrinkle cream or miracle product , according to her best friend , Lucille Fayall . She said Baines simply washed her face in cold water .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After being photographed using an inhaler prior to extra-time in his MLS Cup Final , the news that David Beckham has been an asthma sufferer since childhood has propelled the condition into the limelight . The England midfielder is not the first high-profile athlete to have dealt with asthma , a respiratory condition that affects people 's airways -- the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs . Despite the difficulties of performing with asthmatic symptoms such as wheezing , shortness of breath and coughing , many athletes have dealt still managed to reach the peak of their respective disciplines . Read up on asthma in our health section A-Z . NBA star Dennis Rodman , footballer Frank Lampard and Olympic swimmers Nancy Hogsehead and Mark Spitz have all suffered from the condition , here are five more of sport 's most high-profile asthmatics . 1 . Paul Scholes Beckham 's ex-Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes was diagnosed with asthma when he was 21-years-old . One of England 's most well respected midfielders , despite keeping a low-profile in general Scholes has always been happy to raise awareness about asthma . In May 2009 he along with fellow English midfielder and asthma sufferer Frank Lampard took part in Asthma UK 's campaign to `` put asthma in the limelight . '' 2 . Justine Henin Prior to announcing her -LRB- temporary -RRB- retirement in May 2008 , Belgian tennis player Justine Henin had suggested she may have had to pull out of defending her gold medal at the Beijing Olympics because of worries the city 's pollution would trigger her asthma . The grand slam winner had already withdrew from the China Open in September 2007 because of her condition . 3 . Jerome Bettis NFL running back Jerome Bettis was diagnosed with asthma during a high-school football session and in 1997 suffered an attack triggered by the extreme heat in Florida . It did not stop the man nicknamed ` The Bus ' and he went on to win the Superbowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers . Bettis has been heavily involved with raising asthma awareness in America . 4 . Paula Radcliffe English long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma as a result of her training when she was a teenager . Despite this she has become one of the most successful marathon runners of recent years , winning both the New York and London marathons among other events . 5 . Jackie Joyner-Kersee American track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee discovered she was asthmatic in 1983 after finding she could n't catch her breath after periods of exercise . Failing to take her medication properly she suffered a life threatening asthma attack at one point . Eventually getting it under control , Joyner-Kersee went onto win three Olympic gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 games in heptathlon and long jump .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Larry Craig filed an appeal Monday in his continued legal fight stemming from a bathroom sex sting this summer . Sen. Larry Craig , R-Idaho , initially said he would resign at the end of September but then changed his mind . The Idaho Republican wants the Minnesota Court of Appeals to overturn a judge 's decision refusing to let him withdraw a guilty plea to misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in June . `` From the outset Senator Craig has maintained that he is innocent of any illegal conduct at the Minneapolis airport , '' Craig 's lawyer , Billy Martin , said in a written statement . `` Like every other citizen , Senator Craig has the constitutional right to make every effort to clear his name . '' Martin called the judge 's decision `` a manifest injustice . '' In an interview Sunday with Boise , Idaho , TV station KTVB , Craig said `` we do n't know what the appellate court will say to me , '' according to the station 's Web site . Watch Craig discuss his chances on the appeal '' `` Honestly , the appeals courts tend to defend the courts below them . It is my right to do what I 'm doing . I 've already provided for Idaho -LSB- the -RSB- certainty that Idaho needed , I 'm not running for re-election . I 'm no longer in the way . I am pursuing my constitutional rights . '' The appeals process could take months to complete , court spokesman Kyle Christopherson said . Craig entered a guilty plea after his arrest in a men 's room at the Minneapolis-St . Paul International Airport for allegedly propositioning a plainclothes police officer for sex . Craig originally said he would resign from the Senate on September 30 if he could not get the guilty plea withdrawn . He later postponed his decision until the judge ruled . After an October 4 ruling against him , Craig changed course , saying he would not resign and would continue to pursue his legal options . `` I am innocent of the charges against me , '' he said at the time . The Idaho lawmaker 's decision not to resign has created a political headache for the Senate 's Republican leadership . When news of the arrest first surfaced , GOP leaders called for an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee . They later applauded Craig 's decision to resign . And when Craig announced that he would continue to serve in the Senate , GOP leaders did not appear pleased . `` It 's embarrassing for the Senate . It 's embarrassing for our party , '' said Sen. John Ensign of Nevada , who leads the GOP 's Senate campaign committee , on the day of the judge 's decision . `` I think it 's best for the U.S. Senate , it 's best for certainly his party , that he just keeps his word . '' Romney accused In an interview taped Sunday with NBC 's Matt Lauer , Craig complained that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney `` threw me under the campaign bus '' when news of his arrest came out . `` He not only threw me under his campaign bus , he backed up and ran over me again , '' Craig told Lauer in the interview set to run Tuesday night , according to MSNBC.com . Romney , former governor of Massachusetts , called Craig 's behavior `` disgraceful '' and urged the senator to resign when news of the arrest broke in August . Craig was Romney 's Senate liaison before resigning from the campaign . Romney spokesman Kevin Madden defended the presidential candidate 's response . `` Gov. Romney simply believes that a public office is a public trust , '' Madden said . `` He believes when a public official enters a guilty plea , they have broken that public trust and should step aside for the sake of their constituents . '' Also in the Lauer interview , Craig and his wife , Suzanne , denied that their marriage is a cover for his homosexuality , according to MSNBC.com . `` People know me and know that I would never do that , '' said Suzanne Craig , MSNBC.com reported . `` That 's almost like selling your soul for something . '' The senator has denied he is gay . `` I love this woman very , very much , '' Larry Craig said , according to MSNBC.com . `` The day I found her , I fell deeply in love . And we 're heading toward our 25th anniversary . '' When she learned the story was going to break , Suzanne Craig said , `` I felt like the floor was falling out from under me . ... And I felt like almost like I was going down a drain for a few moments , '' according to MSNBC.com . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Scott Anderson and Alexander Romney contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four people in two states have been arrested as part of an investigation into the Final Exit Network , an organization that police believe helped a Georgia man end his life in June , authorities said Thursday . Claire Blehr , 76 , of Georgia , and Thomas E. Goodwin , 63 , of Florida and Georgia , were two of the four arrested . John Celmer , 58 , lived in Cumming , north of Atlanta . Cumming police , the Forsyth County coroner and the man 's relatives all had suspicions that his death was an assisted suicide , and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation , the agency said in a news release . The GBI on Wednesday set up a sting operation at a residence in adjoining Dawson County , using an undercover agent who had posed as a terminally ill man seeking assistance with his suicide , the statement said . Claire Blehr , 76 , of Atlanta , Georgia , and Thomas E. Goodwin , 63 , of both Punta Gorda , Florida , and Kennesaw , Georgia , were arrested , the GBI said . Meanwhile , authorities in Baltimore , Maryland , arrested Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert , 81 , of Baltimore in connection with the investigation . A second person , Nicholas Alec Sheridan , 60 , also of Baltimore , was arrested Wednesday night , GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Thursday . All four face charges of assisted suicide , tampering with evidence and violation of the Georgia 's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act , the GBI said . The Final Exit Network , based in the north Atlanta suburb of Marietta , identifies itself on its Web site as `` an all-volunteer organization dedicated to serving people who are suffering from an intolerable condition . Network volunteers offer you counseling , support and even guidance to self-deliverance at a time and place of your choosing , but you always do the choosing . We will never encourage you to hasten your death . '' Celmer suffered from `` very , very severe mouth and throat cancer , '' his 85-year-old mother , Betty Celmer , said from her home in the Buffalo , New York , suburb of East Amherst . `` They were rebuilding the whole mouth , '' she said . `` He was suffering terribly , that I know . '' She said her son had undergone numerous surgeries and `` sounded depressed . '' When he died , she said she had no idea his death might have been a suicide . In a statement released by the GBI , Celmer 's widow , Susan , said that she and her family `` are gratified that the GBI and other law enforcement agencies have pursued this matter vigorously and that their investigation has led to the arrests reported today . '' She said she will not comment further and requested privacy , referring future questions to her attorneys . An e-mail to Jerry Dincin , a man listed as Final Exit Network 's vice president and treasurer on its Web site , was not answered Thursday . A call to Final Exit was answered by a recording . The method used in the suicide was helium inhalation , according to the GBI statement . People pay $ 50 to join the Final Exit Network , according to the GBI , and complete an application process . They are then visited by an `` exit guide '' assigned to the case . `` During the visitations , the member is instructed to purchase two helium tanks of a specific size and brand and a specific type of hood known as an ` exit bag , ' '' according to the GBI statement . `` On the day of the event , the member is visited by the ` exit guide ' and a ` senior exit guide . ' The senior exit guide instructs the member through the process . '' Goodwin and Blehr were told the GBI agent suffered from pancreatic cancer , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported . At the Dawson County residence on Wednesday , Goodwin allegedly walked the undercover agent through the steps and demonstrated how he would hold the agent 's hands to stop him from removing the exit bag , Bankhead said . The GBI said that after the death occurs , `` all evidence is removed from the scene by the ` guides ' and discarded , as evidence indicated happened in the Cumming case . '' Goodwin 's former neighbors in Kennesaw told CNN he moved to Florida a few years ago but still owns his large home there and returns to check on it occasionally . Kay Makarenko , 69 , who lives behind Goodwin 's home , said she was shocked to hear of his arrest . `` I said , ` It ca n't be the same Ted Goodwin . ' '' After the arrests Wednesday , authorities in Georgia , Florida , Maryland , Michigan , Ohio , Missouri , Colorado and Montana began executing search warrants and conducting interviews as part of the probe into the Final Exit Network , the GBI said , adding that GBI agents were in each state except Colorado to assist . In Phoenix , Arizona , police have linked the 2007 death of a 58-year-old woman to the Final Exit Network , Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Wednesday , according to CNN affiliate KPHO-TV in Phoenix . Thomas said the woman , Jana Van Voorhis , was not terminally ill but suffered from mental illness and depression . He said a police investigation turned up records of visits from Final Exit guides to Voorhis , according to KPHO . No arrests have been made , but Thomas said he expects his office to wrap up its investigation and decide if charges are warranted within 60 days . CNN affiliate WDIV-TV in Detroit , Michigan , reported that search warrants were executed regarding two Michigan residents who sit on Final Exit 's board of directors . The Final Exit Network Web site features a `` Wall of Fame '' with photos of Dr. Jack Kevorkian , among others . Kevorkian was released on parole in June 2007 after serving more than eight years of a 10 - to 25-year sentence in the 1998 death of a man suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also known as Lou Gehrig 's disease . `` We believe the needs of those who are suffering are paramount , '' the organization says . `` We applaud the work of organizations that seek legislative action to strengthen our right to die a peaceful and painless death at the time and place of our choosing . However , we feel that legislative change will not come soon enough for the many people who need help now and in the interim . '' Betty Celmer , meanwhile , declined to share her thoughts on assisted suicide or the Final Exit Network 's alleged involvement in her son 's death , saying she lacks specifics . `` He 's in a far better place , '' she said . `` That 's the only comment I 'm going to make . '' CNN 's Ashley Broughton and Jim Kavanagh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin vowed on Tuesday to use her executive experience to tackle government reform and energy independence if she and Sen. John McCain win this year 's presidential election . Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks with CNN 's Drew Griffin Tuesday . `` It 's going to be government reform because that , that is what I 've been able to do as a mayor and as a governor , you , you take on the special interests and the self-dealings . Yep , you ruffle feathers and you have the scars to prove it , '' Palin said Tuesday in an interview with CNN 's Drew Griffin . `` You have to take that on to give the American people that faith back in their own government . This is their government and we 've got to put it back on their side , '' she said . Palin said she and McCain , the Republican presidential nominee , discussed the possibility of her working on the issue of energy independence if she becomes vice president . Watch Palin talk about potential plans for the vice-presidency '' `` That 's been my forte as the governor of an energy producing state and as a former chair of the , of the energy regulator -- entity up there in Alaska , '' she said . '' -LSB- I -RSB- look forward to that and that 's a matter of national security and , and our economic prosperity opportunities . '' Palin also said helping families with special needs children and cleaning up Wall Street were among the other `` missions '' she and McCain had discussed . Palin emphasized her executive credentials as mayor of Wasilla , Alaska , and governor of Alaska , contrasting them with what she said was Sen. Barack Obama 's lack of leadership experience . `` We do n't like to toot our own horn so we do n't , '' Palin said . `` But , I have , I do have more experience than Barack Obama does . You know , he had served for his 300 days before he became a presidential candidate and that was n't in , in executive office . '' Watch Palin say she has more experience than Obama '' Palin also apologized Tuesday for any misunderstanding caused when she referred last week to the patriotic values of `` the real America '' and `` pro-America areas of this great nation . '' Democrats and others criticized Palin for seeming to imply that some parts of the country are more patriotic than others . Palin denied that was her intention in an interview with CNN on Tuesday . `` I do n't want that misunderstood , '' Palin said . `` If that 's the way it came across , I apologize . '' The Alaska governor made the remarks at a fundraising event in North Carolina last week . `` We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit , and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America , being here with all of you hard-working , very patriotic , very pro-America areas of this great nation , '' she told the crowd . On Tuesday , Palin also addressed Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden 's comment that Sen. Barack Obama would be tested from the very beginning of his time in office . At a fundraiser Sunday night , Biden said that after taking office , `` it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy . ... We 're going to have an international crisis , a generated crisis , to test the mettle of this guy . '' Palin told Griffin that the comment points to the dangers of electing a relatively inexperienced person `` We need to thank Joe -LSB- Biden -RSB- for the warning , '' Palin said . Watch Palin say the media gave Biden a pass '' Biden 's point , according to a statement issued later , was that `` we need steady leadership in tumultuous times , not ... the stubborn ideology of John McCain . '' Palin stopped short of labeling Obama a socialist Tuesday , although she and others have previously called his tax policies socialist . `` I 'm not going to call him a socialist , but as ` Joe the Plumber ' has said , it looks like socialism to him , '' she said of Joe `` the plumber '' Wurzelbacher . The GOP ticket and their supporters have invoked Joe the Plumber numerous times ever since the Ohio man confronted Obama about his tax policy in an impromptu campaign moment . Palin said Wurzelbacher is representative of `` Jane the engineer and Molly the dental hygienist and Chuck the teacher . '' Obama defended his decision to raise taxes on couples earning more than $ 250,000 a year while cutting taxes for people with lower incomes , telling Wurzelbacher that `` when you spread the wealth around , it 's good for everybody . '' Palin said the policy was `` not good for the entrepreneurial spirit that has built this great country , '' the economy or small businesses . Watch the entire interview with Gov. Sarah Palin '' Obama brushed off McCain and Palin 's characterization on Sunday in Fayetteville , North Carolina . `` John McCain thinks that giving these Americans a break is socialism , '' Obama said . `` Well , I call it opportunity , and there is nothing more American than that . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Congressional hearings into the massive oil spill growing in the Gulf of Mexico will start Tuesday , as winds continue to push the crude closer to the Mississippi Delta . BP America President Lamar McKay and Transocean President Steven Newman will appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the morning and then the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in the afternoon . BP leased from Transocean the oil rig that exploded off the Louisiana coast last month , starting the spill . Senators are expected to quiz McKay and Newman about the precautions taken before the blast that set off the underwater gusher and the steps being taken to stop the spill . Experts also are expected to testify on the possible impact of the spill on fishing , tourism and local economies . Also on Tuesday , Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to travel to Mobile , Alabama , `` to inspect ongoing operations to minimize the Deepwater BP Oil Spill 's impact on public health , the environment and the economy , '' the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center said in a statement . Napolitano and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley plan to talk with reporters late Tuesday afternoon , the center said . A change in the weather could push more oil from BP 's Deepwater Horizon site into the Mississippi Delta region and areas west of the river , according to Gov. Bobby Jindal , who called the development `` bad news for Louisiana . '' Louisiana has been mostly spared since the oil rig exploded April 20 and sank two days later about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana . The catastrophe is sending 210,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day . Most of the slick has been centered in an area east of the environmentally sensitive delta . `` We 've said all along that the oil coming west of the river would pose a whole new set of challenges , '' Jindal said at a Monday news conference . He detailed efforts to place booms and other restraining devices into four passes near Grand Isle to prevent the oil from reaching land . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters had warned over the weekend that the Mississippi Delta and areas to the northeast of it -- including Breton Sound , the Chandeleur Islands and the mainland behind them -- could see oil hit the coast by Tuesday . So far , the spill has had little impact on wildlife , said Mark J. Musaus , deputy director of the Southeast region for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . Only a few birds have been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center at Fort Jackson , Louisiana , he said . Two of them , a gannet and a pelican , were released Monday back into the wild . Another oiled pelican was still in the treatment center , as was a green heron , he said . The stakes are high for residents of coastal Louisiana who make their living from fishing in the Gulf of Mexico . The government has closed parts of the Gulf to fishing . The affected area , which is east of the Mississippi Delta , comprises about 4.5 percent of the Gulf of Mexico , NOAA said . Hundreds of thousands of feet of boom and large volumes of dispersants continued to be deployed in an effort to capture or break up the spilled oil moving toward the Gulf coastline . Thousands of workers and volunteers also have been skimming the water 's surface .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia rose nearly 200 percent in 2008 compared to the year before , with bolder attacks over greater distances , an international piracy monitor said Friday . The French military on patrol in the Gulf of Aden . Somalia and the Gulf of Aden were the worst areas for piracy in 2008 , according to the annual report from International Maritime Bureau 's Piracy Reporting Center -LRB- PRC -RRB- . It said 42 vessels were hijacked there and 815 crew members taken hostage -- more than any place else in the world . The increased ability of pirates to sail farther out to sea , coupled with the inability of the Somali government to respond , led to what the report called an `` unprecedented '' rise in piracy in the area . The problems off the Somali coast contributed to a global rise in piracy , which was up 11 percent in 2008 from the year before , the report said . `` The 2008 statistics surpass all figures recorded by the PRC since it began its worldwide reporting function in 1991 , '' said IMB Director Captain Pottengal Mukundan . Worldwide in 2008 , a total of 49 vessels were hijacked and 889 crew members taken hostage , the report said . Eleven crew members were killed and 21 others are missing and presumed dead . The pirates are targeting every kind of vessel and are better armed and prepared to assault and injure the crew , the report said . Incidents involving guns nearly doubled from 72 in 2007 to 139 last year . Pirate attacks last year included the hijacking of the largest ship ever taken by pirates , an oil supertanker called the Sirius Star . Attackers seized the giant ship and its 23-man crew in November and only released it last week after receiving a $ 3.5 million ransom payment . The carrier 's crew was released unharmed . Last year 's uptick in hijackings off East Africa has already spurred a number of international navies to patrol the Gulf of Aden . Mukundan said he hoped that more governments would authorize their naval forces to patrol the region . `` International navies are the only ones capable of effective response against piracy in the region and can help to secure the safety and security of this major maritime trade route , '' Mukundan said . Nigeria ranks second in world piracy with 40 reported incidents last year , including five hijackings and 39 crew members kidnapped . The main difference between the East and West African pirate activities is that almost all the incidents in Nigeria are conducted within its territorial waters , whereas most of the incidents along the East coast of Africa and the Gulf of Aden occur on the high seas , the report said . That means vessels in the Gulf area have a much harder time staying away from pirate-infested waters . The motives for the attacks are also different . In Somalia the motives are financial while in Nigeria they are at least partly political , the report said . Under-reporting of piracy in Nigerian waters is also a problem for the International Maritime Bureau , the report said . While 2008 appeared to be a bad year for piracy , the report noted declines in other areas of the world , especially in Indonesia . Mukundan said sustained anti-piracy efforts by Indonesian authorities have resulted in declines every year . More than 121 attacks were reported there in 2003 but only 28 were reported last year , most of which were opportunistic , low-level attacks , Mukundan said . Only two attacks happened last year in the Malacca Straits , which lie between Indonesia and Malaysia , compared to seven the year before , the report said . Farther south , the Singapore Straits saw a slight rise in incidents , going from three to six , the report said . `` This welcome reduction has been the cumulative result of increased vigilance and patrolling by the littoral states and the continued precautionary measures on board ships , '' the report said . `` With the world economy in its present uncertain condition , there is a possibility of piracy increasing . Navies and coast guards must continue therefore to maintain their efforts against pirates . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- White supremacists , Islamic clerics , a controversial Kansas pastor and a U.S. talk show host are on a list of 22 people banned from Britain for `` stirring up hatred , '' the British government said Tuesday . Jacqui Smith said she did not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views . Britain 's Home Office said it decided to exclude the 22 in the last several months . The decision follows measures introduced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last year against people `` who have engaged in spreading hate , '' the Home Office said . The Home Office named only 16 of those on the list ; it said it was not in the public interest to disclose the names of the other six . A spokeswoman declined to elaborate on why the Home Office would not publicly identify six of the 22 . One of the most recognized names on the list may be U.S. radio talk show host Michael Savage , who is listed under his real name , Michael Alan Wiener . The conservative 's daily show can be heard nationwide in the United States . Savage is on the list for `` seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence . '' Savage lashed out at Smith on his Web site , calling her a `` witch '' and asking how she knew of his show when it is n't syndicated in England . He also questioned why six names on the list were n't released and why North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did n't make the list . In an audio clip on his Web site , Savage said he had seven attorneys working on a defamation lawsuit against Smith and encouraged his listeners to call off any travel plans to England and boycott all British products . `` She has painted a target on my back , linking me with people who are in prison for killing people , '' he said . `` How could they put Michael Savage in the same league as mass murderers when I have never avowed violence ? '' Outspoken Kansas Rev. Fred Phelps and his daughter , Shirley Phelps-Roper , are also listed for `` engaging in unacceptable behavior and fostering hatred . '' Phelps and his followers at Westboro Baptist Church oppose homosexuality . They picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq , saying their deaths are God 's way of punishing the United States for supporting homosexuals . They have expressed similar views about the victims of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks and Hurricane Katrina . The church 's slogan is `` God Hates Fags . '' Phelps did not issue a response on his Web site . However , he linked to a British news story on the ban and wrote his own headline , calling Smith a `` neo-Nazi dyke '' and `` filthy God-hater . '' Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black , who has said he despises U.S. President Barack Obama , is also on the list . Black established the white supremacist Web site Stormfront , which the Home Office called one of the oldest and largest hate group sites . Eric Gliebe , chairman of the National Alliance , one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the United States , is on the list for `` justifying terrorist violence , provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred . '' The Home Office cited Gliebe 's `` Web-radio broadcasts in which he vilifies certain ethnic groups and encourages the download and distribution of provocative racist leaflets and posters . '' Several Islamic clerics are also on the list , including Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal , Amir Siddique , Yunis Al Astal and Safwat Hijazi . Prolific speaker and writer Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim is also listed . The list includes Mike Guzofsky , the leader of a militant Jewish group . He has ties to Kahane Chai , a group that the U.S. State Department lists as a foreign terrorist organization . Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky are also on the list . The Home Office says they are `` leaders of a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the Internet . '' Samir al Quntar , a Lebanese man who spent three decades in prison for killing four Israeli soldiers and a 4-year-old girl in 1979 , is also on the list . In an exchange with the militant group Hezbollah , Israel freed al Quntar last year for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers . Al Quntar is `` engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to foment , justify or glorify terrorist violence '' in order to provoke terrorist acts , the Home Office said . Nasr Javed and Abdul Ali Musa round out the 16 names made public . `` Coming to the UK is a privilege , and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life , '' Smith said . `` Therefore , I do not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views , as I want them to know that they are not welcome here . `` The government opposes extremism in all its forms and I am determined to stop those who want to spread extremism , hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country , '' she said . `` This is the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behavior . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A person 's risk of stroke is associated with the number of fast-food restaurants near their residence , according to a study presented Thursday at a stroke conference in San Diego , California . Fast-food restaurants may be associated with stroke risk , a new study says . Some say there 's not enough evidence . Researchers led by Dr. Lewis B. Morgenstern at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor counted 1,247 strokes caused by blood clots in 64 census tracts in Nueces County , Texas , which includes Corpus Christi , from January 2000 through June 2003 . They also mapped the county 's 262 fast-food restaurants and then adjusted for socioeconomic status and demographics and found a statistically significant association . `` The association suggested that the risk of stroke in a neighborhood increased by 1 percent for every fast-food restaurant , '' the authors wrote in a poster presented at the American Stroke Association 's International Stroke Conference . Residents of neighborhoods in the 75th percentile of fast-food restaurants had a 6 percent increased risk of stroke compared with residents of the 25th percentile of such eateries , according to the study , which was paid for by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke . Morgenstern , director of the University of Michigan 's stroke program and professor of neurology and epidemiology , warned that the finding does not prove that proximity to fast-food restaurants caused the increase in strokes of people living nearby . Watch more on the link between fast food restaurants and stroke '' `` What we do n't know is whether fast food actually increased the risk because of its contents or whether fast-food restaurants are a marker of unhealthy neighborhoods , '' he said . Still , he added , `` If this association is causal , the findings have large public health importance due to the high prevalence of fast-food restaurants . '' A spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association lambasted that concern as unsupported by the data . `` This article is seriously flawed and by its own admission shows no correlation whatsoever between dining at chain restaurants and incidence of stroke , '' Beth Johnson said . `` Further , it tells us nothing about the eating and exercise habits of the individuals involved . The restaurant industry continues to offer a growing number of healthier offerings , move away from the use of trans fats and provide more nutrition information . `` In fact , the National Restaurant Association strongly supports a national , uniform approach to providing detailed nutrition information in chain restaurants . Constructive and responsive measures like these , and not misleading studies , will help consumers make healthy choices for themselves and their families , '' she added .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shortly before his death , Sen. Edward M. Kennedy wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI asking for the pontiff to pray for him as he struggled with an aggressive form of brain cancer , it was revealed at his graveside service Saturday evening . Members of the Kennedy family gather at the gravesite Saturday evening . Kennedy , the youngest and last-surviving brother of a heralded Kennedy generation , was laid to rest on a hillside at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his slain brothers , the late President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy -- both assassinated more than four decades ago . Cardinal Theodore McCarrick read a recent letter from Kennedy to the pope at the private burial ceremony in Arlington , Virginia . `` I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines , '' McCarrick said , quoting from Kennedy 's letter . `` I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago , and although I continue treatment the disease is taking its toll on me . I am 77 years old , and preparing for the next passage of life , '' the cardinal read . Read excerpts from Kennedy 's letter to pontiff The burial service at dusk followed a eulogy by President Barack Obama in Massachusetts , a brief prayer service outside the U.S. Capitol and a procession through the crowd-lined street of Washington 's streets . Among the congressional colleagues greeting the Kennedy family at the Capitol was 91-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd , D-West Virginia , who has been out of the spotlight lately because of deteriorating health . Watch an overview of the day 's events '' Many who had gathered at the Capitol were visibly emotional and wiping tears from their eyes . Some held framed photos of Kennedy , and many held American flags that they waved during a singing of `` America the Beautiful . '' The Rev. Daniel Coughlin -- chaplain of the House of Representatives -- said a prayer and addressed the family . `` Here we are to pray with you , offer sympathy and thank you , '' he said . `` Thank you for sharing the senator . '' Coughlin also noted that Kennedy 's hopes were `` unquenchable , full of immortality . '' As Kennedy 's widow , Vicki , went back into the car , she waved to the crowd and mouthed , `` Thank you '' as the crowd erupted into applause . The late senator 's son , U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy , addressed those on the steps , saying how his father `` knew that he was only great because he had great people supporting him . '' `` He would be very proud to see you all out here today paying a final respect and tribute to his memory , '' he said . Earlier Saturday at the funeral in Boston , Massachusetts , Obama hailed Kennedy as '' a champion for those who had none ; the soul of the Democratic Party ; and the lion of the U.S. Senate . '' `` He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not , and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow , '' the president said . `` We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber , face reddened , fist pounding the podium , a veritable force of nature , in support of health care or workers ' rights or civil rights , '' Obama said , calling Kennedy `` the greatest legislator of our time . '' Watch President Obama 's full eulogy '' Kennedy 's son Ted Jr. delivered a tender , personal remembrance of his larger-than-life father . He said his father `` never stopped trying to right wrongs . '' Kennedy lived up to the ideals of three older brothers , all of whom died young -- Joseph in World War II , President John and Sen. Robert assassinated -- his son said . `` He answered Uncle Joe 's call to patriotism , Uncle Jack 's call to public service and Bobby 's determination to seek a newer world . `` Unlike them , he lived to be a grandfather , and knowing what my cousins have been through , I feel grateful that I have had my father as long as I did , '' Ted Jr. said . `` My father was not perfect , but he believed in redemption , '' he said . And he said Kennedy had made light of his failure to become president , despite the weight of expectations on him as a Kennedy . `` I do n't mind not being president , I just mind that someone else is , '' he quoted his father as saying , closing his remembrance with a line from Kennedy 's famous 1980 concession speech that ended his presidential ambitions : `` The work goes on , the cause endures , the hope still lives and the dream will never die . '' Watch as Ted Kennedy Jr. recalls his dad 's help when he lost his leg as a boy '' The funeral began with a hearse bearing Kennedy 's body through Boston rain from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library to Mission Church . A military honor guard carried the coffin through a sea of black umbrellas into the church . Watch as military honor guard carries Kennedy 's casket '' People lined the streets of Boston cheering for Kennedy as the service began , despite the rain . Local bars and restaurants were packed with people watching the live coverage on television inside . Former presidents Bill Clinton , George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter also came to honor the late legislator , known as the lion of the Senate . Vicki Kennedy accepted condolences from each of the current and former presidents before Holy Communion . The program concluded with an undated quote from Kennedy : `` For all my years in public life , I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all . There is no end to that journey , only the next great voyage . We know the future will outlast all of us , but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make . '' Many of Kennedy 's fellow senators past and present came to say a final farewell . Other mourners included Vice President Joe Biden and former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dan Quayle , all veterans of the Senate , where Kennedy served for 47 years . Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick , CIA chief Leon Panetta , and several Cabinet members also turned out to pay their respects . Watch as Mass for Kennedy begins '' Sen. John McCain , the 2008 Republican presidential candidate , chatted with Sen. Chris Dodd , a Connecticut Democrat , in the pews before the ceremony began . Honorary pallbearers at the service included Dodd , Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer , Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts -- his party 's 2004 presidential candidate -- and long-time Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey , also a Democrat . The actual pallbearers were Kennedy children , nieces and nephews . World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed two pieces during the service , and was joined by the tenor Placido Domingo for one of them . At the graveside service were a number of family members , as well as Vice President Joe Biden . Kennedy 's grave is 95 feet south of his brother Robert 's , which is just steps away from the burial site of another brother , former President John F. Kennedy . A single white , wooden cross will be placed at the head of the grave and a marble footmarker put in place . The footmarker reads : `` Edward Moore Kennedy 1932-2009 . '' The setup is identical to Robert Kennedy 's grave , Arlington cemetery spokeswoman Kaitlin Horst told CNN . Kennedy , the patriarch of America 's leading Democratic family for more than 40 years , died at the age of 77 on Tuesday , 15 months after being diagnosed with brain cancer . CNN 's Jessica Yellin , John King and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The family of a woman who faces charges of killing an 8-year-old playmate of her daughter 's said Sunday the accusations are `` completely out of character . '' The Tracy , California , family offered their prayers to the victim 's family . Melissa Huckaby was charged with kidnapping and murder in the death of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu . `` We are deeply saddened by the loss of this beautiful girl , '' said a man who would not give his name , identifying himself only as a relative of suspect Melissa Huckaby , 28 . He was referring to Sandra Cantu , who was last seen alive March 27 in the mobile home park where she lived with her family -- the same mobile home park where Huckaby lives with her own 5-year-old daughter . The two children were close friends and played together frequently , Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said . Sandra 's body was found Monday , stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a dairy farm . Huckaby was arrested late Friday after she was questioned by police . She faces kidnapping and murder charges in Sandra 's death . Watch police discuss the arrest '' Sheneman told reporters Saturday he `` could n't begin to theorize '' a motive . Family members went to visit Huckaby in jail Sunday , but were told they could not see her , the relative told reporters . `` We do know that the information we 've been given regarding the charges against Melissa Huckaby are completely out of character for her , '' he said . Relatives are in `` absolute shock '' at Huckaby 's arrest , he said . Huckaby is the granddaughter of Clifford Lane Lawless , pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church near the mobile home park , and she taught Sunday school at the church , police have said . The church was searched as part of the investigation into Sandra 's disappearance and death . Lawless was at the press conference , but declined to speak . `` We are distressed at the possibility that such a tragedy might have happened in a place of worship , '' the relative said Sunday , adding that the family asks the press and the community to `` understand the church 's desire to continue their worship and ministry outreach . '' Watch neighbors remember slain girl '' The church `` is a community of loving people , '' he said . `` They love God . They love their community and they have ministered to the people of this community for many , many years . '' Huckaby 's family expressed appreciation for the support and prayers received from other churches . Although it has been difficult , the church has `` done everything that we can to be cooperative '' with the investigation , the man said . The family thanked law enforcement for what the man said was `` gracious treatment . '' `` Our prayers are with Sandra 's family and the community for God 's comfort and mercy as we work through the process of healing for such a tragic event , '' the man said . `` We trust in God 's peace . '' The church was planning to hold Easter services at noon Sunday , he said . `` We 're very shocked , '' said a woman , who also identified herself only as a family member . `` It 's very out of character for Melissa . We love her dearly . '' She described Huckaby as `` a fantastic mother , very loving . ... This is a very difficult time for us and it 's very difficult to express to you right now how we 're feeling . '' Huckaby 's relatives know no more on the investigation than what has been reported by the media , the relatives said , and were not told why police were searching the church . `` The only reason why our family is making it through this at all is because of our faith in God and because of his mercy , '' the woman said . Asked whether she believes Huckaby is innocent , she declined comment . In a Friday interview with the Tracy Press newspaper , Huckaby acknowledged owning the black rolling suitcase in which Sandra 's body was found , but said she reported it missing the day before the child 's body was found . She said the suitcase disappeared at about the same time Sandra did . Sheneman told reporters Saturday that `` inconsistencies '' between that interview and statements Huckaby had made to police were one reason police asked to re-interview her Friday night . He would not say whether police believe Sandra 's death was planned . Police said earlier Saturday that they believe Sandra was already dead by the time she was reported missing . The day Sandra was last seen , she came home from school , kissed her mother and left to play with a friend who lives nearby . A short time later , she left to go to another friend 's home , a family spokeswoman has said . Huckaby told the Tracy Press that Sandra came by her home to see if she could play with Huckaby 's daughter , but Huckaby would not let her daughter play because she wanted her daughter to pick up her toys . Sandra left for another friend 's house , Huckaby told the newspaper . The girl was last seen wearing a pink Hello Kitty T-shirt and black leggings . Police later used that clothing description to identify her body .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo continued his sensational scoring form with a hat-trick on Wednesday night to keep Real Madrid 's Spanish title hopes alive going into the final two matches of the season . Real trail Barcelona by one point after matching the defending champions ' 4-1 victory over Tenerife the night before , coming from behind to defeat European hopefuls Mallorca . While world player of the year Lionel Messi took his tally to 44 goals with two more on Tuesday , Ronaldo is proving to be just as important to Real 's chances . The Portugal forward , who became the world 's most expensive player when he signed for $ 130 million from Manchester United in pre-season , has now scored 36 times this campaign . He followed up his double from Sunday 's last-gasp 3-2 victory against Osasuna with another superb solo display , canceling out Aritz Aduriz 's 16th-minute header with an opportunist effort 10 minutes later as he beat goalkeeper Dudu Aouate to a long ball by Sergio Ramos . Ronaldo put Real ahead 11 minutes after halftime with his 24th league goal this season , again combining with Ramos as he chested down the Argentine 's pass and prodded the ball past Aouate . He made it 3-1 with 18 minutes to play as he skipped past two defenders on the left-hand edge of the penalty area and calmly slotted a low right-foot shot past the keeper to seal his first treble for the club . Gonzalo Higuain capped the victory 10 minutes later with a superb deft chip over Aouate after running clear for his 26th goal in La Liga this season , putting him behind only Messi 's 31 . This weekend , Real will host Athletic Bilbao while Barcelona travel to Sevilla , who reclaimed fourth place from Mallorca with a 5-1 victory at Racing Santander . Striker Alvaro Negredo followed up his weekend double with two more goals as Santander , who had Mohamed Tchite sent off for two bookings after he made it 3-1 on the hour , were left just a point above the bottom three . Eighth-placed Athletic Bilbao failed to return to the top six after a 1-1 home draw with Malaga , who moved above Santander on goal difference . Atletico Madrid kept up the fine end-of-season form that has seen Real 's city rivals reach the finals of the Europa League and Copa Del Rey by defeating second-bottom Valladolid 3-1 . Goals from Juanito , Jose Manuel Jurado and Diego Forlan put the ninth-placed hosts 3-0 up before a 78th-minute consolation by Jonathan Sesma as relegation-threatened Valladolid suffered a first defeat under former Spain coach Javier Clemente . Deportivo La Coruna were leapfrogged by Atletico after losing 3-1 at Osasuna , and now can not qualify for the Europa League . Real Zaragoza moved five points clear of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol , who are a point above in 13th place , thanks to a second-half penalty from in-form striker Adrian Colunga .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hondurans will answer two questions Sunday when the troubled Central American nation holds elections : Who will win the presidency , and will voters heed calls for a boycott ? The answer to a third question will remain unanswered for a while : Will the international community recognize the newly elected leader even though the vote was held under the stewardship of interim President Roberto Micheletti , who came to power after a coup ? `` The government needs a strong turnout and limited irregularities in order to claim that the elections are legitimate , especially given that there will not be international observers from the -LSB- Organization of American States -RSB- or the Carter Center , '' said Heather Berkman , a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm . Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has said he will not recognize the election results and has called for a boycott . Many nations also have said they will withhold recognition of the winner in Honduras . In a written statement , State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States `` remains committed to help restore the democratic and constitutional order in Honduras in the wake of the June 28 coup d'etat that removed President Zelaya and led to the suspension of Honduras from the Organization of American States . '' He called the November 29 elections `` another critical step in the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order in Honduras , '' and noted that the electoral process is conducted `` under the stewardship of the multi-party and autonomous Supreme Electoral Tribunal , which was also selected before the coup . '' Honduran authorities seemed to be preparing for violence . Police and the military have stockpiled 10,000 tear gas canisters and other crowd-control equipment , `` triggering fears of an increased risk of excessive and disproportionate use of force by security forces around the presidential elections , '' said the human rights organization Amnesty International . The Gordian knot of Honduran politics was tied early June 28 when a military-backed coup removed Zelaya from power , shuttling him off in his pajamas to nearby Costa Rica . Congress swore in Micheletti , the Legislature 's president , as his replacement a few hours later . The United Nations , OAS , European Union and most nations -- including the United States -- condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated . Five months later , Zelaya is still not in power , holed up instead in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa , the capital of Honduras . The ousted president returned secretly to his country September 21 and obtained refuge at the embassy . It looked like a solution had been reached October 29 , when Zelaya and Micheletti agreed to a deal brokered by the United States . The pact said Congress would vote on Zelaya 's return to power after consultation with the nation 's Supreme Court and other bodies . The vote was supposed to be held within a week but now is set for next week after the elections . The Supreme Court ruled 14-1 this week that Zelaya can not return to office without facing trial first on charges that he acted unconstitutionally when trying to hold a vote that could have led to the lifting of presidential term limits . The Supreme Court had ruled that the vote was illegal , and Congress had forbidden it . The coup came on the day that vote was supposed to be held . Micheletti stepped down temporarily this week to try to distance himself from Sunday 's elections . He said he will resume office Wednesday . The new president is scheduled to be sworn in January 27 . In addition to the presidency , at stake in Sunday 's election are three vice presidents , 128 members of Congress and mayors and other municipal leaders throughout the nation . Among the five major presidential candidates , Porfirio Lobo Sosa of the opposition National Party is considered the front-runner . Polls last month showed him with a double-digit lead over Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party . Zelaya and Micheletti are Liberal Party members , and their rift has splintered the party . The other three candidates are Bernard Martinez of the Innovation and Unity Party-Social-Democracy , Felicito Avila of the Christian Democrat Party and Cesar Ham of the Democratic Unification Party . A sixth candidate , Carlos Reyes , withdrew this month . Amnesty International said Friday that human rights activists and journalists critical of Micheletti 's government have been receiving increased threats and intimidation . For example , Amnesty International said , the Honduran military requested that a local mayor provide a list of names and telephone numbers for members of the opposition Resistencia movement . `` Today , there 's an environment of fear and intimidation in Honduras , '' said Javier Zuniga , head of Amnesty International 's delegation in Honduras . `` We have seen an increased level of harassment against those who are seen as opposed to the de facto authorities , and officials responsible for the protection of human rights are not doing anything to investigate the incidents or stop them . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian investigators have identified the second suicide bomber in last week 's fatal Moscow subway attacks as Maryam Sharipova , a 28-year-old schoolteacher from Dagestan , authorities said Tuesday . Sharipova was born in the village of Balakhani , in Dagestan , a predominantly Muslim republic that lies beside Chechnya , in southern Russia , the Investigative Committee of the Russian Prosecutor 's Office told CNN . Like Chechnya , Dagestan has been troubled for years by radical Islamic violence . The committee said it identified Sharipova through forensic medical examinations . Sharipova and another female bomber , Dzhennet Abdullayeva , detonated their explosives about 40 minutes apart on the morning of March 29 . The blasts ripped through the Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations in central Moscow , killing 40 people and wounding more than 80 . An estimated 500,000 people were riding trains in the capital at the time of the attacks . Sharipova triggered a homemade explosive device at Lubyanka subway station , the investigative committee said . Russian law enforcement bodies are continuing their `` investigative and operational search actions to determine and arrest the organizers and masterminds behind the terrorist act , '' the committee said . The woman 's father , Rasul Magomedov , was flown to Moscow to identify the remains of what was believed to be his daughter , an investigative committee official told CNN on condition of anonymity . Magomedov 's account and forensic analyses left no doubt that the body was that of Sharipova , the official said . Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported Sunday in an exclusive article that Magomedov had identified his daughter in a photograph that was published on the Internet last week . The photograph was described as that of a dead unidentified suicide bomber of the Lubyanka metro station . Magomedov was sent the photograph on his mobile phone , the newspaper said . `` My wife and I have immediately recognized our daughter , Maryam , '' Magomedov told the newspaper in the article , which was reprinted across Russian media . `` When my wife had seen our daughter last , she had been wearing that same red scarf that is depicted on the photograph , '' he said . `` We did n't know her whereabouts ... '' Magomedov said he 'd seen his daughter for the last time on March 26 , while his wife had seen her in the afternoon of March 28 , which was less than 24 hours before the deadly bombing . Several other people who knew Sharipova also recognized her in the photograph , Novaya Gazeta said . Sharipova -- who , like the other children in her family , was given the last name of her grandfather , Sharipov -- was born into a teachers family . Her father teaches Russian language and literature at a local school in Balakhani . His wife teaches biology there . Sharipova attended the same school her parents work in , the newspaper reported . She later graduated from a university in 2005 with a degree in mathematics and another in psychology , the newspaper reported . Recently , she had been teaching computer science at a local school . `` We still ca n't believe what happened , '' her father said , according to Novaya Gazeta . `` We ca n't even imagine how she appeared in Moscow . '' According to the newspaper , Magomedov described his daughter as `` quite pious , '' but he said she never expressed any radical views . `` I totally rule out that someone might have manipulated her psychologically , '' he said , noting that she was a certified psychologist , the newspaper reported . `` She lived with us , worked as a schoolteacher and led an open life , '' he said . A person who knows the Magomedov family very well told the newspaper that Sharipova was a `` calm and confident person . '' The person , who was not identified , said that no one `` ever heard her expressing any extremist opinions or displaying imbalanced behavior . '' On Tuesday , Russian state television , citing law enforcement sources , said Sharipova had been the wife of 35-year-old Magomedali Vagabov , a local rebel leader who has been fighting government forces since the 1990s , and who reports directly to Dokku Umarov , the top Chechen rebel , who took responsibility for the bombings . The investigative committee would not comment on the report . Russian state television also showed video of Sharipova 's village , and spoke to her father . `` When they -LSB- officials -RSB- called me on the phone to tell that she blew herself up in the Moscow subway , I said it must be complete rubbish , '' he recalled in an interview . Last week , the Russian investigative committee identified the first bomber as Abdullayeva , also from Dagestan . Her precise age was n't revealed , but the committee said she was born in 1992 . Russian newspapers reported Friday that Abdullayeva -- whose last name has also been cited as Abdurakhmanova -- was the widow of a prominent Dagestani rebel militant leader who was killed by federal forces in late December . An apparent photograph of Abdullayeva and her late husband , identified as 30-year-old Umalat Magomedov , was published in Russian media . It shows a bearded man with his arm draped over a young-looking teenage girl dressed in traditional Muslim attire . Both are holding guns and looking unsmilingly into the camera . The circumstances of the photograph , including when it was taken , were not explained . CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the picture . CNN 's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Iraqi government said Friday it has arrested members of a cell believed responsible for Wednesday 's truck bombings in which more than 100 people were killed . Workers clear the site outside the ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs in Baghdad . Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta , spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command , appeared on Iraqi state television Friday night to announce the arrests , which he said were made within two hours of the bombings in the capital city . Those arrested include people believed to have planned and executed the attacks , Atta said . It was not immediately clear how many people were arrested . Initial investigations show a link between the cell and the ousted Baath regime of Saddam Hussein , Atta said . Authorities are also seeking people thought to have provided cell members with logistical support and identification , he said . Iraq Security Forces recovered a truck Friday with five tons of C-4 explosives in the Abu Ghraib area , on the western outskirts of Baghdad , Atta said Friday night . More than 500 people were wounded Wednesday in the six explosions in Baghdad . In one attack , a truck bomb exploded outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . The blast blew through the front of the building , sending some vehicles flying and leaving others in mangled twists of metal in the area , which is just outside the restricted International Zone , also known as the Green Zone . Another truck bomb went off outside the Ministry of Finance building . Authorities said Thursday that 11 high-ranking security officials from the Iraqi army and police were detained for investigation . The Iraqi government in the past has made claims of arrests that did not hold up . In April , it said it had captured Abu Omar al-Baghdadi , the head of al Qaeda in Iraq 's umbrella group , the Islamic State of Iraq . The Islamic State of Iraq denied it , and the capture was never confirmed by the U.S. military . The explosions made Wednesday the country 's deadliest day since the United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns nearly two months ago and left security in the hands of the Iraqis . The U.S. military remains in a training and advisory capacity in those areas and continues to conduct combat operations outside cities and towns . Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered increased security measures , including more checkpoints and more stringent vehicle searches across the capital , government officials said on Thursday . The Iraqi government has been trying to restore what it described as normalcy to the streets of the capital in recent weeks . Al-Maliki ordered his government to take down within 40 days the concrete blast walls that line Baghdad 's streets and protected neighborhoods at the height of the war . Many Iraqis have criticized the move as premature .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- I know you 've got the major risks in your financial life well taken care of : Your 401 -LRB- k -RRB- is properly diversified to help you weather market volatility , and your reserve cash fund is on call to cover life 's inevitable emergencies . Good work ! But I 'm worried about your financial blind spots -- those pesky threats to your security that lurk behind seemingly sound decisions . Here are a few common traps , and advice to ensure that you wo n't get taken by surprise : Perils of plastic Good news : You 've sworn off credit cards . Goodbye insane interest rates and fees ! You 're sticking with your debit card from now on . Hidden risk : Debit card transactions are n't reported to the credit bureaus , so if you do n't use a credit card , you 'll have less of a payment history -- which hurts your FICO credit score . How to stay on top : I love , love , love that you want to use your debit card . But to keep your credit score solid , you still need to keep a few credit cards and use them at least once every few months . Even if you think you 'll never need to borrow again , your FICO credit score has a big impact . It can affect your auto insurance premium and whether a landlord will rent to you , and many employers even check it when vetting a job application . Cards issued by credit unions typically charge lower rates -LRB- generally limited to a max of 18 percent -RRB- and fewer fees . Check out CreditCardConnection.org to find the best options . Oprah.com : How to deal with credit card debt The bond issues Good news : You 're sleeping better than ever since you moved all your retirement money out of stocks and into bonds . Hidden risk : You 're approaching two land mines here . First up is inflation . Make it to age 65 and there 's a good chance you 'll live another 20 years or longer . -LRB- More on this in the next item . -RRB- Over a 20-year period , a 4 percent average inflation rate -LRB- the historical norm since the '50s -RRB- will reduce the purchasing power of today 's dollar to about 50 cents . That will make it very hard to maintain your standard of living in retirement . Bonds are n't an ideal inflation hedge , since their historical returns are typically not much better than the inflation rate . Making matters worse , because of the financial crisis and the Federal Reserve 's efforts to keep the economy growing , bond yields are at unprecedented lows . This is not a permanent situation . Soon -- maybe this year or next -- interest rates , and thus bond yields , will start to rise . When rates rise , the market price of bonds falls . That hurts your portfolio . How to stay on top : Every portfolio benefits from bonds ; they provide a cushion when the stock market hits a rough patch . But avoiding stocks completely could mean your investment wo n't grow any faster than the rate of inflation . As a general rule , your age is a good guideline for the percentage of bonds you want -- if you 're 55 , put 55 percent in bonds and 45 percent in stocks . If you 're worried about putting money in stocks right now , stick with mutual funds or exchange-traded funds -LRB- ETFs -RRB- that focus on dividend-paying stocks . The dividend payout is a steady stream of income , much like a bond , and right now the yield on some dividend portfolios is actually higher than the yield on a five-year Treasury bond . While dividend stocks have their own risk , if you have time on your side -- at least ten years -- you can pocket that nice dividend income today , ride out the volatility , and , over the long term , potentially earn inflation-beating gains . Oprah.com : How to go green on the stock market Live long -- and prosper ? How to enjoy a long , comfortable retirement Good news : You 're likely to reach a much older age than women of previous generations . Today a woman of 65 will probably live 20 more years -- 60 percent longer than her life expectancy in 1900 . Hidden risk : That means more years that your 401 -LRB- k -RRB- and IRA need to support you . How to stay on top : To enjoy a long , comfortable retirement , save more today . If you 're 50 or older , take advantage of the catch-up provisions : Instead of an annual 401 -LRB- k -RRB- max of $ 16,500 in 2010 , you 're entitled to invest $ 22,000 , and your IRA limit rises from the standard $ 5,000 to $ 6,000 . You may also want to retire later . Working until 67 or 70 gives those funds more time to grow -- which gives you more security . You do n't have to keep the high-powered career you have now ; a less demanding job will still bring in valuable income . Retirement loans : on borrowed dimes Good news : You 're in a pinch , but your company allows you to borrow from your 401 -LRB- k -RRB- . Hidden risk : Make that plural -- there are three problems with taking your company up on that loan . First , if you leave your job , voluntarily or not , you 'll typically have only a few months to pay back what you 've borrowed . If you ca n't , the loan converts to a withdrawal on which you 'll owe income tax , and if you 're under 55 you 'll also be hit with a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty . Second , when you pull money out of any investment , it 's no longer working for your future . Anyone who took a loan from their 401 -LRB- k -RRB- in early 2009 missed out when the S&P 500 stock index shot up more than 60 percent from March to December . That was a costly time to be out of the market . Third , your loan money will end up being taxed twice -- when you repay the loan it will be with after-tax dollars , and then in retirement , when you begin using your 401 -LRB- k -RRB- for living expenses , you 'll be responsible for the tax due on those withdrawals . How to stay on top : Make a 401 -LRB- k -RRB- loan an absolute last resort . A well-maintained emergency savings fund is a far better insurance policy against unforeseen expenses . As you know , I advise saving up eight months of living expenses -- especially now , when most unemployed people need at least six months to find a new job . Kids need the darndest things Good news : You 're expecting , or you have young kids . Hidden risk : You may not be providing enough security for your family if something happens to you . How to stay on top : You ca n't control fate , but you absolutely , positively can make sure that your children will be financially secure , no matter what . A term life insurance policy that 's at least 15 times your annual income will give your kids ' guardian plenty of money to raise them according to your wishes . I know that sounds like a lot , but these policies are remarkably inexpensive . Oprah.com : Discover the pleasures of pinching pennies Shaky foundations Good news : The steep decline in home prices means you can afford to buy your first home . Hidden risk : It 's easy to underestimate the real cost of home ownership . How to stay on top : Property tax , insurance , and maintenance can add 30 percent to your base mortgage . To see how that extra expense will affect you , plug in your price range for a home at BankRate.com to determine your monthly mortgage payment , and then add 30 percent to that figure . If the total is more than your current rent , spend six months `` playing house '' -- each month , deposit the difference between your rent and your probable mortgage payment into a separate savings account . If you ca n't afford this exercise , you ca n't afford to buy a home at that price just yet . And do n't forget : Before buying a home , you must have an emergency fund that can cover your expenses for eight months . If anything happens to your job or a big expense pops up , you 'll need to have the cash to pay the mortgage . Finally , do n't buy if there 's any chance you 'll move within five to seven years . If you sell a newly purchased house , you risk making too little on the sale to cover the typical 6 percent agent 's fee and your moving costs . I know the housing market 's rock-bottom prices are tempting , but it 's better to be safe than sorry . By Suze Orman from O , The Oprah Magazine \u00a9 2010 Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2011 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Suspected terrorists and foreign fighters held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , have the right to challenge their detention in federal court , the Supreme Court ruled Thursday . A prefabricated court complex has been erected at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to try terrorism suspects . The decision marks another legal blow to the Bush administration 's war on terrorism policies . The 5-4 vote reflects the divide over how much legal autonomy the U.S. military should have to prosecute about 270 prisoners , some of whom have been held for more than six years without charges . Fourteen of them are alleged to be top al Qaeda figures . Writing for the majority , Justice Anthony Kennedy said , `` the laws and Constitution are designed to survive , and remain in force , in extraordinary times . Liberty and security can be reconciled ; and in our system reconciled within the framework of the law . '' Kennedy , the court 's swing vote , was supported by Justices John Paul Stevens , David Souter , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer , generally considered the liberal contingent . At issue was the rights of detainees to contest their imprisonment and challenge the rules set up to try them . Watch how the 5-4 ruling is a major blow for the Bush administration '' A congressional law passed in 2006 would limit court jurisdiction to hear so-called habeas corpus challenges to detention . It is a legal question the justices have tackled three times since 2004 , including Thursday 's ruling . Each time , the justices have ruled against the government 's claim that it has the authority to hold people it considers `` enemy combatants . '' Preliminary hearings have begun in Guantanamo for some of the accused . A military panel this month arraigned five suspected senior al Qaeda detainees , including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks , Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who was transferred to the prison camp in 2006 . The Bush administration has urged the high court not to get involved in the broader appeals , saying the federal judiciary has no authority to hear such matters . Four justices agreed . In a sharp dissent , read in part from the bench , Justice Antonin Scalia said the majority `` warps our Constitution . '' The `` nation will live to regret what the court has done today , '' Scalia said . He was supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito . President Bush , who is traveling in Europe , said he disagreed with the Guantanamo ruling but promised to abide by it . `` Congress and the administration worked very carefully on a piece of legislation that set the appropriate procedures in place as to how to deal with the detainees , '' he said . `` We 'll study this opinion , and we 'll do so with this in mind to determine whether or not additional legislation might be appropriate so that we can safely say , truly say to the American people , ` we are doing everything we can to protect you . ' '' The Pentagon declined to comment , and the Justice Department said it was reviewing the decision and was expected to comment later Thursday . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , welcomed the ruling , saying the Supreme Court upheld the Constitution . `` I have long been an advocate of closing Guantanamo , so I would hope this is in furtherance of taking that action , '' Pelosi said . The appeals involve noncitizens . Sixteen lawsuits filed on behalf of about 200 prisoners were put on hold pending a ruling last year by a federal appeals court upholding the government 's right to detain and prosecute suspected terrorists and war criminals . An attorney for one of the detainees , Salim Ahmed Hamdan -- Osama bin Laden 's alleged driver and bodyguard -- said he would file an appeal asking that charges be dropped against the Yemeni native . `` The clearest immediate impact of this ruling is to remove the remaining barriers for closing Guantanamo Bay . It means , in legal terms , Guantanamo Bay is no different than Kansas , '' attorney Charles Swift said . Now the ruling has been issued , a flood of similar appeals can be expected . The lead plaintiffs are Lakhdar Boumediene , a Bosnian , and Fawzi al-Odah of Kuwait . They question the constitutionality of the Military Commissions Act , passed by Congress in October 2006 . The law addresses how suspected foreign terrorists and fighters can be tried and sentenced under U.S. military law . Under the system , those facing trial would have a limited right to appeal any conviction , reducing the jurisdiction of federal courts . The suspects also must prove to a three-person panel of military officers they are not a terror risk . But defendants would have access to evidence normally given to a jury , and CIA agents were given more guidance in how far they can go in interrogating prisoners . The law was a direct response to a June 2006 Supreme Court ruling striking down the Bush administration 's plan to try detainees before military commissions . In 2004 , the justices also affirmed the right of prisoners to challenge their detention in federal court . Congress and the administration have sought to restrict such access . The Justice Department wanted the high court to pass on these appeals , at least until the first wave of tribunals had a chance to work . Administration officials also argued the prisoners have plenty of legal safeguards . The White House has said it is considering whether to close the Guantanamo prison , suggesting some high-level al Qaeda detainees could be transferred to the federal prison in Leavenworth , Kansas , and to a military brig in North Charleston , South Carolina . Most of the dozens of pending cases have been handled in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington , which in February 2007 upheld the Military Commissions Act 's provision stripping courts of jurisdiction to hear `` habeas '' challenges to the prisoners ' confinement . But a three-judge panel of the same circuit expressed concern about why the U.S. military continues to limit attorney access to the Guantanamo men . The detainees ' legal team alleges the government is unfairly restricting access to potentially exculpatory evidence , including documents they may not know exist before pretrial hearings . Legal and terrorism analysts said the issues presented in these latest sets of appeals are unlike those the justices have delved into previously . `` The difference in this case is that they have a congressional enactment cutting back on habeas corpus that they have to wrestle with , '' said Edward Lazarus , a leading appellate attorney and author of a book on the high court , `` Closed Chambers : The Rise , Fall , and Future of the Modern Supreme Court . '' `` And that , from a constitutional point of view , is really a different question . '' In a separate decision , the court refused to intervene in the case of two American citizens convicted in Iraqi courts but held by the U.S. military . The high court rejected lawyers ' arguments that Mohammad Munaf and Shawqi Ahmad Omar should be released , saying that U.S. courts are not allowed to intervene in foreign courts .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.N. Council for Human Rights began debate Thursday over whether to adopt the recommendations of a controversial U.N. report examining the three-week winter war between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza . An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israel-Gaza border just before fighting began in December 2008 . The report , based on a fact-finding mission led by former South African jurist Richard Goldstone , was released last month and concluded that Israel and Hamas had both committed `` actions amounting to war crimes , possibly crimes against humanity . '' Speaking at the start of the meeting , Israeli Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar blasted the United Nations for even holding the special session . Yaar said it `` had nothing to do with human rights and everything to do with Palestinian politics . '' He said adoption of the `` biased '' recommendations of the Goldstone report , which calls for further action by the General Assembly and Security Council if both sides do not conduct credible investigations , would constitute a `` reward for terror '' that `` will set back hopes for peace in the region . '' Previously , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Palestinian Authority that pushing action on the Goldstone report would deal `` a mortal blow '' to the peace process . The council received the report September 29 but took no action , after a request by the Palestinian Authority to defer discussion for six months . The Palestinian Authority government of Mahmoud Abbas came under withering domestic criticism for the move and was accused of succumbing to Israeli and American pressure to drop the issue . Abbas reversed course Sunday and in a televised address told Palestinians that he was seeking immediate debate within the Human Rights Council and vowed to work `` to punish everyone who was responsible for the hideous crimes committed against our children , our men and women -- especially in our dear Gaza . '' Ibrahim Khraishi , the Palestinian Authority 's U.N. ambassador in Geneva , said Israel had rebuffed the Palestinian Authority 's conciliatory move to defer debate on the report and instead had answered `` with even more grave violations of the rights of Palestinians '' in the form of restrictions of movement and housing demolitions in East Jerusalem . The 47-member Human Rights Council is expected to vote on the resolution on Friday . The draft resolution goes beyond the Gaza conflict . It `` strongly condemns '' measures taken by Israel limiting Palestinians ' access to their properties and holy sites `` on the basis of national origin , religion , sex , age or any other discriminatory ground . '' It further condemns `` Israeli violations of human rights in Occupied East Jerusalem , particularly the confiscation of lands and properties , the demolishing of houses and private properties , the construction and expansion of settlements , the continuous construction of the separation wall , changing the demographic and geographic character of East Jerusalem , the restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Palestinian citizens of East Jerusalem , as well as the continuous digging and excavation works in and around Al-Aqsa mosque and its vicinity . '' There is an ongoing dispute about the number of people killed in the three-week military offensive that Israel called Operation Cast Lead , which began December 27 and ended January 18 . The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights put the death toll at 1,419 and said 1,167 of those were non-combatants . The Israeli military released its own figures earlier this year , saying that 1,166 people were killed , 60 percent of whom were `` terror operatives . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A militant Islamist group associated with al Qaeda has for the first time threatened to attack Israel , far from its normal base of operations in Somalia . Al-Shabab , which is fighting to control the east African country , accused Israel of `` starting to destroy '' the Al Aqsa mosque , where standoffs have taken place recently between Israeli police and Palestinians . The mosque is part of the complex that Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram al-Sharif . `` The Jews started to destroy parts of the holy mosque of Al Aqsa and they routinely kill our Palestinian brothers , so we are committed to defend our Palestinian brothers , '' said Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur , a prominent Al-Shabab commander . His threat was part of a series of fiery sermons delivered after Friday prayers in Baidoa in southwest Somalia . Al-Shabab controls the region , which is part of a country that has been without an effective national government for nearly 20 years . Other leaders of the group also threatened Israel , the first time the group is known to have done so . `` We will transfer and expand our fighting in the Middle East so we can defend Al Aqsa mosque from the Israelis , '' Al-Shabab commander Abdifatah Aweys Abu Hamza said in Mogadishu , the Somali capital . He is apparently the leader of a new Al-Shabab armed group calling themselves `` Mujahedin Al Aqsa , '' or `` Al Aqsa Holy Warriors , '' which they said is assigned to attack Israel . It is not clear whether Al-Shabab has the capacity to carry out its threats against Israel . But Rashid Abdi of the International Crisis Group , speaking last week before al-Shabab issued its threats against Israel , warned that the group should be taken seriously . `` We should not underestimate the capacity of Al-Shabab , '' he said . `` This is a deadly organization , a formidable foe . '' Abdi said the group had been mutating from a nationalist group into a terrorist organization more like al Qaeda , which was behind the September 11 , 2001 attacks on the United States . `` If you look at the rhetoric and language and if you look at the Web sites , if you hear their preachers or their scholars speak , it is completely indistinguishable from al Qaeda leaders , '' Abdi said . The group has also become more vicious in Somalia , a local human rights expert said . `` The most gruesome and gross violations of human rights are committed by Al-Shabab , '' activist Hassan Shire Sheikh said . `` They have also instilled fear . They just shoot , they kill , they maim and they lash . '' The group also threatened African neighbors on Friday , including Ethiopia , Djibouti , Kenya , Eritrea , Ghana , Sudan and Uganda . They have in the past threatened African nations that provide peacekeeping troops to the war-torn country . The U.S. State Department Country Reports on Terrorism from April lists Al-Shabab as a terrorist organization and blames it for shootings and suicide bombings inside Somalia . It does not list the group as having carried out violence outside Somalia , but says some members of the group have trained and fought alongside al Qaeda in Afghanistan . Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991 , when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting . The transitional government has struggled to establish authority , challenged by Islamist groups like Al-Shabab that have seized control of Mogadishu and much of the south . CNN 's David McKenzie in Nairobi , Kenya , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There is an increasing threat of homegrown terror stemming from segments of a deeply isolated and alienated Somali-American community , a U.S. Senate committee hearing concluded Wednesday . Sen. Joseph Lieberman says a number of Somali-Americans support terrorist groups . The hearing , conducted by the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee , focused on the attempted recruitment of young Somali-American men by al-Shabaab , `` a violent and brutal extremist -LRB- Somali -RRB- group '' with significant ties to al Qaeda , according to the U.S. State Department . `` Over the last two years , individuals from the Somali community in the United States , including American citizens , have left for Somalia to support and in some cases fight on behalf of al-Shabaab , '' noted the committee 's chairman , Sen. Joseph Lieberman , I-Connecticut . Al-Shabaab -- also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement -- was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008 . The hearing highlighted the case of Shirwa Ahmed , a 27-year-old Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota before traveling to Somalia and blowing up himself and 29 others in October . The idea that Ahmed was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community . The incident -- the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen -- was the `` most significant case of homegrown American terrorism recruiting based on violent Islamist ideology , '' Lieberman said . `` The dangers brought to light by these revelations is clear : radicalized individuals trained in terrorist tactics and in possession of American passports can clearly pose a threat to the security of our country , '' said Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine . Segments of the Somali-American community have been made vulnerable to recruitment by al-Shabaab because of a particularly tumultuous adjustment to American life , noted Andrew Liepman , deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center . `` Despite significant efforts to facilitate their settlement into American communities , many Somali immigrants face isolation , '' Liepman said . `` The -LRB- tough -RRB- adjustment to American society has reinforced their greater insularity compared to other more integrated recent immigrant communities and has aggravated the challenges of assimilation for their children , '' he said . Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers following the U.S. intervention in Somalia 's humanitarian crisis in 1992 , Liepman said . The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis , Minnesota ; Columbus , Ohio ; Seattle , Washington ; and San Diego , California . The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by `` a number of factors that come together when a dynamic , influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men , '' Liepman said . Many refugees , he said , `` lack structure and definition in their lives '' and are `` torn between their parents ' traditional tribal and clan identities and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society . '' Liepman pointed out that there was no evidence of a radicalization of the entire Somali-American community , now believed to number between 70,000 and 200,000 people . In fact , he said , the Somali-American community has been victimized by a `` small group of extremists who are essentially terrorizing their own community , who are recruiting and radicalizing young people within that community . '' `` We do n't have radicalized communities . We have radicalized clusters of -LRB- young -RRB- people , '' emphasized Philip Mudd , a director of the FBI 's national security branch . The potential terrorist indoctrination and recruitment was a consequence of these clusters , Liepman said , and is the product of `` the refugee experience of fleeing a war-torn country combined with isolation , perceived discrimination , marginalization and frustrated expectations . `` Local criminal familial and clan dynamics make some members of this community more susceptible to -LRB- this -RRB- sort of extremist influence '' of groups such as al-Shabaab , he said . Liepman said there is a serious concern about individuals being indoctrinated by al Qaeda and al-Shabaab while in Somalia and then returning to the United States `` with the intention to conduct attacks . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The highest-level talks between the United States and North Korea since President Barack Obama took office unfolded Wednesday in Pyongyang , with a virtual lock-down on information . The top U.S. envoy for North Korea , Stephen Bosworth , is on a three-day visit for meetings to determine whether North Korea will return to six-party talks on its nuclear program . The veteran diplomat is the first senior official from the Obama administration to hold direct talks with Pyongyang . The White House offered no new details about the talks , and North Koreanstate media only acknowledged Bosworth 's arrival in a one-line report . North Korea abandoned the six-party talks last April , declaring them `` dead , '' in anger over international criticism of its nuclear and missile tests . But the North also sent signals that it wanted to pursue bilateral talks with the United States instead of a multilateral dialogue . Meanwhile , the North also has cooled its tough rhetoric against the United States . Many are wondering what 's behind the North 's latest moves . `` The visit gives North Korea a lot of ` face , ' a sense of importance , '' said Wenran Jiang , political science professor at the University of Alberta in Canada . Some analysts say North Korea might just be trying to buy time . Earlier reports in Seoul claimed that North Korea is in the final stages of restoring its Yongbyon nuclear plant , which Pyongyang had begun to disable before walking away from the six-party talks in April . Given the secrecy of the North , those reports could not be verified . Analysts say North Korea is also desperate to break out of its diplomatic isolation and ease its economic pain , especially after the U.N. Security Council imposed tougher sanctions on the communist country in response to Pyongyang 's nuclear and missile tests earlier this year . Another reason for Pyongyang 's moves , analysts say , is neighboring China . When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pyongyang in October , China pledged much-needed economic , trade and military aid to its communist ally . During the three-day visit , President Kim Jong Il indicated that North Korea was willing to return to the stalled six-party talks -- on condition that there would be progress in direct talks between North Korea and the United States . China has hosted several rounds of the six-party talks , which bring together the United States , North and South Korea , Japan , Russia and China . The talks aim to negotiate a deal for North Korea to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and aid . In the end , Pyongyang wants direct talks with Washington that will eventually lead to diplomatic ties , a peace treaty and economic and trade relations . `` China can only act as a go-between , but in the end , the U.S. and North Korea will have to resolve critical issues between themselves , '' Jiang said . A U.S. State Department official said Bosworth would not carry any new proposals or new initiatives on his visit . `` Our goal here is , of course , the resumption of the six-party talks and to secure North Korea 's reaffirmation of the September 2005 joint agreement , '' State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said a few days before Bosworth 's trip . He added : `` The complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula ... will be the focus of Ambassador Bosworth 's trip to Pyongyang . '' Some observers point to a wide difference in the United States and North Korea 's negotiating positions . Selig Harrison , an expert on North Korea who has visited the North many times said , `` the U.S. side always says we do n't want to buy the same horse twice . Defense Secretary -LRB- Robert -RRB- Gates actually said that several months ago , meaning that we keep giving North Korea things to get results which we do n't get and we feel that we 've been cheated and we 're making the same deal over and over again . But actually the North Koreans feel that they 're the ones who do n't get what we have promised . '' Bridging their differences , observers say , will not be easy . `` If Bosworth can persuade the North Koreans to return to the six-party talks , all the better , '' said Zha Daojiong , a professor at Peking University in China . `` On the other hand , it will be understandable if he does not . In terms of negotiations , just about all the cards have been put on the table , '' he said . `` It is critically important to be patient with both North Korea and the United States . '' Some see the potential for progress . Koh Yu-hwan , an expert on North Korea at Dongguk University in Seoul , South Korea , said there might be options when it comes to North Korea 's nuclear weapons . `` It 's not that clear-cut , '' he said . `` The Korean War ended with an armistice . Technically the war is not yet over . The North wants nuclear weapons as a deterrent against the U.S. So , if the U.S. offers a security guarantee , pledges that it would n't try a ` regime change ' and sign a peace treaty with North Korea , the goal of denuclearization is still possible . '' Bosworth 's visit comes after meeting with U.S. allies . He stopped in Seoul on Monday to brief South Korean officials on his trip to the North . Bonnie Glaser , a North Korea analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington , noted that even the North 's renewed indication that it might return to the stalled six-party talks is not enough and there still is a long way to go to accomplish the denuclearization goal . After his visit to the North , Bosworth is expected to consult with the other six-party countries before returning to Washington . CNN 's Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Floyd Mayweather will cement his position as the most bankable boxer in the world in Saturday night 's non-title welterweight fight against fellow American Shane Mosley in Las Vegas . The 33-year-old , whose nicknames include `` Money , '' has already generated $ 292 million in revenue in six pay-per-view fights for broadcaster HBO , from 5.5 million buys . He is expected to take home $ 58.5 million for himself if the battle with veteran Mosley achieves two million subscribers . Mayweather is already fourth on the broadcaster 's all-time list behind Oscar De La Hoya -LRB- $ 610.6 million on 12.6 million buys from 18 events -RRB- , Mike Tyson -LRB- $ 545 million on 12.4 million buys , 12 bouts -RRB- and Evander Holyfield -LRB- $ 543 million on 12.6 million buys , 14 fights -RRB- . De La Hoya and Tyson have both retired , while the 47-year-old Holyfield last month kept alive his unlikely dream of winning the world heavyweight title for a record fifth time by claiming the little-regarded WBF crown in front of just 3,000 people in Vegas . Mayweather 's 2007 victory over De La Hoya earned a record $ 120 million for a single pay-per-view event from 2.15 million buys , and HBO told CNN that his fight with the 38-year-old Mosley is set to qualify as a true `` megafight . '' `` In boxing , megafights are those that reach one million buys , '' HBO Pay-Per-View senior vice-president Mark Taffet said . `` By every indicator -- ticket sales , closed circuit television sales , views of video on the Internet , and the number of viewers of HBO 's 24\/7 series -- Mayweather-Mosley is on track to becoming a true PPV megafight . `` Whether on television , radio , newspapers , magazines , Internet , Facebook , MySpace , iTunes , Youtube , HBO , or at retail stores across the country , fans everywhere are surrounded by this great event . The Mayweather-Mosley buzz is everywhere . '' Mayweather is undefeated in 40 fights , and has won six world titles at five different weights . However , he has lost his No. 1 ranking as the highly-regarded Ring Magazine 's world 's top pound-for-pound boxer to rival Manny Pacquiao . The two were due to clash earlier this year but the Filipino pulled out due to Mayweather 's demands for Olympic-style blood-testing . `` Floyd Mayweather is a bonafide PPV superstar , '' Taffet said . `` He is one of most prolific performers in PPV history . `` But it takes two to make a true megafight and , like Floyd Mayweather , Shane Mosley is a future Hall-of-Famer and one of the most recognizable boxing stars of this era . Shane is a critical ingredient in the megafight status of Mayweather-Mosley . `` While Shane and Floyd definitely have very passionate fan bases in their hometowns -LSB- Lynwood , California and Grand Rapids , Michigan respectively -RSB- , both Mayweather and Mosley are national figures with broad and diverse fan bases throughout the entire U.S. `` As the ` Who R U Picking ? ' polls indicate , fans everywhere are talking about this matchup and it is virtually a 50-50 split as to who the fans think will win . '' While many pundits expect Mayweather and Pacquiao to agree to fight by the end of this year , the American has taunted the Filipino by saying he is not enough of a box office draw . Pacquiao 's fights with De La Hoya and Juan Marquez brought in significantly fewer buys than Mayweather 's clashes with the duo . `` He needs to learn how to do numbers like I 'm doing , '' Mayweather , who shunned the chance of winning the WBA belt against Mosley as he did not want to pay the sanctioning fees , told Boxingscene.com . `` He needs to step his game up . I 'm not worried about this -LSB- Mosley fight -RSB- . I know I 'm going to do crazy numbers . I should walk away with about $ 40 million . With or without Pacquiao I 'm going to be able to go out and make $ 20 million or $ 30 million a night . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New Hampshire 's Senate has approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry , but critics and supporters of the legislation say their work is n't over . New Hampshire could become the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage if a bill becomes law . `` We were obviously disappointed , '' Kevin Smith , executive director of the conservative Cornerstone Policy Research Action group , said Thursday . `` We do n't think the voters are going to forget about it . '' On the other side , members of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition , a group that has worked since 2001 for same-sex marriage , were `` absolutely thrilled , '' said Mo Baxley , its executive director . But noting that the bill is returning to the House of Representatives for consideration of changes made by the Senate , Baxley added , `` I think the work continues . '' Her organization will encourage supporters to contact their representatives ahead of the House vote , she said . On Wednesday , the Senate voted 13-11 in favor of the bill , which differs from the House-approved version in that it distinguishes between civil and religious marriage . It allows each religion to decide whether to acknowledge same-sex marriage but extends the option of civil marriage to any two individuals , said state Senate spokeswoman Anne Saunders . The House , which passed the earlier version last month by a margin of seven votes , 186-179 , must approve the changed version before it can be sent to Gov. John Lynch , a Democrat who has questioned the need for the bill . After the Senate vote , Lynch released a statement saying he believes that `` the fundamental issue is about providing the same rights and protections to same-sex couples as are available to heterosexual couples . This was accomplished through the passage of the civil unions law two years ago . '' Lynch signed the state 's civil unions law in May 2007 . `` To achieve further real progress , '' he added , `` the federal government would need to take action to recognize New Hampshire civil unions . '' Earlier this month , the governor said he believes the word `` marriage '' should be used only to describe a marriage between a man and a woman , the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester reported . `` I think the word ` marriage ' is reserved for a marriage between a man and a woman , and I think the real issues really are rights and protections for gay and lesbian couples , '' he told reporters on April 15 , according to the newspaper . Smith said his organization , which was established in 2000 , would `` lobby hard '' to get the governor to veto the bill . He said he expected it to pass the House . `` Look , this is a matter of holding the governor accountable , '' he said . `` He 's been very public with his views on same-sex marriage in the state . ... We 'll see if he was misleading the voters of New Hampshire or if he 'll stand by his word and actually veto it . '' Were the bill to become law , New Hampshire would become the fifth state allowing same-sex marriage , joining Connecticut , Vermont , Massachusetts and Iowa . Only Vermont has established the practice legislatively . CNN 's Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iceland and Sweden plan to take in about 200 Palestinian refugees from Iraq who have been living in refugee camps along the Iraqi-Syrian border , the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday . More than two dozen refugees stranded at the Al Waleed refugee camp for the last two years will be headed to Iceland in the next few weeks , the agency said . In addition , 155 Palestinians in the Al Tanf refugee camp have been accepted for resettlement in Sweden , it said . Many Palestinians living in Iraq have gotten caught up in the violence that has engulfed the country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and have had to flee their homes . The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said that out of the estimated 34,000 Palestinians who lived in Iraq since 2003 , about 10,000 to 15,000 remain . The UNHCR says about 2,300 Palestinians `` are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border . '' They are , the UNHCR says , `` unable to return to Iraq or to cross the borders to neighboring countries . '' It says the Al Waleed camp has 1,400 people and Al Tanf about 900 . `` UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support for the Palestinians but with few results . Few Palestinians in the border camps have been accepted for resettlement or offered shelter in third countries ; 223 Palestinians left to non-traditional resettlement countries such as Brazil and Chile . `` Some urgent medical cases were taken by a few European countries , but this is a very small number out of the 2,300 Palestinians stranded in the desert , '' the UNHCR said in a statement . It noted that Sudan has made an offer to take in some of those Palestinians , and said `` UNHCR and Palestinian representatives are finalizing an operations plan that will enable this to take place . '' Refugees International recently asked the United States government to intervene and resettle the Palestinians in the United States instead of Sudan , which itself is engulfed in sectarian fighting and whose government has been condemned for atrocities . `` The Palestinians being resettled in Sudan is obviously not an ideal or preferred solution , '' State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper told CNN last month . `` But we accept the judgment of the UNHCR that it is preferable to the Palestinians continuing to be stranded in the border area in extremely dire circumstances . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. President George Bush railed against the government of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe Monday , calling intimidation of opposition figures `` deplorable . '' Leading opposition figure Artur Mutambara was arrested following his criticism of President Robert Mugabe . `` The continued use of government-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe , including unwarranted arrests and intimidation of opposition figures , to prevent the Movement for Democratic Change from campaigning freely ahead of the June 27 presidential runoff election is deplorable , '' Bush said in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in neighboring South Africa . Zimbabwean authorities Sunday arrested an opposition leader on charges stemming from his criticism of the government and its handling of the recent presidential election , an official with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change told CNN . Police in Harare surrounded the house of student activist-turned-opposition politician Arthur Mutambara and arrested him on charges of contempt of court and publishing falsehoods , MDC official Romualdo Mavedzenge said . While Zimbabwe authorities have arrested dozens of MDC supporters and activists over the past two months , Mavedzenge said `` this is the highest profile MDC official -LRB- arrested -RRB- since the March 29 election . '' Mutambara is president of an MDC faction that split from the main party headed by Morgan Tsvangirai . After Tsvangirai 's party won the majority of seats in parliament , the two leaders agreed to join forces in parliament under Mutambara 's leadership . Both charges stem from an opinion piece written by Mutambara in which he criticized President Robert Mugabe for the way the March 29 elections were handled . Raphael Khumalo , chief executive of The Sunday Standard , which published the article , was arrested last month on charges of publishing falsehoods . Bush said Mugabe 's government is failing on multiple levels . `` We call on the regime to immediately halt all attacks and to permit freedom of assembly , freedom of speech , and access to the media , '' Bush said . `` We urge the Southern African Development Community , the African Union , the United Nations , and other international organizations to blanket the country with election and human rights monitors immediately . '' Zimbabwe 's election commission said Tsvangirai won the March presidential election , but did n't win a majority of the vote , forcing this month 's vote . The MDC contested the results , saying Tsvangirai won outright , but decided to take part in the runoff and not cede the election to Mugabe .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S . has restored Fulbright scholarships to seven Gaza-based students , saying it erred last week when it rescinded the awards because of travel restrictions that Israel imposes on the Palestinian territory . Student Hadeel Abukwaik , 23 , says she hopes to have an exit visa to leave Gaza for the U.S. by August . In e-mails to the students on Sunday , the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem said the United States was working with Israeli authorities to let them leave the Hamas-ruled zone to study at American universities . The scholarships were reinstated after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed outrage about the initial decision , State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday . McCormack said the initial decision was partly the result of a `` faulty decision-making process '' by the State Department . `` The secretary saw it when it got to her level . She said , ` Fix it , ' '' McCormack said . `` We hope that it has been fixed and that we are working with the Israelis to get these exit permits so that these individuals , again , can have a visa interview . '' Watch how the students learned about the scholarship loss '' U.S. officials had said the scholarships were rescinded because Israel had denied them exit visas . But McCormack said Monday that U.S. authorities did not take up the matter with Israel until after the matter became public . Israel , which has been criticized for banning hundreds of students from leaving Gaza to study abroad , said it considers each application individually . Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev indicated Sunday that his country would be willing to grant the students visas . `` This can happen , '' Regev said . `` No one has to pressure Israel on this issue . We have an interest . A real interest . '' Citing security concerns , Israel imposed an embargo on the movement of people and goods from Gaza after Islamic militant group Hamas took over the territory last year . Palestinians can leave Gaza only with Israeli permission . Hamas has refused to recognize Israel 's right to exist , and Israel , the United States and the European Union have designated it a terrorist organization . McCormack said the seven Gaza Fulbright students must be interviewed by Israeli authorities before they can get visas to the United States . `` Should they have a successful visa interview -- and by law I ca n't prejudge an outcome of a visa interview -- then they would be able to come to the United States and pursue their program , '' he said . If the seven are allowed to leave , it would be the first time Israel has let students do so from Gaza since January , according to Palestinian advocacy group Gisha . One of the Gaza Fulbright scholars , Hadeel Abukwaik , 23 , said she `` laughed like crazy '' from sheer joy when she received Sunday 's e-mail . `` I was really hoping for this , but I did n't want to want it too much , '' the software engineering student said by phone Monday . `` I did n't want to be disappointed again . `` This is really good news . '' Fulbright scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and leadership potential under the U.S. government-funded Fulbright program , which was started in 1946 . The scholarships allow U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to study and teach abroad to promote the `` mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world . '' More than 279,000 participants have been chosen for Fulbright scholarships . Abukwaik said the e-mail she received Sunday gave no indication about when the students might be able to travel . She is waiting to hear back from several universities , including ones in California and Florida . She said academic programs start in August and she hopes to have a visa to leave Gaza by then . CNN 's Atika Shubert in Gaza City and Elise Labott in Washington contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"KATHMANDU , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nepal 's prime minister said Monday he will resign to save what he called the country 's `` infant democracy . '' Pushpa Kamal Dahal cited a serious political crisis caused by the president 's `` unconstitutional '' order . It is the latest fallout over the status of Nepal 's army chief , Gen. Rookmangud Katawal . The Maoist government sacked Katawal on Sunday . Hours later , President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated him . Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal , commonly known as Prachanda , resigned on Monday , citing a serious political crisis caused by the president 's `` unconstitutional '' order . `` The dual powers that have been unconstitutionally established in the country must end under any circumstance , '' Prachanda said in a televised address announcing he would resign from the country 's Cabinet . Prachanda is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal -LRB- Maoist -RRB- , which had been the largest party in Nepal 's coalition government until it recently withdrew . The former guerilla leader headed a decade-long bloody Maoist insurgency to abolish the country 's monarchy before being sworn in as prime minister in August . In his address on Monday , Prachanda blamed certain political parties and `` power centers '' for `` striking at our democracy , constitution and the peace process by putting the president in the forefront of the controversy over the chief of army staff . '' `` This has raised concerns over our infant democracy and the peace process , '' he said . `` I appeal to the people , civil society and political powers to be committed to the struggle for establishing a democratic Nepal . '' Nepal 's interim constitution gives the president powers as supreme commander of the army and guardian of the constitution . Yadav 's spokesman said the president had the support of 18 parties in parliament when he reinstated the army chief . The decision to fire Katawal touched off protests . Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets on Sunday . Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions , there were no serious injuries reported . The Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government 's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels , as a 2006 peace deal required . The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency . Under the deal , more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country 's security forces . Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain striker Fernando Torres may not be fit for the start of the World Cup , according to his English club Liverpool . The forward scored 18 goals in 22 games in the Premier League before his season was cut short by a knee injury . Torres had surgery to repair a torn cartilage in April and is now racing to be fit for Spain 's opening game at the finals with Switzerland on June 16 . Peter Brukner , Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science at Liverpool , says the 26-year-old may not have recovered in time to launch his country 's charge for the trophy . He told Liverpool 's official Web site : `` You ca n't be absolutely certain of anything but at this stage , if he continues to progress the way he is , he should be fit to play at some stage during the World Cup . `` Whether he 'll be fit for the first game or not is uncertain . We 're anxious not to hurry him along too much because we want the long-term benefit , but we 're aware he 's got the short-term goal of playing in the World Cup . '' Meanwhile , Germany coach Joachim Loew has been dealt a double blow ahead of the World Cup after goalkeeper Rene Adler and midfielder Simon Rolfes were ruled out of the tournament through injury . Adler has been told he needs surgery on a rib injury , aggravated while playing for his club Bayer Leverkusen during their weekend German Bundesliga draw with Hertha Berlin . He has been the country 's number one since Robert Enke committed suicide in November 2009 , and has nine caps to his name . `` This was the hardest decision of my life , '' Adler told the German Football Association 's Web site . `` The pain is so great that I would not have been able to perform at my best over the longer term both in training and during matches . `` In such a long and intensive tournament , that is unacceptable . You need players who are totally fit . '' Rolfes , who also plays for Leverkusen , has been out of action since an operation on a knee injury back in January and will not be adding to his 21 caps at the finals in South Africa . He said : `` I am very pleased with the healing process but it is now definitively clear that the World Cup finals for me make no sense . `` My plan is now to look to start the new Bundesliga season fully fit . Missing out on the World Cup is not easy . It only remains for me now to wish the team every success in South Africa . '' Meanwhile , striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been left out of Holland 's provisional World Cup squad , but coach Bert Van Marwijk says it does n't necessarily spell the end of his World Cup dream . The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward is currently playing for Hamburg in the Bundesliga . `` As for Ruud , I 'm giving myself until May 11 to decide , '' Van Marwijk was quoted as saying in a story on FIFA 's Web site . `` I 'm leaving him until that date to convince me that he is sufficiently in shape to take part in the World Cup . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said . Opposition supporters wave an Armenian flag during a protest rally in Yerevan , Armenia , on Saturday . The protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . The state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , Yerevan , said Salpi Ghazarian , assistant to the Armenian foreign minister , who spoke to CNN early Sunday . The state of emergency could last until March 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a U.S. Embassy official . Ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition '' The embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days . As of early Sunday morning , Freedom Square was empty , Ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia '' `` What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' Ghazarian said . `` After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . There are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` We 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning 's action by Armenian riot police was bloody , but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` These are innocent people , '' she said . `` They just want their freedom . They just want to be heard . They are being beaten up , some people have horrible wounds . '' She asked that CNN not use her name because she feared for her safety . As night fell Saturday , the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters ' gathering , and tracer fire could be seen in the sky , according to another Yerevan resident , who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety . The man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day . The car initially did not stop , he said , but the protesters surrounded the car , dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle , he said . The officers were able to escape , he said , but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck . The protests began soon after the February 19 presidential election . Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian , a political ally of outgoing President Kocharian . The opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided . Ghazarian said Sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition . `` We are hoping with the help of the international community , the opposition , the leader of the opposition , will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets , '' she said . Haroutiun Khachatrian , editor of the Noyan Tappan News Agency , told CNN that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square Saturday morning , including many opposition party officials . Ter-Petrosian was there but was not arrested , he said . The opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means . The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe -LRB- OSCE -RRB- monitored last month 's Armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards , although it did include some criticism in its report . The U.S. Embassy has warned the several hundred Americans living in Yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place , the U.S. official said . Armenia , population 3 million , is a former Soviet republic east of Turkey , south of Georgia and north of Iran . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gian Piero Gasperini has paid the price for Inter Milan 's poor start to the season , being sacked as coach following the 2010 European champions ' 3-1 defeat by newly-promoted Novara on Tuesday . The 53-year-old took charge in June , but under his guidance the 18-time Italian Serie A titleholders earned just one point from their opening three league matches to languish in 17th position in the table -- one place outside of the relegation zone . Inter also lost to arch-rivals AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup in August and to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in their opening European Champions League match . `` F.C. Internazionale announces that this morning 's training session at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti in Appiano Gentile was run by -LSB- assistant coaches -RSB- Daniele Bernazzani and Giuseppe Baresi , '' Inter 's website reported on Wednesday . `` The club would like to thank Gian Piero Gasperini for the dedication he has shown in his work and regret having to end the relationship with the coach . '' Inter slump to defeat against Novara Inter president Massimo Moratti appeared to confirm that Gasperini faced the ax when questioned about the former Genoa boss on Wednesday before meeting with the coach . Asked if Gasperini would remain with the Nerazzurri , Moratti replied : `` I do n't think so . We 'll decide what to do today but he seems to be in a very difficult situation , whichever way you look at it . '' On Tuesday 's defeat , Inter 's second in three league matches , Moratti said : `` When you lose in such a way , there 's nothing you like . '' Gasperini replaced Brazilian coach Leonardo at Inter , having been sacked by Genoa in November 2010 . During a four-year spell with Genoa , Gasperini led the club to a fifth-place finish in Serie A in 2009 and qualification for the Europa League . `` Results are what decide everything , I 'm very disappointed , '' he told journalists on Wednesday , AFP reported . `` I had a great relationship with the directors and it 's a shame that it 's had to come to an end . Everyone feels regret . '' Inter , whose solitary point this season came from a 0-0 draw against Roma , face a trip to Bologna on Saturday before traveling to Russia to take on CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drew Peterson , the former police sergeant who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife , Stacy Peterson , has been indicted on murder charges related to his third wife , Kathleen Savio , the Illinois state attorney 's office said . Drew Peterson was arrested Thursday on murder charges relating to his third wife , Kathleen Savio . Illinois State Police said Peterson was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after a traffic stop near his home . Police had staked out his home all day , said police Capt. Carl Dobrich , but waited for Peterson to leave to arrest him out of concern for his three children , who were inside the house . Peterson , through his attorney , denied any wrongdoing in either case . Wills County State 's Attorney James Glasgow said he believes the case is strong and said Peterson is being held on $ 20 million bond . `` This is an extremely grave and serious matter and it is reflected in the bond , '' Glasgow said . Peterson 's attorney Joel Brodsky told CNN 's Larry King he believed the bond was excessive and would seek a more `` reasonable '' bond , noting it was the most expensive bond he 'd seen in 10 years . Watch Peterson 's attorney address his client 's arrest '' Charles B. Pelkie , spokesman for the state 's attorney in Will County , Illinois , said a grand jury indicted Peterson in the murder of Savio , whose death had been ruled an accidental drowning . Brodsky said in a written statement that prosecutors wo n't be able to prove their case because `` he did n't do it . '' `` There is no evidence that links Drew Peterson to the death of Kathleen Savio or anyone else for that matter , '' Brodsky said . `` Drew did not harm Kathleen ; he has said so from Day One . We 're obviously disappointed a grand jury indicted him . But an indictment does not mean guilt . '' Pelkie said the grand jury continues to meet and is studying the possibility of charges in Stacy Peterson 's disappearance . Watch family members react to the arrest '' After Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007 , media frenzy and police scrutiny on Peterson revealed Savio had died mysteriously a few years earlier during a nasty divorce . Savio died just before the division of the marital assets was finalized , making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary . Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home . At the time , the death was ruled an accidental drowning . But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play . The investigation into Stacy Peterson 's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio 's death . Authorities exhumed Savio 's body , further tests were conducted , and her death has now been ruled a `` homicide staged to look like an accident . '' Brodsky told King he believes the case has always been about circumstantial evidence and that he will bring a pathologist to trial who will say Savio died from an accidental drowning . `` I think the jury 's going to see that , in fact , this always has been an accidental death and still is an accidental death , '' Brodsky told King . Kathleen Savio 's brother , Nick , told CNN affiliate WLS-TV he received a call from his sister saying Peterson had been arrested . Watch police arrest Peterson '' `` The state police had been telling us the day was coming , '' he told WLS-TV . `` We kept hearing it for about eight months . I 'm almost in tears here . It 's been so hard for our family . '' `` Hopefully , we 'll get the justice we 've always been waiting for . '' Martin Glink , attorney for the Savio family , said they were hopeful the grand jury felt there was enough evidence to charge Peterson . `` We 're very happy that the wheels of justice have continued to move and they are pointing in his direction , '' Glink told WLS-TV . The news was also bittersweet for Stacy Peterson 's family , who continue to wait for news about her disappearance . `` We have anticipated this coming . We have dreamed about it . We have been patient over it , '' Pam Bosco , spokesperson for Stacy Peterson 's family told WLS-TV . `` Now that it 's here , it 's almost a little bit calm . We 're waiting for the storm to calm now . The calm before the storm . '' Bosco said while she had not heard about any charges relating to Stacy Peterson 's death , she was hopeful those charges would follow . `` We always said from the very beginning that Kathleen and Stacy had one thing in common -- and that was Drew Peterson , '' she said . `` So , hopefully , we 'll have news soon about Stacy , too . '' Ernie Raines is also relieved about the arrest . His daughter , Christina Raines , is dating Peterson and was living with him before his arrest . Ernie Raines told CNN 's Anderson Cooper he was with his daughter and Peterson as recently as last week , when they talked about going to Las Vegas , Nevada , and getting married . Thursday night he spoke with his daughter after the arrest . `` My daughter was terrified , very emotional , upset , '' Ernie Raines said . `` And I tried to tell her from the beginning that this was going to happen , be prepared . '' Ernie Raines said more than anything , when he heard about the arrest , he was relieved . `` I 'm glad justice finally came -- before he hurt my daughter , '' he said . Police put Peterson 's three minor children in the custody of the state 's children and family service department . His adult son was contacted , at Peterson 's request , to take them , according to Capt. Dobrich . Dobrich said Peterson cooperated with police during his arrest . CNN 's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods admits his personal problems are affecting his game , but the world 's top golfer refused to blame media intrusion on his life for his disastrous return to the PGA Tour this week . Woods defied expectation when he tied for fourth on his comeback last month at the Masters , one of golf 's four major events , but struggled at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina as he missed the halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional . On Friday , he slumped to a seven-over-par 79 that saw him miss the weekend rounds by eight shots -- and a massive 17 behind leader Billy Mayfair . It was his second-worst single-round score behind the 81 he carded at the 2002 British Open , and his highest 36-hole total meant he missed the cut in a non-major for the first time since 2005 . The 34-year-old , who took a five-month break from playing following the scandal over his admitted marital infidelities , admitted he was feeling pressure due to continued questioning about his private life . `` Well , I get asked every day . Every day I do media , I get asked it , so it does n't go away . Even when I 'm at home , paparazzi still follow us , helicopters still hover around , '' Woods told reporters in quotes carried by his personal Web site . `` Does it test you ? Yes , of course it does . Is that any excuse ? No , because I 'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number , and I did n't do that . '' Woods will hope to address problems with his game ahead of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida starting next Thursday . `` It 'll be interesting because I 'll probably get home and hit balls on the range , and I 'm going to have to get up there to Ponte Vedra a little early to putt because Isleworth is all torn up , '' he said . `` My short game was terrible . I three-putted there twice back-to-back , and you ca n't do that . I did n't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven . Those shots , you 're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that . `` You have to let it go . It 's like baseball , you go 0 for 4 two days in a row like I did , you 've got a whole new tournament next week , which is great . '' While Woods struggled at Quail Hollow , the 43-year-old Mayfair shot his second successive 68 to claim a one-shot lead from Argentina 's Angel Cabrera . Last year 's Masters champion , who played his first two rounds with Woods , fired a 67 featuring an eagle , four birdies and two bogeys . Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson also carded 68 to be in a tie for third another shot back on 138 along with fellow Americans J.P. Hayes -LRB- 64 -RRB- , Dustin Johnson -LRB- 65 -RRB- and Paul Goydos -LRB- 70 -RRB- . Meanwhile , England 's Mark Foster will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open in Seville . The world No. 363 , seeking his second victory on the European Tour , carded a three-under-par 69 in his third round on Saturday . Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros -LRB- 67 -RRB- and Carlos Del Moral -LRB- 70 -RRB- were tied for second along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin -LRB- 71 -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli media are buzzing with reports that right-wing nationalist Avigdor Lieberman may become Israel 's next foreign minister . Avigdor Lieberman is loathed by ultra-orthodox parties because of his support for a Palestinian state . The appointment of Lieberman , a polarizing figure in Israeli politics , could complicate the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians . It could also further strain relations between Israel and moderate Arab countries . Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu is still in the process of forming Israel 's next government . Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported this week that it is likely that he will select Lieberman as foreign minister . The paper quoted a source close to the negotiations between Netanyahu 's Likud Party and Lieberman 's Yisrael Beiteinu . Lieberman would replace outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni , head of the moderate Kadima party , which secured the most number of parliament seats in last month 's election -- but not enough to form a coalition government . Netanyahu has been unable to woo moderate parties , including Kadima , into his government . He may be forced to concede some key ministerial posts to Lieberman 's party , which would be the second largest faction in the new coalition government behind Likud . Netanyahu has vowed to form a broad-based government , but it is unclear how he can keep that promise since Kadima and the moderate Labor Party have indicated that they plan to form an opposition to a Likud-led government . `` Although Netanyahu has reportedly largely agreed to making Lieberman his foreign minister , he is thought to still be weighing the potential political damage the appointment of the hawkish politicians would do to the image of his government , '' Haaretz reported . The Jerusalem Post , quoting unnamed diplomatic sources , reported that although Israel 's ties with western Europe may suffer if Lieberman becomes foreign minister , he may help improve the Jewish state 's ties with Russia and eastern Europe . Lieberman is in a peculiar spot on the Israeli political spectrum He is routinely categorized as a right-wing hawk . But as a secularist who supports an independent Palestinian state , he is loathed by Israel 's ultra-orthodox parties , including Shas , which holds 11 seats in the Knesset and is another potential member of Netanyahu 's coalition . It is unclear how moderate Arab countries , who are still outraged over Israel 's recent military operation in Gaza , would react to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman . Egypt , one of only four Muslim countries that have full diplomatic ties with Israel , has been trying to negotiate a broader cease-fire between Israel and Gaza 's Hamas leadership . It is unclear whether those indirect negotiations would continue under the new Israeli government . Lieberman has said he is unwilling to directly or indirectly negotiate with Hamas , which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel for its refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence against the Jewish state . Lieberman does support `` the creation of a viable Palestinian state , '' which is the bedrock of U.S. policy in the region . He restated that support in a Jewish Week article , written shortly after last month 's election . That puts him at odds with Netanyahu , who does not support a two-state solution . However , Lieberman 's support of a Palestinian state comes at a high price . He has stated that he would oppose any peace agreement that would divide Jerusalem as a shared capital between Israel and a Palestinian state . Lieberman , who migrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel in 1978 , has also called for Israel 's boundaries to be redrawn to exclude much of Israel 's Arab minority , a move that would strip them of their citizenship . Palestinians with Israeli citizenship make up about 20 percent of the Jewish state 's population . Lieberman frequently clashes with Arab members of the Knesset and has called for them to be tried and executed for meeting with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas . He wants all Knesset members , both Arabs and Jews , to prove their loyalty by swearing allegiance to the Israeli flag and national anthem . Arab Knesset member Ahmed Tibi has warned that Lieberman 's rising popularity reflects a dangerous trend . `` We are talking about a pure and obvious fascist phenomena invading the Israeli society , '' Tibi said . `` During the last years , racism became mainstream in the Israeli society . '' Lieberman 's supporters credit him with offering clear solutions to Israel 's complicated problems . In his article in Jewish Week , he rejected accusations from his critics that his party is racist . `` I stand at the head of the most diverse political party in the Knesset , '' he wrote , noting that his party 's Knesset members have included four women , three people with disabilities , a Jewish convert and a Zionist . `` I find it a bit rich to be called a bigot . '' He said that he `` look -LSB- s -RSB- forward to working with President Obama '' since `` U.S.-Israel relations are as strong as ever , and that our shared values and interests make our friendship unshakable . '' Yossi Klein Halevy of the Adelson Institute of Strategic Studies said Lieberman is tapping into the dark side of Israelis ' concerns about security , particularly as militants in Gaza continue to routinely fire rockets on southern Israel `` Lieberman is riding an ugly wave of resentment among many Jewish Israelis toward the Arab-Israeli minority , '' he said . Ynetnews.com political correspondent Attila Somfalvi recently wrote that Lieberman has become `` the leader of those who lost any hope or faith in the possibility of securing peace or engaging in talks with the Arabs . '' `` The war in Gaza indeed restored the public 's sense of security and lowered the anxiety level , yet Lieberman is perceived as the man who will know how to do what needs to be done so that no more missiles land around here , '' she wrote .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Newly released documents from Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor 's service on the board of a Puerto Rican civil rights organization show the group opposed Robert Bork 's nomination to the high court more than two decades ago . Judge Sonia Sotomayor is set to face Supreme Court confirmation hearings . Sotomayor , a judge on the New York-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit , was nominated by President Obama in May to fill the vacancy of retiring Justice David Souter . Her confirmation hearings are set to begin July 13 . She served as a board member of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund from 1980-92 , leaving when she became a federal judge . During her years on the PRLDEF board , the group opposed President Reagan 's 1987 nomination of the conservative Bork -- then a federal appeals judge -- `` because of the threat he poses to the civil rights of the Latino community , '' according to the documents . The group 's attorneys prepared press releases and `` worked on numerous efforts to build coalitions against the nominee , '' according to the documents . Bork was ultimately rejected by the Senate . The Fund also met in 1987 with staff at the New York Daily News to address what it called `` negative images of Puerto Ricans presented by the News ' staff , '' including well-known columnist Jimmy Breslin . Republicans are challenging Sotomayor 's record on affirmative action , and the newly released documents on her work at the Fund will likely be a centerpiece of debate at the upcoming confirmation hearings . The 350 pages of documents released Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee show the Fund filed hundreds of discrimination lawsuits over the years on behalf of Hispanics . The documents do not reveal whether Sotomayor was directly involved in them . She was a private attorney at the time , and was volunteering for the group . However , they reflect the Fund 's strong push to establish a precedent of cases that would establish legal authority to uphold workplace quotas for minorities . One case dealt with promotions in the New York City Police Department . A May 1992 memo on `` litigation highlights '' noted , `` We obtained quota promotions for Latinos and African Americans to the rank of sergeant . '' A PRLDEF class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of minority applicants claimed advancement exams were `` discriminatory and not job related . '' The city settled , agreeing to promotions that reflected the percentage of Hispanic test-takers . Backpay and retroactive seniority were also provided . `` As a result , '' said the memo , `` almost 100 Hispanics were promoted , over twice the number that would have been promoted without the settlement . '' Fast forward 17 years to a case Sotomayor heard as an appeals judge . She and her colleagues rejected a lawsuit by white firefighters in New Haven , Connecticut , after the city threw out the results of promotional exams because too few minorities qualified for advancement . In the case , one Hispanic and 19 white firefighters who scored high on the exams and would have gained captain and lieutenant positions claimed `` reverse '' discrimination . Last week , the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the so-called `` New Haven 20 , '' concluding `` the city rejected the test results solely because the higher scoring candidates were white . '' Justice Anthony Kennedy , writing for the majority said , `` No individual should face workplace discrimination based on race . '' The high court said municipalities would now have to establish `` a strong basis of evidence '' that promotion tests were unfairly designed or administered before nullifying them , and not simply because too many minorities did poorly . Sotomayor 's views in the case have been criticized by some conservatives , saying it shows she supports racial preferences for Hispanic and other minorities . The high court dissent , however , criticized the ruling for reinterpreting what Congress intended . `` Congress endeavored to promote equal opportunity in fact , and not simply in form , '' wrote Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg . `` The damage today 's decision does to that objective is untold . '' Supporters also contend the PRLDEF documents add nothing to the nomination debate . `` Documents that Judge Sotomayor did not write , or approve -- many of them more than two decades old -- are irrelevant to her nomination , '' according to a White House statement . `` The Senate should judge her on her own record -- especially her judicial record -- not on briefs that other lawyers wrote 20 years ago . '' Opponents , however , claim Sotomayor 's prior work for PRLDEF , and her off-the-bench comments reveal doubts about her fairness and impartiality as a judge . In addition , some Republicans on the committee expressed concern the material was released only 12 days before the hearings begin . `` This has all the hallmarks of a deliberate delay and an attempt to frustrate a thorough review of this important information , '' said Stephen Boyd , a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama , ranking Republican on the committee . `` If these dilatory tactics continue , it will be increasingly more difficult for the hearing to go forward on July 13 . '' Sotomayor supporters point out a similar `` document dump '' by the Bush White House in the days before Chief Justice John Roberts testified before the Senate in September 2005 . And the Bush administration also refused to turn over material from Justice Samuel Alito 's prior service in the Reagan and Bush Justice Departments in the 1980s , arguing his subsequent judicial record was sufficient to determine his qualifications to sit on the high court .","question":""}
{"answer":"Vatican City -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope Benedict XVI championed the environment in the Vatican 's annual World Day of Peace message . In his address , called `` If You Want to Cultivate Peace , Protect Creation , '' the pope said peace with the natural environment is the beginning of peace with all of God 's creation , including people . `` Respect for creation is of immense consequence , not least because creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God 's works , and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind , '' the pope said . The papal message of peace comes a week after the traditional Christmas address known as `` Urbi et Orbi '' -- Latin for `` To the City and the World '' -- a message of hope for the world 's afflicted . During the Christmas Eve Mass the night before , Benedict was dragged to the ground after a woman jumped a barrier and grabbed his robes . The pope appeared uninjured . In his homily , the 82-year-old pontiff asked parishioners to consider the possible effect of an ecological crisis on the stability and peace of the world -- a world in which there is increasing competition for the `` fruitfulness of the Earth . '' `` Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural resources ? '' the pope asked Friday . `` All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights , such as the right to life , food , health and development . '' `` Technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles , while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency , '' while preparing `` sustainable strategies to satisfy the energy needs of the present and future generations , '' he said . Pope Benedict XVI challenged the faithful to be good stewards of what `` God has given us , '' suggesting that peace with the Earth will lead to peace on Earth . `` For this reason , it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen that covenant between human beings and the environment , which should mirror the creative love of God , from whom we come and toward whom we are journeying , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two giant pandas arrived in Taiwan Tuesday after leaving China 's Sichuan province for their new home , in a sign of improving ties between the cross-strait neighbors . Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan rest at a giant panda research center in Sichuan province on Monday . Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan , both four years old , had been living in Ya'an since the May 12 earthquake that damaged their former home in Wolong in Sichuan , according to the state-run Xinhua news agency . The pandas ate a meal of steamed corn buns and carrots before they were placed in a truck and taken to the Sichuan capital of Chengdu . From there , they were flown to Taiwan . `` They had a good breakfast to sustain them on the long journey , '' said a Taiwan keeper traveling with the animals to the island , according to Xinhua . The panda goodwill was the latest sign of warming relations between Beijing and Taipei . Watch more about the pandas '' Regularly scheduled commercial flights , shipping and mail between Taiwan and China resumed last week for the first time since the 1949 revolution that brought the Communist Party to power on the Chinese mainland . On Monday , the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said China would provide 130 billion yuan -LRB- $ 19 billion -RRB- in financing over the next two to three years to Taiwan-based companies doing business in the mainland . Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has been cultivating ties with Beijing since winning office in March . Ma , a Nationalist , opposes reunification with China but ran on a platform touting the economic benefits of better relations with the mainland . In June -- in the first formal talks between the two sides in almost a decade -- Chinese and Taiwanese officials agreed to set up permanent offices in each other 's territories . Taiwan separated from China after the communists ' victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949 . About 2 million Chinese Nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up a government there . Beijing has always considered the island a part of China and has threatened to go to war should Taiwan declare formal independence . China said in May 2005 it would give the island two giant pandas , but their departure was delayed for more than three years . Improved ties between the two sides made the delivery of the pandas possible , Xinhua reported . The pair , whose names Tuan and Yuan together mean `` reunion , '' will live in a four-story building at the Taipei city zoo , and their lodgings will include an outdoor playground , the agency said . After a one-month quarantine , the pandas are expected to make their debut in Taiwan during the Chinese lunar new year . There are about 1,590 pandas living in China 's wild , mostly in Sichuan and the northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu . There were 239 captive-bred giant pandas in China in 2007 , Xinhua reported . One panda died in the May quake , while another is still missing , according to an official at the China Panda Protection Studies Center in Wolong .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has played down the threat posed by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as two of European football 's giants face off in the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night . Messi has been in scintillating form all season , scoring all four goals in Barca 's quarterfinal second leg victory over Arsenal . The Argentine will spearhead the Barcelona attack in the first leg clash at Milan 's San Siro stadium , but Mourinho sees the 22-year-old as just one part of a formidable team . `` What we know is that he is an important player but football , for me , is not about marking man to man , Mourniho told reporters at a pre-match press conference in Milan . `` It is not one against Messi and 10 versus 10 , it will be 11 v 11 , although he deserves special attention . '' Mourinho is charged with plotting a path past the reigning European , Spanish and World Club champions who are seeking to become the first team to defend the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990 . Inter drew 0-0 at home with Barca in the group stage of this season 's competition and were beaten 2-0 in Spain . `` Barca deserved to win in November , '' said Mourinho , who worked as a translator at Barcelona in the 1990s before becoming a manager and leading Porto to the Champions League trophy in 2004 . `` They are as strong now as they were then , but we are much stronger . I do n't mind if the football world considers them favorites , I think we have a 50 % chance of playing in the final . '' Barcelona arrived in Milan on Monday evening after being forced to travel for 14 hours by road because of the volcanic ash cloud hovering over Europe . `` It is not the ideal situation for us to travel 14 hours by coach after a league game and before a semi-final against Inter , but you can not stop a volcano , can you ? , '' said Barca coach Josep Guardiola . `` We decided to use two buses to have more space and I did n't travel with the players because I think it 's better for them not to always have their coach with them . '' Guardiola is wary of the threat posed by a side who knocked out English Premier League leaders Chelsea in the last 16 and have won the Italian league title the last four years . `` They 're a very strong team and we 'll need to play well twice . We 'll play our game and try to score as many goals as possible , '' he said . `` But we could lose because we 're playing against one of the best teams in Europe . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Thomas Tugend , there was no doubt which side he was fighting for as a young infantryman in Europe in World War II . Actually , the choice was made for him in 1933 , when he was just a child . Born in Germany , Tugend lived a comfortable , upper-middle class life in Berlin . His father , Gustav , was a loyal and patriotic German who had fought in World War I and was a decorated officer in the German army . He was also a successful doctor , leaving Thomas with few worries during his childhood in Berlin . Like many of his schoolmates , Thomas was an avid soccer player who gave little thought to the political storm brewing around him . Everything changed in 1933 when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party came to power . That the Tugend family was successful , educated and loyal Germans no longer meant anything . To the new German government , the Tugends were Jews -- and that was all that mattered . Still , the family remained in a state on denial about the danger they faced because , as Thomas Tugend later said , `` for us , the oppression came gradually , not all at once . '' The Tugend 's longtime nanny , a mother figure to young Thomas , was forced to leave because of a government edict prohibiting non-Jewish Germans from working in Jewish homes . Then , Thomas ' father was told he could no longer treat non-Jewish patients . Shortly thereafter , the elder Tugend was summarily fired from his job in the pediatrics department of a prominent Berlin hospital . As a result , the Tugend family was forced to move from their comfortable home to a poorer part of the city . `` It was little things at first , and people would say , ` Well , we can live with that , ' and then another more stringent law would pass and people would say , ` This is n't ideal , but things will get better , ' '' Tugend said . By 1937 , Tugend 's father had no illusions about what was happening . He left Germany for the United States via England with the help of old friends from an American Quaker group . The elder Tugend had worked with them on health issues related to childhood poverty in Germany after World War I . As soon as he was able , Thomas ' father sent for his family . `` He told my mother to forget the furniture and pack up what she could and get out , '' Tugend said . In May 1939 , Tugend , his sister and their mother entered the United States as refugees . Four months later , the Germans invaded Poland . `` The reason so many German Jews did n't leave when they had the chance was because they could n't believe what was happening , '' Tugend said . `` They thought Hitler would get what he wanted and there would be no war and things would get back to normal . The Holocaust was unimaginable at the time . '' Despite their escape , Tugend said his father was never the same . The whole experience `` broke him , spiritually and physically , '' he said . By 1944 , the war was raging in Europe and 18-year-old Thomas was attending high school in the United States . He was raring to join the fight . And he admits his family 's tragic experience was only part of the motivation . `` I could n't wait to get away from home , '' he said . An adventurous spirit mixed with a touch of wanderlust led him to enlist in the U.S. Army . `` Even then I knew the historical significance of the war and I wanted to be a part of it , '' he said . `` I had a personal reason to fight the Nazis that most Americans did n't . '' Tugend was assigned to the Army 's 63rd Infantry Division . He was worried he might be shipped off to the Pacific , but fate was on his side -- Pvt. Thomas Tugend was sent to France , where he faced his former countrymen in battle . Tugend said he tried not to dwell on the fact that he was fighting his former friends . `` As long as I was just an infantryman , they were shooting at us , we were shooting at them , that 's all you think about , '' he said . Once the Army found out Tugend spoke fluent German , his commanders created a new job for him . At the end of the war , Tugend was tasked with finding members of the Nazi party who were thought to be cooking up a post-war insurgency . `` Every town and village I went to , '' Tugend said , `` I would be told , ` No , I 'm not a Nazi . But my neighbor , he 's a Nazi , ' and then the neighbor would say , ` No , no , no . I 'm not a Nazi . ' There was n't a Nazi left in Germany . '' After some villagers led Tugend to an elderly blind man who was proud to admit his affiliation with the Nazi Party , Tugend returned to his headquarters and proclaimed , `` I found the only Nazi in Germany ! '' Tugend may have harbored resentment toward the people who betrayed his family and allowed the murder of 6 million Jews , but on a personal , face-to-face level , he found it difficult to hate them . `` You have to understand , the average German may have known what the Nazis were up to , but I think most of them were just trying to survive , '' he said . `` You would go to some of these bombed-out villages and they had suffered so much , I could n't hate them . It was n't like they were the Goebbels or the Goerings . ... We had no pity for the SS . Those were the real bastards . '' Tugend left the Army soon after the war 's end , but he was n't finished fighting . He joined the Israeli Army and led an anti-tank crew during the 1948 War of Independence . He was later recalled by the U.S. Army to serve in the Korean War . Instead of going to the front lines , however , he was assigned to run an Army newspaper out of the Presidio in San Francisco . Upon leaving the Army , he became a career journalist working for the San Francisco Chronicle and The Los Angeles Times , and as a science writer and a communications director at UCLA . And age has n't stopped Tugend from pounding away at the keyboard . He still writes for several different publications , including The Jerusalem Post and The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles . After all these years , Tugend is philosophical about his family 's escape from certain death at the hands of the Nazis , and his time as an infantryman at war . `` There were a number of instances in my life where by all the odds I should have been killed , '' he said . `` It just gives me a sense of the utter random chance of life . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Norway has condemned the ransacking of the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo by Tamil demonstrators . The entrance to Sri Lanka 's embassy in Oslo on Sunday . Video posted on Norway 's TV 2 Web site showed demonstrators smashing through re-enforced glass at the embassy on Sunday . The aftermath showed embassy offices that had been trashed , with furniture , artwork and potted plants dumped on the floor . Countertops had been bashed and splintered . `` Please help the Tamils . Stop the massacre of Tamils , '' a sign carried by one of the demonstrators said . The foreign ministry said it has requested that police tighten security at the embassy , which is located in an office building . `` I deeply deplore the fact that unauthorized persons unlawfully forced their way into the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo and caused extensive damage , '' said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store . `` This is a violation of Norwegian law and an action that is totally unacceptable . '' Rohitha Bogollagama , Sri Lanka 's foreign affairs minister , called for authorities to `` seek immediate arrest of the perpetrators of this serious act of terror '' during a CNN interview in New Delhi , India . The attack came as Sri Lanka 's president ordered military troops to restrict their offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels while the nation celebrates the Sinhala and Tamil New Year . The two-day celebrations began Monday . The order was meant to allow the thousands of Tamils trapped by the fighting to travel for the New Year , said a statement from the office of President Mahinda Rajapakse . Troops are in the midst of an intense military push in northern Sri Lanka , where they have snatched back large swaths of land from the Tamil rebels . The rebels have fought for an independent homeland for the country 's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983 . The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead . A statement on the Sri Lankan defense ministry Web site called on Norway to `` bring the perpetrators to justice immediately . '' `` The perpetrators can be readily identified on the CCTV recording which has been made available to the authorities , '' the statement said . `` The demonstrations , which had been building up in intensity in the past few days , provide an indication that something was being planned . '' CNN 's Harmeet Singh and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A New York hospital worker was suspended for failing to report the gunshot wound of NFL star Plaxico Burress , a hospital spokeswoman told CNN Monday . New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress arrives at the 17th police precinct in Manhattan on Monday . The spokeswoman , Kathy Robinson , gave no further detail on the New York Presbyterian Hospital employee . `` We can confirm that the individual at New York Presbyterian Hospital , who was responsible for failing to report the incident , has been suspended , '' hospital spokeswoman Robinson said . Burress has garnered media attention recently for accidentally shooting himself with a gun he is accused of bringing into a crowded New York night club . New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg slammed Burress on Monday , saying it would be an `` outrage '' if the Giants receiver is n't prosecuted `` to the fullest extent of the law '' after the shooting with a gun that authorities say he owned illegally . Burress , 31 , was arraigned Monday on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree . He could face up to 15 years in prison , the Manhattan district attorney 's office said . Alicia Maxey Greene , spokeswoman for the district attorney , said Burress is not expected to enter a plea until a court appearance in March . Burress ' attorney , Benjamin Brafman , said he expects Burress to plead not guilty . Bloomberg , speaking at a news conference , made clear he wants Burress to face jail time . Noting a law that automatically sentences an offender to at least 3 1\/2 years for illegally carrying a loaded handgun , Bloomberg said , `` It 's pretty hard to argue the guy did n't have a gun and it was n't loaded . You 've got bullet holes in and out to show that it was there . '' The mayor also lashed out at New York Presbyterian Hospital for failing to inform police about the incident . He called on the state attorney general to `` go after '' the hospital for a `` chargeable offense . '' The district attorney 's office said the hospital is under investigation . The hospital said it also is investigating the incident and promised to cooperate with authorities . In the incident Friday night , Burress suffered a wound to his right thigh and was treated and released from the hospital , the Giants said in a statement released over the weekend . Sports Illustrated reported that Burress had accidentally shot himself with a gun he was carrying while at Latin Quarter , a sprawling nightclub in Manhattan . Brafman said his client `` understands the seriousness of the situation , and he 's addressing it in a responsible fashion . '' Brafman also said Burress is `` physically OK and mentally OK . '' He added that he does not know when Burress may be back on the field . Bloomberg , who has long fought against illegal gun ownership , said public figures `` make their living because of their visibility . They are the role models for our kids , and if we do n't prosecute them , to the fullest extent of the law , I do n't know who on Earth we would . It makes a sham , a mockery of the law . '' Turning his ire to New York Presbyterian Hospital , which treated Burress , Bloomberg said officials `` did n't do what they 're legally required to do '' -- inform the authorities of the incident . `` It 's a misdemeanor . It 's a chargeable offense , and I think that the district attorney should certainly go after the management of this hospital . '' He also called on the hospital to fire those whose responsibility it was to alert the authorities . And Bloomberg added , `` I would question why the management did n't have training in place and did n't discipline them immediately . It 's just an outrage . '' The hospital later Monday afternoon issued a statement acknowledging that `` not reporting a gunshot wound is a clear violation of our policies and procedures . '' `` We take this very seriously , and are conducting a thorough investigation into why this gunshot wound was not reported to the police department in a timely fashion . Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken . We are in full cooperation with the mayor 's office and the police department , '' it said . Bloomberg also complained that the Giants `` should have picked up the phone right away as good corporate citizens . I do n't care whether there 's a legal responsibility for them to do it . They are a team that is here in this region . I know they 're in New Jersey , but it 's the New York Giants , and they have a responsibility as a team that depends on the public and wants to be role models to the public . '' The mayor said police learned about the incident from a TV report . But team spokeswoman Pat Hanlon , in an e-mail to CNN , wrote , `` We are working closely with the police and NFL security . In the early hours of Saturday morning , as we started to get a sense of what we were dealing with , we did , in fact , notify NFL security , which then contacted the police . '' Over the weekend , the Giants issued a statement saying they were `` in contact with Plaxico since shortly after the incident , '' and that their primary concern was for his health and well-being . The team said it had contacted NFL security and was working to gather more details . The shooting was the latest bump in a rocky season for Burress , who became a hero of last season 's Super Bowl when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining . He was fined and suspended from the team 's October 5 game for reportedly missing a practice without notifying the team . Later , he was fined $ 45,000 by the NFL after an October 19 game during which he argued with a referee and threw a football into the stands . He injured a hamstring in a game two weeks ago and was not scheduled to play in the Giants ' game on Sunday . CNN 's Laurie Segall , Elianne Friend , Kristen Hammill and Cheryl Robinson contributed .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : How would you rate President Obama 's first 100 days ? You 'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card . Franklin D. Roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days , CNN 's Bill Schneider says . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senior White House adviser David Axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an `` odd custom , the journalistic equivalent of the Hallmark holiday . '' But where did the notion of a president 's `` First 100 Days '' originate ? With Franklin D. Roosevelt , another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis . Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal , his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work . Democrats had just won huge majorities in Congress and were ready to do the president 's bidding . But , should Congress fail to act , Roosevelt would ask for `` broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency , as great as the power that would be given to me if we were , in fact , invaded by a foreign foe , '' he warned in his inaugural address . Watch what FDR 's First 100 Days were like '' Congress gave Roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days , including the Emergency Banking Relief Act , the Public Works Administration , the Civilian Conservation Corps , the Tennessee Valley Authority , the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . Congress also approved the Beer-Wine Revenue Act that anticipated the end of Prohibition . A White House adviser remarked that members of Congress had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats . Comedian Will Rogers joked at the time that , `` Congress does n't pass legislation any more . They just wave at the bills as they go by . '' Nothing since has equaled FDR 's first 100 days . But as Obama nears the symbolic benchmark , he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since FDR . Still , Congress has passed only a few major bills , including the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package , the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children 's health insurance . So what has changed ? Presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation FDR got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Ohio firefighter faces jail time and may lose his job for shooting his two dogs to death rather than pay to board them while he went on a cruise . Columbus , Ohio , firefighter David Santuomo shot his two dogs in his home 's basement , prosecutors say . Columbus firefighter David P. Santuomo , 43 , took Sloopy and Skeeter to his home 's basement , suspended them from a pipe near the ceiling and fired at least 11 shots from a .22 - caliber rifle fitted with a homemade silencer , Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron J. O'Brien said . Santuomo then wrapped the carcasses in plastic and dumped them in a trash bin behind Firehouse 27 , where he worked , O'Brien said . `` This is pretty heinous , '' said Cheri Miller , spokeswoman for the Capital Area Humane Society , which carried out a search warrant in Santuomo 's home . The humane society has limited law enforcement powers in Franklin County . Santuomo pleaded guilty in June to two misdemeanor counts of improperly killing a companion animal and a felony count of possession of a criminal tool . Santuomo had fashioned a makeshift silencer by taping a 2-liter soda bottle to the end of the rifle . The incident happened in December . Miller said appalled fellow firefighters turned Santuomo in to authorities . `` There were reports that he was bragging about this , '' she said . Santuomo initially told investigators the dogs had ingested antifreeze and he killed them to put them out of their misery , Miller said . However , after necropsies showed the dogs were not poisoned , the firefighter admitted shooting them because he could n't afford to board them , she said . Public records show Santuomo has twice filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and underwent a home foreclosure in 2003 . The Columbus Division of Fire has received more than 2,000 outraged e-mails and calls from the public , said Battalion Chief David Whiting , the department 's spokesman . `` People are not very happy , '' he said . `` We had people say they should do to him what he 's done to the dogs . A lot of people want him fired . They do n't want him coming into their house . They 're worried about their animals ; they 're worried about their kids . They 'd just as soon let their house burn down if he shows up . '' The Division of Fire has concluded an internal investigation , including interviews with Santuomo , Whiting said . The report now goes to Fire Chief Ned Pettus Jr. , who will schedule a disciplinary hearing . Punishment , if any , could range from a verbal reprimand to firing , Whiting said . With appeals and possible arbitration , the whole process could take a month or more , he said . In the meantime , Santuomo is working in the division 's fire alarm office , `` where he is not dealing face to face with the public , '' Whiting said . If he remains employed with the fire division , he will return to his regular assignment , though that could bring a new set of challenges , Whiting added . `` If someone did this that worked next to you at work , how would you feel about working with him ? '' Whiting asked . `` We 'll cross that bridge when we come to it . ... There are a lot of options . '' Santuomo has only minor disciplinary matters , such as tardiness , in his record , Whiting said . Santuomo was sentenced to 90 days in jail , to be served in 10-day increments over the next two years . He also has to pay $ 4,500 in restitution , perform 200 hours of community service , stay away from companion animals for five years and write a letter of apology to be published in the local newspaper and the International Association of Firefighters magazine , the humane society 's Miller said . Santuomo 's attorney said that his client is remorseful over his actions and that people need to temper their outrage . `` It 's the same old story . They could n't care less about people and they love animals , '' lawyer Sam Shamansky said . The firefighter , who could not be reached for comment , has no criminal history other than traffic violations , Shamansky said . `` It , of course , was a heinous act , and it 's an act for which he 's sorry and has accepted responsibility , '' Shamansky said of the dog killings . `` He 's been punished appropriately , and I think it 's now time for the public to practice what they preach and show a little forgiveness and mercy . Maybe that might be a novel approach . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Court proceedings in the trial against Tariq Aziz , one of the best-known faces of Saddam Hussein 's former regime in Iraq , and several co-defendants have ended after being in session only briefly Tuesday . The trial of Tariq Aziz , pictured here in a Baghdad courtroom in July 2004 , has begun . The trial , which is to resume May 20 , was delayed because one of the defendants , Ali Hassan al-Majeed , also known as `` Chemical Ali , '' was not present because he was ill . Iraqi procedural codes require that all defendants be in court for the first session . Chief Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman read a U.S. medical report signed by three doctors that said al-Majeed is in critical condition after suffering a heart attack two weeks ago . He has been released from the hospital but still requires daily treatment and doctor visits . The report said that traveling to court from his detention facility could worsen his health . He can not walk up stairs or sit in court for long hours , it said . He will need three weeks to recover and may need some sort of surgery , the report said . It added he is diabetic and suffers from `` acute heart failure . '' Treatment includes clearing of the arteries followed by either open heart surgery or stents in the arteries , but neither option is available at this time , the report said . Ali Hasan al-Majeed , who was a top Baathist official during the Saddam Hussein era , is awaiting execution after being convicted of genocide in connection with the killing of Kurds during the Anfal campaign in the late 1980s . Aziz , al-Majeed and six others are now facing trial for having a role in the execution of 42 Iraqi merchants in 1992 . A former deputy prime minister , Aziz was the first to be called into court , followed by six other defendants . Aziz appeared frail , walked slowly with a cane , and was coughing and blowing his nose . He was sitting in the seat Saddam Hussein used during his appearances in court and was represented by a private attorney . The court was sorting out which defendants did not have attorneys present . This is the fourth major trial of former Hussein regime officials since his government was overthrown . The most prominent was the 2006 trial that led to the execution of Hussein and three lieutenants for a crackdown in the Shiite town of Dujail in which more than 140 men allegedly plotting Hussein 's assassination were executed . Aziz 's lead attorney , Badie Aref -- who was an attorney for Hussein in that trial -- is charged with contempt of court in Iraq and has been in Jordan since a warrant for his arrest was issued last year . He said he would return to Baghdad for this trial only if he were assured he would not be arrested . Meanwhile , amid a swirling , blanketing sandstorm , fierce fighting in Baghdad Tuesday saw U.S. troops kill 32 `` enemy forces '' in a gunbattle , according to the U.S. military . Iraqi authorities reported 16 people were killed in a residential area in the same clash . The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the fighting was in the predominantly Shiite Sadr City neighborhood in eastern Baghdad . Five suspected insurgents dressed in Iraqi army uniforms attacked the home of a human rights worker in Diyala on Tuesday , killing the resident of the home and an Iraqi soldier who lived in the neighborhood , according to the U.S. military . Two Iraqi civilians also were injured in the small-arms attack . `` Attacking civilians in their homes is both criminal and barbaric , '' said Major Peggy Kageleiry , spokeswoman for the military 's Multi-National Division - North . Insurgents have been attempting to exploit the harsh conditions , which have curtailed flights coming into Baghdad International Airport . Sandstorms make it easier for militants to screen their activities and harder for U.S. air power to be deployed effectively . A U.S. military spokesman said fighting began around 9:30 a.m. when militants fired at a U.S. patrol and wounded an American soldier . When the soldier was being evacuated , a U.S. vehicle was struck by two roadside bombs and peppered with small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades . That left two more soldiers injured . Three more soldiers were wounded in the fighting . Soldiers used a `` combination of weapon systems available , including a guided multiple launch rocket -LRB- GMLR -RRB- system '' to fight the insurgents and killed at least 28 militants in a four-hour long battle , the military said . Lt. Col. Steven Stover , spokesman for Multi-National Division-Baghdad , said three GMLRs were launched , at 11:23 a.m. , 1:03 p.m. and 1:37 p.m. Officials with Iraq 's Interior and Health Ministry told CNN 16 people were killed and 45 people were wounded when U.S. rockets hit at least three houses in a residential area in Sadr City around 1:15 p.m. Two children and a woman were among the dead and four children and five women were among the wounded , they said . Asked if he was aware of reports of civilian casualties from the strikes , Stover said , `` If there were civilian casualties , I sincerely regret them . `` The rockets struck militants firing from buildings , alleyways and rooftops . It was these militants who initiated the engagement by attacking U.S. soldiers . Our soldiers have a right to defend ourselves . '' Two U.S. soldiers were killed Tuesday in separate incidents in northwest Baghdad , the military said . The first soldier died from wounds suffered from insurgent small-arms fire at about 8:50 p.m. local time in northwest Baghdad , according to a U.S. military public affairs office . The second soldier died at about 10:15 p.m. when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by an improvised explosive device . The names of both soldiers were being withheld until their families could be notified . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh , Christine Theodorou , Mohammed Tawfeeq and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Doctors removed five small polyps from President Bush 's colon on Saturday , and `` none appeared worrisome , '' a White House spokesman said . The polyps were removed and sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland , for routine microscopic examination , spokesman Scott Stanzel said . Results are expected in two to three days . All were small , less than a centimeter -LSB- half an inch -RSB- in diameter , he said . Bush is in good humor , Stanzel said , and will resume his activities at Camp David . During the procedure Vice President Dick Cheney assumed presidential power . Bush reclaimed presidential power at 9:21 a.m. after about two hours . Doctors used `` monitored anesthesia care , '' Stanzel said , so the president was asleep , but not as deeply unconscious as with a true general anesthetic . He spoke to first lady Laura Bush -- who is in Midland , Texas , celebrating her mother 's birthday -- before and after the procedure , Stanzel said . Afterward , the president played with his Scottish terriers , Barney and Miss Beazley , Stanzel said . He planned to have lunch at Camp David and have briefings with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten , and planned to take a bicycle ride Saturday afternoon . Cheney , meanwhile , spent the morning at his home on Maryland 's eastern shore , reading and playing with his dogs , Stanzel said . Nothing occurred that required him to take official action as president before Bush reclaimed presidential power . The procedure was supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb , Bush 's physician , and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland , the White House said . Bush 's last colonoscopy was in June 2002 , and no abnormalities were found , White House spokesman Tony Snow said . The president 's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years . A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer , rectal cancer and polyps , small clumps of cells that can become cancerous , according to the Mayo Clinic . Small polyps may be removed during the procedure . Snow said on Friday that Bush had polyps removed during colonoscopies before becoming president . Snow himself is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that began in his colon and spread to his liver . Watch Snow talk about Bush 's procedure and his own colon cancer '' `` The president wants to encourage everybody to use surveillance , '' Snow said . The American Cancer Society recommends that people without high risk factors or symptoms begin getting screened for signs of colorectal cancer at age 50 . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It does n't matter that they can be feverishly hot . Or that crowds make for long food lines or the tickets may be hard to come by . Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding performed at this year 's New Orleans Jazz Fest . Music festivals worldwide attract thousands of fans wanting to hear their favorite artists live or discover under-the-radar musicians . Each major festival has its own special twist , specific to the event and city that hosts it . From the notorious mud baths at Glastonbury , England , to the breath-taking mountains surrounding Fuji Rock in Naeba , Japan , these are events that festival-goers wait for all year . Experience the New Orleans Jazz Fest '' Our guide prepares music fans worldwide for the best festivals this summer and later in the year . GLASTONBURY , Somerset , England June 24-28 -LRB- $ 255 -RRB- Glastonbury has been around since dairy farmer Michael Eavis first held a free two-day festival on his farm in 1970 , and it 's long been the festival in England for seeing the biggest and best bands in the world . It also may be the muddiest -- heavy rain in several years , most notably 1997 , turned Glastonbury into a muddy bog . Everyone from Radiohead to Jay-Z has headlined the festival , and with more than 700 acts each year , there is something for everybody . Some of the proceeds from the festival go to Oxfam and Greenpeace . This year 's headliners include Franz Ferdinand , Blur , and Bruce Springsteen . ROCK AL PARQUE , Bogota , Colombia June 27-29 -LRB- free -RRB- The Rock al Parque festival , launched in 1995 , has become South America 's biggest rockfest in recent years -- some 320,000 people traveled to Simon Bolivar Park in 2006 for a weekend of Colombia 's top rock bands and renowned international headliners . Funded by Colombia 's culture secretary , the free festival has included some of rock 's biggest names , including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club , Manu Chao , and Bloc Party . In the days leading up to Rock al Parque , the festival organizers host a series of panel discussions on music production , management , and the recording industry . ROSKILDE , Denmark July 2-5 -LRB- $ 220 -RRB- Since 1971 , the rock festival in Roskilde has hosted the top names in music , from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan . It is the biggest summer festival in northern Europe , and the `` Arena '' stage boasts a 17,000-capacity tent , the largest in Europe . The festival has a daily newspaper and a 24-hour live radio station and is also home to the annual `` Naked Run , '' where the first naked person to cross the finish line receives a free ticket for next year 's festival . Some 80,000 will travel to Roskilde to see headliners including Coldplay , Oasis and Nine Inch Nails . EXIT , Novi Sad , Serbia July 9-12 -LRB- $ 105 -RRB- Created in 2000 by three university students as a protest against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic , the electro-focused festival in the heart of Serbia was named Europe 's best festival in 2007 by fans voting in the UK Festival Awards . Over 200,000 people attended Exit last year , dancing at all-night raves in the gorgeous surroundings of Petrovaradin Fortress , an 18th-century castle near the Danube River . Some of techno 's biggest names will be on hand to celebrate Exit 's 10-year anniversary , including Moby , Kraftwerk , and The Prodigy . THISDAY , Abuja\/Lagos , Nigeria Dates tba The THISDAY festival in Nigeria -- launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of Thisday newspaper , Nduka Obaigbena , to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery -- is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa . According to Obaigbena , the festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa , and find sustainable solutions for the continent 's problems . The theme of last year 's festival was `` Africa Rising , '' and it showcased some of the world 's best-known artists including Jay-Z , Rihanna , and Usher . Stay tuned for this year 's lineup . FUJI ROCK , Naeba , Japan July 24-26 -LRB- $ 410 -RRB- Japan 's biggest outdoor festival takes its name from Mt. Fuji , the site of the first festival in 1997 . Fuji Rock has been set amongst the cool forested mountains of the Naeba ski resort for the past ten years -- gondolas and hilly trails transport people from stage to stage , and the streams and forests between them are the reason why Fuji Rock has been called the most beautiful festival in the world . It 's not just about the scenery , though -- over 100,000 people will trek through the mountains to see headliners Franz Ferdinand , The Killers , and Weezer . LOLLAPALOOZA , Chicago , Illinois , U.S.A. August 7-9 -LRB- $ 190 -RRB- Rocker Perry Farrell began Lollapalooza in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band , Jane 's Addiction . The biggest grunge rock festival during the '90s disappeared for awhile around the turn of the century , but it was revived in 2005 as a more traditional `` big weekend '' destination festival in Chicago . The past few years at Grant Park have been marked by hot summers , huge crowds , and even bigger bands . The anticipated crowd of nearly 200,000 is staggering , as are this year 's headliners : Kings of Leon , Tool , Depeche Mode , and Beastie Boys , just to name a few . BESTIVAL , Isle of Wight , England September 11-13 -LRB- $ 205 -RRB- The trendy Bestival , the original boutique weekend festival on the Isle of Wight , is the best way to end the summer festival season in Europe . Bestival boasts a yearly fancy dress competition -- last year 's was `` 30,000 freaks under the sea , '' and 2009 is the year of `` Outer Space , '' so make sure to dress accordingly . Thousands of Bestival-goers will witness an eclectic lineup including Lily Allen , Massive Attack , and MGMT in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Park . For family fun , look no further than Camp Bestival , a three-day family festival at a castle by the sea in July . PARKLIFE , Australia Late September-Early October The Parklife series of one-day music festivals kicks off the summer festival season across Australia . The dance-focused fests have featured heavyweights Justice , MIA , and Muscles over the past two years . The day-long festivals are followed by an official `` After Life '' party that runs until the early hours of the morning , so be prepared for a long one if you 're one of the estimated 100,000 people attending a Parklife gig in one of several cities across Australia at the end of September . WOODSTOCK , Johannesburg , South Africa November 27-30 When people think of Woodstock , South Africa is n't necessarily what comes to mind . But for the past decade , the festival has been the biggest youth music event in that country , hosting a variety of both well-known and upcoming mainstream and hip-hop acts -- not to mention a variety of extreme sports stunt acts , paintballing , and flea-market stalls . Woodstock may not have the star power of the legendary American festival -- but with the wide range of music and outdoor activities it presents , its promoters are n't lying when they say that boredom simply is n't an option . SUNBURN , Goa , India December Sunburn Festival launched in December 2007 as South Asia 's first electronic music festival , and featured heavyweights like Carl Cox and John 00 Fleming . Located seaside in Goa , on India 's west coast , the festival has its roots in `` Goa Trance , '' a type of pulsing , transcendental electro music that became popular in the early 1990s . Sunburn again treated more than 5,000 electro revelers to a three-day party by the beach in December 2008 . The festival 's founder has said Sunburn will always be free to attend , and it is not to be missed if you happen to be in India in December .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indonesian authorities believe two suicide bombers checked into the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta and carried out coordinated bombings Friday morning , killing themselves and at least six victims and wounding more than 50 others . A body is removed following the blasts at the Ritz-Carlton and the nearby J.W. Marriott hotels in Jakarta on Friday . It is unclear what group is behind the attacks on the Marriott and the adjacent Ritz-Carlton hotel , Indonesia 's National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso said at a news conference . He warned that the death toll could rise . Four of the six victims in Jakarta 's hotel bombings were foreigners , the Indonesian Healthy Ministry said Saturday . The ministry identified two of the dead as Australian , one from New Zealand and one from Singapore . Another victim was Indonesian and the sixth remained unidentified . Eight American nationals were among the wounded , according to the U.S. State Department . Investigators are also analyzing closed-circuit television footage from the Marriott that shows a man , sporting a baseball cap and pulling a wheeled suitcase , heading toward the JW Marriott Hotel 's lobby-level restaurant seconds before the deadly blast . Five victims and one suicide bomber were killed at the Marriott , according to police spokesman Inspector General Nanan Soekarna . Minutes later , another suicide bomber struck the adjacent Ritz-Carlton , killing one person and the bomber . Indonesian national police confirmed that the man seen in the CCTV video , distributed by Indonesian television , is being investigated in connection with the blast . `` We are suspecting the man in the footage because the time frame matches with the time of the bombing , '' national police spokesman Nanan Soekarma said . `` It is obviously premature to confirm it right now as we will have to wait for the lab results and the investigation to conclude . '' Indonesian authorities have detained several witnesses and others for questioning , and have sent forensic evidence from the scene for testing , a spokesman for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said . `` It 's all being studied now , '' Dino Patti Djalal told CNN . Yudhoyono warned that it is still too early to determine who was behind the attacks . `` This terrorist action is thought to be the work of a terrorist group , even though it is not certain whether this is the terrorism which we are familiar with up until now , '' the recently reelected president said . See images of the aftermath '' The bombings at the two luxury hotels -- which are connected by an underground tunnel -- happened shortly before 8 a.m. -LRB- 9 p.m. Thursday ET -RRB- , first at the Marriott and then 10 minutes later at the Ritz-Carlton , police officials said . Both blasts struck the hotels ' restaurants and several prominent international business leaders were among the casualties . Watch footage of the scene of the blasts '' An unexploded bomb was found on the Marriott Hotel 's 18th floor where several suspects believed to be linked to the bombings were staying , Hendarso said . Indonesian investigators believe the bombers checked into the Marriott on Wednesday and were scheduled to check out on Friday , he added . It is unclear how they got around the `` robust security '' at the hotels , according to Alan Orlob , security chief for Marriott Hotels . Ritz-Carlton is a subsidiary of Marriott . Orlob said there had been no indication of any `` immediate threat in Jakarta . '' Watch Orlob describe security measures '' Security has been extremely high at the Marriott hotel in Jakarta since it was struck by a car bombing in August 2003 that killed 12 people . Suspicion immediately fell on Jemaah Islamiyah -LRB- JI -RRB- , the Islamist terrorist network with ties to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda terrorist network that was tied to the 2003 Marriott attack and the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people , mostly foreign tourists . Hendarso said the type of explosives found were similar to those found in a recent raid on a home in West Java that was linked to Noordin Top , a suspected leader of a small JI splinter group that espouses the use of large-scale terror attacks to push for the establishment of Islamic states in the region . So far , there has been no claim of responsibility for the latest attack . Al Jazeera English reported that it was in touch with a JI member who denied any involvement in Friday 's hotel bombings . Watch analysts discuss potential suspects '' The fatalities include New Zealand national Timothy David McKay , 60 , according to Indonesia 's state-run Antara New Agency . McKay -- the CEO of Holcim Indonesia , a cement company -- was at the hotel for a breakfast meeting with fellow prominent business leaders , the Jakarta Post reported . Indonesian media also reported that two directors of Freeport Indonesia , the largest copper and gold mining company in Indonesia , were wounded in the attacks on the two hotels . English soccer team Manchester United canceled its trip to Indonesia after the bombing . It had been scheduled to check into the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday . Hotel guests said the first blast at the Marriott shook the building . The second blast at the Ritz-Carlton apparently struck the hotel restaurant on the second floor , according to witnesses . The force of the blast blew out the windows on the Ritz-Carlton 's second floor . `` The shocking part was entering the lobby , where the glass at the front of the hotel was all blown out and blood was spattered across the floor , but most people were leaving calmly , '' hotel guest Don Hammer said . Greg Woolstencroft said he had just walked past the hotels to his nearby apartment when he heard an explosion . `` I looked out my window and I saw a huge cloud of brownish smoke go up , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` I grabbed my iPhone to go downstairs ... and then the second bomb went off at the Ritz-Carlton , so I then ran around to the Ritz-Carlton and I was able to find that there had been a massive bomb that went off in this ... restaurant area and the explosion had blown out both sides of the hotel . '' Woolstencroft said he saw a body that `` looked like someone who had been a suicide bomber or someone who had been very , very close to the explosion . '' The chief technology officer for a television station said he had lived at the Ritz for a year before moving to his nearby apartment , and had been impressed by the facility 's security . `` I just do n't know how someone could get in there with a bomb , given the level of security and screening that people have to go through , '' he said , citing armed guards at checkpoints and thorough searches of people , bags and vehicles . CNN 's Kathy Quiano and Andy Saputra in Jakarta , Indonesia contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five Florida men convicted of plotting terrorist acts with al Qaeda were sentenced Friday to long prison terms , the Department of Justice announced . Seven suspects were arrested in June 2006 for allegedly conspiring to blow up buildings , including the 110-story Sears Tower , the nation 's tallest building , in Chicago , Illinois ; the FBI 's Miami office and others . Five were convicted in May , their third trial after juries failed to reach a verdict on two previous attempts . The sixth was found not guilty . A seventh was found not guilty earlier . The suspected ringleader , Narseal Batiste , 35 , was sentenced to 13 1\/2 years in prison plus 35 years of supervision after his release . He was the only defendant found guilty earlier this year of all four conspiracy charges , including conspiring to incite a rebellion against the United States , supplying materials to a terror organization and terrorists , and conspiring to destroy buildings with explosives . Another defendant , Patrick Abraham , 30 , was sentenced to 9 years , 4-and-a-half months in prison , to be followed by 15 years of supervision . He was convicted of two counts involving supplying materials to terrorists and terror groups , and of conspiring to destroy buildings with explosives . Stanley Grant Phanor , 34 , Burson Augustin , 24 , and Rotschild Augustine , 26 , were convicted of supplying materials to terrorists but acquitted of the other charges . Phanor got eight years , Augustin got six and Augustine seven . All will be supervised for 10 to 15 years after release . The sixth defendant , Naudimer Herrera , 25 , was acquitted on all four counts . The prosecution of the men `` helped make our community safer by rooting out nascent terrorists before they could carry out their threats , '' Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman of the Southern District of Florida said in a statement announcing the sentences Friday . Lawyers for two of the men said they intended to appeal when the verdict was announced in May . The terror trial in Miami was the third held for the defendants , a group of homeless men initially known as the `` Liberty City 7 , '' for the Miami neighborhood where authorities say they operated . In the first trial , a mistrial was declared after nine days of deliberations in December 2007 , although a seventh defendant was acquitted . The jury in the second trial deadlocked in April 2008 after deliberating for 13 days . The first two juries could not determine whether the defendants were seriously plotting with al Qaeda -- as the prosecutors alleged -- or if they were simply struggling young men who were looking to con an FBI informant out of money , as the defense alleged . Authorities have said the men did not have explosives or weapons and that their plans appeared `` more aspirational than operational . '' The investigation began after an Arabic speaker contacted authorities and said Batiste approached him about waging `` jihad '' in the United States . Investigators then planted among the group an undercover informant , who claimed to be an al Qaeda member who helped plan the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 . A federal raid on the group 's Liberty City warehouse in 2006 revealed a receipt for purchase of a gun , as well as ammunition , marijuana , two credit cards , 10 euros , three machetes , two swords , an ax , uniforms and a flight suit . On a surveillance videotape played during trial , Batiste could be heard saying he was `` very grateful '' to Osama bin Laden and `` loved '' the al Qaeda leader 's work . He also said he respected bin Laden and wanted to meet him someday . In other excerpts , Batiste told the informant his people needed training , and they discussed going to Chicago because the city has underground trains and tunnels . CNN 's John Couwels contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A top congressional Republican on Sunday criticized President Barack Obama 's expected decision to reverse the Bush administration 's limits on embryonic stem-cell research , calling it a distraction from the country 's economic slump . U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor also says the policy reversal could lead to embryo harvesting , which `` should n't be done . '' `` Why are we going and distracting ourselves from the economy ? This is job No. 1 . Let 's focus on what needs to be done , '' Rep. Eric Cantor , the Republican whip in the House of Representatives , told CNN 's `` State of the Union . '' Obama 's move , scheduled for Monday morning , is part of a broader effort to separate science and politics and `` restore scientific integrity in governmental decision-making , '' White House domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes said Sunday . The Bush administration 's 2001 policy bars federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells beyond the cell lines that existed at the time . Cantor , R-Virginia , has been among the leaders of GOP opposition to Obama 's economic policies . In a conference call with reporters , Barnes said funding research is also part of the administration 's plan to boost the plunging U.S. economy . `` Advances with regard to science and technology help advance our overall national goals around economic growth and job creation , '' she said , adding , `` I think anytime you make an effort to try and separate these pieces of the puzzle , you 're missing the entire picture . '' Because stem cells have the potential to turn into any organ or tissue cell in the body , research advocates say they could yield cures to debilitating conditions such as diabetes , Parkinson 's disease and spinal injuries . But because work on embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human embryos , many conservatives supported the limits former President George Bush imposed by executive order in 2001 . `` Frankly , federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research can bring on embryo harvesting , perhaps even human cloning that occurs , '' Cantor said . `` We do n't want that . That should n't be done . That 's wrong . '' The Bush policy limited federal funding to work on 60 existing stem-cell lines , but only 21 of those have proven useful to researchers . Congress voted to roll back those limits in 2006 and 2007 , but Bush vetoed the legislation both times , leading to Democratic charges that he had put politics over science . Dr. Harold Varmus , president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and co-chairman of Obama 's science advisory council , said Sunday that Obama will `` endorse the notion that public policy must be guided by sound , scientific advice . '' Obama 's order will direct the National Institutes of Health to develop revised guidelines on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research within 120 days , said Varmus , who joined Barnes in the conference call with reporters . `` The president is , in effect , allowing federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research to the extent that it 's permitted by law -- that is , work with stem cells themselves , not the derivation of stem cells , '' he said . Supporters of the ban said researchers could still obtain private funding or explore alternatives such as adult stem cells . Opponents said the research could be carried out using embryos left over in fertility clinics , which otherwise would be discarded . Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , told reporters that reversing the Bush ban would `` once again say to the rest of the world that we will be the beacon for cures and for hope . '' She credited her support for federal funding in part for her 2006 election . `` I think it 's a great moment , and I 'm proud of -LSB- Obama -RSB- for reversing that executive order , '' McCaskill said . Sen. Richard Shelby , R-Alabama , said the Bush policy imposed ethical limits on science . `` My basic tenet here is I do n't think we should create life to enhance life and to do research and so forth , '' Shelby said . `` I know that people argue there are other ways . I think we should continue our biomedical research everywhere we can , but we should have some ethics about it . '' CNN 's Elaine Quijano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will duel for Super Tuesday votes Thursday night as the Democratic presidential hopefuls face off for the first time together minus former Sen. John Edwards . Thursday 's debate is taking place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles , California . The debate -- sponsored by CNN , the Los Angeles Times and Politico -- starts at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on CNN and CNN.com . CNN 's Wolf Blitzer is the moderator . The event is the first Democratic debate since Obama 's convincing victory Saturday in South Carolina . On Tuesday , Clinton won the Florida primary , a contest her campaign said helped the senator regain momentum even though it awarded no delegates . The forum at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood comes hours after the Obama campaign revealed it had raised $ 32 million in January from roughly 170,000 new donors . That amount will allow Obama to expand his television ad buys greatly in the 20-plus states holding primaries or caucuses Tuesday . Watch a time-lapse construction of the debate set '' The Clinton campaign would not indicate how much money it had raised in the same time period . Mike Gravel , the other Democratic presidential candidate still in the race , was not invited to participate in the debate because he did not meet certain criteria , including support in national polls . In a CNN\/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted January 14-17 , Gravel received less than 1 percent . Edwards suspended his presidential run Wednesday in New Orleans , Louisiana , but he did n't endorse any candidate despite what aides described as furious lobbying campaigns by Obama and Clinton . Thursday 's debate may be slightly more restrained than last week 's brutal showdown . Following her South Carolina loss , Clinton has largely steered clear of opportunities to take aim at Obama . Former President Bill Clinton also has avoided criticizing his wife 's rival after dominating headlines with his attacks in the days before the South Carolina vote . The economy is likely to dominate Thursday 's debate , as both candidates look to appeal to supporters of Edwards and his brand of economic populism . Clinton and Obama have split victories in their parties ' early-voting states : Obama has won in Iowa and South Carolina , and Clinton has won in New Hampshire , Nevada , Michigan and Florida . But the Michigan and Florida contests awarded no delegates , and all major Democratic presidential candidates pledged to avoid campaigning in those states following national party penalties against them for moving up their contests so early . Clinton was the only major candidate to appear on the Michigan ballot . Obama is leading Clinton in the number of pledged delegates -- those awarded based on primary or caucus votes . Clinton has the edge when superdelegates are factored in . -LRB- Superdelegates are party leaders and elected officials who are not obligated to support a particular candidate . They can change their decisions at any time leading up to the Democratic National Convention in August . -RRB- To date , Obama has won an estimated 63 national convention delegates as a result of primary or caucus votes , while Clinton has earned an estimated 48 delegates . Clinton , however , has the overall lead in delegates -- 232 to 158 -- when superdelegates are included . With solid fundraising numbers and a nod from Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts this week , Obama will be making the claim he holds the front-runner title . But Clinton -- who has led in national surveys for much of the race -- will be making her case as well . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that Israel must improve its relations with neighboring countries , saying the country is becoming increasingly isolated in the region . Panetta made the comments ahead of his arrival Monday in Israel , where he will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to jump start peace talks . `` I do n't think there is any question in talking with leaders from Israel that they recognize that they 've becoming increasingly isolated in that part of the world , and that 's not ... a good situation , '' Panetta told reporters while en route late Sunday to Israel . `` I think they recognize that it 's important to do whatever they can to try to improve those relations . '' Tensions in the region have been running high in recent weeks over the Palestinian Authority 's bid for statehood before the United Nations , and Israel 's plans to build 1,100 new homes in disputed territory in south Jerusalem . `` The important thing there is to again reaffirm our strong security relationship with Israel , to make clear that we will protect their qualitative military edge , '' Panetta said . `` As they take risks for peace , we will be able to provide the security that they will need in order to ensure that they can have the room hopefully to negotiate . '' Panetta said he plans to offer U.S. help to Israel to improve its deteriorating relationships with some of its neighbors , particularly Turkey and Egypt . `` It 's pretty clear , that at this dramatic time in the Middle East when there have been so many changes , that it is not a good situation for Israel to become increasingly isolated . And that 's what 's happening , '' Panetta said . `` And I think for the security of that region , it 's very important that we do everything possible to try to help them re-establish relations with countries like Turkey and with Egypt . '' Turkey and Israel have been at odds following the deaths of nine Turkish activists during an Israeli commando raid last year on the SS Mavi Marmara , part of a flotilla of ships that was headed to blockaded Gaza . Last month , Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expelled Israel 's ambassador over that nation 's refusal to apologize for the incident . Public opposition in Egypt , meanwhile , against its peace treaty with Israel appears to be growing . Protesters last month attacked Israel 's embassy . Panetta will follow up his trip to Israel with a stop in Egypt , where he said he will encourage leaders to proceed with a promised election process following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak . The defense secretary said there was little question Israel has maintained its military superiority in the region . `` But the question you have to ask is , is it enough to maintain a military edge if you are isolating yourself diplomatically ? , '' Panetta said . `` Real security can only be achieved by both a strong diplomatic effort as well as a strong effort to protect your military strength . '' Panetta 's visit to the region follows an Israeli announcement Sunday that it supports a call by the Middle East Quartet -- made up of the United States , the United Nations , the European Union and Russia -- for direct talks with Palestinians to resume within a month . In a statement , the Israeli prime minister 's office said Israel `` welcomes the quartet 's call for direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions . '' `` While Israel has some concerns , it will raise them at the appropriate time , '' the statement added . `` Israel calls on the Palestinian Authority to do the same and to enter into direct negotiations without delay . '' Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly said Palestinians would not return to negotiations until Israel halts all settlement construction and accepts 1967 border lines as a basis for the return to talks . Panetta said he will stress to both Palestinians and Israelis that rather than set conditions for negotiating , they look for other approaches to resolve the issues . `` So my main message is , to both sides , you do n't lose anything by going into negotiations and trying to pursue a peace process everyone in the world is hopeful can begin , '' he said . Also on the agenda with Israeli leadership is Iran . Panetta said the most effective way to deal with Iran `` is not on a unilateral basis . '' Later , Panetta will head to Brussels , Belgium , for a meeting of NATO defense ministers . The coalition has been involved in a number of ongoing military campaigns , including over Libya and in Afghanistan . CNN 's Guy Azriel and Michael Schwartz contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- If you do n't eat , sleep and breathe cars , or devour car magazines in minute detail , there 's a good chance you do n't know all the technological terms that pop up in the media , new car advertising and literature . With new models being released all the time , the acronyms can be overwhelming . With every new model year , it seems , there are new technology and acronyms . Here 's a concise list of the terms you 're most likely to see and read about in the 2008 literature . ABS : The most common passive safety system found on cars today is ABS or anti-lock brake system . ABS continuously counts wheel revolutions electronically and when one or more wheels stops moving during a skid , the system quickly applies and releases the brakes on the skidding wheels . This is done so that the tires continue to rotate and the car can be steered around an object or an impending accident situation . Tires that are skidding ca n't do much steering . ALS : This is a relatively new term that stands for active lighting system or automatic lighting system . On some luxury vehicles , you can opt for headlamps that turn left or right -LRB- up to about 15 degrees -RRB- as the front tires turn to light the road as you make your turns . AWD -LRB- also FWD , RWD , 2WD , 4WD -RRB- : These terms refer to how many and which wheels on your car deliver power from the engine to the road surface . AWD means all-wheel drive and generally means there are no buttons , levers or lower gear ranges . These systems can be full-time , driving all four wheels all the time , or part-time , controlled by computers when conditions dictate the need for more traction . The 4WD label means four-wheel drive and these part-time systems usually have a selector switch or lever to select two-wheel drive , four-wheel drive or even four-wheel drive in a lower gear or locked position for very difficult driving situations . In 2WD , only the two front or rear tires have power . Traditional RWD or rear-wheel drive is almost always found on luxury cars , sports cars , or racing cars . FWD or front-wheel drive is more compact and is more often found on small cars , minivans and crossover vehicles . DOHC : Engineering shorthand for double-overhead camshaft . A DOHC engine has one camshaft that opens the intake valves and one camshaft that opens the exhaust valves , a design derived from racing engines . DOHC engines are more complex than single-overhead-cam engines -LRB- SOHC -RRB- and overhead-valve engines -LRB- OHV -RRB- but generally make more power and torque at higher rpm levels because they let the engine breathe better . EBD : An acronym given to the ABS subsystem called electronic brake force distribution . EBD is rapidly becoming standard equipment on cars that already have ABS brakes . In a panic braking situation , EBD distributes the most braking force to the tires that have the most traction . This helps to keep the car from spinning and reduces stopping distances on slippery surfaces . ESC\/ESP : Electronic stability control or electronic stability program are interchangeable terms for the same software and hardware . An extension of ABS , ESC uses sensors and computers to determine whether a vehicle is oversteering -LRB- rear wheels out -RRB- or understeering -LRB- front wheels not turning in the desired direction -RRB- . ESC\/ESP reduces engine power and\/or applies one of the front or rear brakes to get the vehicle back into its intended path of travel . As a means of protecting against rollover accidents , ESC will be required on all new light vehicles sold in America by September 2011 . GPS : All automotive navigation systems communicate with Global Positioning System or GPS satellites . GPS satellites were launched into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense but are now used by motorists , hikers and explorers all over the world . GPS systems are accurate anywhere in the world from 10 to 50 feet . Combined with a CD or DVD map in the vehicle 's navigation system , the satellites can track latitude , longitude , altitude and direction of travel in all weather conditions . I6 -LRB- also V6 , V8 , V10 , W12 , H4 -RRB- : These terms refer to the number and physical arrangement of cylinders in the engine . The I stands for inline , and means that the cylinders are lined up in a single row , -LRB- I4 , I5 , and I6 , usually -RRB- . V engines have two rows or banks of cylinders in a V pattern , with three , four , five or even six cylinders per bank , hence V-6 , V-8 , V-10 , and V-12 . The W engine used by Audi and VW has three rows of cylinders , in this case four cylinders , making it a W-12 . Other engine designs include H-4 and H-6 engines , horizontally opposed or flat engines with either two or three cylinders on each side , a design used by Porsche -LRB- engine in the rear -RRB- and Subaru -LRB- engine in the front -RRB- . The oddball engine on the U.S. market is the Wankel , a rotary engine used only in the Mazda RX-8 . It has no cylinders , no banks and no reciprocating parts . L -LRB- as in 1.8 L or 3.5 L -RRB- : L is for liters a metric measurement of engine size , also called displacement or swept volume , which has replaced cubic inches in the U.S. industry . It 's the total volume of all the engine 's cylinders . Smaller engines generally generate less power and use less fuel , larger engines make more and use more , so do n't buy more engine than you need . RSC : One of the newest government regulations proposed for vehicles in the near future is protection against rollover accidents . The system that the industry has created to combat those is generally called roll stability control . RSC uses computers and sensors to analyze vehicle speed , steering wheel angle and body angle . If it senses that the vehicle is about to roll over , it cuts engine power and applies the brakes on one side or the other to bring the vehicle back to a stable position . TCS : Like ABS brakes , traction control systems are becoming more widely available , even on low-priced cars , because they add so much safety . A traction control system takes data from the ABS about tire rotation and compares the information in the computer . If one or two of the tires are spinning faster than they should be , indicating a loss of traction , the TCS system can cut engine power or engine torque going to the tires and apply brakes individually until the tires are all rotating at the same speed again . TPMS : This is a relatively new acronym that stands for tire-pressure monitoring system . The federal government has mandated that all vehicles in the future should have these systems to protect vehicles and occupants from rollovers and other accidents caused by low or deflating tires . Some currently available systems work by sending radio messages from each tire to the warning on the instrument panel . Others infer from the ABS system that one or more tires has a different rolling diameter , because it is going flat , than the other three tires and sends a warning to the instrument panel . VVT : Engineering term that stands for variable valve timing . Until a few years ago , timing the opening and closing of the engine 's valves was a purely mechanical function and could not be varied . VVT systems use a combination of computers , engine oil pressure and mechanical linkages to change valve timing so that the engine idles smoothly , produces lots of power and torque when needed and burns fuel cleanly and economically .","question":""}
{"answer":"Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama wrapped up an eight-day tour of Asia on Thursday , holding talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and speaking to American troops at Osan Air Base . Nuclear negotiations involving North Korea and Iran highlighted a news conference held by the leaders . Obama announced that he will send American envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea on December 8 for bilateral talks on dismantling Pyongyang 's nuclear program . `` If North Korea is prepared to take concrete and irreversible steps to fulfill its obligations and eliminate its nuclear weapons program , the United States will support economic assistance and help promote its full integration into the community of nations , '' Obama said . `` That opportunity and respect will not come with threats . North Korea must live up to its obligations . '' Obama also said the United States and its allies were working on steps to take against Iran after its apparent rejection of a nuclear deal . `` We have begun discussions with international partners about the importance of having consequences , '' Obama said . `` Our expectation is that , over the next several weeks , we will be developing a package of potential steps we could take that will indicate our seriousness to Iran . I continue to hold out the prospect that they may decide to walk through this door . I hope they do . '' Iran rejected a key plank of a deal Wednesday designed to ease international fears that Tehran aims to build nuclear weapons . Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country will not send its partly enriched uranium abroad to be turned into material for medical research , but added that Tehran might allow its nuclear material to be reprocessed inside Iran , the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported . The deal hammered out in November with the help of the U.N. watchdog agency aimed to reduce the amount of raw material Iran has to build a nuclear bomb . Tehran denies that it wants to do so , saying its nuclear program is to produce civilian nuclear energy and do medical work . During their news conference , Obama and Lee also expressed support for a stalled U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement . The deal was signed in 2007 , but has yet to be ratified by the legislatures of either country . South Korea was the final stop on Obama 's four-nation tour of Asia . Obama began his trip in Japan before traveling to Singapore , where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic forum , meeting on the sidelines with world leaders including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . Obama then traveled to China , where he met with leaders including President Hu Jintao . After their talks , the two spoke of a common vision of shared responsibilities and economic opportunities . Trade , nuclear proliferation , climate change and the sticky issue of human rights were part of their discussions . Obama , whose flight will stop for refueling in Alaska , is due back in the United States on Thursday .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British police are reviewing the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones , 40 years after the hard-living rocker was found dead in a swimming pool . An autographed photo of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones who was found dead in July 1969 Police in Sussex , in southern England , have confirmed they are examining documents given to them by an investigative journalist who has been researching events surrounding Jones ' death . Scott Jones , who is not related to the musician , has spent four years reviewing the evidence and speaking to key witnesses in the case . In an article published in the Daily Mail in November 2008 , Jones wrote , `` I 'm convinced Brian Jones ' death was not fully investigated . The only question that remains is why ? '' Brian Jones ' body was found in the swimming pool after a party at his home in Cotchford Farm , East Sussex in July 1969 . He was 27 . An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure , despite post mortem results showing he had not taken illegal drugs and had only consumed the alcoholic equivalent of three and a half pints of beer . One of the most popular conspiracy theories that followed was that Jones was murdered by his builder , Frank Thorogood . The theory gained credence after Thorogood allegedly confessed to the killing before his death in 1993 . The storyline formed the basis of the 2005 film `` Stoned . '' Sussex police told CNN they could not say how long it would take to review the new material , nor whether it could lead to a full investigation . There have been repeated calls for closer examination of the case since Jones ' death , which came just three weeks after he left the Rolling Stones . His drinking and drug-taking had taken a toll on his health and the band , and in 1969 Jones announced he was leaving . In a statement he said , `` I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting . '' Last year , Scott Jones published an article containing contents of an interview he conducted with one of the people present at Jones ' home on the night of his death . In the article , published in the Daily Mail , Jones ' said Janet Lawson , the girlfriend of Rolling Stones tour manager Tom Keylock , gave him a version of events that contradicted her official police statement . She is reported to have called her original statement , `` a pack of lies ... total rubbish . '' Lawson 's revised version of events is among the documents Jones has supplied to Sussex police . It is also believed to include previously unseen files released by the Public Records Office . Lawson died of cancer soon after telling Scott Jones her new sworn testimony .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky 's wife , Dottie , told CNN that she is angry about accusations of child sexual abuse occurring in her home , calling them `` absolutely untrue . '' `` No child who ever visited our home was ever forced to stay in our basement and fed there , '' she said . `` We would never do anything to hurt them . '' Her husband faces more than 50 charges surrounding a child sex abuse scandal that allegedly spanned more than 15 years . `` We do n't know why these young men have made these false accusations , but we want everyone to know they are untrue , '' she added . An alleged victim testified that he made overnight visits to Sandusky 's home as a boy and stayed in a basement bedroom . While there , he described a pattern of sexual assaults over a period of several years , according to the grand jury report . `` The victim testified that on at least one occasion he screamed for help , knowing that Sandusky 's wife was upstairs , but no one ever came to help him , '' the report states . Responding to the allegations , Dottie Sandusky said she was `` shocked and dismayed '' by the alleged victim 's testimony , calling his accusations false . `` I continue to believe in Jerry 's innocence and all the good things he has done , '' she added . The former defensive coordinator posted $ 250,000 bail and left jail on Thursday , one day after he was arrested on 12 new counts of abuse involving two new alleged victims , raising the total number of victims to 10 . Sandusky was then driven in a three-vehicle motorcade from the jail to his State College , Pennsylvania , home . Authorities say he is currently under house arrest and must wear an electronic monitoring device . He 'll also be restricted from contacting the alleged victims , possible witnesses , and must be supervised during any interactions with minors . `` As in many of the other cases identified to date , the contact with Sandusky allegedly fit a pattern of ` grooming ' victims , '' said Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly . `` Beginning with outings to football games and gifts ; they later included physical contact that escalated to sexual assaults . '' A grand jury report made public last month detailed 40 charges of rape and molestation against the former coach in a child sex abuse scandal that , at the time , involved eight alleged victims . The lawyer for a 29-year-old man who is suing the school , Sandusky and Second Mile criticized Dottie Sandusky 's statement . `` It really is a sad , clear demonstration of how sick she is because of how sick he is , '' said Jeff Anderson , who represents an accuser identified as `` John Doe A. '' The Sanduskys both `` in their own way deny what we all know to be and what has been revealed daily . '' Anderson 's client was not cited in the initial grand jury report . The plaintiff , who Anderson said was 10 years old when he first met Sandusky , alleged the former coach sexually abused him dozens of times over several years during the 1990s , the lawyer said . `` The idea that 11 men -LRB- 10 from grand jury reports plus ` John Doe A ' -RRB- who have nothing to do with each other have fabricated this many stories of abuse is beyond rational , '' said Anderson 's co-counsel , Marci Hamilton . `` Victims rarely make up being sexually assaulted and abused . '' `` John Doe A '' is cooperating with authorities , his lawyers said . Sandusky , who maintains his innocence , will face a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday , where his alleged victims are set to testify . It is expected to be the first time the former coach will face them in court . The new accusers -- identified by authorities as Victim 9 and Victim 10 -- are believed to have encountered Sandusky at The Second Mile charity , a nonprofit organization he founded for underprivileged children . Victim 9 was between 11 and 12 years old when he first met the former coach in 2004 . Sandusky allegedly gave the boy gifts and money , and took him to university football games , according to the grand jury report . Sandusky allegedly met Victim 10 , then about age 10 , in 1997 after a counselor recommended the boy attend the charity `` because of difficulties in his home life . '' That witness said Sandusky performed oral sex on him and indecently touched him in an outdoor pool on campus . Penn State , meanwhile , said Thursday it has created the Center for the Protection of Children for `` the study , research , prevention and treatment of child abuse . '' A portion of the funding will come from football bowl game revenues . `` We are opting to put our expertise and research power to work confronting the problem of abuse , '' said Penn State President Rodney Erickson in a statement . The university recently partnered with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center with a commitment of $ 1.5 million . CNN 's Kathleen Johnston , Laura Dolan , Ross Levitt and Susan Candiotti , and journalist Sara Ganim contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Rhode Island high school that fired all its teachers in February has reached a tentative agreement with the school 's teachers union to rehire them , the union announced Sunday . The school board of the Central Falls School District , outside Providence , had voted to fire 93 staff members from its high school -- including teachers , administrators and other personnel -- over low student performance . The deal between the union and the school district allows teachers to return to work for the 2010-2011 school year without having to reapply for their jobs , though the union said Sunday that `` teachers will need to recommit to their jobs and interview with the new principal . '' The agreement , which must still be ratified by teachers , includes measures to improve student achievement , including a longer school day , targeted professional development for teachers and more after-school tutoring , the statement from the Central Falls Teachers Union said . The school district and union have been working with a mediator since March . `` There has always been agreement on these points : that we all want what is best for our students , and that significant changes are needed at Central Falls High School , '' teachers union president Jane Sessums said in the statement . `` Working together , we and the district have arrived at a solid , forward-looking agreement that provides support for our students and the tools our teachers need to help them succeed . '' A teacher ratification vote on the deal is scheduled for Monday afternoon . In a move that drew national attention , the Central Falls school board had voted 5-2 to approve a plan by the school district 's superintendent to fire its high school staff , including the principal , three assistant principals and 77 teachers . The vote came after the high school , which draws students from an impoverished enclave of Rhode Island , graduated just 48 percent of its seniors last year . Of Central Falls ' 800 students , 65 percent are Hispanic and for most of them , English is a second language . Half the students are failing every subject , with 55 percent skilled in reading and 7 percent proficient in math , officials said earlier this year . President Obama publicly endorsed the school board 's vote . `` Our kids get only one chance at an education and we need to get it right , '' he said in March . But the move outraged the school 's teachers , who argued that they 'd accepted most terms of a plan by the school district 's superintendent to improve student performance . The plan approved by the school board in February allowed teachers to re-apply for their jobs but stipulated that no more than 50 percent would get rehired . The firings would have gone into effect at the end of this school year . `` From the start , my principal concern was not who would be working at the high school , but whether the new school leadership team would have the flexibility it needed to improve student achievement , '' Central Falls superintendent Fran Gallo said in the statement provided by the teacher 's union . `` Today 's agreement provides this flexibility . '' Rhode Island officials applauded the tentative deal . `` I 'm glad both sides have ... -LSB- reached -RSB- this agreement , '' Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist said , according to the union 's statement . `` Now it 's time to move forward and work together to make Central Falls High one of the best in Rhode Island . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Debate is rife in Australian political circles about whether carbon trading is the way forward for climate change abatement . Carbon trading is said to be one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . There , Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is looking to introduce a mandatory carbon trading system by 2010 which will cap the amount of pollution industry can release . The proposed Australian system will be similar to the European Union emission trading system which was established in 2005 . With Phase 1 of the European system complete , there are a few lessons about carbon trading that Australia -- and other countries looking to go down this path -- could benefit from . So what is carbon trading ? Carbon trading -- also known as `` cap and trade '' -- is a system designed to cut the carbon emissions which contribute to global warming . Generally in a market-based cap and trade system , a central authority -- such as a government or international body -- sets a limit on the amount of carbon which can be emitted and then divides this amount into units which are allocated to different groups . These units can then be traded as any commodity would . Carbon trading can occur both between countries and amongst industries within countries . A second approach to carbon trading involves a country or business generating carbon credits by investing in `` green '' projects -- usually in developing countries -- that are said to reduce emissions . Why is it necessary ? According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -LRB- IPCC -RRB- there is unequivocal evidence that human activities have contributed to a gradual warming of the planet which has resulted in a change in climate . The IPCC report provides scientific evidence of change including to the duration of seasons , rainfall patterns and an increased frequency of extreme weather events . Industrialization is recognized as a key factor in the increase in greenhouse gas -LRB- GHG -RRB- emissions in the atmosphere and according to the IPCC the world has warmed by an average of 0.74 \u00b0 C in the past 100 years . The IPCC predicts that if GHG emissions continue to rise at their current rate , this century will see a further 3 \u00b0 C rise in the average world temperature . While the consensus of the scientific community -LRB- via the IPCC -RRB- is that action must be taken to avert the worst impacts of climate change , economic arguments about the cost of climate change abatement -- advanced by countries like the U.S. and at one time Australia -- have in the past proved an impediment to action . A carbon trading system is said to be one way that countries can look to make greenhouse gas emissions cuts with minimal economic impact . Do you think carbon trading is the way to reduce greenhouse emissions ? What trading systems exist ? Established in 2005 , the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme -LRB- EU ETS -RRB- is the largest multi-national , multi-sector CO2 trading system in the world . The ultimate aim of the system is to ensure that EU Member States are compliant with their Kyoto Protocol commitments and to do this the most energy-intensive industries are allocated carbon permits by Member States which allow them to emit a certain amount of CO2 . If these companies want to emit more CO2 than their permits allow for , they are able to buy them from more efficient companies with spare permits . The EU ETS takes in around 12,000 installations which account for around 50 percent of EU greenhouse gas emissions from industries such as power , steel and cement manufacture . According the World Bank , the EU ETS contributed $ 50 billion of the $ 64 billion traded in the carbon market in 2007 . The second largest carbon trading system exists under the United Nations Kyoto Protocol . The Protocol -- which sets binding emission targets for 37 industrialized countries -- permits emissions trading in order to help countries meet their agreed upon targets . Countries have agreed to an average 5 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions , compared to 1990 levels , by 2012 and carbon trading is one way to meet this quota . By December 2008 , the EU ETS will link up with the UN trading system to create a more global scheme . The Clean Development Mechanism is a further carbon trading mechanism of the Protocol which allows industrialized nations to claim emission credits from investment in clean technologies which will `` offset '' carbon in developing countries . Developed nations can also finance emission reduction projects in developing countries through Joint Implementation in exchange for emission credits . New Zealand has established a mandatory carbon trading system this year and Australia has also committed to expanding the pioneering New South Wales Greenhouse Gas Reduction Scheme to a national market by 2010 . New mandatory systems are being considered for Japan and Canada . Voluntary carbon markets also exist , with the Chicago Climate Exchange one of the more established ones . What do permits cost ? The cost of a carbon permit is dictated by the market forces of supply and demand . In 2007 , one European Union Allocation -LRB- for one ton of carbon -RRB- was trading at $ 30 to $ 35 . What industries are subject to trading ? Under mandatory schemes like the EU ETS , it 's the most energy-intensive industries within Member States which are subject to carbon trading . This includes industries like power installations , steel and cement manufacture and the construction industry . The commercial aviation industry -- which accounts for 3 percent of EU emissions -- could be brought into the EU ETS by 2011 . Currently personal or household emissions and the public sector and transport industry emissions are not included in any carbon trading system . Has emissions trading been successful ? Yes and no . The introduction of mandatory systems which cap emissions like the EU ETS is a step in the right direction for trying to cut emissions without a major cost to business . However , critics such as Carbon Trade Watch argue that the current carbon trade systems are flawed because there is a tendency for the biggest polluters to be over-allocated permits . This was clearly evident with Phase 1 of the EU ETS when the market virtually collapsed in 2006 because too many allowances were allocated . Market analyst Franck Schuttellaar estimated that the United Kingdom 's most polluting companies made windfall profits of around $ 1.7 billion as a direct result of generous carbon credit allocation under the EU ETS . Questions have also been raised about whether carbon trading systems actually reduce GHG emissions . Independent UK think-tank Open Europe reported that between 2005 and 2006 emissions from industries covered by the ETS actually rose in UK by 3.6 percent and by 0.8 percent across the whole of Europe . Auctioning off carbon credits at the outset -- rather that simply allocating credits to business for free -- is one way that has been proposed to help the system make a real impact on emissions . Certainly , increasing the scarcity of carbon credits would help ensure that businesses commit to genuine low-carbon alternatives . While carbon emissions account for around 70 percent of greenhouse gases , they are not the sole cause of climate change and it would seem a safer bet to reinforce a carbon trading system with other legislative measures aimed at reducing emissions .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended the Bush administration 's policies on the interrogation of terrorism suspects Sunday , saying former President George W. Bush would not have authorized anything illegal . Condoleeza Rice says George W. Bush was clear that interrogations during his presidency should break no law . `` He was also very clear that we would do nothing -- nothing -- that was against the law or against our obligations internationally , '' Rice said during an appearance at a Washington school . A Senate Intelligence Committee report released in April showed Rice was among top Bush advisers who approved the CIA 's use of waterboarding -- a technique considered a form of torture for centuries -- on terrorism suspects in its custody . Recently released Bush administration memos showed Justice Department officials argued that waterboarding , sleep deprivation and other coercive practices did not violate U.S. laws against torture . The disclosures have led to calls for investigations of former Bush administration officials . But Rice said Bush `` was only willing to authorize policies that were legal in order to protect the country '' after al Qaeda 's September 11 , 2001 , attacks on New York and Washington . `` I hope people understand that it was a struggle , it was a difficult time , '' she said . `` We were all terrified of another attack on this country because September 11 was the worst day of my life in government -- watching 3,000 Americans die because these people attacked us . '' But she added , `` Even under those most difficult circumstances , the president was not prepared to do something illegal . '' President Obama has banned the use of techniques such as waterboarding , which he called torture . His administration released the Justice Department memos in response to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union , and he called the legal reasoning behind the memos `` a mistake . '' Unlike former Vice President Dick Cheney , who criticized the release of the documents , Rice did not criticize the Obama administration 's decision . iReport.com : Share your take on interrogation techniques `` I have said many times that the Obama administration is now in power , and he 's my president , too , '' she said . `` And , I owe him my loyalty . I will not agree with everything that they do . I will not agree with everything that they say . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Air Force is grounding more than 100 planes used to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan because of fatigue cracks in the wings , Air Force officials said Friday . Aircraft like this A-10 Warthog provide close support to ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan . The officials said 127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs , including some used in the United States , will be grounded until they are each inspected for the cracks . `` The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking , specifically with thin-skin wings . This risk is of great concern to the Air Force and is representative of a systemic problem for our aging Air Force fleet , '' the Air Force said . The A-10 Thunderbolt II , nicknamed the `` Warthog '' because of its unique un-aerodynamic look , is one of the Air Force 's older aircraft , having first been delivered to the service in 1975 . The average age of the A-10 fleet is now 28 years , but the entire Air Force fleet has an average age of 25 years , according to Air Force statistics . The Air Force has more than 400 A-10s in its fleet . The cracks in the older A-10 A-models and A-10 C-models were discovered at Hill Air Force Base in Utah during routine maintenance . No A-10 has had an accident because of the cracks just discovered , according to Air Force officials . The inspection of the 127 planes will give priority to the planes in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of battle , officials said . The plane was designed as a tank killer , with a front-mounted Gatling gun that fires 30-mm armor-piercing ammunition capable of destroying a tank . The planes are now primarily used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations , flying low and slow and with the ability to target individuals hidden on mountainsides or rooftops . Last year , the Air Force grounded hundreds of F-15 fighter jets after one fell apart during a training mission . The culprit was a fatigued longeron , a part that holds the fuselage together . Numerous F-15s flying in Iraq and Afghanistan also were grounded until they were inspected , forcing the service to fly other aircraft in their place . The Navy was also asked to help cover the F-15 missions during the weeks they were grounded .","question":""}
{"answer":"London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama have come under fire after they were overheard talking rudely about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the G-20 summit . Sarkozy was overheard telling Obama : `` I ca n't stand him . He 's a liar , '' according to French website Arret Sur Images . Obama is reported to have replied : `` You 're tired of him ; what about me ? I have to deal with him every day . '' The comments have provoked criticism in Israel and the United States -- but it is not the first time a prominent figure has been caught off-guard , on-mic . CNN looks back at 10 of the most infamous gaffes . Gordon Brown on ` bigoted ' voter Then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown 's 2010 election campaign was not going well , but he had no idea how much worse it was going to get when he stopped to chat with a voter a week before the poll . Gillian Duffy , then a 66-year-old pensioner , proceeded to berate Brown , explaining why -- despite having backed his Labour party all her life -- she was now `` ashamed '' to admit her political allegiance . Brown kept up a polite conversation with her as the TV cameras looked on , then drove away unaware his microphone was still on . Once inside the car , he complained to advisers : `` That was a disaster . They should never have put me with that woman ... Ridiculous ... Bigoted woman . '' Brown later apologized , but went on to lose the election . George W. Bush to Tony Blair Brown 's predecessor , Tony Blair , was witness to one of the most famous on-mic blunders by U.S. President George W. Bush during a lunch meeting at the 2006 G-8 summit in Russia . Bush hailed the prime minister with the greeting `` Yo Blair ! '' and thanked him for a recent gift of a sweater . He then began discussing the situation in the Middle East , offering a not-entirely-diplomatic solution to the difficulties between Syria and Israel . `` What they need to do , '' he told Blair , `` is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s -- and it 's all over . '' George W. Bush on reporter The 43rd President of the U.S. was no stranger to the gaffe -- entire books were written about his famous `` Bushisms '' -- and they were in evidence even on the election trail . At an Illinois campaign stop in September 2000 , Bush was caught on camera referring to New York Times reporter Adam Clymer as a `` major-league a ------ '' -- to which his running mate Dick Cheney replied : `` Oh yeah , big time . '' Bush later said he was sorry his comments -- intended , according to his advisers , as a `` whispered aside '' -- were overheard . `` I regret that the private comments made it to the public airwaves , '' he said . `` I regret people heard the comments . '' Prince Charles on royal correspondent George W. Bush is not the only one to have voiced his frustration and anger at a member of the media in an unguarded on-camera moment . Prince Charles got himself in hot water with the British press when he was caught muttering under his breath about a reporter to his sons William and Harry during a photocall on a skiing holiday in Switzerland in 2005 . Taking exception to a question from the BBC 's veteran royal correspondent , Nicholas Witchell , the prince complained : `` Bloody people . I ca n't bear that man . He 's so awful , he really is . '' The comment did little to repair Charles ' fractious relationship with the media , and proved that gaffes can still offend , even when couched in polite language . Joe Biden to Barack Obama U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in a class all his own when it comes to putting his foot in it . In one of his most famous blunders , he was caught on tape dropping the F-bomb while congratulating Obama over the signing of the controversial healthcare bill in March 2010 . Introducing the President to the media , he turned to hug Obama , and was heard whispering : `` This is a big f ------ deal . '' Jesse Jackson on Barack Obama Obama has also been the target of on-camera slip-ups . In the run-up to the 2008 election , veteran civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson was overheard accusing the then-Illinois Senator of `` talking down to black people . '' During the taping of an interview for Fox News , Jackson whispered to a fellow pundit `` I want to cut his nuts off . '' Jackson later apologized for his `` regrettably crude '' remarks , which became one of the immortalized soundbites of the campaign . John Major on colleagues -- and himself Elections are fertile hunting ground for gaffes , as politicians battle for airtime and headlines , but then-UK Prime Minister John Major found himself in trouble in 1993 when he admitted he did n't understand why people kept voting for him . The day after members of his Conservative party had rebelled in parliament over plans to expand Britain 's links with Europe , the normally unemotive Major was heard referring to the eurosceptic MPs as `` bastards , '' and threatening to `` crucify '' them . Speaking to a reporter after an interview -- when he thought the microphone had been switched off -- Major said he could not see `` how such a complete wimp like me keeps winning everything . '' Jacques Chirac on British food French President Jacques Chirac also had winning on his mind when he was caught out on tape , criticizing an entire nation in 2005 . Chirac was playing a leading role in Paris 's quest to host the 2012 Olympics when he tried to make the most of what he saw as a clear advantage over competitor city London : Food . `` The only thing that they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease , '' he told Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder . `` You can not trust people who have such bad cuisine . '' Predictably , the comments provoked the ire of the British tabloids , but the Brits had the last laugh days later , when London won the rights to stage the 2012 Olympics . Jean Chretien on U.S. politicians Chirac is not the only politician to have risked cross-border conflict with an ill-advised on-mic jibe . Speaking to his counterparts from Belgium and Luxembourg at a NATO summit in Madrid in 1997 , Jean Chretien , the then-Prime Minister of Canada , was overheard taking aim at his neighbors in the United States . Chretien was taped claiming that U.S. politicians would all be in jail if they worked in Canada or elsewhere , as they all sold their votes . Ronald Reagan on Russia While Chretien 's remarks did not prompt an attack on Ottawa , a joke by U.S. President Ronald Reagan at the height of the Cold War could have had much more serious implications . Taking part in a sound-check shortly before his weekly radio address to the nation in August 1984 , Reagan `` announced '' to listeners : `` My fellow Americans , I 'm pleased to tell you today that I have signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever . `` We begin bombing in five minutes . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Supreme Court delayed a decision on whether to accept an appeal from a Georgia death row inmate who has gained international support for his claims of innocence in the the murder of a Savannah police officer two decades ago . Troy Davis ' case has earned the support of leaders including the pope and former President Jimmy Carter . The justices were scheduled to announce Monday whether they would take the case of Troy Davis , but no order was released . The court is expected to take up the matter again in September . Last fall , the Supreme Court granted Davis a stay of execution two hours before he was to be put to death . A month later , the justices reversed course and allowed the capital punishment to proceed , but a federal appeals court issued another stay . The high court 's latest delay means Davis will continue to sit on death row . Watch a report on Davis ' long fight '' His supporters Monday delivered about 60,000 signatures in petitions to Chatham County , Georgia , District Attorney Larry Chisolm , calling for a new trial . `` This delay is an indication that the Supreme Court is concerned by the gravity of Troy Davis ' innocence claims , '' said Laura Moye , director of Amnesty International USA 's Death Penalty Abolition Campaign . `` We will continue to call on all authorities , including the Supreme Court , to finally hear the evidence that has motivated hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to raise their voices and demand justice . '' Davis has always maintained his innocence in the 1989 killing of Officer Mark MacPhail . Witnesses claimed Davis , then 19 , and two others were harassing a homeless man in a Burger King restaurant parking lot when the off-duty officer arrived to help the man . Witnesses testified at trial that Davis then shot MacPhail twice and fled . But since his 1991 conviction , seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted their testimony . No physical evidence was presented linking Davis to the killing of the police officer . The Georgia Pardons and Parole Board last year held closed-door hearings and reinterviewed Davis and the witnesses . The panel decided against clemency . MacPhail 's mother , Annaliese , told CNN at the time , `` This is what we were hoping for , and I hope pretty soon that we will have some peace and start our life , especially my grandchildren -- my grandson and granddaughter . It has overshadowed their lives . '' After the justices in October refused to grant a stay of execution , Davis ' sister , Martina Correia , told CNN she was `` disgusted '' by the decision . `` It does n't make any sense , '' she said . `` We are praying for a miracle or some kind of intervention . We will regroup and fight . We will never stop fighting . We just ca n't be discouraged . The fight is not over 'til it 's over . '' Ten days after the high court refused last October to intervene , a federal appeals court in Georgia granted a temporary stay of execution . Since then , further appeals by Davis ' legal team have dragged on for eight months . Prominent figures ranging from the pope to the musical group Indigo Girls have asked Georgia to grant Davis a new trial . Other supporters include celebrities Susan Sarandon and Harry Belafonte ; world leaders such as former President Jimmy Carter and former Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town , South Africa ; and former and current U.S. lawmakers Bob Barr , Carol Moseley Braun and John Lewis .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. health officials said Wednesday they have found a contaminant in a blood-thinning drug produced by Baxter Healthcare Corp. that has been linked to more than a dozen deaths in the United States . The drug can keep potentially life-threatening blood clots from forming in the veins , arteries , and lungs . In early February , the Food and Drug Administration launched an investigation and then a recall of some forms of the product . The scrutiny began after a spike in reports of health problems associated with heparin , a drug made by Baxter from pig intestines at plants in China and Wisconsin . Though the cause of the problems has not been determined , FDA investigators found `` a heparin-like compound -- that is not heparin -- present in some of the active pharmaceutical ingredients '' in both facilities , said Dr. Janet Woodcock , acting director of the FDA 's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research . The contaminant , which made up 5 percent to 20 percent of each sample tested , `` reacts like heparin in some of the conventional tests used for heparin , '' which explains why it was not picked up , she told reporters in a conference call . No causal link between the contaminant and the adverse events has been established yet , Woodcock said . She added that it was not clear whether the contaminant was added accidentally , as part of the processing or deliberately . It also was not clear whether the contaminant was introduced in the company 's plant in Wisconsin or the one in China , Woodcock said . Though she said the exact structure of the contaminant has not been identified , `` it is similar to heparin glycans . '' Glycans are polysaccharides , a complex class of carbohydrate . She added it was unclear whether other heparin products used outside the United States might also contain the product . Later this week , the agency will release recommendations on how manufacturers and regulators can screen for the contaminant , she said . Last year , pet food made in China was found to be tainted with an ingredient that replaced more expensive protein and that initial tests did not identify as a contaminant . Asked if the heparin contamination could be a similar case , Woodcock said , `` It 's possible . '' Doctors have used the blood-thinner for 60 years with `` no history of any problems whatsoever , '' said the FDA commissioner , Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach . Its intravenous use can keep potentially life-threatening blood clots from forming in the veins , arteries and lungs . Von Eschenbach said it would be `` disingenuous '' to expect the agency would be able to inspect `` every institution in every case . '' Over the last fiscal year , the agency reported having inspected more than 1,000 foreign plants , a record . Since the agency issued its report that 19 deaths had been linked to the drug since January 1 , 2007 , it has received word of another 27 deaths , `` but many of those do not fit our definition of this type of event , '' Woodcock said . In all , the FDA has received 785 heparin-linked reports of adverse events -- including difficulty breathing , nausea , vomiting , excessive sweating and plummeting blood pressure that can lead to life-threatening shock . `` They 're continuing to come in fairly rapidly because there has been a lot of reporting of this , '' she said . In a written statement , Baxter said its tests have suggested `` that the root cause may be associated with the crude heparin , sourced from China , or from the subsequent processing of that product before it reaches Baxter . '' Meanwhile , Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC , which supplies the company with the active pharmaceutical ingredients , issued a statement saying it is working with the FDA , Baxter and outside experts to identify the cause of the adverse events . `` Thus far , no conclusions have been reached about the root cause , '' it said . `` It is premature to conclude that the heparin active pharmaceutical ingredient sourced from China and provided by SPL to Baxter is responsible for these adverse events . '' It said that its voluntary recall of suspect product was being made as a precaution . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An outspoken Saudi human rights advocate who was imprisoned without charge for nearly eight months was freed this weekend , according to a fellow human rights activist . Matrook al-Faleh , shown in 2004 , was seized after he criticized prison conditions , says Human Rights Watch . Matrook al-Faleh `` is doing very well '' after leaving Al-Hayer maximum security prison near Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , late Saturday , said colleague Mohammed al-Qahtani , who visited al-Faleh on Sunday . `` He is very healthy and his morale is quite high -- surprisingly after eight months , '' said al-Qahtani . Both men are Saudi college professors . It 's unclear why al-Faleh was arrested . A Human Rights Watch report condemning the arrest and urging al-Faleh 's release said his detention came two days after he publicly criticized conditions in a prison where two other Saudi human rights activists are imprisoned . It was also unclear why he was held for so long . According to al-Qahtani , Saudi law mandates that no one can be held for more than six months without charge . `` The criminal code says you charge him or release him , but sometimes they do not respect the law they issued , '' al-Qahtani said . An official at the Saudi Interior Ministry said he had no details about al-Faleh 's case . Jamila al-Uqla , al-Faleh 's wife , spoke to CNN in May , shortly after her husband was detained . She described how her husband had been arrested without charge and interrogated repeatedly . Al-Faleh had decided to go on a hunger strike to demand that he be told why he was being held , she said . His wife stressed that she and al-Faleh are patriotic Saudis . `` My husband is transparent and does n't hide anything , '' said al-Uqla . `` He says whatever he sees . He has loyalty to his country and the interests of his country . '' It was not Al-Faleh 's first brush with the Saudi legal system . Al-Faleh , Abdullah al-Hamid and Ali al-Dumaini , who runs a Saudi discussion Web site , were arrested in 2004 for circulating a petition meant for then-Crown Prince Abdullah which called for a constitution guaranteeing basic human rights . A court sentenced al-Faleh , Abdullah al-Hamid and Ali al-Dumaini , to six , seven and nine years respectively . But King Abdullah pardoned them in August 2005 , Human Rights Watch said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A day before Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was busted by federal investigators on corruption charges , he dared authorities to tape his phone calls if they thought he was guilty of anything . Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich , shown here in 2003 , was known as a tireless campaigner . `` If anybody wants to tape my conversations , go right ahead , feel free to do it , '' Blagojevich said Monday outside a Chicago window factory where workers were protesting their layoffs . His comment came in response to a reporter 's question about corruption allegations . Authorities had indeed bugged the governor 's campaign office and tapped his home phone , catching him talking about alleged plans to sell the U.S. Senate seat left empty by President-elect Barack Obama . During his political career , Blagojevich made headlines . A native Chicagoan , he was thought of as a charismatic guy who always liked to ingratiate himself to the working man . But he was never considered a natural politician , particularly when he first began exploring a run for the governorship in 2002 . His father , Rade Blagojevich , was a Yugoslavian immigrant who came to America after World War II . The elder Blagojevich worked in a steel mill to support his family , which was then living on the city 's then-downtrodden northwest side . As a boy , Blagojevich held odd jobs -- shining shoes , delivering pizzas -- and worked in Alaska for two summers in his teens . He used the money to enroll in Northwestern University , a prestigious school in Evanston , Illinois , just outside of Chicago . He went on to law school at Pepperdine University , then went back to Chicago after graduation to be a lawyer . Blagojevich later joined the State 's Attorney Office in Cook County -- the county in which Chicago is located -- and built a reputation for prosecuting domestic violence cases . During his time as a lawyer , where Blagojevich grew to enjoy the increasing public spotlight , he began flirting with the idea of running for office . He met his wife , Patricia Mell , in 1988 at a political fundraiser for her father , well-known Chicago Alderman Richard Mell . Blagojevich started working in the father 's office , married Patricia Mell and had a daughter , Amy . They had another daughter a few years later . He served in the Illinois House from 1992 to 1996 , representing the North Side Chicago district before moving on to Congress in 1997 . During his three terms in Congress , he helped bring $ 240 million in federal funds to the Chicago Transit Authority and an additional $ 10 million to help protect Lake Michigan 's shoreline . He grabbed headlines in 1999 when he traveled to Yugoslavia with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to negotiate the release of three American soldiers . Blagojevich met with then-President Slobodan Milosevic , who later faced a war crimes tribunal but died of a heart attack before the proceedings were concluded . Blagojevich set his sights on the governorship in 2002 with an aggressive appeal to the workaday Illinoisan . He portrayed himself as a regular guy who wanted to do right by the middle class . Tirelessly campaigning , knocking on doors and running down-home-flavored television ads , Blagojevich jokingly told voters not to worry about pronouncing his last name right . Just call me Rod , he said . At one point , a staunch supporter of his Republican opponent , Michael P. Flanagan , marveled to the Chicago Sun-Times that he was impressed by the number of appearances Blagojevich was making during the campaign . `` He is one of the most energetic guys in politics today , '' Flanagan said in a Sun-Times profile . `` If he was an athlete , they would test him for amphetamines . He would come up clean -- but they would test him . '' Blagojevich was able to leverage a string of endorsements from popular figures like Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley . He also got the support of the Service Employees International Union , the Illinois Federation of Teachers , the American Federation of State , County , and Municipal Employees , and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters . In the 2002 governor 's race , Blagojevich rode to victory 7 points ahead of opponent Jim Ryan . Blagojevich commenced his re-election campaign in 2006 by promising not to raise state income or sales taxes during his second term . In May 2008 , Blagojevich proposed a $ 150 million initiative to combat youth violence . In July , he pardoned 19 convicted criminals , including several who had been exonerated , and in August called a special legislative session to consider reducing state construction costs in order to increase money for schools . Earlier this week , Blagojevich was in the news again -- standing beside and supporting the workers suddenly laid off at the Chicago window factory . The employees complained that the layoffs came without the 60 days ' notice required by federal law . Speaking to reporters as he stood with the workers , Blagojevich spoke of the need to follow the law . `` We are going to do everything possible here in Illinois to side with these workers , '' he said . `` And it is n't just lending them moral support , but it 's ... making sure that we have our court system enforce the federal laws so these workers are getting what they 're entitled to under the law and under what is the right thing to do . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A German cruise liner said Tuesday it plans to fly its passengers over the Gulf of Aden , instead of sailing them through , out of fear of pirate attacks in the region . U.S. Navy image of pirates operating off coast of Somalia in October this year . Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said all 246 passengers and most of the crew aboard the MS Columbus , currently at the start of an around-the-world cruise , will disembark at an undisclosed port , then fly to Dubai to continue their journey . The company called the move a precautionary measure . Pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia have shot up this year , with pirates staging increasingly bolder attacks on ever-bigger targets . So far this year , pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off Somalia 's coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40 , according to the International Maritime Bureau . Freight and cargo ships , cruise liners , and private yachts have all come under attack . In many hijackings , pirates take the crew and passengers hostage while they demand a ransom . The problem has forced companies like Hapag-Lloyd , that use the Gulf of Aden , to make new plans , including stepping up security or changing their routes . One shipping company announced last month it would bypass the region altogether , sailing instead around the Cape of Good Hope and adding thousands of kilometers to its voyages . Read more about how to solve the pirate problem here . Hapag-Lloyd said a general travel warning for the area , issued by the German Foreign Ministry , played a part in the decision . But the company also said it had asked the German government for naval protection and the request was turned down . Representatives of Hapag-Lloyd and the German Defense Ministry could not immediately be reached for further comment . The passengers on board the Columbus began the first leg of their world cruise November 28 in Genoa , Italy and are due in Dubai on December 17 , according to Hapag-Lloyd 's Web site . Further stops include Singapore , Bali , Indonesia and Sydney , Australia . Hapag-Lloyd said that after the passengers and most of the crew disembark , the Columbus will sail through the Gulf of Aden with a skeleton staff . The passengers will stay in a five-star hotel in Dubai for three days until the Columbus arrives to take them back onboard , the company said . Both the crew and passengers approve of the safety measure , Hapag-Lloyd said . The U.S. State Department and British Foreign Office advise those traveling near the Somali coast to use extreme caution because of the recent pirate attacks . Last week , the Australian government issued a similar warning about travel to the region . The advice also urged Australian ships `` to apply a robust and layered protective security regime '' when traveling through the area . -- CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MOGADISHU , Somalia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 39 civilians were killed in Somalia 's capital Monday after a convoy of African Union peacekeepers was hit by a roadside bomb , causing the troops to open fire , officials and eyewitnesses said . Islamist militia display weapons Monday in defiance of newly elected President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed . Maj. Ba-Huko Barigye , spokesman to the African Union Mission to Somalia -LRB- AMISON -RRB- , said an explosion targeted a contingent of Ugandan troops . At least one soldier was injured and one of the vehicles damaged , Barigye said . Ahmed Dirie Ali , spokesman of Hawiye Traditional Elders -- a major group of local clan leaders -- condemned the civilian deaths . And Mogadishu 's deputy mayor , Abdifatah Ibrahim Shaweye , accused AMISOM of killing innocent civilians deliberately during a `` brutal attack , '' an allegation Barigye denied . `` The deputy mayor has got the wrong information , '' he said . `` They are targeting AMISOM , but the people who have died are all Somali civilians , who have nothing , whatsoever to do with AMISOM . '' Officials say the incident happened on Maka al-Mukarama road , which connects the presidential palace and the airport in southern Mogadishu . The incident occurred on the same day that the new Somali president , Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed , was attending an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa . Ethiopia invaded Somalia in 2006 , to depose an Islamic government led by Ahmed that had taken control of Mogadishu . But at the summit , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged continued support for national reconciliation efforts in Somalia , which has been without an effective central government since 1991 . `` It is important that these efforts should have a tangible effect in improving the security environment for the Somali people and humanitarian actors , '' Ban said in a statement released by his office . `` The United Nations will provide strong logistical support to the African Union 's AMISOM force and help develop Somali security forces . '' He also encouraged AU leaders to consider a plan that will incorporate AMISOM into a larger U.N. peacekeeping force in the months ahead . AMISOM was set up to take over from Ethiopian forces , which were supposed to be withdrawn soon after the December 2006 invasion that deposed the Islamic Courts Union , which Ahmed once led . But the Ethiopians and the country 's U.N.-backed transitional government were soon battling Islamist guerrillas , including the militia al-Shabaab -- which the United States has designated as a terrorist group with links to al Qaeda . The transitional government eventually signed a peace agreement with a new movement led by Ahmed , the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia . But al-Shabaab has rejected the deal and continued fighting . The militia overran the town of Baidoa , the seat of the transitional government , within hours of the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops last week . Ahmed was elected president Saturday by lawmakers in Djibouti , and many Somalis view him as a final hope to challenge the militia and its extremist ideology . CNN 's Amir Ahmed and Ahmednor Mohamed Farah for CNN contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Embassy in Yemen , which was closed over the weekend because of security concerns , reopened Tuesday , a day after Yemeni forces conducted successful security operations . A statement posted on the embassy 's Web site said `` successful counter-terrorism operations '' conducted by Yemeni security forces on Monday , north of the Yemeni capital , Sanaa , addressed `` a specific area of concern and have contributed to the Embassy 's decision to resume operations . '' Yemen 's state-run news agency , SABA , reported Monday that two al Qaeda suspects were killed and two others were injured in clashes with a Yemeni anti-terrorism unit However , Mohamed Ahmed al-Haniq , the al Qaeda unit 's leader , and an unknown number of his `` companions '' were able to escape during the clashes , SABA reported , citing Yemen 's Interior Ministry . The U.S. Embassy said the threat of terrorist attacks against American interests in Yemen `` remains high , '' and it urged American citizens in the country `` to be vigilant and take prudent security measures . '' Yemen fertile ground for terror groups A senior State Department official , who did not want to speak on the record because of the sensitive nature of the information , said Yemeni authorities have helped the United States with additional security precautions at the embassy site . The United States ' decision to close its embassy came after intelligence suggested that four al Qaeda operatives were planning an attack on the compound , a senior administration official said Monday . The official said the United States had information that a group of eight terrorists had been planning an attack . Yemeni forces killed three in recent days and another was captured wearing a suicide vest , but the other four were believed to be at large , the official said . It was not immediately clear if the same al Qaeda members in Monday 's clashes were among the group of eight suspected terrorists . U.S. lawmakers have highlighted what they say are the threats posed by terrorists in Yemen . `` As we commit ourselves to the fight in Afghanistan , some of the what I 'll call the enemy forces , the extremist forces , move to new bases of operation such as Yemen , from which they strike us , '' said Sen. Joe Lieberman , I-Connecticut , at a news conference with Sen. John McCain in Iraq Tuesday . `` I 've been quoting something that was said to us by an American working in Yemen when Sen. McCain and I visited in August , which was perhaps a bit overstated but it makes a point . He said to me : ` Iraq was yesterday 's war . Afghanistan is today 's war . And if we do not act preemptively now , Yemen will be tomorrow 's war . ' '' McCain noted that on the visit he had a `` very strong impression '' about the nation 's difficulties , particularly the presence of al Qaeda . `` The government of Yemen is going to need our help in combatting al Qaeda , '' McCain , R-Arizona , said . `` There needs to be significant effort made in improving their economy , and we can not allow Yemen to be a base for al Qaeda to mount attacks on other countries in the region as well as the U.S. '' On Monday , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the situation in Yemen a possible threat to regional and global security , but commended Yemen for taking action against al Qaeda networks . The United States and Britain closed their embassies Sunday . Britain 's Foreign Office also cited security concerns and its embassy remained closed Tuesday . `` The British Embassy in Yemen will remain closed to the public today , '' a statement from the embassy said . `` Some embassy personnel will be in and whoever needs to contact the embassy can do it via the phone or e-mail but people wo n't be able to walk into the embassy . '' Several other nations also made changes at their Yemen-based embassies Monday , including Japan , France , Spain and Germany . Each cited the need for increased security measures . France closed its embassy to the public , although French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said Tuesday that embassy employees will continue their work . Valero said the embassy will reopen once work to secure the site , already in progress before the latest threat , is finished . Spain also restricted public access to its embassy , the Spanish Foreign Ministry said , adding that the embassy continued to function `` normally . '' Japan halted service at the consulate section of its embassy . The Japanese Foreign Ministry said the decision was based on the threat of terror , not a specific threat . Germany said that while its embassy remained fully operational , security measures were increased . The German Foreign Ministry said fewer visitors were allowed into the embassy compound . The wave of concerns follow last month 's alleged attempted terrorist attack by a Nigerian man who boarded a flight in Amsterdam , Netherlands , and allegedly tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear as the flight approached Detroit , Michigan . The attempt failed , and other passengers and crew grabbed the suspect . The Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day plot . U.S. President Barack Obama has also linked the suspect , Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , to the group , which is a combination of al Qaeda networks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen . The AQAP group in Yemen has said that the attempted attack on the airliner was in retaliation for airstrikes against it on December 17 and 24 . However , Yemen has said that AbdulMutallab purchased his ticket on December 16 . The U.S. Embassy in Yemen has come under attack numerous times in recent years . In September 2008 , 10 people were killed -- among them police and civilians , but no embassy employees -- when insurgents opened fire and set off explosions outside the compound .","question":""}
{"answer":"SAN JOSE , Costa Rica -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Honduras ' interim government on Sunday rejected a proposal to reinstate ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya , ending a round of negotiations aimed at resolving the country 's political crisis . Jose Manuel Zelaya was ousted from the Honduran presidency on June 28 . The proposal had been presented by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias , who was mediating the talks between the two Honduran sides at his home over the weekend . `` I 'm very sorry , but the proposal you presented -LSB- is -RSB- unacceptable by the government of Honduras that I represent , '' Carlos Lopez , who was representing interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti at the weekend negotiations , said of the proposal advanced by Arias . Representatives of Zelaya , who was ousted in a June 28 coup , said this marked the end of talks with Honduras ' interim government . The weekend 's talks were the second attempt by Arias to negotiate a resolution . He vowed Sunday to continue his mediation efforts . `` I want to take 72 hours to continue working , even more arduously this time , to see if we can really reach an agreement between the parties in this conflict , '' Arias said . Arias expressed concern that violence could ignite in Honduras if the sides stop talking , and that a civil war could result . Shortly after announcing the end of the negotiations , Lopez indicated in an interview with CNN en Espa\u00f1ol that Micheletti 's delegation would be open to further talks in the future . At a news conference later Sunday , the head of the Organization of American States said he had been enthusiastic about the proposal advanced by Arias . `` We regret deeply the attitude of Micheletti , '' said OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza . `` I think -LSB- the proposal -RSB- was a good one . '' The proposal , presented by Arias to both sides on Saturday , would have returned Zelaya to the Honduran presidency . It would also have compelled Zelaya to abandon efforts to modify the country 's presidential term limits . In remarks to reporters before starting Sunday 's talks , representatives of Zelaya said he accepted the seven-point proposal . Micheletti has said he would not accept Zelaya 's return as president , and remarks by Zelaya printed in a Brazilian newspaper contradicted Zelaya 's acceptance of the proposal , Micheletti negotiator Arturo Corrales said . In Sunday 's editions of the Folha newspaper , Zelaya was quoted in support of continuing with his push for a reform to term limits . `` We can not betray the people and abandon the process , '' the paper quoted Zelaya as saying . `` Yesterday they said one thing , and today another , '' Micheletti negotiator Corrales said , adding that Zelaya 's remarks broke the good faith behind the talks . The newspaper , however , noted that Zelaya was interviewed one day before he agreed to Arias ' seven-point proposal . Zelaya was removed from office June 28 in a military-led coup that has drawn international condemnation . Congressional leader Micheletti was sworn in hours later as provisional president . Micheletti and his supporters , including the Honduran supreme court , congress and the military , argue that the action was not a coup , but a constitutional transfer of power . Other steps proposed by Arias included moving up elections scheduled for late November , establishing a national unity government , providing amnesty for all political crimes and setting up an international commission to oversee implementation of the accord . Under Arias ' proposal , oversight of the Honduran military would have switched from the executive branch of government to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal one month before the elections . Delegations representing Zelaya and Micheletti also met at Arias ' home in Costa Rica last week but did not reach an accord . Zelaya , a leftist who took office in 2006 on a narrow victory , had been at odds with Honduran lawmakers , the country 's supreme court and the military over his attempts for a referendum . He sought the referendum , which he planned to hold last month , to see if voters wanted a measure on November 's ballot to establish a constitutional assembly to study whether a president could run for re-election . Under the current charter , a president can serve only one four-year term . Congress had forbidden the referendum and the supreme court ruled it illegal . The military declined to participate in its usual role of safeguarding the vote , saying it could not take part in an illegal act . Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway , but was toppled before the voting started .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slim majority of Americans think churches should stay out of politics , according to a new survey . John McCain , the Rev. Rick Warren and Barack Obama together for a CNN broadcast forum on faith . The survey suggests that for the first time in more than a decade , there has been a shift away from the view that religious groups should influence social and political issues . Fifty-two percent of poll respondents said churches should stay quiet , while 46 percent said churches should express political views . The biggest shift has come among Republicans , one of the authors of the poll said . `` Overall , the number of people who say churches should not endorse political candidates is up slightly , but among Republicans it is up 11 points , and among white evangelical Republicans it is up 19 points , '' said Greg Smith , a research fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life . `` There is a slight uptick , from 40 percent to 46 percent , among people who are uncomfortable to have politicians talking about religion , but it is up 10 points among Republicans , '' he added . Four years ago , seven out of 10 conservatives approved of religious institutions expressing political views . But five out of 10 conservatives in Thursday 's poll said it was appropriate . It seems that the more important social issues are to conservatives , the more likely they were to say that religion and politics should not mix . Among people who said gay marriage was a very important issue , the number saying houses of worship should keep out of politics doubled , from 25 percent to 50 percent . Among those who said it was not important , the number was essentially unchanged . Respondents were also more likely to say houses of worship should not meddle in politics if they considered the major political parties to be hostile to religion . The new figures bring Republican views into line with those of Democrats and independents . A 14-point gap between Republican and Democratic views on the subject in August 2004 fell to one point in the new survey . But Smith cautioned against reading the survey to mean basic conservative philosophy was changing . `` It appears to be frustration with the contemporary political landscape more than an underlying philosophical shift , '' he said . `` It is not the case the conservatives are uncomfortable with a political role for religion , but we do see increasing discomfort with churches getting involved with politics . '' `` Voting intentions among white evangelicals have not changed at all , '' Smith added . Republican candidate Sen. John McCain `` has a huge lead even among younger evangelicals . '' But social conservatives are lukewarm about McCain as compared to President Bush . Nearly seven out of 10 white evangelical Protestants and conservatives said they supported McCain ; the number was slightly higher for Bush in August 2004 . But four years ago , 57 percent of them said they backed Bush strongly . The number is 28 percent for McCain this year , with 40 percent saying they backed him , but not strongly . The number of people who think religious groups have too much influence over political parties grew -- for both Republicans and Democrats -- as did the percentage of people who are uncomfortable hearing politicians talk about how religious they are . Americans continue to see the Republican Party as more friendly to religion than the Democrats , although the Democrats closed the gap somewhat since reaching a low point in 2006 . Other survey results showed little change from the past . Two out of three Americans continue to say churches should not endorse candidates for president , and most still feel a president should have strong religious beliefs . The survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center for People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life by interviewing 2,905 adults nationwide by phone between July 31 and August 10 . On Saturday , Obama and McCain answered questions that had religious overtones at a forum hosted by the Rev. Rick Warren . The pastor of Southern California 's Saddleback Church is author of the best-selling book `` The Purpose-Driven Life . '' Asked when life begins , McCain was quick to say `` at the moment of conception . '' McCain 's response was met with huge applause from the audience . `` I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress , in the Senate , and as president of the United States , I will be a pro-life president , and this presidency will have pro-life policies , '' he said . When Obama was asked about when life begins , the pro-choice candidate said that decision is `` above my pay grade . '' The response garnered criticism from liberal and conservative thinkers who said Obama tried to dodge the issue . Obama said although he 's pro-choice and supports a woman 's right to abortion , his goal is to reduce the number of abortions in America . `` On this particular issue , if you believe that life begins at conception ... and you are consistent , then I ca n't argue with you on that , '' he said . `` What I can do is say , ` Are there ways we can work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies ? ' ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Family members of Phillip Markoff visited him in jail Friday for the first time since his arraignment on murder charges connected to the slaying of a woman he may have met through a Craigslist online ad . The parents , brother and sister-in-law of accused killer Philip Markoff visited him in jail on Friday . Markoff 's parents , brother , and sister-in-law visited him Friday , having to get through a throng of media members who gathered near the Boston , Massachusetts , jail . Richard Markoff and Susan Haynes arrived early in the afternoon , CNN affiliate WCVB reported . Markoff 's parents stayed at the jail for about two hours and left without making any comments to media , the affiliate reported . Markoff 's brother and sister-in-law also visited him on Friday , the affiliate reported . John Salsberg , Markoff 's attorney , addressed the crowd of reporters Friday and said he was speaking on behalf of the family . `` They love their son very much . They are supportive of him , that 's what they would say if they were speaking themselves , '' he said . It is not yet known if Megan McAllister , Markoff 's fiancee , would visit him in jail , but in an e-mail sent to ABC News , she said police have the wrong man and `` was set up . '' `` Unfortunately , you were given wrong information as was the public , '' she wrote . `` All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly ! '' Markoff , 23 , a second-year student at Boston University 's School of Medicine , is charged with killing Julissa Brisman , who lived in New York , April 14 at Boston 's Copley Marriott Hotel . Police have said Brisman , a model , advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist , a popular online classifieds service . They say Markoff may have met her through the online site . Prosecutors say Brisman sustained blunt head trauma and said the she was shot three times at close range . One of the bullets passed through her heart , killing her , prosecutors said . Markoff is also charged in connection with the April 10 robbery of Trisha Leffler , 29 , at a Westin Hotel in Boston , another woman he allegedly met on Craigslist . Leffler was robbed of $ 800 in cash and $ 250 in American Express gift cards , police reports said . Prosecutors said she was bound and held at gunpoint . Brisman 's mother , Carmen Guzman , released a statement Friday about her devastation . `` The feeling of losing my daughter in this way and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life , '' Guzman said . `` She wo n't live to see her dreams . We will hold Julissa in our hearts every day . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four of O.J. Simpson 's accomplices in the 2007 robbery at a Las Vegas hotel were given suspended sentences Tuesday by Nevada District Judge Jackie Glass . District Court Judge Jackie Glass sentenced four O.J. Simpson codefendants to probation on Tuesday . The four -- Charles Cashmore , Charles Erlich , Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander -- all turned on Simpson and cooperated in the case against him . Simpson was sentenced last week to at least nine and as many as 33 years in prison in the case . Glass called him `` arrogant '' and `` ignorant . '' Before announcing the suspended sentences Tuesday , Glass said the actions of Cashmore , Erlich , McClinton and Alexander were `` stupid but also criminal '' when they accompanied the former football star to the Palace Station Hotel and Casino on September 13 , 2007 . But she praised them for taking responsibility for their actions and for cooperating with the state 's case against Simpson . Should they violate the terms of their probation , the four could face prison time ranging from 12 months to 84 months , depending on the specific charges against them . The four apologized to the state and the victims in the case before their sentences were read in court Tuesday . Simpson , a former Heisman Trophy winner and record-setting NFL running back , had enlisted the help of Cashmore , Erlich , McClinton and Alexander , along with Clarence `` C.J. '' Stewart , in an effort to get sports memorabilia items that Simpson claimed belong to him from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley . The six men confronted the dealers in a hotel room , brandishing weapons but not firing them . Stewart received a sentence similar to Simpson 's but will be eligible for parole in 7\u00c2 1\/2 years . Watch how Simpson 's conviction came down \u00c2 '' Glass ordered Fromong removed from the courtroom Tuesday after he made a comment during the sentencing of McClinton , who admitted brandishing a gun in the hotel room . Glass still has to decide restitution in the case a schedule a hearing on that for Friday morning . The four men sentenced Tuesday walked meekly from the courtroom to report to law enforcement officials and get details on their probation . On Friday , Simpson was led from the courtroom in shackles . He 'll remain jailed while an appeal is pending .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Oklahoma Senate voted Tuesday to override the governor 's vetoes and pass two strong anti-abortion measures . One law requires women to undergo an ultrasound examination and listen to a description of what it shows before getting an abortion . Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee , a Republican , said Tuesday 's vote shows lawmakers listened to Oklahoma 's residents and `` made a bold statement in support of the sanctity of life . '' But Democratic Gov. Brad Henry has called the legislation `` an unconstitutional attempt by the Oklahoma legislature to insert government into the private lives and decisions of its citizens . '' Henry vetoed the bill and another abortion-related measure Friday , but the state House on Monday overwhelmingly voted to override both vetoes , with House Speaker Chris Benge , a Republican , lauding his colleagues for moving quickly . The Senate 's 36-12 vote Tuesday was the final step required to make the bills laws `` Those who rallied behind this cause reflected the core values of Oklahoma citizens , and I applaud my colleagues in providing more safeguards for the life of the unborn , '' Coffee said . Henry said he was disappointed by Tuesday 's vote . `` It signals the beginning of another costly and possibly futile legal battle for the state of Oklahoma . Both laws will be challenged and , in all likelihood , overturned by the courts as unconstitutional , '' he said . `` I fear this entire exercise will ultimately be a waste of taxpayers ' time and money . '' In a statement issued after his vetoes Friday , Henry sharply criticized the laws . `` State policymakers should never mandate that a citizen be forced to undergo any medical procedure against his or her will , especially when such a procedure could cause physical or mental trauma , '' Henry said . `` To do so amounts to an unconstitutional invasion of privacy . '' Henry said one of the flaws of the ultrasound bill was that it lacked an exemption for rape and incest victims . Henry vetoed similar legislation in 2008 . His veto was overridden . The State Supreme Court struck down the legislation because it contained multiple subjects , a violation of the state Constitution requiring measures to deal with a single subject , Bennett said . The Center for Reproductive Rights said it had filed a lawsuit challenging the new law after Tuesday 's Senate vote . `` Oklahoma has now passed the most burdensome ultrasound law in the country , '' Nancy Northup , the organization 's president , told CNN . `` Until Oklahoma stops harassing women who are seeking abortions , we will continue to sue the state on these unconstitutional restrictions . '' Coffee said challenging the new laws in court would go against what Oklahoma residents want . `` The voice of the people has spoken twice now this session in the Senate and twice in the House , and I sincerely hope those who would reverse the people 's voice would think twice before acting , '' he said . The other measure approved by legislators Tuesday prohibits pregnant women and their families from seeking legal damages if physicians `` knowingly and negligently '' withhold key information or provide inaccurate information about their pregnancies . Henry , in opposing the bill , said it would be `` unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform a pregnant woman in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on his patient . '' Such an issue would be particularly relevant to fetuses with disabilities . `` By prohibiting recovery of damages in wrongful birth and life malpractice actions , the legislation would allow unscrupulous , reckless or negligent physicians to knowingly withhold information or negligently provide inaccurate information to pregnant women without facing the potential of legal consequences , '' the governor said . The House voted to override the veto of the ultrasound bill by an 81 to 14 vote , well above the three-fourths majority required . State Rep. Lisa Billy , a Republican , said the bill `` does nothing more than give women as much information as possible before they make the life-altering decision to have an abortion . '' `` I do n't want a single woman to go through the lifelong torture of having an abortion without having all the relevant information , '' Billy said . The House voted 84 to 12 to override the veto over the legal damages prohibition . State Rep. Dan Sullivan , a Republican , said the bill `` simply states that a doctor can not be sued based on the opinion after birth that a child would have been better off if he or she had been aborted . '' `` A bipartisan coalition of members supported this bill the first time , and I am pleased they did again today , '' Sullivan said . Benge , the House speaker , said , `` We must move to stop the degradation of human life seen in recent years and stand up for those who can not defend themselves . '' CNN 's Joe Sterling and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ever caught a glimpse of the secretive Iberian lynx ? Or heard the croaking bark of a Mediterranean monk seal ? Arctic foxes are trapped and skinned for the pelts . If not , and you want to do so , you had better hurry because pollution and habitat degradation have pushed both species to the brink of extinction . According to a recent study by the Switzerland-based World Conservation Union -LRB- IUCN -RRB- human activity is threatening almost one-sixth of Europe 's total land mammal population . Among marine mammals the situation is even more grave , with some 22 percent of total numbers being pushed towards annihilation . The IUCN 's recently published European Mammal Assessment identified 17 European mammal species that are `` vulnerable , '' seven that are `` endangered , '' and six that are `` critically endangered . '' The Mediterranean monk seal population , for example , has now dwindled to just 350-450 individuals . The outlook for the Iberian lynx is even worse , with only an estimated 150 still surviving , making it the most endangered cat species on earth . Other species on the critically endangered list include the Arctic fox , Bavarian pine vole , European mink and North Atlantic Right whale . `` This new assessment proves that many European mammals are declining at an alarming rate , '' said IUCN Director-General Julia Marton-Lef\u00e8vre , a position echoed by the EU 's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas . `` The results of the report highlight the challenge we currently face to halt the loss of Europe 's biodiversity , '' said Dimas . `` It is clear that the full implementation of the Habitats Directive -LRB- adopted by the EU in 1992 to safeguard Europe 's endangered wildlife -RRB- is of the utmost importance to protect Europe 's native mammals . '' Europe is home to a rich diversity of native mammal species ranging from the small such as shrews and voles , to the large such as wolves and brown bears . to the enormous -- in the case of the 70-ton North Atlantic Right Whale . Human activity , however , especially in the form of agriculture , deforestation , hunting and pollution , has reduced the numbers of these species , leaving many of them in danger of vanishing . The aforementioned Habitats Directive -- a corollary of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats -- introduced a range of measures aimed at protecting endangered species -LRB- including plants , birds and fish as well as mammals -RRB- . That directive has certainly had an effect , with a number of mammals that previously seemed destined to disappear from Europe now enjoying something of a revival . The Alpine Ibex , for example , was almost hunted out in the 19th century , its population reduced to just a small group of survivors in Italy 's Gran Paradiso National Park . Thanks to extensive conservation and protection efforts , however , the species is once again flourishing and has been downgraded to the `` least concern '' category on the IUCN 's `` Red List . '' It is the same story for the European bison , which was limited to just a few zoos before re-introduction programs across eastern Europe helped re-build the population to current levels of around 1,800 . `` The fate of the European bison provides an example of the way in which a species may be brought to the brink of extinction in a very short time , and then saved only through great efforts , '' said Dr. Zbigniew Krasinski of Poland 's Bialowieza National Park . `` The saving of the bison has been an undoubted success , although further action will continue to be essential . '' Dr. Jean-Christophe Vie , Deputy Head of the IUCN 's Species Program , agrees that significant progress has been made . `` In Europe we now have a network of protected areas , as well as strong conservation laws , '' he told CNN . `` It is possible for species to recover even when their numbers drop to extinction level . `` Both the Alpine Ibex and European bison are recovering well because of appropriate conservation measures . `` The European beaver is another example . It was persecuted almost to extinction but has now been re-introduced and is colonizing all over the continent . '' While there are positive stories , however , the overall picture remains a disheartening one , as the European Mammal Assessment demonstrates . Commissioned by the European Commission and a year in the drafting , it is the first such overview of its kind and draws on the work of a Europe-wide group of scientists , zoologists and conservationists . Its findings provide an unequivocal picture of biodiversity loss and species decline . Habitat destruction , usually due to agricultural practices , is the key driver of that decline , although many other factors are involved , including pollution , disease and the introduction of invasive foreign species . The case of the European mink , one of the IUCN 's six critically endangered European mammals , is an example of how different elements can combine to drive a particular species to the brink of destruction . Once found in great numbers across Europe from Spain to the Urals , the mink population has plummeted in recent years . While hunting has certainly contributed to this decline , the main causes have been habitat loss and competition from invasive foreign species , according to Vie . `` The mink is freshwater dependent , '' explains Vie . `` The more you damage its habitat by polluting rivers , or channeling them , or building dams , the more the population declines . '' The introduction of the American mink into Europe for fur-rearing also proved disastrous , with some of those mink escaping from captivity , establishing their own colonies in the wild and setting up direct competition for food and resources with the native population . The result : an 80 percent decline in that population in the last decade alone -LRB- in 1993 the IUCN only classified it as `` vulnerable '' -RRB- . But experts say that species loss can be reversed . `` There is more and more perception across Europe that biodiversity conservation is crucially important , '' says Vie . `` And we are seeing good recoveries in some species . `` The picture in the mammal world is not nearly as bad as , say , among freshwater fish , where the number of threatened species is far , far higher . '' At the same time , the latest figures remain a source of considerable concern . At a time when so many conservation initiatives and laws are already in operation , the population of many European mammal species is in apparent free fall . It is not simply the possibility of losing a particular species that worries experts , but also how the loss will affect the species ' wider ecosystem `` The food web is extremely complex , '' says Vie . `` If you lose one element that has a very specific role in that web , it has a knock-on effect and the whole system is threatened . `` It is very worrying . Some people think it is a disaster if a famous painting is lost in a fire , but that is just the work of a few weeks or months . These species and systems are the product of millions of years of evolution . `` I am biased , of course , but I think it would be an absolute tragedy if we lost these native species . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"KATHMANDU , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many Nepalese guides , Apa Sherpa started trekking to the top of Mount Everest in the shadow of more famous climbers -- including the son of the late Sir Edmund Hillary , the first person to climb to the top of the world 's tallest peak . Apa Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest more times than any other person . But the 49-year-old Nepali -- who now lives in the United States -- on Thursday morning became the only person in the world to summit Everest 19 times . Apa says his goals in climbing the 29,029-foot -LRB- 8,848-meter -RRB- mountain have nothing to do with setting the world record for Everest summits , a title he has held since 1998 . `` Up to the 17th time in 2007 I climbed as a professional , as part of my occupation , '' Apa said , according to the Web site tracking the progress of his most recent expedition . `` But last year I climbed to raise funds for a school in Thame , my village on the foot of Everest . '' In addition to raising money for Nepali schoolkids , Apa also plans to remove more than two tons of garbage from Everest . Over the past 55 years , some 2,000 mountaineers have climbed the peak , leaving behind a trail of trash that includes oxygen bottles , food cans , gas cylinders , paper , plastic and even tents . Everest -- known by Nepalis as Sagarmatha -- is considered sacred by the Nepalese people , and is worshipped as a goddess of wealth and power by the Sherpas , the inhabitants of the Everest region . Apa comes from the famed Sherpa community of mountain guides , who work as porters and climbing guides for mountaineers from all over the world . While Everest is not considered the most technically challenging climb by experienced mountaineers , the world 's highest peak attracts an array of climbers who spend tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to make it to the top . However , the mountain is deadly for many climbers : More than 200 people have died trying to scale Everest . Apa began working as an expedition porter for Everest climbers to earn money after his father died when he was 12 years old , according to his biography on his team 's Web site , SuperSherpas.com . Many of the mountaineers noticed the young Sherpa who , despite his small size , was able to carry large loads `` with strength , quickness and a wide smile , '' according to his biography . But it was n't until he was about 30 years old that Apa began climbing Everest as a guide . He made it to the top in 1990 with a team that included Peter Hillary , whose father first summited the peak along Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953 . That team also included Rob Hall , a New Zealander who lost his life on the mountain in 1996 , the deadliest season for climbers in Everest 's history . Eight climbers , including Hall , died trying to summit the peak on May 11 , 1996 , known as the `` Everest disaster . '' The incident highlighted the pressure that mountaineering companies face when their clients -- who have paid as much as $ 60,000 -- want to make it to the top despite foreboding weather and their lack of experience . Hall had asked Apa several times during the 1996 season to work for him , but Apa refused in order to be with his family , according to Everestnews.com . Apa reached Everest 's peak for the 19th time at 8 a.m. local time on Thursday , announcing over a crackling radio , `` I am at the top and looking at all the prayer flags , '' according to the Web site tracking his progress . `` I have just satisfied the deities and placed the Bhumpa on the summit . '' He was referring to an 8-inch-tall copper vase which is considered sacred and contains 400 elements , including precious metals , Buddhist relics , shreds of robes worn by venerated monks , holy water , and soil . Last month , Apa said that putting the vase on the mountain would be a prayer for world peace and prosperity . After spending 30 minutes at the top , he headed down . `` It is so cold here ... I am heading down . '' Crowds of climbers forced Apa to delay his ascent to the summit by an hour . May is considered the ideal time to try to reach the top of Everest , and Nepali tourism authorities said 98 people had climbed the mountain on Tuesday and Wednesday from the south side . Apa currently lives near Salt Lake City , Utah , where he works as a climbing instructor and gives lectures . He has three children -- two sons , ages 23 and 18 , and a 14-year-old daughter . He has said he does not want his children to follow in his footsteps as a climber . His SuperSherpas team has raised $ 30,000 to educate the children of Nepal , and Apa hopes that his climbing successes will continue to raise more money for the impoverished Himalayan country . `` I never had a plan to make a record , '' Apa told The Salt Lake Tribune last month before leaving for Nepal . `` I never had that as a dream . It just keeps happening . '' CNN 's Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A proposed health-care compromise by the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee lacks a government-run insurance option favored by Democrats and would tax the most expensive health insurance plans , a source close to the discussions told CNN Monday . Sen. Max Baucus , D-Montana , is the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee . As expected , the proposal from Sen. Max Baucus , D-Montana , excludes the public insurance option to compete with private insurers . However , it would allow for the creation of nonprofit health care cooperatives -- an idea that some moderate Democrats and Republicans have expressed possible interest in supporting . The potential compromise proposal was sent to key Finance Committee negotiators Saturday night . It is considered a last-ditch effort to secure Republican votes for a health-care bill as President Obama pushes the issue with a planned speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night . So far , none of the three Republican senators involved in talks with Baucus on the compromise have indicated whether they support the version he is proposing . Congressional liberals are pushing strongly for inclusion of a public option ; conservatives are sharply opposed . Obama has said he supports a public option but has not clearly indicated he will veto a bill that fails to include it . On Monday , Obama reiterated his support for a public option in a Labor Day speech to a union gathering in Cincinnati . He outlined Democratic health-care proposals that include a public option as part of a menu of insurance choices , including private health-care plans , that the legislation would create . `` I continue to believe that a public option within that basket of insurance choices would help improve quality and bring down costs , '' Obama said to loud cheers . The president also indicated he would push hard for the House and Senate to move forward on passing health-care legislation in his upcoming address to Congress . `` The Congress and the country have been engaged in a vigorous debate for many months , '' Obama said . `` And the debate has been good , and that 's important because we have to get this right . `` But every debate at some point comes to an end , '' he continued , to growing applause . `` At some point , it 's time to decide . At some point , it 's time to act . And Ohio , it 's time to act to get this done . '' Baucus ' bill would cost less than $ 900 billion over 10 years , according to the source who spoke to CNN . The price tag is at least $ 100 billion less than any other health-care reform bill under consideration by Congress , the source said . As with other reform proposals , the bill would bar insurance companies from dropping a policyholder in the event of illness as long as that person has paid his or her premium in full . It adds new protections for people with pre-existing conditions and establishes tax credits to help low and middle-income families purchase insurance coverage , the source noted . It creates health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to buy insurance . The bill would be paid for , in part , by a new tax on health insurance companies that provide high-end `` Cadillac '' insurance plans , the source added . Supporters of such a tax -- initially proposed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and other Democrats several weeks ago -- say will it help curb the cost of health care by discouraging employers from offering such plans . They also argue that consumers , in turn , will be discouraged from overusing the health care system . Watch senators discuss health care talks '' Critics claim the new tax will cause insurance companies to raise rates on all of their customers , even those without more expensive plans . The so-called `` Gang of Six '' Senate negotiators -- a group of three Democrats and three Republicans on the Finance Committee -- is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the proposal . The source , while stressing that the proposed bill is not a final product , said it closely reflects the group 's work and areas of agreement . Obama 's planned speech to Congress reflects how overhauling the nation 's ailing health-care system has become his top domestic priority . He laced his speech Monday with references to health care costs rising at three times the rate of wages , and insurance industry practices that deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or prevent people from obtaining coverage if they lose their jobs . Multiple sources told CNN Friday that the administration is preparing for the possibility of delivering its own legislation to Capitol Hill sometime after the president 's address . One source called the possibility of new legislation a `` contingency '' approach if efforts by Baucus to craft a deal fall through . A big open question is whether two Republican members of the Gang of Six -- Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming -- will support the bipartisan proposal . White House and Democratic leadership sources have said for some time they do not think Grassley and Enzi will sign on . A source close to the White House said Friday that the administration is leaning toward dropping the public option , and continues to zero in on trying to convince moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe , another of the Senate Finance Committee negotiators , to come on board . Snowe and the White House have been discussing a trigger provision that would mandate creation of a public health insurance option if specific thresholds for expanded coverage and other changes are not met . Support by Snowe would improve the chances of the Senate 's Democratic majority to compile the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster against a health care bill . The Senate Finance Committee is the last of five congressional committees needed to approve health-care legislation before it can be taken up by the full Senate and House of Representatives . Different forms of the legislation proposed by Democrats have already cleared three House committees , as well as the Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Dana Bash contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- First lady Michelle Obama 's father is not buried in the Chicago-area cemetery where investigators say hundreds of graves have been dug up in a scheme to resell the burial plots , a spokeswoman said Tuesday . First lady Michelle Obama 's father is not buried in the Chicago-area cemetery where graves were disturbed . The announcement followed an earlier , mistaken statement by the first lady 's communications director , Camille Johnston . Johnston later said that Obama 's father , Fraser Robinson III , was buried in Lincoln Cemetery in suburban Alsip , Illinois , not the Burr Oak graveyard now at the center of a criminal investigation . `` There has been some confusion that has been cleared up , '' Johnston said . Robinson , who worked as a pump operator for the Chicago water department , died in 1991 after a long struggle with multiple sclerosis . Lincoln Cemetery is about 2 miles from Burr Oak . Four people face felony charges in the investigation surrounding Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip , Illinois . Authorities said last week that about 300 graves had been disturbed as part of the scheme , but that number is expected to rise . Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said his office has received more than 55,000 requests for information from families with loved ones buried in Burr Oak . But he said many of the cemetery 's records are in rusted cabinets filled with decaying file cards . `` Most of the file cards have rotted together , '' he said . `` They 're covered in mold , and they 've rotted together . '' In addition , some of the cemetery 's books are missing pages , and others are known to have been altered , `` So this has made it incredibly difficult for us to give accurate information , '' Dart said . His office asked a court Tuesday to appoint a receiver to manage the graveyard , which he said has been run by his office since last week . Among others buried in the 150-acre graveyard are civil rights martyr Emmett Till , blues pioneer Willie Dixon , jazz and blues singer Dinah Washington and several Negro League baseball players . Cemetery groundskeepers told investigators that Till 's grave was not among those disturbed , but the identities of other remains dug up have not been disclosed . Carolyn Towns , an office manager for the cemetery , and gravediggers Keith Nicks , Terrance Nicks and Maurice Daley have each been charged with dismembering a human body . The felony charge carries a sentence ranging from six to 30 years , authorities said . Authorities began investigating the cemetery about six weeks ago after receiving a call from its owners , who said they suspected `` financial irregularities '' regarding the business , Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart told CNN last week . He said the owners are not believed to be involved in the alleged scam . CNN correspondents Dan Lothian and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Looking directly at the man who murdered his 9-year-old daughter , Mark Lunsford told John Evander Couey , `` I hope you hear her cry as you try to sleep at night . '' `` You will never hurt another child again , '' Lunsford said in testimony Tuesday in a Florida court hearing where a judge will decide whether to give Couey the death penalty . Jessica Lunsford , seen in an undated family photo , was 9 when she was abducted and killed . She disappeared in 2005 from her home in Homosassa , Florida . His eyes fixed on Couey , Lunsford continued , `` For 29 months , my daughter has heard me cry and begged God to stop the pain in my heart . '' Addressing Florida Circuit Court Judge Ric Howard , Lunsford pleaded for Couey to die for his crime . Then he turned back to the man who took his daughter . Watch Lunsford 's emotional testimony '' `` I hope you see the tears at night when she asked you -LSB- if she could -RSB- go home . You will never hurt another child again . '' Lunsford spent much time talking about memories of Jesse Lunsford . `` I can remember when she was about 1 year old and would give me kisses and hugs and steal the raisins from my cereal , '' he said . `` From bumps to bruises , from Band-Aids to bicycles , she was a tomboy with her daddy and a very nice little lady for her grandmother . '' The hearing will continue Wednesday . Couey 's attorneys are trying to convince Howard that Couey is mentally incompetent and should be spared the death penalty . `` That 's a cop-out , '' Lunsford said Tuesday on Larry King Live . `` He is not retarded . '' The father said he wants Couey to die for his crime . King asked him if he would attend the execution by lethal injection . `` I 'd hold the syringe if they 'd let me , '' he answered . But a prosecution expert testified Tuesday that the convicted killer had an IQ of between 80 and 90 , about low average . `` My opinion is that he is not mentally retarded , '' said Dr. Greg Pritchard , a clinical psychologist . Couey was convicted in March on charges of kidnapping , raping and murdering Jessica . The jury voted 10-2 to recommend the death penalty . In Florida , the vote does not have to be unanimous to recommend the death penalty . The judge is expected to sentence Couey next month . Jessica Lunsford disappeared in February 2005 from her home in Homosassa . Her body was found three weeks later in a shallow grave outside a mobile home about 100 yards from where she lived . Couey , a convicted sex offender , was staying nearby in a trailer with his half-sister . Couey kidnapped the girl from her bedroom and later , in a taped confession , admitted that he buried the child alive . `` I went out there one night and dug a hole and put her in it . Buried her , '' he said . She was found wrapped in garbage bags , holding a stuffed toy dolphin , her hands bound with stereo wire . Jessica died from asphyxiation after being sexually assaulted , according to a medical examiner 's report . The judge ruled the confession was inadmissible in court because Couey had asked for a lawyer the day before he told police he committed the crime . Evidence at the trial included Jessica 's fingerprints in a closet in Couey 's trailer and DNA from Jessica 's blood and Couey 's semen on a mattress in his bedroom . Lunsford has led a push for stricter sex offender laws since his daughter 's death . Then-Gov . Jeb Bush signed the Jessica Lunsford Act into Florida law . The 2005 legislation calls for prison sentences of 25 years to life for sex offenses against children under age 12 , better registration of convicted sex offenders and a Global Positioning System notification mechanism to track down probation violators . Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed similar legislation Monday . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Motorbike gunmen killed a foreign aid worker in Kabul Monday , the Afghan Interior Ministry has said . Aid worker Gayle Williams was one of 23 expatriates who worked for SERVE Afghanistan . In a separate incident , two German soldiers and five Afghan children were killed when a suicide bomber struck an Afghan-German military convoy in northern Afghanistan , the provincial governor in Kunduz said . Gayle Williams , 34 , had dual British and South African nationality and worked for SERVE Afghanistan -LRB- Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprise -RRB- , an inter-denominational Christian charity that helps the disabled , the organization 's chairman said in a statement . Williams was shot in the western part of the city , Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said , while walking to work . She died shortly after the attack , SERVE Afghanistan chairman Mike Lyth said . `` She was a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled , '' Lyth said . `` Needless to say , we are all in shock . '' Williams was one of 23 expatriates who worked for SERVE Afghanistan , which also employs 450 Afghans in the country . A statement on SERVE Afghanistan 's Web site -- attributed only to `` C and E '' -- described Williams as `` one of the inspiring people of the world who truly put others before herself . '' `` She was killed violently while caring for the most forgotten people in the world ; the poor and the disabled , '' the statement said . `` She herself would not regret taking the risk of working in Afghanistan . She was where she wanted to be -- holding out a helping hand to those in need . '' United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned her killing as well as the recent killings of two U.N. aid workers in Somalia . `` The secretary-general deplores these acts of deliberate violence against those who are making every effort to alleviate the dire suffering of Somali and Afghan citizens , '' Ban 's spokeswoman Michele Montas said at Monday 's daily briefing in New York . The Taliban claimed responsibility for the death , saying on its Web site that it killed the `` foreign woman '' for preaching Christianity in the country and adding that it had been following the woman for some time . In August , aid groups in Afghanistan said in a report that attacks on aid workers have forced them to scale back relief work . The bomber who attacked the Afghan-German convoy was riding a bike when he detonated his explosives as the vehicles traveled outside the northern Afghan city of Kunduz , Gov. Mohammed Omar said . Two German soldiers and two Afghan civilians were wounded , according to Omar . The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an Internet posting , claiming to have killed 12 German soldiers . The Afghan and German forces went to Chahar Dara district to investigate enemy activity in the region when they were attacked , Omar said . NATO 's International Security Assistance Forces confirmed that a suicide attack in Kunduz province killed two of its soldiers and five local children , but did not reveal the ISAF soldiers ' nationalities , as part of its standing policy . ISAF spokesman Brig. Gen. Richard Blanchette said : `` Acts such as this , which offer nothing but violence and death , will not deter us in our commitment to create a better Afghanistan . '' NATO said one ISAF soldier and a civilian were also wounded in the attack . The German Defense Ministry in Berlin confirmed a bomb attack near a base that houses a German provincial reconstruction team in the town of Kunduz , a ministry spokesman said . It had no information on casualties . Germany has committed 3,200 troops to support NATO 's mission in Afghanistan . The latest deaths bring to 25 the number of German soldiers who have died in the Afghan war since 2002 . Journalist Farhad Peikar and CNN 's Frederick Pleitgen in Berlin contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"This is the second part of a two part series on the best used luxury cars . -LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Recently , Consumer Reports magazine issued its list of best and worst used cars , and divvied them up by price range . The Porsche 911 has several versions , but all have been annointed with the `` supercar '' appellation . Using CR 's recommendations as a guideline , here is a list of some of the best used luxury cars currently on the market in the $ 30,000 + price range : 2007 Acura MDX The newer MDX is classified as a crossover SUV , but it 's a deluxe version . It was all-new in ' 07 , and was built on a proper platform -- as opposed to being adapated from the Accord passenger-car platform . It also came in three flavors : Base , Technology and Sport Packages , and all three were powered by a 3.7-liter 300-hp V6 . The voice-activated navigation system is a nifty feature , as it comes with rearview camera and AcuraLink satellite communications with real-time traffic data . AOL Autos : Used Acura 2007 BMW 328i sedan The 328i is another sleek , finely-tuned and beautifully-designed driving machine , offering sporty performance and Euro-style luxury . It is widely considered to be the definitive `` sports sedan . '' The '07 328i was propelled by a 3.0-liter 230-hp inline six-cylinder engine , which you can find mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission . Consumer Reports also recommended the 3-Series coupe and convertible that joined BMW 's model line-up in ' 07 . AOL Autos : Used BMW 2004 BMW M3 The M3 is the top-of-the-line , high-performance-tuned version of the 3-series coupe . Performance power , therefore , is much higher than the other 3-Series editions . It came as a coupe or convertible , and churned out 333 horses . The M3 is often favorably compared to the Porsche 911 when it comes to quick acceleration , crisp braking and taking tough corners at brisk speeds without breaking a sweat . 2007 Infiniti FX35 Well , the marketplace surely is not lacking for luxury crossovers . Here is yet another one that appeals to luxury buyers with its balance of SUV-type spaciousness , pampering amenities , deft handling and burly engine muscle . For ' 07 , the FX35 was a two-wheel-drive vehicle powered by a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission . AOL Autos : Used Infiniti 2006 & 2007 Infiniti M Infiniti 's M series is another winner , which seamlessly synergizes sleek styling , aggressive engine performance and a bevy of luxo-line amenities . It comes in both the M-35 and M-45 . During the last used-model year , ' 07 , the primary distinction between the two was that the M35 was powered by a V6 that kicked out 275 horses , while the M45 muscled up to a 325-hp V8 . Luxury features included standard leather seats with heating and ventilation , and optional 10-way power adjustments for the driver 's seat . Lexus Just like in the $ 24,000-to - $ 30,000 category , Consumer Reports recommended a slew of world-beating used Lexus models in this segment : the ' 06 - '07 6-cylinder GS RWD ; the '07 GS450h Hybrid ; ' 05 - '07 GX ; '07 IS ; ' 04 - '07 LS ; ' 03 - '06 LX and ' 06 - '07 RX . AOL Autos : Used Lexus Lexus has placed No 1 in the JD Power Dependability Survey every year for the last 12 years - until ' 07 , when another carmaker , Buick , finally tied them for first . Porsche 911 -LRB- various years -RRB- Consumer Reports included the '98 911 in the $ 24,000 to $ 30,000 category . Here , the model years get more recent as the price range climbs . The 911 went through some changes over this time period , of course , but all have been anointed with the `` supercar '' appellation . AOL Autos : Used Porsche And by the latest recommended used-model year , the ' 07 , you could choose among various styles and engine sizes , including the Carrera , with its 3.6-L 325-hp flat-six plant ; the Carrera S and S Cabriolet , with the 3.8-L 355 hp V6 ; the 911 Turbo , with twin-turbocharged 480 hp six-cylinder engine ; and the GT3 track model , powered by a high-revving 415-hp six-cylinder engine .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama defended his patriotism Monday , telling a crowd in Independence , Missouri , that his `` deep and abiding love for this country '' is the reason he is running for president . Sen. Barack Obama 's speech on patriotism comes days before the Fourth of July . `` At certain times over the last 16 months , I have found , for the first time , my patriotism challenged -- at times as a result of my own carelessness , more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears and doubts about who I am and what I stand for , '' he said in President Harry Truman 's hometown , just days before the Fourth of July . Obama vowed to never question the patriotism of others in the campaign , adding `` I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine . '' Obama has been defending his patriotism ever since the beginning of the primary season , when he was first criticized for not wearing a flag pin -- which he now does much more frequently -- and when false rumors began circulating that he did not say the Pledge of Allegiance . Watch excerpts of Obama 's speech '' A widely distributed photo also seemed to show him failing to place his hand over his heart during a rendition of `` The Star-Spangled Banner . '' Obama 's wife , Michelle , also was criticized about her patriotism , after telling an audience at a campaign event , `` For the first time in my adult lifetime , I 'm really proud of my country . '' Obama 's campaign said she was just excited about the campaign 's grassroots support , but her words still provided fodder for her husband 's opponents . At his appearance Monday , Barack Obama appealed to unity . `` Given the enormous challenges that lie before us , we can no longer afford these sorts of divisions , '' he said . `` None of us expect that arguments about patriotism will , or should , vanish entirely ; after all , when we argue about patriotism , we are arguing about who we are as a country , and more importantly , who we should be . `` But surely , we can agree that no party or political philosophy has a monopoly on patriotism . And surely , we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that , however rough and imperfect , captures the best of America 's common spirit . '' Obama said that for him , `` patriotism starts as a gut instinct , a loyalty and love for country that 's rooted in some of my earliest memories . '' Obama described how as he grew up , his patriotism matured to something that `` would survive my growing awareness of our nation 's imperfections : its ongoing racial strife ; the perversion of our political system that were laid bare during the Watergate hearings ; the wrenching poverty of the Mississippi Delta and the hills of Appalachia . '' Obama said he learned that `` what makes America great has never been its perfection , but the belief that it can be made better . '' Patriotism , he said , must involve the willingness to sacrifice . He called attention to the service of John McCain , the presumptive Republican candidate . McCain 's campaign has been calling on Obama to condemn comments from retired Gen. Wesley Clark , who said this weekend that McCain 's service in Vietnam did not necessarily mean that he was qualified to serve as commander-in-chief . Read about what Clark said Clark is a military adviser for Obama . In his speech Monday , Obama did not directly address Clark 's comments , but after calling attention to McCain 's service , he said `` no one should ever devalue that service , especially for the sake of a political campaign , and that goes for supporters of both sides . '' `` We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform . Period , '' he said . Just as Obama was finishing his speech , his campaign released a statement about Clark 's remarks . `` As he 's said many times before , Sen. Obama honors and respects Sen. McCain 's service , and of course he rejects yesterday 's statement by Gen. Clark , '' Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said . Meanwhile , McCain 's campaign announced Monday it was launching a new Truth Squad to defend the Arizona senator 's military record . Leaders of the latest group include McCain 's fellow Vietnam prisoners of war Air Force Col. Bud Day and Marine Lt. Col. Orson Swindle , along with former Navy pilot Carl Smith , who served with him . McCain said Monday he was proud of his record of service . Watch McCain 's response to Clark 's comments '' `` The important thing is that if that 's the kind of campaign that Sen. Obama and his surrogates and his supporters want to engage in , I understand that , '' he said . `` But it does n't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by one penny . It does n't achieve our energy independence or make it come any closer ... and it certainly does n't do anything to address the challenges that Americans have in keeping their jobs , their homes and supporting their families . '' Obama was to follow up Monday 's speech on patriotism with an address Tuesday about faith and remarks later in the week on service . He will spend his Fourth of July in Butte , Montana , campaigning with his family . McCain on Monday was campaigning in Pennsylvania , a battleground state in the general election . He was scheduled to speak with reporters in Harrisburg before holding a town hall meeting in Pipersville . McCain leaves for Colombia on Tuesday and will travel to Mexico later in the week . His campaign on Monday unveiled his new campaign airplane , a Boeing 737-400 . The aircraft shares its name -- the `` Straight Talk Express '' with McCain 's campaign bus , which has been a staple of the candidate 's 2000 and 2008 campaigns . The 95-seat plane -- with seats for the candidate , his staffers and the press -- has the `` Straight Talk Express '' logo emblazoned on its fuselage . CNN 's Tasha Diakides and Chris Welch contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gunmen on motorcycles fired Friday on a campaign office for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , wounding two adults and a child , according to a report by Iran 's state-run news agency . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not present at the time of the attack . The shooting happened about 5 p.m. in front of the entrance to the campaign office , campaign representative Mohammed Reza Zahed Shaikhi told IRNA . Ahmadinejad , who is running for a second term in office , was not present . Iran 's presidential election will take place on June 12 . The attack happened in Sistan-Balochistan province in southeastern Iran , the same province where a Shia mosque was bombed Thursday . Several suspects have been arrested in connection with Thursday 's attack in the town of Zahedan , which killed between 15 and 20 people , according to Iranian media reports . No group publicly accepted responsibility for the mosque attack , but the provincial governor , Ali-Mohammad Azad , blamed a terrorist group that he said would be unveiled to the public once the suspects have been interrogated , IRNA reported . Zahedan is about 1,100 km -LRB- 700 miles -RRB- southeast of Tehran , near Iran 's borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan . Sistan-Balochistan province -- which shares a border with Pakistan -- is the site of frequent clashes involving Iranian police , drug dealers and armed groups . The province is located on a major narcotics-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Pakistan . Azad said information on the arrested terrorist group would be unveiled to the public once interrogations were complete . `` The terrorists and notorious gang planned to stir order and security in the province on the eve of -LRB- the June 12 presidential -RRB- elections , using ongoing insecurity in our eastern neighbors , '' he said Thursday . Several days of mourning were reported to be under way for victims of the explosion . Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami , a hard-line cleric who led Friday prayers in Tehran , said there were signs that the United States and Israel were involved in the mosque bombing , IRNA reported . The cleric , who put the death toll at 25 , condemned the bombing before a congregation on the Tehran University campus . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorghmehr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Santiago , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived Tuesday morning in Chile , bringing with her more than two dozen satellite phones and a pledge of U.S. commitment to the earthquake-damaged nation . `` The United States is ready to respond to the requests that the government of Chile has made so we can provide not only solidarity but specific supplies that are needed to help you recover from the earthquake , '' Clinton said at a brief news conference with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet . `` The people of Chile are responding with resilience and strength , '' Clinton said . The secretary of state said she brought with her 25 satellite phones , one of which she presented to Bachelet at the news conference . Eight water purification units are on their way to Chile , Clinton said , and the United States will provide a mobile field hospital unit with surgical capabilities . The United States will also work to provide autonomous dialysis machines , electricity generators , medical supplies and portable bridges , Clinton said . The secretary of state also said that Americans would be told how they can contribute to the recovery effort . In addition to meeting with Bachelet at the airport in Santiago , Clinton also met with President-elect Sebastian Pi\u00f1era , who will be sworn in next week . `` I have been visiting sites of disaster for more than 30 years ... -LSB- and -RSB- it is very clear to me that Chile is much better prepared , much quicker to respond , more able to do so , '' Clinton said at a news conference with the president-elect . She congratulated Pi\u00f1era , a conservative billionaire businessman , on his inauguration . Pi\u00f1era extended an invitation to President Obama to visit Chile . Bachelet leaves office with high approval ratings for having steered the country through the global economic downturn and promoted progressive social reforms . Clinton is in the midst of a six-nation tour of Latin America , planned before the earthquake . She attended Monday 's inauguration in Uruguay of President Jose Mujica , and then traveled to Buenos Aires , Argentina , to meet with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner . Clinton next travels to Brazil , where she is expected to talk with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about his planned trip to Iran . The United States and other nations believe Iran has undertaken a program to build nuclear weapons , an assertion Iran denies . She will stop in Costa Rica for meetings with President Oscar Arias and President-elect Laura Chinchilla , who takes office in May . She also will attend Pathways for Prosperity , a meeting of hemispheric officials . The initiative includes such things as `` microcredit '' loans and ways in which women can be empowered , a State Department spokesman has said . Clinton 's final stop will be Guatemala . She will meet with Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom and leaders of other Central American countries and the Dominican Republic before returning to Washington . The State Department has `` strongly '' urged U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Chile after the massive earthquake .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. government has dropped charges against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri , the suspect in the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole , according to a Pentagon spokesman . Parents and friends at the funeral in 2000 for a sailor killed during the bombing of the USS Cole . The charges were dropped `` without prejudice '' by Susan Crawford , convening authority at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , according to Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon . The proceeding did not address specifics of the government 's case against al-Nashiri , who remains a `` high value '' detainee held at Guantanamo . In removing the charges without prejudice , prosecutors can resubmit charges at a later date while at the same time complying with President Barack Obama 's order to the military to hold off on cases for four months . On his first day in office , Obama ordered the halt , requiring prosecutors to seek delays in the 14 active cases before military commissions there . But the judge , Col. James Pohl , ordered arraignment for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri to go ahead as scheduled on Monday . With this move , all cases at Guantanamo are now in line with the president 's order to halt court proceedings at the detention center , according to Gordon . Al-Nashiri is accused of planning the October 2000 bombing of the Cole while it was in the Yemeni port of Aden . The attack killed 17 American sailors and crippled the vessel , which returned to service in 2002 . The Office of Military Commissions , which manages the prosecutions of suspected terrorists , said last week that it might have to temporarily drop charges against al-Nashiri to comply with the presidential order . When prosecutors asked for a continuance in the trial , Pohl denied the request , saying the government 's `` argument for continuances were unpersuasive , '' according to a copy of his opinion . Pohl noted there had been no previous requests for a delay , and that the public 's interest in a speedy trial would be harmed by further delay . Al-Nashiri was captured in 2002 . He was held in secret locations until being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 . Meanwhile , the White House has invited families of sailors who died in the Cole bombing to meet with Obama on Friday . A number of the families were called Thursday afternoon , according to Andrew Hall , the lawyer who represented families . The invitation was for the families to attend `` without their lawyers , '' according to Hall . They were not told why they were going to meet with Obama , he added . According to the White House schedule for Friday , Obama will meet privately with families of the Cole attack and also with families of victims of the 9\/11 attacks . `` The president wants to talk with these families about resolving the issues involved with closing Guantanamo Bay -- while keeping the safety and security of the American people as his top priority , '' the schedule said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Aruban authorities questioned Joran van der Sloot in the Netherlands about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway , the Aruban prosecutor 's office said Friday . Joran van der Sloot awaits transfer from the Netherlands to Aruba in November . He later was released . It happened less than a week after a Dutch television program aired video footage showing the young man saying he was with the missing Alabama teenager when she died . During the two-hour interview with Aruban investigators , van der Sloot again denied any role in Holloway 's vanishing , the prosecutor 's office said in a written statement . Van der Sloot said that he was under the influence of marijuana when he was secretly videotaped saying that he was with Holloway when she died , and that he arranged for a friend to dump her body in the ocean , the statement said . On the video , which aired Sunday , van der Sloot also says that he was n't sure Holloway was dead before a friend disposed of her body . Patrick van der Eem , a man who feigned friendliness toward van der Sloot , recorded the conversations on hidden cameras installed in the Range Rover he was driving , according to the report that aired Sunday . Watch how the video has renewed interest in the case '' Shortly after the video was made public , an investigative judge said that enough evidence exists to reopen the inquiry against the Dutch college student , but denied a prosecution 's request that van der Sloot be detained . Hans Mos , the Aruban prosecutor , is appealing that decision , and a three-judge panel will rule on it `` after this weekend , '' Mos said . Watch Holloway 's father say van der Sloot should ` come clean ' '' Earlier this week , Dutch authorities executed several search warrants at van der Sloot 's current and former residences , a source close to the investigation said . They took a hard drive and a laptop computer , the source said . Van der Sloot 's attorney , Joe Tacopina , told CNN that the video did not show a `` confession '' and said that van der Sloot is innocent . The college student is willing to answer `` any questions '' investigators ask , Tacopina said . Earlier this week , he told ABC that much of what was on the video is `` easily disprovable based on corroborative evidence . ... The fact of the matter is he still is not responsible . The evidence -- not Joran , the evidence -- says he 's not responsible for Natalee 's death . '' Holloway , 18 , was last seen in the early hours of May 30 , 2005 , leaving an Oranjestad , Aruba , nightclub with van der Sloot , Deepak Kalpoe and his brother , Satish . Mos dropped charges against the three men in December , saying he could n't be sure of a conviction . See a timeline of the case '' Holloway was visiting Aruba with about 100 classmates celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School in suburban Birmingham , Alabama . Holloway failed to show up for her flight home the following day , and her packed bags were found in her hotel room . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Syracuse , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A second man who has publicly accused a former Syracuse University coach of molesting him told CNN 's AC360 on Tuesday that he was speaking out so that no other children would be hurt . Mike Lang accused former men 's assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine , 65 , of touching him inappropriately at least dozens of times when he was a boy . `` I just hope that no other kids get abused , and that 's the main reason why I came out and said what I had to say . ... I do n't want this to happen to anybody else , '' Lang said . Fine 's house used to be like a home to him , and the coach was a father figure , a `` great guy , '' he said . Syracuse fired Fine on Sunday , less than a month after the university placed him on administrative leave after Lang and his stepbrother , Bobby Davis , came forward to publicly accuse him of molesting them over several years . See a timeline of the Syracuse sexual abuse scandal A third man , Zachary Tomaselli , now 23 , has also said he was abused by Fine -- while in a hotel room in Pittsburgh , where he 'd gone to watch a Syracuse game . Police in Syracuse and Pittsburgh are investigating the allegations and looking for other potential victims , authorities have said . Police say they 'll change reporting procedures When the allegations first surfaced , Fine -- married with a son and two daughters -- called them `` patently false . '' He has not commented since . The investigation at Syracuse comes in the wake of a sex abuse scandal at Penn State University that received nationwide attention . Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing boys over a span of 14 years . When asked what his reaction was when he saw the Penn State story break , Lang said his `` stomach just turned . '' `` All I can think of is what me and my little brother went through , and it 's happening all over again , '' he said . Regarding Jim Boeheim , head men 's basketball coach at Syracuse , Lang said , `` I honestly believe he did n't know anything about this . '' While some have called for Boeheim to be fired , he said , `` I just do n't want that to happen . He 's a Syracuse man in and out and ... I do n't believe that he had any knowledge this was going on . '' Lang , now 45 , said he used to tell Fine to stop touching him , but that `` you could n't tell him no . '' `` It was hard to say anything , because you think you 're with a god -- just hard to come out and say anything to anybody about it , '' Lang said . Watch Anderson Cooper 360 \u00b0 weeknights 10pm ET . For the latest from AC360 \u00b0 click here .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Paksitan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 41 people were killed and dozens wounded in a blast Monday at a security forces checkpoint in northwest Pakistan , authorities said . A girl places flowers at a shrine to army soldiers killed by militants who stormed Pakistan 's army HQ . About 45 people were injured in the explosion in the Shangla district in the volatile Swat Valley , said Syed Altaf Hussein , a senior government official in the area . The explosion targeted a military vehicle , officials said . The blast is the latest in a string of attacks in the country . On Saturday , militants attacked the army headquarters in Rawalpindi , killing 11 military personnel and three civilians , according to the Pakistani military 's press office . Nine militants died in the attack . A total of 39 hostages were freed Sunday morning after being held by five militants at the army headquarters . In a news conference Monday , the top spokesman for the Pakistani military said Saturday 's attack was planned by the Taliban based in South Waziristan . Gen. Athar Abbas said intelligence agents intercepted a phone call in which Pakistani Taliban commander Wali-ur Rehman was informed about the start of the attack . Rehman responded by calling for a prayer for the operation to succeed , Abbas said . Abbas said the leader of the operation , who was captured alive , is from Pakistan 's Punjab province . Four other militants were from Punjab as well . Five others were from South Waziristan . During the standoff , two of the militants held 22 hostages in a small room , Abbas said . One of the militants wore a suicide vest connected to a mine and a bomb . He sat in the middle of the 22 hostages . Abbas said this room was the focus of the operation and security forces were successful in storming the room and killing the militant with the suicide vest before he could detonate his bombs . Military officials said they have tightened security around army headquarters . The attacks will not deter Pakistan from launching an offensive in South Waziristan , the Interior Ministry said . South Waziristan is one of seven districts in Pakistan 's tribal region along the Afghan border . Intelligence analysts consider it a haven for Islamic militants who have launched attacks in Pakistan and targeted U.S. forces in neighboring Afghanistan . A date for the offensive in the area has not been announced . The Shangla district east of Mingora is one of the areas where the military conducted search-and-destroy operations earlier this year . Troops targeted terrorist hideouts and reported the arrest of one militant leader and the death of another . Mingora is the largest city in the Swat Valley , where the Pakistani military is battling Taliban militants for control . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rescuers have found the body of a man who was one of six people aboard a small airplane that crashed Sunday evening near the northern shore of Puerto Rico , the U.S. Coast Guard said . The Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft went down about a half mile off the coast of Quebradillas . The man 's body was found Monday less than 150 feet from shore , Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said . The Coast Guard launched two more search missions Tuesday morning for four men and one woman still missing . Authorities have not released their identities , nor the name of the man found Monday . `` The Coast Guard will continue to search as long as there is the possibility of finding any survivors , '' Castrodad said . Eighteen divers will conduct searches Tuesday in the area where the body was found , the Coast Guard spokesman said . Volunteer divers from Arecibo found the body Monday , said Jose Daniel Echeverria , spokesman for the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency , which also is involved in the search . As of Tuesday , the Coast Guard will have conducted 12 search operations , eight done by four HH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Borinquen and four by the Cutter Matinicus , Castrodad said . The search is complicated , he said , by the roughness of the area . `` It 's like a cliff , '' he said . `` The surf is very rough . It 's hard to get in that area . '' Smaller boats from the emergency management agency and the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action are being used because they can reach areas that the Coast Guard cutter can not , Castrodad said . The private plane , chartered by Tropical Aviation Corp. , took off from the Dominican Republic and was on its way to an airport in Puerto Rico when it went down Sunday evening , officials said . The four males and one female onboard were returning to Puerto Rico after spending the weekend in the Dominican Republic , said Noemi Corporan , service manager for Tropical Aviation . The passengers were San Juan residents and had flown to the Dominican Republic on Friday , she said . The airplane took off from Casa de Campo International Airport in the Dominican Republic and was supposed to land at the Luis Mu\u00f1oz Marin International Airport in Carolina to clear U.S. customs before going on to the Isla Grande Airport in San Juan , the Coast Guard said . A 911 emergency operator notified the Coast Guard at 6:51 p.m. Sunday that an aircraft had crashed into the waters off Quebradillas . Searchers found a debris field in the area late Sunday . In the Dominican Republic , meanwhile , a man who said he spent the weekend with the missing passengers said he urged them not to leave Sunday night because of severe weather . Retired businessman Manuel `` Manolin '' Lecaroz , 64 , told El Nuevo Dia newspaper that the group left because one of them had business to conduct Monday morning . He did not have a premonition , Lecaroz said . `` It 's just that you ca n't fly when the weather is bad . '' The winds and heavy rains that were still being felt in Puerto Rico on Monday had ruined the group 's chances to spend the weekend fishing and playing golf in the Dominican Republic , which is 79 miles -LRB- 127 kilometers -RRB- away . `` It rained every day , '' Lecaroz told the Puerto Rican newspaper . `` The wind was blowing very hard , so much that we could n't go out in the boat any day . '' As they left Sunday night , group members hugged Lecaroz and talked about returning later this month to fish and golf , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- There are two good ways to buy your new car or truck at a reasonable low price and avoid all of the negotiating games and hassles : 1 . Buy through the Internet Buying your new or used car or truck through the Internet is the easiest and most hassle-free way to make the purchase . All you have to do is choose the vehicle brand and model you wish to purchase as well as provide some basic contact information such as your name and e-mail address . In return , you 'll receive - via e-mail - low bottom-line selling prices from dealerships in your area for the exact vehicle you want to buy . Compare the various selling prices and find the lowest one . Then , simply go direct to that dealership 's Internet Department , sign the papers and drive your new car home - no negotiating , no hassles . To begin the process , get your free price quotes from AOL Autos . It only takes a few minutes . This service is totally free and you are under no obligation or pressure to buy . AOL , like CNN , is a unit of Time Warner . Within 24 hours , you 'll receive your bottom-line selling prices from dealerships in your area . Once you 've compared the various prices and found the lowest one , you then have four good options : \u2022 You can go to the dealership that gave you the lowest price , sign the papers and drive your new car home -- no hassles , no negotiating . AOL Autos : Best deals of the month \u2022 You can try to negotiate the lowest price with the dealership in order to get the price even lower . There 's nothing that says you ca n't . AOL Autos : Aggressive car buying tactics \u2022 You can shop the lowest price around to other dealerships to see if any of them are willing to beat it . AOL Autos : Which dealers treat you best ? \u2022 You can do nothing . If you feel unsure or uncertain , then set it aside for a while . You are not obligated to buy anything you do n't want . By getting these low bottom-line selling prices via the Internet , you 're avoiding the car salesman 's entire negotiating game altogether . And you 're buying your car at about the same price you would expect after lengthy negotiations . It 's certainly the fastest and easiest way to beat the car salesman . AOL Autos : New rules to car buying 2 . Buy through the dealership 's Fleet Department Almost every dealership has a division called the `` Fleet Department . '' It usually consists of only a handful of salespeople who specialize in selling fleets of cars -- large orders of several vehicles direct to businesses . This department is authorized by the dealership to sell their cars at bottom-line non-negotiable prices . The prices they offer are about the same as you would expect from an online price quote or after lengthy negotiations . A secret of the car business is that many dealerships ' Fleet Departments also sell direct to the public . By the rules of the game , however , they ca n't advertise to the public since they do n't want to compete with the dealership 's retail sales team . So to buy from the Fleet Department , you have to specifically ask . To buy your vehicle direct from the dealership 's Fleet Department , simply call the dealership and ask to speak with the Fleet Manager . When you get him on the line , explain to him that you 're ready to buy a car and you 'd like to buy it from him . If he asks you what business you are associated with , tell him where you work . He 'll probably be happy to set up an appointment with you . When you arrive at the dealership , the Fleet Manager will show you the vehicle , allow you to test drive it , and then bring you to the office to discuss price . With absolutely no negotiations , he 'll offer you a reasonable bottom-line non-negotiable selling price for the vehicle . If the price he gives you falls within the pre-set limits of your buying goal and you 're satisfied with the deal , then you can buy the car . No pressure , no games , no hassles . If for some reason , you do n't want to buy the vehicle , you are under no obligation . Simply thank the salesman for his time and leave on good terms . Then , if you 'd like , you can visit -LRB- or call -RRB- the Fleet Departments of other dealerships to compare prices . The selling prices offered by the various Fleet Departments can vary depending upon their inventories . AOL Autos : Have a car shopping game plan Michael Royce is a consumer advocate and former car salesman . For more car-buying tips and advice , visit his Beat the Car Salesman Web site .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Rev. James Orange , a civil rights activist whose 1965 jailing sparked a fatal protest that ultimately led to the famed Selma-to-Montgomery march and the Voting Rights Act , died Saturday at Atlanta 's Crawford Long Hospital , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said in a statement . He was 65 . Orange was a native of Birmingham , Alabama , `` who resided in southwest Atlanta for four decades while fighting the good fight for equality and social justice for all mankind , '' said the SCLC , a civil rights organization . Orange was arrested and jailed in Perry County , Alabama , in 1965 on charges of disorderly conduct and contributing to the delinquency of minors for enlisting students to aid in voting rights drives . As rumors spread that Orange would be lynched , civil rights activists organized a march to support him . However , the marchers clashed with Alabama state troopers during the February 18 demonstration , and a young black man , Jimmie Lee Jackson , was shot in the stomach . `` I could hear the singing and the commotion , '' Orange told CNN last year . `` Once the tear gas was flying and the shots started , I could n't tell what was going on . '' Jackson , 26 , died eight days later . Witnesses said Jackson 's grandfather , who was active in the voting rights movement , had been beaten by troopers , and Jackson was trying to get him to the hospital . The anger resulting from Jackson 's death led civil rights leaders , including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , to organize the Selma-to-Montgomery , Alabama , voting rights march . The first attempt at that march was broken up by club-wielding state troopers and sheriff 's deputies , a melee that became known as `` Bloody Sunday . '' `` Jimmie 's death is the reason that Bloody Sunday took place , '' Orange said . `` Had he not died , there would never have been a Bloody Sunday . '' On the marchers ' third attempt , in March , they made it to Montgomery . President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in August 1965 . In May 2007 , a former Alabama state trooper , James B. Fowler , now 74 , was indicted in Jackson 's shooting , one of several cases involving the deaths of civil rights activists that prosecutors have revived in recent years . Fowler has claimed he shot Jackson in self-defense , but Orange and Elijah Rollins , who was upstairs at a nearby cafe when the shooting took place , last year disputed claims that protesters were throwing rocks and bottles at police . `` Not one bottle or brick was thrown back at the troopers , '' said Orange , adding that film and a Justice Department report back that up . He said he was glad Jackson 's case had `` never been forgotten . '' Orange was a project coordinator at the SCLC from 1965 to 1970 , then later became a regional coordinator with the AFL-CIO in Atlanta , the SCLC said . Since 1995 , he had served as the founder and general coordinator for the M.L. King Jr. . March Committee-Africa\/African American Renaissance Committee , Inc. , which coordinated commemorative events honoring King and also promoted industry and commerce among Atlanta , the United States and South Africa . Orange is survived by his wife , five children and two grandchildren , the SCLC said . Funeral arrangements were incomplete Saturday . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Irish bishop resigned Wednesday following a government report into the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy -- the second to do so . Bishop Jim Moriarty was not directly criticized in the Murphy Report , but was a member of the Dublin archdiocese leadership for more than a decade before it put proper protections for children in place , he said . Moriarty said he `` should have challenged the prevailing culture '' of protecting the church rather than children when he was an auxiliary bishop in Dublin from 1991 to 2002 . `` I know that any action now on my part does not take away the suffering that people have endured , '' he said in a written statement . `` I again apologize to all the survivors and their families . I have today offered my resignation as bishop of Kildare & Leighlin to the Holy Father . I hope it honors the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned . '' The Vatican had no immediate comment on the resignation . Moriarty has been a priest for 48 years , he said in the statement . `` I fully accept the overall conclusion ... that the attempts by church authorities to ` protect the church ' and to ` avoid scandal ' had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong , '' Moriarty said after the government report came out last month . Bishop Donal Murray , the bishop of Limerick , resigned on December 17 . Murray was named in the 720-page report that found the Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse from 1975 to 2004 . Child sexual abuse was `` widespread '' then , the report found . The report by the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation , which was set up in March 2006 to look into the abuse allegations , did not say Murray was guilty of abuse but that he failed to report it . Murray was `` aware for many years of complaints and\/or suspicions of clerical child sexual abuse in the archdiocese , '' the report found . It said he dealt `` badly '' with a number of complaints and suspicions of abuse , and that his failings in at least one instance were `` inexcusable . '' Murray resigned under a canon law that requires bishops who have become unsuited for the fulfillment of their office to resign , the Vatican said . Pope Benedict XVI met with senior Irish bishops at the Vatican a week before Murray 's resignation and said he was `` deeply disturbed and distressed '' by the report 's findings . He promised that the Catholic Church would try to develop strategies to make sure the abuses do n't happen again . CNN 's Hada Messia in Rome , Italy , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling the ruling `` huge , '' New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Thursday reacted to a federal judge finding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ' failure to maintain a shipping channel led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina . Nagin said he hopes the court decision will `` open up the floodgates '' for others to file lawsuits against the federal government , including his Louisiana city . However , he acknowledged it 's likely the federal government will appeal Wednesday 's ruling . Department of Justice spokesman Charles Miller said in an e-mail the government is reviewing the decision and has made `` no determination as to what future steps it would take in this matter . '' U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. ruled that the `` negligence of the Corps '' by failing to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet waterway `` was not policy , but insouciance , myopia and short-sightedness . '' `` For over 40 years , the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the -LSB- waterway -RSB- . ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so . Clearly , the expression ` talk is cheap ' applies here . '' Duval issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by six plaintiffs affected by the 2005 hurricane , who alleged the Corps of Engineers was liable for damages . The judge ruled against one couple , who lived in New Orleans East , but awarded the others , from the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish , damages ranging from $ 100,000 to $ 317,000 . Nagin said he had thought the ruling was a long shot . `` This was a surprise but a pleasant one , '' he said . The decision applies not only to the six plaintiffs , attorney Pierce O'Donnell said , but also to some 100,000 homes and businesses in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward . Under the precedent set by Duval 's ruling , they too will be entitled to compensation , O'Donnell said . At a news conference Thursday , Craig Taffaro , president of St. Bernard Parish , said , `` It 's a bittersweet victory in the sense that yes , we are at the table , yes , we are grateful for the judge 's ruling and for the legal team to deliver us to this point , but what a shame that we had to go through such devastation and destruction to get here . '' At one point a Category 5 hurricane , Katrina had weakened to a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 127 mph when it made landfall on the morning of August 29 , 2005 , between Grand Isle , Louisiana , and the mouth of Mississippi River . Its winds were only slightly diminished when it passed over more populated coastal areas hours later . More than 1,800 people died in the storm , including nearly 1,600 in Louisiana . In New Orleans , the city 's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred . Overall , the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people , causing more than $ 81 billion in damage . Ivor van Heerden , a researcher who warned of the potential for catastrophic damage from a hurricane , said the ruling is `` total vindication for everybody who was involved . '' `` I think he 's called a spade a spade , '' van Heerden told CNN by phone . The former deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center said the university fired him because of the investigation he led into the levee failures . The probe put much of the blame for the disaster on the Corps of Engineers . He alleged Thursday that the university blocked him from being an expert witness in the case , but said he `` put together a lot of the science '' and reviewed the defense 's explanation to find the holes . `` Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was a manmade catastrophe with a hurricane trigger , '' he said . `` I saw the suffering of the people in New Orleans . ... Finally there is the potential of compensation . '' He said he intends to file a lawsuit against LSU , which he said has to pay him through the end of his contract , which ends in May . LSU did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday . CNN 's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former champion Maria Sharapova has been seeded for next week 's Wimbledon championships . Sharapova powers a forehand during the WTA tournament in Birmingham last week . The Russian has only recently returned to action after a serious shoulder injury , but despite performing solidly in the French Open and reaching the semifinals of the WTA grasscourt event in Birmingham last week , she remained 59th in the rankings . But Wimbledon , who are alone among the grand slams in not sticking entirely with the official rankings of the ATP and WTA in deciding the seedings , have given Sharapova the 24th berth . World number one Dinara Safina of Russia is top seed , followed by Serena Williams and defending champion Venus Williams , who is elevated to third because of her prowess on grass . Rafael Nadal , who remains a slight injury doubt to take his place in the draw , is the top seed in the men 's tournament , with the top six spots in the list following the ATP rankings list . The defending champion will test his injured knees by playing in two exhibition matches on grass at the Hurlingham Club in London later this week , organizers announced Wednesday . The Spaniard will play Lleyton Hewitt of Australia on Thursday and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland on Friday . Five-time champion and pre-tournament favorite Roger Federer is second seed at Wimbledon as he bids to set a record of 15 grand slam wins after his French Open triumph . Home hope Andy Murray , who won the Queen 's Club tournament on Sunday , is seeded third with Novak Djokovic of Serbia in fourth . Eighth-ranked Fernando Verdasco of Spain gets the seventh seed spot ahead of Frenchman Gilles Simon . Outside of the top seeds , Marat Safin of Russia has been elevated to 15th from his world ranking of 23 . Former world number one Safin reached the semifinals at the All England Club last year . Big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic is lifted to 23rd from 31st . The third grand slam of the year starts next Monday with the all-important draw being made on Friday . In the pre-Wimbledon warmup action on Wednesday , top seed Dinara Safina of Russia beat Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-3 in the Ordina Open in the Netherlands . But Amelie Mauresmo of France was beaten 7-6 7-6 by Russian Ekaterna Makarova at the WTA tournament in Eastbourne .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards , who admitted last week that he fathered a child with a videographer who worked on his campaign , has legally separated from his wife , Elizabeth , a source close to her said Wednesday . The source would not say when the separation occurred , only that it happened a while ago . The source said he or she spoke to Elizabeth Edwards in recent days , and would not speak on the record because of the sensitivity of the situation . John Edwards issued a statement Wednesday , calling it `` an extraordinarily sad moment , but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth . '' Elizabeth Edwards ' publisher , Random House , released a statement saying , `` Elizabeth is moving on with her life and wants to put this difficult chapter behind her . It was an excruciatingly painful period for her and she -LSB- has -RSB- no interest in rehashing the past . '' News of the separation comes a week before a tell-all book by Andrew Young , a one-time close confidante of John Edwards , is set to hit bookstores . `` Based on the limited portions of the book that have been made available , it is clear it contains many falsehoods and exaggerations , '' the statement from Random House said . '' -LSB- Elizabeth Edwards -RSB- will not engage in a dialogue on each of the false charges , but would like to set the record straight on two key points . `` First , the allegation that she sought to politicize her cancer is unconscionable , hurtful and patently false . Second , she believed Andrew Young to be the father of this child until her husband confessed his paternity to her this past summer . She will have nothing further to say . '' Edwards , 56 , had denied he was the father of his mistress Rielle Hunter 's infant for more than a year , saying his self-admitted affair with her was over before she became pregnant . People magazine , a CNN sister organization , first reported the story . Elizabeth Edwards ' sister , Nancy Anania , told People magazine in an article dated Wednesday that Elizabeth Edwards told her , `` I 've had it . I ca n't do this . I want my life back . '' The sister told the magazine , `` She 's got cancer and has young children and totally believes in marriage ... but she can only do so much . '' Read the People story John Edwards , a former U.S. senator from North Carolina , sought his party 's presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008 . On November 3 , 2004 , the day her husband and Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , conceded the presidential race , Elizabeth Edwards revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer . She discovered a lump in her right breast the last week of the campaign , but said she withheld the diagnosis from her husband to spare him the distraction during the campaign . She announced in 2007 that the cancer had recurred . Last year , she told CNN 's Larry King that the medicine she was taking seemed to be working . However , she said the situation was `` up and down . '' Elizabeth Edwards , 60 , and her husband have been married for 32 years . They had four children together . The oldest , Wade , died in a car accident in 1996 . Spokesmen for both of the Edwardses did not return CNN calls seeking comment . CNN 's Deb Krajnak contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China has threatened to slap sanctions on American companies that sell arms to its rival Taiwan as part of a range of punitive actions Beijing is taking to protest the deal . China also summoned U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman to express its anger over Washington 's announcement , the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said , citing the Foreign Ministry . Beijing also suspended plans for visits between the Chinese and U.S. militaries and postponed a high-level arms control meeting , it announced Saturday , following Washington 's $ 6.4-billion arms deal with Taiwan . China 's Defense Ministry said the decision was made `` in consideration of the serious harm and impacts on Sino-U.S. military relations '' brought about by the arms deal , according to Xinhua . `` China will make further judgments as appropriate , '' Xinhua reported . China had already complained to the United States about the deal , announced Friday by the Obama administration . Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei called it a `` rude interference in China 's internal affairs , severely endangering China 's national security '' and said China expressed its `` strong indignation . '' The arms sale includes 60 Black Hawk helicopters , totaling $ 3.1 billion ; 114 advanced Patriot air defense missiles ; a pair of Osprey mine-hunting ships ; and dozens of advanced communications systems . The deal with Taiwan -- which neither China nor the United States recognizes as an independent country -- does not include F-16 fighter jets , which China has vehemently opposed . The State Department described the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan as a way to guarantee security and stability , despite China 's objections . `` This is a clear demonstration of the commitment this administration has to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons it needs and as provided for in the Taiwan Relations Act , '' State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Friday . He said the action is consistent with Washington 's `` one-China '' policy and will help maintain security and stability across the Taiwan Strait . The arms sales come as the United States is hoping to persuade China to sign on to harsher sanctions against Iran and just after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized China for its policies relating to the Internet . Crowley would not speak directly about the timing of the announcement of the sales , and about the fact that the arms package does not include F-16s . A senior U.S. official said later that the United States expected Chinese criticism of the arms deal , but does not expect permanent damage . The official said he believed Clinton had discussed the sale in London with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of Thursday 's international conference on Afghanistan . `` This relationship between the United States and China is broad , it 's deep . There are a large number of issues . We do n't see eye to eye with them and we have to have and do have the ability to speak honestly , '' the official said . The arms deal is the latest chapter in a decades-long uneasy standoff . China claims Taiwan is its own territory and has threatened to invade if Taiwan ever declares independence . The United States has said it will defend Taiwan if China ever attacks . The government in Taiwan began as the remnant of the government that ruled over mainland China until a Communist insurrection proved victorious in 1949 . With the Communist takeover of mainland China , the losing faction fled to the island of Taiwan . Taiwan is formally known as the Republic of China , while Communist China 's official name is People 's Republic of China . Many Western nations and the United Nations recognized Taiwan as the legitimate Chinese government until the 1970s . CNN 's Eve Bower and Charley Keyes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The tragedy of Ireland 's violent past seemed close to the surface this week as an Irish presidential candidate was confronted about his former role as an IRA commander , and Britain 's prime minister talked with a family about a Catholic victim of `` the troubles . '' Irish presidential candidate Martin McGuinness was confronted Monday by a man claiming to be the son of a soldier killed by the Irish Republican Army in the 1980s , as McGuinness campaigned ahead of Election Day , October 27 . David Kelly confronted McGuinness in Athlone , Ireland , demanding answers about his father , Patrick Kelly , who he said had been shot dead with a trainee police officer as they attempted to rescue a kidnapped businessman in the Republic of Ireland in 1983 . As shoppers and the media looked on , Kelly demanded that McGuinness name the killers , to which McGuinness replied , `` I do n't know who was responsible for the killing of your father . '' Kelly then accused McGuinness of having been a member of the IRA 's ruling Army Council at the time of the killing -- which McGuinness denied . `` You are a liar . I want justice for my father , '' Kelly said . McGuinness , a former IRA commander and now a leader of the political party Sinn Fein , stepped down from his position as Northern Ireland 's deputy first minister to run for president of the Republic of Ireland . Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom , while the Republic of Ireland is an independent state . Meanwhile , on Tuesday the widow of murdered Catholic Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane and other family members will hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron about their demand for a public inquiry into his 1989 killing . The family says they suspect the British government sanctioned the killing . Finucane , 39 , had represented IRA members in many high-profile cases , but he had also represented pro-British , or loyalist , terrorists . He was gunned down by a loyalist gang at his Belfast home , in front of his wife and three children . His family has long believed the security forces cooperated with the killers . The man convicted of Finucane 's murder was a police informer . John Finucane was the youngest at the family dinner table on the day of the killing , just 8 years old . Now a lawyer himself , he will also attend Tuesday 's meeting at Downing Street . `` The meeting is at the request of the prime minister and we expect to be told what his intentions are , '' he told CNN . `` We are optimistic and hopeful he will announce there is an inquiry and the inquiry is one we can engage with . We are cautiously optimistic , but there have been let-downs over the past 22 years . '' Finucane says he has `` absolutely no doubt '' the state was involved in his father 's murder . `` That 's not just my opinion , that 's the opinion of Sir John Stevens , the most senior policeman in England , when he examined it . It 's also the opinion of Peter Cory , '' a retired Canadian judge , `` who was tasked with looking at the evidence in the case to decide whether an inquiry was necessary . So it 's not just my family that believe there was collusion . `` I think it 's pretty much accepted that there was collusion in my father 's killing . '' The question , he said , is `` how high up the chain of command that went . '' Finucane added that , `` in the absence of a transparent examination of all the relevant evidence , I believe it went as high as the office where I 'm going to meet the prime minister . '' The British prime minister at the time was Margaret Thatcher . While the almost daily violence of the 1970s and 1980s is a thing of the past in Northern Ireland , remnants of `` the troubles '' remain . Some terrorist splinter groups remain active and even have the capacity to kill . Still , the current campaign is on a much smaller scale than in the past . Sinn Fein , viewed as the IRA 's political wing , is now a key player in the peace process and shares power with its former bitter enemies , pro-British lawmakers , in a coalition government in Belfast . But this week 's events show how old wounds still haunt and divide the island . Finucane believes facing the past is the key to continuing progress . `` The issue of the past is the single most important issue that has the ability to bring both sides of the community here back to a very dark place , '' he said , `` and unresolved cases like my father 's do nothing but damage the present society . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man charged with murder in the deaths of 11 women pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday , said Ryan Miday , a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County , Ohio , prosecutor . A grand jury has indicted Anthony Sowell on 85 counts , following the discovery of 11 sets of human remains at his Cleveland , Ohio , house in October . The charges include several counts of aggravated murder with a `` mass murder specification , '' meaning multiple people were killed in a similar fashion , said Bill Mason , the Cuyahoga County prosecutor . Sowell , 50 , faces rape and kidnapping charges as well and also has been charged with brutalizing three other women and raping two of them , Mason said . Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sowell . Investigators arrested him in October after authorities serving a search warrant in a rape case discovered the remains of six women in and around his house . Subsequent searches turned up the remains of five others . All 11 remains were of African-American women . Police used cadaver dogs Wednesday to search Sowell 's childhood home , just outside Cleveland . `` We 're just trying to cover all our bases , '' said Scott Wilson , spokesman for the FBI , which is assisting local detectives in the case . Authorities have said they are looking at the unsolved slayings of three women in East Cleveland to determine if they share any similarities with the remains found at Sowell 's house . The indictment against Sowell also alleges that he assaulted women on December 8 , 2008 , and on September 22 and October 20 of this year . The women in September and October were raped , and the other woman was punched and choked before escaping , Mason said . Sowell 's charges in those cases include attempted murder , rape or attempted rape , kidnapping , robbery and felonious assault . Sowell has pleaded not guilty to charges in the September 22 rape . On October 20 , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of his house . Firefighters responded and later notified police . But the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home `` partying , '' police said earlier . No charges were filed at the time . Sowell threatened his victims and warned them not to contact police , Mason said . It 's possible there are others , he added , and urged anyone who has not come forward to do so . Sowell `` knew what he was doing was wrong at the time he was doing it , '' the prosecutor said . As of last month , Sowell was on suicide watch at the request of his public defender , Kathleen DeMetz . She had said a psychiatric evaluation of Sowell had been ordered but was unlikely to happen until after an indictment was filed . Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid told reporters this week that Sowell has been a `` model prisoner , '' is kept in an isolated unit and has declined visitation requests . Most of the victims were strangled by ligature -- which could include a string , cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand , officials said . Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks . The skull of one woman was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the home 's basement . Sowell served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape and was released in 2005 . He was required to register as a sex offender . After the discovery of the 11 women , police in mid-November used thermal imaging in an attempt to see if any additional human remains were on the property and dug certain areas by hand . No more remains were found .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush on Wednesday hailed the election of Barack Obama as `` a triumph of the American story . '' `` Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday , '' President Bush said Wednesday . Obama 's rise to become the nation 's first black president is `` a testament to hard work , optimism and a faith in the enduring promise of our nation , '' Bush said in the White House Rose Garden . `` No matter how they cast their ballots , all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday , '' said Bush , whose second term in the Oval Office will end when Obama is sworn in on January 20 . Bush said he had called Obama and had also spoken to his opponent , Sen. John McCain . `` I congratulated -LSB- McCain -RSB- on a determined campaign that he and Gov. -LSB- Sarah -RSB- Palin ran , '' the president said . Watch Bush praise presidential candidates '' Bush said turning over the White House to Obama `` will be a stirring sight . '' `` I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have waited for for so long , '' Bush said . Moving toward Obama 's January 20 inauguration , Bush promised the president-elect he can count on `` complete cooperation '' as he makes the transition to the White House . Speaking later at the State Department , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said her department `` will do everything that we can '' to ensure a smooth transition . Watch Rice pledge a smooth turnover at the State Department '' Rice , an African-American like Obama , also called Tuesday 's election `` an extraordinary step forward '' in the nation 's history . `` I am especially proud because this is a country that 's been through a long journey in terms of overcoming wounds , and making race not the factor in our lives , '' Rice said . Bush warned America 's enemies not to expect any letup in national security during the transition . `` The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility , protecting the American people , '' Bush said . On Thursday , Obama is expected to receive his first top-secret intelligence briefing , similar to the one Bush gets every day , according to U.S. officials familiar with the process . In a message to CIA employees obtained by CNN , CIA Director Michael Hayden says Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell will lead Obama 's first briefing . Bush pledged to fulfill his duties as president until the final day of his presidency . `` I will continue to conduct the people 's business as long as the office remains in my trust , '' the nation 's 43rd president said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The new coach of Penn State 's embattled football program acknowledged criticism from alumni over his hiring , vowing to work to earn their trust and saluting the team 's iconic former head coach Joe Paterno . Bill O'Brien 's selection as the Nittany Lions ' next coach has stirred the ire of some former Penn State football players , angry that he did n't attend the university and had never before been a head coach . He becomes the 15th head football coach in the program 's 125-year history after replacing interim coach Tom Bradley , a former player and longtime coach at Penn State . Bradley himself stepped in after school trustees fired Paterno in November after he did n't go far enough in reporting an alleged child sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky . O'Brien , most recently the offensive coordinator for the NFL 's New England Patriots , said Saturday he is aware of the `` controversy , '' though he predicted that `` in time , we will find that we have more common interests and goals than not . '' `` We admire one 's loyalties to Penn State , Penn State football , its grand tradition , coach Paterno and all his football staffs , '' O'Brien said . `` We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication and ... through our -LRB- shared -RRB- abilities , ethics , beliefs , work ethics and commitment to Penn State . '' A riot erupted on the Pennsylvania school 's campus after Paterno was dismissed , days after Sandusky was arrested and accused of sexually abusing young boys . Paterno , 84 , who his family has said is being treated for lung cancer , left the program as the all-time winningest football coach in Division I history . O'Brien said Saturday that `` there will never be enough words to say what he did for this program -- as far as wins , as far as off-the-field -LRB- by -RRB- graduating student-athletes every single year . '' The new coach said he had n't met yet with predecessor , but he looked `` forward to that as soon as I can . '' SI : Many Penn State alumni angry over choice Paterno himself issued a statement Saturday , after news broke about O'Brien 's selection . He referenced the fact that both men attended and played football at Brown University . `` I understand Bill O'Brien has been named head coach and I want to congratulate him on his appointment , '' Paterno said . `` I do n't know Bill , but I respect his coaching record , and I am particularly pleased we share a connection to my alma mater , Brown . '' Paterno defended the program under his watch , against criticisms that it made winning and control of the program the top priorities over developing student-athletes . `` Despite recent commentary to the contrary , Penn State football has always been about more than winning , '' he said . ' I came to Penn State with the simple but unshakeable view that this great institution could and should have a football program that is both fiercely competitive and deeply committed to education and community service . `` The proof of our success is the hundreds of former players who have graduated and gone on to become great husbands , fathers , businessmen and community leaders . I am hopeful this tradition will continue . '' Patriots head coach Bill Belichick lauded O'Brien in a statement Saturday , calling him an `` inspirational leader '' for the team . `` Bill O'Brien has met every personal and professional challenge head on with great passion and competitiveness , '' Belichick said . `` This is a great match between a storied program and a old-school football coach . Bill will be up to the task . '' Penn State 's quarterback , Matt McGloin said earlier this week that he and other players are `` excited '' for a `` fresh start . '' McGloin told CNN affiliate WBRE that he hopes the selection of O'Brien will help `` erase some of the things that have happened in the past year . '' `` It should be exciting for everyone , '' said McGloin , acknowledging that some Penn State alumni have voiced dissatisfaction with the move since O'Brien did n't attend the State College school . `` The most important thing is that the players are happy . '' The Penn State program is still reeling from the abuse allegations that surfaced this fall . Prosecutors have said that Sandusky sexually molested at least eight boys , some of them in Penn State facilities , over a 14-year period . That includes a 2002 shower incident in which a former Penn State graduate assistant , Mike McQueary , said he saw Sandusky possibly sodomizing a boy , saying that what he saw was `` extremely sexual in nature , '' according to grand jury testimony . He told Paterno , who told then-athletic director Tim Curley , according to a grand jury report . Law enforcement authorities , however , did n't become aware of that allegation until years later . Curley and Gary Schultz , a university vice president who oversaw campus police , are charged with perjury and failing to report suspected child sexual abuse related to the 2002 incident . O'Brien did not mention the sex abuse scandal in his opening remarks Saturday . He did say that the `` standard for Penn State football remains very high . '' `` There is so much pride in Penn State , and we will never take that for granted , '' he said . According to his biography on Patriots.com , the NFL team 's official website , the Nittany Lions ' new football coach grew up in Dorchester , Massachusetts . O'Brien began his coaching career at Brown , his alma mater , before going on to take jobs at Georgia Tech , Maryland and Duke . He joined the Patriots in 2007 as a coaching assistant , rapidly rising up the ranks in the subsequent years . `` The Penn State football program has a great legacy and has contributed enormously to our university community , '' university President Rodney A. Erickson said in a statement . `` A program of this caliber requires a special kind of leader -- a leader who will embrace that legacy and maintain the university 's commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom . We have that leader in Coach O'Brien , and I look forward to working with him in his new role . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dan Kruse started to feel weak one day while hanging out with his friends in a park . The next day , the eighth-grader woke up completely jaundiced -- the whites of his eyes were yellow -- and he urinated blood . Dan Kruse , now 23 , had food poisoning from E. coli bacteria as a teenager . Deeply concerned , his mother took him to the doctor , who told him to go to the hospital immediately . Doctors determined he had a severe form of food poisoning that made his kidneys shut down in a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome , caused by the bacteria E. coli . A priest gave him last rites , and doctors said he would most likely spend the rest of his life on kidney dialysis . `` I did n't go to the bathroom at all for seven to nine days because of my kidneys shutting down , '' said Kruse , now a Web developer in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . `` I definitely almost died . '' But with the help of an experimental treatment involving medicine `` like a fine grain sand '' that he ate six times a day , Kruse began to improve , and made a full recovery without dialysis . Food poisoning from strains of E. coli is less common in the United States than salmonella , a bacteria that has caused more than 1,000 infections in a recent outbreak since April , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Tomatoes have been implicated in this outbreak , but many other foods , such as raw meat and poultry , can spread salmonella and other kinds of bacteria . Food borne illnesses result in more than 300,000 hospitalizations in the United States every year , according to the CDC . About 76 million cases of food borne disease occur annually in the United States , the CDC said . Salmonella and E. coli present themselves in such similar ways that doctors ca n't tell which is which without testing a stool sample . Learn more about the differences between salmonella and E. coli '' Both kinds of bacteria can lead to infections involving diarrhea , vomiting , abdominal cramps and sometimes a low-grade fever . In most cases , an infected person will recover within a week without medicine simply by staying hydrated , doctors said . People who experience voluminous , bloody and persistent diarrhea should seek medical attention , and may need antibiotics , said Dr. Jennifer Christie , gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University . When should you go to the hospital ? When you 're not able to tolerate fluids , vomiting so much that you ca n't keep anything down , or have profuse watery diarrhea , said Dr. Iris Reyes , associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania . A racing heart along with diarrhea and vomiting indicates dehydration , she said . People with compounding medical problems such as cardiac conditions or diabetes should also seek medical attention , doctors said . In some cases , especially among small children , the elderly , and people with compromised immune systems , the infection may become more severe and lead to long-term complications . Salmonella can lead to a condition called Reiter 's syndrome that involves joint pain , eye irritation and painful urination . Chronic arthritis may result , regardless of whether a person takes antibiotics . A common strand of E. coli , often called E. coli 0157 , can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome , which makes bacterial toxins go into the bloodstream and destroy red blood cells . This can result in kidney failure as a result of damaged cells clogging tiny blood vessels , according to MayoClinic.com . That strain of E. coli is distinct from enterotoxigenic E. coli , which causes traveler 's diarrhea . People traveling to developing countries of Latin America , Africa , the Middle East , and Asia are at particular risk for traveler 's diarrhea , but it usually resolves in a few days and is rarely life-threatening . Symptoms of food borne bacterial infections are also similar to those of some viruses , though bloody diarrhea is sometimes a telltale sign of bacteria . To prevent these infections , medical professionals emphasize the importance of washing your hands after handling raw meat , poultry , and uncooked eggs . You should also wash your hands after using the bathroom , touching pets or coming into contact with a person who has a bacterial infection . Read more tips about food safety '' While it is always a good idea to wash produce , a rinse does n't always get rid of bacteria . In fact , you would have to scrub a vegetable for several minutes with antibacterial soap to kill the invisible offenders , Reyes said . `` In the operating room , surgeons scrub for at least several minutes to make sure there 's no bacteria on their skin , '' she said . Food is the same way -- it would take a long time to actually make sure that no bacteria remains . The best solution is to just stay away from any foods , like tomatoes , that have been reported to be contaminated . You may be tempted to eat that piece of salami of indeterminate age sitting in your refrigerator . But if you do take a bite and it just does n't taste right , Reyes has some advice for you : Stop eating . This may sound like a no-brainer , but Reyes said it 's not unusual for people to contract food borne illnesses this way . `` Make sure your food looks good and tastes good before you eat it , '' she said . Cooking at high temperatures also kills bacteria , but people do not typically cook tomatoes and other produce , Reyes said . Avoid anything containing raw eggs , such as Hollandaise sauce , Caesar salad dressing , and undercooked French toast , Christie said . Food that has been sitting out for hours at picnics or buffets may also be contaminated , Reyes said . Hot food should typically be eaten hot , and meat should never cool below 140 F before reheating . Below 140 F , bacteria thrive and multiply , regardless of the time that the food has been sitting out . Similarly , cold foods like shrimp cocktail will go bad if allowed to warm . `` You want to avoid a situation when your bacteria find your food just as appealing as you do , '' she said . Kruse said he avoids alfalfa sprouts , which have been associated with E. coli outbreaks , but still eats meat . `` I love meat , I 'm a meat eater . It was a fluke , '' he said . `` The doctors told me that the body will fight it off better '' since he had the infection as a teenager .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez froze diplomatic relations with Colombia late Tuesday , citing verbal aggressions from the neighboring South American country . Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro speaks to journalists on Monday in Caracas . The televised announcement followed declarations from the Colombian government Monday that anti-tank weapons purchased by Venezuela ended up in the hands of the guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , known as the FARC . In addition , Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said the guerrillas were trying to buy anti-aircraft missiles . Venezuela received a shipment of Russian SA-24 Igla shoulder-fired missiles earlier this year and showed them off at military parade in April . Chavez recalled Venezuela 's ambassador to Colombia , as well as most of the embassy 's staff . `` Leave only the lowest functionaries , '' he said . Chavez also threatened to take over Colombian companies operating in Venezuela if Colombia offends Venezuela one more time . Colombia 's claims are `` mistaken , '' added Chavez , who called the country 's leaders `` irresponsible . '' There was no immediate reaction from the Colombian government . Tuesday 's developments came one day after Chavez signed a military agreement with Russia to buy enough BMP-3 armored fighting vehicles and T-72 tanks to double the nation 's inventory , according to the Jane 's Defense Weekly publication . Chavez said he will use the tanks in his `` Western Shield Plan '' on the border with Colombia . Tensions between the two countries have been high since March 2008 , when Chavez ordered tanks to the border in response to a Colombian attack on FARC bases in Ecuador . More recently , Chavez has severely criticized Uribe for entering into negotiations to allow the United States to open military bases in Colombia . The United States says it needs the bases because Ecuador has ordered the closing of a U.S. installation there . Chavez accuses the United States of wanting the bases so it can attack Venezuela . Analysts say Chavez 's actions toward Colombia are tied to his feelings toward the United States . `` Chavez hates the United States and he wants to lead a group of countries that do n't pay attention to the United States , '' said Myles Frechette , the U.S. ambassador to Colombia from 1994-97 . `` Uribe is a guy who is in tune with the United States . '' Frechette notes that `` Colombia and Venezuela have complementary economies '' and could sell more goods to each other under better conditions . Jennifer McCoy , director of the Americas Program at the Carter Center , makes the same point . `` It 's a conflict between two ideologies between two countries that are mutually dependent on each other , '' she said . The latest dust-up started Monday , when Colombia accused Venezuela of selling arms to the FARC . Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said army troops had found AT-4 shoulder-fired grenades in recent raids on jungle camps used by the FARC . `` This is not the first time that this happens , '' Santos said . `` In several operations in which we have recovered weapons from the FARC , we have found powerful munitions and powerful equipment , including anti-tank weapons , from a European country that sold them to Venezuela and that turned up in the hands of the FARC . '' The guerrillas were trying to buy anti-aircraft missiles , Uribe said . Analysts say that could change the guerrilla war 's dynamics . `` The AT-4 is much less of a heavy weapon , but surface-to-air missiles would give the FARC a much greater military capability , '' said Anna Gilmour , senior America 's analyst for the Jane 's Country Risk consultancy group . Uribe said Monday that must not be allowed to happen . `` The international community must help us , '' he said . `` These bandits have historically been able to rely on many sources for armaments . We have found out through intelligence that they are now looking to buy surface-to-air weapons to use against our airplanes . '' Venezuelan officials denied any involvement . `` To me it seems that this is a new attack against our government based on lies , '' Venezuelan Minister of the Interior and Justice Tareck El Aissami said at a news conference Monday . `` We absolutely deny that our government or our institutions are providing assistance to criminal and terrorist organizations . `` It 's laughable , it sounds like a cheap film made by the American government . '' Sweden probes ` serious incident ' Officials in Sweden , where the anti-tank weapons were made by Saab Bofors Dynamics , verified that the AT-4s were sold to Venezuela in the 1980s . Anders Jorle , Sweden 's foreign ministry spokesman , told CNN the government `` considers this as a serious incident '' and is investigating . `` We 've been in contact with Colombian and Venezuelan authorities to clarify how this happened , '' Jorle said Tuesday . `` The weapons were part of a lot sold to Venezuela 20 years ago . No weapons have been exported to Venezuela since 2006 . '' The Swedish Foreign Ministry added that the Swedish Inspectorate of Strategic Products , the authority responsible for checking weapon exports , will consider not selling any more weapons to Venezuela . The FARC most likely acquired the AT-4 grenade launchers in the past 18 months , said Jane 's analyst Gilmour . This is not the first time that Venezuela has been tied to the FARC , which has been fighting the Colombian government for more than 45 years . Last fall , the U.S. Treasury Department accused two senior Venezuelan intelligence officials and a former official of providing weapons to the FARC and assisting the rebels with narcotics trafficking . The U.S. identified one of the individuals as Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios , director of Venezuela 's Military Intelligence Directorate . Another individual was identified as Ramon Emilio Rodriguez Chacin , who was Venezuela 's Minister of Interior and Justice until September . Rodriguez Chacin was `` the Venezuelan government 's main weapons contact for the FARC , '' the Treasury Department said . `` The FARC uses its proceeds from narcotics sales to purchase weapons from the Venezuelan government . Rodriguez Chacin has held numerous meetings with senior FARC members , one of which occurred at the Venezuelan government 's Miraflores Palace in late 2007 . Rodriguez Chacin has also assisted the FARC by trying to facilitate a $ 250 million dollar loan from the Venezuelan government to the FARC in late 2007 . '' Computers recovered last year in the Colombian attack on the FARC base in Ecuador showed that `` Chavez has been heavily involved with the FARC , '' said Susan Kaufman Purcell , director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami . `` Chavez has been modeling himself more on what -LSB- former Cuban leader Fidel -RSB- Castro used to do in terms of helping insurgencies and destabilizing countries , '' Purcell said . Analysts point to Venezuela 's increasing militarization as a threat to stability . From 2005-07 , Venezuela bought $ 4.4 billion in weapons and military hardware , including 24 Sukhoi-24 aircraft , 50 combat helicopters and 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles , Gilmour said . Last year , Russia extended a $ 1 billion credit line for further acquisitions . `` Venezuela has been trying to frighten everyone in the region by buying Russian weapons , '' said former U.S. envoy Frechette . He said Chavez has become increasingly frustrated that he does n't always get his way , such as in his relations with Colombia . So he turns to the Russians . Analysts : Chavez role in military sales in question Chavez 's involvement in the sale of the anti-tank weapons to the FARC is open to discussion , though . `` The more interesting question is how they got there and whether Chavez had anything to do with it , '' Purcell said . Frechette agrees , saying , `` Nobody can say this was done by Chavez . '' The former envoy believes there 's a good chance that the sale was carried out by corrupt officers without Chavez 's involvement . `` Do n't underestimate the corruption in that country , '' he said , adding that some military officials might have `` discovered these things that have been sitting in a warehouse since the 1980s . '' Whether Venezuela would sell surface-to-air missiles also is open to discussion . Gilmour says Venezuela will want to safeguard its stockpile . `` Venezuela would not want any kind of seepage because the missiles were acquired so recently and Venezuela-Russia relations are pretty positive at the moment , '' she said . Purcell said Russia might not care , pointing out that `` Castro did all sorts of things that the Soviets did n't like '' but still kept supporting him for decades . `` Russia has a lot of different interests , '' she said . `` It 's not clear that they would walk away from the relationship . '' CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Touting himself as America 's `` first Pacific president , '' Barack Obama called on his own connections with Asia Saturday as he pledged a renewed engagement with Asia Pacific nations based on `` an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan . '' The U.S. president , in his first Asia trip since taking office in January , told a packed house at Tokyo 's Suntory Hall that all Americans should know that what happens in Asia `` has a direct effect on our lives at home . '' `` This is where we engage in much of our commerce and buy many of our goods , '' he said . `` And this is where we can export more of our own products and create jobs back home in the process . `` This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world , and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents . And there can be no solution to our energy security and our climate challenge without the rising powers and developing nations of the Asia Pacific . '' Obama met with new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama Friday after his arrival in Tokyo as well as with the Japanese emperor and empress . Obama touched on nearly every part of the Asia Pacific region during his speech , and talked about a boyhood visit to Japan with his mother , his birth in Hawaii , a childhood spent partly in Indonesia and the United States ' position as a Pacific nation . `` There must be no doubt : as America 's first Pacific president , I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world , '' he said . He stressed that the United States was not interested in containing the emerging economic growth in China . `` The rise of a strong , prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations , '' he said . `` And so , in Beijing and beyond , we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue . '' Obama also called on Myanmar to make more definitive moves toward democracy , including releasing all political prisoners ; urged North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks so that the reclusive nation could be reintegrated into the world stage and pledged America 's support for eliminating nuclear weapons and efforts to reduce the global effects of climate change . His trip is to include stops in Singapore , China and South Korea , during which Obama will hold formal talks with Asian leaders as a group and individually . The president plans to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao , Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong , South Korean President Lee Myung-bak , Russia President Dmitry Medvedev and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , and will take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit . APEC 's 21 member nations represent more than half of the world 's economic output . The forum sees its goal as `` facilitating economic growth , cooperation , trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region . '' During a busy day in Singapore , Obama also will become the first U.S. president to take part in a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -LRB- ASEAN -RRB- economic alliance . In China , Obama will continue efforts to define and strengthen the United States ' relationship with the world 's largest emerging economy , which has a growing influence in Asia , said Jeffrey Bader , the National Security Council 's senior director for East Asian affairs . `` We see it as a relationship where we 're obviously going to have differences , where we are going to be competitors in certain respects , '' he said . `` But we want to maximize areas where we can work together , because the global challenges will simply not be met if we do n't . '' Bader cited North Korea 's nuclear weapons program , the economy , climate change , human rights and Afghanistan as among the top issues for the China swing . On human rights , Bader said Obama is likely to address `` freedom of expression , access to information , freedom of religion , rule of law and , certainly , Tibet . '' Obama will make clear to Hu that he intends to meet with the Dalai Lama , the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader , Bader said . China , which rejects Tibetan aspirations for autonomy , opposes such high-level contacts with the Dalai Lama . On North Korea , the State Department announced Tuesday that U.S. officials will travel to the country by year 's end to seek a resumption of broader talks on ending the Pyongyang government 's nuclear program . The Obama administration has claimed initial progress in its strategy of forging an international effort , including China and South Korea , to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions . Japan has been asking for a comprehensive solution to North Korea 's missile tests and the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s . Saturday morning , Obama made clear that both were necessary . `` The path for North Korea to realize this future is clear : a return to the Six-Party Talks ; upholding previous commitments , including a return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ; and the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula , '' he said . `` And full normalization with its neighbors can only come if Japanese families receive a full accounting of those who have been abducted . These are all steps that can be taken by the North Korean government , if they are interested in improving the lives of their people and joining the community of nations . '' It wo n't be all diplomatic meetings , though . Obama 's first trip to China will include a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai and sightseeing in Beijing , including a stop at the Great Wall .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities on Saturday released the names of three more victims found last week in or around the home of a registered sex offender in Cleveland , Ohio . The Cuyahoga County Coroner 's Office identified the bodies of Amelda Hunter , 47 ; Crystal Dozier , 38 ; and Michelle Mason , 45 , all of Cleveland . Anthony Sowell , who served 15 years after pleading guilty to attempted rape in a 1989 case , was arrested last week , two days after police discovered the first bodies at his home . He faces five counts of aggravated murder , rape , felonious assault and kidnapping , police said , and was denied bond at a hearing Wednesday . Police have discovered the bodies of 10 people and skull of an 11th victim at or near Sowell 's home . Authorities have identified seven of the victims . Remains of six victims were found inside the home . police said , and five outside . The skull was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the basement , police said . Hunter was not reported as a missing person at the time of the discovery of the victim 's bodies at Sowell 's residence , according to the Cleveland Police Department . Her family reported her missing on November 3 , telling police that she was last seen on or about April 18 . Dozier also was never reported missing to police . She was reportedly last seen in October 2007 , police said . Mason was reported missing on October 12 , 2008 . She was last seen earlier that month , according to police . At the time , it was reported that Mason suffered from bipolar disorder and was not taking her prescribed medications , police said . Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney , according to his public defender , Kathleen DeMetz . A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it 's unlikely to happen until after a grand jury files an indictment , she said . Sowell is being held in a solitary cell in the Cuyahoga County jail , wearing a white paper gown , County Jail Warden Kevin McDonough told CNN . Every 10 minutes , a guard checks on him to make sure he does n't hurt himself . Occasionally , Sowell is allowed out of his cell under escort to shower and use a dayroom with books and magazines , but no television , McDonough said . He gets three meals a day . Lights are out at 10 p.m. `` He 's been quiet and compliant , '' McDonough said . `` He understands what incarceration is like . '' Sowell was released from jail in 2005 . According to court documents , Sowell completed several programs while in jail , including `` Living Without Violence , '' `` Positive Personal Change '' and `` Cage your Rage . '' In another court document filed shortly before his release and obtained by CNN , handwritten notes state Sowell `` would be likely to re-offend because he still denies the rape . '' Previously , the coroner 's office said it had identified the bodies of Nancy Cobbs , 43 ; Tonia Carmichael , 52 ; Telacia Fortson , 31 ; and Tishana Culver , 31 . Police initially went to Sowell 's home last week to follow up on a rape accusation . Last month , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor , but no charges were filed . Neighbors called 911 after the October 20 incident . Firefighters and paramedics responded , and later notified police . The woman told officers that she was at the home and `` partying , '' when she fell off the roof . `` They were doing coke , drugs , getting high , '' Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said . A man described as her boyfriend -- Sowell -- told police the same story . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican authorities have detained the country 's former drug czar on suspicion that he may have accepted $ 450,000 a month in bribes from drug traffickers , Mexico 's attorney general said Friday . Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 through August of fighting organized crime in Mexico . Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 until this August of the attorney general 's office that specializes in combatting organized crime . Ramirez is accused of meeting with members of a drug cartel while he was in office and agreeing to provide information on investigations in exchange for the bribes , Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora Icaza said at a news conference Friday . The arrest was part of an ongoing investigation called `` Operation Limpieza , '' or `` Operation Cleanup , '' the attorney general said . The operation targets officials who may have passed information to drug cartels . The arrest was announced Thursday night , four days after the house arrest of Ricardo Gutierrez Vargas , the director for International Police Affairs at Mexico 's Federal Investigative Agency and the head of Mexico 's Interpol office . Authorities say more than 30 officials have been arrested since July in connection with the anti-corruption operation . Interpol , which is based in France , announced Wednesday it is sending a team of investigators to Mexico to investigate the possibility that its communications systems and databases may have been compromised , a prospect raised by the arrest of Gutierrez , the top official working with the agency in Mexico . `` A war of master proportions '' between authorities and narcotics traffickers and traffickers among themselves has left more than 4,300 dead so far this year , according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs , an independent research and information organization . By comparison , the council said in a report this week , there were 2,700 drug-related deaths in 2007 . `` Homegrown drug cartels operating from both within and outside the country are engaging in a vicious turf war to seize control of major trafficking corridors while engaging in almost open warfare against the mobilized forces of the state , '' the council said about what it calls `` narco-fueled crime . '' Mexican leaders have been trying to tamp down the violence by tightening controls on money-laundering and cracking down on corruption among local and municipal police forces infiltrated by drug traffickers . It may not be enough . `` Due to pervasive corruption at the highest levels of the Mexican government , and the almost effortless infiltration of the porous security forces by the cartel , an ultimate victory by the state is far from certain , '' the Hemispheric Council concludes . Drug trafficking in Mexico is a $ 20 billion - to $ 50 billion-a-year industry , as much as the nation earns from tourism or remittances from Mexicans living in the United States , said Robert Pastor , a former National Security adviser to President Jimmy Carter and now a professor of international relations at American University in Washington . He has been studying Latin America for more than four decades . `` This is a huge industry with an extraordinary capacity to corrupt and intimidate the country . And they 're doing both right now , '' said Pastor , also a former director of the Carter Center 's Latin American and Caribbean Program . The drug cartels are paying some Mexican officials bribes of $ 150,000 to $ 450,000 a month , authorities have said . This in a country where the per capita income is $ 12,500 a year and one of every seven Mexicans lives in poverty , according to the CIA World Factbook .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Colorado couple who said their 6-year-old son was aboard an escaped balloon pleaded guilty Friday to charges related to the well-publicized `` balloon boy '' case . Richard Heene pleaded guilty in Larimer County Court to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant . His wife , Mayumi Heene , pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities . The Heenes ' attorneys said prosecutors had agreed to a sentence of probation with the possibility of up to 90 days in jail for Richard Heene and up to 60 days in jail for his wife . The incident occurred in October , when a large silver balloon came loose from its moorings in the Heenes ' yard and drifted over eastern Colorado . Mayumi Heene called 911 and said the couple 's 6-year-old son , Falcon , was inside the craft . Millions of people across the country watched the saga on television for nearly two hours as military aircraft tracked the balloon in the air and rescuers chased it below . Mayumi Heene later admitted the whole thing was a hoax and that Falcon was safe in their home the whole time , authorities said . Watch the moment the hoax was revealed The couple 's attorneys have said that the threat of Mayumi Heene 's deportation was a factor in the plea deal negotiations . Mayumi Heene is a Japanese citizen but is in the United States legally . `` Even though Mr. Heene would have a triable case , I believe , to avoid the risk that his wife is deported ... we have decided that the best course of action is to proceed as we are proceeding , '' Richard Heene 's lawyer , David Lane , said Friday . The judge is allowing the Heenes to leave the state while they remain on bond . Lane said Richard Heene is going to seek employment in New York and also has plans to go to California . Mayumi Heene 's attorney said she may accompany him on those trips . Sentencing will be next month . Court documents released last month said the couple hatched the plan about two weeks before the incident and `` instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax . '' Their motive ? To `` make the Heene family more marketable for future media interests , '' the documents said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Real Madrid piled the pressure on Barcelona by moving six points clear at the top of Spain 's La Liga with a 5-1 thrashing of Granada on Saturday . Barcelona , seeking a fourth successive league title , now can not afford to slip up in Sunday 's trip to city rivals Espanyol . Jose Mourinho 's Real made the perfect start after the Spanish winter break as Karim Benzema netted twice and Cristiano Ronaldo extended his leading goal tally to 21 . It was Real 's 14th win in 17 league games for a total of 43 points from a possible 51 , with 61 goals for and 16 against . Benzema opened the scoring after 20 minutes after Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil combined well inside the box , but 14th-placed Granada surprisingly leveled soon after as Mikel Rico headed in a cross by Nigeria forward Ikechukwu Uche . Who will be January 's top transfer targets ? Spain defender Sergio Ramos restored the home side 's advantage as he powerfully nodded in Ozul 's 34th-minute corner , and Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain made it 3-1 straight after the break with his 13th league goal this season after fullback Marcelo was allowed to surge into the box . Benzema made it safe in the 50th minute as the France forward controlled Xabi Alonso 's lofted diagonal pass and fired in a low shot for his 10th in La Liga and 16th overall . Ronaldo finally got on the scoresheet with a minute of regulation time remaining , as the world 's most expensive player -- who is on the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award to be named on Monday -- fired in from the edge of the penalty area . That took the Portugal captain four goals clear of Barca 's Lionel Messi , who is hoping to win his third successive world player of the year title . Fourth-placed Levante face the prospect of losing ground on Valencia after being held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Real Mallorca . Valencia , who trail Barca by four points , can move six clear of their local rivals by winning at third-bottom Villarreal on Sunday . Levante did , however , stay four points clear of fifth-placed Osasuna , who also played out a stalemate at Real Sociedad as both those sides extended their unbeaten runs to six matches . Sevilla can leapfrog the Pamplona-based side with victory at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday . Malaga also had the chance to claim fifth by beating Atletico Madrid in Saturday 's late match , but there were no goals in that game either and the home side had to settle for going a point above Sevilla into sixth . Racing Santander moved above second-bottom Sporting Gijon , Villarreal and Vallecano with a 1-0 victory at home to Real Zaragoza that lifted the Cantabrians out of the relegation zone . Bernardo Espinosa 's winner in first-half injury time left Zaragoza five points adrift at the bottom of the table .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina finally made it official Wednesday : She 's running for Senate in California . The first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company made the announcement at an event in conservative Orange County , pledging that her focus will be on `` economic recovery and fiscal accountability '' `` The decisions made in Washington impact every family and every business , of any size , in America . Throughout my career , I 've brought people together and solved problems , and that is what I plan to do in government : Set aside ego and partisanship and work to develop solutions to our problems , '' she told supporters . `` I will not settle for a jobless recovery , and we must start the important work of getting our financial house back in order , '' Fiorina added . `` Washington must show discipline to cut spending and create policies that encourage and empower businesses and put people back to work . '' Fiorina , considered to be a moderate Republican with little history on social issues , will face off against conservative California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the GOP nomination . In a friendly statement Wednesday , DeVore said he looks forward `` to engaging -LSB- her -RSB- on the issues Californians care about . '' A recent Field poll suggested that both Fiorina and DeVore polled at about 20 percent , with 60 percent of Republican voters undecided . The ex-Fortune 500 CEO , who left Hewlett-Packard in 2005 with a severance package estimated to be worth between $ 21.5 million and $ 40 million , is expected to enjoy a significant financial advantage over DeVore , who entered October with just $ 144,000 in the bank . The Fiorina-DeVore matchup has all the makings of another Republican battle between the conservative wing of the party and national leaders seeking the most electable candidate . Fiorina has claimed that the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is backing her bid , though an NRSC spokesman said no official endorsement has been made . Still , NRSC Chairman John Cornyn pointed to Fiorina in September as an example of a `` strong female candidate '' running as a Republican in 2010 . A string of conservative bloggers have lined up behind DeVore , and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said Tuesday that he was backing the assemblyman . The winner of that race will face three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer in November . Boxer 's favorable rating stood at 48 percent in a recent Field poll , a number that gives Republicans hope she is vulnerable against a well-funded opponent . Boxer is known to be a formidable political opponent , but Fiorina said Wednesday that she 's ready for the challenge . `` After chemothereapy , Barbara Boxer just really is n't that scary any more , especially when you know what to expect , '' said Fiorina , who battled breast cancer last spring . `` She has always taken the low road to high office . '' Though spending most of her life outside of politics , Fiorina is no stranger to the campaign trail , having served as one of then-Republican presidential candidate John McCain 's chief surrogates in 2008 . Fiorina was eventually sidelined from that campaign after telling an interviewer that she did n't think either member of the GOP presidential ticket was qualified to run a major company . In an election season in which the state 's economic condition is set to dominate the debate , Fiorina is now the second high-profile former CEO running for statewide office in California . Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman announced last month she is running for governor . National Democrats , meanwhile , appear eager to take on Fiorina , who left Hewlett-Packard five years ago amid controversy . `` The hallmark of Carly Fiorina 's r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is her tenure at Hewlett-Packard , where she laid off 28,000 Americans while shipping jobs overseas , just before taking a $ 21 million golden parachute , '' National Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz said . `` Given that record , the United States Senate is the last place Carly Fiorina should go next . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arjen Robben proved the difference for the second time in four days as Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Freiburg 2-1 to leapfrog Schalke at the top of the Bundesliga . The brilliant Dutchman put the Bavarian giants into the quarterfinals of the Champions League with his stunning strike against Fiorentina on Tuesday and worked his magic again at the Allianz Arena . Cedric Makiadi had put struggling Freiburg ahead in the 31st minute , but Robben equalized in the 76th and then converted a 83rd-minute penalty to give Bayern an invaluable three points . It leaves them two points clear of Schalke , who went temporarily top after a 2-1 lead against Stuttgart . Makiada 's fine strike left Hans Joerg-Butt with no chance and a shock looked on the cards as Louis van Gaal 's men appeared jaded after their midweek heroics . But Robben cropped up to drill home his ninth of the season and his 10th came after Thomas Mueller was fouled to win a penalty . Earlier on Saturday , Borussia Dortmund moved up to fourth spot with a 4-1 win at Bochum with Argentina star Lucas Barrios scoring twice in three minutes in the second half to seal victory . Defending champions VfL Wolfsburg picked up their fourth-straight Bundesliga win under caretaker coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner as they beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0 to move up to eighth . But basement side Hertha Berlin look certain for the drop after a 2-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Nuremberg , who followed up their shock win 3-2 at Bayer Leverkusen with another fine victory . It lifts them to 15th . Third-placed Leverkusen play Hamburg on Sunday in a bid to get their title challenge back on track after Nuremberg ended their record unbeaten run . In other action around Europe on Saturday , on-loan Robbie Keane scored a hat-trick as Celtic won 3-0 at Kilmarnock to reach the semifinals of the Scottish Cup , their last realistic hope of silverware this season . In the French League , Lyon struggled after their midweek heroics against Real Madrid and were held to a 1-1 draw at home to local rivals St. Etienne . A first half goal from Emmanuel Riviere put struggling St. Etienne ahead with Lyon getting an 80th minute equalizer from Argentinian Lisandro Lopez . With leaders Bordeaux held to a goalless draw at Monaco and fellow challengers Montpellier and Auxerre playing out a 1-1 draw , Lyon 's draw was a missed opportunity . Bordeaux are top with 53 points from 27 games , with a game in hand on Montpellier , who also have 53 , with Auxerre just a point behind in third . Lyon are fourth with 50 points after 28 games .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Supreme Court has agreed to review a civil liberties dispute over the government 's power to criminalize `` support '' of a terrorist organization . The Supreme Court will review a key provision of the 2001 Patriot Act . The justices on Wednesday accepted review of a key provision of the 2001 Patriot Act , and whether it threatens free speech rights of those who would assist non-violent activities of designated groups . Since the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks against the United States , federal prosecutors have pursued `` material support '' cases against at least 120 individuals or organizations , winning convictions in about half of those cases . Nearly every such domestic terrorism-related prosecution has included that charge as part of the indictment . At issue is whether the congressional law allows prosecution of those with knowledge of `` any service , training , expert advice or assistance '' to a foreign terrorist organization , as designated by the U.S. government . A federal appeals court in San Francisco , California , struck down several parts of the legislation , finding them too vague to satisfy the Constitution . The government then asked the high court to intervene and uphold the law . Among those charged under the `` material support '' provision : John Walker Lindh , an American Muslim captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan ; the `` Lackawanna Six , '' men from Buffalo , New York , who attended an al Qaeda training camp ; several men in Portland , Oregon , who allegedly sought to travel to Afghanistan to fight on behalf of the Taliban ; a group of young Virginia individuals who allegedly tried to assist a Kashmir terror group ; and James Ujaama , an African-American activist in Seattle , Washington . The key plaintiff in the current appeal is the Humanitarian Law Project , a Los Angeles , California-based non-profit that says its mission is to advocate `` for the peaceful resolution of armed conflicts and for worldwide compliance with humanitarian law and human rights law . '' HLP sought to help the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , a group active in Turkey . Known as PKK , the party was founded in the mid-1970s and has been labeled a terror organization by the United States and the European Union . Its leaders have previously called for militancy to create a separate Kurdish state in parts of Turkey , Iraq , Syria and Iran , where Kurds comprise a population majority . In its appeal to the high court , the government noted that `` since its inception , the organization has waged a violent insurgency that has claimed over 22,000 lives . '' HLP claimed it wanted to advocate on behalf of the PKK before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and conduct other advisory sessions and public awareness campaigns . Another plaintiff is an American physician who wanted to help ethnic Tamils in his native Sri Lanka . Much of the island nation is controlled by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , which has also fought for decades to carve an independent state . The government claims the Tamil Tigers have `` used suicide bombings and political assassinations in its campaign for independence , killing hundreds of civilians in the process . '' HLP and a group of Tamil doctors say they merely wanted `` to provide their expert medical advice on how to address the shortage of medical facilities and trained physicians '' in the region but `` they are afraid to do so because they fear prosecution for providing material support . '' The Patriot Act was passed six weeks after the 9\/11 terrorism attacks . It included amending a previous anti-terror law to strengthen the `` expert advice and assistance '' provision , making it a crime punishable by a 10 - to 15-year prison sentence . The Justice Department calls the material support provision `` a vital part of the nation 's effort to fight international terrorism . '' Officials told the justices the law is constitutional since `` the statute in question regulates conduct , not speech , and does not violate the First Amendment in any of its applications . '' And the government argues lawmakers properly used their authority to address a pressing problem . `` Congress has banned a broad range of material support -- regardless of whether the terrorist group claims to engage in otherwise lawful activities , and regardless of whether the support is ostensibly given to assist those supposedly lawful activities , '' said the administration 's brief . The case is Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project -LRB- 08-1498 -RRB- . Oral arguments will be held early next year , with a decision expected by the spring .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods ' popularity has plummeted -- but most Americans will still be rooting for him to win when he tees up at the Masters tournament in April , a new national poll suggests . Nearly 60 percent of those who answered a CNN\/Opinion Research Corporation survey said they wanted the embattled golfer to win the event at Georgia 's Augusta National course , which would be his fifth victory there . Twenty percent said they did not want him to win and another 20 percent said they did not care . The Masters will be Woods ' first time back in professional golf since his November car crash outside his home and the media frenzy about his extramarital affairs . And even though Woods has taken a hiatus from playing , 52 percent of those polled said they think Woods will win the Masters , the first of the golf season 's four major tournaments which runs from April 5-11 . An overwhelming majority of those polled , 75 percent , thought it was appropriate for Woods to return at the Masters and that he did not have to wait longer . But still , a majority of those polled , 45 percent , had an unfavorable view of Woods . Forty-three percent had a favorable view . These numbers are in striking contrast to 2005 when about 85 percent of those polled had a favorable view of Woods . Woods ' public woes began with an early-morning crash November 27 outside his Orlando-area home , when he suffered minor injuries after striking a fire hydrant and a tree with his Cadillac SUV . Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions . Eventually , he was cited for careless driving . The accident occurred days after the tabloid National Enquirer named Woods as having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess . The woman has denied the allegation , but several others have come forward to claim that they had sexual relationships with Woods , who has two children with his wife , former model Elin Nordegren . In a carefully-managed March statement , delivered to a small , hand-picked crowd , Woods said he was in inpatient therapy for 45 days from the end of December to early February for `` issues , '' which he did not explain . The controversy prompted several major sponsors to suspend or drop their relationships with Woods , who also apologized to his business partners for his behavior .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan came from behind to win for the second time in a week to keep their Italian title hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Atalanta on Saturday . Jose Mourinho 's team followed up the stunning midweek victory over European champions Barcelona to move two points clear of second-placed Roma , who host Sampdoria on Sunday . But key Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder is in doubt for the second leg of the Champions League semifinal in Spain on Wednesday after coming off at halftime with a thigh injury . Atalanta , third from bottom with three matches to play , took a shock fifth-minute lead through Simone Tiribocchi but Inter hit back with three unanswered goals as they did against Barca . Argentina striker Diego Milito scored his 20th Serie A goal of the season to level with a lob in the 24th minute , then Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga scored his first for the defending champions with a shot that deflected in off teammate Sulley Muntari . Cristian Chivu , playing at left-back in a revamped defense due to absent Brazilian right-back Maicon 's dental problems , sealed victory with 13 minutes to play with a super long-range shot to extend the Nerazzurri 's unbeaten home run to 40 league games . The Romanian was delighted after scoring his first goal for Inter following his move from Roma in 2007 . `` We 're pleased with the victory . It was n't easy because we were behind , but we knew how to react , '' he told the club 's Web site . `` It was an important goal for me and the team : for me because it has n't been an easy period for me , and for the team because we have to keep winning until the end . Roma 's game tomorrow ? I wo n't watch it . The last time I watched Roma , they won . `` From tomorrow we will start thinking about Barcelona . It 's a historic moment for us . We have to give our all . '' Third-placed AC Milan crashed to a 3-1 defeat at European hopefuls Palermo in Saturday 's late match , and now trail their city rivals by nine points with three matches to play . Palermo moved above Sampdoria into fourth spot after going 2-0 up in the first 18 minutes with goals from defender Cesare Bovo and Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez . Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf pulled one back for the visitors 10 minutes after halftime , but striker Fabrizio Miccoli restored the Sicilians ' two-goal cushion on 66 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korea 's Lee Jung-Su confirmed his reputation as the top men 's short-track speedskater at the 2010 Winter Olympics with his second gold medal on Saturday night , while American Apolo Anton Ohno snatched a place in the history books with a last-gasp bronze . That thrilling 1,000-meter final capped an action-packed ninth day of the Vancouver Games , as Swiss ski-jumper Simon Ammann made history with his second gold medal and Americans Lindsey Vonn and Shani Davis missed out on double titles in skiing and speedskating . The U.S. still ended the day with a table-topping six gold medals , having failed to add to their tally , with Norway on five and South Korea joining Germany , Canada and Switzerland on four . Lee Jung-Su followed up his victory from the 1,500 m event in an Olympic record time of one minute 23.747 seconds , with his compatriot Lee Ho-Suk winning silver in 1:23.801 to earn some consolation after being disqualified for causing a crash on the final lap of the longer race . Ohno -LRB- 1:24.128 -RRB- denied hosts Canada a medal when he surged past world record-holder Charles Hamelin -LRB- 1:24.329 -RRB- on the final lap to become the most decorated American Winter Olympian with a record-breaking seventh medal . The 27-year-old overhauled Bonnie Blair as his country 's top medal winner , having won silver in the 1,500 m. Hamelin 's brother Francois finished last in the five-man final . Ski-jumping Ammann became the first ski-jumper to win four individual gold medals at Winter Olympics when he leaped to victory in the large hill event at Whistler to follow up his normal hill title and match his feat at Salt Lake City in 2002 . It was also the first time any ski-jumper has won both events twice , and made him Switzerland 's most-decorated athlete in any Olympics , winter or summer . The 28-year-old , dubbed the `` Harry Potter of ski-jumping '' after his 2002 heroics due to his likeness to J.K. Rowling 's boy wizard , smashed the Olympic record of 141 meters when he set a distance of 144m in his first round in the afternoon for a points total of 144.7 . He then cleared 138m in the final round for a tally of 283.6 as he headed off normal hill silver medallist Adam Malyz of Poland by 15.3 points . Austria 's Gregor Schlierenzauer picked up his second bronze medal to ensure the podium remained unchanged from last Saturday 's event , finishing on 262.2 points . Alpine skiing Andrea Fischbacher denied downhill champion Lindsey Vonn a double in women 's alpine skiing speed events when she claimed a surprise victory in the super-G . The 24-year-old Fischbacher won Austria 's second gold medal at the Vancouver Games after beating Vonn 's time , with Slovenia 's Tina Maze then pushing the American into the bronze position . Vonn , who crashed out super-combined , had gone top in the event -- which features gates spaced further apart than the giant slalom and slalom disciplines -- with a time of one minute 20.88 seconds . But Fischbacher trumped that in convincing style with a sizzling 1:20.14 and Maze then claimed her first Olympic medal with 1:20.63 . Fischbacher had previously won only one World Cup event , a super-G two years ago . `` I was just thinking if I make a really good run and do my best I can beat her -LSB- Vonn -RSB- , '' she told reporters . `` Everything was perfect and I skied really fast . It was a dream . '' Vonn , the super-G World Cup champion for the past two seasons , indicated that she had been guilty of not going full-tilt for the entire run . `` I really attacked . I skied all those difficult sections really well . After I got passed those sections I kind of eased off the gas pedal , '' she said . Speedskating The 27-year-old Davis , who became the first man to defend the 1,000-meter title on Wednesday , had to again settle for silver in the 1,500 m event on Saturday as the U.S. team failed to add to a leading tally of six gold medals in 2010 . Dutchman Mark Tuitert , who was fifth in the shorter event , claimed a shock gold as he set the fastest time of 1:45.57 to earn his first individual medal of any kind since winning silver in the 1,500 m at the 2004 and 2005 world championships . Davis , the Turin 2006 runner-up , was 0.53 seconds adrift while Norway 's long-distance specialist Havard Bokko took the bronze . China 's Zhou Yang claimed the women 's 1,500-meter short-track gold medal after setting an Olympic record time in the final . Zhou clocked 2:16.993 to comfortably head off South Koreans Lee Eun-Byul and Park Seung-Hi in second and third respectively . Cross-country skiing Marcus Hellner gave Sweden a second gold medal in the cross-country skiing program , and third overall , winning the men 's 30-kilometer pursuit title to follow up compatriot Charlotte Kalla 's triumph in the ladies ' 10 km free event on Monday . The 24-year-old 's time of one hour 15 minutes 11.4 seconds put him just 2.1 seconds ahead of Germany 's Tobias Angerer , who was also runner-up at the 2007 world championships . Johan Olsson claimed a bronze for Sweden to add to his relay third-placing at the 2006 Turin Games , finishing 2.8 seconds behind Hellner . Ice hockey Switzerland defeated Norway 5-4 in overtime to move into third place in Group A of the men 's ice hockey competition . Romano Lemm scored nearly two-and-half-minutes into extra time to leave Norway bottom with three defeats from three despite a hat-trick on Saturday from Tore Vikingstad . First-placed United States will take on second-placed Canada on Sunday to decide the group , with the winner receiving a bye into the quarterfinal stage . In the women 's competition , Switzerland crushed China 6-0 as Stefanie Marty scored four goals .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a major upset , Evan Lysacek of the United States edged out defending gold medalist Russian Evgeni Plushenko to win the men 's figure skating gold medal . It was the first time since the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary -- where Brian Boitano won for the United States -- that any nation other than Russia has won the men 's gold medal in the event . In a first for Japan on the men 's podium , Daisuke Takahashi of Japan took the bronze . Lysacek , who placed fourth at the Turin Games in 2006 , won after the free skate program with a total score of 257.67 , which bettered Plushenko 's score of 256.36 . Takahashi 's score of 247.23 came just a little more than half a point better than fourth place finisher Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland . Lysacek 's triumph brought to six the number of golds and 18 the number of total medals the United States has , the most of any nation so far . Earlier , Lindsey Vonn crashed out in the slalom section , opening the door for Maria Riesch of Germany to take the gold medal in the super-combined at the Vancouver Winter Olympics . The poster girl of the Winter Games led after the downhill section of the two-discipline event , but chasing down Riesch 's combined target time of two minutes 10.08 seconds came unstuck halfway down her slalom run at Whistler Creekside . Vonn 's teammate Julia Mancuso added to her silver in the downhill behind Vonn 24 hours previously with another second-placed finish , but over a second behind Riesch . Sweden 's Anja Paerson , who suffered a crashing fall in the downhill on Wednesday , was rewarded for her brave decision to compete with a bronze medal after a fine slalom run . Vonn 's downhill time of one minute 24.16 seconds left her 0.33 seconds clear of her great friend Riesch , with Mancuso of the United States in third place , and she seemingly had a second gold in two days firmly in her grasp . But the 25-year-old from Minnesota admitted after the downhill section that the shin injury which troubled her in the build-up to the Games was a problem and may present difficulties as she bids for gold in three other disciplines . `` It 's not good . It 's really hurting and I 'm just struggling with it , '' Vonn said . `` But there 's nothing really I can do . I just have to try to do therapy and try to tough it out today and then tomorrow will be a good day off . '' Riesch , who was a disappointing eighth on her Olympic debut in the downhill , looked much more assured in her second event and was always set to be the major challenger to Vonn as she has been throughout the World Cup season . Hosts Canada gained their third gold of the Games as Christine Nesbitt powered to victory in the women 's 1,000 speed skating event at the Richmond Oval . Nesbitt had just 0.02 seconds in hand over Annette Gerritsen of the Netherlands with another Dutch skater Laurine Van Riessen taking bronze . In other early action on day seven , Norway 's Tora Berger upset the favorites to claim her country 's 100th gold in the Winter Olympics with victory in the women 's 15k individual biathlon . Berger missed just one shot to beat Kazakhstan 's Elena Khrustaleva by 20.7 seconds . And the 101st gold was not long coming in the later men 's 20km individual event as Emile Hegle Svendsen claimed victory ahead of legendary compatriot Ole Einar Bjoerndalen , who was winning his 10th Olympic medal , including five golds . Bjoerndalen tied for silver with Belarus competitor Sergey Novikov , 9.5 seconds behind Svendsen . In women 's snowboarding , the half-pipe crown went to Torah Bright of Australia ahead of American pair Hanna Teter and Kelly Clark after a thrilling competition which set new standards .","question":""}
{"answer":"KHARTOUM , Sudan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Sudanese court found a British teacher guilty of insulting religion and sentenced her to 15 days in prison Thursday for allowing a teddy bear to be named '' Mohammed , '' British authorities and her lawyer reported . An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons , who has been found guilty of insulting religion . Gillian Gibbons also faces deportation from Sudan after her prison term , her lawyer told CNN . He said that he was `` very disappointed '' with the verdict and that Gibbons planned to appeal . Gibbons was not convicted of two other charges brought against her -- inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs , her lawyer said . Gibbons , 54 , was arrested Sunday after she asked her class of 7-year-olds in Khartoum to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project , the British Foreign Office said . She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan 's constitution , the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred . Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed , Islam 's founder , likenesses are considered highly offensive by Muslims . Watch latest developments in the case . '' Appearing somber and dazed , Gibbons arrived at the central courthouse in Khartoum for her closed hearing early Thursday . A staff member from the British Embassy in Khartoum and defense lawyers attended the hearing with her . The courthouse was heavily guarded by police , who kept journalists -- and , for a while , even one of her attorneys -- away . Gibbons could have faced a sentence of 40 lashes , a fine , or a jail term of up to a year , according to the Foreign Office , which expressed Britain 's dissatisfaction with the verdict . `` We are extremely disappointed that the charges against Gillian Gibbons were not dismissed , '' Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict was announced . `` As I said this morning , our clear view is that this is an innocent misunderstanding by a dedicated teacher . Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons ' welfare , and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her . I have called in the Sudanese ambassador , Omer Siddig , this evening to explain the decision and discuss next steps . '' Watch a report on reactions to the verdict '' The Foreign Office said Gibbons would be given credit for the four days since her arrest , meaning that the she has 11 days remaining on her sentence . Earlier , Miliband had met with Siddig , who was summoned to the Foreign Office in London . `` I explained to him that we were very concerned by the case . We believe that this was an innocent misunderstanding , '' Miliband said in a statement released Thursday after the meeting . `` The Sudanese ambassador undertook to ensure our concerns were relayed to Khartoum at the highest level . He also said he would reflect back to Khartoum the real respect for the Islamic religion in this country , '' the statement added . On the first floor of the courthouse , around 25 police linked arms and forced journalists and British officials away from the court entrance . Police detained some journalists , and confiscated a camera belonging to a freelance CNN cameraman . Four vans filled with riot police were waiting outside the courthouse , but there were no signs of street disturbances or protests . Staff from Gibbons ' school , including Robert Boulos , the head of Unity High School , were present . The staff members refused to comment on their colleague 's predicament . On Wednesday , Boulos said he was `` horrified '' when he found out that the complaint about the naming of the bear came from a member of his own staff -- not from a parent , as originally thought . Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad , a secretary at the school . Gibbons has been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August , after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool , England , this summer , Boulos said . He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot , which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats . E-mail to a friend Journalist Andrew Heavens contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In style and substance , Barack Obama is looking like he could be a different president than the candidate voters got to know during the campaign . Barack Obama has taken on a more somber tone as he prepares to take office . His message of changing the country has been replaced by one of repairing the country as he inherits crises that demand immediate action . `` I want to be realistic here , '' Obama said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC 's `` This Week . '' `` Not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace that we had hoped . '' During the campaign , Obama stressed fixing the economy as one of his top priorities , but his recent language has taken on an urgent tone . Obama painted a dire picture of the economy last week , warning that if Congress does not take `` dramatic action '' on his economic aid package as soon as possible , the nation would face devastating long-term consequences . `` For every day we wait or point fingers or drag our feet , more Americans will lose their jobs . More families will lose their savings . More dreams will be deferred and denied . And our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that , at some point , we may not be able to reverse , '' he said . It 's a far cry from what voters heard from Obama the Democratic candidate , who inspired roaring crowds of thousands by telling them , `` This is our moment . This is our time . '' But with the economy in a recession and people afraid for their financial future , Obama 's soaring campaign rhetoric has given way to grim reality . And as if the economic crisis were n't enough , Obama has an international crisis awaiting him as well . The president-elect said Sunday that the suffering on both sides of Gaza 's borders has led him to ramp up his commitment to working for a peace deal in the Middle East . These urgent items on Obama 's agenda are forcing his team to reconsider some campaign pledges . Just as soon as he went from presidential hopeful to president-elect , Obama warned the nation of tough times ahead and lowered expectations that he would be the one to solve it all . Watch more on the expectations for Obama '' `` We know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars , a planet in peril , the worst financial crisis in a century , '' he said on the night of his election victory . `` The road ahead will be long . Our climb will be steep . We may not get there in one year or even in one term . But , America , I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there , '' he said . He told voters that change could n't happen without them , `` without a new spirit of service , a new spirit of sacrifice . '' He reiterated that same message this weekend , explaining what it 's going to take to reform the government . `` Everybody is going to have to give . Everybody is going to have to have some skin in the game , '' Obama told ABC . iReport.com : What should Obama do first ? Some of the pledges Obama might have to rethink include his proposal to give some homeowners a 10 percent tax credit , an idea that has little support in Congress . During the campaign , Obama also told voters , `` I do n't believe in running up debt for the next generation . '' But just last week , he acknowledged that the cost of the economic recovery plan he is pushing would be `` considerable '' and would `` certainly add to the budget deficit in the short term . '' Obama has not put a price tag on his stimulus package , but observers have estimated it would cost in the neighborhood of $ 800 billion . Obama also has proposed repealing the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy , but now it 's more likely that the president-elect will delay any tax increases on the wealthy until 2011 , when the tax cuts expire . Some of the maneuvering is aimed at attracting Republican support for the incoming president 's recovery plan , but that could set up an early battle in the now heavily Democratic Congress . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , for example , is adamant about seeing those tax cuts repealed . iReport.com : What does Obama 's presidency mean to you ? Obama says everyone will have to sacrifice , and that includes Congress , too . Some political observers say the economic crisis that Obama is inheriting is raising the stakes to get a move on his recovery plan -- even if Congress is n't 100 percent behind it . `` This strengthens Barack Obama 's hand with the Congress and with the public . It 's so urgent , that it 's going to be very , very hard , I think , for people who do n't like parts of this package to vote against it , '' said David Gergen , CNN 's senior political analyst . And while the public is well aware of the economic battle ahead , Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins said Obama has little time to wait . `` You 've got to have results , '' Rollins said , `` He does n't have four years to get it done . He has two years . If there 's not improvements dramatically in two years , you have a midterm election , and certainly by the second part of this first term , this economy better be moving . '' CNN 's Jim Acosta , Kristi Keck and Christine Romans contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The International Tennis Federation -LRB- ITF -RRB- has confirmed that Richard Gasquet has been provisionally suspended after the French star admitted testing positive for cocaine at the Miami Masters tournament in March . Gasquet is left to contemplate a possible two-year ban from tennis . A spokesman for the ITF Anti-Doping Programme told CNN Gasquet 's ban from competition has been put in place in accordance with rules revised by the 2009 WADA Code . `` Players may now be served with a provisional suspension if their A sample tests positive for a non-specified substance -LRB- eg a hormone or steroid -RRB- . Richard Gasquet has consequently received a provisional suspension according to the rules of the programme . '' The spokesman added : `` In accordance with the programme 's confidentiality provisions , the ITF will not release any further details until an independent anti-doping tribunal has issued its decision , which will be in due course . '' The former world number seven issued a statement to news agencies on Sunday after the French sports paper L'Equipe had revealed in a report on its Web site the failed doping tests . Gasquet , who has slipped to 23rd in the rankings , faces a two-year ban from tennis , but is hoping for leniency . `` The test of the B sample submitted at the end of March 2009 , confirmed the positive result of the A sample taken on the same day , '' he said . `` I want to prove my innocence and will explain myself at an appropriate time , '' he added . If Gasquet exercises his right to a hearing , an independent anti-doping tribunal will be held , ordinarily within 60 days of the player 's request . The tribunal will determine whether an offense has been committed , and if so , what penalty will be issued . Earlier Sunday , the French Tennis Federation -LRB- FFT -RRB- admitted they would be `` very surprised '' if the reports proved to be true . The FFT added in a statement released to Press Association that it `` would be very sad for Richard Gasquet himself , for tennis in general , for French tennis in particular , whose image would be dented '' if the positive test was officially confirmed . Gasquet , a teenage prodigy , has failed to match his early promise but did reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2007 . Only this week the 22-year-old was confirmed as one of the star attractions at the pre-Wimbledon tournament at Eastbourne , but now faces a battle to clear his name . In ATP tennis action on Sunday , Novak Djokovic continued his fine form on clay with victory in his home tournament in Belgrade . The Serbian top seed beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-3 7-6 in the Serbia Open final . It was Djokovic 's fourth successive appearance in an tour final . The BMW Open title in Munich went to Czech Tomas Berdych who edged out Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-4 4-6 7-6 .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House has invoked executive privilege to keep President Bush 's top political adviser , Karl Rove , from having to testify Thursday about the firings of at least eight U.S. attorneys . The White House invoked executive privilege to keep Karl Rove from having to testify Thursday . Rove , `` as an immediate adviser to the president , '' ca n't be ordered to testify and has been told not to appear , White House Counsel Fred Fielding told the Senate Judiciary Committee . The committee called Rove and his deputy , Scott Jennings , to testify Thursday morning . The White House says it is trying to protect the president 's ability to receive candid advice and offered to let top aides discuss the firings only if they were not placed under oath and no transcript was taken . `` It is regretted that the committee has forced this action , as the president 's offer of accommodation to you and to the House Judiciary Committee could have provided information being sought in a manner respectful of presidential prerogatives and consistent with a spirit of comity , '' Fielding wrote . But Sen. Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , accused the White House of trying to cover up Rove 's role in the firings . He questioned why Rove discussed the matter publicly when the issue first made news , but now `` is suddenly unable to talk it about when he is under oath . '' `` Mr. Rove has given reasons for the firings that have now been shown to be inaccurate , after-the-fact fabrications , '' Leahy said in a statement issued Wednesday evening . `` Yet he now refuses to tell this committee the truth about his role in targeting well-respected U.S. attorneys for firing and in seeking to cover up his role and that of his staff in the scandal . '' Mark Paoletta , a lawyer for Jennings , told CNN his client will appear before the Judiciary Committee but would refuse to answer questions he feels are covered by executive privilege . Former White House political director Sara Taylor testified under similar circumstances in July . The White House already has invoked executive privilege to block previous testimony by Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers , who skipped a hearing in the House two weeks ago , and to keep Chief of Staff Josh Bolten from turning over documents subpoenaed as part of the inquiry . The panel voted to cite Miers and Bolten for contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas . The decision on whether to pursue any action on those citations lies with the Justice Department . The privilege claim can be challenged in court . But Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania , the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee , has said the courts would be unlikely to resolve any challenge before Bush leaves office . Vice President Dick Cheney dismissed the congressional investigation of the attorney firings as a `` witch hunt '' during a CNN interview Tuesday . Democratic congressional leaders , however , say administration officials have been unable to answer their most basic questions -- who compiled the list of prosecutors to be dismissed , and why were they selected ? While the Bush administration has maintained that the prosecutors ' firings were handled properly , the controversy has led to the resignations of at least three top Justice Department officials and triggered widespread criticism of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales , who repeatedly told a Senate committee in April that he did not recall details of the firings . Critics say the attorneys were forced out for political reasons , such as for failing to bring voter fraud cases pushed by Republican activists , and administration officials have acknowledged that one was fired to allow a Rove protege to take a post in Arkansas . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- China can seem as impenetrable as it is imposing . Consider the numbers : it 's the world 's most populous nation -LRB- 1.3 billion -RRB- , where more than 100 cities have populations over a million . Fifty-six ethnic groups are spread across 22 wildly distinct provinces and five autonomous regions , in a landmass slightly larger than the U.S. . The Tiananmen Gate at the entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing Its history seems limitless and its traditions just as deep . But here and now , change is the only real constant -- and it is accelerating at a dizzying pace . -LRB- One thousand new cars hit the streets of Beijing every day . -RRB- How do you begin to fathom a country of such extremes ? The futuristic cities glittering above timeworn villages ; the great rivers and vast empty deserts ; the radical new architecture juxtaposed with millennia-old monuments ; the ceaseless push-and-pull between Confucianism , Communism , and commerce . Where do you even begin ? Have no fear . Start here with Travel + Leisure 's suggestions for where to go and what to see . Beijing : 2 -- 3 days China 's political , historical and cultural capital demands at least three days -- for the familiar landmarks of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City , and also for Beijing 's 21st-century architecture , such as the `` Bird 's Nest '' Olympic National Stadium by Herzog & de Meuron and the glass-and-titanium dome that is the National Grand Theater . China 's contemporary art scene finds its nexus in the galleries and caf\u00e9s of the Dashanzi Art District , home to the new Ullens Center for Contemporary Art . Travel + Leisure.com : Tips for flying to China Beijing 's atmospheric hutong , or traditional alleyways , are fast disappearing ; explore the bustling ones off Nanluoguxiang , near the 13th-century Drum and Bell towers . Then check out the Legation Quarter , a high-end restaurant , entertainment and cultural development set within the former American Embassy compound . And save a morning to stroll the manicured , 660-acre grounds of the Temple of Heaven , site of the circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests , the 15th-century apogee of Chinese ritual architecture . Travel + Leisure.com : Chinese taxi trips The Great Wall Numerous stretches of the Great Wall are easily accessible from Beijing -LRB- ask your hotel to arrange a car or bus tour -RRB- . But avoid the tourist trap of Badaling and head to the slightly less trammeled Mutianyu section , a 90-minute drive northeast of the Forbidden City . Early morning is best ; try Asia 1 on 1 for day trips . Travel + Leisure.com : Where to stay in China Shanghai : 2 -- 3 days First stop : the riverfront promenade known as the Bund , with its Art Deco , Neoclassical , and Beaux-Arts fa\u00e7ades , bars and shops , and views of the space-age towers of Pudong . In People 's Park you 'll find the Shanghai Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art . Weekdays are the best time to wander among the pine trees and ponds of the 16th-century Yuyuan Gardens . Xintiandi was the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party ; now this restored two-block district is defined by upscale shops and restaurants . The leafy , rustic French Concession is the favored destination for cutting-edge fashion and designs for the home . Shanghai 's latest secret ? Lane 248 , a gritty , narrow street now inhabited by artsy caf\u00e9s and intimate boutiques , hidden behind Taikang Road . Travel + Leisure.com : China shopping tips and strategies Guilin : 2 days -LRB- Two hours by air from Shanghai . -RRB- With its sheer limestone peaks jutting up from the Li River , Guilin is straight out of a traditional Chinese landscape painting , and remains one of China 's most breathtaking sights . Take in the view from Solitary Beauty Peak and marvel at the formations of the Reed Flute Cave . Spring and fall are best ; avoid the heat of July and the crowds of the holiday seasons . Xi'an : 2 days -LRB- Two hours by air from Beijing . -RRB- China 's ancestral capital is renowned for its `` terra-cotta army , '' created during the Qin dynasty -LRB- 221 -- 207 B.C. -RRB- : thousands of life-size clay warriors stand in formation as part of the funerary complex of China 's first emperor , with much more yet to be excavated . You 'll need at least two days here to take in the warriors , see the Shang dynasty bronze relics at the Shaanxi History Museum , walk along the Old City walls , and visit the Da Mai market . Datong : 2 days -LRB- One hour by air or six hours by scenic train ride from Beijing . -RRB- Majestic Qing dynasty frescoes are the standout in the celebrated temple district . Nearby excursions include the awesome Buddhist sculptures in the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple of Mount Hengshan , which clings precipitously to the side of a cliff . Not far away are some especially beautiful eroded mud-brick ruins of the Great Wall . Hangzhou : 2 days -LRB- Two hours by bullet train from Shanghai . -RRB- Fabled West Lake is the major draw here , with its elegant causeways , pavilions , gardens , and arched bridges . Hangzhou is also renowned as a culinary capital : local specialties include stuffed-beggar 's chicken and fatty dongpo pork ; sample both at the great Louwailou restaurant . Travel + Leisure.com : Must-try Chinese food Suzhou : 1 day -LRB- 45 minutes by train from Shanghai . -RRB- Famous for its Ming - and Qing-dynasty gardens -LRB- do n't miss the Garden of the Master of the Nets and the Humble Administrator 's Garden -RRB- , Suzhou was once called the Venice of the East for its canals . But smart travelers know the most picturesque waterways -- fringed by whitewashed houses and 1,000-year-old humpbacked bridges -- are in the village of Tongli , a 50-minute drive away . Kunming : 1 day -LRB- Three hours by air from Shanghai . -RRB- This city is one of China 's most pleasant , in climate-blessed Yunnan province . Visit the 15th-century Bamboo Temple and the 17th-century Golden Temple , stroll the pavilions and bridges of Green Lake , and savor the raucous energy of the Kundu Night Market . Dali : 1 day -LRB- 45 minutes by air from Kunming . -RRB- Like nearby Lijiang , Dali has a strong ethnic-minority flavor , a walled Old City with cobblestoned streets , and striking mountain scenery -- but without the same tourist mobs . Explore on foot , peek at the Three Pagodas , or go for a boat ride on Erhai Lake . Taiyuan : 1 day -LRB- One hour by air from Beijing . -RRB- The capital of Shanxi province , Taiyuan is home to the Shanxi Provincial Museum , offering a superb survey of the region 's 5,000-year history , and the Jinci Temple weaves a thread between Taoism , Confucianism , and Buddhism . And 90 minutes southwest by car is Pingyao , a stunningly preserved walled city and veritable time machine that carries you back to the Ming and Qing dynasties . Planning a beach getaway ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least two bombs were dropped near the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan , resulting in an undetermined number of casualties , the spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday . `` We are very concerned that these bombs were dropped in an area where there are thousands of refugees who have gathered after fleeing the violence in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states , '' the spokesperson said in a statement . `` It is essential that both parties immediately take all steps to protect civilian lives . '' In Washington , the office of the White House press secretary said in a statement that the United States `` strongly condemns the aerial bombardment by the Sudan Armed Forces of the town of Yida , '' where more than 20,000 refugees who have fled conflict in the Sudanese state of Southern Kordofan are living . The Southern Kordofan , Blue Nile State and Nuba Mountain regions straddle Sudan and South Sudan 's geographical and political lines . Although these territories are geographically part of Sudan , its population has faced `` exclusion , marginalization and discriminatory practices that have resulted in their opposition to the Sudanese government , '' according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights . `` This bombing of civilians and humanitarian workers is an outrageous act , and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions , '' the statement said . The attack follows other bombardments by the Sudan Armed Forces on November 8 near the border that increase the potential for confrontation between Sudan and South Sudan , it said . `` The United States demands the Government of Sudan halt aerial bombardments immediately , '' the statement said . `` We urge the Government of South Sudan to exercise restraint in responding to this provocation to prevent further escalation of hostilities . '' It called for a resumption of negotiations by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People 's Liberation Movement-North . President H.E. Saliva Kiir Mayardit has said he will not support armed opposition forces fighting against the government of Sudan , the South Sudan government website said . Kiir said Sudan was threatening the sovereignty of South Sudan '' through military invasion . '' Liberation army members have clashed with the military of South Sudan , which separated from Sudan and became independent in July . Led by former officers of the southern army that fought neighboring Sudan in a 22-year civil war , the militias have taken up arms against their former comrades and become a challenge for the world 's newest nation .","question":""}
{"answer":"ARNOLD , Missouri -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On his 100th day in office , President Obama said Wednesday that he was `` pleased with the progress we 've made but not satisfied . '' Obama marked his 100th day in office Wednesday with a town hall meeting and later a news conference . `` I 've come back to report to you , the American people , that we have begun to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off , and we 've begun the work of remaking America , '' the president said at a town hall meeting in a high school gymnasium in Arnold , a St. Louis suburb . `` I 'm confident in the future , but not I 'm not content with the present , '' he said . `` You know the progress comes from hard choices and hard work , not miracles . I 'm not a miracle worker , '' he said . Obama acknowledged challenges of `` unprecedented size and scope , '' including the recession . These challenges , he said , could not be met with `` half measures . '' `` They demand action that is bold and sustained . They call on us to clear away the wreckage of a painful recession , But also , at the same time , lay the building blocks for a new prosperity . And that 's the work that we 've begun over these first 100 days , '' he said . He responded to critics who say he is trying to do too much as he works to address the recession as well as health care , energy and education . `` There 's no mystery to what we 've done ; the priorities that we 've acted upon were the things that we said we 'd do during the campaign , '' he said , prompting loud applause . The president made an opening statement that lasted about 20 minutes before taking questions from the audience . The last question was from a fourth-grade girl who asked about the administration 's environmental policies . Later Wednesday , Obama will hold a prime-time news conference in the East Room of the White House . Leading up to the date , White House aides had labeled the 100th day as a `` Hallmark '' holiday . `` They do n't mean anything , '' quipped one aide , `` but you have to observe them . '' More than six in 10 Americans approve of the job Obama is doing as president , a recent poll of polls shows . According to a CNN Poll of Polls compiled early Wednesday , 63 percent say they approve of how Obama is handling his duties . CNN 's Ed Henry contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"URUMQI , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Several hundred people staged a new protest in Urumqi on Tuesday , demanding the release of relatives detained in connection with weekend demonstrations by ethnic Uyghur residents in China 's far western Xinjiang region . Ethnic Uyghur women grab the arm of a policeman as they protest in Urumqi on July 7 . The crowd of 200 to 300 -- mostly women and elderly -- quickly formed as local authorities were taking members of the media on a tour of a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during riots over the weekend , witnesses said . Riot police quickly moved in to defuse the standoff as the demonstrators shouted the names of family members they wanted released . The protest is the latest sign that tensions are still simmering in the Xinjiang capital , where violent demonstrations have left 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured , according to the regional public security department . In southern China , police have detained 15 suspects in connection with an incident that may have spurred the deadly rioting in Urumqi , state-run media reported . There is speculation that Sunday 's protest , which took place in the predominantly Uyghur-populated Bazaar district , may have been a reaction to ethnic violence in southern China . The violence took place late last month at a toy factory in Guangdong province , where many migrants , including Uyghurs , have moved in search of work . A massive brawl reportedly broke out between workers of Uyghur and Han nationalities . Two Uyghurs reportedly died . The unrest in Urumqi had been brought under control with a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads , the government said Tuesday . Curfews were in force in major districts of the capital . At least 1,434 suspects had been detained by Tuesday morning , the Xinhua news agency reported , citing government officials . `` The police have started interrogations with the suspects , '' said Li Yi , a spokesman for the Communist Party in Xinjiang . Those convicted would be dealt with severely , he said . Watch more on violence in Xinjiang '' In a rare public display of dissatisfaction , thousands of Uyghurs -- many of whom feel they are treated as second-class citizens by the majority Han Chinese -- took to the streets Sunday chanting and screaming , prompting a police lockdown of the city . State-run media reported that protesters attacked passersby , burned public buses and blocked traffic . The report did not say how many people took part or what their grievances were . But a witness in Urumqi told CNN that , soon after the protest started about 5 p.m. , hundreds of demonstrators `` grew into easily over 1,000 -- men , women and children , all ethnic Uyghurs -- screaming and chanting . '' Police arrived quickly and tried to control the swelling crowd by erecting barriers in the street , but `` people pushed them over , '' the witness said . `` They were throwing rocks at passing cars and buses . '' As the violence escalated , hundreds of riot police arrived , the witness said . `` They used tear gas and fire hoses to disperse the crowd . I saw fire trucks , ambulances , armed personnel carriers and what looked like tanks . I heard random gunshots . '' iReport.com : Are you there ? Share photos , video , commentary Late Sunday , the witness said , Urumqi was in a lockdown , with hundreds of People 's Liberation Army soldiers in the streets . He reported seeing riot police chasing protesters into alleys and rounding up many of them . Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs . China 's constitution guarantees ethnic minorities equal rights and limited autonomy . However , ethnic tensions run deep . Minority groups such as the Uyghurs complain that they are subjected to discrimination by the majority Han . See a map of Xinjiang '' Tensions also ran high in Han communities in the capital on Tuesday as neighbors organized to protect themselves and their businesses . Groups of men carrying pipes , sticks and cleavers milled in front of shops before police dispersed them . `` The Uyghurs will attack any Han they see , '' one man said . The World Uyghur Congress , a dissident Uyghur group based in Munich , Germany , condemned the crackdown on what it described in a written statement as Sunday 's `` peaceful protest '' by Uyghurs . `` The Chinese authorities should acknowledge that the peaceful protest was sparked by the unlawful mob beating and killing of Uyghur workers at a Guangdong toy factory more than a week ago , '' it said . `` The authorities should also acknowledge that their failure to take any meaningful action to punish the Chinese mob for the brutal murder of Uyghurs is the real cause of this protest . '' It accused the Chinese authorities of having `` used tear gas , automatic rifles and armored vehicles to disperse the Uyghur protesters . During the crackdown , some were shot to death , and some were beaten to death by Chinese police . Some demonstrators were even crushed by armored vehicles near Xinjiang University , according to eyewitnesses . '' Watch victims describe the riots in Urumqi '' The government in Xinjiang blamed `` foreign forces '' for Sunday 's rioting . `` The violence is premeditated , organized violent crime , '' said Nur Bekri , chairman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region , the equivalent of a governor . `` It was instigated and directed from abroad and carried out by outlaws in the country . '' Bekri accused the World Uyghur Congress of spreading rumors and inciting anger that led to the rioting , in a speech carried by Xinjiang television . The World Uyghur Congress denied the charge . It is led by Rebuya Kadeer , a businesswoman of Uyghur ethnicity who was detained in 1999 and accused of harming China 's national security . She was freed on bail in 2005 and was allowed to leave for the United States for medical care . Bekri accused Kadeer of instigating the unrest via the Internet and said the fight at the Guangdong toy factory was exploited to incite ethnic strife . Internet service was hard to come by in Urumqi on Tuesday . Reporters ' BlackBerries could not send and receive messages . Computers could not access the Web at their hotels .","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is `` urgently dispatching '' a special envoy to Myanmar , a statement from his office said Wednesday , following reports of violent clashes in that country between security forces and protesters . Protests at the crackdown have taken place overseas , including one outside the Myanmar embassy , London . `` He calls on the senior leadership of the country to cooperate fully with this mission in order to take advantage of the willingness of the United Nations to assist in the process of a national reconciliation through dialogue , '' said a U.N. statement . The envoy , Ibrahim Gambari , is scheduled to lead a briefing on the situation in Myanmar for the U.N. Security Council Wednesday afternoon . `` Noting reports of the use of force and of arrests and beatings , the secretary-general calls again on authorities to exercise utmost restraint toward the peaceful demonstrations taking place , as such action can only undermine the prospects for peace , prosperity and stability in Myanmar , '' Ban 's statement said . There 's been no official word yet if the military junta ruling Myanmar will accept the offer from the U.N. secretary-general . Speaking at the Labour Party conference Wednesday , British Prime Minister Gordon Brown underscored that any trampling on human rights would not be accepted . `` The whole world is now watching Burma and this illegal and oppressive regime should know that the whole world will hold it to account , '' he said . U.S. President George W. Bush , speaking to the U.N. General Assembly 's annual session Tuesday before the crackdown , said his administration would impose stiffer sanctions against the country 's military regime . `` The United States will tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers . We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for the most egregious violations of human rights , as well as their family members , '' he said . `` We will continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups working to alleviate suffering in Burma -LRB- the country 's traditional name -RRB- and urge the United Nations and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom . '' His comments were echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy , also at the U.N. General Assembly . `` I 'm deeply concerned about the situation in Burma and Myanmar , and I would like to appeal for the peaceful , spontaneous demonstrations which are expressing just political and social concerns that they not be repressed by force in any way , '' Sarkozy said . Soe Aung , National Council of the Union of Burma spokesman , called for the world to take action . `` There should be some action -- decisive action -- taken by the international community . At least there should be an urgent meeting of the Security Council level , '' he said . Aung also commented that the demonstrators do not seem content to back down . `` The monks are very determined that they are going to go ahead with the demonstrations unless their demands are met , '' he said . Such demands include an apology from ministry authorities for the mistreatment of monks in central Myanmar , a reduction in the price of gasoline -- which originally sparked protests in late August -- and the release of protesters detained since demonstrations began , Aung said . U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad . `` We are concerned about the situation , particularly now , because we see a worsening of the political situation and that is affecting the well-being of the people of Burma . `` We have urged Mr. Gambari and he plans to visit Burma as soon as possible , '' Khalilzad said , referring to Ibrahim Gambari , the U.N. special envoy to Burma . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Oklahoma health officials said Friday they are searching for the source of a rare form of E. coli that has killed one person and sickened 116 others in the northeastern part of the state . The subtype of bacteria -- called E. coli 0111 -- is `` not normally found in this form of outbreak , '' said Leslea Bennett-Webb , director of communication for the Oklahoma State Department of Health . More than 50 people have been hospitalized and nine people -- six of them children -- have been placed on dialysis , she said . She said the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Georgia , helped state officials determine the subtype , but said the cause of the outbreak remains unknown . `` The focus has been narrowed to the Country Cottage Restaurant located in Locust Grove , '' she said , noting that most of the people who became ill ate there between August 15 and August 23 . Tests carried out on water from a well on restaurant property indicate the presence of bacteria , but `` we have not been able to confirm what kind of bacteria , '' said Skylar McElhaney , a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality . The Oklahoma Department of Health will analyze them and compare them with samples taken from victims , she said . `` We ca n't say for sure that it is tied to the water in any way , but we also can not rule it out , '' she said . Symptoms of infection with the bacteria can include severe diarrhea , bloody diarrhea , vomiting and severe abdominal cramping , said Larry Weatherford of the Oklahoma State Department of Health . Management at the restaurant , which has closed during the investigation , was working closely with health officials , he added . Meanwhile , the outbreak appears to be abating . `` While we believe we are seeing a downward curve in the number of people who have become ill , we still have many challenges with some patients who remain hospitalized , '' said State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley . `` We continue to ask the public to be extra diligent in their hand washing and food preparation to minimize the possibility of additional persons becoming ill . '' The CDC estimates there may be about 70,000 E. coli infections each year in the United States .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Someone out there just leapt all comic book purchase price records in a single bound . A near-pristine copy of Action Comics # 1 -- better known as the first appearance of Superman -- sold at an online auction Wednesday night for a staggering $ 2.16 million . The seller ? None other than cash-strapped actor Nicolas Cage , according to The Hollywood Reporter . Cage turned a super-sized profit , the Reporter noted . He bought the 1938 Man of Steel original 14 years ago for roughly $ 150,000 . The buyer has remained anonymous . But `` he 's an extremely passionate collector , and he treasures owning the best of the best , '' said Vincent Zurzolo , chief operating officer of New York-based ComicConnect.com , which conducted the auction . `` In particular , he loves Superman . '' When the comic book first went on the auction block November 12 , the top bid was around $ 900,000 , Zurzolo noted . The price rose to more than $ 1.5 million Monday and smashed the $ 2 million mark five minutes before the close of bidding . The previous comic book sale price record ? Roughly $ 1.5 million for another copy of Action Comics # 1 in March of 2010 . `` I 've been involved in the comic book business for over 25 years , '' Zurzolo told CNN . Superman remains an `` icon that represents the best of this great country . '' Cage 's copy of the all-American classic comes with a colorful back story . It was reported stolen in January 2000 , according to the Reporter , and remained lost for more than 11 years before showing up last April in an abandoned storage locker in California 's San Fernando Valley . Comic book collectors ' holy grails If you 're hoping to get your own original 1938 copy , do n't hold your breath . There are only about 100 copies still believed to be in existence , according to ComicConnect . About 100 copies of Detective Comics # 27 -- better known as the first appearance of Batman -- are also still believed to be out there . The Caped Crusader made his inaugural appearance in 1939 . An original Depression-era Batman wo n't come cheap , however . One copy sold last year for a little over $ 1 million . The good news : if you 're willing to settle for a more modern incarnation of the two crime fighters , you can probably afford it . `` All New Batman : The Brave and the Bold '' went on sale last month for $ 2.99 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- While the horse racing world is all abuzz over Rachel Alexandra , the amazing three-year-old filly who recently beat Kentucky Derby winner Mine that Bird -LRB- along with a field full of other colts -RRB- in the Preakness Stakes , we 're reminded of some other female athletes of the two-legged variety who also beat the boys at their own game . Danica Patrick finished third at the 2009 Indianapolis 500 on Saturday . 1 . Billie Jean King -- tennis In 1973 , Billie Jean King was 29 years old and the reigning queen of women 's tennis . In an era when female athletes were paid significantly less than their male counterparts , King still managed to earn $ 100,000 in 1971 . Bobby Riggs had won Wimbledon back in 1939 , but by the 1970s his star was fading . He kept his name in the press by proclaiming himself a male chauvinist pig and declaring that women athletes could never be as good as men . After defeating Margaret Court in May , he proclaimed `` I want King ! '' The much-hyped `` Battle of the Sexes '' was held at the Houston Astrodome on September 20 , 1973 . The idea of a woman beating a man in any sport was so unbelievable at the time that Las Vegas oddsmakers heavily favored the 55-year-old Riggs . A worldwide television audience watched via satellite as King neatly thrashed Riggs 6-4 , 6-3 and 6-3 . Billie Jean King not only took home the prize money and several endorsement deals , she also opened up a new playing field for professional sportswomen . Mental Floss : Song Elton John wrote for Billie Jean King 2 . Margaret Murdock -- shooting Margaret Murdock 's father was a Kansas state rifle champion , so it was logical that both she and her sister took up the sport as children . When Murdock attended Kansas State in the early 1960s , she won her varsity letter by competing on the men 's rifle team . In 1976 she became the first woman to represent the U.S. on its Olympic shooting team . The small-bore three position competition calls for the shooter to fire off 40 shots each in the standing , kneeling and prone position . The competitors fire from 50 meters away at a target that is a little smaller than a dime . At the end of the competition , Murdock was tied with Lanny Bassham , the team captain . Bassham requested a tie-breaking shoot-off , but Olympic rules forbade it ; instead , Bassham was awarded the gold medal because he had scored three `` 100s '' to Murdock 's two . During the medal ceremony , Lanny pulled Margaret up from the silver pedestal to stand with him during the national anthem to indicate that she deserved the gold as much as he . 3 . Jackie Mitchell -- baseball Virne Beatrice Mitchell , known to her family as `` Jackie , '' entered the world ahead of schedule and weighed only a little over three pounds at birth . As soon as she learned to walk , her father took her to the ballpark . The Mitchell 's next door neighbor in Memphis was future Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance , who was still playing in the minors at the time . He coached Jackie in the art of pitching when she was eight years old and even showed her his trademark `` drop pitch , '' a dazzling throw in which the ball swooped down just before crossing the plate . When Mitchell was 17 she was offered a contract with the Chattanooga Lookouts , today the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers . On April 1 , 1931 , the New York Yankees were in town to play an exhibition game against the Lookouts . The game was postponed a day due to rain , and there was a crowd of 4,000 on hand when Mitchell finally took the mound . Babe Ruth stepped up to the plate and southpaw Jackie threw her special pitch . Ruth took the first pitch for a ball , but the next three were strikes . Lou Gehrig , baseball 's Iron Man , was up next and similarly struck out . The crowd was on its feet , but some skeptical reporters wrote that the whole thing had been staged , since the game was originally scheduled for April Fool 's Day . Nevertheless , Commissioner Kennesaw Landis was sufficiently threatened by the tiny female dynamo that he had her contract voided , stating that baseball was `` too strenuous '' for women . Mental Floss : 7 silly products licensed by Major League Baseball 4 . Seana Hogan -- cycling To Ultra Cyclists , 100-mile events are kid stuff . Ultra Cyclists consider events like the Race Across America -LRB- RAAM -RRB- -- a 2,950 mile cross-country jaunt -- to be a real competition . Seana Hogan of San Jose , California , has won the female division of RAAM an amazing six times , and her finish times in each case usually placed her in the top 15 finishers overall . Ultra Cycling requires about 20 hours of continuous pedaling per day , up hills -LRB- a combined total of about 82,000 feet of climbing -RRB- , down dales and in all weather . Hogan holds the record for the San Francisco to Los Angeles race -LRB- beating even the best men 's time -RRB- and was the overall winner of the 1995 Furnace Creek 508 , which runs from Valencia through Death Valley to Twentynine Palms . 5 . Danica Patrick -- auto racing Danica Patrick 's parents met on a blind date at an auto race , so she felt that racing was her destiny . Patrick started competing on the go-kart circuit at age 10 , and moved to England at 16 to participate in various racing events and advance her career . In 2000 , she finished second in the Formula Ford Festival , the highest finish by an American in that event . She moved back to the States where she competed in the Toyota Atlantic series for Rahal Letterman Racing and won her first pole position . Patrick started her Indy career in 2005 , making her only the fourth woman to compete in the 500 . Three years later she won the Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300 , the first female driver to win an IndyCar race . 6 . Sonya Thomas -- competitive eating At five feet , five inches tall and just under 100 lbs. , Sonya Thomas gives the impression that the slightest breeze could blow her away . But despite her wispy stature , Thomas is known in competitive eating circles for blowing away the competition , including male contestants three times her size . Thomas remembers being inspired to enter the world of competitive eating after watching Takeru Kobayashi munching his way to the championship at the Nathan 's Coney Island hot dog contest in 2002 . In 2005 she set a record for female frankfurter consumption in Nathan 's annual contest . That was n't quite good enough for Sonya , however , and she began a training regimen that included walking two hours per day on an inclined treadmill and eating only one large meal per day . Scientific-types hypothesize that Sonya 's slim physique gives her an advantage over her more zaftig competitors -- she lacks a layer of fat around her abdomen , which gives it more room to expand . Whatever the explanation , Thomas has defeated all-comers in various International Federation of Competitive Eating contests , including `` the most '' oysters , chicken wings and Krystal hamburgers downed in a prescribed amount of time . Mental Floss : Food challenges for the super competitive For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A month after announcing plans to expand offshore drilling , President Obama visited ground zero of the Gulf Coast oil disaster and warned that residents could be facing a `` potentially unprecedented environmental disaster . '' `` The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states and it could extend for a long time . It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home , '' Obama said Sunday in Venice , Louisiana . The president reiterated that oil company BP is responsible for the leak and will foot the cost of the cleanup . He pledged to `` spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues . '' Obama 's remarks were a stark contrast from his late March proposal to open swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling . Obama said then that the decision did not come lightly , but it was one that he approached with confidence . `` The bottom line is this : Given our energy needs , in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs , and keep our businesses competitive , we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable , homegrown energy , '' he said as he unveiled his plans . Obama said the federal government would begin the process of leasing some areas off the coasts of Virginia , Alaska and possibly Florida to oil companies for drilling . New offshore drilling in most U.S. waters has been banned since the early 1980s , when mounting public pressure pushed lawmakers into action . A disastrous oil spill off the California coast in 1969 sparked protests that grew into a broader environmental movement , which eventually forced a drilling moratorium . But as the environmental impact of the Gulf Coast spill comes ashore , the appetite for Obama 's offshore drilling plan and the enthusiasm from administration officials appear to have subsided . CNNMoney : Oil spill may threaten offshore drilling plans `` All he has said is that he 's not going to continue the moratorium on drilling , '' White House senior adviser David Axelrod told ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' on Friday . `` No domestic drilling in new areas is going to go forward until there is an adequate review of what 's happened here and of what is being proposed elsewhere . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that moving ahead on offshore drilling is `` going to require a balancing act . '' `` That is a national security concern because we have to do better to lessen our dependence on foreign oil . But it has to be done safely . It ca n't be done at the risk of having to spend billions of dollars cleaning up these spills , '' she said on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Sunday that the Gulf Coast disaster `` sends out the clarion call that we need to diversify our energy resources . '' `` Our intention is to move forward thoughtfully , looking at how we can protect the resources of the United States and making thoughtful decisions , '' he said on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' noting that deep-water drilling has been done thousands of times without incident . Time.com : Obama promises help , but containing spill is still talk Obama said Friday he still believes that domestic oil production is an important part of the strategy for energy security , but he added , `` I 've always said it must be done responsibly , for the safety of our workers and our environment . '' The president ordered Salazar to conduct a review of the oil spill and report back in 30 days on what precautions , if any , should be required to prevent future accidents . Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has asked Obama to shelve his proposal , at least until the cause of the current spill is fully investigated . In a letter to the president , Nelson also said he would file legislation `` that would , for the time being , prohibit the Interior Department from acting on your administration 's plans to expand offshore drilling , including seismic testing and other exploratory operations . '' Florida Gov. Charlie Crist , who in the past has been a proponent of offshore drilling , told NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' that such drilling has `` got to be tabled , for sure . '' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated last week that Obama 's offshore plans are n't set in stone . `` I think our focus right now is , one , the area , the spill , and two , also to ultimately determine the cause of it and see the impact that that ultimately may or may not have , '' he said , noting that Obama 's announcement was the beginning , and not the end , of a longer process . CNNMoney 's Steve Hargreaves contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said . The protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . The state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , Yerevan , said Salpi Ghazarian , assistant to the Armenian foreign minister , who spoke to CNN early Sunday . The state of emergency could last until March 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a U.S. Embassy official . Ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition '' The embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days . As of early Sunday morning , Freedom Square was empty , Ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia '' `` What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' Ghazarian said . `` After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . There are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` We 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning 's action by Armenian riot police was bloody , but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` These are innocent people , '' she said . `` They just want their freedom . They just want to be heard . They are being beaten up , some people have horrible wounds . '' She asked that CNN not use her name because she feared for her safety . As night fell Saturday , the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters ' gathering , and tracer fire could be seen in the sky , according to another Yerevan resident , who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety . The man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day . The car initially did not stop , he said , but the protesters surrounded the car , dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle , he said . The officers were able to escape , he said , but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck . The protests began soon after the February 19 presidential election . Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian , a political ally of outgoing President Kocharian . The opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided . Ghazarian said Sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition . `` We are hoping with the help of the international community , the opposition , the leader of the opposition , will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets , '' she said . Haroutiun Khachatrian , editor of the Noyan Tappan News Agency , told CNN that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square Saturday morning , including many opposition party officials . Ter-Petrosian was there but was not arrested , he said . The opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means . The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe -LRB- OSCE -RRB- monitored last month 's Armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards , although it did include some criticism in its report . The U.S. Embassy has warned the several hundred Americans living in Yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place , the U.S. official said . Armenia , population 3 million , is a former Soviet republic east of Turkey , south of Georgia and north of Iran . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three U.S. soldiers were killed and 31 others wounded in two rocket attacks Sunday afternoon in Baghdad , the U.S. military said . Mehdi Army militiamen celebrate after attacking an Iraqi Army vehicle in Baghdad 's Sadr City on Sunday . Earlier Sunday , fighting between U.S. troops and the Mehdi Army militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr left at least 20 dead and 52 wounded in Baghdad 's Sadr City , according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry official . The U.S. military said it had no information about the Sadr City fighting . Sunday 's violence came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanded al-Sadr disband his Mehdi Army and threatened to bar al-Sadr 's followers from the political process if the cleric refused . Watch a report from the front line in Sadr City '' `` A decision was taken yesterday that they no longer have a right to participate in the political process or take part in the upcoming elections unless they end the Mehdi Army , '' al-Maliki said . Sunday 's American fatalities bring the death toll of U.S. troops in the Iraq war to 4,022 ; that toll includes eight civilian contractors working for the Pentagon . Nearly 30,000 others have been wounded in action . An attack involving a `` couple of rounds '' of fire on the International Zone , also known as the Green Zone , killed two soldiers and wounded 17 others about 3:30 p.m. , a military official said , declining to give the specific location of the attack for security reasons . A separate attack about 30 minutes earlier killed one soldier and wounded 14 at a U.S. military outpost in Rustamiya in southeastern Baghdad , the military said . Responding to al-Maliki 's comments , a spokesman for al-Sadr , Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi , said that any effort to bar Sadrists from participation in politics would be unconstitutional -- and that any decision to disband the Mehdi Army is not the government 's to make . `` It is up to the side that established it , '' he said . Al-Maliki spoke in an exclusive interview with CNN after a weeklong military offensive against what Iraqi officials called gangs and militia members in the southern Iraqi city of Basra . Hundreds were killed or wounded in the fighting across Iraq , which reportedly ended when Iranian and Iraqi Shiite officials held talks in Iran with al-Sadr . Asked about Iran 's role in ending the Basra conflict , al-Maliki attributed the cease-fire to the work of his security forces . Haidar al-Abadi , an Iraqi lawmaker who belongs to al-Maliki 's Dawa Party , said last week that Iranian officials participated in the discussions , and another source close to the talks said the Iranians pressured al-Sadr to craft an agreement . `` I am not aware of such an attempt , '' al-Maliki said Sunday . `` What happened on the ground and the breakdown in the structure of this militia is what made Muqtada al-Sadr issue his statement to withdraw his militants from the streets . What happened was something to save Muqtada , not to help us . '' Watch al-Maliki talk about issues that concern Iraq '' In northern Iraq , security forces detained a suspect Sunday and were searching for others in connection with the kidnapping of 42 college students , authorities said . Gunmen seized the male students in northern Iraq before releasing them several hours later , according to a military spokesman and police in Nineveh province . None was harmed , according to the U.S. military . Gunmen stopped two buses loaded with students who were on their way to college , but one bus managed to escape , police said . Four students on the bus that escaped were wounded by gunfire , police said . Students on the other bus were released Sunday afternoon after coalition military forces spotted the bus during an air patrol on the western outskirts of Mosul , according to a U.S. military news release . The kidnappers fled the vehicle after it was stopped , according to a military press release . Other developments \u2022 A Christian priest was shot and killed in eastern Baghdad 's Wihda neighborhood around noon Saturday , according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry official . The priest was identified as Father Yousif Adel . He belonged to St. Peter and Paul 's Assyrian Orthodox Church . \u2022 At least two people were killed Saturday and 16 others wounded when a bomb exploded in a minibus in eastern Baghdad 's Beirut Square , the official said . \u2022 President Bush is planning to address the nation Thursday morning about the Iraq war , sources said . Bush is expected to address the administration 's decision to reduce combat tours of duty from 15 months to 12 months , Republican and Democratic sources said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Nic Robertson , Jomana Karadsheh and Ingrid Formanek contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti , who died on Thursday at the age of 71 , was one of opera 's most adaptable and ebullient performers , appearing on stage with singers as varied as Dame Joan Sutherland , U2 's Bono and Liza Minnelli . Much as the star power of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov revived widespread interest in classical ballet in the 1970s and 1980s , Pavarotti 's beaming charisma and bravura style captured the attention of the late-20th-century audience for opera . Widely considered the greatest tenor of his time , Pavarotti began his life modestly in Modena , the son of Fernando , a baker and amateur singer , and Adele , who worked at the local tobacco factory . `` I dreamed to become a singer when I was four and I hear my father singing in the church with a beautiful tenor voice , '' he told CNN in a 1991 interview . `` And I say to myself , well , let 's try to do something . '' The young Pavarotti -- who played soccer with his town 's junior team -- joined the church choir with his father and traveled with him to Wales , where the singing group won first prize at the Llangollen International singing competition . Although the experience left Pavarotti enthralled with singing , he graduated from the local teaching institute in 1955 and taught elementary school for two years , then worked as an insurance salesman . He continued his vocal studies , however , working first with with Arrigo Pola and then with Ettore Campogalliani . Then , in 1961 , Pavarotti won the prestigious Concorso Internazionale and made his operatic debut at the Reggio Emilia Theater as Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini 's `` La Boheme . '' His fame spread throughout Italy and then throughout the European continent as he made his international debut in Giuseppe Verdi 's `` La Traviata '' in Belgrade . When Dame Joan Sutherland brought him on-stage with her during a performance of Gaetano Donizetti 's `` Lucia di Lammermoor '' with the Greater Miami Opera in 1965 , Pavarotti began his American career . He debuted at New York 's Metropolitan Opera House three years later , and eventually marked 379 performances there , including his final opera , Puccini 's `` Tosca '' in 2004 , in which he performed as the painter Mario Cavaradossi . In between Pavarotti sold millions of records and raised millions of dollars for charity through benefit concerts , often sharing the stage with pop stars as well as other opera singers . Of his recordings , 1990 's `` The Essential Pavarotti '' was the first classical album to reach No. 1 on Britain 's pop charts , where it remained for five weeks . 1994 's `` The Three Tenors in Concert , '' with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras , remains the best selling classical album of all time . Pavarotti joined with Domingo and Carreras in 1990 , and although critics complained that Pavarotti 's vocal skills were waning , the trio performed together for 14 years . Among his charities were a 1995 `` Concert for Bosnia '' that raised $ 8.5 million and other concerts that raised $ 3.3 million for refugees from Afghanistan and $ 1 million for refugees from Kosovo . In artistic terms , Pavarotti brought to the stage a voice neatly suited to the traditional bel canto , or `` beautiful singing '' style , essential to 17th-century Italian opera . As much about intensity as pitch , bel canto focuses the voice , concentrating the sound with both outstanding warmth and agility . So demanding is this work even of the best singers that Pavarotti in concert recital could be seen rising to the balls of his feet during the most challenging passages . A long , white handkerchief always hung from one hand as he sang , his eyebrows arched high in the effort , forming an expression seemingly of surprise at his own success . From his small beginnings , Pavarotti rose to great heights , performing in front of 500,000 people in New York 's Central Park -- a concert seen by millions on television -- and before another 300,000 at Paris ' Eiffel Tower . He won countless awards and honors -- including five Grammies -- and was named United Nations Messenger for Peace by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan . He launched an international competition , The Pavarotti International Voice Competition , in 1982 . He even founded a teaching facility for young singers in his home town . His signature aria , Puccini 's `` Nessun Dorma '' from `` Turandot , '' was chosen as the theme music for the 1990 soccer World Cup , hosted by Italy . He also performed the aria at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin . The great singer was also known as an equestrian expert , organizing one of the international show jumping circuit 's most important competitions , the Pavarotti International , in Modena . Coinciding with that event , Pavarotti also staged an annual charity concert , Pavarotti and Friends . The portly singer retired from staged opera in 2004 , but was on a `` farewell tour '' of concerts when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006 and underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor . Although the remaining concerts of his tour were canceled , his management said that he hoped to resume the tour in 2007 . When cancer finally stopped Pavarotti from singing , it was only the second interruption of his career . `` I think I just stopped for one year when from a kid I become a man and the voice is changing , '' he said in 1991 . `` I was an alto and became a tenor and that is the only time I think I remember to have stopped singing . Otherwise I have sung all my life . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Porter Anderson contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Boston , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a stunning upset that reshaped the U.S. political landscape , Republican Scott Brown won Tuesday 's special election in Massachusetts for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy . Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley , the state attorney general . Brown 's victory made real the once unthinkable prospect of a Republican filling the seat held by Kennedy , known as the liberal lion , for almost 47 years until his death due to brain cancer last August . Before Kennedy won the seat for the first time in 1962 , his older brother John held it for nearly eight years until his election as U.S. president in 1960 . `` This really does change everything , you know that ? '' said Mitt Romney , the former GOP governor of Massachusetts who introduced Brown at his victory rally . Share your thoughts on the election results Voters across Massachusetts braved winter cold and snow for an election with high stakes -- the domestic agenda of President Obama , including his top domestic priority , health care reform . Brown 's victory strips Democrats of their 60-seat Senate super-majority , needed to overcome GOP filibusters against future Senate action on a broad range of White House priorities . Senate Democrats needed all 60 votes in their caucus to pass the health care bill , and the loss of one seat now imperils generating that support again for a compromise measure worked out with the House . `` Forty one , forty one , '' chanted the crowd at Brown 's rally , referring to his new status as the Senate 's 41st Republican . Brown , a state senator until now , heralded his victory as the start of more election surprises in 2010 . No Republican had won a U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts since 1972 , and Democrats control the governorship , both houses of the state legislature , and the state 's entire congressional delegation . `` When there 's trouble in Massachusetts , rest assured there 's trouble everywhere , and they know it , '' Brown said of the Democratic Party . Republican leaders sounded a similar theme , saying Americans were fed up with what they called Democratic arrogance in Washington . `` Americans are investing their hopes in good Republican candidates to reverse a year-long Democrat trend of ignoring the American people on the issues of health care , spending and the growth of government , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , said in a statement . The seat vacated by Kennedy 's death is currently held by his former aide and longtime friend Paul Kirk , who was appointed on an interim basis . Obama called Brown and Coakley on Tuesday night , and a White House statement said the president `` told Sen. Brown that he looks forward to working with him on the urgent economic challenges facing Massachusetts families and struggling families across our nation . '' Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said last week that certifying Tuesday 's election results could take more than two weeks -- potentially enough time to allow congressional Democrats to pass a final health care bill before Brown is seated . But multiple Democratic sources said that is unlikely . Even if House and Senate Democrats could reach a deal to meld their bills and pass them in the next couple of weeks , there would be a huge outcry from not only Republicans , but also an increasingly distrustful public if they appeared to be rushing it through . Galvin had predicted as many 2.2 million of the state 's 4.5 million registered voters would vote -- at least double the turnout from December 's primary . In one sign of high interest , more than 100,000 absentee ballots were requested ahead of the election , according to Brian McNiff , Galvin 's spokesman . Coakley was initially expected to easily win the race to replace Kennedy , who made health care reform the centerpiece of his Senate career . Until recently , Brown was underfunded and unknown statewide . Waging a nationally backed campaign that included driving his pickup around the state , Brown surged in the weeks preceding Tuesday 's vote and led in all the final polls . In a sign of the high stakes involved , the Coakley campaign held an afternoon news conference Tuesday to complain that voters in three places received ballots already marked for Brown . McNiff confirmed that the secretary of state 's offices received two reports of voters saying they received pre-marked ballots . The suspect ballots were invalidated and the voters received new ballots , McNiff said . Kevin Conroy , the Coakley campaign manager , said the `` disturbing incidents '' raised questions about the integrity of the election . In response , the Brown campaign issued a statement criticizing Coakley 's team . `` Reports that the Coakley campaign is making reckless accusations regarding the integrity of today 's election is a reminder that they are a desperate campaign , '' Daniel B. Winslow , the counsel for the Brown campaign , said in the statement . Obama had been `` surprised and frustrated '' by the race , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday . Obama and former President Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail in the final week in an attempt to save Coakley 's campaign , which observers say was hampered by complacency and missteps . Obama crushed Sen. John McCain in Massachusetts in 2008 , beating the GOP presidential nominee by 26 points . `` If you were fired up in the last election , I need you more fired up in this election , '' Obama urged a crowd at a Coakley campaign rally on Sunday . Vicki Kennedy , the late senator 's widow , called on state Democrats to turn out to save her husband 's legacy . `` We need your help . We need your support . We need you to get out there and vote on Tuesday , '' Kennedy said . `` We need you to bring your neighbors . We need you to bring your friends . '' Brown , who has trumpeted his 30 years of service in the National Guard , hewed to traditional GOP themes in his victory speech . He promised to back tax cuts and be tough on terrorists , and to oppose Obama 's health care overhaul effort . `` People do not want a trillion dollar health-care plan that is being forced on the American people , '' Brown said . Brown said his victory defied `` the odds and experts '' who predicted that the Senate seat held by Democrats for more than 50 years would not change hands . Instead , independent voters who outnumber registered Democrats and Republicans combined in Massachusetts strongly supported Brown . `` Tonight , the independent majority has delivered a great victory , '' Brown said , later adding : `` What happened here in Massachusetts can happen all over America . '' Facing the possibility of Coakley 's defeat , Democrats were trying to figure out whether they could pass a health care overhaul without that crucial 60th Senate vote . But top White House aides publicly insisted they were not engaging in any talk of contingency plans because they thought Coakley would win . Two Democratic sources in close contact with the White House told CNN on Monday that they 'd urged the administration , in the event of a Brown victory , to push House Democrats to pass the Senate 's health care bill as currently written . Doing so would prevent the plan from having to be taken up by the Senate again . `` I think the Senate bill clearly is better than nothing , '' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , D-Maryland , said Tuesday . A third option would be for Democrats to revisit the idea of trying to push health care through the Senate with only 51 votes -- a simple majority . But to do that Democrats would have to use a process known as reconciliation , which presents technical and procedural issues that would delay the process for a long time . A number of Democrats are eager to put the health care debate behind them and move on to economic issues such as job creation as soon as possible this election year . Senate Democrats could also try again to get moderate GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine to vote for a compromise health reform plan . Multiple Democratic sources , however , have said they think that is unlikely now . CNN 's Jim Acosta , Dana Bash , Kevin Bohn , Ed Henry , John King , Suzanne Malveaux , Shawna Shepherd , Jessica Yellin , Kevin Bohn , Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TOKYO , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. Marine accused of raping a 19-year-old Japanese woman last year was found guilty Thursday of `` committing wrongful sexual contact and indecent acts , '' the U.S. military said , but he was acquitted of rape . The sentencing hearing for Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean , 20 , is scheduled to begin on Friday . Dean is among four Marines under court-martial in the case . The others are Sgt. Lanaeus J. Braswell , 25 ; Gunnery Sgt. Carl M. Anderson , 39 ; and Gunnery Sgt. Jarvis D. Raynor , 34 , the military said . Local media reported that the four men met the woman in a restaurant in Hiroshima on October 14 , 2007 , then allegedly attacked and raped her in a car in nearby parking lot . Japanese authorities investigated but decided in November not to file charges . Dean also was found guilty of conspiracy to commit indecent acts and two minor charges . He was acquitted of conspiracy to kidnap or rape . The case is similar to a recent alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl involving a U.S. Marine on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa . That case sparked outrage and stirred memories of an earlier rape committed by U.S. servicemen . Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott , 38 , was charged last month with the rape of a child under 16 , abusive sexual contact with a child , making a false official statement , adultery and kidnapping , the military said . In February , Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl dropped the allegations , but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation to see if Hadnott violated codes of military justice . The military is holding him at a Marine facility . More than 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan , most of them on Okinawa , which accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan 's total area . The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among locals , who have long complained about crime , noise and accidents . Anti-American sentiment boiled over in 1995 , after three American servicemen were convicted in the kidnapping and gang rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl . Two years ago , a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police said they are pursuing leads in the death of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu , whose body was found Monday stuffed into a suitcase in a dairy-farm pond near her Tracy , California , home . Sandra Cantu , 8 , disappeared March 27 . Her body was found at a dairy-farm pond near her Calilfornia home . `` We are heading in a direction , '' Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman told reporters . `` To comment on that would compromise the investigation , and I ca n't do that . '' A search warrant was executed at the Tracy mobile home park where the girl lived , and a related search was to be conducted Tuesday at a nearby church , he said . He implied more than one person may have been involved in the death of Sandra , who had been missing since March 27 . `` Investigators are looking at additional information they received since yesterday and , hopefully , that will lead us to Sandra 's killers , '' he said . Asked if his use of the plural meant police were looking for more than one person , he responded , `` We have no specific suspects , ma'am . '' Sheneman also implied the killer likely was familiar with the location where the body was found . He said he himself was unfamiliar with the location where the girl 's body was found , despite having lived in the community for nearly 12 years . `` Someone would have to be familiar with that area to know to go there , '' he said . Watch how the suitcase was found '' Sheneman said police had no one in custody , despite having interviewed hundreds of people regarding the case . `` Everyone that we speak to right now is being considered a person of interest , '' he said . `` We 're not eliminating anyone . '' The autopsy was being conducted Tuesday , but it was not clear when the report would be available . `` It 's going to be some time before we hear from the coroner , '' Sheneman said . `` I ca n't tell you when that 's going to be . '' More than 10 search warrants have been executed as part of the investigation and `` a lot '' of evidence has been recovered , Sheneman said . The day Sandra was last reported seen , she returned home from school , kissed her mother and left to play with a friend who lives nearby . A short time later , wearing a pink Hello Kitty T-shirt and black leggings , she left to go to another friend 's home , according to a family spokeswoman . Police said Monday the girl 's clothing helped them identify the body .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Catholic bishop of South Bend , Indiana , will not attend graduation ceremonies at the University of Notre Dame because he disagrees with the stem-cell research and abortion views of the commencement speaker -- President Obama . The University of Notre Dame says its invitation does n't mean the university agrees with all of Obama 's positions . Bishop John D'Arcy , whose diocese includes Fort Wayne , Indiana , as well as the university town , said Tuesday in a written statement that `` after much prayer '' he has decided not to attend the ceremony . `` President Obama has recently reaffirmed , and has now placed in public policy , his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred , '' D'Arcy said . `` While claiming to separate politics from science , he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government , for the first time in history , into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life . '' Earlier this month , Obama reversed a federal ban on embryonic stem-cell research . Many scientists say the research could lead to advances in treating conditions like Alzheimer 's disease and Parkinson 's disease , while some abortion opponents believe destroying embryos in the research amounts to ending a human life . Watch Obama called `` premier promoter of baby-killing '' '' In January , Obama lifted a Bush administration restriction on funding for organizations that provide or promote abortion overseas . D'Arcy 's announcement comes as anti-abortion groups have launched campaigns attempting to persuade the Catholic university to rescind Obama 's invitation . In a letter to Notre Dame , Anthony J. Lauinger , National Right to Life Committee vice president , called Obama `` the abortion president '' and said his invitation `` is a betrayal of the university 's mission and an affront to all who believe in the sanctity and dignity of human life . '' The conservative Cardinal Newman Society has launched a Web site -- notredamescandal.com -- that , according to the site , has drawn 50,000 signatures to a petition opposing Obama 's appearance at the May 17 ceremony , at which Obama also is to receive an honorary degree . A White House statement released Tuesday said Obama is honored to be speaking at the university and welcomes the exchange of ideas on the hot-button topics . `` While he is honored to have the support of millions of people of all faiths , including Catholics with their rich tradition of recognizing the dignity of people , he does not govern with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every position , '' the White House said . '' -LSB- T -RSB- he spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues is part of what he loves about this country . '' Obama will become the ninth sitting president to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame . Most recently , presidents Jimmy Carter , Ronald Reagan , George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush have spoken there . In a written statement on Tuesday , Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins noted that the university has been host to Democratic and Republican presidents and said the invitation does not mean the university agrees with all of Obama 's positions . `` We will honor Mr. Obama as an inspiring leader who faces many challenges -- the economy , two wars , and health care , immigration and education reform -- and is addressing them with intelligence , courage and honesty , '' he said . `` It is of special significance that we will hear from our first African-American president , a person who has spoken eloquently and movingly about race in this nation . `` Racial prejudice has been a deep wound in America , and Mr. Obama has been a healer . '' On abortion and stem-cell research , Jenkins said he views the invitation as `` a basis for further positive engagement . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conflicting reports emerged Sunday about whether Adam Gadahn , a U.S.-born spokesman for al Qaeda , has been arrested in Pakistan . A senior Pakistani government official told CNN that Gadahn was arrested Sunday in Karachi , and a second senior Pakistani government official later confirmed the arrest . But a U.S. intelligence official said there appears to be no validity to the reports that Gadahn was in custody , and other U.S. officials also said they have no indication that Gadahn has been captured . Reports of the arrest came hours after Islamist Web sites posted video of Gadahn praising the November massacre at Fort Hood , Texas . On the video , Gadahn said the U.S. Army major charged with gunning down 13 people `` lit a path '' for other Muslim service members to follow . Gadahn , also known as Azzam the American , has routinely posted lengthy videos on Islamist online forums . In 2006 , he was indicted on charges of treason and providing material support to terrorists . The U.S. government has offered a $ 1 million reward for information leading to his capture . Authorities have targeted several key Islamist figures in Karachi , the populous port city and financial capital of Pakistan . For some time , it has functioned as a hideout for Taliban and al Qaeda sympathizers . One of the figures , top Taliban leader Agha Jan Motasim , was arrested on Friday . Motasim 's capture came on the heels of the arrest of the Taliban 's No. 2 figure and overall military commander , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar . Last month , Taliban and government sources confirmed that Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud had died . A government official told CNN Mehsud died as a result of a January 14 unmanned drone attack in North Waziristan ; other sources said Mehsud died near the city of Multan in central Pakistan while on his way to a treatment center in Karachi . A city of 13 million -- with some estimates of 100,000 new arrivals a month -- Karachi as seen an influx of Pashtuns from the tribal border region with Afghanistan . Many fled there during fighting and offensives in the Northwest Frontier Province and Waziristan , making it a comfortable place for the Taliban to blend in and count on a network of supporters . `` I think its become apparent ... that al Qaeda does n't really have a base of sanctuary inside Afghanistan , at least not one where its leaders feel safe , '' CNN 's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson said . `` They 've taken to hiding inside Pakistan . '' Gadahn 's reported presence in Karachi `` is an indication of how easily it is for al Qaeda sympathizers and Taliban sympathizers to hide in that city , '' Robertson said . Gadahn , 31 , grew up on a California farm and was home-schooled until 17 . A year later he moved in with his paternal grandparents , who were secular Jews . He converted to Islam at the Islamic Society of Orange County , California , but was banned from the mosque two years later after hitting its chairman , Haitham Bundjaki . In 1997 Gadahn began working for a California charity suspected of having ties to al Qaeda . He moved to Pakistan in 1998 . His family has said they last heard from him in 2002 . In 2004 , the FBI identified him as part of an al Qaeda cell that was planning attacks aimed at disrupting that year 's presidential election in the United States . In October 2004 , he began appearing in disguise in al Qaeda videos . Gadahn dropped the disguise in 2006 . In 2008 , he renounced his U.S. citizenship and destroyed his passport in another al Qaeda video . In his video message posted online Sunday , Gadahn says Muslims should emulate the alleged Fort Hood shooter . `` I believe that defiant Brother Nidal is the ideal role model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes , '' Adam Gadahn says in English in the video . Maj. Nidal Hasan , an Army psychiatrist and a U.S.-born citizen , is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the November 5 killings . Hasan is also facing 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and is eligible for the death penalty . `` The Mujahid brother Nidal Hasan is a pioneer , a trailblazer and a role model who has opened a door , lit a path and shown the way forward for every Muslim who finds himself among the unbelievers and yearns to discharge his duty to Allah and play a part in the defense of Islam and Muslims , '' Gadahn says in the video . Gadahn also cites in Sunday 's video the U.S. and allied buildup in Afghanistan , where the United States is in the process of adding about 30,000 troops . `` It is rapidly becoming clear that this already-hot global battle is about to get even hotter , '' he says . `` This is a war which knows no international borders and no single battleground , and that 's why I am calling on every honest and vigilant Muslim in the countries of the Zionist-Crusader alliance in general and America , Britain and Israel in particular to prepare to play his due role in responding to and repelling the aggression of the enemies of Islam . '' In December , Gadahn released a video message in English offering condolences to `` unintended Muslim victims '' killed in attacks in Afghanistan , Pakistan and elsewhere . It was a rare example of al Qaeda offering condolences to the families of those killed in the group 's own attacks . CNN 's Zain Verjee contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. secretary of state Wednesday afternoon after the Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 94-2 . Hillary Clinton gets sworn in Wednesday in her Senate office by Judge Kathryn Oberly . Former President Clinton and her Senate staff looked on as Clinton 's childhood friend and D.C. Court of Appeals Associate Judge Kathryn Oberly swore her in on a Bible belonging to the former first lady 's late father in a ceremony in her Senate office . The senators who opposed Clinton 's confirmation were Jim DeMint , R-South Carolina , and David Vitter , R-Louisiana . Keeping with tradition , America 's new chief diplomat will be treated to a welcoming ceremony with employees Thursday morning in the State Department , agency officials said . Immediately after the ceremony , Clinton submitted her resignation from the Senate with identical one-sentence letters to Vice President Joe Biden , who serves as president of the Senate , Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson and New York Gov. David Paterson . Paterson must appoint a replacement in the Senate . The governor , who had said he would not name his choice until after Clinton 's confirmation , told CNN 's `` American Morning '' on Monday that he had not made a decision . `` I 'm actually , I think , narrowing the field to about half of the people who are involved , and then I would hope , in the next few days , to get down to one , '' he told CNN 's John Roberts . Some of the better-known candidates , including Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Steve Israel , have pledged not to wage a primary fight against Paterson 's pick in the 2010 special election to finish the final two years of Clinton 's term . Clinton 's confirmation was held up Tuesday when Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn objected to a voice vote , demanding a roll-call vote instead . Cornyn said he knew that Clinton would be confirmed but said he delayed the vote because he wanted more time to talk about the foundation run by her husband . The former president signed an agreement with the Obama transition team pledging to limit foreign donations and to release annual disclosures of new donations to his foundation . `` My concern is not whether our colleague Sen. Clinton is qualified to be secretary of state or not . She is , '' Cornyn said . `` But we should not let our respect for Sen. Clinton or our admiration for the many good works of the Clinton Foundation blind us to the danger of perceived conflicts of interest caused by the -LSB- foundation 's -RSB- solicitation of hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign and some domestic sources , '' he said . `` The perception and reality must be that the office of secretary of state is viewed around the world as beyond reproach . '' Clinton was defended by Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , who used his first floor speech since the end of the presidential campaign to urge his colleagues to confirm her quickly as secretary of state . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Obama 's cabinet `` I think the message that the American people are sending us now is they want us to work together and get to work , '' McCain said . `` I think we ought to let Sen. Clinton , who is obviously qualified and obviously will serve , get to work immediately . '' McCain confidantes told CNN that the senator developed a genuinely deep admiration for Clinton during the drawn-out Democratic primary process . Both senators also sit on the Armed Services Committee and had become close on several congressional delegation trips abroad . The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 16-1 last week in favor of Clinton 's nomination , with Vitter casting the sole dissenting vote . CNN 's Dana Bash , Ed Hornick and Elise Labott contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"DAVIS , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If every scientist hopes to make at least one important discovery in her career , then University of California-Davis professor Pamela Ronald and her colleagues may have hit the jackpot . Scientists have bred a new strain of flood-tolerant rice that could help feed millions . Ronald 's team works with rice , a grain most Americans take for granted , but which is a matter of life and death to much of the world . Thanks to their efforts to breed a new , hardier variety of rice , millions of people may not go hungry . About half the world 's population eats rice as a staple . Two-thirds of the diet of subsistence farmers in India and Bangladesh is made up entirely of rice . If rice crops suffer , it can mean starvation for millions . `` People -LSB- in the United States -RSB- think , well , if I do n't have enough rice , I 'll go to the store , '' said Ronald , a professor of plant pathology at UC-Davis . `` That 's not the situation in these villages . They 're mostly subsistence farmers . They do n't have cars . '' As sea levels rise and world weather patterns worsen , flooding has become a major cause of rice crop loss . Scientists estimate 4 million tons of rice are lost every year because of flooding . That 's enough rice to feed 30 million people . Rice is grown in flooded fields , usually to kill weeds . But rice plants do not like it when they are submerged in water for long periods , Ronald said . `` They do n't get enough carbon dioxide , they do n't get enough light and their entire metabolic processes are thrown off . The rice plant tries to grow out of the flood , but when it does , it depletes its sugar reserves . It starts to break down its chlorophyll , important for photosynthesis . It grows really quickly , and then when the flood recedes , it just dies . It 's out of gas . '' Normal rice dies after three days of complete flooding . Researchers know of at least one rice variety that can tolerate flooding for longer periods , but conventional breeding failed to create a strain that was acceptable to farmers . So Ronald and her colleagues -- David Mackill , senior scientist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and Julia Bailey-Serres , professor of genetics at the University of California-Riverside -- spent the last decade working to find a rice strain that could survive flooding for longer periods . Mackill identified a flood-resistant gene 13 years ago in a low-yielding traditional Indian rice variety . He passed along the information to Ronald , who isolated the gene , called Sub1 , and introduced it into normal rice varieties , generating rice that could withstand being submerged in water for 17 days . The team relied on something called precision breeding , the ability to introduce very specific genes into plants without the associated baggage of other genes that might tag along in conventional breeding . `` This can be a problem for farmers , '' Ronald said . `` The varieties that were developed from conventional breeding were rejected by farmers because they did n't yield well or taste good . '' Using precision breeding , scientists introduced the Sub1 gene three years ago into test fields in Bangladesh and India . The subsequent rice harvests were a resounding success . `` The results were really terrific , '' said Ronald . `` The farmers found three - to five-fold increases in yield due to flood tolerance . They can plant the normal way . They can harvest the normal way and it tastes the same . Farmers had more food for their families and they also had additional rice they could sell to bring a little bit of money into the household . '' `` The potential for impact is huge , '' agreed Mackill in a statement on the IRRI Web site . `` In Bangladesh , for example , 20 percent of the rice land is flood prone and the country typically suffers several major floods each year . Submergence-tolerant varieties could make major inroads into Bangladesh 's annual rice shortfall . '' The researchers anticipate that the flood-tolerant rice plants will be available to farmers in Bangladesh and India within two years . Because the plants are the product of precision breeding , rather than genetic modification , they are not subject to the same regulatory testing that can delay release of genetically modified crops . The U.S. Department of Agriculture conferred one of its highest research awards last December on Ronald , Mackill and Bailey-Serres for their work on submergence-tolerant rice . But Ronald has no plans to rest on her laurels . `` I feel a great sense of gratitude that I was able to contribute in this way , '' she said . `` But the farmers have asked us , ` Can you develop varieties that are drought tolerant , salt tolerant ? Can you develop varieties that are insect resistant ? ' There are always more things to work on . '' CNN.com 's Brandon Griggs contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"Beirut , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Lebanese man who had been condemned by a court in Saudi Arabia to die last week for `` sorcery '' has not been executed , his lawyer said Monday . May El Khansa told CNN that she got confirmation from Ibrahim Najjar , Lebanon 's justice minister , that her client , Ali Hussain Sibat , was still alive . She added that she had heard Saturday from sources in Saudi Arabia with knowledge of the case that the beheading had not been carried out Friday , as originally planned . Also Saturday , she said , she sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah asking him to pardon her client . She said she would send more letters of appeal Tuesday to Lebanese government officials asking them to intervene . Saudi government officials would not comment to CNN about the case . Justice Minister Najjar said last week that he had urged the Saudi government not to carry out the execution , and Sibat 's wife made an emotional plea for mercy from the kingdom 's rulers during a CNN interview Thursday . `` All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy -- let him come back to his country and his family , '' Samira Rahmoon said . Sibat used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network . He was arrested by Saudi Arabia 's religious police and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008 while on an Islamic pilgrimage , El Khansa said . Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for which Sibat has been condemned . `` We ca n't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him to death , '' Rahmoon said . `` It does n't make any sense . '' El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings . Lebanon 's government said it had no confirmation that his execution had been set , but Najjar called the sentence `` disproportionate . '' `` I have asked them not to implement any execution in this case , '' he said . `` As far as I know , such an act does n't deserve such a punishment , unless there is something else -- something that I have not had the possibility to study or to examine myself . '' Rahmoon said the family has been unable to contact Sibat `` for a long time '' and has received no official notification that her husband 's execution date has been set . `` We do n't understand how he could be executed without us getting any notification first , '' Rahmoon said . `` How could they decide to execute him and not inform us ? '' A law against witchcraft remains on the books in Lebanon , but is the equivalent of a misdemeanor , Najjar said . `` I respect the law of Saudi Arabia , which is based on Sharia law , '' he said . `` But at the same time , I 'm very concerned about such a sentence . '' Sibat was convicted by a court in Medina and sentenced to death in November , El Khansa said . He appealed , and his case was sent back to the trial court for reconsideration . But the judges in Medina upheld their original verdict in March , she said . The human rights group Amnesty International has called for Sibat 's release . His case drew a small knot of protesters from a Lebanese youth group to the Saudi Embassy in Beirut on Thursday , and Najjar said he told his Saudi counterpart that beheading Sibat `` would not be productive '' to Lebanese-Saudi relations . `` I have done what I thought was responsible for the justice minister in Lebanon to do , and I said to my colleague in Saudi Arabia that such an act in Lebanon would not be sanctioned by more than two months of imprisonment , '' Najjar said . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former President Bill Clinton said Thursday he thinks that Barack Obama will win big in the upcoming presidential election . Bill Clinton and Barack Obama chat at Clinton 's Harlem office . `` I predict that Sen. Obama will win and win handily , '' Clinton said when asked his opinion on the state of the race . Obama smiled at Clinton 's prediction , saying , `` There you go , you can take it from the president of the United States . He knows a little something about politics . '' The two men chatted with reporters in a photo-op at Clinton 's Harlem office before sitting down for a private lunch . According to CNN 's average of national polls , John McCain currently holds a 1-point lead over Obama , 46-45 percent . iReport.com : Still undecided ? The poll of polls , released Thursday afternoon , is composed of the following five national general election surveys : Fox News\/Opinion Dynamics -LRB- September 8-9 -RRB- , NBC\/Wall Street Journal -LRB- September 6-8 -RRB- , American Research Group -LRB- September 6-8 -RRB- , Gallup -LRB- September 8-10 -RRB- , and Diageo\/Hotline -LRB- September 8-10 -RRB- . It does not have a sampling error . Clinton is scheduled to campaign for Obama in Florida once he wraps up some business with his Clinton Global Initiative . According to aides , the former president will do a mix of fundraisers and public appearances on behalf of the Democratic ticket throughout the fall . `` We 're putting him to work , '' said Obama . `` I 've agreed to do a substantial number of things , whatever I 'm asked to do , '' Clinton said . Watch Clinton make his prediction '' The image of the two men meeting comes as a relief to many Democrats who have been hoping to put to rest the `` Clinton-Obama rift '' storyline . Both sides agreed a face-to-face meeting with the former president would go a long way toward putting the contentious primary season behind them . Hillary Clinton campaigned for Obama earlier in the week in Florida and will campaign in Ohio this weekend . Obama 's running mate , Joe Biden , spoke Thursday with first responders in Parma , Ohio . He opened up the event by telling everyone he did not plan to talk politics . `` Let 's pull together , let 's say together . This is nothing to do with Democrats , Republicans -- it 's about Americans , '' he said . Obama and McCain also put aside politics Thursday to commemorate the September 11 terrorist attacks . The two appeared together at ground zero in New York City to lay roses at the 9\/11 memorial and speak with first responders and family members of victims . They were joined by Cindy McCain and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg . iReport.com : See photos from the scene Later Thursday , Obama and McCain will share the stage briefly as they appear back-to-back at the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum at Columbia University in New York . Meanwhile , Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin headed home to Alaska after spending the week campaigning with McCain . The pair drew a crowd of more than 20,000 in the sturdily Democratic county of Fairfax , Virginia , on Wednesday . That was their largest crowd to date . After that event , Palin returned home so she could attend her son 's deployment ceremony on Thursday . Track Palin enlisted in the U.S. army exactly one year ago . His brigade is going to Iraq . Watch more on Palin 's return to Alaska '' Later Thursday , Palin will give her first television interview with a national media outlet since being named as McCain 's running mate . The Alaska governor will spend two days with ABC 's Charlie Gibson . The interview will be part sit-down , part walk-and-talk at various locations in Alaska . So far , Palin has taken no questions from reporters traveling with her on the campaign trail . An issue that could come up in the interview is the controversy that emerged this week over her per diem charges as governor . The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Palin had billed the state a per diem for 312 days she spent at home , and requested reimbursement for plane rides and hotel rooms for her husband and children , including a $ 707 room when her daughter accompanied her on a trip to New York to attend a Newsweek forum . The paper noted that officials said the claims were justified under existing state regulations . The McCain campaign said that Palin had reduced yearly travel expenses by roughly 80 percent of the amount spent by predecessor Frank Murkowski . Palin 's spokeswoman Maria Comella said the governor 's top priority was `` creating accountability and transparency in government to root out waste and corruption . '' `` Gov. Palin is obviously expected to travel frequently around the state for community events and to meet with Alaskans . This is part of her job , and it 's reasonable that her travel expenses , which were reduced dramatically from the previous administration , would be covered , '' Comella said in a statement . Palin is expected to rejoin McCain on the trail early next week . CNN 's Sasha Johnson , Dana Bash and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The South Carolina Ethics Commission has charged Gov. Mark Sanford with 37 counts of violating state ethics laws , according to a complaint released by the commission on Monday . The complaint follows a three-month investigation into Sanford 's use of taxpayer money . Sanford is accused of using tax money to buy business-class airfare on domestic and international flights , flying on a state-owned aircraft to political gatherings or events `` which involved no official business , '' and spending campaign funds for personal use such as buying a ticket to attend President Obama 's inauguration in January . South Carolina law requires state officials to buy the lowest fares available for flights , and bars the use of state aircraft for personal use . Sanford 's office did not respond to requests for comment about the charges . The governor , once a rising star in the Republican Party before he revealed an extramarital affair in June , faces a hearing along with his legal team before a three-member ethics panel . Cathy Hazelwood , general counsel to the state Ethics Commission , said no date has been set for the hearing . After arguments are presented , the panel will determine if Sanford broke any state laws . The ethics case involves civil charges that are punishable by fines , and Sanford can appeal decisions up to the state Supreme Court . Only the state attorney general , Henry McMaster , can decide to pursue criminal charges against the governor . McMaster is reviewing the allegations to determine if any laws were broken . The new charges compound Sanford 's political problems , which have been simmering for months as investigators scrutinized his finances . State legislators already have filed an impeachment resolution against the governor for leaving the state this summer to visit his Argentine mistress without installing a proper chain of command or informing his staff . A special House subcommittee will meet in Columbia on Tuesday to formally consider the resolution for the first time . State Rep. Greg Delleney , a Republican and one of the sponsors of the impeachment resolution , said he expects the subcommittee to look over the ethics commission results during the Thanksgiving holiday and decide whether to adjust the measure to include material from the ethics complaint . Delleney said he thinks Monday 's report will give new momentum to the impeachment push . `` The sheer volume of the violations might be useful in bringing some more representatives over to the side of impeachment , '' Delleney said . If the special subcommittee decides to move forward with impeachment , the resolution will be passed onto the Judiciary Committee , which will then vote on whether to bring it to the floor of the legislature when lawmakers return to the state capital of Columbia in January . For Sanford to be forcibly removed from office , two-thirds of the South Carolina House and and two-thirds of the state Senate must vote to impeach him .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Senate approved a controversial nuclear deal with India on Wednesday , clearing the way for the United States to export nuclear know-how to India after a ban lasting decades . President Bush , who supports the deal , meets with India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week . Sen. Chris Dodd , a Connecticut Democrat , said the deal would not only `` set the stage for a stronger U.S.-India relationship , '' but also would promote stability in India 's troubled neighborhood . `` This agreement is indicative of a new era in Indian foreign policy , an era in which India will see all the world 's powers as potential partners in efforts to address its own needs and the needs of others , '' Dodd said . `` I believe that this new era will bring increased stability and progress in South Asia . '' India and Pakistan have fought several wars since they became independent in 1947 , and both countries have tested nuclear weapons . Wednesday 's vote was 86-13 . Sen. Tom Harkin , an Iowa Democrat , spoke against what he called flawed legislation before the vote . `` If we pass this legislation , we will reward India for flouting the most important arms control agreement in history , the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty , and we will gravely undermine our case against hostile nations that seek to do the same , '' Harkin said . Before he voted against the bill , he said Congress had not debated the legislation properly . `` It was hustled through -LSB- the House of Representatives -RSB- without any hearings and without a vote in the House Foreign Affairs Committee , '' he said . `` Here in the Senate , the Foreign Relations Committee held just one hearing with just one witness who spoke in support of the agreement . '' Presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain voted for the bill . President Bush urged the Senate to pass the bill in a statement released before the vote . The bill `` represents a major milestone in the transformation of our nation 's important relationship with India , '' the statement said . One senator had anonymously been using parliamentary rules to prevent the bill from coming to a vote , but the leaders of the Senate announced Tuesday night the vote would go ahead . The House of Representatives passed the bill without debate on Saturday . The next step is for Bush to sign it into law . The Indian nuclear market is a rich prize , and the agreement could open the way for U.S. companies to earn billions of dollars building nuclear power plants in India . The French government clinched its own nuclear trade deal with India on Wednesday when President Nicolas Sarkozy signed an agreement in Paris . That puts French companies in the running for some of the same contracts U.S. companies want . In exchange for access to U.S. nuclear technology , India would allow international inspections of its civilian -- but not military -- nuclear power plants . It would also promise not to resume testing of nuclear weapons . The United States banned nuclear trade with India after India exploded a nuclear device in 1974 and refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty . In an informal agreement between the two nations , the United States said it would halt any nuclear cooperation should India resume testing .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italian champions AC Milan climbed to the top of Serie A for the first time this season on Friday with a 2-0 win over 10-man Genoa that was delayed for 10 minutes due to supporters fighting outside the stadium . The game was only 15 minutes old when tear gas started flowing into Genoa 's Stadio Luigi Ferraris as police tried to control clashes between the clubs ' supporters . The mid-table home side held out for almost an hour against a Milan team unbeaten in seven previous games -- six of them victories -- but the match turned when Kakha Kaladze was sent off against his former club . The Georgia international defender was booked for the second time after bringing down Zlatan Ibrahimovic , and the Sweden striker netted the resulting penalty for his eighth goal in 10 league games . `` In the first half we had three chances that we could have scored from and that would have opened up the game , '' Ibrahimovic told reporters . `` We 're playing well , we 've got a lot of confidence , also away from home . We 're getting a lot of possession and scoring goals . Brazil forward Robinho was guilty of a shocking miss but Antonio Nocerino eventually doubled the lead with 10 minutes to play , scoring his fifth goal this season after being set up by fellow midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng . The victory put Massimiliano Allegri a point above Juventus -- who host second-bottom Cesena on Sunday -- with eight wins and three draws from 13 matches . Third-placed Udinese could join Milan on 27 points with victory away to the Rossoneri 's city rivals Internazionale on Saturday . Meanwhile , Bayer Leverkusen moved up to sixth place in Germany 's Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at home to Hoffenheim on Friday . In-form Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok headed his sixth goal this season in the 10th minute , while Sidney Sam lobbed goalkeeper Tom Starke with 11 minutes to play to keep Leverkusen unbeaten in five matches in all competitions -- and 10th-placed Hoffenheim winless in as many matches . Leverkusen now trail Borussia Dortmund and Monchengladbach by four points ahead of the league leaders ' clash on Saturday . If that match ends in a draw , third-placed Bayern Munich can return to the top with a draw or better at home to Werder Bremen .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military said it is investigating claims from Syria that U.S. helicopters based in Iraq killed eight people and wounded another Sunday in an attack inside Syria 's territory Sunday . A U.S. army Apache helicopter flies over southern Baghdad , Iraq . Syria 's state news agency SANA said four U.S. helicopters crossed the border and struck a farm about 8 kilometers -LRB- 5 miles -RRB- inside Syria before returning to Iraqi airspace . The raid occurred about 4:45 p.m. -LRB- 1345 GMT -RRB- . The helicopters hit a civilian building under construction on the farm , killing a father and his four sons , a married couple and another man , SANA said . Syria 's deputy foreign minister contacted the U.S. embassies in Damascus and Baghdad , SANA said . Military officials are investigating the claims , Sgt. Brooke Murphy , a U.S. military spokeswoman , told CNN . `` Unfortunately , we can not confirm anything at the moment , '' she said . The attack occurred near the town of Al-Bukamal , which is home to a Red Crescent camp for Iraqi refugees . The town is across the border from the Iraqi city of Qaim , which has been a major route for Sunni Arab fighters battling U.S. troops in Iraq . Watch CNN 's Cal Perry explain the implications of the possible attack '' Syria has said it has made efforts to secure the 600-km desert border , which is marked largely by a sand wall . But Maj. Gen. John Kelly , the U.S. commander in western Iraq 's sprawling Anbar province , told reporters last week that much of the border remains `` uncontrolled . '' `` We still have a certain level of foreign fighter movement , not much , through Anbar , because of our activities out there , '' Kelly said . But he said Iraqi intelligence believes al Qaeda operatives and others `` live pretty openly on the Syrian side , and periodically we know that they try to come across . '' Syria demanded Iraq 's government `` immediately investigate this serious violation '' and bar U.S. forces from striking Syria from its territory . The Syrian government summoned U.S. and Iraqi diplomats to the Foreign Ministry in Damascus to condemn the attack , SANA reported . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report , Nada Husseini , Mike Mount and Cal Perry contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi inspired Argentina as the two-time world champions came from behind to defeat Colombia 2-1 in a South American World Cup qualifying clash on Tuesday . Argentina went 1-0 down in Barranquilla after 44 minutes , when midfielder Javier Mascherano inadvertently deflected Dorlan Pabon 's shot into his own net . But La Albiceleste rallied in the second half , with two-time world player of the year Messi equalizing after 60 minutes when Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina failed to gather Jose Sosa 's cross . Substitute Sergio Aguero stole all three points for Argentina with six minutes remaining . The Manchester City striker was first to react when Ospina parried a shot from Real Madrid 's Gonzalo Higuain , with Barcelona star Messi involved in the build-up . How should football tackle racism ? The result kept Argentina second in the nine-team South American qualifying group , level on seven points with 2011 Copa America winners Uruguay and third-placed Venezuela . Uruguay have a game in hand over both rivals , having played only three qualifiers . `` It was hard , '' Messi , who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010 and is nominated for the accolade again this year , said after the match . `` We did not deserve to go a goal behind , as they were not better than us . `` Sometimes you play better , and other times you have to fight harder . This game was one of those days . '' Ronaldo nets double as Portugal reach Euro 2012 Venezuela joined Argentina on two wins , a draw and a defeat after beating Bolivia 1-0 , with defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo heading the only goal in the 23rd minute . The defeat left visiting Bolivia rock bottom with just one point from four matches . Ecuador moved into the fourth and final automatic qualifying spot courtesy of a 2-0 win over Peru in Quito . Midfielder Edison Mendez broke the deadlock in the 69th minute after being set up by striker Christian Benitez . Benitez , who plays his club football with Mexican outfit America , sealed Ecuador 's triumph with a close-range strike in the closing minutes to keep his side unbeaten for 34 years in World Cup ties against Peru . Chile climbed above Colombia into fifth place and the one playoff berth after a 2-0 success against Paraguay . Claudio Borghi 's team lost 4-0 to Uruguay last week , but Chile responded positively and took the lead through defender Pablo Contreras on 27 minutes . Fullback Matias Campos sealed victory with five minutes left , as Chile moved onto six points . The qualifying group usually has 10 countries , but Brazil 's place is already guaranteed as the hosts of the 2014 tournament , when Mano Menezes ' team will seek a sixth title .","question":""}
{"answer":"Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bernice King , the youngest child of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr . , has been elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , a spokeswoman for the group said Friday . King , 46 , was elected as the SCLC 's first female president , said Renee Richardson . King 's father was SCLC 's first president . The organization was founded in 1957 . The other finalist for the post was former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen , 57 , who lost his recent bid for re-election . Griffen , of Pine Bluff , Arkansas , is also pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock . King is a minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia , Georgia . She also is a motivational speaker and author . `` It is a destiny call , '' she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week . `` It is part of my father and mother 's legacy and a continuation of the legacy he started in the '50s and '60s through this organization . I believe that the hand of God is leading me . '' Her brother , Martin Luther King III , was president of SCLC from 1997 to 2004 . They and sibling Dexter King were locked in a bitter legal battle over their parents ' estates until late September , when a judge ordered them to begin negotiations . The three were able to reach a settlement . King succeeds the Rev. Byron Clay , who has been interim president since the Rev. Charles Steele Jr. resigned earlier this year . The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery led the group from 1977 until 1997 . The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy was president from 1968 to 1977 . Ralph Luker , a retired history professor at Morehouse College and co-editor of the first two volumes of `` The Papers of Martin Luther King , '' says SCLC 's challenge going forward is giving the organization a sense of mission . `` There 's been ... no real vision , and that 's a dramatic change from its early years , '' he said . `` For too long it 's been a program here , had a cause there , but the group 's rationale for being has n't been clear . '' The group , which has chapters and affiliates throughout the country , has lobbied extensively on a variety of issues related to civil rights . CNN 's Debra Krajnak and Maria White contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Taliban in Afghanistan -- whose government was toppled by U.S.-led forces after the September 11 attacks in 2001 -- has strengthened its military and technical capabilities even while suffering heavy combat losses , says a State Department report released Wednesday . Afghan policemen stand Wednesday outside the ruins of a house destroyed during clashes with Taliban insurgents . `` The Taliban-led insurgency remained a capable , determined , and resilient threat to stability and to the expansion of government authority , particularly in the Pashtun south and east , '' according to the `` Country Reports on Terrorism 2007 . '' The Taliban 's information operations have become `` increasingly aggressive and sophisticated , '' and their ability to obtain al Qaeda support and recruit soldiers from the Taliban base of rural Pashtuns is `` undiminished , '' the report says . But new civilian-military counterinsurgency approaches in the east , particularly Nangarhar , have begun to yield successes , the report says . The Taliban is funding its terror activities with money from supporters in neighboring Pakistan and from narcotics trafficking and kidnappings . Kidnappings of foreigners have increased , the report says . The group also has increased its use of improvised explosive devices , and suicide bombings have become more frequent and more deadly , it says . Quoting U.N.-compiled figures , the State Department said terrorists launched about 140 suicide-bomb attacks in 2007 . The number of terror attacks in Afghanistan increased from 969 in 2006 to 1,127 last year , and the number of people killed , injured or kidnapped as the result of terrorism rose from 3,557 in 2006 to 4,673 in 2007 , the report says . In the face of attacks by the Taliban and related groups on coalition forces and others , Afghanistan has struggled to build a stable , democratic government . However , it has taken steps to build strong relationships with neighboring Pakistan and address problems such as poverty that help fuel terrorism , the report says . The Program for Strengthening Peace and Reconciliation has persuaded more than 5,000 Taliban members and other insurgents to stop their lives of violence , it says . The shifting situation in Afghanistan prompted the top U.S. military officer to say in early April that he is `` deeply concerned '' about the situation there , and that maintaining troops in Iraq is harming overall U.S. military capabilities . `` The Taliban is growing bolder , suicide attacks are on the rise , and so is the trade in illegal narcotics , '' said Adm. Mike Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States needs more troops to hold areas of southern Afghanistan -- the region of highest concern -- and to train local army and police personnel . The two men testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee . The United States recently sent an additional 3,500 troops to Afghanistan , but commanders in the region would like 10,000 to 12,000 more , Gates said . He said he doubted NATO would make up the difference . Although 25 NATO allies and 13 other countries have contributed forces , the bulk of the recent fighting in Afghanistan has been done by U.S. , Canadian , British and Dutch troops . Canadian troops are based in the southern province of Kandahar , once a Taliban stronghold . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"BANGKOK , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pregnant British woman facing possible execution in Laos will go on trial this week , the country 's foreign affairs ministry said Monday . Samantha Orobator became pregnant in prison , according to a spokeswoman for rights group Reprieve . Samantha Orobator `` is facing death by firing squad for drug trafficking , '' said Clare Algar , executive director of Reprieve , a London-based human rights group . Orobator , 20 , was arrested on August 5 , said Khenthong Nuanthasing , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman . She was alleged to have been carrying just over half a kilogram -LRB- 1.1 pounds -RRB- of heroin , Reprieve lawyer Anna Morris told CNN by phone from Vientiane , the Laotian capital . `` For that amount of heroin the sentence is normally the death penalty , '' she said . Orobator 's mother Jane found out in January her daughter was pregnant -- more than four months after she was arrested , her mother said . Jane Orobator heard the news from the British Foreign Office , which has been monitoring the case , the mother told CNN by phone from Dublin , where she lives . She can not believe her daughter was involved in drug trafficking , and was surprised to learn she was in Laos , she said . `` I do n't know '' what she was doing there , she said . `` The last time she spoke with me , she said she was on holiday in London and she would come to see us in Dublin before returning to the U.K. in July . `` She is not the type of person who would be involved in drugs , '' she added . Reprieve is worried about her health , especially given her pregnancy , Anna Morris said . `` She became pregnant in prison . We are concerned that it may not have been consensual and we are concerned that someone who finds herself in prison at 20 is subject to exploitation , '' she said . She is due to give birth in September , the lawyer added . Reprieve sent Morris from London to Laos to try to help Orobator , Algar said . The lawyer arrived there on Sunday and is hoping to visit Orobator on Tuesday , her boss at Reprieve said . A British consul has also arrived in the country . `` Reprieve heard about her case two weeks ago . We had thought yesterday the trial was going to start today , '' Algar said Monday . `` We have now heard from Anna that it is not going to . '' `` I am the first British lawyer who has asked for access to her , '' Morris said . `` She needs to have a local lawyer appointed to her . We are pressing very hard for the local authorities to appoint one . '' She said it was normal in the Laotian justice system for a defendant to get a lawyer only days before a trial . The last execution in Laos was in 1990 , the foreign affairs spokesman said . British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell issued a statement about Orobator on Saturday . `` The British Government is opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances . We have made the Laos authorities aware of this at the highest levels in Samantha 's case , '' he said . `` We are paying close attention to her welfare and are in regular contact with the Laotian authorities about her case . British Embassy officials , including the Ambassador , have visited her six times since her arrest , '' he said . `` In addition , Britain 's consular representatives in Laos , the Australian Embassy , including the Australian Embassy doctor , have visited Samantha 10 times on our behalf , '' he said . There is no British Embassy in Laos . A British vice-consul arrived in the country this weekend , the Foreign Office said Monday . Rammell plans to raise the Orobator case with the Laotian deputy prime minister this week , he said . Samantha Orobator was born in Nigeria and moved to London with her family when she was 8 , her mother said . CNN 's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators searched the Las Vegas home and office of Michael Jackson 's personal physician , Dr. Conrad Murray , on Tuesday morning , a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman said . Investigators arrive at the Las Vegas , Nevada , home of Michael Jackson 's personal physician . Los Angeles police and DEA agents , carrying search warrants , were `` looking for a lot of things , '' said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Flanagan . Aerial cameras showed investigators leaving Murray 's home , three hours after they entered , carrying several containers . The searches came a day after a source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed to CNN that Murray administered a powerful drug that authorities believe killed the singer . Flanagan said that while he could not disclose details of the search warrants , because a judge had ordered them sealed , he confirmed they were looking for documents and computer records . Murray 's attorney , Ed Chernoff , issued a statement saying that officers from the DEA , Los Angeles police and `` various local agencies '' executed a search warrant at Murray 's home and office beginning about 8 a.m. -LRB- 11 a.m. ET -RRB- Tuesday . `` The search warrant authorized investigators to look for medical records relating to Michael Jackson and all of his reported aliases , '' the statement said . `` Dr. Murray was present during the search of his home and assisted the officers . '' Investigators left Murray 's home about noon , he said , taking cell phones and a computer hard drive . `` As of 2 p.m. , the search at Dr. Murray 's office continues , '' the statement said . Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist , allegedly gave Jackson the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan -- in the 24 hours before he died , said the source , who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media . Watch a profile of Murray '' In a statement Monday , the doctor 's attorneys said they would n't comment on `` rumors , innuendo or unnamed sources . '' In the past , they have said Murray never prescribed or administered anything that could have killed Jackson . Watch CNN 's Ted Rowlands report on drug allegation '' Last week , Texas authorities searched Murray 's Houston medical office and storage unit , looking for `` evidence of the offense of manslaughter , '' according to court documents . Among the items removed from Murray 's office were a computer ; 27 tablets of phentermine , a prescription-strength appetite suppressant ; 1 tablet of clonazepam , an anti-anxiety medication ; and some Rolodex cards . From Murray 's storage unit , authorities removed two computer hard drives ; an `` important contact list '' ; a suspension notice from Houston 's Doctor Hospital ; notices from the Internal Revenue Service ; and a laundry list of medical and hospital documents . Chernoff , a Houston lawyer hired by Murray soon after Jackson 's death , confirmed at the time that Los Angeles police detectives and federal DEA agents used a search warrant to enter Murray 's office in northeast Houston on Wednesday morning . Chernoff said members of Murray 's legal team were at the medical office during the search , which he said `` was conducted by members of the DEA , two robbery-homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department and Houston Police officers . '' Police have interviewed Murray twice since Jackson 's death . A third interview was scheduled for July 24 , but was postponed after the search warrants were executed . It 's unknown when the next interview will take place . Among those who have indicated that Jackson may have been using dangerous prescription medication are nutritionist Cherilyn Lee , who said Jackson pleaded for the powerful sedative Diprivan despite being told of its harmful effects . Meanwhile , the Los Angeles County coroner 's office continues to investigate the cause of Jackson 's death on June 25 . It has been waiting on toxicology lab results , but a final autopsy report is expected as soon as this week , a coroner 's spokesman has said . CNN 's Ted Rowlands and Paul Vercammen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gunmen on motorcycles fired Friday on a campaign office for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , wounding two adults and a child , according to a report by Iran 's state-run news agency . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was not present at the time of the attack . The shooting happened about 5 p.m . in front of the entrance to the campaign office , campaign representative Mohammed Reza Zahed Shaikhi told IRNA . Ahmadinejad , who is running for a second term in office , was not present . Iran 's presidential election will take place on June 12 . The attack happened in Sistan-Balochistan province in southeastern Iran , the same province where a Shia mosque was bombed Thursday . Several suspects have been arrested in connection with Thursday 's attack in the town of Zahedan , which killed between 15 and 20 people , according to Iranian media reports . No group publicly accepted responsibility for the mosque attack , but the provincial governor , Ali-Mohammad Azad , blamed a terrorist group that he said would be unveiled to the public once the suspects have been interrogated , IRNA reported . Zahedan is about 1,100 km -LRB- 700 miles -RRB- southeast of Tehran , near Iran 's borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan . Sistan-Balochistan province -- which shares a border with Pakistan -- is the site of frequent clashes involving Iranian police , drug dealers and armed groups . The province is located on a major narcotics-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Pakistan . Azad said information on the arrested terrorist group would be unveiled to the public once interrogations were complete . `` The terrorists and notorious gang planned to stir order and security in the province on the eve of -LRB- the June 12 presidential -RRB- elections , using ongoing insecurity in our eastern neighbors , '' he said Thursday . Several days of mourning were reported to be under way for victims of the explosion . Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami , a hard-line cleric who led Friday prayers in Tehran , said there were signs that the United States and Israel were involved in the mosque bombing , IRNA reported . The cleric , who put the death toll at 25 , condemned the bombing before a congregation on the Tehran University campus . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorghmehr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Citing a `` deficit of trust '' in government by the American people , President Obama 's first State of the Union address urged Congress to erode the influence of special interests and work together to confront the nation 's most pressing problems . In the nationally televised speech Wednesday night to a joint session of Congress , Obama sought to reassure Americans angry and nervous about the pace of economic recovery that his government understands the challenges and would act boldly to meet them . Obama called for a new political climate of `` common sense '' approaches that invest in the American people without building `` a mountain of debt . '' Highlights of the speech `` We have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now . We face a deficit of trust -- deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years , '' Obama said . Key areas where Obama wants to build that trust include : the economy , education , energy , health care and national security . Democrats applauded the remarks of their party 's leader . `` He outlined a road map that , if followed with bipartisan support in Congress , can reduce our deficit , rebuild our economy and create a new foundation of prosperity for American families and businesses , '' said Sen. Tom Harkin , D-Iowa . `` It was a serious speech -- reached out to Republicans , '' said Rep. Steny Hoyer , D-Maryland , the House majority leader . iReport : Share your views on the speech Republicans , however , were skeptical of Obama 's ability to change the partisan atmosphere in Washington . `` Real bipartisanship requires more than just lip service ; it demands both sides coming together in a real and meaningful way . It 's time for the administration to abandon this big-government agenda and start working in a meaningful way with Republicans to find common-sense solutions to move the country forward , '' said Sen. Orrin Hatch , R-Utah . `` I would have liked to have seen him emphasize reaching out to the other side of the aisle and bringing us together , '' said Sen. George Voinovich , R-Ohio . Read more reaction to address Analysts , too , were mixed in their reactions to what Obama had to say Wednesday night . CNN political contributor John Avlon said Obama was targeting independents with his remarks , but questioned his success . `` They still hear The Who 's ` Wo n't Get Fooled Again ' in the back of their minds , '' Avlon said . Democratic strategist James Carville said Obama made progress . `` He picked up a first down tonight , '' Carville said . And a post-speech opinion poll shows a divided public . A CNN\/Opinion Research Corp . survey indicated that 48 percent of speech watchers had a very positive reaction , with three in 10 saying they had a somewhat positive response and 21 percent with a negative response . See full results of poll The 48 percent who indicated they had a very positive response is down 20 points from the 68 percent of speech watchers who felt the same way a year ago about the president 's February 24 primetime address to a joint session of Congress . `` Wednesday night 's State of the Union audience is more Democratic than the nation as a whole , but speech-watchers were less Democratic this year than they were last year , '' said Keating Holland , CNN polling director . `` That may be one reason why the number who gave his speech a ` very positive ' rating is lower this year . But part of the reason also may be that speech-watchers did n't necessarily hear a new agenda and are n't confident that the president can improve health care or lower the deficit . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leading Republicans warned Sunday that the Obama administration 's $ 800 billion-plus economic stimulus effort will lead to what one called a `` financial disaster . '' The country will `` pay dearly '' if it executes the president 's stimulus plans , Sen. Richard Shelby says . `` Everybody on the street in America understands that , '' said Sen. Richard Shelby , the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee . `` This is not the right road to go . We 'll pay dearly . '' Shelby , of Alabama , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the package and efforts to shore up the struggling banking system will put the United States on `` a road to financial disaster . '' But Lawrence Summers , the head of the administration 's National Economic Council , said Republicans have lost their credibility on the issue . Watch Republicans criticize the stimulus bill '' `` Those who presided over the last eight years -- the eight years that brought us to the point where we inherit trillions of dollars of deficit , an economy that 's collapsing more rapidly than at any time in the last 50 years -- do n't seem to me in a strong position to lecture about the lessons of history , '' Summers told ABC 's `` This Week . '' President Barack Obama , his advisers and the Democratic leaders of Congress argue the roughly $ 830 billion measure will help pull the U.S. economy out of its current skid . Much of the package involves infrastructure spending , long-term energy projects and aid to cash-strapped state and local governments . The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported last week that the measure is likely to create between 1.3 million and 3.9 million jobs by the end of 2010 , lowering a projected unemployment rate of 8.7 percent by up to 2.1 percentage points . But the CBO warned the long-term effect of that much government spending over the next decade could `` crowd out '' private investment , lowering long-term economic growth forecasts by 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent by 2019 . In a concession to Republicans , about a third of the bill involves tax cuts . But the measure is expected to have only minimal GOP support when it goes to a scheduled vote early this week . Watch South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford warn of `` disastrous consequences '' The version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives had no Republican votes . `` We need to spend money on infrastructure and on other programs that will immediately put people to work . But this is not it , '' said Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , last year 's GOP presidential nominee . Senators reached a tentative agreement Friday on a compromise bill largely negotiated by a handful of moderate Republicans whose votes are needed to prevent a filibuster . But McCain told CBS ' `` Face the Nation '' that the package should have been about half the size of the one now before senators , and should be balanced between tax cuts and spending . `` We 're going to amass the largest debt in the history of this country , by any measurement , and we 're going to ask our kids and grandkids to pay for it , '' he said . The stimulus bill includes about $ 45 billion in transportation spending , much of which can be spent on projects `` that can be implemented immediately , '' Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told CNN . LaHood , a former Republican congressman from Illinois , said he would talk to his former colleagues on Capitol Hill `` and do all that I can to persuade them that this bill really will put people to work . '' He said he invited state transportation chiefs to Washington for a Wednesday meeting on how to create jobs using funding from the stimulus bill . `` There are n't going to be any boondoggles . This money will be spent correctly , by the book , with no shortcuts , '' LaHood said . The administration is also readying a second phase of the financial bailout program launched by the Bush administration last fall . Shelby said Obama and his advisers need to address the staggering problems in the U.S. banking system first . `` Until we straighten out our banking system , until there is trust in our banking system , until there 's investment there , this economy is going to continue to tank , '' he said . Shelby also has been critical of other efforts by the federal government to help the struggling economy , including legislation that would have provided a bailout to the auto industry . But Sen. Kent Conrad , the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee , told CBS the current recession -- which has already produced an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent -- is in danger of a deep downturn `` like we saw in the Great Depression . '' `` If there is a failure to give a significant boost to this economy , this crisis will only deepen and become far more serious , '' said Conrad , D-North Dakota .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Michael Steele is chairman of the Republican National Committee . Michael Steele says it 's becoming clear that the Obama administration is spending money recklessly . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Friday marks President Obama 's 200th day in office , and in most respects , his second hundred days as president have been worse than the first 100 . Obama campaigned on bringing `` change '' to America , and during his first 200 days as president , his real definition of change is becoming absolutely clear to Americans . Obama and congressional Democrats are determined to conduct their reckless and costly liberal experiments on the American people without any regard to the consequences . Whether a $ 787 billion stimulus bill , a `` cap-and-trade '' scheme that is nothing more than a huge national energy tax on every American family and business , or a $ 1.6 trillion government-run health care plan , more and more Americans are rightfully concerned about Obama 's change for this country . Since Obama and Democrats rushed through Congress a $ 787 billion stimulus package , unemployment in America has risen close to 9.5 percent , and every indication is that it will climb even higher when July 's unemployment report is released Friday . In total , more than 2.6 million jobs have been lost since Obama took office . But what has the president 's stimulus bill brought us , if not the jobs he promised ? Wasteful spending , such as $ 18 million to redesign Recovery.gov , the very government Web site used to monitor stimulus spending , or $ 3.4 million for an `` eco tunnel '' in Florida designed to provide safe passage for turtles looking to cross the street . This is not the economic stimulus that the American people expected . The second of Obama 's grand experiments on America was his massive so-called cap-and-trade bill that was rammed through the House of Representatives this past June so fast that congressmen were n't given the chance to read it . This bill is nothing more than a national energy tax , plain and simple . Its sole purpose is to increase the cost of energy so that Americans might use less . The Heritage Foundation estimated that it would end up costing the average American family up to $ 1,870 per year and decrease the national GDP by $ 161 billion in the year 2020 . The foundation also determined that during the 2012-2035 timeline , job losses would average more than 1.1 million . Add in the fact that it would do almost nothing to prevent `` climate change , '' and all that is left is a national energy tax on environmentally friendly clothing . Obama 's third and final experiment of his first 200 days as president -- and arguably his most dangerous -- is the fundamental transformation of our health care system . Obama is correct about one thing : Our health care system needs reform . Health care today costs too much for families and small businesses , preventing too many Americans from accessing the affordable quality care they need , when they need it . However , the president 's prescription to rein in these costs has little to do with real-world dollars and cents and everything to do with the complete government takeover and control of one-sixth of the U.S. economy . The president claims that more government involvement in health care will promote competition . However , creating such a government-run entity would result in a massive government health care monopoly . Private insurers would soon be put out of business , unable to compete with the subsidized government-run plan the president and liberals want . More than 88 million Americans could be forced out of their current private insurance plans and into the government-run plan , according to a study by the Lewin Group . Obama claims that if you like your current health care , you can keep it , but this is simply not true . Then there is the issue of cost . Despite what the president says , his government-run plan wo n't make health care more affordable . Quite the opposite . Nothing ever becomes cheaper by being more expensive , and the Democrats ' plan would cost at least $ 1.6 trillion , according to an analysis by Roll Call . The Congressional Budget Office determined one of the House Democrats ' plans would add more than $ 200 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years . The president is also planning to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid to help pay for his government-run health care scheme . This is the epitome of robbing Peter to pay Paul . The president and his Democratic allies have looked to raise taxes on many small businesses to help pay for his government-run health care scheme , a foolish proposition even during the best of times , let alone during a recession . Many small businesses would be hit with a penalty equal to 8 percent of their payroll for failing to provide insurance for their employees . Punishing small-business owners with punitive tax legislation such as this will only increase the unemployment rate and extend the recession . Obama 's first 200 days in office should be seen for exactly what they are : a clear indication of where he intends to direct America during his presidency . It is a direction that places less emphasis on individual entrepreneurs and private creativity and instead places power in the hands of a massive federal bureaucracy . It is a direction that rams massive spending bills through Congress in the name of economic stimulus and job creation , it is a direction that masks a costly job-killing national energy tax in environmentalism , and it is a direction that looks to put federal bureaucracy between patients and their doctors all in the guise of reducing costs and expanding coverage . America simply ca n't afford the president 's experiments . The president has done all this in just 200 days , and there are still more than 1,200 days left in his administration . That 's a frightening thought . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Steele .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Rwandan accused of `` complicity '' in the massacre of students at the college he headed during the country 's genocide 15 years ago has been arrested in Italy , where he served as a clergyman , an international police agency said . Interpol hailed arrest of Uwayezu as a demonstration of effectiveness of international police co-operation . Officers from the Italian Carabinieri and Interpol 's National Central Bureau in Rome , Italy , arrested Emmanuel Uwayezu -- who had been wanted in Rwanda , the international police organization Interpol said Wednesday in a news release . Uwayezu , 47 , is accused of genocide , conspiracy to commit genocide , complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity . He is in Italian custody and is awaiting extradition to Rwanda . According to Interpol 's statement , the Rwandan arrest warrant says Uwayezu was alleged `` to have acted individually and as part of a conspiracy to plan and commit genocide by instigating Hutus to kill Tutsis in the area of Gikongoro , as director of the Groupe Scolaire Marie Merci college in Kibeho . '' He is accused of `` participating in meetings with government and military authorities which allegedly planned the extermination of the Tutsi ethnic group '' and `` complicity in the massacre of some 80 students in May 1994 in the college which he headed . '' Uwayezu arrived in Italy in 1997 , took an alias , and was working as a vicar at the Church in Empoli commune near Florence when he was seized , Interpol said . The man was identified after Interpol 's fugitives unit received information and pictures from Rwandan authorities . The Archdiocese of Florence issued a statement about the arrest two days ago , saying it hopes the justice system will come up with the truth about the case . But , it said , `` we stand by the fact that Don Emmanuel has always declared his estrangement to the events in question and we accompany him in prayers . '' One Italian news report noted that Uwayezu is a priest of Hutu ethnicity and lived and worked as vice-parish priest in Ponzano , part of the county of Empoli . Don Guido Engels , the head of the parish and a priest , told the ASCA news agency that `` Don Emmanuel never cultivated feelings towards another ethnic group . He always wanted peace . '' `` The arrest of Uwayezu demonstrates the power and effectiveness of international co-operation between police worldwide in obtaining information in relation to the identification , location and apprehension of fugitives around the world , '' said Jean-Michel Louboutin , Interpol 's executive director of police services . `` This operation is a credit to law enforcement officers and agencies in Italy and Rwanda . '' Two years ago , Interpol created a unit dedicated to searching for fugitives in the genocide who were wanted by Rwanda and the U.N.-sponsored International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda . So far , seven people wanted by Rwanda and five wanted by the tribunal have been arrested . Police in Uganda recently arrested and extradited a man who is among the most wanted suspects from the Rwandan genocide . Idelphonse Nizeyimana was picked up at a hotel in Rubaga , a suburb of the capital , Kampala . The arrest , by Ugandan police , was part of an operation between the tribunal , Ugandan authorities , and Interpol . Nizeyimana was transferred Tuesday to a U.N. detention facility in Arusha , Tanzania , where the tribunal is based . The 1994 Rwandan genocide left an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead over a 100-day period , the United Nations and Interpol say . Millions more were raped and disfigured , and nearly an entire generation of children lost their parents .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former football star O.J. Simpson walked out of jail late Wednesday after posting $ 250,000 bail . O.J. Simpson leaves the Clark County Detention Center late Wednesday night . Eighth District Judge Jackie Glass hours earlier doubled Simpson 's bail to ensure his appearance at an April 7 trial . Glass said Simpson had violated terms of his previous bail . Glass was adamant that Simpson remain in the Clark County Detention Center until 15 percent of the $ 250,000 is paid in full -- $ 37,500 -- after it was revealed in court that Simpson never paid any part of his previous $ 125,000 bail . `` There 's no ` get-out-of-jail-free card ' today , '' an angry Glass told Simpson 's lawyers . `` I do n't want him out of the jail until the 15 percent is paid in full . '' Watch the scolding judge '' The judge scolded Simpson , saying he was n't taking the matter seriously . `` I do n't know if it 's just arrogance . I do n't know if it 's ignorance , '' she chided . Simpson posted bail at about 6:15 p.m. local time -LRB- 9:15 p.m. ET -RRB- , according to Las Vegas authorities . Simpson returned to jail in Nevada from his home in Florida January 11 for Wednesday 's hearing , after prosecutors alleged he violated the terms of his bail by attempting to contact a co-defendant . The original bail bondsman -- Miguel Pereira of Florida-based You Ring , We Spring -- testified Wednesday that the former football player did n't put any money toward the bail that allowed him to leave jail in September . `` Not one cent , '' he said . The bail bondsman himself paid the 15 percent premium and the $ 40 filing fee to allow Simpson to leave the detention center , although he said he had a power of attorney for Simpson 's Florida home but never filed a lien on it . When questioned by Simpson attorney Yale Galanter , Pereira admitted he had never sent Simpson a bill for the premium . But , he said , he had an understanding with Simpson that he would be paid `` after it was all over . '' Glass described it as `` mind-boggling '' that Simpson never had to put up any collateral for his first bond and that the bail bondsman never asked for anything . Prosecutors also produced Wednesday a recording of a profanity-laced voice mail message left on Pereira 's answering machine in November from Simpson , which he told Pereira to deliver to co-defendant Clarence Stewart . The prosecutor said the message contained `` an undercurrent of a threat , '' and he wanted the bail to be raised to at least $ 1 million . Galanter did not contest the authenticity of the recording . As part of his bail granted September 19 , Simpson was to have no contact whatsoever with victims , witnesses or co-defendants in the case . Glass said the same goes this time . Watch how Simpson wound up in jail '' `` When I tell you , Mr. Simpson , there are conditions and there are rules , let me make sure you understand if you violate those rules ... you 'll be back , locked up in the Clark County Detention Center ; do you understand me ? '' the judge asked . `` I understand 100 percent , '' said Simpson , dressed in a navy blue jail jumpsuit . `` No contact -LSB- with others in case -RSB- , no phone messages to third parties , no emails , no letters -- nothing , '' Glass added . Galanter said his client `` was truly contrite about what has occurred . '' `` He will abide scrupulously by whatever this court decides , '' the attorney said . Simpson faces trial April 7 on 12 criminal counts , including conspiracy , kidnapping , robbery , burglary , coercion and assault with a deadly weapon . The charges stem from a September 13 incident at a Las Vegas hotel in which he allegedly stole sports memorabilia he said belonged to him from dealers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong . According to earlier testimony , Beardsley and Fromong were offering more than 600 Simpson-related items for sale , including ties Simpson wore during his criminal trial for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife , Nicole Brown Simpson , and her friend Ron Goldman . Simpson was acquitted in that trial . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chinese officials blamed poor management and inadequate precautions for an explosion at a mine that killed 104 people , state-run media said Monday . In addition to those killed , 60 miners remained hospitalized from Saturday 's morning blast at the Xinxing coal mine in northeastern Heilongjiang province . Most were being treated for injuries such as carbon monoxide poisoning and burns , CCTV reported . Six were in critical condition with severe burns . Four other workers were still trapped underground in the mine shaft , the Xinhua news agency said . The accident started with a gas leak in one of the shafts , officials said . But because of poor ventilation , gas poured into the main tunnel and triggered an explosion that shook 28 of the 30 mining platforms in operation . About 530 miners were working in the mine at the time . Luo Lin , head of the State Administration of Work Safety , told Xinhua that the mine 's management was to blame for not evacuating workers when they detected a high gas density in the pit . State regulations stipulate that miners have to evacuate if gas density exceeds 2 percent . The density in the pit was more than 10 percent , authorities said . `` The mine has too many mining platforms in operation and has sent to many workers down the pit to increase output , '' said Zhao Tiechui , deputy head of the work safety agency . The mine is owned and operated by the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Holding Group . Unlike most small - and mid-size collieries , Xinxing produces 12 million tons of coal a year . The blast took place during a five-day inspection of work safety conditions in Hegang , local media said . Immediately after the blast , the mine 's director , deputy director and chief engineer were fired . Mine accidents are common in China . Last year , 3,200 people were killed in such accidents , state media said . The latest blast is the deadliest since December 2007 , when 105 miners were killed in Shanxi province . The deadliest mine blast took place in August 2007 when two collieries flooded in Shandong province , killing 181 miners , Xinhua said . Chinese officials said they will pay at least 250,000 yuan -LRB- $ 36,600 -RRB- to each of the families of the miners who died .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice is leading a U.S. delegation to Juba for Saturday 's ceremonies marking the independence of South Sudan , the White House said Wednesday . Members of the delegation will include Rep. Donald M. Payne , D-New Jersey and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa , Global Health , and Human Rights ; former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell ; Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs Johnnie Carson ; U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Princeton N. Lyman ; Deputy National Security Adviser Brooke Anderson ; Donald K. Steinberg , deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development ; Gen. Carter F. Ham , commander of United States Africa Command ; R. Barrie Walkley , U.S. consul general in Juba ; and Ken Hackett , president of Catholic Relief Services . Two senior administration officials said they expected the Obama administration to announce its intention to name an ambassador to the new nation . Lyman has already traveled to the region to foster a smooth transition between the two countries . He is visiting Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , and is expected to join former South African President Thabo Mbeki in support of ongoing talks between officials in Khartoum , Sudan , and Juba -- a fast-growing city soon to become South Sudan 's new capital . The two men are expected to lend support to a peace agreement that ended Sudan 's second civil war , and help moderate potential conflicts over resource sharing , disputed border areas and citizenship matters , the State Department said . Lyman is expected to travel to Khartoum for meetings with senior Sudanese officials , the statement said , and then to Juba to attend South Sudan 's independence ceremony . The flurry of U.S. diplomatic activity comes as satellite images released Wednesday reveal a heavy north Sudanese military presence in an oil-rich border region . Images from the U.S.-based Satellite Sentinel Project showed an apparent Sudan Armed Forces -LRB- SAF -RRB- convoy of `` significant size '' traveling through the town of Kadugli . The monitoring group , started by actor George Clooney , said the convoy was 2 kilometers in length and included about 1,000 troops and heavy trucks carrying artillery . `` Less than a week after signing yet another agreement , the Sudanese regime appears to be ignoring its commitment , holding to form , and positioning military assets for intensified offensive operations , '' said John Prendergast , co-founder of the Enough Project , which aims to end genocide and war crimes . `` This cycle will continue to be played out with increasingly destructive results for Sudanese civilians until the international community stiffens its spine and imposes swift and severe repercussions for the endless cycle of violence the Khartoum regime continues to fuel . '' The Satellite Sentinel Project combines satellite imagery analysis and field reports with mapping technology in hopes of deterring the resumption of the bloody and bitter civil war north and south fought for decades . The monitoring group said fighting between the Sudanese forces and the south 's Sudan People 's Liberation Army has been reported in the city of Kadugli in the past week . Southerners voted for independence in a January referendum , and with the scheduled July 9 date of separation looming , many fear an escalation of bloodshed could bring both sides back to the brink of full-scale war . Violence erupted two months ago along the contested border area of Abyei and subsequently in South Kordofan , a state that lies north of the border but where many people , especially in the Nuba Mountains , are allied with the south . Thousands of people were displaced from their homes , and many fear that , after strict borders go into place with independence , they will not be able to return home . `` South Sudan will be born into crisis , '' predicted Susan Purdin , who oversees International Rescue Committee aid programs in South Sudan . `` Widening violence is triggering more displacement , threatening the lives of vulnerable civilians and hampering access to communities in need while an existing humanitarian emergency grows worse , '' she said . Critical issues -- including oil and the final status of Abyei -- remain unresolved . State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States applauded talks between north and south but remained concerned about the unresolved matters . `` The United States also calls on the parties to end the fighting in Southern Kordofan , and to facilitate unfettered access for aid workers to deliver humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians affected by the conflict , '' Nuland said . Discussions are under way on how to shape the post-independence U.N. mission in South Sudan , created in 2005 with a peacekeeping mandate . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has intervened in pushing the parties to accept U.N. peacekeepers . And the United Nations Security Council will meet next week to discuss whether to recommend a new member state 's entry into the global body . Peter Wittig , the U.N. ambassador of Germany , which holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month , said council members will meet July 13 to talk about U.N. admission . If granted , South Sudan would become the first state since Montenegro in 2006 to become a U.N. member . CNN 's Jill Dougherty , Moni Basu and Nima Elbagir contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran Tuesday successfully launched its first satellite into orbit , a step hailed by Iran 's president as a `` source of pride '' for the Islamic republic , according to state-run news outlets . Reported satellite launch took place on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran . U.S. Department of Defense officials confirmed the launch , and the State Department expressed `` grave concern . '' `` Developing a space launch vehicle that could ... put a satellite into orbit could possibly lead to development of a ballistic missile system , '' State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood told reporters . `` So that 's of grave concern to us . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to discuss Iran in meetings Tuesday with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier . On Wednesday officials from the United States , Britain , France , Germany , Russia and China will meet in Germany to discuss next steps on Iran . Wood said that Undersecretary William Burns , who is representing the United States , will seek input and discuss some ideas the Obama administration has about how to move forward . Watch Iran launch its first satellite '' Two U.S. officials confirmed that Iran had launched a low-earth orbit satellite , CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr said . There were no indications of any weapons activity on the two-stage rocket , although the rocket is capable of launching long-range weapons , the officials said . `` I would n't think of this in terms of highly advanced technology , '' one U.S. official said . But it does suggest Iran 's two-stage rockets are increasingly reliable . The Pentagon said Tuesday the launch is `` clearly a concern of ours . '' `` Although this appears to be satellite , there are dual-use capabilities that could be applied to missiles , and that 's a concern to us and everybody in region , '' Department of Defense spokesman Geoff Morrell said . The launch of the satellite Omid -- which means `` Hope '' in Farsi -- was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Islamic revolution in Iran , according to Iranian media reports . Iran said the satellite had already completed its first mission -- to transmit a message from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , who spoke at the launching ceremony Monday night . In his message , Ahmadinejad congratulated the nation and said the successful launch improves Iran 's status in the world , the Islamic Republic News Agency reported . He stressed that both the satellite and the Safir rocket used to launch it were made entirely by Iranian technicians . Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that despite the small size of the Omid satellite , it will open the way for an Iranian space program . He said Tehran plans to launch another satellite in the future . In August , Iran performed a test of a rocket capable of launching a satellite into orbit . Iranian officials declared that mission a success , but U.S. officials disputed that . Senior U.S. officials had expressed concerned about the test of the rocket , saying Iran could use the rocket to deliver warheads . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Turkish military bombed PKK rebel targets Saturday in northern Iraq in response to clashes that left at least 15 Turkish troops dead , the PKK and the military said Sunday . Members of Turkey 's honor guard carry flag-draped coffins of two soldiers killed in clashes with the PKK . The PKK , or Kurdistan Workers ' Party , said it sustained no casualties in the operation . The Turkish military said the air operation was conducted on the PKK 's `` hiding positions '' in the Avasin-Basyan area of northern Iraq near the border with Turkey . During the operation , steps were taken to avoid civilian casualties , the Turkish military said . Watch inside the PKK 's hidden camps \u00c2 '' The military said the operation was carried out Saturday . The PKK 's military wing said the military operation began after Friday 's clash and lasted for two days . At least 15 Turkish soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in the clashes , Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Saturday . Two others were missing , and the Turkish military said Sunday they were feared dead . The military said 23 PKK members were also killed in the attacks , launched from northern Iraq . In its statement on Sunday , however , the PKK said more than 60 Turkish troops were killed and at least 30 injured . Nine PKK members were killed , the organization said . Turkey 's state-run Anatolia news agency said the clashes occurred in Semdinli , a town in Turkey 's southeastern province of Hakkari . On Tuesday , the Turkish government is scheduled to vote on whether to extend the authority of the Turkish military to launch attacks on PKK positions in northern Iraq . Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Saturday condemned the clashes , calling them a `` terrorist act '' that `` creates a serious threat to the security of the border areas and the joint security of Iraq and Turkey . '' He called on the Turkish government to deal with this `` criminal act wisely and with self restraint . '' `` The Iraqi government expresses its support for the measures the Turkish government will take within Turkish territory to guarantee its -LSB- Turkey 's -RSB- security and stability , '' he said . Saturday night , Iraq 's Presidency Council , made up of President Jalal Talabani -- himself a Kurd -- and his two vice-presidents , condemned what it called `` a vicious attack against Turkish troops . '' `` What makes the attack more horrific is the fact that it happened during the days of the Eid al-Fitr holiday , where Muslims should be celebrating , rejoicing and befriending each other ... instead of fighting and bloodshed , '' the council said . It pledged to `` continue its joint efforts with the Turkish side to prevent the recurrence of such attacks and to put an end to the illegal presence of all foreign militants in Iraq . '' The central Iraqi government has labeled the PKK a terrorist organization , banning its activities and shutting its offices in the country two years ago . But the PKK continues to operate in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq bordering Turkey and Iran . The separatist faction has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey . In an interview held last month in the group 's mountain hideout , the PKK 's military commander , Bahoz Erdal , told CNN 's Arwa Damon and Yousif Bassil that the PKK is defending Kurdish rights and attacks only military targets . `` We are ready for a political solution , '' Erdal said , adding that the PKK would lay down its arms if Kurds were guaranteed equal rights within Turkey . But the Turkish government told CNN in response that it does not negotiate with `` terrorists . '' In February , Turkish military ground forces launched a weeklong offensive against the rebels in northern Iraq .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Faisal Shahzad had two faces , investigators and people who knew him say . He was a suburban father in Connecticut , married to an American citizen educated in Colorado . Wife Huma Mian , pretty and smiling in a Facebook picture , wore a traditional Muslim head scarf and posted on her page that she loved to shop . Shahzad , a Pakistani who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 2009 , worked as a financial analyst in Connecticut before leaving that job last June . His neighbors describe him as quiet and nice , but a little odd -- a man who liked to jog at night wearing all black and who once remarked that he did n't like the sunlight . Shahzad is suspected of trying to blow up a Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square on Saturday . He was arrested Monday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as his flight to Dubai was about to take off , law enforcement officials said . Shahzad , 30 , has been charged with five counts in connection with the case , according to documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York . The documents say he admitted to law enforcement officials that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan . Shahzad returned to the United States via a one-way ticket from Pakistan on February 3 , according to a criminal complaint . He told immigration officials upon his return that he had been visiting his parents in Pakistan for the previous five months , the complaint said . Shahzad has a Karachi identification card , a sign of Pakistani residency , and his family is from northwestern Pakistan , according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik . His father is a retired senior officer in the Pakistani Air Force , Shahzad 's cousin , Kafayat Ali , said on Tuesday . The father , Bahar Ul Haq , a former air vice marshal , lives in the Peshawar suburb of Hayatabad in Pakistan . Pakistani authorities in Karachi picked up for questioning Iftikhar Mian , the father-in-law of suspect Faisal Shahzad , and Tauseef Ahmed , Shahzad 's friend , on Tuesday , two intelligence officials said . An intelligence source said Wednesday that a different associate of Shahzad also was detained on Tuesday . That associate allegedly was instrumental in making possible a meeting between Shahzad and at least one senior Taliban official in Pakistan last July , a senior Pakistani official said Wednesday . It 's unclear where Faisal Shahzad 's wife , Mian , is now , although he told immigration officials in February that she was in Pakistan . Shahzad came to the United States and attended college , earning a bachelor 's degree in computer applications and information systems from Connecticut 's University of Bridgeport in 2000 . He earned an MBA at the school in 2005 . He started working as a junior financial analyst for Affinion Media Group in Norwalk , Connecticut , in 2006 , leaving voluntarily in June 2009 , according to Affinion spokesman Michael Bush . In October 2008 , Shahzad reported getting married to Mian , who graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in degree in business with emphasis in accounting , university spokesman Bronson Hilliard said . A student from 2000 to 2004 , Mian lived in a dorm the first few years , and then in family housing with her sisters her last two years at the school . Mian 's Facebook page , which has apparently been disabled , had a picture with her smiling and wearing a hot pink head scarf . Shahzad , Mian and two children and Mian 's two sisters lived in Shelton , Connecticut , for about three years , moving out in July 2009 , according to neighbor Brenda Thurman . Mian spoke English , but was apparently so insecure about her language ability that she told people she did not , Thurman said . `` I never knew she spoke English until it was time for her to move , '' Thurman said . Thurman saw him in his yard with his children , a boy and a girl , and the family usually wore traditional Muslim attire , Thurman told WTNH-TV . Thurman said her daughter often played with Shahzad 's daughter , but she herself did n't have much contact with the family . `` He also came out and played with them on occasion . He really loved his kids , '' Thurman told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Tuesday . She said Shahzad gave her daughter an old computer of his . Investigators were in the process of confiscating the computer on Tuesday , she said . Shahzad 's wife told Thurman in July 2009 that the family was moving to Missouri . A few weeks after they left their home , the lender foreclosed on the property and changed the locks , Thurman said . At the Bridgeport , Connecticut , residence where authorities say he lived most recently , agents with the FBI and local police , including members of a bomb squad , conducted a search , and investigators removed filled plastic bags . CNN 's Deborah Feyerick , Jim Spellman , Drew Griffin , Joneil Adriano , Samson Desta , Reza Sayah , Jim Kavanagh and the CNN Wire Staff contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- People with a stable mood and better capacity to handle stressful situations without anxiety have a reduced risk of developing dementia , according to a study published this week in the journal Neurology . Stress can increase the risk of dementia in older people , a study has found . This finding was particularly strong in highly extroverted people , the study said . Subjects who were both socially active and not easily stressed had the lowest risk for dementia . But even socially isolated individuals who were more calm and self-satisfied showed a reduced likelihood of dementia , the study said . Extroverted people usually have more optimistic outlooks on life , and `` may be better equipped to cope with stressful events and therefore less prone to depression , '' said Hui-Xin Wang of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm , Sweden , and lead author of the study . The study looked at 506 older people from the Kungsholmen Project in Stockholm who did not have dementia at the first examination . These people then filled out questionnaires that determined their personality types and level of social activity . Those who said they were easily distressed were classified as having high neuroticism . Researchers followed these participants for six years , during which time 144 of them developed dementia . Although it is not easy to change someone 's personality , `` The good news of our finding is that an active lifestyle -- having a rich social network and participating in physical , mental and social activities -- may buffer the negative effect of high neuroticism on dementia risk , '' Wang said . One in seven Americans age 71 and older , or about 3.4 million , have dementia , according to the National Institutes of Health . In this age-group , 2.4 million people have Alzheimer 's disease , NIH research has shown . Alzheimer 's disease is the most common cause of dementia , according to the Mayo Clinic . Previous research has documented that personality factors may play a role in how people cope with dementia . This study is unique in that it looks at a combination of different lifestyle and personality traits , said Dr. Yaakov Stern , professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University Medical Center , who was not involved with the study . Stern and colleagues have found that people with higher educational or occupational attainment , or who engage in leisure activities , appear less demented . They call this concept `` cognitive reserve , '' because these lifestyle factors seem to allow them to cope with the pathology of the disease better . That is , as the disease progresses in the brain , those who have a greater `` reserve '' do not show symptoms of Alzheimer 's -- memory loss and impairment of day-to-day functions -- as quickly . Mounting evidence suggests that lifestyle factors also directly influence brain changes , he said . The Swedish study builds off the established idea in the field that stress actually harms the brain . The pathology of dementia appears about 10 to 15 years before a person actually develops Alzheimer 's disease , Stern said . That means , just like a man with prostate cancer may not have any symptoms , a person 's brain may have undergone changes that lead to Alzheimer 's without visibly affecting a person 's day-to-day life . Doctors can look for indications of the disease using positron emission tomography -LRB- PET -RRB- scans . A chemical called Pittsburgh Compound B is used in the imaging of brain tissues to find signatures of Alzheimer 's -- namely , beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles . `` The working idea is that if we can detect it before it 's clinically expressed and stop it then , we can prevent people from developing the disease , '' Stern said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former top Pakistani military officers Sunday called for Pakistan 's former strongman to be allowed back without facing arrest and condemned what they called the `` bashing '' of the country 's armed forces . More than 100 former officers , most of them generals and admirals , signed their names to a letter calling for Pervez Musharraf to be allowed to return to Pakistan `` and contest elections according to democratic norms . '' The retired brass included the retired Gen. Muhammad Aziz Khan , once the head of Pakistan 's joint chiefs of staff during part of Musharraf 's rule , and Adm. Shahid Karimullah , who served as head of the navy under Musharraf . `` We feel that Gen. -LRB- R -RRB- Pervez Musharraf should be provided with a level playing field in the political arena and also provided protocol and security as befits any ex-president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , '' wrote the officers , who have formed a group they called `` Pakistan First . '' Musharraf , who seized power in a 1999 coup , has been living in London and Dubai since resigning in 2008 . He had announced plans to return from exile in late January and run in upcoming elections -- but his party said he was reassessing those plans when Pakistan 's elected government warned that if he returned , he faced arrest in connection with the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto . A U.N. report in 2010 accused Musharraf 's government of failing to protect Bhutto , who had returned to Pakistan from her own exile to run for office . Musharraf has denied the allegations , arguing that Bhutto had police protection and took unnecessary risks , but a Pakistani court issued a warrant for his arrest . Bhutto 's widower , Asif Ali Zardari , is now Pakistan 's president . If Musharraf were to return , he would be walking into the middle of a public squabble between Pakistan 's civilian and uniformed leadership that was sparked by a memo that allegedly asked for U.S. help to rein in the military . In Sunday 's letter , the ex-generals said they opposed the `` bashing '' of Pakistan 's army and its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency . `` We feel that erosion of these institutions can only lead to weakening of Pakistan 's position as a sovereign and proud nation , '' they wrote . `` This forum feels that while all state institutions must be allowed to function within the purview of their respective roles , the demands of national dignity and state security dictate that all organs of the state as well as the media persistently raise and maintain the prestige and morale of the nation and its armed forces , both at home and abroad . '' Zardari faces his own legal problems . His prime minister , Yousuf Raza Gilani , appeared before Pakistan 's supreme court Thursday in a battle over corruption cases facing the president and other officials , telling reporters the president has `` full immunity '' from prosecution under an amnesty granted by Musharraf before Zardari and Bhutto returned in 2007 . In 2009 , the justices ruled that amnesty was unconstitutional and called on the government to reopen the cases . The government has not done so , and the court has cited Gilani for contempt .","question":""}
{"answer":"MAMMOTH LAKES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A small amount of human remains has been found in the wreckage of the plane that adventurer Steve Fossett was flying when he disappeared last year , a National Transportation Safety Board official said Thursday . The wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett 's plane was found in California 's Sierra Nevada on Thursday . A search team that was examining the wreckage , which was found Wednesday at an altitude of about 10,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes , found `` very little '' remains among the debris , acting NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said . Asked whether the remains were enough for an identification , Rosenker said , `` I believe the coroner will be able to do some work . '' Earlier Thursday , Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said the single-engine Bellanca appeared to have crashed into the side of a mountain in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California , and the damage was `` so severe I doubt someone would 've walked away from it . '' See a map of the crash site \u00c2 '' Fossett was last seen the morning of September 3 , 2007 , when he took off from the Flying-M Ranch outside Minden , Nevada , on what he said would be a pleasure flight over the Sierra Nevada . Watch how searchers located the wreckage \u00c2 '' Investigators homed in on the area near Mammoth Lakes on Wednesday after hikers there found a sweatshirt , cash and identification cards with Fossett 's name . The hikers did not find any wreckage ; an aerial search discovered the airplane parts about a quarter-mile away , Anderson said . Ground crews confirmed Wednesday night that the wreckage was Fossett 's plane . The sheriff said authorities were not certain whether the cash and sweatshirt belonged to Fossett . The engine was about 300 feet higher on the mountain than the fuselage and the wings , Anderson said . An NTSB team arrived Thursday to investigate the crash . Rosenker said investigators , based on examinations of the debris , believe that the plane struck the mountain horizontally but not necessarily head-on . It may take `` weeks , perhaps months to have a better understanding of what happened on that mountain that day , '' he said . Watch NTSB say crash was `` nonsurvivable '' \u00c2 '' Fossett 's disappearance prompted a search that ultimately included thousands of volunteers , hundreds of officials and dozens of aircraft poring over an area more than twice the size of New Jersey . The search was officially suspended a year ago Friday , and a Chicago probate court judge declared Fossett dead in February . Fossett made his money in the financial services industry but became renowned for his daredevil exploits . He was the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon , accomplishing the feat in 2002 , and the first to fly a plane around the world solo without refueling , which he did three years later . He also set world records in round-the-world sailing and cross-country skiing . Browse a list of his achievements on land , sea and air \u00c2 '' CNN 's Chuck Afflerbach contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 ca n'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 . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BANGKOK , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Demonstrators stormed a hotel Saturday where Asian leaders were to meet , forcing the indefinite postponement of the Association of South East Asian Nations summit . Thousands of anti-government protesters block a busy intersection during rush hour in Bangkok . Participating Asian leaders were on their way out of the country , according to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva . He declared a state of emergency in Chonburi province and the southern coastal city of Pattaya , where the summit was to be held , but rescinded the order hours afterward . Thousands of `` red shirt '' protesters , named for the color of their attire , have rallied for days to demand Abhisit 's resignation . The demonstrators flooded into the summit site after smashing through the hotel 's glass doors , but were otherwise nonviolent . Hundreds of them streamed in , without police interference . Protesters hugged the officers and shook their hands . The red shirts have given the prime minister repeated deadlines to resign , but those have come and gone . United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon he was disappointed by the summit 's delay . `` I understand the circumstances that led the Thai government to take this difficult decision . While I had hoped to have exchanges with the leaders of ASEAN and its dialogue partners , I continue to look forward to engaging again with them in the near future , '' Ban said . `` I strongly value the long-standing relationship between ASEAN and the United Nations , and their cooperation in various fields . I hope for an early restoration of normalcy in Thailand and for the settlement of differences through dialogue and peaceful means , '' he added . The protesters are loyal to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who was ousted in a 2006 coup . Thaksin now lives outside of Thailand . The protesters have said Abhisit 's government was not democratically elected and want him to resign and schedule elections . Abhisit , who has held the position for four months , has rejected calls for him to step down . Lawmakers named the 44-year-old , Oxford University-educated Abhisit prime minister in December in the wake of months of demonstrations against Thaksin and his ruling party , People Power Party . On Tuesday , protesters rushed Abhisit 's motorcade while it was struck in traffic . He escaped unharmed . Protesters opposed to Thaksin took to the streets last year wearing yellow shirts , occupied the Government House and blockaded Bangkok 's major international airport , stranding throngs of tourists who provide much of the country 's revenue . The demonstrations ended in early December when a court ruled that the People Power Party was guilty of electoral fraud and threw Thaksin 's brother-in-law out of the prime minister 's seat . The red shirt protesters said this week they would not take over the airports . Dan Rivers and Kocha Olarn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defying many predictions , Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a commanding lead in the presidential vote count early Saturday , election officials with Iran 's Interior Ministry said . Men choose their candidates before voting Friday at a mosque in Tehran , Iran . With 72 percent of ballot boxes counted , Ahmedinejad had 65.7 percent of the vote while his chief rival Mir Hossein Moussavi had 31.4 percent , election officials said . Moussavi , widely regarded as a reformist , had been expected to do well as his campaign caught fire in recent days , triggering massive street rallies in Tehran . An `` unprecedented '' voter turnout at the polls Friday was also expected to boost Moussavi 's chances of winning the presidency . Iran 's Interior Minister Seyed Sadeq Mahsouli said 70 percent of 46 million eligible voters had gone to the polls Friday , according to Fars , another semi-official news agency . Both candidates claimed victory . Moussavi 's camp accused the Iranian establishment of manipulating the vote . Watch why each side is claiming victory '' Voting was supposed to end after 10 hours , but because of the massive turnout , officials initially said polling stations would remain open until everyone in line had a chance to vote . However , Moussavi alleged that doors were being closed with people still waiting outside . Some private news agencies reported many Iranians were milling about on the streets late into the night . Mehr reported that the chief of police declared public gatherings of candidate supporters illegal . Earlier in the day , voters crowded the steps of one polling place in Tehran , some waiting more than three hours underneath the hot sun to cast their ballots . Some were lining up even before the polls opened at 8 a.m. Moussavi is the main challenger among three candidates vying to replace Ahmadinejad . The other candidates are former parliament speaker and reformist Mehdi Karrubi , and Mohsen Rezaie , the former head of Iran 's Revolutionary Guards . Mehr reported Rezaie had 1.72 percent of the vote and Karrubi had 0.87 percent . If no single candidate reaches a simple majority -- 50 percent plus one vote -- a runoff election will be held on Friday , June 19 . It was unclear where the ballots that had been counted so far had been cast . Ahmadinejad still has staunch support in Iran 's rural areas , but has been blamed for much of Iran 's economic turmoil over the last four years . If he loses , it would be the first time a sitting Iranian president has not won re-election to a second term in office . Fawaz Gerges , an academic and author who studies the region , said Friday 's vote is really `` a referendum on Ahmadinejad , '' who has been in office since 2005 . `` The unemployment rate is 30 percent ... the largest in the third world , inflation is -LSB- in the -RSB- double digits in Iran , '' Gerges told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` We focus in the United States a great deal on his inflammatory rhetoric on the Holocaust , on nuclear weapons . We tend to forget that Ahmadinejad has basically done a great deal of damage to the Iranian economy , on social policy . '' While Moussavi 's campaign has energized key segments of Iranian voters -- particularly women -- Gerges noted that `` Iranians have surprised us many times . '' Moussavi 's supporters crowded the streets of Tehran this week , wearing the candidate 's trademark color green . His campaign has also energized Iran 's youth , many of whom did not take part in the 2005 election . Yasmin , a 21-year-old university student , said she cast her ballot on Friday for Moussavi . CNN 's Christiane Amanpour reports emotions on the street '' `` I 've never even been interested in the politics of my country until today . It was my first time voting , and I am so excited about it , '' she said . `` We are all yearning for change , and I believe Moussavi will bring much more freedom to Iran and our lives . That is why I cast my ballot for him . There is so much anticipation in the air . '' Moussavi 's supporters hope that he follows in the same footsteps as Mohammed Khatami , a reformist candidate who overwhelmingly won the presidency in 1997 , raising hopes that the reformist movement would bring religious and democratic freedoms to the Islamic republic . But the real power in Iran rests in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . By the time Khatami left office in 2005 , he was unable to make major changes because of the opposition of hard-line elements in Iran 's clerical establishment . `` The elected president is not the commander in chief , he does not make decisions of war and peace , '' Gerges noted . `` The major decision maker -LSB- in Iran -RSB- is the unelected supreme leader , that is Ali Khamenei , along with a National Security Council . '' But Gerges noted that the `` the style of the president '' and his `` posture '' have a great deal of influence on Iran 's relations with other countries , particularly the United States . Watch CNN review the unprecedented online presence of candidates '' No matter who wins Friday 's vote , analysts say it is unlikely any of the candidates would change Iran 's position on its nuclear program , which the Islamic republic insists is for civilian purposes but the United States and other Western powers believe may be a cover for a weapons program . Iranian-American analyst and scholar Reza Aslan said that while Moussavi is `` a little bit more of a moderate when it comes to the nuclear issue ... all four candidates agreement with Iran 's right to develop nuclear . '' Nevertheless , Aslan said that all four candidates also `` recognize it 's time to open up to America and to the international community because there 's no other option with regard to the economy . '' CNN 's Christiane Amanpour , Samson Desta and Mitra Mobasherat contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michigan 's Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday allowing lower state courts to `` exercise reasonable control '' over the appearance of witnesses and parties , a rule change proposed after a Muslim woman refused to remove an Islamic garment in a small claims court . A niqab is a garment that covers the entire face and head , except for the eyes . The order allows courts `` reasonable control over the appearance of parties and witnesses '' so as to `` ensure that the demeanor of such persons may be observed and assessed by the fact-finder and ensure the accurate identification of such person . '' The order , which amends a rule of the Michigan Rules of Evidence , is effective September 1 . The amendment was prompted by a 2006 small claims case in Michigan filed by Ginnah Muhammad , who wore a niqab -- a garment that covers the entire face and head , except for the eyes -- to court , the order said . According to the Detroit Free Press , Muhammad was contesting a $ 2,750 repair bill from a car rental company because she said thieves broke into the vehicle she was using . As she prepared to testify , Judge Paul Paruk asked her to remove her niqab , saying he needed to be able to see her face to tell whether she was telling the truth , according to court documents . `` I ca n't see certain things about your demeanor and temperament that I need to see in a court of law , '' Paruk said at the time . Muhammad refused , saying that she was a practicing Muslim and would take off the veil only in front of a female judge . Paruk said a female judge was not available and told Muhammad she could remove the niqab or have her case dismissed -- she chose the latter , according to court documents . She sued the judge in federal district court , which declined to exercise jurisdiction over the case . Muhammad has since appealed to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals . The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement saying that if the amended rule was interpreted broadly , it could `` not only adversely affect Muslim females who wear the head scarf , but could also be used to violate Jewish , Sikh , and other people of faiths ' constitutional rights under the First Amendment while in Michigan courts . '' It added , `` As a civil rights advocacy group , CAIR-MI is concerned about individuals who may be reluctant to report crimes or petition the courts out of fear that their religious rights may be violated . '' Other religious groups , as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and domestic violence groups , had opposed the rule change , the Detroit Free Press reported . The ACLU had asked that the court add a sentence to the rule saying `` that no person shall be precluded from testifying on the basis of clothing worn because of a sincerely held belief , '' the newspaper reported in May . CAIR also said that it would announce on Wednesday the filing of a federal lawsuit against a Wayne County , Michigan , judge who had asked a Muslim woman to remove her head scarf in court . `` The Muslim plaintiff felt so intimidated by the judge 's repeated demand that she eventually removed her head scarf , '' the organization said in a statement released Tuesday . CAIR-MI is a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit being filed on behalf of the Michigan woman , who is a member of the group . Last month , the Judicial Council of Georgia adopted a policy allowing religious head coverings in the state 's courtrooms , the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American college student Amanda Knox told an Italian courtroom Friday that she was at the home of her boyfriend the night her roommate was killed two years ago , her attorney said . American college student Amanda Knox , 21 , testifies Friday at her murder trial in Perugia , Italy . When she later was told that her roommate , British student Meredith Kercher , was found dead , Knox said in Italian , `` I was like , ` No , no , how can this be ? ' '' Knox , a 21-year-old from Seattle , Washington , testified that she was at her boyfriend 's apartment , smoking marijuana , on the night Kercher was killed . Both Knox and the boyfriend are charged with murder and sexual assault in the case . She said she later gave a confused and conflicting deposition to police because she was confused by the questioning and felt pressure from the investigators . She testified that on the night of November 1 , 2007 , when Kercher was killed , she was at her boyfriend 's house all night and not at home , where Kercher 's body was found the next day . Watch Knox take the stand '' Knox is scheduled to resume testifying Saturday , when prosecutors plan to question her . The trial opened January 16 . After her testimony Friday , Knox 's father , Kurt Knox , said he thought his daughter did well on the stand and predicted that her innocence would become more apparent as the trial continues . Kercher family attorney Francesco Maresca , however , said the Knox on the stand Friday was a different person from the Amanda Knox seen at a preliminary hearing . She questioned who the real Amanda Knox is . On the stand Friday , Knox said she was with her then-boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito , on the night of November 1 . She said she checked her e-mails at his place before the couple had dinner , watched a movie , smoked a marijuana joint , made love and fell asleep . In the morning , Knox testified , she went home to the villa she shared with Kercher to take a shower . That 's when she noticed a series of `` strange things , '' including dried blood in the sink and on the bath mat , unflushed feces in the toilet and a locked door to Kercher 's room . The door to the villa had been left open , too , but Knox said she figured one of her housemates had simply stepped out quickly for an errand or to go for a run . She said she called out but nobody answered . When Knox got back to Sollecito 's house , she told him about the strange things , and he suggested they call the police , Knox testified . Sollecito called his sister , a member of the Carabinieri , the Italian military police , Knox said . They returned to the girls ' villa to check whether anything had been stolen , Knox said . Once there they met Knox 's other roommate , Filomena Romanelli , and the Italian Postal Police . Watch Knox in court '' As Knox stood outside , police went in and began shouting and banging down Kercher 's door , Knox said . Between trying to understand what police were saying and having Sollecito translate for her , Knox testified that she got a confused picture of what was going on . She sat in Romanelli 's car to warm up , and that 's when she heard Kercher was dead , Knox said . `` I closed in inside myself , '' Knox testified in Italian . Continuing in Italian , but using English phrasing , she said , `` I was like , ` No , no , how can this be ? ' '' Kercher 's body was found half-naked in her bed November 2 , 2007 . Prosecutors have said Kercher , 21 , died in a `` drug-fueled sex game '' with Knox and Sollecito , now 25 . An investigating judge found that Kercher died fighting off a sexual assault . A third person , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede , was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison . He is appealing the verdict . Defense attorneys are expected to argue that sloppy police work tainted the physical evidence . Kercher suffered a knife wound to the neck . In court papers , prosecutors alleged that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her . Prosecutors have said that they have physical evidence placing the defendants at the scene and that the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died . Knox first said she was at the house she shared with Kercher but then changed her story , according to court records . Sollecito said he was never at the house but was at his apartment , watching a movie on his computer with Knox . Later , he told investigators he did not remember whether Knox was with him the entire night . Knox , wearing a short-sleeve white top , beige trousers and a ponytail , testified that she gave a November 6 deposition to police that was confusing because she felt pressured and intimidated by the way police were conducting the investigation . Another reason that Knox cited for giving a confused and conflicting deposition is that she did not realize that police planned to interrogate her that day . `` The declarations were taken against my will , and they were taken in a state of confusion and pressure by the police , '' Knox testified before a packed courtroom , filled mostly with members of the media . Knox testified that an interpreter was there and encouraged her to remember facts , which led her to say things that she later retracted . She said police repeatedly called her a liar and mistreated her . When an attorney pointed out that police offered her tea at the end of questioning , he said it indicated that they treated her well . `` No , '' Knox replied firmly . It was that confusion that led Knox to hand-write a statement November 7 laying out all that she knew and did n't about the slaying . `` I know I did n't kill Meredith . That 's all I know for sure , '' Knox wrote in the statement , widely reported in the news . `` That night , it seems to me I was in Raffaele 's house , '' she wrote . `` After dinner I noticed the blood on Raffaele 's hands , but I was under the impression it was blood from the fish . '' On the stand Friday , Knox said she wrote the statement of her own will . `` I was not sure what was my imagination and what was my reality , '' she said . `` Therefore I was confused . I knew I had to write this statement , so I made it clear when I signed that I was confused . '' Knox , who testified in both English and fluent Italian , is also being sued by local bar owner Patrick Lumumba for defamation of character . He was arrested early in the case but was released for lack of evidence . Knox worked at his bar and initially told police that Lumumba was present when Kercher was killed . On November 10 , more than a week after the slaying , Knox told her mother from jail that she felt bad and felt responsible for Lumumba being behind bars . Asked by Lumumba 's attorney Friday why she did n't share that information with police -- knowing it might cast doubt on his guilt -- Knox said it was because she did n't feel comfortable answering their questions . `` Quite frankly , I did n't have a good relationship with either the police or the public -LSB- prosecutor -RSB- , because even he tried to suggest the answers I should give , '' Knox testified . The trial is taking place in Perugia , a university town about 115 miles -LRB- 185 kilometers -RRB- north of Rome . A panel of eight judges is hearing the case . The trial has drawn more than 140 journalists from 86 news outlets to the courthouse in Perugia . The presiding judge , Giancarlo Massei , has barred cameras from the courtroom and said he could completely close portions of the trial dealing with the most graphic sexual assault allegations .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Peter Bergen is CNN 's national security analyst and a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington and at New York University 's Center on Law and Security . His most recent book is `` The Osama bin Laden I Know : An Oral History of al Qaeda 's Leader . '' Peter Bergen says it 's crucial to correctly frame the nature of a war before beginning it . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President-elect Barack Obama and his foreign policy advisers and speechwriters are wrestling with one of the most important speeches of his presidency , his inaugural address . One of their toughest conceptual challenges is how to describe and recast what the Bush administration has consistently termed the `` war on terror . '' The dean of military strategists , Carl von Clausewitz , explains the importance of this decision-making in his treatise `` On War '' : `` The first , the supreme , the most decisive act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish ... the kind of war on which they are embarking ; neither mistaking it for , nor trying to turn it into something that is alien to its nature . '' Clausewitz 's excellent advice about the absolute necessity of properly defining the war upon which a nation is about to embark was ignored by Bush administration officials who instead declared an open-ended and ambiguous `` war on terror '' after the United States was attacked on September 11 , 2001 . Bush took the nation to war against a tactic , rather than a war against a specific enemy , which was obviously al Qaeda and anyone allied to it . When the United States went to war against the Nazis and the Japanese during World War II , President Franklin Roosevelt and his congressional supporters did not declare war against U-boats and kamikaze pilots , but on the Nazi state and Imperial Japan . The war on terror , sometimes known as the `` Global War on Terror '' or by the clunky acronym GWOT , became the lens through which the Bush administration judged almost all of its foreign policy decisions . That proved to be dangerously counterproductive on several levels . The GWOT framework propelled the Bush administration into its disastrous entanglement in Iraq . It had nothing to do with 9\/11 but was launched under the rubric of the war on terror and the erroneous claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction . The theory was that he might give such weapons to terrorists , including al Qaeda to whom he was supposedly allied , and that he therefore threatened American interests . None of this , of course , turned out to be true . The Bush administration 's approach to the war on terror collided badly with another of its doctrines , spreading democracy in the Middle East as a panacea to reduce radicalism . It pushed for elections in the Palestinian territories in which , in early 2006 , the more radical Hamas won a resounding victory , propelled to power on a wave of popular revulsion for the incompetence and corruption of the Fatah party that had dominated Palestinian politics since the 1960s . Imprisoned by its war on terror framework , the Bush administration supported Israel in a disastrous war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the summer of 2006 . Hezbollah is not only a terrorist group but is also part of the rickety Lebanese government and runs social welfare services across the country , yet for the Bush administration its involvement in terrorism was all that mattered . As is now widely understood in Israel , the war against Hezbollah was a moral and tactical defeat for the Israeli military and government . Events in the current Israeli incursion in Gaza will determine whether history repeats itself . Under the banner of the war on terror , the Bush administration also tied itself in conceptual knots conflating the threat from al Qaeda with Shiite groups like Hezbollah and the ayatollahs in Iran . In 2006 , for instance , President Bush claimed that `` the Sunni and Shiite extremist represent different faces of the same threat . '' In reality , Sunni and Shiite extremists have been killing each other in large numbers for years in countries from Pakistan to Iraq . The groups have differing attitudes toward the United States , which Sunni extremists attacked in 1993 and again on 9\/11 , while Shiite militants have never done so . So , how to reconceptualize the GWOT ? Contrary to a common view among Europeans , who have lived through the bombing campaigns of various nationalist and leftist terror groups for decades , al Qaeda is not just another criminal\/terrorist group that can be dealt with by police action and law enforcement alone . After all , a terrorist organization like the Irish Republican Army would call in warnings before its attacks and its single largest massacre killed 29 people . By contrast , al Qaeda has declared war on the United States repeatedly -- as it did for the first time to a Western audience during Osama bin Laden 's 1997 interview with CNN . Following that declaration of war , the terror group attacked American embassies , a U.S. warship , the Pentagon and the financial heart of the United States , killing thousands of civilians without warning ; acts of war by any standard . Al Qaeda is obviously at war with the United States and so to respond by simply recasting the GWOT as the GPAT , the Global Police Action Against Terrorists , would be foolish and dangerous . What kind of war then should the United States fight against al Qaeda ? For that we should learn some lessons from the conceptual errors of the Bush administration . Nine days after 9\/11 , Bush addressed Congress in a speech watched live by tens of millions of Americans in which he said that al Qaeda followed in the footsteps `` of the murderous ideologies of the 20th century ... They follow in the path of fascism , Nazism and totalitarianism , '' implying that the fight against al Qaeda would be similar to World War II or the Cold War . For the Bush administration , painting the conflict in such existential terms had the benefit of casting the president as the heroic reincarnation of Winston Churchill and anyone who had the temerity to question him as the reincarnation of Hitler 's arch-appeaser , Neville Chamberlain . But this portrayal of the war on terror was massively overwrought . The Nazis occupied and subjugated most of Europe and instigated a global conflict that killed tens of millions . And when the United States fought the Nazis , the country spent 40 percent of its gross domestic product to do so and fielded millions of soldiers . In his inaugural address , Obama should say that the United States is indeed at `` war against al Qaeda and its allies , '' but that as Roosevelt said in his inaugural address in 1933 , the only thing we have to fear is fear itself . If Americans are not terrorized by terrorists , then the U.S. has won against them . Al Qaeda and its allies are threats to the United States and Americans living and working overseas , but they are far from all-powerful . Barring an exceptional event like September 11 , 2001 , in any given year Americans are more likely to die of snake bites or lightning strikes than a terrorist attack . Despite the hyperventilating rhetoric of Osama bin Laden , al Qaeda 's amateur investigations into weapons of mass destruction do not compare to the very real possibility of nuclear conflagration that we faced during the Cold War . There are relatively few adherents of Binladen-ism in the West today , while there were tens of millions of devotees of communism and fascism . Obama should also make it clear that instead of the Bush formulation of `` Either you are with us , or you are with the terrorists , '' the Obama administration doctrine will be , `` Anyone who is against the terrorists is with us . '' After all it is only al Qaeda and its several affiliates in countries like Iraq , Lebanon and Algeria and allied groups such as the Taliban that kill U.S. soldiers and civilians and attack American interests around the globe . Everyone else in the world is a potential or actual ally in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates , because those organizations threaten almost every category of institution , government and ethnic grouping . This is the first of two commentaries on the war on terror . Read the second piece , Peter Bergen 's commentary on what principles Barack Obama should follow in waging war against al Qaeda and its allies , Friday , January 9 on CNN.com The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bergen .","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three independent United Nations human rights experts have accused Iran of torturing confessions from detainees charged with fomenting political unrest , the international organization said Thursday . Iranian opposition suspects cover their faces at a Revolutionary Court hearing in Tehran last week . `` No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture , '' said Manfred Nowak , who is the U.N. special rapporteur on torture . The treatment of detainees at Iran 's prisons has increasingly become a divisive issue within Iran 's Islamic leadership , as reformists continue to accuse the hardline government of allowing abuse and torture in attempts to coerce false confessions . Iranian officials have denied the allegations . `` These confessions for alleged crimes such as threats against national security and treason must not , under any circumstances , be admitted as evidence by the Revolutionary Court , '' said El Hadji Malick Sow , vice chairman of the U.N. 's working group on arbitrary detention . The United Nations , in a news release , said the statements also reflect the position of Margaret Sekaggya , special U.N. rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders . Iran is conducting a mass trial of about 100 Iranian defendants in its Revolutionary Court . Reformist politicians , lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership . Among the defendants are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi , a former Iranian vice president ; Maziar Bahari , an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine ; and Kian Tajbakhsh , an Iranian-American scholar . Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election , leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people . The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30 , although opposition leaders have reportedly said it 's more than twice that figure . On Wednesday , Iran 's influential parliament speaker , Ali Larijani , dismissed allegations by Iran 's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody , according to state-run media . Larijani said that a special panel of Iran 's parliament , or Majlis , conducted a `` precise and comprehensive inquiry '' into the treatment at Tehran 's Evin and Kahrizak prisons , and found `` no cases of rape or sexual abuse , '' government-funded Press TV reported . A spokesman for Iran 's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured . `` What kind of talk is this ? There was never any pressure used against these people , '' Hassan Qashqavi said Monday , according to the semi-official Mehr news agency . They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who , along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi , ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election . Iran 's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race , sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest . Iranian opposition figures such as Karrubi have compared the treatment of the detainees to political prisoners abused under the `` oppressing regime '' of the Shah of Iran , who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979 . In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party 's Web site , Karrubi says an `` impartial committee '' is needed to `` investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved . '' He said he is willing to lead the investigation in a `` truthful , unbiased fashion . '' `` Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent , repeated rapes of the young women -LSB- in detention -RSB- that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems , '' Karrubi says in the letter . `` Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses . '' Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to `` present evidence of such outrages '' for the Majlis to investigate , according to Press TV . Iranian media has reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Iran 's supreme leader , has ordered one prison , Kahrizak , shut down amid reports it did not measure up to the required standards . Kahrizak 's chief was fired and arrested over allegations of detainee mistreatment , according to local reports Saturday .","question":""}
{"answer":"KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai bowed to Western pressure Tuesday , agreeing to take part in a presidential runoff vote in two weeks . Hamid Karzai failed to score a first round win in August 's election . Karzai , who will face his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah in the November 7 second round , said he was putting his country 's interests over his own . `` It was not important who the winner is , and we need to leave this to the people of Afghanistan to judge who the winner was , '' Karzai said at a news conference through an interpreter . `` Whether I am the winner or not , it 's probably in my interest , but I prefer the national interest of Afghanistan over my personal interests . '' Western powers , particularly the United States , had been pushing Karzai to accept the final election results in order to ensure Afghanistan has a legitimate government , particularly as Washington considers beefing up its military presence there . Karzai spoke shortly after Afghanistan 's Independent Election Commission certified the election results , which gave him less than the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff . The U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission had invalidated nearly a third of Karzai 's votes from the August 20 presidential election because of `` clear and convincing evidence of fraud . '' Last month , final uncertified results showed Karzai with 54 percent . `` We welcome the decision made by the Independent Election Commission , we believe the session is legitimate , legal and according to the constitution of Afghanistan , '' Karzai said Tuesday . `` It 's going to be a historic period that we all are waiting to go through . '' The International Security Assistance Force -LRB- ISAF -RRB- in Afghanistan said that it would `` support the Afghan National Security Forces ' preparations to ensure a safe runoff election . '' Spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks said that ISAF had been preparing for a possible runoff election `` for some time . '' `` As in the election 's first round , ISAF will only provide third-layer of security , reinforcing the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army in line with the security plan signed by the chairman of the Afghan Independent Election Commission along with representatives from the Afghan Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defense , and ISAF in 2008 , '' Shanks said . Karzai 's decision was immediately hailed by U.S. Sen. John Kerry , one of several Western representatives who appeared alongside the Afghan president at Tuesday 's delayed news conference . Kerry , who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , said Karzai 's decision to participate in the runoff `` will allow the national leadership to govern with legitimacy . '' `` We believe with this decision by the president today that a time of enormous uncertainty has been transformed into a great opportunity , '' Kerry said . Watch President Karzai and Sen. John Kerry discuss runoff elections '' Minutes after the news conference concluded , U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement praising Karzai for accepting the election results and agreeing to a second round of voting . `` While this election could have remained unresolved to the detriment of the country , President Karzai 's constructive actions established an important precedent for Afghanistan 's new democracy , '' Obama said . Obama is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan , and Kerry has said the results of the country 's election should be settled before the United States makes any decision on troop levels . Watch Nic Robertson discuss pressure President Karzai is under '' Abdullah told CNN on Monday he was prepared to participate in a runoff , but said `` the door is open '' to other alternatives . `` There are some practical questions ahead , '' Abdullah told CNN 's Christiane Amanpour , citing winter , the security situation `` and other realities on the ground . '' If the election were not held by early November , winter weather would make voting impossible in some areas and force a delay until spring of 2010 , according to Afghanistan 's ambassador to the United States , Said Jawad . Such a delay , he warned , would be a `` recipe for disaster '' that would create confusion in Afghanistan and heighten tension between the United States and Karzai 's government .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mayor of Gulfport , Mississippi , and his wife were arrested Wednesday on charges they defrauded the federal government and an insurance company of more than $ 220,000 in claims related to Hurricane Katrina , authorities said . Gulfport Mayor Gregory Brent Warr , shown in 2005 , says the charges `` will not change my commitment '' to the city . Gregory Brent Warr and Laura Jean Warr were named in a 16-count federal indictment handed up last week by a grand jury , the Department of Justice said in a news release . They are accused of conspiracy , Federal Emergency Management Agency fraud , Department of Housing and Urban Development home grant fraud and insurance fraud , all arising from claims after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29 , 2005 . If convicted on each count , the couple would face up to 210 years in prison and up to $ 4 million in fines , prosecutors said . `` Understand that what has been alleged toward my wife and me has no connection to me as mayor , '' Brent Warr said in a statement issued Wednesday . `` This has not and will not change my commitment to the progress and recovery of our city . '' He said he pleaded not guilty , but said he will not speak further about the case . `` I am the mayor of Gulfport , and I will continue working to rebuild our city , '' Warr said . `` We have hundreds of dedicated employees , department heads and directors , and everything we have achieved thus far is a result of their hard work and love for this city . `` For Laura and me , personally , this is a difficult time , but I will continue the work as mayor . '' According to the indictment , the Warrs in 2005 applied for FEMA assistance regarding a Gulfport home , telling officials that home was their primary residence when it was not . In 2006 , the indictment says , the couple applied to the Mississippi Development Authority for a Homeowner 's Assistance Grant funded by HUD , again claiming they lived at the address . The indictment also alleges the Warrs made misrepresentations to Lexington Insurance Company regarding personal property in the insured home , payment of rent for alternative living after Katrina and the extent of damage to the home . The Warrs received a total of $ 222,798 `` as a result of the said offenses , for which the defendants are liable , '' the indictment says . The couple was released on bond and ordered to appear for trial April 6 , the Justice Department said . In his statement , Warr said the inquiry `` has been going on for more than a year now , and we hope and pray for a much faster resolution . '' City spokesman Ryan LaFontaine issued a statement saying that while he was not in a position `` to speculate what is happening in the mayor 's personal life ... I can tell you that as for the city , we are continuing to carry out the people 's business . `` The mayor has indicated that he has every intention of coming to work tomorrow , and every day after that , as the mayor of Gulfport , '' LaFontaine said . `` In the nearly four years that he has been here , Mayor Warr has created a framework and an agenda for the recovery of Gulfport . And he has assembled a very talented team of directors and employees that understand the enormity of the recovery challenges that lie ahead . `` Under his continued leadership , I 'm very confident that this city will continue to move along the path that he has set , '' LaFontaine said . `` The people of Gulfport do n't care about the mayor 's personal issues . They only care about what he 's doing to fix their issues . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than half the Christian population has fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in reaction to a campaign of killings and intimidation , according to the United Nations . Christian women attend a religious service Sunday at a church in Baghdad . An estimated 13,000 Christians have left because of oppression the U.S. government blames on al Qaeda in Iraq . Mosul , in Nineveh province , is one of the last Iraqi cities where al Qaeda in Iraq has a significant presence and routinely carries out attacks . An estimated 2,300 families have fled Mosul this month , but the exodus has started to ebb , Nineveh province 's Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran said Tuesday . No Christian family has left the city over the past seven days , and at least 100 families returned to their homes in and around Mosul during that time , Goran said . Authorities said they believe Christian demonstrations earlier this month may have prompted the attacks . Hundreds of Christians took to the streets in Mosul and surrounding villages and towns demanding adequate representation on provincial councils , whose members will be chosen in local elections in January . The violence that followed those protests left at least 14 Iraqi Christians dead and prompted the Iraqi government to dispatch more security forces to patrol the city . Violence has declined as a result , Iraqi officials said . Last week , U.S. Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said the anti-Christian attacks and threats are partly `` due to elements of al Qaeda that still enjoy some ability to operate up there . '' `` This is an attempt , it appears , to try to inflame tensions and fault lines that exist between religious and sectarian groups , '' Morrell said . The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is helping many of the displaced families , most of whom have fled to nearby villages in Nineveh province . About 400 others have crossed into Syria , but many have said they no longer feel safe there , according to the refugee agency . Syria already hosts more than 1 million Iraqi refugees . The U.N. agency said many of the Iraqi Christians told stories of intimidation and death threats . `` One woman said she and her mother left Mosul early last week , two days after someone called one of her colleagues at work and said that all Christians should leave the city immediately or be killed , '' according to a UNHCR news release . `` She said she was unnerved but decided to leave only after hearing reports that 11 people had been killed at a checkpoint by militiamen dressed as police officers . She and her mother escaped with a couple of bags and all the money that they had in the house -- they did not dare go to the bank to remove their savings . '' A nurse told UNHCR that the threats against Christians in Mosul began months ago `` with phone calls , letters and messages left on doors . '' In other violence Tuesday in Mosul , four police officers were killed and four wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . Gunmen in cars ambushed police as they were on their way to start work in west Mosul 's al-Amil neighborhood , the official said . Also Tuesday in Baghdad , six civilians died and 23 were hurt in four bombings , the official said . In eastern Baghdad , in the Shiite al-Baladiyat neighborhood , a roadside bomb exploded Tuesday afternoon , killing one civilian and wounding five others , the official said . Earlier , a parked car exploded near a busy outdoor market in the western al-Jihad neighborhood , killing at least five people and wounding 11 others , the Interior Ministry official said . No other details were available about the blast . Two roadside bombs exploded in central Baghdad 's al-Nahdha commercial area , wounding seven people , the official said . The first blast hurt four civilians , while the second wounded three , the official said . Also Tuesday , the Iraqi army and police discovered 20 decomposed bodies in the basement of an abandoned house in Tal Afar , a town about 43 miles -LRB- 70 kilometers -RRB- west of Mosul . There was no indication of how the victims -- who could not immediately be identified -- were killed , the official said . Authorities discovered the bodies after receiving tips from local residents . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Romulus , Michigan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Nigerian man is `` talking a lot '' to the FBI , said a senior U.S. official , after what the United States believes was an attempted terrorist attack on an inbound international flight . The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups , said the senior official who is familiar with the investigation . The suspect , identified by a U.S. government official as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , ignited a small explosive device Friday , shortly before a Northwest flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , made its landing in Detroit , Michigan . With the aid of the cabin crew , another passenger quickly helped subdue and isolate Abdulmutallab , passenger Syed Jafry told CNN . Abdulmutallab , was placed in custody and is being treated for second - and third-degree burns on his thighs , according to federal law enforcement and airline security sources . The sources told CNN that the suspect flew into Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on a KLM flight from Lagos , Nigeria , and is not believed to be on any `` no fly '' list , although his name does appear in a U.S. database of people with suspect connections . He did not undergo secondary security screening in Amsterdam , an administration official said . The administration official said there was no evidence that Abdulmutallab was a hard-core , trained member of al Qaeda . Abdulmutallab , a Nigerian national , claimed to have extremist ties and said the explosive device `` was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used , '' a federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said . The remains of the device used are being sent to an FBI explosives lab in Quantico , Virginia , for analysis , security sources said . U.S. President Barack Obama , who is spending the holidays in his home state of Hawaii , was briefed on the incident during a secure phone call with aides , and instructed in a subsequent discussion with security advisers `` that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel , '' White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN . The president made no changes to his schedule , Burton said . The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Friday saying that air passengers `` may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights . '' Passengers described the brief moments of panic on board , as screams erupted and flight attendants ran for fire extinguishers . Jafry , who was sitting in seat 16G , said the plane was just beginning to descend when passengers heard a pop . `` Everybody got a little bit startled , '' he said . `` After a few seconds or so ... there was ... kind of a flamish light and there was fire '' and people around the immediate area began to panic . One woman told CNN affiliate WDIV that a man threw a blanket over Abdulmutallab 's legs to help put out the small fire . `` It was terrifying , '' Richelle Keepman said . `` I think we all thought we were n't going to land , we were n't going to make it . '' Passenger Elias Fawaz told WDIV that the explosion sounded `` like a balloon being popped '' and said he could smell smoke . Jafry said the incident was under control within minutes , crediting the crew and nearby passengers for the rapid response . One person was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor , hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said . `` All passengers have deplaned and out of an abundance of caution , the plane was moved to a remote area , '' where the plane and baggage were rescreened , the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement . Passengers were interviewed by law enforcement authorities before being allowed to leave the airport . No other suspicious materials were found on the plane or in luggage , the law enforcement and airline security sources said . The suspect had only carry-on luggage . Another passenger on the Northwest flight transferred from the same KLM flight in Amsterdam but officials found no connection between the two , the sources said . The plane , an Airbus 330 , landed shortly before noon ET . It was carrying 278 passengers . Delta is the parent company of Northwest . CNN 's Mike Brooks , Jeanne Meserve , Kevin Bohn , Elise Labott , Ed Henry and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caroline Kennedy , the 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy , has indicated her interest in filling the New York Senate seat being vacated by secretary of state designee Hillary Clinton . Caroline Kennedy has her eyes on the New York Senate seat . `` I 've talked to Caroline Kennedy and she 's clearly interested , '' New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said at a news conference Monday afternoon . He indicated that 12 people were interested in the position . `` She 's interested in the position , '' New York Gov. David Paterson confirmed . But at the same time `` she realizes it 's not a campaign . '' Paterson , who will name Clinton 's successor , noted that Kennedy had indicated a desire to `` sit down and tell me what her qualifications are . '' The Rev. Al Sharpton also released a statement Monday indicating that he had received a call from Kennedy `` who expressed to me her interest in -LSB- Clinton 's -RSB- Senate seat . '' Kennedy 's interest in the seat could mean the continuation of a family legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father as the then-junior senator from Massachusetts . Background : The Kennendys in Politics '' Her uncle Ted Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 1963 , and her uncle Robert Kennedy served as New York 's junior senator from 1965 until he was assassinated in 1968 . `` Remember , -LSB- Clinton 's -RSB- seat in the Senate was once held by Robert Kennedy , '' said Bill Schneider , CNN 's senior political analyst . '' -LSB- Caroline Kennedy 's -RSB- other uncle , Ted Kennedy , is ill right now . If Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the Senate , it means there could be a Kennedy staying in the Senate for quite a long time . '' Watch Sen. Schumer on the possible candidates '' CNN reported earlier this month that Caroline Kennedy had called Paterson to discuss the possibility of taking the seat . Paterson has the power to appoint a replacement , who will then face a special election in 2010 to fill out Clinton 's term . Paterson confirmed to CNN last week that Kennedy had called and `` asked a few questions '' about the expected vacancy . One Democratic source close to the Kennedy family told CNN earlier this month Kennedy was `` interested to say the least '' in the Senate seat and had asked a tight circle of other family friends and political advisers for advice . Before this year , Kennedy generally limited her forays into the public sphere to nonpartisan activity , penning books on civil liberties and serving as the de facto guardian of her father 's legacy . But in January , she backed a political candidate for the first time , announcing her endorsement of Obama during the Democratic primary season with an op-ed in The New York Times that drew days of the kind of media attention she has spent her life avoiding . `` I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them , '' she wrote . `` But for the first time , I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me , but for a new generation of Americans . '' `` Apparently , she has acquired a taste for politics , '' Schneider noted . `` She wants to be part of this new regime in America , clearly playing a key role in the Senate if she gets that appointment . '' Watch Bill Schneider 's report '' There are a slew of high-profile candidates for Clinton 's Senate seat , including New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo , whose last name carries some star power of its own New York , where his father was once governor . Kennedy 's roots in New York also run deep . Her mother , Jacqueline Kennedy , relocated to New York after her husband 's assassination in 1963 , with children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. . Caroline Kennedy has also spent most of her life in the city , working there after graduating from Harvard , meeting her husband , Edwin Schlossberg , on the job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , and attending Columbia Law School there . Her most prominent public roles involved overseeing her father 's presidential library and presenting the annual Profiles in Courage Award . She 's also edited several books , from a volume of children 's poetry and an updated edition of her father 's book `` Profiles in Courage '' to a collection of patriotic verse -LRB- `` A Patriot 's Handbook : Songs , Poems , Stories , and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love '' -RRB- . Most of her leadership positions have been based in the arts : serving as host of the annual nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors in Washington and serving as the honorary chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre , as her mother did . In late spring and early summer she was mentioned as a possible vice-presidential candidate and more recently as a contender for secretary of education in an Obama Cabinet . But elected office would mark a major shift for Kennedy . In a 2002 Time magazine interview promoting the updated `` Profiles in Courage , '' Kennedy would not rule out the possibility of a run for public office . `` I do n't have any plans to do that right now , '' she said . `` I do n't plan ahead . My kids are young , and I 'm really happy to be able to be around . But I do care about issues , and I 'm interested in them . So I do n't see that now , but you know , I have a long life ahead of me . '' CNN 's John King , Kate Bolduan , Mark Preston and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The toddler whose body washed ashore in Texas last month has been tentatively identified as a 2-year-old girl , and her mother and a man identified as her boyfriend were arrested Saturday , the Galveston County Sheriff 's office said Sunday . Police believe two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers may be `` Baby Grace . '' Investigators believe the child they dubbed `` Baby Grace '' is actually 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers , the Galveston County Sheriff 's office said Sunday . DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm that identification . The child 's mother , Kimberly Dawn Trenor , 19 , and a man identified as Royce Clyde Zeigler II , 24 , were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence , the sheriff 's department said . The couple lives in Spring , Texas , a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston . Their bonds were set at $ 350,000 each . The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip , the sheriff 's department said . Deputies and FBI agents plan to release more information at a news conference Monday , Galveston County Sheriff 's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said . The girl 's grandmother , Sheryl Sawyers , of Cleveland , Ohio , told CNN affiliate WKYC that Riley Ann has been missing since June . Watch Sawyers family describe their fears before child was identified '' On October 29 , a fisherman discovered the body in a blue Sterilite plastic container on an uninhabited island in Galveston 's West Bay . Police dubbed the dead girl `` Baby Grace , '' and asked the public for help in identifying her . A medical examiner said the child 's skull was fractured , and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years . In composite sketches , the girl is wearing a pink skirt and matching top -- clothing authorities said she was wearing when she was found . The other sketch , a close-up rendering of the child 's face , shows a fair-skinned toddler with long blond hair . `` She is more to us than just a case number , more to us than just an unidentified body . She is very much a human being , '' Tutoilmondo said last month . `` She is someone 's child , someone 's grandchild , someone 's cousin , someone 's best friend , and to us , that is the most important part about this case . '' `` We have adopted the name of Baby Grace because , there again , that is part of the emotional part of this case for us , '' he said , holding a tiny sneaker identical to one of those the child was wearing when she was found . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Hank Bishop contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a week after the swine flu outbreak rattled the world , with cases of infected people popping up from Mexico to South Korea , the new virus strain has shown up in a herd of swine . Masked workers push food to a sealed-off hotel in Beijing where Mexican nationals are being quarantined . The catch , Canadian officials say , is that the animals may have caught the flu from a human . Canadian officials are quarantining pigs that tested positive for the virus -- scientifically known as 2009 H1N1 -- at an Alberta farm in what could be the first identified case of pigs infected during the recent outbreak . They said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico , the epicenter of the outbreak that has sickened more than 680 people . The farmer `` may have exposed swine on the farm to an influenza virus , '' said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency . `` We have determined that the virus H1N1 , found in these pigs , is the virus which is being tracked in the human population , '' he added . Learn about the virus '' Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork . The number of pigs infected was not disclosed . The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms and is recovering , Evans said . Meanwhile , as the number of confirmed swine flu cases reached 787 worldwide , the World Health Organization said Sunday it had started distributing 2.4 million doses of a common anti-viral drug to 72 nations . So far , 17 countries have confirmed cases of swine flu , the WHO said . Watch latest developments as swine flu sweeps world '' Dr. Michael J. Ryan , the WHO director of its global alert and response team , said the doses of the drug Tamiflu came from a stockpile that was donated by Swiss health-care giant Roche in 2005 and 2006 . Roche said it was working with the WHO to prepare for the virus . The drug should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms , according to the drug 's Web site . Mexico has the most confirmed swine flu cases , with 506 infected people and 16 deaths , the WHO said . Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos reported that the country has confirmed 421 cases and 19 deaths . Several other countries , including Canada and Italy , had confirmed additional cases that had not yet been added to the WHO 's total . The United States has the second-highest number of confirmed cases , with 160 sickened and one death , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO . President Barack Obama spoke with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Saturday afternoon to discuss both countries ' `` efforts to limit the spread of the 2009 H1N1 flu strain and the importance of close U.S.-Mexican cooperation , '' the White House said in a statement . Other than Mexico and the United States , the WHO confirmed cases in 14 other countries : Canada , with 70 ; the United Kingdom with 15 ; Spain with 13 ; Germany with six ; New Zealand with four ; Israel with three ; France , with two ; and Austria , China , South Korea , Denmark , the Netherlands , Switzerland and Costa Rica , each have one . See where cases have been confirmed '' Ryan said the WHO was still preparing for a pandemic . `` At this point we have to expect that phase six will be reached , '' he said , referring to the organization 's highest pandemic threat level . `` We have to hope that it is not reached . '' And he noted that a pandemic describes `` the geographic spread of the disease , not its severity . '' The latest developments come as parts of Asia discovered they were not immune to the spread of the virus . Hundreds of guests and staff were under quarantine in China after health officials determined that a hotel guest had contracted the H1N1 virus . Nearly 200 hotel guests and 100 staff members were ordered to stay in Metro Park Hotel in Hong Kong for seven days to stop the spread of the H1N1 virus , a government spokesman said . The quarantine was ordered after a 25-year-old Mexican man stayed in the hotel and became sick , according to the spokesman . It is the first confirmed case of the virus in Hong Kong , local medical officials said . South Korean officials on Saturday confirmed their first case -- a 51-year-old nun who recently traveled to Mexico for volunteer work .","question":""}
{"answer":"London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Though she may have had numerous husbands and lovers , Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor had one enduring love : jewelry . Her dazzling collection of jewels , many of which were given to her as presents by husbands including Richard Burton and Mike Todd , were referred to Friday in London by Jonathan Rendell , Deputy Chairman of Christie 's Americas , as `` the crown jewels of Hollywood . '' Fans of the screen idol can now ogle highlights from her extensive jewelry collection , along with a selection of her haute couture dresses by designers including Chanel and Christian Dior , and paintings by artists such as Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro , at Christie 's auction house in London . They are being exhibited there as part of a world tour that will culminate in a series of high-profile sales at Christie 's in New York in December . Taylor 's jewel collection has been valued in excess of $ 30 million , according to the auction house . Keith Penton , head of the jewelry department at Christie 's in London , said that Taylor 's taste in jewels was `` extraordinarily refined . She really understood her gemstones -LRB- -LSB- and -RRB- she had a passion for design and workmanship , quite a rare combination . '' And not only do they speak of her infamous and tempestuous romance with actor Richard Burton , he said , the jewels come with their own dramatic histories -- such as a 50-carat pearl known as `` La Peregrina , '' given to her by Burton in 1969 , that was once part of the crown jewels of Spain . It was mounted onto a specially commissioned diamond and ruby Cartier necklace and is estimated to fetch between $ 2 million and $ 3 million at auction in December . There is also the Taj Mahal diamond pendant necklace , which Burton gave her on her 40th birthday in 1972 and which had been a gift from the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to his wife in the 17th century . `` If a jewel had a historic provenance , they were particularly enamored , '' said Penton of the pair 's taste in gems . According to Nancy Schoenberger , co-author of the book `` Furious Love : Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , The Marriage of the Century , '' Taylor developed a taste for jewels from a young age . `` Her father was an art and antiques dealer , '' Schoenberger explained . `` She grew up surrounded by beautiful things and was always drawn to jewelry as a young girl , '' she said . But it was n't until Taylor 's marriage to film and Broadway producer Mike Todd that her passion for collecting serious jewels took hold , Schoenberger said . Todd , her third husband , bought Taylor a 29.4-carat diamond ring as well as a diamond tiara , which she wore to the 1957 Academy Awards . Schoenberger believes that when Richard Burton bought Taylor the 33.19-carat Krupp Diamond ring in 1968 -- possibly the star piece in the exhibition at Christie 's , estimated to fetch between $ 2.5 million and $ 3.5 million -- he was trying to out-do Mike Todd , who had died unexpectedly just over a year into his marriage with Taylor . `` I think that was a big deal for Richard , to buy her a diamond as big as Mike Todd 's . And he liked showing that the son of a Welsh coal-miner could buy his lady love these extravagant jewels , '' she said . Penton believes that the collection will induce feverish bidding in the salesroom , for the quality of the collection but also for their added Hollywood glamor . `` Judging from past sales , which have never been as spectacular as this one -- I think the sky 's the limit , '' he said . The actress , who died this year aged 79 , eulogized her love of gems in her 2002 memoir , `` My Love Affair With Jewelry . '' In it , she wrote : `` I never , never thought of my jewelry as trophies . I 'm here to take care of them and to love them . When I die and they go off to auction I hope whoever buys them gives them a really good home . '' At a press conference on Friday , Rendell of Christie 's said that the collection reveals `` one of the great characters , this was one of the great stars , this was someone who understood her contract with the public . '' Penton agreed and said , `` Looking at the couture , you can see that she was not a very large lady but obviously with the hair , with the presence , with the glamor , it all added up to something very fabulous . '' In memory of the actress 's life-long devotion to humanitarian causes , a portion of profits generated by admissions , events and select publications related to the sales will be donated to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation -LRB- ETAF -RRB- , which she set up in 1991 . `` Highlights from the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor '' is on public display at Christie 's , London , on 24 , 25 and 26 September , after which it will travel to Los Angeles , Dubai , Geneva , Paris , Hong Kong and finally , New York .","question":""}
{"answer":"PARIS , France -- Top-seeded Maria Sharapova was a shock casualty at the French Open on Monday when she crashed 6-7 7-6 6-2 against fellow Russian Dinara Safina in Paris . Ecstasy : Safina releases her emotions after her comeback win over Maria Sharapova in the French Open last 16 . Bidding for the only Grand Slam title she has yet to win , new world No. 1 Sharapova twice blew big leads in the second set . Sharapova 's customary screeches reached maximum volume as the match slipped away , and the noise seemed to annoy fans . They whistled and booed Sharapova as she left Court Suzanne Lenglen after the match , and she did n't acknowledge the crowd . `` I ca n't please everyone . It 's not in my job description , '' she said . `` I 'm an athlete , and I go out there and fight my heart out . They paid the ticket to watch me , so they must appreciate me on some level , right ? '' Sharapova won five consecutive games in the second set to go ahead 5-2 , and held a match point serving in the next game . She also led 5-2 in the second tiebreaker before losing five consecutive points , then unraveled down the stretch , losing the final four games and 10 of the last 12 points . It was the latest setback for Sharapova on clay , her least-favorite surface . `` On this stuff , things happen in a hurry , '' she said . `` It was all in her hands , '' Safina said . `` Then suddenly it changed . '' Safina , the younger sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin , duplicated her upset of Sharapova in the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2006 . She received a congratulatory text from her brother and said she hopes to join him as the winner of a major title . `` A dream of all our family , '' she said . `` Once we do this , we can put the racket on the wall and say we did everything we could . But to get to his level , I still have to work a little bit harder . '' The No. 13-seeded Safina 's next opponent will be No. 7 Elena Dementieva , who won another all-Russian matchup against No. 11 Vera Zvonareva , 6-4 1-6 6-2 . Trailing Sharapova 5-3 in the second set , Safina saved match point with a backhand winner , then broke two points later when Sharapova pushed a forehand wide . In the second tiebreaker , Sharapova double-faulted for 5-4 and then hit three errant backhands . That evened the match , but the momentum favored Safina . Sharapova 's customary squeals during rallies became more intense during the sixth game of the final set , and she screamed at herself after points . `` Just trying to pump myself up , '' she said . `` I was trying to get angry about something . I just started playing tentatively . '' She erased three break points before conceding the game with a forehand into the net . That gave Safina a 4-2 lead , and she closed out the victory , falling to her knees with glee when Sharapova socked a wild forehand on match point . It was latest in a series of memorable victories over the past month for Safina . She was the last player to beat recently retired Justine Henin , a four-time French Open champion . That upset came on clay in early May at Berlin , where Safina went on to win the biggest title of her career . `` She 's a really tough opponent on this surface , '' Sharapova said . `` I came very close , but it did n't go my way for some reason . '' In other fourth round ties , Russian fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was leading Belarussian 16th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-2 2-2 while Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and Estonia 's Kaia Kanepi were 3-6 6-3 when play was halted .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island . A man fights against strong winds in Hsintien , Taipei county , Taiwan , on Friday . As of 3 a.m. local time , the storm 's eye was over the northern part of the island , CNN forecaster Kevin Corriveau reported , although he noted that slow-moving Morakot is so large it encompassed the entire island . Journalist Andrew Lee in Taipei , citing local media , said the storm had blown off roofs and washed out some bridges . Corriveau said the island has received more than 39 inches -LRB- 99 centimeters -RRB- of rain from the storm , which he said was expected to dump another 39 to 47 inches -LRB- 99 to 119 centimeters -RRB- of rain on Taiwan . The storm made landfall carrying winds of up to 92 mph -LRB- 148 km\/h -RRB- , with gusts up to 115 mph -LRB- 185 km\/h -RRB- , the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said . iReport.com : See balcony view of heavy rains Corriveau said the storm was expected to linger over the island for several more hours , and the southern portion of Morakot would likely be passing over Taiwan for hours after that . The storm 's impact had already been felt by Friday morning , with mudslides and landslides occurring on the island . The area has been severely affected by drought in recent months , leaving the ground so hard that it does not absorb the rainfall , Corriveau said . Taiwan 's Central News Agency , acknowledging the drought , cited the Water Resources Agency as saying that the storm had replenished the island 's reservoirs and would put an end to water rationing in several areas . Watch more about the typhoon 's impact '' The storm prompted airlines to cancel flights . Schools and government offices were closed ahead of Morakot 's arrival , according to Taiwan 's Central News Agency . Trading at the Taiwan Stock Exchange was also postponed until Monday , the news agency reported . In China , state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that governments in coastal provinces were readying themselves for the storm and had ordered fishing boats to seek shelter before Thursday night . In Fujian province , about 8.4 million text messages had been sent to citizens warning them to prepare for the typhoon , Xinhua reported . More than 900 people , including Chinese and foreign tourists , have been evacuated from the resort of Nanji Island off east China , the news agency reported . CNN 's Brandon Miller contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Vilseck , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wives of three Army sergeants in prison for premeditated murder say their husbands are war heroes who should not be in prison . `` I can sympathize with them that they felt like there was nothing else they could do , '' said Jamie Leahy , wife of Sgt. Michael Leahy , a 28-year-old medic . She said her husband and the other two sergeants were heroes for protecting other soldiers . Leahy , 1st Sgt. John Hatley and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo killed four Iraqi men whom they had taken into custody at a canal in Baghdad , Iraq . During the investigation of the killings , Leahy told Army investigators that the same men they had captured would be shooting at them again if they had released them . `` It 's like somebody keeps coming and breaking into your house , and you told the cops , ` This is who it is , I saw them , they were in my house , ' '' Jamie Leahy told CNN 's `` AC 360 \u00b0 . '' `` And that 's not enough , and they are able to keep coming in and breaking into your house . `` I know it 's more severe than that , but I mean if somebody kept coming in and breaking into your house , I think that the person would either want to get a gun or something to protect themselves because you feel like in your own home , you ca n't even be safe . '' Earlier this year , Leahy , Hatley and Mayo were convicted of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder in the killings of the four Iraqi detainees in March 2007 . Documents obtained by CNN , as well as Army interrogation tapes , reveal that Hatley believed that if the men were taken to a detainee holding area , they would be released because there was not enough evidence to hold them . `` It 's like you 're letting somebody go so they can come back and terrorize you again and try and kill you and maybe be successful next time , '' Jaime Leahy said . Kim Hatley made a video in a field in Schweinfurt , Germany , where she and her husband lived before he was sent to the U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . In the video , she holds up cards asking for help in freeing `` three American heroes . '' `` They served their country , and they 've been through a lot , and so have the family members , '' she told CNN . `` But , in life , with any challenge , you ca n't just look at one incident . This does not define who these soldiers are . '' Kim Hatley says her husband is a `` good man . '' `` I do n't think my husband should have gone to prison , '' she said . `` I do n't think that was fair . I do n't think any of our soldiers should have gone to prison . '' And Johana Mayo said her husband has been punished enough . `` I think that he 's given and sacrificed a lot , '' she said . `` I think he 's a war hero . He 's not a criminal and he 's ... being treated as a criminal , and he should n't be . '' The Mayos have three children , ages 15 months , 6 and 11 . Johana Mayo is legally blind and can not drive . `` I was used to relying on my husband for everything , '' she said . `` You know , and he was the one that drove the kids around . He was the one that took care of their homework and anything -- grocery shopping -- everything . I relied on him for everything , and now I feel like I have to turn to my daughter a lot , and she 's only 11 . '' All three wives have set up Web sites to support their husbands : defendjohnhatley.com , defendjosephmayo.com and supportsgtleahy.com . Hatley , who was sentenced to life imprisonment , got clemency with his sentence reduced to 40 years . Both Leahy , who also received a life sentence , and Mayo , who got 35 years , had their sentences reduced to 20 years . All three sergeants were reduced in rank to private and sent to Fort Leavenworth . `` I think that what happened was done to protect the soldiers , to keep our soldiers safe from getting harmed or killed , '' Johana Mayo said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Officials are searching for the driver of a white truck seen on Santiago Canyon Road on Sunday , near the time the Santiago fire started , Orange County authorities said Friday . Chief Chip Prather holds a photo of a white truck similar to the one seen on Santiago Canyon Road . `` These people are not suspects at this time , '' Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather said . `` They are persons of interest who were seen near the fire in a vehicle like this . '' The vehicle is a white , 1998 to 2004 Ford F150 pickup with chrome tubular running boards . Prather said the information came from a lead called into the investigation 's tip line . A $ 250,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the blaze . Watch how residents feel about arsonist '' The Santiago fire , now 27,000 acres and still burning , was deliberately set , officials said Thursday . Several mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Santiago fire , which has destroyed 14 homes and various other structures . Late Friday afternoon , the blaze moved into Silverado Canyon , authorities said . Sheriff 's deputies were evacuating residents in the fire 's path . Watch the Santiago flames rage '' Authorities also suspect arson in the Rosa fire in San Diego County , which burned more than 400 acres before being fully contained . There was no information on the investigation . Elsewhere , the Los Angeles County District Attorney 's Office filed arson charges Friday against a 41-year-old Sun Valley man who witnesses said set a fire in the West Hills neighborhood and walked away . Catalino Pineda is one of five people who have been arrested in arson investigations this week , but none of them has been linked to the major wildfires raging across Southern California . Pineda was arrested Wednesday after witnesses said they saw him lighting a fire on a hillside , police said . The fire was quickly extinguished . The witnesses followed Pineda to a nearby restaurant and called police , who arrested him . Pineda was expected to be arraigned in Van Nuys Superior Court Friday , Deputy District Attorney Steven Frankland said . He is charged with one count of arson of a structure or forest . Pineda is being held on $ 75,000 bail and faces up to six years in prison if convicted . In San Bernardino , east of Los Angeles , John Rund , of Hesperia , was arrested Wednesday on arson charges after a witness reported seeing him in brush near the starting point of a fire Tuesday , the sheriff 's department said . That fire was quickly put out by passers-by . Investigators are trying to determine if Rund , 48 , may have ties to other wildfires . He is being held on $ 750,000 bail . The San Bernardino County District Attorney 's Office on Thursday filed arson charges against Anthony Riperti , 47 , of Redlands . A statement from the office did not say when or where Riperti is accused of setting a fire . He is being held on $ 250,000 bail . In San Diego County , the sheriff 's department this week arrested an adult and a juvenile allegedly seen by an anonymous tipster starting a fire in Vista in the northern part of the county . In a written statement , the sheriff 's department identified the adult as Gorgonio Nava . The Vista fire Department extinguished the blaze before it grew out of control , the statement said . Investigators have determined that the Grass Valley fire in San Bernardino County was not caused by arson , and a preliminary investigation into the cause of the 11,675-acre Slide fire seems to indicate arson was not a factor , sheriff 's spokeswoman Cindy Beaver said . More than 1,600 homes have been destroyed in the past week by Southern California wildfires . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy , and immediately signaled opposition to President Obama 's spending plans . Brown 's new Senate colleagues applauded after the ceremony on the floor of the Senate chamber conducted by Vice President Joe Biden , in his capacity as president of the Senate . Democratic Sen. John Kerry , also of Massachusetts , and Brown 's wife , Gail Huff , accompanied Brown into the chamber . At a news conference after the ceremony , Brown thanked Massachusetts voters who gave him a surprise victory in the January 19 special election in a state that had not elected a Republican senator since 1972 . `` I ca n't promise I 'll be right in every vote I make . I 'm sure I 'll make mistakes from time to time , '' Brown said . `` But I will try to learn and grow and do the very best job I can on a day-to-day basis . '' Brown 's election victory stripped Senate Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority , imperiling the ability of Obama and Democrats to push major legislative priorities such as health care reform through Congress . The Republican upset in Massachusetts also raised fears among many congressional Democrats of a potential GOP landslide in November 's midterm elections . A fiscal conservative who holds some moderate views , Brown was noncommittal on whether he would support a Republican filibuster in coming Senate consideration of some Obama nominees for government posts . He also said he needed to talk to generals in the field before deciding to support Obama 's call , supported by top military leaders , to repeal the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy regarding a ban on gays in the military . Brown made clear he opposes the spending policies of the Obama administration , stating that the $ 862 billion stimulus bill passed last year `` did n't create one new job '' in Massachusetts or across the country . He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks , instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate . That prompted a response later from Jay Carney , spokesman for Biden , who said , `` Anyone can go to recovery.gov -LRB- on the Internet -RRB- and see that Massachusetts state and local government , businesses and community organizations have already reported directly funding over 9,000 jobs in the state last year -- and that 's based on a only a portion of the total $ 8.4 billion in -LRB- stimulus -RRB- funds that have already gone to Massachusetts . '' He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks , instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate . At the same time , Brown said he would consider each piece of legislation on merit , rather than whether it was proposed by one party or another . `` If I see a bill that 's good for my state first , I do n't care where it comes from , '' Brown said . `` If it 's good for Massachusetts , I 'll consider it . '' Thursday 's ceremony occurred a week earlier than originally planned . Massachusetts officials had said it would take a few weeks after the election to certify the result of Brown 's victory . In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin on Wednesday , Brown 's attorney said the senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11 , but had been told that several Senate votes would be held before then . `` For this reason , he wants certification to occur immediately , '' attorney Daniel Winslow wrote . The certification occurred Thursday , allowing Brown to officially fill his seat later in the day . `` There 's no hidden agenda , '' Brown said of his push to get certified this week instead of next . `` It 's because I want to get to work . '' Asked why his daughters did n't attend the swearing-in , Brown explained one of them , Ayla , had a college basketball game to play Thursday and the other , Arianna , had a college exam . `` The Bibles I used for today 's swearing-in belong to my daughters , and I stacked them one on top of the other and took my oath on them , '' Brown said . Brown will be taking over Kennedy 's coveted office space in the Senate Russell building . Sen. Paul Kirk , who was appointed to fill the seat after Kennedy 's death , currently occupies the office and will move out . Several Senate sources tell CNN that the Senate Rules Committee , which assigns office space , decided to give Brown the office space as a matter of convenience . Because of his seniority , Kennedy had one of the most coveted office suites in the Senate complex . It is located in the Russell building , down the hall from the Rotunda , and has balconies that overlook the Capitol . CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The pilot of a small Cessna 172 aircraft reported stolen from a Canadian flight school has been captured , authorities said . The pilot was flying a plane similar to this one -- a Cessna 172 -- before he landed in Missouri . The pilot reportedly stole a small Cessna 172 aircraft from a Canadian flight school , flew hundreds of miles across the Midwest , landed on a dirt road in Missouri late Monday and took off on foot , federal officials said . Federal , state and local authorities launched a manhunt for the pilot , who was identified by the FBI as Adam Leon , 31 , a native of Turkey who became a Canadian citizen last year , according to FBI spokesman Richard Kolko . He was formerly known as Yavuz Berke , though officials did not indicate a reason for the name change . He was taken into custody at an Ellsinore grocery story after a brief manhunt , according to Missouri state police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . A federal law enforcement source said the pilot parked the plane under what appeared to be a bridge or culvert , apparently in an attempt to hide it . The plane had been intercepted and tracked by U.S. military aircraft as it flew from Canada into U.S. airspace and meandered southward for several hours before landing , a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said . It landed in the town of Ellsinore , population 360 , in southern Missouri , a dispatcher with the Carter County Sheriff 's Office said . A spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command -LRB- NORAD -RRB- said the pilot flew `` erratically '' over the course of the afternoon , at time reaching 14,000 feet in altitude , then dropping as low as 3,000 feet . The Cessna departed the school in Ontario at about 3 p.m. ET and flew over Lake Superior less than half an hour later , according to NORAD officials . F-16 fighter jets intercepted the pilot near Michigan 's upper peninsula border with Wisconsin at 4:43 p.m. , and tracked the Cessna until its safe landing . The NORAD spokesman , Mike Kucharek , said military pilots who intercepted the Cessna had tried repeatedly to get the pilot 's attention and at one point , the pilot appeared to acknowledge that he saw the other aircraft . `` He looked at them , '' Kucharek said . But the pilot had not communicated with NORAD or the Federal Aviation Administration , Kucharek added later in the evening . At 9:20 p.m. , the pilot was believed to have had roughly 30 minutes of fuel left , Kucharek said . `` We do n't want to suppose the motive of the individual , '' Kucharek told CNN 's `` Anderson Cooper 360 '' after the landing . `` But it certainly made a day for the professional pilots that were flying these missions and a very serious situation from a NORAD perspective . '' Officials allowed the pilot `` to play his hand '' because they '' -LSB- did n't -RSB- want to provoke the situation , '' Kucharek said . A federal law enforcement official told CNN the pilot is a naturalized Canadian citizen , but declined to give his name or country of origin . The source said the pilot was a flight school student for a `` brief '' period and only clocked a few hours of flight time . Canadian officials have received some information that the pilot is `` not a happy individual , '' the official said . The Cessna departed at about 3 p.m. ET and flew over Lake Superior less than half an hour later , according to NORAD officials . F-16 fighter jets intercepted the pilot near Michigan 's upper peninsula border with Wisconsin at 4:43 p.m. , and have tracked the Cessna since . Earlier in the evening , the Wisconsin National Guard deployed two F-16s of its own in an attempt to get the pilot to establish communications with FAA air traffic controllers . The state capitol in Madison , Wisconsin , was evacuated for less than an hour as a precaution . FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the plane was reportedly stolen from a flight school in Thunder Bay , Canada , and the pilot had been identified as a student at the flight school . Both Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross of NORAD and Brown of the FAA said the 14,000-feet altitude is above the level at which the FAA requires use of oxygen . Brown said it was not clear whether the Cessna had supplemental oxygen on board . Ross says the plane is a long-range version of a Cessna 172 . It was fully fueled , giving it about seven hours of flying time . Ross said if NORAD officials believe the aircraft poses a threat , `` we take seriously any intent to harm any of our citizens or critical infrastructure . '' He added that `` all options are on the table although we continue to move towards a resolution that does n't call for -LSB- lethal force -RSB- . '' CNN 's Jeanne Meserve , Adam Levine and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs tried to hang himself earlier this year while he was in jail awaiting trial , according to court documents unsealed by a Utah judge on Tuesday . Sect leader Warren Jeffs arrives in court to hear the verdict against him September 25 in St. George , Utah . Jeffs , the leader and so-called prophet of the 10,000-member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is now awaiting sentencing after being convicted on two counts of being an accomplice to rape . The documents , released by Fifth District Judge James Shumate at the request of the media , also indicate that Jeffs confessed to `` immorality '' with a `` sister '' and a daughter more than 30 years ago . Among the documents is a competency report on Jeffs completed in April , in which social worker Eric Nielsen wrote that throughout the month of January , Jeffs refused food and drink and developed ulcers on his knees from kneeling in prayer for hours . On January 28 , the report said , he attempted to hang himself in his cell . In the days following the suicide attempt , while he was on suicide watch , Jeffs on separate occasions threw himself against the wall and banged his head on the wall . Jail transcripts show that Jeffs ' suicide attempt came three days after a visit with his brother , Nephi , in which he said , `` I am not the prophet . I never was the prophet , and I have been deceived by the powers of evil ... I ask for everyone 's forgiveness . '' Jeffs also told his brother : `` Farewell forever . '' The day before that , Jeffs told a follower in a phone conversation that he was `` covered with immorality with a sister and a daughter when I was younger . '' In the FLDS , members call adult women `` sister , '' and Jeffs ' meaning was unclear . Jeffs ' defense attorneys , who argued against the release of the documents , said in a motion opposing the unsealing of the statements that Jeffs recanted them the following month . Defense attorneys claim Jeffs ' medical condition influenced his state of mind when the statements were made . They presented Shumate with a letter from another Jeffs attorney , arguing that the statements ' release could influence an Arizona jury when Jeffs stands trial in that state . Jeffs , 51 , was convicted in September of being an accomplice to rape . He was accused of using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marriage to her 19-year-old cousin . He faces a sentence of up to life in prison when he is sentenced November 20 . The FLDS -- which is not affiliated with the mainstream Mormon church -- is based in the side-by-side border towns of Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona . Jeffs , a former school headmaster , is the son of the sect 's previous president and `` prophet , '' Rulon Jeffs , who died in 2002 . Jeffs was on the FBI 's 10 most wanted fugitives list when he was arrested in August 2006 outside Las Vegas , Nevada . Critics say that inside the FLDS , marriages are arranged for girls as young as 13 , and competition for brides may be reduced by exiling male teens and young men . If male followers are excommunicated , critics claim , wives and children can be reassigned . During Jeffs ' trial , defense attorneys claimed authorities were persecuting Jeffs because of his religious beliefs , including practicing polygamy as the way to heaven . If Jeffs disavowed being the prophet of the FLDS , it could cause upheaval within the secretive sect . However , two of his followers who spoke to CNN -- although FLDS members usually do not talk to reporters -- said they do not believe he made the statements . `` He is a perfectly priestly man , '' said a woman who identified herself as Cathy . `` He is a man of God , and we will always love him . Once a prophet , always a prophet . '' Her husband , Patrick , told CNN , `` It 's hogwash . I do n't believe it ... I will always consider him my prophet . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gary Tuchman contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani soldiers and militants battled Saturday in the country 's vast tribal region , with more than a dozen insurgents killed in airstrikes , at least four soldiers slain in skirmishes and a key village seized by troops , the military said . A Pakistani soldier pictured during operations against militants in June . The fatalities come hours after Pakistani troops launched a massive ground offensive backed up by air power targeting the Taliban in South Waziristan , a refuge and a power base for insurgents operating in Pakistan and along the Pakistani-Afghan border . The highly anticipated offensive , which comes after a wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan , also has prompted the exodus of tens of thousands of civilians , the U.N. refugee agency said . One military official said Pakistani troops seized control of Kotkai , where Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud has lived with fellow commander Qari Hussein , the mastermind behind some of Pakistan 's deadliest suicide attacks . Watch how the offensive began '' Another military official said the airstrikes from jet fighters and helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in Kotkai and the villages of Badar , Barwand and Khisur , all strongholds of the Taliban and their late leader Baitullah Mehsud . The official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media . There have been confrontations throughout the day between soldiers and militants . Along with the four slain soldiers , 12 have been wounded , the military said . Gen. Athar Abbas , the Pakistan military spokesman , said the ground offensive in South Waziristan was launched shortly after midnight after the military received clearance from the government . He said the region 's eight entry and exit points have been sealed by troops . Pakistani officials say that about 10,000 to 15,000 militants linked to the Taliban or to al Qaeda operate in South Waziristan , a harsh terrain familiar to militants but difficult for others to navigate . About 28,000 Pakistani soldiers have moved into the epicenter of Taliban activity in the region to counter their activities , officials said . Elsewhere in Pakistan 's tribal region , in the Mohmand Agency , at least eight militants and one soldier were killed Saturday when they exchanged gunfire near a military checkpoint , the military said . For months , the military had been targeting militant hideouts in South Waziristan and other hot spots in Pakistan 's tribal areas . This year , troops launched a large operation targeting militants in the Swat Valley , in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province . But despite these efforts , insurgents have continued to strike with relative impunity inside Pakistan , brazenly targeting government , police and security locations . The latest attack occurred Friday in the northern city of Peshawar , when a suicide car bomber detonated near a police station , killing 13 people , most of them civilians . The recent wave of deadly attacks has raised concerns about the ability of Pakistan 's security forces to maintain control . The attacks heightened internal and international pressure on the government to take swift and effective action . In a high-level meeting Friday , army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani `` gave a detailed briefing on the prevailing national security situation and its ramifications in the future , '' according to a statement from the prime minister 's office . Those who attended the meeting condemned the recent attacks and `` agreed that these elements pose a serious threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the state , '' the statement said . The attacks show `` once again that the militants in Pakistan threaten both Pakistan and the United States , '' White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said . On Thursday , President Obama approved an additional $ 7.5 billion in assistance to Pakistan over the next five years .","question":""}
