JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia will withdraw from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at the end of the year, the country's energy minister told foreign journalists Wednesday. Indonesia has become a net importer of oil due to declining production levels. Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the move follows declining oil production levels in Indonesia that have left the country a net importer of oil. "In the future, if our production (comes) back again to the level that gives us a status as a net oil exporter, then I think we can go back to OPEC again," he said. "But today we decided that we are pulling out of OPEC." It was not immediately clear what effect Indonesia's decision will have on global oil prices. However the move was not unexpected. Indonesia, which joined OPEC in 1962, is the only southeast Asian country in the 13-nation oil cartel. Oil production there has steadily decreased in the last decade because of disappointing exploration efforts and declining production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since 1996, total production has dropped by 32 percent. The country's current output quota for crude oil as set by OPEC is 1.45 million barrels a day -- well above its production capacity. In 2006, Indonesia imported more oil than it exported. CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report

Who said ,  Indonesia more of an oil consumer than producer?

Answer: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Answer: Purnomo Yusgiantoro

Answer: Indonesia

Answer: the move follows declining oil production levels in Indonesia that have left the country a net importer of oil.

Summary:
Indonesia to withdraw from OPEC at end of the year, energy minister says .
Purnomo Yusgiantoro says Indonesia more of an oil consumer than producer .
Low production means Southeast Asia's only OPEC member is net oil importer .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a commanding lead in national elections Wednesday, according to the latest exit polls. A woman votes at a polling station in Indonesia. An average of six exit polls showed the incumbent holding about 60 percent of the vote compared to 27 percent for former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and 12 percent for Yudhoyono's vice president, Yusuf Kalla. Official results are expected no sooner than next week. Indonesia has 175 million registered voters spread over 17,000 islands. It was the country's second direct election since the authoritarian regime of dictator Suharto fell in 1998, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Analysts and polls, ahead of the vote, predicted Yudhoyono -- riding high on the country's economic strength -- would win a second term.  Watch as incumbent expected to win election » In 2004, Yudhoyono defeated then-incumbent Megawati in a runoff election.  Watch more on the election » Yudhoyono "has positive global image; relations with the American government have been the best in all the time that I have been here, the last 30 years," said James Castle, who analyzes Indonesia's politics and economy. "He's very popular in the foreign community and, to be honest, if he's not re-elected, the markets will react negatively for a month or so." Yudhoyono's Democratic Party was the only single party to get enough votes in April's legislative elections to nominate a candidate on its own. Kalla's Golkar Party came in second and Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, placed third. Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president. Kalla had hoped voters would give him some of the credit for Indonesia's economic successes which occurred under his term as vice president. Kalla and Megawati had to form coalitions with other parties to run for president.  See a photo slideshow of Indonesians talking about who they will vote for » Yudhoyono is known as "Mr. Clean" because of his anti-corruption efforts. He has gained popularity for his handling of the 2004 tsunami recovery and the country's battle against terrorism. Indonesia has had impressive economic growth over the past five years, though how much direct credit Yudhoyono can take for that is questionable. And despite Indonesia posting an average of 5.9 percent annual growth during his presidency, little of that has trickled down to the country's poor. Yudhoyono's opponents say he is too liberal, is too skewed toward the west, and doesn't pay enough attention to the 40 million Indonesians living below the poverty line. Still, the country is exhibiting surprising resilience in the face of the global economic downturn. Growth topped 6 percent last year, and Indonesia was the fastest-growing economy in southeast Asia in the first quarter of this year. "All off a sudden, everybody is contracting except for Indonesia," Castle said. "We've had more visiting regional heads and so on in the last six months than we had in the last six years."

What is riding high on the country's economic strength?

Who do analysts think will win a second term?

Answer: "Mr. Clean"

Answer: no sooner than next week.

Answer: no sooner than next week.

Answer: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Answer: no sooner than next week.

Answer: no sooner than next week.

Answer: Analysts and polls,

Answer: the country's economic strength

Answer: Yudhoyono

Answer: no sooner than next week.

Summary:
NEW: Polls close; Official results expected no sooner than next week .
Three familiar faces competed: current president, his deputy and an ex-president .
Analysts and polls have Yudhoyono (known as SBY) tipped to win a second term .
SBY is riding high on the country's economic strength .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesian authorities believe two suicide bombers checked into the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta and carried out coordinated bombings Friday morning, killing themselves and at least six victims and wounding more than 50 others. A body is removed following the blasts at the Ritz-Carlton and the nearby J.W. Marriott hotels in Jakarta on Friday. It is unclear what group is behind the attacks on the Marriott and the adjacent Ritz-Carlton hotel, Indonesia's National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso said at a news conference. He warned that the death toll could rise. Four of the six victims in Jakarta's hotel bombings were foreigners, the Indonesian Healthy Ministry said Saturday. The ministry identified two of the dead as Australian, one from New Zealand and one from Singapore. Another victim was Indonesian and the sixth remained unidentified. Eight American nationals were among the wounded, according to the U.S. State Department. Investigators are also analyzing closed-circuit television footage from the Marriott that shows a man, sporting a baseball cap and pulling a wheeled suitcase, heading toward the JW Marriott Hotel's lobby-level restaurant seconds before the deadly blast. Five victims and one suicide bomber were killed at the Marriott, according to police spokesman Inspector General Nanan Soekarna. Minutes later, another suicide bomber struck the adjacent Ritz-Carlton, killing one person and the bomber. Indonesian national police confirmed that the man seen in the CCTV video, distributed by Indonesian television, is being investigated in connection with the blast. "We are suspecting the man in the footage because the time frame matches with the time of the bombing," national police spokesman Nanan Soekarma said. "It is obviously premature to confirm it right now as we will have to wait for the lab results and the investigation to conclude." Indonesian authorities have detained several witnesses and others for questioning, and have sent forensic evidence from the scene for testing, a spokesman for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said. "It's all being studied now," Dino Patti Djalal told CNN. Yudhoyono warned that it is still too early to determine who was behind the attacks. "This terrorist action is thought to be the work of a terrorist group, even though it is not certain whether this is the terrorism which we are familiar with up until now," the recently reelected president said. See images of the aftermath » The bombings at the two luxury hotels -- which are connected by an underground tunnel -- happened shortly before 8 a.m. (9 p.m. Thursday ET), first at the Marriott and then 10 minutes later at the Ritz-Carlton, police officials said. Both blasts struck the hotels' restaurants and several prominent international business leaders were among the casualties.  Watch footage of the scene of the blasts » An unexploded bomb was found on the Marriott Hotel's 18th floor where several suspects believed to be linked to the bombings were staying, Hendarso said. Indonesian investigators believe the bombers checked into the Marriott on Wednesday and were scheduled to check out on Friday, he added. It is unclear how they got around the "robust security" at the hotels, according to Alan Orlob, security chief for Marriott Hotels. Ritz-Carlton is a subsidiary of Marriott. Orlob said there had been no indication of any "immediate threat in Jakarta."  Watch Orlob describe security measures » Security has been extremely high at the Marriott hotel in Jakarta since it was struck by a car bombing in August 2003 that killed 12 people. Suspicion immediately fell on Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Islamist terrorist network with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network that was tied to the 2003 Marriott attack and the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists. Hendarso said the type of explosives found were similar to those found in a recent raid on a home in West Java that was linked to Noordin Top, a suspected leader of a small JI splinter group that espouses the use of large-scale terror attacks to push for the establishment of Islamic states in the region. So far, there

Is it really possible to know who is behind the attacks?

Answer: at least six

Answer: is unclear what group is

Answer: JW Marriott

Answer: He warned that the death toll could rise.

