(CNN)  -- The family of a Korean-American missionary believed held in North Korea said Tuesday they are working with U.S. officials to get him returned home.

Robert Park told relatives before Christmas that he was trying to sneak into the isolated communist state to bring a message of "Christ's love and forgiveness" to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. In a written statement issued Tuesday on the family's behalf, his brother, Paul Park, said Park's well-being "has been a source of ongoing concern and anxiety" since they received reports he had entered North Korea.

"He is a very special member of our family. We miss having his love and compassion in our home," the family statement said. "I don't know where he's being held, but if he can receive this message, we want him to know we love him, we miss him and we are waiting anxiously for the opportunity to be reunited with him."

Paul Park said his San Diego, California-area family is working with the U.S. State Department and members of Congress to bring about his "eventual safe return."

North Korea announced Tuesday that it was holding an American who entered the country illegally from China on Christmas Eve. The state-run Korea Central News Agency did not identify the man, who it said was "now under investigation by a relevant organ."

Monday, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington was concerned by reports that Park had gone into North Korea but could not confirm them. Washington and Pyongyang have no diplomatic relations, but Kelly said the Swedish Embassy -- which looks after U.S. interests in North Korea -- has offered to try to find out more.

A South Korean Web site last week posted a copy of the letter it said Park was trying to deliver to Kim, which urged the North Korean leader in the name of Jesus Christ to free political prisoners and "open your borders so that we may bring food, provisions, medicine, necessities, and assistance to those who are struggling to survive."

North Korean authorities take a dim view of people who enter the country without authorization. Two American journalists who were arrested along the North Korean-Chinese border in March faced a 12-year sentence at hard labor, but were released after a meeting between Kim and former U.S. President Bill Clinton in Pyongyang.

But Park's parents told CNN affiliate KFMB that their son was willing to risk his life to deliver his message to Kim.

The American was taken into custody after entering from where?

Who is believed to be held in North Korea?

Who was trying to sneak in to bring message of "Christ's love and forgiveness"?

Who was taken into custody after entering from China?

What is the name of the Korean-American missionary?

Answer: China

Answer: Robert Park

Answer: Robert Park

Answer: a Korean-American missionary

Answer: North Korea

Answer: Robert Park

Answer: he was trying to sneak into the isolated communist state to bring a message of "Christ's love and forgiveness" to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Summary:
Korean-American missionary Robert Park is believed to be held in North Korea .
Park told relatives he was trying to sneak in to bring message of "Christ's love and forgiveness"
Korea Central News Agency: American taken into custody after entering from China .
U.S. State Department concerned by reports about Park but could not confirm them .


(CNN)  -- The first pictures from NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander, which successfully touched down near Mars' north pole Sunday, showed a pattern of brown polygons as far as the camera could see. The Mars Phoenix Lander took this image of the planet's surface at its landing site Sunday. "It's surprisingly close to what we expected and that's what surprises me most," said Peter Smith, the mission's principal investigator. "I expected a bigger surprise." The landing on the Red Planet's arctic plains -- which ended a 296-day journey -- was right on target, a feat NASA's Ed Weiler compared to landing a hole-in-one with a golf ball from 10,000 miles. The landing -- dubbed the "seven minutes of terror" -- was a nerve-wracking experience for mission managers, who have witnessed the failure of similar missions. In mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, they celebrated the lander's much-anticipated entry. "It was better than we could have imagined," Barry Goldstein, project manager for the Phoenix mission, told CNN.  Watch the celebration at mission control » The Phoenix's 90-day mission is to analyze the soils and permafrost of Mars' arctic tundra for signs of past or present life. The lander is equipped with a robotic arm capable of scooping up ice and dirt to look for organic evidence that life once existed there, or even exists now. "We are not going to be able to answer the final question of is there life on Mars," said principal investigator Peter Smith, an optical scientist with the University of Arizona. "We will take the next important step. We'll find out if there's organic material associated with this ice in the polar regions. Ice is a preserver, and if there ever were organics on Mars and they got into that ice, they will still be there today." The twin to the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, Phoenix was supposed to travel to Mars in 2001 as the Mars Surveyor spacecraft. They were originally part of the "better, faster, cheaper" program, formulated by then-NASA Administrator Dan Goldin to beef up planetary exploration on a lean budget. But Polar malfunctioned during its descent into Mars' atmosphere in 1999 and crashed. An investigation concluded that as many as a dozen design flaws or malfunctions doomed the spacecraft. The failure of that mission, as well as another spacecraft called the Mars Climate Orbiter the same year, led to NASA to put future missions on hold and rethink the "better, faster, cheaper" approach. Mars Surveyor went to the warehouse.  Watch the challenges the mission faced » But all was not lost. In 2003, Smith proposed a plan to re-engineer the Mars Surveyor and fly it on a mission to look for signatures of life in the ice and dirt of Mars far North. Mars Phoenix, literally and figuratively, rose from the ashes of Surveyor. Engineers set to work, testing and retesting the onboard system to ferret out and fix all the flaws they could find. iReport.com: Send your photos, video of space "We always have to be scared to death," Goldstein said. "The minute we lose fear is the minute that we stop looking for the next problem." The team was concerned about the Phoenix landing system. NASA had not successfully landed a probe on Mars using landing legs and stabilizing thrusters since the Viking missions in the late 1970s. The other three successful Mars landings -- Pathfinder in 1997 and the Spirit and Opportunity rovers in 2004 -- used massive airbags that inflated around the landing craft just before landing to cushion the impact.  Learn about NASA's past missions to Mars » The Phoenix doesn't have airbags because the lander is too big and heavy for them to work properly. Its landing site was targeted for the far northern plains of Mars, near the northern polar ice cap. Data from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft indicate large quantities of ice there, likely in the form of permafrost, either on the surface

What was dubbed the "7 minutes of terror"

Where the experts optimistic about a smooth landing

Answer: The landing

Answer: Phoenix Lander,

Answer: The team was concerned

Answer: "seven minutes of terror"

Answer: analyze

Answer: Sunday.

Answer: Sunday,

Answer: Phoenix

Answer: Sunday,

Answer: The landing

Summary:
The Mars Phoenix Lander landed on Mars on Sunday .
Phoenix mission is to analyze planet's soils to find signs of life .
Experts weren't optimistic about a smooth landing .
Getting lander on Mars was dubbed the "7 minutes of terror"


(CNN)  -- The former Utah state trooper suspected in a series of roadway shootings earlier this week died Wednesday, the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said. CNN affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah, provided this file photo of the Dallas suspect, Brian Smith. Police said Tuesday that Brian Smith attempted suicide after Monday's shootings. Smith was brought to a local hospital in serious condition, officials said At 7 p.m. Wednesday Smith died at Parkland Hospital, the medical examiner's office said. An autopsy is slated for Thursday. Two people were killed in the shootings along a three-mile stretch on and near the LBJ Freeway, about 10 miles northeast of downtown Dallas. Police used ballistic tests to link Smith, a 12-year veteran of the Utah state police, to three of the four shootings, Dallas Police Lt. Craig Miller said Tuesday. Miller said Smith was a suspect in both nonfatal shootings and one of the fatal shootings. He said it was unclear if Smith was a suspect in the fatal shooting that occurred first. The first attack occurred in the city of Garland at about 5:41 p.m. Victim Jorge Lopez, 20, was sitting in his Nissan at a traffic light in Garland when a man in a pickup pulled alongside him and fired shots into his car, killing him, Officer Joe Harn of the Garland police said. A few minutes later and two miles away on the LBJ Freeway, a gunman fired at two tractor-trailers. While one driver escaped injuries, William Scott Miller, 42, of Frankfort, Kentucky, was shot to death behind the wheel of a United Van Lines truck, police said. "He was going to be traveling home," Lt. Miller said. "He was about to park his rig. He was going to get on a plane to fly to be with his wife and children for the Christmas season and then come back to this location." Miller called the truck driver a hero because he was able to control his rig before he died -- preventing other motorists from being hurt. The fourth attack came a mile west on LBJ Freeway, where gunfire shattered the windshield of another tractor-trailer. The bullets missed the driver, but flying glass caused minor cuts, police said. Smith, 37, left his trooper job in Utah after he was caught abusing alcohol and drugs, CNN affiliate WFAA reported, citing an official report. The sergeant began using drugs and alcohol after his patrol car was rear-ended while he was writing a ticket, according to the report by Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training. He moved to Texas shortly afterward, the station said. Harn told WFAA that Smith's wife had phoned police Monday to say her husband was suicidal and driving around with a gun. Police were able to locate him using cell phone transmission towers. A three-hour stand-off followed, ending when Smith shot himself in the head, Harn said.

