BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Graphic footage of death and destruction has been shown on China's state-run news networks in the days following the massive earthquake that hit southwest Sichuan province earlier this week. Such telling video has rarely been shown by domestic media so extensively and so quickly after a national disaster. CCTV, China's state-run television network, as well as some local TV stations, have interrupted their regular programming to provide 24-hour coverage of the disaster. Field reporters give live reports of search-and rescue operations. News about China's deadly earthquake is being updated around the clock -- tallying death tolls, the horrendous damage and the government's swift response. Footage shows Premier Wen Jiabao surrounded by grieving villagers, his arms tightly holding two young girls. "Your sorrow is our sorrow," he assures them. "As long as people are still alive, we can start all over again." Premier Wen traveled to the disaster areas within hours of the massive earthquake. Chinese television covered his movements while leading rescue operations and comforting people in distress. Wearing a hard hat, he was shown standing on rubble and consoling trapped survivors through a loud speaker. The message is compelling: This disaster is terrible but the government is doing everything it can. Such swift reaction and extensive news coverage has not been seen in previous disasters. When the Great Tangshan earthquake struck 32 years ago, the Chinese media kept the information secret for a long time, even though over 240,000 people were killed. In the early stages of the 2003 SARS outbreak, domestic media downplayed reports on the deadly epidemic, even as it spiraled out of control and spread globally. More recently, severe snowstorms hit southern China during Spring Festival, the nation's most important holiday. Local media initially downplayed the crisis, following the government's cue; Premier Wen Jiabao was later forced to apologize for the government's slow response. With the Beijing Olympics just three months away, China is in the spotlight. Wenran Jiang, acting director of the Chinese Institute at the University of Alberta, believes the nation has drawn lessons from its past experiences with disaster. "China made mistakes before. They seemed to have learned their lessons from the earlier episodes and this one -- they probably want to manage it as well as they can."  Watch latest report on rescue efforts » Why China's new approach? Jiang notes that "the media follow-up is quite transparent," in part because it "is politically less sensitive covering such a natural disaster." Besides, Chinese officials see tangible benefits in allowing media transparency. By showing the leaders helping people and coordinating search and rescue efforts, he explains, "the result is that the whole [of] China is being mobilized. The disaster has now become a rallying point of the country." Experts in the region note the stark contrast between China's open response in the aftermath of the earthquake and Myanmar's defensive, clumsy response in the aftermath of a deadly cyclone earlier this month. Unlike its southern neighbor, China appears open to accepting international help and providing accurate information. Chinese officials say they welcome offers of sympathy and international assistance. Aid groups have been on standby, ready to help as soon as the Chinese government gives the green light. Officials say that will come "when the time is ripe." Today's more open, quick and aggressive reporting is a stark departure from China's poor performance in recent years.

Question: How many hours of coverage did TV stations provide?

Question: How many years ago did the earthquake strike?

Question: What have the Tv stations done to provide 24 hour coverage?

Question: What have TV stations been doing?

Question: What has been shown on state run networks?

Question: What did Chinese media do 32 years ago?

Question: What did state-run networks show?

Question: What did the Chinese do when the earthquake struck 32 years ago?

Question: What country's media kept information secret?

Question: How many hours of coverage are the TV stations providing?

Question: What kind of disaster has occured?

Answer: 24-hour

Answer: 32

Answer: interrupted their regular programming

Answer: interrupted their regular programming to provide 24-hour coverage of the disaster.

Answer: Graphic footage of death and destruction

Answer: kept the information secret for a long time,

Answer: Graphic footage of death and destruction

Answer: kept the information secret

Answer: China's

Answer: 24-hour

Answer: massive earthquake

Summary:
Graphic footage of death, destruction has been shown on state-run networks .
TV stations have interrupted regular shows to provide 24-hour coverage .
Swift reaction, extensive news coverage not seen in previous disasters .
When earthquake struck 32 years ago, Chinese media kept information secret .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Had the government not delayed its controversial order that all computers be equipped with Green Dam by July 1, the result would have been the same -- Chinese computer retailers were far from ready. The Green Dam's developers say they've received death threats. PC sales representatives at Bainaohui, one of Beijing's largest electronics retailers, say their merchandise is not pre-installed with Green Dam, a Web filtering software the government said was necessary to prevent children from viewing pornography and other harmful content. Some retailers were unclear as to when the software would even be available on new units. Computer experts say manufacturers have not had enough time to pre-install new computers with the software -- which is one reason behind the government's delay. PC companies may also be taking more time to test the software after programming errors, with the potential to make computers susceptible to hackers, were detected by University of Michigan professors. The Chinese government said that these errors have been fixed. The international backlash against the Green Dam directive may be further delaying the pre-instillation process. Twenty-two chambers of commerce and trade groups made an appeal to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urging that he abandon the software mandate. "China is putting companies in an untenable position by requiring them, with virtually no public notice, to pre-install software that appears to have broad-based censorship implications and network security issues," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in a press-release. With the support of U.S. trade officials, computer-makers including Dell and Hewlett-Packard are threatening to bring the matter to the World Trade Organization. Other computer manufactures, including Sony and Acer, say they are bound to comply with the Chinese policy. Domestically, Chinese Internet users are rallying against the government. Last week an anonymous group of "netizens" posted an open letter on Chinese blogs and forums. "We hereby decide that from July 1 2009, we will start a full-scale global attack on all censorship systems you control," the message said. The Chinese artist, activist, and architect who designed the Olympic "Bird's Nest" stadium, is one of the leaders behind the cyber battle. Ai Weiwei called for his Twitter followers to boycott the Internet on July 1st. The Green Dam's developers say they've even received death threats. The Chinese online community has been in an uproar since the new policy became public, and a "Declaration of Anonymous Internet Users 2009" circulating directly addresses government censors, said Charles Mok, chairman of the Internet Society of Hong Kong. "They are showing altered pictures of their own face using masks like that from 'V for Vendetta'," said Mok, referring to the 2005 film updating the story of Guy Fawkes, who tried to destroy Parliament building in England in the 17th Century. "It says, 'We're behind the mask; if one of us falls down, ten others will join.'" Mok also questions the true intent of the Green Dam software. "On its black list are 2000 words related to pornography and 6000 other types of politically sensitive key words like 'Falun Gong'," he said, referring to the banned Chinese religious group. "That ratio alone makes it obvious what's behind it." Sharp criticism of the software partially stems from fears that the software will simply further strengthen the government's control and censorship of the media. Yet the government said it is simply acting in response to parental complaints about the negative affects of the Internet on children. Responding to reporters' questions, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang acknowledges the controversy over the software in and outside China. "However," he said in a regular press conference last week, "no matter how many different views there are, the Chinese government assumes the responsibility to protect our youth from unhealthy information on the Internet, and so do various social circles and enterprises. This is the essence of this problem." The government said it is simply providing the software free of charge, as a

Question: What is the reason the deadline was extended?

Question: what have critics said about the software

Question: what China extends deadline for Internet filtering software to?

Question: What is the main purpose of the Green dam software?

Question: what did the government say about gree dam

Answer: manufacturers have not had enough time to pre-install new computers with the software

Answer: will simply further strengthen the government's control and censorship of the media.

Answer: prevent children from viewing pornography

Answer: Web filtering

Answer: was necessary to prevent children from viewing pornography and other harmful content.

Summary:
China extends deadline for Internet filtering software to accompany PCs .
International backlash, unreadiness of retailers may be reasons behind the delay .
Government says Green Dam software is designed to block porn .
Critics say software can block all non-government sanctioned content .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Liu Yan, regarded as China's top classical dancer, was to give the performance of a lifetime: She was to dance a solo at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Liu, in red, performs on the 2008 Beijing Television Chinese New Year Festival Show. She was to perform a dance entitled "Silk Road," a piece intended to convey the rich cultural history of China. But it never happened. Twelve days before she was to take the stage at the Olympics, in an event that China hoped would catapult the nation to international glory, she fell while rehearsing the dance -- leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. "When the music stopped, I made my exit as usual. I was dancing on a thin layer of electrical mat, I was standing on that, and there was a platform powered by a vehicle moving underneath," Liu said from the Beijing 306 Military Hospital. "Right when I stepped on the platform, it moved away quickly ... then, like that, I fell."  Watch more on Liu » "It was extremely painful." Liu, who was knocked unconscious, was later told she would never walk again. Doctors operated on her for six hours, and the hospital where she was being treated was near the Bird's Nest -- the landmark national stadium built for the Games. The stadium can be seen from Liu's hospital room window. "I could not see it, because I was unable to sit up. But then, I could see the fireworks from the rehearsal," Liu said through tears. She did not watch the opening ceremony. "I was afraid to watch it," she said. "I was listening to Lisa Ono (a bossa nova singer) with the volume up to the highest on the stereo that used to be here in the corner. But, I watched it later." Liu began attending the Beijing Dance Academy in 1993. She spent 10 years studying professional dancing, and classical Chinese dance was her major. She repeatedly received the annual Best Student award and went on to win gold awards in the national dancing competition in 2004, the Lotus Dancing competition and the first Asian Youth Art Festival. She also won many top cultural awards in China for dance plays. "When I was young, I was the kind of child who studied dancing very hard. I never gave up. I love dancing very much. When practicing some dancing movements, which other students considered boring, I saw the practice as very interesting," she said. "People thought that I took dancing very seriously because of my love for it, but I think it's very interesting." Apart from the physical pain, Liu said: "The damage on my dancing career is the most painful part for me." "I think this is very sad. But I am injured and it is a fact that cannot be changed. But I believe I will keep dancing or at least doing work related to that, because that is what I love." Liu said she spends most of her time recovering in the hospital, exercising her legs to help develop her muscles. She said she feels much better now but it is still tough. "I often cry. After I got injured, I feel fragile every time I reflect on the past. But I think of it as a process," she said. "I will learn to face the reality rationally. Human hearts are made of flesh; it is not one flat surface. The important thing is how you adjust yourself." She has since started to return to her normal life. "For example, going back home and staying overnight, going out with friends for dinner, even going to see a show, a movie, drink coffee, drink Champagne, going back to classes." Liu does not blame anyone for the accident, saying that in big events, "accidents happen." "I think you should not blame one person

Question: what awards were won?

