(CNN) -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the

City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement. Now, hundreds of working professionals, doctors, lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights. "I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young," said Tony Pehle, recreation supervisor in Sparks, who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." "They might be adults, but they still like to play and have fun." Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors, adult men and women, from urban nests to rural towns, are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child's play. The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida, this weekend (August 13)  is all grown up, attracting more than 150 adult competitors, who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger. Later in the month, hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby, a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s. "Once a year, I get to build something for the kid in me," says Jason Hogue, a 41-year-old carpenter, who has participated in the race for eight years. Last year, he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark. "We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends." Whether they're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they're a product of what some experts say is a generation that can't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular. For example, adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009, officials say. The World Adult Kickball Association, one of the largest kickball organizations, has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq. WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington, D.C. Now, the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults, many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401(k), mortgage and job. "I played soccer growing up, and I like competition," says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter, 28, of New York City. LeWinter, a public relations executive, usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers, writers and analysts in their late 20s. They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night. "Sometimes when it's [the score] two to one in a kickball came, I get the jitters," he says. The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children's games and sports. With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes, these adult leagues, contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children. They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game. These activities are also budget-friendly, costing less than $100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership. Since the recession, Duncan Toys, one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States, has seen

How many adults are expected to compete in the 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest?

What will attract more than 150 adults this year?

what would attract more than 150 adults?

who will wear costumes to race in portland?

Who said that childhood pastimes are becoming more acceptable for adults?

How many adults will the 2009 contest attract?

What kind of Kickball is now played in 33 states?

how many adults attends to the The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest?

Answer: 1930s.

Answer: more than 150

Answer: 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest

Answer: The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, Florida,

Answer: Portland

Answer: hundreds of adults

Answer: Portland

Answer: Tony Pehle,

Answer: more than 150

Answer: WAKA

Answer: 150

Summary:
WAKA Kickball started more than a decade ago by a few friends is now in 33 states .
The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest will attract more than 150 adults this year .
Hundreds of adult soapbox racers will wear costumes to race in Portland, Oregon .
"Rejuvenile" author Noxon says childhood pastimes are becoming more acceptable .


(CNN) -- Sports stars seem to have it all -- from seven-figure salaries to big endorsement deals. But lately, what some don't have is a good reputation. The NBA's Dwyane Wade started a foundation to help inspire kids in at-risk situations. With the steroids controversy in baseball and drug allegations against the world's greatest swimmer, many adoring fans may wonder, "Where are the good guys in sports?" Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat is one of those good guys. He stays out of the controversy and insists that his fame should be used to help others. CNN's Nicole Lapin talked to the NBA star about the foundation he started and his partnership with National Recess Week. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. Nicole Lapin: It feels like you're getting paid for recess now. You're 27 years old. Do you look at your paycheck sometimes and are like, "I get paid for this?  Watch more of Nicole Lapin's interview with Dwyane Wade » Dwyane Wade: First of all, to do something that you love, and to get compensated for something that you love at a very, very great rate, is unbelievable. And it's something that a lot of kids dream of. They've just got to have somebody who believes in them. And that's something I'm trying to do with being the spokesman for this Recess Week. Y'all need to get back out there. We need to get back out there with the kids and help them believe in themselves. Lapin: Some people see you as the role model. Who was your role model growing up? Wade: You know, I had different role models growing up. Of course, I'm from Chicago, so when it comes to sports and when it comes to basketball, Michael Jordan. No question about it. But, you know, on a personal level, I always looked at people that were close to me that were doing things. My sister was always a role model to me, just because of the way that she always helped kids. And even though we didn't have much, she always helped the ones that were less fortunate than us. And it's something that just stuck with me. And it's something that I'm trying to do now. Lapin: So, as a role model, to take little kids wearing your jerseys and playing video games of you, do you take that seriously? Wade: It's still, you know, crazy to me when I see people wearing my jersey. I mean, just on a regular day. Not a game day. Just on a regular day walking down the street, see somebody with your name on their back. It's like, wow. Or when you see yourself on video games. All that to me is still, you know, mind-blowing. And the main thing, the only thing you can do is try to go out and talk to kids. You try and tell them the importance of being you. You try and tell them the importance of being a certain way. You try and give them the message that a lot of people gave you. Lapin: In 2003, you started Wade's World to help those kids, to talk to those kids. Because you were never talked to when you were growing up. Wade: Yes, yes. I never was. It may have helped me out; helped my drive out. But unfortunately, I've never had anyone come to the community I grew up in and give out that helping hand. And to give us hope, in our community, that we can do something special. I always heard that we couldn't or you know, it's one in a million or something like that. Well, our job and my job at the Wade's World foundation is to go out and let these kids know that we believe in them. And there's more than what you see out your front window or your front door that's in

Who wants to leave the world a better place?

what says he wants to leave the world a better place?

What is the name of the NBA star in this article?

What is the name of  the team Dwayne Wade plays for?

Answer: started a foundation

Answer: Dwyane Wade

Answer: Dwyane Wade

Answer: Dwyane Wade

Answer: Dwyane Wade

Answer: Miami Heat

Summary:
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade started foundation to help at-risk kids .
Wade is national spokesperson for National Recess Week .
NBA star says sense of community and sportsmanship are pivotal for kids .
Says he wants to leave the world a better place .


(CNN) -- Springwood teenagers Dean, Kris, Jesse, Nancy and Quentin are having trouble not sleeping: They're knocking back coffee, popping pills, anything to delay another date with their dream stalker (which may explain why these high school students look like college grads). When one of them does drop off, the bedsheets turn red.

Wes Craven's 1984 slumber party massacre started from scratch -- it was a low-budget item from what was then a genuine independent studio, New Line -- and became the iconic horror franchise of the decade.

With his battered fedora, a striped sweater, a razor-glove and a face like Sal's Famous, Freddy Krueger was the most personable boogie man Hollywood had come up with in a long time, so what if he was also a child abuser? A recurring nightmare who stalked teenagers as they slept, Freddy preyed on the defenseless and played fast and loose with physics: If Salvador Dali had created a slasher movie villain, he might have come up with someone like Freddy.

After eight movies, a TV series and a comic book, you might think Mr. Krueger had been done to death. It's been seven years since Freddy put Jason Vorhees in his place (in "Freddy vs Jason"). But you can't keep a good bad guy down, and at the rate Hollywood is cannibalizing its horror back catalogue, we'll be seeing remakes of the remakes any day now.

Directed by pop video director Samuel Bayer and written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer, the new "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is actually a lot like the old one. So much so, for a while you wonder why they didn't just re-release it. (You'll wish they had.)

Surprisingly, Bayer doesn't go the Michael Bay route and give it a high-gloss, ADD tempo, but in duplicating the most memorable bits from the original (the glove in the bath, for instance, and the face coming through the wallpaper), he fails to put his own stamp on it.

As Freddy, Jackie Earle Haley, who was Oscar nominated for playing a sex offender in "Little Children" (and who went on to play Rorschach in "Watchmen" and the battered psychopath Noyce in "Shutter Island") finds Robert Englund a tough act to follow.

Haley drops his voice an octave and comes on heavy -- this Freddy mostly keeps his quips to himself -- but he's significantly shorter than Englund, and the make-up suggests nothing so much as Ray Bolger in "The Wizard of Oz": the scarecrow who didn't even scare the crows.

iReporter gives new "Nightmare" an "A"

Branching out tentatively toward something new, the film toys with repressed memory syndrome and the intriguing suggestion that maybe Freddy was innocent; that he has every right to be angry about the lynch mob that incinerated him. I'll leave you to imagine how far the filmmakers go with that radical notion, but maybe a prequel would have been a more rewarding way to go?

The new "Nightmare" also proudly introduces a clinical-sounding term called "micro-naps," a side effect of sleep deprivation that handily justifies more shock effects even as the number of survivors is whittled down to two (gratifyingly, they're the least synthetic of the young cast members).

