Miami (CNN) -- The 4-year-old girl sobbed as rescuers rushed her ashore. In the boat behind her, the faces of her fellow survivors were painted with "a thousand-yard stare," one witness said Monday.

That girl and three others spent 20 hours stranded in stormy water after their 22-foot boat capsized off the Florida Keys over the weekend. They were picked up Sunday afternoon by Coast Guard rescuers.

A few hours earlier, David Jensen was maneuvering the Snap Shot, his fishing charter boat, from Duck Key to the open sea when he and others "saw a big object floating in the distance."

"The closer I got, I could see a guy waving," Jensen said.

They found three men clinging to part of what had been their boat. One charter customer quickly jumped in to help, while others threw life jackets to the men, only one of which could muster the energy to swim over, Jensen said.

Once aboard, a language barrier -- the rescued men were Spanish-speaking -- and raw emotions made it difficult to ascertain exactly what had happened. One who did speak English was very upset: "He lost his mother," Jensen explained.

Officer Robert Dube of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Monday that a son had tried to hold onto his 79-year-old mother in the hours after their ship went down around noon Saturday. But she slipped away into the rough waters, Dube said, before rescuers could reach her.

This victim, later identified as Zaida San Jurjo Gonzalez, and the men had clung to the capsized boat's hull. But four others -- three women and the young girl -- couldn't hold on, and drifted off, Jensen said, based on his conversations with the survivors and authorities.

The charter boat captain contacted the Coast Guard after learning others were unaccounted for, and he took his boat out five miles in the direction where the four had drifted away.

He saw no signs of them. But rescuers did come upon the four Sunday morning, bringing them aboard near Marathon, which is roughly halfway between Key Largo and Key West, according to a Coast Guard statement

Authorities later learned that the three women, wearing life jackets, had held tight to a floating cooler and took turns holding the girl through the afternoon, night and next morning.

"That definitely saved their lives," Dube told CNN. "It could have been a lot worse situation."

Wayne Crosby of Captain Hook's Marina and Dive Center said he watched rescuers bring the four to a dock in Marathon on Sunday. They handed the girl off the boat first, he told CNN affiliate WSVN.

"They had her all wrapped up. ... She couldn't stop crying. She was panic-stricken," Crosby said.

At the dock, rescuers scrambled to tend to all the victims.

"They just had that look on their face, like a thousand-yard stare," Crosby told WSVN.

The group had suffered multiple jellyfish stings over the course of their ordeal, Dube said. And by Monday, the 4-year-old had been treated for mild hypothermia and exhaustion. But the wildlife officer added that, by then, she appeared to be "in very good spirits."

Ernie Perroncello, owner and operator of Sea Tow in Marathon, said weather in the area Saturday when the boat went down was terrible.

"You can get yourself in trouble real quick " on the area's water, said Perroncello, whose company salvaged the capsized boat.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

How many men was the chapter captain talking about?

How many others did the coast guard rescue?

Answer: "He lost his mother,"

Answer: his mother,"

Answer: three

Answer: David Jensen

Answer: three men

Answer: faces of her fellow survivors were painted with "a thousand-yard stare,"

Answer: girl and three others

Answer: three

Answer: crying.

Summary:
NEW: A charter captain describes coming upon three men clinging to a capsized boat .
NEW: He says one was upset because "he lost his mother," who had slipped away .
The Coast Guard later rescued four more who'd been on the boat, including a young girl .
A witness says the girl "couldn't stop crying" when rescuers brought her ashore .


Miami, Florida (CNN)  -- He wanted to sit outside for a while and enjoy the night air, then took a shower and curled up on the couch to watch a cartoon movie. A boring night by many teenagers' standards. But 15-year-old Michael Brewer, who suffered burns over 65 percent of his body in October -- allegedly at the hands of a group of youths he knew -- reveled in it, his mother told reporters Wednesday. Being out of a hospital burn unit, she said, was "the only thing he wanted for Christmas." "He's really looking forward to spending Christmas with his family," Valerie Brewer said of her son, who was released from the University of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center on Tuesday. "We hope everybody has as wonderful a Christmas as we're going to have." Three teens -- Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent, both 15, and Jesus Mendez, 16 -- are accused of being in a group that poured alcohol over Brewer and set him ablaze October 12 in what police said was a dispute over $40, a video game and a bicycle. All three teens are charged as adults with one count of attempted murder. Each has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, each could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The family did not return to their Deerfield Beach, Florida, home, and does not plan to, Valerie Brewer said. Instead, they went to "a safe place" -- both so they can have privacy and so Michael Brewer can feel secure. "He doesn't feel safe going back to the neighborhood," she said. "The families of the boys live within five blocks of us. He does fear for his life going back there. ... He doesn't want to go back and I don't blame him. We're looking forward to moving on and having some peace." She told CNN in an interview later Wednesday the family is looking for another home. Brewer, who suffered second- and third-degree burns over about two-thirds of his body, has "a long road ahead of him," Dr. Louis Pizano, associate director of the burn center, said Wednesday. He faces hours of physical therapy five days a week, Pizano said -- a painful process both because of the burns and because of muscle atrophy resulting from the recovery process. Therapists are working to help him walk more easily and regain a range of motion in his arms and legs, Pizano said. Doctors are hopeful Brewer will not require any more skin grafts, he said. Valerie Brewer told CNN in a later interview Wednesday that her son managed to shower "all by himself" Tuesday night. Showers can be excruciating for him, she said, as it hurts when the soap and water hit his open wounds. Plus, she said, he must take a piece of gauze and wipe his wounds to get any dead skin off. "He's very courageous for doing it by himself." Besides his painful treatment and recovery, Brewer suffered an emotional toll, his mother said. "He really doesn't talk about it with me or with his father," Valerie Brewer said. "He talks to the therapists about it because he doesn't want to upset us." He takes medication to help with night terrors, she told CNN, but "he wakes up every night with nightmares." She said she sleeps about three or four hours a night, depending on how many times her son wakes up in pain or with a nightmare. Detectives say eyewitnesses told them that Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Jarvis poured alcohol over him. Bent allegedly encouraged the attack, police said. Brewer jumped into a pool at his apartment complex to put out the flames. Authorities have said Mendez admitted setting Brewer on fire. According to an arrest transcript, the boy said he made a "bad decision." Pizano said Wednesday he would have predicted a six-moth hospital stay for Brewer. While he said it is "miraculous

What did doctors say to describe Brewer's recovery?

Answer: has "a long road ahead of him,"

Answer: "the only thing he wanted for Christmas."

Answer: are hopeful Brewer will not require any more skin grafts,

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: suffered burns over 65 percent of his body in October

Summary:
Michael Brewer, 15, was severely burned in October, allegedly by teens he knew .
Getting out of hospital was "the only thing he wanted for Christmas," his mom says .
Brewer family to spend holiday at "a safe place," not their old home .
Doctors credit Brewer's "miraculous" recovery to his determination, spirit .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A 15-year-old boy who was burned over 65 percent of his body in October, allegedly by a group of teenagers he knew, has been readmitted to a Miami hospital after he had trouble breathing, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday.

Michael Brewer "had complications with his breathing and is now back in the ICU," said Lorraine Nelson, spokeswoman for Jackson Memorial Hospital. Brewer was admitted to Jackson Memorial's Holtz Children's Hospital on Sunday night and is in serious condition, she said.

It was not known whether Brewer's condition was related to his severe burns. He was released from Jackson Memorial's burn unit December 22, more than two months after the October 12 incident.

"He had been doing very well. He had been going to physical therapy and doing well, but things happen," Nelson told CNN.

At the time he was discharged from the burn unit, Dr. Louis Pizano, associate director of the burn center, told reporters, "From what happened in the beginning, we would have predicted probably six months, at least, in the hospital. And it is miraculous."

Brewer had three skin graft surgeries during his stay in the burn unit and was on a ventilator for almost the entire first month.

Three teenagers have been charged as adults with attempted murder in connection with the incident. Detectives said eyewitnesses told them that 16-year-old Jesus Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Denver Jarvis, 15, allegedly poured alcohol over him, and that Matthew Bent, also 15, allegedly encouraged the attack. Detectives said Mendez admitted that he set Brewer on fire and that he made a "bad decision," according to an arrest transcript.

The three face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Two other boys who were allegedly involved, a 13-year-old and 15-year-old, have not been charged in the attack.

A court-appointed psychologist who examined two of the five boys allegedly involved in the attack told CNN they are competent to proceed and assist their attorney.

Detectives believe that Brewer owed Bent $40 for a video game. When Brewer did not pay, police said, Bent stole Brewer's father's bicycle, then was arrested when Brewer reported him to the police.

The next day, police believe, the group sought out Brewer. Witnesses reported the group called him "a snitch" as they set him on fire.

Witnesses have said Brewer jumped into a pool to put out the flames.

What percentage of his body was covered?

What was Michael Brewer having trouble doing?

Answer: 65

Answer: attempted murder

Answer: breathing,

Answer: October,

Answer: Matthew Bent,

Answer: Michael Brewer

Summary:
Michael Brewer had trouble breathing "and is now back in the ICU," hospital says .
No word on whether his condition is related to burns on 65 percent of his body .
He was burned October 12, released from hospital burn unit December 22 after skin grafts .
Three teens charged as adults with attempted murder in connection with burning .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- A 15-year-old boy who was set on fire, allegedly by a group of youths he knew, told police he remembered "cold stuff all over my clothes and ... burning."

"Somebody poured something on me and lit me on fire," Michael Brewer tells police from his hospital bed in the audiotaped interview conducted November 23, six weeks after the October 12 incident. "I started running."

Broward County, Florida, prosecutors released the interview, along with other audio, video and documents, to media outlets including CNN on Monday and Tuesday.

