Paris (CNN) -- The French government backed off a claim that a certain type of silicone breast implant is linked to a rare form of cancer, but it will nonetheless pay for women to have them removed because of other risks.

Women with implants by a company called Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) will not be required to get them removed, but they will be offered surgery to do so if concerned, the French Health Ministry said Friday.

The ministry says about 30,000 French women have PIP implants, which are not currently approved for use in the United States.

According to a news release from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, PIP is now defunct. It says the company "used non-medical grade silicone believed by the manufacturers to be made for mattresses."

The Ministry of Health turned to experts after the cancer fears arose and said that the feedback they received was that there is no increased cancer risk in women with PIP implants compared to other implants.

However, the ministry said in a statement, there are other established risks such as ruptures.

The French government agency that evaluates the safety of medical products says 523 women have had them removed since a defect was discovered last year.

More than 1,000 implants have ruptured since then, the agency says.

"These experts said that there is no link between cancer and ... PIP implant breasts. However, since there is a lot of ruptures, (concerns) are growing because the nature of the implant is no good," said Jean Yves Grall, the country's director of health.

FranÃ§ois Godineau, director of social security, said it would cost the state up to 60 million euros (U.S. $73 million) if they paid for the removal of the PIP breast implants in France.

Of the 30,000 women who have the implants, 80% underwent the surgery for esthetic reasons, and 20% did so for reconstructive reasons, such as after breast cancer.

Under the state's offer, the women with the implants will be offered to have the implants removed, but it will not pay for new implants for those who had the surgery for esthetic reasons. Others would have new implants paid for.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.

Question: Who offered reassurance about fears of the use of  a breast implant?

Question: who should remove them

Question: Who admitted although safe there was still a risk of rupture?

Question: Where was the brand of implants not sold?

Question: where are the brands sold

Question: Experts alleviated cancer fears linked to a certain what?

Question: Who says: There are risks of rupture?

Question: what caused the cancer

Answer: The Ministry of Health

Answer: Women with implants by a company called Poly Implant Prosthese

Answer: Ministry of Health

Answer: United States.

Answer: France.

Answer: type of silicone breast implant

Answer: The Ministry of Health

Answer: certain type of silicone breast implant

Summary:
Experts alleviated cancer fears linked to a certain breast implant .
But the government will still offer to pay to remove them .
There are risks of rupture, the Health Ministry says .
The brand of implants was not sold in the U.S.


Paris (CNN) -- The former head of the International Monetary Fund, arrested on sexual assault charges and then released after his accuser's credibility was questioned, acknowledged "moral weakness" in an interview Sunday but denied any violence or aggression.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn told French television station TF1 the incident at the Sofitel involving a Guinean maid was "not only an inappropriate relationship, but more than that -- an error, a mistake, a mistake concerning my wife, my children, my friends, but also a mistake that the French people placed their hope in change on me."

"There was a weakness," he said. "It was greater than a weakness, it was a moral weakness, a moral mistake, and I'm not proud of this. I regret this. I've regretted it throughout these days, through these four months, and I believe I've not finished regretting.

"I had a feeling I was trapped, humiliated," he said of the accusations. He said he was deeply wounded by the images and the media reports surrounding the allegations.

He spoke of being hounded by reporters and scrambling to find a place to stay that would satisfy court security requirements. "This was expensive," he said, but "... either that or return back to (jail)."

Once considered a front-runner candidate for the French presidency, Strauss-Kahn, 62, was pulled off a Paris-bound plane on May 14 and arrested after the sexual assault allegations. Days later, he resigned from the IMF and was put on house arrest after spending a few days in New York's Rikers Island jail.

But questions arose about the credibility of the maid, identified as Nafissatou Diallo, prompting prosecutors to drop the charges against Strauss-Kahn. He returned to France earlier this month.

Prosecutors pointed out that there was "neither material proof nor any credible evidence" that an assault took place, Strauss-Kahn told the station. And a prosecution report said there were no signs of violence to the woman, he said.

Authorities said the woman told differing versions of the story, Strauss-Kahn said. "If there was the slightest accusation that remained, there would have been a trial."

Strauss-Kahn's attorneys have previously said the two were involved in consensual sex.

Diallo's attorneys have filed a civil lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn. Asked Sunday whether he and his attorneys will negotiate with her, Strauss-Kahn said they would not.

"I've always had respect for women," he said. "... I've paid heavily. I'm still paying for this."

Douglas Wigdor, one of Diallo's attorneys, said he looks forward to asking Strauss-Kahn questions under oath, and hearing his responses.

"We have still not heard what Mr. Strauss-Kahn has said happened in that room. ... We're waiting for that. We had hoped that this would happen today, but it didn't," he told CNN's Don Lemon after the interview.

"If Mr. Strauss-Kahn thinks that people in France will really believe that he was able to convince Ms. Diallo, who had never met him before and did not know that he was in the room, to engage in sexual acts with him within a matter of minutes, then he should describe how that happened," Wigdor and Kenneth Thompson, the woman's attorneys, said in a statement released before the interview Sunday. "We suspect that he will not do so because any story that he describes will not be plausible."

They noted the French journalist who interviewed Strauss-Kahn is a friend of his wife's. "As everyone knows, Ms. Diallo sat down with unbiased journalists and investigative reporters who were permitted, without any conditions, to ask questions about Ms. Diallo and the deplorable acts that Mr. Strauss-Kahn committed against her," the statement said.

Strauss-Kahn told the station that his wife, French journalist Anne Sinclair, is "an exceptional woman ... I'm so lucky to have her by my

Question: What does the former IMF head acknowledge?

Question: What did the attorneys question?

Question: Who is the former head of the IMf?

Question: Who acknowledges "moral weakness"?

Question: What is the name of the french writer?

Question: Where did the alleged sexual assault take place?

Answer: "moral weakness"

Answer: the credibility of the maid,

Answer: Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Answer: The former head of the International Monetary Fund,

Answer: Anne Sinclair,

Answer: Sofitel

Summary:
The former IMF head acknowledges "moral weakness"
He denies any sexual assault took place at a New York hotel .
The woman's attorneys question his claim of consensual sex .
Strauss-Kahn denies attempting to assault French writer Tristane Banon .


Paris (CNN) -- The mayor of a French town where students were held hostage for more than four hours Monday wants to reassure parents that "schools in France are safe."

"We do not want to create an environment of terror in the classroom," Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret said. "We shouldn't focus on this issue."

About 20 children, aged 4 to 6, were in a classroom when the incident began; five children and their teacher were held until the incident was resolved, Besancon police said.

The hostage-taker is about 17 years old, according to the French Ministry of Education. He was armed with two swords and had "demands," the ministry said, without specifying what they were.

He has been arrested, the mayor said.

"We were dealing with someone who was suicidal and wanted us to give him a weapon," Fousseret said. "There is no specific danger in Besancon."

The father of one of the hostages said that he was "very afraid" for his child but that the students had confidence in their teacher.

"The teacher was very, very calm and confident. She helped them," Babacar Kebe told BFM. "I have not asked them questions because they are very young, and I don't want them to get upset."

A security cordon was placed around the school, and police marksmen took positions outside, pictures from the scene showed. They did not enter the school during the incident, the mayor said.

The incident started at 8:30 a.m. at the Charles Fourier school in the borough of Planoise and ended about four and a half hours later.

France last had a high-profile school hostage incident 17 years ago.

Six girls and their teacher were held hostage for two days in the suburbs of Paris in 1993.

A man calling himself "the Human Bomb" strapped explosives to his body and demanded about $18 million to release them.

He was killed by police marksmen using guns with silencers, press reports said.

CNN's Nina Dos Santos, Isa Soares, Vicky Bennett and Alex Mohacs contributed to this report.

Question: what did Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret say?

Question: who gives security to these schools

Question: what was the suspect armed with?

Question: Is there danger in Besancon?

Question: who were held at a nursery school on Monday?

Question: What does the mayor say about schools in France?

Question: How many people were held at a nursery school on Monday?

Answer: "We do not want to create an environment of terror in the classroom,"

Answer: police marksmen

Answer: two swords

Answer: "There is no specific

Answer: 20 children, aged 4 to 6,

Answer: are safe."

Answer: five children and their teacher

Summary:
NEW: "Schools in France are safe," Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret says .
NEW:  "There is no specific danger in Besancon," he says .
Five children and their teacher were held at a nursery school Monday .
Suspect was armed with two swords, French Ministry of Education says .