But is it scary? Barely. In the wake of "Paranormal Activity," Freddy's grandstanding theatrics seem pretty old hat. There is nothing about this redundant remake to give anyone sleepless nights, unless it's threat of yet more of the same old same old. Enough with the "re-imagining," Hollywood; just imagine!

In wake of "Paranormal Activity, who's theatrics seem pretty old hat?

Jackie Earle Haley, as Freddy, finds who a tough act to follow ?

Freddy's theatrics seem pretty old hat in wake of what ?

Answer: Freddy's

Answer: Robert

Answer: Samuel Bayer

Answer: 1984

Answer: Freddy,

Answer: Robert Englund

Answer: Robert Englund

Answer: "Paranormal Activity,"

Summary:
Director Samuel Bayer struggles to put own stamp on Wes Craven's 1984 original .
Jackie Earle Haley, as Freddy, finds Robert Englund a tough act to follow .
In wake of "Paranormal Activity," Freddy's theatrics seem pretty old hat .


(CNN) -- Sri Lanka ordered an end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, the president's office said Monday. But the rebels accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians.

Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard next to a tank captured from the Tamil Tigers.

"Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties," according a statement from the Presidential Secretariat.

A rebel Web site, Tamilnet.com, immediately accused the government of violating its own order and "deceiving the international community."

"Two Sri Lanka air force fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal after the announcement by the Sri Lankan forces that it would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks," Tamilnet said, citing S. Puleedevan, director of the Tamil Peace Secretariat.

"Obviously we need to see what that means in practice," John Holmes, the head of U.N. humanitarian operations, said about the government announcement to end combat operations. "But, on the face of it, I think it's good news."

The military will now concentrate on "saving" and "rescuing civilians," who have been caught in the fighting between government forces and rebel fighters, the presidential statement said.

The government's decision followed an unscheduled meeting of the National Security Council called by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The session included the commanders of the army, navy and air force.

The developments came a day after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels, warning instead that government troops would continue a new offensive until the group surrendered, a senior government official told CNN.

"The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security.

The Tiger leadership had asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and India have called for a cease-fire.

The foreign ministers of three nations are due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday -- David Miliband of the United Kingdom, Bernard Kouchner of France and Carl Bildt of Sweden.

The rebels' proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan army sources.

A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast.

Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" now exceeds 100,000 people.  Watch civilians describe what they are experiencing »

Fifty metric tons of relief supplies -- which landed in Colombo on Monday -- will be sent by UNICEF to the north to help displaced residents.

UNICEF, which called the situation in the north a "catastrophe for children," said the displaced lack food, water and basic medical supplies.

The rebels estimate the number of civilians still located in the territory at more than 160,000.

The Sri Lankan military said it "freed 3,254 civilians from LTTE clutches" in operations Sunday.

The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

What did fighter bombers continue to do?

Answer: end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels

Answer: Tamil Tiger

Answer: Sri Lanka

Answer: bomb civilians.

Summary:
Tamil rebels say Sri Lankan forces ignoring orders to end military operations  Sri Lanka: Forces ordered to cease use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft   Rebels say fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets after announcement .
Developments come after Sri Lankan officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer .


(CNN) -- Sri Lanka ordered an end to combat operations against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, the president's office said Monday. But the rebels accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians. Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard next to a tank captured from the Tamil Tigers. "Our security forces have been instructed to end the use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft and aerial weapons which could cause civilian casualties," according a statement from the Presidential Secretariat. A rebel Web site, Tamilnet.com, immediately accused the government of violating its own order and "deceiving the international community." "Two Sri Lanka air force fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal after the announcement by the Sri Lankan forces that it would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks," Tamilnet said, citing S. Puleedevan, director of the Tamil Peace Secretariat. "Obviously we need to see what that means in practice," John Holmes, the head of U.N. humanitarian operations, said about the government announcement to end combat operations. "But, on the face of it, I think it's good news." The military will now concentrate on "saving" and "rescuing civilians," who have been caught in the fighting between government forces and rebel fighters, the presidential statement said. The government's decision followed an unscheduled meeting of the National Security Council called by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The session included the commanders of the army, navy and air force. The developments came a day after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels, warning instead that government troops would continue a new offensive until the group surrendered, a senior government official told CNN. "The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security. The Tiger leadership had asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and India have called for a cease-fire. The foreign ministers of three nations are due in Sri Lanka on Wednesday -- David Miliband of the United Kingdom, Bernard Kouchner of France and Carl Bildt of Sweden. The rebels' proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan army sources. A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" now exceeds 100,000 people.  Watch civilians describe what they are experiencing » Fifty metric tons of relief supplies -- which landed in Colombo on Monday -- will be sent by UNICEF to the north to help displaced residents. UNICEF, which called the situation in the north a "catastrophe for children," said the displaced lack food, water and basic medical supplies. The rebels estimate the number of civilians still located in the territory at more than 160,000. The Sri Lankan military said it "freed 3,254 civilians from LTTE clutches" in operations Sunday. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

Which officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer?

Answer: accused the government of violating its own order and "deceiving the international community."

Answer: Sri Lankan

Answer: Lanka

Answer: after Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil rebels,

Answer: an end to combat operations

Answer: accused the military of continuing to bomb civilians.

Summary:
Tamil rebels say Sri Lankan forces ignoring orders to end military operations  Sri Lanka: Forces ordered to cease use of heavy-caliber guns, combat aircraft   Rebels say fighter bombers continued to bomb civilian targets after announcement .
Developments come after Sri Lankan officials reject rebels' cease-fire offer .


(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's president declared Wednesday that the country's Tamil insurgents are on the verge of total defeat, saying their demise has helped unite the island nation on the 61st anniversary of its independence. Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa "We are today a nation that has defeated a powerful enemy that stood before us," Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his independence day speech. "Our entire nation is now united in the shade of the national flag." But in other parts of his speech, Rajapaksa indicated that the fight against the Tamil Tiger rebels was not over. "I am confident that in a few days we will decisively defeat the terrorist force that many repeatedly kept saying was invincible," he said. In another part of the speech, he said, government forces over the past two and a half years have "been able ... to almost completely defeat" the rebel forces. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa rejected calls Wednesday for a negotiated end to the fighting. He said there would be no political solution, the online edition of The Island reported. Some in the international community have suggested negotiations to give the rebels an opportunity to surrender. That idea is ridiculous, an angry Rajapaksa told The Island, emphasizing that nothing short of unconditional surrender of arms and cadres could end the offensive on the Vanni front. Government troops and Tamil rebels are locked in a battle for the remaining rebel strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka, where the the country's ethnic Tamil minority has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983.  Watch a report on risks facing journalists in Sri Lanka » Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area where the fighting is taking place, and the onslaught has intensified as government forces have closed in on the rebels. Aid agencies have asked for increased access to the region, calling conditions in northern Sri Lanka a nightmarish situation. The fighting has forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region, the last functioning medical facility in the conflict zone.

What are government troops and rebels battling for?

Number of civilians that are trapped according to aid groups?

How many civilians are trapped, according to aid groups?

How long have the Ethnic Tamil minority been fighting?

How many civilians are trapped due to this conflict?

What happend to the last functioning medical facility in the zone?

Year the ethnic Tamil minority have been fighting since?

How long have the Tamil minority been fighting for independence?

Answer: strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka,

Answer: many as 250,000

Answer: as 250,000

Answer: 250,000

Answer: Sri Lanka,

Answer: since 1983.

Answer: as

Answer: an independent homeland

Answer: The fighting has forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region,

Answer: 1983.

Answer: an independent homeland since 1983.

Summary:
Government troops, rebels battling for remaining rebel strongholds in north .
Aid groups say as many as 250,000 civilians are trapped in the area .
Last functioning medical facility in the conflict zone has closed .
Ethnic Tamil minority fighting for an independent homeland since 1983 .


