Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq has ordered former employees of the private military contractor once known as Blackwater to leave the country, its interior minister announced Wednesday.

Contractors who once worked for Blackwater, now known as Xe, have seven days to leave Iraq, Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani told the state television network al-Iraqiya. The move follows a January declaration by Iraq's government that former Blackwater employees were no longer welcome in the country.

Blackwater became the target of widespread Iraqi outrage after its contractors were involved in the September 2007 shooting in Baghdad's Nisoor Square that left 17 civilians dead. That outrage was renewed in December, when a U.S. judge dismissed manslaughter charges against five guards involved in the shootings on constitutional grounds.

The company's last contracts in Iraq have been transferred to other companies. But Iraqi authorities say about 250 former Blackwater employees remain behind, some working for other security firms.

"I don't think the Iraqi government is willing to have any Blackwater member, even if they are working in other companies," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told CNN in January. "We don't like to see them here working in any company."

Blackwater had about 1,000 contractors working in Iraq at the height of its involvement, guarding diplomatic convoys and supply vehicles around the country after the U.S. invasion in 2003. At least 10 of its employees were killed, including four whose burned and mutilated bodies were dragged through the streets of Fallujah after an ambush in 2004.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Suzanne Simons contributed to this report.

Question: What length of time were they given to leave?

Question: How long do they have to leave?

Question: What is Blackwater now known as?

Question: who must leave iraq?

Question: How long do they have to leave Iraq?

Question: Who is the Interior Minister?

Question: Who did Iraqi officials say must leave their country?

Answer: seven days

Answer: seven days

Answer: Xe,

Answer: as Blackwater

Answer: seven days

Answer: Jawad al-Bolani

Answer: employees of the private military contractor

Summary:
Former Blackwater (now known as Xe) employees must leave Iraq, Iraqi officials say .
They have seven days to leave Iraq, says Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani .
Blackwater became target of Iraqi outrage after 2007 shooting left 17 civilians dead .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi parliament members adjourned on Saturday without reaching an accord on a controversial new elections law, and the lawmakers could make another try to forge and pass legislation tomorrow. Abdul Bari al-Zebari and Mahmoud Othman, Kurdish members of the Council of Representatives, told CNN that the session is adjourned until Sunday because lawmakers didn't forge an agreement. Passage of the law on Sunday is expected to ensure that national elections would be held on January 16. Al-Zebari said several Sunni Arab parliament members boycotted the Saturday session and doubts there will be a Sunday vote. Othman told CNN that lawmakers couldn't reach an accord over the issue of Kirkuk and said some Sunni Arab and Turkmen members left the session. But the biggest roadblock to a new election law is the question of how balloting should unfold in the ethnically diverse, oil-rich province of Kirkuk, where Kurds displaced during Saddam Hussein's rule have returned to claim their land. The power struggle among Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen has been a political hot potato. Kurds have long regarded Kirkuk -- the province and the city of the same name -- as an integral part of Kurdistan, and many want it to be part of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Arabs and Turkmen also lay claim to the city and province, and all the groups want their voices and votes to be adequately represented in the political system. Disgruntled Arab and Turkmen residents say many more Kurds have moved into Kirkuk than were displaced, and that allowing them to vote would create an unfair advantage. Arabs and Turkmen want special measures to adjust for the increased numbers because they believe many of the Kurdish immigrants are there illegally. The Kurds insist there should be no special voting procedures and reject a United Nations' proposal that singles out Kirkuk for special treatment. The disagreements among the groups spurred the postponement of provincial elections in Kirkuk last January because officials there could not agree on how to apportion seats among the ethnic groups.

Question: When will the national elections take place?

Question: What will new election law ensure?

Question: What is the biggest roadblock?

Question: Who lays claim to Kirkuk?

Answer: January 16.

Answer: how balloting should unfold

Answer: question of how balloting should unfold in the ethnically diverse, oil-rich province of Kirkuk,

Answer: Kurds

Summary:
New election law will ensure that national elections take place January 16 .
Biggest roadblock is how balloting should unfold in Kirkuk, where Kurds stake claim to land .
Kurds regard Kirkuk as part of Kurdistan; Arabs and Turkmen also lay claim to it .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Nearly 130 people were killed and more than 400 wounded early Tuesday when a string of five suicide car bombings hit government buildings, a neighborhood and a commercial district in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities said. Iraq's Finance and Labor ministries and a courthouse were the targets of three of the terror attacks, which shattered a two-month period of relative calm in the capital. By evening, Interior Ministry officials put the toll at 127 dead and 448 wounded, the worst since twin car bombings killed and wounded hundreds of people in late October. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the attacks were aimed at undermining Iraq's upcoming elections, now set for March after a lengthy impasse in the country's parliament. "The timing of these cowardly terrorist attacks in Baghdad today, after the success of Iraqi Parliament in overcoming the last obstacle in the election procedures, shows that the enemies of Iraq and its people are aiming to create chaos in the country and prevent any progress in the political process and to disrupt the procedures of the coming elections," he said. The first of the vehicles blew up in southern Baghdad's Dora district at about 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET), followed by four more car bombs about half an hour later. Three of the explosions struck at the heart of the Iraqi capital, detonating a few minutes apart. One hit the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, while another hit the new site of the Ministry of Finance near al-Qashla Square. The ministry's former building was destroyed in a bombing in August. Another bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of Nahdha, and the fifth bomb blew up outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district. The sounds of sporadic gunfire and emergency sirens could be heard immediately following the attacks, and smoke from the blasts billowed into the morning sky. Suicide bombers carried out the five attacks, Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, told CNN. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks and offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the families of those killed, according to a statement from his office. "The Secretary-General appeals to the people of Iraq to remain steadfast in the face of these attacks and to continue their determined efforts to achieve national reconciliation," the statement said. "The United Nations remains committed to supporting them." And the human rights group Amnesty International said there was "absolutely no justification" for the bombings, noting that indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes under international law. Suicide bombers were also blamed for the two bombings October 25 in Baghdad, which killed 160 people and wounded 540. Those bombs detonated in quick succession at mid-morning on a Sunday, the first day of the workweek in Iraq, in the Salhiya district of central Baghdad. The location was close to the Foreign Ministry. Government officials, including Baghdad's governor, questioned how the bombers were able to penetrate the area's security, which was supposed to have been improved in the months leading up to the attacks. Authorities subsequently detained more than 60 people responsible for security in the district where the bombings took place. And Tuesday's attacks sparked debate among Iraqi lawmakers about the capability of the country's security forces. Noor Aldeen al-Haiali, a member of Iraq's parliament from the country's largest Sunni Arab party, said al-Maliki's government "failed in taking the measures to protect the targeted Iraqi citizens, who are shocked and getting slaughtered on a daily basis." Ali al-Adeeb, a senior member of the prime minister's Dawa party, said security has improved in recent years. But Kurdish lawmaker Mahmood Othman told CNN that more attacks could be possible "because the people against the political process, against the elections and against stability in Iraq" will try to disrupt the elections. And he said stepped-up security measures won't be enough to deter them. "There should be some political stability, political reform, reconciliation," he said. "

Question: Where was the fifth bomb detonated?

Question: Where did the fifth bomb blow up?

Question: How many car bombs exploded in central Baghdad?

Question: when did this happen

Question: How many were killed in Baghdad?

Question: Where did the vehicles blow up?

Question: Where was the first car bombed?

Answer: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

Answer: outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district.

Answer: five

Answer: early Tuesday

Answer: Nearly 130

Answer: Baghdad,

Answer: southern Baghdad's Dora district

Summary:
Four car bombs explode in central Baghdad, killing nearly 130 and wounding hundreds .
First of the vehicles blew up in southern Baghdad's Dora district .
Three other car bombs struck at heart of Iraqi capital, detonating a few minutes apart .
Fifth bomb blows up outside the Karkh Civil Court in western Baghdad's Mansour district .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Tariq Aziz, a top lieutenant of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, remained hospitalized at a U.S. military hospital Sunday after falling ill in prison, the U.S. command in Iraq reported.

He was taken to the hospital Thursday, though no details of his ailment were released. But 1st Lt. Elizabeth Feste, a U.S. military spokeswoman, told CNN his condition was improving and he was being closely monitored.

Aziz was one of the best-known faces of Hussein's government, serving as deputy prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and as foreign minister for part of that time. In March 2009, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with the 1992 executions of 42 merchants.

He was captured by U.S. forces in April 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Hussein.

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Question: Tariq A ziz was taken to the hospital when?

Question: were there any details of ailments?

Question: Aziz served as deputy PM during what years?

Question: when was tariq aziz hospitalized?

Question: how long was he sentenced to?

Question: Did they treat his ailment

Question: What was the sentence

Question: Who remained hospitalized at a U.S. military hospital?