Answer: It is unclear what group is

Summary:
Police say bombers had earlier checked into Marriott hotel .
Death toll in bomb attacks now six with at least 50 injured .
Police defuse bomb found on 18th floor of JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta .
Indonesian president: Too early to determine who was behind the attacks .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Islamic parties in Indonesia will not get enough votes in the coming election to nominate a presidential candidate, according to polls, analysts and an Islamic party official. Supporters of Indonesia's Democratic Party of Struggle take part in a campaign event in Jakarta on March 24. Nevertheless, the influence of Islam on politics in Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim country -- has many nationalist parties changing their strategy. The April 9 national elections will determine the makeup of Indonesia's 550-seat parliament, as well as its regional representation council, provincial, county and city assemblies. More than 38 parties are vying for these seats, but very few are expected to get the 20 percent of parliamentary seats needed to nominate a presidential candidate in the July election. In fact, the only party expected to meet the 20 percent threshold is President Susilo Bambang Yudyohono's Democratic Party. Other parties will have to join alliances to nominate a president. Yudyohono's "charming" personality, and his government's ability to weather the current worldwide financial downturn, have kept him on top of the polls, according to James Castle, who analyzes Indonesian politics and economy. Castle said despite the influence of Islam on Indonesian politics, voters are more concerned about economic issues. "Like everywhere in the world, economics is the key factor," he said. "It's quite clear from all these surveys, when inflation was high, the president's popularity is low. Now that inflation has come down, the president's popularity is high, and he and his party are doing very well in the polls coming into the election." So far, Indonesia has not felt the impact of the global recession, partly because its economy is more isolated than other countries'. But the government has taken steps to protect the currency and the economy from the downturn, Castle said. "This will probably just be a speed bump for Indonesia," he said. Although financial issues are the main concern for voters in Indonesia -- where poverty is rampant -- Yudyohono's Democratic Party has recently had to bow to pressure from Islamic groups. Andi Mallarangang, a spokesman for the president, acknowledged that the party's support for an anti-pornography bill -- which was passed in October -- was a "symbolic gesture" to the Islamic groups that had called for the measure. "During the process of legislation, (the government) made sure we do not support pornography," Mallarangang said. "But there should be no limitation on freedom of arts and expression" He noted that the final law was not as strong as the initially proposed bill. Another issue that has made headlines in the Indonesian media is the government's position on Ahmadiyah, a Muslim sect that does not believe Mohammad is the last prophet. The government recently restricted the freedoms of the group, but has so far refused to ban the group. "In Indonesia, one group of Islamic radicals would like the government to ban Ahmadiyah ... so the government's using the middle approach in which we will not ban Ahmadiyah because they have a right," Mallarangang said. "But there are certain things that are sensitive to (their) operation that are regulated by government." One of those groups that has been outspoken in its rejection of Ahmadiyah is Indonesia's Ulama Council. The chairman of the council, Amidhan, disputed media reports that the council has given Yudyohono's government a deadline to ban the sect or it will issue an edict against voting for Yudyohono. Amidhan -- who goes by one name -- said the council's fatwa against Ahmadiyah was first issued in 1980, but it had to reissue the edict last year because of complaints that the sect was trying to convert other Muslims. "We agree Ahmadiyah must be a new religion, not part of Islam," Amidhan said. The council is an independent organization, but remains very influential. In January, it issued several new fatwas -- including bans on smoking for children and pregnant women, and chanting during yoga. A fatwa is a legal pronouncement for Muslims, but

What party is expected to win the most seats?

When is the election for Indonesia's parliament?

What has many nationalist parties changing their strategy?

What is the size of Indonesia's parliament?

What do analysts say about Islamic parties?

Answer: April 9

Answer: Islamic parties in Indonesia will not get enough votes in the coming election

Answer: President Susilo Bambang Yudyohono's Democratic

Answer: April 9

Answer: the influence of Islam on politics in Indonesia

Answer: 550-seat

Answer: not get enough votes in the coming election

Summary:
April 9 elections will determine the makeup of Indonesia's 550-seat parliament .
Few of over 38 parties expected to get enough seats for a candidate in July election .
Analysts: Islamic parties won't get enough votes to nominate a presidential candidate .
Influence of Islam on politics has many nationalist parties changing their strategy .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, warned Thursday of an indication of an attack to Bali on New Year's Eve. The Embassy said the warning initially came from the Bali governor, Mangku Pastika, and that it passed on his alert verbatim. The governor, however, said there was no information about a new terrorist threat. "We never release(d) any warning related to terror on New Year's Eve," the governor's office said in a statement after the Embassy released the warning. "We however encourage both domestic and foreign tourists to be cautious," the governor's office said. "The terrorists hit Bali twice. Who knows what they will do next." Pastika's office said there was only a general alert on the island because of the holiday. Terrorist groups, including Jemaah Islamiyah, have carried out repeated attacks in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2002. The Embassy did not elaborate on the governor's message, but the United States has a standing warning to U.S. citizens in Indonesia that extremists may target both official and private interests, including hotels, clubs, and shopping centers. "In their work and daily living activities, and while traveling, U.S. citizens should be vigilant and prudent at all times," the U.S. State Department warning states. "We urge U.S. citizens to monitor local news reports, vary their routes and times, and maintain a low profile. U.S. citizens must consider the security and safety preparedness of hotels, residences, restaurants, and entertainment or recreation venues that they frequent." Unknown attackers shot at foreigners in Banda Aceh, in northern Sumatra, last month, wounding a European development worker, the Embassy said. The attackers also targeted a house occupied by American teachers, but no U.S. citizens were hurt, it said. The most major recent attack was in July, when suspected Jemaah Islamiyah elements bombed two western hotels in Jakarta. The blasts at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels killed nine people -- including at least two presumed suicide bombers -- and wounded more than 50, including U.S. citizens. Also in July, armed assailants in Papua killed several people, including security personnel and one Australian national, the Embassy said. Jemaah Islamiyah, said to have links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network, is blamed for the 2002 Bali bomb attacks in which 202 people, mainly foreign tourists, were killed. More than 300 people -- many of them young Australians on vacation -- were wounded by the massive blasts in the town of Kuta. Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or blown to pieces. The bombing was blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah. The group was also said to be behind an attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 in which nine people died, and an attack on the same Marriott hotel that killed eight the same year. -- CNN's Atika Shubert in Bali and Andy Saputra in Jakarta contributed to this report.

What has been taking place in Indonesia since 2002?

From whom did the Embassy say the warning initially came?

What does the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta warn of?

Answer: Bali governor,

Answer: repeated attacks in Bali and elsewhere

Answer: bomb

Answer: Jemaah Islamiyah,

Answer: Bali

Answer: Bali governor, Mangku Pastika,

Answer: Jakarta,

Answer: Bali governor, Mangku Pastika,

Answer: of an attack to Bali on New Year's Eve.

Summary:
U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, warns of an indication of an attack on Bali on New Year's Eve .
Embassy said warning initially came from Bali governor .
Terrorist groups have carried out repeated attacks on Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2002 .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- The death toll from a flash flood in Indonesia's capital grew to 98 people on Sunday as rescuers widened their search for more than 130 other people in the aftermath.

Members of a search and rescue team look for bodies near  Jakarta.

The nation's health ministry said 62 women, 31 men and three students had been killed.

Of those, 12 bodies remained unidentified, ministry spokesman Rustam Pakaya said.

Another 13 people were missing. The search for the missing will be called off Sunday night, he said.

The flood started Friday morning after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam and rush into Jakarta.   The breach unleashed a torrent of water that plowed into hundreds of homes in what some survivors described as a suburban "tsunami."

About 1,500 volunteers -- mostly students from two flooded universities in Jakarta -- are assisting in the search and rescue effort, said Mardjito, a social affairs ministry official who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

He said rescuers started using heavy machinery to lift debris. Still, the death toll is expected to rise.

At least 50 people were injured and nearly 1,500 have been displaced. Mardjito said a camp for survivors so far has adequate supplies as members of political parties continue to send food, blankets, flashlights and other items amid a major election year.

Sleeping residents were taken by surprise by the powerful flash flood as it crashed through the crowded Cirendeu district near Jakarta early Friday.  Watch scenes of the flood devastation »

Drenched and shivering survivors were taking refuge on the rooftops of their homes as rescuers in rubber boats were struggling to reach them, said social affairs ministry official Mardjito.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, currently on the campaign trail ahead of the elections later this year, has said he had ordered senior ministers to visit the scene of the disaster.

"On behalf of the government, I express my condolences to the families of the dead victims and may their souls be accepted by God almighty," he said, according to the official Antara news agency.

The rain obliterated a 255-meter-long section of the dam, releasing a wall of water from a 20-hectare lake that some survivors said reminded them of the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004.

"They said they had heard loud rumbling sounds like during a powerful earthquake. They later found out that the sounds came from the water rushing out from the dam's lake," according to Antara.

Floods from heavy rains are an annual occurrence in and around Jakarta, a low-lying city on the northern coast of Java island, where poor infrastructure often results in polluted canals and rivers overflowing their banks and spilling into thousands of homes.

In 2007, 38 people were killed and 430,000 forced from their homes when storm water 3 meters deep in some places swamped 75 percent of the capital, which is home to about 9 million people.

With poor sanitation and a hot and humid climate, the risk of water-borne diseases is usually a major concern following floods in the city, where mosquito-transmitted malaria is also a threat.

CNN's Andy Saputra contributed to this report.

Who are having difficulties reaching people because of mud?

What began after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam?

Answer: rescuers

Answer: water rushing out from the dam's lake,"

Answer: flash flood

Answer: The flood

Summary:
At least 98 dead, many more missing, from flash floods in Jakarta .
Flood began after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam .
Survivors say rumbling of waters sounded like an earthquake .
Rescuers are having difficulties reaching people because of mud .


JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- The death toll from a flash flood in Indonesia's capital grew to 98 people on Sunday as rescuers widened their search for more than 130 other people in the aftermath. Members of a search and rescue team look for bodies near  Jakarta. The nation's health ministry said 62 women, 31 men and three students had been killed. Of those, 12 bodies remained unidentified, ministry spokesman Rustam Pakaya said. Another 13 people were missing. The search for the missing will be called off Sunday night, he said. The flood started Friday morning after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam and rush into Jakarta.   The breach unleashed a torrent of water that plowed into hundreds of homes in what some survivors described as a suburban "tsunami." About 1,500 volunteers -- mostly students from two flooded universities in Jakarta -- are assisting in the search and rescue effort, said Mardjito, a social affairs ministry official who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. He said rescuers started using heavy machinery to lift debris. Still, the death toll is expected to rise. At least 50 people were injured and nearly 1,500 have been displaced. Mardjito said a camp for survivors so far has adequate supplies as members of political parties continue to send food, blankets, flashlights and other items amid a major election year. Sleeping residents were taken by surprise by the powerful flash flood as it crashed through the crowded Cirendeu district near Jakarta early Friday.  Watch scenes of the flood devastation » Drenched and shivering survivors were taking refuge on the rooftops of their homes as rescuers in rubber boats were struggling to reach them, said social affairs ministry official Mardjito. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, currently on the campaign trail ahead of the elections later this year, has said he had ordered senior ministers to visit the scene of the disaster. "On behalf of the government, I express my condolences to the families of the dead victims and may their souls be accepted by God almighty," he said, according to the official Antara news agency. The rain obliterated a 255-meter-long section of the dam, releasing a wall of water from a 20-hectare lake that some survivors said reminded them of the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004. "They said they had heard loud rumbling sounds like during a powerful earthquake. They later found out that the sounds came from the water rushing out from the dam's lake," according to Antara. Floods from heavy rains are an annual occurrence in and around Jakarta, a low-lying city on the northern coast of Java island, where poor infrastructure often results in polluted canals and rivers overflowing their banks and spilling into thousands of homes. In 2007, 38 people were killed and 430,000 forced from their homes when storm water 3 meters deep in some places swamped 75 percent of the capital, which is home to about 9 million people. With poor sanitation and a hot and humid climate, the risk of water-borne diseases is usually a major concern following floods in the city, where mosquito-transmitted malaria is also a threat. CNN's Andy Saputra contributed to this report.

What did the rumbling waters sound like?

Is there major flooding in Jakarta often?

Answer: JAKARTA, Indonesia

Answer: 98 people

Answer: heavy rains

Answer: a powerful earthquake.

Answer: JAKARTA,

Answer: Floods from heavy rains are an annual occurrence in and around

Summary:
At least 98 dead, many more missing, from flash floods in Jakarta .
Flood began after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam .
Survivors say rumbling of waters sounded like an earthquake .
Rescuers are having difficulties reaching people because of mud .


JALOZAI REFUGEE CAMP, Pakistan (CNN) -- It's an exodus on an almost biblical scale. And it has produced a mosaic of plastic and canvas that is now home to more than 93,000 people -- with more arriving each day. These children are among the thousands of refugees this month at the Jalozai camp in western Pakistan. This is Jalozai refugee camp near Peshawar, suddenly almost a city in its own right as thousands flee the violence raging between the Pakistani army and Taliban fighters. The United Nations estimates that it's the biggest movement of people in Pakistan since the country was formed in 1947. Officials say up to 1.8 million people have been forced from their homes. Food is available at this camp -- fruit traders work their way through the avenues of tents. But people here can't afford to buy much. They make bread with flour handed out by the United Nations, but they say it's not enough. "It's very difficult, there's lots of jostling," says Mehboob Shah, a man at the camp. When there is food, he says, "it's very poor quality -- even the cows won't eat it." Sar Bari Khan arrived 15 days ago with his wife and three children. He says his family walked almost 62 miles to escape the fighting. They had to leave his father behind.  Watch a report on the plight of refugees » There are eight field hospitals in this camp. On a recent morning, 380 new patients registered for treatment -- most of them women and children, suffering from diarrhea and heat stroke. Some have signs of mental trauma. "They are complaining of fear, phobias, palpitations and all symptoms seem to have started since they arrive in this camp," said Abid Farooqi, with the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik underlined the seriousness of the situation. "I feel that this is even worse than the earthquake in Kashmir," he said, referring to the 2005 disaster. He noted that most of the people are from an area with relatively cold weather, and are unprepared for the heat here. Officials, he said, "are making all possible arrangements" to help. Water tankers provide a lifeline in the stifling heat. And on the edge of the camp, workers are clearing the ground for more tents. There is no sign of this influx ending any time soon.

Thousands of people are fleeing from what?

What does a man from the camp say about the quality of food?

What two groups is the conflict between?

Answer: Jalozai

Answer: the violence raging between the Pakistani army and Taliban fighters.

Answer: "it's very poor

Answer: Pakistani army

Answer: very poor

Answer: 1947.

Answer: Jalozai refugee

Summary:
Thousands flee south to escape conflict between military and Taliban .
Jalozai refugee camp near Peshawar suddenly almost a city in its own right .
The U.N. says it's the biggest movement of people since Pakistan formed in 1947 .
Food is "very poor quality -- even the cows won't eat it," says man at camp .


JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah confirmed Sunday that his country will increase daily oil production from 9 million barrels to 9.7 million in the near future to counter the sharp rise in international oil prices. Saudi Arabia has announced an increase in oil production in a  bid to ease the pressure on oil prices. The Saudi petroleum minister, Ali I. Al-Naimi, said the country will reach the 9.7 million level by July. The announcement comes after Saudi officials announced modest increases. It would be Saudi Arabia's highest production rate since 1981. White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto praised the step, saying, "Any increase in production in today's oil market is welcome. It is important that we also take steps to increase domestic production and our refining capacity." Meanwhile, the average price of gasoline in the U.S. rose nearly 10 cents in the past two weeks to almost $4.10 a gallon for self-serve regular, according to a national survey released Sunday. The survey showed the national average was just a fraction of a cent under $4.10 a gallon, said survey publisher Trilby Lundberg. That is up 9.7 cents a gallon from the same survey two weeks ago, Lundberg said. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, downplayed the Saudi increase. "Nice try, but no cigar. When gas is at $4 per gallon, demand increases almost daily, and the Saudis have millions of barrels per day more in spare capacity," he said. "This isn't nearly good enough." Al-Naimi, the petroleum minister, also said the Saudi government will invest in oil projects that would allow Saudi Arabia to have the capacity to produce 12.5 million barrels per day by the end of next year. King Abdullah's announcement came at the end of the Jeddah energy summit, where he also called for OPEC to set aside $1 billion for a strategy to ease the oil price crisis. He said $500 million should be given to developing nations to help them get the energy they need. King Abdullah said there are "many factors that made oil prices high." Along with increased demand, he also cited oil speculators and an increase in taxes in consumer nations. "Now we see a lot of people point the finger at OPEC as it is solely responsible for this," he said. The king's statement came a day after U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, attending the summit, blamed the record oil prices on lack of production. "All nations must be better at conservation, and the U.S. is at the top of that list," said Bodman, who met with journalists ahead of the international meeting of oil producing and consuming nations focusing on high oil prices. Some observers have blamed speculators for driving up oil prices. A key adviser to Saudi Arabia's oil minister said Friday that a number of factors, including speculators and currency fluctuations, are to blame for rising oil prices. "We need stability," Dr. Ibrahim al Muhanna said, adding that Saudi Arabia would like to see producers, consumers and distributors cooperate. But Bodman said he did not believe that they are the cause. Since 2003, he said, global demand for oil has increased because of industry in China, India and the Middle East. But from 2005 to 2007, there was very little increase in supply. Nations need an additional supply of energy to market, whether that energy is nuclear, coal, fossil fuels, solar or wind power, Bodman said. "We spent 30 years digging ourselves into this hole," he said. "It won't be solved soon." On Wednesday, President Bush asked Congress to permit drilling for oil in deep water off the U.S. coast to combat rising oil prices. He also renewed his demand that Congress allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clear the way for more refineries and encourage efforts to recover oil from shale in areas like the Green River Basin, which encompasses parts of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. "In

What type of production is at its highest level since 1981?

What monetary value should OPEC contribute to strategy according to the Saudis?

Answer: 9.7 million

Answer: Arabia

Answer: oil

Answer: $1 billion

Answer: near future

Answer: 9.7 million

Answer: Jeddah

Answer: from 9 million barrels to 9.7 million

Summary:
Saudis will increase daily oil production from 9 million barrels to 9.7 million .
Increase from July, boosting production to highest level since 1981 .
Announcement at Jeddah energy summit to help ease pain of oil price hike .
Saudis: OPEC should give $1B for strategy, $500M of which for developing nations .


JENA, Louisiana (CNN)  -- Charges against Bryant Purvis, one of the six black students accused of being involved in beating a white student, were reduced to second degree aggravated battery during his arraignment Wednesday morning.

Bryant Purvis says he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball.

Purvis, who was facing charges of second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy, entered a not guilty plea to the reduced charges in the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena.

Charges have now been reduced against at least five of the students in the racially charged "Jena 6" case. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile.

Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and five other teens accused of the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker.

After the arraignment, Purvis said he has moved to another town to complete high school. He said he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball, which he hopes to play in college.

Mychal Bell, 17, is the only one of the "Jena 6" teens still in jail. Although he was released in September after his adult criminal conviction for the beating was overturned, he was ordered two weeks later to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for a probation violation relating to an earlier juvenile conviction.

A district judge tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery, saying the matter should have been handled in juvenile court. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles, Louisiana, did the same with Bell's battery conviction in mid-September.

Prosecutors originally charged all six black students accused of being involved in beating Barker with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy. E-mail to a friend

What were the original charges levied against Purvis?