{"answer":"COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -- Military officials in Sri Lanka said they shot down a Tamil Tiger aircraft near the Colombo International Airport on Friday , in an air engagement with rebels that killed two people and left about 50 wounded . An injured survivor of a suicide attack in northeast Sri Lanka on February 9 Sri Lankan officials claimed both planes were shot down by the Sri Lankan Air Force , SLAF , refuting the Tiger 's claim they were conducting suicide missions in the country 's capital . A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Military said the body of a Tamil Tiger guerrilla was found by the plane 's wreckage after it was shot down near the Colombo International Airport . The other plane , which entered the capital of Colombo , dropped a bomb but crashed into the offices of the Department of Inland Revenue , two blocks away from Air Force Headquarters , a military spokesman said . According to the Sri Lanka 's Lankapuvath news agency , the country 's air defense was activated at 9:30 p.m. -LRB- 11 a.m. ET -RRB- Friday after receiving information that two of the rebels light aircrafts were circulating over Colombo . `` Both aircrafts were brought down by air force firing , '' Lankapuvath reported . `` The dead body of the LTTE pilot was also found strewn about . '' The news agency said 50 people were admitted to Colombo General Hospital due to injuries from the crash . Two died from their wounds . According to the pro-Tamil Tiger Web site Tamil.net.com , two Black Air Tiger Pilots -- the group 's elite squadron -- died after carrying out diving missions into Sri Lanka 's air force headquarters in Colombo and an air force base in Katunayaka . CNN could not independently verify the claims made by the rebels or the government . In a report released on Thursday , Human Rights Watch criticized the Sri Lankan government for its `` indiscriminate '' killings of civilian as it attempts to fight the rebel movement . As the rebel stronghold continues to shrink , civilians are trapped in the cross-fire , HRW said . `` Sri Lankan forces are shelling hospitals and so-called safe zones and slaughtering the civilians there , '' James Ross , legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch , said in a statement . HRW also condemned the Tamil Tigers for its treatment of civilians . The organization 's 45-page study said 2,000 civilians have been killed and another 5,000 have been wounded . The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- commonly known as the Tamil Tigers -- have fought for an independent homeland for the country 's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983 . The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead .","question":""}
{"answer":"CORAL SPRINGS , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities solved a 31-year-old disappearance this year when they found the remains of Jeff Klee , missing since 1977 , in a van in a canal . Jeff Klee had been missing since 1977 ; his remains were found this year . But prosecutors have announced that no charges would be filed against the man who , authorities say , admits that he put Klee 's body in the van three decades earlier . `` Today is a sad day for our family , '' Klee 's sister , Laurel Steele , told reporters Thursday . `` It tests my family 's faith to its very core . '' Klee 's remains were found in March during a routine police sweep for stolen vehicles in the C-14 canal in Coral Springs , Florida . The van was in neutral when police discovered it . DNA confirmed Klee 's identity , but authorities say there was not enough evidence to determine how he died -- and whether he had been killed . Watch Klee 's sister react to the decision '' The Broward County State Attorney 's Office said the statute of limitations on possible manslaughter charges expired in 1980 . As for a more serious charge such as first-degree murder to which a statute of limitations would not apply , prosecutors said they do n't have any evidence of premeditation or that the death was caused by a criminal act . Police had long thought Klee 's best friend , David Cusanelli , was the last person to see him alive June 21 , 1977 . According to a memorandum released Thursday by the Broward County State Attorney 's Office , Cusanelli told authorities this July 28 that he put Klee 's body inside his black Chevy van after he was dead and that his brother , Carl Cusanelli , helped shove the van into the canal . But Cusanelli denied involvement in Klee 's death , prosecutors said . Mitch Polay , the defense attorney for the Cusanelli brothers , reiterated that denial . He said the brothers ' statements `` were taken out of context , and they were posed as hypotheticals to drum up potential memories of the event . '' `` My clients , for 31 years , have denied any involvement , '' Polay told CNN . `` They had no involvement with pushing any van into the water , nor did they have any involvement with the death of Jeff Klee . '' According to the prosecution memorandum , Cusanelli told police that he and Klee had an argument over a former girlfriend . Cusanelli said Klee began to chase him out at the canal that night , the document alleges . Cusanelli said that `` all he remembers is , he turned around and saw that Jeff had fallen and was on the ground , and his head was split open , and there was a lot of blood , '' according to the document . `` There was definitely a confrontation that night , which resulted in Jeff Klee 's death , '' lead Detective David Weissman said Thursday . Cusanelli told police that he ran away from Klee because he was in fear of his life and that he has no idea how Klee fell . Cusanelli concedes that he may have thrown a rock at Klee , according to the prosecution memo . Cusanelli , according to the memo , said he panicked and put Klee 's body inside his van . He then called his brother Carl , who helped push the vehicle into the canal , the memo alleges . In the state attorney 's memorandum , Cusanelli said Klee was bleeding from a serious head wound and was not breathing . He told authorities he would never have put Klee 's body into the van and rolled it into the canal if Klee was n't dead , the memo says . Carl Cusanelli told police he helped push the van into the canal , the memo says , but denied any knowledge that Klee may have been in the van at the time . David Cusanelli also told police that he thinks he blocked the whole incident from his memory and that only recently did some details begin to materialize , according to the prosecution memo . `` It 's turned their worlds upside down . They are very upset , '' said Polay , the defense attorney . `` Thirty-one years ago , David was best friends with Jeff Klee . '' Coral Springs Police Chief Duncan Foster expressed frustration that no charges are being brought . `` Jeff Klee was a loved member of someone 's family , and that has no time limits , '' Foster said . `` It 's just very , very frustrating for us . '' Steele , Klee 's sister , said , `` Victimized by the loss of Jeff so many years ago , we are victimized once again . '' Klee 's mother , Florence Klee , clutched a framed photo of her son but did not speak during Thursday 's news conference . Klee 's father died about two years ago . Authorities said the case remains open . The family and the police are asking for the public to help them find any possible evidence of what happened that summer night in 1977 at the canal . `` Justice has been denied , '' Steele said .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a commanding lead in national elections Wednesday , according to the latest exit polls . A woman votes at a polling station in Indonesia . An average of six exit polls showed the incumbent holding about 60 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and 12 percent for Yudhoyono 's vice president , Yusuf Kalla . Official results are expected no sooner than next week . Indonesia has 175 million registered voters spread over 17,000 islands . It was the country 's second direct election since the authoritarian regime of dictator Suharto fell in 1998 , in the wake of the Asian financial crisis . Analysts and polls , ahead of the vote , predicted Yudhoyono -- riding high on the country 's economic strength -- would win a second term . Watch as incumbent expected to win election '' In 2004 , Yudhoyono defeated then-incumbent Megawati in a runoff election . Watch more on the election '' Yudhoyono `` has positive global image ; relations with the American government have been the best in all the time that I have been here , the last 30 years , '' said James Castle , who analyzes Indonesia 's politics and economy . `` He 's very popular in the foreign community and , to be honest , if he 's not re-elected , the markets will react negatively for a month or so . '' Yudhoyono 's Democratic Party was the only single party to get enough votes in April 's legislative elections to nominate a candidate on its own . Kalla 's Golkar Party came in second and Megawati 's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle , or PDI-P , placed third . Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president . Kalla had hoped voters would give him some of the credit for Indonesia 's economic successes which occurred under his term as vice president . Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president . See a photo slideshow of Indonesians talking about who they will vote for '' Yudhoyono is known as `` Mr. Clean '' because of his anti-corruption efforts . He has gained popularity for his handling of the 2004 tsunami recovery and the country 's battle against terrorism . Indonesia has had impressive economic growth over the past five years , though how much direct credit Yudhoyono can take for that is questionable . And despite Indonesia posting an average of 5.9 percent annual growth during his presidency , little of that has trickled down to the country 's poor . Yudhoyono 's opponents say he is too liberal , is too skewed toward the west , and does n't pay enough attention to the 40 million Indonesians living below the poverty line . Still , the country is exhibiting surprising resilience in the face of the global economic downturn . Growth topped 6 percent last year , and Indonesia was the fastest-growing economy in southeast Asia in the first quarter of this year . `` All off a sudden , everybody is contracting except for Indonesia , '' Castle said . `` We 've had more visiting regional heads and so on in the last six months than we had in the last six years . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ACCRA , Ghana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush sought Wednesday to dispel rumors that the U.S. plans to bring `` all kinds of military to Africa , '' saying that is `` simply not true . '' President Bush shakes hands with Ghanian President John Kufuor in Accra , Ghana , on Wednesday . He said the United States has no plans to add new bases in Africa but may open an office somewhere on the continent as part of its plans for Africom , a new U.S. military command that will focus on Africa . The president did not elaborate on the size of such an office but took pains to say it would not be a military base in the traditional sense . `` The purpose of this is not to add military bases , '' Bush said . `` I know there 's rumors in Ghana -- ` all Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here . ' That 's baloney . Or as we say in Texas , that 's bull . '' Watch what gifts Bush brought to Ghana '' The president of Ghana , John Kufuor , said he welcomed Bush 's comments . `` I am happy for the president 's dispelling any notion that the United States of America is intending to build military bases on the continent of Africa , '' he said . The U.S. military divides the world into regions and has a `` command '' for each region . The U.S. Central Command , for example , focuses on U.S. military concerns and activities in much of the Middle East and South Asia , while the U.S. Southern Command focuses on Latin America . The new command established last year , Africom , will be based in Stuttgart , Germany `` for the foreseeable future , '' the U.S. military says . `` Now , that does n't mean we wo n't develop some kind of office somewhere in Africa . We have n't made our minds up , '' Bush said Wednesday . `` I want to dispel the notion that all of a sudden America is , you know , bringing all kinds of military to Africa . It 's just simply not true . '' About 1,800 U.S. troops are stationed in Djibouti , a country in the Horn of Africa , as part of the U.S. fight against Islamic extremists . Bush said Africom will `` provide military assistance to African nations so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa 's conflicts , like peacekeeping training . '' `` The whole purpose of Africom is to help leaders deal with Africa 's problems , '' he said in a joint news conference with Kufuor . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Ed Henry and Tim McCaughan contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To this day , Linda Haywood recalls the shame she once felt for her great-uncle . Jack Johnson was convicted of transporting a white woman across state lines for `` immoral purposes . '' `` I could see from the expression on my mother 's face that it pained her to tell me about him , '' she recalled , `` but it was n't just her . The shame was there for all the members of my family . '' Haywood 's great-uncle , Jack Johnson , shocked the nation in 1908 by becoming the first African-American world heavyweight champion . Yet the boxer was arrested not long afterward for taking a white woman across state lines for `` immoral '' purposes . That case fell apart and the woman later became his wife , but then investigators charged him with a similar offense involving a woman he had dated years earlier . An all-white jury 's decision to convict him in that case has come to be widely viewed as a symbol of racial injustice . Now Haywood is working with Sen. John McCain and others to try to clear her great-uncle 's name . McCain wants the Senate to pass a resolution urging President Obama to grant Johnson a presidential pardon . It would represent a final vindication for Haywood , a 53-year-old seamstress in Chicago who now views her great-uncle with pride . Her parents did n't tell her until she was 12 that she was related to Johnson , even though she saw his photo at school during lessons on black history . `` I remember seeing his picture on the wall of my sixth-grade classroom in Chicago in 1966 , '' Haywood said in a voice tinged with sadness . `` It was up there next to pictures of Sojourner Truth and George Washington Carver as part of a black history week my teacher put together . I did n't have the first clue who the man was . My parents did n't want me to know . '' Her parents , she said , were trying to protect her from a legacy of racial injustice at a time when the country had yet to emerge from the long shadow of segregation . Haywood was stunned when she learned her great-uncle 's story . Less than five years after winning the heavyweight title , Johnson was convicted for violating the Mann Act , which outlawed the transportation of women across state lines for `` immoral '' purposes . Johnson was black and the woman was white -- enough to get even a champion imprisoned in early 20th century America . Justice Department lawyers decried it as a `` crime against nature '' for him to have a sexual relationship with a white woman . Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis , later to become the first commissioner of Major League Baseball , set Johnson 's bail at $ 30,000 -- the equivalent of more than $ 660,000 today . When a bail bondsman showed up , Landis jailed him , too , according to an account that filmmaker Ken Burns relays in his documentary , `` Unforgivable Blackness : The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson . '' An all-white jury convicted Johnson in less than two hours . `` Mr. Johnson was perhaps persecuted as an individual , but ... it was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks , '' one of the prosecutors later said . Johnson 's real crime , in the eyes of many , was committed three years earlier , when he successfully defended his boxing title against Jim Jeffries , a white boxer who came to be called the `` Great White Hope '' because many white fans saw him as the best chance to wrest back a boxing title from the African-American champ . Jeffries , a former heavyweight champion , had come out of retirement intending to reclaim a title that many Americans believed Johnson had no right to in the first place . Johnson beat Jeffries on July 4 , 1910 , before a stunned , almost entirely white crowd in Reno , Nevada . Race riots followed . More than 20 people were killed and hundreds were injured . Most victims were black . So when they `` could n't beat him in the ring , the white power establishment decided to beat him in the courts , '' Burns said in his documentary . Johnson fled to Europe in 1913 while free on appeal . But after years of fights overseas -- including the eventual loss of his title in Havana , Cuba , in 1915 -- Johnson came home . He turned himself over to U.S. authorities at the Mexican border in 1920 and served ten months in prison . He died in a car wreck in 1946 . `` Back then , if you were black and you were told that you did something wrong , you really had no recourse , '' said Haywood . `` You just accepted what was done because black people were basically powerless and voiceless . Jack may have been a rich boxer , but he could n't fight the system . '' Today , in a very different America , Haywood 's family is seeking justice . They 've teamed up with Burns , McCain and Rep. Peter King , a New York Republican , to urge the nation 's first African-American president to grant Johnson a rare posthumous pardon . McCain and King introduced resolutions calling for a presidential pardon in 2005 and last year . The House passed it , but the Senate did not . The White House declined to comment when asked Obama 's views on a possible pardon for Johnson . McCain , who says he made a mistake by once voting against a federal holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , sees the pardon as a way to right an old wrong . `` The Jack Johnson case is an ignominious stain on our nation 's history , '' he said on the Senate floor this month , while introducing a new version of the resolution . `` Rectifying this injustice is long overdue . -LSB- The resolution recognizes -RSB- the unjustness of what transpired , and sheds light on the achievements of an athlete who was forced into the shadows of bigotry and prejudice . Johnson ... deserved much better than a racially motivated conviction . '' King , himself a former boxer , said in a written statement that Johnson was a trailblazer who became `` a victim of the times . '' For Haywood , the proposed pardon is also personal . It 's about wiping the slate clean for future generations of her family . `` My mother used to say Jack was defiant , '' she remembered . `` No disrespect , momma , but he was being his own man . And I 'm so proud of him . To think -- of all the families in the world , God gave him to us . '' Haywood has made sure her four children know the story of the country 's first black heavyweight champion . `` They love him , '' she said . `` Especially my oldest son . He was a bit of a pugilist in high school . He got into his fair share of scraps . I think we know where he got that trait . '' Haywood says she 'll go to Washington if Obama issues a pardon . With a bit of laughter , she promises to give a gracious , eloquent speech thanking him . With or without a pardon , she emphasizes , the stigma and the shame are gone . Today , Johnson 's family feels only pride .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse until the mid-1990s , according to a government-commissioned report released Thursday . The Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation 's 720-page report said that it has `` no doubt that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up '' from January 1975 to May 2004 , the time covered by the report . `` The Dublin Archdiocese 's pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse , at least until the mid 1990s , were the maintenance of secrecy , the avoidance of scandal , the protection of the reputation of the Church , and the preservation of its assets , '' the report said . `` The welfare of children , which should have been the first priority , was not even a factor to be considered in the early stages , '' it said . `` Instead the focus was on the avoidance of scandal and the preservation of the good name , status and assets of the institution and of what the institution regarded as its most important members -- the priests . '' Archbishop Diarmuid Martin apologized Thursday in a news conference . `` No words of apology can ever be sufficient , '' he said . And Dermot Ahern , Ireland 's justice minister , said he felt a `` a growing sense of revulsion and anger '' as he read the report . `` Bottom line is this : A collar will protect no villain , '' he said . The commission was set up in March 2006 to look into allegations of child sexual abuse made against clergy in the Irish capital . Its report was completed in July . Although the commission said it was not its place to `` establish whether or not abuse occurred ... it is abundantly clear ... that child sexual abuse by clerics was widespread throughout the period . '' One victim , Marie Collins , said those who covered up the abuse were just as guilty as the perpetrators of the crimes . `` How many people accused of abuse are still sitting in parishes today ? '' she asked in a Thursday news conference . The commission examined the histories of 46 priests , who were picked as a sample from 102 who had had complaints or suspicions of child abuse raised against them . Complaints from more than 320 children were leveled against the 46 , the report said . But it said that the number of children abused likely exceeded that . `` One priest admitted to sexually abusing over 100 children , while another accepted that he had abused on a fortnightly basis during the currency of his ministry which lasted for over 25 years , '' the report said . `` The total number of documented complaints recorded against those two priests is only just over 70 . '' In its analysis of the 46 priests , the commission said that all four archbishops -- Archbishops John Charles McQuaid , Dermot Ryan , Kevin McNamara , and Desmond Connell -- who served during the time period covered by the report handled the child sexual abuse complaints `` badly . '' `` Not one of them reported his knowledge of child sexual abuse to the Gardai -LRB- the Irish police force -RRB- throughout the 1960s , 1970s , or 1980s , '' the report said . The commission did credit Connell , who took over the archdiocese in 1988 , with giving Irish authorities in 1995 the names of 17 priests against whom complaints had been made -- although it called the number incomplete , saying that there was `` knowledge within the Archdiocese of at least 28 priests against whom there had been complaints . '' They said he was `` slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation . '' Connell also gave authorities permission to access the archdiocesan files in 2002 . Connell , a cardinal , apologized in a written statement . `` I wish to express without reservation my bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form , '' he said . `` Although I am all too aware that such apologies and expressions of regret can never be adequate as a response to so much hurt and violation and , in any case , lose their value through repetition , I apologize again now from my heart and ask the forgiveness of those who have been so shamefully harmed . '' The report named 11 priests who had pleaded guilty to or were convicted of sexual assaults on children . Of the other 35 , it gave pseudonyms to 33 of them and redacted the names of two . The report shot down the notion that church leadership was unaware of the problem . `` The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Church authorities have repeatedly claimed to have been , prior to the late 1990s , ` on a learning curve ' in relation to the matter , '' it said . However , it said McNamara , Ryan and McQuaid had information on complaints against at least 17 priests when the Archdiocese took out insurance in 1987 to cover future compensation claims and lawsuits related to sexual abuse allegations . `` The taking out of insurance was an act proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the Archdiocese and is inconsistent with the view that Archdiocesan officials were still ` on a learning curve ' at a much later date , or were lacking in an appreciation of the phenomenon of clerical child sex abuse , '' it said . The report also said church officials perpetuated the problem by ignoring allegations and in some cases simply moved an alleged abuser on to another parish -- leaving him free to abuse another group of children . Thursday 's findings follow a report that came out in May , detailing allegations of child abuse in various institutions across Ireland from the 1940s to the present . Though both reports deal with child abuse , they are not related , having been written by two separate commissions investigating two different subjects . The May report looked at child abuse in lay institutions , including reformatories , hospitals , orphanages , children 's homes and industrial schools across the country . Some of those institutions were linked to religious orders , but none were strictly religious schools . Speaking last month after the Irish High Court cleared the way for Thursday 's report to be made public , Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he was pleased the information would not be kept private . `` I have always made it clear that I have been anxious to put the report into the public domain as quickly as possible , while at the same time not wishing to do anything which would prejudice the chances of any of the people involved in these evil deeds being brought to justice , '' Ahern said in a statement . CNN 's Atika Shubert contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Oscar said yes to `` No Country for Old Men '' and to European actors on Sunday night . Actors Daniel Day-Lewis , Tilda Swinton , Marion Cotillard and Javier Bardem toast their success . `` No Country , '' the Coen brothers ' brutal tale of a man pursued by death and the law across the bleak moonscapes of West Texas , won best picture at the 80th Academy Awards . The four acting awards , meanwhile , went to Europeans : Marion Cotillard , Daniel Day-Lewis , Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton . The Coens also won best director and best adapted screenplay , and Bardem , who played cattle-gun-armed killer Anton Chigurh , won best supporting actor . Producer Scott Rudin shared the best picture award with the brothers . `` We 're very thankful to all of you out there for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox , so thank you very much , '' Joel Coen said in accepting the directing award . He observed that the pair did n't think they were doing much different work now from when , as a child , Ethan Coen `` got a suit and a briefcase and we went to the Minneapolis International Airport with a Super 8 camera and made a movie about shuttle diplomacy called ` Henry Kissinger , Man on the Go . ' '' Watch the best of the winners ' backstage remarks '' The Coens , who have been known for their arch style and oddball humor in films such as `` Fargo , '' `` O Brother , Where Art Thou '' and `` The Big Lebowski , '' received some laughs for Ethan Coen 's laconic acceptance speeches . After the pair won for adapted screenplay , Ethan Coen gave a brief thanks . Upon winning the directing award , he expanded on his speech slightly , sort of : `` I do n't have a lot to add to what I said earlier . Thank you , '' he said . Day-Lewis was more effusive in his thanks after winning best actor for his performance as a misanthropic oilman in `` There Will Be Blood . '' `` My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town , '' the British actor said as he accepted the award . `` I 've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this , and I 'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather , Michael Balcon , my father , Cecil Day-Lewis , and my three fine boys , Gabriel , Ronan and Cashel , '' he added . See the complete list of winners As he accepted his first Oscar , Bardem , one of Spain 's top actors , thanked his directors and reflected on his role as a creepy killer with a bad haircut . `` Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do that , and to put one of the most horrible haircuts in history over my head , '' he said . Watch `` No Country '' win best picture '' It was his second career nomination . His other came for `` Before Night Falls '' -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , in which he played Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas . In a mild surprise , French actress Cotillard won her first Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in `` La Vie en Rose . '' Early handicappers had bet heavily on veteran Julie Christie , a previous Oscar winner who played a woman falling victim to Alzheimer 's in `` Away from Her . '' But Cotillard , who 's received raves for her performance as the French singer , had been considered a strong contender for best actress . `` I 'm speechless now ... I ... I ... thank you life , thank you love , '' Cotillard exclaimed . `` And it is true , there are some angels in this city . Thank you so , so much ! '' The actress has appeared in dozens of films in her native France , but she may be most recognizable to American audiences for her performances in `` A Very Long Engagement '' -LRB- 2004 -RRB- and `` Big Fish '' -LRB- 2003 -RRB- . In a highly competitive race , Swinton nabbed the best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal as lawyer Karen Crowder in the legal drama `` Michael Clayton . '' `` I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this . Really , truly , the same shape head and , it has to be said , the buttocks , '' the British actress said , examining her new Oscar . `` And I 'm giving this to him because there 's no way I 'd be in America at all , ever , on a plane if it was n't for him . '' See Swinton on the red carpet '' Swinton beat out 83-year-old Ruby Dee , who had been considered a sentimental favorite for her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category , playing Mama Lucas to Denzel Washington 's drug kingpin Frank Lucas in `` American Gangster . '' Swinton also beat Cate Blanchett -LRB- as a mid - '60s take on Bob Dylan in `` I 'm Not There '' -RRB- and Amy Ryan -LRB- a difficult working-class mother in `` Gone Baby Gone '' -RRB- . The Academy Awards opened with host Jon Stewart joking about the recently ended writers strike -- which forced a cutback in the Golden Globes and threatened the Oscars as well -- and commenting on the bleakness of the best picture nominees . `` Tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare : This year 's slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies , '' Stewart joked . `` Does this town need a hug ? What happened ? ` No Country For Old Men , ' ` Sweeney Todd , ' ` There Will Be Blood ' ? All I can say is , thank God for -LSB- the comedy `` Juno 's '' -RSB- teen pregnancy . I think the country agrees . '' Check out Oscar prep photos '' `` Juno '' has been the little movie that could all season . The film , which cost a relatively paltry $ 7.5 million , was the only best picture nominee to top $ 100 million at the box office , ensuring it a rooting interest from moviegoers . Star Ellen Page received plaudits for her performance as the title character , and screenwriter Diablo Cody -- famously a former stripper -- has become one of Hollywood 's `` it '' scribes . Cody won best original screenplay . `` This is for the writers . I want to thank all the writers . I especially want to thank my fellow nominees because I worship you guys and I 'm learning from you every day , '' Cody said . The first award of the evening , for costume design , went to `` Elizabeth : The Golden Age . '' The best animated feature went to `` Ratatouille , '' a computer-animated Pixar film directed and written by Oscar winner Brad Bird -LRB- `` The Incredibles '' -RRB- . The rat-turns-chef movie beat out `` Persepolis , '' based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi , and `` Surf 's Up , '' a computer-animated film about penguins . `` The Counterfeiters '' from Austria took the best foreign-language film . The movie is based on a true story about a counterfeiter who , after being sent to a concentration camp , was employed by the Nazis to fake other countries ' currency . Best original song was awarded to `` Falling Slowly '' from `` Once . '' It beat out three songs from `` Enchanted , '' the Disney film about an animated princess come to life . The Oscars were spread around . `` No Country '' picked up four , `` The Bourne Ultimatum '' earned three -LRB- one for its rapid-fire editing -RRB- and `` There Will Be Blood '' received two : Day-Lewis ' acting award and Robert Elswit 's cinematography honor . But nobody had any doubt what film was considered the evening 's big winner . `` There 's nothing like it , and especially with these two guys , '' producer Rudin said backstage with the Coens of their unusual Western . `` I 'm incredibly proud , and I think it 's the best movie we have been involved with . I loved it from the first minute I saw it . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"BOSTON , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Friends and acquaintances of Philip Markoff , a medical student accused of killing a woman he may have met through a Craigslist online ad , described the 23-year-old as a model student . Medical student Philip Markoff , 23 , appears in court Tuesday in Boston , Massachusetts . `` My girlfriend actually rode the elevator with him a lot alone ; it 's kind of freaking her out now , '' said Patrick Sullivan , who lived in the same apartment building as Markoff in Quincy , Massachusetts , a Boston suburb . `` She thought he was kind of the all-American , good-looking guy , '' Sullivan said . `` When she saw him on TV yesterday , she even remarked , ' I ca n't believe it 's him . I always thought he had such a great smile , and he was so nice to me . ' '' James Kehoe , a friend of Markoff 's from the State University of New York at Albany , where both attended college , said Markoff was `` one of the best students I 've probably ever encountered . '' `` He would never put anything in front of his work , '' he said . `` He had great aspirations to be a doctor . '' Markoff , a second-year student at Boston University 's School of Medicine , is charged with killing 26-year-old Julissa Brisman of New York on April 14 at Boston 's Copley Marriott Hotel . Watch acquaintances describe a smart , good-looking guy '' Markoff was arraigned Tuesday and is being held without bail . His attorney , John Salsberg , told reporters after the hearing that Markoff is `` not guilty of the charges . He has his family 's support . I have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what I heard in the courtroom . All I have at the moment are words -- no proof of anything . '' A Boston University spokeswoman said the school suspended Markoff , who has no criminal record , when it learned of the charges on Monday . `` This was a brutal , vicious crime . Savage , '' Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley told reporters . `` And it shows that Philip Markoff is a man who 's willing to take advantage of women -- to hurt them , to beat them , to rob them . '' A procedural not-guilty plea was entered on Markoff 's behalf , Conley said . Evidence from the scene suggests that Brisman `` put up a fight , '' prosecutor Jennifer Hickman said during the hearing Tuesday . Police have said that Brisman , a model , advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist , a popular online classifieds service . She suffered blunt head trauma , Hickman said , and was shot three times at close range . One of the bullets passed through her heart , killing her , she said . Markoff is also charged in connection with the April 10 robbery of a woman at a Westin Hotel in Boston . In that case , the woman made arrangements to meet a man through Craigslist for a massage at the hotel , but was held at gunpoint and bound , Hickman said . She was robbed of $ 800 and personal items and left tied to a door handle with duct tape over her mouth , the prosecutor said in court Tuesday . The victim was not identified . Megan McAllister , who identified herself as Markoff 's fiancee , maintained his innocence in an e-mail sent to ABC News . McAllister said Markoff `` is the wrong man '' and `` was set up . '' `` Unfortunately , you were given wrong information as was the public , '' she wrote . `` All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly ! '' She accused Boston police of `` trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations . What else is new ?? '' Authorities believe the motive in Brisman 's death was robbery , Conley told reporters . In executing a search warrant at Markoff 's home , police found a firearm , along with restraints and duct tape , he said . Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was killed showed a tall , clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker leaving the property , according to Boston police , who had sought public assistance in identifying the man . Police traced the Internet communications with Brisman to an e-mail account that had been opened the day before her death , Conley said . Using Internet provider information , they found the computer was at Markoff 's residence in Quincy . Authorities put the home under surveillance , Conley said , and `` the case just begins to build from there . '' Markoff , meanwhile , is `` bearing up , '' Salsberg said . `` It 's obviously a difficult time for anybody in these circumstances with the charges that have been brought against him . ... He 's pleaded not guilty . He is not guilty . '' Authorities in Boston are working with police in Warwick , Rhode Island , on what could be a related case . On April 16 at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick , a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement , Warwick Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney said . The robbery was interrupted when the woman 's husband entered the room . After pointing his gun at the husband , the suspect fled , McCartney said . He said the incident `` may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area , '' but that had not been determined . Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster told CNN the company is `` horrified and deeply saddened that our community services have been associated in any way whatsoever with a crime of violence . '' He promised that Craigslist will evaluate the incident to see whether additional measures could be introduced to protect users . CNN 's Mary Snow and Randi Kaye contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Many Americans are finding ways to trim their holiday budgets this year , but reports are showing that buying video games is one place consumers are not cutting back . Through November , video game sales are up 22 percent over 2007 . According to market researcher NPD Group , U.S. retail sales of video games totaled $ 2.91 billion in November , a 10 percent jump from a year ago . Overall sales this year through November are more than $ 16 billion , up 22 percent from 2007 . Anita Frazier , an analyst from NPD , cites the industry 's wide content variety on newer generation consoles such as Nintendo 's Wii , Sony 's Playstation 3 and Microsoft 's XBOX 360 as a reason for the strong performance . Frazier also says that video games are a relatively cheap form of entertainment , considering the hours of value they provide . Matt Helgeson , senior editor at Game Informer magazine , agrees . `` Video games can take between 10 and 40 hours , sometimes 50 hours , to complete '' depending on the title , Helgeson said . `` Gamers can often get two to three months out of one game . '' Furthermore , during these recessionary times , Helgeson explains that video games `` provide the ultimate escapism . '' According to NPD , some of the top-selling game titles in November include `` Gears of War 2 , '' which sold 1.6 million copies , and `` Call Of Duty : World At War , '' which sold 1.4 million . Nintendo 's `` Wii Play '' and `` Wii Fit '' put up impressive numbers , as well . With those kinds of sales , video games have potential to be one of the most popular stocking stuffers for kids this holiday season . Helgeson says that these days , games are a core part of being a kid , and it 's no longer a question of `` do you play video games ? '' Instead the question is `` what games are you playing ? '' `` Ages , races , social groups -- video games cut across all platforms , '' Helgeson said . Whether you 're shopping for a hardcore gamer or something for the family , `` there is something for everybody . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The images of Neda Agha Soltan 's death on the streets of Tehran transformed her into an icon for Iran 's opposition movement . But very few know of Ramin Ramezani , who was killed five days before Neda during last year 's post-election demonstrations in the Iranian capital . `` I always say Neda is the miracle of the century , '' Ramin 's mother Zahra Ramezani told CNN by phone . `` Neda was destined to be known to everyone . If Ramin is n't known to everyone , that 's OK . '' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's landslide re-election on June 12 , 2009 , had sparked the biggest protests in Iran since the 1979 revolution . The following Monday , hundreds of thousands marched to Tehran 's Azadi square , calling the vote a sham . Ramin was among the crowd . Watch YouTube video of the chaos that day Ramin was on leave from military duty , back in Tehran to celebrate his 22nd birthday , just six days away . His parents told CNN that he had voted for Mir Hossein Moussavi , the opposition candidate who had energized young Iranians with promises of a freer society , more rights for women , and better relations with the West . Around 6 p.m. that day , Ramin called his parents and told them not to worry , they said . He said he 'd be home later that evening . An hour later , just blocks away from Azadi square , violence erupted at a base for the Basij , Iran 's pro-government militia . Protesters surrounded the building , shattered its windows with rocks , and set fire to several rooms . Amateur video from the scene showed several armed members of the Basij on the rooftop apparently firing shots . It was here , Ramin 's parents said , that their son was killed . A single bullet entered the right side of his chest , tore through both his lungs and killed him within minutes , his parents said . There was no way to know who fired the shot . It is widely believed that Ramin and several others who were killed on June 15 were the first casualties of the opposition movement 's protests . When Ramin did n't show up at home , the Ramezanis stayed up all night trying to reach him . Zahra Ramezani said she called Ramin 's cell phone every hour but no one answered . The following day they received a brief call from a man who did not identify himself . `` He said , ` If you want your son 's remains , ' and as soon as he said ` remains ' there was chaos in our home , '' said Zahra Ramezani . `` We were all hitting ourselves , screaming and shouting . '' For Ramin 's parents the nightmare was just beginning . Over the course of a week , they said they searched for Ramin 's remains in five hospitals . They pleaded with officials at two courthouses and the interior ministry to help them find their son 's body . Authorities said they would investigate . Finally , at a prison morgue , a prison official showed Ramin 's father the picture of his son 's remains on a computer screen . `` For about one hour I lost myself , '' Mehdi Ramezani said . `` I was hitting myself in the face and the head , asking , ` Why is my son 's naked remains on this monitor ? ' '' Mehdi Ramezani said an official at the prison morgue warned him to keep quiet about his son 's death . `` They made me promise them not to cause a big commotion during his funeral , '' Mehdi Ramezani said . `` They said it would n't be good for your future and the future of your children . '' Calls to Iran 's judiciary and security officials seeking comment were not returned . Until now , Zahra and Mehdi Ramezani have never spoken to the international media . But after keeping silent for more than nine months , they still do n't know any more about how their son died . `` They still have n't told us anything , '' Zahra Ramezani said . `` They said , ` We did n't shoot him . ' Then who shot him ? '' Human rights groups say around 80 people were killed during Iran 's 2009 post-election protests , while Iran 's government puts the number at about half of that . While Iran has charged prison officials with torturing to death some of those detained after the demonstrations , no one has been charged in any of the deaths during the protests . Authorities in Iran have told CNN they are investigating the deaths , but the Ramezanis say they are losing hope . Every Friday morning the Ramezanis visit Tehran 's main cemetery where their son 's gravesite sits just steps away from Neda Agha Soltan 's . Ramin 's parents say they do n't want the attention Neda is getting . All they want is someone to tell them who killed these two young Iranians and why . `` A good and ideal government is for everyone , even those who oppose it , '' said Zahra Ramezani . `` If they consider themselves servants of Iran , then they owe us something . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia will begin the construction of a new naval base this year in Georgia 's pro-Russian separatist region of Abkhazia , according to a Russian media report Monday . Russia 's Black Sea fleet is based in Sevastopol under a lease agreement with Ukraine that expires in 2017 . Russia 's Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unnamed official at Russian naval headquarters as saying it wanted to station vessels at the Abkhaz port of Ochamchire on the Black Sea , Reuters.com reported . `` The fundamental decision on creating a Black Sea Fleet base in Ochamchire has been taken , '' the official told Tass , in quotes carried by Reuters.com . `` This year we will begin practical work , including dredging , along Abkhazia 's coast . `` It will take more than a year to implement all works . '' The official added that the deployment was to protect the breakaway region from Georgian attacks . Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia , a Russian-backed separatist territory , on August 7 last year . The following day , Russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and Abkhazia , advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions . The two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have made accusations of ethnic cleansing . Moscow has since recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent regions -- a move which angered many Western governments who suspect Russia of acting to thwart Georgia 's ambitions of joining NATO . This latest development comes despite comments made last year by Abkhazia 's leader that his territory would not be hosting Russian military bases . `` There will be no new bases , '' Sergei Bagapsh told Russia 's Novosti news agency , adding that Russia 's Black Sea Fleet will not be based in the republic either . `` Only units of Russia 's ground forces that have always been based here will continue to be stationed in Abkhazia , '' he said . Russia 's Black Sea Fleet is currently based in the port of Sevastopol which belongs to Ukraine -- another former Soviet state which , like Georgia , aspires to NATO membership . The fleet is due to leave Ukraine for good in 2017 , in line with a 20-year lease deal signed in 1997 . However , Russia 's diplomats and military have said they want the fleet to stay at its traditional home base after the expiry of the deadline , Reuters.com reported .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a messy drug bust this week , investigators uncovered more than 700 pounds of marijuana stuffed in a septic tank truck full of human waste , Arizona police said Friday . And the search of the truck was as awful as it sounds . `` Yeah , that really does suck , '' Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves told CNN . `` It 's a long way to go to make a bust . '' Hidden in the holding tank of the truck were 743 pounds of pot , worth about $ 409,000 on the street , police said in a news release . An officer pulled over the septic tank truck Wednesday after a check of the license showed it was invalid , police said . The truck was headed northbound on I-19 and stopped about 35 miles south of Tucson , Arizona . Police patrolling the area tend to be more vigilant , Graves said , because the interstate -- which leads directly to Mexico -- is a major thoroughfare for drug and human trafficking . After the stop , the officer discovered that the commercial vehicle markings on the truck were also invalid . A subsequent search revealed the bales of marijuana in red and orange packages amid the waste . `` It just shows how desperate these drug cartels are , '' Graves said . `` They 'll go to any lengths to conceal their product . We 've seen it concealed -LSB- among -RSB- watermelons , bell peppers . This is the first time we 've seen it concealed in human waste . '' Police arrested the driver , Leonard Salcido , 24 , of Tucson , and charged him with possession of marijuana , possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana , police said . The bust was not the largest for Arizona police . In 2008 , police found more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana in a fake UPS truck , Graves said . Wednesday 's smelly pot was just one major bust this week . On Thursday , police confiscated $ 681,000 worth of methamphetamine concealed in the false floor of a vehicle . The driver was stopped for speeding on I-17 near Camp Verde , Arizona , police said . The officer asked to search the vehicle and found 15 pounds of meth , police said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 19-year-old Mississippi man was charged with capital murder Tuesday in the death of an African-American man who died after allegedly being beaten by a group of white teens and run over by a truck , authorities said . Deryl Paul Dedmon , 19 , of Brandon , Mississippi was also charged by a grand jury with hate-crime enhancement in the murder of James Craig Anderson , said Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith . The indictment alleges that Dedmon killed Anderson while in the commission of committing felony robbery , Smith said in a statement . Anderson 's family , however , is asking state and federal officials not to seek the death penalty in the case . Relatives of Anderson , who died shortly after receiving his injuries on June 26 , sent a letter with their request to Smith , saying the family is opposed to the death penalty partly for religious reasons . The indictment against Dedmon alleged Anderson was targeted because of his race . Dedmon 's arraignment has yet to be scheduled , Smith said . Federal authorities have joined the local investigation , and both authorities are determining `` the appropriate venue for the prosecution of any remaining suspects , '' Smith 's statement said . `` All options are being considered and with each passing day , more evidence is being gathered , '' Smith said . The death of Anderson , 48 , occurred early June 26 in Jackson , allegedly at the hands of white teens who , after a night of partying and drinking , decided to go looking for black people to assault , law enforcement officials have said , quoting one of the suspects in the case . Watch : Incident caught on video Anderson 's death drew national attention after CNN first reported it and aired exclusive surveillance video of the killing , captured by a parking lot security camera in a Jackson suburb . Smith , the district attorney , has called it `` vicious '' and a `` premeditated hate crime . '' The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the death as a possible federal hate crime and assisting local prosecutors . The killing has also prompted several large marches and prayer vigils in Jackson , a city of about 175,000 people . A second teen , John Aaron Rice , 18 , was initially charged with murder , but a judge reduced the charge to simple assault because Rice was not believed to be driving the vehicle used to kill Anderson . However , Hinds County prosecutors have said they plan to seek indictments against Rice for murder and a hate crime , and will seek indictments against other teens who were at the scene . The district attorney 's office has not officially commented on the family 's request for no death penalty in the case . Last week , the Anderson family filed a wrongful death suit against all seven of the white teens alleged to have been present at the beating of Anderson that immediately preceded him being run over by the truck . The Southern Poverty Law Center , a nationally recognized organization based in Montgomery , Alabama , that opposes racism and intolerance , joined the lawsuit . In addition to Dedmon and Rice , the lawsuit names five other teens as taking part in the incident : Sarah Graves of Crystal Springs ; Shelbie Richards of Pearl ; and William Kirk Montgomery , John Blaylock and Dylan Butler , all of Brandon . None of the five has been arrested or charged . Anderson , a line worker at a Nissan plant , sang in his church choir , according to the family 's attorney , Winston J. Thompson III . He leaves behind his partner of 17 years . Attorneys for Dedmon and Rice have not responded to requests for comment from CNN . During a recent bond hearing , Dedmon 's attorney told the court he saw nothing to back up the `` racial allegations . '' A civil trial can proceed at the same time as a criminal case , but often the civil case is delayed pending the resolution of a criminal trial . While a criminal case is pending , a defendant in a civil case may need to invoke the Fifth Amendment . Authorities believe Dedmon led and instigated the attack , which took place after a night of drinking in largely white Rankin County , outside Jackson . The gang of teens climbed into Dedmon 's green truck and a white SUV and drove 16 miles to the western edge of Jackson . They would have seen Anderson immediately as they exited the highway , officials said . He was standing in a hotel parking lot just beyond the exit ramp . On the videotape obtained exclusively by CNN , the group of teens is seen pulling into the parking lot and stopping where Anderson is standing , although he is just off camera and not visible . The teens can then be seen going back and forth between their cars and Anderson . Witnesses told authorities this is when Anderson 's beating took place , as the teens yelled racial epithets , including `` white power . '' Authorities allege Dedmon and many of the other teens pummeled Anderson repeatedly as he crumpled to the ground , although this is not visible on the tape . After the beating , some of the teens left and others got into the green Ford truck . At this moment , Anderson becomes visible on the tape as he staggers into view and walks toward the truck . `` Defendant Dedmon drove the F-250 out of the parking lot and turned right onto Ellis Avenue , '' the lawsuit says . `` Just as Dedmon turned right , his headlights shone directly on Anderson , who , having been severely beaten , was stumbling in a grassy area near the motel 's entrance . Dedmon accelerated , drove onto and over the street curb , and struck Anderson with the front of the F-250 . '' Shortly afterward , Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing , according to statements some of the teens made to detectives . `` I ran that n ----- over , '' he allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car . The proceedings of the case are taking place in the Hinds County courthouse , where in 1994 Byron de la Beckwith was convicted in the notorious killing of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963 . CNN Special Investigation Unit 's Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a commanding lead in national elections Wednesday , according to the latest exit polls . A woman votes at a polling station in Indonesia . An average of six exit polls showed the incumbent holding about 60 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and 12 percent for Yudhoyono 's vice president , Yusuf Kalla . Official results are expected no sooner than next week . Indonesia has 175 million registered voters spread over 17,000 islands . It was the country 's second direct election since the authoritarian regime of dictator Suharto fell in 1998 , in the wake of the Asian financial crisis . Analysts and polls , ahead of the vote , predicted Yudhoyono -- riding high on the country 's economic strength -- would win a second term . Watch as incumbent expected to win election '' In 2004 , Yudhoyono defeated then-incumbent Megawati in a runoff election . Watch more on the election '' Yudhoyono `` has positive global image ; relations with the American government have been the best in all the time that I have been here , the last 30 years , '' said James Castle , who analyzes Indonesia 's politics and economy . `` He 's very popular in the foreign community and , to be honest , if he 's not re-elected , the markets will react negatively for a month or so . '' Yudhoyono 's Democratic Party was the only single party to get enough votes in April 's legislative elections to nominate a candidate on its own . Kalla 's Golkar Party came in second and Megawati 's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle , or PDI-P , placed third . Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president . Kalla had hoped voters would give him some of the credit for Indonesia 's economic successes which occurred under his term as vice president . Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president . See a photo slideshow of Indonesians talking about who they will vote for '' Yudhoyono is known as '' Mr. Clean '' because of his anti-corruption efforts . He has gained popularity for his handling of the 2004 tsunami recovery and the country 's battle against terrorism . Indonesia has had impressive economic growth over the past five years , though how much direct credit Yudhoyono can take for that is questionable . And despite Indonesia posting an average of 5.9 percent annual growth during his presidency , little of that has trickled down to the country 's poor . Yudhoyono 's opponents say he is too liberal , is too skewed toward the west , and does n't pay enough attention to the 40 million Indonesians living below the poverty line . Still , the country is exhibiting surprising resilience in the face of the global economic downturn . Growth topped 6 percent last year , and Indonesia was the fastest-growing economy in southeast Asia in the first quarter of this year . `` All off a sudden , everybody is contracting except for Indonesia , '' Castle said . `` We 've had more visiting regional heads and so on in the last six months than we had in the last six years . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republicans were facing pressure Tuesday to vote for a rollback of across-the-board cuts in Medicare payments to health providers after a major doctors ' group said the cuts could lead to a `` meltdown '' of the government 's health care system for the elderly . Doctors say they would take on fewer Medicare patients if the cuts go into effect . On Monday , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , called several Republicans trying to persuade them to support a bill that would reverse a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors . The cuts in Medicare payments -- part of a scheduled cost-saving formula -- went into effect July 1 , although the Bush administration said it will hold off on processing claims until mid-July to give Congress time to reach a compromise . The Medicare system pays for the health care of roughly 40 million elderly Americans . Rising health care costs have made Medicare a growing part of the federal budget , and the stress on the system is increasing as more baby boomers reach retirement age . Similar cuts have been scheduled to go into effect on July 1 in previous years , but Congress always has voted to stop the cuts before they went into effect . Gerald Harmon , a family physician who practices in Pawleys Island , South Carolina , said the cuts could lead to doctors taking fewer Medicare patients , making it difficult for the program 's elderly patients to get the care they need . `` This Medicare access problem is a real issue , not just a political football , '' said Harmon , who said 35 percent of his patients were eligible for Medicare . `` It affects your dad , when he 's sick . It affects my patients in my practice . This has to be addressed . '' A vote on the bill last week fell one shy of the 60 needed to clear a Republican filibuster and advance in the Senate . Senate Republicans joined the White House in objecting to the Democratic-back bill because it paid for the increased payments to doctors by trimming government support for private insurance programs that provide coverage to Medicare patients . The private Medicare programs are a top policy initiative for Republicans . The issue has become the subject of an intense election-year lobbying and advertising campaign aimed primarily at its GOP opponents . The American Medical Association , a powerful doctor 's group , said its members may be forced to reduce service to Medicare patients if the cuts go into effect . According to a recent association survey , 60 percent of physicians will be forced to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can take on if the July 1 cuts go into effect . `` We stand at the brink of a Medicare meltdown . ... For doctors , this is not a partisan issue -- it 's a patient access issue , '' AMA President Nancy Nielsen said in a statement after the Senate vote last week . The AMA ran radio and TV ads over the July Fourth congressional recess targeting 10 Republican senators , seven of whom are up for re-election . The AARP , the nation 's largest organization of retired persons , and other groups also are weighing in against the cuts . Reid has `` no idea '' if the pressure has changed any minds , but the `` proof will be in the pudding '' when senators vote again to break the filibuster , said Jim Manley , a spokesman for the speaker . That vote is likely to occur Wednesday . `` There is clearly a lot of pressure , '' Sen. Max Baucus , D-Montana , chairman of the Senate Finance Committee , said Monday . Baucus said he has talked to several Republicans and `` there are a few '' who could switch their votes . But GOP lawmakers and aides gave no indication the intense lobbying had changed any minds , and even if the bill does pass the Senate , it may still face a presidential veto . Republicans `` are holding out for a compromise that can pass and the president can sign , '' said a top GOP leadership aide . At the heart of the dispute is the decision by Democratic lawmakers to pay for the `` doctors ' fix '' by cutting funds for Medicare Advantage , a program administered by private insurance companies that is generally favored by Republicans and opposed by Democrats . The program , which has more benefits than traditional Medicare , is also more expensive . Republicans -- joined by the insurance industry -- fear Democrats are trying to weaken the Medicare alternative by draining funds away from it . President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation because of the cuts to Medicare Advantage -- so that even if Democrats get one additional vote to beat a filibuster , they will need several more to override a veto . The House of Representatives passed the bill 359-55 with broad Republican support in June , but the two-thirds vote needed to override a presidential veto appears , at the moment , to be an insurmountable barrier in the Senate . `` Our goal is to get a result , '' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky . `` A vetoed bill is not a result . '' McConnell on Monday pressed for a monthlong extension of the current fee schedule so senators could work on a compromise . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Miriam Falco contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The motorsport community was in mourning on Monday as competitors from across various racing disciplines paid tribute to Marco Simoncelli , the Italian MotoGP rider who lost his life after a crash in Malaysia on Sunday . Simoncelli , 24 , sustained critical injuries when he was struck by compatriot Valentino Rossi and American Colin Edwards after losing control of his Honda bike and sliding across Turn 11 of the Sepang Circuit . Rossi , a seven-time MotoGP world champion , used the @ValeYellow46 Twitter account to pay tribute to Simoncelli , who he described as `` a younger brother . '' `` Sic -LSB- Simoncelli 's nickname -RSB- for me was like a youngest brother . So strong on track and so sweet in the normal life . I will miss him a lot , '' read the Tweet . Simoncelli killed in Malaysia crash Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito praised Simoncelli 's commitment and personality , while expressing the team 's gratitude for the results he achieved during two seasons with the Japanese outfit . `` Marco Simoncelli was a passionate rider bubbling over with a challenging spirit and blessed with a cheerful personality , '' Ito said on Honda 's official website . `` With a promising future on the Grand Prix circuit , Marco had both genuine ability and a large following among racing fans . `` We are very thankful for his sterling results riding for Honda Racing Corporation as a factory rider . We express our heartfelt condolences to Marco 's family . '' Last year 's title winner Jorge Lorenzo missed the race due to surgery on his finger , but the Yamaha rider also paid tribute to Simoncelli -- who was sixth in the 2011 MotoGP standings at the time of his death . `` I do n't know what to say on a day like today , '' Lorenzo said via his official Twitter account . `` Only that you will be missed - rest in peace Marco . '' Another former world champion to pay his respects to the Cattolica-born star was 2006 winner and current Ducati rider Nicky Hayden . `` Sometimes life just do n't make sense , '' said the American . `` RIP # 58 you were a star on & off track we all going to miss you . '' Spaniard Jorge Martinez is a former rider and current owner of the Aspar Racing Team . The 49-year-old expressed his sadness , while also stating there was nothing Rossi or Edwards could have done to avoid the collision . `` Marco lost the front end and attempted to save the crash , but unfortunately the inertia of the bike took him onto the inside of the corner just when Edwards and Valentino were passing , '' Martinez told the sport 's official website . `` There was nothing that they could do to avoid him . Today is a tremendously sad day for the entire paddock and for those who love motorcycle racing . '' Outside of MotoGP , drivers from other motorsport disciplines also passed on their condolences to Simoncelli 's family and friends . `` My thoughts are with his family , friends and team at this extremely sad time . Another tragic loss at such an early age , '' Tweeted 2008 Formula One world champion and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton . Hamilton 's teammate and 2009 champion Jenson Button also used Twitter to pass on his sympathies . `` R.I.P Marco ... Such an exciting talent lost . My thoughts are with his family , friends and everyone involved in MotoGP , '' said the British driver , before later adding , `` Sometimes motorsport can be so cruel . '' Simoncelli 's death came a week after British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon lost his life during a fatal multi-car crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway . The president and CEO of the venue Jeff Belskus praised Simoncelli as a racer who was loved among motorsport fans . `` We are deeply saddened at the passing of Marco Simoncelli , '' said Belskus in a statement . `` He was one of the most charismatic figures in the world championship and had a fantastic future ahead of him in MotoGP . `` Marco was one of the most popular riders at the MotoGP event at Indianapolis , as his talent on the motorcycle and his ability to connect with fans both were very special . We extend our sincere sympathies to his family , team and fans . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An aircraft carrier named after the first President Bush was commissioned Saturday in Norfolk , Virginia . Former President George H.W. Bush waves aboard the aircraft carrier named after him Saturday . `` Those who are sitting out there , where I was , 65 years ago , preparing to serve aboard your new ship , I wish I was sitting right out there with you , '' the carrier 's 84-year-old namesake told sailors at the commissioning ceremony . `` As you prepare to man this ship , I do know that you take with you the hopes and dreams of every American who cherishes freedom and peace , and you take with you the undying respect and admiration of the entire Bush family , '' he said . The 1,092-foot , 20-story USS George H.W. Bush was decorated with red , white and blue banners for Saturday 's ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk . Watch video of the aircraft carrier '' The 41st president joined the Navy at 18 and served as an aviator in World War II . He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for his Navy service in the Pacific during the war , according to the Department of Defense . His time in the Navy ended after about four years . About 17,000 people were expected to attend Saturday 's ceremony . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , Defense Secretary Robert Gates , Vice President Dick Cheney and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine were there , as was Bush 's son President George W. Bush and his wife , Laura . '' Laura and I are thrilled to be here to help commission an awesome ship and to honor an awesome man , President George H.W. Bush , '' the president said . `` So what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed ? Well , an aircraft carrier . '' The ship , comprising 47,000 tons of structural steel and about 500 tons of aluminum , is the last of the Nimitz class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers . The ship 's construction began in 2003 . It was finished nearly three years later . The vessel will carry about 6,000 Navy personnel , the Department of Defense said . After the ceremony , the president left Norfolk for Maryland 's Andrews Air Force Base on what was probably his last Air Force One flight . From Andrews , he was expected to take a helicopter to Washington . White House spokesperson Dana Perino said the president was n't aware that it was his last scheduled flight on Air Force One until he was told by an interviewer . Read about features of Air Force One '' President Bush leaves office January 20 , and President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in .","question":""}
{"answer":"RECIFE , Brazil -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eight more bodies have been recovered from last week 's crash of an Air France jetliner in the Atlantic Ocean , bringing the total to 24 , Brazil 's military announced Monday . Recovery efforts have found several items confirmed to have come from Air France Flight 447 . The bodies were found floating about 440 kilometers -LRB- 273 miles -RRB- northeast of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago northeast of the Brazilian coast on Monday , military officials said Monday evening . Air France 447 disappeared over the Atlantic early June 1 . The jet was en route to Paris , France , from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro with 228 passengers and crew aboard . The military said earlier Monday that 16 bodies had been recovered . Items found in the same area Saturday were confirmed to have come from the jet , including pieces of the aircraft 's wing section , luggage and a leather briefcase containing an airplane ticket with a reservation code for the doomed flight , Brazilian air force spokesman Jorge Amaral said . The exact location of the crash has not been determined , because ocean currents probably caused the bodies and debris to drift in the days since the crash . Two key pieces of evidence -- the flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- remain missing and could lie on the ocean floor . Map of Flight 447 's flight path '' The part of the ocean where the debris and bodies have been found ranges from 6,000 to 8,000 meters -LRB- about 19,700 to 26,250 feet -RRB- deep . The search area covers 200,000 square kilometers -LRB- 77,220 square miles -RRB- , an area nearly as big as the country of Romania . Watch CNN 's Karl Penhaul report on more bodies found '' Brazilian officials emphasized Monday that finding bodies was their priority . The French are in charge of finding the black boxes , and a submarine was en route as part of that mission . Fourteen aircraft -- 12 Brazilian and two French -- were participating , along with five Brazilian ships and one French frigate . In Washington , a U.S. defense official said the U.S. Navy will contribute two high-tech acoustic devices to listen for emergency beacons still operating in deep water . The `` towed pinger locators , '' which help search for emergency beacons on downed aircraft to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet , will be placed aboard two French tugs that are part of the search efforts , the official said . Recovery of bodies and debris is significant not only for families but also for crash investigators , said Mary Schiavo , a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation . `` Even if they do n't find anything else , they can get some very important clues from the pieces that they do find and from the human remains , '' she said Saturday . Watch an explanation of what could have caused the crash '' She said investigators would be able to tell whether there was an explosion from possible residue on the bodies or other items . Or , if water is found in the lungs of victims , investigators would know that the plane went down intact , she said . Investigators in Paris said Saturday that the Air France flight sent 24 automated error messages about four minutes before it crashed . The messages suggest the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through severe thunderstorms it encountered before the crash , officials said . Schiavo said four minutes `` was a very long time '' for automated signals to be sent from the plane . Investigators also reported that the airline had failed to replace a part as recommended by the manufacturer , Airbus . Airbus had advised airlines to update part of the equipment that monitors speed , known as pitot tubes . The recommendation was a result of technological developments and improvements , an Airbus spokesman said . The change was not mandatory , and the spokesman would not comment on Air France 's failure to follow the advice . CNN 's Karl Penhaul , Richard Quest , Helena DeMoura and Barbara Starr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida judge Friday handed a legal victory to a former astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival , ruling evidence found in her car and statements she made to police after her arrest were inadmissible at trial . Lisa Nowak , accused of using pepper spray against a romantic rival , is set to go on trial in April . Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Marc Lubet ruled that all were unlawfully obtained . He said his decision stemmed from a variety of factors , most concerning police tactics in their interview of Lisa Nowak and the fact that no written consent was obtained to search her car . `` In each and every case , this court must ensure that the constitutional protections afforded by our forefathers are scrupulously honored , '' Lubet wrote in his opinion . `` Unfortunately , in this case those protections were not as thoroughly followed as the law demands . '' Nowak , 44 , is accused of stalking Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman and using pepper spray against her in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport in Florida on February 5 . She pleaded not guilty March 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm , battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon . Her trial is set for April . If convicted , she would face a sentence of up to life in prison . Her defense attorneys had claimed Nowak 's comments to police and her consent to search her car were made under duress . During a hearing held in August , Lubet heard testimony from , among others , Nowak , Shipman and Orlando police detective William Becton , who interviewed Nowak after her arrest . Lubet said in his ruling that when Nowak asked Becton if she needed an attorney during the interview , he failed to answer her question in a `` simple and straightforward manner . '' `` There was a concerted effort to minimize and downplay the significance of the Miranda rights by referring to these constitutional rights as ` formalities ' '' during the interview , Lubet wrote . On the audiotape of the interview , there was no audible response from Nowak on whether she understood that her statements could be used against her in court , and when she was asked whether anyone had threatened or promised her anything to get her to talk to police , Lubet wrote . `` Thus , there is nothing in either the audio recording or the transcript of the interview that demonstrates that defendant understood these two rights and waived them . '' Nowak testified at the August hearing she did not respond to Becton 's questions because she was confused , Lubet wrote . In addition , he said , Becton used `` legally impermissible '' statements and techniques , including threats , to get Nowak 's statements and consent . `` Well , what you say can change what you 're charged with , '' Becton said at one point . `` Right now we 're looking at -LSB- a -RSB- possible life felony of carjacking . '' In a written statement , an Orlando Police Department spokeswoman said it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the case since it is pending in court , and referred questions to prosecutors . Lubet noted that , although Nowak was given the opportunity to use the restroom and was asked if she wanted something to eat , she was `` subjected to a barrage of questions '' beginning in the predawn hours and was questioned for six hours without being given the opportunity to sleep or make a phone call . `` Defendant had not slept during the preceding 24 hours , '' the judge said . Nowak 's consent to search her car , Lubet wrote , `` followed illegal police activity , such as a prolonged detention , threats to obtain a warrant and repeated requests for consent . '' Prosecutors accuse Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from baggage claim to a parking lot . Her attorney has strongly denied that she wore the diapers . Shipman told police that after she got into her car , Nowak feigned distress and knocked on the window . When Shipman cracked it to talk to her , Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray , Shipman said . Police said Nowak was detained as she was disposing of her disguise in an airport trash bin . Nowak has said she merely went to the airport to talk to Shipman , who had begun dating Nowak 's former love interest , Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein , who was also an astronaut but has since left the astronaut corps . At the August hearing , Becton testified that when he searched Nowak 's car , he found maps showing how to reach the airport , maps of the airport 's layout , a buck knife and papers including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein 's mother . He also testified he found used and clean diapers in the car . Police previously said they also found a BB gun , a steel mallet , a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle . Nowak 's attorneys in August filed a notice of intent to rely on an insanity defense , saying in court documents her diagnoses include a litany of more than a dozen psychiatric disorders . On August 30 , Lubet granted Nowak 's attorneys ' request that her electronic tracking ankle bracelet be removed . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Cristy Lenz contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barcelona will be without influential midfielder Andres Iniesta for most of the decisive run-in to the end of this season as the Catalan side seek to retain their Spanish and European titles . Iniesta had only just returned to Josep Guardiola 's team last week as a substitute for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal , and then also came on in the 2-0 win at Real Madrid , but has suffered another injury blow in training after tearing a calf muscle . The 25-year-old Spain international could be out for up to a month , Barcelona 's Web site reported on Tuesday , meaning he may not be fit to return until the club 's final domestic league match against Real Valladolid on May 16 . `` Andres Iniesta suffered the injury during training and doctors have diagnosed a total rupture of the right femoral biceps muscle , '' the club 's Web site said . Iniesta is set to miss the Champions League semifinals against Italian champions Inter Milan on April 20 and 28 , but may return for the final on May 22 in Madrid if Barca progress that far . Barcelona lead Real by three points with seven matches to play ahead of Wednesday 's home clash with Deportivo La Coruna , while their title rivals travel to Almeria on Thursday . Barca will again be without injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , but the Sweden international is expected to return to training before Saturday 's local derby at Espanyol , the club 's Web site reported . Meanwhile , Sevilla 's hopes of qualifying for next season 's Champions League suffered another blow with a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Valladolid on Tuesday night . Sevilla stayed in fourth place on goal difference from Mallorca , who travel to struggling Zaragoza on Wednesday . Valladolid remained second from bottom despite giving former Spain coach Javier Clemente victory in his first home match . Clemente has earned four points from two games since taking over as Diego Costa headed the opening goal four minutes before halftime and fellow striker Manucho scored the second eight minutes after the break . Juan Cala pulled one back from long range with seven minutes left , but Sevilla fell to a ninth defeat from 16 away games this season . Getafe claimed seventh place from fellow Europa League Villarreal with a 3-0 victory in Tuesday 's late match . On-loan striker Miku netted twice , scoring either side of a free-kick from Mane as all three goals came in the second half . Goalkeeper Diego Lopez gifted Miku the 56th-minute opener , and he pushed Mane 's 25-yard strike onto the post and slowly over the line with 18 minutes left . Tenerife stayed in the third relegation place , one point above Valladolid , despite registering a first away win this season , 2-0 at mid-table Sporting Gijon . Roman Martinez and Alejandro Alfaro scored in the final 20 minutes to put the islanders just two points behind Malaga , who travel to Osasuna on Wednesday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- We 're in the throes of summer vacation season , but at least one American is still on the job . While it 's rumored that President Obama will follow in the footsteps of President Clinton and vacation on Martha 's Vineyard , he has n't had a chance to break out his Bermuda shorts just yet . When Obama does take off , though , he 'll join in the grand tradition of presidential vacations , like these notable ones : President Bush -LRB- R -RRB- and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen ride bikes in Crawford , Texas , in 2008 . 1 . Abe Lincoln does n't go too far Far-flung vacations are nice , but President Lincoln preferred to stay a bit closer to home . When Lincoln needed a getaway from the heat and political turmoil of Civil War-era Washington , D.C. , he headed to ... a different part of Washington , D.C. From 1862 to 1864 Lincoln spent June through November living in a cottage atop a hill at the Soldiers ' Home a few miles from the White House . Lincoln apparently loved the slight change of scenery , which meant slightly cooler temperatures and a chance to ride his horse each morning . If you 're considering a stay-cation this year , consider this Honest Abe 's endorsement . 2 . Movie cowboy does real ranching Think George W. Bush was the first president to sneak away from the White House to spend time on his ranch ? Not quite . At the end of his second term as Governor of California in 1974 , Ronald Reagan paid just over half a million dollars to acquire Rancho del Cielo in California 's Santa Ynez Mountains . The 688-acre ranch , complete with stables and a 1500-square-foot adobe house , was Reagan 's go-to vacation destination while he was in office , and he entertained some big names there , including Margaret Thatcher , Queen Elizabeth II , and Mikhail Gorbachev , who gamely wore a cowboy hat during his visit . 3 . LBJ does some ranching , too Texan Lyndon Johnson was very involved in the everyday operations of his ranch . Johnson , who had gotten into ranching in 1951 , grew his LBJ Ranch into a 2,700-acre spread populated by 400 head of Hereford cattle . Johnson was no absentee owner when he was in Washington , either . Johnson frequently headed back on vacations and supposedly drove his foreman crazy by calling every day to talk about the weather on the ranch or how the pastures looked . Today , the National Park Service maintains LBJ 's spread as a working ranch , complete with a herd of cattle descended from the Herefords Johnson bred . 4 . George W. Bush initiates a war on brush George W. Bush followed in LBJ 's footsteps and went to his own Texas ranch when he needed a getaway . Prairie Chapel Ranch , a 1,583-acre spread Bush owns near Crawford , Texas , served as the secondary White House throughout Bush 's presidency , and he was often shown clearing brush during vacations . Bush was n't just doing farm work , though . He exhorted visitors to join the `` President 's 100-Degrees Club '' by running three miles or biking 10 after the mercury hit 100 degrees . Anyone who could pull of the feat got a specialized Under Armour shirt as recognition . We can only hope one of the many foreign dignitaries Bush entertained at the ranch -- including Vladimir Putin , Tony Blair , Silvio Berlusconi , Ariel Sharon , and Saudi King Abdullah -- managed to get one of the coveted shirts into their suitcases . Mental Floss : Iraq , Afghanistan and other extreme vacation spots 5 . FDR heats up Georgia Some presidents choose to head to their hometowns or a beach side resort for their vacations , but Franklin Roosevelt preferred to travel to western Georgia . Warm Springs , Georgia , is the home of -LRB- you guessed it ! -RRB- warm springs that supposedly had therapeutic value for polio sufferers . FDR , who had contracted his own paralytic illness in 1921 , started visiting Warm Springs in 1924 in the hope that exercising in the springs ' warm waters would cure him . Although the springs did n't reverse his illness , FDR felt like his time at the resort alleviated his symptoms somewhat . In 1927 he bought the resort he 'd been staying at , and in 1932 he ordered a six-room Georgia pine house to be built on the property . This house was FDR 's retreat throughout his presidency and became known as the Little White House . FDR was sitting for a portrait at the Little White House when he died of a stroke in April 1945 . Today , the house is part of Georgia 's state park system and is open to visitors ; it 's been preserved to look almost exactly as it did the day FDR died . 6 . Nixon gets the right ice cubes When Richard Nixon wanted a break from Washington , he headed to a modest ranch home he owned on Key Biscayne off Miami . Nixon 's `` Florida White House , '' which he visited 50-plus times during his tenure in office , eventually swelled to include three houses and a floating helipad , which the Department of Defense installed at a taxpayer expense of $ 400,000 . -LRB- There was plenty of room for taxpayer outrage at the $ 625,000 total the government spent sprucing up the Florida White House ; one itemized expense was $ 621 for a replacement icemaker because `` the President does not like ice with holes in it . '' -RRB- Given that this house was Nixon 's retreat , it 's no surprise that some shady dealings transpired on the premises . Nixon allegedly discussed plans for the Watergate break-in at the house , and he holed up there when the coverup came to light . The house fell into disrepair after Nixon sold it , and in 2004 it was razed to make room for a new building . The Florida White House was n't Nixon 's only retreat , though . He bought a mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean in San Clemente , California , shortly after taking office in 1969 . Nixon dubbed his new digs `` La Casa Pacifica , '' but the press quickly started referring to the spread as `` the Western White House . '' This house was n't cheap for taxpayers , either ; the government dropped over a million dollars improving this home with temporary office quarters for staffers , helipads , and an upgraded heating system . Mental Floss : Donald Nixon and other memorable presidential siblings 7 . Teddy Roosevelt goes bear hunting Lounging on the beach is great , but do you really think Teddy Roosevelt would miss the opportunity to do something manly ? Roosevelt 's vacation in 1905 took him to the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs , Colorado , where he stayed for three weeks while bear hunting . 8 . FDR 's successor gets his own little White House Harry Truman may have been from Missouri , but he headed south when he needed some R&R . Truman started suffering from exhaustion in late 1946 , and his physicians recommended a warm weather vacation to revitalize the President . Truman took his vacation in a converted duplex in Key West that already held some history . The house , which was originally built in 1890 for the commandant and paymaster of Key West 's naval base , had already hosted William Howard Taft while he was in office in 1912 . When Thomas Edison developed 41 new weapons to aid in the American efforts in World War I , he spent six months living in the house . Once Truman visited the house , though , it quickly became known as Truman 's Little White House . He ended up spending 175 days in Key West over the course of his two terms in office . Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy later used the house while they were in office , and it 's now open as a tourist attraction . Mental Floss : Early summer jobs of Truman , LBJ and more 9 . Kennedy retreats to his compound Starting in 1926 , Joseph P. Kennedy began taking his family to Hyannisport , Massachusetts , on vacation each summer . His son John liked the area so much that in 1956 he bought a cottage of his own near his parents ' digs , and the family soon purchased a third cottage in the area , giving rise to the name `` the Kennedy Compound . '' JFK used his cottage as a base of operations for his presidential campaign and later vacationed there each summer he was in office . 10 . George H.W. Bush prefers not to ranch Not to be outdone by the Kennedys , the Bush family has an even older compound of their own in Kennebunkport , Maine . In 1903 George H. Walker , the grandfather of George H.W. Bush , built a great mansion on his oceanfront estate in Kennebunkport , and the property has remained in the family ever since . George H.W. Bush used the Kennebunkport compound as his vacation home during his presidency , and George W. Bush made a few getaways to the house as well . Between father and son , they 've entertained some pretty big names at their summer house , including Yitzhak Rabin , Vladimir Putin , and Nicolas Sarkozy . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"ACCRA , Ghana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ghanaians clad in the national colors of red , gold and green celebrated long into the night on Friday as excitement over the national team 's penalty shootout victory over Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt brought the West African nation to a standstill . Ghana 's players celebrate their victory over Brazil . Ghana 's victory , 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw which they had survived since the 37th minute with 10 men , was the first ever by an African side in the tournament . Earlier , many football fans had converged in churches hours before the game to pray for divine intervention . But the triumph , coupled with Nigeria 's disappointing performance in the tournament , may be the clearest signal yet that the balance of power in West Africa may have tilted from Nigeria to Ghana once again . Last month Ghana 's Black Stars , featuring players like Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien and Inter Milan 's Sulley Muntari , became the first African side to qualify for South Africa 2010 World Cup . Nigeria are in danger of missing the World Cup for the second time running . The Super Eagles trail Tunisia by two points in Group B ahead of their last group qualifying matches on November 11 when both countries face tricky away fixtures . Until 2006 , Ghana was regarded as the continent 's sleeping giants , having dominated African football in the years after it became the first independent sub-Saharan African country over five decades ago . By contrast , it took Nigeria -- Africa 's most populous country -- another three decades to establish itself among the continent 's top national sides . It was not until Ghana 's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 that the four-times winners of the African Cup of Nations regained some of their lost glory . It signaled not only Ghana 's long-awaited arrival at football biggest global gathering but also a fulfillment of a prediction in 1990 by Cameroon legend Roger Milla that the world had not seen the best of African football until the Black Stars made it to the World Cup . As continental champions in 1963 , 1965 , 1978 and 1982 and with Ghanaian legends including three-times African footballer of the year Abedi Pele and former Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United star Anthony Yeboah both rated in their time among the world 's best players , Milla knew Ghana had the qualities to match some of the world 's best . Youth success at the FIFA under-17 championship in 1991 and 1995 , two appearances in the final of the under-20 championship in 1993 and 2001 and an Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992 emphasized Ghana 's abundance of talent and unfulfilled promise at the highest level . At Germany 2006 , Ghana became the only African survivor after the preliminary round , surprising the bookmakers with victories over the Czech Republic and the U.S. before losing 3-0 to Brazil in a match that was closer than the scoreline suggested . Ghana 's squad for next year 's World Cup in South Africa will likely include the cream of the team that impressed in Germany , including Essien and Muntari , as well as some of the brilliant youngsters who sparkled this month World Youth Championship in Egypt ; notably Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner Dominic Adiyiah , Ransford Osei and Andre Ayew , the son of Abedi Pele . Following the side 's masterful display in Egypt and relatively easy World Cup qualifying campaign , the Black Stars will carry both Ghanaian and African expectations on their shoulders as they bid to improve on the quarterfinal places achieved by Cameroon and Senegal in 1990 and 2002 respectively . With a population of around 140 million and a reputation for producing stars such as Austin Okocha , Nwankwo Kanu and Chelsea 's John Obi Mikel , the outstanding qualities of Nigerian football are beyond question . But African football observers believe poor administration by the Nigerian Football Federation and the resultant instability in the technical direction of the team has undermined the development of Nigerian football and resulted in its dwindling fortunes at the world stage . Nigeria emerged as West Africa 's leading side in 1980 by wining the African Cup of Nations , a feat they repeated 14 years later in Tunisia . The Super Eagles made their World Cup debut in the U.S. in 1994 and qualified for both France 1998 and Japan\/South Korea 2002 . Like Ghana , Nigeria has shown promise at youth level , winning U-17 World Cup titles in 1985 , 1993 and 2007 , and winning Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games . As host of this year 's FIFA Under-17 championship , Nigeria will be hoping to draw inspiration from Ghana 's performance in Egypt to retain the title on home soil next month . At continental level , the once powerful Super Eagles are anything but super . Since reaching the final of the 2000 African Nations Cup , Nigeria has failed make any meaningful impact despite parading highly-talented squads . For three successive tournaments Nigeria finished in third place before crashing out at the quarterfinal stage of the 2008 edition in a 2-1 defeat by Ghana . Kwesi Nyantakyi , the 39-year-old president of the Ghana Football Association -LRB- GFA -RRB- , believes the country is reaping the dividends of a professional approach through the implementation of a five-year business plan , which has attracted massive injection of cash through corporate sponsorship from kit sponsor Puma and mining , banking , brewery and telecommunication firms . `` When we took over in 2005 we realized that one of the biggest problems we faced was the availability of timelines of funds needed to prepare the teams adequately , provide the necessary incentives for the players and numeration for the technical staff , '' Nyantakyi says . `` The availability of funding timely and an autonomy for the federation has helped us execute our plans effectively and this is showing in our recent impressive performances . '' Beyond monetary considerations and administrative stability , Ghana is also reaping the rewards of years of investment in youth football which has produced players like Essien and Muntari -- and now new kid on the block Adiyiah and others . For now , the country seem to have regained bragging rights as the superpower in West Africa .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan is optimistic about the Obama administration 's commitment to its region and will work with the United States on trying to root out extremism within its borders , Pakistan 's foreign minister said . Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi meets U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . Following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi cited a `` convergence of interests '' between Washington and Islamabad and a `` willingness to work together . '' `` I see a lot of hope in the new administration , the new leadership , and Pakistan is willing to work with the American administration to fight extremism and terrorism , '' he said Tuesday . `` We are determined to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations . '' Qureshi is in Washington to take part in strategic review of U.S. policy to stabilize Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan . The effort is being led by South Asian security expert Bruce Reidel and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke , U.S. special envoy . Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin D. Spanta also was leading a delegation from his country to take part in the review . He and Qureshi will meet with both Clinton and Holbrooke this week . U.S. President Barack Obama and Clinton tapped Holbrooke as special representative for the two countries , a signal of how the new administration considers Afghanistan and Pakistan intertwined in any solution to the war in Afghanistan and the terrorist threat along their shared border . `` We are consulting very closely with the government of Pakistan on our strategic review of our way forward and I 'm very grateful for the minister 's advice and counsel , '' Clinton said after meeting with Qureshi . Last week Obama announced he is sending another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan to fight a strengthening insurgency , which Obama has called the `` central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism . '' The troops will be sent to southern Afghanistan , which borders Pakistan and is a haven for Taliban insurgents . Pakistani officials have expressed concern the deployment will push the Taliban across the border into Pakistan and further destabilize their country . The Obama administration is conducting several reviews of U.S. policy in Afghanistan , including a review by Gen. David Petraeus , the commander in the region . Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the original mission in Afghanistan was `` too broad '' and needs to be more `` realistic and focused '' for the United States to succeed . Pakistan is engaged in its own effort against Taliban militants in its Northwest Frontier Provence . The militants , who effectively control the country 's Swat Valley , extended a cease-fire Tuesday as part of an agreement with the government , a deal the U.S. and NATO warn risks granting a safe haven to extremists near the Afghan border . Watch why the deal is being viewed as a capitulation '' Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan 's biggest tourist destinations . It is situated near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- from Pakistan 's capital , Islamabad . In recent months , militants have unleashed a wave of violence that has claimed hundreds of lives across the province . The militants want to require veils for women and beards for men and to ban music and television . The fighting has displaced nearly half of Swat 's population , officials said . The central government has long exerted little control in the area , but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants . As retaliation for the military presence , the Taliban carried out a series of deadly bombings , beheadings and kidnappings -- and said the attacks will continue until the troops pull out . The Taliban said Tuesday it was indefinitely extending a cease-fire Taliban leaders declared eight days ago after signing a controversial deal with the government to impose Islamic law , or Sharia , in the region . The Pakistani government 's decision now to negotiate with Pakistan has been met with international criticism . Holbrooke has said the Obama administration was `` troubled and confused '' by the truce in Swat . Holbrooke and NATO officials have expressed concerns that such an accord could cede effective control of the Swat Valley to extremists .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An international footballer who played for the United Arab Emirates , and who became an internet sensation after scoring a backheeled penalty , has died following a car accident near the country 's capital , Abu Dhabi . Theyab Awana , a 21-year-old winger for local club Bani Yas , was one of the country 's brightest prospects after winning the 2008 AFC Under 18 Cup and was instrumental in the UAE reaching the quarterfinals of the 2009 FIFA Under 20 World Cup . `` Theyab Awana has passed away on Sunday night after a horrible traffic accident on Sheikh Zayed Road in Abu Dhabi , '' the UAE Football Association confirmed in a statement on Monday . `` God blesses his soul and wholehearted condolences to his family , friends and fans . '' Last year he won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games after the UAE reached the final and had been picked for both senior and Olympic national teams . But it was his actions during a friendly against Lebanon in July that brought him international recognition . With the UAE leading 5-2 , Awana stepped up to take a penalty . Instead of conventionally striking the ball he twisted around and backheeled the ball into the corner of the net . He was immediately substituted by then coach Srecko Katanec , who was angry at what he saw was a lack of respect for the opposition . Yet the fans did n't agree . Instead the YouTube clip of his penalty went viral . More than 1.2 million people have since viewed it . `` On behalf of AFC and the Asian football family , I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the UAE football community , family and friends of Awana , '' the Asian Football Confederation 's acting president Zhang Jilong said in a statement . Awana 's death comes soon after another young Emirati player Saeed al Nooby , who played for second division side Al Dhafra , also died in a car accident . `` We had just returned last night with the club officials and players after visiting the family of Saeed al Nooby and paying our condolences , '' Bani Yas ' Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira told the Dubai-based newspaper the Gulf News . `` An hour later I got a call from the club 's manager informing me of the accident and I rushed to the hospital but Awana had died . `` It will take some time for the club and his teammates to get over Awana 's death . We have lost a man , a player and a boy and it will be hard to replace him . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five Italian tourists visiting New York from Bologna are among the nine victims believed killed Saturday in a midair collision of a sightseeing helicopter and a single-engine plane over the Hudson River , a law enforcement source said . First responders gather on a pier after a plane and helicopter collided Saturday over the Hudson River . The tourists , who apparently died with the chopper 's pilot , were part of a group of 12 visiting the United States , the source said . The helicopter was operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours . The bodies of two adults and one child were recovered after the collision , which occurred around noon over the Hudson between New York and Hoboken , New Jersey , authorities said . The child is believed to be one of the three people on the plane , a single-engine Piper PA-32 Saratoga that took off from New Jersey 's Teterboro Airport , authorities said . A source involved in the investigation identified the pilot and owner of the plane as Steven Altman , whose brother Daniel and nephew Douglas also were among the victims . The two adult bodies , discovered underwater , are believed to be two of the Italian tourists aboard the helicopter , the law enforcement source said . The Italian Foreign Ministry said consulate officials were working with New York authorities to identify the victims . Helicopter wreckage was found in about 30 feet of water , while the plane is believed to be near the midchannel point of the Hudson in deeper water , the source said . A side-scanning sonar is being used to pinpoint the plane and has identified a possible third debris field , the source said . The search is scheduled to resume Sunday morning , Debbie Hersman , chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board said at a riverside news conference late Saturday . Underwater visibility of about two feet hampered Saturday 's search effort , she said . All nine people in both aircrafts are thought to have been killed in the collision , New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said . See where the collision occurred '' `` There was an accident which we do not believe was survivable , '' said Bloomberg , noting that the search for survivors had become a recovery mission . A temporary flight restriction over the rescue area -- about three nautical miles around and 2,000 feet up -- was put in place , a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said . A witness told investigators he saw the airplane approach the helicopter from behind , Hersman said . The witness said the plane 's right wing made contact with the helicopter , an American Eurocopter AS350 operated by Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours , Hersman said . View images from the scene '' Another Liberty pilot who was refueling at a nearby heliport told NTSB investigators that he saw the plane approach the helicopter and tried to warn the helicopter pilot , but got no response , Hersman said . `` This is a VFR corridor -- that means Visual Flight Rules prevail , '' Hersman told reporters late Saturday . `` You are supposed to be alert and see and avoid other aircraft in the vicinity . '' iReport.com : Police search for debris Witnesses reported seeing debris flying from the helicopter as it crashed . The helicopter wreckage has been found , but the search for the plane , single-engine Piper Saratoga PA-32 , will continue Sunday morning , Hersman said at a riverside news conference . Witness Arnold Stevens said after the plane had a wing sheared off , it began `` corkscrewing '' into the water . The helicopter `` dropped like a rock '' after the collision , which happened about noon . See a series of photos from the scene '' Radar contact was lost with a small plane this morning believed to be the aircraft in the crash , FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said . Ben Berman , a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board , said if the helicopter fell straight down , it 's likely there was a rotor failure . Scott Schuman was with his grandparents on the Hoboken side of the river when they heard a loud bang . `` The plane was kind of whirlybirding its way down , brown smoke coming out the back of it , and it crashed into the water . Then a few seconds later the helicopter with debris falling off of it also hit as well , '' Schuman said . `` It was a scary sight , '' he added . iReport.com : Were you there ? Send images He said some of the debris fell in Hoboken , and `` we covered our heads . '' Asked if he had seen anyone in the water , Schuman replied , `` I have not seen anything , but judging by the impact when the plane and the helicopter hit , it would be very unlikely for a positive outcome . '' Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer called on witnesses who filmed or photographed the incident to come forward . `` It would be extremely helpful to have that footage , '' she said . The busy airspace surrounding New York 's Manhattan island has been the site of several aeronautical mishaps in recent history . Earlier this year , a US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into the Hudson , apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York 's LaGuardia Airport , officials said . Capt. Chesley B. `` Sully '' Sullenberger 's landing , which resulted in no deaths or serious injuries , was captured on closed circuit television . In 2006 , Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed when the 34-year-old ballplayer 's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building near the East River , city officials said . CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- In what feels like a box-office weekend from `` The Twilight Zone , '' a low-budget and critically acclaimed movie with no stars and an unknown director managed to top the charts . `` District 9 , '' the alien action pic produced by Peter Jackson , crushed the competition grossing $ 37 million . `` District 9 , '' the alien action pic produced by Peter Jackson and directed by the 29-year-old Neill Blomkamp ? who shot the film in Johannesburg , South Africa , of all places -- crushed the competition by grossing $ 37 million , according to early estimates . Audiences clearly enjoyed what they saw too : `` District 9 '' has already soared to No. 78 on IMDb 's top 250 movies list , although it 'll obviously drop some as the initial euphoria wears off . Second place went to `` G.I. Joe : The Rise of Cobra , '' which dropped 59 percent in its second weekend but still managed to recruit $ 22.5 million . The $ 175 million action movie should pass $ 100 million domestically by Monday . `` The Time Traveler 's Wife '' materialized into third place with $ 19.2 million in its debut weekend , proving that there is a market for watching Eric Bana disappear . Rounding out the top 5 were `` Julie & Julia '' -LRB- No. 4 with $ 12.4 million -RRB- and `` G-Force '' -LRB- No. 5 with $ 6.9 million -RRB- , respectively . Also opening wide was a trio of movies that failed to make a significant dent on the box office . `` The Goods : Live Hard , Sell Hard , '' a cars-salesmen comedy starring Jeremy Piven , barely registered on the mercury thermometer by earning $ 5.4 million . `` Ponyo , '' the 10th film by Japan 's animation auteur Hayao Miyazaki , grossed $ 3.5 million on 927 screens . While that amount represents Miyazaki 's best opening weekend in America , it 's still fish feed compared to `` Ponyo 's '' worldwide gross of $ 187 million . The music comedy `` Bandslam '' wo n't be getting any requests for encores after making only $ 2.3 million from more than 2,000 screens ? even the promise of seeing the `` Taylor Lautner takes off his shirt '' trailer of The `` Twilight '' Saga : New Moon could n't save the Vanessa Hudgens movie . In limited release , the Jimmy Page\/The Edge\/Jack White music documentary `` It Might Get Loud '' opened promisingly , grossing $ 101,000 from just seven theaters . And `` 500 Days of Summer '' continues to cement its title as `` the indie breakout of the summer '' by charming $ 3 million more from moviegoers , bringing its total to $ 18 million so far . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hollywood star Will Smith led a crowd of 46,664 in a chorus of `` Happy Birthday '' to Nelson Mandela on Friday at a party for the South African prisoner , president and Nobel Peace Prize winner . Nelson Mandela had a smile and a message . Smith introduced Mandela to the London crowd celebrating Mandela 's life with the words `` The one , the only , the birthday boy , Nelson Mandela , Nelson Mandelaaaaaaaaaa . '' London was the scene of a concert 20 years ago to celebrate Mandela 's 70th and to raise awareness of his imprisonment . Mandela told cheering fans , `` Your voices carried across the water to inspire us in our prison cells far away . Tonight , we can stand before you free . `` We are honored to be back in London for this wonderful occasion . `` But even as we celebrate , let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete . `` Where there is poverty and sickness , including AIDS , where human beings are being oppressed , there is more work to be done . Our work is for freedom for all . '' Watch Mandela at the party '' As Mandela walked on stage , Smith led the crowd in a chorus of `` Happy Birthday . '' Proceeds from the concert in London 's Hyde Park will go toward the 46664 Campaign , which Mandela founded in 2003 to raise awareness about the impact of AIDS , especially in Africa , and to promote HIV-prevention measures around the world . The name of the charity represents Mandela 's prison number when he was incarcerated at Robben Island . Organizers put 46,664 tickets up for sale . The finale of the concert was scheduled as Queen , Amy Winehouse and Jerry Dammers performing `` Free Nelson Mandela , '' a 1980s hit from the Specials that quickly became an anti-apartheid anthem , but pretty much every act joined them on stage . Dammers was also one of the driving forces behind the London concert in 1988 to awareness of Mandela 's long imprisonment by the South African authorities . The former South African president turns 90 on July 18 . Watch the crowd celebrate '' Speculation surrounded whether Winehouse would perform after being hospitalized with lung problems last week . More than a dozen African artists , including Johnny Clegg and the Soweto Gospel Choir , performed . Smith , music legend Quincy Jones and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton were among the stars introducing acts . Other guests at the concert included British Prime Minister Gordon Brown , former U.S. President Clinton , talk show host Oprah Winfrey and actor Robert De Niro . Mandela served as his country 's first democratically elected president from 1994 to 1999 . In recent years , he has campaigned on behalf of HIV and AIDS awareness and has long called the battle against AIDS a basic human right . In 1964 , a court sentenced Mandela to life in prison for plotting to overthrow the government by violence . He spent the first 18 years at Robben Island Prison , off Cape Town , South Africa , and later spent time at Pollsmoor prison and Victor Verster Prison , closer to the mainland . While in prison , Mandela became recognized as the most significant black leader in South Africa , and he became a potent symbol of resistance in the anti-apartheid movement . Mandela consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom . South African President F.W. de Klerk released Mandela in February 1990 after 27 years in prison . Mandela was elected president of the African National Congress the following year , and in 1994 , he was elected president of his country .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Precious , '' a movie about a 1980s-era Harlem teen who strives to overcome abuse , neglect and illiteracy , pulled five Independent Spirit Award nominations Tuesday morning . Stars Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique were both recognized for their portrayals of a mother and daughter in a dysfunctional relationship , with a best female lead nomination for newcomer Sidibe and a best supporting female nomination for Mo'Nique . The film 's success is not entirely a surprise , considering that the Oprah Winfrey - and Tyler Perry-backed Sundance darling has earned $ 27 million at the domestic box office and was received well by audiences during its slow rollout in cities across the nation in November . Sidibe 's work in `` Precious '' has been one of the breakout roles of the year , and the young actress is rumored to be the star of a new series , `` The C Word . '' However , it has n't been all smooth for `` Precious '' : The film earned zero nominations for the Gotham Independent Film Awards , which were given out Monday night . The Gotham awards are a New York-based indie film honor . `` The Hurt Locker , '' by contrast , took home two Gotham awards Monday night , one for best picture and the other for best ensemble . There were no Independent Spirit Award nominations for this Iraq war drama , however , as it was nominated last year . For the Spirits , `` Precious '' is facing off against the Zooey Deschanel-driven '' -LRB- 500 -RRB- Days of Summer , '' `` Amreeka , '' `` The Last Station '' and `` Sin Nombre '' for best picture . `` Summer '' also snagged a nomination for best male lead , a nod for Joseph Gordon-Levitt . On top of the best picture nomination , `` The Last Station '' -- a biographical piece about Leo Tolstoy featuring James McAvoy , Helen Mirren and Paul Giamatti -- is up for best director , best screenplay , best female lead and best supporting male lead . Christian McKay , another relatively unknown actor in the United States , has gotten lots of love from critics for his portrayal of Orson Welles in Richard Linklater 's `` Me and Orson Welles , '' and the Spirit Awards noticed , giving the British actor a nomination for best supporting male performer . In order to be considered , all films had to be 70 minutes long with a budget under $ 20 million , and had to have screened at one of the major film festivals , such as Sundance or Toronto . The awards ceremony is typically held the Saturday before the Academy Awards , but since the Spirit Awards are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2010 , they 're moving out from under Oscar 's shadow and will air live on the Independent Film Channel on March 5 .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The former Halliburton subsidiary KBR has been charged with bribing Nigerian government officials with `` tens of millions of dollars '' to obtain `` billions of dollars in contracts , '' according to court documents filed late Friday in Houston , Texas . KBR was spun off from its former parent corporation Halliburton in 2007 . Justice Department lawyers filed an `` information , '' which is generally associated with an expected plea agreement . The Justice Department had no comment on the filing , but officials familiar with the case said they expected KBR representatives to appear Wednesday in federal court in Houston . The 22-page court document outlines a complex joint venture involving KBR and the Nigeria government-owned National Petroleum Corporation charged with developing the country 's oil and gas industry . The contracts involved the design and construction of a natural gas plant . The government documents say the joint venture included payments to international consultants to bribe Nigerian officials . The alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act come after the conviction of Albert Stanley , KBR 's former chief executive officer , who pleaded guilty to bribery last fall . `` We are not providing comment at this time , '' said company spokeswoman Heather Browne in an e-mail . She referred CNN to a filing in October that cited a consortium that included KBR called TSKJ . It said , `` information has been uncovered suggesting that , commencing at least 10 years ago , members of TSKJ planned payments to Nigerian officials . We have reason to believe , based on the ongoing investigations , that payments may have been made by agents of TSKJ to Nigerian officials . `` The government has recently confirmed that it has evidence of such payments . The government has also recently advised Halliburton and KBR that it has evidence of payments to Nigerian officials by another agent in connection with a separate KBR-managed offshore project in Nigeria and possibly evidence of payments in connection with other projects in Nigeria . '' The company said that in June 2004 it terminated its relationship with Stanley , and noted his guilty plea . `` By the plea , Mr. Stanley admitted that he participated in a scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials and that payments were made by agents of TSKJ to Nigerian officials in connection with the construction and expansion by TSKJ of the complex at Bonny Island , '' it said . KBR , which was spun off from its former parent corporation Halliburton in 2007 , has been under fire for its business practices in providing logistical support to the U.S. war effort in Iraq . The Nigerian charges are separate from KBR 's contracts in Iraq and Kuwait . CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The jury that convicted O.J. Simpson of robbery and other charges relied mostly on audio and video evidence -- and very little on testimony from prosecution witnesses -- jury members said Sunday . O.J. Simpson , convicted of robbery and kidnapping last week , could be sentenced to life in prison on December 5 . `` We honestly felt we could not rely on that witness testimony , '' said Michelle R. Lyons , one of seven jurors who spoke to reporters in Las Vegas , Nevada , on Sunday . `` There was not one decision we made that was based only on witness testimony . '' Jury foreman Paul Connelly said some of the prosecution 's witnesses did n't seem trustworthy . At least three former Simpson co-defendants who cut deals to testify in the case had criminal records . Asked whether the jury trusted the witnesses , Connelly answered : `` Not entirely , no . '' Watch jurors explain their verdict '' Prosecutors produced an audiotape of the confrontation in which authorities said Simpson and five men burst into a Las Vegas , Nevada , hotel on September 13 , 2007 . The men allegedly made off with pillowcases containing Simpson sports memorabilia . Several jurors said audiotapes of the incident and conversations between Simpson and others that were recorded surreptitiously before , during and after the heist made the prosecution 's case . `` It would have been a weak case '' without the tapes , juror Dora Pettit said . The jury of nine women and three men found Simpson and co-defendant Clarence `` C.J. '' Stewart guilty Friday of 12 charges , including conspiracy to commit a crime , robbery , assault and kidnapping with a deadly weapon . Simpson , 61 , could get life in prison . Sentencing is scheduled for December 5 in Las Vegas . Prosecutors alleged that Simpson , a former football star , led a group of men who used threats , guns and force to take the memorabilia and other items from memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley . Four men who had been charged with Simpson cut deals with the prosecution and testified against him . One testified that Simpson instructed him to bring a gun to the hotel encounter . `` Everything was based on the recordings , '' juror Dora Pettit said of the panel 's decisions . Simpson , who did not testify during the trial , told police he did n't know the people with him were armed . He also claimed the items had been stolen from him , and the hotel encounter was just about him retrieving his items . Simpson 's lawyer has indicated he plans to appeal the conviction , partly because some of the jurors had indicated during jury selection that they disagreed with a 1995 verdict in which he was acquitted of killing his ex-wife , Nicole Brown Simpson , and her friend Ronald Goldman . Watch Fred Goldman hail the verdict '' Teresa Owens , one of the jurors in the Simpson robbery case , said any suggestion that the jury found Simpson guilty because of the verdict 13 years ago is `` terrible . '' `` There 's reports right now that we 've had some kind of vendetta against Mr. Simpson for ... 13 years ago , '' she said . `` That in no way had anything to do with this case whatsoever . '' Connelly said the murder trial `` never came up . '' `` I do n't think it was on anybody 's minds . For that , I can say I 'm proud of the jury , '' he said . Before the robbery and kidnapping trial , the jurors promised they could disregard Simpson 's past and solely consider the evidence against him and Stewart , 54 . Owens also said it would be `` preposterous '' for anyone suggest that the makeup of the jury -- 11 jurors were white , and one said she was Hispanic , while Simpson is black -- hurt the defense 's chances . `` They chose us . Five hundred people ... filled out these questionnaires , '' Owens said . `` They had the -LSB- opportunity -RSB- to pass us . '' Pettit said the jury has been painted by some `` as an all-white jury that hates O.J. '' `` That 's just not true , '' she said . `` It could n't be further from the truth . '' Asked whether they felt the crime was bad enough to warrant life sentences , Connelly said that was up for the court to decide . Pettit said that `` if he walked out tomorrow , I 'd be fine with that . '' However , she said Simpson had to be found guilty and that his argument about just wanting to recover his own things did n't work . `` Under Nevada law ... even if you 're recovering your own stuff , you ca n't do it in the manner that they all went in and did it , '' Pettit said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The future of Iceland 's elected government was in question Sunday after another weekend of street protests and the resignation of the government 's commerce minister -- both responses to the country 's financial mess . Iceland 's Prime Minister Geir Haarde , left , talks with business minister Bjorgvin Sigurdsson in October . The minister , Bjorgvin Sigurdsson , resigned Sunday , saying the government had failed to restore confidence in the three months after the collapse of several of the country 's leading banks , currency and stock market . Senior government officials from the two parties that make up Iceland 's coalition government -- the prime minister 's Independence Party and the Social Democrats party -- met Sunday to discuss the government 's future but nothing was resolved , a spokesman for the prime minister said . Another meeting was scheduled for Sunday night and it was `` highly likely '' that the parties would decide whether the current government would remain , the spokesman , Kristjan Kristjansson , said . Sigurdsson 's resignation followed Saturday 's demonstration in which about 6,000 to 7,000 people in front of the parliament building called for the government of Prime Minister Geir Haarde to step down . Protests have been staged regularly since the collapse , but Saturday 's was one of the biggest to date , a spokesman for the prime minister said . Saturday 's demonstration was peaceful , the spokesman , Kristjansson , said . Watch iReport of Saturday demonstration Riot police intervened during protests earlier in the week , using pepper spray and arresting some demonstrators . In his resignation letter to the prime minister , Sigurdsson said he was taking his part of the responsibility for the economic situation in the country . But he also said that there were many more who shared responsibility , Urdur Gunnarsdottir , spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , told CNN . No other officials were named . The night before he resigned , Sigurdsson dismissed the head of the country 's financial supervisory authority and requested the authority 's board resign . Haarde announced Friday he has a malignant tumor on his esophagus and would not run for re-election as chair of the Independence Party . He also proposed that early elections be held on May 9 , two years ahead of schedule . The country 's five-party parliament has not yet taken up the proposal , Kristjansson told CNN . Iceland 's financial system and currency collapsed in October following a series of bank failures , forcing the International Monetary Fund to intervene . Iceland sought IMF help after its government was forced to nationalize three banks to head off a complete collapse of its financial system . Trading on the country 's stock market was suspended for nearly a week , and inflation jumped to more than 12 percent . The IMF announced in November it would pump about $ 827 million into the Icelandic economy immediately , with another $ 1.3 billion coming in eight installments . Iceland 's Nordic neighbors -- the governments of Finland , Norway , Denmark and Sweden -- announced they would lend Iceland another $ 2.5 billion . In his resignation letter , Sigurdsson said after the country 's financial crash , he hoped the government would re-create trust and restore the country 's finances . But he said the effort failed , and he was resigning to help facilitate a restoration of public trust . Sigurdsson is legally entitled to keep receiving his salary for several months after his resignation , but said in his letter he would not accept it . CNN 's Per Nyberg in London contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The World Health Organization raised the swine flu alert Thursday to its highest level , saying the H1N1 virus has spread to enough countries to be considered a global pandemic . Kindergarten students , some wearing masks , attend school in a residential estate in Hong Kong on Thursday . Increasing the alert to Phase 6 does not mean that the disease is deadlier or more dangerous than before , just that it has spread to more countries , the WHO said . `` This is an important and challenging day for all of us , '' WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in a briefing with reporters . `` We are moving into the early days of the first flu pandemic of the 21st century . '' The last previous pandemic occurred in 1968 . As of Thursday , the virus had spread to 74 countries , the health agency said . There were 28,774 confirmed cases and 144 deaths . The United States had 13,217 cases and 27 deaths , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said June 5 in its weekly update . Cases have been reported in all 50 states , the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico . See where H1N1 flu cases are in the U.S. '' The U.S. death toll is expected be higher when the CDC releases its latest figures Friday , said Anne Schuchat , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases . New England -- particularly Massachusetts -- and the New York and New Jersey areas have been hit the hardest , Schuchat said Thursday at a CDC news conference . The Phase 6 pandemic designation had been widely expected for weeks . `` Further spread is considered inevitable , '' Chan said at a news conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva , Switzerland . `` The scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met . '' The announcement came after a meeting of the WHO 's Emergency Committee , which has debated since April whether the spread of a novel H1N1 flu virus was fast and widespread enough to warrant a Phase 6 designation . Phase 6 , Chan said , is meant as a signal to countries to recalibrate their strategies to minimize the harm from swine flu . In countries where the virus and the response to it are already widespread , it is not likely to mean significant changes , but Chan urged countries that have not seen cases , or seen only limited cases , to get ready . `` The virus is not stoppable , '' she said . `` I would advise them to maintain vigilance , enhance surveillance and be prepared for the arrival of the novel H1N1 in their country . '' The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security said those agencies have been acting for weeks as if Phase 6 were already in effect and no additional measures would be put into effect . The United States declared a public health emergency April 26 . `` WHO continues to recommend no restriction on travel and on border closures , '' Chan said . Discussions about shifting to Phase 6 have been under way for weeks . Chan indicated that a major factor in the decision was surveillance from countries in the Southern Hemisphere , where flu season is under way . In Chile and Australia , two countries with many flu cases , she said H1N1 appears to be the dominant strain , `` crowding out '' the seasonal influenza virus . Chan said she would recommend that vaccine manufacturers proceed with mass production of an inoculation against the new swine flu strain as soon as they finish production of seasonal vaccine , which she estimated would be complete in about two weeks . HHS spokesman Bill Hall said Thursday that no decision has been made on full-scale production because there is no need yet to make that decision . It is a step-by-step process that is moving forward . `` We 're doing as much as we can now , '' he said . The agency awarded a contract several weeks ago to five manufacturers to develop an H1N1 antigen . The companies are producing pilot lots . Clinical testing will take place over the summer , Hall said . At the end of the summer , HHS will decide whether to go into production . `` There 's no specific date on the calendar , '' Hall said . If officials decide to produce a vaccine , the first doses would be ready early in the fall . Hall noted that even full-scale production does n't mean there will be an immunization campaign . Federal officials may have a vaccine and decide not to use it , he said . Also Thursday , authorities in Hong Kong ordered the closure of all elementary schools , kindergartens and day care centers in the city after 12 students were found to be infected with the virus . Authorities have not determined the source of the infection , said Hong Kong 's Chief Executive Donald Tsang . This makes it the first cluster of swine flu cases in the city without a link to someone who had traveled overseas . The schools and day care centers were told to close for 14 days as investigators tried to identify the source of the infection , said Tsang , the chief executive . The health department will decide after two weeks whether to continue the shutdown . Also on Thursday , Israel 's health ministry announced that the number of people diagnosed with swine flu there was 68 . Health officials use the virus ' clinical name -- H1N1 -- to reflect that it 's actually a combination of several different types of flu and to reduce confusion about whether eating pork can spread the virus . It can not . CNN 's David S. Martin , Roya Shadravan in Hong Kong , and Michal Zippori in Jerusalem contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The case against a Marine accused of murder in a 2005 incident involving the killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha `` is simply not strong enough to prove against a reasonable doubt , '' the investigating officer said Thursday . The investigating officer has recommended that Sgt. Frank Wuterich not be tried for murder . Lt. Col. Paul Ware recommended that Sgt. Frank Wuterich face trial for lesser charges of negligent homicide . The case involved allegations that Marines killed up to two dozen Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha , Iraq , in November 2005 . Ware said the evidence indicated Wuterich `` failed to exercise due care in his own actions in supervising his Marines . '' `` When a Marine fails to exercise due care in a combat environment resulting in the death of innocents , the charge of negligent homicide , not murder , is the appropriate offense , '' he said in a statement . The recommendation goes to Lt. Gen. James Mattis , the commanding general overseeing the case , who will make the final decision . If the recommendation is accepted , it could mean that no one in the Haditha case will be tried for murder . Four enlisted Marines were initially accused in the case , and charges against two have been dropped . Murder charges remain against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum , although Ware has recommended dropping all charges against him . Ware said the evidence is too weak for a court martial . Four officers were later accused of failing to investigate and report the deaths properly . Charges against two of them have been dropped . Haditha , along the Euphrates River , was the target of previous Marine campaigns aimed at rooting out insurgents . Wuterich was leading a patrol through the city on November 19 , 2005 , when the unit was hit by a roadside bomb that killed one of its members . Twenty-four civilians were killed in what a human rights group and military prosecutors said was a house-to-house rampage by Marines after the bomb exploded . The military began investigating the killings in March 2006 , and charges were brought the following December . A statement from the Marine Corps originally blamed the civilian deaths on the roadside bomb , triggering a parallel investigation into how commanders handled the incident . Arrest made in terrorist financing case Earlier Thursday , the U.S. military announced the arrest of a man who smuggled $ 100 million into Iraq during the past few months to finance terrorist operations . The unidentified man , arrested Tuesday near Baghdad , allegedly employs 40 to 50 extremists at $ 3,000 per job for al Qaeda in Iraq bomb attacks against coalition forces , using money from supporters outside Iraq , the military said . `` The extremist financier is suspected of traveling to foreign countries to acquire financial support for terrorist activities and is suspected of supplying more than $ 50,000 to al Qaeda each month , '' the military said . The suspect , captured during a coalition raid in Kindi , operates a network of financing cells across Iraq , the military said . `` He is believed to have received $ 100 million this summer from terrorist supporters who cross the Iraq border illegally or fly into Iraq from Italy , Syria and Egypt , '' the military said . The $ 100 million figure is based on intelligence report estimates over several months , a spokesman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq said . The man is also accused of purchasing some of the explosives and weapons used in the 2006 attack on Samarra 's al-Askariya mosque , also known as the Golden Mosque , and a second attack on it in 2007 . The attacks heightened sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims . During a separate operation in Radwaniya on Tuesday , Iraqi forces detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq platoon leader who commands 15 men in attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces with roadside bombs and direct assaults , the military said . Meanwhile , an Iraqi Ministry of Information spokesman said Thursday that Iraq has entered into a `` substantial '' deal with China to purchase weapons and light military equipment for its police forces , because the Asian nation promised the fastest delivery . Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf told CNN he was unable to confirm that his country was spending $ 100 million for the items , a number reported in Thursday 's editions of The Washington Post , which quoted Iraqi President Jalal Talabani . Khalaf said there have been delivery delays from other countries , including the United States , and adequately arming police forces is a priority in Iraq 's goal to provide its own security . In the United States , there are several layers of review before military equipment sales are approved . Khalaf said the deal was made last June during a visit to China by Talabani and Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani , whose department is in charge of policing and border control . Other developments : CNN 's Jamie McIntyre , Saad Abedine and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former South Korean President and Nobel Laureate Kim Dae-jung , who struggled for democracy for decades and prodded communist North Korea toward rapprochement , died of heart failure on Tuesday , hospital officials said . As president of South Korea , Kim Dae-jung helped bridge differences with North Korea . He was either 83 or 85 , according to conflicting sources . The Nobel Prize Web site indicates he was born on December 3 , 1925 . The Kim presidential library lists his birth date as January 5 , 1924 . He served as president from 1998 to 2003 , and in 2000 , he won the Nobel Peace Prize for fostering better relations between North and South Korea . Kim was admitted to Seoul 's Severance Hospital more than a month ago for pneumonia . Before winning the presidency , Kim struggled for decades as an opposition leader . A former political prisoner , he endured a suspected assassination attempt , a kidnapping , repeated arrests , beatings , exile and a death sentence . Shortly after taking office , Kim vigorously met political leaders of Western countries in a bid to gain support for his `` Sunshine Policy '' to establish relations with the North . Kim 's policy of detente culminated when he met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in June 2000 , becoming the first South Korean leader to do so since the Korean War unofficially ended in 1953 . But Kim left a mixed legacy as president . Although he helped pull South Korea out of a financial downward spiral , many of his promised economic reforms failed to materialize . A series of corruption scandals , including the imprisonment of two sons on graft charges , also tainted his tenure . `` Broadly speaking , his place in history is going to be a positive one , '' said Brian Bridges , a political science professor at Hong Kong 's Lingnan University who specializes in politics and foreign policies of the two Koreas . `` While it is true that his presidency ended in a cloud of controversy ... he did have a very significant impact in two ways : He took over at a time when South Korea was on its knees and pulled it out from a tremendous economic downturn . And he helped in significantly changing public opinion and popular thinking of South Koreans toward North Korea . '' Kim was born to middle-class farmers on Ha Enido , a small island in South Cholla province , but the family moved to the nearby port of Mokpo so Kim could complete high school . He began dabbling in anti-establishment politics while working in the shipping industry . After his fifth try for political office , Kim was elected to the National Assembly in 1961 . One month later , Gen. Park Chung-hee seized control of the government in a military coup , launching Kim 's career as a key opposition figure . The tough , authoritarian Park proved the perfect foil for the fiery oratory of the charismatic Kim . The more Park persecuted Kim , the more Kim 's popularity grew . During the height of the Vietnam War in 1971 , Kim proclaimed his liberal views on the reunification of North and South Korea . The government branded him a communist , but in his first presidential race he won 46 percent of the vote against Park . Kim was headed to a rally in Seoul a month after the election when a truck turned directly into the path of his car , forcing him off the road . The truck hit another vehicle , killing two people . Kim was left with a permanent limp from the incident , which was widely considered an assassination attempt . Park tightened his hold in 1972 , scrapping the constitution and doing away with any pretense of democratic rule . Kim traveled to Japan for medical treatment and continued his anti-Park campaign . In August 1973 , South Korean agents kidnapped Kim from a Tokyo hotel and took him out to sea in a small boat , on which he spent several harrowing days . When then-U.S. Ambassador Philip Habib was informed of the abduction , he warned Park that he would face severe repercussions from the United States if Kim were killed . Kim was returned to his Seoul home , battered but alive , and spent the next nine years under house arrest , in jail or in exile . In 1979 Park was assassinated by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency . Another general , Chun Doo-hwan , imposed martial law as he moved to take over the presidency . Kim and other leading opposition figures were arrested as tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Kwangju , in South Cholla province . Troops used force to quell the demonstrations , killing at least 200 people , by some estimates . Kim was charged with sedition and nearly executed , but again the United States intervened . Under a deal with then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan 's administration , Kim boarded a plane to the United States in 1982 . When he returned to his homeland a few years later , however , the United States could not help him . As soon as he stepped off the plane in Seoul , Kim was knocked down by Korean security officers and dragged back into house arrest . Kim made two more failed bids for president -- in 1987 and 1992 -- before declaring that he was quitting politics . His retirement did not last long and he was elected president in 1997 , at the height of the Asian economic crisis . His inauguration marked the first peaceful transfer of power between rival parties in 50 years . At the time of his inauguration , Korea was plunging headlong into a financial crisis . He told CNN then that he felt as though he was handed an empty vault . Kim called on global investors to have faith in his country 's future -- and on his people to forge their own recovery . Thousands answered , trading in gold rings for cash as a symbol of their desire to revive their country . The watershed moment of Kim 's presidency came in June 2000 when he met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il , grasping hands and beaming . But rapprochement talks between the countries hit a wall after conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in early 2008 , with a tougher stance toward the North than Kim and his successor , Roh Moo-hyun . In an interview with CNN in 2006 , Kim looked back on his long political life , secure in the belief that -- despite setbacks -- his convictions were worth fighting for . `` After I was sentenced to death , people from the military regime came up to me and said , ` If you cooperate with us , we will let you live . If you do n't cooperate , you will die . ' `` I said , ` If I compromise with you , I 'll live temporarily , but I will die forever . If I do not cooperate with you , my body will be dead , but I will live in my people 's heart and history forever . I rather choose to live in history forever . ' '' CNN 's Sohn Jie-Ae and Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. State Department threw aside diplomatic language Tuesday , attacking Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for creating what it calls a `` catastrophe '' by throwing many international aid workers out of the country . President Omar al-Bashir ordered the expulsion of aid groups after he was indicted on war crimes charges . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a direct challenge to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Tuesday , warning that he and his government `` will be held responsible for every single death that occurs in '' the refugee camps of the Darfur region . Al-Bashir ordered the expulsion of 13 international aid groups from the Sudan earlier this month after he was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes . While other aid groups remain in Sudan , the United Nations said the 13 expelled groups provided roughly half the assistance delivered in Darfur . Nearly 300,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict , and millions are homeless , according to the U.N. Calling the situation in Darfur `` horrendous , '' Clinton said President Obama 's administration will appoint a special envoy for Sudan `` in the coming days . '' On Wednesday , retired Air Force Gen. J. Scott Gration was appointed as U.S. special envoy for Sudan , the White House announced in a written statement . `` Sudan is a priority for this administration , particularly at a time when it cries out for peace and for justice . The worsening humanitarian crisis there makes our task all the more urgent , '' President Barack Obama said in the statement . `` General Gration 's personal and professional background , and his service to the country as both a military leader and a humanitarian , give him the insights and experience necessary for this assignment . '' Gration , a former fighter pilot , served as assistant deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs . Fluent in Swahili , he was raised partly in Africa , where his parents were missionary teachers Clinton said the real question now is what kind of pressure can be brought to bear on al-Bashir and the government in Khartoum to make them understand `` that they will be held responsible for every single death that occurs in those camps . '' State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters , `` It 's just a catastrophe that Bashir has created . We 're going to continue to make this case and we 're imploring others to make this case that he needs to reverse that decision he took . Thousands , hundreds of thousands of people , could possibly be at risk and it 's irresponsible , the action he took , and he needs to reverse it and reverse it immediately . People 's lives are at risk . '' Clinton said countries that support al-Bashir 's expulsion order `` have the responsibility to persuade the government in Sudan to change its decision to let the aid workers back , or they must replace with money and personnel those who have been expelled so that innocent lives are not lost and further undermined . '' Clinton said the United States is `` very concerned '' and is looking for more effective ways to convince the Sudanese government that `` they have assumed an even greater sense of responsibility and infamy in the eyes of the world by turning their backs on these refugees whom they created in the first place . '' Wood said it is clear that Bashir is the sole person at fault . `` Bashir is to blame for this crisis on the ground , '' he said . His actions have only made things a lot worse . We are trying to get him to reverse this decision . We want to call on all those who have influence with the government of Sudan , institutions like the African Union , the Arab League , to do what they can to get Bashir to reverse his decision . '' Obama , during his election campaign , made the crisis in Darfur a major focus . Since then , some have criticized him for putting it on the back burner . Seeking to rebut that view , Wood listed all recent steps the administration has taken to resolve the situation . Last week , he said , Obama discussed the deteriorating situation in Sudan with U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon . U.S. officials have been meeting in New York , Washington and Khartoum with delegations from what Wood called `` like-minded nations . '' Last weekend , the U.S. charge d'affaires in Sudan met with UNAMID -LRB- the African Union\/United Nations operation in Darfur -RRB- and visited a camp for internally displaced people . And last week in New York , U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice spoke with the president of South Sudan and the Sudanese ambassador to the U.N. Wood said the U.S. has been reaching out to the Arab League , the African Union and other countries with influence on Sudan , trying to convince them the decision to expel some aid groups `` not only costs lives but serves to further isolate the country . '' Asked whether the U.S. supports a move to defer the ICC indictment of Bashir , Wood said it does not support `` any deferral . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran should release seven Baha'i prisoners accused of espionage because it does not have any evidence against them , their lawyer Shirin Ebadi told CNN on Saturday . Attorneys Abdolfattah Soltani , left , and Shirin Ebadi , shown in Tehran in 2004 . `` In the files , in the case basically , there is nothing , no reason that basically convicts them , '' said Ebadi , a Nobel Peace Prize laureate . The trial will begin Tuesday despite the fact that one of their lawyers is behind bars and Ebadi is outside the country . Other attorneys can be appointed , Hassan Haddad of the Prosecutor 's Office in Tehran told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency . But the court must recognize the replacements , who are colleagues of Ebadi at her Tehran-based Defenders of Human Rights Center , not appoint other lawyers , Ebadi said . The imprisoned lawyer , Abdolfattah Soltani , is a well-known advocate with the human rights center . He was arrested in the aftermath of Iran 's disputed June 12 presidential election and is being held at Evin prison , the same place where his clients are detained , according to the International Campaign for Human Rights . He is being held on charges of taking `` measures against national security , '' Ebadi said . `` Mr. Soltani is completely innocent . '' Soltani had an opportunity to leave prison , but under conditions he chose not to accept , Ebadi said . Along with not giving any interviews after his release , Soltani would also have to end his work with the human rights center and no longer support Ebadi , she said . In another attack on the law firm , a lawyer was arrested after agents entered the center with guns , searched each room and then declared that they found opium on the premises , Ebadi said . That lawyer , whose family had been harassed by police , accused the agents of planting the opium , she said . Ebadi was on a speaking tour when Soltani was arrested and has not returned to Iran . The firm founded by Ebadi took up the case of the seven Baha'is last year . They are accused of spying for Israel , spreading propaganda against the Islamic republic and committing religious offenses . The Baha'i International Community , which has a delegation to the United Nations , denies the allegations . The evidence against the defendants includes communication from Israel , but that is because the Baha'i World Center has its headquarters in Israel , said Kit Bigelow , director of external affairs at the American Baha'i Community . Prosecutors are calling that communication espionage , she said . Human rights groups have demanded the release of the prisoners and accused the government of targeting them because of their religious beliefs . The Baha'i faith originated in 19th-century Persia , and while modern-day Iran does not recognize it , the government denies any mistreatment of the members of the largest non-Muslim religious minority . The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has reported a rise in persecution of Baha'is in recent years , including cemetery desecration , arbitrary detention , home raids , property confiscation , work expulsion and denial of basic civil rights . The case of the seven Baha'is has drawn global attention . Roxana Saberi , the Iranian-American journalist freed from Evin prison earlier this year , spoke on their behalf , as have Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom , an independent bipartisan federal commission . The defendants face the death penalty if convicted . Six of the defendants were arrested in May 2008 at their Tehran homes , and one was arrested in the eastern city of Mashad in March 2008 , said Diane Ala'i , the Baha'i International Community 's representative to the United Nations . The defendants were held under solitary confinement for the first five months of their incarceration , she said . The investigation into the charges against the prisoners concluded months ago and the trial was initially scheduled to start in July . Iran has continued to hold them in Evin prison without access to their lawyers and with minimal contact with their families , Ala'i said . CNN 's Moni Basu contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Progressive Catholic groups vented outrage Friday over the decision of a Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts to rescind the admission of an 8-year-old student because his parents are lesbians . `` The idea that a child might be punished because he does not live with his two biologic parents is antithetical to notions of Christian charity and Catholic social justice , '' said Patrick Whelan , president of Catholic Democrats , in a statement Friday . Other liberal Catholic and gay groups issued similar statements Friday , responding to news reports this week that a child accepted to St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham , Massachusetts , for the fall was told he could n't enroll after the school learned that his parents are gay . In addition to pressuring the Massachusetts school to reverse its decision and accept the student , progressive Catholic activists are attempting to do something much more dramatic : get the Archdiocese of Boston , which includes the Hingham school , to set a precedent for how the American church treats students with gay parents . In March , the Archdiocese of Denver , Colorado , supported a decision by a Catholic school in Boulder to block two students with gay parents from re-enrolling . While the Denver archbishop who backed that decision , Charles J. Chaput , may be the most outspokenly conservative bishop in the nation , progressive Catholics think they can get more moderate Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley to speak against Catholic schools rejecting students over their parents ' sexual orientation . `` I 'm very disappointed in Chaput 's actions , but he has a history of politicizing issues , '' said Chris Korzen , executive director of the progressive Catholics United , which has asked O'Malley to intervene in the Hingham case and to allow the child to attend St. Paul . `` Cardinal O'Malley understands that there 's a place to assert church teachings but that it does n't make sense to discriminate against a child because of his parents ' background , '' Korzen said . Korzen and other left-leaning Catholics said they were concerned that the Hingham school was following the example of the Denver Archdiocese in the Boulder case . `` While the relationship between the events in Boulder and Hingham -LSB- is -RSB- not known , Catholic Democrats is concerned that a narrative will develop that legitimizes the exclusion of children of same sex parents from Catholic schools , '' the group Catholic Democrats , which is based in Boston , said Friday . Conservative Catholic groups , meanwhile , have been mostly silent on the matter . `` I do n't really have a strong opinion on this one , '' said Deal Hudson , a prominent conservative Catholic activist , in an e-mail on Friday . `` It 's a matter of the individual bishop 's discretion . '' O'Malley has not publicly weighed in on the case , but the Boston Archdiocese said Thursday that the Hingham school was not acting in compliance with archdiocesan policy . `` The archdiocese does not prohibit children of same-sex parents from attending Catholic schools , '' said Mary Grassa O'Neill , the archdiocese 's secretary for education and superintendent of Catholic schools . `` We will work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future . '' O'Neill said that the Boston Archdiocese met with one of the child 's parents on Thursday and that it has offered to help enroll him in another Catholic school in the archdiocese . The parents of the St. Paul student have insisted on anonymity for them and their son in press reports of the situation . The Catholic Schools Foundation , a Boston-based group whose board is chaired by O'Malley , said Thursday that it would not support schools that discriminated against students based on their parents ' sexual orientation . ` '' -LSB- N -RSB- o school that promotes an exclusionary admissions policy or practice will be considered for support , '' said the foundation 's executive director , Michael Reardon , in a Thursday letter to school administrators . `` We believe a policy or practice that denies admissions to students in such a manner as occurred at St. Paul 's is at odds with our values as a foundation , the intentions of our donors , and ultimately with Gospel teaching . '' Calls to St. Paul Elementary School and church on Friday night were not returned .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two-year-old Tangena Hussain vanished three months ago in the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck , Michigan , and police say the trail has gone cold . Tangena Hussain , 2 , has been missing since October 2 and police in Michigan are asking for the public 's help . Tangena 's mother called police on the evening of October 2 , 2008 , to report her daughter missing after frantically searching the area where she was last seen . The child 's mother , Nilufa Begum , told police she had left the girl in the care of her boyfriend , Jamrul Hussain . Although Tangena and Hussain have the same last name , he is not her father . Begum told investigators her daughter was with Hussain all day while she worked at the Northland Mall . Hussain said he stopped at a gas station with Tangena while on the way to the mall to pick up Begum . They stopped at about 9 p.m. to buy gum and juice , he said . Hussain told police he left Tangena in the car for only a few moments and when he returned , the little girl was gone . He did not call police and did not conduct a search , but instead drove to the mall and picked up Begum , investigators said . When she saw Tangena was not with Hussain , Begum asked him where she was . His response was cryptic , she told police . He said he would take her to the place where her daughter was . Begum became alarmed as Hussain drove to a gas station where , he said , Tangena disappeared . They searched for Tangena together , while Begum called the police to report her daughter missing . A surveillance camera shows the boyfriend , Hussain , going into the gas station 's store , police said . On the video , he makes some purchases and leaves within a few minutes . But there is no video of the area where Hussain parked his car , nor any video that could show whether the little girl had been there or how she might have disappeared . Police have not named a person of interest in the toddler 's disappearance . When the media picked up the story , a teenager came forward , saying she recognized Hussain as the man who allegedly attacked her . During the investigation , police discovered that the young accuser , then 15 , had been Hussain 's prior girlfriend . Hussain , 24 , was arrested and charged with two counts of having sex with a minor . He is free on bail while awaiting trial . `` My client is innocent of the charges . He did not have sex with a minor child , '' said Hussain 's lawyer , Shawn Patrick Smith . Tangena 's parents said they just want answers . Her father , Mohammad Ahmed , lives in New York and added $ 5,000 to an existing Crimestopper 's reward of $ 1,000 . `` We are praying that someone knows something that can help us find my daughter , '' Ahmed said . `` How can a child disappear without someone seeing something ? Something does n't fit about -LSB- Hussain 's -RSB- story . '' When questioned , Begun told police only she and Hussain saw Tangena in the week leading up to her October 2 disappearance . A Michigan Amber Alert was issued for Tangena at 5 a.m. the morning after she disappeared . But in the months since , police have hit a dead end . Police and family members are turning to the public for help . If anyone has seen Tangena Hussain or has any information regarding her whereabouts , please call the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-1240 . Tangena is 3 ' 2 '' tall , weighs 34 lbs , has black short hair , brown eyes , and is of East Indian descent . She was last seen wearing white cargo pants , brown long-sleeved T-shirt with a cartoon picture on the front and gold sandals . The reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Tangena Hussain is $ 6,000 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's that time of year for seasonal trips to the movies , and to celebrate , the Screening Room is taking a look back at our favorite family hits over the years . The best of Spielberg : `` E.T. '' is our perfect family movie and perfectly captures childhood . From blockbuster to blockbuster , these are the films with something for everyone . They 've got to be live action -- we 've covered animated films before -- and family friendly . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Post your comments to the Screening Room blog and we 'll publish the best . Read other CNN viewers ' favorite and worst family films , and tell us yours >> 1 . E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial -LRB- Steven Spielberg , 1982 -RRB- Spielberg 's magic captures a perfect moment in childhood . We laughed and wept as his ugly little critter from outer space stole our hearts , while the kids fell firmly on the cute side of annoying . And oh , the music ... 2 . Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -LRB- Mel Stuart , 1971 -RRB- Gene Wilder 's whacked-out Willy Wonka adds a pinch of sinister to Roald Dahl 's anarchic sweet treat , while the ignoble exits of Veruca Salt , Augustus Gloop and Mike Teevee were delicious . 3 . Babe -LRB- Chris Noonan , 1995 -RRB- `` That 'll do , pig . '' Babe is wide-eyed with wonder in Dick King-Smith 's touching tale of a lonely little sheep-pig . Comic relief from the ewes , subtle special effects and a heartwarming turn from James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett make this a magical tale for all . 4 . Bugsy Malone -LRB- Alan Parker , 1976 -RRB- Jodie Foster and Scott Baio -LRB- Yes , Chachi from `` Happy Days ! '' -RRB- star in this glorious escapade set in a musical world of pint-sized gangsters and mini-molls . Al Capone for the kids ; just watch out for the splurge guns ... 5 . Oliver ! -LRB- Carol Reed , 1968 -RRB- Jack Wild is delightful as the Artful Dodger , Ron Moody 's devilish Fagin glints with avaricious greed and Shani Willis shines as poor , ill-fated Nancy . But it 's Oliver Reed 's dark and sinister Bill Sykes who stayed with us -- and left us wanting more . 6 . Back to the Future -LRB- Robert Zemeckis , 1985 -RRB- Christopher Lloyd 's mad professor , a Delorean-cum-time machine , rock 'n' roll and a convenient bolt of lightning see Biff the bully get his come-uppance . All that , and a skateboarding Michael J. Fox ? Mr Zemeckis , you spoil us ! 7 . Home Alone -LRB- Chris Columbus , 1990 -RRB- Macaulay Culkin 's abandoned little boy sees off bungling burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern with a series of eye-watering stunts . It proves just how great a child actor Culkin was ; pity the unpopular babysitters who became the victims of copycat pranksters ... 8 . Ghostbusters -LRB- Ivan Reitman , 1984 -RRB- Bill Murray , Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis blast ghostly green monsters to oblivion in this slime-filled romp around NYC , while taking time out to annoy Sigourney Weaver en route . Who you gon na call ? 9 . The Muppet Movie -LRB- James Frawley , 1979 -RRB- Kermit and Co. 's roadtrip to Hollywood is a fabulously fuzzy tale of friendship and following your dreams , but the Muppet Movie 's not just for kids : there 's cameos a-plenty -LRB- Bob Hope , Steve Martin , Richard Pryor , ORSON WELLES ! -RRB- for Dad and smart one-liners by the bucketful for Mom . 10 . Harry Potter -LRB- Various , 2001-present -RRB- The Hogwarts trio 's wizarding adventures , backed by a cast plump with the best of British actors . Fast-paced plots , spellbinding special effects and magical sets , but be warned : it 'll have the li'l critters pestering you to go to boarding school ... And our favorite hide-behind-the-sofa moments ... The Wizard of Oz -LRB- Victor Fleming , 1939 -RRB- `` I 'll get you , my pretty , and your little dog , too ! '' Margaret Hamilton 's green , cackling Wicked Witch of the West is hell-bent on revenging the death of her sister and getting those ruby slippers ; she 'll use deadly poppies and flying monkeys to do it . Terror as a rite of passage . Chitty Chitty Bang Bang -LRB- Ken Hughes , 1968 -RRB- With his battered top hat and lank hair , Robert Helpmann 's creepy Child Catcher prowled from Vulgaria into our nightmares , hoping to catch a whiff of his prey with his unfeasibly long nose . The only film character to give the Wicked Witch of the West a run for her money . Star Wars -LRB- George Lucas , 1977 -RRB- Darth Vader may cast a formidable shadow , but it 's the sound of his labored breathing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up -- as it gets closer , closer , closer ... Ghostbusters -LRB- Ivan Reitman , 1984 -RRB- Rule 475 of Surviving the Movies : Never go into the basement ! The thick silence in New York 's Central Library masks a phantom infestation -- and they 're not going quietly . As the gray-haired librarian switched to shrieking ghoul , a generation of children was put off reading for life . Jurassic Park -LRB- Steven Spielberg , 1993 -RRB- And again , it 's the sound effects that make the Velociraptors so scary -- as the frighteningly intelligent pack of lizards hunt for Lex and Tim among the kitchen workbenches , their hissing grows ever nearer ... Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Sound off and read others ' thoughts in the Screening Room blog . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspected leader of the Basque separatist group , ETA , and two alleged accomplices were arrested over the weekend in France . Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso is the fifth ETA suspect arrested in France in the past two weeks . Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso , 28 , was arrested Saturday in a French-Spanish operation near Perpignan in southeast France , Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Sunday in a nationally televised news conference here . Hours later , in northern Spain 's Basque region , six other ETA suspects -- ages 25-31 -- were arrested , Rubalcaba said . Police suspect Martitegi replaced the suspected ETA military chief who was arrested last December and who , in turn , had replaced the alleged ETA military chief who was arrested last November , Rubalcaba said . Those arrests occurred in France , from where ETA has launched a number of attacks into Spain . ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its more than four decades of fighting for Basque independence and is listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States . Rubalcaba said police had also dismantled two ETA commando cells before they could strike , one of them last October in northern Spain 's Navarra province , and the other late Saturday , when the six suspects were arrested . Martitegi 's arrest came after police trailed an alleged ETA local leader from Spain to a meeting in France with Martitegi for a two-hour training session on the use of explosives and weapons , Rubalcaba said . Police made the arrests in France right after the meeting , before the alleged local leader could return to Spain to share those details with his alleged commando cells , Rubalcaba said . Police seized three pistols , two vehicles , and a small quantity of explosives from Martitegi and the two others arrested in France , Rubalcaba said . `` I think it 's very good news and shows the constant police coordination and the cooperation between the police and the courts , '' Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon , who was involved in the latest investigation , told reporters . Martitegi is the fifth ETA suspect arrested in France in the past two weeks . Given the heavy police crackdown , Rubalcaba said investigators have noted some internal discussion among ETA members about whether they should continue their armed fight or try for a negotiated end to the violence . But he said the government , which held failed peace talks with ETA under three prime ministers since the 1980s , was no longer willing to negotiate . `` The process of dialogue is the past , and the past never returns , '' Rubalcaba said , adding that ETA would have to decide to end the violence itself , or the state would force the group to end it . Over the past two years , police in Spain and France have arrested 365 ETA suspects , Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said in December . But top Spanish officials have repeatedly warned that ETA , while weakened , is not finished . There are about 600 ETA convicts or suspects in Spanish jails and 150 others in French jails , authorities in both countries have told CNN .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He has met the United States ' former First Lady , and an audience with Barack Obama awaits , but the American that world champion boxer Amir Khan really wants to face next is proving a bit more elusive . The British fighter has set his heart on becoming the planet 's best pound-for-pound pugilist , and for him that means taking on the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- who , as a five-division champion , once laid claim to that coveted crown . Khan , 24 , unified the WBA super and IBF light welterweight world championship belts in July by defeating American Zab Judah in Las Vegas in July , while Mayweather recently returned to the ring after a 16-month absence . Six-time world champion Mayweather has won all of his 42 fights as a professional , 26 by knockout , and emerged victorious from a controversial contest with Victor Ortiz on September 18 . But the fight many boxing fans want to see is Mayweather against eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao -- the Filipino rated by Ring Magazine as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world . `` Floyd Mayweather pound for pound is probably one of the best fighters in the world , '' Khan , who won an Olympic silver medal in the lightweight category at the Athens Games in 2004 , told CNN . `` Me and Manny both want to fight him , but that will never happen because at the moment he does n't want to fight either of us . But it will come to a stage when the pressure will be so much on Floyd Mayweather that he 'll have to take the fight . '' Khan doubts that a match-up between his Golden Boy stablemate Mayweather and Top Rank 's Pacquiao will ever happen , with disagreements over drug-testing and money having previously prevented the fight . `` You 've got two different promotion teams , and for them to agree on terms for a fight is very difficult , '' he said . `` Firstly , you 've got Mayweather saying that Manny has to take so many drug tests and blood tests , then Manny talking about the purse . But that fight will generate about $ 100 million each , so it 's a lot of money to say no to . '' Mayweather , 34 , and Pacquiao , 32 , have both occupied the position of best pound-for-pound boxer in the world , and Khan is aiming to emulate the success enjoyed by the decorated duo . `` I want to be known as a legend in the sport and I want to win everything . I want to be a pound-for-pound champion of the world , and every morning when I wake up that 's what drives me to the gym to train hard , '' he said . `` When I 'm tired in the gym , that 's what pushes me , because I want to be the best there is . And , I 'm nearly there . I 'm only 24 , I 'm the unified champion , I 'm a two-time world champion , and I 've done it so young . But I want to achieve more . '' Khan has seen his international profile increase in the last 18 months , having fought in the U.S. on three occasions since making his American bow against Paulie Malignaggi at New York 's Madison Square Gardens in March 2010 . It would now appear even politicians are starting to sit up and take notice of the Bolton-born fighter , with Khan having recently met U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and now being lined up for an audience with President Barack Obama later this year . `` I was invited to go to the state building , '' said Khan . `` Hilary Clinton invited me and my team . It was an honor to be part of that event . It was about the Muslim sportsmen who were influential and who do good things in the Muslim community . `` I enjoyed it and they want me back over there in December probably to meet Obama , so it 's good times . `` When they first got talking about it , I thought they were just pulling my leg , but they were quite serious about it , and I thought ` Wow ' . I might never get the chance to go to the White House or meet Obama again , so I 'm going to make the most of it . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Americans love beef ; we eat nearly 63 pounds per person each year . Although that 's a lot , the amount is down from our 1976 high of 89 pounds . When buying beef , we tend to stick to what we know , which may be why almost 60 percent of our beef dollars go for ground beef . Even as an experienced chef , I often brought home familiar cuts . But researching my book , `` Field Guide to Meat , '' led me to expand my repertoire to tasty , if less familiar , cuts like hanger steak and tri-tip . Soon you can do the same , knowing which cuts to choose for maximum flavor and nutrition . A 3 1\/2 - ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein and is an excellent source of iron , zinc , and phosphorus . Beef Background Humans began domesticating cattle , Bos taurus , about 8,500 years ago . Columbus first brought cattle to the New World , and by 1690 , descendants of Columbus ' cattle ranging in Mexico were driven north and became known as Texas Longhorns . Others arrived later with the colonists . America 's top five cattle breeds are Angus from Scotland , Hereford from England , Limousin from France , Simmenthal from Switzerland , and Charolais from France . More than 90 percent of the beef we buy originates in America , while most of the rest is Canadian bred . The beef we eat comes mostly from 18 - to 24-month-old steers , averaging about 1,000 pounds , and yielding about 450 pounds of meat . Each is divided for wholesale into eight primals -LRB- major portions -RRB- : the chuck -LRB- shoulder and upper ribs -RRB- , the rib , the loin , the sirloin -LRB- hip -RRB- , the round -LRB- upper leg -RRB- , the brisket -LRB- breast -RRB- , the plate -LRB- belly -RRB- , and the small flank . Organs like liver and kidneys are called variety meats . When evaluating your choices at the grocery store , here are a few key terms and facts to know : \u2022 Grain-finished : Nearly 75 percent of U.S. beef comes from cattle fattened on grain -LRB- usually corn -RRB- for three to six months in feedlots . Since corn is not a natural part of a cow 's diet , cattle fed on it may experience stress and other ailments , so they are routinely treated with antibiotics . They also receive growth hormones to increase their size -LRB- and value , as beef is sold by weight -RRB- . Until recently , inexpensive corn has helped keep down the price of beef . \u2022 Grass-finished : Grass - or pasture-finished beef comes from cattle that forage on grasses and legumes . Their meat is lower in saturated fat , cholesterol , and calories than grain-finished . -LRB- Because it is quite lean , cook rare to medium-rare for juiciness . -RRB- Grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor , often described as bold , complex , and gamy . Many people believe that grass-fed cattle are a more sustainable choice . However , raising grass-fed cattle is time-consuming and requires large open spaces , variables that raise its price . Most is imported from Canada , followed by Australia , New Zealand , Argentina , and Brazil . \u2022 Aging : Dry-aging is the traditional process preferred by many steak lovers . The concentrated , intense flavor of dry-aged beef develops as it hangs in special temperature - and humidity-controlled rooms from 10 days to six weeks . The longer the aging , the better the flavor and tenderness , but also the more the shrinkage as water evaporates and a dark crust develops , which must be cut away . About 90 percent of American beef is sold as large vacuum-packed cuts . During the average seven-day period the beef spends `` in the bag , '' it ages in a process called `` wet-aging . '' \u2022 Processing and packaging : Until the 1960s butcher shops bought beef as half - or quarter-carcasses . Packers then began selling vacuum-packed beef , the same large cuts sold at warehouse club stores . Retailers refrigerated the boxes until needed , then opened the package and cut the meat into portions for sale . Next came case-ready meat , which precluded the need for skilled butchers on-site in markets . Leak-proof and easily stackable , case-ready packages are produced in USDA-inspected plants and have a longer shelf life . Packages covered with a sealed layer of clear plastic are modified-atmosphere packages , which have a gas-filled space inside to help preserve freshness and color . Nutrition \u2022 Fat content : The USDA defines `` lean beef '' as having less than 10 grams -LRB- g -RRB- of total fat , 4.5 g or less of saturated fat , and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 1\/2 - ounce serving -LRB- 100g -RRB- of cooked beef . Half of the fat is saturated and half is heart-healthy monounsaturated . There are 29 naturally lean cuts of beef , including many familiar to Cooking Light readers , such as tenderloin , flank steak , and sirloin , as well as five lesser-known cuts . Others , such as ribeye or chuck roast , naturally contain more fat , although it is similarly divided between saturated and monounsaturated . Because lean beef contains less fat , it 's best cooked to medium-rare -LRB- 145 \u00b0 F -RRB- or medium -LRB- 160 \u00b0 F -RRB- to optimize tenderness . If using fattier cuts , slice away the outer rim of fat and cut or pull out any pockets of fat before cooking . For larger cuts , allow the fat to baste the meat while cooking , then trim away before eating , or skim it from the surface of braised dishes or stews . \u2022 Other nutrients : A 3 1\/2 - ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein -- more than half of the 50g recommended daily in a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet . All beef is an excellent source of iron , zinc , and phosphorus . In general , the redder the meat , the more iron it contains -LRB- beef liver has the most -RRB- . Beef also contains thiamin , riboflavin , and niacin and is a rich source of B12 , found naturally only in animal foods . CookingLight.com : Fat and Ground Beef At the Market \u2022 Inspection and grading : USDA inspectors examine all live animals and beef shipped out of state , which encompasses most of today 's supermarket beef . Grading is voluntary and done by the same inspectors . The more marbling -- the small white flecks of fat within the muscles -- the higher the grade . Three grades of beef are sold to consumers . Only three percent is highly marbled Prime , sought after by top steak houses and butcher shops . About 57 percent is moderately marbled Choice , the most common supermarket grade . The remaining 40 percent is lean Select . \u2022 Private labels : Supermarket chains and large food distributors also have developed private brands with their own specifications . The first such program began in 1978 with Certified Angus Beef , which must come from Angus cattle . Niman Ranch Natural Beef and Certified Hereford Beef are two others . \u2022 Natural and Organic : Beef labeled `` natural '' must not contain any artificial ingredients and can not be more than minimally processed , such as ground beef . `` Organic '' beef must come from cattle raised and certified according to the USDA 's National Organic Program . Organic cattle must be fed 100-percent organically and without antibiotics or hormones . Both natural and organic beef can be either grass - or grain-finished . Ways to Save \u2022 Buy lean cuts . Often , leaner cuts are cheaper than fatty ones . And when the fat cooks away , lean cuts provide more meat for your dollar . \u2022 Buy in bulk . Large or family-sized packages cost less per pound than smaller packages . Divide into portions , and freeze the surplus . \u2022 Be your own butcher . Beef that has been presliced into steaks or made into patties costs more than less processed meat . Buy bigger cuts , and do some of the preparation work yourself . CookingLight.com : Beef on a Budget \u2022 But do n't go overboard . Advice to buy a side or quarter of beef may seem sensible , but you 'll likely have more meat than you can store . Such a purchase may yield what one buyer describes as `` cheap steak and expensive hamburger . '' For more tips on making healthy taste great , try Cooking Light - CLICK HERE","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's most celebrated fugitive -- `` the last of the gentlemen crooks , '' as he liked to describe himself -- was born Ronald Arthur Biggs in Lambeth , south London , on August 8 , 1929 . Biggs spent more than three decades as a fugitive after escaping from prison in 1964 . The youngest of five children , his criminal career began at the age of 15 when he was arrested for stealing pencils from a local shop . He joined the Royal Air Force in 1947 but was dishonourably discharged two years later after being convicted of breaking into a chemist 's shop while AWOL . The latter offence resulted in his first spell in prison -- four months in Lewes Prison for Young Offenders . He was released in June 1949 , but was back in jail within a month for car theft . This second prison term -- also at Lewes -- was to change Biggs ' life . He met and became friends with Bruce Reynolds , the man who later masterminded the heist commonly known as the Great Train Robbery . Between 1949 and 1963 Biggs was regularly involved in criminal activity -- he served several jail sentences -- although he also made money legally working as a painter and decorator . In 1960 he married Charmian Powell with whom he had three children -- Nicholas , Christopher and Farley . The couple were subsequently estranged . On August 8 , 1963 -- Biggs ' birthday -- he was one of a gang of 16 who held up the Glasgow to London mail train , escaping with a record haul of more than # 2.6 million -LRB- $ 4.4 million -RRB- . He was arrested a month later after his fingerprint was found on some stolen notes , and in January 1964 he was sentenced to 30 years in prison . After serving only 15 months , however , he made a daring escape from Wandsworth Prison in south London , thus beginning 35 years on the run . His first stop was Paris , where he spent much of his # 147,000 -LRB- $ 246,000 -RRB- cut of the train robbery money on plastic surgery and acquiring papers to Australia . He remained in Melbourne until 1969 , working as a builder , before he slipped out of the country using a false passport on a ship bound for Panama . There followed brief spells in Argentina , Bolivia and Venezuela before he eventually settled in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . In 1974 he was arrested and faced being sent back to the UK . His Brazilian girlfriend Raimunda de Castro , however , was by that point pregnant with his child , and under Brazilian law that meant he could not be deported . Further attempts were made to bring him back to England , including a highly publicized kidnapping in 1981 when he was seized by adventurers hoping to claim a reward for his capture . He was taken to Barbados in a sack marked `` Live Snake , '' but subsequently released due to a loophole in Barbadian law . In the meantime , he became something of a celebrity in Rio . He would entertain visitors at his house , where for a set fee he would provide a barbecue and tales of his criminal past . He featured on The Sex Pistols album `` The Great Rock and Roll Swindle '' -- singing No One is Innocent . Biggs suffered a minor stroke in March 1998 , and with his health and finances failing he finally returned to the UK in 2001 . His estranged wife Charmian said at the time : `` The man I remember was a strong , fit , big man who could take on the world . Now he looks like a walking corpse , just skin and bone . I feel so sorry and sad for him . '' Biggs and his family campaigned for him to be released because of his poor health virtually from the day he returned to the UK and was immediately incarcerated in Belmarsh high security prison . Instead , Biggs was moved to a prison facility for elderly prisoners in Norwich , his parole prospects dismissed by justice ministers because of his apparent lack of remorse . But on August 4 Biggs was moved to a hospital suffering with severe pneumonia . On August 7 , the eve of both his 80th birthday and the 46th anniversary of the heist that turned him into a fugitive , Biggs was formally released on compassionate grounds . In 2001 Biggs said his last wish was to buy a pint of beer in a pub in the southern seaside resort of Margate . But Biggs ' legal advisor Giovanni Di Stefano told journalists that Biggs was unlikely to ever leave his hospital bed . `` This man is ill , he 's going to die , he is not going to any pub or going to Rio . He is going to stay in hospital , '' said Di Stefano .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Artillery shells slammed into a hospital Sunday in the northern Sri Lankan district of Mullaittivu , where civilians -- including a growing number of children -- are being treated as government forces and Tamil rebels continue to clash . A Sri Lankan soldier walks through Mullaittivu , the former military headquarters of the Tamil rebels . More than 200 civilians and at least 30 children have been injured in the last three days of fighting , a relief worker told CNN Sunday . `` That is the absolute minimum -LRB- number of injured -RRB- , '' the aid worker , who did not want to be identified for fear of jeopardizing the work of relief organizations , said . Government officials are accusing aid organizations and foreign media of sensationalizing civilian casualties . `` It looks as if it 's convenient for certain agencies to exaggerate the numbers so that this can be converted to a humanitarian crisis in the public eye , '' Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dr. Palitha Kohona told CNN . On Sunday , Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to `` continue with the military offensive until we liberate the remaining area under LTTE -LRB- the rebel group -RRB- control , '' according to Sri Lanka 's state-run news agency . Watch a report on civilians caught in fighting '' A `` handful '' of United Nations staff are working around the clock to save a growing number of children caught in the crossfire , a U.N. spokesman said Saturday . Children as young as 4 months old were being treated in local hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other `` wounds of war , '' spokesman James Elder told CNN . `` There is just intense fighting in a small area where children and other civilians are , '' Elder said . `` The space -LRB- where conflict is taking place -RRB- is shrinking and the fighting is augmenting . '' Thursday , U.N. aid workers rescued 50 critically injured children and 105 adults , he said . `` We are trying to get as many people out of there as we can , '' Elder said . Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area . Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised to allow safe passage to trapped civilians and urged the Tamil Tigers to promise the same . `` We have declared a safe zone for civilians , the coordinates of which were announced by the security forces , '' Rajapaksa said on his government 's Web site . `` It is unfortunate that the -LRB- Tamil Tiger group -RRB- is exploiting this declared safe zone for civilians by placing their heavy artillery within the safe zone and using it as a launching pad to attack security forces and indiscriminately kill civilians . '' The fighting has created a `` nightmarish '' situation for civilians in the conflict zone , Elder said . An emerging shortage of humanitarian supplies and diminished access to clean water , sanitation , and food are compounding a crisis , he said . Sunday , Sri Lankan soldiers seized a key rebel stronghold in a surprise attack deep in Tamil held territory . Troops crossed a lagoon and entered the town of Mullaittivu before encountering heavy resistance from Tamil fighters , according to the government-run news agency . The The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- commonly known as the Tamil Tigers -- have fought for an independent homeland for the country 's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983 . The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Who controls the past controls the future . '' President Reagan 's former aides say Obama 's budget repudiates Reaganomics . It 's a line from George Orwell 's novel `` 1984 . '' But it could also serve as the rallying cry for two groups battling over President Obama 's ambitious domestic agenda -- and the legacy of two former presidents . Critics of Obama 's proposed $ 3.5 trillion federal budget say he 's poised to jeopardize the economic gains unleashed by President Reagan . They say he will make the same mistakes that President Lyndon B. Johnson did when he committed massive amounts of federal money to create a slew of anti-poverty programs dubbed `` The Great Society . '' `` The Great Society created a lot of programs and wasted a lot of money , '' said Kenneth Khachigian , a former Reagan speechwriter and adviser . `` The biggest war on poverty was the economic boom started by Reagan . '' But others like Joseph Califano Jr. , Johnson 's senior domestic adviser , say the notion that the Great Society was a failure is one of the `` greatest political scams '' in American history . Republican leaders who have labeled Obama 's budget proposals socialist are rehashing the rhetoric their predecessors used to attack Great Society programs like Head Start 40 years ago , Califano says . `` I 'm hearing the same round of arguments , '' Califano said . `` The Republicans said that if you provide Head Start and preschool education to poor kids , it would ` Sovietize ' our kids and be communistic . '' ` Failure ' of the Great Society The clash between both points of view centers on Obama 's plan for reviving the nation 's economy . The Senate and the House of Representatives passed similar versions of Obama 's $ 3.5 trillion budget for 2010 last week . The budget did n't receive a single Republican vote in either chamber . Both chambers will meet after Easter recess to produce a final budget . Even before last week 's vote , though , Obama 's budget was creating a partisan wedge . Proponents said it would use trillions of dollars to transform education , spark a green industrial revolution and provide health care to all Americans . CNN political analyst David Gergen said Obama 's budget `` set forth the most ambitious reform agenda of any president since Lyndon Johnson . '' Gergen 's comment could be taken as a compliment or a reprimand , depending on one 's historical point of view . Craig Shirley , author of `` Reagan 's Revolution : The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All , '' took it as a warning . His model for reviving the nation is Reagan , who moved `` power from the government to the people '' by cutting taxes and making government less intrusive . Shirley , alluding to an alleged Reagan quip that `` Johnson declared war on poverty and poverty won , '' says out-of-wedlock births , illiteracy and bloated federal programs increased during the Great Society . He says Medicare and Medicaid , two vaunted Great Society programs that provide health care to the poor and elderly , are now virtually bankrupt . `` All evidence says that the Great Society was a failure , '' Shirley said . Khachigian , Reagan 's speechwriter , says Obama 's budget would also create tension between people who fought their way up the economic ladder and those who did not . Under Obama , the well-off would be `` brought back down through higher taxes and subsidizing benefits for people who have not worked as hard . '' Obama 's budget is influenced by the president 's previous job as a community organizer , Khachigian says . `` You ca n't have been a community organizer and not have in your mindset that agencies of the government exist to , as Obama said , to ` spread the wealth , ' '' Khachigian said . If Obama wants to look at an economic blueprint for lifting the nation out of a nasty recession , he should look at Reagan , Khachigian says . Reagan 's tax cuts helped end the deep recession he inherited when he came into office , he said . The economy took off , and everyone benefited . `` I would argue that the biggest war on poverty took place when the economy started booming in 1983 , '' Khachigian said . The ` myth ' of Reagan 's tax cuts Other analysts had a different take on the legacy of the Reagan Revolution and what it can teach Obama . Will Bunch , author of `` Tear Down This Myth : How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future , '' says Reaganomics is built on a fable . Reagan did n't prove that tax cuts and small government lead to economic growth , because he never consistently did both , he says . Bunch says Reagan did cut taxes in 1981 but raised them in succeeding years . He also expanded the federal government and created a huge national debt . `` His initial 1981 tax cuts went so far that he was actually forced to increase taxes a half-dozen times in the years that followed , something you never hear about , '' Bunch said . Obama would do better to follow the example of Johnson , not Reagan , says Califano , Johnson 's senior domestic adviser . He says Johnson 's Great Society was designed to give the most vulnerable Americans -- the poor , the elderly , the disabled and racial minorities -- the same opportunities as the affluent . `` The Great Society saw government as providing a hand up , not a handout , '' said Califano , who wrote about his time with the president in `` The Triumph and Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson . '' He says the Great Society proved that government was n't incompetent . Johnson persuaded Congress to pass at least 100 Great Society proposals . Programs awarded college students financial aid , gave struggling families food stamps and gave millions of Americans access to health insurance for the first time . It also reduced poverty , Califano says . About 22 percent of Americans lived below the poverty line when Johnson took office in 1963 . By 1970 , when the impact of Great Society programs was being felt , the poverty rate dropped to 12.6 percent , Califano says . -LRB- The poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent , the U.S. Census Bureau reported . -RRB- Califano , who calls Obama 's budget a logical extension of the Great Society , says Obama personally benefited from the Great Society `` crown jewel '' : the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , which ensured African American participation at the polls . `` My God , Obama would n't be president if Lyndon Johnson had n't passed that civil rights law , '' Califano said . `` He would not have gotten the votes to get elected . '' Robert Weisbrot , co-author of `` The Liberal Hour : Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s , '' says the Great Society also helped lay the foundation for the modern environmental movement with its passage of clean air and water laws . Read why Weisbrot says Obama ca n't create another Great Society `` We can find much to celebrate in those years in the 1960s when we see a burst of reform when the government is ready to face problems openly and decisively , '' Weisbrot said . There may be , however , one point of agreement for supporters and critics of Obama 's domestic agenda . It was expressed by Khachigian , Reagan 's former speechwriter . When asked whether he was miffed that some people were now comparing Obama to Reagan , he said his opposition to Obama 's budget was based on something deeper : fear . He says the nation could become a Failed Society if Obama 's approach does n't end a brutal recession . `` It 's not a matter of pride but of practicality , '' he said . `` If this does n't work , we 're all in deep doo-doo . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran will not send its partially enriched uranium abroad to be turned into material for medical research , its foreign minister said Wednesday , rejecting a key plank of a deal designed to ease international fears that Tehran aims to build nuclear weapons . Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran might allow its nuclear material to be reprocessed inside Iran , the semi-official ISNA news agency reported . The deal hammered out last month with the help of the United Nations ' nuclear watchdog agency aimed to reduce the amount of raw material Iran has to build a nuclear bomb . Tehran denies that it wants to do so , saying its nuclear program is to produce civilian nuclear energy and do medical work . The watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that it could not confirm or deny that Iran had rejected any part of the proposal . U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said , `` This is the IAEA 's proposal , and Iran has to give their response to the IAEA , and that 's what we 're waiting for . That 's what the IAEA is waiting for . '' But , he said , `` until the IAEA gets the response and formally says this is ... Iran 's response , I do n't consider a statement to the press necessarily a response . '' On October 1 , the IAEA proposal `` was accepted in principle by all the parties including Iran , '' Kelly said . `` And there was also an agreement that each of the parties would provide a written response to the proposal . `` Russia , France and the United States have provided a written response , '' he said . `` We expect Iran to provide a written response . And we expect the IAEA to pronounce on that response . So we will wait for the IAEA to make a formal response to this . '' In a report published Monday , the IAEA expressed concerns about Iran 's nuclear program . The Islamic republic 's disclosure of a previously secret nuclear facility near Qom raised questions about the existence of other such facilities , and its delay in acknowledging the facility `` does not contribute to the building of confidence '' in Tehran , the IAEA said in the report . Tehran has not convinced the agency its nuclear program is n't military , said the report , published on the Institute for Science and International Security Web site . A source with direct knowledge of the report confirmed its authenticity to CNN . Tehran shocked the international community in September by revealing the existence of the nuclear enrichment facility . On Monday , Kelly said in a statement that the report `` underscores that Iran still refuses to comply fully with its international nuclear obligations . '' IAEA inspectors visited the newly revealed facility last month , according to the report . During a meeting in Tehran , Iranian officials told the inspectors that construction of the site had begun during late 2007 , the report said , and it would not be operational until 2011 . However , the IAEA inspectors told Iran that `` it had acquired commercially available satellite imagery of the site indicating that there had been construction at the site between 2002 and 2004 , and that construction activities were resumed in 2006 and had continued to date , '' the report said . IAEA member states also allege that design work on the facility , the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant , began in 2006 , the report said . Iranian officials told inspectors that the nation has no other undisclosed nuclear facilities either under construction or in operation , the report said , and promised that any future facilities would be disclosed . A letter sent this month asks Tehran to confirm that it has not decided to construct or authorized construction of any undisclosed facility , the report said . Iran remains bound by the terms of a 2003 agreement under which it must provide information to the IAEA regarding nuclear facilities as soon as the decision to build is made or construction is authorized . `` Even if , as stated by Iran , the decision to construct the new facility at the Fordow site was taken in the second half of 2007 , Iran 's failure to notify the agency of the new facility until September 2009 was inconsistent with its obligations , '' the IAEA said . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said construction of the facility violates U.N. Security Council resolutions , Kelly said . `` Iran 's delay in submitting such information to the agency does not contribute to the building of confidence , '' the report said . `` While the agency has confirmed that the plant corresponds to the design information provided by Iran , Iran 's explanation about the purpose of the facility and the chronology of its design and construction requires further clarification . '' The agency is waiting for Iran 's reply to its request to meet officials in regard to those issues and others , according to the report . `` Further analysis of the information available to the agency underscores the importance of Iran engaging with the agency in a substantive and comprehensive manner , and providing the requested access , so that the remaining outstanding issues may be resolved . '' The agency encouraged IAEA member states who have provided it information on Iran to share that information with Tehran as well . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly a decade has passed since Bill Clinton left the White House , but despite becoming a private citizen , the former president never left the public eye . Former President Clinton receives flowers from a girl Tuesday upon landing in Pyongyang , North Korea . While much of his time has been devoted to global philanthropic interests and speeches , Clinton has never strayed too far from the campaign trail and remains one of the world 's most recognizable statesmen . Clinton , 62 , jumped back onto the world stage Tuesday with an unannounced trip to North Korea on a mission to negotiate the release of two imprisoned American journalists . North Korean President Kim Jong Il later pardoned and released the journalists . They were traveling back to the United States with Clinton on Tuesday night . The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea . Clinton arrived to a warm welcome in Pyongyang . Watch more on Clinton 's North Korea trip '' There is a lot of nostalgia in Pyongyang for his administration , when relations between North Korea and the U.S. were stronger , said John Glionna , the Seoul , South Korea , bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times . `` Well , I think most of the people that I talked to in Washington earlier today were of the opinion that Bill Clinton is a big enough personality that would not risk the loss of face of him showing up in Pyongyang and returning empty-handed , '' Glionna said . Clinton 's high profile has led critics to accuse him of upstaging his wife , Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , especially when he was making headlines while campaigning for her unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid . His first major verbal stumble during that campaign came in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary when he told a crowd that then-candidate Obama 's claim to have been an early and consistent opponent of the Iraq war was `` the biggest fairy tale I 've ever seen . '' In the ensuing media uproar , many Democratic activists -- African-Americans in particular -- came to believe that the former president had belittled Obama 's entire campaign effort . And while stumping for his wife in heavily black South Carolina , he seemed to try to minimize the impact of an Obama win by noting that the Rev. Jesse Jackson also won the state in 1984 and 1988 but went on to lose both nominations by wide margins . Critics accused the former president of trying to peel off Obama 's white supporters by marginalizing him as the black candidate . Clinton 's hesitancy to back Obama once he locked in the Democratic nomination also fueled the storyline of the Clinton-Obama riffs . But in a high-drama moment last year at the Democratic National Convention , both Clintons announced their wholehearted support for their party 's nominee . Bill Clinton 's name was tossed around as a possible pick to fill his wife 's vacant Senate seat after she was selected as secretary of state . His name comes up in discussions of possible Supreme Court picks that Obama might have the opportunity to make . Before his wife 's presidential campaign , Clinton focused most of his efforts on the William J. Clinton Foundation . The foundation 's projects include the Clinton Global Initiative , which seeks to combat poverty and climate change and promote health and education programs worldwide as well as separate initiatives directed at childhood obesity , global warming , HIV\/AIDS and malaria , inner-city entrepreneurship and economic growth in Latin America . It also funded the construction of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock , Arkansas . The foundation boasts more than 800 staff and volunteers around the world . In his post-presidency , Clinton also has shared the stage with former President George H.W. Bush on numerous occasions . The two teamed up to establish the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and Bush-Clinton Tsunami Fund . They toured the tsunami-ravaged areas following the 2004 disaster , and they teamed up again the following year to lead relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina . Clinton also has taken time to author a couple of best-selling books . His 2004 memoir , `` My Life , '' sold more than 400,000 copies the first day it was available . Later that year , Clinton underwent heart bypass surgery after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath . A biting Vanity Fair article published last summer suggested that Clinton 's surgery left him in an altered state of mind -- one marked by constant anger and rage . The Clinton campaign hit back , saying that theory is `` false and is flatly rejected by President Clinton 's doctors who say he is in excellent shape and point to his vigorous schedule as evidence of his exceptional recovery . '' In a sharp critique of the article , Clinton spokesman also criticized Todd Purdum , national editor of Vanity Fair , for not giving enough attention to the former president 's charitable works through his foundation since leaving the White House . `` Most revealing is one simple fact : President Clinton has helped save the lives of more than 1,300,000 people in his post-presidency , and Vanity Fair could n't find the time to talk to even one of them for comment , '' spokesman Jay Carson said . While the 42nd president 's image has gotten a few bruises over the years , Clinton has held on to his reputation as a master politician with a penchant for making news . CNN 's Kristi Keck and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama huddled with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top military advisers at the White House on Friday as the administration continued its sweeping review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan . Each branch of the armed services was given a direct opportunity to tell Obama the effect on the military if a large number of additional forces are sent to Afghanistan , two military sources told CNN 's Barbara Starr . The meeting was the seventh in a series of high-level discussions being held in part to forge a consensus on how best to confront Taliban and al Qaeda militants threatening the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan . `` The president wants to get input from different services , '' White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said earlier this week . `` It 's a chance to consult with uniformed military leadership as a part of his -LSB- Afghanistan-Pakistan -RSB- review . '' The potential for a major expansion of the number of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan comes with some misgivings from the military chiefs . The Army and Marine Corps have expressed concerns that it could make it tougher to give troops promised time at home with their families between overseas tours . The White House strategy review is being conducted against a backdrop of rising U.S. casualties in Afghanistan and increased Taliban violence . October has already become the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began in late 2001 , with the deaths of 56 American troops . Taliban militants have become increasingly bold . This week , they attacked a U.N. guesthouse in central Kabul , killing five U.N. staff members . There also is political turmoil surrounding a planned November 7 Afghan presidential election runoff . On Friday , a source close to the Afghan leadership told CNN that President Hamid Karzai 's runoff opponent , Abdullah Abdullah , would withdraw from the race . The presidential campaign has become increasingly contentious as Abdullah demanded the removal of the country 's election chief and 200 other staffers of the election commission to ensure a fair runoff . Abdullah and others have charged that massive fraud occurred in the first round of voting on August 20 . The initial results gave Karzai the win , but a subsequent review by a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai 's votes because of `` clear and convincing evidence of fraud . '' The result left Karzai short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff . After a flurry of meetings with U.S. and U.N. officials , the Afghan president agreed to the runoff .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Jacksonville , Florida , man accused of hacking celebrities ' online accounts for nude photos and other private information said Friday , `` I am very sorry for all of this . '' A federal judge ordered Christopher Chaney , 35 , to appear in a California courtroom on November 1 to answer charges , a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney 's office said . `` What I 'm most sorry about is that I had to drag my mom into all of this , and my family and my neighbors and they just want to live their lives , '' Chaney told reporters . He did not respond to questions . Chaney is accused of hacking into the accounts of more than 50 celebrities , including movie stars Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis and singer Christina Aguilera . A grand jury indicted Chaney on nine counts of computer hacking for gain , eight counts of aggravated identify theft , and nine counts of illegal wiretapping . If convicted of all 26 counts , Chaney would face a maximum of 121 years in federal prison , U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. said . The aggravated identity theft charge alone carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence , he added . The suspect 's attorney , Christopher Chestnut , said his client `` remains very remorseful '' and understands the importance of privacy . Still , Chestnut indicated the potential sentence appeared harsh . `` People who murder kids do n't get 120 years in prison , '' he said . Earlier this week , Chaney told a reporter that he had became `` addicted '' to the intrusion and `` did n't know how to stop . '' `` I know what I did was probably one of the worst invasions of privacy someone could experience , '' Chaney told CNN affiliate WAWS\/WTEV in Jacksonville , Florida , on Wednesday . `` And these people do n't have privacy to begin with . And I was in that little sliver of privacy they do have . '' The FBI 's Los Angeles office said he was arrested as part of `` Operation Hackerazzi , '' which looked into computer intrusions targeting individuals associated with the entertainment industry . `` Unfortunately , Mr. Chaney was able to access nude photos of some of the celebrities and some of them were uploaded on the Internet , '' Birotte said Wednesday . A recently circulated nude photo of Johansson is part of the investigation , he said . Chaney allegedly `` also took financial information , movie scripts and conversations that the celebrities believed to be private , '' Birotte told reporters . In the interview with WAWS\/WTEV , Chaney said the hacking `` started as curiosity and it turned into just being , you know , addicted to seeing the behind-the-scenes of what 's going on with these people you see on the big screen every day . '' `` It just happened and snowballed , '' he said , adding that he wishes it had never begun . Chaney said he felt `` almost relieved months ago '' when authorities seized his computer because `` I did n't know how to stop doing it myself . I was n't attempting to break into e-mails and get stuff to sell or purposely put it on the Internet . It just -- I do n't know . '' Authorities allege that Chaney distributed the photos he obtained illegally and offered them to celebrity blog sites . Some of the files , including private photographs , were posted online `` as a result of Chaney 's alleged activities , '' authorities said in a statement . `` I 've had like six months to think about it , '' Chaney said , `` it eats at me . ... When you 're doing it you 're not thinking about what 's going on with who you 're doing it to . '' According to the FBI 's Los Angeles field office , investigators believe that Chaney used publicly available sources to mine for data about his targets . Once Chaney gained access and control of an e-mail account , `` he would obtain private information , such as e-mails and file attachments , according to the indictment , '' the FBI said in a statement . Authorities allege that once Chaney hacked into a celebrity 's e-mail account , he would use the contact lists to find other celebrities ' e-mail accounts . This allowed him to add new victims , authorities charge . He allegedly set his victims ' accounts to automatically forward their e-mails to his account , Birotte said . This allegedly allowed Chaney to continue to receive celebrities ' e-mails even after a password was reset , authorities said . Chaney made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville , Florida , on Wednesday afternoon , and was released on a $ 10,000 unsecured bond with the conditions that he ca n't use any computer or other device with Internet access and he ca n't have any controlled substances or excessive use of alcohol , said Laura Eimiller , an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles . CNN 's Michael Martinez , Josh Levs , Carey Bodenheimer and John D. Sutter contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Buying a used car may seem like a simple topic . Used car sales company CARMAX had an influx of trucks and SUVs after gas prices skyrocketed . But when you begin slicing and dicing the various possibilities among approximately 3.3 million vehicles that are for sale at any given time , interesting insights into consumer preferences begin to emerge . For Krista Glotzbach , director of marketing at Vast.com , the San Francisco , California-based aggregator of data -LRB- which provides used vehicle search data for AOL Autos -RRB- , the various permutations are nearly endless . But users should n't worry because , with the help of search filters , vehicle fashion statements -LRB- what color do you want -RRB- and budgetary considerations -LRB- what price range do you want -RRB- easily come to the surface for faster used car searching . Because Vast.com has a variety of sources for its data , including Web `` crawls '' -LRB- an automated Internet search for used vehicle information -RRB- , the data is , by definition , revealing in its own right . AOL Autos : Safest cars But industry player CARFAX , which makes its vehicle history reports available to the public , provides a different kind of insight . AOL Autos : Used luxury cars As Larry Gamache , director of communications , pointed out , used car sales dominate the automotive industry . With that volume comes its share of fraud , notably in the marketing of vehicles damaged by flood . And even if a vehicle does n't look bad , what you ca n't see can hurt . `` The problem with flood-damaged cars is that they 're rotting from the inside out , '' Gamache said . It 's also a potentially big safety issue . `` Air bags that have been submerged do not function properly , '' Gamache noted . `` They either do n't deploy or could deploy at speed . '' But not all used cars have skeletons in their closets . Actually , most of the vehicles sold in the U.S. are used . AOL Autos : Most popular crossovers Here are a few water cooler tidbits that might make you say `` hmm '' : 1 . Three out of four automotive transactions in the U.S. involve previously owned vehicles . 2 . The average vehicle will likely have three owners in its lifetime . 3 . Industry experts believe one of every 25 air bags that have been deployed have not been properly replaced . They 're also the most stolen item from a vehicle -LRB- having surpassed radios -RRB- . AOL Autos : Best resale value cars 4 . About half the cars that are flood damaged end up back on the road . As far as Hurricane Katrina is concerned , estimates are that about 200,000 vehicles were dried out and resold . 5 . The most frequently searched price range for a used vehicle is under $ 5,000 . 6 . Consumers lose as much as $ 4 billion a year due to odometer fraud , with the average rollback being 15,000 miles . AOL Autos : Best hybrid cars 7 . There are more used Silverado pickup trucks for sale than any other model -LRB- nearly 120,000 throughout the U.S. -RRB- 8 . Texas has more used vehicles than any other state -LRB- more than 220,000 -RRB- ; Houston alone has more than 32,000 on the market at any given time . 9 . Chevrolet tops the list of most-available brands in the U.S. -LRB- with about 450,000 available -RRB- , followed by Ford -LRB- 425,000 -RRB- . There are `` only '' about 280,000 Toyotas on the market at any given time . 10 . Silver is the most available color in the used vehicle market -- more than 447,000 vehicles , followed by black -LRB- 429,000 -RRB- , white -LRB- 409,000 -RRB- , and red -LRB- 321,000 -RRB- . Blue -LRB- 309,000 -RRB- and gray -LRB- 277,000 -RRB- are also aplenty . The color you 're least likely to find ? Pink , with just 249 used vehicles listed . 11 . Age does appear to matter , at least when it comes to a used vehicle . Nearly half those listed at any one time -LRB- about 1.5 million -RRB- are model years 2007-2008 . 12 . Automatic transmissions outnumber manual 10 to 1 in the market for used vehicles . 13 . Six cylinder vehicles are the most popular on the used car market , accounting for nearly a third of the total available -LRB- and roughly the combined total of both four cylinder and eight cylinder powered vehicles -RRB- . The least likely number of engine cylinders ? The 23 vehicles that were listed as being equipped with a 16-cylinder motor , among them a 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur -LRB- just $ 122,000 -RRB- and a 1938 Cadillac -LRB- $ 195,000 -RRB- . 14 . Nearly half the used vehicles on the market come with air conditioning . Clearly , the marketing and sale of used vehicles is a big business . Like any other transaction , it 's `` buyer beware '' and `` buyer aware . '' Thankfully , well-known and respected sites -LRB- such as AOL Autos Used Cars -RRB- and sources such as CARFAX for checking a vehicle 's history can help lower the risk to consumers . Sources : VAST.com -LRB- vehicles available as of July 21 , 2008 -RRB- , CARFAX , National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution late Wednesday for a condemned Texas inmate who is requesting DNA testing of evidence in his case . The order was handed down less than an hour before Henry `` Hank '' Skinner , 47 , was scheduled to be executed by injection for the New Year 's Eve 1993 killings of his live-in girlfriend and her two sons . The Supreme Court granted the temporary stay while it considers whether to take up Skinner 's broader appeal . It was not immediately clear when the court might consider the case , but there was no indication a decision would be made before Thursday . Skinner 's attorneys maintain that DNA testing of the evidence could establish his innocence and determine the real killer . `` This action suggests that the court believes there are important issues that require closer examination , '' defense attorney Robert Owen said of the temporary stay . `` We remain hopeful that the court will agree to hear Mr. Skinner 's case and ultimately allow him the chance to prove his innocence through DNA testing . '' Skinner heard the news while he was eating what was to be his last meal , according to Michelle Lyons , a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice . He expressed relief and surprise , saying , `` I had made up my mind I was going to die '' and `` I feel like I really won today , '' according to Lyons . Skinner said he is `` eager to get the DNA testing so I can prove my innocence and get the hell out of here , '' according to Lyons . Texas Gov. Rick Perry has received more than 8,000 letters from Skinner 's advocates urging a stay , according to the Innocence Project and Change.org , whose members and supporters have sent the letters through their Web sites . State Sen. Rodney Ellis and state Rep. Elliott Naishtat were among those who have called for a reprieve . `` It has come to my attention that there are numerous problems with Mr. Skinner 's case that raise serious questions regarding the fairness of his trial and whether or not he is guilty , '' Ellis wrote in a letter to Perry on Tuesday . Word about the case has spread as far as France , where demonstrations were planned Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Paris by supporters of Skinner 's French wife , Sandrine Ageorges . Since Skinner 's conviction in 1995 , he `` has tirelessly pursued access to the untested physical evidence , '' according to court documents filed with the Supreme Court in February . That evidence includes vaginal swabs and fingernail clippings from Skinner 's then-girlfriend Twila Busby , hairs found in her hand and two knives found at the scene , along with a dish towel and a windbreaker jacket , according to the filing . Skinner has never denied being in the home when Busby and her sons -- Elwin Caler , 22 , and Randy Busby , 20 , -- were killed . However , he maintains he was incapacitated because of the `` extreme quantities of alcohol and codeine '' that he had consumed earlier that evening , according to the documents . Prosecutors maintain forensic evidence gathered at the scene and witness statements point to Skinner . A female friend of Skinner 's who lived four blocks away testified at Skinner 's trial that he walked to her trailer and told her that he may have kicked Twila Busby to death , although evidence did not show she had been kicked . The neighbor has since recanted parts of her testimony . Authorities followed a blood trail from the crime scene to the female friend 's trailer and found Skinner in the closet , authorities said . He was `` wearing heavily blood-stained jeans and socks and bearing a gash on the palm of his right hand , '' according to the Texas attorney general 's summary of the case . In addition , authorities said cuts on Skinner 's hand came from the knife used to stab the men . Skinner said he cut it on glass . Some DNA testing was done , which implicated Skinner , but not on the items he now wants tested . `` DNA testing showed that blood on the shirt Skinner was wearing at the time of his arrest was Twila 's blood , and blood on Skinner 's jeans was a mixture of blood from Elwin and Twila , '' authorities said . However , Owen wrote in the Supreme Court filing , `` the victims ' injuries show that whoever murdered them must have possessed considerable strength , balance and coordination . '' Twila Busby was strangled so forcefully that her larynx and the hyoid bone in her throat were broken . She then was struck with an axe or pick handle 14 times , hard enough to drive fragments of her `` unusually thick skull '' into her brain , the court documents said . `` While attacking Ms. Busby , the perpetrator had to contend with the presence of her 6-foot-6-inch , 225-pound son , Elwin Caler , who blood spatter analysis showed was in the immediate vicinity of his mother as she was being beaten , '' the court filing said . `` Somehow , the murderer was able to change weapons and stab Caler several times before he could fend off the attack or flee . '' Randy Busby was then stabbed to death in the bedroom the two brothers shared , the documents said . Evidence presented at trial suggested that Twila Busby 's uncle , Robert Donnell -- who is now dead -- could have been the killer . At a New Year 's Eve party she attended for a short time on the last night of her life , Donnell stalked her , making crude sexual remarks , according to trial testimony . A friend who drove her home from the party testified she was `` fidgety and worried '' and that Donnell was no longer at the party when he returned . `` The defense presented evidence that Donnell was a hot-tempered ex-con who had sexually molested a girl , grabbed a pregnant woman by the throat and kept a knife in his car , '' according to Owen 's letter to Perry . An expert testified at trial that Skinner would have been too intoxicated to commit the crimes , and a review of the evidence suggests that Skinner might have been even more intoxicated than initially thought , Owen writes . Media outlets in Texas have been supportive of a reprieve for Skinner . `` Before sending a man to die , we need to be absolutely sure of his guilt , '' the Houston Chronicle wrote in an editorial Friday . Skinner 's wife , Ageorges , told Radio France Internationale in a Tuesday interview that she began writing to Skinner in 1996 and they began visiting in 2000 . `` I 'm convinced of his innocence not because I love him and he 's my husband , I 'm convinced of his innocence ... -LSB- because -RSB- there is scientific forensic evidence to prove that he was not even in a state to stand up at the time of the crime let alone murder three people that he loved , '' Ageorges told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Wednesday night after the stay had been granted . `` There is absolutely no motive . '' Ageorges also said she finds it `` mind-boggling that evidence preserved from the crime scene 15 years later -- including the murder weapon , a rape kit , nail clippings from one of the victims , a male jacket that does n't fit his size at all with sweat , hair , DNA -- to this day is not tested . '' Recently , questions have swirled in Texas regarding the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham for a fire that killed his three daughters . On March 19 , Perry issued a posthumous pardon to the family of Timothy Cole , who was serving a 25-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault when he died in prison from an asthma attack . After his death , DNA tests established his innocence , and another man confessed to the crime . CNN 's William Mears , Ashley Hayes and Emily Probst contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Islamist fighters in Somalia have made significant gains in the country , according to the latest statement purportedly from al Qaeda 's second-in-command , Ayman al-Zawahiri . Ayman al-Zawahiri , pictured here in 2006 , also spoke about Yemen , Gaza , Afghanistan and Pakistan . The 25-minute audio recording , titled `` From Kabul to Mogadishu , '' focuses primarily on the `` important developments '' in Somalia , which al-Zawahiri called `` a step on the path of victory of Islam . '' CNN can not authenticate the message , which was released on Sunday and was interspersed with television news reports and statements from various al Qaeda-linked commanders . CNN analysts who listened to the recording say the voice is consistent with his intonation and accent . This is the third message from al-Zawahiri espousing the views of the al Qaeda terror network in 2009 ; the other two focused on Israel 's recent military operation against Hamas leaders in Gaza . In addition to Somalia , al-Zawahiri also addresses the situations in Yemen , Gaza , and Afghanistan and Pakistan . Al-Zawahiri praised Al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia who recently seized control of Baidoa , where the U.N.-backed transitional government had been based . He warned the newly installed government , under President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed , not to squander those gains by submitting `` to American demands '' and not abiding by sharia , or Islamic law . `` I call on my Muslim brothers in beloved Somalia ... to not be deceived by those who agree to the secularist constitutions which vie with the sharia in its right to rule , '' he said . Al-Zawahiri also addressed the `` awakening '' in Yemen , where many suspected al Qaeda militants wanted in neighboring Saudi Arabia are believed to have fled . That group includes several former detainees of the U.S. military detention facility in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . The al Qaeda leader accused Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih and his government of being `` servants and slaves '' to the United States by allowing Yemen to be used as `` a supply center ... against Muslim countries . '' `` How can you agree to let the ruling authority in Yemen be the CIA ? '' al-Zawahiri asked the people of Yemen . Al-Zawahiri spent the last eight minutes addressing the situation in Afghanistan , Pakistan and Gaza . His focus on Somalia and Yemen -- which accounted for more than 17 minutes of the 25-minute address -- is a departure from the topics of his previous messages . CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen suggested that is a reflection of al Qaeda 's recent losses as a result of U.S. missile strikes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border . `` There were three in 2007 and 34 in 2008 by my count , '' Bergen said . `` These strikes are causing al Qaeda leaders to consider their options . '' Al Qaeda has considered relocating its base to Somalia or Yemen , according to a former U.S. official who is familiar with the intelligence . Other analysts have suggested that it would be difficult for al Qaeda to gain a stronghold in Somalia because its radical agenda is unpopular in the moderate Islamic country . John Prendergast , who studies the Horn of Africa for the Center for American Progress think tank , said he expects Al-Shabaab 's overseas ties to dry up after the recent withdrawal of Ethiopian forces , which was its only basis of support in Somalia . J. Anthony Holmes , director of the Africa program for the Council on Foreign Relations , said it is unlikely Somalia will emerge as `` a breeding ground for terrorism '' because of its clan-based society . But Bergen noted that both Somalia and Yemen lack a strong central government and `` therefore -LRB- are -RRB- attractive locations for al Qaeda . '' `` Al Qaeda also has had an on-and-off presence in Somalia since 1992 and even earlier in Yemen , '' he said . `` As we have seen also , Yemen 's weak government and permissive attitude to jihadists have made it an increasingly attractive venue for Saudi members of al Qaeda . '' Bergen said that is most likely why al-Zawahiri chose to focus more than half of his latest message on Yemen and Somalia .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The declaration of a state of emergency in Thailand following violent clashes between anti-government and security forces marks the latest escalation in a long-running political crisis which has plunged the southeast Asian country into frequent bouts of disorder and instability . The scene from the streets of Bangkok on Monday showed widespread protests against the government . This weekend 's protests , which included forcing the postponement of a summit of Asian leaders in the southern coastal city of Pattaya and demonstrations on the streets of Bangkok , were orchestrated by red-shirted supporters of the controversial and corruption-tainted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra . Thaksin -- a multibillionaire media tycoon elected in 2001 on a populist platform that promised universal healthcare and cash handouts to poor villagers -- was ousted from power in a bloodless army coup in 2006 and has been in exile abroad since being sentenced last October to two years in prison after being convicted of a corruption charge by Thailand 's Supreme Court . But Thaksin remains a polarizing figure in Thailand , commanding substantial support in the countryside . Until last year , Thaksin 's allies had remained in power with the government headed by the exiled prime minister 's brother-in law , Somchai Wongsawat , despite disruptive protests by the opposition People 's Alliance for Democracy -LRB- PAD -RRB- , whose supporters dressed in yellow and represented Thailand 's traditional ruling class , suspicious of Thaksin 's populist model of democracy . But the PAD achieved its goal of ousting Somchai in December after a week-long occupation of the prime ministerial Government House offices and blockading Bangkok 's main airports , stranding thousands of tourists . Thailand 's Constitutional Court subsequently disbanded Somchai 's People Power Party for electoral fraud and barred Somchai from office for five years , paving the way for Thai lawmakers to elect opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister . iReport.com : `` Red shirts '' take to streets But Thaksin 's supporters insist that Abhisit was not democratically elected and have vowed to protest until fresh elections are held . On Sunday , Thaksin told protesters via a video link from an unknown location that he would return home to lead them in a march on the capital if necessary . `` Now that they have tanks on the street and the soldiers are coming out , so it is time for the people to come out for a revolution , '' Thaksin said . Writing in a blog , CNN 's Bangkok Correspondent Dan Rivers said he saw five possible scenarios emerging from the current crisis . Firstly , Abhisit could call a snap election , which he would be unlikely to win because Thaksin 's allies continue to lead polls . Secondly , he could resign , resulting in the creation of another coalition which would struggle to unify the rival factions , leaving open the likelihood of further protests from one side or the other . Thirdly , Thaksin could return from exile to lead a red-shirted uprising ; a scenario which Rivers describes as `` messy and bloody . '' iReport.com : `` Numerous buses set ablaze '' Fourthly , the army could again intervene , as it has done in the past , although Rivers says that would do little to heal the deep divisions between both sides . Finally , Rivers said , Abhisit could choose to ride out the protests or `` get tough . '' But both strategies would likely damage his standing . `` Trying to ignore the protests will leave him looking even weaker ; ordering a violent crack-down may simply harden the resolve of the red shirts and provide fodder to their questionable claims that Abhisit has dictatorial tendencies , '' Rivers said .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iraq 's main political parties Sunday reached a deal designed to allow non-U.S. foreign troops to stay in the country past the end of the year , when a United Nations resolution authorizing their presence expires . Iraqi and British soldiers during an Iraqi army training session in Basra last week . The deal would set a deadline of July 31 , 2009 , for all non-U.S. foreign troops to withdraw , according to Abdul Hadi al-Hassani , a lawmaker with the main Shiite parliamentary bloc , who spoke to Iraqi state television on Sunday . The agreement awaits approval by Iraq 's Parliament , which is expected to vote on the measure on Monday , several Iraqi lawmakers said . The emergency negotiations came after lawmakers Saturday rejected a similar proposal that would have been law . Sunday 's proposal , by contrast , was drafted as a resolution that would empower the Cabinet to authorize international troop presence without requiring Parliament to pass a law . Washington and Baghdad have already worked out a separate agreement that will keep U.S. troops in Iraq but tighten restrictions on them . Countries other than the United States that have troops in Iraq could be left with no legal cover for their presence there if Baghdad does not act swiftly . Iraq 's Cabinet had approved a draft law authorizing non-U.S. foreign troops Tuesday , the first step in passing legislation , but it fell at the next hurdle -- Parliament . That left lawmakers scrambling Sunday for a way to give foreign troops legal cover quickly . Lawmakers expect Sunday 's agreement to cut through the problem , because a resolution can be passed in a single day , while it takes at least a week to pass a law . British government lawyers , meanwhile , are studying `` all possible options '' to legally extend the presence of British troops in Iraq beyond New Year 's Day in case Iraq 's Parliament rejects the new compromise . Britain has the second-largest contingent of foreign troops in Iraq -- about 4,100 -- after the United States , which has about 142,500 . All other countries combined have only several hundred troops in the country . Britain and Iraq announced last week that British troops would begin leaving Iraq in May 2009 , while a `` handful '' of British military personnel would remain after that date to continue naval training for Iraqi sailors , primarily to protect oil platforms . The United States reached a security agreement with Iraq in November . That deal , which was ratified by the Iraqi Parliament , calls for American troops to leave Iraqi cities by June 2009 , and to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 . Beginning New Year 's Day , U.S. commanders will have to get prior Iraqi government approval for any operations . American military personnel who commit crimes while not on duty or who commit grave crimes while on duty would be subject to Iraqi legal jurisdiction under the new agreement . The U.S. security agreement does not govern the presence of troops from other coalition countries . The Parliament 's rejection of the Cabinet 's proposed law allowing foreign forces to remain in Iraq after January 1 came after heated arguments that lasted for days . The session became so contentious that Parliament 's speaker threatened to resign , lawmakers said . Some political blocs , notably the Sadrists , oppose any extension of the presence of foreign troops in Iraq . That group , headed by Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr -- an anti-Western cleric -- is demanding an immediate withdrawal of foreign forces . CNN 's Jill Dougherty and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Famous for honest self-portraits , Mexican artist Frida Kahlo said that she painted her reality and that her paintings carried a message of pain . Her life was full of it , both physical and emotional , and she used it to fuel her art . Frida Kahlo was born in this house and lived in it with her husband , Diego Rivera . Much can be learned about both her private and public life by visiting the home she shared , first with her parents and later with her painter husband , Diego Rivera . The bold blue house with red trim stands out in the quiet residential street of the Coyoac\u00e1n section of Mexico City . It was painted that way because Kahlo and Rivera felt that the bright colors represented Mexican culture better than the original white paint . This home-turned-museum , known as La Casa Azul , is where Frida Kahlo was born , began to paint and died , making the house a witness to one of the most important artistic lives in Mexican history . The museum entrance leads to a large patio where pre-Columbian sculptures collected by Diego Rivera throughout his lifetime are scattered among the plants and fountains . The couple 's love for traditional Mexican art can be seen throughout the house , from the large fireplace designed by Rivera that dominates the first room , resembling a step pyramid like the ones built by the Mayas and Aztecs , to Kahlo 's paintings and the couple 's collection of smaller sculptures . Some of Kahlo 's most well-known works , such as `` Viva la Vida , '' a still life of watermelons , are on display in the museum , but it is the personal objects that tell the most interesting stories . An entire room is dedicated to communist paraphernalia . Kahlo was very politically active and did not hide her political leanings . In fact , she and Rivera invited exiled Russian communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife to live with them in the late '30s . As visitors move through the museum , it is the remnants of Kahlo and Rivera 's private life that begin to tell their story . Part of the collection is a bed with a mirror attached to it , used by Kahlo in order to create many of her celebrated self-portraits . At the age of 18 , she was left bedridden for a few months when her spine was broken in a serious bus and trolley accident . It was during those months that Kahlo began to paint , to help pass the time and keep her spirits up . Also on view are several corsets that Kahlo had to wear during her lifetime because of lasting injuries from the accident , several surgeries and a childhood bout of polio . It was because she began painting that Kahlo met Diego Rivera , who was at the time a famous Mexican muralist . Kahlo wanted to know whether she had talent enough to make art a career , so she sought out Rivera to get his opinion . That was the start of their famously tempestuous relationship . They were married for the first time in 1929 , but after infidelities on both sides -LRB- including an affair between Kahlo and Trotsky -RRB- , they divorced in 1939 . They were married again a year later . She once commented on their relationship , saying that there had been two great accidents in her life , the trolley and Diego ; Diego , she claimed , had been the worst of the two . The house , which was witness to the birth of Kahlo on July 6 , 1907 , was also witness to her death July 13 , 1954 . Rivera put her ashes in a pre-Columbian urn , which remains in the house to this day . He donated the house in 1957 , and it opened to the public as La Casa Azul , Museo Frida Kahlo in 1958 . So the blue house , which has seen so much of the history of two of Mexico 's most famous artists and was witness to so much of Kahlo 's personal suffering , is open to the public , ready to tell their story to all who are willing to listen .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. troops have launched a `` major operation '' against Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan , U.S. military officials announced in Afghanistan early Thursday . U.S. Marines gather for a briefing in Helmand Province , Afghanistan , on Wednesday . About 4,000 Americans , mostly from the Marines , and 650 Afghan soldiers and police launched Operation Khanjar -- `` strike of the sword '' -- in the Helmand River valley , the U.S. command in Kabul announced . The push is the largest since the Pentagon began moving additional troops into the conflict this year , and it follows a British-led operation launched last week in the same region , the Marines said . It is also the first big move since U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal took over as the allied commander in Afghanistan in mid-June . In Washington , a senior defense official said the size and scope of the new operation are `` very significant . '' `` It 's not common for forces to operate at the brigade level , '' the official said . `` In fact , they often only conduct missions at the platoon level . And they 're going into the most troubled area of Afghanistan . '' Helmand Province , where much of the fighting is taking place , has been a hotbed of Taliban violence in recent months . At least 25 U.S. and British troops have been killed there in 2009 . The defense official said the operation is a `` tangible indication '' of the new approach that McChrystal -- a former chief of the Pentagon 's special operations command -- is bringing to the nearly eight-year war . `` They 're not just doing an offensive push to get bad guys ; they 're going in to hold the area and stay there , '' the official said . `` This approach is indicative of McChrystal 's philosophy : measuring success by the number of Afghans protected , not bad guys killed . '' The Obama administration has moved about 21,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan , the original front in the war launched after the September 11 attacks . During his confirmation hearing in June , McChrystal told senators that the conflict requires a new focus on counterinsurgency to reduce violence and build support for the U.S.-led NATO alliance among Afghans . `` Although I expect stiff fighting ahead , the measure of success will not be enemy killed . It will be shielding the Afghan population from violence , '' he said . The Islamic fundamentalist Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan before its allies in the al Qaeda terrorist network attacked New York and Washington in 2001 . Though quickly toppled after the attacks , its leaders escaped , and the movement regrouped in the Afghan countryside and across the border in Pakistan . CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday -- the eve of Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's inauguration for a second term -- that now is a `` critical moment '' for Afghanistan , because Karzai has a `` clear window '' to demonstrate what kind of government he will lead . Speaking to staff members at the U.S. Embassy , Clinton said there is a careful and thoughtful review of U.S. policy going on `` because we know this is a turning point . '' `` We want to be a strong partner to people of Afghanistan , '' she said , `` and to the government . '' Clinton met with embassy staff before meeting with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan . Afterward , she had dinner with Karzai . The two , flanked by their senior aides , met at a second-floor reception room at Karzai 's palace . They spoke about Clinton 's travel schedule and about the planning for Karzai 's Thursday inauguration . They also spoke about the difficulty in accommodating all the Afghans who want to attend the ceremony . The government expects about 800 people to attend in all ; some will have to stand . Clinton 's attendance at the inauguration will show U.S. support for Karzai 's government after an election that was tainted by fraudulent balloting . Karzai is under intense international pressure to clean up corruption within his government , and Clinton was to deliver a tough message on the need to show results , a senior U.S. official tells CNN . The senior U.S. official , who is not authorized to speak publicly about details of Clinton 's meeting with Karzai , said the Obama administration already is discussing with the Karzai government specific `` benchmarks '' that will require Afghan ministries to be certified as `` open and transparent '' if they are to receive direct payments from the U.S. government . If ministries are not certified as open and transparent , they can continue to receive technical assistance , but not direct U.S. funding , the official says . If the assessments determine that the ministry needs additional specific technical assistance to be certified , the U.S. will provide it . Clinton 's first visit to Afghanistan as secretary of state comes as President Obama is deciding whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan , as requested by McChrystal . A major factor in Obama 's decision on how many troops to send to Afghanistan centers on the Afghan government 's ability to partner with the United States to fight the Taliban . In the past several weeks , Eikenberry has sent two cables to Washington expressing reservations about troop increases amid lingering concerns about Karzai and the uncertainty about the government he will put in place . On Sunday , Clinton said she had `` made it clear '' that the United States wo n't provide civilian aid to Afghanistan 's government agencies without an effective certification process that shows the money will be spent on its intended purposes . `` We believe that President Karzai and his government can do better , '' Clinton said on the ABC broadcast `` This Week , '' adding that Obama 's administration was `` looking for tangible evidence '' that the Karzai administration would be more responsive to the needs of the Afghan people . She cited the need for the Karzai government to crack down on fraud and `` demonstrate there 's not impunity for those who are corrupt . '' The senior U.S. official says the United States has certified departments in the Ministries of Public Health , Communications and Finance to receive direct U.S. government assistance . During the next three months , he says , it will assess the Ministries of Education ; Agriculture , Irrigation , and Livestock ; and Rural Rehabilitation and Development . Two assessments will be carried out -- financial and procurement -- at each ministry . If those assessments determine that the procurement , financial , and expenditure systems are adequate , the U.S. will certify them as having the capacity to accept direct assistance . The Afghan government already has announced it is creating a commission that will investigate allegations of corruption . It also says it will create a tribunal in the Justice Ministry that will prosecute corruption cases that the commission has investigated . This U.S. official says the United States is not trying to `` hector , lecture or look over the shoulder '' of the Afghan government , but it does want to make sure U.S. tax dollars are spent wisely . The U.S. , he says , `` wants an Afghan-led process to fight corruption . '' Clinton told the NBC program `` Meet the Press '' on Sunday that the primary U.S. mission in Afghanistan is defeating al Qaeda , rather than making a long-term commitment to rebuild the country . CNN 's Elise Labott contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal agents have arrested more than 1,300 suspected gang members , including 343 with violent criminal histories , in the past three months , the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Tuesday . Gang weapons and paraphernalia are displayed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2006 . `` Violent foreign-born gang members and their associates have more than worn out their welcome , and to them I have one message : good riddance , '' Julie L. Myers , assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement , said in a news release . Of those arrested , 374 face criminal charges , officials said . The rest face deportation , they said . During the nationwide crackdown , immigration and customs agents worked with law enforcement counterparts in 23 cities in what officials described as a `` summer surge . '' The most arrests were made in the New York area -LRB- 205 -RRB- and Miami , Florida -LRB- 160 -RRB- , but gang members were arrested in cities as small as Boise , Idaho , and Fort Smith , Arkansas . Watch agents in action in suspected gang roundup '' Myers told a Washington news conference that some of `` the worst of the worst '' gang offenders had been taken off U.S. streets . One of the gangs targeted has been MS-13 , which is believed to be the fastest growing group in the United States as well as one of the most violent , the agency said . The FBI estimates MS-13 has about 10,000 members in the country , along with tens of thousands in Guatemala , Mexico , Panama , Nicaragua , Honduras and El Salvador , where the gang originated in the late 1980s . `` MS-13 still seems to be the primary gang and the most violent gang still out there , and it is penetrating throughout the United States , '' said Marcy Forman , director of investigations for the agency . Don Hunter , sheriff of Collier County in southwest Florida , said MS-13 was present in what he called the `` upscale '' community . `` We are not unique , we have transnational gangs , we have homegrown gangs , '' Hunter told the news conference . But he said cooperation among federal and local agencies had made it possible to put a dent in gang operations . The sweep was part of the agency 's Operation Community Shield anti-gang initiative , which started in 2005 , and has resulted in arrests of more than 7,000 alleged members and their associates from more than 600 gangs , the agency said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Kelli Arena and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two senior Indian officials met with the Sri Lankan president Friday in Colombo to address the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn island nation . A Sri Lanka army photo of what it says are refugees fleeing a rebel area . Shiv Shankar Menon , the Indian foreign secretary and M.K. Narayanan , the national security adviser , met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa , according to A.M.J. Sadiq , a foreign ministry official in Sri Lanka . He did not provide further details . `` The Indian message was just short of reading the riot act , '' a source told CNN . Significant numbers of people have been killed or wounded in a Sri Lankan offensive against the faltering Tamil Tiger rebel movement , and thousands are trapped by the fighting , the United Nations said Wednesday . `` Given that the area has shrunk even further , the potential for further significant casualties still remains , '' the U.N. said in a statement . The Sri Lankan army launched an operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in the country 's northern area Monday , and a deadline for the rebels to surrender passed Tuesday . Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area , but tens of thousands more remain wedged on the island 's northeastern coast . The area remains controlled by the rebels , the U.S. State Department said Tuesday . The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka 's northeast since 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began , and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries , including the United States and the European Union . Thousands of civilians remained threatened , Pranab Mukherjee , India 's foreign affairs minister , said in a statement Thursday . He called for an end to hostilities in the area . The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it is helping the government in the regions of Vavuniya and Jaffna , with emergency shelters and distribution of aid . There are about 38 internally displaced persons sites and authorities are working to come up with more land and buildings for more displaced people . `` UNHCR remains deeply concerned about the estimated 50,000 people who are still trapped inside the conflict zone where fighting is intensifying , '' the organization said . `` We urge the government to exercise extreme caution in its military actions and calls upon the LTTE to allow displaced people to leave the area immediately , '' the UNHCR said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British police practice of keeping DNA records of anyone they arrest is a human rights violation , The European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously Thursday . The European Court of Human Rights says the UK should not be keeping DNA records of everyone they arrest . Two Britons took the case to the court after the police retained their fingerprints and DNA when criminal cases against them ended without conviction . Both then requested that the samples be destroyed , but their request was denied on the basis of a British law authorizing them to be retained indefinitely . The court awarded them 42,000 euros -LRB- $ 53,000 -RRB- to cover their legal costs . The court was `` struck by the blanket and indiscriminate nature of the power of retention in England and Wales , '' it said in a statement announcing the ruling . It ruled the British practice was a violation of the `` right to respect for private and family life '' under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights . The two applicants are both from the northern English city of Sheffield . One , Michael Marper , was arrested in March 2001 and charged with harassment of his partner . The case was formally discontinued three months later when he and his partner reconciled . The second applicant , a minor identified in court papers only as S. , was arrested in January 2001 , aged 11 , for attempted robbery . He was acquitted in June 2001 , on the same day the case against Marper was dropped . Marper told CNN he was surprised the case went as far as it did . `` It 's a shame it had to go all the way to the European Court . It was only a trivial thing in the beginning , '' he said . He was in favor of the police DNA database when it was introduced . `` I was n't against the principle of it . I 'm all for DNA investigation at a crime scene . '' He added that he did not object to retaining the DNA of convicted criminals `` so if you committed a crime later it could be traced and checked out . '' But , he said , if a case `` has not been to court , then the DNA evidence should be thrown out with it . '' The court ruling can not be appealed , and theoretically requires the British government to change its policies . But British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith , who is responsible for the police , said she was `` disappointed '' by the ruling and that the existing law would `` remain in place while we carefully consider the judgment . '' `` DNA and fingerprinting is vital to the fight against crime , providing the police with more than 3,500 matches a month , '' she said in a statement released by the Home Office Thursday . `` The government mounted a robust defense before the court , and I strongly believe DNA and fingerprints play an invaluable role in fighting crime and bringing people to justice . '' CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"San Salvador , El Salvador -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The remnants of Tropical Storm Agatha were headed into the Caribbean Sea late Sunday after leaving behind more than 80 dead in Guatemala and El Salvador , authorities in those countries reported . Most of the dead were in Guatemala , where heavy rains triggered mudslides that collapsed homes and forced thousands to evacuate . The country 's preliminary death toll was 73 on Sunday , with 49 of those reported in the province of Chimaltenango , said David de Leon , Spokesperson for the National Commission for the Reduction of National Disasters . That toll was expected to rise , he said . And El Salvador reported nine deaths from the storm . The government issued a red alert , the highest warning level , which shut down schools and opened up shelters for families in the affected areas , President Mauricio Funes said . Agatha , an Eastern Pacific storm , struck land Saturday and was downgraded from a tropical depression to a remnant storm on Sunday . It was last reported moving toward the western Caribbean on Sunday afternoon , but was expected to keep producing heavy rains through Monday , according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center . In Guatemala , the storm damaged more than 3,500 homes and forced the evacuation of more than 61,000 people , the nation 's emergency office said Sunday . And in Mexico , the government 's National Meteorological Service predicted torrential rain for Chiapas state , intense downpours in Tabasco and strong showers in Quintana Roo . Four other Mexican states were predicted to receive moderate rain . Strong winds also were forecast . Swollen rivers and mudslides were a concern . In Guatemala , four children were buried in a landslide outside Guatemala City , the nation 's capital . Four adults were killed in the capital , disaster officials said . Another two children and two adults were killed when a boulder , dislodged by heavy rains , crushed a house in the department of Quetzaltenango , 125 miles -LRB- 200 km -RRB- west of Guatemala City , officials said . Guatemala is already under a 15-day state of calamity because of Thursday 's eruption of the Pacaya volcano , which killed at least three people . At least 1,800 people had already been evacuated to shelters . The volcano also shut down the capital 's international airport . Ash from the volcano that covered city streets and other areas mixed with the heavy rain , forming a goo that caused many drainage systems to clog . Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said damage from Agatha was probably worse than the destruction caused by Hurricanes Mitch in 1998 and Stan in 2005 , both of which devastated the Central American country . `` The country is suffering a great tragedy , this attack by nature , '' Colom said from the Guatemalan emergency agency center . Emergencies were reported in all of Guatemala 's 22 states , called departments . The worst , Colom said , was the Pacific Ocean port of Champerico , which is isolated . `` We have no way of getting there to help the public , which is in danger because of flooding , '' Colom said . The president said he has asked the international community for help . Agatha is the first named storm of the Pacific hurricane season . The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 . CNN 's Esprit Smith and journalist Merlin Rodriguez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists Fernando Torres is happy at the English Premier League club after Manchester City were linked with a multi-million dollar bid for the Spain striker . Torres has scored 18 goals in 22 league games for Liverpool this season but will miss the rest of the campaign after having surgery on a knee injury , meaning the 26-year-old faces a race to be fit for Spain 's opening game in the World Cup against Switzerland on June 16 . City spent over $ 100 million in the transfer market before the start of this season and are currently battling for fourth spot in the league , which would guarantee a lucrative Champions League place . Liverpool , meanwhile , sit in seventh place and look set to miss out on qualification for the money-spinning tournament . It has led to speculation that Torres could be top of City 's wanted list once the season ends . City 's Italian manager Roberto Mancini told reporters : `` We are a top team and I think all the top teams are interested in Torres but sometimes it depends on the player because they want to play in the Champions League . `` For me , he is with Carlos -LSB- Tevez -RSB- , -LSB- Wayne -RSB- Rooney , -LSB- Lionel -RSB- Messi , -LSB- Zlatan -RSB- Ibrahimovic , -LSB- Cristiano -RSB- Ronaldo as the best in Europe . Fernando is a fantastic striker ; all the teams in Europe would like him . '' The City manager did admit a successful pursuit of Torres may only come about if the club can secure Champions League football next season : `` If we do n't get into the fourth position I think it will be difficult , '' he said . Liverpool were knocked out of Champions League in the group stages but have progressed to the semifinal of the Europa League against Atletico Madrid . They lost the first leg 1-0 in the Spanish capital on Thursday . After the game Benitez dismissed the possibility of Torres leaving the club . He told reporters : `` Torres is happy . The thing he 's thinking about now is being ready as soon as possible and that 's it . From the beginning , he 's said he 's been very happy at Anfield . `` We have said repeatedly that Fernando is not for sale and he still has three years of his contract remaining , so how can they sign a player who does not wish to leave ? ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Egyptian court on Thursday confirmed the death sentences of a business tycoon and a former police officer convicted of killing rising Lebanese pop star Suzanne Tamim . Hisham Talaat Moustafa , a real estate mogul , has been found guilty of Suzanne Tamim 's murder . In a case that has captivated Egypt and the region because of the fame of the victim and one of the defendants , a judge sentenced to death real estate mogul Hisham Talaat Moustafa and former officer Muhsen el Sukkari last month . Tamim 's body was found stabbed , with her throat slit , in her apartment in the United Arab Emirates in July 2008 . The court 's latest decision came after a review of the sentence by Egypt 's grand mufti , the country 's highest religious official . Because the two men were sentenced under Islamic law , it is widely expected they will be hanged . The court usually seeks to get the Mufti 's `` advice only on any death sentence , according to the law , '' a legal source in Cairo told CNN . `` However , the Mufti 's advice to the court is not binding at all , '' added the source , who asked not to be named . `` Even if the Mufti was against the death sentence , that will not have any effect on the judge 's decision , who will have the final say , '' the source said . Since his 2003 appointment as grand mufti , Sheikh Ali Gomaa has received about 480 cases from the court that included death sentences . He supported the judge 's decision in 478 and opposed twice , but the rule was implemented according to the court conviction . Moustafa 's lawyer previously told reporters that he would appeal the conviction , saying there was `` a 1 million percent guarantee '' the sentence would be overturned . Prosecutors alleged Moustafa , a parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party , paid el Sukkari $ 2 million to kill Tamim . During the trial , Moustafa 's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected . Polygamy is legal in Egypt , and it 's not unusual for men such as Moustafa , a married father of three , to take on additional wives . Prosecutors have said Tamim 's death was a `` means of taking revenge '' but have not elaborated . Moustafa and el Sukkari claim the prosecution 's evidence could have been fabricated or tampered with by UAE authorities and should not be used against them . Although Tamim was killed in the UAE , the Egyptian judiciary tried the case in Cairo because the accused were arrested in Egypt . After Moustafa 's arrest in September , Egyptian authorities indicted him , stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and jailed him pending trial . He also resigned as chairman of Talaat Moustafa Group -- a conglomerate with construction and real estate arms that was founded by his father , Talaat Moustafa . Moustafa 's brother , Tarek Talaat Moustafa , now chairs the company . CNN.com Arabic 's Mahmoud Gharib contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"HAMILTON , Bermuda -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two of four Uyghurs relocated to Bermuda after seven years of detention in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , denied Friday that they had ever been terrorists and expressed gratitude toward U.S. President Barack Obama for working to free them . Salahidin Abdalahut and Kheleel Mamut were two of four Uyghurs released from Gitmo . Thirteen remain there . Asked what he would say to someone who accused him of being a terrorist , one of the men , Kheleel Mamut , told CNN 's Don Lemon , `` I am no terrorist ; I have not been terrorist . I will never be terrorist . I am a peaceful person . '' Speaking through an interpreter who is herself a Uyghur who said she was sympathetic toward the men , the other man -- Salahidin Abdalahut -- described the past seven years as `` difficult times for me ... I feel bad that it took so long for me to be free . '' The two Chinese Muslims were among four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda ; another 13 remain in detention on the island . He said he had traveled to Afghanistan not to attend any terrorist training camps but because -- as a Uyghur -- he had been oppressed by the Chinese government . `` We had to leave the country to look for a better life , a peaceful life , and Afghanistan is a neighboring country to our country , and it 's easy to go , '' he said . `` It is difficult to obtain a visa to go to any other places , so it was really easy for us to just travel to Afghanistan . '' Asked what he hoped to do next , he said , `` I want to forget about the past and move on to a peaceful life in the future . '' In addition to the four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda , another 13 Uyghurs remain in detention on the island . The four were flown by private plane Wednesday night from Cuba to Bermuda , and were accompanied by U.S. and Bermudian representatives as well as their attorneys , according to Susan Baker Manning , part of the men 's legal team . The men , who are staying in an apartment , are free to roam about the island . Mamut accused the Bush administration of having held them without cause , and lauded Obama for having `` tried really hard to bring justice and he has been trying very hard to find other countries to resettle us and finally he freed us . '' He appealed to Obama to carry out his promise to shut Guantanamo Bay within a year . `` I would like President Obama to honor that word and to free my 13 brothers who were left behind and all of the rest of the people who deserve to be free , '' Mamut said . Asked how he had been treated in Guantanamo Bay , Mamut said , `` It is a jail , so there will be difficulties in the jail that we have faced and now , since I am a free man today , I would like to forget about all that . I really do n't want to think about those days . '' He cited a proverb from his homeland that means , `` What is done can not be undone . '' Asked if he had anything to say to anyone watching , he said , `` Thank you very much for those people who helped me to gain freedom . '' He said he had spoken earlier in the day with his family . `` They told me , `` My boy , my son , congratulations on your freedom . ' '' The move has had international repercussions , including causing a rift between the United States and Britain . A British official familiar with the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told CNN the United States had informed London of the agreement `` shortly before the deal was concluded . '' A U.S. official , speaking on background , said the British feel blindsided . Bermuda is a British `` overseas territory . '' The four were twice cleared for release -- once by the Bush administration and again this year , according to a Justice Department statement . The issue of where they go is controversial because of China 's opposition to the Uyghurs ' being sent to any country but China . Uyghurs are a Muslim minority from the Xinjiang province of far west China . The 17 Uyghurs had left China and made their way to Afghanistan , where they settled in a camp with other Uyghurs opposed to the Chinese government , the Justice Department said in its statement . They left Afghanistan after U.S. bombings began in the area in October 2001 and were apprehended in Pakistan , the statement said . `` According to available information , these individuals did not travel to Afghanistan with the intent to take any hostile action against the United States , '' the statement said . However , China alleges that the men are part of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement -- a group the U.S. State Department considers a terrorist organization -- that operates in the Xinjiang region . East Turkestan is another name for Xinjiang . China on Thursday urged the United States to hand over all 17 of the Uyghurs instead of sending them elsewhere . The United States will not send Uyghur detainees cleared for release back to China out of concern that they would be tortured by Chinese authorities . China has said no returned Uyghurs would be tortured . A senior U.S. administration official told CNN that the State Department is working on a final agreement with Palau to settle the 13 remaining Uyghur detainees . CNN 's Don Lemon and Brian Vitagliano in Hamilton , Bermuda , and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Peter Bergen is a fellow at the New America Foundation , a Washington-based think tank that promotes innovative thought from across the ideological spectrum and at New York University 's Center on Law and Security . He 's the author of `` The Osama bin Laden I Know : An Oral History of al Qaeda 's Leader . '' Peter Bergen says deals with the Taliban could further destabilize the situation in Afghanistan . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It is a longstanding clich\u00e9 that there is no military solution in Afghanistan , only a political one . Linked to this is the newer , related notion , rapidly becoming a clich\u00e9 , that the United States should start making deals with elements of the `` reconcilable '' Taliban . As with many clich\u00e9s , there is some truth to both these notions , but neither of these comforting ideas are a substitute for a strategy that is connected to what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan . Sunday 's New York Times ran an interview with President Obama in which he said that , just as the U.S. had made peace agreements with Sunni militias in Iraq , `` There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and in the Pakistani region . '' He also cautioned that this could be `` more complex '' than was the case in Iraq . It 's not only going to be more complex , but doing deals with the Taliban today could further destabilize Afghanistan . Before getting to why that is the case , let 's stipulate first that there are always going to be some local commanders of the Taliban who can be bribed , coerced or otherwise persuaded to lay down their arms . In fact , the Afghan government already has had an amnesty program in place for Taliban fighters for four years . Thousands of the Taliban already have taken advantage of the amnesty , a fact that tends to be glossed over in most of the recent discussions of the issue . That being said , there are nine reasons why doing deals with most of the various factions of the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Pakistan that are labeled `` the Taliban '' are more in the realm of fantasy than a sustainable policy . First , the Afghan government is a sovereign entity and any agreements with the Taliban must be made by it . Right now the weak and ineffectual Afghan government is in no position to negotiate with the Taliban , other than to make significant concessions of either territory or principle , or both . Second , while Obama did n't talk about dealing with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar , it is worth pointing out the Taliban leadership , including Mullah Omar , has in the past several months taken every opportunity to say that it has no interest in a deal with the Afghan government . And just last week , Mullah Omar urged the Pakistani Taliban to refocus their efforts on attacking U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan . Those statements should be taken at face value . Third , Mullah Omar 's intransigence is utterly predictable . He was prepared to sacrifice his regime on the point of principle that he would not hand over Osama bin Laden after 9\/11 . And he did . This does not suggest a Kissingerian realism about negotiations , but rather a fanatical devotion to his cause . Fourth , the Taliban believe they may be winning in Afghanistan , and they also are confident that they are not losing , which for an insurgent movement amounts to the same thing . They see no need to negotiate today when they can get a better deal down the road . Fifth , the Taliban leadership is largely in Pakistan . Side deals done with the Afghan Taliban will have little or no effect on the fact that the command and control of the insurgency is in another country . Sixth , when Pakistan 's government has done `` peace '' deals with the Taliban in the Pakistani tribal regions in 2005 and 2006 and in the northern region of Swat earlier this year , they were made following military setbacks by Pakistan 's army . Those deals then allowed the militants to regroup and extend their control over greater swaths of Pakistani territory . Why would new agreements with the Taliban on either side of the Afghan-Pakistan border yield different results ? Seventh , `` reconcilable '' Afghan Taliban leaders have already reconciled to the government . Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil , the former foreign minister who met with Afghan government officials in Saudi Arabia in September , to discuss some kind of agreement with the Harmid Karzai administration , was a foe of bin Laden 's long before 9\/11 and was never a hard-liner . Muttawakil has no standing today with Taliban leaders , who have been waging war now for 7 1\/2 years against Karzai , and who quickly denied they were in any negotiations with his government . Eighth , while the Taliban was never a monolithic movement , it is much closer to al Qaeda today than it was before 9\/11 . Yes , there are local groups of the Taliban operating for purely local reasons , but the upper levels of the Taliban have morphed together ideologically and tactically with al Qaeda . Baitullah Mehsud , for instance , the leader of the Pakistani Taliban , sent suicide attackers to Spain in January 2008 , according to Spanish counterterrorism officials , and sees himself as part of the global jihad . The Haqqani family , arguably the most important component of the insurgency on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border , has ties with bin Laden that date back to at least 1985 , according to the Palestinian journalist Jamal Ismail , who has known the al Qaeda leader for more than two decades . Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , a commander allied to the Taliban , has been close to bin Laden since at least 1989 , according to militants who know both men . Al Qaeda was founded in Pakistan two decades ago , and bin Laden has been fighting alongside Afghan mujahedeen groups since the mid-1980s . Al Qaeda Central on the Afghan\/Pakistan border is much less of a `` foreign '' group with far deeper and older roots in the region than Al Qaeda ever was in Iraq . The Taliban 's rhetoric is now filled with references to Iraq and Palestine in a manner that mirrors bin Laden 's public statements . The use of suicide attacks , improvised explosive devices and the beheadings of hostages -- all techniques that al Qaeda perfected in Iraq -- are methods that the Taliban have increasingly adopted in Afghanistan and have grown exponentially there since 2005 . iReport.com : Should there be a deal with the Taliban ? One could go on listing examples of the Taliban 's ideological and tactical collaboration with al Qaeda , but the larger point is that separating al Qaeda and the Taliban is not going to be as relatively simple as splintering Iraqi insurgent groups from al Qaeda in Iraq . And ninth , unlike Al Qaeda in Iraq , which was a foreign-led group that sought to impose , unpopular Taliban-style rule on Sunni areas of Iraq , the Taliban in Pashtun areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan are not outsiders , but are often neighborhood people whose views about religion and society are rooted in the values of the Pashtun countryside . While , of course , the U.S. should be splintering , buying off and co-opting as many elements of the Taliban as possible , American officials also need to be realistic about how much closer Al Qaeda and the Taliban have grown together in recent years , and the fact that the insurgency has mushroomed in size on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border . Winston Churchill once observed that `` it 's better to jaw-jaw than to war-war . '' True enough . But `` jaw-jaw '' with the Taliban wo n't work if they think they are winning as they do right now . The Obama administration has ordered 17,000 additional American soldiers to go to Afghanistan this year . As a result , two Marine brigades and a mobile , well-armored Stryker brigade will deploy into the heart of the Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan . Marine and Stryker brigades are not the kind of units you send in to play nice . Those deployments strongly suggest that for all the public discussion of negotiations with the Taliban the decision already has been made that any such negotiations should precede from a position of strength rather than weakness . These comments are , in part , based on Peter Bergen 's testimonybefore the U.S. House of Representatives , Committee on Oversight and Government Reform , Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on March 4 . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bergen .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- House and Senate Democrats reached agreement late Monday on a budget resolution for 2010 , which includes key spending priorities for the young Obama administration . The Senate and House could vote on the budget resolution Tuesday . President Obama 's budget request is $ 3.67 trillion . `` This budget is a major accomplishment , '' Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad said in a statement . `` We are meeting President Obama 's goals of reducing our dependence on foreign energy , striving for excellence in education , reforming our health care system , and providing middle-class tax relief . '' The agreement came as lawmakers were reconciling the House and Senate versions of the budget package . The president 's budget request is $ 3.67 trillion . The full Senate and House are each expected to vote on the fiscal 2010 budget resolution this week . The House vote could come as soon as Tuesday . Budget negotiators have fast-tracked part of the budget process . Major health reform is likely to pass this year , because the special process -- known as budget reconciliation -- wo n't allow Republicans to filibuster the legislation , as was widely expected . Democrats , who currently control 58 seats in the Senate , will be able to pass it with a simple majority vote , instead of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster . Separately , conservative Democrats in the House , who have been pushing for a strong statement from leadership on fiscal responsibility in the budget , may have some of their concerns addressed . A Democratic aide told CNN that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer are drafting a letter to Senate leaders `` throwing down the gauntlet '' to insist that a pay-as-you-go system be followed , which would require new federal spending to be offset with budget cuts or tax increases . President Barack Obama called for the so-called `` PAYGO '' legislation in his weekend radio address . The budget resolution would limit increases in non-defense discretionary spending to 2.9 percent through 2014 , according to Conrad . `` While the budget resolution takes important steps in the near-term of cutting the deficit in half by 2012 and by two-thirds by 2014 , it is clear that more will be needed to address the long-term fiscal imbalance confronting the nation beyond the five-year budget window , '' said Conrad . President Obama gathered his Cabinet members last week and challenged them to cut a total of $ 100 million in the next 90 days . In the context of the federal budget , $ 100 million in savings is a tiny amount , critics said . It is the equivalent , according to one example , of having a car dealer offer to shave $ 1 from the cost of a $ 36,700 vehicle . `` Any amount of savings is obviously welcome , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , said at the time . `` But -LRB- $ 100 million is -RRB- about the average amount we 'll spend every single day just covering the interest on the stimulus package that we passed earlier this year . '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said ordinary Americans would nevertheless appreciate the savings effort . `` Only in Washington , D.C. , is $ 100 million dollars not a lot of money . It is where I 'm from . It is where I grew up . And I think it is for hundreds of millions of Americans . '' CNN 's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- Score a personal best at the box office for Quentin Tarantino this weekend . `` Inglourious Basterds , '' his revisionist take on WWII starring Brad Pitt , grossed an estimated $ 37.6 million , besting the reigning box office champ `` District 9 , '' and giving beleaguered studio The Weinstein Co. a little financial relief . `` Inglourious Basterds , '' a revisionist take on WWII starring Brad Pitt , grossed an estimated $ 37.6 million . `` Basterds ' '' opening far surpasses Tarantino 's previous best opener , `` Kill Bill Vol . 2 , '' which brought in $ 25 million in April 2004 . The critical question now is how `` Basterds '' will hold up during the next few weeks . Since Weinstein only has domestic rights to the movie -- Universal Pictures holds international -- a large overall gross stateside is mandatory for the company . Warner Bros . had a much harder time with its release `` Shorts '' from auteur Robert Rodriguez . Opening to only $ 6.6 million , the PG-rated kid flick landed in a weak 6th place finish for its opening frame . The only other new release to reach the top ten was Fox Searchlight 's post-college flick `` Post Grad '' starring Alexis Bledel . Despite opening in 1,959 locations , the film grossed only an estimated $ 2.8 million for the three days . Among holdovers , `` District 9 '' did incredibly well considering Basterds was angling directly for its male audience . The $ 30 million sci-fi movie from newcomer Neil Blomkamp dropped a scant 49 % to $ 18.9 million putting its total ten day gross at an impressive $ 73 million . `` G.I. Joe '' also hung in for its third week in theaters . The high-octane actioner fell only 44 percent to $ 12.5 million . It 's three-week cume now stands at $ 120 million . Female moviegoers helped keep `` The Time Traveler 's Wife '' and `` Julie & Julia '' in the top five . `` Time Traveler '' dropped only 46 percent to $ 10 million its second week putting its ten-day gross at $ 37.4 million while `` Julie & Julia '' fell only 25 percent , which is remarkable considering the movie is in its third week of release . Grossing $ 9 million for the three days , the Meryl Streep , Amy Adams two-hander has now earned $ 59 million total . Thanks to the strong opening of `` Basterds '' and the solid hold of the incumbent films , the box office was up 26 percent compared to the same time last year . It 's the third week in a row the box office was up after four weekends of unimpressive results . Next weekend 's horror mash-up of `` Halloween II '' and `` The Final Destination 3-D '' should yield some positive results too . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The ambush by up to a dozen gunmen of a bus carrying members of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore is the realization of fears long held by the sport 's leading players . Pakistani policemen outside The National Stadium after masked gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore on March 3 , 2009 . The Sri Lankan team had agreed to tour Pakistan after India pulled out in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last November when more than 160 people died in a three-day siege . The England team was in India -- but not in Mumbai -- during the attacks and promptly cut their tour short and returned home . In September 2008 , Cricket Australia decided to push ahead with a tour of India despite a series of bomb attacks in the country 's capital New Delhi . In March of the same year , they had pulled out of a tour of Pakistan after a spate of suicide bombings . Before that , the Australian team had not played in Pakistan for 10 years . Such was the concern about the security risks presented to players in Pakistan that in August 2008 the International Cricket Council -LRB- ICC -RRB- announced the biennial Champions Trophy would be postponed until October 2009 . The ICC announced last month that it was investigating other venues after three countries -- England , New Zealand and Australia -- expressed reservations about touring Pakistan . South Africa pulled out of the 2008 competition citing security concerns . Long before that , in 2002 , a suicide bomb blast outside the New Zealand team 's hotel prompted them to pack up and abandon the second Test series in Pakistan . The explosion injured the team physiotherapist and killed 11 French navy experts as well as two Pakistanis . The previous year , the New Zealand team cancelled a scheduled tour of Pakistan in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the U.S. Most of the team stayed on to play , though under increased security , when a suicide attack closed Colombo 's international airport in July 2001 . In February 1996 , Australia and the West Indies refused to play in preliminary World Cup matches in Sri Lanka after a huge bomb blast killed 80 people and injured 1,200 in Colombo . In November 1992 , also in Colombo , a suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside a hotel where the New Zealand team was having breakfast , killing four people . Five players and the coach were allowed to return home on compassionate grounds . Five years earlier , in April 1987 , the New Zealand team cut short a three-test tour of Sri Lanka after a car bomb killed 100 people at a bus station in Colombo .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Her school has become a symbol of the kind of crumbling infrastructure that President Obama hopes his stimulus bill will improve . South Carolina student Ty'Sheoma Bethea was invited to the speech after she wrote a letter to lawmakers . But on Tuesday , Ty'Sheoma Bethea became the face of the issue , when she joined first lady Michelle Obama as her guest for the president 's first speech to a joint session of Congress . The White House invited Bethea , a student at the J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon , South Carolina , after a letter she sent lawmakers appealing for help rebuilding her school made its way to the president . The eighth-grader flew with her mother , Dina Leach , from South Carolina to Washington to attend Tuesday night 's speech . On Wednesday , back home in South Carolina , Bethea explained what she wanted the president to do . `` I just want for him to help my school out and to get us a bigger and better school and build us a new one , and I would thank him for that . '' she told CNN . The eighth-grader was inspired to write the letter by Obama , who mentioned her school in his first presidential news conference on February 9 . After visiting the school , he referenced J.V. Martin as evidence of educational institutions that would benefit from school construction funding in his $ 787 billion stimulus package . iReport.com : ' A very emotional moment ' In her letter , Bethea described the dilapidated condition of her school , which was built in 1896 , and said the funds would improve the building and the quality of education . `` We are just students trying to become lawyers , doctors , congressmen like yourself , and one day president , so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina , but also the world . We are not quitters . '' Watch Obama quote Bethea in speech '' Obama repeated Bethea 's statement about not quitting during his address . `` It was great to hear the president say my quote , '' Bethea said Wednesday . `` We are not quitters because anything is possible , and I do n't think we should give up so easily . We should work harder for it . '' Poorly maintained and ill-equipped schools in South Carolina 's `` corridor of shame '' were an issue during the Democratic primary as evidence that education reform had to be an imperative for the next president . The schools became an issue again last week when South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford , a Republican , said he might turn down some of the money in the stimulus . And South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn , the highest-ranking African-American in Congress , said turning down money was an `` insult '' to blacks . `` We have legislation here now with the money to do something about the schools , do something about water and sewage along that corridor in these 12 counties . And now the governor says , ' I do n't want to accept the money . ' That 's why I called this an insult , that 's why I said this is a slap in the face , because a majority of those counties are , in fact , inhabited by African-Americans , '' Clyburn said on CNN 's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer . In his speech Tuesday , Obama vowed that education is among the priorities of his administration . He urged Americans to take advantage of the promise of an education . Watch Obama discuss education '' `` In a global economy , where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge , a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity . It is a prerequisite , '' he said . `` It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as educators to make this system work , but it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it . '' Obama said . iReport.com : What would you fix first ? `` So tonight , I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training . This can be a community college or a four-year school , vocational training or an apprenticeship . But whatever the training may be , every American will need to get more than a high school diploma . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The attack on a Danish political cartoonist `` runs totally against the teachings and values of Islam , '' the umbrella organization representing Muslim countries has said . If the attack was a reaction to Kurt Westergaard 's drawing of the Muslim prophet Mohammed with a turban shaped as a bomb , `` then it should be rejected and condemned by all Muslims , '' the Organization of the Islamic Conference said in a statement Sunday . An ax-wielding Somali man is accused of trying to break into Westergaard 's home Friday and was charged the next day with attempted assassination . Intelligence officials linked the suspect to an East African Islamist militia allied with al Qaeda . The suspect tried to kill Westergaard and an on-duty police officer , the Danish Intelligence and Security Service said . Danish police shot the 28-year-old suspect Friday night as he tried to enter Westergaard 's home in the city of Aarhus . The suspect was shot in the right leg and left hand . He was hospitalized after the incident . Video showed him appearing at court strapped to a stretcher . Authorities did not identify him because the judge decided it would be illegal to disclose his name , said Chief Superintendent Ole Madsen with the East Jutland Police . They said he has legal residency in Denmark and lives in Sjaelland , near Copenhagen . The judge ordered the suspect held for four weeks while the investigation proceeds . Madsen said the man is currently the only suspect in the case , and he would not say whether police were investigating anyone else . Al-Shabaab , the militant organization with alleged ties to the suspect , is waging a bloody battle against Somalia 's transitional government and is currently on a U.S. government list of terrorist organizations . At a news conference in the Somali capital of Mogadishu , al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said , `` We are very happy with the Somali national who attacked the house of the Danish cartoonist who previously insulted our prophet Mohammed . This is an honor for the Somali people . We are telling that we are glad that anyone who insults Islam should be attacked wherever they are . '' Police had no indication that an attack was being planned on Westergaard , Madsen said , though the intelligence service said the suspect had been under surveillance because of his alleged terrorist links . Police said the suspect wielded an ax and a knife and managed to crack the glass front door of Westergaard 's home . A home alarm alerted police to the scene , and they were attacked by the suspect , authorities said . Westergaard , who was home with his 5-year-old granddaughter at the time of the break-in , hid in a `` panic room '' when he realized what was happening , Madsen said . Westergaard is ordinarily accompanied by bodyguards when he leaves his home , but nobody was on guard at the house Friday , the Security and Intelligence Service told CNN . Police said Westergaard was `` being taken care of '' after the break-in , but would n't reveal his new location . The incident `` once again confirms the terrorist threat that is directed against Denmark and against cartoonist Kurt Westergaard , in particular , '' said Jakob Scharf , spokesman for the Danish Security and Intelligence Service . Westergaard 's caricature of Mohammed -- showing the prophet wearing a bomb as a turban with a lit fuse -- was first published by the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 . It sparked an uproar among Muslims in early 2006 after newspapers reprinted the images in support of free speech . At the time , Westergaard said he wanted his cartoon to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terrorism . However , many in the Muslim world interpreted the drawing as depicting their prophet as a terrorist . Over the years , Danish authorities have arrested other suspects who allegedly plotted against Westergaard 's life . After three such arrests in February 2008 , Westergaard issued a statement , saying , `` Of course I fear for my life after the Danish Security and Intelligence Service informed me of the concrete plans of certain people to kill me . However , I have turned fear into anger and indignation . It has made me angry that a perfectly normal everyday activity which I used to do by the thousand was abused to set off such madness . '' Scharf said authorities have taken measures to ensure Westergaard 's safety , and that the protection has `` proven effective . '' -- CNN 's Per Nyberg and reporter Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police violated the rights of a man charged in the death of a Little Rock , Arkansas , anchorwoman by interviewing him twice without his lawyer present , defense attorneys said in a motion . Anne Pressly spent five days in the hospital before she died from her injuries . The motion requests a judge bar police from `` interviewing , interrogating or otherwise communicating with '' Curtis Lavell Vance . In their response , however , prosecutors note that Vance initiated both interviews with police and waived his right to have an attorney present . A hearing is scheduled Tuesday on the issue , according to the Pulaski County court clerk 's office . Vance , 28 , is charged with capital murder , rape , residential burglary and theft in the death of Anne Pressly . Pressly , 26 , was found unconscious in her home October 20 and died five days later at a hospital . She was the morning news anchor for KATV , a CNN affiliate . Authorities have said Vance is linked to Pressly 's death through DNA testing . Little Rock Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings and prosecutor John Johnson declined comment to CNN Monday , citing a gag order imposed in the case . However , in Johnson 's response to the motion , he notes Vance initiated both of the interviews . In the defense motion filed earlier this month , Vance 's public defenders wrote they notified the court in December that he intended to assert his right to remain silent and communicate only through his counsel . A judge issued an order directing that police provide sufficient notice to defense counsel before transporting Vance . However , the defense alleges Little Rock Police transported Vance to a police station and interviewed him without notifying them in December and again in February . In December , the attorneys said they were notified by jail staff that Vance had been taken for a police interview . They went to the jail and waited at the inmate entrance in hopes of seeing him as he arrived but police `` deviated from normal practice and took him through an entrance on the opposite side of the building from that which is ordinarily used , thereby avoiding the possibility that Mr. Vance would see his attorneys . '' They said in December , police did not allow them to speak with Vance . In February , they claim in the motion , Vance was not notified of their request to speak with him during the police interview . Although police claim that both of the interviews were initiated by Vance , `` the detectives ' lack of candor with Mr. Vance during the interviews violates his Sixth Amendment right to counsel , '' the defense motion said . `` LRPD detectives have engaged in subterfuge and have violated both the meaning and the express language of a standing court order in their successful attempts to interrogate Mr. Vance outside the presence of counsel . '' But , prosecutors point out in their response , a defendant is allowed to initiate contact with authorities , even if represented by counsel . `` The only issue here is whether the defendant waived his Sixth Amendment right to counsel by initiating contact with the police , and clearly he did , '' Johnson wrote . They also said defense attorneys were notified in December that Vance was being transported from the jail -- by the jail staff . And in February , they said , police could not have violated the district court order in the case because the district court lost jurisdiction over the case when it was filed in circuit court -- as spelled out in the order itself . Prosecutors also note that despite requests by the defense to speak to Vance , `` As counsel knows ... law enforcement is under no obligation to allow an attorney access to their client under these circumstances unless the defendant asks for the attorney . '' Vance 's trial has been set for September 9 , according to court documents .","question":""}
{"answer":"Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who provided legal advice to 10 American Baptists accused of kidnapping 33 Haitian children after the earthquake there was arrested Thursday night in the Dominican Republic and accused of human trafficking , the country 's anti-narcotics agency said Friday . The man , identified as Jorge Torres-Puello , is linked to a network that trafficked in Haitian and Central American children and is wanted in the United States , El Salvador and Costa Rica , the National Drug Control Agency said . Torres-Puello had been hiding in the Dominican Republic after he was accused of using the country to take Haitian children to North America , it said . Members of the drug agency took Torres-Puello , also known as Jorge Torres Orellana , into custody without incident at 8 p.m. in the parking lot of a McDonald 's restaurant in the capital , the news release said . Torres-Puello is a Dominican who was born in New York , it said . `` According to documents of authorities in the United States , the Dominican Republic as well as El Salvador and Costa Rica , this person is an important part of a network of traffickers of undocumented people , especially women and children from Central America and the Caribbean , '' the news release said . Torres-Puello faces charges in the United States of conspiracy to take foreigners into the country illegally , it said . In El Salvador , he and his wife , Ana Josefa Ramirez Orellana , face charges of presumed sexual exploitation of minors and women , it said . Ramirez Orellana is jailed in El Salvador . The drug agency said Torres-Puello forced Nicaraguan and Dominican children to work as prostitutes in El Salvador . Torres-Puello is also wanted in Vermont on alien smuggling offenses and in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , for probation violations for fraud , the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said . He is also wanted in Canada . Shortly after the American missionaries were arrested in Haiti on kidnapping and abduction charges , Torres-Puello contacted their church in Idaho , identified himself as a legal authority on Haitian and Dominican law , obtained a retainer and began representing himself as their attorney\/spokesman , the U.S. agency said . But Torres-Puello is not registered in the country 's College of Lawyers , implying that he was practicing without a license , the Dominican drug agency said . In February , law enforcement authorities in El Salvador suspected that the missionaries ' legal adviser looked like a man they were seeking , and asked Interpol to help . The international police agency coordinated the efforts of various agencies that resulted in Thursday 's arrest , the ICE statement said . In a phone interview last month with CNN , Torres-Puello acknowledged he is the same man wanted by Salvadoran authorities but denied the charges against him . `` I never did anything , '' Torres-Puello said . `` I started helping a Dominican pastor helping a lot of people who were stranded to get back to their home countries . We once gave some Nicaraguan and Costa Rican women some money to return home and instead they went to the authorities and put in a complaint against us . I never had anybody against their will . '' He also denied Salvadoran allegations that he and his wife ran a brothel out of their home . `` I know I am innocent and I want to clear my past , '' he said . Journalist Diulka Perez contributed to this story from Santo Domingo .","question":""}
{"answer":"SRINAGAR , Indian-controlled Kashmir -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senior Pakistani and Indian military officials met Tuesday to discuss a border clash in Kashmir , the first major skirmish between South Asia 's nuclear rivals since a 2003 cease-fire . Indian army soldiers on the outskirts of Kashmir 's summer capital Srinagar . Pakistan 's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told CNN that Pakistan `` made our point clear '' regarding the firefight , which he said began after Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between India and Pakistan . But an Indian military spokeswoman , Capt. Neha Goyal , told CNN Pakistani troops crossed the Line of Control and `` started firing on our patrol , '' killing an Indian soldier . `` Our troops also retaliated and the Pakistan army troopers ran back , '' she said . Abbas said `` further action should be taken '' following Tuesday 's `` flag meeting , '' but did not elaborate . The meeting took place along the Line of Control . Reports in India 's media said four Pakistani soldiers were killed , but Pakistan 's military `` strongly denied the report of any -LRB- casualties -RRB- on the Pakistani side . '' Pakistan 's military also denied its forces crossed the Line of Control , saying the skirmish started when Indian soldiers tried to establish a forward post on Pakistan 's side of the line . `` On Pakistan 's ' objection , Indian troops opened indiscriminate and unprovoked fire , '' a Pakistan military news release , posted on Monday , stated . `` The Indian fire was immediately responded to . The firing continued -- intermittently during the whole night . '' Pakistan said the Indian soldiers `` were forced to flee from the area leaving behind their weapons '' after the firefight . Indian and Pakistani forces have exchanged periodic gunfire since May , but Monday 's clashes appear to be a serious setback to the ongoing peace process between the two nations . India and Pakistan had announced a bilateral cease-fire all along their borders in November 2003 and the cease-fire had been holding on the borders until recently . Kashmir has been at the root of two wars between India and Pakistan , both of which tested nuclear weapons in 1998 . An 18-year separatist campaign in the Indian-controlled portion of the largely Muslim territory has claimed more than 43,000 lives , according to government officials , although human rights groups and nongovernmental organizations put the toll at twice that number . India has long accused Pakistan of supporting the separatists in Kashmir , a charge Pakistan denies . India blamed militants from Pakistan for a suicide car bombing outside its embassy in Afghanistan that killed 58 people on July 7 . A December 2001 attack on India 's parliament that India blamed on the militants brought the two nations to the brink of another war , but they have expanded economic and cultural ties since the November 2003 cease-fire agreement . -- CNN 's Aliza Kassim in Atlanta and Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Stocks on key Asian exchanges dropped modestly early Monday on what is likely to be an eventful day in world markets , following Standard and Poor 's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating . In early Tokyo trading , the Nikkei index fell 124 points , or 1.3 % . South Korea 's KOSPI index slipped 1.6 % . In Australia , the All Ordinaries index lost 0.7 % . The Shanghai composite started 0.8 % lower . Hong Kong 's Hang Seng index tumbled 2.6 % at the open . Similarly , U.S. stock futures fell around 1.7 % in early electronic trading Sunday . The futures were the first U.S. gauge of investor sentiment following Friday night 's downgrade , removing the United States ' AAA status for the first time . They give an indication of how investors will react when regular-hours U.S. trading begins at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday . Besides the U.S. downgrade , investors are concerned about the debt crisis in some European nations , though actions on the part of the G7 and the European Central Bank Sunday helped to allay some of those fears . Financial representatives of leading industrial nations said they are committed to taking `` all necessary measures to support financial stability and growth in a spirit of close cooperation and confidence . '' They welcomed the `` decisive actions taken in the U.S. and Europe '' and `` the additional policy measures announced by Italy and Spain to strengthen fiscal discipline and underpin the recovery in economic activity and job creation . '' `` We are committed to taking coordinated action where needed , to ensuring liquidity , and to supporting financial market functioning , financial stability and economic growth , '' G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a Sunday night statement . Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had been expected to take part in a conference call with representatives of the other G7 nations to discuss the downgraded U.S. credit rating , a G7 official told CNN . The G7 nations are the United Kingdom , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Canada and the United States . Similarly , the European Central Bank made a bid to calm markets Sunday . It said it would implement a bond-purchase program and welcomed announcements by Italy and Spain on new measures meant to reduce their deficits . It told the governments of those countries that a `` decisive and swift implementation '' of reforms is `` essential . '' The move represents an escalation in the official response to Europe 's debt crisis , which is now more than a year old and until recently was contained to smaller economies like Greece , Ireland and Portugal . International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde cheered the announcements . `` I welcome the statements from the European Central Bank , from the leaders of Germany and France as well as from the G7 , and their renewed commitment to take all necessary action in a coordinated way to ensure stability and liquidity in the financial markets . This cooperation will contribute to maintaining confidence and spurring global economic growth , '' she said in a statement . Middle Eastern markets , the first to open since the downgrade , were sharply lower on Sunday . Israel 's market temporarily halted trading at one point and finished down more than 6 % , while the Dubai Financial Market General Index fell 3.7 % . The General Index on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was down more than 2.5 % , while in Saudi Arabia , the Tadawul All-Share Index dropped nearly 5.5 % in trading Saturday . U.S. officials are talking to a `` wide range of investors '' about the downgrade by the credit agency to try to `` mitigate '' any short-term negative impact from Friday 's announcement , a Treasury official told CNN . Top Standard & Poor 's officials said Sunday that the downgraded credit rating for the United States was both a call for political consensus on significant deficit reduction and a warning of possible further credit problems down the road . `` We have a negative outlook on the rating and that means that we think the risks currently on the rating are to the downside , '' said David Beers , the S&P global head of sovereign ratings , on `` Fox News Sunday . '' However , Beers said markets were reacting to the debt crises in some European countries and fears of a global economic slump , rather than the U.S. credit downgrade alone . John Chambers , the S&P head of sovereign ratings , told ABC 's `` This Week '' program Saturday that it could take years for the United States to return to AAA status . `` Well , if history is a guide , it could take a while , '' Chambers said . `` We 've had five governments that lost their AAA that got it back . The amount of time that it took for those five range from nine years to 18 years , so it takes a while . '' The agency 's concerns `` are centered on the political side and on the fiscal side , '' Chambers said . `` So it would take a stabilization of the debt as a share of the economy and eventual decline , '' he said . `` And it would take , I think , more ability to reach consensus in Washington than what we 're observing now . '' Both Beers and Bill Miller , chairman and chief investment officer at Legg Mason Capital Management , told the Fox program that they do n't expect the U.S. downgrade to cause a spike in interest rates , one of the possible results of the higher risk now attached to U.S. debt . `` I do n't think we 'll pay more in interest , '' Miller said , calling the downgrade more of a symbolic event than an economic event . However , he warned of continuing market volatility in coming days driven by uncertainty . Rating agencies such as S&P , Moody 's and Fitch analyze risk and give debt a grade that is supposed to reflect the borrower 's ability to repay its loans . The safest bets are stamped AAA . That 's where the U.S. debt has stood for years . Moody 's first assigned the United States an AAA rating in 1917 . Fitch and Moody 's , the other two main credit ratings agencies , maintained the AAA rating for the United States after last week 's debt deal , though Moody 's lowered its outlook on U.S. debt to `` negative . '' A negative outlook indicates the possibility that Moody 's could downgrade the country 's sovereign credit rating within a year or two . U.S. Treasury officials received S&P 's analysis Friday afternoon and alerted the agency to an error that inflated U.S. deficits by $ 2 trillion , said an administration official , who was not authorized to speak for attribution . The agency acknowledged the mistake , but said it was sticking with its decision . The administration official called it `` a facts-be-damned decision ... Their analysis was way off , but they would n't budge . '' Saturday , Gene Sperling , director of Obama 's National Economic Council , criticized S&P 's call . `` The magnitude of their error and the amateurism it displayed , combined with their willingness to simply change on the spot their lead rationale in their press release once the error was pointed out , was breathtaking . It smacked of an institution starting with a conclusion and shaping any arguments to fit it , '' he said . But Beers defended his agency 's move on Sunday , telling the Fox program : `` The underlying debt burden of the U.S. government is rising and will continue to rise over the next decade . '' CNN 's Tom Cohen , Kyung Lah and Mark Meinero contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pfizer is near a deal to buy rival drugmaker Wyeth for $ 68 billion , according to news reports late Sunday citing people familiar with the deal . Pfizer 's world headquarters is in New York . A deal was imminent and likely to be announced Monday , The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported . `` It is our policy not to comment on rumor or speculation , '' said Michael Lampe , a Wyeth representative . Pfizer was not immediately available for comment . Pfizer , the world 's leading drugmaker in terms of sales , has been in talks to buy Wyeth . Pfizer 's stock slipped 1 percent on the news Friday , while Wyeth gained about 8 percent . On January 13 Pfizer said it was cutting up to 8 percent of its R&D staff , about 800 jobs . Spokesman Raymond Kerins said that was to `` raise productivity . '' But analysts say Pfizer is clearly trying to beef up its drug pipeline through an acquisition , adding that the company seems to have given up on its own R&D staff coming up with a blockbuster to replace Lipitor . This cholesterol-cutting drug peaked in 2006 with nearly $ 13 billion in annual sales but will lose its patent protection in 2011 , when generic versions will become available . Les Funtleyder , pharma analyst for Miller Tabak , said Pfizer is `` not feeling that they 're getting the efficiency out of their R&D unit . '' He said Pfizer would probably rather do a deal with Wyeth over other competitors , because there is less overlap in the companies ' pipelines . Funtleyder said Pfizer already has a diabetes franchise , which would overlap with Eli Lilly & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb , both of which also focus on diabetes treatments . Pfizer probably has its eyes on Wyeth 's Alzheimer 's drug pipeline , he said . But he cautions that a merger wo n't be a success unless Wyeth 's pipeline is successful , which remains to be seen , he said . `` If Wyeth comes out with an Alzheimer 's drug that works , then the deal works , '' he said . Pfizer is probably also focused on Wyeth 's blockbuster children 's vaccine Prevnar , as well as its experimental biotech drugs , said Michael Krensavage of Krensavage Asset Management . Sales of Prevnar , which combats meningitis and blood infections , jumped 12 percent in the first nine months of 2008 compared with the same period the prior year , to $ 2.1 billion . If a deal does go through , Funtleyder warns , Wyeth staffers should brace for layoffs . `` I can say with pretty good confidence that this is going to lead to some head count reduction , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Nelson Mandela stepped out of South Africa 's Victor Verster prison a free man 20 years ago Thursday , he was his country 's most famous freedom fighter . Black South Africans and other opponents of apartheid lined streets to see him when he was released , cheering wildly and waving flags . He was a hero , imprisoned for 27 years for the crime of opposing a government that sought to enforce severe segregation laws with brutality . Once free , Mandela worked with South Africa 's white president , F.W. de Klerk to end those policies , knocking down the pillars of segregation one at a time . Three years after his release from prison , Mandela and de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize . The African National Congress -- once again legal after being banned in 1961 -- elected Mandela as its president , and he won South Africa 's presidential election in a landslide in 1994 , the country 's first black president . `` We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free , '' he said in his inauguration speech . `` Their dreams have become reality . Freedom is their reward . We are both humbled and elevated by the honor and privilege that you , the people of South Africa , have bestowed on us , as the first President of a united , democratic , non-racial and non-sexist government . '' And he kept his promise to serve but one term . Already in prison when convicted of treason in 1964 and given a life sentence , Mandela was a living symbol of the struggle against South Africa 's racist apartheid system enacted when he was 30 years old . But the African National Congress leader fought for justice long before the National Party 's 1948 election and subsequent introduction of apartheid . And in his last public words before he was whisked off to jail , Mandela spoke of his own dream . `` I have fought against white domination , and I have fought against black domination , '' he said . `` I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony , and with equal opportunities . It is an ideal which I hope to live for , and to see realized . But if needs be , it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die . '' Rolihlahla Mandela was always meant for great things , but his name -- it means `` pulling the branch of a tree '' or , colloquially `` troublemaker , '' in the Xhosa language -- foreshadowed how that greatness would manifest . Born into a Thembu royal family -- but the wrong branch to be considered in line for the throne -- Mandela was the first of his family to attend school , where a teacher gave him the name `` Nelson . '' He even went to college but was tossed out at the end of his first year for protesting school policies . And he ran away to Johannesburg , where he finished college and began law studies , to escape an arranged marriage . But 1948 focused Mandela 's life like nothing before . First organizing non-violent resistance to apartheid policies , Mandela and his ANC cohorts were nevertheless hounded -- arrested , beaten , followed , spied upon -- by the government . When the ANC was formally banned in 1961 , the group realized that non-violence was n't working . `` It was only when all else had failed , when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us , that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle , '' he said in court . '' ... the government had left us no other choice . '' Prior to his imprisonment , Mandela was anything but a free man , traveling incognito , organizing the business of the African National Congress without having to bring its members together in one place where they would be vulnerable to government action , spending days and weeks away from his family . Even before his release , Mandela had moved beyond freedom fighter to statesman , a position he still holds despite retiring from public life in 2004 to spend more time with his family . He spoke out for democracy , human rights and peace . He fought against AIDS but admitted he probably could have done more to stop the spread of the disease . He created foundations to carry on his legacy , spoke around the world and tirelessly told the world that the end of apartheid was not his doing but the work of many others who shared the same dream . But Mandela is not remembered simply for ending apartheid . He was also behind reconciliation , a painful and lengthy process that attempted to hold those responsible for the brutality accountable for their acts without alienating the other white South Africans . In nearly every speech , Mandela pushed this concept . He urged black South Africans to support the South African national rugby team -- hated by many blacks because they viewed it as the sport of their oppressors -- in 1995 . And when the team won the 1995 Rugby World Cup , team captain Francois Pienaar received the trophy from the president himself , wearing a duplicate of Pienaar 's jersey . Pienaar , after the release of the movie `` Invictus '' that tells the story , said of his first meeting with Mandela -- when the president described his plan to use the team to help bring white and black south Africa together -- `` I left that first meeting with the feeling that we were in good hands in South Africa . I felt safe with him . '' And Mandela was instrumental in bringing soccer 's World Cup to South Africa -- finally arriving this year , six years after soccer 's world body awarded the event . Now 91 , Mandela rests in the company of his family , including his third wife , Graca Machel . The accolades have been heaped upon him . He is a hero to his people , and to much of the world . But 15 years into democracy , South Africa still faces rife poverty , unemployment and crime . Many people do not enjoy the benefits of freedom -- there is more to be done , but no one pretends otherwise . `` I 've been amazed that they have n't said to hell with Mandela and Tutu and all these people who talk about reconciliation and go on a rampage , '' Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu said of the patience of South Africa 's poor . Tutu also won a Nobel Peace Prize -- in 1984 -- and was one of many who carried on Mandela 's work through the late 1960s , the 1970s and the 1980s . He was chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and is now chairman of The Elders , a group he , Mandela and Machel founded to provide a mechanism for world leaders to share their wisdom . F.W. de Klerk is not a member of that group . But he recognizes both the transformative work he and Mandela did in the 1990s and the troubles the country still faces . `` We have averted a catastrophe , the new South Africa with all these big problems is a much better place than it would have been had we not taken the initiatives we did in the early 1990s , '' he said . `` We are back in the international community ; we play a positive good role on the problematic continent of Africa . So life is good but not for the poor . '' And no one is more keenly aware of those `` big problems '' than Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela , now known fondly in South Africa by his clan name , Madiba . He saw it clearly in 1994 , when his autobiography , `` Long Walk to Freedom , '' was published . `` I have traveled this long road to freedom , '' he wrote . `` I trust I did not falter . I made missteps along the way . But I have discovered the secret that , after crossing a great hill , one only finds that there are many more hills to cross . '' Twenty years ago , there was no freedom for Mandela , no freedom for black South Africans . There may be more hills to cross , but those black South Africans are no longer strangers to freedom .","question":""}
{"answer":"El Paso , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A brigade of U.S. troops originally scheduled to be among the very last to leave Iraq is being pulled out of the country months ahead of its planned departure , military officials said Saturday . The announcement follows news this month that a deal to keep American troops in Iraq past a December 31 , 2011 , deadline to withdraw was on shaky ground after Iraqi leadership said any remaining U.S. forces would not be granted immunity from Iraqi prosecution . Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other top brass have repeatedly said any deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline must require a guarantee of legal protection for American soldiers . The Fourth Brigade Combat Team , First Armored Division , based at Fort Bliss , deployed to Iraq in August to replace two withdrawing brigades . The troops were sent with the understanding they would be among the last to leave the country and were told to expect up to a 12-month deployment , though it was n't clear how long they would stay in Iraq . But brigade officials informed hundreds of military families gathered Saturday at its headquarters that their troops would begin returning home within weeks . When family members inquired why soldiers were returning early , they were told by a military official : `` Basically , what 's happened ... is that the United States and Iraq have not come to an agreement , '' according to a CNN reporter who attended the meeting . Additionally , the brigade official told families : `` We were over there for a couple of missions . Those missions are finished . '' A U.S. military official in Iraq , speaking on condition of anonymity , confirmed to CNN Saturday the early withdrawal of this brigade , citing a number of possible reasons , including the lack of a deal on the legal immunity issue and the fact that the State Department is `` standing up '' its operations faster than expected . When the United States and Iraq agreed in 2008 to a withdrawal deadline , the two countries also signed off on a Strategic Framework Agreement that calls for a long-term bilateral relationship . As part of that agreement , the State Department is deploying thousands of workers to Iraq to take over where military officials leave off in their dealings with the Iraqi government . U.S. officials in Washington on Saturday declined to comment on reports that troops were being withdrawn ahead of schedule or because of a breakdown in negotiations , except to say the United States is committed to withdrawing all troops by the December 31 deadline . `` At the same time we 're building a comprehensive partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement including a robust security relationship , and discussions with the Iraqis about the nature of that relationship are ongoing , '' said Tommy Vietor of the National Security Council . Pentagon spokesman George Little also dismissed reports of a breakdown in talks with Iraqis , saying `` Suggestions that a final decision has been reached about our training relationship with the Iraqi government are wrong . Those discussions are ongoing . '' Officials at Fort Bliss said the brigade 's return is in line with the U.S. planned departure . `` In the process , we are bringing troops back home to meet the December 31st agreed-upon deadline , '' said Lt. Col. Dennis Swanson , a public affairs officer for the First Armored Division . When asked about the legal immunity issue , Major Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard , commander at Fort Bliss , said , `` We 're going to do what 's right by our soldiers . '' `` We should n't see American soldiers in Iraqi courts on trumped-up charges , '' he said . His comments echo recent statements by Panetta and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno . Panetta said last week that negotiations over the legal immunity issue are ongoing between Iraq 's political leadership , U.S. Ambassador James F. Jeffrey and Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III , commander of U.S. forces in Iraq . The meetings include discussions about the rights of American troops and what will be required in order for those troops to assist Iraqi forces in the future , according to Panetta . `` If you 're going to play a large role in dealing with another country where it requires , as I said , a large group of troops to be on the ground and to be dealing with that country , I want to make damn sure that you 're protected , '' Panetta told sailors last Friday during a visit to Naples , Italy , home of the U.S. 6th Fleet . U.S. officials have been pressuring Iraq 's leadership for months for an answer to whether it would request a troop extension , with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen saying over the summer that the U.S. needed a a decision by August . The negotiations have been strained following WikiLeaks ' release of a diplomatic cable that alleged Iraqi civilians , including children , were killed in a 2006 raid by American troops rather than in an airstrike as initially reported by the U.S. military . The Pentagon dismissed the cable from U.N. investigator Philip Alston to U.S. officials , saying it had investigated the claims and found there was no merit . Shortly after the WikiLeaks cable gained attention in news reports in September by McClatchy Newspapers , Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered an investigation into the deaths outside of Tikrit . U.S. officials have long said they believe Iraq may need help with training , counterterrorism , air defense , command and control and intelligence operations . Any U.S. troops remaining to do those jobs might also need additional security forces . The prospect of U.S. troops staying beyond the end of the year sits uncomfortably with many Iraqis , who have routinely questioned American motives following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein . Radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr , whose Sadrist political party is closely aligned with al-Maliki , has vowed to escalate armed resistance if the U.S. military does not leave as scheduled , a move that could destabilize the country should his militia repeat the bloody battles it waged against American and Iraqi forces during the height of violence . Odierno said last month that there would be risks in leaving a large force of U.S. troops in Iraq , noting such a force could provoke new claims of U.S. occupation and distract from efforts to develop the Iraqi military 's abilities . He would not comment directly on reports that the White House administration had decided to leave between 3,000 and 5,000 troops , should they be requested by Iraq . Odierno , who served as the top U.S. commander in Iraq , said that training of Iraqi security forces was not complete . `` We need to probably be there to assist them at certain levels for a while , '' he said last month in a question-and-answer session with journalists at the Pentagon . As of last week , 41,000 U.S. military personnel remained in the country , according to Major Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan , spokesman for U.S. Forces-Iraq . Buchanan said Wednesday that `` we are on track , and we will meet our requirement to redeploy the last remaining military personnel from 41,000 down to zero by the end of the year . '' A brigade typically consists of between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers . CNN 's Dan Lothian and Adam Levine contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Human error and system lapses , rather than deliberate concealing of information , allowed a terror suspect with explosives to board a U.S.-bound airplane on Christmas Day , President Obama 's terrorism czar said Sunday . John Brennan , the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism , said on CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the security breakdown in the failed bombing of the Northwest Airlines flight was different from the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks . `` It 's not like 9\/11 , '' Brennan said , adding that the `` system did n't work as it should have '' due to `` lapses '' and `` human error . '' `` There was n't an effort to try to conceal information , '' he said , referring to the well-chronicled competition and turf wars among security agencies prior to the 2001 attacks , which was later blamed for the failure to prevent them . `` There is no smoking gun piece of intelligence out there , '' Brennan said of the failed Christmas bombing , allegedly planned by a Nigerian man who boarded the flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , to Detroit , Michigan , with explosives in his underwear . Meanwhile , the Transportation Security Administration announced Sunday new security measures to be implemented by domestic and international air carriers on flights bound for the United States , effective Monday . The suspect 's father , a leading banker in Nigeria , warned U.S. authorities before the attack that his son might be involved with Islamic extremists . Brennan said the father 's information was part of `` bits and pieces '' of information that were never connected by intelligence officials to properly target the suspect . `` That was certainly an alert that came to our attention , '' Brennan said of the father 's warnings . `` He said , ` He 's consorting with extremists in Yemen . ' '' However , Brennan rejected another potential warning sign -- that the suspect purchased the airline ticket with cash in Ghana before traveling to Nigeria for the first leg of his journey . `` A lot of people buy their tickets in Africa with cash . That is the way , in fact , things are done , because there 's so much fraud there . So that was n't a necessary -LSB- warning -RSB- bell , '' Brennan said . `` People in the Amsterdam airport did n't even know that he had bought the ticket for cash . He did bring on carry-on luggage . So there were a lot of things that were out there . '' At the same time , Brennan conceded `` there was information that was in the system that should have allowed us to stop it . '' `` A number of pieces were out there that were n't brought together , '' Brennan said . On the same program , however , the Republican chairman of the 9\/11 commission said Brennan was `` wrong when he says this was n't like 9\/11 . '' Thomas Kean , a former governor of New Jersey , said both events occurred because the U.S. intelligence community failed to piece together various bits of information it already possessed in the weeks and months prior to the attacks . If the information had been properly shared and analyzed , `` then this guy would 've never have gotten on a plane '' on Christmas Day , Kean said . In announcing the new security measures Sunday , the TSA stressed in a statement that `` effective aviation security must begin beyond our borders . '' As a result , any individual flying into the United States who is `` traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening , '' the statement said . `` The directive also increases the use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for passengers on U.S. bound international flights . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations ' refugee agency said Tuesday that more Africans have fled poverty and conflict on the continent during the first 10 months of this year than in all of 2007 . A woman who has been displaced by the current fighting in the Congo . The bulk of the more than 96,000 African refugees headed to Yemen and Italy , according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees office . The rest sought refuge in Malta , Greece , Spain and the Canary Islands , the agency said . Last weekend , at least 60 refugees died en route to Yemen , a frequent destination for Somali and Ethiopian refugees , according to Doctors Without Borders , known by its French acronym MSF . UNHCR said most of those who died were forced overboard in deep water off Yemen 's coast by smugglers who demanded more money than the $ 100 they paid for the journey . `` Those who did not or could not pay extra were severely beaten by the smugglers , '' UNHCR said in a news release Tuesday . `` Up to 40 -- mainly Ethiopians -- -LSB- were -RSB- thrown overboard despite their pleas for mercy . '' Andreas Koutepas , MSF 's field coordinator in southern Yemen , said such a high number of refugee deaths in a short period of time `` is not usual at all . '' `` For the whole of September until now , we 've had 27 dead and now suddenly we reach this number , '' Koutepas told CNN from MSF 's base in Ahwar , Yemen . `` We are quite shocked here . '' About 30,000 African refugees arrived on boats on Italy 's shores during the first 10 months of this year compared with 19,900 refugees last year , according to UNHCR . In Malta , an estimated 2,600 boat people arrived in the first nine months of this year from North Africa , compared with 1,800 last year , UNHCR said . . The agency said that from January to October this year , 509 of those attempting to make the journey to Italy and Malta died , compared with last year 's death toll of 471 . More than 38,000 people have made the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen during the first 10 months of this year , a `` considerable increase from the 29,500 who made the same journey during the whole of last year , '' UNHCR said Tuesday . However , the death toll on that route has remained lower so far this year : more than 600 have died or disappeared en route to Yemen compared to 1,400 killed last year . In late September , at least 52 Somalis died when the boat smuggling them across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen broke down , and they were left adrift with no food or water for 18 days , according to the U.N. . Many are fleeing the war in Somalia , but Koutepas of MSF told CNN on Monday that he has noticed a recent increase in the number of refugees from Ethiopia . `` It used to be 10 percent of total arrival , and now it 's around 50-50 , '' he said . Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity . It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country . New smuggling routes , including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees , according to the UNHCR . But according to the Yemen Post , Yemen is just a stopping point for most of the refugees , who then travel on to the wealthier Persian Gulf states or Europe and the United States . Earlier this year , Yemen 's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers . Some of the smuggling boats seized by Yemen 's coast guard are given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . As part of a $ 19 million operation , UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen . It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials . MSF said the plight of the refugees has been overshadowed by the dozens of pirate attacks off Somalia 's coast that have grabbed international headlines in recent months . `` A lot of attention has been paid lately to tackling the issue of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa , '' said MSF Yemen mission leader Francis Coteur . `` Unfortunately , little attention is paid to the drama of the refugees crossing the same waters in horrific conditions . Much more needs to be done to address this issue . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mauricio Funes , a member of a political party that waged guerrilla war against the government 17 years ago , claimed the presidency of El Salvador on Sunday night . FMLN 's Mauricio Funes shows his ballot before voting Sunday in Antiguo Cuscatlan , El Salvador . `` This is the happiest night of my life , '' Funes told a jubilant crowd at his election headquarters . `` It 's also the night of greatest hope for El Salvador . '' With 90.68 percent of the votes counted , the FMLN party 's Funes had 51.27 percent , while the ARENA party 's Rodrigo Avila had 48.73 percent , the country 's Supreme Electoral Tribunal said . The final tally will be certified within 48 hours , the electoral council 's Walter Araujo said in a nationally televised news conference . Funes ' victory ended a 20-year hold on the presidency by the right-leaning ARENA . `` Now the ARENA party passes into opposition , '' Funes said . `` ARENA ... can be assured that it will be listened to and respected . '' Although polls had indicated the race had tightened considerably in the past few weeks , most analysts had predicted that Funes would win . `` It 's a sign that there 's democracy in that country , which is something the United States tried to foster , '' said Bernard Aronson , who as President George H.W. Bush 's assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs from 1989-93 was heavily involved in ending El Salvador 's 12-year civil war . The FMLN , which is the Spanish acronym for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front , was formed in late 1980 as an umbrella group for five leftist guerilla organizations fighting a U.S.-backed military dictatorship . The guerrillas and the government signed a peace pact in 1992 and the FMLN became a legitimate political party . By some estimates , 75,000 Salvadorans died during the war . The new president will find `` a country that still retains a lot of bitterness , a lot of division , '' said Peter Hakim , president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue policy institute . `` This country is completely divided , '' ARENA party official Adolfo Torres said on CNN affiliate TCS TV station Sunday night . The election , Hakim said , was `` an important test of how far El Salvador has come . '' The result also will be an important test of how far El Salvador will go . With an economy in deep trouble and neither party having enough seats to control the national Legislative Assembly , much will depend on the party that lost . `` Conflict occurs when one person wants to force a conflict , '' Hakim said . `` Compromise requires both sides . '' No one is certain how ARENA will handle the loss . `` That 's a big unknown , '' said Heather Berkman , a Latin America analyst with the consulting firm Eurasia Group . `` I still think they 'll play ball . They have an incentive to get along with the new administration . They certainly do n't want to be shut out of the process . '' Otto Reich , who served in high-level Latin American posts for Presidents Reagan , George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush , sees the possibility of a spirited fight from ARENA . `` If I had to guess , I 'd say ARENA will try to put democratic obstacles in the way of an FMLN consolidation of power , '' Reich said . Although ARENA , which are the Spanish initials for the Nationalist Republican Alliance , has come back from a 14-point deficit in some polls two months ago , Reich said winning a fifth consecutive term was `` swimming against the tide . '' `` People in El Salvador are weighing risks and opportunities , '' Reich said . `` They have an opportunity to replace a party with which they have gotten tired . '' Hakim also saw voter fatigue with ARENA , saying , `` One party has managed the country forever and ever . '' Many of the 2.4 million Salvadorans who voted weighed competing doubts . `` The uncertainty is that the FMLN has never been in power , '' Berkman said . But voters also asked themselves , she said , whether they were `` better off than they were five years ago , 10 years ago . '' Avila , she said , could not run on a message of change . Funes ' message of change and putting new people in power was more effective . Since the war ended , Salvadorans have mostly supported ARENA because of concerns over the FMLN 's left-wing agenda and the group 's guerrilla background . There also have been outside influences . `` The country has been afraid to vote for the left because of fears from Washington , '' Larry Birns , director of the nonprofit Council on Hemispheric Affairs , said recently . With the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States , Salvadorans may expect a different attitude from Washington . El Salvador , Colombia and Peru have been the United States ' closest allies in Latin America . Birns calls the three nations `` Washington 's street-corner guys . '' With an FMLN victory , El Salvador joins other Latin American countries that have elected leftist leaders in recent years -- Venezuela , Bolivia , Nicaragua , Argentina , Honduras , Guatemala , Ecuador and Brazil . But Berkman and others warn that the United States must not lump everyone together . `` People tend to look at the left in Latin America and oversimplify it , '' Berkman said . `` There 's the good left and the bad left . '' Or as Aronson put it , `` There 's leftists , and there 's leftists . '' Aronson sees two types of leftist governments in Latin America : `` institutional '' governments like Brazil 's that `` have made peace with the free market '' while still championing social programs , and populist , more-radical governments like Venezuela 's . Analysts are not sure what to make of Funes , a former freelance journalist for CNN en Espa\u00f1ol who is projecting a moderate image . `` The FMLN did something very clever , '' Reich said . `` They put somebody at the head of the party who is not a guerrilla , not a terrorist . '' Even the FMLN may not know what to expect from Funes . Berkman calls it `` an issue of uncertainty '' between the former journalist and the former guerrilla group . `` There 's a lot of unknowns about how the relationship between Funes and the FMLN will proceed , '' she said , adding that she will watch his Cabinet picks and whether he brings in people from other parties . Funes ' victory was a defining moment for the FMLN . `` It 's an important transformation , '' Hakim said . `` The ex-guerrillas have to make a decision : Are they going to try to bring about revolutionary , radical change or manage the whole country and have step-by-step reform ? '' Aronson sees it as `` a test of whether they will be pragmatic or ideological . '' The FMLN may not have a choice but to be pragmatic . The party holds 35 seats in the 84-member National Assembly . ARENA has 32 seats . Forty-three votes are needed to pass most legislation and some measures require `` supermajority '' approval of 56 votes . That means that , if ARENA and the FMLN can not agree on a measure , they have to look to one of the minor parties for support . The PCN , which is the National Conciliation Party , has 11 seats and could emerge as a power broker . Two others parties hold six seats . `` It is in the PCN 's interest to play ball as well , '' Berkman said . `` The PCN will act as a moderating force . '' Berkman also said the FMLN will likely take a moderate approach because the nation relies too much on outside investments and remittances from Salvadorans living abroad for the former guerrillas to adopt too much of a radical approach . But Hakim worries about something else . `` I think ARENA may be prepared for this -LSB- loss -RSB- , '' he said . `` I 'm concerned that the FMLN may not be prepared to govern . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama stepped into office with big approval ratings met with high expectations as he faces a deteriorating economic situation , an unpopular war in Iraq and the Middle East conflict . The economy has been the main focus of the first week of President Obama 's presidency . In his first week , Obama has focused on the economy , but he 's also addressed other campaign promises . Bill Schneider , CNN 's senior political analyst , describes Obama 's first week as a `` neat balancing act . '' As Obama signs executive orders signaling a clear change of direction , he 's also working hard to get bipartisan support for his economic stimulus , Schneider said . `` Mr. Obama does n't have to do that . He could get a stimulus bill passed almost entirely with Democratic votes . But Obama does n't want to be yet another president who divides the country , '' he said . The president has been working the phones with his party and made an unusual trip to Capitol Hill to meet with the opposing party to rally support for his $ 825 billion economic aid package . Following a meeting Tuesday with GOP congressman , Obama said he respects the `` legitimate philosophical differences '' between Democrats and Republicans on how to stimulate the economy . `` I do n't expect 100 percent agreement , '' he said . `` But I hope we can put politics aside . '' Watch more on Obama 's economic push '' Throughout the election season , Obama campaigned on his plan to restore economic equilibrium , and in his first public remarks after winning the election , he vowed to `` confront this economic crisis head-on . '' Obama faces his first test with Congress on Wednesday when the House of Representatives votes on his economic recovery plan . The president has said he hopes to have the plan passed by Congress and on his desk for signing by mid-February . Obama also has wasted no time in putting his military and diplomatic agendas into action . In his first week , he already promised to send as many as 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to boost the U.S. presence on the ground and increase development and reconstruction assistance . Seeking to demonstrate the Obama administration 's early commitment to the country , Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met last week with Afghan women legal professionals who were in Washington on a State Department training program on justice reform in Afghanistan . Obama also has pledged to crack down on militants in neighboring Pakistan . During the campaign season , Obama received a lot of criticism for saying that if it were necessary to root out terrorists , he would send U.S. forces into Pakistan without the country 's approval . The president has called Afghanistan and Pakistan the `` central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism , '' and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that missile strikes in Pakistan will continue to root out al Qaeda members . `` Let me just say , both President Bush and President Obama have made clear that we will go after al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda is . And we will continue to pursue this , '' Gates said . As Obama seeks to stabilize the region , his administration has been advocating multilateralism and stressing `` smart power '' diplomacy by using all the tools of foreign policy available . Obama dispatched newly appointed Middle East envoy George Mitchell to the region and tapped diplomatic heavyweight Richard Holbrooke as his special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan . Obama also gave his first formal interview as president to Al-Arabiya , an Arab news channel , sending a message to the region that he wants a dialogue . `` My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy , '' Obama told the Dubai-based satellite television network . `` We sometimes make mistakes . We have not been perfect . '' Watch how Obama is reaching out to Muslims '' During his run for the White House , Obama pledged to improve ties with the Muslim world , draw down U.S. troops in Iraq and close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . Two days after his inauguration , Obama issued an executive order to close the camp within a year . Another order formally bans torture by requiring that the Army Field Manual be used as the guide for terrorism interrogations , essentially ending the Bush administration 's CIA program of `` enhanced interrogation '' methods . Guantanamo Bay and reports of torture there were huge points of contention for the Bush administration and were widely considered to have damaged the reputation of the United States . In another reversal of his predecessor , Obama struck down a rule that prohibited U.S. money from funding international family-planning clinics that promote abortion or provide counseling or referrals about abortion services . In a statement , Obama said that family planning aid has been used as a `` political wedge issue , '' adding that he had `` no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate . '' As Obama moves into the second week of his presidency , polls show that most Americans approve of the way he is handling his job so far . Former President Carter said he thinks Obama is `` doing just great . '' `` I was particularly gratified that he carried out his promise , which did n't surprise me , that he would start working on the Middle East peace process the first time he was in office and not wait until the last year he was in office , '' Carter said on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Carter said he has confidence in Obama on economic issues , but he cautioned that the expectations for the new president are too high . `` I think a lot of the expenditures that will come as rapidly as possible might not occur until maybe 18 months from now -- some earlier . So we 're going to have to be patient , '' he said . President Bush also won praise during the first week of his first term for staying on message . He built his first week around education and received positive reviews in the media during his honeymoon period . Bush 's predecessor , however , was not met with such a warm welcome . President Clinton 's showdown with Congress over the question of gays in the military and the withdrawal of his attorney general nominee overshadowed early efforts to move ahead with his agenda .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All Lyle Petersen wanted to do was get his mail . Lyle Petersen , a CDC expert who was infected with West Nile virus , says , `` it will ruin your summer . '' In the time it took him to walk down his driveway in Fort Collins , Colorado , chat briefly with a neighbor and return to his house , Petersen got infected with a potentially serious mosquito-borne illness called West Nile virus . Within hours of being bitten , he said , he began to feel symptoms he recognized . And how was he sure so quickly ? Petersen , as director of the division of vector borne diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is one of the foremost experts in the world on the condition . A blood test confirmed his suspicion . `` From my own experience , I can tell you it 's not a very mild illness , '' Petersen cautioned . `` It will ruin your summer . '' Experts are expecting another epidemic of the disease this summer . The incidence of West Nile virus has remained the same for the past four years , and Petersen says he does n't expect this year to be any different . It should reach its peak between mid-July and mid-September . Health Minute : More on West Nile virus risk '' `` People tend to discount this as a significant problem , '' Petersen said , `` but more than 1.5 million people have been infected so far in the United States , and about 300,000 have had West Nile fever . '' West Nile virus emerged in the U.S. nine years ago . The virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito . Mosquitoes contract the illness by feeding on infected birds . The CDC reported that in rare cases , West Nile virus has spread through blood transfusions , organ transplants and breastfeeding . The disease is not spread through casual contact . The symptoms range from mild to severe and typically develop between three and 14 days after a person is bitten . Explainer : West Nile 101 '' Debbie Koma , a 50-year old hairdresser from Atlanta , Georgia , developed West Nile virus two years ago . She described it as `` unlike anything that I ever had before . I was sick as a dog . '' She recalled being hospitalized for three days with a high fever , a horrible headache and body aches . After 14 days , she was strong enough to get out of bed , but she says her strength did n't fully return for three months . Petersen had a similar experience when he was stricken five years ago . `` I discovered I had West Nile virus because I am a long-distance runner , '' he said . `` About halfway through one of my runs , I felt terrible . Within a couple of hours , I was lying in bed with severe headaches , eye pain , muscle pain and fever , which lasted about a week . I basically could n't get out of bed for a week . '' It was n't just Petersen who became sick , but his daughter and the neighbor were complaining of West Nile virus symptoms hours after being swarmed by mosquitoes at the mailbox . A medical doctor , Petersen actually tested his own blood in the laboratory and diagnosed his own illness . Like Koma , he was sick for a couple of months . His chief symptom : severe fatigue . `` I could barely walk up the stairs , '' he said . `` This is not a mild illness , and people should try to avoid it . '' Petersen mentioned that some patients with West Nile virus can develop a severe neurological disease that can be fatal . There is no effective treatment for the virus . In more serious cases , the CDC recommends that patients be hospitalized so they can receive supportive care with intravenous fluids . Researchers are working to develop a vaccine , but Petersen notes that it will be years before it is available to humans . The best way to stop the spread of West Nile virus is through prevention , he said . `` Wear mosquito repellent , especially around dawn and dusk , which are peak mosquito biting times , '' Petersen suggests . He says bug sprays that contain concentrations of the chemical DEET up to 50 percent work the best . Be sure to read the label or check with a doctor regarding the acceptable concentrations for children . Spraying repellent that contains permethrin on clothing is another option . Experts caution not to put the chemical directly on exposed skin . Petersen added that a natural product such as oil of lemon eucalyptus CQ may also be effective . The CDC says vitamin B and ultrasonic devices do not work in preventing mosquito bites . Another way to reduce the risk of getting bitten by a mosquito is to get rid of standing bodies of water around the house , Petersen said . `` The mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus often breed around people 's homes in small containers like flower pots , rain barrels and bird baths , '' he explained . Even by taking precautions , Petersen concluded , the disease wo n't be eradicated in the U.S. anytime soon . `` I think West Nile virus is here to stay , and I ca n't tell you how many cases will occur this summer , but there will be epidemics . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A lawyer who left a videotape saying Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom would be responsible if anything happened to him masterminded his own death last year , a special United Nations commission said Tuesday after an eight-month investigation . Colom had nothing to do with the killing , said Carlos Castresana , head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala . `` Rodrigo Rosenberg , for some reason , decided to put an end to his life , '' Castresana said at a televised news conference . Rosenberg was shot from behind in a brazen daylight attack while riding his bicycle in Guatemala City , the nation 's capital . He was shot three times in the head , once in the neck and once in the back , Castresana said . Prominent Guatemalan brothers Francisco Jose Valdez Paiz and Jose Estuardo Valdez Paiz hired hit men at the behest of Rosenberg , who told them he was being threatened by someone , Castresana said . The two brothers , who own a pharmaceutical company , had been cousins of Rosenberg through a previous marriage and did not know that he was the target of the assassination , Castresana said . Rosenberg fed information to the hit squad leader that led to his own death , giving descriptions of what the target looked like and where he would be . `` It was the two brothers and no one else , '' Castresana said . `` Not a politician . Not a -LSB- government -RSB- minister . Not a police chief . No one . Just these two brothers . '' About 300 investigators from 11 nations reached their conclusion after an exhaustive examination of 100,000 telephone calls , 9,500 documents , surveillance videotapes , and 135 interviews with 11 suspects and others , Castresana said . Colom had maintained since the May 10 slaying that he was innocent despite Rosenberg 's explosive videotape , which was made public the day after his death . Guatemalan authorities have arrested 11 men on suspicion that they carried out the killing , but the Valdez Paiz brothers remain at large . Their lawyer , Alexis Calderon , denied last week that his clients were involved . `` This is a story being made up to implicate people who did n't have anything to do with it , '' Calderon said . He also said that he did not know where the brothers were but that they would surrender after Tuesday 's conference . Calderon did not answer calls seeking comment Tuesday . Arrest warrants for the brothers were issued December 10 , Castresana said , noting that the suspects were already out of the country by then . Rosenberg recorded the tape blaming Colom three days before his death . He said Colom wanted him dead because the lawyer had been blaming the president and some of his top associates for the slaying of a prominent businessman and his daughter the previous month . Businessman Khalid Musa and his daughter , Marjorie , were killed , Rosenberg said , because they had refused to participate in acts of corruption as the president wanted . Rosenberg was Musa 's attorney . Castresana indicated Rosenberg staged his own killing to get back at Colom and high-level members of his government , whom he could not prove were responsible for the Musa killings . `` He wanted to open a box of lightning and thunder , '' said Castresana , a Spanish judge . Castresana pointed to several indicators of Rosenberg 's state of mind : His mother had died ; he was going through a second divorce , and his wife had taken their young children to Mexico ; he was bereft at the slaying of Marjorie Musa , with whom he had a close relationship ; and he felt a sense of powerlessness because he could not prosecute the people he believed were responsible for the Musa slayings . May 10 , the date of his killing , was Mother 's Day . In two April 21 e-mails , seven days after the Musa killings , Rosenberg wrote , `` I ca n't stop crying '' and `` I feel like I 'm disintegrating , '' Castresana said . Rosenberg made out his last will and testament on April 24 and started going public with his accusations against Colom regarding the Musa slayings on May 3 . On May 4 , he called a meeting at his law office and said he would be leaving the firm , in which he was a partner . The next day , Castresana said , Rosenberg asked a friend to buy two cell phones anonymously . Those cell phones , the lead investigator said , were crucial to cracking the case . Rosenberg used one of the phones to call threats to his personal cell phone and had the other delivered to the Valdez Paiz brothers , who gave it to the hit squad leader . Rosenberg then used the new cell phone he kept to give instructions to the hit squad leader through the second phone , Castresana said . Castresana detailed how the slaying apparently was meant to be paid through a $ 40,000 check . According to the investigator , Rosenberg told his secretary before his death that she would be receiving a check from Panama that should be delivered to the Valdez Paiz brothers . The check had been made out by Luis Alejos , a Rosenberg friend and business associate who at the time was Guatemala 's minister of communication , Castresana said . Alejos resigned from office in June , a few weeks after the slaying . After receiving the check , Francisco Jose Valdez Paiz destroyed it , Castresana said . The businessman paid the 300,000 quetzales -LRB- $ 35,900 -RRB- for the assassination out of his own pocket , Castresana said . The investigator said Rosenberg sent Alejos the money to pay for the killing . Alejos is the brother of Roberto Alejos , the president of the Guatemalan Congress , and a cousin of Gustavo Alejos , who is President Colom 's private secretary . In his videotape , Rosenberg said Gustavo Alejos would be among those responsible for the lawyer 's death if it happened . `` If you are reading this message , it means that I , Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano , was murdered by the president 's private secretary , Gustavo Alejos , and his associate Gregorio Valdez , with the approval of Mr. Alvaro Colom and -LSB- first lady -RSB- Sandra de Colom , '' Rosenberg said . After the tape surfaced , Colom went on national TV with a vehement denial that he or anyone mentioned in the video was involved . He expressed his sense of vindication in a televised speech Tuesday afternoon . `` I do n't have any rancor in my heart , '' Colom said . `` Just immense gratitude for those who waited patiently with us . '' The United Nations established the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala in 2006 to investigate corruption and political violence . More than 200,000 people have been killed in the nation since 1970 , mostly as a result of organized crime , drug-trade violence and a 36-year civil war that ended in 1996 . There were 6,451 slayings in Guatemala last year , of which only 230 verdicts were achieved , Castresana said . That means , he said , that more than 96 percent of the killings in 2009 were not solved .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama should reach out to Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi as tensions in Iran over the disputed presidential elections continue to heighten , a former Bush administration official told CNN Sunday . Paul Wolfowitz was the deputy defense secretary in the Bush administration . `` I would certainly find out if he -LRB- Moussavi -RRB- wants a conversation , '' former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told CNN 's Wolf Blitzer . `` If he does n't , I certainly would n't push it . But I would make it clear that the phone is an open line . '' Obama on Saturday issued a written statement on the bloodshed across the streets of Tehran as demonstrators protest the election outcome , saying , `` The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching . We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost . `` We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people . The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected , and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights . '' However , Obama has been criticized by some lawmakers and analysts who say he should vocalize a stronger stance on the clashes . Watch the latest videos being leaked out of Iran '' `` I understand the concern about meddling in a way that seems to label the opposition as American tools , but the opposition made it very clear they want support from the world , '' said Wolfowitz , a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led war in Iraq and a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute . CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen added that , `` It would be useful for the president to show more forceful leadership internationally on this issue . '' He noted the graphic images emerging from Iran , including the fatal shooting of a young female protester identified as Neda , saying the violence calls for `` some kind of humanity from the West . '' Gergen and Wolfowitz said the United States should rally with other Western nations and even countries in the region -- including Afghanistan and Turkey , which have recognized incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner of the June 12 election -- to support the Iranian people . Ahmadinejad 's victory was declared by Iran 's election authority , the Guardian Council , spurring massive protests last week , with many demonstrators proclaiming their support for Moussavi . Moussavi and candidate Mehdi Karrubi have rejected the election as fraudulent and demanded a new one . Wolfowitz called Moussavi a `` very brave man , '' saying , `` He is resisting . He is putting his life at risk . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"RICHMOND , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lawyers for convicted September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui urged an appeals court panel Monday to throw out his guilty plea and grant their client a new trial . They argued Moussaoui did not have an adequate defense and lacked key information to defend himself . Zacarias Moussaoui is serving a life sentence at the federal prison in Colorado known as Supermax . Legal analysts believe the appeal has only a slim chance of success . In arguments before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals , lawyers for Moussaoui said he was confused about the charges he was pleading guilty to , and he did not have access to information that would have shown he was not supposed to be part of the 9\/11 plot . One defense lawyer characterized Moussaoui as `` unknowing . '' Defense lawyers point to statements , later made public , from the man who plotted the attacks , Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who said Moussaoui was not intended to be a participant . Moussaoui did not know what Mohammed had said because it had been classified . `` A guilty plea that is invalid is invalid , '' defense attorney Justin Antonipillai told the three-judge panel . A Justice Department lawyer strongly countered , telling the court Moussaoui 's plea was voluntary and unconditional . Referring to a letter Moussaoui sent the district court at the time of the plea , Justice Department attorney Kevin Gingras said , `` He understands what he is pleading guilty to . '' Gingras told the court Moussaoui knew in general that there was information that could help his defense but chose to plead guilty anyway , thereby waiving any right to now challenge that decision . `` He understood there was stuff out there , '' Gingras said . `` He knew the gist , '' referring to redacted copies of appeal court rulings about what detainees might testify to and the 9\/11 commission report . In April of 2005 , Moussaoui pleaded guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges , and in May of 2006 he was sentenced to life in prison after a jury decided not to impose a death sentence . Moussaoui , who is being held at the maximum security federal prison in Colorado known as Supermax , was not in the courtroom for the hearing . It 's expected to be several months before a ruling is issued . His attorney was met with mostly skeptical questioning by the judges . `` He insisted on pleading guilty and was allowed to do so only after extensive efforts to assure that it was knowing and voluntary , '' said former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey , adding the district judge presiding over the case tried to make sure Moussaoui 's rights were protected . Moussaoui 's attorneys argued his original defense team , which vehemently tried to dissuade him from pleading guilty , should have been able in an unclassified way to brief their client on the contents of the classified information so he knew the full scope of the evidence . They had `` one hand tied behind their backs , '' Antonipillai said . The judges hearing the case and the Justice Department attorney pointed out he probably would have received some of that material if he had gone to trial instead of pleading guilty . `` It is his choice to pull the plug '' on the process and plead guilty , Gingras said . Another argument made by Moussaoui 's team was that he was denied the right of counsel because he could not hire a lawyer he wanted . After telling the court he did not want the court-appointed attorneys to represent him , Moussaoui tried to be his own attorney . But after constant outbursts the judge ended that effort . The court-appointed lawyers then took over the defense , but Moussaoui never had a good relationship with them . He wanted a Muslim lawyer from Texas , Charles Freeman , to be his attorney , but Freeman did not have security clearance . Moussaoui was arrested in August of 2001 in Minnesota after instructors at the flight school he was attending reported he was acting suspiciously and did not have much flying experience . Throughout his legal proceedings he changed his story -- at first claiming he was not supposed to be part of the September 11 attacks and then saying he was scheduled to fly a fifth plane that day and then reversing himself back to his original claim of non-involvement . His sentencing trial , which included evidence collected by the FBI relating to the 9\/11 attacks , was supposed to showcase how a high-profile terrorism suspect could be tried in federal civilian court . But his trial ended up delayed for several years over a series of legal fights , including his attempt to defend himself , which included rants in the courtroom and the defense trying to gain testimony from some of the high-ranking al Qaeda detainees in U.S. custody . Several relatives of those who died in the 9\/11 attacks traveled to Richmond for the hearing . Rosemary Dillard , whose husband was on the plane that went into the Pentagon , told CNN , `` People need to know this process works . '' Abraham Scott , whose wife worked in the Pentagon , said attending the hearing shows `` we are still interested . ... We are still supporting the legal process . '' Both Dillard and Scott attended every day of the 2006 sentencing trial . With the prospect that more terrorism suspects could be tried in federal courts with the promised closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp , Dillard and Scott say Moussaoui 's case shows the civilian trials can work . However , the appeal judges grappled with such key questions as how to guarantee a terrorism detainee access to classified information without compromising national security , and how to determine what degree of involvement in a terrorist plot is needed to justify a death sentence . Analysts say some detainees , because of evidence and other reasons , should be brought to trial in other systems . `` The extraordinary challenges of balancing national security with the rights of a terrorism defendant in a civilian trial vividly illustrate why the new administration should consider the use of military tribunals for at least some of the Guantanamo detainees , '' said former U.S. attorney Coffey .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whoever killed six people in a Memphis , Tennessee , home may still be on the loose , police said Tuesday . They asked the community for help in solving the slayings . Police and fire units responded Monday after six people were killed in Memphis , Tennessee . Police found six people -- two men , two women and two boys -- dead in a home in a north Memphis neighborhood Monday , said Memphis police Lt. Joe Scott . Three other children who were wounded in the home were taken to a hospital . Scott did not release the names of the victims . He said there was no sign of forced entry into the home , and evidence at the scene indicated that the killer or killers left the house . Detectives were trying to determine the day of the killings , which could have occurred as early as Saturday , Scott said . He said police had not developed a suspect and need people to come forward with information . `` We need the community 's help , '' he said . `` These were children that were brutally killed . We know that there are people out there that heard things , saw something . This is a stain on our community . We really need the community 's help to solve this . '' The four dead adults were shot and the two dead children were stabbed , sources told CNN affiliate WMC-TV . The wounded children -- a 7-year-old boy , a 10-month-old girl and a 4-year-old whose gender was n't immediately known -- were transported to Le Bonheur Children 's Medical Center . They were treated for gunshot wounds , said hospital spokeswoman Jennilyn Utkov , who said she did not have any additional information about their conditions . At least one of the wounded children also was stabbed , police told the Commercial Appeal newspaper . The newspaper reported Tuesday that two of them were in very critical condition and one was in serious condition . A neighbor told CNN Tuesday that he heard gunshots coming from the house Saturday night . `` I heard about six or seven shots , '' said Wayne Bolden , a landscaper who said he lives across the street from the home where the killings occurred . `` I did not call the police because you always hear shooting in this neighborhood . Now I wish I would have called . '' He said he did not see any movement at the home the next day . The two cars , a van and a passenger car , never moved . Monday , he saw many police cars at the home and heard about the killings , he said . Bolden said a family that included a man , a woman and five or six children moved into the home about five months ago . `` I did not know him by name , '' Bolden said of the man . `` But the kids were always out playing , and he would barbecue outside on his front porch . '' A prayer service was held for the victims Tuesday morning at the family 's nearby church , said Keith Norman , senior pastor at First Baptist Church . He said he had been asked by the police to counsel the family members of the victims . Another prayer service was scheduled for 6 p.m. , he said , and some of the victims ' family members are expected to attend . `` There are multiple families affected by this , '' said Norman , who said he did not want to speak about what led to the killings . `` We are just praying for the family members and trying to help them get through this . '' Police do not know what was behind the violence , the Commercial Appeal newspaper reported . `` We just do n't know the motive or cause of death , but we do have four adults and two children -LSB- dead -RSB- , '' Memphis police Lt. Jerry Guin told the paper . Rob Robinson told the Commercial Appeal that he was the landlord for the brick , single-family house that rented for $ 550 per month . `` They were very nice , very polite to me , '' Robinson told the paper of the residents . `` It 's kind of surprising , actually . I 've never had any trouble with them , no damage to the property . They paid their rent and even helped with repairs and stuff . '' Neighbor Leo Baker told WMC-TV he has lived nearby for 10 years but did not know the residents of the home . `` It 's sad you come home to find out something like this has gone on , '' Baker said . `` It 's kind of sad , and scary too . '' Video footage showed emergency vehicles on the scene , with people embracing in rainy weather outside police tape surrounding the home . `` I 've been on a scene where there were one or two or three -LSB- victims -RSB- , but I do n't remember anything this large , '' Guin told the Commercial Appeal . The newspaper reported that the shooting appeared to be the city 's deadliest mass killing since 1973 , when 28-year-old David Sanders randomly shot and killed five people before being shot dead by police . In 2000 , police said firefighter Frederick Williams confessed to a shooting in Memphis in which four people were killed -- his wife , a sheriff 's deputy and two fellow firefighters . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Insurance giant AIG will have to return to the Treasury Department the $ 165 million it just paid out in executive bonuses , Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Tuesday in a letter to congressional leaders . Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said AIG will have to return $ 165 million in bonuses for executives . `` We will impose on AIG a contractual commitment to pay the treasury from the operations of the company the amount of the retention awards just paid , '' Geithner wrote . `` In addition , we will deduct from the $ 30 billion in assistance an amount equal to the amount of those payments . '' That would be a double payment , essentially a $ 165 million penalty on AIG for issuing the bonuses . The move comes after New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo confirmed in a letter to Congress that this year , after receiving federal bailout money , AIG paid 73 employees bonuses of more than $ 1 million each . Watch congressional reaction to AIG bonuses '' Cuomo also wrote that 11 of the employees no longer work for the company . The largest bonus paid was $ 6.4 million ; seven other people also received more than $ 4 million each . AIG is under fire for awarding the bonuses while being kept afloat by more than $ 170 billion from the U.S. government 's financial bailout . On Tuesday , two key senators also announced a plan to impose a hefty tax on retention bonuses paid to executives of companies that received federal bailout money or in which the United States has an equity interest . Sens. Max Baucus , D-Montana , and Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , are the chairman and top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee , respectively . They said companies would not be allowed to restructure the payments to those executives through deferred compensation to avoid the tax . Grassley and Baucus said all retention bonuses would be subject to a 35 percent excise tax for excessive compensation to be paid by the company and an additional 35 percent tax to be paid by the individual . `` Millions of Americans are losing their jobs -- millions . And to some degree , they 're losing their jobs because of actions taken by some of these firms , '' Baucus said . `` At the same time , they 're giving themselves bonuses . I mean , give me a break . What are these people thinking ? That 's part of the problem . They 're not thinking . '' All other nonretention bonuses of more than $ 50,000 would be subject to the same tax , the senators said . `` We 're trying to address what I think taxpayers would say is salt in their wounds , '' Grassley said . `` The taxpayers are bearing a great deal to get this economy going , help get these corporations turned around , and I think taxpayers are willing to help . `` But when they see the lack of sensitivity on the part of corporate directors -- by giving these bonuses and doing other outrageous things -- there 's just so much that the taxpayers of this country are going to stand for . '' The provisions would apply to bonuses paid out after January 1 , 2009 , so it would affect the AIG bonuses in question . `` We should not be here . We should not be in this position , '' Baucus said . `` AIG should not have promised those payments to retain those employees , and the Treasury should have blocked the issuance of the checks . It did not . And employees themselves should not have cashed them in . We should not be here , but unfortunately we are . '' Senior Finance Committee aides said the senators had not yet worked out whether individuals would pay income tax on the bonuses as well as the proposed excise tax , or if a combination of the two would be used . Watch why Americans are angry '' `` You 'll have to wait to see when we introduce the legislation , '' one of the aides said . `` If our bosses had made a decision , we 'd tell you what it was , '' said another . See a snapshot of facts , attitudes and analysis on the recession '' On Monday , President Obama said he planned to attempt to block bonuses to executives at ailing insurance giant AIG , payments he described as an `` outrage . '' Obama said he asked Geithner to `` pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole . '' Obama said he would work with Congress to change the laws so that such a situation can not happen again . Watch Obama say he 's outraged by bonuses '' The president spared AIG CEO Edward Liddy from criticism , saying he got the job `` after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year . '' But he said the impropriety of the bonuses goes beyond economics . `` It 's about our fundamental values , '' he said . iReport.com : Sound off on AIG Under pressure from the Treasury , AIG scaled back the bonus plans and pledged to reduce 2009 bonuses -- or `` retention payments '' -- by at least 30 percent . That has done little to temper outrage over the initial plan , however . Who 's insured by AIG ? '' Liddy will face intense questioning about the bonuses when he testifies Wednesday before the House Financial Services subcommittee on capital markets . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Dana Bash and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Marine husband of a slain Fort Bragg soldier was charged with murder Monday and another Marine was charged with aiding the crime , a local police chief said . Fayetteville , North Carolina , police released this undated photo of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc . Authorities have been searching for the missing soldier , Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc , 24 , since a fire torched her North Carolina apartment on July 10 . Marine Cpl. John Wimunc and fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden were initially charged with arson , but after police interviews Wimunc was charged with first-degree murder , said Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine . Alden was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder , Bergamine said . Both were taken to Cumberland County 's jail and held without bond , he said . Earlier , a witness found a charred body in woods , but Detective Jeff Locklear told reporters that police were still awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner and could not say for certain it was Holley Wimunc . The lieutenant 's father released a statement about the death Monday in which he said his daughter was a nurse at a military hospital and had two children . `` It is with profound sadness that our family just received the news from authorities that our beloved daughter Holley is dead , '' Wimunc 's father said in a statement released to CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh , North Carolina . `` Since last Thursday 's shocking news about Holley 's burned apartment and her missing person status , our family through the country has nonetheless been holding on to a thin thread of hope that she would be found alive . '' Military officials said both Marines were stationed at Camp Lejeune , which is about two hours away from Wimunc 's Fayetteville home . Joe Lenczyk -- resident agent-in-charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives -- said Wimunc and her husband were estranged and lived apart . Wimunc is the second female soldier from Fort Bragg to die under suspicious circumstances in recent weeks . Spc. Megan Lynn Touma , 23 , was seven months pregnant at the time of her death in June , authorities said . Investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide . Camp Lejeune also has had a suspicious death of a female soldier this year . Twenty-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach 's charred body was found January in the back yard of another Marine stationed at the base . That suspect , U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean , was captured in April in Mexico .","question":""}