Answer: Thursday,

Answer: no

Answer: 1981 to 2003

Answer: Thursday,

Answer: 15 years

Answer: He was taken to the hospital

Answer: 15 years in prison

Answer: Tariq Aziz,

Summary:
Tariq Aziz remained hospitalized at a U.S. military hospital Sunday after falling ill in prison .
He was taken to the hospital Thursday, though no details of his ailment were released .
Aziz served as deputy PM from 1981 to 2003 and as foreign minister for part of that time .
He was sentenced to 15 years in connection with the 1992 executions of 42 merchants .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi Olympic Committee said Saturday it stands by its decision to disband the country's soccer association -- a move that led to the association's suspension from international football. World governing body FIFA said Friday it had decided to suspend the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) because of the Iraqi Olympic Committee's move to disband it. FIFA described that as governmental interference. The suspension means Iraqi soccer clubs and teams may not play in international matches or receive financial assistance, though FIFA made an exception for Iraqi female players to play in a weeklong under-16 regional football festival in Jordan starting Sunday. FIFA said it learned Monday that the Iraqi Olympic Committee had disbanded the IFA and that governmental security forces had seized control of the IFA headquarters. FIFA officials gave the committee 72 hours to revoke the decision and hand the headquarters back to the IFA. "The deadline has expired without revocation of the decision by the Iraqi Olympic Committee and the IFA has not been restored to its headquarters," FIFA said in a statement Friday. "The FIFA Emergency Committee has therefore decided to immediately suspend the IFA until the decision of the Iraqi Olympic Committee is revoked and the IFA retakes possession of its offices." The Iraqi Olympic Committee's actions are in "total contradiction" to FIFA statutes, which require national teams to have full independence, FIFA said. Two top Iraqi officials said Saturday the decision to disband the IFA was based on financial and administrative irregularities and violations, and that they were not surprised by FIFA's decision and had expected it. Samir al-Moussawi, a senior member of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, told CNN he was hopeful the issue could be resolved with FIFA in the coming days, and that the Olympic committee had international lawyers working on the issue. He denied, however, that government security forces had seized IFA headquarters, saying the men were protection services personnel guarding the building. Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government spokesman who has been delegated for months to deal with the International Olympic Committee, told CNN he will work on cooperating with FIFA's demands and holding transparent IFA elections. He said the suspension "will not have a major effect" on Iraqi football because the national team has no international matches scheduled over the next six months. It is the second time FIFA has suspended Iraqi football. The first time was in May last year, after the Iraqi government dissolved the national Olympic committee and all national sports federations. FIFA lifted the ban after the Iraqi government excluded the IFA from dissolution. Iraqi soccer has come a long way since the days of Saddam Hussein, when Hussein's son, Uday, was president of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and regularly threatened players with physical violence and torture if they played poorly. The national soccer team has continued playing, however, and has been viewed as something that has united Iraqis across sectarian lines. Although Iraq has not qualified for next year's World Cup in South Africa, the national team was able to celebrate becoming the Asia champions in 2007. In July, Iraq played its first home game since 2002, beating its Palestinian opponents 4-0. Tens of thousands attended the match in the capital after FIFA lifted its ban on international games in Iraq. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

Question: What organization banned them?

Question: What was disbanded?

Question: who stands by decision to disband Iraqi football association?

Question: who banned iran from international?

Question: What year did Iraq win the Asian title?

Answer: FIFA

Answer: Iraqi Football Association

Answer: Olympic Committee

Answer: FIFA

Answer: 2007.

Summary:
Iraqi Olympic Committee stands by decision to disband Iraqi football association .
FIFA banned Iraq from international competition following move .
Iraq won Asian championship in 2007 but failed to reach next year's World Cup .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The Kurdish bloc in the Iraqi parliament intends to boycott the vote on a proposed election law if the oil-rich province of Kirkuk is banned from voting in next year's national elections, two Kurdish lawmakers said. A vote may be held Thursday on a proposal that would govern the elections, now set for January 16, legislators Mahmoud Othman and Abdul Bari al-Zebari said on Wednesday. Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, was excluded from provincial elections last January. Kurds displaced under Saddam Hussein's rule settled on land they say is rightfully theirs. However, Arab and Turkmen residents claim many more Kurds have moved into Kirkuk than were displaced, and that allowing them to vote would create an unfair advantage. Without the Kurdish lawmakers there will be no quorum, thereby blocking the vote, Sunni lawmaker Salim al-Jabouri, a member of the small Sunni political bloc, the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, told CNN. Before conducting balloting next year, Iraq needs an election law that lays out basic rules. If one is not adopted, the government may have to either reschedule the election or rely on the law used in the 2005 national elections, officials say. Lawmakers failed to reach agreement on the issue a week ago. The other contentious election issue is that of open lists versus closed lists on ballots. Open lists would name candidates and their parties; closed lists would name only parties. Existing law, used in the 2005 election, mandates a closed list. President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other political leaders -- members of the Political Council for National Security -- reached a tentative agreement on the draft bill Tuesday evening. Talabani's office released no details on the content. The constitutional deadline for the elections is January 31. The election commission needs at least 90 days after passage of the law to carry out elections, which U.S. and Iraqi government officials call a vital step in Iraqi efforts to solidify a democratic system in the post-Saddam Hussein era. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report

Question: What is the issue on ballots?

Question: Sunni lawmaker says what will lead to no quorum, blocking a vote?

Question: where is kirkuk

Question: What month was Kirkuk excluded from  elections?

Question: who is sunni lawmaker

Question: Kirkuk was excluded from what?

Answer: Open lists would name candidates and their parties; closed lists would name only parties.

Answer: Without the Kurdish

Answer: north of Baghdad,

Answer: last January.

Answer: Salim al-Jabouri,

Answer: provincial elections

Summary:
A boycott would lead to no quorum, blocking a vote, Sunni lawmaker says .
Kirkuk was excluded from provincial elections last January .
The issue of open lists versus closed lists on ballots is also contentious .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The United States plans to appeal a federal judge's dismissal of charges against five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 people in Baghdad in 2007, Vice President Joe Biden announced Saturday.

Speaking at a joint appearance with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, Biden said he was "disappointed" with the ruling, and that the Justice Department would file the appeal next week.

"The United States is determined to hold accountable anyone who commits crimes against the Iraqi people," Biden told reporters.

The September 2007 shootout in Baghdad's Nusoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and two dozen wounded. The killings led Iraq's government to slap limits on security contractors hired by Blackwater, now known as Xe, and other firms.

An attorney representing one of the five defendants in the case said he was disappointed by Biden's announcement in Iraq, saying it was motivated by "political purposes" as opposed to legal reasoning.

"This is not how the Justice Department announces its intentions in any case," said David Schertler, attorney for Dustin Heard. "We had no idea that the vice president was going to announce a political decision."

Last month, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina found that the government's case was built largely on "statements compelled under a threat of job loss in a subsequent criminal prosecution," a violation of the Fifth Amendment rights of the five men charged.

"In their zeal to bring charges against the defendant in this case, the prosecutors and investigators aggressively sought out statements the defendants had been compelled to make to government investigators in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in the subsequent investigation," Urbina wrote in a 90-page decision.

Federal prosecutors "repeatedly disregarded the warnings of experienced, senior prosecutors assigned to the case" in doing so, he found.

Urbina also sharply criticized prosecutors and federal agents who developed the case, calling their explanations for using the guards' statements "all too often contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility."

"In short, the government has utterly failed to prove that it made no impermissible use of the defendants' statements or that such use was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt," he wrote.

Schertler, Heard's attorney, said Urbina's "reasoning is sound and will hold up in appeal."

The men were guarding a State Department convoy moving through western Baghdad when the shooting began. The company said its contractors came under attack, but Iraqi authorities called the gunfire unprovoked and indiscriminate.

Each of the now-former guards -- Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard, Donald Ball and Nicholas Slatten -- faced 14 counts of manslaughter, 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.

Prosecutors requested that charges against Slatten be dropped in November, but Thursday's ruling dismisses the counts against all five.

"We're obviously pleased at the decision dismissing the entire indictment and are very happy that these courageous young men can begin the new year without this unfair cloud hanging over them," Slough's lawyer, Mark Hulkower, said at the time of the dismissal.

A sixth guard, Jeremy Ridgeway, pleaded guilty in 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

CNN's Dan Lothian and Samira Simone contributed to this report.

Question: Five Blackwater security guards are accused of what?

Question: What did Joe Biden say?

Question: What did Iraqis call the gunfire?

Question: What were Blackwater security guards accused of?

Question: How many people were killed?

Question: What did the judge find?

Question: What did the judge find the case was largely built on?

Answer: killing 17 people

Answer: he was "disappointed" with the ruling, and that the Justice Department would file the appeal next week.

Answer: unprovoked and indiscriminate.

Answer: killing 17 people in Baghdad in 2007,

Answer: 17

Answer: dismissal of charges against

Answer: "statements compelled under a threat of job loss in a subsequent criminal prosecution,"

Summary:
Five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 people in Baghdad in 2007 .
Company says contractors came under attack, Iraqis call gunfire unprovoked .
Judge found case was built largely on "statements compelled under a threat of job loss"
Joe Biden said he is"disappointed" with the ruling, Justice Department will appeal .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Three people were killed when a parked car rigged with explosives blew up Saturday in Najaf on the eve of parliamentary elections, the Interior Ministry said.

At least 54 others -- 17 Iraqis and 37 Iranians -- were injured in the attack near the Imam Ali Holy Shrine, which houses the tomb of Ali, cousin of the Prophet Mohammed.

Two of the dead were Iranians, the interior official said. Najaf, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Baghdad, is frequented by Shiite pilgrims from Iran.

Iraqis will go to the polls Sunday to choose a 325-member parliament. The election has been marred by violence despite heavy security.

It is Iraq's fifth nationwide vote since 2003, but only the second for a full four-year-term parliament.