Paris, France (CNN)  -- Syrian President Bashar Assad says peace talks with Israel could resume if the Jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process. "This peace process cannot only be relaunched by one party. Syria wants peace and we have a mediator, Turkey, which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the European partnership. What we are missing is the Israeli partnership, and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results," Assad told reporters. Assad traveled to France, sat down with President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday for a one-hour lunch, and held a press briefing, where he blamed Israel for the stalled talks with Syria. Turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between Israel and Syria, neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years. Among their many differences are Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and Syria's ties with Iran and anti-Israel militants. His visit to Paris comes days after the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Questioned on Netanyahu's statement that Israel was ready to relaunch peace talks Syria without pre-conditions, Assad emphasized that if Israel is serious about talks, Syria is ready to send experts to Turkey and begin discussions with Israeli experts. Asked if he was ready to meet Netanyahu in person at some point without conditions, Assad didn't say he would or wouldn't, but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion. "Are we talking about the menu or about land restitution? We must talk about territory restitution. For this matter, mechanisms and a framework exist. The negotiators know the mechanisms. It is neither me nor Netanyahu," he said. Asked about the role of France in the peace process, Assad said he hopes France backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through Turkey and persuades Israel to accept this mediation process. As for the peace process in the wider Middle East, he said it will only work if Israel stops tearing down the other side's rights and demands. Assad said he and Sarkozy discussed living conditions in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory of Gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with Israel, including the fierce Israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on Israel by Gaza guerrillas. Saying a civilian was shot on Friday by Israeli troops, Assad said he asked Sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory. Israel Defense Forces and Gaza security sources both confirmed an incident, but the sides had different accounts. The IDF said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern Gaza security fence near "the Karni humanitarian crossing." The soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an Israeli hospital; the other operative died of his wounds. Three other suspects were taken for questioning. The Palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with Israel in central Gaza. One of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the Israeli soldiers. Assad said he and Sarkozy also discussed Iran's nuclear program and Lebanon. Journalist Claire Boube contributed to this report.

Question: Turkey mediated indirect talks between what countries?

Question: Who mediated the talks between Israel and Syria?

Question: Where did Assad travel for talks?

Question: What is the name of the Syrian President?

Question: Assad and Sarkozy also discussed what countries nuclear program?

Question: Who did Assad say he talked to regarding Irans nuclear program and Lebanon?

Question: Which countries have been adversaries for years?

Question: Who mediated indirect talks between Israel and Syria?

Answer: Israel and Syria,

Answer: Turkey,

Answer: traveled to France,

Answer: Bashar Assad

Answer: Iran's

Answer: President Nicolas Sarkozy

Answer: Israel

Answer: Turkey

Summary:
Turkey mediated indirect talks between Israel and Syria, neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years .
Syrian President Bashar Assad: We need Israel partnership in order to renew peace talks and obtain results .
Assad traveled to France for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy, where he blamed Israel for the stalled talks with Syria .
Assad said he and Sarkozy also discussed Iran's nuclear program and Lebanon .


Paris, France (CNN)  -- The future of social networking, the real-time Web and a host of apps and gadgets were the talk of the annual Le Web conference as it opened here Wednesday.

The phenomenal success of microblogging site Twitter and its plans for the future dominated the two-day event's opening sessions for bloggers and industry leaders, held in a converted morgue in the city's northeastern suburbs.

Top executives from Twitter faced off with rivals from Facebook and MySpace as all three social media sites unveiled technical innovations designed to capture more users.

On the heels of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's unveiling of Square, a device that accepts credit card payments on cell phones, Twitter platform director Ryan Sarver said the site now has 50,000 dedicated applications making use of its constant stream of blog updates.

Sarver also announced the company's "firehose" feature, which throws open its data stream to any developers who want to use it. This is a first for Twitter, which has yet to disclose any major revenue streams even as others use it to harvest profits.

Facebook developer Ethan Beard touted his own site's 500,000 applications and its power to drastically boost hits to news sites such as The Huffington Post through the 60 million users it now claims for its Facebook Connect feature.

Meanwhile, MySpace Chief Operating Officer Mike Jones announced that his site is incorporating real-time status updates to its platform -- like Twitter and Facebook -- amid MySpace's struggles to find an identity.

Jones also announced unrestricted developer access to MySpace's content and a $50,000 innovation prize to attract developers, but refused to comment on rumors of a potential partnership with rival Facebook.

The social networking execs declined to discuss their sites' revenues or widely rumored stock market flotations.

Chad Hurley, co-founder of Google-owned YouTube, also refused to disclose company revenues but said some popular users have earned more than $1 million since advertising was introduced to the video-sharing site.

"We didn't implement [advertising] initially on YouTube because we didn't want to skew the motivation of why someone would publish video. We wanted to be a video community," he told the conference.

"We saw over time the opportunity to introduce that secure revenue without distorting what we've become, and we've been quite successful," he said.

But Hurley said he had no secret formula for anyone wanting to create a viral sensation on YouTube.

"You could punch me in the face right now, that would get a lot of views," he joked.

"Something shocking will get a lot of views, but there's no magic recipe. That's not really what the site is about -- to define the secret ingredient to get the hits. It's about celebrating the fact that everyone has a chance to participate."

On the sidelines of Le Web, the chatter was focused on the Facebook vs. Twitter battle and the opening of data streams to app developers. Attendees also wondered aloud about the fickle and unpredictable nature of Internet success.

"It is interesting that everybody now is announcing awards and conferences, but what's next?" said delegate Katrin Weber of Deutsche Telekom.

"In the end, who is going to win? People are also asking what the formula for success is -- why do some applications or platforms succeed, and why do some fail?"

Social media marketing agent Vero Pepperrell said, "I'm pleased that Twitter is starting to acknowledge how much of an ecosystem it has with its developers, so on that level, they are doing the right thing."

Blogger Gabriel Jorby believes that Square, Dorsey's credit card gadget, represents a new trend that's likely to shape the future for people trying to profit from the Internet.

"Today, if you want to run a service, you need something to bring the physical world. You cannot depend only on an online application, you need to do something tangible," he said.

"It is the future, it is not only [about] the screen experience,

Question: who is chad hurley?

Question: who is ryan sarver?

Question: where did the le web conference take place?

Question: how many applications

Question: Who unveiled innovative designs to capture more users?

Question: Where did the Le Web conference open?

Question: Who's twitter site now has 50,000 dedicated applications?

Question: what was the talk of the conference

Answer: co-founder of Google-owned YouTube,

Answer: Twitter platform director

Answer: converted morgue in the city's northeastern suburbs.

Answer: 50,000

Answer: MySpace

Answer: Paris, France

Answer: Jack Dorsey's

Answer: The future of social networking, the real-time Web and a host of apps and gadgets

Summary:
The future of social networking was the talk of the Le Web conference as it opened in Paris .
Twitter, Facebook and MySpace all unveiled innovations designed to capture more users .
Twitter's Ryan Sarver: Site now has 50,000 dedicated applications .
YouTube's Chad Hurley: There's no secret formula for creating a viral video sensation .


Paris, France (CNN)  -- The widow of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination sparked the 1994 genocide, was arrested Tuesday in Paris on a Rwandan warrant, French and Rwandan officials said.

Agathe Habyarimana was arrested at her French home Tuesday morning and is scheduled to appear in court later in the day, said a deputy prosecutor who declined to give his name because he is not authorized to speak about the matter.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told CNN that Habyarimana was arrested on genocide charges. They include genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity to commit genocide, and direct and public incitement to commit genocide, said John Bosco Mutangana, the head of Rwanda's Genocide Fugitives Tracking Unit.

The charges also cover crimes against humanity, specifically murder and extermination; creation of a criminal gang, namely the Hutu militias; and aiding and abetting the killings perpetrated by soldiers in violation of the Geneva Convention, Mutangana told CNN.

"We have of course strong evidence linking her to the genocide and the planning of the genocide itself, as early as the early 1990s," Mutangana said.

Former president was killed in April 1994 when his plane was shot down near the capital, Kigali. The mass killings began hours later, and by the time they ended 100 days later, some 800,000 people had been killed.

Most were members of the country's Tutsi minority, killed by members of the Hutu majority.

The circumstances surrounding Habyarimana's death remain a mystery. He was a Hutu, and speculation immediately fell on Tutsis as the perpetrators of the attack -- but some have also speculated that Hutus themselves shot down the plane to provide cover for the genocide.

Top officials such as army generals and politicians who allegedly took part in the genocide have been tried in the Rwandan justice system and the International Criminal Tribunal, which is based in Tanzania.

Civilians who allegedly contributed either directly or indirectly are tried by local communities in "gacaca" courts, which allow survivors to confront their attackers. Some human rights organizations have criticized the gacaca courts for falling short on delivering justice.

Agathe Habyarimana is now under temporary arrest, the French deputy prosecutor said. The Court of Appeal in Paris must now decide whether to remand her into custody or place her under judicial control at her home, he said.

After that, the French court must decide on the validity of the Rwandan warrant before any decision on extradition can be made, the deputy prosecutor said.

Rwandan officials began working on Agathe Habyarimana's case in 1995, but it took a while before they could gather enough evidence to indict her, Mutangana said. They submitted the indictment last October, he said.

Mutangana said Rwanda is hoping France will extradite her.

"We are the first beneficiaries of justice, the Rwandans," he said.

CNN's Alix Bayle in Paris, France, and Melissa Gray in London, England, contributed to this report.

Question: What were the charges?

Question: What year was Juvenal Habyarimana killed?

Question: What do the charges include?

Question: What are the charges?

Question: Who was arrested on Tuesday morning?

Question: When was the plane shot down?

Question: What happened to his plane?

Question: What sparked a genocide?

Question: What did the killing cause?

Answer: genocide

Answer: April 1994

Answer: genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity to commit genocide, and direct and public incitement to commit genocide,

Answer: genocide

Answer: Agathe Habyarimana

Answer: April 1994

Answer: shot down near the capital, Kigali.