Question: What country is Liu Yan from?

Question: What was Liu Yan rehearsing when she was injured?

Question: What nationality is Liu Yan?

Question: who is paralyzed?

Question: What type of dance is Liu Yan best known for?

Question: What was being rehearsed?

Answer: Best Student

Answer: China

Answer: to dance a solo at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Answer: Chinese

Answer: Liu Yan,

Answer: classical Chinese

Answer: "Silk Road,"

Summary:
Liu Yan is paralyzed while rehearsing her solo dance for the Olympics' opening .
Doctors say she will not walk again .
Liu wins many dance awards; she is considered China's top classical dancer .
She believes she will recover and exercises every day .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- North Korea, formally called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is also known as the Hermit Kingdom for a good reason.

Chinese border guards patrol in Jilin province across from the North Korean border on March 21, 2009.

For decades, it has been shrouded by a veil of secrecy that has prevented us from better understanding this important nation. As journalists we seek out the realities of life there, beyond the myths and hype, but that is difficult because the DPRK is generally inaccessible to journalists. The gap between reality and illusion remains profound.

Journalists, such as the two Americans being detained in North Korea, do travel to the border between China and North Korea to get a sense of what life is like in the isolated nation of 22 million people. The circumstances surrounding the journalists' arrest are still unclear.

"North Korea is such a difficult country to enter for a foreign reporter that the temptation to slip across the frozen river border is considerable," said former CNN correspondent Mike Chinoy, author of "Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis."

"If that's what they did, however, it was extremely foolhardy and really pushing their luck."

China and North Korea share a 1,415-kilometer (880-mile) border that mainly follows two rivers. The Yalu River defines the border on the northwest, the Tumen River on the northeast. By land, the two countries are linked by seven road crossings and four railway points.

Over the years, I have visited three towns on the Chinese side of the border. From a narrow river crossing at the border town of Tumen, Koreans cross on foot and in trucks. Those going back into North Korea carry bags full of food and household wares, even bicycles. Some of those coming into China ferry logs and minerals.

From across the Yalu River in China's Dandong City in October of 2006, I had a glimpse of Sinuiju, a North Korean border town of some 350,000 people. Using a long camera lens, I saw school children learn to roller skate, and residents celebrating what looked like a wedding. Still the city's decrepit appearance hinted at stagnation and isolation. It was a stark contrast from the Chinese city, which was ablaze in neon lights and a bustling commerce and trade.

North Korea's public face is one of smiling children, clean streets, manicured gardens, spectacular scenery and a stoic people united under the aegis of Kim Jong Il, known among Koreans as the "Dear Leader."

I saw it up close twice, in 1996 and 2002, when I had the chance to visit the most reclusive nation on earth. We were typically greeted by polite officials and smiling children and invited to watch spectacular performances with a cast of thousands.

North Korea, however, remains isolated, diplomatically and economically, led by an erratic leadership that behaves out of fear and insecurity.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing suggest that China is getting fed up with North Korea's inability to preserve social stability and with its erratic behavior in the multi-national efforts to deal with North Korea's nuclear program. Publicly, however, China sticks to the official line, often calling the two nations' ties as close as "lips and teeth" -- one cannot function without the other.

In my two visits to North Korea, I have detected conflicting signs -- one, of social instability and another of a tentative desire to experiment with reforms. In 2002, the government tolerated some quasi-private businesses, raised civil servants' salaries and deregulated prices of some commodities. But much of these tentative efforts to change seem to have been aborted and the country remains isolated and poor.

What emerges is a nation, now considered a nuclear threat, desperately seeking respect and economic aid.

That picture is now intertwined with the two detained U.S. journalists, Chinoy said.

"It will be interesting to see how the case is handled. North Korea has been in a generally more bellicose mood lately," said Chinoy, who is currently a senior fellow at the Pacific Council on

Question: What reforms have been tried?

Question: What is known as the Hermit Kingdom?

Question: who is connected by 7 road crossing and 4 railway points?

Question: What is North Korea known as?

Question: China and North Korea are linked by how many road crossings and railway points?

Question: who is known as Hermit Kingdom?

Answer: government tolerated some quasi-private businesses, raised civil servants' salaries and deregulated prices of some commodities.

Answer: North Korea, formally called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,

Answer: North Korea

Answer: Hermit Kingdom

Answer: four

Answer: North Korea,

Summary:
Secretive and closed off for decades, North Korea is known as the Hermit Kingdom .
By land, China and North Korea are linked by 7 road crossings and 4 railway points .
In recent years, N. Korean refugees have fled into China seeking food, jobs, freedom .
Tentative reforms have been aborted and North Korea remains isolated and poor .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- One of the most destructive moments in Chinese history is bringing together -- at least temporarily -- this vast nation of more than a billion people, made up of disparate ethnic groups stretching across five time zones. Thousands chant "China, keep moving" during a rally in Chengdu's Tianfu Square. When millions of Chinese paused for three minutes of silence Monday, they personified the surge in patriotism and charity that has swept this country since a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake leveled large sections of Sichuan province in southwestern China. Moments after the observance ended, chants of "Go, China, Go!" broke out in Tiananmen Square, where a Chinese military crackdown in 1989 left hundreds dead. Sentiments have changed since the days of the anti-government protests. "As Chinese we must be united," said a student. "We Chinese can do it!" Some of Monday's demonstrators waved Chinese flags while others hoisted banners with slogans like "Rebuild Sichuan!" iReport.com: Thousands rally in Chengdu Horrific scenes of death and devastation -- covered heavily by the local media -- have triggered a surge of patriotism and charity. "When one is in trouble," the Chinese say, "help comes from all directions." In Beijing, Chinese officials, entertainers, athletes and artists attended a marathon concert, giving donations and calling on the public to give more. The benefit concert raised more than 1.51 billion yuan, or $216 million. More donations are pouring in through other channels. Watch report on how quake has united Chinese » As of Sunday, Chinese nationals had donated more than 4.9 billion yuan ($700 million) in cash and goods for earthquake relief, according to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs. Live on Chinese TV, local businesses pledged to give money and build free housing for victims -- an unusual display of civic charity. As of last Saturday, Chinese enterprises had donated more than 3.5 billion yuan ($501 million) in cash and relief goods. "Traditionally the Chinese people don't share as much with strangers. They share a great deal among friends and family, but not with strangers," according to China analyst Zhang Daxing. At The Bookworm, a Beijing bookstore, residents drop off relief goods that are promptly shipped to disaster areas. "My guess would be about 350 boxes, which include kid's clothes, adult clothes, a lot of sleeping bags, tents, dried food, shoes, that type of stuff," said store owner Alex Pearson. Students in the Chinese capital have even taken to the street to collect donations. "Although we cannot go to Sichuan to save them, we can still help them with donated money," one student said. Analysts say this unprecedented display of charity is partly in response to the quick action already taken by Chinese officials to the emergency. The Chinese media have repeatedly shown Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao comforting survivors. Many believe this has inspired Chinese residents to do what they can to help. Meantime, a new image of China is emerging around the world. "The earthquake changed China's international image from an oppressor or an authoritarian government to a victim of natural disaster and human tragedy," said Wenfang Tang, professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh. The Chinese, at least for now, are more united as a people and more charitable, as citizens pull together in the wake of a massive earthquake. CNN's Sherisse Pham contributed to this report

Question:
How many were killed ?
Since when has   sentiments changed ?
what broke out?
What chant broke out after the silence?
What happened?

Answer: hundreds

Answer: days of the anti-government protests.

Answer: in Tiananmen Square,

Answer: "China, keep moving"

Answer: a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake leveled large sections of Sichuan province in southwestern China.

