Q: (CNN) -- Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has moved a step closer to realizing his dream of participating in the Olympics after running the 'B' standard qualifying time for next year's Games in London.

The 24-year-old, who was born without fibulae in both legs, clocked 45.61 seconds to win the 400m race at the Provincial Championships in his home town of Pretoria in South Africa on Wednesday.

Dubbed the 'Blade Runner' because of his carbon fiber prosthetic limbs, Pistorius must now run 0.6 seconds faster to be granted automatic qualification. But his time could still be good enough to earn him a place in the South African team depending on the performance of other athletes.

After narrowly missing out on the time required for the Beijing Olympics, the Johannesburg-born athlete expressed his delight at the achievement on his Twitter page.

"One of the best nights of my life. Ran a 45.61sec 400m Olympic qualifying time and fastest time in South Africa," Pistorius, whose legs were amputated when he was just 11 months old, wrote.

"Thanks to everyone who has supported and believed in me in my Quest to 2012 London Olympics. One step closer. I'm hungry for it."

After finishing sixth at his National Championships in 2007, Pistorius was blocked from competing alongside his able-bodied counterparts as his blades were considered to give him an unfair advantage.

But in 2008 the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the four-time Paralympic champion after a lengthy legal battle with the IAAF.

1. running the 'B' standard qualifying time
2. Double amputee
3. 400m race
4. 24
5. Pretoria in South Africa
6. Blade Runner
7. because of his carbon fiber prosthetic limbs
8. 45.61 seconds
9. yes
10. 11 months old
11. was born without fibulae in both legs
12. his blades were considered an unfair advantage.
13. yes
14. Court of Arbitration for Sport
15. 2012 London Olympics

Numbered questions:
1. How did he qualify for the Olympics?
2. What handicap does he have?
3. What sport does he participate in?
4. How old is he?
5. Where is his hometown?
6. What is his nickname?
7. And why is that?
8. What was his time in the qualifying race?
9. And was he happy with that time?
10. How old was he when he lost his legs?
11. What caused him to lose his legs?
12. Why was he stopped from competing?
13. Was that decision overturned?
14. By whom?
15. What is his ultimate goal?

Q: United Nations (CNN) -- Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas put forth a historic U.N. membership bid for an independent state of Palestine on Friday; a move Israel says is premature without direct talks that address its longstanding security concerns.

The formal application -- viewed as a largely symbolic gesture because an American veto is all but assured should the request come to a vote in the Security Council -- drew applause in the assembly when the Palestinian leader raised the document at the podium during his speech at the 66th annual session of the General Assembly.

The time has come for a "Palestinian Spring" to join the Arab Spring in reshaping the Middle East, he said. "My people desire to exercise their right to enjoy a normal life like the rest of humanity."

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, later taking his turn to address the General Assembly, said Palestinians are looking for a "state without peace," ignoring security concerns important to Israel.

He said Palestinians are not armed only with their "hopes and dreams," as Abbas said in his speech. To that he added "10,000 missiles, and Grad rockets supplied by Iran, not to mention the river of lethal weapons flowing into Gaza."

"Palestinians should first make peace with Israel, and then get their state," he declared, adding that peace must arrive through a two-state solution that recognizes Israel as a Jewish state.

If that occurs, Israel "will be the first" to recognize Palestinian statehood, the prime minister said.

Representatives from the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union -- a group commonly referred to as the Quartet for the Middle East -- discussed the request later Friday, and issued a statement saying the bid is now before the U.N. Security Council.

1. Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas
2. American
3. Netanyahu
4. United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union
5. the Quartet for the Middle East
6. the U.N. Security Council.
7. 10,000 missiles
8. lethal weapons flowing into Gaza
9. Iran
10. they should first make peace with Israel

Numbered questions:
1. Who made a UN membership bid?
2. and what country is expected to veto it?
3. Who thinks they should first be at peace with the Jewish state?
4. Who held talks about this?
5. And is there a name for them?
6. Who has to make the decison now?
7. What are the Palestinians armed with?
8. Anything else?
9. Who supplied them with rockets?
10. How will the Palestinians get their state?

Q: (CNN) -- Whether it's breaking records on the piste, or making hit records in the studio, Tina Maze is determined to do things her way.

The 29-year-old, who broke ranks with her national skiing federation to set up her own team, last weekend had the satisfaction of breaking the iconic all-time World Cup points record of the legendary Hermann Maier as she shrugged off pre-race death threats.

The Slovenian has celebrated her numerous victories by turning cartwheels and, even more daringly, once famously unzipped her ski suit to reveal her under clothing to photographers after some rivals had wrongly accused her of gaining an aerodynamic advantage by placing padding in her sports bra.

But not content with just grabbing the sporting headlines, Maze is also hitting the high notes in a fledgling career as a pop star -- inspired by influences such as Alicia Keys, Jessie J and, of course, Lady Gaga.

A leading Slovenian music producer persuaded Maze to record a number he had written. Given her maverick reputation and single-minded approach, the title could not have been more apt:-- "My Way is My Decision" -- and it proved an instant hit, quickly reaching No. 1 in the Slovenian charts.

The accompanying video -- which sees Maze moving in time to the catchy up tempo song -- has had over a million hits on YouTube.

At one point, Maze dons a skiing helmet and uses a ski as a mock guitar, but fooling aside it is clear she has more than a modicum of musical talent.

1. Maze
2. 29
3. hitting the high notes
4. Slovenian
5. national skiing federation
6. Alicia Keys, Jessie J and, Lady Gaga.
7. World Cup points record
8. Hermann Maier
9. death threats.
10. Slovenia
11. My Way is My Decision
12. yes
13. over a million
14. cartwheels
15. rivals had wrongly accused her
16. gaining an aerodynamic advantage by placing padding in her sports bra.
17. a ski

Numbered questions:
1. who put ona skiing helmet?
2. how old is she?
3. what has she just started doing?
4. what nationality is she?
5. what organization did she leave?
6. who are her musical influences?
7. what did she achieve last weekend?
8. who used to hold it?
9. what did she have to ignore beofre the race?
10. where was the record producer from?
11. and what song did they write?
12. has it been a hit?
13. how often has the video been seen?
14. what acrobatics does she do?
15. why did she show her bra?
16. of doing what?
17. what item did she use as a guitar?