(CNN) -- U.S. health officials said Wednesday they have found a contaminant in a blood-thinning drug produced by Baxter Healthcare Corp. that has been linked to more than a dozen deaths in the United States. The drug can keep potentially life-threatening blood clots from forming in the veins, arteries, and lungs. In early February, the Food and Drug Administration launched an investigation and then a recall of some forms of the product. The scrutiny began after a spike in reports of health problems associated with heparin, a drug made by Baxter from pig intestines at plants in China and Wisconsin. Though the cause of the problems has not been determined, FDA investigators found "a heparin-like compound -- that is not heparin -- present in some of the active pharmaceutical ingredients" in both facilities, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The contaminant, which made up 5 percent to 20 percent of each sample tested, "reacts like heparin in some of the conventional tests used for heparin," which explains why it was not picked up, she told reporters in a conference call. No causal link between the contaminant and the adverse events has been established yet, Woodcock said. She added that it was not clear whether the contaminant was added accidentally, as part of the processing or deliberately. It also was not clear whether the contaminant was introduced in the company's plant in Wisconsin or the one in China, Woodcock said. Though she said the exact structure of the contaminant has not been identified, "it is similar to heparin glycans." Glycans are polysaccharides, a complex class of carbohydrate. She added it was unclear whether other heparin products used outside the United States might also contain the product. Later this week, the agency will release recommendations on how manufacturers and regulators can screen for the contaminant, she said. Last year, pet food made in China was found to be tainted with an ingredient that replaced more expensive protein and that initial tests did not identify as a contaminant. Asked if the heparin contamination could be a similar case, Woodcock said, "It's possible." Doctors have used the blood-thinner for 60 years with "no history of any problems whatsoever," said the FDA commissioner, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach. Its intravenous use can keep potentially life-threatening blood clots from forming in the veins, arteries and lungs. Von Eschenbach said it would be "disingenuous" to expect the agency would be able to inspect "every institution in every case." Over the last fiscal year, the agency reported having inspected more than 1,000 foreign plants, a record. Since the agency issued its report that 19 deaths had been linked to the drug since January 1, 2007, it has received word of another 27 deaths, "but many of those do not fit our definition of this type of event," Woodcock said. In all, the FDA has received 785 heparin-linked reports of adverse events -- including difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating and plummeting blood pressure that can lead to life-threatening shock. "They're continuing to come in fairly rapidly because there has been a lot of reporting of this," she said. In a written statement, Baxter said its tests have suggested "that the root cause may be associated with the crude heparin, sourced from China, or from the subsequent processing of that product before it reaches Baxter." Meanwhile, Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC, which supplies the company with the active pharmaceutical ingredients, issued a statement saying it is working with the FDA, Baxter and outside experts to identify the cause of the adverse events. "Thus far, no conclusions have been reached about the root cause," it said. "It is premature to conclude that the heparin active pharmaceutical ingredient sourced from China and provided by SPL to Baxter is responsible for these adverse events." It said that its voluntary recall of suspect product was being made as a precaution.  E-mail to a

What is the number of deaths linked to the drug?

Answer: Food and Drug Administration

Answer: 19

Answer: not clear whether the contaminant

Answer: "a heparin-like compound -- that is not heparin -- present in some of the active pharmaceutical ingredients"

Summary:
FDA investigators find "a heparin-like compound -- that is not heparin"
Tests did not pick up the contaminant because it reacts like heparin .
FDA: It's not clear whether the contaminant was added accidentally or deliberately .
At least 19 deaths have been linked to the drug since 2007 .


(CNN) -- U.S. military forces landed at a compound in Pakistan to battle targets linked to recent attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official confirmed Wednesday. Security in the South Waziristan area of Pakistan has deteriorated in recent years. The official declined to be identified, citing the extreme sensitivity of U.S. forces operating within Pakistan's borders. The action was an uncommon one for the U.S. military. Generally, NATO forces do not enter Pakistan except when pursuing insurgents in Afghanistan who slipped over the border or, in an extreme case, to pursue a high-value target. The Pentagon has refused to comment officially on the attack, but several defense officials acknowledged that U.S. military activity had taken place inside Pakistan. The senior U.S. official said a small number of U.S. helicopters landed troops in the village near Angoor Adda in South Waziristan, where Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have hunkered down over the years. Local media reports said the troops came out of a chopper and fired on civilians. The U.S. official said there may have been a small number of women and children in the immediate vicinity, but when the mission began "everybody came out firing" from the compound. He said the U.S. troops specifically attacked three buildings in the compound. They were believed to contain individuals responsible for training and equipping insurgents who have been crossing the border into Afghanistan in increasing numbers in recent months and staging large-scale, high-profile attacks against U.S. and coalition forces. The official could not say if the troops were going after a specific individual. Officials told CNN there was no indication the target was Osama bin Laden or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lodged a protest against U.S.-led coalition and NATO forces for what it said was a "helicopter-borne ground attack" from Afghanistan into Pakistan, an uncommon tactic in the coalition's fight against militants along the violent border. The coalition and NATO have been seeking a way to effectively battle militants launching attacks from Pakistan's swath of tribal areas along the border. They have become frustrated with Pakistan over the years, saying it is not being proactive enough against militants, a claim denied by Pakistan -- now in political flux after the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf. Top U.S. and Pakistani military officials last week met on an aircraft carrier regarding American concerns that Pakistan hasn't been cracking down hard enough on the Taliban. Several times this year, U.S.-operated drone aircraft launched attacks inside Pakistan The Pakistani Foreign Ministry described the strike as "a helicopter-borne ground attack supported by air assets based in Afghanistan" and called it a "gross violation of Pakistan territory." Pakistani officials were still counting the casualties. One local official said the raid left 20 civilians dead. Pakistan military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said seven civilians died and others were critically injured. "It is, indeed, most unfortunate that coalition/ISAF in Afghanistan have resorted to cross-border use of force against civilians," the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a written statement. ISAF is NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan was summoned to provide an explanation of the incident. "Such actions are counterproductive and certainly do not help our joint efforts to fight terrorism," the ministry said. "On the contrary, they undermine the very basis of cooperation and may fuel the fire of hatred and violence that we are trying to extinguish. Moreover, any attack on Pakistani territory is unacceptable and constitutes a grave provocation." Owais Ahmed Ghani, the administrative head of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, called the strike "a direct assault on the sovereignty of Pakistan. And the people of Pakistan expect that the Armed Forces of Pakistan would rise to defend the sovereignty of the country and give a befitting reply to all such attacks."

Who do Pakistan call on to explain the attack?

Who was the individuals in the compound suspected of helping

What are individuals in the compound suspected of?

Answer: U.S. troops in Afghanistan,

Answer: 20

Answer: a protest against U.S.-led coalition and NATO forces

Answer: U.S.

Answer: insurgents

Answer: the troops came out of a chopper and fired on civilians.

Answer: responsible for training and equipping insurgents who have been crossing the border into Afghanistan in increasing numbers in recent months and staging large-scale, high-profile attacks against U.S. and coalition forces.

Summary:
NEW: Assault targeted compound in area linked to Taliban, al Qaeda .
NEW: Individuals in compound suspected of helping Afghan attacks .
Pakistani reports say from seven to 20 civilians killed in raid .
Pakistan calls on U.S. ambassador to explain attack .


(CNN) -- U.S. naval forces hunting pirates off Somalia detained six people this week who appeared to be pursuing a commercial shipping vessel, but soon released them because of a lack of evidence. A Yemeni Coast Guard boat patrols the Gulf of Aden for pirates  who threaten shipping. The Navy said on Saturday the six matched the description of suspected pirates aboard a skiff in the area. The naval crew saw the men throwing objects overboard before they picked up the  suspects. Investigators didn't say what was thrown overboard but said the evidence was not sufficient "to hold the suspects for prosecution." The detentions reflect the aggressive U.S.-led fight against piracy. The United States is spearheading an international naval task force in the waters off Somalia that launched in February after a rash of attacks. Participating ships are patrolling more than a million square miles of water, an area about four times the size of Texas, Navy officials have said. The Navy said it arrested the six on Friday after responding to a distress call from the Philippines-flagged MV Bison Express in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia. The ship, a livestock carrier, reported a small skiff containing six heavily armed pirates was pursuing it. The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg arrived and found a skiff matching the description. A Seahawk helicopter flew from the Gettysburg over the skiff and reported seeing objects being thrown overboard, the Navy said. A team from the Gettysburg boarded the skiff, along with members of the U.S. Coast Guard Legal Detachment and detained the six suspected pirates. The U.S. officials transferred the suspects onto the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, the flagship for the international anti-piracy task force, the Navy said, before releasing them. The attack on the Bison Express was the second one Friday on commercial shipping vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the Navy said. In the first incident, pirates attacked the MV Sea Green, which managed to fend them off by firing flares as the men approached, the Navy said.

Where do US led international patrols happen?

What did the Naval personnel see the suspects doing?

What did the U.S. military ship capture?

What did the skiff match the description of?

Did the US Navy detain the suspects or did they have to let them go?

How many square miles does the naval patrols cove in the Gulf of Aden?

Answer: Somalia

Answer: between Yemen and Somalia.

Answer: Gulf of Aden,

Answer: the men throwing objects overboard

Answer: six suspected pirates.

Answer: six people

Answer: of suspected pirates

Answer: but soon released

Answer: more than a million

Summary:
U.S. military ship captures skiff off Somalia coast .
Skiff matched description of commercial ship's pursuer .
Navy lets men go for lack of evidence; saw suspects throwing stuff overboard .
U.S.-led international naval effort patrols a million square miles in Gulf of Aden .


