Waxahachie, Texas (CNN) -- Preliminary air quality tests show "no threat to the public" from a massive fire at a Texas chemical plant Monday, city and federal officials said.

Waxahachie Fire Chief David Hudgins said authorities believe that the fire "overran the sprinkler system," and it sent thick plumes of smoke high into the sky hours after it started. There were no flames visible by late afternoon, though by then the blaze might have discharged dangerous substances into the air, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

That prompted EPA staff to dispatch air monitors to test for toxic vapors. Around 4:45 p.m. (5:45 p.m. EST), Waxahachie city spokeswoman Amy Hollywood said initial tests did not indicate any danger to those in the area. That assessment was later confirmed by EPA official Nicolas Brescia.

"We have not seen any significant level that would cause a public health concern," Brescia told reporters.

Brescia said that tests conducted from flights over and around the fire detected small amounts of two chemicals, but nothing that would be considered dangerous to anyone outside the immediate vicinity of the fire. A statement from his federal agency also indicated that "ground-level portable sampling devices did not show elevated toxic chemicals."

Earlier, Dave Bary -- a Dallas-based spokesman for the EPA -- said the most prevalent chemical that the company had documented, and produced on site, was anhydrous ammonia.

The EPA official said earlier Monday that 48,630 pounds of the chemical, which creates a toxic vapor downwind when released, have been reported at the site. It was not known how much of the chemical was released into the air during the fire.

Officials ordered the evacuation of a school, an apartment building and other industrial sites within an eight-block radius of the plant, said Diana Buckley, an official with Ellis County government. A shelter-in-place advisory is in effect for some smaller nearby towns northwest of the city, including Red Oak, she said.

"Everybody is out and safe," Donald Golden, environmental health and safety manager for Magnablend Inc., the plant's owner, said of employees and visitors to the plant.

The plant stores and mixes numerous chemicals, said Amy Hollywood, a city spokeswoman.

Images transmitted by CNN affiliates KTVT and WFAA showed orange flames devouring buildings and licking at tanker cars parked at the edge of the Magnablend plant, which is about 30 miles south of Dallas.

Firefighters had pulled back and were using ladder trucks to spray water on the fire, Hollywood said.

Multiple fire departments were on the scene. One of the them, the Midlothian Fire Department, reported that chemicals had been released in the fire, but no additional details were immediately available.

Officials have said burning liquid continued to fuel the flames hours after it began, but they appeared able to wrestle the fire under control by early Monday evening.

There was no immediate word on the cause on the fire, Golden said. No one was injured in the fire, Hudgins said.

The nearby Wedgeworth Elementary School was evacuated, a school district official confirmed. Students were being taken to a school across town, school officials said.

Navarro College's Waxahachie campus also evacuated, a receptionist confirmed. Southwestern Assemblies of God University, which is on the other side of town from the chemical plant, was keeping people inside but had not evacuated, spokeswoman Christina Freeze said.

Magnablend produces custom chemicals for a variety of industries, including oil, agriculture, pet and animal feed, water treatment, construction and industrial cleaning companies, according to its website.

Anhydrous ammonia is a clear, colorless gas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, ingestion, eye contact and skin contact.

CNN's Ed Lavandera and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

What chemicals are produced at the plant?

What chemical was produced by the plant?

Answer: elevated toxic chemicals."

Answer: "no threat to the public"

Answer: anhydrous ammonia.

Answer: the most prevalent chemical that the company had documented, and produced on site, was anhydrous ammonia.

Answer: anhydrous ammonia.

Answer: David Hudgins

Answer: anhydrous ammonia.

Summary:
NEW: The EPA says ground-level air tests don't "show elevated toxic chemicals"
A city official says that any released toxins appear to pose "no threat to the public"
The Waxahachie fire chief says the fire overran the plant's sprinkler system .
A main chemical produced at the plant was anhydrous ammonia, an EPA official says .


West Point, New York (CNN) -- President Obama said Tuesday that the deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan is part of a strategy to reverse the Taliban's momentum and stabilize the country's government. "There is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum," Obama said at the U.S. Military Academy. "Al Qaeda has not re-emerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe-havens along the border. "And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. ... In short, the status quo is not sustainable." Obama said he'd begin sending the additional troops "at the fastest pace possible" starting in early 2010 "with a goal of starting to withdraw forces from the country in July 2011." The president said additional U.S. forces bolstered by NATO troops "will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces." Senior administration officials said Tuesday that Obama has a goal of withdrawing most U.S. forces by the end of his current term, which ends in January 2013. Watch what the new troops will do in Afghanistan It will be the second increase of U.S. forces in the war-torn Islamic country ordered by Obama since he took office in January. In his speech Tuesday, Obama said his strategy had three objectives: • Deny al Qaeda a safe haven • Reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow Afghanistan's government • Strengthen Afghanistan's security forces and government The additional troops was one way to achieve these, he said. Other strategies will include holding Afghan government leaders accountable for corruption, focus assistance on areas that could help the lives of Afghans, and securing the country's border with Pakistan. "We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border," Obama said. The president said he rejected the option of committing more forces for an undefined mission of nation-building without any deadlines. "I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests," Obama said. "Furthermore, the absence of a timeframe for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan." Obama rejected analogies with the war in Vietnam that divided America in the 1960s and 1970s. "Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action," Obama said. "Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border." Obama said the U.S. has no interest in occupying Afghanistan. "We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens," Obama said. "And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect -- to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron." Obama spoke to an audience of West Point cadets, staff and guests in outlining his strategy that he has deliberated for months, meeting several times with his national security team. He recognized that some in the audience had fought in Afghanistan, and some would be deployed in the future. "As your commander in chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of

What did the president say the goals were

Who will the troops fight while out on deployment?

Answer: 30,000 additional

Answer: part of a strategy to reverse the Taliban's momentum and stabilize the country's government.

Answer: to Afghanistan is part of a strategy to reverse the Taliban's momentum and stabilize the country's government.

Answer: 30,000

Answer: withdrawing most U.S. forces by the end of his current term,

Answer: Taliban

Summary:
30,000 troops to be deployed within six months, President Obama says .
Obama: More troops would quicken transfer of responsibility to Afghanistan .
Obama wants most U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in 3 years, officials say .
President: Goals are to deny al Qaeda a safe haven and reverse Taliban's momentum .


West Vancouver, British Columbia (CNN) -- It's more than two hours before snowboard practice begins, two hours before Robert Beck will take his first picture, and he is trudging up the steep icy slope that is one lip of the halfpipe.

Temperatures are just above freezing on Cypress Mountain, and Beck, a Sports Illustrated photographer for 24 years, is steadily ambling up the hill to stake out his position near the top. The climb is just 160 meters, but try doing it with a 50- or 60-pound pack on your back and a bad knee repaired just three weeks ago.

It's going to be worth it; Beck knows precisely where he needs to be to get the perfect picture when the overwhelming gold medal favorite Shaun White performs.

For the next nine hours Beck won't leave his spot -- he's not allowed to come back down until the competition is over -- so he has a bag full of equipment and provisions. He carries three camera bodies, four lenses, several radios to remotely trigger cameras and a bunch of Cliff bars. (McDonald's might sponsor these Games, but there's no Golden Arches on the hill).

See 19 of Robert Beck's amazing SI photos from the Winter Games

He knows where to be to get the shot he wants because Beck and his assistant, Kohjiro "Kojo" Kinno have been photographing White for months, learning his every move and tendency.

For instance, Beck knows the best time to shoot a close-up of White is during his first practice run because the snowboarder doesn't go as high then.

They went to three World Cup events and the X Games, shooting White and his competitors in preparation for the Olympics. Then once in Vancouver it was off to every practice to test out different angles to shoot.

"We're trying to frame it just right," Beck said on the drive from his hotel to the venue. "On their tricks, snowboarders are spinning so fast. Sometimes you never see their faces. You don't want to get pictures of rear ends or the bottom of the board. We want to get their faces if we can."

Beck, who has more than 50 Sports Illustrated covers to his credit, is frustrated even before he climbs the hill. Kinno is an important part of the "we" he talks about. Kinno has been there for him for nearly seven years, handing him the right equipment, fixing things when they go wonky, running cards back to the work area and often being the voice of reason. But that won't happen today because officials wouldn't give Kinno a photographer's armband. He's not even allowed to shoot pictures from a lower area of the venue.

It's almost like a pitcher without his catcher, though the understated Kinno often is the one who shakes Beck off. And then there's the eye roll. They have this way of disagreeing that only longtime friends can have. There's often disagreement, Kinno says, but they always come to an understanding.

On this Wednesday at the halfpipe, Kinno will have to stay in front of a laptop all day, trying patiently to wait for runners to bring him the cards from the cameras. At least he has company. John Birk, photographer Al Tielemans' assistant, can't go with his photographer either. Tielemans will spot up on the other side of the pipe while photographer Bob Martin will be positioned at the bottom.

Just before setting off for the hill, Beck gets a call from Steve Fine, SI's director of photography. Fine has a request for Beck to get White at a certain angle. Beck's sure he can't and tells Fine that he has a great shot in mind, looking up the pipe as White soars into action. Fine likes that but wants to have one with the crowd in the background. Beck and Kinno agree; it's not a clean shot from where Beck will be, but they can try and see what Fine says.

You'd think that Beck can call the shots, so to speak, and send in his favorites

How long has Robert Beck been a photographer

Who has been a photographer with Sports Illustrated?