Summary:
Destructive moment in Chinese history has helped bring people together .
Chants of "Go, China, Go!" broke out after silence tribute to dead on Monday  Sentiments have changed since the days of the anti-government protests .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Police in Tibet have arrested 16 Buddhist monks and are seeking three more for their alleged involvement in one bombing and two attempted bombings, authorities in Tibet told state-run media. Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers are shown in the streets of Lhasa, Tibet, on March 14. All three cases occurred in Tibet's Mangkam county during the first half of April, according to the Tibet Autonomous Regional Department of Public Security. The suspects confessed, police said, saying they had listened to foreign radio and were following separatist propaganda from the Dalai Lama, China's Xinhua news agency reported. CNN could not confirm whether the suspects confessed. The Dalai Lama has said he does not advocate violence or a separate and independent Tibet. He has said he wants a genuine autonomy that preserves the cultural heritage of Tibet. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama and his followers for violence that erupted March 14 amid anti-Chinese demonstrations in Tibet. Some protesters advocated independence from China while others demonstrated against the growing influence of ethnic Han Chinese in Tibet and other regions of China with ethnic Tibetan populations. The Chinese authorities cracked down on the protests, which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising. Widespread violence broke out across China's Tibetan region, especially in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, following a week of protests by hundreds of Buddhist monks. "Real Buddhists should learn Buddhist scriptures by heart, love their country and their religion, abide by the law, and bring happiness to people," said Dainzin Chilai, vice-chairman of the China Buddhist Association and vice-chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference of Tibet Autonomous Region. "They should not involve themselves in cruel killing and sabotage." Both groups Chilai represents are affiliated with the Chinese government. The unrest resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians and one police officer, according to government figures. It also injured 382 civilians and 241 police officers and led to the looting of businesses and home and the burning of shops and vehicles. Tibet's self-proclaimed government-in-exile put the death toll from the protests at 140. At the time of the unrest, roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces, demolishing military trucks and pushing back riot police, a witness told CNN, and Tibetans seemed to be targeting shops and vehicles owned by Han Chinese, the predominant ethnic group in China.

Question: What country says suspects confessed?

Question: What do police tell Xinhua?

Question: What number of bombings were there  in April?

Question: What city in Tibet was was site of deadly unrest in March?

Question: Where was the site of the deadly unrest in March?

Question: Who confessed according to China?

Question: When was the bombings happened?

Answer: China's

Answer: The suspects confessed,

Answer: three

Answer: Lhasa,

Answer: Lhasa, Tibet,

Answer: 16 Buddhist monks

Answer: March 14.

Summary:
Arrests tied to three bombings in April, police tell Xinhua .
China says suspects confessed; CNN could not confirm .
Lhasa, Tibet was site of deadly unrest in March .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Senior North Korean officials say the communist regime has "weaponized" its stockpile of plutonium, according to a U.S. scholar, in a move suggesting that North Korea may have significantly hardened its stance on nuclear negotiations. Selig Harrison said North Korean officials claimed to have enough plutonium for four or five warheads. Selig Harrison, one of the few U.S. scholars granted access to senior North Korean officials, said at a news conference in Beijing that the officials told him they had weaponized 30.8 kilograms of plutonium, enough for four or five warheads. The director of the Asia Program at the Center for International Policy, who just returned from a five-day visit to Pyongyang, said senior North Korean officials told him the warheads will not be open for inspection. If it is true, the news portends a gloomy outlook for the future of the six-party talks that began in 2003 with the goal of getting North Korea to end its nuclear program. "It does change the game," Harrison said. South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia are participating in the talks. A 2007 agreement calls for scrapping nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula in return for energy aid to the North, normalized relations between the North and the United States and Japan, and a formal peace pact.  Watch a report on North Korea's nuclear negotiations » The North Koreans told Harrison they want the rest of the fuel aid that Japan has promised them. North Korea had agreed to disable the reactor that had produced plutonium for nuclear weapons. But the United States and its allies have asked it to give up the plutonium it already has, an estimated 30 kilograms, as well as details of any other bomb-producing programs. Harrison said one possible reason for Pyongyang's tough new stance could be the declining health of leader Kim Jong Il, who reportedly suffered a stroke last year and may no longer be involved in day-to-day decisions. "People I talked to have many indications that some important things are submitted to him, but he is not working in the way he used to," Harrison said. He said military hard-liners have taken the lead in demanding from the United States a full declaration and verification of all nuclear weapons sent to South Korea between 1957 and 1991. The hard-liners also seek full normalization of relations with Washington before more talks about scrapping their nuclear arsenal. On Tuesday, during her Senate confirmation hearing for the secretary of state position, Sen. Hillary Clinton made it clear: de-nuclearization first, then diplomatic normalization. President-elect Barack Obama has stated his willingness to talk to the North Korean leader. Harrison also said the North demanded the completion of the light-water reactors as compensation for the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor. The light-water reactor, which is not capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, was promised to North Korea in the early 1990s for the North giving up its nuclear weapons. Its construction has been suspended. North Korea has long considered its nuclear program integral to its national security. North Korea tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. In June, it acknowledged producing about 40 kilograms of enriched plutonium. CNN's John Vause contributed to this report.

Question: what did the officials tell US

Question: What could be one possible reason for the tough stance?

Question: what are they seeking

Question: What do North Korean officials want?

Question: What do officials want?

Question: Who seeks normalization of relations with Washington?

Answer: claimed to have enough plutonium for four or five warheads.

Answer: declining health of leader Kim Jong Il,

Answer: scrapping nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula in return for energy aid to the North,

Answer: the rest of the fuel aid that Japan has promised them.

Answer: the rest of the fuel aid that Japan has promised them.

Answer: The hard-liners

Summary:
News may bode ill for future of talks to end North Korean nuclear program .
North Korean officials tell U.S. scholar they want rest of promised fuel aid .
One possible reason for tough stance could be declining health of leader Kim Jung Il .
Military hard-liners seek normalization of relations with Washington before more talks .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Soon after I first came to visit China in the autumn of 1971, I saw a contingent of militia soldiers doing marching drills in Tiananmen Square. I was told they were rehearsing for the annual National Day parade on October 1, which people eagerly awaited. Mao Zedong proclaims the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on October 1, 1949. Weeks later, however, I was informed that the civilian and military parade had been cancelled in the spirit of "simple-living and hard struggle," as Chairman Mao decreed. The real reason: Lin Biao, then defense minister and Mao's anointed successor, had reportedly died in a plane crash while attempting to flee the country after a failed coup attempt. China's achievements in the last 60 years have come in zigs and zags. The best place to look back at what China went through in the past six decades is Tiananmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Behind it lies the Imperial Palace, or Forbidden City, where China's Emperors used to live. The emperor is now history, but Tiananmen remains Beijing's political center. It was on the Tiananmen rostrum where Chairman Mao formally proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic. "The Chinese people have stood up!" he declared in a shrill Hunanese accent. For decades, the whole nation followed Mao loyally. He emphasized political mobilization of the common man, especially the peasantry. In Mao's ideology, the Chinese people found hope in a New China, wherein citizens would always have a bowl of rice to eat and clothes to wear. Mao proved to be good at fighting but poor at governing. He pushed sweeping socio-economic initiatives and strident ideological campaigns, often with disastrous results. During two political campaigns in the late 1950s, over 550,000 "rightist" intellectuals were persecuted and imprisoned. The Great Leap Forward led to widespread famine and the deaths of an estimated 30 million Chinese. In the late 1960s, Mao would again stand in the Tiananmen rostrum to launch the Cultural Revolution. There, he rallied hundreds of thousands of young Chinese -- the radical Red Guards -- who lionized him like a demi-god. "To rebel is justified!" they proclaimed. They rebelled against everything and wreaked havoc everywhere. For ten years, China was condemned to political turmoil and economic malaise. Perhaps the only factor that kept the country from total collapse was the people's incomparable resilience and their ability to "chi ku" (eat bitterness, or bear hardship). Mao's reign is also credited for positive changes. He banned child brides and polygamy, built Beijing's first subway line and started a space program with China's first satellite launch. In 1972, the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations. Still, for three decades under Mao, China tried to break out of its backwardness and isolation but only met modest success. Mao died in 1976 and his remains are kept in a mausoleum in Tiananmen Square.  Take an audiovisual tour of Mao's hometown » Soon enough, Deng Xiaoping emerged as the new paramount leader. Deng overturned most of Mao's policies and embarked upon reforming the economy and opening up the country to the outside world. His quest for stability and prosperity took off in the early 1990s, propelled by his pragmatic policies to entice foreign investments and build China's private sector. Just south of Tiananmen, one landmark stands as a symbol of Deng's bold open-door policy. In the early 1980s, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet opened in Beijing, just a stone's throw away from Mao's mausoleum. Today, the fast food chain still does brisk business, with a large portrait of founder Colonel Sanders hanging on the three-story building. Not every Chinese embraced Deng's reform and open-door policy. Old Guards and conservatives in and outside the communist party accepted Deng's reform policies, but with a great deal of misgiving. The backlash came to a boil in 1989, when Tiananmen witnessed an outpouring of support for

Question: Who proved to be poor at governing?

Question: Who was Mao's successor?

Question: Who is Mao's successor?

Question: What did Mao prove to be good at?

Question: what kind of mess did his successor step into

Answer: Mao

Answer: Lin Biao,

Answer: Lin Biao,

Answer: fighting

Answer: political turmoil and economic malaise.