(CNN) -- U.S. troops have launched a "major operation" against Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials announced in Afghanistan early Thursday. U.S. Marines gather for a briefing in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. About 4,000 Americans, mostly from the Marines, and 650 Afghan soldiers and police launched Operation Khanjar -- "strike of the sword" -- in the Helmand River valley, the U.S. command in Kabul announced. The push is the largest since the Pentagon began moving additional troops into the conflict this year, and it follows a British-led operation launched last week in the same region, the Marines said. It is also the first big move since U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal took over as the allied commander in Afghanistan in mid-June. In Washington, a senior defense official said the size and scope of the new operation are "very significant." "It's not common for forces to operate at the brigade level," the official said. "In fact, they often only conduct missions at the platoon level. And they're going into the most troubled area of Afghanistan." Helmand Province, where much of the fighting is taking place, has been a hotbed of Taliban violence in recent months. At least 25 U.S. and British troops have been killed there in 2009. The defense official said the operation is a "tangible indication" of the new approach that McChrystal -- a former chief of the Pentagon's special operations command -- is bringing to the nearly eight-year war. "They're not just doing an offensive push to get bad guys; they're going in to hold the area and stay there," the official said. "This approach is indicative of McChrystal's philosophy: measuring success by the number of Afghans protected, not bad guys killed." The Obama administration has moved about 21,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the original front in the war launched after the September 11 attacks. During his confirmation hearing in June, McChrystal told senators that the conflict requires a new focus on counterinsurgency to reduce violence and build support for the U.S.-led NATO alliance among Afghans. "Although I expect stiff fighting ahead, the measure of success will not be enemy killed. It will be shielding the Afghan population from violence," he said. The Islamic fundamentalist Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan before its allies in the al Qaeda terrorist network attacked New York and Washington in 2001. Though quickly toppled after the attacks, its leaders escaped, and the movement regrouped in the Afghan countryside and across the border in Pakistan. CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence contributed to this report.

How many Afgans were involved?
How many American troops were there?
How many troops are involed?
Where does the operation focus on?
What do officials say about it?
What river is being focused on?
Whats the name of the operation
Where is Operation Khanjar located?
How many American troops were involved?

Answer: 650

Answer: 4,000

Answer: About 4,000 Americans, mostly from the Marines, and 650 Afghan soldiers and police

Answer: Taliban

Answer: the size and scope of the new operation are "very significant."

Answer: Helmand

Answer: Khanjar

Answer: Helmand River valley,

Answer: About 4,000

Summary:
4,000 American troops, 650 Afghans involved in Operation Khanjar .
It focuses on Helmand River valley, hotbed of Taliban violence .
Operation's size and scope are "very significant," official says .


(CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has branded the cholera crisis in Zimbabwe "an international emergency" and called on the world community to confront President Robert Mugabe, leader of the central African nation.

A shortage of clean drinking water has unleashed a cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe.

"This is now an international rather than a national emergency," Brown said in a statement Saturday. "International because disease crosses borders. International because the systems of government in Zimbabwe are now broken. There is no state capable or willing of protecting its people."

Earlier this week the government of Zimbabwe, which already suffers from severe economic problems and political instability, declared a national emergency following the outbreak, which has so far killed more than 600 people.

Cholera, a water-borne disease, is on the increase in nine of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned. It blamed "poor water and sanitation supply, a collapsed health system and limited government capacity to respond to the emergency."

Many of those afflicted with the disease have fled to neighboring countries to seek medical help -- which risks spreading the outbreak still further.

Brown called on the international community to tell Mugabe "enough is enough," and suggested that the United Nations Security Council meet to discuss the issue.

He added that the most pressing issue was to ensure that testing and rehydration equipment and packs reach the right people, as well as for aid agencies to set up a organizational structure in the state capital Harare to confront the disease.

"The people of Zimbabwe voted for a better future. It is our duty to support that aspiration," Brown added.   Brown's comments came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the outbreak is the latest sign that Mugabe's rule over the country must end.

"It's well past time for Robert Mugabe to leave. I think that's now obvious," Rice said during a visit to Denmark.

Washington has long called for Mugabe to leave office, with President George W. Bush calling Zimbabwe's runoff presidential election in June a "sham" and instructing Rice and other U.S. officials to develop additional sanctions against Mugabe's "illegitimate government."

"The United States will always do anything and everything that it can to help innocent people who are suffering," Rice said. "And we are not going to deny assistance to people in need because of their government. But if this is not evidence to the international community that it's time to stand up for what is right, I don't know what will be. And frankly, the nations of the region have to lead it."

Rice -- who has just about a month left in office before President-elect Barack Obama's administration takes over -- also called on all African nations to speak up.

Asked whether the United States and Europe should try to force out Mugabe, Rice responded, "Well, without help in the region, it's very difficult to have the tools that will bring about a just resolution in Zimbabwe. The United States and Europe can't do everything alone. Other states are responsible too. And the southern African states should be the most responsible at this point, because they have the most at risk. And the people of Zimbabwe have suffered long enough."

Supporters of Mugabe, who has come under heavy international criticism for several years, were accused of political intimidation following June's presidential  runoff vote.

For months there have been some efforts to build a power-sharing government between Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, to little avail.

On Thursday, Mugabe hinted he may form a Cabinet without the opposition and call for early elections. The opposition responded that it would welcome a "genuine election," with international supervision.

The 84-year-old Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980 from Great Britain, also suggested he would ignore an international tribunal ruling that declared illegal his government's seizure of farms from white

How many people have been killed by cholera in Zimbabwe?

How many people were  killed by the crisis?

Who called for all African nations to speak up about crisis?

Who called for more to be done about the cholera crisis?

Answer: UK

Answer: Zimbabwe

Answer: all African nations

Answer: more than 600

Answer: more than 600

Answer: President Robert Mugabe,

Answer: more than 600

Answer: Rice

Answer: cholera

Answer: Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Answer: Robert Mugabe,

Answer: Gordon Brown

Summary:
UK PM Gordon Brown calls for more to be done about Zimbabwe cholera crisis .
Cholera has killed 600-plus people in nation hit by hyperinflation, political unrest .
Condoleezza Rice Friday called on all African nations to "speak up" about crisis .
UK, U.S. have led international pressure on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe .


(CNN) -- US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles were reunited in the cockpit Thursday for the first time since Sullenberger safely landed a disabled passenger plane in the Hudson River in January. Thursday's flight was Chesley Sullenberger's first in his new role as an active management pilot for US Airways. "It was great to fly with Jeff again. Being back in the cockpit felt very familiar. It was like coming home," Sullenberger said of the flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina. "Even though several months had past since I've flown, it would seem like I had never left." It was the first time Sullenberger had flown the New York to Charlotte route since the water on landing on January 15. A bird strike in the engines forced Flight 1549 to make an emergency landing in the icy waters between New York and New Jersey. The landing made heroes of Sullenberger and the flight's crew, who managed to lead passengers to safety with only a few minor injuries.  Watch Sullenberger talk about the flight » Sullenberger has been honored with numerous awards, appeared on the "Late Show With David Letterman," spoke before a joint session of Congress and even went to the Super Bowl. Sullenberger said that, after the incident, he wanted to be reunited in the cockpit with Skiles and complete the flight. Cheers filled the cabin when Sullenberger introduced himself, adding he had "learned to wait" for applause to die down before giving preflight announcements. Four passengers from Flight 1549 returned for Thursday's trip, putting their lives once again in the hands of the man they affectionately call "Sully." Christie Spears, who survived the "miracle on the Hudson," reserved the same seat for today's trip. "What better flight to be on? What better captain to fly with? I wouldn't choose any other one," she said. Barry Leonard, a regular commuter on the New York-Charlotte route, said the flight was a healing process for him. Other passengers said they felt like they were taking part in a historic event. With "Sully" at the controls, Pat Martinez said she felt like she won the lottery. "It was a smooth, calm flight -- just what you would expect from Sully." Thursday's flight also was Sullenberger's first in his new role as an active management pilot for US Airways. In addition to his flying duties, Sullenberger will join the airline's flight operations safety management team, which helps airlines assess potential risks and act to mitigate them, US Airways said. Both men took time off before returning to the cockpit, US Airways said, during which they completed requalification training. Skiles returned to work in April, US Airways said. Since then, he has flown more than 60 flights. Sullenberger completed his training September 11, and since the crash, he has flown two flights between Charlotte and Atlanta. Sullenberger said he plans to step back from his flying duties while he goes on a book tour in two weeks and starts teach other pilots at the flight training school. Skiles said that even after eight months away from the controls, Sullenberger did everything perfectly, even reaching over to his radio to change the frequency. Sullenberger said the clear skies and nice weather made Thursday's flight go smoothly. "It was a beautiful day to fly," he said. "This flight today was a lot longer than that one in January, and I was able to give [CEO Doug Parker] back his airplane without getting it wet first." CNN's Adam Reiss contributed to this report.

How many passenger make trip on same route?

How many passengers make a trip on the same route?

First Officer Jeffery Skiles will reunite with whom in the cockpit?