Answer: 24 years,

Answer: Sports Illustrated photographer

Answer: Robert Beck

Answer: Robert Beck

Answer: Cypress

Answer: Robert Beck

Summary:
Robert Beck has been a photographer with Sports Illustrated for 24 years .
His assignment at the Winter Olympics: Shoot events at Cypress Mountain .
To prepare for shooting halfpipe, Beck and assistant went to several events beforehand .
Beck took 1,400 pictures in one day, not sure if any will make the magazine .


What the heck are triglycerides? If you don't know, you have plenty of company. One in every three Americans has high triglyceride levels, which elevate risk of heart disease and early death. The fatty particles found in your blood are important for heart health, but don't get nearly as much attention as, say, cholesterol. Now a new study suggests that there's a good chance that your triglycerides are in the unhealthy zone, whether you know what they are or not. About one-third of American adults have triglyceride levels that are borderline or too high, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published Monday in Archives of Internal Medicine. "I see it as a major problem that we've completely ignored this problem so far," said Dr. Børge Nordestgaard of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Nordestgaard has conducted research linking high triglyceride levels to cardiovascular disease and early death, but was not involved in the CDC research. "Everyone in clinical practice seemed to be so focused on LDL, LDL, LDL [bad cholesterol], people tended to forget triglycerides." he said. Being too heavy, getting too little activity, drinking lots of alcohol and eating lots of saturated fat can all add up to higher triglyceride levels because the body stores excess calories as triglycerides. Health.com: Fats to eat, fats to avoid Triglycerides are a third type of fatty particle found in the blood, along with LDL cholesterol and HDL (also known as good) cholesterol. People taking certain medications or those who have diabetes or a genetic condition can have high triglycerides. Health.com: What cholesterol tests reveal about your heart's health Nordestgaard said that high triglycerides are as dangerous as high cholesterol levels as a risk marker for heart disease and early death. "There's a really big potential for further prevention of heart disease and strokes by getting more focused on that," he said.  Health.com: How stress can trigger heart problems The problem: Right now, the best way to attack high triglycerides is by losing weight, eating more healthily, and becoming more active-- a tall order for many of us. In the new report, Dr. Earl Ford of the CDC, and his colleagues looked at a nationally representative group of 5,610 people 20 and older. They found that 33.1 percent had triglyceride levels above 150 milligrams per deciliter, while 17.9 percent had levels above 200 milligrams per deciliter, 1.7 percent had levels of 500 milligrams per deciliter or above, and 0.4 percent had levels higher than 1,000 milligrams per deciliter. Triglycerides of 150 to 199 milligrams per deciliter are considered borderline high and anything above 200 milligrams per deciliter is considered too high. Men were more likely than women to have high triglycerides, while whites were at greater risk than African Americans and Mexican Americans. Very high triglyceride levels can cause inflammation of the pancreas. Although there's increasing evidence that elevated triglycerides are associated with cardiovascular disease and early death, no one has yet shown that treating high triglyceride levels reduces cardiovascular disease, according to an editorial by Dr. Warren G. Thompson and Dr. Gerald T. Gau of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Rochester, Minnesota. Lifestyle changes-- exercising, losing weight, swapping healthy fats for unhealthy ones, and the like-- are the treatment of choice right now for people with triglyceride levels between 150 milligrams per deciliter and 500 milligrams per deciliter . According to the National Cholesterol Education Panel, higher-risk people with triglyceride levels falling in this range may also need medication. Beyond lifestyle changes, treatments for high triglycerides include statins, fibrates, niacin, and fish oil. But while fibrates reduce the risk of cardiovascular events like stroke and heart attack, Thompson and Gau note, they don't reduce mortality and actually increase the risk of death from non-heart-related causes; they are only recommended for people with triglycerides above 1,000 milligrams per deciliter. "What we really need scientifically, we need companies to come up with drugs that are more efficient at particularly reducing triglycerides," said Nordestgaard. He usually recommends that people try statins first if lifestyle changes are not enough-- as do Thompson

What fraction of Americans has high triglycerides?

What can high triglyceride levels cause?

What are the ill effects of high triglycerides?

What ratio of Americans have high triglyceride levels?

Answer: heart health,

Answer: One in every three

Answer: fatty particles found in your blood

Answer: triglycerides

Answer: heart disease and early death.

Answer: heart disease

Answer: are a third type of fatty particle found in the blood,

Answer: One in every three

Summary:
Fatty particles called triglycerides are important for heart health .
One in every three Americans has high triglyceride levels, according to CDC .
High triglyceride levels can cause pancreatic inflammation, heart disease death .


While I am looking forward to being back on the air in June, there is something I want to share with people that cannot wait. I want to tell you about Kai Anderson. Kai is a 5-year-old boy who lives in my neighborhood in New York City. Kai has a rare form of leukemia. Kai Anderson has a rare form of leukemia. This little boy's best hope lies in a bone marrow transplant. His only hope is a bone marrow transplant and he desperately needs to find a match. As if Kai's family weren't going through enough, his father was diagnosed with a very rare form of lymphoma -- that's two cancers in this one family. Our community in downtown Manhattan has mobilized to try to find a bone marrow match for Kai. We are asking people to consider taking a very quick and test. I have done it. It just involves a q-tip swab in the cheek. If you are a match, donating bone marrow can be a simple outpatient procedure. I encourage you to visit www.hopeforkai.com to learn more. This is a heartbreaking story and a family that truly needs our help. -- Campbell Brown

What is the way he can cure his leukemia?

Answer: bone marrow transplant.

Answer: a rare form of leukemia.

Answer: 5-year-old

Answer: a rare form of leukemia.

Answer: bone marrow transplant.

Summary:
5-year-old Kai Anderson has a rare form of leukemia .
To cure it, he needs a bone marrow transplant .
Click here for information on bone marrow drives in Kai's honor .


White Plains, New York (CNN) -- Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik on Thursday pleaded guilty to charges of lying to Bush administration officials who vetted his unsuccessful 2004 nomination to be homeland security secretary. Kerik admitted to eight counts as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, who are recommending a 27- to 33-month prison term. U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson set Kerik's sentencing for February 18. In court papers, prosecutors said Kerik denied to a White House official that there was "any possible concern" about his relationships with the contractors involved in renovations to his apartment or that he had any financial dealings with prospective city contractors. Kerik, 54, had been scheduled to go to trial next week on a variety of corruption charges, including allegations that he received and concealed benefits of about $255,000 in renovations to his Riverdale, New York, apartment from a company seeking to do business with the city of New York. He pleaded guilty to that charge and several tax-related counts during Thursday morning's hearing. Robinson said he would take into account Kerik's life and career, which he said "included good" as well as wrongdoing. Kerik put his head in his hands at that point. Kerik has spent the past two weeks in jail after a judge revoked his bail. According to court papers released in late October, he violated the terms of his bail by leaking confidential evidence about his case to a lawyer who published the material online. Kerik served as New York police commissioner from 1998 to 2002 -- a tenure that included the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack that destroyed the World Trade Center and killed more than 2,700 people. He spent a brief stint in Iraq training the country's police force after the U.S. invasion in 2003, and was nominated by President George W. Bush for the post of homeland security secretary in 2004. However, he withdrew from consideration after allegations surfaced that he employed a nanny whose immigration status was murky. In 2006, Kerik pleaded guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts while he worked as city corrections commissioner, but under a plea agreement he paid $221,000 in fines and avoided jail time. His admission dogged the 2008 presidential campaign of his longtime patron, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said his endorsement of Kerik had been "a mistake." Kerik made an unsuccessful appeal for clemency to Bush in late 2008, according to court papers released in October. CNN's Mary Snow and Julian Cummings contributed to this report.

How long of sentence did the prosecutors recommend?

When will the NYPD commissioner be sentenced?

Answer: 27- to 33-month

Answer: February 18.

Answer: Former New York Police Commissioner

Answer: lying to Bush administration officials

Summary:
Prosecutors recommend 27- to 33-month sentence for Bernard Kerik .
Former NYPD commissioner to be sentenced on February 18 .
Kerik had been scheduled to go on trial next week on several corruption charges .
He also indicated he would admit tax violations as part of a plea deal .


Wichita, Kansas (CNN) -- In situations like the dire humanitarian crisis that has followed Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, we all are forced to witness what is the sometimes painful truth behind the cliché about it taking a village to raise a child. In the tragedy unfolding before us now, it will take a global village.

President Obama and former presidents, along with other leaders and representatives of humanitarian organizations, have reminded us of this. We would like to add our own small, humble contribution to the efforts under way around the world to help the people of Haiti.

In particular, we would like to draw your attention to the many children who were living in Haitian orphanages when the earthquake hit. As we have heard from professionals devoted to children's issues, children are among the most vulnerable segments of a population subject to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. It is not hard to imagine that orphans living in institutional care might often be even more vulnerable.

Watch couple's interview with Anderson Cooper

Right now, orphanages across Port-au-Prince are struggling to provide the most basic necessities to the children in their care. But right now, all Haitians in the capital are struggling to do this.

What makes Haiti's orphans different is that they have no families to take care of them, and no hope of reuniting with their families. Except for the orphanages' staff members, most of whom have families of their own to which they rightly must divide their attention, these children have no one.

iReport: Looking for loved ones in Haiti

Our adoptive son, Alexander, is one of the children without a family. He was left, just hours after his birth, near a hospital in Cité Soleil and, with the permission of Haiti's Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches, brought to one of the homes of the Brebis de Saint-Michel de L'Attalaye orphanage in Port-au-Prince.

He was named after one of the American volunteers, Alison McMutrie, who works alongside Haitian staff to care for orphaned children. Ti Ali, or Little Ali, is 17 months old, and Big Ali is about 21.