Three attacks happened Thursday during early voting for those who will be unable to cast ballots Sunday, such as military and security personnel, detainees, hospital staff, and patients.

A total of 12 people were killed and dozens were wounded. There have been warnings of further insurgent attacks around the vote.

These are Iraq's first national elections since 2005, when the Sunni Arab population boycotted the elections and the political process. A Shiite-led government emerged and the Sunnis, feeling disenfranchised, went on to form the main part of the insurgency.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq calls the elections an "important milestone in Iraq's democratic progress," serving to strengthen the country's sovereignty and independence as the United States draws down its military presence there.

Sunday's elections were supposed to happen in January but were delayed because of political disagreements and a delay in passing the election law that paved the way for this vote.

There are 18.9 million eligible voters, casting ballots for 325 seats in the Council of Representatives, as Iraq's parliament is called. The seats represent Iraq's 18 provinces. At least a quarter of the positions -- 82 -- are guaranteed to go to women, and eight more have been allocated for minorities. They include five set aside for Christians and one each for the Shabak, Sabaeans (Mandaeans), and Yazidis.

The number of seats is increasing from the previous 275. Seat allocation was based on 2005 population data from the Ministry of Trade and adjusted for a 2.8 percent annual growth across all governates.

Voting for Iraqis abroad also is happening in 16 countries starting Friday -- including the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Canada and others in the Middle East and Europe. There are no exact figures for those eligible to cast ballots abroad. Estimates on turnout have ranged anywhere from 300,000 to 3 million.

Around 6,200 candidates from more than 80 political entities are vying for seats. It is the first parliamentary vote to use an open list, in which the voters vote for political entities and, if they want, also can vote for candidates within those entities, according to the U.N. Assistance Mission.

Although open lists complicates the training of election staff and the counting of votes, the system enhances the role of the voter in the election beyond casting a vote simply for a political party, the assistance mission says.

At least 25 percent of the candidates on the ballot list of each political entity must be women.

The assistance mission is providing technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission, which is organizing the vote.

The commission has ordered that all political campaigning must end as of 7 a.m. Saturday.

A number of other special measures are being put in place for security reasons. Since Monday, there has been a ban on motorcycles and bicycles in Baghdad until further notice, and on Sunday a two-day ban on any vehicles in cities will begin, Iraqi authorities announced on state television.

Provincial borders will be sealed, preventing movements between provinces, from Saturday to Monday. And international borders and all airports will be shut from midnight Saturday.

A curfew will be in place in cities from midnight to 5 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, officials said. Civilians may not carry weapons on those days, they said.

More

Question:
Where was the explosion near?
Where I was an explosion?
How many people are eligible to vote?
How many members are up for grab?
How many people died in the explosion?

Answer: Imam Ali Holy Shrine,

Answer: Najaf

Answer: 18.9 million

Answer: 325-member

Answer: Three

Summary:
Explosion near Imam Ali Holy Shrine kills 3 on day before parliamentary elections .
Seats in the 325-member parliament are up for grabs .
Elections were supposed to be in January but were delayed by political disagreements .
18.9 million people are eligible to vote, and will choose from about 6,200 candidates .


Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Violent attacks on election day didn't stop large numbers of Iraqis from successfully casting their votes in key parliamentary elections Sunday. "Yes, we were scared after we heard these bombings, but we just had to come," said a woman who identified herself only as Ghisoun. Her two children were at her side. "It's an opportunity we can't miss -- not for us, but for our children," she said. Polls in Iraq to elect a 325-member parliament closed Sunday evening, capping an electoral process in which militants intent on disrupting the vote carried out dozens of attacks that killed 38 people. Despite the risks, voter turnout could reach 55 percent, a senior U.S. official told CNN. Another voter, Ali Abdul Hassan, also risked the uncertainty of voting Sunday with his 2-month-old infant. "I want my baby to start voting early," he said. The general feeling expressed by voters on election day was a longing for change and for a government that will be able to provide basic things such as water, electricity, jobs and security. A woman in line to vote in Baghdad said her vote was a way of fighting back against acts of terrorism in Iraq. Preliminary results are expected by Wednesday, the United Nations said. Results will start emerging for each province as soon as votes are tallied from 30 percent of polling centers in that province. About 60 security incidents were reported throughout the country Sunday, the senior U.S. official said. These included fatal mortar and rocket attacks in various Baghdad neighborhoods. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said those reports of mortar attacks in Baghdad had not yet been confirmed. According to Gates, Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, "had expected a significant number of high-profile attacks, both suicide vests and truck and car bombs, but the security situation, the efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces are such that al Qaeda in Iraq was forced to change their tactics." Speaking at the White House, President Obama also downplayed Sunday's violence. Some violence was expected, Obama said, but "overall, the level of security, and the prevention of destabilizing attacks, speaks to the growing capability and professionalism of Iraqi security forces, which took the lead in providing protection at the polls." The success of the vote showed that "the future of Iraq belongs to the people of Iraq," Obama said. The United States does not support particular candidates in Iraq, but does support Iraqis' right to elect their representatives, he said. "We know there will be very difficult days ahead in Iraq," Obama said. "There will probably be more violence. But, like any sovereign, independent nation, Iraq must be free to chart its own course." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Iraq's High Electoral Commission and security forces for running and securing the vote. "I congratulate all the people of Iraq who participated in national elections today and over the past three days," she said in a statement. "There is no better rebuke to the violent extremists who seek to derail Iraq's progress." Counting was taking place at the polling stations at the end of voting, under the gaze of observers. Ballots will be counted twice to ensure accuracy, according to the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq. The number of ballots cast will be reconciled with the number of ballots issued to each polling station, and in case of a significant discrepancy, the station will be audited, the U.N. said. Authorities in Baghdad announced a curfew on the capital from 10 p.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday. In a statement Sunday, Obama said: "I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence, and who exercised their right to vote today." Referring to the day's violence, he added: "We mourn the tragic loss of life today, and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their

Question: Who carried out attacks as Iraqis head to polls?

Question: who congratulates iraqis

Question: When are the results expected according the U.N?

Question: who closed in iraq

Question: Polls closed in which country?

Question: what can't be missed?

Answer: militants

Answer: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Answer: by Wednesday,

Answer: Polls

Answer: Iraq

Answer: an opportunity

Summary:
NEW: Obama congratulates Iraqis, mourns loss of life, praises overall security level .
Polls close in Iraq; results expected by Wednesday, U.N. says .
"It's an opportunity we can't miss," one Iraqi voter says .
Militants carry out attacks as Iraqis head to polls; dozens killed .


Bakersfield, California (CNN) -- When Vincent Barrett died alone in July at age 72, the coroner's office could not find any next of kin. Similarly, Ronald Axtell was listed as indigent -- no survivors and no funds for a funeral -- when he died at age 69. And yet a small army of men and women gathered to pay their respects to the two men, both Air Force veterans, as they were buried at Bakersfield National Cemetery in September. Marsha Dickey, who works in the Kern County coroner's office, was instrumental in making sure the men got the honors they deserved. "She worked very hard to see that they were veterans ... and without that ... we probably would not be here today to honor them," said Lynn Sprayberry, founder and chairwoman of Friends of Fallen Heroes, a local organization that makes sure veterans receive a respectful service at Bakersfield National Cemetery. The coroner's office also discovered that Barrett, a former staff sergeant, had been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in Korea. Axtell was a former airman second class. "Without [Dickey's] persistence, these two individuals would be placed in a county-owned site," said Wesley Jones, director of the Bakersfield National Cemetery. "Nobody would have known. ... Nobody would have any concept of who these individuals were." Leon Thomas, who served in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1951 and was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star medal for bravery, helped spread the word about the double funeral. "The folks at the coroner's office are patriotic Americans," Thomas said. "We got on the phone and on the Internet and invited our friends." News of the funeral even made the local paper. "I really didn't know there would be this many people to come out," Sprayberry said. And come they did, civilians and veterans. An awning built to shade mourners from the hot San Joaquin Valley sun was not big enough to cover everyone. A few brought umbrellas for shade. Many held American flags, some small and some very large and carried on poles. Some brought flowers; one vet held a few yellow roses; another left a bouquet of red, white and blue flowers with a simple message printed on a white ribbon: "Thank you." When the honor guard approached with Barrett's flag-draped casket, civilians put their hands over their hearts. The veterans -- some wearing motorcycle leather and bandanas, some sport shirts and slacks, others donning the suit jackets and pea caps favored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- stood at attention and snapped crisp salutes. They saluted again when the honor guard fired three volleys of seven shots and when the lone bugler played taps. As the guard tightly folded the flag that draped Barrett's casket, a woman in her 20s took cell phone video with one hand and wiped tears with the other. Barrett's ceremony was brief, not much longer than 10 minutes. Axtell's ceremony started shortly after, his ashes carried by the honor guard in a small wooden box. It lasted about as long as the first, with the same volley of shots, taps and salutes. The sergeant of the guard gave Barrett's folded flag to Sprayberry. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, who also serves as the county coroner, received Axtell's flag. In the minutes between services, cemetery director Jones asked the crowd whether there were "any family representatives here for Mr. Axtell?" No one came forward. "There were 125, give or take, people here who had no idea who ... Barrett or Axtell were," Jones said. "They didn't know if they were African-American, Hispanic, Caucasian. They didn't even know they were in the Air Force. But they were here." "They're patriotic Americans, and they showed up," Thomas added. "I knew their names and their rank, and that's all I knew," Sprayberry said. "And yet, I was

Question: Who were the veterans who died?