Three teenagers have been charged as adults with attempted murder in connection with Brewer's burning. Detectives said eyewitnesses have told them that 16-year-old Jesus Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Denver Jarvis, 15, allegedly poured alcohol over him, and that Matthew Bent, also 15, allegedly encouraged the attack.

Detectives said Mendez admitted that he set Brewer on fire, and that he made a "bad decision," according to an arrest transcript. Interviews with the suspects were not part of the evidence released this week.

Detectives believe that Brewer owed Bent $40 for a video game. When Brewer did not pay, police said, Bent stole Brewer's father's bicycle, then was arrested when Brewer reported him to the police. The next day, police believe, the group sought out Brewer.

In the interview, Brewer speaks in a soft, labored voice and sounds breathless. He can be heard inhaling and exhaling on the recording.

He told police that Bent "came to my house and he tried to take my dad's bike. He threatened me. He threatened my sister."

He said Bent wanted him to buy something that he didn't want to buy, but he couldn't remember what. "I think it was stolen," Brewer said.

He said he saw Jarvis pour the flammable liquid on him, and told police he was walking away from the others when it occurred.

When the teens approached him, he said, one told him, "Nobody's going to hit you." Instead, he recalled "cold stuff all over my clothes and ... burning."

Bent, Mendez and Jarvis face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Two other boys who were allegedly involved, a 13-year-old and 15-year-old, have not been charged in the attack.

After he was set on fire, "I'm like, run. Run," Brewer said. "I ... jumped the fence and jumped into the pool."

"This guy comes running out and tries to pull me out of the water, and I said, 'Leave me, leave me,' 'cause my skin was, like, hanging," he said.

"I got out of the pool, and ... in a chair. And then they put me on a stretcher, and they strapped me, and then they put me on the helicopter."

A videotaped interview with an eyewitness to the incident is also among the pieces of evidence released.

In it, the teenager recalls hearing Bent, who is known as Zeke, tell Jarvis to pour the flammable liquid on Brewer. "Zeke's like, 'Yeah, yeah, pour it on him,'" the witness says, estimating the pouring lasted three to five seconds.

Asked if a lot of fluid was poured on Brewer, the boy said it soaked his entire back.

Brewer was released from Jackson Memorial Hospital's burn unit on December 22 after more than two months. During that stay, he had three skin-graft surgeries and was on a ventilator for a month.

He was readmitted to the hospital earlier this month after experiencing trouble breathing, but was re-released after three days. Doctors have said he faces a long recovery and rehabilitation process.

Brewer is recovering at an undisclosed location. His mother, Valerie Brewer, has said he will be home-schooled once he has recovered enough to resume his

Who is charged with attempted murder in the incident?

Answer: Matthew Bent,

Answer: was set on fire,

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: audiotaped

Answer: Three teenagers

Summary:
Police release interview with teen set on fire, allegedly by youths he knew .
Michael Brewer recalls threats, flames, running, jumping in pool to douse fire .
Three teens are charged as adults with attempted murder in the incident .
Brewer, 15, faces long recovery and rehabilitation process .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Five Florida men convicted of plotting terrorist acts with al Qaeda were sentenced Friday to long prison terms, the Department of Justice announced.

Seven suspects were arrested in June 2006 for allegedly conspiring to blow up buildings, including the 110-story Sears Tower, the nation's tallest building, in Chicago, Illinois; the FBI's Miami office and others.

Five were convicted in May, their third trial after juries failed to reach a verdict on two previous attempts. The sixth was found not guilty. A seventh was found not guilty earlier.

The suspected ringleader, Narseal Batiste, 35, was sentenced to 13½ years in prison plus 35 years of supervision after his release.

He was the only defendant found guilty earlier this year of all four conspiracy charges, including conspiring to incite a rebellion against the United States, supplying materials to a terror organization and terrorists, and conspiring to destroy buildings with explosives.

Another defendant, Patrick Abraham, 30, was sentenced to 9 years, 4-and-a-half months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervision. He was convicted of two counts involving supplying materials to terrorists and terror groups, and of conspiring to destroy buildings with explosives.

Stanley Grant Phanor, 34, Burson Augustin, 24, and Rotschild Augustine, 26, were convicted of supplying materials to terrorists but acquitted of the other charges.

Phanor got eight years, Augustin got six and Augustine seven. All will be supervised for 10 to 15 years after release.

The sixth defendant, Naudimer Herrera, 25, was acquitted on all four counts.

The prosecution of the men "helped make our community safer by rooting out nascent terrorists before they could carry out their threats," Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman of the Southern District of Florida said in a statement announcing the sentences Friday.

Lawyers for two of the men said they intended to appeal when the verdict was announced in May.

The terror trial in Miami was the third held for the defendants, a group of homeless men initially known as the "Liberty City 7," for the Miami neighborhood where authorities say they operated.

In the first trial, a mistrial was declared after nine days of deliberations in December 2007, although a seventh defendant was acquitted. The jury in the second trial deadlocked in April 2008 after deliberating for 13 days.

The first two juries could not determine whether the defendants were seriously plotting with al Qaeda -- as the prosecutors alleged -- or if they were simply struggling young men who were looking to con an FBI informant out of money, as the defense alleged.

Authorities have said the men did not have explosives or weapons and that their plans appeared "more aspirational than operational." The investigation began after an Arabic speaker contacted authorities and said Batiste approached him about waging "jihad" in the United States.

Investigators then planted among the group an undercover informant, who claimed to be an al Qaeda member who helped plan the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. A federal raid on the group's Liberty City warehouse in 2006 revealed a receipt for purchase of a gun, as well as ammunition, marijuana, two credit cards, 10 euros, three machetes, two swords, an ax, uniforms and a flight suit.

On a surveillance videotape played during trial, Batiste could be heard saying he was "very grateful" to Osama bin Laden and "loved" the al Qaeda leader's work. He also said he respected bin Laden and wanted to meet him someday.

In other excerpts, Batiste told the informant his people needed training, and they discussed going to Chicago because the city has underground trains and tunnels.

CNN's John Couwels contributed to this report.

How many suspects were arrested?
what is liberty city 7
who is narseal batiste
who was arrested in 2006
Who is the suspected ringleader?

Answer: Seven

Answer: group of homeless men

Answer: suspected ringleader,

Answer: Naudimer Herrera,

Answer: Narseal Batiste,

Summary:
Trial was the third for defendants, homeless men initially known as "Liberty City 7"
Seven suspects were arrested in June 2006; five were convicted in May .
Suspected ringleader, Narseal Batiste, 35, was sentenced to 13½ years .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- From the custom-made, hand-beaded white dress to silver-studded high-heeled shoes, diamond jewelry and tiara, Jenny Ferro is preparing for a day she's dreamed about since she was 3 years old. "I'm really excited," says Jenny, eagerly nodding her head. "Really, really, a lot!" She isn't getting married. The 15-year-old is preparing for her quinceañera, a coming-of-age ritual in Latin culture, marking a young girl's entrance into womanhood. The centuries-old tradition began as a ceremony to introduce girls to society on their 15th birthday and signified that they were ready for marriage. Today, many quinceañeras have become much more elaborate. Jenny and her mother, Marlene Ferro, have worked out every detail of the party well in advance, from the rehearsal to the reception to the flower girl and the music. The theme of the party is bedazzled. First, there is the dress, which Marlene had designed specially for her daughter. It cost about $800. Then there are the shoes, high-heeled and silver to match the dress. During the party, the high heels will be ceremoniously slipped onto her feet to replace her flat shoes -- a symbolic transition of her journey from childhood to womanhood. "It makes her look like a princess," gushes Marlene Ferro. Quinceañeras are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. One reason for their popularity is a greater acceptance of Latin culture in America, according to Michele Salcedo, author of "Quinceañera!" a comprehensive guide to the celebration. "The 15th birthday, culturally, is a milestone. It doesn't have to be celebrated with a party at all, but it is generally marked by something quite special," Salcedo says. Experts believe the quinceañera is rooted in Mayan, Aztec and European traditions. Today, many coming-of-age ceremonies resemble lavish "Sweet 16" celebrations. Beyond the elaborate apparel, food and festivities, modern quinceañeras often feature a court of 15 people, typically consisting of family and friends. As the event continues to grow in popularity, the makeup of the court has also changed. "It has gone beyond Latinos, so that a lot of Latino girls will have not only family members in court but they will reach out to non-Latino friends," says Salcedo. "So it's a way of reaching out and extending social ties and bringing people in who might not otherwise have an opportunity to know a Latino family and to know the culture." Family plays the largest role in the quinceañera, leading up to and during the party. Mothers, fathers, grandparents and godparents can spend years preparing a night to remember for the young girl. The tradition is just as important to the family as it is to the young woman. The large, extravagant celebrations often symbolize a family's hard work and success. How has America changed Latinos? Marlene Ferro, who emigrated from Cuba as a child with her parents, says Jenny's quinceañera was a gift to both of them. The 43-year-old, single mother of three, saved for years and estimates that she spent at least $20,000 on her daughter's quinceañera. "I was able to accomplish something that I had been looking forward to for 15 years," says Marlene Ferro. The parties can be as big and expensive as a family can imagine and costs can escalate into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Salcedo. She recommends that families manage expectations before the party planning even begins. iReporter Alexis Fernandez's quinceañera was a big event in Alaska "Sometimes people go way overboard and [spend] much more on the celebration than they can afford and that's the downside of the quinceañera," says Salcedo. "Because when it's done right it can be a beautiful family celebration and a celebration of a milestone that a young girl goes through." Quinceañeras have changed over the years. Even though her tiara was taller than her daughter's

How long has Jenny been preparing for her celebration?

