RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The Brazilian air force said that debris picked up Thursday near where officials believe Air France Flight 447 crashed Monday into the Atlantic Ocean was not from the plane. Image released by the Brazilian Air Force shows oil slicks in the water near a debris site. "It has been verified that the material did not belong to the plane," Brigadier Ramon Borges Cardoso told reporters in Recife about the material recovered Thursday. "It is a pallet of wood that is utilized for transport. It is used in planes, but on this flight to Paris, there was no wooden pallet." He added that oil slicks seen on the ocean were not from the plane, either, and that the quantity of oil exceeded the amount the plane would have carried. "No material from the airplane was picked up," he said. The announcement left open the question of whether other debris that had not yet been plucked from the ocean might be from the plane. On Wednesday, searchers recovered two debris fields and had identified the wreckage, including an airplane seat and an orange float as coming from Flight 447. Officials now say that none of the debris recovered is from the missing plane. Helicopters had been lifting pieces from the water and dropping them on three naval vessels. Brazilian Air Force planes spotted an oil slick and four debris fields Wednesday but rain and rough seas had kept searchers from plucking any of the debris from the water. Officials said searchers had found objects in a circular 5-kilometer (3-mile) area, including one object with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet) and 10 other objects, some of which were metallic, Brazilian Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said. The debris was found about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers off the northeast coast of Brazil. Eleven aircraft and five ships are engaged in the search, including airplanes from France and the United States. Earlier Thursday, a public interfaith service was held for the 228 victims at a 200-year-old Catholic Church in downtown Rio. Joining family members were members of the Brazilian armed forces, who are leading the recovery effort. "Whoever has faith, whoever believes in God, believes in the eternity of the soul," said Mauro Chavez, whose friend lost a daughter on the flight. "This means everything." Investigators have not yet determined what caused the plane to crash. The flight data recorders have not been recovered, and the plane's crew did not send any messages indicating problems before the plane disappeared. A Spanish pilot said he saw an "intense flash" in the area where Flight 447 came down off the coast of Brazil, while a Brazilian minister appeared to rule out a midair explosion. Meanwhile, a report in France suggested the pilots were perhaps flying at the "wrong speed" for the violent thunderstorm they flew into early on Monday before the Airbus A330's systems failed. Le Monde newspaper reported that Airbus was sending a warning to operators of A330 jets with new advice on flying in storms. As several ships trawled the debris site in the Atlantic, Brazil's defense minister said a 20-kilometer (12-mile) oil slick near where the plane, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, went down indicated it probably did not break up until it hit the water. If true, that would rule out an in-flight explosion as the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters. However, both pilots of an Air Comet flight from Lima, Peru, to Lisbon, Portugal, sent a written report on the bright flash they said they saw to Air France, Airbus and the Spanish civil aviation authority, the airline told CNN. "Suddenly, we saw in the distance a strong and intense flash of white light, which followed a descending and vertical trajectory and which broke up in six seconds," the captain wrote. Air Comet declined to identify the pilot's name but said he waited until landing to inform Air

What was found by air force?
Was the debris from the missing plane?
where was plane headed?
What did the two pilot saw?
What was the report says?
How many people were aboard the jet?

Answer: objects in a circular 5-kilometer (3-mile) area, including one object with a diameter of 7 meters (23 feet) and 10 other objects, some of which were metallic, Brazilian

Answer: not

Answer: Paris,

Answer: intense flash of white light,

Answer: suggested the pilots were perhaps flying at the "wrong speed" for the violent thunderstorm they flew into early on Monday before the Airbus A330's systems failed.

Answer: 228

Summary:
Wreckage, debris found earlier is not from missing plane, air force says .
Conflicting reports over why Air France jet crashed with 228 aboard .
Oil slick appears to rule out midair fire or explosion, Brazil minister says .
But two Spanish pilots say they saw "intense flash" in area where jet crashed .


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- The death toll in flood-ravaged southern Brazil has reached 116 and the first cases of a water-borne, potentially fatal disease are being investigated, the nation's Civil Defense agency reported.

People use a boat to navigate flooded streets in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina last week.

The number of missing residents has increased to 31, the agency said. The previous tally was 19.

Nearly 79,000 residents have been left homeless, many of them in the hard-hit state of Santa Catarina.

Many of the deaths have been caused by mudslides.

Officials are now worried about disease, as 10 cases of leptospirosis are suspected, the state news agency reported.

Leptospirosis is an infection in rodents and other wild and domesticated animals, according to the World Health Organization. In humans, exposure through water contaminated by urine from infected animals is the most common form of infection. The disease is often found in flooded areas.

Ten people with symptoms are being treated in the cities of Blumenau and Ilhota, the state-run Agencia Brasil reported.

Symptoms usually occur 2 to 30 days after infection and consist of high fever, malaise, sharp and constant headache, intense muscular pain, fatigue and chills. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea also are common. About 10 percent of patients develop jaundiced eyes after the third day, indicating the most severe cases.

Authorities also were warning residents in flooded areas to be careful with food and water they consume. Food that has been under water or moist should not be eaten unless it's in a sealed plastic bag or a can, officials said.

The health secretary for Santa Catarina said residents who drink contaminated water also run the risk of getting hepatitis A and diarrhea.

Rescuers also are at risk of disease and injury.

In the city of Maximus in Luis Alves state, eight rescuers were injured over the weekend, one of them gravely, Agencia Brasil reported.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday that Santa Catarina will be rebuilt and become just as strong as it was.

"We cannot lose hope," Lula said. "We must be convinced that people will reconstruct the state of Santa Catarina. There is a national solidarity never seen before in the history of the country."

Lula flew over some of the flooded areas last week and proclaimed the disaster one of the worst in the country's history.

"I've never seen anything like this," he said Thursday.

He said last week he was releasing 1.97 billion Reals (more than US$850 million) in aid to the afflicted areas.

Officials have distributed 880 tons of food, nearly 1 million liters of water and 60 tons of clothing, toys and cleaning and personal hygiene material, Agencia Brasil said Monday.

The Civil Defense said seaplanes have flown 548 relief missions in seven days.

The disaster also is having an economic effect, with bridges, roads, houses and buildings destroyed. The Federation of Industries said the closed port in Itajai is costing $33 million a day. The port is the major terminal for frozen goods in Brazil and second in the transport of containers, Agencia Brasil said.

Port Superintendent Arnaldo Schmitt said last week part of the terminal could be back in operation in two weeks.

Weather conditions may not allow that to happen, though.

The Civil Defense issued an alert Monday for heavy rains in 14 states and the federal district.

What is the death toll in southern Brazil?

Answer: 116

Answer: be careful with food and water they consume.

Answer: 31,

Answer: Officials are now worried about disease, as 10 cases of leptospirosis are suspected,

Answer: 31,

Answer: 116

Answer: southern Brazil

Answer: 116

Answer: 116

Summary:
Death toll from flooding in southern Brazil reaches 116; 31 people missing .
Officials report 10 suspected cases of potentially deadly leptospirosis .
Authorities warn people to avoid flood-contaminated food, water .
More heavy rain forecast for parts of Brazil .


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Thousands of people celebrated Friday on crowded Copacabana beach as the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host played live over huge screens erected above the sand. Thousands packed Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro after the city learned it will host the Olympics. "It was a fantastic victory. We beat the big cities. Passion talked louder," said one man as he danced to live samba music in front of the stage. Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to become the first South American city to host the Games, something President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva made clear during his pitch to the International Olympic Committee. "It is a time to address this imbalance," he told committee members making the selection in Copenhagen, Denmark. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country." Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch after it was voted the happiest city in the world by Forbes magazine. On Friday, thousands of people piled onto the beach wearing green and yellow, many with the Brazilian flag painted on their faces.  Exuberant Rio de Janeiro is first South American city to host Olympics » "I thought that more than to the people, we owe this victory to our President Lula," said a woman wearing little more than a bikini. Rio also won points with an ambitious budget and new venues like the Joao Havelange Stadium, which opened for the 2007 Pan American Games. Rio's jaw-dropping natural beauty helped the city pull ahead of the competition. "Rio is full of all things quintessentially Brazilian: sun, sand, soccer, samba, sensuality," the editorial director of Fodor's Travel, Laura Kidder, wrote in an e-mail. "In Rio, it's about taking each day as it comes and living life to the fullest." Erik Torkells, editor for TripAdvisor, the world's largest online travel community, also praised the city for its social scene before the selection was made. "If the Olympic Committee wanted to be sure everyone had a good time, they'd go to Rio," Torkells said. The selection also had its critics in Brazil. "I don't think it's appropriate considering what our country is going through," said Orlando Pinto, a social worker. "We don't have good health services, education; we have transportation problems, housing problems, crime problems." Security and traffic remain enormous challenges to overcome in Rio de Janeiro. But it was all celebration on Friday as crowds continued to stream onto the beach after the announcement was made.

who  offered ambitious budget and new venues?

Answer: Luis Inacio Lula da Silva

Answer: the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host

Answer: Luis Inacio Lula da Silva

Answer: Brazil

Answer: Happiness was a big part of Rio's pitch

Answer: Rio de Janeiro.