(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's prime minister warned Saturday that his country "stands on the brink," as its soldiers cornered Tamil Tiger fighters in an assault that is trapping more than 50,000 civilians on a small plot of coastal land. Sri Lanka's defense ministry says this handout photo shows troops with a captured Tamil Tiger craft Thursday. The United Nations estimated the number of civilians, who were trapped on about 1.5 square miles (four square kilometers) of land. Government troops seized the last remaining coastal stretch under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels, the Ministry of Defense said Saturday, marking a possible end to more than 25 years of fighting in the island nation. The seizure marks the total capture of coastline territory previously controlled by the rebels, it said, after army divisions advanced from the north and south to link up. An army source told CNN that about two square kilometers in the region remain to be captured, and that military officials expect that to happen in a couple of days. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began. "Sri Lanka stands on the brink," Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake said in a written statement.  Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka » "We have called repeatedly for the violence to cease. The humanitarian agencies must be granted access to civilians caught in the crossfire of a dreadful conflict.  Watch iReporter Thileepan's footage of the "safe zone" » "We are backing U.N. efforts to secure an orderly end to the conflict. The LTTE must lay down its arms and allow civilians to leave. Sri Lanka must understand that there will be consequences for its actions." No formal declaration of victory is expected at least until Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns to the country from Amman, Jordan, where he is attending the World Economic Forum. In an address to the summit in Amman on Saturday, Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan armed forces had defeated the rebels. "I will be going back to my country Sri Lanka that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of terrorism of the LTTE. This freedom comes after 30 long years." "Our economic prosperity must essentially rest upon global peace and stability. Terrorism has for decades denied us this right. All eleven countries gathered here today have suffered the effects of terrorism, some more than others. "Terrorism has raised its ugly head in different forms from time to time and destroyed all development initiatives in most of our countries" he said. On Friday, the Navy arrested the wife of Soosai, a leader of Sea Tigers -- the ocean-going arm of the rebel group. His daughter and son-in-law were also arrested. Navy officials, quoting those who were arrested, said Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to be inside the area of the latest fighting. Other sources have said he has escaped. CNN's Iqbal Athas contributed to this report.

Where is Velupillai Prabhakaran believed to be?

Answer: an independent state

Answer: more than 25 years of

Answer: Sri Lanka

Answer: "stands on the brink,"

Answer: inside the area of the latest fighting.

Answer: Tamil Tiger rebels,

Summary:
No formal declaration of victory expected until President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns .
PM: Country is on the brink, we have called for violence to stop .
Rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils since 1983 .
Navy officials: Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran believed to be in area of fighting .


(CNN) -- Sri Lanka's quarter-century-long civil war is in its final phase, the government suggested Friday, as its troops pounded Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north. This picture, released by the Sri Lankan defense ministry, is said to be of a dead Tamil Tiger body captured after fighting on May 14, 2009. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the end of the current military push, which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission, is less than 48 hours away. He spoke from Jordan on Friday, where he's attending an economic summit. "The Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE in small area of land in the north would be rescued, and the Tamils would be saved from the threat of LTTE terrorism," Rajapaksa said. In a rapid military push, Sri Lankan forces have squeezed Tamil Tiger fighters into approximately 1.5 square miles (four square kilometers) of coastal land. The United Nations estimates that more than 50,000 civilians are trapped there.  CNN's Paula Newton reports on the plight of trapped civilians » The chunk of land, known as the no-fire zone or civilian safety area, was under siege by government forces Friday, according to Tamilnet.com, a rebel Web site. "The entire safety zone area is in smoke ... as shelling by the Sri Lanka army was destroying all the structures within a narrow strip of coastal land, which is densely populated with tens of thousands of people," Tamilnet said. Humanitarian aid groups have reported mass civilian casualties in the fighting. "The government is moving forward in extremely difficult circumstances. After all, the ... Tamil Tigers are seeded amidst the middle of all these civilians. It's very difficult to weed out and identify who is a fighter and who is not," said Gordon Weiss, a U.N. spokesman. "It makes it very very dangerous for civilians, and it explains the very large toll on civilian life that we've seen at this point." Weiss called the fighting a "bloodbath" at the beginning of the week. The situation had worsened by Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. It suspended evacuation and medical rescue operations in the no-fire zone. Aid agencies had been stuck offshore, unable to deliver badly needed relief supplies and evacuate civilians. "Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, the Red Cross' director of operations. "No humanitarian organization can help them in the current circumstances. People are left to their own devices." The U.N. Security Council and U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for both sides to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid into the conflict zone.  Watch frustration build at the United Nations » In a statement at the White House, Obama urged Sri Lankan government troops to halt the "indiscriminate" shelling of civilians trapped with the remnants of the country's Tamil Tigers. He also prodded the rebels to stop using civilians as human shields. Security Council members issued a statement demanding "that all parties respect their obligations under international humanitarian law." A Red Cross worker was killed Wednesday during shelling in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka -- the third aid worker killed in six weeks -- the Red Cross said.

What is the Red Cross saying about the situation?

When did the Tamil Tigers start fighting for an independent state?

According to the U.N., how many civilians are trapped?

Answer: The situation had worsened by Friday,

Answer: "Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe,"

Answer: 50,000

Answer: the end of the current military push,

Answer: the end of the current military push, which is often referred to as a civilian rescue mission, is less than 48 hours away.

Answer: rebels in the country's north.

Answer: since 1983.

Answer: 50,000

Summary:
Sri Lanka president says end of current military push less than 48 hours away .
U.N. estimates more than 50,000 civilians trapped in area under siege .
Red Cross: "Staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe"
Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka since 1983 .


(CNN) -- Sri Lankan cricketers have described for the first time how they feared some of their teammates had been killed during a deadly attack on the team bus by gunmen in Pakistan -- and paid tribute to the driver of the bus for saving their lives. Thilan Samaraweera is due to undergo surgery to have a bullet removed from his leg. Six police officers and a driver were killed in the ambush by around a dozen attackers armed with automatic weapons as the players made their way to Lahore's cricket stadium early Tuesday. Two players, Tharanga Paranavitana and Thilan Samaraweera, suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and leg respectively while six others suffered shrapnel wounds. But vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara told CNN he believed Paranavitana had been killed when he collapsed after being shot. "I was lying on the ground. I heard Thilan (Samaraweera) groan and I heard Tharanga Paranavitana say something. I turned around and a bullet whizzed past my head and hit the seat in front of me. And then I got hit in the shoulder by shrapnel," Sangakkara said. "Then I saw Tharanga Paranavitana get up and say 'I've been shot' and then he collapsed on the seat. I really thought he was seriously hurt or even dead." Read profiles of the wounded players » Describing the initial moments of the ambush, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said there had been an explosion "which someone said later was a rocket launcher that missed the bus and went over the top and hit somewhere in front of us."  Watch footage of the gunmen staging their attack » He said two cars then pulled up in front of the convoy, blocking its path. Gunmen jumped out of the cars and started firing, sending bullets ripping through the bus. "By that stage everyone was on the ground," Baylis told CNN. "Surprisingly it was very calm. There was not a lot we could do except keep low as possible and hope for the best. Every now and then someone would just yell out and say 'I'm hit.'"  Watch Bayliss talk about his experience » Sangakkara said someone at the front of the bus had shouted to the players to take cover. "Some of the guys looked up to see what was going on because the bus just swerved a bit and almost came to a stop," he said. "Suddenly we heard a couple of explosions getting closer. And then someone from the front of the bus shouted 'They're shooting at the bus -- get down!' That's when we just hit the deck and suddenly we heard bullets thudding into the bus. It kept going for about a minute."  Watch Sangakkara describe how players ducked for cover » A Pakistani security official on the bus then shouted to the driver in Urdu to "go, go go!" Sangakkara said. "I think we owe our lives to him -- he just put the bus in gear and drove straight through the carnage straight to the ground," he said. "They tried to shoot the bus driver first and missed and the guy had the presence of mind to do what was needed to save all our lives." Baylis also praised the driver of the bus for his bravery. "He jumped back in his seat with all the bullets coming through the bus and he got us into the stadium. It wasn't until we got into the stadium that we could see how hurt some of the players were," Baylis said. Once inside the stadium the players received medical attention. "Everyone still seemed confused and shocked but the mood was quite upbeat," said Sangakkara. "A few jokes were being cracked, people were talking to each other, making sure everyone was ok, everyone made a great effort to keep the mood lighter than it could have been in that situation and that's helped a lot of the guys to get through it." Sangakkara said he'd had some of the shrapnel removed from his shoulder inside the stadium. He also underwent surgery to remove some more after arriving home in Colombo earlier

what Sri Lankan vice-captain feared teammate had?