Who was hospitalized in serious condition after a suicide attempt?

Who was tied to at least three of four Dallas shootings?

Answer: Two people

Answer: Brian Smith

Answer: Brian Smith.

Answer: Brian Smith.

Summary:
Police say ex-Utah officer was tied to at least three of four Dallas shootings .
Police: Brian Smith was hospitalized in serious condition after a suicide attempt .
Two drivers were shot and killed, another wounded in Dallas rush hour Monday .


(CNN)  -- 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(2b)," 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 doesn't want him to be eliminated. The Americans are still favoring him," he noted. CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report

What year of military coup did Musharraf seize power in?

Who will the Pakistan government impeach?

Who will replace Musharraf at the Olympic opening?

Answer: President Pervez Musharraf.

Answer: 1999.

Answer: President Pervez Musharraf.

Answer: President Pervez Musharraf.

Answer: 1999.

Answer: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani

Answer: "will fight back"

Answer: President Pervez Musharraf.

Answer: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani

Answer: Pakistan's ruling coalition

Answer: impeach President Pervez Musharraf.

Summary:
Pakistan's government confirms move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf .
Musharraf may still move to dissolve parliament and dismiss the PM .
PM Yousaf Raza Gilani will replace  Musharraf at the Olympic opening ceremony .
Musharraf seized power in a 1999 military coup .


(CNN)  -- The head of the U.N. Children's Fund has expressed concern over a Saudi judge's refusal for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man.

UNICEF's Ann Veneman said consent cannot be free if either party is too young to make an informed decision.

"Irrespective of circumstances or the legal framework, the marriage of a child is a violation of that child's rights," said Ann Veneman, executive director of UNICEF.

"The right to free and full consent to marriage is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Consent cannot be free and full when either party to a marriage is too young to make an informed decision."

The most recent ruling, in which the judge upheld his original verdict, was handed down Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza, where late last year the same judge rejected a petition from the girl's mother, seeking a divorce for her daughter. Have your say by clicking here

A relative said the judge, Sheikh Habib al-Habib, "stuck by his earlier verdict and insisted that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty." The family member, who requested anonymity, added that the mother will continue to pursue a divorce for her daughter.

The case, which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups, came to light in December when al-Habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality. The judge ruled that the girl's mother -- who is separated from her father -- was not the girl's legal guardian and therefore could not represent her in court, Abdullah al-Jutaili, the mother's attorney, told CNN at the time.

The girl's father, according to the lawyer, arranged the marriage in order to settle his debts with the man, who is a close friend of his. At the time of the initial verdict, the judge required the girl's husband to sign a pledge that he would not have sex with her until she reaches puberty, al-Jutaili told CNN. The judge ruled that when the girl reaches puberty, she will have the right to request a divorce by filing a petition with the court, the lawyer said.

Last month, an appeals court in the Saudi capital of Riyadh declined to certify the original ruling, in essence rejecting al-Habib's verdict, and sent the case back to him for reconsideration.

Under the complicated Saudi legal process, the appeals court ruling meant that the marriage was still in effect, but that a challenge to the marriage was still ongoing. The appeals court in Riyadh will now take up the case again and a hearing is scheduled for next month, according to the relative.

The issue of child marriage has been a hot-button topic in the deeply conservative kingdom recently. While rights groups have petitioned the government for laws to protect children from such marriages, the kingdom's top cleric has said that it's OK for girls as young as 10 to wed.

"It is incorrect to say that it's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger," Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the kingdom's grand mufti, said in remarks last January, according to the regional Al-Hayat newspaper. "A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong, and they are being unfair to her."

Al-Sheikh reportedly made the remarks when he was asked during a lecture about parents forcing their underage daughters to marry.

"We hear a lot in the media about the marriage of underage girls," he said, according to the newspaper. "We should know that sharia law has not brought injustice to women."

Sharia law is Islamic law. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam called Wahhabism.

CNN was unable to reach government officials for comment.

Christoph Wilcke, a Saudi Arabia researcher for Human Rights Watch, told CNN in December that his organization has heard of many other cases of child marriages.

What was the reason girl`s father arranged her marriage?

Answer: in order to settle his debts

Answer: marriage of a

Answer: the court for a divorce once

Answer: 47-year-old man.

Answer: a 47-year-old man.

Answer: consent cannot be free if either party is too young to make an informed decision.

Answer: Sheikh Habib al-Habib,

Summary:
UNICEF: Marriage of a child is a violation of that child's rights .
Judge said girl could petition "once she reaches puberty," relative tells CNN .
Girl's father arranged her marriage to a 47-year-old to settle debts, lawyer says .
Girl's mother says she will continue to seek daughter's divorce .


(CNN)  -- The last of six Texas A&M University mariners who went missing in the Gulf of Mexico was found dead Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard said. The other five crewmates were rescued earlier in the day. Members of the Texas A&M Offshore Sailing Team are shown in this photo from the team's Web site. The deceased mariner was identified by the university as Roger Stone, the vessel's second safety officer. The survivors -- four university students and a safety officer -- told the Coast Guard they were forced off their sailboat after it took on water and capsized. "The flooding was so fast that the thing flipped over," Coast Guard Capt. William Diehl told CNN. The sailboat, named Cynthia Woods, was one of about two dozen boats heading from Galveston, Texas, to Veracruz, Mexico, for the annual Veracruz Regatta race, which began on Friday. Diehl said the boat was well-stocked with safety equipment -- including emergency radio beacons, life rafts and ring buoys -- but the crew could only manage to find four life jackets after the boat tipped over. "The survivors told us that [when] they went into the water, they had four life jackets among the five, and they huddled together and they exchanged the life jackets among them so that they could stay afloat," Diehl said. Communication with the boat was lost about midnight Friday, and the boat missed its 8 a.m. radio check the next morning, the Coast Guard reported. A sailboat matching the description of the missing 38-foot boat was found overturned about 5:15 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. The five survivors were found several hours later about 23 miles south of Freeport, Texas, according to the Coast Guard's press release. They were lifted to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter around 2 a.m. local time and taken to University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for treatment. The search for the missing crew member involved two Coast Guard helicopters, a Falcon jet, a Marine Corps C-130 -- which has night-vision capabilities -- and the Coast Guard cutter Manowar. All of those on board the capsized sailboat were experienced sailors, Diehl said. "They were very well trained," Diehl said. "Obviously [they were] the more senior cadets at the university here, and they had very experienced safety people on board." When rescuers retrieved the capsized boat's hull, Diehl said the keel was missing. "That's the part that keeps the sailboat balanced in the water," he said. "And from talking to the survivors this morning, that's where the flooding started for them." The 725-mile Veracruz regatta began on Friday and boats are expected to arrive in Veracruz on Wednesday and Thursday.

What was the starting city of the regatta?

Answer: Gulf of Mexico

Answer: Veracruz, Mexico,

Answer: five

Answer: Roger Stone,

Answer: Texas,

Answer: Galveston, Texas,

Answer: five crewmates

Answer: Mexico,

Summary:
Deceased mariner identified by the university as Roger Stone .
Coast Guard rescues five sailors reported missing .
Texas A&M sailboat was taking part in regatta from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico .
Boat's six-person crew missed 8 a.m. radio check Saturday .


(CNN)  -- The long-running Carlos Tevez affair was finally brought to a close on Monday as West Ham and Sheffield United reached an out-of-court settlement. Tevez scored a crucial winning goal at Manchester United on last day of the 2006-07 season. West Ham will be paying  United an undisclosed compensation fee to settle the dispute, meaning an independent tribunal chaired Lord Griffiths will not reconvene to rule on the controversy. A statement from Blades chairman Kevin McCabe and West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury released to the Press Association said: "Both clubs are pleased to announce that a satisfactory settlement for compensation has been reached which brings the dispute between Sheffield United and West Ham to an end. "The tribunal will not be resuming." The Tevez controversy began in 2006 when the Argentina international and his fellow-countryman Javier Mascherano were signed by West Ham under third party ownership deals which contravened Premier League rules. Mascherano was later loaned to Liverpool, but Tevez stayed at Upton Park and played a crucial role as West Ham narrowly avoided relegation. He scored the winning goal as the Hammers beat Manchester United on the last day of the season to send Sheffield United down. Tevez later joined Premier League champions Manchester United, but the row lingered on with Sheffield United continuing to insist that West Ham had gained an unfair advantage. The affair has sparked three separate inquiries, the first of which led to a $8 million fine for West Ham, but crucially no points deduction. But United refused to give up and in September 2008 an independent arbitration ruled in their favor in a claim for compensation from West Ham. The Premier League and the Football Association promptly announced another fresh inquiry, but the out-of court settlement looks set to bring the affair to an amicable conclusion. West Ham, whose Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been hard hit by the global economic downturn, were reported by Sky Sports News to be paying the compensation fee, which could rise to $35 million, in installments. The money will certainly be welcomed by Sheffield United, who are pressing for promotion from the Championship to the Premier League. "We are two clubs with a fantastic footballing history who now want to move on and focus on the business of playing football -- hopefully for us against the Hammers in the Premier League next season," said McCabe.