Summary:
Thousands celebrate Rio de Janeiro win at Copacabana beach .
"We owe this victory to our President Lula," woman at celebration says .
Rio de Janeiro offered ambitious budget and new venues .
City also emphasized that Olympics have never been held in South America .


RIVERDALE, Georgia (CNN)  -- In his darkest moment, Kenneth Brown lost it all. His wife and kids, the housebroken dog, the vacation home on Cape Cod all vanished when he was sent to prison for an arson in 1996. Kenneth Brown, a former inmate, learned to meditate during his nine years in prison. Trapped in his gloomy cell and serving a 20-year sentence that felt like an eternity, Brown, then 49, found himself stretched out on the floor. He was silent. His eyes were shut. His body did not move. Brown, a man raised as a Baptist and taught to praise the Lord and fear the devil, was meditating. "I try to focus on the space between two thoughts, because it prevents me from getting lost," said Brown, who discovered meditation, yoga and Buddhist teachings three months into his sentence. "This helped me stay on track and get me through prison," he said. Eastern religions encompassing meditation techniques have captivated hippies, 20-somethings and celebrities like actor Richard Gere. But since the 1960s, the art of meditation also has found a growing number of unlikely followers behind prison bars. The inmates say meditation -- an ancient practice that develops mental awareness and fosters relaxation -- is teaching them how to cope in prison. "Mostly, the people in Buddhist community are going into the prisons, providing programs, and word of mouth gets from one inmate to another," explained Gary Friedman, communications chairman for the American Correctional Chaplains Association. "It's a break from all the hustle and noise of the prison environment." There is no group tracking the number of inmates converting to Buddhism or engaging in meditation practices. But programs and workshops educating inmates about meditation and yoga are sprouting up across the country. Meditation can help the convicts find calmness in a prison culture ripe with violence and chaos. The practice provides them a chance to reflect on their crimes, wrestle through feelings of guilt and transform themselves during their rehabilitative journey, Buddhist experts say. In the past five years, books like the "Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism" and "Razor-Wire Dharma: A Buddhist Life in Prison" have emerged. "This is transformative justice, as opposed to punitive," said Fleet Maull, founder of the Prison Dharma Network, one of the largest support networks helping inmates learn meditation and Buddhist teachings. Since its inception in 1989, Prison Dharma Network has grown from one person -- Maull -- teaching Buddhist principles to more than 75 member organizations corresponding with 2,500 individuals, many of them inmates. For the past seven years, Maull's group has taught a weekly meditation class in Boulder County Jail in Colorado. Some inmates follow Zen Buddhism, a practice that originated in China, and meet weekly to focus their minds. Others practice Vipassana, a Buddhist practice founded in India, which consists of completing hundreds of hours of meditation in a short period of time. Buddhism has gained momentum in the United States over the past 25 years, becoming the third most popular religion in America behind Christianity and Judaism, according to the 2008 report from the the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. About 1.7 million Americans call themselves Buddhists, and many of them are converts, the study said. According to the American Religious Identification Survey in 2008, there were 1.2 million self-identified Buddhists. Some inmates, like Brown, may not label themselves official Buddhists, but they meditate, practice yoga and follow Buddhist principles on truth, responsibility and suffering. The practice of meditation seeped into the heart of the Bible Belt in 2002. The Donaldson Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Alabama, was notorious for violence. But a group of male inmates, including several murderers, completed a Vipassana meditation retreat that required more than 100 hours of meditation in 10 days. One inmate, who was featured in the 2007 documentary "The Dhamma Brothers," said Vipassana was harder than the 8½ years he had spent on death row. More than 120 men in Donaldson have gone through Vipassana at least

What is the third most popular religion in the US?

what are the first two most popular religions?

Who are being educated about meditation and yoga?

What are the programs educating inmates about?

What is the third most popular religion in the United States?

Answer: Buddhism

Answer: Christianity and Judaism,

Answer: inmates

Answer: meditation

Answer: stay on track and get me through prison,"

Answer: Buddhism

Summary:
Programs across the country educate inmates about meditation and yoga .
Meditation has helped reduce violence in Alabama prison, official says .
"They don't feel so close to exploding," documentary director says .
Buddhism is third most popular religion in United States .


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN -- Relations between Arab nations and the United States hinge on American leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace in the Mideast,  Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal told CNN Saturday.

Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal talks with CNN's Nic Robertson about U.S. relations with Arab nations.

"President Obama, in his statement yesterday, said that he's genuinely making the effort to accomplish a peaceful resolution," al-Faisal, who served as Saudi ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2007, told CNN's Nic Robertson in an interview Friday.

"We've heard this before," al-Faisal said. "We need to see implementation. We need to see facts on the ground change. We need to see rhetoric change. We need to see presence on the ground."

He said he was encouraged by Obama's appointment of George Mitchell as Mideast envoy, saying, "Mitchell comes with a track record of success." But he suggested Mitchell spend some time in the region to make real progress.

"American envoys, when they've dealt with the Middle East, have always come and gone," he said.

"I think it would be wise for Sen. Mitchell ... to pitch his tent in Ramallah or in Jerusalem, let's say, and spend a year, two, perhaps three years on the ground dealing with the daily aspects of making peace there."  Watch as al-Faisal talks about how the U.S. and the Mideast could build trust »

The United States' backing of Israel, in light of the latest Israeli military operations in Gaza, does not improve its standing in the Arab world, he said.

"What happened in Gaza, people have called it a tragedy," al-Faisal said. "I'd go further and say it was a catastrophe in all aspects of that word. The killing and the destruction was so barbaric by Israel, and unprecedented in a such a small area like Gaza.

They [Israelis] claim that they were very careful about collateral damage and they targeted only Hamas, as they call them, militants and operatives. Well, look at the figures.

"More than 400 children killed out of 1,300 [total deaths]. That doesn't show any precision of targeting. Israel claims that these are mishaps of war. If they are mishaps of war, well, why should you have a war?

"I think this is one of the issues that makes the relationship between the Arab world in general and Saudi Arabia in particular threatened when it comes to dealing with the United States," al-Faisal said. "...  And President Bush, I think callously and unforgivably, gave Israel a green light to do everything that they wanted to do in Gaza without restraint."

U.S. and Israeli officials should recognize that operations like the recent one only serve to strengthen Hamas, as "Israel is a radioactive element in the area. Anyone it touches becomes heroic and legitimate ... because he or she is a victim."

Al-Faisal said he believes the United States and Israel should negotiate with Hamas. Reminded that the two nations consider Hamas a terrorist organization, he said, "I think this is another of the things that has to be reviewed by President Obama."

He believes that negotiations with Hamas should not undermine the Palestinian Authority, saying the authority's President Mahmoud Abbas "in my view, is the most tailor-made Palestinian leader for making peace and bringing stability and security to the Palestinian people."

Israel's operation in Gaza came after what it said was a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas militants into southern Israel.

Asked how to stop the rockets, al-Faisal said he thinks the key is to bring Hamas into the political fold. "Put it the other way," he said. "How can we convince Israel itself not to provoke Hamas into firing rockets?"

Israel claims that Hamas fired first, and al-Faisal said these claims underscore the importance of having someone on the ground like Mitchell.

What did the Saudi prince say?
What do US Arab relations hinge on?
What makes all fasail think that?
Who should Israel negotiate with?
Who should the US negotiate with?
Who is giving an opinion?

Answer: leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace in the Mideast,

Answer: leaders living up to their rhetoric about commitment to lasting peace

Answer: President Bush,

Answer: Hamas.

Answer: Hamas.

Answer: al-Faisal,

Summary:
Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal says U.S.-Arab relations hinge on U.S. role in peace .
Says U.S. lost Arab support by backing Israel in Gaza "catastrophe"
"Israel is radioactive in region ... Anyone it touches becomes heroic, legitimate"
Al-Faisal believes U.S. and Israel should negotiate with Hamas .


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN)  -- The Taliban in Afghanistan have momentum that makes any effort to negotiate with them difficult, the U.S. defense secretary said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday. He's visiting Afghanistan on Wednesday. Secretary Robert Gates spoke to CNN's Chris Lawrence in an exclusive interview Tuesday evening before leaving for Afghanistan, where he is visiting troops and bases Wednesday. "The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point," Gates said in the interview. "They probably feel like they have the momentum with them. And until that momentum changes, it will be difficult." As part of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the military and Afghanistan government are attempting to reach out to elements of the Taliban who are engaged in the battle for financial gain, rather than ideological gain. "There are really two groups we're talking about -- the younger, or less committed, who do this mainly to earn a living and put food on the table for their families, and those that are more ideologically committed. The latter are going to be a tougher pull, and we'll probably have to wait awhile before there's an opportunity there." On Monday, CNN's Nic Robertson interviewed a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, who said the Taliban will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when the United States leaves the country. "Our conditions are clear, we want to negotiate and they [the U.S.] will not interfere in our affairs; secondly, they [the U.S.] will leave the country," Mujahid told CNN. Gates said the stance was not surprising. "Well I don't know what else he'd say. He's leading the opposition, he's leading this insurgency. He's not going to sort of, sort of throw down and say 'We're ready to negotiate, we're about done here,' " Gates said. The United States is adding 21,000 troops to the Afghanistan battlefield. The majority will be moving to the south to confront the Taliban along the porous Pakistani border. The Taliban have had mostly free rein in that area with few U.S. or coalition forces to confront them until now. Gates admitted moving the battle to the south will mean there is "a tough fight ahead." "I think, certainly, I have been pretty clear. As we move into areas of the south that have not seen any Afghan or coalition forces so far, we're clearly going to be going into areas where the Taliban are very entrenched," he said. "And, sad to say, I expect with the rising level of our activity and operations, there probably will be higher casualties." In recent weeks, the Pakistani government has seen the Taliban gain control on its side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Privately, Pakistani officials have expressed concern to the United States that the increased fighting in southern Afghanistan will only push the Taliban back to the Pakistani side. "Well I think it's just the reality that there are extremists on both sides of that border. And they threaten both the elected government of Afghanistan and the elected government of Pakistan. So like it or not, they both have a certain common enemy," Gates said. Gates said he is encouraged by recent cooperation efforts between the two countries to deal with the problem, and by Pakistan's recent confrontation with the Taliban in Bunir province, near the capital of Islamabad. "The signs right now are pretty positive," he told CNN.