Summary:
Mao proved to be good at fighting but poor at governing .
Mao pushed sweeping socio-economic initiatives, strident ideological campaigns .
His successor Deng Xiaoping embarks upon reforming the economy, opening China .
China gains world prominence via 20-year economic boom, but has consequences .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The International Olympic Committee has asked gymnastics officials to look into whether China's women's gymnastics team used underaged competitors, an IOC spokeswoman said Friday. China's He Kexin kisses her gold medal last week after winning the Olympic women's uneven bars. The committee asked the International Gymnastics Federation to clarify the situation, said spokeswoman Giselle Davis. She said she wouldn't call it a formal investigation. The Chinese women's gymnastics team won a gold medal in a team competition at the Summer Olympics Games. Five members won medals in individual competitions. Yet commentators, bloggers and others have raised questions about whether about half the members of China's team were old enough to compete -- athletes must be at least 16 in the year the games take place. In women's gymnastics, younger teenage girls can have an advantage over older competitors due to their often smaller, more agile bodies and lighter frames. "We have asked the gymnastics federation to look into what have been a number questions and apparent discrepancies on this case," Davis said. A top Chinese Olympic official said questions regarding the ages of the athletes have been dealt with previously. "The eligibility of the athletes has already been investigated and authorized by the international federation and, if they hadn't been cleared, they wouldn't have participated in the games," said Wang Wei, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic Committee. Chinese officials provided the Olympic committee with passports, showing that team members were of legal age, but numerous challenges have been made. The latest came from a blogger known as "Stryde Hax." The blogger claims to have uncovered proof that Chinese gymnast He Kexin is only 14.  Watch bloggers question China's gymnasts » In Internet searches, "Stryde Hax" allegedly uncovered Web pages showing lists complied by China's General Administration of Sport that show a 1994 date of birth for He. That would make her 14 -- too young to compete in the Olympic Games. CNN has not been able to independently verify the information, but snapshots of the Web pages appear to back up the claim. Other bloggers have joined the search and reported similar results. The New York Times conducted its own investigation, producing similar results that seem to implicate He and two other members of the team. The Times uncovered a 2006 biography on He that lists her birthday as January 1, 1994. "According to online sports registration lists in China, half the team - He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan - would be under age," the Times reported in July. The International Gymnastics Federation, however, has said that those gymnasts were eligible and that the ages on their passports were correct. Chinese gymnastics coaches defended their team Friday. "Our athletes participating in these games all conform to the age regulations of the Olympics," said Huang Yubin, head coach of the men's and women's teams. "Asians have different figures than people from the West, so that's what caused their suspicion," Huang said, referring to media inquiries. "They shouldn't be suspicious." CNN's John Vause contributed to this story

Question: What is the required age for gymnasts to compete in Olympics?

Question: What proof did Chinese officials provide?

Question: What is the minimum age for Olympic gymnasts?

Question: What did Chinese officials do?

Question: Who is investigating the age of the Chinese gymnast?

Question: Who sought the probe?

Question: What was the probe looking at?

Question: Who defended the team?

Question: How old must gymnasts be to compete?

Question: What medal did the Chinese women's team win?

Answer: at least 16

Answer: committee with passports, showing that team members were of legal age,

Answer: athletes must be at least 16 in the year the games take place.

Answer: provided the Olympic committee with passports, showing that team members were of legal age,

Answer: International Olympic Committee

Answer: The International Olympic Committee

Answer: whether China's women's gymnastics team used underaged competitors,

Answer: Chinese gymnastics coaches

Answer: at least 16 in the year the games take place.

Answer: gold

Summary:
Probe into Chinese gymnasts' age sought by International Olympic Committee .
Gymnasts must be at least 16 years of age to compete in Olympics .
Chinese officials defend team, have shown passports proving athletes are eligible .
Speculation intensified following team gold medal won by China's women .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The head of China's quality watchdog is reported to have resigned over the tainted baby milk scandal that has killed four children and sickened nearly 53,000 others. The official Xinhua News Agency said Li Changjiang had quit with the approval of China's State Council. Li's agency is responsible for ensuring that China's food supply chain is safe. Monday's resignation came hours after the World Health Organization said the scandal had highlighted flaws in the country's entire food supply chain. The chemical melamine blamed for causing kidney stones and kidney failure has been detected in formula milk powder from 22 dairies across China. The crisis was initially thought to have been confined to baby milk powder, but tests have found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy producers, Mengniu Dairy Group and Yili Industrial Group, as well as Shanghai-based Bright Dairy. WHO China representative Hans Troedsson said on Monday quality issues could occur anywhere from the farm to the retail outlet. He said "it's clearly something that is not acceptable and needs to be rectified and corrected," according to The Associated Press. Troedsson said the WHO was discussing with officials how to strengthen China's food quality system. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called milk manufacturers "heartless" and promised stricter laws to protect the public. China's Health Ministry said Sunday that about 13,000 children were hospitalized, while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment for illnesses related to suspected melamine-tainted milk products. The scandal has spread beyond the mainland with melamine being found in three Chinese-made dairy products in Singapore. The country's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said tests on "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" showed that it was contaminated with melamine and it ordered stores to remove the product from shelves. Taiwan announced Monday it was banning the importation of all dairy products from China because of melamine contamination in milk supplies on the mainland, Taiwan's Health Ministry said Monday. And a second child in Hong Kong has been diagnosed with a kidney stones after drinking the tainted milk as worried parents continued to take their children for health checkups, the government said Monday, AP reported. The 4-year-old boy was in hospital in a stable condition, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. A three-year-old girl was sickened by a suspected melamine-tainted milk over the weekend -- the first known illness outside of mainland China. The Chinese premier visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket Sunday to show his concern for the crisis. "What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future, not only in dairy products, but in all foods," he said. "Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases. They are heartless, so we have to create strict law and legislation. I'm sorry." Investigators arrested two brothers who sold milk used to produce the contaminated baby milk powder last week. They could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. The raw milk had been watered down and the chemical added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants.  Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal » But anger has been directed not just at the producers accused of adulterating their milk to increase profits, but also at government regulators, Time magazine reported. "Xinhua was quick to blame the dairy industry for their skewed rules, but what it didn't say was that the government also played a part in that ugly game," the magazine quoted a blogger, identified as sadmoon109, as saying. Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition. Thousands of tons of the tainted milk powder have been recalled. Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs

Question: How many infants are dead?

Question: What did the head of China's quality watchdog resign over?

Question: What was tainted?

Question: What showed flaws in the supply chain?

Question: Who resigned over the tainted baby forumla?

Question: How many were reported ill?

Question: What did the WHO representative say?

Question: Who resigned over the scandal?

Question: How many infants in China are reported ill from the tainted milk powder?

Question: What caused watchdog to resign?

Question: What did the scandal show?

Question: How many babies died?

Question: What did WHO reps say?

Question: Why did the head resign?

Question: Who resigned over the scandal?

Question: Who resigned amid the contaminated formula incident?

Question: Who resigned due to the baby formula scandal?

Question: What did the scandal show flaws in?

Question: How many infants are ill?

Question: How many infants died due to the formula?

Question: What organization's agent commented on food supply chain flaws?

Question: How many infants are dead?

Question: How many babies fell ill due to a contaminated milk product?

Answer: four

Answer: tainted

Answer: baby milk

Answer: the scandal had highlighted

Answer: Li Changjiang

Answer: nearly 53,000

Answer: World Health Organization said the scandal had highlighted flaws in the country's entire food supply chain.

Answer: Li Changjiang

Answer: nearly 53,000

Answer: baby milk scandal

Answer: flaws in the country's entire food supply chain.

Answer: four

Answer: the scandal had highlighted flaws in the country's entire food supply chain.

Answer: baby milk scandal that has killed four children and sickened nearly 53,000 others.

Answer: Li Changjiang

Answer: The head of China's quality watchdog

Answer: Li Changjiang

Answer: country's entire food supply chain.

Answer: 53,000

Answer: killed four children

Answer: World Health

Answer: four

Answer: nearly 53,000

Summary:
Head of China's quality watchdog resigns over tainted baby formula scandal .
WHO representative said scandal shows up flaws in China's food supply chain .
Four infants in China dead, 53,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The world will soon see an "explosion" of swine flu cases as the H1N1 virus spreads rapidly around the world, a top World Health Organization official said Friday. Spread of the H1N1 virus is entering an "acceleration period," WHO official says. Spread of the virus is entering an "acceleration period" and it is certain that there will be more cases and more deaths, said Dr. Shin Young-soo, the organization's regional director for the Western Pacific. "Most countries may see a doubling of cases every three to four days for two months until peak transmission is reached," he said at a symposium in Beijing, China. "At a certain point, there will seem to be an explosion in case numbers. I believe it is very likely that all countries will see community-level transmission by the end of the year." More than 1,490 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged this spring, Shin said. Swine flu is the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years. So far, it has caused mostly mild illness, but Shin warned "the virus has a sting in its tail" because it is very infectious and "has the potential to cause more serious disease." Any widespread resistance to antiviral drugs, expected to be available this fall, could make the situation worse, he said. The virus so far has shown itself to be unpredictable, Shin said, so the public needs to be prepared. He called for accurate and timely public health messages and early treatment of severe cases. The public needs to comply with these health messages, and everyone needs to be able to recognize symptoms early and get timely medical care, he said. "We will only be safe when we have applied these lessons in every country dealing with this virus," Shin said. "We need to learn quickly since, as I believe, it appears that this pandemic will get worse before the situation gets better."

Question: What period is the virus entering?