Answer: assassination

Answer: the 1994 genocide,

Summary:
Agathe Habyarimana was arrested at her French home Tuesday morning .
Charges include genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity to commit genocide .
Juvenal Habyarimana killed in 1994 when his plane was shot down .
Killing sparked genocide which led to deaths of some 800,000, mainly Tutsi minority, people .


Paris, France (CNN) -- A French judge has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis for allegedly hacking into the computer system of the French anti-doping agency's laboratory, the agency's president said Tuesday.

Investigating Judge Thomas Cassuto issued the warrant January 28 for the alleged hacking of the lab's computer system in 2006, said Marie-Christine Daubigney, the assistant prosecutor of the tribunal in Nanterre, near Paris.

It was not immediately clear why the judge was issuing the warrant after more than three years.

Landis, 34, was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win and suspended from cycling for two years after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone, a banned male sex hormone.

Oscar Pereiro of Spain inherited the 2006 title after Landis was disqualified. Landis appealed, maintaining the French laboratory made errors in his case.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which handles international sports disputes, upheld the ban and the decision to strip him of his title in June 2008. The warrant relates to the computer system of the AFLD, the French anti-doping agency that conducted drugs testing at the Tour, said AFLD President Pierre Bordry.

The International Cycling Union, which governs the sport worldwide, has dropped the AFLD as the anti-doping agency for this year's Tour de France, though the decision has nothing to do with the Landis case, union spokesman Enrico Carpani told CNN.

The decision had to do with comments Bordry made after the 2009 Tour, Carpani said. A new anti-doping agency has yet to be chosen for the 2010 race, he said.

Question:
what was the dq for
was he arrested
What did French judge do?
against whom they issued the order?
What is Landis alleged to have done?
Who inherited 2006 title from Landis?

Answer: tested positive

Answer: an arrest warrant

Answer: has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis

Answer: U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis

Answer: hacking into the computer system of the French anti-doping agency's laboratory,

Answer: Oscar Pereiro of Spain

Summary:
Landis allegedly hacked into French anti-doping agency's computer system .
Oscar Pereiro of Spain inherited the 2006 title after Landis was disqualified .
French judge issued the warrant after the laboratory computer system was hacked .


Paris, France (CNN) -- A winter storm named "Xynthia" battered the western coast of Europe Sunday, its high winds downing trees and power lines and leaving as many as 55 people dead, authorities said.

Hardest hit was France, where at least 45 people were killed, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced.

The extra-tropical cyclone whipped the country's coastal regions and moved inland, bringing sometimes heavy flooding with it.

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"It's a national catastrophe," Fillon said in a brief news conference following an emergency meeting on the situation. "Many people drowned, surprised by the rapid rise of the water.

"Now the priority is to bring all the people left homeless and still threatened by the rising waters to safety," the prime minister explained. "All services are mobilized to reach that goal as soon as possible."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit the department of Charente-Maritime Monday, Fillon said. Charente-Maritime and Vendee, on the French coast west of Paris, had severe flooding when the strong winds whipped up the water at high tide.

"At 3 o'clock in the morning, we heard the toilets backing up. We got up to look and then we saw 80 cm (about 31 inches) of water in the garage," a resident of Aiguillon-Sur-Mer, in the department of Vendee, told CNN affiliate BFM-TV.

"It was rushing in, it broke down the walls around the garden and the gate."

Hundreds of people had to be rescued from their rooftops overnight.

"The water was up to the gutters," said one woman, who spent the night on the roof with her children. Residents of the village of Aytre, in Charente-Maritime, saw a wave of water measuring 1 meter high (about 1 yard) come into the center of town.

One couple told BFM-TV their children were airlifted and they were taken out by boat. "It rose very high, very high, we were very scared," another man told the station. "It was unreal," Aytre Mayor Suzanne Tallard told BFM-TV.

At least 1 million households were without power Sunday afternoon, Bernard Lassus of Electricite de France said in an interview on BFM-TV.

French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux told BFM-TV that 350 soldiers and 3,250 firefighters have been mobilized. About 10 helicopters are being used to airlift people, he said, and draining operations were underway.

The high winds -- at times spiking to 200 km/h (124 mph) -- reached inland as far as Paris, where as many as 100 flights were canceled at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport, BFM reported.

Gusts up to 175 km/h (108 mph) were measured at the top of the Eiffel Tower Saturday, reported CNN International Meteorologist Eboni Deon.

The hurricane-strength winds stretched from Portugal northeast to the Netherlands. The system was moving toward the Baltic Sea, Deon said, and a second front was moving into the region of Portugal and Spain later in the day.

In Spain, three people were killed in the first band of the storm, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Sunday. Two children died in a car accident and another person was killed in northwestern Spain, the minister said in a news conference on CNN sister station CNN+.

At least 17 provinces were on high alert due to the strong winds, CNN+ reported, and some flights and train services were canceled.

A 10-year-old child was killed by a falling tree in the high winds in Portugal, Patricia Gaspar, National Operations Assistant with the Portuguese National Authority for Civil Protection, confirmed to CNN. There are also some power outages in the country, Gaspar said.

Some residents have reported roofs blown off and smaller houses collapsing, she added.

Four people were killed in Germany as a result of the storm, officials said -- all four when they or their cars were struck by

Question: Where did most of the people die?

Question: How many of the deaths are in France?

Question: How much was the wind speed?

Question: What did the winds spike to as the reached Paris?

Question: How many deaths caused the cyclone?

Question: What type of weather condition caused the deaths?

Question: What is the death toll?

Question: How many dead from extra-tropical cyclone?

Answer: France,

Answer: 45

Answer: 200 km/h (124 mph)

Answer: 200 km/h (124 mph)

Answer: 55

Answer: winter storm

Answer: as many as 55 people

Answer: as

Summary:
At least 55 deaths from extra-tropical cyclone, 45 of them in France .
High winds -- at times spiking to 200 km/h (124 mph) -- reached as far as Paris .
"Many people drowned, surprised by the rapid rise of the water," French official says .
Deaths also reported in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany and England .


Paris, France (CNN) -- Former French President Jacques Chirac has been placed under investigation for allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris, his office said Friday. A judge in Nanterre, near Paris, questioned Chirac Friday morning over the employment of seven people who were hired by the city of Paris in the early 1990s. The suspicion is that the employees were working for Chirac's right-wing political party, RPR, which no longer exists, while on the city payroll. Chirac, 77, was mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995, the year he became president. The case in Nanterre is similar to but separate from another investigation in Paris, in which Chirac is accused of using 21 city employees to work on his presidential campaign. In a statement released by his office Friday, Chirac pointed out that he had "already answered all the questions related to this investigation regarding the seven jobs in July 2007 and that no new facts have surfaced since then." Chirac could face a five-year sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros ($107,500) if found guilty of using the employees to work for his party. The former president denies the accusations. "On the investigation itself, President Chirac repeats that no such 'system' has ever existed in the Paris city hall," the statement said. "He is determined to demonstrate this through the procedure which was started by being placed under investigation." The former French head of state also said he "wishes the investigation to progress as quickly as possible to establish once and for all that he is beyond reproach." Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe was already sentenced in December 2004 for his role in the affair, but Chirac benefited from presidential immunity at the time. After Chirac left office in May 2007, he made it known he was available to answer any questions on the matter. Current Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had no comment about the investigation, according to officials with the city of Paris, which lodged the initial complaint against Chirac. The former president remains popular in France. A survey released Thursday, conducted by the opinion research company IFOP for Paris Match magazine, showed that 78 percent of French people have a positive opinion of Chirac -- making him the highest-rated politician since the survey began in November 2003. CNN's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report.

Question: What does he have to say about the allegations?

Question: Who is Jacques Chirac?

Question: What could Chirac face as a result of the charges?

Question: How many years is Chirac facing?

Question: What is Jacques Chirac being investigated for?

Question: What are authorities investigating Chirac for?

Question: how much fine chirac would face?

Question: what did officials investigate Jacques chirac for?

Answer: had "already answered all the questions related

Answer: Former French President

Answer: a five-year sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros

Answer: five-year sentence

Answer: allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris,

Answer: using 21 city employees to work on his presidential campaign.

Answer: 75,000 euros

Answer: allegations stemming from his time as mayor of Paris,

Summary:
Authorities are investigating Jacques Chirac over alleged corruption charges .
Officials believe the alleged charges stem from his time as Mayor of Paris .
Chirac could face a five-year prison sentence and a $107,500 fine .
The former president denies the allegations .


Paris, France (CNN) -- France has denied citizenship to a man because he allegedly forced his wife to wear a full Islamic veil, the French immigration minister said in a statement Wednesday.

The man was applying for citizenship in order to join his French wife in France, Immigration Minister Eric Besson said. The man was refused citizenship because he was depriving his wife of the liberty to come and go with her face uncovered, Besson said.

The decision, made Tuesday, came exactly a week after a French parliamentary commission recommended a partial ban on any veils that cover the face -- including the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.

The ban -- which has not yet come up for a vote -- would apply in public places like hospitals and schools, and on public transport, the commission announced.

Foreigners may become French citizens if they marry French nationals and meet certain criteria, including integrating well in French society and having "good morality," Besson said. It is on the criteria of morality that the man's citizenship request was denied, Besson said.

"This individual imposes the full veil upon his wife, does not allow her the freedom to go and come as she pleases, and bans her from going out with her face unveiled, and rejects the principles of secularism and equality between man and woman," Besson said he told President Nicolas Sarkozy.