What was the protest in September about?

What was the name of the case which drew national spotlight?

What were Bryant Pruvis's charges reduced to?

What were charges against Bryant Purvis reduced to?

What month was the case highlighted by protests?

What number of people had charges reduced

What number of people had their charges reduced?

What month did the Jena 6 protest occur in

What case drew national spotlight during the September protest?

What were the charges brought against Purvis reduced to?

What are the charges against Bryant Purvis?

what was the reduction of charges against Bryant?

What were the reduced charges against Bryant Purvis?

Answer: second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy,

Answer: how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and five other teens accused of the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker.

Answer: in September

Answer: second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy,

Answer: "Jena 6"

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: September

Answer: Bryant Purvis,

Answer: December 2006

Answer: five

Answer: five

Answer: September

Answer: "Jena 6"

Answer: Justin Barker.

Answer: second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy,

Answer: second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy,

Answer: "Jena 6"

Answer: "Jena 6"

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Answer: reduced to second degree aggravated battery

Answer: second degree aggravated battery

Summary:
Charges against Bryant Purvis reduced to second degree aggravated battery .
Purvis had faced attempted murder, conspiracy charges .
Charges reduced against at least five of six blacks charged in beating .
Case of "Jena 6" drew national spotlight during September protest .


JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters clogged the tiny town of Jena, Louisiana, Thursday to show their indignation over what they consider unjust, unequal punishments meted out in two racially charged incidents. Officers lead Al Sharpton, center, through Jena, Louisiana, during Thursday's protest. They swarmed over the grounds of Jena High School, where nooses were hung from a tree in early August 2006, about three months before six black teens known as the "Jena 6" were accused of beating a white classmate. While the tension was palpable, news broke Thursday afternoon that the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal ordered a hearing within 72 hours to determine if the only one of the six still behind bars can be released. The order has "got to be good," Mychal Bell's attorney, Bob Noel, told CNN. "It means we have a day in court. Any day in court is going to be a good day." Earlier, there was an aura of a pilgrimage at the site where the controversial tree once stood before school administrators had it removed. Many people touched the ground and some retrieved a lump of dirt, said CNN's Eric Marrapodi. He said the part of the town he was in was ill-prepared for the crowds -- no water or toilets were available. In the background, groups shouted "Black power" and "No justice, no peace." The estimated 15000 to 20,000 demonstrators shut down the town of 3,000 in central Louisiana. Many residents left for the day, and government agencies, businesses and schools were closed. Sgt. Tim Ledet of the Louisiana State Police said protesters in buses were still bringing people to town at midday because of the gridlock, but many protesters got off and walked into town on foot. "There is just no room to maneuver in this small town," he said. Jena resident Terry Adams disagreed with any accusations that there might be a black-white divide in the area. "We are not a racial town. We get along with each other, we get along fine. This is something that got out of proportion. It really has." Jena's racial tensions were aggravated in August 2006, when three white teens hung the nooses the day after a group of black students received permission from school administrators to sit under the tree -- a place where white students normally congregated. The guilty students were briefly suspended from classes, despite the principal's recommendation they be expelled, according to Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. A member of the LaSalle Parish School Board -- which had a role in supporting suspension instead of expulsion -- insisted the board is not prejudiced. The panel felt it took the appropriate action, Jonny Fryar said. "I talked to one of the parents, who called me and said their son thought it was a prank and naive to the fact of what it meant and he was sorry," he said. "I hate to see people label us as something we are not. Because we have black students and white students playing football together. They shake hands, get along. This is an unfortunate incident. We hope that the community can heal." Although Washington acknowledged the FBI and other investigators thought the noose incident bore the markings of a hate crime, a decision was made not to press federal charges because the case didn't meet federal criteria. The students were under 18 and had no prior records, and no group such as a Ku Klux Klan was found to be behind their actions. On December 4, about three months after the nooses were discovered, six teens, dubbed the Jena 6, were accused of beating classmate Justin Barker. The six -- Mychal Bell, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and Jesse Ray Beard -- were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy, according to LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters. Bell, the only one of the six who remains in jail, was to be sentenced Thursday after convictions for aggravated

On what did the court of appeal order hearing withing 72 hours?

What amount of protesters do the police estimate?

What is the name of the group charged with beating a white classmate?

what is the estimate count of protestors by police?

Who orders hearing within 72 hours on teen's fate?

Answer: to determine if the only one of the six still behind bars can be released.

Answer: Jena High School,

Answer: 15000 to 20,000

Answer: six black teens

Answer: "Jena 6"

Answer: Thousands of protesters clogged the tiny town of

Answer: 15000 to 20,000

Answer: 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal

Answer: Louisiana,

Summary:
Third Circuit Court of Appeal orders hearing within 72 hours on teen's fate .
NEW: Police estimate up to 20,000 protesters in Jena, population 3,000 .
Crowds touch ground where oak tree from which nooses were hung once stood .
Jena 6 is a group of teens charged with beating a white classmate .


JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (CNN) -- Alfa Demmellash grew up on less than a dollar a day, and against the backdrop of torture and murder. But these days she's living the American dream and helping others do the same. Alfa Demmellash helps low-income entrepreneurs in New  Jersey start or grow their businesses. "Entrepreneurs are at the very heart of what the American dream is all about," says Demmellash, a native of Ethiopia. And from her small office in Jersey City, her nonprofit, Rising Tide Capital, is helping small businesses flourish. Robin Munn, who runs a flower shop in Jersey City, says the skills she learned through Demmellash helped her transform the way she operates her business. "I was thinking about closing, but once I started taking the classes I found that the fire came back." Kim Bratten, a 39-year-old painter and mother of six, says she's seen her yearly income increase by 50 percent since she started working with Demmellash and her team. "They put hope back into the community," Bratten says.  Watch small business owners describe how Demmellash has helped them » Demmellash's own struggle began in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, amid instability and unrest. Thousands of Ethiopians -- including her aunt -- disappeared or were tortured and/or killed under the ruling military regime. When Demmellash was 2, her mother fled the country, leaving the toddler in the care of her grandmother and aunt. Demmellash lived on less than a dollar a day but never considered herself poor.  Watch Demmellash talk about her childhood » Nearly a decade later, Demmellash and her mother reunited in Boston, Massachusetts. But Demmellash found her mother wasn't living the American dream she'd envisioned. "I [thought] I would find my mom in a beautiful mansion with trees [and] gold everywhere," recalls Demmellash, now 29. "I was shocked when I found her in her tiny apartment ... working very, very hard." Her mother had worked as a waitress during the day and a seamstress at night to earn money to bring her daughter to the United States. Watching her mother sew beautiful gowns for low profits, Demmellash thought there had to be a way for her to increase what she was making as a seamstress. "Even though she had the skills, she did not necessarily have the business skills," she says, adding that her mother's pricing "was completely off." Still, her mother worked tirelessly to keep her daughter adequately fed, clothed and in school. Demmellash was later admitted to Harvard University, which she was able to attend with the help of "wonderful financial aid." At Harvard, Demmellash and classmate Alex Forrester discussed what their generation could do to alleviate poverty on a local level. They set out to learn what resources people needed -- or as Demmellash says, "to find people like my mom." In 2004, the pair started Rising Tide Capital (RTC) to help those who had ideas and abilities but needed the education and support to launch or grow their businesses. "You hear a lot of talk about Main Street and Wall Street, but no one really talks about how exactly you go about helping the Mom-and-Pops," says Demmellash. The group runs the Community Business Academy, an intensive training session coupled with year-round coaching and mentorship to help individuals "really work on the hands-on management side of their business," Demmellash says. The organization supports underserved populations, including women, the formerly incarcerated, minorities, unemployed and working poor, and immigrants and refugees. Demmellash and Forrester -- now married -- have helped 250 entrepreneurs and small-business owners in New Jersey so far, 70 percent of whom are single mothers. RTC raises money from corporations and works with local governments for funding in order to provide classes and support its participants at affordable costs. Participants pay a small materials and registration fee based on their income range: either $100 or $225 for the course that Demmellash says would cost thousands of dollars otherwise

What group does the non profit primarily serve?

What does Alfa help low-income entrepreneurs do?

Answer: Rising Tide Capital,

Answer: Jersey start or grow their businesses.

Answer: Rising Tide Capital

Answer: Ethiopia.

Answer: Ethiopia.

Answer: low-income entrepreneurs

Answer: Alfa Demmellash

Answer: start or grow their businesses.

