(CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir asked Arab leaders meeting in Qatar on Monday to strongly reject an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

Omar al-Bashir is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in Darfur.

Al-Bashir landed in Qatar on Sunday and met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. On Monday, he expressed his gratitude to the Arab League Summit.

"We appreciate your support for Sudan in many areas," al-Bashir said. "This support will, God willing, lead to issuing clear and unequivocal decisions -- rejecting the decision [the ICC arrest warrant]."

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also attended the meeting but avoided any confrontation with al-Bashir. The U.N. leader focused instead on efforts to have humanitarian aid workers allowed back into Sudan.

Sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the Darfur region after the ICC issued the arrest warrant.

The March 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. But the ICC has no arrest powers and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody. Qatar, site of the summit, is not a member of the tribunal.

Sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the ICC, and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court. Al-Bashir has called the charges an attempt by Western powers to recolonize Sudan.

The International Criminal Court accuses al-Bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government's campaign against rebels in Darfur, in western Sudan. The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict.

Qatar had been mediating talks between Sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions, who signed a confidence-building agreement in February.

At the State Department, deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid said leaders at the summit should deal with the situation in Darfur.

"We would hope that while [al-Bashir] is in Doha that the Arab League would focus on the immediate and urgent needs of the people on the ground in Sudan and address the humanitarian situation in Darfur and meet the priorities of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said. "The discussions should be on how to stop the violence and support the people.

"The presence of Bashir at this conference should be used as an opportunity to bring forth the international concern to what is happening in Darfur and southern Sudan."

In another development, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi walked out of the summit after a dispute over whether he would be allowed to talk.

"I am an international leader," Gadhafi said before leaving. "The dean of Arab rulers. The king of kings in Africa. The imam to Muslims. My international position does not allow me to be reduced. Thank you."

State Department spokesman Duguid declined to comment.

CNN's Stan Grant contributed to this report.

Question: What is the warrant for?

Question: Who is the Sudanese president?

Question: Who is the secretary general?

Question: What were the charges against Omar al-Bashir?

Question: What is al-Bashir accused of?

Question: What is the name of the U.N. secretary general who attended the summit?

Answer: war crimes.

Answer: Omar al-Bashir

Answer: Ban Ki-moon

Answer: war crimes.

Answer: allaged war crimes in Darfur.

Answer: Ban Ki-moon

Summary:
Sudanese president asks Arab League Summit to reject arrest warrant against him .
Omar al-Bashir is charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court .
Al-Bashir accused of crimes against humanity in his campaign against Darfur rebels .
U.N. secretary general attends summit, but avoids any confrontation with al-Bashir .


(CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir landed in Qatar on Sunday for an Arab League summit, a move that could put him at risk of arrest on war crimes charges leveled by a U.N. tribunal. Omar al-Bashir is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over allaged war crimes in Darfur. Al-Bashir met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, after arriving in Doha, Qatar's capital. Earlier this weekend, al-Thani criticized the timing of the arrest warrant issued in early March by the International Criminal Court, arguing it has undercut his government's efforts to resolve the long-running conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. "We believe that peace and justice should go hand in hand to settle the conflict in Darfur, or for that matter, any other conflict," al-Thani told Arab League foreign ministers Saturday in remarks carried by the Qatar News Agency. "But we also believe that justice cannot be reached in the absence of peace." The March 4 arrest warrant is the first issued for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. But the ICC has no arrest powers of its own, and depends on its 106 member states to take suspects into custody. Qatar is not a member of the tribunal. Sudan refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the ICC, and has made no efforts to hand over two other officials indicted by the court. Al-Bashir has called the charges an attempt by Western powers to recolonize Sudan. The court accuses al-Bashir of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government's campaign against rebels in Darfur, in western Sudan. The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes because of the conflict. Qatar had been mediating talks between Sudanese officials and representatives of one of the rebel factions, who signed a confidence-building agreement in February. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

Question: Where has the Sudanese President arrived?

Question: Who issued the arrest warrant over the Darfur campaign?

Question: What does the move put him at risk for?

Question: Who  issued arrest warrant over Darfur campaign ?

Question: What does the move do?

Question: Who arrived in Doha, Qatar?

Question: What is he at risk of?

Question: What has the International Criminal Court issued?

Answer: Qatar

Answer: the International Criminal Court,

Answer: arrest on war crimes charges

Answer: International Criminal Court,

Answer: could put him at risk of arrest on war crimes charges leveled by a U.N. tribunal.

Answer: President Omar al-Bashir

Answer: arrest on war crimes charges leveled by a U.N. tribunal.

Answer: arrest warrant

Summary:
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives in Doha, Qatar .
Move puts him at risk of arrest for war crimes .
International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrant over Darfur campaign .


(CNN) -- Sudanese billionaire and communications mogul Mo Ibrahim has issued a warning to African leaders clinging to power, saying people are no longer prepared to put up with bad governance on the continent.

Ibrahim says the face of Africa has changed and the Arab Spring has shown the world that the younger generation are not afraid to demand change.

"There's a lot of African people who are educated and well informed and that's a better generation than ours and those people wont take nonsense," he said.

"These are the people that went out in Tahrir Square, Tunis and Libya and bred havoc," he added.

The businessman's remarks come as his foundation awards its annual prize for good governance and leadership in Africa.

It has been two years since the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has awarded the accolade, which goes to candidates based on their "exercise of leadership and the performance of their country during their time in office," according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation website.

The committee, made up of former leaders and Nobel Prize winners, said that there had been no worthy candidates in the previous two years.

"They have a strict criteria, this is not a pension, this is a prize for excellence in leadership, it's not easy," said Ibrahim.

Former Cape Verde President, Pedro Verona Pires, who stepped down in August after 10 years in power, was recognized this year.

The group said that the leader had turned the cluster of islands off the West African coast into "a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity."

The chair of the prize committee, Salim Ahmed Salim, said. "Under his 10 years as president, the nation became only the second African country to graduate from the United Nation's Least Developed category and has won international recognition for its record on human rights and good governance."

The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership is one of the world's most valuable individual prizes. Ibrahim made a fortune in the cell phone industry, established the foundation bearing his name in 2006.

Previous winners include Mozambique's former President, Joaquim Chissano and Botswana's President, Festus Mogae.

The $5 million award is paid over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter. The Foundation will also consider funding good causes supported by the laureate.

Ibrahim says the prize is needed as leaders in African countries can sometimes be tempted to hang on to power for monetary reasons.

He says he had to start the foundation because leaders were not doing the job they were supposed to do.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea and Angola's President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos are two of the longest running leaders in Africa. Both have been head of their respective countries for 32 years. While Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has been in power for 31 years since 1980.

The foundation uses an 84-criteria index to grade governance in Africa. The top-governed African nations, according to the index, are Mauritius, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Botswana and South Africa.

But while there may not have been an award in the previous two years, Ibrahim predicts the foundation will be giving out more money in the future.

"I think the quality of leaders coming to Africa now are really improving a lot and what is important in Africa is the rise in civil society," he said.

"The pressure from civil society, I'm sure is going to bring forward and produce more and more wonderful leaders for our future," he continued.

The hope of the foundation is to help the continent move towards greater democracy and peaceful transitions of power.

However, Ibrahim believes that the game is up for leaders who cling to power for 30 to 40-years. His cites Libya's former leader for 41-years, Moammar Gaddafi, as an example.

"The message is clear to all this kind of generation of leadership: gentlemen time is up," he said.

"Please retire, otherwise Tahrir square is coming to your country."

Question: Who is Pedro Verona Pires?

Question: What did Mo Ibrahim warn that had changed?

Question: Who won the prize of the year?

Question: Who was the former president of Cape Verde?

Question: What number of years ago was the prize awarded last?

Question: What is Ibrahim Prize?

Question: The Prize for Achievement in African Leadership had not been awarded for how many years?

Answer: Former Cape Verde President,

Answer: face of Africa

Answer: Pedro Verona Pires,

Answer: Pedro Verona Pires,

Answer: two

Answer: for Achievement in African Leadership

Answer: two

Summary:
Sudanese mogul Mo Ibrahim warns long-running leaders that continent has changed .
Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership was not awarded for two years running .
Former Cape Verde President, Pedro Verona Pires won prize this year .


(CNN) -- Sugar lovers may have to face a bitter truth: The less sugar added to foods for typical people, the better are their blood-fat profiles and the lower are their cardiovascular risks, a study to be published Wednesday concludes.

"We found that the lower the amount of added sugar people ate, the better their good cholesterol and their blood triglyceride levels," said co-author Dr. Miriam B. Vos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and author of "The No-Diet Obesity Solution for Kids."

Unfortunately for dessert lovers, the converse is true. Increased sugars are associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to the report. The authors cited lower levels of HDL-C, which is sometimes referred to as the good cholesterol, and higher levels of triglycerides.

The study, to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, highlights a trend some nutritionists consider disturbing: In recent years, the typical American's diet has increasingly incorporated added sugars. The authors defined them as "caloric sweeteners used by the food industry and consumers as ingredients in processed or prepared foods to increase the desirability of those foods."

Data from the mid-1990s show that 15.8 percent of the typical American's diet was composed of added sugar -- 21.4 teaspoons or 359 calories per day. That's up from 10.6 percent in 1977-1978. Added sugars have been linked to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

The researchers studied 6,113 adults enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Interviewers called them and asked what they had eaten the previous day, then estimated the total added sugar in each person's diet.