How much will be spent on Jenny's celebration?

what is the name of the 15th birthday celebrations?

What age are Quinceañeras celebrated at?

What marks a girl's transition to womanhood?

Who has been preparing for her celebration since she was 3?

Since what age has Jenny Ferro been preparing for her Quinceañera?

Answer: since she was 3

Answer: $20,000

Answer: $20,000

Answer: a coming-of-age ritual in Latin culture,

Answer: since she was 3 years old.

Answer: womanhood.

Answer: quinceañeras

Answer: 15th birthday

Answer: $20,000

Answer: quinceañera,

Answer: Jenny Ferro

Answer: 3 years old.

Summary:
Quinceañeras, or 15th birthday celebrations, mark a girl's transition to womanhood .
Jenny Ferro, 15, has been preparing for her celebration since she was 3 years old .
Marlene Ferro estimates she spent $20,000 on her daughter's quinceañera .
Expert: The elaborate parties are a way for Latinos to say 'I have done well here'


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- He lies in a bed on a balloon-type mattress, to reduce pressure on his burned body. He is covered with bandages; a ventilator breathes for Michael Brewer because he can't do it for himself. He's hooked up to the marvels of modern medicine that are trying to give the 15-year-old burn victim a chance to be a kid once again. Sixty-five percent of his body is covered with second- and third-degree burns. "People are writing horror stories ... but people just can't imagine the kind of sickness we're talking about," said Dr. Nicholas Namias, medical director of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Miami. "I've been to movies like everyone else, and Hollywood hasn't even thought of something like this," Namias said. Brewer is heavily sedated, and the ventilator does not allow him to speak. His open wounds are covered by bandages, which are changed daily. It's a four-hour process. He has not been able to speak with police since his desperate fight for life began October 12, when police say five teenage friends, including a 13-year-old, doused Brewer with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire. The attack occurred after Brewer reported to police that one of the youths had stolen his father's bicycle. Police say the bicycle was stolen because Brewer did not pay one of the boys $40 for a video game. According to police, witnesses said the teens called Brewer "a snitch" as they used a lighter to set him ablaze. Namias explained how Brewer's organs are not functioning the way they should be, but that is expected at this early stage of recovery. "He's still on the ventilator and advanced modes of mechanical ventilation. We are breathing for him. His contribution to the breathing is trivial," Namias said. Namias also explained that in burn cases, words must be chosen carefully when talking about patients and their condition because so much is at risk and so much can change quickly. "When you say he's doing OK, in this situation it means he's alive and responding to treatments," Namias said. "We're still dealing with the respiratory failure. We're dealing with infection now and the need to supply the massive amount of nutrition that this person needs to survive." On Monday, the five teens who are accused of taking part in the attack appeared separately before judges in Broward County, Florida. State prosecutors were granted additional time to build their case. Formal charges are expected later this month. For now, all five teens are being held in custody. Four of the boys, all 15 years old, could be charged as adults. The 13-year-old also could be charged as an adult but under Florida law only if Brewer dies. Michael Brewer's parents, Valerie and Michael Brewer Sr., issued a written statement through the hospital last week. They are not granting interviews. "The recovery process will be baby steps, but eventually he will be whole again," they wrote. But their son's injuries enter the realm of medicine and science that has no guarantee. "There's no evolutionary mechanism to survive a 65 percent burn," Namias said. "Surviving is a miracle of modern medicine and about the technology and the things we do. This is not like a gunshot and you come out of the [operating room], and say everything's going to be OK," he added. "We never give up, and we never predict it. ... Our expectation is survival." Across the hospital floor in the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, six other people's lives also are at stake: all victims of various accidents, all with burns similar to Michael Brewer's. They, too, are trying to regain at least a part of what they used to have. "It's understandable that people can be burned in accidents," Namias said. "

What percentage of his body is covered in burns?

What did  Michael Brewer report before the attack?

When did the teen suspects appear before judges?

What do police say  Michael Brewer was doused in?

What is 65 percent of Brewer's body is covered in?

At what age was Michael Brewer at the time of the attack?

How much of Brewer's body was covered in burns?

How many boys were arrested for the attack on Michael Brewer?

how much percent of Brewer's body is covered in second-, third-degree burns?

What percent of Brewer's body is covered in burns?

Answer: with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire.

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: Sixty-five

Answer: that one of the youths had stolen his father's bicycle.

Answer: Monday,

Answer: rubbing alcohol

Answer: October 12,

Answer: second- and third-degree burns.

Answer: On Monday,

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: Sixty-five percent

Answer: five

Answer: Sixty-five

Answer: five teenage friends,

Answer: Sixty-five

Answer: 15-year-old

Answer: five teenage friends,

Answer: Florida.

Summary:
Police say teens doused Michael Brewer, 15, with rubbing alcohol and set him ablaze .
Attack came after Brewer reported that one boy had stolen his father's bicycle .
65 percent of Brewer's body is covered in second-, third-degree burns .
Teen suspects appeared before judges Monday in Florida .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Marie, a Haitian mother, couldn't have been more grateful. "Thank you God for TPS," she recently told an attorney helping her fill out forms that will protect her from deportation. She was referring to temporary protected status, which will allow her to work legally, help Haiti and support her two young children. It's the sentiment that we hear most these days.

As longtime advocates, we at Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center  were gratified when the Department of Homeland Security  granted temporary protected status to unauthorized Haitian immigrants after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. Temporary protected status will allow perhaps 100,000 Haitians to legalize their status for the next 18 months.

They'll be able get work permits and driver's licenses and send more money to loved ones struggling in Haiti's ruins. Such people-to-people help is one of the best forms of foreign aid. Remittances encourage Haitians to stay and rebuild Haiti, rather than attempt treacherous sea voyages that more often than not end in tragedy.

Today, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center and other pro bono groups are working furiously to help Haitians apply for temporary protected status and warn them away from "raketè," scammers who will rip them off. It's a mammoth job in South Florida, home of the nation's largest Haitian-born population.

The six-page temporary protected status application includes complicated questions and must be translated for non-English speakers. Many Haitians also need help filling out work-permit and fee-waiver forms. Without a waiver, applicants ages 14 to 65 must pay $470 in fees and $50 for a younger child.

Frankly, temporary protected status is the least our government can do after decades of denying Haitians just immigration treatment. No previous administration had granted temporary protected status to Haitians despite numerous occasions when deportees would have been unsafe due to political conflict or natural disasters, conditions that typically trigger temporary protected status. Indeed, we had been actively pushing for temporary protected status since four killer storms demolished 15 percent of Haiti's gross domestic product in late 2008.

The history of discriminatory treatment goes back much further. Since Haitians started coming to U.S. shores nearly 50 years ago, they routinely have been denied the fundamental protections promised to refugees of virtually every other nationality.

Finally more attention is being paid to the need to help the Haitians. As a key neighbor, the United States needs to prepare for a long-term commitment in which U.S. Haitians play a key role.

Many of these Haitians wish to travel to support relatives in Haiti and contribute to reconstruction. But for Haitians with temporary protected status, those trips could lead to dire consequences. Though they may travel legally, some may face problems coming back home and, thus, should consult with an attorney before leaving.

Many U.S. citizen and resident Haitians also are trying desperately to bring relatives here from Haiti, but some face daunting delays because of archaic immigration processes. Given the substantial moral and material help that Haitians in our country offer Haiti, Homeland Security should find solutions to permit travel and expedite relative reunification.

We are hopeful, too, that Homeland Security will address concerns regarding Haitians who have arrived here since the earthquake with no or improper visas. One glaring example is the dozens of Haitians who were flown here on military planes after the earthquake, only to be detained. Many lost their parents, siblings and children; one of our clients lost his twin 9-year old daughters. Virtually all had U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident relatives awaiting their release.

Their prolonged detention only exacerbated the terrible trauma they suffered before fleeing Haiti. During their detention, most showed signs of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center's attempts to get permission for a psychotherapist to meet with the Haitians were repeatedly rebuffed.

When everyone in the world was offering to help the Haitians, Immigration and Customs Enforcement kept our clients in detention for more than two months. They only released them after a front page New York Times story ran and the Haitians agreed to be deported whenever ICE wants.

Haitian orphans also

She says such status was not granted when?

Further immigration changes would aid Haiti's effort to recover from what?

Answer: deportees would have been unsafe due to political conflict or natural disasters,

Answer: temporary protected status,

Answer: temporary protected status

Answer: catastrophic earthquake

Summary:
Cheryl Little says giving protected status to Haitian immigrants was wise .
She says such status was not granted in earlier disasters .
Little says further immigration changes would aid Haiti's effort to recover from quake .
A comprehensive immigration reform bill would be a major step forward, she says .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- The parents of an injured baby girl who was flown to Florida for treatment after Haiti's earthquake have been told what they already know: They are the biological parents of the little girl.

The International Red Cross notified Nadine Devilme and Junior Alexis in Haiti that DNA testing proves that the infant is theirs, said Mark LaPoint, an attorney representing the baby.

Rescuers dubbed her Patricia, but her parents call her Jenny.

On Wednesday morning, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman decided that Jenny's parents will get to take her back to Haiti after doctors and nurses in Florida finish treating her.

"This is a case where these were really good parents, and I can't wait for these parents to be reunited with their baby," the judge said. "This is one happy day."

Federal authorities have pledged to help Devilme and Alexis travel from Haiti to the United States to reunite with their daughter, though the timing of that trip has not yet been determined, said Bob Martinez, an attorney for the parents.

The baby still has a hard time closing her left hand and needs some medical therapy, LaPoint said in court Wednesday.

The judge scheduled a hearing for April 7 to get an update on the baby's condition.