France's top court denied a Moroccan woman's naturalization request in 2008 on the grounds that she wore a burqa.

Sarkozy controversially told lawmakers six months ago that the traditional Muslim burqa was "not welcome" in France. He said the issue is one of a woman's freedom and dignity, and did not have to do with religion.

France has relatively tight controls on religion, according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. It has among the most severe government restrictions on religion in Western Europe, as well as some of the highest levels of social tension involving religion, Pew senior researcher Brian Grim told CNN.

More than half of French people support a full ban veils, according to a recent opinion poll. The Ipsos poll for Le Point magazine found 57 percent of French people said it should be illegal to appear in public wearing clothes that cover the face.

That's despite government estimates that fewer than 2,000 women in the country actually wear the full Islamic veil.

France has about 3.5 million Muslims, representing about 6 percent of the population, according to Pew Forum research. The country does not collect its own statistics on religion in accordance with laws enshrining France's status as a secular state.

France already has a law against Muslim girls wearing headscarves in state schools. It sparked widespread Muslim protests when the French Parliament passed the law in 2004, even though the law also bans other conspicuous religious symbols including Sikh turbans, large Christian crucifixes and Jewish skull caps.

CNN's Jessica Hartogs in London, England, contributed to this report

Question: Who says the man denied wife liberty of coming and going with face uncovered?

Question: What did the man deny his wife of?

Question: Which country is scheduled to vote on whether to ban full veils?

Question: What did France deny a woman?

Question: Which country denied a Moroccan woman's naturalization request?

Question: what was denied

Question: what was man denied

Answer: Immigration Minister Eric Besson

Answer: liberty to come and go with her face uncovered,

Answer: France

Answer: naturalization request

Answer: France

Answer: citizenship

Answer: citizenship

Summary:
Immigration Minister says man denied wife liberty of coming going with face uncovered .
France is scheduled to vote on whether to ban full veils .
France denied a Moroccan woman's naturalization request in 2008 on the because she wore a burqa .


Paris, France (CNN) -- French investigators said they are looking into problems encountered by an Air France jet last month in nearly the same spot over the Atlantic where another Air France jet mysteriously crashed in June. Air France flight 445 was flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, the night of Nov. 29 when it encountered the problems, the French accident investigation agency, BEA, said in a news release this week. It is the same route taken by Air France flight 447 when it went down in the Atlantic Ocean in stormy weather June 1, killing all 228 people aboard. The investigation agency has not established the cause of the crash, and large parts of the plane -- including both flight recorders -- have never been found. "The analysis of what happened could lead to complementary explanations about the accident of flight AF 447," the investigation agency said. Flight 445 encountered "severe turbulence" about four hours after takeoff on Nov. 29, forcing the pilots to descend, Air France said in a statement after the flight. The crew sent out an emergency radio message to indicate it had left its flight level, Air France said. The flight, with 215 people aboard, "continued normally" after half an hour of moderate to severe turbulence, the airline said. Air France declined to comment on the investigation agency's statement this week. The BEA said the November flight was an Airbus A330-203, the same model involved in the June crash, but Air France said the November incident involved an Airbus A330-200. While French authorities have not yet determined what caused the June crash, tests have brought into question the performance of pitot tubes, which are used to measure the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air, and are part of a system used to determine air speed. Flight 447 sent out 24 automated error messages before it crashed that suggested the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through the thunderstorms, officials have said. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive in late August requiring airlines to replace pitot tubes manufactured by Thales Avionics on Airbus A330s and A340s. It said airlines should replace them with other Thales tubes and those manufactured by Goodrich. -- CNN's Luc Lacroix contributed to this report

Question: Where did Flight 447 go down?

Question: What flight number encountered "severe turbulence" about 4 hours after takeoff on Nov. 29?

Question: what were the problems

Question: Where did the jet encounter problems?

Question: When the turbulence found the flight 445?

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Answer: 445

Answer: "severe turbulence"

Answer: nearly the same spot over the Atlantic

Answer: about four hours after takeoff on Nov. 29,

Summary:
Air France jet encountered problems near where Airbus jet crashed earlier this year .
Flight 445 encountered "severe turbulence" about 4 hours after takeoff on Nov. 29 .
Flight 447 went down in the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, killing 228 people .


Parkersburg, West Virginia (CNN) -- At nearly $12.1 trillion, the U.S. national debt has reached a size that is incomprehensible to most people and as intangible as the '"Big Bang" or bipartisanship. But it is real in West Virginia, where a small, nearly anonymous group of government accountants calculate the public debt to the penny each day, living a mathematic nightmare and number cruncher's dream. At a large desk in Parkersburg, Jaime Saling watches over roughly 6,500 pieces of data and trillions of dollars each day. Her title takes up a few characters itself: Saling is the debt accounting branch manager for the Bureau of Public Debt. She and a division of just 15 people quietly and relentlessly work to account for every penny of the national debt. It is tedious and potentially overwhelming work, but Saling acts as if she flies jet fighters. "I get very excited," the petite and energetic Saling says, "They call me a nerd, several times; I think it's because I get very excited about all the work we do." That work happens in a simple one-story, brick building in Parkersburg, some 300 miles from Washington. The public debt offices landed there thanks to heavyweight home-state Sen. Robert Byrd. The bureau's offices are tucked into a corner of town that's easy to miss. A brown hill and train track sit on one side, parking lots for county offices on the other. The locale is still a surprise to some. "Every now and then we get a comment, 'Where are you? Parkersburg?'" Saling says. The public debt building has become a number nerds' paradise. Employees say they balance their checkbooks at least weekly, some daily. A big happy-face sign marks progress on a recent audit. A written goal is taped to a Nerf-sized football. And the security guards brag that someone brings in a cake about every other day. Inside, Saling's office is pin-neat, but her computer screen is cramped. A full-screen photo of Saling's 4- and 5-year-old children is covered by dozens of icons for spreadsheets and documents, so that glimpses of bright blonde hair poke out from under a field of white data squares. "I need to clean it out right now," Saling says with a shrug, then laughs. She then calls up the brain of the debt-management system, a software program called PARS, or Public debt Accounting and Reporting System. The acronym is a pun only an accountant would love. "Par value" means "stated value" in the field. PARS is a custom program, designed in the early '90s to check and double-check the constant buying and selling of U.S. debt. Thanks in part to the debt software, what used to take 100 people a month to compute now is done by 15 people in a day. Even so, the program looks like it's from another time, with a black screen and neon-colored letters that recall computer monitors of the "War Games" era. "It is outdated," Saling says of the font. But she insists the program itself still operates well. Annual government reviews of PARS back that up. And the division overall has a remarkable record of 13 straight years of unqualified audits, the accounting gold standard of accuracy. That brings a massive smile to Saling's face; you see how someone so enthusiastic can be called a nerd. "Things like that make me very excited." (Her favorite report, by the way, is the "schedules of public debt".) Each day, to check the funds flowing in and out of the public debt, Saling types in five-digit codes into PARS and checks a slew of accounts. She knows about 50 of those codes by heart. In general, there is a scale to this work that would disrupt most minds. "Most people don't have a sense of it until they come here and see it," said accounting

Question: What works well?

Question: What has become a nerd's paradise?

Question: What are a small group of accountants calculating?

Question: What did the accounting director say?

Question: Where do accountants calculate?

Question: In which state does a small group of accountants calculate the public debt?

Question: What has become a nerds' paradise?

Answer: the program itself

Answer: The public debt building

Answer: public debt to the penny each day,

Answer: "Most people don't have a sense of it until they come here and see it,"

Answer: West Virginia,

Answer: West Virginia,

Answer: public debt building

Summary:
In West Virginia, a small group of accountants calculate the public debt to the penny each day .
"Most calculators don't handle what we do," accounting director says .
The program accountants use is outdated, but works well, Jaime Saling says .
The public debt building has become a number nerds' paradise .


Pascagoula, Mississippi (CNN) -- A lack of screening of oil spill cleanup workers meant a sex offender got a job, and left him free to rape a colleague according to a Mississippi county sheriff.

A CNN investigation into the incident reveals that basic background checks were not done on those hired to remove oil from the beaches in and around Pascagoula.

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd told CNN he was shocked when he met with the head of BP security for the area several weeks before the alleged rape took place. He said the BP representative told him that only drug screenings, not background checks, were being conducted on the cleanup workers.

"I said, 'You're kidding me.' He said, 'No.' He said, 'There's so many of them, we were told to do drug screens and that was it.' And I said, 'Well, that's not good at all.' "

Byrd said he told the BP official that "you're going to have every type of person coming in here looking for a job, and you're going to have the criminal element in here, and we're not going to know who we're dealing with if we don't do background checks on these people."

"It's sad because you got a victim now by a sex offender, and he's in our jail. Had we have known this, he would have been arrested before the crime could have been committed," said Byrd, who also said that if asked, his department would have done the background checks for free.

Rundy Charles Robertson, 41, who faces charges of sexual battery and failure to register as a sex offender, is in the Jackson County, Mississippi, jail with bail set at $505,000. He told police that he had consensual sex with the woman. He has not yet entered a plea.