Who did Tevez score for in the 06-07 season?

Answer: compensation from West Ham.

Answer: Manchester United,

Answer: Carlos Tevez

Answer: Sheffield United

Answer: compensation from West Ham.

Answer: He scored the winning goal as the Hammers beat Manchester United on the last day of the

Summary:
Carlos Tevez now starring for Premier League champions Manchester United .
Tevez scored crucial goal as West Ham avoided the drop in the 06-07 season .
Relegated Sheffield United claimed West Ham had gained an unfair advantage .


(CNN)  -- The man arrested for the videotaped rape of a toddler in Las Vegas, Nevada, will make his initial appearance in court Friday, a Clark County, Nevada, court official told CNN Tuesday.

Authorities have not yet decided if Chester Arthur Stiles will appear in person or via video link. The judge will set a date for the arraignment at that hearing.

Stiles, 37, was taken into custody Monday night after a Henderson, Nevada, police officer pulled over the white Buick Century he was driving.

A former girlfriend of Stiles' said that, before the arrest, she lived in fear after going to police to identify the suspect after seeing enhanced photos from the videotape on the local news.

"I've had my share of nightmares," Elaine Thomas told CNN's Nancy Grace.

Thomas said she screamed when she recognized the photos on television and had no choice but to contact police about the man she had thought was a "weapons enthusiast" with only a minor criminal record.  Watch Thomas say how she felt when she saw the photos »

"How could I not tell them who that man was? That little girl suffered unimaginable things, and I knew for a fact it was him," Thomas said.

The judge in the case will hold an administrative hearing Wednesday, but Stiles will not be present, Clark County court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said.

Stiles was already being sought on an unrelated 2004 charge of felony lewdness with a child under 14, Sommermeyer said, adding that authorities amended that earlier filing on October 4 to include 20 counts related to the videotaped rape, including sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.

Jerry T. Donohue, the attorney for the girl's mother, told CNN that the child on the videotape was younger than 3 when the abuse occurred.

Henderson Police Officer Mike Dye said he pulled over Stiles' car Monday night because it did not have a license plate and became suspicious when the driver gave him an expired California driver's license with a photo that did not look like him.

Dye said he and another officer, Mike Gower, questioned Stiles until he admitted his identity.

"He finally told us, 'Hey, I'm Chester Stiles. I'm the guy you're looking for,'" Dye said. "At that time, he said, 'I'm sick of running.'"

Dye said Stiles was calm and cooperative.

Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, was turned over to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and booked into the jail in Clark County, where he had been sought in connection with the videotape, which shows a girl being sexually assaulted.

The girl, who is now 7, was found last month after a nationwide search.

The tape was given to authorities by Darren Tuck, who told police he had found it in the desert five months before handing it over. Because of the delay, during which Tuck allegedly showed the tape to others, he faces charges of exhibiting pornography and possession of child pornography.

He turned himself in to authorities in Nye County, Nevada, earlier this month.

Professionals have evaluated the girl in the videotape since she was found, and she appears to be "healthy and fine and happy," her mother's attorney said this month.

The mother had not known her daughter had ever been victimized and was apparently oblivious to efforts to find her until late last month, Donohue said.

"A family friend called her and said, 'My God, you need to turn on the TV. I believe that is your daughter,' " Donohue said.

Donohue said the mother recognized Stiles, a former animal trainer.

The alleged abuse most likely occurred while the mother -- a single woman working six days a week -- was at work, Donohue said.

Another former girlfriend of Stiles', Tina Allen, said this month she thinks she is the reason Stiles came in contact with the girl and is "mortified" by the allegations against him.

"He said he'd been in the Navy and,

What was Chester Arthur Stiles arrested for

When is the first court appearance for Stiles?

when does stiles have to make his court appearance?

What did Stiles say according to an officer

When is the suspect making his initial court appearance?

What did the suspect say to the officer?

When does Chester Arthur Stiles make his first court appearance

When is Chester Arthur Stiles making his initial court appearance

when is Arthur going to make his initial court appearance?

What did Chester Arthur Stiles say to officers

What was the reason why Stiles was arrested?

Answer: videotaped rape of a toddler

Answer: Friday,

Answer: Chester Arthur Stiles

Answer: 37,

Answer: Henderson, Nevada,

Answer: 'I'm sick of running.'"

Answer: Friday,

Answer: I'm the guy you're looking for,'"

Answer: Friday,

Answer: Friday,

Answer: 'I'm sick of running.'"

Answer: Monday night

Answer: Friday,

Answer: 37,

Answer: Friday,

Answer: Friday,

Answer: 37,

Answer: Friday,

Answer: 'Hey, I'm

Answer: running.'"

Answer: videotaped rape

Summary:
NEW: Suspect's ex-girlfriend: "I've had my share of nightmares"
Chester Arthur Stiles to make his initial court appearance Friday .
Stiles, 37, arrested following a routine traffic stop .
Suspect said "I'm Chester Stiles. ... I'm sick of running," according to officer .


(CNN)  -- The mayor of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is asking Mexican federal authorities not to pull military units out of the region for at least another six months. A Mexican soldier controls traffic at the Mexico-U.S. border customs post in Ciudad Juarez on August 16. A decision on whether to withdraw the troops is expected before September 15. The troops were sent to the city across from El Paso, Texas, in the spring of 2008 to help quell violence involving warring drug cartels. An additional surge of troops was sent this spring. That surge appeared to work at first, cutting the homicide rate in Juarez drastically. But murders in the city spiked over the summer. Figures provided by the city show that in August. more than 300 people were killed, the deadliest month so far this year. In July, 260 died and in June, 220. Those numbers were in stark contrast to 16 homicides in March, 42 in April and 60 in May. The mayor, Jose Reyes Ferriz, attributed the summer spike in violence to wars between cartels over the control of street drug-sale points. The cartels are hiring mostly youths to handle retail drug sales, he said, and that has resulted in most of the murder victims being between the ages of 14 and 25. The mayor said Juarez is not ready for the army's full withdrawal, even though he is aware the troops' presence was meant to be a temporary solution to give the city time to get rid of corrupt police officers, hire new ones and train its new force. "We have accomplished the part that has to do with strengthening the police, but the city is in a very difficult situation. We are asking part of the army to stay and help us," Reyes Ferriz said. In September, 750 newly graduated police cadets are expected to join Ciudad Juarez Police Department, and another 400 in October, bringing the force to a total of about 3,000 officers. According to figures provided by the military, more than 6,000 soldiers are serving in Joint Operation Chihuahua in Juarez, of which 3,600 have been assigned to narco-traffic operations. The rest have been assigned to traffic duties and street patrols. The operation's spokesman, Enrique Torres, said the military is "evaluating the security situation" in the city and will be "implementing a gradual withdrawal."

Who would like the federal army troops to stay six more months?

When will the decision to withdraw the troops be expected?

Answer: Jose Reyes Ferriz,

Answer: more than 300 people

Answer: the city across from El Paso, Texas,

Answer: Ciudad Juarez,

Answer: before September 15.

Answer: more than 300 people

Answer: Jose Reyes Ferriz,

Answer: before September 15.

Summary:
Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz would like federal army troops to stay six more months .
Troops were sent to Ciudad Juarez to quell drug-fueled murders .
Murders down in spring, but spike in summer; more than 300 killed in August .
Decision on whether to withdraw the troops is expected before September 15 .


