Question: Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The guard who killed the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, had for years worked with International Security Assistance Forces against Taliban militants, according to three local officials with direct knowledge of the dealings.

Sardar Mohammed, who authorities say shot and killed Kandahar's provincial council chief Ahmed Wali Karzai, received training from ISAF and participated in intelligence gathering against militants across the region, according to Besmellah Afghanmal, a provincial council member with close ties to the Karzai family.

He "was one of the trusted commanders for the Karzais," Afghanmal told CNN. "Sardar Mohammad was working with American Special Forces closely and he was participating in many operations with American Special forces against the Taliban in (the) south."

Others, like provincial parliament member Hashim Watanwal, say Mohammad had worked with both U.S. and Canadian forces in Kandahar -- an ethnically Pashtun dominated region long-considered the Taliban heartland.

Baz Mohammed, a Kandahar tribal elder with close connections to the Karzai clan, said the guard was "a trustworthy person" who collaborated regularly with ISAF in Kandahar.

An ISAF spokeswoman declined to comment on the claims.

Though suspected of corruption and opium dealing, Wali Karzai was considered a major power-broker in Afghanistan's restive south and a bulwark for his brother against the Taliban militancy.

His death Tuesday sent shock-waves across Afghanistan's political landscape, and prompted President Karzai to weep as mourners gathered for his half-brother's burial the following day.

Saidkhan Khakrezwal, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, said he and others were with Wali Karzai when the guard came into the room and asked to talk to him. 1. who was killed?
2. Who was killed?
3. what was his name?
4. who killed him?
5. how was he murdered?
6. Did he know the vicitim?
7. Was the killer a known terrorist?
8. was anyone with Karzai when he was shot?
9. How did Hamid Karzai react to his half brother's death?
10. Did the murderer work with U.S. forces in the past? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. President Hamid Karzai
2. the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai
3. Wali Karzai
4. Sardar Mohammed
5. he was shot
6. No
7. No
8. No
9. He wept
10. Yes

Q: Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist. Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but...when you love your art, nothing is too much. But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn't afford the lessons any more. Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour. "Delia," Joe said, "I'll be much happier if you keep up your lessons," Delia said it didn't matter. "When I've had some money, I'll continue." But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them. A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. "I met a man from Vermont," he said, "who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!" _ .They didn't have to worry any more about money. Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia's hand was wrapped in a bandage . He asked her what had happened. "Oh," said Delia. "My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. " "Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?" Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. "Oh Joe, I couldn't get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can't work any more. But we'll still have money from the man in Vermont, won't we?" Joe looked at her. "There's no man in Vermont, " he said. "I've been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who's burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed." They both laughed. [A story by O. Henry--adapted ]

1. Piano
2. 200
3. dropped the coffee burned my hand
4. Yes
5. No
6. working in a drugstore
7. selling pictures
8. teaching
9. Piano
10. Germany

Numbered questions:
1. What did Delia play?
2. How much money did Joe reveal?
3. How did Delia get hurt?
4. Did she lie to Joe?
5. Was Joe honest to Delia?
6. Where did he get the money?
7. How was Joe supposedly making money?
8. How was Delia supposedly earning money?
9. What was she teaching?
10. Where was Delia's instructor from?

input: (CNN) -- Spanish champions Barcelona will kick off 2011 without the services of world player of the year Lionel Messi and key defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique.

Coach Pep Guardiola has given top scorer Messi permission to miss Sunday's home clash with Levante as his side seek to move five points clear of second-placed rivals Real Madrid in the La Liga standings.

The club's website reported on Friday that the Argentina forward had been allowed to extend his holiday, so will be missing from the line-up for only the fourth time this season.

Captain Puyol is ruled out with a groin injury that he picked up playing for Catalonia in the representative game against Honduras earlier this month, and may also miss next weekend's trip to Deportivo La Coruna.

Spanish league strike called off

His central defensive partner Pique is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card this season in Barca's final league game of 2010, the 5-1 thrashing of city rivals Espanyol on December 18.

However, Guardiola will be able to call on Argentine defender Gabriel Milito and young midfielder Jeffren Suarez, who have both returned to training.

Milito had been sidelined since injuring his thigh in the Spanish Cup win over Ceuta on November 10, while the 22-year-old Jeffren suffered a groin problem in the Champions League match win over Rubin Kazan on December 7.

Football's best and worst of 2010

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid will return to action on Monday with a trip to seventh-placed Getafe. 1. What injury was talked about?
2. What rivals were there?
3. When did they play?
4. Who won?
5. Who injured their leg?
6. When?
7. What was called off?
8. Who is a top scorer?
9. What was he allowed to do?
10. Why?
11. Who was not allowed to play?
12. For what?
13. who returns from training? Return numbered answers in your output.

output:
1. a groin injury
2. Barca and Espanyol
3. on December 18.
4. Barca
5. Milito
6. on November 10
7. Spanish league strike
8. Messi
9. to miss Sunday's home clash
10. to extend his holiday,
11. Pique is suspended
12. for picking up his fifth yellow card
13. Gabriel Milito and Jeffren Suarez