What has the taliban got to say about the matter?

What is the U.S. defense secretary's view?

Who claims the fight will be tougher in south Afghanistan?

Answer: will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when the United States leaves the country.

Answer: the Taliban

Answer: are engaged in the battle for financial gain,

Answer: the United States leaves the country.

Answer: will only negotiate with the Afghanistan government when

Answer: "The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point,"

Answer: "The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point,"

Answer: Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Summary:
U.S. defense secretary: Political level not ready for reconciliation, accommodation .
U.S. trying to reach out to Taliban interested in financial gain, not ideological gain .
Taliban spokesman: We will negotiate with Afghan government when U.S. leaves .
Gates says that as U.S. forces build up in southern Afghanistan, fight will be tougher .


ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated. About 10 percent of catfish eaten in the U.S. comes from China, according to the National Fisheries Institute. "FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters. The species cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp. The medications cited include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones. Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Use of fluoroquinolones in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance. None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have been shown to cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals for "prolonged periods of time," Acheson said. Alerts have been issued in the past, but Thursday's announcement is the largest. The food will not be allowed into the United States until the importer can prove it is free from harmful contaminants, Acheson said. He said the agency decided to broaden its previous alerts for products from individual companies to a countrywide alert after tests showed that 15 percent of those species of seafood produced by 18 companies in China contained traces of one or more of the contaminants. "FDA is taking this action to protect the public health of the American people," he said. Watch more on the FDA's import alert on five kinds of fish from China. » The products "could cause serious health problems if consumed over a long period of time," he said. Still, Acheson added, the low levels of contaminants means that there is "no imminent threat" to the public health. China is the world's largest producer of farmed fish, accounting for 70 percent of the total produced, he said. It is the third-largest exporter of farmed fish to the United States. The action is an import alert, which means that these products from Chinese processors "will be detained and refused entry into the United States until the importer can demonstrate that the product is safe and in compliance with applicable regulations," said Margaret O' K. Glavin, FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. Last year, the FDA slapped a countrywide alert on all Chinese eel after tests showed residues of an antimicrobial agent, she said. Since then, and "despite extensive communications between FDA and appropriate Chinese authorities to correct the problem, we have continued to find residues of certain veterinary drugs or food additives that are not permitted for use in the United States," she added. Glavin said the FDA inspects 5 percent of seafood from China. The first alert on Chinese seafood occurred before 2001, she said. "We're not asking for this product to be withdrawn from the market or for people to take this out of their freezers and throw it away," Acheson said. "This is a long-term health concern; it is not an acute health concern." China is not the sole offender, Glavin said. Import alerts have been ordered for firms in the Philippines, Mexico "and several others," though this is the first countrywide import alert, she said. More than 80 percent of shrimp eaten in the United States is imported, including 7 percent from China, according to the National Fisheries Institute. About 10 percent of catfish eaten in the United States comes from China, the seafood industry advocacy group said. Last year, the United States imported 590,299 metric tons of shrimp from abroad; 68,150 metric tons of which came from China, according to the Department of Commerce. The United States imported $1.2 billion of fish from China in 2004, according to

Where did the FDA block seafood items from?

When did FDA start blocking these imports?

Answer: drugs and unsafe food additives,"

Answer: until their importers can prove they are not contaminated.

Answer: China

Answer: Thursday

Summary:
FDA blocks import of shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace from China .
Fish won't be allowed until importers prove they are safe .
The fish were treated with antibiotics and antifungal medication .
The antibiotics are not allowed in U.S. fish .


ROCKWOOD, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Four generations of Saylors have worked the family's dairy farm for nearly a century, but for the past three years, the cows have been doing something besides providing milk: They've been helping power the place. "The farm used to get a lot of complaints," says farmer Shawn Saylor. "It used to stink a lot." Growing up on the sprawling spread 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, 36-year-old farmer Shawn Saylor developed into a self-described science buff. So it was no surprise that, when faced with rising energy costs, Saylor turned to technology. He tapped into an abundant and easily accessible energy source: manure from about 600 cows.  Watch how cow poo powers the farm » "It's a pretty simple process. There's not really a lot to it," Saylor said. "Manure comes from the cows, and there's energy left in the manure." The process is known as anaerobic digestion, and here's how it works: With the help of a mechanical scraper in the barn, manure drops into a 19,000-gallon tank. The slurry then moves into the digester, which is 16 feet deep and 70 feet in diameter. It's heated there for about 16 days while the bacteria break down the organic matter in order to produce methane gas. That gas is burned in two engine generators to make electricity.  See an interactive explaining the process » Heat created by the generators keeps the digester hot, heats the buildings around the farm and helps provide hot water. The electricity is used to power this farm and a dozen neighboring homes, Saylor said. And there's still some left over, which he sells back to the grid. Overall, the poo power helps Saylor's bottom line. "In savings, there's $200,000 a year, in either extra income from sale of electricity or cost offsets," he said. "So you're talking about system project costs of over a million dollars to build the system but a payback of five years or less." Before he installed the system, the pungent smell from the cows could linger for three to four days, Saylor said. "The farm used to get a lot of complaints from motorists, which is understandable. It used to stink a lot." Now, the digesters reduce 98 percent of all odor, although he admits that if the wind blows, you still "get a whiff." The farm's leftover solid waste is sold to the community. "We use it for bedding for the animals," according to Saylor. "A lot of people like to get it for their gardens ... because it doesn't smell much." Farm-based digesters became popular in the United States during the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s. But the technology didn't catch on, possibly because of the high operational costs and declining energy prices, according to the Department of Agriculture. Although Saylor had been interested in digesters for years, his dream didn't become reality until 2006. That's when he received a $600,000 grant from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. But Saylor's work isn't done. He intends to make his farm entirely self-sufficient by using waste vegetable oil to make biodiesel fuel. He said his goal is to waste nothing. "In a biodiesel system, all the waste products can either be used or fed back into the digester to make more gas," he said. "I've always looked at new technologies and believed you kind of have to work with that stuff to stay with the future."

What can cow manure be converted into to save money?

What process helps cut dairy farm's odor?

Answer: to power this farm and a dozen neighboring homes,

Answer: "The farm used to get a lot of complaints,"

Answer: energy source:

Answer: 600

Answer: "The farm used to get a lot of complaints,"

Answer: drops into a 19,000-gallon tank. The slurry then moves into the digester, which is 16 feet deep and 70 feet in diameter. It's heated there for about 16 days while the bacteria break down the organic matter in order to produce methane gas. That gas is burned in two engine generators to make electricity.

Answer: digesters

Answer: "The farm used to get a lot of complaints,"

Answer: 600

Summary:
Dairy farmer says he saves money by converting cow manure to electricity .
Remaining waste from 600 cows is used as fertilizer and mulch .
Anaerobic digestion became popular in United States in 1970s .
He says process also helps cut dairy farm's odor .


ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina (CNN) -- Authorities in North Carolina have jailed a suspect in the slaying of one of five women whose bodies have been found since 2005 in remote areas outside Rocky Mount, the Edgecombe County sheriff said Tuesday. Jackie Nikelia Thorpe's body was found along Seven Bridges Road in August 2007. Sheriff James Knight said Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Taraha Shenice Nicholson, whose remains were found in a wooded area on March 7. Nicholson was 29 when she was reported missing on February 22, Knight said at a news conference in Tarboro. Pittman, of Rocky Point, was being held without bond. All five of the slain women were African-American, and authorities said they were from an area frequented by prostitutes. Four of them lived in Rocky Mount, which is about 55 miles northeast of the state capital, Raleigh. Michael Teague, North Carolina's former top forensic psychologist, told CNN's David Mattingly he believes the deaths are the work of a serial killer. "Just the fact that the bodies have been found close together would really argue for a serial killer," Teague said. He also said he believes the killer is someone with a lot in common with his victims. "Their economic level, their background, the same race. So I think it's someone who would fit very easily within the environment," the psychologist said. The body of the first woman was discovered in May 2005. All the remains were found near the Seven Bridges Road, which snakes northeast from Rocky Mount into rural Edgecombe County. The probe into the deaths of the other four women is ongoing, said Knight, who is leading a joint investigative task force of his deputies, Rocky Mount police and the state Bureau of Investigation. Representatives from the other two groups also attended the news conference. "The investigators with the task force have worked countless hours, days and nights in order to bring this case to the point where it is now," said Renee Robinson, special agent with SBI. "We are following up on leads as they develop." Rocky Mount Police Chief John Manley Jr. said the task force also was investigating the cases of three other missing women and a death in Rocky Mount. He has said it appears the women "suffered a similar death," but authorities have not divulged further details. They did tell CNN that two of the victims were strangled, and one was stabbed and beaten. Manley identified the four women whose bodies were found as: •  Melody Wiggins, 29, whose body was found May 29, 2005. • Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, whose body was found August 17, 2007, behind a house on Seven Bridges Road. • Ernestine Battle, 50, whose remains were found in a wooded area along the road on March 13, 2008. • Jarneice Latonya Hargrove, 31, whose skeletal remains were found June 29, 2009 in woods off the road.