Participants were then separated into groups: Those who got less than 5 percent of total calories from added sugar; 5 percent to less than 10 percent; 10 percent to less than 17.5 percent; 17.5 percent to less than 25 percent; and 25 percent or more.

Those in the highest-consuming added sugar group eat about 46 teaspoons of added sugar per day, the study said. Those who consumed more added sugar tended to be younger, non-Latino blacks with low income, it said.

The report says 18.5 percent of Americans get at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar.

The strongest relationship between added sugar and blood fats was found in values for HDL-C, which fell from 58.7 mg/dl for those who ate the least added sugar to 47.7 mg/dl for those who ate the most. A higher HDL-C level is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk.

Among some blood fats linked to higher cardiovascular risk, the converse was true: Triglyceride levels went from 105 mg/dl in the group that ate the least sugar to 114 mg/dl in the group that ate the most. The so-called bad cholesterol, LDL-C, went from 116 mg/dl for women who ate the least sugar to 123 mg/dl for women who ate the most. There were no significant trends for LDL-C among men.

The authors concluded that their data support dietary guidelines that aim to cut consumption of added sugar.

But those guidelines are all over the map. The Institute of Medicine recommends no more than 25 percent of total energy from added sugars; the World Health Organization recommends less than 10 percent; and the American Heart Association has recently advised no more than 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men, which works out to about 5 percent.

"What it really means is we have to go back to things like whole grains and vegetables and fruit and eat things in moderation in order to be healthy," Vos said. "Plus, a good healthy dose of activity."

But the study compiled data based on a single day's consumption, and it was not clear whether that day was representative of other days, she said.

"We don't know that all of the people had their usual diet the day before," she said. "There are always some weaknesses in that kind of data.

Question: What is added sugar associated with?

Question: What is lower added-sugar consumption associated with?

Question: What did those who ate more added sugar tend to be?

Question: What are the demographics of those who tend to eat more added sugar?

Question: Which journal will publish the study?

Answer: obesity, diabetes

Answer: better their good cholesterol and their blood triglyceride levels,"

Answer: are associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors,

Answer: younger, non-Latino blacks

Answer: of the American Medical Association,

Summary:
Added sugar is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, study finds .
Study: Lower added-sugar consumption linked to better levels of good cholesterol .
Study to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
Those who ate more added sugar tended to be low-income, younger non-Latino blacks .


(CNN) -- Summer offers lots of things to do outdoors, which is good for the many television viewers who complain about the quality of programming then. Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" is one of the cable series providing a lift for summertime television viewing. It's not that there aren't things to watch. On network television, there are plenty of repeats, reality shows and final episodes of series that have been canceled. But summertime viewing on network television can be a wasteland, especially for bloggers and critics whose gig it is to write and report on TV, said Kath Skerry, founder and editor of the Give Me My Remote blog. "It's borderline depressing," Skerry said. "Between the onslaught of reality television and what I call filler TV -- shows that the networks may have under contract but they just feel the need to get out regardless of the quality -- it almost feels like [the networks] have given up." Variety, for many the bible of the entertainment industry,  reported on the first four weeks of summer. It said viewership of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox was down 9 percent, according to Nielsen. Even more distressing for advertisers, viewership was down 15 percent in the 18-49 demographic and 18 percent in the coveted 18-34 demographic. Skerry isn't surprised. The most quality she said she felt she has gotten out of network television this summer has been ABC burning off the final episodes of the canceled series "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money." Otherwise, Skerry said, the great shows are happening on the cable networks. Joe Bua blogs at IAmATVJunkie.com and counts among some of his favorite summer shows HBO's "True Blood," "Torchwood Children of Earth" on BBC America and Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." "Nurse Jackie" and other shows such as "Mad Men" are luring viewers who want original quality programs. Fans are even showing up in big numbers for cable reality shows such as "Jon & Kate Plus 8" (currently on a break), and the "Real Housewives" franchise. Bill Gorman, editor of the TV rating and analysis site TvByTheNumbers.com, said the shift to cable has been a long time coming. "It's the continuation of a trend that's been going on since the early '80s," Gorman told AfterElton.com. "Viewers continue making the 30-year shift from watching broadcast to watching cable." Jonathan Storm, a TV critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, said the apparent ceding of summer to cable by broadcast networks is rooted in tradition and the history of how television started. "The car manufacturers came out with their new models in September, and the TV people said, 'We will give you new shows to advertise your cars on,' " Storm. "That was part of it and that started in the 1950s." Storm said there is also a type of "circadian rhythm" to television in that viewers are more inclined to tune in when the days are shorter and colder. Broadcast networks once were able to afford 39 episodes a year, he said. Now economics often dictate a 22-episode season. Storm said networks now trot out cheaper-to-produce reality shows -- something CBS hit the jackpot with several years ago after the runaway success of the summer-debuted "Survivor." "The networks just couldn't afford to make shows all summer long," said Storm, who will soon join his colleagues for one of their summer highlights -- The Television Critics Association's summer tour in Pasadena, California. "Now they've found the answer," Storm said. "They make all of these ridiculous Japanese game shows -- crash yourself into the red balls, 'Wipeout' show -- and several shows that come on and vanish before most TV critics and the general public even know they are there." Ronnie Karam, senior editor at TVgasm.com, said he has been doing what a lot of viewers do during summertime -- checking out television

Question: what shows are being aired?

Question: What time of the year is a down time for TV?

Answer: "True Blood," "Torchwood Children of Earth"

Answer: Summer

Summary:
Summer seen as wasteland on broadcast TV for some critics and bloggers .
Networks often run repeats and launch reality shows during summertime .
Cable stations offer destination viewing for new, hot shows .
Blogger says "you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel" for shows .


(CNN) -- Surviving economically in downtrodden Elkhart, Indiana, may require doing some things you don't want to do. Elkhart, Indiana, has become the poster child for the nation's economic downturn. "Here in Elkhart, I've never seen things as bad as they are," lifelong resident Yvonne Sell said Tuesday. "When you open the newspaper, unless you want to be a topless dancer, there's nothing." Elkhart became the poster child for the nation's economic downturn when President Obama visited there Monday and then mentioned it several times during his first White House press conference. Unemployment in the Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, area was 15.3 percent in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, the fourth highest of any U.S. metropolitan area. Elkhart's unemployment rate has spiked more than 10 percentage points in the past 13 months. But is it really that bad in Elkhart? According to Sell and several other business owners and workers, it is. Sell and her four co-owners are in the process of selling Blessing Music Co., which has sold, rented and repaired musical instruments for school bands since 1916. "We're not making money. It's just too tight," Sell said. The company has high overhead and a "considerable" high-interest loan, and credit continues to be a problem, she said. Sell said she isn't hopeful that any government plan will kick-start commerce in Elkhart or elsewhere. The banks, which started the mess, have already been bailed out, she said, but "I'm not seeing them loosening their purse strings." Small businesses as well as individuals need credit -- not government spending -- to keep the economy churning, she said. Take, for example, recreational vehicles, one of the town's knotted lifelines: Sell said she knows plenty of people willing to purchase RVs, but they can't without a bank loan. "People won't buy them because they're too scared," she said. "I don't personally see how spending the amount of money [Congress is] talking about spending is going to stimulate the economy." Robert Dunlop runs a different kind of business, but he agrees with Sell. "Unfortunately, when you drop a ton of money to pay billion-dollar bonuses on the East Coast, it kind of sucks on the Midwest," said Dunlop, president of J.A. Wagner Construction Co. in Elkhart. "If banks can free up a little bit of credit so that people can buy products and get people back to work, that would be good for this area." People in Elkhart who were interviewed said they don't have much confidence in the government's ability to resolve the crisis, though Dunlop said he thinks tax relief would help some. "Unfortunately, you still have to have a job to have relief from the tax burden, and a lot of these people are behind in house payments and, quite frankly, it's a vicious cycle: You don't have a job, you can't make your house payment, you're not out buying anything. Even if you reduce the tax burden to those people, they still need to have some sort of income. When that occurs, they start buying things, which creates more jobs, which then starts the cycle back up again." Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore echoes that view. He said people need jobs so they have money to spend and support industries such as RVs. The Democrat supports the stimulus plan Obama was touting in his town Monday because it will get residents to work quickly. "It's jobs, jobs, jobs," Moore told CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday.  Watch what Elkhart's mayor says about the president's visit » "We have 16 shovel-ready projects ready to go ... These are not pie-in-the-sky items; they're not pork. ... These are projects we will have to do," Moore said. But gift shop owner Joanie Smith said she thinks government

Question:
When was he there?
Who has doubts about it?
Where are they?
Where did President Obama visit?

Answer: Monday

Answer: People in Elkhart

Answer: Elkhart, Indiana,

Answer: Elkhart, Indiana,

Summary:
Elkhart, Indiana, entrepreneurs sweating out tough economic times .
Several express doubt the federal government can get commerce moving .
Loosening of credit would get people spending again, they say .
President Obama visited Elkhart on Monday, mentioned it during press conference .


