(CNN) -- As the war in Iraq reaches its five-year anniversary this week, two of the world's leading humanitarian groups issued extensive reports Monday describing a crisis of huge proportions with little reason for hope. Iraqi women mourn the death of their relative outside the morgue in the restive city of Baquba, Iraq, on March 12. "Despite claims that the security situation has improved in recent months, the human rights situation is disastrous," Amnesty International says in its report, titled "Carnage and Despair: Iraq Five Years On." In a summary of the report, Amnesty writes that "a climate of impunity has prevailed, the economy is in tatters and the refugee crisis" keeps escalating. The International Committee of the Red Cross, in a report titled "Iraq: No Let-up in the Humanitarian Crisis," writes, "Despite limited improvements in security in some areas, armed violence is still having a disastrous impact. Civilians continue to be killed in the hostilities. "The injured often do not receive adequate medical care. Millions of people have been forced to rely on insufficient supplies of poor-quality water as water and sewage systems suffer from a lack of maintenance and a shortage of engineers." The Bush administration and many Republican lawmakers, including presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, have frequently praised successes in Iraq in recent months, noting improvements in security in key areas. They attribute that in part to the buildup of U.S. troops in Iraq ordered by President Bush last year. Vice President Dick Cheney described the five year U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in a news conference Monday during a visit to Baghdad. "This week marks the fifth anniversary," said Cheney. "It has been a difficult, challenging, but none the less successful endeavor." Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have said the government failed to use the downturn in violence to achieve the steps it was supposed to make possible. Sen. John McCain met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday where he stressed the United States' commitment to Iraq.  "We recognize that al Qaeda is on the run, but they are not defeated. Al Qaeda continues to pose a great threat to the security and very existence of Iraq as a democracy. So we know there's still a lot more work that needs to be done," he said. Amnesty writes, "Key political benchmarks have yet to be realized." Both Amnesty and the Red Cross slam the Iraqi government for failing to grapple with the critical needs of their populations. Amnesty also says the Iraqi government and the U.S.-led Multi-National Forces  are responsible for some nightmarish circumstances. "Civilians are also at risk from Multi-National Forces and Iraqi security forces, with many killed by excessive force and tens of thousands detained without charge or trial," Amnesty writes in its summary. "The death penalty was reintroduced in 2004 and hundreds of people have been sentenced to death. At least 33 people were executed in 2007, many after unfair trials." In its report, Amnesty says the Iraqi government "has failed to introduce practical measures to deal with the gross and serious human rights violations perpetrated by its security forces. There appears to be no serious willingness to investigate properly the many incidents of abuses, including killings of civilians, torture and rape, and to bring those responsible to justice. "The government has also been unable to reign in Shiite militia groups, such as the Mehdi Army, or to rid the Interior Ministry of death squads. The fact that the government is divided along sectarian lines has serious repercussions on its effectiveness and bodes ill for the future." The two reports cite a litany of concerns, including severe widespread poverty, a lack of food and water, and broken families left to scrounge for whatever they can find to get by. Both reports describe a situation that shows no sign of clear improvement. Amnesty also says conditions for women have worsened with the rise of fundamentalist religious groups. Many women "have been forced to wear Islamic dress or

Who have conditions worsened for according to Amnesty International?

What has happened to conditions for women?

What day did The Red Cross release reports?

Answer: women

Answer: worsened

Answer: the economy

Answer: Monday

Answer: "a climate of impunity has prevailed, the economy is in tatters and the refugee crisis" keeps escalating.

Answer: Monday

Answer: humanitarian groups

Answer: "This week marks the fifth anniversary,"

Summary:
Amnesty International and The Red Cross released reports Monday .
Amnesty report: "A climate of impunity has prevailed; the economy is in tatters"
Amnesty says conditions for women have worsened with rise of religious groups .
Vice President Dick Cheney describes war as success with challenges .


(CNN) -- Asashoryu stands at the pinnacle of sumo wrestling like a colossus. Asashoryu is one of sumo's most successful, and most controversial, wrestlers. But the 330-lbs Mongolian, sumo's most successful ever grand champion, has not been able to rise above the scandals and tragedies that have beset Japan's national sport in recent years. Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, grew up in Mongolia, where both his elder brothers and father were successful wrestlers. Moving to Japan as a student he was spotted and trained by the Takesago stable and made his professional debut at the age of 18 in 1999. Winning his first tournament, or basho, in 2002, his rise up the rankings culminated in him attaining the highest position of Grand Champion, or yokozuna, in January 2003, becoming only the 68th yokozuna in the sport's 2,000-year-old history. Two years later, he set a new record by being the only man to win all six official tournaments in one year. While Asashoryu's meteoric rise to the top was seen by many as reinvigorating a sport that had seen a decline in homegrown wrestlers and popularity, his success in the dohyo has not pleased everyone. Some have complained that his wins are too routine, and purists grouse that he does not poses the quality of "hinkaku," the dignity and calm expected in a yokozuna, or give the sport's traditions the necessary respect. In 2003 he was disqualified from a bout for pulling on the top-knot of an opponent, and has gained a reputation as the enfant-terrible of sumo. Regardless of the criticisms of Asashoryu's wrestling style, sumo's reputation as a noble sport of tradition has suffered from a number of scandals in recent years and exposed it as just as susceptible to the problems faced by other sports. With deep links to Japanese culture going back to when sumo was part of the Shinto religious rituals, the sport's troubles have almost represented a national identity crisis. Following the banning of three non-Japanese wrestlers for using recreational drugs in September, the sport's chairman and former-wrestler Kitanoumi resigned. It came after a period of years in which a number of match-fixing allegations were made, some directly implicating Asashoryu, and plunging the sport into yet another crisis. In January 2007 he was accused of bribing other wrestlers to lose bouts, compounding the view that corruption was prevalent in the sport. Problems for Asashoryu continued in 2007 when he was suspended by the sumo wrestling federation for allegedly faking a doctor's note and was restricted from leaving his house in Tokyo, leading to reports of a nervous breakdown. Mental as well as physical strength are necessary to reach the top of the sport, but while the punishing physical routine and "hazing" in the training stables has been known and accepted, tragedy struck earlier this year. Takashi Saito, a 17-year-old sumo trainee, died in brutal circumstances, allegedly beaten to death by his stable-master and three fellow sumo wrestlers. Continuing to make his mark in the dohyo will be Asashoryu's aim for the rest of the year, while sumo hopes it can recover its own poise.

Who is one of the sumo's most successful ever?

What is the name of the Mongolian sumo champ?

Answer: most successful ever grand champion,

Answer: using recreational drugs

Answer: Asashoryu

Answer: to lose bouts,

Answer: bribing other wrestlers to lose bouts,

Answer: sumo wrestling

Answer: Asashoryu

Answer: Asashoryu

Answer: Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj,

Summary:
Mongolian grand champion wrestler one of the sumo's most successful ever .
Reinvigorated the sport, but also has detractors critical of his style and attitude .
Accused of match fixing and feigning illness, banned as a consequence .


(CNN) -- Ash from an Icelandic volcano is continuing to affect European flights on Monday, delaying transatlantic aircraft and threatening flights over parts of Ireland and Portugal.

Eurocontrol, the agency that manages European air travel, said: "During the afternoon, areas of higher ash concentration could move in a north-easterly direction from the Atlantic into the Iberian Peninsula."

Ryanair, the budget airline, canceled 18 flights on Monday as it expected the airspace surrounding Kerry airport in the southwest of Ireland and Faro airport in Portugal to be affected by the ash cloud.

Ryanair said in a statement on its Web site: "Passengers are strongly recommended to check their flight status before they go to the airport."

Eurocontrol said much of the high-concentration ash cloud over continental Europe had dispersed and that despite the delays, all European airports were open on Monday afternoon.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said that transatlantic flights were still rerouting around ash that was lying between 20,000 to 35,000 feet in the atmosphere.

A CAA spokesman told CNN: "The ash cloud is slowly disappearing, it's descending and dispersing, there isn't one big cloud... it's ash in the air over a very large area. Transatlantic flights are rerouting around it, causing delays."

Eurocontrol said it expected approximately 28,500 flights within the European area, which is about 500 below average for a Monday at this time of year.

Italian airports in Milan, Pisa and Florence as well as six airports in Scotland were closed over the weekend because of the ash cloud.

Volcanic ash can be a serious hazard to aircraft, reducing visibility, damaging flight controls and ultimately causing jet engines to fail.

The problems began in mid-April, when the volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland erupted and sent a cloud of ash into the atmosphere, closing most of Europe's airspace for six days.

where is the ash from
What did UK airport authority say?
Could Volcanic ash reduces visibility?

Answer: Icelandic volcano

Answer: transatlantic flights

Answer: reducing

Summary:
Eurocontrol: Ash from Icelandic volcano could affect Irish and Portuguese airspace .
UK airport authority: Transatlantic flights facing rerouting and delays .
Volcanic ash reduces visibility, can lead to engine failure .


(CNN) -- Asia's economic growth will tumble to the slowest pace since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released Tuesday.

Customers buy vegetables at a market in Quezon City in suburban Manila, Philippines, on September 16.

"The short term outlook for the region is bleak as the full impact of the severe recession in industrialized economies is transmitted to emerging markets," said Jong-Wha Lee, acting chief economist for the ADB.

The Asian Development Outlook 2009 forecasts that economic growth in developing Asia will slip to 3.4 percent in 2009, down from 6.3 percent last year and 9.5 percent in 2007. Growth could improve to 6 percent in 2010, if the global economy experiences a mild recovery next year, the report says.

"The concern for the region, and especially for the region's poor, is that it is not yet clear that the [United States], European Union and Japan will recover as soon as next year," Lee said.

The slowdown should prompt Asian countries to expand their economic base and not be as dependent on exports, according to the report.

Despite the downturn, the report says Asia is in a much better position to cope with the current crisis than it was in the late 1990s.