Jenny was 4 months old when the January 12 earthquake destroyed large swaths of Haiti. Her mother was knocked unconscious in the 7.0-magnitude temblor and taken to a hospital. When she awoke, she urged her husband to go home to search for their baby.

Alexis searched through the broken rubble for four days, but found nothing. The couple says that on the fifth day, January 16, witnesses saw a cleanup crew rescue Jenny from the rubble. She reportedly was found in the arms of her baby sitter, who was dead. The witnesses got word to Devilme, who was in the hospital with her own injuries.

Rescuers apparently assumed the baby was an orphan and whisked her away to a different hospital in Port-au-Prince, one run by the University of Miami and Project Medishare, where a team of pediatricians worked desperately to keep her alive.

Read more about the couple awaiting the baby's return

With several broken ribs, the baby was having trouble breathing. The doctors stabilized her, and a few hours after the baby's rescue, a United Nations truck took her to a plane that was minutes away from leaving for Miami, Florida.

"I told the ambulance driver if she got there in time, we'd name the baby after her," says Dr. Arthur Fournier, a University of Miami physician working at the hospital.

The driver, Patricia, did make it on time, and thereafter, doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami referred to the infant by that name.

Devilme says the friend who told her of Jenny's rescue didn't know where the baby had been taken. By the time she found out , the baby had already been flown to Miami, Devilme says.

Devilme and Alexis say it was "God's will" that Jenny went to Miami, as she might not have survived if she'd stayed in Haiti.

Jenny was discharged from the hospital and is living in foster care in Florida. Her parents are living in a tent city in Port-au-Prince and recently had the DNA testing needed to prove the baby is theirs.

The DNA tests have taken more than a month because of logistical difficulties getting the test to Haiti and because of a legal dispute over whether the baby should become a ward of the state of Florida or a ward of the U.S. government, says Mark Riordan, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Children and Families.

What did Floriday Judge say regarding Jenny?

Answer: Haiti

Answer: Haiti's earthquake

Answer: after doctors and nurses in Florida finish treating

Answer: I can't wait for these parents to be reunited with their baby,"

Answer: earthquake

Answer: the timing of that trip

Summary:
NEW: Florida judge says parents can take Jenny back to Haiti after her medical treatment ends .
NEW: Timing of parents' trip not set; April 7 hearing will provide update on baby's condition .
Parents say it was "God's will" that the child went to Miami for treatment of quake injuries .
The child, apparently mistaken for orphan amid quake chaos, is in foster care in Florida .


Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Paula pushed across western Cuba Thursday evening with wind gusts just under hurricane strength in some places, bringing heavy rain and high winds to the island nation, forecasters said.

The storm is gradually weakening and is expected to become a tropical depression Friday, the Miami, Florida-based National Hurricane Center said

As of 8 p.m. ET, the center of Paula was about 25 miles (45 kilometers) east of Havana, the center said. It was moving east at 14 mph (22 kph).

Paula passed just south of the Cuban capital around 6 p.m. Thursday -- with sustained winds of 41 mph (67 kph) and a gust of 54 mph (87 kph) recorded in Havana -- after making landfall at about noon near Puerto Esperanza.

The storm's maximum sustained winds have weakened to 55 mph (90 kph), the center said Thursday night, but wind gusts of 68 mph had been recorded earlier near Puerto Esperanza. Stronger gusts were confined to a small area near the storm's center, the center said.

Paula's tropical storm-force winds have expanded to 70 miles (110 km) outward from the center, altering the landscape of a storm that has been roughly half that size for most of its duration.

Forecasters said the storm was likely to stick to an east to east-northeast track, moving across western and central Cuba Thursday night and Friday.

The hurricane center said that tropical storm force winds should continue to spread eastward across western and central Cuba Thursday night, primarily along the north coast.

The center discontinued an earlier tropical storm watch also was for the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas.

Emergency management officials in the Keys said Wednesday they were keeping an eye on the progress of Paula and expected some gusty winds and rain, but no protective actions had been initiated. Forecasters predict the center of Paula will remain south of the Keys.

Paula is likely to dump an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain over portions of western and central Cuba over the next two days, the National Hurricane Center said. Total maximum amounts could be 10 inches in some areas. Heavy rain could trigger flash floods and mudslides, forecasters said. The Florida Keys could see between 1 and 2 inches of rain.

In addition, a storm surge is forecast to raise water levels by 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels along the coast of western Cuba, accompanied by "large and destructive waves," the hurricane center said.

What day might Paula become a tropical depression?

What is the maximum sustained windspeed?

What could the storm brng to Florida Keys?

Answer: 55 mph

Answer: Friday,

Answer: western Cuba

Answer: western Cuba

Answer: 55 mph (90 kph),

Answer: tropical depression

Summary:
NEW: Storm is gradually weakening, with maximum sustained winds of 55 mph (90 kph)
Tropical Storm Paula pushes across western Cuba .
Paula could become a tropical depression on Friday .
Forecasters say the storm could bring rain to parts of the Florida Keys .


Mission Viejo, California (CNN) -- When Marty Kubicki received a text message that his wife, Aahmes, and two teenage daughters, Olivia and Alexis, were alive in Haiti, he was overwhelmed with relief.

"I felt like an enormous burden had been placed off me, but at the same time I knew that they were OK. I always felt they made it," he said. Groups of church members have been volunteering at an orphanage for nearly six years, since church members Bill Manassero, his wife Suzette, and Jim Duggan opened the center.

But by Friday there was chaos at the Maison De Lumiere Orphanage in Haiti as 11 American missionary volunteers were trying to find a way to leave after severe shortages of food, water and medicine sparked anger in people they had been trying to help.

"People are becoming hostile at the missionary workers and we now find ourselves desperately trying to get them out," said Mike Maiolo, senior pastor of the volunteers' home church in Mission Viejo. He said he had received urgent messages from Haiti that everyone wanted to leave.

The Kubickis and the others from Mission Viejo Christian Church arrived in Port-Au-Prince a week ago to help assist nearly 100 abused and abandoned children at the orphanage.

The facility sustained heavy damage in the earthquake but no one was killed, he said.

Within hours of the quake, the volunteers became de facto nursing assistants after word spread that Maison De Lumiere was serving as a makeshift triage center.

"Lots of doctors and nurses have been coming by the facility because word's gotten out, so there's all these people being pulled out of rubble and they're assisting and attending to the injured as best as they can," Marty Kubicki said.

Judy Beltis left her husband, six daughters and five grandchildren in California when she came to Haiti on January 8. Moments after the walls and shelves around her collapsed, she found herself attending the injured and working to save lives, said her husband, Paul.

"This is a mom who couldn't put a Band-Aid on her kids when they had a cut finger because she was so squeamish, and now she's dealing with whatever needs to be done," he said.

On Thursday, the family was assured that Judy Beltis was safe and protected. "I'm going to urge her at some point to come back and get a little rest and restoration, but I know she'll want to head right back," said daughter Jaime.

But that was before Maiolo received the urgent messages late Thursday.

He said the situation had deteriorated to the extent that no one felt safe going outside the compound. Contact with his missionary members in Haiti has been limited to occasional text messages, Internet streaming and e-mail, he said, and his volunteers have not been able to reach U.S. State Department officials.

"The world around us is in such need when something like this happens and we've got to be there for them, but at the same time, there must be a quick way to get them out when there is nothing more to give," Maiolo said.

where are they from
where are the volunteers
Where did they come from
What changed everything
how many american volunteers
Where are Volunteers from?

Answer: California

Answer: Maison De Lumiere Orphanage in Haiti

Answer: Mission Viejo Christian Church

Answer: a text message

Answer: 11

Answer: Mission Viejo Christian Church

Summary:
Situation turns chaotic for 11 American volunteers at Maison De Lumiere Orphanage .
Shortages of food, water spark anger in people volunteers had been trying to help .
Volunteers are from Mission Viejo Christian Church in California .


Mojave, California (CNN)  -- Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson on Monday unveiled the winged rocket his company developed to give paying customers a brief taste of space.

The 300 people who have given Branson's Virgin Galactic $20,000 deposits toward the $200,000 space-ride tickets were invited see SpaceShipTwo in its Mojave, California, hangar. CNN was given an early peek.

The first flight in 2011 -- after 18 months of testing -- will launch from a spaceport under construction in New Mexico, Branson said.

Another aircraft will carry the 60-foot-long SpaceShipTwo to 60,000 feet above the Earth, where "they will drop away and they will then go to 2,000 miles per hour in 10 seconds, where they get propelled into space," Branson said.

Its hybrid rocket motor -- still under development -- will reach a suborbital altitude high enough to reach the edges of space and weightlessness, according to Branson.

"Once in space, [passengers] will unbuckle their seats," he said. "There are enormous windows, which no spacecraft has had before, for them to look back at the Earth. They can float around and become astronauts."

The cabin, which seats six paying passengers, is 90 inches -- nearly 8 feet -- in diameter, which provides "lots of room for zero-G fun," Branson's Web site said.

The first voyage will carry Branson, his wife, mother and children, the entrepreneur  said. "Actually, that's my mum on the side -- a younger version of my mum on the side of the spaceship," he said.

After just a few minutes of space tourism, SpaceShipTwo will glide back to Earth, landing where it began the trip in New Mexico, he said.

About 80,000 people have placed their names on the waiting list for seats on SpaceShipTwo and its successors.

"What we want to be able to do is bring space travel down to a price range where hundreds of thousands of people would be able to experience space, and they never dreamed that [they] could," Branson said.

He said he hopes the technology will lead to a new form of Earth travel, jetting people across oceans and continents faster through suborbital routes.

"We would love at some stage, obviously subject to government approval, to take the engineers and start looking at shrinking the world," Branson said.