(CNN) -- Survivors of a deadly earthquake-triggered tsunami which hit the Samoan islands Tuesday have described how they watched the inrushing sea swallow up coastal towns and villages leaving devastation in its wake. iReporter Alden Tagarino captured this image of the damage caused by the tsunami in Pago Pago. At least 111 people are confirmed killed in Samoa, neighboring American Samoa and Tonga. But officials in the Polynesia region have expressed fears the toll will rise as rescue workers struggle to reach outlying villages submerged and flattened by the wave. American Samoa resident Frances Faumatu told CNN she had fled to Aoloau, the highest village on the island, as the earthquake shook her house. "All of a sudden we heard on the radio everybody had to run for safety," she said. "Right after the quake, the tsunami came." Faumatu and others stayed on the mountain for two or three hours until the warning was lifted, watching as the sea swallowed Pago Pago, island's capital, and then receded. At least 22 people are confirmed dead in the U.S. island territory. Cars, debris, and parts of buildings were randomly strewn over the landscape where the powerful waters dropped them. See iReporter images of the aftermath » But in some cases, the sea left nothing behind. "Other villages were taken to the ocean," Faumatu said. "I can't even compare the image. It's one thing to see a photo or footage, but just to be there in person is pretty dramatic," Maneafaiga T. Lagafuaina told CNN Wednesday. "American Samoa itself is experiencing a great loss." The 8.0-magnitude quake hit the small cluster of Samoan islands in the South Pacific early Tuesday. In Samoa, the death toll stands at 82, according to government minister Maulolo Tavita. But he said he feared the number of causalities would continue to rise. Around 220,000 people live on the two main islands which make up the nation of Samoa. The population of American Samoa is about 66,000.  See a map of the affected region » Salamo Laumoli, director of health services at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center in Pago Pago, said he feared more fatalities would turn up as rescue workers strived to access parts of the island severed by damaged infrastructure. "I thought it was the end of the world," said Laumoli. "I have never felt an earthquake like that before." Patients at the hospital were briefly moved to higher ground, but they were soon brought back and the hospital is operating, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said. The airport in the capital of Pago Pago was also operational and being used for emergency flights, FEMA said. A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 cargo plane was scheduled to land Wednesday around noon Eastern time, which coincides with sunrise in the Pacific U.S. protectorate, said Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator. A second C-130 was scheduled to land around 5 p.m. ET. "The wave came onshore and washed out people's homes," said Cinta Brown, an American Samoa homeland security official working at the island's emergency operations center. The same happened on the hard-hit east and west sides of American Samoa, said Brown, who was standing in a parking lot when her sport utility vehicle began rocking left and right. She said she could hear the rattling of metal of a large chain-link fence around the lot. "It shakes you because you know something else is coming," she said. The British Foreign Office said one of the dead in American Samoa was a British national, but no other details were provided. In Tonga, Lord Tuita, the acting prime minister, said at least seven people had been confirmed dead on the northern island of Niuatoputapu. Three others were missing and four people were being treated for serious injuries, he said. "The hospital on the island is reported to have suffered major damage; telephone communications has been cut as a result of damage to equipment and facilities on the island; homes and government buildings have been destroyed; the airport runway has been severely damaged making it impossible for

Question: How many are dead in Samoan islands?

Question: What do officials fear?

Question: What was the magnitude of the quake that struck early Tuesday?

Question: How many dead in Samoan islands after Pacific tsunami?

Answer: At least 111 people

Answer: the toll will rise

Answer: 8.0-magnitude

Answer: At least 111 people are confirmed killed in Samoa,

Summary:
At least 111 dead in Samoan islands and Tonga after Pacific tsunami .
Officials fear death toll will rise as rescue workers reach outlying visitors .
Magnitude-8.0 quake strikes near Samoan Islands early Tuesday .
Hawaii National Guard troops being sent on relief operation .


(CNN) -- Susan Atkins, a terminally ill former Charles Manson follower convicted in the murder of actress Sharon Tate, on Tuesday was denied a compassionate release from prison. Susan Atkins, Califorina's longest-serving female inmate, is shown in her most recent mug shot. Atkins, 60, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has had a leg amputated, her attorney said. In June, she requested the release, available to terminally ill inmates with less than six months to live. The California Board of Parole Hearings' decision -- posted Tuesday on its Web site -- came after a public hearing on Atkins' request. It means the request will not be forwarded to the Los Angeles Superior Court that sentenced Atkins. The court would have had the final say on Atkins' release. Her attorney, Eric P. Lampel, called the parole board's decision "unfortunate." "[The board] ignored the vast majority of evidence presented," Lampel said. "There was a huge amount of pro-compassionate release testimony from many witnesses. It apparently fell on deaf ears." Known within the Manson Family as Sadie Mae Glutz, Atkins and four others were convicted in connection with the deaths of five people, including Tate, in August 1969. According to historical accounts of the murder, Atkins stabbed Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and scrawled the word "pig" in blood on the door of the home the actress shared with director Roman Polanski. By her own admission, Atkins held Tate down and rejected her pleas for mercy, stabbing the pregnant woman 16 times. Atkins' request roused long-dormant memories of the two-day killing spree that terrorized Los Angeles and left seven people dead. It polarized those who were involved in the case -- and even those who weren't -- over whether she should die behind bars. Atkins told a 1993 parole board that Tate pleaded for her unborn child's life as she held her down. "She asked me to let her baby live," Atkins said. "... I told her I didn't have any mercy on her." Three of Tate's houseguests were also slain by the killers, as was a teenager visiting the home's caretaker in his cottage out back. Atkins was also convicted in the earlier murder of music teacher Gary Hinman. One of the first people Atkins confessed to was Virginia Graham, who shared a cell with her before investigators determined the Manson Family was responsible for the murders. Graham said last month she believed Atkins should die in prison. "She showed that poor woman absolutely no mercy, none," Graham said. "So why should anybody show her mercy at this time?" Sharon Tate's sister, Debra, has staunchly opposed Atkins' release. "She will be set free when judged by God," Debra Tate has said. "It's important that she die in incarceration." Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said Monday he was strongly opposed to the release, saying in a letter to the board it would be "an affront to people of this state, the California criminal justice system and the next of kin of many murder victims." Cooley noted in his letter that Atkins was initially sentenced to death, like others in the Manson Family, including its leader, Charles Manson. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison in 1972, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty laws as they were written at the time. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he was also opposed to releasing Atkins. "I don't believe in [compassionate release]," the governor told reporters. "I think that they have to stay in, they have to serve their time." Even if Atkins is dying, Schwarzenegger said, "Those kinds of crimes are just so unbelievable that I'm not for the compassionate release." Earlier, Suzan Hubbard, director of adult prisons in California, also recommended against granting Atkins' request. Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Atkins and other members of the Manson

Question: who was stabbed 16 times by atkins?

Question: what happened to Atkins?

Question: What is the condition of Susan Atkins?

Question: What is she suffering from?

Question: What age is Manson follower?

Question: what is the expectation of manson follower?

Question: Susan Atkins is bedridden, can barely speak

Question: What did Atkins do to Sharon Tate?

Question: how many times was the stabs

Question: What is her condition now?

Question: What number of murders did she commit?

Question: who was stabbed

Question: What is his life expectancy?

Question: who is terminally ill

Question: What is Atkins suffering from?

Question: Who is terminally ill and expected to die?

Answer: Sharon Tate,

Answer: denied a compassionate release from prison.

Answer: terminally ill

Answer: brain cancer

Answer: 60,

Answer: denied a compassionate release from prison.

Answer: diagnosed with brain cancer

Answer: murder

Answer: 16

Answer: Atkins, 60, has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has had a leg amputated,

Answer: five

Answer: Sharon Tate,

Answer: less than six months to live.

Answer: Atkins,

Answer: brain cancer

Answer: Atkins,

Summary:
Manson follower, 60, terminally ill, expected to die within six months .
Susan Atkins is bedridden, can barely speak .
Atkins stabbed pregnant victim Sharon Tate 16 times .
Atkins, who was convicted of five 1969 murders, has brain cancer .


(CNN) -- Susie Levitt's and Katie Shea's feet had had enough. Walking around Manhattan sidewalks between classes in their high heels was getting unbearable. Katie Shea and Susie Levitt,  founders of "CitiSoles," said walking around Manhattan in high heels was painful. Tal Raviv felt frustrated. While studying in Hong Kong in 2007, he found that adjusting to a new city was hard enough. Even more aggravating was trying to  connect with friends on Facebook whose names were common. Jaun Calle and Adam Berlin were bored. Watching college football on television isn't as exciting as being there in person, they thought. Instead of just grinning and bearing it, all of these university students did something: They started their own businesses. Levitt and Shea created "CitiSoles," a shoe company that makes a foldable shoe for when the pain of high heels gets unbearable. Raviv created "DropCard" an e-business card that lets users send more contact information than is commonly found on a business card. Calle and Berlin formed "SEC Excursions" a travel company that provides busing, tailgate parties and hotel accommodations to college football games. The recession and lack of experience might stop most adults in their tracks, but these students weren't discouraged. "There is no better time [to start a business]," said Christopher Hanks, director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia. "During a depression or recession, innovation always increases." The dorm is the new garage While the founders of Google built success in their garages, these college students found it in their dorms. In addition to their course work, studying for midterms and balancing extracurricular activities, they wrote business proposals and figured out financing. "From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I am in chemical engineering classes, and from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., I work on DropCard, so I don't get much free time," said Raviv, 22. Levitt and Shea said launching their shoe business was essentially nonstop, and the work didn't end on Friday. And for Calle, the compromises in his academic and social life weren't a burden. "We enjoy ourselves," said Calle, 21. "We don't see it as a sacrifice." Hanks said these attitudes are typical of student entrepreneurs. They don't have the pressure of supporting themselves -- their living expenses are usually being paid for -- and they have a wide support system. "They certainly have their advantages ... their enthusiasm level is really high," Hanks said. "They don't know what they don't know." Hanks added that the excitement of creating a business revs up the students even more than the chance of getting rich. "They get excited about 'wouldn't it be cool if we did that' versus the money," said Hanks. "The journey is not as much as about the money as about the challenge." Figuring it out None of these students followed a set formula for starting their businesses. Levitt and Shea used Alibaba.com, an online trade portal, to pitch their idea to suppliers and dipped into their savings for start-up money. An investment firm helped Raviv, and Calle and Berlin found investors. Levitt and Shea, both 22, took "less than $10,000" from their savings to start CitiSoles in 2008. That covered the cost of the shoes and a Web site designer. From there, they worked with suppliers and factories in Asia to scope out which would be the best fit for their company. The pair conducted market research and found nothing similar sold in the United States. "It was all done online," Levitt said. "We became nocturnal." The shoes, made of imitation leather, come with a compact carrying case. A patent for the shoe is pending. When the first order for 1,000 pairs, weighing over 400 pounds, arrived at Shea's Long Island home unexpectedly, Levitt said they were overwhelmed.  A few days later, an article about their company appeared in

Question:
Who created SEC Excursions?
Who co-founded "DropCard"?
Who founded DropCard?
Who created "SEC Excursions"?
Who created Citisoles?
What is a foldable-shoe company called?

