Given a document, find the main entity about whom the author is writing. Write the full name if mentioned in the text. Note that URLs in the text have been replaced with [Link].
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Question: "We would oppose any violence if that were to take place "  State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert  said in response to reports that this kind of coordination was being considered. "We hope our voices will be heard in a very strong fashion that we oppose violence on any side of this."
 She  was responding to a report that Iran and Iraq plan to seize control of the border crossings around a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq that is populated by a Kurdish ethnic minority that plays a crucial role in the U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State. The tensions have arisen because the Kurds voted in support of breaking away from the rest of Iraq to form their own state  despite opposition from Baghdad and the United States.
 Nauert  took a cautious approach to the diplomatic crisis. "The United States does not want to do anything that would inflame tensions  that's why I'm going to be very cautious with my words "  she  said during Thursday's briefing. "We will continue to offer our assistance to facilitate any dialogue if we are asked."
 Nauert  said  she  had not heard of a request for the United States to close its consulate in northern Iraq.
"Our relationship with the Kurds  in our view  will not change "  she  said.

Answer: Heather Nauert


Question: MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was barred on Monday from running in next year’s presidential election after officials ruled he was ineligible to take part due to a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up.
The decision by the central election commission was widely expected as election officials had repeatedly declared  Navalny  would be ineligible to run. Twelve members of the 13-member commission voted to bar  Navalny . One member abstained  citing a possible conflict of interest.
 Navalny   41  who polls show would struggle to beat incumbent Vladimir Putin in the March election  said he would appeal and called on his supporters to boycott the election and campaign against it being held.
“We knew this could happen  and so we have a straight-forward  clear plan ”  Navalny  said in a pre-recorded video released immediately after the decision.
 Navalny  said  he  would use  his  campaign headquarters across Russia to support the boycott and monitor turnout on voting day  March 18.
Polls show Putin  65  who has dominated Russia’s political landscape for the last 17 years  is on course to be comfortably re-elected  making  him  eligible to serve another six years until 2024  when  he  turns 72.
 Navalny  says Putin’s support is exaggerated and artificially maintained by a biased state media and an unfair system. He says he could defeat him in a fair election  an assertion Putin’s supporters have said is laughable.
‘DO  THE RIGHT THING’
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny  speaks to the media after submitting  his  documents to be registered as a presidential candidate at the Central Election Commission in Moscow  Russia December 24  2017. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva
Before the commission voted   Navalny   dressed in a dark suit  had demanded  he  be allowed to take part in the election delivering a speech that angered election officials.
In one heated exchange   he  said Russian voters’ faith in the system hung in the balance.
“If you do not allow me to run  you are taking a decision against millions of people who are demanding that  Navalny  take part ”  he  said  referring to  himself  in the first person.
“You are not robots  you are living  breathing human beings you are an independent body ... for once in your lives  do the right thing ”  he  said.
 His  supporters clapped  him   but officials were unmoved.
Ebzeev said there could not be “the slightest doubt” that  Navalny  was ineligible to run  a reference to Russia’s constitution that bars him running because of his suspended sentence relating to an embezzlement case.
 Navalny  has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing  and says the case is politically motivated.

Answer: Alexei Navalny


Question: Tanner Roark  will take the mound with the Nationals facing elimination in Game 4. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
CHICAGO —  Tanner Roark  was born and raised in Wilmington  Ill.  which is southwest of Chicago  which means  he  grew up closer to Comiskey Park than to Wrigley Field. But geography didn’t impact baseball team allegiances in the  Roark  household.  He  grew up a die-hard Cubs fan like  his  mother and siblings  diverging from  his  father’s loyalty to the White Sox and the Cardinals.
“Growing up  yeah  there was always some trash-talking in the house between us and my dad ”  Roark  said.
On Tuesday  barring rain   Roark  will find himself on the mound at Wrigley Field  the ballpark he visited countless times as a fan  to face the Cubs. It won’t be his first start there; he has four on his résumé and appeared in another game out of the bullpen. But none of the previous outings carried the same weight Tuesday’s will place on Roark’s right arm: Game 4 of the National League Division Series with his Nationals facing elimination.
“It’s pretty surreal to pitch in Wrigley  and just the history that they have here and everything ”  Roark  said. “It’s very exciting  and I’m anxious to get out there.”
 Roark  hasn’t pitched since the Nationals’ regular season finale on Oct. 1  when  he  allowed two runs in an inning of relief against the Pirates  and  he  hasn’t started a game since Sept. 27.  He  lasted 4 2/3 innings that day  surrendering six runs on seven hits to the Phillies. But  Roark  was significantly better before the poor finish;  he  had posted a 3.39 ERA in 57 innings over  his  previous nine starts to rebound from an inconsistent four months after  his  stint with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic made for an unusual spring training.
“ Tanner  didn’t have many innings coming out of spring training  and that kind of got  him  behind the eight-ball  so to speak  because you know   he  didn’t have the innings ” Nationals Manager Dusty Baker said. “ He  was with the WBC and  he  didn’t pitch very much. And so things get in your head when you’re used to getting guys out and all of a sudden you’re not getting them out. So it’s a new season now for Tanner  brand-new season  and this is what people are going to remember you by.”
“ Tanner   you know  is a guy that you would like on your side if you’re in an alley and you’re in a fight  because you know  Tanner    he  has that warrior mentality ” Baker said. “ He  doesn’t make any excuses or alibis.  He  just goes out and pitches  and  this guy  has not had an easy road  you know  from the beginning to get here. We feel very comfortable with  Tanner  on the mound because you know  he ’s going to fight tooth and nail and do everything  he  can to win the ballgame for you.”
 Roark  recalled 300 people from Wilmington congregated in a section in right center field for  his  Wrigley Field debut in 2013.  He  doesn’t expect that again Tuesday.  He  hasn’t been hounded for tickets. Five relatives   his  wife  and their two children will be in attendance to watch  his  biggest game of  his  career.
“They are good about getting their own tickets ”  Roark  said  laughing. “Which is very good on  me . It’s a lot less stress that I have to worry about.”

Answer:
Tanner Roark