Who was charged with first-degree murder?

Where were Taraha Scenic Nicholson's remains found?

How many women have been found since 2005?

Answer: Antwan Maurice Pittman,

Answer: first-degree murder

Answer: Taraha Shenice Nicholson,

Answer: in a wooded area

Answer: five women whose bodies have been

Answer: first-degree murder

Answer: five

Summary:
Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, charged with first-degree murder .
Taraha Shenice Nicholson, whose remains were found in a wooded area on March 7 .
Remains of five women found since 2005 along road outside Rocky Mount .
Police chief says it appears women "suffered a similar death"
City, county, state agencies have formed task force .


ROME, Italy (CNN)  -- Amanda Knox will testify Friday in an Italian courtroom to defend herself against charges that she took part in the killing of her roommate two years ago, her lawyer said. American college student Amanda Knox, 21, is expected to take the witness stand Friday at her Italian murder trial. Knox, 21, an American college student from Seattle, Washington, will be questioned by her attorneys first and her testimony could continue Saturday, said Luciano Ghriga, one of her lawyers. The trial against Knox and her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 24, began January 16 in Perugia, a university town about 185 kilometers (115 miles) north of Rome. They are charged with murder and sexual assault in the November 2007 slaying of Knox's roommate, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, who died in what prosecutors called a "drug-fueled sex game" with the couple. A third person, Rudy Hermann Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was convicted of murder in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Kercher was found dead in her bed, half-naked, with a knife wound to her neck. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors say they have physical evidence placing the defendants at the scene, and that they gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died. Knox first said she was at the house she shared with Kercher, then changed her story, according to court records. Sollecito, meanwhile, said he was never at the house, but was at his apartment, watching a movie on his computer with Knox. Later, he told investigators he did not remember whether Knox was with him the entire night. Defense lawyers are expected to argue that the physical evidence was tainted by sloppy police work. The case is being heard by a panel of eight judges. The trial has drawn more than 140 journalists from 86 news outlets to the courthouse in Perugia, Italy. The presiding judge in the case, Giancarlo Massei, has barred cameras from the courtroom and said he could completely close portions of the trial dealing with the most graphic sexual assault allegations.

what is the name of Knox's former boyfriend?

Answer: Amanda Knox,

Answer: Raffaele Sollecito,

Answer: Meredith Kercher,

Answer: Meredith Kercher,

Answer: Raffaele Sollecito,

Summary:
Murder trial makes American student Amanda Knox well-known in Italy .
British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox .
Prosecutors say they have evidence placing Knox, other defendants at scene .
Knox's  former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, also faces murder charges .


ROME, Italy (CNN)  -- American college student Amanda Knox told an Italian courtroom Friday that she was at the home of her boyfriend the night her roommate was killed two years ago, her attorney said.

American college student Amanda Knox, 21,  testifies Friday at her murder trial in Perugia, Italy.

When she later was told that her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was found dead, Knox said in Italian, "I was like, 'No, no, how can this be?' "

Knox, a 21-year-old from Seattle, Washington, testified that she was at her boyfriend's apartment, smoking marijuana, on the night Kercher was killed. Both Knox and the boyfriend are charged with murder and sexual assault in the case.

She said she later gave a confused and conflicting deposition to police because she was confused by the questioning and felt pressure from the investigators.

She testified that on the night of November 1, 2007, when Kercher was killed, she was at her boyfriend's house all night and not at home, where Kercher's body was found the next day.  Watch Knox take the stand »

Knox is scheduled to resume testifying Saturday, when prosecutors plan to question her. The trial opened January 16.

After her testimony Friday, Knox's father, Kurt Knox, said he thought his daughter did well on the stand and predicted that her innocence would become more apparent as the trial continues.

Kercher family attorney Francesco Maresca, however, said the Knox on the stand Friday was a different person from the Amanda Knox seen at a preliminary hearing. She questioned who the real Amanda Knox is.

On the stand Friday, Knox said she was with her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, on the night of November 1. She said she checked her e-mails at his place before the couple had dinner, watched a movie, smoked a marijuana joint, made love and fell asleep.

In the morning, Knox testified, she went home to the villa she shared with Kercher to take a shower. That's when she noticed a series of "strange things," including dried blood in the sink and on the bath mat, unflushed feces in the toilet and a locked door to Kercher's room.

The door to the villa had been left open, too, but Knox said she figured one of her housemates had simply stepped out quickly for an errand or to go for a run. She said she called out but nobody answered.

When Knox got back to Sollecito's house, she told him about the strange things, and he suggested they call the police, Knox testified. Sollecito called his sister, a member of the Carabinieri, the Italian military police, Knox said.

They returned to the girls' villa to check whether anything had been stolen, Knox said. Once there they met Knox's other roommate, Filomena Romanelli, and the Italian Postal Police.  Watch Knox in court »

As Knox stood outside, police went in and began shouting and banging down Kercher's door, Knox said. Between trying to understand what police were saying and having Sollecito translate for her, Knox testified that she got a confused picture of what was going on.

She sat in Romanelli's car to warm up, and that's when she heard Kercher was dead, Knox said.

"I closed in inside myself," Knox testified in Italian. Continuing in Italian, but using English phrasing, she said, "I was like, 'No, no, how can this be?' "

Kercher's body was found half-naked in her bed November 2, 2007. Prosecutors have said Kercher, 21, died in a "drug-fueled sex game" with Knox and Sollecito, now 25. An investigating judge found that Kercher died fighting off a sexual assault.

A third person, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede, was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing the verdict.

Defense attorneys are expected to argue

who was found dead
who takes stand
who faces murder charges
Where was the murder trial?
Where was Kercher found dead?

Answer: Meredith Kercher,

Answer: Amanda Knox,

Answer: Amanda Knox,

Answer: Perugia, Italy.

Answer: at home,

Summary:
American student Amanda Knox takes stand in well-publicized murder trial in Italy .
British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox in 2007 .
Prosecutors say they have evidence placing Knox, other defendants at scene .
Knox's former boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, also faces murder charges .


ROME, Italy (CNN)  -- The Italian media call her "Foxy Knoxy," portray her as a "devil with an angel's face," and there are 11 Facebook pages dedicated to her, all in Italian.

Both Raffaele Sollecito (left) and Amanda Knox deny charges of murder and sexual assault.

Amanda Knox, 21, is an American college student from Seattle, Washington, who is on trial for murder in Perugia, Italy. The case has given Knox almost pop star status there.

She was voted the top woman in an online "person of the year" poll by an Italian TV channel in December, beating out Carla Bruni, the Italian-born French first lady.

Seven of the 11 Facebook pages champion her innocence; four seem convinced that Knox is pure evil. A sampling of comments: "No to Amanda. No to her superstardom" ... "She's a sociopath" ..."Everyone is not sure if she is guilty or not and that she will lead us to a new existential awareness. Please shout with me your anger. ... Let's say no. Let's say Knox."

Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, are charged with murdering and sexually assaulting one of Knox's roommates, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007. They insist they are innocent and are disputing the allegations.

Knox and Sollecito are due back in court today. The last time Knox appeared before the panel of eight judges, she wore a T-shirt quoting The Beatles: "All you need is love."

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini alleges that Kercher, 21, was killed because she refused to participate in a drug-fueled sex game played by Knox, Sollecito, and a third man, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her.

The case is being tried in Perugia, a university town about 115 miles north of Rome that is better known for its chocolate than for its scandalous murder trials.

According to the prosecutor's office, Kercher had been in Italy for two months as part of a year-long course with Leeds University, where she was working toward a degree in European Studies. She shared a house with Knox, a University of Washington student in the same exchange program, and two Italian housemates.

The crime scene, which has become a tourist attraction, has been broken into twice, police say.

Knox and Sollecito were arrested November 6, 2007, and were kept in prison while an investigation continued. The judge overseeing the investigation found both were capable of committing the crime again, fleeing the country or tampering with the evidence.

Police sought charges in July 2008, and they were ordered to trial in October. The trial began January 16 and has been held mostly on weekends.

Italian newspapers assigned their top crime reporters, and the case has received unprecedented international coverage. Knox has appeared on the cover of People magazine, which shares a corporate parent with CNN.

A random sampling of women on the streets of Rome showed that all of them had heard of the case and most believed Knox and Sollecito were at the very least implicated in the slaying.

