(CNN) -- Sandra Herold, the owner of a chimpanzee that was involved in a vicious attack on her friend last year, has died, her attorney said Tuesday. She was 72.

Herold suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm Monday night, Roger Golger said.

Herold "had suffered a series of heartbreaking losses over the last several years, beginning with the death of her only child, then her husband, then her beloved chimp Travis, as well as the tragic maiming of friend and employee Charla Nash," Golger said.

Nash lost her nose, upper and lower lips, eyelids and both her hands in the attack in February 2009, as well as the "bony structures in her mid-face," according to doctors.

More than a year later, numerous surgeries and therapy sessions have helped Nash regain some mobility.

Her family filed a lawsuit against Herold shortly after the attack, seeking $50 million in damages. Criminal charges were not filed, however, because authorities ruled Herold was not aware of the risk her pet posed.

"This past year was particularly difficult for Sandy," Golger said. "She hated living alone in a house where she faced constant reminders of the vibrant and happy life she once led with her family and friends. The stress of defending a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and all that it entailed also weighed heavy on Sandy. In the end, her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more."

The attack occurred February 16, 2009, when Herold called Nash for help in getting Travis back inside her house after he used a key to escape. When Nash arrived at the Stamford, Connecticut, home, the chimp, who had been featured in TV commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy, jumped on her and began biting and mauling her. Police shot Travis to halt the attack and he later died of gunshot wounds.

The mauling has raised questions about whether exotic animals should be kept as pets. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has said that primates and crocodiles should be added to a state list of animals that citizens are not allowed to own.

Nash was discharged from the famed Cleveland Clinic, where doctors performed the nation's first face transplant, earlier this month. She is continuing her recovery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, where doctors have said she is a candidate for a face transplant.

CNN's Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report.

What was the name of the friend whom the chimpanzee mauled?

Who died Monday of a ruptured aortic aneurysm?

What did the attorney say about Herold's heart?

Answer: Travis,

Answer: Sandra

Answer: Charla Nash,"

Answer: vicious attack

Answer: Sandra

Answer: could take no more."

Answer: Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts,

Answer: ruptured aortic aneurysm

Summary:
Sandra Herold died Monday of a ruptured aortic aneurysm .
Her chimpanzee, Travis, mauled friend Charla Nash in February 2009 .
Herold's heart "could take no more" after a "difficult" year, attorney says .
Nash is still recovering in Boston; doctors say she is a candidate for a face transplant .


(CNN) -- Sarah Palin did not visit troops in Iraq, a spokesperson for the Republican vice presidential nominee confirmed Saturday, as new details emerged about the extent of the Alaska governor's foreign travel. Gov. Sarah Palin's aide confirmed to CNN details of her foreign travel Saturday. In July of last year, Palin left North America for the first time to visit Alaskan troops stationed in Kuwait. Palin officials originally said her itinerary included U.S. military installations or outposts in Germany and Kuwait, and that she had visited Ireland. A Palin aide in Alaska had said Iraq was also one of the military stops on that trip. The Boston Globe, however, reported Saturday that in response to questions about the trip, Alaska National Guard officials and campaign aides said Palin did not go past the Kuwait-Iraq border. In addition, campaign aides also confirmed reports to CNN Saturday that Palin's time in Ireland on that trip had actually been a refueling stop. The Obama campaign -- which has increasingly accused the McCain campaign of deliberately lying in ads and on the stump -- was quick to highlight that story, along with a news report that explored whether the McCain campaign has been sending out wildly inflated crowd estimates. The McCain team has twice pointed to law enforcement as the source for those estimates -- but the same officials denied to Bloomberg News that they had provided the numbers cited by the Republican nominee's campaign. "The McCain campaign said Gov. Palin opposed the bridge to nowhere, but now we know she supported it," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor in a statement. "They said she didn't seek earmarks, but now we know she hired a lobbyist to get millions in pork for her town and her state. They said she visited Iraq, but today we learned that she only stopped at the border. Americans are starting to wonder, is there anything the McCain campaign isn't lying about?" A Palin spokesperson also confirmed that the governor had visited Mexico on a personal vacation. She has also visited Canada. The Palin revelations Saturday are the latest in a series of barbs between the two presidential campaigns. McCain, appearing Friday on ABC's "The View," was aggressively pressed on Palin's qualifications to be vice president as well as his new campaign ads that several independent fact-check groups have called misleading. Co-host Barbara Walters asked about Palin's reformist credentials, noting McCain has served in Washington for more than two decades and asking repeatedly, "Who's she going to reform, you?" McCain answered by saying Democrats have controlled Congress for two years, but then Walters quickly interrupted: "But tell me who she is going to reform -- we aren't talking about the economy, we're not talking about housing; she was chosen to reform, who is she going to reform?" Appearing somewhat frustrated, McCain said, "The Democrat Party, the Republican Party, even an independent. She'll reform all of Washington." Walters, seeming somewhat exasperated, asked, "How? What will she do? What is she going to reform specifically, senator?" McCain said Palin had a strong record on vetoing earmark spending.  Watch more of McCain's appearance on "The View" » "The fact is she was a reform governor, she took on an incumbent governor of her own party and defeated him. She sold the airplane and fired the chef," McCain said, referring to Palin's efforts to put her predecessor's state jet up for auction on eBay and her dismissal of the governor's personal chef. "She sold the airplane at a loss," Walters interrupted. (The jet failed to draw sufficient bids on eBay and later was sold at a loss through an ordinary aircraft brokerage.) Also on Friday, both campaigns accused each other of engaging in lies, unfair attacks and gutter politics in a series of television ads and memos. McCain's campaign released a television ad, titled "Disrespectful," that accuses McCain's Democratic rival of launching desperate attacks and smears against Palin.

Details of what emberged regarding Sarah Palin?

Answer: the extent of the Alaska governor's foreign travel.

Answer: extent of the Alaska governor's foreign travel.

Answer: Kuwait.

Answer: Palin

Answer: ABC's "The View,"

Answer: "The View,"

Answer: "The View,"

Answer: ABC's "The View,"

Summary:
New details emerge on Gov. Sarah Palin's foreign travels .
Campaign now says she didn't visit troops in Iraq, only the border .
Questions surround the crowd size of a McCain-Palin event in Virginia .
John McCain gets grilled on "The View" while defending Palin .


(CNN) -- Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate redefined how vice-presidential candidates influence a campaign. Unfortunately for McCain, the Alaska governor hurt his presidential bid more than she helped.

Palin, at McCain's concession Tuesday night, boosted the GOP ticket at first but ultimately became a drag on it.

Palin had been unfamiliar to most Americans, aside from some conservative writers and bloggers, who had admired her since she upended Alaska's Republican establishment by knocking off incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2006.

That all changed on August 29 -- the morning after Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention -- when Palin was introduced by McCain.

It wasn't just reporters who were stunned. Even McCain staffers at the event itself were shocked. Many assumed McCain would tap a GOP heavyweight like Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. The most daring option, many thought, would be Joe Lieberman, a former Democrat.  See Palin's path to the ticket Â»

But Palin's debut instantly energized the Republican base, which had long been cool to McCain, and the GOP ticket surged in the polls.

McCain took a shine to Palin's anti-establishment streak and her familiarity with energy issues. His advisers believed her "average hockey mom" persona would attract women. The party grass roots admired her devotion to family and her conservative positions on social issues.  Watch Palin as McCain concedes the election Â»

But because the Alaska governor was largely unknown, her record and background were immediately under scrutiny. Journalists descended on her hometown of Wasilla to examine her record as mayor and governor, though Palin was still sheltered from questioners.

The craving for knowledge spread outside the media and paid huge dividends at the Republican National Convention, when Palin took the biggest stage of her life and assuredly presented herself as both a small-town mother of five and a pit bull who could smile her way through a sharp political attack. The speech garnered mammoth television ratings and rave reviews.

McCain came out of the convention with a healthy bounce -- leading Obama by a 10-point margin. Palin's ratings were also riding high, with nearly 50 percent of Americans viewing her in a positive light. She got bigger crowds than McCain, an unusual phenomenon that underscored her newfound political clout.

But a series of missteps began to harm her image and McCain's standing.

Palin was still kept away from the media, even friendly conservative talk radio shows, in a strategy that campaign aides later acknowledged was flawed. Advisers chose to grant interviews only to two networks. When Palin stumbled over foreign policy questions, she undercut the foundation of McCain's experience argument. Her sometimes-rambling answers in the highly-scrutinized appearances formed the basis for Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" caricature.

Palin held her own on economic and energy issues in the first half of her debate with Joe Biden -- the highest rated of the presidential and vice-presidential debates. But when questioning turned to national security, she seemed to resort to talking points.

Back on the stump, Palin began to attack Obama, accusing him of "palling around with terrorists," being a socialist and not as patriotic as herself and McCain.

Her offensives were often scattershot, appearing at one rally and disappearing at the next. And while Republicans enjoyed the aggression, Democrats and independents were turned off.