Question: Who helped make sure the men got military burials?

Question: What would have happened if not fot he coroner's intervention?

Question: Who came out to turn their respects?

Question: How many air force veterans died?

Question: What did the local coroner official make sure happen?

Question: What did a small army of men and women do?

Question: How many Air Force veterans died in California without next of kin?

Answer: Ronald Axtell

Answer: Lynn Sprayberry,

Answer: be placed in a county-owned site,"

Answer: a small army of men and women

Answer: two

Answer: veterans receive a respectful service

Answer: gathered to pay their respects

Answer: two

Summary:
Two Air Force veterans died in California without any next of kin .
Local coroner's official helped make sure the men got military burials .
Without her efforts, they would have been interred in a county-owned facility .
Small army of men and women turned out to pay their respects .


Bali, Indonesia (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta praised China on more than one occasion Sunday during a series of meetings with fellow defense ministers from southeast Asia, but hinted if relations between the United States and China worsen, it could be a threat to "the security of the world."

He said he appreciates China's muted response to the United States announcing a deal last month to sell more arms to Taiwan, and he lauded China for working with its neighbors with regards to the contentious issues involving the South China Sea.

"I would commend them for the way that they've handled the news of that sale to Taiwan, compared to the past," Panetta told reporters after a meeting with Indonesia's defense minister Sunday in Bali.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province. Taiwan began as the remnant of the government that ruled over mainland China, until a Communist uprising proved victorious in 1949.

The $5.3 billion arms package, announced last month, includes upgrades to Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet.

Last year, a similar deal prompted China to temporarily cut off military to military relations with Americans. This time, aside from some strong objections voiced by Beijing, Panetta said there has been no tangible action taken in response by China. "I've heard nothing that indicates that they're taking any steps in reaction to that," Panetta said.

Part of the reason might be the way the United States government handled the sales. "It was something that the United States had announced but we had given the Chinese a heads up as to what was going to take place," Panetta said. "I think in the end ... they handled it in a professional and diplomatic way and we appreciate that. "

The South China Sea, a body of water east of Vietnam, north of Malaysia and west of the Philippines, has been a source of regional tensions for decades. But because of recent discoveries of massive oil reserves as well as its importance to regional maritime and aviation navigation, tensions have increased recently. Many countries lay claims to the same parts of the sea.

After his meeting with the Indonesian defense minister, Panetta met with defense ministers from all eight member nations of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes all the nations that border the South China Sea, except China.

In remarks prepared for the start of the meeting, Panetta said, "I applaud the July accord between ASEAN and China on implementing guidelines to the 2002 declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea. I would encourage you to maintain this momentum, and continue working towards a binding code of conduct."

But Panetta said there are still some concerns regarding China's military that bear watching.

"Obviously there are some concerns about some of the things they are doing on modernization, there are concerns about some of the things they are doing with some of the more sophisticated weapons that have been developed."

He said China being open and letting the world know what its military is doing is key. "As long as they are transparent, as long as we can discuss these issues on a frank and direct basis then I think we can develop a strong working relationship."

He ended his discussion of China with the reporters on an ominous note about positive relations. "I think it would be in the interest, not only in the interest of both nations, but also in the interest of the security of the world."

Question: What are there concerns about?

Question: What is in the interest of globabl security?

Question: Which country did the U.S. sell arms to?

Question: What is there concern about?

Question: What are the concerns from?

Question: What did China handle well?

Question: What did Panetta say?

Question: What is in the interest of global security?

Question: What does Panera say about China?

Answer: China's military

Answer: positive relations.

Answer: Taiwan,

Answer: China's military

Answer: about some of the things they are doing with some of the more sophisticated weapons that have been developed."

Answer: the United States announcing a deal last month to sell more arms to Taiwan,

Answer: he appreciates China's muted response

Answer: relations between the United States and China

Answer: "I would commend them for the way that they've handled the news of that sale to Taiwan, compared to the past,"

Summary:
China handled news of U.S. arms sale to Taiwan well, Panetta says .
Still, there are some concerns about China weapons program, he says .
A strong relationship with China is in the interest of global security .


Bali, Indonesia (CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama declared his nine-day Asia-Pacific trip a success on Saturday, returning to the trip's domestic impact after focusing for days on the United States' role in the region and its relationship with China.

In his weekly address, delivered from Bali, Indonesia,Obama said the trip helped cement trade deals that will support nearly 130,000 jobs. Agreements announced to export Boeing aircraft and G.E. engines to the region could increase U.S. exports by up to $39 billion, he said.

"These agreements will help us reach my goal of doubling American exports by 2014 -- a goal we're on pace to meet," he said.

Obama was flying back to the United States on Saturday. He was scheduled to be back in Washington early Sunday.

The administration advertised the trip, which began with a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Hawaii, primarily as an effort to shore up to United States' role in the economically important region as a means of helping boost the ailing U.S. economy.

Secondarily, White House officials characterized the trip as an effort to demonstrate its commitment to the region and its allies there as the United States winds down its military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and China begins to exert its own rising influence.

During the trip, Obama announced an agreement to station U.S. Marines in Australia and held face-to-face meetings with Chinese officials and other leaders on economic and security issues, in addition to participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic summit and the East Asia Summit in Indonesia -- a first for a U.S. president, according to the White House.

During the summit, Obama and his counterparts discussed economic issues, disaster response and territorial disputes over the South China Sea, an area critical to maritime shipping and one rich in oil and fish.

China has claimed a significant portion of the South China Sea as its own territorial waters, putting it in conflict with other nations that have made claims on portions of the region.

Sixteen of 18 leaders present at the meeting spoke out strongly against China's stance in what was a productive, but not confrontational meeting, according to a senior administration official. Premier Wen Jiabao told the group that China wants to see the issue resolved peacefully, according to the official.

"I think it was constructive, and one has to believe that the Chinese premier will go back to Beijing with the sense that the center of gravity in the Asia Pacific area is around the adherence to the principle of the rule of law, peaceful resolution, and a constructive, rules-based approach to the resolution of territorial disputes," the official said.

Obama later met with the Chinese premier in a hastily-arranged meeting to continue their discussion on economic issues and the territorial dispute.

Those talks occurred against the backdrop of Chinese consternation over the United States' increasing assertiveness in the region.

An editorial published Friday by the state-controlled Xinhua news agency chided the United States for what it called a willingness to flaunt international rules, even as it insists other countries follow them. It highlighted the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"Today, when the world is still facing many difficult global challenges, the United States needs to first revisit its double standards on international rules and start observing them itself instead of lecturing China." Xinhua said in the editorial.

Obama's last appointment Saturday before leaving for Washington was a meeting with Thailand's first woman prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Obama congratulated Shinawatra on her "inspirational" election win, and offered condolences and assistance to those affected by the flooding in Thailand.

He also described Thailand as one of America's oldest allies and spoke of the two nations' great friendship. When Shinawatra expressed her regret at not having visited the United States, Obama responded by inviting her to Hawaii.

Question: Obama also meets with Chinese premier over what other topics?

Question: What will the US benefit out of the deal?

Question: When is Obama scheduled to return to Washington?

Question: What will deals cemented on the trip support?

Question: Obama says deals cemented on the trip will support what?

Question: President Barack Obama declares Asia-Pacific trip what?

Answer: economic and security issues,

Answer: doubling American exports by 2014

Answer: early Sunday.

Answer: nearly 130,000 jobs.

Answer: nearly 130,000 jobs.

Answer: a success

Summary:
NEW: President Barack Obama declares Asia-Pacific trip a success .
NEW: Obama says deals cemented on the trip will support U.S. jobs and exports .
NEW: Obama also meets with Chinese premier over maritime disputes, economic issues .
NEW: Obama is scheduled to return to Washington early Sunday .


Baltimore, Maryland (CNN) -- President Obama and House GOP leaders promised greater efforts to step back from the partisan brink Friday, acknowledging that Washington's toxic political climate has made it increasingly tough to tackle major problems.

The pledge was immediately called into question, however, as the two parties repeatedly expressed sharply differing viewpoints during a rare meeting at a House Republican retreat in Baltimore.

Obama accepted an invitation from House GOP leaders to address their caucus. His speech Friday was followed by an often pointed question-and-answer session.

"House Republican leaders are grateful for [Obama's] willingness to come ... and have a frank and honest conversation," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana. "We welcome the dialogue with the president."

The president accused Republicans of frequently mischaracterizing his policy proposals, particularly in the health care debate.

Republicans, in turn, complained the White House and congressional Democrats had ignored their ideas, locked them out of the policy-making process and unfairly labeled them as obstructionists.

"Both sides can take some blame for a sour climate on Capitol Hill," Obama said, adding that Democrats and Republicans need to be careful in choosing their rhetoric. "A ton of civility instead of slash and burn would be helpful."

The president highlighted what he said was problematic GOP rhetoric on his health care proposals. Republicans, he said, had characterized the proposed program as some "kind of Bolshevik plot."

In fact, he said that much of his plan was similar to what Republicans had proposed during the failed Clinton-era push to overhaul health care.