Answer: Calle and Berlin

Answer: Tal Raviv

Answer: Tal Raviv

Answer: Calle and Berlin

Answer: Katie Shea and Susie Levitt,

Answer: "CitiSoles,"

Summary:
Susie Levitt and Katie Shea created a foldable-shoe company called "CitiSoles"
Tal Raviv co-founded "DropCard," a new take on the business card .
Juan Calle and Adam Berlin created "SEC Excursions," a travel agency .
"There is no better time" to start a business, an entrepreneur expert says .


(CNN) -- Suspected Islamic insurgents fired mortar rounds at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president, but no one -- including Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed -- was harmed, a presidential spokesman said. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, pictured late last month during a visit to France. The attack happened while the plane was about to take off from Mogadishu's airport Sunday around 11 a.m. local time, spokesman Hussien Mohammed Huubsireb said. "Al-Shaabab has actually tried to harm to president, but thank God nobody was hurt," Huubsireb said. Al-Shaabab is an Islamic militia that is trying to seize control of Somalia. It is a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union, which ousted Somalia's transitional government in 2006. The ICU was deposed in December of that year following Ethiopia's military invasion. Bloody battles between Al-Shaabab and the Ethiopian-backed government forces in Mogadishu have forced residents to flee the capital. More than 40,000 displaced civilians have taken shelter in dozens of makeshift settlements west of Mogadishu, described by the United Nations as "precarious conditions." Sunday's mortar attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed. The president survived a car bombing in September 2006 outside Somalia's parliament in Baidoa that killed at least eight others. Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has been more frequently targeted by the Islamic insurgents seeking to destabilize the government. Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. Somalia's current transitional government is trying to maintain control of the capital, with the help of the better-equipped Ethiopian forces. But the presence of the Ethiopians has united various Islamic militant groups in Somalia, including Al-Shaabab, who are trying to oust the Ethiopian forces and gain control of Mogadishu. The United States classified Al-Shaabab as a terrorist organization in March, partly because of what Washington says is the group's close ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda militant group.

Question: What was used in the first attempt on Ahmed's life?

Question: Were there injuries reported?

Question: For how long has Somalia been in chaos?

Question: Were there any injuries?

Question: Rebels fired at a plane carrying what?

Question: Since when is Somalia in chaos?

Question: Somalia has been in chaos since when?

Question: Who fire at a plane?

Answer: car bombing

Answer: was harmed,

Answer: 1991,

Answer: no one

Answer: president,

Answer: 1991,

Answer: 1991,

Answer: Islamic insurgents

Summary:
Suspected Islamic rebels fire at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president .
Plane attacked as about to take off from Mogadishu, no injuries reported .
Attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed after car bomb in 2006 .
Somalia in chaos since 1991, when warlords deposed dictator Mohamed Siad Barre .


(CNN) -- Suspected Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier Wednesday with 22 crew members aboard, according to the European Union's Naval Force for Somalia. MV Filitsa was seized in the early morning about 460 miles (740 kilometers) northeast of the Seychelles as it headed toward Durban, South Africa, according to a news release from EU NAVFOR Somalia. The Marshall Island-flagged carrier -- with three Greek and 19 Filipino crew members -- "has now turned around and is heading north," it said. The bulk carrier has a deadweight of more than 23,000 tons. There have been more than 100 pirate attacks and at least 39 hijackings off the east Africa this year, according to EU NAVFOR. In late October, Somali pirates seized a private yacht in the Indian Ocean, taking Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage. They have demanded a $7 million ransom for the British couple's release, but the government has refused to pay as a matter of long-standing policy. Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles, while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast. Pirates are still holding a Spanish fishing boat, the Alakrana, which they seized on October 2 off Somalia's coast. Days later, they transferred three of the fishing boat's 36 crew members to land. Two pirate suspects had left the Alakrana in a small vessel heading toward land, authorities said, and the Spanish military swooped in to stop them on the high seas. They were later brought to Madrid, where a judge has charged them with piracy and kidnapping. The pirates holding the crew have demanded Spain release the two suspects. Spain is part of the European Union task force against piracy in the Indian Ocean off Somalia. The Spanish parliament last January agreed to increase Spain's presence with up to 395 troops and assets, including a frigate and aircraft. CNN's Al Goodman contributed to this report

Question: How many pirate attacks have there been in the region?

Question: how many crew were aboard?

Question: Who says the ship is moving north?

Question: where is the ship now heading?

Question: How many crew onboard?

Question: how many pirate attacks this year?

Question: How many people on the crew?

Question: What makes the coast of East Africa a dangerous place?

Question: What is the number of crew aboard the MV Filitsa?

Question: how many people aboard?

Question: How many crew are in bulk carriers?

Question: how many attacks off East Africa this year?

Question: where the ship is heading to?

Question: What direction is the ship headed, after changing directions?

Answer: more than 100

Answer: 22

Answer: EU NAVFOR Somalia.

Answer: headed toward Durban, South Africa,

Answer: 22

Answer: 100

Answer: 22

Answer: There have been more than 100 pirate attacks and at least 39 hijackings off the

Answer: 22

Answer: 22

Answer: 22

Answer: more than 100 pirate

Answer: north,"

Answer: north,"

Summary:
22 crew aboard Greek-owned bulk carrier MV Filitsa .
Ship changed directions, now heading north European Union Naval Force says .
More than 100 pirate attacks off East Africa this year .


(CNN) -- Swedish car manufacturer Saab, a fully owned subsidiary of General Motors, announced Friday that it will "file for reorganization ... to create a fully independent business entity." The Swedish car maker says a formal reorganization is the best way to create an "entity that's ready for investment." Under the Swedish court system, an independent administrator will be appointed to work closely with the Saab management team to formulate a reorganization proposal, which will be presented to creditors within three weeks of the filing. Saab said it will continue to operate as usual and in accordance with the formal reorganization process, with the government providing some support during this period. "We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal reorganization would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment," said Jan Ake Jonsson, managing director for Saab Automobile. "Saab has an excellent foundation for strong growth, assuming we can get the funding to complete engineering, tooling and manage launch costs. Reorganization will give us the time and means that help get these products to market, while minimizing the liquidity impact of Saab on GM." General Motors said this week that it plans shed tens of thousands of employees, close factories, cut product lines and wants billions of dollars in government funding to stave off bankruptcy. When all is said and done, GM said that by 2011 it could need a total of $30 billion, which includes the $13.4 billion in Treasury loans it has already received. In the near term, GM will most certainly need $9.1 billion in additional loans and could require an additional $7.5 billion in the next two years if auto sales don't improve.

Question: where Auto maker says plan considered to be the best?

Question: What was an independent administrator appointed to do?

Question: what company is involved

Question: what is the plan

Question: Of what company is Saab a fully owned subsidiary?

Question: What is the purpose of the recent GM job cuts?

Answer: formal reorganization is the

Answer: work closely with the Saab management

Answer: Saab,

Answer: shed tens of thousands of employees, close factories, cut product lines and wants billions of dollars in government funding

Answer: General Motors,

Answer: bankruptcy.

Summary:
Independent adminstrator appointed to form Saab reorganization plan .
Auto maker says plan considered to be the best way to attract future funding .
Saab is a fully owned subsidiary of ailing U.S. auto maker General Motors .
GM is fighting to stave off bankruptcy with job cuts, U.S. Treasury loans .


(CNN) -- Swimming legend Michael Phelps struggled in his attempt to adapt to the old-style racing suits at the World Cup short-course event in Sweden on Tuesday. The 14-time Olympic gold medal winner qualified for finals in only one of three events in Stockholm, his best result being seventh of eight to go through in the men's 100 meter medley. Racing for the first time since winning five golds and a silver at the world championships in July, the American missed out on the 100m freestyle after qualifying in 16th of 23 competitors. His time of 47.77 seconds was 1.84 seconds slower than the leading mark set by Sweden's Stefan Nystrand. The 24-year-old, who was disqualified in the 100m backstroke, set a time of 53.13 seconds in the medley. The fastest man, South African Darian Townsend, came home in 52.48. Phelps was one of the few swimmers to revert to the old-style suits, which will become mandatory after January 1 as world ruling body FINA seeks to rein in the high-tech costumes which have sent records tumbling at an incredible rate in the past two years. He will swim in the 100m butterfly and 200m medley heats on Wednesday, and then head to the next leg of the World Cup in Berlin at the weekend. In Stockholm on Tuesday, Chinese swimmer Jing Zhao set a new world record in the heats of the women's 50m backstroke, clocking 26.08 seconds. She beat the mark of 26.17 posted by Australia's Marieke Guehrer  in the previous meet of the series in Moscow on November 6. In the men's 50m butterfly, South Africa's Roland Schoeman was first in a new World Cup record of 22.29.