(CNN)  -- The mayor of a small town in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico was found shot dead Tuesday, apparently among the latest victims in the fight against organized crime in the region. Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz, 53, was mayor of Namiquipa, a small town in the state of Chihuahua. The body of Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz, 53, mayor of Namiquipa, was found inside his SUV on the side of a road on the outskirts of the rural town of 20,000, said Eduardo Esparza, spokesman for the attorney general in the state of Chihuahua. "He was on his way to work in the morning," said Esparza. "We are still trying to confirm if there was a police escort with him at the time." The incident has put other officials in the region on alert. Ciudad Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz told CNN during a phone interview that death threats are common in his town on the other side of the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. "It's very sad," he said. "This mayor was fighting crime, he had received several threats, but he was brave. Several of the mayors have received threats and we take them seriously." Reyes Ferriz said the mayors of the state's large cities have the resources to take sufficient precautions, but for the mayors of smaller towns like Namiquipa, such security is a luxury they often cannot afford. The mayor of Juarez and his family are protected by a 24-hour security detail and are driven in bulletproof vehicles. "Sadly, this has become part of the process in the fight to regain security in the cities," Reyes Ferriz said. Asked whether he feared for his life or those of his family, he would not say. "All the fears of a public servant are private," he answered.

What can't mayors of smaller towns afford?

At what age  is Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz?

What can mayors of small towns not afford?

What was Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz mayor of?

Answer: security

Answer: 53,

Answer: security

Answer: "It's very sad,"

Answer: in the state of Chihuahua.

Answer: Namiquipa, a small town in the state of Chihuahua.

Answer: Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz,

Summary:
Hector Ariel Meixueiro Munoz, 53, was mayor of Namiquipa in northern Mexico .
Fellow  mayor: He "was fighting crime, he had received several threats"
Unlike mayors of bigger cities, mayors of smaller towns often can't afford security .
The incident has put other officials state of Chihuahua on alert .


(CNN)  -- The mother of a woman who gave birth on Monday to octuplets said her daughter already has six children at home and was undergoing fertility treatment.

Dr. Karen Maples is part of the large team of doctors and nurses that helped deliver the octuplets.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that Angela Suleman said her daughter had the embryos implanted last year, resulting in the eight births.

"They all happened to take," Suleman told the Times. "I looked at those babies. They are so tiny and so beautiful."

The woman declined to have the number of embryos reduced when she discovered she was carrying multiples, the Times reported. The six older siblings range from ages 7 to 2, according to the newspaper.

Suleman said she was concerned about her daughter's homecoming because her husband, a contract worker, is due to return to Iraq.

In the meantime, the mother, who remains unidentified, appealed for privacy while she recovers from giving birth, medical officials said Thursday.

In her written statement delivered by Dr. Karen Maples of the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in California, the woman who delivered eight babies in five minutes said she would soon make public the details of her "miraculous experience."

"We understand that you are all curious about the arrival of the octuplets, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy," she said.

"The babies continue to grow strong every day and make good progress. My family and I are ecstatic about all of their arrivals."

"Needless to say, the eighth was a surprise to us all, but a blessing as well," she added.

The six boys and two girls -- ranging in weight from 1 pound, 8 ounces to 3 pounds, 4 ounces -- are doing well following their Caesarean-section delivery at the Bellflower hospital, doctors said. They were born nine weeks premature.

Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatalist, said all but one of the octuplets are now breathing on their own. That baby might be taken off breathing equipment Friday.

Caring for eight premature babies is a challenge. Duties are being shared by a large team of hospital nurses and doctors for the time being. Two nurses have been assigned to each child, and all the babies are receiving fluids, proteins and vitamins intravenously, Gupta said.

"We feed them. ... We change diapers. ... When they cry, we console them," Gupta said. "When the mom comes and touches the babies, you can definitely see their expression on their faces and body. They are very happy."

The babies, who are being referred to by letters of the alphabet, will remain in the hospital for at least seven more weeks.

Baby H made headlines for its surprise appearance during the delivery, which took months of preparation by a team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists.  Watch a report on babies' progress »

The mother will not be able to hold her babies for another week, Gupta said. They are still fragile, developing intestines, he said.

Doctors initially thought the mother was pregnant with seven fetuses. She was hospitalized seven weeks ago and ordered to bed rest.

During the seven weeks, a team of 46 physicians, nurses and other staff members prepared for the births. When they started the delivery Monday, they were in for a surprise.

"After the seventh baby was born, we were taking a sigh of relief," Maples said.

"It was a surprise of our life when we in fact discovered there was an eighth baby," she said. "We never had an assignment for baby H nurse or baby H doctor. We just had to go on the fly and figure out what to do."

"Baby G nurse stepped up. We handed off the baby to baby G nurse. She then delivered that last baby to the neonatologist of the baby F."

"It was all wonderful because of the teamwork and the training we did before," Maples said.

Where is the father due to go back to?
What is the number of babies born?
What does each infant have?

Answer: Iraq.

Answer: eight

Answer: Two nurses

Summary:
Grandmother of the eight babies: 'They are so tiny and so beautiful'
The father, a contract worker, is due to return to Iraq, mother-in-law says .
Mother of babies appeals for privacy while she recovers from giving birth .
Large medical team monitoring babies; each infant has two devoted nurses .


(CNN)  -- The mother of an 8-year-old boy suspected in the shooting deaths of his father and another man said Monday that the youngster "loved his dad" and had a strong relationship with him. "He's a very good little boy," Eryn Bloomfield said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "What happened to being innocent until proven guilty?" For legal reasons, Bloomfield -- who is identified in court papers as Eryn Thomas -- could not discuss details of the case. She said she is not even allowed to discuss the case with her son. Prosecutors in Apache County, Arizona, filed a motion Friday to dismiss one of the two murder charges against the boy -- the charge involving the death of his father. The filing gave no explanation, saying only, "The state believes the interest of justice will be served by such a dismissal." Authorities last week released a videotape of the boy's police interview in which he initially denied any involvement in the shootings, but later said he had shot his already-wounded father "because he was suffering."  Watch the boy talk to police » Legal questions surround the interview. One of the boy's defense attorneys said he was not read his rights and had no attorney or parent present. Police have not responded publicly to those complaints. Asked what she heard on the interview tape, Bloomfield responded, "A scared little boy, that's what I hear -- someone who's very afraid of what's going on." "He had a very good relationship with his father. He did a lot with him," she said. "They did everything together. He loved his dad." She described her son as "very outgoing. He loves animals. He likes to ride his dirt bike, skateboarding, you know, outdoor things." Asked if he's ever been in trouble at school, she replied, "No. Not at all. I mean, acting out as far as not raising your hand when he needs to speak -- you know, just normal stuff like that." The boy lived with his father, Vincent Romero, 29, in St. Johns, Arizona. Bloomfield lives in Mississippi. The Apache County Superior Court clerk's office said the latest legal agreement between the boy's parents was from April 2006. The mother had weekly visitation rights and had the boy on some weekends and holidays, according to court documents. Romero and Tim Romans, who rented a room in Romero's home, were found dead inside the house November 5. Police said the next day that the boy had confessed to shooting the men with a .22-caliber weapon.  Watch why observers find the interrogation troubling » The killings shook the town of about 4,000 residents near the New Mexico border. Trying to hold back tears, Bloomfield told ABC that her son is scared and living alone at a juvenile detention center. The other children were removed so that older juveniles could not influence him "in the wrong way," she said. "So he's in there by himself, in his cell by himself," she said. Authorities have said the boy is attending school at the detention facility. Apache County Court Administrator Betty Smith said earlier this month, "Every effort is being made to see that he's comfortable." Bloomfield described heart-wrenching visits -- 30 minutes each day -- when she can speak to her son through a glass partition. "I get two visits with him that are physical visits -- to where we sit in a room and he will come and sit in my lap pretty much the whole time and hold onto me," she added. She will be allowed 48 hours with him at home over the Thanksgiving holiday, she said. "We're going to watch movies, play games, try to keep things normal as possible," she said, adding that the boy had picked out the movie "Kung Fu Panda." Officials from the juvenile detention center and a court-appointed guardian will be

How many people did the Boy shoot to death?

What is the 8 year old boy suspected of?

Answer: two

Answer: man

Answer: the shooting deaths of his father and another

Answer: "Kung Fu Panda."

Answer: juvenile detention center.

Answer: "Kung Fu Panda."

Answer: shooting deaths of his father and another

Answer: 8-year-old

Summary:
Mother: Son rarely in trouble outside of incidents like speaking out of turn in class .
Boy will be allowed home for holidays, has asked to watch "Kung Fu Panda" movie .
Boy is suspected in two shooting deaths, but prosecutors look to drop one charge .
The 8-year-old is scared, in "cell by himself" but visits often with mother, she says .