"Large foreign currency reserves and steadily declining inflation rates will provide policymakers with the necessary tools to nurse their economies through the hard times ahead," the report said.

A number of Asian governments, including China, Japan and South Korea, have already responded quickly to the global financial crisis with stimulus packages and changes in monetary policy, helping to stem some of the downturn.

In November, China announced plans to inject $586 billion (4 trillion yuan) into its economy to offset declines in industrial and export growth. That economic stimulus plan included the loosening of credit restrictions, tax cuts and massive infrastructure spending.

How much did economic growth slip in Asia?

What is a positive side-effect of the slowdown?

What could be an effect of this slowdown?

What is the 2009 forecast for the region?

To what percentage could growth improve in 2010?

What was the main subject of the report?

What happened to economic growth in developing Asia in 2009?

Answer: 3.4 percent

Answer: prompt Asian countries to expand their economic base and not be as dependent on exports,

Answer: economic growth in developing Asia

Answer: 6 percent in

Answer: prompt Asian countries to expand their economic base and not

Answer: economic growth in developing Asia will slip to 3.4 percent

Answer: 6 percent

Answer: economic growth

Answer: 3.4 percent in

Summary:
Economic growth in developing Asia forecast to slip to 3.4 percent in 2009 .
Growth could improve to 6 percent in 2010, report says .
Report: Slowdown could prompt Asian nations to not be as dependent on exports .


(CNN) -- Asian champions Al Sadd have qualified for the semifinals of the Club World Cup after beating African champions Esperance of Tunisia 2-1 in Toyota, Japan, in a match marred by crowd trouble.

Esperance fans repeatedly clashed with police and stewards, with one supporter also running onto the pitch before being dragged to the ground, after their side had two goals disallowed for offside, and penalty appeals rejected, in an enthraling match.

Al Sadd's victory, the fifth successive time the Asian champions have beaten their African equivalent in the tournament, means the Qatari side have secured a dream last four clash with European champions Barcelona on Thursday.

Al Sadd went ahead in the 33rd minute when Khalfan Al Khalfan headed home a rebound after goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia failed to deal properly with Abdul Kader Keita's long-range drive.

And they doubeld their advantage four minutes after the break when Lee Jung-Soo headed a free-kick across goal for captain Abdullah Koni to knock in from close range.

Both teams were making their debut in the competition, and Esperance gave themselves hope on the hour mark when Ousama Darragi headed home a set-piece.

But, helped by a couple of contentious decisions, Al Sadd held on and will now pit their wits against tournament favorites Barcelona.

Meanwhile, in the other fixture played on Sunday, Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol beat CONCACAF champions Monterrey of Mexico on penalties, after their match had ended 1-1.

Ryohei Hayashi netted the winning spot-kick to see Kashiwa through 4-3 on penalties and seal a date with South American champions Santos of Brazil in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

With what score Al Sadd beat Esperance in Club World Cup?

What team The Quatari side is to face in semifinals?

Who caused the trouble in clash with police?

What was the score between the asians and the africans?

Answer: 2-1

Answer: Barcelona

Answer: Esperance fans

Answer: Club World

Answer: 2-1

Answer: Al Sadd

Answer: Al Sadd

Answer: Esperance fans

Summary:
Asian champions Al Sadd beat African champions Esperance 2-1 in Club World Cup .
The Qatari side now face European champions Barcelona in semifinals of competition .
Crowd trouble mars the match with Esperance fans clashing with police and stewards .
Kashiwa Reysol, representing hosts Japan, defeat Monterrey of Mexico on penalties .


(CNN) -- Asked about part of the entertainment business he particularly enjoys, Greg Behrendt -- stand-up comedian, author, TV writer and producer -- had an unusual answer.

Greg Behrendt co-wrote "He's Just Not That Into You," based on a popular episode of "Sex and the City."

"My instrumental punk and ska band called the Reigning Monarchs," he said with a laugh. "There's seven guys in the band. ... We play shows around Los Angeles."

But the co-author of "He's Just Not That Into You," now a film starring Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Ben Affleck, admits that stand-up comedy remains a longtime passion. In fact, it led -- in a roundabout way -- to "He's Just Not That Into You."

"I was a stand-up who had an HBO special called 'Mantastic,' and it was directed by Michael Patrick King, who became an executive producer of 'Sex and the City,' " Behrendt said.

One thing led to another, and Behrendt soon joined a mostly female writing team on "Sex and the City." He observed that he was the only straight male writer for the show and offered the group valuable and realistic insight into the world of men.

"Sure, I felt a little bit like a token," he said. "It's not like those women needed my help, but I think there are days when you can't write in a perspective you don't live."

That perspective, along with colleague Liz Tuccillo's female point of view, gave way to "He's Just Not That Into You." The book is based on a popular episode of "Sex and the City," in which Carrie's boyfriend (played by Ron Livingston) offers the line to Miranda as she puzzles over a date.

The book is a wake-up call for women who obsess and worry about relationships, with an overarching message that if women find themselves doing the chasing, it's likely the guy simply isn't interested.

"We were raised to pursue women. ... Most of the guys I know enjoy the pursuit," he said. "But that doesn't mean women should be wallflowers."

As a comedian-turned-relationship expert -- one who is, by the way, now happily married and writing a book with his wife -- Behrendt said he hoped women would realize their worth when they read the book or watch the film.

"[Women] deserve great things, and they get to decide what their relationships are, and not other people," he said. "You often hear women say, 'I don't know if he's ready to get married.' Why are you waiting for his decision? We always put our fates in other people's hands."

who is the co-author of "He's Just Not That Into You,"?

What is "He's Just Not That Into You" about?

Behrendt joined a mostly female writing team on what?

Answer: women who obsess and worry about relationships,

Answer: Greg Behrendt

Answer: "He's Just Not That Into You,"

Answer: The book is based on a popular episode of "Sex and the City," in which Carrie's boyfriend (played by Ron Livingston) offers the line to Miranda as she puzzles over a date.

Answer: "Sex and the City."

Answer: Greg Behrendt

Answer: stand-up

Summary:
Greg Behrendt is the co-author of "He's Just Not That Into You," now a film .
Behrendt joined a mostly female writing team on "Sex and the City"
"He's Just Not That Into You" is a book for women who worry about relationships .
"We were raised to pursue women," Behrendt says .


(CNN) -- At 44 meters long (145 ft), Hemisphere is the largest sailing catamaran in the world. The makers of Hemisphere believe this is first catamaran superyacht to hit the water and could revolutionize the way people think about sailing.

But you'll need deep pockets to afford this kind of luxury -- the "supercat" costs more than $250,000 a week to lease.

It took more than three years for the first sketch of the vessel to become a reality. Hemisphere made her debut on the world stage last week with Monaco as the appropriately lavish backdrop.

While it has taken longer than anticipated to build, those behind the project insist she is worth the wait. "The level of finishing and luxury of Hemisphere brings her to the category of a superyacht," says chief naval architect Marc Van Peteghem.

Peteghem believes those in the superyacht market are increasingly conscious of their environmental image and are turning to sailing vessels as a greener solution to luxury travel. He says the catamaran is far greener than motor boats, making the most of nature, rather than fuel, to move.

Hemisphere's interior has been tailored specifically to the luxury market; 17 different types of granite have been used inside and 16 leather finishes have been applied, according to Burgess, the yacht's charterers.

There are also five spacious ensuite cabins to accommodate passengers with the main cabin featuring complete 360-degree views.

Hemisphere is decked out with a host of toys for the discerning seafarer to play with -- smaller speed boats to go water skiing and wake boarding, water scooters and diving gear, as well as a jacuzzi on the fly bridge.

It also comes fully equipped with the latest in diving gear to make the most of the boat's shallow waters capabilities. The catamaran only has a draft of 3.1 meters, meaning it can explore areas previously out of bounds for superyachts.

Hemisphere's interior has been tailored to what?

What types of finishes have been used in the Hemisphere?

What is the name of the largest catamaran in the world?

To what standard has the interior been tailored?

The Hemisphere is the largest sailing what?

How many types of granite have been used?

Answer: to the luxury market;

Answer: 44 meters long (145 ft),

Answer: 16 leather

Answer: largest sailing catamaran

Answer: Hemisphere

Answer: specifically to the luxury market;

Answer: catamaran

Answer: 17

Summary:
At 44 meters long (145 ft), Hemisphere is largest sailing catamaran in the world .
Hemisphere's interior has been tailored specifically to the luxury market .
17 different types of granite used inside and 16 leather finishes applied .


(CNN) -- At 51 years of age, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has come a long way. As part of the Kashubian minority living in the Gdansk Region, he was born to working-class parents -- his father a carpenter and his mother a nurse. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected in November 2007. As a student of History at the University of Gdansk in the late 1970s, a period of growing discontent with the Communist regime in Poland, he became actively involved in the creation of the opposition Students' Solidarity Committee, founded in reaction to the murder of student activist Stanislaw Pyjas by the State Security Service. Despite his anti-communist activities, he successfully finished his studies in 1980 and joined the Independent Solidarity Trade Union movement. When the Communists imposed martial law in 1981 he continued with his underground activities, writing pamphlets about the ideas of liberal economist Friedrich Hayek and the concept of private property. His heroes became former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. With the fall of Communism in 1989, the Solidarity Movement splintered. Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity Leader was elected President, while Tusk went on to co-found the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) with other well-known figures. The Party stood for among other things: free market economy, privatization, individual freedom of Polish citizens and Polish accession to the EU. The following year, during the 1991 Parliamentary elections, the KLD won 37 seats in the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Not being able to follow up on their success in the 1993 elections, the KLD merged with the larger Democratic Union Party (UD) to form a new party called Freedom Union (UW). Tusk soon became Deputy Chairman and in the 1997 elections, he was voted into the Senate. In 2001, Tusk formed the Civic Platform Party (PO), winning seats in that year's parliamentary elections and becoming Deputy Speaker in parliament. But the Civic Platform was not able to sustain its success in the 2005 elections. Tusk and his party lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to Lech Kacczynski's PiS (Law and Justice Party). This setback was not to last as Tusk triumphed over Jaroslaw Kaczynsky's PiS in the October 2007 elections and became prime minister of Poland. Tusk's economic policies are pro-business: less bureaucratic hurdles and state interference making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses. He is also trying to woo back more than a million Poles who left the country to work in other European Union countries after it joined the EU in 2004. Tusk is a keen footballer, viewed in his youth as a promising striker. He is married to historian Malgorzata and has two children, Kasia and Michal.