Answer: gunmen

Answer: Lahore's cricket stadium

Answer: been killed during a deadly attack

Summary:
Sri Lankan vice-captain feared teammate had been fatally wounded .
Driver praised for getting bus to stadium as bullets ripped through vehicle .
Attack in Lahore killed driver, 6 Pakistani police, injured 8 Sri Lankan cricket players .
Match referee: Security forces left players, match officials to be "sitting ducks"


(CNN) -- Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday, warning instead that government troops intended to continue a new offensive until the group surrenders, a senior government official said.

Tamil demonstrators call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka during a rally Saturday in Paris, France.

"The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security.

The proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the country's northern area. Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan Army sources.

A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast.

Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals.

"In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the U.N., EU, the governments of the USA, India and others, the (LTTE) has announced an unilateral cease-fire. All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," the rebel leaders said in a written statement issued earlier Sunday.

"We welcome the attempts by the U.N. and its agencies to assist the civilian population and are ready to engage and cooperate with them to address the humanitarian needs of the population. ... We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease-fire."

The Tiger leadership asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer.

The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

What did the government do?
Where do the rebels control?
what says agency U.N?

Answer: new offensive until the group surrenders,

Answer: country's northern area.

Answer: said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals.

Summary:
Government says it will continue offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels .
Rebels control a dwindling swath of north Sri Lanka .
U.N. agency says 100,000 refugees have fled fighting .


(CNN) -- Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday, warning instead that government troops intended to continue a new offensive until the group surrenders, a senior government official said. Tamil demonstrators call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka during a rally Saturday in Paris, France. "The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security. The proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the country's northern area. Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan Army sources. A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals. "In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the U.N., EU, the governments of the USA, India and others, the (LTTE) has announced an unilateral cease-fire. All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," the rebel leaders said in a written statement issued earlier Sunday. "We welcome the attempts by the U.N. and its agencies to assist the civilian population and are ready to engage and cooperate with them to address the humanitarian needs of the population. ... We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease-fire." The Tiger leadership asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

How many refugees have fled the fighting?

Answer: the Tigers

Answer: Tamil Tiger

Answer: 70,000

Answer: exceeded 100,000 individuals.

Answer: Paris, France.

Answer: Sri Lanka

Summary:
Government says it will continue offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels .
Rebels control a dwindling swath of north Sri Lanka .
U.N. agency says 100,000 refugees have fled fighting .


(CNN) -- Sri Lankans went to the polls on Tuesday in the island nation's first peacetime presidential election in 26 years, despite explosions and mortar fire in the capital of Northern Province hours before polls opened. Once a stronghold for the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Northern Province city of Jaffna was a frequent battleground for the rebels and Sri Lankan government troops until a government offensive last year crushed the Tigers. While it wasn't clear what the explosions were, they were nothing new for Jaffnans, who have lived under military control for decades. More than 14 million Sri Lankans are expected to elect their sixth executive president to a six-year term. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seeking a fresh mandate for his government, but he faces a tough challenge from his one-time confidante and former Army commander, retired General Sarath Fonseka. Rajapaksa cast his vote in his ancestral town of Medamulana, near the southern town of Tangalle. "I am very confident of victory," he told journalists. Fonseka was expected to visit a polling booth in Colombo. Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns, election officials said. "I waited in a queue for 45 minutes before I could cast my ballot," said Damayantha Perera of the Colombo suburb of Maharagama. "I also had to wait for almost an hour," said W. Ramiah, a resident of Nugegoda, also of Colombo. Fonseka, who won wide acclaim for leading troops to military victory against the rebels, broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July after retiring as Army commander. After Fonseka announced his presidential bid, the main opposition parties -- with widely diverse political ideologies -- closed ranks behind him to make him their common candidate. "There has been abuse of power, corruption and nepotism. We want to abolish the executive presidency and make the parliament more answerable to the people. The best person to do this is the one who defeated terrorism," Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party, told CNN. Many of Rajapaksa's family members, including his brothers, hold key positions in the government: Chamal is a Cabinet minister, Gotabhaya is Defense Secretary, and Basil is a member of parliament and senior presidential adviser. Other members of the family hold important positions locally and in Sri Lanka's diplomatic missions abroad. The coalition of parties backing Fonseka includes a main opposition right wing party and a leftist Marxist outfit, as well as the Tamil National Alliance. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, said the situation in Sri Lanka, however, is "a picture of dysfunction and breakdown." There have been allegations of interference with mail-in ballots, according to the group. Most of the complaints have been against members of Rajapaksa's government, it said. There have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election, with at least four deaths reported, Saravanamuttu said. Sri Lankans are casting their ballots in more than 11,000 voting booths across the nation. Local leaders have urged a peaceful voting day amid the escalating violence, including the shooting deaths of two people -- one a supporter of the opposition and the other of the government. A contingent of 85,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order, said Mahinda Balasooriya, the inspector general of police. Each polling station has two to three police officers on duty, he said. The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the U.N. chief was "concerned about the growing violence in the lead-up to the presidential election." "The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long-term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," he added. CNN's Sara Sidner and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report.

What was large outside of polling booths?

Where did President Rajapaksa cast his vote?

Who casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana?

Answer: outside most polling booths in Colombo

Answer: Queues

Answer: a tough challenge

Answer: Medamulana,

Answer: Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns,

Answer: his one-time confidante and former Army commander, retired General Sarath Fonseka.

Answer: cast his vote

Answer: Rajapaksa

Summary:
NEW: Queues were large outside most Colombo polling booths, election officials say .
NEW: President Rajapaksa casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana .
He faces tough challenge from retired Gen. Fonseka .
Police: Contingent of 85,000 police officers deployed to maintain law and order .


(CNN) -- Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda doesn't consider himself a hero, but passengers on a recent jumbo jet flight might beg to differ. Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda says he knew the plane he was riding in was losing fuel and videotaped the problem. One of 300 passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Tokyo, Japan, in April, Bachleda noticed white "smoke" billowing from the left side of the Boeing 747-400 jet on takeoff and then again at cruising altitude of over 30,000 feet. He said he was sure it was a leak, a big one that could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. Bachleda, 30, should know. He serves in an air refueling squadron in the U.S. Air Force. He videotaped the midair vapor from his window seat and tried to warn a flight attendant. But at first, she paid him no heed. "When I initially hit the call button, she thought maybe I wanted something, and she said, 'Sir, I'm handing out drinks, I'll be right back with you,' " Bachleda said. Undeterred, Bachleda called her back to his seat. "Ma'am," he said. "It's looking bad." He identified himself and showed the flight attendant his video. "I decided, if the captain doesn't know about this before we go oceanic -- meaning once we fly over the ocean -- and we're leaking this massive amount of fuel, this is going to be a bad day," said Bachleda, on a return trip back to Kadena Air Base in Japan, where he is stationed. This time the flight attendant took him seriously, immediately stopped serving drinks and alerted the flight crew.  Watch more on the plane leak » United Airlines spokesman Jeff Kovick said the crew was already aware of the situation and was considering what action to take when Bachleda brought it to their attention. He said the captain would never have attempted a Pacific crossing. In Bachleda's estimation, the plane, which United said has a capacity of 373,000 pounds of jet fuel, was losing about 6,000 pounds an hour. Over the course of a 13-hour flight, the plane would have lost about 20 percent of its tank. But a former NTSB official said the plane still would have had to land because it lacked extra fuel to divert once it was over the Pacific or circle at its destination. The jet landed in San Francisco, California -- with all 300 passengers safe.