Robertson has a criminal history dating back to 1991, according to police records. He was put on the national sex offender registry for a 1996 conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Louisiana. He is also on probation after being convicted in 2003 in Georgia for cruelty to children.  Read Boudreau's blog post on background checks for spill workers

Robertson had been supervising a crew of cleanup workers, including the alleged victim. She told CNN he offered to take her home one day in June because she was not feeling well.

However, she said, when he dropped her off, he asked to use the bathroom in her motel room. When he came out, she said, he raped her.

The woman told CNN she is scared and angry that this happened.

"If they would have ran the background checks, they wouldn't have a man like that working," she said.

"Emotionally, it's really, really messed me up. I get real upset at times, I go through anxiety. I feel angry, I feel dirty. I don't understand what gave him the right to take something -- or felt he could do what he wanted. ... I'm scared. I'm real scared."

She said she was laid off and is now unemployed.

"I find it unbelievable because BP and their subcontractors had relationships with all local law enforcement," said Adam Miller, the woman's attorney. "They had the opportunity and the ability to clearly check all of these people that they were hiring and bringing in to ensure the safety of the public."

He said since the incident happened in June, it's been "a living hell for her."

"She gave up her housing where she was living to come here," Miller said. "Now she's been raped, she doesn't have a job, and everybody walked away."

BP hired a company called Miller Environmental Group for the beach cleanup project. Miller hired Aerotek to find workers.

In a statement to CNN, BP spokesman Robert Wine said, "BP does conduct full checks on its employees, and under normal business conditions can make it a part

Question:
what is the worker charged with
What was the oil worker charged with?
Who is charged with raping co-worker?
Where was the suspect jailed?

Answer: charges of sexual battery and failure to register as a sex offender,

Answer: rape

Answer: Rundy Charles Robertson,

Answer: Jackson County, Mississippi, jail

Summary:
Oil spill worker charged with raping a co-worker never had a criminal background check .
BP says responsibility for the background checks is with contractor it hired .
Suspect is jailed in Mississippi, charged with sexual battery, not registering as sex offender .


Peekskill, New York (CNN) -- Police in Peekskill are investigating whether four men accused of brutally beating an Ecuadorian man can be charged with a hate crime, officials said.

Julio Serrano, 39, remains in critical condition after he was attacked Saturday, police said.

Detective Sgt. Raymond Henderlong said police are still gathering information on whether hate was a motive in the attack in the small Hudson River town.

"We are going to exhaust every avenue to see if this was racially motivated," Henderlong said. "We are looking into whether they were targeting him because of his background."

Police said Serrano was walking near his home early Saturday when he was attacked.

Surveillance video shows him staggering up a flight of stairs after fleeing his attackers, who follow and eventually ambush him as he seeks refuge in a building.

Serrano suffered severe head injuries.

Ronnie Juett, 23; Jarron Sligh, 23; and Keith Walker, 18, have been charged with gang assault, police said. Jamar Walker, 19, is awaiting arraignment in Peekskill County Court.

According to the 2000 census, Peekskill has a population of about 22,000. Nearly 22 percent is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Peekskill Police Chief Eugene Tumolo said it is possible that Serrano was beaten "because of the fact he is a Latino male, and a lot of these people are immigrants."

"Even animals shouldn't be beaten like this. Nothing human, nothing alive should be beaten the way this poor man was. It was an incredibly cowardly and vicious attack," he said.

In April, jurors convicted a Long Island man of manslaughter as a hate crime in the death of an immigrant from Ecuador.

Jeffrey Conroy was tried in the death of Marcelo Lucero, 37, who was fatally stabbed in the chest on November 8, 2008, in Patchogue.

Conroy was also found guilty of gang assault and conspiracy as well as of assaulting three other Latino men on Long Island.

Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center said that increasingly virulent hate speech emerging from anti-immigrant groups has a role in recent attacks on immigrants.

"This is yet another example of America's anti-immigrant propaganda to demonize immigrants," Potok said.

"We've seen these cases popping up around the nation because of this type of hate speech. Words have consequences," he said.

Question: When was the Ecuadorian beaten?

Question: What happened to the Ecuadorian man?

Question: Who was beaten?

Question: What did the police chief say?

Question: Where was an Ecuadorian man beaten on Saturday?

Question: What the police chief say?

Question: How many men are accused in the attack?

Answer: Saturday,

Answer: he was attacked

Answer: Julio Serrano,

Answer: it is possible that Serrano was beaten "because of the fact he is a Latino male, and a lot of these people are immigrants."

Answer: Peekskill

Answer: it is possible that Serrano was beaten "because of the fact he is a Latino male, and a lot of these people are immigrants."

Answer: four

Summary:
Ecuadorian man beaten Saturday in Peekskill, New York .
Four men are accused in the attack .
"Nothing alive should be beaten the way this poor man was," police chief says .


Penuelas, Puerto Rico (CNN) -- Jorelys Rivera, the 7-year-old girl who was abducted and killed early this month near her north Georgia home, was buried Tuesday in a service in this town on the southern coast of Puerto Rico.

Hundreds of mourners filled the funeral home and spilled out the doors for the service.

Afterward, the carriage holding holding her body was pulled by horses -- her favorite animal -- to the cemetery.

The 1- to 2-kilometer (1-mile) route to the cemetery was lined with people, many of whom said they had not known the girl or her family, but were there simply because they had been moved by her story.

Mayor Walter Torres paid the cost of the service.

As a four-person group played traditional Puerto Rican and Christmas music, Jorelys' mother Joseline appeared calm and solemn.The girl's father, Ricardo Galarza, appeared disturbed and upset.

He told CNN last week that he last saw his daughter two years ago when she visited for the summer. She was supposed to have returned for Christmas.

The girl's maternal grandmother was barely able to speak and remain upright.

Jorelys disappeared December 2 near a playground at a Canton, Georgia, apartment complex. Searchers found her body in a compactor-type trash bin there three days later.

Authorities have accused 20-year-old Ryan Brunn -- a maintenance worker at the complex -- of killing her.

Jorelys died of blunt force trauma to the head and was stabbed and sexually assaulted, according to authorities.

A date for Brunn's arraignment has not been set. David Cannon Sr., one of Brunn's court-appointed attorneys, has said that his client will plead not guilty.

On Sunday, Rivera told WAPA that if authorities have evidence showing Brunn killed her daughter, he should face the death penalty.

"The truth is I can't tell you if it was him or if it wasn't him, because I had never seen him before," she said.

Question: Hundreds of mournes filled what?

Question: Hundreds of people lined what?

Question: What was lined with hundreds of people?

Question: What was holding her body?

Question: By what was the carriage holding her body pulled with?

Answer: the funeral home

Answer: route to the cemetery

Answer: The 1- to 2-kilometer (1-mile) route to the cemetery

Answer: the carriage

Answer: horses

Summary:
Hundreds of mourners filled the funeral home in Puerto Rico .
The route to the cemetery was lined with hundreds of people .
The carriage holding her body was pulled by horses .


People with a gene variant that sharply increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease in old age may show memory impairment earlier than thought -- sometimes well before their 60th birthday, according to new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. A variant of the APOE gene indicates whether a person has a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Between 20 and 35 percent of Americans have one or two copies of this gene variant, inherited from one or both parents. People with one copy of the variant, called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE e4), have a 29 percent lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, while people who don't have it have a 9 percent risk. People with two copies of APOE e4 have an even higher Alzheimer's risk, but it's hard to define the exact percentage as only 2 percent of the population falls into this category. Despite the gene-related health problems, another study in the same issue of the journal suggests that people who learn they do have APOE e4 seem to handle the information pretty well. But the researchers excluded people with anxiety or depression, and they followed people for just a year. Therefore, the results don't tell the whole story about what it would be like for most people to find out whether they carried the APOE e4 gene. Nevertheless, the findings are an important first step, said Dr. Kenneth Kosik, a professor of neuroscience at the University of California Santa Barbara and the codirector of UCSB's Neuroscience Research Institute. "I think it opens the door to ask the deeper questions," said Kosik, referring to the possible consequences for individuals and society if widespread APOE testing were introduced. (Kosik was not involved with either study.) If people do find out they have the APOE e4 gene, Kosik added, the new memory study could make the news harder to bear. Dr. Richard J. Caselli, of the Mayo Clinic Arizona, in Scottsdale, and his colleagues followed 815 people ages 21 to 97 with normal mental function, including 317 who had at least one copy of the APOE e4 gene. On one test of a person's ability to learn and remember (the Auditory-Verbal Learning Test) gene carriers showed declines in their scores beginning in their 50s. For people without the APOE e4 gene, this decline started in their 70s. "We're not talking anymore about a retired population; we're talking about people who will be in the midst of their career," Caselli said. He added that many would be in positions of responsibility in which they need to have all their wits about them -- and they may not. Health.com: Eat smarter in your 30s, 40s, and 50s "[The study] forces us to really think about the brave new world of genetics," and how this information might be used, Kosik said. Although there had been a "clear line" between having the APOE e4 gene but being dementia-free and having Alzheimer's disease, that distinction isn't as clear anymore, he explained. For someone who discovers he or she has the APOE e4 gene, Caselli said, "The only advice I have is, 'Don't panic.'" Right now, APOE gene testing is only recommended for people with mild problems with mental function or dementia; for people with no symptoms, it should only be done in a research setting, experts said. Nevertheless, labs have sprung up that will offer the "worried well" an APOE gene test for a fee. Having APOE testing without adequate medical, psychological, or genetic counseling is "inappropriate," said Dr. Hyman Schipper, a professor of neurology and medicine at McGill University, and the director of the Centre for Neurotranslational Research at SMBD--Jewish General Hospital, both in Montreal. In these situations, Schipper explained people may not interpret the results correctly, and could run the risk of psychological harm. For example, people who find out they carry the gene for Huntington's disease -- which means they have a 100 percent chance of developing a devastating neurodegenerative condition if they live long enough --

Question: Who is testing recommended for?