(CNN)  -- The murder of rapper Dolla reverberated throughout the music industry on Tuesday as police sought a motive for the brazen killing. Rap artist Dolla was known as a nice guy who survived a rough childhood. The aspiring Southern hip-hop artist, whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II, was gunned down in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California, on Monday afternoon. Police later arrested Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, at Los Angeles International Airport, a Los Angeles Police statement said. No other details were given about Berry. The 21-year-old rapper was based in Atlanta, Georgia. He was in Los Angeles to work on his debut album. Those who knew him said that despite coming from a rough background, Burton was extremely gracious and polite. "Everything with Dolla was 'please' and 'thank you,' " said Ant Rich, manager of A&R for Jive Records, who discovered the rapper for the label when Burton was 17 and helped sign him a year later. "The streets did not define him at all. He was bigger than that." Dolla was a protégé of singer Akon, who collaborated with him on his first single, "Who the F--- is That?" which also featured another high-profile artist, T-Pain. Another Dolla song, "Feelin' Myself," appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie "Step Up." According to his official MySpace page, Dolla was born in Chicago, Illinois, and his family relocated to Los Angeles soon after. He was 5 years old when he and his older sister, Divinity, witnessed their father committing suicide. After that incident, their mother moved the family to Atlanta, according to his biography. The Burton family released the following statement on Tuesday: "First and foremost we, the family, would like to thank everyone for all their kind thoughts and prayers. Furthermore, the family would like to note that rumored details of the shooting on popular Web/blog sites are false. "Due to the circumstances of the situation, no other information will be released at this time. We are grateful for your continuous support and would be very appreciative if we could mourn this loss in private. "Additionally, information released before and after this official statement are not confirmed nor should they be considered accurate." Rich said Dolla, who also did some modeling for P. Diddy's Sean John label, loved his family deeply. He was the guy with the great smile who would do things like offer to pick up the bill after a meeting with music executives, Rich said. "You would tell him 'Look Dolla, you don't have to do that because we get reimbursed for this' and he would say 'No, no you got it last time, let me,' " Rich said. "The world lost a really good kid and he had the biggest heart." DeAngelo Jones books talent for BET and got to know Dolla after he performed at the network's "Spring Bling" event last year. He said the artist was humbled and grateful for the success he was starting to find in the industry. "That energy was what drew me to him," said Jones, who stayed in touch with Dolla after the show and often ran into him at other events. "A lot of times there are negative associations that go along with being a rapper, but he was not at all what the image of a rapper is portrayed to be." Jones said he was at the Beverly Center only a short time before the shooting occurred. Jones said it was unfortunate that Dolla's slaying is yet another incident that will link hip-hop with violence. "Hip-hop gets such a bad rap, ever since the deaths of Biggie and Tupac," Jones said. "[Dolla] just wanted to be successful, help other people and do the right thing. What's so hard for me is to see where his life was heading,

where was Atlanta-based rapper got  killed?

Whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II?

Who was killed at the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles?

Where was the Atlanta-based rapper killed?

Answer: Roderick Anthony Burton II,

Answer: Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles,

Answer: Rap artist Dolla

Answer: murder of rapper Dolla

Answer: 21-year-old

Answer: 21-year-old

Answer: the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

Answer: The Burton family

Answer: Roderick Anthony Burton II,

Answer: Rap artist

Answer: 21-year-old

Answer: Roderick Anthony Burton II,

Answer: The Burton family

Answer: busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

Answer: 21-year-old

Answer: in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, California,

Summary:
Those who knew rapper Dolla mourn his loss .
The Atlanta-based rapper was killed at the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles .
Family releases a statement asking for privacy to mourn .
Dolla, whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II, was 21 .


(CNN)  -- The new seven wonders of the world were named Saturday following an online vote that generated server-crushing traffic in its final hours. The Great Wall of China was among the top vote-getters of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" project. The final tally produced this list of the world's top human-built wonders: • The Great Wall of China • Petra in Jordan • Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer • Peru's Machu Picchu • Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid • The Colosseum in Rome • India's Taj Mahal Before the vote ended Friday, organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites.  Watch the contenders and controversy surrounding the 'new' seven wonders » Voting at the Web site, www.new7wonders.com, ended at 6 p.m. ET Friday. Traffic was so heavy Friday that the site was crashing at times. One message urged voters to use text messages as an alternative form of voting. "Keep on voting, as it is your votes that decide the New 7 Wonders of the World," the message said. "We have traffic that is simply off the scale," Tia Vering, spokeswoman for the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign, told CNN.com. "Things are just going ballistic." The new wonders were announced at a star-studded event Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal, that featured performances by Jennifer Lopez and Chaka Khan. The event was hosted by Oscar winners Hilary Swank and Ben Kingsley as well as Bollywood star Bipasha Basu. Send CNN.com photos and video of your favorite "wonder" The top contenders for the seven wonders were last made public in early June. The oldest candidate was Britain's Stonehenge; the newest was Australia's Sydney Opera House. The U.S. Statue of Liberty also was among the choices. Voting nearly doubled after the June results, when organizers said about 50 million votes had been cast. A single user can cast multiple votes. To be considered for the competition, all structures had to be built or discovered before 2000. All are among top tourist attractions around the world. Of the seven ancient wonders of the world, only one remains standing today, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Some nations have enthusiastically endorsed the new wonders campaign. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jordan's Queen Rania actively promoted their countries' hopefuls. But the new wonders campaign hasn't been universally recognized. The United Nations' cultural organization, UNESCO, issued a statement saying it has "no link whatsoever" to the vote. Egypt's top antiquities expert also objected to the list. He said Egypt's pyramids are a "symbol of the genius of the ancient people" -- and are above any sort of online poll. As a result, the organizers struck up a compromise. The pyramids have been assured honorary status, in addition to the new seven wonders. The new wonders project was the brainchild of Swiss businessman Bernard Weber. He said he wanted to invite the people of the world to take part in selecting the world's greatest wonders. "So that everybody can decide what the new seven wonders should be and not some government, not some individuals, not some institutions," he said. Vering said she believes the vote has accomplished that goal. "We've managed to bring culture out of the museum -- out of the dusty, dry academic corners -- and have people talk about it," she said. "That, we feel, is the greatest achievement of this campaign." E-mail to a friend

what was given to the pyramids of giza
Pyramids of what?
What site crashed at times?
what caused the web site to crash
What crashed in the final hours?
where did the event take place

Answer: honorary status,

Answer: Giza in Egypt.

Answer: Traffic was so heavy

Answer: the Web site, www.new7wonders.com,

Answer: Egypt's

Summary:
NEW: .
Star-studded event in Lisbon, Portugal, unveils the new wonders .
Voting in the final hours so intense the Web site crashed at times .
Pyramids of Giza given honorary status as a "wonders" member .


(CNN)  -- The often scathing critic Simon Cowell called Susan Boyle -- the breakout singing sensation from "Britain's Got Talent" -- a "little tiger." Judge Piers Morgan admits that he expected Susan Boyle's audition to be a joke before she began singing. On CNN's "Larry King Live," she showed she's no one-trick pony. During a taping of the show Friday, she nailed a verse of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" after King asked her to sing. "Amazing. That was just absolutely stunning," said "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan, who was also a guest. "To sing that with no musical backing is unbelievable. You have the voice of an angel, Susan." The 47-year-old Boyle's frumpy attire and awkward mannerisms drew snickers and eye-rolling from her audience before she belted out a pitch-perfect number from "Les Miserables" at an audition for the talent contest, making her an overnight sensation.  Watch Boyle sing on Larry King » An unemployed charity worker who lives alone with her cat in Scotland, Boyle has inspired millions with a performance that flies in the face of pop music's penchant for pre-processed princesses. A clip of her audition had more than 19 million views on YouTube by Friday evening. Boyle, who did a repeat performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" via satellite on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" Thursday night, told King she was aware of the snickers her appearance prompted at the audition. "That doesn't bother me because I knew I had to get on with my act ... ," said Boyle, again speaking by satellite. "I wasn't sure how I would be received, so I just thought I'd give it a whirl."  Watch Larry King interview Susan Boyle » Morgan, too, acknowledged the laughter, including his own. "I sort of feel like apologizing to Susan," he said. "I'm sorry, because we did not give you anything like the respect we should have done when you first came out." He said the judges had been through a long day with "lots of terrible auditions." "And then you came out and we thought you were going to be a bit of a joke act, to be honest with you," he said. "And then I can remember ... that second when you had begun to sing, and I had never heard a more surprising, extraordinary voice coming out of somebody so unexpected." To win the show, which would give her the chance to sing in front of Queen Elizabeth II, Boyle must survive a live semifinal next month and then a final performance if she gets through that.  Watch how things have changed in Boyle's hometown » "She's the most odds-on favorite ever on 'Britain's Got Talent' at this stage of the competition," Morgan said. "But Susan knows there are two big hurdles left. Anything can happen in a live show." There's already been talk of a recording contract and world tours for Boyle. But she said she's staying focused on the competition for now. She said she has no plans to get a makeover or alter her wardrobe -- "Why should I? Why should I change?" -- but did predict one big lifestyle change. "I won't be lonely," she said. "I certainly won't be lonely anymore."