Ali and the rest of the BRESMA staff have been the only family Alexander has ever known. And although we will never know for sure, especially not after the earthquake, anything about her, we firmly believe that his birth mother loved Alexander and did what was in her power to ensure that he would have a brighter future than she could provide.

Hers was, we believe, an act of sacrifice, but it was also an act of hope and trust -- hope that the world would be kind to Alexander, perhaps even despite her own experience, and trust that someone would love him as much as she does.

Though she will never know us, the faith that she has placed, even indirectly, in us is quite simply astounding.

Or at least it was until Tuesday. Now, we imagine that we share another bond with her: We would willingly make whatever personal sacrifice we have to to save Alexander's life. As parents who are adopting across national, linguistic and cultural boundaries, we are sensitive to all of the complicated issues that arise in international adoption, and we support both the integrity of Haitian families and the commitment to finding loving homes for children who are in need of them.

Since being matched with Alexander in April, we have traveled to Haiti four times to get to know him and the country of his birth. Each successive trip impressed upon us more and more the dignity of the Haitian people and the sense of commitment they show for each other.

From what we have seen of the people of Haiti when we have been there with Alex, they care deeply about all children -- orphans and those still living with their families. Many likely would help the orphans through this crisis if they could, but they simply cannot.

As Alexander's mother put her trust in the people who, as fate would have it, turned out to be us, we are placing our trust in others to join our

What happens in haiti?
what country is this happening in

Answer: earthquake

Answer: Haiti,

Summary:
In Haiti crisis, children are most vulnerable and orphans most of all .
Authors are in the process of adopting Alexander, a 17-month-old orphan in Port-au-Prince .
Children in Haitian orphanages need to be evacuated, according to staff of institution .
Priority is saving the life of Alexander and his fellow orphans, the authors say .


Wichita, Kansas (CNN) -- Major King remembers a time before the abortion debate came to his hometown, a time when Wichita, Kansas, was known as the air capital of the world.

Manufacturers such as Learjet, Cessna and Beechcraft were the backbone of a tight-knit community where God-fearing folks like King would canoe after school in the Arkansas River and drag the streets "in slick cars with a nice-looking honey" on weekends.

Times have changed, says King, 70, a retired oil refinery worker who also spent time at Cessna.

"Now, Wichita's known as the abortion capital of the world."

It's a label shunned by many Wichitans, regardless of their views on abortion. They'd rather be known for the restaurants and entertainment venues, quality schools and affordable housing that make Wichita one of the nation's "best-kept secrets," King says.

But the May 31, 2009, slaying of Dr. George Tiller, a prominent abortion provider gunned down in church during Sunday services, focused national attention back on Wichita and its role in one of the most divisive legal and social controversies of our times.

It faded for a time, as Tiller's death led to the closure of Wichita's last abortion clinic, and activists on both sides shifted their focus elsewhere. But the trial of Tiller's admitted shooter, Scott Roeder, again stirred talk of abortion in the bars and coffee shops of a city where most have steeled themselves for years against noisy protests and graphic images of fetuses.

Roeder was convicted Friday of first-degree murder. After the jury's swift verdict -- they deliberated for just  37 minutes -- many in Wichita are hoping the abortion controversy will fade.

"After he receives his sentence on March 9 --  preferably the Hard 50, as District Attorney Nola Foulston is requesting -- he'll also get the consequence. And then may we never hear from him again," blogged an editorial writer for the local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle.

"Maybe this will get things back to normal now, seeing as there's not much reason for abortion to be such a big issue now that the trial's over," King says. "And, now there is no more abortion in Wichita, either, because the doctor is gone."

To Troy Macormac, Tiller's death already signified the end of Wichita's reputation as the world's abortion capital, albeit through deplorable means.

"I'm really not for abortion ... so it's kind of a fence-riding deal," says Macormac, a brick mason who grew up in Wichita. "But I feel he has a right to have a business and provide for his family and take care of his business the way he wants to take care of it. That's his right as being an American."

For years, demonstrators maintained a constant presence outside Tiller's Women's Health Services clinic, a nondescript, cream-colored building of cement and brick facing Kellogg Avenue -- the city's major east-west corridor.

"People got tired," says Lorrie Donham, a middle school science teacher. "The only way it really affected me was when I'd have to drive down Kellogg with my young daughters and have them be exposed to these grotesque, brutal images."

The turmoil also spread to Tiller's congregation at Reformation Lutheran Church, where he was ultimately shot to death.

"They knew what service Dr. Tiller generally attended and they would come out there full-blown with their babies in arms and huge imagery of damaged fetuses," said Teresa Mora, a member of the congregation who identifies herself as pro-choice.

"It got to the point we had to set up partitions so children could exit family vehicles and go into church without having to be exposed to so much of that imagery."

Frosted glass was installed on the church's windows, added Mora.

The controversy made Tiller a symbol of hope for the abortion rights movement and a formidable foe of abortion opponents. He received repeated death threats and

What does mark end of Wichita's reputation?

Who was convicted of killing Dr. George Tiller?

Answer: Tiller's death

Answer: Roeder

Answer: Wichita, Kansas

Answer: Friday

Answer: Scott Roeder,

Summary:
Some say abortion provider's death marks end of Wichita's reputation as "abortion capital"
Scott Roeder was convicted  Friday of killing abortion provider Dr. George Tiller .
The shooting stirred emotions among residents who had wearied of the abortion debate .


Willow, Alaska (CNN) -- The 2010 Iditarod is officially under way, with 71 mushers and dog teams on the wide-open trail toward Nome. Teams will spend the next week and a half crossing 1,049 miles through some of the most demanding and formidable conditions on Earth, including North America's largest mountain chain, the Alaska range. "Ten days and nothing else but eat, sleep and feed dogs," Canadian musher Sebastian Schnuelle said excitedly. The sport has been dominated in recent years by Lance Mackey, 39, of Fairbanks, Alaska, and this year he will be trying to accomplish what no musher in history has been able to do: win four consecutive Iditarods. Mackey is a throat cancer survivor and is known for his fierce determination and competitive spirit. He comes from family of Alaskan mushing champions. His father, Dick Mackey, and brother Rick have also won the Iditarod. Dick Mackey's one-second win over Rick Swenson in 1978 set a record for the closest finish in Iditarod history. The Iditarod, though, isn't a competitive sprint to the finish for every musher in the field. Jim Lanier, 69, of Chugiak, Alaska, mushes primarily for enjoyment. He's entered and completed 13 Iditarods, at least one in all four decades the race has been in existence. He has never won. Rookie Iditarod musher Kristy Berington admits that she's not racing to win; she just hopes to finish. Her longest race prior to entering this year's Iditarod was only 300 miles. "I've got puppies on this team that I want to see get to Nome. It's like watching your kid graduate from college," said the 25-year-old Kasilof, Alaska, resident. "They go and they're puppies, and they come back and they're dogs." She has been training with Iditarod veteran Paul Gebhardt and has borrowed one of his dog teams to lead her to Nome. Outside of personal accomplishments and goals, the race this year also presents an opportunity for some mushers to show their respect to fallen serviceman, thanks to a collaboration with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Always a top competitor in the race, four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser of Big Lake, Alaska, has six commemorative purple ribbons attached to his sled this year, placed there at the ceremonial start by the wives of the fallen soldiers and officers. Buser, who was born in Switzerland in 1958, became a U.S. citizen in 2002. "After the 9/11 incident, I proved to my boys that this is the soil I wanted to defend ... so being asked to do such honors as these are very, very important to me because I'm truly one of the new immigrants and one of the staunches believers in our country," he said. Buser was naturalized under the famous burled arch in Nome at the finish line of the 2002 Iditarod. He carried an American flag in his sled for more than 1,000 miles to the finish line that year and set an Iditarod record for the shortest race time ever recorded: 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds. His two sons are even named after Iditarod checkpoints: Nikolai and Rohn. The 2010 Iditarod musher's roster includes men and women ages 18 to 69 who hail from five countries: the United States, Canada, Scotland, Belgium and Jamaica. Some are professional mushers who raise and train sled dogs year-round; others are teachers, nurses, horse trainers, foresters or biologists. A doctor and a fishing guide also are included, among other professions. Asked to explain why mushers are drawn to this sport, four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King of Denali Park, Alaska, took time to reflect before answering. "Until you've ridden a dog team you've trained from puppies on a full moon with a hard trail and feel their energy and hear the panting of their tongues, the jingle of their collars, feel the surge of power that comes through the handlebar, I don't think you can appreciate what it's really like,"

Who will be trying for his fourth consecutive win?

The Alaskan sled dog race begins with how many teams?

Answer: four consecutive Iditarods.

Answer: Lance Mackey,

Answer: 71

Answer: 2010

Answer: Lance Mackey,

Answer: 71

Answer: 71

Summary:
38th year of famed Alaskan sled dog race begins with 71 teams .
Lance Mackey will be trying for fourth consecutive win .
"It's like watching your kid graduate from college," musher says of completing .