Over a month, poll numbers shifted and Palin became more of a polarizing figure. Liberals called her the most divisive politician since Richard Nixon or George Wallace, and some former Hillary Clinton supporters said McCain's selection of Palin was a cynical gambit that wouldn't help him sway female voters.

Palin kept up her rigorous campaign schedule but the problems continued.

A long-running ethics investigation in Alaska determined she abused her power in firing the state's public safety commissioner, though she broke no laws.

News broke that the Republican National Committee had spent $150,000 on her wardrobe, angering her and prompting her to deviate from the campaign's game plan. iReport.com: What's next for Palin?

Aides insisted Palin wanted

Who else, if anyone, might McCain have picked?

Who soon seized headlines and attention?

What did people think that she did to become a drag on McCain?

What pick redefined how running mates can influence a campaign?

Answer: Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty.

Answer: Palin

Answer: largely unknown,

Answer: Palin,

Answer: abused her power in firing the state's public safety commissioner,

Answer: Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate

Summary:
The Sarah Palin pick redefined how running mates can influence a campaign .
Little-known before late summer, she soon seized headlines and attention .
She brought energy, popularity but ultimately became a drag on McCain .


(CNN) -- Sarah Palin: politician and mother. iReporters weigh in on the difficulty of balancing those two roles. iReporter Christina Walker says its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child. Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Go. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick, she has been closely scrutinized by both the public and the media. Palin has served as governor of Alaska for almost two years. She also has five children, including a 4-month-old son with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old daughter who is 5-months pregnant. Her choice to run as the Republican vice presidential nominee has drawn both praise and criticism from the left and right alike. Now iReporters are asking:  Was it the right decision? Some feel that Palin's choice to run shows poor judgment. "I think she made the wrong call. It's not her time," said Andy Stably of Salem, New Hampshire. "Given her personal situation and her special circumstances, it does seem more important than the nomination she's accepting. I don't think that should be blanket statement for all moms. But the job she's about to interview for is the job of jobs, and it's going to require her to sacrifice what she has at home." Stably has children of his own, and his wife works full-time. He says this experience has helped shape his views on Palin: "Doesn't everyone, male or female, think about the impact a job offer would have on their personal life before accepting the offer?" "It's not a sexist thing," said Jeanette Lee, who is raising a 15-month-old baby of her own. "If my family was having these sorts of issues, I wouldn't be putting them in the spotlight and making them go through this publicly. For her to walk away from her baby with special needs just shows her character. I feel like she should pay more attention to her whole family." "If her children were older, it wouldn't be an issue," Lee added. Others feel Palin's family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president. "I want my president to be my president. It is a difficult, sometimes thankless, and emotionally devastating job that requires 100 percent resolve at all times," said Carlton Madden, from West Monroe, Louisiana. "I think she has a lot on her plate ... I have no problem with a woman being president, but I'm going to hold her to the same standards I'd hold a man. If [Obama] had a pregnant teen daughter and a child with special needs, I'd have serious reservations about his ability to make a split-second decision, too." Christina Walker, of Austin, Texas, who has a 1-year-old daughter, says her experience as a mom has led her to the same conclusion. "I opted to change my career path so I could spend more time with my child, and I'm trying to manage both the career and the child," she said. "It's very challenging, and I'm not in nearly the type of stressful role that she would be in." But some think Palin's experience as a mom would only make her a better vice president. Carolyn Jasper of Shreveport, Louisiana, says Palin's experience as a mother makes her a better candidate because she knows what it's like to balance life and work and can understand the lives of "regular" Americans. "I can tell you one thing about being a mom. You learn real quick how to work through all of life's huge problems and bring them down to a manageable size," said Jasper, who has three children of her own. "I do think she'll be more capable of understanding what the regular American people need from their government because she is a mom and a family person." So is there a double standard at work? Some iReporters think so.   "Why aren't we questioning

What is being mentioned by others about palin?

What is the mention given by some about palin?

Answer: choice to run shows poor judgment.

Answer: politician and mother.

Answer: family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president.

Answer: its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child.

Answer: balance life and work

Answer: iReporters

Answer: poor judgment.

Answer: Was it the right decision?

Summary:
iReporters weigh in on Sarah Palin's roles of politician and mother .
Some say she can't be both a good mother and a good vice president .
Others say Palin is being held to an unfair standard as a woman .
iReport.com: Is there a double-standard?


(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia has had its first death from swine flu, its Ministry of Health said Monday, bracing for more. The patient -- a 30-year-old man who lived in the country's Eastern Province -- was admitted to a hospital in the city of Dammam on Wednesday with a high fever, cough and shortness of breath. He died Saturday. Saudi Arabia has diagnosed more than 230 cases of the H1N1 virus this year. In the past few weeks, a debate about the virus has erupted in the Middle East. Of particular concern is how to keep it from spreading among the millions of visitors expected in Saudi Arabia during this year's Hajj -- a pilgrimage required of Muslims at least once in their lives. On Wednesday, Arab health ministers held an emergency summit in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss the issue. Guidelines were issued, banning various groups from participating in this year's Hajj -- children under 12, adults over 65 and people with chronic diseases. Saudi Arabia recommended that pregnant women stay home as well. At the close of the meeting, Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah told CNN that, in all, Saudi Arabia had issued 15 recommendations to help ensure the safety and health of pilgrims participating in the Hajj. "The most important of those is, first of all, that they should take the seasonal flu vaccine two weeks prior to Hajj," Al-Rabeeah said. Even with the guidelines in place, World Health Organization spokesman Dr. Ebrahim el Khordany acknowledged that it won't be easy keeping potential pilgrims away. El Khordany told CNN, "It was discussed in detail how it's going to be worked out between the country and Saudi Arabia to find out the best way to do it and, of course, to make sure that people don't try to use their connections to get their visas or to get to go to Saudi, because people are really very keen to go to the pilgrimage." The Saudi government has also said it will set up quarantine centers at airports as another preventative measure.

Where is there concern for the impact of the virus later this year?

What will the government set up at airports?

How many cases of H1N1 has Saudi Arabia diagnosed?

Answer: Hajj

Answer: airports

Answer: Arabia has had its first death from swine flu,

Answer: a hospital in the city of Dammam

Answer: swine flu,

Answer: quarantine centers

Answer: more than 230

Answer: 230 cases of the H1N1 virus

Answer: a 30-year-old man

Summary:
30-year-old man dies in hospital after suffering high fever, cough, shortness of breath .
Saudi Arabia has diagnosed more than 230 cases of the H1N1 virus this year .
Concern in Saudi over possible impact of virus on Hajj later this year .
Saudi government says it will set up quarantine centers at airports .


(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has identified the suicide bomber who attempted to assassinate the country's assistant interior minister last Thursday and released details of a phone conversation between the two men prior to the attack. A Saudi man reads a newspaper featuring a front-page story on Thursday's attack. The disclosures reported by the country's official news agency were highly unusual. The agency, SPA, reported the attacker, Abdullah Hassan Talea' Asiri, a wanted Saudi militant who had been hiding in Yemen, got in touch with Saudi authorities telling them he wanted to turn himself in to Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Naif, the assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs. After arriving back in Saudi Arabia, Asiri spoke by phone to Mohammed, who agreed to see him during a Ramadan reception at his home in the city of Jeddah. According to a transcript provided by SPA, during the phone call the men exchanged greetings and discussed the importance of the holy month of Ramadan. Mohammed is quoted as telling Asiri that "one should be careful; evil people would like to exploit all of you. Now only you to fear Allah Almighty and come home." Later in the conversation, Asiri asked if a special plane could be dispatched to take him to meet with Mohammed. Asiri, escorted by security, was transported to Jeddah, where he met with the prince at his palace. During the meeting, Asiri explained to Mohammed that other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender but sought reassurances from the prince. According to SPA, a call was then placed to one of the militants in Yemen. While the prince was on the phone, Asiri blew himself up, SPA reported. Mohammed, who is also the son of the country's Interior Minister, was lightly injured in the attack. Saudi King Abdullah was shown visiting the prince in the hospital after the attack on Saudi TV. The king asked the prince why the militant was allowed to get so close him without being inspected properly and searched thoroughly. Prince Mohammed answered the king by telling him it had been a mistake. SPA adds that "the concerned security authorities opened an investigation into the incident. However, the criminal laboratory and a forensic report have reached conclusions that, for security considerations, will not be announced at this time." Asiri's name was on a list of 85 most wanted suspects released by Saudi Arabia in February. At the time the list was released, Saudi Arabia asked Interpol for its help in apprehending dozens of the wanted Saudis on the list who were suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi Arabia from abroad. The announcement was significant because it is rare for the kingdom to announce that some of its most wanted terrorists are on the loose. It is also unusual for Saudi Arabia to ask for help in finding them. Some of the suspects on the most wanted list had been released from Guantanamo Bay, returned to Saudi Arabia, and had then gone through a Jihadi reeducation program run by the Interior Ministry, before fleeing to Yemen and taking up terrorist activity once more. Saudi Arabia has been battling terrorism since 2003, when al Qaeda launched a series of attacks inside the Kingdom. In the security crackdown that followed, Asiri, like many other wanted Saudi militants, fled to Yemen. Earlier this year, Saudi al Qaeda and Yemeni al Qaeda merged to form "Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula." Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which operates out of Yemen, claimed responsibility earlier this week for the attack against Mohammed. In August, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry announced that over the past year, 44 al Qaeda suspects across the country had been arrested. While the Interior Ministry is calling the attempted assassination an "action of treachery and treason", SPA reports that the Ministry will not change its "open-door policy" of granting amnesty to militants wishing to surrender - in particular, "those citizens residing outside the country" who wish to "take advantage of the state-sponsored program of advice and care."