Question: What test is recommended for mild mental function?

Question: how many people have alzheimer

Question: What means  a 29% chance of Alzheimers

Question: What happens to people with the gene?

Question: Which group showed declines in their 50's?

Question: What does the gene variant mean?

Answer: people with mild problems with mental function or dementia;

Answer: APOE gene testing

Answer: Between 20 and 35 percent of Americans

Answer: People with one copy of the variant, called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE e4),

Answer: increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease

Answer: gene carriers

Answer: 29 percent lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,

Summary:
Having one copy of gene variant, APOE e4, means 29 percent risk of Alzheimer's .
People with APOE e4 gene variant showed declines beginning in their 50s .
APOE gene testing is only recommended for people with mild mental functions .


Peppermint oil, soluble fiber, and antispasmodic drugs can indeed help people with irritable bowel syndrome, according to an analysis of 25 years of research on the condition, which is characterized by bouts of diarrhea and constipation. "It wasn't appreciated how much of an impact [IBS] can have on a patient's quality of life," says one researcher. About 10 to 15 percent of people in North America have IBS, and it's twice as common in women. However, only about one-third of people with the intestinal disorder seek treatment. The exact cause of IBS remains unknown, and that lack of knowledge has led to the use of a variety of treatments, including fiber supplements, probiotics, antidepressants, behavioral-based therapies, psychotherapy, food modification, acupuncture, and laxatives. However, many treatments are controversial because study results have been mixed. Newer and more expensive medications have been introduced to the public, but some were ineffective or withdrawn from the market due to side effects. The recent study sheds light on the cheap and readily available treatments that can help patients, says study coauthor Eamonn M. Quigley, M.D., a professor of medicine and physiology at University College Cork in Ireland. "Medical science has tended to ignore IBS; it wasn't appreciated how much of an impact it can have on a patient's quality of life," he says. Health.com: Is that belly ache in your head? In the new analysis, researchers systematically reviewed 38 studies from the last 25 years; more than 2,500 volunteers were involved. That research compared therapies -- all relatively cheap, safe, and readily available -- with a placebo or with no treatment at all. The team looked at three treatments -- soluble fiber, peppermint oil, and antispasmodics, which are drugs that relax the smooth muscle in the gut and relieve cramping -- and found that they were all more effective than a placebo, according to the report in the British Medical Journal. But not all fiber is the same. The soluble fiber ispaghula husk, which is also known as psyllium and found in some bulk laxatives, significantly reduced symptoms of  IBS, particularly constipation; insoluble fiber, such as bran, did not relieve symptoms. Several antispasmodic drugs helped prevent IBS symptoms, particularly diarrhea. The most effective one was hyoscine, which is sold without a prescription in the United States. Although peppermint oil was found to be the most effective of the three therapies, more data are needed, cautions Quigley. The peppermint-oil therapy was analyzed in only four trials involving 392 patients. Because past research has been mixed, doctors' treatment guidelines mention the remedies, but don't necessarily give them a ringing endorsement, says author Alex Ford, M.D., a registrar of gastroenterology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. "I suspect that filters down to the practitioners who don't believe they work, so they try something that's newer or a bit sexier," Dr. Ford says. "The problem with IBS is that it's a chronic medical condition and no drug has been shown to alter its natural history." Health.com: Should I be tested for IBS? The study results are not surprising, says Joanne A.P. Wilson, M.D., a professor of medicine in the gastroenterology department at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Wilson adds that such treatments are best for patients with mild or moderate IBS. However, in her practice, she's found that prescription medications need to be used for severe cases that don't respond to these treatments. Health.com: Belly flab doubles mortality risk Prescription drugs that have been used to treat IBS include Amitiza, a drug for chronic constipation; Zelnorm, which was pulled from the market in 2007; and Lotronex, which was removed from the market because of potentially life-threatening side effects (although exceptions are now made for women with severe, diarrhea-prominent IBS who don't respond to other treatments). Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com

Question: Is the cause of ibs known?

Question: What percent of North Americans have ibs?

Question: What does the study analysis say works?

Question: Approximately how many people in North America have IBS?

Question: What treatments work for ibs?

Answer: remains unknown,

Answer: 10 to 15

Answer: Peppermint oil, soluble fiber, and antispasmodic drugs can indeed help people with irritable bowel syndrome,

Answer: 10 to 15 percent

Answer: including fiber supplements, probiotics, antidepressants, behavioral-based therapies, psychotherapy, food modification, acupuncture, and laxatives.

Summary:
An estimated 10 to 15 percent of people in North America have IBS .
The exact cause of IBS remains unknown, which has hampered treatment .
Study analysis: Peppermint oil, soluble fiber, and antispasmodic drugs all work .


Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox -- accused in Italy of killing her roommate -- on Tuesday said the prosecution's theory doesn't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty. Calling Knox a victim herself, Carlo della Vedova portrayed the Seattle, Washington, native as someone who fell victim to a rush to judgment by police following the murder, and who had to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime. Police declared "case closed" after an investigator saw Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito sharing a "flirtatious gesture" at the crime scene. And in the months following the murder, della Vedova argued a slew of leaks to the media made things even worse. The lawyer showed photos of the crime scene that were published in the media that weren't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox's character created a bias from the get-go. Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Giuliano Mignini's said was the motive for the murder. In preliminary hearings he argued Knox, Sollecito and Rudy Guede slashed Kercher's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox's attention. In recent days, della Vedova said Mignini focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates. Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed, claiming the two girls were friends. They argued that Guede, who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction, was the sole killer and argued there is no evidence that ties the three people together or shows proof they planned her murder. Della Vedova also fixated during closings on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene. As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial, he cast doubt on DNA evidence prosecutors claim shows Knox's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon. The defense has claimed the knife doesn't match Kercher's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bed sheet. They also claimed the DNA sample is too small to attribute. Besides the knife, della Vedova claimed if there really was a struggle or argument in Kercher's room, then Knox's DNA would be all over the room. Citing forensic testimony from the trial, he argued that while traces of DNA from  other people were found in the room, not a single sample that can be traced back to Knox was found. He stressed too, that Sollecito and Knox are not the kind of people they have been portrayed as, noting that the couple met at a classical music concert and aren't the typical "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" couple they have been labeled. During the first day of closings for Knox's lawyers, della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty. He told the jury they needed to be "morally certain of their decision." "If you have the minimum of doubts, you must absolve this young girl," he said. "A girl that is merely 22 years old." Knox and Sollecito, who both deny any role in the murder, have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence. Prosecutors have asked they be sentenced to life in prison if they are found guilty. Knox's other lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, will continue closings on Wednesday and the jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday. CNN's Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

Question: Who were the co-defendants of Knox?

Answer: Sollecito and Rudy Guede

Summary:
Carlo della Vedova questions evidence in case, says Amanda Knox should be found not guilty .
Prosecutors maintain Knox, Raffaele Sollecito and Rudy Guede killed Meredith Kercher .
Lawyer: "If you have the minimum of doubts, you must absolve this young girl"


Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion. Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, at the villa they shared in Italy. "We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda," Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation. "Meredith was my friend," he quoted Knox as saying, rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate, who was fatally stabbed in November 2007. Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher, and two men -- Knox's then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 26, and acquaintance Rudy Guede -- sexually assaulted her. The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito's house had Knox's DNA on the handle and Kercher's on the blade, among other pieces of evidence. But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday. He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant, giving them a symbolic "red card" -- a referee's sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules. Ghirga concluded an emotional oration -- sobbing as he came to the end -- by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox, because her mother asked him to request it, because her family asked it. Knox's father, Curt, said Wednesday she had been a victim of "character assassination," and expressed hope she would be found not guilty. Members of Kercher's family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case. But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case. He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga's arguments Wednesday. And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty. Italy does not have the death penalty. The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday, after the prosecution completes its summary. Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution's theory doesn't fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty. Calling Knox a victim herself, Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder, leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime. The lawyer showed photos published in the media, purportedly showing the crime scene, that weren't authentic -- including a photo of the bathroom -- and said false allegations and rumors about Knox's character created a bias from the start. Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder. In preliminary hearings, Mignini argued Knox, Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher's throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox's attention. In recent days, Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates. Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed, claiming the two women were friends. Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed. The defense has argued that Guede, who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction, was the sole killer.  The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher's murder. Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene. As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial, he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox's DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon. The defense has said the knife doesn't match Kercher's wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet, and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive. During the first day of closing arguments for Knox's lawyers, della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to

Question: What is Knox accused of?

Question: Who became emotional in court?

Question: Where is Knox from?

Question: What does the prosecutor accuse?

Question: what Defense lawyer for Amanda Knox becomes emotional during?

Question: what Prosecutor accuses defense of "lynching" police?

Question: what American student, is accused of murdering her?