Question: What caused Michael Phelps to struggle?

Question: Phelps has won how many Olympic gold medals?

Question: Who struggles in the old-style racing suits?

Question: Phelps had two more events on Wednesday before heading where?

Question: Phelps has how many more events on Wednesday?

Question: Who missed out on two of three finals in Stockholm?

Answer: the old-style racing suits

Answer: 14-time

Answer: Michael Phelps

Answer: Berlin

Answer: 100m butterfly and 200m medley

Answer: Michael Phelps

Summary:
Swimming star Michael Phelps struggles in old-style racing suits at World Cup short-course event .
The 14-time Olympic gold medal winner missed out on two of three finals in Stockholm .
He was one of the few to wear an old-style suit, which will be mandatory next year .
Phelps has two more events on Wednesday before heading to the next leg in Berlin .


(CNN) -- Swiss police were scrambling Monday in search of three masked men who stole four Impressionist paintings worth about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs) Sunday in a heist police characterized as "spectacular." Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" was one of the famous paintings stolen by the armed robbers. The three men entered the E.G. Buehrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world -- in Zurich, Switzerland, at around 4:30 p.m. CET (8:30 a.m. ET), police said. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings -- Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil," Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters," Van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest" -- into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. Police said the men were wearing dark clothes and hoods, and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent. They were all of average height, police said. There is a reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. The Swiss art heist follows the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, a major art museum in Zurich, said.  The 'dumbest' form of art crime » The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the paintings, the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend

Question: What amount are the stolen artworks worth?

Question: what happened to picassos art

Question: What country had other recent thefts?

Question: what was stolen

Question: what happened in zurich

Question: What artists are included in the haul?

Answer: $163 million

Answer: stole

Answer: Switzerland

Answer: famous paintings

Answer: Swiss art heist

Answer: Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet

Summary:
Artworks worth $163M stolen in Zurich art heist .
Haul includes pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet .
Heist follows recent thefts in Switzerland of artworks by Picasso .


(CNN) -- Swiss super-combined world skiing champion Daniel Albrecht was airlifted to hospital after a sickening crash on Kitzbuehel's Streif course on Thursday.

Albrecht nose-dives down Kitzbuehel's Streif course after crashing during training for a World Cup downhill.

Albrecht, who was said to have suffered concussion and bruising to a lung, was in training for the weekend's World Cup downhill at the Austrian venue when he lost control approaching the bottom of the run.

The 25-year-old received lengthy treatment on the slopes before being flown to hospital at St. Johann, where he regained consciouness before being put in an induced coma.

An induced coma puts the brain in hibernation so it can recuperate and allows swelling in the brain to ease.

Helmuth Obermoser, the official race doctor, said in a brief statement that Albrecht had bleeding on the brain and a lung contusion.

Albrecht took the season's opening giant slalom at Solden in October and scored a second victory and fourth of his career two months later in Alta Badia, Italy, where he became the first Swiss winner in 10 years.

Thursday's fall came on a similar section at Kitzbuehel that saw American Scott Macartney suffer head injuries in a crash last season -- an episode that led officials to make changes to the course.

Question: when Swiss Albrecht was airlifted to hospital?

Question: Who was training for a World Cup downill competition?

Question: Who is airlifted to the hospital after the accident at Kitzbuehel?

Question: Where did Albrecht get lifted to?

Question: Was he treated on the hill too?

Answer: Thursday.

Answer: Daniel Albrecht

Answer: Daniel Albrecht

Answer: hospital

Answer: received lengthy treatment

Summary:
Daniel Albrecht is airlifted to hospital after a sickening accident at Kitzbuehel .
Super-combined world skiing champion was training for a World Cup downhill .
Swiss Albrecht was airlifted to hospital after lengthy treatment on the slopes .


(CNN) -- Switzerland defender Philippe Senderos is in talks to leave Arsenal and join English Premier League rivals Everton, according to the Liverpool-based side. Philippe Senderos is seeking to leave Arsenal to keep his World Cup hopes alive. The 24-year-old has been out of favor with the London club for the past year or so, and spent last season on loan with Italy's AC Milan. The center-back made only 15 appearances in his injury-hit stint with the Rossoneri, and returned to Arsenal where he has a year left on his contract. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright confirmed that talks were underway, but said that no deal had been done despite an earlier claim by the Swiss Football Federation. "We have been negotiating with Arsenal for the transfer of Philippe. Nothing has been concluded yet but talks are on going," Kenwright told Everton's official Web site on Tuesday. Everton face the possible departure of England defender Joleon Lescott, the subject of two bids from big-spending EPL rivals Manchester City.  Transfer gossip: City to bid again for Lescott. Manager David Moyes has rejected both offers and is determined to keep the player, who has been ruled out of recent pre-season friendly action due to a hip injury picked up on the tour of the United States. Moyes needs cover for injured center-back Phil Jagielka, who is not expected to return to action until November. The Swiss Football Federation had said on its official Web site on Monday that Senderos had agreed to join Everton because he needed regular first-team action ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. Switzerland are level on points with Greece at the top of Group Two after six of 10 games, with the winner qualifying directly and the runner-up hoping to go into one of the four play-offs. Senderos joined Arsenal in the summer of 2003 from Swiss club Servette, and established himself in the first team alongside Kolo Toure when regular Sol Campbell was injured. However, he missed the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona due to his own injury, with England defender Campbell returning in his place to score the opening goal of the 2-1 reverse. Senderos missed the start of the 2006-07 season after suffering a shoulder problem at the World Cup finals, and subsequently struggled to break back into the Arsenal team. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a wealth of central defensive resources despite selling Toure to City last month, having brought in Belgium international Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in June. William Gallas, Johan Djourou, Mikael Silvestre and Alex Song are also competing for first-team places.

Question: Who is in talks?

Question: Who is in talks to leave Arsenal & join Everton?

Question: What is Philippe Senderos in talks to do?

Question: Who did Senderos spend an injury-hit loan spell with?

Question: Where did Senderos have a loan spell last season?

Question: When did Senderos join Arsenal from Servette?

Question: When did he join Arsenal?

Answer: Philippe Senderos

Answer: Philippe Senderos

Answer: leave Arsenal and join

Answer: Italy's AC Milan.

Answer: Italy's AC Milan.

Answer: in the summer of 2003

Answer: summer of 2003

Summary:
Philippe Senderos in talks to leave Arsenal and join English rivals Everton .
Switzerland defender wants regular first-team action ahead of 2010 World Cup .
Senderos spent an injury-hit loan spell with Italy's AC Milan last season .
The 24-year-old joined Arsenal in 2003 from Swiss club Servette .


(CNN) -- Switzerland's Lara Gut made history on Saturday when she became the youngest-ever winner of a women's World Cup race when claiming victory in the super-G at St Moritz. Gut holds the Swiss flag aloft after becoming the youngest skier to win a women's World Cup race. Cheered on by the local supporters, the 17-year-old finished ahead of compatriot Fabienne Suter with Italy's Nadia Fanchini -- the winner of  the opening super-G in Lake Louise, Canada, finishing third. Gut gave a clear indication of her immense talent on Friday when finishing fifth in the super-combined and she produced a near flawless run of 57.38 seconds to finish well clear of her rivals. Suter, who finished third on Friday, moved up one place on the podium with a time 00.63 secs behind Gut. World Cup leader Lindsay Vonn failed to finish on a piste that had been considerably shortened to deal with poor visibility caused by falling snow. American Vonn, the defending overall champion, was one of many racers caught out by a bump in a fast section after a sharp right-hand turn. Vonn said Gut's maiden win was not a surprise. "She has been skiing well all season so far," said the 24-year-old. "She has got a lot to learn still, but on a day like today, going first, it was a perfect chance for her. She definitely executed and seized the opportunity." Gut added: "I was really nervous as I wasn't used to being the leader, but gradually I began to realise that in fact I had skied really well especially when I saw that Nadia  and Fabienne were behind me."

Question:
What does she now hold?
Where is Lara Gut from?
What nationality is Lara Gut?
What did Lara  Gut win?

Answer: the Swiss flag aloft after becoming the youngest skier to win a women's World Cup race.

Answer: Switzerland's

Answer: Switzerland's

Answer: women's World Cup race

Summary:
Swiss Lara Gut makes history by winniing the women's Super-G at St Moritz .
The victory makes Gut, 17, the youngest-ever woman to win a World Cup race .
Fellow-Swiss Fabienne Suter finished second with Italy's Nadia Fanchini third .


(CNN) -- Switzerland's Massimo Busacca has been selected to referee Wednesday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Rome on Wednesday -- UEFA have confirmed on their official Web site UEFA.com Massimo Busacca refereed the 2007 UEFA Cup and one of the semifinals from Euro 2008. Busacca, 40, will be assisted by his compatriots Matthias Arnet and Francesco Buragina, while the fourth official will be Claudio Circhetta. Busacca has been an international referee since 1999 and has taken charge of 32 Champions League matches, including six this season. Among the top club matches he has overseen are this year's Champions League quarterfinal second leg between Porto and Manchester United and the 2007 UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol in Glasgow. On the international stage, Busacca was also in charge of the Euro 2008 semifinal between Germany and Turkey and the 2006 World Cup last 16 match between Argentina and Mexico. Meanwhile, authorities in Rome have enforced a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol as they attempt to stave off the threat of trouble between 67,000 Barcelona and Manchester United fans. In a bid to avoid incidents, local authorities have banned the sale of alcohol throughout the city and in airports and stations from 11pm on Tuesday until 6am on Thursday morning. "It will not be a militarised city," Rome authority spokesman Giovanni Pecorari told Press Association Sport. "All the necessary measures have been taken in order to give the best possible image of this city."