Question: What is the first influenza pandemic in 40 years?

Question: What is considered to be the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years?

Question: What will the countries see a doubling of?

Question: How many  people have died from the virus since last spring?

Question: How many people died from the virus since last spring?

Question: Where did this spread

Answer: "acceleration period,"

Answer: Swine flu

Answer: Swine flu

Answer: swine flu cases

Answer: More than 1,490

Answer: More than 1,490

Answer: around the world,

Summary:
Spread of the virus is entering an "acceleration period," official says .
Countries may see a doubling of cases every three to four days, he says .
More than 1,490 people have died from the virus since last spring .
H1N1 is the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Walking through a maze of narrow streets south of Tiananmen Square, Nick Frisch appeared unfazed by the sight of drastic changes -- traditional courtyard houses that once lined up these hutongs, or alleys, now in different stages of being knocked down. Nick Frisch's underground exploration in Beijing has attracted the attention of a Singapore TV crew. While the Qianmen area is going through an extreme makeover -- a restoration of its Qing dynasty flavor ahead of the Olympics -- Frisch's destination is safe from the city's ubiquitous wrecking balls. Upon reaching the entrance to the Underground City, however, he was told it was closed for "renovation," just like the surrounding neighborhood. "It's like they're trying to literally bury this place before the Games," said Frisch, a recent graduate of Columbia University in the United States, with a major in history and Chinese language. This place is a vast network of tunnels built beneath Beijing's city center during the 1970s in anticipation of a nuclear war with the Soviets. Covering an area of 85 square kilometers and containing 1,000 anti-air raid structures, the subterranean complex was said to have been mostly hand-dug by 300,000 local residents. "The plan was to move half of Beijing's population underground and the other half to western hills in the event of a nuclear attack," Frisch explained. The 22-year-old New York native has lived in China on and off for a year and is fascinated by the bomb shelter and its history. After the authorities opened part of the Underground City as a tourist attraction to woo foreigners, he turned a routine visit to an adventure in 2006. Armed with a flashlight, Frisch veered off from the mandatory guided tour. Moving sandbags and unchaining doors, he explored the off-limit area and found rooms with bunk beds and decayed cardboard boxes of water purifiers. "It's more than just propaganda posters down there -- it really is a parallel universe, with street signs stenciled on the wall," Frisch said. Since then, Frisch has discovered other shelters linked to the network -- many of them turned to cheap hostels -- on busy streets. Not surprisingly, the time-warped part of the Underground City remains his favorite. "I sometimes wish I was born earlier to witness the Cold War unfold -- and the tunnels have given me a unique vantage point to look into that period of history," Frisch said. "While Beijing is transforming itself for the Olympics, it's just amazing to see this space in such a sharp contrast to the city aboveground." E-mail to a friend Steven Jiang is a Beijing-based freelance writer and former CNN producer.

Question: what is now open

Question: What was built in the 1970's as a giant bomb shelter?

Question: who is the student

Question: What is now open to tourists?

Question: What did the student find?

Question: Who is exploring Beijing's underground tunnels?

Question: where is the student from

Answer: part of the Underground City as a tourist attraction to woo foreigners,

Answer: Underground City,

Answer: Nick Frisch

Answer: Underground City

Answer: rooms with bunk beds and decayed cardboard boxes of water purifiers.

Answer: Nick Frisch's

Answer: New York

Summary:
American university student exploring Beijing's underground tunnels .
Part of capital's "Underground City" now open to tourists .
Beijing's underground tunnel network was built in 1970s as giant bomb shelter .


BEIJING, China (CNN) -- When we requested an interview with members of the Communist Youth League, I expected an army of suits with well-rehearsed answers. Instead, we met three students casually dressed in jeans, just 18 to 23 years old. Christina Zhang wants to be a linguistics teacher or professor. She plans to attend graduate school. The interview was arranged by the State Council Information Office, in advance of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Unlike many government-sanctioned shoots, it was not carefully choreographed or closely monitored. The students did arrive with a "minder" of sorts, but he was no older than them and didn't interrupt the conversation. We sat down for tea at Ritan Park in downtown Beijing. My questions seemed to be more sensitive than they expected, but the students remained poised and answered every one. All of the students are members of the Chinese Communist Party and the Communist Youth League, the same organization that launched the successful careers of Chinese President Hu Jintao and many of China's other top leaders. "I think Communism is an ideal state of society that everyone should pursue," said Natalie Chen, an 18-year-old freshman and finance major at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. "In the Communist society, everything is fair in economics, in politics, in education. Everybody has equal opportunity and that's a great society." "Do you think everything is fair in China?" I asked Natalie. "At present I have to say no," she said. "But, we are of course making progress towards it."  Watch Chang's interview with the students » Young students like Chen are the future of the Chinese Communist Party, which now is the largest political party in the world with 75 million members. It has come a long way. In 1949, the Communist Party was a group of mostly revolutionary farmers, who came to power on the heels of civil war.  See how China has changed over 60 years » "The party was a rag tag organization you might say," said David Shambaugh, a visiting fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and political science professor at George Washington University. "They had no experience in ruling, but a lot of experience in fighting and they were faced with a number of problems of how to set up a government and run the country." The first three decades of Communist rule were tumultuous, marred by backward isolation and a destructive Cultural Revolution. However, the next 30 years transformed China from the inside out, with the implementation of new economic goals and gradual openness to the outside world. The Communist Party now is largely credited with delivering the country from isolation to economic prosperity. Despite this achievement, perhaps the party's most astounding achievement in 60 years is, quite simply, surviving as the one and only political party in a massive country. "To be adaptable and flexible is a path to survival," said Shambaugh. "So this has been a very adaptable, and I would argue, eclectic party, borrowing bits and pieces from different political systems all around the world and studying other political systems." Yet, in being so adaptable, analysts say the party has run the risk of having a lot of slogans and little substance. Slogans such as "the scientific mode of development," "socialism with Chinese characteristics," and "harmonious society" often cannot be explained by the average Chinese citizen. "These are all current slogans, but people are not really sure what they mean," Shambaugh said. Indeed some of the party's youngest members provided vague answers when asked for what exactly the Communist Party stands. "I think we have a goal," said 23-year-old Christina Zhang, an undergraduate in linguistics at Beijing Normal University. "That is to reach a harmonious society. That is our dream ... I believe we are sure to realize our dream." "We discuss science, we discuss thought,

Question: Who is the future of the Chinese Communist Party?

Answer: Young students like Chen

Summary:
Unlike many government-sanctioned shoots, this one was not closely monitored .
Young students are the future of the Chinese Communist Party .
Youth have been criticized for caring too much about securing good jobs .
Analysts say the party runs the risk of having many slogans but little substance .


BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@," claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday. The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words. "The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming. While the "@" symbol is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta," or "love him," to Mandarin speakers. Li told a news conference on the state of the language that the name was an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Chinese, as commercialisation and the Internet break down conventions. Another couple tried to give their child a name that rendered into English sounds like "King Osrina." Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages. Sixty million Chinese faced the problem that their names use ancient characters so obscure that computers cannot recognize them and even fluent speakers were left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript of the briefing on the government Web site (www.gov.cn). One of them was the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name had a rare "rong" character that gave newspaper editors headaches. E-mail to a friend

Question: Who have not revealed if the name has been allowed?

Question: What are Chinese couple trying to name their baby?

Question: Have officials allowed the name?

Question: What was the Father's claimed translation?

Question: What does the father claim it translates as?

Question: What did a couple try to name their baby?

Question: What rules are there regarding names?

Answer: Li

Answer: accepted the "@"

Answer: 'love him',"

Answer: 'love him',"

Answer: using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages.

Summary:
Chinese couple try to name baby "@"
Father claims character translates as "love him"
Officials have not revealed if the name has been allowed .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN)  -- A crowd in southern Lebanon threw rocks at U.N. peacekeepers over the weekend, wounding 14 of them in an effort to prevent the investigation of an explosion in the area, the United Nations said. U.N. peacekeepers were investigating reports of an explosion in a Hezbollah stronghold. The troops with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were lightly wounded, and some vehicles were damaged including a UNIFIL ambulance, officials said. The explosion took place Tuesday in Khirbet Salim, in what Lebanese authorities said was an uninhabited house. Ammunition stored there caused the blast due to the high temperature and humidity, Lebanese officials said. The region is a stronghold for Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and political party that fought a war with Israel in 2006. Hezbollah has carried out attacks against civilians, and the United States and Israel list the group as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah officials had no comment Monday. UNIFIL called last week's explosion "a serious violation of Security Council resolution 1701," which was aimed at ending the 2006 conflict, "notably the provision that there should be no presence of unauthorized assets or weapons in the area of operation between the Litani River and the Blue Line." Israel said the blast indicated that Hezbollah continued to store weapons near the Israeli border. Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev argued that the Lebanese Army had assisted Hezbollah in preventing U.N. personnel from investigating the scene. UNIFIL, in a statement Monday, said it was conducting a joint investigation with the Lebanese military. When troops Saturday night arrived "at a location 1 km from the site in order to verify elements related to the explosion, approximately 100 persons gathered and attempted to hamper the activity. "The amassed population threw stones and confronted the UNIFIL personnel on the ground. As the gathering grew both UNIFIL and LAF deployed additional personnel on the ground in order to contain the situation and prevent any further escalation. "As UNIFIL troops were leaving the area, one patrol, surrounded by a group of persons, fired warning shots in the air to clear its exit path." During the incident, the 14 peacekeepers were injured and the vehicles were damaged, the UNIFIL statement said. CNN's Cal Perry and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

Question: What caused the stored ammunition to blast?