Answer: Four

Answer: Four

Answer: Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

Answer: "It was great to fly with Jeff again. Being back in the cockpit felt very familiar. It was like coming home,"

Summary:
NEW: Four passengers from ill-fated flight in January make trip on same route .
NEW: Passenger reserves same seat she had on Flight 1549 for Thursday's flight .
Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles reunite in cockpit .
Sullenberger: "Being back in the cockpit felt very familiar. It was like coming home"


(CNN) -- US Airways announced a $5 baggage fee increase Wednesday. A US Airways passenger's first checked bag will cost $20 if prepaid online. The fee for a passenger's first checked bag will rise from $15 to $20 if the fees are prepaid online. Online payment for a second checked bag will jump from $25 to $30. An additional $5 fee will be added for bags checked at the airport, bringing the fee for the first bag to $25 and the second to $35. The airline also will implement a $50 fee for the second checked bag on international flights -- $55 if paid at the airport. The first checked bag will continue to be free of charge. The changes will be applied to tickets purchased on Wednesday or later for travel on or after October 7. Also on Wednesday, Continental Airlines implemented a second checked bag fee of $50 for transatlantic flights. Travelers who pay in advance will be charged $45. Earlier this season American Airlines raised its fees for first and second checked bags on domestic flights to $20 and $30, respectively. Continental, Delta and United airlines charge $15 for the first checked bag if the fees are paid online, and $25 for the second bag. At the airport, these airlines charge $20 and $30 for the first and second bags.

How much is the fee for the first checked bag due to rise?

How much is the additional charge per bag?

Answer: $5 baggage

Answer: US

Answer: will jump from $25 to $30.

Answer: $20 if prepaid online.

Summary:
Fee for the first checked bag to rise from $15 to $20 if prepaid online .
The second checked bag will cost $30, US Airways says .
An additional $5 per bag will be charged for checking at the airport .


(CNN) -- Uga VII, the University of Georgia mascot whose deeply furrowed face was a fixture at the school for more than a year, died early Thursday, the university said. He was 4 years old. The purebred English bulldog died of heart-related causes in Savannah, Georgia, according to its owner, Frank "Sonny" Seiler. Fans knew Uga VII had arrived when the white dog, sporting a spiked collar and red Georgia University jersey, made his short strides along the football field's sidelines. He made his first appearance at the August 30, 2008, season opener, when Georgia faced off against Georgia Southern, the university said. He was nearing the end of his second season with the team, the university said. He was preceded by his father, Uga VI, the university's winningest mascot, who died of congestive heart failure. "This is a very sad day for the Seiler family but also for all Georgia people," said Damon Evans, University of Georgia director of athletics in a university news release. "Just as his ancestors, he had captured the hearts of college football fans everywhere as the country's No. 1 mascot. He had been truly embraced by all those who follow the Georgia Bulldogs across the country. We will miss him dearly." Uga VII's given name was Loran's Best, the university said. His death was unexpected. "We are all in a state of shock," Seiler said in the release. "We had no warning whatsoever." A wreath will be placed on Uga VII's doghouse on the sideline, the university said. There won't be a live mascot to take his place at Saturday's game against Kentucky. Officials have not decided who will replace the white bulldog, but the decision is expected next year, Seiler said. Until then, fans and Seiler will mourn the loss of the school's favorite pooch. "He was 10-3 last year, which is not bad for a freshman," Seiler said. "Uga VII was not as active or mischievous as his father but more distinguished. He realized his role when he put his shirt on. He was well-behaved and always appreciated the significance of his role."

What was the cause of death for the bulldog?

Answer: English bulldog

Answer: heart-related

Answer: the University of Georgia mascot

Answer: of Georgia

Answer: heart-related causes

Answer: early Thursday,

Answer: Uga

Summary:
Uga VII was in his second season as University of Georgia mascot .
Purebred English bulldog died of heart-related causes .
Officials expected to decide next year who will replace the white bulldog .


(CNN) -- Unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr claims he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao when the two boxing giants lock horns next year.

Speaking on HBO TV's Joe Buck chat show, the 32-year-old Mayweather -- who has an unblemished record from 40 fights -- said: "Pacquiao's a good fighter but I've been around the sport a long time and I've dominated boxing for around 15 years now.

"Nobody has defeated me yet so we'll have to see. The thing is, I don't want the fans to be really shocked by what will happen when we do happen to meet up -- because it's not going to be anything new for them."

"The things is, Manny has been knocked out before and he's taken losses. I'll be victorious."

Filipino Pacquiao will come into the fight following a remarkable 12 months which has seen him defeat de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Meanwhile, Mayweather has fought only once in two years, a unanimous points victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in las Vegas.

Although definitive plans for the mega-money contest are yet to be confirmed, a date of March 13 is widely rumored to be agreed, with three possible venues in the running to stage the contest.

The two fighters are regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now and the fight is expected to generate record levels of interest, easily surpassing the previous record of $18.4m for gate receipts, which was generated for Mayweather's bout with Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.

Two NFL stadiums are reported to be bidding to host the fight. Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is competing with the Superdome in New Orleans, as well as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The two stadiums could accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, while the MGM Grand seats about 16,000.

When are Mayweather and Pacquiao due to fight?

Who does Floyd Mayweather Jr claim he will knock out?

How many fights has Mayweather been unbeaten for?

Answer: he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion

Answer: 32-year-old

Answer: next year.

Answer: he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion

Answer: Manny Pacquiao

Answer: welterweight

Answer: 40

Answer: March 13

Summary:
Floyd Mayweather Jr claims he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao .
The pair are scheduled to meet next March with the venue still to be decided .
32-year-old American Mayweather remains unbeaten after 40 professional fights .


(CNN) -- Undercover officers rescued a baby gorilla from suspected animal traffickers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a national park in the country announced Tuesday. This baby gorilla was rescued from a suspected trafficker in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The gorilla, thought to be about two years old, was hidden at the bottom of a bag and covered with clothes when Congolese Wildlife Authority officers arrested the suspected trafficker on Sunday, Virunga National Park said. The gorilla, a female, was overheated and dehydrated after six hours in transit. She also had a puncture wound on her right leg, among other injuries, and is malnourished, but is responding to treatment, the park said in a statement. It is not clear if the young gorilla's mother is alive or dead, park spokeswoman Samantha Newport said. "You can assume that a gorilla family was attacked in order for the traffickers to obtain a baby -- but it is impossible to know if a whole family was wiped out, just a few individuals, or none at all," she said. "In most cases gorillas have to die to get a baby -- but we cannot know specifically for this case." The animal is now being looked after by specially trained carers, Newport said. "This is of course not an ideal replacement for a mother -- but the best option we have," she told CNN via e-mail. Carers often have some veterinary training, but are not fully fledged vets, she added. But gorillas do not do well in situations like this, she warned. "Gorillas, it is worth noting, are notoriously difficult to keep alive," she said. "Chimps are fighters, as are bonobos. But gorillas -- when the going gets tough -- tend to just shut down. So it really is a critical time right now to ensure she gets the veterinary attention and human warmth that she needs to get through this." The suspect was getting off a plane from the interior of the country, near the gorillas' habitat, the park said. One person has been charged under the country's law forbidding the destruction of flora and fauna, Newport told CNN. The park did not name the suspect. Gorillas can fetch up to $20,000 on the black market, the head of Virunga National Park said. "Investigations have yet to reveal where these animals are being sent and who is buying them, but on the ground sources tell us that a baby gorilla can fetch up to $20,000," said Emmanuel de Merode, the director. "We must remember that for each trafficked baby gorilla, several gorillas have probably been killed in the wild." He led the three-month undercover operation that netted the suspect and the gorilla, the park said. The gorilla is a lowland eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), also known as the Grauer's Gorilla, a subspecies of Eastern Gorilla only found in the forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the park. Virunga National Park calls itself the oldest national park in Africa, established in 1925. It lies in a region that has been badly affected by the long-running war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The gorilla section is in a strategically important area near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. A ranger was killed earlier this year, and rangers lost control of a large part of the park to rebels for over a year. But a census earlier this year suggests mountain gorillas are surviving despite poaching and war. Officials have long said that the 250-square kilometer gorilla reserve in the southern part of Virunga National Park is where around 200 of the world's 700 mountain gorillas live.

What does the undercover officers rescue?

how long had the female gorilla been in transit

What  was overheated and dehydrated after six hours in transit?

what did congolese wildlife authority officers find hidden in a bag?

What was the condition of the female gorilla?

What does the Congolese Wildlife Authority officers find?

Answer: baby gorilla

Answer: six hours

Answer: a baby gorilla

Answer: gorilla,

Answer: overheated and dehydrated

Answer: baby gorilla

Answer: baby gorilla

Answer: Congolese Wildlife Authority officers

Summary:
Undercover officers rescue a baby gorilla from suspected animal traffickers .
Congolese Wildlife Authority officers find gorilla hidden in bag .
Female gorilla was overheated and dehydrated after six hours in transit .