With the annual post-Thanksgiving multiplex malaise setting in and just one big new movie (Punisher: War Zone, which I'll get to later ... uh, much later) in theaters, the box office results remarkably resembled those of a week ago. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn star in "Four Christmases," which stayed at No. 1. So, yep, you guessed it: Four Christmases was No. 1 with $18.2 million, according to Sunday's estimates. That brings the holiday comedy's two-week sum to a sweet $70.8 million -- and it restores my confidence in Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as box office draws. For now, at least. The rest of the top five is comprised of the same movies we've been seeing for a while now. Twilight moved back up to the No. 2 spot with a tidy $13.2 million haul; its three-week sum is $138.6 million. Bolt (No. 3) followed with $9.7 million, a huge and surprising 64 percent decline from its impressive Thanksgiving weekend sum. Australia declined 53 percent to bank $7 million at No. 4. And Quantum of Solace (No. 5) grossed $6.6 million and crossed the $500 million mark worldwide. Among major new releases, the biggest was hardly the baddest: Punisher: War Zone (No. 8) grossed a mere $4 million in 2,508 theaters, a tally that's way off from the $13.8 million that The Punisher premiered with in 2004. More punishment: The Marvel franchise reboot failed to defeat even last week's action disappointment, Transporter 3 which was No. 7 with $4.5 million. Ouch! Meanwhile, the other sorta-substantial new movie, Cadillac Records (No. 9), fared a bit better, bringing in a decent $3.5 million in 686 locations. But the indie drama Nobel Son failed to take any prize (except, perhaps, that of Box Office Flop of the Week), grossing just $370,575 in 893 venues -- a redonkulously low average of $415 per theater. Nay, the only real news of note came in the ultra-limited-release sphere, where the buzzy drama Frost/Nixon debuted with a tremendous $60,049 average in three theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto. The Oscar contender will roll out wider in the coming weeks. Overall, the slow box office was actually up more than 6 percent from the same, even slower frame a year ago, when The Golden Compass produced disappointing returns. That makes this the fifth straight "up" weekend of the fall season, and all things considered, it should be enough to spread some holiday cheer in Hollywood. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly

What maintained its No. 1 spot with an estimated $18.2 million?

Who declined 53 percent to bank $7 million?

Answer: Four Christmases

Answer: Australia

Answer: No. 2

Answer: $70.8 million

Answer: Box Office

Answer: Australia

Answer: Twilight

Summary:
Four Christmases maintained its No. 1 spot with an estimated $18.2 million .
Twilight moved back up to the No. 2 spot with a tidy $13.2 million haul .
Australia declined 53 percent to bank $7 million at the No. 4 slot .


Woodbridge, Virginia (CNN)  -- The police photograph is chilling. In grainy black and white tones, it shows 13-year-old Martin Andrews sitting in a makeshift box, his leg chained. The look in his eyes is one of fear, fatigue and disbelief. He had just been rescued from a nightmare.

"I was abducted by a sexually violent predator by the name of Richard Ausley, who had been twice convicted for sexually assaulting young boys, and he had taken me for eight days," Andrews recalled of his ordeal 37 years ago this month. "I was left to die."

As a survivor of a sex crime, Andrews is one face of an issue the Supreme Court will revisit Tuesday: civil commitment, which allows the government to keep sex offenders in custody even after they have served their sentences. Twenty states have such laws, including Virginia, where Andrews was held captive and repeatedly assaulted.

CNN normally doesn't name victims of sex crimes, but Andrews, now a victims' advocate, agreed to tell his story.

On the other side of the debate is the first sex offender released from Virginia's civil commitment program, and one of just a handful nationwide.

"I served my time for what I did, and I didn't feel like I should be incarcerated again," said this man, who asked that his identity not be revealed for fear of retribution. "It was a scary thing to know that you could be committed to a mental institution for the rest of your life."

The man said mandatory therapy helped him, but he thinks that could have been initiated while he was in prison.

There is widespread disagreement on whether civil commitment is a Catch-22. In discussions of the effects of sex crimes, nothing is simple or dispassionate.

The practice of confinement in mental hospitals or treatment centers for those with severe mental illness has been around the United States since its founding. Around the turn of the 20th century, many laws dealing with sexual psychopaths were passed. Over the decades, the laws were repealed or rarely applied.

Then, in 1990, Washington state became the first to pass an innovative civil commitment law specifically for violent sex offenders. California, Wisconsin and New York, among others, later followed. Such "predator laws" focused on risk assessment and prevention of re-offending. It is a concept that the general public may not be aware exists.

The Supreme Court has upheld the use of such laws when the individual goal is rehabilitation, not further "punishment." But it has another, broader purpose.

"The primary goal is incapacitation, that is, protecting society from people who are predicted to be dangerous in the future," said Eric Janus, author of "Failure to Protect" and dean at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. "The second goal is to provide treatment to these individuals."

Critics of these programs say behavioral rehabilitation centers amount to prisons, are often overcrowded and understaffed, and rarely meet the stated goal of treating the "worst of the worst" offenders to the point they can rejoin society.

"The evidence is showing that it's only becoming a detainment center for people they do not went on the streets," said Derek Logue, a sex offender who was released and now advocates for offender rights through his Web site, oncefallen.com. "They have no hope of getting out, and the odds are stacked against you."

According to Justice Department statistics, 20 states use civil confinement, involving about 4,000 rapists, pedophiles and other sex offenders nationwide. Estimates are that these programs cost taxpayers more than $700 million a year, almost $150,000 per individual. That is about four times more than confining them in prison.

Virginia passed its civil commitment law in 1999 but had never fully funded it. Andrews found out from a reporter in 2002 that his attacker was just weeks away from being released after 29 years behind bars. Once a victim, now an empowered advocate, Andrews realized he had to act.

"I didn't know

Which court will hear the case?
What comes before the US Supreme Court?
What does the law allow?
What are critics saying?
What do critics say of such programs?

Answer: Supreme

Answer: civil commitment, which allows the government to keep sex offenders in custody even after they have served their sentences.

Answer: the government to keep sex offenders in custody even after they have served their sentences.

Answer: behavioral rehabilitation centers amount to prisons, are often overcrowded and understaffed,

Answer: behavioral rehabilitation centers amount to prisons, are often overcrowded and understaffed, and rarely meet the stated goal of treating the "worst of the worst" offenders to the point they can rejoin society.

Summary:
Case on civil commitment laws comes before U.S. Supreme Court .
Laws allows sex offenders to be held even after they finish criminal sentences .
Victim says civil commitment not best tool but effective for now .
Critics of such programs say treatment facilities amount to prison .


YANAGAWA, Japan (CNN) -- Wearing a Nashville School of Law T-shirt, Christopher Savoie walked into a second-floor police interrogation room. In one corner, a stopwatch was running to hold him to the 15 minutes allotted for the interview. A Tennessee court awarded Christopher Savoie custody of his son, Isaac, and daughter, Rebecca. "I'm so scared," he said. Savoie chose his words carefully, lest police Officer Toshihiro Tanaka cut short the rare interview Savoie was granted with CNN on Thursday. There were so many rules: No recording devices. No tough questions. Speak only in Japanese. "I want Americans to know what's happening to me," Savoie continued in Japanese. "I didn't do anything wrong. Children have the right to see both parents. It's very important for my children to know both parents." But Japanese authorities disagree. They have charged Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, with kidnapping his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife, Noriko, was walking them to school Monday in Yanagawa, a rural town in southern Japan.  Watch what else Savoie had to say » He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate, in the city of Fukuoka, to try to obtain passports for the children, screaming at the guards to let him in the compound. He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil. Japanese police, alerted by his estranged wife, arrested him. The Savoies were divorced in Tennessee in January after 14 years of marriage. Christopher Savoie had visitation rights with his children, but after he returned from a short summer trip, his estranged wife fled to Japan with the children, according to court documents. A United States court then granted sole custody to Savoie.  Watch why the case is complicated » Japanese law, however, recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian, regardless of the U.S. court order. The law there also follows a tradition of sole custody divorces. When the couple splits, one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children. Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple is still considered married in Japan, because they never divorced there, police said Wednesday. And, police said, the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports. A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction. But Japan is not a party to that agreement. Savoie was out of luck. If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent, the person who took the child is considered an abductor. "Japanese people think she's the victim here," Savoie said. "In the States, my ex-wife is the one who's in the wrong." U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recognized this case as a difficult one. Even though the United States has strong ties with Japan, on this particular issue, the two nations' points of view could not differ more, he said. In Yanagawa, those who have heard about the abduction case tend to side with the woman. "They belong with their real mother," said one woman, herself a mother of two children. But most have not heard of the case, because it has not been reported in local newspapers or on television. Savoie's attorney, Tadashi Yoshino, knows the cultural divide will be hard to overcome. "He technically may have committed a crime according to Japanese law but he shouldn't be indicted," Yoshino said. "He did it for the love of his children." Savoie, a law student who already has a Ph.D. and a M.D., will spend 10 days in jail while Japanese prosecutors sort out the details of the case. In the interrogation room, Savoie appeared exhausted. Tears welled in his eyes. He glanced over at the police officer, then paused to regain composure. "I love you, Isaac, Rebecca," he said. "Your daddy loves

who was charged
What was the man charged with?
What is the citizenship of the parties?
Which nationality are all parties?
On what man has been charged for?
What differs from law in the US?
What is Japan not party to?
What type of citizens are all parties?
What was the man charged with?

Answer: Christopher Savoie

Answer: kidnapping his two children

Answer: Japanese

Answer: Japanese

Answer: kidnapping his two children

Answer: there also follows a tradition of sole custody divorces. When the couple splits, one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break

Answer: standardized laws on international child abduction.

Answer: Japanese

Answer: kidnapping his two children

Summary:
Man charged with abducting his own children denies committing breach .
Japanese custom, law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S.
Japan is not party to 1980 convention that standardized abduction laws .
All parties in current case are Japanese citizens .


YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Courts in Myanmar have sentenced a blogger, a poet and several dissidents to several years in jail for anti-regime activities, a court official told CNN Tuesday.

Young people at an Internet cafe in Myanmar.

The verdicts were announced Monday and Tuesday, the court official said.

Blogger Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to more than 20 years in jail for his illegal Internet activities, the court official said.