Summary:
Alfa Demmellash helps low-income entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses .
Her nonprofit, Rising Tide Capital, primarily serves single mothers .
Demmellash, an Ethiopia native, was inspired by her mother's struggle .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- A fugitive American white supremacist was arrested Monday in Israel, ending an international manhunt that began in 2007, Israeli and U.S. officials said. Micky Louis Mayon, pictured in a 2007 mug shot, entered Israel in 2008, authorities say. Micky Louis Mayon, one of the 100 most wanted people in the United States, was taken into custody in southern Tel Aviv after Israel received information from Interpol indicating he was there. The Ku Klux Klan member was located during a secret operation by Israeli immigration authorities, said Sabin Hadad, a spokeswoman for the country's Interior Ministry. He arrived in Israel in January 2008 on a one-month tourist visa, frequently changed apartments, and earned money by working part time at several restaurants, the ministry said. Mayon, 32, is being held at Israel's Maasiyahu prison and is in the process of being deported, Hadad said. "The search for Mayon came to a successful conclusion ... with the actions in Israel," Michael Regan, a U.S. marshal in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said Monday. "Locating and identifying Mayon in a foreign country sends a strong message that you can run, but you cannot hide." Two U.S. marshals are being sent to Israel to escort him back to the United States. Mayon was featured on the television program "America's Most Wanted." He is a convicted felon and is accused of setting a judge's car on fire in Pennsylvania, the show's Web site said.

What was the fugitive's name?
Where was the fugitive apprehended?
What is the fugitive's name?
Who apprehended the fugitive?
Who did Israeli authories apprehend?
What is the Klan member accused of?
Who is Micky Louis Mayon?

Answer: Micky Louis Mayon,

Answer: Israel,

Answer: Micky Louis Mayon,

Answer: Israeli immigration authorities,

Answer: Micky Louis Mayon,

Answer: of setting a judge's car on fire in Pennsylvania,

Answer: one of the 100 most wanted people in the United States,

Summary:
Israeli authorities apprehend fugitive American white supremacist .
Micky Louis Mayon was one of the 100 most wanted people in the United States .
Ku Klux Klan member accused of burning judge's car in Pennsylvania .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- A rocket fired by Palestinian militants fell on a Gaza home and killed two children, Palestinian sources said Friday, the same day Israel opened three Gaza border crossings for the first time in 10 days.

A truck carrying grain enters Gaza from Israel on Friday at the Karni crossing point, one of three Israel reopened.

A third child was in critical condition. The children, all girls, were cousins -- the two who died were 7 and 12, and the injured child is 5, Hamas security and Palestinian medical sources said.

The rocket struck a house north of Gaza City.

In a separate development, the Israeli military said it allowed a Palestinian who was badly wounded by rocket fire Wednesday to enter Israel for treatment. The Palestinian entered Israel through the Erez Crossing between northern Gaza and Israel.

Israel closed the crossing for all but humanitarian reasons because of rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel by Palestinian militants. But it opened three other crossings Friday, allowing fuel and commodities into the Palestinian territory for the first time in more than a week.

About 80 trucks filled with commodities were expected to cross into Gaza. Among the goods were 400,000 liters of fuel and 120 tons of cooking gas.

The decision to open the crossings at Kerem Shalom, Karni and Nahal Oz came after requests from international aid groups and Egypt, said Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In addition, he said, Israel has no desire to hurt the civilian population in Gaza.

Lerner said whether to keep the crossings open would be a daily decision.

United Nations assistance programs in Gaza have run out of flour and several essential pharmaceuticals, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

A tenuous six-month truce between the Hamas government in Gaza and Israel expired a week ago. Under the Egyptian-brokered deal, Hamas agreed to end militant attacks on Israel from Gaza, and Israel agreed to halt raids inside the territory and ease its blockade on humanitarian goods.

In reality, the truce started breaking down two months ago. Rocket attacks by militants became more frequent, and Israel resumed airstrikes inside Gaza.

Since then, dozens of rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants into Israel. Israel Defense Forces said about nine rockets have been launched from Gaza since midnight, pushing the three-day total to more than 110. There are no reports of casualties in Israel.

The crossings opened a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met in Cairo and Egypt expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Livni criticized Hamas after her meeting with Mubarak.

"Hamas needs to understand that Israel's basic desire to live in a tranquil region doesn't mean that Israel is willing to accept ongoing shooting at its population," she said, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

"Enough is enough. We cannot accept this situation, and the situation will change."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has threatened to respond to the escalating violence. He warned Hamas again Thursday in an interview on the Al Arabiya television network and seemed to suggest that time was running out.

"We do not want to fight the Palestinian people, but we will not allow Hamas to strike our children," Olmert said.

"I did not come here to declare war," he continued. "But Hamas must be stopped -- and so it will be.

"I will not hesitate to use Israel's strength to strike at Hamas and Islamic Jihad. How? I do not wish to go into details here."

What number of rockets were fired since wednesday?

Answer: rocket

Answer: dozens

Answer: a Palestinian who was badly wounded by rocket fire Wednesday to enter Israel for treatment.

Answer: two children,

Answer: two

Answer: a house north of Gaza City.

Answer: more than 110.

Summary:
NEW: Militants' rocket hits Gaza house, killing Palestinian cousins .
NEW: Military says it allowed wounded Palestinian into Israel despite blockade .
Trucks filled with commodities cross into Gaza at three locations .
Militants have fired 110 rockets since Wednesday, Israel says .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- A rocket fired by Palestinian militants fell on a Gaza home and killed two children, Palestinian sources said Friday, the same day Israel opened three Gaza border crossings for the first time in 10 days. A truck carrying grain enters Gaza from Israel on Friday at the Karni crossing point, one of three Israel reopened. A third child was in critical condition. The children, all girls, were cousins -- the two who died were 7 and 12, and the injured child is 5, Hamas security and Palestinian medical sources said. The rocket struck a house north of Gaza City. In a separate development, the Israeli military said it allowed a Palestinian who was badly wounded by rocket fire Wednesday to enter Israel for treatment. The Palestinian entered Israel through the Erez Crossing between northern Gaza and Israel. Israel closed the crossing for all but humanitarian reasons because of rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel by Palestinian militants. But it opened three other crossings Friday, allowing fuel and commodities into the Palestinian territory for the first time in more than a week. About 80 trucks filled with commodities were expected to cross into Gaza. Among the goods were 400,000 liters of fuel and 120 tons of cooking gas. The decision to open the crossings at Kerem Shalom, Karni and Nahal Oz came after requests from international aid groups and Egypt, said Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In addition, he said, Israel has no desire to hurt the civilian population in Gaza. Lerner said whether to keep the crossings open would be a daily decision. United Nations assistance programs in Gaza have run out of flour and several essential pharmaceuticals, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. A tenuous six-month truce between the Hamas government in Gaza and Israel expired a week ago. Under the Egyptian-brokered deal, Hamas agreed to end militant attacks on Israel from Gaza, and Israel agreed to halt raids inside the territory and ease its blockade on humanitarian goods. In reality, the truce started breaking down two months ago. Rocket attacks by militants became more frequent, and Israel resumed airstrikes inside Gaza. Since then, dozens of rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants into Israel. Israel Defense Forces said about nine rockets have been launched from Gaza since midnight, pushing the three-day total to more than 110. There are no reports of casualties in Israel. The crossings opened a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met in Cairo and Egypt expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Livni criticized Hamas after her meeting with Mubarak. "Hamas needs to understand that Israel's basic desire to live in a tranquil region doesn't mean that Israel is willing to accept ongoing shooting at its population," she said, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. "Enough is enough. We cannot accept this situation, and the situation will change." Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has threatened to respond to the escalating violence. He warned Hamas again Thursday in an interview on the Al Arabiya television network and seemed to suggest that time was running out. "We do not want to fight the Palestinian people, but we will not allow Hamas to strike our children," Olmert said. "I did not come here to declare war," he continued. "But Hamas must be stopped -- and so it will be. "I will not hesitate to use Israel's strength to strike at Hamas and Islamic Jihad. How? I do not wish to go into details here."

Whose rocket hit a Gaza house, killing Palestinian cousins?

How many rockets have militants fires since Wednesday?

Who said 110 rockets have been fired since Wednesday?

Answer: militants

Answer: Gaza home

Answer: militants

Answer: more than 110.

Answer: a Palestinian

Answer: Israel Defense Forces

Summary:
NEW: Militants' rocket hits Gaza house, killing Palestinian cousins .
NEW: Military says it allowed wounded Palestinian into Israel despite blockade .
Trucks filled with commodities cross into Gaza at three locations .
Militants have fired 110 rockets since Wednesday, Israel says .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Israel of Germany's "Holocaust shame," and asserted its support for the Jewish state during an unprecedented speech to the Knesset on Tuesday. Germany and Israel are linked "in a very special way" by the memory of the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed under Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II, she said in the first address a German chancellor has ever made to the Knesset. "The Holocaust fills us with shame," she said. "I bow my head before the survivors and I bow my head before you in tribute to the fact that you were able to survive." Anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia "must never take root again in Germany or in Europe," she said, and vowed to battle any flare-ups. Speaking to the Knesset, Angela Merkel also spoke of Germany's unwavering support for Israel calling the Iranian president's nuclear ambitions "a major danger" not only to Israel, but to the world as well. The German Chancellor called on him to prove that he does not want a nuclear bomb. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country's nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes only, but Merkel told the Israeli parliament that he needs to provide clear evidence supporting that assertion. "It is not the world that has to prove that Iran is building a bomb," she said. "Rather, Iran has to prove to the world that it does not want the nuclear bomb." Ahmadinejad has also said Israel should not exist as a sovereign nation, but Merkel said Israel's right to exist is not open to negotiation. "These are not just empty words," she said, adding that Germany would support further sanctions on Iran if it fails to cooperate. "What do we do when a majority says the greatest threat to the world comes from Israel and not from Iran?" she asked. "Do we bow our heads? Do we give up our efforts to combat the Iranian threat? However inconvenient and uncomfortable the alternative is, we do not do that." "If we were to do that, then we would not have understood our historical responsibility, nor would we be able to properly develop a way to deal with the challenges of our day, and both options would be lethal." Watch German Chancellor Angela Merkel address the Knesset » Merkel said she supports the two-state solution to the Mideast conflict, discussed last November by the key parties in Annapolis, Maryland. It calls for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in separate states. She called rocket attacks by Palestinians into Israel "a crime," and said they do nothing to solve the conflict. But she noted that effecting a two-state solution would require "strength to make painful compromises." E-mail to a friend

Merkel said she supports what solution to the Mideast conflict?