Where did the jet land?
What did the passenger notice?
who fly to japan
Who videotaped the fumes?
What did the staff sgt. videotape?
What lands in San Fransico?

Answer: San Francisco, California

Answer: white "smoke" billowing from the left side of the Boeing 747-400 jet on takeoff and then again at cruising altitude of over 30,000 feet.

Answer: 300 passengers on a United Airlines flight from Chicago, Illinois,

Answer: Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda

Answer: He videotaped the midair vapor from his window seat and tried to warn a flight attendant.

Answer: The jet

Summary:
Passenger notices white smoke billowing from plane's left side on flight to Japan .
Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda videotapes the fumes from seat on United Airlines flight .
Bachleda, who serves in air refueling squadron in U.S. Air Force, shows tape to crew .
Jet lands in San Francisco; United spokesman says pilots already aware of situation .


(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said.

Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County.

A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet.

The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate.

No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison.

The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m.

The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley.

"The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said.

Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said.

The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida.

The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said.

CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

Were any staff members injured during the brawl?

What did staffers have to do to break up the fight?

Who was wounded at a prison complex in Florida?

What did staff use to break up the fight?

Answer: No prison staffers

Answer: fired shots

Answer: Staffers

Answer: Eight inmates

Answer: Coleman Federal Correctional Complex

Answer: Eight inmates

Answer: fired shots

Answer: Coleman Federal Correctional Complex

Answer: Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida,

Summary:
NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say .
Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say .
Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard .
No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says .


(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said.

Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County.

A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet.

The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate.

No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison.

The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m.

The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley.

"The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said.

Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said.

The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida.

The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said.

CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

Where was this?
Where did it happen
What number of inmates were wounded?
Who fired shots?
Who had to fire shots?
How many wounded
How long did it last!
Where did the fight happen?

Answer: central Florida

Answer: a federal prison in central Florida

Answer: eight

Answer: Staffers

Answer: Staffers

Answer: eight

Answer: 15- to 20-minute

Answer: Coleman Federal Correctional Complex

Summary:
NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say .
Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say .
Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard .
No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says .


(CNN) -- Starbucks is closing more than two-thirds of its stores in Australia, days after announcing that hundreds of its American coffee outlets are also being shuttered. Starbucks announced plans to close 600 stores in the U.S. last week. The Seattle-based global coffee franchise said Tuesday that it will close 61 of its 84 locations in Australia by the weekend. The closures will mean that only 23 cafes will remain open in and around three major cities: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Earlier this month, the company announced it would close 600 company-owned stores in the United States. Starbucks, named after the first mate in Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick,' was founded in 1971. It has more than 8,000 company-operated stores and another 6,800 licensed cafes in 44 countries. Starbucks has seen rising competition from privately-held Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds recently, and welcomed founder Schultz back as CEO in January after a lackluster performance by the company in the latter half of 2007.

what's the amount of Starbucks cafes to close?

Answer: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney,

Answer: 600

Answer: close 600 stores

Answer: Australia,

Answer: that hundreds of its American coffee outlets are also being shuttered.

Answer: rising competition

Summary:
More than 60 Starbucks cafes to close by August 3 .
Closures follow news of more than 600 outlets to shut in U.S.
Move by Seattle company will end 685 jobs in Australia, reports say .


(CNN) -- Stars at the legendary Glastonbury, one of the world's largest music festivals, have begun to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, who died Thursday. Glastonbury at Worthy Farm in Somerset is the world's largest music festival. Singer Pharell Williams of U.S. group N.E.R.D  acknowledged the music icon's legacy as his band played on the English festival's main stage, the Pyramid Stage. "The music was so incredible and what he and Quincy Jones did was change music and the way people looked at music," Williams was quoted as saying on the BBC's Glastonbury Web site. Teenage Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi was the first artist at the festival to pay tribute to Jackson, Friday, singing a few bars of song "Billie Jean" during her set. Organizer Emily Eavis wrote on her Twitter site: "So sad to hear the news about MJ. There will be tributes all over the site all weekend. "A truly great artist." Other artists are expected to honor the singer, who died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 50, throughout the 3-day festival weekend in southwestern England. Festival-goers woke to an unexpectedly somber first day of Glastonbury, Friday, as the news of Jackson's death began to sink in.  See images of reactions to the star's death from around the world » Rumors of the singer's death had circulated the isolated 900-acre site the previous evening, but many fans had dismissed them as the hearsay and misinformation that thrives each year in the site which has no TV or Internet-access. Confusion quickly turned to shock for many, as Jackson's music played in festival bars and news of his demise spread by cell phone. "It's totally weird," Sally Anne Aldous, 29, told CNN on Thursday night. "People are just getting text messages saying 'Michael Jackson is dead. Michael Jackson is dead.'"   With a laid-back focus on mainly alternative music, the  Glastonbury festival -- expected to attract as many as 137,000 music-lovers -- is not a venue where people would normally expect to hear Jackson's music.  Watch more reaction from Glastonbury » But few here deny the singer's influence. An impromptu memorial was held by mourning fans late Thursday at the "Stone Circle," a neolithic monument in the festival's grounds. Other headline acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Lady GaGa and Lily Allen,   performing at the festival, are expected to pay tribute to Jackson. iReport: Share your memories of Michael Jackson Anouk Lorie contributed to this report

What singer paid tribute to the music icon?

What group is Pharell Williams a part of?

What day was the festival on when the news broke?

Answer: Gabriella Cilmi

Answer: N.E.R.D

Answer: "Billie Jean"

Answer: Gabriella Cilmi

Answer: first

Answer: the news of Jackson's death

Summary:
Singer Pharell Williams of U.S. group N.E.R.D paid tribute to the music icon .
Earlier Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi sang a few bars of "Billie Jean"
Festival goers awoke to the news on an unusually somber day one of the festival .


(CNN) -- Starting Tuesday, many "robocalls" from telemarketers will be illegal. A new ban on automated telemarketing calls goes into effect Tuesday. Businesses that try to push products on consumers with automated and unsolicited calls will face fines of up to $16,000 per call, according to the Federal Trade Commission. "American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a news release. Calls from politicians, public service announcements and "informational" calls will be exempt from the new rule. A call alerting a traveler that his or her flight has been delayed would still be allowed, for example. Banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations are also excluded from the ban, the FTC says. The FTC asks people to report questionable robocalls by visiting its complaint Web site or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. "If consumers think they're being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them," Leibowitz said. The ban on many pre-recorded calls was approved by the FTC in August of 2008 and is the last of a series of amendments to go into effect, said Lois Greisman, the FTC's associate director of marketing practices. She said the ban applies only to pre-recorded calls and encouraged consumers to sign up for the federal "do not call" registry for additional protections. Robocalls to mobile phones already are illegal, she said. People still will be able to receive telemarketer calls if they give companies written permission to contact them. Nate Anderson, a blogger at Ars Technica, a technology site, cheered the amendments but said many calls are illegal even without the new amendments. "Most of the robocalls received by people in the office here are already illegal to do begin with -- pitches for time shares and bogus car warranties top the list of such calls," he wrote.

When does the FTC ban on automated telemarketing calls start?

What is the fine for companies breaking the rule?

Who banned automated telemarketing calls?

Answer: August of 2008

Answer: $16,000 per call,

Answer: up to $16,000 per call,

Answer: the Federal Trade Commission.

Answer: telemarketing calls

Answer: Banks, telephone carriers and most charitable organizations are

Answer: politicians, public service announcements and "informational"

Summary:
An FTC ban on automated telemarketing calls starts Tuesday .
Companies breaking the rule face fines of $16,000 per call .
Exceptions include political calls, "informational" calls and bank calls .