Question: Where was the ammunition stored?

Question: What did the crowd in southern Lebanon do?

Question: How many were injured?

Question: What was thrown at U.N. peacekeepers?

Question: What caused the blast?

Question: What did the crowd in Lebanon throw at U. N.peacekeepers?

Question: How many U. N.  peacekeepers were injured?

Answer: the high temperature and humidity,

Answer: an uninhabited house.

Answer: threw rocks at U.N. peacekeepers

Answer: 14

Answer: rocks

Answer: Ammunition stored there

Answer: rocks

Answer: 14

Summary:
Crowd in southern Lebanon throw rocks at U.N. peacekeepers injuring 14 .
Peacekeepers were trying to check an explosion in the area .
Ammunition stored in house caused blast due to temperature and humidity .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN)  -- Lebanese voters were heading to the polls on Sunday with their main choices to lead the next government a Hezbollah-backed alliance or a U.S.-backed coalition. Hezbollah party workers in the southern town of Nabatiyah hope for an election victory. Analysts say the race will be tight, with the Hezbollah-dominated "March 8 alliance" possibly winning a majority of seats in parliament. The polls opened at 1200 GMT and will close 12 hours later. Turnout is expected to be high among the country's 3 million registered voters. About 50,000 troops were on the streets, but the run-up to the balloting had been free of violence. The vote comes at a critical time for Lebanon as it sits amid a power struggle between a weakened pro-Western government and a stronger pro-Syrian Hezbollah political bloc that has gained political momentum in recent years. The United States considers Hezbollah -- which is supported by both Syria and Iran -- to be a terrorist organization. The group grew in popularity after its militant wing claimed victory over Israel after a 34-day military conflict in 2006. Since then, it has been more widely perceived by its supporters to be the "defenders" of Lebanon. Though U.S. President Barack Obama didn't mention the Lebanese general election in his address on Thursday, he did call for religious tolerance in the Muslim world, noting sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shiites and the struggles faced by religious minorities. "The richness of religious diversity must be upheld -- whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt," he said, referring to Christian groups in those countries. "And if we are being honest, fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq." In Lebanon's unique power-sharing government, the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians, the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim, and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim. The law was created to balance power among Lebanon's three main religious groups. Analysts say the Hezbollah-dominated "March 8 alliance" may win a parliamentary majority with the support of Christian opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun -- the only prominent Christian politician to back the bloc. "They keep trying to scare the Christian voters with their stories about Hezbollah's weapons, so to all of those who complain about Hezbollah, can they tell us how they will disarm the party," Aoun told supporters Friday. "Hezbollah's weapons will no longer be a problem when the causes behind its existence disappear, including the borders' issues." A close look at Lebanon's political landscape reveals that the country's Christian voters are split on how they will cast their ballots. Some Christian voters want their representatives to step out of the shadows of Hezbollah and Saad Hariri, who leads the Sunni-dominated "March 14 coalition." Christian voters are divided between supporting Aoun and other Christian leaders who want Hezbollah to disarm. "In these elections, Christians look more divided than ever while others seem more unified than ever," said Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. For the Obama administration, the elections could be indicative of the president's odds of pushing stability in the region. Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jimmy Carter said the United States should work with whichever coalition wins. Carter was in Beirut as part of more than 200 international observers monitoring the election. He also oversaw balloting in Gaza during the elections in the Palestinian territory in January 2006. The Palestinian militant group Hamas won that race "fairly and squarely" by a huge margin, Carter said. The United States and Israel later refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Hamas win. "And it's resulted in a split in the Palestinians and a very difficult situation there," Carter added. "I think they (the United States) learned a hard lesson that they should accept the results of an election." Two senior Obama administration officials -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice

Question: Which country is this?

Question: What did analysts say?

Question: How many troops deplayed?

Question: What is the turnout?

Question: What do analysts say about the race?

Question: How many troops are deployed?

Question: Who dominates the alliance?

Question: How many troops are deployed?

Question: Who says the race will be tight ?

Question: What party is expected to win teh parliamentary majority?

Question: How many registered voters does the country have?

Question: Where is it that turnout is expected to be high ?

Question: Who may win a parliamentary majority ?

Question: WHat amount of troops will be deployed?

Question: Who may win a majority?

Question: Who says that the race will be tight?

Answer: Lebanon

Answer: the race will be tight,

Answer: 50,000

Answer: expected to be high

Answer: will be tight, with the Hezbollah-dominated "March 8 alliance" possibly winning a majority of seats in parliament.

Answer: 50,000

Answer: Hezbollah

Answer: About 50,000

Answer: Analysts

Answer: Hezbollah-dominated "March 8 alliance"

Answer: 3 million

Answer: among the country's 3 million registered voters.

Answer: "March 8 alliance"

Answer: About 50,000

Answer: "March 8 alliance"

Answer: Analysts

Summary:
Analysts say the race will be tight .
Some say the Hezbollah-dominated alliance may win a parliamentary majority .
Turnout is expected to be high among the country's 3 million registered voters .
About 50,000 troops deploy to the streets .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN)  -- Saad Hariri, the leader of Lebanon's Sunni-dominated "March 14 coalition," claimed victory hours after the polls closed in Sunday's crucial election. "March 14" coalition leader Saad Hariri claims victory after polls close Sunday. Results were not expected until midday Monday. "What happened today proved again that Lebanon is doing well," said Hariri in a televised victory speech. "The Lebanese proved again that they are holding on to their freedom and the democratic system, so congratulations to Lebanon, congratulations to freedom and to every voter who participated in this election. In this election, there is no winner or loser, democracy won today and the biggest winner is Lebanon." Hezbollah officials did not challenge Hariri's speech. Al-Arabiya television network cited Hezbollah sources as predicting Hariri's March 14 coalition would win 70 seats, and that the Hezbollah-dominated "March 8 alliance" would win 58 seats. The election -- with 128 seats in parliament at stake -- was crucial in determining whether the Arab nation, scarred by war and political instability, picked the coalition led by Hariri or an alliance backed by the militant group Hezbollah.  Watch Hariri's victory speech » Turnout was high among the country's 3 million registered voters during the 12 hours that polls were open Sunday. About 50,000 troops were on the streets, but the run-up to the balloting had been free of violence. Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jimmy Carter on Sunday said the United States should work with whichever coalition wins -- even though it considers Hezbollah, supported by both Syria and Iran, to be a terrorist organization. Carter was in Beirut as part of more than 200 international observers monitoring the election. Two senior Obama administration officials -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden -- have visited Lebanon in recent months, signaling concerns over a possible Hezbollah victory. Hezbollah grew in popularity after its militant wing claimed victory over Israel after a 34-day military conflict in 2006. Since then, it has been more widely perceived by its supporters to be the "defenders" of Lebanon. In Lebanon's unique power-sharing government, the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians, the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim, and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim. The law was created to balance power among Lebanon's three main religious groups. Resident Georges Azzi, who cast his ballot early Sunday morning, hoped the elections bring about a smooth and healthy transition to a new government and the continued support of the West -- whatever the results. "I think it would be seen as a punishment to everybody if it doesn't," Azzi said. "We should accept the results whatever they are. That's how democracy works." CNN's Cal Perry and Saad Abedine contributed to this report

Question:
Where is Carter at?
Who gave a victory speech?
When are results expected?
What did officials not challenge?
What is at stake?
When are the results expected?
What is Carter in Beirut part of?
What did Hezbollah not challenge?

Answer: Beirut

Answer: Saad Hariri,

Answer: midday Monday.

Answer: Hariri's speech.

Answer: 128 seats in parliament

Answer: midday Monday.

Answer: more than 200 international observers monitoring the election.

Answer: Hariri's speech.

Summary:
NEW: Hezbollah officials did not challenge Hariri's victory speech .
Results not expected until midday Monday .
At stake were 128 seats in parliament .
Carter in Beirut as part of more than 200 international election observers .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN)  -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Lebanon on Sunday to pledge U.S. support for the country and its push for free elections. Lebanon President Michel Sleiman greets U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday. "The people of Lebanon must be able to choose their own representatives in open and fair elections, without the specter of violence or intimidation, and free of outside interference," Clinton said during an unannounced visit to Beirut. It was Clinton's first time visiting the country since taking office. Lebanon is preparing for legislative elections in June that analysts say could bring the militant group, Hezbollah, to power. The Obama administration backs the unity government of Sleiman, while Syria is allied with Hezbollah. "Both of us are committed to supporting President (Michel) Sleiman's efforts to build a peaceful, prosperous, sovereign and democratic Lebanon." Clinton is expected to meet with Sleiman and lay a wreath at the tomb of former Lebanon Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a bomb attack in 2005. Many Lebanese, as well as the United States, accused Syria of orchestrating the assassination of Hariri, an outspoken opponent of Syria. Damascus denied responsibility. But massive popular protests after Hariri's death led to the pullout of thousands of troops that Syria maintained in Lebanon from the 1970s. A senior state department official said Clinton's visit is intended to reassure Lebanon that the United States will not forgo its support of the country as it opens dialogues with Syria and Iran. "Beyond the election, we will continue to support the voices of moderation in Lebanon, and the responsible institutions of the Lebanese state they are working hard to build," Clinton said. CNN's Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.