Who told the Knesset of Germany's "Holocaust shame"?

Who became the first German chancellor to address Israeli parliament?

Merkel said she supports what in the Middle East conflict?

Answer: Israel of Germany's "Holocaust shame,"

Answer: German Chancellor

Answer: further sanctions on Iran

Answer: German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Answer: that it does not want the nuclear bomb."

Answer: Angela Merkel

Answer: the two-state solution to the Mideast

Answer: "The Holocaust fills us with shame,"

Summary:
German Chancellor has told the Knesset of Germany's "Holocaust shame"
Angela Merkel became first German chancellor to address Israeli parliament .
She called on Iran to prove it did not want the bomb .
Merkel said she supports the two-state solution to the Mideast conflict .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Israel on Monday restated its long-standing policy regarding Iran after Russia's president indicated that Israel had taken the military option off the table. The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, says, "Israel has the right to defend itself." "Contrary to reports, all options [are] on the table on the issue of preventing Iranian nuclear weapons capability," Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon posted on his Twitter account. The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, also weighed in, telling Israel Army Radio that "Israel has the right to defend itself, and all options are open." "The IDF's working premise is that we have to be prepared for that possibility, and that is exactly what we are doing," he said. The issue stems from reports that Israel may have struck a deal with Russia regarding Iran and its controversial nuclear program. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told CNN's Fareed Zakaria last week that Israeli President Shimon Peres told him in a recent visit to the Russian leader's vacation home that "Israel doesn't intend to deliver any strike against Iran." "[Peres] said we are a peaceful country, we will not deal such a blow," Medvedev said in the interview, broadcast Sunday on "Fareed Zakaria GPS." "Therefore any deliveries of systems -- defensive systems -- which are aimed at protecting cannot increase danger, they should reduce it." Medvedev was referring to Russia's agreement to sell Iran its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, which he said is in keeping with international law. The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported Monday that Peres used his influence to persuade Washington to abandon its plans to base a missile defense shield system in Poland and the Czech Republic, a proposal that had rankled Moscow. In exchange, Moscow agreed to support "imposing sanctions on Iran," Maariv reported. The United States and Russia have disagreed over Iran and over possible steps the U.N. Security Council may take -- including imposing sanctions -- to push Tehran to comply with U.N. demands concerning its nuclear program. President Obama told CBS' "Face the Nation" that his objective in revamping the U.S. defense shield plan "was not to negotiate with the Russians." "The Russians don't make determinations about what our defense posture is," Obama said in the CBS interview shown Sunday. "If the byproduct of it is that the Russians feel a little less paranoid and are now willing to work more effectively with us to deal with threats like ballistic missiles from Iran or the nuclear development in Iran, you know, then that's a bonus." CNN's Kevin Flower and Michal Zippori contributed to this report.

According to an Israeli paper, whose defense plans did Israel help change?

What do Israeli officials say about the options on Iran?

What option has Israel taken off the table?

Answer: Washington

Answer: "Israel has the right to defend itself."

Answer: the issue of preventing Iranian nuclear weapons capability,"

Answer: "Israel has the right to defend itself."

Answer: that Israel had taken the military option off the table.

Answer: the military option

Answer: the

Summary:
Reports surface that Israel has taken military option off the table regarding Iran .
Russian president says Israeli official tells him, "We will not deal such a blow"
But Israeli officials say "all options are open" on Iran to prevent nuclear capability .
Israeli paper says Israel played role in U.S. changing missile defense plans on Iran .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Israeli media are buzzing with reports that right-wing nationalist Avigdor Lieberman may become Israel's next foreign minister. Avigdor Lieberman is loathed by ultra-orthodox parties because of his support for a Palestinian state. The appointment of Lieberman, a polarizing figure in Israeli politics, could complicate the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians. It could also further strain relations between Israel and moderate Arab countries. Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu is still in the process of forming Israel's next government. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported this week that it is likely that he will select Lieberman as foreign minister. The paper quoted a source close to the negotiations between Netanyahu's Likud Party and Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu. Lieberman would replace outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, head of the moderate Kadima party, which secured the most number of parliament seats in last month's election -- but not enough to form a coalition government. Netanyahu has been unable to woo moderate parties, including Kadima, into his government. He may be forced to concede some key ministerial posts to Lieberman's party, which would be the second largest faction in the new coalition government behind Likud. Netanyahu has vowed to form a broad-based government, but it is unclear how he can keep that promise since Kadima and the moderate Labor Party have indicated that they plan to form an opposition to a Likud-led government. "Although Netanyahu has reportedly largely agreed to making Lieberman his foreign minister, he is thought to still be weighing the potential political damage the appointment of the hawkish politicians would do to the image of his government," Haaretz reported. The Jerusalem Post, quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, reported that although Israel's ties with western Europe may suffer if Lieberman becomes foreign minister, he may help improve the Jewish state's ties with Russia and eastern Europe. Lieberman is in a peculiar spot on the Israeli political spectrum He is routinely categorized as a right-wing hawk. But as a secularist who supports an independent Palestinian state, he is loathed by Israel's ultra-orthodox parties, including Shas, which holds 11 seats in the Knesset and is another potential member of Netanyahu's coalition. It is unclear how moderate Arab countries, who are still outraged over Israel's recent military operation in Gaza, would react to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Egypt, one of only four Muslim countries that have full diplomatic ties with Israel, has been trying to negotiate a broader cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leadership. It is unclear whether those indirect negotiations would continue under the new Israeli government. Lieberman has said he is unwilling to directly or indirectly negotiate with Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel for its refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence against the Jewish state. Lieberman does support "the creation of a viable Palestinian state," which is the bedrock of U.S. policy in the region. He restated that support in a Jewish Week article, written shortly after last month's election. That puts him at odds with Netanyahu, who does not support a two-state solution. However, Lieberman's support of a Palestinian state comes at a high price. He has stated that he would oppose any peace agreement that would divide Jerusalem as a shared capital between Israel and a Palestinian state. Lieberman, who migrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel in 1978, has also called for Israel's boundaries to be redrawn to exclude much of Israel's Arab minority, a move that would strip them of their citizenship. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship make up about 20 percent of the Jewish state's population. Lieberman frequently clashes with Arab members of the Knesset and has called for them to be tried and executed for meeting with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas. He wants all Knesset members, both Arabs and Jews, to prove their loyalty by swearing allegiance to the Israeli flag and national anthem. Arab Knesset member Ahmed Tibi has warned that Lieberman's rising popularity reflects a dangerous trend. "We are talking about a pure and obvious fascist phenomena invading the Israeli society," Tibi said.

Who frequently clashes with Arab members?

What role is Lieberman being considered for?

Answer: Lieberman

Answer: right-wing nationalist Avigdor Lieberman

Answer: Benjamin Netanyahu

Answer: Israel's next foreign minister.

Answer: Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu

Answer: Benjamin Netanyahu

Answer: Palestinian state.

Answer: Arab members of the Knesset

Summary:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may pick Avigdor Lieberman .
Media say he might hurt ties with West but improve ties with Russia .
It is unclear whether talks over Gaza cease-fire would continue .
Lieberman frequently clashes with Arab members of Knesset .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Palestinian militants fired a long-range rocket from Gaza into southwestern Israel on Tuesday morning. It was the first such attack into the city of Ashkelon since the two sides declared a cease-fire, the Israeli military said.

This aerial view shows the power station and industrial zone of Ashkelon, Israel, in March of 2008.

The missile fired from a Grad rocket launcher did not cause any injuries or damage in the coastal city, said a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces.

Rockets fired from a Grad have a longer range than the crude, home-made Qassams that Palestinian militants in Gaza fire more frequently. Militants have used Grads to strike farther into Israel.

Ashkelon lies 12 miles (19 km) north of Gaza.

Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, declared separate, tentative cease-fires two weeks ago after more than three weeks of fighting in Gaza.

Israel launched the attack on Hamas in Gaza on December 27 with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks on southern Israel.

More than 1,300 Palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, were also killed in the fighting.

Since the two sides declared a cease-fire on January 21, militants have sporadically fired rockets into Israel. Israel has responded with air strikes.

CNN's Igor Krotov contributed to this report.

How many deaths did the Palestinians report?

How many Palestinians were killed in recent Israeli attacks?