The spacecraft was based on the technology and carbon-composite construction developed for SpaceShipOne, which won the Ansari X Prize in 2004 for the first privately funded human flight to the edge of space.

The reusable spacecraft is a joint effort by aviation designer Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic, a space tourism venture that is a subsidiary of Branson's Virgin Group.

When will the first flight into space launch?

How many people does Virgin Galactic have deposits from?

What does Branson say about first flight?

Answer: 2011

Answer: the winged

Answer: Richard Branson

Answer: 300

Answer: will launch from a spaceport under construction in New Mexico,

Answer: 300

Answer: New Mexico,

Summary:
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson unveils spacecraft .
Media and prospective space-ride tourists get a peek at SpaceShipTwo .
Virgin Galactic has deposits from 300 people toward $200,000 tickets .
Branson says the first flight into space will launch in 2011 in New Mexico .


Moncks Corner, South Carolina (CNN) -- Every day, before sunrise, Zubaidah Gibbs wakes to pray, then spends hours more singing praises to God under a tree outside her home. She reflects on the setting and thanks God for the beautiful environment around her in this small Southern town.

But this Muslim woman wasn't always at peace with herself, or her religion.

Her 55 years have been a journey from wanting to be white to being proud to be black; from the urban North to the rural South; from studying religions to finding a community in Islam.

As a young girl in the 1960s, "I would have done anything in the world to be white with blue eyes and blonde hair with small lips," Gibbs said. "I didn't hang out with girls who were dark like me, because I felt like they were ugly like me."

She became more comfortable with her race as a teenager, when she heard a different message: James Brown singing "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud!"

"I was, like, 'Wow, this is interesting,'" she said. "I started getting rid of [my relaxed hairstyle] and accepting my hair natural, and I was a little bit more comfortable with myself."

But her pride in her roots didn't fill the void she felt in her heart. She was still searching for connections that transcended ethnicity. Her mother, a Christian, encouraged Gibbs to visit various churches around her home in New York, some led by Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses and Catholics.

She was 17 when a blind date with a Muslim man ended at a mosque.

"I heard the adhan [call to prayer] playing, and I saw the people with their long garbs on, and the sisters -- and I just didn't want to leave," she said.

That same year, she embraced Islam, attracted to the message of peace and its disregard for color.

"Islam helped me to identify with the beauty within as well as outside. ...It balanced me out because now I understand who I am as a human," Gibbs said.

Gibbs' spiritual journey had only begun. At age 42, she moved from New York to South Carolina to escape the crowds of the city with her four children. She didn't know of a mosque in the little town where she'd settled, Moncks Corner, but was reluctant to go 30 miles south to Charleston. So, she prayed about it.

One day, Gibbs said, she saw men in kufis, traditional African skullcaps, building what looked like a little house on what had once been known as the "whites-only" side of Moncks Corner. She discovered it was to be a mosque, just as she'd prayed for.

Today, the mosque, Masjid Muhajarun Wal Ansars, is a small white brick building whose members are mostly African-American. They practice mainstream Islam, like 2.45 million other American Muslims, not Nation of Islam, a separate religious tradition associated with black Muslims. Here, they marry Islamic ritual, racial understanding and traditional southern culture.

At the mosque, Gibbs met a spiritual mentor, Sheikh Harun Faye. Faye was born in Thies, Senegal, and came to South Carolina in 1994 after marrying an American.

"I belong to a very large family, and generation after generation all we have done is to lead people to the way of God," Faye said. "So, when I got here, the first thing I wanted was a mosque where I can call the people to God and teach them Islam. And that is what I do."

He opened the mosque in 1996, with five people. The congregation now consists of more than 150 members.

Gibbs was among its first members. She was initially attracted to the mosque's welcoming nature, open-door policy and community outreach. Over the last 14 years, the mosque has assisted thousands of people in need, many of them homeless and ex-convicts.

Who struggled with race and religious identity ?

who struggled with her race and religious

Answer: Moncks Corner,

Answer: herself, or her religion.

Answer: Zubaidah Gibbs

Answer: 150

Answer: Zubaidah Gibbs

Summary:
Zubaidah Gibbs struggled with her race and religious identity early in life.
In rural Moncks Corner, S.C., she joined a mosque that helped her feel whole.
The predominantly African-American, 150-member mosque combines traditional Islam with southern culture.


Montcoal, West Virginia (CNN) -- I am West Virginia born and raised, and I come from a long line of coal miners. My father, grandfather, brothers, husband and son-in-law either are or were coal miners.

My husband spent 35 years as an underground union coal miner and he died of black lung. I live near Coal River Mountain and my community is experiencing a tragedy.

The situation here, before this disaster, had already compelled me to become an environmental activist, committed to doing everything I can to stop the destructive practice of coal extraction known as mountaintop removal. I am not trying to stop all coal mining. I believe coal mining will be with us for a very long time, considering our enormous thirst for energy and our slow transition to renewable energy.

Throughout Appalachia, 2,000 miles of headwater streams have been destroyed and over 500 mountains have been decapitated by mountaintop removal. I stood by and did nothing until Massey Energy brought this fight to my door.

Three years ago, Massey applied for a permit to blow the top off the mountain behind my house. The company plans to level 6,600 acres of Coal River Mountain and turn it into a moonscape where no living, breathing thing can survive. I believe a higher and better use for this mountain is the Coal River Wind Project.

On Monday, April 5, an enormous explosion went off at the Upper Big Branch mine at Performance Coal Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy. Thirty-one men in our community didn't come home that day.

We don't yet know the names of all of the deceased and I dread the day when the list is read and we, at last, know our connection to those who didn't make it.

I felt extremely blessed when I knew that my family members who worked at this mine were home and safe. I know many friends and neighbors will be among those we lost and I grieve for all of the families involved.

On April 6, many heartbroken and terrified families kissed their loved ones at the door and sent them off back to work underground. These very brave men enter these mines knowing their fate will probably be the same as their friends' on April 5 or the same as my husband's.

Now, although these very proud, brave and strong men make about $70,000 a year, if they had a choice, many of them would never go underground again. The problem is that we live in a mono-economy and there are no choices. The coal industry has a death grip in the state of West Virginia and we have some of the best politicians money can buy.

We also have some very honest, good and environmentally friendly politicians. Their numbers are small and it is considered to be political suicide to do anything in West Virginia that appears to be anti-coal.

Many of our representatives have tunnel vision and refuse to advocate for job diversity in the coal fields. Coal is a finite resource, and no matter when you think, it will eventually run out -- someday we will have harvested all of the economically feasible coal.

When that day comes, how will the people we love support their families? I live at ground zero for mountaintop removal and because of the stand that I and many other people have taken to stop it, tensions run high in the coal fields. We are all being used by an outlaw industry and corrupt politicians and we are all driven by fear.

The men who work in surface mining are terrified they will lose their jobs. I am terrified that my granddaughter will not have clean drinking water when she is of child-bearing age if we don't stop this.

Massey Energy's record speaks for itself. With an enormous amount of violations and previous deaths at this mine, I will leave it to you to decide if this company puts profits before the safety of its workers or views its employees as a disposable commodity.

We are coping with this enormous tragedy, and sometimes tragedy brings communities together. I can only hope that something good will come out of all

What happened to the husband of Lorelei?

Answer: West Virginia

Answer: coal miners.

Answer: black lung.

Answer: he died of black lung.

Summary:
Lorelei Scarbro comes from a long line of coal miners; husband died of black lung .
She says Montcoal is grieving and terrified, but brave men still went to work after tragedy .
Scarbro fights for the rights of miners and tries to to stop mountaintop coal removal .
Scarbro: Massey Energy had violations and previous deaths .


Montevideo, Uruguay (CNN) -- A court sentenced former Uruguayan President Juan Maria Bordaberry to 30 years in prison on Wednesday for the coup that consolidated his power in 1973 and for human rights violations.

Judge Mariana Mota convicted Bordaberry of violating the constitution, nine counts of "forced disappearance" and two counts of political homicide.

Bordaberry, 81, had already been under house arrest since 2007 for the killings of two opposition legislators in 1976.

Bordaberry assumed office in 1972 following an election that has since been questioned. In 1973, he backed a military coup that kept him in power, and dissolved congress and suspended the country's constitution. The military pushed him out in favor of another leader in 1976.

Journalist Dario Klein contributed to this report for CNN

What action helped him retain power in 1973?

Answer: 1973

Answer: 1976.

Answer: violating the constitution, nine counts of "forced disappearance" and two counts of political homicide.

Answer: Uruguayan President Juan Maria Bordaberry

Answer: backed a military coup

Answer: he backed a military coup

Answer: Bordaberry

Summary:
Juan Maria Bordaberry assumed presidency in 1972 .
He backed a military coup in 1973 that kept him in power .
Judge convicts him of political homicide, forced disappearance .
Military pushes Bordaberry out in 1976 .