For what country is Tusk prime minister?

When was he voted into the Polish Senate?

Who prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election?

Answer: Poland.

Answer: University of Gdansk

Answer: Tusk

Answer: Donald Tusk

Answer: November 2007.

Answer: November 2007.

Answer: Donald Tusk

Answer: Tusk

Summary:
Involved in anti-communist activities as a student in Gdansk .
In 1989 Tusk co-founded the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party)
In 1997 he was voted into the Polish Senate .
Became prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election .


(CNN) -- At 51 years of age, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has come a long way. As part of the Kashubian minority living in the Gdansk Region, he was born to working-class parents -- his father a carpenter and his mother a nurse. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected in November 2007. As a student of History at the University of Gdansk in the late 1970s, a period of growing discontent with the Communist regime in Poland, he became actively involved in the creation of the opposition Students' Solidarity Committee. This was founded in reaction to the murder of student activist Stanislaw Pyjas by the State Security Service. Despite his anti-communist activities, he successfully finished his studies in 1980 and joined the Independent Solidarity Trade Union movement. When the Communists imposed martial law in 1981 he continued with his underground activities, writing pamphlets about the ideas of liberal economist Friedrich Hayek and the concept of private property. His heroes became former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. With the fall of Communism in 1989, the Solidarity Movement splintered. Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity Leader was elected President, while Tusk went on to co-found the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) with other well-known figures. The Party stood for among other things: free market economy, privatization, individual freedom of Polish citizens and Polish accession to the EU. The following year, during the 1991 Parliamentary elections, the KLD won 37 seats in the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Not being able to follow up on their success in the 1993 elections, the KLD merged with the larger Democratic Union Party (UD) to form a new party called Freedom Union (UW). Tusk soon became Deputy Chairman and in the 1997 elections, he was voted into the Senate. In 2001, Tusk formed the Civic Platform Party (PO), winning seats in that year's parliamentary elections and becoming Deputy Speaker in parliament. But the Civic Platform was not able to sustain its success in the 2005 elections. Tusk and his party lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to Lech Kacczynski's PiS (Law and Justice Party). This setback was not to last as Tusk triumphed over Jaroslaw Kaczynsky's PiS in the October 2007 elections and became prime minister of Poland. Tusk's economic policies are pro-business: less bureaucratic hurdles and state interference making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses. He is also trying to woo back more than a million Poles who left the country to work in other European Union countries after it joined the EU in 2004. Tusk is a keen footballer, viewed in his youth as a promising striker. He is married to historian Malgorzata and has two children, Kasia and Michal.

Who was voted to the Polish senate in 1997?

Who became Prime Minister of Poland after 1997 election?

who was involved in anti-communist activities?

Answer: Donald Tusk

Answer: 1989,

Answer: European

Answer: Donald Tusk

Answer: Tusk

Answer: (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party)

Answer: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

Answer: Donald Tusk

Summary:
Involved in anti-communist activities as a student in Gdansk .
In 1989 Tusk co-founded the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party)
In 1997 he was voted into the Polish Senate .
Became prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election .


(CNN) -- At a hearing Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee, federal officials said a bailout is needed immediately for the health of the U.S. economy.

Sen. Christopher Dodd is chairing Tuesday's hearing on President Bush's proposed $700 billion bailout plan.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are urging the passage of a $700 billion bailout proposed by President Bush following the failure of financial institutions and frozen credit markets.

The proposal, if adopted, would amount to the most sweeping economic intervention by the government since the Great Depression.

Before the hearing, Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat who is the Banking Committee chairman, spoke Tuesday with "American Morning's" Kiran Chetry about whether the bailout is the right option and what may have contributed to the tumultuous economic environment.

Kiran Chetry: You know talk about waking a sleeping giant -- we have almost 2,000 blog posts on CNNMoney.com about this bailout alone. Many people are outraged about it. They feel the government is spending $700 billion or more to reward bad behavior. What can you do to assure people that this is the right thing?

Sen. Christopher Dodd: Well, I'm not sure it is at this point. That's why we're having this hearing this morning. We'll have Secretary Paulson and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, before the banking committee to explain this plan, why it's necessary and where we go from here. They basically have asked for a blank check of $700 billion for the next several years here to buy a lot of bad instruments out there in these institutions.  See what power Paulson would have if the bailout is approved »

I have a lot of reservations. We're trying to put some safeguards in it. I'm angry as well. This didn't have to happen. It was not a natural disaster. It was a preventable, avoidable situation. We are where we are. Our economy is teetering. We've been warned we're very fragile. There could be a complete collapse. It needs to be straightened out or it could get worse. Pension funds, 401(k)s, jobs could be in worse shape.

Chetry: You have a revised version yourself. We'll get into what you're talking about. Do you believe that in general a bailout needs to happen?

Dodd: Something needs to be done here. I don't know if it's at this magnitude or if ... the specifics of this [bailout plan] make the most sense. But clearly something needs to be done. We can't lurch from one weekend to another with one failed institution after another watching our economy decline, stock market collapse and the price of oil rise. It's not just our own country; this has global implications.

Chetry: Let's look at some of the things you want added or in some cases taken out. Under your [revised version of the bill], you feel there should be some foreclosure assistance -- if Wall Street is getting some help, Main Street should be getting help, too, especially for those struggling homeowners.

You want limits on executive compensation. You don't want CEOs to get millions of dollars in packages for a failed company. You talk about an oversight board over the Treasury. Why are these so important to include, and what if they end up costing more?

Dodd: Well, let me tell you why. First of all, we have almost 10,000 foreclosures occurring every day. For the last 18 months on a daily basis, I've had 65 hearings since July of 2007 begging the administration to do something about the foreclosure problem. They admitted today if you don't deal with 10,000 foreclosures a day -- that's the bulk of these bad debts that are out there -- so you need to do something about that to stop the hemorrhaging. That's No. 1.

No. 2, I won't give a check for $700 billion, for 41 days, to this secretary or any secretary without safeguards built in -- accountability, transparency, oversight. That's just not

What did Sen. Christopher Dodd say?
What did Dodd say about the situation?

Answer: I have a lot of reservations. We're trying to put some safeguards in it.

Answer: It was a preventable, avoidable

Summary:
Sen. Christopher Dodd: "We're trying to put some safeguards" in plan .
Senator says he isn't sure bailout plan of this magnitude is right .
Dodd: Situation is a result of lax enforcement of rules, documentation in past .
Senator says lawmakers will act quickly but won't be irresponsible .


(CNN) -- At an auction at a gallery in New York recently, a piece of artwork sold for a higher price than had been anticipated by the auctioneers: $4,080. It wasn't a very big piece of art -- just 8-by-10 inches. Technically, it wasn't even art. It was a glossy black-and-white photograph. It had a slight imperfection: there were staple holes in the upper left-hand corner. Someone had written all over the front of the photograph. The person who had scrawled on it was, in fact, the subject of the photograph. He had written: "To Patricia Keating, with very best wishes, John Kennedy" That is what made the photo so valuable to someone: Kennedy had held it in his hands, had run his pen over it. The owners of Swann Galleries, where the signed photo was auctioned, believe that Kennedy had autographed the picture in 1956, when he was a United States senator. The picture itself wasn't worth much; but his signature, personalized to Patricia Keating. ... "As far as we know, she wasn't anyone famous," Rebecca Weiss, a Swann Galleries employee, told me on the day after the auction. "There's no particular significance to her name." Then why would someone pay more than $4,000 for the photo? Weiss told me that the identities of the buyers and sellers at Swann auctions are kept confidential, so she could not disclose who had consigned the photo for sale, or who had purchased it. But she said there is a pretty safe rule of thumb about the sale of autographs of renowned men and women: "What people are buying is the mystique. They are taking home the autograph knowing that this person once actually touched this item, this person once actually left this imprint, this signature." She clearly knows what she is talking about; just this weekend, it was announced that another auctioneer had sold what is purported to be perhaps the last autograph Kennedy ever signed: a copy of the Dallas Morning News that he reportedly signed for a woman upon his arrival in that city on November 22, 1963. A man in California purchased it for $39,000. In our digital age, in which images and data are transferred from person to person with the tap of a key, it would seem to be an anachronism: the idea of placing enormous monetary value on pieces of paper upon which prominent individuals once wrote their names. But that personal touch seems to have remained precious; Weiss said that many, if not most, purchasers of autographed items display them as if they were rare paintings: framed and mounted in places of honor. She didn't have to convince me. I have only two pieces of art hanging in my home, and neither would qualify as art in the conventional sense. But I wouldn't trade them for Picassos or Van Goghs. The first is an original theater lobby poster for the greatest movie about newspapers ever made: 1952's "Deadline -- U.S.A.", starring Humphrey Bogart. The other piece of art is an autograph -- actually, an entire (if brief) handwritten letter. It is a thank-you note. A thank-you note written to a laundry. At the top of the piece of paper, embossed in the italics/script font style of 1950s suburban-housewife stationery, are the words: "From the home of ... Elvis Presley" And beneath it, in blue ballpoint pen: "I should like to commend your Laundry for doing a fantastic job on my clothes, you show esceptional care. Sincerely E.P." That's just how, while living in a house on Audubon Drive in Memphis, Tennessee, in the years before he moved to Graceland, he wrote it. "Laundry" capitalized in the middle of the sentence; a comma instead of a period after "clothes"; "esceptional" instead of "exceptional." I can't imagine a more wonderful or telling artifact from Presley's life. Who writes

what amount did the jfk signed photo go for

what does he say autographs allow an admirer to do

Answer: images and data are transferred from person to person with the tap of a key,

Answer: our digital

Answer: $4,080.