(CNN) -- State officials said Monday that they suspect a drug reaction or toxins killed 21 horses as they were prepared to compete in a Sunday polo match in Wellington, Florida. Blue tarps obstruct the view of horses that died at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida. State officials and local law enforcement also announced Monday that they are launching investigations into the deaths as scientists work to pinpoint what exactly killed the horses. Officials believe that the "very rapid onset of sickness and death" points to toxins or a drug reaction and also allows them to rule out other possibilities. "At this time, there is no evidence that these horses were affected with an infectious or contagious disease, as there are no other horses affected at this time," according to Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesman Terence McElroy. Officials are continuing to conduct tests, and Florida agriculture scientists are performing necropsies on the animals. "We'll be testing blood and tissue to see what the common denominator was here: Was it something injected? Was it bad water? And so forth," McElroy said. John Walsh, the Lechuza Caracas polo club president, said he was told that there was no contagious virus airborne or disease and that the incident was an "isolated" one.   Watch Walsh talk about the devastating deaths » "This was a mistake of a combination of something, and whether the mistake was at the barn, whether the mistake was at the feed company, whether the mistake was at the vitamin company," Scott Swerdlin of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, who treated some of the horses, told CNN affiliate WPTV. "We don't know, but we're going to find out." James Belden, a veterinarian at the Left Bank Equine Clinic who also treated some of the horses, told WPTV that he and others don't suspect foul play. "I think this is an accident," he told WPTV. "A terrible accident." McElroy said that despite the early indications, he does not want to jump to conclusions about what happened. "Obviously, this is a tragic situation, and we are working hard to determine what happened," he said. "But it would be irresponsible to speculate on what may have killed the horses. We will wait until the facts are in before making any specific comments on the case." Officials in the state Agriculture and Consumer Services Department will investigate the case with the help of the department's Division of Animal Industry, the department's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies. The horses were part of the Venezuela-based Lechuza Caracas team and were being kept at the team's trailers on the grounds of the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Fifteen horses that seemed disoriented died before Sunday's match, said McElroy, and their bodies were sent to the state-run Kissimmee Diagnostic Laboratories near Orlando, Florida. Luis Escobar, a player on the opposing Team Blackwatch, was on the grounds when the horses began to fall ill. "I thought it was something temporary, and I saw a veterinarian and thought maybe it was one or two horses, and the vet was going to give something to help them out, and it was going to be done," he said. "But it wasn't." Two horses initially collapsed, and as veterinarians and team officials scrambled to revive them, five others became dizzy, Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the polo club, said Sunday.  Watch as vets search for clues » Escobar said soon things got worse, and other horses started to get sick. Peter Rizzo, executive director of the United States Polo Association, was at the match and saw the horses drop. "It was surreal," he said, calling the deaths "unprecedented." "It is a horrible tragedy," he said. Some of the 15 horses died immediately, but some lingered for about 45 minutes, Swerdlin said Sunday, according to a report in the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. The clinic is the International Polo

What did officials say?
How many horses died?
Who is investigating?
Where have a lot of horses died?
What have officials ruled out?
Where did the deaths occur?

Answer: that they suspect a drug reaction or toxins killed 21 horses

Answer: 21

Answer: Officials in the state Agriculture and Consumer Services Department

Answer: Wellington, Florida.

Answer: infectious or contagious disease,

Answer: Wellington, Florida.

Summary:
21 thoroughbred horses died at International Polo Club Palm Beach .
Officials say they have ruled out infectious or contagious disease .
Veterinarians say a mistake was made; they don't suspect foul play .
State and local officials are investigating .


(CNN) -- State public health officials are contacting airline passengers after a woman with measles traveled through three airports earlier this week, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.

The woman traveled from an airport in Europe to Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Denver International Airport and, finally, to New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.

The woman, who traveled Tuesday, was diagnosed with the disease in New Mexico, he said.

Health departments in each area, using information from the CDC, are contacting those who may have been exposed to the viral disease. That may include flight crews and airport workers.

"That work is ongoing," said Skinner, who could not confirm the airline or airlines and the originating flight's location.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said people who were working or traveling through Concourse C at the Denver airport after 9 p.m. Tuesday should monitor themselves for any early symptoms of measles, especially fever, from Monday through March 12.

"People who develop a fever should contact their health care provider or their local or state health department. People with symptoms should not go to child care, school, work or out in public, as they might have the early symptoms of measles and might be contagious," the department said in a statement Friday.

Typically, health officials concentrate on passengers or crew who were five rows in front of or five rows behind an infected traveler, Skinner said. They are particularly mindful of small infants and children and people with underlying medical conditions.

People who had not previously been immunized may have a "small window" after being contacted to be vaccinated or given globulins to avoid developing symptoms, Skinner told CNN.

In a separate development, measles was confirmed in a 24-year-old woman who took a flight from France and two people in Boston were suspected of having the disease. Boston officials held a free measles vaccination clinic Friday.

"Most of the [U.S.] cases are imported into the country," Skinner said.

Measles is a very contagious viral disease that is easily spread through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. Measles develops generally seven to 14 days after a person is infected, according to the CDC.

A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and sore throat. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth.

Three to five days after the start of symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears. It may spread downward from the face and be accompanied by a temperature spike, the CDC says on its website.

CNN's Phil Gast contributed to this report

Where was a confirmed case of measles found?

Where did the infected passenger travel to?

Answer: France

Answer: New Mexico,

Answer: contacting airline passengers

Answer: through three airports

Answer: a woman with measles

Summary:
The infected passenger traveled from Europe to the United States .
Health officials are contacting those who may have been exposed to viral disease .
A different confirmed measles case in Boston was woman who flew from France .


(CNN) -- Stealth helicopters zoom toward a mystery compound in northern Pakistan, intent on capturing or killing the most wanted man in the world. Under cover of night they reach their target, but within moments one chopper is down and the mission is in jeopardy.

The daring raid against Osama bin Laden contained equal parts action, suspense, risk and bravery. In other words (from a purely literary standpoint), all of the elements of a great story.

So it should come as no surprise that Simon & Schuster has announced plans to publish a graphic novel about the secret mission, which co-author Jerome Maida describes as a "complex labyrinth of intrigue, danger and politics."

But it won't be the first graphic novel to recount Operation Neptune Spear (the military name for the raid). That distinction belongs to "Code Word: Geronimo" which hit bookstores and Amazon.com less than six months after bin Laden's killing.

"Code Word: Geronimo" is the work of Capt. Dale Dye, a retired Marine and frequent military consultant on Hollywood films, and his wife Julia Dye, who holds a Ph.D. in the anthropology of human conflict. The novel features the artwork of Gerry Kissell and Amin Amat.

CNN spoke with the Dyes about their book and the challenge of telling the story of the raid without divulging military secrets. What follows is an edited version of the conversation.

CNN: Why did you decide to tell the story in graphic novel form?

Dale Dye: We wanted to reach folks in a sort of 18-35 short attention span demographic and see if we could use the graphic novel to sort of reflect the capability and professionalism of the men and women who pulled this raid off, this Operation Neptune Spear... I think [graphic novels] are a coming thing. I don't know if it's good, bad or indifferent, but it is a venue for communicating and we'll take it.

CNN: As military stories go, this one is hard to beat.

Dale: I mean it was fantastic. It was nothing like Desert One [the failed attempt in 1980 to free American hostages in Iran] and the other special operations efforts in which we haven't done so well. This one was really almost perfect, and that's hard to say when you're dealing deep behind people's lines.

CNN: Tell me about the research you did for the book.

Julia Dye: The challenge in this case wasn't so much digging up the information, it's that there was too much information and often conflicting. So it's discernment, how do you decide what is the most appropriate, what is most likely, what is true from a variety of sources.

Dale: I was able to call some people in the special operations community that I have contacts with and draw on my own background and sort of fill in what gaps Julia left where we didn't know... There are some areas in which I like to say we used "SWAG", which is "Scientific Wild- A** Guesses".

CNN: Were you concerned at all about revealing sensitive information in the book?

Dale: We did a lot of talking, Julia and I did, "If we do this, if we say this, if we depict this, are we giving away the secrets to the bad guys?"

Julia: There are certainly operational concerns and we wanted to make sure the information that is in there was appropriate... and keep what should remain classified, classified and still tell a compelling story.

CNN: There are some panels in the graphic novel showing bin Laden in bed the night of the raid, without a turban. How did you decide the right way to depict his domestic life?

