Problem: Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- As violence continues to wrack Iraq, another ethnic slaughter may be in the making by Sunni extremists from ISIS.

ISIS fighters have besieged the ethnic Turkmen Shiite town of Amerli in the north for two months, and its fewer than 20,000 residents are without power and running out of food, water and medical supplies.

"The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens," said Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Iraq.

He said the suffering was "unspeakable" and demanded that the Shiite majority Iraqi government "relieve the siege" on Amerli.

Small town fights ISIS

About 5,000 families live in Amerli, which has been under siege for 70 days, according to Dr. Ali Albayati, head of the Turkmen Saving Foundation. He told CNN the town is running without electricity, is out of medicine and can only turn to wells for water.

Nearly three dozen villages surrounding Amerli are already under ISIS control, Albayati said. The people of Amerli are relying on the Iraqi government to take them out by helicopter or support them with food drops, Albayati said. In the past 10 days, he added, only one flight has delivered food.

Surrounded on four sides, the 17,400 residents have had to defend themselves with only the help of local police, said Masrwr Aswad of Iraq's Human Rights Commission.

Their situation echoes the ordeal of Iraq's ethnic Yazidis, whose plight after they were forced to flee into the mountains to escape militants ISIS triggered U.S. aid drops and the first U.S. airstrikes against ISIS.
1. How long has Amerli been under siege?
2. Who is responsible to them being under siege?
3. How many people reside there?
4. Where are residents going for their water?
5. Who is reporting this information?
6. Anyone specific?
7. What does he do?
8. How is food getting to the people?
9. Who is doing the food drops?
10. How many have there been recently?
11. Have the residents had to defend themselves?
12. Is anyone helping?
13. Who?
14. Are they at any sort of disadvantage?
15. How so?
16. Does this story remind us of any other?
17. What happened?
18. Did anyone help them?
19. Who?
20. How?
21. What was noteworthy about that?
Answer: 1. 70 days
2. ISIS
3. fewer than 20,000
4. wells
5. CNN
6. Dr. Ali Albayati
7. head of the Turkmen Saving Foundation
8. food drops
9. the Iraqi government
10. only one
11. yes
12. yes
13. local police
14. yes
15. they're surrounded on four sides
16. yes
17. The Yazidis were forced to flee into the mountains
18. yes
19. the U.S.
20. aid drops and airstrikes against ISIS
21. they were the first U.S. airstrikes against ISIS

Problem: (CNN) -- Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has made an emotional appeal after his father was abducted in his native Nigeria.

"Please just let him go," he told Sky Sports News.

"He's just an old man, he hasn't done any harm to anyone as far as I know and I don't know why he has been taken."

Michael Obi, who runs a transport company in Jos, the main city in Plateau State in central Nigeria, has not been seen or heard of since he failed to return home from work last Friday.

Obi Mikel was told of the problem just before the start of Chelsea's Premier League match at Stoke Sunday which finished goalless and said his father was at the forefront of his thoughts throughout the match.

"Nigeria is the country I am from, I've always tried to help my country in any way I can, playing for my country or anything," he said.

"This is a time where I need the country to help me. Whoever has got my dad, whoever knows where my dad is, please contact me and hopefully he can be released."

Chelsea have given Mikel their support in a statement on their official website.

"Everyone at Chelsea Football Club was very concerned to hear that John Mikel Obi's father has been reported as missing and possibly abducted.

"We will give Mikel and his family our full support at this most difficult time."

Mikel confirmed they had not heard from his father's abductors and no ransom had yet been demanded.
1. who play for Chelsea?
2. did something happen to one of his family members?
3. which one?
4. what is his name?
5. what happened to him?
6. in what country?
7. what position does the son play?
8. when did he learn about the incident?
9. for what league?
10. on what day?
11. where?
12. is his team supportive?
13. how do you know?
14. where is the son from?
15. do they know what the kidnappers want?
Answer: 1. John Obi Mikel
2. Yes
3. his father
4. Michael Obi
5. he was abducted
6. Nigeria
7. midfielder
8. before a football match
9. the Premier League
10. on Sunday
11. at Stoke
12. yes
13. from a statement on their official website
14. Jos
15. no

Problem: The phone rings. It's a friend who wants to tell you his or her latest health problems. You hate to be impolite and cut your friend off, but what can you do? Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips, offers his advice: Don't ask questions like "What's new?" They give the information that you have time to talk. After "hello", get right to the heart of the matter. Time your calls wisely. If you make a call right before lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less. Set a time limit. Start with, "Hi, I've only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about...." Or, "Gee, I'd love to talk more, but I only have a couple of minutes before I have to leave." Jump on a pause. Even the most talkative caller has to pause now and then. Quickly say, "It has been great talking with you." Then end the conversation. Forget niceties. Some people just don't take a hint. Cut your caller off and say, "I'd like to talk to you longer, but I'm afraid I have no enough time. Good bye." Then hang up. Find "a partner in crime". If nothing else works, ask someone in your home to help you. For example, one woman gives a sign to her husband, who shouts, "Jane, I think the roast chicken is burning." Avoid the phone completely. Use an answering machine to screen calls. If you have an important message for a chatterbox, leave the message when he or she isn't in.
1. at what times of day do people chat less?
2. what other time?
3. what should you use to screen calls?
4. who called in the story?
5. did they want to talk about sports?
6. what did they want to talk about?
7. what is Stephanie's profession?
8. what did she write?
9. how should you go about setting a time limit for calls?
10. what do even the most talkative callers have to do every now and again?
11. how should you hurry them off the phone?
12. what if they don't get the hint?
13. and then just hang up?
14. can a partner help you with calls?
15. should you use an elaborate system with hand signals?
16. who yelled about chicken?
17. whose husband?
18. what is another way to avoid phone calls?
19. can you avoid the phone completely?
20. what rang at the beginning of the story?
Answer:
1. at the end of the workday,
2. before lunch
3. an answering machine
4. a friend
5. No
6. her latest health problems
7. author
8. Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips
9. Start with, "Hi, I've only got a few minutes
10. pause
11. Quickly say, "It has been great talking with you."
12. Forget niceties
13. Yes
14. Yes
15. Yes
16. her husband
17. Jane
18. leave the message when he or she isn't in
19. Yes
20. The phone