Where has the Saudi militant been hiding?

Answer: in Yemen,

Answer: Abdullah Hassan Talea' Asiri,

Answer: Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Naif, the assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs.

Answer: Yemen,

Summary:
Wanted Saudi militant Abdullah Hassan Talea' Asiri had been hiding in Yemen .
Reportedly got in touch with Saudi authorities saying he wanted to turn himself in .
Asiri met with Saudi assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs .
He explained other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender .


(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has been called "The King of Hearts" by many of his countrymen, referring to what they believe are his compassionate attempts to reform his ultra-conservative kingdom. He used his power Monday to overturn a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami. Under the travel ban, she could not have left Saudi Arabia. Al-Yami was sentenced for her work on an episode of the television show "A Thick Red Line" that featured a Saudi man who bragged about sexual escapades. The controversial show explores social taboos. It is carried by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., for which al-Yami works as a coordinator and guest booker. "King Abdullah's swift revocation of this punishment sends an important notice to the Saudi judicial system that it should not go after journalists for exercising free speech," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch. "King Abdullah should also overturn the sentence against the man at the center of the case, who had spoken about sex on a television show, and initiate reforms to strengthen the rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial," Human Rights Watch said in a written statement. In the episode, the Saudi man, Mazen Abdul Jawad, 32, bragged about his sex life. Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes. Shortly afterward, the court sentenced al-Yami. Jawad's attorney, Suleiman al-Jumeii, said al-Yami was not involved in setting up the episode in which his client appeared. The lawyer said he is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get the case heard in a special court that deals only with media matters. "A Thick Red Line" caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced. Pre-marital sex is illegal, and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle. Saudi authorities shut down Lebanese Broadcasting's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago. The king's pardon of al-Yami was unusual, but it was not the first time he has stepped in. In late 2007, the king pardoned a woman who, although she had been gang-raped, was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for appearing in public with an unrelated male, who also was pardoned, according to the Saudi justice minister. The king concluded in a letter pardoning the woman that her male companion, who was abducted along with her, had suffered torture along with her. Details of what happened to the two were not disclosed. Octavia Nasr, senior editor for Middle East affairs, contributed to this report.

Who was sentenced to five years in jail?

Answer: a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami.

Answer: 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban

Answer: five years in prison and 1,000 lashes.

Answer: Abdullah

Answer: Rosanna al-Yami.

Answer: Mazen Abdul Jawad,

Answer: 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban

Answer: Abdullah

Summary:
Saudi king overturns journalist's sentence of 60 lashes, two-year travel ban .
Female journalist worked on controversial TV show on sexual taboos .
Saudi man was sentenced to five years in jail, 1,000 lashes for his role in show .
Human Rights Watch.calls on King Abdullah to overturn that sentence too .


(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's crown prince was convalescing Saturday in Morocco where he arrived this week after surgery for an undisclosed illness in New York City, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, right, seen in a 2007 file photo

Crown Prince Sultan, who is also the nation's deputy prime minister, completed "all medical tests and treatments in the aftermath of the medical surgery he has previously undergone," the news agency said, quoting a statement from the Royal Court.

Sultan arrived in the Moroccan city of Agadir on Wednesday, the press agency said. Speculation about his health has been mounting since he arrived in New York in February.

While Saudi officials maintain publicly that Sultan's health has improved, the appointment in late March of a second deputy prime minister has raised more questions about the extent of his illness.

Last month, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah issued a royal decree naming the interior minister, Prince Nayef -- the powerful brother of the crown prince and half-brother to the king -- to the post of second deputy prime minster. The appointment appears to mean Nayef is now the country's crown prince in waiting and second in line to be king.

In recent weeks, local media have quoted Nayef as downplaying rumors that the crown prince may be seriously ill.

"I would like to assure you that the crown prince's health is very good," he told reporters in March, according to the English-language daily newspaper Arab News. "God willing, after the medical vacation he will return to the kingdom in full health."

What type of illness did he suffer from?

Answer: Morocco

Answer: undisclosed

Answer: Morocco

Answer: more questions about the extent of his illness.

Answer: New York City,

Answer: Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,

Summary:
Saudi Arabia's crown prince convalesces in Morocco after surgery in New York .
Illness of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was not revealed .
Appointment of second deputy prime minister raises questions about illness .


(CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper has reported. The case cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law. Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon Monday -- the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia. The victim's husband told CNN he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon, but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official Saudi newspaper. He thanked King Abdullah for the pardon, saying: "This fatherly care and noble gesture will help (in) lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring." "This is not something new because we know that the King was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world," the husband said. "This week, we have two holidays to celebrate; the Eid and this great news of the pardon." Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners. Watch how Arab media is reporting the story. » Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh told al-Jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system. The White House welcomed King Abdullah's decision, but National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stressed that "this is obviously a matter for the Saudi Arabians and King Abdullah." A Saudi court ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship" with a man who was not her husband, and that she was raped after she and the man were discovered in a "compromising situation, her clothes on the ground." The rape took place in Qatif in March 2006 when the woman was engaged to be married. The case has drawn international attention, provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under strict Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. The woman was meeting with a man -- described by the woman's attorney as a former friend from whom she was retrieving a photograph -- when they both were abducted last March. Seven men, convicted of abducting the pair and raping her, were sentenced from two to nine years in prison. Abdul Rahman al-Lahim, the lawyer who represented the woman, faced a disciplinary hearing for "insulting the Supreme Judicial Council and disobeying the rules and regulations" of the judiciary.  The hearing has been postponed. The woman's husband has been outspoken in his support for his wife. He called a Lebanese TV show to defend her, when a former Saudi judge claimed on the program that she "spoil(ed) their marital bed" by meeting an unrelated male "in secret" and admitted her guilt. Al-Lahim has said he hopes the case changes the Saudi justice system. "We want to highlight the rape crimes in Saudi Arabia and the way they are handled and sentenced in court," he added. "This is a new era for all of us." He said that the rape case had elicited a fierce response, including calls for his beheading. U.S. President George W. Bush said last week that King Abdullah "knows our position loud and clear" on the case. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery.  E-mail to a friend CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom, Saad Abedine and Isha Sesay contributed to this report

who say pardon unrelated to Hajj nor subsequent Eid al-Adha?

which court court had ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship"?

Who said it was in Saudi people's best interest?

who says king felt pardon in best interests of Saudi people?

Who ruled he had an illegitimate relationship?

Who was the pardon in the best interests of ?

Answer: Saudi sources

Answer: Saudi court

Answer: King Abdullah issued a royal pardon Monday

Answer: pardoned a rape victim

Answer: "illegitimate relationship"

Answer: King Abdullah

Answer: King Abdullah

Answer: Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh

Answer: A Saudi court

Answer: a rape

Answer: Saudi people,

Answer: 200 lashes and six

Answer: Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh

Answer: Abdullah

Summary:
NEW: Sources say pardon unrelated to Hajj nor subsequent Eid al-Adha .
NEW: Justice minister says king felt pardon in best interests of Saudi people .
Report: King Abdullah pardons rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes .
A Saudi court had ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship"


(CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has revoked a flogging sentence for a woman who allegedly flouted the conservative kingdom's strict rules that prohibit women from driving a car, two sources with knowledge of the case said Wednesday.

Amnesty International said a Saudi woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for getting behind the wheel, and had urged the dismantling of the "whole system of women's subordination."

Authorities are not expected to release an official statement, but the woman will not be sentenced, according to a source close to the Royal Court.

A source connected to the country's Interior Ministry also confirmed the revocation.

The move comes just as the country's ruling elite promised greater political participation for women in the Islamic nation.

On Sunday, King Abdullah announced two changes for women that would be historic for Saudi Arabia. He said women will be allowed to serve as members of the Shura Council, the appointed consultative council that advises the king.

He also said women will be allowed to run as candidates and nominate candidates in the next set of municipal elections. It is unknown when those may ultimately take place.

Amnesty said a court in Jeddah handed down the sentence Tuesday. Two other women are believed to be facing charges for driving, one in Jeddah and one in al-Khobar.

The Women2Drive campaign said the woman who was sentenced to 10 lashes has appealed the sentence. She said she did not want to be identified or speak publicly about her case for her own safety.