(CNN) -- Union workers armed with an estimated 1.5 million signatures converged on Washington on Wednesday, demanding that Congress pass their highest-priority legislation. Union chief Andy Stern wants workers to have another way to organize besides relying on a secret ballot. They are lobbying for the Employee Free Choice Act. The legislation would allow a company's employees to openly sign a card demanding a union and then, if a majority sign, the company involved would have 90 days to negotiate. The act would also stiffen federal laws that bar employers from intimidating or firing workers who try to bring in a union. But while the battle is just beginning on Capitol Hill, business owners like Dave Bego have been in the center of the fight for some time. Bego, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is the owner of EMS, a company that provides janitors to businesses around the country. The family-owned company has been under fire by one of the nation's most powerful labor organizations, the Service Employees International Union. The 1.8 million-member SEIU argues that EMS intimidates, harasses and violates the rights of workers wanting to unionize. It has made the company a target of repeated protests for about three years. But Bego said the claims are unfounded, and it's the union that has harassed him.  Watch how company, union are at odds » He said the union has sent his clients threatening letters for using his company, staged noisy protests, confronted employees, blocked building entrances and released balloons in a client's building to disrupt business. He said his workers don't want a union, because they make more in pay and benefits without having to pay SEIU's labor dues. "We have several hundred people working for us in Indianapolis [alone]," Bego said. "They've been after us for almost three years, and they've got only about 10 or 12 people interested in what they said. If our people really needed protecting, don't you think they'd be out in mass droves in the street with the union protesting EMS? Do you think we'd still be in business? I don't think so." But union workers CNN talked to said EMS employees are afraid to speak publicly because they might get fired, as Shaneka Brown said she was. She said EMS fired her after she complained about what she said were unsafe conditions. "We're not the only ones," Brown said. "There are millions of other janitors and millions and millions of other companies that are going through same similarities or different similarities, but they're going through things that are not right and not safe." That's why she supports the Employee Free Choice Act, she said. "When polls show that 60 percent of the workers in America want to organize, yet only 7 percent belong to unions, you know something's broken," one of the bill's sponsors, Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, told Wednesday's union rally in Washington. The option to vote by secret ballot would still be available. But critics say the measure -- dubbed the "card check" bill by its opponents -- would effectively eliminate union elections, removing a fundamental hard-earned right of workers and forcing some workers into unions they don't want to join. "Card check is real simple," Bego said. "They want to eliminate the secret ballot election. And that is kind of like saying, 'We're going to elect the president of our country by signing cards. We're going to go door to door and you're going to sign a card for who you want to be president.' " Bego said if his employees want a union, they should be able to secretly vote for one. He offered to hold union elections at his company, but only if they were monitored by the National Labor Relations Board and involved secret ballots. He said the union did not respond, but continued the protests. He took out an ad in the Indianapolis Star, challenging SEIU to "fish or cut bait." Andy Stern, president of the SEIU

How many days would the company have to negotiate?

How many signatures backing the bill were give to congress?

How long would the company have to negotiate?

Answer: to openly sign a card demanding a union and then, if a majority sign, the company involved

Answer: 90

Answer: allow a company's employees to openly sign a card demanding a union

Answer: 1.5 million

Answer: 1.5 million

Answer: 1.5 million

Answer: 90 days

Summary:
Bill would let employees openly sign a card demanding a union .
If a majority sign, company would have 90 days to negotiate .
Current method of deciding whether to organize -- secret ballot -- would still be option .
Union workers give Congress estimated 1.5 million signatures backing bill .


(CNN) -- United Airlines and US Airways have joined American Airlines in charging passengers to check bags on certain flights. Passengers check in at the United Airlines counter at the Miami International Airport Thursday in Miami, Florida. Citing higher fuel prices, United Airlines said Thursday it will begin charging domestic passengers $15 each way for one checked bag. The Chicago, Illinois-based airline said the fee to check a second bag will be $25 each way. The fee to check three or more bags, overweight bags or "items that require special handling" will increase from $100 to $125 or from $200 to $250, depending on the item, United said in a statement. The $15 charge will apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after Friday for travel within the United States, and who buy on or after August 18 a ticket to or from Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The $15 service fee will not apply to customers flying in United First or United Business or who have premier status with United or Star Alliance airline network, the carrier said. iReport.com: How do you feel about the new fee? For itineraries that include international flights (except Canada), checking a first and second bag will continue to be free, United said. The cost to check more than two bags or items that are overweight or require special handling varies by destination. US Airways, meanwhile, said it will begin charging passengers $15 for their first checked bag for travel on or after July 9. The airline said it also has recently started charging passengers $25 for second checked bags. The new policy applies to flights in the United States as well as flights to and from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Some airlines have been adding fees to once-free benefits, such as snacks. Despite this cost-cutting, airlines are finding it harder to survive as they get squeezed by soaring fuel costs. "With record-breaking fuel prices, we must pursue new revenue opportunities while continuing to offer competitive fares, by tailoring our products and services around what our customers value most and are willing to pay for," said John Tague, United's executive vice president and chief operating officer. United said it estimates that the $15 fee will apply to one out of three customers, and the potential revenue from baggage handling service fees, including those for checking a first and second bag, will be approximately $275 million a year. The move comes a month after American Airlines announced a $15 service charge for the first checked bag. Delta, Continental and Northwest told CNN they are not charging for passengers' first checked bags. However, a spokesman for Northwest said the airline is well aware of changes in the industry. "We are always keeping an eye on what our competitors are doing," the spokesman said.

How much will it cost to bring a second bag?

What once-free items are some airlines now charging fees for?

Answer: customers

Answer: $25 each way.

Answer: $25

Answer: premier status with United or Star Alliance airline network,

Answer: begin charging domestic passengers

Answer: snacks.

Summary:
United: Second bag to cost $25; $125 to apply to three or more or overweight bags .
$15 fee will not apply to those in United First, United Business or with premier status .
Some airlines add fees to once-free snacks .
United: $15 fee will apply to one out of three customers .


(CNN) -- University of Arkansas authorities say they see no "suspicious circumstances" surrounding the death of a 19-year-old football player who was was found dead in his room Sunday.

Garrett Uekman, a sophomore tight end for the Razorbacks, was found unconscious and unresponsive in his room about 11:15 a.m., the university said in a written statement Sunday afternoon. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly after noon.

A roommate last saw Uekman playing video games about an hour earlier, "and he appeared to be in good health," the university said. An autopsy will be performed.

"The cause of Uekman's death is not known at this time, but there are no suspicious circumstances," the statement said.

Uekman, of Little Rock, "was living his dream of going to the U of A and playing football for the Razorbacks," parents Danny and Michelle Uekman said in a statement released through the school. He appeared in nine games for the 10-1 Arkansas squad this season.

who was living his dream by playing for the Razorbacks

what did the University say about the death

Answer: they see no "suspicious circumstances" surrounding the

Answer: Garrett Uekman,

Answer: Garrett Uekman,

Answer: a sophomore tight end for the Razorbacks,

Answer: they see no "suspicious circumstances"

Answer: of Arkansas

Answer: a sophomore tight end for the Razorbacks,

Summary:
University says there are no "suspicious circumstances" surrounding the death .
Garrett Uekman was a sophomore at Arkansas .
His family says he was "living his dream" by playing for the Razorbacks .


(CNN) -- Unlike in the death of any other world leader, reactions from the international community to the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il were somewhat muted. Few countries issued statements in the hours immediately after Kim's death was announced on North Korean state television. And some, like the United States, opted to focus on its relationship with South Korea.

AUSTRALIA

Kevin Rudd, Foreign Minister: "It is at times like this that we cannot afford to have any wrong or ambiguous signaling. This time also presents an important opportunity to the new North Korean leadership to engage fully with the international community. On how to improve their economy in order to properly feed their people and critically on how to deal with the outstanding problem of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."

CHINA

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:  "We were distressed to learn of the unfortunate passing of the senior-most North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, and we express our deep grief about this and extend our condolences to the people of North Korea. Kim Jong Il is a great leader of North Korean people, and is a close friend of Chinese people. ... China and North Korea will make joint effort ... to consolidate and develop the ... friendship between the two countries ... and to maintain the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region."

CUBA

Cuban state-run newspaper Granma: "The State Council of the Republic of Cuba has declared official mourning following the death of comrade Kim Jong II, Chairman of the National Defense Committee and Secretary General of the Labor Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the 20, 21 and 22 of December."

FRANCE

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe: "There isn't much hope. It is a completely closed off regime ... We are very cautious about the consequences of this succession. We hope that one day the North Korean people will find freedom. There are ongoing talks with North Korea ... and we need to keep on talking with China and other participants to make North Korea abandon its nuclear weapon."

-- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that France "reaffirms its commitment to peace and stability in the peninsula and hopes the North Korean regime will evolve in a positive way. ... Our thoughts go to North Korean people who have been suffering for years from misery and lack of human rights. ... France will carry on its action for North Korean people, especially by supporting humanitarian programs ..."

GERMANY

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle: "We hope that a window of opportunity will open for the people of North Korea," Westerwelle said during a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

JAPAN

Osamu Fujimura, Japanese chief government spokesman:  "We express our condolences on the news of the passing Kim Jong Il, the chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea. We wish the sudden news would not affect North Korea negatively."

PHILIPPINES

Department of Foreign Affairs:  "The Government and people of the Philippines convey our condolences to the Government and people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the death of President Kim Jong-Il. ... The Philippine Government values its relations with the DPRK and will continue to cooperate with them to intensify the promotion and maintenance of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, including in the Korean Peninsula, to ensure the region's continued prosperity."

RUSSIA

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister: Moscow expects that Kim Jong Il's death won't affect friendly ties between Russia and North Korea, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak: "For the sake of the future of the Republic of Korea, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is more important than anything else. It should not be threatened by what has happened. We must make thorough preparations to maintain peace and stability and continue to work closely with the international community ... All citizens are asked to go about their lives without wavering so that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will not be hampered."

What did the South Korean president ask?

Answer: "reaffirms its commitment to peace and stability in the peninsula and hopes the North Korean regime will evolve in a positive way. ... Our thoughts go to North Korean people who have been suffering for years from misery and lack of human rights. ...

Answer: won't affect friendly ties

Answer: We must make thorough preparations to maintain peace and stability and continue to work closely with

Summary:
France says there isn't much hope since North Korea is a "closed-off" regime .
South Korean president asks citizens to "go about their lives"
Australia: The time presents an opportunity to North Korea's new leadership .
Russia says Moscow expects that Kim Jong Il's death won't affect friendly ties .