Question: What did Clinton say people of Lebanon should vote  ?

Question: What did Hillary Clinton say about the people of Lbanon?

Question: What country did Clinton visit?

Question: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes unannounced visit to what country /

Question: Where did Hillary Clinton visit unannounced?

Question: What should the Lebanon people do?

Question: What did Clinton offer Lebanon?

Question: What did she ressure people about?

Question: Clinton also reassures U.S. support of what country ?

Answer: must be able to choose their own representatives in open and fair elections, without the specter of violence or intimidation, and free of outside interference,"

Answer: "The

Answer: Lebanon

Answer: Lebanon

Answer: Beirut.

Answer: choose their own representatives in open and fair elections,

Answer: U.S. support for the country and its push for free elections.

Answer: the United States will not forgo its support of the country

Answer: Lebanon

Summary:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes unannounced visit to Lebanon .
Clinton says people of Lebanon should vote "without the specter of violence"
Clinton also reassures U.S. support of Lebanon in ongoing talks with Syria, Iran .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- A car bomb struck a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday as it traveled along a coastal highway north of Beirut, killing at least three Lebanese civilian bystanders, according to American and Lebanese officials.

Lebanese soldiers and Red Cross workers stand near charred cars at the site of the explosion in Beirut.

The driver of the embassy vehicle suffered minor injuries, and the sole passenger walked away unscathed, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Both were Lebanese nationals, he said. An American citizen who happened to be in the area suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the spokesman said.

Lebanese internal security forces said three Lebanese civilian bystanders were killed in the explosion in Beirut's Dora area, contradicting earlier reports of four.

Twenty-one others -- including the American bystander -- were wounded in the explosion, which was caused by a 15-kilogram (33-pound) bomb placed in a car before the explosion, the security forces said.

The United States is outraged by the terrorist attack, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is traveling with President Bush in Saudi Arabia.

"I want on behalf of our country to say to those who were wounded, and certainly to the families of those who were killed, that our condolences are with them," she added.

It was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attack or by a remotely detonated car bomb.

A communique issued by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said the embassy vehicle was apparently the intended target of the attack, and identified the driver and passenger as Lebanese security personnel for the embassy.

But McCormack cautioned against jumping to any conclusions on the intended target.

"We don't yet have a full picture of exactly what happened, who is responsible, who is exactly being targeted," he told reporters during the State Department's daily briefing.

"We will see over the next day or two ... where the facts lead us."

Citing security concerns, McCormack would also not address unconfirmed reports that the vehicle was part of a convoy for departing U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman.

A U.S. Embassy statement said Feltman canceled a farewell ceremony that he was to host Tuesday night "out of respect to the victims of today's terrorist explosion."

In addition to the American, an Iraqi and at least three Lebanese were among those wounded in the blast, according to a Western diplomatic source.

Video of the scene showed several damaged cars, including at least one that was left a pile of twisted metal. A nearby high-rise building also sustained damage.

Mohammed Chatah, senior adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, pointed out that the attack happened during "a major political crisis" in Lebanon, which has been without a president for nearly eight weeks amid a bitter political feud.

"This explosion just exacerbates a difficult situation," Chatah told CNN.

Tuesday's blast appears to be the latest in a series of attacks against pro-Western, anti-Syrian targets in the Lebanese capital.

Most recently, an explosion in Beirut's Christian suburb of Baabda killed Brig. Gen. Francois Al-Hajj, the head of operations for the Lebanese army, and his bodyguard on December 12.

Al-Hajj was believed to be a top candidate to take over as army commander in the event current commander Gen. Michel Suleiman was elected to replace Emile Lahoud as president.

Lebanon has been in the midst of a political crisis as pro- and anti-Syrian lawmakers in parliament are locked in a battle to elect a new president.

The nation has been without a president since November 23, when the pro-Syrian Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term.

In February 2005, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Anthony Mills in Beirut and Elise Labott in Washington contributed to this report

Question: What struck the US embassy vehicle?

Question: did the driver of the car got injured?

Question: where did the bomb strike?

Question: Where did the car bomb attack?

Question: What number of civilians died?

Question: the united states is outraged by what?

Question: Who died in the car bomb?

Question: What number were hurt?

Question: car bomb strikes where?

Question: What number of Lebanese civilians were killed?

Question: What strikes U.S. Embassy vehicle north of Beirut?

Question: What happened to the U.S. Embassy vehicle?

Question: Where did the car bomb strike?

Question: What did Rice said about this incident?

Question: Who was slightly injured?

Question: Who were they?

Question: who says the United States is outraged?

Question: What is the nationality of the dead civilians?

Question: who was outraged?

Question: Who is outraged by the attack?

Question: Who is the Secretary of State?

Answer: A car bomb

Answer: suffered minor injuries,

Answer: U.S. Embassy

Answer: north of Beirut,

Answer: three

Answer: terrorist attack,

Answer: three Lebanese civilian bystanders,

Answer: Twenty-one

Answer: struck a U.S. Embassy vehicle

Answer: three

Answer: car bomb

Answer: A car bomb struck

Answer: U.S. Embassy vehicle

Answer: "I want on behalf of our country to say to those who were wounded, and certainly to the families of those who were killed, that our condolences are with them,"

Answer: driver of the embassy vehicle

Answer: Lebanese nationals,

Answer: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,

Answer: Lebanese

Answer: The United States

Answer: United States

Answer: Condoleezza Rice,

Summary:
NEW: The United States is outraged by the attack, Secretary of State Rice says .
Car bomb strikes U.S. Embassy vehicle north of Beirut .
Three Lebanese civilians dead, American and Lebanese officials confirm .
Driver of the vehicle was slightly injured, and the only passenger was not hurt .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Amid high emotions and tight security, thousands lined the streets of Beirut Friday to honor Antoine Ghanem, the anti-Syrian Lebanese MP killed in a powerful bomb blast along with four others. Amin Gemayel (R), Phalange party head, carries the coffin of assassinated deputy Antoine Ghamen. Against an atmosphere of intense political and patriotic fervor, the flag-draped coffins of the politician and two bodyguards also killed in Wednesday's rush hour blast made its way through the city's Christian district to the Sacred Heart church on what the government had declared as a day of national mourning. The procession was accompanied by thousands waving flags, as well as a brass band playing the anthem of Ghanem's Phalange Party, The Associated Press reported TV pictures showed distraught mourners crowding and reaching out to the coffins as they were carried aloft. Several people were seen to collapse and had to be carried away. Mourners also carried photographs, threw rose petals and unfurled banners, some of which read "We Won't Kneel," AP said. The coffins were greeted at the Christian Maronite church with applause from the gathered mourners, the agency said, including majority leaders and the Lebanese cabinet as well as Ghanem's family and friends. Ghanem was later buried in the city's Christian district. Ghanem's death is the latest in a series of attacks targeting prominent anti-Syrian figures, with the most notorious being the February 2005 assassination in Beirut of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon. Hariri also died in a massive explosion. The incident threatens to cast the country into political uncertainty ahead of a key presidential vote in a tightly divided parliament, almost evenly split between anti- and pro-Syrian camps.  Watch how Ghanem's death disrupts Lebanese politics » CNN's Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler said that many Lebanese now feared for the future, especially given other events in the region including the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, recent political differences in Iraq and Iran's bid to become a super power. "There continues to be among a great deal of people here a sense of foreboding that perhaps the worst is yet to come," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush, in a written statement, joined other world leaders in condemning the "horrific assassination." "Since October 2004, there has been a tragic pattern of political assassinations and attempted assassinations designed to silence those Lebanese who courageously defend their vision of an independent and democratic Lebanon," Bush said Wednesday. Also in a written statement, a spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. secretary-general "condemns in the strongest terms this terrorist attack." "The secretary general urges all Lebanese to exercise utmost calm and restraint at this very critical time and to allow judicial procedures to take their course," the spokesperson said. Bush's statement added: "The United States opposes any attempts to intimidate the Lebanese people as they seek to exercise their democratic right to select a president without foreign interference. We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Lebanese people as they resist attempts by the Syrian and Iranian regimes and their allies to destabilize Lebanon and undermine its sovereignty." The U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a statement saying: "It is not a coincidence that these attacks target those figures who have been working to secure Lebanon's independence from renewed Syrian hegemony. We note with concern that many Lebanese politicians allied with Syria have in fact warned that murder and violence would be the results of any effort to exercise genuine parliamentary democracy." And U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a written statement, said: "The bombing that claimed these lives was another act in a campaign of terror by those who want to turn back the clock on Lebanon's hard-won democratic gains." "The world should speak with one voice in calling for an end to violence in Lebanon intended to subvert democratic processes in that country," Rice said. "Lebanese elections, scheduled to begin in just days,

Question: Who was honored for the bomb blast?

Question: What will be paraded through the streets?

Question: What was the number who lined Beirut?

Question: Who was killed in the blast?