Answer: $39,000.

Answer: $4,080.

Answer: display them as if they were rare paintings:

Summary:
Photo signed by JFK recently sold for $4,080, Greene notes .
In the digital age, the idea of valuing names on paper seems odd, he says .
But autographs allow an admirer to make a connection to a hero, he says .
That makes some autographs more precious than fine art, he says .


(CNN) -- At least 12 Chinese sailors have been killed after their cargo ships were attacked on the Mekong River in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai, the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Yunnan Province has said.

The ministry's website stated that two Chinese cargo ships -- the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8 -- were attacked with gunfire on October 5. According to the initial investigation, all six sailors from Hua Ping and six of the seven sailors from Yu Xing 8 were found dead, while one remained missing.

Though still in the early stages of their investigation, Thai police say they cannot rule out the involvement of drug gangs in the killings.

Chiang Rai police colonel Popkorn Khuncharoensuk told CNN that the two ships were raided by a joint task force of army, marine police, local police and paramilitary following the attack, and found almost one million amphetamines on the vessels.

"This is the most gruesome incident I have ever seen," Popkorn said.

According to Popkorn, one of the bodies was found aboard the Hua Ping, while the rest were found in the Mekong River near Chiangsaen port. Three of the bodies remained unidentified, and some were found with their hands cuffed or tied.

"I can't rule out all possibilities, but initially there appears to be drugs involved," Popkorn said. "But we can't just quickly jump to the conclusion that it was carried out by drug gangs. The case is complicated, and we have to be very thorough."

The violent incident has unnerved many of those who ply their trade on the river.

"There are no cargo ships leaving or coming to Chiangsaen port," said Surachart Janthawatcharakorn, Chief of Chiangsaen Customs Office. "They have all halted their traveling because they are still frightened by the incident, and are still very concerned about their safety."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and its consulate general in Chiang Mai were investigating the murders and were working closely with Thai authorities and other relevant countries to hunt down the criminals.

CNN's Kocha Olarn and Haolan Hong contributed to this report.

When did it happen?
How many ships were attacked?
Where were the ships from?
Who is China working with?
Where were two Chinese ships attacked?
Who were killed?
Who was killed?
How many sailors were killed?

Answer: October 5.

Answer: two

Answer: Chinese

Answer: Thai authorities and other relevant countries

Answer: on the Mekong

Answer: 12 Chinese sailors

Answer: 12 Chinese sailors

Answer: 12

Summary:
Two Chinese ships were attacked on the Mekong River on October 5 .
China's Foreign Ministry says at least 12 sailors were killed in the attack .
China says it's working with Thai authorities to hunt down the criminals .


(CNN) -- At least 12 airplanes shared the trans-Atlantic sky with doomed Air France Flight 447, but none reported any problems, deepening the mystery surrounding the cause of the plane's disappearance. Image released by the Brazilian Air Force shows oil slicks in the water near a debris site. Airlines confirmed that at least a dozen aircraft departed roughly at the same time and traversed approximately the same route, but did not report problematic weather conditions. This has led some aviation experts to suggest that technical problems on the airplane might be the main cause of the crash, though they may have combined with weather conditions to create serious problems. The new information raises more questions than answers about Air France 447, believed to have plunged into the Atlantic Ocean somewhere between the coasts of Brazil and West Africa on May 31, presumably killing all 228 aboard. The plane's computer system reported a series of technical problems about four hours after takeoff and immediately after entering a large storm system a few hundred miles from the far eastern coast of Brazil. Severe winds, updrafts and even lightning have been mentioned as possible causes of the crash, potentially triggering a failure of the plane's technical systems. But aviation experts cautioned that weather alone would not normally cause a crash. Planes routinely fly through large storms, using the sensitive radar on board to navigate through specific storm cells. When conditions are severe enough, planes can easily deviate around or above storms, experts say. In addition to Flight 447, Air France had four other Paris-bound flights that left in the same broad time frame from that part of the world, according to an airline spokesman. One flight left Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 4:20 p.m. At that same moment, another Air France flight left nearby Sao Paulo. A third Air France flight left Buenos Aires, Argentina, at 5:50 p.m., also heading for Paris. A final Air France flight left Sao Paulo at 7:10 p.m., almost exactly when the doomed flight took off from Rio. All of these flights took a similar route toward Paris, heading first toward Recife on the east coast of Brazil and then continuing northeast over the Atlantic. None of the other flights experienced anything unusual, the spokesman said. All arrived in Paris the next day, with no significant delays of any kind. That same evening two Air Iberia flights bound for Madrid, Spain, left Brazil at about the same time as Flight 447; one departed from Rio de Janeiro and another from Sao Paulo, according to officials at Iberia. Those flights also reported no problems. It was the same story for one British Airways flight and three Air TAM Brazil flights, all of which flew routes similar to the missing plane. Although none of the other flights are known to have reported weather problems en route, aviation experts said weather can change suddenly and vary over short distances, so one plane might experience conditions far worse than another.

Do aviation experts say that weather alone would normally cause a crash?

Did any other flights report problems or bad weather?

At least how many other flights traveled from Brazil to Europe around the same time as 447?

How many other flights traveled from Brazil to Europe at around the same time?

Did any of the other flights report bad weather?

Answer: not

Answer: none reported

Answer: 12 airplanes

Answer: At

Answer: least 12 airplanes

Answer: none

Answer: aviation experts

Answer: problems,

Summary:
At least 12 flights traveled from Brazil to Europe around same time as 447 .
None of the other flights reported bad weather or other problems .
Aviation experts say weather alone would not normally cause a crash .
They also say weather can change quickly and vary over short distances .


(CNN) -- At least 130 people have died and dozens are missing after heavy rains triggered flooding and mudslides that buried communities Sunday and left a swath of destruction in El Salvador, officials said Monday. The death toll was "preliminary," said Raul Murillo, subdirector of the Department of Civil Protection in San Salvador. Another 13,680 people were staying in emergency shelters, he said. Laura Mata, communications manager for World Vision in El Salvador, said 40 percent of the dead were children. About 60 people were still missing Monday afternoon, said Carlos Alvarado, communications director for the government's rescue efforts. The most affected departments are San Salvador, La Paz, Cuscatlan, Usulatan and San Vicente. He described the latter as the most heavily affected. The government's Web site said there were 108 landslides, 209 destroyed buildings and another 1,835 damaged ones. In all, 18 bridges were affected, it said. Private, government and U.N. donations have all been promised, but the needs exceeded supplies, with high demand for food, construction materials, plastic sheeting, medications and -- with a cold front expected to sweep into the area Tuesday -- clothes, Alvarado said. Fumigation efforts were slated to begin Tuesday to reduce the chances of disease. "There's a lot of work to do," he said. Guatemala, Spain and other countries were helping, Mata said. At the 139-bed Hospital Santa Gertrudis in San Vicente, 33 patients sought help overnight in the emergency room, mostly for trauma, broken bones and abrasions, said Dr. Ana Luisa Velazquez, the hospital director. Patients had to be removed from the pediatric unit and women's surgery unit, both of which were built on low-lying ground and were inundated, she said. Though the hospital had fresh water from its own well, fresh water was in scarce supply in San Vicente, she said. Mata visited the town Sunday. "All three access roads were completely wiped off," she told CNN's Jonathan Mann. "You could only get there by one lane. Everywhere -- mud, huge rocks." Electricity was largely out, she said. In addition to losing their homes, many people have lost their crops, she said. President Mauricio Funes declared a national emergency and described the loss as incalculable. About 7,000 people lost homes in the disaster Sunday, officials said. Authorities said the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers scramble to reach regions where roads have been washed away. In some of the hardest-hit areas, such as the capital, San Salvador, roads are completely gone, Mata said. "You would never imagine there were road systems there. ... Huge rocks, mud, water everywhere," she said. "People have lost complete families." Landslides on the side of a volcano swallowed up a village in Verapaz, Mata said. iReport: Neighborhood slammed with mud and debris Residents in affected areas climbed over boulders as rescue crews waded through muddy water, some carrying young children. Homes, trees and electricity poles, and mountains of mud, covered streets. The heavy rains in the impoverished Central American nation were unrelated to Hurricane Ida, said Saul Ezgardo de la Reyes, a government meteorologist in the Center of Prognostics. "The rains in Salvador are due to the low pressure system," he said, adding that it was dissipating Monday. "We're waiting for the arrival of fresh air and higher pressure." On Sunday, 355 millimeters (14 inches) of rain fell near the Saint Vincent Volcano, southeast of the capital, and 196 mm (7.7 inches) fell on the capital itself, he said. Sunday's inundations were unprecedented, he said. Hurricane Mitch dropped similar quantities in 1998, but those values were tallied in three or four days, he said. "This was in practically four hours." A low-pressure system out of the Pacific triggered the disaster, said Robbie Berg of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.

how many people was kill?
How many people get killed?
how many was the percent of dead?
How many were killed in the heavy rain
What is promised but needed more of
what was promised?
How many percent of dead are children?
What percentage are children

Answer: 130

Answer: At

Answer: 40

Answer: least 130 people

Answer: Private, government and U.N. donations

Answer: Private, government and U.N. donations

Answer: 40

Answer: 40 percent

Summary:
40 percent of dead are children, aid group spokeswoman says .
Aid is promised, but more is needed as cold front is due Tuesday .
At least 130 people killed, dozens missing after heavy rains cause flooding, mudslides .
Mudslides unrelated to Hurricane Ida, officials say .


(CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 60 others wounded Thursday when a bomb ripped through a crowd waiting to see Algeria's president in Batna, east of the capital of Algiers, the Algerie Presse Service reported.

A wounded person gets first aid shortly after Thursday's attack in Batna, Algeria.

The explosion occurred at 5 p.m. about 20 meters (65 feet) from a mosque in Batna, a town about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Algiers, security officials in Batna told the state-run news agency.

The bomb went off 15 minutes before the expected arrival of President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika.

It wasn't clear if the bomb was caused by a suicide bomber or if it was planted, the officials said.

Later Thursday, Algeria's Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said "a suspect person who was among the crowd attempted to go beyond the security cordon," but the person escaped "immediately after the bomb exploded," the press service reported.

Bouteflika made his visit to Batna as planned, adding a stop at a hospital to visit the wounded before he returned to the capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing.

Algeria faces a continuing Islamic insurgency, according to the CIA.

In July, 33 people were killed in apparent suicide bombings in Algiers that were claimed by an al Qaeda-affiliated group.

Bouteflika said terrorist acts have nothing in common with the noble values of Islam, the press service reported. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

What happened 15 minutes before the president´s arrival?

Who claimed responsibility for the July attacks?

In which month did the bomb attack occur?

Who is coming to visit the bomb victims?

Who were the bombing victims waiting for?

Answer: The bomb went off

Answer: by an al Qaeda-affiliated group.

Answer: 5 p.m.

Answer: Algeria faces a continuing Islamic insurgency,

Answer: to see Algeria's president in Batna,

Answer: a continuing Islamic insurgency,

Answer: no immediate claim of

Answer: wounded

Answer: al Qaeda-affiliated group.

Answer: to see Algeria's president

Answer: to see Algeria's president in Batna,

Answer: July,

Answer: Thursday

Answer: 15 minutes before the expected arrival of President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika.

Answer: apparent suicide bombings in Algiers

Answer: crowd

Answer: Batna,

Answer: to see Algeria's president in Batna,

Answer: Algeria's president

Answer: Batna,

Answer: 5 p.m.

Answer: Thursday

Answer: Bouteflika

Answer: Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika.

Answer: Thursday

Summary:
Bomb victims waiting for presidential visit .
Blast went off 15 minutes before president's arrival .
Algeria faces Islamic insurgency .
Al Qaeda-affiliated group claimed July attacks .


(CNN) -- At least 15 people have been killed and more wounded after a weekend of heavy fighting in Somalia's capital, journalists and a hospital spokeswoman said Monday.

Artillery shelling from an area controlled by the government into an insurgent stronghold killed at least 15 and wounded 60 others Sunday in northeastern Mogadishu, journalists said after surveying the aftermath.

More than 120 people have been admitted to a hospital with wounds related to fighting since Friday, said Duniyo Ali Mohamed, head of the medical department at Medina Hospital.

The fighting comes after a militant Islamist group associated with al Qaeda attacked areas controlled by government troops and peacekeepers Friday, leaving 12 dead and at least 30 injured, witnesses said.

Two of the 12 were members of al-Shabaab, according to Sheik Ali Mohamud Raghe, a spokesman for the militants. Al-Shabaab is an extremist group that the United States considers to be a terrorist organization.

Somali government officials downplayed the offensive, calling it "small and careless."

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. The transitional government has struggled to establish authority amid challenges by militants.

What do Somali officials call the offensive?

Answer: al-Shabaab,

Answer: 60

Answer: northeastern Mogadishu,

Answer: militant Islamist group

Answer: 15 people

Answer: "small and careless."

Answer: Somali

Answer: Mogadishu,

Answer: downplayed the offensive,

Summary:
Sixty others wounded after heavy fighting in Somalia's capital, journalists say .
Fighting comes after miliants tied to al Qaeda attacked areas held by Somali troops, peacekeepers .
Somali officials downplay offensive, calling it "small and careless"


(CNN) -- At least 20 people were killed and 200 more were injured Friday in the northern Mediterranean city of Benghazi, Libya's second-largest, said a medical source in Benghazi who was not identified for security reasons.

The casualties occurred as thousands of Libyans took to the streets to voice their discontent over leader Moammar Gadhafi, witnesses said.

Friday's killings brought to 50 the number of people killed since Tuesday, when the protests began, the medical source said.

Amnesty International said security forces had killed at least 46 during the past three days, with sources at al-Jala Hospital in Benghazi saying that the most common injuries were bullet wounds to the head, chest and neck.

"The alarming rise in the death toll, and the reported nature of victims' injuries, strongly suggests that security forces are permitted to use lethal force against unarmed protesters calling for political change," said Malcolm Smart, the Amnesty's director for the Middle East and North Africa.

CNN was unable to independently verify the information.

In front of the main courthouse in a square in Benghazi, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets demanding a change of government, a protester said. He said people were chanting for Gadhafi and his children to get out of Libya. He called Gadhafi's authoritarian rule "the biggest dictatorship in history."

Late Friday, a witness said more people were still streaming into the already crowded plaza, with some erecting tents, apparently planning to spend the night.

There was no sign in the square of police or military forces except for the presence of three tanks, which were not moving, he said.

Another source said that he saw three Libyan army tanks in the square and that young demonstrators were engaging the tank crews in conversation. He said government forces were not visible in or around Benghazi.

He added that he visited Al-Jala hospital and that it was "full of dead and wounded."

Electricity was lost in parts of the city but had been restored by late Friday, when the city was quiet, he said.

Farther east, in al-Baida, thousands of people showed up to bury 13 protesters killed in clashes in recent days, said Mohamed Abdallah of the opposition National Front for the Salvation of Libya, who has been receiving information about Libya from sources there.

Plainclothes members of the Revolutionary Committee had reportedly fired at the protesters, Abdallah said.

Demonstrations unfolded Friday in other cities as well, he said.

CNN has not been permitted to report from Libya and cannot confirm information about the demonstrations.

The government maintains tight control of the news media and telephone services, and many people expressed fear of talking openly amid what they described as a climate of fear. CNN has been relying on information from protesters, human rights groups and foreign-based Libyan organizations assessing the situation through their sources on the ground.

Libyan state-run television was airing taped images of Gadhafi surrounded by adoring crowds.

The demonstrations erupted Tuesday after the detention of a human rights lawyer and spread across the country.

U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the government crackdowns in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen, which are all embroiled in unrest.

"Wherever they are, people have certain universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly," Obama said. "The United States urges the governments of Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to show restraint in responding to peaceful protests, and to respect the rights of their people."

"The security forces' vicious attacks on peaceful demonstrators lay bare the reality of Moammar Gadhafi's brutal rule when faced with any internal dissent," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director for Human Rights Watch.

Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, also condemned the crackdown in Libya and other countries "as illegal and excessively heavy-handed."

Abdallah, the spokesman for the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, reported that protesters in Benghazi had freed people who had been detained during the first two days of the unrest. He said protesters also set afire a police station and

How many have been killed since Tuesday?

Who condemns the crackdowns in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen?

What number of people were killed since tuesday?

Where are government crackdowns occuring?

What is the reported number of people killed since Tuesday?

Answer: thousands of demonstrators

Answer: 50

Answer: U.S. President Barack Obama

Answer: 20

Answer: Libya, Bahrain and Yemen,

Answer: 20

Answer: more people were still streaming into the already crowded plaza,

Summary:
Witness says square in Benghazi is full of protesters, but there is little sign of police or military .
Tanks surrounded demonstrators in Benghazi, a protester says .
50 reportedly killed since Tuesday, 20 of them Friday .
U.S. president condemns the government crackdowns in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen .


(CNN) -- At least 200 people were evacuated from their homes, including 84 residents of an apartment building for the elderly, after a tanker truck carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline erupted early Wednesday in a northern Boston suburb. Firefighters battle a blaze Wednesday north of Boston after a tanker overturned carrying 9,000 gallons of gas. No serious injuries were reported in the Everett, Massachusetts, blast, but witnesses recounted close calls to a local television station. One man said he narrowly escaped from his car before it exploded. "In consideration of everything that firefighters had to deal with, I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries," Everett Fire Chief David Butler said. The tanker overturned and caught fire at a traffic circle in the town of about 37,000 outside Boston. Officials are investigating whether the driver was speeding, Butler said. "Our major concerns right now are we still have an ongoing fire operation in the family dwellings, and we are still heavily engaged in those operations, and we have some concerns environmentally," Butler said.  Watch residents of an elderly housing complex describe their shock » Flames from the truck engulfed at least 40 cars and three buildings, two of them houses, fire officials said. The truck was destroyed, but the driver was not seriously injured, the officials said. WCVB-TV in Boston identified the driver as Chad LaFrance of Dover, New Hampshire. Seven hours after the truck caught fire, firefighters were still battling a blaze in one of the homes, according to the television station. Evacuees were taken to an armory converted into a shelter, Red Cross official Amelia Aubourg told CNN. Local streets were closed temporarily, and a nearby school was shut down for the day, WCVB reported. One evacuee who fled a high-rise building told the television station he saw at least 15 cars burning. "And popping, they were popping. I don't know if it was tires that were blowing, but they were completely gone, the cars," Dan Savage told WCVB. Nearby resident Chris Barrow awoke to the sound of a "big bang," he told WCVB. At first, he thought it was a car accident, but when he went outside to investigate the noise, he saw fire "just coming down the hill toward the houses as fast as you could think." Barrow tried to escape in his car, but fire quickly surrounded the vehicle, he told the TV station. "I rode over the fire and my car caught fire," he told WCVB. "I got out just in time, and I ran a couple feet just before it blew up." E-mail to a friend CNN's Michelle Cumbo and Saundra Booker contributed to this report.

who said I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries?

who said the evacuees have been taken to a safe haven

what is the miracle fire chief is stating?

is the speed of the truck being investigated

what did the chiefsay about the investigation of the accident?

what are the officials investigating about?