(CNN) -- Unlike many of Thailand's flood-ravaged zones in the central plains, Bangkok residents have been given the rare luxury of time -- a window of at least two days to prepare for what officials warn could be the worst flooding the city has seen in decades.

Scenes vary dramatically in the city, with life carrying on as usual for many while others scramble to protect their possessions from the expected deluge that will hit as waters from the flooded central plains rush in.

Gallery: Bracing for Bangkok floods

Outside homes, businesses and schools in low-lying areas of Bangkok that the government has warned are at risk of being worst hit, people can be seen erecting flood walls out of sandbags to safeguard against the incoming waters. Others are simply moving valuables to higher ground.

For some residents, it's too late. Rising water levels on the Chao Phraya River and city canals have left many restaurants, shops and homes flooded, while public piers are covered in makeshift walkways and sandbags to keep ferry passengers dry.

"Our homes have been flooded for two weeks," says Khun Lek, 76, who lives in Bangkok's riverside Wat Tewarat community near Sanghee Bridge. "Every year it's like this. The government comes to check on things and tries to help by building elevated paths for us. But we don't need much help ... we're used to this. Not like the people in Ayutthaya. If the floods move in, all we can do is move out to the road."

At Bangkok's Boon Chuay Muay Thai gym, fighter Jaroensak Sorwapin says they've been dealing with flood waters for a month.

"We can't fight as the water is bad for the skin on our feet, while jogging is impossible in the neighborhood, so we have to travel to another part of the city. The gym is losing money too as we used to get foreign boxers coming to train, but they've stopped coming."

At city supermarkets, many Bangkokians have been stocking up on water and food over the last few days as a precaution should flooded streets block access to shops, though the city's governor has told media there's no need to panic.

"Discount stores crowded with people stockpiling dried food and water in the face of unprecedented floods threatening to rage," said Twitter user KimEkkanant.

The governor's suggestion is difficult for many to follow given the thousands of images Bangkok residents are seeing in the media of their fellow Thais suffering in nearby provinces like the former ancient capital Ayutthaya, where residents have had their livelihoods destroyed by the floods.

Yet it is these images of hardship that are prompting some Bangkokians to join forces to help those affected by the floods in other parts of the country, with many using Facebook and Twitter to organize supply drives, fundraising events and spread news on how people can help.

"In two hours time our community raised enough money for 69 boats! Only 31 until we reach our target of 100!" tweeted Bangkok's NIST International School.

As was the case with the 2010 protests and eventual government crackdown, social media is indeed playing a key role in spreading information on the latest Thailand flood news.

Many Twitter users are simply choosing to vent their frustration at the uncertainty, wondering if and when their homes will be hit. Others are sharing personal photos of flooded neighborhoods and rising water levels.

Overall though, little has changed in the city as it waits for the expected floods to hit. In many parts of Bangkok, where the floods are expected to have a minimal impact, life is continuing as normal as people go about their daily lives.

The government has dismissed calls to declare a state of emergency and issue a special holiday decree for Bangkok, so businesses and government offices remain open and public transportation is running.

Major events are also going on as planned, including Tuesday afternoon's World Cup qualifier match between Thailand and Saudi Arabia at Bangkok's Ratchamangala Stadium.

In terms of preparation, government workers have reportedly been told by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra they have two days to build three major

What area could be affected by worst floods in decades?

What is being used to organize supply drives?

Answer: Bangkok

Answer: Facebook and Twitter

Answer: supply drives, fundraising events

Answer: organize supply drives,

Answer: worst flooding the city has seen in decades.

Answer: central plains

Answer: Thailand's

Answer: "Our homes

Summary:
Worst floods in decades could hit Bangkok residents in a matter of days .
Many restaurants, shops and homes in the city have already been flooded .
Some are using Facebook and Twitter to organize supply drives and fundraising events .


(CNN) -- Unrest has spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Here's a look at what has happened -- and what is happening -- in various countries:

ALGERIA

Authorities in Algeria said Monday that they would lift a 20-year state of emergency in the "coming days." They acted after anti-government protesters chanting "change the power!" clashed with security forces in the capital over the weekend, witnesses said. The state of emergency was imposed in 1992 to quell a civil war that led to the deaths of what U.S. officials estimate to be more than 150,000 people. About 100 protesters were arrested during the protests in Algiers on Saturday, according to the opposition Algerian League for Human Rights.

BAHRAIN

Protests were scheduled to take place Monday afternoon in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain, where at least three police officers and one demonstrator were injured in clashes Sunday, the state new agency reported. The injuries occurred during an attack on a police station during protests Sunday evening, the news agency said. After three officers were injured, police fired on protesters with rubber bullets, causing one injury, the news agency said.

EGYPT

Unrest persisted in Egypt on Monday even after an 18-day revolution toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down Friday. Egypt's banks remained closed Monday after protests by National Bank workers apparently drove out the head of the institution. The nation's stock market remained closed until further notice because of turmoil in the banking sector. In addition, current and former police officers continued a peaceful protest Monday in front of the Interior Ministry, saying they want higher pay, shorter hours, better benefits and more respect. And some police officers told reporters they were ordered to shoot protesters during demonstrations last week and threatened with prison if they did not.

IRAN

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched along Revolution Avenue in downtown Tehran on Monday, protesting the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, witnesses said. The wave of people remained largely silent as they walked toward the capital city's Azadi Square, though some clashes between security forces and demonstrators broke out in several parts of Tehran, according to witnesses. Security forces fired tear gas in some places and detained demonstrators in other areas of the city. The Iranian government rounded up activists last week after opposition leaders Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi called for supporters to gather at Azadi Square -- the site of mass protests by Iran's opposition movement after the disputed 2009 presidential elections.

IRAQ

Thousands of people rallied this month in cities across the country, protesting rampant poverty, a 45% national unemployment rate and shortages of food, electricity and water. Most recently, hundreds of angry demonstrators took to the streets of Ramadi -- about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Baghdad -- to protest the government's inability to provide basic services. After the protests began, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced he would cut his salary in half amid the growing unrest over poor public services and water shortages. State television also reported this month that al-Maliki would not run for a third term when his current one expires in 2014.

JORDAN

U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, traveled over the weekend to Jordan, where King Abdullah II swore in a new government last week following anti-government protests in his country. The new government has a mandate for political reform and is headed by a former general, with several opposition and media figures among its ranks. The appointment of new Prime Minister Marouf al Bakhit was seen as an attempt to shore up support among Jordan's Bedouin tribes -- the bedrock of the monarchy. Jordan's economy has been hard-hit by the global economic downturn and rising commodity prices, and youth unemployment is high, as it is in Egypt. Officials close to the palace have told CNN that Abdullah is trying to turn a regional upheaval into an opportunity for reform.

LIBYA

There were calls made through Facebook for a day of peaceful demonstrations in Libya on Monday. The protests come in the shadow of leader Moammar Gadhafi, who has ruled the country for almost 40 years and had expressed support for former Egyptian

Which leaders have resigned amid mass protests?

Answer: President Hosni Mubarak,

Answer: Unrest

Summary:
The winds of unrest have sailed through North Africa and the Middle East .
The demonstrations started in Tunisia in December .
The leaders of Tunisia and Egypt have resigned amid mass protests .
Protests happened Monday in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran and Yemen .


(CNN) -- Unsanitary conditions at a Colorado cantaloupe farm's packing facility are a possible contributing cause of one of the nation's worst outbreaks of listeria contamination in food, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a Centers for Disease Control official said it is too early to declare the outbreak over, but the number of new cases appeared to be diminishing.

"The peak in illnesses appears to have occurred from late August until the middle of September," said Dr. Barbara Mahon of the CDC, who added that additional monitoring will be needed for at least another two weeks.

The FDA said it was unable to pinpoint the definitive cause of the outbreak, which has been linked to 25 deaths so far.

An FDA letter to Jensen Farms of Granada, Colorado, however, cited violations in sanitary conditions that must be addressed. It said tests showed "widespread contamination throughout your facility and indicates poor sanitary practices in the facility."

The agency cited several likely causes of the spread of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria at Jensen Farms.

The likely causes included packing equipment that "was not easily cleaned and sanitized" and the use of washing and drying equipment for cantaloupe packing as well as other raw agricultural commodities.

In addition, the agency said in a statement, the facility lacked a "pre-cooling step" to remove field heat from the cantaloupes before cold storage, possibly leading to condensation in the cooling process that promoted growth of the listeria bacteria.

A letter dated Tuesday from the FDA to Jensen Farms cited violations in sanitary conditions. The letter said tests at the facility found listeria bacteria contamination.

"These positive swabs were taken from different locations throughout the washing and packing areas in your facility, all of which were either food contact surfaces or areas adjacent to food contact surfaces," the letter said. "This significant percentage of swabs that tested positive for outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes demonstrates widespread contamination throughout your facility and indicates poor sanitary practices in the facility."

According to the letter, the company has 15 days to document steps it has taken to correct the problems. The letter also said the company notified the FDA on Monday that it agreed to inspection by the agency of its growing, packaging, and cold storage operations before it resumes food harvesting, packaging, or processing.

Jensen Farms also agreed to correct all objectionable observations noted during said FDA inspections, the letter said.

A total of 123 people in 26 states have been infected by the listeria outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Additionally, a woman who was pregnant at the time of her illness had a miscarriage, the agency said.

The listeria outbreak is the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the United States since 1998.