Both sides need to "close the gap a little bit between rhetoric and reality," the president argued. Calling his health care plan "some wild-eyed plot to impose big government in every aspect of our lives" leaves little room for bipartisan negotiation, Obama said.

The president questioned how Republicans could negotiate in good faith after using such rhetoric without exposing themselves to conservative primary challengers.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he tried to be honest about differences over administration proposals.

"I truly believe a government takeover of health care ... is the essence of their bill," Boehner said.

Obama conceded there's been a failure on his part to "try to foster better communications even if there's disagreement."

He has promised regular meetings with GOP leaders in the future. Boehner welcomed the gesture but said it is equally important for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to give Republicans a greater role in the legislative process.

Bipartisanship "isn't about taking one little Republican idea and throwing it in a 2,000-page bill," he said after Obama argued that Democratic leaders had taken GOP proposals into account in the health care debate.

"If you're really serious about building a bipartisan product ... you need to do it from the beginning."

Republicans criticized the president for failing to fulfill a promise to televise all the health care negotiations on C-SPAN. Obama called the criticism "legitimate" but noted the overwhelming majority of committee hearings on the legislation had been conducted in front of TV cameras.

After the bills had cleared the committees, however, it became a "messy process," he conceded.

"I take responsibility for not having structured it in a way where it was all taking place in one place that could be filmed," he said.

Obama and Republicans strongly criticized each other on a range of issues tied to taxes and spending.

GOP leaders said Obama's $862 billion stimulus plan had been ineffective and repeatedly urged the president to consider an across-the-board tax cut.

Obama said it would be wrong to slash taxes for the richest Americans or the banking sector in a weak economy. He also argued that the stimulus program had saved key jobs in GOP districts across the country.

"There is not a single person in here who, had it not been for what was in the stimulus package, wouldn't be going home to more teachers laid off, more firefighters laid off, more

Question: Who does Obama blame?

Question: Who is to blame for sour climate on Capitol Hill?

Question: What does President Obama say?

Question: Who is the House Minority Leader?

Question: Obama says what?

Answer: "Both sides

Answer: Hill,"

Answer: "Both sides can take some blame for a sour climate on Capitol Hill,"

Answer: John Boehner,

Answer: "Both sides can take some blame for a sour climate on Capitol Hill,"

Summary:
NEW: House Minority Leader John Boehner says the day "went very well"
President Obama says stimulus plan saved jobs in GOP districts .
Obama says some Republicans acted as if health care plan was "some Bolshevik plot"
Obama says Democrats, Republicans both are to blame for "sour climate" on Capitol Hill .


Bangkok (CNN) -- Much of Southeast Asia continued its recovery from heavy rains and extensive flooding Friday, including scores of deaths and extensive damage in Thailand.

The wet weather is not entirely abnormal in the region, which is still in the midst of its wet season. Still, the extent of destruction has been particularly devastating in some locales in recent weeks.

Thai authorities early Friday said that the flooding had left at least 244 people dead, and some 28 provinces have been affected.

More than 820,000 households have been affected in four of the hardest-hit provinces -- Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Chai Nat and Nakhon -- the state-run MCOT news agency reported, quoting the national disaster prevention and mitigation ministry.

An official Thai industrial agency urged factories in Ayutthaya province to shut down through October 11 in order to give it more time to tackle pervasive flooding.

The same MCOT report described the situation at the Rojana Industrial Park, in particular, as "critical." A government industrial ministry said water will continue to rise over a flood prevention dike, causing issues in the park which has 198 factories that employ 90,000 people.

Nationwide, Thai's Labor ministry reported Friday that 1,215 factories in 33 provinces were underwater -- a disaster that affected about 41,000 workers. Almost half of those workers were in Ayutthaya. Moreover, a corrections department official told MCOT that 3,700 inmates in that province had to be evacuated after their prison was submerged under 1.7 meters (6 feet) of water.

Filipinos, meanwhile, are trying to regain their footing after being pummeled by successive typhoons in the span of a week.

Typhoon Nesat -- known locally as Pedring -- claimed 55 lives, and the death toll from Nalgae -- known locally as Quiel -- rose to four earlier this week.

Health and government officials were working fervently to prevent more deaths Friday as they provided medical treatment for people from flood-stricken areas.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that 54 medical teams from hospitals in and around Manila have gone to evacuation centers in Bulacan and Pampanga to treat the ill, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported.

About 3,600 patients in evacuation centers had respiratory diseases, such as the flu and pneumonia, while there were about 600 diarrhea cases, said Ona. In addition, five in Bulacan had leptospirosis, a bacterial disease.

Nearby countries were also dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding.

That includes Laos, where the top official in Savannakhet province requested "large amounts of government funding" in 12 of 15 districts, money that could be used to repair irrigation systems and develop anti-flood systems, according to the state-run KPL news agency.

And in Cambodia, Agriculture minister H.E. Chan Saran said that flooding there had affected more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of rice fields and killed 1,000 working animals in 103 of the nation's 145 districts, the official AKP agency reported Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her nation's "deepest condolences" for the families of those who died in Southeast Asia due to the heavy rains and flooding.

"Our embassies in the region are working with local authorities and international organizations to assess how the United States can be of help to countries where the impact of the flooding has been especially devastating," Clinton said in a statement.

CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.

Question: How many are left dead?

Question: How many provinces does it affect?

Question: Who are treating thousands forced to evacuate due to floods?

Question: Which nations have also been impacted?

Question: What leaves 244 dead and 1215 factories submerged?

Question: What number of provinces is affected by the floods?

Answer: 244

Answer: 28

Answer: 54 medical teams from hospitals in and around Manila

Answer: Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Chai Nat and Nakhon

Answer: flooding

Answer: 28

Summary:
Flooding in Thailand leaves at least 244 dead and 1,215 factories submerged .
It affects 28 provinces, including 820,000 households in four provinces .
Doctors in the Philippines are treating thousands forced to evacuate due to floods .
Laos, Cambodia and other nations also have been impacted .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)  -- Thai authorities seized a cargo aircraft carrying tons of weapons from North Korea during a refueling stop in Bangkok, a government official said.

The pilot told Thai authorities the aircraft was headed to Sri Lanka, but its final destination was unknown, according to Panitan Wattanayagorn, a spokesman for the Thai prime minister.

It contained about 35 tons of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched rockets and tubes that may be missile components, the spokesman said.

The plane, which was detained Saturday, had five people onboard -- four from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus. They will appear in court Monday on charges related to illegal weapons smuggling, the spokesman said.

Thai government officials acted after working with several intelligence agencies for several weeks, the spokesman said. The cargo was taken to a military base while the plane, which is registered in Georgia, remains at Don Muang.

Sri Lanka officials said there were no shipments scheduled in the country either by air or sea from North Korea.

"We have asked the Sri Lanka embassy in Bangkok to obtain details from the Thai authorities," the ministry said. "We will have more information on the progress of their investigation later on Sunday."

Such an aircraft could not have landed in any of Sri Lanka's airports without prior authorization, officials in Colombo said.

Last year, two arm dealers were arrested in Thailand. The men's arrest came after a series of events that involved law enforcement agencies from at least five countries, including two undercover agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Viktor Bout and his associate, Andrew Smulian, made millions of dollars delivering weapons and ammunition to warlords and militants, officials said.

Bout is accused of supplying weapons to war zones around the world -- from Sierra Leone to Afghanistan. He has repeatedly said he has not broken any laws and the allegations against him are lies

A Thai court rejected a U.S. extradition request for Bout in August.

CNN's Dan Rivers and journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report.

Question: When was the plane detained?

Question: What number of  people where on board the plan?

Question: How many people were on board?

Question: How much weapons was on the plane?

Question: What did the plane contain?

Question: What did government officials do?

Question: Where were they from?

Answer: Saturday,

Answer: five

Answer: five

Answer: 35 tons

Answer: tons of weapons

Answer: seized a cargo aircraft carrying tons of weapons from North

Answer: Kazakhstan

Summary:
Plane contained about 35 tons of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades and shoulder-launched rockets .
The plane, which was detained Saturday, had five people onboard -- four from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus .
Thai government officials acted after working with several intelligence agencies for several weeks .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Anti-government protesters poured a small amount of blood at the headquarters of the government in Bangkok on Tuesday, but the demonstration did not live up to their threat to douse the ministers' offices in blood.

The protesters had launched a blood drive earlier to collect enough samples for the demonstration.

Thousands of "red shirts" -- so named for their clothing -- held out their forearms to allow their compatriots to draw blood.

The protesters intended to collect 1,000 liters (1 million cubic centimeters) and then throw the blood on the grounds of the Government House, which houses ministerial offices, at 6 p.m. (7 a.m. ET).

"Red shirts" rally in Bangkok: Share your photos

If Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva still refuses to dissolve parliament, the demonstrators said they will collect another 1,000 liters of blood Wednesday and splash it on the headquarters of the ruling party.

The next day, they will collect 1,000 more liters and target the prime minister's residence, the demonstrators said.

What are the protests about?

Abhisit has repeatedly said he will listen to the protesters but will not accede to their demands.

The anti-government demonstrations began Friday. By Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters had poured into the center of Bangkok.

The rallies have been largely peaceful. Abhisit has said his government will not use force to quell the demonstrations.