Dale: That's one of those "SWAG" things. Nobody really knows what his domestic life was about. So we put it together and we said, "Given what we know about him, or what we purport to know about him, what would his private life be like?" In large measure,

Capt. Dale Dye and his wife Julia have written a graphic novel about what?

What did Dale Dye and his wife Julia write a graphic novel about?

Answer: Julia

Answer: the secret mission,

Answer: Julia

Answer: the secret mission,

Summary:
Capt. Dale Dye and his wife Julia have written a graphic novel about the raid .
The pair used Capt. Dye's contacts in the special operations world to do research .
Academy Award winning-director Kathryn Bigelow is planning a film on SEAL Team 6 .


(CNN) -- Steve Bruce has become the first English Premier League managerial casualty of the season after being sacked by Sunderland on Monday following a poor run of recent results.

On Saturday, Sunderland relinquished a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at home to bottom side Wigan Athletic, with the winning goal coming in injury time.

That result left Sunderland 16th in the 20-team division -- just two points above the relegation zone -- despite an extensive recruitment drive in the close season which saw 11 players join the club.

The Wigan defeat also highlighted crowd dissatisfaction with Bruce -- with a number of banners calling for his removal -- and club chairman Ellis Short has decided to act after calling recent results "simply not good enough".

Ellis told the official Sunderland website: "This has been a difficult time for everyone at Sunderland and is not a situation that any of us envisaged or expected to be in.

"It is my job as chairman to act in the best interests of our football club at all times and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision I have taken lightly."

He continued: "Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is now right to make a change.

"Steve has acted with honesty and integrity throughout, which is testament to the character and commitment he has shown during his time at Sunderland.

"I would like to personally place on record my thanks to him for his significant contribution to our football club over the past two-and-a- half years and everyone here at Sunderland naturally wishes him the very best for the future."

What position was Sunderland in the Premier League?

Answer: 16th

Answer: sacked by Sunderland

Answer: first English Premier League managerial casualty of the season

Answer: Wigan Athletic,

Summary:
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been sacked after Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Wigan .
That defeat left Sunderland 16th in the Premier League, just two points above the drop zone .
Bruce is the first manager to lose his job in the English Premier League this season .


(CNN) -- Steven Spielberg led the FBI straight to a stolen $700,000 Norman Rockwell painting someone snatched from a Missouri gallery. It was in his collection in California. The original of this Norman Rockwell reproduction was found in the collection of Steven Spielberg last year. Spielberg wasn't the thief, and he doesn't know who took Rockwell's "Russian Schoolroom" -- an oil of 16 pupils looking at a bust of Lenin. All the A-list director knows is he paid about $200,000 for the 16 x 37 canvas in a legitimate purchase. The FBI says its just one example of how pilfered art lands in  respectable places. And it was an uncommon ending for stolen art -- someone found it. Recovering masterpieces happens in less than 5 percent of cases, said Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, the FBI's Art Theft Program manager. Usually, expensive pieces go missing. No one knows who took them. No one gets prosecuted, and everyone wonders, "Why steal something you can't turn to cash quickly?" Art thieves do a simple risk versus reward evaluation, said Corine Wegener, associate curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Thieves know that "even if they receive only a fraction of the work's market value, the cash gained was at low risk of death or injury -- museums can be a relatively soft target," said Wegener, who's teaching a University of Minnesota class this month on art theft. But it could be years -- or never -- before the thief sees even a small payoff. In 1990, robbers took $300 million worth of certified masterpieces -- among them Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and Vermeer's "The Concert" -- from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. No one's seen them since. On Sunday, robbers made off with one of the biggest art hauls in European history, grabbing four paintings worth an estimated $163 million from the E.G. Buehrle Collection in Zurich, Switzerland. They took works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.  See what robbers grabbed in Switzerland » "These paintings are extremely valuable on the open market, but they'll never go onto the open market. So at the same time they're both priceless and worthless," said Charles Hill, the former chief of Scotland Yard's art and antiques unit. "Some thieves may buy into the myth that a wealthy but unscrupulous collector will contact them and offer to take the art off their hands," Wegener said. "When this doesn't happen, the thieves often try to ransom the art back to the museum or the insurance company." One London art dealer, who said he has handled stolen works, told CNN on condition of anonymity that an insurance company would rather get art back at a fraction of its original price than pay the owner its insured value.  Watch how art thieves operate » Ransoming art to an insurance company through an intermediary adds "up to 10 percent of the market value, which ... given the art market, is quite a lot of money," the dealer said. David Vuillaume, secretary general of the Swiss Museums Association, told Time magazine that ransom may be what the thieves behind the Swiss heist want. "We are thinking that maybe in a week or two there will be a ransom demand. But we just have to wait and see," Time quoted him as saying. The museum has offered $90,000 reward for information leading to their recovery, Time reported. Options for art thieves Julian Radcliffe, chairman of the Art Loss Register, which operates a database to help recover lost and stolen art, said ransom or reward are unlikely to bring results. "It is very seldom that people have been able to undertake a ransom," he said. "This gang might think that a reward has been offered, and that they'll get the reward." But in fact, "the reward won't be paid unless someone is arrested, or there is proper criminal intelligence," and

What was found in Steven Spielberg's collection?

What are soft targets according to experts?

Answer: $700,000 Norman Rockwell painting

Answer: less than 5 percent

Answer: museums

Answer: can be a relatively soft target,"

Summary:
Stolen art can be lost for decades .
Soft targets like museums entice thieves, experts say .
Stolen Rockwell found in Steven Spielberg's collection decades after theft .
Nothing glamorous about art thieves, expert says .


(CNN) -- Stewart Copeland and Sting get along great. Really. Stewart Copeland's background includes a wide range of musical influences, many of which emerged in the Police. OK, the Police's drummer and bassist may have argued from time to time. Perhaps even ferociously. And Copeland finds Sting's attempts to be a drum arranger annoying. OK, maybe infuriating. But, as he writes in his new book, "Strange Things Happen" (HarperStudio), "We have discovered that we can be good friends -- as long as no one mentions music." Besides, Copeland adds in an interview, both Sting and guitarist Andy Summers "are crap at drums."  Watch Copeland dish on the band » Copeland may be best known for the hitmaking musical trio, but he hasn't let the Police define him. The son of a CIA officer, he grew up in the Middle East and has let his musical fascinations range widely. He's written operas and dozens of film and television scores and is currently working on a concerto for the Dallas Symphony. (He also plays polo.) Copeland took some time to talk about his relationship with the Police, the importance of percussion and the social niceties of West L.A. private schools. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: The pace of the book makes it seem like you've been living "A Hard Day's Night" for the last 30 or 35 years. Is it really that busy? Stewart Copeland: Oh, it's pretty busy, but if it wasn't busy, I'd be stressed and anxious. In fact, this week I've got some down time, and I'm looking at the walls. CNN: It's been inescapable that people are focusing on the part of the book involving you and your fellow Police members. You say that you have a great relationship with Sting until music gets involved. Copeland: We get along in every way until it comes to music. ... [But] both of them are crap at drums, so at least I don't have that to deal with. CNN: So Sting is not much of a drummer, despite the fact that he has all these ideas. Copeland: Actually, he can play a bit of drums, but he's much better arranging drums than playing them. And I think I'd rather have him as a drummer than as an arranger of drums, even though he's quite brilliant at [arranging]. CNN: Has there always been that friction in the band? Copeland: Yes. With Andy, there's no friction at all; we get along great. ... And by the way, he's not the man in the middle, either. He's not a mediator. He's his own little volcano. He's a very sharp point to the triangle. But this conflict ... when we did the reunion tour, it was like everything was different, but nothing had changed. From the first 16 bars, we were straight back into where we left off. CNN: With the Police, the friction seems -- for lack of a better term -- healthy. Copeland: Well, it's that musical dichotomy that makes the band what it is. If we didn't have those beautiful, sensitive songs, we'd be lost. Those beautiful, sensitive songs have an extra kick to them because there's a madman in the group. CNN: Does the madman change, or is it always Sting? Copeland: Actually, all three of us have our moments. CNN: You grew up in the Middle East. Do you see any reflections of that in the way you play the drums, in the way you feel the beat? Copeland: Absolutely. I grew up surrounded by Arabic music. The central element of Arabic music is the baladi rhythm, which is just Arabic for "country." And it has that drop on the three-beat. And it has that use of negative space. And it also has the very ornate

What is the name of the book written by Stewart Copeland?