{"answer":"KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday , met with American forces and , according to a U.S. official , is expected to meet Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai . Sen. Barack Obama attends a meeting in Jalalabad , Afghanistan , on Saturday . The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was visiting the Central Asian nation before he embarks on a tour of the Middle East and Europe , a trip aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials . The trip , which comes four months ahead of the presidential election , marks Obama 's first visit to Afghanistan . The trip has been shrouded in secrecy for security reasons , a standard precaution for most U.S. officials in conflict zones . On Saturday , the senator from Illinois traveled to eastern Afghanistan to visit Americans forces under NATO 's Regional Command East . Obama is accompanied by Sen. Charles Hagel , R-Nebraska , and Sen. Jack Reed , D-Rhode Island . The senators met service members at Jalalabad airfield in Nangarhar province . The governor of Nangarhar province , Gul Agha Shirzai -- formerly the governor of Kandahar province -- also met the senators at the air base . Shirzai and Obama embraced briefly at the end of the meeting . Watch Obama 's visit to Jalalabad '' Upon arrival at Bagram Air Base , the senators were briefed by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser , commanding general of the Regional Command East . Ahead of the trip to Afghanistan , the senators stopped in Kuwait to visit U.S. troops , Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said . They left Washington on Thursday . In Kuwait , the senators visited Camp Arifjan for about two hours to meet with U.S. Army Central leadership , take a brief tour of the base and talk with soldiers , U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Nutter said . They met in a gymnasium with about 1,000 military members , who cheered jubliantly at their arrival . `` America is unified in being so proud of the extraordinary , brilliant , dedicated professional service that is provided by all members of our armed services , '' he told the military personnel there . Later , Obama shot baskets with some soldiers , drawing cheers with each basket he made . Watch Obama meet troops and play some hoops '' Soldiers were able to meet the senator on the basketball court later . After , Obama said , `` I am just very proud of the extraordinary work that the troops are doing here in Kuwait ; you 're providing all the logistical support that 's needed for folks in the battlefield and without you this effort would not be successful . '' Hagel agreed , saying , `` We 're here first to thank the troops . '' After the events at the the gymnasium , they met with Lt. Gen. Jim Lovelace , the U.S. Army Central Commander , and senior leadership who gave them an overview of the command , Nutter said . Obama spoke briefly to a pool reporter about his trip just before leaving Washington . `` I 'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is , '' Obama said . `` I want to , obviously , talk to the commanders and get a sense , both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of , you know , what the most , their biggest concerns are . And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they 've been doing . '' Asked whether he would have tough talk for the leaders of Afghanistan and Iraq , Obama said he was `` more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking . '' `` I think it is very important to recognize that I 'm going over there as a U.S. senator . We have one president at a time , so it 's the president 's job to deliver those messages , '' Obama said . Watch Obama 's foreign policy adviser discuss overseas trip '' The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the political radar . Three times as many coalition soldiers and other military personnel have died this month in Afghanistan , compared with Iraq . July 's death toll for coalition troops in Afghanistan reached 22 Saturday , after the Friday death of a Canadian soldier was announced . The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the political radar . Three times as many coalition soldiers and other military personnel have died in July in Afghanistan than in Iraq . On Sunday , nine U.S. soldiers were killed in a fight with about 200 Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan . It was the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan in three years . Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that U.S. officials are looking for ways to send more troops to Afghanistan , amid the resurgence of violence nearly seven years after the ousting of the Taliban government . Gates said the hope is to send additional forces `` sooner rather than later . '' He said the Pentagon is `` working very hard to see if there are opportunities to send additional forces sooner rather than later . '' That probably means further reductions in troop levels in Iraq this year to free up forces for Afghanistan . Watch officials discuss need for more troops in Afghanistan '' Obama is to travel to Jordan on Tuesday and then visit Israel , Germany , France and England . CNN 's Reza Sayah in Kabul and Barbara Starr in Washington contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Long a pillar of Hosni Mubarak 's three-decade rule over Egypt , Omar Suleiman now sits at the top of the pyramid as its de facto president . Under pressure from street demonstrations calling for his ouster , Mubarak named his veteran spymaster to the long-vacant vice presidency in late January . Suleiman quickly became the face of the government 's reform pledges , announcing talks with opposition leaders and promising swift reforms . But Mubarak 's February 1 announcement that he would step down when his term ends in September failed to satisfy the crowds in Cairo 's Tahrir Square and other cities . Attacks on demonstrators by pro-government crowds in the following days failed to dislodge the demonstrators , whose ranks were bolstered when thousands of workers in several industries went on strike Thursday . After a day of intense speculation , Mubarak repeated that he would remain in office to serve out his term -- but he announced that he was delegating power to Suleiman , who quickly urged Egyptians to go home and get back to work . `` We call upon you to unite , and to think rationally and to look forward to the future , '' Suleiman said in a televised speech that followed Mubarak 's . But the vice president , whose agents are among the fingers of Mubarak 's iron hand , was n't seen as much of an improvement by opposition figures . `` Mubarak is only one part of this regime , '' human rights activist Gigi Ibrahim , one of the Tahrir Square protesters , said . `` People have been here for 17 days , and they are not for Suleiman either . Mubarak has lost all legitimacy , and now him handing over the power to the vice president is as illegitimate as Mubarak being in power . '' And in Alexandria , protesters met the announcement with chants of `` No to Mubarak , no to Suleiman . '' A former general who trained under both the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War , Suleiman took over Egypt 's Mukhabarat intelligence agency in 1993 . He is credited with leading Mubarak 's efforts to crush an Islamic insurgency in the 1990s . That earned him the ear of Western intelligence officials thirsting for vital information about regional terrorist groups , and he became a key intermediary in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks . `` He is basically your main go-to guy in Egypt , '' former Deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin said . Suleiman has been `` helpful in many arenas , '' including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process . McLaughlin said . A 2006 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo , disclosed by the WikiLeaks website in January , called intelligence collaboration with Suleiman `` probably the most successful element '' of the U.S. relationship with Egypt . But that relationship is `` a little like being in bed with the Mafia , '' author Ron Suskind told CNN 's `` Parker Spitzer . '' `` If someone knocks on your door at night and you disappear , Omar Suleiman is probably behind it , '' said Suskind , whose 2006 book `` The One Percent Doctrine '' detailed the Bush administration 's post-9 \/ 11 counterterrorism policies . `` He is a feared man , and certainly not a man with any legitimacy when it comes to rule of law or any of the principles we prized in America . '' In 2002 , al Qaeda captive Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi `` was tortured rather dramatically '' by Suleiman 's agents , Suskind said , yielding a `` confession '' that Iraq had trained the terrorist group in the use of chemical and biological weapons . His assertion was a key point in the Bush administration 's arguments for the 2003 invasion of Iraq , but he recanted it once back in U.S. hands . That sort of history leaves an opening for critics to question U.S. support for democratic change in Egypt , Suskind said . `` The fact is , we are allied with the people they 're trying to overthrow , and right now the United States has n't done much to separate those bonds , '' he said . Suleiman had long been mentioned as a possible successor to Mubarak , along with the aging ruler 's son , Gamal . A 2007 U.S. cable called his loyalty to Mubarak `` rock solid , '' and some analysts viewed his vice presidential appointment as a way for Mubarak to make a graceful exit . Suleiman is even credited with saving Mubarak 's life . On a state visit to Ethiopia in 1995 , Mubarak was to have traveled in a normal vehicle but Suleiman insisted that the president 's armored Mercedes be flown in from Cairo . Accounts of an assassination attempt on Mubarak vary but it 's believed that Suleiman was sitting next to Mubarak when a hail of bullets pinged off the car . The bond forged that day cemented their relationship . But Suleiman 's attempts at dialogue with opposition parties were derided by protesters , and the Obama administration criticized the talks for including too few opposition groups . Vice President Joe Biden told Suleiman on Tuesday that Egypt needed `` immediate , irreversible progress '' toward meeting protesters ' demands , and leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei said Suleiman and Mubarak `` are twins . '' `` This is an act of deception at a grand scale , '' ElBaradei said . Nathan Brown , a professor of Middle Eastern politics at George Washington University , said Mubarak 's Thursday speech did him little good . Not only was it too little , too late , he said , but his announcement that he was ceding power to Suleiman was buried in an `` incredibly patronizing '' speech . `` Had he done this a couple of weeks ago , it actually may have done something , '' Brown said . But now , he said , `` All the constitutional , legal tools are in their hands , and it does n't ' do them any good . So I do n't think they 're sure what to do . '' CNN 's Matt Smith , Saad Abedine and Moni Basu contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly 130 people were killed and more than 400 wounded early Tuesday when a string of five suicide car bombings hit government buildings , a neighborhood and a commercial district in Baghdad , Iraqi authorities said . Iraq 's Finance and Labor ministries and a courthouse were the targets of three of the terror attacks , which shattered a two-month period of relative calm in the capital . By evening , Interior Ministry officials put the toll at 127 dead and 448 wounded , the worst since twin car bombings killed and wounded hundreds of people in late October . Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the attacks were aimed at undermining Iraq 's upcoming elections , now set for March after a lengthy impasse in the country 's parliament . `` The timing of these cowardly terrorist attacks in Baghdad today , after the success of Iraqi Parliament in overcoming the last obstacle in the election procedures , shows that the enemies of Iraq and its people are aiming to create chaos in the country and prevent any progress in the political process and to disrupt the procedures of the coming elections , '' he said . The first of the vehicles blew up in southern Baghdad 's Dora district at about 10 a.m. -LRB- 2 a.m. ET -RRB- , followed by four more car bombs about half an hour later . Three of the explosions struck at the heart of the Iraqi capital , detonating a few minutes apart . One hit the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs , while another hit the new site of the Ministry of Finance near al-Qashla Square . The ministry 's former building was destroyed in a bombing in August . Another bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of Nahdha , and the fifth bomb blew up outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad 's Mansour district . The sounds of sporadic gunfire and emergency sirens could be heard immediately following the attacks , and smoke from the blasts billowed into the morning sky . Suicide bombers carried out the five attacks , Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta , a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command , told CNN . At the United Nations , Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks and offered his `` heartfelt condolences '' to the families of those killed , according to a statement from his office . `` The Secretary-General appeals to the people of Iraq to remain steadfast in the face of these attacks and to continue their determined efforts to achieve national reconciliation , '' the statement said . `` The United Nations remains committed to supporting them . '' And the human rights group Amnesty International said there was `` absolutely no justification '' for the bombings , noting that indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes under international law . Suicide bombers were also blamed for the two bombings October 25 in Baghdad , which killed 160 people and wounded 540 . Those bombs detonated in quick succession at mid-morning on a Sunday , the first day of the workweek in Iraq , in the Salhiya district of central Baghdad . The location was close to the Foreign Ministry . Government officials , including Baghdad 's governor , questioned how the bombers were able to penetrate the area 's security , which was supposed to have been improved in the months leading up to the attacks . Authorities subsequently detained more than 60 people responsible for security in the district where the bombings took place . And Tuesday 's attacks sparked debate among Iraqi lawmakers about the capability of the country 's security forces . Noor Aldeen al-Haiali , a member of Iraq 's parliament from the country 's largest Sunni Arab party , said al-Maliki 's government `` failed in taking the measures to protect the targeted Iraqi citizens , who are shocked and getting slaughtered on a daily basis . '' Ali al-Adeeb , a senior member of the prime minister 's Dawa party , said security has improved in recent years . But Kurdish lawmaker Mahmood Othman told CNN that more attacks could be possible `` because the people against the political process , against the elections and against stability in Iraq '' will try to disrupt the elections . And he said stepped-up security measures wo n't be enough to deter them . `` There should be some political stability , political reform , reconciliation , '' he said . `` These are also very , very important to provide security . '' CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama 's address to Congress was full of lofty promises to make unprecedented investments in government programs , even as he aims to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term . President Obama on Tuesday outlined an ambitious agenda to help revive the economy . But it takes more than a proposal to bring about real change . Will Obama be able to meet his goals ? CNN political analyst David Gergen says the answer will be `` one of the greatest political dramas of our time . '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the budget Obama sends to Capitol Hill Thursday will help show how the president plans to tackle his ambitious agenda . Here 's a look at some of Obama 's goals , and what experts are saying about them . Economy Promise : `` To ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again , I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system . '' Promise : `` I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office . '' Promise : `` My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs . As you can imagine , this is a process that will take some time , but we have already identified $ 2 trillion in savings over the next decade . '' Analysis : Democratic strategist Lisa Caputo said so far , Obama is taking the right steps to revive the economy , but the country needs to see his plans put into action . He 's already passed a massive stimulus bill , and he has a housing bill and a banking regulatory reform bill in the works . `` He 's doing all the right things . Hopefully he 'll come forth with a balanced budget . ... He 's saying all of the right things . He 's got to do them , '' she said . Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ed Rollins pointed out that what Obama did was put forth proposals , not an action plan . `` This was a speech about aspirations . There was not a strategy or the details . They may come later , but it 's an overly ambitious program , and if he can accomplish just the financial part of it , he 'll move the country forward , '' he said . The success of Obama 's budget goals will fall heavily on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , Rollins said . `` Can she control her members ? The last two years the Congress has controlled the spending , it 's been a Democrat Congress . It 's still a Democrat Congress and will be for the foreseeable future . There 's a lot of pet projects these people want , there 's a lot of entitlements that people are n't willing to cut , '' he said . Larry Winget , a personal finance expert , said he agrees with everything that Obama said needs to be done , but said he does n't agree that the country can borrow or spend its way out of debt . `` If you came to me and said , ` I 'm in a financial crisis , I 've screwed up everything based on all of my bad decisions , what should I do ? ' the last thing in the world I would tell you is to go borrow more money or go try to spend something that -- money you do n't have on something you do n't need , '' he said . Winget said instead , the country should work its way out of debt . `` The practical thing would be to put more money in the hands of people , which would always go back to , we need to give bigger ... tax cuts , '' he said . Education Promise : `` By 2020 , America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world . That is a goal we can meet . '' Promise : `` It will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education , from the day they are born to the day they begin a career . That is a promise we have to make to the children of America . '' Analysis : Rollins pointed out that this is the first time the federal government is taking a such a major role in education . `` We have $ 59 billion in this year 's education budget . We added another $ 100 billion to build schools and do those things . That 's never been the role of the federal government . So it 's a whole new way to go , and obviously if it works , it may benefit the country , '' he said . CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley said Obama 's proposals are just the start of a new direction . `` It is the beginning of shaping the country differently when it comes to a lot of these programs . And the different shape , again , is a more liberal shape of the country , than really the conservative country it has been since Ronald Reagan , '' she said . Energy Promise : `` We will invest $ 15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power , advanced biofuels , clean coal , and more efficient cars and trucks built right here in America . '' Promise : `` Thanks to our recovery plan , we will double this nation 's supply of renewable energy in the next three years . '' Watch Obama say , ` It begins with energy ' '' Analysis : Lakshman Achuthan , managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute , said Obama laid out a `` tall order '' of what needs to be done , and tried to show how everything is connected . `` So he showed , here 's the short term , which is stimulus , banking , housing . Here 's the longer term : If we want to own the century , we have to deal with energy , education , health , for example , and connecting those things , '' he said . `` And one of the critical things is that it 's not clear -- you know , the stimulus is great , we passed it , but it does n't work unless the banks lend . The banks wo n't lend unless the housing sector stabilizes . So , it 's -- this is much tougher than chewing gum and walking at the same time , '' he said . Health care Promise : '' -LSB- The recovery plan -RSB- makes the largest investment ever in preventive care , because that 's one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control . '' Promise : `` To preserve our long-term fiscal health , we must also address the growing cost in Medicare and Social Security . Comprehensive health care reform is the best way to strengthen Medicare for years to come , and we must also begin a conversation on how to do the same for Social Security , while creating tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans . '' Watch Obama explain his plans for health care reform '' Analysis : Larry Elder , a libertarian commentator , thought that Obama gave a `` great political speech '' but Elder questioned the president 's economics . `` I just wish he was a limited-government , personal-responsibility , hard-core-fiscal-responsibility Republican , which , of course , he is n't . Look , he 's got a faith in government that I do n't share , '' he said . `` Whenever I hear somebody talk about investing in health care , investing in education , investing in energy , I put my hand on my wallet and I say , ` These guys are not good stewards of your money the way you are of your own money . ' '' Pamela Gentry , a senior political analyst with BET , said Obama 's big promises will keep people watching because they play to the drama of this presidency . Health care , she said , will be the issue to watch . `` Health care has got to be one of the toughest ones . I mean , Medicare is the second largest budget after defense . So , if he can pull this off , it would be remarkable , '' she said . Gibbs said Wednesday that the president is well aware of the difficulty of reforming health care . `` But he understands the only way to do that is bring together the stakeholders on both sides of the aisle , business and labor , doctors , providers . That process will begin next week here to discuss health care reform , '' he said . But , Gibbs said , the president does n't plan on setting any `` artificial deadlines '' to pass health care reform . Military Promise : `` To relieve the strain on our forces , my budget increases the number of our soldiers and Marines . And to keep our sacred trust with those who serve , we will raise their pay and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have earned . '' Analysis : Patricia Murphy , editor of Citizen Jane Politics , said she thought Obama 's speech was strong , but she did n't follow Obama 's math . Watch : How to cut defense spending '' `` The problem in this speech , I think , is his promise to cut the deficit in half and layering on program after program after program , saying we 'll pull the troops out of Iraq , but we 'll increase the size of the military . Those numbers do n't add up , '' she said . CNN contributor Roland Martin on Tuesday compared Obama to rapper Kanye West . Martin : Obama 's ambitious agenda is a good thing All of the president 's promises -- fixing health care , fixing the economy , halving the deficit , boosting funds to troops , curing cancer , achieving energy independence and solving Pakistan 's problems , to name a few -- are just the markers in terms of his presidency , Martin said . `` Sort of when like Kanye West had his new album , and he said , ' I want to make it as bad as Stevie Wonder 's -LSB- Songs in the Key of Life -RSB- . ' ... He said , ` If it does n't get to that , it 's still a great album . ' '' -LSB- Obama -RSB- is a guy who is saying , a president who 's saying , ` Look , I want to raise the stakes . ' And , so , is n't it amazing that we 're sitting here , saying , ` Wow , an ambitious president ' ? Well , should n't we have an ambitious president ? Should n't we have a president saying , ` We can do more ' ? ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Humane Society has accused a federally funded primate center of mistreating chimpanzees and other primates , saying that some animals showed signs of psychosis and self-mutilation . New Iberia Research Center cages about 325 chimps on its 100 acres . It also has about 6,000 monkeys . The allegations against the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana , which houses more than 6,500 primates , came after a nine-month undercover investigation . The center denies the allegations . `` We found animals living in isolation , exhibiting self-mutilating behavior , psychosis , all sorts of emotional and physical problems at this laboratory , '' Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN on Wednesday . The Humane Society 's undercover investigator , who worked as a laboratory technician with a hidden camera , revealed 338 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act , which sets standards for the treatment of animals in labs , Pacelle said . The Humane Society posted some of its secret footage on its Web site . The footage includes an animal with what the group said was a self-inflicted wound , another animal jumping in circles in its cage , and chimpanzees screaming as lab technicians approached with a dart gun . The violations were filed in a 108-page complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture , which is required by law to enforce the Animal Welfare Act , the organization said . Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he will order a thorough investigation of animal welfare practices at the facility . `` If the allegations prove to be true , the American public can expect the perpetrators to be held fully accountable . I take the protection of animals very seriously , and will do my utmost to fully enforce the Animal Welfare Act , '' he said in a written statement . The New Iberia Research Center , part of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette , issued a statement saying that the videos `` distort acceptable standard procedures and incorrectly imply mistreatment of nonhuman primates at the New Iberia Research Center . '' It added : `` We take very seriously our responsibility to care for the animals housed at the center and to carry out biomedical research according to federal rules and regulations . '' The center further said it properly housed and cared for the animals . It also said it complies with regulations of the USDA , the Food and Drug Administration , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The Humane Society accused workers at New Iberia of hitting primates on the mouth , using `` painful '' dart guns and removing infant monkeys from their mothers . The Humane Society also said it had documented evidence of `` rampant '' breeding of government-owned chimpanzees . In 2007 , the National Institutes of Health 's National Center for Research Resources , following a 12-year moratorium , said it would no longer breed chimpanzees for research , citing financial reasons . The New Iberia Research Center has received more than $ 37 million in grants from the NIH , according to the center 's Web site . The NIH said it has opened an investigation regarding the allegations and said it is working closely with the USDA . However , it said it could not comment on the allegations while its investigation is under way . `` The results will be available when the investigation is complete , '' the NIH said in a written statement . `` We are committed to the safety and welfare of all animals in research . All animals used in federally funded research are protected by laws , regulations , and policies to ensure they are used in the smallest numbers possible and with the greatest commitment to their comfort . '' Pacelle said the most serious issue was the self-mutilation and `` nonstop pacing and circling , psychosis and other abnormal behaviors . '' `` These are highly intelligent animals . They have a sense of self , they have a sense of past and future , they have the wide range of emotions that we have , '' he said . `` They should not be subjected to this long-term , decade-long isolation , and all these painful and physical procedures and the psychological torment in these laboratories . '' The New Iberia Research Center says it offers a `` broad range of diagnostic , laboratory , and human resources for the development and characterization of nonhuman primate models for applied and basic research aimed at promoting human quality of life . '' In its statement e-mailed to CNN , the center said it has made numerous contributions to public health improvements for the prevention and treatment of three forms of hepatitis , mumps , measles , chicken pox and mad cow disease . CNN 's Bill Caiaccio and Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Have you ever been watching television and thought , `` Wow , this soap opera is so good it could cause the downfall of a corrupt communist regime , '' or even , `` I bet one day this show is going to send the first woman into space '' ? Well , maybe you 're not giving the boob tube enough credit . Popular television shows have influenced politics in the United States and around the world . While others are busy blaming television for all of society 's downfalls , we think it 's time someone stood up for ye olde idiot box . After all , these 10 television shows did n't just entertain , they helped convince the world to get with the program . 1 . `` DALLAS '' The Show that Overthrew a Dictator -LRB- Well , kind of . -RRB- `` Dallas '' was one of the most popular TV shows in history -- and nowhere was it more talked about than in Nicolae Ceausescu 's communist Romania . How did the soap opera get past Romanian censors ? With help from `` Dallas '' leading man , J.R. Ewing , of course . Because J.R. was portrayed as a despicable oil baron , Ceausescu 's government presumably decided the show must be anti-capitalist . Whatever the reasoning , `` Dallas '' became a runaway hit when it arrived in Romania in 1979 . A series about wealthy , beautiful people -LRB- evil or not -RRB- was an inspiration to Romania 's poor and dejected masses . Eventually , the government decided such Western television was a bad influence , and `` Dallas '' was taken off the air in 1981 . But by then , it was too late . The fantasies of Western life lived on in the imaginations of Romanians , and in 1989 , Ceausescu was overthrown during a public uprising . Not incidentally , the actor who played J.R. , Larry Hagman , visited Romania some years later and was treated as a hero . In an interview following the experience , Hagman said , `` People from Bucharest came up to me in the street with tears in their eyes saying , ` J.R. saved our country . ' '' 2 . `` SEE IT NOW '' The Show that Ended McCarthyism If you know your 1950s history -LRB- or if you saw the movie `` Good Night , and Good Luck '' -RRB- , you know the impact crusading journalist Edward R. Murrow had on American politics . His vehicle for galvanizing change ? The current affairs show , `` See It Now , '' which premiered in 1951 . Well known as a World War II radio correspondent , Murrow was n't a fan of television initially . He wanted to go beyond the talking-head discussions and newsreels that filled most nightly news shows at the time . So when he finally decided to move forward with `` See It Now , '' he did so on his own terms . The show 's debut episode featured television 's first live coast-to-coast transmission , which included a split-screen of the Brooklyn Bridge on one side and the Golden Gate on the other . Murrow also broke new ground by airing a day in the lives of Korean War soldiers . Of course , the show 's most influential role was in exposing Senator Joseph McCarthy 's anti-communist fear campaign and opening Americans ' eyes to the many lives and careers it was ruining . Thanks in part to fallout from Murrow 's broadcast on March 9 , 1954 , the U.S. Senate reprimanded McCarthy for abusing his power , and McCarthyism came to an abrupt end . Murrow was n't afraid to take on rogue senators , and later , he proved he was n't scared to take on Big Tobacco , either . Two episodes of `` See It Now '' explored the link between cigarettes and cancer -- a brave move , considering television depended heavily on tobacco sponsorships at the time . But perhaps Murrow had a personal interest in the story . A three-pack-a-day smoker who regularly appeared on camera with a cigarette in hand , Murrow died of lung cancer in 1965 . 3 . `` GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER '' The Show that Turned Ronald Reagan into a Republican In the early 1950s , film actor Ronald Reagan was at a low point in his career . So when Taft Schreiber , of the Music Corporation of America , got him a gig as the host of the anthology series `` General Electric Theater , '' Reagan jumped at the opportunity . For $ 125,000 a year and part-ownership of the program , he not only hosted the show , but also toured America as a `` goodwill ambassador '' for the electricity giant , giving speeches to plant employees and acting as its public spokesperson . By the time `` General Electric Theater '' was cancelled in 1962 , Reagan was a new man . Turns out , all those years defending free enterprise for one of the nation 's biggest multinational companies had transformed Reagan into one of America 's leading conservative speakers . Although the actor had long been a Democrat , the Republican Schreiber convinced Reagan to change political parties . Four years later , the newly Republican Reagan was elected governor of California , and the rest is presidential history . 4 . `` CATHY COME HOME '' The Drama that Transformed the Welfare State Directed by Ken Loach -LRB- who later became one of Britain 's most respected filmmakers -RRB- , the drama `` Cathy Come Home '' was a poignant episode of the BBC-1 anthology series The Wednesday Play . It told the tragic story of Cathy Ward , a young wife and mother who becomes the victim of Britain 's welfare state . Going from working-class struggle to dire poverty , Cathy 's journey begins when her husband loses his job following an accident and becomes unable to support the family . In a painful spiral toward destitution , Cathy suffers through various states of homelessness , separates from her husband , and eventually , has her children forcibly taken away from her by government council workers . A truly horrifying story , its impact was compounded by the fact that `` Cathy Come Home '' was filmed in such a realistic style that some viewers thought it was a documentary . And although the Conservative Party government claimed the movie was `` full of blunders , '' Labour Party politician Anthony Greenwood said the show should be `` compulsory viewing once a month for the next five years . '' British audiences agreed , and `` Cathy Come Home '' was aired again shortly after . The ensuing public outrage helped bring major changes to British welfare law . Other nations followed suit , with similar reforms and charities . 5 . `` THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR '' The Show that Swung an Election `` The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour '' was many things . It was the first network TV show to make fun of the Establishment , support America 's counterculture , and have enough nerve to put blacklisted singers -LRB- such as Joan Baez and Pete Seeger -RRB- back on the air . Ironically , however , the show 's major achievement might have been making Richard Nixon president . As a gag , show star Pat Paulsen ran for office during the 1968 presidential election . `` I 'm consistently vague on the issues , '' announced Paulsen on national television , `` and I 'm continuing to make promises that I 'll be unable to fulfill . '' Regardless of his humorous motives , Paulsen seemed to have a `` Ralph Nader Effect , '' stealing 200,000 votes from the Democrats and helping to swing one of the closest elections in history . Thanks to Paulsen 's efforts , Nixon narrowly defeated Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey . `` Hubert Humphrey told me I cost him the election , '' recalled Paulsen , `` and he was n't smiling when he said it . '' E-mail to a friend For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazil turned on the style to defeat their South American rivals Chile 3-0 on Monday and set up a World Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands . The five-time world champions , who showed little of their usual dazzling play during the group phase , sent an ominous warning to their rivals as they comprehensively outplayed Chile in Johannesburg , with Juan , Luis Fabiano and Robinho all on target . `` We have to improve in all sectors of our play , but it was a nice game against Chile , '' Brazil coach Dunga told AFP . `` We have already said we are trying to play the open football which everyone wants to see . The players did well and we got forward a lot . Dutch outclass Slovakia to reach quarters Brazil , who welcomed playmaker Kaka back from a one-match ban , took the lead after 34 minutes from a straightforward corner routine . Right-back Maicon crossed for central defender Juan , who rose above the Chilean defense to power his header into the net . Brazil 's second goal , four minutes later , was more characteristically Brazilian in its style and execution . Robinho carried the ball down the left flank before squaring to Kaka , who cushioned a pass into the path of Luis Fabiano , who rounded the goalkeeper and scored . The third goal , after 60 minutes , stemmed from a swift counter-attack , with Ramires charging down the center with the ball and passing to Robinho , who curled his finish around the goalkeeper . Chile , who reached the semifinals on home soil in 1962 , struggled to break down a well-drilled Brazilian back line and were restricted to half chances for Humberto Suazo and Jorge Valdivia . Robinho came close to adding a fourth when he was released down the right , but his low shot was tipped around the post by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo . The victory was Brazil 's eighth in a row over Chile , who became the first South American side to go out of the tournament . Brazil will play the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in Port Elizabeth on Friday , July 2 . `` We know the Netherlands are a very difficult team to beat and they are very able technically , they play their football like South Americans , '' said Dunga . Meanwhile , the president of the French Football Federation Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he will resign following the country 's disastrous World Cup showing . France , the 1998 winners and 2006 runners-up , were eliminated in the group stage after collecting just just one point and scoring one goal in a campaign marred by infighting . `` After a weekend of reflection during which I consulted my elected colleagues and those close to me , I have decided that I must resign , '' Escalettes said in a statement on the federation website .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The doctor who implanted six embryos in octuplets ' mother Nadya Suleman last year has been expelled from a fertility medical society , a spokesman for the group said . Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight babies after being implanted with six embryos by Dr. Michael Kamrava . Dr. Michael Kamrava demonstrated `` a pattern of behavior that violated the group 's standards , '' American Society for Reproductive Medicine spokesman Sean Tipton said . An employee at Kamrava 's Beverly Hills , California , clinic -- the West Coast IVF Clinic -- said the doctor would not be commenting on the expulsion . The expulsion , which was imposed last month and just announced , does not affect Kamrava 's ability to practice , because affiliation with the professional association is voluntary . Suleman was 33 years old in January 2009 when she gave birth to eight babies . She was a single woman who already had six young children conceived through in-vitro fertilization . The reproductive medicine society recommends no more than two embryos for women under 35 years old and no more than five for women over 40 , for whom it is harder to get pregnant , according to guidelines published on its Web site . Suleman , in an interview in February on NBC , said Kamrava told her about risks for the children , but she did not want to have only one or two embryos implanted . `` Of course not , I wanted them all transferred , '' she said . `` Those are my children . And that 's what was available and I used them . I took a risk . It 's a gamble . It always is . '' Two of the six embryos split in utero , resulting in the birth of eight babies . Doctors say giving birth to extreme multiples comes with tremendous risks for the mother and the babies . Risks for the children include bleeding in the brain , intestinal problems , developmental delays and lifelong learning disabilities . Suleman 's children , six boys and two girls born nine weeks premature , all went home after an extended stay in the hospital . No indication has been given on whether any problems have emerged . Suleman and her children will star in a `` quasi-reality TV series '' about the family , it was announced in June . CNN 's Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A top Mexican drug cartel suspect has been arrested along with 12 accomplices , including five women , federal authorities said . Police guard suspected members of the Beltran Leyva cartel after they were arrested in a 2008 raid . Rodolfo Lopez Ibarra , known as El Nito and believed to be a top lieutenant in the Beltran Leyva cartel , was arrested Monday at an airport in Nuevo Leon state , said the Mexican National Defense secretary . Along with the suspects , officials said they also confiscated a Cessna 550 airplane , two cars , a large quantity of drugs and cash , firearms and a hand grenade . Soldiers acting on an anonymous tip arrested the eight men and five women , including one minor , National Defense said in a release Tuesday . Authorities said they confiscated 40,680 pesos -LRB- U.S. $ 3,150 -RRB- , $ 29,385 -LRB- 379,507 pesos -RRB- , 13 packages of marijuana weighing 13 kilograms -LRB- 29 pounds -RRB- , three computers and 28 cell phones . The Beltran Leyva cartel is one of the top drug organizations in Mexico , allied with the Gulf cartel in its battle against the Sinaloa organized crime syndicate . The Beltran Leyva group was formerly allied with the Sinaloa cartel , considered the largest drug-trafficking organization in the nation . The two other major drug organizations in Mexico are the Juarez and Tijuana cartels . According to media reports , someone alerted authorities when a tipster noticed heavily armed men waiting at the airport in northern Mexico . Ibarra was on a flight back from a baptism in Acapulco at which drug cartel chief Arturo Beltran Leyva had anointed him with the top post in Nuevo Leon , the news reports said . A published photo of Ibarra after his arrest shows him wearing a long-sleeved printed shirt and blue jeans , a forlorn look on his face as he gazes off to the side . Ibarra , 33 , was the second top suspect from the Beltran Leyva cartel arrested in recent weeks . In March , authorities announced the arrest of Hector Huerta Rios , also known as `` La Burra '' or `` El Junior . '' Like Ibarra , he was arrested in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia in Nuevo Leon state , along Mexico 's border with the United States . Mexican officials also have recently announced the arrests of several other high-ranking cartel suspects as President Felipe Calderon wages a battle against a drug trade he says killed 6,500 people last year . About 2,000 more Mexicans are believed to have been killed this year . In April , authorities announced the arrest of Vicente Carrillo Leyva , a suspected leader of the Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel . A couple of weeks earlier , officials said they had arrested Sigifredo Najera Talamantes , a drug-trafficking suspect accused of attacking a U.S. consulate and killing Mexican soldiers . Talamantes , also known as `` El Canicon , '' also is suspected in attacks on a television station in Monterrey in Nuevo Leon , the state-run Notimex agency said . That same week , the Mexican military also arrested the son of a top drug cartel lieutenant .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She said she was a scapegoat . She said she was just following orders . She said she was demoted unfairly . Retired Army Col. Janis Karpinski was one of two officers punished over Abu Ghraib . Now , retired Army Col. Janis Karpinski can say : I told you so . Karpinski was one of two officers punished over the aggressive interrogations at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq . Pictures of detainees caused outrage around the world when they were leaked to the news media in May 2004 . The photos showed naked prisoners stacked on top of each other or being threatened by dogs or hooded and wired up as if for electrocution . Throughout the ordeal , Karpinski maintained that she and her troops were following interrogation guidelines approved by top brass . Today , Karpinski has found validation in a few Bush-era memos released last week by the Obama administration . `` The outrage was over the photographs , because the photographs were living color of what those top-secret memorandums authorized , '' Karpinski said in an interview Wednesday . `` So , it is unfair ... the soldiers may have moved through -LSB- the military justice -RSB- system , but they never had a fair court-martial . Not any one of them , because they were condemned as one of the ` bad apples . ' '' Karpinski , then a brigadier general and commander of Abu Ghraib , was demoted to colonel because of the scandal . A second officer , Col. Thomas Pappas , the commander of the military intelligence unit assigned to Abu Ghraib when the offenses occurred , was relieved of duty and fined in May 2005 . Seven low-ranking guards and two military intelligence soldiers -- described by then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as `` bad apples '' -- were disciplined . The memo , by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee and then-Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Steven G. Bradbury , allowed the use of such tactics as keeping a detainee naked and in some cases in a diaper , and putting detainees on a liquid diet . One memo said aggressive techniques such as waterboarding , sleep deprivation and slapping did not violate laws against torture absent the intent to cause severe pain . `` I will tell you that when I read those memorandums , when they were first released a few days ago , I did -- I did feel this sense of being able to exhale after five years , '' Karpinski said . `` That is what we have been saying from the very beginning , that , wait a minute , why are you inside pointing the finger at me , why are you pointing the fingers at the soldiers here ? There 's a bigger story here . '' The Senate Armed Forces Committee released a report Tuesday , five days after the memos were released , stating that senior Bush administration officials authorized aggressive interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists , despite concerns from military psychologists and attorneys . The report points to then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld 's approval of such techniques -- including stress positions , removal of clothing , use of phobias -LRB- such as fear of dogs -RRB- , and deprivation of light and auditory stimuli -- in December 2002 for detainees at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . His OK prompted interrogators in Afghanistan and Iraq to adopt the aggressive techniques . The guidance was delivered to Abu Ghraib by then-Maj . Gen. Geoffrey Miller , who was summoned to Baghdad from Guantanamo to evaluate the prison system . `` We had a myriad of problems in our -- in the prison system , not with detainees who were undergoing interrogations , but with Iraqi criminal prisoners , '' Karpinski said . `` And instead of coming to give us support , he was sent specifically to work with the military intelligence interrogators to teach them the harsher techniques that were being used down in Guantanamo . '' Shortly before he left office in late 2006 , Rumsfeld said the day the Abu Ghraib scandal broke was the worst in his tenure as defense secretary . `` Clearly the worst day was Abu Ghraib , and seeing what went on there and feeling so deeply sorry that that happened , '' he said at the time . `` I remember being stunned by the news of the abuse . '' But Karpinski said the condition of detainees at the prison should have come as no surprise for the Bush administration . `` I think it was torture , absolutely . You know , I was never inside an interrogation room where they were conducting interrogations , but I read the memorandums many times over , '' she said . `` Waterboarding is torture . '' Karpinski said that while she was the commander of Abu Ghraib , she did n't personally witness any of the interrogation techniques . `` The first time I saw the photographs was at the end of January -LSB- 2004 -RSB- , '' she said . Karpinski said she was ordered by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez , the U.S. commander of operations in Iraq at the time , not to discuss the photographs or the investigation with anybody . Now , despite any relief felt by the release of the memos and the Senate report , Karpinski said she will have a hard time shaking off the humiliation and disgrace brought on by the Abu Ghraib scandal . `` I think that , you know , you can not dismiss five years of having to live under these accusations , '' she said , `` and people associating my name and these soldiers ' names with what they were so unfairly accused of . '' CNN 's Rick Sanchez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of tips have poured in after California authorities released more than 100 photos of women and children on Thursday that are believed to have been taken by a serial killer who appeared on the `` Dating Game . '' Police determined Friday that two female minors in the pictures , taken in the 1970s , are alive and well . They have received tips on a handful of other women who could be dead or missing , according to Patrick Ellis , a detective with the Huntington Beach Police Department . `` We 've received several calls saying that someone in a photo could be so-and-so who 's been missing or found dead , '' Ellis said Friday . `` The response has been overwhelming , and that 's what we were looking for . '' Investigators are trying to determine whether any of the people in the photos were victims of Rodney Alcala , 66 , who was convicted in February of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl and raping and murdering four Los Angeles County women in the 1970s . A jury this week recommended he be sentenced to death . Ellis said police received tips on as many as four dead or missing women who were identified by other people calling and e-mailing about the photos . `` People are saying that they recognize someone from their past , from school or college or the neighborhood beach , '' he said . The two women who identified themselves from the photos on Friday were minors at the time the pictures were taken and are now in their 40s , Ellis said . Police are not releasing their identities , though Ellis said they live in California . Nancy Grace blog : See the photos Huntington Beach Police are contacting law enforcement authorities across the country with information about dead or missing women who were identified by people calling or e-mailing on Friday , Ellis said . He stressed that police have not confirmed that any of the women or children in the photos are dead or missing . The portrait-style photographs were discovered in a storage unit Alcala kept in Seattle , Washington , said Orange County district attorney spokeswoman Susan Kang Schroeder . The locker also contained earrings that belonged to Robin Samsoe , the 12-year-old girl whom Alcala abducted and killed in 1979 . The discovery of the earring in the locker has raised speculation that there may be other victims or that the photographs were trophies to Alcala , she said . `` We know that Mr. Alcala used his photography as a ruse to get close to his victims , '' she said . Authorities already believe that Alcala may be responsible for deaths in New York , Schroeder said . `` It 's very possible , '' Schroeder said . `` Mr. Alcala is a predatory monster and we believe that he destroyed many lives everywhere he went . '' Alcala was convicted in 1972 of kidnapping and molesting a child in Los Angeles County in 1968 , according to the Orange County District Attorney 's office . After serving a 34-month sentence , he was released . In 1978 , Alcala appeared as a `` Bachelor No. 1 '' on `` The Dating Game . '' Jed Mills , who played `` Bachelor No. 2 , '' said he had an almost immediate aversion to Alcala . `` Something about him , I could not be near him , '' Mills recalled . `` I am kind of bending toward the other guy to get away from him , and I do n't know if I did that consciously . But thinking back on that , I probably did . '' But Alcala succeeded in charming Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw from the other side of the `` Dating Game '' wall . But she declined her date with Alcala . Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs found in Alcala 's storage locker is asked to contact the Orange County District Attorney 's Office or the Huntington Beach Police Department . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida court has approved the divorce of the father of Haleigh Cummings , a Florida girl who disappeared in February , and the girl 's stepmother , a key witness in the case . Ronald Cummings divorced his wife , Misty , who was the last person to see his daughter , Haleigh . Ronald Cummings , 25 , cites irreconcilable differences in ending his short marriage to his 17-year-old wife , whom he married more than a month after Haleigh went missing from her father 's home in Satsuma , Florida , on February 9 . Cummings has made several public pleas for information in her disappearance . Misty Cummings , then known as Misty Croslin , was the last person known to have seen Haleigh the night she disappeared from the family 's rented mobile home . The teenager said she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. and went to sleep herself two hours later , but awoke at 3 a.m. to find the girl missing and a cinder block propping open a back door . Ronald Cummings called police and reported his daughter missing when he returned from work at dawn . Investigators have said they do not feel Misty Cummings has told them everything she knows . `` The police have been telling me that I 've been keeping Misty under my wing and that 's why she has n't talked to the cops , '' Ronald Cummings told a HLN 's `` Nancy Grace '' producer earlier in October . `` So now , here you go , I divorced her . So now go find my baby . '' The Putnam County Sheriff 's office said in August that `` the evidence and investigatory effort has minimized the likelihood that Haleigh 's disappearance is the work of a stranger . '' Ronald Cummings and Crystal Sheffield , Haleigh 's mother , are not considered suspects , police said . `` Investigators believe that Misty Croslin-Cummings continues to hold important answers in the case , '' the sheriff 's office said in a written statement . `` She has failed to provide any sort of detailed accounting of the hours during the late evening and early morning of Haleigh 's disappearance . Furthermore , physical evidence at the scene contradicts Misty 's sketchy account of her evening activities . '' Croslin has not been named a person of interest or suspect in the case . In televised interviews , Croslin has said she does not know what happened to the little girl , while also saying she believed `` the other side of the family '' knows where she is . The couple lived together for about six months before marrying in March . Under the divorce settlement approved Thursday by a St. John 's County court , both sides permanently and irrevocably waive any rights to alimony and other types of financial payments .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reclusive author J.D. Salinger has emerged , at least in the pages of court documents , to try to stop a novel that presents Holden Caulfield , the disaffected teen hero of his classic `` The Catcher in the Rye , '' as an old man . J.D. Salinger has stayed out of the public eye for most of the past half century . Lawyers for Salinger filed suit in federal court this week to stop the publication , sale and advertisement of `` 60 Years Later : Coming Through the Rye , '' a novel written by an author calling himself J.D. California and published by a Swedish company that advertises joke books and a `` sexual dictionary '' on its Web site . `` The Sequel infringes Salinger 's copyright rights in both his novel and the character Holden Caulfield , who is the narrator and essence of that novel , '' said the suit , filed Monday in U.S. District Court in New York . Published in 1951 , `` The Catcher in the Rye '' is an iconic take on teen alienation that is consistently listed among the greatest English-language novels ever written . Salinger , 90 , who has famously lived the life of a recluse in New Hampshire for most of the past half-century , last published in 1965 . With the exception of a 1949 movie based on one of his early short stories , he has never authorized adaptations of any of his work , even turning down an overture from director Steven Spielberg to make `` Catcher '' into a movie . `` There 's no more to Holden Caulfield . Read the book again . It 's all there , '' the court filing quotes Salinger as saying in 1980 . `` Holden Caulfield is only a frozen moment in time . '' The filing refers to the new book 's author as `` John Doe , '' saying that the name John David California probably is made up . The first-time novelist 's biography on Amazon.com says California is the son of a Swedish mother and American father who was named after the state where he was born . It claims he is a former gravedigger and triathlete who found a copy of Salinger 's novel `` in an abandoned cabin in rural Cambodia '' and that it helped him survive `` the most maniacal of tropical fevers and chronic isolation . '' The Web site 's description of the book is written in the same choppy , first-person stream of consciousness that Salinger employs as Holden wanders the streets of New York . It describes a character , `` Mr. C , '' who flees his nursing home and `` embarks on a curious journey through the streets of New York . '' The lawsuit names Swedish publisher Nicotext ; its offshoot , Windupbird Publishing Ltd. ; and California-based SCB Distributors as defendants . The Web site for Nicotext advertises such books as `` The Macho Man 's -LRB- Bad -RRB- Joke Book '' and `` Give It To Me Baby , '' which it describes as an erotic `` flick book . '' Marcia Paul , Salinger 's New York-based attorney , declined to speak on the record , citing her client 's private nature . E-mail messages to Nicotext were not returned Wednesday . Aaron Silverman , president of SCB Distributors , said the people behind the new book plan to defend it against the lawsuit . `` We believe we have the right to distribute this book and the publishers believe they have the right to publish it , '' he said . Silverman , whose company distributes books by about 150 publishers , called `` 60 Years Later '' a work of `` social science fiction , '' saying that California does n't plagiarize , but sets a well-known character in an alternate place and time -- as literature has done for centuries . `` It 's amazing , '' he said of the book . `` If it was something else , or it felt like a knock-off or whatever , I would have told the publisher we would n't do it . But it 's really just amazing . '' Despite his cloistered lifestyle , Salinger nods to the contemporary marketplace in the lawsuit , noting that , as of last week , '' ` The Catcher in the Rye ' currently sells more copies on Amazon.com than ` Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's Stone , ' ` The DaVinci Code , ' ` To Kill a Mockingbird ' or ` Of Mice and Men . ' '' A hearing in the case is expected Monday . Salinger 's lawyers will ask a judge to freeze publication of the book until a final ruling is made . The book is already available in Europe and the United Kingdom , and is scheduled to be released in the United States in September . The lawsuit asks that sales be halted and that books already distributed be recalled and destroyed . The argument is reminiscent of the legal tussle over the 2001 novel `` The Wind Done Gone , '' a parody of Margaret Mitchell 's `` Gone With the Wind '' told from the perspective of a slave . Mitchell 's estate argued that the book , by novelist Alice Randall , infringed upon her copyright . But the 11th District U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in Randall 's favor , saying the book was protected as a parody of a well-known work . Salinger 's lawyers say `` 60 Years Later '' deserves no such protection . `` The sequel is not a parody and it does not comment upon or criticize the original , '' the lawsuit argues . `` It is a rip-off pure and simple . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President George W. Bush called India 's prime minister Thursday to push a proposed nuclear partnership that sparked an unsuccessful no-confidence vote against the Indian leader this week , a White House spokesman said . Prime Minister Manmohan Singh won a confidence vote despite opposition to the nuclear deal . `` Both leaders expressed their desire to see the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear issue move forward as expeditiously as possible , '' Gordon Johndroe said . The phone call took place two days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh narrowly survived the no-confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament . The vote was sparked by concerns from the opposition that India was kowtowing to the U.S. . The tentative deal was announced in 2006 and signed by Bush and Singh a year ago . Under the agreement , which will need to be approved by the U.S. Congress , India would have access to U.S. nuclear fuel and technology for its civilian nuclear power plants . That would happen even though New Delhi , which tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 , has declined to join international non-proliferation agreements . In return , India has promised that it would not transfer the fuel and equipment to its weapons program , and it would allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect at least 14 of its 22 nuclear plants . The plan would also expand U.S.-Indian cooperation in energy and satellite technology . The plan was approved by India 's Cabinet last year , and does not have to be ratified by the parliament . The leaders of India 's two communist parties -- which hold about 60 seats in Parliament -- have accused Singh of surrendering India 's sovereignty to the United States with the deal . A no-confidence vote would have forced Singh to resign , and required the government to hold early elections unless a new coalition could have been formed . The Congress Party-led coalition has governed India since 2004 . Tuesday 's 275-256 vote was so crucial to the survival of Singh 's government that five members of parliament serving prison sentences were freed to cast votes -- under the watchful eyes of their jailers . Shortly after Singh survived the vote , White House spokeswoman Dana Perino praised the deal as `` a good one for everybody . '' `` It 's good for India because it would help provide them a source for energy that they need , one that is nonpolluting and one that does n't emit greenhouse gas emissions , '' she said . `` And we think that we can move forward with this . If their legislature lets it move forward , then we can do the same here and then we 'll be able to get this wrapped up . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Mexican senator was reported missing on Saturday , Mexico 's attorney general 's office said . The case has rocked Mexico , with President Felipe Calderon saying he is closely monitoring the investigation into the disappearance of the former official , Diego Fernandez de Cevallos Ramos . The attorney general of the state where Fernandez de Cevallos was reported missing said that authorities have no clues as to his whereabouts . Fernandez de Cevallos was last seen on the ranch of his home in Pedro Escobedo , in central Mexico 's state of Queretaro , the country 's official Notimex news agency reported . The attorney general 's office said that Fernandez de Cevallos ' vehicle was located on his ranch and that `` in the place where the car was located , some of his belongings were found and there were traces of violence . '' Queretaro attorney Arsenio Duran said the former legislator had arrived alone at his La Cabana ranch , as he usually did , at approximately 11 p.m. Friday -LRB- midnight ET Saturday -RRB- and that it was presumed that he was kidnapped in the driveway of his property , Notimex reported . Duran said that around 7 a.m. Saturday -LRB- 8 a.m. ET -RRB- relatives of the former legislator noticed that the door to his truck was open , Notimex reported . Outside the vehicle were discarded glasses , pens and scissors ; inside were traces of blood . The federal attorney general 's office has declined to call the case a kidnapping . Queretaro authorities are investigating the case , the attorney general 's office said . A statement on the Mexican president 's website said that Calderon `` from the first hours of the morning , has been in constant communication with the attorney general and with the secretaries of Interior and Public Security , '' about the investigation . The statement said that Calderon has `` communicated with one of the two children of Fernandez de Cevallos , who is facing this difficult situation with integrity , to offer his solidarity and the necessary backing to successfully locate Fernandez de Cevallos . '' The missing legislator was a senator from PAN , Mexico 's National Action Party , and is a former presidential candidate . The statement on Calderon 's website called Fernandez de Cevallos `` a key politician in the Mexican democratic transition . '' CNN 's Esprit Smith contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former foreign minister claimed to be in control of an interim government in Kyrgyzstan early Thursday after a wave of protests that left at least 40 dead and appeared to have driven President Kurmanbek Bakiev from office . `` We must restore a lot of things that have been wrongly ruled , '' said Roza Otunbayeva , who called herself the country 's interim leader . No independent confirmation of the claim was immediately available . The U.S. State Department said earlier that it believed Bakiev remained in power , but Otunbayeva said he had fled Bishkek , the capital , and his government had resigned after a day of clashes between anti-government protesters and police . Are you there ? Share your story , photos and video A senior State Department official told CNN late Wednesday that the situation in Kyrgyzstan remains `` very fluid and fast moving , '' and declined to comment on reports that the government had collapsed or that the president had left the country . The official , who insisted on anonymity because of the quickly changing situation , said the United States had been in contact with both members of the government and the opposition . The United States is encouraging all sides to work toward resolution according to the rule of law , the official said . Otunbayeva 's announcement came after hours of clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police , who responded with water cannon , tear gas and eventually with live ammunition . Kyrgyzstan 's Health Ministry told CNN that 40 people had been killed and 400 wounded in the clashes , and that the toll was expected to rise . The former Soviet republic is home to an air base that forms an important link in the supply line for U.S. and NATO forces in nearby Afghanistan . In Washington , a senior Pentagon official said that the turmoil has interrupted flights into and out of that facility , and it was unclear when those flights would resume . But the U.S. military has contingency plans to deal with the situation , the official said . Otunbayeva is the head of Kyrgyzstan 's Social Democratic Party and a member of its parliament . She was a leader of the protests that brought Bakiev to power in 2005 , and she served as his foreign minister for about two years before quitting to protest his appointment of one of the president 's brothers to an ambassadorship , said Mirsulzhan Namazaliev , executive director of the Central Asian Free Market Institute in Bishkek . Opposition leaders have accused Bakiev of consolidating power by keeping key economic and security posts in the hands of relatives or close associates . Protests began Tuesday in the northern city of Talas , Kyrgyzstan , over increases in electric and fuel rates , which had been jacked up at the first of the year as Bakiev 's government sold the country 's public utilities to companies controlled by his friends , Namazaliev said . The demonstrations spread to the capital on Wednesday after the government responded by arresting opposition leaders in Talas . Namazaliev said that demonstrators were already gathered outside Bishkek 's main square when he was headed to his office Wednesday morning , and the crowd had grown to about 5,000 people by noon -LRB- 2 a.m. ET -RRB- . About that time , police began to open fire on them , he said . `` I was running together with them while the police was shooting , '' Namazaliev said . Other protesters remained and battled with police , and some took weapons from officers they overpowered , he said . Machine-gun fire could be heard in the streets into the evening . Opposition leaders took control of the state television network Wednesday evening , airing images of riot police turning water cannons on demonstrators and asking people to donate blood . Though the opposition called for calm , clashes with police continued into Wednesday night , Bishkek resident Munarbek Kuldanbaev said . And Namazaliev said some protesters turned to looting after the proclamation of a new government , and police began trying to crack down on the looting only after negotiations with the interim government . iReporter describes protests , discusses grievances Bakiev came to power in 2005 after a similar upheaval led to the ouster of then-President Askar Akayev . He won a new term in July 2009 in a vote the United States said `` was marred by significant obstacles for opposition parties , intimidation , voting irregularities , and the use of government resources to benefit specific political interests . '' There have been reports of restrictions on the freedom of expression and the media in the country , including the recent closure of an opposition newspaper and other media outlets , the United Nations said . Outside Bishkek , opposition leaders had taken control of Talas and several other towns before claiming power in the capital , the Russian independent news agency Interfax reported . Russia called on Kyrgyz authorities and the opposition to settle all disputes without force and with a democratic process . It also stepped up security at its air base in Kant , Kyrgyzstan . `` On the assumption of our interests to secure political stability in a country that is friendly to ours , we believe it is important that all issues in the given situation be resolved within the legal framework . At the same time , we would like to strongly appeal to the opposing forces to refrain from the use of force to avoid bloodshed in any case , '' the Russian Foreign Ministry said . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , who had visited Kyrgyzstan on Saturday , said Wednesday that he was `` shocked '' by the reports of violence and urged all sides to show restraint , engage in dialogue and promote calm . `` While freedom of assembly is an essential element of any democratic society , the rule of law must be respected , '' he said . CNN 's Ben Brumfield , Matthew Chance , Talia Kayali and Matt Smith contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attackers firebombed three churches in the southeast Asian nation of Malaysia overnight , assaults that come amid widespread Muslim ire over a court ruling that allowed Christians to use the word Allah as a term for God . Malaysian news reports said no casualties have been reported , and police have promised to step up security for churches and other places of worship . But the acts stirred unease in the diverse society -- where 60 percent of the people are Muslim , 19 percent are Buddhist , 9 percent are Christian and 6 percent are Hindu . `` We regret the irresponsible actions of certain extremist elements for the recent spate of firebombs thrown into church premises . These actions display their immaturity and intolerance toward others within a multi-racial society , '' the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia said in a statement . The violence comes as Muslims protest a recent court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word `` Allah '' for God . Muslims believe Allah , an Arabic word , should only be used by Muslims . A stay has been placed on the order on the grounds of national interest . Muslims took to the streets Friday to protest the use of the word by non-Muslims , and authorities such as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for the matter to be resolved in court amicably and expressed hope the protests do n't deteriorate . `` We should not raise the tension level in this country , '' he said Thursday , as quoted by Bernama , the Malaysian National News Agency . Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin , Malaysia 's head of state , on Friday called for calm and the spirit of unity , according to a Bernama report . The three churches attacked were in the Kuala Lumpur region . They are the Metro Tabernacle Church , the Assumption Church and the Life Chapel . The attacks occurred late Thursday night and early Friday . `` It 's incumbent upon the Malaysian government to investigate the church bombings and to prosecute the perpetrators of this religiously motivated violence , '' said Leonard Leo , chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom , an independent federal agency that makes recommendations to Congress and the president regarding how to handle violations of religious freedom around the world . `` There are many parts of the world where Christians do use the world ` Allah ' in their translations of the Bible , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` So the Malaysian Supreme Court ruling that overturns the government 's ban on the use of the word is not inconsistent with what the practice would be elsewhere around the world . The Malaysian ban is what 's unusual , not the court 's ruling . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"CHARLESTON , South Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical storm Cristobal was forecast to move `` parallel and very close '' to the North Carolina coast Sunday morning , but the storm is not expected to make landfall along the eastern U.S. shores . Satellite image taken at 1:15 p.m. Saturday shows Tropical Storm Cristobal off the coast of the Carolinas . At 11 p.m. ET Saturday , the center of the storm was about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear , North Carolina , and about 170 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras , North Carolina . The National Hurricane Center said Cristobal was moving northeast at about 6 mph , with maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph and some higher gusts . `` The center of the tropical storm is expected to move parallel and very close to the coast of North Carolina for the next day or so , '' the NHC said . It is expected to dump between three and five inches of rain along the Carolina coast this weekend , it said . The storm had not strengthened beyond the 45 mph top winds measured earlier on Saturday , according to the NHC . A discussion posted online by NHC forecasters called Cristobal `` convectively challenged '' and predicted the storm would `` become absorbed ahead of an approaching cold front '' by late Monday . Although the center of the storm was forecast to remain off the coast through the weekend , tropical storm warnings were in effect from the South Santee River in South Carolina to the North Carolina-Virginia state line , including Pamlico Sound . Flood advisories were posted for coastal counties , and Wilmington , North Carolina , received 2 1\/2 inches of rain Saturday , said Stephen Keebler , a meteorologist at the National Weather Service there . Cristobal 's winds were not expected to be a problem , Keebler said . `` It 's some rain and a little bit of relief for the coastal areas and a lot of excitement , but that 's about it , '' he said . The rain bands were weakening as they spun farther inland , providing little relief for parched areas near Interstate 95 in North Carolina , he said . Forecasters predicted up to 5 inches of rain along the North Carolina coast , with heavier amounts in some areas . Eastern North Carolina is under a moderate drought , and areas along South Carolina 's northern coast are considered abnormally dry , according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . Officials have blamed the persistent drought for a massive wildfire that has burned more than 40,000 acres in eastern North Carolina since it began June 1 with a lightning strike . As Cristobal lurked offshore , the storm was keeping many boaters off the waters -- and surfers in the waves . On North Carolina 's Outer Banks , surfers reveled in the waves as the storm churned offshore well to the south . Bradley Rose , a surf instructor at SandBarz in Carolina Beach , North Carolina , said the waves were a bit choppy . `` It looks pretty fun out there , '' Rose said . At the By the Sea Motel in North Myrtle Beach , South Carolina , out-of-state vacationers took to the beach , trying to photograph the outer rain bands of Cristobal , hotel manager Charlie Peterson said . Intermittent rain showers during the afternoon were not enough to chase them away , and there were even brief moments of sunshine . `` They 've got their cameras set , and they think there is going to be lightning over the water and all , '' he said . `` They have never seen this . '' Elsewhere Saturday , Hurricane Fausto strengthened far off Mexico 's Pacific coast , while Hurricane Bertha , located east of Cape Race , Newfoundland , was downgraded to tropical storm status . Neither of those storms currently threatens land . Bertha had blustered across Bermuda this week , knocking out electricity to thousands there .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before this week , most Americans had likely never heard of Kyrgyzstan and even fewer could place it on a map . But the central Asian nation , which is about the size of South Dakota , is important to U.S. foreign policy for one simple reason : a vital military base through which tens of thousands of troops pass every month on their way in and out of Afghanistan . The fate of the Manas Transit Center was thrown into question Wednesday when Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev was forced to flee the capital after angry mobs seized government headquarters . Fighting between police and protesters left 75 people dead and hundreds injured , authorities said Thursday . The protesters say they are in control of the government , but Bakiev sent word Thursday from southern Kyrgyzstan that he is not abandoning his duties . The United States likely will retain use of the Manas facility even if Bakiev 's opponents secure control of the government , said Alexander Cooley , a central Asia expert at Barnard College . Latest news out of Kyrgyzstan `` It 's going to survive , but it 's going to generate a lot of noise , uncomfortable negotiations and a lot of hard bargaining , '' said Cooley , author of `` Base Politics . '' The Manas base plays a major role in internal Kyrgyzstan policy on several levels . For starters , it is a major source of income in the small nation , which has a gross domestic product of less than $ 12 billion a year , according to the CIA World Factbook . The nation ranks 143rd in the world in terms of its GDP . In exchange for use of the base , the United States provides about $ 180 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan each year , Cooley said . Although the United States does not pay rent for use of any bases in the world , Cooley said , about $ 60 million of the Kyrgyzstan aid is considered payment for access to the Manas facility . In addition , Cooley said , Bakiev 's political opponents say the United States pays about $ 160 million a year to buy fuel for American aircraft using the base . `` The base is as much an economic investment as much as it is a security investment , '' Cooley told CNN . `` Kyrgyzstan does not have a lot of economic assets . That 's why the base is important . '' But the base also has deep significance to Bakiev 's opponents , who see it as a symbol of the deposed president 's corruption and U.S. complicity in his abuse of power . `` The United States stayed silent as Bakiev built a criminal state , '' Cooley said . iReport : Are you there ? Share photos , video Political opponents believe that aid paid for use of the base went into Bakiev 's pockets , not the country 's coffers . `` That money went to companies and shady off-shore enterprises controlled by the family , '' said Cooley . `` It 's the actual site of tacit deals and corruption . '' The new government has said it will address citizens ' concerns . Kyrgyzstan has had a troubled history since shortly after gaining independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 . Also gaining independence that year were the three other `` stans , '' as some people commonly refer to the region : Kazakhstan , Tajikistan and Uzbekistan . `` Kyrgyzstan seemed to be in the 1990s the one bright spot , '' Cooley said . Askar Akaev , who had been president since 1990 , started off as a good leader , Cooley said , `` and politics were pretty pluralistic . Then , he started regressing . '' Akaev increasingly turned to repression . `` As they do , he stayed a few years too many , '' said Cooley . `` Bakiev was bad , but Akaev was a real thug . '' As happened this week , opponents took to the streets in 2005 and drove Akaev from power . Bakiev won election as president in July 2005 . But he , too , soon started to maneuver to increase his power and consolidate control . Demonstrations by political opponents in April , May and November 2006 led to the adoption of a new constitution that gave some of the president 's powers to parliament and the government . A year later , the parliament voted to restore some of those powers to the presidency . In September 2007 , the new constitution was declared illegal , and Bakiev resumed having the presidential powers he had inherited when taking office . `` The president then dissolved parliament , called for early elections and gained control of the new parliament through his newly created political party , Ak Jol , in December 2007 elections , '' the CIA World Factbook says . `` In July 2009 , after months of harassment against his opponents and media critics , Bakiev won re-election in a presidential campaign that the international community deemed flawed . `` Just a few months later in October , Bakiev engineered changes in the government structure that further consolidated his already considerable hold on power . '' The CIA World Factbook says concerns about Bakiev 's rule , `` included privatization of state-owned enterprises , negative trends in democracy and political freedoms , endemic corruption , improving interethnic relations , electricity generation and combating terrorism . '' That such turmoil should fall upon such a country seems incongruous to some . `` Kyrgyz are great , '' Cooley said . `` They are very hospitable . Very mild-mannered . '' The CIA World Factbook describes Kyrgyzstan as a land of `` incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions . '' With an estimated 2009 population of about 5.4 million , Kyrgyzstan ranks No. 111 among nations . It is a landlocked country and entirely mountainous , with 94 percent of the nation 3,280 feet -LRB- 1,000 meters -RRB- above sea level and an average elevation of 9,000 feet -LRB- 2,750 meters -RRB- , the CIA World Factbook says . The topography includes many tall peaks , glaciers and high-altitude lakes . Nearly two-thirds of the nation 's citizens belong to the Kyrgyz ethnic group , while nearly 14 percent are Uzbek and more than 12 percent are Russian , the CIA World Factbook says . Likewise , nearly 65 percent of the people speak Kyrgyz , which is the official language . Nearly 14 percent speak Uzbek and Russian is the language for more than 12 percent . Three of every four citizens are Muslim and one in five are Russian Orthodox . Although Kyrgyzstan shares a 533-mile -LRB- 858-kilometer -RRB- border with China , most people identify with mother-nation Russia . Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876 and became a Soviet republic in 1936 . `` There 's a strong cultural affinity to Russia due to media , education and the Soviet legacy , '' Cooley said . Still , China is knocking at the door . `` China has moved in , but it 's been a very recent development , '' said Cooley . `` Last year , China did a lot more trade there than Russia did . But there 's very little cultural affiliation with China . '' There is no seeming affinity for the United States , a distant nation tied in the minds and hearts of many Kyrgyz to corruption at home . The question that remained unanswered this week was whether millions of dollars in U.S. aid would provide enough affiliation to allow continued use of the Manas Transit Center .","question":""}
{"answer":"Cleveland , Ohio -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Candles in hand and singing hymns , hundreds of Cleveland residents stunned by the discovery of 11 bodies in a local home gathered outside the house Sunday night to remember the victims . But Inez Fortson , whose daughter Telacia was among the dead , said she could barely stand to look at the home . `` It 's hard , because I want to burn it down , '' she said . `` I know my baby was in there , and she got killed in there , '' Fortson added . `` I know what other people feel like when they lost a child . I did n't , but I do now . That was my only daughter . '' Telacia Fortson , 31 , had three children , ages 2 , 4 and 6 , her mother said . She had last been seen in June . Her body was among the first identified in the home of Anthony Sowell , who is now facing five counts of aggravated murder , rape , felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths . All of those found dead were African-American women . A Cuyahoga County judge has set bail at $ 5 million for Sowell , a registered sex offender who served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape case . He was released from jail in 2005 . `` Whenever I see him on TV or think about him , I have to pray , '' Fortson said . `` Because I believe that one day , I 'll have to forgive him for what he 's done . But right now , I ca n't , because I 'm numb . '' About 500 people joined the march , which followed a packed memorial service at the neighborhood 's Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church . The turnout `` means that people do care , '' Fortson said . `` There is a little compassion in the world . '' Mount Olive pastor Larry Harris Sr. , who led the memorial service , called the Sowell home a house of `` horror . '' `` It brings trembling to the bones to think about what all went on right here , '' he said . Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney , according to Sowell 's public defender Kathleen DeMetz . A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it 's unlikely to happen until after the case goes before a grand jury , the next expected step in the case . Police recovered the first bodies after they went to Sowell 's home to follow up on a rape accusation . Last month , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor , but no charges were filed . Neighbors called 911 after the October 20 incident . Firefighters and paramedics responded , and later notified police . The woman told officers that she was at the home and `` partying , '' when she fell off the roof . Allen Sowell , the suspect 's half-brother , told CNN he last saw his brother more than 20 years ago . Their stepmother , who lived in the house after Anthony Sowell got out of prison , said she knew of nothing odd going on at the time , Allen Sowell said . The stepmother tried to get Anthony Sowell evicted from the house in 2007 because he was n't paying rent , Allen Sowell said . Anthony Sowell said he should n't have to pay rent on a house that belonged to his father , who died in 2004 , and remained in the house when his stepmother had to be hospitalized in 2007 , his half-brother said . Agents from the FBI 's Behavioral Science Unit are assisting Cleveland police , Cleveland FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said . The agents are preparing a profile of Sowell for police , tracing his life and habits , and his DNA will be entered into a national database to see whether it can be linked to any unsolved crimes . Allen Sowell said he was aware of his half-brother 's prison record , but `` just could n't fathom '' the accusations now facing him . `` I did n't think he was in that bad of a mental state , '' Allen Sowell said . `` You never think it would happen to your family . It 's a horrible feeling . '' At 66 , Allen Sowell is 16 years older than his half-brother , and the two did n't meet until Anthony Sowell was 9 . He added , `` He deserves whatever he gets from the justice system . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ANTIOCH , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators who completed their search of the California property belonging to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido said initial findings do not connect the couple to the disappearances of two young girls . Ilene Misheloff , left , has been missing since 1989 ; Michaela Garecht disappeared in 1988 . But police said that they have not eliminated Phillip Garrido as a suspect in the decades-old cases . Bone fragments found on the couple 's property near Antioch could be human but are `` far too old to be relevant in our cases , '' said Lt. Chris Orrey of the Hayward police department . Teeth found on an adjacent property are most likely from an animal , she said . And some anomalies found by ground-penetrating radar uncovered `` chunks of concrete , tree roots , and in one case a floor mat , '' Orrey said at a news conference . Investigators had already found bone fragments at the property in unincorporated Contra Costa County , but have not said if they are human . `` Although nothing -LSB- was found -RSB- that would definitively link Phillip and Nancy Garrido to the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff or Michaela Garecht , we 're going to continue to follow up on the evidence that we have recovered , '' Lt. Kurt von Savoye of the Dublin Police Department said at the news conference . `` We 're going to examine and process all items that have been taken from this property to see if there is any possible link to the Garridos . '' The processing of all the evidence could take several weeks , Orrey said . Police from Hayward and Dublin began executing search warrants simultaneously last week on the Garrido property and an adjacent property to which he had access . They sought any evidence in the 1988 abduction of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht of Hayward and the 1989 disappearance of 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff of Dublin . The search of the adjacent property was also completed and the resident will be able to return soon , police said . The Garridos ' home will remain boarded up and the fence locked , Orrey said . The Garridos face a combined 29 felony counts in the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard , then 11 , from South Lake Tahoe , California . Authorities say the couple held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home for 18 years and have said Phillip Garrido , a registered sex offender , fathered her two children . Phillip Garrido wo n't be eliminated as a suspect because of similarities in the Dugard case and the other disappearance cases , Orrey said . `` I ca n't help but feel relief that they did n't find anything here , '' Michaela 's mother , Sharon Murch , told reporters . `` If they had found something on this property , it most likely would have meant Michaela was n't alive . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas authorities are investigating `` the safety of children '' at a ranch occupied by about 400 followers of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs , officials said Friday . An aerial view taken last year shows some living quarters at polygamist leader Warren Jeffs ' Texas ranch . Authorities have sealed off the 1,900-acre ranch near Eldorado and no one is allowed to enter or leave , officials with Child Protective Services and the Department of Public Safety said . The people living at the ranch are cooperating , authorities said . Escorted by police , social workers entered the compound in south central Texas at 8 p.m. Thursday after receiving `` a referral , '' said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner . Watch police seal off the compound '' Child Protective Services `` is conducting an investigation into safety issues of the children who live within the compound , '' she said . Meisner would not provide details about the referral but did say officials responded `` within days '' of receiving it . As of Friday morning , Meisner added , her agency had `` not determined that there is a safety issue with these children . '' Several law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation , said Tela Mange , of the Texas Department of Public Safety . `` The people at the ranch have been cooperative and they are providing the investigators with everyone they want to talk to , '' she said . Jeffs ' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -LRB- FLDS -RRB- bought 1,900 acres near Eldorado four years ago and built the ranch , which they call the YFZ Ranch . It is now home to as many as 400 members who relocated from their Arizona and Utah compounds . Jeffs , the 52-year-old leader and `` prophet '' of the 10,000-member church , was convicted in Utah last year on two counts of being an accomplice to rape , charges related to a marriage he performed in 2001 . He still faces trial in Arizona on eight charges of sexual conduct with a minor , incest and conspiracy . State and local law enforcement agencies set up roadblocks around the ranch Thursday evening , preventing journalists from seeing what was happening on the property , according to Randy Mankin , editor of the Eldorado Success weekly newspaper . `` This came totally out of the blue , '' Mankin said . There were no indications of any violence around the ranch , he said . When CNN crews have visited the ranch , it was guarded by armed men equipped with night vision gear and other high-tech surveillance tools to prevent intruders . When CNN flew over the ranch in a small plane last year , the crew saw a massive temple , the three-story housing units where Jeffs ' chosen followers live , the water tower , the school and community center , the dairy and cheese factory and a massive concrete mill . The FLDS church openly practices polygamy in two towns straddling the Arizona-Utah state line -- Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona. , but members living on their Texas ranch rarely venture into Eldorado , four miles to the south . Critics of the sect say it arranges marriages for girls as young as 13 , and that competition for brides may be reduced through exiling young men . If male followers are excommunicated , the critics claim , their wives and children can be reassigned to someone else . Jeffs is now being held in the Mohave County Jail in Kingman , Arizona , where he will be tried on charges of being an accomplice to incest and sex with minors . In November , Jeffs was sentenced to 10 years in jail after being convicted of two charges of accomplice to rape . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Power-driven wheelchairs are costing Medicare and its beneficiaries nearly four times what suppliers pay for them , and competitive bidding could have reduced those costs , according to an inspector general 's report released Wednesday . Competitive bidding would have cut costs on a standard power wheelchair by nearly $ 1,000 , the report says . A standard power wheelchair costs the federal health insurance program for seniors an average of $ 4,018 to lease , compared with $ 1,048 for suppliers to buy , the Department of Health and Human Services ' internal watchdog reported . `` Medicare and its beneficiaries paid suppliers an average of $ 2,970 beyond the supplier 's acquisition cost to perform an average of five services and cover general business costs , '' the report found . The difference was not as dramatic for more advanced wheelchairs used for physical rehabilitation patients , but at an average lease of $ 11,507 , those chairs still cost Medicare about twice as much as the $ 5,880 paid by suppliers , the report found . More than 173,000 Medicare beneficiaries received power wheelchairs in the first half of 2007 , at a cost of about $ 686 million , the report said . The cost could have been reduced considerably had Congress not delayed a planned system of competitive bidding for what Medicare classifies as `` durable medical equipment , '' such as wheelchairs and oxygen tanks , the report said . Competitive bidding would have cut Medicare 's average cost of a standard power wheelchair by nearly $ 1,000 , the inspector general found . `` Medicare and beneficiary payments under the Competitive Bidding Acquisition Program would have decreased by an average of 26 percent across all included categories of -LSB- durable medical equipment -RSB- , saving up to an estimated $ 1 billion annually , '' the report found . `` However , Congress delayed the program and exempted complex rehabilitation power wheelchairs from future competitive bidding . '' Medicare 's annual budget for 2008 was $ 444 billion . In January , it cut its payments to suppliers by 9.5 percent to make up for what it thought competitive bidding would have saved taxpayers , according to the report . In July , a CNN investigation found that a patient and taxpayers were billed about $ 1,200 over four years for a nonmotorized chair , while a nearly identical chair could be bought from the same supplier for $ 349 . The issue has become controversial as the Obama administration tries to overhaul the U.S. health care system and rein in the cost of Medicare . Administration officials want to require competitive bids for items such as wheelchairs . But the American Association for Homecare , which represents many in the durable equipment industry , said the bidding program would reduce patient choice , limit access to home medical care and drive up Medicare costs by requiring more hospital stays .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former football great O.J. Simpson , convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping , deserves leniency in sentencing as he is a first-time offender who showed no criminal intent , his attorney says in court papers . O.J. Simpson should receive a six-year sentence in a 2007 hotel room confrontation , his attorney says . Attorney Gabriel Grasso argued that Simpson should receive the minimum sentence , six years . Grasso acknowledged in court papers , `` Clearly Simpson was not using good judgment '' during a 2007 hotel room confrontation over sports memorabilia . Simpson could receive a maximum life sentence from Judge Jackie Glass on Friday . A pre-sentencing report recommended an 18-year sentence . On October 3 , a jury convicted Simpson , 61 , and co-defendant Clarence `` C.J. '' Stewart of 12 charges , including conspiracy to commit a crime , robbery , assault and kidnapping with a deadly weapon . Watch Stewart talk about the night they were arrested \u00c2 '' Their convictions stem from a September 13 , 2007 , fracas at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas . Prosecutors alleged that Simpson led a group of men who used threats , guns and force to take sports memorabilia from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley . Simpson said he was attempting to recover items that belonged to him . Four men charged with Simpson cut deals with the prosecution and testified against him . One testified that Simpson asked him to bring a gun to the encounter . `` These were not crimes committed on strangers , but were acts stemming from prior relationships with the individuals in the room at the Palace Station , '' Grasso wrote in the memorandum . `` There was overwhelming evidence at trial that Simpson 's intent was to recover property that was his and only his , '' the lawyer argued . `` The trial testimony showed Simpson 's intent was to return anything that did not belong to him . This intention can be heard throughout the recordings of the Palace Station incident . '' He added , `` However , there is nothing in the record to show that Simpson evinced a criminal mind or showed the requisite criminal intent . '' Because of that and other factors , Grasso wrote , Simpson 's sentence should fall on the low end of the minimum sentencing range . In a sentencing brief for Stewart , 54 , defense attorney E. Brent Byron said his client also should be sentenced to six years , noting he `` did not kill anyone , nor did he bind or gag anyone . '' He had no weapon and `` no witness testified that Mr. Stewart knew that weapons were going to be used , '' the brief said . Both sentencing memorandums note that one of the victims , Beardsley , did not even want the case prosecuted . Attorneys for both Simpson and Stewart have filed motions seeking a new trial . Simpson 's lawyers cite seven reasons why a new trial should be granted in their brief , including that he was denied a fair hearing when two African-Americans were dismissed from the potential jury pool . An all-white jury convicted the men .","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe published a draft constitutional amendment in the government gazette Saturday , paving the way for the power-sharing agreement reached after violence disrupted this year 's presidential election . President Robert Mugabe , left , and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed the deal in July . Constitutional Amendment 19 details the posts and institutions that were created by the power-sharing deal , including the position of prime minister intended for Morgan Tsvangirai , leader of the Movement for Democratic Change . The publication of the draft is the first step in creating a law in Zimbabwe . For the law to pass , it must be appear before parliament in 30 days , according to the country 's constitution . If it is approved , it will be sent to Mugabe for his signature . The deal arose after Tsvangirai withdrew from a June 27 runoff days before the vote , saying Mugabe 's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters . The two leaders signed the initial agreement , brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki , in July but have failed to agree on how to form a cabinet . The MDC , the main opposition party , noted that Mugabe 's latest move does not legalize the amendment . `` Gazetting the bill -- which was done by -LSB- Mugabe 's party -RSB- Zanu-PF -- does not automatically translate into passing it into law , '' MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said . `` That can only take place if outstanding issues have been addressed . Otherwise we will not support the bill . '' The two parties agreed last month to the draft amendment during talks in South Africa , but Chamisa warned then that problems remained . `` We have differed with Zanu-PF for a long time while the citizens suffer , but fortunately we have agreed on something . I need to hasten to mention that we still have some outstanding issues , such as the cabinet , appointment of diplomats , '' he said in late November . Zanu-PF lost its majority in the parliament in the March elections . As no party has the two-thirds majority to pass the law , its passage relies on MDC support . If parliament does not approve the amendment , Mugabe may call for new elections , Zimbabwe Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told state-run daily newspaper The Herald . `` I envisage that it will require two weeks for it to be debated and passed through both Houses . If no support is forthcoming , it means that Amendment Number 19 Bill will be dead matter , '' Chinamasa is quoted as saying The Herald . `` In the event that the collaboration that we envisage is not forthcoming , then that will necessitate fresh harmonized elections at some point in time , '' he said , according to The Herald . Tsvangirai won the most votes in the March election , but not enough to avoid a runoff , according to the government 's official count . South African President Kgalema Motlanthe , chairman of the Southern African Development Community , welcomed the draft . `` The gazetting of Amendment 19 of the Zimbabwean Constitution is indeed a major step towards the formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe , '' he said in a written statement . `` We urge the Zimbabwean political parties to establish an inclusive government . '' Meanwhile , the country is battling a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly 800 people since August , according to the World Health Organization . More than 16,000 people have been infected , WHO said . This week , Mugabe declared that `` there is no cholera in the country . '' His spokesman later said Mugabe was sarcastically ridiculing what he believes are Western designs to invade the country . Another Zimbabwean official , Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu , said Friday that the disease was a `` calculated , racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power , which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country . '' Britain ruled the country as a colony until 1965 . Ndlovu 's claims triggered quick and pointed reaction from Britain and the United States . In Washington , State Department spokesman Rob McInturff called Ndlovu 's accusations `` patently ridiculous . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his concern over the potential of a nuclear-armed Iran during meetings with top congressional leaders Tuesday . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walks Tuesday with Reps. John Boehner , left , and Nancy Pelosi . He met with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee first , followed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner . An Iranian regime armed with nuclear weapons `` is a great danger to all of us , to Israel specifically and to the moderate Arab regimes , -LSB- and -RSB- to America , '' Netanyahu said after his meeting with Pelosi and Boehner . `` Especially if this regime were to arm itself or arm terrorists with nuclear weapons , the consequences could be unimaginable . '' Netanyahu also reiterated his call for normalizing relations between Israel and the `` broader Arab world '' while moving forward on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process . Watch where Mideast flash points could be '' `` We have to do this in tandem , '' he said . `` That 's going to be our policy . ... If we do it together , we 'll get a lot further , a lot faster . '' Pelosi said she endorsed a two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians , but emphasized that it `` must be a solution that provides for a democratic Jewish state of Israel living side by side with her Palestinian neighbors . '' `` The question of Iran is one that is of concern to us in Congress , '' she said . '' ... It is an issue for the world . It is important for all of us to work together to be sure that Iran does not develop a weapon of mass destruction . '' Netanyahu is on his first visit to Washington since becoming prime minister earlier this year -- his second time as head of Israel 's government . He met Monday with President Obama at the White House and dined with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . Obama offered the hawkish Israeli leader a small diplomatic victory , warning that he would not allow Iran to drag out talks as a way of buying time while it develops nuclear weapons . Speaking at an Oval Office news conference , Obama again refused to commit to an `` artificial deadline '' for Iranian negotiations . But he also warned that he would not allow such talks , which he expects to accelerate after the Iranian presidential election in June , to be used as an excuse for delay . Watch Obama start the clock on Iran '' `` We 're not going to have talks forever . We 're not going to create a situation in which the talks become an excuse for inaction while Iran proceeds with developing ... and deploying a nuclear weapon , '' he said . He said the United States is not `` foreclosing a range of steps , including much stronger international sanctions , in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious . '' The issue of Iran 's nuclear ambitions has become increasingly urgent in recent months . Netanyahu wanted a time limit for negotiations relating to such ambitions , with the threat of military action if no resolution is reached . Both Israel and the United States believe Iran is seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program ; Tehran denies the accusation . Israeli leaders have pointed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's calls for the end of Israel as a Jewish state , and argue that quick action is needed . Clinton and Netanyahu also talked about Iran , among other issues , during a 90-minute working dinner Monday night , according to a senior State Department official . `` Clinton 's messages were entirely consistent with President Obama 's , '' the official said . `` She reiterated our support for a two-state solution , and explained our strategy for direct engagement as a means to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability . '' In his appearance at the White House , Netanyahu emphasized that while `` the common goal is peace ... the common threat we face are terrorist threats and organizations that seek to undermine -LSB- that -RSB- peace and threaten both our peoples . '' The prime minister called Iran the biggest threat to peace in the region . `` If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons , it could give a nuclear umbrella to terrorists , or worse , could actually give -LSB- them -RSB- nuclear weapons . And that would put us all in great peril , '' he said . Obama is considered to have a more conciliatory approach to the Arab and Muslim world than Netanyahu . Obama supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel . Netanyahu has not endorsed the idea , arguing that Israel first needs security guarantees and a clear Palestinian partner for peace talks . The Palestinians issued a statement after the meeting criticizing Netanyahu for failing to more explicitly endorse a two-state solution . Netanyahu `` missed yet another opportunity to show himself to be a genuine partner for peace , '' said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat . `` Calling for negotiations without a clearly defined end goal offers only the promise of more process , not progress . '' Watch how hard-liners have driven breakthroughs for peace '' Despite their differences , Obama and Netanyahu agree on numerous key issues , such as U.S. military and financial support for Israel . Obama also supports funding for Palestinian entities not controlled by Hamas , which controls Gaza and which the United States labels a terrorist organization . Before making his trip to Washington , Netanyahu met with leaders of Jordan and Egypt , viewed as potential partners in the effort to bring peace to the region . Obama will host Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on May 26 and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on May 28 . CNN 's Paula Hancocks contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia and South Ossetia have strongly denied news reports that a motorcade carrying the presidents of Georgia and Poland came under fire , calling the claims `` a provocation '' meant to destabilize the region . Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili , said there were `` unpredictable people '' in the area . `` This is a real provocation , '' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on Monday . `` It is not the first time that such things have happened : First they mastermind everything themselves and then accuse the Russian or the Ossetian side . '' Eduard Kokoity , president of the breakaway region of South Ossetia , added : `` Today 's event was a deliberate provocative act of the Georgian and Polish presidents targeted at regional destabilization . '' Kokoity made his comments to the Russian news agency , Interfax . The motorcade , carrying Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Polish President Lech Kaczynski , was passing a checkpoint near Georgia 's breakaway South Ossetia region -- site of intense conflict between Russian and Georgian troops in August -- when shots were fired Sunday , according to the Georgian Interior Ministry . The motorcade was not hit and there were no injuries , the Georgian Interior Ministry said . No other shooting was reported in the area . The shots were fired from Russian-controlled territory as the motorcade passed , the ministry said . Russia 's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin denied the gunfire came from its army positions . `` This is one more instance of wishful thinking on the part of Georgia , '' he told reporters . After the incident , Saakashvili told reporters he would not have taken his Polish counterpart into danger intentionally and that the incident showed `` you are dealing with unpredictable people '' in the disputed area . Kokoity , the South Ossetian president , countered that the Polish and Georgian presidents need to answer questions whether they informed European Union monitors of their trip . Tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between Russian and Georgian troops broke out in August . Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia , a Russian-backed separatist territory , on August 7 . The following day , Russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian territory , Abkhazia , advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions . The two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting , including ethnic cleansing .","question":""}
{"answer":"Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three people were killed when a parked car rigged with explosives blew up Saturday in Najaf on the eve of parliamentary elections , the Interior Ministry said . At least 54 others -- 17 Iraqis and 37 Iranians -- were injured in the attack near the Imam Ali Holy Shrine , which houses the tomb of Ali , cousin of the Prophet Mohammed . Two of the dead were Iranians , the interior official said . Najaf , about 100 miles -LRB- 160 kilometers -RRB- south of Baghdad , is frequented by Shiite pilgrims from Iran . Iraqis will go to the polls Sunday to choose a 325-member parliament . The election has been marred by violence despite heavy security . It is Iraq 's fifth nationwide vote since 2003 , but only the second for a full four-year-term parliament . Three attacks happened Thursday during early voting for those who will be unable to cast ballots Sunday , such as military and security personnel , detainees , hospital staff , and patients . A total of 12 people were killed and dozens were wounded . There have been warnings of further insurgent attacks around the vote . These are Iraq 's first national elections since 2005 , when the Sunni Arab population boycotted the elections and the political process . A Shiite-led government emerged and the Sunnis , feeling disenfranchised , went on to form the main part of the insurgency . The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq calls the elections an `` important milestone in Iraq 's democratic progress , '' serving to strengthen the country 's sovereignty and independence as the United States draws down its military presence there . Sunday 's elections were supposed to happen in January but were delayed because of political disagreements and a delay in passing the election law that paved the way for this vote . There are 18.9 million eligible voters , casting ballots for 325 seats in the Council of Representatives , as Iraq 's parliament is called . The seats represent Iraq 's 18 provinces . At least a quarter of the positions -- 82 -- are guaranteed to go to women , and eight more have been allocated for minorities . They include five set aside for Christians and one each for the Shabak , Sabaeans -LRB- Mandaeans -RRB- , and Yazidis . The number of seats is increasing from the previous 275 . Seat allocation was based on 2005 population data from the Ministry of Trade and adjusted for a 2.8 percent annual growth across all governates . Voting for Iraqis abroad also is happening in 16 countries starting Friday -- including the United States , United Kingdom , Turkey , Iran , Canada and others in the Middle East and Europe . There are no exact figures for those eligible to cast ballots abroad . Estimates on turnout have ranged anywhere from 300,000 to 3 million . Around 6,200 candidates from more than 80 political entities are vying for seats . It is the first parliamentary vote to use an open list , in which the voters vote for political entities and , if they want , also can vote for candidates within those entities , according to the U.N. Assistance Mission . Although open lists complicates the training of election staff and the counting of votes , the system enhances the role of the voter in the election beyond casting a vote simply for a political party , the assistance mission says . At least 25 percent of the candidates on the ballot list of each political entity must be women . The assistance mission is providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission , which is organizing the vote . The commission has ordered that all political campaigning must end as of 7 a.m. Saturday . A number of other special measures are being put in place for security reasons . Since Monday , there has been a ban on motorcycles and bicycles in Baghdad until further notice , and on Sunday a two-day ban on any vehicles in cities will begin , Iraqi authorities announced on state television . Provincial borders will be sealed , preventing movements between provinces , from Saturday to Monday . And international borders and all airports will be shut from midnight Saturday . A curfew will be in place in cities from midnight to 5 a.m. on Saturday , Sunday and Monday , officials said . Civilians may not carry weapons on those days , they said . More than 47,000 polling stations will be open across the country , each one able to accept a maximum number of 420 voters . Polling stations are clustered into polling centers . Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All those in line at the time the polls are open will be able to vote . About 300,000 trained election staff -- mostly teachers , principals , and lawyers -- will be on hand at polling sites . There will be more than 494,000 local and international observers , according to the Independent High Electoral Commission . The number includes about 500 to 600 international observers , according to the United Nations . Voter turnout figures should be available shortly after polls close , and preliminary results are expected by Tuesday or Wednesday , the United Nations said . Results will start emerging for each province as soon as 30 percent of polling centers in that province are tallied . Counting will take place at the polling stations at the end of voting , under the gaze of observers . Ballots will be counted twice to ensure accuracy . The number of ballots cast will be reconciled with the number of ballots issued to each polling station , and in case of a significant discrepancy , the station will be audited . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police have made an arrest in the home invasion slaying last year of a Southern California couple in their beach house , authorities said Monday . Joshua Graham Packer , 20 , of Ventura is facing charges including three counts of murder and two counts of robbery , Capt. Ross Bonfiglio of the Ventura County Sheriff 's Department said . Packer is accused of murdering Brock Husted , his wife , Davina Husted , and her fetus . The Husteds , who were both 42 , were stabbed to death in their seaside home in Faria Beach , California , on May 20 . Chief Gary Pentis of the Ventura County Sheriff 's Department said it appeared the suspect targeted the victims . `` My personal opinion ? This was not a random act , '' Pentis said at a news conference Monday . Until the couple 's slaying , the gated community of luxury homes had not recorded a homicide in 15 years , police said . According to investigators , the Husteds were home with their two young children on the night of the slaying . Their daughter was asleep in bed , and their son was watching `` American Idol '' in the living room . About 10:30 p.m. , the suspect entered the home through French doors that face the ocean , police said . The killer was dressed in dark clothing and wore a motorcycle helmet , authorities said . He walked past the child who was watching television and stabbed the Husteds . Davina Husted was four months pregnant . The home was not ransacked , and the alleged murder weapon was left at the scene , Bonfiglio said . A sample of Packer 's DNA taken after an arrest in Santa Barbara matched the genetic material found at the Husted crime scene , said Pentis the sheriff 's department chief . He added that items from the victims ' house were found at the suspect 's home . Scott Husted , the brother of Brock Husted , thanked the sheriff 's department for solving the killings . `` This is a milestone , a very huge milestone in this process , '' he said . `` We 're very grateful for the work the Ventura County sheriff 's department has put in this case . '' `` This in no way takes away the loss our family has had . Brock was our baby brother . '' Packer is being held on $ 2.2 million bail at the Ventura County Main Jail .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Researchers have discovered a previously unknown group of rare monkeys in the forests of Vietnam . The Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys were so skittish , researchers captured a photo of only one : an adult male . Several biologists caught fleeting glimpses of about 15 or 20 Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys in a remote area near the Chinese frontier , the wildlife conservation group Fauna & Flora International said Thursday . The `` bizarre-looking '' monkeys -- on the brink of extinction -- were so skittish around people that researchers were able to snap a photo of just one of them : an adult male scampering through the trees . The monkeys were `` very sensitive to the presence of people , giving warning signs to one another and fleeing '' whenever biologists approached , the group said in a statement . `` It was apparent that the monkeys associated humans with danger -- perhaps due to ongoing threats from hunters , '' the group said . So few Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys have survived in the wild that scientists thought until recently that they were extinct . Now they estimate that roughly 200 remain , mainly in parts of northern Vietnam near the Chinese border . Hunters with a taste for bush meat and the loss of habitat have pushed the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey toward extinction , according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature . It classifies the primate as critically endangered `` because its population size is estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals , with no subpopulation greater than 50 mature individuals , and it is experiencing a continuing decline . '' Fauna & Flora said it is working with a variety of groups to improve the livelihoods and `` reduce human pressures on the forest ecosystem '' in an effort to safeguard the newly discovered group , which was spotted in a patch of forest in the Quan Ba district of Vietnam 's Ha Giang province . The sighting thrilled conservation biologist Le Khac Quyet , described by Fauna & Flora as `` one of the few people in the world who can claim to be an expert on this mysterious species '' and as the person credited with discovering the new group of that species . `` When I saw the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys ... I was overjoyed , '' he said in the Fauna & Flora statement . `` There is still time to save this unique species , but with just 200 or so left and threats still strong , we need to act now . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"PHNOM PENH , Cambodia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cambodia has sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council to call attention to its continuing standoff with Thailand over an ancient border temple on disputed land . Cambodian soldiers stand guard near Preah Vihear temple , close to the Thai border . The country is not asking for U.N. intervention , said Information Minister Kheu Kanharith . Rather , the letter that Cambodia 's permanent mission in New York submitted to the chairmen of the Security Council and the General Assembly is meant to draw attention to a crisis that entered its sixth day Sunday . The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions -- even as each side continued to amass more troops to the site of the Preah Vihear temple . Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the 11th century temple , which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side . The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 . Thailand claims , however , that the 1.8 square mile -LRB- 4.6 sq. km -RRB- area around it was never fully demarcated . Thailand further says that the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia that places both the temple and the surrounding area in that country 's territory . Earlier this month , the United Nations approved Cambodia 's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- places the U.N. says have outstanding universal value . The decision re-ignited tensions , with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple . Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government , which initially backed the heritage listing . A Thai court overturned the pact , prompting the resignation of Thailand 's foreign minister , Noppadon Pattama . He had endorsed the application . Cambodia , meanwhile , is preparing for general elections on July 27 . And Prime Minister Hun Sen , who has been in power since the mid-1980s , has portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph . The current flare-up began Tuesday , when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area . Once they were let go , the three refused to leave the territory . Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers . Thailand denies the charge , saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory . Each side has asked its troops to withhold fire unless they are fired upon . So far , the only casualty has been a Thai soldier who was injured Tuesday by a landmine -- possibly left over from the time the Khmer Rouge occupied the area . The Khmer Rouge , a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 , won power through a guerrilla war . It is remembered for the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Cambodians . -- Journalist Soeum Yin contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Listen closely and you 'll hear squeals of disgust from a watchdog group tracking congressional pork in the nation 's capital . Research on swine odor is one of the projects listed in the `` Pig Book , '' released Tuesday . Citizens Against Government Waste is out with its annual `` Pig Book '' -- a list of lawmakers whom the group considers the most egregious porkers , members of the House and Senate who use the earmarking process to funnel money to projects on their home turf . Fittingly perhaps , the list includes nearly $ 1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Iowa . `` In fiscal year 2009 , Congress stuffed 10,160 projects into the 12 appropriations bills worth $ 19.6 billion , '' the group said in a report released Tuesday . The amount marks a 14 percent increase over 2008 . The `` Pig Book '' also names dozens of what it considers the most blatant examples of pork-barrel spending . See a list of those projects '' `` Taxpayers are ready to revolt , '' said Tom Schatz , the organization 's president . `` Despite repeated claims by members of Congress that earmarks have been reduced , the Pig Book belies that claim . '' Included in the funding is $ 3.8 million for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy -- a group dedicated to finding a new use for the stadium that the Detroit Tigers baseball team played in from 1896 through 1999 . An additional $ 1.9 million went to the Pleasure Beach water taxi service project in Bridgeport , Connecticut , requested by then-Rep . Chris Shays . A bridge fire more than a decade ago means beach-goers have to travel a couple of extra miles to get to the beach . Alaska led the nation in pork per capita , at $ 322 a person . At the bottom of the list was Arizona , with less than $ 12 per resident . Sen. John McCain does not request earmarks for his home state . See where each state ranks '' Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran , the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee , topped the list of senators receiving earmarks , with a total of $ 653 million . The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee , Sen. Daniel Inouye , D-Hawaii , was second , with $ 445 million . Hawaii Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono , both Democrats , topped the list for earmarks in the House of Representatives . Abercrombie 's pet projects received a total of almost $ 257 million ; Hirono 's received almost $ 153 million . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , was granted the organization 's so-called `` Porkasaurus '' award for earmarking $ 143,000 for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum . `` Sen. Reid is fond of saying that earmarks have been around since we were a country . Now he must be blaming it on the dinosaurs , '' Schatz said . Some recipients of the earmarks disagreed with the characterization of their projects as `` pork . '' Kathleen Wendler , a member of the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy 's board of directors , argued that the $ 3.8 million dedicated to the old ballpark was critical to revitalizing the surrounding Detroit neighborhood . The money `` is not pork at all , '' she said . The ballpark , if properly utilized , can be an `` economic development generator for the local business district . This project will help draw younger people into the neighborhood . It will help save the neighborhood in the long run . '' To qualify for the `` Pig Book , '' a project must meet at least one of these standards : It was requested by only one chamber of Congress ; was not specifically authorized ; was not competitively awarded ; was not requested by the president ; greatly exceeded the president 's budget request or the previous year 's funding ; was not the subject of congressional hearings ; or served only a local or special interest . -- CNN 's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JOHANNESBURG , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The political crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe for nearly a year may be drawing to an end , but a deadly cholera outbreak there is only getting worse . Zimbabweans walk through mounds of garbage . Lack of sanitation and clean water make cholera spread . The newly formed cabinet of Zimbabwe 's unity government met for the first time Tuesday , the same day that Medecins Sans Frontieres -LRB- Doctors Without Borders -RRB- released a report warning that the epidemic shows no signs of slowing . The outbreak -- one of the world 's largest , according to the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- -- is only getting worse , and could be a stepping-stone to other epidemics and health crises , international agencies say . Since August , at least 3,623 people have died and 76,127 people have been infected by cholera , a preventable water-borne bacterial illness that causes severe diarrhea , vomiting and dehydration and can lead to death in a matter of days if not treated . According to a report released Tuesday by Medecins Sans Frontieres -LRB- Doctors Without Borders -RRB- , new cholera patients were being registered at a rate of one every minute at the beginning of February in Zimbabwe . Unless urgent action is taken , the aid group said , the country could see a worsening of the `` massive medical emergency that is spiraling out of control , '' MSF President Dr. Christophe Fournier told CNN Tuesday after his latest visit to Zimbabwe . MSF says the response from the international community to the crisis has been slow and inadequate , and it called on donors to put aside politics and send help immediately . The cholera epidemic has been left to fester as the Zimbabwean government grappled with questionable elections , opposition charges of fraud , power-sharing talks and the creation of a unity government in the last year . During that time , the country 's economy and infrastructure imploded , with sanitation systems and garbage collection becoming virtually non-existent . `` The reasons for the -LRB- cholera -RRB- outbreak are clear : lack of access to clean water , burst and blocked sewage systems , and uncollected refuse overflowing in the streets , all clear symptoms of the breakdown in infrastructure resulting from Zimbabwe 's political and economic meltdown , '' the MSF report said . The disease is contracted `` by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium , '' the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -LRB- CDC -RRB- said on its Web site . `` In an epidemic , the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person , '' the CDC said . `` The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water . '' Making matters worse , flooding from the rainy season -- which began in November -- is spreading the bacteria through swollen streams and rivers . Cholera cases have now been reported in all of the country 's provinces , the MSF report said . Exacerbating the epidemic is the current economic crisis , which has caused the health care system to nearly grind to a halt . `` I 've seen many health services being down like this in my life as an MSF doctor , but only in this country have I seen this kind of collapse of the public health care system in the absence of any conflict , '' Fournier said . He said most of the country 's public hospitals or clinics are either closed or empty , and the ones that are open face critical shortages of drugs and medical equipment . `` A huge part of the medical staff is not showing up because they are unpaid and on top of that , the patients , when finally accessing one opened facility , are asked for totally indecent amounts of money only to be seen and then an extra amount of money for their treatment , '' Fournier added . Many patients ca n't afford to pay and do n't even bother to seek treatment , he said . MSF believes cholera may be just the beginning of a nightmare health crisis in the southern African country . `` The current food shortages make us fear of further malnutrition among the most vulnerable , starting with the under -LRB- age -RRB- five children , where any kind of infectious epidemic can start at any moment after this current cholera epidemic , '' Fournier explained . MSF currently has more than 500 staff members working in Zimbabwe to battle the outbreak . The organization is calling on the government to remove barriers that are slowing the MSF response to the crisis . `` Despite the glaring humanitarian needs , the government of Zimbabwe continues to exert rigid control over aid organizations . MSF faces restrictions in implementing medical assessments and interventions , '' the group 's report said . `` The Zimbabwean government must facilitate independent assessments of need , guarantee that aid agencies can work wherever needs are identified and ease bureaucratic restrictions so that programs can be staffed properly and drugs procured quickly , '' the report said . Manuel Lopez , the chief of MSF 's mission in Zimbabwe , said the cost of importing medicine is often higher than the cost of the drugs themselves . High fees for visas and work permits for staff are also impeding operations , he said . And it often takes months to get permission for MSF specialists to operate inside the country , Lopez explained , with some eventually being turned down .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Consumer advocate Clark Howard revealed to listeners of his radio show on Wednesday that he has prostate cancer . Radio show host Clark Howard says doctors diagnosed him with prostate cancer in its early stages . Howard is one of the best-known consumer experts in the country . He has a nationally syndicated radio show and a new weekend show on CNN sister network HLN . He also has written several books on consumer issues , including two that made The New York Times best-sellers list . `` I just wanted to give it to you right form the horse 's mouth , what 's going on with me , '' Howard , 53 , told listeners Wednesday during this radio show . The cancer was detected recently in its early stages , he said . His doctors had monitored his health for about 2 1\/2 years after a routine test came came back with unusual results . The test was a Prostate-Specific Antigen -LRB- PSA -RRB- test to measure antigen , substances that stimulate an immune response in the body . If PSA levels are up , the chances of prostate cancer rise , and Howard 's levels were such that his doctor gave him PSA tests every 90 days to monitor antigen levels . He also had biopsies to test for cancer . The fourth and most recent biopsy found a `` very , very small isolated pocket of cancer , '' Howard said . `` Prostate cancer caught early is not a walk in the park , but is not really that big a deal , '' Howard said . `` I just wanted to clear the air because rumors take on a life of their own . '' According to the American Cancer Society , one in six men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes , and one in 35 will die of the disease . Although its numbers are not yet complete for 2008 , the organization estimated that during that year , there were about 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the United States and about 28,660 men died from the disease . Among famous men who have been treated for prostate cancer are former Secretary of State Colin Powell , former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole , former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and actor Robert De Niro . There are various options for treating prostate cancer , all with different approaches . The American Cancer Society recommends considering things such as age , other serious health problems , stage of the cancer and side effects of treatment when selecting a method of treatment . Howard said his main point in talking about his diagnosis was to increase awareness among men . `` Guys put themselves in danger by not going to the doctor , '' he said . He spoke to female listeners as well as the men . `` Be a nag . Get your guy in to see the doctor , especially if you 're 40 and up , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Radovan Karadzic , whose Interpol charges listed `` flamboyant behavior '' as a distinguishing characteristic , was a practicing psychiatrist who came to be nicknamed the '' Butcher of Bosnia . '' Twice indicted in 1995 by the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia , Karadzic faces charges of genocide , complicity in genocide , extermination , murder , willful killing , persecutions , deportation , inhumane acts , terror against civilians and hostage-taking . While president of the so-called Serbian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina , Karadzic 's troops were reported to have massacred over hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Croats during a campaign of `` ethnic cleansing . '' Early estimates of the death toll from the 3-year war ranged up to 300,000 , but recent research reduced that to about 100,000 . The U.S. State Department had a $ 5 million reward for information leading to his capture . His arrest brings an end to more than 10 years as a fugitive . Watch CNN 's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour report on Karadzic 's rise and fall '' Karadzic was born on June 19 , 1945 , in Petnjica , Montenegro . He studied psychiatry and medicine at the University of Sarajevo during the 1960s and took courses in psychiatry and poetry at Columbia University from 1974 to 1975 . Karadzic , a Serb-Croat , in 1990 helped found the Serbian Democratic Party -LRB- SDS -RRB- , a party aimed at unifying Serbs into a common state , and became its president . Two years later , he became president of the newly declared Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina , later called `` Republika Srpska . '' During the next three years , he ordered Bosnian Serb forces to seize the majority of Bosnia and Herzegovina . He also announced , according to his U.N. indictment , six `` strategic objectives '' for the Serbian people . They included the establishment of state borders between the Serbs and the other two ethnic communities , Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats . Answering to him , according to the indictment , was Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic . From May 1992 , the indictment alleged , Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic 's command targeted civilian areas of Sarajevo with shelling and sniping during a three-year conflict within the city . In July 1995 , according to the U.N. indictment , troops under Mladic 's command executed an estimated 7,000 Bosnian Muslim male prisoners in Srebrenica , a U.N. safe area , and then participated in a comprehensive effort to conceal the killings . The massacre is considered the worst in Europe since World War II . The indictment states that Bosnian Serb forces acted under Karadzic 's direction and worked to `` significantly reduce the Bosnian Muslim , Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb populations '' in municipalities that were seized . Karadzic was last seen in public in September 1996 , a year after the Dayton Peace Accords brought a formal end to the conflict and banned anyone accused of war crimes , including him , from office . He reportedly shaved his trademark bushy hair , grew a beard and donned priest 's robes , moving from monastery to monastery in the mountains to avoid capture . CNN Correspondent Alessio Vinci said : `` He enjoyed protection from the local population , wherever he was hiding . Legend has it he disguised himself as a priest to take part in his mother 's funeral . `` In 2002 , after NATO launched one of its many failed raids to try to arrest Karadzic in Bosnia , I interviewed his mother . At that time she said : ` Serbs are righteous people and I can see that they support him , and that they adore him the way he is . They would lose their lives to protect him . ' '' Despite years on the run , Karadzic wrote `` Miraculous Chronicles of the Night '' -- 1,200 copies of which sold out at the 2004 Belgrade International Book Fair . After his arrest was announced , Serb officials revealed the final chapter of his life on the run had seen Karadic reprise his medical role , working in a clinic in Belgrade under a false identity and heavily disguised by a white beard , long hair and spectacles . `` He moved freely throughout the city , and the fact that he even held a job at a medical practice and nobody knew about this contributes to the fact that his false identity was very elaborate , '' said Serbian war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former police officer convicted of murdering his girlfriend and their unborn child tearfully apologized to her family Monday in front of the jury that will decide whether he lives or dies . Bobby Cutts Jr . weeps openly as his mother describes his childhood during a sentencing hearing . `` It was a nightmare that will continue to haunt me for the rest of my days , '' said Bobby Cutts , Jr. , 30 , reading from a prepared statement at the penalty phase of his murder trial . `` Ladies and gentlemen of the jury , I 'm asking you to spare my life . '' Cutts was convicted on February 15 of the murder of girlfriend Jessie Marie Davis and the aggravated murder of the unborn girl Davis had planned to name Chloe . Chloe 's slaying , which jurors found occurred during the commission of another crime , makes Cutts eligible for the death penalty `` To imagine that I was responsible for the death of Jessie , the mother of my children and my unborn daughter , is beyond any words that I can express , '' Cutts said . `` Words can not bring them back , nor can they erase the pain I 've caused , but I want to apologize . '' Watch Cutts ' tearful apology '' He thanked Davis ' family for taking care of the other child he had with Davis . Blake was 2 1\/2 at the time of his mother 's murder in June 2007 . `` I pray that you find peace and you someday find room for forgiveness , '' he said . Earlier , Cutts ' mother , Renee , Jones , had told jurors , `` I do n't know what I would do without him . '' She described Cutts as a former honor student who loved his job as a police officer . `` He was my firstborn , my only son , '' Jones testified tearfully . `` He means so much to me , '' she continued . `` He used to call me three , four times a day . '' Watch Cutts react as his mother pleads for his life Cutts ' punishment is being decided by the same jury of six men and six women who found him guilty . All the jurors are white ; Cutts is African-American . Cutts ' sister , father and one of his school teachers also testified . Judge Charles E. Brown ordered jurors to return early Tuesday for attorneys ' closing arguments . When the arguments conclude , jurors will begin their deliberations . If jurors do not agree on the death penalty , Cutts could receive a possible sentence of life in prison without parole or become eligible for parole in 20 , 25 or 30 years . Jones , was the first witness called to the stand by the defense . She said her son was a good youngster who was active in sports , Scouts and his church . `` I never had any trouble out of him , '' she said as Cutts teared up at the defense table . She said Cutts ' relationship with his father deteriorated after the parents split . A former teacher described Cutts as a social child given the nickname `` Gobble '' by his classmates . He was helpful in class , often volunteering to pick stray crayons up from the floor . His father testified that he gave Cutts the nickname `` Gobble '' because as an infant he resembled '' a little Butterball turkey . '' He said Cutts was a `` gifted child '' in school . He blamed himself for the break up of his marriage , saying his drinking and gambling contributed to it . Cutts ' own personal life was rocky , according to testimony . Davis was nine months pregnant when she disappeared in June 2007 . Her body was found in a northeastern Ohio park after a 10-day search that brought national media attention He is Blake 's father , as well as the father of the unborn girl , Chloe . According to testimony , Cutts , 30 , rolled Davis ' body in a comforter and dumped it in a park , leaving toddler son Blake in the house alone at the crime scene in a soiled diaper . `` Mommy 's in the rug , '' Blake told police , according to testimony . During the guilt phase of the trial , Cutts sobbed on the witness stand as he admitted killing Davis and Chloe . But Cutts insisted that their deaths were an accident . `` I did n't mean to hurt her , '' Cutts testified , clasping a handful of tissues . `` This is n't real , '' he said he kept telling himself . Prosecutors discounted Cutts ' story , claiming he buckled under the financial pressure of child support , killed the mother of his child and then created a cover story to try to get away with it . On the stand , Cutts said he went to pick up his son , Blake , and became agitated when Davis , 26 , was n't moving fast enough to get the boy ready . He said he tried to leave her house , but she grabbed him to keep him from leaving , and he accidentally elbowed her in the throat . Cutts told the jury he performed CPR on Davis and then tried to revive her with bleach . When he realized Davis was dead , Cutts said he panicked and put her in the back of his truck , so Blake would n't have to see his mother . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man in a wheelchair blew himself up Monday in a northern Iraqi police station , killing three National Police officers , including a commander , police said . Soldiers stand by as pilgrims gather Sunday in Karbala for al-Arbaeen , one of holiest days on the Shiite calendar . The attack also wounded nine officers on the police force , which the Iraqi Interior Ministry operates . The bombing in Samarra raises concern about the recent tactics employed by insurgents in Iraq . Bombs have been placed inside dead animals and hidden in carts . And in recent days , vagrants have been involved in bombings . `` As a sign of desperation , some of those terrorists resorted to some new methods and techniques , '' said Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta , spokesman for Baghdad 's security plan . One of the tactics is the use of remote-controlled `` sticky '' bombs , small enough to tape under vehicles . A high-ranking Samarra police official said the disabled man came to meet with Brig. Gen. Abdul Jabbar Rabei Muttar , deputy commander of security , at the security operations building in Samarra . The pair met last week as well . The man was searched when he entered the building , but police did n't look under his wheelchair seat , where the explosives had been placed . The man , who police say was cogent , detonated the explosives when Muttar approached him . Also Monday , a roadside bomb exploded in the middle of a crowd of Shiite Muslims in Baghdad , killing three people and wounding 15 , an Interior Ministry official said . The strike , in southeastern Baghdad 's Zafaraniya district , is the latest attack against pilgrims trekking to Karbala for al-Arbaeen , one of the holiest days of the Shiite religious calendar . It falls on Wednesday . On Sunday , a suicide bomber in Iskandariya killed at least 45 people and wounded 68 others , and armed militants attacked pilgrims in southern Baghdad , killing three and wounding more than 30 others . Pilgrims traditionally make their way to Karbala on foot as a demonstration of piety , and those who head to the city from Baghdad go through Babil province , where Iskandariya is located . Joint forces have stepped up patrols during the pilgrimage to protect the thousands headed to Karbala . Last year , more than 180 pilgrims were killed in a series of attacks , most during twin suicide bombings in Hilla , Babil province 's capital . Sunday 's attack in Iskandariya , conducted by a bomber wearing an explosive vest , prompted authorities there to replace the police chief , Hilla police said . More National Police officers have been deployed to Babil to ensure the safety of pilgrims heading to Karbala , a police official said . The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and American-led coalition forces condemned Sunday 's `` barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariya '' against `` innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration . '' Every year , thousands of pilgrims amass in Karbala for al-Arbaeen , which commemorates the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein , the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed . Hussein , one of the most revered Shiite martyrs , is buried in Karbala , about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad . Karbala 's main holy site is the gold-domed Imam Hussein Shrine . Other developments CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States is providing weapons and ammunition to Somalia 's transitional government as it fights al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants , State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Thursday . Somali government soldiers , who are fighting Islamic militants , patrol Mogadishu . `` At the request of that government the State Department has helped to provide weapons and ammunition on an urgent basis , '' he said . `` This is to support the Transitional Federal Government 's efforts to repel the onslaught of extremist forces which are intent on destroying the Djibouti peace process . '' Kelly said the weapons shipments are in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions , which ban some arms shipments to Somalia . There is growing concern that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan . CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives . `` Our concern right now is that likely safe havens are areas in the Horn of Africa , like Somalia and Yemen , that are countries that because of their political status can be attractive to al Qaeda in order to operate there , '' Panetta said earlier this month . `` We are focusing on those countries as well in order to ensure that there is no safe haven for al Qaeda as we continue to pressure them , continue to push them , and hopefully continue to make the effort to destroy them , not only in Pakistan but throughout the rest of the world . '' Somalia is not new territory for al Qaeda , according to CNN 's terrorism analyst Peter Bergen . `` Al Qaeda was running training camps in Somalia in the early and mid-1990s , '' he said . `` If this is now coming back , this is something that al Qaeda has already done and it 's worrisome for the future . ... `` The fact that we 're seeing evidence of this already happening in both Yemen and Somalia suggests that , A , the drone program in the tribal areas of Pakistan has been effective , but , B , you know it 's pushing al Qaeda into areas where they 'll build up larger operations . '' Somalia recently called on its neighbors to send military forces to help government troops stop hard-line Islamist militants from taking over . The call for help came hours after a third top politician was killed this month in ongoing fighting . The deaths included Mogadishu 's police chief and Somalia 's internal security minister , who was killed in a suicide car bombing in the central city of Beledweyne . A Pakistani militant who is a high-ranking official in al Qaeda is leading the fighting in Somalia against the government , said Sheikh Adan Madowe , Somalia 's parliament speaker . Madowe warned that militants will spread fighting into the rest of the region if they topple the government in Somalia . The United States is concerned that Somalia 's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency , as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year . `` We think this government ... represents Somalia 's best chance for peace , stability and reconciliation , '' Kelly said Thursday . `` This government is the best chance they 've had in the last 18 years . '' Somalia 's current President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is a former member of the Islamic Courts Union , which took part in the 2006 coup . His decision to renounce the bloody insurgency and try to establish peace in Somalia has put him at odds with Islamist hard-liners who are still battling for control of Somalia . Residents and journalists in Mogadishu , Somalia 's capital , have reported seeing foreign fighters among Al-Shabaab , the radical Islamic militia that is battling to overthrow the weak transitional government . Those foreign fighters recently distributed recorded messages from al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden calling for the overthrow of the government . Al-Shabaab , also known as the Mujahideen Youth Movement , was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in March 2008 . It is waging a war against Somalia 's government in an effort to implement a stricter form of Islamic law , or sharia .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President-elect Barack Obama is likely to name Steven Chu , a physicist who runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , as his energy secretary , three Democratic officials close to the transition said . Steven Chu explains his Nobel-winning theory on superfreezing gases in 1997 . The three officials said the announcement is expected next week in Chicago , Illinois , and that Obama will also name Carol Browner , administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the Clinton administration , as the newly created `` climate czar '' inside the White House . Chu won the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics and is highly respected in energy circles . But some Democrats have privately expressed concern that Chu has no political experience as he takes on the monumental task of passing a landmark energy reform bill early next year . Although Browner is seen as a shrewd inside player who could help the incoming energy secretary navigate Capitol Hill , Obama will face questions about how effective his team will be going up against oil companies and other special interests that do not want to change the status quo . `` Energy is going to be a huge fight , '' one Democratic official said . `` They need someone with the gravitas and force of personality to make it happen . '' Democrats have privately floated some other big names for energy secretary in recent days , including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of State Colin Powell . But a source close to Schwarzenegger said the governor wants to serve out the rest of his term . A source close to Powell said the retired general will take `` no formal Cabinet role '' in an Obama administration but is leaving the door open to an informal troubleshooting role -- such as Mideast envoy -- if the incoming president has a specific mission that needs to be filled . iReport.com : What do you think of Obama 's cabinet picks so far ? Energy is one aspect of the president-elect 's one-year goal to create 2.5 million jobs by 2011 . The plan , which Obama announced Saturday , aims to put Americans to work updating the country 's infrastructure , making public buildings more energy-efficient and implementing environmentally friendly technologies , including alternative energy sources . During his campaign , Obama said he would invest $ 150 billion over 10 years in clean energy . He proposed increasing fuel economy standards and requiring that 10 percent of electricity in the United States comes from renewable sources by 2012 .","question":""}
{"answer":"There 's always something happening in the city that never sleeps , but if you 're in New York at the right time you 'll get to see New Yorkers coming together for one of the city 's big annual events . Giant inflatables are the highlight of the Macy 's Thanksgiving Parade . St Patrick 's Day Parade -LRB- 17 March -RRB- St Patrick 's Day is when New York 's sizeable Irish-American community celebrates its long association with the city , with thousands joining a flag-waving parade of traditional marching pipe bands . Dating back to 1762 , it 's far more traditional than New York 's other parades . There are no floats or corporate sponsors involved -- just vast numbers of green-clad revelers . Indeed , it 's the one day of the year when shamrock-adorned hats and stick on ginger beards are considered appropriate attire . The event kicks off at 11 a.m. at 44th Street , making its way past St. Patrick 's Cathedral at 50th Street and the American Irish Historical Society at 83rd , finishing at 86th Street at around 5:00 p.m. Needless to say , New York 's Irish bars get pretty crowded in the evening . Watch Candace Bushnell take CNN on a tour of New York . '' Met in the Parks -LRB- June -RRB- An al fresco treat for opera lovers , every summer New York 's Metropolitan Opera Company lays on free outdoor performances in the city 's parks . The 2009 program will feature performances in each of the five boroughs , at Staten Island 's Tappan Park , Crotona Park in The Bronx , Queensbridge Park in Queens ; Coffey Park in Brooklyn , East River Park in Manhattan and at SummerStage in Central Park . If that 's whet your appetite for evenings of outdoor classical music , `` New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks '' takes place in July at parks around the city . Take a blanket and a well-stocked picnic hamper for maximum enjoyment . What do you think are New York 's seasonal highlights ? Sound Off below . Independence Day -LRB- July 4 -RRB- The day America declared its independence from Britain in 1776 is a national holiday celebrated in style throughout the country . But , naturally , New York is where the celebrations become a full-blown extravaganza . The highlight of New York 's Independence Day celebrations is the Macy 's fireworks display . Usually , fireworks are launched from the East River , but the 2009 fireworks will be launched from barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River . That means Manhattan 's West Side and New Jersey will provide prime viewing spots and will consequently be packed to the gills with tens of thousands of rubbernecking New Yorkers . See photos of Candace Bushnell in New York . '' Village Halloween Parade -LRB- 31 October -RRB- Halloween is a big deal in America and the nation 's biggest and best Halloween parade takes place along New York 's Sixth Avenue . Greenwich Village 's `` anything goes '' attitude is what makes this event special , translating into eye-popping costumes , heaps of audience interaction and dazzling giant puppets , brought to life by showboating puppeteers . The parade begins at 6.30 p.m. , starting on Spring Street and making its way to 23rd Street . You 'll need to stake your roadside spot early if you want to see more than the backs of other spectators . Better still , wear a costume and you 're entitled to join in the parade -- nothing is too outrageous . Even if you 're cheering from the sidelines , you should get into the spirit of things by donning a ghoulish mask at the very least , thousands of which suddenly appear in local shops in the days leading up to the parade . http:\/\/www.halloween-nyc.com Macy 's Thanksgiving Parade -LRB- fourth Thursday in November -RRB- A New York institution , the inaugural parade in 1924 included live animals on loan from from Central Park Zoo . The zoo animals have long been retired , replaced by floats that act as moving anchors for enormous helium balloons of various colorful cartoon characters . These floating colossi are the highlight of the event and attract annual crowds of around three million New Yorkers . The parade runs from 9 a.m. to midday and follows a two-and-a-half mile route through Central Park West to Herald Square . A new route for the 2009 parade has yet to be confirmed -- check the web site for details . To enjoy the giant balloons without battling the crowds , wrap up warm and see them inflated the night before the parade on West 77th and 81st streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The parents of a missing 10-month-old Missouri girl issued an impassioned plea for her return Wednesday , as police said they have found little to go on in investigating her disappearance . `` We just want our baby back , '' Deborah Irwin , clutching a teddy bear and crying , said of her daughter Lisa . `` Please bring her home . Our two other boys are waiting for her . Please , just drop her off anywhere , we do n't care . Just somewhere safe where she can come home , please . '' Her husband , Jeremy , urged anyone with information to call police . `` Anything , even the smallest information , could help lead to her return , '' he said . Lisa Irwin was last seen at about 10:30 p.m. Monday , asleep in her crib , Kansas City , Missouri , police said . Police were called to the home at about 4 a.m. Tuesday . `` It appears the suspect entered\/exited through a bedroom window , '' authorities said in a statement . `` Evidence at the scene leads police to believe the child has been abducted . '' Jeremy Irwin discovered the child missing when he arrived home from work , CNN affiliate KSHB reported . Police have said the Irwins are not considered suspects in Lisa 's disappearance . Police Capt. Steve Young on Wednesday told reporters the family has been cooperative from the beginning of the investigation , but `` everything is still on the table . We have n't ruled anything out . '' He said investigators `` really have n't developed any good , hard information that we can go forward with . '' Nearly 50 tips have been received through a tip hotline , he said , but not all of them have been pursued , as some of them have been vague -- a person calling to report a child seat seen in a car , for instance . `` I know everybody 's hearts are in the right place , but that 's not anything we can do anything with , '' Young said . Police have conducted more than 300 `` knock-and-talks '' and searches of residences in the area , and more than 300 officers were searching for Lisa . There have been three searches of a wooded area near the family 's home , he said . `` I promise you , if there 's anything we think we can be doing , we 've probably done it two or three times already , '' Young said . An Amber Alert was issued for Lisa early Tuesday but has been canceled . `` Although the investigation and search for Lisa Irwin continue , an active Amber Alert is no longer necessary in this case , '' police said . However , Lisa is still considered missing and endangered , according to authorities . Lisa is described as 30 inches tall with blue eyes and blond hair , police said . She weighs between 26 and 30 pounds . She was last seen wearing purple shorts and a purple shirt with white kittens on it . She has two bottom teeth , a small bug bite under her left ear and a `` beauty mark '' on her right outer thigh . She currently has a cold with a cough , police said . CNN 's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pint-sized version of the Tyrannosaurus rex , with similarly powerful legs , razor-sharp teeth and tiny arms , roamed China some 125 million years ago , said scientists who remain startled by the discovery . An adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds , scientists say . The predator , nicknamed Raptorex , lived about 60 million years before the T. rex and was slightly larger than the human male , scientists said . The findings , to be released Friday in the journal Science , are based on fossilized remains discovered in lake beds in northeastern China . They show a dinosaur with many of the specialized physical features of Tyrannosaurus rex at a fraction of its size . `` The most interesting and important thing about this new fossil is that It is completely unexpected , '' said Stephen Brusatte , co-author of the article , in a conference call with reporters . `` It 's becoming harder and harder to find fossils like this that totally throw us for a curve , '' added Brusatte , a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History . Scientists who have studied the fossilized animal , which was 5 to 6 years old when it died , believe it was an ancestor of the fearsome T. Rex . `` Raptorex really is a pivotal moment in the history of the group where most of the biological meaningful features about Tyrannosaurs came into being , '' said lead author Paul Sereno , a paleontologist at the University of Chicago . `` And the surprising fact is that they came into being in such a small animal , '' he added . Based on estimates of other similar-sized theropods , or `` beast-footed '' dinosaurs , Sereno and his colleagues estimate an adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 143 pounds . By contrast , the Tyrannosaurus rex , which topped the prehistoric food chain until dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago , was believed to weigh at least five tons . Scientists hypothesize that Raptorex ran its prey down , using its enlarged skull , powerful jaws and sharp teeth to dispatch animals much larger than itself . Like the T. rex , the Raptorex also had tiny forelimbs , they said . `` We can say that these features did not evolve as a consequence of large body size but rather evolved as an efficient set of predatory weapons in an animal that was 1\/100th the size of Tyrannosaurus rex and that lived 60 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex , '' Brusatte said . After the remains were discovered , they were smuggled out of China and into the United States , where they were eventually purchased by a Massachusetts collector , Henry Kriegstein , who donated them to science . Sereno was later asked to identify the fossil . `` I hope that this is a pathway that other important specimens that do find their way out of the ground in the dark of night do not get lost to science , '' Sereno said . The Raptorex fossil will eventually be returned to China , where it will be put on display near the excavation site , scientists said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from Friday 's attacks on a religious minority in Lahore has risen to 98 , officials said Saturday . The strikes with bombs and firearms took place at two mosques in Lahore belonging to the Ahmadi religious group , police and rescue officials said . At the Baitul Noor place of worship in the Model Town region , two attackers on motorbikes fired at the entrance of the building and tossed hand grenades , a rescue official told CNN . Police said one of the attackers was critically injured . The other , clad in a suicide jacket , was detained . At a mosque in the Garhi Shahu neighborhood , one witness told CNN he saw two attackers armed with AK-47s , and another witness said he saw at least four gunmen . Sajjad Bhutta , the senior official , said the heads of three suicide bombers were discovered there . Bhutta said more than 70 people were injured in the violence . Ahmadis regard themselves as Muslim . But the government says they are n't , and many Muslim extremists have targeted them . Sunni and Shiite Muslims do not regard followers of the religion as Muslims because they do not regard Mohammed as the last prophet sent by God . The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , a non-governmental organization , deplored the attacks and said it has warned the Punjab provincial government about threats to the Ahmadi community center in Model Town for more than a year . Lahore is the capital of Punjab province . . `` An HRCP delegation had held meetings with Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif to apprise him of the situation and had demanded enhanced security measures to protect the vulnerable minority and its worship places . HRCP is of the view that though the Punjab government apparently took some steps to bolster the security ... they were not enough to face the well-coordinated and well-planned terrorist attack as witnessed on Friday , '' it said . It urged the government `` to provide foolproof security and protection to the Ahmadi community . '' The movement was founded in 1889 . Its followers believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad -LRB- 1835-1908 -RRB- was sent by God as a prophet `` to end religious wars , condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality , justice and peace , '' the worldwide Ahmadi group says . The group , which is thought to number between 3 million and 4 million people in the country , endures `` the most severe legal restrictions and officially sanctioned discrimination '' among Pakistan 's religious minorities , according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom . The religious freedom commission , an independent , bipartisan U.S. government body , said in its latest annual report that `` Ahmadis may not call their places of worship ` mosques , ' worship in non-Ahmadi mosques or public prayer rooms which are otherwise open to all Muslims , perform the Muslim call to prayer , use the traditional Islamic greeting in public , publicly quote from the Koran , or display the basic affirmation of the Muslim faith . '' The agency says it 's illegal for the group to preach publicly , pursue converts or pass out religious material , and adherents are restricted from holding public conferences and traveling to Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage . While the greatest number of its followers are in Pakistan and India , it has a presence in many European countries , such as Britain , where the religion 's fifth and current spiritual head , Mirza Masroor Ahmad , resides .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope Benedict XVI is expected to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday , the first meeting between the religious leaders since a Catholic overture to disaffected Anglicans that some commentators compared to a hostile takeover on Wall Street . Rowan Williams , the nominal head of the world Anglican Communion , threw down a theological gauntlet to the pope in a highly challenging speech in Rome in the run-up to their meeting . He laid out a series of questions suggesting that decades of hard-won apparent reconciliation between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations might have weak foundations . He also proposed that a truly universal Christian church might have to be structured more like the Anglican Communion -- with no central authority laying down the law -- than like the Catholic Church , with the pope on his throne . `` Is there a mechanism in the church that has the clear right to determine for all where the limits of Christian identity might be found ? '' Williams asked . `` Is the integrity of the church ultimately dependent on a single identifiable ministry of unity to which all local ministries are accountable ? '' The meeting comes in the wake of a Vatican move that some say will shatter more than 40 years of efforts to reconcile the Catholic and Anglican churches . The Vatican announced in October that it had worked out a way for Anglicans who are dissatisfied with their church to switch allegiance en masse to Rome . The process will enable groups of Anglicans to become Catholic and recognize the pope as their leader , yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites , Vatican officials said . The move comes some 450 years after King Henry VIII broke from Rome and created the Church of England , forerunner of the Anglican Communion . The number of Anglicans wishing to join the Catholic Church has increased in recent years as the Anglican Church has welcomed the ordination of women and openly gay clergy , said Cardinal William Joseph Levada , the head of the Vatican 's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , in announcing the move in October . Williams was said to have been taken by surprise by the move , which critics described as an end run around a long-established Catholic-Anglican dialogue . `` The Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion , '' Levada said . Levada said `` hundreds '' of Anglicans around the world have expressed their desire to join the Catholic Church . Among them are 50 Anglican bishops , said Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia of the Congregation for Divine Worship . Catholic and Anglican theology and rites are broadly similar , but Anglicans have long allowed priests to marry and have children . In recent decades , the Anglican Communion has allowed women to become priests . The Episcopal Church , the United States branch of the Anglican Communion , has ordained an openly gay bishop , Gene Robinson , and appears to be on the verge of ordaining more . Those developments have caused controversy within the communion , with more conservative parishes setting up alternative structures of authority . Pope Benedict hinted clearly when he last met Williams in Rome almost exactly three years ago to the day that Rome did not look kindly on the Anglican moves . `` Recent developments , especially concerning the ordained ministry and certain moral teachings , have affected not only internal relations within the Anglican Communion but also relations between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church , '' the pope said in November 2006 . `` We believe that these matters , which are presently under discussion within the Anglican Communion , are of vital importance to the preaching of the gospel in its integrity , and that your current discussions will shape the future of our relations , '' he added . There are about 77 million Anglicans worldwide , and about 1.1 billion Roman Catholics .","question":""}
{"answer":"Atlanta -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain told supporters Saturday that he is suspending his presidential campaign , which has become hobbled in recent weeks by allegations of sexual harassment and an Atlanta woman 's claim that they carried on a 13-year affair . While he will still be able to raise and spend campaign funds because he did not officially drop out , Cain 's White House bid is effectively over . Cain said he came to the decision after assessing the impact that the allegations were having on his wife , his family and his supporters . Cain and his wife , Gloria , held hands as they walked up to the podium where Cain made his remarks in Atlanta . The crowd chanted , `` Gloria ! Gloria ! '' before the candidate spoke . Even as he stepped aside under the weight of the allegations that have dogged him , Cain said that he was at `` peace with my God '' and `` peace with my wife . '' He repeatedly called the allegations `` false and untrue , '' and added that `` the -LRB- media -RRB- spin hurts . '' `` I am not going to be silenced and I will not go away , '' Cain said , announcing what he called his Plan B : A website , TheCainSolutions.com , through which he will continue to advocate for his platform . His catchy `` 9-9-9 '' economic plan is not going anywhere , he said . `` Your support has been unwavering and undying , '' Cain told his supporters . He will endorse another of the Republican presidential hopefuls soon , he said . Other candidates were quick to react . `` Herman Cain provided an important voice to this process , '' Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann said in a statement . `` His ideas and energy generated tremendous enthusiasm for the conservative movement at a time it was so desperately needed to restore confidence in our country . '' Fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich said the `` 9-9-9 '' plan `` got our country talking about the critical issue of how to reform our tax code and he elevated the dialogue of the Republican presidential primary in the process . '' Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he knew the Cains made a `` difficult decision . He helped invigorate conservative voters and our nation with a discussion of major tax reform . '' Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Cain brought `` a unique and valuable voice to the debate over how to reform our country 's uncompetitive tax code and turn around the economy . I understand his decision and wish him and his family the best . '' Recently , Cain acknowledged that Ginger White 's allegations of an affair have led to a drop in campaign contributions , and a Des Moines Register poll showed his support among likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers has fallen to 8 % , down from 23 % in October . The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.9 points , the newspaper said . Respondents said they were most concerned that Cain does not understand important issues , but said the allegations against him contribute to their concern , the newspaper said . This week , White told the news media that she and Cain engaged in an on-and-off affair for more than 13 years . She described the affair as `` very casual . '' White issued a statement , through her attorney , after Cain 's announcement Saturday . `` Ginger White respects Mr. Cain 's decision regarding his campaign and indeed would have respected any decision he made , '' the statement said . `` That being said , she is disappointed that he has not apologized for the public statements he has made about her and other women who have spoken out . '' In a fund-raising letter Tuesday night , Cain referred to White as `` troubled . '' Two women -- Sharon Bialek and Karen Kraushaar -- previously accused Cain of sexually harassing them in the 1990s while he was head of the National Restaurant Association . Two other women also have said Cain sexually harassed them while they worked at the association , but they have declined to be identified . Cain told the Union Leader in New Hampshire that he repeatedly gave White money to help her with `` month-to-month bills and expenses . '' But he denied the relationship was sexual , as White contends . He said the two were friends . `` I send checks to a lot of people ; I help a lot of people , '' Cain told Fox News on Thursday . `` That in itself is not proof . So the other allegation in terms of it being a 13-year physical relationship , that is her words against my word . '' In the interview , Cain said his wife , knew nothing about White nor his financial support for her until the mother of two came forward last week . `` My wife now knows , '' he told the newspaper . `` My wife and I have talked about it , and I have explained it to her . My wife understands that I 'm a soft-hearted , giving person . '' Cain 's announcement came a month before the Iowa caucuses , the first formal test of the primary season , scheduled for January 3 . New Hampshire Republican officials who supported Cain began to survey their options Saturday , with several state representatives saying their support could go to Gingrich or Ron Paul . Cain 's most prominent supporter in the state , former GOP state party chair Jack Kimball , said he would wait to learn who Cain would endorse before making his own decision . Cain told staffers earlier this week he was reassessing his campaign in the wake of White 's allegation of an affair , and he acknowledged to reporters Wednesday that her account had led to a drop in contributions to his campaign . He said in the Thursday Union Leader interview that his wife 's feelings , as well as the reaction from supporters and donors , would be important factors in deciding whether he will stay the race . Cain told the newspaper he would drop out of the race if his wife asked him to , but quickly added that she would n't . Though Gloria Cain rarely makes public appearances or statements , she told Fox News last month that she believed the sexual harassment allegations were `` unfounded . '' CNN 's Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- India launched its first lunar mission on Wednesday , with hopes of achieving high-resolution images of the moon 's topography and diving into the international space race . The spacecraft carrying India 's first lunar probe , Chandrayaan-1 , lifts off in Sriharikota on Wednesday . The unmanned lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1 , or `` moon craft '' in ancient Sanskrit , came at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday -LRB- 8:50 p.m. ET -RRB- from the Sriharikota space center in southern India . The two-year mission seeks high-resolution imaging of the moon 's surface , especially the permanently shadowed polar regions , according to the Indian Space Research Organization . It will also search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical breakdown of certain lunar rocks , the group said . Despite the numerous missions to the moon over the past 50 years , `` we really do n't have a good map of the moon , '' said Miles O'Brien , CNN chief technology and environment correspondent . `` The goal is to come up with a very intricate , three-dimensional map of the moon . '' The Chandrayaan-1 is carrying payloads from the United States , European Union countries Germany , Britain , Sweden and Bulgaria , and India plans to share the data from the mission with other programs , including NASA . Watch the launch of India 's first lunar mission '' ISRO said on its Web site that the mission would lay the groundwork for future lunar missions and `` probe the physical characteristics of the lunar surface in greater depth than previous missions by other nations . '' `` It will also give us a deeper understanding about the planet Earth itself or its origins , '' a statement on the Web site said . `` Earlier missions did not come out with a full understanding of the moon and that is the reason scientists are still interested . This will lay the foundation for bigger missions and also open up new possibilities of international networking and support for planetary programs . '' Until now , India 's space launches have been more practical , with weather warning satellites and communiations systems , The Associated Press cited former NASA associated administrator Scott Pace as saying . To date , only the U.S. Russia , the European Space Agency , Japan and China have sent missions to the moon , according to AP . Critics of the mission have questioned its $ 80 million price tag , saying the money should have been spent by the government to improve education and fight poverty . But , `` there are scientists that would argue that there are plenty of things we do n't know about the moon ... and India might have the know-how '' to find answers , said CNN 's Sara Sidner in New Delhi . The United States and the Soviet Union dominated the field of lunar exploration from the late 1950s . The United States is preparing for its own mission slated for next spring -- the first U.S. lunar mission in more than a decade , according to NASA . Soviet spacecraft were the first to fly by , land on and orbit the moon . Luna 1 , launched on January 2 , 1959 , and sped by the moon two days later . Luna 2 was launched on an impact mission on September 12 , 1959 , striking the surface two days later . Luna 9 launched on January 31 , 1966 , becoming the first craft to successfully land on the moon and send back data , touching down on the surface on January 31 , 1966 , and transmitting until February 3 , 1967 , when its batteries ran out . Luna 10 was launched March 31 , 1966 , entered lunar orbit on April 3 , and operated for 56 days . But the United States ' Apollo missions were the first manned missions to reach the moon , culminating with six missions that set down on the surface . The first , Apollo 11 , left earth on July 16 , 1969 , and landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on the lunar surface on July 20 while command module pilot Michael Collins orbited above . The astronauts returned safely to earth on July 24 . Most recently India 's fellow Asian nations , China and Japan , put lunar orbiters in place . Japan launched the Kaguya orbiter in October 2007 , followed by China 's launch of the Chang ' e mission a few weeks later . Watch what is shaping up to be a new space race '' `` Each nation is doing its own thing to drive its research technology for the well-being of that nation , '' AP quoted Charles Vick , a space analyst for the Washington think tank GlobalSecurity.org , as saying .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Croatia sent out a message of intent to the other Euro 2008 finalists as they stunned highly-fancied Germany 2-1 in Klagenfurt to secure a place in the quarterfinals . Ivicia Olic celebrates Croatia 's second goal in their superb 2-1 victory over Germany . Darijo Srna and Ivica Olic struck the goals as Croatia , who had only ever beaten Germany once before , produced arguably the first major upset of the tournament . Lukas Podolski pulled a goal back late on for Germany with his third strike in two games to set up a nail-biting finale , but there was to be no way back for Joachim Loew 's team , who finished with 10 men following the 90th-minute dismissal of substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger . Both sides came into the game having won their opening matches , although Germany had looked far more impressive in seeing off Poland than Croatia had in defeating Austria . However , it was Slaven Bilic 's side who turned on the style at the Worthersee Stadion as they took control of Group B with two wins out of two . A frantic start to the match promised much but for all their huffing and puffing , neither side were able to create anything resembling a chance in the opening 20 minutes as defences held firm . The ball did find its way into the back of the net in the 22nd minute when Germany striker Mario Gomez slotted home past Stipe Pletikosa but the offside flag had already gone up against the Stuttgart man . The deadlock was broken for real just two minutes after that incident though , when Croatia went ahead through Srna . Danijel Pranjic sent over a superb cross from the left and Srna nipped in front of marker Marcell Jansen to slide the ball in at the far post , giving veteran Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann no chance . Croatia had a gilt-edged chance to make it 2-0 in the 30th minute , but Niko Kranjcar wasted it . Ivan Rakitic chipped a pass into the area which was flicked back towards the penalty spot by Olic , but the in-rushing Kranjcar was unable to cap a well-worked move as he blazed over . Germany knew they needed to step up through the gears and they finally made Pletikosa earn his keep with two efforts in rapid succession . The first saw Pletikosa push away a thunderous Michael Ballack free-kick , before the Spartak Moscow custodian awkwardly deflected away a Christoph Metzelder effort with his knee . Metzelder then headed a Torsten Frings corner just over from close range as the Germans stepped up their efforts for an equalizer before the break . However , Loew 's side very nearly found themselves two goals behind in the 43rd minute , and they needed a fine reaction stop from Lehmann to deny Kranjcar , who chested down Olic 's pass and smashed in a first-time volley . Having seen his side let off the hook , Loew opted for a more adventurous approach in the second half as he sacrificed full-back Jansen for jet-heeled winger David Odonkor during the interval . Aside from a Ballack shot over the crossbar though , Croatia looked fairly comfortable at the start of the period and also had a decent effort of their own with Luka Modric firing in a shot that Lehmann gathered , although not before seeing it squirm through his hands first . However , Lehmann 's next task was to pick the ball out of the back of his net as Croatia stunned the Germans with a second goal in the 62nd minute . A Rakitic cross from the right took a deflection off Podolski before arrowing goalwards and although Lehmann , who had begun to come out for the initial cross , managed to dive backwards and get a hand on it , the ball struck his near post before rebounding back out to Olic , who had the easy task of slotting home . Germany looked for an immediate response but aside from a Schweinsteiger shot that fizzed across the face of goal , they were still finding it difficult to create chances against a well-organised Croatia backline . Loew 's side earned themselves a lifeline with 12 minutes to go though when Podolski lashed home a shot on the half-volley after the ball had fallen kindly to him in the box . Germany could not build on that goal , though , and their final hopes of getting anything out of the match all but disappeared when Schweinsteiger was given a straight red card for shoving Jerko Leko in the final minute of an absorbing encounter . `` I want to especially congratulate my players , not only for the fight they showed but for playing an excellent match , '' said a delighted Bilic . `` There is no other way to beat the Germans than to play well . They 're still a great team , though , and still one of the favorites for the title . '' Ballack said the Germans had to recognize they must improve . `` Our movement was not fluid enough throughout the match and as a consequence we eked out few chances . `` We played below our level in all departments . Now we absolutely have to win our last match against Austria , '' said the Chelsea midfielder .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Senate gave final approval Friday to a $ 787 billion recovery package that President Obama hopes will help boost an economy in freefall with a combination of government spending and tax cuts and credits . Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at right on the Senate floor Friday . Approved earlier by the House , the plan -- which went through multiple permutations as it bounced back and forth on Capitol Hill over the past week -- now goes to Obama 's desk , where he plans to sign it into law by Presidents Day . Spending in the package includes about $ 120 billion for infrastructure -- new projects repairing bridges , roads , government buildings and the like -- more than $ 100 billion for education and $ 30 billion on energy-related projects that Obama says will create `` green jobs . '' More than $ 212 billion goes to tax breaks for individuals and businesses , and another $ 267 billion is in direct spending like food stamps and unemployment benefits . The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that the plan will create between 1 million and 3 million jobs . Most individuals will get a $ 400 tax credit , and couples will get $ 800 . The vote by the Senate took several hours longer than a simple roll call of its 100 members generally would . Sen. Sherrod Brown , a Democrat from Ohio , attended a wake for his mother until about 8 p.m. Friday . Voting began about 5:30 p.m. Then , the Senate chamber sat nearly empty until Brown arrived to vote about five hours later . He was flown from Ohio to Washington on a plane provided by the White House , which said no commercial flights were available that would have allowed Brown to cast a vote and return to Ohio in time for his mother 's funeral Saturday . As had been the case when the original version of the package passed , the stimulus package garnered no Republican support in the House . The compromise legislation , which was hammered out by House and Senate leaders and White House staff over the past several days , passed in the House on a 246-183 vote . Three Republicans -- Susan Collins and Olympia Snow of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania -- supported it in the Senate . Their support was needed to give the plan the 60 votes needed to keep it from being shut down by Republican parliamentary procedures . All Democrats in the Senate supported the plan . Seven House Democrats opposed it . Although the package was signed off on by leadership Thursday , a written version was n't available to most lawmakers until about 11 p.m. . Some Republicans in the House expressed frustration over how little time they had to read the 1,000-plus-page bill , and others predicted ruin if it passed . Watch the stimulus pass without GOP support \u00c2 '' `` Just because Republicans spent too much money after September 11 and lost our way on financial matters does n't mean the Democratic party should be allowed to wreck our ship of state , '' said Rep. Zach Wamp , R-Tennessee . `` This is taking us quickly down the wrong road . Vote no . '' Watch the GOP say ` Americans deserve better ' \u00c2 '' Other lawmakers , however , said they were hopeful the stimulus plan would get the economy back on track . `` We know this bill alone will not solve all of our economic woes overnight . We know that the road back to economic stability and prosperity will require hard work over time , '' said Rep. Ed Perlmutter , D-Colorado . `` But this bill is the right size and scope necessary to truly help us turn things around . '' Sen. Edward Kennedy , D-Massachusetts , who returned to Capitol Hill for votes this week , was not present for the final vote because he returned to Florida to continue his recovery from brain cancer . The bill passed the Senate 60-38 . Here 's how the compromise bill is expected to affect individuals : Most individuals will get a $ 400 tax credit , and most couples will get an $ 800 credit . That amounts to an extra $ 13 a week in a person 's paycheck , starting in June . That 's less than what Obama campaigned on : $ 500 for individuals and $ 1,000 per couple . Many students will get a $ 2,500 tuition tax credit . First-time home buyers may qualify for a tax credit of up to $ 8,000 . People who receive Social Security will get a one-time payment of $ 250 . The overall package is estimated to be 35 percent tax cuts and 65 percent spending , Democratic sources said . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Dana Bash , Lisa Desjardins , Evan Glass , Mark Preston and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick in four days as titleholders Barcelona marched into the knockout stage of the European Champions League on a night of milestones for the Spanish club on Tuesday . The striker , a big favorite to win his third world player of the year award after heading the 2011 nominations before the match against Viktoria Plzen , passed a double century of goals for Barca to mark coach Josep Guardiola 's 200th match in charge . The Czech champions capitulated to a 4-0 home defeat in the Group H game after having Marian Cisovsky sent off for a foul in the box on Messi , who scored the resulting penalty to open the scoring in the 24th minute with his milestone goal . The Argentine made it 2-0 in the second minute of first-half injury-time after combining with Adriano , and he sealed the rout in stoppage time after a superb backheel pass from central defender Gerard Pique set him free for his 202nd . Is Messi the only candidate for Ballon d'Or ? Barca 's third came in the 72nd minute when Cesc Fabregas -- among eight Barca players in the 23-man FIFA Ballon d'Or Shortlist -- headed home a cross by young winger Isaac Cuenca . Guardiola became only the fifth Barca boss to reach 200 games , suffering just 17 defeats . Messi has scored 160 of the 500 goals netted in that period . The clean sheet meant that Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes set a new club record of 877 minutes without conceding , beating the previous mark set by Miguel Reina in 1973 . The win gave Barca 10 points from four games , leaving the Catalans two clear of second-placed AC Milan with two rounds to play . The Italian champions went through to the second round despite being held 1-1 by BATE Borisov in Belarus in an earlier kickoff . Milan went into the match denying reports that hospitalized striker Antonio Cassano had suffered a stroke . `` I think every patient has the right to privacy , the doctors are working on it and there 's nothing more to say , '' chief executive Adriano Galliani told the club 's website . `` I spoke to him today and he seemed in good form . There was of course a bit of fear because the whole thing was so unexpected . '' Milan took the lead in the 22nd minute through striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , who won possession out wide on the right and then burst into the box to receive Robinho 's pass and score . But Borisov leveled 10 minutes after halftime with a penalty by Renan Bressan when Ignazio Abate fouled Artem Kontsevoy . Chelsea missed the chance to go through in Group E after being held to a 1-1 draw by Genk in Belgium , as David Luiz missed a penalty for the visitors . Captain John Terry was left on the bench after UK police confirmed he faces a formal investigation into claims the defender racially abused Queen 's Park Rangers ' Anton Ferdinand . The London team , beaten 5-3 by Arsenal at the weekend , took a 26th-minute lead through Ramires but fellow Brazilian Luiz saw his spot-kick saved five minutes before the break . Jelle Vossen leveled just after the hour to leave Chelsea on eight points , and Genk on bottom with two . Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen remained on six points after losing 3-1 at Valencia , who are a point further back following the second-fastest goal in Champions League history . Jonas netted just after 10 seconds , but Stefan Kiessling equalized on the half hour . However , Roberto Soldado -LRB- 65 -RRB- and Adil Rami -LRB- 75 -RRB- kept the Spanish side 's hopes alive ahead of the final two games . Group F leaders Arsenal also failed to qualify for the last 16 after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Marseille . The French side remained one point behind Arsenal , who have two wins and two draws . German champions Borussia Dortmund moved off the bottom with a 1-0 win over Greek club Olympiakos . Kevin Grosskreutz scored the only goal in the seventh minute with a spectacular strike to put Dortmund within three points of Marseille ahead of the trip to Arsenal on November 23 . Group G was blown wide open when unfancied Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia shocked Europa League winners Porto 2-1 to stay top of the table . Ailton put the home side ahead three minutes before halftime with a penalty , but fellow Brazilian Hulk leveled from the spot for the Portuguese champions in the 89th minute . However , Gustavo Manduca headed a last-gasp winner to put Apoel a point clear of Zenit St. Petersburg . The Russian champions won 1-0 against Ukraine 's Shakhtar Donetsk , who were left bottom on two points after center-back Nicolas Lombaerts headed the only goal in first-half injury-time .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's mother says she 's hoping Dr. Conrad Murray will get the harshest sentence possible , four years in a state prison , in the death of her son . `` I do n't believe that he intended for Michael to die , '' Katherine Jackson told CNN Monday . `` He was just taking a chance . '' A jury found Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter three weeks ago , and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor set Tuesday for his sentencing . Pastor , who sent Murray directly to jail after he was convicted this month , has a choice ranging between probation and up to four years in a state prison . But measures to relieve California prison and jail crowding could significantly shorten his time locked up . Prosecutors successfully argued that Murray 's reckless use of the surgical anesthetic propofol to help Jackson sleep , without proper monitoring equipment , led to the pop icon 's death . Testimony during his trial revealed that Murray gave propofol nearly every night in the two months before the singer 's death on June 25 , 2009 , as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts set for London the next month . Katherine Jackson and several of her children will be in court for the sentencing Tuesday , but her grandchildren Prince , Paris and Blanket will not . They 'll be at school , she said . She was uncertain whether anyone from the family would speak in court , but she was interviewed by a probation officer who will include her thoughts in the report to the judge , Jackson said . Murray 's elderly mother , Milta Rush , wrote a letter to the judge asking for mercy , saying `` his compassion and his soft heartedness for others led to this dilemma . '' Prosecutors are asking for the maximum four years behind bars , and they want Murray to pay Jackson 's children more than $ 100 million in restitution . Defense lawyers want probation , not prison time . Each side will have a chance to present oral arguments Tuesday , but their positions were detailed in sentencing memos filed with the judge last week . Murray has `` displayed a complete lack of remorse '' about Jackson 's death , and is , `` even worse , failing to accept even the slightest level of responsibility , '' deputy district attorneys David Walgren and Deborah Brazil wrote . The prosecutors cited Murray 's decision not to testify in his own defense , even while he was giving interviews for a documentary that aired days after the verdict . `` In each of these interviews , the defendant has very clearly stated that he bears no responsibility for Michael Jackson 's death , '' the prosecutors said . `` Moreover , the defendant has continued to express concern only for his individual plight and portrays himself , not the decedent , as the victim . '' `` I do n't feel guilty because I did not do anything wrong , '' Murray said in the documentary quoted by the prosecution . `` Finally , the defendant consistently blames the victim for his own death , even going so far as to characterize himself as being ` entrapped ' by the victim and as someone who suffered a ` betrayal ' at the hands of the victim , '' the prosecutors said . Jackson 's death came as he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London , which the defense argued pressured the singer to seek sleep or risk having the concerts canceled . The prosecutors contend in their sentencing memo that Murray should be ordered to pay Jackson 's three children restitution for the subsequent `` wage and profits lost , '' as provided under California 's `` victim 's bill of rights '' law . The singer 's `` estate estimates Michael Jackson 's projected earnings for the 50-show O2 concert series to be $ 100,000,000 , '' the prosecutors said . With nearly $ 2 million in funeral expenses and 10 % interest added each year , the prosecution is asking Pastor to order Murray to pay Prince , Paris and Blanket Jackson more than $ 120 million in restitution . While it is doubtful that Murray , who is unlikely to ever practice medicine again , could pay much of that sum , it could prevent him from reaping financial benefits from any books , interviews or film projects in the future . Defense lawyers , in their sentencing memo , said Murray is suffering `` manifold collateral consequences '' because of the felony conviction . The memo included a biography of Murray that described him as `` a self-made man of humble origins , '' who paid his own way through medical school without scholarships or family funds . `` He was raised in a home that lacked indoor plumbing or electricity , and he walked to school barefoot for his first couple years of school , '' the defense said . He worked as a doctor for 20 years , with `` no prior contacts with the law , '' and many of his patients were elderly in low-income , underserved communities , the defense said . `` It seems reasonable that the transgression for which he is to be judged should be viewed within the context of the larger life of which it is a part , '' it said . The defense challenges the prosecution 's contention that Murray is not remorseful . `` Dr. Murray wishes to make it unmistakenly clear to everyone that he deeply mourns the loss of Michael Jackson 's life , and he profoundly regrets any mistakes or oversights on his part that may have contributed to it , '' the defense said . The judge should also consider `` the manifold collateral consequences that Dr. Murray has sustained as a result of his mistake , '' the defense said , including the loss of his medical career , the public disgrace and loss of privacy . `` Dr. Murray has been described as a changed , grief-stricken man , who walks around under a pall of sadness since the loss of his patient , Mr. Jackson , '' the defense said . The defense memo included a letter from Murray 's elderly mother , Milta Rush . She sat in court for much of her son 's trial , just a few feet away from Jackson 's mother . `` I sympathize with Mrs. Jackson as a mother , '' Rush wrote in a letter to the judge . `` I sense she was very close to her son . I really wanted to approach her personally and tell her I am sorry for the loss of her son , but I was unsure if she would be receptive , and I did not want to take the chance of violating court rules . I am sorry for all her loss . '' While Murray 's mother told the judge her son is `` saddened and remorseful '' about Jackson 's death , she said `` his compassion and his soft heartedness for others led to this dilemma . '' The defense contends that Murray was trying to help Jackson , who was desperate for sleep so he could be ready for rehearsals . `` His compassionate intentions should not be overlooked , '' it said . `` The victim was a willing recipient of the medications administered , '' the defense said . `` In fact , Mr. Jackson had repeatedly begged Dr. Murray for propofol to overcome his insomnia so that he could sleep . '' Murray does not pose a safety threat to the public , it said . `` The likelihood of recurrence is essentially nonexistent since Conrad Murray 's medical license has been suspended . '' Aside from the arguments of what Murray deserves , the defense contends that California 's prison and jail crowding mean that `` neither the space nor the public funds exist to continue imprisoning nonviolent , nondangerous offenders who do not need to be incapacitated for the sake of public safety . '' `` Dr. Murray is clearly such a defendant , '' the defense said . `` He is an individual who remained free on bond for more than two years prior to the jury verdict , adhering assiduously to all of the bond conditions that had been imposed . '' If Murray takes up a state prison or county jail cell , it `` may mean that someone else with higher potential for violence will be released , '' the defense said . Instead , the defense proposed that Murray could be sentenced to community service along with probation . `` Though he will perhaps not again be a doctor qualified to make diagnoses , he could educate and counsel patients about heart care and disease prevention , '' it said . `` There are many nonprofit clinics and organizations that would benefit from his participation , if ordered to perform community service as a condition of his sentence and a means of ` putting some water back into the public well . ' ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of a 19-year-old Puerto Rican man found Friday decapitated , dismembered and partially burned , police said Tuesday . Members of the U.S. gay community are asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime because the victim , Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado , was gay , said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force . `` The brutality of the slaying and the fact that he was openly gay leads us to believe it was very possibly a hate crime , '' Serrano said . Authorities are investigating whether the killing involved sex , Guayama police Commander Hector Agosto Rodriguez told CNN affiliate WLII TV . Guayama prosecutor Jose Bermudez identified the suspect as Juan A. Martinez , 26 . Police had earlier described him as a 27-year-old man from the interior Puerto Rican town of Cayey . Martinez was scheduled to attend a court hearing Tuesday night at which charges would be lodged , said Luis Bernier , a spokesman for the Guayama police district , which has jurisdiction in the case . The hearing was postponed several times throughout the day . Officials were waiting for a prosecutor from a nearby district , causing the delay , Bernier said . The FBI was not directly involved in the investigation Monday , said FBI Agent Harry Rodriguez of the San Juan office . `` The FBI is monitoring this investigation by police in Puerto Rico , '' Rodriguez said . `` Any assistance that the police requests or requires , we would be more than happy to provide . '' Puerto Rican authorities may ask for help with forensics or other advanced investigative tools the FBI could provide , Rodriguez said . The U.S. attorney 's office , in consultation with local officials and other agencies , would determine if the slaying was a hate crime , which is a federal offense . `` It 's at a very preliminary stage , '' said Lymarie Llovet , a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney 's office in San Juan , Puerto Rico 's capital . Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory , which means federal agencies have jurisdiction . `` There 's the potential for a federal investigation , '' Rodriguez said . The suspect was arrested Monday around 11:30 p.m. AST -LRB- 10:30 p.m. ET -RRB- at his home in the Mogote de Cayey neighborhood , said Wilson Porrata Mariani , another spokesman for the Guayama police district . Police impounded two cars and also are investigating a home in another neighborhood , Huertas del Barrio Beatriz de Cidra . Lopez Mercado 's body was found on Puerto Rico Road 184 in another part of town , Barrio Guavate de Cayey , police said . The slaying has reverberated throughout the gay and lesbian community in the United States , where supporters started a Facebook page called `` Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate Crimes . '' The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution of the slaying under the Federal Hate Crimes Law . The law was enacted in 1969 to guard the rights of U.S. citizens engaged in any of six protected activities , such as voting , going to school , applying for a job or attending a public venue . Last month , President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. . Hate Crimes Prevention Act , which extends federal protection against illegal acts motivated by a person 's actual or perceived gender , sexual orientation , gender identity or disability . Gay activist Serrano said he does not believe anti-gay sentiment is any stronger in Puerto Rico 's Latin culture than anywhere else . `` That 's a long-debunked myth , that our culture is more homophobic , '' Serrano said . Instead , he attributed any ill will toward gays to `` hate rhetoric '' by some religious and political leaders . One politician , he said , recently referred to gays as `` twisted and mentally ill . '' `` That 's the kind of rhetoric that incites violence against gays , '' Serrano said . Equality Forum , an international gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender rights organization , asked for a federal investigation . `` Equality Forum calls on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate , '' said former federal prosecutor Malcolm Lazin , the group 's executive director . `` The Matthew Shepard Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder . '' Serrano said Lopez Mercado was a `` very , very dear friend '' he had met through a mutual acquaintance . `` Jorge was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with , '' Serrano said . Lopez Mercado often volunteered for gay causes , Serrano said . The teen 's family is coping , considering the circumstances . `` It has been horrible , but they are very grateful that it has come to a quick resolution , '' Serrano said .","question":""}
{"answer":"BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German investigators Thursday acknowledged `` credible information '' indicating that one of the world 's most wanted Nazi war criminals died almost 20 years ago in Egypt . The former the hotel in Cairo where Heim spent his final days . The announcement from the Baden-Wuerttemberg State Criminal Investigations Office came a day after German public broadcaster ZDF reported similar findings about Aribert Heim , wanted since 1962 . ZDF said research it conducted with the New York Times showed that Heim died in Cairo in 1992 of intestinal cancer . Witness accounts and documents , including a passport , prove that Heim lived under the false name of Tarek Farid Hussein , ZDF said . CNN spoke to Heim 's son , Ruediger Heim , who said his father fled Germany to Egypt via France , Spain and Morocco . Ruediger Heim told CNN he visited his father in Cairo several times , including in the final weeks of his life when the terminal cancer was discovered . The German investigators said they were was checking the new information . `` This information has not yet been verified due to time constraints , '' the office said in a statement . But German authorities said they already had hints that Heim was living and working in Egypt . The office said it received information in 1965 and 1967 indicating Heim was working in the country , but Egyptian authorities at the time , acting on a German request , did not find any conclusive evidence . `` Our main goal now is , in cooperation with the Egyptian authorities , -LRB- to -RRB- identify the remains of Aribert Heim , '' the office said . The chief Nazi hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center , Efraim Zuroff , said the news about Heim 's death , if true , is deeply disappointing . `` I personally feel a tremendous sense of disappointment that he escaped justice , '' Zuroff told CNN . But he emphasized that he had not seen the evidence that Heim was dead . `` There is no body and no grave , so we ca n't do a DNA test , '' he said , adding that `` there are people who have a vested interest in convincing us that he is no longer alive . '' He said he expects to see the documentary evidence of Heim 's death on Thursday . Heim would be 94 years old if he were still alive . Zuroff described Heim as `` the most wanted Nazi war criminal , '' and said the Simon Wiesenthal Center was about to raise the reward for information about him from $ 315,000 -LRB- $ 405,000 -RRB- to $ 1 million -LRB- $ 1.3 million -RRB- when it heard the reports of his death . During World War II Heim was a doctor at the Mauthausen concentration camp , where he was known to inmates as `` Dr. Death '' for performing often-fatal experiments on prisoners . After the war , he was initially cleared of wrongdoing , but in 1962 German authorities issued an arrest warrant for him . CNN Berlin Bureau Chief Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leon Panetta , chief of staff in President Bill Clinton 's White House , will be President-elect Barack Obama 's choice to be CIA director , two Democratic officials told CNN on Monday . Leon Panetta , who has a strong background in economics , was chief of staff for President Bill Clinton . The officials also said retired Adm. Dennis Blair , who formerly headed the U.S. Navy 's Pacific Command , will be tapped as director of national intelligence . Panetta , 70 , has had a long political career , beginning in 1966 when he served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Thomas H. Kuchel . R-California . He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1977 , serving California 's 16th -LRB- now 17th -RRB- District until Clinton appointed him to head the Office of Budget and Management in 1993 . He was chief of staff from 1994 to 1997 . Panetta and his wife , Sylvia , founded and co-direct the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University , which provides study opportunities for students there and at several other schools . He serves on several boards and committees , and lectures internationally on economics . With a strong background in economics , Panetta has little hands-on experience in intelligence . But he is known as a strong manager with solid organizational skills . Sen. Dianne Feinstein , who will be the new chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , said she had not been told in advance of Panetta 's selection . `` My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time , '' the California Democrat said . But Sen. Ron Wyden , a senior member of the Intelligence Committee , said he was consulted on the pick and praised Panetta . `` I believe he has the skills to usher in a new era of accountability at the nation 's premier intelligence agency , '' said Wyden , D-Oregon . `` For too long our nation 's intelligence community has operated under a policy of questionable effectiveness and legality in which consulting two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee counted as ` consulting with Congress . ' '' Sen. Kit Bond , R-Missouri , the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee , also questioned Panetta 's lack of intelligence experience , as did outgoing committee chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller , D-West Virginia . Rep. Pete Hoekstra , the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , would n't comment until Obama makes an announcement , but his spokesman said that Hoekstra `` has called for a new direction and a change in the culture a the CIA for some time . '' `` Whether it is Leon Panetta or someone else , it is important the agency move in a new direction , '' Jamal Ware said . Blair , 61 , was a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and attended Oxford University in Britain as a Rhodes scholar at the same time as Clinton . Blair retired from the Navy in 2002 . He was the CIA 's first associate director of military support and served on the National Security Council . He has been sharply critical of U.S. policy in terms of strategic long-term planning . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Obama 's cabinet picks `` I am in awe of the sophisticated strategies that American politicians can devise and pursue over many years , '' he told a House panel in July . `` They involve very public activities -- speeches , programs , alliances -- but also backroom deals , and stratagems , tactical flexibility but strategic constancy , investment in intellectual and organizational capabilities that will not pay off for years . `` I have yet to see these same brilliant politicians come up with similar strategies to advance the national interest when they come into national office . Our national strategies show little of the depth , brilliance and effectiveness of the domestic political strategies this country produces . '' Blair also is known in Navy circles for once trying to water-ski behind the destroyer he skippered , the USS Cochrane .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama 's proposed spending freeze could help him recapture the favor of centrist voters , but critics blast the move as nothing more than political posturing . The president is expected to call for a partial , three-year freeze on discretionary spending in his State of the Union address Wednesday , according to two senior administration officials . The cuts , which Obama will say would save $ 250 billion , would not apply to national security spending and would not affect major entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security . The proposal comes as the president 's poll numbers dip and concerns about the economy and the federal deficit flare . It also comes after a shocking election loss for Democrats in Massachusetts , which many have interpreted as an expression of voter frustration with the way Washington is handling the economy . `` I applaud -LSB- Obama -RSB- for attempting to have some fiscal restraint , '' Republican strategist Ed Rollins said . `` But at the end of the day , he 's got to make sure the Democrats are disciplined and they do n't have big spending programs alongside of this . '' Under Obama 's plan , all federal discretionary spending would be frozen at its current level of $ 447 billion per year . Individual federal agencies would have the power to give some programs increases , while cutting money elsewhere . Both chambers of Congress would have to approve the freeze when they take up the president 's budget for fiscal year 2011 , which starts in October . Obama will send his budget plan to Congress after the State of the Union . Jeffrey Sachs , an economist and director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University , said Obama 's move does n't make much sense , following a year of unprecedented government spending and a $ 787 billion stimulus package . `` A little bit of disarray , it seems . Last year , just spend , throw everything into a stimulus package ... and then this year , just across-the-board freeze . Frankly , the government has to make better choices and better plans than throwing things into a big pot in one year and then freezing across the board the next year , '' he said . Obama dismissed the idea of an across-the-board spending freeze during a presidential debate in October 2008 . `` It sounds good . It 's proposed periodically . It does n't happen , '' then-candidate Obama said . `` In fact , an across-the-board spending freeze is a hatchet , and we do need a scalpel because there are some programs that do n't work at all . There are some that are underfunded . I want to make sure we 're focused on the programs that work . '' Republican reaction to Obama 's proposal was split , with some senior GOP aides saying it is something they could support , and others saying it did not go nearly far enough . `` Given Washington Democrats ' unprecedented spending binge , this is like announcing you 're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest , '' said Michael Steel , a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio . `` Will the budget still double the debt over five years and triple it over 10 ? That 's the bottom line . '' The senior administration officials acknowledged that discretionary spending is only about one-sixth of the entire federal budget , but said the White House believes that cuts need to start somewhere . The move is Obama 's latest step down a path to a more populist message , aimed at reassuring Americans nervous about the slow pace of the economic recovery . The president on Monday proposed nearly doubling the child care tax credit for middle-class families . Obama is expected to talk about efforts to create more jobs and spur the economy in his speech Wednesday . iReport : Deliver your State of the Union address The White House has put a greater emphasis on the economy in the days since Democrats lost their 60-seat supermajority in the Senate . Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election last week to serve the remainder of the late Ted Kennedy 's Senate term . Brown capitalized on voter frustrations and captured the independent vote in Massachusetts , a Democratic stronghold . `` I think that is a wake-up call for everybody in this town , '' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said a day after the election . Obama 's proposal will likely set the stage for a fight with some liberals , but polls suggest it might not be a bad thing for the president to occasionally break ranks . A CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday indicates that seven in 10 Americans think that the Democrats ' loss of their 60-seat supermajority in the Senate is a positive step for the country . Observers note it will also put Republicans in a position where they can show if they are willing to meet the president halfway . Democratic strategist James Carville said Tuesday that Obama needs to take control of the narrative in order to get back on track . `` Until this administration stands up and says ` This is what we will face , and this is what we did , and this is our strategy ' -- these things are going to continue to happen , '' he said . CNN 's Dana Bash and Ed Henry contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The search will continue until at least Friday night for 16 people missing since Thursday morning when a helicopter carrying them to an offshore oil platform ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland , Canadian officials said . A helicopter made an emergency crash landing off Newfoundland en route to Hibernia oil field on Thursday . One survivor , identified as Robert Decker , was found and taken to a hospital , but efforts to find more survivors had proven fruitless , said Maj. Denis McGuire of the Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax , Nova Scotia . The body of one person , who has not been identified publicly , also was pulled from the water . There were 18 people aboard the helicopter when it went down , about 30 nautical miles from St. John 's . `` All we 've got is the debris field , '' McGuire said . `` There are no indications of any -LSB- more -RSB- survivors , but the search will continue . '' The water is 400 feet deep at the site where the helicopter hit the water , he said . Helicopters and ships were scouring the debris field Thursday evening , and search-and-rescue technicians were planning to use night-vision goggles and flares overnight . The debris filled a six-mile area , said Jeri Grychowski of the Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax . Officials became aware that the helicopter was having problems shortly after 9:10 a.m. , when the pilot declared a mayday , McGuire said . `` They declared their mayday and then they hit the water or landed in the water approximately eight minutes later , '' he said . About 25 minutes later , a helicopter arrived and discovered the survivor , the body , the overturned helicopter and two empty life rafts , he said . Those aboard should have have been wearing survival suits that would have kept them dry and were equipped with lights and personal locator beacons , but the suits have not helped searchers . `` We have not received any signals whatsoever , '' McGuire said . The suits theoretically would allow wearers to survive 24 hours in the freezing waters -- or until about 9 a.m. Friday -- but the search effort was to continue well beyond that . `` We will continue to search until there 's absolutely no chance that any survivors will be located , '' he said . `` Until last light -LSB- Friday -RSB- . '' At that time , based on water temperature and the size of the search area , officials will decide whether to continue the effort , he said . Early in the day , high winds and seas hampered the search , but by late afternoon , the weather had improved , though seas were still about 13 to 16 feet -LRB- 4 to 5 meters -RRB- and winds were at about 40 knots -LRB- 46 mph -RRB- . The survivor was taken to the Health Sciences Center in St. John 's , Newfoundland . The helicopter had been heading to the Hibernia offshore oil platform when it went down in what Grychowski called a controlled emergency crash landing . The pilot reported some technical malfunctions before the crash and radioed that he was turning the chopper around , said Rick Burt of Cougar Helicopters -- the operator of the S-92 Sikorsky copter .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- IBM 's reported plans to lay off thousands of U.S. workers and outsource many of those jobs to India , even as the company angles for billions in stimulus money , does n't sit well with employee rights advocates . Business Week reports that IBM 's workforce increased from 386,558 in 2007 to 398,000 at the end of 2008 . IBM employees are being dealt a double blow , said Lee Conrad , national coordinator for Alliance@IBM, a pro-union group that has been fighting IBM 's outsourcing for years . `` We 're outraged that jobs cuts are happening in the U.S. and the work is being shifted offshore , '' Conrad said . `` This comes at the same time IBM has its hand out for stimulus money . This to us is totally unacceptable . '' IBM wants a share of the money in President Obama 's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for projects updating power grids , creating electronic health care records and furthering the use of broadband . `` In the research we 've done working with the transition team , we know that $ 30 billion could create 1 million jobs in the next 12 months , '' IBM CEO Sam Palmisano said in January . Watch how IBM hopes to benefit from the stimulus '' The problem is where those jobs would be , said Ron Hira , a professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology . `` This is really a question of policy , '' Hira said . `` IBM is doing what 's in its best interest , and in this case it 's not in the best interest of America . And that 's why you need policymakers to step in to ensure that this money gets spent to create American jobs . '' Watch the outcry generated by IBM '' IBM has not responded to multiple requests for comment from CNN after the Wall Street Journal 's report that the IT giant would be shipping 5,000 U.S. jobs overseas . `` We have no problem with job creation in other countries , '' Conrad said . `` We have no problem with global expansion . We realize IBM is a global company and has been for many years . But this is different . This is cutting jobs in the U.S. and shifting the work offshore . This is n't job creation . It 's job shifting . '' According to Business Week , IBM has indeed been shifting jobs . The magazine reported that the company 's workforce went up from 386,558 at the end of 2007 to 398,000 at the end of 2008 . But U.S. employment fell from 121,000 to 115,000 during the same time . Hira , author of the book `` Outsourcing America , '' said it 's not just IBM moving jobs out of the United States . `` The problem here , though , is that these companies have an inordinate influence over the political process , '' he said . `` They have a huge , disproportionate amount of power , political power , and can influence the process . '' For that reason , he said , `` you really do need the American public to sort of stand up and say , ` Wait a second . This is just not right . ' ... I certainly hope that there 's a backlash , because there should be . This is bad for America . '' CNN 's Mary Snow , Jennifer Rizzo and Vivienne Foley contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Katherine Jackson 's legal battle for some control of her son 's estate returns to court Monday in front of the same judge who is expected to award her permanent guardianship of Michael Jackson 's children . Katherine Jackson has accused the executors of her son 's estate of `` keeping her in the dark . '' Dozens of lawyers are expected to pack a Los Angeles courtroom where a judge will consider the Jackson family matriarch 's challenge of the lawyer and former music executive who were named as executors in Michael Jackson 's will . Katherine Jackson 's lawyers filed a petition last week accusing the men who now control the estate of being `` intent on keeping her in the dark '' about deals they 've made or are negotiating . Londell McMillan , Jackson 's lead attorney , raised questions about `` a suspicious circle of relationships '' involving John Branca , the singer 's longtime personal attorney , and John McClain , a music industry executive and longtime friend . Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave Branca and McClain temporary control of the estate until Monday 's hearing . Katherine Jackson is asking the judge to order Branca , McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine if they are `` fit and able '' to administer the estate . The men also were served with a 19-page demand for documents . Branca has refused to let Katherine Jackson see Michael Jackson 's contracts with AEG -- the company that was organizing and promoting his planned concerts -- unless she agrees to keep them confidential . Branca 's lawyer argued in a court filing that he has no choice , since the contracts have a provision requiring confidentiality . Branca 's lawyers also argued that Jackson 's demand for documents was too broad and burdensome . `` Such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate , '' McMillan said . McMillan , in an interview with CBS Thursday , estimated the Jackson estate was worth $ 2 billion , while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $ 500 million . The will written in 2002 places all of Michael Jackson 's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother , his three children and unnamed charities . Judge Beckloff will consider at Monday 's hearing who will have permanent control of the estate . The judge is also expected Monday to finalize Katherine Jackson 's guardianship of her son 's three children . An agreement between Jackson and Debbie Rowe , the mother of the two oldest children , cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing . Rowe , who was briefly married to Michael Jackson , agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children as recommended by a psychologist . The agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe `` apart from the continuation of spousal support payments '' that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after their divorce , their lawyers said in a joint statement . Jackson 's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino , California , home since their father 's death . The oldest child -- Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. -- was born in February 1997 . A daughter -- Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson -- was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived -- and who was the biological father -- have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got an $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . While the coroner 's report on what killed Michael Jackson has been delayed indefinitely , new evidence emerged that the singer shopped for a doctor who would give him the drug investigators suspect led to his death . Dr. Allan Metzger , whose name appeared on a search warrant served this week , refused Jackson 's request in April for the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan -- Metzger 's attorney said . Investigators suspect another physician , Dr. Conrad Murray , gave the drug to Jackson in the 24 hours before he died , according to a source , who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media . Metzger , who practices in West Hollywood , California , told Jackson during a visit to his Holmby Hills home that the drug was `` dangerous and potentially life-threatening and could not be used outside of a hospital , '' attorney Harland Braun said . Metzger 's medical records for Jackson , whom he treated until 2003 , have been given to the coroner , Braun said . He said Metzger prescribed drugs for Jackson under the alias Omar Arnold and Michael Jackson , which was not illegal since he used both names together . The doctor did that because he thought it was `` his duty to protect the privacy '' of his patient , Braun said . Omar Arnold is one of 19 aliases listed in the warrant used by Los Angeles police and federal drug agents Tuesday to search the Las Vegas office and home of Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist . The warrant also mentioned Cherilyn Lee , a nurse practitioner who treated Jackson earlier this year . Lee told CNN Jackson begged her for the propofol to help him get a good night 's sleep . She said she refused , telling the pop star that if he took the medicine , he might never wake up . The same warrant , signed by a Las Vegas judge , implied that investigators suspected Jackson was a drug addict . Dr. Deepak Chopra told CNN in a recent interview that when Jackson asked him for a narcotic , he told him absolutely no . `` I said to him , ` Michael , you 're going to die one day from this , ' '' Chopra said . During a world tour in the mid - '90s , sources close to Jackson told CNN , the pop star suffered from insomnia and traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and then `` bring him back up . '' According to a report on a 2004 Santa Barbara police investigation , security guards in Jackson 's inner circle said he traveled the country getting prescriptions from doctors . The Los Angeles County coroner , who must rule on the cause of Jackson 's June 25 death , met Thursday with the Los Angeles District Attorney , who must decide if anyone will be prosecuted for his death . During the meeting , it was decided that an announcement of the coroner 's findings would be delayed indefinitely , according to a source close to the investigation . An official in the coroner 's office had previously indicated to reporters that the findings would be made public within days . CNN 's Randi Kaye contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fearlessly demonstrating the majesty of U.S. justice or acquiescing to terrorists by giving them undeserved rights and a public platform ? The decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , admitted mastermind of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , and four other suspects to a New York courtroom , rather than a military tribunal , was described in stark contrasts Sunday by officials on opposing sides of the political spectrum . Democrats hailed Attorney General Eric Holder 's decision to try the men in a civilian court as a demonstration of America 's might and moral certainty , while Republicans called it a bad idea based on politics rather than pragmatism . `` We have a judicial system that 's the envy of the world , '' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , said on the CBS program `` Face the Nation . '' `` I do n't think we should run and hide and cower . Let 's use our system . '' But Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire , speaking on the CNN program `` State of the Union , '' questioned why foreigners who allegedly are terrorists at war with the United States should be given full judicial rights of U.S. citizens . `` These people are evil people , '' Gregg said of the defendants . `` They represent a cause which wants to destroy this nation . If they have the opportunity and were to get free , they would try to destroy this country . There 's no reason we should have them in the criminal justice system . '' Former New York Major Rudy Giuliani , considered a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2012 , called military tribunals created for terrorism suspects who have been held at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , a better option than a civilian court . Military tribunals are `` a better choice for the government , '' Giuliani said on `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` This choice of New York is a better choice for the terrorists . Why would you seek to give the terrorists a better choice than you 're giving the public ? '' In a separate interview on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' Giuliani said a New York court trial would cause unnecessary stress and expense for the city 's police force . `` Anyone that tells you that this does n't create additional security problems , of course , is n't telling you the truth , '' Giuliani said . `` And the best indication of it is , just look at the additional security that 's going to be employed when this happens . That also happens to cost millions and millions and millions of dollars . '' Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan , the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , warned that bringing the suspects to New York raised the risk of further attacks on the United States . `` Why move them into the United States while we are still under the threat from radical jihadists ? '' Hoekstra asked on the CBS program . However , Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island said on `` Fox News Sunday '' that scores of terrorism suspects were successfully prosecuted in civilian courts under the Bush Administration . `` What was a statesmanlike decision by the Bush administration ca n't be a political decision by this administration , '' Reed said . Holder announced the decision on the trial Friday . He said he expected all five suspects to be tried together and for prosecutors to seek the death penalty . The trial would be open to the public , although some portions that deal with classified information may be closed , Holder said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An investigation is under way into a previously unrevealed incident last week in which two jetliners nearly collided over Hong Kong , aviation authorities said Tuesday . The September 18 incident reportedly did not come to light publicly until an article revealing it was published Tuesday in the English-language newspaper The Standard of Hong Kong . The two jets , carrying more than 600 passengers and crew members , came within seconds of colliding , the newspaper reported , citing a former Hong Kong aviation official . According to a statement issued by Hong Kong 's Civil Aviation Department , a Cathay Pacific Airways flight that was bound for Hong Kong International Airport came within 1 nautical mile -LRB- 2 km -RRB- of a Dragonair A330 airplane that was in a holding pattern for landing . The international standard for separation between aircraft is 5 nautical miles -LRB- 9.26 kilometers -RRB- horizontally or 1,000 feet -LRB- 304 -RRB- meters vertically -RRB- , the department said . The incident happened during a stormy afternoon when aircraft were stacked up for landing over Hong Kong , the department said . An air traffic controller was trying to shuffle waiting aircraft around so that the Cathay Pacific flight , which was low on fuel , could land more quickly . That 's when controllers noticed the flights were too close . The pilots of both aircraft failed to respond to commands to change course at one point or another during the incident , the department said . Collision avoidance systems on both aircraft activated after the crew of the Cathay Pacific flight failed to respond to a command to climb to a higher altitude . Cathay Pacific said in a statement that `` both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair pilots had taken appropriate actions under the circumstances to re-establish standard separation between the two aircraft . '' The pilots could see each other 's planes during the incident and there was no risk of collision , the department and Cathay Pacific said . But The Standard quoted Hong Kong 's former civil aviation chief Albert Lam Kwong-yu as saying that , based on normal speeds of the airliners involved , they were about six seconds from colliding . `` The chance of a crash is absolutely high , '' the paper quoted Lam as saying . `` The passengers really came back from hell . '' The flights involved were Cathay 841 from New York to Hong Kong , and Dragonair 433 from Kaoshiung , Taiwan , to Hong Kong . The Cathay jet had 317 people aboard and the Dragonair jet had 296 aboard , according to aviation officials . Investigators have ruled out air traffic controller fatigue as a cause of the near-collision , the department said . The air controller in charge of the flights was appropriately rested and has since returned to work , the agency said . Investigators will examine air traffic procedures , staffing levels and flight crew operations , the department said . Hong Kong has been the site of four other near-collision incidents in the last 11 years . -- In September 2010 , a Cathay Pacific plane taking off for London after midnight had to deviate from the runway center line at high speed because the tail of another plane was too close to its path . -- In July 2006 , a Dragonair Airbus and a Northwest Airlines Boeing -- both heading for Tokyo -- were reported to be just 100 meters apart vertically while 80 nautical miles east of the Hong Kong airport . -- In September 2004 , a China Southern Airlines plane leaving Hong Kong and an incoming Malaysia Airlines cargo plane came within 304 meters of each other 55 nautical miles south of the airport . -- In June 2001 , a Dragonair Airbus to Shanghai and a Cathay Pacific flight arriving from Seoul were reported 210 meters apart 110 nautical miles east of Hong Kong .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Pentagon moved closer Wednesday to its next military trial on the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for the suspected ringleader of the deadly bombing of the USS Cole . Saudi-born former millionaire Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri is charged with the 2000 bombing in the Yemeni port of Aden that killed 17 sailors , wounded dozens and crippled the warship . The `` referral of charges '' by the Defense Department Military Commissions unit sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to the appointment of a military officer as the trial judge in the case and a meeting of the judge , prosecutors and defense lawyers in coming weeks . The arraignment will take place within 30 days . A statement from the Defense Department said the charges against al-Nashiri allege that he was in charge of planning the attack , which took place October 12 , 2000 . `` The convening authority referred the charges to a capital military commission , meaning that if convicted , al-Nashiri could be sentenced to death , '' the Defense Department statement said . The news release also mentions charges against al-Nashiri related to an attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans in Yemen in January 2000 and an attack on a French tanker in 2002 that resulted in the death of one crew member . One of al-Nashiri 's civilian defense lawyers said his legal team was disappointed in the government action . `` We are disappointed the United States will now descend further down the path of expedient and secret justice that military commissions have come to represent , '' Rick Kammen said in an e-mail . `` We 're not talking about a constitutionally adequate trial , and we are disappointed that the U. S. government will use the constitutionally inadequate military commissions process to seek the death penalty against Mr. al-Nashiri , '' Kammen wrote . He added that the decision to move forward with the case `` regrettably confirms to the world that the United States intends to render second-class justice to the men imprisoned in Guantanamo . '' Earlier , lawyers for al-Nashiri argued that his waterboarding and other mistreatment while in U.S. custody and delays in his case should have forced the government to drop any plans for a military trial that could end in a death sentence . `` By torturing Mr. al-Nashiri and subjecting him to cruel , inhumane and degrading treatment , the United States has forfeited its right to try him and certainly to kill him , '' the brief said . `` Through the infliction of physical and psychological abuse , the government has essentially already killed the man it seized almost 10 years ago . '' Al-Nashiri 's legal team , comprising military and civilian lawyers , made the arguments to the `` convening authority '' of the military court , retired Vice Adm. Bruce MacDonald . The commission was brought into existence by President George W. Bush and overhauled by President Barack Obama . In legal papers obtained by CNN , al-Nashiri 's lawyers presented details of their client 's treatment , saying that , in addition to subjecting their client to waterboarding , his questioners revved a power drill by his ear and chambered a round in a handgun , all while he was naked and hooded . `` The government has admitted to waterboarding Mr. al-Nashiri and subjecting him to verbal and physical threats to his life and threats to the safety of his family , '' the brief says . `` Both set of acts constitute torture . '' If it goes to trial , the case will be the first full prosecution under the military commission system . It is seen as the latest fine-tuning of the system before the military commission moves ahead with prosecution of other terrorist suspects , especially the four men accused of plotting the September 11 attacks . The American Civil Liberties Union issued a news release restating its `` concerns about the inherent unfairness of the military commissions . '' `` Unlike federal courts , military commissions have unfairly lax rules for allowing evidence , except when it comes to torture -- the commissions may admit coerced testimony , while evidence of the torture that produced it can be censored , '' said Denny LeBoeuf , director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project . This latest step for the Guantanamo detainee comes as the new chief prosecutor for military commissions , Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins , is taking over . Martins was first in his class at West Point , was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law . He will have the chance to put his stamp on the job amid renewed scrutiny of both the military trials and the Guantanamo Navy Base detention facilities . In a recent Weekly Standard profile , Martins is portrayed as the man the administration hopes will bring new credibility and legitimacy to the system . He has powerful friends , including his former commander , Gen. David Petraeus , now CIA director . Petraeus gave Martins the job of cleaning up the military detention and interrogation system in Afghanistan , and Martins delivered . In an effort to polish the reputation of the military commission system , both inside the United States and internationally , Martins may push for greater transparency of the process . He could roll out a plan the Pentagon has been working on for months to provide closed-circuit television transmissions of the military proceedings to victims , families and journalists in the United States . There would be a `` kill '' switch in the control room to wipe out the audio in case any national security secrets were blurted out in the courtroom . Al-Nashiri is one of 171 detainees remaining at Guantanamo .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Arizona man caught leaving water bottles in the desert for illegal immigrants has been sentenced to 300 hours of community service and a year of probation , an aid group said . Walt Staton was convicted in June of littering by leaving jugs of water in a wildlife refuge . Walt Staton , a member of the group No More Deaths , left full water bottles in December in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge for the illegal immigrants who routinely pass through the 18,000-acre refuge , according to court documents . A judge sentenced him Tuesday to 300 hours of picking up trash on public property and a year of probation , No More Deaths said in a written statement . He is also banned from the refuge during that time , the group said . Although the case involved only a misdemeanor charge , both sides used the divisive issue of illegal immigration in their arguments ; Staton 's lawyer argued that Staton 's actions were humanitarian , but the government said otherwise . In a sentencing memo , the federal prosecutors wrote that Staton 's `` actions are not about humanitarian efforts , but about protesting the immigration policies of the United States , and aiding those that enter illegally into the United States . '' Noting the phrase scrawled on many of the plastic water jugs -- `` buena suerte , '' or `` good luck '' in Spanish -- the prosecutors said , `` The obvious conclusion is that the defendant and No More Deaths wish to aid illegal aliens in their entry attempt . '' They also said , as did the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , that leaving the full plastic jugs on the refuge is detrimental to the health of the animals that live there . Citing a biologist , the prosecutors said that animals could eat the plastic and that others could get feet or antlers caught on the bottles . Prosecutors had requested a $ 5,000 fine , along with five years of probation , according to court documents . Staton , who No More Deaths says is to begin seminary school at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont , California , had initially refused to pay a $ 175 fine for littering , said Staton 's lawyer , Bill Walker . After his refusal , the government enhanced the charges against him , arguing that he `` knowingly littered , '' said Walker , who is also a member of No More Deaths . The charge can carry a $ 100,000 fine and a year in jail , Walker said . Charges against three other people who were cited with Staton in December were dropped , he said . A jury convicted Staton in June of littering . Walker said he is appealing . `` We think that Walt did nothing wrong , '' he said . `` We do not think that this conviction will be upheld on appeal . '' He described Staton as `` the kind of guy you 'd want to have as your next door neighbor . '' A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney 's office in Arizona declined comment . Mike Hawkes of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge said Thursday that although he had no issue with groups leaving water out for illegal immigrants , `` there 's ways to do it without leaving plastic jugs out there . '' He said the plastic jugs were strewn throughout the refuge , which is home to hundreds of bird , reptile and mammal species , according to its Web site . `` We have sympathy for what they have to do , '' he said . But `` they have do to do it without putting plastic bottles out there . ... You ca n't go anywhere in the refuge without seeing plastic bottles through the countryside . '' Hawkes said refuge officials and members of No More Deaths had met and were trying to come up with methods that do n't involve plastic bottles . Staton is the second member of No More Deaths to be convicted of littering , according to court documents ; however , the other received a suspended sentence . Walker said that after Staton 's conviction , 13 No More Deaths members were charged with littering on the refuge . With tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing through the refuge -- Hawkes said last year 's number was about 54,000 , down from hundreds of thousands years earlier -- the last water-related death there was in June 2008 , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Canadian researchers say they have discovered the smallest known North American dinosaur , a carnivore that roamed areas of the continent 75 million years ago and weighed less than most modern-day house cats . Researchers say Hesperonychus , whose name means `` western claw , '' was about 1.6 feet tall . Hesperonychus elizabethae , a 4.4-pound -LRB- 2-kilogram -RRB- creature with razor-like claws , ran through the swamps and forests of southeastern Alberta , Canada , during the late Cretaceous period , the researchers said . The diminutive dinosaur likely hunted insects , small mammals and other prey , perhaps even baby dinosaurs , said Nick Longrich , a paleontology research associate in the University of Calgary 's Department of Biological Sciences . `` It 's basically a predator of small things , '' Longrich said . Longrich co-wrote a paper on the dinosaur with University of Alberta paleontologist Philip Currie . The paper appeared in Monday 's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . The researchers said the clawed dinosaur was slight , ran on two legs and had dagger-like teeth . It had an enlarged sickle-shaped claw on its second toe , the researchers said . Although fossilized remains of Hesperonychus were collected in 1982 , they remained unstudied until Longrich came across them in the University of Alberta 's collection in 2007 , the university said . Because of their size , some of the fossilized parts had been thought to be from juveniles . Longrich said he suspected the claws had come from another , smaller adult species , but said finding a fossilized pelvis in which the hip bones were fused -- which happens only once an animal is fully grown -- convinced him . `` The claws were kind of a bread-crumb trail that we followed along , '' until finding the well-preserved pelvis , Longrich said . Longrich and Currie determined that Hesperonychus , whose name means `` western claw , '' stood about 1.6 feet -LRB- 50 centimeters -RRB- high . Albertonykus borealis , a 2.5-foot-long insectivore , had been previously thought to be the smallest North American dinosaur . Longrich came across the dinosaur 's bones in storage at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller and decided to analyze them , Canadian Broadcasting Company reported in September . A dinosaur smaller than Hesperonychus has been found in China , Longrich said . He said he found searching through museums ' storage more productive in the short term than working in the field . `` People collect stuff so much more quickly than they can process , '' he said . CNN 's Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Following an investigation , Israel apologized to Egypt this week over an August incident in which five Egyptian border guards were killed , the Israeli Ministry of Defense said . The apology , issued Tuesday , was overshadowed by news that a deal had been reached for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit , who was captured by the Palestinian group Hamas more than five years ago . However , it was largely seen as an olive branch to the transitional Egyptian government , as relations between Israel and Egypt have become strained in recent months . On August 18 , militants crossed into Israel from Egyptian territory to attack Israeli civilian targets . Eight Israeli citizens were killed in the attacks , which Israel has said were the work of a jihadist group based in Gaza . Responding to the attacks , Israeli troops killed five Egyptian border guards while in pursuit of the militants . The investigation into the incident was conducted by senior Israel Defense Forces officials and Egyptian army officials , the Ministry of Defense said . For security reasons , the ministry said , the results of the probe remain sealed . Israel issued a rare statement of regret three days after the incident , after Egypt suggested it was recalling its ambassador in protest . The overture , however , was deemed insufficient by many in Egypt and days later , angry protesters ransacked the Israeli Embassy in Cairo . The entire staff was hastily withdrawn after U.S. President Barack Obama personally intervened with the Egyptians to secure their safe passage , but the sequence of events dealt a blow to Israeli-Egyptian relations . In the wake of the embassy incident , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would stick to its 1979 peace agreement with Egypt . In the Tuesday statement , Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the August militant attack was `` despicable '' and `` meant to murder as many Israeli citizens as possible and destroy the peaceful relations that are strategically important between Israel and Egypt , '' the Tuesday statement said . But `` based on the findings of the investigation , the defense minister decided to express his apology to Egypt over the death of every Egyptian policeman who was killed while on duty as a result of Israeli fire . '' Netanyahu , meanwhile , spoke Thursday with the head of Egypt 's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi and thanked him for the `` central role '' Egypt played in the agreement for Shalit 's return , the prime minister 's office said . `` Your assistance warms the cockles of the heart of all Israeli citizens , '' Netanyahu told Tantawi .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reclusive author J.D. Salinger has emerged , at least in the pages of court documents , to try to stop a novel that presents Holden Caulfield , the disaffected teen hero of his classic `` The Catcher in the Rye , '' as an old man . J.D. Salinger has stayed out of the public eye for most of the past half century . Lawyers for Salinger filed suit in federal court this week to stop the publication , sale and advertisement of `` 60 Years Later : Coming Through the Rye , '' a novel written by an author calling himself J.D. California and published by a Swedish company that advertises joke books and a `` sexual dictionary '' on its Web site . `` The Sequel infringes Salinger 's copyright rights in both his novel and the character Holden Caulfield , who is the narrator and essence of that novel , '' said the suit , filed Monday in U.S. District Court in New York . Published in 1951 , `` The Catcher in the Rye '' is an iconic take on teen alienation that is consistently listed among the greatest English-language novels ever written . Salinger , 90 , who has famously lived the life of a recluse in New Hampshire for most of the past half-century , last published in 1965 . With the exception of a 1949 movie based on one of his early short stories , he has never authorized adaptations of any of his work , even turning down an overture from director Steven Spielberg to make `` Catcher '' into a movie . `` There 's no more to Holden Caulfield . Read the book again . It 's all there , '' the court filing quotes Salinger as saying in 1980 . `` Holden Caulfield is only a frozen moment in time . '' The filing refers to the new book 's author as `` John Doe , '' saying that the name John David California probably is made up . The first-time novelist 's biography on Amazon.com says California is the son of a Swedish mother and American father who was named after the state where he was born . It claims he is a former gravedigger and triathlete who found a copy of Salinger 's novel '' in an abandoned cabin in rural Cambodia '' and that it helped him survive `` the most maniacal of tropical fevers and chronic isolation . '' The Web site 's description of the book is written in the same choppy , first-person stream of consciousness that Salinger employs as Holden wanders the streets of New York . It describes a character , `` Mr. C , '' who flees his nursing home and `` embarks on a curious journey through the streets of New York . '' The lawsuit names Swedish publisher Nicotext ; its offshoot , Windupbird Publishing Ltd. ; and California-based SCB Distributors as defendants . The Web site for Nicotext advertises such books as `` The Macho Man 's -LRB- Bad -RRB- Joke Book '' and `` Give It To Me Baby , '' which it describes as an erotic `` flick book . '' Marcia Paul , Salinger 's New York-based attorney , declined to speak on the record , citing her client 's private nature . E-mail messages to Nicotext were not returned Wednesday . Aaron Silverman , president of SCB Distributors , said the people behind the new book plan to defend it against the lawsuit . `` We believe we have the right to distribute this book and the publishers believe they have the right to publish it , '' he said . Silverman , whose company distributes books by about 150 publishers , called `` 60 Years Later '' a work of `` social science fiction , '' saying that California does n't plagiarize , but sets a well-known character in an alternate place and time -- as literature has done for centuries . `` It 's amazing , '' he said of the book . `` If it was something else , or it felt like a knock-off or whatever , I would have told the publisher we would n't do it . But it 's really just amazing . '' Despite his cloistered lifestyle , Salinger nods to the contemporary marketplace in the lawsuit , noting that , as of last week , '' ` The Catcher in the Rye ' currently sells more copies on Amazon.com than ` Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's Stone , ' ` The DaVinci Code , ' ` To Kill a Mockingbird ' or ` Of Mice and Men . ' '' A hearing in the case is expected Monday . Salinger 's lawyers will ask a judge to freeze publication of the book until a final ruling is made . The book is already available in Europe and the United Kingdom , and is scheduled to be released in the United States in September . The lawsuit asks that sales be halted and that books already distributed be recalled and destroyed . The argument is reminiscent of the legal tussle over the 2001 novel `` The Wind Done Gone , '' a parody of Margaret Mitchell 's `` Gone With the Wind '' told from the perspective of a slave . Mitchell 's estate argued that the book , by novelist Alice Randall , infringed upon her copyright . But the 11th District U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in Randall 's favor , saying the book was protected as a parody of a well-known work . Salinger 's lawyers say `` 60 Years Later '' deserves no such protection . `` The sequel is not a parody and it does not comment upon or criticize the original , '' the lawsuit argues . `` It is a rip-off pure and simple . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel , killing dozens of people Friday -- most of them children , the military said . The attack is the latest to shake the garrison city since this year 's launch of strong military offensives against Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan . Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani army . Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Friday 's assault killed 36 people and wounded 75 . Among the dead were 17 children , according to the military 's Web site . Also killed were an army general and eight other military officials , six of them of senior rank . The remaining fatalities were adults . `` As soon as the mosque 's security staff checked me , there was a blast and then a finger hit me , then there was another , '' Ishtiaq , a driver for a military officer , told GEO TV . Ishtiaq , who uses only one name , was attending midday prayers . Rawalpindi is near Islamabad , and the mosque is near national army headquarters . It is located inside a walled residential compound where many military families have homes . A witness told GEO TV there were up to 300 worshippers at the mosque at the time of the attack . The militants hurled grenades before opening fire , Rawalpindi Police Chief Aslam Tareen told CNN . He said all the militants died , but he does n't know how . `` These are not militants , '' Abbas said . `` These are terrorists who killed innocent worshippers . '' Retired Gen. Muhammad Yousaf was killed in the attack , said Col. Baseer Haider , a military spokesman . He said Yousaf was a former vice chief of army staff who was second in command during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf . Abbas said two of the attackers were suicide bombers who blew themselves up inside the Parade Lane mosque ; the other two were shot and killed by security forces outside the mosque . Several explosions were heard inside the mosque around 1:30 p.m. -LRB- 3:30 a.m. ET -RRB- , followed by gunfire , Abbas said . The militants entered the compound by climbing over a wall , Tareen said . This is the first attack in Rawalpindi since a suicide bomber targeted a bank on November 2 . On October 10 , militants stormed army headquarters in Rawalpindi , taking several people hostage before security forces killed them . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Rome , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Vatican said a lawsuit accusing it and Pope Benedict XVI of covering up sexual abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in the United States has no merit . `` While legitimate lawsuits have been filed by abuse victims , this is not one of them , '' Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena said Friday . `` Instead , the lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack . '' The lawsuit by an unnamed Illinois man demands the Vatican release the names of thousands of Catholic priests that the suit says have `` credible allegations of sexual misconduct '' against them . The alleged victim , who is now an adult , says he was molested by the Rev. Lawrence Murphy while a student at St. John 's School for the Deaf , according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . `` The defendant , -LSB- the -RSB- Holy See , has known about the widespread problem of childhood sexual abuse committed by its clergy for centuries , but has covered up that abuse and thereby perpetuated the abuse , '' the suit says . `` The case against the Holy See and its officials is completely without merit , '' Lena said . `` Most of the complaint rehashes old theories already rejected by U.S. courts . '' Lena added , `` With regard to Murphy himself , the Holy See and its officials knew nothing of his crimes until decades after the abuse occurred , and had no role whatsoever in causing plaintiff 's injuries . '' Benedict was named as a defendant because he has the ultimate authority to remove priests and because of his involvement in reviewing sex abuse cases when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , the suit says . Peter Isely , Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests , estimated the Vatican is investigating 4,000 cases of sex abuse by church employees . The lawsuit aims to change church policies and practices that conceal sex offenders , Isely said . `` It 's going to protect children , we hope , around the world , '' he said , `` This is a historic day and hopefully this is going to result in historic changes . '' Arthur Budzinski , a deaf man who said he was sexually assaulted and raped by Murphy , stood with Isely at a news conference Thursday . He said the priest `` may have stolen our bodies , '' but higher clerics such as cardinals , archbishops and the pope `` stole our voices . '' Budzinski , who is not a party to the lawsuit , made his comments in sign language and his daughter , Gigi , interpreted his words . Murphy , who died in 1998 , is believed to have molested up to 200 boys , Isely said . The lawsuit said the church `` knew that there was a high probability that these clerics would sexually molest more children , but sought to protect itself from scandal , sought to keep its income stream going , at the peril of children . '' Murphy , it says , was a `` top fundraiser and recruiter '' for the church and the `` Holy See wanted to retain Murphy 's services . '' The same Minnesota law firm representing the Illinois plaintiff also filed suit Wednesday on behalf of a Mexican resident who says he was sexually abused by a priest . The suit alleges Catholic officials in Los Angeles , California , aided and abetted the abuse by moving the priest to different dioceses as allegations piled up against him . CNN 's Alan Duke and Hada Messia contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Maryland 's attorney general said Wednesday that the state may legally recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states . The 45-page opinion from Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler was addressed to state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. . `` You have asked whether those marriages may be recognized under state law . The answer to that question is clearly ` yes , ' '' Gansler wrote . He noted that his opinion is `` not itself the law of Maryland in the same sense as a statute enacted by the Legislature or court decision elaborating the common law or construing a statute . '' Rather , it is an interpretation of law intended to guide courts and government agencies , he said . `` Thus , what we say in this opinion is a prediction , not a prescription , as to the how the court would approach this issue under current law , '' Gansler wrote . His office said that he can not direct the actions of state agencies . But Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday afternoon that the state `` will be guided by the attorney general 's thorough analysis and legal advice on this matter . '' He added , `` I am confident that the attorney general and his office will provide all necessary advice to state agencies on how to comply with the law , and I expect all state agencies to work with the attorney general 's office to ensure compliance with the law . '' Further details were not immediately available , and the governor 's office did not return phone calls seeking clarification . It was unclear what the immediate ramifications of Gansler 's opinion would be in Maryland . One state representative , Del. . Emmett Burns -- who sponsored a bill earlier this year that would have barred the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states and other countries -- said the attorney general 's opinion `` muddles the waters . '' Burns ' bill failed in committee . Referring to the opinion , Burns said , `` I do n't think it 's worth a bucket of warm spit . ... I do n't think it 's something that is going to make that big of a difference . '' He said the issue is likely to be decided through legislation or in a court case . He noted that state Sen. Norman Stone is sponsoring a bill that mirrors Burns ' failed one . Also , he said , the House Judiciary Committee is considering a bill that would allow same-sex marriage . `` It 's going to be going pandemonium on the House floor '' if that bill makes it out of committee , he said . He added he believes there is much opposition in both the state House and Senate to same-sex marriage . `` I believe that the concept is going to have be settled through -LSB- public -RSB- referendum , '' he said . `` If it were to go to referendum , my side will win . '' Maryland state law from 1973 says that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in the state . However , there are no laws or court cases regarding recognition of marriages legally performed in other places , the attorney general 's office said . Madaleno said in a statement released through Equality Maryland that the opinion is `` welcome news '' for same-sex couples legally married in states where the practice is allowed , and `` nothing in the attorney general 's opinion changes the fact that same-sex couples can not obtain marriage licenses in Maryland . '' Media reports said Madaleno had asked the attorney general in May whether Maryland may legally recognize same-sex marriages . Massachusetts , Connecticut , Vermont and New Hampshire and Iowa allow same-sex marriage . The District of Columbia has also passed a law allowing same-sex marriage , although it has not yet taken effect . CNN 's Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Budget Travel -RRB- -- In the lodging world , green has gone mainstream . Once chided for being wasteful , the big hotel chains are now constantly trying to one-up each other with smart eco-design upgrades and stringent water and energy conservation policies . Hyatt has begun recycling its own aluminum , plastics and paper in countries where such programs do n't exist . Consider this fact : In a recent survey , 68 percent of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient lights , and two thirds had implemented towel - and linen-reuse programs , up from just over half five years ago . The number of properties trying to become LEED -LRB- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design -RRB- certified , the most recognized standard for building sustainability , is also on the rise : Applications to the U.S. Green Building Council for the award spiked by 550 percent between 2006 and 2008 . More than 500 hotels could soon earn the label ; until four years ago , only one had the designation . Although all the major players are making strides toward better green policies , some are doing more than others . Here 's what the leaders have achieved in four earth-changing categories : ENERGY CONSERVATION Replacing inefficient lighting , one energy-draining bulb at a time Accor : More than 8,600 Motel 6 locations in at least a dozen states have been retrofitted with occupancy sensors that cause the thermostat to readjust when guests go out . InterContinental : A trial program has been rolled out at 650 hotels that aims to cut energy consumption by as much as 25 percent . If successful , it could be expanded to all of the chain 's 4,000 properties , including Holiday Inns . Marriott : Over the past decade , 450,000 incandescent bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescent ones , and more than 250 hotels -LRB- including some Residence Inns -RRB- have earned an Energy Star efficiency label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Starwood : The new Element brand 's goal is for every hotel to be LEED certified . Its first property , which opened last year in Lexington , Massachusetts , is fully loaded with Energy Star appliances , LED lighting , and top-notch ventilation systems . All together , that saves enough energy annually to power 236 homes . WATER CONSERVATION Tightening up on all the drips and drops in hotel bathrooms Hilton : The company 's aim : to reduce water use at all of its brands , such as Hilton , DoubleTree , and Embassy Suites , by 10 percent by 2014 . Its nearly 90 European properties have taken the lead , installing water-saving toilets , showerheads , and faucets over the past three years . Home-turf hotels are next . Hyatt : Nearly all North American properties have `` low-flow '' showerheads -LRB- which use a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute -RRB- and toilets -LRB- 1.6 gallons of water per flush -RRB- . The improvements helped reduce the chain 's overall water consumption by 3 percent in 2007 . Marriott : Over the past 10 years , the company has added some 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets to all of its locations worldwide . Marriott also buys 1 million towels annually that do n't require prewashing , conserving 6 million gallons of water each year . Starwood : All new Element hotels will have low-flow water fixtures in rooms and water-efficient landscaping ; its Lexington star has led the way , saving up to 1 million gallons of water per year . GREEN DESIGN Thinking about the environment from the foundation up Accor : The Motel 6 brand broke ground last year on an ultra-green building near Dallas , with laminate flooring made from recycled wood chips and a solar-powered water-heating system . Best Western : Opening this year in Golden , Colorado , the chain 's first LEED-certified hotel will run partially on solar power and have a porous asphalt parking lot to reduce storm-water runoff . Hilton : The company 's green gem is in Vancouver , Washington : a LEED-approved hotel with low-emission paint on the walls and special drains that funnel rainwater into wells for future use . Hyatt : Seattle 's Hyatt at Olive 8 , which opened in January , has an 8,000-square-foot rooftop garden , water-efficient dual-flush toilets , outlets in the parking lot for electric cars , and lighting controlled by room key cards . Marriott : In 2005 , the Marriott in College Park , Maryland , was the first chain hotel in the U.S. to become LEED certified . Among the earth-friendly frills : kitchen composting , in-room recycling bins , water pitchers instead of plastic bottles , and an organic restaurant . Starwood : All eight Element locations being built across the country this year have carpets and cushions made from recycled materials , art mounted on frames constructed from old tires , and priority parking for guests with hybrids . RECYCLING Allowing not a single can , bottle , or plastic key card to go to waste Hyatt : Starting this year , the company will only use key cards and shampoo and lotion containers made from recycled plastics . Hyatt has also begun recycling its own aluminum , plastics , and paper in countries such as Russia and Chile where such programs do n't exist . Intercontinental : As part of a pilot program started two years ago , about 140 Candlewood Suites properties donated old furniture and linens to local families following renovations -- helping to cut back on landfill . It hopes to replicate the initiative nationwide . Marriott : Each year , the chain buys 47 million pens and 24 million key cards made from recycled plastics ; it has also eliminated Styrofoam and plastic utensils at all of its locations . Coming soon : bed pillows made from the polyester fibers of recycled plastic bottles . Wyndham : Debuting later this year at Super 8 motels across the country : new staff uniforms fashioned entirely from recycled plastic bottles . Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you and enter to win a free trip - CLICK HERE ! Copyright \u00a9 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel , Inc. , all rights reserved . Note : This story was accurate when it was published . Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip .","question":""}