Answer: No

Answer: Everett Fire Chief David Butler

Answer: Red Cross official Amelia Aubourg

Answer: he saw at least 15 cars burning.

Answer: that we haven't seen some serious injuries,"

Answer: an armory converted into a shelter,

Answer: "In consideration of everything that firefighters had to deal with, I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries,"

Answer: whether the driver was speeding,

Answer: Officials are investigating whether the driver was speeding,

Answer: it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries,"

Answer: whether the driver was speeding,

Summary:
Fire chief: "I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries"
Officials are investigating whether truck's speed a factor in the accident, chief says .
Evacuees taken to an armory converted into a shelter, Red Cross says .
Man tells WCVB-TV his car caught fire, exploded as he fled; "I got out just in time"


(CNN) -- At least 24 people have been killed and hundreds rendered homeless in the worst floods to hit land-locked Mongolia in 40 years, emergency officials said Tuesday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was working with local authorities to distribute emergency goods to the flood-ravaged victims. Workers fear that without adequate food and shelter, the situation would worsen when winter arrives in three months, said Francis Markus of the Red Cross. The floods struck last week in the Asian nation's capital, Ulaanbaatar, and a province in the west. It was the worst to hit the country since 1966, Markus said.  See images of flood victims » The government issued televised broadcasts ahead of the rainstorms but many children and elderly could not be evacuated in time, Markus said.

Which charity is working with the authorities?

Answer: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Answer: government issued televised broadcasts ahead of the rainstorms

Answer: floods

Answer: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Answer: distribute emergency goods to the flood-ravaged victims.

Summary:
Red Cross working with local authorities to distribute aid to flood victims .
Relief workers say winter poses major threat unless food and shelter in place .
Government warned of floods but many people could not be evacuated in time .


(CNN) -- At least 24 people were killed in cities across Syria during a government crackdown Saturday against those in opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, according to a U.K.-based human rights group.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the western Syrian city of Homs, as residents contended with fuel shortages and power outages throughout the day, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

CNN cannot independently confirm accounts from the ground in Syria because the government has not provided access to Western media.

Also Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that al-Assad had passed the "point of no return -- no way that he will resume his authority or legitimacy over his people."

"I think that the world response ... these are real signals that there is acceleration toward the end of this regime," he said, citing the responses of the Arab League and Jordan.

The clashes come the same day as a deadline set by the 22-member Arab League to put forth a peace plan meant to stem violence against protesters which has resulted in months of bloodshed.

Earlier this week, Syria accepted "in principle" the alliance's plan to permit observers into the country to verify whether the regime has taken measures to protect civilians, a senior Arab diplomat said Friday.

Originally, 500 observers were believed to be destined for Syria. But on Friday, Arab Doctors Association Head Ibrahim Zafarani said he received an email from Arab League officials that indicated only 40 names would be submitted.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday afternoon that the proposed number had been reduced to 40.

Last week, the league's 22 nations voted to suspend Syria's membership, but later gave Damascus three days to implement a protocol to allow observers to enter the nation.

International pressure has since been mounting against al-Assad over his regime's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, amid concerns that violence in Syria is escalating.

CNN's Yasmin Amer contributed to this report.

What did the Israeli minister say about Bashar al Assad?

How many were killed during Syrian clashes?

International pressure is mounting against whom?

Answer: the "point of no return

Answer: al-Assad had passed the "point of no return -- no way that he will resume his authority or legitimacy over his people."

Answer: least 24

Answer: cities across Syria

Answer: At

Answer: al-Assad

Answer: al-Assad

Answer: al-Assad

Summary:
NEW: President Bashar al-Assad has passed the "point of no return," says an Israeli minister .
24 people are killed during clashes in Syria, a rights groups says .
The violence coincides with an Arab League deadline .
International pressure has been mounting against al-Assad .


(CNN) -- At least 26 people were killed Monday in the Syrian government's ongoing crackdown on dissidents, the pro-democracy group Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

Among the dead was a 12-year-old boy shot to death when Syrian security forces fired on a funeral procession, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights..

The funeral procession was for a protester killed Sunday, the observatory said.

In addition, 17 people were killed during operations by the military and security forces in Hama as authorities searched for wanted activists and demonstrators, the organization said.

Meanwhile, an adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said parliamentary elections could be held in the country by the end of the year, Russian media reported earlier Monday.

Bouthaina Shaaban, the political and media adviser to al-Assad, was in Moscow on Monday to speak to journalists on the situation in Syria.

"I can tentatively say that such elections may be held either at the end of this year or the beginning of next," Shaaban said, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency.

The number of people killed in unrest in Syria since mid-March has reached at least 2,600, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said Monday.

The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, is condemning the killing of a key Syrian opposition organizer who it says died while in the custody of Syria's security forces.

Ghiyath Mattar, described as a key organizer of protests against al-Assad's regime, was killed after being arrested last Tuesday in the Damascus suburb of Darya, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement released Sunday.

"His brave commitment to confronting the regime's despicable violence with peaceful protest serves as an example for the Syrian people and for all those who suffer under the yoke of oppression," the statement said

Mattar was arrested along with leading opposition activist Yahya Sharbaji and a number of other activists, Nuland said.

Mattar was "a symbol of what the Syrian revolution should be -- peaceful and nonviolent," said one of Mattar's friends. "His death is an attack by the regime on peace. His attack is saying, 'We want to destroy the messengers of peace in Syria and the ideals and values they hold."

"His personality was perfectly built to take the role of a leader," said another man, a colleague of Mattar's. "Everyone loved him and he had so many close friends and relatives."

Both men asked not to be named for fear of retribution.

On September 6, Mattar was with Sharbaji when he received a call from Sharbaji's brother saying he was injured and needed help, according to the friend. In reality, security forces had forced the brother to call Sharbaji. The operation led to the arrests, the friend said.

Unrest has plagued Syria for more than six months, as protesters demanding more freedom, democratic elections and an end to al-Assad's regime have been met by brute force.

The government has maintained a consistent narrative: It is going after armed terrorists. But opposition activists say the regime is behind a systematic, sustained slaughter.

Mattar, 26, was on the run for three months before being taken into custody, according to the Syrian Observatory.

The group, citing reports from Mattar's fellow opposition members, said he was tortured to death.

Syria's crackdown on protesters has been roundly condemned by many world leaders and the United Nations. The Arab League has publicly called for al-Assad's regime to show restraint and end the violence.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Syria, freezing assets of specific regime members and banning Americans from doing business with the country. The European Union banned the import of Syrian oil and imposed a travel ban.

Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, put the number killed in the unrest at 2,600, citing "reliable sources on the ground," in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday during the commission's session.

The Syrian Observatory has said more than 2,000 people -- mostly

What age is the child shot and killed by security forces?

When does a Syrian adviser say parliamentary elections could be?

Answer: Syrian government's ongoing crackdown on dissidents,

Answer: 12-year-old

Answer: At

Answer: by the end of the year,

Answer: 2,600,

Answer: 12-year-old

Answer: 26

Summary:
NEW: At least 26 people were killed Monday, an opposition rights group says .
Report: A Syrian adviser says parliamentary elections could be held this year or early next .
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights puts the death toll at 2,600 .
A 12-year-old child is shot and killed by security forces, an opposition rights group says .


(CNN) -- At least 30 people died and 70 were wounded in shelling on a marketplace in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Thursday, according to journalists and emergency services. Members of Islamist militia Al-Shaabab patrol Bakara Market in Mogadishu, Somalia, earlier this month. A local journalist called the rocket fire on Bakara market "unprecedented." "This was the most brutal shelling," according to an ambulance service representative who said they had picked up 61 wounded, but expect the number to climb. Other victims were being brought to hospitals by family and friends. The source of the shelling could not immediately be determined. Journalists saw shell fire coming from AMISOM -- the African Union Mission in Somalia -- strongholds in a fortified district of the capital and from near the airport. AMISOM is the only force in the area believed to have the firepower capable of such an intense attack. However, AMISOM denied any involvement in the incident. The African Union has a 3,400-member peacekeeping force in Somalia, made up of troops from Burundi and Uganda. It operates under a U.N. mandate to support Somalia's transitional federal government. The peacekeeping force is charged with protecting key government and strategic installations in Mogadishu, including the port, airport and presidential palace. It is the de facto military force of the weak, transitional Somali government. African Union forces have been battling an al Qaeda-linked Islamist militia in Somalia called Al-Shaabab. The United States is supporting the Somali government's fight against the insurgents, including providing weapons to government forces. Al-Shaabab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The United States is concerned that Somalia's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency, as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power in early 2007. Ethiopia invaded Somalia with the support of Somalia's weak transitional government. Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.

How many people were killed in Mogadishu after shelling?

how many people where killed after Somali shelling

What military force was suspected to be involved?

Who reported  firing from the African Union Mission?

Answer: 30

Answer: could not immediately be determined.

Answer: 30

Answer: shelling on a marketplace in the Somali capital

Answer: AMISOM

Answer: AMISOM

Answer: Journalists

Answer: 30

Answer: Journalists saw shell fire coming from AMISOM -- the African Union Mission in Somalia

Answer: least 30

Answer: denied

Summary:
30 people killed after shelling in Somali capital Mogadishu according to reports .
Journalists report shell fire coming from African Union Mission in Somalia stronghold .
Military force AMISOM has denied any involvement in the incident .


(CNN) -- At least 361 people have died and 600,000 were living in refugee camps because of flooding in Pakistan, the country's national disaster authority said Tuesday.

The flooding in Sindh and Balochistan provinces has destroyed 1.5 million homes in 41,000 villages, the government said.

The United Nations World Food Program has been distributing food, starting in the hard-hit city of Badin. As of Friday, more than 15,000 people have received assistance, the agency said.