The superheated publicity surrounding the case helped make Knox a household name in Italy. She is usually portrayed as a femme fatale. Consider these headlines:

• "Sex, lies and stabbings"  • "Lovers without any inhibitions"  • "And in prison, she even tries to sun tan"

Italian journalists also have plastered their newspapers with photos they found of Knox on the Internet, especially images that showed her as a "wild girl." They pounced on the "Foxy Knoxy" nickname they found on her MySpace page, even though her parents later explained the high school moniker came from the way Knox played soccer, quick like a fox.

Although Italian law limits the publication of court and police records, the media ban is less strict than in many European countries. While it is

whats Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy?

Answer: Amanda Knox,

Answer: Raffaele Sollecito,

Answer: Meredith Kercher,

Answer: Amanda Knox

Summary:
Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy .
Amanda Knox, 21, is accused with former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito .
British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox .
Italian media portrays Knox as seductive femme fatale .


ROME, Italy (CNN)  -- The Italian media call her "Foxy Knoxy," portray her as a "devil with an angel's face," and there are 11 Facebook pages dedicated to her, all in Italian. Both Raffaele Sollecito (left) and Amanda Knox deny charges of murder and sexual assault. Amanda Knox, 21, is an American college student from Seattle, Washington, who is on trial for murder in Perugia, Italy. The case has given Knox almost pop star status there. She was voted the top woman in an online "person of the year" poll by an Italian TV channel in December, beating out Carla Bruni, the Italian-born French first lady. Seven of the 11 Facebook pages champion her innocence; four seem convinced that Knox is pure evil. A sampling of comments: "No to Amanda. No to her superstardom" ... "She's a sociopath" ..."Everyone is not sure if she is guilty or not and that she will lead us to a new existential awareness. Please shout with me your anger. ... Let's say no. Let's say Knox." Knox and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 24, are charged with murdering and sexually assaulting one of Knox's roommates, British exchange student Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007. They insist they are innocent and are disputing the allegations. Knox and Sollecito are due back in court today. The last time Knox appeared before the panel of eight judges, she wore a T-shirt quoting The Beatles: "All you need is love." Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini alleges that Kercher, 21, was killed because she refused to participate in a drug-fueled sex game played by Knox, Sollecito, and a third man, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede. In court papers, prosecutors stated that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked at her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her. The case is being tried in Perugia, a university town about 115 miles north of Rome that is better known for its chocolate than for its scandalous murder trials. According to the prosecutor's office, Kercher had been in Italy for two months as part of a year-long course with Leeds University, where she was working toward a degree in European Studies. She shared a house with Knox, a University of Washington student in the same exchange program, and two Italian housemates. The crime scene, which has become a tourist attraction, has been broken into twice, police say. Knox and Sollecito were arrested November 6, 2007, and were kept in prison while an investigation continued. The judge overseeing the investigation found both were capable of committing the crime again, fleeing the country or tampering with the evidence. Police sought charges in July 2008, and they were ordered to trial in October. The trial began January 16 and has been held mostly on weekends. Italian newspapers assigned their top crime reporters, and the case has received unprecedented international coverage. Knox has appeared on the cover of People magazine, which shares a corporate parent with CNN. A random sampling of women on the streets of Rome showed that all of them had heard of the case and most believed Knox and Sollecito were at the very least implicated in the slaying. The superheated publicity surrounding the case helped make Knox a household name in Italy. She is usually portrayed as a femme fatale. Consider these headlines: • "Sex, lies and stabbings"  • "Lovers without any inhibitions"  • "And in prison, she even tries to sun tan" Italian journalists also have plastered their newspapers with photos they found of Knox on the Internet, especially images that showed her as a "wild girl." They pounced on the "Foxy Knoxy" nickname they found on her MySpace page, even though her parents later explained the high school moniker came from the way Knox played soccer, quick like a fox. Although Italian law limits the publication of court and police records, the media ban is less strict than in many European countries. While it is

What is the age of  the accused student ?

Answer: Meredith Kercher,

Answer: British

Answer: 21,

Answer: 21,

Summary:
Murder trial makes American student notorious in Italy .
Amanda Knox, 21, is accused with former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito .
British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox .
Italian media portrays Knox as seductive femme fatale .


ROME, Italy (CNN)  -- The murder trial of American student Amanda Knox in the death of her housemate two years ago resumed Monday in Italy after a summer break. The trial of American college student Amanda Knox, 22, resumes Monday, September 14. Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also face charges of sexual assault. They are accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher, Knox's housemate in Perugia, a scenic university town north of Rome. Kercher, 20, died in what prosecutors called a "drug-fueled sex game." She was found half-undressed in bed, with a stab wound to her neck on November 2, 2007. Knox and Sollecito were both present at Monday's court session, Kercher's attorney Francesco Maresca said. Sollecito's defense attorneys requested the annulment of DNA analysis, which investigators say shows Sollecito's genetic material on the clasp of the victim's bra. The judge rejected the request. The next hearing is scheduled on Friday, Maresca said. Knox, from Seattle, Washington, took the stand in June and testified that she was not at the girls' villa the night her roommate died, which authorities think was the evening of November 1. She said she was visiting her then-boyfriend, Sollecito, at his home, where the two watched a movie, smoked marijuana, had sex and went to bed. On her return to their villa the next morning, Knox said, she noticed "strange things," such as the front door left open, dried blood in the bathroom sink and a locked door to Kercher's room. When Knox returned to Sollecito's house, he suggested they call police in case the house had been burgled, she said. Police found Kercher's body in the house. Prosecutors say evidence places the defendants at the scene. They also said the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died. Knox said she gave conflicting answers at the interrogation on November 6 because of police pressure and her confused state. "When I would say that I was with Raffaele, they would say, 'You are a liar,' and they repeated this," she said in June, speaking about the police. "'You will go to prison for 30 years. ... You must remember.'" During the trial, she said police had slapped her on the head during questioning, a charge she had made before. The case has attracted worldwide media attention. During her testimony in June, cameras were barred from the courtroom because the prosecutor said he wanted to avoid sensationalism. A third person, Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede, was convicted of murder in the case in October and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing his conviction.

Who is facing charges of sexual assault?

Answer: murder

Answer: Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito

Answer: Amanda Knox

Answer: "drug-fueled sex game."

Answer: was not at the girls' villa the night her roommate died,

Summary:
Knox accused of killing her flatmate, British student Meredith Kercher .
Told court in June she was not in the villa the night her roommate died .
Prosecutors say evidence places Knox and Raffaele Sollecito at the scene .
Knox and ex-boyfriend Sollecito also facing charges of sexual assault .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices. Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable. The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year. "One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat," said Mark Smulders, an FAO economist. The hunger report -- titled "The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008" -- said the world's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty. The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices, with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty. The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown, but last year's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are. About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007, or 65 percent of the hungry, live in India, China, the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. Smulders said about 27 percent of the world's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China. The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world's total. There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam, and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi, the report said. Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year, but they are staying high compared to other years, the agency said. The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before. "Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years," the FAO said. The agency said the "rural and urban poor, landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices." -- CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

Who says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger?

What is to blame for an increase in hunger?

What is the increase over the past year?

What is to blame for increase in hunger?

Answer: The Food and Agriculture Organization

Answer: U.N. report

Answer: higher food prices.

Answer: 40 million people

Answer: 963 million

Answer: an increase of 40 million people

Answer: higher food prices.

Answer: 963 million people

Summary:
U.N. agency says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger .
Food and Agriculture Organization issues estimates 963 million undernourished .
It is an increase of 40 million people over the past year .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A sixth U.S. service member died Friday from injuries sustained when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northeastern Italy on Thursday, the U.S. military in Europe said.

The helicopter, carrying 11 U.S. military personnel, crashed Thursday afternoon about 22 miles from Aviano, Italy. Four people were killed and seven were injured in the crash, and two of the injured later died, the U.S. military said.

Treviso fire officials said one of the dead was a woman, and said no one on the ground was hurt.

The U.S. military said the helicopter was an Army H-60 Black Hawk attached to the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment.

The military was not releasing the names of those killed, pending notification of the victims' families.

Police and fire officials said the craft crashed in an open area near the Piave River north of Treviso, between the towns of Maserata Sul Piave and Santa Lucia Di Piave.  Watch scenes of the crash site in northern Italy »

The helicopter appeared crumpled and charred in photos from the crash.

Italy's ANSA news agency said the helicopter crashed near the bridge of a major highway and the road was closed as a precaution.

ANSA said the helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air Base, but fire authorities could not confirm whether it was leaving or returning to the base.

The Black Hawk is considered the workhorse of the military's helicopter fleet. It is used in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry troops and equipment.

The military has employed Black Hawks for about three decades. The helicopter's first combat mission was about 25 years ago.  E-mail to a friend

CNN's Hada Messia and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

What number of people were aboard the helicopter?

What number of people were on the helicopter?

Where was the helicopter taking off from?

What was the number of people on the helicopter?

What number of people died in the crash?

What amount of people were aboard the black hawk helicopter?

black hawn helicpter aboard how many people?

Where did the response copter take off from?