The nation's tourism minister estimated the demonstrations might have resulted in a 20 percent drop in tourists. The impact on Chinese visitors appears to have been greater, with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce reporting a 50 percent cancellation rate.

The protesters are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006.

Thaksin was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full term and remains hugely popular.

He fled the country in 2008 while facing trial on corruption charges that he says were politically motivated.

The protesters say Abhisit was not democratically elected and have demanded that he call new elections.

Since Thaksin's ouster, Thailand has endured widespread political unrest that has pitted Thaksin loyalists against Abhisit supporters.

Two people were killed and at least 135 wounded in riots in April 2009 when protesters clashed with demonstrators supporting the government.

CNN's Kocha Olarn and Dan Rivers contributed to this report

Question: What did thousands hold out their forearms for

Question: What did demonstrators threaten to splash blood on

Question: What have demonstrators threatened to do?

Question: The demonstrators where supporting what former prime minister

Question: Who holds out their forearms to give blood?

Question: What happened to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra?

Question: What are demonstrators threatening to do?

Answer: compatriots to draw blood.

Answer: the grounds of the Government House,

Answer: douse the ministers' offices in blood.

Answer: Thaksin Shinawatra,

Answer: Anti-government protesters

Answer: ousted in a bloodless military coup

Answer: douse the ministers' offices in blood.

Summary:
Thousands of "red shirts" hold out forearms to give blood for message .
Demonstrators threaten to to splash blood on ruling party headquarters, PM's residence .
Protesters are supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- As the death toll climbed Monday from flooding in Southeast Asia, officials beefed up flood prevention measures to protect Thailand's capital from rising water.

Millions have been affected by the flooding in Thailand and Cambodia, which has been hit by an above-average monsoonal rainy season. As of Monday, 269 people were dead in Thailand and four were missing, according to the country's Flood Relief Operations Command. Another 207 people were dead in Cambodia, according to the country's state-run news agency AKP.

Patients in two hospitals in Thailand's Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan provinces had to be evacuated after water reached the first floor, the flood operations command said.

Multiple tropical systems have moved over the area in recent weeks, enhancing monsoon rains and leading to the flooding. Another low pressure system is forecast to move into Southeast Asia on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Brandon Miller, senior meteorologist for CNN International.

On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered canal dredging and reinforcement of flood-prevention embankments to protect Bangkok, state-run news agency MCOT reported. In addition, three new flood-prevention walls were being built at two locations in Rangsit, in northern Bangkok, and in Taling Chan, in the western part of the city.

The government needs another 1.5 million sandbags, MCOT reported. The prime minister called on the private sector to supply them, but said the government will buy all the needed sandbags by Wednesday, the news agency said.

The Rojana Industrial Park has halted operations for the time being, director Amara Charoengitwattanagun told MCOT, and the facility may be further damaged if the flooding worsens. One plant in the park, Single Point Parts, evacuated all workers from the premises and built flood prevention embankments around its building, according to MCOT.

Meanwhile, Honda Thailand said on its website Monday that its plants in the Rojana park are flooded and will be closed until at least until the end of the week.

Question:
How many people are dead?
what are the causes of death?
What has happened in weeks?
Where are officials wanting to protect?

Answer: 269

Answer: flooding

Answer: Multiple tropical systems have moved over the area

Answer: Thailand's capital

Summary:
Nearly 500 people are dead in Thailand and Cambodia .
Officials order measures to protect Bangkok .
The region has seen weeks of heavy rain .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- High tide on Friday sent some water pouring into the Bangkok's Chinatown area, but it receded within a few hours, while the commercial district remained largely dry.

Those who have stayed in the city despite the government's pleas to leave are waiting to see if the highest tide, forecast to come Saturday afternoon, will overwhelm defenses along the city's river and many canals and bring more damaging floods.

Floodwaters that drenched much of central and lower parts of northern Thailand crept Thursday into Bangkok, stressing embankments and flooding roads, parking lots, factories and markets and sending many residents fleeing for dry ground.

Up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) of water was expected in some areas, said Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as the Chao Phraya River spilled into the city of 12 million people.

Several districts were under a mandatory evacuation order.

"There is water from underground coming up," said Pracha Promnok, chief of the Flood Relief Operations Center. "We are unable to do anything (to stop it)."

Yingluck fielded criticism that the flood relief center had not done enough and -- with tears in her eyes -- called on the public to sympathize with emergency staff, as some of them had also become victims of the flooding.

"Many are exhausted and some problems cannot be controlled and were not caused by (the center)," Yingluck said, according to MCOT.

Thailand's government declared public holidays through the rest of the month in 21 flood-affected provinces, and appealed to Bangkok residents to head to the countryside.

People flocked to bus terminals and crowded the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main airport, in hopes of reaching higher ground. The smaller domestic airport, its runways inundated, was closed until November 1, but Suvarnabhumi was operating normally, protected by 3.5 meters (almost 12 feet) of dikes, said Toopetch Booyarith of the Airport Authority of Thailand.

"We are confident that we will not be affected," Toopetch said.

CNNGo: Updated info for tourists

The streets of the normally bustling metropolis that is notorious for massive traffic jams stood empty Thursday, save for a few public buses and taxis that were able to navigate through. There was even water standing before the Grand Palace, perhaps the most adored of Bangkok's landmarks.

In some neighborhoods vacated by people, domestic animals were left to fend for themselves. "You'll see dogs stranded on rooftops, dogs trying to swim," said Marcelo Cacciola, of the Soi Dog Foundation. "So we went to these little towns around the Bangkok area with boats and rescued the dogs."

Some hotels slashed prices to accommodate the flood-affected and some tourist areas reported full occupancies. In the resort town of Pattaya, fleeing Bangkok residents found it hard to get a room in hotels overflowing with European tourists, the Bangkok Post reported.

Thanyarat Hemkittiwat said she was planning to leave Bangkok to stay with relatives outside the city. "Some families in southern Bangkok had their house flooded," said the 31-year-old worker at a furniture export company, which was shut after it, too, was flooded. "The water level is two meters (six feet) high and smells very bad," she said.

She said the military had set up a flood relief center, "but now even that has water coming in it."

UNICEF said it was providing $300,000 in aid that includes 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert recommending against all but essential travel to affected areas. It noted that most tourist destinations, such as Phuket and Chiang Mai, were unaffected.

U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenny said the crisis was slow-moving and it was hard to know what would be hit next.

The United States has already provided civilian relief resources, including water pumps, water purifiers and life vests, she said, and two U.S. helicopters are helping the Thai military determine the extent of the flooding.

The floods, caused by monsoon rains that saturated rivers, have killed 373 people nationwide

Question: How many people has flooding killed?

Question: What does the prime minister say

Question: Where did high tide send water into?

Question: What was declared

Question: what happened to Bangkok

Question: How many people have died because of flooding?

Question: Where did residents move to during the high tide?

Question: where does high tide send water pouring into?

Answer: 373

Answer: "Many are exhausted and some problems cannot be controlled and were not caused by (the center),"

Answer: area,

Answer: public holidays

Answer: area,

Answer: 373

Answer: dry ground.

Answer: area,

Summary:
NEW: High tide sends water pouring into Bangkok's Chinatown area .
The prime minister says Bangkok is entering a critical stage .
A holiday was declared so that residents could flee to safer ground .
Flooding has killed 373 people and affected more than 9.5 million .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Relations between Cambodia and Thailand took a further turn for the worse Tuesday, after ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Phnom Penh to begin his new job there. Thaksin arrived in Cambodia Tuesday to begin his first day as an economic adviser, a move that has infuriated Thailand. In response to the relationship with Thaksin, Thailand has suspended its cooperation with Cambodia, a Thai government official said Tuesday. Thailand has also suspended a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia, an agreement that governs an overlapping waterway between the two countries, said Panitan Wattanayakorn, a Thai government spokesman. Thai officials also plan to send out an extradition request to Cambodia for Thaksin, the spokesman said. The actions are the latest moves in worsening relations between the southeast Asian countries that were sparked by Cambodia's hiring of Thaksin. Last week, Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia and, in response, Cambodia pulled its top diplomat to Thailand. Cambodian officials said Thaksin arrived Tuesday and had a welcome luncheon with Prime Minister Hun Sen and the two were expected to have a friendly dinner later. Cambodia had not received extradition papers from Thailand, government spokesman Phay Siphan said. Thaksin, a billionaire businessman who served two terms as prime minister, was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. Thaksin fled Bangkok last year while facing trial on corruption charges that he said were politically motivated. Though he has fled the country, he remains a controversial figure in Thailand, and there have been violent clashes in the country between pro and anti-Thaksin groups. CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.

Question:
What is Ousted Thai PM Thaksin?
What did Thailand do?
Who is the Thai PM?
Did he flee Thailand?
When did Thaksin fee Thailand?

Answer: billionaire businessman

Answer: suspended its cooperation with Cambodia,

Answer: Thaksin Shinawatra

Answer: has fled

Answer: last year

Summary:
Ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra arrives in Cambodia to work as economic adviser .
Thai officials say they will issue extradition request for Thaksin .
Thailand suspends cooperation with Cambodia, withdraws ambassador .
Thaksin fled Thailand last year while awaiting trial on corruption charges .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Severe flooding in Thailand on Saturday threatened central areas of Bangkok, a bustling capital barely above sea level and facing inundation at the next high tide predicted at 13 feet.