Women2Drive also said police pulled over women's rights activist Madeah Alajroush for driving in Riyadh on Tuesday. She was taken to police headquarters for questioning and released after she signed a pledge not to drive and called for a taxi home, a statement from Women2Drive said.

The Women2Drive campaign on Facebook and Twitter encouraged women to drive as part of their normal daily activities rather than converge in one place.

Who announced greater political participation for women this week?

who did say a woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for driving?

Answer: Abdullah

Answer: driving a car,

Answer: King Abdullah

Answer: a Saudi woman

Answer: Amnesty International

Summary:
Amnesty International says a woman was sentenced to 10 lashes for driving .
Women are barred from getting behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia .
The Saudi king announced greater political participation for women this week .


(CNN) -- Scabby the Rat may not have a word to say, but the large rodent-shaped balloon helped a labor union earn a free-speech victory Thursday before New Jersey's highest court.

Big Sky Balloons, based in Chicago, Illinois, rents out "union rats" like Scabby and other inflatables.

The seven justices ruled unanimously that the local union had a right to display its 10-foot-tall, black, rat-shaped balloon at a rally held outside a fitness center.

At issue was whether a township could enforce a ban on inflatable or portable signs and banners on public property. Lawrence Township police had levied a $100 fine against an official from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers because of Scabby.

The court concluded that while townships have a right to maintain an "aesthetic environment" and ensure public safety, its restrictions on expressive displays "do not justify a content-based restriction of non-commercial speech."

"There is no evidence to suggest that a rat balloon is significantly more harmful to aesthetics or safety than a similar item being displayed as an advertisement or commercial logo," wrote Justice John Wallace Jr.

The balloon and others like it, nicknamed Scabby by the Chicago-based company that made them, have been used by labor unions as street theater since 1990 to protest anti-union activities.

IBEW members were marching on the sidewalk outside Gold's Gym in Lawrence Township in April 2005 in response to a dispute with a contractor working at the business.

A police officer had ordered the balloon deflated, but returned an hour later to find it blown back up. The labor official in charge admitted he ordered the rat reinflated, and he was given a summons.

Lower state courts had ruled the township's ordinance was content-neutral and did not suppress the union's ability to spread its message, since members still could chant and distribute handbills to the public.

About 200 Scabby balloons are used by labor unions nationwide, according to Big Sky Balloons. They come in three colors, each showing pink eyes, front claws extended, and two big front incisors.

What do towns have the right to enforce?

What did the court say the towns have the right to enforce?

What's the name of the balloon displayed at union rallies?

Answer: inflatable or portable signs and banners on public property.

Answer: inflatable or portable signs and banners on public property.

Answer: an "aesthetic environment" and ensure public safety,

Answer: maintain an "aesthetic environment" and ensure public safety,

Answer: maintain an "aesthetic environment" and ensure public safety,

Answer: Scabby

Summary:
Court: Towns have right to enforce aesthetics, but not curb speech .
Scabby the Rat balloon displayed at union rallies in New Jersey .
Township banned display of inflatables, including 10-foot rat balloon .


(CNN) -- Schalke moved to within a point of German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen after winning 2-0 away to fellow title hopefuls Werder Bremen on Saturday night.

Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek scored in the second half to put Schalke a point above third-placed Bayern Munich, who earlier crushed lowly Bochum 5-1 to cap a memorable week.

Former Germany striker Kuranyi put Schalke ahead two minutes after halftime and midfielder Moravek ensured Bremen's first league defeat since the opening day of the season with his 72nd-minute goal.

Bremen could also have closed to within a point of Leverkusen, who were held 2-2 at bottom club Hertha Berlin on Friday night, but ended the night two points adrift of Bayern.

Louis Van Gaal's Bayern, runners-up to Wolfsburg last season, briefly reached their highest league position since he took over as coach in the summer as Mario Gomez continued his recent scoring run with the opening goal at Bochum and strike partner Ivica Olic netted twice.

Bayern, who crushed Italian giants Juventus 4-1 in midweek to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, moved to within two points of leaders Bayer Leverkusen,

Olic set up Gomez's 23rd-minute header for the opening goal, and Mergim Mavraj put through his own net 10 minutes later as the Germany international tried to repay the favor to the Croatian.

Olic got on the scoresheet two minutes before halftime from Bastian Schweinsteiger's cross and made it 4-0 four minutes after the break with a header from Holger Badstuber's delivery.

Danijel Pranjic extended the lead five minutes later after fullback Phillip Lahm surged into the box and squared the ball to him, while Christian Fuchs scored a consolation free-kick for Bochum in the 76th minute.

Fifth-placed Hamburg joined Bremen on 28 points, winning 4-0 at Nuremberg to end a run of seven games without a win.

All the goals came in the second half as Eljero Elia's 47th-minute strike opened the floodgates, and he helped set up Marcell Jansen for the second on the hour mark.

Tunay Torun made it 3-0 six minutes later with a fierce rising effort after cutting in from the left, and Elia wrapped it up on 74 from Jansen's pass.

Sixth-placed Hoffenheim failed to keep pace with the teams above them, drawing 1-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, and have now won just once in five league outings.

Sejad Salihovic opened the scoring for the hosts in the ninth minute with a penalty after Selim Teber fouled Vedad Ibisevic, but Pirmin Schwegler equalized for Frankfurt on 61 when his long-range effort hit Luis Gustavo and ballooned over goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand and into the net.

Borussia Moenchengladbach triumphed 5-3 at home to Hannover, who conceded three own-goals and had a player sent off in an incredible mid-table clash.

Defender Karim Haggui twice put into his own net -- the first an lucky rebound from goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz's attempted clearance in the 15th minute to open the scoring, and he also contributed the game's eighth goal with his second faux-pas.

Constant Djakpa also conceded at the wrong end to give the hosts a 3-1 lead in the 59th minute, while Hannover's Didier Ya Konen scored in each half before being dismissed for his second yellow card on 84.

Cologne edged away from the relegation zone with a 0-0 draw at Freiburg as Germany international striker Lukas Podolski -- who has not scored in the Bundesliga since September 13 -- hit the woodwork twice for the visitors.

Who scored in the second half of 2-0 win at Werder Bremen?

Who suffer first league defeat since the opening day of the season?

Which 2 players scored in the second half of 2-0 win at Werder Bremen?

Answer: third-placed

Answer: Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek

Answer: Werder Bremen

Answer: Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek

Answer: Bayern Munich,

Answer: Bayern Munich,

Answer: moved to within a point of German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen

Answer: Bayer Leverkusen

Summary:
Schalke move to within a point of German Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen .
Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek score in second half of 2-0 win at Werder Bremen .
Fourth-placed Bremen suffer first league defeat since the opening day of the season .
Bayern Munich claim third place, two points behind Leverkusen, after crushing Bochum 5-1 .


(CNN) -- Schools of robotic fish could one day map the ocean floor, detect pollution or inspect and survey submerged boats or oil and gas pipelines, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say. MIT researcher Pablo Valdivia Alvarado works in his lab on a robotic fish he co-created. MIT engineers are showing off the latest generation of so-called robofish 15 years after they built the first one. The latest incarnation is sleeker, more streamlined and capable of mimicking the movements of a real fish. And it's capable of exploring underwater terrain submersibles can't, said Pablo Valdivia Alvarado, a mechanical engineer at the school. "Some of our sponsors were thinking of using them for inspection and surveillance," Alvarado said. "Since these prototypes are very cheap, the idea was to build hundreds -- 200, 500 -- and then just release them in a bay or at a port, and they would be roaming around taking measurements." MIT researchers built their first robotic fish, "Robotuna," in 1994. But Robotuna has gone the way of the dinosaur. Alvarado said the new generation -- modeled after bass and trout -- cost only a few hundred dollars and have only 10 parts instead of the thousands used in Robotuna. At five to 18 inches, the new fish is much smaller than Robotuna and built from a single, soft polymer. And unlike Robotuna, the fish is able to be released in the oceans. "Most of the brains, the electronics, are embedded inside," said Alvarado, who designed the robofish with fellow MIT engineer Kamal Youcef-Toumi. "We have built prototypes with the battery inside, but for my experiments, for simplicity. We have a lot of prototypes that are simply tethered. We have a cable that runs out from the body and connects to a power supply." The new generation has withstood harsh conditions in the lab, including two years of testing inside tanks filled with tap water, which is corrosive to standard robots, according to Alvarado, who says the Robotuna inspired him to take the technology to the next level. The oil exploration company Schlumberger helped fund the research, but Alvarado says the U.S. Navy has also expressed interest in the robofish. MIT's mechanical engineers are now turning their attention to new challenges: A robotic manta ray and a terrestrial robot in the form of a salamander. CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.

Engineers where have created a new generation of robotic fish?

When did researchers built their first robotic fish?

Engineers at MIT have created a new generation of what?

Engineers from where have created robotic fish?

What was the name of the first robotic fish in 1994?