Who does Copeland say he gets on fine with when music isnt involved?

Who is the author of the book "Strange things happen"?

Answer: "Strange Things Happen"

Answer: Sting

Answer: in the Middle East

Answer: "We have discovered that we can be good friends

Answer: Copeland

Answer: the Middle East

Summary:
Stewart Copeland writes about his life in new book, "Strange Things Happen"
Copeland says he and Sting get along fine when music isn't involved .
Besides, he says, group's "sensitive" songs helped by "madman" in trio .
Copeland grew up in Middle East, says rhythms of region part of his roots .


(CNN) -- Stocks on key Asian exchanges dropped modestly early Monday on what is likely to be an eventful day in world markets, following Standard and Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.

In early Tokyo trading, the Nikkei index fell 124 points, or 1.3%.

South Korea's KOSPI index slipped 1.6%. In Australia, the All Ordinaries index lost 0.7%. The Shanghai composite started 0.8% lower.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index tumbled 2.6% at the open.

Similarly, U.S. stock futures fell around 1.7% in early electronic trading Sunday.

The futures were the first U.S. gauge of investor sentiment following Friday night's downgrade, removing the United States' AAA status for the first time. They give an indication of how investors will react when regular-hours U.S. trading begins at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday.

Besides the U.S. downgrade, investors are concerned about the debt crisis in some European nations, though actions on the part of the G7 and the European Central Bank Sunday helped to allay some of those fears.

Financial representatives of leading industrial nations said they are committed to taking "all necessary measures to support financial stability and growth in a spirit of close cooperation and confidence."

They welcomed the "decisive actions taken in the U.S. and Europe" and "the additional policy measures announced by Italy and Spain to strengthen fiscal discipline and underpin the recovery in economic activity and job creation."

"We are committed to taking coordinated action where needed, to ensuring liquidity, and to supporting financial market functioning, financial stability and economic growth," G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a Sunday night statement.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had been expected to take part in a conference call with representatives of the other G7 nations to discuss the downgraded U.S. credit rating, a G7 official told CNN.

The G7 nations are the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States.

Similarly, the European Central Bank made a bid to calm markets Sunday. It said it would implement a bond-purchase program and welcomed announcements by Italy and Spain on new measures meant to reduce their deficits. It told the governments of those countries that a "decisive and swift implementation" of reforms is "essential."

The move represents an escalation in the official response to Europe's debt crisis, which is now more than a year old and until recently was contained to smaller economies like Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde cheered the announcements.

"I welcome the statements from the European Central Bank, from the leaders of Germany and France as well as from the G7, and their renewed commitment to take all necessary action in a coordinated way to ensure stability and liquidity in the financial markets. This cooperation will contribute to maintaining confidence and spurring global economic growth," she said in a statement.

Middle Eastern markets, the first to open since the downgrade, were sharply lower on Sunday. Israel's market temporarily halted trading at one point and finished down more than 6%, while the Dubai Financial Market General Index fell 3.7%.

The General Index on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was down more than 2.5%, while in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All-Share Index dropped nearly 5.5% in trading Saturday.

U.S. officials are talking to a "wide range of investors" about the downgrade by the credit agency to try to "mitigate" any short-term negative impact from Friday's announcement, a Treasury official told CNN.

Top Standard & Poor's officials said Sunday that the downgraded credit rating for the United States was both a call for political consensus on significant deficit reduction and a warning of possible further credit problems down the road.

"We have a negative outlook on the rating and that means that we think the risks currently on the rating are to the downside," said David Beers, the S&P global head of sovereign ratings, on "Fox News Sunday."

However, Beers said markets were reacting to the debt crises in some European countries and fears of a global

whats Losses are modest in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai?

whose stock futures tumble around 1.7% in early electronic trading?

Answer: Stocks

Answer: South Korea's KOSPI index slipped 1.6%.

Answer: U.S.

Answer: Nikkei index fell 124 points,

Summary:
Losses are modest in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai .
Investors are weighing both the downgrade and the European debt crisis .
G7 leaders say they are committed to taking "all necessary measures"
U.S. stock futures tumble around 1.7% in early electronic trading .


(CNN) -- Stranded in the snowy California woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a Christmas tree, a father and his three children fashioned a "Help" sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road, according to the helicopter pilots who found them. Lexi and Joshua Dominguez exit a helicopter Wednesday, shortly after being found. The four sought shelter from the heavy snow in a culvert and removed their sodden socks in an effort to stay warm and dry while they waited for rescue, the pilots said. Frederick Dominguez said that during the three-day ordeal, he and his children slept inside a log for warmth and ripped apart their shirts to wrap their wet, freezing feet. "You just go to survival mode," he said. "Every parent would do that. You would do anything, sacrifice yourself, because these are your kids." Dominguez and his children -- Christopher, 18; Lexi, 14; and Joshua, 12 -- were reported missing Monday night by Dominguez's former wife and the children's mother, Lisa Sams, according to police in Paradise, California, a town of 27,000 people about 90 miles north of Sacramento.  Watch the family talk about their "scary" ordeal » "I'm glad I'm home. Praise God," Dominguez told reporters after exiting a chopper at the search command post. "It was awful." Asked how he survived, he replied, "Jesus Christ." Dominguez said he used branches and sticks to spell out the word "Help" near the culvert, where the three slept the last two nights -- at times sleeping with their feet inside each other's shirts to help stave off frostbite. He said his daughter was the first to hear a California Highway Patrol helicopter overhead. He said he ran though several feet of snow barefooted to wave it down. "When they turned around, man, I was just praising God and saying, 'Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,' because I knew we had made it," he said. Police vehicles equipped with snow chains rumbled up mountain roads to help conduct the search, which also involved a snowmobile and dogs. More than 80 searchers scoured the woods Wednesday until the four were found about 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET). Officer Steve Ward said he was piloting the helicopter out ahead of bad weather when he spotted Dominguez coming out of the culvert and waving. "We were very lucky that we just saw this guy at the last second." Paramedic Flight Officer Dave White, who was with Ward, said that after the two shut down the helicopter and waved the family over, all four came running. "The little girl was in tears," he said. White said the family was found north of where ground crews were searching. The pilots could see the "Help" sign they had made with twigs on a nearby four-wheel-drive road, he said. Christopher Dominguez told CNN's Anderson Cooper the family got lost Sunday searching for a tree, which they had chopped down but later abandoned. He said they didn't have food, heavy coats or other provisions to help prepare for the cold nights. "We weren't prepared at all," he said. "We just thought we were going to go up to the mountains, get our tree and go back home. It didn't turn out that way." After the family failed to locate their vehicle, he said, snow and darkness began to fall. At that point, Lexi Dominguez said, "I started freaking out." "It was really, really scary," she said. "I just remember walking and walking and being like, we're not going to make it," Lexi said. And as they huddled for warmth, Christopher Dominguez said, his sister sang songs to help pass the time until help arrived. "We were all just happy, happy to be rescued," Christopher Dominguez said late Wednesday, huddled with his siblings under blankets in

Where did a family seek shelter in snow?

Who went out to cut a tree with his children?

Answer: Frederick Dominguez

Answer: California Highway Patrol

Answer: a culvert

Answer: 12

Answer: heavy snow

Answer: Frederick Dominguez

Summary:
NEW: Joshua, 12, "happy to be home. ... I didn't think we were going to make it"
Family sought shelter from snow in culvert, warmed each other's frostbitten feet .
Frederick Dominguez and his 3 children set out Sunday to cut Christmas tree .
More than 80 people searched for them Tuesday in heavy snow .