Question: What was closed to honor the dead?

Answer: Antoine Ghanem,

Answer: the coffin of assassinated deputy Antoine Ghamen.

Answer: thousands

Answer: Antoine Ghanem,

Answer: streets of Beirut

Summary:
Thousands lined Beirut streets to honor anti-Syrian MP, killed in car bomb blast .
Noted parliamentarian killed along with four others during Wednesday rush hour .
Flag-draped coffin paraded through streets before burial in Christian district .
Day of national mourning called, with schools, universities, public offices shut .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Lebanon's prime minister condemned the firing of rockets into northern Israel after an attack wounded two Israelis on Thursday.  He said his government is trying to determine who was responsible.

U.N. soldiers on Thursday inspect the site in Lebanon thought to be the source of rockets fired into Israel.

Israel's military warned Israeli civilians to stick close to shelters after police said at least four rockets hit near the city of Nahariya, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) south of the Lebanese border. The Israeli military said it returned fire across the border with mortars.

Schools and kindergartens were closed in Nahariya and the nearby town of Shlomi, the Israel Defense Forces reported.

"What happened in the south [of Lebanon] is a violation of Resolution 1701 and is rejected by Lebanon," Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said, referring to the U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.

In a statement issued by his office, Siniora said he has asked Lebanese authorities to investigate the attack alongside troops from the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. He also condemned the Israeli retaliatory strikes, which the Lebanese military said inflicted no casualties.  Watch CNN's Christiane Amanpour discuss rocket attack Â»

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which came as Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, to the south, entered a 13th day.

The Israeli campaign in Gaza is aimed at halting rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory. Israel fought a similar battle against the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah in 2006, during which Hezbollah rained rockets on cities in Israeli's north for a month before a cease-fire was reached.

But Hezbollah has kept a tight rein on its forces in southern Lebanon since the cease-fire, and a number of Palestinian factions operate in southern Lebanon as well.

Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, said the rockets appear to have been fired from a point about 4.5 miles east of Naqoura, where the peacekeepers are headquartered.

"We've been intensifying our patrols on the ground in order to prevent any further incident," Tenenti said.

He said UNIFIL's commander, Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano, is in "constant and close contact" with both sides "and has urged maximum restraint in order to prevent any escalation of the situation."

CNN's Michal Zippori in Jerusalem and Cal Perry and Nada Husseini in Beirut contributed to this report.

Question: What did the Prime Minister say?

Question: Who called the attack a violation of U.N resolution?

Question: What is the UN and Lebanon investigating?

Question: Number of Lebanon based rockets that struck northern Israel?

Question: Which UN resolution was violated?

Question: Who fired these rockets?

Question: What struck northern Israel?

Question: What government along with the U.N. is investigating?

Question: What is being investigated?

Question: What is Fouad Siniora's political office?

Question: What country does Siniora lead?

Answer: "What happened in the south [of Lebanon] is a violation of Resolution 1701 and is rejected by Lebanon,"

Answer: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora

Answer: the firing of rockets into northern Israel

Answer: four

Answer: 1701

Answer: Lebanon

Answer: rockets

Answer: Lebanon's

Answer: source of rockets

Answer: Lebanese Prime Minister

Answer: Lebanon,"

Summary:
NEW: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora calls attack a violation of U.N. resolution .
NEW: Lebanese government, United Nations investigating, Siniora says .
Four Lebanon-based rockets strike northern Israel, authorities say .
Israeli military returns fire toward source of rocket attack .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Saad Hariri is poised to follow in his father's footsteps and become Lebanon's next prime minister, a position he said he "will not shy away from."

Saad Hariri said he will discuss taking the position of Lebanon's prime minister with his allies.

"I will discuss it with my allies," the pro-U.S. Sunni lawmaker told CNN. "You know, I didn't win this election by myself. My allies had a big role to play in winning for the 14th of March (coalition). And I think it will only be fair and obvious that we talk, me and my allies ... and then after that, if I have to do it, I will not shy away from it."

Hariri is the head of the "March 14" coalition, which retained its control over Lebanon's government this week despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance.

Hariri said he hopes to accomplish what his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, never had a chance to do before he was killed in 2005.

"He accomplished in his assassination the sovereignty of Lebanon, the independence of Lebanon," Hariri said. "And I want to accomplish what he always dreamt of Lebanon being.

"I think he would want me to do what's good for Lebanon, do what would unite the Lebanese people, and ... concentrate on the economy and the security and stability of Lebanon."

The elder Hariri was killed in a massive bombing in February 2005 that also left 22 others dead. An ongoing United Nations investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement in the assassination of the popular statesman, but Syria has denied any role.

His death triggered massive protests that eventually led to the withdrawal of Syrian forces, ending Syria's occupation of Lebanon.

Saad Hariri said Sunday's vote "was about Lebanon" and not its precarious position between its alliances with Western countries and its Arab neighbors.

"The people who went on the 7th of June voted for Lebanon first," he said. "It's not about the West; it's not about Iran; it's not about Syria. It's about we as Lebanese, what we want from this new parliament and from this new government that's going to come."

Hariri ruled out an independent peace track with Israel, sticking by his previous assessment that Lebanon will be the last country to sign a peace deal with the Jewish state.

"We will follow after the Arab initiative," he said. "You see, the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process, and Lebanon will come as we see fit."

Israel fought a war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the Shiite militia, which claimed victory in the six-week conflict.

Some analysts had feared that a Hezbollah victory in this week's parliamentary elections would have heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly because of the estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon, all under the control of Hezbollah militants.

Hariri met Tuesday with President Carter, who is in Beirut with more than 200 international observers monitoring the election. Shortly before that meeting, Hariri said the United States will play a key role in the effort to attain peace in the Middle East.

"I think the biggest turning point in this peace process is what the United States will do," he said. "The United States has a big role to play, and if it plays it in the right way, if it plays its role like it should play it, then we will have peace in the region. They should pressure both sides to move forward -- whether the Palestinians and the Israelis, whether the Syrians and the Israelis -- and I'm sure we'll get there."

After the victory of Hariri's coalition, the next step for Lebanese lawmakers will be to elect a speaker of the parliament. Then, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will ask someone -- presumably Hariri -- to form a government.

In Lebanon, the presidency is reserved

Question: Who challenged Harir's coalition this week?

Question: who is saad hariri

Question: Who will play a key role?

Question: what says hariri

Question: What country will play a key role in efforts to attain peace in the Middle East?

Question: who is rafik hariri

Question: Who retained the control?

Answer: Hezbollah-dominated alliance.

Answer: head of the "March 14" coalition,

Answer: United States

Answer: he will discuss taking the position of Lebanon's prime minister with his allies.

Answer: United States

Answer: former Prime Minister

Answer: the "March 14" coalition,

Summary:
Saad Hariri hopes to finish what his father, Rafik Hariri, never had a chance to do .
Hariri's coalition retained control this week despite challenge from Hezbollah alliance .
Hariri: U.S. will play a key role in efforts to attain peace in the Middle East .


BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Supporters and opponents of Lebanon's pro-Western government appeared to split seats on Sunday as Lebanese voters went to the polls to replace two ruling-party lawmakers assassinated in recent months. Lebanese women wait in line to cast their votes in Beirut. Voters in Beirut sent pro-government candidate Mohammed al-Amin Itani to parliament to replace Walid Eido, who was killed in a June bombing. Both Eido, a Sunni Muslim, and Itani are members of the bloc led by Saad Hariri -- the son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whose 2005 killing triggered Lebanon's current wave of political upheaval. But in Metn, a Maronite Christian suburb east of the capital, anti-government candidate Camille Khouri upset former President Amin Gemayel by a few hundred votes, Lebanese television network LBC reported. Khouri is a member of the Free Patriotic Movement, the anti-government party led by former Lebanese Army Gen. Michel Aoun. Aoun has said he will run for president of Lebanon -- and since the post is chosen by members of parliament, Sunday's results were closely watched. Gemayel was seeking the seat held by his son Pierre, who served as industry minister in the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora before being gunned down in his car in November 2006. He served as president from 1982 to 1988, during the civil war in Lebanon. His brother, Bashir Gemayel, was elected president in 1982 but was assassinated before he could take office. Eido and Gemayel were among several Lebanese political figures killed since the February 2005 killing of the elder Hariri. All were critical of Syria's influence in Lebanon, and their supporters blamed Damascus for their deaths -- allegations the Syrians and their allies in Lebanon denied. Hariri's killing triggered a wave of protests against Syria known as the "Cedar Revolution," which brought Siniora's government to power and forced Syria to withdraw the garrison it kept in Lebanon for three decades. E-mail to a friend CNN's Nada Husseini contributed to this report.

Question:
Who has been replaced?
Who will candidates replace?
What country is the election?
Who is the former lebanese president?
Who were they opponents of?
Who lost the election?

Answer: Walid Eido,

Answer: two ruling-party lawmakers assassinated in recent months.

Answer: Lebanon

Answer: Amin Gemayel

Answer: Lebanon's pro-Western government

Answer: Amin Gemayel

Summary:
Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel loses by a few hundred votes .
Candidates will replace legislator Pierre Gemayel and lawmaker Walid Eido .
Both were allies of U.S.-backed Lebanese government and opponents of Syria .