The agency estimated that 73% of food crops in the flood zone and 36% of livestock were lost or destroyed.

The United Nations said Monday that it is seeking donors to build a $357 million fund to help the Pakistani government's flood response efforts.

It is meant to provide food, water, sanitation, health care and shelter for some flood victims for up to six months.

"More than five million people are struggling to survive massive flooding across southern Pakistan, and the rains continue to fall," said Valerie Amos, the U.N. under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Last year, Pakistan was also the site of massive and deadly flooding.

In August 2010, weeks of flooding caused $9.7 billion in damages to homes, roads and farms in southwest Pakistan.

More than 1,700 people died in the 2010 flooding, and more than 20 million were displaced.

CNN's Nasir Habib contributed to this report.

How many people are living in refugee camps?

United Nations wants donations for what?

How many people living in refugee camps?

How many people are living in the refugee camps?

Answer: 600,000

Answer: to build a $357 million fund to help the Pakistani government's flood response efforts.

Answer: build a $357 million fund to help the Pakistani government's flood response efforts.

Answer: least 361 people have died and 600,000 were living in refugee camps because of flooding

Answer: Sindh and Balochistan provinces

Answer: 600,000

Answer: 361

Answer: 600,000

Summary:
More deaths are reported from the flooding, officials say .
About 600,000 people are living in refugee camps .
The United Nations wants donations for flood relief efforts .


(CNN) -- At least 38 people have died in mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira, which was hit by heavy downpours overnight, an official told CNN on Saturday.

Pedro Barbosa, the vice president of the Civil Protection Agency in Madeira, told CNN that an unknown number of people were missing -- perhaps dozens, he said.

The mudslides and flooding caused substantial damage to roads and homes in the capital, Funchal, and in Ribeira Brava, which are both on the southern portion of the Atlantic island, which lies about 600 miles southwest of Portugal, Barbosa said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Interior Minister Rui Pereira arrived on the island on Saturday, according to CNN affiliate Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP).

Socrates told RTP that "the situation is under control" and the government is offering all its support to regional authorities. The country's president, Cavaco Silva, expressed his condolences to the people of Madeira in a televised statement and promised to do everything to help "during this difficult time."

Pedro Ramos of Dr. Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Funchal, told CNN that 68 wounded people were hospitalized from the mudslides and flooding. Three were critical, he said. The vice president of Madeira's regional government had tallied 68 victims with injuries, according to the official Lusa news agency.

The floodwaters overturned cars and knocked down trees, Barbosa said. Authorities have evacuated hundreds of people to military and civil protection facilities in Funchal, he said.

Search and rescue teams have been reinforced, but haven't been able to reach every area, according to the Civil Protection Agency.

The Portuguese military has dispatched five teams to help with search and rescue efforts, it announced on its Web site. The military is also ready to shelter up to 130 people where 50 people are already staying, it said.

Barbosa said weather conditions have substantially improved, with the rains winding down.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is a popular resort destination. There have been no reports of any dead or missing tourists.

CNN's Umaro Djau contributed to this report.

Which country has been hit by heavy downpours overnight?

How many teams have the Portuguese military dispatched?

Answer: weather conditions

Answer: Portuguese island of Madeira,

Answer: five

Answer: The Portuguese military

Answer: Portuguese island

Answer: five

Summary:
NEW: Portuguese military has dispatched five teams to help with search and rescue efforts .
NEW: Weather has substantially improved, civil protection official says .
Madeira hit by heavy downpours overnight, triggering mudslide that killed at least 38 .
Unknown number of people, perhaps dozens, are missing, official tells CNN .


(CNN) -- At least 40 bodies -- all of them wearing uniforms identifying them as army officers -- have been found in a mass grave inside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary in the capital, Dhaka, authorities said Friday.

Bangladeshi army soldiers gather near the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in Dhaka Thursday.

The discovery brings to at least 62 the number of army officers who have been found dead after mutinous paramilitary forces took dozens of superiors hostages at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters on Wednesday.

The Rifles laid down their arms after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed to grant them amnesty.

The bodies were found in a grave behind the mortuary building inside the BDR compound in the Pilkhana area of Dhaka, said Cmdr. Abdul Kalam Azad with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite internal security team that is helping with the recovery effort.

"It's a bad scene," Azad said. "You can only see their legs. We're carrying away only as many as we can fit in ambulances. Then we're going to go look for more."

Earlier, 22 bodies had been recovered from the Buriganga River after the rebelling troops dumped them down a sewer during the standoff, authorities said.

The Rifles took their superiors -- all military men -- hostage Wednesday morning after a rebellion they said was spurred by years of their grievances not being addressed.

Discontent had been bubbling for years among the ranks of the BDR troops, a 65,000-strong paramilitary outfit primarily responsible for guarding the country's borders.  Watch how the paramilitary revolt spread Â»

The recruits complained their army superiors dismissed their appeals for more pay, subsidized food and opportunities to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations.

Bangladesh and its South Asian neighbors contribute the most troops to such U.N. operations. And the pay is far greater than the meager salary the jawans -- as the BDR troops are called -- make.

Who offered the Bangladesh Rifles amnesty?

How many Bangladesh officers were found buried?

How many officers were killed in this incident?

When did the Bangladesh Rifles stop fighting back?

Answer: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Answer: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Answer: inside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary in the capital, Dhaka,

Answer: army officers

Answer: amnesty.

Answer: At

Answer: at least 62

Answer: army officers

Answer: at least 62

Answer: Wednesday.

Answer: 62

Answer: The Rifles

Summary:
Mass grave found with bodies of at least 40 Bangladesh army officers .
At least 62 officers found dead since mutiny by paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles .
Rifles laid down arms Thursday after PM agreed to offer them amnesty .


(CNN) -- At least 40 people died and 20 were injured early Thursday morning when a bus plunged into a ravine in a mountainous region near Cuzco, Peru, authorities said. The bus crashed about 5:30 a.m. near the town of Espinar, Peru, Lt. Edilberto Tunquipa of the Espinar fire department said. Interviews with survivors pointed to driver fatigue as one of the possible causes of the crash, Tunquipa said. The bus had left the city of Arequipa about seven hours earlier, heading to the town of Santo Tomas in the mountains, he said. The poor conditions of the road were another possible factor, he added. No international tourists were believed to be on the bus, though authorities could not confirm that, Tunquipa said. The 20 people injured were in hospitals, their injuries ranging from severe head and back injuries to minor scrapes, he said.  Most of the victims were believed to be locals who work in Arequipa and were returning home to their small towns for Christmas, he said. The exact number of people on the bus remained unknown. The bus holds 52 people, Tunquipa said, but it was overcrowded, with people standing in the aisle. CNN's Mariano Castillo and Esprit Smith contributed to this report.

how many injuries
where is arequipa
what have been factors
The bus left what city earlier?
what happened to the bus
what was happend in arequipa

Answer: 20

Answer: Peru,

Answer: The poor conditions of the road

Answer: Arequipa

Answer: crashed about 5:30 a.m. near the town of Espinar, Peru,

Answer: The bus crashed about 5:30

Summary:
NEW: Driver fatigue, poor road conditions may have been factors .
The bus had left the city of Arequipa about seven hours earlier .
Injuries range from severe head and back injuries to minor scrapes .
The tour bus plunged into a ravine in a mountainous region near Cuzco .


(CNN) -- At least 40 people were killed and numerous others injured in a reported grenade attack at a casino in Monterrey, Mexico, the capital of Nuevo Leon, according to attorney general in that northern state.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) at the Casino Royale when two people aboard a vehicle arrived, and one threw three grenades into the building.

There were conflicting unconfirmed reports from local media that the assailants poured gasoline on the building before setting it on fire.

Between 20 and 30 people were trapped in the casino because of debris from the explosions, said Cmdr. Angel Flores with the Green Cross.

Video from the scene showed a burned-out building as firefighters made rescue attempts to break the wall of the facade of the casino to release the smoke inside the building.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon sent the following statement from his official Twitter account (translated from Spanish): "With deep consternation, I express my solidarity with Nuevo Leon and the victims of this abhorrent act of terror and barbarism."

He added more: "These reprehensible acts require us all to persevere in the fight against gangs of unscrupulous criminals. All the support to NL (Nuevo Leon)."

About five families were outside the casino waiting for information from authorities, local journalist Javier Estrada reported.

Gustavo Madrazo was one of those waiting outside the casino. He said his wife, Martha, and her sister, Miriam Gonzalez, were inside.

Authorities have not identified any of the victims.

So far, no representative for the company that manages the casino had arrived outside. The Mexican Army and state and municipal police forces were also on the scene.

Alejandro Poire, Mexico's top national security spokesman, said the federal government has made contact with local officials and that Calderon has spoken to the governor of Nuevo Leon to offer support.

Poire said those who carried out the attacks will be held responsible. "They will pay for their crimes. ... We will do absolutely everything ... to restore tranquility."

The National Commission on Human Rights in Mexico sent a news release saying it has opened an investigation regarding the response to the events at the casino.

"The priority is to help safeguard the human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the United Mexican States and international treaties. The commission again makes clear that the insecurity in the country requires public officials responsible for implementing and enforcing the law, carry out preventive actions to protect society and away from any violence."

"The National Commission will monitor the actions taken by the competent authorities to respond adequately to the aggrieved persons."

The NHRC says it has also sent personnel to the scene including physicians, psychologists and lawyers to work jointly with authorities.

Nuevo Leon, in northeastern Mexico, has seen several grenade attacks so far this year. On August 13, four civilians were wounded when an armed group fired two grenades at a jail in the municipality of Apodaca.

In July, gunmen entered a downtown bar in Monterrey and shot 20 people dead. A public safety spokesman told CNN the attack was likely sparked by a dispute between organized crime groups for control of the El Sabino Gordo nightclub, where drugs were allegedly sold.