Groups at high risk for listeria include older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.

Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall of its Rocky Ford brand cantaloupes on September 14. The tainted cantaloupes should be off store shelves, the CDC has said.

Cantaloupes from Jensen Farms should be disposed of immediately, even if some of them have been eaten, the agency recommended. If consumers are uncertain about the source of a cantaloupe, they are urged to ask their supermarket. If the source remains unknown, the fruit should be thrown out.

Refrigerating a cantaloupe will not kill the bacteria, which can grow at low temperatures, and consumers should not try to wash off the bacteria.

What  illness was involved in the 1998 outbreak?

The outbreak is the deadliest in the US since when?

How many cases have been reported over 26 states?

Answer: cantaloupe

Answer: listeria

Answer: listeria

Answer: 123

Answer: 1998.

Answer: the outbreak

Answer: Rocky Ford brand cantaloupes

Answer: 123

Summary:
The outbreak is not over, but new cases are on the decline .
At least 123 cases have been reported in 26 states; 25 people have died .
The tainted cantaloupes were recalled last month .
The outbreak is the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the United States since 1998 .


(CNN) -- Unseeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai produced one of the shocks of the year on Sunday by defeating favorite Venus Williams in straight sets to win the final of the Madrid Open.

The 23-year-old Rezai -- who had only claimed WTA Tour titles at Strasbourg and Bali prior to Madrid -- continued her remarkable week with a 6-2 7-5 victory, adding Williams' scalp to her earlier surprise victories over former world number one's Junstine Henin and Jelena Jankovic.

Williams, who returns to No.2 in the world behind younger sister Serena on Monday, lost the opening set in just 27 minutes and then failed to take advantage of a 4-1 lead in the second set.

"I just cannot believe this," world number 24 Rezai -- who must now enter calculations for the French Open -- told reporters.

"Venus played very well and I've always respected her as a player and a champion. I just tried my best today and it worked well for me."

Williams, who was looking to secure her 44th career title, only converted two of her 13 break points in the match -- a statistic that contributed greatly to her defeat.

When did the Madrid Open final take place?

Answer: Venus Williams

Answer: 44th

Answer: Sunday

Answer: Unseeded

Answer: 23-year-old

Answer: Venus Williams

Answer: WTA Tour titles

Summary:
Unseeded Aravane Rezai claims victory in the Madrid Open final on Sunday .
Rezai secures a stunning straight sets win over favorite Venus Williams .
The success gives the 23-year-old Frenchwoman just the third title of her career .


(CNN) -- Up to 30 million people are facing "a humanitarian disaster" as one of Africa's biggest lakes shrinks, a United Nations agency warned Thursday.

Porters remove goods from a boat on Lake Chad in 2007.

Lake Chad was about the size of Maryland -- bigger than Israel or Kuwait -- in 1963, satellite images show. By 2001, it covered less than one-fifth of that area -- making it smaller than Delaware or Mauritius.

The drying-up of the shallow lake is fueling conflict and migration, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Once one of the biggest bodies of water in the world, it could disappear entirely in about 20 years, the FAO said, citing forecasts from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

"If that happens it's going to be a disaster," Parviz Koohafkan, director of the Land and Water Division of the FAO, told CNN by phone from Rome.

The Lake Chad basin is "one of the most important agriculture heritage sites in the world -- the biodiversity, the migratory birds, not to mention more than 20 million people living out of Lake Chad -- fisherpeople, farmers."

"It would be a human disaster, a tragedy," he said. "In this case we have people who are the poorest of the poor."

"In addition to an approximately 60 percent decline in fish production, there has been degradation of pasturelands, leading to a shortage of animal feed estimated at 45 percent in certain places in 2006, reduction in livestock and biodiversity," the agency said.

The disappearance of the lake is being caused by climate change, population pressure and natural variations in climate, the FAO said.

Two rivers which feed the lake, the Chari and Logone, have been significantly reduced in the past 40 years, the agency said.

The organization will unveil the results of a study into the diversion of the Oubangui river in an effort to help Lake Chad at a conference, "Saving Lake Chad," in Rome, Italy, on Friday.

"Water transfer is not a new thing," Koohafkan told CNN. "The major problem is that this is water transfer among different countries.

"These options cost money, and need policy work, need technical work," he said. "Some kind of public-private partnership would be needed" to pay for any solution as ambitious as diverting a river.

The lake borders on Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, one of Africa's most populous countries. It measured about 25,000 square kilometers (9,652 square miles) in 1963 and 1,500 square kilometers (579 square miles) in 2001 -- just under 17 percent its size 38 years earlier.

Lake Chad is only one of many inland bodies of water which are drying up. Similar warnings have been issued about lakes in Mexico, Russia and elsewhere.

What is responsible for the lake's decline?

How many people are supported by the lake?

Answer: about 20 years,

Answer: in about 20

Answer: climate change, population pressure and natural variations in climate,

Answer: to 30 million

Answer: climate change, population pressure and natural variations in climate,

Summary:
Lake Chad could dry up in 20 years, U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization says .
Lake supports livelihoods of 30 million people .
In 2001, lake was one-fifth of 1963 size .
Climate change, population pressure fuel lake's decline, agency says .


(CNN) -- Vaccines that can be quickly produced to fight evolving diseases such as AIDS, flu and the common cold. Algae that can be engineered to turn carbon dioxide into gasoline and diesel fuel.

These are among the innovations that could result from the research of J. Craig Venter's team, which announced last week that it had created "the first cell that is totally controlled by a synthetic chromosome."

Venter, a leader in the sequencing of the human genome, also hinted at another, more basic and less immediately practical, reason for creating synthetic life. He explained that scientists had embedded in the genetic code of the new cell three quotations, including this one from physicist Richard Feynman: "What I cannot build, I cannot understand." To understand life really, the quotation suggests, it's necessary to know how to create it.

In a video announcing the breakthrough that was posted at TED.com, Venter describes a 15-year-long quest that ended with creation of "the first self-replicating species that we've had on the planet whose parent is a computer."

Scientists did it by designing a digital code on a computer, building a chromosome "from four bottles of chemicals," assembling the chromosome in yeast cells and transplanting it into the cell of a bacterium, creating a new species.

For more about Venter, click here

Venter said before the work was done, a team of experts conducted a two-year study of the ethics of creating life in a laboratory. He said the White House and other government officials have been briefed about the work -- and that White House officials favored open publication of the research, rather than deciding to classify it.

The work of Venter's team has been widely hailed. The Economist said it creates the possibility of demonstrating "mankind's mastery over nature in a way more profound than even the detonation of the first atomic bomb." Yet it warned, "No one now knows how easy it would be to turbo-charge an existing human pathogen, or take one that infects another type of animal and assist its passage over the species barrier. We will soon find out, though."

Venter pointed to the "extensive work that we've done, asking for ethical review, pushing the envelope on that side as well as the technical side, this has been broadly discussed in the scientific community, in the policy community and at the highest levels of the federal government."

"Even with this announcement, as we did in 2003 -- that work was funded by the Department of Energy -- so the work was reviewed at the level of the White House, trying to decide whether to classify the work or publish it. And they came down on the side of open publication, which is the right approach. We've briefed the White House. We've briefed members of Congress. We've tried to take and push the policy issues in parallel with the scientific advances."

For another talk by Venter, click here

He said the three quotations were embedded in the genetic code to help make sure that the new synthetic form of life couldn't be mistaken for regular life. Scientists inserted the names of more than 40 authors of the research but wanted to add something "more profound than just signing the work."

In addition to the Feynman quote, the code contains this quote from James Joyce: "To live, to err, to fall, to triumph, and to recreate life out of life."

And this one, from "American Prometheus," a biography of scientist Robert Oppenheimer: "See things, not as they are, but as they might be."

what did the scientist's team announced?

Answer: He explained that scientists had embedded in the genetic code of the new cell three quotations,

Answer: J. Craig Venter's team,

Answer: it had created "the first cell that is totally controlled by a synthetic chromosome."

Answer: it's necessary to know how to create it.

Answer: "What I cannot build, I cannot understand."

Summary:
Scientist's team announces creation of a cell controlled by a synthetic chromosome .
J. Craig Venter said it's the first self-replicating species whose parent is a computer .
Venter: Work holds promise for new vaccines and ways to use carbon dioxide productively .
He says creating life is key to understanding life .


(CNN) -- Valera remembered being left in the Russian snow. How he lost his lower arms and some of his toes, he wasn't always sure. At times, he said he was in a fire. The truth of what the 14-year-old experienced in his early years, no one will ever know.

The orphanage where he lives said Valera was abandoned as a small child at a hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia. He had gangrene, the result of meningitis and an infection, which forced amputations. He was released to the orphanage in Nizhny Lomov, where he's waited nine years for parents and a home to call his own.

On Saturday, Stephen Jack and his wife, Christine, will leave their Goldsboro, North Carolina, home to fly to Russia, the final step in a 15-month journey they hope will give the boy what he's always wanted.

"Having never seen him and only knowing a little bit about him, I still feel attached to that child," said Jack, 53, who already has six children, four of them adopted. "I understand he can talk his way into your heart and mind in no time. When the world is opened up for him, who knows what his capabilities and possibilities are? ... If all goes well, on the 21st he becomes my son."

It is a trip the Jacks will take with trepidation.

The actions Thursday of a Tennessee woman who put her adopted 7-year-old son on a plane and returned him to Russia, saying he was violent and that officials misled her family, puts Americans in the process of adopting from Russia on edge. Officials in Moscow have threatened to suspend all American adoptions and the Jacks face a two-week process involving a court appearance and loads of paperwork before they can fly home with Valera.