Which judge apologizes?
Who had sang it?
whom did Susan Boyle sing
What was sung for Larry King?
Which song did Susan Boyle sing?
Where was it sung?
what did the judge say

Answer: Piers Morgan

Answer: Susan Boyle

Answer: Celine Dion's

Answer: "My Heart Will Go On"

Answer: "My Heart Will Go On"

Answer: "Larry King Live,"

Answer: he expected Susan Boyle's audition to be a joke before she began singing.

Summary:
Susan Boyle sings Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" for Larry King .
Asked if she's considering a makeover, Boyle says "Why should I change?"
"Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan apologizes for initial reactions .
Boyle says she predicts one big change: "I certainly won't be lonely anymore"


(CNN)  -- The recent emergence in the United States of "K2," sometimes called synthetic marijuana, is testing lawmakers to see if they've been paying attention to the failures of marijuana prohibition and will respond to K2 with enlightened policy.

The first stories on K2, or "Spice," broke out with headlines labeling the mixture of herbs and spices, which are treated with a synthetic compound, as "fake pot." K2 was virtually unknown until the media hyped up its presence at tobacco and novelty shops.

Under U.S. law, and in all 50 states, the herbal product is legal, and also unregulated. People who have tried K2 often report psychoactive effects that are comparable to marijuana, but notably less pleasurable.

When lawmakers consider regulating K2, they should keep in mind that the government has waged a futile war against marijuana and people who use the drug for decades.

For another opinion, click here

Elected officials have burned through billions of taxpayer dollars chasing marijuana sellers, bagging marijuana plants and jailing marijuana users.

Government-funded media campaigns have sought to scare children and adults away from marijuana with grossly exaggerated claims that using the drug will lead to death and mayhem.

Despite all of these efforts, the public has largely dismissed the myths and hysteria around marijuana and recognized that the drug has important medicinal benefits. Moreover, public opinion is leaning in favor of a regulated and taxed market for marijuana.

Researchers who have tested K2 identified synthetic chemicals that are thought to mimic the psychoactive component in marijuana. These chemicals are thought to act on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain much the way that THC -- the principal psychoactive component in marijuana -- operates.

What's notable about these synthetic chemicals is that very little is known about them, and this legal alternative designed to deliver an experience like marijuana may actually carry more risk. Thus we have a supreme irony of drug prohibition: The government continues to criminalize marijuana -- a drug with established medical value that has undergone exhaustive study -- and entrepreneurs introduce a legal alternative to marijuana with ingredients scientists know little about.

Given this potential for harm, and the growing volume of sensational media portrayals of K2, some lawmakers have ignored the lessons learned from marijuana prohibition and moved to criminalize possession and sales of K2.

Lawmakers in Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri have already written legislation to ban the herbal mix. It seems that a reporter need only write an article about an obscure bag of twigs to spur a lawmaker to criminalize more chemicals and the people who use them.

Time and time again, elected officials have dropped the ball when it comes to regulating drugs. Lawmakers have preferred to lazily pass the responsibility of controlling a drug on to law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

The problem is, we know from marijuana prohibition that law enforcement has no control over the drug market and the criminals who run it. Criminalizing K2 will only worsen the devastating harm our society already suffers under drug prohibition. Rather than regulation of the supply and ingredients of K2, criminalization leaves the question of what goes into the product up to drug dealers.

Rather than passing regulations that bar K2 sales to minors, criminalizing K2 will essentially give dealers the green light to sell the product to whomever they please.

By choosing to ban K2 outright, lawmakers will also forfeit badly needed state revenue from K2 sales and instead commit millions of taxpayer dollars to investigate, prosecute and jail K2 users. Plus, researchers point out that hundreds of other known synthetic chemicals will easily reach store shelves once K2 is banned.

The sensible legislative response to K2 is to create effective regulatory controls on sale and possession. California and Maine have passed model legislation that formally regulates and taxes adult sales of salvia divinorium -- another product with psychoactive properties -- and criminalizes salvia sales to minors.

Lawmakers should deliver a knockout to prohibition and pass laws that will actually regulate and control K2.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Grant Smith.

Who must not duplicate costly, futile war against marijuana?

What is sometimes called synthetic marijuana?

What saves millions on prosecution of users?

Answer: Grant

Answer: lawmakers

Answer: "K2,"

Answer: K2

Summary:
Grant Smith: "K2," sometimes called synthetic marijuana, should be regulated for safety .
But, he says, lawmakers must not duplicate costly, futile war against marijuana .
Criminalizing the treated herbal mix K2 will turn trade over to drug dealers, Smith writes .
Smith: Regulating K2 generates revenue, saves millions on prosecution of users .


(CNN)  -- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars. Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession. And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others. "Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season. The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown. Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent. No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market. "The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league." The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets. "The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV." LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet. Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade. According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade. In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets. "We knew some season ticket

For whom were ticket sales off more than expected?

Who is also looking to score more sales?

Ticket sales were off more than expected for which team?

Answer: Jacksonville Jaguars

Answer: Minnesota Vikings

Answer: Jacksonville Jaguars

Summary:
For Jacksonville Jaguars, ticket sales off more than expected .
Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings also looking to score more sales .
Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears holding the line despite recession .
Sports expert says NFL's best weapon would be exemplary customer service .


(CNN)  -- The sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches, nutritionists say in a report released Thursday. About 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program, a group reports. The School Nutrition Association surveyed more than 130 school nutrition directors from 38 states to produce its report, "Saved by the Lunch Bell: As Economy Sinks, School Nutrition Program Participation Rises." The nonprofit organization said that about 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in 2008-09 than in the previous school year. That represents an average increase of 2.5 percent from 2007-08, the report says. These numbers hold true despite a slight decline in the number of students enrolled in public schools this school year, according to the study. More than three-quarters of the districts surveyed reported a rise in the number of students eating free meals under the U.S. Department of Agriculture program, the report says. Many of the school district employees who monitor the food programs complain that the federal subsidies fall far short of the rising costs. According to the association, the estimated average cost to prepare a school meal is $2.90, but the federal reimbursement is $2.57. School lunch programs are experiencing a potential loss of at least $4.5 million per school day, based on 30 million school lunches provided, the group says. The good news, according to association President Katie Wilson, is that "this year, when hunger is more common, more students are able to eat a balanced, nutritious meal at school." Meals served under the USDA programs must meet nutrition guidelines based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For lunches, that means no more than 30 percent of calories can come from fat and fewer than 10 percent from saturated fat.

How many school food directors have been surveyed?

How much has the number of students eating subsidized meals risen?

Who surveyed 130 school food directors in 38 states?

What percentage  was the increase in children eating subsidized meals.

Answer: 130

Answer: About 425,000 more

Answer: Nutrition Association

Answer: federal subsidies fall far short of the rising costs.

Answer: that the federal subsidies fall far short of the rising costs.

Answer: School Nutrition Program Participation Rises."

Answer: $2.57.

Answer: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Answer: 38

Answer: 2.5 percent

Answer: students

Answer: Nutrition Association

Summary:
Number of students eating subsidized meals rises 2.5 percent, nonprofit says .
Use of USDA programs rises even as enrollment falls, report notes .
Schools complain that USDA doesn't cover full cost of meals .
School Nutrition Association surveyed 130 school food directors in 38 states .