Question: What said prosecutor about the police?

Question: What did the defense lawer become emotional during?

Question: What does Ghirga tell the jury?

Question: What does the prosecutor assuse the defense of?

Question: What is the name of the defense lawyer?

Question: What did the defense lawyer do during his final argument?

Question: What is Knox accused of ?

Question: What happened to the defense attorney Amanda?

Answer: killing her British roommate,

Answer: Ghirga

Answer: American

Answer: the defense of "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case.

Answer: Ghirga

Answer: Giuliano Mignini

Answer: Amanda Knox

Answer: defended the work of the

Answer: oration

Answer: "We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda,"

Answer: "lynching" the Italian police who worked on the case.

Answer: Luciano Ghirga

Answer: made an impassioned plea to the jury

Answer: killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher,

Answer: made an impassioned plea

Summary:
NEW: Prosecutor accuses defense of "lynching" police who worked on case .
Defense lawyer for Amanda Knox becomes emotional during Wednesday's closing argument .
Luciano Ghirga sobs as he tells the jury Knox is innocent and has been mistreated .
Knox, an American student, is accused of murdering her British roommate in Italy .


Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- A lawyer for Amanda Knox said Thursday the only option for the jury considering her murder appeal in Italy is to clear her of guilt.

Knox's lawyers gave their final arguments in Perugia Thursday in an effort to counter prosecutors' portrayal of her as a cunning "femme fatale."

Lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova told the jury 'that the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox," as he wrapped up his closing argument.

He said the court had already seen "there is not trace of Amanda Knox in the room where murder took place."

Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito are fighting to overturn their 2009 convictions for the murder of Meredith Kercher, Knox's British housemate who was found with her throat slashed two years earlier.

The judge said there will be no ruling in the case until after defendant statements on Monday.

The second of Knox's lawyers to speak, Luciano Ghirga, said Knox was "very afraid but her heart is full of hope and she hopes to return to freedom."

Her "image was massacred" by the media and the attacks on her character started before the trial, he said, adding that he considered her as a daughter.

Concluding an emotional appearance, he appealed to the jury to put themselves in the shoes of Knox's family -- a counterpoise to the words of appeals court prosecutor Giancarlo Costagliola, who asked the jury to put themselves in the shoes of Kercher's family at the start of the closing arguments a week ago.

The "clan Knox" -- as Knox's family have been referred to -- are not part of some rumored U.S. conspiracy to put pressure on the Italian courts to release her, Ghirga said. Rather, "they are parents and they deserve respect."

The lawyer also praised the court's work, saying he felt Knox's rights had finally been respected.

Urging the jury not to let innocent people stay in jail, Vedova earlier detailed what he called many "mistakes" made in the investigation into Kercher's death.

When Knox was arrested and interrogated, she was not allowed a translator and was discouraged from getting a lawyer, Vedova said.

"'That night Amanda Knox's right to defend herself was denied," he said. "She was just a young girl, first time out of the country. She didn't speak Italian."

Vedova argued that some of the DNA evidence presented by the prosecution should be thrown out.

He said some material was contaminated as a result of poor practice by police, including supposed traces of mixed blood in the bathroom sink shared by the two girls. The prosecution's use of alleged bloody footprints in their case was also wrong, he said.

As for the knife used to kill Kercher, a key piece of evidence, Vedova told the court there was a "concentration of nothingness, a fantasy" in the prosecution's arguments.

He ridiculed a theory that Sollecito had not disposed of the knife because he was concerned his landlady would notice it was missing, asking: "What kind of a killer would think about this after committing a murder?"

Vedova claimed forensics experts who examined computers belonging to Knox and Sollecito had destroyed the machines and with them evidence that was certain to be favorable to the defendants.

This included photographs of Knox and Kercher together that demonstrated they were friends, he said.

Showing the court panoramic pictures of the villa Knox shared with Kercher, Vedova rejected the prosecution claim that a fake robbery had been staged by someone inside the house to try to cover up what had happened.

He also suggested the original court had taken sides over some of the evidence, choosing to accept as credible some witnesses whose testimony went against Knox and rejecting others who were in her favor.

Knox's attorneys' statements follow arguments presented this week by the lawyer of her co-defendant.

Lawyer Giulia Bongiorno said Tuesday that Knox is not the character the media has painted her to be, and urged a jury to acquit Knox and Sollecito of murdering Kercher.

Bongiorno

Question:
When were they convicted?
What did the lawyer said?
What did the judge said?
What does the lawyer say?

Answer: 2009

Answer: 'that the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox,"

Answer: there will be no ruling in the case until after defendant statements on Monday.

Answer: 'that the only possible decision to take is that of absolving Amanda Knox,"

Summary:
NEW: A lawyer for Knox says she "is very afraid but her heart is full of hope"
Another lawyer urges the jury to absolve Knox as he wraps up his closing argument .
A verdict in the appeal will not come before Monday, the judge says .
Knox and Sollecito were convicted in 2009 of killing Briton Meredith Kercher .


Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- Family members of Meredith Kercher said Saturday they were satisfied with the verdict that found American Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, guilty of the fatal knifing of the British student. "Ultimately we are pleased with the decision," said Lyle Kercher, Meredith Kercher's brother. "But it was not a moment of celebration. We are here because our sister was brutally murdered." The victim's sister, Stephanie Kercher, talked Friday about her family's grief. "Our lives have been on hold, really. You can't really carry on as normal," she said. "You have to take each day as it comes. It's not ever going to be the same without [Meredith]." Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of murder Friday after a lengthy, sensational trial. Knox was given a 26-year sentence; Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years. Both will appeal, attorneys said. Knox and Sollecito were convicted on all charges except theft. The pair was accused of staging a theft to cover up the killing. Authorities said 300 euros (about $444) was discovered missing from Kercher's purse. The pair must pay 5 million euros ($7.4 million) to Kercher's family. In addition, Knox must pay 40,000 euros (nearly $60,000) to a man whom she falsely accused of the killing. One of Knox's sisters said Saturday that Amanda "had a rough night." Her mother, Edda Mellas, said, "She had a lot of support. The inmates and the guards were all taking great care of her. They care a lot. "Amanda, like the rest of us, is extremely disappointed -- upset about the decision," Mellas said. "We're all in shock; we're all heartened by the support" that she said residents of Perugia and other Italians had shown. "People from all over the world have been sending us messages of support all through the night," Mellas said. "We told her she's going to get out of there. It's [just] going to take a little longer." Sollecito's lawyer, Luca Maori, criticized his client's punishment -- less than the life sentence the prosecution requested but far short of exonerating Sollecito -- as making no sense. "For the grave crimes they claimed, you either sentence them to life. ... or you acquit. There is no middle way," Maori said. Public prosecutor Giuliano Mignini told CNN he feels he presented a strong case. He said about 20 magistrates worked alongside police during the investigation. However, he said that in the face of the planned appeals, clearly the conviction is not final. Learn how the murder case played out People who disagree with the verdict should at least respect it, because so many professionals were involved in the investigation, Mignini said. "I believe, evidently, that they think there was violence. They are the deputies who establish the foundation" of charges, he said. "And they did this." The victim's mother said she believed the defendants were guilty of the slaying. "You have to go with the evidence," Arline Kercher said. Take a look at the evidence against Knox Knox's lead defense attorney, Luciano Ghirga, said that when he met with his client Saturday morning, she was angry and continued to proclaim her innocence. He told CNN the situation has been a trying experience, and Knox hardly slept Friday night after the verdict. She was consoled by the other prisoners, who managed get her a cup of warm milk, Ghirga said. The jury reached its verdict after deliberating nearly 11 hours on the 11 counts. Jurors must submit an explanation of how they reached their decision to the judge within 90 days, and this "jury motivation" will be made public. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of life in prison. Italy does not have the death penalty. CNN's Richard Greene and Hada Messia contributed to this report.

Question: Who is sentenced for Merideth Kercher's murder?

Question: who were sentenced for Meredith Kercher's murder?

Question: what makes no sense?

Question: Who was murdered?

Question: What does the appeals mean?

Question: Did the Italian prosecutor say the convictions were final?

Question: What was the name of Knox's former boyfriend?

Question: what does Italian prosecutor say?

Answer: Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito,

Answer: Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito,

Answer: less than the life sentence the prosecution requested but far short of exonerating Sollecito

Answer: Meredith Kercher

Answer: the conviction is not final.

Answer: However, he said that in the face of the planned appeals, clearly the conviction is not final.

Answer: Raffaele Sollecito,

Answer: he feels he presented a strong case. He said about 20 magistrates worked alongside police during the investigation. However, he said that in the face of the planned appeals, clearly the conviction is not final.

Summary:
NEW: Sentence makes no sense, co-defendant's lawyer says .
Knox, her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito sentenced for Meredith Kercher's murder .
Appeals mean convictions not final, Italian prosecutor says .
Meredith Kercher's sister: "It's not ever going to be the same"


Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- The lawyer for Meredith Kercher's family showed photos of the British murder victim's bloodied body Monday, pointing out multiple stab wounds, as he urged an Italian jury not to overturn the murder convictions of Amanda Knox and Rafaelle Sollecito.

"I show you these pictures to show you the pain of Meredith," Francesco Maresca said.

"She didn't have defensive wounds. It means that she was tied up, that she had more than one aggressor," the lawyer said.