"What this woman did to us is put us on pins and needles," Jack said. "My wife has been beside herself, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned."

The adoptions of about 3,000 Russian children by Americans are in progress, according to Tom DiFilipo, president of the Joint Council on International Children's Services, an advocacy group for children in need of families. Russia is the second country this year, after Haiti, in which adoptions have been thrown into a tailspin.

No suspension has been announced, but mere talk of such a recommendation spawned a campaign on Monday by the council to galvanize the adoption community and child advocates. People are being encouraged to sign a letter to President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (which will be presented to them Wednesday morning), post blogs and share videos about adoption successes.

"Our message is this is an isolated incident. The adoption system did not fail. What failed was the decision-making process of this adoptive mother," DiFilipo said. What Torry Hansen of Tennessee did is "outrageous and indefensible, and not indicative of the average adoptive parent. One-hundred-thousand people adopt every year. I don't know of another case like this."

The case has rocked the adoption community.

"I talked to parents yesterday, and they're just devastated," said Deborah Gray, a child and family therapist, trainer and author, based in Seattle, Washington, who has 20-plus-years experience working on attachment, trauma and grief issues.

"It makes it seem like these kids are defective, that adoption itself is not a permanent status. ... It's a public embarrassment," she said. "The vast majority of families are enriched by adoption. To have this kind of approach is really off the wall. I can't understand why it would have gotten to this point."

Adoptive parents can feel overwhelmed during transition

She and other advocates said they wish Hansen had reached out for assistance and tapped services available for parents before shipping the child back to Russia after six months.

"There are so many services that were available to her. She could have contacted FRUA [Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption] which is a

How many American families are in the process of adopting from Russia?

Answer: Tennessee woman

Answer: put her adopted 7-year-old son on a plane and returned him to Russia,

Answer: suspend all American adoptions

Answer: 3,000

Summary:
About 3,000 American families are in the process of adopting from Russia .
Actions of Tennessee mom, who returned adopted son to Russia, has them worried .
Moscow officials threaten to suspend adoptions; hopeful parents move forward .
Advocate: "100,000 people adopt every year. I don't know of another case like this"


(CNN) -- Van Johnson, whose boyish looks and earnest manner made him a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1940s and '50s, died Friday in an assisted-care facility, a friend told CNN.

Van Johnson and Judy Garland in "In the Good Old Summertime," one of many musicals in his lengthy career.

Johnson, 92, died around 11 a.m. of natural causes at the Tappan Zee Manor in Nyack, New York, where he had lived for seven years, said Wendy Bleiweiss.

Johnson's career stretched over six decades and across genres, from comedies and war films, such as "The Caine Mutiny" and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," to Broadway musicals and television shows, including a guest spot as the Minstrel on the campy 1960s series, "Batman," according to Turner Classic Movies' Web site.

The red-haired, freckle-faced actor's youthful charm earned him a huge teen following in his heyday. He became known as the "voiceless Sinatra," despite a singing voice that landed him roles alongside June Allyson and Judy Garland in "Two Girls and a Sailor" and "In the Good Old Summertime," according to TCM.com.

Johnson was born August 25, 1916, to a plumber and housewife in Newport, Rhode Island. He was 16 years old when he left Rhode Island for New York City so he could forge a career in acting, Bleiweiss said.

A few years later, he got his break from Lucille Ball, she said.

"She saw this redhead kid and said, 'Let's give him a break. He seems like he can do some acting,' " Bleiweiss said.

Johnson made his Broadway debut in 1936 in "New Faces of 1936" before legendary director-playwright George Abbott hired him as a chorus member and understudy to the three male leads in Rodgers and Hart's "Too Many Girls" in 1939.

The next year, Abbott cast him as a chorus boy and Gene Kelly's understudy in Rodgers and Hart's groundbreaking musical "Pal Joey," according to TCM.com. His film debut followed in 1940 with a role in the chorus of "Too Many Girls."

While en route to a screening in 1942, he was in a car wreck that left him with a metal plate in his head and kept him out of the military. But that didn't stop him from acting in war films.

Two years later, he received top billing in "Two Girls and a Sailor." Other big roles included "A Guy Named Joe," "Brigadoon" and "The Caine Mutiny."

In 1947, Johnson married former actor Eve Lynn Johnson, who had previously been married to a close friend of Johnson's, Keenan Wynn. The two did not have children and divorced in 1968, according to TCM.com

Johnson had a daughter, Schuyler Van Johnson, by another woman, according to TCM.com.

As Johnson entered middle age, his features grew heavy but he still managed to find offbeat roles in films including "The Bottom of the Bottle," an unabashed melodrama in which he played an alcoholic, and "23 Paces to Baker Street" as a blind detective.

As film roles became scarce, Johnson filled the gaps with stage work. He appeared in "The Music Man" in London, England, in 1961 and returned to Broadway in 1962 for "Come on Strong."

In Woody Allen's 1985 comedy, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," Johnson played one of the actors trapped inside the film screen in a parody of sorts of films from the 1930s.

In 1987, Johnson was praised for his work in the Broadway production of "La Cage aux Folles." He last appeared on stage four years ago in "Love Letters" in a community theater in nearby Suffern, New York, but decided afterward that he would do no more, Bleiweiss said.

"He said he had seen it and done it all and now he was just going to sit back and take it easy. Those were his words," she said.

Who died Friday morning in Nyack, New York?

Answer: 92,

Answer: stretched over six decades

Answer: a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1940s

Answer: Van Johnson

Answer: Newport, Rhode Island.

Answer: "voiceless Sinatra,"

Summary:
Johnson died Friday morning at 92 in an assisted-living facility in Nyack, New York .
His career stretched over six decades and across genres, from war films to musicals .
Johnson's youthful charm earned him nickname the "voiceless Sinatra" in his heyday .
He got top billing in "Two Girls and a Sailor;" praised for role in "La Cage aux Folles"


(CNN) -- Varsha Vinod's exceptional abilities are hard to spot at first. She's an adorably cute 5-year-old girl from southern India, small, pretty with big brown eyes. To gain her black belt, Varsha had to learn up to 15 karate moves. When we meet for our interview, her hair is tied up in two pigtails, with bright hair clips and a glittering headband. She is as shy as most kids her age would be when confronted by a strange man and a television crew. Some child stars can be precocious but Varsha doesn't act like one. In fact, it would have been impossible to imagine her as a karate black belt if it wasn't for her white martial arts outfit and her actual black belt. Like many young girls she would love to be a dancer and she smiles when I tell her that we are doing the interview in a dance studio. It's got varnished wooden floors and ceiling-high mirrors. The venue was chosen because it looks a bit like a dojo, or martial arts school. I'm not sure Varsha understands what a dance studio is and it's hard to discover her thoughts on many things. She only speaks a few words of English and, even when we use an interpreter, she has to be prompted by her father before whispering short, quiet responses to my questions. At first I was concerned her dad was feeding her the answers rather than helping her say what she really thinks. However, it soon becomes clear that this is a healthy father-daughter relationship instead of a case of "pushy parents." Vishwas Vinod can be stern with his daughter but she clearly worships him, hanging on his every word and happy to follow his instructions. When the pair practice karate together their movements are surprisingly well synchronized despite the huge difference in size. Varsha's father is her inspiration. He was India's karate champion for four successive years from 1999 to 2002. His daughter started watching him teach the sport and, at the age of 2, she asked to try. Vinod insists it was Varsha's idea not his. Initially, he only gave her some small training and stretching exercises but Dad soon realized that his daughter possessed what he describes as a God-given talent. Vinod says what Varsha has done in 3½ years takes most people eight years to learn. To gain her black belt, Varsha had to learn up to 15 katas. A kata is a sequence of complicated karate moves. Varsha can punch, kick and wield different weapons: the Chinese stick, which is almost as big as she is, and a nunchaku, two short sticks connected by a metal chain. There is no doubt that Varsha's abilities are impressive. You only have to enter the phrase "nunchaku accidents" into YouTube to see how easily things can go wrong. However, she is no freak of nature. Her karate is a feat of memory and technique more than agility and power. To be frank, she couldn't beat me up -- although I was obviously far too proud to find out by taking her on in a sparring session. Varsha trains for at least two hours every day but says she still has time for other games. As well as her dancing, she likes to play football and badminton. She tells me that her friends have all started taking up karate after seeing how good she has become. Unlike her friends, Varsha's gift has given her the chance to see London. She was invited to England by a PR company to promote a new video game. Her trip appears to have been handled carefully, with as much time set aside for sightseeing as media work. The day after we filmed with Varsha she was due to go on the London Eye and was very excited about it. Varsha says she would like to continue her karate in the years ahead. She is a black belt first dan, or grade, and there are 10 grades in total. She is already a mini master but if she makes it to second dan she can start teaching -- just

When is she especially shy?
How many katas did she have to learn?
How many hours a day does she train?
Where is the girl from?

Answer: confronted by a strange man and a television crew.

Answer: 15

Answer: two

Answer: southern India,

Summary:
She's an adorably cute 5-year-old girl from southern India, small and pretty .
She is as shy as most kids her own age especially when being interviewed .
To gain her black belt, Varsha had to learn up to 15 katas .
Varsha trains for at least two hours every day but has time for other games .


(CNN) -- Vatican officials failed to take action against a priest accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls in Minnesota despite repeated warnings from a local bishop starting in 2005, attorneys for one of the alleged victims said Monday.