Answer: MIT

Answer: robotic fish

Answer: in 1994.

Answer: 15 years

Answer: survey submerged boats or oil and gas pipelines,

Answer: so-called robofish

Answer: 15 years after

Answer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Answer: MIT

Answer: robofish

Answer: "Robotuna,"

Answer: map the ocean floor,

Summary:
Engineers at MIT have created a new generation of robotic fish .
'Robofish' could be used to map the ocean floor, inspect submerged boats or pipes .
MIT researchers built their first robotic fish, "Robotuna," in 1994 .
New robofish are modeled after bass and trout and cost only a few hundred dollars .


(CNN) -- Science fiction flicks featuring aliens can be a little formulaic: Aliens invade American territory, mass destruction ensues, and nine times out of 10, Will Smith rides to the rescue A company operative (Sharlto Copley) gets an alien's attention in "District 9." But the alien-infested "District 9," opening in theaters Friday, takes things in a different direction -- if the producer may say so himself. "It's utterly original," producer Peter Jackson -- yes, "Lord of the Rings" helmsman Peter Jackson -- told Entertainment Weekly. "In an industry that's looking to make movies out of every obscure TV show, or sequels, or video games, you look at 'District 9' and it's unlike anything you've ever seen," he said. With its inventive plot and crowd-pleasing special effects, the low-profile, relatively low-budget ($30 million, a pittance these days) film was a hit at Comic-Con, creating a buzz before the film's release. The brainchild of newcomer Neill Blomkamp, "District 9" is a mash-up of the director's love for science fiction with his rearing in an apartheid-divided South Africa. Set and shot in the shantytowns of Johannesburg, the film is a mix of action-movie shock and sociological food for thought. The mayhem begins when an alien spaceship runs out of fuel over South Africa in 1981, and simply hovers idly in the sky. With no attack forthcoming, officials finally evacuate a group of aliens -- it turns out they've fled their home world -- and corral them into barbed-wire ghettos, effectively separating the shrimp-like creatures from the human populace. Overseeing the aliens' camp is the corporation Multi-National United (MNU). It's an obvious nod to South Africa's own violent and divisive history, but director Blomkamp says he isn't aiming for political commentary. "This is an organic thing that has grown out of me living in South Africa. I didn't want to go, 'Here's a whole bunch of people that have been oppressed by this apartheid-esque society' and beat people over the head with it," he told CNN. "I wanted to say, 'This is the city I grew up in, and this is what it felt like,' with a science fiction veneer to it so that it doesn't take itself that seriously." Documentary-like authenticity was of prime importance to Blomkamp, and was the reason for his casting of fellow South African unknown Sharlto Copley as leading man. Copley has no prior acting experience, but critics have lauded his portrayal of Wikus van de Merwe, a private-sector employee who goes from being the oppressor to one of the oppressed after an accidental run-in with some DNA-transforming alien goo. "Having grown up in South Africa, I was exposed to the tail end of apartheid as a child, [and] it's something I felt I could relate to," Copley said. "Playing the character, I saw so clearly how you discriminate. ... The film deals with things that are fundamentally human." "District 9" is also fundamentally a thriller, and there's no shortage of gory, gritty scenes and clever special effects that will appeal to fans who like a little action with their sci-fi. Indeed, the film has been praised for its masterful use of special effects, weaving the technology seamlessly into the documentary-style scenes. Sometimes the two are in the very same shot, Blomkamp said. "One of the first shots completed was a motherboard shot, where [computer-generated imagery] was incorporated into some of the handheld footage, and it felt like it was working, this idea of handheld stuff with [CGI]," Blomkamp said. "It set a good tone; it captured the essence of what I was going for." Not bad for a 29-year-old novice, who had previously directed short films and commercials. But

who offers sci-fi thrills with food for thought?

What film involves aliens in South Africa?

Answer: Peter Jackson

Answer: Neill Blomkamp,

Answer: science fiction

Answer: "District

Answer: South Africa

Summary:
"District 9" offers sci-fi thrills with food for thought .
Aliens in South Africa are separated into a township; apartheid similarities obvious .
Film made by relative unknowns who bring documentary-style realism to subject .


(CNN) -- Scientists have discovered the first confirmed Earthlike planet outside our solar system, they announced Wednesday. An artist's impression shows what the planet may look like in close orbit with its sun. "This is the first confirmed rocky planet in another system," astronomer Artie Hatzes told CNN, contrasting the solid planet with gaseous ones like Jupiter and Saturn. But "Earthlike" is a relative term. The planet's composition may be similar to that of Earth, but its environment is more like a vision of hell, the project's lead astronomer said. It is so close to the star it orbits "that the place may well look like Dante's Inferno, with a probable temperature on its 'day face' above 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius) and minus-328 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 200 degrees Celsius) on its night face," said Didier Queloz of Geneva Observatory in Switzerland, the project leader. Hatzes, explaining that one side of the body is always facing the star and the other side always faces away, said the side "facing the sun is probably molten. The other side could actually have ice" if there is water on the planet. "We think it has no atmosphere to redistribute the heat," Hatzes told CNN from Barcelona, Spain, where he is attending the "Pathways Towards Habitable Planets" conference. The astronomers were stunned to find a rocky planet so near a star, he said. "We would have never dreamed you would find a rocky planet so close," he said. "Its year is less than one of our days." The planet, known as CoRoT-7b, was detected early last year, but it took months of observation to determine that it had a composition roughly similar to Earth's, the European Southern Observatory said in a statement. Astronomers were able to measure the dimensions of the planet by watching as it passed in front of the star it orbits, then carried out 70 hours of study of the planet's effect on its star to infer its weight. With that information in hand, they were able to calculate its density -- and were thrilled with what they found, Hatzes said. "What makes this exciting is you compare the density of this planet to the planets in our solar system, it's only Mercury, Venus and Earth that are similar," Hatzes, of the Thuringer observatory in Germany, told CNN. They were helped by the fact that CoRoT-7b is relatively close to Earth -- about 500 light years away, in the constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn. "It's in our solar neighborhood," Hatzes said. "The thing that made it easier is it's relatively close, so it's relatively bright. If this star was much much farther away, we wouldn't have been able to do these measurements." At about five times Earth's mass (though not quite twice as large in circumference), it is the smallest planet ever spotted outside our solar system. It also has the fastest orbit. The planet whizzes around its star more than seven times faster than Earth moves, and is 23 times closer to the star than Mercury is to our sun. The planet was first detected early in 2008 by the CoRoT satellite, a 30-centimeter space telescope launched by the European Space Agency in December 2006, specifically with the mission of detecting rocky planets outside the solar system. At least 42 scientists at 17 institutions on three continents worked on the project. They are publishing their findings in a special issue of the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal on October 22 as "The CoRoT-7 Planetary System: Two Orbiting Super-Earths."

How much larger is the planet than Earth?

How much closer to the star is the planet?

Who says that it may look like dante's inferno?

How many times more massive is this new planet when compared to earth?

How much bigger than earth is the planet?

Answer: as CoRoT-7b, was detected early last year,

Answer: about five times

Answer: the CoRoT satellite,

Answer: five times Earth's mass

Answer: Dante's Inferno,

Answer: CoRoT-7b,

Answer: early in 2008

Answer: CoRoT-7b,

Answer: 23 times

Answer: Didier Queloz

Answer: CoRoT-7b,

Answer: about five

Answer: five times

Answer: early last year,

Answer: about five times Earth's mass

Summary:
The planet, known as CoRoT-7b, was detected early last year .
It took months to determine that it had a composition roughly similar to Earth's .
The planet is about five times more massive than Earth .
Astronomer: It is so close to the star it orbits that it may "look like Dante's Inferno"


(CNN) -- Scientists have discovered the remains of a rodent the size of a small car which used to forage the South American continent. The 1-ton creature is believed to have been about 3 meters in length and 1.5 meters tall. The fossilized skull of the new giant rodent The giant rat's skull, which measures an impressive 53 centimeters in diameter was found by Andrés Rinderknecht and Ernesto Blanco, two scientists from Montevideo, Uruguay. The two paleontologists stumbled upon the fossilized remains in a broken boulder in San Jose along the coast of Uruguay. By looking at the size ratios of the skulls and bodies of existing rodents, scientists determined the bodyweight of the rodent must have approached 1,000 kilograms or a ton, making it the world's largest rodent to have been discovered to date. The relatively small size of its teeth however, suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit. "We can give an educated guess that the rodent would have been 3 meters long -- assuming that it was similar to a Capybara (the largest rodent alive today) and taking it into account that large mammals generally have relatively smaller heads. It's tail probably was closer to the one of capybara or guinea pig (very short) and not like a rat," Ernesto Blanco says. The scientists believe the rodent, named Josephoartigasia monesi, roamed the earth about four million years ago at the same time as other giant creatures, such as terror birds, saber-toothed cats, ground sloths and giant armored mammals. During this period, the now arid region was forested and rich in vegetation. The largest living rodent is the capybara, a 50 kilogram guinea pig found in South America.  E-mail to a friend

What did scientists say the rodent weighed

A rodent the size of a small car was found where?