Question:
What was the ban about?
When is the final game?
when is the final?
Witch is the name of the referee?

Answer: sale of alcohol

Answer: Wednesday

Answer: Rome

Answer: Massimo Busacca

Summary:
Massimo Busacca selected to referee Champions League final on Wednesday .
40-year-old Swiss will be accompanied by team of three compatriots in Rome .
Busacca refereed the 2007 UEFA Cup final and one of Euro 2008 semifinals .
Rome authorities enforce a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol before the final .


(CNN) -- Switzerland's largest city has permitted the use of controversial posters which call for a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques in the European country. The Federal Commission against Racism said the posters defame Switzerland's peaceful Muslim population. The posters are part of a campaign by the nationalist Swiss People's Party (SVP) and feature a veiled woman against a background of a Swiss flag pierced by several minarets resembling missiles. The cities of Basel and Lausanne have described the posters as racist and banned them in publicly-owned spaces. However, Zurich is among a clutch of cities that have chosen not to prohibit them. According to the SVP, the minarets symbolize ideological opposition to the country's constitution. Switzerland will hold a national referendum on the issue on November 29. According to Agence France-Presse, an opinion poll by the daily Tages-Anzeiger showed more than 51 percent of Swiss voters are against any ban on minaret construction. The Swiss government and all the other major political parties are recommending a "no" vote, while local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have joined forces to reject a ban, AFP added. The mayor of Zurich, Corine Mauch, told CNN that the decision on the poster was taken on the basis of political freedom of speech in the run-up to November's vote. "While we disapprove of the posters we took the decision after legal consultations. "We consulted the Federal Commission against Racism and spoke to Muslim communities in the city, but decided banning the posters from public spaces would draw more attention to the issue." Do you agree with the Zurich decision? However, the Federal Commission against Racism said in a statement Wednesday that the posters "defame Switzerland's peaceful Muslim population, feed prejudice, and portray the Muslim community as wanting to dominate Switzerland, oppress women and trample on fundamental rights." The SVP have courted controversy with their campaigns in the past. In 2007 they faced international criticism for leading an anti-immigration campaign during the federal election that featured a poster with a white sheep kicking a black sheep off a Swiss flag. Under party leader Christoph Blocher they went on to win the biggest share of the vote in the 200-member parliament, taking 55 seats. Earlier this year they issued a poster depicting crows pecking at a map of Switzerland, as the country prepared to vote on whether to support an extension of a free movement of labor deal with the European Union which would include new members, Bulgaria and Romania.

Question: What campaign are they for?

Question: Who decided the ban?

Question: What do the Swiss People's Party say they symbolize?

Question: What do the posters call for a ban on?

Question: Who is the camplaign by?

Question: What is the ban against?

Question: Where did Zurich decide against ban on posters?

Question: What do the posters call for?

Answer: a

Answer: The cities of Basel and Lausanne

Answer: ideological opposition to the country's constitution.

Answer: the construction of minarets

Answer: the nationalist Swiss People's Party

Answer: construction of minarets on mosques

Answer: public spaces

Answer: ban on the construction of minarets on mosques in the European country.

Summary:
Posters call for a ban on the construction of minarets on mosques .
Posters are part of a campaign by the nationalist Swiss People's Party .
SVP says they symbolize ideological opposition to the country's constitution .
Zurich decides against ban on posters on freedom of speech grounds .


(CNN) -- Syria has until Friday to agree to let Arab League observers into the country to monitor the government's response to civil unrest or else face economic sanctions from its neighbors, a senior Arab League diplomat said Thursday.

Syria's membership in the 22-country Arab League was suspended this month after President Bashar al-Assad's regime ignored demands to end its crackdown on citizens.

"If they do not comply, then the league's economic body will file a report to the foreign ministers of the league who will meet on Sunday to vote on the economic sanctions to be implemented," said the diplomat, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the negotiations with Syria.

If Syria agrees by the Friday deadline, then the league will send a delegation to Damascus to discuss details of the observer mission before the team goes, the diplomat said.

At least 35 people died Thursday in clashes with security forces, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) activist group said.

Another activist group, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported earlier that at least 11 Syrian military defectors were shot dead and four injured during clashes with regular Syrian army units in the area. A further 73 civilians were arrested in Homs province Thursday, the group said.

A campaign of raids and arrests is also taking place in the Damascus suburb of Domeir, the Qalet Mudeeq neighborhood in Hama, and Baniyas, the LCC said.

Funerals were held Thursday for 12 army, police and security forces personnel, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported. The 12 had been targeted by "armed terrorist groups" while on duty in the Damascus, Homs and Hama areas, the news agency said.

The United Nations says more than 3,500 people have been killed in the government's eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Al-Assad has resisted mounting calls for his resignation as president in recent weeks as international outcry over the Syrian violence has intensified.

On Tuesday, the humanitarian committee of the U.N. General Assembly voted by a large majority to condemn the violence in Syria and express its support for the Arab League initiative.

It was the first resolution on Syria's crackdown to be approved at the United Nations.

Protesters in Syria are demanding al-Assad's ouster and democratic elections. He has been in power since 2000, following his father, Hafez, who ruled Syria for three decades.

Syria's government has said it is fighting armed terrorists, and it maintains that the death toll is much lower than international observers and opposition groups say.

CNN's Lonzo Cook and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report.

Question: Who could impose sanctions on Syria?

Question: what can happen if Syria ignores deadline

Question: what number of people have died since the protests began in March

Question: Syria is under what kind of pressure?

Question: How many people died?

Question: what did the activist group say

Question: what will happen if syria ignores deadline

Question: what is syria under pressure to do

Answer: Arab League

Answer: economic sanctions

Answer: 3,500

Answer: economic sanctions

Answer: At least 35

Answer: At least 35 people died Thursday in clashes with security forces,

Answer: economic sanctions

Answer: to agree to let Arab League observers into the country to monitor the

Summary:
NEW: At least 35 people have died in violence Thursday, an activist group says .
The Arab League could impose economic sanctions Sunday if Syria ignores deadline .
Syria is under international pressure to halt its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters .
The United Nations says more than 3,500 have died since the protests began in March .


(CNN) -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad looks more isolated with each passing day as his regime continues a bloody eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

His Arab neighbors signaled their displeasure with him this week by suspending Syria from the Arab League, a stinging blow for a nation that sees itself at the heart of Arab concerns. Jordan's King Abdullah went a step further, telling the BBC he would step down if he were al-Assad, an unusually blunt assessment that followed Western calls for al-Assad to go.

And Turkey, formerly an important ally and trading partner, threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Syria as the European Union moved this week to extend sanctions against more members of al-Assad's circle.

This week, the conflict inside Syria entered a new era when army defectors attacked pro-government targets. That ratcheted up the pressure even more -- the Russian foreign minister was widely quoted as saying attacks on government buildings in Syria resembled "civil war."

So can al-Assad cling to power? Or will he become the fourth leader forced from office in the Arab Spring, following in the footsteps of ousted leaders of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia?

Analysts say that the odds are stacked against Syria's president.

Steven A. Cook, Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said it is hard to predict what might come next for al-Assad -- but the pressure is on.

"The kind of traditional support he had externally is clearly crumbling," Cook said. "His prospects this week are worse than they were last week."

Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for regional security at the Bahrain office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, thinks it highly unlikely al-Assad will hang on to power.

Three main factors will likely contribute to the downfall of Syria's president after 11 years in power, he said.

One is that he has lost legitimacy in the eyes of his own people. "It's hard to see how he would recover his legitimacy after killing almost 4,000 of his countrymen," said Hokayem. The United Nations puts the toll of deaths at well over 3,500 since protests began.

Second is the economy, as sanctions imposed by the West and Turkey start to bite. This matters, said Hokayem, because al-Assad may struggle to keep the support of the country's urban and business elites in Damascus and Aleppo if the economy is failing.

The third factor is security, despite al-Assad's mobilization of the military. Unlike previous challenges to the al-Assad regime, "this time it's the Syrian people leading it and very clearly regime change is their goal and they are not going to accept anything less," Hokayem said.

Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), also doubts al-Assad will survive -- but says it is far from clear what might follow.

The Arab League's decision to suspend Syria, after Damascus failed to abide by a peace deal that had been brokered earlier with the 22-nation league, signals a shift in views that would have looked extremely unlikely even a month ago, he says.

The regime's military is also increasingly over-extended as those fighting against it find footholds in Lebanese and Turkish soil, he said.

Turkey might also choose to intervene more directly, perhaps by creating a buffer zone along its long border with Syria or providing weapons to the rebels, he said.

At this point, descent into civil war could be as likely a scenario as a clean change of regime at the top, he said.

Nonetheless, Joshi cautioned against thinking the 46-year-old's grip on power will be loosened immediately, pointing to the example of Iraq's former dictator, Saddam Hussein.