Answer: Israel

Answer: 12 miles (19 km)

Answer: It was the first such attack into the city of Ashkelon since the two sides declared a cease-fire,

Answer: Ashkelon

Answer: Israel,

Answer: More than 1,300 Palestinians

Answer: More than 1,300

Answer: 12 miles (19 km) north of Gaza.

Answer: 1,300

Answer: More than 1,300

Summary:
It's the first attack into Ashkelon since cease-fire two weeks ago .
Coastal city of Ashkelon is about 12 miles north of Gaza .
Israeli Defense Forces say missile didn't cause any damage or injuries .
Palestinians say more than 1,300 died after recent Israeli attacks on Hamas .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Pope Benedict XVI completed his eight-day tour of the Holy Land on Friday with an exhortation to both Israelis and Palestinians to work through their decades-old conflict. Pope Benedict XVI prays in Jerusalem on Friday at what's believed to be the burial site of Jesus. "No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing," the pontiff said. Benedict made the comments at a farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv before Israeli President Shimon Peres and other religious and secular leaders. In his concluding remarks, Benedict called his visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and his conversations with survivors a "deeply moving encounter." He seemed to address some criticism he received within the country for not speaking in stronger terms about anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Referring to the Holocaust, Benedict spoke of the victims who "were brutally exterminated under a godless regime that propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred." After Benedict's Monday speech at Yad Vashem, the memorial's chairman, Holocaust survivor Rabbi Yisrael Lau, criticized the pope, saying the pontiff did not "participate in the pain of the Jewish people" and "used the term 'killed' when talking about Holocaust victims and not the word 'murdered' as his predecessor did." Benedict drew the ire of Jews and German Catholics earlier this year by rehabilitating an excommunicated bishop who had disputed the number of Jews killed in concentration camps during World War II. The bishop's excommunication was unrelated to his Holocaust denial. Friday, Benedict repeated his call for Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely." He remarked that "one of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was the wall" -- a reference to the 20-foot concrete barrier he saw in Bethlehem during his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp. Israel says the structure, which it calls a security fence, was built to prevent terrorist attacks; Palestinians consider it an illegal land grab. Benedict began the day with a busy morning in Jerusalem's Old City, including meeting the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches. Between sessions with the patriarchs, Benedict toured and prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, believed to be located on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried. On his Middle East visit, the pope has navigated the region's treacherous political landscape, which often pits Jew against Muslim and Muslim against Christian. Benedict has repeatedly called for reconciliation between the peoples of the region during his visit, urging Israelis and Palestinian to put aside their grievances and divisions. "Just and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Middle East can only be achieved through a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, in which the rights and dignity of all are acknowledged and upheld," the pope said. Celebrating Mass on Thursday, Benedict covered similar territory in his message to over 30,000 parishioners gathered at the Mount of the Transfiguration, outside Nazareth.  Watch the reaction of one visitor who attended Mass » "Christians readily join Jews, Muslims, Druze and people of other religions in wishing to safeguard children from fanaticism and violence, while preparing them to be builders of a better world," he said. Benedict's trip marks the first papal visit to some of Christianity's most holy places since Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000.

When did Pope John Paul visit the Holy Land?

What does Benedict XVI call for in the MIddle East?

When was the last time a Pope visited the Holy Land?

What is special about Pope Benedic's trip to the Mideast?

What day did the pope visit the old city on?

Answer: Friday

Answer: reconciliation between the peoples of the region

Answer: the first papal visit to some of Christianity's most holy places since Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000.

Answer: the Holy Land

Answer: Pope John Paul II

Answer: justice,

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: 2000.

Answer: Holy Land

Answer: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

Answer: marks the first papal visit

Answer: Palestinian refugee camp.

Answer: John Paul II

Answer: Friday

Answer: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

Answer: Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000.

Summary:
NEW: Benedict XVI winds up Mideast trip with call for "peace based on justice"
Pope revisits Old City after similar outing on Tuesday .
Pope calls for spirit of cooperation and mutual respect in the Middle East .
Trip marks first papal visit to Holy Land since Pope John Paul II in 2000 .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Pope Benedict XVI will not visit Israel's Holocaust museum when he makes his first trip to the region as pope in May, though he will visit a memorial that is part of the site, his ambassador to Israel said Tuesday.

Pope Benedict XVI, shown at the Vatican during a prayer Sunday, has spoken out forcefully against the Holocaust.

He will also become the first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam, said the envoy, papal nuncio Antonio Franco.

Foreign heads of state normally visit the Holocaust museum, which is part of the Yad Vashem complex in Jerusalem. But it includes controversial wording describing the role of Pope Pius XII during World War II, which is why Pope Benedict balked, an Israeli official said.

Critics have accused Pope Pius of doing too little to prevent the mass murder of European Jews by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. A caption in the museum says he maintained a neutral position during the years of mass extermination of Europe's Jews.

The Vatican defends him and is gradually opening its archives in an effort to show that he acted behind the scenes.

Franco gave the news of Pope Benedict's visit to Yad Vashem at a news conference in Jerusalem.

Pope John Paul II also did not visit the museum section on his historic pilgrimage to Israel in 2000, Father Federico Lombardi, a papal spokesman, said as he confirmed that Pope Benedict will not do so.

An official with Israel's Foreign Ministry said the decision was made jointly because of the sensitivity of the matter. Yigal Palmor conceded that there is an argument over the wartime pope's actions during the Holocaust and noted that the museum has a sign stating that the facts are in dispute.

He said that Pope Benedict may visit other parts of the Yad Vashem complex, which is divided into several compounds, and that the pontiff will lay a wreath at the site's Hall of Remembrance, which is part of the protocol for visiting heads of state.

The announcement that Pope Benedict will visit only part of Yad Vashem also follows international outrage over his rehabilitation of a rebel bishop who denied the Nazis systematically murdered 6 million Jews in the Holocaust.

The Vatican ordered the bishop, Richard Williamson, to recant, and said the pope was not aware of Williamson's views on the Holocaust when he lifted the excommunication of the bishop.

Pope Benedict, who was born in Germany and forced to join the Hitler Youth as a teenager, has spoken out forcefully against the Holocaust on a number of occasions, including on a visit to the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Pope Benedict will make his pilgrimage to the Holy Land May 8-15 with stops in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, according to the itinerary released by the Vatican.

He will be celebrating Mass in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, the city where Christians believe Jesus preached and lived. Some 50,000 pilgrims are expected to attend that event, the bishop of Nazareth said.

In Jerusalem, a city holy to all three of the major monotheistic faiths, Pope Benedict will visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which Catholics believe is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The pope will also meet Israel's chief rabbis and enter the Dome of the Rock with the chief Muslim cleric in the Holy Land, the grand mufti of Jerusalem.

He will also meet Jordan's King Abdullah and Israeli President Shimon Peres, as well as Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Franco said.

CNN's Guy Azriel in Jerusalem and Alessandro Gentile in Rome contributed to this report.

Who is the first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock?

Which Pontiff will be the first to reach Dome of the Rock?

Where will the pontiff visit in Jerusalem?

What memorial will he visit in Jerusalem?

In which month will the trip take place?

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI,

Answer: with stops in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem

Answer: Pope Benedict XVI

Answer: Holy Land May 8-15 with stops in Amman,

Answer: in May,

Answer: that is part of the site,

Answer: May,

Answer: Critics have accused Pope Pius of doing too little to prevent the mass murder of European Jews by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler.

Summary:
NEW: Benedict XVI to be first pontiff to visit the Dome of the Rock .
NEW: Trip to be May 8-15 with stops in Amman, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth .
In Jerusalem, he'll visit Yad Vashem's memorial section, will skip museum .
Pope Pius XII criticized for WW II actions; Vatican says he acted behind the scenes .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Terrorism groups are using Facebook and other social networking sites to recruit Israeli citizens as spies, the Israeli government warned Monday. Israel says its citizens have been targeted by terrorist groups seeking to recruit spies on Facebook. Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, issued a statement warning Israelis about the dangers of trading confidential information for money. "The Shin Bet has gotten many reports about cases where terrorist elements are using the Internet to get in touch with Israelis with proposals to enlist in terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment," the statement said. Not only could the leaked information hurt Israeli security, citizens traveling to other countries to exchange the information for money "might lead to them being kidnapped by terror organizations," Shin Bet said. The government did not reveal any examples of Israelis becoming spies through Facebook, but it did describe one attempt. "Lately, an Israeli citizen contacted the Shin Bet and complained about a request in Facebook from a person that presented himself as a Lebanese merchant, who asked him to give him classified information for money," the statement said. Shin Bet said this was just one example "among many incidents that were identified by the security services." "It is initiated contacts, concrete and direct to Israeli citizens, with emphasis on the social networks, that offers them to enlist to terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment," it said. Shin Bet said terror groups are combing Facebook and other networks "for business or personal matters like names, addresses, Internet addresses and phone numbers that are being used to find and contact Israeli citizens in Israel and also abroad." CNN's Michal Zippori and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

In which country is the security agency based?

What are terrorists using social networks for?

who are looking for personal information?

Who uses social networking sites to recruit spies?