Answer: soft vegetables and fruit.

Answer: have discovered the remains of a rodent the size of a small car which used to forage

Answer: 1,000 kilograms

Answer: new giant rodent

Answer: long -- assuming that it was similar to a Capybara (the largest rodent alive today) and taking it into account that large mammals generally have relatively smaller heads. It's tail probably was closer to the one of capybara or guinea pig (very short) and not like a rat,"

Answer: car

Answer: remains of a rodent the size of a small car

Answer: soft vegetables and fruit.

Answer: South American continent.

Answer: broken boulder in San Jose

Summary:
Rodent the size of small car discovered in Uruguay .
Scientists say the rodent must have weighed 1,000 kilograms .
Small size of its teeth suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit .


(CNN) -- Scientists have found a decline in oxygen levels in the Gulf of Mexico following the BP oil spill but have found no "dead zones" as a result, a federal task force reported Tuesday.

Levels of dissolved oxygen in deep water have dropped about 20 percent below their long-term average, according to data collected from up to 60 miles from the well at the center of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. But much of that dip appears to be the result of microbes using oxygen to dissolve oil underwater, and the decline is not enough to be fatal to marine life, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official Steve Murawski, the head the Joint Analysis Group studying the spill's impact.

"Even the lowest observations in all of these was substantially above the threshold," Murawski said.

The samples were collected from 419 points at varying distances from the ruptured well at the heart of the disaster and at depths as far down as 4,800 feet, the group reported. The task force is made up of NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The undersea gusher erupted in April, releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels (205 million gallons) of crude before being temporarily capped in July. The volume of oil -- and the amount of chemical dispersants used to break it up -- have created concerns about the long-term health of the Gulf. At the same time, the spill delivered a severe economic blow to the region, where fisheries and beach resorts are major employers.

Early findings from a mid-August survey led by the University of South Florida indicated oil had settled to the bottom of the Gulf further east than previously suspected and at levels toxic to marine life. At about the same time, a team from Georgia Sea Grant and the University of Georgia released a report that estimates that 70 to 79 percent of the oil that leaked from the well "has not been recovered and remains a threat to the ecosystem."

The latest study "does not discuss the broad ecosystem consequences of hydrocarbons released into the environment," NOAA said. But it concludes that the oil is continuing to break up and disperse underneath the surface, making the emergency of a major oxygen-poor dead zone unlikely.

In early August, the federal government estimated that about three-quarters of the oil spilled had either evaporated or been dispersed, or had been skimmed or burned off the surface.

The disaster began with an April 20 explosion aboard the oil rig Deepwater Horizon that left 11 men dead. The blast uncorked a BP-owned well off southeastern Louisiana that spewed for 87 days before being temporarily capped.  Operations are under way to permanently seal the well.

BP, rig owner Transocean and well cement contractor Halliburton have blamed each other for the disaster. BP plans to release the findings of its internal investigation of the accident on Wednesday, the company said.

When is the report going to be released?

that the federal report does not address?

where did The study tracked dissolved oxygen levels?

Answer: Wednesday,

Answer: broad ecosystem consequences of hydrocarbons released into the environment,"

Answer: following the BP oil

Answer: oxygen

Answer: the Gulf of Mexico

Answer: estimates that 70 to 79 percent of the oil that leaked from the well "has not been recovered and remains a threat to the ecosystem."

Answer: 20 percent below their long-term average,

Summary:
Deep-water oxygen levels are down but not deadly, report concludes .
The study tracked dissolved oxygen levels from May to August .
Latest federal report doesn't address the spill's "broad ecoystem consequences"
BP's report on the disaster is scheduled for release Wednesday .


(CNN) -- Scientists have found a wide-eyed primate -- a clawed fur ball that fits snugly in one hand -- in the first live sighting in more than 80 years of a creature that some thought was extinct.

"It was truly amazing," one scientist said. "I couldn't conceive that we had actually caught one."

Over a two-month period, scientists working in Lore Lindu National Park on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi caught and released three pygmy tarsiers. They bear a striking resemblance to the Furby, an electronic toy that spoke its own fantasy language and dominated children's wish lists in the late 1990s.

They caught two males and one female, said Sharon Gursky-Doyen, a Texas A&M University anthropology professor who led the expedition. The group spotted a fourth -- high in the tree canopy -- but were unable to catch it.

The species had not been observed alive in more than eight decades, since they were collected for a museum in 1921. Many scientists had believed them to be extinct until eight years ago, when two scientists trapping rats in Sulawesi accidentally trapped and killed one.

"I needed to go myself ... to confirm in my own mind," whether they were there, Gursky-Doyen told CNN on Wednesday, after recently returning from Indonesia.

And, on the second night of trapping in August on moss-covered, chilly Mt. Rore Katimbo, her group caught the first small nocturnal creature in a mist net.

"It was truly amazing," she said. "My whole body was shaking ... I couldn't conceive that we had actually caught one."

The second trapping didn't come until three weeks later, but that first sighting "kept us going," Gursky-Doyen said, amid the cold, drenched conditions.

The pygmy tarsier, or Tarsius pumilus, weighs about 50 grams (1.7 ounces), and has dense fur, large, protruding eyes. In addition to seeming as a living, breathing version of the Furby, it also appears as though it ought to have had appeared in the 1984 movie "Gremlins."

Unlike other primates, the pygmy tarsier -- endemic to a specific area of Indonesia -- has claws instead of nails on its fingers. It is half as big as the Philippines tarsier, which has similar features.

For their part, the pygmy tarsiers may have been more frightened than elated at being discovered.

"I was bit once, but I take responsibility for that," Gursky-Doyen said, explaining that the animal nipped her as she was trying to attach a radio collar -- to track its movement -- to its neck. The task isn't an easy one, she said, because the animal can swivel its head around 180 degrees.

Despite another person helping to hold the animal still, he turned and bit her, she said. They have "pointy, triangular teeth," she said. It was "very painful."

But for the most part, they appeared very "passive," she said. Other tarsier species give alarm calls, but these didn't, at least nothing that a human could hear, she said.

Gursky-Doyen said she would like her graduate student, Nanda Grow, also on the expedition, to return to the field site for her dissertation, to learn more about the number of animals and how altitude and other variables affect them.

"I do believe that the density of these animals is very low," she said, noting that many villages are located within Lore Lindu National Park. "That threatens them," she said.

Since when was believed extinct pygmy tarsiers?

how many years were the Pygmy tarsiers considered extinct

in what national part were the Pygmy tarsiers caught and released

Answer: 1921.

Answer: 80

Answer: Lore Lindu

Answer: Lore Lindu National Park on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi

Answer: the Furby,

Answer: wide-eyed primate

Summary:
Pygmy tarsiers thought to be extinct for more than eight decades .
Scientists working in Lore Lindu National Park caught and released three .
Primate resembles Furby toy that was popular in 1990s .
Scientist says villages near park threaten pygmy tarsiers' existence .


(CNN) -- Scientists have found the oldest fossilized footprints made by a four-legged creature, forcing a rethink on when fish first crawled out of water and onto land.

The discovery of the footprints in a former quarry in the Holy Cross Mountains in southeastern Poland are thought to be 395 million years old -- 18 million years older than the earliest tetrapod (a vertebrate with limbs rather than fins) body fossils.

The report published Thursday in the science journal Nature says the footprints of the tetrapod measure up to 26 centimeters (10 inches) wide, which scientists say is indicative of an animal around 2.5 meters (7.5 feet) in length.

The footprints are also 10 million years older than the earliest known elpistostegids -- creatures which displayed some animal characteristics but retained fins.

Philippe Janvier from the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, the reviewer of the paper, told CNN: "It is a really stunning discovery because it's the earliest evidence we have of tetrapods. These footprints are clear enough to attest that tetrapods were there 395 millions years ago."

The report's authors say their findings "force a radical reassessment of the timing, ecology and environmental setting of the fish-tetrapod transition, as well as the completeness of the body fossil record."

As well as finding fossilized footprints, Per Ahlberg, professor of evolutionary organismal biology at Uppsala University in Sweden, and his co-authors from the Polish Geological Institute in Warsaw also report finding several tracks of different sizes and characteristics.

The tracks, they say, have distinctive "hand" and "foot" prints and no evidence of a dragging body.

Ahlberg said in a video on the Nature Web site: "The trackway shows pairs of prints -- the sort of tracks a salamander would leave if it walked. In order to make tracks like the ones found you need to have front legs and back legs that are about the same size."

Ahlberg said the disused quarry where the fossils were discovered has yielded some of the most exciting finds he has encountered in his career as a paleontologist.

Although Janvier describes the lack of skeletal evidence as "frustrating," it doesn't undermine the importance of the discovery. "It changes what we thought about the evolutionary tree concerning the part dealing with transition from fish to land vertebrae." Janvier said.