In 1991, he said, Hussein had just lost a major war, had two no-fly zones, U.N. sanctions and an oil embargo imposed on his country, was facing an enormous Shia uprising in the south, and

Question: Who else is criticizing the Syrian leader?

Question: Which other leader might be affected by the Arab Spring?

Question: Who was the Arab's neighbor?

Question: How many leaders have been ousted?

Question: Where is there unrest?

Question: What has forced three leaders from power?

Answer: Jordan's King Abdullah

Answer: Bashar al-Assad

Answer: Syria

Answer: fourth

Answer: Syria

Answer: Arab Spring,

Summary:
The Arab Spring has forced three leaders from power so far .
Syria's president could go, too, some analysts say .
Unrest that has roiled Syria for months took a turn this week .
Syria's Arab neighbors have joined the West in criticizing the Syrian leader .


(CNN) -- Syria's major opposition group condemned Bashar al-Assad's regime Wednesday for "brutal massacres" this week and urged the U.N. Security Council to protect civilians against "acts of genocide."

"The regime is using children as human shields so that tanks and armored vehicles can storm residential areas," said the Syrian National Council, which said that about 250 people have died over a 48-hour period.

"Incidents of gruesome murders have been recorded," the council said Wednesday, including the killings of four brothers and the beheading of a sheikh, whose head was hung above a mosque entrance. Both incidents occurred in Idlib, and the council says "acts of genocide" are occurring in Zawiyah Mountain in Idlib province in the northwest and the city of Homs in the west.

It cites "the regime's use of heavy weapons and artillery in shelling civilian neighborhoods, as was the case in the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, as well as in the villages of Kansafra, Kafar Awaid, and Mazrain, where a large number of residents were killed. Other residents were forced to flee under heavy gunfire," the council said. The villages are in Idlib province.

The violence spiked as Syria agreed to an Arab League observer mission Monday aimed at ending the violence between regime forces and protesters that started in mid-March. The United Nations this month estimated that about 5,000 people have died in the bloodshed.

"The SNC directed letters to representatives of the 15 member nations of the U.N. Security Council, including the permanent members, urging them to convene in an emergency session to discuss the brutal and systematic killings, the humanitarian situation, and the displacements forced by the regime and its security and military apparatus," the group said in a news release.

The council also sent "urgent communiques" about the violence to the Arab League; the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; the Gulf Cooperation Council; the General Secretariat of the United Nations; the U.S. Department of State; the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs; representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry; and the governments of France, Spain, Germany, Canada, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan.

"The SNC urgently requested that these parties support the Syrian people's and the Syrian Revolution's demands for international protection, the establishment of safe zones for civilians, and the establishment of humanitarian corridors for delivery of relief, medical, and other humanitarian needs. The SNC also demanded a prompt intervention to stop the massacres, which have reached the level of genocide and which coincide with the signing of the Arab League Protocol to send observers into Syria," the council said.

Mohamed Hamdo, a lieutenant colonel in the Free Syrian Army, underscored the ferocity of the assaults.

He said that government forces "used military jet fighters and bombed Jabal Al Zawya, including a mosque that contained around 100 civilians who were praying or using it as a refuge." Jabal Al Zawya is in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria.

Hamdo said the military also "destroyed the town of Idlib completely and bombed a hospital there. The problem is they are using women and children who are mounted on their tanks as they raid, making it impossible for us to hit back."

"We have information that they are preparing an attack to control the border crossing to Turkey. We are dispersing our FSA platoons to counterattack. They are using surface-to-air missiles, mortars, military jet fighters and artillery."

Activist groups also reported a surge in killings this week. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a higher death toll of 111 on Tuesday and 121 on Monday. The Monday figure included 72 soldiers who tried to defect.

The civilian death toll so far Wednesday is at least 16, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition umbrella group.

And, a video surfaced on social media websites of a boy's grisly killing in Homs during a missile attack Tuesday.

This violence comes as an Arab League advance team is headed to Damascus Thursday to prepare for the observer mission. There would be 100 observers in teams of 10

Question: The United Nations estimates that about

Answer: 250 people have died over a 48-hour period.

Summary:
NEW: Syrian opposition reaches out to international powers .
The United Nations estimates that about 5,000 people have died in Syrian violence this year .
The Syrian National Council wants U.N. and Arab League action .
It says nearly 250 civilians died over a two-day period .


(CNN) -- Syrian activists say opposition forces have wrested control of the town of Zabadani from government troops, but the authorities' tanks remain perched on its outskirts.

"There was massive protests in Zabadani, so the Syrian Army tried to disperse them. But our troops were very organized and aggressive with a counter attack that left them fleeing and they withdrew completely out of the city," said Lt. Col. Mohamed Hamdo of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group made up of former government soldiers. "Our forces raised the flag of independence in Zabadani."

Hamdo said, though, that the opposition fighters "expect another confrontation" as the government forces regroup outside the town.

The FSA destroyed at least three armored vehicles during the fighting, a Zabadani-based member of the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition umbrella group, told CNN. Cold weather and snow hindered troop movements into the town, located at the head of a mountain valley, said the activist, who identified himself only as Faris.

Faris said Zabadani residents aided the rebel force by providing them with clothing and shelter. No civilians were killed there on Wednesday, he added.

Jordan's king: Don't expect change soon

Another activist in Zabadani told CNN that Syrian government forces had ringed the town and were shelling it from outside.

And a third activist, based in the northern city of Homs, told CNN that about 6,000 people in Zabadani turned out for a demonstration to celebrate Wednesday evening. Video posted on YouTube showed marchers clapping and chanting, waving their fingers in the air in victory signs and voicing thanks to the Free Syrian Army.

Syrian authorities have restricted the activity of journalists during the 10-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, so CNN cannot independently verify events there. But a CNN crew accompanied an Arab League monitoring team during a visit to Zabadani on Sunday, when crowds carried the monitors on their shoulders and urged them to stay to prevent reprisals.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency made no mention Wednesday of events in Zabadani.

Elsewhere, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said 21 more people were killed by government troops on Wednesday. Of those, 13 were killed in Homs, the scene of the worst violence in recent weeks, with the rest scattered around the country, the LCC said.

Four people were killed in Idlib, two in the Damascus suburbs, one in Aleppo and one in Daraa, according to the LCC.

The Syrian Arab News Agency, meanwhile, said 15 police officers and soldiers, including an army colonel, had been killed in recent fighting.

EU plans new sanctions against Syrian regime

The Arab League monitoring mission was scheduled to end Wednesday. But Adnan Al Khudeir, the Cairo-based head of the operation, said the league and the Syrian government were in talks over an extension, and a source close to the mission in Damascus told CNN that all the monitors had been told to remain at their bases on Thursday.

Zabadani is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Damascus, near the border with Lebanon.

Mohamed Fahmy contributed to this report.

Question: Syrian troops were driven from where?

Question: Where were troops driven from?

Question: What did the activist say?

Question: when The opposition says Syrian troops were driven from Zabadani?

Answer: Zabadani

Answer: Zabadani

Answer: troops,

Answer: Wednesday,

Summary:
NEW: Opposition official says another confrontation is expected in Zabadani .
The opposition says Syrian troops were driven from Zabadani .
Residents aided defecting soldiers in the fight, an activist says .
Arab League monitors visited Zabadani on Sunday .


(CNN) -- T-shirts and other official merchandise from what were billed as Michael Jackson's last concerts are up for sale, the shows' promoter told fans by e-mail Thursday. Official merchandise from Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour is for sale, according to the shows' promoter. The e-mail, which went to people with tickets to London tour dates that were to start in July, reaffirmed an earlier announcement that ticketholders will receive a full refund or, if they chose, a commemorative ticket for the tour. The concert merchandise includes Jackson belt buckles, socks, hats, wallets, music and a myriad of T-shirts. "Early in June, Michael Jackson approved a line of official merchandise for you, his fans," said the e-mail from concert promoter AEG Live. "As we mourn the loss of one of the greatest talents the world has ever seen, we are only beginning to feel the impact that Michael left upon us all. A variety of official merchandise commemorates this incredible talent and preserves the legacy that is Michael Jackson." Fifty sold-out Jackson concerts were scheduled for the O2 Arena in London, starting July 13. The shows were billed as the final concerts of his career and were called "This Is It." Jackson was expected to earn $50 million from the London shows. The singer died with debts estimated at $500 million, and his estate will take years to unravel legally. On Wednesday, Paul McCartney refuted media accounts about the fate of the Beatles song catalog, which Jackson co-owned. "Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles songs to me in his will, which was completely made up and something I didn't believe for a second," a statement on McCartney's Web site said. "Now the report is that I am devastated to find that he didn't leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report was true and, therefore, the report that I'm devastated is also totally false, so don't believe everything you read folks!"

Question: who refuted media accounts about the fate of the Beatles song catalog?

Question: what did paul refute media accounts about

Question: who approved a line of official merchandise in early June

Question: who refutes media reports on the fate of the catalog of Beatles songs

Question: when Jackson himself approved a line of official merchandise?

Answer: Paul McCartney

Answer: the fate of the Beatles song catalog,

Answer: Michael Jackson

Answer: Paul McCartney

Answer: "Early in June,

Summary:
Fans were told by e-mail Thursday that "This Is It" tour merchandise was for sale .
Jackson himself approved a line of official merchandise in early June .
Paul McCartney refuted media accounts about the fate of the Beatles song catalog .