The Vatican's failure occurred despite the establishment of safeguards established four years earlier to deal with the growing abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, they said.

The priest -- Father Joseph Pavanivel Jeyapaul of Ootacamund, India -- served in a diocese in Crookston, Minnesota, for a little more than a year in 2004 and 2005, according to church documents unearthed in a lawsuit related to the case. Complaint letters from Crookston Bishop Victor Balke to Rome were acknowledged by Vatican officials, but no disciplinary action was taken, the documents show.

Jeyapaul is now the head of a church education commission in Ootacamund, giving him continued access to children, lawyers said.

"This is systematic. All roads ... lead to Rome and the top officials there," said Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul, Minnesota, attorney representing the alleged victim.

"As horrific as the rape of children by Jeyapaul is ... the coverup of it is every bit as horrific and criminal."

Father Louis Rag, bishop secretary of the Ootacamund Diocese, confirmed Monday that Jeyapaul is still in Ootacamund. He refused to comment further, except to note that he had heard about the charges against Jeyapaul through media reports.

Anderson revealed the church documents at a news conference in St. Paul. The county attorney's office for Roseau County, Minnesota, is trying to extradite Jeyapaul from India.

The Crookston Diocese first received reports of "inappropriate behavior" on the part of Jeyapaul in September 2005, according to a letter Balke sent four months later to Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, a body established to deal with cases of alleged abuse.

Pope Benedict XVI headed the congregation before being chosen to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

Balke wrote that according to an internal investigation, Jeyapaul took a teenage girl to his rectory in the summer of 2005, where "he proceeded to kiss her repeatedly, pulling her on top of him and at one point touching her beneath her clothing."

Balke also said in the letter that Jeyapaul had misappropriated "a substantial amount of money belonging to the parish and also attempted to give a diocesan vehicle to a third party as payment for an outstanding debt."

The bishop went on to warn the Vatican that it is "impossible to say that Father Jeyapaul does not at present pose a risk to minors."

"I cannot in good conscience allow this matter to be passed over" simply because Jeyapaul has now returned to India, Balke said. "In my mind, that would be a shameful act of betrayal towards the women and girls in India to whom Fr. Jeyapaul could at present pose a serious risk."

A representative for Levada responded to Balke's letter in May 2006, acknowledging his complaint and writing that the Vatican had requested to church officials in India that "Father Jeyapaul's priestly life be monitored so that he does not constitute a risk to minors and does not create a scandal among the faithful."

Six months later, Balke relayed a new series of allegations about Jeyapaul to Levada. Balke wrote that he had received reports "of similar behavior having taken place between Fr. Jeyapaul and a second girl."

In both instances, Balke wrote, Jeyapaul had been counseling the girls about their religious lives.

Church officials once again acknowledged Balke's letter but took no disciplinary or other action against Jeyapaul, the documents show.

Anderson accused Vatican officials Monday of being more concerned with preserving their own reputations than with protecting children.

"We are sad because so many kids have been wounded and hurt because Catholic officials -- top Catholic officials from the Vatican on down ... don't get it and remain in denial," he said.

"They have a problem. ... They fail to do what is necessary to protect children across the globe."

CNN's Alan Silverleib and Sumnima Udas contributed to

what was the priest accused of?
was a disciplinary action was taken?
where did it happen?
Who did priest abuse?
what was requested by the Vatican?
Where did Bishop send letters?
What did vatican request?

Answer: sexually abusing two teenage

Answer: officials failed to take action

Answer: Minnesota

Answer: girls

Answer: "Father Jeyapaul's priestly life be monitored so that he does not constitute a risk to minors and does not create a scandal among the faithful."

Answer: Rome

Answer: "Father Jeyapaul's priestly life be monitored

Summary:
Priest accused of abusing two teenage girls, misappropriating money .
Bishop sent letters to Rome, but no disciplinary action was taken .
Vatican requested that "priestly life" be monitored .


(CNN) -- Vehicles began streaming across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge early Tuesday -- a day ahead of schedule -- after the completion of repairs to a crack in the structure's east span.

Commuters make the trek across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge after it reopened Tuesday.

Commuters began driving over the bridge around 6:40 a.m. PT (9:40 a.m. ET), shortly after Randy Iwasaki, director of the California Department of Transportation, announced the reopening at a news conference.

"The bridge has been inspected, and it is safer than when we closed it on Friday," Iwasaki said.

Over the weekend, crews began repairing a "significant crack" that was found on the east span of the bridge during a planned closure for another project.

The target time for reopening had been early Wednesday, but crews worked nonstop overnight to repair the eyebar beam, Iwasaki said. He thanked motorists for being patient.

"I know it's been trying. I received a few e-mail notes," the official said.

Iwasaki said some closures or detours near the bridge would remain in place a while longer, including those along northbound and southbound Interstate 880.

About 280,000 vehicles cross the landmark bridge every day, according to the department.

The Bay Bridge was closed last week as part of a seismic retrofitting project that required cutting out and replacing a double-deck portion of the east span.  Watch as the bridge needed big repairs »

A 50-foot section of the bridge collapsed in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake, prompting efforts to make it quake tolerant.

Where is the bridge that was closed for retrofitting?

How many vehicles use the bridge every day?

Answer: San Francisco-Oakland Bay

Answer: required cutting out and replacing a double-deck portion of the east span.

Answer: the completion of repairs to a crack in the structure's east span.

Answer: About 280,000

Summary:
NEW: Bridge "is safer than when we closed it on Friday," official says .
California bridge closed last week for scheduled retrofitting .
Workers discovered "significant crack" on east span of bridge .
About 280,000 vehicles travel San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge daily .


(CNN) -- Vehicles began streaming across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge early Tuesday -- a day ahead of schedule -- after the completion of repairs to a crack in the structure's east span. Commuters make the trek across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge after it reopened Tuesday. Commuters began driving over the bridge around 6:40 a.m. PT (9:40 a.m. ET), shortly after Randy Iwasaki, director of the California Department of Transportation, announced the reopening at a news conference. "The bridge has been inspected, and it is safer than when we closed it on Friday," Iwasaki said. Over the weekend, crews began repairing a "significant crack" that was found on the east span of the bridge during a planned closure for another project. The target time for reopening had been early Wednesday, but crews worked nonstop overnight to repair the eyebar beam, Iwasaki said. He thanked motorists for being patient. "I know it's been trying. I received a few e-mail notes," the official said. Iwasaki said some closures or detours near the bridge would remain in place a while longer, including those along northbound and southbound Interstate 880. About 280,000 vehicles cross the landmark bridge every day, according to the department. The Bay Bridge was closed last week as part of a seismic retrofitting project that required cutting out and replacing a double-deck portion of the east span.  Watch as the bridge needed big repairs » A 50-foot section of the bridge collapsed in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake, prompting efforts to make it quake tolerant.

How many vehicles are estimated to travel the bridge each day?

How many vehicles travel San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge daily?

What state was the bridge closed last week in?

Answer: "significant crack"

Answer: on Friday,"

Answer: San Francisco-Oakland Bay

Answer: About 280,000

Answer: About 280,000

Answer: California

Summary:
NEW: Bridge "is safer than when we closed it on Friday," official says .
California bridge closed last week for scheduled retrofitting .
Workers discovered "significant crack" on east span of bridge .
About 280,000 vehicles travel San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge daily .


(CNN) -- Venezuela expelled Israel's ambassador to the country Tuesday and accused Israel of attempting to carry out "genocide" against the Palestinian people.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the Israeli army "cowards."

"In this tragic and indignant hour, the people of Venezuela manifest their unconditional solidarity with the heroic Palestinian people, share in the sadness that overcomes thousands of families through the loss of their loved ones, and extends to them a hand by affirming that the government of Venezuela will not rest until it sees those responsible for these criminal atrocities severely punished," the Venezuelan foreign minister said in a statement read by an anchor on state television.

The statement added that the government "condemns strongly the flagrant violations of international law" by Israel and "denounces their planned utilization of state terrorism."

"For the above-mentioned reasons, the government of Venezuela has decided to expel the ambassador of Israel and some of the personnel of the Israeli Embassy in Venezuela," it added.

In a news conference broadcast by state-run Venezuelan television, President Hugo Chavez blasted the Israeli military.

"They are cowards," he said. "It's as though a boxing professional were to come here and challenge you to box. Well, how courageous! How courageous is the Israeli army!"

It said that Chavez "makes a fraternal call to the Jewish people throughout the world to oppose these criminal policies of the state of Israel that recall the worst pages of the history of the 20th century.

"With the genocide of the Palestinian people, the state of Israel will never be able to offer its people the perspective of a peace that is both necessary and long-lasting."

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, was unswayed.

"I haven't heard the details yet, but you know the regime in Venezuela has been one of the few countries in the world that gives automatic support to the Iranian extremists, and it doesn't surprise me that they have affinity with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah," he told CNN.

He predicted that other countries would not follow suit, even in the Middle East.

"I think, even in the Muslim and Arab countries, there is a fair amount of understanding for what Israel has had to do here," he said.

Who have given support to the extremists?

what did the Venezuelan goberment condemned?

What did President Hugo Chavec called Israeli?

Answer: Hugo Chavez

Answer: "cowards."

Answer: Venezuela

Answer: "genocide"

Answer: "cowards."

Summary:
Expulsion is in protest of Israeli strike against Palestinians, minister says .
Venezuelan government statement condemned "flagrant violations" by Israel .
President Hugo Chavez calls Israeli army "cowards"
Israeli spokesman says Venezuela has given "automatic support" to extremists .