Montevideo, Uruguay (CNN) -- Jose "Pepe" Mujica, a former Marxist Tupamaro guerrilla fighter, won Uruguay's presidential runoff election Sunday, exit polls showed. Exit polls had Mujica defeating former president Luis Alberto Lacalle by a margin of 4 to 8 percentage points. Current Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez confirmed the projection to reporters Sunday evening, and Lacalle conceded in a speech. The streets of the South American country's capital were filled with Mujica's supporters, who cheered and honked their horns. Mujica belongs to the same Broad Front Party as Vazquez, who is popular. Both men are considered leftists. Lacalle is considered more conservative. In a victory speech, Mujica said his administration will continue the policies of Vazquez. "Tomorrow, the commitment continues," he said. Mujica, 74, was imprisoned for 14 years and released in 1985 when democracy was restored to Uruguay after a 17-year dictatorship. He was minister of livestock and agriculture from 2005 to 2008 and is now a senator. Mujica has played down his connection with the Tupamaros, who were defeated in 1973. In his victory speech Sunday, Mujica called for unity and asked his followers not to offend those who voted for other candidates during the first and second rounds of voting. His administration may make mistakes, but it will never turn its back to the problems facing the country, Mujica said. "He is the man who talks and dresses austerely," analyst Gabriel Pereyra said of Mujica. "He is the man who communicates and talks the language of the people." Analyst Rosario Queirolo describes Mujica as "a person who somehow lives what he preaches and is an antipolitician in another way." "He doesn't very well fit the image of a president we have in Uruguay," Queirolo said. Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America, about the size of Washington state. But it is also considered one of the most economically developed. Located on South America's southeastern coast, the country has a population of 3.5 million, 92 percent of whom live in urban areas. CNN en Español's Dario Klein and CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report.

Who is the former president?
Where is Mujica from?

Answer: Luis Alberto Lacalle

Answer: Montevideo, Uruguay

Summary:
NEW: Jose "Pepe" Mujica asks supporters not to offend people who voted for other candidates .
Mujica said to win by margin of 4 to 8 percentage points .
Former president Luis Alberto Lacalle concedes in a speech .
Mujica belongs to the same Broad Front Party as the current president .


Montgomery, Alabama (CNN) -- Alabama's attorney general questioned Wednesday whether the federal government has the legal right to ask for data from school districts in the state, which has recently passed controversial legislation intended to reduce illegal immigration.

In a letter sent Wednesday, Attorney General Luther Strange said he was "perplexed and troubled" about a request from the Justice Department for information about Alabama's schools.

The Justice Department issued the letter Tuesday to Alabama school districts to ensure they are complying with federal law, which declares that a child may not be denied equal access to schools based on his or her immigration status.

Strange's letter noted that the law was still being litigated.

Strange set a Friday noon deadline for Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for DOJ's civil rights division, to provide the legal authority for his request.

Last spring, the Alabama legislature passed the law known as HB 56 relating to illegal immigration and a federal judge allowed most of its provisions to go into effect, including a mandate for public schools to ask about the immigration status of students enrolling in the system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the Justice Department's request for an emergency injunction for that section of the law but allowed other controversial parts to continue being enforced.

Justice urges Alabama schools' compliance on immigrant laws

The Alabama Department of Education sent a memorandum to school districts recommending they wait for resolution of the issue between the state attorney and Justice Department before responding to the DOJ request.

In the days following the implementation of HB 56, the number of Latino students skipping class spiked.

Malissa Valdes, communication manager for the Alabama Department of Education, said the number of Latino absentees has since leveled off but remains several hundred higher than normal.

The Department of Education also released enrollment numbers for the current school year showing an overall decrease in the student population but a 2.8 percent increase in Latino students, who represent some 35,000 of the state's 740,000 students.

Valdes said the state tried to inform the districts of possible changes related to HB 56 while stressing that no student should be denied enrollment regardless of legal status.

"If everyone sticks exactly to what the law asks from them and they don't go beyond, then there should not be any danger to the education of all students that are welcomed, no matter what," Valdes said.

Allison Neal, the American Civil Liberties Union's legal director in Alabama, said she is happy the Justice Department is asking state educators to do what they can to prevent Latino students from becoming discouraged about attending school.

"We want to make sure students have the right to their education," Neal said.

Valdes said the state sent letters to the schools and to students' parents before and after the law was enacted to prevent confusion.

The ACLU declined to comment on Strange's response to the DOJ request.

Officials at Birmingham City Schools have tried to encourage parents to keep their children in our schools and have told them their children would not be affected by the immigration law, said Michaelle Chapman, the schools' director of communications, in a statement. "On the heels of the court decision allowing the law to go into effect, we sent an automated call to all parents explaining that no information would be collected regarding children who already were enrolled. The call went out in Spanish to our Latino families."

The Montgomery School District sent Spanish-speaking teachers to areas with large numbers of Latinos to encourage the families to continue to send their kids to school.

At Evergreen Estates, a mobile home park on the outskirts of Montgomery, parents awaiting the return of their kids from school said they were not aware that some parents were keeping their children home out of fear of the law.

A Guatemalan woman in the United States without legal papers said she had left from Georgia with her eighth-grade son when the state started talking about a similar law and was considering leaving Alabama, too.

"I hear they are looking for farm workers in Florida," she said.

But, she added, she had

What does Attorney General Luther Strange say?

Who says being "Perplexed and concerned"?

Answer: reduce illegal immigration.

Answer: the law known as HB

Answer: he was "perplexed and troubled" about a request from the Justice Department for information about Alabama's schools.

Answer: Attorney General Luther Strange

Answer: Attorney General Luther Strange

Summary:
Attorney General Luther Strange says he is "perplexed and troubled" over DOJ request .
Feds want to make sure that Alabama schools are not denying children equal access to schools .
Move comes after Alabama passes a controversial immigration law .


Moscow (CNN) -- Ireland's expulsion of a Russian diplomat over spying allegations is "clearly an unfriendly step that will not go unanswered," Russia's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday, according to a report.

Vladimir Titov's remarks were reported by the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency. The ministry press office told CNN it was not aware of the comment and could not elaborate.

Ireland on Tuesday rebuked Russia for "completely unacceptable" behavior and expelled a diplomat after an investigation found that the Russian intelligence services had forged Irish passports, the government said.

An investigation by the Garda Siochana police force found the Russian intelligence services made "false documents based on the acquisition of details of six genuine passports belonging to Irish citizens," and effectively stole the identities of six Irish people, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The probe -- launched after last year's discovery of a Russian espionage operation in the United States -- found "an entirely persuasive picture" of such activities, the statement said.

The department's secretary general met with the Russian ambassador and informed him that it is "not the behavior the government would expect from a country with which we have friendly relations," the statement said.

"The ambassador was also told that the accreditation of a named member of his staff with diplomatic status is to be terminated. ... The individual in question has been asked to leave this jurisdiction by a specified date."

The statement added, "It is hoped that it will be possible to move on from this disturbing incident and to develop further the relationship between Ireland and the Russian Federation which is fundamentally strong and which has significant potential."

CNN's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report.

What does deputy minister say?
What has the Deputy Minister said?
What did the deputy minister say?
When was investigation launched?
What was disturbing?

Answer: Ireland's expulsion of a Russian diplomat over spying allegations is "clearly an unfriendly

Answer: step that will not go unanswered,"

Answer: step that will not go unanswered,"

Answer: last year's

Answer: incident

Summary:
Ireland's "unfriendly step" will "not go unanswered," a deputy minister says .
Ireland says a probe found Russian intelligence services forged passports .
Ireland calls the incident "disturbing"
The investigation was launched after Russian agents were discovered in the United States .


Moscow (CNN) -- President Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order dismissing longtime Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, the Kremlin reported Monday on its website.

The state-run RIA-Novosti news agency said Kudrin had resigned amid a dispute with Medvedev.

The announcement came shortly after Medvedev had given Kudrin until the end of the day to decide whether to quit. "You need to make a decision quickly and tell me about it today," Medvedev told Kudrin during a session of the modernization commission in Dimitrovgrad.

Medvedev urged that Kudrin to "make up his mind about his political future," according to the non-governmental, Moscow-based Interfax news agency.

The president was reacting to a comment Kudrin is reported to have made in Washington. Citing differences with Medvedev, particularly related to defense spending, Kudrin said that he would not remain in a government led by Medvedev, Interfax said.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced Saturday he plans to return next year to the presidency and to name Medvedev as prime minister.

Kudrin, 50, had served as finance minister since 2000, during which time the government had paid off most of its foreign debt and created oil wealth funds that helped the nation weather the global economic problems of recent years, RIA-Novosti said.

-- Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this story

Who has already signed the order dismissing Kurdin?

The Finance Minister stepped down over differences with who?

Who has been credited with helping Russia weather the global downturn?

Answer: President Dmitry Medvedev

Answer: most of its foreign debt

Answer: Medvedev.

Answer: Kudrin,

Answer: Kudrin,

Answer: Kudrin

Answer: an order dismissing longtime Finance Minister Alexei

Summary:
Russian Finance Minister Kudrin steps down over differences with Medvedev .
Medvedev has already signed the order dismissing Kurdin .
The economist has been credited with helping Russia weather the global downturn .


Moscow (CNN) -- President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday he had ceded his presidency bid to the country's powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin because the latter is a more popular politician in Russia, who has higher chances to be elected.

"Prime Minister Putin is definitely the most authoritative politician in our country and his rating is somewhat higher (than mine)," Medvedev said in a taped interview with Russia's national TV networks.

Public opinion polls in Russia have invariably indicated that Putin has been ahead of Medvedev in popularity ever since they constructed their ruling tandem almost four years ago. According to the most recent poll, conducted by independent Levada Center, the approval rating of Medvedev stood at 62 per cent in September, compared to Putin's 68 per cent.

In his Friday television interview Medvedev said that he and Putin belong to "the same political force" and have "very close positions on all strategic and tactical issues" and therefore shouldn't compete or quarrel.

"Can we possibly imagine, for instance, (U.S. President) Barack Obama competing with (Secretary of State) Hillary Clinton?" Medvedev asked. "Both of them were bidding for the presidential nomination ... Both were from the Democratic Party, and (the party) finally decided which of them should run to gain the best election result. Our decision was the same," Medvedev said.

"We want to achieve a political result, to win the elections -- the parliamentary elections in December and the presidential elections in March -- not to be nursing our ambitions," Medvedev said. "Any responsible person's ambition is to serve his country, and I insist on that," he said.