(CNN) -- Taliban advances in Pakistan are raising concerns in Islamabad and capitals as far away as Washington. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson looks at how the Taliban spread and what could be done to help Pakistan. Students in burqas in Buner district How is the Taliban extending its influence in Pakistan? It has extended its influence considerably over the last few years moving northwards along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, from South Waziristan to North Waziristan to Bajur and across now to Swat and Buner. But the Taliban has also extended its influence because it is now involved with several Punjab terrorist groups that have affiliated themselves with the border Taliban and have helped commit some attacks such as one on a police station in Lahore. The Pakistan government has been cutting deals with the different elements that were Taliban or became Taliban since 2004-2005. Those deals have enabled the Taliban to extend themselves. Is Pakistan going to fall or fail? The overall answer to that is no. But the Taliban is further destabilizing an incredibly unstable situation. There is a weak government that faces challenges, not only from the Taliban but also from almost every political party in the country. It faces challenges from across the border with its old enemy India, which means a large percentage of the Pakistan army is tied up on that border rather than fighting terrorism. The Taliban is not going to take Islamabad, but its attacks and advances are going to weaken an already unstable government and make an already dangerous situation even more volatile... and that will mean the Taliban will be able to wield more influence in the future than they do today. What options are open to the Pakistan government and other countries? Pakistan could form a broad-based government of national unity and appeal for more international support in terms of encouraging financial aid and having trade restrictions lifted so they can improve the economy. The international community could help Pakistan resolve issues with India. It would help the economy and help the government focus on its own internal problems and better influence the situation in Afghanistan. What the Pakistan government would also need to do is convince its people that outside support and help is in their best interests to deal with terrorism and stabilize the country. To do that the government would also have to win the support of its large Pashtun minority, from whom the Taliban draws a lot of its support ... and that is difficult particularly as the U.S. -- which would need to be a principle supporter of Pakistan -- continues to bomb targets in Pashtun areas leading to civilian casualties.

Question: where does taliban influence?

Question: In what ways has Taliban affectedPakistan over the last few years?

Question: What are the options for Pakistan?

Question: What is causing the Pakistan government to be so easily weakened?

Question: What are some of the problems that Pakistan may face when dealing with Taliban?

Answer: Pakistan?

Answer: is further destabilizing an incredibly unstable situation.

Answer: Pakistan could form a broad-based government of national unity and appeal for more international support in terms of encouraging financial aid and having trade restrictions lifted so they can improve the economy.

Answer: attacks and advances

Answer: challenges from across the border

Summary:
Taliban influences in Pakistan has developed over years .
Pakistan government weak and could be weakened further .
Pakistan has options to deal with Taliban, but they come with problems .


(CNN) -- Taliban militants, who implemented Islamic law in Pakistan's violence-plagued Swat Valley last week, have now taken control of a neighboring district. Protests in Karachi against the creation of sharia courts in Swat Valley. Here are some answers about the Swat Valley, its history and what's taking place there. What is Swat Valley? Swat Valley is located in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, near the border with Afghanistan and about 185 miles (300 kilometers) from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The alpine region once was one of Pakistan's premier tourist destinations, boasting the nation's only ski resort until it was shut down after Taliban militants overran the area. It also was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and those wishing to visit the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. What's happening in Swat Valley? In recent years Taliban militants unleashed a wave of violence that claimed hundreds of lives in the province. The militants wanted sharia law -- or Islamic law -- imposed in the region. They took over the valley in 2008. The central government of Pakistan, which long exerted little control in the area, launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out the militants. In retaliation, the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks and began gaining ground, setting up checkpoints in the area. Has the government intervened? The militants and the Pakistani government reached a peace deal earlier this year, which was recently signed into law by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Under the deal, sharia law was imposed in the region. While the peace deal drew criticism for the Pakistani government, some analysts and political observers say the government had little choice but to capitulate, as militants have terrorized the region with beheadings, kidnappings and the destruction of schools. What's happening now? This week, the Taliban moved to seize control of the neighboring Buner district, bringing it closer to Islamabad than it has been since Taliban insurgency began. What is sharia law? Sharia law is Islamic law. While there are different interpretations of it, the Taliban's strict interpretation forbids women from being seen in public without their husbands and fathers, requires veils for women and beards for men, and bans music and television. Consequences are severe; during the Taliban struggle to impose sharia law, anyone found disobeying was pinned to the ground and lashed. Others were beheaded and hung from poles, with notices attached to their bodies that anyone daring to remove the corpse before 48 hours had passed would also be beheaded and hanged.

Question: Militants are now closer to where?

Question: Who takes control of the neighboring district of Buner?

Question: Which it was was one of the tourist attractions of Pakistan?

Question: The militants are closer than ever to where?

Question: Taliban millitants take control of what district?

Question: Militants in which valley took control of neighboring districts?

Question: The valley was once known for what?

Question: Where was once one of the top tourist attractions in Pakistan?

Question: What made it a top tourist attraction?

Question: What was once Pakistan's top tourist attraction?

Question: What are militants now closer to?

Question: What is the militants doing?

Question: What was once one of Pakistan's top tourist attractions?

Question: Who took control of neighboring Buner district?

Answer: Islamabad

Answer: Taliban

Answer: Swat Valley,

Answer: Islamabad

Answer: Buner

Answer: Swat

Answer: one of Pakistan's premier tourist destinations, boasting the nation's only ski resort

Answer: Swat Valley

Answer: boasting the nation's only ski resort

Answer: Swat Valley?

Answer: Islamabad

Answer: have now taken control of a neighboring district.

Answer: The alpine region

Answer: militants,

Summary:
Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat Valley take control of neighboring Buner district .
Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan's top tourist attractions .
Militants are now closer to Islamabad than any point since start of insurgency .


(CNN) -- Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud has been selected the new head of the Pakistani Taliban, a local Taliban commander in Pakistan's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Saturday. Baitullah Mehsud, right, former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, and a bodyguard in Pakistan, in 2004. Mehsud was selected Friday by a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, according to Taliban commander Qari Haris. Another Taliban official -- Maulvi Faqir Mohammad -- had been tapped as Mehsud's deputy, Haris said. Mohammad had named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday. A third official -- Hazem Tariq -- was named the group's new spokesman, Haris added. The announced selection underscored the contention by Pakistani and U.S. officials that the group's former leader, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan. Both Mohammad and Haris claim Mehsud is alive but ill. Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested. Saif Ullah is believed to have been Baitullah Mehsud's right-hand man, and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group. Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in a drone strike on his father-in-law's house, but a senior Pakistani official said that Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead. The top U.S. envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, told CNN that the Pakistani Taliban had not confirmed Mehsud's death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor. Journalists Janullah Hamizshada and Nazar ur Islam contributed to this report.

Question: how many members?

Question: is  former leader Baitullah Mehsud alive?

Question: who is the new deputy

Question: who is tapped as new leader's deputy?

Question: who is alive but ill

Question: who selected Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud?

Question: who was selected on friday

Answer: 42-member

Answer: was killed in an August 5 drone attack

Answer: Maulvi Faqir Mohammad

Answer: Maulvi Faqir Mohammad

Answer: Mehsud

Answer: council, or shura,

Answer: Mehsud

Summary:
Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud was selected Friday by 42-member panel .
Taliban officials say former leader Baitullah Mehsud is alive but ill .
Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad tapped as new leader's deputy .


(CNN) -- Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will join the judges' panel on "American Idol" for the show's ninth season beginning in 2010, a Fox spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres brings years of experience in front of a live audience to her role. "I'm thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol," DeGeneres said Wednesday. "I've watched since the beginning, and I've always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I'll save from not having to text in my vote." The popular comedian and entertainer will fill a seat left vacant by Paula Abdul, who announced she was leaving the show in August after eight seasons. Was DeGeneres the right replacement? DeGeneres will sit alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi after auditions are completed for the popular talent show, which starts in January. Until then, guest judges including Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Joe Jonas and Neil Patrick Harris will fill the empty slot, Fox said.  Watch Jackson discuss what DeGeneres brings to the show » "We are thrilled to have Ellen DeGeneres join the "American Idol" judges' table this season. She is truly one of America's funniest people and a fantastic performer who understands what it's like to stand up in front of audiences and entertain them every day," said Mike Darnell, president of Alternative Entertainment for Fox. "We feel that her vast entertainment experience, combined with her quick wit and passion for music, will add a fresh new energy to the show." DeGeneres brings years of experience in front of a live audience as the host of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," now in its seventh season, and the host of the 79th Annual Academy Awards. In her new role, the Emmy Award-winning talk show host faces the task of winning over Abdul's supporters, who lamented that her departure would irreparably alter the show. The singer-dancer turned "Idol" judge was known for her positive comments to the singers participating in the shows. She was also known for her on-camera run-ins with Cowell and other judges in the show. "With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to Idol. I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon," a statement on Abdul's verified Twitter account said last month.

Question: Who will join the judges?

Question: What does Degeneres say about casting her next vote?

Question: What will the popular talk show host fill?

Question: What will DeGeneres  join?

Question: Who's leaving the panel?

Question: Who left the show?

Question: What does DeGeneres  say?

Question: Who will be joining?

Answer: Ellen DeGeneres

Answer: think of all the money I'll save from not having to text in my vote."

Answer: the judges' panel on "American Idol"

Answer: judges' panel on "American Idol"

Answer: Paula Abdul,

Answer: Paula Abdul,

Answer: "I'm thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol,"

Answer: Ellen DeGeneres

Summary:
The popular talk show host will fill seat on judges' panel left empty by Paula Abdul .
DeGeneres will will join the judges' panel after the auditions, which begin in January .
"Think of all the money I'll save from not having to text in my vote," DeGeneres says .