{"answer":"DALLAS , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arizona Sen. John McCain , whose White House aspirations went into a nose dive last summer , clinched the Republican Party 's presidential nomination Tuesday night with a sweep of GOP contests in four states . `` I am very , very grateful and pleased to note that tonight , my friends , we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence , humility and a great sense of responsibility , that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States , '' McCain told supporters in Texas . CNN estimates that McCain has amassed 1,195 delegates to the GOP 's September convention in Minneapolis-St . Paul , Minnesota , four more than the 1,191 needed to claim the party 's nomination . `` Now , we begin the most important part of our campaign : to make a respectful , determined and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as president , given the alternative presented by our friends in the other party , is in the best interest in the country that we love , '' McCain said . `` The big battle 's to come , '' he said . `` I do not underestimate the significance nor the size of the challenge . '' Watch McCain address supporters after sweeping Tuesday 's contests '' McCain 's last leading rival , former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee , bowed out of the race after his projected losses in Texas , Ohio , Rhode Island and Vermont and urged his supporters to back the Arizona senator in November . `` It 's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been but now what must be , and that is a united party , '' Huckabee said . Watch as Huckabee ends his presidential bid '' Claiming the title of presumptive nominee will give McCain a head start on the general election campaign while Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still locked in a battle for their party 's title , said Alex Castellanos , a GOP strategist and CNN contributor . Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up '' `` Tomorrow , he can get started , '' Castellanos said . `` He 'll have the -LSB- Republican National Committee -RSB- behind him . He 'll have a broad base of financial support . It 's a big step . Meanwhile , it looks like the Democrats are engaged in the land war across Russia , so he 's got a big advantage now . '' Both Clinton , the New York senator and former first lady , and Obama , the first-term senator from Illinois , called McCain on Tuesday night , campaign officials said . Obama told McCain he looks forward to running against him in the fall , campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said . McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush , according to two Republican sources . The Arizona senator 's campaign -- his second run for the White House -- was largely written off last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party 's conservative base , a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising . But the former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war rebounded with wins in January 's primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina , the state where his first presidential bid foundered . `` There were times , obviously , when my political campaign was not viewed as the most viable in America , as you probably know , '' he told reporters in San Antonio earlier Tuesday . `` In fact , I was reminded of the words of Chairman Mao , who said it 's always darkest before it 's totally black . '' McCain 's fortunes also rebounded as U.S. commanders in Iraq credited the 2007 launch of a campaign to pacify Baghdad and its surrounding provinces with a sharp decline in American and Iraqi casualties . The senator had been one of the most outspoken advocates of the shift and has blasted his potential Democratic rivals for calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from the widely unpopular war . `` This is a man with a lot of trials in his life , '' said former Education Secretary William Bennett , a CNN contributor . `` He 's had a lot of downs ; he 's been up , and this is a big up . '' McCain has been turning his fire on the Democrats , for whom Tuesday 's races in Ohio and Texas are seen as pivotal . See scenes from Tuesday 's voting '' But Democrats have been pounding McCain over his January comment that he would be satisfied if U.S. troops remained in Iraq for 100 years , as long as the insurgency there died down . And Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has attacked his reputation as a reformer over the past week , accusing McCain of trying to evade federal spending limits by opting out of public financing after using the promise of federal funds to obtain a bank loan and automatic ballot access for his primary campaign . Dean told CNN on Tuesday that McCain `` really is the focus of what we 're doing now , in terms of his ethics problems and his problems with the war and his problems with the huge deficits that they 've run up on the Republican side . '' In 2000 , McCain upset then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primary by touting `` straight talk '' and his record as a Republican maverick . Bush came back in South Carolina amid a divisive and bitter campaign that left McCain denouncing leaders of the party 's religious conservative wing as `` agents of intolerance , '' and Bush went on to win the presidency . Since then , McCain has enraged conservative leaders by opposing Bush 's signature tax cuts , co-sponsoring the campaign finance reform law that now bears his name and supporting a controversial White House-backed plan to offer a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants . But their support was spread among a fractured GOP field , and their main standard-bearer , former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney , quit the race after a disappointing showing in February 's Super Tuesday primaries . Exit polls in Texas and Ohio found that about three-quarters of Republicans would be satisfied with McCain as their nominee , however . Those surveys found that the economy was the top issue for GOP voters in both states -- and by a wide margin in Ohio , which has seen a sharp decline in manufacturing jobs in the past decade . Although national security issues are a strong suit for McCain , Castellanos said he might need some help if a weakening economy is the central issue in November . `` It 's never been Sen. McCain 's strength , '' Castellanos said . He said McCain would need to make the case that `` I 'm going to grow this economy ; Barack or Hillary , they 're going to grow government . '' McCain had amassed 1,047 delegates before Tuesday , according to CNN estimates . At stake in Tuesday 's contests were 256 delegates , allocated on a winner-take-all basis by statewide or congressional district results . E-mail to a friend CNN correspondent Dana Bash and political editor Mark Preston contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JOHANNESBURG , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africans waited on election results Thursday in a ballot that the ruling African National Congress party appeared on course to win in a landslide . ANC leader Jacob Zuma is expected to be South Africa 's next president . South African media reported Thursday that the ANC had won around 65 percent of the vote with one third of ballots counted . Reports suggested the opposition Democratic Alliance could be on course to claim control of Western Cape province -- but the ANC was ahead in the country 's eight other provinces . `` This party is an elephant . You can not actually topple an elephant , '' presidential candidate Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters at ANC headquarters in central Johannesburg , according to Reuters.com . Zuma , who danced and sang his trademark `` Bring me my machine gun '' anti-apartheid anthem , stressed the ANC was `` not yet celebrating victory . '' Final results are not expected until Saturday . All counting is done by hand in the country , which has 23 million registered voters . Members of parliament will elect the country 's president next month . The Independent Electoral Commission said the number of people voting on Wednesday created long lines and a shortage of ballot boxes and papers in some districts and voting stations . Watch as South Africa waits for a winner '' `` We thank voters for their enthusiasm and patience as they waited to exercise their democratic right to vote , '' commission Chairwoman Brigalia Bam said Wednesday . Although the ANC is widely expected to win , it remains to be seen how much ground the two main opposition parties -- the Democratic Alliance and the Congress of the People -- will gain , and whether the ANC will be able to hold onto its two-thirds parliamentary majority . The ANC has gained votes in every election since 1994 , when the country held its first democratic election . But the Congress of the People -- a breakaway faction of the ANC -- threatens the ruling party 's grip on power . Voter shares feelings about ANC and new rival '' The ANC has been dogged by allegations of corruption and has been accused of failing to deliver services to the poor . And Zuma until recently faced fraud and corruption charges . The country 's prosecuting authority dropped the charges two weeks before the elections , citing alleged political interference in the case . That decision sparked widespread outrage , with opposition parties accusing prosecutors of buckling under political pressure . Twenty-six parties vied in Wednesday 's election . They included Islamic and Christian parties , and right-wing Afrikaaner and socialist groups . Learn more about some of South Africa 's political parties More than 5,000 domestic and international observers are monitoring the election , according to the electoral commission . CNN 's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite efforts to keep people from profiting from Tuesday 's public memorial service for Michael Jackson , scalpers online Monday were asking as much as $ 9,000 per ticket to the free event . Free tickets to Tuesday 's memorial service for Michael Jackson have appeared for sale online . Dozens of listings selling vouchers for Jackson tickets appeared Monday on auction site eBay and Craigslist , the classified ads site , prompting complaints from Jackson fans and others who felt the sales were inappropriate . `` You people trying to sell these tickets should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves , '' said a Craigslist user in a post Monday morning . `` Please flag all of these money-grabbing opportunists ... if you 're a true MJ fan you wo n't give money to these parasites . '' Organizers of the public memorial service , scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Staples Center arena in downtown Los Angeles , made 8,750 pairs of tickets available through an online lottery . But demand far outstripped supply , as about 1.6 million fans registered for a chance at the tickets . Winners received an e-mail Sunday directing them to print vouchers and bring them Monday to Dodgers Stadium , where they were to receive tickets and have a nonremovable wristband placed on their arms . Those entering the Staples Center on Tuesday must have wristbands to match their tickets . But that did n't stop some people from trying to sell their vouchers to anyone who could make it to Dodgers Stadium by 7 p.m. Monday . One pair of tickets attracted a bid of $ 275,000 on eBay before the listing was removed . It was difficult to tell whether the offer was serious . Both eBay and Craigslist took steps Monday to thwart the ticket sellers . `` eBay will not allow Michael Jackson memorial service tickets to be listed on the site , '' the company said in a statement . `` If found , eBay will remove them from the site immediately . '' By Monday afternoon the number of listings for `` Michael Jackson memorial tickets '' on eBay had dropped to a handful , and the site was removing them shortly after they appeared . Learn more about plans for the memorial '' Craigslist allows its users to flag ads they find inappropriate , and ads receiving enough negative flags are automatically removed from the site . Many ads proffering Jackson memorial tickets were removed shortly after they were posted Monday . Among those was a listing posted by a man who identified himself only as Peetey , 29 , of Venice Beach , California . He was asking $ 8,000 for a single ticket ; the winning bidder would accompany his girlfriend to the service , he said . The ad was removed within 15 minutes , he said , but that was enough time for five people to call with interest . When contacted by CNN , Peetey said he sees nothing wrong with selling a free ticket to a memorial service . `` We live in a capitalist society where money is what really speaks , '' he said . `` I 'm not trying to make a huge profit . I 'm not trying to take advantage of anybody . '' Peetey , who did not want his last name used for fear of backlash from Jackson fans , said he would go to the memorial service if he ca n't get at least $ 5,000 for the ticket . His girlfriend won the lottery-issued tickets , he said , and will attend the event . `` I want to go , and I have a large desire to go , but if I can get a lot of money , especially in this economic climate , it does n't seem wise for me to sit there for two hours if I can get $ 10,000 for the ticket , '' he said . Daniel Moreno , 33 , of Murrieta , California , said people trying to sell the tickets are disgracing Jackson by trying to capitalize on his death . `` That kind of sucks , you know . The guy 's dead , '' said Moreno , who posted a statement on Craigslist vowing to flag any listings selling Jackson memorial tickets . Moreno said those with tickets should give them away if they do n't want to attend the service . `` I do n't have $ 1,000 to spend on this ticket and would n't want to spend $ 1,000 on this ticket , '' he told CNN . `` And I would n't want to be in the presence of someone who 's trying to sell the ticket because I 'd be arrested for battery . '' By 2 p.m. -LRB- 5 p.m. ET -RRB- , organizers had handed out more than 6,400 pairs of tickets . Los Angeles police Capt. Bill Murphy said the distribution process was going smoothly as of early Monday afternoon . One person tried to pass off a photocopied voucher and was ejected , Murphy said . CNN.com 's John D. Sutter contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Italian woman who had been in a coma for 17 years and whose right-to-die case was being debated in the Italian Parliament has died days after doctors began removing her feeding tube . A portrait of Eluana Englaro . She was in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years . The speaker of the Italian Senate announced the death of Eluana Englaro , 37 , Monday night , then called for a moment of silence in the chamber . Even as the silence ended , one legislator declared , `` She has not died -- she was killed , '' prompting other right-to-die opponents to join in with calls of `` Murderers ! '' Englaro had been in a vegetative state for 17 years , after suffering what doctors determined to be irreversible brain damage in a 1992 car crash , when she was 20 years old . For years , Englaro 's father , Beppino , fought to have her feeding tube removed , saying it would be a dignified end to his daughter 's life . He said that before the crash his daughter visited a friend who was in a coma and told him she did n't want the same thing to happen to her if she were ever in the same state . Confirming his daughter 's death Monday , Beppino Englaro told Italian media : `` Yes , she is no longer with us , but I do n't want to say anything further . I need to be left alone . '' But the intense debate swirling around her case will go on . Watch as Italians protest against her death '' When Englaro 's death was announced , the Senate was debating a proposed law that would require doctors to provide nourishment to all incapacitated patients , and that would have forced doctors to resume feeding Englaro through tubes . Debate on that proposal as it would affect other patients is likely to continue in Parliament . Last year , a court ruled that the feeding tube could be removed , and Italy 's high court upheld the ruling on appeal . Englaro was transferred last week to a private clinic , where the removal process began Friday -- even as the Senate took up a debate aimed at reversing that process . A decree aimed at preventing doctors from completely removing the feeding tube was passed unanimously Friday by Italy 's Council of Ministers , with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi leading the effort . `` I will do everything I can to save her life , '' Berlusconi said . `` We have to do everything possible to stop a person from dying . '' But President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign the decree . According to a statement from Napolitano 's office , `` An emergency decree can not be in contrast with a court decision . '' The case has been a controversial one in Italy , a heavily Catholic country where the Vatican has great influence . Earlier this month , Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims that `` euthanasia is a false solution to suffering . '' Monsignor Elio Sgreccia , president emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life , said Friday that Englaro had the right to be kept alive . `` It is the duty of the doctors , of society , and of the political institutions to administer her essential foods to keep her alive . No one has the right to take her life away from her , '' he said . Euthanasia is illegal in Italy , but patients have the right to refuse treatment . It is on that basis that Englaro argued his daughter should be allowed to die , because some time before her accident she had expressed the wish not to be kept alive while in a coma -- indirectly refusing treatment , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Mississippi schoolteacher was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for shooting and stabbing to death her lover 's pregnant fiancee in 2006 . Carla Hughes met the victim 's fiance at the middle school where she was a teacher . The same jury that convicted Carla Hughes of two counts of murder Tuesday for the death of Avis Banks spared her life , declining to impose the death penalty . Mississippi is among the states that consider murdering a pregnant woman to be taking two lives . Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest asked the panel of nine women and three men to sentence Hughes to death based on the gruesome nature of Banks ' murder . Banks , 27 , was found lying in a pool of blood on November 29 , 2006 , in the garage of the Ridgeland home she shared with Keyon Pittman , the father of her unborn child . She was five months pregnant . She had been shot four times in the leg , chest and head , and then stabbed multiple times in the face and neck as she lay dying , according to medical testimony . Prosecutors alleged that Hughes killed Banks so she could have Pittman , a colleague at Chastain Middle School in Jackson , to herself . `` She took Avis Banks ' life and the life of her unborn child because she wanted that life , '' the prosecutor said . The jury deliberated Wednesday for about an hour to decide on the sentence after hearing emotional testimony from seven defense witnesses , including her parents . `` Carla has been a kind , loving person all her life , '' said Carl Hughes , who adopted his daughter when she was 6 weeks old . `` I 'm not asking you , I 'm pleading with you , to spare my daughter 's life , '' said Hughes , who is also a teacher . He said that the person portrayed by prosecutors as a cold-blooded killer was completely different from the accomplished honors student , equestrian and beauty pageant contestant that he knew and loved . Hughes ' pastor and friends also took the stand to describe her work mentoring youths , volunteering at church and at the school where she met the victim 's husband . Suspicion initially fell on Pittman , who admitted to having an affair with Hughes , a language arts teacher . A key prosecution witness , Pittman told the jury he began seeing Hughes one month after finding out his girlfriend was pregnant . He testified that the two met frequently in Hughes ' home and even went out of town together , but he insisted the relationship was based solely on sex . Throughout the trial , defense lawyers maintained her innocence and attempted to cast blame on Pittman , portraying him as a womanizer seeking to avoid the burden of fatherhood . Prosecutors alleged the murder weapons connected Hughes to the crime . The defendant 's cousin testified that he lent her a knife and a loaded .38 caliber revolver the weekend before Banks ' death . Ballistics tests matched the bullets from Banks ' body to the gun , which Hughes returned unloaded to her cousin after her first interview with police . None of Banks ' relatives testified at the sentencing . Instead , the jury heard from a forensic pathologist , who described the nature of Banks ' injuries . Madison County Deputy District Attorney John Emfinger urged the jury to look past Hughes ' prior achievements and focus on the crime in rendering its sentence . `` In my mind , this overshadows everything else she 's done in life . She took the lives of two people in that garage , '' he said in his closing argument Wednesday . `` When that door opened , -LRB- Avis Banks -RRB- was not met by a beauty pageant winner , she was not met by a member of the mayor 's youth council , she was not met by a peacemaker . ... She was met by a stone-cold killer , '' he said . In Session 's Jean Casarez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The attorney for a man whose wife 's wrong-way accident killed eight people on New York 's Taconic Parkway in July says he will ask authorities to exhume her body to prove she was n't drinking at the time of the accident . On CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Tuesday night , Daniel Schuler said his wife , Diane , was not an alcoholic . Dominic Barbera , attorney for Daniel Schuler , told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' he believes Diane Schuler may have suffered stroke-like symptoms and that a fire after the accident could have turned blood sugar into alcohol . `` I read from the medical autopsy report that there was charring of the body because there was a fire , '' Barbera said . `` And I found -- my doctors found numerous cases where you can actually have sugar in the blood turn into alcohol . '' Barbera said Schuler may have had a Transient Ischemic Attack , which produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage . Watch why husband believes wife was n't drunk '' The Westchester County medical examiner 's office found that Schuler , 36 , had a blood alcohol level of .19 percent -- more than twice the legal limit -- and had marijuana in her system when she drove a minivan the wrong way on the parkway and ran head-on into an SUV . Three adults in the SUV were killed in the July 26 crash , as were Schuler and four children she was carrying in the minivan -- her daughter and three nieces . A fifth child , Schuler 's son , survived . A spokeswoman for the medical examiner 's office , Donna Green , said that the office stands `` by the findings of the medical examiner 's report . '' But Daniel Schuler said he believed the report was wrong . `` I know the truth , what happened , with my wife , '' he said . `` She is not an alcoholic and does n't drink . She is an outstanding mother . '' Barbera and Schuler said they wanted to have the body exhumed for further examinations to prove that the accident was not caused by a drunken driver . Attorneys for the family of Daniel Luongo , 73 , one of the victims in the SUV , rejected the Schuler family 's contention . `` The scientific evidence indicates that Diane Schuler was intoxicated and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash , '' they said in a statement . `` Any claims denying her responsibility for this tragedy are wholly unsubstantiated , and the Luongo family finds these claims appalling , offensive and hurtful . They have lost a loved one to a senseless tragedy , and these claims do nothing but add insult to injury . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China has suspended exports of the Aqua Dots toys contaminated with a chemical that can convert to a powerful `` date rape '' drug , the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Saturday . The toys have caused some children who swallowed the craft toys to vomit and lose consciousness . China suspended exports of the Aqua Dots toys that contain a chemical that converts into a `` date rape '' drug . The agency said that the General Administration of Quality Supervision , Inspection , and Quarantine -LRB- AQSIQ -RRB- has ordered an investigation by quality control agencies and will release results as soon as they are available . The AQSIQ did not reveal the name of the toys ' producer , Xinhua said . U.S. safety officials voluntarily recalled about 4.2 million of the Chinese-made toys Wednesday . Scientists have found the highly popular holiday toy contains a chemical that , once metabolized , converts into the toxic `` date rape '' drug GHB -LRB- gamma-hydroxy butyrate -RRB- , Scott Wolfson , a spokesman with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission -LRB- CPSC -RRB- , told CNN . `` Children who swallow the beads can become comatose , develop respiratory depression or have seizures , '' a CPSC statement warned . The arts-and-craft beads , which have been selling since April at major U.S. retail stores under the name `` Aqua Dots , '' have also been distributed in Australia under the name `` Bindeez Beads . '' The Bindeez toys were recalled Tuesday by Melbourne-based Moose Enterprise Pty. Ltd. after three children in Australia swallowed large quantities of the beads and were hospitalized . `` I was so frightened because I thought she was n't going to make it , '' Heather Lehane told CNN affiliate Network 7 of her 10-year-old daughter , Charlotte , who was hospitalized in Australia after ingesting some of the beads . In the United States , the Washington-based safety commission said it has in recent days received two reports detailing the severe effects of the digested beads , which are part of a craft kit aimed at kids 4 years and older . The CPSC said a boy nearly 2 years old `` swallowed several dozen beads . He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state for a period of time . '' The commission said the toddler was hospitalized and has since `` fully recovered . '' The second incident involved a child who vomited , fell into a coma and was hospitalized for five days . It was not immediately clear whether the child had made a full recovery . Toronto-based toy distributor Spin Master Ltd. stopped shipping the Aqua Dots toys and asked retailers to pull them off their shelves , where they were previously sold for $ 17 to $ 30 . Anyone with Aqua Dots at home should return the product to the company , CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said . The toy had been named toy of the year in Australia and recently crested Wal-Mart 's list of top 12 Christmas toys . Wal-Mart on Thursday listed the toys on its Web site as `` out of stock online '' and had removed them from their top toy list as well . This latest recall is part of a larger batch of recalls of Chinese-made toys that have swept across the country . Last month alone , U.S. government safety officials and retailers voluntarily recalled at least 69,000 Chinese-made toys over concerns of excessive amounts of lead paint , which can cause hazardous lead poisoning . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Janine Brady , Jason Carroll , Laura Dolan , Julie O'Neill and Leslie Wiggins contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"GUADALAJARA , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Monday the United States remains Mexico 's partner in the fight against drug cartels , despite some calls in the United States to delay counter-narcotics aid because of alleged human rights violations by Mexican soldiers . President Obama speaks at a news conference in Guadalajara , Mexico , on Monday . Mexican President Felipe Calderon reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and human rights in his offensive against the cartels , Obama said . Some $ 100 million in anti-drug aid , known as the Merida Initiative , could be delayed because of concerns about human rights violations , it was reported last week . `` We have been very supportive of the Merida Initiative , and we remain supportive , '' Obama said . Obama also said the United States would work to reduce demand for drugs and stop the illegal flow of weapons south to Mexico . The remarks came at a summit of North American leaders in Guadalajara , Mexico . Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also expressed support for Mexico 's strategy , saying that the drug cartels were a problem shared by all three countries . Turning to immigration , Obama said he is committed to `` fix the broken immigration system . '' The three North American countries depend on their borders being safe and secure , Obama said , adding that he supports `` orderly and legal '' migration , while respecting the American tradition of welcoming immigrants . He also responded to critics who say that the United States has not been forceful enough in demanding the return of ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya to power , calling them hypocritical . `` The same critics who say that the United States has not intervened enough in Honduras , are the same people who say that we 're always intervening and that Yankees need to get out of Latin America . You ca n't have it both ways , '' Obama said . `` We have been very clear in our belief that President Zelaya was removed from office illegally , that it was a coup , and that he should return , '' Obama said . The United Nations and Organization of American States , including the United States , have called for Zelaya 's return , but more than one month later , the interim government of Roberto Micheletti remains firm and talks between the two sides have so far been unsuccessful . Harper agreed with Obama 's stance . The United States has very clearly stated its position while letting a multilateral process take the lead , he said . `` That 's precisely what we want to see from the United States , '' Harper said . Turning to trade , Obama said a `` Buy American '' provision in his economic stimulus plan had little effect so far on the multibillion-dollar trade partnership with Canada . Obama told journalists that Harper has raised the issue every time they have met . Harper has complained the `` Buy American '' provision is protectionist and could harm trade relations between the closely linked North American economies . `` This in no way this has endangered the billions of dollars of trade taking place between our two countries , '' Obama said , standing beside Harper and Calderon at a final news conference . Harper responded to the same question by saying the leaders had a good discussion on the issue , and their respective trade ministers also were talking about it . Canada is the top trade partner of the United States , with cross-border commerce worth more than $ 1 billion a day . The $ 787-billion stimulus package enacted in February included a provision that only American goods be used in stimulus projects . It also stipulated that the measure would not override existing U.S. trade treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement . Obama also talked about comparisons between the U.S. and Canadian health care systems , saying Canada 's government-run health care model wo n't work in the United States . `` We 've got to develop a uniquely American approach to this problem , '' he said . Opponents of health care legislation in the U.S. House and Senate say it will lead to a single-payer system like the government-run program in Canada , with some warning the Canadian system means restrictions on treatments and long delays . Obama noted the U.S. system is based on employers providing health insurance for most Americans . Throwing that out would be too radical an overhaul , he said . However , he said he expects opponents of health care legislation to continue to make what he called the misleading comparison between proposed U.S. legislation and Canada 's system . `` I suspect that you Canadians are going to continue to get dragged into the debate , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"JACKSONVILLE , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eduardo Gonzalez , a petty officer second class with the U.S. Navy , is about to be deployed overseas for a third time . Making his deployment even tougher is the fact his wife may not be around when he comes back . Mildred and Eduardo Gonzalez worry about what would happen to their family if she is deported . His wife faces deportation to Guatemala -- her home country that she has n't seen since 1989 . He also does n't know what would happen to his young son , Eduardo Jr. , if that happens . `` I like being in uniform and serving my country , but if she goes back I 'm going to have to give it all up and just get out and take care of my son and get a job , '' he said . `` Defending the country that 's trying to kick my family out is a thought that always runs through my mind . '' Gonzalez , who works on helicopters that bring cargo , supplies and military personnel in and out of Iraq , testified before a House Judiciary Committee panel last month , detailing his situation and urging officials to consider some sort of policy to deal with cases like his , where military members ' families could be deported while they 're defending their country overseas . Watch `` they 're tearing families apart '' '' `` I want to serve my country 100 percent . But with this issue in the back of my mind , I feel I ca n't do that , '' he testified on September 6 . The U.S. military does not have a policy to deal with such cases . Each is handled case-by-case , not by the military , but by immigration authorities . The government does n't have numbers on how many military members are in predicaments similar to Gonzalez 's . Immigration officials also said marrying a U.S. citizen does not mean the spouse is automatically entitled to U.S. citizenship or permanent legal status . Lt. Col. Margaret Stock , a member of the U.S. Army Reserves who teaches immigration law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point , New York , said she believes there should be an overall policy dealing with the potential deportation of family members of active duty military members . `` You got to understand . When you 're in a combat zone , you need to be focusing all of your energies on fighting the enemy . You ca n't be worried that your loved ones back home could be shipped off to a foreign country where you 're never going to see them again , '' she said . Stock also said the government is conflicted about how to treat such cases . On the one hand , the government is supposed to be providing military families with assistance , housing and other forms of benefits while their spouses are overseas . On the other hand , the same government is trying to deport the very same people . `` What 's happening right now is , because of the dysfunction and complexity of our immigration laws , we 've got people fighting overseas who are facing the impossible situation of having family members facing deportation back home , '' she said . In Gonzalez 's case , his wife , Mildred , came to the United States with her mother in 1989 when she was 5 years old . They were granted political asylum because of their status as war refugees from Guatemala . In September 2000 , Mildred 's mother applied for legalization and included her daughter in that application . Her mother was granted legal status in July 2004 , according to Gonzalez . However , six weeks earlier , Gonzalez and Mildred got married , canceling Mildred 's ability to apply for legal status through her mother because she was no longer an unmarried daughter under the age of 21 . As a result , her legal status still remains in jeopardy . A judge in June granted her a one-year extension to remain in the United States . If her legal status does not change by June 8 , 2008 , she will have 60 days to voluntarily leave the country or face deportation . That 's just fine , according to Mark Krikorian , the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies , which lobbies for tougher laws on illegal immigration . `` What you 're talking about is amnesty for illegal immigrants who have a relative in the armed forces , and that 's just outrageous , '' he said . `` What we 're talking about here is letting lawbreakers get away with their actions just because they have a relative in the military . ... There 's no justification for that kind of policy . '' Gonzalez said that type of response is unjustified . `` I 'm trying to make his country better -- my country better -- and it should be her country too . '' Gonzalez himself entered the country legally , crossing the Mexican border with his family when he was about 10 . He joined the Navy as a so-called `` green-card sailor '' and became a U.S. citizen in July 2005 . The military does accept some immigrants who are n't U.S. citizens . `` I understand the laws have to be followed and guidelines and a system must be maintained , but on the other token , there are times when the situation is just out of their reach , '' Gonzalez said . His wife , Mildred , added , `` We did n't come here to break the law . We just want to feel safe and have a home just like everybody else . '' U.S. Army Sgt. Emmanuel Woko , a member of the Army 's 2nd Brigade , 1st Infantry Division who faces his third tour in Iraq , understands just how Gonzalez and his family feel . His wife and children could be sent back to Nigeria . `` My heart is bleeding on the thought that my wife could be deported back to Nigeria while I am deployed in Iraq , '' he said . `` I am extremely distressed and distracted by the thought . '' That 's a sentiment echoed by Gonzalez : `` We are not asking for anything . We are just asking for our families to stay with us . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gregg Canes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pfizer is near a deal to buy rival drugmaker Wyeth for $ 68 billion , according to news reports late Sunday citing people familiar with the deal . Pfizer 's world headquarters is in New York . A deal was imminent and likely to be announced Monday , The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported . `` It is our policy not to comment on rumor or speculation , '' said Michael Lampe , a Wyeth representative . Pfizer was not immediately available for comment . Pfizer , the world 's leading drugmaker in terms of sales , has been in talks to buy Wyeth . Pfizer 's stock slipped 1 percent on the news Friday , while Wyeth gained about 8 percent . On January 13 Pfizer said it was cutting up to 8 percent of its R&D staff , about 800 jobs . Spokesman Raymond Kerins said that was to '' raise productivity . '' But analysts say Pfizer is clearly trying to beef up its drug pipeline through an acquisition , adding that the company seems to have given up on its own R&D staff coming up with a blockbuster to replace Lipitor . This cholesterol-cutting drug peaked in 2006 with nearly $ 13 billion in annual sales but will lose its patent protection in 2011 , when generic versions will become available . Les Funtleyder , pharma analyst for Miller Tabak , said Pfizer is `` not feeling that they 're getting the efficiency out of their R&D unit . '' He said Pfizer would probably rather do a deal with Wyeth over other competitors , because there is less overlap in the companies ' pipelines . Funtleyder said Pfizer already has a diabetes franchise , which would overlap with Eli Lilly & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb , both of which also focus on diabetes treatments . Pfizer probably has its eyes on Wyeth 's Alzheimer 's drug pipeline , he said . But he cautions that a merger wo n't be a success unless Wyeth 's pipeline is successful , which remains to be seen , he said . `` If Wyeth comes out with an Alzheimer 's drug that works , then the deal works , '' he said . Pfizer is probably also focused on Wyeth 's blockbuster children 's vaccine Prevnar , as well as its experimental biotech drugs , said Michael Krensavage of Krensavage Asset Management . Sales of Prevnar , which combats meningitis and blood infections , jumped 12 percent in the first nine months of 2008 compared with the same period the prior year , to $ 2.1 billion . If a deal does go through , Funtleyder warns , Wyeth staffers should brace for layoffs . `` I can say with pretty good confidence that this is going to lead to some head count reduction , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Berlin , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German President Horst Koehler resigned suddenly Monday over what he said was heavy criticism about comments he made on Germany 's military role in the world , which he said had been misinterpreted . It was the first time in German history that a president has resigned , the government-funded Deutsche Welle news agency reported . Koehler said May 22 upon his return from a trip to Afghanistan that `` in emergencies , military intervention is necessary to uphold our interests , like for example free trade routes , for example to prevent regional instabilities which could have a negative impact on our chances in terms of trade , jobs and income . '' He later said he meant the protection of shipping routes along the Gulf of Aden against piracy , for example , and not any reference to Germany 's role in Afghanistan . But his comments came in for widespread criticism . Crticis said he was framing Germany 's involvement in the Afghan war in economic terms having to do with self-interest , rather than as a duty in fulfilling a NATO mission in the fight against terrorism . Others said his comments indicated he would use the military unconstitutionally and for economic reasons . Germany has 4,500 troops in a NATO-led force fighting a Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan . Polls show that most Germans oppose the war in Afghanistan , but the government has not set a date for the withdrawal of troops . Koehler , 67 , made the surprise resignation announcement at a televised news conference with his wife standing next to him . He appeared visibly emotional , the Deutsche Welle news outlet reported . `` I am resigning my post as federal president with immediate effect , '' Koehler said . `` It was an honor for me to serve Germany as president , '' he said . `` I thank the many people in Germany who have put their trust in me and supported my work . I ask for you to understand my decision . '' The president 's office is largely ceremonial . Chancellor Angela Merkel heads the government and holds the real power . Merkel found out about the resignation a short while before Koehler 's announcement , Deutsche Welle said . She canceled a trip to northern Italy to visit the training camp of the German national soccer team as the squad prepares for next month 's World Cup , the government news agency said . Speaking at a news conference in Berlin , Merkel said she was stunned by Koehler 's decision . ' I deeply regret this resignation , '' Merkel said . `` I must add that I of course told him also I respect his decision to resign . '' Merkel also said she had `` unsuccessfully tried to get him to change his mind , '' Deutsche Welle said . The resignation comes at an inopportune time for Merkel , whose center-right coalition recently lost an important state election and suffered another resignation of a key ally last week , Deutsche Welle said . The German constitution mandates that the head of the Bundesrat , the upper house of parliament that represents Germany 's federal states , will temporarily take over the president 's duties . Jens Boehrnsen , the Social Democratic mayor of Bremen , holds the rotating position of Bundesrat leader this year and will assume the president 's duties . Boehrnsen will fill in for Koehler until an electoral college , the Federal Convention , elects a successor . The convention must convene within 30 days -- by June 30 in this case . The president in Germany is not elected by the people , but by the Federal Convention . The secret ballot vote is held without prior debate and requires an absolute majority to elect a president . If none of the candidates wins an absolute majority after two rounds of voting , the person with a simple majority in the third round is selected president . The Federal Convention is Germany 's largest parliamentary body . All of the members of the lower house of parliament , the Bundestag , can vote . A corresponding number of representatives from the federal states also are entitled to vote . The convention , which had 1,224 members at the time , last met in May 2009 to re-elect Koehler . Koehler , a former managing director of the International Monetary Fund , was first elected president in 2004 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A military junta that toppled Guinea 's government announced its new leader Wednesday in a nationwide radio address . Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara wrapped in the Guinean flag Wednesday . Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara declared himself president of the National Council for Democracy , which he called a transitional body that will oversee the country 's return to democracy . In effect , that would make Camara president of Guinea , which was thrown into turmoil Monday after the death of President Lansana Conte . Camara also declared a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. local time . Guinea 's parliament is holding negotiations with the military , Africa News reporter Mamdou Dian Donghol Diallo told CNN . `` For the time being the situation is calm and negotiations are under way , '' Diallo said . `` There is no traffic . Everyone is staying inside their homes . '' Camara , previously the spokesman for the National Council for Democracy , suspended the government , constitution , political parties and trade unions , Diallo said from Conakry . The newly formed government , made up of 26 military personnel and six civilians , is negotiating a power-sharing deal that would reflect its ethnic make-up , Diallo said . But some in the military may not support the new leadership , he said . International institutions , including the African Union , have condemned the coup . Guinea , in western Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean , has had two presidents since gaining independence from France in 1958 . Conte came to power in 1984 , when the military seized control of the government after the death of the first president , Sekou Toure . The country did not hold democratic elections until 1993 , when Conte was elected president . He was re-elected in 1998 and 2003 amid allegations of electoral irregularities . Worsening economic conditions and dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006 , the CIA World Factbook says . A third nationwide strike in early 2007 sparked violent protests that resulted in two weeks of martial law . To appease the unions and end the unrest , the Factbook says , Conte named a new prime minister in March 2007 . Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world , despite its mineral wealth , according to the British charity Plan UK . The country hosts large refugee populations from neighboring Liberia and Ivory Coast .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's state oil company rejected criticism from a leading human rights group Wednesday , calling an Amnesty International report `` inaccurate . '' File image of Shell 's oil and gas terminal on Bonny Island in southern Nigeria 's Niger Delta . `` We have issues with the report , '' said Levi Ajuonoma , a spokesman for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation . Amnesty said Tuesday that pollution and environmental impacts from the oil industry in the Niger Delta are creating a `` human rights tragedy '' in which local people suffer poor health and loss of livelihood . Governments and oil companies are failing to be accountable for the problems , Amnesty said in its report , called `` Petroleum , Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta . '' But the state oil company said it was local communities who cause much of the environmental damage by vandalizing pipelines for monetary gain . `` We take environmental damage very seriously , '' Ajuonoma said . `` Pipeline damage is a major cause of pollution , '' he argued , blaming `` communities who ... vandalize pipelines and make claims on the oil company operating in the area . '' Amnesty leveled a wide range of charges in its report . `` People living in the Niger Delta have to drink , cook with and wash in polluted water , '' said Audrey Gaughran , who co-authored the report . `` They eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins -- if they are lucky enough to be able to still find fish . The land they farm on is being destroyed . `` After oil spills , the air they breathe smells of oil , gas and other pollutants . People complain of breathing problems and skin lesions , and yet neither the government nor the oil companies monitor the human impacts of oil pollution . '' The report looks at oil spills , gas flaring , waste dumping and other environmental impacts from the oil industry . The majority of the evidence in the report relates to Shell , the main oil company operating in the region . `` Despite its public claims to be a socially and environmentally responsible corporation , Shell continues to directly harm human rights through its failure to adequately prevent and mitigate pollution and environmental damage in the Niger Delta , '' Gaughran said . A Shell spokesman said the company shares Amnesty 's concern for the people in the Niger Delta but disputes the group 's assessment of its corporate accountability . `` We feel that the root causes of the Niger Delta 's humanitarian issues are poverty , corruption , crime , militancy , and violence . This report does not acknowledge these issues to any substantive degree , but concentrates on oil and gas issues in isolation , and as such , its value is limited , '' said a spokesman at the company 's headquarters in The Hague , Netherlands , who asked not to be identified per company policy . `` This report brings no new insights or analysis to help oil companies such as SPDC improve managing the issues of the Niger Delta , '' the Shell spokesman said . `` Instead , in parts it draws wide-ranging and superficial conclusions from a number of these deeply complex issues , offering little underlying analysis to support those conclusions . '' SPDC is the Shell Petroleum Development Company , the national oil and gas company in Nigeria . Shell owns a 30-percent stake in the company while the Nigerian government owns 55 percent . The Niger Delta is a region in Nigeria consisting of nine oil-producing states . It has a land area of about 46,500 square miles -LRB- 75,000 square km -RRB- -- about the same size as the Czech Republic or the U.S. state of Pennsylvania , according to the United Nations Development Program -LRB- UNDP -RRB- . An area of rich biological diversity , the region contains the world 's third-largest wetland with the most extensive freshwater swamp forest , according to the UNDP . More than half the area contains creeks and small islands , while the rest is rainforest , the UNDP says . At the same time , the Niger Delta produces the oil wealth that accounts for the bulk of Nigeria 's foreign earnings , the UNDP says . Amnesty says the majority of people living in the Niger Delta depend on the natural environment for their food and livelihood , particularly through agriculture and fisheries . Shell said it is not responsible for some 80 percent of the pollution in the oil-rich area , because that pollution is the result of attacks and sabotage of Shell operations in the Niger Delta . `` Over the past four weeks alone we had eight attacks , '' he said . `` These attacks had a substantial impact on the environment , and assets , and most importantly for the people that live and work there . '' About 85 percent of the oil spills from Shell operations are the result of attacks and sabotage , he said . Nigeria 's main militant group , the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta , or MEND , has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on the region 's oil infrastructure in recent months . MEND said Sunday it had attacked an offshore facility and that it was engulfed in flames . Last week , the group said it had destroyed a pipeline owned and operated by the Italian gas company Agip . Also last week , MEND claimed to have destroyed Shell 's main trunk line in Bayelsa state and a Chevron oil station in the region . MEND demands that more of Nigeria 's oil wealth be invested in the Niger Delta instead of enriching those whom the militants consider to be corrupt politicians . Last year , a series of MEND attacks forced Nigeria to cut its oil exports by as much as 40 percent . Amnesty 's report acknowledged that armed groups and communities have worsened the pollution problem by vandalizing oil infrastructure or stealing oil , but it said the scale of the problem is not clear . Shell said plans are under way to deal with the problem of gas flaring , which happens when crude oil is brought to the surface along with the large volumes of gas that have been trapped with it . The gas used to be burned off safely in a process called flaring , but that process is now considered a waste of resources and revenue for the government , Shell says . A $ 3 billion program to reduce the gas flares has already been able to cut them by 30 percent , the company said . The Amnesty report also pointed the finger at governments and said they have failed to be held accountable for the situation of the people . The Niger Delta covers 185 different local government areas , according to the United Nations Development Program . `` The government must address the human impact of oil industry pollution , '' said Gaughran , of Amnesty . `` They have a duty to protect their citizens from human rights abuse or harm by businesses and they are failing in that duty . '' Shell supports `` collaborative solutions '' between communities , governments , corporations and non-profit groups as the only way to address the problems listed in the Amnesty report , the spokesman said . `` The SPDC definitely shares Amnesty International 's concern that the people in the Niger Delta have n't benefited from the extraction of the oil and gas as they should , '' the spokesman said , `` but this has been the opinion of the SPDC for a number of years . '' CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Bush administration has launched a `` significant escalation '' of covert operations in Iran , sending U.S. commandos to spy on the country 's nuclear facilities and undermine the Islamic republic 's government , journalist Seymour Hersh said Sunday . An Iranian flag flies outside the building containing the reactor of Bushehr nuclear power plant , south of Tehran . White House , CIA and State Department officials declined comment on Hersh 's report , which appears in this week 's issue of The New Yorker . Hersh told CNN 's `` Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer '' that Congress has authorized up to $ 400 million to fund the secret campaign , which involves U.S. special operations troops and Iranian dissidents . President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have rejected findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran has halted a clandestine effort to build a nuclear bomb and `` do not want to leave Iran in place with a nuclear program , '' Hersh said . `` They believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of office next year , either Iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program , '' Hersh said . The new article , `` Preparing the Battlefield , '' is the latest in a series of articles accusing the Bush administration of preparing for war with Iran . He based the report on accounts from current and former military , intelligence , and congressional sources . Watch Hersh discuss what he says are the administration 's plans for Iran '' `` As usual with his quarterly pieces , we 'll decline to comment , '' White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told CNN . `` The CIA , as a rule , does not comment on allegations regarding covert operations , '' CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said . Ryan Crocker , the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad , denied U.S. raids were being launched from Iraq , where American commanders believe Iran is stoking sectarian warfare and fomenting attacks on U.S. troops . `` I can tell you flatly that U.S. forces are not operating across the Iraqi border into Iran , in the south or anywhere else , '' Crocker said . Hersh said U.S. efforts were staged from Afghanistan , which also shares a border with Iran . He said the program resulted in `` a dramatic increase in kinetic events and chaos '' inside Iran , including attacks by Kurdish separatists in the country 's north and a May attack on a mosque in Shiraz that killed 13 people . The United States has said it is trying to isolate Iran diplomatically in order to get it to come clean about its nuclear ambitions . But Bush has said `` all options '' are open in dealing with the issue . Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at providing civilian electric power , and refuses to comply with U.N. Security Council demands that it halt uranium enrichment work . U.N. nuclear inspectors say Tehran held back critical information that could determine whether it is trying to make nuclear weapons . Israel , which is believed to have its own nuclear arsenal , conducted a military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean in early June involving dozens of warplanes and aerial tankers . The distance involved in the exercise was roughly the same as would be involved in a possible strike on the Iranian nuclear fuel plant at Natanz , Iran , a U.S. military official said . In 1981 , Israeli warplanes destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor . Iran 's parliament speaker , Ali Larijani , warned other countries against moves that would `` cost them heavily . '' In comments that appeared in the semi-official Mehr news agency Sunday , an Iranian general said his troops were digging more than 320,000 graves to bury troops from any invading force with `` the respect they deserve . '' `` Under the law of war and armed conflict , necessary preparations must be made for the burial of soldiers of aggressor nations , '' said Maj. Gen. Mirfaisal Baqerzadeh , an Iranian officer in charge of identifying soldiers missing in action . Journalist Shirzad Bozorghmehr in Tehran , Iran , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Violence in the United States is not related to illegal Mexican immigrants , but violence in Mexico is connected to vast shipments of weapons from the United States , Mexico 's foreign minister told CNN Thursday . Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa pointed to efforts by Mexico to stop the flow of weapons , the great majority of which come from the United States . `` Since 2006 , '' she said in a wide-ranging interview with CNN 's editorial board in New York City , `` the Mexican government has seized over 85,000 weapons in Mexico . '' She noted that it 's not just `` regular weapons , '' but also machine guns , grenades and other high-power arms . Robert Pastor , a Latin America national security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s , pointed out last year there were at least 6,600 U.S. gun shops within 100 miles of the Mexican border and more than 90 percent of weapons in Mexico come from the United States . In contrast , Espinosa said , there 's no evidence linking high crime rates with illegal immigration , as some U.S. politicians have contended . The two largest Latino populations in the United States are in the New York City and Los Angeles areas , she said , but both locales have seen a `` dramatic drop in the crime rate . '' Government and police statistics show that the crime rate has been decreasing in New York for the past 15 years . Similarly , statistics show that rate for most major crimes in Los Angeles also has fallen in recent years . `` This clearly shows that linking immigration directly with violence is not connected , '' Espinosa said . Others make the case , however , that illegal immigration and high crime are strongly linked . Supporters of SB 107 , the controversial Arizona immigration law , parts of which were struck down in federal court in July , used that argument to pass the bill this year . `` Border violence and crime due to illegal immigration are critically important issues to the people of our state , '' Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said earlier this year . `` There is no higher priority than protecting the citizens of Arizona . We can not sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of the drug cartels . We can not stand idly by as drop houses , kidnappings and violence compromise our quality of life . '' But statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the FBI indicate that both the number of illegal crossers and violent crime have decreased recently . According to the FBI , violent crimes reported in Arizona dropped by nearly 1,500 incidents between 2005 and 2008 . Reported property crimes also fell , from about 287,000 incidents to 279,000 in the same period . These decreases are accentuated by the fact that Arizona 's population grew by 600,000 between 2005 and 2008 . According to the non-partisan Immigration Policy Institute , proponents of the bill `` overlook two salient points : crime rates have already been falling in Arizona for years despite the presence of unauthorized immigrants , and a century 's worth of research has demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native-born . '' Espinosa also addressed comments by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this month comparing Mexico 's drug war to an `` insurgency '' similar to the problem Colombia faced more than 20 years ago . '' -LSB- W -RSB- e face an increasing threat from a well-organized network , -LSB- a -RSB- drug-trafficking threat that is , in some cases , morphing into or making common cause with what we would consider an insurgency , in Mexico and in Central America , '' Clinton said at a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations . `` It 's looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago . '' Mexican officials , from President Felipe Calderon on down , took exception to that characterization . Espinosa reiterated the point Thursday . `` The realities are very different , '' she said . Colombia , she said , was fighting drug-producing and drug-trafficking organizations that also were working with an entrenched Marxist guerrilla movement . `` In Mexico , '' she said , `` the situation is very different . In Mexico , we are dealing with very powerful and strong transnational criminal organizations . '' Espinosa also addressed the issue of drug cartels spreading south to Central American nations , which seems to have become a bigger problem in recent years . `` The world is becoming smaller every day , '' she said , adding that `` transnational organized crime does not recognize any borders . '' And while the problem is not particularly new , she said , `` What has changed is the power of these transnational crime organizations . '' Espinosa said some governments in Central America have gotten weaker or do n't have the technological capabilities to fight crime , and the drug cartels have taken advantage . `` They have found a place to develop their activities , '' she said . CNN 's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Andre Berto claimed the vacant World Boxing Council welterweight title when he halted Miguel Rodriguez in the seventh round in Memphis . Berto took the WBC belt vacated when Floyd Mayweather retired . Berto -LRB- 22-0 , 19 KOs -RRB- picked up the WBC belt that became vacant when Floyd Mayweather retired . Rodriguez 's record dropped to 29-3 with 23 KOs . Berto floored Rodriguez with an uppercut in the seventh round and when Rodriquez went down a second time referee Lawrance Cole intervened at 2:13 . Dane Mikkel Kessler knocked out Dimitri Sartison in the 12th round in Copenhagen , to become World Boxing Association supermiddle champion . Kessler -LRB- 40-1 -RRB- dominated throughout in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Brondby Hall . Sartison , who was born in Kazhakstan but grew up in Germany , suffered his first loss after a 22-0 start in his pro career . Kessler won the WBA title in November 2004 by stopping Manny Siaca of Puerto Rico . He also lifted the the WBC super middleweight crown two years later when he knocked out Markus Beyer of Germany in the third round . But he surrendered both belts when Joe Calzaghe of Wales ended his unbeaten run in Cardiff last November . Britain 's Amir Khan was floored before successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title with a fifth round stoppage of Michael Gomez in Birmingham . Khan , who has won all 18 of his fights since turning professional after winning a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics , knocked Gomez down in the first round but found himself on the canvas in the second in a brief but rugged contest . Khan said : `` This was one of my toughest fights but I learned from my mistakes . I will watch the video and work on them and continue my journey to the world title . '' Khan was on target with a powerful right uppercut in the first round and a combination of punches floored Gomez , who retaliated in the second round . A left hook over the top of a jab put Khan down and he had to take a standing count and looked unsteady on his legs for several seconds afterwards . Gomez landed a damaging hook to the ribs in the fourth but early in the fifth Khan put his opponent down again with a powerful body shot . Gomez began to take a lot of punishment and referee John Keane stopped the contest . Gomez looked disappointed but appeared to be all but out on his feet .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Public schools in Western states can continue teacher-led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance , after a federal court ruled against a group of atheist parents . The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals , based in San Francisco , California , ruled 2-1 Thursday that the pledge does not represent a government endorsement of religion , prohibited by the Constitution . `` The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our republic was founded and for which we continue to strive : one Nation under God , '' wrote the majority . `` Millions of people daily recite these words when pledging allegiance to the United States of America . '' The ruling applies only to the 11 states and territories in the West covered by the 9th Circuit , but it reinforces other rulings from other courts upholding the pledge . The same appeals court also ruled separately Thursday , upholding the use of the words `` In God We Trust '' on U.S. money . The lawsuit was brought by several parents in the Sacramento , California , area who objected to the school policy . Among them is Michael Newdow , a prominent attorney and atheist , who had brought his long-standing dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004 . The justices had dismissed that earlier appeal on purely technical grounds , over questions he lacking standing as a custodial parent to bring the lawsuit on behalf of his school-age daughter . Newdow then recruited other parents into the current case . Newdow said he would appeal Thursday 's decision but acknowledged his dim prospects going forward . `` This was the appeal and this is the end of the road in terms of what you 're guaranteed , '' he said . Newdow said he 'll ask for a rehearing and , if that fails , will appeal to the Supreme Court . `` But they do n't have to take it , '' he said , referring to the nation 's high court , `` and the odds are pretty good that they wo n't . '' A woman identified only as Jan Roe was a key plaintiff , arguing she did not believe in God . She claimed the daily recitation interfered with her right to direct her child 's upbringing and that it indoctrinated her child with the belief that God exists . Children are not required to stand and repeat the pledge , but some parents said the social pressures to conform were an improper infringement of their rights . The plaintiffs now have the option of asking the Supreme Court to hear the case . The appeals court framed the issue as a dispute over whether was a traditional patriotic exercise or a blatant religious message . The same court in 2002 agreed with Newdow and other atheist parents . In dissent to Thursday 's ruling , Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the pledge was an overtly religious message . `` Carrying out such an indoctrination in a public school classroom unconstitutionally forces many young children either to profess a religious belief antithetical to their personal views or to declare themselves through their silence or nonparticipation to be protesting nonbelievers , thereby subjecting themselves to hostility and ridicule , '' he wrote . The Supreme Court previously has ruled the mere mention of God or religion by the government in a public setting does not necessarily mean a violation of the `` Establishment Clause '' of the Constitution , which ensures the separation of church and state . Examples that have met high court scrutiny include Ten Commandments or Chanukah menorah displays in a public park ; opening a legislative session with a prayer ; granting tax breaks for religious organizations ; and reimbursing transportation costs for parents whose end their children to parochial schools . The pledge was written in 1892 by Baptist minister and educator Francis Bellamy , who made no reference to religion in his version . It was originally worded : `` I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands , one nation , indivisible , with liberty and justice for all . '' It quickly became a part of public school programs . In 1954 , Congress added the words `` under God , '' at the urging of the Knights of Columbus and other groups . Another modification was to change `` my flag '' to `` the flag of the United States of America . '' `` This decision is a victory for common sense , '' Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson of the Knights of Columbus said in a news release . `` Today , the court got it absolutely right : Recitation of the pledge is a patriotic exercise , not a religious prayer . ... Every reasonable person knows that , and today 's decision is a breath of fresh air from a court system that has too often seemed to be almost allergic to public references to God . '' The case is Newdow v. Rio Linda Union School District -LRB- 05-17257 -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A controversial bill that California legislators say would allow the early release of more than 27,000 inmates from crowded prisons will be taken up by the state Assembly on Monday . Inmates at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione , California , interact in a gym modified to house them in August 2007 . The Senate on Thursday passed the corrections package 21-19 , after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg , D-Sacramento , assured senators the changes would protect the public from the most violent offenders . The legislation also would direct more resources toward parolees , he said . Senate Republicans say the bill would undermine public safety . All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the measure . Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats . Consideration of the bill comes as California faces a mid-September deadline for reducing its prison population by about 40,000 inmates . A special panel of three federal judges issued the order , contending the crowded prison system violates prisoners ' constitutional rights . The judges said they will make the reductions themselves if the state fails to act . The measure would save the financially strapped state $ 524.5 million , according to a statement from Steinberg 's office . When coupled with budget revisions that lawmakers made in July , the total corrections savings would be $ 1.2 billion , he said . That is the amount that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants as part of his efforts to cut state spending and balance the budget . Republicans said the bill would lead to the release of about 27,000 prisoners , while Democrats estimated it would reduce the prison population by 27,300 in the 2009-10 fiscal year and 37,000 during fiscal year 2010-11 . `` It is undeniable that the real failure of our criminal justice system is that it fails to distinguish between violent offenders and nonviolent offenders , '' Steinberg said . `` Of course , we want to keep violent criminals off our streets and out of our communities , and this reform package is a necessary step to do that because it concentrates our incarceration efforts on the violent criminals and ensures that nonviolent offenders have more contact with parole officers , '' he said . Some nonviolent offenders could serve shorter sentences . According to Steinberg , each parole officer in California is responsible for about 70 parolees , many of whom recommit crimes and go back to jail . If the legislation is passed , the ratio would be reduced to 45 to 1 , he said . `` They -LSB- parole officers -RSB- can not adequately supervise those who are the most at risk and those who are the most risk to the public safety , '' Steinberg said . With a lesser workload , the officers also can make more home visits and arrange more meetings with the people they supervise , the lawmaker said . Senate Republicans called the legislation a threat to public safety . `` Among the inmates who could be eligible for early release under the Democrat plan include felons convicted of human trafficking , stalking , identity theft , violent child abuse and threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction , '' the Republican Caucus said in a written statement . `` Unfortunately , this proposal exploits a fiscal crisis in order to advance a dangerous liberal agenda that seeks to undo successful anti-crime laws , '' said Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta . GOP lawmakers in the Senate also strongly opposed the creation of what they described as `` an unelected and unaccountable sentencing commission that would be given broad authority to alter important public safety laws . '' The legislation would establish a 16-member Sentencing Commission that would put in place new sentencing guidelines by July 1 , 2012 . Unless vetoed by the legislature and governor , the guidelines would become effective January 1 , 2013 . The 13 voting members of the commission would include the chief justice of the California Supreme Court , a judge appointed by the chief justice , the state public defender and the secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation . A crime victim would be among the three ex-officio members . California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass , D-Los Angeles , issued a statement early Friday morning , explaining that the assembly recessed around midnight and will reconvene Monday . On Thursday and into Friday morning , she said in the statement , `` we have been taking into account many of the concerns raised by law enforcement , and are working toward a bill that the people of California can agree makes sense , '' and that process will continue through the weekend . `` Our target remains a responsible approach that will achieve our public safety and budgetary goals , and allow us to prevent the wholesale release of prisoners by federal judges . '' `` Relieving prison overcrowding and reducing recidivism are monumental challenges , but they are challenges that we will not retreat from , '' Schwarzenegger told an audience of prosecutors in June . California has a 70 percent recidivism rate .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two tainted lots of a generic version of a drug reportedly taken by Michael Jackson have been recalled by the drug maker . However , no link has been established between the drug -- a powerful sedative and anesthetic called propofol -- and the singer 's death . `` I have no way of knowing anything related to this specific product -- if it might have played a role or not played a role , '' said Dr. Arjun Srinivasan , the chief investigator on the recall for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The agency is not involved in the investigation into Jackson 's death , he said . The CDC issued a health advisory Monday , saying two lots of a generic version of the drug had tested positive for endotoxin , a contaminant . The drug maker , Teva Pharmaceuticals , voluntarily recalled the lots . Srinivasan said the agency received 40 reports of patients around the country developing high fevers and muscle aches after being injected with the drug . `` All of the cases had high fevers , some muscle aches , headaches , but no issues with heart problems that we were told of , '' he said . Jackson died June 25 of cardiac arrest . The exact cause of death is pending toxicology results . All of the people who had taken propofol recovered ; only one was hospitalized and that patient was quickly discharged , he said . But , he added , `` at high doses , endotoxin can absolutely cause lowered blood pressure and much more serious reactions . '' `` It can cause decreases in blood pressure , which could precipitate problems with your heart . '' The manufacturer , Teva Pharmaceuticals , is working with the Food and Drug Administration to determine how the contamination occurred and is voluntarily recalling the affected lots , he said . A spokeswoman for Teva said about 57,000 vials were included in the recall of the drug , and said the company had been contacted by the Drug Enforcement Administration . `` I can say the DEA did contact us about a specific lot number , and that lot number is not from the two we are recalling , '' said spokeswoman Denise Bradley . She would not say whether the contact was related to the Jackson investigation . A DEA spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment . The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times , citing unidentified sources , have reported that police found the drug Diprivan , a brand-name version of propofol , among Jackson 's medicines . A source involved with the probe into Jackson 's death told CNN that investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in his $ 100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills , California . ProPublica , an online news organization , first reported a possible link between Jackson 's death and the drug recall on Tuesday . But an FDA spokeswoman denied there could have been a link . `` This is fever , chills , '' said Karen Riley . `` Does that sound like heart failure ? '' She said at least three companies make the generic version of the drug and only one of them -- AstraZeneca -- makes Diprivan , the brand-name version . `` We do n't know what was at Michael Jackson 's house , but I 'm guessing it was Diprivan because that 's what the reporting has been , '' Riley said . `` This -LSB- the propofol recall -RSB- was endotoxin in the drug . It would not cause heart failure . ... It 's unrelated . '' Authorities have said the cause of Jackson 's heart failure will not be determined officially until toxicology tests are complete .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fans wishing to attend singer Michael Jackson 's memorial service next week will have to register for the 11,000 free tickets , organizers said Thursday . Michael Jackson is shown rehearsing at the Staples Center on June 23 , two days before his death . Details on how to register for the 10 a.m. -LRB- 1 p.m. ET -RRB- service at the 20,000-seat Staples Center in Los Angeles , California , Tuesday are to be announced Friday . Jackson 's family will hold a private ceremony before the public memorial service , his brother said Thursday . Speaking to CNN 's Larry King , Jermaine Jackson said the ceremony will be held Tuesday morning , but he did not say where . Jackson rehearsed at Staples Center two nights before he died , and he appeared healthy in a video clip of the rehearsal obtained by CNN . Jackson died June 25 after collapsing at his rented home in Los Angeles . AEG , promoter of Jackson 's planned London , England , shows , released the short video of Jackson rehearsing in the arena on June 23 . Jackson sang `` They Do n't Care About Us , '' a song from his `` HIStory '' album , as he danced along with eight male dancers . Watch Jackson rehearse '' Jackson did not specify where he wished to be buried in a 2002 will , which was filed in court Wednesday . Watch CNN 's Anderson Cooper talk about his interview with AEG '' More information emerged Thursday about how Jackson 's estate will be shared , which his will estimated in 2002 as being worth $ 500 million . The family trust created by Jackson to receive all of his assets includes his mother , his children and a list of charities , according to a person with direct knowledge of the contents of the trust . Mother Katherine Jackson 's 40 percent share would go to Michael Jackson 's three children after her death , the source said . The children -- ages 7 , 11 and 12 -- also will share 40 percent of the estate 's assets , and the remaining 20 percent will benefit charities designated by the executors of the will , the source said . A judge has delayed for a week , until July 13 , a hearing to decide whether Katherine Jackson will remain the temporary guardian of Jackson 's children . At a brief talk with reporters Thursday , an attorney for Jackson 's ex-wife Debbie Rowe said she `` has not reached a final decision '' on whether she will challenge Jackson 's mother for custody of Jackson 's two oldest children , according to her lawyer . A Los Angeles TV station quoted Rowe on Thursday morning saying , `` I want my children . '' Except for the statement to the radio station , she has not publicly indicated whether she would seek custody now that Jackson is dead . Rowe was left out of the will . `` I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife , Deborah Rowe Jackson , '' the will said . The will nominated Katherine Jackson , now 79 , as the guardian of his children . If Katherine Jackson were to die , `` I nominate Diana Ross as guardian , '' Jackson said in the will , written July 7 , 2002 . Singer Ross , 65 , was a lifelong friend of Jackson 's . Watch how the two had a close relationship '' There 's also a question on when the will 's executors should take over control of the late entertainer 's assets , which Judge Mitchell Beckloff temporarily placed under Katherine Jackson 's control . One man named as executor is John Branca , who represented Jackson from 1980 until 2006 and was hired again before the singer 's death . He helped acquire Jackson 's music catalog , which is worth millions . The other is music industry executive John McClain , a longtime Jackson friend who has worked with him and his sister Janet . DEA reportedly joins investigation The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into Jackson 's death , a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night . And the California State Attorney General 's office said Thursday that it is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in its investigation . The attorney general 's office said it will assist police in sifting through information in a state database that monitors controlled medication . Two law enforcement officials separately confirmed the DEA inquiry , saying agents would look at doctors involved with Jackson , their practices and their possible sources of medicine supply . Neither official wanted to be identified because they could not comment publicly on the matter . Officially , a DEA spokeswoman referred questions to the Los Angeles Police Department , which would not confirm the involvement . `` We routinely offer assistance to any agency regarding the Federal Controlled Substance Act , '' said Sarah Pullen of the DEA . `` However , at this time , we have nothing further to comment about the death of Michael Jackson . '' Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died June 25 at his rented estate in Holmby Hills . The cause of his death , at age 50 , was pending toxicology results . On Wednesday , police released a car belonging to Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray . They had impounded the vehicle Friday , saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Murray 's attorneys issued a statement , asking the public to reserve judgment about the cause of death until the coroner 's tests are complete . `` Based on our agreement with Los Angeles investigators , we are waiting on real information to come from viable sources like the Los Angeles medical examiner 's office about the death of Michael Jackson , '' the statement said . `` We will not be responding to rumors and innuendo . '' No public showing planned for Neverland Logistical and financial challenges derailed earlier plans for a public viewing and private memorial at Neverland Ranch . Planning had been under way for a motorcade to carry Jackson 's body from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara County ranch , which state and local officials suggested would be difficult and costly . Law enforcement sources had said a public viewing at the ranch was under consideration for Friday , but a spokesman for the family said that it would not happen . `` Plans are under way regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson , and we will announce those plans shortly , '' said Ken Sunshine , whose public relations firm had been hired by the Jackson family . Despite the announcement , more than two dozen TV satellite trucks lined the narrow two-lane road leading to the ranch . For a time , the California Highway Patrol closed the road to clear up a small bottleneck of cars created by Jackson fans and the media . CNN 's Drew Griffin , Kathleen Johnston , Michael Carey , Paul Vercammen , Carol Cratty and Kara Finnstrom contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"CAIRO , Egypt -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Egyptian real estate mogul and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Saturday to the murder of a rising Lebanese pop singer who was found slain in her United Arab Emirates apartment . Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim was found slain in her apartment in Dubai in July . Prosecutors allege that Hisham Talaat Moustafa , a Parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party , paid Muhsen el Sukkari $ 2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim . Both have denied the charges . Tamim , 30 , was found in her Dubai apartment in July with her throat slit . Moustafa 's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer , but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected . Polygamy is legal in Egypt , and it not unusual for men -- such as Moustafa , a married father of three -- to take on additional wives . The prosecutors say the murder was a `` means of taking revenge '' but have not elaborated . Watch report on murder trial '' `` It did not happen and I have presented all the evidence that I am not guilty , '' Moustafa said in the courtroom Saturday , according to Reuters . `` It did not happen , '' Sukkari said , according to Reuters . `` By Almighty God , my blood is innocent of her . '' Although Tamim was killed in the United Arab Emirates , the Egyptian judiciary is trying the case in Cairo because Egyptian law does not allow its citizens to be extradited for trials in other countries . The defendants appeared Saturday in cages -- as is typical in Egypt -- before three judges in a crowded downtown courtroom . Heavy security surrounded the building , amid a crush of reporters and onlookers . The case , with its high-profile victim and defendant , has captivated Egypt and the region . After his arrest in September , Egyptian authorities indicted Moustafa , stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and jailed him pending trial . He also resigned as chairman of Talaat Moustafa Group -- a conglomerate with construction and real estate arms that was founded by his father , Talaat Moustafa . Moustafa 's brother , Tarek Talaat Moustafa , now chairs the company . The case will resume on November 15 . The defendants will remain jailed until then .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three men charged with sexually exploiting Cambodian children are being brought back to the United States to face prosecution , the Justice Department announced Monday . The men are among the first charged under an international law enforcement initiative specifically targeting Americans traveling to Cambodia for the purpose of sexually abusing children . The initiative , Operation Twisted Traveler , is an effort by the Justice Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on sex tourism . `` The men charged in this investigation apparently thought they could pursue their abhorrent desires by leaving the United States to prey on children in another country , but they were sadly mistaken , '' U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said in a statement . `` We are now working closer than ever with officials in other nations and concerned private parties to take every effort we can to identify and prosecute sex tourists , as well as to provide every protection we can to the world 's children . '' Ronald Boyajian , 49 , Erik Peeters , 41 , and Jack Sporich , 75 , are each charged with international travel and engaging in sexual contact with minors , a charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 30 years , according to the Justice Department . They are slated to make their first appearances in federal court on Tuesday , the Justice Department indicated in a news release . The defendants are charged with international travel and engaging in sexual contact with minors , a charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 30 years for each of their alleged victims , according to the department . They are charged under the federal Protect Act , enacted six years ago to strengthen federal laws relating to predatory crimes against children outside U.S. borders , the department added . The three defendants were apprehended , according to Immigration and Customs officials , as a result of information provided by the human rights organization International Justice Mission and the group Action Pour les Enfants , which combats child exploitation . All three men have been previously convicted of sex offenses in the United States , the Justice Department noted in its statement . `` These types of cases are disturbing not only because young , defenseless children were victimized in unspeakable ways but also because the defendants went to such lengths to engage in their dark activities overseas , '' O'Brien said at a news conference . He highlighted the case against Peeters , who was convicted on child molestation charges in 1990 . `` Our case against Mr. Peeters outlines evidence of him allegedly molesting Cambodian boys , paying them small amounts of money -- $ 5 to $ 10 -- and possibly taking digital pictures of his young victims while they were naked , '' O'Brien noted . He said Peeters molested at least three boys in Cambodia over the course of several months . One of the boys was 12 years old when the abuse is said to have started . Boyajian is said to have `` engaged in sexual activity with a 10-year-old Vietnamese girl in an area outside Phnom Penh frequented by child sex tourists known as ` Kilo 11 , ' '' the Justice Department statement said . Sporich , according to Action Pour les Enfants investigators cited in the government 's criminal complaint , repeatedly hosted three Cambodian boys at a residence outside the city of Siem Reap . The complaint states that Sporich `` was known to drive his motor bike through the neighborhoods while dropping Cambodian -LRB- money -RRB- on the street in order to meet kids . '' The new charges `` clearly demonstrate to the Cambodian people that the United States will not tolerate this type of abuse , '' said Carol Rodley , the American ambassador to Cambodia . `` These cases not only signal to the Cambodian victims our commitment to justice , but they will also act as a powerful deterrent for those individuals who are contemplating traveling to Cambodia to engage in illegal sexual activity with minors . '' The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 12.3 million adults and children are victims of forced labor , bonded labor and sex slavery each year . Cambodia is one of several countries recently added to a U.S. `` watch list '' because of what a State Department report calls a worsening human trafficking record in that country .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan 's foreign ministry Wednesday rejected concerns raised by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief that the country 's nuclear weapons `` could fall into the hands of an extremist group in Pakistan or in Afghanistan . '' Mohamed ElBaradei , the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief . fears for Pakistan 's nuclear weapons . Mohamed ElBaradei 's comments to Al-Hayat newspaper were `` irresponsible '' and `` unwarranted , '' foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said at a news briefing on Wednesday . `` Pakistan rejects the statement by Dr. ElBaradei , Director General IAEA -LRB- International Atomic Energy Agency -RRB- , hinting at the possibility of its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists , '' according to a ministry statement . `` As head of the IAEA , which is a U.N. body , he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate . `` His remarks also ignore the fact that the strategic assets of Pakistan are fully secure and under multilayered safeguards and controls exercised by the National Command Authority . '' In an interview published in Al-Hayat Tuesday , ElBaradei said that Pakistan 's recent political instability makes it more sensitive to susceptible to problems in other Muslim countries . `` The effects of any new war in the Middle East and the Islamic world could have repercussions , not only in Iran , but what I fear most is the effect in Pakistan , a nation with many internal problems , '' ElBaradei said . `` I fear a system of chaos or extremist regime in this state , which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons . '' Pakistan has been in a state of political upheaval since the country 's opposition challenged President Pervez Musharraf 's tight grip on power , pushing him to step down as military chief and lift the emergency rule he had imposed in early November . The country further spiraled into chaos after the December 27 assassination of leading opposition figure and former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto . In response to the IAEA director-general 's comments , Pakistan 's foreign ministry stressed in its statement that ElBaradei , `` on several occasions , has been briefed about the structure and control mechanisms put in place to ensure complete safety of our nuclear assets . '' `` Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state . Our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state . We , therefore , believe statements expressing concern about their safety and security are unwarranted and irresponsible . `` Pakistan attaches great importance to IAEA and has extended cooperation and assistance to the Agency on many important issues towards the fulfillment of its mandate . Our civilian nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards and we have always fully complied with IAEA obligations , '' the ministry said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal agents have determined New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a high-priced call-girl ring at least eight times in recent months , and agents had him under surveillance twice this year , sources familiar with the investigation said Wednesday . Sources say New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a call-girl service eight times in recent months . Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday , two days after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP became public . He has not been charged with a crime . He told reporters Wednesday , `` I can not allow my private failings to disrupt the people 's work . '' The resignation will take effect Monday . Watch Spitzer say he will resign '' The sources said the investigation began when New York 's North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer 's bank accounts . That investigation led agents to the alleged organizers of the prostitution ring , four of whom were charged in a criminal complaint last week , the sources said . A grand jury in New York is likely to hear evidence in the case soon , said Kathleen Mullin , an attorney who said she represents one of the ring 's employees . Mullin would not identify her client , but said she was not the woman identified only as `` Kristen '' linked to Spitzer in court papers . She said her client and other women who worked for the Emperors Club have been asked to testify before the grand jury . Asked if her client had any encounters with Spitzer , Mullin said , `` We have no information regarding the governor . '' Wiretaps on suspected members of the ring , authorized in January , yielded more than 5,000 telephone calls and text messages and another 6,000-plus e-mails , according to court papers . In those intercepts , the organizers told clients how to arrange and pay for their trysts , a federal agent 's affidavit states . The affidavit identified clients by number , with Spitzer designated `` Client 9 , '' a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN this week . Sources familiar with the investigation said federal authorities Wednesday were trying to clamp down on leaks of the investigation 's details . See a timeline of the investigation '' The affidavit states `` Client 9 '' paid $ 4,300 for 2 1\/2 hours with a call girl he arranged to meet at Washington 's Mayflower Hotel , with some of that a deposit on a future session . Court papers state he also paid for train tickets , cab fare , mini-bar and room service charges for Kristen -- a 5-foot-5 , 105-pound brunette he arranged to meet the night of February 13 . Kristen is a 22-year-old would-be singer from New Jersey , The New York Times reported Wednesday . The newspaper said Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- was identified in court documents as Kristen . Dupre has not been charged with a crime . She made a brief appearance Monday in U.S. Magistrate Court as a witness against four people charged with operating the Emperor 's Club , the Times said . In an entry on her MySpace page , Dupre says she left `` a broken family '' and `` abuse '' in 2004 , eventually settling in Manhattan `` to pursue my music career . '' `` I am all about my music , and my music is all about me , '' she writes on her MySpace page . `` It flows from what I 've been through , what I 've seen and how I feel . '' Dupre 's mother , Carolyn Capalbo , told the Times she and her daughter were close , adding that `` she obviously got involved in something much larger than her . '' Spitzer , whose squeaky-clean image as a corporate corruption-buster made him a rising Democratic star , testified to the House Financial Services Committee the next day about the effect of the mortgage meltdown . He took a state plane from Buffalo , New York , to Washington and back to New York , his office confirmed Tuesday . Sources told CNN that FBI agents had Spitzer under surveillance at the Mayflower that night -- and on an earlier occasion , on January 26 , when no prostitute showed up . His resignation is unlikely to affect decisions about whether he will face prosecution , the sources said . His attorneys were negotiating Wednesday with the U.S. attorney 's office in New York in an effort to avoid criminal charges , a source told CNN . But in a statement issued after the governor 's resignation , U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said no agreement had been reached between his office and the governor `` relating to his resignation or any other matter . '' The resignation could be a factor in the U.S. presidential race . Spitzer was a superdelegate , one of nearly 800 party leaders and officials who cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention . They are free to vote for any candidate they wish . Spitzer was a political ally of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton , who is currently in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic nomination . A candidate must get 2,024 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination . With the race so close , superdelegates could play a larger role in determining the Democratic presidential candidate than in past elections . According to two sources who spoke Tuesday with CNN , Spitzer hit the federal radar when a bank reported to the Internal Revenue Service that a significant amount of money had been suspiciously transferred from one account to another . Late last year , upon investigating the movement of money that the bank initially reported , the IRS found that the accounts were connected to Spitzer , the sources said . The IRS contacted the FBI , which joined the case to investigate the possibility of government corruption . Federal law requires a banking institution to file a suspicious activity report when the institution suspects a transaction is linked to a federal crime . More specifically , banks are required to report to the IRS any transactions totaling $ 5,000 or more if the transactions `` involve potential money laundering or a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act . '' The act requires businesses to keep documents that are useful for identifying and investigating money laundering . After receiving the IRS report last year , the FBI Corruption Squad linked the account transfers to a prostitution ring , according to sources . The FBI criminal division joined the probe to look into the prostitution ring , while the federal corruption team continued its investigation into Spitzer . Legal experts not involved in the case have said Spitzer could face some type of money-laundering charge , such as structuring a financial transaction to evade federal bank reporting requirements by breaking up a large transaction into smaller ones . Sources tell CNN that prosecutors have considered pursuing a structuring charge , but have run into some difficulty . And Richard Smith , a former Justice Department official , said structuring charges are `` fairly difficult to prove . '' `` You are going to have to prove that he withdrew sums of money with the intent to evade the reporting requirements , to conceal the fact that he is withdrawing the money , '' said Smith , the former deputy chief of the Justice Department 's fraud section . `` Because if the money was withdrawn , it appears if his lawyers are correct , in a manner that he did n't conceal anything , it begs the question whether or not they can prove the reckless intent that he withdrew this money in small sums to avoid the reporting requirement . '' Spitzer also could face charges related to the Mann Act , which makes it a federal offense to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution . But sources tell CNN that the government is less interested in pursuing charges for prostitution than on following the money . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Germany striker Miroslav Klose struck just four minutes from time to give Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich a 1-0 win at Karlsruhe -- their first victory in four league games . Klose scored a vital goal for Bayern as they claimed a 1-0 Bundesliga victory at Karlsruhe . Klose converted Massimo Oddo 's cross on 86 minutes to give Jurgen Klinsmann 's side three league points for the first time this month despite another unimpressive performance . Bayern last picked up three points in a Bundesliga game on September 13 when they hammered Cologne 3-0 . Since then the gloss on Jurgen Klinsmann 's first season in charge has faded badly after Werder Bremen hammered his side 5-2 at home on September 20 and then slumped to a 1-0 defeat at minnows Hanover the following week . Cries of `` Klinsmann out ! '' were first heard around Munich 's Allianz Arena in their previous league game on October 4 when a poor Bochum side were allowed to score two goals in the last 10 minutes to poach a 3-3 draw . Despite their first-half domination in Karlsruhe , Bayern could not break down the home defense and lost striker Luca Toni , the league 's top scorer last season , who limped off after 40 minutes to be replaced by Lukas Podolski . And another of Munich top attacking options from last season was substituted on 59 minutes when Klinsmann switched France midfielder Franck Ribery for Germany 's Tim Borowski . With Karlsruhe unable to create any chances and Bayern unable to convert theirs , it looked like the game was heading towards a 0-0 draw until Klose struck . But Klinsmann 's side will need to do much better against Fiorentina in Tuesday night 's Champions League game in Munich . Promoted Hoffenheim went top of the table with a flurry of late goals to seal a 5-2 victory at 10-man Hanover which put them level with Hamburg but leading the table on goal difference . Two goals from Hoffenheim 's Vedad Ibisevic led the charge and made the Bosnian and Herzegovina striker the league 's top scorer with nine so far this season . However , Hamburg have the chance to recapture top spot when they host Schalke on Sunday . Also on Saturday , Bayer Leverkusen moved up one place to third place thanks to their 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt . Striker Patrick Helmes scored his eighth league goal of the season when he converted a penalty after just six minutes and a 61st minute header from Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal sealed the win . Stuttgart drop from third to sixth in the table after losing 2-1 at Hertha Berlin while Wolfsburg picked up their first league win for nearly a month as midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic netted first-half goals in a 4-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld to put Felix Magath 's side fifth in the table . Ten-man Energie Cottbus lost 1-0 at Cologne to stay in the bottom three while Dortmund scored in injury time to seal a 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Tyra Smith 's boyfriend , Chris Lewis , first suggested they be guinea pigs in a H1N1 vaccination study in August , she was n't so crazy about the idea . But then she warmed to it : While she does n't like needles , she thought she 'd help out because she knew H1N1 was a serious virus . To cut your risk of catching a bug , doctors say wash your hands and avoid touching your mouth , nose and eyes . `` I heard people might die from it , '' Smith said . `` So I think it 's a good idea to help people , by being involved . '' Lewis and Smith , both from Baltimore , Maryland , were among the first Americans to receive H1N1 flu shots . As part of a trial of 2,400 people , they gave blood samples and kept diaries of their symptoms , all in an effort to get an H1N1 vaccine ready for the fall . Now that the results from this and other trials are in , Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the FDA has approved applications from four manufacturers to make H1N1 flu vaccine , which should be ready for high-risk patients by October 15 . She said there will be enough vaccine available for everyone eventually . And that 's just in time . With fall in the air and old man winter right around the corner , seasonal flu and the common cold are sure to follow -- and H1N1 is here ; in its most recent H1N1 update , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 21 states are reporting widespread flu activity . This cold and flu season could star a cornucopia of viruses . Doctors say they worry the two flu strains -LRB- H1N1 and seasonal -RRB- could combine , further complicating the situation . Mix in colds , which are prevalent this time of year , and the immune system of Americans could be dealt a one-two punch . So , how can someone tell if those sniffles they 're having is something to be concerned about ? Infectious disease experts say people need to be aware of the symptoms . Dr. Shmuel Shoham , an infectious-disease specialist at Washington Hospital Center , says the common cold , seasonal flu and H1N1 are all respiratory illnesses , but they 're caused by different viruses . Symptoms of the cold are more common , and can make the patient miserable for three to five days . A patient usually has a stuffy nose , congestion , some body aches and a growing cough . According to the CDC seasonal flu and H1N1 symptoms consist of fever , more painful body aches , dry cough , diarrhea and severe fatigue . It 's hard , without testing , to tell apart the seasonal strain of flu from the H1N1 variety . Watch more on cold , flu and H1N1 symptoms '' `` People need to take notice when they begin to feel bad . If they start to have respiratory problems , or are dehydrated because of a bug , they should go to the doctor . It could be H1N1 or seasonal influenza , '' says Shoham . `` Some people with influenza can get very sick and could end up in the hospital if it 's not taken care of . '' People at greatest risk for catching H1N1 include young people ages 6 months to 25 years , pregnant women , and people with chronic health conditions like asthma , diabetes or heart and lung disease . The CDC recommends that these groups -- as well as health care workers -- get vaccinated first . The seasonal influenza vaccination is especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications , according to the CDC , including children ages 6 months to 18 years , people with immune system problems , women who plan on being pregnant during the flu season , those 50 years and older and health care workers . But if someone does n't fall into these categories , it does n't mean he or she should skip vaccinations altogether . Experts say everyone should get both flu shots . `` It 's the best way to protect yourself , '' Shoham says . Other than flu shots , are there other ways to stay healthy and avoid all of these bugs ? Doctors say wash your hands and keep your fingers away from your mouth , nose and eyes . If you sneeze , sneeze into your elbow so as not to transfer your germs to your hands -- and everything else around you . As for the myth about avoiding cold drafts -- forget it . `` It does n't seem to play out that sleeping with the window open , going out with your hair wet in the cold affects your immune system , '' Shoham says . Also , keep your immune system healthy . That translates to eating well , getting enough sleep and staying active . If you become ill and experience severe symptoms , see your doctor . Your physician may recommend antiviral drugs that can treat the flu . Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines -LRB- pills , liquid or an inhaled powder -RRB- that fight the flu by keeping the virus from reproducing in your body . Above all , stay away from others . If you have the flu , the CDC recommends you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone . It 's the best way to keep others from getting infected .","question":""}
{"answer":"PHOENIX , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Basketball great Charles Barkley began serving a three-day sentence in Arizona 's infamous Tent City on Saturday , jailed by the same sheriff whose autobiography he endorsed 12 years ago . Charles Barkley bristled at the implication he should be wearing stripes instead of a red-and-bue sweatsuit . `` You come here when you screw up , '' Barkley said at a news conference hours after he reported at the Maricopa County jail . `` I do n't blame anybody for this situation but myself . '' Barkley , 45 , pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges stemming from a New Year 's Eve arrest after he left a Scottsdale , Arizona , nightclub . A judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail , but his sentence was reduced in exchange for Barkley 's attending an alcohol-awareness course . At the news conference , Barkley sat next to Sheriff Joe Arpaio , the self-proclaimed `` Toughest Sheriff in America . '' Arpaio is known for giving inmates old-fashioned , black-and-white-striped uniforms , making some of them live in tents and reinstituting chain gangs , even for women . `` I 'm an equal incarcerator , '' Arpaio said of Barkley , who will be sleeping in one of the tents . `` We do n't discriminate . '' He said Barkley has been `` a gentleman , cordial . '' `` He 's taking his medicine , '' Arpaio said . `` I hope that something comes out of this . '' In a free-wheeling news conference , Barkley spoke out against drunken driving , made some observations about President Obama -LRB- `` Rush Limbaugh and a lot of jackasses are giving him a hard time right now '' -RRB- and commented on felony charges singer Chris Brown faces for allegedly beating his girlfriend , singer Rhianna . Watch Barkley speak at news conference '' `` I wish both of them the best , but it 's never acceptable to hit a woman . Period , '' Barkley said . Barkley wore a red-and-blue sweatsuit , not the black-and-white stripes that other inmates -- who watched the news conference through a chain-link fence -- were wearing . Barkley said it 's because he 's on the jail 's work-release program , and bristled at questions about it . `` None of the work-release people do that , '' he said . `` But if y' all really , really want to put me as low as I can go , I can do that and make you feel better . `` I know when -LSB- someone is -RSB- famous , you like to see people humiliated . '' Arpaio , who joked with Barkley over the pink underwear he routinely issues inmates , held up a copy of his 1996 book , `` America 's Toughest Sheriff . '' On its back cover , alongside endorsements by Limbaugh , Arizona Sen. John McCain and others , is one from Barkley . `` This man , Sheriff Joe Arpaio , is a role model for all Americans , '' Barkley wrote in the blurb . Barkley is a basketball commentator for TNT , which like CNN is a Time Warner company . A star for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns , Barkley was named the NBA 's Most Valuable Player in 1993 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2006 .","question":""}
{"answer":"SAN BERNARDINO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three-year-old Briant Rodriguez remained in a hospital bed fatigued and malnourished Monday , 15 days after being kidnapped at gunpoint and then dumped on the streets of Mexico . Liberato Vega , 30 , left , and Israel Moreno , 28 , are suspects in the kidnapping of 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez . Police do n't know much about what happened to the boy , who was taken after gunmen tied his family and ransacked his California home on May 3 . They do n't know why the gunmen broke into the home , why they kidnapped the bubbly 3-year-old or how he ended up wandering the streets of Mexicali with a shaved head , rather than the long hair he had sported before the kidnapping . But police believe they do know who is responsible . In a news conference on Monday , the San Bernardino Sheriff 's Department and FBI identified the two suspect gunmen as Liberato Vega , 30 , and Israel Moreno , 28 . The two men , who authorities said were illegal immigrants with criminal records , are believed to have burst into the San Bernardino home , ransacked the house , tied up 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez 's family and snatched the child two weeks ago . The boy was returned to his family Saturday in the border town of Calexico . `` It was a very emotional and unforgettable experience , '' said San Bernardino County Sheriff 's Sgt. Doug Hubbard , who was with the boy 's mother when he was returned . `` Enough said there -- before I get emotional . '' Officials said the boy was still in the hospital Monday and was being treated for malnourishment and fatigue . `` We 're very happy that he 's alive , '' San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops said this weekend . `` A 3-year-old goes missing in this country for two weeks -- sometimes it has an unhappy ending . `` This one did not . '' Now , police are trying to piece together exactly what may have happened during the 13 days the boy was missing . Detectives from the San Bernardino Sheriff 's Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations agents were able to identify the alleged kidnappers based on unspecified physical evidence at the San Bernardino home and interviews with the boy 's family and neighbors . Hubbard said the family has adamantly denied knowing who may be responsible for the kidnapping or having any association with those responsible . FBI Supervisory Special Agent Don Roberts said it was , however , `` likely that this family was the target '' of the kidnappers . `` But why , we do n't know , '' Roberts said , adding that the kidnappers had clearly planned the crime . Officials said they believe Vega and Moreno are the two men they captured on video at a home-improvement store near the Rodriguez home before the crime buying tape like the kind that was used to bind the family . Hubbard said there are no-bail warrants issued for both men for home invasion robbery and kidnapping and Roberts said the FBI also obtained federal warrants for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for both men . `` We will leave no stone unturned until these two are returned to San Bernardino to face justice , '' Roberts said . `` We will not take a break until that day happens . '' Authorities are hunting for both men , who have criminal records , in Mexico where they were both born . Roberts said both men have previously been deported from the United States , where they were living illegally . Their previous residences are empty , police said . Vega , who police said they considered to be the primary suspect , has had seven encounters with authorities in San Bernardino , according to court records , including four convictions in 2005 for a variety of charges , including driving under the influence . He also has a dismissed burglary case and two open cases against him for driving under the influence , providing false information to police and driving without a license . Police described Vega as a Hispanic male , 5 feet 9 inches weighing 130 pounds . Moreno was convicted in 2008 for driving under the influence and has another similar case open against him . Police described Moreno as a Hispanic male , 5 feet 6 inches weighing 150 pounds . Police have said they are also looking for 21-year-old Claudia Acosta , Vega 's girlfriend , who may be traveling with him . They are n't sure how she 's related to the kidnapping .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Forty years ago this week , three men in a tiny spacecraft slipped their earthly bonds and traveled where no one else had before , circling the moon 10 times and bringing back an iconic image of a blue-and-white Earth in the distance , solitary but bound as one against the black vastness beyond . Host Nick Clooney -LRB- left -RRB- and astronauts Frank Borman , Jim Lovell and William Anders answer questions in October . The voyage of Apollo 8 from December 21-27 , 1968 , marked humans ' first venture to another heavenly body . `` We were flying to the moon for the first time , '' said Jim Lovell , one of the three astronauts aboard the historic flight . `` Seeing the far side of the moon for the first time . Coming around and seeing the Earth as it really is -- a small fragile planet with a rather normal star , our sun . '' But beyond the monumental aspects of such a scientific achievement , the feat was a major psychological and emotional boost for many Americans at the end of a particularly bad year in U.S. history . The Tet offensive in January 1968 had left many Americans shocked and doubting that victory in Vietnam was possible . In April , the Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated , and streets throughout the nation erupted in fire and fury . Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down two months later . That summer , the nation watched in horror as police and anti-war protesters battled in the streets of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention . The launch of Apollo 7 in October was a major victory for NASA , putting the space program back on track after a 22-month interruption because of a launch pad fire that had killed three astronauts in January 1967 . Then came Apollo 8 . Gallery : Images of the Apollo 8 mission '' `` Providence happened to put everything together at the end of the year to give the American public an uplift after what had been a poor year , '' Lovell told CNN on Monday . Reaching the moon was `` a big psychological step , '' said Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham . `` The public said , ` Hey , human beings are going to another body in the solar system , ' '' Cunningham told CNN in a telephone interview from his home in Houston , Texas . The mission produced one of the most famous photos from the space program , showing a large chunk of gray moon in the foreground and a dappled blue-and-white , three-quarter Earth rising in the distance . Apollo 8 also produced what to many was one of the most inspirational and soothing moments in history when Lovell and crewmates Frank Borman and William A. Anders took turns reading from the Book of Genesis . It was Christmas Eve and the whole world was watching . NASA said at the time it was expected to be the largest TV audience to date . The astronauts signed off with these words : `` And from the crew of Apollo 8 , we close with good night , good luck , a merry Christmas and God bless all of you , all of you on the good earth . '' The timing could not have been better , Lovell said . `` It happened that it all jelled , '' he said by telephone . `` The fact that we circled the moon on Christmas Eve . A screenwriter could n't have done a better job . '' The success of the mission also gave the United States a major boost in its race against the Soviet Union to see who would get to the moon first . The United States would land two men on the moon in the summer of 1969 on Apollo 11 , beating the Soviets and fulfilling a goal set by former President John F. Kennedy at the beginning of the decade . `` There was a great psychological significance of sending a spacecraft to the moon , '' Cunningham said . `` It was not a psychological leap for any of us -LSB- astronauts -RSB- to go to the moon . '' The astronauts , he said , were used to taking risks and knew they could do it . But NASA officials had some tough choices to make . `` For the people on the ground , it was a big step for them , '' Cunningham said . `` Making life-and-death decisions about somebody else 's life is a lot more difficult than making one about your own . '' For astronaut Edgar Mitchell , the sixth person to walk on the moon , the Apollo 8 mission signified a major milestone in human history , much like when the Phoenicians started exploring the Mediterranean Sea nearly 3,000 years earlier . `` We became citizens of the galaxy , as opposed to citizens of the planet , '' Mitchell said Monday . `` For my parents ' generation , it was aviation , '' said Mitchell , who is 78 . `` My generation went off the planet altogether . We became the first generation of spacefarers . '' For the astronauts , most of them former test pilots , going to the moon was just another job . Were they fully aware of the significance of what they were accomplishing , Lovell is asked . `` No , '' he says immediately . `` We were focused on trying to do the right thing . Focused on trying to accomplish something . '' Lovell went on to fly another historic mission , Apollo 13 in April 1970 . That flight , which he commanded , became famous when an oxygen system aboard the craft blew up and the three astronauts had to limp around the moon and back to Earth using makeshift and improvised systems . Their triumph over adversity was immortalized in the movie `` Apollo 13 , '' in which Tom Hanks played Lovell . Lovell was supposed to land on the moon that time , but did not make it . `` Twice a bridesmaid , never a bride , '' he said with a laugh , admitting that for years he harbored resentment that the mission had been a `` failure . '' It was only in later years , Lovell said , that he fully realized what a success that mission had been , as he and his two crewmates returned safely to Earth . `` It is mind-boggling in some respects , '' he said Monday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday challenged Republicans to `` fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate , '' telling a Pennsylvania crowd to push Congress to extend the payroll tax cut enacted a year ago . Obama met with a family in Scranton , the birthplace of Vice President Joe Biden , then spoke at a nearby high school in what will be a battleground state in next year 's presidential election . Sounding the populist themes of his re-election bid so far , Obama complained that congressional Republicans were out of touch with mainstream American support for his jobs bill that included an extension of the payroll tax cut . He noted Senate Republicans previously blocked debate on the plan , saying that `` their actions lately do n't reflect who we are as a people . '' A loud cheer erupted when Obama described the Democratic proposal to extend and expand the reduced payroll tax rate by saying : `` It is paid for by asking our wealthiest citizens to pay their fair share . '' Noting the hard-line Republican opposition in deficit reduction negotiations to any tax increases for the wealthy , Obama urged the audience to ask its elected representatives `` are you willing to fight as hard for middle-class families as you do for those who are more fortunate ? '' `` Send your senators a message , '' Obama said to cheers . `` Tell them do n't be a grinch . Do n't be a grinch . Do n't vote to raise taxes on working American during the holidays . '' Economists say the payroll tax cut -- part of a congressional spending deal negotiated last December -- has contributed to the nation 's economic recovery . Congressional Republicans have indicated support for extending the lower payroll tax rate for another year , but differ with Obama and Democrats on covering the more than $ 200 billion price tag . A Democratic bill under consideration by the Senate would assess a 3.25 % tax on income above $ 1 million a year to cover the cost . Republicans reject any tax increases and offered their alternative later Wednesday , calling for a freeze of federal salaries , reducing the federal workforce and preventing millionaires from getting food stamps and unemployment benefits . `` Republicans will put aside their misgivings and support this extension , not because we believe as the President does that another short-term stimulus will turn this economy around ... but because we know it will give some relief to struggling workers out there who continue to need it nearly three years into this presidency , '' Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Wednesday on the Senate floor . The Democratic surtax would hit wealthy Americans who create jobs , McConnell added , arguing such a strategy made no sense . The debate , he said , is about `` whether we should help those who are struggling in a bad economy by punishing the private sector businesses that the American people are counting on to help turn this economy around . '' The White House pushed back against the Republican argument . Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama to Pennsylvania that the White House was open to Republican ideas on the legislation . At the same time , Earnest noted that Republicans have defended Bush-era tax cuts for millionaires but now raised questions about helping ease the tax burden of working-class Americans . On Tuesday , the new chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers , Alan Krueger , told reporters that the proposed surtax on incomes above $ 1 million `` would hit very few small businesses . '' `` The vast majority -- one figure I saw was 99 % of individuals with small business income -- would not be affected by this , '' Krueger said . According to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , 121 million families have benefited from the payroll tax break , with an increase in take-home pay of $ 934 for the average worker . Moody 's Analytics estimated in August that letting the tax cut expire would reduce growth by as much as 0.5 % . It called extending the cut one of the `` most straightforward '' ways to `` reduce some of the coming fiscal restraint . '' The Democrats ' bill would extend and expand last year 's tax break . Payroll taxes , cut to 4.2 % from 6.2 % last year , would be lowered to 3.1 % to provide middle class families with up to $ 1,500 more in their paychecks next year , Democrats said . Their measure also would partially extend the break to employers , hoping that might spur hiring . The price tag of the bill is about $ 265 billion , paid for by the 3.25 % surtax on annual income above $ 1 million , according to Democratic aides . Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada noted Tuesday that polls show a majority of Republican voters think wealthy Americans should pay more in taxes . `` The only place in America that people do n't want a fair system is Republicans here in the Senate , '' Reid said . By contrast , the Republican plan would continue the 4.2 % payroll tax rate for a year and pay for it by imposing a three-year freeze on federal salaries and reducing the federal workforce by 10 % through replacing workers when they quit or retire . In addition , the plan would require Americans earning $ 750,000 a year or more to pay higher premiums for Medicare , and also prevent millionaires from getting food stamps or unemployment compensation . According to a Republican aide , the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Medicare , food stamp and unemployment provisions would save $ 9 billion over 10 years , mostly from the Medicare part . A statement by Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson said the Republican plan would never pass i the Democrat-controlled Senate , `` but now that Republicans have reversed their position on the middle-class tax cut , we look forward to working with them to negotiate a consensus solution . '' Obama 's trip Wednesday was his 17th to Pennsylvania since taking office . Obama won the state by a 10-point margin in 2008 , but Pennsylvania is seen as largely in play in the 2012 contest . A Franklin and Marshall College poll taken in early November indicated Obama ahead of potential Republican rivals in Pennsylvania in hypothetical 2012 general election showdowns . However , many voters surveyed said they had n't yet made up their mind about whom to support in the presidential election . CNNMoney 's Jeanne Sahadi and CNN 's Ted Barrett , Kate Bolduan , Kevin Liptak and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The son of the late Gambino family crime boss John Gotti is set to stand trial in federal court in New York on Monday on murder and racketeering charges that could put him in prison for life if he is convicted . ` Junior ' Gotti 's lawyer , Charles Carnesi , talks with reporters outside the federal courthouse . Three previous racketeering trials against John `` Junior '' Gotti , 45 , have ended in mistrials in New York . The government says it has learned since his previous trial , `` that Gotti had participated in three murders , that Gotti had run a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking network , that Gotti had overseen a systematic effort to tamper with trial juries , grand juries and witnesses , and that Gotti had participated in various other violent crimes , '' according to court documents filed by prosecutors . The defense claims the newest round of charges is part of the government 's ongoing quest to convict Gotti . The current case was moved to New York in December from Florida , where the original indictment was handed up . A superseding indictment was filed in the case on August 3 . In the first indictment , Gotti was only charged with violating the federal Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act , or RICO . The superseding indictment formally charged Gotti with the drug-related murders of two men -- allegations mentioned as part of the first indictment -- along with the RICO charge . The RICO law is used to target organized crime groups -- in this case , the Gambino crime family . Gotti 's defense attorneys , however , allege in court filings that `` the prosecution has engaged in a ` win at all costs ' campaign riddled with misconduct . '' `` The prosecution charges the same conspiracy , albeit with new garnishments , '' said one filing from July . `` After having received frustrating results in three separate trials , the case was hijacked to the Middle District of Florida in a shameful attempt to forum shop or judge shop or both . '' Federal prosecutors , meanwhile , say in court filings that Gotti 's allegations he is a victim of a government vendetta are unfounded . Since Gotti 's previous trials , prosecutors maintain , they have `` uncovered extensive new evidence of Gotti 's criminal conduct in the course of investigating and prosecuting another Gambino family captain . '' The indictment alleges that Gotti was at times an `` associate , soldier , captain and de facto boss '' in the Gambino family , and also served on a `` committee of captains '' formed in the early 1990s to assist in family administration . `` The principal purpose of the GCF -LRB- Gambino crime family -RRB- Enterprise was to generate money ... for the GCF Enterprise members , '' the indictment says . `` This purpose was implemented , '' the indictment continued , `` through various criminal activities , including criminal acts involving the felonious manufacturing , importing , receiving , concealing , buying , selling and otherwise dealing in narcotics and other dangerous drugs , extortion , armed and unarmed robbery , armed home invasions , illegal gambling , extortionate credit transactions , theft and bribery . '' To further their activities , family members threatened and caused economic injury , the indictment says , as well as threatening and using physical violence `` ranging from simple assault to murder . '' The two murders Gotti is charged with are those of George Grosso , who died in December 1988 in Queens , and Bruce John Gotterup , slain in November 1991 in Queens . The indictment also accuses Gotti in connection with a third murder , that of Louis DiBono in October 1990 in the parking garage of the former World Trade Center , but does not allege that murder was drug-related . Although the murder charges carry a potential death sentence , prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty against Gotti . The trial will be the latest chapter in a long legal saga . In late 2006 , a third mistrial was declared in a federal case against Gotti on charges including racketeering and extortion . Prosecutors said they would not retry Gotti , who was accused of ordering attacks on radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa after the Guardian Angels founder criticized Gotti 's father on his program . Sliwa was shot three times but recovered and testified against the younger Gotti . At the time of Gotti 's arrest in August 2008 on the latest charges , his attorney , Charles Carnesi , told reporters he `` was very disappointed to have to go through all this again . '' Carnesi continued , `` You can imagine the toll it took on him and his family to have to fight three times in the course of a year , to feel that , OK , perhaps it 's over ... because the government itself came to the conclusion , no more . It 's very disheartening for him to be back here again . '' Gotti 's father , John Gotti Sr. , was nicknamed the `` Teflon Don '' because prosecutors had trouble making charges against him stick . He died in prison of throat cancer in 2002 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China has developed a vaccine for swine flu and is set to become the first country in the world to begin mass inoculations , but there are concerns over possible side effects , the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- has said . A swine flu vaccine has been approved in China and inoculations could begin in the next few weeks . WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told CNN , `` We have to be ready for the fact that there might be adverse effects . '' `` No matter what vaccine you 're looking at , sometimes there are extremely rare side effects . We do n't even know what those are yet , but they will show up in one in every two or 10 million vaccinated . '' Inoculations could begin in the next few weeks , according to the South China Morning Post , before celebrations begin on October 1 to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People 's Republic . The vaccine , PANFLU .1 , was developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd and is suitable for people aged three to 60 . Sinovac says the single-shot vaccine has been approved by China 's National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products and has obtained the Certificate for the Release of Biological Products . It says more than five million doses will be ready by the end of September . The South China Morning Post reports Health Minister Chen Zhu as saying that some 200,000 people taking part in the anniversary celebrations will be the first to receive the vaccine . Others considered to be high priority are students aged five to 19 , those with medical conditions , especially chronic respiratory and coronary diseases , and pregnant women . The inoculation program will also target medical staff and key workers , including police officers , soldiers and quarantine officials . Chen said on Tuesday that there have so far been 5592 recorded cases of H1N1 in China 's 31 inland provinces , but no one has yet died from the illness . `` Due to the rising number of cases , especially since late August , we have indeed started seeing some serious cases , '' he said . The Post reported that there are plans to vaccinate 65 million people before the end of the year and that Chen admitted the amount of available vaccine was not nearly enough to inoculate the country 's population of 1.3 billion people . The Chinese State Food and Drug Administration -LRB- SFDA -RRB- last week approved two factories to produce the vaccine -- Sinovac , based in Beijing , and Hualan Biological Engineering , based in Henan -- according to the Post . But it reports the SFDA has announced that `` more qualified enterprises which could produce swine flu vaccines '' would be licensed by the end of September . Hartl said that in Europe , several drug firms are set to submit clinical trial data in the next few weeks , with GlaxoSmithKline likely to be among the first . Weidong Yin , CEO of Sinovac , said last week , `` With the support of the Ministry of Health , State SFDA , and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Sinovac was able to successfully and rapidly complete the clinical trials and registration process for the H1N1 vaccine . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A recently retired Mexican army general whose bullet-riddled body was found Tuesday near Cancun had taken over as the area 's top antidrug official less than 24 hours earlier , officials said . A soldier guards the forensics office where the body of a slain former general was taken in Cancun , Mexico . Retired Gen . Mauro Enrique Tello Qui\u00f1onez , his aide and a driver were tortured before being killed , said Quintana Roo state prosecutor Bello Melchor Rodriguez y Carrillo . He said there was no doubt Tello and the others were victims of organized crime . `` The general was the most mistreated , '' Rodriguez said at a Tuesday night news conference monitored by El Universal newspaper . `` He had burns on his skin and bones in his hands and wrists were broken . '' An autopsy revealed Tello also suffered broken knees and was shot 11 times , Mexico City 's Excelsior newspaper said . Tello had just been appointed a special drug-fighting consultant for Gregorio Sanchez Martinez , the mayor of the Benito Juarez municipality , which includes the city of Cancun . Tello , who retired from the army in January at the mandatory age of 63 , had moved to the resort area three weeks ago . The three victims were found inside a white Toyota pickup truck outside of Cancun on the road to Merida . The truck belongs to the Benito Juarez municipality , Excelsior said , citing Luis Raymundo Canche , an assistant prosecutor for Quintana Roo state . The three men were abducted Monday night , possibly in Cancun , tortured and then later shot to death , El Universal said , citing prosecutor Rodriguez . The bodies were found with their hands bound , the newspaper said . The killings happened around 4 a.m. , the prosecutor said . The other two victims were identified as Lt. Julio Cesar Roman Zuniga , who was Tello 's aide and the chief bodyguard for Mayor Mart\u00ednez , and civilian driver Juan Ramirez Sanchez . Tello is the second high-ranking army officer to be killed in the area in the past few years . Lt. Col. Wilfrido Flores Saucedo and his aide were gunned down on a Cancun street in 2006 . That crime remains unsolved . The killings come as Mexico grapples with the highest violent-death rates in its history -- around 5,400 slayings in 2008 , more than double the 2,477 reported in 2007 , according to Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora . Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has characterized the battle among drug cartels and with government authorities as a `` civil war . '' On Tuesday , 12 men were gunned down in Chihuahua state in northern Mexico , Excelsior reported Wednesday . Eight other people were shot and killed in Chihuahua last weekend . More than 200 people have been killed this year in Ciudad Juarez , the largest city in Chihuahua and considered the most violent town in Mexico , El Tiempo newspaper said , citing local authorities . Last year , according to the National Commission on Human Rights , there were 1,900 organized crime killings in the state of Chihuahua . About 1,600 of those slayings occurred in Ciudad Juarez .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man authorities believe has robbed at least 10 banks in at least four states was arrested in Missouri after a retired state trooper saw him and learned he was wanted , authorities said Sunday . Schaffner is seen in a police mug shot after his arrest Saturday in Kingdom City , Missouri . Chad Schaffner , 37 , was arrested in Kingdom City , Missouri , about 2:45 p.m. Saturday , said Missouri State Highway Patrol radio operator Paula Price . Sam Lakey , a retired Missouri State Highway Patrol officer said he alerted authorities to Schaffner 's whereabouts after seeing him at a motel in Kingdom City , about 100 miles west of St. Louis , Missouri . Lakey did n't know who Schaffner was at first , but said he felt something was n't right after seeing Schaffner and his car , partly because Schaffner did n't make eye contact with him . Watch how ex-cop 's hunch brought arrest '' Lakey , who was staying at the motel , said he remembered seeing news reports about a man sought in a string of bank robberies , so he looked on the Web site of the television show `` America 's Most Wanted '' to check a vehicle description in the case . A license plate number on the site matched that of the car outside the motel , he said . `` I felt my goosebumps raising , '' he said . Lakey told CNN that after calling his old colleagues at the Missouri State Highway Patrol , he packed up his family from their room at the motel and watched the arrest from across the street . Schaffner faces charges including bank robbery in Tennessee ; burglary in Indiana ; armed robbery in Illinois ; and receiving stolen property in Ohio , Price said . He also faces drug charges in Missouri , she said . Schaffner is suspected of robbing banks in states including Kentucky , North Carolina , South Carolina and Tennessee , according to the FBI . Schaffner is suspected in 14 robberies of various types in six states , FBI Special Agent Brian Truchon told CNN on Sunday . A spokeswoman for the Callaway County Jail , in Fulton , Missouri , said Schaffner was booked into the facility about 8 p.m. Saturday . No bond has been set , she said . Schaffner will appear in court Monday in Jefferson City , Missouri , according to Bridget Patton , spokeswoman for the FBI 's Kansas City , Missouri , office . Schaffner was identified as a suspect last month after investigators posted surveillance photos from the robberies on electronic billboards throughout the South . In the photos , a man was seen sneering and holding a pistol sideways . The robberies began in May . While no one was harmed , the FBI said they considered the suspect dangerous . `` This guy has made no effort to hide the gun , '' said FBI agent Kevin Keithley last month . `` He has threatened the use of it in every bank robbery he has committed . He has put the gun in the faces of the tellers , threatened to use the gun against them . So we want to get this guy in custody before he harms anyone . '' A woman in Morristown , Tennessee , also told authorities Schaffner hid in her apartment in August and threatened to kill her children if she revealed his whereabouts , according to documents filed in federal court . When Schaffner was identified , the FBI said he was released from an Indiana prison last year following an armed robbery conviction . He also has several other convictions in Indiana , for crimes including burglary , resisting law enforcement , and purchase of a handgun without a license , according to the Indiana Department of Correction . The last bank robbery Schaffner is suspected of committing occurred in Caseyville , Illinois , on Wednesday , according to CNN affiliate KMOV . Two bank robberies occurred in Morristown and Jefferson City , Tennessee , on August 18 , authorities said . The billboards began showing images from the robberies on August 24 , and the next day , a man told the FBI that Schaffner was in the Morristown area at the time of the August 18 holdups . The man said he 'd known Schaffner for about two months , according to a federal criminal complaint . FBI agents also interviewed a Morristown woman after hearing she 'd had a brief relationship with Schaffner , the complaint says . During the first interview , she spoke to agents outside her apartment and denied knowing him , the complaint said . But the next day she told authorities she knew Schaffner and that he had been in her apartment with her children while she talked to police outside . He had threatened to kill the children if she told agents he was there , the woman said . CNN 's Marylynn Ryan , Chuck Johnston and Justin Lear contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australia 's new prime minister assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that his country 's troops intend to be in Afghanistan `` for the long haul . '' French President Nicolas Sarkozy , left , shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul . Kevin Rudd and French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew into the Afghan capital , Kabul , on Saturday to meet with Karzai and visit their respective country 's troops participating in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force . In a morning meeting , Sarkozy `` assured President Karzai of his government 's long term political and military support with the people of Afghanistan , '' according to a statement from the Afghan president 's office . Rudd , who was elected in a landslide victory Nov. 24 , appeared with Karzai at a news conference , where he repeatedly said that the Australian commitment to Afghanistan is strong . `` We will be , as I said before , in this country , Afghanistan , for the long haul . It 's important for us to be here in partnership with NATO countries , '' Rudd said . `` On the question of the broader security policy challenges faced within Afghanistan , of course they are significant , they are real . But we are confident that in partnership with our friends in the Afghan government and with our other allies , particularly in NATO , that we can continue to achieve real progress in the long-term security of this country , '' he added . Australia 's new defense minister , however , warned U.S. and NATO allies recently that they risk losing the war in Afghanistan without a sharp shift in military and reconstruction efforts there . Joel Fitzgibbon , who took office with Rudd allies during a conference in Scotland earlier this month , said that more work needs to be done to win the `` hearts and minds '' of the people of Afghanistan in the 6-year-old war against the country 's former Taliban rulers and their al Qaeda allies . Karzai wished those at the news conference a merry Christmas , then thanked Australia , France and other countries for their help and support . More than 1,900 French troops are in Afghanistan , serving both the ISAF and the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom . Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the war in Afghanistan , with nearly 1,000 troops stationed mostly in the southern province of Oruzgan . Sarkozy , elected to lead France last May , told the U.S. Congress during a visit last month that France would stand `` shoulder to shoulder '' with the United States on the war in Afghanistan . `` Let me tell you solemnly today : France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes , because what 's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance , '' he said . Rudd made a surprise visit Friday to Iraq , where he promised continued Australian aid , despite a decision to withdraw all 550 Australian troops in Iraq by mid-2008 -- an effort his predecessor , John Howard , staunchly opposed . Rudd had said he would start a phased withdrawal of Australian forces from Iraq if his Labor Party won the vote . E-mail to a friend Journalist Farhad Peikar in Kabul contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- George Obama , the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama , told CNN on Sunday that he was released from a Kenyan jail hours after his arrest on suspicion of marijuana possession . George Obama was arrested in Kenya on suspicion of marijuana possession , according to police . Kenyan police did not confirm whether George Obama was still in their custody . Obama spoke to CNN from his cell phone , and a relative also said he was released . He said he was arrested on Saturday and released later that day . Obama was arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis , known in Kenya as bhang , and resisting arrest , Inspector Augustine Mutembei said . He was held at Huruma police post in Kenya 's capital , Nairobi , and scheduled to appear in court Monday , Mutembei said . But Obama told CNN all charges against him were dropped . Police would not comment on that . Speaking from behind bars on Saturday , Obama denied the allegations . `` They took me from my home , '' he said . `` I do n't know why they are charging me . '' George Obama and the president barely know each other , though they have met . George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington . In his memoir , `` Dreams from My Father , '' Barack Obama describes meeting George as a `` painful affair . '' His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known . CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma , a Nairobi slum , where he lives with his mother 's extended family . His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama 's half brother . The two men share the same Kenyan father . In the memoir , Barack Obama struggles to reconcile with his father after he left him and his mother when he was a child . Barack Obama Sr. died in a car accident when George was 6 months old . And like his half brother , George hardly knew his father . George was his father 's last child and had not been aware of his famous half brother until he rose to prominence in the Democratic primaries last year . Unlike his grandmother in Kogela , in western Kenya , George Obama received little attention from the media until reports about him surfaced in August 2008 . The reports sprung from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama lived in a shack and was `` earning less than a dollar a day . '' The reports left George Obama angry . `` I was brought up well . I live well even now , '' he said . `` The magazines , they have exaggerated everything . `` I think I kind of like it here . There are some challenges , but maybe it is just like where you come from , there are the same challenges , '' Obama said . Obama , who is in his mid-20s , said at the time that he was learning to become a mechanic and was active in youth groups in Huruma . He said he tries to help the community as much as he can .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hondurans divided over an ongoing political crisis agree on one thing -- they do n't think very highly of their leaders , according to a new survey . Almost half of Hondurans polled -- 48 percent -- said they disapproved of the job President Jose Manuel Zelaya was doing before he was ousted in a coup on June 28 , said the 2009 Latinobarometro survey . The man who assumed power after the coup , de facto President Roberto Micheletti , received a disapproval rating of 65 percent for how he has handled the crisis , according to the survey . The annual Latinobarometro survey , named after the Chile-based non-profit company of the same name , is among the most highly regarded polls in the region . This year , the poll asked a number of questions that shed light on how Hondurans and other Latin Americans viewed the political crisis in Honduras . A new Honduran president , Pepe Lobo Sosa , was elected last month , though the international community is split on whether to recognize him because the vote took place under the rule of the de facto government . An agreement between negotiators for Zelaya and Micheletti had been reached earlier , but lost much credibility when its implementation did n't go as planned . Zelaya , who remains holed up inside the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital ever since covertly sneaking back into his country in September , has called the plan dead . Several attempts to find a resolution failed , despite strong international criticism of the coup . `` It can be said that the force of rejection of all the international organizations , which were raised in a singular voice against the coup and in favor of the restitution of the constitutionally elected president , were ineffective against the local political forces that had expelled Zelaya in an ignominious manner , '' the survey said . The political crisis stemmed from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have changed the constitution to allow longer terms for the president . The country 's congress had outlawed the vote , and the supreme court had ruled it illegal . Micheletti and his supporters say Zelaya 's removal was a constitutional transfer of power and not a coup . According to Latinobarometro , 58 percent of Hondurans disapproved of the coup , while another 28 percent said they approved of Zelaya 's ouster . Those more heavily in favor of the coup included those with a higher education and the elderly , the survey found . Of those with university degrees , 40 percent approved of the coup , compared with 27 percent approval among those with only a basic education , the survey said . Zelaya faced long odds of returning to the presidency because the supreme court and congress , including lawmakers from his own party , were against his calls for the referendum that led to his ouster . These political power brokers , and in general , the Honduran elite that backed Micheletti , likely account for the discrepancy between education level and views of the coup . In Honduras , the elite are more likely to have completed university than others . The low approval ratings for Zelaya point to his thin election victory in 2005 , according to Latinobarometro . The leftist Zelaya was elected with just under 50 percent of the vote . That margin hardly gave him a mandate to push the sweeping constitutional reforms he wanted , the survey said . `` Manuel Zelaya wanted to implement reforms that were beyond what the majority supported , '' the report said . Outside of Honduras , 24 percent of respondents in the other Latin American countries approved of the coup , the Latinobarometro survey found . Asked to rate Honduran democracy on a scale of 1 to 10 , those outside of the country said the Central American nation merited a 5.2 , the survey said . It was the first time that the firm asked for people to give their perception of democracy in a country that was not their own . Latinobarometro also asked respondents in the region whether they believed a coup was possible in their own country . The highest affirmative responses came from countries that have left-leaning presidents . Ecuadorians -LRB- 36 percent -RRB- , Brazilians -LRB- 34 percent -RRB- and Venezuelans -LRB- 30 percent -RRB- said a coup was possible in their country .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A large ice shelf is `` imminently '' close to breaking away from part of the Antarctic Peninsula , scientists said Friday . Scientists are investigating whether the ice breakup is caused by global climate change . Satellite images released by the European Space Agency on Friday show new cracks in the Wilkins Ice Shelf where it connects to Charcot Island , a piece of land considered part of the peninsula . The cracks are quickly expanding , the ESA said . Scientists are investigating the causes for the breakups and whether it is linked to global climate change . The Wilkins Ice Shelf -- a large mass of floating ice -- would still be connected to Latady Island , which is also part of the peninsula , and Alexander Island , which is not , said professor David Vaughan , a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey . The ice shelf experienced a great amount of changes last year , the ESA said . In February 2008 , the shelf dropped 164 square miles -LRB- 425 square kilometers -RRB- of ice . In May it lost a 62-square-mile chunk . That meant the `` bridge '' of ice connecting Wilkins to the islands was just 984 yards wide at its narrowest location , the ESA said . Further rifts developed in October and November , said Angelika Humbert of the Institute of Geophysics at Germany 's Muenster University . `` During the last year the ice shelf has lost about 1800 square kilometers -LRB- 694 square miles -RRB- , or about 14 percent of its size , '' Humbert said . Antarctica 's ice sheet was formed over thousands of years by accumulated and compacted snow . Along the coast , the ice gradually floats on the sea , forming massive ledges known as ice shelves , the ESA says . Several of these ice shelves , including seven in the past 20 years , have retreated and disintegrated . The Wilkins Ice Shelf had been stable for most of the past century before it began retreating in the 1990s . `` It had been there almost unchanged since the first expeditions which mapped it back in the 1930s , so it had a very long period of real stability , and it 's only in the last decade that it 's started to retreat , '' Vaughan said . Wilkins is the size of the state of Connecticut , or about half the area of Scotland . It is the largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula yet to be threatened . If the ice shelf breaks away from the peninsula , it will not cause a rise in sea level because it is already floating , scientists say . Some plants and animals may have to adapt to the collapse . The Antarctic Peninsula is the piece of the continent that stretches toward South America .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Boston , Massachusetts , are searching for a man suspected in the murder of one woman and the armed robbery of two others , all of whom , they say , he may have met through their Craigslist ads for personal services . Julissa Brisman , 26 , was described as `` a really sweet , goofy , energetic kid . '' Officers discovered New York resident Julissa Brisman , 26 , unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at Boston 's Copley Marriott Hotel on Tuesday night . She was transferred to Boston Medical Center , where she died shortly afterward . Police said Brisman , a model , offered massages via Craigslist , a popular online classified ad service . The confrontation between Brisman and her killer seems to have begun as an attempted robbery , police said . `` It appears that there was a struggle between the victim and the suspect in the threshold of the hotel room immediately prior to the shooting , '' the Boston Police Department said in a statement on its Web site . Police speculate the man may also be responsible for the recent robberies of two other young women who offered personal services via Craigslist . Four days before Brisman 's slaying , a 29-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint at a Westin Hotel in Boston . Police spokesman Joe Zanola would not disclose the details of her Craigslist ad but said she and Brisman were `` involved in similar professions . '' On Thursday night at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick , Rhode Island , a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement , according to Warwick 's police chief , Col. Stephen McCartney . The robbery was interrupted when the woman 's husband entered the room . After pointing his gun at the husband , the suspect fled , according to McCartney . He said that no conclusions could be made but allowed that the incident `` may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area . '' Matthew Terhune , a photographer who met Brisman when he took pictures of her for a calendar last year , described her as `` just a really sweet , goofy , energetic kid . '' He added that she was enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous and was contemplating counseling fellow recovering addicts . He had been unaware of her side job as an Internet masseuse . Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was murdered showed a tall , clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker leaving the property , said the Boston Police Department , which is asking the public 's help in identifying the man . Representatives from Craigslist did not respond to a request for comment .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While authorities do not yet know what killed Michael Jackson , the possibility that anesthetics -- particularly the drug Diprivan -- might be involved continues to swell with each new revelation . Propofol induces a coma , not sleep , an anesthesiologist told CNN . On Friday , The Associated Press quoted an unnamed law enforcement source saying investigators found Diprivan in Jackson 's Holmby Hills home . A nutritionist , Cherilyn Lee , said earlier in the week that Jackson pleaded for the drug despite being told of its harmful effects . Sources close to Jackson told CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta that the singer , who suffered from a sleep disorder , traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and `` bring him back up '' during a world tour in the mid-90s . The California State Attorney General 's office has now said it is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson 's death investigation . The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is also looking into the role of drugs , two federal law enforcement sources said . The drug Diprivan , known by its generic name Propofol , is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a general anesthetic , the manufacturer AstraZeneca said Friday . `` It is neither indicated nor approved for use as a sleep aid , '' said spokesman Tony Jewell . The drug works as a depressant on one 's central nervous system . `` It works on your brain , '' said Dr. Zeev Kain , the chair of the anesthesiology department at the University of California Irvine . `` It basically puts the entire brain to sleep . '' However , once the infusion is stopped , the patient wakes up almost immediately . `` So if you 're going to do this , you 'd have to have somebody right there giving you the medication and monitoring you continuously , '' Kain said . Dr. Hector Vila , chairman of the Ambulatory Surgery Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists , said he administers the drug during office procedures such as urology , dentistry and gynecology . It is also the most common anesthetic for colonoscopies , he said . Both doctors said that while they have heard of the drug being abused by health care professionals , who have ready access to it , they had not heard of it being used as a sleep aid medication . `` Propofol induces coma , it does not induce sleep , '' Kain said . `` I can put you in a coma for as many days as you want . And , in fact , in intensive care units who have patients who are on a ventilator , that 's one of the drugs they use . '' Dr. Rakesh Marwah , of the anesthesiology department at the Stanford University School of Medicine , said the drug can lead to cardiac arrest without proper monitoring . `` Propofol slows down the heart rate and slows down the respiratory rate and slows down the vital functions of the body , '' he said . Not enough carbon dioxide exits the body ; not enough oxygen enters . And the situation can cause the heart to abruptly stop . '' -LSB- It is -RSB- as dangerous as it comes , '' Kain said . `` You will die if you will give yourself , or if somebody will give you , Propofol and you 're not in the proper medical hands . '' Los Angeles police have interviewed Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray , who apparently tried to revive the singer after he was found unconscious on June 25 . They also impounded Murray 's car , saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Through his lawyers , Murray has released several statements saying that he would not be commenting until the toxicology results into Jackson 's death are released . The tests are due back in two to three weeks , the Los Angeles County coroner said Thursday . `` We are treating all unnamed sources as rumors . And , as we have stated before , we will not be responding to rumors or innuendo , '' Murray 's lawyer , Matt Alford said Friday . `` We are awaiting the facts to come out and we will respond at that time . '' The anesthesiologist who accompanied Jackson during the HIStory tour in the mid - '90s also refused to comment , although he acknowledged Jackson suffered from a sleep disorder . `` I 'm very upset . I 'm distraught . Michael was a good person . I ca n't talk about it right now , '' Dr. Neil Ratner said outside his Woodstock , New York , home Thursday . `` It 's really something I do n't want to talk about right now . I lost a good friend . '' On Thursday , the California State Attorney General 's Office said it will assist Los Angeles police in sifting through information in a state database that monitors controlled medication . The database , known as CURES -LRB- Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System -RRB- , contains an estimated 86 million records that list all doctors who prescribe such medication , the amount , the date and the person who receives it . Authorities said the database was used in the investigation after the death of former model and reality TV show star Anna Nicole Smith . A day earlier , federal law enforcement sources said DEA agents would be looking at various doctors involved with Jackson , their practices and their possible sources of medicine supply . A number of people close to Jackson have expressed concern that medication could have contributed to the singer 's death at age 50 . In 2005 , after he was cleared on charges of child molestation , Jackson spent a week at a center run by Dr. Deepak Chopra , a physician who focuses on spirituality and the mind-body connection . During that week , Jackson asked Chopra for a prescription for a narcotic , the doctor said . `` I said , ` What the heck do you want a narcotic prescription for ? ' '' Chopra said . `` And it suddenly dawned on me that he was probably taking these and that he had probably a number of doctors who were giving him these prescriptions , so I confronted him with that . At first , he denied it . Then , he said he was in a lot of pain . '' Brian Oxman , a former attorney for the Jackson family who was with the family in the hospital emergency room on June 25 , also expressed concern about medications the pop star was taking . `` I talked to his family about it , I warned them -- I said that Michael is overmedicating and that I did not want to see this kind of a case develop , '' Oxman told CNN the next day . Earlier this week , the nutritionist Lee , a registered nurse , said Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and asked her to find him some Diprivan . `` I told him this medication is not safe , '' Lee said . `` He said , ' I just want to get some sleep . You do n't understand . I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep . ' '' Lee , however , said she did not know of any doctors who would have given Jackson the drug nor had she seen him use it . CNN 's Danielle Dellorto and Elizabeth Landau in Atlanta , Georgia , and Drew Griffin in Los Angeles , California , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was once a student revolutionary himself , perhaps not much different from the thousands of protesters who this week have taken to the streets in Iran . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei became a political activist while a religious scholar studying under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Khamenei became a political activist while a religious scholar studying under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , among others , according to his biography on his official Web site . He was part of a circle of clerics who opposed the rule of the shah of Iran , Mohammed Reza Pahlavi , and was jailed by the shah 's secret police , the Savak , at least six times in the 1960s and 1970s . He says he was tortured in prison before being exiled in 1976 , three years before the revolution that deposed the shah . Khomeini was in exile in Paris , France , when the shah fled Iran in 1979 . He appointed Khamenei to represent him on an Islamic Revolutionary Council , alongside other key figures such as Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani . The appointment may have been a career-making moment for Khamenei , who was a fairly low-level scholar at the time , said Iran analyst Shireen Hunter , a visiting scholar at Georgetown University in Washington . Learn more about Iran 's recent history `` He is not qualified to be an ayatollah , '' or top-ranking Islamic scholar , she said , saying he had picked up the title by dint of succeeding Khomeini as supreme leader , `` like an honorary doctorate . '' Khamenei , now 70 , was briefly minister of defense and head of Iran 's Revolutionary Guards in the early 1980s before becoming president , a post he held from 1982 to 1990 . In power , he clashed ideologically with Rafsanjani , favoring a more left-wing politics than Rafsanjani , who came from a more bourgeois background than the poor Khamenei . He also locked horns with the man who was prime minister when he was president -- Mir Hossein Moussavi , now the most prominent opposition leader . The two had similar anti-American , left-wing politics but struggled over power in what Hunter called `` the two-headed monster '' that was then the Iranian political structure . `` There were turf battles between the president and the prime minister , '' she said . Khomeini died in 1989 , and Khamenei was appointed the next supreme leader . The post of prime minister was abolished . Rafsanjani seems to have been a `` kingmaker '' in the elevation of Khamenei to the top job , Hunter said , perhaps thinking he would be the power behind the throne . But with time , Khamenei has become his own man , she said . Rafsanjani was president in the 1990s , but lost a comeback attempt in 2005 -- defeated by current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . As supreme leader , Khamenei is the ultimate arbiter of policy in Iran . He appoints the Guardian Council , the country 's election authority . He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces , including the powerful Revolutionary Guard . Additionally , he confirms the president 's election . In theory , the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect . But in practice , this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader . Khamenei 's authority has been challenged at times . Nearly half the members of Iran 's parliament criticized him openly in 2004 for ordering general elections to go ahead despite a widespread belief that they would not be free or fair . The elections took place as scheduled . Khamenei supports the country 's controversial nuclear program , and when President Obama reached out directly to the people of Iran with a video message , it was Khamenei who responded . Khamenei said in March he saw no change in U.S. policy toward Iran despite Obama 's promise of a `` new beginning . '' He said a change in rhetoric was not enough , and Washington must practice what it preaches , according to the English-language Press TV channel in Iran . He hailed the disputed Iranian presidential election as `` a miracle '' for the record turnout , but that very public enthusiasm for the election may signal a shift that Khamenei failed to anticipate . `` He has now very much become his own man , but the country has changed , '' Hunter said . `` Look at the women 's situation . They make a big deal out of saying how many women they have educated . That is true , but then you can not expect them to keep doing things the same way . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Retired army Gen. Otto Perez Molina won Sunday 's runoff presidential election in Guatemala , seizing on voters ' concerns about growing insecurity in the Central American nation . Perez Molina led with more than 53 % of the vote , Guatemala 's election authority said . His opponent , businessman Manuel Baldizon , garnered 46 % of the vote . `` I want to tell you that we are happy , that we are very excited by this decision , but at the same time we have a big responsibility not to fail the Guatemalans in the next four years , '' Perez Molina told a crowd of cheering supporters . Perez Molina said unity across party lines would be a key step in solving the country 's security problems . `` Let 's put these elections behind us ... and come together in the the things we have in common , to pull Guatemala out of this crisis that we are living , '' he said . In Guatemala City Monday , Perez Molina 's supporters celebrated the news . `` I am very happy because we are going to have a change in our country , '' Jazmin Dominguez said . Perez Molina , a retired army general who pledged to take a tough stand on crime , was the front-runner heading into the election . He won the most votes in the first round of voting in September . Low voter turnout was reported in Sunday 's election , according to the state-run AGN news agency . Concerns about violence in Guatemala , which has worsened as Mexican drug cartels have stepped up operations in parts of the country , dominated the vote . In a Vox Latina national survey in July , more than two-thirds of Guatemalans said violence was what concerned them most , far outpacing the combined totals for the economy , unemployment , poverty and lack of education . `` Let 's hope that it 's not like it 's been with the government in the past , that they are n't just lies . The truth is that it 's important that we return our country to the right path . We need security , education , health . We really hope the new president does all this , '' Guatemala City resident Juan Diego said Monday . Campaign posters for Perez Molina , who led in polls before Sunday 's election , featured a clenched fist . The 60-year-old retired general pledged to bring a `` mano dura '' -- firm hand -- to Guatemala 's highest office . In a debate co-hosted by CNN en Espa\u00c3 \u00b1 ol this year , Perez Molina called for `` elite units of the army '' to play a larger role in the nation 's battle against gangs and drug cartels . But that proposed approach -- and Perez Molina 's high rank in the military during Guatemala 's decades-long civil war -- worries human rights groups both in Guatemala and abroad . Concerns stem from the fact that the Guatemalan military committed multiple atrocities during the civil war , though Perez Molina has never been directly implicated in any of them . The former general campaigned for president a second time this year . He was defeated in 2007 by incumbent President Alvaro Colom . First-time candidate Baldizon , 41 , who ran under the banner of the Leader Party , energized young voters . He promised to continue social and economic programs that he warned would be at risk , if Perez Molina won . Like the former general , Baldizon championed a crime-fighting plan . Poverty is endemic in Guatemala , and the country has one of the worst crime rates in Latin America . Forty-three percent of children under 5 are chronically malnourished . And the murder rate last year was 42 per 100,000 people -- one of the highest in the world . While supporters praised his tough stance on crime , others said they feared the president-elect 's platform did not adequately address poverty . `` I think that he is going to make a government of the rich . I do not think that they are thinking about the poor and they are going to leave us forgotten again , '' Guatemala City resident Nelson Guzman said . This is only the fourth time that Guatemala has held presidential elections since peace accords were signed in 1996 , officially ending a civil war that devastated the country for 36 years . The conflict left more than 100,000 people dead and a million refugees . Perez Molina will take office in January .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 did n't know how many more people had been on the boat . `` You do n'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 are n'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 did n't even know they were coming to the United States , '' he said . `` Sometimes the person organizing the trip does n'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 .","question":""}
{"answer":"LEONE , American Samoa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another earthquake struck Wednesday near the Samoan islands , an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people . A traditional Samoan fale is destroyed Wednesday in the devastated village of Leone . The 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:13 p.m. Wednesday evening -LRB- 1:13 a.m. Thursday ET -RRB- , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . The quake 's epicenter was 10 km -LRB- 6 miles -RRB- deep in the Pacific Ocean about 121 miles -LRB- 194 km -RRB- from the city of Apia , Samoa . The quake did not trigger a tsunami warning , according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center . It followed an 8.0-magnitude earthquake which hit the small cluster of Samoan islands early Tuesday triggering a tsunami . At least 139 people are confirmed dead as a consequence of Tuesday 's quake and tsunami . They include 22 people killed in American Samoa , 110 in Samoa and seven in Tonga , according to officials on the islands . A huge emergency effort was continuing late Wednesday in the Samoan islands and officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties . Watch the tsunami take over the street '' Survivors like Ropati Opa were trying to find ways to cope . The massive waves had destroyed his home , store and gas station in the village of Leone on the southwest coast of American Samoa . With tears in his eyes , he said `` I do n't have a house . I do n't have a car . I do n't have money . I lost everything yesterday . But thank God I am alive . '' iReport.com : Witness describes tsunami hitting land U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the disaster at an event Wednesday in Washington . `` To aid in the response , '' he said , `` I 've declared this a major disaster to speed the deployment of resources and FEMA ... is working closely with emergency responders on the ground , and the Coast Guard is working to provide immediate help to those in need . `` We also stand ready to help our friends in neighboring Samoa and throughout the region , and we 'll continue to monitor this situation closely as we keep the many people who have been touched by this tragedy in our thoughts and in our prayers , '' Obama said . Journalist Jeff DePonte contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope Benedict XVI completed his eight-day tour of the Holy Land on Friday with an exhortation to both Israelis and Palestinians to work through their decades-old conflict . Pope Benedict XVI prays in Jerusalem on Friday at what 's believed to be the burial site of Jesus . `` No more bloodshed ! No more fighting ! No more terrorism ! No more war ! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence . Let there be lasting peace based on justice , let there be genuine reconciliation and healing , '' the pontiff said . Benedict made the comments at a farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv before Israeli President Shimon Peres and other religious and secular leaders . In his concluding remarks , Benedict called his visit to Israel 's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and his conversations with survivors a `` deeply moving encounter . '' He seemed to address some criticism he received within the country for not speaking in stronger terms about anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial . Referring to the Holocaust , Benedict spoke of the victims who `` were brutally exterminated under a godless regime that propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred . '' After Benedict 's Monday speech at Yad Vashem , the memorial 's chairman , Holocaust survivor Rabbi Yisrael Lau , criticized the pope , saying the pontiff did not `` participate in the pain of the Jewish people '' and `` used the term ` killed ' when talking about Holocaust victims and not the word ` murdered ' as his predecessor did . '' Benedict drew the ire of Jews and German Catholics earlier this year by rehabilitating an excommunicated bishop who had disputed the number of Jews killed in concentration camps during World War II . The bishop 's excommunication was unrelated to his Holocaust denial . Friday , Benedict repeated his call for Palestinians to enjoy a `` sovereign independent homeland '' and `` to live in dignity and to travel freely . '' He remarked that `` one of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was the wall '' -- a reference to the 20-foot concrete barrier he saw in Bethlehem during his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp . Israel says the structure , which it calls a security fence , was built to prevent terrorist attacks ; Palestinians consider it an illegal land grab . Benedict began the day with a busy morning in Jerusalem 's Old City , including meeting the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches . Between sessions with the patriarchs , Benedict toured and prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher , believed to be located on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried . On his Middle East visit , the pope has navigated the region 's treacherous political landscape , which often pits Jew against Muslim and Muslim against Christian . Benedict has repeatedly called for reconciliation between the peoples of the region during his visit , urging Israelis and Palestinian to put aside their grievances and divisions . `` Just and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Middle East can only be achieved through a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect , in which the rights and dignity of all are acknowledged and upheld , '' the pope said . Celebrating Mass on Thursday , Benedict covered similar territory in his message to over 30,000 parishioners gathered at the Mount of the Transfiguration , outside Nazareth . Watch the reaction of one visitor who attended Mass '' `` Christians readily join Jews , Muslims , Druze and people of other religions in wishing to safeguard children from fanaticism and violence , while preparing them to be builders of a better world , '' he said . Benedict 's trip marks the first papal visit to some of Christianity 's most holy places since Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000 .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The State Department 's chief of diplomatic security has resigned amid scrutiny of the use of private military contractors to guard the department 's staff in Iraq , a spokesman said Wednesday . Richard Griffin testifies before a House committee looking into private security contractors earlier this month . Richard Griffin , a 36-year career official , gave no explanation for his decision in his resignation letter to President Bush . `` I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve as the assistant secretary for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security , whose brave men and women serve on the front lines of the Global War on Terror , '' he wrote in his resignation letter , a copy of which was obtained by CNN . `` Without their courage and commitment , the State Department could not possibly carry out its foreign policy mission . '' Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accepted Griffin 's resignation , State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said . Griffin 's decision to step down follows weeks of investigations into the September 16 killings of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater USA , a North Carolina-based firm hired by the State Department to protect American diplomats in Baghdad . Meanwhile , a survivor of the September 16 incident told CNN on Wednesday that he and a number of other victims were summoned to a meeting with U.S. Embassy officials and were offered money . Mohammed Abdul Razzaq , whose 9-year-old son died , said the embassy offered him $ 12,500 -- which he said he refused because `` they did n't acknowledge their crime . '' `` Do n't they need to acknowledge my son 's blood first so I can forgive them ? Now I ca n't . How can I take compensation and they never acknowledge the crime ? '' he said . The father is demanding a formal apology from Blackwater CEO Erik Prince , prosecution of those responsible for his son 's death and political asylum in the United States so he can pursue the case in American courts . Another survivor , taxi driver Sami Hawas , told CNN he received $ 7,500 from the embassy , a payment he described as `` aid . '' Hawas was shot a number of times in the back and leg . He said he is unable to work now and complained about the high cost of medication . He took the money , he said , because he needs help paying for medical treatment and supporting his family . `` Even if they compensate me with millions , it will not make up for the lost blood and the pain I live every day , '' he told CNN . U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Natango said the payments were `` part of a standard procedure '' and would continue . She described them as `` short-term and speedy aid and support '' but said they were not an admission of guilt . She said those receiving the money do not waive any right to future compensation . The State Department and the FBI are conducting their own investigation into the killings , and a joint U.S.-Iraqi commission is reviewing the results of both probes . Prince has said that Blackwater guards came under fire while protecting a State Department convoy and acted properly in self-defense . Watch Blackwater chief talk about his company '' But Iraqi authorities have called the killings `` premeditated murder '' and demanded Blackwater leave Iraq . A State Department report of its own operations , released Tuesday , found lax oversight of security contractors , who are under the supervision of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security . It recommended tightening the rules of engagement for contractors to bring them in line with those used by the U.S. military , and Rice appointed a top U.S. diplomat to oversee all security operations in Iraq . Blackwater is the most prominent of the military contractors working in Iraq , where an estimated 25,000 private contractors guard diplomats , reconstruction workers and government officials . Company officials urged subscribers to its e-mailed newsletter Wednesday to help fight its public-relations battle . `` In this tumultuous political climate , Blackwater Worldwide has taken center stage , our services and ethics aggressively challenged with misinformation and fabrications . Letters , e-mails and calls to your elected congressional representatives can and will create a positive impact by influencing the manner in which they gather and present information , '' the company wrote . The message , titled `` A Request for Your Support , '' urged readers to contact members of Congress `` and tell them to stand by the truth . '' It recommended that constituents emphasize that the company hires U.S. military veterans and the fact that no one under Blackwater 's protection has been killed in Iraq . It also asked that supporters stress what the company termed the `` cost efficiency '' of its services , for which the State Department has paid more than $ 800 million since 2004 . Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the company had received `` hundreds of positive responses '' to its appeal by Wednesday afternoon . The contractors are immune from prosecution under Iraqi law , under an order issued by the American-led occupation government in 2004 . Iraq 's government has agreed to ask the country 's parliament to consider changing that directive , an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told CNN on Wednesday . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh , Elise Labott , Ingrid Formanek , Jim Clancy and Saad Abedine contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in San Bernardino , California , released pictures of two suspects in the abduction of a 3-year-old boy who was taken at gunpoint from his home last weekend . Authorities say these men purchased tape from a store and used it 3-year-old Briant Rodriguez 's abduction . Briant Rodriguez has been missing since May 3 , when two Hispanic males armed with handguns burst into the home , tied him up , along with his mother and four siblings . They ransacked the home before leaving with Briant , a small amount of cash and some personal property , San Bernardino County Sheriff 's Public Information Officer Cindy Beavers said . A motive for the abduction is still unclear , and the authorities have not received a demand for ransom , Beavers said . Investigators traced samples of the tape used to tie up the family to a home improvement store where they believe the suspects purchased the tape the Friday before the abduction . The unidentified store 's surveillance camera captured two men who matched the description of the kidnappers given by Briant 's mother , purchasing tape believed to have been used in the abduction , Beavers said . The home improvement store 's exterior surveillance cameras also caught a green Ford Bronco believed to have been used in the abduction , Beavers said . The same car was later seen driving past a convenience store near Briant 's home about three minutes after his mother called police on Sunday to report the abduction , Beavers said . Authorities distributed screen grabs of the footage on Friday showing the suspects and the vehicle in an effort to draw more tips , which have been coming in steadily since an Amber Alert was issued earlier this week . `` You 've got two men that resemble the description given by Briant 's mother , they 're buying tape that matches the tape used to tie them up , then they leave the store in this green Bronco and then on Sunday , just a few minutes before the emergency call for help , the same vehicle is seen leaving the victims ' neighborhood , '' she said . `` Detectives put these two incidents together , and they 're confident that these are the suspects and that was the vehicle used , '' she said . Both suspected kidnappers are Hispanic males -- one 5-feet , 5 inches tall , between the ages of 18 and 20 with a thin build , unknown hair and eye color , last seen wearing a black baseball hat , blue jeans and green T-shirt . The other is 5-foot-10 , around age 24 with a thin build , black boots , a black shirt and a bandanna . Neighboring law enforcement agencies are on alert , and the FBI , Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol are assisting in the investigation . The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff 's Department have both put up $ 25,000 rewards for Briant 's return . The FBI has also established a Facebook page with the latest information in the case . `` We became involved in the beginning and that 's customary in kidnapping cases because of the potential for cases to go out of state or out of the country , '' FBI Spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said . Despite early speculation that the abduction was related to Mexican cartel violence , both spokeswomen said they were unaware of specific evidence suggesting the family had ties to the drug trade . `` We 've seen an escalation nationwide in south-of-the-border-related kidnappings , whether it be drug cartels exacting revenge or carrying out violence in exchange for drug debts , or in another type of scenario , Americans who do business in Mexico being targeted for ransom , '' Eimiller said . `` Of course that 's being looked at as a scenario here , but we have no conclusive evidence suggesting that 's the case just yet . '' Briant is described in the Amber Alert as a Hispanic male who was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with blue sleeves and blue-striped shorts with two different colors of blue . The boy 's hair is longer than shoulder length .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea said Saturday any sanctions or pressure applied against it following its rocket launch earlier this month will be considered a `` declaration of war . '' A North Korean soldier looks into South Korea from the demilitarized zone on April 9 . In an announcement on state-run television , the country said it was ready to step up efforts to develop nuclear weapons and poised for a military response to any moves against it . `` The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK are always keeping themselves fully ready to go into action any moment to mercilessly punish anyone who encroaches upon the sovereignty and dignity of the DPRK even a bit , '' it said . On Monday the United Nations condemned North Korea -- which refers to itself as the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea , or DPRK -- for launching a rocket . The United States called the launch a `` provocative act '' that violated a 2006 Security Council resolution prohibiting Pyongyang from conducting ballistic missile launches . Pyongyang insists the April 5 launch was a successful mission to place a communications satellite into orbit . The United States says the rocket 's payload did not reach orbit . The U.N. statement says the rocket launch was `` in contravention '' to a 2006 Security Council resolution that demanded that North Korea not launch any ballistic missiles . The 15-member council also voted unanimously for a statement by the council 's president demanding the country make no more launches . `` The Korean People 's Army will consider sanctions to be applied against the DPRK under various names over its satellite launch or any pressure to be put upon it through ` total participation ' in the PSI -LRB- Proliferation Security Initiative -RRB- as a declaration of undisguised confrontation and a declaration of a war against the DPRK , '' the announcement on state TV said . `` Now that the group officially declared confrontation and war against the DPRK , its revolutionary armed forces will opt for increasing the nation 's defense capability including nuclear deterrent in every way , without being bound to the agreement adopted at the six-party talks , '' it continued , apparently referring to the Security Council . Referring to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak , the statement added , `` The Lee group of traitors should never forget that Seoul is just 50 kilometers -LRB- 31 miles -RRB- away from the Military Demarcation Line . '' That line was established by the 1953 Armistice Agreement between the two Koreas -- which are still technically at war . A Friday report North Korea 's official KCNA news agency , seemed to blame the `` war hysteria '' on the United States and South Korea after the two countries carried out a combined air force operation in South Korea . The '' ` South Korea-U.S. military alliance ' oft-repeated by them is , in essence , nothing but a ` war alliance ' and ` alliance for aggression ' aimed at invading the DPRK , '' the report said . `` When a nuclear war will break out due to the war chariot of the ` South Korea-U.S. military alliance ' is a matter of time , '' it said . `` The U.S. and South Korean warmongers would be well advised to stop acting rashly , properly understanding who their rival is . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of a 19-year-old Puerto Rican man found Friday decapitated , dismembered and partially burned , police said Tuesday . Members of the U.S. gay community are asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime because the victim , Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado , was gay , said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force . `` The brutality of the slaying and the fact that he was openly gay leads us to believe it was very possibly a hate crime , '' Serrano said . Authorities are investigating whether the killing involved sex , Guayama police Commander Hector Agosto Rodriguez told CNN affiliate WLII TV . Guayama prosecutor Jose Bermudez identified the suspect as Juan A. Martinez , 26 . Police had earlier described him as a 27-year-old man from the interior Puerto Rican town of Cayey . Martinez was scheduled to attend a court hearing Tuesday night at which charges would be lodged , said Luis Bernier , a spokesman for the Guayama police district , which has jurisdiction in the case . The hearing was postponed several times throughout the day . Officials were waiting for a prosecutor from a nearby district , causing the delay , Bernier said . The FBI was not directly involved in the investigation Monday , said FBI Agent Harry Rodriguez of the San Juan office . '' The FBI is monitoring this investigation by police in Puerto Rico , '' Rodriguez said . `` Any assistance that the police requests or requires , we would be more than happy to provide . '' Puerto Rican authorities may ask for help with forensics or other advanced investigative tools the FBI could provide , Rodriguez said . The U.S. attorney 's office , in consultation with local officials and other agencies , would determine if the slaying was a hate crime , which is a federal offense . `` It 's at a very preliminary stage , '' said Lymarie Llovet , a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney 's office in San Juan , Puerto Rico 's capital . Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory , which means federal agencies have jurisdiction . `` There 's the potential for a federal investigation , '' Rodriguez said . The suspect was arrested Monday around 11:30 p.m. AST -LRB- 10:30 p.m. ET -RRB- at his home in the Mogote de Cayey neighborhood , said Wilson Porrata Mariani , another spokesman for the Guayama police district . Police impounded two cars and also are investigating a home in another neighborhood , Huertas del Barrio Beatriz de Cidra . Lopez Mercado 's body was found on Puerto Rico Road 184 in another part of town , Barrio Guavate de Cayey , police said . The slaying has reverberated throughout the gay and lesbian community in the United States , where supporters started a Facebook page called `` Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate Crimes . '' The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution of the slaying under the Federal Hate Crimes Law . The law was enacted in 1969 to guard the rights of U.S. citizens engaged in any of six protected activities , such as voting , going to school , applying for a job or attending a public venue . Last month , President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. . Hate Crimes Prevention Act , which extends federal protection against illegal acts motivated by a person 's actual or perceived gender , sexual orientation , gender identity or disability . Gay activist Serrano said he does not believe anti-gay sentiment is any stronger in Puerto Rico 's Latin culture than anywhere else . `` That 's a long-debunked myth , that our culture is more homophobic , '' Serrano said . Instead , he attributed any ill will toward gays to `` hate rhetoric '' by some religious and political leaders . One politician , he said , recently referred to gays as `` twisted and mentally ill . '' `` That 's the kind of rhetoric that incites violence against gays , '' Serrano said . Equality Forum , an international gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender rights organization , asked for a federal investigation . `` Equality Forum calls on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate , '' said former federal prosecutor Malcolm Lazin , the group 's executive director . `` The Matthew Shepard Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder . '' Serrano said Lopez Mercado was a `` very , very dear friend '' he had met through a mutual acquaintance . `` Jorge was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with , '' Serrano said . Lopez Mercado often volunteered for gay causes , Serrano said . The teen 's family is coping , considering the circumstances . `` It has been horrible , but they are very grateful that it has come to a quick resolution , '' Serrano said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan , General Stanley McChrystal , expressed regret Monday after more than two dozen civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike . Twenty-seven civilians died and 14 others were wounded in the incident Sunday in the central Daikondi province , according to the Afghan Interior Ministry . Ground forces at the scene found women and children among the casualties , the Afghan government and NATO 's International Security Assistance Force -LRB- ISAF -RRB- said in a joint statement . The U.S military told CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr they `` accept '' the Afghan government 's death toll . ISAF said it had ordered an immediate investigation into the incident , while the Afghan cabinet called the attack `` unjustifiable . '' `` We are extremely saddened by the tragic loss of innocent lives , '' said McChrystal , who spoke to President Hamid Karzai Sunday evening to express his sorrow and regret over the incident . `` I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people , and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission . We will re-double our efforts to regain that trust . '' Commanders ordered the daylight NATO airstrike because they had specific intelligence that a group of Taliban in vehicles was heading towards coalition forces on the ground , according to a senior U.S. military official . `` Air assets picked up the movement of the vehicles and after an extensive overhead monitoring , the ground force commander ordered the strike , '' said the official , who declined to be identified because of ongoing investigations . The source would not discuss what activities the convoy took that led to suspicions it contained insurgents other than its location . The convoy of three vehicles was traveling to Kandahar province when it was struck , said Zemeri Bashary , the spokesman for the interior ministry . NATO confirmed its forces fired on the vehicles , believing that they were carrying insurgents . In a statement published in Pashtun and Dari , the Afghan cabinet said it condemned `` the repeated killing of civilians by NATO . '' An English version of the statement did not include that sentence . Civilian casualties at the hands of U.S. and NATO troops have strained relations between Afghanistan and the United States . In the last two weeks alone , more than 50 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed in more than half a dozen U.S. and NATO military operations . The coalition is also investigating reports that several Afghan policemen were accidentally killed in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan on February 18 . McChrystal has made avoiding civilian casualties a top priority , and he has apologized to the Afghan government for recent incidents . The numbers have dropped in recent months since McChrystal took over as U.S. commander . The U.S. military official said McChrystal is updating a directive issued to troops last summer aimed at reducing civilian casualties . The official said the intent now is to `` make it more precise and understandable by the most junior member of the force . '' Some forces have complained the directive has led to overly restrictive rules on conducting operations . Meanwhile , an influential Afghan tribal leader was among 14 people killed in a suicide attack on a meeting of tribal elders on Monday in Nangarhar province 's Khogyani district , Afghan police said according to Agence France-Presse . Haji Zaman Ghamsharik was credited with bringing relative stability to Nangarhar compared to other provinces in Afghanistan 's volatile eastern border region . Elsewhere , an insurgent rocket struck a car in Kapisa province Monday and killed one civilian , officials said . Five others were wounded in the attack . Earlier , Afghan officials had blamed the attack on a NATO ground-to-ground missile but later corrected the account . CNN 's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Edwin van der Sar claimed the all-time British record for minutes without conceding a goal during Manchester United 's 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday . Triumphant : Edwin van der Sar holds the British goalkeeping record for most time without conceding . The Dutch veteran also took the 30-year-old English record from Steve Death last week . Death 's name , with all due respect to the former Reading custodian , is not up there with the game 's greats . So who is in Van der Sar 's league as football 's finest shot-stoppers , the men who rarely get the credit but often cop the flak ? Here , Football Fanzone presents a run down of the best goalkeepers in history . Read through our picks and tell us if you disagree or if we 've missed anyone in the Sound Off box below . What do you think of van der Sar 's inclusion ? Lev Yashin -LRB- USSR -RRB- Yahsin is the only goalkeeper ever to be named European Footballer of the Year , in 1963 . Dubbed the Black Spider for his all-black outfit and what seemed like eight limbs , the Russian even invented the concept of the keeper as sweeper . In the days when keepers were not protected by referees as they are today , Yashin 's bravery and acrobatics were legendary and 207 clean sheets and 150 penalties saves he made in a 22-year career tell their own story . The best keeper at each World Cup is presented with the Yashin Award . Dino Zoff -LRB- Italy -RRB- Zoff is one of just two goalkeepers to lift the World Cup having captained Italy to their third crown in 1982 . He was already 40 then , making him the oldest World Cup-winning captain too . But the unflappable Zoff 's achievements do n't end there : he holds the record for the longest playing time without conceding in international tournaments -LRB- 1,142 minutes -RRB- set between 1972 and 1974 . And with 112 caps , he ranks third in the Azzurri 's all-time list . A true great . Gordon Banks -LRB- England -RRB- `` What a save , '' so the commentary runs to the finest piece of goalkeeping ever and one of football 's most memorable moments . Pele was certain he 'd scored after meeting Jairzinho 's center , heading powerfully down into the left-hand corner of the net in Brazil 's 1-0 1970 World Cup group win over England . But somehow Banks scrambled across , miraculously diving to push the ball up over the bar . Banks might have been immortalized by that stop , but his absence through illness from England 's subsequent quarter-final against West Germany was perhaps more telling when his replacement Peter Bonetti was made a scapegoat for the defending champions ' defeat . Peter Schmeichel -LRB- Denmark -RRB- Schmeichel will go down as Sir Alex Ferguson 's best signing for Manchester United , certainly pound-for-pound . Bought for just $ 750,000 in 1991 , the imposing Schmeichel would provide United everything a world-class goalkeeper requires -- including the ability to launch a swift counter-attack . He won Euro 92 with Denmark and the Treble with United in 1999 , while 13 career goals are not to be sniffed at either . He played on a season too long , maybe , but on his day there were few better . Edwin van der Sar -LRB- Holland -RRB- At 38 , the rangy Van der Sar is in the very twilight of his career -- but what a career it 's been . The man from Voorhout holds the record number of caps for Holland , he 's won the Champions League twice and is on course to win a third Premier League title in a row with Manchester United this season . All of which makes you wonder how come he spent so long at Fulham ? United fans would love to have had Van der Sar way before 2005 ; he has proved to be the definitive Schmeichel replacement . Iker Casillas -LRB- Spain -RRB- It 's easy to take Casillas ' brilliance for granted , but stand back and look at his career and it 's clear he 's already one of the greats . Real Madrid have always been able to lure the best , yet they 've had the agile Casillas as their number-one No. 1 since 1999 -- when he was still a teenager . Still only 27 , Casillas is contracted to the club until 2017 . He 's already won two Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles . At international level he came into his own during 2008 by captaining Spain to the European Championship , becoming the first goalkeeper to do so . Ricardo Zamora 's legacy is safe hands . Pat Jennings -LRB- Northern Ireland -RRB- Jennings was a late starter in the position and famously had no official coaching . His international career spanned a record-breaking six World Cups -LRB- including qualifying campaigns -RRB- across 22 years . By the time he came out of retirement to play for Northern Ireland at Mexico 1986 , Jennings was 41 and ended the tournament with 119 caps . He played more than 1,000 games , including crossing the bitter north London divide by playing for Tottenham and Arsenal . The unflappable Jennings ' enormous hands were his trademark and the curse of many an attacker . Gianluigi Buffon -LRB- Italy -RRB- Buffon vies with Casillas and the Czech Republic 's Petr Cech to be considered the best goalkeeper around at the moment , but in a country with a long tradition of high-quality No. 1s Buffon is up there with the very best . Winning the 2006 Yashin Award was the perfect riposte to his critics after Juventus ' dramatic fall from grace owing to match-fixing . Buffon , an imposing figure with no obvious weaknesses , stayed loyal to the Old Lady , who made him the world 's most expensive goalkeeper in 2001 when they paid Parma $ 46.2 m for him . He 's been worth every cent . Jose Luis Chilavert -LRB- Paraguay -RRB- If there 's one thing a goalkeeper is not expected to do -- other than to make a mistake -- it 's score a goal . Given Chilavert netted no fewer than 62 times in his career , including eight for his country , it seems only fair he should be included on this list . Brazil 's Rogerio Ceni may have outscored him and Rene Higuita of Colombia might have out-done him on the chutzpah front , but Chilavert 's pioneering free-kicks and penalties have made him a legend . Mohamed Al-Deayea -LRB- Saudi Arabia -RRB- Goalkeepers are known for their longevity and ability to perform into their 40s . That makes Al-Deayea a relative youngster at just 36 , but the Saudi Arabian holds the world record for the most number of international appearances . Over a 16-year career for the Middle Eastern country , Al-Deayea racked up a scarcely believable 181 caps . . Having started his career playing handball , Al-Deayea went on to play in three World Cups -- and was even on the receiving end of an 8-0 thumping by eventual finalists Germany at the 2002 tournament . Guillermo Ochoa -LRB- Mexico -RRB- This one is from the left-field and a little premature for a list containing the best goalkeepers of all time . But much is expected of Ochoa , Mexico 's up-and-coming talent . He 's already been linked with a move to Manchester United and he is on the radar of a number of Europe 's top clubs . Reliant on his amazing reflexes , Ochoa is one of the best shot-stoppers out there and great at on-the-spot improvised saves . Ochoa 's already established in the Mexico set-up and is already such a big star already that the American release of the FIFA 09 video game featured him on the front cover . Definitely one to watch .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration said Iran has been `` saber-rattling '' over its threat to block the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and renewed its vow Thursday to keep the corridor open . But the Islamic republic 's military underscored its intention Thursday to undertake whatever military maneuvers it sees fit on the waterway . This is the latest in the recent war of words between the United States and Iran over the strait . It started when Tehran 's vice president this week warned that the country could block the strait if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil . The U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain countered that `` any disruption will not be tolerated . '' The shipping channel leads in and out of the Persian Gulf between Iran on one coast and Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the other . It is strategically important because tankers carrying oil travel through it . An Obama administration official , speaking on background because of the sensitivity of the issue , said the government has been `` committed to Gulf security for decades and it should come as no surprise to anyone that we 'll do what we must to ensure the strait remains open . '' Iranian Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami , deputy commander of Iran 's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps , said his country `` asks for no other country 's permission for the implementation of its defense strategies , '' state-run Press TV reported on Thursday . On Wednesday , Iran 's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said , `` Iran has total control over the strategic water way , '' adding that , `` Closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces . '' The vice president , Mohammad Reza Rahimi , issued his threat on Tuesday . `` Iran has repeatedly warned that in the event of a military attack on the country , it will not hesitate in taking all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty one of which would be to close the strategic oil passage , '' Press TV said in its report . The administration official stressed that `` the saber-rattling is really all on the Iranian side . '' Iran has been holding a 10-day military exercise in an area from the eastern part of the strait out into the Arabian Sea . Western diplomats describe the maneuvers as further evidence of Iran 's volatile behavior . France , Britain and Germany have proposed sanctions to punish Iran 's lack of cooperation on its nuclear program . Western powers believe Iran is intent on building nuclear weapons , but Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes . Physically closing the strait would require means that likely are not available to Iran , said Professor Jean-Paul Rodrigue of Hofstra University . `` At best , Iran can posture and potentially disrupt traffic for a short duration , '' said Rodrigue , who specializes in global trade and maritime transportation issues . Rodrigue told CNN that any move by Iran to close the strait would be `` suicidal '' to the current regime . In 2009 , 15 million barrels of oil passed through the strait every day , according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration . `` Keep in mind that countries such as China and Japan are more dependent on Persian Gulf oil than the United States , '' the professor said . About 18 % of U.S. net petroleum imports come from the Persian Gulf region , while Canada provides 25 % , according to Rodrigue . The scholar , who has written extensively about oil `` chokepoints , '' said there are no other means to move large quantities of oil over long distance than by maritime transportation . `` It is thus an international issue where the United States , for strategic and historical reasons , is spearheading its security , '' Rodrigue said . CNN 's Phil Gast and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The torch for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was lit in a ceremony at the ancient Greek site of Olympia on Thursday , less than four months ahead of the games ' opening ceremony . Actress Maria Nafpliotou , as a high priestess , lights the flame for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Thursday . The torch will be carried on an eight-day trip through Greece , the birthplace of the Olympics , before being transported to Canada for what will be the longest domestic torch relay in the games ' history , officials said . Women dressed in white togas performed a ceremony on the green hillside at Olympia , the home of the Olympic flame and the place where the ancient Olympics took place . A woman playing the role of a high priestess lit the flame by sunlight focused on a mirror , the only way by tradition it can be lit . That fire then was used to light the Vancouver Olympic Torch , which Greek skier and three-time Olympian Vassilis Dimitriadis then carried on the first leg of its journey through Greece . `` The Olympic torch and flame are the symbols of the values and ideals which lie at the heart of the Olympic Games , '' International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said before the ceremony . The torch will carry a message of peace throughout the world , he said -- words echoed by Vancouver 2010 Chief Executive John Furlong . `` Today we build a bridge between ancient Olympia and young Canada , '' he said . `` Canada is a country with a welcoming spirit and a glowing heart . ... We will do all we can to be a shining example of the ideas and values that were first kindled here in this hallowed place . '' After its 1,351-mile -LRB- 2,180-kilometer -RRB- trip through Greece , the torch will be taken to Canada . On October 30 , the first of 12,000 torchbearers will begin carrying it through Canada on what will be a 106-day , 27,900-mile -LRB- 45,000-kilometer -RRB- relay . `` It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history , just to be sure every Canadian will be given the right to dream and celebrate , '' Furlong said . The torch relay is derived from ancient rituals in Olympia , where torch and relay races were popular festival events and where heralds traveled throughout Greece to announce the games . The torch for the 2010 Winter Games was designed by transportation and aerospace company Bombardier , a Vancouver Olympic sponsor . The lean curves of the white torch were inspired by the lines carved in the snow by winter sports and by the `` undulating beauty of the Canadian landscape , '' the company said . The torch 's special construction will allow it to burn through a range of winter weather , including snow , rain , sleet , wind and subzero temperatures , Bombardier said . It weighs 3.5 pounds -LRB- 1.6 kilograms -RRB- fully fueled , the company said . The flame is due to arrive in Vancouver , British Columbia , on February 12 when the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Games will be held at the domed BC Place Stadium .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Washington police told the mother of slain congressional intern Chandra Levy that an arrest is imminent in her daughter 's 2001 death , Susan Levy told CNN on Saturday . Washington intern Chandra Levy 's body was found a year after she disappeared in 2001 . `` I got a call from the Washington police department , just to give me a heads up that there 's a warrant out for the arrest , '' Levy said . Police Chief Cathy Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department did not reveal the suspect 's name when she contacted the parents on Friday , Levy said . She said police told her they have `` enough evidence to convict somebody . '' A source close to the investigation told CNN the suspect was Ingmar Guandique , who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two assaults in Washington 's Rock Creek Park that occurred around the time of Levy 's disappearance . Levy 's remains were found in the park . View a timeline of her disappearance \u00c2 '' The source would not speak on the record because the investigation is ongoing and the arrest warrant had not been finalized . A California native working as an intern for the Federal Bureau of Prisons , Levy , 24 , disappeared May 1 , 2001 . Her remains were found in May 2002 by a man walking his dog in a remote area of the park . The source said authorities are working to finalize the arrest warrant . Asked about reports that Guandique , a laborer from El Salvador , told a fellow inmate he killed Levy , the source said Guandique `` was running his mouth . '' Guandique has been imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution - Victorville , a medium-security facility north of San Bernardino , California , an official there confirmed to CNN on Saturday . Watch CNN 's Mike Brooks discuss Guandique 's background \u00c2 '' He has denied any involvement in her death , the Washington Post reported Saturday . Guandique was mentioned last year in a Washington Post article about the killing . `` It 's a bittersweet situation for me as the mother of a daughter who is no longer here . I want justice . I want to know that the person who did it is in jail and will not do it to anybody else , '' Levy said . `` Every day the elephant is there . Every day you get a knot in your stomach . It does n't go away . It 's a life sentence for the families and relatives that miss their loved ones . We have a life sentence of hurt . '' Referring to the impending arrest , Chandra 's father told CNN affiliate KXTV that Lanier did n't say when an announcement would be made , but `` she said it would be really soon . '' `` She did n't say the name yet , but we think we know who it is . I do n't want to say until it 's official , though , '' the father said . The search for Levy and massive publicity that accompanied it stemmed largely from her connection to Rep. Gary Condit , D-California . Condit and Levy , who was from Condit 's district , had an affair , and police questioned Condit many times in connection with her disappearance . Police never named Condit as a suspect . Condit , a member of Congress since 1989 , lost the 2002 Democratic primary and left office at the end of his term . He later reportedly moved to Arizona . `` For the Levy family , we are glad they are finally getting the answers they deserve . For my family , I am glad that their years of standing together in the face of such adversity have finally led to the truth , '' Condit told WJLA on Saturday . Condit 's lawyer , Abbe Lowell , blamed police and media attention on Condit for delays in the arrest . Police never named him as a suspect . `` It is a tragedy that the police and media obsession with former Congressman Condit delayed this result for eight years , and caused needless pain and harm to the families involved , '' Lowell said . `` This should give the Levys the answer and closure they deserve , and remove the unfair cloud that has hung over the Condits for too long . '' CNN 's Carol Cratty , Karen Zuker , Justine Redman and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WICHITA , Kansas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An anti-abortion activist suspected in the death of Kansas doctor George Tiller told CNN on Tuesday the closing of Tiller 's women 's clinic is `` a victory for all the unborn children . '' Scott Roeder , charged in the death of Dr. George Tiller , spoke to CNN on Tuesday . Scott Roeder , 51 , would not admit to CNN 's Ted Rowlands that he killed Tiller , who was gunned down at his church May 31 . But he said if he is convicted in Tiller 's slaying , `` the entire motive was the defense of the unborn . '' Tiller 's family said Tuesday the clinic he headed will permanently close , effective immediately , and they would issue no more statements . At the time Roeder was interviewed Tuesday , word of the permanent closure had not come out -- but when told the clinic had been shuttered since Tiller 's death , he said , `` Good . '' Roeder said the closure would mean `` no more slicing and dicing of the unborn child in the mother 's womb and no more needles of poison into the baby 's heart to stop the heart from beating , and no more partial-birth abortions . '' Watch Rowlands describe Roeder 's mood during interview '' Dan Monnat , Tiller 's attorney , declined to respond to Roeder 's comments on the family 's behalf . But in an e-mail , he added , `` Speaking for myself ... I am reluctant to in any way legitimize Mr. Roeder , or anything he stands for , by directly responding to his statements . `` I am content to let law enforcement determine whether anything he says merits attention . I do not encourage anyone else to give Mr. Roeder or his extremist views any additional attention as he awaits trial , '' Monnat wrote . Tiller , 67 , was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions . He had already survived one attempt on his life before he was slain , and the announcement by Tiller 's family dismayed supporters of abortion rights . Nancy Keenan , the president of Washington-based NARAL Pro-Choice America , called Tiller 's killing `` part of an ongoing pattern of extreme anti-choice violence and intimidation '' aimed at depriving women of a legal medical option . `` It is a sad day for our country when family members who stood by their husband and father as he endured countless anti-choice attacks are forced as a result of his murder to make a decision like this one , '' Keenan said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon . Nancy Northup , president of the Center for Reproductive Rights , expressed hope that other doctors `` will be brave enough to come forward and continue Dr. Tiller 's critical work of providing services to women . '' `` It is unacceptable that anti-abortion intimidation and violence has led to the closing of Dr. Tiller 's clinic . It illustrates the ongoing harassment endured by abortion providers and the resulting disservice to women across this country , '' Northup said . Roeder is jailed on first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in Tiller 's death . A Kansas judge earlier this month set his bail at $ 5 million . Tiller 's family said Tuesday it is `` proud of the service and courage shown by our husband and father , '' and that it would honor his memory `` through private charitable activities . '' The statement promised his patients `` that the privacy of their medical histories and patient records will remain as fiercely protected now and in the future as they were during Dr. Tiller 's lifetime . '' Peter Brownlie , president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri , said he and his staff `` fully respect and understand '' the family 's decision . `` Their loss is immense -- they have lost a husband , father , grandfather and hero , '' Brownlie said in a statement . But the closure of Tiller 's clinic `` creates a significant gap in access for women and families in Kansas , '' he continued . `` No one is providing that service between Kansas City and Denver . '' Most of the leading U.S. anti-abortion groups have condemned Tiller 's killing and disavowed Roeder , saying they wanted Tiller 's clinic shut down , but through peaceful means . Troy Newman , the president of one of those organizations , Operation Rescue , said in a statement on the group 's Web site Tuesday that his group is `` thankful that Tiller 's clinic will not reopen and thankful that Wichita is now abortion-free . '' But he added , `` This is a bittersweet moment for us at Operation Rescue . We have worked very hard for this day , but we wish it would have come through the peaceful , legal channels we were pursuing . '' Operation Rescue and other Kansas anti-abortion activists had supported a criminal investigation by former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline , a petition drive to empanel a special grand jury to investigate the practice and efforts to get his medical license revoked . On its Web site , the group referred to Tiller as a `` monster '' who had `` been able to get away with murder . '' But in a New York Times interview last week , Newman said closing the clinic because of the shooting would be cause for concern . `` Good God , do not close this abortion clinic for this reason , '' he said . `` Every kook in the world will get some notion . '' Roeder met with Rowlands for a half-hour Tuesday , talking on a phone through security glass at the Sedgwick County jail where he is being held . He initially was reluctant to talk , as he said he had been misquoted in another interview . But he gradually opened up , noting that he was giving the interview against the advice of his defense attorney . Roeder told CNN he is `` feeling good , '' and getting encouraging letters from people around the country , many of whom he does not know . But he complained about conditions in the jail , saying he does n't like being in solitary confinement and that the jail is `` freezing . '' Associates have told CNN that Roeder was a regular among the protesters who routinely gathered at Tiller 's clinic . Roeder 's former roommate , Eddie Ebecher , has told CNN Roeder was `` obsessed '' with Tiller and in the past had debated whether to kill him . Relatives said Roeder had suffered from mental illness over the years and had refused treatment at times . He served prison time in Kansas in the late 1990s after being arrested with explosives in his car , but his conviction was overturned on appeal . But Roeder said Tuesday that reports he has mental illness or schizophrenia are `` totally wrong . '' He acknowledged having a drug problem at one point , but said he has been off drugs since he was 28 years old and has no mental illness . Rowlands said he attempted to discuss Tiller 's death with Roeder , pointing out that there were witnesses to the shooting and its aftermath who claim they saw Roeder leaving the scene and got a license plate from the car . Roeder nodded , Rowlands said , but still would not admit any culpability . But `` He did n't say , ' I did n't do it , ' '' Rowlands said . `` He did n't say , ` Get me out of here , I 'm the wrong guy . ' '' Federal civil rights prosecutors have launched an investigation into Tiller 's slaying , the Justice Department has said . The inquiry will focus on violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and other applicable federal laws . Roeder was concerned about the possibility of federal charges , saying his lawyer has warned him that he will be facing them if he does n't stop talking . CNN 's Michael Cary contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Presidential candidates have been wooing voters in Iowa for months , but who wins Thursday may simply come down to where the caucus-goers live , where they meet and the weather . Iowa is a mixed bag politically , and one of the most evenly divided states in the nation . But the candidates will likely watch two regions more closely than others . The central part of the state -- including industrial Des Moines -- is Iowa 's most Democratic area . Western Iowa , on the other hand , is home to the most Republicans -- especially the rural counties in the northwest . The Mississippi River city of Davenport is expected to be one of the most significant battlegrounds , with Linn County -- dominated by the university town of Cedar Rapids -- also attracting lots of attention from both parties . Past Iowa caucuses have been nail-biters for the candidates . Democrat Al Gore won the state by a margin of just 0.3 percent in 2000 , while President Bush carried it in 2004 by 0.7 percent . In fact , Bush was the first GOP presidential candidate to carry Iowa in 20 years . Important endorsement The support of Iowa 's largest newspaper , the Des Moines Register , may also play a role in Thursday 's caucuses . The paper 's presidential endorsements began in 1988 and have become a highly sought-after prize in Iowa presidential politics . George W. Bush was the Register 's pick in 2000 and went on to win Iowa , the GOP nomination and the White House . Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole won the state in 1996 and 1988 after receiving the paper 's support . Democratic candidates have n't had as much success with the Register 's endorsement . John Edwards finished in second place in Iowa in 2004 , while Paul Simon was also a close second in 1988 . The paper endorsed Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton for their respective parties ' nominations . The candidates have to appeal to voters with strong opinions . On the Republican side , 37 percent of participants in the 2000 Iowa GOP caucuses identified themselves as members of the religious right and 73 percent described themselves as conservatives . Meanwhile , 56 percent of the participants in Iowa 's 2004 Democratic caucuses described themselves as either very or somewhat liberal . About 37 percent said they were moderates . The weather Iowans who take part in the caucuses must traditionally brave freezing temperatures and lots of snow . Presidential candidates know bad weather may affect how many people turn out , but 1972 was the only time rough winter conditions played a role in the caucuses , according to Drake University 's Hugh Winebrenner -- the nation 's leading expert on Iowa caucus history . Caucus-goers that year encountered heavy snowdrifts from a blizzard the previous day . Temperatures dipped below zero across most of the state . The weather forced about one-fourth of Iowa 's 99 counties to postpone their Democratic caucuses up to two days after the scheduled date . The forecast for Thursday is much better . Temperatures will be in the 20s during the day and dip just below that as the caucuses begin , according to the Des Moines Register . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"MOGADISHU , Somalia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ethiopian troops have not yet begun to withdraw from key positions in the capital of Somalia two days after they were supposed to do so under a peace agreement designed to end years of conflict . Ethiopian troops are yet to leave the Somlai capital despite a peace agreement . The Ethiopians had agreed to withdraw from some bases by Friday under an agreement signed last month by the Somali transitional government and a rebel faction known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia . Ethiopia invaded Somalia two years ago to expel Islamic forces who had conquered Mogadishu . Under the deal signed October 26 , a cease-fire between the transitional government and the ARS went into effect November 5 . The Ethiopians were to withdraw from from key positions in the capital on November 21 , and leave the country entirely early in 2009 . Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has said that Ethiopian troops will withdraw as agreed . Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed , a moderate leader of the rebel ARS , told the local radio station Shabelle Saturday that the Ethiopian troops would pull out on schedule . Insurgents clashed with Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies Friday , witnesses said , leaving at least 11 fighters dead . The fighting started when armed insurgent fighters attacked the house of a local commissioner in Mogadishu 's Wadajir district , sparking heavy fighting between the government troops guarding the house and the insurgents . `` I saw 11 men wearing red turbans on the heads dead on the ground , '' local resident Mohamed Haji Ali told CNN by phone from a house near where the clashes took place . Other residents provided a similar death toll . The commissioner whose house was attacked , Ahmed Da 'd , said that his soldiers killed 17 insurgents . He displayed what he said were some of the dead insurgents for the media . It is not clear what will happen if the Ethiopian troops remain in Mogadishu despite the October 26 peace deal . Under that agreement , government and opposition members will form a 10,000-member joint police force to keep order , along with the African Union peacekeeping mission now in place and a U.N. force to be deployed later . Both sides will work toward establishing a unity government in Somalia , which has been riven by 17 years of strife since the collapse of its last fully functional government . Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to install the transitional government in Mogadishu after a decade and a half of near-anarchy . The invasion had the blessing of the United States , which accused the Islamic Courts Union -- which captured Mogadishu earlier that year -- of harboring fugitives from al Qaeda . The Islamists responded with a guerrilla campaign against government and Ethiopian troops . Efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered as the violence worsened , and heavy fighting in Mogadishu and other cities drove hundreds of thousands from their homes . The lawlessness also spilled on to the seas off the Horn of Africa , where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms . Journalist Abdinasir Mohamed Guled and CNN 's Mohammed Amiin and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Diprivan is a powerful I.V. anesthetic drug used for patients undergoing certain surgeries and diagnostic procedures . Patients undergoing surgery may receive Diprivan to keep them sedated during the procedure . The drug is making headlines with the claim from a nurse who worked for pop icon Michael Jackson that the singer , who died June 25 , had repeatedly asked her about the drug . Nurse Cherilyn Lee told CNN that Jackson had brought up Diprivan about three months ago , saying he needed it for insomnia and that his doctor said it was safe . `` He said , ' I am so sleepy . I can not sleep . I want to have at least eight hours of sleep , ' '' Lee told CNN 's Anderson Cooper . The medication , whose generic name is propofol , renders the patient unconscious for as long as doctors deem necessary . The patient wakes up almost immediately after the infusion is stopped , experts say . But treating sleep disorders is not an approved use of the drug . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says Diprivan should be given only by people trained in the administration of general anesthesia and who are not involved in the conduct of the surgery or diagnostic procedure . Watch Dr. Gupta explain when and how propofol -LRB- Diprivan -RRB- is used '' The general anesthetic has the effect of making patients feel well-rested when they wake up from it , said Dr. Hector Vila , chairman of the Ambulatory Surgery Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists . Vila gives the drug to all of his patients who are getting office procedures in areas such as urology , dentistry and gynecology . It is also the most common anesthetic for colonoscopies , he said . `` I have never heard of anyone using it for the treatment of a sleep disorder , '' he said . There have been cases of health care professionals self-administering the drug and abusing it , however , said Vila , who has examined deaths from Diprivan in Florida . Other deaths from the drug have occurred when administered by non-anesthetist professionals , in settings such as ophthalmology , gynecology and plastic surgery , he said . Diprivan appears white and milky , and is usually run as an I.V. drip . In addition to surgical applications , it can be used in the intensive care unit for someone who may be intubated on a ventilator . The drug itself does not provide pain relief , experts say . The principle risks of Diprivan come from improper monitoring of the patient 's breathing , Vila said . When a person 's breathing slows down , not enough carbon dioxide gets removed from the body , and not enough oxygen enters . This could lead to cardiac arrest , he said . Still , when used properly , Diprivan is not a dangerous drug , he said . `` It 's very safe in a properly trained physician 's hands . '' The drug has been used in the past to treat prolonged epileptic seizures . A small MayoClinic study in 2008 found that Diprivan was associated with a higher risk of cardiac arrest and deaths in patients with a condition called refractory status epilepticus . Side effects of Diprivan may include dizziness and lightheadedness . Balance , coordination and judgment may be affected for up to 24 hours , so patients should not drive cars , play sports or sign contracts in that period , Vila said . Patients may also experience a euphoric feeling upon waking up , Vila said . This is distinct from older anesthetics , which caused nausea and vomiting , he said . The FDA also issued a warning to health care professionals in 2007 about patients who experienced chills , fever and body aches shortly after receiving the drug for sedation or general anesthesia . Doctors consider sedation a continuum , where relaxation is on the mild side and general anesthesia is at the other extreme . There may be complications of Diprivan if the patient is also taking prescription pain medications , experts say . Patients should tell their health care providers about any allergies they have before taking this drug , doctors say , including eggs , soy products , sulfite , benzyl alcohol and any medications . CNN 's Stephanie Smith contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mother of Lisa Irwin , an 11-month old Missouri girl missing for nearly two weeks , said in an interview she was drunk the night the infant disappeared . Deborah Bradley made the admission during an NBC interview , portions of which were aired Monday on `` Today . '' She also said she last saw Lisa at 6:40 p.m. October 3 , when she put the girl to bed , not at 10:30 p.m. , as initially believed . Lisa was reported missing at 4 a.m. October 4 , after Lisa 's father , Jeremy Irwin , came home from work to find the door unlocked , lights on and a window that had been tampered with at the family 's Kansas City home . Bradley told NBC she is afraid she will be arrested . Police have accused her of killing Lisa , she said , and told her that she failed a lie detector test , with deception indicated when she was asked where Lisa was . `` I was the last one with her , '' a tearful Bradley said in the interview . `` And from judging on how the questioning went , that 's kind of a fear that I have . And the main fear with that is , if they arrest me , people are going to stop looking for her . And then I 'll never see her again , and I 'll never know what happened . '' Asked how much she had been drinking that night , Bradley said , `` enough to be drunk . '' But she rejected the notion that she could have harmed her daughter while under the influence of alcohol . `` No , no , no , '' she told NBC . `` And if I thought there was a chance , I 'd say it . No . No . I do n't think alcohol changes a person enough to do something like that . '' She said it 's `` terrible '' that police may be focusing on her . `` My daughter is missing , '' she said . `` The last thing that I want to have to worry about is something like that . I should n't have to put any energy , any time or effort , into anything but finding her . '' Asked whether he had questions about Bradley , Irwin told NBC , `` No . There 's no question to be had there . I know who she is . I know the kind of mother she is . '' He said it 's possible someone could have entered the house without Bradley hearing , as the couple 's bedroom is on the opposite corner of the house from Lisa 's room and Bradley sleeps with a fan at high speed . Police have said three cell phones were also missing from the home along with Lisa . On Sunday , Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the one-day deployment of 25 National Guardsmen to help search for Lisa . Two anonymous benefactors have offered a $ 100,000 reward for Lisa 's safe return , according to Bill Stanton , a private investigator working with the family . Irwin and Bradley told NBC they have refused to let authorities re-interview Lisa 's older brothers . `` They said they heard noises -LRB- the night Lisa disappeared -RRB- , '' Bradley said . `` I do n't know if that was before we went to sleep or after . '' She said she has not talked to her sons about it because she is reluctant to put them through `` anything else . '' Asked what she would say to someone who might be holding Lisa , Bradley told NBC , `` She needs her family , and we need her . We 're losing more sanity as each day progresses . '' Lisa is described as being 30 inches tall with blue eyes and blond hair , according to police . She weighs between 26 and 30 pounds and was last seen wearing purple shorts and a purple shirt with white kittens on it . The missing girl has two bottom teeth and a `` beauty mark '' on her right outer thigh , police said . At the time of her disappearance , she had a cold with a cough .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Traveller -RRB- -- Natural beauty , outdoor living and fine dining -- Wendy Saunt crams one week 's activities into one memorable day . Sydney 's Opera House is recognized instantly the world over , but there are plenty of hidden gems to be found . 08.00 : Chinese food for breakfast might seem like something you would only do with a hangover , but yum cha -- think Chinese tapas on trolleys -- is a Sydney tradition . Head down to China Town in Haymarket and take your pick -- East Ocean -LRB- 421-429 Sussex Street -RRB- is a favorite with Sydneysiders . 09.00 : Walk off your breakfast with some shopping . You will see many international designers and a plethora of great home-grown ones too , from Sass & Bide to Collette Dinnigan . Sieve through the grand Queen Victoria Building -LRB- known as the QVB -RRB- and David Jones department store in town , then head east across Hyde Park -- stopping off at the art deco Anzac war memorial - -- towards Oxford Street , where there are some great boutiques . Sydney is also a good place to buy opals and pearls . 11.30 : Continue east to the chi-chi ` old Sydney ' suburbs of Paddington and Woollahra , where you will find some of the city 's most beautiful architecture . Here the wrought iron balconies and the palm trees of the Victorian terrace houses lend the city a seductive , New Orleans feel . Stop for a coffee in one of the many fine coffee houses , then make your way up back up to Oxford Street and jump on the number 380 bus to Bondi . 12.30 : For the best view of Bondi -- the quintessentialSydney beach -- get off the bus as it comes down the hill . From here , it is a short walk to Icebergs restaurant . From its vantage point on the coastal cliffs at the southern end -- overlooking the sweep of Bondi beach , the raging surf , and the gleaming white of the outdoor pool -- Icebergs is Sydney at its best . Tables at this renowned restaurant are hard to come by , so book ahead -LRB- www.idrb.com -RRB- . After lunch , do the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk , which traces three bays -- Clovelly , Tamarama and Gordon 's -LRB- a great snorkeling spot -RRB- -- and affords cliff-top views before finishing up , an hour or so later , at Coogee , a beach to the south . Once there , take your weary self down to Wylie 's Baths , an outdoor sea water pool that has not changed since its inception in 1907 , and get an al fresco massage -LRB- www.massagebythesea.com.au . From $ 25 -RRB- . 16.00 : The best way to see the city -- which is laid out along the contours of a vast and beautiful natural harbor -- is from the air . Depending on your budget , you can take in the views from Sydney Tower -LRB- 100 Market Street , $ 24.50 -RRB- , climb the Harbor Bridge -LRB- www.bridgeclimb.com , from $ 179 -RRB- , or charter a helicopter -LRB- www.sydneyhelicopters.com.au , from $ 180 -RRB- . If you want to see it from the ` ground ' , charter a yacht and join the harbor 's fray -LRB- www.eastsail.com.au , from $ 625 -RRB- . 18.00 : After a quick change , head down to Circular Quay for sun downers at the Opera Bar . With the Harbor Bridge to your left and the grand old Opera House to your right , it is easy to see why it is the place for evening drinks . House Brut is a steal at AUS$ 34 -LRB- $ 32 -RRB- ; the bucket-sized portions of fries a snip at AUS$ 7 -LRB- $ 6.50 -RRB- . Do not be late , though -- the view here at dusk is enough to make you want to stay in Sydney forever . 19.00 : While in the vicinity , see what is on at the Opera House -- there is a huge program , from world music to musicals too . -LRB- www.sydneyoperahouse.com -RRB- . If that is not your scene , it is still worth taking a tour of the iconic building -- the last one is at 5pm , though -LRB- $ 32 -RRB- . 21.00 : With Sydney famed for its cuisine , dining options are not in short supply . Billy Kwong 's is one of the city 's foremost places , dishing up vast portions of fresh , light and ever-so-tasty Chinese food in a tiny Shanghai tearoom-style restaurant -LRB- 355 Crown Street , Surry Hills -RRB- . For a taste of modern Australian , take a taxi to The Bathers ' Pavilion , a seafood restaurant in the western suburb of Balmoral -LRB- 4 The Esplanade , Balmoral Beach -RRB- . Finally , Tetsuya 's -- with its famed $ 195 10-course degustation menu -- is ranked by Restaurant magazine as the fourth best restaurant in the world -LRB- 529 Kent Street , Sydney -RRB- . To sit at its hallowed tables , you need to book several months -- possibly even a year -- in advance . 11.00 : Still standing ? Then hit the late-night bars . The Loft by the water -LRB- 3 Lime Street , Kings Street Wharf , Sydney -RRB- , Arthouse Hotel in the CBD -LRB- 275 Pitt Street , Sydney -RRB- , Ruby Rabbit in city 's clubbing district -LRB- 231 Oxford Street , Darlinghurst -RRB- and The Tilbury in one of Sydney 's smartest suburbs -LRB- 12 Nicholson Street , Woolloomooloo -RRB- are all good choices . And if you are at the latter , finish off your night with a pie at Harry 's Cafe de Wheels -LRB- Cowper Wharf Road -RRB- -- another Sydney institution . CLICK HERE to subscribe to CNN Traveller COPYRIGHT \u00a9 2008 INK PUBLISHING AND CABLE NEWS NETWORK , LP , LLLP , A TIME WARNER COMPANY . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Prince William has helped the U.S. Coast Guard bust a drug smuggling boat carrying cocaine worth a minimum of $ 80 million . Prince William has helped bust a speed boat smuggling $ 80 million worth of cocaine . William , who is serving in the Royal Navy , helped make the bust last weekend when he spotted a speedboat found to be carrying nearly a ton of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean , Britain 's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday . William , 26 , was one of the crew members aboard a helicopter attached to the frigate HMS Iron Duke who spotted the ocean-going speedboat hundreds of miles northeast of Barbados , the defense ministry said The 50-foot-long power boat raised suspicions because it was a small vessel far out to sea and resembled a `` go-fast '' boat commonly used for drug smuggling , the ministry said . The boat 's location suggested it was en route to Europe or North Africa , it said . The chopper 's crew informed the ship 's captain about the boat , and U.S. Coast Guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat . They found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms -LRB- just under a ton -RRB- , the defense ministry said . The cocaine has a minimum street value of $ 80 million , the ministry said . The bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . Navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . William is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the Royal Navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . The prince , who is called sub lieutenant Wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends August 1 . William 's vessel , the Iron Duke , is a patrol boat which supports overseas British territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations . William completed a four-month attachment with the Royal Air Force earlier this year and received his pilot 's wings on graduation in April . He learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as Flying Officer Wales within the RAF . William is already a second lieutenant in the British Army , where he serves in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry . The attachments are designed to give the prince , who as king will be the head of the armed forces , experience with the military .","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some of Zimbabwe 's children are `` wasting away '' as political turmoil and economic crisis have caused a severe food shortage , according to a report from Save the Children . Children sleep in rough conditions on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa . The number of acute child malnutrition cases has risen by almost two-thirds in the past year , the report from the UK-based agency said in its appeal to world donors for help . `` There is no excuse for failing to provide this food , '' program director Lynn Walker said . `` The innocent people of Zimbabwe should not be made to suffer for a political situation that is out of their control . '' Five million Zimbabweans -- out of a population of about 12 million -- are in need of food aid now , the report said . The group is appealing for 18,000 tons of food for next month . `` We have already been forced to reduce the rations of emergency food we are delivering because there is n't enough to go around , '' the report said . `` If , as we fear , the food aid pipeline into Zimbabwe begins to fail in the new year the millions of people who rely on emergency food aid will suffer . '' Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain 28 years ago . There is an acute shortage of all essentials such as cash , fuel , medical drugs , electricity and food . President Robert Mugabe blames the crisis on the sanctions imposed on him and his cronies by the West for allegedly disregarding human rights . But Mugabe 's critics attribute the crisis to his economic policies . As the economy has faltered for almost a decade now , a cholera epidemic is raging , fueled by the collapse of health , sanitation and water services in Zimbabwe . The epidemic has claimed more than 1,100 lives and infected more than 20,000 people since its outbreak in August . Health experts have warned that the water-borne disease could infect more than 60,000 unless its spread is halted . The political crisis rose to a boil in this year when the opposition party claimed that it won the presidential election , but Mugabe 's government refused to recognize the result . Instead , the race was thrown to a runoff , which was boycotted by the opposition . Mugabe signed an agreement with the opposition in September to form a unity government , but a bitter dispute over the division of cabinet seats has prevented its formation . Inflation is so severe that the government was forced to print $ 10 billion currency notes last week , with each expected to buy just 20 loaves of bread .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NBC host Jay Leno is going back to late nights after a low-rated experiment in prime time , the network announced Sunday . Leno 's prime-time talk show , which debuted in September , `` did n't meet affiliates ' needs , '' said Jeff Gaspin , chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment . The program will go off the air February 12 , when the 2010 Winter Olympics begin . The network is now negotiating with Leno and its current late-night hosts , Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon , to decide who ends up with which time slot , Gaspin said . O'Brien took over NBC 's flagship `` Tonight Show '' when Leno moved to the 10 p.m. slot in September . Fallon took over O'Brien 's former show , `` Late Night . '' Gaspin said the plan now is for Leno to host a new , half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. ET , followed by `` Tonight '' with O'Brien at 12:05 a.m. Fallon 's show would move to the 1 a.m. hour , he said . Do you think NBC did the right thing ? The goal is to keep all three hosts , but nothing was a done deal as of Sunday , he said . Reports of the shakeup first emerged last week . Leno dismissed them on his show on Thursday night , telling his audience , `` It 's always been my experience NBC only cancels you when you 're in first place . '' Leno 's move to prime time was a risk for NBC , because it put a talk show up against scripted prime-time shows and ran it five days a week . Network spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said last week that Leno performed `` exactly as we anticipated on the network . '' But for NBC 's affiliates , Leno 's low ratings were taking viewers -- and the resulting ad dollars -- away from their late local newscasts . `` The 11 o'clock news hours were bleeding ratings , '' said Stuart Levine , an analyst for the entertainment trade paper Variety . While NBC appeared to be fine with Leno 's numbers , the affiliates `` kind of revolted and said we have to have better ratings , '' Levine said . Michael Fiorile , the chairman of NBC 's affiliate board , called the decision announced Sunday `` a great move for the affiliates , the network and , most importantly , the viewers . '' `` We admire their willingness to innovate , and their willingness to change course when it did n't work for us , '' Fiorile said in a written statement . For NBC , which had promised to give Leno a full year in the 10 p.m. time slot , `` It 's certainly a little bit of egg on the face , '' Levine said . Mediaweek analyst Marc Berman called the network 's gamble on Leno `` the biggest fiasco in the history of television . '' `` What they did n't realize was that the people who watched Leno in late night were not necessarily the same people who watched in prime time , so there was no reason to believe that his audience would follow him to prime time , '' Berman said . Meanwhile , the O'Brien-helmed `` Tonight '' lost about half its audience `` and actually really hurt late night , which is a big profit center for NBC , '' Berman said . Moving `` Tonight '' -- which has held its current slot for decades -- back a half-hour is likely to hurt the show , and Berman predicted that NBC will be unable to keep all three hosts . `` My guess is down the road , they will give back Leno the ` Tonight Show , ' leave it on at 11:35 p.m. , and Conan will move to Fox , '' he said . `` But if I was either one of those gentlemen , I would be looking elsewhere right now . '' CNN 's Doug Hyde contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates seized control of a cargo vessel near the Seychelles Thursday , one of two attacks that took place within minutes of each other off the coast of east Africa , according to the European Union Naval Force . The International Maritime Bureau say attacks off the east coast of Africa have increased this year . The EU maritime patrol responded to the early morning attacks , along with the Seychelles Coast Guard . The crew of the Panama-flagged MV Al Khaliq said two pirates had boarded the vessel before communication was cut off with the crew . The EU force confirmed that six pirates have boarded the 180-meter long bulk carrier , with two attack skiffs in tow . They hoisted the `` mother skiff '' onto the vessel with a crane , the EU force said . A second attempted hijacking took place at approximately the same time , but the Italian-flagged cargo ship evaded the attack , the EU said . Armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades , pirates opened fire on the MV Jolly Rosso about 460 miles -LRB- 740 km -RRB- east of Mombasa , Kenya . A Belgium warship , part of the EU force , responded to the attack , which caused no casualties . The 200-meter MV Jolly Rosso continued its voyage . Pirate attacks off the coast of east Africa 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 has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year , the bureau reported on Wednesday . From January 1 until 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 . Out of those attacks , Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages . Eight others were wounded , four more killed and one is missing , the bureau said . On Monday , pirates hijacked a Chinese merchant ship and its 25-member crew about 630 miles -LRB- 1,000 km -RRB- northeast of Seychelles . The pirates appeared to be heading toward Somalia , the European Union Naval Force said . China plans to make `` every effort to rescue '' the crew members , Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu , told reporters . The bulk carrier De Xin Hai is one of four ships that Somali pirates are holding for ransom with 80 crew members as hostages , the International Maritime Bureau said Wednesday . Maritime authorities say two recent trends have led to a rise in piracy : access and opportunity . As global commerce picks up , more and more of the world 's fuels , minerals and other crucial commodities travel by ship . Ninety-five percent of America 's foreign trade , for instance , moves by water , according to the U.S. Maritime Administration . That cargo is an easy target for robbers in countries that lack the resources to secure their shorelines , such as Somalia . Somalia 's transitional government , which has a tenuous grip on power , has been unable to stop the pirates -- many of whom are based in the country 's port cities . This has prompted Europe and other Western countries to step up maritime patrols . `` In the Gulf of Aden , the number of attacks have gone up . But because of the presence of naval vessels , the success rate of the pirates have decreased , '' said Cyrus Mody , manager of the International Maritime Bureau . `` The navies are responding very very effectively . '' Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms . Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions . With the ransoms they collect , pirates can earn up to $ 40,000 a year , analysts say . That 's a fortune for someone from an impoverished country . Some analysts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the piracies . `` Yes , the ransoms have probably caused the piracy to become a bit more rampant . But at the same time , from the owner 's point of view , there is no other way currently to secure the safe release of the vessel along with the crew and the cargo , '' Mody said . `` It 's basically a cycle . '' CNN 's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama took his renewed jobs push beyond the Washington beltway again Tuesday , heading to the politically critical state of New Hampshire for a town hall meeting . The president used the event to spotlight his call for a $ 30 billion investment in a new small-business lending fund . Obama 's initiative would recycle $ 30 billion of the remaining Troubled Asset Relief Program funds into a government lending program offering cheap capital to community banks that boost their small-business lending this year . This measure will help ensure `` small businesses are once again the engine of job growth in America , '' Obama said in the city of Nashua . It 's `` absolutely critical that Congress acts '' to help pass this and other job creation legislation . While credit conditions for large businesses have improved over the past year , small companies are still widely reporting problems finding the capital they need to fund their operations . Since small businesses employ about half of American workers , policymakers worry that the ongoing credit crunch they face is contributing to the nation 's high rate of job losses . Under Obama 's plan , banks with assets of less than $ 10 billion would be able to borrow money from the Treasury at a dividend rate as low as 1 percent if they use the cash to make more small-business loans this year than they did in 2009 . Obama 's visit to New Hampshire , several political analysts said , was part of the White House 's ongoing effort to recapture sorely needed political momentum . The state , which is home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary , is considered in many ways to be a political bellwether for an administration struggling to maintain the support of independent voters . More than 40 percent of the state 's voters were registered as independents as of last November , according to the New Hampshire secretary of state 's office . Obama easily carried the state in the 2008 general election , but a slight plurality of New Hampshire voters disapproved of his job performance in a December 2009 American Research Group survey . Tuesday 's trip was Obama 's second visit to New Hampshire since becoming president . While the town hall participants gave his small-business proposal a warm reception , they also raised questions about a series of other issues , including education , energy independence , government transparency and health care reform . `` We 're in the red zone . We 've got to punch it through , '' Obama said about the stalled health care legislation . `` I do not quit . We are going to get that done . '' Obama said supporters of the legislation `` have to move methodically and -LSB- ensure -RSB- the American people understand exactly what 's in the bill . '' Efforts to pass a comprehensive reform bill have been frozen since Massachusetts GOP Sen.-elect Scott Brown won the seat previously held by Ted Kennedy , who died last August . Brown 's victory stripped Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority and gave Republicans enough votes to block most bills . CNN 's Catherine Clifford and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ibrahim Hooper knows the drill . When news first broke Thursday that a shooting at Fort Hood , Texas , killed and injured U.S. soldiers , the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations wrote a statement of condemnation . He only sent it out later , when reports emerged that the alleged shooter 's name was Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan . `` As soon as we saw what appeared to be a Muslim name , we issued our statement , '' Hooper said . `` Until that time , we were praying that no Muslim would be involved . '' That 's the reality of crisis management for the Muslim-American community , said Hooper , who handles communications for the nation 's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group . Even without confirmation that the alleged gunman was Muslim -- there was no immediate determination of any religious affiliation for Hasan -- the mere reporting of a possible Muslim name required an immediate comment , he said . `` That 's unfortunately the world we live in nowadays , '' Hooper said . `` So often , Muslims are accused of not condemning these kind of acts . '' The CAIR statement said : `` No political or religious ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence . The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer Army that protects our nation . American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured . '' In a separate statement , the Muslim Public Affairs Council , based in Los Angeles , California , condemned what it called the `` heinous incident . '' `` We are in contact with law enforcement and U.S. federal government officials to gain more facts from this tragic incident and work together in dealing with its aftermath , '' the group said . Its statement called on `` all members of American Muslim communities to be in contact with local law enforcement for the safety and security of their communities and their institutions . '' The Islamic Information Center also issued a statement `` in conjunction with all the major Muslim organizations nationwide '' that condemned the attack . `` While several news reports have cited one of the gunmen to be Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , IIC strongly emphasizes that this attack and its perpetrator are in no way representative of the Muslim people or the peace-loving religion of Islam , '' the statement said . `` The individuals who perpetrated this attack blatantly acted against the teachings of Islam and humanity , '' it added . After the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on the United States , Muslim-Americans reported increased attacks and threats by revenge-minded non-Muslims . `` We 've seen this before , '' Hooper said of a possible backlash . `` Whenever there 's an incident of this type , there 's always the possibility this will happen . '' Even non-Muslims could be targeted , he said , noting that Sikhs who wear turbans or Hispanic-Americans can be mistaken as being of Middle Eastern descent . On Thursday night , CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad told a news conference the alleged Fort Hood attacker 's motive remained unknown . `` We urge all Americans to remain calm in reaction to this tragic event and to demonstrate once again what is best about America -- our nation 's ability to remain unified even in times of crisis , '' Awad said . `` We urge national political and religious leaders and media professionals to set a tone of calm and unity . `` Unfortunately , based on past experience , we also urge American Muslims , and those who may be perceived to be Muslim , to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves , their families and their religious institutions from possible backlash . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 30 Iraqi children riding in a bus were among the 160 people killed in Sunday 's twin car bombings in Baghdad , the Interior Ministry said Monday . At least 540 people were wounded in Sunday 's attacks , the deadliest in the capital in more than two years , the ministry said . One of the bombs exploded outside Baghdad 's governorate building , the other outside the Justice Ministry . The bombs detonated in quick succession about 10:30 a.m. , officials said . The children were packed in a mini bus that was outside the Justice Ministry building , a ministry official said . The vehicle carrying the explosives that detonated outside the ministry building was a stolen white pick-up from Falluja , Baghdad Gov. Salah Abdul Razzaq told CNN during his inspection of the bomb site . Images from the time of the attack showed the truck , linked to the Department of Water , pull up to the side of the building and blow up , he said . Plumes of smoke billowed from the sites as victims fled , some with blood streaming down their faces . The streets were strewn with debris , including charred cars and chunks of concrete . Some government buildings and others in the area were heavily damaged . Among the wounded were three American security contractors , the U.S. Embassy said , declining to provide further details . The area struck is close to the heavily guarded `` Green Zone , '' which houses the embassy . The blasts sparked questions about Iraq 's security and national elections planned for January . Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , who visited the scene shortly after the explosions , said holding the elections as scheduled would send a strong message to the attackers . `` The cowardly attack ... should not affect the determination of the Iraqi people from continuing their battle against the deposed regime and the gangs of criminal Baath party , and the terrorist al Qaeda organization , ' '' al-Maliki said in a written statement . U.S. President Barack Obama called the attacks an attempt to derail progress in Iraq , and pledged to work closely with the country as it prepares for elections . Obama spoke with the prime minister and President Jalal Talabani to express his condolences and reiterate U.S. support . In August , more than 100 people were killed in a series of bombings that led to tightened security in Baghdad . Blast walls were installed across the city and checkpoints were added . Two years earlier , three truck bombings killed hundreds in Qahtaniya , in northern Iraq . Sunday 's attacks were the deadliest on Iraqi civilians since those blasts in August 2007 . A day before Sunday 's explosions , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , Susan Rice , visited Iraq for the first time . During her trip , she made a condolence stop at the Foreign Ministry , one of six sites attacked in August . Iraqis are supposed to go to the polls January 16 , but parliament has not passed key election legislation , putting the balloting in limbo . The president , prime minister and other top officials are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the elections law and security concerns . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh , Mohammed Jamjoom , and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- State public health officials are contacting airline passengers after a woman with measles traveled through three airports earlier this week , a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday . The woman traveled from an airport in Europe to Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Denver International Airport and , finally , to New Mexico 's Albuquerque International Sunport , said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner . The woman , who traveled Tuesday , was diagnosed with the disease in New Mexico , he said . Health departments in each area , using information from the CDC , are contacting those who may have been exposed to the viral disease . That may include flight crews and airport workers . `` That work is ongoing , '' said Skinner , who could not confirm the airline or airlines and the originating flight 's location . The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said people who were working or traveling through Concourse C at the Denver airport after 9 p.m. Tuesday should monitor themselves for any early symptoms of measles , especially fever , from Monday through March 12 . `` People who develop a fever should contact their health care provider or their local or state health department . People with symptoms should not go to child care , school , work or out in public , as they might have the early symptoms of measles and might be contagious , '' the department said in a statement Friday . Typically , health officials concentrate on passengers or crew who were five rows in front of or five rows behind an infected traveler , Skinner said . They are particularly mindful of small infants and children and people with underlying medical conditions . People who had not previously been immunized may have a `` small window '' after being contacted to be vaccinated or given globulins to avoid developing symptoms , Skinner told CNN . In a separate development , measles was confirmed in a 24-year-old woman who took a flight from France and two people in Boston were suspected of having the disease . Boston officials held a free measles vaccination clinic Friday . `` Most of the -LSB- U.S. -RSB- cases are imported into the country , '' Skinner said . Measles is a very contagious viral disease that is easily spread through coughing , sneezing and secretions from the mouth . Measles develops generally seven to 14 days after a person is infected , according to the CDC . A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever , cough , runny nose , red eyes and sore throat . Two or three days after symptoms begin , tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth . Three to five days after the start of symptoms , a red or reddish-brown rash appears . It may spread downward from the face and be accompanied by a temperature spike , the CDC says on its website . CNN 's Phil Gast contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"GAZA CITY , Gaza -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A radical Muslim sheikh 's call for the creation of an Islamic emirate in Gaza sparked clashes with Hamas forces that left 21 people dead and injured at least 121 others . Members of Jund Ansar Allah surround Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi in Rafah on Friday . Hamas forces blew up the home of Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi , leader of the radical group Jund Ansar Allah , or Soldiers of the Partisans of God , Hamas sources said . Al-Maqdessi , also known as Abdel Latif Musa , was among the 21 dead , a hospital spokesman told CNN . Friday 's clashes were the latest between Gaza 's Hamas rulers , who have said they are moderate Muslims pledged to the Palestinian cause , and more extremist Islamic groups . Jund Ansar Allah is part of the radical Islamist movement that follows the doctrines of the `` Salaf , '' or the predecessors -- referring to the early generations of Muslims . They reject all modern influences such as politics and government . In a televised statement , Hamas ministry spokesman Taher Nunu called al-Maqdessi 's group `` outlaws '' and said they have been `` terrorizing the country and attacking civilians . '' `` We hold the group and its leader fully responsible for what is happening in Gaza and we offer our condolences to everyone who was killed during the clashes , '' Nunu said . `` No one is above the law and we urge everyone who is a member of this group to surrender himself to the authorities or they will be accountable for all of their actions . '' The gunfight erupted near a mosque in the southern Gaza city of Rafah , where the cleric delivered his sermon , the sources said . Hamas militants raided the mosque and seized control of it . Later , the fighting spread to al-Maqdessi 's home , the sources said . Al-Maqdessi also called for a public meeting at the mosque , posting on the Jund Ansar Allah 's Web site an invitation dubbed `` the golden advice to the government of -LRB- Hamas leader -RRB- Ismail Haniya . '' The group posted a statement on the Web site announcing the establishment of the Islamic emirate in Gaza and proclaiming al-Maqdessi `` the commander of the faithful . '' The statement declared that armed forces in Gaza should unite under him . It urged Muslims everywhere to support the `` young emirate '' by providing money , weapons and men because `` this is the hope of the Muslim nation in raising the banner of monotheism in Palestine and to liberate all the lands and purify Al-Aqsa mosque from the filth of the damned Jews . '' Al-Aqsa mosque is in Jerusalem . The group accused Hamas of not being Islamic enough , saying they care more about pleasing `` tyrants '' than `` obeying God . '' But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri dismissed statements about the establishment of an Islamic emirate as `` theoretical . '' `` It is not permitted to any party or individual to enforce their own laws because this is the responsibility of the security forces , '' he said . CNN 's Talal Abu-Rahman in Gaza City , Gaza , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For almost a week , tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in daily protests -- handkerchiefs shielding their faces from the pungency of tear gas , fists punching the air , and chants of `` Down with the dictator '' echoing against buildings . Moussovi supporters rally Wednesday in Tehran , Iran . Released by Fars News Agency of Iran . The massive outpouring is a result of a disputed presidential election that the protesters think coronated the incumbent hard-liner , President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , over their candidate , Mir Hossain Moussavi . Context can help put their grievances into perspective : Q . The Iran that we know today is the result of the Islamic Revolution . What is it ? A . The Islamic Revolution is the name given to the Iranian revolution of 1979 , when the ruling U.S.-supported monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile . See timeline of recent Iranian history '' The country held a national referendum to become an Islamic republic and approve a new constitution . The constitution was a hybrid of democracy and unelected religious leadership . It appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the leader of the revolution -- the supreme leader of the country . Before he died in 1989 , he made it known that he wanted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him . Q. Is it true that the ultimate power in Iran lies with Khamenei ? A. Yes . The supreme leader has the final say in all important matters of the country , such as ties with foreign nations or Iran 's nuclear aspirations . He appoints the Guardian Council -- the country 's election authority . He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces , including the powerful Revolutionary Guard . Additionally , he confirms the president 's election . In theory , the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect . But in practice , this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader . Khamenei , 70 , was appointed supreme leader for life in 1989 . Q . What is the Guardian Council , which has been in the news , saying it will recount some of the votes in the disputed election ? A . The unelected Guardian Council is the second-most influential body in Iran politics . It consists of six theologians whom the supreme leader picks and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament . The council approves all candidates running for office in the country , and verifies election results . It vetoes bills passed by the parliament if they do not conform to the constitution and Islamic law . In the present crisis , opposition leader Moussavi has had to take his grievance to the Guardian Council . It has agreed to some vote recounts . See galleries of protests in Iran '' Q. So , how much power does the president wield ? A . It depends on how nicely he plays with the Guardian Council . The president is elected by direct vote to a four-year term , for a maximum of two terms . He is responsible for economic policy and social programs , but most of the larger decisions are made by the supreme leader . In theory , his powers are second to the supreme leader 's . But in practice , he is often hamstrung by the Guardian Council . The Guardian Council has worked with hard-liner Ahmadinejad , a 53-year-old former mayor of Tehran who was elected in 2005 . But it thwarted reform attempts by his predecessor , Mohammad Khatami . Q . What is the Revolutionary Guard , who said they will take legal action against pro-Moussavi Web sites ? A . The guard was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution . But over the years , it has broadened its scope . Today , it is directly under the control of the supreme leader and enforces the governments ' Islamic codes and morality With more than 200,000 members , it is tasked with overseeing the country 's crucial interests , including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals . Q . What is the Basij , who are said to be behind most of the violence against opposition supporters ? A . The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard . It plays the role of de facto morality police and is often summoned to crack down on protests . It is unknown how large the force is , though estimates are in the millions . Q . What evidence is there of ballot fraud ? A . There are no concrete examples of fraud , because independent monitors did not oversee polling in Iran , but the circumstantial evidence is persuasive . The government had initially said it would take three days to verify the ballots after Election Day on June 12 . But the election authority proclaimed Ahmadinejad the winner two hours after the polls closed . At the same time , the interior ministry said that 85 percent of the country 's 46 million eligible voters had cast ballots -- a record turnout . To many , so many ballots could not have been hand-counted in such a short time . Also , the published results showed that Ahmadinejad won even in his opponents ' strongholds , including Moussavi 's hometown of ethnic Azeri Turks . `` This is the equivalent of Barack Obama losing the African-American vote to John McCain in 2008 , '' said Karim Sajadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace . Furthermore , Moussavi went into the election with massive support from the country 's youth , who were unhappy with the faltering economy and an unemployment rate that tops 30 percent by some accounts . The youth make up 60 percent of Iran 's population of 70 million . Q. Is it true that Ahmadinejad still enjoys widespread support ? A. Yes . Ahmadinejad is popular across Iran 's rural areas and among the Basij militia . He presents himself as a populist and a fighter . He has paid attention to the families of the bloody Iran-Iraq war , offering special preferences to veterans ' children in university admissions . As president , his hardline approach has won him support among the Guardian Council . He has earned a reputation internationally as a fundamentalist for his Holocaust denials , calls to annihilate Israel , and cat-and-mouse games with the United States and the United Nations over Iran 's nuclear activities . Many in the establishment view him as someone who does not cower to big-footing by the West . Q. Why , then , do some analysts think the vote was manipulated ? A . Some experts say that even if it is likely that Ahmadinejad won the election , it is unlikely he could have won by the margin the government is claiming -- 62.63 percent of the vote . Time magazine 's Joe Klein explains it this way : `` It is entirely possible that Ahmadinejad would have won anyway , but narrowly , perhaps with less than 50 percent of the vote , setting up a runoff election he might have lost as the other candidates united against him . It is possible that his government , perhaps acting in concert with supreme leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei , decided to take no chances . '' Q . Why is Iran 's population so young ? A . After the revolution , the leaders encouraged early marriage and large families , rewarding families with cars and television sets for each additional child . During the country 's devastating eight-year war with Iraq , which began in 1980 , the regime continued encouraging population growth , because more children meant more future soldiers . It is those children who are now coming of age . Q . Why did Iran summon Switzerland 's ambassador to complain about perceived U.S. involvement in Iran 's election process ? A . The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran following the hostage crisis in 1979 , when students in support of the Islamic Revolution took 52 Americans hostage and held them for 444 days . Q. Is this movement a challenge to the Islamic republic ? A . The demonstrators say their demand is simple : Hold fresh elections . They say they are not out to challenge the Islamic regime . Watch protests Wednesday in Tehran '' Furthermore , Moussavi is an unlikely man for the job . Though the 67-year-old former prime minister is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy as prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war , he also was a hard-liner whom the Economist described as a `` firm radical . '' He , like most Iranians in power , does not believe in the existence of Israel . He defended the taking of the American hostages in 1979 . He was part of a regime that regularly executed dissidents . And as late as April , he opposed suspending the country 's nuclear-enrichment program but said it would not be diverted to weapons use . The protests have exposed a fissure in the country , however , with tens of thousands of Ahmadinejad backers taking to the streets in a show of force of their own . Q. Are the current protests likely to continue ? A. For now , the government seems to be allowing the populace to vent pent-up frustrations . But it also is gradually cracking down , such as blocking Web sites and banning international journalists from filming the rallies . The demonstrations have so far been focused on urban areas . Should the populace in rural areas take up the call for reform , the government might step in quickly to quash the protests , analysts say . See map of demonstration sites in Tehran '' Q. Is this the first time Iranians have risen up in mass protests against the regime ? A. No . Iran has twice seen public calls for reform in recent years : in 1999 , after the closing of a reformist newspaper , and after parliamentary elections in 2000 . On both occasions , the Revolutionary Guard descended on the streets after a few days and crushed the movements . Q. So , can true reform come to Iran ? A . It is possible . Ahmadinejad 's predecessor , Khatami , was elected president in 1997 by a landslide , despite being a reformer . During his two terms , he championed freedom of expression , tried to mend diplomatic relations , and supported a free market . He was , however , hamstrung at every step by stiff resistance from the supreme leader and the Guardian Council . This report includes information from various sources , including the U.S. State Department , the CIA Factbook , Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , previous CNN reports and guest commentaries .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators have raised the wreckage of the helicopter involved in Saturday 's deadly mid-air collision over the Hudson River , but they were still looking for the small plane involved in the crash , authorities said Sunday . Divers unload a body from their raft onto a police boat Sunday . Nine people are believed dead in the crash . New York police said they believed side-scan sonar pointed them to the wreckage of the Piper Saratoga PA-32 just north of where the helicopter went down , but Deborah Hersman , chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board , said swift current and low visibility were hindering divers . The search stopped as a storm approached Sunday evening and will resume Monday morning , police said . Nine people , including five Italian tourists , were aboard the two aircraft when they collided over the river shortly before noon Saturday . Seven bodies had been pulled out of the river by Sunday afternoon , Hersman said . Authorities believe none of the nine people aboard the two aircraft survived the crash . Neither aircraft was required to carry electronic `` black boxes '' that record cockpit voices and flight data on larger planes , but electronic navigational devices on board might retain some information that could help the probe , Hersman said . Investigators are trying to establish the facts of the crash but wo n't determine the probable cause for some time , Hersman said . See where the collision occurred '' `` We are looking at everything . Nothing has been ruled out at this point in time , '' she said . Most of the Eurocopter AS350 had been lifted out of the Hudson on Sunday and taken to a pier in Hoboken , New Jersey , across the river from Manhattan , for examination , Hersman said . The helicopter was taking the five Italians on a 12-minute sightseeing tour around New York and had taken off from a heliport in midtown Manhattan shortly before the crash , she said . Watch crews search for victims '' New York police identified the pilot of the helicopter as Jeremy Clark , 32 . He had worked for the operator , Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours , for about a year and a half and had 2,700 helicopter flight hours , Hersman said . iReport.com : Were you there ? Send images His passengers were Michele Norelli , 51 ; Fabio Gallazzi , 49 ; Filippo Norelli , 16 ; Giacomo Gallazzi , 15 ; and Tiziana Pedroni , 44 , all of Bologna , Italy . The plane took off from a Philadelphia-area airfield Saturday morning , landed at New Jersey 's Teterboro Airport and was bound for Ocean City , New Jersey , with three people aboard -- the owner and pilot , Steven Altman , 60 , of Ambler , Pennsylvania ; his brother , Daniel Altman , 49 , of Dresher , Pennsylvania ; and Daniel Altman 's son Douglas , 16 . Controllers lost contact with the plane at 11:53 a.m. , when it was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet , Hersman said . View images from the scene '' Hersman said the NTSB has recorded eight accidents and one `` incident '' involving Liberty , but Saturday 's crash was the first to involve fatalities . Previous accidents included a 2007 case in which a helicopter crash-landed in the Hudson from a height of 500 feet , but without injuring passengers ; a 2008 incident in which one helicopter taking off clipped another on the ground ; a 2008 incident in which a pilot caused `` substantial damage '' to a helicopter while landing during an instructional session . In 2001 , a Liberty pilot made an `` improper decision '' to continue flying in poor weather at night , causing the helicopter to hit trees , according to the NTSB . Marcia Horowitz , a spokeswoman for the tour operator , said Liberty executives `` are cooperating fully '' with investigators . `` Right now , the company is focusing its efforts on cooperating with the NTSB and giving as much information as it can , '' Horowitz said . `` At this time , their priority is to help with the family of their pilot , and of course the families that were involved in the accident . '' Investigators will focus on radio communications along the congested air corridor at the time of the crash and examine any pictures or video contributed by the public , Hersman told CNN earlier . Witness accounts and still photographs already provided `` good information '' to investigators , she said . A witness told investigators he saw the airplane approach the helicopter from behind , and the plane 's right wing make `` contact with the helicopter , '' Hersman said . The witness , another Liberty pilot who was refueling at a nearby heliport , said he tried to warn the helicopter pilot but got no response . Other witnesses reported seeing debris flying from the helicopter as it slammed into the water . Arnold Stevens , who saw the collision from the W Hotel in Hoboken , said the helicopter `` dropped like a rock , '' while one of the plane 's wings was sheared off and it began `` corkscrewing '' into the water , he said . The busy airspace surrounding Manhattan has been the site of several recent aeronautical accidents . Earlier this year , a US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into the Hudson after apparently striking birds upon takeoff from New York 's LaGuardia Airport , officials said . Capt. Chesley B. `` Sully '' Sullenberger 's landing , which resulted in no deaths or serious injuries , was captured on closed circuit television . In 2006 , Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle , 34 , and his flight instructor were killed when the ballplayer 's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building near the East River , city officials said . CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A series of bomb attacks disrupted voting as the polls opened in Iraq 's national elections Thursday , leaving a total of 12 people dead and another 47 wounded . There had been warnings of insurgent attacks around the vote , which is intended to install a 325-member parliament and select Iraq 's next government . Early voting began Thursday for those who will be unable to cast their ballots in Sunday 's election , including thousands of army and security personnel . In the first of three attacks , five civilians were killed and 22 injured when a bomb went off in the Hurriya neighborhood of northern Baghdad , an interior ministry official said . The bomb had been placed about 500 meters -LRB- 546 yards -RRB- away from a polling center that was going to be used Sunday , but was not open for Thursday 's early voting , the official said . It was not clear whether the polling center was the target , as hundreds of them will be open Sunday , most within 500 meters of each other . Are you voting in Iraq ? Send us your story , images In the al-Mansour district of western Baghdad , at least three people were killed and 25 wounded in a suicide bombing outside a polling center , an interior ministry official said . Most of the casualties were Iraqi army soldiers , the official said . The suicide bomber struck the forces as they were assembling outside the polling center to vote , the official said . The bomber was disguised as an Iraqi police officer and stopped before reaching the polling center , according to a U.S. military statement . A second suicide attacker struck another Iraqi army gathering on its way to vote in the Bab Al-Muadham area of central Baghdad , the ministry said . Four soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in the attack . Thousands of army and security personnel are among those taking part in Thursday 's voting , which is for those who will unable to cast their ballots Sunday . Others voting Thursday include detainees , hospital staff and patients . As many as 700,000 security forces are expected to vote , according to the U.N. Assistance Mission to Iraq . There was heavy security around polling centers Thursday , with Iraqi forces blocking streets around them and not allowing any vehicles in . At one polling center , voters and personnel entering on foot had to go through a number of body searches . Iraqi Air Force helicopters have been active in the skies all day and snipers can be seen on rooftops near polling centers . A public holiday began Thursday and will run until Monday because of the elections . U.S. and Iraqi officials had warned of expected violence ahead of the vote . On Wednesday , three suicide attacks in Baquba , northeast of the capital , killed at least 33 people and wounded dozens more . It is Iraq 's fifth nationwide vote since 2003 , but only the second for a full four-year-term parliament with its 325 seats . `` The conduct and outcome of the election will be the most decisive moment for Iraqis ' future since 2003 , '' Ad Melkert , the head of the U.N. mission in Iraq , said Monday . Authorities on Iraqi state television announced special measures for the days surrounding the vote . Since Monday , there has been a ban on motorcycles and bicycles in Baghdad until further notice , and a two-day ban on any vehicles in cities begins Sunday , they said . Provincial borders will be sealed , preventing movements between provinces , from Saturday to Monday . And international borders and all airports will be shut from midnight Saturday . A curfew will be in place in cities from midnight to 5 a.m. on Saturday , Sunday and Monday , officials said . Civilians may not carry weapons on those days , they said . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ORLANDO , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for a Florida woman charged with killing her missing 3-year-old daughter , according to court documents filed Friday . Casey Anthony has been charged in an indictment with the premediated murder of daughter Caylee . `` It is not in the best interest of the people of the state of Florida to pursue the death penalty as a potential sentence , '' prosecutors concluded , according to the document . `` Therefore , the state of Florida will not be seeking the death penalty as to Casey Marie Anthony . '' Anthony , 22 , is charged with killing her daughter , Caylee Anthony , in a case that has received national attention . She was arrested last month and faces charges including first-degree murder in the disappearance of Caylee , who has been missing since June . Watch newly released jailhouse tapes \u00c2 '' She could face a sentence of up to life in prison . Anthony waited about a month before telling her family that Caylee was gone . Cindy Anthony -- Caylee 's grandmother and Casey Anthony 's mother -- called the Orange County , Florida , sheriff July 15 , saying her daughter would not tell her where Caylee was . When questioned , Anthony gave conflicting statements to police , including some that were later disproved , according to hundreds of documents and investigative reports released in the case . She claimed she dropped Caylee off with a baby sitter , but when police checked out her story , they learned that the address Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks . The woman Anthony named as her baby sitter told police she did not know her . Investigators previously have said cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Anthony 's car , as well as in her parents ' backyard . They also said air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the trunk of Anthony 's car . A neighbor told police that Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel . Also , analysis of Anthony 's computer found she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform , as well as Internet searches of missing children , according to information released in the case . Last month , Florida 9th Circuit Judge Stan Strickland denied prosecutors ' request to impose a gag order in Anthony 's case , saying he could not state that continued publicity would pose a threat to her trial , or even that a gag order would stem the flood of media attention . CNN 's Rich Phillips contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Renee Pernice , a 35-year-old mother of two young children , vanished from her home in Kansas City , Missouri , shortly after New Year 's this year . She has n't been heard from since . Renee Pernice is pictured here with her two sons and husband , Shon . Police believe foul play is involved , yet they have not found her body . No one has been arrested in the case . Police have not named her husband , Shon Pernice , as a person of interest or a suspect in the case . However , `` he 's the last known person to see her alive , '' said Doug Niemeier , a sergeant with the Kansas City Police Department . Six months after Renee Pernice disappeared , police say they still have questions about her husband in the days after her disappearance , including why he allegedly accessed a local fire department 's hazardous materials building around 4:30 a.m. January 3 . `` It should be noted that multiple types of cleaners , solvents and cleaning supplies are stored at Station # 5 , '' a police affidavit says . Attorneys for Shon Pernice declined to comment for this story . Police and family say Renee was pursuing a divorce around the time she disappeared . A local firefighter , Shon Pernice has said he was not involved in her disappearance . He told a local activist in March that `` I did n't harm my wife one bit . Not at all . '' In that interview , one of the few in which he 's referenced his wife 's disappearance , he added , `` It 's gut-wrenching thinking that either she 's got a rich-ass doctor boyfriend somewhere and she 's happy , or she 's dead . '' Since his wife disappeared , Shon Pernice has been arrested twice on unrelated charges : once for allegedly stealing a neighbor 's gun and another time for disturbing the peace in an incident with that same neighbor this past July Fourth weekend . `` As everybody knows , my wife has been missing since January 2 , '' he told CNN affiliate KCTV5 . `` This is what it stems from . Basically what the media ... has portrayed of me -- of the whole situation . There 's a lot of people that do n't like me . '' The couple 's two sons , ages 6 and 9 , remain in the care of the father , although Renee Pernice 's mother has sought custody of them . `` There is a lot that just is n't right , '' said Rick Pretz , the missing woman 's father . `` It 's not a stable environment for the children . '' Renee Pernice was known for being a caring mother , a talented nurse at St. Luke 's Hospital and a gentle animal lover always surrounded by dogs . Neighbors say they last saw her in her backyard with her dogs the morning of Friday , January 2 , 2009 . When police searched the home , they say they found her purse , coat and other items still in the house . Her car was in the garage . Police say her cell phone was missing from the house . A homeless man found the phone in grass about 15 miles from her home , in an area Renee Pernice was not known to frequent , police say . It was found around midnight January 3 , the affidavit says . Since then , police and volunteer teams have searched the area extensively , but they have found nothing . `` Family members and common friends of both Shon and Renee told police that Renee was not the kind of mother who would separate herself from her children for any reason , '' the affidavit says . `` Family members advised that finding Renee 's purse at the residence was highly unusual as she never went anywhere without her purse . '' According to the affidavit , investigators watched Shon Pernice drive away from the home with his wife 's dog and drop it off at a park a few days after he reported his wife missing . The affidavit also alleges that a drop of blood was found in the garage . However , authorities have not released whether it matched Renee Pernice or her husband . According to Renee Pernice 's family , she was not the kind of person to take off on her own without letting her family know where she was . `` I spoke to her just the night before at 7 p.m. on the phone , '' her father told CNN . `` She would never leave her two sons like this . '' The family is offering a $ 25,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of Renee Pernice . A white truck that could be related to her disappearance was captured on a surveillance tape in the area where her cell phone was found , and police have released a photo of it . Anyone who may have lent such a truck at the time the surveillance image was taken is being asked to come forward . Renee Pernice is white , stands 5 feet , 7 inches tall , and has brown hair and blue eyes . Anyone with information is urged to call the Kansas City Police Department at 1-816-474-TIPS . CNN 's Wayne Drash contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former football star O.J. Simpson will be held without bail after his arrest on robbery and assault charges , police announced late Sunday . Police released this mug shot of O.J. Simpson after his arrest . Simpson is accused of having directed several other men in an alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia in a room at a Las Vegas hotel room . Las Vegas authorities said they have no information leading them to believe Simpson was carrying a firearm during the alleged incident at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino . Police said Simpson and other men burst into the room and walked out with the memorabilia , including some that was unrelated to Simpson , police said . `` We do n't believe that anyone was roughed up , but there were firearms involved , '' Lt. Clint Nichols told reporters . Nichols said the firearms were pointed at the victims . A reporter asked Nichols : Was `` O.J. was the boss in that room ? '' Nichols responded , `` That is what we believe , yes . '' Watch Simpson transferred Sunday in handcuffs '' The alleged victims were identified as Bruce Fromong , a sports memorabilia collector who described the incident as `` a home invasion-type robbery , '' and Alfred Beardsley , who has been quoted by celebrity Web site TMZ.com as saying that Simpson later apologized to him and told him he regretted the incident . Acting on a tip , police met over the weekend at McCarran International Airport with 46-year-old Walter Alexander , of Mesa , Arizona , who told them about the alleged robbery and validated the tipster 's information , Capt. James Dillon told reporters . Alexander was arrested Saturday night on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon , two counts of assault with a deadly weapon , conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with a deadly weapon . He was released on his own recognizance and returned to Mesa either Saturday night or early Sunday morning , Dillon said . In addition , investigators are seeking four other men they believe accompanied Simpson into the hotel room , Nichols said . Nichols said , `` There is a social relationship between the individuals that we identified and O.J. Simpson . '' Though Simpson is not accused of having brandished a gun himself , two firearms that police said were used were recovered early Sunday in one of three searches . Investigators would would not divulge where the weapons were found . Nichols dismissed an initial report that the men may have been off-duty police . `` There is no truth to that whatsoever , '' he said . `` That came as a result of some language that was used when the individuals burst into the room that led our victims to believe that they may have been police . '' Simpson , 60 , has acknowledged taking some items that belonged to him , but he has denied that any weapons were involved . `` Whether the property belonged to Mr. Simpson or not is still in debate , '' Nichols said . `` We are still in the process of sorting that out . '' Nichols also said that some of the property taken had Simpson 's signature . But `` there was some other property taken as well , '' he said . `` I believe there were some Joe Montana cleats and some signed baseballs and other stuff . '' The latest charges against Simpson mean he faces the prospect of another prosecution , more than a decade after the June 1994 stabbing deaths of his ex-wife , Nicole Brown Simpson , and Ron Goldman . Simpson was acquitted of murder the following year . The trial riveted much of the United States . But in 1997 , a jury found him liable for the deaths in a civil case brought by the Goldman family . Simpson was ordered to pay the families a total of $ 33.5 million for the deaths Goldman had gone to Nicole Simpson 's Los Angeles home to return a pair of glasses the day of the slayings . Goldman 's sister , Kim Goldman , said she was n't surprised by the robbery allegations , since Simpson `` thinks he can do no wrong . '' `` He 's capable of stabbing people to death , so I think robbery is nothing surprising , '' she said . `` Normal , logical , civil-minded , law-abiding people do n't storm a room with guns demanding stuff back . '' Fromong had testified on Simpson 's behalf in the civil case , telling the court that prices for Simpson memorabilia had dropped substantially since the 1995 verdict . His testimony was part of the defense 's contention that Simpson could not afford to pay the Goldmans . Simpson recently wrote a book originally titled `` If I Did It '' and had planned to publish it himself , but a public outcry led to the cancellation of his book deal . A bankruptcy judge subsequently awarded the Goldmans the rights to the book in light of their inability to collect the wrongful death award . The Goldmans retitled the book , `` If I Did It : Confessions of the Killer . '' That book just hit bookstores . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Officials in Mexico 's Chiapas state postponed classes Friday for more than 1 million students in an effort to avoid a resurgence of H1N1 flu , which has sickened thousands throughout Mexico this year . After the first confirmed swine flu reports in April , Mexico shut down all of its schools and many public venues . Chiapas Education Secretary Javier Alvarez Ramos and state Health Secretary James Gomez Montes said classes will start August 31 for middle and high school students and September 7 for elementary pupils , the state-run Notimex news agency said . About 1.55 million students will be affected , 850,000 of them in elementary school , Notimex said . This is not the first instance of officials in Mexico altering schedules to combat the disease . The first cases of H1N1 , also called swine flu , were confirmed in Mexico in April . Within days , the government closed all schools and most public venues . In Mexico City , officials shut down all bars , theaters and public gathering places and limited restaurants to take-out orders . About 35,000 businesses were affected . All non-essential federal government offices also were closed nationwide for several days . The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in early June . As of August 6 , the WHO reported more than 177,450 confirmed cases in 170 nations . The Western Hemisphere has the most cases , with nearly 103,000 confirmed instances of the disease and almost 1,300 deaths . The WHO is no longer providing a country-by-country breakdown , but the United States , Argentina and Mexico have had the most cases and fatalities . In the United States , federal officials released new guidelines this month for containing the spread of the virus across the nation 's school system . Government officials have warned of a possible resurgence in the H1N1 virus this fall . Among other things , health officials urged local administrators to exercise caution and restraint when deciding whether to close a school in response to an outbreak , noting that the costs of shutting down institutions often outweigh the benefits . Officials also confirmed that a new vaccine to combat the virus is likely to be ready by October . The revised federal guidelines advise parents to keep children infected with the H1N1 virus out of school for 24 hours after the fever has gone away . Parents were previously advised to keep their children out of school for seven days after the end of a fever caused by H1N1 . The virus has spread around the world with unprecedented speed , according to the WHO . Past influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the current H1N1 virus spread in less than six weeks , the WHO said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- England striker Wayne Rooney is expected to be fit for the World Cup in South Africa despite suffering another injury setback on club duty with Manchester United on Sunday . The 24-year-old , who last month was sidelined with ankle damage , went off with a recurrence of his recent groin problem 13 minutes from the end of United 's 4-0 victory over Stoke . He was unable to score , finishing his European season with 34 goals and missing out on the Premier League 's golden boot award to Chelsea 's Didier Drogba , who netted a hat-trick in the 8-0 victory over Wigan that ended United 's three-year grip on the title . England coach Fabio Capello will name his provisional 30-man squad for South Africa on Tuesday , and United were quick to dispel any fears that Rooney might be not fit for his second World Cup finals appearance . `` He should be okay , '' assistant manager Mike Phelan told the UK Press Association . `` All the phone calls and all the worries we can dispel straight away . `` He should be fine . It is just a precaution and he will be looking forward to his World Cup . '' Marcello Lippi , coach of world champions Italy , will also name his preliminary squad on Tuesday . Veteran striker Francesco Totti 's chances of being called out of international retirement were seriously damaged by his red card in the Italian Cup final defeat by Inter Milan last Wednesday . The 33-year-old redeemed himself with two goals on Sunday as second-placed Roma kept the Serie A title race going into the final round of the season , but on Monday he was handed a four-match Italian Cup ban for his controversial challenge on Inter striker Mario Balotelli . Balotelli , who said Totti had abused him , was also given a one-match suspension along with Inter teammate Cristian Chivu for separate incidents . Totti won the last of his 58 international caps in the 2006 World Cup final win over France , which ended Lippi 's first stint in charge , and made himself unavailable a year after that . Totti 's Roma strike partner Luca Toni also faces an anxious wait to see if he will be included in Lippi 's squad . German media reported on Monday that his parent club Bayern Munich do not want him back despite having a contract until the end of next season , while Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport said Roma president Rosella Sensi was unwilling to extend his stay .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man , incensed that a 6-year-old girl chose to walk through a path reserved for upper caste villagers , pushed her into burning embers , police in north India said Wednesday . She was seriously burned . Dalits , or `` untouchables , '' are victims of discrimination in India despite laws aimed at eliminating prejudice . The girl is a Dalit , or an `` untouchable , '' according to India 's traditional caste system . India 's constitution outlaws caste-based discrimination , and barriers have broken down in large cities . Prejudice , however , persists in some rural areas of the country . The girl was walking with her mother down a path in the city of Mathura when she was accosted by a man in his late teens , said police superintendent R.K. Chaturvedi . `` He scolded them both and pushed her , '' Chaturvedi said . The girl fell about 3 to 4 feet into pile of burning embers by the side of the road . The girl remained in critical condition Wednesday . The man confessed to the crime and was charged with attempted murder , Chaturvedi said . The assault took place in India 's Uttar Pradesh state , about 150 km -LRB- 93 miles -RRB- south of Delhi . The state is governed by Mayawati , a woman who goes by one name and is India 's most powerful Dalit politician . Her Bahujan Samaj Party seeks to get more political representation for Dalits , who are considered so low in the social order that they do n't even rank among the four classes that make up the caste system . Hindus believe there are five main groups of people , four of which sprang from the body of the first man . The Brahmin class comes from the mouth . They are the priests and holy men , the most elevated of the castes . Next is the Ksatriyas , the kings , warriors and soldiers created from the arms . The Vaisyas come from the thighs . They are the merchants and traders of society . And the Sudras , or laborers , come from the feet . The last group is the Dalits , or the `` untouchables . '' They 're considered too impure to have come from the primordial being . Untouchables are often forced to work in menial jobs . They drink from separate wells . They use different entry ways , coming and going from buildings . They number about 250 million in India , about 25 percent of the population , according to the Colorado , U.S.-based Dalit Freedom Network . `` Dalits are seen to pollute higher caste people if they come in touch with them , hence the ` untouchables , ' '' the group says on its Web site . `` If a higher caste Hindu is touched by , or even had a Dalit 's shadow fall across them , they consider themselves to be polluted and have to go through a rigorous series of rituals to be cleansed . '' Recent weeks has seen a rise in violence against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh , CNN 's sister network , CNN-IBN , reported Wednesday . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Friday 's two-train collision killed 25 people and injured more than 130 others near Los Angeles after an engineer failed to heed a traffic signal , a spokeswoman for Metrolink commuter trains said . A commuter rail car lies on its side after a collision Friday near Los Angeles , California . The engineer was guiding the Metrolink train that slammed head-on into a freight train and is not believed to have survived , Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell said on Saturday . `` It was human error , '' Tyrrell said , adding this was Metrolink 's belief `` barring any new information '' from an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board . NTSB spokeswoman Kitty Higgins said the agency would `` look at everything before we rule anything in or out . '' Tyrrell said the engineer , whom she did n't identify , was a subcontractor employed by another company . She said she did not have details of his record . The crash occurred about 4:30 p.m. PT Friday in Chatsworth , a northwest Los Angeles suburb . The Metrolink train had about 220 passengers and two crew members on board at the time , according to Tyrrell . Watch rescuers search for victims '' Forty-five of the injured were in critical condition , with 40 flown to hospitals , Tyrrell said . Another 50 had minor injuries , and 40 others were treated at the crash site but transported to hospitals for evaluation . `` It was like running into a brick wall at 60 miles an hour , '' an injured passenger told CNN affiliate KABC . In the minutes after the crash , passers-by joined emergency personnel in an effort to free passengers from the wreckage . On Saturday afternoon , Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the search of the wreckage had finished . Earlier in the day , authorities were picking through the wreckage and freeing trapped bodies . Ed Winter , assistant chief of the Los Angeles County coroner 's office , told reporters two bodies -- both of females -- had yet to be identified . If the females had carried identification , it probably was lost in the crash , he said . As of 9 a.m. PT Saturday , authorities had been able to notify relatives of eight victims , he said . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the crash site on Saturday , telling reporters it was `` one of the worst train accidents in modern history in California . '' The NTSB will make a final determination of the crash 's cause . Higgins , the agency 's spokeswoman , said data recorders have been recovered from both trains , along with a video recorder from the freight train . Higgins said that out of the trains ' five crew members , four survived . Authorities will interview the surviving crew members , Higgins said . Tyrrell said a review of `` a number of programs , '' including the signal system , showed the commuter train 's engineer failed to heed a stop signal , Tyrrell said . `` We do n't know how the error happened , but this is what we believe happened , '' Tyrrell said . The wreck occurred on a curved part of the track where the speed limit is 40 mph , Tyrrell said . She said that just like road vehicles , trains are subject to signal systems . At the wreck site is a siding where one train can wait while another passes , she said . `` They receive a signal to stop and they must hold their location until other traffic has passed , '' she said . Villaraigosa praised police officers and firefighters for working under emotionally draining conditions and treating the victims with respect . `` This has been a grueling night for them , '' he said . The crash sparked a fire that impeded firefighters 's efforts to reach the front commuter car , where most of the injuries occurred , Los Angeles County sheriff 's spokesman Steve Whitmore said . The fire eventually was brought under control . `` We 've already found survivors trapped under fatalities , '' Whitmore said late Friday . Among those killed was Spree Desha , 35 , a Los Angeles police officer on her way home from work , officials said Saturday . `` It 's not unusual for us to respond to disasters , '' said Jerry Szymanski , an assistant commander for the LAPD . `` When we got here , we found it was one that hit close to home . '' Desha had `` mentored and trained a lot of the young officers in the North Hollywood area , '' Szymanski said . Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Friday night a sheriff 's deputy was in a hospital 's intensive care unit after collapsing while conducting rescue work . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Chris Brown publicly apologized for assaulting his pop star girlfriend , Rihanna , in a video statement posted on his personal Web site Monday . Chris Brown , shown here at his June 22 court appearance , has publicly apologized in a video posted Monday . `` I have told Rihanna countless times , and I 'm telling you today , that I 'm truly , truly sorry in that I was n't able to handle the situation both differently and better , '' Brown said . `` What I did was unacceptable , 100 percent . I can only ask and pray that you forgive me . Please . '' Brown , 20 , was arrested after an early morning argument inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street in February . He admitted guilt to a felony assault charge in June in a plea deal under which he will serve five years of probation and do about 1,400 hours of `` labor-oriented service . '' Sentencing is set for August 5 . A publicist for Rihanna , whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty , has not responded to CNN requests for comment on the apology . Watch Brown ask for forgiveness '' Brown , in the two-minute video , said he had wanted to `` publicly express my deepest regret and accept full responsibility '' since February , but he remained silent on the advice of his defense lawyer . `` Although I will do some interviews and answer some questions in the future , I felt it was time you heard directly from me that I am sorry , '' he said . `` I have tried to live my life in a way which can make those around me proud of me , and until recently , I think I was doing a pretty good job , '' Brown said . `` I wish I had the chance to relive those few moments again , but unfortunately I ca n't . I can not go into what happened , and most importantly , I 'm not going to sit here and make any excuses . '' The incident began when Rihanna , who was riding in the sports car driven by Brown , found a text message on his cell phone from `` a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with , '' according to a sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews . `` A verbal argument ensued , '' followed by the physical attack , the statement said . It went on to describe the assault in great detail , saying Brown punched Rihanna numerous times and put her in a headlock , restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness . He threatened to beat her and kill her , according to the statement , and he bit her ear and her fingers . Eventually , `` Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away , '' the statement said . `` A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F. 's plea for help and called 911 , causing a police response . An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order . '' At the end of his statement , the detective said Brown sent a text message nine days later , apologizing . `` I take great pride in me being able to exercise self-control , and what I did was inexcusable , '' Brown said in his video apology . `` I am very sad and very ashamed of what I 've done . My mother and my spiritual teachers have taught me way better than that . '' Brown , who lost several product endorsements after his arrest , said he realizes he has `` truly been blessed '' and he intends `` to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term ` role model . ' '' `` As many of you know , I grew up in a home where there was domestic violence , and I saw firsthand what uncontrolled rage can do , '' he said . `` I have sought and I am continuing to seek help to ensure that what occurred in February can never happen again . And as I sit here today , I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it never happens again . And I promise that . '' His probation requires that Brown complete domestic violence counseling . The judge said he can not have contact with Rihanna again until that is completed .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- From the moment Justice David Souter announced he 'd be stepping down , Washington has been gearing up for a confirmation fight . But as Senator Lindsey Graham -LRB- R-S.C . -RRB- told Judge Sonia Sotomayor yesterday , `` Unless you have a complete meltdown , you are going to get confirmed . '' Robert Bork is not the only nominee who did not make it to the Supreme Court . Let 's take a look back at eight nominees who did n't make it to the bench , at least on their first try . 1 . Robert Bork In our time , the most famous rejected nominee is Robert H. Bork , a legal scholar and U.S. Court of Appeals judge with a long paper trail of conservative opinions . Nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 , Bork could have tilted the Court decisively to the right . As a known quantity , he was an easy target for liberal opponents , who organized a campaign against him . He was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee after 12 days of hearings . Mental Floss : Washington 's struggle to find a chief justice 2 . Alexander Wolcott `` Oh degraded Country ! How humiliating to the friends of moral virtue -- of religion and of all that is dear to the lover of his Country ! '' the New-York Gazette Advertiser wailed in 1811 over President James Madison 's nomination of customs inspector Alexander Wolcott . Wolcott 's strong enforcement of the controversial embargoes against Great Britain and France cost him support in the Senate and in the press . The Senate turned him down by a 9-24 vote , the widest rejection in Supreme Court history . 3 . Roger Taney Roger B. Taney -LRB- pronounced tawny -RRB- is largely remembered as the chief justice who handed down the Dred Scott decision in 1857 . With his sepulchral countenance , Taney is inextricably linked to the grim ruling that all blacks -- slaves as well as free -- were not and could never become citizens of the United States . But when President Andrew Jackson nominated him in 1835 as associate justice , opposition Whigs were still smarting from Taney 's removal of government deposits from the Second Bank of the United States while he was a recess-appointed Secretary of the Treasury . The Senate voted to indefinitely postpone the nomination . However , after Chief Justice John Marshall died in 1836 , Jackson sent Taney 's name up again . He was confirmed , this time as chief justice . 4 . Ebenezer Hoar You might think the Senate just could n't stomach elevating to the highest court in the land a man with the name Ebenezer Hoar , but it seems the senators were offended by something other than aesthetics . As President Ulysses S. Grant 's attorney general , Hoar had insisted on rewarding merit rather than political loyalty , thus blocking a well-trod route for patronage . So when Grant nominated Hoar to the Court in 1869 , miffed Republican senators gave the virtuous Hoar thumbs down . Mental Floss : What was Marbury v. Madison ? Who were Roe and Wade ? 5 and 6 . Wheeler Hazard Peckham and William B. Hornblower A senator has the right to reject a court nomination simply because the nominee is from the senator 's home state . Upon this invocation of `` senatorial courtesy '' rests the demise of Wheeler Hazard Peckham and William B. Hornblower . Both men were nominated by President Grover Cleveland . Both nominees were New Yorkers , and New York Sen. David Hill invoked senatorial courtesy to squelch their nominations in 1894 . -LRB- Peckham 's brother , Rufus Wheeler Peckham , became a justice in 1896 . -RRB- 7 . Harriet Miers Some nominees withdrew themselves from consideration before they could be rejected . Such was the case of Harriet Miers , whom President George W. Bush nominated in 2005 , but withdrew under criticism that she was unqualified . Mental Floss : Why there 's a Mohammed statue at the Supreme Court ? 8 . Douglas Ginsburg Another withdrawal was that of Douglas Ginsburg -LRB- not related to current justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -RRB- , the conservative , former pot-smoking federal appellate judge who is a footnote in the Bork saga . After Bork was Borked , Reagan eyed the more moderate Anthony Kennedy for the seat . But Sen. Jesse Helms -LRB- R-N.C . -RRB- threatened a filibuster . So Reagan turned right again and proposed Ginsburg . But there was no getting around the revelation that Ginsburg had inhaled . Ginsburg withdrew himself from consideration , Reagan put forward Kennedy and the Senate , eager to move on , easily confirmed him . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspectors found mildew on a ceiling and other problems last year at a peanut butter producing plant in Georgia that has been linked to a salmonella outbreak , according to reports released Monday by the state Department of Agriculture . A salmonella outbreak linked to a peanut butter plant has sickened nearly 500 people , the CDC says . But the owner of the Blakely , Georgia , plant -- Virginia-based Peanut Corp. of America -- described the problems as `` relatively minor and for the most part corrected on site . '' PCA this month stopped production at the Blakely plant and launched a nationwide recall of peanut butter and peanut paste made there after July 1 , 2008 . The New York Times reported Monday that Georgia agriculture inspection reports from 2006 and 2007 depicted a series of sanitation lapses in the Blakely plant . Citing an inspection report from August 23 , 2007 , the Times noted at least three incidences in which `` food-contact surfaces '' were `` not properly cleaned and sanitized . '' In an apparent response to the Times article , PCA released a statement saying , `` When the observations were noted during inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture , corrective action was taken immediately where possible and subsequently when immediate action was not possible . '' The statement , which PCA sent to CNN accompanied by a copy of a state inspection report from last October , said `` the most recent inspection observations by the state -LSB- the October inspection report -RSB- were relatively minor and for the most part corrected on site . '' In the October 23 , 2008 report , an inspector said she found `` mildew and possibly some static dust on ceiling of butter storage room . '' The report did not specify the amount of mildew . The report continued with the notation , `` Correct By : 11\/05\/2008 , '' but the report did not indicate whether any action was taken or whether a follow-up inspection occurred . Moisture was blamed for an unrelated salmonella outbreak two years ago . That outbreak was traced to a different Georgia peanut processing plant . A June 2008 inspection of PCA 's Blakely plant found violations including dust buildup on a fan in the butter room , and `` possible metal flakes from metal scrubber which is used to clean outside of equipment , '' according to an inspection report . The report did not indicate where the flakes were found . PCA has said that the peanut butter and peanut paste made at the Blakely plant were sold in bulk to manufacturers , and that the recall does not involve any peanut butter jars sold directly to consumers . However , more than 125 products that include peanut butter or peanut paste , including Trader Joe 's celery with peanut butter packs and nutrition bars from Clif Bar , NutriSystem and Luna , have been recalled in connection with the PCA 's recall . See a list of recalled products The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted nearly 500 cases of salmonella illnesses in 43 states from the most recent outbreak , and says the bacterial infection might have contributed to seven deaths . The American Peanut Council has a list of peanut products that are not affected by the recall .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British couple kidnapped by Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean have issued another desperate plea , saying they are being badly treated and need urgent help . Paul and Rachel Chandler , from Kent in southern England , were taken by pirates from their yacht , the Lynn Rival , on October 23 , just days after setting sail from the Seychelles islands for Tanzania . The couple was brought ashore and are being held in separate locations in central Somalia . Their captors initially demanded a ransom of $ 7 million , but the British government -- in line with longstanding policy -- has refused to pay . In a video filmed on Thursday in Somalia by the French news agency AFP , Rachel Chandler begged the British government to help secure the couple 's release . `` Please help us , these people are not treating us well , '' she said . `` I 'm old , I 'm 56 and my husband is 60 years old . We need to be together because we have not much time left . '' A doctor was shown examining Paul Chandler , 60 , who appeared to be in a better state than his wife . The medic found Rachel Chandler in poor mental health , calling out for her husband , AFP reported . `` She is sick , she is very anxious , she suffers from insomnia , '' Dr. Mohamed Helmi Hangul told the agency . `` She 's very confused , she 's always asking about her husband -- ` Where 's my husband , where 's my husband ? ' -- and she seems completely disorientated . '' Paul Chandler said his conditions were poor and also pleaded for help . `` Please help us , we have nobody to help us , we have no children ... We have been in captivity for 98 days and we are not in good condition , '' he said , also on Thursday . Hangul said Paul Chandler `` had a bad cough and seemed to have some fever . '' A spokesman for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office told CNN on Sunday : `` We are monitoring the situation very closely and doing everything we can to help secure a release . `` We remain in regular contact with the family and are providing support . We call for the safe and swift release of Paul and Rachel . '' Pirates have been very active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years , operating out of lawless Somalia . Earlier this month , pirates attempted to hijack an Indian crude oil vessel 105 nautical miles from Somalia , the EU 's anti-piracy naval force said . The pirates opened fire on the ship and were later arrested . Piracy on the high-seas reached a six-year high in 2009 , according to the International Maritime Bureau , which monitors shipping crimes . CNN 's Per Nyberg contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drew Peterson , who was arrested this week in the death of his third wife , joked with the media about his jail jumpsuit and chewed gum throughout his first court appearance Friday . A judge delayed Drew Peterson 's arraignment until May 18 because his lawyers could n't attend Friday 's hearing . The 55-year-old former police officer flashed a broad smile and engaged in banter during the 10-yard walk to the courthouse . Wearing an inmate uniform -- a bright-red short-sleeved shirt and pants , white socks and sandals -- Peterson had his hands and feet shackled as he arrived at the courtroom . Asked how he was , he responded , `` three squares a day and a spiffy outfit . '' He then held up the chains and said , `` and I got the bling . Ca n't complain . '' Peterson , who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife , Stacy Peterson , was indicted on murder charges related to the death of his third wife , Kathleen Savio , the Illinois state attorney 's office said . Watch a shackled Peterson go to jail '' Peterson appeared in court Friday , but a judge delayed his arraignment until May 18 . Judge Richard Schoenstedt ordered the delay after Will County State 's Attorney Jim Glasgow told him that Peterson 's primary lawyer , Joel Brodsky , had asked for it because neither he nor Peterson 's other attorney could attend Friday 's hearing . Peterson , chewing gum throughout the proceedings and speaking in a clear voice , told Schoenstedt that he knew both of his lawyers were out of town and that he had no objection to the delay . Glasgow , who has said he will prosecute the case personally , said Brodsky told him that he expects to ask the judge for a reduction in Peterson 's $ 20 million bail during the May 18 arraignment . Illinois State Police said Peterson was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after a traffic stop near his home . Police had staked out his home all day , police Capt. Carl Dobrich said , but waited for Peterson to leave before arresting him out of concern for his three young children , who were in the house . Peterson , through his attorney , denied any wrongdoing in either case . Glasgow said he believes that the case is strong . `` This is an extremely grave and serious matter , and it is reflected in the bond , '' Glasgow said . Brodsky told CNN 's Larry King that he thought the bail was excessive and would seek a more `` reasonable '' amount , noting that it was the most expensive bail he 'd seen in 10 years . Watch Peterson 's attorney address his client 's arrest '' Charles B. Pelkie , a spokesman for Glasgow , said a grand jury indicted Peterson in the murder of Savio , whose death had once been ruled an accidental drowning . But Brodsky said in a statement that prosecutors wo n't be able to prove their case , because `` he did n't do it . '' `` There is no evidence that links Drew Peterson to the death of Kathleen Savio or anyone else for that matter , '' Brodsky said . `` Drew did not harm Kathleen ; he has said so from Day One . We 're obviously disappointed a grand jury indicted him . But an indictment does not mean guilt . '' Pelkie said the grand jury continues to meet and is studying the possibility of charges in Stacy Peterson 's disappearance . Watch family members react to the arrest '' After Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007 , media and police scrutiny of Peterson revealed that Savio had died mysteriously during a nasty divorce a few years earlier . Savio died just before the division of marital assets was finalized , making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary . Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home . At the time , the death was ruled an accidental drowning . But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play . The investigation into Stacy Peterson 's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio 's death . Authorities exhumed Savio 's body , further tests were conducted , and her death was been ruled a `` homicide staged to look like an accident . '' Brodsky told King that he thinks the case has always been about circumstantial evidence and that he will bring a pathologist to trial who will say Savio died in an accidental drowning . `` I think the jury 's going to see that , in fact , this always has been an accidental death and still is an accidental death , '' Brodsky told King . Kathleen Savio 's brother , Nick , told CNN affiliate WLS that he received a call saying Peterson had been arrested . Watch police arrest Peterson '' `` The state police had been telling us the day was coming , '' he told WLS . `` We kept hearing it for about eight months . I 'm almost in tears here . It 's been so hard for our family . `` Hopefully , we 'll get the justice we 've always been waiting for . '' Martin Glink , attorney for the Savio family , said they had been hopeful the grand jury felt that there was enough evidence to charge Peterson . `` We 're very happy that the wheels of justice have continued to move and they are pointing in his direction , '' Glink told WLS . The news was bittersweet for Stacy Peterson 's family , who continue to wait for news about her disappearance . `` We have anticipated this coming . We have dreamed about it . We have been patient over it , '' family spokeswoman Pam Bosco told WLS . `` Now that it 's here , it 's almost a little bit calm . We 're waiting for the storm to calm now . The calm before the storm . '' Bosco said she was hopeful there would be charges in Stacy Peterson 's case . `` We always said from the very beginning that Kathleen and Stacy had one thing in common , and that was Drew Peterson , '' she said . `` So , hopefully , we 'll have news soon about Stacy , too . '' Ernie Raines is also relieved about the arrest . His daughter , Christina Raines , is dating Peterson and was living with him before his arrest . Raines told CNN 's Anderson Cooper that he was with his daughter and Peterson as recently as last week , when they talked about going to Las Vegas , Nevada , and getting married . Thursday night , he spoke with his daughter after the arrest . `` My daughter was terrified , very emotional , upset , '' Raines said . `` And I tried to tell her from the beginning that this was going to happen , be prepared . '' Raines said that when he heard about the arrest , he was more relieved than anything . `` I 'm glad justice finally came before he hurt my daughter , '' he said . Police put Peterson 's three young children in the custody of the state 's children and family service department . His adult son was contacted , at Peterson 's request , to take them , according to Dobrich . Dobrich said Peterson cooperated with police during his arrest . CNN 's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's ailing President Umaru Yar ` Adua , who gave amnesty to armed militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region , died Wednesday , the country 's information minister said . He was 58 . Yar ` Adua had not been seen in public since November , when he went to Saudi Arabia for treatment of an inflammation of tissue around his heart . He was diagnosed with that condition , acute pericarditis , last fall after he complained of chest pain . He returned to Nigeria in February but had remained out of sight . Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has served as the country 's acting leader since Yar ` Adua fell ill . Yar ` Adua took office in 2007 in an election mired in controversy and accusations of vote-rigging . `` There was ballot snatching , voters were molested , voters were beaten ... and also payment inducement to vote for certain candidates , '' said Eneruvie Enakoko of the Civil Liberties Organization , a human rights group in Lagos . The president , a soft-spoken and unassuming figure who did not bask in the media spotlight like past leaders of the West African nation , pledged to fight to improve the country of 150 million people despite the accusations . `` Our collective goal is to deliver for our children a Nigeria better , stronger , more peaceful , more secure and more prosperous than we met it , '' Yar ` Adua said . President Barack Obama issued a statement late Wednesday expressing his condolences to Yar ` Adua 's family and the Nigerian people . `` President Yar ` Adua worked to promote peace and stability in Africa through his support of Nigerian peacekeeping efforts as well as his strong criticism of undemocratic actions in the region , '' Obama said in the statement . `` He was committed to creating lasting peace and prosperity within Nigeria 's own borders , and continuing that work will be an important part of honoring his legacy . '' His election followed wide support from his predecessor , leading critics to label him a puppet of the former president , Olusegun Obasanjo . After he was elected , Yar ` Adua replaced some of Obasanjo 's top officials , including the head of the army , a move analysts said was aimed at shedding off his predecessor 's influence . One of Yar ` Adua 's biggest successes was offering amnesty to militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region , a move that brought fragile peace to the area after years of conflict . The well-armed Niger Delta rebels have been battling Nigeria 's armed forces over oil profits , which they say are unequally distributed . While he has hospitalized in Saudi Arabia , the militants called off the truce , dealing a blow to plans to end violence that has crippled oil production in the nation . Analysts say he did little to institutionalize reform in a country where two-thirds of the population lives on less than a dollar a day . `` Because many people feel disillusioned economically and as long as they have those sentiments -- I think the risk of radical uprisings in places like northern Nigeria and certainly southern Nigeria in the Delta will continue regardless of who is in power , '' said Rolake Akinola , an analyst at Control Risks West Africa . Yar ` Adua , a former chemistry teacher , was married twice and has nine children . CNN 's Faith Karimi and Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Johanna Sigurdardottir was sworn in as Iceland 's prime minister on Sunday , becoming the world 's first openly gay premier and the first woman to take the post in Iceland . Johanna Sigurdardottir is a former flight attendant and union leader . Sigurdardottir , 66 , took office less than a week after the Cabinet resigned amid fallout from Iceland 's financial collapse . A former flight attendant who entered politics via the union movement , Sigurdardottir was minister of social affairs and social security in the outgoing Cabinet , which resigned Monday . Iceland has been in political turmoil since October , when its currency , stock market and leading banks collapsed amid the global financial crisis . The island nation 's Nordic neighbors sent billions of dollars to prop up the economy , as did the International Monetary Fund in its first intervention to support a Western European democracy in decades . But weekly demonstrations -- some verging on riots -- finally forced Prime Minister Geir Haarde and his coalition to resign en masse on January 26 . The country 's president turned to the Social Democratic Alliance party to form a new government , and they selected Sigurdardottir to lead it . She has been a member of Iceland 's Parliament for 30 years , and was 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 . She briefly led her own political party , which merged with other center-left parties to form the Alliance party . Sigurdardottir is 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 . Her prime ministership may be short-lived . The government she is forming is only due to last until the next elections , which must take place by May and could be held in April . A statement posted by the new government on Iceland 's Web site promised elections `` as soon as circumstances allow , '' and said the interim government `` will base itself on a very prudent and responsible policy in economic and fiscal matters . '' The statement added that the government will treat as priorities `` the principles of sustainable development , women 's rights , equality and justice . '' Stonewall , a leading British gay and lesbian rights group , welcomed Sigurdardottir 's appointment as a milestone . `` It really does matter . It is helpful '' to have an openly gay prime minister , said Gary Nunn , a Stonewall spokesperson . `` We are trying to foster the ambition that young people can be anything they want to be . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BURSA , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian Wednesday became the first Armenian head of state to travel to Turkey to attend a soccer game between the two countries ' national teams . Armenian President Serzh Sarkasian -LRB- right -RRB- pictured with Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul during Gul 's visit to Yerevan in 2008 . Sarkisian and Turkish president Abdullah Gul arrived at the stadium in Bursa together in a car flying the national flags of both countries . In an exclusive interview with CNN before the game , Gul said the event opened a new chapter for relations between Armenia and Turkey . But when asked , he avoided saying whether the border between the two neighbors would be opened before 2010 . At the match , Turkish supporters vastly outnumbered Armenian fans and gave the Armenian national anthem the standard treatment for most visiting foreign teams -- they booed . Small pockets of Armenian supporters waved the tri-color flag of Armenia . Turkey won the World Cup qualifying group game 2-0 but with both countries already unable to progress to the 2010 tournament in South Africa , the significance of the game was in its symbolism . This round of `` football diplomacy , '' comes just days after the two governments signed a historic series of protocols to establish diplomatic relations between the two neighbors . `` This is going to be the biggest change in the South Caucasus since 1994 , '' said Gevorg Tel-Gabrielyan , the Armenia country director for the Eurasia Partnership Foundation . He was in Bursa on Wednesday , hosting a conference of Armenian and Turkish academics examining bilateral relations . `` If this happens , '' he added , `` its going to change geopolitics in the region . '' Armenia and Turkey have been separated by nearly a century of animosity and distrust . The protocols call for establishment of embassies in each others ' capitals , and for re-opening the Turkish-Armenian border , which has been closed since 1993 . The soccer game was also being held in Bursa , which centuries ago was the capital of the Ottoman Empire . Thousands of police were deployed to maintain strict security . On Tuesday , Turkey 's prime minister made a public appeal to Turkish football fans , to greet Sarkisian with hospitality and to avoid provocations . Despite strong support from the United States , the European Union and Russia , there is considerable opposition among nationalists in Turkey and Armenia to the peace process . Sarkisian has been met by angry protests both within Armenia and among the influential diaspora communities in the United States , France and Lebanon . Thousands of protesters in the Armenian capital marched to the country 's genocide memorial chanting `` no concessions to the Turks , '' last week . Armenia has long demanded that Turkey recognize the World War I-era massacre of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians by Ottoman Turkish soldiers as genocide . Modern-day Turkey vehemently denies a genocide took place and is calling for an international commission of historical experts to examine these tragic events . Meanwhile , opposition party leaders in Turkey have criticized the agreement , as has Turkey 's close ally in the Caucasus , Azerbaijan . Azerbaijan fought and lost a war against Armenia in the early 1990s . On Sunday , Turkey 's prime minister made a fresh call for Armenia to withdraw its troops from the disputed Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh . For the new agreement to go into effect , the documents must first be put to a vote in the Turkish and Armenian parliaments . There is no guarantee lawmakers will ratify the agreement . The process of unraveling the complicated network of regional , domestic and historical grievances dividing Armenia and Turkey was jump-started in September of 2008 , when Gul traveled to Yerevan to attend a football match between the two national teams . The diplomatic rapprochement has also gotten valuable support from powerful patrons , experts say . `` This is one of the few places in the world where Russia and the United States are pulling in the same direction , '' says Hugh Pope , an expert on Turkey with the International Crisis Group . `` Both want to see a more stable Caucasus . '' Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were both present at the signing ceremony for the Turkish-Armenian agreement in Switzerland on Saturday . Wednesday 's game in Bursa was the final match for the coach of the Turkish national team , Fatih Terim , who announced his resignation after Turkey 's most recent football defeat . Despite that , the headline in one of Turkey 's biggest newspapers billed today 's football game `` Our most challenging match . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two U.S. spacecraft are set to crash on the moon Friday . On purpose . And we 're all invited to watch . An artist 's rendering shows the LCROSS spacecraft , left , separating from its Centaur rocket . NASA 's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite is scheduled to drop its Centaur upper-stage rocket on the lunar surface at 7:31 a.m. ET . NASA hopes the impact will kick up enough dust to help the LCROSS probe find the presence of water in the moon 's soil . Four minutes later , the LCROSS will follow through the debris plume , collecting and relaying data back to Earth before crashing into the Cabeus crater near the moon 's south pole . The LCROSS is carrying spectrometers , near-infrared cameras , a visible camera and a visible radiometer . These instruments will help NASA scientists analyze the plume of dust -- more than 250 metric tons ' worth -- for water vapor . The orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and NASA 's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will watch , and photograph , the collisions . And hundreds of telescopes on Earth also will be focused on the two plumes . Watch animation of how the moon will be `` bombed '' '' NASA is encouraging amateur astronomers to join the watch party . `` We expect the debris plumes to be visible through midsized backyard telescopes -- 10 inches and larger , '' said Brian Day at NASA 's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field , California . Day is an amateur astronomer who is leading education and public outreach for the LCROSS mission . Ames will host `` Impact Night , '' an event with music and food starting Thursday evening before a live transmission of the lunar impact will be shown around 4:30 a.m. PT Friday . Other science observatories and amateur astronomy clubs across the country will be hosting similar events . iReport : Are you planning to watch ? `` The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls , but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater 's rim to be seen from Earth , '' Day said . The Cabeus crater lies in permanent shadow , making observations inside the crater difficult . Watch CNN 's Jeanne Moos ask if lunacy is behind the moon `` bombing '' '' The impacts will not be visible to the naked eye or through binoculars . If you do n't have a telescope , or you live in areas where daylight will obscure the viewing , NASA TV will broadcast the crashes live . Coverage begins at 6:15 a.m. ET Friday . The two main components of the LCROSS mission are the shepherding spacecraft and the Centaur upper stage rocket . The spacecraft will guide the rocket to its crash site . Data from previous space missions have revealed trace amounts of water in lunar soil . The LCROSS mission seeks a definitive answer to the question of how much water is present . NASA has said it believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency 's quest to explore the solar system . LCROSS launched with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral , Florida , on June 18 . Friday 's lunar impact will be visible best in areas that are still dark , particularly in the Western United States . The Fremont Peak Observatory near Monterey , California , will open up its doors early Friday to allow people to watch the event through its 30-inch telescope . It 's `` the most accessible public telescope in the -LSB- San Francisco -RSB- Bay Area , '' said Dave Samuels , the observatory 's vice president . So far , at least 50 people have signed up , Samuels said , noting that number is `` really phenomenal , especially on a school night -LSB- and -RSB- work night . It 's really incredible . '' Students , retirees and board members are among those scheduled to attend . Samuels said a special low-light , infrared video camera will be hooked up to the telescope so that the audience can watch the rocket strike the moon . The observatory is in Fremont Peak State Park , which is on a list of California parks that could close because of recent budget cuts . Samuels said he hopes Friday 's event triggers more interest in astronomy , particularly among young children , and possibly help the park to stay open . `` It 's things like this that get kids interested -LSB- in science -RSB- , '' he said . `` It will probably be a defining moment for them . '' Darrick Gray , who teaches atmospheric sciences at Ray-Pec High School near Kansas City , Missouri , said he 's planning to take 17 students -- all juniors and seniors -- to watch the lunar impact . `` This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing , '' Gray said . He said he 's arranged for a school bus to pick up the kids early Friday and take the class to the Powell Observatory in Louisburg , Kansas . `` It 's weather-dependent ; we 've got rain right now , '' Gray said . `` It 's going to be a call I make at 5 a.m. '' Gray , who is also the director of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City , said his students will try to take photos of the impact through the eyepiece of their telescopes . He said he hopes the event will influence his students to pursue careers in science . `` Being as we do live here in Missouri , we 're away from the hub -LSB- of astronomy -RSB- , '' Gray said . `` We 're not in Florida , we 're not in Texas , we 're not in Silicon Valley -- it 's not something they 're used to seeing . `` So any time you can show them something that 's never been done , and they say , ` Oh this is pretty cool , ' I think they buy into that . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the first time in U.S. history , the largest single group of poor children in any racial or ethnic category is Hispanic , according to a new survey . Calling it `` a negative milestone '' in Hispanics ' explosive growth in the United States , the Pew Hispanic Center study said in 2010 , 37.3 % of poor children in the U.S. were Hispanic , compared with 30.5 % white and 26.6 % black . The Pew analysis of new census data put the number of Hispanic children in poverty at 6.1 million in 2010 . This negative trend has emerged as the 2010 census confirmed for the first time that Hispanics are the nation 's No. 2 group , surpassing African-Americans . Hispanics now make up 16.3 % of the total American population -- but in the youth demographic , Hispanic kids comprise an even bigger share -- 23.1 % of U.S. children are Latino , the study said . See how Hispanics drove the growth of the white population The study found there are 6.1 million Latino children living in poverty , and more than two-thirds of them -- 4.1 million -- are children of immigrant parents . Of those 4.1 million , 86 % were born in America , the study said . The remaining 2 million poor Latino children have U.S.-born parents , the study said . Prior to the recession , more white children lived in poverty than Latino kids , but since the recession began in 2007 , those positions reversed , and the number of poor Hispanic children grew by 36.3 % between 2007 and 2010 , or 1.6 million , the study said . The number of white and black children in poverty also grew , but not as big , the study found . See how the white population changed in relation to minorities The recession hit Latino families hard : the unemployment rate among Hispanic workers is 11.1 % , compared with a national rate of 9.1 % , and the household wealth for Latinos fell more sharply than for white or black families between 2005 and 2009 , the study said . Food insecurity also grew among Latinos , with one-third of households facing the problem in 2008 , up from 23.8 % the prior year , the study said . Leaders of programs serving the poor said Thursday their experiences match the study 's findings , which was released Wednesday . In his twice-a-month acts of charity , Reverend Carlos Paiva has noticed the increasing number of Latino youngsters who arrive with their families at his Angelica Lutheran Church near downtown Los Angeles . The church gives free rice , beans , potatoes , onions and fruits to needy families , he said . `` The numbers are growing , '' Paiva said about Latino kids who show up at the church with their families . `` The average age of the people who come here for food is 10 years old . '' Michael Flood , CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank , said his group 's recent summer lunch program for poor children saw `` a lot more kids from the Latino community . '' `` It worries us , '' Flood said . `` Given the fact that the economy has n't turned around , it 's a more desperate deal . '' Victor Martinez , director of programming at Bienestar , a nonprofit that runs nine health community centers in southern California for Latinos , said he was `` sad and disappointed to see that my community is facing these problems . '' `` Especially for the more recent immigrants , they have more limited resources to work . We have more requests to go to the food bank and housing , '' Martinez said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just months after the 9\/11 attacks , the United States appeared to have its biggest catch in the newly launched war on terror . Abu Zubaydah , considered one of al Qaeda 's senior lieutenants , lay in a pool of blood on a street in Faisalabad , Pakistan , having been shot three times during a U.S.-coordinated raid on a house where a group of suspected terrorists was building a bomb . CIA operative John Kiriakou , who helped plan the raid , rushed to the scene . But when he gazed down at the critically wounded man , it did n't quite look like the person he had seen in a 4-year-old passport . In his new book , `` The Reluctant Spy , '' Kiriakou gives an insider 's view of his secret life as a spy and his role in fighting the war on terror . Kiriakou said he was able to quickly verify Zubaydah 's identity by sending a picture of his ear to CIA headquarters in Virginia . `` I did n't realize until that night that no two people have the same ears . It 's like a fingerprint , '' he said . The American spy was ordered by then-CIA Director George Tenet to do everything in his power to keep Zubaydah alive and to never let him out of his sight . That 's exactly what Kiriakou did . Rushed to a rundown Pakistani hospital , Zubaydah barely made it through surgery . Word had apparently gotten out to al Qaeda where he was being treated . `` Al Qaeda people started driving by the hospital just opening fire on the hospital , '' Kiriakou said , and a Pakistani security officer quickly arranged for a helicopter to transfer Zubaydah to a military base . Once on the base , Kiriakou used a sheet to tie the comatose Zubaydah to his bed and then stood watch . When Zubaydah finally woke up , Kiriakou tried to speak with him in Arabic . Zubaydah refused , telling him in perfect English that he would not talk in what he called `` God 's language . '' Strangely enough , Kiriakou said , Zubaydah then asked for a glass of red wine . After a few hours of sleep , the prisoner pleaded for Kiriakou to kill him -- to smother him with a pillow . After a couple of days , Zubaydah was transferred to an undisclosed location for further treatment . That was the last time Kiriakou saw him . Kiriakou said his conversations with Zubaydah were surprising . `` I expected an irrational , radical , hate-filled , hard-core terrorist , and what I got was a frightened young guy who realized he was in way over his head , had made terrible mistakes and was going to pay for it . '' Kiriakou also tells the story of Zubaydah 's cell phone ringing shortly after his capture . No one could answer it because FBI agents who took part in the raid had placed the phone in a sealed evidence bag and would n't open it . Kiriakou said a valuable lead may have been lost . `` I should have opened the bag and snatched the phone , '' the former CIA operative said . Iraq played a prominent role in Kiriakou 's CIA career , most notably his role in supporting the U.S. policy to go to war . In summer 2002 , Kiriakou was back working at headquarters in Virginia when he was summoned to a top-secret meeting . He said he was told the Bush administration had decided the United States was going to invade Iraq in the spring -- it was a done deal . His job was to support the mission . Kiriakou said he was dumbfounded . `` Here was someone at the CIA , obviously plugged into the plans of the executive branch , telling us that the public debate in Congress , reflected almost daily in the press , meant nothing . '' Months later , Congress passed a war resolution . The book is filled with many more stories about Kiriakou 's experiences as a spy , including how he tried to avoid surveillance in Greece and discovered he was being tailed , what it was like being in charge of foreign agents , and the fear of a pending terrorist attack just before September 11 , 2001 . Kiriakou also discussed the CIA 's use of harsh interrogation techniques on detainees . In 2007 , several years after he left the agency , Kiriakou was the first official to publicly confirm Washington 's worst-kept secret : that Zubaydah had been waterboarded . He did n't have firsthand knowledge , but he said he had read cables that indicated the simulated drowning technique was used just once , because Zubaydah cracked and provided actionable intelligence . However , a government report released in summer 2009 said the technique was actually used 83 times against Zubaydah . Kiriakou said he now feels he was duped by the agency . He questioned whether any useful information really came from the detainee and said he believes `` it caused more damage to our national prestige than was worth it . '' Kiriakou left the CIA in 2004 after serving 14 years in the agency . He 's now a senior investigator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man accused of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier at a homecoming party in the soldier 's honor faces one count of attempted murder , the spokesman for the San Bernardino , California , district attorney said Tuesday . District Attorney Michael Ramos filed the charge Tuesday against 19-year-old Ruben Jurado , spokesman Christopher Lee said . He also filed `` four special allegations involving premeditation and the use and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury , '' the DA 's office said in a statement . Jurado was being held at the West Valley Detention Center and was expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday . Jurado is accused of shooting Army Spc. Christopher Sullivan on Friday night at a homecoming party in Sullivan 's native San Bernardino . Sullivan was there celebrating his recent return to California from Kentucky , where he was stationed while recovering from wounds sustained in a suicide bombing a year ago in Afghanistan . Sullivan narrowly survived the attack , which killed five members of his unit and left him with a cracked collar bone and brain damage , according to the San Bernardino County Sun . Sullivan was awarded the Purple Heart after the incident . He was shot at the party after an `` argument and physical confrontation '' with Jurado , San Bernardino Police Department Sgt. Pete Higgins told CNN . Accompanied by an attorney , Jurado turned himself in to authorities in Chino Hills early Monday afternoon , said Lt. Gwendolyn Waters . The fight at the party broke out after Jurado and Sullivan 's younger brother began arguing about football , the brothers ' mother , Suzanne Sullivan , told CNN . Jurado `` pulled out a gun and shot him twice , '' she said . Higgins said Jurado fled the scene after the shooting . Sullivan was rushed to a hospital , where he was being treated , officials said . `` Right now , my son is hanging in physically , '' Suzanne Sullivan told CNN . `` He 's on 100 % life support . He can move his head and he responds through nodding and blinking to us . His eyes are n't always open , but we try to encourage him to do so as often as possible . '' She said her son tried to ask what happened to him at the hospital and when they told him he wanted to know , `` Why ? '' `` We told him what it was about and he just closed his eyes , '' Suzanne Sullivan told CNN . She said she was told that the suspect and her son might have gone to school and played football together . She also said she could n't believe what had happened to her son , who she said joined the Army to try and help her out . `` He 's a wonderful son . ... the best person you could meet on this Earth , '' she said . `` He 's a giver , not a taker , and just wants to be there for and help people . He was so happy when he joined the Army , because he really wanted to defend his country . '' The mother and her family have been at her son 's hospital bedside . A fellow soldier from Christopher Sullivan 's 101st Airborne Division brought the infantry 's flag to the hospital , Suzanne Sullivan told CNN . `` He loved his platoon . He loved his fellow soldiers , '' she said as she began to sob . `` He was so proud to serve our country . '' Tears rolled down Christopher Sullivan 's face when he saw the flag of the Screaming Eagles , the nickname for the division , his mother said . `` I asked Chris if he wanted to me to hang it on the wall or cover him in it , '' Suzanne Sullivan said . `` He nodded that he wanted me to cover him with it . Once I did that he started to cry , which made me start to cry . It 's been really hard on all of us . '' She said she was distraught over the news that her son , who was already recovering from injuries sustained during his tour abroad , had returned to the United States only to be paralyzed during a party . `` He once told me that if defending this country takes his life , so be it , '' she said . `` But to see he survived that , and now for this to happen to him , just breaks my heart . '' Suzanne Sullivan said her family is having a difficult time coming to terms with what happened . `` We just want justice to be done , '' she said . CNN 's Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Since the moment Barack Obama took office , he has made a concerted effort to speak directly to the Muslim world . Election posters hang on the exterior of many buildings in Tripoli , Lebanon , last week . Even his inauguration address sent a new and different message from the United States : `` To the Muslim world , we seek a new way forward , based on mutual interest and mutual respect , '' he said on January 20 , standing in front of a changed nation . `` To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society 's ills on the West , know that your people will judge you on what you can build , not what you destroy . '' Next month , Obama will deliver a long-awaited speech to the Muslim world from Cairo , Egypt . He will speak at a critical time for Lebanon , days before an election that could bring powerful Shia militia group Hezbollah to power . This possibility could shake the foundation of Obama 's attempts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East . With one of the most powerful armies in the Middle East , Hezbollah is poised to lead Lebanon 's government with the help of Lebanese Christian opposition leader , Gen. Michel Aoun . Aoun signed a memo of understanding with Hezbollah in February 2006 and joined the March 8 bloc , led by Hezbollah . That could give the bloc the numbers it needs to control parliament after the June 7 elections . There have been sporadic incidents of violence ahead of the vote : Billboards have been defaced and just last week , a Hezbollah-aligned political office was burned to the ground . While these acts of violence are small by Lebanese standards , a friend who lives near the burned office told me it was a `` terrifying reminder of last May . '' That is when Hezbollah militants , in a blatant show of force , seized control of the streets of Beirut , marking the worst violence to hit Lebanon since the end of its civil war in 1991 . Many saw it as an embarrassment to Saad Hariri 's ruling March 14 bloc , which had to grant major political concessions to Hezbollah to restore order to Beirut . Hezbollah 's leader has painted May 7 , 2008 , as a `` glorious day that prevented civil war , '' but journalists like myself remember the day slightly differently : pinned down behind a building by raging gunfire . At the time , I could not believe that Hezbollah gunmen were about to occupy half of the Lebanese capital . They did so until the government gave in ; then they withdrew back to Beirut 's southern suburbs , allowing the city 's wealthy neighborhoods to return to normal for the summer . Regardless , it was a show of force that people in Lebanon have not forgotten . The lead-up to next month 's vote has seen the same , typical -- and at times stereotypical -- Beirut antics . Hezbollah has accused Hariri 's political bloc of bringing Lebanese expatriates into the country in droves to try to swing the vote in its favor . Anyone who drives out to Beirut 's airport can see these expats arriving from countries like Brazil , Canada and the United States . Hariri swept to power in the wake of the 2005 assassination of his father , former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri . Many Lebanese blamed Syria , which had dominated Lebanon politically and militarily since the civil war , for the killing . The assassination sparked widespread protests that led to the election of the younger Hariri 's anti-Syrian bloc in parliament and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon . Damascus has denied any role in Hariri 's killing , but a U.N. investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement . Now , it appears the tide is turning once again in Lebanon , this time in Hezbollah 's favor . Three years ago , Hezbollah -- which is supported by both Syria and Iran -- fought a war against the Israeli military , which failed to weaken the militia . Since that perceived victory over Israel , Hezbollah has been considered by its supporters to be the `` defender of Lebanon . '' So what happens on June 8 when the world wakes up to a Lebanon that sees Hezbollah aligned with Aoun as the majority and Hariri 's March 14 bloc as the opposition party ? When Hamas won the elections in Gaza in January 2006 , former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the elections `` free and fair . '' But that made no difference as Israel tightened its grip , and the two rival Palestinian factions , Hamas and Fatah , killed each other in the streets of Gaza . Is the situation any different now for Lebanon , or is it perhaps even worse ? Lebanon 's political landscape is shifting months after a similar shift in Israel . Voters in the Jewish state overwhelmingly supported conservative parties over more moderate groups , bringing into power Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year . Netanyahu is viewed in the Arab world as more hawkish than his predecessor , Ehud Olmert , who ordered the war against Hezbollah in 2006 . With an estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon -- all under the control of Hezbollah -- how can Netanyahu sell the idea to the people of northern Israel that they are safe from a country ruled by Hezbollah-aligned politicians ? The situation means that the Arab world will be listening even more closely to Obama 's June 4 address in Cairo to hear whether the U.S. president will champion democracy -- even if it means an inevitable standoff between Israel , a historically staunch ally , and Lebanon , as it struggles to find an identity both within itself and in the outside world .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Italian government is vowing to fight a European court ruling that crucifixes in classrooms violate students ' right to freedom of religion . The European Court of Human Rights found unanimously Tuesday that the display of a particular religious symbol -- such as the Christian cross -- in a classroom `` restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions , and the right of children to believe or not to believe , '' a court statement said . The case was brought by an Italian woman , Soile Lautsi , who objected to the crucifixes on the walls in her two sons ' classrooms . Italian courts had ruled earlier that the cross was a symbol of Italy 's history and culture , prompting Lautsi to take her case to the European court in Strasbourg , France . It awarded her 5,000 euros -LRB- $ 7,400 -RRB- in damages Tuesday . The Italian government said it would appeal the European Court 's verdict and leading Catholic figures expressed astonishment and anger . The ruling `` is cause for bitterness and many perplexities , '' the Italian Conference of Bishop said in a written statement . The bishops said they were still studying the ruling , but it appeared to result from `` ideological bias '' and a lack of understanding of `` the multiple significances of the crucifix . '' `` It does not take into account the fact that in Italy the display of the crucifix in public places is in line with the recognition of the principles of the Catholicism as ` part of the historical patrimony of the Italian people , ' as stated in the Vatican\/Italy agreement of 1984 , '' the bishops said . The Vatican in Rome , which has been the seat of the Catholic Church for most of its 2,000-year history , did not officially respond to the ruling . But Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told the leading Italian daily La Repubblica he could not understand it , and that no one with common sense could have expected it . `` When I think that we are talking about a symbol , the crucifix , an image that can not but be the emblem of a universally shared humanity , I not only feel disappointed but also sadness and grief , '' he said . `` The crucifix is the sign of a God that loves man to the point of giving up his life for him . It is a God that teaches us to learn to love , to pay attention to each man ... and to respect the others , even those who belong to a different culture or religion . `` How could someone not share such a symbol ? '' Italy has three months to file a request for a new hearing , court spokesman Stefano Piedimonte told CNN . A five-judge panel will examine the request , officially known as a referral , to determine if it raises sufficiently important issues for a 17-judge Grand Chamber hearing . Only the Italian government can appeal the verdict , but other interested parties can file briefs if the case goes forward , Piedimonte said . The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights . CNN 's Hada Messia in Rome contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Texas Rangers fan who fell over a railing while trying to catch a ball will have a place at Rangers Ballpark next season after the team erects a statue in his memory . Shannon Stone , a 39-year-old firefighter from Brownwood , Texas , fell to his death July 7 . His 6-year-old son Cooper witnessed the accident . `` The statue , which is tentatively to be named Rangers Fans , is expected to be in place for the 2012 season , '' the Texas Rangers announced in a statement Monday . It will depict Stone and his son attending a Rangers game . `` The full-size bronze statue is likely to be located outside the home plate gate of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington , '' the Rangers said . The tragedy took place in the second inning of the ill-fated game . Star outfielder Josh Hamilton tossed a souvenir ball into the stands after a batter hit a foul ball . Stone stuck out his glove and reached for the ball , but lost his balance and flipped over the railing of the outfield seats . He fell about 20 feet and crashed head-first into an area near a scoreboard . Stone died of blunt-force trauma , according to the Tarrant County medical examiner . Rangers President Nolan Ryan , a Hall of Fame pitcher , has said the club would review the height of railings at the stadium , even though they already exceeded the city 's code limits . The team has set up an account accepting donations in Stone 's honor with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation . Donated money has been earmarked to help the Stone family . The Rangers have donated an undisclosed sum , according to the team 's website . Stone 's widow , Jenny , said she appreciates Ryan and the Rangers during the family 's time of loss . `` Shannon and Cooper had a special relationship , and we are touched and grateful that it will be memorialized at one of their favorite places , '' she said in the statement . `` Our hope is that this statue will not be a symbol of our family tragedy but rather a reminder of the importance of a family 's love -- love of each other , love of spending time together , and love of the game . '' CNN 's Sara Pratley contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Regular readers of AOL Autos know that we have done a series of stories on the development and increasing popularity of cars that run -- or will eventually run -- on alternative fuels . The mandatory use of CNG in public service vehicles began in New Delhi , India in 2000 . We 've written about hybrids , clean-diesel engines , fuel-cell technology , ethanol and more . That brings us to another entry in the auto industry 's ongoing research and development of green-technology : compressed natural gas -LRB- CNG -RRB- . Scientists are trying to determine which alternative fuel will best strike a balance between being environmentally friendly and commercial viability . CNG might be the answer . Vehicles running on CNG have actually been around since the early 1990s , but have not been a dominant force in the marketplace mostly because the infrastructure -LRB- i.e. re-fueling stations -RRB- is not yet in place to support high-volume sales of CNG-powered cars . Presently , there are only about 1,600 CNG refueling stations in the U.S , compared with up to 200,000 gas stations . Currently there is only one CNG-powered model sold on the consumer market that is actually manufactured as a CNG-powered car . That 's the Honda Civic GX , which boasts an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 24\/36 miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent . AOL Autos : Best hybrids Rich Kolodziej , president of Natural Gas Vehicles for America said there are other natural-gas-powered vehicles on the road -- about 130,000 , he estimates -- but that the vast majority of those are part of commercial or transit fleets or have been converted from gasoline-powered cars . `` They 're mostly fleet vehicles , like transit buses , delivery trucks , and the fleets maintained by the gas company , the electric company , etc , '' he said . `` We do n't have hard figures about conversions , but I 'd bet that about 25 percent of those 130,000 were once gasoline-powered vehicles that have been converted to CNG vehicles , '' Kolodziej said . `` There are a growing number of companies making certified conversion systems and installing them . '' NGVAmerica maintains a list of certified conversion systems on its Web site : www.ngvc.org . AOL Autos : Fuel-efficient used cars Some of those 130,000 are also natural-gas-powered vehicles manufactured and sold by Ford , Chrysler and GM back in the early '90s , he says -- back when the U.S. manufacturers were still in the business of making CNG-powered cars . But we 'll get back to that later . But with the price of gasoline currently averaging over $ 4 a gallon nationally , Kolodziej predicts there will be more and more demand for CNG-powered vehicles like the Civic GX . `` I went to a conference a couple of months ago , and every manufacturer we talked to said that their phones were ringing off the hook , from people who are saying they 'd be interested in buying a CNG-powered car , '' Kolodziej said . `` And there are more and more people and companies who want to get into the conversion business . '' AOL Autos : Hybrid SUVs The cost of conversions varies by the type of vehicle , Kolodziej noted . `` But most cost in the $ 10,000 range . Most conversion systems are certified for Ford and GM models , among others , '' he said . On the financial side , natural gas is about 30 percent less expensive than gasoline when it is purchased at a refueling station . It 's about 50 percent less expensive when you fill ` er up at home , via home refueling appliance that tap into your natural gas line , Kolodziej said . Owners of the Honda Civic GX in New York and California who have natural gas piped into their homes can purchase the `` Phill '' re-fueling system for about $ 3,500 . This Phill system can be used whether your CNG vehicle was manufactured that way or converted , he said . AOL Autos : Luxury cars with best gas mileage `` The Phill is about the size of a pay phone , and you hang it on the garage wall , and vent it like a dryer and plug it into a gas line and also into an electric socket , '' Kolodziej explained . The primary environmental benefit of a CNG car is that it produces 90 percent fewer smog-forming pollutants -LRB- oxides of nitrogen -RRB- , compared to the output of a conventional gas engine , said Steve Ellis , manager of alternative fuels for American Honda Motor Co. . The Civic GX has reaped many environmental awards . This year , it was named by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy -LRB- ACEEE -RRB- as the `` greenest vehicle in the nation -- for the fifth consecutive year . '' The GX , which was first introduced in 1998 , has the cleanest internal combustion certified by the EPA , Ellis noted . AOL Autos : Most-popular fuel-efficient cars The Civic GX is not a high-volume vehicle in terms of sales . Ellis said annual sales have fluctuated between 500 to 1000 units a year since it was rolled out , with sales of 1,100 units last year . He expects that to go up in 2008 . For comparison purposes , about 40,000 Honda Civic Hybrids were sold last year , with sales of 48,000 anticipated for this year . Most of the sales of the Civic GX are concentrated in southern California , followed by Phoenix and Salt Lake City -- primarily because those markets are where many of the 1,600 re-fueling stations are presently located . `` As the infrastructure builds up , we 'll sell more of them in other markets , '' Ellis predicted . `` Right now , this is a car that people use regionally . If you live here in Los Angeles , you can drive to Las Vegas and back and not worry about being able to find a refueling station . As for cost , the GX natural-gas vehicle is priced at about $ 24,500 , compared to $ 17,000 for a comparably-equipped Civic LX , Ellis said -- except that buyers get a $ 4,000 tax credit on the purchase of the GX . And until recently , California buyers got an additional $ 3,000 rebate from the California Air Resources Board . `` But the program was so popular , they are out of funds , and looking to add more money to the coffer so they can continue with the rebates , '' Ellis said . `` But people who buy a Civic GX , when we ask them about the math , in term of comparing those two Civics , they sort of give us blank stares , '' Ellis continued . `` Most of these folks who are buying the GX are trying to get out of having to commute to work every day in a pick-up truck , SUV or even a passenger car that 's only getting 15 or 20 miles a gallon . And they 're also the same kind of people who 've said they 'd pay $ 25 or $ 50 a week to be able to drive in the car-pool lane . '' Interestingly , many of the automakers , like Volkswagen , Mercedes , Fiat , GM Opel , Ford Europe , Peugeot and Renault , do produce CNG-powered vehicles for other countries , said NGVAmerica 's Kolodziej , who noted that `` about 1.5 million of the natural gas vehicles have been sold in Brazil , another 1.5 million in Argentina , another 1.5 million in Pakistan , and so on . '' And , once upon a time , in the early '90s , U.S. automakers did sell CNG vehicles in the United States . `` But the federal government kept adding more loopholes to the energy policy that was supposed to encourage the increased manufacture and sales of CNG vehicles , '' Kolodziej said . `` Then the government opted not to expand the coverage of the program the way the law allowed -- or the way the automakers expected . Without that demand pull , the U.S. automakers did n't believe they could sell enough of them here . '' `` U.S. automakers zigged when they probably should have zagged '' added Ellis of American Honda . `` They turned their backs on CNG and began to focus on bio-fuels . '' But , noted Ellis , `` We 're definitely keeping our stake in the CNG business , because we know we can add it to other platforms . We used to think of the Civic GX as ` The Little Engine That Could ' -- you know , saying , ' I think I can , I think I can ' in terms of becoming more commercially viable . `` But , with gas prices going up and up , now we 're thinking more along the lines of ' I know I can , I know I can . ' And more and more people are genuinely interested in going more green because of the environmental impact , '' he said . `` A lot of people got into the hybrids , and then , after a while , began to ask , ` How can I do more ? ' And they 're looking to natural-gas-powered cars as the answer to that . `` So , we 're in this for the long haul , '' noted Ellis , who said the company is definitely looking to do bigger business and make a profit from the GX . `` Now , it 's just a matter of society continuing to change , and to continue to become more environmentally-minded . As they do , we think there will be increasing interest in CNG , and we 'll see a shift in emphasis toward CNG and away from bio-fuels . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"The swine flu , also known as the H1N1 virus , is all over the news . A string of cases have been reported across the United States , as well as across the globe , with Mexico the hardest hit country , so far . Older kids , who may be scared but hide it , should be reassured that parents and health officials are on top of it . It 's easy to freak out amid these disturbing reports , but the truth is you 're probably doing everything you need to do to protect your family . `` Parents should be aware of what public health officials are saying , and then just be extra vigilant about the precautions they 'd normally take to prevent the spread of germs , '' says Joseph Bocchini , M.D. , chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases and pediatrics chair of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport . No. 1 on the list : washing hands more frequently . So take a deep breath , put down the surgical mask , and read on for all information you need to know . Parenting.com : Cold and flu old wives ' tales Signs and symptoms Indicators of swine flu are not unlike those for regular old run-of-the-mill flu . What makes this virus different from typical flu is that more serious complications , such as pneumonia , might occur more often . Also , says Bocchini , this is a new strain of flu , and no one in the population would be expected to be immune . One of the biggest concerns for officials is simply that a lot of people could get sick at the same time . Take heart in knowing that our government health officials are doing everything they can to make sure the country 's prepared . In the mean time , your job is to know how to spot the signs . If you or your child are experiencing any of the following , call your doctor . He or she may want you to come in and be tested . Parenting.com : Interactive symptom checker \u2022 fever -LRB- above 100.4 for babies 3 months and younger , and 101.1 for everyone else -RRB- , plus \u2022 cough \u2022 sore throat \u2022 intense body aches \u2022 headache \u2022 chills \u2022 fatigue Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting , too . Pregnant women are at extra risk for complications even with regular flu , according to Bocchini , and small children have a higher rate of hospitalization . Both expectant women and moms of kids under 2 should be extra careful about taking action quickly . Parenting.com : How to keep nosy , germy strangers away from your baby When to head to the ER If your child demonstrates any of the following symptoms , it 's time to seek emergency care : \u2022 Fast or troubled breathing \u2022 Bluish skin color \u2022 Refusal to drink fluids \u2022 Difficulty waking up and\/or interacting \u2022 Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held * Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough \u2022 Fever with a rash , especially one that does not blanch In adults , the following symptoms deserve an ER trip as well : \u2022 Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath \u2022 Pain or pressure in the chest \u2022 Abdominal pain \u2022 Sudden dizziness \u2022 Confusion \u2022 Severe or persistent vomiting How to talk to your kids about It As always , you 'll want to explain to kids that germs can make us sick , and that 's why it 's important to wash your hands . You can say , `` Soap and water rinse away the little buggers so they ca n't make us feel bad . '' If they 've caught wind of swine flu in particular , it 's important to project an image of calm -LRB- even if you 're internally flipping out -RRB- and make them feel safe . Small kids should be soothed with a simple explanation that there are different kinds of flu , and we should just keep up with washing up . Older kids , who may be scared but hide it , can be given a few more details but should still be reassured that their parents and our health officials are on top of it . Easing symptoms and treatment If you come down with the flu , swine or otherwise , there are a few things you can do to keep yourself comfortable . \u2022 If you or your child feel at all flu-ish , skip work and school . Stay home until you feel completely well . \u2022 Try to stay in a separate area of the house to limit the risk of passing the virus . \u2022 Rest up -- consider it your free pass to catch up on your DVR list . \u2022 Push clear fluids , such as water and soup . \u2022 Ease body aches with acetaminophen , ibuprofen , or naproxen . If your child is under 2 , check with your doctor before giving them medication . \u2022 Using a humidifier can ease a stuffy nose . Saline drops followed by suctioning with a nasal syringe can bring additional relief to small children . \u2022 There is treatment for swine flu . Antiviral medications like Tamiflu and Relenza can lessen your symptoms make you feel better faster and prevent swine flu-related complications if taken early on . Consult your doctor about a prescription . Is there a cure ? There 's not a cure , but a vaccine is being developed , according to the FDA . If you already got a flu shot , it probably wo n't protect you from this strain , but it 's a good idea to still get one annually . Prevention 101 You probably already know all about how to prevent the spread of germs , but in an outbreak like this , it ca n't hurt to be a little more vigilant . Here 's a rundown of easy things you can do , starting today . Parenting.com : Ask Dr. Sears : Immune system boosters At home : \u2022 This one 's a no-brainer but bears repeating : wash your hands frequently , and make sure your kids do the same . It 's a good idea to get into the habit of doing it as soon as you walk in the door , before meals and food prep , post-potty and after touching pets . \u2022 Take a moment to clean germ hot spots , like tables , doorknobs , desks and kitchen counters , with a disinfectant . Look for products that contain bleach or alcohol . \u2022 Keep your family 's immune system strong with regular sleep , and lots of fruits and veggies . If you know anyone who 's been sick , stay away for now . Out and about : \u2022 Try to keep up the frequent hand-washing , especially after trips to the playground . \u2022 If you do n't have a sink handy , use an alcohol-based sanitizer gel or wipe . Look for ones that contain at least 60 % alcohol . \u2022 Try to avoid crowded areas . \u2022 Wash your hands or use sanitizer after handling money . \u2022 Use your own pen when signing credit card slips . Everywhere : \u2022 Cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze , and remind your kiddos to do the same . \u2022 Throw your used tissue in the trash instead of stuffing it in your pocket . \u2022 Try to avoid touching your eyes , nose and mouth , which give germs a fast track to infection . \u2022 Remind kids not to share cups , utensils and plates with friends . Getting kids to wash their hands Yes , you know they should wash those dirty mitts often , but what you really need to know is how to get them to do it sans whining . We 've got some tips and tricks for making washing up fun : \u2022 To get them to soap up for the required 20 seconds -LRB- or more -RRB- , belt out `` Happy Birthday '' twice . Everyone sounds better in the bathroom anyway , right ? \u2022 Fill the sink with water , and let them go to town with foam soaps and bath toys . -LRB- Ignore the water on the floor . -RRB- Parenting.com : Germ-fighting tips for parents \u2022 Lather up , Mom ! Be a good example for your kids , and encourage them to `` teach '' their dolls to wash up , too . \u2022 Make sure they can reach the sink easily . If you do n't have one already , get a colorful stool to give them a boost . \u2022 Keep their fingernails clipped -- less real estate for germs ! Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE !","question":""}