Residents who decided to stay in their homes despite government pleas to get out waited anxiously to see whether high tide, forecast for Saturday afternoon, would overwhelm defenses along the Chao Phraya River and its many canals.

Bangkok's outer suburbs were already submerged, but the central city had been largely spared the misery Thailand has been suffering for months in the nation's worst flooding since 1942. In the east and the north of the city, water was at waist-level in some neighborhoods, but in central Bangkok, it had been mostly dry.

The city was facing two converging threats, however.

Runoff the equivalent of 480,000 Olympic-size pools was flowing south to the sea through Bangkok, as high tide pushed the water in the opposite direction.

"The challenge is to manage the huge runoff from the north passing via the city on its way to the Gulf of Thailand," a Red Cross bulletin said.

Saturday's high tide, the Red Cross said, was expected to put "extreme pressure" on Bangkok's elaborate system of dikes and other flood defenses.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered work crews Friday to cut channels in roadways to allow faster drainage, according to the state-run MCOT news agency. But the plan was rejected late in the day in favor of dredging canals and using pumps, the Bangkok Post reported.

Health concerns were rising with the water.

Bangkok residents waded through murky waters without knowing what lurked within, the risk of infection and communicable disease worrying health officials. The government sent out crocodile hunters after reports of crocodiles and snakes in the filthy floodwater.

"We were hearing disturbing reports of dangerous animals such as snakes and crocodiles appearing in the floodwaters and every day we see children playing in the water, bathing or wading through it trying to make their way to dry ground," said Annie Bodmer-Roy, spokeswoman for the humanitarian agency Save the Children.

As floodwater entered homes, some Bangkok residents still in the city made plans to leave.

Thanyarat Hemkittiwat said she was going to stay with relatives outside the city.

"Some families in southern Bangkok had their house flooded," said the 31-year-old worker at a furniture export company, which was shut after it also was flooded. "The water level is 2 meters (six feet) high and smells very bad," she said.

The military had set up a flood relief center, "but now even that has water coming in it," she said.

Asked what help the government had provided, she said, "We don't see that the government is doing anything much to help people, so better to help ourselves by getting out of Bangkok." But the Bangkok Post reported that government buses had evacuated a number of elderly residents from the northern and eastern suburbs, and would pick up residents of the capital on Saturday and take them out of Bangkok. As of Saturday, an estimated 1 million of the city's 12 million residents had left.

Another Bangkok resident said she was worried about abandoning her house, which has been flooded for five days, and would not leave. Still, so many people had left that the streets were relatively quiet.

Panic buying had led to a shortage of food and bottled water in the capital, residents said.

City officials bracing for more flooding have opened nine evacuation centers.

Officials urged tourists to steer clear of Bangkok, while noting that many of the other tourist spots, such as Phuket, remained dry and open for business.

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health had transferred 280 of the capital's 520 patients in severe condition to 22 hospitals upcountry, the MCOT news agency reported.

The remaining 240 patients will be taken to hospitals in other provinces by Sunday, it said, citing Permanent-Secretary for Health Paichit Varachit.

Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said that, after months of flooding, 107,101 Thais

Question: what is Many other tourist spots?

Question: What are tourists urged to do?

Question: What is the news about the flooding there?

Question: where is Tourists urged to steer clear?

Answer: Phuket,

Answer: steer clear of Bangkok,

Answer: reports of dangerous animals such as snakes and crocodiles appearing in the floodwaters and every day we see children playing in the water, bathing or wading through it trying to make their way to dry ground,"

Answer: Bangkok,

Summary:
NEW: Tourists urged to steer clear of Bangkok .
Many other tourist spots, such as Phuket, remain dry and open for business .
The outer suburbs are already flooded, but the central city has largely been spared .
The Thai floods have killed 373 people and affected more than 9.5 million .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai officials on Wednesday pulled out of planned cease-fire talks with Cambodia, hours after fighting flared up again in a bloody border dispute that has sent tens of thousands fleeing over the past week.

About 27,000 people are living in shelters in Thailand, the nation's health ministry said.

A Thai army spokesman said the two nations had planned meetings between their defense ministers to discuss a cease-fire.

"But before our departure yesterday, some Cambodian media misreported that our trip to Cambodia was to surrender because we were defeated," said Col. Sansern Kawekumnerd, the spokesman.

"So the minister thought that if we continued our trip to Cambodia today, it will bring wrong messages to Cambodia and the international community."

But the negotiation door is not closed, the spokesman said.

He accused Cambodia of firing again on Tuesday night, and urged the nation to halt attacks "to show their honesty of going back to negotiation table."

The spokesman said Cambodians unsuccessfully attempted to seize Ta Muen and Ta Kwai temples on Tuesday night, leaving one civilian dead.

Thailand calls the temples Ta Kwai and Ta Muen, while Cambodia calls them Ta Krabey and Ta Moan. Much of the border between the two countries remains in dispute.

Both sides claim the disputed temples are in their country.

Clashes between the two started Friday as they accused each other of trying to seize the ancient temples. Thai officials say at least six of its citizens have died and more than 40 injured in the clashes over the past week.

Cambodia has said three of its troops have been killed in the fighting.

In February, at least 10 people were killed when fighting flared up in another disputed border area between the two nations, prompting the United Nations Security Council to issue a statement calling on both sides to implement a cease-fire.

Those clashes stemmed from a longstanding conflict related to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the temple, which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side.

CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.

Question:
how many people living in shelters
Where did the violence erupt?
Where did the voilence erupt?
What number of people are in shelters?
How many people are living in shelters?

Answer: 27,000

Answer: Ta Muen and Ta Kwai temples

Answer: Cambodia,

Answer: 27,000

Answer: 27,000

Summary:
Fresh clashes break out as talks collapse, a Thai official says .
Thailand says 27,000 people are living in shelters .
Each side blames the other for the violence, which erupted near two disputed temples .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai police said Tuesday that they would seek court permission to extend the detention of a Lebanese man they have charged with illegal possession of explosive materials.

The move comes amid tension after the United States and Israel warned their citizens in Bangkok on Friday of the possibility of an imminent terrorist attack.

The police charged the man, Atris Hussein, on Monday after finding "initial chemical materials that could produce bombs" in an area just outside Bangkok. The police said Hussein, who also holds a Swedish passport, led them to the location.

The authorities are accusing Hussein of trying to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists and say he is believed to belong to Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization.

Hussein will be brought to the criminal court Tuesday, so that the police can request authorization to continue to hold him as they pursue their investigation, said Piya Uthayo, a police spokesman. The charges of illegally possessing explosives carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Thai authorities said Sunday they were still looking for another suspect of Middle Eastern origin in the case, providing a sketch of his face.

The materials found Monday in Samutsakorn, southwest of Bangkok, included 400 boxes of fertilizers weighing a total of more than 4,000 kilograms and 1,500 liters of liquid ammonia nitrate, together with 400 electric fans, according to CNN affiliate MCOT.

They were found in a shop house, a type of store common in Southeast Asia that gives onto the sidewalk and also serves as the owner's residence.

Based on comments from Hussein, the authorities believe that "Thailand is only a transit point to send these initial explosive materials to other regional countries," said Police General Priewpan Damapong.

A U.S. Embassy statement on Friday spoke of "foreign terrorists" who may be planning attacks "in the near future." It urged U.S. citizens to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok. Israel issued a similar alert later Friday.

Thailand is a highly popular tourist destination, and Bangkok serves as a major transport hub for the Southeast Asian region.

The country has undergone periods of unrest in recent years. It experienced a spate of political violence during anti-government demonstrations in 2010.

And Muslim separatists in southern Thailand have long battled government forces in a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist, with a number of bombings taking place last year.

Question: Who warned of a terrorist threat?

Question: Who has been charged?

Question: Who has been charged with possession of explosives?

Question: What is the mans name?

Question: What nationality was the alleged terrorist?

Question: Where was a terrorist attack threatened?

Question: What will the court be asked to do?

Question: How much explosives did he have?

Answer: United States and Israel

Answer: Atris Hussein,

Answer: Atris Hussein,

Answer: Atris Hussein,

Answer: Lebanese

Answer: Bangkok

Answer: extend

Answer: 400 boxes of fertilizers weighing a total of more than 4,000 kilograms and 1,500 liters of liquid ammonia nitrate,

Summary:
Thai police have charged a Lebanese man with illegally possessing explosives .
They will ask a court to extend the period of his detention for further investigation .
The move comes after the U.S. and Israel warned of a terrorist threat in Bangkok .
Thai authorities are accusing the suspect of plotting attacks .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand braced for anti-government demonstrations that began Friday and were expected to peak over the weekend with as many as 150,000 protesters on the streets.

In anticipation, the government has mobilized 50,000 security forces, said acting spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn.

The mass rallies are expected to be peaceful but Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd said that crowd-control measures will be used if necessary.

"We will exercise the most effort to explain to demonstrators not to resort to violence, but if worse comes to worst, we may have to apply tear gas," he said.

The "red shirt" opposition protesters include supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006. Thaksin was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full-term in office and remains hugely popular.

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The protesters say that current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was not democratically elected and have demanded that he call new elections.