"The divergence between the tetrapods and their closest fish relatives is much younger than previously thought and it obliges us to find actual evidence -- skeletons or complete fossils -- in much earlier strata that could enlighten us between this divergence."

what Discovery pushes the evolutionary scale back?

Answer: we thought about the evolutionary tree concerning the part dealing with transition from fish to land vertebrae."

Answer: fossilized footprints

Answer: the oldest fossilized footprints made by a four-legged creature,

Answer: oldest fossilized footprints made by a four-legged creature,

Answer: former quarry in the Holy Cross Mountains in southeastern Poland

Summary:
Fossilized footprints of 395-million-year-old four-legged creature found in Poland .
Discovery pushes the evolutionary scale back by nearly 20 million years .
Compared in significance to discovery of the first miocene hominoids .


(CNN) -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth.

An artist's impression of what Titanoboa cerrejonensis would have looked like.

Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms (2,500 pounds) and measured 13 meters (42.7 feet) nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters (19.5 feet).

Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago.

Geologist David Polly, who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible, said in a statement Wednesday: "At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips. The size is pretty amazing.

"But our team went a step further and asked, how warm would the Earth have to be to support a body of this size?"

Titanoboa's fossilized remains were discovered at a coal mine in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia by an international team of scientists.

"Truly enormous snakes really spark people's imagination, but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood," paleontologist Jonathan Bloch, who co-led the expedition, told reporters.

"The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie 'Anaconda' was not as big as the one we found."

Based on the snake's size, the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature in equatorial South America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 degrees warmer than today, Bloch said.

"Tropical ecosystems of South America were surprisingly different 60 million years ago," said Bloch. "It was a rainforest, like today, but it was even hotter and the cold-blooded reptiles were all substantially larger.

"The result was, among other things, the largest snakes the world has ever seen...and hopefully ever will."

According to Nature.com, snakes are poikilotherms (cold-blooded) that, unlike humans, need heat from their environment to power their metabolism. Therefore research suggests that at the time the region would have had to be no less than 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the snake to have survived.

Most large snakes today live in the tropical regions of South America and south-east Asia, where the high temperatures allow them to grow to impressive sizes.

Meanwhile, Carlos Jaramillo -- who was also part of the expedition -- said the tropical rainforest at Cerrejon appeared to have thrived at these temperatures.

"This data challenges the view that tropical vegetation lives near its climatic optimum, and it has profound implications in understanding the effect of current global warming on tropical plants," he said.

What can the size tell us about the world temps?

Answer: between 58 and 60 million years ago.

Answer: Titanoboa cerrejonensis

Answer: 13 meters

Answer: 10 degrees warmer than today,

Answer: in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia

Answer: 1,140 kilograms (2,500 pounds)

Answer: the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth.

Summary:
Snake weighed 1,140 kgs (2,500 pounds), measured 13 meters (42.7 feet)
Scientists believe it lived between 58 and 60 million years ago .
Size offers clues about world's temperature at this time .
Discovered by scientists in tropical northern region of Colombia .


(CNN) -- Scientists say a very rare find of some 20 fossilized pterodactyls has produced the first clear evidence of a controversial theory of evolution. This image shows the fossilized skeleton of Darwinopterus which was found in north-east China earlier this year. The fossils were found in northeast China earlier this year, embedded in rock dating back 160 million years, and have been called "Darwinopterus" after the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin. The creature's discovery has astounded scientists because their age puts them within two recognized groups of pterodactyls -- primitive long-tailed forms and advanced short-tail forms -- and they display characteristics of both. The combination of features indicates that the primitive pterodactyls evolved relatively quickly, and that certain groups of features changed at the same time. Traditional evolutionary theory suggests that one feature -- a tail for instance -- would slowly evolve over time. "Darwinopterus came as quite a shock to us," said David Unwin, from the University of Leicester's School of Museum Studies, which identified the creature, along with researchers from the Geological Institute of Beijing. "We had always expected a gap-filler with typically intermediate features such as a moderately elongate tail -- neither long nor short -- but the strange thing about Darwinopterus is that it has a head and neck just like that of advanced pterosaurs, while the rest of the skeleton, including a very long tail, is identical to that of primitive forms," he said. By comparing the fossil with others from earlier and later periods, scientists have been able to sketch a rough timeline of the pterodactyl's progression. "The head and neck evolved first, followed later by the body, tail, wings and legs," Unwin said. The researchers say more study is needed to substantiate the idea of that evolution could occur relatively quickly, and that whole parts of a plant or animal's body could change at once. The fossils indicate Darwinopterus was about the size of a crow, with long jaws, sharp, pointed teeth and a flexible neck. It had "hawk-like" qualities, scientists say, which allowed the creature to kill and eat smaller, feathered dinosaurs which would later evolve into birds. Pterodactyls were prevalent during the Mesozoic Era between 220 and 65 million years ago. The research has been published in the "Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences."

How many fossilized pterodactyls were found in China?

Who says fossils show groups of features changed relatively rapidly?

How many types of pterodactyls are there?

The fossilized pterodactyls were found in how old of rock?

Who says rare fossil find provides evidence of one theory of evolution?

How many fossilized pterodactyls found in China in rock dating back 160 million years?

Answer: 20

Answer: researchers

Answer: evidence of a controversial theory of evolution.

Answer: two

Answer: 20

Answer: 160 million years,

Answer: Scientists

Answer: 20

Summary:
Researchers say rare fossil find provides evidence of one theory of evolution .
20 fossilized pterodactyls found in China in rock dating back 160 million years .
Fossils show creatures had characteristics of two types of known pterodactyls .
Scientists say fossils show groups of features changed relatively rapidly .


(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her.  ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing.  Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

Who applied for the talent show?
What did doctor say about contestants?
What stressed out Boyle?
Who was nervous before the final?
Who is Boyle??

Answer: Susan Boyle

Answer: that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after.

Answer: pressure and scrutiny

Answer: Susan Boyle

Answer: "Britain's

Summary:
Amanda Holden: Boyle is "a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show"
Holden believes negative press coverage stressed out the overnight sensation .
Though Boyle was exceedingly nervous before finale, Holden says she "nailed it"
Dr. Drew Pinsky: Contestants on high-pressure shows should get help with stress .


(CNN) -- SeaWorld will resume killer whale shows while the company and two federal agencies investigate the death of a whale trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, company and federal officials announced Friday.

The shows, which were suspended at all SeaWorld locations after the death Wednesday at SeaWorld Orlando, will resume Saturday with new precautionary measures in place, said Jim Atchison, president of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

Earlier Friday, the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced they were looking into the death of Dawn Brancheau, 40.

Brancheau was pulled underwater when a killer whale named Tilikum grabbed her ponytail. A source at SeaWorld said that after seizing her, the whale dove deep underwater. Trainers eventually had to wrangle the animal into a smaller pool before they could retrieve her body about 40 minutes later.

WESH: Watch tourist's video just before attack

A former head of animal training said Friday that Brancheau left herself vulnerable to attack and that she may have broken the park's training protocol.

"Dawn, if she was standing here right now, would tell you that that was her mistake in allowing that to happen," said former SeaWorld trainer Thad Lacinak, who had worked with Brancheau in the past, on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Lacinak called Brancheau "one the best killer whale trainers I ever worked with."

Still, he said, Brancheau should not have been lying in a slideout -- a platform covered by roughly 4 inches of water -- so close to a killer whale.

"When I was there we did have a protocol that you would not do that, you would not lie down in a slideout and get that close to his mouth.

"Now, whether she broke that protocol or not I don't know, or if the protocol changed in how they were working with him," Lacinak continued. "But I'm pretty sure it was her breaking the protocol."

Atchison said Friday that it's too soon to tell if Brancheau violated protocol.

"It's far too early to get to that point," the SeaWorld president said. "We're really still trying to collect information, trying to understand the nature and scope of the event."

He declined to discuss SeaWorld's training protocols, saying they are "proprietary documents."

Atchison had high praise for Brancheau and said a charitable foundation is being formed to support causes she was interested in.

He told reporters that video images in connection with the accident have been made available to the appropriate authorities.

Atchison said Tilikum "is a wonderful animal" and "will remain an active and contributing member of the team despite what happened."

"He's a very special animal that requires special handling. Obviously the procedures that we've had in place are something we're revisiting at this point," he said.

Tilikum's size and weight -- 12,000 pounds, compared with 6,000 to 9,000 pounds for the facility's other killer whales -- was one reason there were separate procedures in place for him at the Orlando facility.

When the shows with killer whales resume Saturday at Orlando and other SeaWorld parks, trainers won't get into the water with the animals. "Direct interactions" with the animals were suspended in all three SeaWorld parks after the death.

Various other improvements and changes will be enacted, Atchison said.

iReport: Photo taken moments before attack

Labor Department spokesman Mike Wald said the safety and health agency is looking into whether OSHA workplace standards were violated in the incident. It will complete a report within six months, he said.