Answer: 11 U.S. military personnel,

Answer: Four people

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: 11

Answer: 11 U.S. military personnel,

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: 11

Answer: 11

Answer: Black Hawk

Answer: sixth

Answer: 11 U.S. military personnel,

Answer: a Black Hawk

Answer: 11

Answer: Black Hawk

Answer: the U.S. military

Answer: Black Hawk

Answer: northeastern Italy

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: Aviano Air Base,

Answer: helicopter crashed

Answer: Four

Summary:
Four killed in crash; two people die later of injuries .
Copter took off from Aviano Air Base, news agency reports .
Black Hawk helicopter had 11 people aboard .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian mafia boss used his pet crocodile to threaten people and extort money, authorities said. The caiman was 1.1 meters long (3.6 feet), the Italian Forest Service said. Antonio Cristofaro kept the 40-kilogram (88-pound) reptile on a terrace of his home near Naples and fed it live rats and rabbits, according to LAV, an Italian animal rights group. Authorities discovered the animal during a search for weapons at Cristofaro's home, LAV said. The crocodile was found on September 18 but the news was only made public Wednesday, the group said. The crocodile was 1.1 meters long (3.6 feet), the Italian Forest Service said, and was capable of pulling off a man's limb with one bite. It lived atop Cristofaro's condominium in Caserta, less than an hour northeast of Naples, the Forest Service said. Cristofaro used the crocodile to intimidate people, notably entrepreneurs, to pay him more money, Italy's ANSA news agency reported. The crocodile is of a type known as a caiman, commonly found in Latin America. It is protected under the Washington Convention, which regulates the international trade of endangered animals, and is considered too dangerous to own as a pet, the Forest Service said. Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals, ANSA said. It was not clear whether he had been arrested. The Forest Service is now holding the reptile at an animal center near Rome, ANSA reported. Cristofaro, who the Forest Service said comes from a mafia family, already had a criminal record for weapons-related charges, resisting police, and extortion, ANSA reported. Authorities found a flak jacket during a search of Cristofaro's house, the Forest Service said. It was not the first time the Forest Service discovered an illegal crocodile at someone's home, the Forest Service said. In August 2008 in Naples, authorities found a 2-meter-long (6.5-foot-long) crocodile at the home of a man known for drug dealing, they said. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

who kept  40-kg reptile at his home near Naples?

Who was charged with illegal possession of animals?

What boss kept a 40-kg reptile in his home?

Who searched for weapons at Antonio's home?

Answer: his pet crocodile

Answer: Antonio Cristofaro

Answer: illegal possession of animals,

Answer: Antonio Cristofaro

Answer: Authorities

Answer: Antonio Cristofaro

Answer: illegal possession of animals,

Answer: Authorities

Answer: Antonio Cristofaro

Answer: illegal possession of animals,

Answer: Authorities

Summary:
Italian mafia boss kept 40-kg reptile at his home near Naples to threaten people .
Authorities found animal in search for weapons at Antonio Cristofaro's home .
Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian newspaper and magazine published excerpts of what they said were audio recordings of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi talking with an escort at the center of a corruption probe. Veronica Lario, the wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, pictured, filed for divorce in May. The daily La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso said the recordings posted on their Web sites Monday were of Berlusconi and Patrizia D'Addario. She has said that an Italian businessman hired her and other women to attend parties at Berlusconi's homes. In June, D'Addario told CNN that she had turned the tapes over to a prosecutor in Bari, southern Italy. Through her attorney, she refused to comment on the authenticity of the excerpts released Monday. But in a statement carried by the Italian news agency ANSA, Berlusconi lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said the prime minister is challenging the "truthfulness and legality" of the recordings. "We can only regard the material as worthless, completely false and the result of invention," Ghedini said. "In any case, the act of its publication is an illegal act in itself, which will need to be pursued, and all legal actions will be taken against any body who publishes such material." Berlusconi, the 72-year-old media mogul-turned-prime minister, has denied the allegations. According to La Repubblica, the conversation between D'Addario and Berlusconi took place in October and November at the prime minister's house in Rome. It also published an excerpt of what it said was a conversation between D'Addario and Gianpaulo Tarantini, the businessman accused of hiring D'Addario and other escorts. Prosecutors in Bari, in southern Italy, are investigating allegations that Tarantini bribed health officials to buy prosthetics and other medical supplies from a company he and his brother own. Tarantini has denied any wrongdoing and says he brought women to the parties to make a "beautiful impression." "I have never paid money to those who accompanied me except for refunding their trip expenses," he said in a statement issued last month. "I exclude that the premier could have been aware of these reimbursements and I want to ask forgiveness for having involuntarily damaged him." Berlusconi's private life has been in the spotlight since his wife of 19 years, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce in May. The split followed reports that Berlusconi went to the birthday party in Naples of an 18-year-old girl, with whom Berlusconi has denied having an inappropriate relationship. And the Spanish newspaper El Pais has published what it said were photos of racy parties at Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia, including one picture that showed scantily clad women. But despite the swirl of scandal, Berlusconi remains popular, consistently scoring approval ratings well over 50 percent. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

Where did La Repubblica: Conversation between D'Addario, Berlusconi take place?

What does D'Addario refues to comment on?

Answer: prime minister's house in Rome.

Answer: the authenticity of the excerpts released Monday.

Answer: La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso

Answer: The daily La Repubblica and its sister magazine L'Espresso

Answer: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi talking with an escort at the center of a corruption probe.

Answer: Patrizia D'Addario.

Answer: the act of its publication

Summary:
D'Addario refuses to comment on authenticity of excerpts released Thursday .
Berlusconi attorney calls act of publication "an illegal act"
La Repubblica: Conversation between D'Addario, Berlusconi took place at his home .
La Repubblica publishes alleged conversation between D'Addario, businessman .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- An Italian woman who had been in a coma for 17 years and whose right-to-die case was being debated in the Italian Parliament has died days after doctors began removing her feeding tube. A portrait of Eluana Englaro. She was in a vegetative state for nearly 17 years. The speaker of the Italian Senate announced the death of Eluana Englaro, 37, Monday night, then called for a moment of silence in the chamber. Even as the silence ended, one legislator declared, "She has not died -- she was killed," prompting other right-to-die opponents to join in with calls of "Murderers!" Englaro had been in a vegetative state for 17 years, after suffering what doctors determined to be irreversible brain damage in a 1992 car crash, when she was 20 years old. For years, Englaro's father, Beppino, fought to have her feeding tube removed, saying it would be a dignified end to his daughter's life. He said that before the crash his daughter visited a friend who was in a coma and told him she didn't want the same thing to happen to her if she were ever in the same state. Confirming his daughter's death Monday, Beppino Englaro told Italian media: "Yes, she is no longer with us, but I don't want to say anything further. I need to be left alone." But the intense debate swirling around her case will go on.  Watch as Italians protest against her death » When Englaro's death was announced, the Senate was debating a proposed law that would require doctors to provide nourishment to all incapacitated patients, and that would have forced doctors to resume feeding Englaro through tubes. Debate on that proposal as it would affect other patients is likely to continue in Parliament. Last year, a court ruled that the feeding tube could be removed, and Italy's high court upheld the ruling on appeal. Englaro was transferred last week to a private clinic, where the removal process began Friday -- even as the Senate took up a debate aimed at reversing that process. A decree aimed at preventing doctors from completely removing the feeding tube was passed unanimously Friday by Italy's Council of Ministers, with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi leading the effort. "I will do everything I can to save her life," Berlusconi said. "We have to do everything possible to stop a person from dying." But President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign the decree. According to a statement from Napolitano's office, "An emergency decree cannot be in contrast with a court decision." The case has been a controversial one in Italy, a heavily Catholic country where the Vatican has great influence. Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims that "euthanasia is a false solution to suffering." Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, president emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said Friday that Englaro had the right to be kept alive. "It is the duty of the doctors, of society, and of the political institutions to administer her essential foods to keep her alive. No one has the right to take her life away from her," he said. Euthanasia is illegal in Italy, but patients have the right to refuse treatment. It is on that basis that Englaro argued his daughter should be allowed to die, because some time before her accident she had expressed the wish not to be kept alive while in a coma -- indirectly refusing treatment, he said.

How long has the woman been in coma in Italy before she dies?

Who has fought to have her feeding tube removed?