The blogger was a "major source of information for the outside world" when the military junta used force last year to suppress anti-government demonstrations, said The Irrawaddy, an online newspaper published by exiles from Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

The government exercises strict controls over media outlets in the southeast Asian country. Dissidents often turn to the Internet to disseminate information.

In the second case, poet Saw Wai received a two-year jail sentence for a poem he wrote for Valentine's Day that contained a veiled jab at the junta's leading figure, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.

The first words of each line in the eight-line poem, "February the Fourteenth" spelled out the message: "Senior General Than Shwe is crazy with power."

On Tuesday, the government handed down prison sentences to about a dozen members of a pro-democracy group known as the '88 Generation Students.

Irrawaddy said the members were each sentenced to 65 years in jail, but CNN could not independently confirm the figure.

Members of the group took part in the anti-government demonstrations that ended with the death of as many as 100 people last year after security forces clashed with thousands of protesters. The dead included 40 Buddhist monks.

Witnesses said the violent crackdown in September 2007 came as hundreds of monks defied a military ban on public assembly.

Until then, demonstrations led by the monks -- who are highly respected in the predominantly Buddhist country -- had gone largely unchallenged by the military, which has ruled the country since the 1960s.

The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government, and quickly escalated. The action was informally dubbed the "Saffron Revolution" because of the maroon robes with saffron sashes that the monks wore.

What are the charges?
Who was jailed in Myanmar?
What person went to jail?
Where was the court?
When were the people jailed?
who is for anti-regime activities?

Answer: anti-regime activities,

Answer: blogger, a poet and several dissidents

Answer: Nay Phone Latt

Answer: Myanmar

Answer: Tuesday,

Answer: a blogger, a poet and several dissidents

Summary: Myanmar court jails blogger, poet and dissidents for anti-regime activities .


YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Courts in Myanmar have sentenced a blogger, a poet and several dissidents to several years in jail for anti-regime activities, a court official told CNN Tuesday. Young people at an Internet cafe in Myanmar. The verdicts were announced Monday and Tuesday, the court official said. Blogger Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to more than 20 years in jail for his illegal Internet activities, the court official said. The blogger was a "major source of information for the outside world" when the military junta used force last year to suppress anti-government demonstrations, said The Irrawaddy, an online newspaper published by exiles from Myanmar, which is also known as Burma. The government exercises strict controls over media outlets in the southeast Asian country. Dissidents often turn to the Internet to disseminate information. In the second case, poet Saw Wai received a two-year jail sentence for a poem he wrote for Valentine's Day that contained a veiled jab at the junta's leading figure, Senior Gen. Than Shwe. The first words of each line in the eight-line poem, "February the Fourteenth" spelled out the message: "Senior General Than Shwe is crazy with power." On Tuesday, the government handed down prison sentences to about a dozen members of a pro-democracy group known as the '88 Generation Students. Irrawaddy said the members were each sentenced to 65 years in jail, but CNN could not independently confirm the figure. Members of the group took part in the anti-government demonstrations that ended with the death of as many as 100 people last year after security forces clashed with thousands of protesters. The dead included 40 Buddhist monks. Witnesses said the violent crackdown in September 2007 came as hundreds of monks defied a military ban on public assembly. Until then, demonstrations led by the monks -- who are highly respected in the predominantly Buddhist country -- had gone largely unchallenged by the military, which has ruled the country since the 1960s. The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government, and quickly escalated. The action was informally dubbed the "Saffron Revolution" because of the maroon robes with saffron sashes that the monks wore.

Reason that  Myanmar jailed these people?

Which country jailed blogger, poet and dissidents?

Answer: Nay Phone Latt

Answer: anti-regime activities,

Answer: Courts in Myanmar

Answer: anti-regime activities,

Answer: for anti-regime activities,

Answer: Nay Phone Latt

Answer: anti-regime

Answer: dozen members of a pro-democracy group known as the '88 Generation Students.

Answer: Myanmar

Summary: Myanmar court jails blogger, poet and dissidents for anti-regime activities .


YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and an American man who swam to her lakeside home went on trial in the military dictatorship Monday behind closed doors inside a prison compound. Soldiers guard the entrance to Insein Prison on Monday in Yangon, Myanmar. The trial is expected to last about three months, said Nyan Win, spokesman for her National League for Democracy party. Suu Kyi's lawyer asked the court to open up the hearings but was turned down because of security concerns, Win said. Police put up roadblocks on the streets leading to the Insean Prison near Yangon, with a half-dozen officers at each station. Shops around the prison were closed, according to opposition exile groups. A group of diplomats from Germany, Italy, Australia and Britain tried to pass through the barricades to attend the trial. They were stopped and turned away. "It was a way of signaling our concern at what's happening and the need for the proceedings in the court to take place in an open and transparent fashion," Britain's ambassador to Myanmar, Mark Canning, told CNN. About 100 supporters of Suu Kyi waited outside. The American visitor, John Yettaw, is charged with immigration violations and trespassing into a restrictive area, charges that carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  Watch more on Suu Kyi's trial » He is accused of staying overnight in Suu Kyi's lakeside home earlier this month, violating the conditions of her house arrest, according to the country's ruling military junta, which rarely grants her visitors. The central Missouri man was appointed a lawyer selected by the U.S. embassy, Win said. Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and two of her maids have been detained under Section 22 of the country's legal code -- a law against subversion -- according to Nyan Win, spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Suu Kyi, 63, had been scheduled to be released from house arrest later this month after being incarcerated 13 of the past 19 years. She is now being held in a specially built area of Insein Prison, where Yettaw also is detained, a U.S. Embassy official told CNN on Friday. The timing of Suu Kyi's detention raised suspicion among her supporters, who said the government's action was an excuse to extend her house arrest.  Watch former U.S. president Jimmy Carter discuss Aung San Suu Kyi » "This is the cunning plan of the regime to put Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in continuous detention beyond the six years allowed by the law they used to justify the detention of her," said the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a pro-democracy group fighting for her release. "Daw" is an honorific. The southeast Asian country was known as Burma before the military government changed it to Myanmar. Those who oppose the junta still use the old name. Suu Kyi's lawyer, U Kyi Win, blamed her prison detention on Yettaw. Local media said Yettaw, a 53-year-old former military serviceman from Falcon, Missouri, swam almost two miles across Inya Lake on May 3 and sneaked into Suu Kyi's home. Police maintain a round-the-clock presence outside the house. And swimming in the lake is forbidden. U Kyi Win told CNN that Yettaw arrived at his client's house that day and that she asked him to leave immediately. U Kyi Win said Yettaw refused to leave, first saying he didn't want to swim in daylight for fear of being captured, and later blaming leg cramps. Yettaw finally left May 5. Suu Kyi didn't tell authorities about the visit because she didn't want Yettaw or anyone else to get in trouble, Win said, nothing that several of her party members and supporters are already in jail. He added that Yettaw would likely be in the courtroom during the trial. Little else is known about Yettaw's role in the Myanmar incident or his intentions, apart from local media reports that said Yettaw, a diabetic, told Suu Kyi's two housekeepers he was tired and hungry after

Who called the charges an excuse to extend her house arrest?

Who is charged with trespassing into a restrictive area?

Who was scheduled to end 13 years of house arrest?

How many years was has Suu Kyi been under house arrest?

Answer: supporters,

Answer: Aung San Suu Kyi

Answer: John Yettaw,

Answer: Suu Kyi,

Answer: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Answer: 13

Answer: immigration violations and trespassing into a restrictive area,

Answer: John Yettaw,

Summary:
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on trial with U.S. man .
John Yettaw is charged with trespassing into restrictive area .
Suu Kyi's supporters call charges an excuse to extend her house arrest .
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was scheduled to end 13 years of house arrest .


YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the stand for the first time Tuesday and told a Myanmar court that she did not violate her house arrest when she offered temporary shelter to an American man who swam to her lakeside home. People of Myanmar living in Japan protest for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi on May 24, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. "She was very confident, very firm, very clear," said Mark Canning, the British ambassador to Myanmar, who was among diplomats and journalists allowed to watch the proceedings. "In a strange way, she commanded the courtroom," he said. Suu Kyi, who is being tried on subversion charges, said she did not learn immediately that John William Yettaw swam nearly two miles and snuck into her crumbling, colonial-era bungalow on May 3. She was told about the visitor the next day by one of two housekeepers who are her sole companions in the heavily guarded residence, where she was under house arrest. Suu Kyi's two helpers are also on trial, as is Yettaw. "I didn't know," she said. "I was upstairs." Under questioning by a judge for half an hour, Suu Kyi said she provided Yettaw food but allowed him only to "stay temporarily." Yettaw left late May 5, she said. "He walked to the lakeside. But I don't know which way he went, because it was very dark," Suu Kyi said. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate also acknowledged that Yettaw, a 53-year-old former military serviceman from Falcon, Missouri, had visited her once before last November. "Did you report to the authority about his arrival?" the judge asked. "No," she replied. Suu Kyi had earlier told supporters that she did not tell authorities about the latest intrusion because she didn't want Yettaw or anyone else to get in trouble. But it is this silence that the Myanmar's military junta is trying her for. The government said Yettaw's presence violated the conditions of Suu Kyi's house arrest. The country's regime rarely allows Suu Kyi any visitors, and foreigners are not allowed overnight stays in local households without government permission. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years -- a confinement the military junta has regularly extended.  Watch the U.N. secretary general explain what he is doing for Suu Kyi » Her latest round of home detention -- after five years of confinement -- expires Wednesday, according to her supporters at home and abroad. Last week, the military began prosecuting Suu Kyi on allegations of subversion at a prison compound near Yangon. Her supporters say the move is meant to keep her confined even longer -- beyond the general elections that the junta has scheduled for next year. If convicted, Suu Kyi, 63, could be sentenced to three to five years in prison. Before the proceedings got under way at the Insean Prison compound Tuesday, the junta said Suu Kyi's house arrest did not expire for six more months. And though the government said it considered releasing her at the end of the term, it said it had no choice but to try her after she met with Yettaw. "As Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Gen. Aung San, the leader of our country, we were deeply thinking whether to extend her detention or not," Police Brigadier General Myint Thein told reporters Tuesday. "Unfortunately, a U.S. citizen entered her house for two days. She allowed and made conversation with him, gave him food. "These kind of actions broke the law," he added. "This is why we have no way but to open a case. And we are very sad about this case." Gen. Aung San played an instrumental role in bringing about the country's independence from British colonial rule. He was assassinated in 1947 and is still revered in Myanmar. Suu Kyi's lawyers rejected the junta's explanation, saying the United Nations had already

Who's house arrest does not expire for six more months?