Commenting on the statements made by some people that the outcome of the Russian presidential elections is "predetermined", Medvedev said, "I consider such statements absolutely irresponsible, deceitful, and even provocative."

"The decisions made at the congress are only recommendations to the party to support two people in the elections, no more than that," he said.

Last Saturday Medvedev called on the ruling United Russia party to endorse Putin for president in 2012. Putin in turn suggested that Medvedev should take over the role of prime minister if the party wins parliamentary elections in December, in what would be a straight swap of their roles.

The announcement ended more than two years of speculation about whether Putin or Medvedev, his hand-picked successor, would seek to run for a second term.

Putin had stepped down as president in 2008 because the Russian constitution at that time limited the office to two consecutive four-year terms.

Under amendments to the constitution that came into force on December 31, 2008, the presidential term was extended to six years.

This means that if Putin is elected in March 2012 for six years, he would be eligible to run for another six-year term after that, potentially keeping him in charge until 2024.

Who does Medvedev say has a better chance of being elected?

Who has Putin suggested take over as prime minister?

Answer: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

Answer: President

Answer: powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin because the latter is a more popular politician in Russia, who has higher chances to be elected.

Answer: Medvedev

Answer: Medvedev

Answer: "the same political force"

Summary:
Medvedev says Putin has a better chance of being elected .
He says he and Putin belong to "the same political force"
Putin has suggested Medvedev take over as prime minister .


Moscow (CNN) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused U.S. drones and special forces of involvement in the death of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in comments Thursday.

He also attacked U.S. Sen. John McCain over a warning that Russia might follow the same path as Libya, suggesting McCain was not of sound mind following his time as a prisoner during the Vietnam War.

Putin's comments were prompted by a question during his traditional year-end question-and-answer program, broadcast live by state media.

Responding to a question about McCain purportedly predicting Putin would meet the same fate as Libya's leader, the Russian prime minister described the televised images of Gadhafi's final moments as "horrible, disgusting scenes" and pointed to U.S. involvement in his death.

"Is that democracy? Who did this? Drones, including those of the U.S., struck his motorcade and then commandos, who were not supposed to be there, called for the so-called opposition and militants by the radio, and he was killed without an investigation or trial," Putin said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged the day after Gadhafi's death that "it was a U.S. drone combined with the other NATO planes that fired on the convoy" in which the Libyan leader was traveling outside the city of Sirte. But the Pentagon has denied that any U.S. forces were on the ground in a combat role in Libya.

When asked about McCain, Putin said he had met the senator from Arizona, but said the questioner's description of him as the prime minister's friend was "exaggerated."

He then questioned the mental state of McCain, who ran for U.S. president in 2008, saying he "was taken prisoner in Vietnam, and was held not just in jail, but was put in a pit where he was kept for several years -- any person under those circumstances would hardly remain mentally sane."

Shortly afterward, McCain himself jumped into the row via Twitter, posting: "Dear Vlad, is it something I said?" and linking to a news story headlining the Russian prime minister calling McCain "nuts."

The senator's earlier Twitter posts had linked to news stories suggesting Russia might be in line for its own version of the "Arab Spring" but did not appear to suggest Putin would meet the same fate as Gadhafi.

Putin's attack may be a response to critical comments made by McCain in the U.S. Senate last week.

McCain said his statement was a response to "the flawed Duma election that just occurred this weekend, and in light of my strong belief that the growing demand for dignity and uncorrupt governance that has defined the Arab world this year may impact Russia as well."

McCain highlighted "the unfortunate issue of Russia's continued back-sliding on human rights and democracy" and said the post-election protests were unsurprising given "the pattern of corruption and abuse that the Russian government has perpetrated over many years."

He also criticized Russia's "absolutely shameless" blocking of U.N. Security Council action on President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, despite widespread concerns over human rights abuses there.

"The demand for dignity, and justice, and democracy that is shaking the Arab world to its foundations will not be confined to that one region alone," he said, but will spread and demonstrate that change is possible. "And it appears that message may be resonating with people in Russia," he added.

In his televised remarks, Putin suggested that criticism of Russia was linked to its pursuit of "an independent foreign policy."

While his country had more friends than enemies in Europe, he said, "some would like to sideline Russia so that it doesn't get in the way of those wanting to dominate the globe."

Putin's latest comments come a week after he blamed the United States for encouraging opposition protests in the wake of Russia's parliamentary elections.

He said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had criticized the elections as "neither fair not free -- even before receiving reports from international observers."

This had sent a signal to opposition figures

Who's death did Putin suggest the US had a role in?

Who did Putin question when it came to being sound of mind?

Who does McCain think is backliding on human rights?

Answer: "Dear Vlad, is it something I said?"

Answer: McCain

Answer: Moammar Gadhafi

Answer: U.S. Sen. John McCain

Answer: Putin

Answer: McCain was not of sound mind

Summary:
NEW: McCain criticized Russia's "back-sliding on human rights and democracy" last week .
Vladimir Putin suggests U.S. drones and commandos had a role in Gadhafi's death .
The Russian prime minister questions Sen. John McCain's soundness of mind .
In response, McCain tweets: "Dear Vlad, is it something I said?"


Moscow (CNN) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin blamed the United States Thursday for encouraging opposition protests that have broken out since parliamentary elections Sunday.

His accusation followed comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week on Russia's election in which she called for a "full investigation" of apparent irregularities.

The United States had "serious concerns about the conduct of the election," she said, at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe Tuesday.

Speaking on state TV, Putin said Clinton had criticized the elections as "neither fair not free -- even before receiving reports from international observers."

This had sent a signal to opposition figures, Putin said, who "with the support of the U.S. State Department" then began "active work."

He told representatives of his All-Russian People's Front movement there was a difference between criticism from within the country and by outside players, and he said Russia should defend itself against "foreign interference."

Demonstrators have been protesting against what they describe as electoral fraud in Sunday's national vote, which kept Putin's United Russia party in power but significantly decreased the number of seats it holds in Parliament.

More than 20,000 people have signed up via Facebook for a protest in Moscow called "Saturday in Revolution Square." If it goes ahead as foreseen, it would be one of the largest opposition protests in the Russian capital in years.

Rallies are also being planned via Facebook in more than 90 other Russian cities Saturday, as well as in London, New York, Kiev, Ukraine, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland and Stockholm, Sweden.

In his remarks, Putin said that "if people are acting within law, they should be given a right to express their opinion," but he said the authorities should take action "by legal means" if they do breach the rules.

Speaking in Europe Thursday, Clinton stood by her comments, while recognizing the value the United States places on its relationship with Russia and the "real progress" made in a number of areas.

But, she added: "At the same time, the U.S. and others have a strong commitment to democracy and human rights, it's part of who we are, our values, and we expressed concerns we thought were well-founded about the conduct of the elections and we are supportive of the rights of the Russian people to realize a better future for themselves."

The OSCE also raised concerns over the conduct of the election in a preliminary report, saying some political parties had been prevented from running and the vote was "slanted in favor of the ruling party."

A draft report by the organization's election-observer mission detailed alleged attempts to stuff ballot boxes, manipulate voter lists and harass election monitors. The group, which monitors and promotes democracy and human rights, cited the lack of an independent body running the election or impartial news media.

There was also "undue interference of state authorities" in the vote, the 56-nation organization said in a statement.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton gave her backing to the OSCE observers' findings in a statement Wednesday, and she said she expected Russia to act on them.

She also voiced concern about the detention of hundreds of protesters following the election and "reports of police violence against activists, journalists and bystanders."

Criticism of the electoral process has also come from within Russia.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, called Wednesday for new parliamentary elections in Russia over concerns about vote fraud.

Spokesman Pavel Palezhchenko told CNN Gorbachev was "very concerned about how the situation in Russia is developing" and that the Russian people did not believe their will was reflected in the results.

But Margot Light, professor emeritus of international relations at the London School of Economics, said it was highly unlikely that any notice would be taken of Gorbachev's call.

"They won't re-run the election," she said, suggesting the Russian authorities would instead probably run a case-by-case investigation where there have been specific

Who said that the US values its relationship with Russia?

How many people have signed up via Facebook for a protest in Moscow this Saturday?

Putin says Secretary Clinton's words sent a signal to who?

Putin thinks who sent a signal to opposition leaders?

How many people have signed a protest in moscow?

Clinton says the U.S. values its relationship with who?

How many people signed up on Facebook for a protest in Moscow?

Answer: Clinton

Answer: More than 20,000

Answer: opposition figures,

Answer: the United States

Answer: 20,000

Answer: Russia

Answer: 20,000

Answer: "Saturday

Summary:
Clinton says the U.S. values its relationship with Russia but is committed to democracy .
Calls for Russia's parliamentary elections to be re-run will go unheeded, an analyst says .
Putin says Secretary Clinton's words sent a signal to opposition leaders .
More than 20,000 people have signed up via Facebook for a protest in Moscow this Saturday .


Moscow (CNN) -- Russian election authorities officially registered Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday as a candidate for president in next year's election, they announced on their website.

Putin will represent his United Russia party, the Central Election Commission said.

The move is the latest step toward Putin's reclaiming the presidency after switching to the prime minister's office because of a law barring him from serving more than two consecutive terms as president.

Russia's third-richest man, the billionaire New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, announced this month that he will run against Putin for president.

Many ordinary Russians suspect the Kremlin put Prokhorov up to it to give the impression the contest is fair.

Last week, Putin brushed off widespread criticism that the December 4 parliamentary elections in Russia were falsified.

He said their results "reflect the actual line-up of forces in the country, as well as the fact that the ruling force -- the United Russia party -- has lost certain positions."

Tens of thousands turned out to protest the election results that returned Putin's United Russia party to power, but with a smaller majority.