{"answer":"Las Vegas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama traveled to Las Vegas on Monday to launch a Western trip that mixes campaigning with presidential business -- and an appearance on `` The Tonight Show . '' After a campaign event at The Bellagio hotel and casino Monday afternoon , Obama met with homeowners at a private residence to announce new efforts to help homeowners with refinancing . The government 's Home Affordable Refinance Program will be changed to make it easier for homeowners to capitalize on current low interest rates by refinancing old , high-interest mortgages . The new rules will allow homeowners who owe more than 125 % of the market value of their homes to get the new loans . `` So let me just give you an example . If you 've got a $ 250,000 mortgage at 6 percent interest rates , but the value of your home has fallen below $ 200,000 , right now you ca n't refinance . You 're ineligible , '' Obama said , according to a copy of his remarks released by the White House . `` But that 's going to change . If you meet certain requirements , you will have the chance to refinance at lower rates , which could save you hundreds of dollars a month , and thousands of dollars a year on mortgage payments . '' In addition , Obama told the gathering , `` there are going to be lower closing costs , and certain refinancing fees will be eliminated -- fees that can sometimes cancel out the benefits of refinancing altogether . '' The changes also will allow consumers to shop around for better rates beyond their original lenders , he said . Learn why the program probably wo n't help the real estate market The president then traveled to Los Angeles , where he was expected to deliver remarks at two more campaign events . On Tuesday , Obama will tape an appearance on `` The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , '' according to the White House . The last time the president appeared on the show , in March 2009 , he caused controversy by attempting to poke fun at his poor bowling skills -- evident during a 2008 campaign stop . He told Leno he bowled 129 in the White House bowling alley and said his bowling skills were `` like Special Olympics or something . '' Before the show aired , the president called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize , White House officials said , and stress his intention was not to humiliate the disabled . Shriver called Obama 's apology `` sincere and heartfelt , '' but noted in a written response , `` This is a teachable moment for our country . '' After the `` Tonight Show '' taping , Obama will travel to San Francisco for a fundraiser , according to the White House . On Tuesday night , he will be in Denver to push his jobs agenda . Other private fundraisers will also be sprinkled in , officials said . A Democratic official estimates the campaign will haul in more than $ 4 million from six fundraisers in three states . It 's the second time in less than a month that Obama has headed west to push for jobs and raise campaign cash . A senior campaign official noted the importance of spending time in the region , saying the `` campaign has already established an extensive operation in Western states . '' And they expect to make `` heavy investments there . '' The official singled out Colorado , Nevada , New Mexico and Arizona , where the campaign has offices and field staff . In 2008 Obama won decisively in Nevada , Colorado and New Mexico , but lost to Republican John McCain in McCain 's home state of Arizona . This time around the economy remains under heavy downward pressure despite efforts by the Obama administration to turn things around . In Nevada , home prices have plummeted by 53 % since the peak , and according to online real estate site Zillow , 85 % of the state 's homeowners owe more than their homes are worth . At his fundraiser at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas Monday , the president acknowledged that `` things are tough right now , '' but he reminded the audience of some 300 supporters of his accomplishments . `` As\u00c2 tough as things are right now , we\u00c2 were able to stabilize this economy and make sure it did n't go into a great depression , '' the president said . While the campaign is targeting key Western states , officials realize every vote will be critical . `` Our goal in 2011 is to build the biggest organization possible to compete on the widest playing field possible in 2012 , '' the campaign official said . CNN 's Alex Mooney , Dan Lothian , Lesa Jansen and Jessica Yellin contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations humanitarian chief Wednesday criticized a two-day pause in the fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels as `` inadequate . '' U.N. Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes said he would have liked a `` proper humanitarian pause . '' John Holmes , the under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator , told reporters that the 48-hour break in hostilities was not sufficient , even as fighting resumed in the northeast of the country . The brief cessation of hostilities was announced by the Sri Lankan government on April 12 and allowed the U.N. and its partners to bring in necessary aid , said Holmes . He said he would have liked a `` proper humanitarian pause '' that lasted longer than two days , but hoped the break allowed for some progress to occur . Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon had originally welcomed the announcement by the Sri Lankan government . However , Ban also expressed his concern that , `` This is less than the full humanitarian pause of several days I had pressed for . '' But Ban added that the pause `` is nevertheless a useful first step and an opportunity to move towards the peaceful and orderly end to the fighting now so badly needed . '' The government of Sri Lanka has been battling the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- rebels in a civil conflict that has lasted nearly 25 years . The LTTE has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries , including the United States and the nations of the European Union . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the conflict officially began in 1983 . The most pressing concern now , according to Holmes , is the fact that over 100,000 people are currently crowded in a `` very small pocket of land '' that is about five square miles , or about twice the size of New York 's Central Park . `` It is a very small area indeed for what we believe is very large number of people '' Holmes explained . The crowded population , primarily comprised of Tamil civilians , is subject to the continuing Sri Lankan government assaults . The British and French foreign ministers released a joint statement as well on Wednesday , claiming that the LTTE is also using Tamil civilians as human shields . Holmes also called attention to the fact that the press has been barred from covering the civil strife in Sri Lanka . Ultimately , Holmes and the United Nations would like to see a peaceful end to the hostilities , but `` its pretty clear , frankly , that a ceasefire as such is not something available at present circumstances . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After more than a month in a Haitian jail , an American missionary was free Monday night , looking forward to a hot shower and a long night in bed on home soil . But Charisa Coulter 's heart remains in Haiti , her father said , because her best friend , Laura Silsby is now alone behind bars . `` She came back with mixed emotions , '' Mel Coulter told CNN affiliate WSVN in Miami , Florida . Haitian Judge Bernard Saint-Vil released Coulter on Friday . She walked out of judicial police headquarters in Port-au-Prince and headed to the nearby airport for a flight to Miami . Coulter is staying in a hotel by herself , her father said . He did not know when she might return home to Boise , Idaho . He said his daughter had been through a `` trying experience '' and was welcoming the solitude . Coulter , Silsby and eight other Americans had been detained in Haiti on suspicion of kidnapping 33 children after the killer earthquake January 12 . Last month , Saint-Vil released the eight others , but Silsby and Coulter remained in custody because the judge wanted to learn more about their motives . On Friday , Silsby was brought into Saint-Vil 's office for further questioning . The missionaries were stopped by Haitian authorities on January 29 as they tried to cross the border with 33 children without proper legal documentation . The group said it was going to house the children in a converted hotel in the Dominican Republic and later move them to an orphanage . Saint-Vil recently traveled to the Dominican Republic to see where Silsby said she intended to open an orphanage . Silsby originally claimed the children were orphaned or abandoned , but CNN determined that more than 20 of them had at least one living parent . Some parents said they placed their children in Silsby 's care because that was the only way they knew to ensure a better quality of life for them . The 10 Americans , many of whom belong to a Baptist church in Idaho , have said they were trying to help the children get to a safe place after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake flattened cities and towns in Haiti . Silsby said she was `` very happy that Charisa went home today . '' She expected her freedom would soon follow . `` I came here to help these children , '' she said . CNN 's Lonzo Cook and Sara Sidner contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who his attorney says was the youngest prisoner sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention center -- captured in Pakistan at 14 -- was ordered freed by a federal judge Wednesday . A guard keeps watch from a tower at the military facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . The judge ruled Mohammad el-Gharani was not an enemy combatant and directed the military `` to take all necessary and appropriate diplomatic steps to facilitate the release '' of el-Gharani from the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . El-Gharani , now 21 , was among the first terrorism suspects and enemy fighters sent to the U.S. military prison camp . His arrival in 2002 came after he was seized by Pakistanis at a mosque and transferred to the U.S.-led coalition . He has been in custody since . El-Gharani 's lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court , demanding the government justify its continued detention or release him . Details of his case have not been widely released , but his lawyer said he was accused of working with al Qaeda 10 years ago , at age 11 . The court ruling also alleges el-Gharani , a citizen of Chad , was an al Qaeda courier and participated in the battle of Tora Bora in late 2001 in Afghanistan . But U.S. District Judge Richard Leon noted serious questions were raised about another detainee who implicated el-Gharani . Leon said that given the `` substantial and troubling uncertainties regarding petitioner 's conduct and whereabouts prior to his detention by Pakistani forces , the -LSB- U.S. -RSB- government has failed to establish a preponderance of the evidence '' that el-Gharani was an al Qaeda agent . The judge gave no timetable on when the suspect -- also called Yousef -- must be freed . Under U.S. and international policy , he could not be sent to a country where he might face torture or severe physical mistreatment . The Bush administration has said it has had difficulties finding countries willing to take many Guantanamo prisoners awaiting release . El-Gharani 's lawyers have alleged mistreatment by his captors , including cigarette burns and verbal abuse . Court records allege he was a native of Saudi Arabia who left that country around 2001 and moved to Pakistan . He denied that he was fleeing the fighting in Afghanistan when he was captured across the border in Pakistan . Another Guantanamo detainee , Canadian Omar Khadr , was 14 or 15 when he was captured six years ago . Military prosecutors formally charged him in April 2007 with killing Sgt. Christopher James Speer , a U.S. soldier whose reconnaissance patrol was ambushed in Afghanistan in 2002 . The American died nearly two weeks later . Khadr and el-Gharani remain among the youngest of Guantanamo 's approximately 250 prisoners . The civil case is el-Gharani v. Bush -LRB- 05-429 -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"Fort Lauderdale , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida teenager attacked and set on fire last month , allegedly by five teenage friends , was undergoing skin graft surgery Friday , the first procedure in his recovery , a hospital spokeswoman said . Michael Brewer , who suffered burns over 65 percent of his body , will have his own skin transplanted onto the burned areas of his back and buttocks , said Lorraine Nelson , a spokeswoman at the University of Miami 's Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center . Brewer will return to the intensive care unit after the surgery . He has been heavily sedated since the October 12 incident and on a ventilator until last week to keep him alive . He is listed in guarded condition . On Thursday , three teens accused of setting Brewer on fire pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder , a public defender for one of the boys said . Each of the three -- Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent , both 15 , and Jesus Mendez , 16 -- is charged as an adult with one count of attempted murder in the second degree in the attack in Deerfield Beach , Florida . They were arraigned in Broward County Circuit Court before Judge Dale Cohen , and are being held without bond . Prosecutors say the three boys were in a gang that poured alcohol over Brewer , then set him ablaze in a dispute over $ 40 , a video game and a bicycle . Gordon Weekes , Bent 's attorney , denounced the fact that the teens were charged as adults . `` It 's been decided by society that a 15-year-old ca n't vote , ca n't join the armed forces and can not buy alcohol , because society has recognized that children do not have the ability to appreciate the long-term consequences of their actions , '' he said . `` But they can treat them as adults in court , when we have very capable remedies for them in the juvenile justice system , which is geared towards rehabilitation , '' Weekes added . The attorney said he and the other two public defenders plan to make separate motions to the court asking that their clients be allowed to post bond . Detectives say eyewitnesses told them that Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Jarvis allegedly poured alcohol over him . They said Bent allegedly encouraged the attack . Authorities say that Mendez admitted setting Brewer on fire , and that he made a `` bad decision , '' according to an arrest transcript . Two other boys who were allegedly involved -- a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old -- have been charged as juveniles . Witnesses say Brewer jumped into the swimming pool at his apartment complex to put out the flames . Detectives with the Broward County Sheriff 's Office have been unable to interview Brewer . `` We hope that we can maybe get a statement this week , '' sheriff 's spokesman Jim Leljedal said . `` Detectives have been waiting for him to recover to the point where he 's strong enough to give us a complete statement . '' Doctors say Brewer is improving but his condition is tenuous because of the severity of his burns and the possibility of infections . Most of his burns are on his back and buttocks ; his face and hands were largely spared , doctors say . Brewer 's doctor told CNN the teen faces several more months in the hospital , and will need multiple skin grafts and surgeries . `` They still have to perform several operations on him for skin grafting , but his parents are with him all the time , '' Nelson said . `` I do n't tell him what happened , '' Brewer 's mother , Valerie , told CNN affiliate WFOR-TV . `` I just tell him he 's in the hospital and he 's safe and he 's getting better . `` And he 'll say , ` Am I going to be OK ? ' And I say ` Yes , Michael . You 're going to be fine . You 're going to be just fine , ' '' she said . Investigators believe Brewer owed Bent $ 40 for a video game . When Brewer did not pay , police say , Bent stole Brewer 's father 's bicycle . Brewer reported him to police and Bent was arrested , police say . The next day , the group surrounded Brewer . According to witnesses , the five boys called Brewer `` a snitch '' and set him on fire . The Brewer family told WFOR that none of the families of the accused boys have tried to contact them , but that it does n't matter . `` We ca n't focus on it . They 'll get theirs is all we can say . I do n't focus on it , '' Brewer 's father , also named Michael , told WFOR . If convicted , each of the three teen suspects could face up to 30 years in prison . A court-appointed psychologist who has examined two of the five boys allegedly involved in the attack told CNN they are competent to take part in legal proceedings and assist their attorney . `` I can describe both of them as being afraid , being fearful , '' said Michael Brannon , a forensic psychologist , without identifying the boys . `` I can describe both of them as being tearful at various times during the interview , especially when talking about the specific incident which led to the injuries of the victim . '' Psychologists are often brought into cases involving teenagers and young adults to judge their mental capabilities to determine their competency to proceed . They must determine whether the alleged attackers understand the charges against them , the court proceedings and potential sentences . Psychologists also must evaluate whether the defendants can talk about what happened and communicate effectively with defense attorneys . `` I do n't think they expected to have happened , what happened , '' Brannon said . `` It 's a horrible event that occurred , but this was not their conceptualization , in my opinion , of what was going to happen . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italian manager Gianfranco Zola has been sacked by English Premier League club West Ham , while former England boss Steve McLaren has joined German side Wolfsburg . The Hammers announced in a statement on their official Web site that they had terminated Zola 's contract after a season in which they finished just one place above the relegation zone . West Ham 's new owners , David Gold and David Sullivan , who took control of the club in January , made clear there would be changes at the end of the season , and they have been true to their word . The official statement read : `` West Ham United confirm that they have terminated the contract of Gianfranco Zola . `` The Board of Directors would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future . The Club will now be focusing its efforts on seeking a replacement . '' Meanwhile , ex-England coach Steve McLaren has been confirmed as Wolfsburg 's new coach . McLaren led Dutch side FC Twente to their first ever league title last season and will become the first English coach to take charge of a German side . A statement on Wolfsburg 's official Web site said : `` Steve McClaren is to take over as new trainer at VfL Wolfsburg . The 49 year old will start work on July 1st under a two year contract to keep him in Wolfsburg until June 30th 2012 . '' Former Netherlands and Ajax coach Marco van Basten has ruled himself out of the running to become the next boss of Italian giants AC Milan . Media reports in Italy claim current coach Leonardo will leave the club in the summer but according to the UK Press Association , Van Basten told Italian television that a serious ankle injury would rule him out of contention . He said : `` I am still not ready . I still have an ankle problem and I must resolve it . I ca n't do a big job like that of a coach as for that your mind has to be clear . `` I have read the reports about Milan and me . It 's a good idea . Milan and the people of Milan are kind to me , but right now I have this problem with my ankle and it does n't seem right to see a coach limp on the pitch . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Charges of rebellion will be leveled against many of those arrested during martial law in the southern Philippines -- declared in the aftermath of last month 's massacre of 57 civilians , the nation 's justice secretary said . Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera made the statement Saturday as the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo defended the martial law declaration , CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported . Some lawmakers have challenged the legality of the declaration , which allows authorities to make arrests without a warrant . Martial law went into effect Friday night in the province of Maguindanao to impose peace following the politically motivated massacre , said army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. . He added that Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days . Police and military reports of armed men massing in Maguindanao would lead to charges of rebellion , Devanadera said , according to ABS-CBN . Signs indicated that `` violence was imminent , '' said Brig. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan , operations chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , the affiliate reported . The armed men were supporters of the politically powerful Ampatuan family , which has been implicated in the massacre , Pangilinan said . At least six members of the Ampatuan family have been arrested , including Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. , according to ABS-CBN . Ampatuan , whose father is governor of Maguindanao , has been accused of directing the killings and has been charged with 25 counts of murder . One of the massacre victims implicated members of the Ampatuan family before she died , the affiliate reported . Over the weekend , authorities raided at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family . They confiscated firearms , ammunition and vehicles , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the eastern Mindinao command , told CNN . The military was looking at arresting at least 100 people tied to the massacre , ABS-CBN reported . The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well , Brawner said . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings , Cabangbang said authorities `` were trying to build a case , a tight case '' against suspects . `` But it is taking long to build a case , so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects , and allowed us to search , even without warrant . So we really need this declaration of state of martial law . '' The president was to submit a written report to Congress on Sunday evening , justifying her declaration of martial law , the Department of Justice said , according to the state-run Philippine News Agency . Political debate had flared over how soon Congress needed to convene after the declaration of martial law , as required by the Constitution . The House of Representatives and the Senate might jointly convene on Tuesday to discuss the president 's report , House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Sunday , according to the Philippine News Agency . Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Ampatuan Sr. has been taken into custody in the massacre , but was hospitalized after taking ill . Witnesses and local officials say the killings were an attempt to block Mangudadatu from challenging the younger Ampatuan -- a longtime ally of the Philippine president and a known warlord -- in the May gubernatorial election . A dozen journalists who had accompanied the women were also killed in the massacre . Group : Philippines most dangerous country for journalists Suspicion fell on Ampatuan after a government construction vehicle was found at the hastily dug mass grave that held the bodies of the massacre victims . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Texas inmate who escaped last week -- on foot even though he was thought to need a wheelchair -- has been recaptured , the U.S. Marshals Service said Monday . Arcade Comeaux Jr. , 49 , was carrying two loaded pistols when he was arrested without incident at 7:40 a.m. at a business in Houston , Texas , said U.S. Deputy Marshal Alfredo Perez . '' -LSB- Comeaux -RSB- was cold , wet , tired and hungry . He had had enough , '' Perez said . `` He was tired of running . '' The arrest was made by two Houston police officers responding to a suspicious-person call about a man who matched Comeaux 's description . Comeaux was sitting in the lobby a northeast Houston business , apparently in search of warmth and shelter , when officers approached , according to Houston officer Adrian Rodriguez . `` As soon as we saw him , we knew it was him , '' Rodriguez said at a news conference Monday afternoon . Comeaux was serving three life sentences when he escaped on November 30 while being transferred by two armed guards from Huntsville to Stiles . He produced a weapon and forced the two correctional officers to drive instead to Baytown , near Houston , where he handcuffed them together in the back of the van , took their weapons and one of their uniforms and ran away , officials said . Perez said authorities have n't confirmed whether the two pistols found on Comeaux Monday are the guards ' weapons , `` but they look to be the same . '' Perez said the marshals service had fielded hundreds of calls of sightings by citizens over the past week , and were responding to a Crimestoppers tip in the same area when they saw Comeaux taken into police custody . More than $ 30,000 in reward money had been posted by law enforcement agencies for information leading to his arrest . Comeaux was being transported Monday afternoon back into the custody of the Texas prison system , Perez said . Comeaux , who was on the marshals ' list of 15 most-wanted fugitives , was serving time for aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when he escaped . The 6-foot , 200-pound man was shackled and in a wheelchair , which he had said was needed for mobility , according to Michelle Lyons , director of public information for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville . Some 45 minutes into the transfer trip , as they were driving through Conroe , 40 minutes north of Houston , the prisoner pulled out a pistol and ordered the guards to drive south to Baytown . He fired once , but hit no one , officials said . Law enforcement officers found the unharmed officers an hour later . Comeaux was being transferred so he could be near a hospital in Galveston for treatment of the supposed paralysis he had suffered during a reported stroke , officials said . Comeaux 's criminal record dates back more than three decades . In 1979 , he received three 10-year sentences for rape of a child , aggravated rape of a child , and burglary of a building with the intent to commit theft , all in Harris County . He was released on mandatory supervision in 1983 , but he was returned to prison in 1984 after being convicted of indecency with a child and sentenced to 20 years . In June 1991 , he was released on mandatory supervision but returned as a violator four months later . Paroled in December 1993 , he was returned as a parole violator a year later . In February 1996 , he was again paroled , but was returned to prison in June 1998 with a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault . Though he had been in prison since , his criminal record did n't end . In July 1999 , he used his wheelchair to pin his wife against a wall during a contact visit and stabbed her 17 times with a homemade knife , said John Moriarty , inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice . He also stabbed another prison visitor who tried to intervene ; both victims survived . For that , Comeaux was convicted on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and received two additional life sentences . He now will face additional felony charges . His escape led the legislator whose committee oversees Texas ' criminal justice system to call for a shakeup of the prison system . `` We just ca n't have security breaches of this nature , '' said Sen. John Whitmire , a Democrat from Houston who is chairman of the state Senate 's Criminal Justice Committee . Moriarty said such lapses are highly unusual in the state 's penal system . `` We have no open gun investigations other than this one , '' he said . `` The last one was several years ago . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"DETROIT , Michigan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A defiant Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick addressed Detroit on Thursday night listing what he said the city had accomplished under his leadership just hours after announcing his resignation amid a sex and perjury scandal . Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has agreed to resign from office , a prosecutor said Thursday . `` The city is much better shape than the city I received seven years ago , '' said Kilpatrick . `` We in Detroit have done amazing things together . '' During the speech Kilpatrick also jabbed city officials and Michigan 's governor , telling them to continue to work for the people of Detroit as hard as they did to get him out of office . Kilpatrick told the crowd his marriage is better than it has ever been and kissed his wife to end the speech , an act that brought thunderous applause . Kilpatrick said he decided to step down so the city could continue to move forward . `` Sometimes standing strong means stepping down , '' Kilpatrick said . `` But Detroit you have set me up for a comeback . '' The embattled Kilpatrick pleaded guilty Thursday to charges resulting from a sex scandal and submitted his resignation to the governor -- effective in two weeks . Under a plea deal , Kilpatrick will serve four months in the Wayne County Jail and the rest of his five-year sentence on probation , said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy . He will enter jail on the day of his formal sentencing , October 28 , she said . Kilpatrick , 38 , also agreed not to run for public office during his probation , to pay $ 1 million in restitution and to forfeit any future pension . He was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up an extramarital affair and other possible illicit activities . After the deputy , Gary Brown , lost his job , a mayoral bodyguard , Officer Harold Nelthrope , left his job voluntarily when the atmosphere became too tense , said his attorney in the whistle-blower suit trial . Walt Harris , another former mayoral bodyguard , filed his own whistle-blower suit , contending he was punished for supporting Nelthrope 's reports of wrongdoing by Kilpatrick and his bodyguards . The city of Detroit paid $ 8.4 million to settle the lawsuits , but legal fees have pushed that figure to at least $ 9 million . Prompted by the judge to recount his wrongdoing , Kilpatrick admitted Thursday , `` I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit . ... I did so with the intent to mislead the court and the jury and to impede and obstruct the fair administration of justice . '' Watch Kilpatrick in court '' When Circuit Court Judge David Groner asked Kilpatrick if he understood that by pleading guilty he was giving up the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty , the mayor said , `` I think I gave that up a long time ago , your honor . Yes . '' Kilpatrick had faced eight felony counts . As part of the agreement , six counts related to misconduct in office were dropped , and a perjury count was changed to a second obstruction of justice charge . In a separate case against Kilpatrick , Groner on Thursday accepted a no-contest plea on an assault charge brought against the mayor in July after he allegedly shoved a police officer trying to serve a subpoena on a friend of Kilpatrick 's who was a potential witness in his perjury case . Groner set an October 28 sentencing date for both cases . Also Thursday , Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm adjourned a hearing on whether to remove Kilpatrick from office after he notified her of his pending resignation . `` Today , this sad but historic story is coming to an end , '' Granholm said . `` It 's very important for us as a state and as a city to turn this page together . There is much work to do . It is my profound hope that we can now write a new history for this great but embattled city . '' Watch Granholm call for a new chapter '' The governor set the hearing after the Detroit City Council voted in May to ask her to remove Kilpatrick , alleging he had misled the council by not revealing the affair when he urged it to approve settlements with the people who had filed the whistle-blower suits against the city . If Kilpatrick does n't resign as promised , Granholm said the hearing would reconvene on September 22 . The Detroit City Council president , who becomes mayor when Kilpatrick steps down September 18 , vowed to make the transition as seamless as possible . Kilpatrick will be replaced in two weeks by City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. , who vowed Thursday to make the transition `` as seamless as possible . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The militants behind Wednesday 's deadly strike on a Pakistani marketplace that killed at least 90 people -- most of them women -- are `` on the losing side of history , '' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a joint news conference with her Pakistani counterpart . `` If the people behind the attacks were so sure of their beliefs let them join the political process , let them come forth to the people and make their case that they do n't want girls to go to school , that they want women to be kept back , that they believe they have all the answers , '' Clinton said in response to the car bombing in Peshawar . `` They know they are on the losing side of history but they are determined to take as many lives with them as their movement is finally exposed for the nihilistic , empty effort that it is . '' Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also condemned the deadly attack , offering his condolences to the victims and their families and directly addressing the attackers . `` We will not buckle , we will fight you because we want stability and peace in Pakistan , '' Qureshi said . `` You are on the run and we know that . We defeated you in Swat and Malakand . You think by attacking innocent people and lives you will shake our determination ? No , sir , you will not . '' The blast at the Meena Bazaar killed at least 90 people , most of them women , and injured more than 200 others , according to North West Frontier Province 's information minister . The market is a labyrinth of shops popular with women in the Peepal Mandi section of the city . The attack is the deadliest ever carried out in Peshawar , the capital of North West Frontier Province . Clinton arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a series of meetings with top Pakistani officials . Talking with reporters en route to the country , Clinton said she wants to `` turn the page '' on what has been , in the past few years , `` primarily a security-anti-terrorist agenda . '' `` We hold that to be extremely important , and it remains a very high priority , '' she said . `` But we also recognize that it is imperative that we broaden our engagement with Pakistan . '' Clinton said there have been `` a lot of misconceptions '' about American intentions . `` We have a relationship that we want to strengthen , but we do n't want it to be lopsided . We do n't want it to be just about security and just about our anti-terrorist agenda , '' she said . `` It is unfortunate that there are those who question our motives , who perhaps are skeptical that we are going to commit to a long-term relationship , and I want to try to clear the air up on that while I am in the country , '' she said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Malaysian model , who was set to become the first woman to be caned in the southeast Asian country for drinking beer in public , had her sentence postponed Monday until the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan . Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno 's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it . Authorities had picked up Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno , 32 , from her father 's house Monday morning and were taking her to a prison in the eastern state of Pahang when the van turned around and brought her back . `` They sent her back to the house . They said the top official asked them not to bring her to Kuala Lumpur , '' said Kartika 's father , Shukarno Abdul Muttalib . Authorities in Pahang said the delay would run until the month of fasting ends . Monday was the third day of Ramadan . An Islamic , or sharia , court in Pahang had fined Kartika -- a Muslim -- $ 1,400 -LRB- 5,000 Malaysian ringgit -RRB- and sentenced her to six strokes with a rattan cane for drinking at a hotel bar two years ago . Kartika , a 32-year-old part-time model and mother of two , was visiting Malaysia from Singapore at the time . She pleaded guilty , paid the fine , and wanted her caning to be carried out in public . Watch more on Kartika 's release '' She said she lost her job as a nurse in Singapore and took up part-time modeling to support her husband in raising their two children . Her son has cerebral palsy ; her daughter a heart condition . `` I want to move on . This case has been hanging over me for a long time , '' she told CNN last week . On Monday morning , Kartika hugged her children , bade a tearful goodbye to the throngs of people gathered at her father 's house , and boarded the van . She was to be taken to a prison on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur . The caning would have been carried out within seven days of that , making her the first woman to be caned in Malaysia under sharia law . Kartika 's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it . Two other Malaysians sentenced to the same fate have filed appeals , the Syariah -LRB- Sharia -RRB- Lawyers ' Association of Malaysia said . The case drew widespread attention and condemnation , in and outside Malaysia . The moderate Muslim country has a dual-track justice system , in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil courts . Muslims -- who make up about 60 percent of the 28 million who populate the country -- are forbidden from consuming alcohol . Other religious groups are exempt . Though caning is used as a supplementary punishment in Malaysia for at least 40 crimes , such as rape or immigration violations , it is not meted out by Malaysia 's civil court for alcohol consumption . But the country 's civil system also can not overrule a sharia court sentence . In this respect , Kartika would have been the first woman to be caned for violating the country 's religious laws . `` Regardless of whether or not such penalties fall under Syariah law or civil law , we believe that these should be repealed , as they go against the fundamental human right to be free from torture and violence , '' said Haslinah Yaacob , vice president for the All Women 's Action Society . CNN 's Anna Coren in Sungi Siput , Malaysia , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spiritual leaders of New York 's African-American Muslim communities lashed out Friday at a purported al Qaeda message attacking President-elect Barack Obama and , using racist language , comparing him unfavorably to the late Malcolm X. Ayman al-Zawahiri said Obama was the `` direct opposite of honorable black Americans '' like Malcolm X . The imams called the recorded comments from al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri `` an insult '' from people who have `` historically been disconnected from the African-American community generally and Muslim African-Americans in particular . '' `` We find it insulting when anyone speaks for our community instead of giving us the dignity and the honor of speaking for ourselves , '' they said in a statement read during a news conference at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial , Educational and Cultural Center . The al Qaeda statement , an 11-minute , 23-second audio message in Arabic with subtitles in English , appeared on the Internet on Wednesday . Its authenticity has not been confirmed . The message said Obama represents the `` direct opposite of honorable black Americans '' like Malcolm X. Watch al Qaeda official criticize Obama '' The speaker also said Obama , former and current Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice and `` your likes '' fit Malcolm X 's description of `` house slaves . '' An English translation of the message used the term `` house Negroes , '' Malcolm X 's term for blacks who were subservient to whites . The term refers to slaves who worked in white masters ' houses . Malcolm X said those slaves were docile compared with those who labored in the fields . iReport.com : Should Obama react to comments ? Malcolm X , the fiery African-American Muslim activist from the 1950s and 1960s , was an early member and leader of the Nation of Islam . He left that group in 1963 over disillusionment with its then-leader , Elijah Muhammed , but remained a Muslim . After months of death threats , he was assassinated in 1965 by members of the Nation of Islam , who shot him 16 times at close range . The three men who were convicted of the crime have been paroled . On Friday , Imam Al-Hajj Talib ` Abdur-Rashid , recalling Malcolm X 's legacy , said that he `` stood for human rights and the principle of self defense ... international law . He would have rejected , and we who are Muslim African-Americans leaders reject , acts of political extremism . '' The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned Zawahiri 's comments in a statement issued Thursday . `` As Muslims and as Americans , we will never let terrorist groups or terror leaders falsely claim to represent us or our faith , '' the statement said . `` We once again repudiate al Qaeda 's actions , rhetoric and world view and re-state our condemnation of all forms of terrorism and religious extremism . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK , Montana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The gray wolf was officially removed from the Endangered Species Act 's `` threatened '' list Friday after three decades -- a decision that has stoked controversy among environmentalists and ranchers . Federal officials estimate there are 1,500 gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park . It means the wolves can be shot and killed once they step out of Yellowstone National Park as soon as the affected states establish a hunting season . However , state Fish and Wildlife officials can shoot the animals whenever they deem the wolves to be a problem . The government delisted the wolves -- which were eliminated from Yellowstone decades ago before being reintroduced in the 1990s -- because they are now thriving in the park that is dominated by bison , elk and bighorn sheep . `` They 're back here in the Northern Rockies ; they 're back here in Yellowstone , '' said Doug Smith , a biologist for the National Park Service in Yellowstone . `` That 's something to celebrate given their history of human hatred . '' But not everyone is happy about the animal being removed from the endangered list . Conservationists believe hundreds of gray wolves straying from Yellowstone in search of prey could soon be killed by hunters and ranchers . Watch rancher say no wolf is `` sacred '' '' `` We 're not ready to pop the champagne corks and have a party , '' said Doug Honnold , the managing attorney for Earthjustice , a non-profit environmental law firm based in Oakland , California , that has threatened to sue the government . `` My biggest fear is we 're going to go backwards instead of forwards . '' It would n't be the first time . In the early 20th century , wolves were the targets of a massive government extermination campaign . `` It 's harder to find an animal more persecuted than wolves . ... We did wolf extermination with a vengeance , '' said Smith . But attitudes began to change in the 1980s . Elk and bison populations increased dramatically because there was no natural predator to keep their numbers in check . In 1995 , Smith led a team to bring wolves back to the Rocky Mountain landscape . They transplanted dozens of wolves to Yellowstone from Canada . See photos of Yellowstone 's animals '' The project has been regarded as an overwhelming success . There are now more than 1,500 wolves across Wyoming , Idaho and Montana , according to the government . That number convinced federal wildlife officials to remove them from the endangered species list . Federal officials require each of the three states to maintain a population of 100 wolves , meaning a total of 300 wolves across all three states . The states have actually pledged to keep the population higher than that , at a rate of 150 wolves per state . `` We did a thorough analysis , '' said Ed Bangs , the wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . `` The consensus -LSB- for recovery -RSB- is a population of 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs . '' He added , '' The wolf population is fully recovered . We have more wolves than we ever predicted and we have fewer problems than we ever predicted . '' Earthjustice says that 's not nearly enough to ensure a viable population and they want to stop the delisting . `` We 're going to have hundreds of wolves die needlessly , '' said Honnold . But many ranchers in the region just do n't understand the fuss about the animals . They have complained for years that the wolves eat their livestock . `` There 's nothing about a wolf that 's sacred , '' said Bruce Malcolm , a cattle rancher and Republican member of Montana 's House of Representatives . He said he 's lost nearly two dozen cows to the wolves in recent years . `` I would have preferred that they never came here , '' he said . If there 's a winner with the controversy , it 's Yellowstone . The wolves have pushed up attendance by more than a 100,000 visitors per year , according to a park study . Smith , who has dedicated his life to the wolves , is philosophical about the debate . `` No one says living with wolves is easy , '' said Smith . `` Living with wolves is a compromise . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"CAIRO , Egypt -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Egyptian real estate mogul and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Saturday to the murder of a rising Lebanese pop singer who was found slain in her United Arab Emirates apartment . Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim was found slain in her apartment in Dubai in July . Prosecutors allege that Hisham Talaat Moustafa , a Parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party , paid Muhsen el Sukkari $ 2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim . Both have denied the charges . Tamim , 30 , was found in her Dubai apartment in July with her throat slit . Moustafa 's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer , but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected . Polygamy is legal in Egypt , and it not unusual for men -- such as Moustafa , a married father of three -- to take on additional wives . The prosecutors say the murder was a '' means of taking revenge '' but have not elaborated . Watch report on murder trial '' `` It did not happen and I have presented all the evidence that I am not guilty , '' Moustafa said in the courtroom Saturday , according to Reuters . `` It did not happen , '' Sukkari said , according to Reuters . `` By Almighty God , my blood is innocent of her . '' Although Tamim was killed in the United Arab Emirates , the Egyptian judiciary is trying the case in Cairo because Egyptian law does not allow its citizens to be extradited for trials in other countries . The defendants appeared Saturday in cages -- as is typical in Egypt -- before three judges in a crowded downtown courtroom . Heavy security surrounded the building , amid a crush of reporters and onlookers . The case , with its high-profile victim and defendant , has captivated Egypt and the region . After his arrest in September , Egyptian authorities indicted Moustafa , stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and jailed him pending trial . He also resigned as chairman of Talaat Moustafa Group -- a conglomerate with construction and real estate arms that was founded by his father , Talaat Moustafa . Moustafa 's brother , Tarek Talaat Moustafa , now chairs the company . The case will resume on November 15 . The defendants will remain jailed until then .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite the rain , `` Slumdog Millionaire '' shone brightly at the British Academy Awards Sunday , scooping a clutch of honors . `` Slumdog Millionaire '' director Danny Boyle shields composer A.R. Rahman from the rain as they arrive Sunday at the BAFTA awards in London . Not even the drizzle could dampen Danny Boyle 's spirits as `` Slumdog , '' his Mumbai-set rags to riches movie phenomenon won a remarkable seven awards at the glitziest night in the UK film calendar . `` You make a film like this and you just hope and pray it will be seen by a few people , '' the British director told CNN . `` And the journey it 's been on , the reception it 's had around the world , has just been extraordinary . '' Watch Danny Boyle , Dev Patel and Freida Pinto talking about `` Slumdog '' on the red carpet . As was widely expected , following its haul of four Golden Globes last month including Best Motion Picture , `` Slumdog '' took the Best Film award . `` I 'd like to acknowledge the blood , sweat and tears of our cast , '' said the film 's producer , Christian Colson who accepted the award . `` The film you saw is the film Danny Boyle imagined and it 's very rare you can say that . He dreamed the dream , 24-hours a day , seven days a week for two and a half years . '' Boyle 's labors were recognized by the Academy , handing him the Director award , which he can add to the BAFTA he won for debut feature `` Shallow Grave '' in 1995 . `` Slumdog '' has touched audiences and critics alike . Boyle thinks the film 's extraordinary effect is down to its universal message of hope . `` It 's the contrast I think between where the kid comes from and what he achieves , '' said Boyle . `` And he achieves everything on his own terms , and that gives you a kind of hope , really , which we all , no matter how romantic it is , we all need that . '' Watch Bollywood legend and `` Slumdog '' star Anil Kapoor talking about the `` Slumdog '' phenomenon . `` Slumdog '' also won the Cinematography , Adapted Screenplay , Music , Sound and Editing awards . Closest rival David Fincher 's `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , '' which was up for 11 awards , bagged only three . These included a richly-deserved Make Up & Hair award for the feat of transforming Brad Pitt into an octogenarian baby to tell the curious story of a man who is born old and gets younger as he ages . Actress Kate Winslet also continued her success streak , scoring the Leading Actress honor for her powerful portrayal of a former-Nazi concentration camp guard in Stephen Daldry 's `` The Reader . '' Conversely , Winslet both won and lost the award having been nominated twice in the same category , which included Meryl Streep for `` Doubt , '' and Kristin Scott Thomas for `` I 've Loved You So Long . '' But most eyes were on the actress to see if there would be a repeat performance of the breathlessly incoherent acceptance speech she made at the Golden Globes last month after winning two awards . `` These are really special moments . And I do n't want to waste them , '' Winslet told CNN on the red carpet before going on to accept her award with no tears or obvious emotion . Instead she simply thanked her parents and the late Anthony Minghella and the late Sydney Pollack , two of the film 's producers . Watch Kate Winslet talking about her `` amazing year '' on the red carpet . Reformed Hollywood badboy Mickey Rourke provided the only mild controversy of the night with a few expletives in his acceptance speech for the Best Actor award . `` Thank you Darren Aronofsky who gave me a second chance after I 'd f *** ed up my career for 15 years . Such a pleasure to be here , and be out of the darkness , '' he told the audience . Earlier , the actor told CNN how things have changed for him since the accolades started pouring in for his extraordinary performance in Aronofsky 's `` The Wrestler . '' `` I got a whole bunchy of new friends that I do n't need , '' Rourke said . `` But I 've also heard from some people that I 'd worked with years ago that I 'd burned bridges with that have come around . `` It 's taken me a long time to change and come back and do things the right way . I 'm just grateful for the second chance . '' There were also gongs for Spain 's Penelope Cruz , who took home Supporting Actress for her fiery scene-stealing performance as an unhinged artist in Woody Allen 's `` Vicky Cristina Barcelona , '' and the late Heath Ledger whose chilling reinvention of the Joker in Christopher Nolan 's `` The Dark Knight '' was recognized with the Supporting Actor award . Now , as attention turns to the upcoming Oscars , `` Slumdog 's '' BAFTA wins will only increase the momentum behind the Best Picture nominee . After success at both the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs , Kate Winslet could also be justified in looking forward to the Oscars with confidence .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will sign sweeping health care reform legislation into law at the White House on Tuesday , according to two Democratic officials familiar with the planning . Obama also will hit the road to sell the measure to a still-skeptical public , giving a speech Thursday in Iowa City , Iowa , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said . Obama launched his grass-roots drive for health care reform in Iowa City in May 2007 , according to Gibbs . The bill , which constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees in more than four decades , passed the House of Representatives late Sunday night with no Republican support . It was approved by the Senate in December . A separate compromise package of changes also passed the House on Sunday and still needs to be approved by the Senate . The officials noted that the Senate can not begin debate on the package before Obama signs the underlying bill into law . Passage of the bill was a huge boost for Obama , who made health care reform a domestic priority . Aides said Monday that Obama exchanged handshakes , hugs and `` high-fives '' with staffers when the outcome of the House vote became apparent . `` I have n't seen the president so happy about anything other than his family since I 've known him , '' said senior adviser David Axelrod , adding that Obama 's jubilation Sunday night exceeded his election victory in November 2008 . `` He was excited that night , but not like last night . '' Republicans promised to continue fighting the reforms , with 11 state attorneys general -- all Republican -- planning lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the bill 's mandate for people to buy health insurance and requirements for states to comply with its provisions . Senior Republicans in Congress warned that voters will judge Democrats harshly in November 's midterm elections , with Sen. John McCain of Arizona saying the Democratic-passed bill killed any chance of bipartisan support on legislation for the rest of the year . `` There will be no cooperation for the rest of this year , '' McCain said in an interview with KFYI radio in Arizona . `` They have poisoned the well in what they have done and how they have done it . '' Highlights of what 's in the bill White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs , however , said the administration expects to win any lawsuits filed against the bill , and he challenged McCain and other Republicans to campaign for the November election against benefits of the health care bill such as tax credits for small businesses and an end to insurance company practices such as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . The overall $ 940 billion plan is projected to extend insurance coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans . Most Americans will now be required to have health insurance or pay a fine . Larger employers will be required to provide coverage or risk financial penalties . Lifetime coverage limits will be banned , and insurers will be barred from denying coverage based on gender or pre-existing conditions . The compromise package would add to the bill 's total cost partly by expanding insurance subsidies for middle - and lower-income families . The measure would scale back the bill 's taxes on expensive insurance plans . House Democrats are expected to celebrate passage of the bill at a news conference with reform advocates Tuesday afternoon . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who spearheaded her husband 's failed health reform effort in the 1990s , said earlier in the day that Obama 's success was an example of the president 's tenacity . `` If you ever doubt the resolve of President Obama to stay with a job , look at what we got done for the United States last night when it came to passing quality affordable health care for everyone , '' Clinton said during a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee . Was it all worth it for Obama ? Observers warn , however , that the road ahead for health care reform in the Senate may be rocky . Democratic leaders are using a legislative maneuver called reconciliation , which will allow the compromise plan to clear the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes . But according to Senate rules , members are still allowed to offer unlimited amendments and challenges . In one of the first of many attempts Republicans say they will make to try to amend or kill the package , GOP aides went to Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin on Monday to argue that the compromise bill violates rules of the reconciliation process because of the way it affects Social Security . For that reason , GOP aides said they argued , the bill should not even be allowed to be debated . However , Frumin , according to a senior Republican and a Democratic aide , informed both parties he disagreed with the GOP assessment , and would not block the bill from reaching the Senate floor . `` There 's hope that -LSB- the vote -RSB- would be done within a short period of time , like a week or so , '' said Tim McBride , a health economist and associate dean of public health at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis , Missouri . `` But the Senate is complicated and does n't have the discipline that the House does . '' Once the package hits the Senate floor , the chamber 's rules stipulate that there must be 20 hours of debate . But that 20 hours may prove to be more of a suggestion than an indicator of what will happen , according to Cheryl Block , a law professor at Washington University 's School of Law . `` It could get all messy and could go on forever if -LSB- Republicans -RSB- threw up amendment after amendment , '' Block said . `` Theoretically , it should only take 20 hours , but it will likely take longer because Republicans have things up their sleeve . '' If any provision in the package of changes is rejected or changed , the entire package would then have to go back to the House for another vote . iReport : Share your views on health care reform House Democrats unhappy with the Senate bill have been continually reassured that the compromise package will be approved by the more conservative Senate . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , presented a letter to House Democrats on Saturday stating that their Senate counterparts `` believe that health insurance reform can not wait and must not be obstructed . '' So far , two of the 59 senators in the Democratic caucus , Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas , have said they will oppose the compromise package . CNN 's Ed Henry , Ed Hornick , Josh Levs , Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. John McCain on Monday called for a $ 300 million prize to whoever can develop a battery that will `` leapfrog '' the abilities of current hybrid and electric cars . Sen. John McCain wants someone to develop a battery that can `` leapfrog '' those available in current electric cars . Citing high oil prices , the Republican presidential candidate said he wants his offer to `` deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs . '' '' -LSB- The prize would amount to -RSB- $ 1 for every man , woman and child in the U.S. -- a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency , '' McCain said during a town hall-style meeting at California 's Fresno State University . McCain said the new automobile battery should have `` the size , capacity , cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars . '' Watch more on McCain 's $ 300 million reward '' `` In the quest for alternatives to oil , our government has thrown around enough money subsidizing special interests and excusing failure , '' McCain said . `` From now on , we will encourage heroic efforts in engineering , and we will reward the greatest success . '' McCain also called Monday for a `` Clean Car Challenge '' for U.S. automakers , hoping to spur them to develop and sell vehicles with no carbon emissions . The challenge would allow $ 5,000 tax credits to buyers of such cars , making those vehicles more appealing to consumers and thus easier to sell . `` We 're going to see technology for electric-powered cars that are going to be -LSB- made cheaper -RSB- with our incentives , '' McCain said . McCain also spoke against policies that he said `` prevent consumers from benefiting '' from ethanol not made from corn . He cited the U.S. subsidies for corn-based ethanol and tariffs on sugar cane-based ethanol from Brazil . `` Instead of playing favorites , our government should level the playing field for all alcohol fuels that break the monopoly of gasoline , both lowering gasoline prices and carbon emissions , '' he said . McCain 's remarks came a day after his Democratic rival , Sen. Barack Obama , called for greater oversight for energy traders . Obama 's campaign said many economists believe speculation could be adding between $ 20 and $ 50 to the price of a barrel of oil ; the price per barrel closed near $ 135 on Friday . On Monday , the Illinois Democrat turned to the subject of working women , criticizing McCain for opposing a bill that would have made it easier for people to sue over pay discrimination . Watch Obama court working women '' The bill , dubbed the Fair Pay Restoration Act , would have rolled back a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that a person who claims pay discrimination must file a complaint within 180 days of that discrimination taking place . Senate Republicans blocked the bill , which Obama co-sponsored , in April . Obama , in a speech to women at the Flying Star Cafe in Albuquerque , New Mexico , said McCain `` thinks the Supreme Court got it right . '' `` He opposed the Fair Pay Restoration Act , '' Obama said . `` He suggested that the reason women do n't have equal pay is n't discrimination on the job -- it 's because they need more education and training . That 's just wrong . '' Obama said that in the United States , women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men . Obama claimed that McCain said the Fair Pay Restoration Act would have opened `` us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems . '' `` But I ca n't think of any problem more important than making sure that women are getting a square deal on the job . It 's a matter of equality . It 's a matter of fairness , '' Obama said . `` I 'll continue to stand up for equal pay as president . Sen. McCain wo n't , and that 's a real difference in this election . '' Meanwhile , monthly campaign finance reports filed in June show the candidates are nearly level in the amount of money they have available to spend before their parties ' conventions . According to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission , Obama had $ 43.1 million in the bank at the start of June . However , $ 9.8 million of that amount is designated for the general election , meaning only the remaining $ 33.3 million may be spent before the conventions . McCain , according to his report filed with the FEC , began June with about $ 31.4 million available to spend before the conventions . McCain had only $ 123,000 set aside for the general election . However , since indicating he will accept public financing for the general election , he has returned nearly all of the money he has raised for it . Obama said last week he would not accept public financing . Republicans and outside analysts have said Obama found he could raise more money than public financing would allow him to spend . The Democratic convention is scheduled for August 25-28 in Denver , Colorado . The GOP convention is set for September 1-4 in Minneapolis and St. Paul , Minnesota .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Marine accused of killing Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach , who was more than eight months pregnant , was not the father of her unborn child , a law enforcement source close to the murder investigation said Saturday . Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean , who is being held on a murder charge , is scheduled for arraignment in June . The source , who has seen a report completed earlier this month by the Defense Department 's Armed Forces Institute of Pathology , said Cpl. Cesar Laurean 's DNA does not match that of the unborn child , who also died . Laurean and Lauterbach were stationed at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . An autopsy showed that Lauterbach , 20 , died of blunt force trauma to the head . Police unearthed her charred body from beneath a barbecue pit in Laurean 's backyard in January 2008 . She disappeared the month before . Laurean was 22 when he was arrested in Mexico in April 2008 . At the time , a Mexican reporter asked Laurean whether he had killed Lauterbach . The Marine replied , `` I loved her . '' Laurean has been indicted on charges that include first-degree murder , financial card transaction fraud and obtaining property by false pretenses . North Carolina prosecutors allege he killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico . He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico . The law enforcement source familiar with the case said a DNA swab was taken by court order from Laurean after he was extradited from Mexico in March to face charges in North Carolina . Mexican authorities agreed to the extradition , in part because prosecutors took the death penalty off the table . Mexico does not have a death penalty . Before her death , Lauterbach told the Marines that Laurean raped her . The month before she disappeared , Lauterbach 's mother says Maria told a military investigator that she no longer believed Laurean was the father of her unborn child . However , Lauterbach 's mother , Mary , says her daughter remained adamant that Laurean raped her . Laurean denied it . A few weeks before a scheduled rape hearing at Camp Lejeune , Lauterbach disappeared . Dewey Hudson , district attorney for Onslow County , said Laurean is scheduled for arraignment in early June , and is expected to enter a plea . `` I can not comment on any of the tests , '' Hudson said . He would not say how the DNA results might affect his case against Laurean . Through her attorney , Mary Lauterbach said the DNA test results do n't answer bigger questions she has about whether the Marines did enough to protect her daughter or moved quickly enough to investigate her claims . `` We do not believe that the result will have any effect on the continuing investigation or the trial , '' said Lauterbach 's attorney Merle Wilberding .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eight men plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes heading towards the United States in mid-flight in the name of Islam , a British court heard Tuesday . The eight men deny conspiracy to murder by plotting to blow up transatlantic aircraft . Prosecutors told London 's Woolwich Crown Court the men planned to make the explosives from household objects to resemble drinks bottles , batteries and other items to be carried onto aircraft in hand luggage , the UK 's Press Association reported . The foiling of the alleged plot in August 2006 triggered the imposition of strict new security measures at international airports around the world , restricting the quantity of liquids passengers can carry on to aircraft . The measures , which led to massive delays and scores of canceled flights when they were imposed overnight , remain in place at many airports . Prosecutor Peter Wright described two of the men , Abdulla Ahmed Ali , 28 , and Assad Sarwar , 28 , as ringleaders of an Islamic fundamentalist conspiracy , according to PA. . `` It was an interest that involved inflicting heavy casualties upon an unwitting civilian population all in the name of Islam , '' he said . `` These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful . To them the identities of their victims was an irrelevance by race , color , religion or creed . `` What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact . '' Wright said the bombs were to be carried onto flights to the United States by suicide bombers as part of a plot hatched in Britain and Pakistan , according to PA. . He said a computer memory stick seized at the time of the defendants ' arrests listed details of flights operated by three carriers -- American Airlines , United Airlines and Air Canada -- between August and October 2006 . `` If each of these flights were successfully blown up the potential for loss of life was considerable , '' Wright said . Ali , Sarwar and six others including Tanvir Hussain , 27 , Ibrahim Savant , 28 , Arafat Waheed Khan , 27 , Waheed Zaman , 24 , Umar Islam , 30 , and Donald Stewart-Whyte , 22 , deny conspiracy to murder . The trial is expected to last 10 months .","question":""}
{"answer":"PHOENIX , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Basketball great Charles Barkley began serving a three-day sentence in Arizona 's infamous Tent City on Saturday , jailed by the same sheriff whose autobiography he endorsed 12 years ago . Charles Barkley bristled at the implication he should be wearing stripes instead of a red-and-bue sweatsuit . `` You come here when you screw up , '' Barkley said at a news conference hours after he reported at the Maricopa County jail . `` I do n't blame anybody for this situation but myself . '' Barkley , 45 , pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges stemming from a New Year 's Eve arrest after he left a Scottsdale , Arizona , nightclub . A judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail , but his sentence was reduced in exchange for Barkley 's attending an alcohol-awareness course . At the news conference , Barkley sat next to Sheriff Joe Arpaio , the self-proclaimed `` Toughest Sheriff in America . '' Arpaio is known for giving inmates old-fashioned , black-and-white-striped uniforms , making some of them live in tents and reinstituting chain gangs , even for women . `` I 'm an equal incarcerator , '' Arpaio said of Barkley , who will be sleeping in one of the tents . `` We do n't discriminate . '' He said Barkley has been `` a gentleman , cordial . '' '' He 's taking his medicine , '' Arpaio said . `` I hope that something comes out of this . '' In a free-wheeling news conference , Barkley spoke out against drunken driving , made some observations about President Obama -LRB- `` Rush Limbaugh and a lot of jackasses are giving him a hard time right now '' -RRB- and commented on felony charges singer Chris Brown faces for allegedly beating his girlfriend , singer Rhianna . Watch Barkley speak at news conference '' `` I wish both of them the best , but it 's never acceptable to hit a woman . Period , '' Barkley said . Barkley wore a red-and-blue sweatsuit , not the black-and-white stripes that other inmates -- who watched the news conference through a chain-link fence -- were wearing . Barkley said it 's because he 's on the jail 's work-release program , and bristled at questions about it . `` None of the work-release people do that , '' he said . `` But if y' all really , really want to put me as low as I can go , I can do that and make you feel better . `` I know when -LSB- someone is -RSB- famous , you like to see people humiliated . '' Arpaio , who joked with Barkley over the pink underwear he routinely issues inmates , held up a copy of his 1996 book , `` America 's Toughest Sheriff . '' On its back cover , alongside endorsements by Limbaugh , Arizona Sen. John McCain and others , is one from Barkley . `` This man , Sheriff Joe Arpaio , is a role model for all Americans , '' Barkley wrote in the blurb . Barkley is a basketball commentator for TNT , which like CNN is a Time Warner company . A star for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns , Barkley was named the NBA 's Most Valuable Player in 1993 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2006 .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One-time Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may have sent a clear message to the political world , analysts say , by signing a deal to become a TV commentator . That message : She 's unlikely to run in the 2012 presidential race . `` I do think maybe it suggests , sadly for Democrats , that she might not be running , '' said Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala . `` Democrats ... are pretty confident they can defeat Sarah Palin . She 's not going to beat Barack Obama . '' The former Alaska governor has signed a deal with Fox News to appear as a contributor on the network , a source with knowledge of the agreement confirms to CNN . There are no plans for Palin to anchor her own program , the source said . `` Let 's first hope for -LSB- Fox News President -RSB- Roger Ailes ' sake that she does n't quit that job the way she quit her job as governor of Alaska , '' Begala joked . Nancy Pfotenhauer , a former McCain presidential campaign spokesperson , also indicated that Palin 's new job is a possible sign of things to come . `` There 's a slight indication she may not run , '' she said . `` I assume this is a business decision on the part of both Fox News and on Gov. Palin 's part . '' Begala , though , did give Palin praise for her TV gig . `` It 's indoor work . It 's interesting and lucrative . I 'm all for it , '' he said . `` Congratulations for the former governor of Alaska . '' Palin is hardly alone in top Republicans-turned-TV talking heads . After the 2008 GOP presidential primaries , former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee joined Fox News as the host of his own show . Karl Rove , a former top aide to President George W. Bush , also joined Fox News as a commentator . Michael Steele , the current chairman of the Republican National Committee , was once a Fox News contributor as well . Mary Matalin , a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney , is now a CNN contributor alongside her husband James Carville and Begala -- top Democratic aides to then President Clinton . One of Begala and Carville 's colleagues -- George Stephanopolous -- has been a long-time political analyst at ABC News , who later hosted his own Sunday TV show `` This Week . '' Most recently , he was named as the host of ABC 's `` Good Morning America . '' On MSNBC , former Florida GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough now hosts his own TV show called `` Morning Joe . '' Pat Buchanan , a leading conservative voice and former presidential candidate , also graces MSNBC 's airwaves giving his take on politics . Since leaving office , Palin has become a vocal critic of the Obama administration 's policies . She recently released her autobiography `` Going Rogue '' and toured the country promoting her book .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAHORE , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police raided an Islamic school and arrested seven students hours after a blast in a mosque in northern Pakistan left at least 50 dead and dozens injured , according to an Associated Press report . A man , right , mourns the death of his two sons in a suicide attack near Peshawar that killed at least 50 . A bomb , packed with ball-bearings and nails , tore through Eid prayers at a mosque packed with hundreds of worshippers northeast of Peshawar on Friday , targeting Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao , former Pakistani interior minister , local police told CNN . The blast left blood-stained clothes , hats and shoes as well as body parts and pieces of flesh scattered across the mosque , according to reports . The attack is the most recent in a series of attacks in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province and occurred near Sherpao 's residence in Charsadda -- an area approximately 28 miles -LRB- 45 kilometers -RRB- northeast of the city of Peshawar . Watch what 's known about the blast '' Police investigators say Taliban or al Qaeda elements could have been involved and they believe the former minister was targeted over his supervision of operations against militants in Pakistan 's tribal areas including the restive NWFP . This attack is the deadliest in Pakistan since 136 people were killed in the southern port city of Karachi on October 18 in a suicide bombing targeting the convoy of Benazir Bhutto , Pakistan 's former prime minister . See photos from the blast 's aftermath '' Bhutto returned to the country after eight years in self-imposed exile ahead of January parliamentary elections . The attack comes in the midst of continued operations by the Pakistani army to rout out militants in the swat valley in the north of the country , an area the government considers a front-line in the so-called global war on terror . A former tourist destination about 100 miles -LRB- 160 kilometers -RRB- from Islamabad , The Swat Valley has been plagued by violence and has become a hotbed for militants . Earlier this month , the army said it has retaken towns seized by militants over the summer , killing 290 and capturing 140 . The attack also comes less than a week after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency he said was necessary to ensure the country 's stability but that critics said was a move to stifle the country 's judiciary , curb the media and secure more power . While Musharraf has promised free and fair parliamentary elections , continued instability in the tribal areas and the threat of attack on large crowds has kept people from attending political rallies and dampened the country 's political process . Campaigners from various political parties say fewer people are coming out to show their support . The president -- who survived two assassination attempts in December 2003 -- denounced Friday 's attack , speaking out against what he said was a small number of Muslim extremists who would carry out such an act , according to a report from the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan . He ordered security and intelligence agencies to find those responsible . A spokesperson for the U.N. said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemns the attack and he `` urges all political forces in Pakistan to unite against the scourge of terrorism and to act together to create a peaceful environment ahead of the Parliamentary elections . '' This is the second attempt on Sherpao 's life since April , when a suicide bomber blew himself up just a few feet from Sherpao during a political rally , injuring him and killing at least 28 people . The APP reported that the blast was caused by a suicide bomber inside the mosque , as people were gathering for religious observances of Eid al-Adha , the Muslim celebration of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia . `` We were saying prayers when this huge explosion occurred , '' said Shaukat Ali , a 26-year-old survivor of the blast whose white cloak and pants were torn and spattered with blood , an AP report said . Despite security measures at the mosque , the bomber was praying in a row of worshippers when he detonated the explosive , provincial police chief Sharif Virk said , the report added . A Peshawar hospital was wracked with chaos as the injured arrived in pickup trucks , ambulance sirens wailed and the wounded screamed for help , the report said . The bomb contained between 13-17 pounds of explosives and was filled with nails and ball bearings to maximize casualties , said the head of the bomb unit at the scene , who declined to give his name . Sherpao and his two sons were in the first row of the mosque , the APP report said . Mustafa Khan Sherpao had leg injuries while Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao `` escaped unhurt . '' Sherpao was Pakistan 's interior minister -- the country 's top civilian security official -- before Musharraf announced a caretaker government in November ahead of elections . He heads the breakaway political group Pakistan People 's Party-Sherpao , is a vocal critic of religious extremism , pro-Musharraf and a candidate in upcoming elections . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Mohsin Naqvi contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Same-sex couples in California may be able to obtain marriage licenses on June 17 , state officials said Wednesday . Marriage licenses for same-sex couples may be available in June , officials said . The California Supreme Court struck down the state 's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional in a May 15 ruling , clearing the way for the state to become the second to legalize such marriages . The state Department of Public Health -- which serves as State Registrar and oversees vital records -- said in an announcement that June 16 is the last day the state Supreme Court can rule on any requests for re-hearing . It released new marriage license forms for counties to use beginning the following day . The new forms , which were also released , have lines for `` Party A '' and `` Party B. '' However , the `` general information '' page for California marriage licenses still stated as of Wednesday that `` only an unmarried male and an unmarried female may marry in California . '' The California Supreme Court issued the ruling in a consolidated case involving several gay and lesbian couples , along with the city of San Francisco and gay rights groups . A lower court had ruled San Francisco acted illegally in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004 . In its 4-3 ruling , the state Supreme Court called marriage a `` basic civil right . '' Opponents of same-sex marriage have said a constitutional marriage amendment should be placed on the November ballot , and that national efforts should be made to generate a federal marriage amendment . A constitutional amendment initiative that would specify marriage is only between a man and a woman is awaiting verification by the California Secretary of State 's office after its sponsors said they had gathered enough signatures to place it on a statewide ballot . Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriages in 2004 , and gay couples need not be state residents there to wed. . However , then-Gov . Mitt Romney resurrected a 1913 law barring non-resident marriages in the state if the marriage would be prohibited in the partners ' home state . Subsequent court and agency decisions have determined that only residents of Massachusetts , Rhode Island and New Mexico may marry in Massachusetts , unless the parties say they plan to relocate there after the marriage . New Hampshire , Vermont , New Jersey and Connecticut permit civil unions , while California has a domestic-partner registration law . More than a dozen other states give same-sex couples some legal rights , as do some other countries .","question":""}
{"answer":"RIO DE JANEIRO , Brazil -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Automated messages sent from Air France Flight 447 just before it crashed Monday indicate the plane 's systems were providing contradictory information about its airspeed , the jet 's manufacturer said on Friday . Friends and relatives of the 228 people aboard Air France Flight 447 attend a memorial service Thursday in Brazil . That suggests the pilots may have been flying too fast or too slow through the violent weather they encountered before the crash , officials said . In addition , investigators have said the plane 's autopilot disengaged , cabin pressure was lost and there was an electrical failure before the disaster . Airbus confirmed on Friday that in the wake of the crash it sent a Telex to operators of all Airbus models reminding them what to do when speed indicators give conflicting readings . The spokesman said the notice does not mean there is any major flaw in the aircraft , but is simply a reminder to pilots about what to do in the cockpit if they get conflicting information about air speed . Message transmissions from the aircraft in the final moments before it crashed Monday into the Atlantic Ocean show there was an `` indicated inconsistency in measured air speeds , '' Airbus said . The company did not elaborate . Experts said that could mean the pilot 's and co-pilots ' sensors were showing different speeds . `` If they 're malfunctioning , it can give a false read that can be misinterpreted in the cockpit , and a disaster can follow , '' said Peter Goeltz , the former managing director of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board . While the pilots themselves sent no distress calls , the aircraft 's computer system relayed about four minutes of automated messages indicating a loss of cabin pressure and an electrical failure , according to investigators . Airbus said it sent the Telex Thursday night after the action was recommended by the French investigating agency , which plans to hold a news conference Saturday morning in Paris , France . Watch as experts question whether recovery is possible '' Meanwhile , the hunt for debris continued Friday , a day after a Brazilian air force official said debris plucked from the ocean was not from the Air France jet . A U.S Navy P-3 temporarily based in Brazil has flown three missions -- on Wednesday , Thursday and Friday -- in assisting the Brazilian government search for debris , but found nothing connected to the disaster , U.S. Southern Command spokesman Maj. Darryl Wright said . Earlier Friday , Goeltz said the search for Flight 447 's voice and data recorders is becoming more difficult as ocean currents disperse debris from the crash site . `` The clock 's ticking '' in the search for the plane 's recorders , he said . `` The batteries on these locator devices attached to the black boxes have a limited life span -- just 30 days , '' he said . `` The longer time goes on , the further away from the actual crash site the debris floats . '' All 228 passengers and crew aboard the Airbus 330 are presumed to have died when the plane disappeared northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands , an archipelago 355 kilometers -LRB- 220 miles -RRB- off the northeast coast of Brazil . The flight originated in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , and was en route to Paris . Map of Flight 447 's flight path '' While the ocean depth in the area where the plane is thought to have crashed presents a challenge , the challenge may not be insurmountable , Goeltz said . `` We 've recovered boxes as deep as 6 - or 7,000 feet , '' he said . `` We 've recovered debris from as much as 10,000 feet . '' Authorities have said the depth of the water in the area ranges from 3,000 meters -LRB- 9,840 feet -RRB- to 7,500 meters -LRB- 24,600 feet -RRB- . Cmdr. Christophe Prazuck of the French Ministry of Defense said Friday that a French research vessel was expected to arrive this weekend in the search area carrying a deep-diving submersible . The submersible would try to pinpoint the recorders , but must rely on another vessel to retrieve them , he said . The submarine helped recover artifacts from the Titanic disaster . Meanwhile , France 's transportation minister warned that `` extreme prudence '' should be used in releasing information about why the plane crashed . It is possible the plane experienced a total electrical failure , officials have said . Goeltz said it is possible the jet 's speed indicator was faulty . `` That could really be disastrous and it 's happened before , '' he said , speaking generally . If it malfunctions , `` it can give a false read into the cockpit that can be misinterpreted , '' he said . Investigators also said the autopilot system may have failed . A Spanish pilot reported seeing an `` intense flash '' near where the plane is believed to have crashed , the Spanish carrier Air Comet said on Thursday . The co-pilot and a passenger on the flight from Lima , Peru , to Lisbon , Portugal , also said they saw a light . Air Comet said the pilot 's report has been sent to Air France , Airbus and the Spanish civil aviation authority . CNN 's Mike Mount contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"Boston , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republican Scott Brown won a major upset victory in Tuesday 's special election for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy . Brown defeated Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley , the Democratic candidate . Brown 's victory made real the once unthinkable prospect of a Republican filling the seat held by Kennedy , known as the liberal lion , for almost 47 years until his death from brain cancer in August . Voters across Massachusetts braved winter cold and snow for an election with high stakes -- the domestic agenda of President Obama , including his priority of health care reform . Brown 's victory strips Democrats of the 60-seat Senate supermajority needed to overcome GOP filibusters against future Senate action on a broad range of White House priorities . Senate Democrats needed all 60 votes in their caucus to pass the health care bill , and the loss of one seat imperils generating that support again for a compromise measure worked out with the House . In a subdued concession speech , Coakley said she expected a tough assessment of her loss and lots of `` Wednesday-morning quarterbacking '' after losing a seat held by Democrats for more than 50 years . `` I am heartbroken at the result , '' Coakley said , later adding : `` Although I am very disappointed , I always respect the voters ' choice . '' Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said last week that certifying Tuesday 's election results could take more than two weeks -- potentially enough time to allow congressional Democrats to pass a final health care bill before Brown is seated . But multiple Democratic sources said this is unlikely . Even if House and Senate Democrats could reach a deal to meld their bills and pass them in the next couple of weeks , there would be a huge outcry from not only Republicans , but also an increasingly distrustful public if they appeared to be rushing it through . Galvin had predicted as many as 2.2 million of the state 's 4.5 million registered voters would vote -- at least double the turnout from December 's primary . In one sign of high interest , more than 100,000 absentee ballots were requested ahead of the election , according to Galvin 's spokesman , Brian McNiff . Coakley was initially expected to easily win the race to replace Kennedy , who made health care reform the centerpiece of his Senate career . Until recently , Brown was underfunded and unknown statewide . In addition , no Republican has won a U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts since 1972 , and Democrats control the governorship , both houses of the state legislature , and the state 's entire congressional delegation . However , Brown surged in the weeks preceding Tuesday 's vote and led in all the final polls . Democratic sources told CNN that Coakley called Brown on Tuesday night to concede . In a sign of the high stakes involved , the Coakley campaign held an afternoon news conference Tuesday to complain that voters in three places received ballots already marked for Brown . iReport : Send us your thoughts on the special election McNiff confirmed that the secretary of state 's offices received two reports of voters saying they got pre-marked ballots . The suspect ballots were invalidated and the voters received new ballots , McNiff said . Kevin Conroy , the Coakley campaign manager , said the `` disturbing incidents '' raised questions about the integrity of the election . In response , the Brown campaign issued a statement criticizing Coakley 's team . `` Reports that the Coakley campaign is making reckless accusations regarding the integrity of today 's election is a reminder that they are a desperate campaign , '' Daniel B. Winslow , the counsel for the Brown campaign , said in the statement . Obama has been both `` surprised and frustrated '' by the race , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday . Obama and former President Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail over the past three days in an attempt to save Coakley 's campaign , which observers say was hampered by complacency and missteps . Obama crushed Sen. John McCain in Massachusetts in 2008 , beating the GOP presidential nominee by 26 points . `` If you were fired up in the last election , I need you more fired up in this election , '' Obama urged a crowd at a Coakley campaign rally on Sunday . Vicki Kennedy , the late senator 's widow , called on state Democrats to turn out to save her husband 's legacy . `` We need your help . We need your support . We need you to get out there and vote on Tuesday , '' Kennedy said . `` We need you to bring your neighbors . We need you to bring your friends . '' Brown , who has trumpeted his 30 years of service in the National Guard , hewed to traditional GOP themes at the end of the campaign . He promised at a rally Sunday that , if elected , he would back tax cuts and be tougher on terrorists than Coakley . He also repeated a pledge to oppose Obama 's health care reform effort . `` Massachusetts wants real reform and not this trillion-dollar Obama health care that is being forced on the American people , '' he said . `` As the 41st -LSB- Republican -RSB- senator I will make sure that we do it better . '' Forty-four percent of Massachusetts voters cited the economy and jobs as their top concern in a recent 7 News\/Suffolk University poll . Thirty-eight percent mentioned health care as their top concern . Voters more concerned with the economy were split almost evenly between the two candidates ; voters more worried about health care narrowly supported Coakley . Brown 's surprising strength came in part because some independents and conservatives who have supported Democrats in the past were having second thoughts . Democrats far outnumber Republicans in Massachusetts , but there are more independents than Democrats and Republicans combined . Several Democratic sources say multiple Obama advisers have told the party they believed Coakley was going to lose , despite Obama 's campaign appearance for Coakley on Sunday . Facing the possibility of Coakley 's defeat , Democrats were trying to figure out if they could pass health care reform without that crucial 60th Senate vote . The seat is currently held by former Kennedy aide and longtime friend Paul Kirk , who was appointed to the seat on an interim basis . Two Democratic sources in close contact with the White House told CNN on Monday they 've urged the administration , in the event of a Brown victory , to push House Democrats to pass the Senate 's health care bill as currently written . Doing so would prevent the plan from having to be taken up by the Senate again . `` I think the Senate bill clearly is better than nothing , '' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , D-Maryland , said Tuesday . A third option would be for Democrats to revisit the idea of trying to push health care through the Senate with only 51 votes -- a simple majority . But to do that Democrats would have to use a process known as reconciliation , which presents technical and procedural issues that would delay the process for a long time . A number of Democrats are eager to put the health care debate behind them and move on to economic issues such as job creation as soon as possible this election year . Senate Democrats could also try again to get moderate GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine to vote for a compromise health reform plan . Multiple Democratic sources , however , have said they believe that is unlikely now . CNN 's Jim Acosta , Dana Bash , Kevin Bohn , Ed Henry , Ed Hornick , John King , Suzanne Malveaux , Shawna Shepherd , Jessica Yellin , Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Coalition troops on Monday formally handed over security control of Iraq 's Anbar province -- once the hub of the country 's Sunni insurgency , to Iraqis on Monday . A U.S. soldier on patrol in Ramadi 's market earlier this year . U.S. troops will remain in the province to support Iraqi forces . President George W. Bush described the transfer as a major victory against al-Qaeda extremists who once held sway in the area . `` Today , Anbar is no longer lost to al Qaeda -- it is al Qaeda that lost Anbar , '' he said in a statement . Once dominated by Sunni insurgents , Anbar has been the scene of many attacks on U.S.-led troops in Iraq . Now a bastion of tribal opposition , it is also the scene of an internal Sunni political struggle between the Iraqi Islamic Party , one of Iraq 's main Sunni parties , and the Awakening movement , the first anti-al Qaeda in Iraq movement established in the country . More than 25,000 U.S. troops serve in the sprawling Anbar province west of Baghdad ; most of them Marines . They will remain for the time being but will shift their mission to supporting Iraqi forces , when needed The transfer is a `` major progress '' for all of Iraq , said Brigadier Gen. David Perkins , the spokesman for the Multi-National Force in Iraq . The transfer ceremony took place in Ramadi , the capital of the western province , and was attended by Iraqi officials and U.S. military brass . Watch U.S. , Iraqi officials perform transfer '' `` We are all well aware of what the security situation was in Anbar even a year ago , '' Perkins said . `` And the fact that that has been able to be turned around , that the Iraqi citizens that live there want to stand up on their own , -LSB- that -RSB- they want to take control of the province on their own ... it 's a major progress not only for Anbar , but for all of Iraq . '' Anbar is the 11th of Iraq 's 18 provinces to revert to local security control , but is the first Sunni-dominated one . The move comes amid a big drop in violence in Iraq and calls from Iraqis for the United States to come up with a troop withdrawal timetable . The other provinces that have transitioned to Iraqi security control are Duhuk , Irbil and Sulaimaniya in the Kurdish region , and Karbala , Najaf , Qadisiya , Muthanna , Thiqar , Basra , and Maysan in the Shiite south . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Arwa Damon in Baghdad contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jurors started to deliberate Friday after prosecutors and defense attorneys made closing arguments in the murder trial of an anti-abortion activist charged with killing a doctor who performed late-term abortion procedures . Scott Roeder is charged with murder in the death of Dr. George Tiller , who was shot to death May 31 in his church in Wichita , Kansas . Prosecutor Ann Swegle urged jurors to convict Roeder , reminding the jury of the defendant 's testimony Thursday . `` His testimony was delivered very matter-of-factly , but its contents were chillingly horrific , '' she said . `` He carried out a planned assassination , and there can be no other verdict in this case ... other than guilty . '' Kim T. Park , chief deputy district attorney , told the jurors that Roeder 's actions were unjustified and cowardly . `` Scott Roeder is not justified , '' she said . `` He is only and simply guilty of the crimes he is charged with . '' Mark Rudy , a defense attorney for Roeder , told jurors that Roeder believed he had to act . `` Scott thought that the babies kept on dying , '' he said . `` Scott formed a belief that he had to stop George Tiller from killing more babies . '' He admitted that Roeder killed Tiller but said only the jurors can decide if Roeder `` murdered '' Tiller . He said he was not asking jurors `` to check your common sense at the door '' and urged them to `` represent our little part of the nation well . '' `` No defendant should ever be convicted based on his convictions , '' Rudy said . Roeder testified Thursday that he shot and killed Tiller and did not regret it . `` There was nothing being done , and the legal process had been exhausted , and these babies were dying every day , '' Roeder said . `` I felt that if someone did not do something , he was going to continue . '' Tiller ran a women 's clinic at which he performed abortions . Sedgwick County District Judge Warren Wilbert ruled after the end of testimony Thursday that the jury could not consider a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter against Roeder as the defense wanted . In making the ruling , Wilbert noted that Roeder had been talking about killing Tiller for 10 years , CNN affiliate WDAF reported . Several of Tiller 's family members broke into tears as Roeder recounted the shooting . Roeder said he did n't regret what he did and felt `` a sense of relief '' when he learned that Tiller 's clinic was shut down after his death . Roeder calmly testified that he thought about different ways to kill the doctor -- driving a car into his , perhaps , or shooting him with a rifle . He also considered cutting Tiller 's hands off with a sword , but decided that would not be effective , as Tiller would still be able to train others . Tiller , 67 , was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortion procedures . He had already survived one attempt on his life before he was killed . He decided to kill Tiller at his church , he said , because `` I felt that actually if he was to be stopped , that was probably the only place he could have been stopped . ... It was the only window of opportunity I saw . '' Roeder said he visited the church four or five times before Tiller 's death . The week before the shooting , on May 24 , he carried a .22 - caliber handgun with him , he testified , but Tiller did not attend church that day . On May 31 , though , the doctor was there , and `` I did what I thought was needed to be done to protect the children , '' Roeder said . `` I shot him . '' `` The lives of those children were in imminent danger if someone did not stop George Tiller , '' he said . The defense had sought to have former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline and current Deputy Attorney General Barry Disney testify , but the judge did not allow it . Kline unsuccessfully attempted to prosecute Tiller in 2006 , and Disney charged Tiller with 19 misdemeanor counts , but a jury acquitted him . Wilbert said Roeder could testify about the cases and how they affected his beliefs , but to allow testimony from Kline would `` get into legal matters that do not concern this jury . '' And , the judge said , the cases do not give Roeder a basis to state absolutely that Tiller 's actions were illegal , since the doctor had never been convicted . Defense attorneys claim Roeder was led to shoot Tiller in part because of authorities ' failure to punish him through the judicial system . Roeder testified he was `` very frustrated '' by Tiller 's acquittal , saying it `` seemed like that was the last attempt by the state of Kansas to find if there was anything at all going on illegally in George Tiller 's clinic . '' Roeder could face life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder . He also is charged with two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly pointing his gun at two other ushers as he fled the church .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new shoe outfitted with a GPS chip aims to offer peace of mind to Alzheimer 's patients and their caregivers . It 's common for people with Alzheimer 's or other types of dementia to wander from their homes . The embedded GPS tracking system will allow the wearer of the shoe to be located instantly online and for their whereabouts to be monitored in real time . The shoe may offer hope to the growing number of people with Alzheimer 's disease . More than 26 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer 's , and the figure is set to exceed 106 million by 2050 , according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health . `` This could not only save lives but potentially save governments billions in search and rescue operations , '' Andrew Carle , a professor at George Mason University who was an adviser for the project , told CNN . Patients of Alzheimer 's , the leading cause of dementia , can easily become confused or disoriented , and it 's common for them to wander from their home and not be able to find their way back . The shoe is the latest in a wave of assisted-living devices , from home sensor systems to pill boxes that remind people to take their medication , targeted at keeping Alzheimer 's patients safe . Kathi Cordsen , an iReporter from Fullerton , Calif. , whose aunt has Alzheimer 's , welcomed the development of the shoes . `` It 's really sad how this illness creeps up on a person out of the blue , '' she said . `` I think these shoes could help quite a few families to be able to keep -LSB- their loved ones home -RSB- instead of putting them in a home . '' What do you think about GPS-outfitted shoes ? Tell us in the SoundOff below Carle , an expert in aging and assistive technologies , said businesses are honing in on ways technology can improve the quality of life for older adults . The market for microchip-based technology alone is worth an estimated $ 5 billion , he said . While tracking devices may help those with dementia live independently , they have also raised ethical concerns about informed consent and personal privacy , according to Gayle Willis of the Alzheimer 's Society in the UK . `` As long as people with dementia are involved in the decision-making progress , assisted living technologies can play an important role to help people live well with dementia , '' she told CNN . But , Willis noted , they can not be a substitute for good quality care and more research needs to be done to see what products work best for people . The shoe is a collaboration between GTX Corp. , a firm that specializes in miniaturized GPS tracking devices , and footwear company Aetrex . Details are still being worked out , but GTX Chief Executive Patrick Bertagna expects the shoe to retail for around $ 200 to $ 300 . For a monthly fee of about $ 20 , caregivers will also have the option to subscribe to a GTX service that automatically alerts them when the wearer of the shoe leaves a designated boundary . Sixty percent of Alzheimer 's patients will get lost at least once , said Carle . Because they often will not seek help or respond to assistance , nearly half of them risk death if not found within 24 hours , he said . Electronic wristbands and ankle bracelets have been used to track sufferers of dementia before , but those devices tend to be bulky and uncomfortable . The shoes , on the other hand , are designed to be unobtrusive . Testing of a prototype is expected to be completed by the end of the year and the shoe will likely be rolled out in 2010 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Legendary singer , dancer , actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne , 92 , died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday night , a hospital spokeswoman said . No other details of her death were made public . Horne was the first African-Americans to sign a long-term movie contract with a major Hollywood studio when she joined MGM in 1942 . Horne 's expressive and silky voice made her a singing star , known best for her hit `` Stormy Weather , '' after Hollywood failed to give her roles that might have made her a big screen starlet . Horne complained she was used as `` window dressing '' in white films , mostly limited to singing performances that could be easily edited out for play in southern theaters . The light-complexioned Horne refused to go along with studio plans to promote her as a Latin American . She later said she did not want to be `` an imitation of a white woman . '' Horne , whose parents divorced when she was 3 , lived a nomadic childhood traveling with her actress mother . She spent much of her time growing up in Brooklyn , New York , where she was born in 1917 . Horne was 16 when she began her show business career as a dancer at Harlem 's Cotton Club . She later became a singer there , playing to packed houses of white patrons , with band leaders Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington . She began taking singing lessons in 1935 , and eventually landed a part in the all-black Broadway production `` Dance With Your Gods . '' Her work as a feature singer with touring bands and in nightclubs increased . She became the first African-American singer to tour with a white group in 1940 , according to her official biography . Her first film role came in 1938 in `` The Duke is Tops , '' but her next movie did n't come along for another four years . She was given a screen test by MGM and signed to a seven-year movie contract after a studio scout saw her performing in a New York club . Her stepfather , Miguel Rodriguez , negotiated with MGM head Louis B. Mayer for her to never be cast as a maid or `` Tarzan extra . '' `` I think the black boy that cleaned the shoes and me were the only two black people except the maids who were there working for the stars , '' Horne said in a CNN interview . `` And it was very lonely and I was n't very happy . '' Still , Horne said she was grateful that her World War II era films -- including black musicals `` Cabin in the Sky '' and `` Stormy Weather '' -- were seen by black and white soldiers . `` But after I realized I would only go so far , I went on the stage , '' Horne said . With only subservient roles available for a black actress in Hollywood in the 1940s , Horne turned to recording top-selling songs . Horne said performing for live audiences was what she loved most . `` I 'm always happy when I 'm surrounded by people to react and feel and touch , '' she said . While traveling with a USO tour during the World War II , she walked out on a show because German war prisoners were seated in front seats , ahead of African-American troops . After the USO withdrew her from the tour , she used her own money to travel to sing for the troops . She has a son and daughter from a first marriage that ended in 1944 . Horne married again in 1947 to Lennie Hayton , who was then MGM 's music director . She kept the marriage secret for several years , since Hayton was white . When it was made public , the couple received hate mail and threats of violence , according to her biography . Radio , television , film and nightclub jobs were harder for Horne to find in the McCarthy era of the 1950s when she was blacklisted . That ended in 1956 when RCA gave Horne a new recording contract and she earned a guest spot in the movie `` Meet Me in Las Vegas . '' Horne returned to Broadway in 1957 for her first starring role there . `` Jamaica '' ran for 555 shows . She became active in the civil rights movement after she was involved in a public altercation following a racial slur in a Beverly Hills , California , restaurant in 1960 . She was an active supporter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 's civil rights movement . Horne was there when King delivered his `` I Have a Dream '' speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps in 1963 . Variety television shows welcomed Horne as a musical performer , especially in the 1960s . She appeared on numerous episodes with Perry Como , Dean Martin and Flip Wilson . She returned to film for a final role in 1978 as Glinda the Good Witch , opposite Michael Jackson and Diana Ross , in `` The Wiz , '' an adaptation of `` The Wizard of Oz . '' She got a special Tony Award for her 1981 one-woman Broadway hit `` Lena Horne : The Lady and Her Music . '' She also won two Grammys for the recording of the show . Horne was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 , and she also won a Grammy in 1995 for best jazz vocal performance for her album `` An Evening With Lena Horne . '' In her later years , Horne said she found peace . `` The best time in my life I guess is now because I 'm quiet and I 'm logical and I accept without flying off the handle -- sometimes I do , '' Horne said with a laugh .","question":""}
{"answer":"MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Russian serial murderer dubbed the `` Chessboard Killer '' was given the maximum sentence of life in prison Monday and ordered to undergo psychiatric therapy for a string of at least 48 murders that terrorized Moscow for years . A Moscow jury convicted Alexander Pichushkin last week of 48 murders and three attempted murders . Pichushkin claimed he had actually committed 60 murders , though prosecutors were unable to find evidence to prove that . Pichushkin earned the nickname `` Chessboard Killer '' for saying he had intended to kill one person for each of the 64 squares on a chessboard . In ordering Pichushkin to receive compulsory psychiatric therapy , the judge said the defendant has a mental disorder but is still sane and can not avoid responsibility for his crimes . Throughout his trial , Pichushkin gloated over his crimes and ridiculed the police case against him . `` I was dismayed my work had been attributed to others , '' Pichushkin said . `` In one week , I killed two people . If they had n't caught me , I would have never stopped . Having caught me , they saved many lives . '' Watch video report on serial killer Alexander Pichushkin For years until his arrest in June 2006 , Pichushkin kept Moscow on edge , stalking the heavily forested Bitsa Park on the city 's southern outskirts and preying on the homeless and elderly . Pichushkin claimed to have committed all but one of his murders in the park . He lured his victims with the promise of alcohol and , after getting them drunk on vodka , he beat them to death and dumped their bodies in the park . It led Russian media to give Pichushkin his other nickname , the `` Bitsa Maniac . '' Over the years , Russian police recovered dozens of corpses , some with sticks and vodka bottles rammed into their skulls . But the crucial lead came in 2005 , when a woman Pichushkin worked with at a vegetable store was found dead . She had left a note at her home saying she was going for a walk with him . Pichushkin said he had been aware of the note but killed her anyway . E-mail to a friend CNN Correspondent Matthew Chance contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Iranian navy plane that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier last week was flying as low as 300 feet as it neared the USS Eisenhower , U.S. military officials said Wednesday . The incident , first reported by CNN on Tuesday , came as Iran was beginning a series of military exercises last week meant to show off their military prowess . The Eisenhower was on duty in the Gulf of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea , in support of the Afghanistan war efforts , when the Iranian maritime patrol aircraft flew within 1,000 yards of the vessel , according to military officials . While the encounter was not threatening , it was unusual . U.S. navy ships have regularly encountered Iranian aircraft in the Persian Gulf in recent years , but this encounter took place in the Gulf of Oman , in an area where Iranian jets are seen much less frequently , several Navy officials said . The officials declined to be identified , citing the extremely sensitive nature of any U.S. military interaction with Iranian forces . Adm. Gary Roughead , the top Navy officer , confirmed the April 21 incident . The Iranians were '' not provocative or threatening . As long as they are professional and not threatening or reckless , it 's international space , '' he said . Radar on the Eisenhower and other U.S. ships in the vicinity closely tracked the Iranian aircraft as it approached the aircraft carrier to ensure it maintained a nonthreatening path , Roughead said . A senior U.S. military official said the Iranian plane was tracked by U.S. units for nearly 100 miles before it reached the Eisenhower . The Iranian aircraft was a Fokker F27 that was unarmed , officials said . It remained in the vicinity of the Eisenhower for about 20 minutes before leaving the area , according to the senior official . The Eisenhower had just finished a series of carrier aircraft flight operations and a resupply at sea mission . U.S. officials believe the Iranians wanted a close look at the carrier , but they could not say if the Iranians took photos of the ship . One of the officials also said Iran may simply have been trying to demonstrate its aerial capabilities to the United States . U.S. military officials continue to emphasize that recent encounters with Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf have been professional and without confrontation or problems . The U.S. Navy takes great care to try to stay out of the way of any Iranian forces in the region , officials said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thailand 's prime minister huddled with the chiefs of the country 's armed forces early Friday after a string of grenade attacks killed at least one person and wounded dozens of others in the already-tense capital . Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an emergency meeting of top officials after the Thursday night attacks , which followed weeks of protests aimed at toppling his administration . Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban told CNN the grenades were launched from the area where the anti-government protesters , known as the Red Shirts , have been encamped for weeks , but the protesters denied any responsibility for the attacks . Suthep told Thai television earlier that three people died in the attacks , but Bangkok 's Erawan Emergency and Rescue Center later revised the number to one . At least 87 people were wounded , the center said . Suthep said riot police and helicopters were deployed to join Thai troops in the area , which was still littered with glass amid the standoff . Across the barricades , the Red Shirts were playing music and trying to encourage a festive atmosphere . iReport : Are you there ? Share your story , images Demonstrators told CNN late Thursday they wanted to drive home the point that their demonstrations are supposed to be peaceful . Thursday 's explosions took place near an elevated train station where the Red Shirts are gathered , said Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd , spokesman for the Center for Resolutions under Emergency Situation . Three of the grenades landed on the roof of the station , but at least one landed outside a nearby hotel , Sansern said . The emergency center , which records patients admitted to Bangkok hospitals , said the victims suffered wounds ranging from light to some more serious injuries . Watch red shirt protests The Red Shirts support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 . They want Abhisit to dissolve the government , hold new elections and leave the country . Meanwhile , pro-government demonstrators in multicolored shirts have also mobilized to support Abhisit during the crisis . Thailand 's military on Monday stationed about 1,500 troops in the area , a Bangkok financial center that houses offices for some of the nation 's largest companies . The Red Shirts are occupying a large area nearby . Clashes between the two sides left about two dozen people dead and hundreds wounded on April 10 . Abhisit declared a state of emergency April 7 , hours after anti-government demonstrators stormed the country 's parliament . He said then that the `` purpose is to restore peace and order and to stop the spreading of false information to the Thai public . '' Amid the long-simmering dispute , Thailand 's independent election commission recommended the dissolution of Abhisit 's Democrat Party after finding it accepted an $ 8 million campaign donation from a private company and mishandled funds allocated to it by the commission . The ruling still must be reviewed by the country 's attorney general 's office and its Constitution Court , but if it stands , the 64-year-old party will be broken up , and Abhisit and its other senior leaders will be banned from politics for five years . CNN 's Kocha Olarn and Arwa Damon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A third day of testimony gets underway in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday as a judge decides whether Dr. Conrad Murray will face trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of singer Michael Jackson . On Wednesday , a paramedic and a security guard testified that Jackson appeared to be dead when an ambulance arrived at his home at 12:26 p.m. June 25 , 2009 . `` When I picked him up , his legs were quite cool , '' Los Angeles County Paramedic Richard Senneff said . `` His eyes were quite dry . '' No pulse was detected , and the paramedics ' heart monitor showed Jackson was `` flatlined '' as he lay on his bedroom floor , Senneff testified . Prosecutors contend that Murray 's should be held criminally responsible for giving the pop star a surgical anesthetic , propofol , at home without monitoring equipment . The coroner concluded Jackson died from `` acute propofol intoxication , '' in combination `` the contributory affects of the benzodiazepines , '' Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said . Murray allegedly delayed calling for help when he found Jackson was not breathing , misled paramedics and doctors about the series of sedatives and the anesthetic he 'd given him and that he tried to hide evidence when he should have been trying to revive Jackson . Murray told paramedics he had only given Jackson a dose of lorazepam to help him sleep and that he was treating him for dehydration , Senneff testified . When he asked `` how long the patient was down , '' the doctor responded '' ` It just happened , ' '' Senneff testified . The paramedic said that account `` it did n't add up . '' Testimony Wednesday also included emotional accounts of crying and praying in the home as Jackson 's children and employees realized something was very wrong upstairs . Jackson chef Kia Chase said the first indication of a crisis was when Murray ran downstairs in a panic and asked her to send Jackson 's oldest son , Prince , and the security guard upstairs . `` His eyes were enlarged , '' Chase testified . `` He was screaming . '' After the housekeepers started crying , the rest of the staff joined them , she said . `` We started praying , '' Chase said . `` We held hands , and we were crying . '' Jackson 's two oldest children , Prince and Paris , watched from a bedroom doorway as Murray tried to revive their father before the ambulance arrived , according to Alberto Alvarez , who worked on Jackson 's security team . `` Paris screamed ` Daddy ! ' and she started crying , '' Alvarez testified . Michael Jackson 's three sisters , parents and brother Randy listened from the second row of the courtroom as Alvarez appeared to be near tears as he described the scene . `` Dr. Murray then said ` Get them out , get them out . Do n't let them see their father like this , ' '' Alvarez said . `` I turned to the children and I told them ` Do n't worry , children , we 'll take care of it . Go outside please . ' '' Alvarez testified that Murray asked for his help in collecting medicines from around the bedroom . `` He then grabbed a handful of bottles or vials , '' Alvarez said . `` He instructed me to put them in a bag . '' It was only then , about 21 minutes after prosecutors say Murray realized Jackson was not breathing , that he asked Alvarez to call for an ambulance . It arrived four minutes later . Jackson 's former security chief testified that Murray seemed not to know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation as he waited for paramedics to arrive at the singer 's house . Faheem Muhammed said he and Alvarez saw Murray crouched next to Jackson 's bed `` in a panicked state asking , ` Does anyone know CPR ? ' '' `` I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon , so we were shocked , '' Muhammed said . When defense lawyer Ed Chernoff asked if perhaps Murray was only asking for help because he was tired , Muhammed said , `` The way that he asked it is as if he did n't know CPR . '' Alvarez testified that Murray told him and Muhammed that he was inexperienced at mouth-to-mouth resuscitation . `` After the second time , he gave a breath , he said ` You know , this is the first time that I give mouth-to-mouth , but I have to do it , because he 's my friend , ' '' Alvarez said . Jackson appeared to be dead at that time , with his `` eyes open and his mouth open , just laying there , '' Muhammed said . Walgren , the deputy district attorney , earlier said that Murray used `` ineffectual CPR with one hand while the patient was prone on a soft bed . '' Using two hands with the patient prone on a hard surface is the proper method , he said . Muhammed , testifying Tuesday , said he never saw Murray performing CPR on Jackson before paramedics arrived and transported the singer to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center . The hearing , which began Tuesday , is expected to last two or three weeks , with 20 to 30 witnesses testifying . Judge Michael Pastor will determine whether there is probable cause to send Murray to trial . Murray remains free on $ 75,000 bond . InSession Producer Michael Christian contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama addressed a broad range of political topics during an appearance on NBC 's `` The Tonight Show with Jay Leno '' Tuesday , insisting among other things that he 's not spending too much time yet focused on next year 's potential GOP campaign rivals . `` I 'm going to wait until everybody 's voted off the island , '' Obama joked . `` Once they narrow it down to one or two -LRB- candidates -RRB- , I 'll start paying attention . '' Obama is currently on a three-day trip to Nevada , California and Colorado . The trip includes several fundraisers for his re-election bid . During a wide-ranging interview , Obama criticized Washington 's harsh political climate , telling Leno that `` the things that folks across the country are most fed up with , whether you are a Democrat , Republican , -LRB- or -RRB- independent , is putting party ahead of country or putting the next election ahead of the next generation . '' The two men discussed several foreign policy topics , including the situation in Libya and the impending withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq . Regarding Libya , Leno asked the president for his reaction to the death of longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi . `` This is somebody who for 40 years has terrorized his country and supported terrorism , '' Obama said . Gadhafi `` had an opportunity during the Arab Spring to finally let loose of his grip on power and to peacefully transition into democracy . We gave him ample opportunity , and he would n't do it . '' Obama said Gadhafi 's demise sent `` a strong message around the world to dictators '' that `` people long to be free , '' and that `` universal rights '' and aspirations should be respected . The bloodied Gadhafi 's televised jostling with his captors was not something Americans `` should relish , '' the president said `` There was a reason after -LRB- Osama -RRB- bin Laden was killed , for example , we did n't release the photograph , '' the president said . `` I think that there 's a certain decorum with which you treat the dead -- even if it 's somebody who has done terrible things . '' The president hit back at GOP critics of the American role in the NATO-led Libya campaign , insisting that the United States did not , as many have claimed , `` lead from behind . '' `` We lead from the front , '' Obama asserted , highlighting the U.S. role in pushing a U.N. resolution backing NATO 's intervention , as well as the U.S. military 's role in establishing a no-fly zone over Libya . `` The difference here is we were able to organize the international community , '' Obama said . `` There was never this sense that somehow we were unilaterally making a decision to take out somebody . Rather , it was the world community . '' The Libya operation `` is a recipe for success in the future , '' the president declared . Obama also defended his choice to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year -- a decision blasted by GOP critics concerned the move will imperil U.S. gains in the region . `` I do n't know exactly how they are thinking about it , '' Obama said . `` We 've been in there for years , over 4,000 young men and women killed , tens of thousands injured , some of them for life , -LRB- and -RRB- spent close to $ 1 trillion on this operation . I think the vast majority of the American people feel as if it is time to bring this war to a close , particularly because we still have ... work to do in Afghanistan . '' The president noted the importance of the recent death of Anwar al-Awlaki , the U.S.-born cleric killed in Yemen by a U.S. drone strike . Al-Awlaki played a critical role with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , heading up external operations and focusing on attacking the United States , officials said . Al-Awlaki was `` probably the most important al Qaeda threat that was out there after bin Laden was taken out , '' Obama said . `` It was important that working with the enemies , we were able to remove him from the field . '' Turning closer to home , Obama had strong praise for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- his toughest competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 . `` I 'm really proud of her , '' Obama said . `` It really was n't that difficult '' to come together after the campaign . `` The truth is Hillary and I agree on the vast majority of issues . '' Obama appeared to dismiss rumors of a possible job swap between Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden in 2012 , telling Leno that `` they are doing great where they are . '' The president expressed a degree of sympathy for the Occupy Wall Street movement , noting that `` people are frustrated , and that frustration has expressed itself in a lot of different ways '' -- including both Occupy Wall Street and the tea party . As a huge basketball fan , the president called the current NBA lockout `` heartbreaking . '' `` We should be able to figure out how to split a $ 9 billion dollar pot so that our fans , who are allowing us to make all of this money , can actually have a good season , '' he said . Asked about his health and personal habits , Obama told Leno that he has `` definitively '' quit smoking , and remains `` big on exercise . '' The president said he works out on a regular basis with first lady Michelle Obama in a small White House gym . `` It 's embarrassing sometimes , '' the president said . `` She 'll get up there a half an hour earlier than me . She will have already run 10 miles or something ... -LRB- when I 'm -RRB- staggering up to the gym . '' Noting the first lady 's highly publicized campaign for fitness and healthier eating habits , Obama said his wife actually does enjoy more unhealthy cuisine on occasion . `` She loves french fries . She loves pizza . She loves chicken . Her point is just in moderation , '' Obama told Leno . As for the upcoming Halloween holiday , the president said his wife generally hands out fruit and raisins . The president said he told his wife that `` the White House is going to get egged if this keeps up . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 26-year-old man was arraigned Tuesday on murder charges in the January strangling deaths of his girlfriend and her four small children in an Oklahoma apartment . Joshua Durcho told a friend he choked Summer Rust but said her children were elsewhere , an affidavit says . Joshua Steven Durcho is charged with five counts of first degree murder in the January deaths of Summer Rust , 25 ; her son Teagin , 4 ; and daughters Evynn , 3 , and Autumn and Kirsten , both 7 . All five bodies were found January 12 in Rust 's apartment in El Reno , Oklahoma , about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City . Authorities believe Durcho killed Rust because she threatened to call the police on him , prosecutors said in court documents released Tuesday . He knew that likely would bring about his arrest , the documents said , because two outstanding bench warrants had been issued on him after he failed to appear in court in two criminal cases -- one on charges of driving under the influence and the second on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance . Durcho had previously served time in prison after being convicted of unlawful possession of marijuana and `` vowed he would never go back to prison , '' the court documents said . Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against Durcho , according to the documents , which note each victim suffered `` severe pain and anguish '' as they fought for their lives while being strangled with a ligature , which could include a string , cord or wire . In addition , the documents said , evidence indicates Durcho sexually abused both the 7-year-old girls at or near the time they died . In Tuesday 's arraignment , Canadian County District Judge Edward Cunningham entered not guilty pleas on Durcho 's behalf , according to The Oklahoman newspaper . An affidavit filed in the case , written by an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent , said Durcho went to the home of an acquaintance January 12 and said he had `` choked '' Summer Rust -- identified in court papers as Summer Garas -- to death and was leaving Oklahoma . When the acquaintance , a women , asked Durcho about Rust 's children , he `` told her that the children were at their grandmother 's residence ... while he and Summer worked out their relationship problems , '' according to the affidavit . The acquaintance then called Durcho 's mother , who drove to the apartment but received no answer at the door , the affidavit said . She asked her nephew , Durcho 's cousin , to accompany her , leading to the discovery of Rust 's body . The cousin notified police , and responding officers found the children 's bodies in the apartment . According to the court documents released Tuesday , Durcho also told the female acquaintance that he killed Rust because she threatened to call the police on him . Durcho was arrested in Hamilton County , Texas , the day after the bodies were found . He has been appointed public defenders , according to Canadian County , Oklahoma , court records , and earlier waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the case . CNN 's Ashley Broughton contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe urgently needs to form a new government in order to address a food crisis in the nation and prevent starvation , newly designated Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told reporters Saturday . At least 80 percent of the population of Zimbabwe are living below the poverty line . Tsvangirai , leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change , said there was a `` deepening food insecurity '' in the country . `` We need to respond to this crisis with utmost urgency , '' he said . `` It is therefore imperative that a government be formed in the next few days and begins to implement plans to insure that our people have food and do not die of starvation . '' Zimbabwe industries are operating at about 10 percent of capacity , and the food and manufacturing industry will not be able to deliver sufficient food supplies to markets . Tsvangirai signed a power sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe on September 15 but the two have not yet agreed on the distribution of Cabinet posts . Earlier this week , Mugabe told the press that only four posts were still to be agreed on . But Tsvangirai said in response , `` I think to minimize the remaining issues to only four issues , it is to underplay the whole process . The issue is that the negotiation must be concluded I think the matter will be solved once all the principals are back in the country . '' Mugabe has been in the United States for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly . He is expected back in the country after Saturday . Zimbabwe has been facing a collapsing economy for nearly a decade , and is plagued with high unemployment , food shortages and at least 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line . This has been accompanied by dizzying levels of inflation -- now officially at 11.2 million percent , the highest in the world . Once an exporter of food , Zimbabwe has been a net importer of food since 2000 , when Mugabe 's government embarked on a controversial and violent land reform program that displaced some experienced commercial farmers , most of them of European origin . Tsvangirai said he has consulted with food security experts and was told the country needs to import 800,000 tons of maize -LRB- corn -RRB- to avoid starvation until the next harvest in April .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of movies nominated for the best picture Oscar will double next year , a move apparently aimed at bolstering sagging ratings for the Academy Awards broadcast . Danny Boyle exults in an Oscar win for `` Slumdog Millionaire '' earlier this year . `` Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories , but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize , '' Sid Ganis , president of the Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , said . Doubling the nominations would make it more likely a viewer 's favorite movie is in the running for the top honor , which may make them want to watch the show , said Steve Pond , author of `` The Big Show : High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards . '' `` This clearly is a reaction to declining ratings , '' Pond said . `` Even though this last show the ratings were up ... over the last 10 years or so the ratings have been down . '' Oscar producers realized they `` can juice the show up all you want , but people watch the Oscars when there are movies competing that they have an interest in , '' Pond said . The best picture nominations often consist of movies that `` the vast majority of people have not seen , '' he said . The problem `` came to a head with ` The Dark Knight , ' '' which sold more than $ 1 billion in tickets worldwide , but was snubbed by the academy in the best picture category last year , he said . The Batman sequel won best movie at the MTV Movie Awards and was chosen favorite movie by the People 's Choice Awards . It also made many critics ' top 10 lists . If the nomination field had been expanded last year , the film might have made the best picture list , `` which clearly would have been some kind of bump in the ratings , '' Pond said . This would also counter the impression among TV viewers that the awards show is `` for movie snobs who do n't like the movies I like , '' he said . The decision to double the number of features films nominated is a return to the way the Oscars were awarded in its early decades , when as many as 12 movies were considered in the field of finalists , Ganis said . `` After more than six decades , the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots , when a wider field competed for the top award of the year , '' Ganis said . `` The final outcome , of course , will be the same -- one best picture winner -- but the race to the finish line will feature 10 , not just five , great movies from 2009 . '' Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards will be announced on February 2 , 2010 . The awards show is set for March 7 at Hollywood 's Kodak Theatre . A best picture nomination often serves as a marketing boost for films , driving DVD sales for those films no longer in theaters .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died , her publicist , Patty Freedman , told CNN on Thursday . Actress Eartha Kitt , shown at a benefit for the Actors Fund in 2003 , performed almost until the end of her life . Kitt , 81 , died in New York , where she was being treated for colon cancer , Freedman said . Her daughter , Kitt Shapiro , was by her side . She was performing almost until the end , taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago , Illinois . The show is set to air in February . The ringtone version of her recording of the saucy Christmas song `` Santa Baby '' was certified gold earlier this month . Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series `` Batman . '' That role produced Kitt 's recognizable sultry cat growl . She worked in film , theater , cabaret , music and on television during her lengthy career . According to Kitt 's official Web site , she was nominated for a Tony three times , a Grammy and Emmy twice . According to the biography on that site , Kitt lived in Connecticut near her daughter and four grandchildren . Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage , the biography says . At age 8 , she was sent from the cotton fields of South Carolina by her mother to live with her aunt in New York City 's Harlem neighborhood , the site said . As a teen , she auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe , was hired as a featured dancer and vocalist , and toured worldwide with the company . This launched Kitt into a life of roles in the entertainment field . According to the book `` Contemporary Black Biography , '' she was adored in Europe in the 1950s as a cabaret singer . In the United States , her dance career led to a critically acclaimed stint on Broadway , including the play `` New Faces of 1952 , '' which was later made into a movie . Broadway stardom landed Kitt a recording deal that led to a string of best-selling records , including `` Love for Sale , '' `` I Want to Be Evil , '' `` Santa Baby '' and `` Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa . '' She recorded more than 20 albums , worked in hundreds of television and movie roles , and was invited as a guest to the White House several times . CNN 's David Daniel contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Honduran prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the country 's six top military commanders for abuse of power in connection with the coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya last year . The Honduran high command , including Gen. Romeo Vasquez Velasquez , the country 's top military chief , face charges for bursting into Zelaya 's residence and transporting the president to neighboring Costa Rica , Attorney General Luis Rubi said . The June 28 coup deepened a political crisis that remains unresolved , despite a new president being elected in November . Rubi himself filed the arrest warrants at the Supreme Court on Wednesday . In addition to abuse of power , the military commanders face charges of illegal expatriation of a citizen . The manner in which Zelaya was ousted was key in how other countries and international bodies interpreted the military action . The de facto government of Roberto Micheletti and his supporters have insisted that Zelaya 's removal was a constitutional transfer of power . But the United Nations , the Organization of American States , the European Union and most nations -- including the United States -- condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated immediately The crisis erupted in June when Zelaya -- despite congressional and supreme court decisions calling it illegal -- pushed forward with a plan to hold a referendum that could have led to changing the constitution to allow for additional presidential terms . The Supreme Court signed an arrest warrant for Zelaya but not to send him into exile . Now , the Supreme Court has three days to decide whether to ratify the charges and start a case against the military officers . Armed Forces spokesman Col. Ramiro Archaga said that the military respects the rule of law and are willing to appear before the justice system . The announcement of the arrest warrants came as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Craig Kelly visited with the key players in the crisis in Honduras . Kelly met with Micheletti Wednesday , though details of the talks were unknown except for a statement from acting Honduran Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez Contreras , saying that calls for Micheletti 's resignation were not part of the dialogue . Meanwhile , Zelaya remained holed up inside the Brazilian Embassy in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa . He has been there ever since sneaking back into the country in September . In another development , the Honduran congress was to take up the issue of amnesty for Zelaya and other players in the crisis next week . Journalist Elvin Sandoval contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Bronx woman has been charged with murder and robbery in the death of an 89-year-old Nazi concentration camp survivor , and police said a man is still being sought in connection with the death . Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party . `` He was not the kind of guy who had enemies , '' his son says . Angela Murray , 30 , was arrested Saturday , according to the Manhattan district attorney 's office , and is accused of strangling Guido Felix Brinkmann on Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment . Murray was arraigned Sunday and charged with one count of murder in the second degree and three counts of robbery . Brinkmann , a native of Latvia , was a Holocaust survivor who escaped death for a year while he was in the Mauthausen , Ebensee and Auschwitz camps . He had been slated for the gas chambers five times , but each time , he used his fluency in German to talk his way out , said his son , Rick Brinkman , who spells his last name differently . After the war , he was stunned to discover his wife , who had also been shipped to Auschwitz , alive and well in Poland . The Brinkmanns immigrated to America , where Brinkmann spent years in the bar and nightclub business , co-founding the Adam 's Apple disco in Manhattan in 1971 . In recent years , he had been the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx , working `` seven days a week , without fail , '' Rick Brinkman said . On Thursday , the building 's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up for work . He notified Brinkmann 's son and received permission to enter the father 's apartment , where he had lived alone since his wife died last year . Brinkmann was found face-down in his bedroom , his hands bound behind his back and his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds , police said . Brinkmann 's blue 2009 Honda Civic had been stolen , along with one of two safes in his apartment , police said . The vehicle was later recovered in the Bronx . Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random . `` Anybody who knew him really liked him , '' the son said . `` He was not the kind of guy who had enemies . '' CNN 's Jason Kessler contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kim Jong Il was the enigmatic leader of the most enigmatic country on earth . Much about Kim 's life was , and is , shrouded in mystery . Even the year of his birth -- 1942 -- has been contested by knowledgeable sources in South Korea and Russia , who claim Kim was born a few years earlier but that his official birth date was pushed back to make him exactly 30 years younger than his father , North Korea 's founding leader , Kim Il Sung . North Koreans claim Kim Jong Il was born on Mount Paektu , along the North Korean border with China , at a `` secret base camp '' where his father was leading a guerrilla war against Korea 's Japanese overlords . Almost everyone else believes Kim was born in Russia , at a Soviet military camp near Khabarovsk where his father had gone into retreat with other Korean and Chinese communist guerillas . But the myth of Kim 's guerilla-base birth became full-blown propaganda when he was anointed heir apparent in the early 1980s . After seeing instability and communist backsliding in Russia and China following the deaths of Stalin and Mao respectively , Kim Il Sung chose his son as successor to ensure continuity for North Korea 's political system . In some ways , the elder Kim was all too successful . Kim Jong Il led North Korea not to reform and opening , like his Chinese contemporaries , but through economic catastrophe , famine and repeated nuclear confrontations with the United States . Through all of this , the rule of the Korean Workers ' Party , the Korean People 's Army and the Kim family has been absolute and ubiquitous . When Kim Jong Il took over the reigns of power following his father 's death in 1994 , he had been preparing for succession for more than two decades . After graduating from Kim Il Sung University in 1964 , Kim rose through the ranks of the Korean Workers ' Party , focusing on culture and propaganda . As he candidly admitted to a conference of party workers in 1996 , economics was never his strong suit . He enjoyed film and the arts , fine food and drink , and kept late hours , but he was not the unstable and intellectually vacuous playboy of South Korean propaganda . He certainly lacked the charisma and outgoing personality of his father , but foreign officials who met him -- including South Korean President Kim Dae-jung , Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright -- described him as intelligent , well-informed , even charming . On the other hand , his country 's reputation for unpredictability and provocation was often well-deserved , as North Korea went through a series of confrontations with the United States and the international community over nuclear development , and the economic situation lurched from crisis to crisis . North Korea held two nuclear tests , in 2006 and 2009 , in defiance of international condemnation and U.N. sanctions . A year ago North Korean artillery shelled a South Korean island in a confrontation over South Korean military exercises , bringing the two sides to the brink of open warfare . At the same time , the economic situation -- though much improved since the famine years of the late 1990s -- remains highly precarious . If the outside world saw Kim as an enigma and a rogue , his reputation within North Korea is more difficult to assess . Of course , internal North Korean propaganda built up Kim as a hero of near-superhuman abilities , venerated by all his countrymen . But defectors ' reports suggest the view of Kim within his own country is more mixed , and while his father is still widely revered , Kim Jong Il is associated with the trauma of famine and crisis in the late 1990s . Kim oversaw limited steps toward economic reform in the early 2000s , but these have since been scaled back . The composition and direction of the post-Kim Jong Il leadership is murky . Kim Jong Il 's son and heir apparent , Kim Jong Un , is even more a mystery than his father was when he came to power . It seems likely that in the immediate aftermath of Kim 's death , North Korea will be run by a collective leadership , perhaps headed by Kim 's brother-in-law Jang Song-taek , as Kim Jong Un is prepared to assume official power . No one outside Pyongyang 's inner circle knows what kind of leader Kim Jong Un will be and where he will take the country . If North Korea survives the post-Kim Jong Il transition and its circumstances improve , Kim Jong Il may be remembered as a leader who guided North Korea through a disastrous period and prepared the way for reform . If things go badly , Kim will be seen as the man who oversaw the unraveling of the system his father built and as the face of a failed dynastic communism . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Charles Armstrong .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit , dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up , a costume some say is offensive , the department 's secretary said . Julie Myers , head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , called the man 's costume `` offensive . '' Julie Myers , head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party , was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for `` originality . '' Myers later apologized for `` a few of the costumes , '' calling them `` inappropriate and offensive . '' She said she and other senior managers `` deeply regret that this happened . '' A department photographer photographed Myers with the man , but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive , ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said . Between 50 and 75 people attended the party , which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign , a federal government collection of charities . Nantel said one employee , whom she declined to identify , was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit , dreadlocks and a skin `` bronzer '' intended `` to make him look African-American . '' But , she said , it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up . `` Most people in the room did n't realize he was wearing make-up at all , '' she said . `` It was unintentioned . The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it , '' Nantel said . Myers and the other judges `` noted his costume for originality . '' `` There were a couple of people who were offended , '' Nantel said . `` When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up , '' Nantel said , the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing . In a November 2 email to ICE employees , Myers wrote , `` It is now clear that , however unintended , a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive . While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort , I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened . '' She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department 's diversity training requirement . Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation . An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy . But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident . Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson , D-Mississippi , about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week , a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN . Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security . In a letter to NAADHS members , the group 's vice president , Sjon Shavers , said the group `` appreciates -LRB- Myers -RRB- reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action . '' As head of ICE , Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States . It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government , with more than 15,000 employees , including 6,000 investigators . Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff `` supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken , '' DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said . `` We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS . '' `` The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident . Once the facts have been determined , we will take all necessary and appropriate actions , '' Keehner said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Perugia , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion . Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate , Meredith Kercher , at the villa they shared in Italy . `` We suffer at the memory of Meredith . But we look at the future of Amanda , '' Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation . `` Meredith was my friend , '' he quoted Knox as saying , rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate , who was fatally stabbed in November 2007 . Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher , and two men -- Knox 's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito , 26 , and acquaintance Rudy Guede -- sexually assaulted her . The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito 's house had Knox 's DNA on the handle and Kercher 's on the blade , among other pieces of evidence . But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday . He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant , giving them a symbolic `` red card '' -- a referee 's sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules . Ghirga concluded an emotional oration -- sobbing as he came to the end -- by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox , because her mother asked him to request it , because her family asked it . Knox 's father , Curt , said Wednesday she had been a victim of `` character assassination , '' and expressed hope she would be found not guilty . Members of Kercher 's family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case . But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of `` lynching '' the Italian police who worked on the case . He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga 's arguments Wednesday . And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty . Italy does not have the death penalty . The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday , after the prosecution completes its summary . Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution 's theory does n't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty . Calling Knox a victim herself , Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder , leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime . The lawyer showed photos published in the media , purportedly showing the crime scene , that were n't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox 's character created a bias from the start . Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder . In preliminary hearings , Mignini argued Knox , Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher 's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox 's attention . In recent days , Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates . Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed , claiming the two women were friends . Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed . The defense has argued that Guede , who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction , was the sole killer . The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher 's murder . Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene . As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial , he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox 's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon . The defense has said the knife does n't match Kercher 's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet , and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive . During the first day of closing arguments for Knox 's lawyers , della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty . He told the jury they needed to be `` morally certain of their decision . '' `` If you have the minimum of doubts , you must absolve this young girl -- a girl that is merely 22 years old , '' he said . Knox and Sollecito , who both deny any role in the murder , have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence . Their trial began in January . CNN 's Mallory Simon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Friday resumed -- with expanded legal protections -- the Bush administration 's controversial system of military trials for some Guantanamo Bay detainees . President Obama says the commissions are OK , `` provided that they are properly structured and administered . '' On the heels of Obama 's shift this week to block the release of photos showing prisoners allegedly being abused by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan , the military commissions announcement further infuriated the president 's most ardent supporters while winning cautionary praise from some of his political foes . Obama said he supports the idea of the military commissions but opposes the version of the law that had been governing such trials in recent years : the Military Commissions Act put in place under the Bush administration in 2006 , but subsequently struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court . The president said military commissions `` are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war , provided that they are properly structured and administered . '' But , he said , the 2006 act `` failed to establish a legitimate legal framework and undermined our capability to ensure swift and certain justice against those detainees . '' He said he plans to enhance due process rights for detainees held at the U.S. facility in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , in order to improve the widely criticized approach created by his predecessor . Statements that have been obtained from detainees through interrogation and cruel treatment , such as waterboarding , will no longer be admitted as evidence before the commissions , Obama said , and hearsay evidence will be limited . The revised system also will give detainees greater latitude in selecting legal representation and afford basic protections to those who refuse to testify . Military commission judges also will be able to establish the jurisdiction of their own courts . `` These reforms will begin to restore the commissions as a legitimate forum for prosecution , while bringing them in line with the rule of law , '' Obama said . He said he plans to ask Congress to enact other reforms to the 2006 law . Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , applauded his former opponent . `` Today 's announcement is a step -- but only a step -- toward a comprehensive detainee policy that will deal with the detainees held at Guantanamo and elsewhere in a fashion that both accords with our values and protects our national security , '' McCain said in a written statement . But Obama 's announcement infuriated some of his core supporters -- with the revisions hardly calming the concerns of groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union . The ACLU chided the military commission decision as `` a striking blow to due process and the rule of law . '' `` These military commissions are inherently illegitimate , unconstitutional and incapable of delivering outcomes we can trust , '' said Anthony D. Romero , the group 's executive director . `` Tweaking the rules of these failed tribunals so that they provide ` more due process ' is absurd ; there is no such thing as ` due process light . ' '' he said . `` If the administration 's proposed rules really bring these proceedings in line with constitutional requirements , there is no reason not to use our tried and true justice system . If they do n't , these tribunals have no place in our democracy . '' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs countered that military commissions have a long history in the United States . `` First and foremost , the president of the United States is going to do what he believes is in the best security interest of the people of the United States , '' Gibbs told reporters . Obama suspended the military commissions by signing an executive order on his third day in office , the same day he signed an order to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo within a year and announced a 120-day review of the whole process . The review deadline is next week . Gibbs said he does not know where and how trials for alleged terrorists will unfold on American soil . Nor did he disclose how many suspects would face legal proceedings under the revised commissions . Three Guantanamo detainees ' cases have gone through the commission so far . The Bush administration established the military trial system after the U.S. military began capturing detainees in Afghanistan in late 2001 . The next year , it opened the Guantanamo facility , saying suspects were treated properly and received due process through the system . But legal organizations and human rights agencies have repeatedly challenged the system on grounds that detainees were mistreated . One lawyer representing a client at Guantanamo said closing the detention facility , which Obama is advocating , is a `` meaningless gesture '' if the military commissions continue . `` The military commissions are fundamentally flawed and ca n't be fixed , '' said Army Maj. Jon S. Jackson , a lawyer for Mustafa al-Hawsawi , one of five 9\/11 defendants charged in the military commission process . Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the self-confessed mastermind of the 9\/11 attacks , is the most high-profile of those defendants .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The defense anesthesiology expert in the trial of Michael Jackson 's doctor was found in contempt of court Wednesday for referring to his private talks with Dr. Conrad Murray during his testimony . Dr. Murray did not testify in his own defense in his involuntary manslaughter trial and the judge refused to allow Dr. Paul White to base any of his testimony on anything other than what Murray told police . Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor gave Dr. White 30 days to pay a $ 250 fine , but he also dropped a second contempt citation for derogatory comments he allegedly made about a rival witness . Wednesday 's contempt hearing was part of the aftermath of Dr. Murray 's involuntary manslaughter that ended with a guilty verdict last week . Another contempt hearing is set for November 29 , the day Murray is set to be sentenced , for one of the defense lawyers who allegedly violated the judge 's gag order by speaking to NBC 's `` Today Show '' during the trial . Murray defense lawyer Michael Flanagan , who was in court to defend Dr. White Wednesday , said after the hearing that he believed Murray should be eligible for early release if he is given prison time . A California law that took effect last month provides for non-violent state inmates to be assigned to county jails to relieve state prison overcrowding . The Los Angeles County jail has a court-ordered early release program to relieve overcrowding , which allows non-violent offenders to serve much of their sentences at home with electronic monitoring . Flanagan said Murray is not a safety threat to the public and should be included in the early release program . Dr. White told reporters after the hearing that he still believed Jackson gave himself the overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol and a sedative the coroner ruled killed the pop icon . `` I was aware that Michael Jackson had self-administered drugs in the past , propofol specifically , and so what 's to say that he would n't do it again , '' White said . `` He was desperate . Murray was withholding from him the drug that he desperately desired . '' White , while under cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren , referred several times to his private discussions with Dr. Murray about what happened the day Jackson died . Judge Pastor repeatedly warned him not to do so . Finally , the judge cited White for contempt and set Wednesday 's hearing to decide if he would be fined . `` There was n't any intentional deception here or violation of the court order , '' defense lawyer Michael Flanagan told Pastor Wednesday . `` He was explaining to Mr. Walgren ` Hey , I ca n't answer that . ' '' Prosecutor Walgren , who has grown a beard since the televised trial ended , told the judge that this was one of `` multiple instances '' where Dr. White was `` trying to sabotage the trial . '' `` It was intentional and deliberate , '' Walgren said . `` It was an attempt to deny the people a fair trial . '' White told the judge he `` did my best as I was admonished by you to answer question truthfully and as completely as I could . '' `` I apologize profusely if I disrespected you , '' White said . `` I learned a lot from this experience . '' Pastor ruled that White was guilty of violating his order by giving `` a non-responsive answer '' that dealt with `` no-go territory . '' While he could have fined him $ 1,000 , he only imposed a $ 250 fine . Judge Pastor also dropped the other contempt charge which stemmed from an online report that quoted White allegedly calling prosecution anesthesiology expert Dr. Steven Shafer `` a scumbag . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The woman who was denied a marriage license by a Louisiana justice of the peace because he refused to marry interracial couples said the official should lose his job . Beth McKay says a Louisiana justice of the peace denied her a marriage license since it was an interracial union . Beth McKay said she never could have expected what she heard from Tangipahoa Parish 's 8th Ward Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell when she called his office a week ago to officiate her marriage to her African-American fiance , Terence . McKay spoke with Bardwell 's wife to make arrangements for the ceremony . `` At the end of the conversation , she said that she had to ask me a question . She asked if this was an interracial marriage . '' When McKay replied yes , she was told , `` Well , we do n't do interracial weddings or marriages . '' McKay said she was beyond shock . `` We are used to the closet racism , but we 're not going to tolerate that overt racism from an elected official . '' Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling to have Bardwell 's license revoked , and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu is calling for his dismissal -- a notion shared by McKay . `` He 's not representing all the people that he is supposed to be representing , '' McKay said . `` He 's only representing the people with his same opinions . '' McKay later married Terence with the help of another justice of the peace in the same parish . Bardwell has not returned repeated calls from CNN , but he told a local newspaper in a story published Thursday that he was not a racist and he was concerned for the children who might be born of the relationship . Bardwell also said , in his experience , that most interracial marriages do n't last . `` We 're just kind of hurt , you know ? '' McKay told CNN 's Anderson Cooper on Friday . `` This does n't take care of the problem . He 's been in his position for 34 years . So , it does n't take care of the problems that we have to deal with on a daily basis . '' Watch why justice nixed interracial marriage '' McKay said her friends and family have been extremely supportive and she believes this situation occurred for a reason . `` I just think that God puts you in the right positions at the right time in order to stand up to people who -- who choose to live their lives with hate , '' she said . The Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage in the landmark 1967 Loving v. Virginia case . Richard and Mildred Loving , who got married in Washington , D.C. , were arrested in their Virginia home with their marriage license framed and hanging on the wall , for the simple fact of being husband and wife . Watch Bardwell explain his decision '' In the unanimous decision , the Supreme Court said that `` Under our Constitution , the freedom to marry , or not marry , a person of another race resides with the individual and can not be infringed by the state . '' The number of interracial marriages have skyrocketed , nearly quadrupling between 1970 and 2005 , the most recent year for which there is census data . As of 2005 , nearly 8.5 Americans are living in interracial marriages .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some Iranian-Americans , watching the post-election unrest in Iran , say the tug-of-war between the people and their hardline government has come to a head after three decades . Crowds demonstrated in Los Angeles , California on Monday , June 15 over the Iran election results . `` I am absolutely convinced that what we are witnessing is a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic , '' said Dr. Hamid Dabashi , professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City . `` Even if the Islamic Republic survives this crisis , it will no longer be as it used to be , '' added Dabashi . The contentious election results between conservative incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist challenger Mir Hossein Moussavi sent many Iranians protesting in the streets , while others celebrated Ahmadinejad 's apparent victory . Kaveh Afrasiabi , who has taught at Tehran University and Boston University and identifies himself as an independent , told CNN that Ahmadinejad 's widespread support in rural areas and small towns was the reason for his win . In results announced hours after the polls closed , Ahmadinejad received more than 62 percent of the vote , a figure hotly disputed by Moussavi 's supporters . With the credibility of Friday 's election under scrutiny , how the Islamic Republic of Iran overcomes it and reclaims its legitimacy in the eyes of some of its own citizens and the international community remains to be seen . `` There is good reason to believe that many if not most of the pro-Moussavi demonstrators are gladly taking an opportunity to safely protest something bigger : their enormous discontent with the entire system as it stands , '' said Shirin Sadeghi , a Middle East analyst for the Huffington Post . The unstable political , social and economic climate has some scholars questioning the future of the Islamic Republic . `` They are either going to crack down severely or they are going to cave in -- it could go either way , '' Dabashi said of the conservatives who now dominate Iran 's government . Many Iranian-Americans say they see this as their opportunity for change . `` This is the best chance Iranians have to evolve to a better situation , '' said Dr. Ali Nayeri , a professor at the University of California at Irvine . That chance has sparked an unprecedented wave of spontaneous demonstrations not only within Iran but also thousands of miles away from Tehran -- scenes unparalleled since the 1979 revolution . `` Thirty years ago we had the war with Iraq . Now we have an internal war with our president and the fundamentalists , '' said Reza Goharzad , a political analyst who worked with Moussavi when he was prime minister of Iran . Goharzad , of Southern California , was among thousands of voters to cast an absentee ballot . `` This was the first time I voted in 30 years , '' said Goharzad . The enthusiasm that drove record numbers of Iranian-Americans to the voting booths was overshadowed by disappointment when a shortage of ballots prevented hundreds from voting . In addition , the election results were announced before many of the voting booths in the U.S. had closed . Alex Vatanka , senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane 's , a provider of defense and security information , said Iran 's supreme ruler , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , may have miscalculated the mood of the country when he endorsed Ahmadinejad 's victory before the country 's election authority made the final call . Khamenei has since asked the authority , the Guardian Council , to recount some of the votes . But Moussavi is asking for fresh elections . Goharzad , like many other voters , questions the legitimacy of the election . He wants to know where his vote went . A student activist in Dallas , Texas , echoed that sentiment . `` The election volunteer at my voting location said that they had 500 ballots , which was not enough for the thousand or so people that turned out to vote , '' said the activist , who wanted to remain anonymous because he plans to visit Iran soon . For the first time , Iranian-Americans say , the post-revolution generation has seen the power of their unity unfold in masses . They say this has given Iranians at home and abroad hope that reform could be within their reach , if the ruling mullahs are willing to allow it . `` We are seeing a rise of a new generation of Iranians who are not taking it anymore , '' said Dabashi . `` This is no longer just about this election , this is full-fledged civil disobedience , '' he added . The divide within the Islamic Republic has pitted the reformists against the conservatives . `` The big difference between these protests and the student riots of 1999 and 2001 is that we are seeing senior caliber officials like Mir Hossein Moussavi , Mehdi Karrubi and Mohammad Khatami and Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani supporting the demonstrations , '' said Vatanka . Karrubi is a former Parliament speaker . Khatami and Rafsanjani are former presidents . Some experts say where Iran is headed actually has a lot to do with its past . `` Rafsanjani made no secret of his disdain for Ahmadinejad ahead of the election , and even back in 2005 when he lost the second round runoff to Ahmadinejad , '' said Sadeghi . Rafsanjani is chairman of the Assembly of Experts and oversees the 86-member body , which is responsible for appointing the supreme leader and monitoring his performance . Behind closed doors , Iran 's political parties are caught in the middle of a power struggle between Supreme Leader Khamenei and Rafsanjani . Rafsanjani 's role as chairman of the assembly gives him the ability to influence that body 's attitudes toward Khamenei , Vatanka said . That could only add more fuel to the political fire and social unrest in the streets , analysts say . Politics aside , at the end of the day , Iranian expatriates such as Mitra Gholami , who participated in the historic 1979 protests , feel a sense of deja vu . Gholami , now an Atlanta resident , fled Iran with her three children 15 years ago . `` I want people to have a normal life , '' said Gholami . `` I want them to have freedom . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rwandan troops have crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare for a joint operation with Congolese forces against a Hutu militia , the United Nations said . At least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in Rwanda in 1994 . `` We can tell you there are Rwandan soldiers here , but I can not confirm the numbers , '' said Madnodje Mounoubai , spokesman for the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo . The Rwandans will team up `` with the Congolese forces , '' he said Wednesday . `` The Rwandan forces are in a meeting with Congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the FDLR , '' or the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda . The Rwanda News Agency reported that Rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers . Rwanda and Congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern Congo . The struggle pits ethnic Tutsis , supported by Rwanda , against ethnic Hutu , backed by Congo . The conflict is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s , when hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority Tutsi and majority Hutu . According to a statement issued last week by the Rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the FDLR and former members of the Interhamwe militia , `` remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against Tutsis . '' Michael Arunga , a Kenya-based spokesman for the World Vision aid organization , said his colleagues in Goma -- a city in eastern Congo -- told him that Rwandan troops arrived Tuesday morning in the village of Ishsha , outside of Goma . Arunga said he had no knowledge of Rwandan troops being in Congo before . A U.N. statement said the FDLR has been involved in clashes since late August mainly in North Kivu , `` where the national army , the mainly Tutsi militia -- known as the CNDP -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . '' See photos from Mia Farrow 's trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo '' A report by a U.N. Security Council panel last month said Rwanda and Congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern Congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . The report , filed by a panel of U.N. experts , `` found evidence that Rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the Rwanda Defense Forces '' into Congo in support of Congo rebel leader Laurent Nkunda 's fighters . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Pennsylvania soccer mom was chatting with a friend via webcam when she was shot to death by her husband , who then went upstairs and shot himself , police said Friday . Pistol-packing soccer mom Meleanie Hain was shot dead while chatting with a friend on a webcam , police said . Meleanie Hain , 31 , made national headlines last year as the mother who carried a loaded , holstered handgun to her 5-year-old daughter 's soccer game . She was found dead in her Lebanon , Pennsylvania , home along with her husband , Scott Hain , 33 , on Wednesday evening , Lebanon police said . Hain was in her kitchen talking with a friend via webcam just before her death , police said . Watch why Hain caused controversy '' The friend , who police will not name , was looking away from the computer screen when he heard a shot and a scream , police said . He turned back to the monitor , he told police , and no longer saw Meleanie Hain but instead saw Scott Hain firing several rounds from a handgun toward where his wife had been . Police said that the woman 's body had already fallen to the floor by the time the friend turned back to the screen . Scott Hain then went upstairs to a bedroom , where he shot himself in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun , police said . Meleanie Hain was shot several times with a 9 mm handgun , police said . Her fully loaded 9 mm handgun was found in her backpack hanging on the back of the front door . The couple 's three children were home at the time of the killings , police Capt. Daniel Wright said . They were unharmed and took refuge at a neighbor 's house before police arrived , he said . Investigators have confiscated the webcam and computer , but can not review what the friend says he saw because the online conversation was not recorded . The death of the couple came four months after Meleanie Hain told her attorney she was separating from her husband , her attorney , Matthew B. Weisberg , told CNN Thursday . However , police said the couple still appeared to be living together . Meleanie Hain drew media attention on September 11 , 2008 , when she carried a Glock strapped to her belt to her daughter 's soccer game . Nine days later her permit to carry a gun was revoked by Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo , who claimed she showed poor judgment by wearing the weapon to a child 's game . County Judge Robert Eby later reinstated the permit . CNN 's Edmund DeMarche and Susan Candiotti contributed to this story","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actress Lindsay Lohan missed her first day of community service at the Los Angeles County morgue Thursday , one day after a judge rebuked her for similar failures , revoked her probation and forced her to post $ 100,000 bail . `` Lindsay arrived at the morgue approximately 20 minutes late and will be returning for orientation tomorrow , '' said her publicist Steven Honig . `` Her lateness was due to a combination of not knowing what entrance to go through and confusion caused by the media waiting for her arrival , '' Honig said in a statement . `` Lindsay spoke with the supervisors at the morgue . They showed her how to get in , and everything is all cleared up . '' Chief Coroner Craig Harvey said Lohan failed to show up on time -- 7 a.m. PT Thursday -- to the coroner 's office . Though she arrived late , Lohan was turned away because there was n't enough time to complete her hours for the day , officials said . Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ruled Wednesday that after Lohan posted $ 100,000 bail for her probation revocation , she had to perform two working shifts -- or eight hours a day -- twice a week until her probation revocation hearing November 2 . Lohan 's tardiness Thursday does n't mean she is turned away from the program , Harvey said . If Lohan shows up Friday on time , she will be allowed to work and perform her community service , Harvey said . The coroner 's office will dismiss Lohan from her morgue duties only if she does something `` terribly '' wrong or shows misconduct , Harvey said . Sautner revoked probation for Lohan because of her failure to comply with community service at a downtown Los Angeles women 's center . Under Sautner 's ruling , once Lohan made bail the same day , the actress now must perform 16 hours of community service a week -- over a minimum of two days a week -- at the county morgue before her probation violation hearing next month . Lohan , 25 , was on probation after pleading guilty in May to stealing a necklace from a Venice , California , jewelry store . She served five weeks of home confinement ending in June for that misdemeanor theft and violation of another probation . Lohan 's legal woes began in 2007 with two drunken driving arrests and have been compounded by her failure to attend counseling classes and her failures of alcohol and drug tests . Her current probation calls for her to perform 360 hours at the Los Angeles Downtown Women 's Center and 120 hours at the county morgue within a year . But the judge expressed anger Wednesday at Lohan 's repeated probation failures . She said Lohan posted nine absences at the women 's center since her last court hearing July 21 -- and performed , at most , only two hours of service . Lohan 's attempt to perform community service at a nearby Red Cross facility -- instead of the women 's center -- was voided Wednesday because the judge said she did n't authorize that change . After the hearing , Lohan publicist Honig released a statement : `` Lindsay is hoping this matter will be resolved on November 2 and the court will reinstate probation and allow her to continue fulfilling her community service . '' Lohan 's estranged father , Michael Lohan , told HLN 's `` Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell '' that his daughter needs `` a very , very intensive '' program of rehabilitation for substance abuse . `` What the judge did , she had to do , '' he said Wednesday . But he said jail time would not be the proper remedy . `` She 's not going to be working the morgue . She 's going to wind up in a morgue if someone does n't do something to get her help , '' he said . At one point during this week 's hearing , Los Angeles city attorneys Lisa Houle and Melanie Chavira asked the court to revoke Lohan 's probation and impose jail time because of her failure to do community service . One of the city attorneys said Lohan `` is in violation for getting herself kicked out of the women 's center , which she was ordered to do . '' But Lohan 's attorney told the court that the actress received `` a glowing '' probation report , which said that `` Ms. Lohan has reached a turning point '' in her behavior and maturity . The judge raised several questions about the reliability of that report , however . Sautner remarked how the probation report showed Lohan had excused absences from community service between September 9 and October 5 so that she could travel to New York , Milan , Italy , and Paris for work . But a psychologist 's report said Lohan had perfect attendance for counseling every week , the judge observed . `` The psychologist said she appeared in person for her counseling every Tuesday , '' the judge said . `` I do n't know how she did that . '' `` Did she go to Milan for five days and come back in time or go to Paris for five days and come back in time ? '' Sautner asked the defense attorney . `` If she was gone from September 9 to October 5 , did she get beamed across the pond ? I do n't know how that happened , '' the judge said . Lohan 's attorney , Shawn Holley , told Sautner that she did n't know the specifics of Lohan 's psychological appointments , but the attorney said the arrangement did call for phone conferences . Holley added that Lohan 's work in Europe was done to support her and her family -- and affected her ability to carry out the community service . `` Because the work is out of the county , it did cause a disruption to her schedule '' to do community service , Holley said . Lohan 's community service at the county morgue wo n't be easy , the judge noted . `` They do n't mess around and you show up and do what they tell you to do , '' Sautner said . CNN 's Carolyn Sung contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korea will open its market to most U.S. beef , a senior government official said Thursday , according to state media . Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the South Korean capital in protest at the deal South Korea banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States . The ban closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters . It resumed limited imports last year -- allowing boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age -- but that re-opening was subject to interruptions and closed altogether in October 2007 . A deal that South Korea and the United States struck last month bans the import of high-risk materials , like tonsils , brains , spinal cord marrow and a section of the small intestine , Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun said Thursday , according to South Korea 's Yonhap news agency . These parts pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans . The ban will be lifted within a few days , once the government 's new import rules have been published . The pending resumption of U.S. beef imports has n't been without political costs for President Lee Myung-bak . He apologized to the nation last week for failing to fully understand concerns about mad cow disease . In downtown Seoul , thousands of people have regularly staged protests , chanting `` We do n't want crazy cows , '' since the deal to revive beef imports was announced . And the main opposition party has taken up the fight . `` We will be forced to make a critical decision if the government pushes through its plan to announce resumption of beef imports , '' said Sohn Hak-kyu , leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party , Yonhap reported . `` If the government and the ruling party ignore this warning , we will come up with every possible measure to stop them . '' The opposition has already filed a suit to suspend implementation of new beef import terms , according to Yonhap . Lee 's ruling Grand National Party -LRB- GNP -RRB- is working to soothe tensions , saying that American beef is safe to eat and that adequate safety precautions have been taken . `` The government has tried its best to free the public from unnecessary concerns , and sufficient countermeasures have been prepared , '' said Lee Hahn-koo , the party 's chief policymaker , Yonhap reported . When South Korea and the United States reached the deal in April to re-open the South Korean market , they removed the major obstacle to U.S. congressional approval of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement -LRB- FTA -RRB- . Lee urged the National Assembly this month to ratify the agreement as soon as possible to provide fresh impetus to the sluggish Korean economy , saying it will create 300,000 jobs . But the opposition has promised to fight the FTA until the beef pact is nullified . In 2003 , the United States exported $ 815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea . The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $ 4 billion since the market closed , according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- When the first book of the `` Twilight '' series was released in October 2005 , no one could have guessed the phenomenon it would become . Four years later , 70 million copies have been sold worldwide . The books have spent 143 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list , and the first movie in `` The Twilight Saga '' grossed $ 380 million at the box office . The story , a love triangle between a vampire , a human and a werewolf , has ignited an international frenzy , and the woman behind it all is 35-year-old author Stephenie Meyer . Once a stay-at-home mom , Stephenie says the idea for `` Twilight '' came to her in a dream . `` It was two people in kind of a little circular meadow with really bright sunlight , and one of them was a beautiful , sparkly boy and one was just a girl who was human and normal , and they were having this conversation . The boy was a vampire , which is so bizarre that I 'd be dreaming about vampires , and he was trying to explain to her how much he cared about her and yet at the same time how much he wanted to kill her , '' Stephenie says . `` It really captured my imagination . '' That dream became Chapter 13 of `` Twilight . '' Oprah.com : Get your Twilight '' primer Before the night of the dream , Stephenie says she had lost herself a little in the work of motherhood . `` I was really burned out . I really had gotten into that zombie mom way of doing things where I was n't Stephenie anymore , '' she says . '' -LSB- Writing `` Twilight -RSB- was a release . That was the dam bursting . I 'd been bottling up who I was for so long , I needed an expression . '' Though she 'd been married for 15 years , Stephenie says she did n't tell her husband at first about her new passion . `` My husband thought I 'd gone crazy . I 'd barely spoken to him because I had all these things going on in my head , and I was n't telling him about this weird vampire obsession because I knew he 'd freak out and think I 'd lost my mind , '' she says . At first , Stephenie was documenting her dream only to make sure she would remember it , she says . `` The dream was just something I was so interested in , and it was so different from what my everyday was at the time , '' she says . `` I just wanted to remember it so badly . That 's why I started writing it down -- not because I thought this would be a great story for a novel . '' Oprah.com : Read an excerpt from `` Twilight '' Though Stephenie had been an avid reader all her life , she says she was never a writer before `` Twilight . '' `` It seems kind of presumptuous to me -LSB- to think -RSB- anyone else would want to read the things that are in my head , '' she says . `` I did n't think of it -LSB- as a book -RSB- . I did the dream . And then I wanted to see what would happen with them . It was just me spending time with this fantasy world , and then when it was finished it was like , ` This is long enough to be a book ! ' '' Before `` Twilight , '' Stephenie says she read every type of book except for horror . `` That was the genre I just knew I was too chicken for , '' she says . `` I read a little bit of everything . ... When I was 8 , I was reading `` Gone with the Wind '' and `` Pride and Prejudice '' and all that , not knowing it was n't my reading level . '' Oprah.com : Gift ideas for every reader on your list Now that `` Twilight '' is a huge success , it 's hard to imagine any literary agent rejecting it . But Stephenie says she 'd submitted it to plenty of people before she was signed . `` I got nine rejections , five no answers and then one ` I 'd like to read more , ' '' she says . Stephenie says it was her sister who really pushed her to keep submitting it to more agents . `` She was the only one in the world who knew what I was doing , '' she says . These days , the `` Twilight `` series is more than just a literary hit . The first two movies have also created a stir and catapulted three young stars into the limelight . British actor Robert Pattinson , who plays the lead vampire Edward Cullen , is now an international heartthrob . `` I knew that the problem was going to be Edward , because he 's the perfect vampire , '' Stephenie says . `` How do you cast that from your pool of human actors ? '' When producers found Robert , Stephenie says it was a perfect fit . `` He 's got something about him . He does n't look like everybody else . There 's something unusual , '' she says . `` There are moments where he looks exactly like he did in my head . '' Stephenie says casting Bella , the book 's protagonist , was a bit easier . `` There 's plenty of people who look like the girl next door , '' she says . `` We were really lucky -LSB- to cast -RSB- Kirsten Stewart , who is a phenomenal actress . I did n't know if we were going to get that caliber . '' Though Twi-hards , as fans are called , know most everything about the series , Stephenie says there is one secret she 's never revealed before . `` There was a different ending to `` New Moon '' originally , '' she says . `` It was a much quieter book . It was very much all in Bella 's head . '' Oprah.com : Are you a Twi-hard ? Take the quiz ! Stephenie says fans have her mother to thank for `` New Moon 's '' current dramatic ending . `` My mom 's like : ` You know , Stephenie , maybe a little more action at the end would be a good idea . Maybe you need that , ' '' Stephenie says . `` And she was right , as usual . '' Find out more about `` New Moon '' Her mother 's suggestion prompted Stephenie to introduce the Volturi , an all-powerful coven of vampires living in Italy , sooner than she 'd planned . `` That 's kind of my favorite part now , and it 's there because my mom told me it would be better that way . '' From The Oprah Winfrey Show \u00a9 2009 Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While the coroner 's report on what killed Michael Jackson has been delayed indefinitely , new evidence emerged that the singer shopped for a doctor who would give him the drug investigators suspect led to his death . A doctor of Michael Jackson says he prescribed drugs to the alias Omar Arnold . Dr. Allan Metzger , whose name appeared on a search warrant served this week , refused Jackson 's request in April for the anesthetic propofol -- commonly known by the brand name Diprivan , Metzger 's attorney said . Investigators suspect another physician , Dr. Conrad Murray , gave the drug to Jackson in the 24 hours before he died , according to a source , who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak to the news media . Metzger , who practices in West Hollywood , California , told Jackson during a visit to his Holmby Hills home that the drug was `` dangerous and potentially life-threatening and could not be used outside of a hospital , '' attorney Harland Braun said . Metzger 's medical records for Jackson , whom he treated until 2003 , have been given to the coroner , Braun said . He said Metzger prescribed drugs for Jackson under the alias Omar Arnold and Michael Jackson , which was not illegal since he used both names together . The doctor did that because he thought it was `` his duty to protect the privacy '' of his patient , Braun said . Omar Arnold is one of 19 aliases listed in the warrant used by Los Angeles police and federal drug agents Tuesday to search the Las Vegas , Nevada , office and home of Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist . The warrant also mentioned Cherilyn Lee , a nurse practitioner who treated Jackson earlier this year . Lee said Jackson begged her for propofol to help him get a good night 's sleep . She said she refused , telling the pop star that if he took the medicine , he might never wake up . The same warrant , signed by a Las Vegas judge , implied that investigators suspected Jackson was a drug addict . Dr. Deepak Chopra said in a recent interview that when Jackson asked him for a narcotic , he told him absolutely no . `` I said to him , ` Michael , you 're going to die one day from this , ' '' Chopra said . During a world tour in the mid - '90s , sources close to Jackson told CNN , the pop star suffered from insomnia and traveled with an anesthesiologist who would `` take him down '' at night and then `` bring him back up . '' According to a report on a 2004 Santa Barbara , California , police investigation , security guards in Jackson 's inner circle said he traveled the country getting prescriptions from doctors . The Los Angeles County coroner , who must rule on the cause of Jackson 's June 25 death , met Thursday with the Los Angeles District Attorney , who must decide if anyone will be prosecuted for his death . During the meeting , it was decided that an announcement of the coroner 's findings would be delayed indefinitely , according to a source close to the investigation . An official in the coroner 's office had previously indicated to reporters that the findings would be made public within days . Katherine Jackson goes to court Monday Katherine Jackson 's legal battle for some control of her son 's estate returns to court Monday in front of the same judge who is expected to award her permanent guardianship of his children . Jackson 's lawyers filed a petition Tuesday accusing the men who now control the estate of being `` intent on keeping her in the dark '' about deals they 've made or are negotiating . Jackson lawyer Londell McMillan raised questions about `` a suspicious circle of relationships '' involving John Branca , the singer 's longtime personal attorney , and John McClain , a music industry executive and longtime friend -- who were named executors in Jackson 's will . Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave Branca and McClain temporary control of the estate until Monday 's hearing . In the Jackson lawyers ' petition , they asked the judge to order Branca , McClain and others to answer questions under oath about their business agreements to determine if they are `` fit and able '' to administer the estate . They also served the men with a 19-page demand for documents . Branca has refused to let Katherine Jackson see Michael Jackson 's contracts with AEG , the company that was organizing and promoting his planned concerts , unless she agrees to keep them confidential . Branca 's lawyer argued in a court filing that he has no choice since the contracts have a provision requiring confidentiality . Branca 's lawyers also argued that Jackson 's demand for documents was too broad and burdensome . `` Such measures will not be necessary if Mrs. Jackson is appointed a co-executor of the estate , '' McMillan said . McMillan , in an interview with CBS on Thursday , estimated the Jackson estate was worth $ 2 billion , while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $ 500 million . The will written in 2002 places all of Jackson 's assets into a family trust benefiting his mother , his three children and unnamed charities . The judge is also expected Monday to finalize Katherine Jackson 's guardianship of her son 's three children . An agreement between Jackson and Debbie Rowe , the mother of the two eldest children , cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing . Rowe , who was briefly married to Michael Jackson , agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children as recommended by a psychologist . The agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe `` apart from the continuation of spousal support payments '' that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after their divorce , their lawyers said in a joint statement . Jackson 's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino , California , home since their father 's death . The eldest child , Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. , was born in February 1997 . A daughter , Paris Michael Katherine Jackson , was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived -- and who was the biological father -- have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got an $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . CNN 's Randi Kaye contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to redeploy some troops away from the site of a border temple at the center of a tense military standoff in its second week . Thai soldiers take a rest near the Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province . The decision came after the two sides met to resolve the impasse . Government officials from both nations plan to meet again to decide how many troops will remain at the site of the Preah Vihear temple , the Thai News Agency reported Monday . At a later meeting , the two sides plan to discuss how to tackle the thorny issue at the center of the ongoing dispute -- the question of whether land around the temple belongs to Thailand or Cambodia . The 11th century temple sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side . The two countries differ on whether some territory around the temple forms part of Thailand or Cambodia . The decision to redeploy troops took place after a Monday meeting in Siem Reap , Cambodia . Last week , an eight-hour meeting between Thai and Cambodian officials ended with both sides agreeing on only one point : that troops each country has amassed at the site of the temple will not fire on each other . The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 . Thailand claims , however , that the 1.8 square mile -LRB- 4.6 sq. km -RRB- area around it was never fully demarcated . Thailand says the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia -- a map that places the temple and surrounding area in Cambodian territory . This month , the United Nations approved Cambodia 's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- a place the U.N. says has outstanding universal value . The decision re-ignited tensions , with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple . Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government , which initially backed the heritage listing . Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen , who has been in power since 1985 , portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph in the run-up to the general elections . Analysts believe that the nationalist sentiments stirred up by the military standoff helped Hun Sen 's ruling party win enough seats in Sunday 's parliamentary elections so that it can form a government without the need for a coalition . The current flare-up began July 15 , when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area . Once they were let go , the three refused to leave the territory . Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers . Thailand denies that , saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Philippine House of Representatives and Senate were meeting Monday to debate the imposition of martial law in the country 's south by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the aftermath of last month 's massacre of 57 civilians . As required by law , the president issued a report Sunday explaining her reasons for making the proclamation for the province of Maguindanao . `` Lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao , '' Arroyo said in a 20-page letter to the leaders of the House and Senate . Martial law went into effect Friday night , allowing arrests without a warrant . Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said it was necessary to impose peace following what has been called a politically motivated massacre . He added that Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days . The House and Senate might jointly convene on Tuesday to discuss the president 's report , House Speaker Prospero Nograles said Sunday , according to the Philippine News Agency . The debate began as elite forces of the Philippine National Police clashed in the town of Datu Unsay with suspected followers of the politically powerful Ampatuan family , which has been implicated in the massacre , the Philippine News Agency reported Monday . Reports said the armed men offered stiff resistance on Sunday against government security forces in a 10-minute firefight , withdrawing after government reinforcements arrived . No casualties were reported on either side . Charges of rebellion will be leveled against many of those arrested since martial law was implemented , Philippine Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Saturday , CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported . At least six members of the Ampatuan family have been arrested , including Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. , according to ABS-CBN . Ampatuan , whose father is governor of Maguindanao , has been accused of directing the killings and has been charged with 25 counts of murder . One of the massacre victims implicated members of the Ampatuan family before she died , the affiliate reported . Over the weekend , authorities raided at least one warehouse and ranch belonging to the family . They confiscated firearms , ammunition and vehicles , Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the eastern Mindinao command , told CNN . The military was looking at arresting at least 100 people tied to the massacre , ABS-CBN reported . The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well , Brawner said . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings , Cabangbang said authorities `` were trying to build a case , a tight case '' against suspects . `` But it is taking long to build a case , so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects , and allowed us to search , even without warrant . So we really need this declaration of state of martial law . '' Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the country . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . The victims included the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amid the worsening conflict in his country , Somalia 's president made a plea for Somalis living in the United States to stop sending their young men to fight . A Somali rebel points a heavy machine gun in the direction of government forces July 3 . `` I call on the Somali-American community not to send their youth to Somalia to fight alongside al-Shabaab , '' President Sheik Sharif Ahmed said on Sunday . He was referring to the Islamist militant group that is waging a brutal war against his administration in Mogadishu . `` I am saying to those young men from abroad : ` Your families fled your home to America because of insecurity . You should not return here to ferment violence against your people , ' '' he said . Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers after the U.S. intervention in Somalia 's humanitarian crisis in 1992 . A sizable group of young Somali-American men left Minneapolis last year and were feared recruited by al-Shabaab militants . In October , Shirwa Ahmed , 27 , a Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota , traveled to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others . The incident -- the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen -- raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community . The president 's call came after fresh fighting erupted Sunday between Somalia 's transitional government forces and Islamist rebels . According to several witness accounts , AMISOM -- the African Union Mission to Somalia -- supported government forces to push back al-Shabaab as the militia attacked the presidential palace . AMISOM tanks and soldiers were involved in the fighting , according to witnesses . `` The sound of heavy artillery in Mogadishu was very loud and continuous , '' a witness told CNN . `` It was shaking the ground , and many buildings were destroyed by the shelling . '' The president called the operation `` a clear victory '' against al-Shabaab . `` Our forces have weakened the strength of the al-Shabaab militia in this fighting , '' Ahmed said . Government forces displayed the bodies of five al-Shabaab fighters in their trademark green uniforms . Al-Shabaab , a group that is on the U.S. government 's terror watch list , remains entrenched in the northeast and sections of the south of the capital . The group categorized the involvement of AMISOM as a shift in their attempts to overthrow the transitional government . `` The fighting in Mogadishu has entered a new phase . Now it 's between us and AMISOM , '' said Ali Mohamud Rage , a spokesman for al-Shabaab . `` AMISOM was backing up the government directly , but we will keep fighting . '' Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991 , when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting . The transitional government has struggled to establish authority , challenged by Islamist groups that have seized control of Mogadishu and much of the south . The United Nations estimates that more than 200,000 people have been forced to flee Mogadishu since the latest round of fighting began in early May between the government and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam groups . The Somali-American population in the United States is concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis ; Columbus , Ohio ; Seattle , Washington ; and San Diego , California . The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by `` a number of factors that come together when a dynamic , influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men , '' Andrew Liepman , deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center , said earlier this year . Many refugees , he said , `` lack structure and definition in their lives '' and are `` torn between their parents ' traditional tribal and clan identities , and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Schalke moved to within a point of German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen after winning 2-0 away to fellow title hopefuls Werder Bremen on Saturday night . Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek scored in the second half to put Schalke a point above third-placed Bayern Munich , who earlier crushed lowly Bochum 5-1 to cap a memorable week . Former Germany striker Kuranyi put Schalke ahead two minutes after halftime and midfielder Moravek ensured Bremen 's first league defeat since the opening day of the season with his 72nd-minute goal . Bremen could also have closed to within a point of Leverkusen , who were held 2-2 at bottom club Hertha Berlin on Friday night , but ended the night two points adrift of Bayern . Louis Van Gaal 's Bayern , runners-up to Wolfsburg last season , briefly reached their highest league position since he took over as coach in the summer as Mario Gomez continued his recent scoring run with the opening goal at Bochum and strike partner Ivica Olic netted twice . Bayern , who crushed Italian giants Juventus 4-1 in midweek to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League , moved to within two points of leaders Bayer Leverkusen , Olic set up Gomez 's 23rd-minute header for the opening goal , and Mergim Mavraj put through his own net 10 minutes later as the Germany international tried to repay the favor to the Croatian . Olic got on the scoresheet two minutes before halftime from Bastian Schweinsteiger 's cross and made it 4-0 four minutes after the break with a header from Holger Badstuber 's delivery . Danijel Pranjic extended the lead five minutes later after fullback Phillip Lahm surged into the box and squared the ball to him , while Christian Fuchs scored a consolation free-kick for Bochum in the 76th minute . Fifth-placed Hamburg joined Bremen on 28 points , winning 4-0 at Nuremberg to end a run of seven games without a win . All the goals came in the second half as Eljero Elia 's 47th-minute strike opened the floodgates , and he helped set up Marcell Jansen for the second on the hour mark . Tunay Torun made it 3-0 six minutes later with a fierce rising effort after cutting in from the left , and Elia wrapped it up on 74 from Jansen 's pass . Sixth-placed Hoffenheim failed to keep pace with the teams above them , drawing 1-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt , and have now won just once in five league outings . Sejad Salihovic opened the scoring for the hosts in the ninth minute with a penalty after Selim Teber fouled Vedad Ibisevic , but Pirmin Schwegler equalized for Frankfurt on 61 when his long-range effort hit Luis Gustavo and ballooned over goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand and into the net . Borussia Moenchengladbach triumphed 5-3 at home to Hannover , who conceded three own-goals and had a player sent off in an incredible mid-table clash . Defender Karim Haggui twice put into his own net -- the first an lucky rebound from goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz 's attempted clearance in the 15th minute to open the scoring , and he also contributed the game 's eighth goal with his second faux-pas . Constant Djakpa also conceded at the wrong end to give the hosts a 3-1 lead in the 59th minute , while Hannover 's Didier Ya Konen scored in each half before being dismissed for his second yellow card on 84 . Cologne edged away from the relegation zone with a 0-0 draw at Freiburg as Germany international striker Lukas Podolski -- who has not scored in the Bundesliga since September 13 -- hit the woodwork twice for the visitors .","question":""}
{"answer":"Warsaw , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Polish legislators were planning Wednesday to hold a June election to choose a successor to President Lech Kaczynski , whose death in an air crash is generating unprecedented scenes of public grief . Mourners lined up through the night outside Warsaw 's Presidential Palace to pay respects to Kaczynski , whose body is lying in state alongside that of his wife . However , amid national unity in the wake of the disaster , there were the first signs of discord with protests reported over a decision to bury the late president and his wife in a crypt previously reserved for monarchs and saints . The couple were among 96 Polish dignitaries , military top brass and officials who died when the plane carrying them to a service commemorating Polish prisoners of war massacred in Russia during World War II crashed in bad weather . Their bodies were repatriated earlier this week . Caskets carrying 30 more crash victims were returned to Poland on Wednesday aboard a military jet from Moscow . Draped in Polish flags the caskets were lined up side-by-side by an honor guard during a solemn ceremony at Warsaw 's airport . iReport : Share your photos , video and stories with CNN The disaster has caused shockwaves through Poland , with thousands of people waiting up to eight hours to pay their respects to the first couple . Due to overwhelming demand , the palace was opened to the public through the night . A line of up to 15,000 mourners , many dressed in black and carrying pictures of the deceased first couple , could be seen snaking through the center of Warsaw Wednesday . Images of Poland 's collective grief `` I think this is really unique to Poland , '' U.S. ambassador to Poland , Lee Feinstein told CNN , adding that the devastation to the country 's leadership was unparalleled in the contemporary world . Feinstein described Poland as one of the United States ' `` staunchest '' allies , largely thanks to military support for U.S.-led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan . U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to be among international figures attending the first couple 's funeral service in Warsaw , scheduled for Saturday . The Kremlin in Moscow said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would also attend . The service will be followed by the couple 's burial on Sunday in Krakow 's Wawel Castle . The archbishop of Krakow said burying the late president in the historic crypt was the country 's way of honoring him . `` I think in this way the Polish nation wants to include him among the greatest and most revered men in Polish history , '' Stanislaw Dziwisz said on Polish state television . There have been reports of protests in Krakow over the decision , while debate has raged online as to whether Kaczynski , seen as unpopular prior to his death , should be buried in a national heroes ' cemetery in Warsaw rather than at Wawel . Biography : Lech Kaczynski A Facebook group opposed to the castle burial had garnered 32,000 followers by late Wednesday . According to Poland 's PAP news agency , a date for the election that will choose Kaczynski 's successor will be announced on April 21 by acting President Bronislaw Komorowski . The agency said the date was likely to be June 13 or 20 . Under Poland 's constitution Komorowski must call the election within 14 days of the president 's death with the vote taking place within 60 days . CNN 's Antonia Mortensen in Warsaw , Poland and Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow , Russia contributed to this story .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- It 's hard to walk down the aisle of a liquor store without running across a bottle bearing someone 's name . A costumed reveler at a Captain Morgan party celebrates the rum named after the 17th century privateer . We put them in our cocktails , but how well do we know them ? Here 's some biographical detail on the men behind your favorite tipples : 1 . Captain Morgan The Captain was n't always just the choice of sorority girls looking to blend spiced rum with Diet Coke ; in the 17th century he was a feared privateer . Not only did the Welsh pirate marry his own cousin , he ran risky missions for the governor of Jamaica , including capturing some Spanish prisoners in Cuba and sacking Port-au-Prince in Haiti . He then plundered the Cuban coast before holding for ransom the entire city of Portobelo , Panama . He later looted and burned Panama City , but his pillaging career came to an end when Spain and England signed a peace treaty in 1671 . Instead of getting in trouble for his high-seas antics , Morgan received knighthood and became the lieutenant governor of Jamaica . Mental Floss : 5 drinking stories that put yours to shame 2 . Johnnie Walker Walker , the name behind the world 's most popular brand of Scotch whisky , was born in 1805 in Ayrshire , Scotland . When his father died in 1819 , Johnnie inherited a trust of a little over 400 pounds , which the trustees invested in a grocery store . Walker became a very successful grocer in the town of Kilmarnock and even sold a whisky , Walker 's Kilmarnock Whisky . Johnnie 's son Alexander was the one who actually turned the family into famous whisky men , though . Alexander had spent time in Glasgow learning how to blend teas , but he eventually returned to Kilmarnock to take over the grocery from his father . Alexander turned his blending expertise to whisky , and came up with `` Old Highland Whisky , '' which later became Johnnie Walker Black Label . 3 . Jack Daniel Jasper Newton `` Jack '' Daniel of Tennessee whiskey fame was the descendant of Welsh settlers who came to the United States in the early 19th century . He was born in 1846 or 1850 and was one of 13 children . By 1866 he was distilling whiskey in Lynchburg , Tennessee . Unfortunately for the distiller , he had a bit of a temper . One morning in 1911 Daniel showed up for work early and could n't get his safe open . He flew off the handle and kicked the offending strongbox . The kick was so ferocious that Daniel injured his toe , which then became infected . The infection soon became the blood poisoning that killed the whiskey mogul . Curious about why your bottle of J.D. also has Lem Motlow listed as the distillery 's proprietor ? Daniel 's own busy life of distilling and safe-kicking kept him from ever finding a wife and siring an heir , so in 1907 he gave the distillery to his beloved nephew Lem Motlow , who had come to work for him as a bookkeeper . Mental Floss : The many myths of Jack Daniel 4 . Jose Cuervo In 1758 , Jose Antonio de Cuervo received a land grant from the King of Spain to start an agave farm in the Jalisco region of Mexico . Jose used his agave plants to make mescal , a popular Mexican liquor . In 1795 , King Carlos IV gave the land grant to Cuervo 's descendant Jose Maria Guadalupe de Cuervo . Carlos IV also granted the Cuervo family the first license to commercially make tequila , so they built a larger factory on the existing land . The family started packaging their wares in individual bottles in 1880 , and in 1900 the booze started going by the brand name Jose Cuervo . The brand is still under the leadership of the original Jose Cuervo 's family ; current boss Juan-Domingo Beckmann is the sixth generation of Cuervo ancestors to run the company . 5 . Jim Beam Jim Beam , the namesake of the world 's best-selling bourbon whiskey , did n't actually start the distillery that now bears his name . His great-grandfather Jacob Beam opened the distillery in 1788 and started selling his first barrels of whiskey in 1795 . In those days , the whiskey went by the less-catchy moniker of `` Old Tub . '' Jacob Beam handed down the distillery to his son David Beam , who in turn passed it along to his son David M. Beam , who eventually handed the operation off to his son , Colonel James Beauregard Beam , in 1894 . Although he was only 30 years old when he took over the family business , Jim Beam ran the distillery until Prohibition shut him down . Following repeal in 1933 , Jim quickly built a distillery and began resurrecting the Old Tub brand , but he also added something new to the company 's portfolio : a bourbon simply called Jim Beam . Mental Floss : A bourbon FAQ 6 . Tanqueray When he was a young boy , Charles Tanqueray 's path through life seemed pretty clear . He was the product of three straight generations of Bedfordshire clergymen , so it must have seemed natural to assume that he would take up the cloth himself . Wrong . Instead , he started distilling gin in 1830 in a little plant in London 's Bloomsbury district . By 1847 , he was shipping his gin to colonies around the British Empire , where many plantation owners and troops had developed a taste for Tanqueray and tonic . 7 . Campari Gaspare Campari found his calling quickly . By the time he was 14 , he had risen to become a master drink mixer in Turin , Italy , and in this capacity he started dabbling with a recipe for an aperitif . When he eventually settled on the perfect mixture , his concoction had over 60 ingredients . In 1860 , he founded Gruppo Campari to make his trademark bitters in Milan . Like Colonel Sanders ' spice blend , the recipe for Campari is a closely guarded secret supposedly known by only the acting Gruppo Campari chairman , who works with a tiny group of employees to make the concentrate with which alcohol and water are infused to get Campari . The drink is still made from Gaspare Campari 's recipe , though , which includes quinine , orange peel , rhubarb , and countless other flavorings . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com","question":""}
{"answer":"London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There are `` compelling reasons '' to believe the Israeli government was responsible for forging British passports used in a plot to kill a Hamas leader in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year , British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Tuesday . `` Such misuse of British passports is intolerable , '' Miliband said , adding that the fact that Israel was an ally of the United Kingdom `` only adds insult to injury . '' The passports were `` copied from genuine British passports '' in a `` highly sophisticated operation , '' indicating a government was behind it , Miliband told the House of Commons . Britain 's Serious Organised Crime Agency concluded that the 12 British people whose passports were cloned where `` wholly innocent victims of identity theft , '' the foreign secretary said . The UK expelled an Israeli diplomat and changed the advice it gives its citizens about traveling to Israel as a result of the scandal , Miliband said . He did not name the diplomat or say what rank the envoy held . `` The UK had absolutely no advance knowledge of what happened in Dubai nor any involvement whatsoever in the killing '' of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , he said . Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman complained that the Israelis `` have not been given any evidence pointing to Israel 's involvement in the affair . '' `` We attribute great importance to our relations with Great Britain , '' he said . `` We maintain several different and sensitive dialogues with the UK , and we regret the British decision . '' French authorities also have opened an investigation into the alleged use of forged documents , the Paris prosecutor 's office said Tuesday . Suspects in the killing allegedly used four doctored French passports , the prosecutor said in a written statement . `` Further investigation has revealed that these four passports were actually false as the photos did not correspond to the names appearing in each document , '' the statement said . Al-Mabhouh , a founding member of Hamas ' military wing , was found dead January 20 in his Dubai hotel room . Police believe he was killed the night before , allegedly by the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad . Two sources told CNN earlier this month that the number of identified suspects in al-Mabhouh 's death was up to 27 . Of them , 26 were carrying European or Australian passports , authorities have said . The sources -- an official familiar with the investigation and a police source -- did not say which nation issued the passport used by the 27th suspect . The 27 suspects are believed to have acquired false passports to travel to Dubai for the killing , then scattered to several far-flung locations afterward . But Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim , Dubai police chief , has said not all the suspects had fraudulent passports -- `` We know some of the names are real . '' Interpol , the international police agency , has issued `` red notices '' to help search for the suspects . The notices are not international arrest warrants , but are a way of alerting police forces around the world that the suspects are wanted by United Arab Emirates authorities . Interpol expands search for suspects Interpol Secretary-General Ronald K. Noble said investigators have established `` clear '' links through passport records , video surveillance , DNA analysis , witness interviews and hotel , credit card , phone and transport records , according to a statement . Police have said toxicology results show al-Mabhouh was injected with succinylcholine , a drug used to relax muscles during surgery or as an anesthetic , before he was suffocated . Signs indicated that al-Mabhouh resisted as he was being suffocated , police said . Al-Mabhouh 's family members were told earlier that police had found blood on a pillow . Authorities have also said the killers left some of al-Mabhouh 's medication next to him in an apparent effort to make the death appear natural . But `` the medication left next to him in the room has nothing to do with the killing , '' Tamim has said . Tamim told CNN last month that he is `` 100 percent sure '' Mossad was responsible . `` The Mossad needs to be ashamed of its actions , '' he said . `` They sent 26 , 27 persons to assassinate one man who was involved in the capturing and killing of two Israeli soldiers . '' Dubai police : Mossad should be ` ashamed ' Hamas has said al-Mabhouh was behind the 1989 deaths of the Israeli soldiers . Israel has a stated policy on security matters of neither confirming nor denying involvement . Lieberman , however , told Israel Army Radio earlier this month , `` There is certainly no reason to think that the Mossad and not some other intelligence agency of another country operated there . '' The total of 27 suspects does not include two Palestinians arrested in Jordan and returned to Dubai . Tamim said one is not believed to be directly involved in al-Mabhouh 's death , but `` he is wanted by one of the Palestinian factions in the Palestinian territories and he is sentenced to death and that 's why we will extradite him . '' He declined to discuss anything about the other Palestinian . CNN 's Guy Azriel in Jerusalem and Niki Cook in Paris , France , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Army captain who was dismissed under a federal law dealing with gays and lesbians in the military lost his appeal Monday at the U.S. Supreme Court . The U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in the challenge to the `` do n't ask\/don ' t tell '' law . James Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans had sued the government over the `` do n't ask \/ do n't tell '' law passed in 1993 . Pietrangelo was the only one who appealed to the high court , but the justices without comment refused to intervene . The provision forbids those in the military from openly acknowledging or revealing their homosexuality , and prevents the government from asking individual soldiers and sailors about their sexual orientation . The Obama administration had asked the high court not to take the case , and White House officials had said they would not object to homosexuals being kicked out of the armed services . During the presidential campaign last year , President Obama said he supported throwing out the federal law but has taken no specific action on the controversy . The Justice Department said in a high court filing the law was `` rationally related to the government 's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion . '' A federal appeals court in Boston , Massachusetts , had ruled against Pietrangelo , essentially ending his legal efforts . But a San Francisco , California-based federal appeals court ruled partially in favor of Maj. Margaret Witt , allowing her lawsuit against the Pentagon to move ahead . Those judges said the Air Force must prove the dismissal of the flight nurse would ensure troop readiness and cohesion . Justices say state judge should have recused himself In a separate ruling , the high court on Monday found a state judge acted improperly when he refused to remove himself from a 2006 civil appeal despite having received financial support during his campaign from the CEO of the key defendant . Chief Justice Brent Benjamin of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals cast the deciding vote in favor of that company . In a 5-4 ruling , the justices found that a perceived conflict of interest should have led to the judge 's recusal . `` On these extreme facts the probability of actual bias rises to an unconstitutional level , '' Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote . The issue has become a touchstone of a growing political debate over whether judicial election races -- which have become more expensive and contentious in recent years -- erode public confidence in the legal system . The West Virginia case has attracted nationwide attention and was the basis for author John Grisham 's 2008 best-seller , `` The Appeal . '' The case now goes back to the state courts , where Benjamin likely will have to pull out of a rehearing . The U.S. Supreme Court issued a narrow ruling on the specific facts of the West Virginia dispute , but the implications are likely to be felt nationwide . Thirty-nine states elect some or all of their judges . The facts of the case read like a legal thriller . Businessman Don Blankenship , chairman of A.T. Massey Coal Co. , spent $ 3 million supporting Benjamin 's 2004 run for the judicial seat -- accounting for 60 percent of the money spent in support of his campaign . Massey was involved in a decade-old business dispute with Hugh Caperton , owner of rival Harman Mining . Caperton accused Massey of unlawfully interfering with his business relations . A jury agreed , and in 2002 awarded Harman Mining $ 50 million in compensatory and punitive damages . Massey waited four years to appeal . It was during those four years that Benjamin won his state high court seat . In April 2006 , Benjamin declined to recuse himself from Massey 's appeal , which had reached his five-member court . West Virginia , like most state and federal courts , leaves to an individual judge 's discretion the decision to stay out of a case because of a potential conflict of interest .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Honey has been used to treat wounds since ancient times , but recent years have seen a surge of medical interest in the sticky stuff . Research has shown that honey has antibacterial properties . Manuka honey has been the subject of particular interest , with the results of a study just published by Sydney University finding that it has powerful antibacterial properties , and is even effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria . Associate Professor Dee Carter , from Sydney University 's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences said : `` Our research is the first to clearly show that these honey-based products could in many cases replace antibiotic creams on wounds and equipment such as catheters . Using honey as an intermediate treatment could also prolong the life of antibiotics . '' `` Most bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one antibiotic , and there is an urgent need for new ways to treat and control surface infections . '' She added : `` We do n't quite know how these honeys prevent and kill infections , but a compound in them called methylglyoxal seems to interact with a number of other unknown compounds in honey to prevent infectious bacteria developing new strains that are resistant to it . '' Honey is a complex substance , containing up to 800 compounds and its complexity means it has been difficult to pinpoint exactly how it kills bacteria . Manuka is a type of honey that is made by bees pollinating the flowers of the Manuka bush , a member of the Leptospermum family that grows naturally in New Zealand . Now , an Australian company is claiming to have produced the world 's most potent medical-grade antibacterial honey , made by bees pollinating the Australian jellybush , also a member of the Leptospermum family . Australia 's Medi Bioactive Honey Company claims its Berringa antibacterial honey has twice the antibacterial content of normal manuka honey , and has launched the product in the UK . Dr Rose Cooper of the University of Wales Cardiff School of Health Sciences has researched honey 's antibacterial action and has written a book called `` Honey in Modern Wounds Management . '' Cooper told CNN that there are many components in honey that contribute to its antibacterial nature . She says its high sugar content , low water content and low pH are all factors . Additionally , some honey produces hydrogen peroxide , which can kill bacteria . Since 2004 , Britain 's National Health Service has licensed the use of manuka-honey wound dressings and sterilized medical grade manuka-honey creams .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a critical report Tuesday saying that it has `` serious concerns '' about Iran 's nuclear program and has obtained `` credible '' information that the Islamic republic may be developing nuclear weapons . The IAEA report , the most detailed to date on the Iranian program 's military scope , found no evidence that Iran has made a strategic decision to actually build a bomb . But its nuclear program is more ambitious and structured , and more progress has been made than previously known . `` The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran 's nuclear program , '' the report said . `` After assessing carefully and critically the extensive information available to it , the agency finds the information to be , overall , credible . The information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device . '' U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the report had just arrived and refrained from commenting on details at an afternoon briefing . But a senior U.S. official called the report `` a big deal . '' `` The report is very comprehensive , credible , quite damning , and alarming , '' the official said . Read the IAEA report here Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed the report as a fabrication of facts aimed at satisfying U.S. allegations about Iran 's nuclear program . Ahmadinejad essentially called Yukiya Amano , the director general of the IAEA , a U.S. puppet and said the United Nations agency has no jurisdiction in Iran . `` The Americans have fabricated a stack of papers and he keeps speaking about them , '' he said on state-run Press TV . `` Why do n't you do a report on the U.S. nuclear program and its allies ? Present a report on the thousands of U.S. military bases where Washington has nuclear arms that threaten global security . '' The IAEA had released another report on Iran in September but this one was highly anticipated because of the military aspect . Since 2002 , the IAEA has regularly received new information pertaining to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile , the report said . It said Iran has made `` efforts , some successful , to procure nuclear related and dual use equipment and materials by military related individuals and entities '' and has acquired nuclear weapons information from `` a clandestine nuclear supply network . '' It has also worked on mastering the design of a nuclear weapon and tested components , the report said . The IAEA said the some of the activities have both civilian and military applications , but others are specific to nuclear weapons . Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful , civilian energy purposes only . According to the IAEA report , Iran is believed to have continued weapons research and technology development after 2003 , when the intelligence community thought Iran had stopped . Instead of halting , it seems Iran took a temporary hiatus at the time , although the program progressed at a more modest pace since then , the report said . After the report 's release , top Republicans in Congress called on President Barack Obama 's administration to ratchet up economic sanctions against Iran . Rep. Mike Rogers , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , raised the fear that Israel would attack Iranian nuclear facilities without further steps by the United States and its allies . Rogers , R-Michigan , said new sanctions should cut off the supply of refined fuel to Iran and target its central bank , which he said is being used to finance Tehran 's nuclear program . `` If we talk about it for a long time , if we 're not really leading on it , I will tell you we leave this option to the Israelis , '' he told CNN 's `` John King USA . '' And in a written statement , Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen called on Congress to pass two bills targeting Iran 's energy sector . The Florida Republican leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee , which recently sent legislation to the House floor to do just that . `` If fully implemented , they have the potential to cripple the regime 's ability to continue its nuclear program , '' she said . `` If the Iranian regime acquires nuclear weapons capabilities , the U.S. , Israel and our other allies in the region and around the world will face an unimaginable threat to our security . The clock is ticking . '' Previous IAEA reports have cited concerns by the organization that Iran has been seeking to develop nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles to deliver them . Word of the latest report drew strong comments in Israel , where talks of how to deal with Iran have recently hit fever pitch . Israel considers Iran its arch-nemesis for its repeated innuendos about the destruction of the Jewish state . Ahead of the report 's release , Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that his nation would consider every option in countering Iran 's bomb-making capabilities . `` Israel does not want a confrontation , but if it happens , the state of Israel will not be destroyed and there will not be 10,000 dead and not even 500 dead in any possible scenario , '' Barak said Tuesday on Israel Radio . Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said Iranian armed forces were in `` full combat readiness and will give a crushing response to those daring to attack the country , '' IRNA said . The United States , Vahidi said , was trying to `` promote Iranophobia '' in a bid to attain its `` sinister goals . '' Western powers have long suspected that Iran 's nuclear program is geared toward weapons development . The United States is looking to increase the heat on Iran , including a possible strengthening of existing sanctions on Iran 's financial and banking sectors and additional political pressure -- all of which could be applied by the United States alone or in coordination with other allies . The United States also hopes international organizations , such as the United Nations , will take steps to further isolate Iran diplomatically . Officials said that one of several options being considered is sanctioning the Central Bank of Iran , although the United States is mindful of the impact such a move could have on oil prices during a time of global economic turmoil . U.S. officials said the Obama administration will use the report to lobby the international community to slap new economic sanctions against Iran . Obama said he discussed the upcoming report with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Cannes , France , during a meeting of the G-20 industrialized nations . The U.S. president said the two leaders `` agreed on the need to maintain the unprecedented international pressure on Iran to meet its obligations . '' CNN 's Elise Labott , Jill Dougherty and Moni Basu contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A global commodities trading company says it is considering a settlement to legal claims that it is responsible for the deaths of 15 people and thousands of illnesses after 500 tons of toxic waste were dumped in the African nation of Ivory Coast . Signs such as this were still up in `` toxic zones '' around Abidjan , Ivory Coast , a year after the waste dumping . The Dutch company Trafigura said studies by 20 experts it has hired conclude that the chemicals did not harm anyone . `` In view of that expert evidence , and the fact that claims are not being made in this litigation for deaths , miscarriages , still births , birth defects and other serious injuries , the parties are exploring the possibility of compromising the claims which have been made , '' Trafigura said in a release Wednesday . `` A global settlement is being considered by the parties and it currently appears that this settlement is likely to be acceptable to most , if not all , of the claimants . '' A United Nations report also released Wednesday said Trafigura did cause death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan , the West African nation 's largest city . The incident happened in August 2006 . `` According to official estimates , 15 people died , 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others , complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes , sought medical treatment after the incident , '' said the report by Okechukwu Ibeanu , an unpaid investigator for the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council . `` We still do n't know -- and we may never know -- the full effect of the dumping . But there seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste . '' Ibeanu , who visited Ivory Coast and the Netherlands during his investigation , urged all parties to take steps `` to address possible long-term human health and environmental effects of the incident . '' According to a U.N. statement , Ibeanu said last month that the areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents ' health . Many people , he said , are still reporting headaches , skin lesions , digestive difficulties and nose , throat and lung problems . Trafigura noted in its release Wednesday that it initiated a plan two years ago that would compensate , without any admission of liability , any claimants who could demonstrate any injury caused by exposure to the waste , which the company calls `` slops . '' `` The company has always maintained that the Probo Koala 's slops could not possibly have caused deaths and serious or long-term injuries , '' Trafigura said . `` Independent expert witnesses firmly support Trafigura in this stance . '' Trafigura also maintains it `` sought to comply with all relevant regulations and procedures concerning the offloading of the Probo Koala 's slops in Abidjan . '' The company denies that the ship went to Ivory Coast solely to dump the toxic waste . `` Trafigura has consistently stated that the Probo Koala was returning from a routine commercial voyage to deliver a gasoline cargo in Lagos , Nigeria , when it stopped in Abidjan , '' the company statement said . `` Consequently , any suggestion that the vessel was sent to West Africa solely for the purpose of offloading its slops is entirely inaccurate . '' As one of the largest independent companies trading commodities , Trafigura has 1,900 employees in 42 nations , the company 's Web site says . `` We handle every element involved in the sourcing and trading of crude oil , petroleum products , renewable energies , metals , metal ores and concentrates for industrial consumers . '' the company says . Ivory Coast , a former French colony with a population of 20 million , is also known as Cote d'Ivoire .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators had a `` significant break '' in tracking the salmonella outbreak when they found the bacteria on a jalape\u00f1o pepper imported from Mexico at a Texas food supplier , the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday . The FDA has discouraged all consumers from eating raw jalape\u00f1o peppers . The FDA also warned consumers not to eat fresh jalape\u00f1os and products made with fresh jalape\u00f1os . The discovery may provide a clue to the source of a recent outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul . The bacteria have sickened more than 1,200 people in 42 states , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . `` One of the jalape\u00f1o peppers has tested positive with a genetic match to the Saintpaul strand , '' said Robert Tauxe , deputy director of the CDC 's Division of Foodborne , Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases . Consumer Tips Blog : Hold the jalape\u00f1os He said officials are `` looking at the chain that the peppers would have passed through to decide if any of them are a point of contamination . '' Watch more on the salmonella outbreak '' Tauxe called the discovery a `` significant break . '' `` While this one sample does not give us the whole story , this genetic break is very important , '' he said . `` This will hopefully help us pinpoint the source of this outbreak . '' The bacteria were found at a distribution center in McAllen , Texas , and the distributor has agreed to recall the products . Although the pepper was grown on a farm in Mexico , Tauxe said , investigators are not yet certain where the bacteria originated . Read food safety tips '' `` This does not mean that the pepper was contaminated in Mexico , '' he said . `` We are n't only looking for the source , but the reason for the spread -LSB- of the outbreak -RSB- . '' The news comes just days after the FDA lifted its ban on consumption of certain raw tomatoes . The FDA has not ruled out tomatoes as the source of the original outbreak , but investigators have determined that tomatoes currently in fields and stores are safe , Dr. David Acheson , the FDA 's associate commissioner for food protection , said Thursday . Learn about the differences between salmonella and E. coli '' The FDA is still investigating fresh tomatoes as a possible source of the outbreak . It is possible that tomatoes were paired with another food that was contaminated , Tauxe said . Watch more on the FDA investigation '' Before Monday 's warning , the agency had discouraged high-risk people -- elderly people , infants and those with impaired immune systems -- from eating serrano and jalape\u00f1o peppers . Two elderly men with pre-existing conditions died while infected with Salmonella Saintpaul , and the FDA said the infection could have contributed to their deaths .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Previously unseen footage of Diana , Princess of Wales , taken just hours before she was killed in a car crash , has been shown to the jury at the inquest into her death . The footage showed Diana and Dodi step into an elevator at the Ritz Hotel . Images taken from a security camera at the Ritz Hotel in Paris show the 36-year-old smiling as she and her lover Dodi Fayed step into an elevator and later walk out of the hotel . Further footage shows Fayed visiting a jeweler 's shop , images that could lend support to claims that he was buying an engagement ring . Earlier , a British coroner at the inquest said tt may never be known for certain whether Princess Diana was pregnant when she died in the Paris car crash . Lord Justice Scott Baker told the jury at the inquest into the deaths of the princess and her lover Dodi Fayed that scientific evidence might be unable to demonstrate `` one way or the other '' whether she was in the early stages of pregnancy . But he said they would hear `` intimate '' details of her personal life . Watch footage of Diana 's last hours '' Baker told the 11 members of the jury -- six women and five men -- Diana may have been on the contraceptive pill and that evidence she was poised to get engaged to Dodi on the night she died was contradictory . On Tuesday the judge , who is acting as coroner in the case , told the jury that a famous image taken in summer 1997 showing Diana wearing a swimsuit could not be proof she was pregnant with Dodi 's child as she had not started a relationship with him at that stage . The jury is set to hear `` scene setting '' evidence , including CCTV and a tourist video . The inquest to establish cause of death is expected to be a six-month process . Fayed 's father , Mohammed Al Fayed , has contended from the start that Diana and his son were murdered because the royal family `` could not accept that an Egyptian Muslim could eventually be step-father to the future king of England , '' referring to Diana 's son Prince William . `` I 'm hoping for justice , '' Al Fayed said outside court . `` At last , we 're going to have a jury from ordinary people and I hope to reach the decision which I believe that my son and Princess Diana have been murdered by the royal family . '' Baker told the jury of Al Fayed 's allegations , but again reminded them that they were responsible for deciding the facts of the case , but not to assign blame or guilt . `` You have to decide four important , but limited factual questions : who the deceased were , when they came by their deaths , where they came by their deaths and how they came by their deaths , '' Baker said , according to inquest transcripts . `` The first three questions are unlikely to give rise to any difficulty . The fourth is a rather wider question and is directed towards the means by which they died . '' Diana , 36 , and 42-year-old Dodi Fayed were killed on August 31 , 1997 when the Mercedes-Benz they were traveling in hit a pillar in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris . They were being pursued at the time by the paparazzi after leaving the Ritz Hotel . Driver Henri Paul , who was also killed , was drunk and driving at high speed . Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor . Next week , the jury is scheduled to travel to Paris to see the crash site , along the River Seine . They are also expected to hear testimony from the paparazzi who were present after the accident . In its evidence section , the Web site for the inquest has posted previously unpublished pictures taken by paparazzi of the limo before and immediately after the accident . One is a closeup -- looking into the front of the vehicle -- that shows Diana , Fayed , Paul and Rees-Jones minutes before the crash . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To understand how close Kanye West and his mother , Donda , were , one only needs to listen to his music . Donda and Kanye West , here during her book tour , were very close . He regularly made reference to her in his lyrics , discussing everything from her insistence that he receive a college degree to her unshakeable support of him when he ultimately decided to pursue a rap career . Donda West , who died at 58 over the weekend , appeared to be as tough as she was loving . On `` Ca n't Tell Me Nothing , '' a track from his latest album , `` Graduation , '' he rhymes about his mother 's attempt to discourage him from spending money on jewelry and `` Louis V. '' On `` Touch the Sky , '' from his 2005 album , `` Late Registration , '' he recalls how his mother drove him from Chicago , Illinois , to New York in a U-Haul van . -LRB- Read the obituary of Donda West . -RRB- She was also the inspiration for the song `` Hey Mama , '' from the same album . `` I want to scream so loud for you \/ because I 'm so proud of you , '' he rhymes . `` I know I act a fool \/ but I promise you I 'm going back to school \/ I appreciate what you allowed for me and I just want you to be proud of me . '' Watch how Kanye West is mourning his mother '' Donda West was indeed proud . She regularly attended her son 's concerts and often could be found dancing and rapping his more radio-friendly lyrics . Watch Donda West talk about `` Raising Kanye '' '' At the MTV Video Music Awards in September , she and a gaggle of girlfriends were perched in the VIP section at a party for Rolling Stone magazine . As Kanye West whipped the crowd into a frenzy with hits such as `` Gold Digger '' and `` Through the Wire , '' his mom waved her hands in the air side to side and bobbed to the beats . When asked if her son would sell more records than 50 Cent -LRB- both rappers released their albums on September 11 -RRB- , she answered coyly . `` Good music will win out , '' she said with a smile and a wink . -LRB- Her son 's label is named Good Music . -RRB- Gallery : Donda and Kanye '' `` Graduation '' would go on to trounce 50 Cent 's `` Curtis , '' debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and selling more than 950,000 copies in its first week of release . Long before her son became an international superstar , Donda West was an English professor at Chicago State University . She stepped down as chairwoman of the university 's English department in 2004 to manage her son 's burgeoning career full time . The two collaborated on a book , `` Raising Kanye : Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip Hop Star , '' which was released in May . And most recently , she became the CEO of Super Good , the parent company of Kanye West Enterprises . She also was the chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation , which , interestingly enough , is focused on keeping students from dropping out of school . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With U.S. gasoline prices setting records , opponents of the war in Iraq have raised a new complaint this week : The budget windfall that skyrocketing oil prices has given Baghdad . Iraqi employees attend the opening ceremony of a new oil refinery plant in Najaf , Iraq , on March 15 . Crude oil futures topped $ 112 a barrel in Wednesday 's intraday trading in New York -- up from about $ 35 a barrel before the 2003 invasion of Iraq . Though Iraq 's oil exports have yet to top prewar levels , the price rise has meant a $ 6.4 billion surplus for the Iraqi government , according to the Pentagon 's last quarterly report on the war . With the five-year-old war 's cost to U.S. taxpayers estimated at more than $ 600 billion , the Iraqi windfall provoked sharp questions from Congress during two days of testimony by the top U.S. officials in Iraq , Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker . `` This nation 's facing record deficits , and the Iraqis have translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than effective services , '' Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri , the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , said Wednesday . `` Under these circumstances and with a strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness , we and the American people must ask : Why should we stay in Iraq in large numbers ? '' Rep. Dana Rohrabacher , R-California , proposed the Iraqi government pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops in its country under any future agreement between Washington and Baghdad -- and said he would introduce legislation to require that . `` The United States government and the people of the United States have paid an awful price , '' Rohrabacher said . `` It 's time for the Iraqis to pay that price for their own protection . '' Crocker said Iraq has allocated $ 13 billion for reconstruction projects in 2008 and plans to add another $ 5 billion this summer . The U.S. focus will shift to improving Iraq 's economy at the local level and expanding its export capacity , he said . `` The era of U.S.-funded major infrastructure projects is over . We are seeking to ensure that our assistance , in partnership with the Iraqis , leverages Iraq 's own resources , '' he said . Five years after Baghdad fell to a U.S.-led army , many Iraqis still lack basic services such as water , sewer connections and electricity . Nevertheless , Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the government is `` doing its best '' to spend money to improve the country . `` I think the government has a responsibility , definitely , to care for its people , to provide services and to use the oil money for reconstruction and development , '' Zebari said . The United States has committed about $ 45 billion to Iraq 's reconstruction since the March 2003 invasion , according to a report last month from the Government Accountability Office . The agency , the investigative arm of Congress , concluded that Iraq 's oil revenues could top $ 100 billion in 2007 and 2008 . When President Bush announced he was dispatching almost 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq in January 2007 , he told Americans that Iraqis would spend $ 10 billion on reconstruction projects and pass a law allocating the country 's oil wealth as steps toward a political settlement of the war . The GAO , however , found Iraq had spent only 7 percent of that budget by November 2007 , and the proposed oil law has stalled in the country 's fractious parliament . Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh blamed the ongoing insurgency and the `` socialist command economy '' left behind by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein for the slow pace of reconstruction . `` At the time we were trying to reform it , open up the system , when we are faced with the terrible challenge of al Qaeda and this tornado of terrorism afflicting the society day in , day out , '' Saleh said . `` People should not be too judgmental . '' But Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , said Tuesday the issue is `` a burr in the saddle of the American people '' -- particularly since Bush administration officials told Congress before the invasion that Iraq could finance its own reconstruction with oil revenues . Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina -- a Republican opponent of the war -- pointed out the United States `` is borrowing money from foreign governments to pay our bills '' while oil and gas prices have more than doubled . `` The issue is that we in this Congress are going to be cutting programs to help our elderly with health care , '' he said Wednesday . `` The American people want to know that the Iraqi government understands that we do not have treasure and blood to go on and on and on . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jill Dougherty in Baghdad contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another band of frigid weather will blanket the eastern two-thirds of the nation Wednesday , battering states already dealing with record-low temperatures that have been blamed for at least five deaths . The system will bring blistering cold weather and winds across the country , including many states not used to such temperatures . In Florida , Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency because of the threat to the state 's lucrative crop industry . His order aims to help farmers across the state salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks and allowing them to get already harvested crops out of the cold . In other areas of the country , low temperature records are being broken and are likely to continue to fall . Later this week , the temperature could drop below zero for the first time in St. Louis , Missouri , since 1999 , according to the National Weather Center . Little Rock , Arkansas , could see an actual temperature of 10 degrees and wind chill of 20 below zero on Friday morning , according to the National Weather Service . The high temperature will be in the 20s on Thursday and Friday in Dallas , Texas , where consecutive days that cold have not happened since 1998 , the weather service said . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . By Friday morning , afternoon highs will struggle to make it above zero , he said . `` What 's unusual about this is the length of the cold snap , '' CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said . `` Typically across the South , you 'll get a two - to three-day cold snap , and then temperatures will moderate , '' he said . `` But we 're getting reinforcing shot after reinforcing shot , and that pattern does n't look like it wants to break down until at least next week . '' Some states were still dealing with the aftermath of the first cold snap . In Atlantic , Iowa , a record set in 1958 was broken when the temperature dropped to minus 29 degrees Monday , according to the National Weather Service . Share your photos , video of winter weather near you Safety officials in Virginia warned children and adults to stay away from frozen ponds and streams . A homeless man was found frozen to death in Kansas City , Missouri , where the temperature was 1 degree Tuesday morning , and Salvation Army officials said they desperately need donations of hats , gloves and socks , CNN affiliate KCTV reported . The temperature is not expected to rise above zero in Kansas City on Friday . A winter storm watch is in effect for Kansas City , where 2 to 4 inches of snow and near-blizzard conditions will be possible on Wednesday afternoon , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . A winter storm watch has also been issued for Memphis , Tennessee , where 2 to 4 inches of snow will be possible from late Wednesday evening into Thursday morning . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , Morris said . A winter storm warning for moderate to heavy snowfall was in effect into Tuesday afternoon in parts of northwestern Washington state , northern Idaho , Montana and northern Wyoming , the weather service said . Moderate to heavy snowfall also is possible in much of North Dakota from Tuesday to Wednesday , the weather service said . A dusting of snow will be possible in Atlanta , Georgia , on Thursday , Morris said . At least four cold-related deaths have occurred in Tennessee . One was an 81-year-old Alzheimer 's patient who apparently wandered outside during the night wearing nothing but a bathrobe , police said . John Anderson 's body was found in his driveway Monday morning . The Salvation Army shelter in Lubbock , Texas , is making room to let more people in out of the cold , CNN affiliate KCBD reported . Shelters in Jackson , Mississippi , were reaching capacity , CNN affiliate WLBT reported . New Jerusalem Church in Jackson was opening its doors to help the homeless . `` We had one of the gentlemen tonight who lives under the bridge . ... He 's never been to a shelter , and he said , ` You know , Miss Liza , my bones ca n't handle it anymore , ' '' New Jerusalem Church spokesperson Eliza Garcia told WLBT . The frigid air reaches all the way south , jeopardizing berry and citrus crops in Louisiana and Florida . Watch how berry farmers are trying to save their plants Some hard freeze warnings were also in effect in Louisiana and parts of the state could see temperatures drop into the 20s , some of the coldest weather in the area since 1996 , CNN affiliate WWL in New Orleans , Louisiana , reported . Supplies for protecting pipes from freezing were disappearing from area stores , CNN affiliate WDSU reported . It forced some to discuss other options -- like wrapping pipes in newspaper and covering it in plastic , WDSU reported . Hard freeze warnings were in effect Tuesday morning for much of northern Florida and parts of other Gulf Coast states , according to the National Weather Service . `` For Florida , they 're going to see the coldest stretch in 15 to 25 years , '' Marciano said . `` They get freezes like this , but they do n't get them for this length of time , and that 's the danger that will probably wear the farmers out . '' In Winter Park , Florida , some students found themselves unable to escape the elements even once they got to school -- a faulty air handler left Aloma Elementary School without heat , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando reported . Growers are spraying water on their trees to form a protective coating of ice , said Andrew Meadows , spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual , a trade group representing about 8,000 growers . As long as temperatures do n't drop below 28 degrees for more than four hours , damage should be minimal , he said . However , forecasters say colder air is on the way . `` Tonight 's going to be another anxious night , '' Meadows said . `` I 'm sure a lot of growers will be pulling all-nighters . '' Farmers in Louisiana such as Eric Morrow told CNN affiliate WDSU in New Orleans they were also waiting anxiously , hoping their strawberry crops do n't get destroyed at the height of the growing season . Charlotte County , Florida , planned to open a cold weather shelter Tuesday evening , CNN affiliate WINK reported . Other counties were taking similar steps . Shoppers at clothing stores were were clearing racks of warm coats , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando , Florida , reported . The cold can be lethal to Florida 's tree-dwelling iguana population , too . The reptiles fall into a sort of suspended animation that mimics death when the temperature drops below 40 , but they could indeed die if it stays below 40 for more than three days , according to CNN affiliate WFOR . Lows reached the teens Tuesday morning in parts of Alabama , according to the weather service . Record lows were expected in many areas across the South , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . The Weatherization Trust , a nonprofit group in Omaha , Nebraska , stepped in to help a family whose furnace quit in the midst of the freeze , CNN affiliate KETV reported . Tracy O'Boyle and her family have been using an oven to stay warm , but the nonprofit group has procured a replacement furnace , to be installed by the end of the week , KETV reported . `` We 're just grateful we 're going to get the furnace in a few days , '' O'Boyle told KETV . `` We 've already lasted more than a week without one and it 's been really cold . '' CNN 's Jim Kavanaugh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama used the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to renew his pitch for alternative energy Wednesday , arguing that the unfolding environmental disaster `` gives you a sense of where we 're going '' without comprehensive reform . The federal government is `` going to bring every resource necessary to put a stop '' to the spill , the president said during a visit to a solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont , California . `` We will not rest until this well is shut , the environment is repaired , and the cleanup is complete . '' But , he added , `` a lot of damage has been done already . The spill in the Gulf , which is just heartbreaking , only underscores the necessity '' of seeking alternative fuel sources . A failure to enact comprehensive energy reform , he argued , would pose a threat to national security and the economy , as well as the environment . Obama 's remarks came two weeks after Sens. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , and Joe Lieberman , an independent from Connecticut , introduced a sweeping energy and climate change bill intended to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while reshaping the energy sector . The House passed its own energy bill last year , and Obama has said he backs the efforts by Kerry and Lieberman to move the issue forward in the Senate . The president asked for Senate GOP cooperation on the issue during a closed-door meeting Tuesday with Republicans on Capitol Hill . However , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , has indicated he wants immigration reform to take priority , and the politics of midterm congressional elections in November raises questions about the the possibility of gaining final approval this year of such major legislation as energy reform . Reid 's position caused a potential Republican co-sponsor , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , to drop out of the talks with Lieberman and Kerry on drafting the proposal . The proposal addresses a range of energy issues , including expanded nuclear power production , incentives for the coal industry to seek cleaner methods , money to develop alternative energy sources and programs to help U.S. industry in the transition to a low-carbon system . On climate change , the measure seeks escalating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades that match the levels set as goals by the Obama administration and contained in the House bill . Among other things , the proposal calls for emissions reductions from 2005 levels of 17 percent by 2020 , 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050 . The Senate proposal includes expanded offshore oil drilling as part of a strategy to increase domestic production . However , provisions strengthening the ability of states to prevent more drilling off their coasts were added in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill . CNN 's Tom Cohen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to repeal the antitrust exemption currently granted to health insurance companies . The vote was 406-19 to repeal the exemption , which has been in place since the end of World War II . The 19 who voted against the repeal are Republicans . Liberal Democrats have said a repeal would help inject competition into the health care industry while reducing consumer costs . White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday that President Obama strongly supports the repeal . `` At its core , health reform is all about ensuring that American families and businesses have more choices , benefit from more competition and have greater control over their own health care , '' Gibbs said . Read the bill `` Repealing this exemption is an important part of that effort . Gibbs said the president is not seeking repeal of the exemption in lieu of broader changes to the insurance market . `` This is a complementary step along the way , '' he said . The debate in the House on Wednesday included a colorful moment between Rep. Anthony Weiner , D-New York , and Republicans . `` You guys have chutzpah , '' Weiner told Republicans during the debate . `` The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry , '' he said , drawing the objections of Republicans , who asked that his words be stricken from the record . Weiner then asked for unanimous consent to replace his words and said , `` Every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry . '' The Republicans objected again , prompting Weiner to rescind his words . The House version of the health care bill passed last year would have removed the antitrust exemption , while the Senate 's version would not . Advocates of an exemption repeal say the exemption has allowed health insurance companies to essentially divide the country into geographic zones . They argue the companies benefit from what amounts to local monopolies . Industry defenders , in turn , point out that insurers are still subject to state regulations . They say the impact of an exemption repeal is overblown . CNN Fact Check : Would exemption repeal lower premiums ? Administration officials and their allies in Congress have taken an increasingly tough stance against the unpopular insurance industry . Among other things , Obama 's latest proposal for health care reform would give the federal government new authority to block excessive rate increases by health insurers . Specifically , Obama 's plan calls for the secretary of health and human services to work with a seven-member board made up of doctors , economists and consumer and insurance representatives to review premium increases . The board , to be known as the Health Insurance Rate Authority , would provide an annual report to recommend to states whether certain rate increases should be approved , although the secretary could overrule state insurance regulators .","question":""}
{"answer":"HOLLYWOOD , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore has confessed to overpowering and fatally shooting a deputy who was taking him to court Wednesday , authorities said . Michael Mazza , 40 , was arrested outside a pawn shop in Hollywood , Florida , hours after the death of Broward County Deputy Paul Rein sparked a massive manhunt . It was the third shooting of a Broward County sheriff 's deputy in four months , and the second fatality . The incident happened as Mazza was being taken to the second day of his trial in connection with the armed robbery of a Coral Springs bank , Sheriff Al Lamberti said . Mazza was being transported in a medical van because of a medical condition , Lamberti said . The driver 's compartment of the van was separated from the back by a cage or grill . Mazza and Rein left about 8:05 a.m. , Lamberti said . Minutes later , a truck driver who saw all or part of the altercation near Pompano Beach called 911 . `` All of this transpired within six minutes . That 's all it took , '' Lamberti said . The struggle began when Rein apparently pulled the medical transport van over at an intersection . The deputy 's body showed other injuries from the fight -- a broken finger , bruises and cuts , Lamberti said . Mazza allegedly took Rein 's service weapon away from him and shot him , authorities said . Although two shots were fired , Rein was shot only once , the bullet entering his upper chest and exiting his lower back , Lamberti told reporters . After the shooting , Mazza is believed to have thrown Rein from the van and driven away . A city public works employee later spotted the blood-spattered van in Fort Lauderdale , Lamberti said . Mazza , meanwhile , is believed to have hitchhiked his way down to Hollywood , about 20 miles away . He approached a man at a pawn shop and asked for a ride . The man , who was headed to a second pawn shop , agreed . When the man arrived at the second pawn shop , he left Mazza in the car and went inside , Lamberti said . As he was talking to the clerk , a television in the shop began broadcasting news about the deputy 's shooting , and showed a picture of Mazza , he said . The man `` tells the clerk , ` Hey , I have that guy in my car , ' '' Lamberti said . He went back to the car , took his keys , came back and told the clerk to call police . Mazza was arrested shortly afterward . Rein 's gun was found with Mazza in the man 's car , the sheriff said . Mazza faces charges including first-degree murder and escape , Lamberti said . He was being interviewed by police Wednesday afternoon and was to appear before a judge at some point , he said , and afterward would be transported to Dade County Jail . Because the shooting was `` an emotionally charged event for all of us ... we feel it 's probably better that he be housed at another facility outside of Broward County , '' Lamberti said , and Dade County agreed to house him . Mazza initially was reluctant to talk to authorities , but later agreed , and confessed to shooting Rein , the sheriff said . He offered no details . Lamberti said Mazza was serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore in Coconut Creek , correcting his earlier statement that Mazza was serving two life sentences . He was on trial for robbery of the Coral Springs bank . Broward County also has a pending case against Mazza -- a February drugstore robbery in Pompano Beach , he said . Mazza was dressed in civilian clothes -- a suit -- rather than jail scrubs Wednesday because he had a court date , authorities have said . When caught , however , Mazza was wearing a T-shirt , shorts and sneakers , Lamberti told reporters . Police are investigating whether he had planned the escape in advance and whether anyone helped him . Rein 's co-workers told reporters he was `` in outstanding condition physically . '' The sheriff 's office has fitness-for-duty standards that deputies must meet . Broward County deputies conduct some 400 to 500 inmate court transports a day -- one deputy transporting up to a handful of inmates , Lamberti said . Thin staffing and scant resources prevent more than one deputy being involved , he said . `` It 's a routine thing , '' Lamberti said . `` But it shows , in this profession , nothing is routine , whether it be a domestic , a traffic stop or just transporting an inmate to court . '' As news of the escape broke , all 273 schools in Broward County went on lockdown , according to Nadine Drew , a spokeswoman for the school system . Lamberti said Rein 's wife spoke to her husband by cell phone just 10 minutes before he was shot . `` She said you never think it 's going to happen to you , '' the sheriff said . The deputy was memorialized Wednesday on the Web site of the Broward County Sheriff 's Office . Visitors to the site were greeted by a photo of Rein , with a caption saying , `` Husband . Father . Friend . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A hearing continues Thursday to determine the future of John Hinckley Jr. , who shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in March 1981 . After an expected week and half of testimony , a federal judge will consider whether Hinckley should eventually be released from a mental hospital , where he has been a patient since his 1982 trial . The trial ended in a jury verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity . On Wednesday , Hinckley 's lawyers said he is not dangerous and should eventually be released . But prosecutors are fighting that , saying Hinckley has been deceptive about his activities while on visits to his mother in Williamsburg , Virginia . In opening statements , prosecutor Sarah Chasson said Secret Service agents will testify they performed surveillance on Hinckley without his knowledge earlier this year when he was allowed what he was told was unsupervised free time in Williamsburg . On several occasions in July and September , Hinckley was supposed to go to the movies or shopping but instead went to bookstores where he looked at books about Ronald Reagan and presidential assassins , Chasson said . A requirement of Hinckley 's current visitation program is that plans be laid out detailing what he will do when on his own and that medical staff and the Secret Service are informed . According to Chasson , in the first instance in July , Hinckley was supposed to go to the movie `` Captain America . '' Later when he saw his `` treatment team , '' Hinckley not only maintained he had gone to the movie , but he enthusiastically recommended it . Chasson also quoted from a 1987 diary entry by Hinckley in which he said `` psychiatry is a guessing game '' and doctors `` will never know the true John Hinckley . '' `` The hospital does n't know what Mr. Hinckley is thinking , and he wants it that way , '' the prosecutor said . Hinckley 's attorney , Barry Levine , said the issue is not whether Hinckley has sometimes been deceptive but whether he is dangerous . `` This man is not dangerous and the evidence shows he is not dangerous , '' Levine said . He added that Hinckley is `` flawed '' but is `` fundamentally decent . '' Levine said that in the two and a half decades that Hinckley has been at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington to undergo treatment and during his visits outside that facility , there has `` not been a single act of violence . '' Since 1999 , Levine said , Hinckley has been taking a drug called Risperdal . Medical websites describe Risperdal as an antipsychotic medication often used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia . Dr. Tyler Jones , director of psychiatry at St. Elizabeths , testified Hinckley also started taking Zoloft in 2005 after complaining about anxiety . Jones said Hinckley had been diagnosed years ago as suffering from depression and from an unspecified psychotic disorder . But Jones said he 's been in remission for both of those disorders for many years . He said Hinckley also suffers from narcissism , which has improved but is still present . Jones said he has interviewed Hinckley but has not treated him . According to Jones , Hinckley 's treatment team was informed by the Secret Service that Hinckley had not told the truth about his activities during several visits . Jones said the medical staff discussed this issue with Hinckley , who initially did not appear to view the issue as a big deal , but later understood it was a serious issue . Although concerned Hinckley was not truthful about his activities , Jones said , `` We did n't feel this constituted an increased risk . '' The staff decided to reduce Hinckley 's Christmas visit to his mother from 10 days to five days , and he will not be allowed to have any unaccompanied activities during that December stay . Jones said the staff had considered stronger action including the possibility of revoking Hinckley 's privileges altogether . A September filing by prosecutors said Hinckley `` continues to be deceptive regarding his relationships with and interest in women . '' According to the document , in June of 2009 he went on the Internet to find photos of his female dentist . `` When he was caught , Hinckley claimed , falsely , that the dentist had invited him to view her personal photographs . '' Asked about the photographs of the dentist , Jones said the photographs were of the woman graduating from dental school and were `` not salacious . '' He said the hospital considers Hinckley `` a low risk of violence to himself and others . '' Currently , Hinckley is allowed to visit his mother 10 days a month . On July 29 , St. Elizabeths Hospital filed a proposal to increase that . The first step would allow Hinckley to have two visits of 17 days . That would be followed by six visits of 24 days . According to the September government filing opposing the plan , the hospital would then `` be given the sole discretion to place Hinckley on convalescent leave in his mother 's hometown . '' After the judge and all the lawyers were in place , Hinckley , now 56 , entered the court wearing a brown sports jacket , dark pants and a striped tie . He shook hands with all his lawyers and sat down . U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman greeted Hinckley and he replied , saying , `` Good morning . '' Hinckley 's defense team has listed him as a possible witness at the proceedings but has not revealed if he will definitely testify . Prosecutors want to cross-examine Hinckley and his defense lawyers oppose that . Mental health experts and Secret Service agents will testify , along with Hinckley 's brother and sister . Hinckley 's mother is now 85 years old and is not a scheduled witness . It 's not clear how quickly the judge might issue a ruling on the hospital 's plan to gradually allow Hinckley greater freedom . On March 30 , 1981 , Hinckley waited for President Reagan to leave a Washington Hotel after a speech . He opened fire and hit Reagan , his press secretary James Brady , Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and Washington police officer Thomas Delahanty . All survived , but Brady suffered a serious head wound that permanently affected his mobility and his speech . Hinckley , who was 25 at the time of the shooting , was enamored of actress Jodie Foster . He left a letter addressed to her in his Washington hotel room saying , `` Dear Jodie . There is a definite possibility I will be killed in my attempt to get Reagan . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some of Zimbabwe 's children are '' wasting away '' as political turmoil and economic crisis have caused a severe food shortage , according to a report from Save the Children . Children sleep in rough conditions on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa . The number of acute child malnutrition cases has risen by almost two-thirds in the past year , the report from the UK-based agency said in its appeal to world donors for help . `` There is no excuse for failing to provide this food , '' program director Lynn Walker said . `` The innocent people of Zimbabwe should not be made to suffer for a political situation that is out of their control . '' Five million Zimbabweans -- out of a population of about 12 million -- are in need of food aid now , the report said . The group is appealing for 18,000 tons of food for next month . `` We have already been forced to reduce the rations of emergency food we are delivering because there is n't enough to go around , '' the report said . `` If , as we fear , the food aid pipeline into Zimbabwe begins to fail in the new year the millions of people who rely on emergency food aid will suffer . '' Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain 28 years ago . There is an acute shortage of all essentials such as cash , fuel , medical drugs , electricity and food . President Robert Mugabe blames the crisis on the sanctions imposed on him and his cronies by the West for allegedly disregarding human rights . But Mugabe 's critics attribute the crisis to his economic policies . As the economy has faltered for almost a decade now , a cholera epidemic is raging , fueled by the collapse of health , sanitation and water services in Zimbabwe . The epidemic has claimed more than 1,100 lives and infected more than 20,000 people since its outbreak in August . Health experts have warned that the water-borne disease could infect more than 60,000 unless its spread is halted . The political crisis rose to a boil in this year when the opposition party claimed that it won the presidential election , but Mugabe 's government refused to recognize the result . Instead , the race was thrown to a runoff , which was boycotted by the opposition . Mugabe signed an agreement with the opposition in September to form a unity government , but a bitter dispute over the division of cabinet seats has prevented its formation . Inflation is so severe that the government was forced to print $ 10 billion currency notes last week , with each expected to buy just 20 loaves of bread .","question":""}
{"answer":"London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first double portrait of Britain 's Princes William and Harry went on display Tuesday at the National Portrait Gallery . The painting shows the brothers dressed in their military uniforms , chatting to each other at their home at Clarence House , near Buckingham Palace . It is the first portrait to show William and Harry together , the National Portrait Gallery said . It will now hang in the museum alongside other portraits of the royal family . Artist Nicky Philipps said she was able to capture an informal moment , `` a behind-the-scenes glance at the human element of royal responsibility , and to emphasize their brotherly relationship . '' Commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery , the painting shows Prince Harry seated next to Prince William , who is standing to his left . They are wearing the dress uniform of the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry , where they are both lieutenants . William also wears the the star and blue sash of the Order of the Garter , a British order of chivalry , which the queen awarded him in 2008 . William , 27 , is now training to be a search-and-rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force , where he holds the rank of flight lieutenant . Harry , 25 , who served in Afghanistan , is training to become a pilot with the Army Air Corps . `` The first portrait of the princes captures them formally dressed , but informally posed , '' said Sandy Nairne , the museum 's director . `` It is a delightful image which extends the tradition of royal portraiture . '' The National Portrait Gallery said it was appropriate that the princes were pictured at Clarence House , which used to be the home of the late Queen Mother . Part of a painting of the Queen Mother is visible above Harry 's shoulder in the portrait , and paintings from her private collection are seen behind William . Philipps , 45 , has had high-profile commissions before , but said it was a `` great privilege '' to paint the two princes . `` They were very good company and although I was commissioned to paint them in their official context , I hope I have also captured some of the brotherly banter that characterized the sittings , '' she said .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three of five Americans contractors detained in Baghdad have been ordered released by an Iraqi judge , because of insufficient evidence , a court spokesman said Thursday . In a CNN exclusive , video shows U.S. contractors taken into custody by Iraqi authorities . The other two other contractors remain in custody , according to Judge Abdul Sattar al-Beeraqdar , a spokesman for Iraq 's Higher Judicial Council . One of the men has been released on bond , the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed Thursday . The embassy did not identify the man , who was released Wednesday . However , a spokesman for his employer , Corporate Training Unlimited , said it was Donald Feeney . Judy Feeney , Donald 's wife , also confirmed his release . The contracting company said the release of the others has been delayed because of a procedural issue . Judy Feeney said her son , Donald Feeney III , and Mark Bridges were to be released Thursday morning , but it may take more time to release the other two , Jason Jones and Micah Milligan . But al-Beeraqdar said , without naming names , that two contractors were being held on charges involving `` illegal substances '' found on the men when they were taken into custody . Those who have been released are not allowed to leave the country because of an ongoing investigation and the judge may want to question them again , according to al-Beeraqdar . Except for Jones , the detained contractors work for the Fayetteville , North Carolina-based CTU , a security firm headed by the elder Feeney . An Iraqi judge decided earlier on Wednesday that charges against the five contractors were not warranted and that they could be released , according to an Iraqi security source and a source close to the five . The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case , in which the contractors have been detained since last week for reasons that remain unclear . The contractors initially had been told they were being held in connection with the May death of another contractor , James Kitterman , said the source close to the five . But on Monday , according to a judicial source , the men were told they were being held on suspicion of having unregistered weapons . Still , they were asked about their activities around the time Kitterman was killed , and Iraqi government officials told CNN Monday the five were detained as suspects in connection with Kitterman 's slaying . Kitterman was found bound , blindfolded and fatally stabbed in a car in Baghdad 's Green Zone on May 22 . The 60-year-old Houston , Texas , resident owned a construction company that operated in Iraq . The Green Zone is the high-security area in central Baghdad that contains the U.S. Embassy and key Iraqi government buildings . Access to the area , formally known as the International Zone , is tightly controlled . The five contractors were taken into custody on June 3 in a pre-dawn Green Zone raid by Iraqi and U.S. personnel , the security source told CNN on Sunday . During the raid , troops also confiscated weapons , the Iraqi security source said . Three of the contractors were suspected of being directly involved in Kitterman 's death , the Iraqi source said . A U.S. Embassy spokesman said the search was an Iraqi operation , but FBI representatives were present at the request of Iraqi authorities . The five were transferred to a prison within the Green Zone on Friday . `` After this murder inside the Green Zone , a joint investigation committee from U.S. and Iraq sides has been formed to investigate this incident , '' Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf told CNN , `` and this committee managed to collect a number of indications that those five are linked to this murder . '' Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh also said the men were detained based on information linking them to the Kitterman slaying . Under Iraqi law , after a person is detained , an investigative judge questions the accused and assesses the evidence . The judge then decides whether there is sufficient evidence , and either refers the case to trial or dismisses it . The Iraqi source said the five had been held in a separate holding area and not with other Iraqi detainees , but spent time in a courtyard with other Iraqi detainees . A U.S. Embassy spokesman said consular officials had visited with them and `` they appeared well . '' The source close to the suspects said Sunday that each of the five men insisted they had alibis that will clear them and they were eager to tell their stories to a judge . The Feeneys had known Kitterman for six years from their time in the Green Zone and `` respected him , '' Corporate Training Unlimited spokeswoman Sarah Smith told CNN . CNN 's Alan Duke in Los Angeles and Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Perugia , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion . Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate , Meredith Kercher , at the villa they shared in Italy . `` We suffer at the memory of Meredith . But we look at the future of Amanda , '' Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation . `` Meredith was my friend , '' he quoted Knox as saying , rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate , who was fatally stabbed in November 2007 . Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher , and two men -- Knox 's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito , 26 , and acquaintance Rudy Guede -- sexually assaulted her . The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito 's house had Knox 's DNA on the handle and Kercher 's on the blade , among other pieces of evidence . But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday . He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant , giving them a symbolic `` red card '' -- a referee 's sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules . Ghirga concluded an emotional oration -- sobbing as he came to the end -- by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox , because her mother asked him to request it , because her family asked it . Knox 's father , Curt , said Wednesday she had been a victim of `` character assassination , '' and expressed hope she would be found not guilty . Members of Kercher 's family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case . But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of '' lynching '' the Italian police who worked on the case . He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga 's arguments Wednesday . And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty . Italy does not have the death penalty . The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday , after the prosecution completes its summary . Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution 's theory does n't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty . Calling Knox a victim herself , Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder , leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime . The lawyer showed photos published in the media , purportedly showing the crime scene , that were n't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox 's character created a bias from the start . Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder . In preliminary hearings , Mignini argued Knox , Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher 's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox 's attention . In recent days , Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates . Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed , claiming the two women were friends . Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed . The defense has argued that Guede , who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction , was the sole killer . The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher 's murder . Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene . As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial , he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox 's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon . The defense has said the knife does n't match Kercher 's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet , and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive . During the first day of closing arguments for Knox 's lawyers , della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty . He told the jury they needed to be `` morally certain of their decision . '' `` If you have the minimum of doubts , you must absolve this young girl -- a girl that is merely 22 years old , '' he said . Knox and Sollecito , who both deny any role in the murder , have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence . Their trial began in January . CNN 's Mallory Simon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspected terrorist linked to several Indonesian bombings in the past decade was killed in a protracted firefight Saturday in the Central Java town of Temanggung , two law enforcement sources told CNN . A poster in Malang , East Java , Indonesia , has under `` dicari , '' or `` wanted , '' Noordin Top . Another raid by police Saturday averted a planned assassination attempt on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , authorities said . Noordin M. Top was killed during a raid by the anti-terrorism unit Detachment 88 that began Friday and lasted 18 hours into Saturday , said a police source and a security analyst with close ties to the police . Official confirmation of Top 's identity will come next week after DNA results , said Indonesia 's National Police Chief , Bambang Hendarso . Indonesia 's anti-terrorism forces had been hunting Top for the past six years . He is also the main suspect in last month 's twin hotel bombings in Jakarta . A statement attributed to Top , 40 , a Malaysian-born explosives expert , claimed responsibility for the attacks that targeted Jakarta 's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels . The coordinated bombings killed seven people and the two suspected bombers , and wounded more than 50 . Watch more about the raid '' It was the first major terrorist attack in Indonesia in more than three years . Top is reportedly an officer , recruiter , bomb-maker and trainer for a splinter group of the militant organization Jemaah Islamiyah , which has ties to al Qaeda . He allegedly was involved in a previous attack on the Marriott in Jakarta in August 2003 , as well as attacks on a Bali nightclub in 2002 and the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 , according to the FBI . In February 2006 , the FBI added Top to its list of 10 suspected terrorists who have not been charged in the United States , and are wanted only for questioning . The ramifications of Top 's death were not immediately clear . `` This is a huge advance in Indonesia 's fight against terror , '' said Sidney Jones , a senior Asia adviser for the International Crisis Group , a global nonpartisan advisory organization . `` But this is not the end of it because we still do n't know the extent of the network and the funding source of Noordin 's network . '' Three to four people were believed to be holed up in the house in Temanggung , police said . Security forces had launched a raid on the house after two people believed to be nephews of its owner were arrested earlier in the day , according to the official Antara News Agency . `` Police officers entered the house and fired profusely inside the house while other policemen surrounded the house and opened its windows by force , '' Antara said . After the gunfire ended , local television showed police with their helmets off , shaking hands and carrying caskets into the house , suggesting that those inside the house had been killed or captured . Also on Saturday , in a house on the outskirts of Jakarta , Indonesian police killed two militants believed to be connected with a 2004 bombing and found a cache of explosives in an early morning raid , the national police chief said . Hendarso said that police found about 100 kg -LRB- 220 lbs -RRB- of explosives along with bomb-making materials and a truck , which they did not immediately open for fear it might have been rigged to explode . Those bomb-making materials were going to be used in an attack on the president , Hendarso said . The two militants killed are believed to be connected with the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta in which 16 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded , Hendarso said . Also , a man identified as Suryana , who uses the aliases Yayan and Gepeng , was arrested in north Jakarta on suspicion of terrorism charges , said Nanan Soekarna , police inspector general . Soekarna could not say whether Suryana was connected with last month 's hotel bombings or other incidents . CNN 's Andy Saputra contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen . Barack Obama blasted Congress for not passing a financial rescue package Monday , while Sen. John McCain 's campaign accused Obama and Democrats of putting `` politics ahead of country . '' The House of Representatives rejected a $ 700 billion plan to bail out the financial system , putting a roadblock in front of the largest government intervention in the market since the Great Depression . The bill failed by a vote of 205 to 228 , with 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 95 Democrats joining 133 Republicans against . `` This is a moment of national crisis , and today 's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington , '' the Obama-Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the vote . The statement went on to say that every American `` should be outraged that an era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington has led us to this point . '' Watch more on the vote '' Also after the vote , McCain touted his role in last week 's negotiations on the bailout bill . `` I laid out principles '' including `` responsible oversight , '' transparency and a cap on so-called golden parachutes -- the big bonuses Wall Street CEOs would receive despite their involvement in the economic crisis , he said from Des Moines , Iowa . `` I worked hard to play a constructive role . '' He said he was satisfied with the way the bill was written , though `` it was n't perfect . '' Earlier , McCain 's campaign accused Obama and Democrats of injecting politics into the American economy . `` From the minute John McCain suspended his campaign and arrived in Washington to address this crisis , he was attacked by the Democratic leadership : Sens. Obama and -LSB- Senate Majority Leader Harry -RSB- Reid , Speaker Pelosi and others . `` Their partisan attacks were an effort to gain political advantage during a national economic crisis . By doing so , they put at risk the homes , livelihoods and savings of millions of American families , '' Doug Holtz-Eakin , a senior policy adviser for McCain and his running mate , Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , said in a statement . `` Barack Obama failed to lead , phoned it in , attacked John McCain and refused to even say if he supported the final bill . ... This bill failed because Barack Obama and the Democrats put politics ahead of country , '' Holtz-Eakin said . Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for the failure of the bill , which President Bush had urged Congress to approve . Obama had earlier Monday spoken with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and congressional leaders . Watch Pelosi say Democrats ` delivered ' '' McCain and Obama had both said Sunday that they would probably vote for the legislation , as long as it included some key principles they had pushed for . McCain announced last week he was `` suspending '' his campaign events to focus on the financial crisis , but Democrats accused him of pulling a political stunt . iReport.com : Do you support a Wall Street bailout ? The economy has dominated the campaign trail this month , and both candidates have been trying to convince voters that they will do a better job of getting the financial crisis under control . Earlier Monday , McCain told voters that Obama is n't being honest about his tax votes and said the Democrat is `` always cheering for higher taxes . '' iReport.com : Share your stories from the campaign trail In response , the Obama campaign called McCain 's remarks `` false attacks '' and an `` angry diatribe . '' `` Two times , on March 14 , 2008 , and June 4 , 2008 , in the Democratic budget resolution , he voted to raise taxes on people making just $ 42,000 per year . He even said at the time that this vote for higher taxes on the middle class was ` getting our nation 's priorities back on track , ' '' McCain said at a rally in Columbus , Ohio . `` Then something amazing happened : On Friday night , he looked the American people in the eye and said it never happened . My friends , we need a president who will always tell the American people the truth , '' McCain said . McCain said a vote for Obama would `` guarantee higher taxes , fewer jobs and an even bigger federal government '' and charged that `` these policies will deepen our recession . '' Watch McCain slam Obama on spending '' Shortly after McCain finished his speech , the Obama campaign accused the Arizona senator of lying . `` Sen. McCain 's angry diatribe today wo n't make up for his erratic response to the greatest financial crisis of our time . John McCain knows that the budget he 's talking about did n't end up raising taxes on a single American , and the lie he told the American people today is all the more outrageous a day after he admitted that his health care plan will increase taxes on some families , '' Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor said . In McCain 's speech , the Republican presidential candidate was referring to votes on a resolution -LRB- Senate Concurrent Resolution 70 -RRB- meant to outline the Senate 's budget priorities through 2013 , but the measure had no practical effect . According to a CNN review of the resolution , it assumes that most of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts pushed by President Bush will expire in that time , which McCain says amounts to a tax increase . Obama and his running mate , Sen. Joe Biden , voted `` yes '' on the resolution . McCain did not vote . However , the Democrats offered their own cuts in the 48-page resolution , which called for several tax cuts and breaks , including rolling back the alternative-minimum tax and the so-called `` marriage penalty . '' According to an analysis by the independent Tax Policy Center , the tax plan Obama has proposed during the campaign would increase taxes in 2009 on the wealthiest 20 percent of households , while offering tax cuts for the other 80 percent . Meanwhile , as Obama and McCain continue campaigning this week , their running mates will be focused on their upcoming debate . Palin and Biden face off Thursday in St. Louis , Missouri , in the only vice presidential debate of the election season . After McCain 's rally , Palin headed to McCain 's ranch near Sedona , Arizona , for what a top aide calls `` debate camp . '' Palin has already spent four days hunkered down in a Philadelphia hotel for debate prep with advisers . Biden was preparing for the debate in Delaware on Monday . CNN 's Dana Bash and Alexander Marquardt contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa inflicted the first home series defeat on Australia in almost 16 years as they wrapped up a nine-wicket win over the world 's number one ranked Test nation in Melbourne on Tuesday . South African captain Graeme Smith led from the front with 75 as his team wrapped up victory . Captain Graeme Smith hit a fluent 75 as his side successfully passed a modest victory target of 183 on the final day at the MCG to take an unassailable 2-0 lead . It was the South African 's first-ever Test series triumph in Australia and victory in the third and final match in Sydney will see them leapfrog the home side at the top of the global rankings . Hashim Amla -LRB- 30 not out -RRB- scored the winning runs shortly after lunch as South Africa became the first team to overcome Australia at home since the West Indies in 1992-93 . South Africa were never under any pressure in their run chase and did not lose a wicket until just before lunch when the inspirational Smith was trapped leg before wicket by Nathan Hauritz . Smith had dominated a 121-run opening stand with Neil McKenzie , hitting 10 boundaries . McKenzie struggled to a half century and survived strong lbw shouts from Brett Lee , who was bowling despite an injured foot that will keep him out of the Sydney Test . South Africa 's victory was set up by a brilliant maiden Test century from JP Duminy , who shared a stunning 180-run ninth wicket partnership with pace bowler Dale Steyn . It gave the tourists a priceless 65-run lead on first innings before man of the match Steyn worked his magic with the ball as Australia were bowled out on the fourth day for 247 in their second innings . The pugnacious Smith was virtually lost for words in his victory speech . `` It has been such a special moment for all of us , it has been an incredible team effort , '' he said . `` I have been smiling non-stop since we hit the winning runs . `` To be 2-0 up after this game was something we only dreamt of . '' South Africa won the first Test in Perth from an unlikely position , chasing 414 for victory for the loss of only four wickets .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISTANBUL , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Iranians who were caught up in the waves of arrests that followed the disputed presidential elections in June have accused their captors of raping them . By telling his story , Ibrahim Sharifi says , he `` committed social suicide so this incident would n't happen to others . '' An Iranian man and a woman made the allegations in separate interviews with CNN . Both said they fled to Turkey from Iran after claiming to have been threatened by Iranian security services . While CNN does not normally use the names of alleged rape victims , their names are included here with their permission . CNN could not independently confirm their accounts . But the testimony of one of the alleged rape victims , Ibrahim Sharifi , was revealed last month by a prominent Iranian opposition leader who claimed to have gathered at least four accounts of sexual assault this summer in Iranian prisons . Sharifi 's allegations were also included in a report published last week by two Western human rights organizations investigating reports of abuse in Iranian prisons . `` What we 're encountering are numerous accounts of brutality , poor treatment , even torture , serious beatings , and a couple of cases , as you know , of alleged sexual assault -- rape , '' said Joe Stork , Middle East deputy director for Human Rights Watch . The Iranian government has launched two investigations into the allegations . Iran 's judiciary concluded there was no evidence of rape . A parliamentary fact-finding committee is still working on the issue . Repeated calls by CNN to get reaction from Iranian officials to the claims of the alleged victims did not result in a response . `` Take him and get him pregnant '' Twenty-four-year-old Ibrahim Sharifi is a university student from Tehran who campaigned actively on the Internet for opposition presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi in the run-up to the controversial June 12 vote . When incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner , Sharifi joined the throngs of angry protesters in the streets who accused the government of rigging the election . On June 22 , Sharifi said , he was kidnapped , handcuffed , blindfolded and stuffed into a car by three unknown men while he was walking home from language lessons at the Italian Embassy . He said they drove him to an unknown location , where he was stripped to his underwear . There , he said , he endured several days of beatings and mock executions alongside other male prisoners , all the time tightly blindfolded . Watch Ibrahim Sharifi describe being tortured and sexually assaulted '' `` They took us and they put a noose around my neck in a way that I was forced to stand on my tiptoes , unable to breathe , '' Sharifi said . `` Somebody was constantly telling us ... ` You have received the oral sentence to be hanged , we are just waiting for the written order . ' '' `` There was the stink of piss and blood . It smelled terrible , '' Sharifi recalled . `` I was beaten so much I did n't have any energy left to cry . '' On the fourth day of his detention , during one of these mock executions , Sharifi said he finally snapped . `` I said , if you want to kill us , go ahead . Why do you play such games with us ? And the response was a kick in my stomach that made me fall . '' Sharifi said his captors kicked him repeatedly in the stomach until he started vomiting blood . He showed a pink scar on his belly from a previous car accident that he said was torn open by the blows . `` Then the guy told someone else , ` Take him and get him pregnant , ' '' Sharifi said , his voice cracking with emotion . `` They tied my hands to the wall and tied my legs , and then did that thing to me . While doing it , he was telling me , `` You , who can not even defend your you-know-what , you wanted to conduct a revolution ? '' Sharifi said he blacked out during the rape and woke up later , handcuffed to a hospital bed . A day later , he said , his captors dumped him , blindfolded , on the side of a highway . `` I was raped . Raped four times '' Twenty-one-year-old Maryam Sabri spoke to CNN by telephone from a Turkish city where , like Sharifi , she is waiting for the U.N. High Commission for Refugees to process her request for asylum . She said she was arrested by men in plainclothes on July 30 while attending a ceremony at the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan , the Iranian woman whose death was captured by cell phone camera after she was shot during a protest in the streets of Tehran . `` When I asked them where was I being taken to , why have you arrested me , who are you ? '' their response was a constant slap on my face , '' Sabri recounted . Sabri said she was interrogated several times after being detained . The sexual assault began during the third interrogation , she said . `` He said , ` OK , you wanted your vote back ? Now I 'm going to give back your vote . '' It was then that I was raped . Raped four times , '' she said . `` My hands were tied and my eyes were blindfolded , '' she said . `` He threw me on the ground while pressing my throat with one hand , and both my legs were under the weight of his legs so I could n't move at all . '' Sabri said the last time she was raped , her assailant took off her blindfold and said he would release her on the condition that , once out of prison , she remain in contact with him and cooperate with him . Several days after her release , Sabri said the alleged rapist , described as a man in his late 30s with light eyes and several days ' worth of stubble , began calling her on her cell phone and threatening her . She fled Iran several weeks later and applied for refugee status in Turkey . Rape as punishment ? Human rights organizations Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran have expressed alarm about the reports of sexual assault in prison . `` The issue is , are the authorities using rape as a tool to pressure people , to punish people ? '' asked Stork , the Middle East deputy director for Human Rights Watch . `` In the case of the one individual , Ibrahim Sharifi , it appears it was a punishment . '' Iran 's parliament and judiciary launched investigations into the allegations . But last month , Iranian security forces raided the offices of Karrubi , the opposition presidential candidate and longtime advocate for prisoners ' rights who first publicized the rape allegations . The offices of another opposition candidate , Mir Hossein Moussavi , were also raided in September . Iran 's powerful conservative parliamentary speaker , Ali Larijani , said a special committee of Iran 's parliament , or Majlis , conducted a `` precise and comprehensive inquiry '' into the treatment at Tehran 's Evin and Kahrizak prisons and found `` no cases of rape or sexual abuse , '' government-funded Press TV reported last month . Larijani accused Karrubi of spreading `` sheer lies . '' However , not everyone was persuaded by the investigation . `` The Iranian authorities appear more intent on finding the identities of those who claim to have been tortured by security officials than in carrying out an impartial investigation , '' said Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan . Sabri and Sharifi are members of a growing population of expatriate Iranian dissidents in Turkey . Both face an uncertain future as refugees here and worry about the safety of their families back in Tehran . Sabri claims her father was arrested after she first went public with her rape testimony on the U.S. government-funded network Voice of America . Sharifi , meanwhile , said that before he fled Iran , government investigators accused him of lying about his prison experience for money ... charges he angrily denies . `` I broke a taboo in Iran , '' he said , weeping . `` I sat in front of the camera and committed social suicide so this incident would n't happen to others . '' `` I want the whole world to know that Iran 's problems are not only limited to the nuclear issue , '' he said . `` The Iranian regime plays games with other countries of the world . It plays the same games with its own nation and people . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -- Football will pay its tribute to the legend of Manchester United 's Busby Babes on Wednesday in moments of remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster . A memorial stone recalls the place of the Munich air disaster in Kirchtrudering near Munich . Eight players lost their lives on February 6 , 1958 , when Flight 609 ZU crashed on the third attempt to take off after re-fuelling in Germany as United returned from knocking Red Star Belgrade out of the European Cup . Sir Matt Busby 's side , back-to-back English champions and well positioned for a hat-trick attempt , were arguably on course to become the best United team . The United players killed at Munich were Geoff Bent , aged 25 , Roger Byrne -LRB- 28 -RRB- , Eddie Colman -LRB- 21 -RRB- , Mark Jones -LRB- 24 -RRB- , David Pegg -LRB- 22 -RRB- , Tommy Taylor -LRB- 26 -RRB- , Liam Whelan -LRB- 22 -RRB- and 21-year-old Duncan Edwards who died in hospital 15 days after the crash . They and the other 15 people who lost their lives will be remembered with a commemorative service at Old Trafford while a short ceremony , organised by supporters , will also take place at the memorial site in Kirchtrudering , on the outskirts of Munich . In keeping with tradition , United supporters will also gather under the memorial plaque at Old Trafford where the clock is fixed at the exact time of the final fateful take-off attempt . Later in the day , a minute 's silence will take place ahead of England 's friendly with Switzerland at Wembley as a further mark of respect . As he bows his head during this week 's Munich commemorations , survivor Harry Gregg 's mind will understandably flash back to that snow-laden runway , but only briefly . The 75-year-old Ulsterman prefers not to remember the afternoon he lost so many friends among the victims , but instead the days when the dream of the ` Busby babes ' was still vibrant and alive . Goalkeeper Gregg , hailed a hero in the wake of the crash after returning to the wreckage to pull out survivors , is adamant those are the times which always burn brightest in his memory . `` I was part of something that was a very , very beautiful thing at that time , '' said Gregg , who cost United a record 23,000 pounds sterling when he joined from Doncaster Rovers two months before the disaster . `` I 'll always be proud of that . The fact there 's going to be a minute 's silence after 50 years is a tribute to the people I played with , but one must remember as well there were other people on board that aircraft , a lot more people . `` I want the minute 's silence to be over and then I want to remember the happy times , that 's what I want the world to remember , that 's what I want the families to remember . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Dina Habib Powell , global head of corporate engagement at Goldman Sachs , served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs from 2005 to 2007 . Dina Habib Powell says there are encouraging signs the world is ready to invest in empowering women . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As we mark International Women 's Month in March , it is encouraging to see that the movement to recognize the vital role that women play in families , nations and economies has been building for more than a decade and that developments in the past few years have shown that real progress has begun to take hold . On the heels of International Women 's Day , President Obama said Monday , `` we will not sow the seeds for a brighter future or reap the benefits of the change we need without the full and active participation of women around the world . '' He also recently announced the creation of a new position , ambassador-at-large for global women 's Issues , at the State Department . To fill this critical role , the president nominated Melanne Verveer , a widely respected women 's advocate and former top aide to then first lady Hillary Clinton . Verveer was a founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership , an organization committed to empowering women and recently co-chaired by Secretary Clinton and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison , R-Texas . There has also been very recent progress on Capitol Hill . Last month , the U.S. Senate created a Foreign Relations subcommittee that will focus on the global status of women , led by Sen. Barbara Boxer , D-California . The efforts have been a bipartisan priority for our leaders . In 2008 , then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice successfully led the effort in the U.N. Security Council to officially recognize rape as a weapon of war . And in 2001 , Laura Bush used the first presidential radio address ever given by a first lady to focus international attention on the plight of women in Afghanistan and used her influence to protect and empower women around the world . Critical strides are also being made globally . In Rwanda , a country devastated by genocide , women have become a key part of the nation 's rebirth . Under the leadership of President Paul Kagame , more than half of the parliament is made up of women . In Liberia , President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf made history when she became the first female president on the African continent . In the Middle East , Kuwait has emerged as a leader in women 's suffrage and political participation . And in the United Arab Emirates , women such as Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi , minister of foreign trade , have been trailblazers for progress throughout the region . This social change is being promoted at the United Nations , where Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently noted that the protection , education and empowerment of women and girls are among the most important ingredients to achieving all other Millennium Development Goals . Such consensus should not be surprising as study after study has found that investing in the education of women improves lives . Every extra year of girls ' education can reduce infant mortality by 5 to 10 percent . In Africa , children of mothers who receive five years of primary education are 40 percent more likely to live beyond age 5 . And multicountry data show educated mothers are about 50 percent more likely to immunize their children than uneducated mothers are . But one of the most important developments of recent years has been the increasing amount of research that shows investments in women can offer not only social benefits , but also real economic growth . A growing body of evidence highlights the economic advantage of educating and empowering women . The private sector has seized on this data . There is now broad consensus that investing in women is not only just good social policy , it is `` smart economics , '' as Bob Zoellick , president of the World Bank , says . Toward that end , the World Bank has convened a Private Sector Leaders Forum with companies committed to these issues , such as Standard Chartered , Cisco , PricewaterhouseCoopers , Ernst & Young , Carlson and Nike . My own firm , Goldman Sachs , published two critical pieces of research , `` Womenomics '' and `` Women Hold Up Half the Sky , '' which found that investments in women -- through increased education and labor force participation -- can lead to real economic growth in developed and developing countries . Specifically , this research found that a 1 percentage point increase in female education raises the average level of gross domestic product by .37 and raises annual GDP growth rates by .2 on average . Such findings led to the development of 10,000 Women , an initiative that is working with a global network of leading academic and nonprofit partners to provide women at home and abroad with quality management and entrepreneurial education . This education is helping to create a greater number of female-owned small and medium enterprises , and a new generation of leaders poised to have exponential impact . One recent graduate of the program , Tuokpe Esisi , a fashion designer from Nigeria , has already increased her revenues , and immediately invested a portion of her profits to provide tutors for the illiterate male tailors she employs . This not only positions her enterprise for greater growth , but is also a perfect demonstration of the multiplier effect of investing in women . Organizations such as Women for Women International , Camfed and the International Center for Research on Women have long touted this multiplier effect and are supported by private-public partnerships dedicated to the promotion of women leaders . For example , the State Department , with the help of Vital Voices , instituted a mentoring program for the past four years with Fortune 's Most Powerful Women . The program pairs leading U.S. executives -- such as Ann Moore -LRB- Time Inc -RRB- , Pat Woertz -LRB- ADM -RRB- , Helene Gayle -LRB- Care -RRB- and Anne Mulcahy -LRB- Xerox -RRB- -- with rising female entrepreneurs in developing countries . At the dawn of the 20th century , Egyptian poet Hafez Ibrahim said : `` When you educate a woman , you create a nation . '' Nearly a century later , the cause of women 's empowerment has never been more important . As New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently put it , gender inequality is `` the dominant moral challenge we face in the 21st century . '' This challenge also presents an opportunity we can not afford to squander . We should seize this moment and this momentum . There is tremendous work to be done , but history has shown us that women will not let us down . They will take up the challenge and build up their families , their villages and ultimately all our nations . The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Dina Habib Powell .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel will bring a `` tough-minded '' and `` pragmatic '' approach to the White House when he becomes President-elect Barack Obama 's chief of staff , according to people who know the Chicago , Illinois , native . Rep. Rahm Emanuel has experience in the White House , on Wall Street and on Capitol Hill . Emanuel , a former top aide to President Clinton , has accepted the position in the new administration , Obama confirmed in a statement Thursday . `` I announce this appointment first because the chief of staff is central to the ability of a president and administration to accomplish an agenda , '' Obama said . `` And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel . '' In the job , Emanuel would oversee the White House staff . The chief of staff is usually involved in all the major decisions that the president makes and is responsible for making sure the administration carries out the president 's wishes . Watch Emanuel call himself `` fortunate '' '' The chief of staff also often is involved in negotiations with congressional leaders when major legislation is under consideration . Jim Manley , a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , called Emanuel : `` An excellent choice . '' `` Rahm knows the Hill . And he knows the White House . He is a brilliant strategic thinker and someone who knows how to get things done , '' Manley said . Manley also rejected the idea that Emanuel is a true partisan that could not work with Republicans . `` That 's ridiculous . Rahm understands politics is the art of compromise . He 's got a deeply held set of views but he also understands to get things done you have to compromise , '' he said . After leaving the Clinton White House , Emanuel , 48 , was an investment banker on Wall Street and later was elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 from a heavily Democratic Chicago district . He quickly rose to become the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House . Watch what Emanuel brings to the White House '' It is Emanuel 's combination of experiences -- plus his strong personal relationship with Obama -- that would make him a strong chief of staff , said CNN political analyst Paul Begala , a fellow Clinton veteran . `` He has spent more time in the White House than President-elect Obama has . That matters a lot . It is a special place with its own rhythms , '' Begala said . See who Obama may be considering for his Cabinet '' `` But , maybe most importantly , he 's got the relationship . He has known Barack and Michelle Obama for a number of years . '' Before reports emerged that he had accepted the position , Emanuel told WLS-TV in Chicago that he had to consider the possible impact on his family . Watch how Obama is starting his transition '' `` I have a lot to weigh : the basis of public service , which I have given my life to , a career choice . And most importantly , what I want to do as a parent , '' Emanuel said in an interview that aired Wednesday . Emanuel added : `` This is not a professional choice . This is a personal choice about what my wife and I want to do for our family , as much as what to do with my career . '' Emanuel 's at-times blunt approach would ensure the White House runs smoothly for the new president , said Mack McLarty , Clinton 's former chief of staff . Watch as McLarty calls Emanuel an `` excellent choice '' '' `` Rahm is high energy . He 's direct . He 's a tough-minded pragmatist . So I think the years have been good to him in that regard , '' McLarty said . `` I think the high-energy directness will serve him well . `` Rahm , like a lot of us , made mistakes , but he quickly corrected them . '' However , the lawmaker 's direct style has ruffled a number of feathers in Washington , and Emanuel is known as one of the toughest partisan fighters on Capitol Hill . After reports that Emanuel had agreed to be Obama 's chief of staff on Thursday , the top Republican in the House , Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio , questioned the president-elect 's pick . Election T-shirt : Obama inspires historic victory `` This is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington , make politics more civil and govern from the center , '' Boehner said . According to a 2006 profile of Emanuel in Fortune magazine , Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma warned his fellow Republicans of Emanuel 's ferocity in a letter two years ago . `` He 's dangerous , '' Cole told Fortune then . `` He has a closing intensity . When he 's got a political kill in sight , he 's absolutely relentless . '' But David Gergen , a CNN senior political analyst who has worked in five administrations , said the contrasting styles between Obama and Emanuel could help the new president get things done in Washington . `` They are obviously setting up a good cop\/bad cop routine in the White House . ... Barack Obama can be the good guy , '' Gergen said . iReport.com : Who should be in Obama 's cabinet ? Emanuel has made a career of being the tough guy . In the 2006 Fortune profile , Begala described Emanuel 's aggressive style as a `` cross between a hemorrhoid and a toothache . '' `` I love Rahm , but that 's a small group of us , '' he told Fortune . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Don Lemon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Chris Brown earned a glowing probation report six months after he was sentenced to `` labor-oriented service '' for assaulting his pop star girlfriend , Rihanna , the judge said Thursday . Brown , 20 , sat silently in court Thursday afternoon as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg reviewed his probation report . `` It looks like you 're doing really , really well , '' Schnegg said . The police chief in Richmond , Virginia -- where Brown is being allowed to complete his sentence -- reported that he had worked 32 days of hard labor , she said . Schnegg said when she sentenced Brown that she wanted to see him do `` actual physical labor , as opposed to some type of community service . '' The report on his court-ordered domestic violence counseling said he had completed 17 out of 52 groups sessions , she said . The agency running the sessions reported `` you are participating and doing a very good job , '' the judge said . The judge rewarded Brown by signing an order allowing him to again travel outside the United States for concerts . When Brown returns to court on May 11 , 2010 , for his next probation progress report , he will be `` way over halfway there '' to completing his sentence , she said . Brown was sentenced in August to serve five years probation and to spend more than 1,400 hours in `` labor-oriented service '' for the assault conviction . Schnegg also put a restraining order in place , requiring Brown to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna , 10 yards if the two are at the same industry event . The judge issued a strict warning to Brown not to violate the order , which remains in place until 2014 . Brown was arrested after an early morning argument inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street on February 8 , 2009 . According to Brown 's probation report , the February argument began over an incident at a Beverly Hills party . An earlier , sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews said the incident began when Rihanna found a text message on his cell phone from `` a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with . '' The pair argued while in the car driven by Brown , the police statement said . It went on to describe the assault in great detail , saying Brown punched Rihanna -- identified in the statement by her real first name , Robyn , and the first initial of her last name , Fenty -- numerous times and put her in a headlock , restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness . He threatened to beat her and kill her , according to the statement , and he bit her ear and her fingers . Eventually , the statement said , `` Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away . A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F. 's plea for help and called 911 , causing a police response . An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a domestic violence emergency protective order . '' The detective said Brown sent a text message nine days later , apologizing . Rihanna 's injuries included cuts and bruises inflicted by a large ring on Brown 's right hand , which he used to punch her , the probation report said . `` Officers at the scene observed numerous contusions and abrasions to the victim 's face and forehead , as well as bruising to her left arm near the bicep , '' it said . `` They also saw abrasions to her arms near both wrists and on her upper chest near her collarbone and around her neck . There were abrasions on her left leg and on the inside of her upper lips . '' Rihanna declined to speak to the probation investigator , so the probation report 's details were gathered from police detectives who interviewed her soon after the attack . `` He beat me up , '' Rihanna told the police , the report said . Brown made a public apology in July in a video statement posted on his personal Web site . `` I have told Rihanna countless times , and I 'm telling you today , that I 'm truly , truly sorry in that I was n't able to handle the situation both differently and better , '' Brown said in the Web site statement . `` What I did was unacceptable , 100 percent . I can only ask and pray that you forgive me . Please . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former police officer tearfully apologized Monday for his role in an elderly Atlanta woman 's shooting death during a botched drug raid , and another told a judge he prays daily for the victim . `` I used to think I was a good person , '' ex-cop Gregg Junnier said before breaking down on the witness stand during a sentencing hearing in a federal courtroom in Atlanta , CNN affiliate WXIA reported . Junnier and two other ex-officers , Arthur Tesler and Jason Smith , face prison in connection with the November 2006 drug raid that left 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston dead in a hail of gunfire . Investigators later determined the raid was based on falsified paperwork stating that illegal drugs were present in the home . The killing prompted a major overhaul of the Atlanta police drug unit . Smith , like Junnier , apologized during Monday 's sentencing hearing . The proceedings were expected to resume Tuesday . `` I pray daily for Ms. Johnston . I also pray other officers in Atlanta will have the moral fortitude I did n't have , '' Smith testified Monday , according to WXIA . Smith , Junnier and Tesler pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death . Smith and Junnier also pleaded guilty to state charges of voluntary manslaughter and making false statements , and Smith admitted to planting bags of marijuana in Johnston 's house after her death . Tesler was convicted on one state count of making false statements for filling out an affidavit stating that an informant had purchased crack cocaine at Johnston 's home in a crime-plagued neighborhood near downtown Atlanta . The informant denied having been to Johnston 's home , leading to investigations by local authorities and the FBI , and the breakup and reorganization of the Atlanta police narcotics unit . Police said Johnston fired at them with an old pistol during the raid , and they shot back in self-defense . Johnston 's one shot went through her front door and over the officers ' heads ; they responded with 39 shots , hitting Johnston five times . `` Her death was the foreseeable culmination of a long-standing conspiracy in which the officers violated their oaths of office , '' Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon-Peter Kelly said , according to CNN affiliate WSB . The officers `` regularly swore falsely '' to get warrants and make cases , he said . Federal prosecutors said officers cut corners to make more time for lucrative side jobs providing additional security to businesses , often while on duty and for cash payments . Johnston 's family was not in court Monday . But U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes heard a letter from Johnston 's niece during the hearing , and family spokesman Markel Hutchins told WXIA he hopes an FBI report of the case can be used to prompt additional charges at the local level . `` The real culprit in this is the culture within the Atlanta Police Department and the higher-ups that laid the foundation . Why are n't they being held accountable ? '' Hutchins asked . The probe also led to guilty pleas by the police sergeant in charge of the narcotics unit and another officer who admitted to extortion , federal prosecutors said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Driftwood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry won his state 's Republican gubernatorial primary outright on Tuesday , avoiding a potentially costly runoff election against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison . Hutchison called Perry to concede the race after returns indicated that the governor was cruising toward a resounding victory in the closely-watched primary . `` Now we must unite , '' she said . `` We must win Texas for Republicans . '' Perry 's win ended a yearlong intra-party fight that was billed from the start as a clash of Texas political titans but ended with a whimper as Hutchison struggled to fight a tide of anti-Washington sentiment among conservatives . The governor cast his victory as a warning shot to Washington in the mold of recent GOP wins in the Virginia and New Jersey governor 's races and the Massachusetts special Senate election . `` I think the message is pretty clear , '' Perry told supporters at his election night party near Austin . `` Conservatism has never been stronger than it is today . '' Perry said the message to Washington was simple : `` Quit spending all the money , '' he said . `` Stop trying to take over our lives and our businesses . '' He added : `` Stop messing with Texas ! '' Perry , the longest serving governor in Texas history , is seeking a third full term in Austin . His opponent in the general election will be Democrat Bill White , the former Houston mayor who dispatched six opponents in the Democratic primary . With nearly two-thirds of precincts reporting , Perry maintained a 20-point lead over Hutchison and appeared to be on pace to cross the crucial 50 percent mark needed to avoid a six-week runoff election against the three-term senator , who began her gubernatorial bid as the prohibitive frontrunner but stumbled as Perry 's campaign cast her as a big-spending Washington insider . GOP activist Debra Medina , a conservative with strong support among Tea Party activists , looked to be headed for a third place finish . White , the popular former three-term mayor of Houston , the country 's fourth-largest city , predicted that Perry will try to nationalize the race and tie him to unpopular Democratic agenda items in Washington . `` He 'll run against President Obama , '' White said in an interview . `` That 's probably for his own political career . I think he wants to run for president . I 'm just running for the people of Texas . It should n't be about a party or who 's doing what to whom in Washington . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama often talks about all of the forces lining up against his health care plan . But there 's one critic who has remained relatively mum in the debate . Dr. David Scheiner was President Obama 's personal physician for 22 years . David Scheiner , a Chicago , Illinois-based doctor , has taken a hard look at the president 's prescription for health care reform and sees bad medicine . `` This is n't that kind of health care program that I think is going to work , '' he said . So what makes Scheiner so special ? He was Obama 's personal physician for 22 years , and voted for the former Illinois senator in the 2008 presidential election . Scheiner thinks the president 's plan does n't go far enough . In his mind , the worst part of the proposal is that `` private insurers continue to be a part of the health scheme . '' Watch Scheiner talk about his objections '' `` Everybody keeps saying we do n't want the government involved in health care , '' Scheiner said in an interview . `` But the government is involved in Medicare , and it works . '' Scheiner would rather see the nation adopt a single-payer system like the ones in Canada and Europe . The financing system relies on one `` payer '' -- which could be a government-run agency -- to fund all health care costs billed by doctors , hospitals and other health professionals . The benefits , advocates say , is that pricey administrative costs are cut , resulting in large savings to patients . It 's something that an up-and-coming coming state Sen. Obama talked about six years ago . `` I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan . ... But as all of you know , we may not get there immediately , because first we 've got to take back the White House , and we 've got take back the Senate , and we 've got to take back the House , '' Obama said in 2003 . But that position evolved during the campaign . `` If I were designing a system from scratch , then I 'd probably set up a single-payer system . But the problem is we 're not starting from scratch , '' Obama said in Albuquerque , New Mexico , in August 2008 . Now , the president favors giving Americans the option of joining a government-run plan that would compete with private insurers . Watch more on the health care debate '' `` Nobody is talking about some government takeover of health care . I 'm tired of hearing that , '' Obama said in Raleigh , North Carolina , on Thursday . But Scheiner says that nobody has seen the details of that option , making it a hard sell for the president . `` We do n't even fully know what the public option is going to be . If the public option is too good , patients who are sick will flock to it , and I 'm not sure it will be able to support itself . '' Scheiner almost had a chance to confront the president with his concerns . He was invited to a recent televised town hall meeting with Obama , but he says he was dropped from the program . `` I just hope that the Congress , the American public and the president will hear some of my words , '' he said . `` We 've got to do something better . '' Scheiner finally had a chance to have his say Thursday . He and other doctors who support a single-payer system gathered in Washington to meet with lawmakers and rally supporters . He may not be the president 's doctor anymore , but Scheiner says he 's trying to save the patient before it 's too late . CNN 's Ed Hornick and Brittany Cummings contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- Stockholm has a reputation for being one of Europe 's most expensive cities . T+L hits the streets of the fashionable capital and proves otherwise . Stockholm 's Strommen River 9:00 a.m. I plot my day over a complimentary breakfast of homemade yogurt and kn\u00e4ckebr\u00f6d -LRB- crispy bread -RRB- at Hotel Anno 1647 -LRB- 3 Mariagr\u00e4nd ; 46-8\/442 -1680 -RRB- , housed in a former tobacco and clothing factory in the hip island neighborhood of S\u00f6dermalm . My room -LRB- $ 170 -RRB- , No. 21 , is small and peaceful , with rustic pine floors , an antique crystal chandelier , and , thankfully , blackout drapes -- essential in a city that gets 18 hours of sunlight a day in the summer . 10:00 a.m. . The hotel is around the corner from G\u00f6tgatan , one of Stockholm 's most seductive shopping strips . Though it feels a little early to start spending , I ca n't resist a jar of cloudberry honey -LRB- $ 6 -RRB- from Iris Hantverk -LRB- 37 G\u00f6tgatan ; 46-8\/641 -9190 -RRB- , a store that specializes in handmade items by visually impaired artisans . I crave almost everything I see in DesignTorget -LRB- 31 G\u00f6tgatan , 46-8\/462 -3520 -RRB- , which carries an eclectic range of accessories by Swedish designers , including hand-printed dish towels and colorful kids ' toys . But I force myself to move along . 12:00 p.m. For lunch , I circle back to busy Slussen square -- Stockholm 's answer to Grand Central . The main attraction here -LRB- besides a major subway stop -RRB- is the humble Nystekt Str\u00f6mming -LRB- fried herring -RRB- wagon , encircled by picnic tables crowded with locals on their lunch breaks . I sidle up and order the signature dish -LRB- $ 6.25 -RRB- topped with a dollop of cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche . From my bench , I can see the silhouette of Gamla Stan , the old section of the city just across the bridge . 1:00 p.m. Down along the harbor , a freckled blond girl at a candy cart snips off a sample of her salt licorice -LRB- free -RRB- , a delicious flavor called H\u00e4xvr\u00e5l -- `` scream of the witch , '' she translates . After a short stroll past the steamboats and Baroque mansions of \u00d6stermalm , I arrive at the Vasamuseet -LRB- 14 Gal\u00e4rvarvsv\u00e4gen ; 46-8\/5195 -4800 -RRB- , a maritime museum built around a meticulously reconstructed boat that was shipwrecked in the 17th century . I buy a ticket -LRB- $ 15 -RRB- and explore the gigantic ship , feeling a little like an extra on the set of `` Pirates of the Caribbean . '' 3:30 p.m. Risking museum burnout , I head to the galleries -LRB- $ 12.50 admission -RRB- of the Moderna Museet -LRB- Skeppsholmen ; 46-8\/5195 -5200 -RRB- , designed by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo , to see its collection of 20th-century European and American art . Here , I discover the contemporary Swedish painter Karin Mamma Andersson , whose lush , layered paintings look like dreamscapes . I also find one of the city 's best photo ops -- the panoramic view of the port from the glass-walled museum caf\u00e9 . 5:00 p.m. I forgo a pricey taxi ride across the city in favor of an infinitely more charming and scenic walk toward Gamla Stan , which is touristy but irresistible once I 'm weaving through a knot of cobblestoned streets and storybook 17th-century houses . My reward is a hot chocolate -LRB- $ 4.70 -RRB- at Kaffekoppen -LRB- 18-20 Stortorget ; 46-8\/203 -170 -RRB- , a candlelit cellar with tea-stained walls and low vaulted ceilings . 7:00 p.m. . While wandering the alleys of Gamla Stan , I stumble upon what may be the city 's top bargain : a classical music concert -LRB- $ 11 -RRB- at Storkyrkan , Stockholm 's central cathedral -LRB- 1 Trangsund , Gamla Stan ; 46-8\/723 -3016 -RRB- . I take a seat in a wooden pew as a local pianist fills the space with the music of Chopin . Dusky evening light filters in through leaded glass windows and shimmers off the golden angels on the high brick ceiling . Divine . 9:30 p.m. . The lingering sunlight has affected my eating schedule , but I 'm finally hungry again . On the patio of Babylon -LRB- 4 Bj\u00f6rns Tr\u00e4dg\u00e5rdsgr\u00e4nd ; 46-8\/640 -8083 -RRB- , surrounded by chattering clusters of young fashion plates and artist types , I wrap myself in one of the restaurant 's green fleece blankets and gobble down a late dinner of potatoes and r\u00f6ding -LRB- $ 25.80 -RRB- , a local fish . From my barstool , I watch skinny blond skateboarders dip and sail around a cement half-pipe in the adjacent park , and revel in a priceless travel high : the giddy feeling of having discovered the coolest place in town . TOTAL SPENT : $ 251.25 E-mail to a friend Planning a beach getaway ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi has been hailed as the greatest soccer player the world has ever seen following his extraordinary exploits for European champions Barcelona . The 22-year-old has scored 10 goals in his past four games , including two hat-tricks in consecutive Spanish league matches . The diminutive Argentina forward has kept Barcelona in the hunt for a second successive La Liga title , and his two goals against Stuttgart last Wednesday helped put the Champions League titleholders into the quarterfinals of Europe 's premier club competition . Blog : Is Messi better than Maradona ? Sunday 's treble against Zaragoza was his third this season , and his fifth since making his debut in 2004 , taking him to 25 league goals this campaign -- five more than closest rival Gonzalo Higuain of Real Madrid , and two past his tally from last season with 11 games still to play . Messi is now third on Barcelona 's all-time scoring list , and has the chance to net his 200th goal for the club in Wednesday 's league game against Osasuna . After the Zaragoza game , Barcelona president Joan Laporta compared Messi -- who was named 2009 's best player in the world -- with the club 's legendary former stars Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff . `` He 's the best player in the world right now and the best ever , '' Laporta told Barcelona 's Web site . `` Together with Cruyff and Maradona , he 's the best we 've seen at the club . `` He 's a player who can change everything in a game , but he also works for the rest of the team . He 's a real leader . '' Coach Pep Guardiola said he had run out of superlatives to describe the performances of Messi , who has scored 11 of Barcelona 's last 15 goals . `` He 's been more than decisive , and you can tell he 's feeling fit the way he gets involved in everything . I 've run out of adjectives -- you 'll have to put your own , '' Guardiola said . `` That he 's capable of doing everything that he does at his age is something impressive . It does n't make any sense . '' Guardiola revealed that Messi had been in doubt for the Zaragoza game due to a gum infection in his mouth . `` He was in a lot of pain . But in the morning I asked him how he was and he told me that he was better . Before the game I asked if he wanted to play and he said yes , I asked him how many minutes and he told me the whole game , '' Guardiola told reporters . `` He always wants to play , whether it 's the Champions League final or against a third-division side . For me it 's difficult to leave him out , seeing the form he 's in . He 's an amateur in this sense , he always wants to play . '' Messi has not always carried his amazing club form onto the international stage with Argentina , but he has the chance to redress that situation in June at the World Cup in South Africa . `` The person who most wants to see him succeed for Argentina is Messi himself , nobody should doubt that , '' Guardiola said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are detailing their plans for solving the country 's energy crisis and criticizing each other 's proposals this week as they campaign in battleground states . Here 's a look at the candidates ' energy proposals : Overall strategy McCain , the presumptive GOP nominee , has proposed a national energy strategy that would rely on the technological prowess of American industry and science . McCain has said he would work to reduce carbon emissions 60 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 . He has said he would commit $ 2 billion annually for 15 years to advance clean coal technology . He also has pledged to oppose a windfall profits tax on oil companies that , according to his campaign Web site , `` will ultimately result in increasing our dependence on foreign oil and hinder investment in domestic exploration . '' McCain also believes the U.S. needs to deploy SmartMeter technologies , which collect real-time data on the electricity use of individual homes and businesses . Meanwhile , Obama laid out his comprehensive energy plan Monday in Lansing , Michigan . `` If I am president , I will immediately direct the full resources of the federal government and the full energy of the private sector to a single , overarching goal -- in 10 years , we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East and Venezuela , '' the presumptive Democratic nominee told a crowd . Obama 's plan also would invest $ 150 billion over the next 10 years and leverage billions more in private capital to build a new energy economy that he said would harness American energy and create 5 million new jobs . He also called on businesses , government and the American people to meet the goal of reducing U.S. demand for electricity by 15 percent by the end of the next decade and said he would modernize the national utility grid . Another prominent feature in the plan : Immediately give every working family in America a $ 1,000 energy rebate and pay for it from oil company profits . Offshore drilling McCain : Proposed lifting the ban on offshore drilling as part of his plan to reduce dependence on foreign oil and help combat rising gas prices . Would let individual states decide whether to explore drilling possibilities . Opposes drilling in some wilderness areas -- including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- and said those places must be left undisturbed . Obama : Opposed new offshore drilling , but later shifted to say that he would consider it if it were part of a larger strategy to lower energy costs . Supports bipartisan energy plan from the Senate that combines alternative energy innovation , financial , nuclear energy and drilling proposals . Effort by five Democrats and five Republicans to break Congress ' energy impasse would allow expanded offshore oil exploration and embrace ambitious energy efficiency and efforts to develop alternative fuels . Believes oil companies should drill on the 68 million acres they have access to but have n't used and would require oil companies that will not drill to give up their leases . Strategic oil reserves McCain advocates suspending the purchase of foreign oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during periods of high prices to reduce demand . Obama called for tapping into strategic oil reserves as part of his plan to provide relief from high gas prices . -LRB- He previously said he was opposed to using the strategic reserves , but on Monday he proposed selling 70 million barrels of oil from the reserves to lower gas prices -RRB- . Cars and driving McCain : Proposed a $ 300 million award for `` the development of a battery package that has the size , capacity , cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars . '' Called for the suspension of the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax and 24.4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day . Says the lost revenue would be paid for by money from the general fund . Obama : Would provide $ 4 billion in loans and tax credits to American auto plants and manufacturers so that they can retool factories and build fuel-efficient cars ; would put 1 million 150-mpg , plug-in hybrids on U.S. roads within six years and would give consumers a $ 7,000 tax credit to buy fuel-efficient cars . Nuclear energy McCain : Calls for building new nuclear reactors , saying barriers to nuclear energy are political , not technological . Would put a plan in place to build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 -- with the ultimate goal of 100 new plants . Would provide for safe storage of spent nuclear fuel and give host states or localities a proprietary interest so when advanced recycling technologies turn used fuel into a valuable commodity , the public would share in the economic benefits . Obama : Says he 'll find safer ways to use nuclear power and store nuclear waste . In Democratic debate earlier this year , he said , `` We should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix . '' Renewable energy McCain : Would commit $ 2 billion annually to advance clean coal technologies . Calls for a permanent tax credit , which he says will `` simplify the tax code , reward activity in the U.S. , and make us more competitive with other countries , '' according to his campaign Web site . Encourages development of low-carbon fuels -- wind , hydro and solar power . Obama : Would require 10 percent of U.S. energy come from renewable sources by the end of his first presidential term . The plan would extend the Production Tax Credit for five years to encourage the production of renewable energy . Create five first-of-a-kind , coal-fired demonstration plants that would capture and store carbon dioxide emissions and invest in technology that will allow for more coal use . Climate change McCain : Proposes a bipartisan plan to address the problem of climate change and stimulate the development and use of advanced technologies . It is a market-based approach that would set caps on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and provide industries with tradable credits . Obama : Calls for a reduction of carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 by using a market-based cap-and-trade system . Would create what his campaign calls a `` Global Energy Forum '' and re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change . CNN 's Ed Hornick , Kerith McFadden and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fernando Torres rediscovered his scoring touch with a double at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea romped to a 5-0 win over Genk in their Champions League Group E match Wednesday . The Spanish international striker had not scored in European club football for over two years , but looked dangerous throughout and might easily have had a hat-trick . The Belgian visitors were up against it from the start and after Torres hit the post , Raul Mereiles scored with a thumping shot from outside the penalty area . Torres was soon on the score sheet with a neat side foot effort and added his second with a well-placed header from a Mereiles cross . Branislav Ivanovic headed home from a Florent Malouda free kick for the fourth just before halftime . Torres , who was rested at the weekend , looked sharp as he went in search of his third and he was denied by Genk keeper Laszlo Koteles only for Salomon Kalou to grab the fifth from the rebound . Chelsea lead Bayer Leverkusen by a point after the German side beat Valencia 2-1 in the other Group E match . Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack was the inspiration for Leverkusen , who fell behind to a goal from Brazil striker Jonas . But they hit back through goals by midfielders Andre Schuerrle and Sidney Sam after the break , with ex-Germany captain Ballack setting up the winner with a superb defense-splitting pass . Meanwhile in Group F , Arsenal made sure it was a good night for English Premier League sides with a last-gasp victory over Marseille in the Stade Velodrome . The game was headed for a 0-0 draw when substitute Aaron Ramsey cropped up for the precious winner as Arsenal go top of the group by a point from their French opponents . Olympiakos of Greece beat German champions Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the other match in the group to keep alive their hopes of qualification for the knockout stages . Jose Holebas , a German player of Greek descent , headed the opener for the home side after just eight minutes . Dortmund deservedly leveled through Polish striker Robert Lewandowski midway through the first half , but five minutes before the break Rafik Djebbour restored the Olympiakos lead . With the visitors pressing , Olympiakos broke upfield to win a free kick and defender Francois Modesto headed home from Ariel Ibagaza 's delivery to seal the victory .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A couple who allegedly crashed this week 's state dinner at the White House met President Obama in a reception line at the event , a White House official told CNN on Friday . A White House photograph taken Tuesday evening shows Michaele Salahi , wearing a gold-accented red sari , clasping her hands around Obama 's right hand as her smiling husband , Tareq , looks on . The dinner was held for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , who is smiling next to the president in the photo . An investigation into Tareq and Michaele Salahi has found that Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint , the Secret Service said . `` The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday , '' the agency said in a statement Friday . `` The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint , verifying that two individuals were on the guest list . '' The Salahis , who are aspiring reality TV stars , made news when they showed up at Tuesday 's state dinner . The White House says the Salahis were not invited , but their lawyer , Paul W. Garner , `` states emphatically that the Salahis did not ` crash ' this event , '' according to a statement from the couple 's publicist , Mahogany Jones . The Secret Service 's statement says that although the Salahis went through magnetometers and other levels of screening , `` they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely . '' `` That failing is ours , '' the statement said . The investigation continues and `` appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated , '' the agency said . Also Friday , two Secret Service agents visited a Virginia winery to say they wanted to question the couple , according to the winery 's manager . Diane Weiss , manager at the Oasis Winery in Hume , Virginia , said the agents wanted to speak with the Salahis . Weiss said she did n't know their whereabouts . The Warren County Report , a local newspaper , quoted Weiss as saying the agents said they wanted to speak with the couple and not arrest them . It also quoted her as saying that the Salahis live in Linden , Virginia , but receive mail at the winery . And the agents said it was `` imperative '' that investigators speak with the couple and that they would `` take whatever action '' is necessary if they did not , the paper quoted Weiss as saying . Weiss told CNN that the newspaper quoted her accurately , but she declined to elaborate . Meanwhile , court records have revealed a more complete picture of the Salahis , who have left an extensive paper trail in federal bankruptcy and state court filings . They are named in at least 16 different civil suits in Fauquier County , Virginia , near Washington , sometimes as plaintiffs , sometimes as defendants . Family members have sued the county and each other . The family winery , Oasis Winery , has sued Michaele Salahi . They did not respond to CNN requests for comment Thursday about their legal history or the White House dinner . `` At this time the Salahis will not make any formal comments regarding the rumors and media speculation surrounding the White House State Dinner , '' Jones , their publicist , said in a statement . Tareq and Michaele Salahi were engaged in a long court battle with his parents over the winery . Tareq Salahi sued his mother , Corinne , court records show , and the suit was dismissed . The mother sued Tareq Salahi and the case went to trial . The outcome is not clear from a Virginia courts Web site . Tareq and Michaele Salahi won control of the winery in 2007 , but it has run into debt since then . Oasis Winery filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February of this year , according to U.S. Bankruptcy Court records in the Eastern District of Virginia . Tareq Salahi is listed as company president in the filing . Listed creditors include the IRS , Fauquier County , the state of Virginia , several banks and American Express Corp. , among others . The company claims about $ 335,000 in assets and $ 965,000 in liabilities .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America 's Predator and Reaper drones , logging pilots ' every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones . The virus , first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military 's Host-Based Security System , has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas . Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source . But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech 's computers , network security specialists say . And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military 's most important weapons system . `` We keep wiping it off , and it keeps coming back , '' says a source familiar with the network infection , one of three that told Danger Room about the virus . `` We think it 's benign . But we just do n't know . '' Military network security specialists are n't sure whether the virus and its so-called `` keylogger '' payload were introduced intentionally or by accident ; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks . The specialists do n't know exactly how far the virus has spread . But they 're sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech . That raises the possibility , at least , that secret data may have been captured by the keylogger , and then transmitted over the public internet to someone outside the military chain of command . Drones have become America 's tool of choice in both its conventional and shadow wars , allowing U.S. forces to attack targets and spy on its foes without risking American lives . Since President Obama assumed office , a fleet of approximately 30 CIA-directed drones have hit targets in Pakistan more than 230 times ; all told , these drones have killed more than 2,000 suspected militants and civilians , according to the Washington Post . More than 150 additional Predator and Reaper drones , under U.S. Air Force control , watch over the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq . American military drones struck 92 times in Libya between mid-April and late August . And late last month , an American drone killed top terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki -- part of an escalating unmanned air assault in the Horn of Africa and southern Arabian peninsula . But despite their widespread use , the drone systems are known to have security flaws . Many Reapers and Predators do n't encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground . In the summer of 2009 , U.S. forces discovered `` days and days and hours and hours '' of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents . A $ 26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video . The lion 's share of U.S. drone missions are flown by Air Force pilots stationed at Creech , a tiny outpost in the barren Nevada desert , 20 miles north of a state prison and adjacent to a one-story casino . In a nondescript building , down a largely unmarked hallway , is a series of rooms , each with a rack of servers and a `` ground control station , '' or GCS . There , a drone pilot and a sensor operator sit in their flight suits in front of a series of screens . In the pilot 's hand is the joystick , guiding the drone as it soars above Afghanistan , Iraq , or some other battlefield . Some of the GCSs are classified secret , and used for conventional warzone surveillance duty . The GCSs handling more exotic operations are top secret . None of the remote cockpits are supposed to be connected to the public internet . Which means they are supposed to be largely immune to viruses and other network security threats . But time and time again , the so-called `` air gaps '' between classified and public networks have been bridged , largely through the use of discs and removable drives . In late 2008 , for example , the drives helped introduce the agent.btz worm to hundreds of thousands of Defense Department computers . The Pentagon is still disinfecting machines , three years later . Use of the drives is now severely restricted throughout the military . But the base at Creech was one of the exceptions , until the virus hit . Predator and Reaper crews use removable hard drives to load map updates and transport mission videos from one computer to another . The virus is believed to have spread through these removable drives . Drone units at other Air Force bases worldwide have now been ordered to stop their use . In the meantime , technicians at Creech are trying to get the virus off the GCS machines . It has not been easy . At first , they followed removal instructions posted on the website of the Kaspersky security firm . `` But the virus kept coming back , '' a source familiar with the infection says . Eventually , the technicians had to use a software tool called BCWipe to completely erase the GCS ' internal hard drives . `` That meant rebuilding them from scratch '' -- a time-consuming effort . The Air Force declined to comment directly on the virus . `` We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities , threats , or responses to our computer networks , since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach , '' says Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis , a spokesman for Air Combat Command , which oversees the drones and all other Air Force tactical aircraft . `` We invest a lot in protecting and monitoring our systems to counter threats and ensure security , which includes a comprehensive response to viruses , worms , and other malware we discover . '' However , insiders say that senior officers at Creech are being briefed daily on the virus . `` It 's getting a lot of attention , '' the source says . `` But no one 's panicking . Yet . '' Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here !","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A big part of being president is making decisions , and one of the key decisions a would-be president can make is who he or she marries . Cindy McCain has a master 's degree in special education . She is part owner of her father 's business . It 's not like deciding whether to press the nuclear button , but first ladies in the United States can wield enormous influence in politics and in society . They 're not elected . They 're not paid . There 's no precise job description . But whether it 's an elegantly dressed Jacqueline Kennedy giving Americans a tour of the White House , Eleanor Roosevelt speaking on civil rights or Hillary Clinton saying `` I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies , '' first ladies are praised , criticized , adored and scorned -- but never ignored . The two women poised for the job , 54-year-old Cindy McCain , wife of Republican Sen. John McCain , and 44-year-old Michelle Obama , wife of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama , come from strikingly different backgrounds . Watch the different styles of potential first ladies '' McCain is the only child of a wealthy Arizona businessman , James Hensley , founder of Hensley & Co. , a major distributor of Budweiser beer . Her stake in the business is estimated to be at least $ 100 million . She refused to release her full tax returns , saying `` I am not the candidate , '' but later provided summary pages of her 2006 taxes without details . Cindy McCain has a master 's degree in special education . She met John McCain in 1979 when he was the U.S. Navy 's liaison to the Senate . He was 18 years older than she . He divorced his wife and married Cindy in 1980 . The McCains have four children , including a daughter adopted from an orphanage in Bangladesh . A tall , striking blonde with blue eyes , Cindy McCain has had health issues including a near-fatal stroke in 2004 and a battle with prescription drugs that she says is behind her . In an interview with CNN , McCain said her priority in life is charity . `` I 've been internationally involved in many , many things , '' she said . `` Land mine removal , children 's health care , poverty around the world -- and I will continue that . '' On the campaign trail , always dressed impeccably , she stays `` on message '' but did take a swipe at Michelle Obama after her statement , `` For the first time in my adult lifetime , I 'm really proud of my country . '' `` I do n't know about you , '' McCain said in February , '' ... I 'm very proud of my country . '' Michelle Obama has a blunt style and a wry , quirky sense of humor that goes over well with supporters . She does n't mince words . In an interview with CNN , she said , `` I think race is always -- still , in this country , it 's always on the table . '' Michelle Obama was raised in a working-class family in Chicago , Illinois , but educated at some of America 's elite universities : Princeton and Harvard Law School . She was hired by a top-flight law firm in Chicago and met Barack Obama when she was assigned to mentor him . They married in 1992 and have two young daughters . Michelle Obama cuts an impressive figure -- tall , slim and dressed in Jackie-Kennedy-like sheath dresses . If her husband is elected , she will make history as the first African-American first lady . She has given insights into her husband 's domestic behavior : He does n't pick up his socks . Cindy McCain praises her husband as a fighter who wo n't give up . Will we learn more of substance ? Their husbands offer starkly different views of what they would do in office and Americans often look to their first ladies as a window into the thinking of the president . We 're all ears .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain in August will be on the same stage for the first time in the 2008 presidential campaign . The Rev. Rick Warren says he makes no endorsements because he shepherds `` both sides of the flock . '' The Rev. Rick Warren has invited them to appear at a leadership and compassion forum in his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest , California , on August 16 . Warren , the author of the best-selling book `` The Purpose Driven Life '' spoke with CNN 's Wolf Blitzer by phone Tuesday from Sao Paulo , Brazil . BLITZER : Pastor Warren , how did you do it ? How did you convince both of them to show up ? PASTOR RICK WARREN , SADDLEBACK CHURCH : Well , Wolf , they 've both been friends for a long time . I knew both John and Barack before either of them decided to run for office , had talked with them . Both of them have helped me in the past with our peace plan and with -- they 've sent messages to Saddleback at some of our conferences . And so I just thought let 's -- you know , I might be the guy to get them together . So , I called them up and said , let 's do it . And they said , well , we 'll do it if you be the only questioner , if you do n't have a forum , do n't have a panel . And if you 'll ask all the questions , then we 'll do it . BLITZER : But they 're not going to be together . They 're going to be separate . These are going to be Pastor Warren and Barack Obama , followed by Pastor Warren and John McCain . But there 's not going to be any interchange between the two of them , is that right ? WARREN : Yes . I 'm going to -- my plan is to bring them out on stage together at the beginning or at the end . But what I want to do is I want to let each of them talk without interrupting each other . And it 's not a debate format . There will be plenty of time for debates . What I want to do is get people to know the real person like I know them without a time barrier and a buzzer and a time for rebuttal . Let them just speak what they need to say . BLITZER : The last time we spoke was right after you invited Barack Obama when he was still running for the Democratic presidential nomination . You got some criticism from a few fellow evangelicals out there . You called him in the interview with me an amazing , an amazing man , Barack Obama . Could you see yourself supporting him for president ? WARREN : Well , I do n't support anybody for president publicly . I never endorse . I never campaign . You know , as a pastor , I do n't really think that 's my role . I have to shepherd both sides of the flock . And I have a church full of Democrats and a church full of Republicans and a church full of independents . So , I think they 're both amazing men . I 've known them for a long time . They 're both very , very different . They have both different theories of government , different theories of leadership , different approaches to life . And I -- what I do is I think , because I know them , I think I can set up an environment that people can actually say , oh , so that 's what that guy 's really like . And I think I can do that for both John and for Barack .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The legal battle between Miss California USA pageant officials and former beauty queen Carrie Prejean ended Tuesday with an agreement to drop their claims , according to a pageant spokesman . The pageant has dropped its lawsuit filed last month demanding Prejean repay $ 5,200 given her for breast implants , publicist Kenn Henman said . Prejean , in exchange , withdrew her suit accusing the pageant of violating her privacy by confirming to reporters that her breasts were fake , he said . Details of the agreement were not immediately available , he said Tuesday afternoon . `` We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant , '' pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said in a written statement . The public fight began last April when Prejean , 22 , stepped into controversy by declaring her opposition to same-sex marriage while answering a judge 's question at the Miss USA pageant . Prejean finished as first runner-up . While state and national pageant officials publicly supported her initially , their opinions eventually changed after she continued to make public statements about same-sex marriage . She held onto her crown through May -- despite a series of questionable photos that emerged on gossip Web sites . She was dethroned in June by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump amid growing complaints by state officials that she was uncooperative and not meeting her contractual obligations . Prejean filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August , claiming that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage . The pageant 's countercomplaint said Prejean 's belligerent behavior , lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing , not her opposition to same-sex marriage . Prejean also claimed pageant officials violated her privacy by acknowledging to reporters that her breasts were fake . The truth about Prejean 's breasts `` ceased being private during the swimsuit competition of the nationally televised Miss USA pageant , in which Ms. Prejean walked the stage in a bikini , '' pageant lawyers said in their countersuit filed in October . State pageant officials say they loaned the money for the breast surgery under an oral agreement with Prejean and she never repaid them . The group also asked a judge to give them any profits from Prejean 's tell-all book due out this month , which they claim was written in violation of her pageant contract . One thing they all agreed on was that Prejean needed bigger breasts if she was to be competitive in the national pageant in April , the pageant 's filing said . `` Ms. Prejean disclosed that she had been thinking about and wanting to have breast augmentation surgery for some time , but did not have the money to pay for it , '' the filing said . `` She felt that if she had the surgery , in her opinion , she would be more competitive for the Miss USA pageant . '' After pageant officials agreed to loan her the money , Prejean underwent breast augmentation in January , the pageant filing said . The court documents gave an inside look at the hostile relationship between Prejean , California pageant officials and Trump . After the Miss USA pageant , `` With her new-found notoriety , an inflated sense of self , and the lure of financial gain available to her , Ms. Prejean turned even further against the Miss California USA organization , abandoned her obligations as the Miss California USA titleholder , and violated multiple provisions of the contract which governed her reign , '' the pageant filing said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four crew members died and one was missing in the frigid waters off Alaska 's Aleutian Islands after their fishing vessel sank Sunday , the U.S. Coast Guard reported . A crew member of the Alaska Ranger is taken on board the Coast Guard Cutter Munro . The Seattle , Washington-based Alaska Ranger was in 10-foot seas and winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour when it reported water was leaking into its steering gear compartment about 2:50 a.m. Sunday . The trawler had 47 people on board , said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane , a Coast Guard spokesman . Four of those had been confirmed dead by late morning , Lane said . One person is still unaccounted for , said another Coast Guard spokesman , Lt. Eric Eggen . Watch a report from Lt. Eggen '' The 180-foot processing trawler was about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor , in the remote Aleutian Islands , when the crew reported being `` overwhelmed by water '' and abandoned ship , Eggen said . Most of the crew had survival suits to protect them from water that was near-freezing , said Cmdr. Todd Trimpert , a Coast Guard spokesman . No cause of death was immediately known for the four crew members who died , but `` certainly , they were in the water a long time , '' Trimpert said . `` Without a survival suit , generally your survival time is less than 30 minutes , '' he said . The company that owned the ship , The Fishing Company of Alaska Inc. , identified the four who did not survive as Captain Eric Peter Jacobsen , Chief Engineer Daniel Cook , Mate David Silveira and Crewman Byron Carrillo . `` They were incredibly brave , hard-working men , '' the company said . `` Our hearts are broken . '' A nearby ship , the Alaska Warrior , rescued 25 crew members while the Coast Guard retrieved the rest of the crew , the company said . `` We do not have sufficient information to determine why the vessel foundered , '' the company said . `` We will do everything possible to find out what occurred with the hope that something can be learned that will be of value to the fishing community . '' Amy Roman , a niece of Daniel Cook , told CNN affiliate KING-TV that her uncle `` died how he wanted to . `` If you 're a fisherman , you want to die out at sea , '' she said . `` If you 're a true fisherman , this is how you want to go . '' Survivors were being taken aboard the Coast Guard cutter Munro . A helicopter and a C-130 transport plane were also taking part in the effort , the Coast Guard reported . The sinking left an unknown amount of diesel fuel on the surface of the Bering Sea , Lane said . The fishing industry is perennially among the most deadly in the United States . In 2005 , 48 fishermen died , up from 38 the year before , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . That made it the nation 's most dangerous occupation for the year , with a fatality rate of 118.4 per 100,000 -- nearly 30 times higher than the rate of the average worker . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas authorities released court documents Thursday detailing the items seized from the medical office and storage unit of Dr. Conrad Murray , the cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson when he fell ill and died on June 25 . Dr. Conrad Murray 's office was searched Wednesday for `` evidence of the offense of manslaughter . '' Detectives searched both sites in Houston on Wednesday for `` evidence of the offense of manslaughter , '' according to court documents . Murray 's attorney confirmed the search Wednesday . Among the items removed from Murray 's office were a computer ; 27 tablets of Phentermine , a prescription-strength appetite suppressant ; 1 tablet of clonazepam , an anti-anxiety medication ; and some Rolodex cards . From Murray 's storage unit , authorities removed two computer hard drives ; an `` important contact list '' ; a suspension notice from Houston 's Doctors Hospital ; notices from the Internal Revenue Service ; and a list of medical and hospital documents . Jackson 's former nurse , Cherilyn Lee , was also approached on Wednesday by investigators who wanted copies of medical files she had on the singer , Lee told CNN 's Nancy Grace . Lee said she handed over the files to officials with the coroner 's office . Ed Chernoff , a Houston lawyer hired by Murray soon after Jackson 's death , confirmed that Los Angeles Police detectives and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents used a search warrant to enter Murray 's office in northeast Houston on Wednesday morning . `` The search warrant authorized law enforcement to search for and seize items , including documents , they believed constituted evidence of the offense of manslaughter , '' Chernoff said in a written statement Wednesday . Chernoff said members of Murray 's legal team were at the medical office during the search , which he said `` was conducted by members of the DEA , two robbery-homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department and Houston Police officers . '' `` Law enforcement concluded their search around 12:30 p.m. and left with a forensic image of a business computer hard drive and 21 documents . None of the documents taken had previously been requested by law enforcement or the L.A. coroner 's office , '' Chernoff said . Tammy Kidd , a spokeswoman at Chernoff 's office , said the search `` was absolutely a surprise to us , because we 've had open lines of communication this whole time . '' `` Based on Dr. Murray 's minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson 's last days , he should not be a target of criminal charges , '' Chernoff said Tuesday . `` Dr. Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him . '' Los Angeles investigators have interviewed Murray twice , Chernoff said . A third interview has not been scheduled , he said . Police impounded his car , which had been parked at Jackson 's Holmby Hills home , the night after Jackson 's death . It was released to Murray several days later . `` Dr. Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports . He has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard , '' Chernoff said . `` He ca n't operate his practice . He ca n't go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes . '' At least two investigations are under way into Jackson 's death . The Los Angeles County coroner is waiting for toxicology results to determine a cause of death , while the city Police Department , with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration , is looking at the possibility of criminal charges . A coroner 's office spokesman said the autopsy findings could be released in the next week or more . Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton told CNN he would wait for the coroner to determine the exact cause of Jackson 's death . `` And based on those , we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing -LRB- with -RRB- : Are we dealing with a homicide , or are we dealing with an accidental overdose ? '' he said . CNN 's Alan Duke , Ted Rowlands and Randi Kaye contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The bay pilot who steered a container ship into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007 , causing a massive oil spill , pleaded guilty Friday to violating misdemeanor pollution laws and faces up to 10 months in prison , federal prosecutors said . The Korean-flagged Cosco Busan rammed into San Francisco 's Bay Bridge on November 7 , 2007 . Prosecutors dropped felony charges against him . John Joseph Cota , 61 , pleaded guilty to violating the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 , a law enacted in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska , and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act . Cota gave orders to officers controlling the Korean-flagged Cosco Busan as the ship was leaving fog-shrouded San Francisco Bay , California , on November 7 , 2007 . The 901-foot ship struck fenders around the base of a bridge support tower , rupturing two of the ship 's fuel tanks and spilling about 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay . At least 2,000 migratory birds were killed . At the time , officials estimated clean-up costs at $ 60 million . `` Today 's guilty plea is a reminder that the Cosco Busan crash was not just an accident , but a criminal act , '' said John C. Cruden , acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department 's Environment and Natural Resources Division . `` John Cota was an experienced ship pilot that was handsomely compensated for his special knowledge of ships and expertise in local waters . His failure to act prudently under the circumstances caused a major environmental disaster that could have been far worse , '' said Joseph Russoniello , U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California . Cota has piloted about 4,000 ships in the bay during his 27-year career , said his attorney , Jeffrey Bornstein . Bonstein said Cota is remorseful and accepts responsibility for his part in the accident . But Bornstein also criticized the accident investigation . He said it was unfair and protected others who also bear responsibility . `` Captain Cota has been vilified by the media , lost his job , will now go to jail for at least 60 days , and still suffers under the weight of crushing civil lawsuits , '' Bornstein said . `` He understands and accepts responsibility for his part in the accident and hopes that others will step forward and accept their roles and responsibilities as well . '' Cota will be sentenced to 2 to 10 months in prison and be fined between $ 3,000 and $ 30,000 , if the plea terms are accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston . Sentencing is scheduled for June 19 . Prosecutors said the plea included factual admissions by Cota , including an acknowledgment his negligence `` was a proximate cause of the -LSB- oil -RSB- discharge . '' Cota also admitted that he failed to discuss the planned route with the ship 's master or crew as required , or to use the ship 's radar in the final approach to the bridge . He also failed to recognize two red triangles on the ship 's electronic chart system that marked bridge tower buoys . Attorney Bornstein said the ship 's master told Cota the red triangles represented the lights on the bridge , `` which in Capt. Cota 's knowledge were at the center of the span . He had no reason to think that the master did n't know what he was talking about . '' See the path As part of the plea agreement with Cota , the government agreed to dismiss false statement charges pending against him . Those charges alleged that Cota failed to disclose his medications on required Coast Guard forms . The court ruled those charges would be tried separately . But Cota admitted in the plea papers filed Friday his 2006 physical exam form failed to disclose some of the medications he was prescribed . Among them were two pain medications , three different drugs prescribed as sleeping aids and an antidepressant prescribed for an off-brand purpose . Bornstein said there is no evidence that medication played any role in the accident . At Friday 's hearing , Illston set trial for the remaining defendant in the case , the ship 's manager , Fleet Management Ltd. -LRB- Hong Kong -RRB- , for Sept. 14 . The charges include acting negligently , killing protected migratory birds , obstructing justice and making false statements by falsifying ship records after the incident .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- December 13 , 2010 Download PDF maps related to today 's show : \u2022 Minneapolis , Minnesota \u2022 Ivory Coast \u2022 Cancun , Mexico Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : Hi , I 'm Carl Azuz . This is CNN Student News , coming to you from Atlanta , Georgia , where we saw some unseasonal snowflakes over the weekend ... in Georgia ! Some parts of the country , though , are dealing with much worse conditions than we are . First Up : Winter Weather AZUZ : Especially the midwestern U.S. . A powerful snowstorm plowed through that part of the country over the weekend . Parts of Wisconsin got more than a foot and a half of snow , the state 's governor declaring a state of emergency for more than 70 counties . What that does is help free up emergency workers and resources to help deal with it . Minnesota got hit pretty badly , too . In Minneapolis , the hometown Vikings were supposed to play an NFL game against the Giants yesterday . But this before-and-after picture shows you why that could n't happen . That is the Metrodome , the Vikings ' stadium . On the left is what the roof is supposed to look like . On the right : what it looked like yesterday . The roof caved in ! This is a dome that 's held up by air pressure . And after it got more than 17 inches of snow , just too much extra weight caused it to fail . Some workers were up on top , trying to shovel off the snow . They 're not sure how long it 's gon na take for the building to open back up . The Vikings game got moved back until tonight , and it 'll be played in Detroit . Holiday Wreath Laying CORAL VIDAL , FORTMAN , MARYLAND : I took my time and then , after I laid the wreath , I said thank you for your service . And I think it 's just awesome being here laying these wreaths . JOHN ROYSTER , WEST POINT , VIRGINIA : I read whose name was there and their dates and said a thank you . These are men and women who have given the ultimate . All gave some , some gave all . AZUZ : Two of the hundreds of volunteers who helped lay wreaths on the gravesites of American troops at Arlington National Cemetery this weekend . It 's a tradition that 's been going on for nearly 20 years , and it happened at hundreds of other cemeteries across the country . I.D. Me APRIL WILLIAMS , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I 'm a West African nation located between Ghana and Liberia . I gained my independence from France in 1960 . My official name is C\u00f4te d'Ivoire . Many people know me as Ivory Coast , and I 'm home to around 21 million people . Political Crisis AZUZ : C\u00f4te d'Ivoire , or Ivory Coast , is in the middle of a political crisis . After a run-off in the country 's recent presidential election , both candidates -- the current president and one of his opponents -- declared victory . That 's not gon na work . The heads of other West African countries say the idea of two leaders just is n't for C\u00f4te d'Ivoire . Christian Purefoy gets us up to speed on the situation . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- CHRISTIAN PUREFOY , CNN CORRESPONDENT , LAGOS : Sworn in as President of Ivory Coast , Laurent Gbagbo stands defiant . The Ivorian people did not elect him president , says the international community . This man , Alassane Ouattara , who has also sworn himself in , is the true president , according to the independent electoral commission U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON : We are in full agreement that Alassane Ouattara is the rightfully-elected president of Cote d'Ivoire , and that former President Laurent Gbagbo should respect the results of the election and peacefully transfer power to his successor . PUREFOY : Since the election results were announced this month , there has been a dangerous stalemate in Ivory Coast , a standoff threatening to degenerate into civil war . In the early 1990s , Cote d'Ivoire , or Ivory Coast , was the economic powerhouse of West Africa and attracted immigrants from across the region . But as that economic success began to falter , people in the south of the country turned on what they saw as immigrants in the north . And in 2002 , the country was split by civil war . But now , it seems that weeks of regional and international pressure are forcing Gbagbo to the negotiating table . LAURENT GBAGBO , INCUMBENT PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST -LSB- TRANSLATED -RSB- : There 's no war , and we need to sit down and talk . If there 's a problem , we 'll talk about it . But men do n't hold discussions when things are still hot . They wait for things to cool down to start . So when it 'll cool down , we 'll talk . So , there wo n't be a war . I thank you for all that you have done for the Ivory Coast . We are together and the problems you see now , we will resolve them . PUREFOY : Whatever the discussions , other influential West African leaders say a unity government that includes both leaders is unacceptable . GOODLUCK JONATHAN , PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA : It 's immediate , it 's immediate . Elections have been declared , somebody has won , so he has to hand over . PUREFOY : But talks do not mean action , and for now , the uneasy standoff between the two presidents continues . Christian Purefoy , CNN , Lagos , Nigeria . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Climate Conference AZUZ : Okay , from Africa , we 're heading over to Cancun , Mexico , where a two-week conference on climate change ended with an agreement . Representatives from around the world came up with a plan that Mexico 's president is calling the start of `` a new era of cooperation in climate change . '' Among other things , the agreement will create a $ 100 billion fund to help developing countries deal with climate change . You see a lot of people clapping here , but not everyone likes this deal . The government of Bolivia says the agreement wo n't be effective . And Bolivia claims that wealthier nations bullied other countries into accepting the deal . This Day in History -LSB- ON SCREEN GRAPHIC -RSB- December 13 , 2000 -- Al Gore concedes defeat to George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election December 13 , 2003 -- Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. soldiers December 13 , 2007 -- The Mitchell Report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball is released Blog Repot AZUZ : In Memphis , Tennessee , a school 's trying to get students to pull up their saggy pants by giving teachers zip ties that they 'll use as belts on the students ' pants . On our blog , 71 percent of you think the `` no saggy pants '' policy is a good idea . Lana likes it , but here 's what she has a problem with : `` The wall of shame that shows photos of students with their pants hiked high . '' Most of you do n't agree with the photo board . Brandon says that low riding defines certain people , and adds `` if you do n't like it , do n't look at it . '' And Robert argues , `` Teachers do n't have the right to decide what students wear ; it should be up to parents '' . But Desiree writes that `` everywhere you turn , there are pants on the ground or someone 's underwear showing . '' She bets 80 percent of her school does n't own a belt . Robby calls showing your underwear , `` gross . It would be so embarrassing if a girl saw your underwear . '' And Katia calls saggy pants very unattractive , saying , `` I know I do n't wan na see boxers . '' Add your comment at CNNStudentNews.com . Remember , it 's first names only ! Shoutout SHELBY ERDMAN , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Williams ' history classes at Canyon Vista Middle School in Austin , Texas ! What is the name of this trophy ? Is it the : A -RRB- Hart Trophy , B -RRB- Naismith Award , C -RRB- Heisman Trophy or D -RRB- Cy Young Award ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! You 're looking at the Heisman Trophy , the award for the most outstanding college football player . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Heisman Winner AZUZ : This year 's Heisman Trophy winner is Cam Newton , the quarterback from Auburn University . He won the award on Saturday night . Newton has thrown or run for 48 touchdowns this year , leading Auburn to an undefeated season and a spot in the national championship game , and that 's coming up in January . But he 's also been the focus of some controversy . The NCAA ruled that Newton 's father was involved in a pay-for-play scandal . Essentially , he told schools that they had to pay money for Cam to play football there . An NCAA investigation determined that neither Cam Newton nor Auburn knew what Cam 's father was doing , so he 's been cleared to play . Original Rules Sold AZUZ : Just how important are the rules in sports ? We 're about to show you a set of rules that sold for more than $ 4 million ! It 's the `` Founding Rules of Basketball , '' written by the man who 's considered the inventor of the game : James Naismith . It 's a 119-year-old document that was auctioned off last Friday . In the original rules , players could pass the ball , but not run with it ; there was no provision for dribbling . And there was n't any physical contact . Things have , of course , changed a bit since then . The couple who bought the rules is hoping to donate them to Kansas University , where Naismith was a coach . Before We Go AZUZ : Before we go , competitions are n't always fun and games . But here 's one that sure seems like it is . It 's a robotics competition in Maine . But here 's the catch : the robots have to be built from LEGOs . 350 students participate in the event . They had to use LEGOs to build robots that could complete a series of tasks . By watching it , you 'd be pretty impressed . If we had to compete , I do n't even know what kind of robot we 'd design . Goodbye AZUZ : There are a few ideas we could toy around with . Not gon na share any of them , though . After all , we would n't want to LEGO any of our secrets . Whoo ! All right , it 's no secret that CNN Student News returns tomorrow . We 'll look forward to seeing you then . Remember , this is our last week on the air before the break . Take care . See you soon !","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This year 's Forbes Rich List is notable for the absence of Bill Gates at the top . After 13 years as the world 's richest man , he has finally been toppled by his friend Warren Buffett who has an estimate fortune of $ 62bn . The Middle East 's richest man : Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud The list -- which is a run down of the 1,125 richest people on the planet -- estimates a person 's total net worth in US dollars based on the closing stock prices of the stock exchanges on which their company is listed . The Middle East 's richest man is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud , the 51 year old Saudi who has an estimated net worth of $ 21bn . He ranks 19th in the list and is considered to be the most active and successful investor in the Middle East . He took his investment vehicle , Kingdom Holding , public on the Saudi stock exchange in July 2007 . The company contains investments in well-known global companies such as Citigroup and News Corp. . In the early 1990s , Alwaleed made a risky bet on Citigroup that paid off massively and has in recent years accounted for nearly half his fortune . Kuwaiti construction heir Nasser Al-Kharafi is the next richest in 46th place with an inherited fortune of $ 14bn . He heads M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons , one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the Arab world . Americana , the company 's lucrative food division is extremely successful and has exclusive franchise rights in the region for Pizza Hut , TGI Fridays and other big global brands . Faiza , his sister was the first woman president of Kuwait University . Naguib Sawiris , the eldest son of telecoms billionaire and Orascom Telecom founder Onsi Sawiris ranks next in 60th place with a net worth of $ 12.7 bn . In addition to Orascom Telecom , his assets -- via European holding company Weather Investments -- include Italian phone company , Wind and leading Greek telecom companies Wind Hellas and Tellas . His brother , Nassef is in 68th place , with an estimated worth of $ 11bn and his father Onsi who serves as chairman of Orascom comes in at 96th place with $ 9bn . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama got some political cover Sunday for his upcoming announcement on sending more troops to Afghanistan . A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the Bush administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan 's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001 . The report , released Sunday , said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago . Bin Laden had written his will , apparently sensing he was trapped , but the lack of sufficient forces to close in for the kill allowed him to escape to tribal areas in Pakistan , according to the report . It said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks held back the necessary forces for a `` classic sweep-and-block maneuver '' that could have prevented bin Laden 's escape . `` It would have been a dangerous fight across treacherous terrain , and the injection of more U.S. troops and the resulting casualties would have contradicted the risk-averse , ` light footprint ' model formulated by Rumsfeld and Franks , '' the report said . When criticized later for not zeroing in on bin Laden , administration officials , including former Vice President Dick Cheney , responded that the al Qaeda leader 's location was uncertain . `` But the review of existing literature , unclassified government records and interviews with central participants underlying this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora , '' the report said . On Tuesday , Obama will travel to West Point , New York , to announce his decision on a request by his commanding general in Afghanistan for up to 40,000 additional troops . Obama is expected to send more than 30,000 U.S. troops and seek further troop commitments from NATO allies as part of a counterinsurgency strategy to wipe out al Qaeda elements and stabilize the country while training Afghan forces . By releasing the report Sunday , Sen. John Kerry , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , focused attention on the past failure of the Bush administration to take out bin Laden , saying that had created a greater problem today . `` Our inability to finish the job in late 2001 has contributed to a conflict today that endangers not just our troops and those of our allies , but the stability of a volatile and vital region , '' Kerry , D-Massachusetts , wrote in a letter of transmittal for the report . When Kerry was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004 , he argued that the Bush administration botched the pursuit of bin Laden and that then-President George W. Bush `` took his eye off the ball '' in Afghanistan to invade Iraq . The accusations were hotly disputed by Bush supporters and Franks . However , Gary Berntsen , the CIA operative who led the pursuit of bin Laden at Tora Bora , said in 2005 that his request for up to 800 U.S. troops to cut off the al Qaeda leader 's escape route was denied . Sen. Richard Lugar , the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations committee , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the new report `` does serve as a convenient way for , perhaps , Democrats to say once again , there 's another failing of the past administration '' and that `` all the problems have accumulated . '' `` I think we have to accept that there were many failings , '' said Lugar , of Indiana . `` But the problem right now is , what do we do presently ? What will the president 's plan be ? How much confidence do we have in this president and this plan ? '' Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island , responding to Lugar 's comment , told CNN that Obama faced `` the culmination of decisions that were made eight years '' earlier , which he said `` made the situation much more difficult '' today . According to the report , `` removing the al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat . '' `` But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics worldwide , '' it said . The report called bin Laden 's escape `` a lost opportunity that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and the future of international terrorism , leaving the American people more vulnerable to terrorism , laying the foundation for today 's protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan . '' The report also highlighted bin Laden 's will , dated December 14 , 2001 , as an indication of the dire situation he faced . `` Bin Laden expected to die , '' it said , noting that a copy of the will that surfaced later is regarded as authentic . `` Allah commended to us that when death approaches any of us that we make a bequest to parents and next of kin and to Muslims as a whole , '' the report quoted bin Laden 's will as saying , adding that he `` instructed his wives not to remarry and apologized to his children for devoting himself to '' holy war . However , the report said , `` fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected . '' `` Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan , '' it continued . `` The vast array of American military power , from sniper teams to the most mobile divisions of the Marine Corps and the Army , was kept on the sidelines . Instead , the U.S. command chose to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias to attack bin Laden and on Pakistan 's loosely organized Frontier Corps to seal his escape routes . `` On or around December 16 , two days after writing his will , bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan 's unregulated tribal area . Most analysts say he is still there today . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The body of a woman was found near her car Wednesday , the apparent victim of an ammonia leak from a nearby plant in Swansea , South Carolina , police said . The leak occurred at the Tanner Industries plant as a hose had been connected from a delivery trailer containing anhydrous ammonia -LRB- purified ammonia -RRB- to a storage tank in the facility , said David Binder , director of quality safety and regulatory affairs for Tanner Industries . `` During that operation , a hole burst in the hose , '' he said . `` That released ammonia gas . '' The leak from the plant , located about 24 miles south of Columbia , was reported to the Lexington County Sheriff 's Department shortly before 8 a.m. , said Maj. John Allard , a public information officer for the department . Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes at the plant , where they saw a large , light-colored , dense plume , and closed area roads to traffic , he said . The ammonia hovered first over U.S. 321 , then moved into a wooded area , blackening its foliage , Allard said . Public safety personnel searched the vicinity for any people or animals affected by the leak , and -- at 9:30 a.m. -- found the woman 's body next to her vehicle , which was parked on the side of U.S. 321 , he said . Officials were speculating that the woman had been driving north when she encountered the plume and tried to turn around , but her car stalled . She apparently got out of the vehicle and was overcome by the fumes , Allard said . An autopsy has been ordered . The woman 's name was not released pending notification of her family . Seven people were taken to Lexington County Medical Center in stable condition with respiratory problems , none of which was life-threatening , Allard said . Five were plant workers ; the other two were nearby residents . The road was reopened at 2 p.m. , after the plume had dissipated , he said . The U.S. Chemical Safety Board -- an independent agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents -- announced it is deploying an investigation team to the site of the ammonia release . Tanner 's Binder described the occurrence as `` tragic , '' adding that nothing similar had occurred in the plant 's more than 13 years of existence . `` This is just heart-wrenching , '' he said , adding that there were no immediate plans to reopen the plant . Ammonia , a strong irritant that affects the respiratory system , is used in a variety of industries , including the manufacture of fertilizers and in commercial refrigeration systems . CNN 's Anna Rhett Cobb contributed to this story","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Promising `` a new era of openness in our country , '' President Obama signed executive orders Wednesday relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration . Members of the National Economic Council brief President Obama on the economy Wednesday . `` Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency , '' Obama said . In his first full day in office , Obama touched upon many of the major issues facing his administration , and even carved out time to retake the oath of office . The move was aimed at dispelling any confusion that might arise from Tuesday 's oath , which Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed by mixing up the order of the words . The do-over was also intended to erase any questions regarding the legitimacy of Obama 's presidency , although per the Constitution , Obama became president at noon Tuesday without taking the oath . Earlier in the day , Obama said he would issue a pay freeze for his senior staff members . The new president has also promised swift action on the beleaguered economy . House Democrats , at Obama 's urging , have signed an $ 825 billion economic recovery package that the president says will save or create up to 4 million jobs and invest in health care , energy and education . Watch Obama address his staff '' House Republican leaders , however , asked to meet with Obama on Thursday to offer major changes to the recovery proposal . `` The challenge as we see it is to create a plan that helps middle-class taxpayers and small businesses without wasting money or exploding our national deficit , '' the leaders wrote in a letter to the new president . Rep. Paul Ryan , the top Republican on the House Budget committee , argued that the main tax provision in the Democrats ' plan -- cutting payroll taxes -- was not an effective way to jump-start the economy . House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence declined to say whether the Democrats ' package would get any Republican support if it did n't change significantly . Obama also moved fast to address a campaign promise to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility . The administration is drafting executive orders calling for the closure of the detention facility , according to two administration officials . Obama began the day with a moment of solitude in the Oval Office . When he arrived , he spent 10 minutes alone there , reading a note left for him on a desk by outgoing President George W. Bush . White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met with the president 10 minutes later to discuss the daily schedule , White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said . Obama called Middle East leaders , including King Abdullah of Jordan , Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , Gibbs said . On Sunday , Israel and Palestinian militants declared a cease-fire after 22 days of fighting in Gaza . First lady Michelle Obama joined her husband in the Oval Office at 9:10 a.m. , shortly before the first couple departed for the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral . Later in the day , Obama and the first lady greeted those who came to the White House for a formal open house . Obama joked , `` Do n't break anything . '' Obama also met with his economic team and top brass from the Pentagon . iReport.com : What do you think Obama should do first ? Later in the afternoon , he met with the Ambassador to Iraq , the commander in Iraq , and the `` theater commander '' in the region for an update on the situation in Iraq . `` The meeting was productive and I very much appreciated receiving assessments from these experienced and dedicated individuals . During the discussion , I asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq , '' he said in a statement . `` In the coming days and weeks , I will also visit the Department of Defense to consult with the Joint Chiefs on these issues , and we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region , '' he said . He plans to tell the top U.S. officers that he wants them to plan to have combat forces out of Iraq in 16 months , as he promised during his election campaign , an adviser said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONG ISLAND , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death of a temporary Wal-Mart worker trampled by customers amid frantic Black Friday shopping could have been avoided , the union that represents retail workers said Saturday . Customers rushing to get into a Valley Stream , New York , Wal-Mart damaged doors and trampled a worker . Jdimytai Damour , 34 , was crushed as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a Long Island , New York , store at 5 a.m. Friday , police said . `` This incident was avoidable , '' said Bruce Both , president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 , the state of New York 's largest grocery worker 's union . `` Where were the safety barriers ? Where was security ? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner ? `` This is not just tragic ; it rises to a level of blatant irresponsibility by Wal-Mart , '' he said . Watch father of trampled worker react \u00c2 '' Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar said Saturday that the company had no response to the union 's comments , referring CNN to a written statement the retailer released Friday . The statement said the store added internal security , brought in outside security , erected barricades and worked with Nassau County police in anticipation of heavy crowds . `` Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the deceased , '' Wal-Mart Senior Vice President Hank Mullany said in the statement . `` We are continuing to work closely with local law enforcement , and we are reaching out to those involved . '' Damour 's death was one of two high-profile violent incidents on Black Friday , the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally one of the year 's busiest shopping days . Police say two men shot each other dead in a Toys `` R '' Us in Palm Desert , California , after they argued in the store . The fight did not appear to be related to shopping , according to authorities . At the Wal-Mart , police say that a line began forming at 9 p.m. Thursday and that , by 5 a.m. Friday , there were as many as 2,000 customers outside . A video showed about a dozen people knocked to the ground as the doors were opened and the crowd surged , breaking the doors . Minutes later , police trying to give Damour first aid were jostled by customers still running into the store , authorities said . The union is calling for an investigation `` by all levels of government '' to ensure justice for Damour 's family and make sure that such an incident never happens at Wal-Mart again . Watch reaction to the incident \u00c2 '' `` If the safety of their customers and workers was a top priority , then this never would have happened , '' said Patrick Purcell , a projects director for the local UFCW . `` Wal-Mart must step up to the plate and ensure that all those injured , as well as the family of the deceased , be financially compensated for their injuries and their losses . Their words are weak . '' The UFCW has long been a harsh critic of Wal-Mart 's , arguing that the world 's largest retailer offers low wages and poor health care for its workers and pushes competitors and suppliers to do the same or go out of business . The group has had only marginal success in organizing Wal-Mart workers in the United States and Canada , citing aggressive anti-union efforts by Wal-Mart . The UFCW has 1.3 million members working largely in the retail , food and food-processing industries . CNN 's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When it comes to the Academy Awards , Hollywood has some biases . The late Heath Ledger won a Golden Globe for his performance as The Joker in `` The Dark Knight . '' Summer blockbusters get short shrift . Comedies are n't taken seriously . And animated features ? They almost never get drawn . Which , on the surface , does n't bode well for three of the biggest movie stories of the year : `` The Dark Knight , '' Robert Downey Jr. 's performance in `` Tropic Thunder , '' and Pixar 's latest marvel , `` WALL-E . '' Each earned critical plaudits and box office success . And each faces an uphill struggle nabbing major-category Oscar nominations when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its shortlists Thursday morning . Awards expert Tom O'Neil , who follows the Oscars for the Los Angeles Times ' TheEnvelope.com , says the best-picture front-runners are `` Frost\/Nixon , '' `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , '' `` Milk '' and Golden Globe best drama winner `` Slumdog Millionaire . '' Barring a completely out-of-the-box surprise , that leaves `` Dark Knight , '' `` The Reader , '' Clint Eastwood 's fast-gaining `` Gran Torino '' and possibly `` Doubt '' or `` Revolutionary Road '' to battle for the final slot . Watch who took home the Globes '' O'Neil believes `` Dark Knight , '' the year 's top box office draw , has `` an excellent shot '' of making the best-picture list . `` We know that because Oscar voters belong to guilds that have their own awards , ` Dark Knight ' has a strong chance , '' he says , noting that the Directors Guild , Producers Guild and Writers Guild have all nominated `` Dark Knight '' for their top awards . Read what EW 's Dave Karger has to say about that `` WALL-E , '' however , is almost certainly out of the best-picture race , he says . Animated features , no matter how successful , have fared poorly in general categories . Indeed , only one animated feature -- 1991 's `` Beauty and the Beast '' -- has ever been nominated for best picture . With the addition of the best animated feature category in 2001 , it 's doubtful that even the best Pixar has to offer will cross over to best picture , particularly since the Academy ignored classics including `` Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , '' `` Fantasia '' and `` Toy Story . '' `` Oscar voters like reality , '' says O'Neil . Either way , the Oscars could probably use the ratings help a box office success can bring to its broadcast . In recent years , the Academy has nominated several independent or low-budget films for top awards , many of which did n't crack the $ 100 million mark at the box office . Oscar ratings have tumbled ; last year 's numbers for `` the Super Bowl for women '' -- as the Oscar broadcast is known by advertisers -- were the lowest on record and a far cry from 1998 , when more than 55 million people watched all-time box office king `` Titanic '' take home the top prize . That 's not to downgrade the expected front-runners , especially since the Oscars ' intention is to honor some of the year 's best films and performances -LRB- though critics have carped they 've often not done so -RRB- . Still , it might behoove the Academy to pay attention to box office as well as prestige , particularly when several films have garnered both . Almost three-quarters of the respondents to an unscientific USA Today Internet survey have said they 'd be more likely to watch the Oscar ceremony February 22 if `` The Dark Knight '' is nominated for best picture . `` If a film is very successful , it should n't be automatically relegated to the minor leagues , '' producer Peter Guber told The Associated Press . -LRB- Ironically , Guber co-produced the 1989 `` Batman , '' which , despite big box office and Jack Nicholson 's Joker , was nominated for just one Oscar -- for Anton Furst 's set design . It won . -RRB- Historically , summer blockbusters have n't always been ignored . `` Jaws , '' considered the first of the modern summer blockbusters , was nominated for best picture , as were `` Star Wars , '' `` Raiders of the Lost Ark '' and `` The Fugitive . '' And there 's something to be said for giving visibility to smaller films , says John Martin , president and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas , an upscale theater chain based in Austin , Texas . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on Oscar nominations `` As an exhibitor , we would love to see those -LSB- smaller niche -RSB- films make it as well , '' he says . `` They would have legs -LSB- box office longevity -RSB- if nominated . '' Martin , a former film executive , was pleased that `` Slumdog '' and `` The Wrestler '' -- two films his chain got behind -- fared so well at the Golden Globes , and he has high hopes for both films at the Oscars . `` The Wrestler 's '' lead , Mickey Rourke , earned a Globe for best dramatic actor , and is now a leading candidate to win best actor at the Oscars . O'Neil sees Rourke as the front-runner in the category , which should be `` a real slugfest , '' he says . `` Milk 's '' Sean Penn was considered the early leader , with his main competition `` Frost\/Nixon 's '' Frank Langella . But now Rourke is in the picture , which could mean trouble for Brad Pitt -LRB- `` Benjamin Button '' -RRB- , Leonardo DiCaprio -LRB- `` Revolutionary Road '' -RRB- , Clint Eastwood -LRB- `` Gran Torino '' -RRB- and Richard Jenkins -LRB- `` The Visitor '' -RRB- . Watch Eastwood talk about `` Gran Torino '' '' And Kate Winslet , a double winner at the Globes , could fall between the cracks in the Oscar balloting , O'Neil adds . Other awards let the performers or studios designate whether roles are leading or supporting ; the Academy decides on its own , which means that Winslet 's performances in `` Revolutionary Road '' and `` The Reader '' could split her support , whether for lead or supporting actress . Heath Ledger should have no such problems . The late actor , whose performance as The Joker in `` The Dark Knight '' has been considered Oscar material since the film came out in July , is believed to be a shoo-in for best supporting actor . Ironically , he could be competing against Downey -- 2008 's big comeback story -- for a performance as an actor who takes his Method a little too seriously in `` Tropic Thunder . '' Though comedies have n't received much nomination recognition , comedic performers have received some recognition , including `` Blazing Saddles ' '' Madeline Kahn , `` Heaven Can Wait 's '' Dyan Cannon and `` A Fish Called Wanda 's '' Kevin Kline , which ca n't hurt Downey . There 's also his personal story , says O'Neil : After drug abuse nearly killed his career , he starred in `` Thunder '' and `` Iron Man , '' two of 2008 's biggest hits . `` He 's a hopeful spin on the Ledger story , '' O'Neil says . Martin believes Ledger is a lock . `` I would n't be surprised if he wins -LSB- outright -RSB- , '' he says . But `` Dark Knight '' ? Hollywood will have to get past its disdain for `` comic-book movies . '' Which , O'Neil says , it should . `` This is n't just a superhero movie , '' says O'Neil . `` It 's come to the rescue of Hollywood during a dark time . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three of five Americans contractors detained in Baghdad have been ordered released by an Iraqi judge , because of insufficient evidence , a court spokesman said Thursday . In a CNN exclusive , video shows U.S. contractors taken into custody by Iraqi authorities . The other two other contractors remain in custody , according to Judge Abdul Sattar al-Beeraqdar , a spokesman for Iraq 's Higher Judicial Council . One of the men has been released on bond , the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed Thursday . The embassy did not identify the man , who was released Wednesday . However , a spokesman for his employer , Corporate Training Unlimited , said it was Donald Feeney . Judy Feeney , Donald 's wife , also confirmed his release . The contracting company said the release of the others has been delayed because of a procedural issue . Judy Feeney said her son , Donald Feeney III , and Mark Bridges were to be released Thursday morning , but it may take more time to release the other two , Jason Jones and Micah Milligan . But al-Beeraqdar said , without naming names , that two contractors were being held on charges involving '' illegal substances '' found on the men when they were taken into custody . Those who have been released are not allowed to leave the country because of an ongoing investigation and the judge may want to question them again , according to al-Beeraqdar . Except for Jones , the detained contractors work for the Fayetteville , North Carolina-based CTU , a security firm headed by the elder Feeney . An Iraqi judge decided earlier on Wednesday that charges against the five contractors were not warranted and that they could be released , according to an Iraqi security source and a source close to the five . The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case , in which the contractors have been detained since last week for reasons that remain unclear . The contractors initially had been told they were being held in connection with the May death of another contractor , James Kitterman , said the source close to the five . But on Monday , according to a judicial source , the men were told they were being held on suspicion of having unregistered weapons . Still , they were asked about their activities around the time Kitterman was killed , and Iraqi government officials told CNN Monday the five were detained as suspects in connection with Kitterman 's slaying . Kitterman was found bound , blindfolded and fatally stabbed in a car in Baghdad 's Green Zone on May 22 . The 60-year-old Houston , Texas , resident owned a construction company that operated in Iraq . The Green Zone is the high-security area in central Baghdad that contains the U.S. Embassy and key Iraqi government buildings . Access to the area , formally known as the International Zone , is tightly controlled . The five contractors were taken into custody on June 3 in a pre-dawn Green Zone raid by Iraqi and U.S. personnel , the security source told CNN on Sunday . During the raid , troops also confiscated weapons , the Iraqi security source said . Three of the contractors were suspected of being directly involved in Kitterman 's death , the Iraqi source said . A U.S. Embassy spokesman said the search was an Iraqi operation , but FBI representatives were present at the request of Iraqi authorities . The five were transferred to a prison within the Green Zone on Friday . `` After this murder inside the Green Zone , a joint investigation committee from U.S. and Iraq sides has been formed to investigate this incident , '' Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Karim Khalaf told CNN , `` and this committee managed to collect a number of indications that those five are linked to this murder . '' Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh also said the men were detained based on information linking them to the Kitterman slaying . Under Iraqi law , after a person is detained , an investigative judge questions the accused and assesses the evidence . The judge then decides whether there is sufficient evidence , and either refers the case to trial or dismisses it . The Iraqi source said the five had been held in a separate holding area and not with other Iraqi detainees , but spent time in a courtyard with other Iraqi detainees . A U.S. Embassy spokesman said consular officials had visited with them and `` they appeared well . '' The source close to the suspects said Sunday that each of the five men insisted they had alibis that will clear them and they were eager to tell their stories to a judge . The Feeneys had known Kitterman for six years from their time in the Green Zone and `` respected him , '' Corporate Training Unlimited spokeswoman Sarah Smith told CNN . CNN 's Alan Duke in Los Angeles and Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama urged Congress to adopt a `` pay-as-you-go '' approach to federal spending in order to restore fiscal discipline , but critics say the president 's call lacks credibility . Preisdent Obama says PAYGO is common sense . Faced with a record $ 1.8 trillion deficit , Obama on Tuesday pushed Congress to take up the spending rules , known as PAYGO . The approach would require lawmakers to pay for new programs , dollar-for-dollar , with budget cuts elsewhere . `` The ` pay as you go ' rule is very simple . Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere , '' Obama said , as he announced that he was submitting to Congress a proposal to make PAYGO law . Obama repeated his vow to halve the deficit by the end of his first term , and he said PAYGO is an important step toward making that happen . A previous PAYGO mandate helped erase federal budget deficits in the 1990s , and subsequent ineffective rules contributed to the current budget deficits , Obama said . `` Paying for what you spend is basic common sense . Perhaps that 's why , here in Washington , it has been so elusive , '' the president said Tuesday . Watch more on Obama 's ` pay-as-you-go ' plan '' But Republicans were quick to question the administration 's sincerity . Republican Whip Eric Cantor charged that the administration 's focus on PAYGO `` seems more driven by polling and PR strategy than a serious commitment to fiscal discipline . '' `` It seems a tad disingenuous for the President and Speaker -LSB- Nancy -RSB- Pelosi to talk about PAYGO rules after ramming trillions in spending through Congress proposing policies that create more debt in the first six months of this year than in the previous 220 years combined , '' Cantor , R-Virginia , said in a statement Tuesday . Republicans point to the $ 787 billion stimulus package as evidence that Obama is not following his own advice . Cantor 's statement included a `` fiscal timeline '' highlighting government spending initiatives this year . The timeline entry for June 8 points to polls showing dissatisfaction with the administration on spending and the deficit . The entry for June 9 shows the president holding a PAYGO summit . However , a group of fiscally conservative Democratic representatives known as the Blue Dogs say Obama 's proposal is responsible and necessary . `` President Obama inherited an economy in free fall and a $ 10.6 trillion national debt , '' said Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee , vice chairman of the Blue Dog Budget and Financial Services Task Force . `` While short-term spending was necessary to get the economy moving again , our long-term fiscal problems became that much more urgent . '' But when it comes to reducing the deficit , even the Senate Budget Committee 's Democratic chairman doubts the president can deliver on his promise . Asked if Obama could halve the deficit -- given the recent government spending -- Sen. Kent Conrad said , `` I do n't believe so . I do n't believe anybody could . '' Administration officials still defend piling the stimulus spending on top of the deficit , arguing that it was the best approach to get the country out of the recession . `` Pay-as-you-go embodies a common sense principle that you should n't dig a hole deeper , '' said Peter Orszag , director of the Office of Management and Budget . CNN 's Kristi Keck and Tom Cohen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japanese authorities arrested an activist from New Zealand on Friday for illegal trespassing after he boarded a whaling ship last month in waters off the Antarctic . Peter James Bethune , 44 , is accused of jumping from a Jet Ski onto the Shonan Maru 2 , the security ship of a Japanese whaling fleet , after the Ady Gil boat , of which Bethune was captain , sank . Bethune belongs to the activist group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society . The group said the New Zealander was attempting to make a citizen 's arrest of the Shonan Maru 2 skipper for the collision that sank the Ady Gil , a futuristic vessel used to intercept and block harpoon ships , in January . Hirotaka Akamatsu , Japan 's minister of agriculture , forestry and fisheries , said Japan would take a firm stance against Bethune . He said Sea Shepherd 's acts were not acceptable . `` Their violent acts are escalating , '' Akamatsu said . Bethune was taken into custody a month ago aboard the Shonan Maru 2 , which arrived from Antarctic waters -- where Japan conducts its annual whale hunt -- back to Japan on Friday . He was formally arrested then . Bethune has legal representation in Japan , said Sea Shepherd spokeswoman Traci Walter . A spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government was providing consular assistance to Bethune on his arrival in Japan . The Bethune case highlights an ongoing feud between Japanese whaling fleets and conservation agencies , especially the hardline Sea Shepherd . Activists have used butyric acid -- found in rancid butter and vomit -- and fired paint guns at Japanese whaling ships , which in turn have repelled protesters with water cannons . Japan 's Institute of Cetacean Research , a branch of the fisheries ministry that deals with whaling , accuses Sea Shepherd of jeopardizing the safety of fleets that are conducting research legally . Sea Shepherd uses its boats to interfere with whaling and fishing boats , and its efforts have included ramming a Portuguese whaler in 1979 . Two years ago , Sea Shepherd activists boarded a Japanese ship and handcuffed themselves to the vessel with plastic ties . Japanese authorities had called the Shonan Maru 2 incident the latest `` publicity stunt '' by Sea Shepherd activists . Sea Shepherd has accused the Shonan Maru 2 of destroying the Ady Gil during the skirmish in the Southern Ocean -- a term used to describe parts of the Indian , Pacific and Atlantic oceans that surround Antarctica . However , Japanese authorities deny their ship intentionally hit the high-tech catamaran and have said the activists were harassing their whaling fleet . In the early 1980s , the International Whaling Commission determined that there should be a moratorium on commercial whale hunting . But whaling is allowed under international law when done for scientific reasons , which Japan cites as the legal basis for its hunts . The country 's annual hunt kills up to 1,000 whales a year .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army Maj. Steven Hutchison fought battles in the jungles of Vietnam . Then he fought an epic battle on the home front . And at age 60 , he still was n't done fighting for his country . Maj. Steven Hutchison served 22 years in his first Army stint , then returned at age 57 . He died Sunday . The battle ended for Hutchison on Sunday . He died in Basra , Iraq , of wounds from a roadside bomb in Al Farr . He is the oldest U.S. service member to die in Iraq or Afghanistan . Hutchison joined the Army in 1966 and served two one-year tours in Vietnam , according to a news release from Fort Riley , Kansas , home of Hutchison 's 1st Infantry Division , the famous `` Big Red One . '' Over the next 22 years , he was a platoon leader in Germany and commander of a basic training company at Fort Jackson , South Carolina . Along the way , he earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Delaware and became an assistant professor of military science at Claremont College in California . He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal , among others . Hutchison retired from the military in 1988 and took up the quiet life of a college professor . He taught at several small colleges in California and became a researcher for a health care company in Scottsdale , Arizona , said his brother , Richard Hutchison . But Hutchison felt compelled to return to military service after the terrorist attacks of September 11 . His wife , Kandy , vetoed that idea , however . That decision proved fateful , as Hutchison was able to stand by his wife 's side through her battle with breast cancer . She died of the disease in January 2006 . The always-athletic Hutchison channeled his grief by whipping himself into shape and returning to active duty at age 57 the following year , his brother said . Military rules say retirees may be recalled up to age 64 for general officers , 62 for warrant officers and 60 for all others . Hutchison served a tour in Afghanistan and then was sent to Iraq , where he was part of a team training Iraqi forces to secure their own country . `` He 's been a soldier his whole life , '' Richard Hutchison , of Mesa , Arizona , told CNN affiliate KNXV-TV . Watch a report on Hutchison 's life '' `` He was a great guy , '' he said . `` We hung around together ; we went to the movies together , went out to dinner together . He loved to shoot pool ; we used to shoot pool all the time , either at my house or at his house . He was just a great friend and a great brother . '' The soldier-psychology professor , who is also survived by two daughters and two half-siblings , had a mischievous side , too . `` He liked to tease me about him being younger than me , even though he was five years older than me , '' Richard Hutchison said with a soft chuckle . `` He would tell everyone he was the youngest one . And they would believe him . Made me feel real good . '' Richard Hutchison plans to fly to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware over the weekend to claim his brother 's body and return it to Scottsdale for burial . The last communication the brothers had was a routine e-mail Steven Hutchison sent from Iraq about two weeks ago . He rarely wrote about his experiences in Iraq , Richard Hutchison said . However , there was one matter on the ground that the soldier involved his brother in . `` When he was in Iraq , they found a dog and were taking care of it . He sent me an e-mail asking me to send some dog food and dog supplies , '' Hutchison said . The Army made Hutchison 's team give up the dog , but they left it in good hands , his brother said . `` He had a big heart . '' CNN 's Adam Levine , Larry Shaughnessy , Barbara Starr and Joe Sterling contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury in Canton , Ohio , found former police officer Bobby Cutts Jr. guilty of murdering his pregnant girlfriend , Jessie Marie Davis , and their unborn child . Grasping tissues and moaning , Bobby Cutts Jr. testitfied he never meant to hurt girlfriend Jessie Davis . The jury of six men and six women reached the verdict after more than 21 hours of deliberations . Jurors found Cutts guilty of aggravated murder for the unlawful termination of Davis ' pregnancy and the aggravated murder of a child under the age of 13 . But the jury found him guilty of a lesser murder count in the death of Davis . Davis was nine months pregnant when she disappeared . She had chosen the name Chloe for her daughter . Jurors found that baby Chloe was killed during the commission of another crime , making Cutts eligible for the death penalty . The penalty phase of the trial is set to begin February 25 . Cutts will face a sentence of either 25 years to life with the possibility of parole , 30 years to life with the possibility of parole , life without parole or death . As the verdicts were read , Cutts remained stoic , a stark contrast to his tearful testimony on Monday . Watch the verdicts \u00c2 '' His and Davis ' families left the courthouse without comment . Jurors began deliberations late Tuesday afternoon . They had been sequestered , spending nights at a nearby hotel , cut off from exposure to the media and other potential influences . According to testimony , Cutts , 30 , rolled Davis ' body in a comforter and dumped it in a park , leaving their 2\u00c2 1\/2 - year-old son , Blake , alone . Cutts also was found guilty of aggravated burglary , two counts of gross abuse of a corpse and endangering a child , Blake . Cutts sobbed on the witness stand as he admitted killing Davis and their unborn child . But Cutts insisted that their deaths were an accident . `` I did n't mean to hurt her , '' Cutts testified , clasping a handful of tissues . `` This is n't real , '' he said he kept telling himself . Prosecutors discounted Cutts ' story , claiming he buckled under the financial pressure of child support , killed the mother of his child and then created a cover story to try to get away with it . On the stand , Cutts said he went to pick up his son Blake and became agitated when Davis , 26 , was n't moving fast enough to get the boy ready . He said he tried to leave her house but she grabbed him to keep him from leaving , and he accidentally elbowed her in the throat . Cutts told the jury he performed CPR on Davis and then tried to revive her with bleach . When he realized Davis was dead , Cutts said he panicked and put her in the back of his truck , so Blake would n't have to see his mother . Myisha Ferrell , Cutts ' longtime friend , testified for the prosecution that Cutts appeared at her home at 6 a.m. after Davis died . She said she could tell he was distraught . When they left her home in his truck , she found out why . `` We drove off and he said something was wrong , '' she said . `` He said , ` Something bad . ' '' `` He said something was wrong with his baby 's mother . '' Ferrell told the jury Cutts started speaking erratically as they drove , then blurted out , `` She 's in the back . '' Ferrell admitted she helped dump Davis ' body in a field and said Cutts later coached her on what to say to police . Ferrell was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to lying to authorities and complicity to gross abuse of a corpse . During closing arguments , prosecutor Dennis Barr said Cutts strangled and killed Davis and her unborn child because of his mounting debt and child support for what would have been his fourth child . Cutts ' own actions following Davis ' disappearance were a clear indications of his guilt , he said . `` His reaction is the reaction of person who committed a crime and is trying to cover it up , '' Barr said . Davis disappeared in June and the search for her attracted national attention . At that time , Cutts repeatedly denied he had any involvement . But Cutts eventually led police to her body . `` For nine days he kept the location of -LSB- Davis ' body -RSB- a secret and went on about his life , every day knowing that Jessie and Chloe were laying there rotting away , destroying the evidence , '' Barr said . Prosecutors also reminded the jury of the testimony of one of Cutts ' friends , Richard Mitchell , who claimed the former police officer threatened to kill Davis one month before she disappeared . `` I 'm going to kill that -LSB- expletive -RSB- and throw her in the woods , '' Mitchell quoted Cutts as saying . In their closings , Cutts ' attorneys acknowledged their client 's poor judgment after Davis ' death , but said the prosecution had not presented any witnesses to support their claim that Cutts was in financial distress . They urged the jury to find Cutts not guilty on the basis that the prosecution did not prove their case that he intentionally killed Davis . Fernando Mack , a defense lawyer , admitted Cutts ' judgment lapsed when he wrapped Davis ' body up and went to dispose of it , leaving their toddler alone with the bleach-soaked rug . But he cautioned jurors against deciding Cutts ' fate based on an emotional response to ugly facts . `` Will it outrage you ? Absolutely . But , Blake being left home alone does n't tell you about aggravated murder . '' `` You do n't know what happened in that house , '' defense attorney Carolyn Ranke said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI BEACH , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the grainy , silent black and white video , it 's hard to tell exactly what happened the night of June 14 in Miami Beach . But one thing is certain : A tourist , Husien Shehada , can be seen falling to the ground , shot by a police officer . Shehada , 29 , later died . Husien Shehada , at left with his brother , Samer , was shot dead by Miami Beach police on June 14 . Four nights later , again in Miami Beach , Lawrence McCoy allegedly pistol-whipped a cab driver and led police on a chase . Police say shots were exchanged . McCoy , also 29 , was killed . Officer Adam Tavss , a 34-year-old former history teacher with three years on the force , was involved in both police shootings , the first in Miami Beach since 2003 . Although it is not yet clear whether Tavss fired one of the shots that killed McCoy , questions are being raised as to whether the officer was cleared for patrol duty too soon after the first shooting . Police and the Miami-Dade County state attorney 's office are investigating the shootings . The inquiry is expected to last several more months . All the records and reports have been sealed . Watch surveillance video of the first shooting '' The families of Shehada and McCoy are asking the Justice Department to investigate . Tavss , who is now assigned to desk duty , declined through his attorney to speak with CNN , citing the ongoing investigation . Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega has defended both shootings . `` It is important to note that the subjects in both cases had exhibited aggressive , violent , non-compliant and criminal behavior , '' the chief said in a statement to the media . Noriega added that officers `` are required to make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors and can not afford to hesitate or be wrong . '' The Miami Beach department 's standard operating procedure for use of force , a copy of which was obtained by CNN , states that any officer involved in a fatal shooting must be assigned to administrative duties for at least 72 hours . The department also mandates psychological support . Tavss was removed from duty for 72 hours , evaluated and then cleared by Noriega to return to patrol , which is departmental policy . On his first day back out on the street , Tavss was involved in the second shooting . Each of the nation 's 20,000 police departments sets its own policy for police involved in shootings and fatalities . Some departments keep the officers off the streets for a week or longer . In virtually all cases , psychological evaluation and counseling are mandatory . Watch CNN 's report on the shootings '' Maria Haberfeld , a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and an expert on police use of force and stress management , said she had never heard of an officer being involved in two shootings within four days . `` I think it 's a gross error of judgment for any police department to maintain a rule that allows an officer who was involved in a fatal shooting to be back on the streets four days after the incident , '' Haberfeld said . A study by the Justice Department 's National Institute of Justice found that officers involved in fatal shootings can be affected for months afterward . `` In the days , weeks and months that follow a shooting , officers may suffer adverse reactions such as sleep interruption , anxiety and depression , '' a report on the study said . Officers `` experienced a range of psychological , emotional and physiological reactions that distorted time , distance , sight and sound , '' the study concluded . In some cases , the study found , officers could not recall firing their weapons . But even experts are undecided on just how much time off the street is enough , because every incident and every police officer is different . `` It 's hard for me to estimate whether it 's weeks or a little bit more , but certainly not days ; certainly not hours . It 's just too irresponsible toward the officer and toward the society the officer needs to serve , '' Haberfeld said . Police officers across the country train on how to make difficult split-second decisions on the use of deadly force . The sheriff in neighboring Broward County uses an interactive video screen that places officers into scenarios they might face while on patrol . `` In less than half a second , your pulse may go from 60 to 160 , 170 , and your heart 's beating out of your chest , and you have to make a split-second decision , '' Broward Sheriff 's Sgt. Bill Pennypacker said . Witnesses , police and surveillance video obtained by CNN provide the following , sometimes conflicting , accounts of what happened during the two Miami Beach shootings : Husien Shehada and his brother , Samer , had come from Virginia to spend a long weekend with their girlfriends in Miami Beach . Early on Sunday , June 14 , they got into a scuffle with another group of men , who intervened after Samer Shehada allegedly assaulted his girlfriend . Investigators said they believe that the two brothers were looking for revenge against those men when somebody called 911 , reporting that two men were walking down the street and that one of them might be carrying a machine gun . The callers said they could see the outline of a large gun underneath his white shirt , and he was carrying it in his left hand . In a color security camera tape released by the Miami Beach Police Department , it appears that one of the brothers was carrying something under his shirt , holding it with his left hand . Tavss and other officers approached the brothers in front of Twist , a popular South Beach nightclub . A grainy black and white videotape shows the brothers together and Husien Shehada falling to the ground . A police officer can then be seen approaching . Samer Shehada said he and his brother were cooperating . `` His hands were up for a good two seconds , three seconds , '' Samer Shehada said . `` He was n't in the process of raising his hands . His hands were up . '' One witness told CNN that when Tavss approached the brothers with his gun drawn , the brothers were belligerent . The witness , Derek Reynolds , was working security at the club that night . He said the two men cursed at police and would n't put their hands up . `` It got intense . ... They were n't cooperating , '' he said . `` One guy reached behind him , and he got shot . '' Law enforcement sources say a coat hanger and a bottle were found at the scene , but no gun was found . Samer Shehada said that neither he nor his brother was carrying a coat hanger , much less a gun . After the shooting , Tavss was relieved of duty for 72 hours , per department policy . When he returned to street patrol , he was one of several officers who responded to a 911 call reporting that that a taxi driver had been pistol-whipped and his cab stolen . Police confronted Lawrence McCoy on a Miami Beach causeway . According to police , McCoy ran and fired at the officers . McCoy was shot dead by police . It is not yet known whether Tavss fired any shots . John Contini , an attorney representing the families of both men shot by police , said McCoy was shot nine to 11 times . No weapon was found on McCoy . Police found a gun several days later in Biscayne Bay , but they say they do n't know if it belonged to McCoy . Lawrence McCoy Sr. said his son 's civil rights were violated . `` Michael Vick was convicted and put in jail for two years for killing dogs -- for killing dogs . I want justice for my son , '' he said . Contini said Tavss should be in jail . He also questioned the policy that allowed him back on the street so quickly . `` In fairness to the officer , you do n't put him on the street , with a gun and a badge , to be in this situation without allowing for a period of decompression -- for the officer 's sake , to get some help , '' Contini said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pharmacist testified that he warned Anna Nicole Smith 's doctors and boyfriend that a list of medications intended for Smith a week after her son 's death could be `` pharmaceutical suicide . '' Anna Nicole Smith , with Howard K. Stern , was found dead in her hotel room in February 2007 . The former Playboy model and reality TV star died five months later of what a Florida medical examiner ruled was from `` acute combined drug intoxication . '' Ira Freeman , the chief pharmacist at Key Pharmacy in Los Angeles , testified on the seventh day of a preliminary hearing for Howard K. Stern -- Smith 's lawyer and companion -- and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor . The three are charged with an illegal conspiracy to prescribe , administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict . Stern faces 11 felony counts , and the doctors were charged with six each . They are not charged in her death . Smith 's death in a Hollywood , Florida , hotel on February 8 , 2007 , came just five months after the birth of her daughter , Dannielynn , and the sudden death of her 20-year-old son , Daniel , on September 10 , 2006 . Freeman testified that Kapoor faxed to him a list of six drugs that Eroshevich wanted to be sent to the Bahamas , where Eroshevich was treating Smith for anxiety and depression in the days after her son 's death . `` The more I thought about it , the more concern I had that if she got hold of those medications , it could have fatal consequences '' Freeman said . The pharmacist said the dosages of the drugs were `` not appropriate . '' Freeman said he consulted Dr. Greg Thompson , a pharmaceutical expert , who agreed with him and who offered to talk with Eroshevich about the dangers . Freeman said Thompson later told him that he found Eroshevich , a psychiatrist , to be `` way out of her league '' in her requests for strong drugs for Smith . At the time , Smith was holed up in her home in the Bahamas mourning her son 's death . Her bodyguard said in earlier testimony that the home was under siege by photographers , keeping Smith inside with her windows covered . Thompson recommended to Eroshevich that she `` forget the paparazzi and get her to a hospital '' if she needed all of those drugs , Freeman said . Freeman said the stress of the publicity after Smith 's death affected his own health , especially after the celebrity Web site TMZ.com published a copy of the faxed list of medications in question . Under questioning by the defense , Freeman said that over the previous five years he had filled prescriptions for Smith , he never saw any `` red flags '' that she was getting dangerous amounts of drugs . Charges against the three defendants also include the use of false names on prescriptions . Freeman said he always understood that prescriptions written under the pseudonym `` Michelle Chase '' were intended for Smith . It was a practice begun in 2001 , three years before Kapoor or Eroshevich began treating her , to prevent `` trouble for her in terms of her celebrity status , '' Freeman said . After the preliminary hearing , which could last about three weeks , Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry will decide whether a trial will be held . In earlier testimony , Smith 's part-time bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt said `` she just did n't want to deal with life after the death of her son . '' Brighthaupt described Smith as `` manipulative '' when she wanted something . `` She manipulated Dr. Eroshevich , '' he said . Eroshevich , a Los Angeles psychiatrist , traveled to the Bahamas five or six times in 2006 to attend to Smith , he said . They had a mother-daughter friendship , not a doctor-patient relationship , Brighthaupt said . The doctor sometimes substituted placebos for the tray full of pills Smith regularly took for her complaints of pain and depression , he said . `` She was very concerned that we needed to wean her off the medications , '' Brighthaupt said . California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Danny Santiago testified that investigators found 12 prescription drugs , including dangerous opiates , in Smith 's hotel room after her death . Seven of them were prescribed using Stern 's name , although spelled `` Stearn , '' he said . A series of affidavits used by state investigators to obtain search warrants in their 2 1\/2 - year inquiry was unsealed last month , revealing many details of the prosecution 's case .","question":""}
{"answer":"MYRTLE BEACH , South Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After earning a reputation as a killer in Haiti , Tropical Storm Hanna amounted to little more than a windy rainstorm along the Atlantic Coast on Saturday . Water almost covers the dock at the Marine Corps Air Station marina near the New River in North Carolina . No states have `` expressed any damage that they could n't handle , '' said Glenn Cannon , the Federal Emergency Management Agency 's assistant administrator for disaster operations . He said there were some concerns about flooding near rivers and in low-lying areas . `` We 're monitoring Hanna , but it seems to be a heavy rain event , '' he said . According to the Associated Press , Hanna did cause one death in a traffic accident on Interstate 95 in Maryland . Many people in Huntington , Virginia , about 8 miles northwest of Virginia Beach , voluntarily evacuated Saturday afternoon because of concerns about flooding , Fairfax County public information officer Merni Fitzgerald said . The area , which has flooded in the past , was receiving heavy rain , she said . She could not provide an exact number of people who had evacuated . The storm drenched the Carolinas and Virginia with heavy rain pushed by 55-mph winds as it zipped northward near 30 mph -LRB- 48 kph -RRB- , the National Hurricane Center reported at 11 p.m. ET Saturday . At that hour , the center of the storm was 90 miles -LRB- 145 kilometers -RRB- west-southwest of Long Island , New York , and about 135 miles -LRB- 220 kilometers -RRB- southwest of Providence , Rhode Island . Hanna would travel the coast all the way up to Canada 's Maritime Provinces by Sunday night , forecasters said . Hanna came ashore at 3:20 a.m. ET near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line . It caused a surge of 1 to 2 feet of water along the shore and was expected to deliver 4 to 6 inches of rain , with some areas getting more . Flooding , wind damage and power outages were minor across the Carolinas , according to emergency officials . View a map of Hanna 's projected path '' `` It 's actually going fairly well , with some reports of minor flooding , '' said South Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Derrec Becker . About 10,000 South Carolina homes were without power Saturday morning , mostly in the Myrtle Beach area , Becker said . He also said 444 South Carolina residents were staying in 15 shelters . In North Carolina , nearly 12,000 homes had no electricity , mostly in the counties near where Hanna came in , said State Emergency Management spokesman Mark Van Sciver . See what impact Hanna had on Wrightsville Beach , North Carolina '' No deaths were reported , flooding was limited , and no highways were closed , Van Sciver said . Nearly 1,500 residents sought refuge Saturday in 49 emergency shelters in North Carolina , Van Sciver said . The storm snarled some travel plans . It triggered delays for arrivals to Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania and departures from Newark International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York , the Federal Aviation Administration said . Delays at JFK airport averaged about four hours , the FAA said . Hanna 's eye made landfall near Little River Inlet at the South Carolina-North Carolina line , according to CNN meteorologists . Watch wind whip a South Carolina beach '' Pounding waves flattened some sand dunes on the beaches at Oak Island , North Carolina , just east of the storm 's landfall . The island 's Ocean Crest pier , rebuilt after Hurricane Floyd destroyed it nine years ago , held up under Hanna , but the American flag flying above it was in tatters and barely attached to its pole by sunrise . By Saturday afternoon , the hurricane center had discontinued a tropical storm warning southward from Cape Hatteras , North Carolina . A tropical storm warning covered much of the East Coast from Cape Hatteras to Merrimack River , Massachusetts , about 31 miles north of Boston . The warning included all of Chesapeake Bay , Washington , New York Harbor and Long Island Sound , as well as popular vacation islands Martha 's Vineyard , Block Island and Nantucket . The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours . iReport.com : Are you getting soaked ? Hanna caused severe flooding and killed at least 137 as it lingered for several days over and just off the coast of Haiti . U.N. relief supplies started arriving in the beleaguered country Friday , even as Hurricane Ike threatens to do even more damage . Ike will pass near or over the Turks and Caicos Islands , just north of Haiti , and the southeastern Bahamas in the next day , the hurricane center said . Ike 's impact on the United States is less certain , but it could brush South Florida and hit the Gulf Coast as a major hurricane next week . iReport.com : `` There 's now a pond in my car ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ann Nixon Cooper sits back in her dining room chair , her eyes closed tight and her lips clenched , when asked if she will attend Barack Obama 's inauguration in January . Ann Nixon Cooper was born in 1902 , a time when women and black people were denied the right to vote . `` I could go and maybe would go , but I 'm not looking forward to it , '' says the 106-year-old former socialite . What if Obama came to her house and asked her in person to attend ? Cooper perks up and a big smile spreads across her face . `` Oh , yes , of course I 'm ready to go ! '' It 's been a whirlwind ever since Obama mentioned the African-American centenarian in his victory speech Tuesday night . Throngs of media -- from the BBC to a Japanese station to national news outlets -- have descended on her Atlanta house . Strangers have stopped by too . She 's taking it all in stride . She stayed up later than usual , until about 3 a.m. , after Obama 's speech and the phone began ringing off the hook . She had been tipped off by the Obama campaign that he 'd say something . `` Somebody told him what to say and what to do and he followed through , '' she says . Watch `` I 'd be proud to meet him as anybody else '' '' Cooper -- who was born during a time when women and black people could n't vote -- fully understands the significance of Obama 's victory . `` Things are changing , changing , changing , and I look for more change now that it 's the first black president in victory of faith over fear , '' she says . `` Do n't you know , that 's quite something to be proud of . '' What would she tell Obama if she ever meets him ? `` I would n't have anything special to say about Obama . I enjoyed listening to him , but that 's all , '' she says . `` I would be proud to meet him as anyone else . '' She and her late husband , prominent dentist Dr. Albert Cooper , raised four children in her house . The home was a center of Atlanta 's black society and the scene of many parties . She knew Martin Luther King Jr. when he was just a boy and was close with his mother . She sometimes refers to Obama as `` that young man . '' In his victory speech , Obama praised Cooper 's fight . The president-elect had learned of her story two weeks earlier after CNN profiled her when she went to the polls to vote early . Obama called her soon afterward . Watch Obama talk about Cooper in his victory speech '' `` This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations , '' Obama told the tens of thousands of supporters who had gathered in Chicago on Tuesday night . `` But one that 's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta . She 's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing -- Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old . `` She was born just a generation past slavery ; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky ; when someone like her could n't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin . `` And tonight , I think about all that she 's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope ; the struggle and the progress ; the times we were told that we ca n't , and the people who pressed on with that American creed : Yes we can . '' Cooper watched Obama 's speech from her home . `` Yeah , I knew he was talking about me -- I had been told that he would be saying these things . '' See images of Cooper 's early voting extravaganza '' She added that her late husband `` would be elated '' a black man will be president . `` Yeah , he 'd be so tickled to death , '' she said . `` We looked forward to changes . Everybody looked forward to a better life . '' One of her grandsons , Albert B. Cooper , said the family has been overwhelmed with pride since Tuesday . `` It was a bigger honor than you could ever imagine to be mentioned in Obama 's speech . For her to be used as an example of the strength -- and all the changes that have gone on within the black community -- is stunning . We were touched and proud and I ca n't come up with the words , '' he says . `` It 's an amazing thing . '' Ann Cooper has called Atlanta home since the 1920s . She co-founded a Girls Club for African-American youth and taught community residents to read in a tutoring program at Ebenezer Baptist Church , where King preached . Celebrities , including the late singer Nat King Cole , often dropped in to visit . One time many years ago , a young student from Morehouse College stopped to visit . He spoke of dreams to become a filmmaker . That man , it turns out , was Spike Lee . `` It 's been a house with a heap of living going on in it , '' Cooper said . Born in 1902 in Shelbyville , Tennessee , Cooper danced the electric slide up until the age of 103 . She has recently slowed down after suffering several heart attacks and a fractured hip . On a typical day , Cooper spends hours watching television in her wood-paneled sitting room . Her favorite shows are `` The Price is Right , '' `` Oprah '' and `` Dancing with the Stars . '' Three of Cooper 's four children have died ; her surviving daughter is 83 . She has 14 grandchildren living and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren . When CNN first interviewed her in October , she said she only had one thing left to see in this world . `` I ai n't got time to die 'cause I 've got to see a black president , '' she said , giggling with excitement . `` I 've got to see that . '' Now , she says , `` I would be very proud if I could just meet and shake his hand . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal appeals court on Monday affirmed the conviction and life sentence for convicted terrorist and 9\/11 co-conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui . Moussaoui had agreed to plead guilty in 2005 to six criminal conspiracy charges arising from the al Qaeda terror plot to use commercial aircraft to strike key U.S. targets on September 11 , 2001 , in the worst domestic terror attack in American history . A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit concluded Moussaoui 's trial was fair , despite the defendant representing himself against the advice of the trial judge and his own lawyers . The judges said a life sentence imposed by the jury was appropriate . `` Moussaoui , having pled guilty , has waived all nonjurisdictional errors leading up to his conviction except those affecting the adequacy of his pleas , '' the panel said . Moussaoui has been held by the government since August 2001 , and was the first person charged in the United States in connection with the 9\/11 attacks . He was indicted in December 2001 , accused of being part of a broader terror conspiracy in the months leading up to 9\/11 . Several other accused top al Qaeda officials -- including alleged 9\/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- are awaiting transfer into federal custody and future prosecution in civilian courts , the same as Moussaoui . Government sources have told CNN that three top al Qaeda detainees have told their interrogators that Moussaoui was not meant for the 9\/11 plot , but for a future terror operation . Moussaoui had said as much in open court , admitting allegiance to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden , but denying he was to have been part of the 9\/11 hijacking of planes . Prosecutors had questioned the validity of some of his claims . The 41-year-old faced the death penalty , but was instead given life in prison , and serves his sentence at the so-called `` Supermax '' correctional facility in Colorado . His trial was delayed for many months over whether the French citizen of Moroccan descent had the right to introduce testimony from the three top al Qaeda leaders who he said may have evidence that could clear him . The court agreed but said no direct access was allowed , only written summaries of the interrogations . That evidence was the key basis of Moussaoui 's current appeal . `` We find it significant that Moussaoui never sought to rescind the admissions he had just made '' at his March 2005 guilty plea , wrote the judges , `` nor to withdraw his guilty plea during the nearly three-year long period that elapsed between his -LSB- initial -RSB- appeal and the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding . '' Moussaoui tried to use bin Laden 's own words to help his case . The Saudi leader -- reportedly in hiding in Pakistan or Afghanistan -- said in an audio message , `` I was responsible for entrusting the 19 brothers -- Allah have mercy upon them -- with those raids ... and I did not assign brother Zacarias to be with them on that mission . '' Those 19 Muslim men were the al-Qaeda members aboard the planes that crashed one 9\/11 . At the same time , the defendant also claimed he was supposed to fly a fifth plane into the White House , and that Richard Reid , the so-called `` shoe bomber '' was supposed to be on his hijacking team . Only four planes were involved in the 9\/11 attacks . But after his May 2006 sentencing , Moussaoui claimed he lied on the stand . His erratic behavior at trial , including his frequent outbursts and threats and his insistence of representing himself for a time , led to calls for a mistrial by his legal team . In his last public appearance at his sentencing , Moussaoui waved the `` V '' victory sign , and attacked the United States . `` We will come back another day , '' Moussaoui told the court . `` As long as you do n't hear , America , you will feel . ... God curse America . God bless Osama bin Laden . You will never get him . '' Moussaoui now has the option of asking the full appeals court to hear his case or of going directly to the Supreme Court . The justices had earlier refused to stop his trial from going ahead . The case is Moussaoui v. U.S. -LRB- 06-4494 -RRB- . .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's been nine years since Kim and Curtis Christiansen were married . Since then they 've had their ups and downs , but they 've remained close . But when Curtis began snoring about three years ago , Kim began sleeping on the couch . After his snoring drove his wife , Kim , to sleep on the couch , Curtis Christiansen saw a sleep specialist . `` His snoring was so loud . At first I would just elbow him to wake him up , '' she said , `` But then I became concerned . He would just -LRB- she gasps for breath -RRB- . It would take his breath away . '' At first Curtis Christiansen figured he was tired , a little run down from his job . He thought the snoring was just a symptom of his exhaustion . But when he started nodding off while waiting at a traffic light , he knew something was wrong . `` I became more aware of this choking and waking-up feeling , '' he said . Kim Christiansen finally persuaded her husband to go to a sleep specialist . The diagnosis : obstructive sleep apnea . According to the National Sleep Foundation , more than 18 million American adults have sleep apnea , and many of them do n't know it . Some people think their snoring is just a side effect of a busy lifestyle . Watch more on the difference between sleep apnea and snoring '' In some cases , that 's true . But the foundation says it 's trying to get more people to realize how important it is to know the difference between occasional snoring and apnea . Studies have shown that sleep apnea has some serious side effects . A disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep , apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open , despite efforts to breathe . That can cause broken sleep patterns and low blood oxygen levels . Doctors say these side effects can lead to hypertension , heart disease , and mood and memory problems . In a recent study at the University of Maryland Medical Center , researchers found that sleep apnea can cause a rise in depression and that sleep-related breathing disorders can also worsen nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder . And because sufferers are usually sleepy during the day , apnea can increase the risk of automobile crashes . There 's no question it can be life-threatening , doctors say . So how do you know whether your snoring is something more serious ? When snoring starts to affect your daily habits , you should see a doctor , said Dr. Thomas LoRusso , director of the Northern Virginia Sleep Diagnostic Centers . `` A bed partner may notice that the patient stops breathing and snores loudly , '' LoRusso said . `` And the daytime symptoms are sleepiness , poor concentration , problems waking up in the morning . '' LoRusso says a good way to check your sleep habits is to note your levels of fatigue during the day and jot down other symptoms you might be having . And if you have a bed partner , ask whether he or she has noticed any `` choking or gasping while you snore , '' he said . `` The person you sleep with , many times , knows your snoring better than you . '' Specific lifestyle changes can help you avoid sleep apnea , the sleep foundation said . LoRusso agrees . `` Cut out the alcohol , '' he said . `` It can make the upper airway muscles to relax . '' And watch your weight . Losing pounds can `` cure '' sleep apnea , especially for overweight people , LoRusso said . If you smoke , try to quit , he said . Smoking creates swelling in the upper airway , making apnea worse . These seemingly small changes can have dramatic results . `` In some cases , changing these factors can eliminate sleep apnea from some patients , '' LoRusso said . For Curtis Christiansen , it was n't that easy . Not only was he thin and a non-smoker , he suffered from high blood pressure and high cholesterol and , because of a previous health issue , had only one kidney . He needed help immediately . His doctor recommended a device called a CPAP , or continuous positive airway pressure device . It 's a mask or nose piece that blows air into the airway to keep it open while a patient sleeps . Although surgery is an option for those who have problems even with the CPAP , Christiansen was n't one of them . Since his diagnosis , Christiansen has gotten his blood pressure under control . When he started wearing the CPAP , he confesses , he 'd leave it behind when he went out of town . `` But I found I was n't getting a good night 's sleep , so now I take the CPAP along , '' he said with a smile , `` and I have a restful vacation with my wife . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to try to recoup bonuses paid to Wall Street executives with taxpayer money . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House members Wednesday announce tax proposals affecting bonuses . The measure passed , 328-93 ; most Democrats supported the measure , while Republicans were sharply divided . A two-thirds majority among all members voting was required for passage . The measure would tax individuals on any bonuses received in 2009 from companies getting $ 5 billion or more in money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program , or TARP . Bonuses for people with incomes over $ 250,000 would be taxed at a 90 percent rate . `` Today 's vote rightly reflects the outrage that so many feel over the lavish bonuses that AIG provided its employees at the expense of the taxpayers who have kept this failed company afloat , '' President Obama said . `` I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated . '' The measure now moves to the Senate , which is considering a bill to tax retention bonuses paid to executives of companies that received federal bailout money . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday failed to get that bill passed by unanimous consent when Republican Whip Jon Kyl objected . Kyl wants `` to understand the root and cause of what happened here before we haphazardly rush and approve what we think is the remedy , '' his spokesman Ryan Patmintra said . House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel , D-New York , told reporters Wednesday , `` We ca n't have any concept of we 're getting even , but we must have a concept that we 're trying to show that Congress ... can not tolerate that . '' The vote comes one day after AIG chief executive Edward Liddy testified before Congress that he has asked employees of the bailed-out insurer who took home more than $ 100,000 in bonuses to return at least half . Liddy , saying he knew that the public 's patience is `` wearing thin , '' said some employees have decided on their own to return their entire bonuses to the company . More than $ 165 million has been slated for bonuses to AIG 's senior executives ; the federal government rescued the company from financial ruin with more than $ 170 billion in taxpayer assistance . Referring to the AIG executives who received bonuses , Rangel said , `` I do n't think these are the type of people to -LSB- whom you can -RSB- make an appeal to equity and justice . I do n't think they really know the difference . I do n't really think they 've had life experience to allow them to believe the pain that they 've caused for millions of Americans . '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , said the bill was necessitated by the poor judgment shown by firms receiving bailout money . `` We must stabilize the financial system in order to strengthen our economy and create jobs , '' she said . `` We must also protect the American taxpayer from executives who would use their companies ' second chances as opportunities for private gain . `` Because they could not use sound judgment in the use of taxpayer funds , these AIG executives will pay the Treasury in the form of this tax . '' A similar proposal in the Senate would attempt to recoup bonuses by taxing both individuals and companies , but Rangel said House leaders decided against penalizing companies because they could simply ask for more taxpayer money . Earlier Wednesday , President Obama also lashed out at the bonuses given to AIG executives , calling them `` outrageous . '' `` People are right to be angry . I am angry . ... People are rightly outraged about these particular bonuses , '' he said . `` But just as outrageous is the culture that these bonuses are a symptom of , that -LSB- has -RSB- existed for far too long ; a situation where excess greed , excess compensation , excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag . '' CNN 's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pam Biggers , a 52-year-old woman from Hueytown , Alabama , disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle . Pam Biggers disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle in January 2008 . She drove to the La Quinta Inn at Panama City Beach on January 27 , 2008 , a Sunday . She checked in and talked with her husband over the phone about 5:30 p.m. . She told him she was going out to eat with a colleague who was staying across the hall . After an early dinner , the two women returned to their rooms about 7 p.m. , police said . And then Pamela Biggers simply disappeared . `` It 's completely baffling , '' said her husband , Don Biggers . `` All of her belongings , clothes , purse , cell phone , were left in her room . '' Biggers ' bed did not look slept in , police said , but it appeared that she had been reading in bed . Her open book and glasses were on the bedside table , and the pillows were propped up against the headboard . She had not changed into her pajamas , and her hotel room key and car keys were in the room . There was no sign of struggle , police said . Watch Rupa 's report on this baffling cold case '' Biggers ' family believes that she left the hotel and either lost her way or became the victim of foul play . `` We think she may have initially wandered off on her own , '' Don Biggers said . `` She had some episodes ... complaining of voices in her head and paranoia . '' She 'd been on medication but had decided to stop taking it , he added . Biggers said he was concerned about his wife 's health and urged her to not go on the business trip . Police searched for Biggers for weeks . Her family brought in Texas Equusearch , a specialized search and rescue operation . The group conducted ground and air searches and used cadaver dogs but was unable to find any clues . The hotel did not have surveillance cameras , so it is not known when Biggers left or whether she was alone . Hotel staffers did not recall seeing Biggers leave . She had driven to Florida in the family car , which was in the hotel parking lot . According to her family , Biggers had never wandered off before , nor had she suffered from memory loss . She had just learned that her son , Jacob , was to be dispatched for a tour of duty in the military to Afghanistan and may have been stressed about that , her husband said . Police and the Biggers family are asking the public for help . Anyone who has seen Pam Biggers or has more information leading to the person or people responsible for her disappearance is asked to call the Bay County Sheriff 's Office tip line at 850-747-4700 . A $ 20,000 reward is offered . Biggers was last seen wearing a white sweater , black pants with white pinstripes , a wedding band and an aquamarine ring . She is a white female who stands 5 ' 8 '' tall , weighs 135 pounds and has green eyes and gray hair .","question":""}
{"answer":"MEXICO CITY -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll in a plane crash that claimed the life of Mexico 's interior minister and two other high-ranking officials has risen to 13 , Mexico City prosecutor Miguel Angel Mancera said Wednesday , according to Mexico 's state-run Notimex news agency . The scene of Tuesday night 's plane crash in Mexico City was one of panic and confusion , a witness says . The small plane carrying Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino and seven others crashed in central Mexico City on Tuesday night . A witness described `` moments of panic and confusion '' after the crash , as burning people asked for help and others ran from the scene . The crash injured 40 people on the ground , said government spokesman Marcelo Ebrard . All eight passengers and crew on board the plane were killed , the spokesman said . Two of the dead are women , Mancera said . Also among the dead were Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos , a former deputy attorney general , and Miguel Monterubio Cubas , the director of social communication , President Felipe Calderon said in a televised address Tuesday night . In Mexico , the minister of the interior oversees domestic affairs , particularly national security , law enforcement and the war on drugs . It is Mexico 's second-most-powerful post . Vasconcelos was one of Mexico 's top experts on the fight against narcotraffickers and was said to have a price on his head . `` I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and my absolute support during this difficult time , '' Calderon said . Mourino , he said , `` was one of my closest colleagues and one of my best friends . ... With his death , Mexico loses a great Mexican . '' At least 12 cars were burned and two buildings were damaged , Notimex said . Watch video footage of the aftermath of the crash \u00c2 '' No cause for the crash was immediately given , but Calderon assured the nation that the results of the investigation will be made public . The Learjet 45 did not explode in the air , said Luis Tellez , secretary of communication and transportation . When there is an explosion in the air , Tellez said at a news conference Wednesday , pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area . But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area , he said . Tellez said Wednesday the pilot did not report an emergency , Notimex said . An audio recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft . The recording could be linked to off the Notimex Web site . The plane was traveling from the north-central city of San Luis Potosi to Mexico City , Calderon said . The cities are about 220 miles -LRB- 355 km -RRB- apart . The Learjet was built in 1998 and carried identification call letters of XCVMC , Tellez said . Agustin Arellano , director of the federal agency that oversees Mexican airspace , said the aircraft 's flight path , altitude and velocity were within accepted standards for a landing at Mexico City 's Benito Juarez International Airport . The information was retrieved from the airplane 's flight data recorder , Arellano said at the news conference with Tellez . The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it has sent a team of investigators , led by senior aviation accident investigator Joe Sedora . The team includes technical advisers from the NTSB , the Federal Aviation Administration , Learjet and Honeywell International , it said . Mourino had just given a speech in San Luis Potosi , detailing the administration 's efforts to combat drug traffickers , kidnappers and other criminals . When Calderon took office in December 2006 , Mourino said , the new president focused on combating crime . `` It was decided to combat criminal groups with all available power in order to confront them , to reduce them and to fulfill the essential mandate of all authority , which is none other than to guarantee peace , tranquility and security for its citizens , '' Mourino said in his speech . Calderon has unleashed federal police and soldiers in several states across Mexico and tightened controls on money laundering and corruption among local and municipal police forces , which have been infiltrated by drug traffickers . The effort has resulted in widespread carnage , with more than 3,000 deaths this year . At the scene of Tuesday 's crash , taxi driver Raymundo Bernal , 28 , told Notimex that he witnessed the event . `` I heard a strong roar and then saw four people who were burning and asking for help while the rest ran and the tops of trees were burning , '' he said . `` The ambulances took 10 minutes to arrive , but several of the people who were burning were not moving , and what followed were moments of panic and confusion . '' More than 100 federal police secured the area , while the military took control of the airport at San Luis Potosi , Notimex said . Mourino , 37 , studied in the United States , receiving an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Tampa . He did post-graduate studies in accounting and finance from the Universidad Autonoma de Campeche , his government biography says . After serving in municipal government in Campeche , Mourino was a regional coordinator for Vicente Fox 's successful presidential candidacy in 2000 . He later served in the Mexican federal congress and in the Cabinet . He was chief of the president 's office from December 2006 to January 2008 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama has ordered national security officials to look into allegations that the Bush administration resisted efforts to investigate a CIA-backed Afghan warlord over the killings of hundreds of Taliban prisoners in 2001 . In an exclusive , CNN talked with President Obama in Ghana about his order to review alleged deaths of Taliban . `` The indications that this had not been properly investigated just recently was brought to my attention , '' Obama told CNN 's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview during the president 's visit to Ghana . The full interview will air 10 p.m. Monday . `` So what I 've asked my national security team to do is to collect the facts for me that are known , and we 'll probably make a decision in terms of how to approach it once we have all of the facts gathered up , '' Obama said . The inquiry stems from the deaths of at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners who had surrendered to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in late 2001 . The fighters were in the custody of troops led by Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum , a prominent Afghan warlord who has served as chief of staff of the country 's post-Taliban army . Dostum , a former communist union boss and militia leader who fought against the U.S.-backed mujahedeen in the 1980s , is known for switching sides as Afghanistan 's political conflict has evolved . When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on New York and Washington , Dostum sided with the Americans and received military and CIA support to battle the Taliban . The allegations against him first surfaced in a 2002 Newsweek report , which cited a confidential U.N. memo saying the prisoners died in cramped container trucks while being transported from their Konduz stronghold in northern Afghanistan to Sheberghan prison , west of Dostum 's stronghold at Mazar-e Sharif . At the time , the Boston , Massachusetts-based group Physicians for Human Rights said it found a mass grave in nearby Dasht-e Leili , where witnesses said the bodies of Taliban prisoners were buried . The finding prompted U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks , who led the invasion of Afghanistan , to support an investigation into the allegations . But The New York Times , citing government officials and human rights organizations , reported Friday that the Bush administration `` repeatedly discouraged efforts to investigate the episode . '' State Department officials recently have tried to derail Dostum 's reappointment as military chief of staff to Afghan President Hamid Karzai , the newspaper reported , citing several senior officials who suggested the administration `` might not be hostile to an inquiry . '' Dostum , a key ally of Karzai , was reportedly living in exile in Turkey until last month , when he was reinstated to his post as defense minister . He had left Afghanistan over allegations that he had kidnapped Akbar Bai , a former ally turned political rival . When asked by CNN about whether Obama would support an investigation , the president replied , `` I think that , you know , there are responsibilities that all nations have , even in war . And if it appears that our conduct in some way supported violations of laws of war , then I think that , you know , we have to know about that . '' Watch part of CNN 's exclusive interview with the president '' Susannah Sirkin , deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights , on Sunday praised Obama `` for ordering his national security team to collect all the facts in the Dasht-e-Leili massacre and apparent U.S. cover-up . '' `` U.S. military and intelligence personnel were operating jointly and accepted the surrender of the prisoners jointly with General Dostum 's forces in northern Afghanistan , '' Sirkin said earlier in the week . `` The Obama administration has a legal obligation to determine what U.S. officials knew , where U.S. personnel were , what involvement they had , and the actions of US allies during and after the massacre . These questions , nearly eight years later , remain unanswered . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"YANGON , Myanmar -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and an American man who swam to her lakeside home went on trial in the military dictatorship Monday behind closed doors inside a prison compound . Soldiers guard the entrance to Insein Prison on Monday in Yangon , Myanmar . The trial is expected to last about three months , said Nyan Win , spokesman for her National League for Democracy party . Suu Kyi 's lawyer asked the court to open up the hearings but was turned down because of security concerns , Win said . Police put up roadblocks on the streets leading to the Insean Prison near Yangon , with a half-dozen officers at each station . Shops around the prison were closed , according to opposition exile groups . A group of diplomats from Germany , Italy , Australia and Britain tried to pass through the barricades to attend the trial . They were stopped and turned away . `` It was a way of signaling our concern at what 's happening and the need for the proceedings in the court to take place in an open and transparent fashion , '' Britain 's ambassador to Myanmar , Mark Canning , told CNN . About 100 supporters of Suu Kyi waited outside . The American visitor , John Yettaw , is charged with immigration violations and trespassing into a restrictive area , charges that carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison . Watch more on Suu Kyi 's trial '' He is accused of staying overnight in Suu Kyi 's lakeside home earlier this month , violating the conditions of her house arrest , according to the country 's ruling military junta , which rarely grants her visitors . The central Missouri man was appointed a lawyer selected by the U.S. embassy , Win said . Suu Kyi , the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate , and two of her maids have been detained under Section 22 of the country 's legal code -- a law against subversion -- according to Nyan Win , spokesman for Suu Kyi 's National League for Democracy . Suu Kyi , 63 , had been scheduled to be released from house arrest later this month after being incarcerated 13 of the past 19 years . She is now being held in a specially built area of Insein Prison , where Yettaw also is detained , a U.S. Embassy official told CNN on Friday . The timing of Suu Kyi 's detention raised suspicion among her supporters , who said the government 's action was an excuse to extend her house arrest . Watch former U.S. president Jimmy Carter discuss Aung San Suu Kyi '' `` This is the cunning plan of the regime to put Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in continuous detention beyond the six years allowed by the law they used to justify the detention of her , '' said the U.S. Campaign for Burma , a pro-democracy group fighting for her release . `` Daw '' is an honorific . The southeast Asian country was known as Burma before the military government changed it to Myanmar . Those who oppose the junta still use the old name . Suu Kyi 's lawyer , U Kyi Win , blamed her prison detention on Yettaw . Local media said Yettaw , a 53-year-old former military serviceman from Falcon , Missouri , swam almost two miles across Inya Lake on May 3 and sneaked into Suu Kyi 's home . Police maintain a round-the-clock presence outside the house . And swimming in the lake is forbidden . U Kyi Win told CNN that Yettaw arrived at his client 's house that day and that she asked him to leave immediately . U Kyi Win said Yettaw refused to leave , first saying he did n't want to swim in daylight for fear of being captured , and later blaming leg cramps . Yettaw finally left May 5 . Suu Kyi did n't tell authorities about the visit because she did n't want Yettaw or anyone else to get in trouble , Win said , nothing that several of her party members and supporters are already in jail . He added that Yettaw would likely be in the courtroom during the trial . Little else is known about Yettaw 's role in the Myanmar incident or his intentions , apart from local media reports that said Yettaw , a diabetic , told Suu Kyi 's two housekeepers he was tired and hungry after the swim and they offered him food . Some previous media reports referred to him as John William Yeattaw . He appeared healthy and in good spirits at a hearing on Friday at Insein Prison , the U.S. Embassy official said . The defense will argue that Yettaw entered Suu Kyi 's home due to poor government security , said Jared Genser , a Washington , D.C.-based lawyer who is one of the attorneys on her defense team . `` Frankly , she does not believe she did any offense , '' Genser said . He noted that Insein Prison houses many political prisoners , and the conditions are poor for even a young , healthy person . Tuberculosis is rampant , mosquitoes and other insects are numerous , and nighttime temperatures at the prison frequently reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 29-32 Celsius -RRB- with no fresh air traveling through the facility , Genser said . `` There is deep reason to be concerned with her detention , '' he said . `` Insein is a notorious prison . It is filthy . ... When you combine that with her health concerns , it is very worrying . '' Suu Kyi has been the face of Myanmar 's pro-democracy movement and the focus of a global campaign to free her . Her National League for Democracy party won over 80 percent of the legislative seats in 1990 , but she was disqualified from serving because of her house arrest , and the military junta ignored the results . It was during her house arrest that she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 . CNN 's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A few hundred people on Sunday marched in Brooklyn to protest last week 's fatal beating of a 31-year-old Ecuadorean man -- an incident authorities say may have been a hate crime . Jose Sucuzhanay was beaten December 7 after leaving a party at a church . The demonstrators -- holding signs reading `` No more hate crimes '' -- walked a half-mile in the neighborhood where police say Jose Sucuzhanay was hit in the head with a bottle and beaten with an aluminum baseball bat on December 7 . Sucuzhanay died of his injuries Friday at Elmhurst Hospital , hours before his mother arrived in New York from Ecuador , his family said . Police said Sucuzhanay 's attackers yelled racial slurs ; no arrests have been made in the case . One of his brothers , Diego Sucuzhanay , said Sunday he is convinced the attack was a hate crime . `` Nothing was taken from him , '' said Diego Sucuzhanay , who did n't join the demonstration , opting instead to help his mother make arrangements to return the body to Ecuador . Watch marchers protest against hate crimes '' Police said Jose Sucuzhanay and his brother Romel had left a party at a church when several men approached them in a car in Brooklyn 's Bushwick section , about a block from the brothers ' home . The men shouted anti-gay and anti-Latino vulgarities and attacked the brothers , police said . Romel , 34 , escaped with minor scrapes and has talked with detectives . Police have released a sketch of one possible suspect in the case . Police are offering a $ 22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the attack . In a statement , New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the attack `` a pointless and gutless crime . '' He promised authorities would find and prosecute those responsible . Family spokesman Francisco Moya said Jose Sucuzhanay had lived in the United States for more than a decade and was a legal resident . Diego Sucuzhanay said Jose set up a successful real estate business in a low-income area , thinking he could make a difference there . He said his brother wanted to help everyone and hired a diverse team , including four African-Americans and two Latinos . He was raising two children : a 9-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter . `` We were proud of him , '' Diego Sucuzhanay said . He said the family had wanted Jose 's mother to get to his bedside before he died . Doctors told them Jose was brain dead since the attack , and that machines kept him alive until his heart failed Friday . At a press conference Sunday outside the hospital , Diego Sucuzhanay touched his chest and said : `` My heart is broken , but my brother 's -LSB- memory -RSB- will live on . '' Asked in an interview with CNN how his brother would be remembered , he paused several seconds and answered : `` For being the victim of a hate crime . '' Though he did n't participate in the demonstration , he said he was grateful to those who did , and that everyone needs to practice tolerance . `` We definitely have to speak out , '' he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn ripped through India 's batsmen on the third day of the first cricket Test in Nagpur , taking eight wickets as the hosts were forced to follow on . Steyn took a career-best 7-51 as India , resuming on 25-0 overnight , were skittled for just 233 to concede a massive first-innings deficit of 325 runs . The 26-year-old , whose previous best figures were 6-49 , then took the wicket of first-innings centurion Virender Sehwag as India reached 66-2 at stumps on Monday . The haul took Steyn to 193 wickets in his 37th Test and gave South Africa a great chance of winning the two-match series against a side who usurped their No. 1 ranking in the five-day format late last year . He claimed five wickets in less than four overs after tea as India collapsed from 221-4 . `` We actually had the ball changed when we came out after tea because the seam had popped open on the old one , '' Steyn told reporters . `` We hoped to get a bit of reverse swing -- it worked in our favor . '' Steyn 's strike partner Morne Morkel set the tone when he had Gautam Gambhir caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher with his first delivery of the day , with the opener not adding to his overnight score of 12 . Steyn then bowled Murali Vijay for four as the No. 3 failed to play a stroke , and he took the vital wicket of Sachin Tendulkar , the highest run-scorer in Test history , when he tempted the veteran to edge a drive to Boucher for just seven . The belligerent Sehwag then added 136 with debutant Subramaniam Badrinath as he smashed his 18th Test ton before giving away his wicket to Wayne Parnell with an easy catch to J.P. Duminy deep in the cover field . Sehwag hit 15 boundaries in 139 deliveries -- the same amount that the 29-year-old Badrinath faced in making 56 , who took India safely to tea along with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni . But Dhoni fell to left-arm spinner Paul Harris in the first over of the final session , and Steyn had Badrinath caught at midwicket before running through the tail . Proteas captain Graeme Smith made the Indians bat again , despite Boucher not being able to take the field due to a back injury . Morkel again accounted for Gambhir as the opener misjudged an inswinger and had his castle wrecked after shouldering arms , and Steyn had Sehwag caught by Smith at slip for 16 . Vijay -LRB- 27 -RRB- and Tendulkar -LRB- 15 -RRB- added 44 in the remainder of the 23 overs scheduled to be bowled before stumps , but will face a massive task to prevent India going 1-0 down in the series . Meanwhile , New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the one-day series against visiting Bangladesh , winning the second match by five wickets in Dunedin on Monday . The tourists managed only 183-8 in their 50 overs as Mushfiqur Rahim top-scored with 86 , and the Kiwis reached their target from only 27.3 overs with Ross Taylor smashing 78 off in a 52-ball innings featuring five sixes .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taliban militants , who implemented Islamic law in Pakistan 's violence-plagued Swat Valley last week , have now taken control of a neighboring district . Protests in Karachi against the creation of sharia courts in Swat Valley . Here are some answers about the Swat Valley , its history and what 's taking place there . What is Swat Valley ? Swat Valley is located in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province , near the border with Afghanistan and about 185 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad . The alpine region once was one of Pakistan 's premier tourist destinations , boasting the nation 's only ski resort until it was shut down after Taliban militants overran the area . It also was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and those wishing to visit the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area . What 's happening in Swat Valley ? In recent years Taliban militants unleashed a wave of violence that claimed hundreds of lives in the province . The militants wanted sharia law -- or Islamic law -- imposed in the region . They took over the valley in 2008 . The central government of Pakistan , which long exerted little control in the area , launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out the militants . In retaliation , the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks and began gaining ground , setting up checkpoints in the area . Has the government intervened ? The militants and the Pakistani government reached a peace deal earlier this year , which was recently signed into law by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari . Under the deal , sharia law was imposed in the region . While the peace deal drew criticism for the Pakistani government , some analysts and political observers say the government had little choice but to capitulate , as militants have terrorized the region with beheadings , kidnappings and the destruction of schools . What 's happening now ? This week , the Taliban moved to seize control of the neighboring Buner district , bringing it closer to Islamabad than it has been since Taliban insurgency began . What is sharia law ? Sharia law is Islamic law . While there are different interpretations of it , the Taliban 's strict interpretation forbids women from being seen in public without their husbands and fathers , requires veils for women and beards for men , and bans music and television . Consequences are severe ; during the Taliban struggle to impose sharia law , anyone found disobeying was pinned to the ground and lashed . Others were beheaded and hung from poles , with notices attached to their bodies that anyone daring to remove the corpse before 48 hours had passed would also be beheaded and hanged .","question":""}
{"answer":"JACKSONVILLE , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Christina Laurean has told authorities she was attending a Christmas party on the night her husband allegedly killed pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach , according to police . Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean , wanted for murder , may have fled to his native Mexico . Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean is charged with first-degree murder . He remains at large , and authorities say he may have fled to Mexico . Also , an affidavit obtained Thursday by CNN states that Christina Laurean knew about the death one day before reporting it to authorities . The Marines were assigned to Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she was reported missing December 19 . Authorities say she was killed four days earlier . A warrant allowed authorities to search Western Union records . Authorities said in the accompanying affidavit that Cesar Laurean and his wife received a transfer of money between December 10 and January 12 . The affidavit provided no other details . Authorities requested the search warrant and all accompanying documents be sealed . The FBI says Laurean may have fled to his native country of Mexico . Cesar Laurean , 21 , is a naturalized U.S. citizen . He mailed at least one letter from Houston , Texas , since his disappearance , CNN affiliate KPRC in Houston reported Thursday . According to the affidavit , Christina Laurean , 25 -- who also is a Marine -- went with her husband to a Jacksonville attorney on January 10 , and the lawyer told Cesar Laurean he could face the death penalty . The next day , Christina Laurean reported Lauterbach 's death to the Onslow County Sheriff 's Office , where she appeared with an attorney and a sergeant from her former chain of command . She turned over to deputies several notes from her husband that she said she found at their home . In the notes , Cesar Laurean said Lauterbach committed suicide and he buried her . Lauterbach , 20 , had accused Cesar Laurean of raping her and was to testify at a military hearing not long after her disappearance . According to a co-worker , she feared Cesar Laurean , although the military said she told prosecutors she did not . Lauterbach 's allegations involved two encounters -- one on or about March 26 and one approximately two weeks later , the Marines told CNN . Lauterbach received two protective orders , one of which was in effect when she died . Christina Laurean on January 11 told authorities her husband had denied the rape allegations and said he was not the baby 's father , according to the affidavit . In the document she says her husband told her : Dubois contends the facts show probable cause exists to show that Cesar Laurean `` committed murder . '' The detective said he does n't believe Lauterbach committed suicide , especially because she had told people she wanted the child . Christina Laurean told police she was at a Christmas party for her husband 's Marine unit during the late afternoon and evening of December 15 , Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told CNN . Her husband did not attend the party , she told authorities . Lauterbach 's charred remains and those believed to be of her unborn child were found in a fire pit in the Laureans ' backyard . Police have said blood spatters were found throughout the Laurean home on walls and ceilings , and evidence showed someone tried to clean them up and paint over them . DNA testing is being conducted to see if Lauterbach 's unborn baby was fathered by Cesar Laurean , Brown said , adding there was no rush on the part of detectives to get those results . The FBI is offering a $ 25,000 reward for information leading to Cesar Laurean 's arrest . Anyone in Mexico with information is asked to contact the legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City . Meanwhile , authorities have discovered the weapon likely used to kill Lauterbach , a spokesman for the Onslow County Sheriff 's Office said Thursday . Authorities have said the woman died of blunt force trauma to the head . A man who had rented a room to Lauterbach , Sgt. Daniel Durham , told investigators he found a note from her December 14 -- the day she was last seen -- saying she was tired of the Marine Corps life and was leaving . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Rusty Dornin contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mysterious visitor stands in a patch of scrubland in Somalia , surrounded by Islamic militants wielding AK-47s . His face is covered by a white-and-red headscarf ; he is slim and seems young . But there is something puzzling about him : His skin is fair , and when he speaks in an audio recording , his English is near perfect and spoken with a North American accent . The militants -- belonging to Al-Shabaab -- say his name is Abu Abdulla Almuhajir -LRB- the foreigner -RRB- . And they say he is an envoy from the al Qaeda leader , Ayman al Zawahiri , thousands of miles away in Pakistan . Almuhajir has turned up in the desolate scrubland , they say , to offer al Qaeda 's help with famine relief . Photographs show him at what appears to be an aid camp that Al-Shabaab claims it has set up for victims of the famine . The recording says he is delivering aid that al Qaeda had purportedly collected , including food , clothing and $ 12,000 converted into Somali currency . A video showing the images and audio recording was posted to Islamist websites last week . U.S. counter-terrorism agencies are still trying to ascertain Almuhajir 's identity and whether he really was an al Qaeda envoy -- about which there is some doubt . The event , at which a large group of Somalis were shown sitting crossed-legged on the ground , was clearly a propaganda ploy by Al-Shabaab to boost its popularity -- and that of the al Qaeda brand . International aid agencies have sharply criticized the group for banning or obstructing aid in areas in central and southern Somalia worst hit by the famine . The group 's brutal imposition of Taliban-like practices in territory under its control has also alienated many Somalis . If authentic , the event suggests a strengthening of the relationship between hard-line factions of Al-Shabaab and al Qaeda . Though factions of the group have long been allied with al Qaeda and share its vision of global jihad , the video of the meeting would be a rare demonstration of such ties . The so-called emissary told his Somali audience that al Qaeda felt their pain and urged Muslims to support Al-Shabaab , which is fighting Somalia 's government in an effort to implement a stricter form of Islamic law . He also recalled Osama bin Laden 's long interest in Somalia , saying he `` played a major role in repelling invading forces of the Muslim land in Somalia . '' And Almuhajir promised that al Qaeda 's new leader , Zawahiri , would continue that support . `` In a recent release , Sheikh Ayman brought the drought in Somalia to the attention of the Muslim Ummah -LRB- or global Muslim community -RRB- and encouraged them to support their brothers in Somalia , '' he said . Western counter-terrorism analysts have been puzzling over the identity of `` the foreigner . '' Several Americans and Canadians are believed to have joined al Qaeda in Pakistan in recent years and risen through the group 's hierarchy . The most prominent has been Oregon-born Adam Gadahn , 33 , al Qaeda 's English-language spokesman who joined forces with the group around a decade ago . But counter-terrorism analysts say that Gadahn 's voice -LRB- and waistline -RRB- is very different from that of the mysterious al Qaeda envoy pictured in the Al-Shabaab video . Another candidate is Adnan Shukrijumah , 36 , an American citizen born in Saudi Arabia who spent much of his youth in New York and South Florida , who joined al Qaeda around the time of 9\/11 and rose up the ranks to become a planner for the group 's external operations . But the envoy appears to have fairer skin than Shukrijumah . And then there is Jude Kenan Mohammed , 22 , from Raleigh , North Carolina . He is believed to be still at large in Pakistan after leaving the United States in October 2008 to allegedly wage jihad . Just after he arrived , he was arrested by Pakistani officials , charged with weapons possession and released on bail . The following year , he failed to show up to his court hearing , suggesting he may have slipped into tribal areas . It may be that the whole event was manufactured in an effort to bolster Al-Shabaab 's credentials after a series of military setbacks . Sending an al Qaeda envoy from Pakistan to Somalia -- especially a Caucasian -- would be risky . And there are more than a dozen North Americans -LRB- from both the U.S. and Canada -RRB- who have gravitated to Somalia to wage jihad in recent years , among them Abu Mansoor al-Amriki . The 27-year old from Alabama , whose real name is Omar Hammami , has produced Al-Shabaab hip-hop videos in an effort to extend the group 's appeal to English-speaking youths . Despite several unconfirmed reports that he had been killed , Hammami remains on the FBI 's most-wanted list . But his voice is not an obvious match to that of the mysterious al Qaeda envoy . Al-Shabaab still controls most of central and southern Somalia , and has recently shown ambitions to take its campaign beyond Somalia 's borders . In July 2010 , the group carried out a pair of deadly bombings in Kampala , Uganda , killing more than 70 people . it was the first attack the group launched outside Somalia , and was in retaliation , Al-Shabaab claimed , for Uganda 's deployment of peace support forces in Somalia . In September , the U.S. Africa Command warned that Al-Shabaab , Boko Haram in Nigeria and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were trying to synchronize their efforts to launch attacks on U.S and Western interests , but had yet to show a significant capability to export terror . There is also evidence , according to Western intelligence officials , of cooperation between Al-Shabaab and the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen . But within Somalia , the group is under growing pressure . It has been pushed from its last redoubts in the capital , Mogadishu , even though it retains the ability to launch suicide bombings in the city . And in recent weeks , Kenya has accused Al-Shabaab of kidnapping Western tourists and aid workers in northern Kenya , allegations which the Somali group denies . Kenyan troops have launched a cross-border operation against Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia with the apparent intention of setting up a buffer zone across the border . That 's prompted the threat of retaliatory strikes inside Kenya . `` The Kenyan public must understand that the impetuous decision by their troops to cross the border into Somalia will not be without severe repercussions , '' the group said in a news release in English on Monday . Somalia analysts view this threat as real but believe Al-Shabaab will carefully weigh the costs and benefits of any such reprisal . The Somali group has an extensive presence in Nairobi -- home to a quarter-million Somali refugees -- and operates a network of safe houses in the city . `` They could easily tear apart Nairobi , but they 've done nothing there at all because they realize this is their golden egg , '' said Michael Taarnby , an Al-Shabaab expert at the University of Central Florida .","question":""}
{"answer":"MONTE CARLO , Monaco -- Russia 's Yelena Isinbayeva has broken her own world record in the women 's pole vault with a leap of 5.04 meters as she warmed up for her Olympic defense . Isinbayeva broke her own women 's pole vault world record on her third attempt in Monaco . The record came at the Monaco Grand Prix on Tuesday on her third and final attempt at the height . Her previous record of 5.03 meters was set in Rome on July 11 . Isinbayeva is the reigning Olympic and world champion . Asafa Powell claimed his third 100 meters success inside a week when he raced clear in his season-best time of 9.82 seconds . Powell shaved 0.06 sec off his previous season-best of 9.88 , set last Tuesday in Stockholm , where he saw off fellow Jamaican and world record holder Usain Bolt . On Tuesday Powell was too hot for Davis Patton of the U.S. -LRB- 9.98 -RRB- and Nesta Carter of Jamaica -LRB- 10.02 -RRB- , the fourth best time of the season all the more impressive given the calm conditions . `` I am very happy , '' said Powell . `` I feel great , very fresh . I 've got a world record in my legs . I am very confident . My goal is to be consistent . '' A tough headwind had compromised Powell 's attempts to have a tilt at Bolt 's mark although he still cruised to a weekend victory at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace in 9.94 sec . Other Tuesday highlights saw Jamaica 's Melaine Walker set a year mark in the women 's 400m hurdles in clocking 53.48 sec . Walker , who shattered her own personal best of 54.14 in the process , will hope her performance augurs well for the Beijing Games , where Aussie two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson will not be competing owing to a toe injury . Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen also set a year best mark in the 1500m , crossing the line in 3 min 31.49 sec to take 0.08 sec off compatriot Augustine Kiprono Choge 's June 1 showing in Berlin . The 23-year-old 's win tempered the disappointment of missing out on an Olympic berth . Britain 's Martyn Rooney also improved his personal best in the 400 meters for the second successive race , following up his win in the London Grand Prix with victory in 44.72 seconds . The Monaco Grand Prix was the last major international track and field meeting before the Beijing Olympics which start on August 8 .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Do you need to borrow to fund a college education for yourself or your child ? Be sure you 're taking my `` Clark Smart '' approach to borrowing . Clark Howard : If a four-year college is too cost prohibitive , try a two-year institution at a fraction of the cost Subsidized Stafford loans are the single best source of money you can borrow . The interest is picked up by the federal government -- courtesy of your fellow taxpayers -- while you 're in school and for a six-month grace period following graduation . Once the loans go into repayment , subsidized Stafford loans taken out during the 2009-10 school year carry a fixed interest rate of 5.6 percent . The rate will be lower still at 4.5 percent for loans originating during the next school year , and all the way down to 3.4 percent the following year . There are , however , limits to the amount you can borrow . Freshman can get up to $ 3,500 annually ; sophomores can borrow $ 4,500 each year ; and juniors and seniors cap out at $ 5,500 . Once you exhaust your subsidized Stafford stockpile , you want to move on to unsubsidized Stafford loans , which are now offered at 6.8 percent . Remember , though , to borrow as little as possible because the interest on these unsubsidized loans accumulates while you 're in school . Watch smart choices when paying back the loans '' As a third option , parents can take out PLUS loans , which are issued at a fixed rate of 8.25 percent . Visit FAFSA.ed.gov to determine your eligibility for all these loan options . What 's one type of loan you do not want to take out ? Private student loans . Back in 2005 , the private student loan industry used its political influence to gain the right to use any and all tactics -LRB- short of threatening bodily harm or actually causing it -RRB- in their efforts to collect money . In fact , private student loans typically ca n't even be dismissed in bankruptcy . Remember my rule of thumb when it comes to determining what level of borrowing you can comfortably handle : Do not take on a total loan amount that exceeds the likely first-year earnings in your field . If college is still too cost-prohibitive after you 've gotten all the financial aid and loans you can , I 'd love for you to think about starting your degree at a two-year community college . The cost of a community college can be as little as one-tenth to one-twentieth that of a private college , as I discovered when I researched schools with my eldest daughter . Let 's say you decide to do your first two years at a community college . People often worry about the lack of prestige associated with these kinds of schools . But most employers only look at the name of the traditional college that issues your degree after you 've put in your time at a community school . In fact , an employer might even prefer someone who worked their way through a community college and had to struggle financially . Does n't that show more fortitude in a job candidate than the person who cruised through a 4-year college on the silver-spoon plan ? And for those of you already dealing with paying off student loan debt , there 's a radical change coming that I want you to know about . Effective July 1 , an income-based repayment plan -LRB- IBR -RRB- became available to borrowers with Stafford loans and Grad PLUS loans . Under the new program , your payment will be based on your current income and family size . That means your monthly payment could be an unprecedented zero dollars if you qualify ! Contact your lender to see if you qualify and to apply for the IBR . In addition to the IBR , other new provisions that went into effect July 1 include loan forgiveness options for certain workers . Nonprofit workers and some government employees are eligible for loan forgiveness after making on-time monthly payments for 10 years . If you work in the traditional for-profit sector , it will take 25 years of on-time payments before you 're eligible for loan forgiveness . Visit LoanConsolidation.ed.gov for more information .","question":""}
{"answer":"Istanbul , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kurdish lawmakers announced Monday they would submit their resignations from Parliament , three days after Turkey 's highest court banned their political party on charges that it was a `` focal point for terrorism . '' Ahmet Turk , the co-chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party -- known by its initials in Turkish , DTP -- made the announcement in a statement to the media Monday evening in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir . Last Friday 's closure by the Constitutional Court stripped Turk and fellow co-chair , Aysel Tugluk , of their parliamentary seats and banned them both from politics for the next five years . The announcement that the remaining 19 elected lawmakers from their party would now resign in protest may exacerbate simmering tensions between the state and Turkey 's minority of some 12 million ethnic Kurds . `` The decision of the constitutional court might deprive a significant segment of Turkish voters from political representation , '' said a spokesman for the European Commission , in a dispatch from the French news agency AFP . Earlier Friday , Ahmet Turk denounced the court ban in a speech before a crowd of some 10,000 supporters in Diyarbakir , the unofficial political capital of Turkey 's Kurds . `` I know the mentality of the state and the politicians of this country , '' he said . `` We did not expect anything different because they can not tolerate the existence of the Kurds . They can not tolerate our identity . They can not tolerate our language . '' After the speech , several hundred Kurds took to the streets , throwing stones and clashing with Turkish riot police , who retaliated by firing tear gas and water cannons . The banning of the DTP came after more then a week of riots and clashes between police and Kurdish protesters in cities and towns across Turkey . Tensions have rapidly escalated , amid reports that the jailed leader of the Kurdish separatist movement -- the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , known as the PKK -- was moved to a smaller prison cell , and after the PKK claimed responsibility for a deadly ambush last week that killed seven Turkish soldiers . In Istanbul on Sunday , Kurdish protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and clashed with police in a central commercial district . At one point , gun - and club-wielding Turkish ultranationalists joined the fray . Explosions of ethnic anger were not limited to Turkey 's largest city . In the eastern Turkish town of Malatya , Turkish nationalists were filmed scuffling with Kurdish demonstrators Sunday . Police struggled to keep the two groups apart as they kicked and cursed at each other in the street . Clashes also erupted on Monday in the coastal city of Adana and in the border town of Dogubayazit , Turkey 's official Anatolian news agency reported . Anatolian reported that nine demonstrators were detained and that one demonstrator and five police officers were injured in the Dogubayazit clash . Signs identifying the now-defunct DTP have been removed from the front of the 19th-century , four-story building where the party 's Istanbul headquarters is located . Two prior incarnations of the DTP have been shut down by the Turkish state within the last decade . Mustafa Avci , the chairman of the party 's Istanbul branch , said the Turkish state is forcing conflict on the country 's Kurdish minority . `` They are forcing this on us , '' Avci said in an interview with CNN on Monday . `` Therefore , they are the ones who practice terrorism , not us . ... Those who want war are terrorists . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 100 police officers and others were searching Friday in a southeastern Louisiana parish for a murder suspect who escaped from jail with three other inmates , a law enforcement official said . Timothy Murray , 29 , who is charged with murder , remains at large , authorities in Louisiana say . Searchers are still focusing inside St. Tammany Parish , on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain , 30 miles north of New Orleans , said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff 's Office . At large is Timothy Murray , 29 , who is charged with murder , Bonnett said . Authorities believe Murray may have been injured during the escape , but Bonnett would n't elaborate . The inmates escaped about 9 p.m. Thursday from the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington , Bonnett said . As many as 250 sheriff 's deputies , Covington police officers , Louisiana State police and corrections officials were involved in the search overnight , using dogs , two helicopters and thermal-imaging equipment loaned from Livingston Parish , Bonnett said . The other three men were found about 1:30 a.m. Friday in a wooded area about a mile from the jail , he said . Three of the inmates were awaiting trial ; one already had been convicted , Bonnett said . The captured inmates were Gary Slaydon , 27 ; Eric Buras , 30 , and Jason Gainey , 27 . Slaydon is charged with attempted murder . Buras is a murder suspect and Gainey has been convicted of murder , Bonnett said . He said the escape was not discovered until a resident and Covington police reported seeing what appeared to be inmates in jail uniforms walking down a street . About the time those calls came in , jailers were doing a routine head count and found the four men missing , Bonnett said . He said the means of escape was under investigation , but it has been determined that their escape was n't due to human error . He repeated what St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said early Friday : `` Four inmates were able to defeat the structure of the maximum security area of our jail . '' Deputies have canvassed neighborhoods , going door to door to warn residents that an inmate is still at large .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Debra Lafave , a former Florida middle school teacher convicted of having sex with a student , was arrested Tuesday for `` inappropriate but non-sexual contact '' with a teenage coworker , the Hillsborough County Sheriff 's Office said . Debra Lafave was arrested after talking with a teenager . She is not allowed to have contact with anyone under 18 . The association violated the terms of Lafave 's probation , which forbade her to have contact with anyone under 18 , the sheriff 's office said . She was released on her own recognizance . Lafave and her mother , Joyce Beasley , had no comment as they left the jail . `` I can only characterize this as somewhat of a bizarre and unusual violation , '' said Lafave 's attorney , John Fitzgibbons . Lafave , 27 , pleaded guilty in November 2005 to having sex with a 14-year-old boy and was sentenced to three years under house arrest and seven years of probation . Lafave was also required to register as a sex offender and abide by numerous conditions . She was arrested after corrections officers interviewed a 17-year-old girl , who worked at a restaurant where Lafave had been employed since January 2006 , according to the violation report from Florida 's Corrections Department . Watch Lafave 's ex-husband discuss the allegations '' The teenager told the officers that Lafave discussed `` non-work related issues such as family problems , friends , high school , personal life , boyfriend issues and sexual issues in both private one-on-one conversations '' with her and in group settings , according to the report . `` I would characterize this simply as ` girl talk , ' or ` guy talk , ' if you will , among fellow employees , that all of us do every day , '' Fitzgibbons said . `` This is it . There 's no more , there 's no less . ... I would describe it as simply a workplace friendship . '' The co-worker will turn 18 on January 2 , Fitzgibbons said . Lafave refused to make a statement regarding the allegations , the document said . She was ordered to quit the restaurant job and now works as a receptionist in her mother 's barber shop , the report said . Lafave says she suffers from bipolar disorder and is receiving treatment . Fitzgibbons said his client has done everything required of her , living with her parents and leaving only to go to work . She has done so well on two years of house arrest , he said , that he has been planning to ask that the third year be waived . Fitzgibbons said he still intends to make that request , and hopes Lafave 's arrest will not hurt that effort -- `` I would hope that the court would be understanding . '' `` She 's really tried hard , so it 's upsetting to her , '' he said of the arrest , but noted it was `` unheard of '' for someone on probation for a sexual offense to be released on her own recognizance . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Apple enthusiasts speculate over why pancreatic cancer survivor Steve Jobs wo n't appear at Macworld Conference & Expo this year , the CEO asks them to think differently about his health . Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered keynote addresses in September 2008 , left , and in October 2005 , right . Addressing the `` Apple Community '' in a statement , Jobs said his doctors think they have found the reason behind his weight loss : `` a hormone imbalance that has been ` robbing ' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy . Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis . '' But doctors unaffiliated with Jobs ' care say this `` hormone imbalance '' could be a symptom of a slew of underlying conditions , including cancer or diabetes . However , any diagnosis based on this description and Jobs ' cancer history is purely speculative , experts say . Based on Jobs ' history of gastrointestinal problems , it 's possible his gastrointestinal system either is n't absorbing proteins or is losing proteins , said Dr. Kenneth Burman , director of Endocrinology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington , who is not involved in caring for Jobs . `` I suspect he 's referring to his gastrointestinal system and some of the hormones related to that , rather than more classic endocrine hormones , '' which are associated with the thyroid , adrenal or pituitary glands , Burman said . While abnormalities related to those hormones may also lead to weight loss , they are not necessarily associated with pancreatic disease , he said . There is not enough information available to say how severe a gastrointestinal hormonal problem would be , he said . Others speculate the hormonal issue could relate to his cancer . Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick , clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center , said a tumor in the pancreas would typically create an overproduction of hormones . Glucagon , a hormone produced in the pancreas , would lead to weight loss if produced in excess . `` In a patient whom a few years ago had pancreatic cancer , then progressive weight loss , then develops complications from the weight loss , it would be logical to associate his symptoms now with the previous cancer , '' he said . But the weight loss is not necessarily cancer-related , and Jobs ' statement suggests that it 's not , said Dr. Andrew Lowy , chief of the division of surgical oncology at the University of California , San Diego 's Moores Cancer Center . Plenty of hormonal conditions , as well as diabetes related to cancer treatment , could be the reason , he said . Jobs , who co-founded Apple Inc. , first learned he had pancreatic cancer in October 2003 . He had been getting abdominal scans because of a history of intestinal problems , and a tumor appeared on one of them , Fortune reported last year . The growth was an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor , a rare form of pancreatic cancer that is operable , Fortune reported . While Jobs initially wanted to treat the tumor with a special diet and alternative therapies , he finally underwent a Whipple procedure , a painful but relatively safe operation , in July 2004 , Fortune reported . If Jobs had a recurrence of this tumor , and it was a functional neuroendocrine tumor , which produces problem-causing hormones , that would be one speculative explanation , Lowy said . But not enough information is available to say whether the tumor was the functional kind , he said . `` Is it possible that a cancer recurrence would result in weight loss ? Of course . He 's saying that 's not what he has , and so , I have to take him at his word . None of us know the truth except his doctors , '' Lowy said . Rumors about Jobs ' declining health have been circulating for months , as his weight visibly dropped from one public appearance to the next . While Jobs ' keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo is usually the highlight of the Apple fan gathering , Apple announced in December Jobs would not appear this year and the company would no longer participate in the event after 2009 . CNN 's Danielle Dellorto contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A shadowy figure in the back seat of an SUV in surveillance photos is a second `` person of interest '' in the slaying of the University of North Carolina student body president , police said Monday . Investigators say a second male appears in the back seat in this ATM photo , which has been colorized . Police on Saturday released photos taken by an ATM camera that show a young man driving a sport utility vehicle possibly using one of student Eve Carson 's ATM cards in the Chapel Hill area . A large , shadowy form appears in the back seat of the vehicle , which police say may have been Carson 's . Carson , 22 , was found shot to death early Wednesday in a suburban neighborhood near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus . Her Toyota Highlander was found the next day in another neighborhood to the west , close to where she lived with roommates . `` We do believe there is a second unidentified male seated in the rear seat , '' the Chapel Hill Police Department said in a statement . `` We have been exploring ways to enhance the quality of this photo in an effort to learn more about this person . '' Police have not identified the pictured driver , who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a vintage Houston Astros baseball cap . Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran said Saturday that Carson 's killing `` feels like a random crime . '' The medical examiner told police that there were no injuries to Carson 's body besides gunshot wounds and no signs of sexual assault , Curran said . On Sunday , more than 1,000 people crowded the First United Methodist Church in Carson 's hometown of Athens , Georgia , for her funeral , the Athens Banner-Herald reported . The University of North Carolina will hold a memorial service for Carson after students return from this week 's spring break , Chancellor James Moeser said in a statement on the school 's Web site . On Saturday , the school 's top-ranked men 's basketball team wore reminders of the popular student president on their jerseys as they took on Duke University in Durham , North Carolina . Watch as students remember the slain campus leader '' The North Carolina players wore patches on the jerseys that simply read `` Eve , '' and many of Duke 's fans donned small light-blue ribbons as a show of support . A moment of silence for Carson also was held before tipoff . The UNC-Chapel Hill board of trustees has pledged $ 25,000 to the Crime Stoppers program in the area for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible in Carson 's slaying . Carson was a student member of the board . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leading British Cabinet minister Jacqui Smith 's political future is in doubt after her husband admitted to paying for adult movies with taxpayers ' money . Jacqui Smith surrounded by media outside her sister 's home , whom she lives with in London . The home secretary 's husband , Richard Timney , has apologized for the `` embarrassment '' he caused his wife , while she has promised to repay the money spent , including the # 10 -LRB- $ 14 -RRB- charge for the two films , the British Press Association reported . According to British media reports , Smith had not seen the videos and was `` mortified '' that they had `` mistakenly '' been paid for using her MP 's expense account . Timney , who Smith pays # 40,000 -LRB- $ 56,000 -RRB- a year to be her office manager , submitted an expense claim last June for a # 67 -LRB- $ 95 -RRB- Virgin Media bill for television services in the couple 's family home in Redditch , Smith 's constituency , The Guardian newspaper reported . It reported the bill included two adult films , at a cost of # 5 -LRB- $ 7 -RRB- each , as well as two viewings of the heist movie `` Ocean 's 13 '' and one of `` Surf 's Up , '' a children 's film about a penguin . The revelations could not come at a worse time for Smith , who is already being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over her decision to claim at least # 116,000 -LRB- $ 164,000 -RRB- in second-home allowances for her family home since becoming an MP . She has claimed the second-home allowance for her family home while living with her sister in London . Smith designated her sister 's house as her `` main '' residence , allowing her to claim the money for her family home . Conservative and opposition leader David Cameron described the latest news as `` deeply embarrassing '' for Smith . He said Smith had `` questions to answer , '' PA reported . `` I do not think this individual thing is the issue . I think she has got some questions to answer about the second home issue . It does seem to me pretty incredible to claim that the home where her family is , that is not her main home . `` I think this goes to a deeper problem , which is the second home allowance for MPs . The prime minister has ordered a review but he has sort of kicked it into the long grass . `` The review does n't start until September , it is not going to report until after the next election . That is hopeless . We have got to get on with it . '' Prime Minister Gordon Brown defended Smith . `` The home secretary is doing a great job and I do not think this issue should be allowed to detract from everything she is doing to ensure we protect the public and keep our neighborhoods safe , '' he said . `` She has done the right thing by taking steps to rectify the mistake that was made as soon as she became aware of it . `` This is very much a personal matter for Jacqui . She has made her apology , her husband has made clear that he has apologized . '' Last week Brown ordered a review of the complex and opaque system of MPs ' pay and allowances . Do you think Smith should resign ?","question":""}
{"answer":"Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took off her diplomatic gloves Thursday , challenging Pakistan to crack down on terrorist havens on its side of the border with Afghanistan . In a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai , Clinton -- in unusually forceful language -- laid almost all of the blame for recent terror attacks on Pakistan . The United States , she said , knows the Haqqani terrorist network operates out of havens in Pakistan . `` We intend to push the Pakistanis very hard , '' Clinton said , calling it a `` time for clarity . '' `` Our message is very clear : We 're going to be fighting , we 're going to be talking , we 're going to be building , '' she said . `` And they can either be helping or hindering . But we are not going to stop our efforts to create a strong foundation for an Afghanistan free from interference , violent conflict and one that has a chance to chart its own future . '' Clinton headed straight to Pakistan after her stop in Afghanistan , accompanied by CIA Director David Petraeus and Gen. Martin Dempsey , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . She is expected to meet with Pakistani officials , including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar , to stress that transitioning to Afghan security is in the interest of Pakistan , senior officials said . Earlier Thursday , Clinton 's focus was on Afghanistan , where she met with Karzai and other government officials for talks aimed at boosting reconciliation efforts in the nation . The top U.S. diplomat said she was working toward a peaceful Afghanistan . `` No people in the world deserve it more , '' she said . Shortly before taking off for Pakistan , Clinton told reporters that the death of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi , which at that time was not confirmed , would `` add legitimacy and relief to the formation of a new government . '' Her visit to Afghanistan followed a stop in Libya , the first by a Cabinet-level American official since the ouster of the longtime strongman . She landed under tight security as forces loyal to the transitional government continued to battle Gadhafi loyalists . Earlier Thursday , Clinton met with representatives of Afghan civil society , including human rights activists who address various issues including education , gender-based violence and youth empowerment . `` These are some of my heroes , '' she said as she greeted them at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul . Her visit comes as the nation pursues peace with the Taliban after years of insurgency . The effort suffered a major setback following the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani , an Afghan political figure and former president who led the peace council . Rabbani was killed at home last month by suicide bombers posing as Taliban peace mediators . Clinton offered condolences to Salahuddin Rabbani , the oldest son of the slain leader , who was part of a roundtable Thursday . `` He tried to do the right thing , '' she said . The United States supports Karzai and recognizes the blow to the peace effort since Rabbani 's assassination , the official said . In addition to the reconciliation efforts , Clinton also was to discuss Pakistan 's relations with the nation and the upcoming Afghan transition . Coalition forces are in the process of transferring security control to Afghan forces ahead of a U.S. drawdown set to be completed by the end of 2014 . The 33,000 additional American troops sent last year are scheduled to depart the war-torn country fully by September next year . CNN 's Jamie Crawford contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Organization for Women has sharply criticized comedian David Letterman , accusing him of promoting a hostile , uncomfortable work environment . David Letterman 's behavior with employees has created `` a toxic environment '' in the workplace , NOW says . `` The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace , '' NOW said in a statement Tuesday . `` Most women can attest to the fact that many workplaces are plagued with inappropriate behavior by men in power . '' The `` Late Show With David Letterman '' host admitted last week on his CBS program that he had sex with unnamed employees and had testified about those liaisons before a New York grand jury as part of an alleged extortion attempt . A CBS producer , Robert `` Joe '' Halderman , is accused of threatening to go public with embarrassing information about Letterman 's private life unless the 62-year-old funnyman ponied up $ 2 million . Watch NOW 's president slam Letteman , CBS '' Letterman made a public apology Monday to his wife , Regina Lasko , who , he said , had been `` horribly hurt by my behavior . '' He said he is trying to repair that relationship . `` Either you 're going to make some progress and get it fixed , or you 're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed , so let me tell you folks , I got my work cut out for me , '' Letterman told the audience Monday night . Letterman married Lasko in March , and they have a 5-year-old son together . All the affairs took place before the marriage , Letterman 's production company has said . One of the women who engaged in a sexual relationship with Letterman was identified as Stephanie Birkitt , an assistant to the talk show host and also a former live-in girlfriend of Halderman . Letterman spokesman Tom Keaney said that Birkitt is on a paid leave of absence from the show . NOW said Letterman 's behavior was inappropriate in the workplace , saying all employees should be respected for their talent and skills . `` Recent developments in the David Letterman extortion controversy have raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate , if not hostile , workplace environment for women and employees , '' NOW said in Tuesday 's statement . Men such as Letterman make decisions on hiring and firing , who gets raises , who advances and who does entry-level tasks , NOW said . `` As ` the boss , ' he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace -- and he did that with sex . In any work environment , this places all employees -- including employees who happen to be women -- in an awkward , confusing and demoralizing situation , '' the group said . `` The National Organization for Women calls on CBS to recognize that Letterman 's behavior creates a toxic environment and to take action immediately to rectify this situation . With just two women on CBS ' board of directors , we 're not holding our breath . '' Those board members are Shari Redstone , vice chairwoman of the board and president of National Amusements Inc. , which operates motion picture screens , and Linda Griego , president and chief executive of Griego Enterprises Inc. , a business management company . CBS airs `` Late Show With David Letterman , '' which Letterman 's company , Worldwide Pants Inc. , produces .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 2009 , a freshly elected U.S. president who campaigned on the themes of hope and change appointed a veteran negotiator to take a crack at the Israel-Palestinian conflict . Now , 32 months after President Barack Obama named former Sen. George Mitchell as his chief Middle East envoy , the peace process is stalled and the United States faces the diplomatically dangerous possibility of having to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution on Palestinian statehood . How did it get to this point ? The answers are in the intractable nature of the conflict , political pressures faced by the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships , and a steady waning of U.S. influence in the region , exacerbated by the Arab Spring protests that erupted last December . Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he intends to submit an application for statehood to the Security Council , according to U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky , setting up a possible vote as soon as Friday . U.S. officials have made clear they will veto it , affirming the longstanding backing for Israel , the nation 's strongest Middle East ally . Meanwhile , behind-the-scenes negotiations are seeking to avoid a move certain to evoke Arab protests of American bias and even hypocrisy . A U.S. veto would amount to Washington blocking an outcome it has publicly supported -- the creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel . However , the Obama administration insists that result must occur through a negotiated deal with Israel . `` We continue to believe and are pressing the point that the only way to a two-state solution , which is what we support and want to see happen , is through negotiations , '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said late Monday . Addressing the possible Palestinian statehood bid , she added that `` no matter what does or does n't happen , this will not produce the kind of outcome that everyone is hoping for , so we are going to stay very much engaged and focused . '' Also Monday , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was willing to meet with Abbas in New York to launch direct talks that would continue back in the Middle East after the U.N. General Assembly . Netanyahu 's offer was an obvious attempt to give Abbas a plausible reason to put off the statehood bid , an outcome desired by the United States . `` For President Obama , who came into office speaking about self-determination and promised the Palestinians that it 's a new day and a new dawn for them , to go to the Security Council and cast a veto against the Palestinian state is politically problematic , '' Fouad Ajami , a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute think tank , said Monday on CNN . `` It 's really a catastrophe for him in the Arab world , but he has no choice but to pass the veto if it came to that , '' Ajami continued . `` The hope is -LRB- that -RRB- between now and Friday , some exit , some other formula will be found to spare one and all in this confrontation at the Security Council . '' Fran Townsend , a CNN contributor on national security issues , said the potential U.N. vote `` puts the United States in a very awkward position . '' `` It is a veto that will most certainly undermine U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the peace process , '' at least in the eyes of the Arab world , Townsend said . The latest developments come five months after Mitchell 's resignation . He said he only signed up to tackle the world 's toughest diplomatic job for two years , but he was clearly frustrated by the inability to restart direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians . Mitchell , who was 77 when he stepped down , traveled back and forth in the region trying to overcome the decades of hostility and mistrust that bedeviled the peace process . Face-to-face negotiations sought by the United States and its mediating partners from the United Nations , European Union and Russia never materialized . The Obama administration came into office hoping to seduce the Middle East with a more sensitive and compassionate posture after eight years of the Bush administration that brought war in Iraq and tough posturing against Iran and other enemies of Israel . In June 2009 , Obama used a high-profile speech in Cairo , Egypt , on relations between the United States and the Muslim world to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . He reaffirmed the U.S. endorsement of a two-state solution and urged compromise and understanding between `` two peoples with legitimate aspirations . '' Addressing two main issues in the dispute , Obama said the U.S. government `` does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements '' in the West Bank , and declared that `` it is time for -LRB- settlement construction -RRB- to stop . '' He also called America 's bond with Israel `` unbreakable '' and said Palestinian violence such as rocket and mortar attacks on Israel must cease . In particular , Obama said the Hamas movement -- which controls Gaza -- must end violence and recognize past agreements . Less than a year later , any perception of progress began to shatter . Not only did Obama fail to make good on his Cairo pledges , but his inability to rein in Israel on settlement-building was evidence of how hard jump-starting negotiations would be . In March 2010 , Israel announced a new settlement project in East Jerusalem , maintaining its insistence that the entire city would always be part of its territory . After years of lukewarm reactions to such statements about new settlements by Israel , the United States chose to push the envelope , turning the incident into a crisis that further hindered the peace process when Netanyahu would not give in . Then came the Gaza flotilla raid on May 31 , 2010 , when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish ship leading an effort to break Israel 's blockade of the Palestinian territory . The incident , in which nine Turks were killed , cast a harsh spotlight on the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and led to a breakdown in relations between Israel and Turkey , one of its few allies in the region . Against that backdrop , the Arab Spring of pro-democracy uprisings that started in Tunisia and spread to Egypt , Libya , Syria , Bahrain and other states became an uncontrolled factor in the Middle East equation . Hesitant U.S. support for protesters , first in Egypt , then in Libya and now in Syria , raised questions in the region about the clarity and commitment of the Obama administration 's policy . In a speech in May , Obama expressed support for pro-democracy aspirations in the Middle East . He also offered specifics on a possible Israel-Palestinian agreement based on pre-1967 borders and including land swaps to reflect current realities on the ground . The pre-1967 borders refer to Israel 's territory before the six-day war that year in which it took control of the Gaza Strip , West Bank , East Jerusalem and other territory from neighboring countries . Both sides found reason to reject Obama 's proposal as a basis for resuming peace talks , and now the successful Arab Spring protests have given Abbas new impetus to challenge Israel and the United States by seeking statehood through the United Nations . Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Sunday that the Palestinians were making the U.N. bid out of frustration . `` They have reinforced cooperation with the Israelis , '' Clinton told the NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' `` They have produced a growing economy on the West Bank . They have renounced violence . And all the Arab countries except Syria have offered Israel a political , military and security partnership for the future , including opposition to Iran 's nuclear design , if they create a Palestinian state . '' And yet , Clinton noted , `` there 's been no progress . '' One reason for a lack of progress has been uncertainty over the status of a Palestinian unity effort involving the Abbas-led authority in the West Bank and Hamas , which rules Gaza . Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist group and refuse to negotiate with it . The United States also has called on Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel 's right to exist in order to take part in the peace process . Hamas does not support President Abbas ' bid for statehood . Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has said Fatah does not have the right to sacrifice Palestinian rights , including making concessions on Palestinian land or the right of return for Palestinian refugees . He said Hamas will not recognize Israel 's right to a Jewish state . Townsend said the changing face of the Middle East is worrying to Israel , noting the Muslim Brotherhood strengthening in post-Mubarak Egypt , the possibility of anti-Israel factions gaining a role in post-Gadhafi Libya and the constant threat from Iran . `` So you can understand Israel 's concern about their current security , '' Townsend said . `` I think Israel is rightly concerned . This is a very dangerous time . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Watch the full interview with Denise Richards tonight . `` Piers Morgan Tonight '' airs weeknights on CNN\/US at 9 p.m. ET and on CNN International at 0200 GMT -LRB- Live simulcast -RRB- , 1200 GMT and 2000 GMT \/ HKT 2000 CNN -- `` If Charlie -LSB- Sheen -RSB- is to sort his life out , '' Piers Morgan asked Denise Richards . `` Can you ever imagine a scenario where you might one day get back together ? '' `` I 'm way too old for him now , '' joked Richards , who turned 40 this year . `` I 'm way past his age range . '' The actress and mother of three is a guest on Thursday 's `` Piers Morgan Tonight . '' Richards is also a first-time author . Her new book , `` The Real Girl Next Door , '' was released this week . Richards told Morgan that she and Sheen have been split up for six years . The couple 's divorce was finalized in 2006 . `` When we fell in love , '' Richards said , `` he had been sober for three years . He was getting his life back together . He had just gotten a job on ` Spin City . ' And I really admired his strength and courage for overcoming addiction , and being so humble about it . `` And that 's what attracted me to him . So the Charlie that some of you have seen over the last six months is not the person that I met and married . '' Richards went on to say that Sheen was `` amazing '' when they first met . `` He was so humbled and sweet , and charming and funny . And had such a great heart , and very honest . And we just had a very deep connection . '' Morgan asked Richards about her take on `` the recent circus of Charlie 's life . '' `` From the beginning of it I was very worried , '' she said . `` And it made me sad to see him that way . And so I was concerned . I was concerned for our children . '' Richards said that , in dealing with Sheen , the couple 's two daughters -- Sam , 7 , and Lola , 6 -- remain her priority . `` We 'll always have a bond with our daughters , '' she said . `` And I wish nothing but the best for him . '' When Morgan asked Richards what her wish for her ex-husband was , the actress said she wants him to be healthy and there for his kids and himself . `` He 's a survivor , '' said Richards . `` If anyone can pick themselves up , make a huge comeback , it 's Charlie . '' Morgan asked , what is the weirdest rumor she 'd ever heard about herself ? `` Well , this is n't that hurtful , but it 's weird -- that I used to be a hooker . I used to be a Heidi Fleiss girl . I heard that rumor , '' Richards answered . `` If anyone would know , it would be Charlie , '' said Richards , referring to Sheen 's well-documented testimony in Fleiss ' 1995 trial that he had spent over $ 50,000 on 27 hookers . Richards , who is single , said of dating : `` The qualities that I look for now are different than prior to getting married and having kids . `` I find myself very attracted to men who have children . And I think one of the sexiest qualities in a man is seeing a man great with kids . '' Richards called motherhood her greatest achievement . `` I love being a mother more than anything . And I get so much fulfillment and joy with my children . '' Richards opened up about her recent adoption of a baby girl , whom she named Eloise Joni Richards . `` She 's amazing , '' Richards said . She told Morgan that Sam and Lola `` are so in love with her . They are very protective of her . '' As for whether she 'll marry again , Richards said she intends to `` be a good role model for my kids , and be a strong woman , even if it 's on my own . '' Richards said that she also plans to continue acting , and that her dream gig has always been `` a role in a movie with Quentin Tarantino directing . '' Watch Piers Morgan Tonight weeknights 9 p.m. ET . For the latest from Piers Morgan click here .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- France international footballer Patrice Evra is determined to follow up his complaint of racism against Uruguay striker Luis Suarez , according to his club manager . Manchester United defender Evra accused his Liverpool opponent of racially abusing him during Saturday 's 1-1 Premier League draw , and the English Football Association said it would investigate after match referee Andre Marriner reported the incident . Suarez denied the claims in a statement on his Facebook page , but United manager Alex Ferguson told reporters on Monday that Evra stands by his comments to French television channel Canal Plus . `` I spoke to Patrice today . He is adamant he wants to follow it on , '' Ferguson said ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League clash with Romanian minnows Otelul Galati . `` It is not an easy one for us . It is not something we would want to level against Liverpool , and it is not against Liverpool . Obviously Patrice feels very aggrieved at what was said to him . It rests in the hands of the FA now . '' Ask Samuel Eto'o and Roberto Carlos your questions United and Liverpool are bitter rivals , and Ferguson appealed to both sets of fans before the match at Anfield , asking them not to sing abusive chants about the clubs ' respective tragedies in Munich and Hillsborough . Eight of United 's players were killed in the 1958 German air crash that claimed 23 lives , while 96 Liverpool supporters died during an FA Cup semifinal in 1989 . `` Saturday was terrific . Both sets of fans were good , '' Ferguson said . `` There was not any of that silly chanting we have had in previous years . Both sets of fans deserve praise for that . '' United midfielder Ashley Young was racially abused by Bulgaria fans during England 's Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia in September , but Ferguson said there are no such problems in the Premier League . `` I am not aware of any instances in terms of British football , '' the 69-year-old Scot said . `` It does n't happen in England . There are very few examples of that . Maybe this is what surprised Patrice Evra . He thought he was slighted on Saturday . `` We do n't want to see it . It is as simple as that . '' Ferguson said Evra would be in contention to play in Romania , with last season 's Champions League finalists United seeking to kickstart a faltering European campaign after picking up just two points from two Group C matches . `` Yes , yes . There is no problem , '' he said , while confirming that England striker Wayne Rooney would play despite Sunday 's top-of-the-table derby clash with Manchester City looming . Rooney started on the bench against Liverpool following the news that he will be banned for all three of England 's Euro 2012 finals group matches after his red card against Montenegro . `` When the initial news came through it was a definite blow for him . He did n't expect that . None of us did , '' Ferguson said . In Tuesday 's other Group C game , Swiss side Basel host Portugal 's Benfica with both clubs on four points . In Group B , Italy 's Internazionale travel to French side Lille on the back of another domestic defeat at the weekend , while Turkey 's Trabzonspor will seek to extend their lead at home to CSKA Moscow . Group A leaders Bayern Munich visit Italy 's Napoli in search of a third successive win , while Manchester City host Spain 's Villarreal with both teams in search of a first victory . Nine-time European champions Real Madrid will seek a third successive Group D victory at home to French side Lyon in the clubs ' ninth meeting in six years . Dutch club Ajax , whose fourth European title came in 1995 , travel to Croatia 's Dinamo Zagreb -- with neither team having won yet this season .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The skeletal remains of two infants were found underneath a rural Texas trailer , police said Monday , in the same area where another set of infant remains was found last year . The skeletal remains of two infants were found near a Texas trailer , police said Monday . Authorities were called about 3:30 p.m. Sunday to the trailer south of Kennedale , about 15 miles southeast of Fort Worth , Texas , in rural Tarrant County , said Terry Grisham , spokesman for the Tarrant County Sheriff 's Office . There is a group of about five mobile homes there , he said , that are leased by the property owner . One of the mobile homes had recently become vacant , and the owner was cleaning it up , Grisham said . The owner pulled back the metal `` skirt '' around the bottom of the mobile home and was `` digging around in there , '' and found a plastic bag , Grisham said . When the man opened it up , he found a box , and inside the box he found the `` bones of a very young infant , '' Grisham told CNN . He continued to look , and found another plastic container with more remains inside , of a `` similar-aged infant , '' before calling 911 , Grisham said . In 2008 , the same man called police to report that he had found a suitcase in the same area , in an overgrown field a distance away from the mobile homes , while dumping leaves . When he used a knife to cut into the suitcase , a set of infant bones were found , Grisham said . The medical examiner 's office was unable to determine a cause of death because the remains were skeletal , although no bones were broken , he said . `` We worked the thing as best we could , without any more to go on than we had , '' but the investigation stalled , Grisham said . Police have contacted the two people -- a brother and sister -- who recently moved out of the trailer , he said . The two have been cooperative with authorities , he said . They were interviewed separately , but both told police they had no idea the remains were there , Grisham said . Authorities and the medical examiner 's office remained at the scene Monday , Grisham said , and plan to use cadaver dogs at the site Monday afternoon in an effort to determine whether more remains were present . `` This ground is pretty brushy and overgrown , '' he said . A county work crew was brought in to carefully cut down the brush to aid the search , he said . CNN 's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Latino group Tuesday expressed outrage over the slaying of an Ecuadoran man , allegedly at the hands of seven teenagers in what police are calling a hate crime . Marcello Lucero , 37 , was stabbed to death in an attack that police say was a hate crime . The teens ' parents bear some of the blame , along with community leaders who have created an inhospitable environment for immigrants , Fernando Fernando Mateo , founder of Hispanics Across America , said at a news conference . `` We understand that some may not welcome us in their neighborhoods , but killing us will not drive us away , '' Mateo said . `` Those that hate us allow us to cut their lawns , build their homes , paint their homes , cook for them , serve their children -- and yet they teach them hate . '' Marcello Lucero , 37 , was walking to a friend 's apartment in Patchogue , New York , when he was attacked late Saturday , police said . He was stabbed in the chest and died of his injuries . A friend walking with Lucero was not injured . The seven teens were trying `` to find Latinos and to assault them , '' said Suffolk County Police Detective Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick . `` That was what they went out to do that night , and that 's exactly what they did do . ... They were actively seeking victims . '' At a court hearing for the seven Monday , a prosecutor quoted the youths as saying , `` Let 's go find some Mexicans to f -- up . '' Jeffrey Conroy , 17 , faces charges of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime in the attack , police said . He and the other six -- Jordan Dasch , Anthony Hartford , Nicholas Hausch , Christopher Overton , Jose Pacheco and Kevin Shea -- also face charges of first-degree gang assault . The additional charge against Conroy stems from authorities ' belief that he was the one who stabbed Lucero . All of the suspects are 17 except for Overton , who is 16 , according to police . The `` hate crime '' designation would enhance any sentence imposed upon conviction . Upon their arrest , all seven of the youths `` admitted their involvement and their role in this crime , '' said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer . However , all seven pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned Monday in Suffolk County Criminal Court . Mateo said that Hispanics Across America and Lucero 's relatives have retained a law firm and may file suit against the youths ' families `` to make sure the parents of these seven kids pay the consequences . '' But he and other community leaders also laid blame at the feet of Steve Levy , Suffolk County executive . `` He has brought this hate that exists here amongst the Hispanic community , '' Mateo said . `` He has legislated over and over again against Hispanic immigrants . ... He should be the person not welcome in this community . '' The Rev. Alan Ramirez of Brookville Reform Church said , `` We all know that Mr. Levy , along with these seven young men , has blood on his hands . And we consider that unacceptable . We ask a responsible Democratic Party to seek Mr. Levy 's resignation or removal from office . We do not need our communities to be separated by hatred , intolerance and racial discord . '' Attempts by CNN to contact Levy on Tuesday were unsuccessful , as his office was closed for the Veterans Day holiday . On Sunday , however , Levy issued a statement saying Lucero 's death `` was n't a question of any county policy or legislation ; it was a question of bad people doing horrific things , '' according to Newsday , which reported that Levy answered no further questions . In a statement issued by police Sunday , Levy was quoted as saying , `` This heinous crime that led to the death of an individual because of his race will not be tolerated in Suffolk County . The suspects will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law . '' New York Gov. David Paterson , in a statement Monday , also condemned Lucero 's death . `` Suffolk Police tell us that Mr. Lucero and a friend were attacked late Saturday by seven teenagers who were driving around looking for a Hispanic to beat up , '' Paterson said . `` The senseless and cowardly act by these teenagers can not stand . ... Mr. Lucero 's death is a jarring reminder that we must remain vigilant and continue our fight to eradicate prejudice in our words and in our actions . '' Mateo said Tuesday that Lucero 's death `` is an outrage . ... Those days of noosing , hanging and torturing should be a thing of the past . '' Conroy 's friends and fellow students told CNN affiliate WABC they do not believe he committed the crime . `` He 's the nicest guy you will ever meet , '' one said . Attempts to contact Conroy 's defense attorney were unsuccessful Tuesday . A candlelight vigil was held Monday night in honor of Lucero . `` I still do n't believe my brother 's death , '' Joselo Lucero said . `` Today I buried him and I still do n't believe that he 's dead . ... He 's left a real emptiness in my family . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Around 1,000 people accused of being witches in Gambia have been locked up in secret detention centers and forced to drink a dangerous hallucinogenic potion , according to human rights organization Amnesty International . Amnesty claims Gambian President Yahya Jammeh , pictured in 2006 , invited `` witch doctors '' to the West African nation . At least two people have died after drinking the liquid while many more have suffered serious kidney problems . Others suffered injuries as a result of being severely beaten , Amnesty said Wednesday as it called on authorities to `` put an immediate stop to the witch-hunting campaign . '' Amnesty claimed Gambian President Yahya Jammeh had invited `` witch doctors '' -- believed to be from neighboring Guinea -- to the West African nation following the death of his aunt . Jammeh , a former soldier who has ruled Gambia since leading a military coup in 1994 , is reported to believe that witchcraft was involved in her death , according to Amnesty . CNN contacted State House , the presidential residence in the Gambian capital , Banjul , but no-one was available to comment . `` I have no information , '' a woman told CNN . Victims and their relatives tell Amnesty that `` witch doctors '' accompanied by police , soldiers and security forces have been visiting villages and seizing people accused of being witches by force and at gunpoint . Members of Jammeh 's personal guard , known as `` green boys , '' are also alleged to have taken part in the campaign . In the most recent incident on March 9 , 300 people from the village of Sintet were forced to go to a farm owned by Jammehk , Amnesty said . One of those seized said he had been held for five days and forced to drink `` dirty water '' containing poisonous herbs which caused instant diarrhoea and vomiting . `` I experienced and witnessed such abuse and humiliation . I can not believe that this type of treatment is taking place in Gambia . It is from the dark ages , '' the victim told Amnesty . Hundreds of Gambians have also fled to neighboring Senegal following attacks on their villages , according to Amnesty . It also said it was concerned that a prominent opposition lawmaker , Halifa Sallah , who was arrested earlier this month after investigating the witchcraft claims for a newspaper , could be at risk of being tortured while in custody . Halifa , a former presidential candidate , heads the People 's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism and is minority leader in Gambia 's national assembly .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kimberley Locke knows a thing or two about singing competitions . `` American Idol '' finalist Kimberley Locke is the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' Having placed third during season two of `` American Idol '' -- just behind winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken -- the singer is back in reality show action as the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' The Gospel Music Channel 's talent search is going into its fourth season , and Locke joins fellow host Mike Kasem -LRB- son of Casey Kasem -RRB- and the judges -- gospel artist J. Moss , Destiny 's Child member Michelle Williams and industry executive Mitchell Solarek -- on the show . Locke has worked steadily since she first burst onto the `` Idol '' scene in 2003 . She has modeled , served as a spokesperson for plus-sized clothier Lane Bryant and Jenny Craig and appeared on VH1 's `` Celebrity Fit Club . '' All the while , she has continued to pursue her music . Her `` 8th World Wonder '' was a big hit , making the Top 10 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary charts . She 's had three dance chart No. 1s . Locke recently spoke with CNN about the `` Gospel Dream , '' life after `` American Idol '' and the one reality show she really wants to appear on next . CNN : How did you get involved with `` Gospel Dream ? '' Kimberley Locke : Funny enough , I 've been wanting to do more hosting , and I had been talking to my manager about it . They contacted me out of the blue , and I was like `` Oh , I put it out to the universe , and here it is . '' CNN : Are you a gospel music fan ? Locke : I am a gospel music fan . Of course I grew up in the church singing gospel music . I do n't listen to as much as I used to , but I used to sing in a girl a cappella group and that 's how we started , performing in church . CNN : Why do you think so many performers in the music industry come out of the church ? Locke : I think a lot of people become stars in their church . ... The church environment is so supportive . When you are first starting out and learning how to sing in front of an audience , that 's the kind of audience you want to be in front of . Even if you mess up and you sound horrible , they kind of let you stand there and collect yourself while the pianist keeps playing . Then they plow through it with you . That 's a part of the business , a professionalism that really comes in handy when you get to this level . CNN : You 've had some experiences with singing competitions . How is `` Gospel Dream '' different ? Locke : It 's different in that the contestants are very focused on where they want to be and the type of music they want to sing . When you are on `` Idol , '' you are forced to fit into all of these different genres you may or may not want to do and you may or may not even be familiar with them . The `` Gospel Dream '' contestants ' direction is really clear and defined , so they are picking songs that really speak to them on a personal level . Watch Locke talk about the show '' CNN : How has life been for you post - `` Idol ? '' Locke : Life has been great post - `` Idol . '' So many opportunities , so many things I would have never imagined . Things that I did n't even associate with singing , like modeling , hosting , being a spokesperson , owning a restaurant . It just opened so many doors . CNN : You were a plus-sized model and spokesperson for Lane Bryant , but now you are way too small to do that . Locke : That really opened me up to bond with my fans . I tell people I 'm still a big girl at heart . CNN : When is your next album coming out ? Locke : I just started working on the next album . We are in the very preliminary stages of putting together the concept of the record and we just compiled a bunch of songs to start listening to . CNN : Are you planning on doing any other reality shows ? Locke : I 'm not really a big reality show fan . I did `` Celebrity Fit Club '' because there was a purpose behind that in my wanting to lose weight . There is only one reality show I really , really want to do , and that 's `` Dancing With the Stars . '' I want to be on that show because then I 'd lose the extra 10 to 15 pounds I want to lose .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.N. special investigator called for the resignation of top Kenyan officials and sweeping changes in the country 's security forces to end reported widespread killings by police across the African nation . The report urged President Mwai Kibaki to publicly acknowledge his commitment to ending the killings . `` The special rapporteur concluded that police in Kenya frequently execute individuals and that a climate of impunity prevails , '' Philip Alston said in a report a recently submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva . `` Most troubling is the existence of police death squads operating on the orders of senior police officials and charged with eliminating suspected leaders and members of criminal organizations . '' The report calls for the resignation of Kenya 's attorney general and the immediate replacement of the police commissioner . It also says Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki should publicly acknowledge his commitment to ending unlawful killings by the police . The Kenyan government expressed its `` deep displeasure '' with the report , questioning the special investigator 's `` approach , conduct and method of work . '' `` The government expresses grave concern regarding the allegations contained in the report by the special rapporteur , '' said Alfred Mutua , a spokesman for the Kenyan government . `` His questioning of the very basis of the Kenyan state and , in particular , its institutions is totally unacceptable and impinges on Kenya 's sovereignty . '' Alston also accused government security forces of torturing and killing hundreds of men in a March 2008 crackdown on a militia in the Mt. Elgon district , in western Kenya . And he said there was compelling evidence that what he called police death squads were operating in Nairobi and Central Province with a mandate to `` exterminate '' suspected Mungiki gang members . `` These are not `` rogue '' squads , but police who are acting on the explicit orders of their superiors , '' he said . The Mungiki militia , which is loyal to Kibaki 's Kikuyu tribe , began as a religious sect , but over the years has morphed into a gang that runs protection rackets -- particularly in the slums . The U.N. investigator suggested Kibaki acknowledge the alleged police killings and commit to stop them . He also advocated creating an independent civilian police oversight body , and said the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should investigate violence after the 2007 election . He urged the government to create a witness protection program as well . Alston , who investigates human-rights problems around the world for the United Nations , traveled to Kenya at the government 's invitation . He stayed for 10 days in mid-February while 100 interviews were conducted in the U.N. member nation . There is hope for Kenya despite his criticism , Alston said . `` While the existing situation is bad , it is far from intractable , '' the report says . `` If it so chooses , Kenya can significantly reduce the prevalence of unlawful killings . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Milwaukee , Wisconsin , police have arrested a man whose DNA linked him to the bodies of nine women killed over 21 years , officials said at a news conference Monday night . Walter E. Ellis , 49 , was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to the victims . Walter E. Ellis , 49 , was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to DNA left on the bodies of nine women killed since 1986 . Police said eight of the women were prostitutes and one was a runaway involved with drugs . They were all killed within a 3-square-mile area of Milwaukee 's north side . `` This case was solved with shoe leather and science , '' Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said . `` Continuing advances in DNA technology have enabled us to link these homicide cases , and it was good police work pursuing numerous leads that led to the arrest of a suspect . '' The homicides occurred between 1986 and 2007 , police said . See where the bodies were found '' Ellis was charged Monday with two counts of first degree murder relating to two of the deaths : 41-year-old Joyce Mims , who was killed in 1997 , and 28-year-old Ouithreaun Stokes , who was killed in April 2007 . Police said more charges are likely . It was n't immediately clear whether Ellis had obtained an attorney . Police said other victims linked to Ellis through DNA were : Tanya L. Miller , killed in 1986 ; Deborah L. Harris , killed in 1986 ; Sheila Farrior , strangled in 1995 ; Florence McCormick , strangled in 1995 ; Irene Smith , killed in 1992 ; Carron D. Kilpatrick , killed in 1992 , and Jessica Payne , killed in 1995 . Flynn told CNN it was hard for investigators to discern a geographic pattern for the homicides . In the 20-year period , more than 2,000 slayings occurred in Milwaukee , he said -- 200 of them in the same area where the bodies were found . Another challenge investigators faced was the developing technology of DNA evidence . The technology in 2009 far exceeds that available in 1986 or even 2002 , he said . It was only this year that police were able to link the nine homicides with the same DNA pattern . Even then `` we did not have anyone to match our DNA profile against , until we were able to get -LSB- Ellis ' -RSB- toothbrush , '' he told CNN . A Wisconsin law passed in 2000 mandated the DNA collection from convicted felons . Ellis was released from prison in 2001 without having his DNA sample collected , Flynn said . Because his name had surfaced in the investigation and because he was also listed in two FBI databases , authorities decided to investigate him further and were able to obtain the search warrant that allowed them to collect his DNA from his toothbrush , the police chief said . News of Ellis ' arrest shocked those who knew him . `` That was just my ex-boyfriend , '' his former girlfriend , Chanita , told CNN affiliate WISN-TV . She asked that her last name not be used . `` I did n't know nothing about nothing like this . I 'm getting shivery now cause you 're talking about some strangling stuff . Lord have mercy on me . I 'm just a wreck right now . I ca n't believe this . I 'm trembling in here . I 'm shakin ' . '' Chanita said she dated Ellis for four years . `` I ca n't believe it . This is a shock , '' she told WISN . `` I got like goose bumps on my arms instantly when you told me that . I 'm like no way -- not Walter -- I ca n't see him hurting nobody . '' For relatives of the victims , the news brought mixed emotions . `` I knew they was gon na get him , I knew it , '' Patricia Donald , best friend of victim Deborah Harris , told WISN . `` Finally he ca n't hurt nobody anymore . '' For her and others , like Sandy Farrior , whose daughter Sheila was linked to Ellis , it was news that helped bring closure . `` Late justice is better than no justice , '' he told WISN . In addition to advances in DNA technology , officials attributed the break in the case to the repeated investigation of cold cases by the Milwaukee Police Department 's Homicide Task Force Cold Case Unit . Although Mims and Stokes were strangled about a decade apart , similar DNA on their bodies helped lead police to a suspect . Watch where cops got DNA sample '' Mims was found strangled and lying on her back wearing only socks on June 20 , 1997 , in a small closet near a living room in Milwaukee , according to court documents . Police found DNA on her body , but there were no matches in the system , the court documents show . On April 27 , 2007 , Stokes was found strangled , partially clothed and lying face down in a living room in Milwaukee , according to court documents . When lab technicians tested the DNA found on her body , they found it directly matched the DNA found on Mims . On August 29 of this year , armed with a search warrant , police took a toothbrush and razor from Ellis ' home . Testing showed the DNA found on Mims and Stokes was a match to Ellis , according to court documents . Ellis has been charged at least 10 times with varying offenses ranging from violent crimes to property crimes between 1981 and 1998 , though some of the charges were dismissed , online court records in Wisconsin show . He was sentenced to five years in state prison after he pleaded no contest to a reckless injury charge in 1998 . None of the victims linked to Ellis was killed during the time he was in jail . However , two men were charged in slayings later linked to Ellis , according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Curtis McCoy was charged in October 1994 with killing Kilpatrick , but he was later acquitted by a jury , the newspaper reported . It also said Chaunte Ott , who was convicted of killing Payne , served 13 years in prison before being released in January , after DNA analysis showed semen found on the girl 's body was not his . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"DENVER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Serving time for lesser crimes , Scott Kimball is leading investigators to bodies . Scott Kimball is currently serving a 48-year sentence on theft and habitual criminal convictions . Partly mummified bones thought to be those of his uncle , Terry Kimball , were discovered Monday in a remote Rocky Mountain pass near Vail , Colorado . DNA tests are pending to confirm the victim 's identity , and the cause of death is pending a forensic examination , authorities said . Terry Kimball is one of several suspected homicide victims associated with Scott Kimball since his jailing in 2008 . He is serving a 48-year sentence in state prison in Fairplay , Colorado , on theft and habitual criminal convictions . Kimball will also serve a 70-month federal sentence on firearms charges after the state sentence . The firearms charges led to Kimball 's 18th conviction . However , Kimball probably will not be charged in any of the deaths . Sources with knowledge of the cases said Kimball 's December 2008 plea to theft and habitual criminal charges , and the 48-year sentence , was part of a deal that included revealing the locations of the bodies . Authorities wanted to give victims ' families resolution . Without his cooperation , authorities doubt they have enough evidence to convict him . Earlier this year , Kimball revealed where the remains thought to be his uncle 's were , according to law enforcement sources close to the case . However , the search was delayed until snow had melted . The FBI would not confirm that Kimball , 42 , identified the site . However , FBI spokeswoman Kathleen Wright said , `` we went to -LRB- a -RRB- specific location for a specific reason . It was n't random . '' Terry Kimball , 60 at the time , was last seen with Scott Kimball in September 2004 , according to a 2007 federal search warrant affidavit . Scott Kimball told his wife that his uncle had won the lottery and left for Mexico with a stripper , the affidavit said , but FBI investigators think Kimball killed his uncle and dumped his body in Vail Pass , more than 100 miles from the home they shared in a Denver suburb . In March , Kimball accompanied FBI investigators to southeastern Utah to search for the body of Leann Emry , who was 24 when she vanished after departing on a camping trip in 2003 . FBI agents found Emry 's remains shortly after Kimball returned to jail . Kaysi McLeod was 19 when she disappeared in 2003 . McLeod , the daughter of Kimball 's ex-wife , was last seen getting a ride to work from Kimball , according to the 2007 affidavit . In fall 2007 , a hunter found her remains in northwest Colorado . Kimball is also suspected in the disappearance of exotic dancer Jennifer Marcum , who disappeared in 2003 , according to the affidavit . Sources close to the investigation say they think Kimball killed Marcum and buried her body near Rifle , Colorado . Authorities have not found her remains . `` We are continuing to look for Jennifer , and we will leave no stone unturned , '' Wright said . Kimball drew the FBI 's attention in 2002 while jailed for writing bad checks . Kimball offered authorities information about his cellmate , Steven Ennis , who was suspected in a drug ring , according to the 2007 affidavit . After Kimball served his sentence , the FBI began paying him as an informant . Kimball was supposed to report back to the FBI on Marcum , Ennis ' former girlfriend , when she disappeared . The FBI would not reveal how long or how much Kimball was paid . He was arrested again in March 2006 near Palm Springs , California , after a police chase and standoff .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected a controversial measure to allow people to carry concealed weapons from state to state . A Miami , Florida , gun store offers concealed weapons training . The measure would have required each of the 48 states that currently allow concealed firearms to honor permits issued in other states . The vote was 58-39 in favor . The amendment needed 60 votes to pass . The vote split the Democrats , with 20 supporting the measure and 35 opposing it . Two of the Senate 's 40 Republicans -- Richard Lugar of Indiana and George Voinovich of Ohio -- and both independents , Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernard Sanders of Vermont , voted against it . Robert Byrd of West Virginia , Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland , all Democrats , did not vote . A coalition of mayors that fought the law welcomed its defeat . `` Our bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns fought this amendment tooth-and-nail , because we recognize that the laws of one state may not be best for another , '' Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston , Massachusetts , said in a statement . `` We will continue to work with our members to support common-sense policies and oppose dangerous ones , like the Thune Amendment that was defeated today , '' he said , referring to Sen. John Thune , R-South Dakota , who sponsored the proposal . It was the first significant defeat this year for advocates of gun rights , after gun control advocates faced an unexpected setback in May . Map : See which states allow citizens to carry concealed weapons '' Gun rights advocates attached a measure allowing people to carry guns in national parks to credit card legislation . President Obama signed the package into law . The interstate concealed-weapons proposal was an amendment to a larger defense appropriations bill . Supporters of the measure argued it would help deter criminals ; opponents claimed it would , in effect , force most of the country to conform to regulations in states with the loosest gun-ownership standards . Opponents of the amendment mounted a huge campaign to stop it . Mayors Against Illegal Guns -- which says it represent more than 450 mayors in 40 states -- took out an ad in USA Today opposing the measure . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , a campaign co-chairman , opposed the law on a number of grounds , arguing both that it tramples on states ' rights and that guns are dangerous . `` There 's no evidence that if you have a gun , you 're safer , '' he said on CNN 's `` American Morning '' Wednesday . `` Quite the contrary . If you have a gun at home , -LSB- you are -RSB- something like 20 times more likely to have somebody in your house killed . ... `` We have to protect our policemen , protect our citizens . We ca n't have all these guns , and it 's reasonable to have each state make their own laws , '' he said . `` Wyoming should n't be subject to New York state laws , and we 're going in that direction , '' he said . `` What 's right for the people of Wyoming is n't necessarily right for the people of New York and vice versa . '' Sen. John Barrasso , a Wyoming Republican who was a co-sponsor of the amendment , had argued that gun licenses should apply across state lines , like driver 's licenses . `` People travel , '' he said on `` American Morning . '' `` We have truck drivers on our roads , people traveling for vacation in their vehicles , and if you have a license ... you should be able to use that license in other states . It should apply like a driver 's license , '' he said . He argued that concealed weapons deter crime . `` Carrying a concealed weapon is a sign of self-defense , self-protection , and I think it lowers crime , '' he said . And he said people carrying guns would still have to obey laws wherever they are . `` The law of the state where that person happens to be at the time are the laws that apply in terms of if you 're allowed to carry a gun into a bar or restaurant . ... State rights continue to apply there . '' This is the third time the Senate has considered gun rights this year . In addition to the national parks measure , Senate gun-rights advocates in the spring attached a measure loosening the District of Columbia 's tight gun control laws to a bill giving full voting rights to Washington 's representative in Congress . That amendment was approved 62-36 . House Democratic leaders , unwilling to loosen the restrictions on gun ownership in the District of Columbia , have let the bill languish . CNN 's Alan Silverleib and Evan Glass in Washington contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five new cases of the H1N1 virus in New York City schools will force three schools to close for a week , Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference Thursday evening . The city is temporarily closing the schools to `` slow transmission '' of the virus , Mayor Michael Bloomberg said . The two intermediate schools and one primary school are in Queens , and all three will be closed for at least five days , the mayor said . `` We are closing the schools to slow transmission '' of sickness , he said . Bloomberg , flanked by New York Gov. David Paterson and New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein , said four students at one of the intermediate schools have the virus and an administrator was critically ill Thursday with H1N1 . Bloomberg indicated the school administrator had a pre-existing medical condition . Fifty students at that school have been sent home with flu-like symptoms since May 6 . At the two other schools , the primary school had an overflowing nurse 's office Thursday , reporting 29 students suffering from flu-like symptoms . The other intermediate school had 241 students absent with illness Thursday . The New York City Department of Health and the Department of Education have been in nearly constant contact , said Jason Post , a spokesman from Bloomberg 's office . When there 's a spike in students absent from classes , the Department of Health is alerted . `` There 's always good communication , flu or no flu , '' Post said . `` But our senses have been sharp for a while now . '' The Health Department has seen a general increase in flu activity in Queens , officials said in a news release . While the symptoms of H1N1 flu seem to resemble those of seasonal flu , the H1N1 virus appears to spread more extensively , at least in schools , warranting closures to slow transmission in the community , the release said . Dr. Isaac Weisfuse , the deputy commissioner of the city 's Department of Hygiene and Mental Health , said although concern is legitimate , there 's no solid evidence that suggests the H1N1 flu -- also known as swine flu -- is more dangerous than the flu in general . `` The bottom line is if you 're sick , stay home , '' Weisfuse said . `` And do n't go back to school until you 're better for one whole day . '' In late April , St. Francis Prep , a high school in Queens , was closed because of a flu outbreak . Since then , the school reopened and the stricken students have recovered , according to the mayor 's office . `` As we have said from the outset of the appearance of H1N1 in our city last month , we will share with New Yorkers what we know and not speculate on what we do n't know , '' said Bloomberg in a statement . According to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , as of Thursday night 7,412 cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed worldwide . The organizations said 63 deaths attributed to the virus have been confirmed worldwide . The CDC said 4,298 cases of the virus and three fatalities have been confirmed in the United States as of Thursday night . New York had 224 confirmed cases of H1N1 , the CDC said . It was not clear whether the five cases cited by Bloomberg and the other New York officials were included in the latest CDC total .","question":""}
{"answer":"Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar is free to travel outside the country , Pakistan 's government said Friday a day after blocking his departure and sparking a national incident . There are 53 Pakistani individuals reinstated to an Exit Control List this week which prevents them from leaving the country -- but Mukhtar is not one of them , the National Accountability Bureau said . The confusion stems from a list , dating back several years , that prevented some government officials facing corruption charges from leaving the country . In October 2007 , the country passed the National Reconciliation Ordinance , which provided amnesty to about 8,000 people facing various offenses , said Mohammed Afzl Sindhu , Pakistan 's minister of state for law and justice . Among them were about 30 politicians . Those who had been on the Exit Control List were given amnesty and could travel . On Wednesday , Pakistan 's Supreme Court struck down the ordinance . The 17-judge court said the amnesty `` seems to be against the national interest '' and `` violates various provisions of the Constitution . '' Following that decision , the government restored the names of 53 people to the Exit Control List , said National Accountability Bureau spokesman Ghazni Khan . Mukhtar was among the officials protected by the ordinance -- but Pakistani officials say he was not among the 53 people on the Exit Control List . He was about to leave on an official trip to China on Thursday when immigration authorities told him he was on the Exit Control List . He said he raised the issue with the offices of the president and prime minister . `` It is clarified that the name of Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar was not included in that list of 53 persons , '' Khan said Friday . The National Reconciliation Ordinance , passed under then-President Pervez Musharraf , covered alleged wrongdoing between 1986 and 1999 . Among those protected by the order -- which expired last month -- were Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and his wife , former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto . Also on the list were bureaucrats , bankers , retired military officials , and low ranking government officials , Sindhu said Friday . With the order lifted , corruption charges against some officials will now proceed , Pakistani authorities said . An accountability court in Karachi summoned Interior Minister Rehman Malik to appear on January 8 , 2010 regarding an outstanding corruption case against him , said Malik 's attorney , Khawaja Naveed Ahmed . Ahmed added that 51 others have been summoned to court in Karachi . Atiq ur Rehman , spokesman for the National Accountability Bureau in Lahore , said the cases of 80 people accused of corruption and misuse of power have been reopened and sent to accountability court for further processing . They include include Jahamgir Badar , who is the secretary general of the Pakistan People 's Party , and Nusrat Bhutto , mother of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto . CNN 's Samson Desta contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"CLEARWATER , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two NFL players are among four boaters missing since Saturday night off Florida 's Gulf Coast , officials told CNN . Corey Smith , left , and Marquis Cooper are missing after a boating trip off the Florida coast , officials said . Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and NFL free agent Corey Smith , who played for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons , have not returned from a Saturday fishing trip in water off Clearwater , Florida , family members and colleagues said Sunday . `` It feels like my greatest fear coming true -- it does n't feel real , '' Cooper 's wife , Rebekah , told CNN affiliate WTSP in Tampa on Sunday afternoon . `` I 'm just waiting for a phone call . '' The Coast Guard began searching around 2 a.m. Sunday after it learned that four men -- Cooper , Smith , and former University of South Florida football players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler -- had not returned from their fishing trip Saturday evening as expected . Rough weather has hampered the effort , but `` it 's still a very active search , '' Coast Guard Capt. Tim Close told reporters Sunday afternoon . Poor visibility from heavy waves forced the search-and-rescue effort to be conducted primarily by air , though authorities deployed patrol boats as well , Close said . Watch relatives , friends express concern for missing boaters \u00c2 '' Searchers have focused on 750 square miles of open water in the Gulf of Mexico , about 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass . From there , the men had left the Seminole Boat Ramp in a 21-foot single-engine boat about 6:30 a.m. Saturday , the Coast Guard said . Rebekah Cooper said she became worried Saturday night when she did n't hear from her husband . She called her one of her husband 's fishing buddies , Brian Miller , who contacted the Coast Guard with the coordinates of where the men planned to fish . `` Usually I 'm on the boat . It 's a little difficult wondering if something would have been different if I had been there , '' Miller said . `` Or who knows ? They may be just sitting out there with a broken motor -- and that 's what we 're hoping for . `` He said it was clear something was wrong when Cooper did n't call Saturday night . `` He should 've been within range to use his cell phone , and he knows enough to shut it off when he goes out so the batteries are still there , '' he said . Close said weather conditions were relatively good Saturday , `` but the weather picked up overnight . '' `` It 's a small vessel for the conditions that are out there right now , '' Close said Sunday afternoon . Rebekah Cooper said her husband was aware of Sunday 's weather forecast and for that reason picked Saturday for the trip . `` Fishing is his first love , it always has been , '' she said , adding , `` I have a lot of faith in him out there . '' Cooper 's father said he learned of the situation Sunday morning from his daughter-in-law . His son `` routinely stays out on the water 12-14 hours , '' Bruce Cooper , a sports anchor for CNN affiliate KPNX in Phoenix , Arizona , said in a statement . Close said authorities had not received a distress signal from the boaters . Close said Cooper owns the boat . Bruce Cooper called his son an `` avid fisherman . '' `` He goes deep sea fishing any opportunity he gets , '' Cooper said in the statement . `` Two years ago I went deep sea fishing with him . I swore I would never do so again ; I did n't like the fact that I could n't see land . Needless to say I am very concerned . I am praying and hoping for the best . '' The boat , a center-console vessel manufactured by Everglades Boats , is billed as `` unsinkable , '' Close said . The Detroit Lions released a statement acknowledging that Smith was among the missing men , adding , `` Our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers , their families and all those involved in the search efforts . '' Smith and Cooper were teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for part of the 2004 season , when Cooper was a rookie , according to the NFL 's Web site . Smith , who entered the league with Tampa Bay in 2002 , went on to play for the Washington Redskins before moving to the Lions for the 2006 season . Cooper has played for six teams in his five-season career . Cooper played college football at the University of Washington . Smith played at North Carolina State . Schuyler 's father , Stu , told reporters that the four men knew each other from working out at a gym , and that his son had accompanied Cooper and Smith on a fishing trip last week that lasted 15 hours . Bleakley lettered from 2004 to 2006 as a tight end for USF , according to a spokesman for the university 's athletics department . Schuyler was a walk-on defensive end for USF in 2006 , but he never played in a game , the spokesman said . `` Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Will and Nick , as well as the Florida Coast Guard as they continue their search , '' USF Athletic Director Doug Woolard said in a statement Sunday . The Coast Guard asked anyone with information on the boaters to contact its St. Petersburg , Florida , office at 727-824-7506 . CNN Radio 's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A longtime employee and vault manager for a jewelry company in Long Island City , New York , stole millions of dollars worth of gold and gold jewelry from her employer over a six-year span , the Queens district attorney has alleged . Teresa Tambunting , 50 , of Scarsdale , New York , is accused of stealing as much as $ 12 million from Jacmel Jewelry , Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement Wednesday . At an arraignment Wednesday , she did not enter a plea to charges of first-degree grand larceny and first-degree criminal possession of stolen property , the district attorney 's office said . She was released on $ 100,000 bail and will return to court May 19 , the office said . Her attorney , David Kirby , did not return phone calls seeking comment . Tambunting , who worked for Jacmel for 28 years , has returned about $ 7 million worth of gold , but $ 4 million remains missing , according to Brown . `` The defendant is accused of establishing a virtual mining operation in Long Island City which siphoned off millions of dollars ' worth of the precious metal from her employer , '' Brown said . Police say Tambunting -- whose job responsibilities involved monitoring the vault in which fine gold , finished products and raw materials were stored -- confessed that for several months last year , she hid gold in makeshift slits in her purse . An inventory in January revealed that as much as $ 12 million in merchandise was missing , Brown said in the written statement . After an investigation , Tambunting arrived at the jewelry company 's offices wheeling a suitcase containing about 66 pounds of gold , an estimated $ 868,000 , the district attorney 's office said . In February , about 450 pounds of gold was taken from her residence , the office said . Tambunting became vault manager in 1991 , the office said . The dates of the alleged thefts were not immediately clear . The value of the gold returned fluctuates because of the rise and fall of gold prices . However , the charges are based on what Jacmel claims it lost : $ 3 to $ 12 million , according to the Queens district attorney . Jewelry manufacturer owners often find themselves in precarious circumstances when protecting their companies from thievery , said Benjamin Mark , who owned a jewelry manufacturing company in New York for 20 years . `` Unless you have metal detectors where every single employee removes their shoes and belts , you ca n't be certain , '' said Mark , who now operates a one-man business . `` Stealing jewelry is relatively simple . '' Jacmel Jewelry is one of the country 's largest manufacturers and distributors of popular price jewelry , according to its Web site . It employs more than 1,000 people worldwide , according to its president , Jack Rahmey . Rahmey said he is cooperating with authorities . Tambunting faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted .","question":""}
{"answer":"They 're bigger , brawnier , and faster than the typical male , but are National Football League players healthier than other men their age ? Justin Bannan , who plays for the Baltimore Ravens , participated in the study on NFL players . Yes and no , according to a new NFL-funded study that looks at the cardiovascular health of young athletes . The good news is that NFL players have cholesterol levels similar to other men in their 20s and 30s , and their blood sugar tends to be even healthier . However , they are much more likely to have high blood pressure or borderline hypertension when compared with men who are n't professional athletes . `` It 's a step in the right direction to have this study , '' says Justin Bannan , 30 , who plays defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens and took part in the research . `` I think the more information we can find out and the more studies we can do , the better . '' The study , published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association , is important , particularly as more and more players are weighing in at 300-plus pounds . The extra weight could potentially strain an athlete 's heart in youth or even after retirement , and many question whether it has played a role in a handful of high-profile deaths . Health.com : Eat right advice : Fiber , starch , fats , serving sizes In particular , the death of Thomas Herrion at age 23 has raised concerns about the heart health of larger players . Herrion , who was 6 ' 3 '' and 330 pounds , had just finished an exhibition game with the San Francisco 49ers when he collapsed and died in 2005 . `` He 's sort of the prototype of the bigger , stronger linemen that populates the NFL now , as compared with 20 or 30 years ago , '' says lead study author Dr. Andrew M. Tucker , the team physician for the Baltimore Ravens . `` We have so many big , strong guys over 300 pounds . I think that case in particular was important in stimulating the whole study and the investigation . '' Other heavy players -- such as defensive end Reggie White -- have also died at an early age . White was 43 when he died from cardiac arrhythmia in 2004 . In the study , Tucker , who is the cochair of the NFL subcommittee on cardiovascular health , and his colleagues looked at 504 active players from 12 teams in 2007 . The researchers measured the players ' height , weight , percentage of body fat , and other factors , and then compared them to 1,959 men ages 23 to 35 who participated in a study called CARDIA -LRB- Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults -RRB- . Health.com : 20 little ways to lose drop the pounds and keep them off They found that players were less likely to smoke or have blood-sugar problems than other men -LRB- only 6.7 percent of players had impaired fasting glucose compared to 15.5 percent of other men -RRB- and their cholesterol levels were essentially the same . However , 13.8 percent of players had high blood pressure and 64.5 percent had prehypertension , or borderline high blood pressure , compared to 5.5 percent and 24.2 percent of other men , respectively . Tucker notes that the football players outweighed the men in the CARDIA study by an average of 70 pounds and that it 's natural to assume that larger people may have higher blood pressure . `` But what was fascinating to us was the category of prehypertension , '' says Tucker , who is also the medical director of sports medicine at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore , Maryland . Health.com : How to eat out without getting fat The study found that NFL athletes are more likely to have prehypertension than other men -- regardless of the size of the player or his position . `` So our lean players who play defensive back and wide receiver , they have prevalence of prehypertension just as common as the really big guys playing offensive and defensive line , '' says Tucker . `` So there 's something that we 're trying to investigate now that accounts for elevated blood pressures in our active players that is not accounted for by size alone -- there 's got to be something else . '' Health.com : Cut up to 900 calories with simple substitutions That `` something else '' could be strength or resistance training , the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , sleep apnea -LRB- which is characterized by heavy snoring and a hike in blood pressure -RRB- , or diet , including excessive sodium intake . Dr. Tucker does n't think anabolic steroids are to blame . Even though he and his colleagues did n't ask players if they used steroids , he says that the NFL 's year-round testing program should have ruled out any use . '' -LSB- However -RSB- I 'm concerned about the widespread use of performance-enhancing agents , which contain stimulants that can not only increase blood pressure but of course have stimulating effects on the heart , '' says Dr. Tucker . He adds that , in the last several years , such stimulants have been linked to sporadic deaths in college and even professional athletes . Although today 's players are much more likely to weigh in excess of 300 pounds than those in the past , it does n't necessarily mean they are fat , Dr. Tucker explains . Athletes are larger nowadays due to rule changes in the 1970s and 1980s that were aimed at protecting their lower bodies ; those guidelines also gave larger players a competitive advantage . If one goes by body mass index alone -- a measure of height and weight that does n't take into account muscle mass -- more than half of players are obese , according to a 2005 study . However , Tucker and his team found that the average percentage of body fat was 14 percent , ranging from 8 percent to 10 percent in the leaner positions -- such as wide receivers and linebackers -- to 20 percent in defensive linemen and 25 percent in offensive linemen . `` Even our offensive linemen are really on the upper limits of what 's considered healthy , '' says Tucker . `` There are plenty of my regular patients who would take that . '' Health.com : Olympic swimmer discusses life with exercise-induced asthma Overall , Tucker says he is most worried about older , retired athletes . `` I 'm concerned about whether there is a constellation of things going on that puts them at risk when they 're 45 or 55 , '' he says . More attention is being paid to detraining athletes so that they can adopt healthier lifestyles and better nutrition after they retire , says William Kraemer , Ph.D. , a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut . `` It really is tough because you 're trying to stay big in your playing days , '' says Kraemer . `` The big fear is , -LSB- after retirement -RSB- you stop exercising and you keep eating the way you used to when you were expending a lot of calories . A lot of times when kids get out of college or they get out of the pros , there is no system in place that helps them make the transition . '' The Ravens ' Bannan says the older generation is teaching younger players the importance of changing their lifestyle after retirement . `` If you 're a heavier player , a lineman that 's over 300 pounds , really what it comes down to is a lifestyle change and eating healthier , losing weight when you are done , and staying active and staying healthy , '' says Bannan , who is 6 ' 3 '' and 310 pounds . `` Make a few changes in your life ; I think that 's going to make things a lot better for you down the road . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com","question":""}
{"answer":"Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Without issuing a recall of its iconic Prius hybrid vehicles , Toyota said Thursday a software glitch is to blame for braking problems in the 2010 model . `` We would want to be given a little time , '' Hiro Yuki Yokoyama , Toyota 's managing officer , said when reporters asked whether a recall was in the works . The company changed its braking system software in January as part of what it called `` constant quality improvements , '' but did not say what it would do about vehicles manufactured before then . Toyota officials described the problem as a `` disconnect '' in the vehicle 's complex anti-lock brake system -LRB- ABS -RRB- that causes less than a one-second lag . With the delay , a vehicle going 60 mph will have traveled nearly another 90 feet before the brakes begin to take hold . Brakes in hybrids such as the Prius operate differently from brakes in most cars . In addition to standard brakes , which use friction from pads pressed against drums or rotors , the electric motors in hybrids help slow them . The process also generates electricity to recharge the batteries . The Japanese government has warned Toyota to take seriously mounting complaints with the Prius . Toyota Vice President Shinichi Sasaki met with Japan 's transport minister on Wednesday . iReport : How are Toyota 's problems affecting you ? In Japan , 14 complaints about brakes in the Prius have been lodged since July . Japan 's Ministry of Land , Infrastructure , Transport and Tourism has asked Toyota to investigate , according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association . `` The complaints received via our dealers center around when drivers are on a bumpy road or frozen surface , '' said Paul Nolasco , a Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman in Japan . `` The driver steps on the brake , and they do not get as full of a braking feel as expected . '' Full coverage of Toyota recall In the United States , more than 100 complaints alleging poor brake performance have been lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration against the 2010 Prius , a newly designed version of the car that was introduced last summer . `` NHTSA has received a number of complaints about a potential defect affecting the brake system in Toyota 's Prius hybrid and is conducting field work to examine the issue , '' the agency said Wednesday . A search of NHTSA 's complaint database turned up many similar-sounding complaints in the United States . `` I have been driving my 2010 Prius for 6 months and have experienced the following nearly 10 times , '' one owner wrote . `` When braking , if a pothole or bump in the road is hit , the car seemingly jerks forward\/accelerates for a split second . '' The Prius is Toyota 's third best-selling model in the United States , ranking behind the Camry mid-size sedan and the Corolla compact car . Toyota 's public image , and its sales , have been hit by recent recalls involving unintended acceleration . The automaker recalled 2.3 million vehicles on January 21 because of problems with sticking gas pedals and later halted the sale of the eight models involved in the recall . Toyota 's U.S. sales plunged 16 percent in January as a result , even as sales of other automakers rose . Toyota announced third-quarter results Thursday , posting a 10.2 percent rise in net revenue from the year before . The quarter ended December 31 , three weeks before Toyota stopped selling the recalled models . In a separate recall , about 4.2 million vehicles were called back in November for a problem in which the cars ' gas pedals could get stuck in some floor mats . The last-generation version of the Prius was included in that recall , which was expanded to include an additional 1.1 million cars last week . CNNMoney 's Peter Valdes-Dapena and Kyung Lah contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With Sen. Hillary Clinton beside him , Sen. Barack Obama emphasized the challenges women in his family had overcome as he reached out to female voters at a fundraiser Thursday . Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appears together during a fundraiser in New York Thursday . The New York event was the third in which the former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination have appeared together this week . In an attempt to close any remaining rifts with Clinton 's backers , Obama has asked his supporters to help Clinton retire her roughly $ 22 million of campaign debt . Obama and Clinton have appeared together five times since Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination in June . During the `` Women for Obama '' event , the Illinois senator recounted how his mother , a single mom who put herself through school , once had to `` swallow her pride '' and accept food stamps to feed her family . He also recalled how his grandmother worked her way from secretary to the vice president of a bank . `` But I also saw how she ultimately hit a glass ceiling -- how men no more qualified than she was kept moving up the corporate ladder ahead of her , '' he said . Obama highlighted the struggles of his wife to balance the responsibilities of her job and parenting -- and admitted that he was somewhat complicit in the situation in which most of the parenting duties fall to his wife . Watch Obama talk about the women who shaped him '' `` As the son , grandson and husband of hard-working mothers , I do n't accept an America that makes women choose between their kids and their careers , '' Obama said . `` We take it for granted that women are the backbone of our families , but we too often ignore the fact that women are also the backbone of our middle class . `` And we wo n't truly have an economy that puts the needs of the middle class first until we ensure that when it comes to pay and benefits at work , women are treated like equal partners , '' he said , urging a commitment to equal pay for women . He urged `` standing up for paid leave , and paid sick leave , because no one should be punished for getting sick or dealing with a family crisis . '' Later on Thursday , Obama traveled to Fairfax , Virginia , to unveil a plan meant to increase women 's economic security . The plan includes a tax credit of up to $ 1,000 for families , an increase in the minimum wage and tax cuts to help working women pay for child care , among other provisions . Clinton , who introduced Obama , urged her supporters to back the Illinois senator , saying , `` It is critical that we join forces . The Democratic Party is a family -- sometimes dysfunctional . '' Watch Clinton make her case for Obama '' `` We shared this remarkable journey , and I could not be prouder to have this opportunity in front of so many of my friends and supporters to express my confidence in his candidacy and my commitment to ensuring that he will take the oath of office come next January 2009 , '' she said . Obama , in turn , praised Clinton for her historic presidential run , saying , `` While this campaign has shown us how far we have to go , we also know that because of what Hillary accomplished , my daughters and yours look at America and themselves a little differently today . '' Watch why Obama and Clinton are appearing together '' Despite the public calls for unity , some of Clinton 's supporters have been hesitant to fall in behind Obama . With Clinton 's debt yet to be paid off , some of her supporters are balking at the idea of donating to Obama -- especially if he does not choose her to be his running mate . `` I certainly know there are lots of people who are withholding their money , '' said Lynn Forester de Rothschild , one of Clinton 's `` Hill-raisers '' who raised over $ 100,000 for the former first lady . Watch why some Clinton backers are balking '' `` This is a hard decision for me personally because frankly I do n't like him . I feel like he is an elitist . I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him , '' Rothschild said . That sentiment may be sending some Clinton fans into Sen. John McCain 's court . According to a CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week , the number of Clinton supporters who say they plan to defect to the Republican presidential nominee 's camp is down from a month ago -- but numbers of those who say they plan to vote for Obama are also down . Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz , D-Florida , spent two days in New York this week with disaffected Clinton supporters . `` It 's not unexpected that they would n't just automatically shift over to Obama , because they 're not the typical Democratic supporters that just automatically shift over , '' she said . `` They need to be wooed . They need to be won over . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia , Michael Vick was reinstated to the National Football League on a conditional basis , according to an NFL statement Monday . Michael Vick will be considered for full reinstatement based on his progress by the sixth week . Vick `` will be considered for full reinstatement and to play in regular-season games by Week 6 based on the progress he makes in his transition plan , '' the statement said . Week 6 of the NFL season is in October . Vick may participate in practices , workouts and meetings and may play in his club 's final two preseason games under the conditions of his reinstatement , the league said . Vick , in a statement , thanked the league 's commissioner and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy , who has served as his mentor . `` I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Commissioner -LSB- Roger -RSB- Goodell for allowing me to be readmitted to the National Football League , '' Vick said in a statement . `` I fully understand that playing football in the NFL is a privilege , not a right , and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given . '' Vick , 29 , was freed from federal prison at Leavenworth , Kansas , on May 20 and returned to his home to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement . Vick also said in his statement that he is re-evaluating his life after the `` terrible mistakes '' he made . `` As you can imagine , the last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life , mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward , '' Vick said in the statement . `` Again , I would like to thank the commissioner for the chance to return to the game I love and the opportunity to become an example of positive change . '' The former Atlanta Falcons player is a free agent and has not been signed by any team . Goodell said he was not involved in any negotiations between Vick and a team . Dungy has agreed to continue working with Vick as an adviser and mentor , the NFL statement said . Goodell said Vick underwent tests after requests from animal rights groups , including a psychiatric evaluation . `` We worked with animal rights activist groups , and we are clear , '' he said . `` We worked with their medical professionals about the aspects of our evaluations . Michael fully cooperated with all of those tests . Those tests did not indicate there was any reason he could n't make a transition forward . '' In a letter to Vick , Goodell wrote that his decision regarding full reinstatement `` will be based on reports from outside professionals , your probation officer and others charged with supervising your activities , the quality of your work outside football '' as well as factors such as the absence of any further law enforcement issues . iReport.com : Should Vick get a second chance ? `` This step-by-step approach is not meant to be a further punishment and should not be viewed as such , '' Goodell wrote , according to the NFL . `` Instead , it is intended to maximize the prospect that you can successfully resume your career and your life . I believe that a transitional approach with a strong network of support will give you the best opportunity to manage effectively the various issues and pressures that you will inevitably face in the coming weeks and months and earn your full reinstatement . '' Watch Goodell talk about his decision '' The league suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after his guilty plea . Although he was released from federal custody July 20 , he must serve three years of probation , the league said . In reviewing Vick 's status , Goodell considered court records , submissions from Vick and others , reports from outside professionals and conversations with current and former players , among other items . At a hearing July 22 , Goodell spoke to Vick along with his representatives and others , including NFL Players ' Association officials . `` As I emphasized to you when we met ... it is actions that count , '' Goodell wrote to Vick . `` I accept that you are sincere when you say that you want to , and will , turn your life around and that you intend to be a positive role model for others . I am prepared to offer you that opportunity . Whether you succeed is entirely in your hands . '' Vick has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . At a hearing in that case , he told the judge that he earned 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor while in prison . `` We take this as a very serious matter , '' Goodell said . `` We 're dealing with a young man 's life . '' He said Vick admitted lying to him about his involvement in dogfighting and apologized . Goodell said he accepts Vick 's apology . He acknowledged that he does not like being lied to but said he intends to move forward . The Humane Society of the United States has said Vick has offered to work with the organization on anti-dogfighting campaigns . Wayne Pacelle , the organization 's president , has said Vick was to work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting and on programs to assist young people who have been involved . In testimony before the bankruptcy judge , Vick acknowledged committing a `` heinous '' act and said he should have acted more maturely . `` Your margin of error is extremely limited , '' Goodell wrote to Vick . `` I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you and to dedicate yourself to rebuilding your life and your career . If you do this , the NFL will support you . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush condemned the escalated violence between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia on Sunday , while Vice President Dick Cheney said aggression against Georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' President Bush chats with Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin at the start of the Olympic opening ceremonies . `` My administration has been engaged with both sides of this trying to get a ceasefire , '' Bush told NBC 's Bob Costas in an interview in Beijing , China , where the president has attended Olympic events . Bush was filmed speaking to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during Friday 's opening ceremonies and said Sunday that he `` was firm with Vladimir Putin '' and that `` this violence is unacceptable . '' Violence has continued to rage between Russia and the western ally since Thursday , when Georgia launched an operation to crack down on separatists in South Ossetia territory . Russia said it wanted to protect its peacekeepers already in South Ossetia following ceasefires in years past . But Georgia called it a full-on invasion . And while Russia has accused Georgia of a genocidal plot to cleanse the region of ethnic Ossetians loyal to Russia , Georgia accuses Russia of executing a long-planned war with the aim of taking control of the region -- including a key pipeline that carries Asian oil to Black Sea ports . `` I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia , '' Bush said of his talk with Putin . `` We strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia . '' Putin says he 's concerned about the flood of refugees arriving in Russia from South Ossetia . Russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left South Ossetia and crossed into Russia over the past two days , Interfax reported . `` The actions of the Georgian authorities in South Ossetia are a crime , of course , primarily a crime against their own people , '' Putin said , according to Russian news agency Interfax . Meanwhile , Cheney talked to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Sunday , telling him that Russia 's aggression against Georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' Cheney 's spokeswoman Lea Ann McBride said the vice president spoke to Saakashvili to express `` the United States ' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia 's sovereignty and territorial integrity . '' Georgia withdrew its forces Sunday and offered a ceasefire , which Russia refused . `` The vice president told President Saakashvili that Russian aggression must not go unanswered , and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States , as well as the broader international community , '' McBride said . Saakashvili has called on the United States and the world community to stop the `` intervention and invasion of my sovereign country . '' `` I think the U.S. is the most powerful country in the world , '' he told CNN . `` I think the U.S. has lots of leverage . And I think there are lots of diplomatic means that it could be done through . '' Two senior officials have told CNN the United States sent envoy Matt Bryza to the region to help with mediation .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barcelona and Real Madrid have roared back to form ahead of next week 's Champions League challenges , with the Spanish giants recording comfortable victories in La Liga on Saturday . Barca 's title defense has been uncharactistically unconvincing so far , with last Tuesday 's 2-2 draw with Valencia their second dropped points in four outings . But Pep Guardiola 's team responded by crushing Atletico Madrid 5-0 on the day the club confirmed a historic five-year shirt sponsorship with a Qatari group and also banned smoking at the Camp Nou stadium . The Catalan club 's financial problems have led members to accept 171 million euros -LRB- $ 230 million -RRB- from Qatar Sports Investment , with 697 out of 809 delegates voting to end a longstanding tradition of no commercial shirt endorsements . Having reported a loss of 9.3 million euros -LRB- $ 12 million -RRB- in 2010-11 , the board has projected a 20.1 million euros -LRB- $ 27 million -RRB- profit for this season . Guardiola started with key defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique on the bench against Atletico , ahead of Wednesday 's Champions League trip to BATE Borisov of Belarus . The visitors ' five-goal new striker Falcao was unable to take advantage -- but at the other end Argentine scoring machine Lionel Messi took his league tally to eight this season with a superb hat-trick . Tiago Mendes crashed an early shot off the Barca crossbar , but David Villa settled home nerves in the ninth minute and it was 2-0 six minutes later when Joao Miranda unluckily ricocheted a blocked shot from Messi into his own net . With rain pouring down , Messi notched his first of the night in typical style as he jinked into the box from the right flank and curled home at the near post in the 26th minute for his 190th goal in 278 games for Barca . Atletico held out until the final 12 minutes when Messi provided two more moments of solo artistry as Barca moved up to second in the table -- a point behind Real Betis , who travel to Getafe on Monday . The two-time world player of the year matched the efforts of Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo , who also netted a treble in the earlier 6-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano . Real 's title challenge has also faltered , first with a 1-0 defeat by Levante and then the midweek 0-0 draw with Racing Santander , and Jose Mourinho 's team suffered a horror start at home when Michu scored after just 14 seconds . Ronaldo leveled seven minutes before halftime after being set free on the counterattack by Kaka , and Gonzalo Higuain put Real ahead in injury-time with a simple finish after Sergio Ramos headed Xabi Alonso 's freekick across the goal . Ronaldo made it 3-1 from the penalty spot when Kaka was fouled five minutes after the break , but Real were then reduced to 10 men when winger Angel Di Maria was sent off after being booked a second time for handball . Michu capitalized in the 54th minute with his second from a corner , stabbing a shot across the line despite keeper Iker Casillas ' best efforts to drag it back out . Teenage defender Raphael Varane made it 4-2 in the 67th minute , with the 18-year-old Frenchman somehow volleying in a corner with the back of his foot . Karim Benzema drove in Real 's fifth on 73 after a square pass from fellow substitute Mesut Ozil , whose first-half introduction in place of Lassana Diarra swung the match in Madrid 's favor . Ronaldo completed his second hat-trick this season with six minutes to play , chipping in a penalty after being fouled . Real 's third win in five outings lifted Mourinho 's men into fourth place ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League visit by Dutch side Ajax . In Saturday 's other games , third-placed Sevilla joined Barcelona on 11 points with a 1-0 win at home to Valencia as striker Fredi Kanoute scored the only goal in the 18th minute . Valencia dropped to fifth behind Real Madrid on goal difference . Athletic Bilbao moved out of the bottom three with a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal , with Brazilian striker Nilmar netting a second-half equalizer for the visitors .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Activists say the U.S. is handing the enemy a victory the longer it allows the detention of enemy combatants at the U.S Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . `` When we leave them at Guantanamo , in a military prison , we give them a status they do n't deserve , '' said John Hutson , a former U.S. Navy judge advocate general . `` We make them heroes and martyrs to their friends and colleagues back in terrorist camps , '' he said . Ten years after the first detainees were brought to Guantanamo from what was considered the battlefield in Afghanistan after 9\/11 , constitutional and judicial experts held a news conference Wednesday to say the Obama administration needs to restore American values of human rights and the rule of law . Hundreds of protesters rallied later outside the White House as part of the event , with organizers saying the rally was to `` call on President Obama to keep his promise and shutter Guantanamo Bay now . '' Under the Bush administration , the United States claimed that Guantanamo Bay detainees are not on U.S. soil and therefore not covered by the U.S. Constitution , and that `` enemy combatant '' status means they can be denied some legal protections . President Barack Obama in January 2009 ordered the camp to be closed within a year , citing security concerns . But as of July of last year , 171 detainees remained at Guantanamo . Their prolonged and murky circumstances were the focus of the Wednesday event . `` There is no case that is so important that we should sacrifice our dedication to human rights and rule of law , '' Hutson said . `` It 's not a rule of law unless it applies all the time , and it 's not a human right unless it applies to all people . '' Morris Davis , a former chief prosecutor for the military commissions at Guantanamo , said political interference from back home during the Bush administration blocked any basis for a fair trial . `` Initially I was probably the leading proponent for Guantanamo , and for military commissions , '' Davis , a retired Air Force colonel , said Wednesday . But he eventually resigned after he said the Bush administration pressured him to use evidence he felt was obtained through torture . `` I believed at the time that we were committed to having full , fair and open trials , '' Davis said . `` I resigned when I lost confidence that that was our commitment . '' Obama , in a 2009 speech delivered in Cairo , Egypt , acknowledged that the U.S. had acted `` contrary to our ideals '' in the time that followed the 9\/11 attacks . After telling his Middle East audience he had `` unequivocally prohibited the use of torture , '' Obama then said he had `` ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed , '' on a timetable that would have ended about a year ago . `` If we roll up the Constitution every time that there 's a difficult factual situation , we might as well roll up the entire democracy , '' said Vincent Warren , executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights . Talat Hamdani , a Muslim American whose son died in the attacks on World Trade Center on September 11 , 2001 , spoke at the rally in front of the White House . `` We say we are not at war with Islam , yet actions do speak louder than words , '' Hamdani said . `` Guantanamo is a shame -- a disgrace for our nation and we need to set the record straight by leading by example . '' Despite a steady downpour of rain , the large group of protesters -- including some in orange jumpsuits symbolizing the Guantanamo Bay detainee uniforms , marched past the White House and on to the Supreme Court following the rally . CNN 's Lindy Royce-Bartlett contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security contractors in Iraq use some over-the-top tactics and overreact at times , a top U.S. general in Iraq said Friday . Members of a private security company prepare the way for a U.S. convoy in Baghdad , Iraq . Many in Iraq have witnessed security contractors operating in a questionable fashion , said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson , chief of staff for the Multi-National Corps in Iraq . `` I can certainly say I 've seen them do some tactics that I thought were over the top . But that 's something we 've got to keep working out , '' Anderson said in a briefing to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Iraq . His comments soon after Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq . Gates has dispatched a team there to review accountability and oversight . Anderson did not offer specific examples of incidents he had seen . He agreed security contractors in Iraq have taken a lot of criticism , but he said they are in a tough position . `` They obviously have a tough job to do in a tough environment . I do n't know if they 're overly aggressive . I think the question becomes what rules do they follow with respect to what the rules of engagement are , '' he said . The actions of private security contractors have come under scrutiny since a Baghdad shooting incident earlier this month . Iraqi authorities say Blackwater guards fired indiscriminately , killing as many as 20 civilians ; Blackwater says its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy . Under an order laid down by the U.S.-led occupation government in 2004 , security contractors are not subject to Iraqi law for actions taken within their contracts , a condition that irritates Iraqi officials . About 137,000 civilians are working for the U.S. military in Iraq , Gates said Wednesday . That number includes at least 7,300 of the estimated 25,000 private security contractors working in Iraq , he said . After the Blackwater shootings , Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England issued a memo to commanders in Iraq outlining their responsibility for holding contractors accountable , Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said . Anderson said the assessment team sent by Gates is getting a feel for how the military employs contractors , to what scale , what functions they 're providing and what differentiates between Department of Defense and Department of State contractors in the security role . The State Department also is investigating the role of private security contractors . Ambassador Patrick Kennedy , a management and policy expert , will lead the effort , along with a high-level panel of outside experts , including retired Gen. George Joulwan , former commander of NATO forces in Europe ; Stapleton Roy , former U.S. ambassador to China ; and Eric Boswell , a former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants an interim report by next Friday . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Billy Graham is being treated for pneumonia and `` is responding well to antibiotic treatment , '' said a pulmonologist at the North Carolina hospital where the evangelist was admitted Wednesday . Dr. Mark Hellreich , who is treating Graham at Mission Hospital in Asheville , said Thursday that the 93-year-old is in stable condition , and a spokesman for Graham said he is in `` good spirits '' and resting comfortably . Graham spent time reading the Bible and praying with his daughter , Gigi , Wednesday night , spokesman A. Larry Ross said on Twitter . When Graham was admitted Wednesday for evaluation of his lungs , `` he was alert , smiling and waving at hospital staff , '' the hospital said . `` While no date has been set for discharge , Mr. Graham is looking forward to returning home to spend the upcoming Christmas holidays with his family . '' Ross said Graham was visited Thursday by his pastor , the Rev. Don Wilton , who shared a passage from the book of Ephesians : `` For this reason , ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God 's people , I have not stopped giving thanks for you , remembering you in my prayers . '' `` Given the outpouring of love and well-wishes Mr. Graham has received from people around the world , the verse seemed to have special meaning to him , '' Ross said . Ross said that as Graham and his daughter were channel-surfing to find a news broadcast , they came upon a broadcast of Graham 's 1973 crusade in St. Louis . `` It was a blessing to Mr. Graham to realize his preaching still reaches around the world , '' said Ross , `` and even into hospital rooms like his . '' Graham was hospitalized in May for treatment of pneumonia . He resumed his ongoing program of physical therapy and normal activity shortly after release , the hospital said . Graham , a resident of nearby Montreat , has provided counsel to generations of U.S. presidents beginning with Harry S. Truman and is the founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association . The Charlotte native has preached to untold millions over six decades , beginning his missionary work in 1944 when he started speaking at rallies for the Youth for Christ Campus Life ministry . Five years later , Graham was holding crusades in tents in downtown Los Angeles . Originally scheduled for three weeks , the crusades drew so many followers they were extended to seven . His most recent book , `` Nearing Home , '' was published in October . Graham 's `` last crusade '' in June 2005 drew a total of 230,000 people . He described it as his last American crusade , but hedged his farewells during a poignant appearance in Corona Park in Queens , New York . `` We hope to come back again someday , '' Graham announced . `` I was asked in an interview if this was our last crusade and I said it probably is -- in New York . But I also said , ' I never say never . ' ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Children with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities should be among the first to be vaccinated against H1N1 influenza , also known as swine flu , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Thursday . CDC : The H1N1 virus is spreading in the United States , particularly in the Southeast . And high-risk children under 18 years of age should be rushed to a doctor at the first sign of the virus , said Dr. Thomas Frieden , CDC director . In addition , doctors should be aware that some otherwise healthy children with bacterial infections may be more susceptible to the flu , he told reporters during a conference call . Frieden said the vaccine should be available by mid-October , and will be free at public hospitals and other sites . All schoolchildren should be vaccinated , he said . `` We also are recommending that all people with underlying conditions get vaccinated -- people who have asthma , diabetes , lung disease , heart disease , neuromuscular conditions , neurological conditions that increase their risk factors and women who are pregnant , '' Frieden added . As of August 22 , there had been 556 deaths in the United States associated with the H1N1 virus , and 42 of those deaths were children under the age of 18 . The figures were published August 28 on the CDC Web site . Thursday , the CDC 's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report focused on the pediatric cases -- 36 that were counted among the 477 flu-related deaths up to August 8 . Watch more on what the CDC had to say about H1N1 influenza '' Seven of the children who died were younger than 5 years old , the report said , and 24 had underlying disabilities , such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy , or one or more high-risk medical conditions . Frieden said the H1N1 virus -- which he said never really went away , judging by the cases reported this summer -- is spreading in the United States , particularly in the Southeast . `` The good news is that so far , everything that we 've seen , both in this country and abroad , shows that the virus has not changed to become more deadly . That means that although it may affect lots of people , most people will not be severely ill , '' he said . He noted , however , that both H1N1 and the seasonal flu are unpredictable . Because of this , health professionals have to be ready to change their protocols based on any new information . On Wednesday , the CDC said there were six suspected cases among its approximately 7,000 employees at the Atlanta , Georgia , headquarters . Frieden referenced findings by federal agencies who were asked to study the impact of H1N1 in the Southern Hemisphere . They examined data from Argentina , Australia , Chile , New Zealand and Uruguay , since they more closely resemble U.S. demographics and economic development . `` All countries report that after mid-July , disease activity in most parts of the country decreased . This indicates that the duration of the current influenza season in the Southern Hemisphere , in which the 2009 H1N1 virus is the predominate strain , may be similar in length to an average seasonal influenza season , '' according to the Flu.gov Web site . Earlier Thursday , the Institute of Medicine released a report recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza . The institute , in recommendations requested by the CDC , said loose paper masks are inadequate because workers can still breathe in the virus . Instead , health workers should switch to a specific type of mask -- N95 respirators -- that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth . CNN 's Mariam Falco contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American golfer Bill Haas said he was `` very lucky '' after securing the biggest win of his career on Sunday . The 29-year-old beat U.S Ryder Cup star Hunter Mahan on the third playoff hole at the Tour Championship in Atlanta to clinch the PGA 's season-ending FedEx Cup and $ 11.44 million in prize money . Haas needed a dramatic save after hitting a water hazard before going on to sink a four-foot putt on the par-three 18th hole at East Lake to finally see off his compatriot , after the duo had finished tied on eight under par through 72 holes . The dramatic triumph saw Haas -- whose father Jay played in the Ryder Cup on three occasions and won nine times on the PGA Tour -- leap from 25th in the FedEx Cup standings to claim the $ 10 million jackpot . He also pocketed $ 1.44 million for winning the Tour Championship , the final event in the four-tournament series , but said he was unaware of his double success until he stepped up to collect both trophies . `` I knew I was on the line , meaning the only way I could win in my position at the start of the week was to win the tournament , '' Haas told CNN . `` Even with that happening I still could not win the FedEx Cup because other people who were way ahead of me , their points would have passed me . `` So in my head , focus on one task -- and that was to win this playoff -- and whatever happens after that , happens . The chips fell my way and I 'm very lucky . '' It looked like Haas had blown his shot at glory when he hit a bogey and double bogey on the final two holes of Saturday 's third round to lose a share of the lead , but a 68 on Sunday allowed him to haul himself back up the leaderboard . It then looked as if nerves might get the better of Haas when the playoff began , as he hit a loose shot into the crowd on the first additional hole before finding the water on the second . But the new world number 20 found the green with a stunning shot to force a third playoff hole , where his par putt proved enough for victory . `` When I got up there I 'd heard the groans from the crowd , '' Haas said of the build-up to his incredible saving shot . `` I thought it was in the water , so I get up there and it is somewhat in the water . `` But it 's not fully submerged , so in my head I said to myself , ' I do have some sort of shot here . ' I hit the shot I thought I had to hit , and it came out perfect . '' Haas has also put himself in contention for the upcoming Presidents Cup clash between the U.S. and an International team starting on November 14 , with American captain Fred Couples due to announce his final wildcard pick on Tuesday . `` I 'm not going to say it gets me to Australia , '' Haas told the PGA Tour 's official website regarding the possibility of playing in the competition , which takes place in Melbourne . `` It definitely puts me in the talk up there with some of the guys that everybody has been talking about . '' Haas hopes to use this win as a springboard for the rest of his career as he looks to match some of the illustrious names who have previously clinched the FedEx Cup . `` It 's pretty sweet . You look at the names who have previously won this , I 'm trying to work my way to their stature and their level of play . This is just another stepping stone , I think I can get up there , '' he said . `` It 'll take a lot of work . Guys like Vijay -LRB- Singh -RRB- , Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods , obviously they 've put their time in , they 've put their work in and I need to do the same . I 've got to work hard to try and get better each and every year . '' Mahan thought he had the tournament sewn up after Haas ended up in the water , but the 29-year-old admitted Haas was in the ascendancy once his magnificent recovery shot fell close to the hole . `` I thought I had one on the second playoff hole and then he hits it out of the water to two feet , '' Mahan said . `` It seemed like he was destined to win this week . '' World number one Luke Donald knew a win at this event would be enough for him to claim the FedEx Cup , and in the process become the first man to top both the PGA and European Tour money lists . The Briton birdied three of the last five holes to finish one shot behind Haas and Mahan , in a three-way tie for third position along with South Korea 's K.J Choi and Australian Aaron Baddeley . `` I guess this is what the FedExCup is all about , '' said Donald , who would have claimed victory in the series if he had finished alone in third . `` It 's meant to be exciting . '' Australian Jason Day fell away in the final two holes of the final round after he hit two bogeys to slide from eight under to finish in a tie for sixth place alongside compatriot Adam Scott and American Charles Howell III . `` Obviously I 'm a little disappointed that I bogeyed the last two holes , '' Day , 23 , said . `` But I was trying to win out there . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A BP official says a gusher of oil pouring from its damaged Gulf of Mexico well could be shut off as early as next week . BP Managing Director Bo Dudley said Thursday night the company will pump fluids into the well this weekend in the beginning of a process that -- if successful -- could lead to the leak finally being closed off in a matter of days . `` If that option does n't work , we 've got a second and a third option we 'll do after that , '' Dudley said on CNN 's Larry King on Thursday . `` We 're hopeful that next week we 'll be able to shut it off . '' Earlier in the day , BP acknowledged that the underwater gusher is bigger than estimated to date , as new video showed a cloud of crude billowing around its undersea siphon . Company spokesman Mark Proegler said Thursday that the siphon is now drawing about 5,000 barrels -LRB- 210,000 gallons -RRB- per day up to a ship on the surface of the Gulf -- as much as government and company officials had estimated the spill was pouring into the Gulf every day for a month . Proegler declined to estimate how much more oil was escaping . BP America Chairman Lamar McKay said Wednesday that the figure used by the oil spill response team had a degree of `` uncertainty '' built into it . But figures by independent researchers have run up to many times higher : Steve Wereley , a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University , told CNN 's `` American Morning '' that the spill could be as big as 20,000 to 100,000 barrels a day . And members of Congress released video from the company that showed much more oil pouring out of the damaged well than the siphon was capturing . Rep. Ed Markey , who leads a House subcommittee investigating the disaster , told reporters , `` I think now we are beginning to understand that we can not trust BP . '' `` People do not trust the experts any longer , '' said Markey , D-Massachusetts . `` BP has lost all credibility . Now the decisions will have to be made by others , because it is clear that they have been hiding the actual consequences of this spill . '' Meanwhile , the Coast Guard announced the creation of a federal Flow Rate Technical Group to assess the actual flow rate from the well . Coast Guard Capt. Ron LaBrec said that Adm. Thad Allen would oversee the team , which will include members from the Coast Guard , the Minerals Management Service , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , the Department of Energy , the U.S. Geological Society and others from the science community and academia . The peer-reviewed team , which has already begun its work , is to determine the flow rate from the beginning of the incident to the present , LaBrec said . The Obama administration announced Thursday that it has ordered BP to release all data related to the massive spill , including environmental sampling analyses , internal investigation reports and details of the cleanup effort . In a letter to BP Group CEO Tony Hayward , Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson told BP to post that information on a website and update it daily . `` The public and the United States government are entitled to nothing less than complete transparency in this matter , '' they concluded . The spill began with an April 20 explosion and fire that sank the drill rig Deepwater Horizon two days later . Eleven workers were lost with the rig , which was owned by drilling contractor Transocean and hired by BP . The resulting slick now threatens the coastal marshes of southeastern Louisiana , where brown , syrupy oil made it past protective booms and into the wetlands near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Wednesday . Over the weekend , BP inserted a piece of pipe into the larger of the two leak points and began drawing oil from the undersea gusher , located about a mile underwater , up to a ship on the surface . It also has been laying booms out along barrier islands and spraying hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemical dispersants on the surface and near the sources of the leak . But that element of the response came under new fire as well on Thursday , as the EPA ordered BP to find a less toxic chemical to use to break up the oil . The EPA gave the company a day to pick a new substance and three days to start using it instead of the current dispersant , known as Corexit 9500 . The chemical has been rated more toxic and less effective than many others on the list of 18 EPA-approved dispersants , according to testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday . `` Because of its use in unprecedented volumes and because much is unknown about the underwater use of dispersants , EPA wants to ensure BP is using the least toxic product authorized for use , '' the agency said in a statement announcing the order . `` We reserve the right to discontinue the use of this dispersant method if any negative impacts on the environment outweigh the benefits . '' Corexit 9500 includes petroleum distillates , propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonic salt , and prolonged contact with it can cause eye or skin irritation , according to the manufacturer 's material data safety sheet . The document warns that `` repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract . '' But BP says Corexit is biodegradable , has been approved by the EPA and the Coast Guard and is `` readily available in the quantities required '' by a response plan approved by the government before the spill . iReport : Track the spill ; Share stories `` It has been very effective in causing the oil to form into small , isolated droplets that remain suspended until they 're either eaten by naturally occurring microbes , evaporate , are picked up or dissolve , '' the company said . But it added , `` At the same time , we are conducting ongoing assessment of alternative or supplemental dispersant products . '' Meanwhile , BP is readying a new attempt to plug the leak for Sunday by injecting a large amount of heavy `` mud '' -- a fluid used as a lubricant and counterweight in drilling operations -- into the well bore . If that succeeds , the well will be cemented shut , officials have said . `` Everything is being done to make sure that happens , '' Interior Secretary Ken Salazar , whose department oversees offshore oil drilling , told CNN 's `` American Morning '' Thursday . `` We have the best scientists in the world who are overseeing what is going on . So , we are hopeful that it will happen soon . '' Salazar said BP , which leased the rig from Transocean , has tried many techniques to stop the leaking and the government will do all in its power to hold them accountable . `` They 're putting a lot of hope on that Sunday , '' he said . `` We 'll see if it happens . '' Salazar announced Wednesday that he was dividing the Interior Department 's Minerals Management Service , which regulates oil exploration , into three divisions . The agency has come under fire since long before the spill , and Salzar said it would be reorganized to separate what he called the conflicting duties of regulating oil companies and collecting royalties from them . `` We inherited here what was a legacy of an agency that essentially was rubber-stamping whatever it was that the oil and gas industry wanted , '' Salazar said . `` We have been on a reform agenda from Day One . '' CNN 's Ed Lavandera , Marylynn Ryan and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Violent attacks on election day did n't stop large numbers of Iraqis from successfully casting their votes in key parliamentary elections Sunday . `` Yes , we were scared after we heard these bombings , but we just had to come , '' said a woman who identified herself only as Ghisoun . Her two children were at her side . `` It 's an opportunity we ca n't miss -- not for us , but for our children , '' she said . Polls in Iraq to elect a 325-member parliament closed Sunday evening , capping an electoral process in which militants intent on disrupting the vote carried out dozens of attacks that killed 38 people . Despite the risks , voter turnout could reach 55 percent , a senior U.S. official told CNN . Another voter , Ali Abdul Hassan , also risked the uncertainty of voting Sunday with his 2-month-old infant . `` I want my baby to start voting early , '' he said . The general feeling expressed by voters on election day was a longing for change and for a government that will be able to provide basic things such as water , electricity , jobs and security . A woman in line to vote in Baghdad said her vote was a way of fighting back against acts of terrorism in Iraq . Preliminary results are expected by Wednesday , the United Nations said . Results will start emerging for each province as soon as votes are tallied from 30 percent of polling centers in that province . About 60 security incidents were reported throughout the country Sunday , the senior U.S. official said . These included fatal mortar and rocket attacks in various Baghdad neighborhoods . Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said those reports of mortar attacks in Baghdad had not yet been confirmed . According to Gates , Gen. Ray Odierno , the top U.S. commander in Iraq , `` had expected a significant number of high-profile attacks , both suicide vests and truck and car bombs , but the security situation , the efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces are such that al Qaeda in Iraq was forced to change their tactics . '' Speaking at the White House , President Obama also downplayed Sunday 's violence . Some violence was expected , Obama said , but `` overall , the level of security , and the prevention of destabilizing attacks , speaks to the growing capability and professionalism of Iraqi security forces , which took the lead in providing protection at the polls . '' The success of the vote showed that `` the future of Iraq belongs to the people of Iraq , '' Obama said . The United States does not support particular candidates in Iraq , but does support Iraqis ' right to elect their representatives , he said . `` We know there will be very difficult days ahead in Iraq , '' Obama said . `` There will probably be more violence . But , like any sovereign , independent nation , Iraq must be free to chart its own course . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Iraq 's High Electoral Commission and security forces for running and securing the vote . `` I congratulate all the people of Iraq who participated in national elections today and over the past three days , '' she said in a statement . `` There is no better rebuke to the violent extremists who seek to derail Iraq 's progress . '' Counting was taking place at the polling stations at the end of voting , under the gaze of observers . Ballots will be counted twice to ensure accuracy , according to the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq . The number of ballots cast will be reconciled with the number of ballots issued to each polling station , and in case of a significant discrepancy , the station will be audited , the U.N. said . Authorities in Baghdad announced a curfew on the capital from 10 p.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday . In a statement Sunday , Obama said : `` I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence , and who exercised their right to vote today . '' Referring to the day 's violence , he added : `` We mourn the tragic loss of life today , and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy . '' It was Iraq 's fifth nationwide vote since 2003 , but only the second for a full four-year-term parliament . More than 30 mortar rounds hit the capital , with three landing inside the heavily fortified International Zone . The zone , informally known as the Green Zone , houses the U.S. Embassy and many Iraqi government buildings . One of the rockets landed in the Ur neighborhood in northeastern Baghdad , killing 12 people . The capital also experienced a number of deadly roadside bomb attacks . The last time the country had a national vote was in 2005 , when the Sunni Arab population boycotted the elections and the political process . A Shiite-led government emerged and the Sunnis , feeling disenfranchised , went on to form the main part of the insurgency . The U.N. mission in Iraq calls the elections an `` important milestone in Iraq 's democratic progress , '' serving to strengthen the country 's sovereignty and independence as the United States draws down its military presence there . Sunday 's elections were originally supposed to happen in January but were delayed because of political disagreements and a delay in passing the election law that paved the way for this vote . There are 18.9 million eligible voters , casting ballots for 325 seats in the Council of Representatives , Iraq 's parliament . The seats represent Iraq 's 18 provinces . The number of seats is increasing from the previous 275 . Seat allocation was based on 2005 population data from the Ministry of Trade and adjusted for a 2.8 percent annual growth across all governates . On Friday , voting began for Iraqis abroad in 16 countries -- including the United States , United Kingdom , Turkey , Iran , Canada and others in the Middle East and Europe . There are no exact figures on those eligible to cast ballots abroad . Estimates on turnout have ranged anywhere from 300,000 to 3 million . About 6,200 candidates from more than 80 political entities are vying for seats . At least a quarter of the positions -- 82 -- are guaranteed to go to women , and eight more have been allocated for minorities . They include five set aside for Christians and one each for the Shabak , Sabaeans -LRB- Mandaeans -RRB- , and Yazidis . A number of special measures were put in place for security reasons . Since Monday , there has been a ban on motorcycles and bicycles in Baghdad until further notice , and on Sunday a two-day ban on any vehicles in cities went into effect . Provincial borders were ordered sealed , preventing movements between provinces , from Saturday to Monday . CNN 's Arwa Damon , Jomana Karadsheh , Mohammed Tawfeeq and Zain Verjee contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal judge on Tuesday approved the extradition of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to France , where he faces a 10-year sentence on a conviction in absentia on money-laundering charges . Manuel Noriega , in a 1989 file photo , leaves his headquarters in Panama City , Panama . Magistrate William Turnoff agreed with the government 's case for extraditing Noriega to France and issued a `` certificate of extradability . '' Noriega 's lawyer , Frank Rubino , said he would continue to fight the extradition . He had said Noriega hoped to return to Panama to be closer to his family . The issue has emerged because Noriega is scheduled to complete his Florida prison term on September 9 . The former Panamanian strongman was captured in the 1989 U.S. military invasion of Panama and was convicted in 1992 of racketeering for accepting bribes to allow drugs to be shipped through Panama destined for the United States . His attorneys had argued that his status as a prisoner of war meant he should be returned to Panama , but a separate court ruling last Friday rejected that argument . `` This court never intended for the proclamation of defendant as a POW to shield him from all future prosecutions for serious crimes he is alleged to have committed , '' Senior U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler wrote in Friday 's 12-page opinion . `` It appears that the extradition proceedings should proceed uninterrupted . '' Hoeveler noted that Noriega `` has not always sought repatriation , '' and had , at one time , asked to be allowed to go to a third country . Noriega also faces possible prison time in Panama , where he is accused of kidnapping , extortion and the murder of political opponents . Though the charges are more serious , if the 69-year-old Noriega is convicted of murder , he would likely serve much of his sentence under home detention in Panama . Panamanian law provides home detention for anyone 74 years old or older . The Panamanian constitution would also forbid his extradition to France . Next month , Noriega will have served nearly 17 1\/2 years of an original 40-year sentence in the United States . The sentence was later reduced to 30 years , and further shortened for good behavior . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Patrick Oppmann in Miami and Jim Bittermann in Paris contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 3 Maria Sharapova has blasted the ruling body of women 's tennis over its demands for top players ahead of this month 's Italian Open in Rome . Maria Sharpova is furious after being threatened with a $ 300,000 fine by the WTA . The Australian Open champion is furious after being threatened with a $ 300,000 fine if she does not participate in a publicity event before the Tier 1 tournament . `` I want all my fans to know that the WTA Tour is forcing me and several of the other top players to do a four-hour commercial shoot for WTA Tour marketing materials , '' Sharapova told her Web site . `` They want me to do this shoot on Sunday , Monday or Tuesday of the Rome tournament after flying 12 hours from Los Angeles . `` I have set my own personal rules when it comes to doing shoots and I never do shoots before tournaments because they are mentally draining and I want to just focus on my tennis . `` Now the WTA is telling me if I do n't do this shoot they will fine me over $ 300,000 . As you can see the WTA Tour loves to fine players . `` To be honest , I would love to do this and help promote the tour as much as possible , but to force me to do this shoot the day before a Tier 1 tournament is just not right . '' The 21-year-old will be returning to action in the event starting May 12 after skipping Russia 's Fed Cup semifinal against the United States last weekend . She was beaten by Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston in her last outing two weeks ago . Sharapova also made a statement explaining her absence from the German Open in Berlin starting on May 5 . `` The WTA Tour makes many players enter tournaments that they know the players will not be playing , '' she told her Web site . `` I informed the WTA several months ago that if I played Charleston , I would have to pull out of Berlin . `` Now they are forcing me to give an injury for the reason why I am pulling out or they will give me an additional fine on top of the $ 125,000 fine already given me . I am a very giving person but I refuse to give any more of my money to the WTA Tour . `` So I want everyone to know that apart from getting sick the past few days , I am healthy and I am looking forward to playing Rome . '' Meanwhile , top seed Vera Zvonareva has reached the final of the Czech Open in Prague , beating Slovenian fourth seed Katarina Srebotnik 6-2 6-4 on Saturday . The Russian will next play either third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or seventh-seeded Czech Klara Zakopalova as she seeks to clinch her first title this season on Sunday . In Morocco , second seed Gisela Dulko of Argentina reached Sunday 's final of the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem after beating French fourth seed Aravane Rezai 7-6 -LRB- 8-6 -RRB- 6-3 in Fez . Top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain will face Greta Arn of Hungary in Saturday 's other semifinal . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rapper T.I. , who was sentenced to a 366-day prison sentence in March , reported Tuesday to a federal prison complex in Forrest City , Arkansas , according to CNN affiliate WSB-TV . T.I. , left , performed to a packed crowd Sunday , days before he was to start a prison term . The rapper -- whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr. -- was required to be at the prison before noon local time to begin serving his sentence on federal weapons charges . According to news reports , officers from Forrest City and the prison set up a roadblock along Arkansas Highway 1 about one-tenth of a mile from the complex . Reporters were not allowed any closer to the prison . T.I. threw himself a going-away party Sunday night at Philips Arena in Atlanta , Georgia , before a packed house . During Sunday 's concert -- called `` T.I. 's Final Goodbye Bash '' -- the 28-year-old Grammy winner reiterated a message that 's become familiar in recent weeks : He wants others to learn from his mistakes . `` I 'm doing the best I can to get out there , man , and put something positive on these young kids , man , '' T.I. said during the show . `` I try my best . I need y' all help , though . '' The rapper played to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 people , said Kenan Woods , a spokesman for the arena . T.I. played through much of his catalog , including the hits `` Whatever You Like , '' `` Live Your Life '' and the Grammy-winning `` Swagga Like Us , '' Woods said . At times in the show , Harris was joined on stage by fellow rapper Soulja Boy and by his five children and mother , Woods said . T.I. was sentenced in March on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers . In addition to serving prison time , T.I. was placed on house arrest , was given community service and was ordered to pay a $ 100,300 fine . Though he had been in legal trouble before , Harris ' current situation began when he was arrested just hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta . The rapper had provided a bodyguard with $ 12,000 to buy weapons . Harris was not permitted to own any guns , however , because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in Cobb County , in suburban Atlanta . After his arrest , he entered a plea agreement , which federal authorities called unique because it allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service . Harris has already left a strong mark on the hip-hop genre , music experts told CNN , which should position his career well when he is released . Harris had been named to the Forbes list of top-earning rappers , making an estimated $ 16 million in 2006 . Some music industry observers have said T.I. 's prison term will only make him more popular . `` I think that if anything , it will gain him more fans and actually support his fan base , because he 's talked about making a mistake , '' Emil Wilbekin , editor in chief of Giant Magazine , told CNN . `` He 's talked about taking care of the error of his ways . '' The Atlanta rapper has expressed remorse for the situation . `` I would like to say thank you to some and apologize to others , '' he said at his sentencing in March . `` In my life , I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it . '' In a March interview with CNN 's T.J. Holmes , Harris said he no longer felt like he needed to carry weapons to protect himself . He said people should not idolize him for what he 's gone through , but should take note of the fact that he has taken responsibility for his actions . `` You should n't take the things that I 've gone through , and the negative parts of my life , and admire me for that . If anything , admire me for how I 've accepted responsibility for the part I played in placing myself in these situations , and what I 've done to recover from it , '' Harris said . Harris has been the subject of an MTV reality show , `` T.I. 's Road to Redemption , '' in the lead-up to the prison term .","question":""}
{"answer":"MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease , the fifth such death in Spain since 2005 , the Ministry of Health said in a statement late Friday . The victim died in January in the northern city of Santander , according to the statement , which did not provide further details . The victim was a woman who was hospitalized last fall , according to Juan Jose Badiola , director of Spain 's national research center for mad cow disease . The ministry reiterated that there is no danger from eating meat in Spain . `` The appearance of these sporadic cases is within the predictions that were made at the European level more than nine years ago , '' the ministry statement said . Ten years can pass between eating contaminated tissue and the appearance of the human form of the disease also called variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease , health officials say . The steps to avoid the disease , taken after the first cases of mad cow disease appeared in the United Kingdom , include isolating infected animals and prohibiting cattle feed of animal origin or with animal proteins , the ministry said . Three of Spain 's five deaths from the disease were in the northern province of Leon . The city of Santander is in the nearby Cantabria province . Last September , officials reported the death of a woman from the human form of mad cow disease . Officials also said her son had died earlier from the same disease . It was believed to have been the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from the disease , Badiola told CNN at the time . The mother , in her early 60s , died in August 2008 . Her son , 41 , died in February 2008 , Badiola said . Badiola said it was the mother and son likely contracted the disease before stricter controls against mad cow disease began in Spain in 2001 . The mother and son had similar eating habits , Badiola said , which included eating animal organs , such as kidneys and livers , and they may also have eaten animal brains . The mother and son were from a village in Leon province . The third fatality in that province was a woman , 50 , a local government worker , who died in December 2007 . The first confirmed death from mad cow disease in Spain was in 2005 , when a young woman died near Madrid .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World number two Novak Djokovic beat John Isner in a grueling four hour 16 minute encounter to secure Serbia 's passage into the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup on Sunday . Serbia led the United States 2-1 overnight in Belgrade with Djokovic favored to beat the giant Isner to clinch the tie , but he was given an almighty scare before winning 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-7 6-4 . They will now play Croatia at home on July 9-11 in the quarterfinals of the premier team event in tennis after their first-ever victory in the World Group . Djjokovic , urged on by a partisan home crowd , looked headed for a routine win as he took the opening set , but he was broken twice in the second as Isner leveled . Djokovic returned the compliment in the third set to lead two sets to one , but he could not force home the advantage and he lost a fourth set tiebreak 8-6 as Isner set up a decider . A single break in the first game gave Djokovic a crucial advantage , but his American opponent proceeded to save six match points before finally netting a forehand , the home hero sinking to his knees after an exhausting ordeal . The defeat means Patrick McEnroe 's U.S. team face a relegation playoff later this year to maintain their record of playing in the World Group every year . In other ties , defending champions Spain shrugged off the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal to beat Switzerland 4-1 to set-up a quarterfinal clash with France . Russia edged out India 3-2 and will face Argentina who defeated Sweden 3-2 in Stockholm . Returning from injury David Nalbandian was Argentina 's match winner in Stockholm as he beat Andreas Vinciguerra 7-5 6-3 4-6 6-4 in the deciding rubber after Swedish number one Robin Soderling had drawn them level with a straight sets win over Leonardo Mayer . 2005 champions Croatia , last year 's runners-up Czech Republic and France sealed their quarterfinal places on Saturday against Ecuador , Belgium and Germany respectively . France 's home clash with Spain is already whetting the appetite of tennis fans . `` It 'll be like a final , it 's the kind of thing you dream about , '' France captain Guy Forget told the official Davis Cup Web site www.daviscup.com .","question":""}
{"answer":"LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police executed a search warrant at a Las Vegas pharmacy Tuesday morning in connection with the investigation into Michael Jackson 's death , a federal drug agent said . A Las Vegas pharmacy was searched Tuesday in connection with Michael Jackson 's death . Applied Pharmacy on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas sold the anesthetic propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray , Jackson 's doctor , a source familiar with the investigation said . Another source close to the investigation said last month that Murray , a Texas-based cardiologist , is said to have given Jackson propofol , commonly known by the brand name Diprivan , in the 24 hours before he died . The search of Applied Pharmacy came two weeks after searches of Murray 's home and clinic in Las Vegas . The search warrant served Tuesday authorized investigators to seize documents -- both on computers and paper -- related to the Jackson investigation , DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Flanagan said . The warrants used for those earlier searches , which were filed in a Clark County , Nevada , court , imply that investigators looking into Jackson 's death believe that the singer was a drug addict . The warrants , signed by District Judge Timothy Williams and given to CNN by Las Vegas affiliate KTNV , say that `` there is probable cause to believe '' that the searches would uncover evidence at Murray 's home and office of excessive prescribing , prescribing to an addict , prescribing to or treating an addict and manslaughter . They cite `` probable cause to believe '' that the premises contained `` records , shipping orders , distribution lists , use records relating to the purchase , transfer ordering , delivery and storage of propofol -LRB- Diprivan -RRB- . '' Murray was with Jackson on June 25 when he was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and when he was pronounced dead , according to Murray 's lawyer . A source involved with the inquiry into Jackson 's death has said that investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in his $ 100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills , California . The items taken from Murray 's home included copies of his computer and cell phone hard drives . They were to be turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department , which is leading the investigation into Jackson 's death at age 50 . A `` thorough and comprehensive '' report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete , the Los Angeles County coroner 's office said Monday , but police have requested that the report not be released because of the ongoing investigation . The coroner 's office said it would abide by the request that `` the cause and manner of death remain confidential '' and referred all questions to the Los Angeles Police Department . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Championship leader Mark Webber made it a hat-trick of pole positions as he dominated qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul on Saturday . Webber lapped in one minute 26.295 seconds to occupy first place on the grid ahead of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren . Webber 's Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel was third fastest , with reigning world champion Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren . Australia 's Webber will be chasing a hat-trick of race victories , after wins in Spain and Monaco , in Sunday 's 58-lap race , hoping to pull clear of Vettel in the title race . The teammates are currently tied on 78 points , but Webber is ahead on race victories . He said that his team had finally got to grips with the Istanbul Park circuit in time for the crucial qualifying . `` It has n't been the smoothest of weekends for us in terms of getting the running in . Getting ready for ` quali ' things started to get a little bit better , '' he told the post-qualifying press conference . `` I was a little bit on the back foot going in to be honest , but I knew if I dug deep it could be OK . And it worked out for us . `` I 'm a little bit more confident for tomorrow to be honest . '' The Red Bull team have claimed all seven poles this season and will be looking to extend their lead in the constructors ' championship . Mercedes pair Michael Schumacher , in fifth , and Nico Rosberg will share the third row , but it was another disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari in their 800th grand prix . Felipe Massa of Brazil qualified eighth but two-time world champion Fernando Alonso did not make the top 10 for the final session . The Spaniard made a mistake in Q2 and ended up 12th , the second straight time he has made a hash in qualifying after being forced to start from the pit lane in Monaco . Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was not amused by their showing . `` For sure the performance in qualifying was not up to our standard . We do n't know why -- and we need to understand . For sure we were expecting much more performance , '' he told AFP .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Americans banned from entering the United Kingdom because the government feels they have been `` stirring up hatred '' responded by slamming the country 's home secretary , and one of them threatened to sue her . Jacqui Smith said she did not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views . Radio talk show host Michael Savage and the anti-gay Rev. Fred Phelps were listed Tuesday among white supremacists and radical Islamic clerics who will not be allowed into the country . Savage , whose conservative daily show can be heard on radio stations across America , lashed out in an audio clip on his Web site and devoted seven stories on his main page to the ban . He is listed under his real name , Michael Alan Wiener . Britain 's Home Office said it decided to exclude the 22 people on the list after measures by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last year targeting people `` who have engaged in spreading hate . '' `` She has painted a target on my back , linking me with people who are in prison for killing people , '' Savage said . `` How could they put Michael Savage in the same league as mass murderers when I have never avowed violence ? '' Watch more about Savage 's reaction '' According to the British Home Office , Savage is on the list for `` seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence . '' Smith said she is determined to keep those who `` spread extremism , hatred and violent messages '' out of the country . `` Coming to the UK is a privilege , and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life , '' Smith said . `` Therefore , I do not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views , as I want them to know that they are not welcome here . The Home Office named only 16 people on the list , saying it was not in the public interest to disclose the names of the other six . Savage called Smith a `` witch '' in the audio clip and asked why six names on the list were n't released . He also questioned why North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did n't make the list . Savage said he has seven attorneys working on a defamation lawsuit against Smith and encouraged his listeners to call off any travel plans to England and boycott all British products . Savage 's show is not syndicated in England . The outspoken Kansas Rev. Fred Phelps and his daughter , Shirley Phelps-Roper , also made the list for `` engaging in unacceptable behavior and fostering hatred . '' Phelps did not issue a response on his Web site . However , the site linked to a British news story on the ban and the link called Smith a `` neo-Nazi dyke '' and `` filthy God-hater . '' Phelps and his followers at Topeka 's Westboro Baptist Church oppose homosexuality . They picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq , saying their deaths are God 's way of punishing the United States for supporting homosexuals . They have expressed similar views about the victims of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks and Hurricane Katrina . The church 's slogan is `` God Hates Fags . '' Also on the list : \u2022 Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black , who established the white supremacist Web site Stormfront , which the Home Office called one of the oldest and largest hate group sites . \u2022 Eric Gliebe , chairman of the National Alliance , one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the United States . The Home Office accused Gliebe of `` justifying terrorist violence , provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred . '' \u2022 Samir al Quntar , a Lebanese man who spent three decades in prison for killing four Israeli soldiers and a 4-year-old girl in 1979 . Al Quntar is listed for `` engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to foment , justify or glorify terrorist violence '' in order to provoke terrorist acts , the Home Office said . \u2022 Nasr Javed , a leader of the Kashmiri militant group , Lashkar e Taiba . \u2022 Islamic clerics Abdul Ali Musa , Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal , Amir Siddique , Yunis Al Astal and Safwat Hijazi . \u2022 Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim , whom the Home Office describes as a prolific writer and speaker . The Home Office said he has sought `` to foment , justify or glory terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to commit terrorist acts . '' \u2022 Mike Guzofsky , the leader of a militant Jewish group who also has ties to Kahane Chai , a group that the U.S. State Department lists as a foreign terrorist organization . \u2022 Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky , whom the Home Office said are `` leaders of a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the Internet . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin 's `` On the Origin of Species '' on November 24 , 1859 . All 1,250 copies of the initial print run of the book were scooped up by readers eager to see the British naturalist going rogue with his radical new theory of evolution , `` By Means of Natural Selection , or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life , '' in the book 's full title . How important is this book ? Thomas Henry Huxley -LRB- `` Darwin 's bulldog '' -RRB- proclaimed that `` On the Origin of Species '' was `` the most potent instrument for the extension of the realm of knowledge which has come into man 's hands since Newton 's ` Principia , ' '' and lamented to himself : `` How extremely stupid not to have thought of that . '' The Harvard biologist Ernst Mayr , arguably the greatest evolutionary theorist since Darwin , asserted : `` It would be difficult to refute the claim that the Darwinian revolution was the greatest of all intellectual revolutions in the history of mankind . '' The Harvard paleontologist and historian of science Stephen Jay Gould called the theory of evolution one of the half dozen most important ideas in the entire history of Western thought . Why , then , do so many Americans not accept the theory of evolution ? A 2001 Gallup Poll found that 45 percent of Americans agree with the statement `` God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so , '' while 37 percent preferred a blended belief that `` Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life , but God guided this process , '' and a paltry 12 percent accepted the standard scientific theory that `` Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life , but God had no part in this process . '' These percentages have remained largely unchanged in subsequent surveys , although most scientists would prefer that the questions were asked without reference to God since the science of evolutionary biology stands or falls on its own whether God directed the process or not , or even if there is a God or not . There are at least six reasons that make people resistant to accepting evolution . 1 . The Warfare Model of Science and Religion . The belief that there is a war between science and religion where one is right and the other wrong , and that one must choose one over the other . 2 . Belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets . Many people attempt to use science to prove certain religious tenets , but when they do not appear to fit , the science is rejected . For example , the attempt to prove that the Genesis creation story is accurately reflected in the geological fossil record has led many creationists to conclude that the Earth was created within the past 10,000 years , which is in sharp contrast to the geological evidence for a 4.6 billion-year-old Earth . 3 . Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory . A significant problem is that most people know so little about the theory . In the 2001 Gallup Poll , for example , a quarter of the people surveyed said they did n't know enough to say whether they accepted evolution or not , and only 34 percent considered themselves to be `` very informed '' about the theory . Because evolution is so controversial , public school science teachers typically drop the subject entirely rather than face the discomfort aroused among students and parents . 4 . The fear that evolution degrades our humanity . After Copernicus toppled the pedestal of our cosmic centrality , Darwin delivered the coup de gr\u00e2ce by revealing us to be `` mere '' animals , subject to the same natural laws and historical forces as all other animals . 5 . The equation of evolution with ethical nihilism . This sentiment was expressed by the neoconservative social commentator Irving Kristol in 1991 : `` If there is one indisputable fact about the human condition it is that no community can survive if it is persuaded -- or even if it suspects -- that its members are leading meaningless lives in a meaningless universe . '' 6 . The fear that evolutionary theory implies we have a fixed human nature . The first five reasons for the resistance to evolutionary theory come almost exclusively from political conservatives . This last reason originates from liberals who fear that the application of evolutionary theory to human thought and action implies that political policy and economic doctrines will fail because the constitution of humanity is stronger than the constitutions of states . All of these fears are baseless . If one is a theist , it should not matter when God made the universe -- 10,000 years ago or 10 billion years ago . The difference of six zeros is meaningless to an omniscient and omnipotent being , and the glory of divine creation cries out for praise regardless of when it happened . Likewise , it should not matter how God created life , whether it was through a miraculous spoken word or through the natural forces of the universe that He created . The grandeur of God 's works commands awe regardless of what processes He used . As for meanings and morals , it is here where our humanity arises from our biology . We evolved as a social primate species with the tendency of being cooperative and altruistic within our own groups , but competitive and bellicose between groups . The purpose of civilization is to help us rise above our hearts of darkness and to accentuate the better angels of our nature . Believers should embrace science , especially evolutionary theory , for what it has done to reveal the magnificence of the divinity in a depth never dreamed by our ancient ancestors . We have learned a lot in 4,000 years , and that knowledge should never be dreaded or denied . Instead , science should be welcomed by all who cherish human understanding and wisdom . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Shermer .","question":""}
{"answer":"ROME , Italy -- Captain Javier Zanetti saved Inter Milan 's unbeaten Serie A record as he rifled home a stunning late volley to earn a 1-1 draw against second-placed Roma at the San Siro on Wednesday . Zanetti celebrates his late strike as Inter retained their unbeaten Serie A record with a 1-1 draw against Roma . Roma captain Francesco Totti had given the visitors a deserved first-half leadbut Zanetti 's strike two minutes from time maintained Inter 's nine-point lead at the top . Roma needed to win to breathe new life into the title race but they were dealt a cruel blow as French defender Philippe Mexes was sent-off late on for two bookings in quick succession . Inter capitalised and they have now lost only once in their last 65 league matches . The home side had the first clear-cut chance of the match and were within centimeters of taking the lead when Hernan Crespo met a cross from Patrick Vieira with an acrobatic volley , but saw his effort cannon back off the post . The defending champions were made to pay for that miss on 38 minutes as the visitors orchestrated a sublime goal . Neat footwork from Macedonia international Mirko Vucinic released Max Tonetto down the left and his pin-point cross was flicked home at the near post by Totti from six meters out as he stole in front of defender Cristian Chivu . Inter center-back Nicolas Burdisso should have restored parity in first-half stoppage time but his header from Luis Figo 's corner flew over the bar . Figo himself had a great chance on 54 minutes but after having time to set himself up for an attempted volley , he skewed his effort so badly that it did not even go out of play . After Mexes ' dismissal 10 from time , Inter laid siege to Roma 's goal . Goalkeeper Doni had to be alert to tip over Crespo 's header three minutes from time but he could do nothing about Zanetti 's volley a minute later . Meanwhile , AC Milan slipped to fifth place as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania . Brazilian teenager Pato gave them the lead early in the second half with a skimming long-range shot but substitute Gionathan Spinesi 's header earnt the Sicilians a point . Fiorentina are up to fourth after they defeated Livorno 1-0 at home thanks to a goal from Senegal forward Ndiaye Papa Waigo . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Clarence B. Jones , author of `` What Would Martin Say ? '' is Scholar in Residence at the Stanford University Martin Luther King Jr. . Research & Education Institute . He was a lawyer and speechwriter for Dr. King . Clarence Jones says America is indebted to Martin Luther King Jr. for breaking its addiction to segregation . Next week , the day after our national holiday commemorating the 80th birthday of Dr. King , Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States , the first African-American elected as president . Obama 's election would not have been possible without the transformative effect of Dr. King 's struggle , leadership and legacy in dismantling segregation and institutional racism in the United States . America owes a great debt to Dr. King . Prior to him , our nation was like a dysfunctional drug addict or alcoholic , hooked and addicted to segregation and institutional racism . His `` tough love '' of nonviolent direct action civil disobedience forced America to confront its conscience and the immorality of racial injustice . Dr. King enabled our country to embark on an extraordinary journey of recovery to reclaim its soul . He enabled us to reactivate those precepts enshrined in our Declaration of Independence : `` all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . '' In twelve years and four months , from 1956 to April 4 , 1968 -- except for President Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation -- Martin Luther King Jr. may have done more to achieve racial , social and political justice and equality in America than any other person in our country 's history . Dr. King had confidence in the democratic future of America . He believed that we , as a people , would be able to `` transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood . '' I met Martin Luther King , Jr. for the first time 49 years ago when he visited my home in California to enlist my assistance in the defense of a criminal tax indictment against him by the state of Alabama . Only six months earlier , I had graduated from Boston University Law School . I worked for him as a law clerk , political organizer , personal lawyer and , at his request , I drafted speeches for Dr. King until his death on April 4 , 1968 . He was an ordained Christian minister before he was a civil rights leader . His religious faith and abiding belief in God were the fuel that ignited the engine of his moral leadership . President-elect Obama 's religion and belief in God appear central to his political leadership . During the 40 years following Dr , King 's assassination in Memphis , Tennessee , the most recurring question asked of me has been : `` Who today , what black leader , if anyone , is most like Dr. King ? '' I would consistently answer that Dr. King was sui generis , one of a kind And , then ask rhetorically : `` Who today is most like Michelangelo , Mozart , Galileo , Copernicus , Aristotle , Beethoven or Shakespeare ? '' Since Obama 's election , I have been asked : \u2022 Is Barack Obama another Martin Luther King Jr ? \u2022 What would Dr. King say about the election of Obama ? \u2022 Does the election of Obama , as the first African-American president of the United States , mean that Dr. King 's dream has been fulfilled ? \u2022 Does Obama 's election indicate that racism for all practical purposes no longer exists in America ? \u2022 Will Obama 's election have any impact on the number of African-American men incarcerated or the high percentage of out-of-wedlock births within the African-American community ? There are no easy answers to these questions , but it is clear that those of us in the civil rights movement of the 1960s never anticipated the event we will witness Tuesday . After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy , and the assumption of the presidency by former Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson , some of us who worked closely with Dr. King , concluded no fundamental change in race relations in America could be accomplished successfully and sustained unless it was done under the political leadership of a white man from the south , people like Presidents Lyndon Johnson , Jimmy Carter , Bill Clinton and George W. Bush . Our belief was predicated on the political assumption that America would be more willing to follow a white southern political leader on the issues of race relations and equal economic opportunity than a politician from another part of our country . We never contemplated the realistic possibility of a black president of the United States in our lifetimes . The 1965 Voting Rights Act sparked the prairie fires of subsequent black voter registration and voting which dramatically altered the political landscape of America . It was this legislative foundation that fostered and facilitated the political possibility of a successful Obama candidacy for president . `` We Shall Overcome '' was our national anthem of the Civil Rights Movement under Dr. King 's leadership . President-elect Obama , like a masterful musical composer with perfect pitch , successfully updated , translated and rearranged `` We Shall Overcome '' to a `` Yes , We Can '' surround-sound mantra for the cell phone , YouTube , Facebook , MySpace and Internet-blackberry generation . This may be the most enduring 21st Century tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Clarence Jones .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like the neighbors of a new kid who just moved into the big fancy house down the block , many Latin American leaders are curious about President Obama . Latin America expert Otto Reich says the summit is an `` opportunity , but also a risk for U.S. policy . '' The heads of 34 nations will get a chance to see him up close next month at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago . What he says will be closely watched . `` The spotlight will be entirely on Barack Obama , '' said Peter Hakim , president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue . Hakim will be one of three people who will on Wednesday address the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the summit . Otto Reich , who served Presidents Reagan and both Bushes in a number of high-level Latin American posts , also will speak . Thomas F. `` Mack '' McLarty , former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton , will be the third person . Reich has some advice for Obama : Be careful . `` The summit is an opportunity , but also a risk for U.S. policy , '' Reich said . `` Not all the neighbors there are good . Why do we recognize this reality when we lock our doors at night but do n't recognize it in our foreign policy ? '' Reich said the United States must differentiate between its friends , primarily Colombia and Mexico , which are under attack from drug traffickers and organized crime , and hostile countries , particularly Venezuela , Cuba , Bolivia , Ecuador and Nicaragua . Cuba , which was expelled from the Organization of American States , is not allowed to attend the summit . `` Obama ca n't look at this group of people and think he 's among a group of friends , '' Reich said . `` Let 's not look at this as a community of 34 countries . They are very different people . '' Hakim said Obama must ask Latin American leaders to share the burden . `` He should n't simply say what the United States is going to do , '' Hakim said . `` He should say what he expects Latin America to do . '' Hakim pointed out several areas Obama needs to address . First , he said , `` He must make clear he 's trying to fix the U.S. economy . '' He said Obama also will have to deal with the one nation that wo n't be there -- Cuba . The United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961 and imposed an economic embargo in 1962 . President Bush increased some restrictions in the past eight years . Obama has signaled that he 's ready to start relaxing some of the prohibitions . `` This is the issue of greatest symbolic importance , '' Hakim said . `` It will be seen as a test of real U.S. readiness to change in the hemisphere . What he says about Cuba will make headlines . '' But Reich warns that the United States should extract some conditions from Cuba before making any allowances . `` There 's a way it can be done to advance the conditions of the people in Cuba , '' he said . `` I do n't approve of the unilateral way it 's being done . The embargo is a negotiating tool . We should not negotiate with ourselves , and that 's what we 're doing . '' Hakim also said Obama must address `` the pandemic of criminal violence '' destroying many parts of Latin America . U.S. aid is focused primarily on Mexico and Colombia . `` Is the United States going to go beyond Mexico and Colombia ? '' he asked . `` Is the United States ready to rethink it 's drug strategy , which has done so little ? '' A new approach to the drug war has received increased support and attention recently . The former presidents of Mexico , Colombia and Brazil called last month for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in tactics on the war on drugs . Ex-presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico , Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil made their announcement at a meeting in Brazil of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy . `` The problem is that current policies are based on prejudices and fears and not on results , '' Gaviria said at a news conference in which the commission 's recommendations were presented . The 17-member panel worked on the report for a year . Gaviria said the time is right to start a debate on the subject , particularly with the pragmatic openings provided by Obama 's election . The Fifth Summit of the Americas will be held in Port of Spain April 17-19 . The periodic meetings bring together the 34 democratically elected heads of state and governments in the Western Hemisphere to discuss regional issues . The first summit was held in Miami , Florida , in December 1994 . The most recent took place in Mar del Plata , Argentina , in November 2005 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Utah is the nation 's fastest growing state , increasing 2.5 percent from July 2007 to July 2008 , according to new population estimates from the Census Bureau . Barack Obama greets one of the newest members of the U.S. population this year on the campaign trail . The main reason for Utah 's growth is a `` natural increase '' -- births minus deaths -- said Census Bureau demographer Greg Harper . `` Utah has a strong rate of natural increase and domestic migration , where more people move into the state and -LSB- are -RSB- not moving out , '' he said . `` Second is Arizona , '' Harper said . `` It grew by 2.3 percent , and the increase is due to domestic migration , meaning more people are moving into the state than moving out . Also , it 's a natural increase , more people were born there than died . '' Arizona is followed by Texas , North Carolina and Colorado , each with a 2.0 percent growth rate . Texas added more people than any other state -- about 500,000 -- making it the third-fastest growing state . Because it has a larger population size , its percentage growth was less than Utah . `` Nevada was last year 's fastest-growing state , but it fell to eighth , '' said Harper . `` Overall , that state had been among the four fastest-growing states each of the past 23 years . '' Only two states lost population : Michigan and Rhode Island , losing 0.5 and 0.2 percent respectively . Overall , Northeastern states are not growing as fast as other parts of the country , but they have been on the increase since 2005 . The South added the most people during the period , 1.4 million . But Western states , with a 1.4 percent increase , saw the fastest growth rate . One state that has reversed its course of growth is Florida . A few years ago more than 250,000 people per year were moving there . But for 2007-2008 , the state 's 0.7 percent increase was below the nation 's 0.9 percent overall increase . According to the estimates , the United States had a net gain of just over 2.7 million people from July 2007 to July 2008 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor and Iraq war veteran J.R. Martinez is the spokesman for Operation Finally Home , an organization that provides free custom-built homes for injured veterans . The nonprofit was started by Dan Wallrath , who was a top 10 CNN Hero last year . Martinez recently sat down with CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki to talk about CNN Heroes , his recent success on `` Dancing With the Stars '' and the efforts of Operation Finally Home . Below are excerpts from that interview . Sonya Hamasaki : What inspired you to get involved with Dan Wallrath 's efforts ? J. R. Martinez : I heard about him in Houston , Texas , and that 's where we met . I heard about the great things he was doing by himself with just a couple of friends . And I thought to myself , `` Anyone who 's doing things from the goodness of their heart is somebody I want to be involved with . '' Hamasaki : How does Operation Finally Home work ? Martinez : Operation Finally Home helps to give wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan a mortgage-free home . It really changes lives , and it gives people hope . A lot of times , one of the biggest things for our troops is getting jobs . If they can have a home , it then kind of alleviates some pressure and they can start focusing on the job aspect of things . Hamasaki : What 's it like to see the reaction when someone finds out they have a free home ? Martinez : It 's amazing to witness the transition ... to see their emotions and their body language completely change . And it 's not just the service member ; it 's the spouse , it 's the parent , it 's the brother or sister , it 's the child . There 's this change all the way across the board . It 's a beautiful thing to witness that kind of emotion . Hamasaki : What 's your personal connection with the organization ? Martinez : It 's a great feeling to be able to be part of the movement . I know the emotional void and the mental struggles and the physical struggles that the men and women and the families go through when they 're recovering . So it allows me to understand the importance of it , and it gives me the opportunity to serve . Hamasaki : What other projects are you working on ? Martinez : I 'm involved with `` Dancing With the Stars '' at the moment , and it 's an exciting ride . It 's fun , and it 's a great platform for me to share who I am with people . At the same time , I 'm still doing motivational speaking . I believe that we all have something to share with someone else that can better someone else 's life . Hamasaki : Who are your personal heroes ? Martinez : There are a lot of people who can be classified as heroes and do great things and inspire me . My mother is my hero . My mother has done so much for me in my life and has continuously been there and been my rock . Then I come across wounded troops who persevere every single day , who smile , who have a positive attitude , and they 're my heroes for what they have done . And Dan Wallrath is a hero for the hope he 's given to these families by giving them a brand new home .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bringing a growing health concern to Congress , scientists squared off Thursday over whether cell phones contribute to brain cancer . Rep. Denis Kucinich of Ohio holds a model of a 5-year-old child 's brain absorbing cell phone radiation . Studies have indicated that long-term cell phone use may be associated with brain cancer , according to Dr. Ronald Herberman , director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute , and Dr. David Carpenter , director of Institute for Health and the Environment at University of Albany . They both testified in front of the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy . `` I can not tell this committee that cell phones are definitely dangerous . But , I certainly can not tell you that they are safe , '' Herberman said . Herberman and Carpenter cited the results from a study recently presented by Dr. Lennart Hardell of \u00d6rebro University in Sweden . The results indicated that people who use cell phones have double the chance of developing malignant brain tumors and acoustic neuromas , which are tumors on the hearing nerve . The study also said people under age 20 were more than five times as likely to develop brain cancer . But Dr. Robert Hoover , director or Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program at the National Cancer Institute , said the study has not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal , so has not come under sufficient scrutiny . The evidence for the connection between cell phones and cancer is inconclusive and more research is needed , he said . `` Larger studies are needed to sort out chance and bias , '' Hoover testified . Interphone , a series of multinational studies on the risk of cancer from cell phones , has not found an increase in tumors associated with the first 10 years of mobile phone use , he said . Some findings show an increased risk of tumors diagnosed on the side of the head that the cell phone is pressed against , but this pattern has not been seen consistently , Hoover said . CTIA , the International Association for Wireless Telecommunications , declined the invitation to testify , Rep. Dennis Kucinich , a former Democratic presidential candidate from Ohio , who led the hearing , said . Steve Largent , CEO of CTIA , issued a statement Wednesday saying the industry has supported scientific research on these issues and supports the Federal Communications Commision 's safety guidelines . `` The available scientific evidence and expert reviews from leading global health organizations such as the American Cancer Society , National Cancer Institute , United States Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization reflect a consensus based on published scientific research showing that there is no reason for concern , '' Largent 's statement said . The overall evidence for the cancer-phone link has not been statistically significant at a 95 percent confidence level , a standard in science , Carpenter said . But he also noted that U.S.-funded research is very scarce . `` Are we at the same place we were with smoking and lung cancer 30 years ago ? '' he asked . Carpenter and Herberman testified that the risk of brain cancer for children is far greater than for adults . Herberman demonstrated a model showing that the radiation from cell phones would penetrate far deeper into a 5-year-old 's brain than an adult 's . See models from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh '' But the incidence of brain cancer in children has not increased significantly from the late 1980s to 2005 , Hoover said . The Federal Communications Commission limits cell phone radio frequency energy emissions , called the specific absorption rate -LRB- SAR -RRB- , at 1.6 watts per kilogram , as measured over one gram of tissue . The standard was developed in 1997 in consultation with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers , a professional association open to everyone , including manufacturers and health specialists . But the SAR standard reflects a biological response to cell phone radio frequency energy heating tissue , Kucinich said . Many experiments show that radio frequency energy does cause `` biological effects '' without heating tissue , although not all of those effects are harmful , Carpenter said . Hoover agreed that there could be such effects related to cancer risk , but they have not been properly vetted in a laboratory . The FCC itself does not have the expertise to evaluate whether this standard is appropriate protection for possible heath risks , Julius Knapp , director of the FCC 's Office of Engineering and Technology , testified . The hearing took place just a week after the Cleveland Clinic reported a study showing that keeping a cell phone on talk mode in a pocket can decrease sperm quality . Herberman had issued a warning to physicians , scientists , and staff at the University of Pittsburgh in July advising them to limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer . The Israeli Health Ministry endorsed this recommendation within a week , he said . Ellen Marks of Lafayette , California , whose husband found out he had a brain tumor on his right frontal lobe in May , attended the hearing . The tumor is on the same side of his head where he held his cell phone , which he used about 30 hours per month . She believes the tumor is the result of cell phone use . `` I often threatened to throw it in the garbage , and how I wish I had , '' she said . `` This horror could have been avoided with a simple warning . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"The state you live in may affect your state of mind , according to new report that shows that rates of stress , depression , and emotional problems vary by geographic region . Where you live may affect your state of mind , according to a new mental health report . That 's good news if you live in Hawaii , where only 6.6 percent of people report frequent mental distress . Not-so-good news for those in Kentucky : In the Bluegrass State , 14.4 percent of people said they frequently experienced mental distress -- the highest prevalence in the country . Frequent mental distress is defined as having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days during the previous 30-day period . The researchers were surprised that the study , which will be published in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , showed such a broad range in mental distress depending on geographic location . `` The occurrence of frequent mental distress in adults differs much more than expected among the residents of U.S. states and counties , '' said lead researcher Dr. Matthew M. Zack , of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Georgia . People who have frequent mental distress may have treatable and preventable mental illnesses or problems , and social programs or interventions may help , Zack said . Health.com : How stress may affect psoriasis In the study , the researchers looked at rates of mental distress by state among 2.4 million adults across two time periods -- 1993 through 2001 and 2003 through 2006 -- as part of the ongoing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System study . Overall , the prevalence for frequent mental distress across both time periods was 9.4 percent , with the lowest rate in Hawaii and the highest rate in Kentucky . Why the difference ? It may be because residents in some areas of the country are more likely than others to have health conditions such as disability or diabetes , untreated mental conditions like anxiety or depression , high unemployment rates , risky behaviors including cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse , and\/or social circumstances such as lower incomes . Health.com : Manic spending puts bipolar patients at risk for financial woes An area centered on Kentucky showed high levels of frequent mental distress that remained elevated over time , while in other parts of the country -LRB- such as the upper Midwest -RRB- low levels of frequent mental distress remained low over time , the study showed . Health.com : Secrets to a stress-free home Overall , though , frequent mental distress seems to be on the rise . The rate of frequent mental distress increased by at least 1 percentage point in 27 states , and by more than 4 percentage points in Mississippi , Oklahoma , and West Virginia from the first time period to the second time period . `` In some areas , normal or low frequent-mental-distress levels increased over time , implying the introduction of influences that increased levels of frequent mental distress , '' Zack said . Health.com : Stress-reduction therapy may hike breast cancer survival rates The new state-by-state breakdown of rates of mental distress should have ramifications as the Obama Administration takes on health care reform , said Chuck Holzer , a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston . `` From a public health standpoint , it 's great to be aware of places with high rates of frequent mental distress so we can help make sure that access to care is increasing in those areas , '' he said . Many of the states with high rates of frequent mental distress are struggling economically , as are their residents . As a result , they may not be able to afford health insurance that includes mental health services . `` The big message is that you need to monitor the health and mental health of the country because it will lead to greater equity in mental health services , '' Holzer said . And Zack said , `` Community mental health agencies , social service agencies , and public health agencies in counties where frequent mental distress is increased should recognize that such increases may indicate unmet health and social service needs . '' Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cholera has already killed almost 3,000 Haitians . Now it is threatening to cause misery in another vital way . A chunk of Haiti 's rice harvest will probably be lost because of farmers ' fears of cholera contamination , the United Nations said Wednesday . On top of that , consumers are afraid to buy rice grown in areas affected by the cholera outbreak . The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the Haitian Ministries of Agriculture and Health are providing hygiene information to farmers who are reluctant to step into rice paddies , fed by rivers and canals , to harvest the crops . The U.N. food agency , concerned that lost crops may lead to food shortages , urged more outreach and hands-on training in rural communities . The effects of the cholera outbreak were magnified by floods in November caused by Hurricane Tomas . `` Without a timely response to the damage caused by floods and cholera to Haitian agriculture , food security could plunge , worsening the effects of last January 's earthquake on the poor rural population , '' the FAO said in a statement . Cholera has sickened more than 130,000 people in Haiti and 2,761 have died . But those numbers from the Haitian health ministry are from December 18 . Medicins Sans Frontieres -LRB- MSF or Doctors Without Borders -RRB- , which has been operating cholera treatment centers throughout Haiti , warned that the disease is still spreading . Symptoms of the acute , bacterial illness , which is caused by drinking tainted water , can be mild or even nonexistent . But sometimes they can be severe : leg cramps , profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting , which can cause rapid loss of body fluids and lead to dehydration , shock and death . Some aid groups , including MSF , have criticized the cholera response in Haiti as woefully inadequate , given the fact that about 12,000 aid groups operate within the country . `` I recently went to Haiti 's capital , Port-au-Prince , and found my Medicins Sans Frontieres colleagues overwhelmed , having already treated more than 75,000 cholera cases , '' MSF International President Unni Karunakara wrote in a commentary published this week in a British newspaper , the Guardian . `` In the 11 months since the quake , little has been done to improve sanitation across the country , allowing cholera to spread at a dizzying pace . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The government of de facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti is not ready to sign a proposed agreement to end the country 's ongoing political crisis , Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno said in Honduras . Interim President Roberto Micheletti is reaching out to Costan Rican President Oscar Arias for a solution . His remarks came on Tuesday at the conclusion of a two-day visit by a delegation of the Organization of American States . `` Although the commission concludes that progress was made during its visit , it must recognize that there still no disposition toward full acceptance of the San Jose Accord on the part of Mr. Micheletti or his supporters , '' Stagno said . The proposed San Jose Accord aims to resolve nearly two months of political turmoil that Honduras has faced following the June 28 coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya . The delegation , which consisted of seven foreign ministers and included the participation of OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza , met with representatives of all branches of government , presidential candidates , the military , clergy , businessmen and representatives of various sectors of Honduran society . `` The majority of the actors expressed their conformity with the foundations of the San Jose Accord , although many of them expressed concerns about the same , '' Stagno said . The biggest obstacles were two points in the proposed agreement : one calling for Zelaya 's return to power , and another calling for a temporary political amnesty for both sides . The delegation also spoke with Zelaya supporters , including his wife , who said that the ousted president was willing to accept the San Jose Accord and abide by it immediately . Originally , Zelaya 's negotiators had walked away from the proposal , offered by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias , citing the intransigence of Micheletti 's team . In support of the OAS delegation , the United States announced Tuesday that many visas for Hondurans would be suspended . The United Nations and the European Union have condemned the coup and have refused to recognize the provisional government led by former congressional leader Micheletti . Micheletti has insisted that Zelaya was not overthrown but instead was replaced through constitutional means . The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution , even though the country 's congress had outlawed the vote and the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled it illegal .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The World Health Organization cautioned that the swine flu outbreak could gain momentum in the months ahead , despite claims by the health secretary of Mexico -- the epicenter of the outbreak -- that the virus `` is in its declining phase . '' The number of confimed cases of the H1N1 virus continue to multiply . As of early Monday , Mexican health officials reported 568 cases and 22 fatalities linked to the flu . WHO says it has confirmed 506 cases and 19 deaths in Mexico . The world has 985 confirmed cases of the virus , known to scientists H1N1 virus , in a total of 20 countries , WHO said Monday . The United States has reported 226 confirmed cases in 30 states . The U.S. cases include one death -- a Mexican toddler visiting relatives in the United States . According to WHO , Canada has 85 confirmed cases ; Spain has 40 ; the United Kingdom has 15 ; Germany has 8 ; New Zealand has 4 ; Israel has 3 ; El Salvador has 2 ; France has 2 ; and Austria , China , Colombia , Costa Rica , Denmark , Ireland , Netherlands , Italy , South Korea and Switzerland each have one . The outbreak is only about 10 days old , and even if the illness is declining , it could return , said Gregory Hartl , the WHO spokesman for epidemic and pandemic diseases , at a briefing Sunday . `` I ... would like to remind people that in 1918 the Spanish flu showed a surge in the spring , and then disappeared in the summer months , only to return in the autumn of 1918 with a vengeance , '' Hartl said . `` And we know that that eventually killed 40 million to 50 million people . '' Mexican authorities believe the most active period of the virus in Mexico was between April 23 and April 28 , and Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova described the outbreak as being in decline in his country . In China , officials have quarantined 68 people , including 13 crew members , who were passengers of a Mexico City to Shanghai flight , which carried a passenger who tested positive for the virus , China 's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday . None of the other passengers has exhibited any flu-like symptoms , one health official said . About another 110 people who were on the Aeromexico plane went on to other destinations , and may face quarantines elsewhere , the news agency said . Fifteen have been quarantined at a Beijing hotel . Shanghai 's airport is now barring other Aeromexico planes from landing there , a representative of the airline told CNN . Aeromexico is suspending flights to Shanghai until May 15 , the representative said . The airline does not fly to Hong Kong or Beijing . In the United States , New York has the most confirmed cases , with 63 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Texas has 40 ; California has 26 ; Arizona 18 ; South Carolina 15 ; Delaware 10 ; Massachusetts and New Jersey each have seven ; Colorado has four ; Florida , Illinois , Indiana , Ohio , Virginia , Wisconsin each have three ; Connecticut , Kansas and Michigan each have two ; Alabama , Iowa , Kentucky , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , Nevada , New Hampshire , New Mexico , Rhode Island , Tennessee and Utah each have one . California officials suspended visitation and other `` nonessential activities '' at Centinela State Prison in Imperial County after an inmate was suspected of having swine flu . The case has yet to be confirmed with lab testing . On Sunday , health officials in North Carolina and Pennsylvania announced the first confirmed cases in those states , and Louisiana 's governor said his state had seven confirmed cases . The cases from those three states were not immediately included in the CDC tally . In Washington , U.S. Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius , appearing on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' warned that even if the flu outbreak wanes , `` it could come back with greater force in the winter and fall , when we get into flu season . '' `` So , this is no time for complacency , '' she said . `` We want to stay out ahead of this . '' Dr. Anne Schuchat , the CDC 's interim deputy director for public health , told reporters Sunday that she was `` heartened '' by Mexican authorities ' reports but still is `` very cautious . '' `` I know that influenza can be surprising , and the time course here in the United States is later . We believe we 're just on the upswing here , and in several parts of Mexico , cases began quite a while ago , '' Schuchat said . `` From what I know about influenza , I do expect more cases , more severe cases and I do expect more deaths , '' she added . `` And I 'm particularly concerned about what will happen in the fall . '' Acting CDC Director Richard Besser , also speaking on `` State of the Union , '' said U.S. health officials are examining whether people who received flu shots for the swine flu in 1976 may have some level of protection from the current swine flu . `` That 's going to play in very , very big as we move forward with our plans around vaccines , because that may help guide some of the issues around who is most at risk at getting this in the future , '' Besser said . Offering a general picture of the state of U.S. efforts to combat the virus , Besser said `` there are encouraging signs . '' `` We 're not out of the woods yet , '' he said . `` But what we 've learned about the virus itself -- it does n't contain the factors that we know are seen in much more severe flu strains . '' While the new virus strain in the recent outbreak has affected humans , Canadian officials said it has shown up at a pig farm in Alberta , Canada . Officials said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico , the epicenter of the outbreak . The pigs have since been quarantined . `` We have determined that the virus H1N1 , found in these pigs , is the virus which is being tracked in the human population , '' said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency . iReport.com : How should H1N1 be handled ? Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals , and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork . The number of pigs infected was not disclosed . The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms , but he is recovering , Evans said . Learn about the virus ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- At 13 he was selling crack . By 30 he was a hip-hop legend -- having gone , in his words , `` from grams to Grammys . '' Jay-Z tells Oprah Winfrey a conversation with his father freed him `` one hundred percent . '' Now Jay-Z charts his escape from the hard-knock life , describes the reunion that healed the wounds of his childhood -- and even reveals his personal creed . The rapper , now 39 , was born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn , New York . His albums include `` Reasonable Doubt , '' `` The Black Album '' and the just-released `` The Blueprint 3 . '' Jay-Z also owns a portion of the NBA 's New Jersey Nets and founded , with Damon Dash , the clothing line Rocawear . Jay-Z spoke with Oprah Winfrey about his father , his anger and his old life . The following is an edited version of the interview . Oprah Winfrey : When you were 5 , your family moved to the Marcy projects -- and then your father left when you were 11 . When you look back at that , what did your 11-year-old self feel ? Jay-Z : Anger . At the whole situation . Because when you 're growing up , your dad is your superhero . Once you 've let yourself fall that in love with someone , once you put him on such a high pedestal and he lets you down , you never want to experience that pain again . So I remember just being really quiet and really cold . Never wanting to let myself get close to someone like that again . I carried that feeling throughout my life , until my father and I met up before he died . Oprah : Wow . I 've never heard a man phrase it that way . You know , I 've done many shows about divorce , and the real crime is when the kids are n't told . They just wake up one day and their dad is gone . Did that happen to you ? Jay-Z : We were told our parents would separate , but the reasons were n't explained . My mom prepared us more than he did . I do n't think he was ready for that level of discussion and emotion . He was a guy who was pretty detached from his feelings . Oprah : Did you wonder why he left ? Jay-Z : I summed it up that they were n't getting along . There was a lot of arguing . Oprah : And did you know you were angry ? Jay-Z : Yeah . I also felt protective of my mom . I remember telling her , `` Do n't worry , when I get big , I 'm going to take care of this . '' I felt like I had to step up . I was 11 years old , right ? But I felt I had to make the situation better . Oprah : How did that change you ? Jay-Z : It made me not express my feelings as much . I was already a shy kid , and it made me a little reclusive . But it also made me independent . And stronger . It was a weird juxtaposition . Oprah : I 've read that when you were 12 , you shot your brother in the shoulder . Did your father 's leaving have anything to do with that ? Did it turn you into the kind of angry kid who would end up shooting his brother ? Jay-Z : Yes -- and my brother was dealing with a lot of demons . Oprah : How old was he ? Jay-Z : About 16 . He was doing a lot of drugs . He was taking stuff from our family . I was the youngest , but I felt like I needed to protect everybody . Oprah : So how did you get back in touch with your father ? Jay-Z : My mom set up a meeting . And now I realize why -- it makes all the sense in the world . I remember very distinctly that I had a conversation with her in my kitchen . I was saying , `` You know , Ma , I 've really been trying to look inward , and maybe I 'm just not meant to fall in love like other people do . '' She just looked at me like , `` Hush up , boy . '' Oprah : Wow . Jay-Z : And I guess from that point , she figured out what was wrong with me , and she planned a meeting between me and my father . I was like , `` Ma , I 'm a grown man . I do n't need a dad now . '' Oprah : You did n't feel a hole in your soul ? Jay-Z : I never looked at that . I guess I did n't want to deal with it . Because , you know , once I looked , I 'd have to do something about it . And I guess I still had too much resentment and anger . Oprah : In one of your songs , you wrote that you were n't sure if your father even remembered your birthday is in December . Jay-Z : I believed that . When I was a kid , I once waited for him on a bench . He never showed up . Even as an adult , that affected me . So when my mom set up this meeting , I told her he would n't come -- and the first time , he did n't . At that point , I was really done , but Mom pushed for another meeting , because she 's just a beautiful soul . Oprah : The second time , your father showed up . Jay-Z : He showed up . And I gave him the real conversation . I told him how I felt the day he left . He was saying stuff like `` Man , you knew where I was . '' I 'm like , `` I was a kid ! Do you realize how wrong you were ? It was your responsibility to see me . '' He finally accepted that . Oprah : Where had he been ? Jay-Z : At his mom 's house 10 minutes away from me . That was the sad part . Oprah : Was there any explanation he could have offered that would have satisfied you ? Jay-Z : Yes -- and that 's why we were able to mend our relationship . Oprah : What was his reason ? Jay-Z : When I was 9 , my dad 's brother got stabbed , and my dad went looking for the guy who did it . People would call in the middle of the night and tell him , `` So-and-so is out here . '' So my dad would get up , get his gun , and go outside to look for the guy . After a while , my mom was like , `` Hey , this is your family now . You ca n't do that . '' But this was my dad 's baby brother . And my dad was in so much pain that he started using drugs and became a different person . So I understand that the trauma of the event , coupled with the drugs , caused him to lose his soul . Oprah : When you saw him again , had he come back to himself ? Jay-Z : He was broken . He had a bad liver , and he knew that if he continued drinking , it would kill him . But he did n't stop . Oprah : How soon after you saw him did he die ? Jay-Z : A couple of months . I got him an apartment , I was buying furniture . And he passed away . Oprah : Did you instantly make peace with him during that conversation ? Jay-Z : Pretty much . I felt lighter . Oprah : The conversation freed you in ways that you had n't been free before ? Jay-Z : One hundred percent . Oprah : Did it open the door for you to have a life with love in it ? Jay-Z : Absolutely . Oprah : So what 's your personal creed ? Jay-Z : Be true to yourself -- and keep things simple . People complicate things . Oprah : My creed is that intention creates reality . Jay-Z : Now I 'm having an aha moment ! That 's true . OPRAH.com : The top 20 things Oprah knows for sure Oprah : What 's the basis of your spiritual belief ? Jay-Z : I believe in karma : What you do to others comes back to you . Oprah : But do n't you think we 're responsible only for what we know ? Otherwise , you 'd be facing karma for every person you sold drugs to . Jay-Z : As a kid , I did n't know any better . But now , if I were to act as if what I did was n't bad , that would be irresponsible . And I 'd have to bear the weight of that . Oprah : Maya Angelou always says , `` When you know better , you do better . '' Do you still think back on that time in your life ? Jay-Z : All the time . When you make music , you 're constantly on the psychiatrist 's couch , so to speak . That 's an outlet for me . Because I 'm not normally a talkative person . I do n't have conversations like this for no reason . OPRAH.com : Read the entire exclusive interview from O , The Oprah Magazine By Oprah Winfrey from O , The Oprah Magazine , September 2009 \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani government officials announced Monday an agreement with the Taliban to allow strict Islamic law , or sharia , to be implemented in parts of North West Frontier Province . Delegation members of pro-Taliban leader Soofi Mohammad at a meeting in Peshawar Monday . It marks a major concession by the Pakistani government in its attempt to hold off Taliban militants who have terrorized the region with beheadings , kidnappings , and the destruction of girls ' schools . The government will recognize sharia for the entire Malakand Division , which includes the Swat district -- a two-hour drive from Pakistan 's capital , Islamabad -- the chief minister of North West Frontier Province Amir Haider Hoti announced Monday in a news conference . Islamic law is already being practiced in the area , where the Taliban have control . Hoti said the people of the region want sharia which will fill the `` vacuum '' left by a lack of access to Pakistan 's judicial system . He said he hoped it would bring peace to the region , where Pakistani forces have battled militants aligned with the Taliban . `` Those who chose to take the path of violence because of this decision , I appeal to all of them to work for the sake of peace now , '' Hoti said . `` There is no accounting for the sacrifice of all the people of Swat and the Malakand division . How many children have been orphaned ? How many parents have lost their children ? How many young people have been martyred ? In my mind , I do n't think that anyone can take this any more . '' Watch Pakistan 's foreign minister discuss negotiating with the Taliban \u00c2 '' He also stressed that the recognition of Islamic law in the region `` is n't something that has n't happened before . '' He said previous agreements have been made regarding sharia , but were never implemented . He also said that the Islamic law will not go against basic civil liberties , although he did not explain how the government would make sure that provision would be upheld . Watch the implications of the concessions to the Taliban \u00c2 '' Sharia is defined as Islamic law but is interpreted with wide differences depending on the various sects of both Sunni and Shia Islam . So far , the Pakistani Taliban 's interpretation of sharia has included banning girls from school , forcing women inside and outlawing forms of entertainment . The agreement comes amid negotiations between Pakistani provincial officials and Taliban representatives , led by Sufi Mohammed . The Taliban on Sunday declared a 10-day cease-fire in Swat Valley , which Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said was a gesture of good will towards the government . The Taliban 's control of Swat is believed to be the deepest advance by militants into Pakistan 's settled areas -- meaning areas outside its federally administered tribal region along the border with Afghanistan . The negotiations in North West Frontier Province are the latest attempt by Pakistan 's civilian government -- which took power last year -- to achieve peace through diplomacy in areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein . But analysts as well as critics within the establishment have warned that Pakistan 's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground . Khadim Hussain , a professor Bahria University in Islamabad who studies Pakistani politics , said the government has effectively surrendered the areas to the Taliban , thereby setting the stage for two contradictory , parallel states in North West Frontier Province . `` If you leave them like that and you give ... a semblance of peace in a particular area , what does that mean ? '' Hussain said . `` It means you 're capitulating . It means you 're surrendering the state to them . It means your submitting the state authority to them because they are running a parallel state . '' He said the government 's decision amounts to a marriage of convenience made under duress . Swat has been overrun by forces loyal to Maulana Fazlullah 's banned hardline Islamic group , Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi -LRB- TNSM -RRB- which has allied itself with Taliban fighters . TNSM was once led by Sufi Mohammed , Fazlullah 's father-in-law who is leading the latest negotiations . Sufi Mohammed was released from jail last year by Pakistani authorities after he agreed to cooperate with the government . He was jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan . Fazlullah took over TNSM during Sufi Mohammed 's jail stint and vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region . Last May , Pakistan 's government announced it reached a peace deal with militants in Swat Valley . In the months that have followed , the Taliban have seized control of the region and carried out a violent campaign against government officials , including local politicians . The head of the Awami National Party -- which represents the region -- was forced to flee to Islamabad amid death threats from the Taliban . Pakistan is under enormous pressure to control the militants within its borders , blamed for launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan where U.S. and NATO forces are fighting militants . The deal with the Taliban comes on the heels of a visit by U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke , who is now meeting with leaders in neighboring India . He said he is awaiting more details of Monday 's agreement , but said it underlines the challenge of dealing with the rise of the Taliban . The United States -- using unmanned drones -- has carried out several airstrikes inside Pakistan on suspected militant targets , including one on Monday that killed at least 15 people , Pakistani sources said . Such airstrikes , which sometimes result in civilian casualties , have aggravated tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan . Pakistan 's military operation in the region is unpopular among Pakistanis , but efforts to deal diplomatically with militants have not worked in the past . Pakistan 's previous leader , Gen. Pervez Musharraf , reached a cease-fire deal with militants in South Waziristan in 2006 which was widely blamed for giving al Qaeda and Taliban a stronger foothold in the region .","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe described the U.S. government and Western nations as `` quite stupid and foolish '' Tuesday for trying to be involved in the African country 's affairs . Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has ignored international calls for him to step down . Mugabe made the comments at the funeral for a former senior soldier , just days after a top U.S. diplomat said the United States no longer supports a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his political rival , Morgan Tsvangirai , that might pave the way for economic , health and other reforms . Jendayi Frazer , U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs , said Sunday that the U.S. felt a viable unity government was not possible with Mugabe in power . At the funeral , Mugabe reacted : `` The inclusive government ... does not include Mr. Bush and his administration . It does not even know him . It has no relationship with him . Watch U.S. say Mugabe needs to go '' `` So let him keep his comments to himself . They are undeserved , irrelevant and quite stupid and foolish . Who are they to decide who should be included or should not in an inclusive government ? '' Mugabe and Tsvangirai , who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change , signed the unity deal September 15 , but Mugabe 's ZANU-PF party and the MDC have failed to implement it because they can not agree on who should control key ministries . Under the power-sharing proposal brokered by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki , Mugabe would remain president while Tsvangirai would become prime minister . Watch what options the international community has in Zimbabwe '' U.S. President George W. Bush and other leaders have urged Mugabe to step down amid a cholera epidemic that the United Nations says has killed more than 1,000 people since August . Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe 's worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Great Britain 28 years ago . The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel , electricity and medical drugs . The inflation rate -- the highest in the world -- is 231 million percent . Mugabe , referring to Bush 's call for him to leave office , said : `` We realize that these are -LSB- the -RSB- last kicks of a dying horse . We obviously -LSB- are -RSB- not going to pay attention to a sunset administration . Zimbabwe 's fate lies in the fate of Zimbabweans . They are the ones who make and unmake the leaders of the country . Their decision alone is what we go by . '' Bush leaves office January 20 . Tsvangirai announced Friday that his party will withdraw from efforts to form a unity government unless 42 kidnapped party members are released or brought to court to face formal charges by New Year 's Day .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A woman who was beheaded near Buffalo , New York -- allegedly by her husband -- may have been on the phone with her sister when she was killed . Muzzammil Hassan has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife , Aasiya Zubair Hassan . Asma Firfirey of suburban Cape Town , South Africa , told the Afrikaans newspaper Die Burger that she was on the phone with her sister , Aasiya Zubair Hassan , last week when she heard Hassan tell her husband to calm down . She said she heard Hassan say the two could talk about their impending divorce the following day . Then she heard something that sounded like her sister struggling to breathe , she said . `` I can only imagine how scared and emotional she must have been before she died , '' Firfirey said in the interview , reported in English by South Africa 's News 24 . Police have charged Hassan 's husband , Muzzammil Hassan , with second-degree , or intentional , murder in the death of his wife , according to the Erie County District Attorney 's Office . Her decapitated body was found at the offices of Bridges TV , the television network where Muzzammil Hassan was chief executive officer and Aasiya Hassan was general manager . Hassan told Orchard Park police his wife was dead , led officers to her body and was arrested Thursday , said Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III . He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday . Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz on Tuesday contradicted a CNN report that quoted him as saying Hassan confessed to the crime . A Buffalo attorney told CNN on Tuesday that he expects to represent Hassan but declined further comment , saying details had not yet been worked out . Hassan came to America from Pakistan 25 years ago and became a successful banker , but he and his wife were troubled by the negative perception of Muslims , Voice of America reported in 2004 . Speaking in December 2004 , Hassan said his wife , then pregnant , was worried about that perception and `` felt there should be an American Muslim media where her kids could grow up feeling really strong about their identity as an American Muslim . '' `` So she came up with the idea and turned to me and said , ` Why do n't you do it ? ' '' he said . `` And I was like , I have no clue about television . I 'm a banker . ... And her comment was , ` You have an MBA . Why do n't you write a business plan ? ' '' Bridges TV began as a television network for Muslim-Americans , aimed at overcoming the negative stereotypes associated with the religion . `` There should be a Muslim media , '' Muzzammil Hassan told VOA , `` so that Muslim children growing up in America grow up with the self-confidence and high self-esteem about their identity both as Americans and as Muslims . '' In the past few years , according to a former employee who asked not to be named for fear of retribution , Bridges TV transformed itself into more of a cross-cultural network seeking to bridge the gap between all cultures . Most of their employees were not Muslim , the former employee said , and Muzzammil Hassan himself was not devout . Aasiya Hassan filed for divorce February 6 , police said , and Muzzammil Hassan was served with divorce papers at the station . That night , he showed up at the couple 's home , she notified authorities and he was served with a restraining order . Police are not commenting on details of the crime , except to say the woman 's body did not appear to have been moved . They also would not divulge what Muzzammil Hassan told police or the suspected motive . The law firm representing Aasiya Hassan refused to comment , only confirming that she had filed for divorce . Benz told CNN on Tuesday that police had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple 's address , but no one was arrested . Firfirey , as well as a Pakistani woman identifying herself as another of Aasiya Hassan 's sisters , characterized her as living in fear . Firfirey said the last time she saw her sister was in May 2008 , when she visited South Africa . When she arrived , she was badly injured , and Firfirey 's family paid the equivalent of about $ 3,000 for her to be treated , she said . Aasiya Hassan returned to America , she said , because she wanted to complete her MBA degree and `` did n't want to leave her children with that monster . '' She said she calls Muzzammil Hassan `` the fat man with evil eyes . '' Aasiya Hassan would have graduated March 6 , Firfirey said . A woman in Pakistan using the name Salma Zubair posted on a blog that she is the sister of `` this brutally murdered woman . '' `` She lived her 8 years of married life with fear in heart , '' Zubair wrote . `` He had already frightened her enough that she could n't muster up her guts and leave him , and when she finally did gather that much strength he killed her so brutally . She lived to protect her children from this man and his family and she died doing so . '' She said Aasiya Hassan `` had always been a very loving person , not even one person in this world can say a small wrong word about her ... she had always dreamed a life of a happily married family , which she did her best to achieve . '' Both women said they were worried about the couple 's children , ages 4 and 6 . Firfirey said they were being cared for by a colleague of the couple . Muzzammil Hassan also has two older children from a previous marriage . Members of Muzzammil Hassan 's family did not return calls from CNN on Monday . The former employee told CNN that Aasiya Hassan was popular at the station and was very kind . Muzzammil Hassan was known among employees for having a temper -- he sometimes would yell at and demean his wife , but at other times appeared to be a loving husband and father , the former employee said . Bridges TV released a statement Monday saying its staff was `` deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Aasiya Hassan and the subsequent arrest of Muzzammil Hassan . Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victim . '' Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali , vice president of the Islamic Society of North America , said Aasiya Hassan 's death serves `` as a wake-up call to call of us , that violence against women is real and can not be ignored ... the Muslim community is not exempt from this issue . We , the Muslim community , need to take a strong stand against domestic violence . '' CNN 's Mary Snow contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Alhambra , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At first , the pool builder thought his Bobcat bulldozer struck garbage as he dug a hole in a residential backyard . After all , in the older neighborhoods of San Marino , California , people used to bury their garbage . But the plastic bag did n't contain trash . Jose Perez , operating the Bobcat with his father as a co-worker , asked his dad what was inside . His father grabbed an 18-inch piece of reinforcement bar to poke around . `` He looked inside it , and he mouthed to me that there were bones in it , '' Perez testified Wednesday in a Los Angeles County court . `` He thought it was a dog , but it did n't look like a dog . `` I told him to drop it , and he did , '' Perez continued . `` It was a human skull . '' As the prosecution witness referred to the plastic bag and the pool digging project in a photograph on a big screen in court , defendant Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter , in a blue jail jumpsuit , stared intently at the scene where prosecutors accuse him of murdering a man in 1985 . The skull was found nine years later , on May 5 , 1994 , Perez testified . The testimony was evidence that Los Angeles County prosecutors began presenting during a preliminary hearing for the German-born Gerhartsreiter , who has garnered renown for impersonating a Rockefeller and inspiring a movie about the caper . He is now accused of killing a Southern California man who has been missing since the mid-1980s . Frank Sheridan , a forensic pathologist , testified the skull suffered at least one blow to the forehead and at least two blows to the right side . The several fractures were made at or about the time of death , said Sheridan , who is also the medical examiner of San Bernardino County in California . The shape of two fractures also indicated an object with a curved surface , such as a baseball bat , was used to deliver the blows , Sheridan said under questioning by a prosecutor . `` This individual was alive when these fractures occurred , '' said Sheridan , who examined a reconstructed version of the skull . In his career , he has performed 8,000 autopsies , he said . `` There 's a lot of force involved in these blows , '' Sheridan added . `` Each one of them would have rendered the person unconscious . `` The injuries we 're talking about here would have very clearly been fatal in the absence of medical care , and they could have been fatal even with medical care , '' he said . At the pool construction site , investigators eventually found nearly the entire skeleton of a man whose height was between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 7 1\/2 inches , testified Judith Daye , a physical anthropologist who worked for the Los Angeles County 's coroner office and reviewed the bones at the site . The missing bones included a kneecap , four fingers and a few toes , a common occurrence with buried remains , `` especially the hands and feet because the bones are very small , '' Daye testified . Many discovered bones were inside clothing that was wrapped in plastic , such as the pelvis inside jeans and the upper torso bones inside a shirt , Daye testified . The preliminary hearing , to determine whether Gerhartsreiter should be bound over for trial , is expected to last six days , said Sandi Gibbons , a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney 's Office . Gerhartsreiter , 50 , is accused of killing John Sohus , who was 27 at the time of his 1985 disappearance . His mother once owned the San Marino home where the remains were found . During the Wednesday hearing , Los Angeles County Judge Jared Moses rejected a defense request that Gerhartsreiter be referred to as `` Mr. Rockefeller '' in court . The defense attorney said he and other attorneys on the team knew Gerhartsreiter as `` Mr. Rockefeller . '' But the judge said : `` I get individuals in court who have a number of akas , '' a police term meaning `` also known as , '' but `` I have never seen a circumstance in court where a person is referred to by one of his akas . '' Gerhartsreiter , who has led a life of multiple identities , has denied involvement in the Sohus case . At one point in his life , Gerhartsreiter assumed the identity of `` Clark Rockefeller , '' a cultured poseur who never seemed to have a job . A Boston tabloid dubbed him `` Crockefeller . '' A Lifetime movie , `` Who Is Clark Rockefeller ? '' starred Eric McCormack as Gerhartsreiter . Gerhartsreiter , who is being held without bail , is serving a Massachusetts sentence for kidnapping his daughter ; he was transferred from a prison in that state to California in July , authorities said . In July , one of his attorneys , Jeffrey A. Denner of Boston , said he was n't aware of any breaks in the 26-year-old Sohus case that would warrant a charge against his client . `` I was personally surprised because there was so much time , and what new evidence could have arisen ? We do n't know anything , '' Denner said in July after Gerhartsreiter 's arraignment . `` Old case , new case -- he did n't do it . We maintain his innocence . He maintains his innocence . '' Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian was the prosecutor at Wednesday 's hearing , held in Los Angeles County 's Alhambra courthouse . The case involves 9,000 pages of investigative documents and 83 CDs , DVDs and videotapes . The whereabouts of the dead man 's wife , Linda Sohus , are unknown . Except for a few postcards that appeared to have been mailed by the couple from Paris in 1985 , her friends and family have not heard from her . Gibbons said last summer that her disappearance was still under investigation . Gerhartsreiter has been serving a four - to five-year sentence in Massachusetts for kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter in 2008 . That prison term will end in mid-2012 , authorities said . Gerhartsreiter will receive credit for that Massachusetts sentence while being incarcerated in California , authorities said . Gerhartsreiter came to the United States from Germany in 1978 , according to testimony at his trial for kidnapping . After spending a few years in Connecticut , he moved to Wisconsin , where he married in a green card arrangement using his true name . Gerhartsreiter then relocated to California . He settled in San Marino , a wealthy community near Pasadena , where he lived under the name Christopher Chichester from 1983 to 1985 . He posed as a film student and boasted that he was of English royalty , according to Vanity Fair magazine , which profiled him in January 2009 and quoted several people who knew Chichester at the time . As Chichester , he rented a guest house from Ruth `` Didi '' Sohus . Her son John and his wife , Linda , came to live with Didi Sohus during the time Gerhartsreiter lived in the guest quarters . It is unclear what his relationship was with the couple . Didi Sohus told investigators she believed that her son and daughter-in-law were in Europe . She filed a missing person report in July 1985 , according to the Pasadena Star-News . Didi Sohus and one of Linda Sohus ' friends received postcards postmarked from Paris in mid-1985 , purportedly from the couple , but investigators were suspicious of their authenticity . Sohus sold the house in late 1985 after suffering a stroke . She died three years later . Through luminol testing of the guest quarters where Chichester lived , investigators found what appeared to be a large amount of blood . -LRB- Luminol causes a glow when it comes in contact with blood . -RRB- It is not clear when the luminol testing took place , but police thoroughly searched the house when the remains were found and again after Gerhartsreiter 's arrest in the kidnapping case . A former neighbor quoted by Vanity Fair reported that Chichester borrowed a chainsaw from him at about the time the couple went missing . An acquaintance , Dana Farrar , said she `` saw an area of dirt that had obviously been dug up and filled in '' at the time , according to the Pasadena Star-News . When she asked him why , Chichester told her he was having plumbing problems . Sheriff 's detectives from Los Angeles County sought Chichester for questioning in early May 1985 , but he had disappeared in a pickup truck registered to John Sohus . He resurfaced under yet another identity , that of Christopher Crowe , in Connecticut in the late 1980s . In late 1988 , Crowe tried to sell Sohus ' pickup truck to a man in Connecticut . When he could n't produce the proper paperwork for the truck , the prospective buyer reported him to police . Connecticut police soon learned that Chichester and Crowe were the same person , although at that time , no one knew that his true name was Gerhartsreiter . Crowe disappeared before police could question him . He resurfaced in Manhattan in 1993 as Clark Rockefeller . On May 5 , 1994 , the workers digging in the backyard of the San Marino home to install a swimming pool for the home 's new owners discovered the remains . It was not until 2010 that the remains were identified . The investigation heated up again when authorities learned shortly after the 2008 kidnapping that Gerhartsreiter was not Clark Rockefeller . He was arrested in Baltimore , where he was hiding out with his daughter . He had already assumed a new identity : a ship 's captain named Chip Smith who , with his daughter Muffy , was relocating to Chile . His second wife , Harvard-educated financial executive Sandra Boss , testified at the kidnapping trial that she spent more than a dozen years with him before growing suspicious that Rockefeller was not who he said he was . They met in New York and were married in Nantucket , Massachusetts . Their daughter , Reigh , was born on May 24 , 2001 , and her father nicknamed her `` Snooks . '' The couple divorced in 2007 after Boss hired a private investigator to conduct a background check , according to testimony at the kidnapping trial .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States needs a new law requiring that the president consult with Congress before going to war , a blue-ribbon panel led by two former secretaries of state said Tuesday . James Baker , left , and Warren Christopher led a panel that recommended a new War Powers Act . The current War Powers Resolution is `` ineffective , and it should be repealed and it should be replaced , '' James Baker said in a joint appearance with Warren Christopher , announcing the results of the study they led . The recommendation follows failed efforts by Democrats in Congress to put a stop to the war in Iraq or to put conditions on President Bush 's conduct of it . Congress passed a joint resolution to authorize armed force against Iraq in 2002 , but some Bush opponents say it should not have been interpreted as a blank check for the United States to invade and occupy the Persian Gulf nation . Baker , who served in George H.W. Bush 's administration , and Christopher , who served under President Bill Clinton , said their project was not prompted by any specific war , with Christopher adding that the commission had `` tried very hard not to call balls and strikes on past history here . '' `` We did n't direct this report at any particular conflict , '' Baker added . The existing law , the War Powers Resolution of 1973 , has been regarded as unconstitutional by every president since it was passed as a response to the Vietnam War , Baker and Christopher said . It requires presidents to report regularly to Congress about ongoing conflicts , but the provision has been flouted . `` No president has ever made a submission to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution since 1973 , '' former Sen. Slade Gorton , a Republican member of the committee , said Tuesday . The panel , formally called the National War Powers Commission , said a new law should be created requiring the president to consult with key members of Congress before sending troops into combat expected to last more than a week , or within three days of doing so in the case of operations that need to be kept secret . It should also make clear exactly who the president needed to consult . The panel suggests that the president talk to `` a joint Congressional committee made up of the leaders of the House and the Senate as well as the chairmen and ranking members of key committees . '' The new committee would have a permanent professional staff with access to intelligence information , Baker and Christopher said . Congress , in turn , would have to declare war or vote on a `` resolution of approval '' within 30 days , they said . If a resolution of approval failed , any member of Congress could introduce a `` resolution of disapproval , '' but it was not clear that such an act would stop a war in progress . Christopher was unable to say in the news conference what practical effect congressional disapproval would have . Baker said the commission had been in touch with the presidential campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain , as well as leaders of Congress . He declined to reveal what they thought of the proposal , but said : `` We have n't gotten a negative reaction . '' Congress has not officially declared war since 1942 , when the United States entered formal hostilities with the Axis powers in World War II . But since then , presidents have sent troops into countries including Korea , Vietnam , Grenada and Iraq . The Constitution makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces , but gives Congress the power to declare war and approve military budgets . Baker and Christopher 's group included both Republicans and Democrats and held seven meetings over 14 months .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off after inspiring Real Madrid to an incident-packed 4-2 victory at home to Almeria on Saturday night , in which he created a goal , scored one and also missed a penalty . The world 's most expensive player helped Real bounce back from last weekend 's 1-0 `` El Clasico '' defeat to Barcelona as the big-spending capital outfit came back from 2-1 down in an explosive final 20 minutes . However , unbeaten Barca stayed five points clear at the top -- having played one more match -- with a 2-1 victory at Deportivo La Coruna as Lionel Messi scored twice . Ronaldo , making his first appearance at the Bernabeu in two months following ankle problems , crossed for Sergio Ramos to head the opening goal in the 31st minute . However , Fernando Soriano leveled with a deflected shot in the 58th minute and Kalu Uche put lowly Almeria head just three minutes later as Real failed to clear a corner . The hosts equalized with 17 minutes left as Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain kept up his hot scoring run with a predatory finish after the Almeria defense did not deal with a cross from the left . With eight minutes remaining , Ronaldo went down under the challenge of the onrushing Diego Alves , but the goalkeeper saved his resulting penalty -- however , Karim Benzema followed up to smash in the rebound to put Real ahead . Ronaldo wrapped it up a minute later from Higuain 's low cross , and was booked for tearing off his shirt to pose in front of his adoring fans . The Portugal captain received his second yellow card five minutes later for kicking out at Michel , but it was not costly as Real completed a morale-boosting win ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League trip to Marseille . Barcelona , whose European title defense is still in the balance ahead of Wednesday 's trip to Dynamo Kiev , took the lead against Deportivo in the 27th minute when Messi scored with a trademark neat finish . However , Adrian leveled in the 39th minute with a header after an error by Sergi Busquets , who returned from suspension . But Messi , named Europe 's top player for 2009 during the week , put Barca ahead again with 10 minutes left from Pedro 's cross and Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed up his winner against Real by wrapping up the victory on 88 . Third-placed Sevilla again failed to keep pace with the leaders after being held 1-1 at home by mid-table Valladolid , who had a player sent off . Angola striker Manucho put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute with a glancing header from Diego Costa 's cross but five minutes later Borja Fernandez was red-carded for a lunge on Diego Perotti . Sevilla , who were held at home by Malaga last weekend , leveled with a penalty from Luis Fabiano just before halftime after Marcos brought down Jesus Navas . Brazil striker Fabiano squandered two golden second-half opportunities as Valladolid held on , meaning Valencia can move above Sevilla with victory away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday . Atletico Madrid moved further away from relegation trouble with a 2-0 victory at promoted strugglers Xerez , with star strikers Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero scoring in each half . Uruguay international Forlan put Atletico ahead in the 29th minute from a cross by Jose Antonio Reyes , while Argentina 's Aguero doubled the lead on 65 with a low shot from 12 yards .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States needs a new law requiring that the president consult with Congress before going to war , a blue-ribbon panel led by two former secretaries of state said Tuesday . James Baker , left , and Warren Christopher led a panel that recommended a new War Powers Act . The current War Powers Resolution is `` ineffective , and it should be repealed and it should be replaced , '' James Baker said in a joint appearance with Warren Christopher , announcing the results of the study they led . The recommendation follows failed efforts by Democrats in Congress to put a stop to the war in Iraq or to put conditions on President Bush 's conduct of it . Congress passed a joint resolution to authorize armed force against Iraq in 2002 , but some Bush opponents say it should not have been interpreted as a blank check for the United States to invade and occupy the Persian Gulf nation . Baker , who served in George H.W. Bush 's administration , and Christopher , who served under President Bill Clinton , said their project was not prompted by any specific war , with Christopher adding that the commission had `` tried very hard not to call balls and strikes on past history here . '' `` We did n't direct this report at any particular conflict , '' Baker added . The existing law , the War Powers Resolution of 1973 , has been regarded as unconstitutional by every president since it was passed as a response to the Vietnam War , Baker and Christopher said . It requires presidents to report regularly to Congress about ongoing conflicts , but the provision has been flouted . `` No president has ever made a submission to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution since 1973 , '' former Sen. Slade Gorton , a Republican member of the committee , said Tuesday . The panel , formally called the National War Powers Commission , said a new law should be created requiring the president to consult with key members of Congress before sending troops into combat expected to last more than a week , or within three days of doing so in the case of operations that need to be kept secret . It should also make clear exactly who the president needed to consult . The panel suggests that the president talk to '' a joint Congressional committee made up of the leaders of the House and the Senate as well as the chairmen and ranking members of key committees . '' The new committee would have a permanent professional staff with access to intelligence information , Baker and Christopher said . Congress , in turn , would have to declare war or vote on a `` resolution of approval '' within 30 days , they said . If a resolution of approval failed , any member of Congress could introduce a `` resolution of disapproval , '' but it was not clear that such an act would stop a war in progress . Christopher was unable to say in the news conference what practical effect congressional disapproval would have . Baker said the commission had been in touch with the presidential campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain , as well as leaders of Congress . He declined to reveal what they thought of the proposal , but said : `` We have n't gotten a negative reaction . '' Congress has not officially declared war since 1942 , when the United States entered formal hostilities with the Axis powers in World War II . But since then , presidents have sent troops into countries including Korea , Vietnam , Grenada and Iraq . The Constitution makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces , but gives Congress the power to declare war and approve military budgets . Baker and Christopher 's group included both Republicans and Democrats and held seven meetings over 14 months .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people turned out Saturday in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt for the funeral of politician Joerg Haider , a popular but polarizing figure who led right-wing Austrian politics for decades . Harald Scheucher , mayor of Klagenfurt , speaks in front of the coffin of Joerg Haider Saturday . Among those attending the service at the town 's central Neuen Platz square were Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer . Haider 's widow sat in the front row with her two daughters , all of them dressed in black . `` Many people expected things of Joerg Haider that they themselves were n't able to fulfill , and he too expected things of people that he was n't able to fulfill , '' Gusenbauer said at the funeral . `` Therefore his death , and the end of his life , may be a time to think about whether death 's only consolation is that we can now reconcile things that seemed irreconcilable during his lifetime . '' Haider 's coffin was draped in the yellow , red and white flag of the southern state of Carinthia , where he was governor , and topped with red roses . Haider , 58 , died last Saturday in a car accident while driving out of Klagenfurt , the state capital . He had just passed another car on a highway when his car hit a concrete post and rolled over several times , police said . His spokesman said this week that Haider was drunk at the time of the crash . Besides being Carinthia 's governor , Haider was also head of the right-wing BZO party -LRB- Alliance for the Future of Austria -RRB- , which he founded in 2005 after years with the conservative Freedom Party . Haider came to prominence in 1986 , when he became head of the Freedom Party while still in his 30s . A politician who projected youth and style , Haider appealed to many working-class Austrians , promising to cut their taxes and give money to those with children . Some older Austrians responded to his demands for strict law and order . But he drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad for his anti-immigrant stance and remarks considered anti-Semitic , and in 1991 he publicly praised Nazi Germany 's employment policy . Asked in 2000 about the statement , Haider told CNN the quote was taken from a long speech and that he never praised the Third Reich . He called the remarks a mistake and publicly denounced Nazism . But Haider continued to draw attention for his controversial remarks . They included an address to veterans of the Waffen S.S. , Adolf Hitler 's elite soldiers , in which he praised their character . The address created an uproar after it was broadcast on German television . Haider said he had simply been speaking to elderly citizens of Carinthia who included some former Waffen S.S. members . Despite the controversy , Haider said he was not racist : `` You will not find any anti-Semitic position in our party program , and you will not find any anti-Semitic speech or statement by me . '' The policies of the Freedom Party drew international attention during the elections in 1999 . Party campaign posters urged voters to stop the flood of immigration and used the term `` over-foreignization , '' the same word used by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933 to criticize what he called Jewish influence in Germany . Haider told CNN he favored restricting immigration simply because of Austria 's small size , but that he wanted to keep an open border for refugees . It was his family background , Haider said , that kept singling him out for criticism . Haider 's parents were activists in the Nazi Party long before Austrian-born Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938 . Haider 's father , Robert , volunteered for the S.A. , the notorious brown shirts who terrorized Jews and others before the war . He then served in the German army . His biographer , Melanie Sully , said Haider felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents and those in the war generation . `` He feels that what they sacrificed after the war in rebuilding Austria in very difficult circumstances needs to be honored and that they were n't all criminals , '' Sully told CNN in 2000 . Under Haider 's leadership , the Freedom Party made a strong showing in the 1999 elections , winning 27 percent of the vote and shaking up the traditional two-party system that had ruled Austria since World War II . When the two main parties in that election failed to agree on forming a government together , the Freedom Party was invited to share power . Haider retired as party leader after that but remained governor of Carinthia . When Haider formed the BZO party three years ago , he took with him a number of Freedom Party lawmakers . Haider was credited with helping the BZO make significant gains in last month 's general elections alongside the Freedom Party , though Austria 's two largest parties , the Social Democrats and the People 's Party , came out on top . The vote reflected reflected public dissatisfaction with the two largest parties as well as support for the social populism , anti-European Union and anti-immigrant rhetoric of the BZO and Freedom Party . southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt","question":""}