What is the name of the American that Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial with?

Who was charged with violating the conditions of Suu Kyi's house arrest?

Answer: Aung San Suu Kyi

Answer: subversion charges,

Answer: Aung San Suu Kyi

Answer: Suu Kyi's two helpers

Answer: John William Yettaw

Answer: Aung San Suu Kyi

Answer: Aung San

Summary:
Junta says Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest does not expire for six more months .
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial with American John Yettaw .
Suu Kyi told Myanmar court that she is not guilty, has not broken any law .
Yettaw is charged with violating the conditions of Suu Kyi's house arrest .


YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- Residents in this sprawling river delta city hacked their way through downed trees and trudged through knee-deep swirling brown waters Monday as they tried to pick up the pieces of their lives after a deadly cyclone ravaged the southeast Asian country over the weekend. The powerful storm toppled this tree in Yangon, Myanmar, on Saturday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it has released 200,000 Swiss Francs (about $190,000) to help with the aftermath. "I think one of the biggest needs right now is to stave off disease," said spokesman Eric Porterfield. "We will be helping with the distribution of clean drinking water and setting up shelters." Working with the Myanmar Red Cross agency, the International Red Cross is distributing drinking water, plastic tarps to cover roofs and blankets, among other items. The tropical cyclone, packing winds of up to 150 miles (241 km) per hour, slammed into Myanmar over the weekend, killing as many as 350 people. "We believe hundreds of people are dead," said Khin Maung Win with the Democratic Voice of Burma -- a broadcast media group run by opposition expatriates. "The entire lower Burma is affected. In some areas, entire villages disappeared." The activist group opposed the military rule in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The ruling junta declared a state of emergency in five regions: the city of Yangon, Irrawaddy, Pegu and the states of Karen and Mon. All flights to Yangon, the former capital, were canceled.  Learn more about Myanmar » Cyclone Nargis tore off roofs, uprooted trees and downed power lines. The storm ripped through the sprawling river delta city of Yangon for more than 10 hours -- from Friday night until Saturday noon, said Burma Democratic Concern.  Watch the cyclone hammer Yangon » By Sunday, many parts of the city were without electricity. Phone connections were also down in most areas, making it difficult to assess the extent of the damage. "Most Burmese with whom we've been in touch report they lost their roofs, although so far everyone we have been able to contact reports that they and their families are safe," said a Yangon-based diplomat who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Earlier Monday, an editor for an independent Myanmar newspaper based in Thailand told CNN that people in the Southeast Asian nation were angry over the response to the disaster by the ruling military junta. "People are very angry with the slow response coming from the military government," said Aung Zaw of Irrawaddy news magazine. Zaw said communication was down across large areas of the country. He also said the casualty figures could rise. "Very few people have access to these areas to estimate damage and how many people have been killed."  Listen to Irrawaddy journalist discuss the situation in Myanmar » Pictures from inside the country showed a cyclone-ravaged region with tin huts crushed under trees. Bicyclists navigated around large branches that littered the deserted roads. A man with his pant legs rolled up waded through knee-deep water and strained to clear massive limbs that were blocking the entrance to a house. "The cleanup is beginning, but this will take a long time," the diplomat said. "The damage around town is intense."  See photos of the destruction » "Fuel is not easily available. International emergency assistance would be needed within seven days. There is no food for eating," Win said. Food prices -- already on a dramatic rise -- climbed further. Long lines could be seen at gas stations in Yangon. Many of the stations were operating on generators. At one gas station more than 100 buses lined up to refill. "International emergency assistance would be needed within seven days," the diplomat said. The junta has scheduled a May 10 referendum on a new constitution for the country, which came under sharp criticism from many nations for using force to suppress pro-democracy protests last year. E-mail to

What is needed by way of emergency assistance?

Where has a state of emergency been declared?

Where was a state of emergency declared?

Answer: food

Answer: Yangon

Answer: International emergency assistance

Answer: of Karen and Mon.

Answer: emergency in five regions: the city of Yangon, Irrawaddy, Pegu and the states of Karen and Mon.

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

Answer: Nargis

Answer: help with the aftermath.

Summary:
NEW: Red Cross approves $190,000 in aid for cyclone victims .
Food, fuel scarce; emergency assistance needed, sources say .
Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar's former capital of Yangon over weekend .
State of emergency has been declared in five regions by ruling military junta .


YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Montana (CNN)  -- The gray wolf was officially removed from the Endangered Species Act's "threatened" list Friday after three decades -- a decision that has stoked controversy among environmentalists and ranchers. Federal officials estimate there are 1,500 gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park. It means the wolves can be shot and killed once they step out of Yellowstone National Park as soon as the affected states establish a hunting season. However, state Fish and Wildlife officials can shoot the animals whenever they deem the wolves to be a problem. The government delisted the wolves -- which were eliminated from Yellowstone decades ago before being reintroduced in the 1990s -- because they are now thriving in the park that is dominated by bison, elk and bighorn sheep. "They're back here in the Northern Rockies; they're back here in Yellowstone," said Doug Smith, a biologist for the National Park Service in Yellowstone. "That's something to celebrate given their history of human hatred." But not everyone is happy about the animal being removed from the endangered list. Conservationists believe hundreds of gray wolves straying from Yellowstone in search of prey could soon be killed by hunters and ranchers.  Watch rancher say no wolf is "sacred" » "We're not ready to pop the champagne corks and have a party," said Doug Honnold, the managing attorney for Earthjustice, a non-profit environmental law firm based in Oakland, California, that has threatened to sue the government. "My biggest fear is we're going to go backwards instead of forwards." It wouldn't be the first time. In the early 20th century, wolves were the targets of a massive government extermination campaign. "It's harder to find an animal more persecuted than wolves. ... We did wolf extermination with a vengeance," said Smith. But attitudes began to change in the 1980s. Elk and bison populations increased dramatically because there was no natural predator to keep their numbers in check. In 1995, Smith led a team to bring wolves back to the Rocky Mountain landscape. They transplanted dozens of wolves to Yellowstone from Canada.  See photos of Yellowstone's animals » The project has been regarded as an overwhelming success. There are now more than 1,500 wolves across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, according to the government. That number convinced federal wildlife officials to remove them from the endangered species list. Federal officials require each of the three states to maintain a population of 100 wolves, meaning a total of 300 wolves across all three states. The states have actually pledged to keep the population higher than that, at a rate of 150 wolves per state. "We did a thorough analysis," said Ed Bangs, the wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The consensus [for recovery] is a population of 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs." He added, "The wolf population is fully recovered. We have more wolves than we ever predicted and we have fewer problems than we ever predicted." Earthjustice says that's not nearly enough to ensure a viable population and they want to stop the delisting. "We're going to have hundreds of wolves die needlessly," said Honnold. But many ranchers in the region just don't understand the fuss about the animals. They have complained for years that the wolves eat their livestock. "There's nothing about a wolf that's sacred," said Bruce Malcolm, a cattle rancher and Republican member of Montana's House of Representatives. He said he's lost nearly two dozen cows to the wolves in recent years. "I would have preferred that they never came here," he said. If there's a winner with the controversy, it's Yellowstone. The wolves have pushed up attendance by more than a 100,000 visitors per year, according to a park study. Smith, who has dedicated his life to the wolves, is philosophical about the debate. "No one says living with wolves is easy," said Smith. "Living with wolves is a compromise.

Which animal is no longer considered endangered?

What are no longer considered endangered?

What do environmentalists fear could happen to wolves?

What did a federal wildlife official say about wolves?

Answer: gray wolf

Answer: gray wolf

Answer: soon be killed by hunters and ranchers.

Answer: no wolf is "sacred"

Answer: The gray wolf was officially removed from the Endangered

Answer: officially removed from the Endangered

Answer: estimate there are 1,500 gray

Answer: say no wolf is "sacred"

Answer: gray wolf was officially removed from the Endangered

Answer: we're going to go backwards instead of forwards."