Police estimated crowds in Moscow on December 10 at 25,000, while organizers said the total was 40,000, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. Either figure would make the protests the largest in the Russian capital in 20 years.

Claiming the results of parliamentary elections were rigged, protesters chanted "Putin out."

They also braved freezing temperatures in other Russian cities to demonstrate against what they said was vote fraud.

Putin said in his question-and-answer session that protesters were positioning themselves for the presidential vote in March.

"It is obvious to me that the attacks on the latest election are secondary; their primary goal is the next election, the Russian presidential election," Putin said December 15.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation said in a preliminary report that some political parties had been prevented from running and the vote was "slanted in favor of the ruling party." Its election-observer mission detailed alleged attempts to stuff ballot boxes, manipulate voter lists and harass election monitors.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said the United States had "serious concerns" about the election and called for a "full investigation" of apparent irregularities.

What number of Russians demonstrated against election results

What man is angling to return to the office

What billionaire says he will run against Putin

Answer: Mikhail Prokhorov,

Answer: Mikhail Prokhorov,

Answer: Tens of thousands

Answer: Vladimir Putin

Answer: Vladimir Putin

Answer: Mikhail Prokhorov,

Answer: that the December 4 parliamentary elections in Russia were falsified.

Answer: ordinary Russians

Summary:
Putin is angling to return to the office he used to hold .
Historic numbers of Russians demonstrated against election results this month .
They claim the results were falsified, but Putin denies it .
Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov says he will run against Putin .


Moscow (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in Moscow, braving bitterly cold weather to demand fair elections after what they claim were rigged results earlier this month that returned Vladimir Putin's party to power.

The protest, organized primarily through social media and word of mouth, comes on the heels of an announcement by President Dmitry Medvedev of sweeping political reforms, an effort to address discontent following the December 4 parliamentary elections.

The latest mass protest follows one earlier this month, when tens of thousands of people across Russia turned out to protest the election results that kept Putin's ruling United Russia party in power, albeit with a smaller majority. Police estimated crowds in Moscow at 25,000, while organizers said at least twice as many participated.

The protests were considered -- among analysts and political observers -- the largest in Russia in the past two decades.

Turnout at Saturday's protests was even greater, organizers said.

Besides blasting election results, demonstrators spoke about the presidential vote scheduled next year, repeating a popular refrain: "Russia without Putin."

Dozens of protesters were detained across Russia on Saturday, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. Ten activists were held in St. Petersburg, 22 in Nizhny Novgorod, and about 20 in Barnaul, it said.

Police put the number of protesters in central Moscow at 29,000, but organizers and RIA Novosti correspondents estimated the real number was several times higher, the news agency reported.

Speaking this week before the newly elected parliament members in the Kremlin's St. George Hall, Medvedev proposed that Russia return to direct elections of regional governors; simplify the registration of political parties and presidential candidates; and establish a new editorially independent national public TV channel.

Medvedev also called for lifting many of the political restrictions imposed in the past several years by his predecessor, Putin, Russia's current prime minister and a candidate in the March 2012 presidential elections.

He also announced a number of new anti-corruption measures and called for the redistribution of power and financial resources from the federal government to local governments across the country.

At the same time, he rejected widespread public criticism of the parliamentary elections, which critics say were marred by fraud and other irregularities, and blamed anti-Kremlin opposition figures for their "attempts to manipulate the people and foment social discord."

"We will not allow instigators and extremists to involve society in their reckless schemes, nor will we tolerate interference in our internal affairs from the outside," Medvedev said.

"Russia needs democracy, not chaos. We need to have a faith for the future and justice. It is a good sign that society is changing, and citizens are expressing their position more actively, setting legitimate demands to the authorities. It is a sign that our democracy is growing more mature."

Protest organizers said Medvedev, who announced the reforms during his fourth and final state-of-the-nation speech Thursday, failed to address what authorities are planning to do about the recent alleged voting fraud, as well as whether fair and free elections are guaranteed in the future.

What election results will be announced?

What amount of protesters were detained?

How many braved the cold in Moscow to call for fair elections?

Answer: Dozens of protesters

Answer: fair elections

Answer: parliamentary

Answer: 29,000,

Answer: Moscow,

Answer: Saturday in Moscow,

Answer: Dozens

Answer: Tens of thousands

Summary:
NEW: Dozens of protesters are detained, RIA Novosti reports .
Tens of thousands brave the bitter cold in Moscow to call for fair elections .
The mass protest follows one this month after parliamentary election results were announced .
Demonstrators want an investigation into this month's election results .


Moscow (CNN) -- Two policemen were killed by a suicide car bomber in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the Dagestani Interior Ministry said on its website Monday.

The ministry said the officers were patrolling the town of Kizilyurt in a minivan around midnight when an unidentified bomber sitting in a parked Lada car set off an unidentified explosive device in his car as the police minivan was passing by.

The explosion left a crater 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) deep, the ministry said. The police minivan was burned out, the ministry said.

Dagestan has been hit by a series of deadly attacks recently, including fatal bombings and shootings.

It is the largest and most volatile of the five Northern Caucasus regions. Rebels continue to stage frequent attacks on security forces, police and civilians.

In August, the head of the Federal Security Service Alexandr Bortnikov told the Russian president that in the first six months of this year, 169 terrorist acts were committed, of which 110 took place in Dagestan.

In recent years, Dagestan has faced ethnic friction, spillover from the discord in neighboring Chechnya and attacks on government officials by militant Islamists, the International Crisis Group has said.

who is the largest and most volatile of the five Northern Caucasus regions?

What happened while the officers were on patrol?

who leaves a crater 1.5 meters wide and 15 centimeters deep?

Answer: Dagestan

Answer: an unidentified bomber sitting in a parked Lada car set off an unidentified explosive device

Answer: The explosion

Answer: 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) deep,

Answer: The explosion

Answer: around midnight

Answer: Russia's North Caucasus republic

Answer: patrolling the town of Kizilyurt in a minivan around midnight

Summary:
The officers were on patrol when a car bomber detonated a device .
The bombing leaves a crater 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) deep .
Dagestan is the largest and most volatile of the five Northern Caucasus regions .


Moscow, Russia (CNN)  -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent a strong signal Thursday that he has full hands-on control of his country. As part of his annual town hall forum, Putin spoke for four hours and fielded 80 questions out of 2 million-plus submitted on a live call-in program, "Conversation With Vladimir Putin -- Continued." Responding to a question on whether he had any plans to retire and enjoy the life of an ordinary citizen, Putin tersely replied, "Don't count on that." And when asked whether he plans to run for the presidency again in 2012, he said, "I will think about it. There is plenty of time for that." Speaking of his "tandem" with President Dmitry Medvedev, Putin said he had "known him for many years, graduated from the same universities, having been taught by the same professors." "Those common principles allow us to effectively work together," he said, responding to the never-ending speculation about which one of the duo is more important and whether a rift between them is possible. Putin juggled a myriad of facts and statistics, giving instructions to subordinates along the way to fix problems, as he responded to questions mostly on Russia's domestic issues. These covered pensions, medication prices, the overhauling of entire industries and Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, Amur tigers and hip-hop music, and everything in between. The program was broadcast live on government television and radio. It marked Putin's eighth annual year-end "town meeting," first launched in 2001 when he was president. This year's forum was his second as prime minister. Representatives from all Russian industries as well as university students packed the auditorium in Gostiny Dvor, a large conference hall next door to the Kremlin, where Putin appeared. Putin took questions from the hall's floor, with live cameras positioned in towns and cities across Russia, and he also responded to phone calls, e-mails and mobile SMS messages. He started off by addressing the issue of terrorism, coming nearly a week after the derailment of a luxury Moscow-St.Petersburg express train, which left 26 people dead and more than 100 injured. Russia's Federal Security Service said an improvised explosive device, which unknown bombers placed beneath the railroad bed, caused Friday's derailment. It was the biggest terror act outside Russia's troubled North Caucasus region since 2004. "We did a lot [in recent years] to break the backbone of terrorism, but the threat has not been eliminated yet," Putin said. "The entire society, each of us, should be conscious of this threat and be vigilant." Addressing the economy, Putin said the peak of the global economic crisis has passed, "although turbulent trends in the global and, as a result, the Russian economy, are still in place." "It will take time and effort to overcome the crisis," he said. The past year has been "one of the most difficult" for Russia in this decade, Putin added, saying the 2009 gross domestic product will shrink by 8.5 percent to 8.7 percent. The slump in the country's industry will be even bigger, he said, around 13 percent, but the projected inflation for 2009 will be lower than in the past year, about 9 percent. The prime minister also cited what he called "positive developments" in the Russian economy. He said some industries, such as military hardware production and agriculture, are even growing. In the arena of international politics, Putin told a questioner that he and former President George W. Bush had a good relationship but have not been in touch. The prime minister described Bush as a "very honest and nice person," saying that if the ex-U.S. leader wanted to continue their relationship, he would be glad to do so. Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the wide range of issues on which Russians posed questions "provides an excellent instrument for sociological study,

who called bush an honest person
what does Putin dismiss?
did putin say anything
What does Putin call Bush?
Will Putin retire?
Does Putin actually like George Bush?
who works well together?

Answer: Putin

Answer: any plans to retire and enjoy the life of an ordinary citizen,

Answer: spoke for four hours and fielded 80 questions out of 2 million-plus submitted on a live call-in program,

Answer: "very honest and nice person,"

Answer: "Don't count on that."

Answer: good relationship

Answer: Medvedev, Putin

Summary:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismisses notion of retiring at town hall forum .
Putin: "Common principles" let him, President Dmitry Medvedev work well together .
Putin calls George W. Bush a "very honest and nice person"
Putin says it will take time to overcome global financial crisis .