Answer: Israel

Answer: Facebook

Answer: terror groups

Answer: to enlist to terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment,"

Answer: Terrorism groups

Summary:
Terrorist groups using social networking to recruit spies, Israel says .
Subjects are offered money to pass along secrets, security agency says .
Groups looking for personal information to contact Israeli citizens .


JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- The international group Human Rights Watch is accusing Israel of firing weapons containing white phosphorus into Gaza. The group demands that the alleged practice cease. Israel is declining to say whether bursts like this over Gaza involve white phosphorus. The group's  researchers in Israel "observed multiple air-bursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over what appeared to be the Gaza City/Jabaliya area" on Friday and Saturday, the organization said on its Web site. "Israel appeared to be using white phosphorus as an 'obscurant' [a chemical used to hide military operations], a permissible use in principle" under the laws of war, the HRW posting said. "However, white phosphorus has a significant, incidental, incendiary effect that can severely burn people and set structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fire," the posting said. "The potential for harm to civilians is magnified by Gaza's high population density, among the highest in the world." HRW said the use of white phosphorus in Gaza would violate "the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life." Last week, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN: "I can tell you with certainty that white phosphorus is absolutely not being used." Now, however, Israeli officials have a different response to questions about the possible use of phosphorus: "Any munitions that Israel is using are in accordance with international law. Israel does not specify the types of munitions or the types of operations it is conducting." Still, a doctor familiar with the material said it is not possible to tell, based on pictures of burns, whether white phosphorus was responsible. "Dead tissue pretty much looks the same," said Dr. Peter Grossman, president of the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks, California. The chemical "can burn down houses and cause horrific burns when it touches the skin," said Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. Since January 3, when Israel began its ground offensive in Gaza, news reports have circulated about the possible use of white phosphorus by the IDF. HRW's assertion was supported by munitions experts and some Palestinian doctors, including Nafiz Abu Sha'aban, who said the burns it caused were unlike anything he has seen in 27 years of practice. Watch footage of burn patients in Gaza Though most severely burned patients have been sent to Egypt, the ongoing fighting has made it impossible to evacuate all of them, including one man with deep burns over 47 percent of his body, the doctor said. White phosphorus is known to burn flesh down to the bone. It's intended to provide illumination or to create a smokescreen in battle. Under an international protocol ratified by Israel in 1995, the use of such incendiary weapons is allowed when "not specifically designed to cause burn injury to persons." There is no prohibition per se against white phosphorus in conflict. But the timing and location of its use are restricted. For example, it is illegal under the protocol to use white phosphorus against any personnel, civilian or military. It can be directed only against military targets. International law says incendiary weapons cannot be used where civilians are concentrated. A house north of Gaza City was hit Sunday by something that observers contend may have been white phosphorus. "It's been burning since one o'clock in the morning," Munir Hammada told CNN 11 hours later. "If you move it with your feet, it reignites. You can't put it out with water, only sand." Those characteristics match the properties of white phosphorus, which ignites on contact with air.

When does the protocol allow the use of white phosphorus?

Answer: "not specifically designed to cause burn injury to persons."

Answer: multiple air-bursts of artillery-fired

Answer: severely burn people and set structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fire,"

Answer: multiple air-bursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus

Answer: multiple air-bursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over

Answer: severely

Answer: "not specifically designed to cause burn injury to persons."

Summary:
Researchers in Israel saw bursts of white phosphorus over Gaza, group says .
White phosphorus can burn people, set structures on fire .
Protocol allows use when "not specifically designed to cause burn injury to persons"
Group: Use in densely populated Gaza would violate international humanitarian law .


JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A U.N. team entered Gaza on Monday to investigate possible human rights abuses by Israel and Hamas during a three-week conflict that ended January 18. Palestinians run from an Israeli airstrike on a U.N. school in northern Gaza on January 17. Richard Goldstone, a former Rwanda and Yugoslavia war crimes prosecutor, is leading the Human Rights Council investigation of the conflict that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. Goldstone and three other investigators entered Gaza via Egypt for a five-day visit. Upon crossing into the Palestinian territory, Goldstone told reporters, "We've come here to see. We've come here to learn. We've come here to talk to people in all walks of life, ordinary people, governmental people, administrative people, obviously nongovernmental organizations that are so important in this sort of situation." The Geneva, Switzerland-based Human Rights Council established the fact-finding mission April 3 "to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law that might have been committed at any time in the context of the military operations that were conducted in Gaza during the period from 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, whether before, during or after." Israel launched its offensive in Gaza with the stated intent of stopping a barrage of rockets -- primarily short-range homemade Qassam rockets -- fired from the territory into southern Israel by Hamas fighters. The Israeli government is not assisting the investigators, who are not scheduled to visit Israel as part of the inquiry. Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said that "there is not a chance we will cooperate with this mission" under the terms of the Human Rights Council mandate. "The resolution was adopted by a vote of non-Democratic countries, and the democratic countries either abstained or rejected the resolution," Palmor said. Israel has been long been a critic of the Human Rights Council, arguing that it is one-sided in its approach to the Jewish state. The Israeli military conducted an investigation of its actions in the Gaza conflict and concluded in a report released in April that it "operated in accordance with international law." An Israeli human rights group called that conclusion problematic since an impartial external body did not lead the investigation. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has said that 1,417 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, of which 236 were active combatants. The Israeli military put the death toll at 1,166 and has maintained that more than half were "Hamas terror operatives" The Hamas movement welcomed the arrival of the investigators. Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said, "We are ready to help these committees and encourage them to unveil the truth and bring out all the hidden details of what took place during the war, hoping to show the entire world the truth." Barhoum went on to say that Israel's lack of cooperation was evidence that it was trying to cover up crimes committed in Gaza. The U.S. State Department has labeled Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization, a terrorist group. Its military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians as well as attacks against the Israeli military.

How many Israeli and Palestinians were killed?

Answer: Israel and Hamas

Answer: 13

Answer: January 18.

Answer: 13

Answer: A U.N. team

Answer: January 18.

Summary:
Human Rights Council enters Gaza to investigate possible abuses by Israel, Hamas .
Three-week conflict between the two sides ended January 18 .
Thirteen Israelis and more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed .
Israeli government is not assisting investigators .


JERUSALEM (CNN) -- An archaeological dig in Jerusalem has turned up a 3,700-year-old wall that is the largest and oldest of its kind found in the region, experts say. The wall is built of enormous boulders, confounding archaeologists as to how ancient peoples built it. Standing 8 meters (26 feet) high, the wall of huge cut stones is a marvel to archaeologists. "To build straight walls up 8 meters ... I don't know how to do it today without mechanical equipment," said the excavation's director, Ronny Reich. "I don't think that any engineer today without electrical power [could] do it." Archaeologist Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority added, "You see all the big boulders -- all the boulders are 4 to 5 tons." The discovered section is 24 meters (79 feet) long. "However, it is thought the fortification is much longer because it continues west beyond the part that was exposed," the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a news release. It was found inside the City of David, an archaeological excavation site outside the Old City of East Jerusalem on a slope of the Silwan Valley. The wall is believed to have been built by the Canaanites, an ancient pagan people who the Bible says inhabited Jerusalem and other parts of the Middle East before the advent of monotheism. Watch report on the discovery of the ancient wall » "This is the most massive wall that has ever been uncovered in the City of David," Reich and Shukron said in a joint statement about the find. It marks the first time "that such massive construction that predates the Herodian period has been discovered in Jerusalem." It appears to be part of a "protected, well-fortified passage that descends to the spring tower from some sort of fortress that stood at the top of the hill," according to the joint statement. The spring "is located in the weakest and most vulnerable place in the area. The construction of a protected passage, even though it involves tremendous effort, is a solution for which there are several parallels in antiquity, albeit from periods that are later than the remains described here." Such walls were used primarily to defend against marauding desert nomads looking to rob the city, said Reich, a professor at the University of Haifa. "We are dealing with a gigantic fortification, from the standpoint of the structure's dimensions, the thickness of its walls and the size of the stones that were incorporated in its construction," the joint statement said. Water from the spring is used by modern inhabitants of Jerusalem. "The new discovery shows that the picture regarding Jerusalem's eastern defenses and the ancient water system in the Middle Bronze Age 2 is still far from clear," Reich said. "Despite the fact that so many have excavated on this hill, there is a very good chance that extremely large and well-preserved architectural elements are still hidden in it and waiting to be uncovered." CNN's Kevin Flower contributed to this report

What was the purpose of the wall?
What is the age of the wall
What is made of boulders?
Who do they think built the wall?
Who is believed to have built the wall
What is the wall in question made of?
What do the boulders weigh

Answer: defend against marauding desert nomads

Answer: 3,700-year-old

Answer: 3,700-year-old wall

Answer: The wall is believed to have been built by the Canaanites,

Answer: Canaanites,

Answer: enormous boulders,

Answer: 4 to 5 tons."

Summary:
Made of boulders weighing 4 to 5 tons, the 3,700-year-old wall is 26 feet high .
Archaeologist: "I don't know how to do it today without mechanical equipment"
The wall appears to have been used to defend path that led to spring .
Wall is believed to have been built by Canaanites .