Summary:
Gray wolves officially no longer considered endangered .
Environmentalists fear hundreds of wolves could soon be killed by ranchers .
Rancher tells CNN the animals threaten his way of life .
Federal Wildlife official: "The wolf population is fully recovered"


YORK, Pennsylvania (CNN)  -- The city of York is steeped in history. The central Pennsylvania town was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and it was even, briefly, the nation's capital. A week of race riots in York, Pennsylvania, left two dead 39 years ago. Sen. Hillary Clinton's rally here Saturday, on the corner of Market and Beaver Streets, was down the block from a local landmark that touches on a less-heralded chapter in the city's history: the site of the monument that wasn't. A few months ago, Mayor John Brenner and others pushed for a memorial at the corner of George and Market Streets, in the center of town, that would remind York residents of a deadly week of race riots 39 years ago. The violence claimed two victims: police officer Henry Schaad, and minister's daughter Lillie Belle Allen, in murders that went unsolved for decades. Schaad was white, Allen black. But disputes over nearly every aspect of the project brought emotional responses that seemed to split along racial lines, including disagreements over inspiration, location and design. The process stalled entirely a few weeks ago, as organizers went back to the drawing board. This dispute is emblematic of the divide facing both Democratic candidates in next Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary. "The issue of race has touched this community, much more deeply than it has in other places. It's not in the forefront, it's not usually discussed, but that issue has been very important to people here," said local NAACP chapter president Eric Kirkland, in a row house just off George St., the main drag that bisects the city's downtown. "Historically, this has been a very racially hostile area. Race relations have always been strained here. There's an old guard, and they have those old ideas," he said. But the face of York itself has changed. A decade ago, the town was 70 percent white. City officials say black and Latino residents now make up roughly 45 percent of the population of 41,000. Sen. Barack Obama is expected to win the overwhelmingly Democratic town, locals say, and Clinton has the edge in York County, an area dominated by white, working-class, conservative voters -- a group that has largely backed the New York senator this year. But presidential loyalties here this primary season don't fall neatly along racial lines -- York's residents are split between the two candidates in patterns that defy traditional assumptions. Neatly manicured lawns in some of the city's mostly white suburbs are dotted with Obama signs. In the city, a restaurant window near Newberry Street -- where Allen was killed nearly four decades ago -- has a Clinton sign taped to the inside glass. Seven years ago, the town's mayor and several other white men were arrested for Allen's 1969 murder. In the shadow of a pending indictment, Mayor Charlie Robertson -- up for re-election -- won the Democratic primary in 2001. He later stepped down. Eventually, he was acquitted by a local jury. Two others were convicted of murder and others took plea deals. In the wake of the trials, the city became a magnet for outside hate groups, who clashed with anti-racist demonstrators in the center of town. In the years since, the most public division in York has been the measure of progress. Some, including Kirkland, say race is still a central issue here. Others -- including many resentful of the city's national notoriety after Robertson's arrest -- say it is not. But most residents fall somewhere in between, caught in a decades-long conversation that moves in fits and starts, spurred along by activists and city officials. The national dialogue may have turned to race this campaign season -- but in York, where the discussion has been on the agenda for years, many say they're all talked out. "Race is here. It's an undercurrent," said York Mayor John Brenner, an Obama supporter. "I do think in places like York that actually had civil unrest in

What was the site of the deadly race riots of 1969?

Where do the presidential loyalties not fall neatly?

Answer: "The issue of race has touched this community, much more deeply than it has in other places. It's not in the forefront, it's not usually discussed, but that issue has been very important to people here,"

Answer: "The issue of race has touched this community, much more deeply than it has in other places. It's not in the forefront, it's not usually discussed, but that issue has been very important to people here,"

Answer: York, Pennsylvania,

Answer: 39 years ago.

Answer: York, Pennsylvania,

Answer: along racial lines

Summary:
York, Pennsylvania, was the site of deadly race riots in 1969 .
Issue of race has touched the community, says local NAACP president .
Presidential loyalties in York don't fall neatly along racial lines .
Some skeptical the city has truly moved beyond its headline-grabbing past .


YUSUFIYA, Iraq (CNN) -- Female suicide bombers, who often slip through security checkpoints untouched because of cultural norms, are taking a more deadly toll than ever across Iraq. A female suicide bomber struck northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing 16. But the U.S. Army has created a solution with "Daughters of Iraq," a program that trains Iraqi women to find female suicide bombers. Women carried out eight bombings in all of 2007, according to the U.S. military. Halfway through 2008, the number of female suicide bombers is 20. A suicide attack carried out by a woman on Sunday in Baquba killed at least 16 people and wounded another 40. "Daughters of Iraq" is a spinoff of "Sons of Iraq," which employs Iraqi men to run checkpoints and is credited with taking much of the steam out of the insurgency. The goal of the women's program is twofold: to protect against female suicide bombers, and to provide much-needed income to Iraqi women with few chances for employment. In the town of Yusufiya, southwest of Baghdad, some 30 women are being trained to search other females at security checkpoints -- something men are forbidden to do under Iraqi cultural norms. In mid-May, a female suicide bomber killed an Iraqi army officer in this town. "When he came out to meet her to help her with a problem she was having, she detonated the vest and killed him and injured some of his soldiers," said Michael Starz, a U.S. Army captain. The women will work two or three days a month, making up to $300, an Iraqi military officer explained to applicants. In a community, where families struggle to survive, that's good money.  Watch how "Daughters of Iraq" works » The women come from small farming communities. Many of them are widows with numerous children and almost no income. Such is the story of Fawzia, who has six children to support. Her husband was shot to death when his car broke down. "I am ready (to work) as long as it helps me financially," she said. "I have five children in school." Having women work in this tradition-bound society is a social revolution, according to Fatima, a volunteer leader, told CNN's Jill Dougherty. "Many women would like to do it but their parents would not agree because it's a rural society and it's shameful for girls to go outside the home."

Who trains women to find suicide bombers?

What is the name of the group who trains the women?

During what year is the number of female suicide bombers 20?

Answer: "Daughters of Iraq,"

Answer: up to $300,

Answer: Iraqi

Answer: "Daughters of Iraq,"

Answer: 2008,

Summary:
Halfway through 2008, the number of female suicide bombers is 20 .
"Daughters of Iraq" trains Iraqi women to find female suicide bombers .
Women will work two or three days a month, making up to $300 .


YUSUFIYAH, Iraq (CNN) -- Until recently, Yusufiyah was among the most dangerous places in Iraq. U.S. Col. Michael Kershaw meets with Sunni leaders in Yusufiyah, formerly a hot spot for insurgent activity. Located in the so-called "triangle of death," a violent area south of Baghdad, it was the site of frequent clashes between coalition forces and Sunni fighters. In May, two U.S. soldiers went missing in Yusufiyah and were never found, despite a massive search. But today, Sunni tribal leaders in this town cooperate with U.S. forces in their battle against foreign fighters and al Qaeda in Iraq. "It's all the roll of the dice. It's people and politics all intertwined down here," said Col. Michael Kershaw, commander of the Second Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. Kershaw now greets his former enemies with kisses, hears their grievances, spends time in their homes and even shares meals with them. He is surprised at how far relations have progressed. "Our hope a year ago was to establish very basic inroads down here," Kershaw said. "We thought the insurgency was far too deep for us to be able to effectively root it out and develop the relationship with the locals." As happened in Anbar province to the west, local Sunni leaders from this town south of Baghdad finally turned on the al Qaeda extremists in their midst when the death and destruction became too much to bear. "Killing people, stealing goats, everything, you name it," said Sheik Hamid Karbouli, when asked why he and his men now oppose al Qaeda. Karbouli has recruited some 150 volunteers to man checkpoints and carry guns.  Sunni sheik lists grievances against al Qaeda » The U.S. military calls the men concerned local citizens. "I haven't had more than one IED destroy a vehicle in an area where concerned citizens were located ... in the past two months," Kershaw said. To further encourage local tribesmen to turn against al Qaeda, the U.S. military pays local sheiks to provide security in their area; they receive up to $10 per man. It's a controversial policy, but one that has helped the U.S. military identify and stop insurgents, Kershaw said. "In the three months since this has started, we have gathered more insurgents up, more terrorists, than we did in the preceding nine months. And that's because they have pointed out to us these people within their own ranks," Kershaw said. The next step is to have these young Sunnis join the Iraqi police. For that to happen, the U.S. military needs the cooperation of the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. Cooperation, however, is slow in coming. Iraq's central government is concerned these gunmen might turn into armed militias if the U.S. pulls out and civil war erupts. To assuage these concerns, Kershaw is registering as many of the local volunteers as possible, taking photographs and retinal scans, hoping leaders in Baghdad will agree to hire them as Iraqi police. "What we see as being the end state down here is these tribes being brought back full into the government process," Kershaw said. The Second Brigade has lost 53 men in Iraq. Their photos are proudly displayed in the brigade's headquarters. Some of the U.S. soldiers here have a hard time forgiving the Sunnis for what they might have done in the insurgency. "Were some of these people part of the insurgency? Sure they were," Kershaw said. "Our job over here isn't to do what's comfortable for us, and it isn't to do what we want," he said. "Our job is to do the nation's bidding. If this gets our nation closer to a solution for this country ... then that's what we're gonna do." E-mail to a friend

Iraq's government is dominated by which Islamic faction?

Which countries forces did they partner with to keep the town safe?

Yusufiyah is south of which capital city?

Who did the local Sunnis join with to keep their town safe?

Who caused the destruction in Yusufiyah?

Answer: Shiite-dominated

Answer: U.S.

Answer: Iraq.

Answer: Baghdad,

Answer: U.S. forces

Answer: pays local sheiks to provide security

Answer: al Qaeda extremists

Summary:
Yusufiyah, south of Baghdad, was among the most dangerous places in Iraq .
Local Sunnis tired of the destruction wrought by al Qaeda in Iraq .
They partnered with U.S. forces to keep their town safe .
Iraq's Shiite-dominated central government remains wary of such partnerships .