Answer: 17

Answer: fought to have her feeding tube removed,

Answer: 17 years

Answer: 17

Answer: doctors determined to be irreversible brain damage in a 1992 car crash,

Answer: Englaro's father, Beppino,

Answer: Italian woman

Summary:
NEW: Woman in coma for 17 years in Italy has died, her father says .
Eluana Englaro has been in vegetative state since a car crash .
Her father has fought for years to have her feeding tube removed .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Italy's prime minister held emergency meetings on Monday to discuss the growing garbage problem in Naples, where more than two weeks of closed dumps and uncollected garbage has led to mountains of trash across the city. Collectors stopped picking up rubbish on December 21, saying that dumps are full. The garbage problem has become so bad that Neapolitan residents have started burning their waste, leading to noxious fumes permeating the air in the southern Italian coastal city. On Monday, the government called on the army to help with emergency trash collection for the second time in a year. Bags of rotting, uncollected waste now line city streets and sit in alleys beneath residential apartment blocks. In some places, the piles of trash tower over the cars driving past. Prime Minister Romano Prodi met with the interior and environment ministers in Rome after President Giorgio Napolitano, who is from Naples, said he was alarmed by the crisis. The latest problems began on December 31, when the government closed one of the area's two working dumps. Gian Francesco Raiano, a spokesman for the government's "garbage crisis administrator," said the dump was closed at the request of residents. That left only one working dump, in the town of Serre, which is able to accept only 2,000 tons of trash a day. Raiano said that was the reason trash started piling up on the streets. Authorities are hoping to alleviate the problem when they reopen a long-closed dump in the town of Pianura, near Naples, by the end of this week. The government announced on December 30 that it planned to reopen Pianura, and the decision immediately sparked protests by nearby residents. They blocked roads to stop trucks from entering the site to prepare to open it after 12 years out of commission, and there were scuffles as police tried to move protesters away. Problems with Naples' garbage have been around in some form for 14 years, when Italian authorities first declared the situation an emergency. Complicating the issue is the involvement of organized crime, which has long controlled the region's waste business. The Camorra, as the mafia is known in Naples, controls both dumps and garbage trucks, making the problem enormously difficult for the government to solve. Forty dumping sites have operated in the Campania region over the past 30 years, but most have been closed for various reasons, including criminal investigations related to the Camorra. Residents' protests, over-saturation, and lack of proper equipment were other factors. Italian media have cited statistics saying that Naples produces 1.6 million tons of garbage a year, and that the government has spent 1.8 billion euros ($2.7 billion) over the past 14 years to deal with the problem. E-mail to a friend

City collectors stopped work on what date?

Where was the army called to clear rubbish piles?

Who held emergency meetings over trash problems?

Who was called in to remove garbage in Naples?

What caused Prodi to hold emergency meetings?

Answer: December 21,

Answer: that it planned to reopen Pianura,

Answer: Naples,

Answer: Romano Prodi

Answer: December 21,

Answer: Italy's prime minister

Answer: army

Answer: garbage problem in Naples,

Answer: garbage problem in Naples,

Summary:
Prime Minister Romano Prodi holds emergency meetings over trash problems .
Prodi forced to act after army called to help clear rubbish piles around Naples .
City collectors stopped work on December 21 because dumps are full .
Residents in a city suburb set up roadblocks in protest at dump reopening .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Nearly two dozen Americans -- most thought to work for the CIA -- were sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday by an Italian court for their role in the seizing of a suspected terrorist in Italy in 2003, the prosecutor in the case told CNN. The Americans did not appear for trial and are not in custody, but the ruling could effectively make them international fugitives. The trial was the first to deal with a practice that human rights groups call "extraordinary rendition." They say the United States has often sent suspects to countries that practice torture. Washington acknowledges making secret "rendition" transfers of terrorism suspects between countries but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do. The case centered on the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric, Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar. He was seized on the streets of Milan, Italy, in 2003, transferred to Egypt and tortured, he said. He was suspected of recruiting men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under heavy surveillance by Italy's intelligence agency. Prosecutors said he was nabbed by a CIA team working with Italian intelligence officials. The verdict "shows governments and institutions that the fight against terrorism has to be carried out in accordance with the law. There are no shortcuts," Spataro told CNN. Those who were found guilty were ordered to pay Abu Omar 1 million euros ($1.48 million) and his wife 500,000 euros. A total of 22 Americans were each sentenced to five years in prison for their role in his abduction. Another -- Robert Seldon Lady, whom prosecutors said was the CIA station chief in Milan -- was sentenced to eight years in jail, prosecutor Armando Spataro told CNN. Cases were dismissed against three other Americans, including Jeff Castelli, the man assumed to be the CIA station chief in Rome at the time, because they had diplomatic immunity from prosecution. Spataro said he may appeal that ruling. Cases were also dismissed against the former head of Italy's intelligence service and his deputy because of state secrecy provisions. Two other Italians were sentenced to three years in jail for aiding the plot. Sabrina De Sousa, one of the American defendants, was "saddened, angered and dismayed" by the ruling, her lawyer told CNN. She felt the U.S. government had "stabbed her in the back," Mark Zaid said. "We understand why the Italians did what they did. They were following their laws. But at the end of the day, representatives of our United States government abroad were let down and left alone by their own government." De Sousa, a career diplomat, is suing the State Department over the case, Zaid confirmed. She has never said she worked for the CIA. CIA spokesman George Little said Wednesday: "The CIA has not commented on any of the allegations surrounding Abu Omar." But U.S. officials confirmed to CNN when the case first broke that the CIA was involved in the rendition of Abu Omar from Italy to Egypt. The officials never disclosed the number of Americans involved or their names. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell responded to the verdict as it applied to an Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Joseph Romano III, who was among the Americans sentenced. The Pentagon had asserted jurisdiction over the incident under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, a position that the Italian minister of justice supported, Morrell said. "We are clearly disappointed by the court's ruling," Morrell said. "Our view is that the Italian court has no jurisdiction over Lt. Col. Romano and should have immediately dismissed the charges." The American Civil Liberties Union, a persistent critic of Washington's extraordinary rendition program, demanded the United States match Italy's actions. "The decision in Italy underscores the need for the United States to hold its own officials accountable for crimes committed under the 'extraordinary rendition' program. It is shameful that the first convictions of this kind came from a foreign justice system, where those convicted are not likely to serve their time," said Steven

Who was jailed for seizing a suspected terrorist in Milan?

Where was the suspected terrorist seized?

Answer: Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr,

Answer: two dozen Americans

Answer: international fugitives.

Answer: Nearly two dozen Americans

Answer: two dozen Americans

Answer: Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar.

Answer: Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr, or Abu Omar.

Answer: Italy

Summary:
Suspected U.S. CIA agents ordered jailed for seizing of suspected terrorist in Milan .
Americans are not in custody, but ruling could make them international fugitives .
Case centered on "extraordinary rendition" of Muslim cleric, who says he was tortured in Egypt .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Officials monitoring the River Tiber in Rome fear it could break its banks as early as Friday evening after a spate of bad weather in Italy -- but do not expect major flooding. A rescue boat patrols the swollen River Tiber in central Rome early Friday. Guido Bertolaso, the head of the Italian Civil Protection Department said that there is a 20 to 30 percent chance the river could break its banks and cause disruption in some neighborhoods in northern Rome, but not in the historic city center. Two people have died in weather-related incidents elsewhere in Italy. "We see that the flow is increasing, but it is not reaching a level that could be dangerous for the capital city of Italy," said Bertolaso about the Tiber, deeming the situation "crucial but not serious." Bertolaso, calling the situation "quite extraordinary," labeled the flood threat and storms as the "fifth most serious situation of the past 100 years." "But I think it is under control and the secret is to have the technology and the kind of organization to monitor the situation and to intervene if an emergency arises," he said. Bertolaso noted that authorities have been keeping a minute-by-minute watch because of heavy storms over the past few days. He said the water level would probably increase for a few more hours and eventually peak between 8 p.m. and midnight local time Friday (between 1800 and 2200 GMT). "If there will be no more rain, the situation is expected to stabilize," he said. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said he did not expect a major flood and noted that only a few dwellings have been evacuated -- primarily those inhabited by immigrants and Roma, who have set up makeshift camps on the banks of the Tiber. "I just recommend people to stay at home and not to rush to the river banks to watch the river swelling," Alemanno said. Hundreds of volunteers and civil protection officials have been deployed around Rome to monitor the situation, the Civil Protection Department said. Sandbags have been lined up to contain any possible river overflow, and the fire brigade is ready with amphibious vehicles. Police have blocked access to some pedestrian bridges and river banks, while residents are being urged to use their vehicles only if necessary. Firefighters Thursday had to rescue dozens of motorists stranded in their cars. Because of the intense rain, the streets of some northern Rome neighborhoods were already flooded by water and covered in thick brown mud. One woman died near Rome early Thursday when her car was submerged by a wave of water and mud in an underpass. The body of a second victim was found in the southern region of Calabria after a bridge collapsed.

What percent chance could the Tiber overflow?

What has a 20 - 30 percent chance of overflowing?

Answer: 20 to 30

Answer: River Tiber

Answer: Italy

Answer: One woman

Answer: Calabria

Answer: the River Tiber

Summary:
NEW: Official: 20 - 30 percent chance that the River Tiber could overflow its banks .
Italy has been hit by a wave of bad weather that has claimed two lives .
One woman died near Rome when her car was submerged by a wave of water .
Body of a second victim was found in Calabria region after a bridge collapsed .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Police Wednesday arrested the suspected head of an Italian mafia murder squad following a two-day manhunt after he eluded police by crawling through sewer pipes, according to Italian media reports. Italian police examine a sewer that may have offered an escape route for a suspected mafia boss. Giuseppe Setola, 38, was arrested near Caserta north of Naples, according to Italy's state-run ANSA news agency and reports in the La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera newspapers. "This is a great moment for the (Italian) state," Naples anti-Mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti told ANSA after Setola's arrest. "We were certain (Setola) was in a situation of great difficulty. We promised all the citizens that he would be caught. We have kept that promise." Setola is believed to have slipped into a tunnel built under his hideout near Naples on Monday, as police closed in on him, according to the reports. That tunnel connects to the sewer system in Caserta. Corriere published photos of anti-mafia police searching through what was described as Setola's trash-strewn bunker and the tunnel. Anti-mafia police have been searching for Setola for months, and had already arrested his wife and two suspected members of his crew, according to the reports. Monday was the third time he avoided arrest. Setola is allegedly the head of a killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan which belongs to the Neapolitan mafia known as Camorra. He got out of jail last spring after a doctor ruled that he was legally blind. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into that ruling. Corriere published a photo of Setola wearing sunglasses with his left eye bandaged. The Casalesi clan is featured in the best-selling book "Gomorrah" -- a play on the word "Camorra" -- written by Roberto Saviano who now lives under constant police protection. Saviano recently said he may have to leave Italy to escape constant death threats from the mafia and its supporters. Police began cracking down on Setola and his colleagues after the murder of six West African immigrants in the nearby town of Castel Volturno in September. After those killings, the Italian government activated the army to help bolster efforts against the Casalesi clan, which is believed to have killed more than 20 people since May. The two suspected members of his squad have given police information about his movements. In November, police arrested an Italian police officer suspected of informing Setola about police operations.