"Given the type, number and locations of the wounds, there had to be multiple attackers," he insisted.

He attacked as "useless" a review of DNA evidence that may cast doubt on the original convictions.

American student Knox and her former boyfriend Sollecito were convicted of the killing in 2009 and are now fighting to have the verdicts overturned. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, while Sollecito got 25.

A third man, Rudy Guede, was convicted separately and is serving 16 years. Knox and Sollecito's defense teams have suggested he could have been the sole killer.

Lawyers for the civil suits related to the case presented their closing arguments Monday. Knox avoided looking at the photographs of Kercher's body as they were shown.

Another lawyer called Knox two-faced and "diabolical."

"Within her lives a double soul: one which is angelic, good, compassionate ... tender and ingenuous," Carlo Pacelli said.

But she had another side, he said: "And a Lucifer-like, demonic, satanic, diabolical one which sometimes leads her to borderline and dissolute behavior," saying that was the Knox who had killed her roommate.

Pacelli sought to portray Knox as sexually promiscuous and a difficult roommate as he fights for damages for Patrick Lumumba. His closing arguments were based on earlier testimony by friends of Kercher's.

Curt Knox, Amanda Knox's father, said the language used by the lawyer "was extraordinarily hard to listen to."

"What I find very hard to believe is how this person can start calling her that when he's never even talked to her, never met her," Curt Knox told CNN's Brooke Baldwin on Monday night.

Knox accused Lumumba of the murder in 2007. He was arrested but released after his alibi checked out. He later sued Knox for libel, winning 40,000 euros ($54,000) in damages.

Knox's accusation of Lumumba shows that she committed the crime, Pacelli argued.

"Knox told lies," he said, adding that she was guilty and her conviction should stand.

He urged the court not to "fall under the spell of the defendant" but to "stick to the proof."

Knox testified in the initial trial that comments she made to police the night of the killing were the result of stress, mistreatment by police and inadequate translation help.

Lawyers are making closing arguments this week, and a verdict could come as soon as October 3.

Curt Knox said the defense will begin presenting its final arguments Tuesday, "and I think we're going to see a very different picture of what this case is all about, and so will the world."

"What we saw and what we heard in the first three hearings is really all circumstantial evidence," Curt Knox said. "When it really comes down to the nuts and bolts of this case, you're going to hear in the next couple of days there really is no forensic case."

Knox was in court Monday, wearing an off-white top and black hooded sweater as the months-long process nears its conclusion.

Curt Knox said his daughter has had trouble sleeping and has lost weight in recent weeks.

"These two judges and six jurors really have her life in their hands, and these last three hearings have been extraordinarily hard," he said.

Sollecito was also present at Monday's hearing, with his hair cut short. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with a geometric pattern.

The defense has sought

Question: When are the lawyers due to make the final arguments on the Knox case?

Question: Who are fighting murder convictions?

Question: What did a lawyer call Amanda knox?

Question: When will final arguments be made?

Question: Besides Amanda Knox, who else is fighting a murder conviction?

Question: this victim died

Question: which is the name of this lawyer

Answer: Tuesday,

Answer: Amanda Knox and Rafaelle Sollecito.

Answer: two-faced and "diabolical."

Answer: Monday.

Answer: Rafaelle Sollecito.

Answer: Meredith Kercher's

Answer: Francesco Maresca

Summary:
A lawyer calls Amanda Knox two-faced, with a "diabolical" side .
Another lawyer shows the court photos of the victim's bloodied body .
Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are fighting their murder convictions .
Their lawyers are due to make final arguments this week .


Philadelphia (CNN) -- Boxing great Joe Frazier, who went toe to toe three times with Muhammad Ali, including the famous "Thrilla in Manila" fight, is seriously ill with liver cancer and is in a hospice, his personal and business manager said Saturday.

Frazier, 67, is in a Philadelphia facility, manager Leslie Wolff said. The former heavyweight champion was diagnosed just four or five weeks ago.

"He's a true gentleman," Wolff said. "Along with Muhammad Ali, (he is) one of the two most recognizable athletes in the world."

Frazier, nicknamed "Smokin' Joe," used his devastating left hook with impunity during his professional career, retiring with a 32-4-1 record.

Frazier, the son of a South Carolina sharecropper, boxed during the glory days of the heavyweight division, going up against greats George Foreman, Oscar Bonavena, Joe Bugner and Jimmy Ellis.

But it was his three much-hyped fights against Ali that helped seal his legend.

Frazier bested Ali at 1971's "Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden. In the 15th round, Frazier landed perhaps the most famous left hook in history, catching Ali on the jaw and dropping the former champ for a four-count, according to Frazier's bio at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Frazier left the ring still the champ after handing Ali his first professional defeat.

SI: Top 10 greatest fights of all time

Ali won a 12-round decision in a January 1974 rematch, setting the stage for the classic "Thrilla in Manila" just outside the Philippine capital in 1975.

Ali took the early rounds, but Frazier rebounded before losing the last five rounds. By the end of the 14th, Frazier's eyes were nearly swollen shut, and his corner stopped the bout, according to the biography.

Later, Ali said, "It was the closest I've come to death."

Fans and well-wishers were encouraged to post their thoughts and prayers at joefrazierscorner.com.

CNN's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

Question:
Where is he now?
Where is the cancer?
Who was recently diagnosed?
How many times did they fight?
What was he diagnosed with?
When did Frazier fight Muhammad Ali?

Answer: in a Philadelphia facility,

Answer: liver

Answer: Joe Frazier,

Answer: three

Answer: liver cancer

Answer: 1971's

Summary:
Former heavyweight champion has liver cancer .
He was recently diagnosed and is in a Philadelphia hospice .
Frazier fought Muhammad Ali three times in the 1970s .


Philadelphia (CNN) -- Longtime Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Bill Conlin will not face prosecution over child sex abuse allegations -- even if there were grounds for charges -- because the statute of limitations concerning the alleged crimes has expired, according to prosecutors.

The claims were published in an article by The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday after an investigation was initiated by authorities, according to a statement from Bernard Weisenfeld, a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey.

The article says three women and a man allege they were molested by Conlin in the 1970s when they were between the ages of 7 and 12. One of the alleged victims is Conlin's niece, said Slade McLaughlin, an attorney who represents three of the accusers.

A spokesman for the Daily News said the newspaper had no knowledge of the allegations prior to The Inquirer's story.

Conlin has denied the claims, speaking through his attorney. He retired from the Daily News on Tuesday, the newspaper said.

"Mr. Conlin is obviously floored by these allegations, which supposedly happened 40 years ago. He's engaged me to do everything possible to bring the facts forward to vindicate his name," said attorney George Bochetto.

Prosecutors say an exhaustive investigation had been launched into the allegations. But, Weisenfeld said, it was later determined that even if there were legal grounds to pursue a criminal prosecution, prosecutors are barred from doing so because the alleged crimes occurred too long ago.

A 1996 law actually eliminates statutes of limitations on sexual assault cases in New Jersey, but the law is not considered retroactive for claims that date back as far as the 1970s.

Still, McLaughlin said, his clients want to speak out.

"They made the decision that they were going to tell their story," the attorney told CNN. "This isn't a he-said, she-said story. It's a he-said, they-said. Their only motives are getting closure and public service."

McLaughlin also noted, after speaking with his clients, that the accusations made in The Inquirer's story were accurate.

Conlin, 77, who gained national recognition from appearances on ESPN, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The veteran sportswriter worked for the Daily News for nearly half a century. The newspaper published an editorial Wednesday written by its managing editor in an effort to address the scandal.

"I have been a journalist for more than a quarter century, and I have never had a professional experience that was sadder â€” or more shocking â€” than reading the allegations leveled against Bill Conlin yesterday," wrote Larry Platt.

"We've taken the unusual step of also running (the Inquirer's story), in its entirety, on the following page, because I felt you deserved to see the allegations in full context," he added.

Still, Platt reminded readers that Conlin has not been charged with a crime.

The Inquirer and the Daily News are owned by a parent company, Philadelphia Media Network.

This week's allegations come in the wake of a series of recent child sex abuse scandals, including the case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who faces more than 50 counts of child sex abuse spread over several years.

Conlin, who covered sports throughout Pennsylvania for the newspaper, weighed in on the Penn State scandal last month in a column published by the Daily News titled "Tough Guys Are Talking About Sandusky."

Conlin expressed doubt about those who said they would have intervened on behalf of a child, had they witnessed the boy's alleged molestation at the hands of Sandusky in a university locker room shower.

"Everybody says he will do the right thing, get involved, put his own ass on the line before or after the fact," Conlin wrote in a column published on November 11. "But the moment itself has a cruel way of suspending our fearless intentions."

Question: who has been accused

Question: What age is Colin?

Question: Who has been accused of sexual abuse?

Question: Who will not face prosecution?

Question: What did Conlin weigh in on in a Daily News column?

Answer: Bill Conlin

Answer: 77,

Answer: Bill Conlin

Answer: Bill Conlin

Answer: the Penn State scandal

Summary:
Longtime Philadelphia sports columnist Bill Conlin has been accused of sexual abuse .
Conlin will not face prosecution because the statute of limitations has already expired .
Conlin, 77, could not be immediately reached for comment .
Last month, Colin weighed in on the Sandusky scandal in a Daily News column .