If workplace infractions are found, OSHA will propose financial penalties, Wald said. If that happens, the company could accept the penalties and make any necessary workplace changes or appeal proposed penalties before an OSHA review commission.

David Sacks, Agriculture Department spokesman, said inspectors are looking into the incident from the animal welfare perspective.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants to know if there were any violations of the Animal Welfare Act, a federal set of minimum

Trainers won't get into what?
What has been formed in her name?
who won't get into the water
What was name of trainer who died?
What age was she?
what is being formed
Who died in the article?

Answer: water with the animals.

Answer: charitable foundation

Answer: trainers

Answer: Dawn Brancheau,

Answer: 40.

Answer: a charitable foundation

Answer: Dawn Brancheau,

Summary:
NEW: Trainers won't get into the water with the whales, CEO says .
NEW: He says charitable foundation being formed in trainer's name .
OSHA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service looking into death .
Dawn Brancheau, 40, died Wednesday after whale pulled her underwater .


(CNN) -- Sean Penn could have been walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Instead, he was under the Capitol Dome in Washington on Wednesday to testify about Haiti.

Penn's newest film, spy thriller "Fair Game," will debut Thursday at Cannes, but the day before, the Oscar-winning actor was seated before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as witness to an emergency.

"I come here today in the hope that we will address with bold clarity the razor's edge upon which Haiti lies," he said.

He called on lawmakers to demand transparency as the island nation moves forward in recovering from the massive earthquake that struck January 12.

"In an emergency, donors offer money and expect it to be spent helping people," Penn said. "I hope we are here today to encourage just that."

Penn, who founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, has been living in a tent in Port-au-Prince, helping manage one of the devastated capital's largest camps for the displaced.

The actor turned aid worker testified with experts and policymakers before a committee headed by Democratic Sen. John Kerry, co-sponsor of a bill that would authorize $3.5 billion to help rebuild Haiti over the next five years.

About $10 billion in aid was pledged for Haiti over the next 10 years at a donors conference in March. Kerry said donor nations "must now follow through and deliver the funds they have promised in a coordinated manner, and Haiti must work to improve its capacity to absorb the aid it receives."

Former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios offered a scathing assessment of the challenges that lie ahead in rebuilding what he called a failed state.

He compared Haiti's devastation and massive death toll of more than 200,000 to that of Chile, which suffered a stronger quake in late February but was not as badly affected.

Natsios warned that programs must help end Haiti's dysfunctional cycle by improving governance and fostering economic growth.

"I think the worst thing we can do is be nice about this and live in a Disney World assessment of what we are dealing with," Natsios said. "We are dealing with one of the worst-governed countries in the world."

On what date did the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hears testimony on quake-ravaged nation?

Who hears testimony on quake-ravaged nation?

What is the name of the aid agency that actor Sean Penn founded in Haiti?

Answer: Wednesday

Answer: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Answer: J/P Haitian Relief Organization,

Answer: the J/P Haitian Relief Organization,

Answer: J/P Haitian Relief Organization,

Summary:
Senate Foreign Relations Committee hears testimony on quake-ravaged nation .
Actor Sean Penn founded aid agency in Haiti .
He and others urged U.S. donors to ask for transparency .


(CNN) -- Search and rescue teams on Friday were trying to reach an airplane that crashed with 18 people aboard in the mountains of western Indonesia, an air transportation official said.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the airplane Thursday morning shortly after it took off from the Medan Polonia Airport in North Sumatra.

It was bound for the Kutacane district in Aceh province when it crashed in the mountains in North Sumatra, said Henry Bakti, Indonesia's director general for air transportation.

The plane was spotted during an aerial search, and it appeared to be largely intact, Bakti told reporters. The condition of the passengers, including two children and two infants, was not immediately known, he said.

Nusantara Buana Air owns the plane, which operates nine planes and services destinations in Aceh from the Medan Polonia and Banda Aceh airports.

Airplanes are the primary mode of transportation between Indonesia's scattered islands.

In May, a plane that crashed off the coast of Kaimana killed at least 15 people.

Indonesia's poor aviation record has led the European Union and the United States to blacklist a number of the country's small airlines, including Nusantara Buana Air.

CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report.

How many people were on board the plane?

How many children and how many infants were among the passengers?

How many people was the airplane carrying?

Answer: the Kutacane district in Aceh province

Answer: 18

Answer: two

Answer: two

Answer: the mountains of western Indonesia,

Answer: mountains of western Indonesia,

Answer: Kutacane district in Aceh province

Answer: plane

Answer: 18

Summary:
The airplane carrying 14 people crashed in the mountains in North Sumatra, an air official says .
The flight was bound for the Aceh province when it crashed .
Two children and two infants are among the passengers, the official says .
An aerial search spotted the plane, which appeared to be largely intact .


(CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil. A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues. The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday. About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week. Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash.  Watch more wreckage recovered from crash » Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board. Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said. Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far. "What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?" Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found. Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said. The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims. "The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives." The company is also providing families with counseling, he said. The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447.

How many people were killed in the crash?

Answer: Brazil.

Answer: 228

Answer: 228

Answer: the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France

Answer: the flight captain and a steward

Answer: 228 people

Answer: Flight 447,

Answer: 228

Answer: 228

Answer: bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France

Answer: flight captain and a steward from the Air France

Summary:
Search crews recover bodies of flight captain and steward from crash .
All 228 people onboard flight 447 from Brazil to France were killed .
None of names of bodies recovered have been released at request of families .


(CNN) -- Search efforts turned into a recovery operation Monday for a U.S. Navy instructor pilot presumed dead after his plane crashed into Lake Pontchartrain, just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, during a routine training mission, a Navy spokesman said.

The student pilot on the plane was rescued about two hours after the crash Saturday night and taken to a hospital for mild hypothermia and moderate injuries, according to the Navy. He has since been released.

The missing instructor pilot has been identified as Lt. Clinton Wermers, 33, of Mitchell, South Dakota. The Navy did not identify the rescued student pilot. The two pilots were attached to Training Squadron 6 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida.

Initial reports were that both the pilots were clinging to the aircraft before it sank, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is assisting in the search. Lt. Brett Dawson, a Navy air training spokesman, told CNN Monday that the wreckage of the plane has been located and a salvage unit will be working to recover it. The cause of the crash is under investigation, Dawson said.

Air traffic controllers at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans notified the Coast Guard at 6:40 p.m. Saturday that a U.S. Navy T-34 training plane was no longer visible on radar, the Coast Guard said in a news release. The plane had been approaching the airport during a routine nighttime instrument training mission, the Navy said.

The T-34 is a single-engine, single-prop plane used for primary training for student pilots. It does not have an ejection mechanism, Dawson said. Instead, pilots can open the canopy, slide it back and roll out of the aircraft.

At the time of the crash, the temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit with calm winds, the Coast Guard said. The water temperature was 52 degrees.

CNN's Sarah Aarthun and Sara Pratley contributed to this report.

who survived the crash?
What is  used for primary training?
who is Lt. Clinton Wermers?
who is the missing pilot?
What crashed Saturday night?
when did the T-34 crash?
what is a T-34?

Answer: The student pilot

Answer: single-engine, single-prop plane

Answer: The missing instructor pilot

Answer: Lt. Clinton Wermers,

Answer: plane

Answer: Saturday night

Answer: training plane

Summary:
Search efforts turned into a recovery operation Monday after T-34 crashed Saturday night .
Missing pilot identified as Lt. Clinton Wermers, 33, of Mitchell, South Dakota .
The T-34 is a single-engine, single-prop plane used for primary training for student pilots .
Second unidentified man, a flight student, survived the crash .


(CNN) -- Search teams have found the flight data recorder from the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed off the Comoros Islands in June, killing 152 people, the chief investigator said Friday. Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands in July. An operation to retrieve the recorder has begun, said a statement from investigator Ali Abdou Mohamed. The Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean, carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members. It originated in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and went down just miles from Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Islands. One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived. The recorder could contain information to help determine what caused the crash. The plane had tried to land at the airport in Moroni, then made a U-turn before it crashed, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident. A French official said that country had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007, but Yemenia Airways was not on the European Union's list of banned airlines. Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens, 54 Comorians, one Palestinian and one Canadian, according to Yemeni and French officials. The crew was made up of six Yemenis, two Moroccans, one Ethiopian, one Filipino and one Indonesian. The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar.

What could help determine the cause of the crash?

Where are the Comoros Islands located at?

Answer: are between the east African country of Tanzania and the

Answer: One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived.

Answer: flight data recorder

Answer: One person, a 13-year-old French girl,

Answer: the Yemenia Airbus A310

Answer: between the east African country of Tanzania and the

Answer: One person, a 13-year-old French girl,

Answer: Yemenia Airbus A310

Answer: between the east African country of Tanzania and the

Answer: a 13-year-old French girl,

Summary:
Comoros Islands lie between east African and the island nation of Madagascar .
Recorder could contain information to help determine what caused the crash .
Thirteen-year-old French girl was the only person to survive plane crash .