Who is the head of the powerful Casalesi clan?

What did the mafia suspect use to escape?

Answer: of a killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan

Answer: Caserta

Answer: Giuseppe Setola,

Answer: Neapolitan mafia

Answer: Giuseppe Setola,

Answer: Giuseppe Setola,

Answer: crawling through sewer pipes,

Answer: Naples

Answer: he eluded police by crawling through sewer pipes,

Answer: Casalesi

Answer: Giuseppe Setola,

Answer: to the sewer system in Caserta.

Summary:
Italian mafia suspect arrested after escape through sewer pipes .
Setola is allegedly head of killing team run by the powerful Casalesi clan .
Tunnel found connecting to sewer system in the nearby town of Caserta .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Police made a string of arrests across Europe Tuesday, detaining 20 people suspected of involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers, Italian police said. Eleven of the arrests were in Italy, in the northern cities of Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bergamo, and San Remo, said. Lt. Col. Sandro Sandulli, the head of the Carabinieri special forces. One was already in custody, so authorities served him with a new arrest warrant which included new charges against him, Sandulli said. Three arrests were in Britain, one in France, and one in Portugal, Sandulli said. The remaining arrests happened in European countries but Sandulli did not specify which ones. Those arrested are suspected of forming Salafi Jihad terrorist cells which were recruiting suicide bombers and sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col. Mario Parente, deputy commander of the Carabinieri special forces unit. Parente said that during the arrests, police found al Qaeda manuals for the production of explosives, detonation devices, and various poisons. He said the manuals also included details of guerrilla-style war operations. Salafi is an extreme school of Islamic thought which developed in Egypt and began to have prominence with militant groups there in the late 1960s and has since been adopted by terrorist groups in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, said Sajjan Gohel, director of international security at the Asia Pacific Foundation in London. "It's become the ideology of choice for transnational terrorism, including al Qaeda," Gohel said. "It's emerging as a very dangerous ideology." The Madrid train bombers and various terrorist cells in Italy were part of the Salafi school of thought, he added. Italian police said Tuesday's arrests were the result of an investigation, started in 2003, into some Salafi cells which were organized by Tunisians and Algerians. The main suspect in the operation is a Tunisian who was arrested in 2002 during a separate antiterrorism operation, police said. The main terrorist cell was based in the northern Italian region of Lombardy and involved what investigators called a "long-term" jihadist program which provided military and ideological training. Another cell, based in Reggio Emilia, had the goal of creating a grand Islamic "empire" stretching from Morocco to China, police said. Parente said those arrested are also accused of producing false documents, facilitating illegal immigration, and covering up other individuals wanted for terrorism-related crimes. E-mail to a friend CNN's Flavia Taggiasco in Rome contributed to this report

What regions did the arrests take place?

Answer: Salafi Jihad terrorist cells

Answer: suicide bombers,

Answer: Tunisians

Answer: involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers,

Answer: Iraq and Afghanistan,

Answer: Europe

Answer: arrests

Answer: 20

Answer: across Europe

Summary:
Police say 20 suspected of involvement in the recruiting suicide bombers held .
Arrests were in Italy and across other European countries, police say .
Those held are accused of recruiting bombers to go to Iraq and Afghanistan .
11 people were held in Italy and nine others across Europe .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist Friday after he broke it in a fall, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI arrives at a resort in northern Italy's Val d'Aosta region Monday. He broke his wrist Thursday. The pope left the hospital Friday afternoon and was returning to his summer home in Italy's Val d'Aosta region, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN. Doctors administered local anesthesia and put the pope's wrist in a cast, Lombardi said, adding the procedure was minor. "There is no particular reason to cause alarm," Lombardi said. The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room in Val d'Aosta, a mountainous region of northwestern Italy, the Vatican said. The pope arrived there Monday. The pope "tripped or slipped in his room," Lombardi said. "It was dark, in the middle of the night. It was not due to dizziness. The fact that the Holy Father waited to go to the hospital shows that it was not serious." He was taken to the hospital in the region's central town of Aosta on Friday morning after celebrating his daily private Mass, the Vatican said. Benedict's schedule for the coming days must still be confirmed, but Lombardi said he believed the pope will be able to hold his weekly Sunday Angelus from his summer home this weekend. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

Who briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall?

Who was hospitalized after breaking his wrist?

Answer: in his room in Val d'Aosta,

Answer: Thursday.

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: 82,

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: Pope Benedict

Answer: Friday

Summary:
Pope Benedict XVI briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall .
The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room at mountain retreat .
He went to hospital Friday after celebrating his daily private Mass .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI preached and greeted well-wishers Sunday, three days after breaking his wrist in a fall. The pope celebrates mass with his broken wrist in plaster. He held the text of his speech in his uninjured left hand, then circulated among the crowd who came to hear him in Romano Canavese, pictures from the northern Italian town showed. The 82-year-old pope had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN on Friday. The pope is "learning" to live with his cast, Lombardi told Vatican Radio. The most painful aspect of the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand, which he had intended to do frequently during his annual vacation Italy's Val d'Aosta region, Lombardi told the official Vatican station. "I know that here, too, in the Ivera region, many families are facing economic hard times due to a lack of work," he said, referring to the now-defunct Olivetti typewriter manufacturer in the region. "Dear friend, do not be discouraged," he added, according to Agence-France Presse. "Providence always helps those who do the right thing and seek justice; it also helps those who think not only of themselves, but also think of those in worse situations than their own."

What is the most painful aspect for the Pope?

What did the surgery stop the pope from doing?

What is the most painful aspect for the pope?

What part of the body did the pope break?

Answer: having to give up writing by hand,

Answer: right wrist

Answer: right

Answer: Thursday night,

Answer: having to give up writing by hand,

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand,

Answer: having to give up writing by hand,

Answer: wrist

Answer: Thursday night,

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Summary:
Pope preaches and greeted well-wishers, three days after breaking his wrist .
Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night .
Most painful aspect for pope is having to stop writing by hand, spokesman says .


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Scientific tests prove bones housed in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome are those of the apostle St. Paul himself, according to Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI looks at the tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome in 2007. "Tiny fragments of bone" in the sarcophagus were subjected to carbon dating, showing they "belong to someone who lived in the first or second century," the pope said in a homily carried on Italian television. "This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle St. Paul," Benedict said in Sunday's announcement. The tomb also holds "traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments," the pope said. The tests were carried out by inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus, "which had not been opened for many centuries," the pontiff said. The probe "also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone." Separately, archaeologists have uncovered an image of St. Paul which "could be considered the oldest icon of the apostle known to date," the Vatican's official newspaper reported Sunday. The painting, in the St. Tecla Catacomb, is "among the oldest and best-defined figures from ancient Christianity," according to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, L'Osservatore Romano reported. St. Paul is one of the most significant figures in Christianity. Originally a persecutor of early Christians, he became a follower of Jesus after seeing a vision on the road to Damascus, according to Christian tradition. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" the vision of Jesus asks Paul, using the apostle's birth name, in the Acts of the Apostles. Saul then took the name Paul and became a missionary. His letters, or epistles, to early Christian communities around the Mediterranean form a significant portion of the New Testament. Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities sometime between 65 and 67 A.D., according to the Catholic Church. He was buried a few miles away, and when the Roman Empire stopped persecuting Christians some 250 years later, the Emperor Constantine had a basilica built over his grave. It currently lies under a marble tombstone bearing the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART (Apostle Paul, martyr), according to the Web site of the basilica. A papal altar stands over the tombstone, which is visible through a window-like opening, the Web site says. Monday marks the end of a year of celebration in honor of the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul's birth. It also happens to be the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

where were the bones prior to being removed for testing?

In which way Vatican tombs were doing the tests?

Answer: a probe

Answer: the apostle St. Paul

Answer: in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome

Answer: inserting a probe into a small opening in the sarcophagus,

Answer: "traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments,"

Answer: "traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color and laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with linen filaments,"

Answer: carbon dating,

Summary:
Scientific tests prove bones are those of the apostle St. Paul, pope says .
Vatican tomb also holds "traces of a precious linen cloth"
Tests were carried out by inserting  probe into small opening in sarcophagus .