(CNN)  -- The same day a cease-fire agreement was to go into effect, a high-ranking Yemeni official accused rebels of trying to assassinate him. Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammed Bin Abdullah al-Qawsi told Almotamar, the newspaper of the ruling party, Friday that "his car came under intensive fire shots in an attempt to assassinate him." He added that he was in the northwestern city of Saada to inspect security forces and accused Houthi rebels of carrying out the attack, according to the state-run Saba News Agency. Also in Saada Friday, troops and rebels exchanged fire, killing one and injuring others, Saba reported. The rebels did not immediately respond to the reports, which followed the announcement of an end to a six-year battle between the government and Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels. Despite the reports of violence, the truce deal was still intact, said a Yemeni government official who is not authorized to speak to the media. A "few skirmishes" occurred, including an attack on a security official's motorcade, he said. He would not say whether that official was al-Qawsi. Such violence is common in the early stages of peace deals, he said. "There are many reasons why this happened, and they were expected," the source said. "One, some of the militia fighters have not been informed yet that the truce was executed. Two, there were revenge killings -- some of the Houthi tribesmen carried out attacks against government forces. These could be considered tribal revenge killings." The government agreed to end all military operations against the Houthis beginning midnight Friday, an apparent end to violence that even tumbled into Saudi Arabia. Houthi rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi earlier signed off on the cease-fire and took to his Web site to order his followers to respect the agreement. The cease-fire conditions include clearing mines, not interfering with elected local officials, releasing civilians and military personnel, abiding by Yemeni law, returning looted items, and ending attacks within the country's northern neighbor, Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni government official said rebels were expected to free seven captured Saudi soldiers Saturday. The revolt by the Houthis in northern Yemen began in 2004. The conflict is believed to be both separatist -- over who will have power in the area -- and sectarian -- whether Shiite Islam will dominate, even though the majority of Yemenis are Sunni. The rebels are supporters of slain Shiite cleric Hussein al-Houthi. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

Who told the newspaper that Houthi rebels fired on his car?

A Yemeni government official says the truce deal is still what?

What did the Yemeni interior official tell newspapers?

Troops and rebels exchange fire, killing how many?

According to a government official, what is still intact?

Answer: Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammed Bin Abdullah al-Qawsi

Answer: intact,

Answer: "his car came under intensive fire shots in an attempt to assassinate him."

Answer: Houthi rebels

Answer: troops and rebels

Answer: one

Answer: one

Answer: rebels

Answer: the truce deal

Summary:
NEW: Truce deal still intact, a Yemeni government official says .
NEW: Official cites revenge, truce info not yet reaching militia fighters as reasons .
Yemeni Interior official tells newspaper that Houthi rebels fired on his car .
Troops and rebels exchange fire, killing one, state-run media reported .


(CNN)  -- The search continued Tuesday for as many as 67 people missing after a boat carrying about 200 Haitians capsized, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted this crowded boat last week and repatriated its occupants to Haiti. The boat overturned Monday off Turks and Caicos, a British territory about 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. Searchers aboard boats and aircraft have rescued 118 passengers and found 15 bodies, said Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, on Tuesday morning. The Coast Guard described the boat's occupants as migrants from Haiti. The overcrowded vessel was believed to have set sail from the Haitian port of Cap Haitien, the Turks and Caicos Sun newspaper reported. The search resumed at dawn Tuesday after being suspended because of darkness Monday night, Johnson said. The Coast Guard is contributing one boat, the 210-foot cutter Valiant, and three aircraft to the search, Johnson said. The aircraft are a Falcon jet out of Miami, an HH-60 helicopter and a slow-flying C-130 cargo plane out of Clearwater, Florida.  Watch Coast Guard rescue Haitians after boat capsizes » "If the weather and conditions are right, [the C-130] can fly really low," Johnson said. "It makes a fantastic search aircraft." Turks and Caicos authorities are using small boats in the search, she said. About 70 people were plucked Monday from a reef near the island group, authorities said. Four other bodies were found, though it was unclear which authorities located them. A nurse at Myrtle Rigby Hospital in the Turks and Caicos said that about 70 people were brought there, including four who had died. Five people were admitted to the hospital, and the others had minor injuries, the nurse said. The Coast Guard said it intercepted another "grossly overloaded" boat, with 124 Haitians aboard, late last week in the same region. Those migrants were returned to Cap Haitien on Monday. Overloaded vessels can quickly lose stability and capsize, sending migrants into the water, a Coast Guard release said. CNN's Jim Kavanagh and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report.

What was the approximate number of haitians on the boat?

Answer: as 67

Answer: off Turks and Caicos,

Answer: 67

Answer: 200

Answer: 67

Answer: off Turks and Caicos,

Answer: four who had died.

Answer: the Haitian port of Cap Haitien,

Answer: crowded boat

Answer: 200 Haitians

Answer: 15

Answer: 200

Answer: off Turks and Caicos,

Answer: 67

Answer: 15

Answer: 67 people

Summary:
NEW: 15 confirmed dead after boat capsizes; as many as 67 missing .
Boat with about 200 Haitians capsized Monday near Turks and Caicos Islands .
Coast Guard intercepted another boat overloaded with Haitians late last week .


(CNN)  -- The second-highest ranking official in Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's political party resigned Saturday, along with four other high-ranking Kurdish politicians, officials said.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani could be jeopardized by the resignations of five key members of his party.

Khosrat Rasul, the vice president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, resigned, along with four other members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), according to Kurdish lawmakers.

Rasul is a battle-scarred veteran of Kurdish rebellions against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Kurdish members of the Iraqi Parliament say the resignations threaten the delicate balance of power in Iraqi Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. It has been the most stable part of the country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

"It looks very serious," said Ala Talabani, the president's niece and a PUK member, as well as a member of Parliament. She spoke by phone from the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya, long a stronghold of the PUK.

"It's about corruption," Ala Talabani said of the resignations. "They are asking about the resources and the money. Who is spending it. And who is in charge of the income of the party."

"It's not good," said Mahmoud Othman, a member of the Iraqi Parliament and an independent Kurdish politician. "The PUK is one of the main two [Kurdish] players," he added. "A problem like this will upset the whole situation."

Iraqi Kurdistan broke free from Baghdad's control after the 1991 Gulf War. Since then, the region has been divided between two rival Kurdish factions, Talabani's PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Massoud Barzani.

For several years throughout the 1990s, the groups battled each other in the mountains and valleys of northern Iraq.

Those historic divisions faded somewhat following the United States' overthrow of Hussein. For the past five years, the Kurds have worked together in Baghdad to enhance the Kurdish region's position in Iraq.

Kurdish politicians deftly took advantage of divisions between Sunni and Shi'a Arab factions. They successfully lobbied to maintain Kurdistan's militia of pesh merga fighters.

Demands to expand the Kurdish zone of control and win the right to exploit oil deposits in Kurdish territory have increased tensions between Kurdish and Arab politicians.

The resignation of Rasul and his allies threatens the power base of Talabani, the first Kurdish president in Iraqi history.

"If it is not fixed by Talabani by tomorrow, this could change the entire landscape of Kurdish politics," said Hiwa Osman, the Iraq country director of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

Iraq's three northern Kurdish provinces are scheduled to hold regional elections in May. Talabani is expected to travel to Kurdistan to hold emergency meetings with Rasul and his other former comrades-in-arms.

This is not the first time the stout Kurdish leader has faced a rebellion from within the ranks of his followers. Kurdish observers say these disputes usually stem from disagreements over money and power.

What's the name of the first Kurdish president?

Answer: Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Answer: Democratic Party,

Answer: Jalal Talabani

Answer: "It's about corruption," Ala Talabani said of the

Answer: Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Answer: the delicate balance of power in Iraqi Kurdistan,

Answer: five

Answer: northern Iraq.

Answer: Khosrat Rasul,

Answer: Kurdish

Summary:
5 politicians in Kurdish Iraqi President Talabani's PUK party resign .
PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party rivals for power in Kurdistan .
Official says resignations are over corruption, questions of where money goes .
Resignations could threaten power base of Talabani, first Kurdish president .