Since Thaksin's ouster, Thailand has endured widespread political unrest that has pitted Thaksin loyalists against Abhisit's supporters. In September, tens of thousands of red shirt demonstrators converged on the Thai capital, Bangkok, to mark the third anniversary of the coup that ousted Thaksin.

CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this story

Question:
What began Friday?
What did protesters say?
how many troops were mobilized?
who was not democratically elected?

Answer: anti-government demonstrations

Answer: was not democratically elected and have demanded that he call new elections.

Answer: 50,000 security forces,

Answer: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva

Summary:
Anti-government demonstrations begin Friday, expected to peak over weekend .
Mass rallies expected to be peaceful; government mobilizes 50,000 troops .
Protesters say Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva not democratically elected .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra warned Saturday that more water would pour into the capital, Bangkok, as the country endures its worst flood in half a century, state media reported.

Giving her weekly television address to the nation, Shinawatra said efforts were being made to manage the flow of floodwaters to minimize the impact on residents.

Extra protection would be given to historical sites, palaces, hospitals, business districts, utilities and transportation infrastructure, state-run news agency MCOT quoted her as saying.

The government has set up more than 1,700 shelters for victims of flooding in affected provinces, Shinawatra said, according to the agency. There are currently more than 113,000 people staying at the shelters, which can cater for about 800,000, she said.

The government had hoped that strengthening flood barriers and widening canals would keep populated areas safe.

But now the government is trying a different tack: opening floodgates to relieve pressure on dams and levees and send the water toward the sea.

The decision to divert water through canals in Bangkok means parts of the city, and its surrounding suburbs such as Rangsit, are flooded.

The flooding, which follows months of monsoon rains, has already killed 356 people, with nearly 9 million others affected, authorities said.

Overall damage from the floods could top $2 billion, with the worst yet to come as the waters destroy shops and paralyze factories nationwide, the Thai Finance Ministry said.

Many residents waded through dirty water in the capital Friday as they made a desperate attempt to save their belongings.

Among them was a teary-eyed woman named Surirat Prapankarn, from a suburb outside Bangkok, who could be seen lugging her sodden possessions through waist-high water.

Pulling her things out of her front room, Prapankarn said she was overcome with sadness when she looked at her destroyed home and at what had been lost.

She wondered how she would find food for her 16 dogs.

Waters rose overnight in the northern Bangkok suburb of Rangsit, giving residents little chance to save what they could.

The lucky few moved out of flooded homes by boat, or anything that could float. The rest waded through water with plastic bags balanced on their heads.

Pets could be seen tucked into coats or pushed inside boats. Children, meanwhile, seemed to struggle to stay on their feet against the fast-moving water.

Another resident, named Saisamorn Pongsairak, said she had lived in the inundated Rangsit neighborhood all her life.

"I woke up this morning around 2 a.m. and the water was only at my ankle high. But now it is up to my waist," she said.

Pongsairak runs a food store, which she said she refuses to close, frying chicken in waist-high water on an elevated stove.

Thailand's prime minister has urged all Bangkok residents to move their belongings to higher ground as government workers endeavor to contain the flooding.

Government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said the move was a precautionary measure.

To protect their cars, residents double parked along elevated highways, making it nearly impossible to navigate a city where traffic is congested on a normal day.

On Thursday, authorities expressed confidence that the main international airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, was prepared to withstand the water's impact. Airport officials said a 3.5-meter-high flood prevention wall protects the airport.

Thailand derives a significant portion of its revenue from tourism.

CNN's Kocha Olarn and Karen Smith contributed to this report.

Question: Where have floodwaters poured through?

Question: What warning did Thailand's PM give?

Question: What is Thailands prime minister warning of?

Question: Where are the floodwaters pouring?

Question: Where are floodwaters pouring through?

Question: How many people have take refuge in emergency shelters?

Question: Who have taken refuge in emergency shelters?

Question: How many people are in emergency shelters?

Question: Who warned of more flooding?

Answer: Bangkok,

Answer: more water

Answer: would pour into the capital, Bangkok,

Answer: Bangkok,

Answer: into the capital, Bangkok,

Answer: more than 113,000

Answer: victims of flooding in affected provinces,

Answer: more than 113,000

Answer: Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

Summary:
NEW: Thailand's prime minister warns of more flooding to come in the capital .
NEW: More than 113,000 people have taken refuge in emergency shelters .
Floodwaters pour through the northern Bangkok suburb of Rangsit .
The flooding is the worst in Thailand in half a century .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's floodwaters inched toward downtown Bangkok Saturday, threatening some subway stations as leaders urged residents not to open defenses set up to divert the waters from the capital.

At least six subway stations are on the floodway, authorities said.

Residents have threatened to open the defenses to drain water from their flooded neighborhoods, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said.

"The main problem of solving flood is no longer technical but people," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said during the weekly radio address.

The flooding has killed 442 people, the Interior Ministry said. Of Thailand's 64 provinces, 25 have been affected.

Bangkok's central business district is still dry but other parts of the bustling metropolis of 12 million people are inundated.

The flooding has had an enormous business impact as many factories and offices have been under water for more than a month. Affected businesses include Hi Tech Industrial Park, where Canon and Sony own assembly plants.

CNN's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.

Question: how many people were killed in flooding?

Question: what is the name of the area where flood happened?

Question: What was the number of people killed?

Question: What is the disaster?

Question: What killed the people?

Question: four forty two people were killed in what?

Answer: 442

Answer: Bangkok

Answer: 442

Answer: flooding

Answer: flooding

Answer: flooding

Summary:
Interior Ministry: Flooding has killed 442 people .
It is Thailand's worst flooding in decades .


Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's prime minister acknowledged on Sunday he did not expect protesters would use weapons and apply violence toward authority.

Speaking on national television, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made the admission a day after he rejected a call from anti-government protesters to dissolve the country's parliament in 30 days. Abhisit said other groups' political opinions must be taken into consideration before any such action is taken.

More than two dozen civilians and military personnel have died since protesters began occupying key tourism and shopping areas in Thailand's capital.

The demand from the anti-government protesters, known as the "Red Shirts," was the latest in a long list issued since the group stormed parliament in early April and Abhisit declared a state of emergency.

Red Shirt leaders offered Friday to return to the negotiating table -- but only if the government meets certain demands, including lifting a state of emergency and accepting responsibility for the deaths of protesters earlier this month, said Weng Tojirakarn, a co-leader of the group.

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On the government's side, spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told CNN Saturday that there was no counter-proposal to get the negotiations back on track.

"We need to make sure negotiations take place under a conducive environment," Panitan said, explaining that previous attempts to talk to opposition leaders had been derailed due to threats against government officials.

Other conditions that must be met before any negotiations could take place include having protest leaders make sure there will be no further expansion of demonstrations into other districts and no threats to government officers, the government spokesman said.

"These conditions are very critical for peaceful negotiations," Panitan explained. "Negotiation is the only way out in the end, but... we need to stabilize the situation first."

He cited the fact that several demonstrations were taking place "by different 'shirts' and colors," and said that all demonstrators must observe the rule of law and "peace and civility will be restored first."

His remarks came as tension remained high on the streets of Bangkok, where a political standoff has gripped the country for several weeks. The Red Shirts have been clashing with the Thai military in a Bangkok area that serves as a financial hub. Another co-leader of the Red Shirts, Veera Muskapong, met with foreign diplomats Friday and told them he might meet with the government if it meets certain conditions.

Abhisit, meanwhile, huddled with the chiefs of the country's armed forces early Friday after a string of grenade attacks killed at least one person and wounded dozens of others.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said in a televised address that the grenades were launched from the area where the Red Shirts have been encamped for weeks, but the protesters denied any responsibility for the attacks.

Watch red shirt protests

Suthep told Thai television earlier that three people died in the attacks, but Bangkok's Erawan Emergency and Rescue Center later revised the number to one. At least 87 people were wounded, the center said.

Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES), said at his daily news conference Saturday that the protests remain manageable at this time and therefore, authorities would not try to disperse the demonstrations.

He did charge, however, that "terrorists" were interspersed among "innocent demonstrators." The official said authorities would suppress the terrorists at the appropriate time, but did not want to complicate the situation by trying to take action against them now.

Sansern also dismissed rumors of discord between the government, police and military forces, saying that representatives of all those entities were meeting daily to discuss the situation.

Explainer: What are the protests in Thailand about?

The Thai Department of Special Investigation warned Friday that those responsible for the grenade attacks could face the death penalty, the MCOT news agency reported. The attacks prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a travel alert advising American citizens of the escalating violence in Bangkok.

Suthep said riot police and helicopters were deployed to join Thai troops

Question: What does the PM reject?

Question: What didn't the PM expect?

Question: what was rejected by the PM

Question: who did not expect the protesters?

Question: where did tension grip the country?

Question: What did the Thai PM not expect?

Question: What is the government being urged to do?

Question: What are the protesters calling for?

Answer: a call from anti-government protesters to dissolve the country's parliament in 30 days.

Answer: protesters

Answer: a call from anti-government protesters

Answer: Thailand's prime minister

Answer: Thailand's

Answer: protesters

Answer: dissolve the country's parliament

Answer: to dissolve the country's parliament in 30 days.

Summary:
Thai PM: Did not expect protesters would use weapons .
PM rejects call from anti-government protesters to dissolve parliament .
Government urged to lift state of emergency, acknowledge deaths of protesters .
Country gripped by tension after weeks-long political standoff .