{"answer":"Manila , Philippines -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Philippines government has increased security in the southern region of Maguindanao after gunmen kidnapped and killed at least 22 people , according to military officials and the country 's national news agency . Some of the bodies were beheaded , according to Filipino media . The details suggest the daytime abductions were politically motivated , and the military said the gunmen were loyal to the province 's incumbent governor . Those killed include a gubernatorial candidate 's wife and one of his sisters , according to two of his family members who spoke on local television . The death toll also included at least 12 journalists , according to Reporters Without Borders , a media freedom organization . Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu wanted to run for governor of Maguindanao province in May but had received threats he would be kidnapped if he filed the candidate nomination papers himself . He sent his wife and sisters to file the papers , thinking `` that women would have some protection , '' journalist Maria Ressa told CNN . `` It was supposed to be a media event , '' Ressa said , '' -LSB- to -RSB- let the public know that this politician would run for governor . '' Army officials said 100 gunmen surrounded the group of about 40 people -- many local journalists and women among them -- and ordered them out of their vehicles . They took the hostages to a mountainous region , officials said . Some of the women were raped and tortured , according to media reports . The military confirmed finding 22 bodies , some of them reportedly beheaded . `` Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day , '' Reporters Without Borders said of the 12 journalists reported dead . The military has said the gunmen are loyal to Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan , who has held control of the area for the past decade and is a longtime ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo . Neither Ampatuan nor his advisers have commented on the allegation . Maguindanao is a province in Mindanao , a Muslim autonomous region out of the control of the central government . The Philippines government said it increased security in the region after the attacks . Jesus Dureza , an adviser to Macapagal-Arroyo , called the slayings `` a gruesome massacre of civilians unequaled in recent history . '' Dureza , Macapagal-Arroyo 's adviser on Mindanao affairs , has asked the government to place Maguindanao province under a state of emergency . Elections in the Philippines have long been marred by violence , but Monday 's abductions and killings shocked the nation . Macapagal-Arroyo condemned the killings and ordered more Filipino troops to the region to bolster security , according to the Philippines News Agency . She also ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines `` to conduct immediate and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators -LSB- and -RSB- to secure the affected areas , '' the agency reported . Military checkpoints are being set up as part of the security effort , state media reported . Aid agencies operating in the region have long complained about a climate of fear in the region , where the government has little control and private armies operate freely . Reporters Without Borders said it has been outspoken in criticizing `` the culture of impunity and violence in the Philippines , especially Mindanao . '' `` This time , the frenzied violence of thugs working for corrupt politicians has resulted in an incomprehensible bloodbath , '' the organization said . `` We call for a strong reaction from the local and national authorities . '' Journalist Maria Ressa contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Charles Wolf watched President Obama 's speech on Afghanistan , he nearly broke down in tears . He does n't have a son or daughter headed off to war . But to him , his wife of 12 years was a war casualty : She was killed on September 11 . When Obama described the attacks `` and he described how the whole world was with us , it emotionally took me right back to that moment , '' Wolf said . `` It was all I could do to keep from totally losing it . '' Wolf 's wife , Katherine , worked as an executive assistant for Marsh & McLennan on the 97th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center 's Twin Towers . She sent an e-mail just two minutes before the first plane hit . `` Her office took a direct hit by the plane , and she was vaporized . There was nothing ever found of her , '' Wolf said . It 's been eight years since the attacks of September 11 killed 2,976 people . A lot of memories have faded , Wolf said , but he still thinks of the little things : `` holding her hand , falling asleep next to her , waking up next to her , the companionship , the partnership . '' `` She was great . '' And so Wolf was glued to his television Tuesday for Obama 's speech . He wanted to hear from the president how the nation is going to finish the job in what Wolf calls `` the womb of 9\/11 . '' `` To address these issues , '' Obama said , `` it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place . We did not ask for this fight . On September 11 , 2001 , 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people . `` They struck at our military and economic nerve centers . They took the lives of innocent men , women and children without regard to their faith or race or station . Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights , they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington and killed many more . '' Those words brought it all home : the memories of his wife with the beautiful smile and short-cropped red hair . `` I was biting my lip , '' he said . That said , Wolf is critical of the president 's strategy , mostly his announcement to begin withdrawing the American contingent in July 2011 . `` That is a tactical and strategic mistake , '' he said . `` If you 're playing chess , do you tell your opponent your next move ? `` To broadcast that for the sake of politics , to me , that is very wrong . '' And so he was divided : pleased about the renewed commitment to the Afghanistan war but upset by the planned pullout date . iReport : Share your views on Afghanistan Veteran New York firefighter Lee Ielpi lost his son , Jonathan , a fellow firefighter , on September 11 . `` I support President Obama 's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan and the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban , '' he said . A combat veteran of Vietnam , Ielpi added , `` The president and Congress need to ensure America has a clear strategy for our military in order to not repeat the strategic mistakes of Vietnam . I also strongly believe our country needs to do more to support returning veterans . '' The office of Joe Daniels overlooks ground zero , an every-day reminder of what happened on September 11 , 2001 . He was standing outside the Twin Towers when they were hit . Daniels is now the president of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum , charged with the monumental task of building a living tribute to those who perished that day . `` In the aftermath of 9\/11 , there were a lot of citizens who signed up to do what they felt was a patriotic duty to respond to what happened , and many of them went to Afghanistan , '' Daniels said . `` So I think it 's important that we do n't forget that the history of 9\/11 is still being written . There are still a lot of important things that have to be done in Afghanistan . '' He added , `` After the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center , we lapsed into complacency . And to have a focus on finishing what needs to be done , I think , is important . We ca n't fall back into that sense of isolation and complacency . '' Wolf agreed . By returning in force to Afghanistan , he said , `` We are going in now to keep ourselves from being attacked again . `` This is not a war of choice , '' Wolf said . `` This is a war of necessity . '' He hopes the American people understand that . It 's why he can hardly speak when he sees U.S. soldiers in uniform . `` I am so grateful of the fact that they will lay their lives on the line for us , '' he said . For military families who will soon send their loved ones off to Afghanistan , Wolf said , `` Thank you . It 's all you can say . Thank you for making the decision to do it . Thank you for loving your country . '' `` I just ask every person out there if it was your wife who went to work one day and never came home , '' he said , `` would you do anything to make sure it does n't happen again ? '' Wolf paused at the end of the conversation and said simply : `` We have to remember 9\/11 . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tareq Salahi is `` greatly hurt and disturbed '' by wife 's `` adulterous affair '' with a rock musician and he wants a divorce , according to court documents . `` Real Housewives of D.C. '' star Michaele Salahi left her husband last week to join Journey guitarist Neal Schon on tour , which Tareq Salahi said `` caused me to suffer great harm , humiliation , and embarrassment . '' She `` was engaged in an adulterous relationship with one Neal Schon , her paramour , '' the divorce petition said . `` I also understand that his rock band Journey paid for her travel , accommodations and other expenses . '' The Salahis ' split became public last Wednesday when Tareq Salahi told reporters that he thought his wife had been kidnapped when she disappeared on Tuesday . She told a sheriff 's deputy that she was `` with a good friend and was where she wanted to be , '' Warren County , Virginia , Sheriff Danny McEathron said in a statement to CNN Wednesday afternoon . The reality show personality traveled last Tuesday to Memphis , Tennessee , where Journey was performing , to be with Schon , a representative with Scoop Marketing confirmed to CNN Wednesday . Scoop Marketing represents Schon . `` She stated that she was not returning home and had thus abandoned the marriage and marital home , '' his divorce petition said . But what really hurts about his wife 's `` adulterous friendship '' is that she `` has flaunted the same throughout the community , the nation and indeed the world , and thus caused me to suffer great harm , humiliation , and embarrassment , '' his court filing said . An e-mail Salahi said was sent to him from Schon 's e-mail address was included in the filing . It contained a photo of an unidentified penis , he said . `` At no time whatsoever have I condoned or acquiesced to the adulterous affair , '' Tareq Salahi said . `` There is no hope or possibility of reconciliation , '' he said . The couple , married for nearly eight years , has no children . They gained notoriety when they were photographed with President Barack Obama at a White House state dinner , to which they were not invited , in November 2009 . The `` Real Housewives of D.C. '' TV series was canceled by Bravo earlier this year . CNN 's Rachel Wells contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The family of Michael Jackson has been told by state officials that it may be possible to bury the singer at Neverland Ranch -- if the county gives the green light . Santa Barbara County says it has n't yet been contacted about burying Michael Jackson at Neverland . Officials with Santa Barbara County , the site of the ranch , said Thursday that they have not yet been approached , and it was not clear whether the family had decided to pursue that option . A lawyer from the Jackson family contacted state officials recently about possibly burying Jackson at the ranch that was his home for almost two decades , said Amanda Fulkerson of California 's State and Consumer Services Agency . To bury someone on private land in California is a two-step process . First , a certificate of authority is needed from the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau -- easily obtainable by filling out a two-page application and paying $ 400 . Next , the family needs approval from the county . No one from the Jackson camp has contacted county authorities yet , said county spokesman William Boyer . `` We have had no formal application either from the Jackson family or from the property owner , '' said Boyer , the communications director for the county . `` At that point , we would review the application and make a determination . '' Boyer said Santa Barbara county has never been approached about burial on private land . California has had burials outside cemeteries , most notably that of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan at his presidential library in Ventura County 's Simi Valley . Jackson 's brother Jermaine said he 'd like to see the singer buried at the ranch . But their father , Joe Jackson , said he opposes the site . The rest of the family has expressed no preference about Jackson 's final resting place . Michael Jackson died June 25 of a cardiac arrest . The exact cause of death is pending toxicology results . Jackson purchased the Neverland Ranch -- named for the fictional world in J.M. Barrie 's `` Peter Pan '' -- in 1987 and filled it with animals and amusement rides . Billionaire Tom Barrack Jr. gained control of the ranch through his company last year as part of a process to alleviate the singer 's debts , believed to be in the millions . Soon after Jackson 's death , Barrack said the property 's future would be discussed at a later time .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : Taresh Moore is a student at Winston Salem State University in North Carolina . The 21-year-old senior traveled to Washington , D.C. , to attend the inauguration . Alfred Bouey is a World War II veteran and a grandson of slaves . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Alfred Bouey , an 84-year-old African-American , still remembers the stories from his grandfather about the scars on his body from the beatings he took as a slave in the South . Bouey , of Oak Park , Illinois , attended Tuesday 's inauguration of President Obama . Words ca n't express his excitement and happiness about witnessing history . A World War II veteran , he never thought he would live to see a black president in America . Bouey grew up in Arkansas and saw racism firsthand . He witnessed his mother being mistreated by whites in the South , but he never saw her give up . He eventually left Arkansas for Chicago . Bouey attended the inauguration after winning Brookdale Senior Living 's Experiences of a Lifetime contest . Residents at various Brookdale Senior Living communities nationwide shared their experiences and submitted their wishes as part of the contest . Bouey shared his story and said he 'd like to be there when Obama was sworn in . `` My grandfather and grandmother were whipped and beaten , and had the scars to prove it , '' he said . With CNN.com 's help , Taresh Moore spoke with Bouey about the inauguration ceremony . Below is a transcript of their interview . Moore : How are you today ? Bouey : I 'm great . I could n't feel any better right now . Moore : How did it feel to take part in this historic inauguration ? Bouey : It felt very great . I ca n't find any words to express my happiness . I am speechless and full of joy . Moore : What will you remember most about the inauguration ? Bouey : I will remember that I was actually there . I lived to see this historic event . I 'm 84 , and I had the chance to witness this . Not too many people had that opportunity , and I am honored . Moore : How did you feel when you found out that you and your family were going to Washington , D.C. , to take part in the inauguration ? Bouey : I was happy . At first when I was asked to take part in the survey , I did n't mind sharing my story because I had many stories to share . When I found out I had the opportunity to go , I was very grateful . I could n't wait to get here . Moore : Did you ever believe you would live to see an African-American president in your lifetime ? Bouey : No . I never thought I would live to see one . Growing up , my mother wanted me and my brother and sister to get an education . And we all did . An education will take you far , and we see that it did for our new president and for me . But I 'm glad I lived to see this . It 's a wonderful experience , and I am very proud of it ! Moore : How was it growing up in the South ? Bouey : I was born in Philadelphia and moved to Arkansas at the age of 1 . Growing up , everything was segregated -- in the schools , restaurants and just everywhere . Blacks could n't do this and we could n't do that . I came to the point where I got tired of it all in the South and just moved away . I moved to Chicago on June 2 , 1946 . Moore : Was it better in Chicago ? Bouey : Yes , a lot better . Better opportunities for blacks . Moore : You have lived a life that has seen the scars on the body of a former slave , who was your grandfather , to seeing America 's first African-American president all in one lifetime . How does that make you feel ? Bouey : I feel that America has come a long way . And I mean a very long way . My grandfather had scars from slavery . My mother was n't a slave , but she still was beaten in the cotton fields . Beatings did n't stop for some years after slavery . But there are no slaves now . It shows the great progress this country has made . Moore : How do you think your grandparents and mother would feel to see the first African-American president ? Bouey : I believe it would mean more to them than it means to me because of how they were treated and the hard work they put in . This would be like their reward for all of the work and suffering they endured . Others , like Martin Luther King , who I marched with , would be very happy as well . Moore : How did you feel when President Obama was first elected ? Bouey : Well , I had tears of joy on Election Night . I cried . They almost had to mop up the floor due to all of the tears that came out of my eyes . It was just a great feeling . Moore : How do you feel about President Obama and the future of America ? Bouey : I feel that America is headed in the right direction . The youth are our future , and the youth in the African-American community has a great example of a role model to look up to . Any youth from any race can look to President Obama . They do n't have to sell drugs or other bad things . Be like Obama , get an education and succeed in life . Moore : Millions of people of all races filled Washington this weekend to witness history . Of those people , many white Americans filled the city to see a black man being sworn in as president . How does that make you feel ? Bouey : I feel happy . It shows change . It 's good to see the white Americans appreciate and show love to the new president . And it 's good to see everyone come together for a special occasion . We 're all equal , no matter what color your skin is . Moore : If you could say anything to President Obama , what would it be ? Bouey : I would say job well done . Our prayers are with you . Keep your faith in God , and he 'll keep you .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manchester City may have announced losses of more than $ 300 million for last season , but the English club 's massive investment in players is paying off on the pitch . Roberto Mancini 's men remained five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday after ending the unbeaten run of third-placed Newcastle with a 3-1 home victory . That briefly put City eight points clear , but second-placed defending champions Manchester United stayed in touch with a 1-0 win at Swansea in the late kickoff , halting the Welsh side 's unbeaten home record . While City 's record deficit casts doubt over the club 's ability to adhere to UEFA 's financial fairplay rules , Saturday 's win -- the 11th in 12 rounds -- was a timely tune-up for the midweek trip to Italy . Mario Balotelli coolly sidefooted in a 41st-minute penalty after Ryan Taylor handled the ball , then the Newcastle fullback 's error allowed City defender Micah Richards to double the lead before halftime . Sergio Aguero came off the bench to net a 72nd-minute penalty after Richards was fouled by Hatem Ben Arfa , having also scored for Argentina in Tuesday 's World Cup qualifying win against Colombia . Dan Gosling scored a late consolation for the Magpies , who will lose third place on goal difference if Chelsea win at home to seventh-placed Liverpool on Sunday . Tottenham , in fifth with two games in hand , can also move onto 25 points with victory against visiting Aston Villa on Monday . City 's focus is now Tuesday 's Champions League trip to Napoli , which will have a big bearing on the club 's hopes of progressing to the knockout stage of Europe 's top competition . `` The feeling is good for Napoli . The team has improved a lot in the Champions League , '' Mancini said . `` But I know what we will find in Naples , they are playing very well at home . `` If we want to win there , then we will have to play better than this afternoon . '' Manchester United will also need to improve at home to Portuguese side Benfica on Tuesday after battling to beat promoted Swansea , with striker Javier Hernandez scoring a close-range winner in the 11th minute after a low cross by veteran Ryan Giggs . `` They have a great home record so we had to make sure we defended well , and I think we did that , '' manager Alex Ferguson said . `` We maybe should have done better with the chances we did get on the counter-attack and near the end we could have had a couple of chances , but it was a good result . '' Arsenal moved up to sixth , also on 22 points but having played two more matches than London rivals Spurs , after winning 2-1 at promoted Norwich , who dropped to 11th . Dutch striker Robin Van Persie continued his hot scoring run with a double that took him to a league-leading 13 this season after Steve Morison gave Norwich a 16th-minute advantage following poor defending by Germany international Per Mertesacker . Queens Park Rangers moved up to ninth with a 3-2 win at Stoke , as striker Heidar Helguson scored twice before the home side were denied a late penalty chance to equalize when Joey Barton brought down Robert Huth but no foul was given . West Brom claimed 10th place with a 2-1 win that left Bolton in the bottom three , while Everton moved up to 12th after beating visiting Wolverhampton by the same score . Sunderland and Fulham joined Wolves on 11 points after a 0-0 draw , with all three clubs hovering hovering above the relegation zone . The bottom two teams Wigan and Blackburn Rovers drew 3-3 in a fiery derby that ended with Yakubu leveling with a penalty nine minutes into time added on . It was the Nigerian striker 's second goal of the day for 10-man Blackburn , having netted the opener after only 68 seconds -- his 100th in the English league . Rovers had David Dunn sent off for a second yellow card three minutes after the break , but Junior Hoilett made it 2-2 on the hour despite teammate Morten Gamst Pedersen appearing to pass the ball to himself from a corner .","question":""}
{"answer":"UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The rift between Russia and Western powers over Georgia burst back into full view on the U.N. Security Council when Russia vetoed a resolution that would have extended the U.N. observer mission in Georgia . The observer force had been in existence since 1993 , but Russia claims that the mission was invalidated by last year 's conflict over breakaway regions in Georgia . `` The U.N. mission 's previous mandate has actually ceased to exist in the wake of Georgia 's aggression against South Ossetia last August , '' said Vitaly Churkin , Russia 's U.N. ambassador , who said it was `` unacceptable '' to extend the mission . After the veto Monday night , a statement from the office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. would `` take all measures required to cease the operations of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia effective 16 June . '' Ban `` will consult with his senior advisors and his special representative on the immediate next steps , '' the statement said . Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last August over the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- the first time Russia sent troops abroad in anger since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 . Both sides blame the other for starting the conflict . Western powers , including the United States , the United Kingdom and France backed the Georgian government in a conflict that rekindled Cold War sentiments . The European Union launched a probe to determine how the war began that is due to be completed by the end of next month . The crux of the controversy remains Georgia 's territorial integrity . As a result of last year 's war , Russia now considers South Ossetia and Abkhazia sovereign nations independent from Georgia . Russia has no international support for that position aside from the nation of Nicaragua . The Georgian ambassador to the United Nations , Kakha Lomaia , addressed the Security Council following the vote , saying his nation deeply regrets the apparent end of the mission . He called Russia 's position `` unconstructive . '' The statement from Ban 's office added , `` the Secretary-General regrets that the Security Council has been unable to reach agreement on the basis of a package of practical and realistic proposals he submitted to the Security Council aimed at contributing to a stabilization of the situation on the ground . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 15-year-old boy who was burned over 65 percent of his body in October , allegedly by a group of teenagers he knew , has been readmitted to a Miami hospital after he had trouble breathing , a hospital spokeswoman said Monday . Michael Brewer `` had complications with his breathing and is now back in the ICU , '' said Lorraine Nelson , spokeswoman for Jackson Memorial Hospital . Brewer was admitted to Jackson Memorial 's Holtz Children 's Hospital on Sunday night and is in serious condition , she said . It was not known whether Brewer 's condition was related to his severe burns . He was released from Jackson Memorial 's burn unit December 22 , more than two months after the October 12 incident . `` He had been doing very well . He had been going to physical therapy and doing well , but things happen , '' Nelson told CNN . At the time he was discharged from the burn unit , Dr. Louis Pizano , associate director of the burn center , told reporters , `` From what happened in the beginning , we would have predicted probably six months , at least , in the hospital . And it is miraculous . '' Brewer had three skin graft surgeries during his stay in the burn unit and was on a ventilator for almost the entire first month . Three teenagers have been charged as adults with attempted murder in connection with the incident . Detectives said eyewitnesses told them that 16-year-old Jesus Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Denver Jarvis , 15 , allegedly poured alcohol over him , and that Matthew Bent , also 15 , allegedly encouraged the attack . Detectives said Mendez admitted that he set Brewer on fire and that he made a `` bad decision , '' according to an arrest transcript . The three face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted . Two other boys who were allegedly involved , a 13-year-old and 15-year-old , have not been charged in the attack . A court-appointed psychologist who examined two of the five boys allegedly involved in the attack told CNN they are competent to proceed and assist their attorney . Detectives believe that Brewer owed Bent $ 40 for a video game . When Brewer did not pay , police said , Bent stole Brewer 's father 's bicycle , then was arrested when Brewer reported him to the police . The next day , police believe , the group sought out Brewer . Witnesses reported the group called him `` a snitch '' as they set him on fire . Witnesses have said Brewer jumped into a pool to put out the flames .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It feels like it went by in the blink of an eye . Tai Shan , the giant panda cub so many people have come to know and love , is about to board a flight to China . `` It 's very bittersweet . We love him . We love having him here , '' said Erika Bauer , curator at the National Zoo in Washington . Tai Shan was born in the nation 's capital , so you can confidently call him a Washingtonian . But he is to be sent to China , under an agreement between the two nations , to help replenish the endangered species ' numbers in the wild . At 4 1\/2 years old , Tai Shan is more of a panda adolescent than a cub , but to Tai Shan fans , he will always be their baby . `` We watched him as he grew up and it 's kind of sad to see him go , '' said Kathleen Ryland of Highland , Maryland . Ryland brought her two children to say their goodbyes to Tai Shan at a farewell party at the National Zoo Saturday . Despite the snow falling on the panda exhibit , there were plenty of warm and fuzzy feelings about Tai Shan . `` He 's so cute . I 'll miss him , '' said Claire Ryland , 7 . It 's often said that a visit to Washington is not complete without a stop at the zoo to see Tai Shan . Over the years , some have even gone as far to say that Tai Shan was Washington 's No. 1 resident -- even getting top billing over the president . Tai Shan will leave for China on Thursday via the `` FedEx Panda Express . '' He 'll be joined by Mei Lan - a 3-year-old panda born at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia . Eventually , they will take part in a breeding program aimed at increasing the panda population . Giant pandas are currently on the endangered list . The National Zoo estimates that about 1,600 giant pandas are currently in the wild . Bauer says that 's all the more reason to say goodbye to Tai Shan . `` It 's very important to get Tai Shan into the breeding population to help conserve the species in general . This is a very good day for him , '' she said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amnesty International has accused Hamas militants in Gaza of kidnapping , killing and torturing fellow Palestinians they accuse of spying for Israel , the organization announced Tuesday . Hamas supporters stand on the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli strike that killed Hamas ' interior minister . According to Amnesty International , at least 24 Palestinian men -- most of them civilians -- were shot and killed by Hamas gunmen during the recent Israeli offensive aimed at crippling the Hamas leadership in Gaza . `` Scores of others have been shot in the legs , kneecapped or inflicted with other injuries intended to cause permanent disability , '' the human rights organization said in a news release . Hamas leaders have publicly accused followers of its rival Palestinian political faction , Fatah , of spying for the Israelis during the conflict , and they have said many have been arrested for collaborating with the Jewish state . But they deny ordering any reprisal attacks against suspected spies , instead blaming rogue elements . The Israeli military offensive in Gaza was launched at the end of December and ended three weeks later , when Israeli forces withdrew under the terms of a cease-fire agreement . Amnesty said that the targets of `` Hamas ' deadly campaign '' include prisoners who escaped from Gaza 's central prison when Israeli forces bombed it in the initial days of the military conflict . Some prisoners injured in the Israeli bombing were `` shot dead in the hospitals where they were receiving treatment , '' Amnesty said . `` The perpetrators of these attacks did not conceal their weapons or keep a low profile , but , on the contrary , behaved in a carefree and confident -- almost ostentatious -- manner , '' it said . Other targets included former members of Palestinian Authority security forces and supporters of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ' Fatah party . Fatah , which is based in the West Bank , has denied spying on Hamas . Fatah leaders have accused Hamas of rounding up at least 175 of their members in Gaza during the Israeli war and torturing them . The two Palestinian factions have been locked in a power struggle since Hamas won parliamentary elections in January 2006 and wrested Gaza from Fatah in violent clashes the following year . Abbas is a U.S. ally and regularly negotiates with Israel as the Palestinian leader , but he holds little sway in Gaza . Fatah supporters have been accused of helping the Israeli military conduct its campaign in Gaza , which targeted the Hamas leadership . Neighbors of Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam said they suspected Fatah supporters helped Israel pinpoint his location when they bombed his house on January 15 . Siam was highest-ranking Hamas member killed in the Israeli offensive . Most of those suspected of spying for Israel have been abducted from their homes and then `` dumped -- dead or injured -- in isolated areas , '' according to Amnesty International . During the Gaza conflict , medical officials at Gaza City 's main medical facility , Shifa Hospital , said injuries they witnessed were consistent with people being shot in the kneecaps , elbows , hands or feet . Punishment shootings are a time-tested tactic used worldwide by guerrilla and militia groups , from Che Guevara in Cuba to the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland . They are meant not only to take revenge but also to send a message to others . Two self-described Fatah loyalists were found heavily bandaged at a Gaza City safe house during the recent conflict . One of their colleagues refused to say where or why they were injured , but they denied spying . `` They shot him at close range with a pistol , '' he said of one man . `` His bones are shattered . They shot him point-blank in the foot . ... This was done by Hamas people . '' The other man , he said , was struck on his legs with a metal construction bar . `` Four people were beating him , '' he said . A Hamas security source told CNN the shootings occurred because renegade gunmen took the law into their own hands . Ehad al-Ghossain , Hamas ' Interior Ministry spokesman , said there was no official order within Hamas to carry out such shootings . `` That 's not us , '' al-Ghossain said . `` Maybe some families who had problems in the past just wanted to shoot these people . '' CNN 's Karl Penhaul contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"Las Vegas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tuesday night was fight night in Las Vegas . Seven Republican presidential candidates clashed sharply over issues such as illegal immigration , taxes and health care at a presidential debate in Nevada sponsored by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference . But it was the three Republican front-runners -- former Godfather 's Pizza executive Herman Cain , former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov Rick Perry -- who came under frequent attack . The long-standing bad blood between Romney and Perry boiled over in the debate 's first hour as the two GOP heavyweights traded harsh accusations and showed flashes of anger . Romney laughed in Perry 's face when the Texan criticized his rival for hiring illegal immigrants to work on his lawn , a controversy uncovered by The Boston Globe during Romney 's first presidential bid in 2008 . `` Mitt , you lose all of your standing , from my perspective , because you hired illegals in your home , and you knew about it for a year , '' Perry said , turning straight to Romney . `` And the idea that you stand here before us and talk about that you 're strong on immigration is on its face the height of hypocrisy . '' GOP debate takes negative turn When Romney tried to respond , Perry refused to let him answer . `` You get 30 seconds , '' Romney said , looking to moderator Anderson Cooper . `` This is the way the rules work here , is that I get 60 seconds and then you get 30 seconds to respond . Right ? Anderson ? '' Perry interrupted : `` And they want to hear you say that you knew you had illegals working at your ... '' `` Would you please wait ? '' a frustrated Romney shot back . `` Are you just going to keep talking ? '' `` Yes , sir , '' Perry said . An exasperated Romney tried to rise above the squabble . `` You have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking , '' Romney said . `` And I suggest that if you want to become president of the United States , you have got to let both people speak . So first , let me speak . '' Romney fired back that Perry failed to secure the Texas border and again raised questions about his support for a law that granted in-state college tuition to the children of illegal immigrants . `` Texas has had 60 % increase in illegal immigrants in Texas , '' Romney charged . `` If there 's someone who has a record as governor with regards to illegal immigration that does n't stand up to muster , it 's you , not me . '' iReport : Give us your take on the candidates Perry 's debate performance was , by far , his feistiest to date . After surging to the top of Republican polls on joining the presidential race in August , Perry saw his standing slip among GOP voters after a series of lackluster debate showings . But it was not clear as the debate concluded Tuesday whether Perry 's aggressive tack would hurt him or help him . A seemingly Romney-friendly audience in Las Vegas booed when Perry turned up the heat , and after the debate , one of Romney 's senior advisers claimed that Perry only hurt himself by going so negative . `` Rick Perry came in to kill Mitt , but he killed himself , '' Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said in the post-debate spin room . Ray Sullivan , Perry 's communications director , claimed victory and called Romney a `` slick guy '' who will `` change positions on a dime . '' `` He is back to running again , '' Sullivan said of Perry . `` This is a campaign that is in for the long haul . '' Cain , meanwhile , was at the center of a pile-on as the debate began . His GOP rivals took turns picking apart his `` 9-9-9 '' plan to reform the United States tax code . The plan would throw out the current tax system and implement a 9 % corporate income tax rate , a 9 % income tax rate and a 9 % national sales tax . Truth Squad : Fact checking the GOP debate The other six Republicans on stage -- who have watched Cain soar to the top of the polls in recent weeks thanks to his straightforward message and outsider image -- were united in calling the tax plan simplistic and risky . `` There are much more complexities than Herman lets on , '' said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich . Texas Rep. Ron Paul called the plan `` dangerous '' and said it would increase taxes on low-income citizens . Perry told Cain that voters `` are not interested in 9-9-9 ; what they are interested in is flatter and fairer . '' `` I will bump plans with you , brother , and we will see who has the best idea about getting this country working again , '' Perry said . `` It 's not going to fly . '' Romney said Cain 's plan would add federal taxes on top of state taxes . Cain said his plan would not raise taxes on poor people and said his opponents were misrepresenting his plan . `` The reason my plan is being attacked so much is the lobbyists accountants and politicians . They do n't want to throw out current tax code and replace with something that 's simple and fair , '' Cain responded . The former businessman also stumbled when the debate turned to topics like immigration and foreign policy . Just hours after telling CNN 's Wolf Blitzer that he would consider negotiating a prisoner swap with al Qaeda , Cain denied that he had said any such thing . He changed his answer after the debate in a follow-up interview with Cooper and said he would not negotiate with terrorists . `` I misspoke , '' Cain said . `` Because I did n't , you know , things are moving so fast , I misspoke . I would not do that . I simply would not do that . '' They were joined on the stage in Las Vegas by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann , who also attacked the Cain plan . Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman chose to boycott the debate because of a dispute between Nevada and New Hampshire over the GOP primary calendar . Huntsman is staking his campaign on a win in New Hampshire and held a town hall there Tuesday night instead . That left more time for the rest of the field to make their cases -- and to take aim at the front-runners . Santorum called into doubt Romney 's credibility on the matter of repealing President Barack Obama 's health care plan because Romney passed a similar plan in Massachusetts . `` You just do n't have credibility , Mitt , when it comes to repealing Obamacare , '' Santorum said . `` You are -- you are -- your plan was the basis for Obamacare . Your consultants helped Obama craft Obamacare . And to say that you 're going to repeal it , you just -- you have no track record on that that -- that we can trust you that you 're going to do that . '' The exchange rapidly descended into a shouting match as Santorum refused to let Romney respond . Eventually , Romney said he would `` absolutely not '' impose his Massachusetts plan on the rest of the country . Bachmann , meanwhile , took aim at the Cain tax plan and said it would create a de facto value added tax . But she repeatedly tried to refocus the debate on Obama instead of her GOP opponents . `` We need to repeal Obamacare , repeal the Jobs and Housing Destruction Act known as Dodd-Frank , '' she said . `` President Obama 's plan has been a plan for destruction for this economy and failure . I plan to change that . '' The candidates were also asked about Robert Jeffress , the controversial Baptist pastor and Perry supporter who recently said the Jesus Christ Church of Latter-day Saints is a `` cult . '' They seemed to agree that while a candidate 's religion is a legitimate topic in a campaign , the freedom to worship as one chooses is enshrined in the Constitution . `` The concept that we select people based on the church or the synagogue they go to , I think , is a very dangerous and enormous departure from the principles of our Constitution , '' Romney said . Perry , asked if he would repudiate the Jeffress comments , said he already had . `` I said I did not agree with Pastor Jeffress ' remarks , '' he said . `` I do n't agree with them . I ca n't apologize any more than that . '' Romney accepted the answer . `` That 's fine , '' he said . CNN 's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rwandan troops have crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare for a joint operation with Congolese forces against a Hutu militia , the United Nations said . At least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in Rwanda in 1994 . `` We can tell you there are Rwandan soldiers here , but I can not confirm the numbers , '' said Madnodje Mounoubai , spokesman for the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo . The Rwandans will team up `` with the Congolese forces , '' he said Wednesday . `` The Rwandan forces are in a meeting with Congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the FDLR , '' or the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda . The Rwanda News Agency reported that Rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers . Rwanda and Congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern Congo . The struggle pits ethnic Tutsis , supported by Rwanda , against ethnic Hutu , backed by Congo . The conflict is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s , when hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority Tutsi and majority Hutu . According to a statement issued last week by the Rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the FDLR and former members of the Interhamwe militia , `` remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against Tutsis . '' Michael Arunga , a Kenya-based spokesman for the World Vision aid organization , said his colleagues in Goma -- a city in eastern Congo -- told him that Rwandan troops arrived Tuesday morning in the village of Ishsha , outside of Goma . Arunga said he had no knowledge of Rwandan troops being in Congo before . A U.N. statement said the FDLR has been involved in clashes since late August mainly in North Kivu , `` where the national army , the mainly Tutsi militia -- known as the CNDP -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . '' See photos from Mia Farrow 's trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo \u00c2 '' A report by a U.N. Security Council panel last month said Rwanda and Congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern Congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . The report , filed by a panel of U.N. experts , `` found evidence that Rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the Rwanda Defense Forces '' into Congo in support of Congo rebel leader Laurent Nkunda 's fighters . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An advisory panel is recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza . One expert says that based on current knowledge , N95 respirators offer health workers the best protection . The Institute of Medicine said Thursday , in recommendations requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , that loose paper masks are inadequate because the workers could still breathe in the virus . Instead , health workers should switch to N95 respirators that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth . If properly fitted and worn correctly , N95 respirators filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers , which is smaller than influenza viruses , the report notes . The institute provides independent , evidence-based advice to policymakers , health professionals , private entities and the public . It is one of four groups that make up the National Academies . The study released Thursday was requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration . `` Scientists do not know to what extent flu viruses spread through the air or whether infection requires physical contact with contaminated fluids or surfaces , '' a summary of the report says . It calls for `` a boost in research to answer these questions and to design and develop better protective equipment that would enhance workers ' comfort , safety and ability to do their jobs . '' `` Based on what we currently know about influenza , well-fitted N95 respirators offer health care workers the best protection against inhalation of viral particles , '' said committee chairman Kenneth Shine , executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas in Austin . He is a former president of the institute . `` But there is a lot we still do n't know about these viruses , and it would be a mistake for anyone to rely on respirators alone as some sort of magic shield . '' Health care workers should use several strategies to guard against infection , such as innovative triage processes , washing hands , disinfecting , wearing gloves , getting vaccinated and using antiviral drugs , Shine said . The institute was asked specifically to evaluate personal protective equipment designed to guard against respiratory infection , and therefore the committee focused on the efficacy of medical masks and respirators .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After two years of denial about the European periphery 's solvency problem , European policymakers are finally , grudgingly , facing reality . They are recognizing that Greece is almost certain to default by year-end . And they have concluded that it is imperative to recapitalize Europe 's banks and to erect an effective `` firewall '' around Spain and Italy to reassure markets that if Greece defaults , the crisis will be contained there . But it remains to be seen whether this recognition will be translated into credible and effective measures by the time of the scheduled November 3 G-20 Summit . If past performance is any guide , one has to wonder whether this will be yet another doleful instance of domestic political constraints , especially in Germany and France , resulting in a `` too little too late '' European policy response to an ever deepening crisis . How deep ? Greece 's International Monetary Fund adjustment program is in tatters . The IMF itself is now acknowledging that Greece 's economy , which has already contracted by around 12 % since 2009 , will contract meaningfully further in 2012 . And the IMF is also recognizing that Greece will not meet the IMF 's budget targets for 2011 and 2012 . As a result , Greece 's public-debt-to-GDP level will soon rise to 172 % , or more than twice the level that might be considered manageable . As if to underline how unsustainable is the Greek situation , in the midst of the deepest of domestic recessions , the Greek government is now being required by the IMF to undertake further painful fiscal adjustment measures to meet its ever elusive budget deficit targets . Not only is the IMF insisting that Greece introduce an unpopular property tax , but it is also asking a Pan-Hellenic Socialist , or PASOK , government whose very existence depends on public sector patronage , to cut public wages and to reduce public employment . Little wonder that social and political tensions in Greece are now on the boil . The IMF is acknowledging that the Greek government will need more funding to finance its 2012 budget deficit . This is inducing the IMF to seek substantially greater debt reduction from Greece 's bank creditors through the `` voluntary '' debt exchange . As might be expected , the banks are resisting the IMF 's proposal , and this could complicate the IMF finalizing its intended program review by mid-November . Mindful of the 2008-2009 Lehman experience , European policymakers are fully aware that a Greek default could cause real contagion to the rest of the European periphery . They are particularly fearful that a Greek default could engulf Spain and Italy , Europe 's third and fourth largest economies respectively , which would pose an existential threat to the Euro . But despite these perceived risks , and reflecting domestic political constraints from electorates opposed to further bailouts , European policymakers seem to be in no rush to put a credible firewall in place . In particular , they have yet to come up with a concrete proposal to leverage up the European Financial Stability Facility -- the euro zone 's temporary bailout fund -- from its present size of EUR 440 billion -LRB- $ 600 billion -RRB- to the EUR 2 trillion range -LRB- $ 2.8 trillion -RRB- , that most market analysts think would be needed to shield Spain and Italy from the fallout of a hard Greek default . And responding to increased banking sector strains that both the IMF and the European Central Bank fear could tip Europe back into recession , European policymakers are proposing a coordinated European effort to recapitalize the European banking system . However , they have yet to come up with concrete proposals as to how they will increase the European banking system 's capital by the EUR 200 billion -LRB- $ 267 billion -RRB- that the IMF estimates would be necessary to put Europe 's banks back on a sound footing . Public differences between the French and the German governments on who should pay for the bank recapitalization are not encouraging . The late MIT economics professor Rudi Dornbusch famously said that in economics things take longer to happen than you think they will , and then they happen faster than you thought they could . Hopefully , European policymakers will now recognize that in Greece we are all too likely to be in `` the faster than you thought they could '' phase of the crisis . For if they do , we might dare to hope that they will act expeditiously in constructing an effective firewall -- recapitalizing their banks in a manner that will spare us from a Lehman-style crisis when Greece defaults . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Desmond Lachman .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of Pakistan 's ruling coalition announced Thursday that the government will move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf . President Pervez Musharraf took control of Pakistan in a military coup in 1999 . `` The coalition reaffirmed the resolve of democracy and democratic forces will work jointly to make a transition to genuine democracy , '' the head of Pakistan People 's Party Asif Ali Zardari said , reading a joint communique with his coalition partners . Before pursuing impeachment proceedings , Pakistani lawmakers will demand Musharraf take a vote of confidence in the newly elected parliament , which he had vowed to do last year , Zardari said . `` The people of Pakistan gave a clear mandate in favor of democracy and democratic forces and voted for the change to oust Gen. Musharraf by defeating his ... party , '' Zardari added . `` In spite of his clear commitment that if his party was defeated in the election he would resign , he continues to cling to the office of the president . '' Watch an expert talk about the impact of a possible impeachment '' If Musharraf does not request a vote of confidence , the National Assembly will meet on Monday to consider impeachment proceedings , PPP spokesman Capt. Wasif Syed told CNN . Speaking a short time before Thursday 's announcement , Syed said there are enough votes in parliament right now to impeach the president . But Musharraf may still have one card up his sleeve : he could move to dissolve parliament and dismiss the prime minister . Amid the political upheaval , Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will replace Musharraf at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday in Beijing , Pakistan 's state-run news agency reported . Musharraf , who seized power in a 1999 bloodless military coup , has seen his power erode significantly since he stepped down as the country 's military ruler last year and since the opposition parties ' victory in February 's parliamentary elections . The new civilian government is under a lot of pressure to control Taliban and al Qaeda militants in its tribal region along the Afghan border . The CIA recently accused Pakistan 's intelligence service of providing support for the militants who bombed India 's embassy in Kabul , Afghanistan last month . Fighting on Thursday between Pakistani paramilitary troops and Taliban forces killed 25 Taliban and five soldiers along the Afghan border , an army spokesman told CNN . Asked about the situation , Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad -- an Islamabad-based political analyst -- told CNN on Wednesday that he believes Musharraf `` will fight back '' against any attempt to remove him from power . `` Before they impeach the president , he might pre-empt them by using article 58 -LRB- 2b -RRB- , '' he said , referring to the constitutional article that gives the president power to dissolve parliament and dismiss the prime minister . Ahmad , a professor of international relations at Islamabad 's Quaid-i-Azam University , said any attempt to remove Musharraf would be a `` next to an impossible task '' because the president still has support . `` The army does n't want him to be eliminated . The Americans are still favoring him , '' he noted . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A dispatcher who took a 911 call regarding a domestic argument at a Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania-area home knew that there were weapons in the home but did not notify responding officers , three of whom were fatally shot , an official said Tuesday . Eric Kelly , from left , Paul Sciullo III and Stephen Mayhle were shot to death responding to a 911 call . The officers died Saturday in a gunbattle as they were responding to the call , authorities have said . `` It was pure human error and a terrible thing that occurred , '' Bob Full , chief of emergency services for Allegheny County , told CNN affiliate WTAE . `` In this particular case , our call-taker did not follow through with the appropriate training that she had received and -LSB- make -RSB- the appropriate notation that there were weapons in the house . '' The bodies of the Pittsburgh police officers -- Stephen Mayhle , Paul Sciullo III and Eric Kelly -- are scheduled to lie in repose at Pittsburgh 's city-county building Wednesday before a public memorial is held Thursday . Richard Poplawski , 22 , is in custody in connection with the shootings . He was hospitalized over the weekend after being shot in the leg during the gunbattle and standoff with police that lasted four hours . Police have not disclosed where he is being held . They said he would be charged with three counts of homicide , aggravated assault and other charges . Poplawski 's mother , Margaret , called 911 about 7 a.m. Saturday to report that her son was `` giving her a hard time , '' according to a criminal complaint filed in the case . She told police she awoke to discover that `` the dog had urinated on the floor '' and awakened her son `` to confront him about it , '' and the two argued . Margaret Poplawski told her son that she was calling police to remove him from the home , the complaint said . During that call , according to WTAE , the dispatcher asked Margaret Poplawski , `` does he have any weapons or anything ? '' referring to her son . The woman replied , `` Yes . '' She paused and then said , `` they 're all legal . '' `` OK , but he 's not threatening you with anything ? '' the dispatcher asked . WTAE reported that Margaret Poplawski did not answer directly but said , `` look , I 'm just waking up from a sleep , and I want him gone . '' Full pointed out that the call was a `` casual conversation '' and that although `` there 's no excuse for it whatsoever ... gathering from the casual nature of the call , the call-taker took an inference that -LSB- the caller -RSB- was not threatened and that guns or weapons were not involved . And it never was relayed to the police officers . '' Authorities said the responding officers , Mayhle and Sciullo , were shot as they arrived at the home . Kelly was shot later as he arrived to help them . Police believe that Poplawski , wearing a bulletproof vest , fired more than 100 rounds at officers with an AK-47 , another rifle and a pistol , authorities said Saturday . The dispatcher has been placed on paid administrative leave , Full said . `` You can only imagine how fragile this individual is . This young lady came to work that day ... she had no intentions on ever letting this go . '' The woman is being assisted through the county 's employee assistance program , he said . Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a statement that , although he has commended the county 911 center many times , Saturday 's events `` revealed a flaw in the 911 system . '' `` We now know that the 911 dispatcher was made aware that guns were present ... and that this information was not communicated to the officers , '' Ravenstahl said , according to WTAE . `` Before responding to the call , the officers should have had the benefit of knowing that the actor owned firearms . We will never know if Saturday 's events would have gone differently had the officers known . '' Ravenstahl said he has asked the center 's management to develop a plan of action `` to address flaws in the system and to ensure that this type of incident never happens again , '' WTAE reported .","question":""}
{"answer":"Dubai , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 .","question":""}
{"answer":"Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former French President Jacques Chirac has been placed under investigation for allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris , his office said Friday . A judge in Nanterre , near Paris , questioned Chirac Friday morning over the employment of seven people who were hired by the city of Paris in the early 1990s . The suspicion is that the employees were working for Chirac 's right-wing political party , RPR , which no longer exists , while on the city payroll . Chirac , 77 , was mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995 , the year he became president . The case in Nanterre is similar to but separate from another investigation in Paris , in which Chirac is accused of using 21 city employees to work on his presidential campaign . In a statement released by his office Friday , Chirac pointed out that he had `` already answered all the questions related to this investigation regarding the seven jobs in July 2007 and that no new facts have surfaced since then . '' Chirac could face a five-year sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros -LRB- $ 107,500 -RRB- if found guilty of using the employees to work for his party . The former president denies the accusations . `` On the investigation itself , President Chirac repeats that no such ` system ' has ever existed in the Paris city hall , '' the statement said . `` He is determined to demonstrate this through the procedure which was started by being placed under investigation . '' The former French head of state also said he `` wishes the investigation to progress as quickly as possible to establish once and for all that he is beyond reproach . '' Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe was already sentenced in December 2004 for his role in the affair , but Chirac benefited from presidential immunity at the time . After Chirac left office in May 2007 , he made it known he was available to answer any questions on the matter . Current Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had no comment about the investigation , according to officials with the city of Paris , which lodged the initial complaint against Chirac . The former president remains popular in France . A survey released Thursday , conducted by the opinion research company IFOP for Paris Match magazine , showed that 78 percent of French people have a positive opinion of Chirac -- making him the highest-rated politician since the survey began in November 2003 . CNN 's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French star Franck Ribery scored the only goal of Sunday 's match as Bayern Munich went to the top of the Bundesliga with a home win over fourth-placed SV Hamburg . It ended a long wait for the Bavarian giants who have not headed the German standings since winning the title in 2008 . Their poor form last season led to the departure of former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann , but his replacement Louis van Gaal has also been under pressure after a slow start to the current campaign . But since the midwinter break , Bayern have returned to winning ways and have been level on points with leaders Bayer Leverkusen , who had a better goal difference . Leverkusen 's 0-0 draw at home to Cologne on Saturday extended their unbeaten Bundesliga run to a record 24 games , but left the door ajar for Bayen to take advantage . Their three-point haul on Sunday gives them a two-point cushion at the top but it was not until the 78th minute that they made the breakthrough with a fine goal from Ribery . The influential playmaker left Hamburg goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl no chance with a fierce shot . Visitors Hamburg were still missing their new signing Ruud van Nistelrooy through injury and could create little up front . In Sunday 's other game , Hanover continued their slump with a ninth defeat in a row as defending champions Wolfsburg secured a 1-0 away victory . Bosnian midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic scored the only goal of the match for Wolfsburg to complete a fine week which saw them progress to the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday . In the Scottish League , Rangers all but sealed the title with a last-gasp 1-0 win over 10-man Celtic in the Old Firm derby . Rangers ' American substitute Maurice Edu struck in injury time to send the defending champions 10 points clear with a game in hand over their nearest rivals . Celtic captain Scott Brown was sent off in the second half but they looked set to hold out for a point until Edu scored with the last kick of the game . In the Spanish Primera , the battle for third place intensified as nine-man Valencia lost 4-1 at Athletico Madrid . David Silva grabbed the opener on 20 minutes but Valencia defender Carlos Marchena was sent off for deliberate handball and Diego Forlan converted the penalty kick . Sergio Aguero and Forlan scored further goals for Atletico after the break before the visitors had Luis Miguel sent off in the 81st minute and Jose Jurado added the fourth . Earlier , Sevilla were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Bilbao and trail Valencia by three points . In Serie A , champions Inter Milan won 3-2 at Udinese and maintained their four-point lead at the top over city rivals AC Milan , who beat Atalanta 3-1 in the San Siro . A double from Brazilian Pato enabled Milan to keep up the pressure on Jose Mourinho 's men while third placed AS Roma saw their title hopes slip away in a 2-2 draw at Napoli , having led 2-0 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientists have discovered the first confirmed Earthlike planet outside our solar system , they announced Wednesday . An artist 's impression shows what the planet may look like in close orbit with its sun . `` This is the first confirmed rocky planet in another system , '' astronomer Artie Hatzes told CNN , contrasting the solid planet with gaseous ones like Jupiter and Saturn . But `` Earthlike '' is a relative term . The planet 's composition may be similar to that of Earth , but its environment is more like a vision of hell , the project 's lead astronomer said . It is so close to the star it orbits `` that the place may well look like Dante 's Inferno , with a probable temperature on its ` day face ' above 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 2,000 degrees Celsius -RRB- and minus-328 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- minus 200 degrees Celsius -RRB- on its night face , '' said Didier Queloz of Geneva Observatory in Switzerland , the project leader . Hatzes , explaining that one side of the body is always facing the star and the other side always faces away , said the side `` facing the sun is probably molten . The other side could actually have ice '' if there is water on the planet . `` We think it has no atmosphere to redistribute the heat , '' Hatzes told CNN from Barcelona , Spain , where he is attending the `` Pathways Towards Habitable Planets '' conference . The astronomers were stunned to find a rocky planet so near a star , he said . `` We would have never dreamed you would find a rocky planet so close , '' he said . `` Its year is less than one of our days . '' The planet , known as CoRoT-7b , was detected early last year , but it took months of observation to determine that it had a composition roughly similar to Earth 's , the European Southern Observatory said in a statement . Astronomers were able to measure the dimensions of the planet by watching as it passed in front of the star it orbits , then carried out 70 hours of study of the planet 's effect on its star to infer its weight . With that information in hand , they were able to calculate its density -- and were thrilled with what they found , Hatzes said . `` What makes this exciting is you compare the density of this planet to the planets in our solar system , it 's only Mercury , Venus and Earth that are similar , '' Hatzes , of the Thuringer observatory in Germany , told CNN . They were helped by the fact that CoRoT-7b is relatively close to Earth -- about 500 light years away , in the constellation of Monoceros , the Unicorn . `` It 's in our solar neighborhood , '' Hatzes said . `` The thing that made it easier is it 's relatively close , so it 's relatively bright . If this star was much much farther away , we would n't have been able to do these measurements . '' At about five times Earth 's mass -LRB- though not quite twice as large in circumference -RRB- , it is the smallest planet ever spotted outside our solar system . It also has the fastest orbit . The planet whizzes around its star more than seven times faster than Earth moves , and is 23 times closer to the star than Mercury is to our sun . The planet was first detected early in 2008 by the CoRoT satellite , a 30-centimeter space telescope launched by the European Space Agency in December 2006 , specifically with the mission of detecting rocky planets outside the solar system . At least 42 scientists at 17 institutions on three continents worked on the project . They are publishing their findings in a special issue of the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal on October 22 as `` The CoRoT-7 Planetary System : Two Orbiting Super-Earths . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Guantanamo Bay 's legacy of torture will hurt the United States even if President Obama makes good on a pledge to close the prison camp , a former inmate says . Moazzam Begg says that during intense interrogations at Guantanamo Bay , he would have confessed to anything . Justice will be impossible to mete out to the alleged terrorists and war criminals held there because any confessions must be tainted by the methods used to obtain them , ex-prisoner Moazzam Begg told CNN . Begg says he would have confessed to anything during interrogations while he was held at Guantanamo for nearly three years . `` What procedure can you use on people who have been systematically tortured including waterboarding , including being stripped naked and beaten ? What sort of evidence can be admitted into a court of law that has been extracted under that process ? '' asked Begg . Watch what Begg thinks of Guantanamo '' The new administration has said that waterboarding , which causes the feeling of drowning , is torture . Begg , who is British , was captured during the war in Afghanistan and accused of aiding the Taliban regime . His family has always maintained he was a victim of mistaken identity . He was sent back to his home in Britain by the Bush administration in 2005 and never prosecuted . President Obama on Wednesday moved closer to making good on his campaign promise . The administration is drafting executive orders calling for the detention facility 's closure , officials said . Earlier in the day , a judge granted Obama 's request for a 120-day suspension of prosecutions so a review of all cases of suspected terrorists could take place . During his inaugural speech , he stressed that ideals of justice did not need to be thrown out to ensure the nation 's safety . `` Our Founding Fathers , faced with perils we can scarcely imagine , drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man , a charter expanded by the blood of generations . Those ideals still light the world , and we will not give them up for expedience 's sake , '' Obama said . Watch what could be next for Guantanamo '' Legal issues are already complicating the cases of some of the most important terror suspects , like Mohamed al-Qahtani , the so-called 20th hijacker , who has been accused of helping to plan and possibly participate in the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . Earlier this month , the retired judge in charge of determining which Guantanamo detainees should be tried by a U.S. military commission told The Washington Post that al-Qahtani was tortured and therefore could not be put forward for prosecution . `` Guantanamo Bay is the most notorious prison on earth , '' Begg said . He said he believes Guantanamo is a radicalizing force for militants around the world . Looking beyond high-profile suspects , human rights campaigners say there is little evidence to prosecute dozens of Guantanamo inmates still being held . They argue that keeping those detainees locked up will not help keep al Qaeda at bay . `` I think it 's actually one of the most harmful myths about it , that we ca n't let people go because we 've got the tiger by the tail , '' said Cori Crider of the human rights organization Reprieve . Chris Arendt , a former guard at Guantanamo Bay , says the Obama administration must rethink and reform the way it detains and prosecutes future terror suspects -- and do more than just close Guantanamo . `` We 're focused on this one camp that has become the star of the whole show . But there are camps everywhere , '' he said . `` There are camps in Iraq , in Afghanistan -- every country that American or the coalition forces have set their feet . None of those detainees are seeing any justice . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- May 31 , 2011 Download PDF maps related to today 's show : \u2022 Arlington National Cemetery \u2022 Joplin , Missouri \u2022 Texas Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : Back from the Memorial Day weekend , I 'm Carl Azuz and this is CNN Student News ! It 's a short week for us . It 's also our last week of the school year , so let 's go ahead and get started . First Up : Remembering the Fallen AZUZ : First up , Americans pause to honor service members who gave everything they had . Memorial Day is a tribute to the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces . Ceremonies were held around the country yesterday , President Obama helping lead the ones at Arlington National Cemetery . He laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and later visited Arlington 's Section 60 ; it 's a site that 's primarily for soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan . During a speech , the president said the courage , unselfishness and devotion to duty of the servicemen and women who gave their lives is what has sustained the country . President Obama also said that Memorial Day is about the families who have lost loved ones serving in the military . The wife of a fallen service member said she sees Memorial Day as a chance to celebrate her husband 's life . NICKI BUNTING , WIDOW OF FALLEN SERVICEMAN : I want everyone to realize that these are n't just graves ; they are n't just numbers . They 're real people , and they had real families . They had wives and husbands and children and parents and siblings and friends . And so , that 's what today is about , just celebrating their life and making sure that everyone knows that these are real people that we 've lost . And so , when I get to talk about my husband , I love to laugh and smile when I talk about him and really share the great guy he was . AZUZ : For the past 40 years , the 3rd U.S. Infantry has had a special assignment . They 're the ones who place flags on every gravestone at Arlington Cemetery for Memorial Day . That 's more than 250,000 flags ! In this next report , two members share why they consider this responsibility an honor . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- SERGEANT CHERRY SMITH , IRAQ WAR VETERAN : Now that I 've actually served and came from Iraq , they paved the way . So , without them , we would n't be here . STAFF SERGEANT BRADLEY FALLS , AFGHANISTAN WAR VETERAN : It 's especially an honor for us when you 've been on the other side of it , and now you can come here and you can bring honor to their final resting place . Most of the leaders here are combat vets . They are coming from other units . They 've deployed before . We all know somebody buried here personally . SMITH : I thank them . I give thanks all the time for just doing what they did . There 's so many of us that have fear of doing what they did . FALLS : During our fifteen months , my battalion lost 24 soldiers and our brigade lost , I believe , 44 . We have three 173rd members buried here , to include my platoon leader , First Lieutenant Benjamin Hall . I try to visit him on special occasions , you know , his birthday or his passing . I usually sit down for a while and talk to him , let him know how things are going , how life is , and how much I appreciate his sacrifice and his leadership while we had it . He was a great man . Sometimes it 's a bit of a remembrance of good times and bad . You know , you 've got comrades in arms that have died and you feel for them and you feel for your families , but you try to put that aside to give honor to those that you can . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- Is this legit ? STAN CASE , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Is this legit ? More tornadoes strike the U.S. than any other country . This is true . The U.S. averages more than 1,000 recorded tornadoes every year . Tornado Devastation AZUZ : We 've talked about a string of tornadoes hitting across parts of the U.S. recently . One of the deadliest in U.S. history struck Joplin , Missouri . Officials say this massive storm tore a 13-mile path across the city . Recovery efforts are getting started , and the president visited the area over the weekend . Dan Lothian has the details on that trip . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- DAN LOTHIAN , CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT : Before touching down , Air Force One flew over Joplin , Missouri , giving the president an aerial view of the devastation . What took months and years to build was destroyed in a few moments : homes , businesses and anything else in the tornado 's path . On the ground , it was a somber president surveying the breathtaking damage up close . Meeting with officials , survivors , and promising not to abandon this city . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : What I 've been telling every family that I 've met here is we 're going to be here long after the cameras leave . We are not going to stop until Joplin is fully back on its feet . LOTHIAN : There is plenty of pain here , but also plenty of hope . Roadways were lined with thousands of people , some waving flags or holding signs with messages like `` God bless Joplin . '' At a memorial service on the campus of Missouri Southern State University , that escaped the tornado 's wrath ... OBAMA : We will be with you every step of the way . We 're not going anywhere . LOTHIAN : ... President Obama thanked the people of Joplin for their courage . OBAMA : You 've banded together . You have come to each other 's aid . You 've demonstrated a simple truth : that amid heartbreak and tragedy , no one is a stranger . Everybody is a brother . Everybody is a sister . LOTHIAN : Recovering from one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history will not happen overnight , but Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is optimistic about the future . GOVERNOR JAY NIXON , MISSOURI : Joplin will look different , and more different still in two years and three and five . And as the years pass , the moral of our story will be the same : love thy neighbor . God bless . LOTHIAN : President Obama also had a message for people across the country , urging them to get involved by supporting organizations such as the Red Cross , which is providing food and shelter for all of the people who have been displaced by the tornado . Dan Lothian , CNN , Joplin , Missouri . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Texas Wildfires AZUZ : Moving southwest to Texas now , where officials and emergency workers are battling a different kind of natural disaster : wildfires . In fact , this has been one of the worst wildfire seasons in Texas history . Two blazes around the city of Amarillo forced hundreds of people to leave their homes this weekend . They were starting to come back yesterday as firefighters got the majority of those flames under control . Dry and windy conditions are spreading the flames , though , and that is what the weather 's been like in Texas for a while now . This video , another wildfire , is from more than a month ago . In total , hundreds of homes have burned ; millions of acres of land have been scorched by these wildfires . Shoutout MICHELLE WRIGHT , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Sommer 's and Ms. Bensfield 's students at Nichols Middle School in Evanston , Illinois ! How many launches are left in the NASA space shuttle program ? You know what to do ! Is it : A -RRB- 0 , B -RRB- 1 , C -RRB- 2 or D -RRB- 3 ? Start the countdown at three seconds -- GO ! Atlantis is scheduled to make the next -- and last -- shuttle launch in July . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Endeavour Undocks AZUZ : Atlantis will be dropping off supplies and spare parts to the international space station . That 's scheduled to be the last shuttle mission . But the current one is n't over yet . It 's getting close , though . This was the scene on Sunday , when the space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the ISS . It had been connected to the orbiting outpost for more than a week and a half . Now , Endeavour is on its way home . The shuttle is scheduled to land around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday . That 'll wrap up its 16-day mission to space . And once it 's back on the ground , Endeavour will head off into retirement . Web Promo AZUZ : We are not retiring , but we are wrapping up the school year this week . Does n't mean we 're going anywhere , and neither is CNNStudentNews.com . We 're planning to have special shows on our site all summer long , plus new blog posts . So , make us your home page and check out what we 're up to while you 're on break . You know the address : CNNStudentNews.com ! Before We Go AZUZ : Before we go , hope you 're not afraid of heights . For example , a pair of intersecting tight ropes over a giant canyon . Apparently the young lady you 're about to see right here has no fear . Or , she just knows it 's all an optical illusion . It 's actually the world 's largest 3D painting . It 's on a street in China . But it looks real enough that some people said they actually felt dizzy when they were standing on top of it . When it comes to this kind of artwork ... Goodbye AZUZ : ... That sounds like the highest of compliments . And it proves that the artist should have no illusions about the quality of his work . I think you see what we mean . Hope you have a great day . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 10-man Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Liverpool at Anfield Sunday but have a five-point lead the top of the English Premier League . City were forced to play the closing moments a man short after second half substitute Mario Balotelli was shown red for a second bookable offence . It nearly proved costly as Liverpool 's late substitute Andy Carroll saw his header brilliantly saved by City goalkeeper Joe Hart . It preserved his side 's unbeaten start to the EPL season and they have 35 points from 13 games , leaving city rivals and defending champions Manchester United trailing in second spot . Tottenham Hotspur , who won 3-1 at WBA Saturday , are seven points adrift but have played a game less . Wales manager Gary Speed found dead at home Vincent Kompany headed the leaders in front from a David Silva corner in the first half , but Liverpool were soon level as a Charlie Adam shot took a huge deflection off Joleon Lescott for an own-goal that left Hart wrong-footed . Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was delighted by his team 's performance as they stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games to stay in a challenging sixth spot . `` I do n't think you could have asked for much more in terms of effort and commitment from the players . I think they were fantastic , '' he told Sky Sports . Swansea and Aston Villa played to a goalless draw in Sunday 's other EPL game , both of which were overshadowed by the tragic death of Wales manager Gary Speed . In Germany 's Bundesliga , there was a shock 3-2 defeat for Bayern Munich at Mainz Sunday , a result which leaves the Bavarian giants third in the table with reigning champions Borussia Dortmund on top . A draw for Bayern would have seen them return to the summit but they were always struggling once Austrian midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz put Mainz ahead after 11 minutes . Bayern defender Daniel van Buyten equalized on 56 minutes , but Mainz took a two-goal lead as Marco Caligiuri and defender Niko Bungert scored . Van Buyten then grabbed his second , but Bayern could not salvage a point . In Italy 's Serie A , Luc Castaignos scored a late winner as Inter Milan continued their revival with a 1-0 win at Siena . Following their 2-1 home win over Cagliari last weekend , it lifted Claudio Ranieri 's men to 14 points , but just one win adrift from sixth-placed Roma .","question":""}
{"answer":"MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian energy monopoly Gazprom said Thursday it has cut off supplies of natural gas to Ukraine after a payment deadline expired . A gas-compressor and gas-holder station in Mryn , Ukraine . Gazprom said it had cut supplies to Ukraine Thursday . Gazprom had been threatening the move , saying months of negotiations with Ukraine had failed to resolve the issue of outstanding payments . The company says Ukraine owes about $ 2 billion for past natural gas deliveries . Ukraine also disputes the new price set by Gazprom for 2009 deliveries , which was initially more than double the price from 2008 . Gazprom has reassured the rest of Europe that its natural gas supply , which runs through Ukraine , will not be affected by the dispute with Kiev . Thursday , a Gazprom spokesman said on Russian state television the company had actually increased the deliveries to the rest of the continent . `` Gazprom will continue supplying gas for its consumers in Europe at full volume , '' the company 's chief executive , Alexey Miller , said . `` We have an effective transit contract . '' Without natural gas , some Ukrainians could be in for chilly days and nights . The temperature at midday Thursday in Kiev was 25 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- -4 degrees Celsius -RRB- , with a forecast high of only 32 F -LRB- 0 C -RRB- and snow predicted overnight . Watch a report on Gazprom 's threats to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine '' Ukraine 's state-controlled energy company , Naftogaz Ukrainy , said Thursday it is ensuring domestic natural gas needs are covered by taking gas from underground storage facilities . `` All of Ukraine 's consumers are fully secured , '' the company said in a statement . In Washington , the White House urged a resolution Thursday . `` The United States would like to see a restoration of normal deliveries , '' White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said . `` The parties should be resolving their differences through good-faith negotiations , without supply cutoffs . '' The frigid weather is of particular concern , the White House said . `` We urge both sides to keep in mind the humanitarian implications of any interruption of gas supply in the winter , '' Johndroe said . Naftogaz Ukrainy also disputed Gazprom 's claim that it owes for past deliveries , saying Thursday it has paid its debt to Gazprom in full , though it declined to give a figure . Another part of the dispute centers on Gazprom 's price hike for 2009 gas deliveries . Gazprom had wanted to more than double Ukraine 's payments , but Wednesday it offered a lower price . Ukraine , which currently pays about $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters , balked at the figure offered , saying it simply ca n't afford to pay the new price . It is the second time in three years Gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine . The company made good on its threat on January 1 , 2006 , but turned the supply back on a day later . Russia is the world 's biggest producer of natural gas and supplies Europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via the pipelines through Ukraine . Naftogaz said in its statement Thursday that it would ensure the uninterrupted flow of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine , but only under existing arrangements . It indicated some gas deliveries to Europe could be halted in Ukraine if Naftogaz fails to reach a new agreement with Gazprom . Although gas is still flowing to Europe , there are also concerns in Russia that the amount could be reduced if Ukraine siphons off some of the gas headed to the west . Naftogaz said it will continue negotiating with Gazprom to address the issues .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seven suspected pirates rescued by a Danish warship were turned over to authorities in Yemen early Friday , two days after they were picked up in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden . The French frigate Nivose escorts commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden on November 28 , 2008 . The men were rescued by the HDMS Absalon on Wednesday after being found in a powerless skiff with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s aboard , Danish Navy spokesman Jesper Lynge told CNN . They were found approximately 75 nautical miles -LRB- 140 km -RRB- off the coast of Yemen following a distress call , Lynge said . `` These guys had been without propulsion on their small boat for several days without food or drinking water , '' he added . After receiving medical treatment aboard the Absalon , the ship 's crew turned them over to Yemen 's coast guard Friday morning , said Rasmus Tantholt , a reporter for Denmark 's TV2 , who was aboard the warship . The skiff 's small engine was broken , and the Danish vessel sank the boat in order to prevent any hazard to sea traffic . Watch how NATO is fighting piracy \u00c2 '' The men are suspected to be pirates because of the weapons on board , Lynge said . Pirates frequently use small boats to attack commercial vessels with small arms and grenades , but Lynge said Absalon crew could not connect the men `` directly with another pirate attack in the area , '' Lynge said . Lynge said the skiff was found in Yemeni waters , and the Absalon crew was instructed to hand over the men to the Yemen Coast Guard . Yemeni authorities must conduct any investigation because the episode took place in their jurisdiction , he said . CNN was unable to obtain an immediate comment from Yemeni authorities . Pirates have seized many ships in recent weeks in the waters of the Gulf of Aden , which separates Yemen from Somalia . So far this year , pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off the coast of Somalia and successfully hijacked nearly 40 , according to the International Maritime Bureau . A multinational fleet , including vessels from the United States , NATO member states , Russia and India , has been patrolling waters of Indian Ocean near the Gulf , which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea . Around 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year . CNN 's Katy Byron contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of Zimbabwe 's top officials blamed his country 's spreading cholera outbreak on what he calls `` a genocidal onslaught '' by Zimbabwe 's former colonial ruler -- Britain . Zimbabwean clinics have been overwhelmed by the cholera epidemic , according to aid organizations . `` Cholera is a calculated , racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power , which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country , '' Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told reporters . Britain ruled the country as a colony until 1965 . Ndlovu 's claims triggered quick and pointed reaction from Britain and the United States . In Washington , State Department spokesman Rob McInturff called Ndlovu 's accusations `` patently ridiculous . '' Referring to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe , McInturff said Friday that , `` Mugabe is clearly unwilling to take any meaningful action -LRB- to stop the cholera outbreak -RRB- . '' On Thursday , Mugabe said `` there is no cholera in the country . '' His spokesman later said that Mugabe was sarcastically ridiculing what he believes are Western designs to invade the country . Britain 's Africa minister , Mark Malloch-Brown responded by saying , `` I do n't know what world he -LRB- Mugabe -RRB- is living in , '' according to the British newspaper The Guardian . Malloch-Brown made the comment during a one-day trip to South Africa , where he visited a Johannesburg church housing 1,600 Zimbabweans who have fled their country , the newspaper said . `` There is a raging humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe as well as an economic crisis and still there is no representative government able to lead the country out of this disaster , '' he said , according to The Guardian . Cholera has ravaged Zimbabwe , causing nearly 800 deaths and infecting more than 16,000 people , the World Health Organization says . The outbreak could surpass 60 000 cases , according to an estimate by the Zimbabwe Health Cluster , which is a group coordinated by the World Health Organization . View image gallery of Zimbabwe 's cholera crisis \u00c2 '' Cholera , a bacterial waterborne disease that causes diarrhea , dehydration and , if not treated , death in a matter of hours , is widespread in Zimbabwe but help is not . Like the general Zimbabwean economy , the country 's health delivery system is strapped , lacking modern drugs and machinery , while doctors and nurses have been striking for over a month . On Friday , the State Department issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens because of the cholera outbreak and violence that has flared as Zimbabwe 's economy has deteriorated . `` The public health system in Zimbabwe no longer provides even basic services due to a lack of staff , electricity , clean water , and medical supplies , '' the travel warning said . `` Americans who fall ill while in Zimbabwe may find it difficult to find treatment . '' At the State Department 's daily press briefing Friday , spokesman Sean McCormack said the situation in Zimbabwe will be one of the topics Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will discuss when she visits the United Nations next week . `` The number of cases of cholera -- statements from Robert Mugabe notwithstanding -- is going up , not down , '' McCormack said . `` The crisis has not ended . People 's lives are in danger . '' Health experts say the Zimbabwean government can win the battle against cholera only if it imports adequate stocks of water-treating chemicals and disposes of refuse and sewerage properly . Watch shocking footage of Zimbabwe 's humanitarian crisis -LRB- Discretion advised -RRB- \u00c2 '' A Doctors Without Borders epidemiologist in Zimbabwe said , referring to the capital city , that `` the scale and sheer numbers of infection , especially in Harare , is unprecedented . '' He said the group has treated more than 11,000 patients since August and has 500 international and local staff members treating people in cholera centers across the country . He said the main reasons for the outbreak are poor access to clean water , uncollected garbage in the streets and burst and blocked sewage systems . `` The fact that the outbreak has become so large is an indication that the country 's health system ca n't cope , '' he said . Meanwhile , in his statement Thursday Mugabe said , `` I am happy to say our doctors , assisted by others and the World Health Organization , have now arrested cholera . So now that there is no cholera , there is no cause for war anymore . Let 's tell them -LRB- Britain and the United States -RRB- that the cholera cause does not exist anymore , if it was cause for war . '' The pro-government Herald , quoting presidential spokesman George Charamba , said Mugabe had been sarcastically reacting to `` calls for intrusive action '' against Zimbabwe from European leaders . Charamba said the country continues to want international assistance to combat the disease and has declared a state of emergency . The opposition Movement for Democratic Change , which rivals Mugabe 's ZANU-PF party , issued statements deploring the Mugabe government 's `` indifferent and casual approach '' to cholera and saying it was `` alarmed by Mugabe 's irresponsible and false remarks '' on Thursday . `` The ZANU-PF caretaker government is in a denial mode . The MDC believes that it is such careless and reckless statements that have not helped the situation , '' MDC said . `` We should be honest with ourselves and with the world . The truth is that cholera remains a major disaster in Zimbabwe , '' the MDC said . In his remarks to reporters in Zimbabwe , Ndlovu -- who said the country 's health system is working on the outbreak -- labeled the cholera outbreak `` a serious biological , chemical war force , a genocidal onslaught , on the people of Zimbabwe by the British , '' He also made reference to U.S. President George W. Bush and Rice : `` To the outgoing warmongers , please leave in peace and not in pieces . '' Ndlovu also slammed news outlets including CNN for what he called `` gunboat journalism . '' `` They take photos -LRB- of -RRB- people dying -LRB- in -RRB- the DRC and Darfur and say these are cholera victims from Zimbabwe , '' he said , making reference to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Darfur region of Sudan .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly one-fifth of American 4-year-olds are obese , and children of color are at higher risk , according to new research . Obese children are at risk for early onset of diabetes , fatty liver and musculoskeletal problems . Researchers calculated the body mass index from a sample of 8,550 Hispanic , black , white , Asian and Native American 4-year-olds . The children were born in 2001 , and in 2005 , their height and weight were measured -- 18.4 percent of them were obese . `` Significant differences in the prevalence of obesity between racial\/ethnic groups were evident at 4 years of age , '' the researchers wrote in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine . Using body mass index , they found that 31.2 percent of American Indian\/Native Alaskans , 22 percent of Hispanics , 20.8 percent of blacks , 15.9 percent of whites and 12.8 percent of Asians were obese . `` It 's surprising that there are large differences by racial\/ethnic group by that age , '' said Sarah Anderson , an assistant professor of epidemiology at The Ohio State University and lead study author . Anderson and co-author Robert Whitaker 's analysis showed that children were becoming obese even before encountering soda and candy vending machines in schools . `` These results really do point to the need for us to focus attention on early childhood and the need for research to understand how these differences can emerge so early , '' Anderson said . `` To do that , we may need to understand the different family and cultural factors that are at play in these children 's lives . '' The cause for the early health disparities is hard to pinpoint , childhood obesity experts said . `` It 's always possible there are biological factors within ethnic groups , '' said Dr. Tom Robinson , director of the Center for Healthy Weight at the Stanford University School of Medicine . `` We know most of the changes that have occurred in body fat tend to occur from being in an environment that promotes very easy access to high-caloric foods and limited opportunities for physical activities . '' Michael Rich , an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School , called the disparities between ethnic groups disturbing . `` The expectations , lifestyle , behaviors are different on a cultural and socioeconomic basis , '' he said . `` Kids who live in the inner city , whose neighborhoods are perceived as dangerous , stay at home more , sit more , eat more snacks , because that 's all they can get at the local bodega . There are no supermarkets to get produce . That 's what mom is eating , so that 's what kid is eating . What we 're dealing with here is whole life issues . '' Previous research has shown that older children are becoming less active and spending more time in front of a computer or TV . `` That is displacing physical activity , '' said Dr. Sarah Barlow , director of the Obesity Center at Texas Children 's Hospital in Houston . `` You can imagine strollers , less outdoor play -- all those kinds of things that have shifted how much activity younger kids are getting . At the same time , portion sizes are increasing for everybody . '' According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , adults fare no better . Approximately 45 percent of blacks , 36.8 percent of Mexican Americans and 30 percent of whites are obese . `` It 's a very bad sign if we see obesity at a young age , '' Robinson said . `` When we see children obese at age 4 , we 're likely to see complications -- high blood pressure , abnormal lipids -- which can lead to heart disease and stroke , diabetes in children . '' Diseases commonly seen in 40 - or 50-year-olds are presenting in 6 - and 7-year-olds . Obese children are developing type 2 diabetes , fatty liver disease and musculoskeletal problems , which occur because their bodies ca n't carry that much weight , doctors said . Calculate your child 's body mass index . `` The heavier you are as a child , the likelier that extra weight will follow you through life , '' Robinson said . `` That 's why we see adolescents who need weight-loss surgery , because they have life-threatening complications from obesity . '' If you have an obese child ... The first step is for the parents to acknowledge that the child is overweight , instead of making excuses or comparing him or her to heavier children . Many of the parents of obese children are overweight themselves , which makes that acknowledgment difficult , said Rich , who is also director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children 's Hospital in Boston . `` While it 's important to focus on it and take it seriously , it 's also important not to give up or feel hopeless , '' he said . `` Then you wo n't try . You want to look at it for what it is and not be defeated by it . '' When you 're trying to help your child achieve a healthy weight , remove the stigma attached to obesity . `` It should always be about health , not about losing weight , '' Rich said . `` You 're trying to build the positive . '' He recommended the 5-2-1-0 plan . Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables , cut screen time down to two hours or less , exercise at least one hour , and have zero soda and sugary drinks . Such changes , which are not seismic shifts to lifestyles , can help the child get into a health weight . `` It 's easier to start that way , rather than try to change habits when they 're 8 or 12 or 16 , '' said Barlow , an associate professor of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , Texas . While it 's possible for some kids to outgrow the excess weight , she warned parents not to count on that . `` We 've seen over time that the environment does n't promote that , '' she said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kimberley Locke knows a thing or two about singing competitions . '' American Idol '' finalist Kimberley Locke is the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' Having placed third during season two of `` American Idol '' -- just behind winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken -- the singer is back in reality show action as the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' The Gospel Music Channel 's talent search is going into its fourth season , and Locke joins fellow host Mike Kasem -LRB- son of Casey Kasem -RRB- and the judges -- gospel artist J. Moss , Destiny 's Child member Michelle Williams and industry executive Mitchell Solarek -- on the show . Locke has worked steadily since she first burst onto the `` Idol '' scene in 2003 . She has modeled , served as a spokesperson for plus-sized clothier Lane Bryant and Jenny Craig and appeared on VH1 's `` Celebrity Fit Club . '' All the while , she has continued to pursue her music . Her `` 8th World Wonder '' was a big hit , making the Top 10 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary charts . She 's had three dance chart No. 1s . Locke recently spoke with CNN about the `` Gospel Dream , '' life after `` American Idol '' and the one reality show she really wants to appear on next . CNN : How did you get involved with `` Gospel Dream ? '' Kimberley Locke : Funny enough , I 've been wanting to do more hosting , and I had been talking to my manager about it . They contacted me out of the blue , and I was like `` Oh , I put it out to the universe , and here it is . '' CNN : Are you a gospel music fan ? Locke : I am a gospel music fan . Of course I grew up in the church singing gospel music . I do n't listen to as much as I used to , but I used to sing in a girl a cappella group and that 's how we started , performing in church . CNN : Why do you think so many performers in the music industry come out of the church ? Locke : I think a lot of people become stars in their church . ... The church environment is so supportive . When you are first starting out and learning how to sing in front of an audience , that 's the kind of audience you want to be in front of . Even if you mess up and you sound horrible , they kind of let you stand there and collect yourself while the pianist keeps playing . Then they plow through it with you . That 's a part of the business , a professionalism that really comes in handy when you get to this level . CNN : You 've had some experiences with singing competitions . How is `` Gospel Dream '' different ? Locke : It 's different in that the contestants are very focused on where they want to be and the type of music they want to sing . When you are on `` Idol , '' you are forced to fit into all of these different genres you may or may not want to do and you may or may not even be familiar with them . The `` Gospel Dream '' contestants ' direction is really clear and defined , so they are picking songs that really speak to them on a personal level . Watch Locke talk about the show '' CNN : How has life been for you post - `` Idol ? '' Locke : Life has been great post - `` Idol . '' So many opportunities , so many things I would have never imagined . Things that I did n't even associate with singing , like modeling , hosting , being a spokesperson , owning a restaurant . It just opened so many doors . CNN : You were a plus-sized model and spokesperson for Lane Bryant , but now you are way too small to do that . Locke : That really opened me up to bond with my fans . I tell people I 'm still a big girl at heart . CNN : When is your next album coming out ? Locke : I just started working on the next album . We are in the very preliminary stages of putting together the concept of the record and we just compiled a bunch of songs to start listening to . CNN : Are you planning on doing any other reality shows ? Locke : I 'm not really a big reality show fan . I did `` Celebrity Fit Club '' because there was a purpose behind that in my wanting to lose weight . There is only one reality show I really , really want to do , and that 's `` Dancing With the Stars . '' I want to be on that show because then I 'd lose the extra 10 to 15 pounds I want to lose .","question":""}
{"answer":"TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. State Department is calling on Honduras ' de facto president to immediately rescind an emergency decree that limits constitutional rights such as freedoms of expression , travel and public congregation . Robert Micheletti , de facto president of Honduras , says he 'll repeal an emergency decree , but not immediately . `` The freedoms inherent in the suspended rights are inalienable and can not be limited or restricted without seriously damaging the democratic aspirations of the Honduran people , '' said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly in a statement late Monday night . Earlier Monday , Roberto Micheletti announced he would repeal the law , but it would not be immediately . The decree will undergo a legal review , he said . Still , Micheletti 's announcement was an about-face . He had announced the policy less than 24 hours earlier in response to unrest that increased significantly after ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya secretly returned to Honduras on September 20 and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy . The 45-day decree announced Sunday night forbids any unauthorized public gatherings , allows officials to make arrests without a judicial order and lets the government close down news media that threaten `` peace and order . '' Micheletti said he would consult with the supreme court to repeal the decree , after a meeting with the leading presidential candidates . `` This decision was made because -LRB- Zelaya -RRB- was calling for insurrection ... but I 'm going to listen to the other powers of the state and we 're going to make the most wise decision in the interests of Honduras , '' Micheletti said , according to the newspaper La Prensa . Monday marked the three-month anniversary of Zelaya 's ouster in a military-led coup on June 28 . In the wake of Micheletti 's decree , Jose Miguel Insulza , secretary general of the OAS , said the Canal 36 TV station and Radio Globo were reported closed . The owner of Canal 36 , Esdras Amado Lopez , told CNN that 60 soldiers entered his station Monday morning to shut it down . They removed all of the equipment , he said . `` They say that we offended the dignity of the president of Honduras , Roberto Micheletti , '' Lopez said , adding that he sees his station not as pro-Zelaya , but `` pro-people . '' Honduran soldiers were stationed in front of the shuttered TV and radio stations and would not allow anyone to enter . The United Nations , the OAS and the European Union have condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated . Micheletti has vowed that Zelaya will never return to power and has said the deposed president will be arrested if he comes out of the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa , the nation 's capital . Micheletti has accused Zelaya of using the embassy to instigate an insurrection and this weekend gave the Brazilian embassy 10 days to decide the ousted president 's status . Brazil rejected the Honduran ultimatum . On Monday night , Zelaya addressed the United Nations General Assembly via a mobile phone that his foreign minister held up at the podium . A `` serious crime is taking place when the voice of the people is silenced and when the people who are being repressed are likewise silenced , '' Zelaya said . CNN 's John Zarrella , Kim Segal and journalist Elvin Sandoval contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe described the U.S. government and Western nations as '' quite stupid and foolish '' Tuesday for trying to be involved in the African country 's affairs . Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has ignored international calls for him to step down . Mugabe made the comments at the funeral for a former senior soldier , just days after a top U.S. diplomat said the United States no longer supports a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his political rival , Morgan Tsvangirai , that might pave the way for economic , health and other reforms . Jendayi Frazer , U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs , said Sunday that the U.S. felt a viable unity government was not possible with Mugabe in power . At the funeral , Mugabe reacted : `` The inclusive government ... does not include Mr. Bush and his administration . It does not even know him . It has no relationship with him . Watch U.S. say Mugabe needs to go '' `` So let him keep his comments to himself . They are undeserved , irrelevant and quite stupid and foolish . Who are they to decide who should be included or should not in an inclusive government ? '' Mugabe and Tsvangirai , who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change , signed the unity deal September 15 , but Mugabe 's ZANU-PF party and the MDC have failed to implement it because they can not agree on who should control key ministries . Under the power-sharing proposal brokered by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki , Mugabe would remain president while Tsvangirai would become prime minister . Watch what options the international community has in Zimbabwe '' U.S. President George W. Bush and other leaders have urged Mugabe to step down amid a cholera epidemic that the United Nations says has killed more than 1,000 people since August . Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe 's worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Great Britain 28 years ago . The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel , electricity and medical drugs . The inflation rate -- the highest in the world -- is 231 million percent . Mugabe , referring to Bush 's call for him to leave office , said : `` We realize that these are -LSB- the -RSB- last kicks of a dying horse . We obviously -LSB- are -RSB- not going to pay attention to a sunset administration . Zimbabwe 's fate lies in the fate of Zimbabweans . They are the ones who make and unmake the leaders of the country . Their decision alone is what we go by . '' Bush leaves office January 20 . Tsvangirai announced Friday that his party will withdraw from efforts to form a unity government unless 42 kidnapped party members are released or brought to court to face formal charges by New Year 's Day .","question":""}
{"answer":"TAMPA , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- TV pitchman Billy Mays ' death appeared to be from heart disease , not a bump to the head , according to the Hillsborough County medical examiner . OxiClean pitchman Billy Mays apparently died from heart disease , according to the medical examiner . The final cause of death will not be known until after toxicology results are available , Dr. Vernard Adams said at a Monday news conference . Mays , 50 , was pronounced dead at his home near Tampa Sunday morning , after his wife Deborah found him unresponsive , Tampa police said . The autopsy conducted Monday morning revealed Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease , Adams said . `` It 's not uncommon to have a sudden death with this kind of disease , '' Adams said . Watch medical examiner discuss Mays ' autopsy '' `` Billy would be overwhelmed to see that his life touched so many people in a positive way , '' Deborah Mays said in a statement Monday . `` While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us , it certainly does n't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives , '' she said . Billy Mays had told a friend before he went to sleep Saturday he was not feeling well . `` He said he was groggy , he was n't feeling that great . He wanted to get some sleep , '' Todd Schnitt said . Watch friends remember Billy Mays '' Mays was on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia that had a hard landing Saturday at Tampa International Airport after the front tire of the plane blew out . After the flight , Mays told a Tampa TV station , `` All of a sudden as we hit , you know , it was just the hardest hit , all the things from the ceiling started dropping . It hit me on the head , but I got a hard head . '' Watch Mays talk about hard landing '' Mays , with his booming voice , was famous for fronting products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo in TV commercials . iReport.com : Mays imitator meets the real thing No evidence of exterior or interior head trauma was found during Mays ' autopsy , Adams said . The Discovery Channel -- which airs `` Pitchmen '' co-hosted by Mays -- issued a statement saying , `` It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night . Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality , generosity and warmth . Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams . He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend . '' CNN 's John Zarrella , Vivian Kuo and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"GEROLSTEIN , Germany -- Mineral water company Gerolsteiner have decided to drop their sponsorship of the German ProTour cycling team , which expires at the end of the 2008 season . German rider Stefan Schumacher is a member of the Gerolsteiner team . Gerolsteiner , who have been team sponsors since 1998 , said there was a change in marketing strategy . Gerolsteiner has invested around $ 12 million annually in the team , which includes riders Stefan Schumacher , Fabian Wegmann , Markus Fothen and Robert Foerster . Gerolsteiner said on Tuesday they were no longer reaching their targeted audience through cycling because it was changing from being solely a producer of mineral water to a supplier of nonalcoholic drinks . Gerolsteiner team chief Hans-Michael Holczer was deeply upset by the news . `` There were tears in my eyes , '' said Holczer . The German Cycling Federation -LRB- BDR -RRB- said they would help the team to find a new sponsor . `` It is not an entirely unexpected decision . After such a long collaboration , you notice changes in your partner , '' said Holczer , who will begin the hunt for a new sponsor . `` We have one of the best teams on the market with a national and international reputation . '' The T-Mobile cycling team has fired rider Lorenzo Bernucci after his positive doping test at the Tour of Germany last month . Bernucci violated the team 's code of conduct and was removed from T-Mobile 's roster at the Spanish Vuelta , the team said on Tuesday . He tested positive for a non-amphetamine appetite suppressant . Bernucci is licensed by the Monaco cycling federation , which will be responsible for further investigation and possible additional sanctions , T-Mobile said . He tested positive on August 15 for the substance sibutramine , an appetite suppressant sold under various brand names , such as Reductil and Ectiva . The world governing body of cycling , UCI , informed T-Mobile of Bernucci 's positive test . Bernucci told team management that he had been using Ectiva for four years and had purchased it over the counter at a pharmacy in Italy , not knowing it been added to the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency , T-Mobile said . According to UCI rules , a first violation for sibutramine -- if it is determined that it was not intended as a performance enhancer -- can result in anything between a warning and a one-year suspension . `` We do not know if this was an attempt at performance enhancement or just poor judgment , '' T-Mobile team chief Bob Stapleton said . `` But we know it is unacceptable that riders take any medication without the approval of the team doctor . It 's a clear violation of our code of conduct and we act now on that basis . '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- DreamWorks Studios will back out of plans to produce a movie about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. unless King 's three surviving children settle their differences over the deal , the studio said Wednesday . From left , Dexter , Bernice , Martin and Yolanda King . The three surviving siblings have had several public rifts . A longtime friend of the three Kings predicted peace may be at hand for the squabbling siblings and that all of them want Steven Spielberg 's studio to portray their father 's life on the big screen . The latest public rift between Dexter King , the chief executive of the King estate , and his brother and sister -- Martin Luther King III and Bernice King -- erupted Tuesday after it was made public that Dexter King , 48 , had finalized the deal with DreamWorks . Martin King , 51 , and Bernice King , 46 , learned that a deal had been struck when Dexter sent them an e-mail Tuesday morning , just as the news media was being told by the studio , a source close to the family told CNN . Yolanda King , the eldest of the Kings ' four children , died two years ago at age 51 . Martin King and Bernice King , who live in Atlanta , Georgia , had known that Dexter King , who lives in California , was negotiating with Spielberg on a possible movie deal , the source said . Bernice King and Martin King said they knew nothing about the DreamWorks project . They said they embraced the idea of a film about their father but told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' they were concerned about the deal . `` I think Mr. Spielberg is a great producer and we look forward to hearing from him about the scope of this agreement , '' Bernice King said . `` We know nothing about the scope of this agreement . We have no details to say whether or not this particular one is a good idea . '' DreamWorks issued a statement Wednesday that suggested King family unity was essential for the movie to be made . `` The purpose of making a movie about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to tell a great story which could bridge distances and bring people together , '' the statement said . `` We remain committed to pursuing a film chronicling Martin Luther King 's life provided that there is unity in the family so we can make a film about unity in our nation . '' DreamWorks executives appeared caught by surprise by the King family 's infighting , although such squabbles are not new -- Martin King and Bernice King filed a lawsuit against Dexter King last year over publication of their mother 's recently discovered love letters . Martin King and Bernice King have complained in court filings that Dexter King has acted independently for years on estate business matters , refusing to call a family meeting . Over the past year , angered over Dexter King 's move to publish their mother 's love letters , neither Martin King nor Bernice King has spoken to Dexter King , the source close to the family said . Dexter King , in a written statement Wednesday evening , said he has `` always upheld my duty '' as CEO of the King estate to communicate with the others . `` Although my communication with family members has been somewhat stymied by the current litigation , I have continued to reach out and I remain committed to working together with my siblings on projects to educate people about the life , leadership and teachings of our father , Martin Luther King Jr. , '' Dexter King said . DreamWorks is `` a company with unrivaled resources for making epic films of the highest quality , offers an unprecedented opportunity for educating the largest possible audience about our father 's legacy as the leader of America 's greatest nonviolent movement , '' he said . `` Just as Sir Richard Attenborough 's film , ` Gandhi , ' educated many millions of people all over the world about the Mahatma 's teachings , I believe this project can do the same regarding the life , work and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. , and I sincerely hope my brother and sister will join us in supporting this urgently needed project , '' Dexter King said . Tom Houck , an Atlanta public relations agent who has known all three children since the 1960s , when he was their father 's driver , suggested the dispute could be resolved . `` I do n't think that either Martin or Bernice are opposed to having a megafilm done on the big screen by DreamWorks , but I think it 's the mechanism and the way it was done that 's got them upset , '' Houck said . `` They 're feeling that , until they resolve some problems with Dexter , that they 're not going to be very forthcoming in letting this project go forward , '' he said . Houck suggested someone such as the Rev. Andrew Young , a close aide to the patriarch during the civil-rights movement , might be able to help the siblings reconcile . Young is a former Atlanta mayor and former U.N. ambassador . `` Martin and Bernice want to have some reconciliation with Dexter before they sign off on it , '' Houck said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Hong Kong -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Buddhist nun in southwest China has died after setting herself on fire , the 11th Tibetan -- and second nun -- to self-immolate since March . The death of the nun , identified as Qiu Xiang , was reported by state-run Xinhua and confirmed by exile groups . The 35-year old set herself on fire at a road crossing in Dawu County , in the Ganzi region of Sichuan Province , the South China Morning Post said , citing Xinhua . It was unclear why she killed herself , though Tibetan campaign groups say it was in protest against Chinese rule . But China 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed the incident related to `` pro-Tibetan independence forces '' overseas . `` Everyone knows that nowadays , except for the very few evil cults and extremist forces , all religions advocate respect for human life and oppose violence , '' said spokesperson Hong Lei . `` It is a challenge to the moral bottom line of all human beings if , instead of condemning the extreme act of self-immolation , some people are hyping or instigating it . '' According to the International Campaign for Tibet -LRB- ICT -RRB- , which advocates Tibetan independence , Palden Choetso -- Qiu 's Tibetan name -- called for freedom and the return from exile of the Dalai Lama , the Tibetan spiritual leader , as she was burning . London-based Free Tibet also confirmed the incident . Her body was then taken by fellow nuns into the Ganden Choeling nunnery in Tawu , the ICT said . Six of the 11Tibetans -- all monks or former monks -- who have set themselves ablaze died from their injuries . Most of the suicide attempts occurred in Aba Prefecture and the Kirti monastery , also in Sichuan , which has become a focal point for ethnic Tibetans angry at the erosion of their culture . Last month , a nun in Ngaba County , Sichuan Province , became the first Tibetan woman known to have killed herself . Free Tibet said Tenzin Wangmo , 20 , died outside the Dechen Chokorling Nunnery . The State Administration for Religious Affairs in Beijing told CNN they were not aware of the incident . Activists and exiled Tibetans say the disturbing acts reflect an increasingly repressive environment under Beijing 's control . `` The incidents are a clear indication of the genuine grievances of the Tibetans and their sense of deep resentment and despair over the prevailing conditions in Tibet , '' said new Tibetan leader in exile , Lobsang Sangay , in quotes carried by Free Tibet . `` It is therefore of the utmost urgency that every possible effort be made to address the underlying root causes of Tibetan grievances and resentment . '' A statement from the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala , India read : `` The Kashag -LRB- Cabinet -RRB- would like to make it clear that it stands in solidarity with the Tibetan people in Tibet who endure continued suppression under the Chinese authorities , whose short-sighted policies have driven till now eleven Tibetans to set themselves on fire . `` Instead of addressing the real problems that drive Tibetans to commit self-immolation , Xinhua , the official news organ of the Chinese government , blames the Tibetans-in-exile for instigating such desperate and despairing acts . `` The Kashag strongly urges the Chinese government to stop hurling baseless allegations and to start solving the real problems . -LRB- The -RRB- People 's Republic of China can do this by stopping its repressive policy on Tibet and allowing more freedom of religion and speech . '' Prominent Tibetan writer and activist Tsering Woeser told CNN this kind of protest will continue as long as the Chinese government 's Tibet policy remains the same . `` If there is no improvement Tibetans will feel it 's better to die than be alive . They commit suicide to protest , '' she said . `` The international community should impose pressure and condemn the Chinese government , '' she added . `` But so far , the pressure is not enough , the international community only appeals to Chinese government but there are no real actions such as economic boycott . '' In an interview with CNN last month , Woeser said Tibetan Buddhists ca n't use violence against others to protest , so they harm themselves to people pay attention to their plight . `` This is not suicide . This is sacrifice in order to draw the world 's attention , '' she said . China rejects accusations of oppression of Tibetans , saying its rule has greatly improved living standards for the Tibetan people . The Dalai Lama 's representative signed an agreement with Beijing in 1951 to affirm China 's sovereignty over Tibet but also grant autonomy to the area . A failed uprising against Beijing 's rule in 1959 forced the Dalai Lama into exile . The Dalai Lama denies seeking independence for Tibet , saying he wants genuine autonomy , under which Tibetans can make their own policies on key issues , such as religious practices . In a 2008 uprising , violent unrest in Tibet and the subsequent military crackdown left at least 18 dead , and activists say tensions have remained high in many areas since then . CNN 's Haolan Hong and Xiaoni Chen contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama takes his first stab Wednesday night at the role of fundraiser in chief . President Obama raised lots of money as he campaigned , but how will he do now that the election is over ? The president is the main attraction at two events in the nation 's capital for the Democratic National Committee , making for the first fundraising test for Obama since he took over the presidency two months ago . As a candidate for the White House , Obama , who was then a senator from Illinois , had little trouble raising money : He broke all fundraising records , raking in nearly $ 750 million during his two-year campaign for the presidency . The money raised at Wednesday night 's two events -- at the National Women in the Arts Museum and the Warner Theater , where singer Tony Bennett is scheduled to perform -- will come in handy as the Democratic National Committee struggles to keep pace with its Republican counterpart . Democrats won back the White House and increased their majorities in Congress in November 's elections , but when it comes to campaign cash , the national party is not having the same kind of success . The DNC raised about $ 3.3 million last month , while the Republican National Committee raked in more than $ 5 million . Thanks to a larger transfer of campaign cash left over from Obama 's presidential run , the DNC was able to report $ 5.4 million in total contributions last month , slightly edging out the RNC . But when it comes to cash on hand -- the amount of money the parties have in the bank -- the DNC 's $ 8.5 million trails the RNC 's $ 24 million . DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on Tuesday dismissed the committee 's disappointing February cash haul , saying that his fundraising efforts were handicapped by a Virginia law that prohibits officials from raising money during the state 's legislative session . `` Fundraising stories do n't interest me that much , '' Kaine said , according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch . `` I was unable to raise any money in February , by law . '' Kaine , who is DNC chairman while finishing out his term as Virginia 's governor , wrapped up work with the state 's General Assembly on February 28 . `` That is the reason that the numbers are n't going to be what they 're going to be in future months , '' said Kaine , who became DNC chairman in late January . Kaine said that observers should `` stay tuned '' now that he 's free to solicit donations . `` Historically , the Republican Party has almost always out-raised the Democratic Party , regardless of who sat in the Oval Office . It was n't until the 2004 cycle that the DNC was able to barely out-raise the RNC . So the fact that Democrats have n't brought in as much this year as the GOP is n't necessarily a huge surprise , '' said Robert Yoon , the CNN Political Unit 's research director . The president 's appearances at the fundraisers come on the same day he spent some political capital , for the first time since taking over the White House , in an effort to get another Democrat elected . Obama e-mailed New York Democrats endorsing Scott Murphy , the venture capitalist who is running in the special election to fill the seat in New York 's 20th Congressional District that was vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand when she was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January . Murphy 's Republican opponent in next Tuesday 's election is is New York assemblyman Jim Tedisco . Though the Democratic and Republican campaign committees in the House of Representatives have pumped resources into the race , the president had so far kept his distance . In fact , the president has largely avoided overtly political events since his inauguration two months ago . Last week , that began to change : He sent a video to millions of his supporters through the e-mail distribution list of Organizing for America , the remnant of his presidential campaign that is now under the umbrella of the DNC . With Democrats hoping to defend two governorships this November , the party hopes that the president will be able to bring in the big bucks . `` Controlling the White House is still a big plus when it comes to fundraising . In the last midterms , President Bush raised at least $ 170 million on behalf of Republican candidates and party committees , even while his personal approval ratings were relatively low , '' Yoon said . `` So there 's no doubt that President Obama can give the party a huge fundraising boost if he hits the campaign trail and stumps for other Democrats . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- France striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home from the World Cup in South Africa following a row with national coach Raymond Domenech . The French Football Federation released a statement on Saturday confirming that the 31-year-old had abused Domenech after being substituted during Friday 's 2-0 defeat by Mexico , which left his team on the verge of elimination . `` Words spoken by Nicolas Anelka to the national coach , Raymond Domenech , are completely unacceptable to the FFF , French football and the values they defend , '' it said on its website . `` After being informed on Friday evening of the serious incident during halftime of the France-Mexico match , federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes asked Nicolas Anelka in the presence of captain Patrice Evra to present an official apology to the French public and to express regret for his remarks to Raymond Domenech , the staff and 23 players from the France team . `` Upon refusal by the player to deliver a public apology , he -LSB- Escalettes -RSB- made the decision -- in full agreement with the coach and members of the official delegation in Knysna -- to exclude Nicolas Anelka from the group . `` He will leave the Team France camp this evening . '' The French , who won the World Cup in 1998 and lost in the final four years ago , have been disappointing in what is Domenech 's last tournament before standing down , with former Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc to replace him . An opening 0-0 draw with Uruguay followed by Friday 's defeat has left `` Les Bleus '' needing to beat hosts South Africa on Tuesday and hope that Mexico and the South Americans do not draw , in order for Domenech 's team to progress to the second round . French media have speculated about dissension among the squad , with former star striker Thierry Henry reduced to a minor role as substitute and William Gallas reportedly unhappy about missing out on the captaincy , which was given to fellow defender Patrice Evra . Anelka , who plays for English champions Chelsea , has a history of controversy on the international stage , having declared in 2002 that he would no longer be available for selection after being dropped by coach Jacques Santini when he refused a call-up . He finally apologized to Santini in 2004 , but missed out on the World Cup in Germany two years later . Domenech brought him back into the France fold in 2007 and Anelka played at Euro 2008 , where France crashed out in the first round . He scored in the first leg of the World Cup qualifying playoff against the Republic of Ireland last November , and had been given the main striker 's role in South Africa by Domenech but failed to impress in both matches . Meanwhile , England striker Wayne Rooney has apologized after berating his team 's fans following Friday night 's disappointing 0-0 draw with Algeria . The English players were booed as they left the pitch , having drawn for the second successive match , and Manchester United forward Rooney accused the supporters of being disloyal as he passed television cameras . English FA complains after fan enters team dressing room `` Last night , on reflection I said things in the heat of the moment that came out of frustration of both our performance and the result , '' Rooney said in a statement issued by the English Football Association . `` For my part I apologize for any offense caused by my actions at the end of the game . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- October 27 , 2009 Downloadable Maps Download PDF maps related to today 's show : \u2022 Afghanistan & Pakistan \u2022 Los Angeles & San Diego \u2022 Ft. Jackson , South Carolina Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . NATISHA LANCE , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : A member of the military is making history . We 'll explain how in today 's edition of CNN Student News . Hi , everyone . Carl Azuz is off this week . I 'm Natisha Lance . First Up : Afghan Crashes LANCE : First up , Pakistan and Afghanistan . The countries share a border , and they also share a common problem : threats from militant groups and terrorists like the Taliban and al Qaeda . It 's an issue facing both nations ' governments , and one that the U.S. government is concerned about as well . That 's why President Obama has been holding a series of meetings with some of his advisers . They 're reviewing the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan . Samantha Hayes has the latest on those meetings and on the violence in the region . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- SAMANTHA HAYES , CNN CORRESPONDENT , WASHINGTON , D.C. : Two helicopter crashes make it the deadliest day in four years for Americans in Afghanistan . While a NATO security force spokesman says enemy fire is not to blame , the loss of 14 Americans comes while President Barack Obama is considering a request to send thousands more troops to the region to fight al Qaeda . The president addressed service men and women in Jacksonville , Florida Monday , after a White House meeting with his national security team . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Fourteen Americans gave their lives , and our prayers are with these service members , their civilian colleagues and the families who loved them . HAYES : The deadliest of the two crashes happened following a raid on suspected drug traffickers , and three DEA agents were among those killed . Also among the dead , three U.S. civilians , members of the embassy community . The State Department says the efforts of civilians and other nonmilitary personnel are essential to the overall mission . JACOB LEW , DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE : Improving Afghan governance , providing security , justice , jobs and services , and giving the Afghan people a meaningful alternative , as much as possible , to the Taliban 's recruiting . HAYES : Democratic Senator John Kerry , off of a recent trip to the region , addressed those efforts and the U.S. relationship with the Afghan government in a Washington speech . SEN. JOHN KERRY , -LRB- D -RRB- MASSACHUSETTS : The fact that the Afghan government has not prosecuted a single high level drug trafficker damages all of our efforts because it goes to the fundamental question of credibility . HAYES : President Obama 's White House meeting was the sixth in a series of high-level discussions about what to do in Afghanistan , as the administration awaits results from that country 's November 7th presidential runoff . For CNN Student News , I 'm Samantha Hayes . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- I.D. Me CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I was born in 1939 in Searchlight , Nevada . I was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 , and I 'm currently the Senate Majority Leader , which means I 'm the highest ranking member of the Senate 's majority party . I 'm Harry Reid , a Democrat who is the senior senator from Nevada . Public Option LANCE : And in that role as majority leader , it 's Sen. Reid 's job to help combine health care bills from different committees into a single bill that can be presented to the entire Senate . Yesterday , Sen. Reid announced that the combined bill will include a government-run health care program ; what 's been called the public option . During his announcement , Reid also said that the bill will let individual states choose not to take part in the public option . They would have until the year 2014 to make that decision . This has been one of the most controversial issues in the debate over health care reform . Critics argue that if companies use the public option , then some people might lose the health care coverage that they currently have and are happy with . But Sen. Reid believes it 's an important part of the reform . SEN. HARRY REID , -LRB- D-NV -RRB- SENATE MAJORITY LEADER : I believe that the public option can achieve a goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system . It will protect consumers , keep insurers honest , ensure competition , and that 's why we intend to include it in the bill that we submitted , that will be submitted to the Senate . Tea Party Protests LANCE : Meanwhile , the Tea Party Express is back on the road , protesting issues like government involvement in health care . The Express , which is named for both the organization and its bus , launched a new tour Sunday in California with rallies in San Diego and Los Angeles , where some people actually showed up to protest the Tea Party protesters . The Express plans to hold demonstrations in dozens of cities over the next several weeks . One of the group 's main goals is the push for less government involvement , and these rallies also aim to give people who feel that way an opportunity to express their views . CHRIS KEAYS , TEA PARTY PROTESTER : We need to get back to the days when we were responsible and we assumed the responsibility of ourselves and our families , and the government is not a part of my daily life . I really resent the government taking up so much of my time that I 'm down here having to protest right now . New Jobs Outlook LANCE : And some potentially good news for the U.S. economy : A new survey indicates that companies are planning to hire more employees in the very near future . The report from the National Association of Business Economics says for the first time since the recession started nearly two years ago , the number of employers planning to hire workers over the next six months is higher than the number of jobs that are expected to be cut during that same time . The country 's current unemployment rate is 9.8 percent . That 's the highest the statistic has been in more than a quarter century . Shoutout TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! What base is home to the U.S. Army 's Drill Sergeant School ? If you think you know it , shout it out ! Is it : A -RRB- Fort Bragg , B -RRB- Fort Hood , C -RRB- Fort Jackson or D -RRB- Fort Knox ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! You 'll find the Army 's Drill Sergeant School at Fort Jackson , South Carolina . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Top Drill Sergeant LANCE : Drill sergeants are responsible for training tens of thousands of soldiers every year . And the head of the Drill Sergeant School , its commandant , is responsible for training them . The current commandant broke new ground when she took over the position last month because she 's the first she to head up the school . Jason Carroll introduces us to this trailblazing soldier . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- JASON CARROLL , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Historically , this is the image of the military drill sergeant : a tough guy . That was then ; this is now . At 48 , Command Sergeant Major Teresa King is the first woman to lead the Army 's Drill Sergeant Training School . What are you looking for ? I mean , because it all pretty much looks like everybody 's exercising to me . CMD . SGT. MAJOR TERESA KING : I 'm looking for attention to detail , conformance . CARROLL : Before sunrise at Ft. Jackson , South Carolina , King readies her drill instructor candidates for a rigorous run . What 's wrong with that ? KING : That 's too big , Top . You need to break it up . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : Fall out ! CARROLL : She leads by example . King runs the five-mile course from the front of the pack , outperforming men half her age . STAFF SGT. LERON DELANEY , U.S. ARMY : She 's older than me , so if I fall out and she 's still running , I feel bad . CARROLL : Extinguishing those who think a woman ca n't be commandant . SGT. 1ST CLASS MICHAEL CHILDS , U.S. ARMY : We 've got to stay on top of our game even more than we used to with her , because she 's that sharp . CARROLL : King says she wakes up some mornings still shocked she is commandant . KING : I had never considered it , although I 've been in training for about seven years . But I never considered it , the Drill Sergeant School . CARROLL : King 's first Army job some 30 years ago was postal clerk , but her hero , General George Patton , inspired her . KING : I saw that he had the respect of his men . And I saw he was resolute . CARROLL : King eventually rose through the ranks , excelling at training infantry men and paratroopers alike . KING : I 'm doing what I 've always done . It 's just now , people are paying attention to it . CARROLL : And to her opinions . The military prohibits women from serving in front line combat roles . King trains men for combat and thinks it 's time to train qualified women . KING : I think if they can do it , they should be allowed to do it . CARROLL : The reality : Women make up 14 percent of active soldiers in the Army . Some women question how many others will follow in King 's footsteps . OPERATIONS SGT. ANGELA ANDREWS , U.S. ARMY : I would n't say it opens the door , but it may crack it somewhat . CARROLL : King says she will continue to lead by example . KING : I have vision . And I believe I can cause people to do some things that they thought they never could do . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Before We Go AZUZ : Before we go , some science projects can balloon out of control . Which was the whole point of this experiment in Indiana . College students filled this high altitude balloon with helium and then let it fly away . The thing actually climbed 90,000 feet before ... awww . Looks like their bubble burst . Actually , they knew it would . The cameras and sensors inside the balloon gently parachuted back to the ground . So in the end , the experiment was a total success . Goodbye AZUZ : Just do n't tell that to the students . We would n't want them to get an inflated ego . That 's all the time we have for today . For CNN Student News , I 'm Natisha Lance .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The story of how I became a national figure in the media is widely known , but few people know what I actually did for the CIA . I was a covert operations officer specializing in nuclear counter proliferation -- essentially , making sure the bad guys did n't get the bomb . My job was to create and run operations that sought to peer into the procurement networks and acquisition chains of rogue nations . It was intense , tactical , creative and demanding . I believed that there was no more important work to be done . I resigned from the CIA in 2006 because it was no longer possible to do the covert work for which I was highly trained and which I loved . This happened because in 2003 , my covert identity was revealed in retaliation against my husband , Ambassador Joe Wilson , who wrote an op-ed piece in which he accused the White House of distorting the intelligence that was used to draw us into the Iraq war . But I did not lose my belief that the danger of nuclear terrorism was the most urgent threat we face . Nor did I lose my passion for working , albeit in a new way , to address that threat . I am working on this issue now as part of the international Global Zero movement , in which political , military and faith leaders , experts and activists strive for the worldwide elimination of all nuclear weapons . We know that terrorist groups have been trying to buy , build or steal a bomb . In the past two decades , there have been at least 25 instances of nuclear explosive materials being lost or stolen . There is enough highly enriched uranium , or HEU , in the world today to build more than 100,000 bombs . Terrorists looking to buy or steal HEU could look to the approximately 40 countries with nuclear weapons materials . And then there are rogue individuals out there who are running black markets selling nuclear materials and technology . Pakistan 's Dr. A. Q. Khan did it for years before my group at the CIA brought him down in December 2003 after catching him red-handed selling a full-scale nuclear bomb to Moammar Gadhafi 's regime in Libya . If terrorists manage to get their hands on enough HEU , they could smuggle it into a target city , build a bomb and explode it . A hundred pounds of highly enriched uranium could fit in a shoebox , and 100,000 shipping containers come into the United States every day . The nuclear threat is not limited to terrorism . There are also the dangers of proliferation and accidental or unauthorized nuclear launch . Today , nine countries have more than 23,000 nuclear weapons , and the U.S. and Russia still maintain thousands of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert , poised for launch within a few minutes . The only way to eliminate the danger that nuclear weapons will be used by countries in conflict , by accident or by terrorists is to lock down all nuclear materials and eliminate all nuclear weapons in all countries : global zero . Today we have a real opportunity to set the course to global zero . U.S. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , whose countries have 22,000 nuclear weapons or 96 percent of the world 's stockpile , are signing an agreement to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals by a third each . This is the most significant arms reduction treaty in two decades and a crucial first step . Next week , Obama is hosting the leaders of 48 countries at a summit in Washington to address the global nuclear threat and initiate programs to secure all nuclear materials worldwide . With the U.S. and Russia leading the way , 2010 could mark the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons . But achieving global zero will take years , a realistic plan of action and tremendous amounts of political will . In February , leaders of the Global Zero movement met in Paris , France , and outlined a step-by-step plan to eliminate all remaining nuclear weapons . The plan , backed by hundreds of former heads-of-state , foreign ministers , national security advisers and military commanders , calls in its first phase for the U.S. and Russia to cut their arsenals to 1,000 total warheads each . All other countries with nuclear weapons would freeze their arsenals , and the international community would conduct an all-out global effort to block the further spread of nuclear weapons and to secure all nuclear materials . Locking down nuclear bomb-making materials involves building secure facilities for storage , accounting for all stockpiles , guarding materials in transit -LRB- transportation being the most vulnerable to terrorist attack and seizure -RRB- , regulating exports , interdicting smuggling operations , ending production of new bomb materials and ultimately eliminating existing stockpiles . These steps would be followed by the first multilateral negotiations in history for reductions by all nuclear weapons countries . I 'm proud to be working with the Global Zero movement and its team of world leaders and grass-roots organizers , presidents and college kids . I want to do everything I can to raise public and political support for the elimination of nuclear weapons . And that is why I said yes when Lawrence Bender , producer of `` An Inconvenient Truth , '' `` Good Will Hunting '' and `` Inglorious Basterds , '' asked me to be in an extraordinary and chilling documentary film , `` Countdown to Zero , '' which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and will be released in U.S. theaters in July . The film will be a stunning wake-up call to citizens and our political leaders about the urgent threats posed by nuclear weapons , including proliferation , nuclear terrorism and accidental nuclear launch . It will build awareness and support for the Global Zero movement to eliminate nuclear weapons . Based on my experience in the field , I believe that if governments do n't act now to begin eliminating all remaining nuclear weapons , we will witness in our lifetime the use of the bomb by a country or terrorist group . To get governments to act , everyone needs to get involved , to make their voices heard , to bring this issue to the top of the political agenda , to everyone 's kitchen table and to the front pages of every blog and every newspaper . There is still time to change direction and set our course to global zero , but the clock is ticking . To learn more about the issue and get involved in the growing movement , go to globalzero.org and sign the declaration . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Valerie Plame Wilson .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's quarter-century-long civil war is in its final phase , the government suggested Friday , as its troops pounded Tamil Tiger rebels in the country 's north . This picture , released by the Sri Lankan defense ministry , is said to be of a dead Tamil Tiger body captured after fighting on May 14 , 2009 . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began . President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the end of the current military push , which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission , is less than 48 hours away . He spoke from Jordan on Friday , where he 's attending an economic summit . `` The Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE in small area of land in the north would be rescued , and the Tamils would be saved from the threat of LTTE terrorism , '' Rajapaksa said . In a rapid military push , Sri Lankan forces have squeezed Tamil Tiger fighters into approximately 1.5 square miles -LRB- four square kilometers -RRB- of coastal land . The United Nations estimates that more than 50,000 civilians are trapped there . CNN 's Paula Newton reports on the plight of trapped civilians '' The chunk of land , known as the no-fire zone or civilian safety area , was under siege by government forces Friday , according to Tamilnet.com , a rebel Web site . `` The entire safety zone area is in smoke ... as shelling by the Sri Lanka army was destroying all the structures within a narrow strip of coastal land , which is densely populated with tens of thousands of people , '' Tamilnet said . Humanitarian aid groups have reported mass civilian casualties in the fighting . `` The government is moving forward in extremely difficult circumstances . After all , the ... Tamil Tigers are seeded amidst the middle of all these civilians . It 's very difficult to weed out and identify who is a fighter and who is not , '' said Gordon Weiss , a U.N. spokesman . `` It makes it very very dangerous for civilians , and it explains the very large toll on civilian life that we 've seen at this point . '' Weiss called the fighting a `` bloodbath '' at the beginning of the week . The situation had worsened by Friday , the International Committee of the Red Cross said . It suspended evacuation and medical rescue operations in the no-fire zone . Aid agencies had been stuck offshore , unable to deliver badly needed relief supplies and evacuate civilians . `` Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe , '' said Pierre Krahenbuhl , the Red Cross ' director of operations . `` No humanitarian organization can help them in the current circumstances . People are left to their own devices . '' The U.N. Security Council and U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for both sides to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid into the conflict zone . Watch frustration build at the United Nations '' In a statement at the White House , Obama urged Sri Lankan government troops to halt the `` indiscriminate '' shelling of civilians trapped with the remnants of the country 's Tamil Tigers . He also prodded the rebels to stop using civilians as human shields . Security Council members issued a statement demanding `` that all parties respect their obligations under international humanitarian law . '' A Red Cross worker was killed Wednesday during shelling in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka -- the third aid worker killed in six weeks -- the Red Cross said .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In sport , being the best is not just about the having the greatest players . Here are five teams that have gone from zeroes to heroes , and in the process left their mark on sporting history . 1 . The European Ryder Cup team The 1980 U.S. hockey team 's ` Miracle on Ice ' against the Soviet Union . Europe 's Ryder Cup team has become renowned for upsetting the form book , frequently triumphing against higher ranked American opposition . Since European players were first allowed to join the British and Irish team for the famous golf tournament -LRB- to improve the level of competition -RRB- in 1979 , the U.S. has won six times ; Europe seven ; and the teams have tied once . The slight edge enjoyed by Europe , however , belies the lowly status of their players in world golf . For the last tournament two years ago in Ireland , for example , the Americans boasted 68.4 world-ranking points and the top three players , including world number one , Tiger Woods . Compare this with just 47.8 ranking points for the Europeans . Even so Europe went on to achieve a record third consecutive win . The key to this success has been the camaraderie and teamwork exhibited by the Europeans . Their players have consistently rallied around their position as underdog , managing to achieve a level of togetherness made all the more surprising since the team is made up of a collection of nationalities that are better known for falling out with each other . 2 . The 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team A famous victory against a seemingly invincible Soviet Union side propelled this team of college players and amateurs to the level of national heroes . Although the U.S. team went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland at the Winter Olympics , it was the earlier match against the Soviets that captured the popular imagination . Classed as amateurs , the Soviet players were essentially professional , and were provided with different job titles by the communist government to allow them to compete . Many of their players were considered legends of world ice hockey at the time . The U.S. team coached by Herb Brooks was , by contrast , genuinely amateur and came into the tournament in Lake Placid , New York , as rank outsiders . Their youthfulness and tenacity combined with patriotic home support saw them upset predictions , defeating the Soviets 4-3 in a match that became known as the `` Miracle on Ice . '' The win over their Cold War enemies seized the imagination of the U.S. public -- it inspired two films and was voted the greatest sporting moment of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated . Dave Ogrean , former executive director of USA Hockey , called the victory `` the most transcending moment in the history of our sport in this country . '' 3 . The ` Crazy Gang ' defeat Liverpool in the FA Cup Nobody expected lowly Wimbledon Football Club to do anything other than turn up when they played Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium . Dubbed the ` Crazy Gang ' by British media because of the eccentric antics of their players and staff , who included future film actor Vinnie Jones , the team was outclassed on every front . At the time Liverpool were the dominant force in English football , having won the league title that year for the seventh time in a decade . Managed by former player Kenny Dalglish and boasting a host of stars , the team was expected to cruise past Wimbledon , who had little resources and were considered something of a joke . Under the chairmanship of Lebanese businessman Samir `` Sam '' Hammam , Wimbledon earned a reputation for bizarre behaviour , with players setting fire to new signings football kits , and Hammam once offering to buy a camel for the team 's striker if he scored 20 goals in a season . The practical jokes helped to foster an extraordinarily strong team spirit , however , which saw them topple Liverpool 1-0 , with Wimbledon captain Dave Beasant the hero of the hour after he saved a penalty . 4 . Joe 's Jets win the Superbowl When the New York Jets took on the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 Superbowl , it was the team from Baltimore that was strong favorites . The Colts had stormed the National Football League -LRB- NFL -RRB- championship , considered at the time a much stronger competition than the American Football League -LRB- AFL -RRB- , headed that year by the Jets . This news , however , seemed to have escaped Joe Namath , the Jets ' charismatic quarterback , who gave a `` guarantee '' a few days earlier at a news conference in Miami -- where the Superbowl was being staged -- that his team would win . True to his predictions , the Jets came out on top with Namath taking all the plaudits -LRB- Sports Illustrated described him as a `` folk hero of the new generation '' -RRB- after a blistering performance that saw his team triumph 16-7 . 5 . The Magical Magyars The legendary Hungarian national football team of the 1950s is still considered one of the greatest teams in the history of sport . Although many of its players -- most notably striker Ferenc Puskas , who eventually moved to Real Madrid -- went on to play in the West , during its heyday the majority of the team was drawn from the Honved club in Budapest . The Magyars remained unbeaten for an unprecedented 33 consecutive matches -LRB- a record that still stands today -RRB- finally losing out in the 1954 World Cup Final to Germany . This golden age of Hungarian football was brought to an abrupt end in 1956 by the events of the Hungarian Revolution . Puskas and some of his team mates opted to defect to Western Europe , and never played for their country again .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul after suffering successive straight-sets defeats . The Russian lost to China 's Li Na 7-6 -LRB- 7-4 -RRB- 6-4 , who had herself not won a match , or even a set , since August . It was a match that ebbed and flowed as Li came from 2-4 down in the first set to force a tie-break , which she won despite losing the first four points . Li , who this year became the first Asian Grand Slam winner after victory in the French Open , then fought off a late Sharapova surge when 5-2 up to take the second set 6-4 . The defeat followed Sharapova 's capitulation against U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur 6-1 , 7-5 on Wednesday . `` I really was n't thinking about too much during the match , '' Li was quoted as saying on the WTA 's official website after the match . `` I 'm so happy I was able to beat Maria because she 's a top player , and also today was my first match ever at the Championships , so I want to thank all the crowd here for supporting me . '' But for Sharapova , who has struggled with an ankle injury but had the chance to become world number one with victory in Istanbul , there were some positives to be taken from two defeats in two days . `` I just have to be pleased that I recovered quickly enough to allow myself a chance of playing here , '' she told AFP . World number one Caroline Wozniacki crashed to defeat in her second red group match , losing 6-2 4-6 6-3 to Russia 's Vera Zvonareva . In a repeat of last year 's semifinal , which Wozniacki won in straight sets , Zvonareva , 27 , hit 49 winners to overpower her Danish opponent in two hours and 18 minutes . `` We always have tough matches and this one was very tough too , three sets as usual , '' Zvonareva said of the pair 's first meeting since the final of the Qatar Open in February , which she won 6-4 6-4 . Despite losing , Wozniacki , 21 , is now guaranteed to finish the year at the top of the world rankings courtesy of Sharapova 's withdrawal . Elsewhere fourth seed Victoria Azarenka carded a victory in her first match of the Championships with a 6-2 6-2 defeat of U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur . Azarenka has now won all five of the matches she has played against Australia 's Stosur , sealing success on Wednesday in one hour and 17 minutes on her fourth match point . Stosur , seeded seventh , was broken four times in the match and will need to bounce back quickly in order to repeat her semifinal appearance at last year 's tournament . Azarenka , eliminated at the group stage of the event in 2010 , was delighted with her form in the match . `` I feel great , '' she told the WTA 's official website after scoring a sixth straight-sets triumph in a row . `` I was n't expecting to play so well in my first match here . It was getting close in the end , we had a really close last game . `` Sam started to really go for every shot with nothing to lose , and I backed up a little bit . She made some incredible shots . But I stayed strong . I had to work for it . I 'm glad I finished it now . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A suspected missile strike from a U.S. Predator drone killed at least four people in a house in Pakistan 's North Waziristan region early Saturday . Marchers protest recent U.S. missile strikes on the Pakistani tribal areas . The attack , which occurred in the Mir Ali subdivision in the village of Ali Khel , was one of several to hit the country Saturday . Six people were injured in Saturday 's attack , the fourth suspected U.S. strike on Pakistani soil in November . The names of the victims have not been released . It is also not known why the house was targeted . Elsewhere , three people were killed and 11 were injured in an explosion inside a mosque in northwest Pakistan 's tribal region , a government official said . The explosion happened just after 4 p.m. -LRB- 6 a.m. ET -RRB- , leaving the Hangu district mosque inside Pakistan 's North-West Frontier Province in ruins , said Omer Faraz Khan , deputy superintendent of Hangu . He said rescuers were trying to save people trapped under the debris . It was not immediately clear how many people were inside the mosque at the time of the blast . Police were investigating the explosion , which was detonated using a homemade timer , Khan said . Hours later , three bombs exploded about 10 p.m. -LRB- noon ET -RRB- outside a stadium in Lahore where a music festival was being held , police Inspector Muntzir Kazmi said . A 13-year-old was injured , but it was unknown whether the victim was a boy or girl . This week , Pakistan 's Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson to lodge a formal protest against another suspected U.S. missile strike on its territory , an act Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called a violation of his nation 's sovereignty . Watch Gilani say his country has had enough of U.S. attacks \u00c2 '' Wednesday 's strike in the Bannu region of Pakistan 's North-West Frontier Province left five dead and seven wounded . That attack was farther inside Pakistani territory than previous attacks . The attack targeted a home outside the tribal areas that U.S. intelligence says have become a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters battling U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan . The U.S. government has not acknowledged hitting targets within Pakistan , an ally in the war on al Qaeda launched after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington . However , Pakistan 's government has repeatedly complained about the strikes . Gilani took to the floor of the parliament and renewed his condemnation of the attacks Thursday but added that he thinks they will be controlled when President-elect Barack Obama takes office . In October , the foreign ministry summoned Patterson to lodge a `` strong '' protest on continuing missile attacks and said they should be stopped immediately . At the time , a missile strike from a suspected U.S. drone on a compound in South Waziristan killed 20 people . Pakistan 's government said the attacks cost lives and undermine public support for its counterterrorism efforts . The U.S.-led coalition and NATO , based in Afghanistan , have been seeking a way to effectively battle militants who are launching attacks from Pakistan 's swath of tribal areas along the border . They have become frustrated with Islamabad over the years , saying it is not being active enough against militants , a claim Pakistan denies . The United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones , which are controlled remotely .","question":""}
{"answer":"AMSTETTEN , Austria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Austrian police believe a 73-year-old man held his daughter captive in his cellar for the past two decades and fathered at least six children with her , according to police and state-run news reports Sunday . The woman , identified as 42-year-old Elisabeth F. , has been missing since 1984 , when she was 18 years old , police said at a news conference . The situation came to light earlier this month after her daughter -- a 19-year-old woman , identified as Kristen F. -- was hospitalized in Amstetten after falling unconscious , according to police . She was admitted to a hospital in Amstetten , outside Vienna , by her grandfather with a note from her biological mother requesting help . Amstetten is a rural town about 150 km -LRB- 93 miles -RRB- west of Vienna . But police said a DNA test later revealed her grandfather , Josef F. , was also her father , according to ORF , Austria 's state-run news agency . That sparked a police investigation , which revealed that Josef F. may have fathered at least six children with his daughter , forcing her and three of the surviving children to live in the cellar of his house , according to ORF 's Peter Schmitzberger . The children are now between 5 and 19 years old . Police are awaiting DNA tests to verify their relationship to Josef F. , who faces arrest for `` severe crimes against family members , '' according to police . So far , he has not given a statement to police . Police spokesman Franz Polzer told ORF that the 73-year-old has led police to several hidden rooms in his cellar accessible only by an electronic passcode that he provided to police . Watch a report on the discovery '' On Sunday , police searched the hidden rooms where Josef F. admitted he kept his daughter and their children , Polzer told ORF . The rooms included sleeping quarters , a kitchen and a bathroom , which Josef F. told police he built , Polzer said . Neighbors told ORF they were shocked to hear the news , and had no indication such horrors were taking place in their town . `` One ca n't imagine how it could happen , how nobody could realize anything of what was going on in the cellar of this house , '' Schmitzberger told CNN . `` It 's quite unimaginable . '' Acting on `` a confidential tip , '' Amstetten police apprehended Josef F. and Elisabeth F. on Saturday near the hospital for questioning , according to a police statement . Once police assured the daughter that she would never have contact with her father again , `` she was able to tell the whole story , '' Schmitzberger said . Josef F. lived upstairs with his wife , Rosemarie F. , who police said had no idea about her husband 's other family living in the cellar . Josef F. and Rosemarie F. had adopted three of the children that he had with his daughter , according to police . He told his wife that his missing daughter had dropped the unwanted children off at the house because she could not take care of them , police said . The other three children -- Kerstin , 19 ; Stefan , 18 ; and Felix , 5 -- remained locked in the basement with their mother , according to police . None had seen the light of day during their entire time in captivity , police said . After she was detained Saturday , Elisabeth F. gave police a `` psychologically and physically disturbed impression , '' police said in a statement . She told them her story after she was assured her children would be protected from further harm . She said her father began sexually abusing her at age 11 . On August 8 , 1984 -- weeks before she was reported missing -- her father enticed her into the basement , where he drugged her , put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room , she told police . For the next 24 years , she was constantly raped by her father , resulting in the six surviving children , she said , according to the police statement . She told police she gave birth to twins in 1996 , but one of the babies died a few days later as a result of neglect , and Josef F. removed the infant 's body and burned it . She told police that only her father supplied her and her children with food and clothing , and that she did not think his wife knew anything about their situation . When Kerstin fell ill earlier this month , Josef F. apparently told his wife and the hospital that his `` missing '' daughter had dropped off the sick girl on his doorstep . In an effort to find out what might be ailing 19-year-old Kerstin , the hospital asked the media to put out a bulletin requesting any information about the girl or her missing mother , attorney general Gerhard Sedlacek told NTV . Sometime later , Josef F. brought Elisabeth F. out of the cellar , telling his wife that she had returned home with her two children after a 24-year absence , police said . He took Elisabeth F. to the hospital to talk with doctors about Kerstin 's condition , and at that point , authorities became aware of her situation , Sedlacek said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British Airways carried out its threat Wednesday and stripped striking cabin crew members of their travel perks . Staff who joined the strike last weekend will now lose benefits including free and heavily discounted travel , BA said . `` Letters are going out to staff who took industrial action concerning staff travel , '' a statement from the airline said . `` Our cabin crew knew that if they took part in the strike they would lose their staff travel permanently . `` Staff travel offers heavily discounted travel to airline employees . This is a non-contractual perk that the company can withdraw at its discretion . '' BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh had threatened last week to take away the travel perks , which may have been one reason why some union staff agreed to work despite the strike last weekend . Are you worried about the strike ? The airline said Wednesday it is expanding its flight schedules this weekend ahead of a second round of strikes because more staff are willing to cross the picket lines . The planned four-day walkout follows the one last weekend by crews dissatisfied with pay , benefits and staffing levels . BA will be able to run a full operation from London 's Gatwick Airport and London City Airport this weekend because so many cabin crew members will be working as normal , the airline said in a statement late Tuesday . At London 's Heathrow Airport , BA will be able to run up to 55 percent of its short-haul flights and up to 70 percent of its long-haul flights , the airline said . `` As a result of the numbers of crew wanting to work , we are increasing significantly our flying schedule and will be operating a full schedule at Gatwick and London City airports , '' Walsh said in a statement . `` I would like to thank all our customers for their patience and support . I apologize to those whose flights will regrettably have to be canceled at Heathrow because of Unite 's continuing action . '' Unite is the union representing 95 percent of BA 's 15,000 cabin crew members . Passengers booked on flights that have been canceled by the strike will be offered seats on flights with BA or other airlines , or will be offered a full refund , the airline said . British Airways advised passengers to regularly check its Web site , www.ba.com , to see whether their flight is still operating . Passengers should contact British Airways or their travel agent instead of going to the airport if their flight has been canceled , BA advised . Advice for passengers British Airways and Unite have been at odds for more than a year over changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices . BA says the changes will save the company more than 60 million pounds -LRB- $ 90 million -RRB- a year . Unite has said the plans , which call for longer work hours and less staffing , will damage customer service and the BA brand . In addition , stock analysts said BA has made clear it sees the action not only as a matter of money but who will run the airline -- management or the union .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. soldier fired on his fellow troops at a counseling center at a base outside Baghdad , Iraq , on Monday , U.S. officials said , killing five people in the worst such attack of the six-year-old Iraq war . U.S. Army troops get a safety briefing before departing Camp Liberty , Iraq , in December 2008 . The shooting occurred at 2 p.m. at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty , near Baghdad International Airport , two senior defense officials said . Though initial reports indicated the attacker was killed in the incident , the U.S. command in Baghdad said late Monday a suspect in the killings was in custody . Neither the suspect nor any of the victims had been identified , but a defense official with access to the latest reports on the incident told CNN that the suspect had been a patient at the treatment center . `` Any time we lose one of our own , it affects us all , '' Col. John Robinson , a U.S. military spokesman , said in a written statement . President Obama said that he was `` shocked and deeply saddened '' by the `` horrible tragedy . '' `` My heart goes out to the families and friends of all the service members involved , '' he said in a written statement . `` I will press to ensure that we fully understand what led to this tragedy , and that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our men and women in uniform are protected . '' The president said he discussed the issue in a meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday afternoon . And Gates expressed his own `` horror and deep regret '' at a press briefing . Watch the defense secretary talk about the incident '' `` If the preliminary reports are confirmed , such a tragic loss of life at the hands of our own forces is a cause for great and urgent concern , '' Gates said . `` And I can assure you that it will get this department 's highest priority attention . '' Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , added the incident shows a need to `` redouble '' efforts regarding troop stress levels . Camp Liberty is tightly guarded , and U.S. troops are required to clear their weapons of ammunition while on the base . The only service members who have loaded weapons are those guarding high-ranking officers and military police . Monday 's attack marks the sixth incident in which a service member was killed by a fellow service member since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom , the March 2003 invasion of Iraq . Camp Liberty is part of the Camp Victory Complex , one of the largest U.S. military bases in Iraq . It lies just northeast of Baghdad International Airport and is also near the massive al-Faw palace of executed former dictator Saddam Hussein . Once known as Camp Victory North , the base was renamed Camp Liberty in September 2004 , or Camp Al-Tahreer in Arabic , according to GlobalSecurity.org , a Web site that provides background on military and security issues . Like other American facilities in Iraq , Camp Liberty provides a host of amenities for the thousands of U.S. troops who call it home during their combat tours . The base resembles a giant trailer park , dotted with air-conditioned two - or three-person units that house thousands of service members . It boasts several dining facilities catered by a private company , fully equipped gymnasiums , recreation centers and a post exchange that rivals Wal-Mart . In recent years , a number of fast food restaurants such as Burger King and Pizza Hut have opened , as well as private stores and a bazaar that sells local wares . The military set up several chapels , and each unit operates stress-relief clinics -- such as the one at which the shootings occurred Monday -- where troops can request counseling . CNN 's Cal Perry , Chris Lawrence and Mike Mount contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Carolina 's first lady , Jenny Sanford , said Monday that writing her much-anticipated memoir of her husband 's affair was a `` cathartic '' and `` cleansing '' experience . In an interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live , '' Sanford called `` Staying True '' -- which hit bookstores Friday -- `` an honest account of the values I hold dear . '' It was her husband Gov. Mark Sanford 's loss of values that she blames on his much-publicized affair with an Argentine woman that was exposed by reporters after he disappeared for several days last summer . Staffers said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail , but he later admitted he was actually visiting his mistress in Argentina . `` It saddens me because I believed in him and a number of people believed in him , '' Jenny Sanford said Monday . `` I still believe he was a good person . ... Somewhere along the lines , he got off track , '' she said . `` He can get back on track , but it 's too late for the marriage . '' Jenny Sanford , who filed for divorce in December , said the divorce could be final as early as the end of this month . She said she found out about the affair in January 2009 when she discovered a letter her husband had written to his mistress . `` It was awful , '' she said . `` I literally was in shock . My stomach felt gut-punched . '' She said there had been warning signs , but she `` never expected anything like this . '' `` I felt in some respects that we had lost something that we would never get back , '' even as she initially considered staying with him , she said . `` Nobody takes a 20-year marriage and decides in -LSB- a -RSB- snap minute to throw it away , '' she said . `` I came to the decision very prayerfully and carefully over a number of months . '' Sanford , 47 , moved out of the governor 's mansion with their four boys in June . She has said through the entire ordeal that her priority is her children . `` The kids are resilient , and we 're back at home settling into a new , normal routine , '' she said of her sons , ages 11-17 . `` I feel like they 're going to do great . '' Asked whether she knows whether her husband is still seeing the Argentine woman , Jenny Sanford says she does n't know and does n't want to ask . `` I 'm just moving on , '' she said . `` I want to stay happy and positive and raise the kids to the best of my ability . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WICHITA , Kansas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kansas prosecutors have brought murder and assault charges against the man suspected of killing Wichita physician George Tiller , whose women 's clinic was a frequent target of protests against abortion . Scott Roeder , 51 , is being held on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault . Scott Roeder , 51 , is being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault stemming from Tiller 's shooting death Sunday morning , Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess said . Burgess set a preliminary hearing in the case for June 16 . Police have not disclosed a possible motive in Tiller 's killing , but associates said Roeder was a regular among the anti-abortion protesters who routinely gathered at his Wichita clinic , Women 's Health Care Services . Tiller , 67 , was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions , and he had survived one attempt on his life before being gunned down in his church Sunday morning . Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty `` under the facts and circumstances that are known at this time , '' District Attorney Nola Foulston said . Watch the district attorney explain the charges '' Kansas state law allows the death penalty only in certain circumstances , such as multiple killings , contract killings , the deaths of police officers or jailers , or a slaying that takes place during a sexual assault . Roeder was in the county jail during his brief initial court appearance and appeared in court via video . He requested a court-appointed lawyer during the hearing , during which he was dressed in maroon jail coveralls and appeared to fidget . Watch scenes from court Tuesday '' Burgess ordered Roeder to have no contact with witnesses or Tiller 's family . Since Tiller 's death , supporters have left a few bouquets of flowers outside his clinic . The architecture of the low-slung , windowless concrete building -- which is fenced off , monitored by cameras and separated from buildings behind it by a moat-like ditch -- reflected the threats he faced for nearly two decades . In a statement issued Tuesday , Tiller 's family said they hope his `` valuable work '' will go on , `` but there have been no final decisions made about the long-term plans for the medical practice . '' `` There is currently no plan to immediately reopen the clinic and no patients are being scheduled at this time . The Tiller family 's focus , of course , is to determine what is in the best interests of the employees and the patients , '' the statement read . Dr. Leroy Carhart , a Nebraska physician who also practices at Tiller 's clinic , said at his suburban Omaha office that he left a Monday meeting in Wichita with the belief that the practice would reopen `` in the very near future . '' But he said , `` At the present time , there 's no known future . '' Carhart was the plaintiff who challenged a federal ban on a type of late-term procedure that opponents labeled `` partial-birth '' abortion . The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2006 . Tiller practiced medicine for nearly 40 years . Most of his patients were grappling with pregnancies that were `` fatally or catastrophically complicated by medical problems , '' Dr. Warren Hern , a Colorado physician and a friend , said on CNN 's `` Anderson Cooper 360 . '' `` The many women who come for late abortions , in fact , have desperate circumstances with a desired pregnancy , '' he said . `` They want to have a baby , not an abortion . '' But Tiller 's practice made Wichita a flashpoint in the controversy over abortion , which opponents routinely decry as the killing of unborn children . Most anti-abortion leaders quickly condemned Tiller 's killing and disavowed Roeder . The National Right to Life Committee , the largest anti-abortion organization in the United States , said it `` unequivocally condemns '' violence . And Wichita-based Operation Rescue said Roeder never was `` a member , contributor , or volunteer . '' `` Operation Rescue has diligently and successfully worked for years through peaceful , legal means , and through the proper channels to see to it that abortionists around the nation are brought to justice . Without due process , there can be no justice , '' it said . But Hern called those disavowals `` hypocritical nonsense . '' `` This is the result of 35 years of anti-abortion harassment and terrorism and hate speech and rhetoric and harsh names and exploitation of the abortion issue as a political issue to get power , '' said Hern , who runs an abortion clinic in Boulder , outside Denver . `` And this is the inevitable result of this kind of hateful behavior by the anti-abortion movement . '' Carhart blasted abortion opponents who resort to violence `` and those who support and incite these violent acts . '' He declined to name names but urged the estimated 46 million women who have received abortions and their supporters to demand that government officials `` enforce the laws on the books that protect us from hate crimes . '' `` And if these officials do n't openly respect your right to choose abortion , you have the power to vote them out of office , '' he said . CNN 's Ed Lavandera , Gary Tuchman and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A cancer treatment that comes in a pill is as effective as the standard chemotherapy for lung patients who had previously been treated for their cancer , according to a study released Thursday . The intravenous chemotherapy treatment had more severe side effects than the pill in this study . Results of a large clinical trial were published in the British medical journal The Lancet . The trial was designed to compare Iressa , a daily pill , to Taxotere , an IV-chemotherapy drug that 's administered every three weeks . This international study included more than 1,400 patients for whom standard chemotherapy had been ineffective . `` Iressa and Taxotere have same survival outcomes , '' according to Dr. Edward Kim , lead author of the study and assistant professor in M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 's Department of Thoracic\/Head and Neck Medical Oncology in Houston , Texas . The study was paid for by the maker of Iressa , AstraZeneca . Kim says the Food and Drug Administration mandated that the pharmaceutical company conduct this clinical trial . In the study , patients taking Iressa had an average survival of 7.6 months , and 32 percent survived one year , compared with patients getting the chemotherapy drug Taxotere . Their survival was an average of eight months ; 34 percent of patients survived one year . Kim says this is the largest study in lung cancer comparing an oral therapy with chemotherapy . Dr. Bruce Johnson , a lung cancer specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston , Massachusetts , who was not involved in this research , says , `` this study did what it intended to do in showing equivalency . I ca n't imagine any clearer evidence . '' One significant difference between the two drugs is in side effects . Patients taking Iressa mainly experienced skin rashes and\/or mild diarrhea . Patients on Taxotere had many more severe side effects , including hair loss , numbness in hands and feet , severe diarrhea , a drop in blood cells and nausea . Given the difference , `` the single pill trumps chemotherapy , '' said Dr. Paul Bunn , who heads the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Research and also was not involved in the clinical trial . Johnson says that 5 to 10 percent of patients taking Taxotere will drop out every three weeks because of side effects . Kim points out that if the two treatments have the same survival benefit but one has fewer side effects and is easier to take , doctors want their patients to have the option for this treatment . Currently , no new lung cancer patients can get Iressa , because doctors are no longer allowed to prescribe it . In 2003 , Iressa got fast-track FDA approval as a treatment for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer , specifically for patients in whom standard chemotherapy had failed . The approval was based on two small phase II clinical trials that showed Iressa was able to shrink tumors by about 10 percent , which led the FDA to believe that the drug would lead to a `` positive effect on survival or benefits . '' More on Iressa from the FDA When the FDA gives a drug accelerated approval , it requires that the manufacturer continue testing it to determine whether there 's a clinical benefit to the patient . If further studies ca n't show this type of benefit , the FDA has the power to withdraw that drug from the market . But a year later , results were revealed from a larger , phase III clinical trial that compared Iressa with placebo in patients for whom chemotherapy was ineffective . `` Iressa was better but not statistically significant , '' said Bunn , who also directs the University of Colorado Cancer Center . Given this information and because another lung cancer pill -- Tarceva -- had shown a survival benefit , the FDA decided that '' it is not reasonable to start new patients on Iressa . '' Since 2005 , the FDA allows only those already getting Iressa prescribed or those enrolled in clinical trials that were under way at the time to continue taking Iressa . All three lung cancer experts CNN spoke with regularly see patients and have treated them with Iressa or the other available lung cancer drugs . All said they could n't predict whether the FDA would allow new patients to be treated with Iressa based on this and other recent studies . Kim believes that based on this data , Iressa `` is a valid treatment option for patients with pretreated non-small lung cancer . '' Both Bunn and Johnson say that more choices in treatment will always benefit the patients .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What do President Barack Obama , New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have in common ? They all have been the subject of a snide `` prayer '' circulating that seemingly calls for their deaths . A recently created Facebook page reads , `` Dear Lord , this year you took my favorite actor , Patrick Swayzie -LRB- sic -RRB- . You took my favorite actress , Farah -LRB- sic -RRB- Fawcett . You took my favorite singer , Michael Jackson . I just wanted to let you know , my favorite president is Barack Obama . Amen . '' The page has received more than 600,000 `` thumbs-up '' messages of approval since it was posted April 10 . But its owner , who does not disclose his or her identity on the popular social media site , wrote , `` We are not really praying for the death of Obama . It is just some humor to show our disapproval of our current president . '' Similar imprecations were circulating online last year . But Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that `` while it may be considered distasteful and objectionable to some , '' the page does n't violate the company 's content policies . `` We 're sensitive to content that includes pornography , bullying , hate speech , and actionable threats of violence , and we react quickly to remove content that violates our policies when it is reported to us , '' Noyes said in a written statement . `` Facebook is highly self-regulating and leverages its more than 400 million users to keep an eye out for offensive content , '' he added . `` We encourage users to report such content , and we have a large team of professional reviewers who evaluate these reports and take action per our policies . '' Variations on the jab have circulated in New Jersey , where teacher 's union officials apologized for a nearly identical memo that substituted Gov. Chris Christie for Obama earlier this month . Christie is locked in a bitter struggle with the New Jersey Education Association over funding for state schools , but union President Barbara Keshishian said , `` Language such as that has no place in civil discourse . '' And in January , hackers posted a similar message on Ahmadinejad 's Web site . `` Dear God , In 2009 you took my favorite singer -- Michael Jackson , my favorite actress -- Farrah Fawcett , my favorite actor -- Patrick Swayze , my favorite voice -- Neda , '' the hackers wrote , the last entry a reference to a young Iranian woman shot and killed during protests over last June 's disputed presidential election . `` Please , please , do n't forget my favorite politician -- Ahmadinejad -- and my favorite dictator -- Khamenei -- in the year 2010 . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wait is almost over . After months of hype , a reported $ 35 million in marketing costs and one high-profile judge switcheroo , Simon Cowell 's '' X Factor '' will finally premiere on Wednesday . But will it be one talent contest too many ? And can the show possibly be as big a hit in the U.S. as it is back in the UK ? I 've been eagerly anticipating the U.S. launch of `` The X Factor '' for a long time now and have been frequently posting updates on my site Remote Patrolled . As a reality TV producer , originally from the UK but now living here in the United States , I 'm very familiar with `` The X Factor '' format and its influence on British culture . For the past eight years , `` The X Factor '' has been the No. 1 entertainment show in British television , launching the career of several British pop stars and one international singing sensation , Leona Lewis . So can lightning strike twice ? In case you 're not too familiar with `` The X Factor '' back story , here 's a quick refresher . Over in England in 2001 , the ITV1 network unleashed a new talent contest called `` Pop Idol . '' The show became an instant smash , due in large part to its toughest judge , Simon Cowell , and an addictive elimination format . In 2002 , `` Pop Idol '' relocated to the U.S. as `` American Idol . '' That show became an even bigger hit , launching stars like Kelly Clarkson , Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood and making Cowell one of the richest people in show business . Now here 's where it gets really interesting . `` American '' Idol was overseen by Spice Girls guru Simon Fuller , leaving Cowell as a mere -LRB- highly paid -RRB- gun-for-hire with no stake in the show -- or the success of its artists . As vocal as Cowell has been about being competitive , it is not surprising that he wanted to run his own show and reap the subsequent rewards . So back in England , `` Pop Idol '' was canceled after two seasons and replaced by the Cowell-produced `` X Factor , '' resulting in some bad blood between the two Simons and a high-profile lawsuit -LRB- eventually settled -RRB- . The format of `` The X Factor '' is similar to `` Idol , '' but there are several key differences . On `` The X Factor , '' each of the four judges ` mentor ' a category of contestant : Males younger than 30 ; females younger than 30 ; groups ; and 30s and older . The show therefore becomes a contest between the judges as much as the contestants , often resulting in plenty of judges ' bickering -LRB- `` X Factor '' judges Sharon Osbourne and Dannii Minogue were reportedly barely on speaking terms by the end of their run on the show -RRB- . At the same time , the diversity of the contestants also makes the show rather different from `` Idol , '' which these days only seems to crown white male guitar players . One other key difference is that `` The X Factor '' is BIG ! Auditions take place in front of a live audience , rather than a tiny audition room . And as the show progresses , it 's the job of the judges to produce each of the contestants ' performances as though they were staging an awards show style performance . So `` X Factor '' finalists get dancers , elaborate sets and complex lighting arrangements in contrast to the `` static stand-and-sing '' style of `` American Idol . '' Those are the differences . But can `` The X Factor '' succeed in the fiercely competitive U.S. marketplace ? Back in England , the show faced little competition in the music competition genre . The BBC had `` Fame Academy '' -LRB- for which I produced all the live performance shows -RRB- and ITV1 had `` Popstars '' -LRB- a version of which also ran for two seasons here in the U.S. -RRB- , but both shows had effectively run out of steam by the time `` The X Factor '' launched . By contrast , the U.S. version of `` The X Factor '' is entering a crowded market dominated by a decade of the very successful '' American Idol . '' Then there 's NBC upstart `` The Voice , '' which came out of nowhere in the spring to achieve strong ratings , especially among the highly coveted 18-49 demo . And at the same time as `` The X Factor , '' NBC will also be rolling out a new season of another singing competition , `` The Sing Off . '' And those are just the success stories . Over the last few years countless music competition series have come and go . Remember `` Rock Star , '' `` The One , '' `` R U The Girl , '' `` Clash of the Choirs '' and MTV 's `` Top Pop Group ? '' Exactly ! Even this year we 've seen the heavily hyped `` Glee Project '' struggle on Oxygen , while Bravo 's `` Platinum Hit '' was an outright flop . Can `` X Factor '' buck the trend and become a bona fide phenomenon ? In large part , the success of `` The X Factor '' will depend on whether it can discover a true international superstar . Even Simon Cowell has admitted this will be the benchmark of the show 's success . Unfortunately this will also be the show 's toughest challenge . It 's been a long time since `` Idol '' discovered a true star . Not since Season 7 's David Cook has an `` Idol '' artist sold a million albums -LRB- though Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert has done reasonably well -RRB- , and Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery seems unlikely to buck the trend . And while `` The Voice 's '' Javier Colon has received plenty of critical kudos , `` The Voice '' finale was actually one of the lower-rated episodes of the season . It could be argued that the public appetite for music competition pop stars has already been sated . Another challenge for `` The X Factor '' is that `` The Voice '' has effectively stolen one of the key gimmicks of the Simon Cowell series -- the idea of judges as ` mentors ' who work with their contestants and are in a competition with one another . Even more damaging is that `` The Voice 's '' starry line up -- Christina Aguilera , Blake Shelton , Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green -- is a heck of a lot more contemporary , successful and A-list then `` X Factor '' judges Paula Abdul , Nicole Scherzinger and L.A. Reid . But `` The X Factor '' has one undeniable ace in its hand -- Cowell himself . After a pitiful season of `` Idol '' in which Steven Tyler , Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson could barely utter a word of criticism to any of the contestants , it will be refreshing to once again hear Simon 's sharp-tongued but truthful feedback . On this year 's `` Idol , '' everyone was ` amazing ' , resulting in a tedious series that eliminated strong contenders such as Pia Toscano far too early and neutered others such as Casey Abrams who needed some harsh truth telling to raise their game . Personally I think `` The X Factor '' will be a huge hit for Fox , enabling the network to dominate the fall season in much the same way it does the second half of the TV season . With all the hype and hoopla surrounding Cowell 's new show , audience awareness is higher than for any other show this season . The only remaining question is just how big will `` The X Factor '' be ? Can it possibly beat the 20 million plus audience `` Idol '' still routinely clocks up ? Or will it have to settle for the more modest 12 million to 14 million `` The Voice '' pulled in ? Knowing Simon Cowell , nothing less than No. 1 will be good enough . But for now it 's up for us the audience to decide .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Author Frank McCourt , whose tragic childhood became creative grist for his first book , the Pulitzer Prize-winning `` Angela 's Ashes , '' died Sunday , according to the Web site of his publisher , Simon & Shuster . He was 78 . Frank McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for `` Angela 's Ashes . '' McCourt taught creative writing to high school students in New York City for 30 years before achieving literary acclaim with the 1996 biography . `` Angela 's Ashes , '' named after his mother , also won the National Book Critics Circle Award . It was translated and sold throughout the world . In the book , McCourt described a desperate childhood marked by severe poverty , malnutrition , neglect , infectious disease and loss . `` When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all . It was , of course , a miserable childhood : the happy childhood is hardly worth your while . Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood , and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood , '' he wrote . EW : A tribute to Frank McCourt McCourt wrote the two other memoirs , `` Tis '' and `` Teacher Man , '' as sequels to `` Angela 's Ashes , '' and penned the children 's book `` Angela and the Baby Jesus . '' The author was born to Angela and Malachy McCourt on August 19 , 1930 , in Brooklyn , New York , to Irish immigrants . The family fled to Limerick , Ireland , four years later , during the Great Depression era , only to become mired in even more gut-wrenching poverty . Three of the couple 's seven children died . Malachy McCourt , an alcoholic who managed to keep jobs only a few weeks at a time , left the family scrounging to survive . Yet , he also brought joy to his children , as the younger McCourt wrote in `` Angela 's Ashes '' : `` Before bed we sit around the fire and if we say , ` Dad , tell us a story , ' he makes up one about someone in the lane and the story will take us all over the world , up in the air , under the sea and back to the lane . Everyone in the story is a different colour and everything is upside down and backward . Motor cars and planes go underwater and submarines fly through the air . Sharks sit in trees and giant salmon sport with kangaroos on the moon . Polar bears wrestle with elephants in Australia and penguins teach Zulus how to play bagpipes . '' In October 2006 , McCourt told the BBC that he saw his family 's struggles as part of the human experience , without casting his father as a villain . He also expressed sorrow about his mother . `` First of all , I feel so sorry that I did n't understand more about her life and her misery and the deaths of three children , '' McCourt said . `` I had one daughter and if she had a cold , I was up all night . If she had the sniffles , I was running to her little crib or her bed . ... When I was growing up and as I grew to manhood , I really did n't understand my mother 's pain . '' Asked about his Irish-American identity , McCourt told the BBC : `` I 'm actually a New Yorker , because that 's what I feel passionately about . ... New York is the place that gets me all excited . '' He returned to the United States at 19 and spent decades coming to grips with his youth . `` I dealt with my past , and my future and my present by writing about it . And it 's really , it 's a gift . I wish everybody had it , because it eases all kinds of distress , '' he told the BBC . McCourt is survived by his wife , Ellen , and other family members , including brother Malachy McCourt , who is an actor and writer .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Home favorite Rafael Nadal was watched by a galaxy of football stars as he reached the third round of the Madrid Open with a straight sets win over Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov on Wednesday . Real Madrid stars past and present Cristiano Ronaldo , Raul and Zinedine Zidane were courtside at the Caja Magica to see the world number three battle to a 6-4 6-3 win . The second seed , who did not have things all his own way against Dolgopolov , will now face giant U.S. star John Isner , who struggled past Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 1-6 7-6 6-3 . Nadal is playing on home clay in his final tournament before the French Open where he hopes to regain the title , won last year by Roger Federer and claim his fifth grand slam triumph at Roland Garros . Earlier , world number five Andy Roddick 's preparations for the second grand slam of the year suffered a setback as he was forced to pull out of his match against Spain 's Feliciano Lopez with a nasty stomach bug . `` I got here , and then on Sunday night through Monday evening I was up with a stomach virus . I was up for 24 hours vomiting , sweating , the whole deal , '' Roddick told the official ATP Tour Web site . Roddick has not played since winning the Miami Masters last month and said the illness had come at just the wrong time . `` It 's very bad timing . I would 've taken this virus any time in the last five weeks instead of now , but I guess that 's the way it goes sometimes , '' he said . `` Playing well in Paris is n't totally out of the question , it 's just going to be a little tough , '' he added . In the evening session , Britain 's Andy Murray , seeded third showed improved form on clay with a 6-3 6-3 win over Juan Ignacio Chela , his fourth straight win over the Argentine . `` I was pleased with the win , '' said Murray . `` I served well and was able to move him around the court . '' Meanwhile , Munich Open winner Mikhail Youzhny made an early exit to Latvian Ernest Gulbis 7-6 6-4 and 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka set up a third-round showdown with world number one and Swiss compatriot Roger Federer after beating Leonardo Mayer , who was down 6-4 4-2 when he retired .","question":""}
{"answer":"Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Demonstrators shouting `` Death to the dictator '' clashed with police in Iran on Monday as students took to the streets to mark a key national anniversary , witnesses said . At least two clashes occurred at Revolution Square , where police attacked demonstrators with batons and chased them onto side streets , witnesses said . A large number of security forces ringed Tehran University , where the gates were shut and large crowds inside also chanted `` Death to the dictator , '' the witnesses reported . Pro-government crowds also inside the university chanted slogans and waved the flag of the Islamic Republic , witnesses said . The witnesses asked not to be identified out of concerns for security . CNN could not independently verify the reports . The Iranian government did not allow members of the international media witness any possible protests this week . The state-operated Press TV acknowledged the protests . `` A number of anti-government protesters attempted to hijack the occasion to hold rallies in Tehran . Their efforts were foiled by the presence of security forces which are deployed in several parts of the capital , '' an anchor said while the station showed images of pro-government demonstrations . The demonstrations are being held on Student Day , an annual observance when Tehran extolls the virtues of the Islamic Revolution . The holiday commemorates three university students killed in 1953 by security forces of the Western-backed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , the shah of Iran . He was toppled from power during the revolution two decades later . The students this year are demonstrating against the disputed June 12 presidential election . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner in what protesters say was a rigged election . The election result was met with nationwide protests and the imprisonment of hundreds of demonstrators . Allegations of torture , rape and other abuses have since emerged . Ongoing prosecutions of protesters have resulted in death sentences for some . Since the election , other key anniversaries have met with protests against the current leadership . Protesters and police clashed November 4 , the anniversary of the 1979 siege of the U.S. Embassy in Iran . In September , demonstrators took to the streets in protest on Quds Day , an annual event that is meant to show Iran 's solidarity with Palestinians . On Monday , police manned major intersections . Shopkeepers , fearing violence , shuttered storefronts . As the protests got under way , Iranian security and paramilitary forces tear-gassed , beat and arrested students on university campuses , said a group called the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran . According to the human rights organization , protests have taken place at the following universities in Tehran : Amir Kabir , Tehran , Sharif , Elm va Sanaat , Honar , Tehran Markaz , Sureh , and Tehran Shomal . Protests also have taken place at universities in Isfahan , Kermanshah , Shiraz , Mashhad and Tabriz , and at Agricultural University of Karaj , the rights group said . Security forces fired plastic bullets at students and protesters outside the Amir Kabir campus , said the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran . The organization 's reports could not be independently verified . In central Tehran , plumes of smoke rose from a large garbage bin that had been set on fire , witnesses told CNN .","question":""}
{"answer":"ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Samina Rajput speaks in hushed tones about her husband , Asif , who was killed alongside former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in the December 27 attack that convulsed the nation . Suicide bombings have killed 400 people and wounded nearly 1,000 others in the last three months . `` He always used to say ... ' I am ready to sacrifice my life for the party and my country , ' '' Rajput says . She clings to a weathered book with newspaper clippings of her husband , a 28-year-old Bhutto supporter who had great political ambitions . He wanted a brighter and freer Pakistan , Rajput says , as she turns the delicate pages of the scrapbook . The clippings on the faded pages offer little comfort . But a picture of their wedding day less than two years ago , buried among the pages , makes her face light up somewhat . `` As the widow of a martyr , one has to keep dignity , and I will do this up to my last breath , '' Rajput says , clasping her hands and rubbing them together . Suicide bombings like the attack that killed Bhutto and more than 20 of her supporters , including Asif , have intensified in recent months in Pakistan . Watch the devastating effects of bombings '' On Thursday , a suicide bomber killed at least 23 people and injured more than 58 others outside a court in Lahore , police said . The attack brought to 20 the number of suicide attacks in Pakistan in the last three months , including a failed attack on Bhutto 's life in October . The bombings have killed close to 400 people and wounded nearly 1,000 others in the last three months , according to government officials . Pro-Taliban militants with ties to al Qaeda are carrying out the attacks , according to analysts and government officials . CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen says the number of suicide bombings in Pakistan has `` reached unprecedented levels in the past year . '' Previously , Bergen says , such attacks were rare . `` The reason for this rise is because al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban have morphed together ideologically and tactically , and both see themselves at war with the Pakistani state , '' Bergen says . `` Many of the suicide attacks have been aimed at Pakistani politicians , officials and soldiers . '' Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to fight militancy and religious extremism , going after Taliban and al Qaeda within the country . Pakistan 's ambassador to the United States , Mahmud Ali Durrani , recently told CNN that the Pakistani military is `` totally focused on destroying al Qaeda and the Taliban network and not just one person . '' Still , the suicide bombers are succeeding , targeting political parties , rallies , military installations and anyone seen as a threat . Meanwhile , civilians are caught in the crossfire . `` They would like to destabilize our country , '' Azhar Hamdani , who survived a July attack , says of suicide bombers . Clutching a walker , Hamdani recalls the blast that changed his life . On July 17 , 2007 , a suicide bomber targeted a rally for Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry , who was stripped of power by Musharraf . The explosion killed at least 12 people and wounded 35 others in the capital , Islamabad . Hamdani remembers a strong blast throwing him several yards . When he regained consciousness , he was missing his left eye and his right leg was severely injured . `` My leg was totally damaged , '' he says . `` My one left eye was damaged and I have several other injuries on my body . '' But at the time of the blast , Hamdani was not focused on his own pain , he says , because he was surrounded by the bodies of his dead friends lying in pools of blood . The bombings , he says , must be stopped . `` I hope that we will succeed and , God willing , we will try to stop these bloody cowards , '' he says . `` I do n't think they are Muslim . '' `` Innocent people are suffering . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Wayne Drash contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the middle of the night and Steven Ford is wide awake . Insomniac Steven Ford says he needs to find a better way to wind down after a long day on the job . `` I toss and turn and watch the clock , sometimes at 3 in the morning , 2 in the morning , '' lamented Ford , 44 , a commercial sign installer in Atlanta , Georgia . Valerie McCloskey , a 42-year-old mother of two from Grand Rapids , Michigan , complained of a similar problem . `` My husband is sound asleep next to me and I 'm thinking about everything that I 'm worried about . '' McCloskey and Ford are among a huge group of Americans who suffer from some type of insomnia . `` Sleep problems are very , very common , '' explained Dr. David Schulman , director of the Sleep Laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta . `` They affect more than a third of Americans in a given year . '' Health Minute : Watch more on sleep disorders '' Sleep problems may be common , but Schulman stressed that insomnia is not normal if it lasts more than a month or two . He said most adults need about eight hours of sleep a night . In reality `` the average American sleeps just under seven hours , '' he said . `` That 's a problem . '' A persistent lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can leave you feeling exhausted when you wake up . `` These folks are walking zombies , '' Schulman said . `` They are out there with four or five hours of sleep a night . '' Long-term sleep problems also may exacerbate other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension , experts say . Before you can treat the problem , you probably need to figure out what kind of insomnia you 're dealing with . The condition is classified as primary or secondary . The latter means that a patient may be having trouble sleeping because of a health condition or medication . Primary insomnia is not related to any side effects . It is considered its own disorder that can be broken down into two groups : sleep-onset insomnia and sleep-maintenance insomnia . Like its name , the sleep-onset version occurs in the beginning of the night when someone tries to fall asleep and ca n't . `` Sleep-maintenance insomnia is much less common , '' Schulman said . `` It occurs when somebody can go to sleep , but wakes up once or several times throughout the night and has difficulty resuming sleep . '' Stress , anxiety and depression may be some of the causes of chronic insomnia . Before he prescribes medications , Schulman typically suggests that his patients try a number of things to regain control of their sleep cycle . First , he said , do n't stay in bed for longer than 20 to 30 minutes if you ca n't fall asleep or fall back asleep . `` If you accustom your body to being in bed for hours at a time unable to fall asleep , that behavior to some degree becomes subconsciously ingrained , '' he said . Avoid caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime . Studies show that `` if you take caffeine at noon it 's still in your system at 8 or 10 at night , '' Schulman said . Do n't eat or exercise within three hours of bedtime . Schulman said both detract from sleep . He also suggested avoiding alcohol before bedtime because it might trigger a lighter sleep and make it more likely you 'll wake up in the middle of the night . Finally , he recommended finding light , relaxing activities that will induce sleep , such as reading or listening to soft music . He cautioned insomniacs to avoid bright light before bedtime . He also warned against watching television and using video games and computers before turning out the lights . Cooling off might help . `` One of the ways you can fool your body into thinking it is cooling off is to heat it up just before bedtime , '' Schulman said . `` Take a warm bath or shower 30 to 45 minutes before going to sleep . As your body cools off afterwards , it is very sleep-inducing . '' Steven Ford admitted he needs to find a better way to wind down after a long day on the job . He does n't consider his problem to be serious enough yet to see a doctor , adding `` I 'm too manly to try to look for help . I just deal with it , go to work and wait for the weekend . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What appears to be a separated human foot inside a shoe -- possibly the sixth discovered in Canada 's British Columbia in the past 15 months -- has been found on a riverbank , Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Wednesday . Some of the feet found this year washed up on Westham Island , south of Vancouver , British Columbia . The shoe -- a left New Balance running shoe -- was found about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on the south arm of the Fraser River by a Richmond , British Columbia , couple , police said . It was turned over to the British Columbia Coroners Service for examination and DNA testing , authorities said . Before Tuesday , five feet -- all inside running shoes -- had washed ashore in southern British Columbia since August 2007 . One of them , a right New Balance shoe , was found May 22 on Kirkland Island . That foot was determined to belong to a female , authorities said . View a map of where the feet washed ashore '' The provincial coroners ' office said in July that DNA tests determined that two of the five feet -- a right foot found February 8 and a left foot found June 16 -- were from the same male , but they said they did n't know to whom any of the feet belonged . What was initially thought to be a sixth foot inside a running shoe , found in June , was determined to be a hoax . Authorities said a `` skeletonized animal paw '' was put in the shoe with a sock and packed with dried seaweed . `` Obviously , due to the fact that a hoax was perpetrated previously and then extensively reported on , we want to proceed cautiously -LSB- with Tuesday 's discovery -RSB- until we know what exactly we are dealing with , '' said Constable Annie Linteau , an RCMP spokeswoman . The provincial coroners ' service said in July that the five sets of remains found to that point appeared `` to have naturally separated -LRB- disarticulated -RRB- from the body . '' There was no forensic evidence , such as tool or trauma marks , on the remains to suggest that they had separated in any way other than decomposition , the service said . Authorities are investigating multiple possibilities on the origin of the feet , including foul play and the chance they could belong to victims of a plane crash . Missing persons files are also being reviewed . Four of the five feet discovered between August 2007 and June 2008 were in running shoes made between 2003 and 2004 , and the other was made in 1999 , according to police . Royal Canadian Mounted Police have released photos of the shoes , hoping someone can help identify the remains . Here is a timeline of the discoveries in British Columbia , according to police : August 20 , 2007 The first foot is found by an American man and his 12-year-old daughter boating near Jedidiah Island . The shoe is later identified as a Campus brand running shoe , primarily white with blue mesh , and is believed to be a size 12 . It is determined that it was produced in 2003 and distributed primarily in India . August 26 , 2007 The second foot is found on Gabriola Island by a resident walking on a trail . The shoe is a size 12 men 's Reebok running shoe , primarily white in color . It was produced in 2004 and was distributed globally , though mostly in North America . It was first available March 1 , 2004 , but is no longer available . February 2 A third foot is found by two forest workers on Valdez Island . The shoe is a size 11 blue and white Nike running shoe , made in 2003 and sold in Canada and the United States from February 1 to June 30 , 2003 . May 22 The fourth foot is found on Kirkland Island by a man walking along the shoreline . The size 7 blue and white New Balance running shoe was made in 1999 and distributed in major retail stores . DNA tests later determine that the remains belonged to a female . June 16 A fifth foot is found on Westham Island , in the same type of Nike shoe as the foot found February 2 . DNA tests later determine that both feet belonged to the same male .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Josef Fritzl , the Austrian man accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children , will go on trial March 16 on six charges including murder and incest . Josef Fritzl admitted fathering seven children by his daughter during her 24-year captivity . The Austrian Press Agency reported Thursday the trial was expected to last about five days and be held behind closed doors . Further details about the case would be announced Friday , it said . Fritzl , 73 , was charged in November with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter , Elisabeth , for 24 years . But he was also charged with the murder of one of the children he fathered with her , an infant who died soon after birth . State Prosecutor Gerhard Sedlacek said Michael Fritzl died from lack of medical care . In all , Fritzl faces six charges at trial : murder , involvement in slave trade -LRB- slavery -RRB- , rape , incest , assault , and deprivation of liberty , Sedlacek 's office said . If convicted , he could face life in prison . The case first came to light in April 2008 when Elisabeth 's then-19-year-old daughter , Kerstin , became seriously ill with convulsions . Elisabeth persuaded her father to allow Kerstin to be taken to a hospital for treatment . Hospital staff became suspicious of the case and alerted police , who discovered the family members in the cellar . Fritzl confessed to police that he raped his daughter , kept her and their children in captivity , and burned the body of the dead infant in an oven in the house . Elisabeth told police the infant was one of twins who died a few days after birth . When Elisabeth gained her freedom , she told police her father began sexually abusing her at age 11 . On August 8 , 1984 , her father enticed her into the basement , where he drugged her , put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room , she told police . Fritzl explained Elisabeth 's disappearance in 1984 by saying the 18-year-old girl had run away from home . He backed up the story with letters he forced Elisabeth to write . Elisabeth Fritzl and all but three of her children lived in the specially designed cellar beneath her father 's home in Amstetten , Austria , west of Vienna . The other three children lived upstairs with Fritzl and his wife ; Fritzl had left them on his own doorstep , pretending his `` missing '' daughter Elisabeth had dropped them off . Under Austrian law , if Fritzl is convicted on several offenses , he will be given the sentence linked to the worst crime . In addition to murder , he will face the following charges :","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama took the push for his stalled $ 447 billion jobs plan to North Carolina on Monday , telling two audiences that alternative proposals put forward by his Republican critics amount to little more than sops to the rich that will gut critical regulations and fail to restore economic growth . My `` bill will help put people back to work and give our economy a boost right away , '' Obama told a morning crowd at Asheville Regional Airport . `` But apparently , none of this matters '' to GOP leaders . `` I 've gone out of my way to find areas of cooperation '' with congressional Republicans , the president declared . `` We 're going to give members of Congress another chance to step up to the plate and do the right thing . '' But `` if they vote against these proposals again ... then they 're not going to have to answer to me . They 're going to have to answer to you , '' he said . Later Monday , Obama told students at West Wilkes High School in Millers Creek that Republican opposition to his plan `` makes no sense , '' and he criticized the GOP alternative proposal as an attempt to satisfy the party 's conservative wing . `` It 's way overdue for us to stop trying to satisfy some branch of the party and take some common-sense steps to help '' the economy and the nation , he said to a cheering crowd . Since Obama 's plan was rejected in the Senate -- due to unanimous GOP opposition -- Democratic leaders have decided to try to move it through Congress by breaking it up into a series of smaller legislative proposals . But his appearance , analysts note , was as much about campaign politics as the bill . The president will spend the next three days on a bus tour through politically pivotal North Carolina and Virginia -- two states carried by Obama in 2008 but considered up for grabs next year . Veteran Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , whom Obama defeated in the 2008 election , criticized the president Monday for using the taxpayer-funded trip for what McCain called political campaigning . `` On the taxpayer-paid dime , the president is now traveling , attacking the Republican plan , '' McCain said on the Senate floor . While noting Obama 's right to level such criticism in a political venue , McCain added : `` Is that appropriate on the taxpayer 's dime , since it is clearly campaigning ? '' In Asheville , the crowd repeatedly chanted `` four more years '' before and during Obama 's remarks . `` I appreciate the ` four more years , ' but right now , I 'm thinking about the next 13 months , '' the president said . `` We do n't have time to wait . We 've got a choice right now . '' Obama 's senior strategist , David Axelrod , vowed Sunday that every part of the bill will eventually have a vote . `` The American people support every single plank of that bill , and we 're going to vote on every single one of them , '' Axelrod said on ABC 's `` This Week . '' He would not say which part of the plan would come first . Republicans will `` get a vote on whether they believe we should protect tax breaks for small business owners and middle-class Americans , or whether we should protect tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires , '' Obama said in a written statement last Tuesday . Meanwhile , demonstrators in Southern California said they 'd gather Monday to protest the GOP 's stance on the president 's jobs bill . House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio , and California Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce will be together in the area for a fundraising event . `` Members of the Courage Campaign , teachers and health care workers will deliver a petition to Speaker Boehner signed by 25,000 Courage Campaign members ... demanding that he hold a vote on President Obama 's American Jobs Act , '' a statement from the demonstrators said . House Majority Leader Eric Cantor , R-Virginia , said over the weekend that there could be agreement on some elements . `` Let 's work together . Let 's find some of the things in his plan that we agree with , and let 's go ahead and do that for the American people , '' he told `` Fox News Sunday . '' The past week was an indication that `` we can come together , '' Cantor said , citing the passage of three trade bills . Cantor did not make clear exactly where areas of agreement may be . But he cited the need to help small businesses find capital , unemployment insurance reform and infrastructure spending as broad ideas for which both sides have expressed support . But `` we 're not going to be for tax increases on small businesses , '' Cantor said of the president 's plan . Republicans filibustered the Senate version of the president 's jobs bill last week , though a handful of Democrats had said they would have opposed the measure if it had made it to the chamber 's floor . Among other things , Obama 's overall blueprint includes an extension and expansion of the current payroll tax cut , an extension of jobless benefits , new tax credits for businesses that hire the long-term unemployed and additional money to help save and create jobs for teachers and first responders such as firefighters . The largest measure in the package is the payroll tax cut , which comes at a projected cost of $ 265 billion . Employees normally pay 6.2 % on their first $ 106,800 of wages into Social Security , but they are now paying only 4.2 % . That break is set to expire at the end of December . Obama wants to cut the tax in half , to 3.1 % . Republicans previously embraced the cut , but have increasingly questioned its economic merit . A second key measure -- estimated to cost roughly $ 44 billion -- is the extension of emergency jobless benefits to help the long-term unemployed . Lawmakers first expanded benefits to cover 99 weeks in 2009 , and have since reauthorized the expansion five times . Republicans are at particularly sharp odds with Democrats over how to pay for the plan . GOP leaders oppose a provision that would fund the measure through a 5.6 % surtax on annual incomes over $ 1 million . Republicans have accused the president of engaging in so-called `` class warfare , '' while Democrats say wealthier Americans need to share in the cost of fiscal responsibility . On Monday , a Senate Democratic leadership aide told CNN that Democrats will seek a 0.5 % surtax on annual incomes over $ 1 million to pay for the first individual component of Obama 's broader jobs package . That component of the larger jobs bill would provide $ 35 billion in aid to states to help preserve jobs for teachers and first responders , the White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid 's office said . However , a top Senate Republican leadership aide immediately said that Republicans -- and some Democrats -- probably would not be willing to go along with a tax increase to pay for the measure . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Kate Bolduan and Virginia Nicolaidis contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thierry Henry scored twice as Barcelona booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 5-2 second leg victory against Lyon at the Nou Camp . Lionel Messi , left , and Thierry Henry celebrate as Barcelona reach the last eight of the Champions League . Former winners Porto joined them at the next stage after their return leg against Atletico finished goalless in Lisbon -- the 2-2 draw in the first leg in Madrid sending them through on the away goals . Spain 's Primera Liga leaders Barcelona strolled into a 4-0 first half lead on their way to a 6-3 aggregate success with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o building on Henry 's double . Jean Makoun pulled one back just before half-time and Juninho struck three minutes after the restart , but the French champions never looked like disturbing Barca 's path to the March 20 draw . Lyon 's hopes suffered another blow when Juninho was given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card in time added on and Seydou Keita took full advantage by snatching another in the final seconds . Having conceded an away goal in a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Stade Gerland , Lyon had to score to stand any chance of progressing . After a fairly even opening , a quickfire double from Henry dictated the outcome of the tie . After 25 minutes he latched onto a ball from Rafael Marquez , beating the offside trap to slide the ball under Hugo Lloris . Two minutes later Henry doubled the lead when he slid the ball in at the near post past the advancing Lloris . Messi showed his class in the 40th minute . The Argentina star collected the ball on the right touchline , before embarking on a mazy run past three Lyon defenders . He then exchanged a one-two with Eto'o , before firing a low shot home . Eto'o was desperate to get on the scoresheet himself as he stormed into the box from the left , only to see his shot saved by Lloris from point-blank range . Within a minute , though , he had made amends as he popped up in the box , side-stepped his marker and smashed the ball home . A minute from the break , Makoun made it 4-1 as he headed home Juninho 's corner . And the former Brazil midfielder got on the scoresheet himself three minutes after the break following a cross from Cesar Delgado . Any thoughts of a comeback failed to materialise as Barca continued to create a raft of chances . As the game moved , into stoppage time , Juninho picked up a second booking for dissent and moments later Mali midfielder Keita made it five for Barca .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australian pop star Kylie Minogue and the professor who created Dolly the sheep are among the prominent figures who have received awards from Queen Elizabeth II in her annual New Year Honors list . Kylie Minogue battled back to health after suffering from breast cancer . Minogue , 39 , and Prof . Ian Wilmut were appointed to the Order of the British Empire -LRB- OBE -RRB- in the list , which is chosen by the queen on the advise of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown . Other award winners included Stuart Rose , the head of the British retailer Marks and Spencer , who was handed a knighthood and `` Lord of the Rings '' star Ian McKellen . The award of a Companion of Honour for the 68-year-old British actor , who already has a knighthood and has been a longtime campaigner for gay rights , recognized his efforts to promote `` equality . '' The New Year 's list recognizes a wide range of people who are thought to have made a positive contribution to British life . The queen hands out a range of honors including knighthoods , life peerages and gallantry awards for those serving in the armed forces and civilians . The list is published in the official newspaper of the British monarchy , the London Gazette . The honor 's list usually attracts attention for the high-profile figures honored ; previous recipients of knighthoods include the pop stars Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger but anyone can be nominated for an award . This year 's list , for example , includes some of the people who took part in the rescue operations following the flooding that affected large parts of England this summer . Capt. Tracy Palmer , from the Salvation Army in the northern English town of Workshop , was made a Member of the British Empire -LRB- MBE -RRB- after she provided shelter for children caught up in the floods . Wilmut , 63 , created headlines around the world after he led the team of scientists that created the first mammal produced through genetic cloning in 1996 . Kylie Minogue has sold more than 60 million records worldwide in a music career lasting 20 years . The Australian pop diva battled back to health after she was forced to cancel a world tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tensions between Israel and Turkey spilled into a second day Tuesday when Turkish officials summoned the Israeli ambassador to a meeting , Turkey 's Anatolia news agency reported . Israel criticized Turkey Monday for a Turkish television series that it said depicted Israeli intelligence agents as baby-snatchers . When asked about Tuesday 's meeting between Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy and Turkish officials , the Israeli Foreign Ministry said it was pre-planned . That session came one day after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about the television show that Israel found offensive , a spokesman for Ayalon said . Afterward , Ayalon tweeted that he had `` Told Turk Amb that this is an intolerable situation which endangers the Jewish community , the Israel envoys and tourists coming to Turkey . '' Several senior Israeli Foreign Ministry sources , who did n't want to be named because it would jeopardize their jobs , criticized Ayalon 's treatment of Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol at the start of their meeting Monday . At the session , Celikkol was seated below Ayalon . With cameras rolling , Ayalon turned to the television crews and said , `` The main thing is that you see that he is seated low and that we are high ... that there is one flag on the table -LRB- the Israeli flag -RRB- and that we are not smiling . '' The sources told CNN they were `` surprised by Ayalon 's undiplomatic behavior . '' Ceylon Ozen , spokeswoman for the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv , told CNN that Celikkol felt his treatment was `` unacceptable , shocking and primitive , '' and did not comply with standards for diplomacy . He has contacted the Israeli ambassador to Turkey and requested a formal apology from the Israelis , she said . There had been media speculation that Ayalon 's summons was designed to sabotage a trip to Ankara Sunday by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak . A spokesman for Ayalon said that was `` completely wide of the mark . '' Barak 's office said he had no plans to cancel his trip . Israeli politicians and media outlets roundly condemned an episode of the popular Turkish soap opera , `` Valley of the Wolves : Ambush , '' that depicted the Israeli intelligence service Mossad spying inside Turkey and kidnapping Turkish babies . The program also showed Mossad attacking the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv and taking the ambassador and his family hostage . In a written statement , `` Valley of the Wolves : Ambush '' producer Pana Film said the show `` will continue to tell the truth and expose the wrongs . '' Israel summoned the Turkish ambassador the same day that Turkey 's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted Israel for air strikes Sunday on Gaza , the Turkish state-run Anatolian News Agency reported . `` Why is it doing this ? Because it says ' I possess the power in this region , ' '' the news agency quoted Erdogan as saying of Israel . `` It possesses unproportionate power and it is using this . It is not acting in accordance with U.N. resolutions , it is uncomfortable . It says ' I will do whatever I please . ' '' During a joint news conference , held with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri , Erdogan called for the international community `` to warn Israel about its nuclear arsenal just like it did with Iran , '' ANA reported . Israel is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal , but has never acknowledged that publicly . In a written statement , the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the criticism . `` Erdogan 's remarks join the anti-Israel program broadcast on Turkish television and the harsh statements against Israel that have been said consistently and systematically for over a year , '' the statement said . `` The state of Israel reserves the full right to protect its citizens from missile attacks and from the terror of the Hamas and Hezbollah . Turkey is the last that can preach morality to Israel and the IDF -LRB- Israel Defense Forces -RRB- . '' `` Valley of the Wolves : Ambush '' is part of a popular franchise in Turkey . The series `` Valley of the Wolves '' first aired in 2003 on Turkish television , followed by a 2006 movie of the same name that stirred controversy with its portrayal of American soldiers in Iraq and what some described as thinly-veiled anti-Semitism . The movie , based on the series , featured American actors Gary Busey and Billy Zane . Another television version , `` Valley of the Wolves : Terror , '' was canceled after one episode in February 2007 . `` Ambush '' first aired in April 2007 . Israel and Turkey have enjoyed close military and economic ties for more than a decade . But relations have grown testy at times in recent years over Israel 's activities in the Palestinian territories and over its Gaza offensive in December and January . CNN 's Kevin Flower and Shira Medding contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A form of liquid morphine used by terminally ill patients will remain on the market even though it is an `` unapproved drug , '' according to a decision by the Food and Drug Administration . Last month , the FDA warned nine companies to stop selling unapproved pain-relief drugs . After talking with hospital and hospice organizations , which expressed concern that taking the product off the market would result in hardship for terminally ill patients and their caregivers , the agency decided to extend the usage of morphine sulfate oral solution 20 mg\/ml . The agency wants to ensure there is no shortage of the drug while patients wait for an approved product to take its place . `` While the FDA remains committed to ultimately ensuring that all prescription drugs on the market are FDA approved , we have to balance that goal with flexibility and compassion for patients who have a few alternatives for the alleviation of their pain , '' Dr. Douglas Throckmorton , deputy director of the FDA 's Center for drug Evaluation and Research , said Thursday . `` In light of the concerns raised by these patients and their health-care providers , we have adjusted our actions with regard to these particular products . '' Last month , the FDA sent warning letters to nine companies telling them to stop manufacturing 14 unapproved narcotics that are widely used to treat pain . Seven of those companies made or distributed the oral morphine . The morphine elixir is widely used by terminal patients in hospital and home hospice care settings and is manufactured by Lehigh Valley Technologies Inc. , Mallinckrodt Inc. . Pharmaceuticals Group , Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane Inc. and Cody Laboratories , Inc. . In its warning letter last month , the agency gave the companies 60 days to stop manufacturing the drug before enforcement action was taken . Thursday 's announcement did not prompt immediate reactions from the companies . A spokesman for Cody Laboratories said the firm did not have all the details of the decision . Other companies did not immediately return calls from CNN . The FDA estimates there are several thousand drugs , mostly older products , marketed illegally without FDA approval in this country . Once an illegally marketed drug is identified , enforcement action begins because the agency does not have information on the quality of these drugs and has not had an opportunity to approve their labeling . In 1976 the agency began a program to bring companies manufacturing these drugs into compliance . Thursday 's announcement applies only to the morphine sulfate elixir 20mg\/ml , and the warning letters sent to the other product manufacturers are still in effect . Currently there are no approved morphine sulfate oral solution 20mg\/ml products on the market . Until there are , the FDA says it will allow companies making and distributing the unapproved drugs to continue , until 180 days after any company receives approval to manufacture a new morphine replacement drug of the same dosage . The FDA says it expects all companies marketing unapproved drugs to submit the necessary applications to get approval for those drugs .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN 's Lou Dobbs stepped down from his controversial role as an advocacy anchor at the network at the end of his show Wednesday night , saying he plans to seek a more activist role . `` Over the past six months , it has become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us , and some leaders in media , politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day and to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible , '' Dobbs said during his 7 p.m. broadcast . Dobbs , 64 , said he had discussed the issue with CNN President Jonathan Klein , who had agreed to a release from his contract `` that will enable me to pursue new opportunities . '' In a written statement , Klein called Dobbs `` a valued founding member of the CNN family . '' `` For decades , Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time , often well ahead of the pack , '' Klein said . `` All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas , the megawatt smile and larger-than-life presence he brought to our newsroom , and we 're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years . `` With characteristic forthrightness , Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere . We respect his decision and wish him , Debi -LSB- Dobbs ' wife -RSB- , and his family the very best . '' Dobbs , who is the last of the 29-year-old network 's original anchors , said he was considering `` a number of options and directions . '' He cited the growth of the middle class , the creation of jobs , health care , immigration policy , the environment , climate change and the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as `` the major issues of our time . '' But , he said , `` Each of those issues is , in my opinion , informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington , D.C. I believe these to be profoundly , critically important issues and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future . '' Read Dobbs ' full statement about his departure from CNN Those issues , he added , are defined in the public arena `` by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous , empirical forethought , analysis and discussion , '' and he vowed to work to change that . In an e-mail to CNN staff members , Klein described the parting as `` extremely amicable , '' and said Dobbs ' replacement would be announced soon . Dobbs was with Cable News Network from its initial broadcasts in 1980 , acting as chief economics correspondent and host of the business program `` Moneyline . '' His coverage of the 1987 stock market crash won him the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting . That was one of many awards he received while at CNN , including an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement that he received from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2005 . Dobbs left the network in 1999 to found SPACE.com , a Web site devoted to space-related subjects . He returned to the network in 2001 as anchor and managing editor of CNN 's Moneyline News Hour , which became Lou Dobbs Tonight . He also acted as lead business news anchor for CNN\/U . S. and CNNfn , the forerunner of CNNMoney . During his second stint at CNN , Dobbs positioned himself as `` tough , relentless , independent , '' lashing out at what he described as the deficiencies and `` partisan nonsense '' of both major political parties , and injecting advocacy journalism into his coverage of topics ranging from free trade to immigration . His no-holds-barred , sometimes acerbic style brought him a loyal following , but also attracted controversy both to him and to the network , especially over the subject of illegal immigrants . Dobbs will continue as anchor of The Lou Dobbs Show , a daily radio show that began in March 2008 and is distributed to more than 160 stations nationwide by United Stations Radio Networks Inc. .","question":""}
{"answer":"Philadelphia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Longtime Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Bill Conlin will not face prosecution over child sex abuse allegations -- even if there were grounds for charges -- because the statute of limitations concerning the alleged crimes has expired , according to prosecutors . The claims were published in an article by The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday after an investigation was initiated by authorities , according to a statement from Bernard Weisenfeld , a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor 's Office in New Jersey . The article says three women and a man allege they were molested by Conlin in the 1970s when they were between the ages of 7 and 12 . One of the alleged victims is Conlin 's niece , said Slade McLaughlin , an attorney who represents three of the accusers . A spokesman for the Daily News said the newspaper had no knowledge of the allegations prior to The Inquirer 's story . Conlin has denied the claims , speaking through his attorney . He retired from the Daily News on Tuesday , the newspaper said . `` Mr. Conlin is obviously floored by these allegations , which supposedly happened 40 years ago . He 's engaged me to do everything possible to bring the facts forward to vindicate his name , '' said attorney George Bochetto . Prosecutors say an exhaustive investigation had been launched into the allegations . But , Weisenfeld said , it was later determined that even if there were legal grounds to pursue a criminal prosecution , prosecutors are barred from doing so because the alleged crimes occurred too long ago . A 1996 law actually eliminates statutes of limitations on sexual assault cases in New Jersey , but the law is not considered retroactive for claims that date back as far as the 1970s . Still , McLaughlin said , his clients want to speak out . `` They made the decision that they were going to tell their story , '' the attorney told CNN . `` This is n't a he-said , she-said story . It 's a he-said , they-said . Their only motives are getting closure and public service . '' McLaughlin also noted , after speaking with his clients , that the accusations made in The Inquirer 's story were accurate . Conlin , 77 , who gained national recognition from appearances on ESPN , could not be immediately reached for comment . The veteran sportswriter worked for the Daily News for nearly half a century . The newspaper published an editorial Wednesday written by its managing editor in an effort to address the scandal . `` I have been a journalist for more than a quarter century , and I have never had a professional experience that was sadder \u00e2 $ '' or more shocking \u00e2 $ '' than reading the allegations leveled against Bill Conlin yesterday , '' wrote Larry Platt . `` We 've taken the unusual step of also running -LRB- the Inquirer 's story -RRB- , in its entirety , on the following page , because I felt you deserved to see the allegations in full context , '' he added . Still , Platt reminded readers that Conlin has not been charged with a crime . The Inquirer and the Daily News are owned by a parent company , Philadelphia Media Network . This week 's allegations come in the wake of a series of recent child sex abuse scandals , including the case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky , who faces more than 50 counts of child sex abuse spread over several years . Conlin , who covered sports throughout Pennsylvania for the newspaper , weighed in on the Penn State scandal last month in a column published by the Daily News titled `` Tough Guys Are Talking About Sandusky . '' Conlin expressed doubt about those who said they would have intervened on behalf of a child , had they witnessed the boy 's alleged molestation at the hands of Sandusky in a university locker room shower . `` Everybody says he will do the right thing , get involved , put his own ass on the line before or after the fact , '' Conlin wrote in a column published on November 11 . `` But the moment itself has a cruel way of suspending our fearless intentions . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American U2 reconnaissance planes have been flying over the Turkey-Iraq border to observe military movements , said three U.S. military sources Wednesday . A Turkish army convoy heads toward the Turkey-Iraq border on Monday . Word of the flights comes a day before top-level meetings between U.S. and Turkish government officials and prior to a regional conference aimed at easing tensions between Ankara and Kurdish rebels across Turkey 's border with Iraq . Turkey -- which shares its Incirlik air base with U.S. forces -- is a key member of NATO and acts as a vital conduit for U.S. military supplies . Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell confirmed Wednesday that U.S. military and intelligence communities are sharing information with Turkey to help them fight members of the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , or PKK , who have made cross-border attacks . See location of key U.S.-Turkish air base '' `` We are assisting by supplying them , the Turks , with intelligence , lots of intelligence , '' said Morrell . `` There has been an increased level '' of intelligence sharing . Turkey has urged Washington to offer more support against the rebels and Ankara has threatened to launch a full-scale offensive if Iraqi and Kurdish officials fail to neutralize the PKK . U.S. and Iraqi diplomats have been working to restrain Turkey from such a response . Recent limited fighting in southeastern Turkey has spilled into northern Iraq . During operations near the border on Monday , Turkish forces fired on suspected rebel positions . Watch Turkish helicopters fire on rebels '' On Thursday , U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to meet with Turkish officials in Ankara and President Bush holds talks in Washington with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan . Also , a conference of regional officials , including Iraq , is scheduled Thursday and Friday in Istanbul . Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has joined efforts to ease cross-border tensions . Mottaki met in Iraq Wednesday with his Iraqi counterpart , Hoshyar Zebari , and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki . Mottaki 's involvement prompted him to delay a scheduled visit to Lebanon , according to Iran 's Islamic Republic News Agency , which quoted Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani . Iran 's foreign minister is offering his `` full support '' to the regional conference in Istanbul , said a statement from al-Maliki 's office . The statement also said Mottaki wants to help `` solve the border crisis between Turkey and the PKK . '' Earlier this month , proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress prompted Turkey to threaten to restrict U.S. access to Turkish airspace or cut off access to the air base at Incirlik . Some lawmakers wanted a vote on legislation that would have officially declared that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I was `` genocide . '' Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States and warned of repercussions in the growing dispute . Sponsors of the congressional resolution have asked for a delay in the vote . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A passenger jet caught fire early Sunday , exploded and crashed into railway tracks in the central Russian city of Perm , killing all 88 people on board . Wreckage from the Aeroflot-Nord Boeing 737 , which crashed near Perm , lies across a railway track . The exact cause of the pre-dawn crash is under investigation , but government spokesman Vladimir Markin said `` a technical breakdown '' was a likely cause . Markin said in televised remarks that the failure of one of the Boeing 737-500 's two engines may have caused the plane to come down , The Associated Press reported . Airline officials have said there is no indication of terrorism . `` We think it 's very doubtful that it was the result of a terrorist attack , because at the scene , there were no traces of explosives as we know for now , '' said Lev Koshlyakov , Deputy Director General of Aeroflot . It took firefighters more than two hours to extinguish the blazing wreckage . When the sun rose , pieces of the Aeroflot jet were strewn about the railroad tracks . `` It slammed in front of my house , and there was a huge flame , '' an unidentified woman in Perm told Russian state television . `` It looked like fireworks . '' She said the impact of the crash `` threw me across my sheets ... . Then my daughter ran in from the next room and asked if a war had started . '' She and other witnesses said they saw the aircraft burning before it came crashing down . `` It looked like a comet , '' she said . The jet was en route to Perm from Moscow when the pilots lost communication with air traffic control just before landing about 3:10 a.m. -LRB- 2110 GMT -RRB- , an Aeroflot official said . He described the weather at the time as `` mediocre . '' The public safety minister for the Perm region said investigators were combing a 2.5-mile -LRB- 4-kilometer -RRB- area , including homes and railways . Watch more about the crash '' `` Right now , it 's apparent that there was a fire on the plane at one kilometer in the air , '' Yuri Orlov said . `` After that , all contact was cut off -- the plane exploded . '' The flight data recorder has been recovered and will be analyzed by the International Aviation Commission , Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said . The plane carried 82 passengers , including seven children , and a crew of six . At least 21 non-Russians were on board , including passport-holders from Azerbaijan , Germany , France , Italy , Switzerland and Ukraine , said Lev Koshlyakov , Aeroflot 's deputy director general . The U.S. Embassy confirmed that no Americans were on board the flight , even though one passenger was listed as a U.S. citizen . It is the second crash in the region involving a Boeing 737 in less than a month . An Iran-bound Boeing 737 with 90 people on board crashed on August 24 just outside the airport in Kyrgyzstan 's capital , Bishkek , killing 68 . The 737 is a workhorse of the airline industry , with thousands of planes in service . Aeroflot said the one that crashed in Perm was manufactured in 1992 and was operated by its Aeroflot-Nord subsidiary . `` This Boeing 737 has all the necessary certificates , '' Koshlyakov said . `` We conduct audits and inspections of all the affiliate companies we work with in the realm of their effectiveness , safety and reliability of the airplanes . '' Airline safety in Russia and the former Soviet Union is among the worst in the world . Aviation experts say poor maintenance , inadequate pilot training and weak government controls are major factors . But Aeroflot is considered one of the safer airlines in the region . Sunday 's crash is the first fatal accident for the airline since 1994 , when a Russian pilot handed control of an Airbus to his 15-year-old son . It crashed , killing all 75 people on board . Russia 's government has now ordered an inquiry into the latest incident , to find out how another routine flight could have ended in tragedy . The National Transportation Safety Board will send a team of investigators to Perm to look into the incident -- a standard practice when a U.S.-made aircraft crashes . CNN 's Kathleen Koch and Michael Sefanov contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Members of the international community have reacted to the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran and the oppostion protests which have accompanied the result . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pictured at a rally held in Tehran Sunday to celebrate his re-election as Iranian president . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Saturday : `` We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran but we , like the rest of the world , are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide . `` The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran . We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people . '' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Saturday the administration was `` impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated , particularly among young Iranians . '' U.S. Vice President Joe Biden , commenting on NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' Sunday , said : `` I have doubts , but withhold comment . '' He added that the Iranian government had suppressed crowds and limited free speech , which raised questions . He also said that the strong showing by Ahmadinejad was `` unlikely , '' based on pre-election analysis . Gallery : Emotions run high after election '' Israel 's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman said in a statement that `` the problem which Iran poses for the international community is not personal in nature , but derives from its policy . `` In any case , in light of Tehran 's ongoing policy , and even more so after Ahmadinejad 's re-election , the international community must continue to act uncompromisingly to prevent the nuclearization of Iran , and to halt its activity in support of terror organizations and undermining stability in the Middle East . In a statement Saturday the EU Presidency said it was `` concerned about alleged irregularities during the election process and post-electional violence that broke out immediately after the release of the official election results on 13 June 2009 . `` The Presidency hopes that outcome of the Presidential elections will bring the opportunity to resume the dialogue on nuclear issue and clear up Iranian position in this regard . The Presidency expects the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take its responsibility towards international community and respect its international obligations . '' UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Saturday that the UK government had `` followed carefully , and admired , the passion and debate during the Iranian election campaign . `` We have also heard the concerns about the counting of ballots expressed by two of the candidates . This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address . We will continue to follow developments . Our priority is that Iran engages with the concerns of the world community , above all on the issue of nuclear proliferation . '' Fawzi Barhoum , spokesman for Hamas , the militant Palestinian movement backed by Iran , welcomed the results . He urged the world to respect Iranian democracy and accept the results of the elections . The office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement Sunday that he had congratulated Ahmadinejad on his victory . It added that Karzai believed `` relations between the two Muslim nations of Afghanistan and Iran expanded during Mr. Ahmadinejad 's first term and hoped that these relations get stronger during his second term . '' German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told ARD Sunday that the Iranian ambassador in Berlin would be summoned to explain the treatment of protesters against the result . `` I have already prompted Iran , together with European colleagues today , to quickly shed light on what has happened there -- if one can take the announced election results there seriously or not , '' he added . Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have offered their congratulations to Ahmadinejad , the official Anatolian Agency reported Monday . It said that they `` called Ahmadinejad on the phone and congratulated him for his success in the election . '' Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon told reporters in Niagara Falls , Ontario , Canada , Saturday , that Canada was `` deeply concerned '' about allegations of voting irregularities . `` We 're troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates ' offices by security forces . We 've asked our embassy officials in Tehran to closely monitor the situation , and Canada is calling on Iranian authorities to conduct fair and transparent counting of all ballots . '' CNN 's Shira Medding in Jerusalem and Greg Clary in Washington contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"University Park , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Penn State football coach who alerted head coach Joe Paterno in 2002 that he 'd seen a former defensive coordinator sexually assault a boy -- an allegation authorities did n't learn of until years later -- was placed Friday on indefinite leave , the school 's interim president said . With that , Mike McQueary became the latest casualty in a scandal that began with last week 's arrest of the man he allegedly witnessed commit the crime . The arrest set off a chain of events , including the ouster of the university 's president and of longtime coach Paterno , a move that sparked on-campus riots after it was announced Wednesday . McQueary in recent months told a grand jury that , when he was a graduate assistant , he saw Jerry Sandusky , now 67 , sexually assault a young boy at the campus ' football complex . He said he reported the incident to Paterno , who alerted Athletic Director Timothy Curley , Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said earlier this week . Neither Paterno , 84 , nor McQueary is criminally charged . Kelly has said that the alleged failure of Curley and Gary Schultz , the university 's senior vice president for finance and business , to tell authorities about McQueary 's abuse claim `` likely allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many , many years . '' On Friday , acting President Rodney Erickson announced that he and newly named Athletic Director Mark Sherburne had decided to put McQueary on administrative leave . A day earlier , the school athletic department said McQueary would not coach in Saturday 's game against Nebraska due to `` multiple threats '' against him . `` It became clear that Coach McQueary could not function in this role , under these circumstances , '' Erickson said of the decision . Sandusky , the football team 's defensive coordinator between 1977 and 1999 , was taken into custody Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting children . Sandusky , who is free on $ 100,000 bail , disputes the 23-page grand jury summary of graphic testimony describing the alleged crimes between 1994 and 2009 , his attorney , Joseph Amendola , has said . On Friday , the lawyer told CNN that a rock had been thrown through a window at Sandusky 's home . The scandal has stirred an uproar and a flurry of action over how Penn State athletic and administrative officials handled the matter . Erickson said Friday that he 'll appoint an ethics officer to report directly to him . He added that he wants to encourage openness and dialogue among the school 's 96,000 students so that they do not hesitate to report such allegations . `` Never again should anyone at Penn State -- regardless of their position -- feel scared to do the right thing , '' he said . Earlier , he announced the creation of a committee to review sexual abuse allegations at the school -- an inquiry that its chairman , Kenneth Frazier , promised Friday would be `` rigorous , objective and impartial . '' State Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis will serve as vice chairman , it was announced at a board meeting . Erickson 's predecessor was Graham Spanier , who initially had voiced support for Curley and Schultz and later was removed from office by a unanimous vote of the board of trustees . A senior Navy official told CNN on Friday that , `` based on the events this week at Penn State , Navy officials are reviewing '' Spanier 's membership on the board of advisers at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey , California . The 18 members of the federal advisory committee are nominated to four-year terms . A recommendation to renominate Spanier had been in the works , but will likely be pulled back , the Navy official said . Meanwhile , students held a candlelight vigil Friday night on the University Park campus -- the same place where , two days earlier , others rioted after the university 's trustees fired Paterno . The vigil is one of several efforts aimed at bringing attention to child sexual abuse . `` We are just as horrified , if not more , than a lot of people , '' said senior Kyle Harris , 21 , a vigil organizer . `` We want to make an impact . We want to show these kids we care . '' Friday 's event , which began at 9:30 p.m. , included comments from a sex abuse victim , musical performances and a moment of silence as the clock struck 10 p.m. at the campus ' Old Main building . The Foundation to Abolish Child Abuse is planning its own vigil between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday in support of victims\/survivors of childhood sexual abuse . Warning signs of sexual abuse Michael Gillum , the psychologist for the person referred to as `` Victim 1 '' in the Pennsylvania grand jury report , told CNN 's Anderson Cooper on Friday night he was `` stunned '' that so many individuals , after witnessing or hearing allegations about Sandusky , did not come forward sooner . The report says that Gillum 's patient was `` 11 or 12 years old when he met Sandusky through The Second Mile Program in 2005 or 2006 . '' The Second Mile is a charity Sandusky founded to help troubled youths . The youth had been a houseguest at Sandusky 's home in Centre County , Pennsylvania . `` During the course of the multi-year investigation , the grand jury heard evidence that Sandusky indecently fondled Victim 1 on a number of occasions , performed oral sex on Victim 1 on a number of occasions and had Victim 1 perform oral sex on him on at least one occasion , '' the report said . Gillum said that people should understand `` the powerful differential between the victim and the perpetrator , '' adding that `` the more status the perpetrator has ... the more difficult it is for the victim to come forward , and , in particular , expect to be believed . '' Anxiety , depression and fear of being found out are common among sex abuse victims , especially when the cases go public , the psychologist said . `` Even though he 's a hero -LRB- for speaking up -RRB- , it 's not necessarily something that everyone understands and appreciates , '' Gillum said . The victim 's mother told ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' earlier Friday that she first got an inkling that something had happened when her `` son started acting out '' -- behavior that school counselors had dismissed as a `` puberty thing . '' Eventually , he told her he wanted to look up information on sexual `` weirdos . '' She said she asked him why , and he told her he wanted to see if Sandusky was mentioned . `` I said , ` Well , why would you look him up ? ' And he said , ' I do n't know , he 's a weirdo . ' And I preceded to ask him if there was something he needed to tell me , and at that point , he did n't indicate anything . '' Read the grand jury presentment . Warning : graphic content -LRB- PDF -RRB- Years later , when they had a `` heart-to-heart '' conversation , the woman said her son said he `` did n't know what to do . '' `` You just ca n't tell Jerry no , '' the boy said , according to the mother . The accusations may extend beyond Pennsylvania . Authorities in San Antonio , Texas , said they are investigating the possibility that Sandusky may have committed sex crimes in 1999 when Penn State played in the Alamo Bowl . `` Victim 4 '' in the grand jury report was identified as a member of Sandusky 's family party for the bowl game . Opinion : Ethical lesson of Penn State scandal Sandusky is accused of sexual offenses , child endangerment and `` corruption of a minor '' involving eight boys , most or all of whom he met through The Second Mile , prosecutors said . His involvement with The Second Mile , the charity he founded , provided him with access to `` hundreds of boys , many of whom were vulnerable due to their social situations , '' the grand jury said . The former coach is said to have engaged in fondling and oral and anal sex with boys over at least 15 years , the grand jury 's summary of testimony says . Curley and Schultz are criminally charged for failing to report the alleged abuse . Instead of reporting the 2002 shower incident to authorities , Curley and Schultz banned Sandusky from having children from The Second Mile visit the football building , Kelly said . With a record of 8-1 , Penn State is ranked atop the Big Ten and is ranked No. 12 in the country , potentially in position to play in a premier Bowl Championship Series contest . The team faces the 19th-ranked Cornhuskers in a game set to begin at noon Saturday at Beaver Stadium . Erickson said Friday that it would `` not be fair '' to cancel Saturday 's game , given that `` our student-athletes were n't involved in this situation '' and thus do n't deserve to be penalized . On Friday night , the school issued a statement urging attendees not only to wear blue to raise awareness of child abuse , but to donate to Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape . Erickson said Friday that extra security would be in place for the contest , which the school said would mean `` strict '' enforcement on policies regarding bags being taken into the stadium . `` I hope and I believe we will see the best of our students tomorrow , '' Erickson said . `` They understand that Penn State is really in the spotlight . '' CNN 's Joe Sterling and Barbara Starr contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Giglio , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The captain of the cruise ship that wrecked off Italy 's western coast will be questioned by authorities Tuesday at a hearing , his attorney said . Francesco Schettino is under arrest and may face charges that include manslaughter , shipwreck , and abandoning a ship when passengers were still on board , according to Italian prosecutor Francesco Verusio . Schettino could face up to 15 years in prison , he said . At the closed hearing , a preliminary investigation judge will decide whether Schettino will remain detained . The captain has not yet been questioned , but more than 100 witnesses , including passengers and crew , have been interviewed , the prosecutor said . The captain 's attorney , Bruno Leporatti , said in a statement Monday that Schettino was `` shattered , dismayed , saddened for the loss of lives and strongly disturbed . '' But , he said , Schettino is `` nonetheless comforted by the fact that he maintained during those moments the necessary lucidity to put in place a difficult emergency maneuver ... bringing the ship to shallow waters . '' That move , Leporatti said , saved the lives of many passengers and crew members . Italian prosecutors have ruled out a technical error as the cause of the incident , saying the captain was on the bridge at the time and had made a `` grave error . '' Overheard on CNN.com : Worst-case scenario strikes Late Monday , the head of Italy 's coast guard said 29 people remained unaccounted for from the partially sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia -- a sharp spike from earlier estimates of the missing . Coast guard chief Marco Brusco said the whereabouts of four crew members and 25 passengers were unknown , Italy 's ANSA news agency reported . Authorities earlier believed that 16 people were unaccounted for . The Costa Concordia hit rocks Friday night just off Italy 's western coast , leading to what passengers described as a chaotic and surreal scene to evacuate and the deaths of at least six people . On Monday , rescue efforts were ongoing in and around the mammoth vessel , which was listing on its side off the island of Giglio . The search had been suspended earlier in the day because the vessel began to move , said the island 's mayor , Sergio Ortelli . Coast Guard spokesman Filippo Marino said efforts had resumed , adding that rescuers will focus on retrieving the body of a man , presumably a passenger , discovered earlier in the day . However , he said the weather forecast has rescuers worried , as it calls for rising winds . The head of the company that owns the ship said Monday he has not given up hope of finding survivors . `` Hope is the last thing to die , '' said Costa Cruises chairman and chief executive Pier Luigi Foschi . He addressed journalists at an emotional press conference Monday , apologizing repeatedly for the accident . Prosecutors are examining the ship 's data recorder and expect to have results within days , Verusio said . They are also considering whether others may share responsibility for the crash with the captain . Foschi placed blame for the wreck squarely on the captain , however , saying Schettino had deviated from frequently traveled routes . `` The captain decided to change the route and he went into water that he did not know in advance , '' Foschi said . He said the company was limited in its ability to investigate the incident because it did not have the data recorder . Schettino , who has been with Costa since 2002 , had never been involved in an accident before , Foschi said . He downplayed the possibility that alcohol may have played a role in the crash , saying he did not believe Schettino drank , and that all crew were subject to random drug and alcohol tests by Costa Cruises . The company had said earlier that Schettino may have made `` significant '' errors that led to the wreck . `` The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore , and the captain 's judgment in handling the emergency appears to have not followed standard Costa procedures , '' Costa Cruises said in a statement Sunday . The ship had about 2,300 tons of fuel on board at the time of the wreck , Foschi said Monday , adding that so far there was `` absolutely no evidence of fuel leaking into the sea . '' Divers have been searching the skyscraper-sized ship , working underwater in pitch blackness , in hopes of finding the missing . There were roughly 4,200 people on the Costa Concordia when it ran aground . Among those unaccounted for were two Americans . The U.S. State Department identified them Monday as Gerald and Barbara Ann Heil . The U.S. Embassy has requested information from `` anyone with information '' regarding the Heils ' whereabouts , the State Department said . The Heils live in White Bear Lake , Minnesota , according to CNN affiliate WCCO , and have four children and 15 grandchildren . Their daughter , Sarah , told CBS Radio in Chicago that the couple was planning to travel after retiring , WCCO said . The disaster 's impact on earnings will cost the ship 's owner at least $ 85 million to $ 95 million in the fiscal year to November , parent company Carnival Corporation said Monday -- not including `` other costs to the business that are not possible to determine at this time . '' Foschi said passengers would get `` material compensation for their loss , '' but declined to go into details . The ship is expected to be out of service `` for the remainder of the current fiscal year if not longer , '' the company said . Schettino joined Costa Cruises as a safety officer in 2002 before being appointed captain four years later , the company said . Even with its admission that mistakes were made , the Genoa-based cruise company defended the ship 's crew in the face of criticism on the part of some passengers , who said the crew appeared helpless and overwhelmed as passengers rushed for lifeboats . `` It is becoming clear that the crew of the Costa Concordia acted bravely and swiftly to help evacuate more than 4,000 individuals during a very challenging situation , '' the company said , adding all crew members are trained and the passengers earlier took part in an evacuation drill . Survivors have described the scene -- after the ship hit rocks near Giglio , off the coast of Tuscany , and turned over on its side -- as chaos . `` There was no one taking command , '' passenger Lauren Moore told HLN 's Mike Galanos . She said she was having dinner with a group of friends when she heard the crunch of the ship hitting the rock and the crash of plates and glasses falling to the floor . `` It was a terrifying sound and we knew it was n't normal , '' she said . Moore ran to her cabin and then to board a lifeboat . `` It was so chaotic ... Everyone was basically fighting for his or her own life , '' she said . Some passengers braved the chilly water , with a temperature of about 57 degrees , and swam to safety . Others had no choice and fell in . Nighttime temperatures on Giglio have recently dipped below freezing . Authorities have said at least 20 people were injured , in addition to those killed and missing . There were fears the death toll could rise as rescuers searched the ship , which was nearly 50 % submerged and had a gash in its hull , authorities said . Questions and criticism continue about what caused the shipwreck and the adequacy of the response . Speaking on Italian television , the ship 's captain insisted the rocks that the Concordia hit were not marked on his map . `` On the nautical chart , it was marked just as water , '' Schettino said , adding that the ship was about 328 yards -LRB- 300 meters -RRB- from shore . But Coast Guard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro insisted that the waters where the ship ran aground were well-mapped . Local fishermen say the island coast of Giglio is known for its rocky sea floor . Nicastro said the Coast Guard was investigating why the ship took the course it did . `` We know where the ship was , '' he said . `` We know it was too close to the island . ... We do n't know why . '' Built in 2006 , the Concordia had been on a Mediterranean cruise from Rome with stops in Savona , Marseille , Barcelona , Palma de Mallorca , Cagliari and Palermo . The ship was carrying about 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members when it ran aground . The dead include two elderly people found Sunday , two French tourists and a crew member from Peru , port authorities in Livorno said . One of the victims was a 65-year-old woman who died of a heart attack , authorities said . The Spanish Foreign Ministry named one of the victims Monday as Guillermo Gual Buades , 68 , saying his family had identified him . CNN 's Livia Borghese , Hada Messia , Jim Boulden , Al Goodman and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday the Bush administration is trying to `` blame the fire on the person who calls 911 '' by suggesting he had a role in one of the costliest U.S. bank failures . Sen. Charles Schumer said the OTS `` ought to stop pointing false fingers of blame . '' Federal regulators with the Office of Thrift Supervision were `` asleep at the switch '' when it came to IndyMac 's `` reckless '' behavior , the New York Democrat complained . The OTS announced Friday that it was taking over the $ 32 billion IndyMac and transferring control to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation . The OTS pointed the finger directly at Schumer for the failure , accusing him of sparking a bank run by releasing a letter that `` expressed concerns about IndyMac 's viability . '' Watch what 's next for IndyMac '' `` In the following 11 business days , depositors withdrew more than $ 1.3 billion from their accounts , '' the OTS said in a statement announcing the California-based lender 's takeover on Friday . The statement included a quote from OTS Director John Reich saying , `` Although this institution was already in distress , I am troubled by any interference in the regulatory process . '' Schumer , a member of the Senate Banking Committee , chairman of Congress ' Joint Economic Committee and the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate , rejected any suggestions of responsibility for IndyMac 's collapse `` OTS ought to stop pointing false fingers of blame and start doing its job to protect the future of the banking system , so that there wo n't be other IndyMacs , '' he said . Schumer 's June 26 letter said he was `` concerned that IndyMac 's financial deterioration poses significant risks to both taxpayers and borrowers . '' In a Sunday news conference , he said everything in his letter was already known to the public . `` IndyMac was one of the most poorly run and reckless of all the banks , '' he said . `` It was a spinoff from the old Countrywide , and like Countrywide , it did all kinds of profligate activities that it never should have . Both IndyMac and Countrywide helped cause the housing crisis we 're now in . '' The embattled Countrywide Financial Corp. was recently purchased by Bank of America . Schumer argued that the `` breadth and depth '' of the problems at IndyMac were `` apparent for years , and they accelerated in the last six months . '' But OTS , he said , `` was asleep at the switch and allowed things to happen without restraint . `` And now they are doing what the Bush administration always does : Blame the fire on the person who calls 911 . '' The White House had no immediate response . Schumer said OTS is `` known as a weak regulator , '' and added , `` my job was to try and toughen them up and that 's what I tried to do . '' IndyMac , with assets of $ 32 billion and deposits of $ 19 billion , is the fifth bank to fail this year . Between 2005 and 2007 , only three banks failed . And in the past 15 years , the FDIC has taken over 127 banks with combined assets of $ 22 billion , according to FDIC records . IndyMac will reopen Monday with a new charter and a new name -- IndyMac Federal Bank .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rap star T.I. threw himself a going-away party Sunday night , less than two days before he was scheduled to begin serving a prison sentence on federal weapons charges . T.I. performed to a packed crowd Sunday , days before he was to start a prison term . The Grammy-winning rapper performed at Atlanta 's Philips Arena before a packed house . He is scheduled to head to prison Tuesday to start a 366-day sentence . During Sunday 's concert , the 28-year-old reiterated a message that 's become familiar in recent weeks : He wants others to learn from his mistakes . `` I 'm doing the best I can to get out there , man , and put something positive on these young kids , man , '' T.I. said during the show . `` I try my best . I need y' all help , though . '' The rapper played to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 people , said Kenan Woods , a spokesman for the arena . T.I. , whose given name is Clifford Harris , played through much of his catalog , including the hits `` Whatever You Like , '' `` Live Your Life '' and the Grammy-winning `` Swagga Like Us , '' Woods said . At times in the show , Harris was joined on stage by fellow rapper Soulja Boy and by his five children and mother , Woods said . He was greeted by a welcoming crowd , and some members of the audience held up signs supporting him . Tickets for the show started at just $ 10 , according to the arena , which called the event `` T.I. 's Final Goodbye Bash . '' Harris has been the subject of an MTV reality show , `` T.I. 's Road to Redemption , '' in the lead-up to the prison term . He was sentenced in March on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers . In addition to serving prison time , T.I. was placed on house arrest , was given community service and was ordered to pay a $ 100,300 fine . Though he had been in legal trouble before , Harris ' current situation began when he was arrested just hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta . The rapper had provided a bodyguard with $ 12,000 to buy weapons . Harris was not permitted to own any guns , however , because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in Cobb County , in suburban Atlanta . After his arrest , he entered a plea agreement , which federal authorities called unique because it allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service . Harris has already left a strong mark on the hip-hop genre , music experts told CNN , which should position his career well when he is released . Harris had been named to the Forbes list of top-earning rappers , making an estimated $ 16 million in 2006 . Some music industry observers have said T.I. 's prison term will only make him more popular . `` I think that if anything , it will gain him more fans and actually support his fan base , because he 's talked about making a mistake , '' Emil Wilbekin , editor in chief of Giant Magazine , told CNN . `` He 's talked about taking care of the error of his ways . '' The Atlanta rapper has expressed remorse for the situation . `` I would like to say thank you to some and apologize to others , '' he said at his sentencing in March . `` In my life , I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it . '' In a March interview with CNN 's T.J. Holmes , Harris said he no longer felt like he needed to carry weapons to protect himself . He said people should not idolize him for what he 's gone through , but should take note of the fact that he has taken responsibility for his actions . `` You should n't take the things that I 've gone through , and the negative parts of my life , and admire me for that . If anything , admire me for how I 've accepted responsibility for the part I played in placing myself in these situations , and what I 've done to recover from it , '' Harris said .","question":""}
{"answer":"PHILADELPHIA , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wendell Potter says he is finished defending the insurance industry , which he says is `` beholden to Wall Street . '' Wendell Potter once was a vice president in the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna . At a hearing last week before the Senate Commerce Committee , the former vice president of corporate communications at the insurance giant Cigna testified , `` I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry . '' The committee 's chairman , Jay Rockefeller , D-West Virginia , told Potter , `` You are better than Russell Crowe on ` The Insider , ' '' referring to the award-winning 1999 film about cigarette company executive Jeffrey Wigand , who blew the whistle on the tobacco industry 's practices . In his testimony and during an interview with CNN , Potter described how underwriters at his former company would drive small businesses with expensive insurance claims to dump their Cigna policies . Industry executives refer to the practice as `` purging , '' Potter said . `` When that business comes up for renewal , the underwriters jack the rates up so much , the employer has no choice but to drop insurance , '' Potter said . CNN obtained a transcript of a 2008 Cigna conference call with investors in which company executives use the term `` purge . '' But in an e-mail to CNN , Cigna spokesman Chris Curran denied the company engages in purging . `` We do not practice that . We will offer rates that are reflective of the competitive group health insurance market . We always encourage our clients to compare our proposed rates to those available from other carriers , '' Curran wrote . Cigna had revenue of $ 19.1 billion in 2008 , according to the company Web site . P `` It was almost like an electrical jolt , '' Potter said . At the event , Potter took pictures of doctors offering free health care to the uninsured . `` The volunteer doctors were seeing patients in barns , people in animal stalls , '' Potter said . `` It changed it for me . '' He says he finally decided to quit in 2007 after Cigna 's controversial handling of an insurance claim made by the family of a California teenager , Nataline Sarkysian . The Sarkysian family made repeated appeals at news conferences for Cigna to approve a liver transplant for the 17-year-old , who had leukemia . Cigna initially declined to cover the operation , then reversed its decision . Sarkysian died hours after the company 's reversal . As Cigna 's spokesman during the controversy , Potter had no role in the decision to deny coverage . But he was inundated with angry phone calls . `` After she died , my voice mail and my e-mail inbox were just filled with messages from people who were just outraged , '' Potter said . Now a senior fellow on health care for the nonpartisan watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy , Potter writes a blog on health care reform . In particular , he is keeping an eye on efforts to defeat legislation that would give Americans the option of joining a government health care plan , something he now supports . He says he witnessed how the insurance industry torpedoed health care reform efforts during the Clinton administration . `` They conduct what I call duplicitous PR campaigns . They 'll say what people want to hear , '' Potter says . `` It 's how they operate . You can not trust these guys . '' Potter is also taking aim at some of the TV commercials aired by groups opposed to changes . One such ad caught Potter 's eye . Run by the conservative organization Patients United Now , the ad says that `` now , Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S. '' `` Sometimes you 'll see misleading information . And sometimes you 'll see outright lies , like that -LSB- ad -RSB- is , '' Potter said , referring to the spot . Patients United Now spokeswoman Amy Menefee disagreed . `` We 're not saying there 's a Canada health care act of 2009 , '' Menefee said . `` It is a trend . It 's trending in that direction . '' Potter notes that the leading proposals for health care in Congress do not seek to set up Canadian-style health care in the United States . He says claims that overhauling the system would lead to `` rationing '' of care are missing his point . `` What we have is rationing by corporate executives who are beholden to Wall Street . And it happens all the time , '' Potter said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Left-leaning Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega easily won re-election with more than double the votes of his closest rival , election officials said on Monday , amid complaints of voting irregularities . With 85 % of the ballots counted , the incumbent had 62.6 % of the vote , versus Fabio Gadea 's 30.9 % . `` I want to congratulate the current president , '' Roberto Rivas , president of the Supreme Electoral Council -LRB- CSE -RRB- , told reporters . Opposition leaders have criticized Sunday 's vote and Gadea , Ortega 's closest rival , refused to accept the results . He was known until recently as a radio-station owner and journalist and as creator of the popular Nicaraguan radio character `` Pancho Madrigal . '' `` We ca n't accept the results presented by the CSE as they do n't reflect the will of the people , '' Gadea said . According to opposition leader Eliseo Nunez of the Liberal Independent Party , 20 % of election observers had been stopped from entering polling stations . `` This has been a process plagued with irregularities , '' he said . U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland similarly weighed in Monday on reports of procedural irregularities and voter intimidation . `` Frankly , if the Nicaraguan government had nothing to hide , it should have allowed a broad compliment of international monitors , '' she told reporters in Washington . Placing third , with 6 % of votes , was former President Arnoldo Aleman . He was convicted of corruption during his term and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2003 , but in a controversial 2009 decision , the nation 's top court overturned the conviction . Nicaragua 's constitution bars presidents from being re-elected , but that did not stop Ortega from running in his sixth straight presidential race . Supporters of the president celebrated what was then his apparent re-election victory in the streets of the country 's capital Sunday night . He was first elected as president in 1984 , and ran unsuccessfully in 1990 , 1996 and 2001 before being elected again in 2006 . Ortega is known as an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and was a public supporter of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during the Libyan uprising . But recently he has reached for the middle , making overtures to the business class and promising to lure foreign investors into the country . `` Our government program is the one in practice now and the one we have to improve , strengthen -LRB- and -RRB- develop , '' Ortega said recently . For his supporters , re-election guarantees that social and economic programs will continue . They want to see more investment in infrastructure and technology , and more public housing , projects often financed through Venezuela . Ortega came to power as part of the Sandinista rebels who overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1979 . He represents the Sandinista National Liberation Front . His detractors accuse Ortega of having too much influence over the Supreme Electoral Council and the Supreme Court of Justice , which allowed his candidacy . Yet his popular support remains high , particularly among the country 's youth . `` The level of support shows a bit of a new generation that does not know the experience of the past , of 30 years ago , of the war that happened in Nicaragua , '' said Manuel Orozco , a senior associate at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue . CNN 's Lucia Navarro and Jack Maddox contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirteen flag-draped coffins left Fort Hood on Friday as authorities searched for a motive in the massacre that left more than 50 casualties at the largest U.S. military base . Thursday 's mass shooting killed 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounded 38 people at the Fort Hood Army Post in Texas . The suspect in the shooting , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , a licensed Army psychiatrist , was among the two dozen who remained hospitalized Friday night . Hasan was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio , Texas , and was in critical condition but stable , a spokesman said . Investigators were waiting to speak to the comatose Hasan , who is under heavy guard , said Col. John Rossi , the post 's deputy commander . The bodies of the 13 personnel who died were transported through a `` ramp ceremony '' to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a dignified transfer , he said . It was a `` truly moving ceremony . '' FBI agents helping investigate the shootings searched Hasan 's apartment on Friday while investigators sifted through the crime scene , Fort Hood 's military processing center , where soldiers report before they go to war . Are you there ? Share your stories , photos and videos Hasan , who worked at a hospital on the base , is accused of using two handguns in the shooting . Two law enforcement sources told CNN that one of the weapons used is an FN 5.7-millimeter pistol , a semiautomatic purchased legally at Guns Galore , a Killeen gun shop . Details on the other gun , identified only as a type of revolver , were not immediately available . Rossi told reporters late Friday that both guns were privately owned and never registered at the post . Earlier , officials said investigators were looking into whether some soldiers may have been shot accidentally by others trying to shoot the gunman . However , Rossi said , `` All indications are that this is not a friendly fire incident . And , of course , that will be validated when the investigation is complete . '' Rossi attributed the high casualty rate to the `` more than 100 rounds '' fired by the gunman and the relatively small size of the room , among other factors . Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley , who has been credited with shooting Hasan and ending the massacre , was among the wounded . She was in stable condition Friday night , according to her family and military officials . Munley 's partner , Senior Sgt. Mark Todd , was also lauded for `` engaging '' the shooter , Rossi said . Todd , in an interview Friday night with CNN 's Anderson Cooper , described the intense scene as both officers fired shots at the accused gunman . `` He looked like he was calm . He was just pointing a finger at me , '' Todd said . `` The weapon ... I just know I saw the weapon and that 's when we returned fire . '' Todd , a retired member of the military police , offered his condolences to the families of the victims . `` I wish we could 've gotten there sooner and helped out a lot sooner -- but we got there as soon as we possibly could . '' Texas Gov. Rick Perry was scheduled to visit hospitalized victims of the shooting Saturday . As the Fort Hood community grieved its numerous losses , holding a candlelight vigil and setting up support lines , some details about the alleged gunman emerged . Relatives say Hasan , a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent , was a `` calm '' individual who had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Others described him as a vocal opponent to the war on terror whose rhetoric concerned colleagues . Fort Hood 's commanding general said witnesses have reported that the gunman yelled `` Allahu Akbar , '' Arabic for `` God is great , '' during the rampage . However , Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said investigators had not confirmed that . Hasan 's neighbors at his Killeen , Texas , apartment complex said he cleaned out his place just hours before the rampage and gave copies of the Quran to several residents . President Obama , in remarks Friday morning , cautioned against `` jumping to conclusions '' about what had triggered `` one of the worst mass shootings ever to take place on an American military base . '' He ordered that flags at the White House and other federal buildings be flown at half staff until Veterans Day , Wednesday of next week . `` This is a modest tribute to those who lost their lives , even as many were preparing to risk their lives for their country , '' the president said . `` It 's also a recognition of the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our safety and uphold our values . We honor their service , we stand in awe of their sacrifice , and we pray for the safety of those who fight and for the families of those who have fallen . '' Obama said he met with FBI Director Robert Mueller and representatives of other relevant agencies to discuss the investigation . He promised his administration will provide updates . The central question investigators want to answer : Why would a member of the military who had been trusted with helping others achieve a healthier mental state allegedly shoot his comrades ? `` He took care of soldiers with behavioral health problems and also evaluated people who had disability evaluations , '' Braverman told reporters Friday morning . Asked whether Hasan , 39 , had seemed adequately prepared for his job , Braverman responded , `` We had no indication otherwise . '' According to the American Psychiatric Association , Hasan co-chaired a panel at the group 's May convention titled `` Medical Issues for Psychiatrists in Disasters . '' Military records show Hasan received his appointment to the Army as a first lieutenant in June 1997 after graduating from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg , Virginia , with a degree in biochemistry . Six years later , he graduated from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences ' F. Edward Hebert School Of Medicine in Bethesda , Maryland , and was first an intern , then a resident and finally a fellow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center . He was promoted to major in May . Army Lt. Col. Wayne Hall said Hasan was to deploy to Afghanistan to work with a unit already there as part of behavioral health support . It was n't clear when Hasan was scheduled to go overseas for what would have been his first deployment . Since 2001 , Hasan had been telling his family that he wanted to get out of the military but was unsuccessful , said a spokeswoman for his cousin , Nader Hasan . She added that he told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Nader Hasan issued a statement late Thursday on behalf of relatives , saying they were shocked by the shootings . Another family statement on Friday said , `` We are mortified with what has unfolded and there is no justification , whatsoever , for what happened . We are all asking why this happened -- and the answer is that we simply do not know . `` We can not explain , nor do we excuse what happened yesterday . Yesterday 's violence in no way reflects the feelings , beliefs , or principles of our family , '' the statement continued , adding that the family is cooperating with authorities . CNN 's Ted Rowlands and Michael Cary contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Indonesian court has sentenced the alleged military commander of an al Qaeda-linked terror network to 15 years in prison . Abu Dujana is suspected of plotting attacks on the Australian Embassy and J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta . Abu Dujana is the alleged leader of the military wing of Jemaah Islamiyah , a group that is thought to be linked to al Qaeda . It aims to create a Muslim `` superstate '' across much of Southeast Asia . Dujana , a slight , wiry man , is accused of direct involvement in the Bali nightclub bombings of 2002 that killed more than 200 , mostly Western , tourists . He is also suspected of plotting subsequent attacks on the Australian Embassy and J.W. Marriott hotel , both in the Indonesian capital , Jakarta . Furthermore , authorities say Dujana is behind the violence in Poso , on Indonesia 's eastern Sulawesi island . Fighting between Muslims and Christians periodically breaks out in the region and sometimes turns deadly . Police have accused Jemaah Islamiyah of sending armed militants to Poso . The court found Dujana guilty Monday of illegally possessing firearms and explosives , and of harboring suspected terrorists . His lawyers said they may appeal the sentence . After his arrest last June following a four-year hunt , Dujana admitted to CNN that he was Jemaah Islamiyah 's military chief . But he said that happened only after the attacks on Western targets . He described Jemaah Islamiyah to CNN as `` an underground organization , '' saying `` it will continue to exist and continue to move on with its plans '' to create an Islamic state under Sharia law despite his capture . `` When a part of it is cut off ... there will be a replacement , it 's only natural , '' he said . Dujana denied being involved in the Marriott Hotel attack . He told CNN that he helped fugitive suspect Noordin Top plan the attack , meeting him both before and after the devastating blast that killed 12 people and injured 150 . `` It 's true , I did have a meeting with Noordin before the Marriott bombing but that does n't mean I was involved in the attack , '' he said . `` In that meeting , we 're just aligning our views with each other -- there was absolutely no discussion about planning any bombing . '' In his CNN interview , Dujana was quick with messages of hate , calling all Westerners legitimate targets because of the actions of leaders like U.S. President George W. Bush and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair , who he says are not giving Muslims the chance to be in power . Dujana studied in Pakistan and fought in Afghanistan from 1988 to 1991 . He told CNN that he met al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan during the fight against Soviet occupation . At the time , bin Laden was a field commander and he was an ordinary soldier , he said . Dujana said bin Laden was well respected then and helped him and others realize that it was permissible to kill people to defend Islam . `` I did n't read it in the Quran , '' he said . '' It 's based on the teachings of our teachers , clerics , especially what Osama bin Laden first said . '' `` Because of America 's arrogance , many in the Muslim world know , believe , it 's permissible to kill American soldiers . It 's halal ; it 's permitted , '' he said . The court declared Jemaah Islamiyah a terrorist organization Monday and ordered it to pay 10 million rupiah -LRB- $ 1,088 -RRB- . Around the same time Dujana was captured last June , authorities also apprehended Jemaah Islamiyah 's leader , known simply as Zarkasih . A verdict on his case is expected soon . Last week , two other top Jemaah Islamiyah leaders -- Dr. Agus Purwanto and Abdur Rohim -- were brought to Indonesia following their arrest in Malaysia . Both are being investigated for their possible role in fomenting violence in Poso . Terrorism expert Sidney Jones says Abdur Rohim is believed to have replaced Zarkasih as Jemaah Islamiyah leader . `` It is another major blow to Jemaah Islamiyah , but difficult to tell what the impact will be , '' Jones told CNN via e-mail last week . `` It could embolden a more militant faction . -LSB- It -RSB- could also lead to some serious reassessment within the organization about its future . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy snow pummeled much of the East Coast on Wednesday , battering states for the second time in a week and forcing many people to stay home from school and jobs . Several cities had record snowfalls . The storm canceled or delayed flights in several cities , kept federal workers home for a third straight day in Washington , and taxed local government budgets as cities and counties scrambled to pay for snow removal , overtime , salt , supplies and equipment . In Washington , the snow was falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour at one point in the afternoon , CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . Forecasters predicted that Washington winds would gust to 50 mph overnight . A blizzard warning was to be in effect in the Washington area until 7 p.m. , the National Weather Service said . Blowing snow caused such poor visibility at midday that snowplows temporarily parked by the side of the road , authorities said . Forecasters predicted that the storm would dump a total of 8 to 10 inches inside the Capital Beltway -LRB- Interstate 495 -RRB- , with higher amounts to the north . Watch the forecast on the storm 's trek `` Even if you 're in a SUV , it 's difficult to get around , '' Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said . `` You ca n't see the Capitol dome through the snow , '' even standing a few yards away . Share your winter weather photos , videos Government buildings were eerily quiet . The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service buildings were shut . No one answered the door at the Justice Department , though the attorney general 's office said work was still being done at key counterterrorism offices . The U.S. Postal Service said it was experiencing delays in processing mail . Subway service was expected to be limited Thursday to underground stations , and bus service was expected to be suspended on Thursday . Federal agencies were to be closed Thursday , too , and non-emergency employees were to be granted the day off . This winter already has become the snowiest on record for Washington and its suburbs , as well as Baltimore , Maryland , and Wilmington , Delaware , the National Weather Service said . It 's also on pace to become the snowiest season on record in other cities , including Atlantic City , New Jersey , and Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Blizzard warnings also were in effect Wednesday for Asheville , North Carolina ; Newark and Atlantic City , New Jersey ; Baltimore , Maryland ; Dover , Delaware ; New York and nearby Long Island ; and Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Under a blizzard warning , the following conditions are expected to be seen for three hours or longer : wind speeds of 35 mph or more and considerable falling and\/or blowing of snow with visibility near zero -LRB- less than one-fourth mile -RRB- , the weather service said . In Atlantic City , the landmark Boardwalk -- lined with shops , restaurants and casinos -- remained open despite the snow . New York was to be under a blizzard warning until 6 a.m. Thursday , but the snow was expected to stop falling late Wednesday night . Forecasters predicted wind gusts up to 50 mph and predicted the city will have received 12 to 20 inches of snow by the time the storm ends . In Pennsylvania , all of Interstates 76 , 78 , 83 , 176 , 476 and 676 , as well as state road 581 , were closed Wednesday because of blizzard conditions , the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said on its Web site . Part of I-81 was closed , it said . Interstate 80 near Clearfield , Pennsylvania , was shut after two pileups -- one involving 17 cars and the other involving seven cars , said Rich Kirkpatrick from the state 's Department of Transportation . One person died and another person was seriously injured , police said . Philadelphia was under a blizzard warning until midnight , and could have as much as 20 inches of snow by the time it stops , forecasters said . In Boston , Massachusetts , snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches an hour were expected along the Interstate 95 corridor into the evening . A winter storm warning was in effect until 1 a.m. Thursday , with final snow totals of 5 to 10 inches , the weather service said . Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled to and from airports in Baltimore , Boston , New York , Philadelphia and Washington , airlines reported . East Coast storm grounds thousands of flights `` We 're working , and we 're plowing as best we can , and then once the winds diminish some , we 'll be able to start hauling snow off the airfield as we 've been doing for six days now , '' said Tara Hamilton , spokeswoman for Washington Dulles International and Reagan Washington National airports , both of which closed Wednesday . The airports did not plan to reopen until about 7 a.m. Thursday . New York area airports were operational Wednesday afternoon , but airlines canceled most flights in and out of LaGuardia , Newark Liberty International and John F. Kennedy International airports . Rajesh Moorjani , one of the stranded travelers at the Newark , New Jersey , airport , had flown from India on Tuesday night , intending to get a connecting flight to California . On Wednesday , he was getting used to the idea of being stuck on the East Coast for a day , CNN affiliate WABC reported . `` I 'm just kind of trying to get in touch with old classmates , ex-colleagues ... trying to put a message on Facebook saying : ` If anybody is in New York , let 's get in touch , ' '' he told WABC . WABC : Storm socks New Jersey Amtrak was still providing limited service for Boston , New York and Washington . But most passenger rail service south of Washington was canceled . `` The massive storm has resulted in downed trees and power lines on portions of CSX freight railroad tracks south of Washington resulting in continued service cancellations in Virginia , and the Carolinas , '' the rail line 's Web site said . Bus travelers fared no better . `` Pretty much everything out of Virginia , New York , D.C. , etc. at this time has been canceled , '' said Maureen Richmond , director of media relations for Greyhound , which transports 22 million passengers per year . `` We 're operating where we can , based on weather and road conditions , '' she said . She urged would-be passengers to call the company 's ticketing line . Due to improved weather conditions in the Chicago , Illinois , area , airlines were reporting no delays at O'Hare and Midway International Airports . Many businesses in Greenwich , Connecticut , about 30 miles northeast of New York City , closed early Wednesday , in part to allow workers to travel home before the worst of the storm hit . Diane Garett planned to keep her bookstore open , but she gave her employees the day off , WABC reported . `` I just felt it was just safer if they stayed home , '' she told WABC . `` Plus a lot of their children are home from school . So I did n't think it was right to ask them to come to work . '' Hardware store owner Troy Usnik was taking somewhat of a breather Wednesday in snowy Philadelphia . The owner of 10th Street Hardware said he sold well over 100 shovels and 200 to 300 bags of salt Tuesday . `` Today seems kind of quiet , but there was a mad rush yesterday . Sales were brisk . Last night was a panic and everyone who did n't have it came out to buy shovels and salt . '' Early Wednesday , the snow turned to sleet in Philadelphia , but roads were passable and buses were driving along emergency routes , Usnik said . The National Weather Service predicted 9 to 13 more inches of snow . New York deployed 1,600 salt spreaders to care for 65 miles of roads , CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said . The winter of 2009-2010 has become the snowiest on record for : \u2022 Baltimore , which has received at least 72.3 inches of snow this winter \u2022 Washington , where Dulles airport has received 72 inches of snow this winter and Reagan National airport has received 54.9 inches \u2022 Wilmington , Delaware , which has received at least 59.5 inches of snow this winter , breaking its previous record of 55.9 inches . CNN 's Sean Morris , Nicole Saidi , Steve Kastenbaum , Scott Spoerry , and Jean Shin contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa 's embattled police commissioner resigned Sunday as president of Interpol , a day after he took an extended leave of absence from his police duties , the international crime-fighting agency said in a statement . South Africa police commissioner Jackie Selebi , facing charges of corruption , has stepped down as boss of Interpol . Interpol 's Secretary-General Ronald Noble received a resignation letter on Sunday from Jackie Selebi , who is facing charges of corruption related to his role as police commissioner , the agency said . The charges are not related to his leadership role in Interpol . In the letter , Selebi said he was resigning because he did not wish the allegations against him `` to bring the good work of this august body into disrepute . '' `` Based on my experience of working with Mr. Selebi in his capacity as delegate , vice president and ultimately president of the organization , he has always conducted himself and acted in a way to enhance global security and police co-operation worldwide , '' Noble said in a statement . As to the charges Selebi faces , Noble said : `` Any such allegations should be prosecuted thoroughly , and the proper manner is for charges to be brought promptly before a court of law and not through media leaks and speculation . '' On Saturday , South African President Thabo Mbeki told a news conference in Pretoria , South Africa , that Selebi had been given an `` extended leave of absence '' from his police duties , but that he was not being sacked . Mbeki said Selebi supported the decision -- taken midnight Friday and effective immediately -- to temporarily step down and that an acting commissioner had already been appointed to take his place . The National Prosecuting Authority said it will charge the police chief with `` corruption and defeating the administration of justice , '' Tladi Tladi , a spokesman for the agency told CNN . According to widespread media reports , the upcoming charges hinge on Selebi 's dealings with Glen Agliotti , a convicted drug smuggler . The suspended police chief is alleged to have accepted at least 1.2 million Rand -LRB- $ 177,000 -RRB- from Agliotti over a 5-year period , the South African daily Cape Argus reported . In return Selebi allegedly handed over confidential intelligence reports from the British authorities relating to Agliotti 's suspected drug-trafficking activities , according to the newspaper . Tladi said the corruption charges were linked to Agliotti `` to a certain extent . '' Agliotti recently received a 10-year suspended prison sentence in a drug case after entering into a plea bargain . He is also accused of involvement in the 2005 killing of mining magnate Brett Kebble , according to South African media reports . A court on Friday rejected an application to halt the prosecution by Selebi , who has been under investigation for around two years . Mbeki denied that he had been too slow in dealing with the fallout from the charges . `` I have said many times that if there was anyone who came to me with information indicating that the national commissioner had behaved improperly then I would act on such information . No one has come to me with such information , '' Mbeki said . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The longest-serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee told CNN Radio on Thursday that , barring any surprises , Sonia Sotomayor is headed for a Supreme Court confirmation . Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court . `` If there are no otherwise disqualifying matters here , it appears to me she will probably be confirmed , '' Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said . Hatch was acknowledging the current Senate political landscape . Sotomayor was nominated by a Democrat president , and Democrats could have 60 votes in the 100-member chamber if Minnesota 's Al Franken is seated . They now hold 12 of the 19 seats on the Senate Judiciary Committee that will first consider Sotomayor 's nomination . Sen. Pat Roberts , R-Kansas , said Thursday he does not plan to vote to confirm Sotomayor , becoming the first Republican to explicitly state his opposition . `` She has made statements on the role of the appeals court I think is improper and incorrect , '' Roberts said . `` I think that we should be judging people not on race and gender , or background or ethnicity or a very compelling story . '' Hatch -- who unlike Roberts voted in favor of Sotomayor 's 1998 nomination to the federal appeals court -- also revealed one of the first Republican battle lines on the nomination : the schedule . See Sotomayor 's key rulings '' President Obama and other Sotomayor supporters say they want her confirmed before the Senate goes on its August recess , so that she can be well-situated for the start of the next Supreme Court session in October . Hatch and fellow Judiciary Committee Republicans Jon Kyl of Arizona and John Cornyn of Texas are pushing for a longer timeframe . They say it is almost impossible to review Sotomayor 's extensive record , debate her nomination and hold a Senate vote by August . `` If the Democrats do n't overplay their hand and do n't try to rush this too much , the process will go well , they 'll be better off , she 'll get confirmed , '' Hatch said , again adding that his prediction is based on no new concerns coming to light . The opposition party usually fights for extensive time to try to find hidden issues in a Supreme Court nominee 's record . Hatch said senators need three months to consider Sotomayor and that a vote should come in September , after the Senate 's August break . A September vote would crunch Sotomayor 's preparation time for setting up her office before the high court 's next term begins . It also would complicate Democratic fights on health care and energy that could reach a critical point at that time . See whom Sotomayor would sit alongside if she 's confirmed '' Hatch insisted a September Senate vote would get Sotomayor on the bench in time for the new Supreme Court session . `` If they do it the right way , '' he said of Senate Democrats , `` and there is no otherwise disqualifying feature to this , it is highly likely she is going to be confirmed as the ninth justice on the Supreme Court in time to sit on the court on the first Monday of October . '' Meetings on the timetable have begun . On Thursday , White House staffers met with aides to Democrats on the Judiciary Committee to go over this and their strategies for Sotomayor 's confirmation , according to a Senate Democratic aide involved in the confirmation process . Sotomayor will go to Capitol Hill as early as Tuesday to meet with senators who will vote on her confirmation . The Judiciary Committee has not announced when the confirmation hearings will begin . Democrats were relieved Wednesday when Sen. Jeff Sessions , R-Alabama , and the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee , said he did not think Republicans would block the nomination with a filibuster . But prominent conservatives still are trying to stir public opinion against Sotomayor . Radio host Rush Limbaugh and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich have called her racist , pointing to an October 2001 speech at the University of California , Berkeley . During that speech , she said : `` I would hope that a wise Latina woman , with the richness of her experiences , would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who has n't lived that life . '' The Senate Democratic aide involved in the confirmation process said Democrats are pleased with the initial response from Republican senators to Sotomayor 's nomination , saying it was a `` good sign '' that GOP senators have not adopted some of the language coming from Limbaugh and Gingrich . `` If the fire-breathing rhetoric is contained to the far right element , it does n't jeopardize the nomination , '' the aide said . CNN 's Alexander Mooney contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man who accused pop star Michael Jackson of molesting his son in 1993 killed himself in his New Jersey condo earlier this month , police said . Evan Chandler , 65 , was found by the building 's concierge November 5 after a doctor , who was treating him for cancer , said he missed an appointment , the Jersey City , New Jersey , police report said . Chandler was `` extremely ill '' with cancer , the report said . He was working as a dentist in Beverly Hills , California , in 1993 when he said his son , who was 13 at the time , told him that Jackson had molested him . His son revealed it , he said , when he put him under anesthesia to pull a tooth . The Los Angeles County district attorney did not pursue criminal charges against Jackson , but Chandler and his son reached a confidential financial settlement with the singer after filing a lawsuit . Reports at the time said the Chandlers got between $ 16 million and $ 20 million from Jackson 's insurance company . The Chandler accusation became a key part of the prosecution 's case when Jackson was tried and acquitted of molestation a decade later in Santa Barbara County , California . The elder Chandler was found `` on his bed in a lifeless state with a gun in his hand , '' the investigator 's report said . `` The victim had a silver revolver in his right hand which was pressed against the right side of his head , '' Officer J.S. Sielski wrote . Chandler , who was estranged from most of his family , owned the .38 - caliber pistol he used to kill himself , Jersey City spokesman Stan Eason said . No suicide note was found , Eason added . Chandler 's brother -- a lawyer in Santa Barbara County -- told CNN in 2003 that Chandler feared for his life because of threats made by angry Jackson fans . `` There 's a hard-core group , there was and probably still is , of fanatical fans who see him as a deity , '' Ray Chandler told CNN 's Larry King . `` Some of them will go to any lengths that , you know , there 's some who will just go as far as threatening , there 's some who will go -- who will be violent , and you know , you never know how far it is going to go . '' Ray Chandler has not responded to calls from CNN for comment about his brother 's death .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Boeing is asking pilots who fly its 737 jets to pay careful attention to flight instruments after Dutch investigators said a faulty altimeter contributed to the recent crash of a 737 in the Netherlands . Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 broke into three pieces near Schiphol Airport on February 25 . The 737 is the most widely flown jet in commercial aviation . More than 6,000 have been sold , according to Boeing . `` Boeing reminds all operators to make sure flight crews pay close attention to all primary flight controls during critical stages of a flight , '' Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx told CNN on Thursday . On February 25 , Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 from Istanbul to Amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at Schiphol Airport , breaking into three pieces in a muddy field . Nine people died and 80 people were hurt in the accident . In a memo to pilots , Boeing says there was a malfunction in one of the plane 's two altimeters , which measure the altitude above the terrain where the plane is going to land . The left altimeter was giving `` erroneous '' information , indicating that the plane was below 7 or 8 feet from ground level when it was actually about 2,000 feet in the air , the memo said . That caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down . `` Boeing recommends operators inform flight crews of the above investigation details and the -LRB- Dutch Safety Board -RRB- interim report when it is released . In addition , crews should be reminded to carefully monitor primary flight instruments , '' the memo said . The plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed , said Pieter van Vollenhoven , head of the Dutch Safety Board . The weather was misty at the time of the crash , possibly keeping the pilots from noticing their altitude , Van Vollenhoven said . Automatic pilot should not be used for landings if altimeters are malfunctioning , he said . Dutch investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights of the same jet , but the pilots were able to land . In the Amsterdam crash , the pilots did not recognize the altimeter problem until it was too late , Van Vollenhoven said . The Boeing memo notes that `` the autothrottle , which uses the left radio altimeter data , transitioned to landing flare mode and retarded the throttles to the idle stop . The throttles remained at the idle stop for approximately 100 seconds during which time the airspeed decreased to approximately 40 knots below the selected approach speed . '' Proulx said he did not know what that speed was for that particular 737 model . The warning issued by Boeing was for many other models of 737 jets , not just the 737-800 involved in the Amsterdam crash .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- England soccer star John Terry has again been engulfed in controversy after his car hit a club steward on Tuesday night following Chelsea 's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan . English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed that the club 's captain had driven into one of its security staff as he sought to get past a horde of photographers and fans after the match , the UK Press Association reported on Wednesday . British media had widely reported that police said the man suffered a broken leg , but Chelsea told PA that he had only `` a badly bruised leg . '' `` We can confirm there was an unfortunate accident as John Terry left Stamford Bridge last night , '' a Chelsea spokesman told PA. . `` When driving out of the stadium at approximately 1-2 mph in a queue of traffic exiting the ground , his car was surrounded by photographers and fans . In the melee that ensued a member of Chelsea 's security staff was knocked to the ground , making contact with the car . He suffered a badly bruised leg . `` John was aware at the time that there was a lot of contact with his car during the incident , but not that anyone was injured as a result . Upon hearing of the injury , John spoke to the police . He has also been in contact with the staff member to check on his welfare . '' Terry 's spokesman Phil Hall told Sky Sports News that the player had been breathalyzed by the police , with tests showing he had not been drinking alcohol . Hall said Terry planned to visit the steward on Thursday as he was upset about the accident . The incident was another blow for Terry , whose Chelsea team missed out on a place in the quarterfinals of Europe 's premier club competition for the first time since 2006 . Italian champions Inter , managed by Terry 's former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho , won 1-0 on the night thanks to a late goal by Samuel Eto'o which sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory . The 29-year-old Terry has recently been at the center of a media storm following revelations about his alleged affair with the ex-partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge . He was stripped of the national captaincy by coach Fabio Capello as a result . Bridge subsequently decided he would not be available for selection by England at the World Cup starting in June as he believed his presence in the dressing room with Terry would be `` divisive '' for the team . Bridge , who plays for Manchester City , is sidelined after having a hernia operation on Tuesday which will rule him out for a month . The defender , who had only just returned to action following a knee injury , aggravated a long-term problem during Sunday 's 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland . Meanwhile , the Premier League confirmed on Wednesday that bottom club Portsmouth have been docked nine points after going into administration last month . League officials acted after Britain 's tax department dropped its legal action challenging the club 's change of financial status . The decision means debt-ridden Portsmouth are almost certain to be relegated , with Avram Grant 's team now 17 points from safety with only nine matches left in the season . Fellow strugglers Hull City , second from bottom 14 points above Portsmouth , confirmed on Wednesday that Iain Dowie will be the Yorkshire club 's new manager until the end of this season . Dowie , who replaces the sacked Phil Brown , has previously coached Charlton , Crystal Palace and Queen 's Park Rangers .","question":""}