(CNN)  -- The small Baltic nation of Estonia is ending its nearly six-year military operation in Iraq by not replacing its platoon of 34 troops. Estonian soldiers on patrol near Baghdad in 2004. Estonia's Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said the country will not deploy its next infantry platoon to Iraq, according to a statement from the ministry. Platoon ESTPLA-18 was ready to replace the previous 34-man platoon which returned to Estonia from Iraq in late December, The Baltic Times reported. The Estonian defense ministry announced Thursday it had failed to reach an agreement with Iraq's government about the troops' legal status. Aaviksoo said the absence of a legal agreement "specifying the legal status of our soldiers" was one of three reasons Estonia ended its military operation in Iraq. He said the other two reasons were the improving security situation in Iraq and the Iraqi government's desire to "continue bilateral cooperation in forms other than battle units." A bilateral agreement spelling out future defense-related cooperation between Iraq and Estonia is still being hammered out, Aaviksoo said. Estonia will continue to participate in a NATO-led training mission in Iraq, with three staff officers, he said. The Estonian defense ministry said Aaviksoo will soon visit Iraq to formally terminate the Estonian Defense Forces' operation and discuss future defense-related cooperation with his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Al-Qadir Jassam. In late December, Iraq's Presidency Council approved a resolution allowing non-U.S. troops to remain in the country after a U.N. mandate expired at the end of 2008. The resolution authorized Iraq to negotiate bilateral agreements with the countries, including Estonia. If that resolution had not been approved by the end of the year, those countries would have been in Iraq illegally. The United States concluded a separate agreement in November with the Iraqi government authorizing the continued presence of its troops. U.S. combat forces plan to pull back from population centers in Iraq by July 2009 and to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011. The British government says its forces will complete their mission of training Iraqi troops by May 31, 2009, and withdraw from the country by July 31, 2009. Britain has 4,100 troops in Iraq, the second-largest contingent after the United States with 142,500. Australian troops also plan to be out of the country by the end of July.

Who expects their troops to be out by the end of July?

How many troops did Estonia have in Iraq?

When did the previous 34-strong platoon leave?

Who blames lack of legal agreement on status of troops?

Who expects their troop to be out by the end of July?

What Oceanic country was about to leave Iraq?

Who is not replacing their platoon in Iraq?

Answer: by July 31, 2009.

Answer: U.S. combat forces plan

Answer: 34

Answer: in late December,

Answer: late December,

Answer: Aaviksoo

Answer: 34 troops.

Answer: the end of July.

Answer: its platoon of 34 troops.

Answer: The British government

Answer: Australian

Answer: Baltic nation of Estonia

Summary:
Estonia not replacing its platoon in Iraq .
Previous 34-strong platoon left Iraq in December .
Defense minister blames lack of new legal agreement on status of troops .
Australia, UK also expect their troops to be out by the end of July .


(CNN)  -- The suspect in the death of a 20-year-old pregnant Marine will be returned to North Carolina to face charges in her slaying, a Mexican judge ruled Thursday, according to North Carolina authorities.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean was arrested in Mexico in April.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 21, who was arrested in Mexico in April, could be returned to Onslow County, North Carolina, within a week, the county sheriff's office said in a statement issued Thursday. Federal authorities will handle his transportation to the North Carolina jail.

Laurean has been indicted on first-degree murder and other charges in the death of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. Her charred body and that of her fetus were found beneath a fire pit in Laurean's backyard near Camp Lejeune, where both were stationed, in January, a month after she was last seen.

Prosecutors allege that Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico to avoid prosecution.

Laurean was arrested in April in San Juan Vina, in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Because he holds citizenship in the United States and Mexico, he could not be immediately deported and had to go through the extradition process, authorities said.

Asked by a Mexican reporter at the time of his arrest whether he killed Lauterbach, Laurean said, "I loved her."

As part of the effort to apprehend Laurean, authorities seized a computer belonging to his sister-in-law that Laurean's wife, Christina, was using to communicate with him, a law enforcement official had said.

If convicted, Onslow County prosecutors said, Laurean would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Mexico's extradition policy prohibits U.S. authorities from seeking the death penalty against fugitives it hands over.

Authorities found Lauterbach's body after Christina Laurean produced a note her husband had written claiming that the 20-year-old woman slit her own throat during an argument, according to officials.

Although a gaping 4-inch wound was found on the left side of Lauterbach's neck, autopsy results indicate that the wound itself would not have been fatal.

Prosecutors have said there was no evidence that Christina Laurean was involved in or aware of Lauterbach's slaying before she gave the note to authorities.

Lauterbach had accused Laurean of raping her, and it is unclear whether he was the father of her fetus, although her relatives have said they believe him to be. He had denied the rape allegation and said he had had no sexual contact with her.

Mary Lauterbach, the young woman's mother, has said she's unconvinced that the Marine Corps took her daughter's rape allegation and other allegations of "harassment" seriously. Her daughter's car was keyed, she said, and she was assaulted.

"Those particular actions should have been taken much more seriously because the Marines were aware of them," she said Friday.

In a statement issued after her death, the Marine Corps said Laurean's denial "was believed to be significant evidence."

Who could be back in North Carolina within a week?

Who said Lauterbach slit her own throat?

What did Laurean claim that Lauterbach did?

What does Laurean say happened to Lauterbach?

Answer: U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean

Answer: Onslow County, North Carolina,

Answer: Cesar Laurean

Answer: slit her own throat

Answer: first-degree murder

Answer: Mexico

Answer: April.

Answer: U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean

Answer: slit her own throat during

Answer: Marine Lance Cpl.

Summary:
Cpl. Cesar Laurean is suspected in death of pregnant Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach .
Laurean was arrested in Mexico in April .
He could be back in North Carolina within a week, sheriff's office said .
Laurean said Lauterbach slit her own throat after an argument .


(CNN)  -- 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 (2,180-kilometer) 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 (45,000-kilometer) 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 (1.6 kilograms) 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.

Where was the Vancouver Olympic Torch lit?

When is the Olympic Flame due to arrive in Vancouver?

Answer: of Olympia

Answer: of Olympia

Answer: February 12

Answer: the longest domestic torch relay in the games'

Summary:
Olympic flame due to arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February .
Vancouver Olympic Torch lit in ceremony in Greece's ancient Olympia .
Torchbearers will begin carrying flame through Canada next week on 106-day relay .
Vancouver Olympics official: "It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history"


(CNN)  -- 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 (2,180-kilometer) 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 (45,000-kilometer) 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 (1.6 kilograms) 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.

What is the significance of this relay to Olympic history?

When is the flame to wrrive in Vancouver?

what will be the longest domestic relay?

What did the Vancouver Olympics official state about the relay?

How many days will the relay through Canada be?

Answer: The torch for the 2010

Answer: will be the longest domestic torch

Answer: 106-day,

Answer: February 12

Answer: a 106-day, 27,900-mile (45,000-kilometer)

Answer: The torch will be carried on an eight-day trip

Answer: 106-day,

Answer: begin carrying it through Canada on

Answer: Vancouver, British Columbia,

Summary:
Olympic flame due to arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February .
Vancouver Olympic Torch lit in ceremony in Greece's ancient Olympia .
Torchbearers will begin carrying flame through Canada next week on 106-day relay .
Vancouver Olympics official: "It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history"


(CNN)  -- The widow of an Internal Revenue Service employee killed when a disgruntled taxpayer flew his plane into a seven-story building in Austin, Texas, last week is suing the pilot's wife, according to court documents.

Valerie Hunter, the wife of Vernon Hunter, is accusing Sheryl Stack, wife of Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III, of negligence, alleging she knew or should have known that her husband was a threat to others and, thus, could have prevented the attack, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in Travis County District Court.

"Stack was threatened enough by Joseph Stack that she took her daughter and stayed at a hotel the night before the plane crash. [She] owed a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid a foreseeable risk of injury to others including [Vernon Hunter]," the suit says.

The lawsuit also seeks to bar the release of Vernon Hunter's autopsy report, saying that, if made public, it would cause Hunter's family to suffer "severe and irreparable emotional distress."

Hunter was killed February 18 when, authorities say, Stack flew his Piper Cherokee PA-28 into a northwest Austin building that housed nearly 200 IRS employees.

Authorities say Stack set fire to his $230,000 home in Austin before embarking on his fatal flight.

Police have said Sheryl Stack spent the previous night in an Austin-area hotel but did not say why. Police said they had received no calls of domestic violence from the house. The only calls to police were made a couple of years ago and concerned barking dogs, officials said said.

A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government, particularly the IRS.

"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message said. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."

Sheryl Stack issued a statement after the attack expressing "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families."

what happened to Hunter's husband when Andrew joseph flew a plane into a building?

Who is accusing Sheryl Stack of negligence?

Answer: Stack, wife of Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III, of negligence, alleging she knew or should have known that her husband was a threat to others and, thus, could have prevented the attack,

Answer: killed

Answer: plane crash.

Answer: Valerie Hunter,

Answer: February 18

Answer: Sheryl Stack,

Answer: alleging she knew or should have known that her husband was a threat to others and, thus, could have prevented the attack,

Summary:
Valerie Hunter is accusing Sheryl Stack of negligence .
Hunter's husband died when Andrew Joseph "Joe Stack III flew a plane into a building .
Lawsuit: Sheryl Stack "owed a duty to exercise reasonable care" for others' safety .
Sheryl Stack had issued statement offering sympathy to victim's family .