Nuevo Leon and the neighboring states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas have been the scene of a series of clashes between organized crime groups. The Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas are vying for control of trafficking routes into the United States.

In November 2010, the federal government launched the Coordinated Operation Northeast, which involves sending more security forces to the area to tackle crime.

CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report

What officials say?
there were many dead in the attack?

Answer: I express my solidarity with Nuevo Leon and the victims of this abhorrent act of terror and barbarism."

Answer: At

Summary:
NEW: Officials say the death toll in grenade attack is up to 40 .
President Felipe Calderon responds to attack via his Twitter account .
Grenade attack reported at a casino in Monterrey, in northeastern Mexico .
Up to 30 people thought trapped in the casino because of debris .


(CNN) -- At least 42 people were killed and 120 injured by flash flooding and mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira, the local civil protection agency said Sunday.

An unknown number of people are still missing, the authorities told CNN. About 250 people were evacuated to military bases and other safe locations, said Pedro Barbosa of the civil protection agency.

"We have some parts where we can't go because the bridges are down," Barbosa told CNN earlier in the day, saying the numbers of victims may rise as more information comes in.

He said all the damage occurred in just a few hours Saturday morning due to "very concentrated, very intense" rains that sparked flooding and mudslides.

The mudslides and flooding damaged roads and homes in the capital, Funchal, and in Ribeira Brava, which are both on the southern portion of the Atlantic island.

Floodwaters overturned cars and knocked down trees.

Search-and-rescue teams have been reinforced, according to the Civil Protection Agency.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said "the situation is under control" and the government is offering its support to regional authorities. President Cavaco Silva expressed his condolences in a televised statement and promised to do everything to help.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is a popular resort destination. There have been no reports of any dead or missing tourists.

Barbosa said Saturday's heavy rains were the worst in Madeira since 1993, when a storm killed eight people.

Madeira is one of the Madeira Islands, an archipelago about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) southwest of the Portuguese mainland.

CNN's Al Goodman, Per Nyberg and Umaro Djau contributed to this report.

How many people died in the mudslides and flooding?

Where were the residents were evacuated to?

What  kept rescuers from reaching some parts of island?

Answer: 42

Answer: military bases and other safe locations,

Answer: bridges are down,"

Summary:
NEW: Death toll rises to 42 after mudslides, flooding strike Madeira; 120 injured .
Washed-out bridges keep rescuers from reaching some parts of island .
Hundreds of residents were evacuated to military bases and other safe locations .


(CNN) -- At least 44 people, including 23 Filipino soldiers, died Wednesday in fighting between the Philippine military and Islamic militants, the country's armed services said on Thursday. A wounded Philippine Marine receives a medal from Major Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino in Zamboanga Thursday. The fighting was sparked by military raids on Abu Sayyaf militant training camps in the villages of Silangkum and Baguindan on the southern island province of Basilan, said Steffani Cacho, public information officer for the Philippine Armed Services. Thirty to 40 militants were killed, but only 21 bodies had been recovered, the military said. Twenty-three members of the military were killed and 22 suffered injuries. The militants used the training camps to temporarily house kidnapping victims and make explosives, Cacho said, adding that high-power firearms, explosives and documents were seized in the raids. Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network, is one of several Islamic militant groups fighting the Philippine government. The group operates largely in Basilan, according to the U.S. State Department, and wants to establish a separate state for the country's minority Muslim population. The government has been fighting to contain the group, which is blamed for several terrorist attacks in the Philippines, including the bombing of a ferry in 2004 that left about 130 people dead. This year Abu Sayyaf has been implicated in the kidnappings of several Red Cross workers and journalists.

where do clashes take place?
how many were killed
who has been linked to al qaeda
When were the 40 militants killed?
what island province has been involved
what has Abu Sayyaf been linked to?
how many bodies have been recovered?

Answer: in the villages of Silangkum and Baguindan on the southern island province of Basilan,

Answer: 44 people, including 23 Filipino soldiers,

Answer: Abu Sayyaf,

Answer: Wednesday

Answer: Basilan,

Answer: al Qaeda

Answer: 21

Summary:
Thirty to 40 militants were killed, but only 21 bodies recovered, military says .
Clashes take place on the southern island province of Basilan, military says .
Abu Sayyaf has been linked to al Qaeda .


(CNN) -- At least 50 officers and civilians were feared dead after Bangladeshi paramilitary troops staged a mutiny, taking dozens of high-ranking officers and military brass hostage, the country's law minister said Thursday.

Bangladeshi soldiers take position armed with automatic weapons in Dhaka on Wednesday.

As dawn broke, the rebelling troops with the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) allowed government officials entry into the headquarters in the capital city of Dhaka -- the scene of a day-long standoff Wednesday. The troops agreed to lay down their arms after Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed to offer them amnesty.

Ministers went door to door within the compound's officers' quarters to assure frightened women and children it was safe to come out.

"Nearly 50 people have been killed in sporadic fighting in the headquarters of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)," Mohammad Quamrul Islam, state minister for law and parliamentary affairs told reporters.

In addition to military officials and BDR brass, the dead and wounded included passersby, including a rickshaw puller, struck by stray bullets during the gun battle, the Dhaka Medical College Hospital said.

CNN was not immediately able to confirm the exact casualty count, with medical officials saying a final number will come after they had a chance to comb through the premises looking for bodies.

At around 4:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. GMT) Thursday, Bangladeshi TV channels broadcast video of Home Minister Sahara Kahtun telling rebelling paramilitary officers in the room that she could assure them the government would listen to their grievances. As she spoke, officers deposited weapons and ammunition onto a table in front of her and into piles on the floor.

The video was initially broadcast on state run TV station BTV. Various private networks picked it up soon after.

The Rifles is a paramilitary force responsible primarily for guarding the country's borders. The force, more than 65,000-strong, also takes part in operations such as monitoring polls.

The troops staged their rebellion on the second day of BDR Week when officers and troop members from various BDR outposts along the border were in the capital for celebrations.

At least 5,000 -- maybe more -- BDR personnel were inside the compound in the Pilkhana area of the capital when the mutiny occurred about 7:45 a.m. local time Wednesday, said Mohammed Sajjad Haider, spokesman for the information ministry.

Their mobile phones were turned off, making it difficult for the government to get a handle on the situation, he said.

The rebelling troops were low-ranking members of the BDR, akin to infantrymen, who were angry at the way they were treated by their superiors, Haider said.

"They have several demands," Haider said. "They want pay parity with the army, they want job security, they want better food rations."

The mutiny is the most serious crisis for Bangladesh's newly elected government, which came into power in December after two years of army-backed rule.

Throughout the day and into the night, curious onlookers gathered outside the compound -- only to scramble for cover as sounds of gunfire periodically pierced the air.

Plumes of black smoke coming from inside the compound could be seen for miles throughout the capital.

Occasionally, the rebelling troops -- red bandannas covering their faces and guns slung over their shoulders -- walked past the closed gates of the compound, chanting, "We have been deprived for a long time, we have deep grievances."

"I've been hearing gunfire all morning," said Zunaid Kazi, a San Diego, California, resident who is staying at a house a few blocks from the headquarters.  Watch as Kazi describes what he saw and heard »

"There will be a little lull and then the sustained gunfire will pick up again," he said. "I can hear military helicopters in the sky. It's very rattling."

What kind of officials do the dead and wounded include?

Answer: rebelling paramilitary officers

Answer: least 50

Answer: military

Answer: assure frightened women and children it was safe to come out.

Summary:
NEW: Home minister shown assuring rebel officers their grievances would be heard .
NEW: Ministers go door to door to assure frightened women and children of safety .
NEW: Dead and wounded include military officials, BDR brass and passersby .
NEW: Rebelling troops were low-ranking members of BDR, information ministry says .


(CNN) -- At least 51 people have died and at least 21 others are missing after torrential rains and subsequent flooding pummeled the Philippines on Saturday, the government said. Filipino pedestrians in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila, brave Tropical Storm Ketsana's floodwaters. Tropical Storm Ketsana spawned the flooding, which caused at least six of the deaths in Manila, the nation's capital. Manila and the nearby province of Rizal bore the brunt of the downpour, said Gilberto Teodoro, secretary of national defense and chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Two of the dead in the capital city were victims of a wall that collapsed, he said. Five thousand people were rescued without boats, and another 3,688 were rescued with boats, he said. Another governmental official reported four injuries. "My neighborhood rarely gets a bad flooding and I guess this is the worst," said CNN iReporter Jv Abellar from Quezon City, Philippines. "Traversing through the flood is like walking through rapids." In all, 41,205 people had sought refuge in 92 evacuation centers, Teodoro said. By 8:30 a.m. Sunday (8:30 p.m. Saturday ET), the torrential rains ended and slight rainfall was reported. Some roads in the capital metropolitan area had reopened, but "we do not encourage people to travel these roads," Teodoro told CNN in a telephone interview. "They can be a hindrance to efficient relief and rescue operations." The federal government began massive relief efforts to aid the local governments, and set up aid centers addressing pressing problems such as sanitation and water purification. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered pay parking lots at malls in Manila to be opened so motorists can leave their cars there without charge, Teodoro said. iReport.com: Share images of Philippines flooding Manila's Nino Aquino International Airport and nearly all of the country's other international airports had reopened, he said. Though the Philippines is no stranger to floods, Saturday's downpours approached a record, with 341 mm (13.4 inches) falling between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., he said. The average rainfall for the entire month of September is 391 mm (15.4 inches), he said.

How many people were rescued without boats?

Answer: 92

Answer: 51

Answer: 41,205

Answer: Five thousand

Answer: subsequent flooding

Summary:
NEW: .
More than 50 are dead in Philippines in flooding from Tropical Storm Ketsana .
5,000 rescued without boats, another 3,688 rescued with boats, official says .
In all, 41,205 people sought refuge in 92 evacuation centers, official says .