Yabuli, China (CNN) -- Insulated in designer skiwear against a temperature of -15° Celsius, three of China's burgeoning ski set bundle into a gondola headed to a wind-swept mountaintop in Heilongjiang province, Northeastern China. These new members of China's skiing elite had traveled from Harbin three hours drive away for a day's skiing at Sun Mountain, Yabuli, and clearly relished hurtling downhill at one of the country's newest high-end resorts. "Control your speed" is good advice for any novice skier, but it could be equally applied to the growing number of businesses aiming to tap into the nascent Chinese skiing industry. Skiing is just the latest market in China touted to "boom" as an increasingly affluent middle class finds new ways to spend their wealth and leisure time. The China Ski Association put the number of skiers in China at 5 million in 2005, up from just 200,000 in 2000. The association predicts 20 million skiers by 2014. "But around 80 percent will probably never do it again, because the experience is so bad," says Graham Kwan, CEO of Melco China Resorts the developers of Sun Mountain, Yabuli. It's a factor that has held back the momentum of the Chinese ski industry, where the image is still one of bumpy nursery slopes crowded with first-time skiers snow-ploughing into one another. "The industry isn't developing as fast as it should," says Justin Downes, president of Axis Leisure, a Beijing-based resort industry consultancy. "Ninety percent of skiers are still considered beginners and rent their equipment. The quality of the product and safety has often been questionable, service has been poor." Kwan hopes Sun Mountain will provide Chinese skiers with a five-star destination resort that keeps novices coming back to the slopes. Others developers are following suit. French resort company Club Med plans to open a dedicated ski village in China at the end of the year, the first of five the company plans to open by 2015. China's Wanda group have plans on a resort in the mountains bordering North Korea, and a resort called Beijing Secret Garden is being developed outside of Beijing near the Great Wall. Since opening last year Sun Mountain has gained accolades, including TIME Magazine's Best Resort Make-over in 2009. Yabuli was also the site of the World University Games in 2009, with a reported $400 million invested by the government in updating the facilities and improving transport links to the area, making it the base for China's national ski team. For Kwan, however, transforming a sleepy town with one aging hotel at the bottom of a mountain has been far from a smooth ride. "To be perfectly honest, it's been a struggle," says Kwan. "It's easy to have a mountain in China. People often ask, 'Why did you put [the resort] here?' There are beautiful mountains [elsewhere], but too far from the market. Chinese people travel like Europeans; they're North-South travelers." With over $100 million invested in Sun Mountain, Kwan hopes it will be the centerpiece of the new face of skiing in China, offering more than just well-groomed slopes and après-ski with a Chinese twist. "It's a combination of operations and real estate, you can't sell luxury homes if you don't sell luxury products," says Kwan. A new boutique hotel at the top of the 1000-meter mountain will open next year and capacity eventually expanded to 15 hotels. But it is the resort's real estate that will be just as important to how fast the area develops. Around 75 houses are already built with almost a thousand more nestled on the mountainside planned for the next 10 years. "The concept of buying a recreational home in the mountains when it's -20° Celsius is not something the Chinese have grasped yet," says Downes. "The ski market [in China] is so small that you can't expect to put $100 million into a project

Who is buildings resorts across the country

How many people in China have actually skied before?

How many skiers is China predicted to have by 2014?

Which countries ski industry has seen huge growth?

Answer: China's Wanda group

Answer: 20 million

Answer: 5 million

Answer: 20 million

Answer: Chinese skiing industry.

Answer: China

Summary:
China's ski industry seen as a huge growth market for up-scale resort developers .
China predicted to have 20 million skiers by 2014 .
Numerous international developers are building resorts across the country .
Culture of skiing needs to be developed as much as resorts for success say analysts .


Yasuf, West Bank (CNN) -- Vandals burned a mosque in the West Bank on Friday in an attack a Palestinian official said reflected Israeli settler rage over a government moratorium on settlement construction.

No one knows who set ablaze and vandalized the mosque -- located in the West Bank village of Yasuf.

But the governor of Salfit district, Munir al-Abboushi, told CNN he believes Jewish settlers were responsible for the attack.

"The mosque was completely burned," al-Abboushi said. "They burned the praying carpets and Quran holy books, and set the mosque completely on fire, they even burned the loudspeakers where the Imam preaches inside the mosque."

Al-Abboushi said the culprits had scrawled Hebrew graffiti at the entrance of the mosque that read "price tag -- with regards from Effi."

"Price tag" is the expression radical Israeli settlers have used to denote reprisal attacks against Palestinians in response to moves by the Israeli government to evacuate illegal West Bank outposts.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak called on the Israeli military, which occupies the West Bank, to find those responsible for the attack.

"This is an extremist action that is meant to harm any effort by the government to advance political processes for Israel's future," Barak said in a statement released by his office.

Settler leader Dany Dayan -- chairman of the Yesha Council, a group of Jewish municipal councils from the West Bank -- told CNN, "I hope that Israeli police will uncover the perpetrators whoever they are and will bring them to trial. This act is wrong and foolish. If this act was carried out by a Jew it fills me with great shame."

Al-Abboushi said later Friday morning, after word of the mosque attack had spread, residents of the village were prevented by the Israeli army from approaching the area which resulted in minor clashes with exchanges of rocks and tear gas between the residents and Israeli soldiers.

Al-Abboushi expressed doubt that the attack would be investigated properly. "What do the police and Israeli army do when they attack our holy mosques and houses? What do they do to the settlers? But when they attack us they do nothing."

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a 10-month freeze on new settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

The move has been met with fierce opposition by the politically powerful settler movement and confrontations have erupted almost daily in the West Bank, with groups of settlers forcibly attempting to keep away government inspectors enforcing the ban.

the view of the local governor about what happened

What was the Israel orders regarding new settlement construction in West Bank?

Who is responsible for vandalism according to local governor?

Answer: Jewish settlers were responsible for the attack.

Answer: the mosque

Answer: a 10-month freeze

Answer: Jewish settlers

Answer: West Bank village of Yasuf.

Answer: West Bank village of Yasuf.

Summary:
Mosque in West Bank village of Yasuf set ablaze and vandalized .
Local governor says he believes Jewish settlers were responsible .
Israeli Defense Minister Barak calls on Israeli army to find those responsible .
Israel has ordered 10-month freeze on new settlement construction in West Bank .


Yazoo City, Mississippi (CNN) -- Rescue crews in Mississippi continued to search for survivors Sunday from a powerful tornado that ripped through the state a day earlier, killing 10 people, injuring dozens of others and leveling scores of homes.

Two children and a 3-month-old baby were among the victims.

Two sisters, 9 and 14, were killed inside a mobile home, Choctaw County Coroner Keith Coleman told CNN.

The tornado tore a path nearly a mile wide and decimated neighborhoods as it raked cities from the central western border with Louisiana northeastward to Alabama. It leveled a church, sheared roofs off houses, overturned cars, snapped down hundreds of trees and plunged large swaths of the state in darkness as it toppled power lines.

The same storm system that unleashed Saturday's twister delivered severe weather to other parts of the South on Sunday, with tornadoes hitting Alabama and South Carolina.

On Sunday, a tornado in Darlington County in northern South Carolina overturned as many as four mobile homes and toppled trees and downed power lines.

Three people were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to Linwood Epps of the county's emergency management agency. He said that the local Cain Elementary school was damaged, with part of its roof missing.

The National Weather Service on Sunday gave the Mississippi tornado a preliminary rating of at least 3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of 0-5, with wind speeds of up to 160 miles per hour and a preliminary path width of one and a half miles.

Were you affected by the tornado? Send in pics, video

Ron Sullivan, a store owner in Choctaw County, said he was lucky to be alive after the storm hit around midday Saturday. "They always talk about you hearing the train," Sullivan told CNN. "There was no train. There was a bomb."

He said two customers were walking toward the door of his store when the tornado struck and that "when they opened the door, it hit and blew me back."

"The only thing that went through my mind were two things -- 'Please don't let anything else fall on me' and 'I hope my wife is OK,' " Sullivan said.

The hardest-hit counties were Yazoo and Choctaw, where assessment and rescue crews continued operations Sunday, though a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said there weren't any specific reports of people trapped inside the rubble.

Authorities had recorded at least 681 homes damaged across six counties, according to MEMA spokesman Greg Flynn.

The agency was reporting 33 injuries, but it hadn't received counts from Yazoo and Choctaw counties.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said he has not yet requested emergency federal aid but plans to do so on Monday. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were scheduled to arrive Monday, anticipating an application for a disaster declaration, Flynn said.

Nearly 80 Mississippi National Guard troops, including 50 military police, had been deployed to Choctaw and Yazoo counties, MEMA reported. Forty highway safety patrol troops were also sent to the affected areas.

Five of the dead were from Choctaw County, in the north central part of the state; four were from Yazoo County, north of Jackson; and one was from Holmes County, also in north central Mississippi, said Flynn.

Barbour, who was in Yazoo City where his home is located, called the twister gigantic and said that "in places (it) seemed to be to be several miles wide."

Only 38 people stayed overnight in shelters in Yazoo City, Flynn said, adding that most of the affected were able to stay with family or friends.

Mississippi residents shared stories of tragedy and survival on Sunday.

"You could just feel the glass and debris flying in and cutting you," said Stacy Walker, who took cover in a hair salon in Yazoo City where she worked. "It felt like minutes and minutes. but I'm sure it was just seconds the time that it lasted."

Walker made it out safe but later learned that a high school friend died protecting her children.

Dale Thrasher

What was the cause of the sister's death?

Answer: inside a mobile home, Choctaw County

Answer: Saturday's

Answer: 10

Answer: tornado

Answer: at least 3

Summary:
NEW: Tornadoes reported Sunday in Alabama and South Carolina .
In Mississippi, two sisters, 9 and 14, die inside mobile home, coroner says .
Hundreds of homes, buildings flattened by nearly mile-wide twister that traveled 150 miles .
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour plans to request emergency federal aid on Monday .